To Find What is Lost

Chapter 24: Soul

His wand yanked on him, tearing his arm up and away, he cried out in shock as he was pulled back into the maelstrom of darkness and unbearable pressure, it was further this time, more powerful, more terrifying.

Nico didn't know where he was going, the wand was leading him, controlling his movements; and then suddenly he dropped to the ground.

The Slytherin robes wrapped around Nico's arms and legs, and he struggled to free himself. Leaping to his feet, he threw the wand to the ground.

"What in Hades!"

With a swift movement Nico drew his sword from the shadows and held it at the ready; only now did he take in his surroundings.

He was standing in a desolate spot, a cave by the ocean. Water lapped around his ankles and he balanced precariously on a slippery rock. A few feet away lay the opening to a dark and forbidding cave.

The home of one of Voldemort's horcruxes, Slytherin's locket, before it was taken and destroyed.

Why on Olympus was he at the site of a horcrux?

His wand had drawn him here...

Suddenly a thought sprung to his mind. He replayed his father's words to him on that first day:

His father handed him his wand- "Here, it is made from the poplars of Asphodel, with a soul core."

A soul core.

His wand had a soul in it.

The question was: which soul.

As an idea dawned on Nico, he felt a weight drop in his stomach.

It couldn't be. His father wasn't that stupid! Unless...

Unless it was a stroke of arrogance rather than stupidity. Of course, Hades would have loved the idea.

"Stupid gods with their stupid pride and stupid souls-" he muttered furiously. "Oh wow, wouldn't it be a great idea to put a soul in Nico's wand. Yeah! That'd be a great idea!! I swear..." he continued this way for a few more minutes as he leapt agilely from rock to rock until he got to shore, kicking various items along the way.

When he finally got to land he hesitated for a second.

Draco would be worrying about him. For some reason that thought sent a warm feeling through him, but he shook it away.

Draco would cope, right now he was very angry, and he needed to see someone.

He wasn't prepared to use the wand again unless under dire circumstance (he had carefully wrapped it up in a piece of cloth and put it in his pocket before leaving the cave), so he would have to shadow travel. Luckily the underworld ran underneath the entire planet, so there was no need to shadow travel a great distance. Once he got into the realm of the dead it would be easier to move through the shadows; shadow travel in the underworld was much easier than above ground, as the darkness was more complete- more willing to bend under an individual's will.

With a little jump, Nico merged with the shadow of a hard cliff-face and vanished.

A few seconds later he was standing at the gates of Erebos. He took a deep breath, then pushed them open and strode inside. No one was there.

"Dad!" he called. No answer.

He bit his lip, furious with the lord of the dead.

"Dad!" he called again. This time there was a swirl of darkness, and Hades stepped forward.

"Nico." he said absent-mindedly. "Why are you here? I'm very busy at the moment- aah." his face twisted in a grimace at the last part. And he muttered: "Blasted Poseidon, that's cheating!" he turned his attention back to his son and blinked a few times. "You're dividing my attention boy, that sea god'll win at this rate!"

A small growl came out of Nico's throat; of course his dad was too busy playing some stupid game to talk to him. Of course he was.

"Dad." he said firmly, drawing the god's attention back to himself. When he was sure Hades was paying attention he continued:

"You put a soul in my wand."

"Yes." said Hades distractedly and winced again with a sound of pain as Poseidon probably scored another point.

The ghost king sighed. He'd known it wouldn't be easy.

"Which soul did you put in my wand?" he asked.

"Oh, some annoying mortal. Died a few months ago, I'm told he was reasonably powerful."

Another shaking breath.

"Dad, what was his name?"

"Nico I really don't have time for this, why is it important?"

"Just tell me?" Nico sighed and rubbed his face with one hand in an irritated fashion; "please?"

Hades groaned and shook his head; "Oh I don't remember, something funny like moldy-warts."

Nico felt his heart settle somewhere in the soles of his feet. Hades had confirmed his own suspicions.

"You put Lord Voldemort's soul in my wand?"

"Oh yes, that was it. Voldemort. Silly name really." then he yelled in outrage: "That cheat! I've got to go now Nico, good luck with your thingy."

And with that he swirled the darkness around him and disappeared.

"What! No! Wait!" but it was too late.

The ghost king let out a string of mildly inappropriate insults, and growled viciously at Electo when she came swooping down.

The hag looked offended, but she flew away to leave him in peace.

"Why- can't- he- just- be- helpful!!" he yelled, interjecting each word by smashing a skeleton to bone-dust with his sword. They didn't mind, it was his coping method.

Finally -after destroying and re-growing dozens of skeletons- Nico's temper pattered out and his heart rate calmed.

Taking a deep breath, he sheathed his sword and carefully drew out the asphodel wand. Cautiously unwrapping it, he stared at the long dark-wooden stick in his hand.

He slowly turned it over and over in his hands, taking it in. How had he never wondered before now? He had known there was a literal soul in his wand, but he had never bothered to ask who's?

"What am I going to do with you?" he asked the wand under his breath.

When Nico was stressed or anxious or angry he took to talking to himself, an old habit that died hard.

"The Dark Lord's spirit trapped in the Ghost King's wand. How ironic."

He sighed and held it up against the light.

"I suppose I should just summon you shouldn't I."

Another sigh.

He was sorely tempted to just throw the wand on the ground and leave it there, but unfortunately he needed his wand for classes.

"Stupid soul." considered for a minute, but -seeing no alternative- raised the wand and called Voldemort's soul.