A Cursed Hope (Sequel to A Dark Legacy)

Chapter Nine: Sassico takes place in this chapter

Nico and Percy were just about to finish the potion for Draco's mashed potatoes when Katie rushed over to their seats.

"Malfoy's coming back from the washrooms!" She hissed, then scurried down the seats to where here friend Sophia was waiting.

"Quick, hide it!" Nico whispered. Percy capped the small bottle as quickly as he could and shoved it into his pocket.

"Who are those people up there?" Malfoy asked as he sat down with his goons. "They don't look like first-years."

"Attention, students!" Professor Dumbledore held up his hands for silence. "Today is an incredibly special day. The American Wizarding Royalty have come to Hogwarts!" The crowd cheered and clapped as nine students stepped forward, all of different ages.

"You must've been lucky going to America." Nico murmured, making Percy zone out of Dumbledore's speech. "Is the American Royalty a big deal there?" He nodded, genuinely confused as to why there were new students coming from America at the same time he was. 

Certain new students.

*cough cough* demigods

This was big trouble for him.

This had to be the work of some god, but who...?

"Nico di Angelo! Step forward please!" 

Percy's face blanched as he heard his old cousin's name.

"Hey, that's my name!" Nico said from next to him.

"SLYTHERIN! SLYTHERIN! GET ME OFF HIS HEAD, I CAN'T TAKE IT!" The Sorting Hat screeched. The professors were bewildered, but the son of Hades (who looked surprisingly younger, maybe about 15) was unfazed. It was like it had happened before.

Percy quickly turned to Nico and asked, "D'you wanna see some Metamorphmagus magic?" He nodded eagerly and Percy willed the Mist to bend to his will and matched a random girl at the Slytherin table.

"Why are there two Sophias?" Katie asked from behind Percy. Nico burst out in a fit of silent laughter as the real Sophia looked legitimately confused.

"Uh..." Nico di Angelo sat down at an empty seat at the table. "What's going on?" 

"Hey! I'm Nico, aren't you Nico di Angelo from the American Royalty? Oh my gosh, I'm so honored—" Nico di Angelo smiled a little.

"No need for all the formalities." He assured him. "I don't really like all the attention." 

"And who's this?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow at the son of Hades. "American Royalty, huh? I'm practically royalty, too." Nico scowled at him.

"You really don't seem like it, Mr. I-Put-On-Too-Much-Hair-Gel." He snorted. "You look bald with all that hair slicked back. How on earth do you keep your big head up, anyways? I'm quite impressed." The people around him who heard sniggered as Malfoy's face turned an angry shade of red.

"Shut it, di Angelo." He snarled. "If you don't want warts growing all over you, you better not speak a word."

"Ah, so I can match you in a fair contest of who's uglier?" Nico sneered. "I doubt you can make a feather float with that cheap wand of yours." 

Draco, who was unable to say anything else, spat out, "My father will hear about this." and moved to the far end of the table.

"Hey Neeks! How're ya doing?" To Percy's dismay, Jason, who looked three years younger, ruffled Nico's hair playfully. The son of Hades did not look amused.

"Get your hands off me, Jason Grace." He muttered, swatting away his hand. 

"Who's this?" Piper came up to them and waved to Percy. "Hey, I'm Piper. I'm Jason's girlfriend." 

"Hi!" Percy set his voice to 'hyper ADHD mode' and shifted form into Piper. "I'm Peter!" Nico, the one with the heterochromia in his eyes, frowned. Percy gave him a look that said, 'don't interfere.' Piper stepped back, surprised.

"Woah. How'd you do that?" 

"Metamorphmagus." Percy shrugged. "You're Jason, right? I've heard so much about you when I lived in America, and now you're in Europe and I think you're really cool and are you Gryffindor? That's cool, although Slytherins are better—"

"He needs to take a chill pill." Jen stage-whispered to Nico.

"—didn't you guys go to the worldwide Wizarding Tournament in—"

"Woah, woah, woah." Katie laughed. "That's enough, Perce. Your ADHD is going way out of control. Take a chill pill." A spark of alarm shot through Percy as he caught di Angelo's eyes going glassy.

"Is everything alright, Neeks?" Percy heard Piper ask gently. 

"Did that girl just call Peter Perce...?" He asked, his dark eyes filled with heartbreak. Piper hugged him.

"I know you miss him, but we just have to let him rest." She murmured. Nico nodded soberly.

"I think it's better if I go back to the Gryffindor table." Jason waved. "See ya, Pipes." Piper waved back, taking a spare seat at the Slytherin table. 

"HUFFLEPUFF!" 

Frank grinned and joined the black and yellow bannered tables.

"GRYFFINDOR!" 

Leo did finger-guns at the ladies and sauntered to the Gryffindors.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Hazel gave a silent squeal and joined Frank at the Hufflepuff table.

"RAVENCLAW!" 

Will flashed a knowing smile at di Angelo and sat down at the Ravenclaw table.

"GRYFFINDOR!" 

Thalia smiled proudly and fist-bumped her little brother at the Gryffindor table.

"SLYTHERIN!" 

To Percy's surprise, Luke was there too. I guess they needed one Chaos commander for something, but why the hell were they here in the first place?? 

Well, he'd seen flying pigs, giants, monsters with a hundred arms, a god that depended his life on diet coke, and a pen that could turn into a 3-foot deadly sword. He wasn't that surprised.

But he was still surprised, nonetheless.

"And finally...SLYTHERIN!" A blonde girl stepped down from the podium and walked over to the Slytherins.

The same coldness that he had felt with the Dementors filled his chest.

That same blonde girl...no, it couldn't have been.

But no. It was her.

Hair pulled into a high ponytail, stormy grey eyes and red cheeks from crying. 

"Annabeth!"

y'all probably saw that coming didn't you 😭