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

Nico

That boat ride was hell. I know Poseidon gave me permission but I was still terrified. I could not have been happier to reach land. I was so shaken up i barely even noticed the castle. Not that it was terribly extravagant compared to my fathers palace, but it was extraordinary by mortal standards. It wasn't until professor McGonogall began explaining the houses that I finally calmed down. McGonogall led us straight up a central aisle between four rows of tables to the steps of a riser with a larger table, apparently for staff. The first thing i noticed was the ghosts. There were about a dozen of them in the hall. I reach out with my senses and detect a couple hundred of them in the castle. The ghosts nod at me politely but don't say anything. I smile. My father obviously warned them that i would be coming, and not to blow my cover. I was comforted to know they were here. McGonogall then brings out a stool and placed a ratty old hat on top of it. The hat then sings a little song. Then she begins reading names off a  list.

"Abbott, Hannah." A girl walks up and sits on the stool. McGonogall places the hat on her head. Gross. After a while the hat shouts. "Hufflepuff!" "Brown, Lavender." McGonogall reads. Another girl goes to the stool and puts on the hat. Every student to ever attend Hogwarts must have worn that thing. "Gryffyndor!" The hat screams. "Di Angelo, Nico", McGonogall reads. "Not on your life!" I shout back. The hall goes quiet. "Is there a problem Mr. Di Angelo?" "There is no way in Hell, That I am putting that thing on. It's probably riddled with lice." The students all laugh and to my surprise so does the old man sitting in the center chair. I guess the principal or headmaster or whatever. "I assure you Mr. Di Angelo, the hat is quite clean. It is enchanted against just such infestations." I stand still, unconvinced. The headmaster sighs. "While I appreciate your prudence, I'm afraid you will simply need to trust us on this matter." I sigh and reluctantly sit on the stool. And then the hat starts talking in my head.

"Ahh, a demigod wizard. Very rare indeed. The last time I saw one of your kind was nearly three hundred years ago. Now lets see what's in your head. My my such darkness. Such turmoil." 

"Shut up and sort me you glorified Fedora."

"How rude. It will be very difficult to sort you since you don't even know who you are. Hmm. Hufflepuff is certainly out. You haven't even learned to be loyal to yourself. Your certainly cunning enough for Slytherin, but not excessively ambitious."

"Surely there must be a more efficient way to do this than process of elimination."

"Quiet down you. I have sorted eleven centuries worth of students. I know what I am doing. Now you certainly have either the intellect for Ravenclaw or the bravery for Gryffindor. But which is your defining characteristic?"

"Can you please get on with it."

"Don't rush... what's this? Percy Jackson?"

My face turns redder than the Phlegathon after a heavy torture day.
"You know Nico, we admire in others what we desire for ourselves".
"That's enough"! Only after I say it do I realize I've spoken out loud. I reach up and grab the hat to rip it off. But then scream and pull my hand away. It's bleeding. "You Bit me! How did you bite me? You don't even have teeth!"
"No one manhandles the sorting hat! Now. I cant help you make percy love you. Nor can I help with reconciling your feelings. But if its bravery you want then the place for you is clear."
The hat draws a deep breath then screams. "GRYFFINDOR!"

McGonogall removes the hat from my head. And I walk silently to the red and gold table. I barely register that no one is clapping for me. I take a seat near the end of the bench and put my head down on the table. Stupid hat. That was just cruel. Then suddenly i feel two arms draped around my neck. I look up to see two red headed twins sitting on either side of me and smiling down at me. I give them my best death glare to tell them to leave me alone, but they seem not to notice. Strange, only the Stolls have ever been immune to my death glare before. If these are an analogous pair, with magical powers, then the world is truly doomed. I smile at that thought and the twins misinterpret it as an improvement in my mood.
"It's alright mate", says twin one.
"I know the sorting hat can be insensitive sometimes", continues the second.
"But you can't take it personally", says twin one.
"It just has a job to do you know." Finishes twin two.
This conversation is giving me vertigo, so I decide to break my usual rule of never interacting with living people. "I'm Nico", I say as the blue table cheers apparently receiving a new student. "We're Fred and George", the twins say in unison. "Which is which?" "Doesn't matter", they say in unison. Our table erupts in cheers as that annoying bushy hair girl who interrogated me about my Olympus Today joins the table.  Then McGonogall reads Harry Potter, and an audible gasp flows through the hall. I frown. "What? Is he famous or something?" The twins stare at me with mouths open. "What?" Harry seems to be struggling with the sorting hat like I had. "How do you not Know who Harry Pottter is?" Twin One gasps. "He's famous all over the world!" Twin two exclaims. "What rock have you been hiding under for the last twenty years mate?" Twin one asks. I roll my eyes. "Las Vegas. Now can you please explain to me who he is." Then the Hat screams Gryffindor and Harry Potter joins our table. The twins are about to start talking again but then one of the teachers comes over. "Mr. Di Angelo', she says. "I'm Madam Pompfrey, the school matron. I need to bandage your hand". I start to say that's not necessary, but she ignores me, grabs my hand and starts wrapping it in cloth. The sorting finishes while she's tending me.

I look around to see who else is in my house. Across from me are none other than the train trio. Great, I think to myself. I get to spend seven years with the annoy Nico club. The headmaster, Dumbledore apparently, stands up and gives a speech. Forbidden forest is forbidden. No Styx. Third floor corridor off limits, painful death. Ive heard it before. Then Dumbledore announces that the feast should begin and food appears in front of us. I frown. How am I supposed to make my offering. "Oh my, how forgetful of me", Dumbledore announces. "Of course your father informed me of your custom." He waves his wand and a small bronze brazier about the size of a cereal bowl appears in front of me. I nod my thanks to him and scoop a single chicken leg onto my plate, then scrape the tenderest, juiciest part into the fire. I mutter a short prayer and start to pick off small pieces of the rest. The train trio looks at me curiously. "Uhm. Why did you burn that food?" The red one asks. "Why do you care Roland?" "Uhm, It's Ron actually." I wave off his comment. "Whichever. Why do you three have to be so nosy about everything. Mind your own damn business and I'll mind mine."

The rest of dinner was quiet after that. Then the prefects led us up to our dorm. The common room is hidden behind a painting of a very fat lady. the prefect says the password and the painting swings inward to reveal a secret passage. The common room is a large round room with a fireplace in one wall and comfy looking chairs and couches spread through the room. One staircase leads upon to the boys dormitories and another to the girls. I follow the other first years to our dormitory. When the door opens I choke back a sob. four poster beds. Bianca always loved four poster beds. I hear a very loud meow from across the room and see my trunk at the foot of the farthest bed with my Black Kneazel in his cage on top of it. I walk over and open his cage and he jumps onto my shoulder. "Hey Ajax. Did you miss me?" He nuzzles my neck affectionately. All around me everyone is decorating there areas with photos and posters. I dig in my trunk and pull out the only two personal items I have. The statue of Hades that Percy had saved for me. I put it on my bed side table. And then a picture of me and Bianca in our uniforms at Westover hall. I pin it up on my headboard. Most of the students are heading back down to the common room to socialize. Is that what kids do? Oh well. I'm going to bed early. I take off my robes and crawl into my bed. Ajax curls up on the pillow next to me and I pull my curtain closed. I sob gently as I drift off to sleep.