Young and Old, Back and Bold

Chapter 31

After the Gryffindor common room had cleared out and they hexed Nevile, Nico led them to a corner before grabbing their hands. "This will be fast but you might be a little delirious when we land."

Hermione looked curious. "A demigod power?"

Nico nodded. "Just don't let go of me until we get there."

After making sure all three of them understood that fact, Nico shadow traveled them to the room that held Fluffy. The dog was asleep, a harp at his feet.

"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy. If you want to go back, I won't blame you. You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."

"Don't be stupid," Ron inputted.

"We're coming," Hermione agreed, before looking to Nico expectantly.

"Yeah, you have no hope of losing me." Nico gestured to the harp. "Let's go before that thing stops playing."

Just as he said it, the harm grew silent and the dog woke up. Harry quickly put Hagrid's flute to his mouth and started to play, causing the dog to fall back asleep.

"Want to go first, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"No, I don't!"

"All right." Ron stepped over the dog's legs and pulled the trap door open.

"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.

"Nothing - just black - there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."

Nico ignored that Harry was pointing to himself and went to join his brother. "I'll go down first. Harry seems to want to go after me. Hermione can take over the flute for him."

"You're sure?" Ron asked, looking his brother over.

Nico nodded. He looked down the trap door, saw shadows that still answered to him. In a minute, he jumped. He fell as he did down Tartarus. As the shadows grew further away and stopped listening, he felt the panic filter through his veins.

He landed on a plant. Before he knew it, Harry was beside him.

"It's okay!" Harry called up. "It's a soft landing, you can jump!"

Ron jumped in next. It was only his presence that stopped Nico from having a full blown panic attack.

"What's this stuff?" he asked,

"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!" Harry called.

Hermione soon landed next to them. The music that grounded them up to Hogwarts stopped. "We must be miles under the school."

"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.

"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"

She got to a free wall but the three boys were being strapped down by the plant. Nico could feel it around his waist, could feel Demeter's power not in it though it should be. Instead of godly power, the room was full of raw magic.

"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!"

Devil. How ironic.

"Are you going to tell us what that is?" he snapped.

"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" Hermione yelled.

"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... what did Professor Sprout say? - it likes the dark and the damp..."

"Will!" Panic had fully grasped onto Nico. "Light! Apollo! Damn it!"

"Oh, right!" Hermione took out her wand and sent flames at the plant. The plant slithered away, letting the three boys break free. Nico fell by the wall in a sigh of relief, though the shadows got no better.

"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione" Harry joined Hermione by the wall.

"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis." He looked down to Nico. "Hey, are you okay?"

Nico waved a pale hand to the passageway ahead as he got his breathing under control. "That way." He grabbed Ron's arm and hauled himself to his feet before leading them ahead.

"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered. "Do you think it's a ghost?"

"Not a ghost," Nico confirmed.

"Sounds like wings to me," Harry commented.

Nico squinted at the light ahead. "It's something moving."

They got to the room to see the small winged objects flying overhead. Nico didn't have to look twice to see what they really were.

"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" Ron asked.

"Most definitely." Nico replied.

"They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once... well, there's no other choice... I'll run." Harry decided.

"Don't-" Nico sighed as Harry took off. "You idiot."

Harry sprinted for the door with his arms over his face, but no keys took flight towards him. He tried the door to find it locked.

"Now what?" Ron asked.

Nico crossed his arms. "Keys. They're flying overhead."

The other three looked up. "Winged keys!" Harry exclaimed. "So that must mean..." he looked around the chamber. "... yes - look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"

Ron looked at the lock. "We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle."

Nico let them run off to the broomsticks, staying safely on the ground as he watched them. He tried to move the shadows, tried to find the comfort of home. It was gone. He was alone without them, alone and scared. The smell of Tartarus seemed to float through the air.

"That one!" Harry finally called to the others. "That big one - there - no, there- with bright blue wings - the feathers are all crumpled on one side."

His exclamation sent Ron speeding off and crashing into the wall. Nico took a second before catching his brother. "Damn, Ronald."

"Shut up." Ron pulled himself from Nico's arms.

Harry and Hermione soon landed, the key clamped tightly in Harry's fist. Nico watched as he used it on the door, all of them sighing in relief when it swung open.

The next room was what looked to be a chessboard. Ron and Nico glanced at each other, thought about all the games they had played. None seemed this somber.

"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron asked. "We've got to play our way across the room."

"How?" said Hermione nervously.

"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."

Nico watched his brother walk up to some of the chessmen. The room seemed to be closing in around him. Beneath his feet, he could smell the ruins of Gaea's kingdom. Unlike the Labyrinth, nothing of Pan's was in sight. The old god died before ever being able to touch this place.

He followed orders, tried to pay attention, couldn't do anything but flashback to a place he so desperately wanted to forget.

It was only when Ron got knocked out did Nico's attention snap back to reality. Once the game was won, he took off towards him brother. "Ron!" Before he could look back, Hermione and Harry were through the other door. "Damn it!"