Harry was about halfway through his question when Nico burst out laughing. Harry gave him a strange look.
"You think... Percy.. Is going to betray you?" He chuckled. Percy hung his head in his hands. Here it came.
"Percy is possibly the single most annoyingly loyal person you will ever meet. You know he's a demigod- that doesn't mean you know who he is." He explained. There was a pause as Nico made a dramatic gesture with his hands.
Percy raised an eyebrow. "You look like an octopus."
Nico rolled his eyes. "Half your friends are octopi."
The professor looked wounded. "I can add you to that list, I suppose."
There was a moment of silence while Harry, Hermione and Ron looked between the odd pair. None of them understood the octopus joke- but both strange teenagers were smirking undisguisedly. Hermione shook off her shock and confirmed what they were all thinking.
"So, both of you I suppose, are on our side?"
Percy frowned. "If by 'your side' you mean anti-Voldy; then yes, yes we are. It shouldn't take long to round him up."
Ron looked quizzical. "But.. He's the most powerful wizard in existence. This is a fully fledged war. It can't just end that quickly; he has supporters just as strong as ours."
Nico and Percy looked amused. Nico raised an eyebrow.
"He's not immortal."
"No.. But-"
"-he's not all-powerful."
"No.. But-"
"We should be fine then."
Hermione waved a hand to emphasise her point. "No- we shouldn't. You said that Voldemort might be allied with someone- who? And I recall hearing that you-" she gestured to Percy. "Were a guinea pig. You have some explaining to do."
Neither of the strangers replied for a moment- then it was Percy who spoke. "You- despite what you may think, aren't the figureheads of this war. You're in deeper than you can cope. If I had time to explain, I would. But you're a couple battles short of the need-to-know elite. I was sent here to protect you, and I'm afraid that the best way to do so is to keep you out of the front line."
Nico snorted. "You did not just give them a speech! You sound... Gods forbid I say it... Reasonable! What is the world coming to!"
Percy elbowed him and told him to shut up.
Harry felt like he had just been dismissed- and he had, but he didn't have to like it. The two demigods- Harry assumed Nico was a demigod- were blatantly calling him not battle-worthy. He was battle worthy!
"Excuse me," he said, rather loudly, "We're quite qualified to fight! I mean, when I was twelve I fought off a three-headed hound, and when I was fourteen I defeated a small army of dementors! We can fight just as well as any of you!"
Nico was barely containing his laughter as Percy rolled his eyes. "When I was twelve I defeated the Minotaur bare-handedly, as well as one of the Furies- Alecto, then killed Medusa, battled Echidna and the Chimera, escaped the Casino of the Lotus Eaters, killed Procrustes the stretcher, walked through hell, evaded Cerberus, offended The Lord of the Dead and lived, and then beat the God of War in single combat on live television. When I was fourteen, as well as fighting Atlas, defeating the Nemean Lion, a Manticore, one of Hephaestus' giants, some un-killable skeletons and a giant boar, I also held up the sky. I'm sorry Harry, but this isn't your fight any more. I won't even start on Nico. This guy literally lives in Hell."
Well that just clinched it, and Ron and Hermione followed a fuming Harry out of the Professors office feeling thoroughly miffed.
And Harry was determined to find out what was happening.
**
Harry could've screamed in frustration by the time they had Defence Against The Dark Arts, the next day. They had nothing- not a single lead, not a single fact. Nothing. Nada.
He looked around the classroom, wondering where Mr 'Mightier-than-thou' Jackson was now. Even by the time the whole class had shuffled in, taking their seats, he was still nowhere to be found. A ripple of muttering spread around the classroom as- Nico, that was his name, wasn't it? Stepped out of the office, taking a position at the head of the classroom. Most of the class was skeptical.
Nico clapped his hands together. "Right class! Percy is out on an errand, and I will be teaching you today."
He produced a trolley of swords and daggers. There was a collective gasp.
"Malfoy!" Nico called, and Malfoy leapt up. "Think fast!"
Nico neatly flicked two daggers into his hands, sending them in quick succession at the blonde, who caught both easily by the hilt, smirking.
Nico turned to the class. "Reflexes like that are the result of years and years of training. Unfortunately, that's what your enemies have got."
"It's my job to keep you from getting killed."
**
{Meanwhile: in the Dark Forest.}
Percy didn't know what would happen if the Hunters of Artemis ever barged into Hogwarts- but he knew it wouldn't be pretty.
So now he was out here, in the freezing cold and dark, trying to find them a campsite to prevent the total collapse of the school. He had Nico to take the lesson- he trusted him to keep the class in order.
**
"Lavender! Stop throwing daggers at Malfoy to see if he'll catch them!" Nico shouted across, to where the girl had another knife poised. His teaching methods were failing a bit.
**
Did he really? Sure, Nico could control some kids, right? He wouldn't totally lose control of them, would he?
**
Screw that last thought, this was a disaster. Hermione was struggling to parry Ron's (surprisingly good) strikes, Malfoy was practically knocking Harry into the ground and a girl fight was about to break out between Lavender and Pansy.
**
Percy turned towards the castle and began to run. What had he been thinking! Nico couldn't control kids! This had been a terrible idea...
**
It was only inevitable that when Nico caught the knife that had been heading for his nose, he was a little angry.
There was no point in asking who had thrown it, and the room fell into hushed silence.
"We're done." Nico slammed his hands down on the table, glowering across the classroom. The shadows began to whip and coil, rising up behind him. "I want this place spotless- not a scrap of dust or detention for all of you"
**
Percy burst in, out of breath from running, just as the lesson ended.
He was more than a little surprised to see the students sitting neatly at their desks, reading their textbooks in silence.
"Any trouble?" He asked, a little warily.
"No." Nico said, a little tightly. "No trouble at all."
