Nico di Angelo and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter One: Oh no, family relations.

Art by bittlenobody

"Thank you." I pay the owl it's knut, setting out some water and food for it. Cerberus the owl eyes the messenger angrily from his cage. Glaring, if owls can glare.

I'd been getting the daily prophet since school finished, trying to stay informed. Most of it was inane jabber and gossip, but I wanted updates. I could cancel it soon though, as I'll be going back to Hogwarts in a little bit.

On the front page... No.

A floating skull had the focus of the front cover, a snake sliding through and under it. 'SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP' the headline reads.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there. I had just received a letter from them, telling me how excited they were, and how they wished I could come with them.

I read the article, scanning for anything that would indicate my unwitting friends had been hurt.

Finding nothing, I snatch parchment from the drawer of the desk I'd added during redecorations. I quickly scrawl '𝕬𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖔𝖐𝖆𝖞? 𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖕𝖔𝖓𝖉 𝖎𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖑𝖞. -𝕹𝖎𝖈𝖔 𝖉𝖎 𝕬𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖑𝖔' on it.

I open Cerberus' cage, taking him out and tying the letter to his leg as he puffs out his feathers proudly, bragging to the other owl.

"Deliver this to Harry Potter." I instruct him, feeding him a few owl treats. He hoots in understanding, flying to the window ledge. He pecks the head of the smaller news owl, which squawks in offence. Then Cerberus flies off to deliver the note.

I watch him go, until he's just a tiny speck in the distance. I know he'll get it there, he's fast and precise, but not fast enough. I shut my curtains quickly, thoroughly annoying the other owl.

I start to fade, whispering voices of the dead calling out, those trapped in the shadows.

Just as I'm about disappear, my door opens, the sudden light almost pitching me out of the shadow travel, but I'm too far in already.

There's a should of "Nico, no!" And a hand grabbing my shoulder, but I can no longer see my room. The person gets pulled through with me, so I grab on, making sure whoever it is doesn't get lost in the shadows forever.

After several seconds, the soul sucking falling void is gone and we tumble into a field. I end up face down in the dirt, surrounded by long grass. I can tell it's sunny though, as the light starts to thaw the cold from my body. I push myself up , looking over to see who was stupid enough to grab me mid-shadow travel, and see a tan, freckled face, a mane of sunshine golden curls.

William. Fricken. Solace.

Great. I just kidnapped my boyfriend and whisked him off to wizarding England. A month into dating and he's already broken into my other world.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!?" I gasp out at him, feeling breathless. "You could've been lost in the shadows! Permanent limbo!"

"I told you no underworld magic!"

"You could've died!"