Nico di Angelo and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter 1: Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Harry shoved his trunk onto the rack, then sat down with a thump.

"Ron Weasley," Ron said, sitting next to Harry.

Hermione was forced to sit next to the boy. She was clearly uncomfortable, squashing herself up against the wall to be as far away from him as possible. Harry would've done the same-he gave off a creepy aura. "Hermione Granger."

"Harry Potter, but of course you know that." Why wouldn't he? Harry was renowned all over Britain.

The boy scowled slightly. Maybe he didn't know. Why? Had he been living in a hole his entire life?

"Nico di Angelo." The boy said.

"Di Angelo?" Hermione asked. "That means the angel."

"I know." Nico looked like he was trying not to snap.

Ron looked like he was trying not to laugh. It was a bit ironic, considering that Nico was wearing all black clothes, with a ring on his hand. He looked like some kind of goth. Now that Harry looked more closely, he could see that Nico was covered in numerous small scratches that were barely scabbed over.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked. Maybe something had happened to this kid.

Nico looked surprised, like he wasn't used to people asking that. "What? Oh, yes."

Hermione looked between them with furrowed eyebrows. Then she shrugged, dismissing it. "So, what are you getting from the Trolley Witch?"

"Cauldron Cake," Ron and Harry answered in unison.

Nico looked at both of them. "I guess I'll get that as well."

"Wait? You've never gotten anything before?" Was the kid poor?

Nico shook his head. "I'm a transfer student from Ilvermorny."

Hermione bounced in her seat. "YOU'RE the transfer student."

Ron looked at Harry, confused. "What?"

"Didn't you get the letter from Dumbledore?" Hermione asked. "He sent it to us a couple weeks ago."

"A couple weeks ago we were at the Quidditch World Cup!"

Hermione shook her head. "Honestly, don't you ever read your mail?"

Harry shrugged. "Only the Hogwarts letter."

Hermione sighed.

Nico broke the silence. "Speaking of the World Cup, how was it?"

Ron looked ecstatic. "You should've seen it! Krum was amazing! He's like a bird, how he flys."

Hermione rolled her eyes, pulling out A Standard Book of Spells: Grade Four.

Harry chipped in about some details Ron didn't mention, like how the Irish Seeker always fell for Krum's dive.

Nico looked interested.

"Why didn't you go?" Ron asked.

"I was still in America this summer, I just arrived here this morning." He replied.

"Only this morning? You must've been traveling a lot." Harry commented.

Nico nodded. "I'm used to it."

The door to their compartment slid open, revealing Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. "Hello, Potter."

"Malfoy, can't you just leave us alone?" Ron groaned.

Draco switched his eyes to Ron. "Are those your dress robes? Weasley, I know you're poor, but I wasn't expecting that."

Ron flushed. "None of your business." He had thrown the robes over Pigwidgeon's cage to shut the owl up.

"They're quite ugly," Malfoy drawled.

"Shut up." Harry gritted out.

Malfoy ignored him. "I suppose you're entering, Potter? Want even more fame to add to that ego?"

Ron looked at Harry. "Entering what?"

Draco arched an eyebrow. "You don't know? Poor Weasley, his father wasn't important enough to be told."

"Could you leave?" Nico asked. He had been watching, so he knew that Malfoy was mean. He'd sided with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Oh, who are you? Another of Potter's lackeys?" Crabbe and Goyle sniggered at this. Draco ran his eyes over Nico, then looked back at Harry. In his opinion, Nico wasn't worth his time.

"The Triwizard Tournament, Potter." The three of them turned around and walked out of the compartment.

Ron got up and closed the door with such force the glass shattered.

Hermione sighed and waved her wand, restoring the glass.

Harry turned to her. "What's the Triwizard Tournament?"

"It's where three schools from Europe compete for a prize. The schools are Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, and Hogwarts. It hasn't happened in a while, though, so I wonder why they're bringing it back." She said, with an expression of slight interest.

"What does Malfoy mean-entering?" Ron immediately asked.

Nico answered this, surprising all of them. "You put your name in the Goblet of Fire. It will choose the most worthy to compete."

Hermione looked at him, approvingly. "There's a prize for the winner. I think it's about one thousand galleons."

Ron gaped at her. "One thousand galleons? I'm entering!"

Harry grinned. "I might as well."

Hermione hurried to say, "It's very dangerous. They stopped it because someone died."

Ron seemed to not care. "One thousand galleons," he muttered.

Hermione frowned at him. "Boys."

Nico laughed, making them all look at him. He didn't really seem to laugh. What they didn't know was that it was a laugh of irony, not of humor. "Dumbledore probably made it much safer. There has to be some requirement."

Ron still looked excited. "I meet it! I'm entering."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You don't even know what the requirement is, Ronald."

Nico was looking out the window. "We're going to arrive soon, we might want to change."

Harry nodded, reaching up into his truck to grab his robes.

He and Ron exited the compartment, Hermione following them to the bathroom. She turned into the ladies' room, Ron and Harry going to the men's.

Ron was done changing when Harry retired his shoes. They left the bathroom, heading back to the compartment.

Nico was already in there, wearing his robes, which was strange since he never went to the changing room. Harry dismissed it. He must've changed here.

Hermione rushed into the room, her hair in a ponytail. "Hi." She said breathlessly.

Harry, who was reaching for the trunks, heaved hers off the rack and placed it on the floor, so when they were collected, it would be easier for whoever did it.

"Thanks," Hermione said, heading out into the aisle. The Hogwarts Express was slowing down, Hogwarts not even a kilometer away.

Nico slipped out the door behind her, making no sound. Ron followed him. Harry jumped off the seat and stepped out behind all of them.

They followed the other students off the train, all of them wearing Hogwarts robes. It looked like a parade of fabric.

Hermione stepped off the train and made their way to the carriages, where they found Ginny and Neville.

"Mind if we join?" She asked.

Ginny shook her head and they all settled in.

The carriage was pulled forward with a lurch.