Death Breath, the Debt Collector. (PJO/HP XC)

Chapter Five: History of Magic

Really very sorry for this chapter it feels v rushed and there are no details. Pls accept this this as a filler chapter. Next one will be v nice. Promise. 

Chapter Five: History of Magic

The next day, Nico woke up to the commotion of his roommates getting dressed. Normally, he slept like the dead, but on his first night in a new place he was a light sleeper. He swung his curtains back, stepped out of his bed to grab his clothes, meaning his new robes, slacks and a sweater. Nico also snagged his tie before walking back to his bed, stepping on the messy covers, and closing the red fabic once again. 

He didn't want them to see his scars. His trip in tatarus left him with not only mental pain, but left its mark on his body. Not to mention more than 70 years of being a demigod. It takes it toll on you. 

Anyway, his entire body, his back, his arms, his torso, chest, thighs and shoulders all were marked in one way or another, from swords or teeth or poisons or arrows or some deadly combination. And he didn't want stares and questions, even if hiding while he got changed was going to get him at lease some questioning looks. 

Once he changed, which was a bit difficult cramped onto a bed, he laid his pajamas onto his bed for the next night, and pulled back the curtains. Harry and Ron were leaning against their bedposts, chatting about someone called Snape, whom Nico knew to be the Potions master here at Hogwarts. Another student, Dean Thomas, Nico recalled, was just finished tying his tie, when Nico walked over to him with his own tie in hand. He cleared his throat and Dean's eyes strayed from the mirror to Nico's reflection in it. 

"Uh, could you help me with this?" Nico tried to control his blushing. 

Dean turned around, his tie pristine. "Sure, no problem." He took the tie from Nico's hand, wrapped it around his neck, and began tying. With all the weird knots he made, Nico was sure he would never get it right on his own. 

"Did you have to wear a uniform at your old school?" He asked, his eyes still concentrating on the task at hand. 

"Sort of... it was more casual than ties and robes, though." Nico thought of the CHB t-shirts, and remembered that his necklace was buried in the bottom of his trunk. 

"All done." Dean patted his shoulder and smiled.

"Thanks." Nico smiled back, which he caught a glimpse of in the mirror in front of him. It looked strange on his face. 

Nico walked down to the Great Hall alone. His stomach felt indifferent to whether or not he ate, so Nico settled for a cold glass of water and a slice of toast at the Gryffindor table. He had a little trouble figuring out how drinks worked, however. 

The lady with the tight bun, as he had learned her name to be, Professor McGonagall, walked over to him with a stack of index card-looking papers. "Here you are." She outstretched her hand, a card grasped into it, and Nico accepted. On it was his schedule. 

He glanced down and saw it worked as a day-to-day schedule. Mondays, today, he had History of Magic, double potions, Ancient Runes, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. A good mix, he decided. He glanced around the room full of sleepy teenagers all  chattering away, and he felt isolated even surrounded by people. He went back upstairs after he finished his toast and chugged his water. He muttered the password to the fat lady, and walked slowly up to the dormitories to get his books for the day. On his way back down, he decided to take a walk before class started. The castle seemed a bit stuffy to him. 

Instead of walking all the way down to the front door, however, Nico decided to try out shadow travel on the hogwarts grounds. He had read that there were charms to stop people from disapperating, which was different from shadow travel, yet also similar. So, Nico strode back into his room, stood atop his bed once more with the curtains drawn, bookbag in hand, and drew the shadows unto him. He felt their cooling touch, then a soft wind blew through his hair.