An Unexpected Return (Book Two In The Prince Of Darkness Trilogy)

The Message

A/N: Aye, a disclaimer. Who wants to do it? Anyone? Oh come on, you're not all dead.
Nico: Hmm. I'll do it.
Me: Thank you.
Nico: Author doesn't own anything.
Me:...more than that.
Nico: I'm mad at you, you killed my sister.
Me: Fair point. J.K Rowling owns The Wizarding World, Rick Riordan owns the Riordanverse. Oh and Nico?
Nico: Yes?
Me: I killed your boyfriend too.
Nico: You WHAT-

***Harry's P.O.V***

I looked down at the piece of parchment, and unfolded it. Taking in the words hurriedly scratched on, I stopped. I was vaguely aware of people moving around me, one person asking if I was alright. I didn't say anything, my hands scrunching up the message at the edges.

They're not dead.

They're not dead.

They're not dead.

Was this just some cruel joke by Malfoy? Or was it true? Looking up, he'd disappeared, so I couldn't know.

They're not dead.

They're not dead.

They're not dead.

But was it true?

***Will's P.O.V***

I felt the pain before I opened my eyes, and was hit with an awful sense of déjà vu. Wearily, my hands touched the cold floor and I stood up. My legs felt like jelly as my eyes slowly adjusted to the low light level.

I wasn't the only person here. There were a couple more unconscious bodies dotted around. The room was medium sized, but there was no doors or windows to speak of. Taking advantage of the silence, I tried to remember what had happened.

Luna.

Nico.

The student.

The mace.

Tentatively, I raised a hand to where I had been hit. As my fingers brushed the wound, pain hit me like a lightning bolt. I fell to my knees, panting. With the injury I'd sustained, I should have a cracked skull, or something similar. (A/N: I looked up Mace Injuries, and nothing came up, so I'm just guessing...)

Except I couldn't feel any injuries. I felt the pain, but I had no idea how I was still alive.

"Oh, you're not alive. We all died."

"What?" I turned around, and Luna Lovegood was standing behind me. She had a dreamy look on her face, but I could tell she was paying attention. "This isn't the Underworld."

"That's because you're not dead." If I had any water, I'd have done a spit take. My eyes widened, although she seemed to be looking at something in the air.

"What?" Her humming stopped, and she thought for a moment.

"Put it this way: you're not alive, but you're not dead, even though you died." I nodded numbly, although I was still confused. My mind was racing at one hundred miles an hour, and it wasn't slowing down. I focused on the other bodies.

"What's with them? Why aren't they waking up? Luna, what's going on?" My breathing accelerated, and the walls seemed to close in around me. "Luna, where's Nico? What the ever loving Tartarus happened to him?" There was silence, and the Ravenclaw bowed her head slightly.

"I don't know." I crawled over to one of the bodies, tilting the face up towards me to see the unseeing golden eyes. Luna wandered behind me, and she had resumed her humming.

"Hazel...no. Oh my gods, HAZEL!" I recoiled, and Luna gently wrapped her arms around me. I sobbed into her shirt, staring at the lifeless body of the daughter of Pluto. Neither of us knew how much time passed like that, until I'd stopped crying and my breathing slowed. Tearing my eyes away from her, I felt Luna's arms stiffen around me. Looking up, I followed her line of sight until it landed on Ginny Weasley.

Her body, that is.

Slowly, Luna pulled away and moved over to Ginny. I held my breath, giving her space. I was used to death, I thought bitterly, but it still hits you hard, especially when it was someone you knew. Luna was gently shaking her, murmuring.

"Ginny? Ginny wake up. Ginny please." Her voice was soft, quiet and desperate. Her eyes had lost the dreamy look to them, and she covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking.

Suddenly, Eris appeared out of nowhere. I scrambled to my feet, glaring at her. I inched forward so I was behind Luna, who had risen to her feet.

"How nice of you two to join us! I've been awfully lonely with you gone, Solace." I paled as I remembered her shadows, and the realisation that I'd never truly escaped hit me. Eris smiled maliciously. "A witch and a demigod, all alone with their dead friends. How adorable. If I had a camera I'd take pictures." We were both trembling slightly with rage. Luna had always seemed unpredictable, but I thought I could read her right now.

Eris was done for.

The goddess smirked, and summoned a trail of shadows that circled around her hands. She snapped her fingers, and they attacked, pulling us down into darkness.

***Ginny's P.O.V***

I could feel a sharp pain from where I'd been impaled. Glancing down to where the spike had embedded itself...

I saw nothing.

"I guess you've worked it out too." A voice spoke behind me. "My theory is that although we're dead, Eris has managed to stop our souls from entering the Underworld. For a minor goddess, I must say I'm impressed." Hazel tucked a strand of curly hair behind her hair as she spoke. I nodded, following along with her thoughts. She started to speak again before stopping, an expression of dread spreading across her face.

"Hazel?" No reply.

"Hazel, are you okay?" I glanced to what had filled her with dread, and it felt like I'd been stabbed through the heart.

In front of us, death clearly marking their lifeless bodies, were Will Solace and Luna Lovegood.

A/N: Updated! Thank Zara for giving me some ideas because without her you'd have got this chapter a few years late.

Question of the Chapter: What do you think is happening to Will, Luna, Ginny and Hazel?

Also it's 11 days until Christmas and I'm really excited! I'd do a Christmas chapter here but it probably wouldn't fit. If you'd like to see some Christmas stories check out my short stories book, We're All Fighters.

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Until next time,

~HouserOfStories