The Coming of Nico di Angelo

The Old Lady with the Schoolgirl Crush

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Annabeth has her third and final lesson with Dumbledore.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: General Audiences
Content Warning: Cursing
Word Count: 4907

I have had a migraine for about ten days straight now. Pray for me, guys.

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

____________________ANNABETH____________________

Neither Percy nor Nico appeared when Annabeth entered Dumbledore's office that night. She knew that was for the best, but she was still a little disappointed. She worried about Nico, who hadn't shown up all day, and she knew Percy was going out of his mind. Both they and Hestia had tried to get answers from Blaise, but he kept saying Nico didn't want anyone to know.

"Then why do you know?" Percy had demanded at dinner that evening.

"I just kinda... stumbled on it..." Blaise had mumbled, body shifting uncomfortably.

"You don't know Nico like we do." Annabeth had argued. "He dumps secrets on himself until he can't take it anymore and explodes or runs. You're not doing him any favors keeping it from us."

"It's not dangerous, it's not bad, and it's not anyone's business except for his. So lay off, Chase." Blaise had retorted. Then, he'd walked out of the Great Hall, most likely to check on Nico and get him to eat.

"Miss Chase?" Dumbledore asked.

Annabeth jumped, bringing her mind back to the present. "Sorry. Thinking about Nico--he's been acting weird."

"I'm aware Mr. di Angelo wasn't in any of his classes today," Dumbledore replied, eyebrows slightly raised.

"I don't know much about it. The only person who does is Blaise Zabini, but he won't tell me anything. I'm just worried about him; it looks like he hasn't eaten all day, or left the Slytherin house."

"Sometimes things are outside our control. To learn to let things take their course, especially with loved ones, is a hard, but necessary lesson. Do you believe Mr. di Angelo is in danger?"

"No."

"Do you believe he is a danger to any student at Hogwarts?"

"No."

"Then we shall say no more about it just now."

"But--" Annabeth stopped herself, knowing that, on some level, Dumbledore was right. "Nevermind." The word was hard for her to choke out.

"So, we meet this evening to continue the tale of Tom Riddle, whom we left last lesson poised on the threshold of his years at Hogwarts. You will remember how excited he was to hear that he was a wizard, that he refused my company on a trip to Diagon Alley, and that I, in turn, warned him against continued thievery when he arrived at school. Well, the start of the school year arrived and with it came Tom Riddle, a quiet boy in his secondhand robes, who lined up with the other first years to be sorted. He was placed in Slytherin House almost the moment that the Sorting Hat touched his head. How soon Riddle learned that the famous founder of the House could talk to snakes, I do not know--perhaps that very evening. The knowledge can only have excited him and increased his sense of self-importance. However, if he was frightening or impressing fellow Slytherins with displays of Parseltongue in their common room, no hint of it reached the staff. He showed no sign of outward arrogance or aggression at all. As an unusually talented and very good-looking orphan, he naturally drew attention and sympathy from the staff almost from the moment of his arrival. He seemed polite, quiet, and thirsty for knowledge. Nearly all were most favorably impressed by him."