Nico Goes to Hogwarts *HIATUS*

To One Rita Skeeter: Do Kindly Get Fucked

Nico reappeared in his room, the shadows that had swirled around him receding back into the corners of the room. Will looked up from the bed, where he was perched up, parchment, quill, and ink resting on a hard-top lap desk.

"Hey," Will said. "What happened?"

Nico groaned, and collapsed onto the bed beside Will, careful not to disturb the ink. "Nothing much," he said, and then explained, in detail, everything he had witnessed, and his conversation with Sirius.

"Nothing much," Will said blankly. "Nothing much? Honestly, Nico, you're ridiculous."

Nico stuck his tongue out at Will. "Whatever," he said. "But as for Harry..."

There was a knock on their door. Probably Hermione, Nico thought, and a quick Life-Aura scan confirmed his suspicions. He flicked his hand, and the door opened. Hermione stepped in cautiously, glancing behind her as though to make sure no one was following here. She didn't need to, really; Nico didn't sense anyone else, nor did he sense Thanatos' Cloak. But he appreciated the sentiment, so he waited patiently until Hermione closed the door behind her, this time making sure it really was shut.

"Hey," Nico greeted, grinning. "Long time no see."

"When did you get back?" Hermione asked.

"Just now."

"And did you talk to Sirius?"

"Snuffles," Nico corrected. "He wanted you to call him Snuffles. But yes."

"Only if we were in public," Hermione grumbled, but she didn't argue the point. "What did he say?"

Nico shrugged. "Harry's been having this odd dream. I need to check in with a mortal named Frank Bryce, see if he can tell me anything about before he died."

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. "Harry told Ron and I about the dream. It... it didn't make sense then, but..."

"What do you remember?" Will said, looking at Hermione intently.

"It... You-Know-Who was there, he wanted someone else to... do something. To get Harry. I— I don't—"

Will and Nico exchanged glances.

"What?" asked Hermione, a hard, curious glint in her eye.

"Like we said before," Will said slowly, the gears visibly turning in his head, "Nico and I caught someone trying to tamper with the Goblet, but they slipped away before we could apprehend them. I wonder...What if..."

"What if the person was trying to put Harry's name in the Goblet." Hermione finished, a look of horror on her face.

"And," Nico said, face grim, "what if they didn't stop at that? What if that person was... is behind whatever's happened to Harry?"

"That could be... but he's been acting odd since before the Tournament was even announced..." Hermione looked beyond puzzled.

Will shrugged. "Maybe they wanted to manipulate him before the Tournament— that way, he'd perform in such a way he would fall into the inevitable trap."

"Because whoever's doing this to Harry is doing so for a reason," Hermione nodded grimly. "And it has something to do with You-Know-Who."

"It's not a happy thought," Nico said. "Hermione, at this point, there's not a lot we can do— not without him knowing, at least, and that would kinda defeat the point."

"But," said Will, "you can. Keep an eye on Harry, on who he interacts with, when you can. I hate to ask you to spy on your friend, but... we need you to spy on your friend."