The lord Has Returned

The morning sun crept over the shattered grounds of Hogwarts, casting a golden glow on the battlefield that had so recently been filled with chaos and magic. Now, only silence lingered, punctuated by the soft murmurs of students, demigods, and gods alike as we cleared the debris and mourned those who had fallen.

I leaned against Will as we surveyed the field, both of us bruised and tired but alive. Around us, warriors from every corner of our world worked side by side in quiet solidarity.

The Hunters of Artemis, regal and disciplined, moved gracefully through the rubble. Thalia had her bow slung across her back, her silver cloak billowing behind her as she directed her hunters. They formed a line, gathering fallen comrades and whispering soft, ancient words in their honor. I approached her, nodding in respect.

"Thalia, I don't know what we would have done without you and the Hunters," I said, trying to convey just how grateful I was.

She gave a small smile, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, it's what we do. Besides, we couldn't let you guys have all the fun." She smirked, but her eyes were heavy with loss. We'd all seen things that would haunt us.

I nodded. "Still...thank you. Artemis should be proud."

She just inclined her head in that cool, Thalia way, and moved on to help another Hunter.

Not far away, the Amazons worked in groups, their vivid armor battered but undeterred as they carried their wounded with dignity and tended to the Hogwarts students who had been caught in the crossfire. Their leader, Hylla, spotted me and gave me a quick nod. Leo was busy chatting them up, probably trying to arrange some sort of future trade agreement between Camp Half-Blood and the Amazons—or maybe just trying to flirt.

"You fought well," Hylla said, her gaze fierce yet kind. "It was an honor to join forces."

I gave her a small smile. "The honor was ours. If you hadn't been here... I don't know what would have happened. Please, tell your Amazons we owe them a debt."

She gave a warrior's nod, her gaze as piercing as ever. "Consider us even, son of Hades."

As she moved off, I turned to see Magnus Chase approaching, followed by his friends—Samirah, Hearthstone, and Blitz. They looked just as worn as the rest of us, but Magnus gave me a grin as if he had all the energy in the world. That Viking spirit, I guess.

"Nice battle," he said, slapping me on the back. "We don't usually get invited to giant crossover wars, but hey, I could get used to it."

Will chuckled beside me. "Well, don't get too comfortable, Magnus. I think I've had my fill of life-and-death situations for a while."

"Aw, come on, Doctor Sunshine, live a little!" Magnus laughed. "But seriously, you guys did great. And I'm glad we could help out, you know?" He tilted his head toward the ground, where remnants of the battlefield lay. "Not every day we get to lend a hand to some of our Greek cousins."

I clasped his hand in a firm shake. "We won't forget it, Magnus. Thank you. All of you." I nodded to Hearthstone and Blitz, who both returned the gesture, and to Samirah, who gave a respectful salute.

We exchanged a few more words of thanks before they headed off to join their Norse kin, who had started helping with repairs to the grounds, using a mix of magic and raw strength.

Finally, Will and I made our way to the Hogwarts students who had fought alongside us. Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood together, looking over the field with a mix of relief and grief. Harry looked up as we approached, and he extended his hand to me.

"Nico, Will, thank you. Without your help—and the help of your friends—I don't know if we'd still have a school to defend." His voice was solemn, but there was a hint of pride there, too.

I shook his hand, nodding. "We're stronger together, Harry. I just hope we can all find peace after this."

Hermione, who had been quiet, looked up at us with a sad smile. "Peace, and maybe a little normalcy... whatever that means."

Ron let out a soft chuckle, despite the situation. "Yeah, Merlin knows we could use it after this. But you guys—Camp Half-Blood, Magnus's crew, the Hunters, the Amazons... you're all welcome at Hogwarts anytime."

Will squeezed my hand, a quiet reassurance, and for the first time since the battle, I felt a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, things could return to something resembling normal.

As we helped with the last of the clean-up, I looked around at everyone—the demigods, Hunters, magicians, and mortal wizards—and felt an unspoken bond, an alliance forged in the heat of battle. I knew we wouldn't all stay in touch, but we'd remember. And that was enough.

"Hey-" I began, "-has anyone seen Bianca?"

Will regripped my hand, wrapping an arm around me. "Nico..."

"I think she's in the black tent..." Hermione said. "I saw a few people carrying her over there."

I pursed my lips. "Oh." I turned to Will. "Did you know?"

"Not for sure," he whispered. "When I was gone... i think I saw her. You know- down in the fields."

I said nothing, I just stood there. I looked up at the sky, it looked so peaceful. Like a cloud floating in the wind. "Okay," I kissed the back of Will's hands. "Lets go, lets say bye."

She might not be my sister, nor someone I was super close to- but in this way, I can say bye to Bianca. My Bianca.