When Nico's not at camp (book the first)

Nico

After I close the door I check that the Dormitory is empty. I start pacing back and forth. I think Ron can tell I lied about Nicholas Flamel. I bite my lip. I've gotten too comfortable with these kids and its making me sloppy. I'll have to deal with them later. For now, I know exactly where to get information about Nicholas Flamel. His name was on Thanatos's list of people who had cheated death. I saw it last year when I was trying to raise Bianca. Minos convinced me to go after Daedalus, but there were three other names on the list as well. Tom Riddle, Walt stone, and Nicholas Flamel. Unfortunately the list only said the names and how long since they should have died. But I'm sure Thanatos will have more info.

I pull out my wand and conjure a rainbow. Then I fish a drachma out of my wallet and cast it into the rainbow. "Oh Iris Goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Thanatos, God of death." The rainbow shimmers and then the image of Thanatos appears. He's sitting in his palace preening his wings. he looks up and smiles when he sees me. "Hello Nico. To what do i owe this unexpected pleasure?" "I need information about Nicholas Flamel." He raises an eyebrow. "Is that so? Not returning to bad habits I hope." I snarl. "I'm not planning to trade him if that's what your asking. I'm just looking for info. Do you know if he owns anything valuable? Anything rare or important enough that a really powerful wizard would go to a lot of trouble to steal it." "And why, may I ask", Thanatos muses absent mindedly, "Would you be interested in that? Are you planning on robbing the man? If you are I would request that you go ahead and kill him in the process so I can remove his name from my list." I groan with frustration. Thanatos is so slow. He always gets his way eventually so he never has any sense of urgency. "No, I'm not planning on robbing him. Someone is plotting something and I'm trying to figure out what, and the only clue i have is that it involves Flamel." Thanatos frowns. "Now why would you be thwarting plots? You aren't on a quest. I'm always informed when a quest is appointed so i can be on high alert for the heroes involved, and none have been ordered since the battle of the labyrinth." I shudder. "That is as depressing a thought as I have ever heard. And I am an expert in depressing thoughts. Its not an official quest I'm just...I guess you would say helping out." Thanatos focuses his attention on me. He looks me up and down as if I'm a difficult puzzle he's attempting to solve.

"I see", He says. "I believe the item you are probably referring to is the..." Suddenly Thanatos pauses and tilts his head to the side. "I see", He whispers after a moment then turns back to me. "I'm afraid I can not help you." He begins preening  his wings again as if nothing had happened. I grit my teeth. "What do you mean you cant help me? You were just about to help me." "Indeed", he agrees casually. "However the situation has become complicated." I feel the blood boil in my veins. "What do you mean it has become complicated?" The ground starts to tremble under my feet. Since my ordeal with Minos I've decided that I definitely don't like being toyed with. "I mean that the matter is not as simple as I initially believed." Thanatos states calmly. Cracks spread across the floor and all the lanterns blow out. "I know what complicated means", I whisper scream into the rainbow. "What. Happened." Thanatos glances back up at me. "Oh, yes, apparently there is a prophecy related to this matter. I have been forbidden from revealing information prematurely as it would interfere with the destinies of mortals. For the foreseeable future i will not be able to provide you any information regarding my cheaters list." I sit on the edge of my bed and bury my face in my hands. I hate not knowing things. "I'm sorry Nico", I hear Thanatos say. I look up and I'm surprised to see genuine empathy on his face. "But even gods can not defy fate. And I should Know. They are my sisters after all." Then he slashes his hand through the mist and the image dissolves. I lay back on my bed and I feel Ajax walk up my stomach and lay down on my chest. I raise my head and look at him. "You're not keeping any secrets from me are you?" "Meow", he responds smartly.

The next day I get up early before all the other Gryffindors. When I get to the great hall i find that I'm the first one there except for Dumbledore. Does that man ever sleep? I have a nagging suspicion that he doesn't. As I sit down my brazier appears in front of me as it always does. I scrape in a few sausages, say a short prayer to no god in particular, then start eating. Ajax lays across my shoulders and together we watch the other students start to pour into the great hall. After a while Harry, Ron, and Hermione walk in and sit down across from me. "Hey Nico", Harry says. "We were thinking about how to find out about Nicholas Flamel." "I told you I don't know anything else!" I snap at harry and all three of them jump. "It's oaky Nico", Hermione says gently. "We believe you. What we decided is that we should try looking him up in the library. Whatever it is that Dumbledore is hiding for him must be really important, so there will probably be some historical record of it." I slump back against the wall and bury my face in my hands. I'm still in a fowl mood from my conversation with Thanatos last night. "I'm sorry. I just don't like not knowing things." Hermione smiles sympathetically. "We'll figure out what Snape's after. Will you meet us in the library after classes?" I sigh distractedly. "Yeah sure. I guess I'll see you guys later." As I get up my brazier disappears and I head off to class.

For the next month nearly every waking minute of our lives was spent either in class or in the library. And when it seemed like we had read every book that might possibly contain information on Nicholas Flamel, we starting reading all the books that couldn't possibly have any information about him. When we finished those we started all over again. But by the first of December we hadn't read so much as a rumor that a person Nicholas Flamel had ever even lived. So naturally we all decided to sit in the common room feeling sorry for ourselves. "Do you think maybe Hagrid lied to us and there is no Nicholas Flamel? Harry frowns. "I don't think so. You saw how nervous he got when he said it. He was as surprised as we were. I sigh. "Well then I don't know what else to do except maybe look in the restricted section. We've read everything else. Twice." "I think Nico's right", Hermione agrees. "It would make sense that he would be in the restricted section if the object Snape's after is something dangerous." Just then there was a sharp tap at the window. Instinctively I reach for my ring, which hides my Stygian sword. But when i turn around i see a very mean looking screech owl with a letter in its beak. Seamus Finigan, who's sitting closest to the window. Walks over and opens it. The owl flys into the common room, perches on my shoulder, and drops the letter in my lap.

The envelope is pitch black and addressed to me in Gold ink. Obviously my fathers style. I turn it over and find a gold seal depicting a cross with curved arms. I pull out my Knife and break the seal. The letter is written in Ancient Greek but roughly translates:

Dear Nico
For your winter break i would like you to stay with me for the first half. Then when i go to Olympus on the 20th i will return you to school so you can spend the second half with your friends. Please write back if you feel this arrangement will be amicable. Ti Amo.

P.s I'm so proud of you for making friends.

P.p.s the information you are looking for is not in the restricted section.

I blink in confusion, sure I must have misread it. But after the third rereading i force my self to accept that my father, god of the underworld and lord of Erebus, wants to spend the holidays with me. It's a very strange feeling. "Nico?" I jump at the sound of Harry's voice. I had forgotten we were talking. "Oh, uhm, its from my father. He wants me to come home for the first half of winter break." I must have sounded as amazed as I felt because my friends all looked at me with confused looks. "Is that...unusual?" Ron asks. "Yeah", Harry adds. "I mean don't you live with him all the time when you're not at school." "No", I respond shortly and start rummaging through my bag for a parchment and quill. "But then where do you live? Doesn't you're dad like having you around?" Hermione asks incredulously. I sigh and sink deeper into my chair. "Look, the situation is...complicated, you wouldn't understand." Hermione opens her mouth to say something else but Ron nudges her and she closes her mouth sharply, apparently realizing she's prying. Honestly she's almost as bad with social skills as I am. I write a short response to my father.

Father
I wold love to see you. Thanks. Ti Amo.

I fold the letter into an envelope and seal it with a piece of tape. I'm not as fancy as my dad. I hold it out to the screech owl who takes it and flys away. "You didn't address it." Harry notices. I smirk. "No, he knows where to go. Any way my Father doesn't think the info we need is in the restricted section. They all stare at me with surprise. "I wrote him last week and asked if he knew anything about Flamel", I cover quickly. "He knows a lot about dark magic so he would probably know if it was the kind of thing that would be restricted." Thankfully they all seem to accept my answer.