Harry Potter and the Greek Gods

{4} Nico In a Nutshell

HARRY'S POV

I'm not sure what I did, but the minute I pulled out my wand- not to use it, just intimidate my pig-headed cousin- a pair of dementors appeared out of nowhere. Dudley being Dudley completely ignored my instructions to stay put, and ran directly towards one of them. But I had my own dementor to deal with. I was faintly aware of there being other people behind the dementor, but I knew I had to defend myself, and I guess, my cousin too. Or I could just leave him to face the dementor's kiss. That would work too. My aunt and uncle would make me pay for it later though.

"Expecto patronum!" I shouted, but only a wisp of silver light appeared.

I stumbled backwards, away from the dementor and tried again, focusing as hard as I could on my happiest memories.

"Expecto patronum!" I repeated.

This time the shape of my stag appeared, but only for a moment. The dementor kept advancing. I could hear them now. The dying cries of my parents and Cedric Diggory. I closed my eyes and focused, blocking out everything but my happy memories.

"Expecto patronum!" I cried.

Finally, my stag Patronus appeared. It chased down my dementor, and when it was gone, chased away Dudley's too. My cousin was slumped on the ground, looking terrified when I reached him.

"What?" He muttered, along with a bunch of gibberish.

I sighed and stood back. Remembering that I had seen other people behind me, I twisted my head around and sure enough, there was a group of about 10 people, all of whom seemed to be around my age, sitting on the ground. A few of them seemed to be unconscious, with the others trying to wake them up. I inhaled sharply, hoping that either they hadn't seen the dementors and my Patronus, or that they were wizards. They would have to be right? For the dementors to have affected them that badly? Either that or war heroes, but they seemed far too young for that. Looking closer, I realised that they were the same people that had been watching me at the park. I shivered. Had they been following me, or Dudley, or was it just a coincidence?

The sound of squeaking wheels made me jump. I relax as soon as I see that it's just my cat crazed neighbour Mrs Figg, and then I realise I'm still holding my wand with my cousin collapsed in front of me, and another ten or so people on the ground behind me. I make a hurried movement to put my wand away, but Mrs Figg stops me.

"Don't put it away, idiot boy!" She shrieked, "What if there are more of them around? Oh, I'm going to kill Mundungus Fletcher!"

I stared at her.

"What?" I stuttered.

"He left!" Mrs Figg said, still hysterical, "Left to see someone about a batch of cauldrons that fell off the back of a broom! I told him I'd flay him alive if he went, and now look! Dementors! It's lucky I put Mr Tibbles on the case! But we haven't got time to stand around! Hurry, now, we've got to get you back! Oh, the trouble this is going to cause! I will kill him!"

"But," I muttered, "You're- you're a witch?"

"I'm a squib, as Mundungus knows full well, so how on earth was I supposed to help you fight off dementors? He left you completely without cover when I'd warned him-"

"This Mundungus has been following me? Hang on, it was him! He disapparated in front of my house!"

"Yes, yes, yes, but luckily I'd stationed Mr Tibbles under a car just in case, and Mr Tibbles came and warned me (Since when could your cats talk?) but by the time I'd got to your house you'd gone, and now, oh what's Dumbledore to say? You!" She shrieked at Dudley, "Get your fat bottom off the ground, quick!"

"You know Dumbledore?"

"Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't know Dumbledore? (I would hope most muggles wouldn't) But come on! I'd be no help if they came back, I've never so much as transfigured a teabag."

She reached down and grabbed Dudley's arm, pulling him up.

"Come on, I can't do this myself!" She exclaimed.

"But Mrs Figg, what about them?" I gestured to the group of collapsed teens.

"They'll be fine." She dismissed, "They've been through much worse."

"You know them?"

"Only by reputation my dear. Now we must get you back home."

ANNABETH'S POV

The last thing I remembered was reliving all of my worst memories, and then I collapsed. When I woke up, Piper was force-feeding me Ambrosia.

"What happened?" I murmured.

"Dementors. I think." Piper explained, helping me sit up.

I looked beside me. Percy was rubbing his head while chewing on a piece of ambrosia. He had probably collapsed too, reliving everything that had happened in Tartarus. I shivered.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worried.

"I will be," I replied.

I looked over at Nico. He was leaning against the fence, his skin somehow even paler than normal.

"What was that?" Percy asked.

"Dementors." Piper and I answered together.

"What do they do?"

"They make you relive your worst memories." Piper said quietly, "And if they can get close enough, they will suck out your soul."

"They're like Nico in a nutshell." Leo joked.

All of us except Nico mustered a smile.

"Where's Harry?" I inquired, looking around.

"He's with a member of the order. Arabella Figg." Jason said.

"Good." I took a deep breath.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Percy asked again.

"I'm as okay as you are."

A/N: Thank you guys so much for 20 reads, and thanks for bothering to read any of my writing! :)