The Coming of Nico di Angelo

Raiders of the Lost Cup

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Percy, Annabeth, and Nico retrieve the second horcrux, then return to Hogwarts.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: General Audiences
Content Warning: Cursing
Word Count: 2497

I would say "hey look a chapter that's not posted at 11:59PM" but I'm also a day late.

Joking aside, I've decided that I'm going to post Monday's, not Sunday's, since my boss keeps giving me late-night Sunday shifts. Monday is my only guaranteed day off each week, so I think this'll work much better. (So technically that means I CAN brag ha!)

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

____________________NICO____________________

Nico opened his eyes back in his dorm at Westover Hall, staring into space, trying to process what just happened. He'd outsmarted Harry Potter. He'd saved a life. They had the first horcrux.

"Are you awake?" Teddy asked. Nico's eyes followed the voice, and saw Teddy perched on a desk chair by Nico's bedside.

"Yeah," Nico groaned, sitting up. "I need to thank you; you saved Percy's life."

Teddy dismissed Nico's words with a wave of the hand. "You did that. I just helped out a little."

"No, Teddy, your instructions are the reason we have the horcrux."

Teddy smiled. "All I'm doing is unlocking your potential, your power. It's you, not me."

Nico didn't believe that, but he knew Teddy wouldn't back down. "Maybe. You have to teach me how to do that whole 'damn to Hades' thing. That was incredible."

Teddy shook his head. "It's a hard move to learn. You need to work your way up to that."

"I did it just now," Nico protested. "You said that you wanted to make me strong enough to succeed in my quest and get some of my old life back. How are you going to do that if you won't show me advanced moves? I can take it, Teddy, I swear."

Teddy sat in thought for an agonizingly slow few seconds. "We'll have to start slow, work our way up to actually using it in combat."

Nico pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! I owe you one, Teddy!"

Teddy smiled again. "Yeah, you do. Now take this--" he gave Nico a small vial with a clear liquid inside. "--it's a potion for a dreamless sleep. You earned it, after that battle today."

Nico looked at it, then downed it in a gulp. "Thanks. I'll see you soon." He laid back down on his bed, and his eyes closed. He fell asleep before Teddy had even sat back down.

He woke after the best sleep of his life with light dancing on his eyelids. All Nico could think about was how much he wanted to fall asleep again; he let out a small groan.

"Come on, Nico--you need to wake up."

Percy sounded... scared? From his tone, Nico gathered he had to be close to death. He certainly felt like it; now that the potion's effects were wearing off, Nico noticed his pain for the first time. His head pounded, his arms and legs felt broken, and every inch of skin burned like he was swimming in lava. Still exhausted, he groaned again, a little louder this time. " 'Mm up," Nico breathed, slurring his words.

He could hear Percy's relieved sigh. "Can you open your eyes? Are you all right?"

Nico kept his eyes closed, but smiled a little bit. "Sound like Will."