Magical Demigods

Dawn was planning something. He knew it, but he just couldn't figure out what it was. She was good at hiding things from others, which was surprising seeing as most of the children of Apollo Nico had met in his life were terrible liars. He guessed that there were going to be some who were outliers.

He found that he didn't really care about this plan Dawn had, because while everyone was starting to ask him while he was still there, Dawn and Will spent time with him.

Eventually, though, they had to leave. Dawn and Nico received their letters, and they went to tell Chiron. The centaur was clearly used to this, as he arranged a time for Nikki to pick up Nico and Dawn from camp.

When it came time to leave, Dawn hugged her siblings and waved goodbye.

"Make sure to write!" Will called to the both of them as they climbed in the car.

"We will!" Dawn replied. 

Then they were off.

Nico watched as the scenery went past, while music played from the stereo of the car. Dawn hummed along or read a book, sometimes pulling Nico and Nikki into a conversation. 

Soon enough, they arrived at Nikki's house. Dawn immediately went to her room, while Nico headed to the one that had been given to him.

His trunk was there, incomplete homework inside of it. Nico groaned as he remembered how much he had to do. Instead of going to complete it, he collapsed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.

He could hear Dawn talking to her mom, faint laughter floating in through the crack under the door. He took a moment to take it in - the peace, the quiet, how much nicer it was compared to the shouts of campers.

Nico wouldn't admit it out loud, but he kind of liked it.

He sat with Dawn and her mother for dinner, talking and joking. 

"I'll have to send you both to England alone," Nikki eventually said, a look on her face.

"We can stay with the Weasleys," Nico suggested.

"Can we, Mama? Ron's family is really nice. His mum even sent me a jumper and a box of fudge for Christmas last year!" Dawn said. Nikki smiled.

"I'll have to talk to his parents, but I'm sure that we can arrange something," Nikki agreed. Dawn cheered, a bright smile on her face. It was contagious, as Nico found himself smiling as well.

So that was how they were in their current position, waiting around a portkey with their things. They said their final goodbyes to Nikki.

Using a portkey was one of the more uncomfortable things. However, Dawn had forbidden Nico from shadow-travelling, so he was stuck using it.

It was as though someone had put a fishing hook through his navel, tugging him through the air and to the Burrow. He fell. Dawn landed next to him.

"I never want to do that ever again," Dawn commented. Nico snorted.

"Got to agree with you on that," he said. He stood up.

"Nico! Dawn!" Ron shouted. Nico turned to face his friend after helping Dawn up.

"Hi, Ron!" Dawn greeted him. The ginger stopped in front of them. Harry, Nico noticed, was right behind him.

"Hey," he greeted. Dawn hugged both of the boys.

"I'm so happy to see you both!" Dawn exclaimed.

"It's good to see you too. Come on, let's go in," Ron said. Together they managed to get their trunks into the house.

"Nico! It's lovely to see you, again," Mrs Weasley said. She pulled him into a hug, which Nico accepted.

"It's good to see you too, Mrs Weasley." It was. Being here was like a breath of fresh air. He was away from the aftermath of the war.

"Mum, this is Dawn," Ron said, introducing Dawn to the woman.

"Hi, Mrs Weasley, it's nice to meet you."

"It's lovely to meet you too, dear. Ginny, why don't you take Dawn up to your room?" Ginny nodded. She led Dawn upstairs, trunk getting dragged up.

"Let us help you with that," Fred's voice said. The trunk stopped thunking on the stairs.

"Nico, you can stay with Ron and Harry in Ron's room." 

"Thank you, Mrs Weasley." 

He walked up, Ron helping him with his stuff.

The room was rather cramped with three people inside, but it was fine. Nico looked around, the orange of Ron's Quidditch posters actually comforting after the summer Nico had had. When he looked around, he saw Scabbers on the window sill.

Dawn ended up joining them.

"So, how was your summer? Managed to beat Kronos?" Ron asked. They'd explained that part to their friends last year as a way of saying 'don't be surprised if we don't come back'.

"Dude, I hated it. So many people died. Though Nico managed to convince Hades, Persephone, and Demeter to fight with us. It was so cool how he just came in the middle of the fight, you should've seen it!" Dawn gushed.

"It was nothing," Nico said, waving off the complements.

"Nothing? Nico, you saved all of us just by doing that! You're amazing!"

"Bloody hell, mate, it must have taken so long to convince three of the gods to fight with you guys," Ron commented, awe in his voice.

"It wasn't that hard in the end. I pointed out that I'd be seen as a hero, and that he would be allowed onto the council and less hated than he used to be."

"I'm just glad that you're okay," Harry admitted. 

"What about you two, huh? What was your summers like?" Dawn asked, changing the conversation effortlessly.

"I ended up locked in my room. Ron and his brothers saved me," Harry said. Dawn sat up straight. 

"You have some explaining to do," she said.

Harry did explain. The story was outlandish, and Nico wouldn't have believed it if he weren't a demigod or a wizard.

They went silent when Harry finished explaining.

"We're never going to have a 'normal' year at Hogwarts, are we?" Dawn mused. Nico had to agree.

"It's probably nothing. Maybe Barlow sent Dobby to put Harry off, to get him in trouble," Ron said.

"Is he even rich enough to have a House Elf?" Nico asked. Ron thought about it.

"I don't actually know. Maybe we could ask Mum or Dad. Maybe Perce knows."

"Who do we ask?" Harry asked.

"Who is the most likely to know these things?" Dawn asked. The boy's looked at her, making Dawn sigh. "Ron's dad, duh."

"We'll have to wait for him to come home," Ron said.

"Sometimes you need to wait in order to get answers that you need," Dawn said, wisely.

"Did Athena speak through you, or are you pointing out the obvious that people should know?" Nico asked. 

"It's common sense," she replied easily.

They had to go back down for dinner, which they had in the garden. Percy Weasley joined them, talking about something that Nico couldn't be bothered to remember.

"Do you two have your letters?" Mr Weasley asked him and Dawn.

"Yes," Nico replied. Mr Weasley nodded, apparently satisfied.

"Excellent. I suppose that we can go tomorrow, then, and get everything then." Nico shrugged. He honestly didn't care. Anything was good with him.

"We've been told to get all Lockhart books, this year. It won't be cheap," George said. 

"That idiot? Really?" Dawn asked, clearly appalled. Fred nodded solemnly.

"Yes, Dawn, that idiot," he agreed.

"I don't know who this Lockhart guy is, and I hope I never find out," Nico commented.

"Oh, you're going to find out sooner or later," Percy told him.

"I think he's rather dumb. He's like another Narcissus, you know, where he was in love with himself and told everyone who wanted to marry him to go kill themselves," Dawn commented.

"What happened? I mean, considering the fact that he actually told people to do that to themselves..." Ginny trailed off.

"Nemesis, the goddess of revenge and balance, basically, got tired of his attitude, so she pointed him to a pool of water. He stared into it where he eventually died. He was turned into the daffodil after that."

"Remind me to never become like that. In fact, if I do, then you can kill me," George commented. Ginny frowned at him, clearly unimpressed. He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "I'm joking, don't worry. Though you have my permission to hex me all you want if that ever happens to me, Gin. You too, Ron, if you'd like."

Nico fell onto his bed that night, much to his friends amusement. 

"Someone's tired," Ron mused.

"Jetlag. It happens when you go from one timezone to another," Nico replied.

He didn't have time to say anything else before he fell asleep.

_______________________________________

The next morning was rather chaotic as they gathered their things and got ready to head off to Diagon Alley. When they were finally gathered in front of the fire place, Mrs Weasley counted them.

"Good, we're all here. Here you go, Percy, you go first," she said. Percy took a handful of Floo powder.

"Diagon Alley!" He disappeared in a blaze of green.

"Mum, Harry's never done this before," Ron pointed out. Ever the concerned friend. 

"That's alright. Just say Diagon Alley, and be very clear. Here, you go next." 

Harry took some of the Floo powder. He stepped into the fire place just as Percy had.

"Diagon Alley!" 

He, too, disappeared in green fire. 

The rest of the followed, Dawn and Nico going before Fred and George.

It was a dam good thing that Harry had actually gone to the Diagon Alley fireplace, which was inside the Leaky Cauldron. If he'd gone one over then Nico would hit him upside the head.

The group made their way to Gringotts. Dawn gasped slightly.

"What is it?" Harry asked. Dawn pulled a golden key out of her pocket. It had a sun engraved on it, set behind a lyre.

"It's for Dad's vault," she whispered.

"That's why there's a sun and a lyre," Ron said, as if it wasn't obvious from just that symbol.

"Thank you, Dad," Dawn said. 

They made it to Gringotts. They walked up to a free goblin.

"We're here to take some money out of our vaults," Mrs Weasley said. She gave the goblin the number of her vault. Nico took Dawn's key.

"Vaults seven and thirteen, please," he said.

"Seven?" Ron asked. Dawn nodded.

"I'll explain later," she whispered.

The journey down to the vaults was the same as the last time. When they got to the Weasley's vault, Mrs Weasley had to stop and calm herself down before she broke down. Then she gathered the money.

When Nico got to his father's vault, he took some extra money in another bag. He handed it to Mrs Weasley.

"Here, have this," he said.

"Oh, no, I shouldn't, really," Mrs Weasley tried.

"Take it. Get your kids new things. You don't have to pay it back." He probably should have talked to his father before handing the Weasleys any money, but hey, his father said that he could take as much money as he desired and that it didn't really matter what happened to it.

Being the god of riches was definitely beneficial.

It took some convincing, but eventually Mrs Weasley relented. She took the money and they left, going off to Apollo's vault.

Dawn spent some time in there, and when she came out, she showed them some books about healing that she'd taken.

"These are going to be good to read. I'll have to take notes for the others, too. They'll love to see what's inside these," she gushed. She didn't say anything about camp or the war, and the fact that there were more demigods and that they would need all the help that they could get when it came to healing, but Nico knew that it was there.

They went back after that. When they stepped outside, they found Mr Weasley, who hadn't gone with them into Gringotts to make space for Dawn and Nico, talking to a couple of people. With them was-

"Hermione!" 

"Dawn!" Hermione replied, just as excited to see her again. The girls hugged.

"I'm so happy to see you! How was your summer?" Dawn asked.

"It was alright." And with that, the girls began to talk.

The group had to split up, so they did. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Nico went to father their Potions supplies for the year, and went to restock on parchment and quills and ink. They stopped at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour for a bit if a refreshment before they headed off to Flourish and Blotts.

Which had a giant line.

They managed to find Mrs Weasley, but Dawn refused to go in when it was that full. They managed to make a compromise - Harry and Dawn went to the uncrowded upper level of the bookstore and wait there for their things, while Nico, Ron, and Hermione went into the chaos.

It went reasonably well. Dawn and Harry managed to get up, Harry guiding Dawn who was clinging to him like a koala. A familiar blonde appeared and helped them, settling at the top with a book and talking to the two in a hushed voice.

As for Nico, well, he managed to get to Mrs Weasley and Ginny. 

"Seriously, why is Lockhart doing a book sign now of all times when students need to get their books?" Ron muttered. Ginny shrugged.

"We might find out," she said.

Then Lockhart went on a tangent to the people in the store about some of the things that he was doing - some new books, a charity event, and then-

"The students of Hogwarts here today are not just going to get copies of my autobiography, Magical Me, but the real magical me. That's right, I have agreed to take on the Defense Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Great. We have a narcissist as our teacher," Nico heard George say.

"I'll be surprised if anyone can pass exams this year," Fred agreed. Nico looked up at Harry, Draco and Dawn. Harry and Draco were talking, while Dawn seemed to be seething. She caught his eye.

"He's nothing but a fake. He hasn't even done half this stuff he says he has," she said, loud enough for the demigods to hear. Nico decided to talk to Dawn about that later.

For now though, they got their stuff and left.

Or tried to, as Draco's father came up to them.

"Well, what do we have here?" He asked. He picked up one of Ginny's books, which was brand new thanks to the money Nico had managed to convince Mrs Weasley into taking to get nice things for her kids for once. "My, you must have had to sell your house to be able to afford this." He put the book back.

"Please don't do this, Father, it's not worth it," Draco pleaded.

"Silence, Draco. You do not need to get involved." Nico instantly hated Mr Malfoy for that. From the look on Dawn's face, she didn't like it either. "How did you afford new things? Unless you stole them."

"I gave them extra money," Nico said. Mr Malfoy looked at him.

"And who are you?"

"Nico di Angelo. I gave Mrs Weasley extra money so that she could afford all of the books and extra stuff that she needs for her kids," Nico explained.

"Nico di Angelo, huh? You're a Pureblood, boy. Your family is one of the oldest lines and one of the purest. You're better off not being around poor people-"

"He can do whatever he wants, you know." Mr Malfoy looked at Dawn.

"And you are?"

"Dawn Soleil. Ka huri haere koe ki te kii he pai ake koe i era atu, engari kaore koe, no reira ka mataki ahau, na te mea karekau nga atua e pai ki te whakakake te tangata kotahi." Everyone looked at Dawn weirdly. Nico knew that she could speak multiple languages. It was a common thing with Apollo's children. But the languages were often scattered among the kids, and they could often speak in the native languages of where they were born.

But what the Hades did she just say? Because Nico had never heard that language before.

"You-”

"Lucius, dear, we should gather Draco's books for school. The faster we get it done, the faster we can get away from this crowd," a woman, who looked remarkably like Lucius Malfoy but was clearly Draco's mother, said.

"Mother, may I get this book about snakes? It is really interesting," Draco said, showing his mother the book.

"Of course you may."

"Let's go. We don't need to be around an asshole who does not understand anything that is logical." Nico smiled at Dawn's comment, which she had made in Ancient Greek. Draco fought back a smile as he moved through the crowd, book in hand.

"That was eventful," Harry said when they left. The rest of them could only agree.

"Let's just go back. My social meter it at zero and I need to sleep and have some food before it's even at one again," Dawn commented.

That sounded like a great idea, so they headed off to the Leaky Cauldron and back to the Burrow through the Floo network.