Hades Caster | Nico di Angelo at Hogwarts

A Forgotten Lullaby | Chapter Eight

shoutout to PandaQueen010203

Nico wasn't known for intelligence. Known being the key word here. Naturally, he was debunked as with less knowledge than an Athena kid, which he found extremely stereotypical, but accepted it nevertheless. It'd be in his hand if they underestimated him. Hades, although very frightening, could very easily be a silvertongue. That was found in Nico as well. When needed, he could talk with ease of a diplomat. But he doubted that diplomance would help him explaining to the Headmaster what the Hades just happened. You know what happened, Di Angelo. His head whirred with possibilites, phrases coming together to make a plausible lie. Teleportation gone wrong, prank, maybe he could-

"When they told me you were a demigod, I found it hard to believe." Nico paused as the Headmaster stood from his chair, his robe billowing behind him. "I have seen many things in my age, ah, but I haven't seen any as curious as you are."

The Headmaster, or more Dumbledore, strolled over to Nico, standing a few feet away from him. Stiffening at the sudden movement, he felt his muscles tense on instinct. Damn, old habits die hard for him. Dumbledore must've noticed, as he chuckled at the obvious tension. Instead of pursuing him further (which would've been even more awkward) he turned and extended his arm to his left. Nico furrowed his eyebrows in obvious confusion, his mouth opening until a CAW-like sound fluttered in his ears. Nico's hand already gripped his side, the Stygian Iron sword hidden under his robes. A vibrant, orange hued feather dripped onto the ground infront of him, Nico blinking at the sudden color. What was a feather - Another CAW rang in Nico's ears as a fast blur of orange and yellow flew infront of him, tossiling his hair in a mesh of dark. The blur spun in the air before extending its.. wings... and sang its tune before diving towards Dumbledore.

"Headmaster! Look-!"

The creature landed delicately on Dumbledore's extended arm. Its' wings curled inside itself as it snuggled against the face of Dumbledore, the former petting its feathers with great ease. Dumbledore chuckled as he looked at Nico, his eyes twinkiling with humour and curiousity.The creature turned itself to face Nico before it sped towards him. Nico flinched back, taking a step towards the hidden door before finding the creature latched onto his shouldars, its feathery face rubbing against his own.

Dumbledore smiled, looking a bit surprised at the contact. "I believe you have met Fawkes."

Nico hesitantly nodded, his mind still blank from the excitement. He turned his head, staring into the depth eyes of the Phoenix. Fawkes cocked his head to the left, staring back at the Hades Caster. Nico had never met a creature so... Fawkes lightly nudged Nico's face as a light, small but noticeable, smile appeared on Nico's face. With more confidence than before, Nico extended his pale hand towards Fawkes, patting through the feathers.

"He's a phoenix, an intelligent one for that matter." Dumbledore strolled over to his desk, sweeping papers off onto the floor. "And he seems to have a liking towards demigods."

Nico turned his head, regretfully, away from the phoenix, facing the Headmaster. "Guessing you.. know about the whole Demigod thing?" He nervously patted Fawkes subconsciously. Dumbledore brought out his wand, twirling it inbetween his fingers. Fawkes squawked and shifted, nuzziling Nico's cheek again.

"I must admit, you are very unique." Dumbledore's voice dripped with an emotion of intrigue. "A son of a God already is amazing. But one of the most powerful? It exceeds my expectations, boy."

Nico kicked his feet lightly into the ground, his smile disintegrating. "There are plenty of people more powerful than I am, Headmaster." Being prideful was never Nico's thing. Even if he knew if it was a fight to the death against Jason, Percy, or the Seven really, he would win. If the fight took months, he didn't care. He was the Son of Hades, death was basically in his genetics. They could try a fight to the death, but Hades was always on his side. Favorites? Maybe so. But hell, Nico didn't care.

Dumbledore shook his head, smiling at Nico. "Dear boy, if there are others like you, I'd still say you'd have the most potential." Fawkes cawed enthusiastically in Nico's ear. "And Fawkes seems to think the same too. An intelligent creature, he is."

Nico definitely couldn't agree more. Out of all the creature he had seen during his adventure as a demigod, Fawkes probably would be at his top five. A little voice in his mind voiced out if it would be possibly to have a phoenix of his own. The immature thought stuck within him.

"Wh.. Where did you get Fawkes?" Nico felt the phoenix rub his cheek in response, the former flying gracefully over to Dumbledore's side. Fawkes spiraled around Dumbledore's shouldar before hitching on it, his beak emitting a soft euphony.

Dumbledore began to say something before pausing. "A tale for another time, lad. What brought you here beforehand, Nico?"

Nico blinked, his mind reeling around in his head. What had he been here for? In the back of his mind, the word Gryffindor blinked in his head, so with a shrug he went towards that topic instead.

"Do you mind telling me where the.. the Gryffindor commons are? I didn't quite..." He let his sentence hang off, not wanting to admit that he may have not really toured the place. You couldn't really blame him, being knocked out and all. Dumbledore looked thoughtfull before Fawkes swooped to his perch, shaking the Headmaster out of his trance.

"I suppose you didn't really get a tour, now did you?" Dumbledore walked forward, past Nico and towards the secret staircase. "Come along, then. I have a feeling you'll be needing me." The unspoken "After that stunt you pulled off.." burned Nico's skull as he walked behind Dumbledore, turning to face the glimmering phoenix on his nest.

Fawkes sat there, his phoenix feathers glistening in the sunlight. Fawkes tilted his head, the hued eyes staring into Nico's own. Fawkes then turned his beak up and projected a sound Nico found himself later having a hard time describing.

Almost as if singing a song of a nostalgic memory...

A forgotten lullaby, one would expect a mother to sing.

So as Nico di Angelo, or more, the Hades Caster, followed Dumbledore down his stairs, he couldn't help but feel as if Fawkes wasn't singing for himself.

It was singing for Nico...

And he missed it when his mother used to sing that same exact tune..

to him.