Defense Against The Dark Arts

The Healing Properties of Tea

31st January 2024

So a disclaimer before you read: I haven't read the pjo books for a long time so I am partly making up Nico's powers, and partly basing them off fandom wiki and partly from my own dodgy memory. Enjoy.

I arrive back on the headmaster's staircase and immediately know something is off. There are voices coming from within, and it's not the Weasleys of McGonagall, but someone much worse. I open the door anyway.

"Mr di Angelo," Umbridge smiles sweetly at me, "What a, ahem, pleasant surprise. What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask the same of you," I reply tersely.

"Ah, well I was just informing the headmaster of a certain group of students out of bed. I can only imagine what they are getting up to."

"And you tell him whenever there's someone out of bed? This is a boarding school, how do you sleep?" I ask despite the situation.

Her face tightens. "Well this certain group of students includes Mr Potter. With all the rumours he's been spreading and turning the country into chaos lately, I dread to think what he's going to do next."

"Maybe he's going to tell everyone the earth is flat," I say her confusion. I turn to Dumbledore. "The situation has been dealt with."

"Situation," Umbridge repeats, eyes lighting up. She grabs onto this with the determination of IDK. "I would greatly appreciate it if you elaborated on this problem"

"I'm sure you would," I say.

Dumbledore puts up one of his hands to cup his ear, and then frowns dramatically. "Delores, I think I can hear something near the... trophy room, yes. Someone causing mayhem, I expect. I think you should investigate."

Umbridge gives him a wide smile. "Ah, yes, these students will be facing extreme punishments," She says, before leaving, no doubt in the direction of the trophy room.

Now that we are alone, Dumbledore strokes his beard. "Alas, Delores will find nothing but dust in that particular room." As much as I dislike Dumbledore, I can't help but mentally give him a high five because the nerve to pretend to be able to hear something on the other side of the castle and have someone believe that is pretty ridiculous. "Now, the children have been taken to Grimmauld Place. I'm sure you will want to give them the happy news, hmm?"

I nod, and leave his office, walking in the direction of me and Percy's room, because I can't even imagine what he thinks of my disappearance. Being a demigod makes us paranoid of these sorts of things.

I open the door quietly, in case he is still asleep, whispering the password, but the light is on when I open the door.

The relief on Percy's face is obvious. "I was just about to IM you - fuck, I thought something had happened. I was ready to stab Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore?" I ask wryly, "Why?"

"He seemed like a suitable culprit."

"Well, you're not wrong, I was with Dumbledore. Arthur Weasley had been bitten by a snake and I had to go and rescue him. I'm about to tell the Weasleys that their dad is alive. You want to come?"

"Wow. Busy night for you," Percy says, and throws on a hoodie holding my hand, and I shadow travel us away.

Grimmauld Place is quite - unnaturally so, for the amount of Weasleys that are in there. Having appeared in the hallway, like we had months ago at my father's orders, we follow the sound of muffled whispers into the kitchen.

The door is open, and they are sitting around the table, staring blankly into cups of tea. Despite the situation, I want to laugh, because I hadn't realised that tea was quite literally the backbone of England.