Disclaimer - I, of course, am neither Rick Riordan nor J.K. Rowling in disguise. The plot is all I own, but the idea belongs to TheFictionKitten on Fanfiction.net

About the cover - the dark outline is Viria's drawing of Nico di Angelo

Check out micaaaaaa110211 for a Spanish translation!

Hope you enjoy my story!

⋅⊰∙∘☾∘∙⊱⋅

Sirius saw a boy appear out of the shadows in front of the front door. A boy who immediately collapsed.

Sirius changed into a dog to show how surprised he was. He quickly changed back, "Somebody get over here!!" he hollered. "THERE'S AN INTRUDER!"

There was a commotion in the dining room. Lupin came running through first, followed closely by Tonks. Molly poked her head out, taking her wand out of her apron. "Intruder? Where?"

Sirius lit his wand so they could see better. The boy didn't look menacing, but rather thin and young. The lighting made the dark shapes under his eyes seem almost black. Perhaps 'intruder' was taking it a bit far.

Arthur had joined them, and he too looked startled.

Lupin stared at the kid in disbelief. "How did he get in? Was the door open?"

"It wasn't," Sirius swore. "And from what I saw, he seemed to have come from a giant shadow."

Small chatter came from behind them, and the adults looked to the bottom of the stairs, where Harry and his friends were standing curiously, along with the twins and Ginny.

"Is he a Muggle?" Ron asked, wide-eyed, beating his father to the question.

Molly frowned at the teens. "Get back to your rooms! Now!"

Grumbling, they plodded up the stairs. Nobody noticed the Extendable Ears hanging in the air moments later.

"A Muggle wouldn't be able to see this place, let alone get in," Sirius pointed out.

"So he's a wizard, then? Accio wand!" Tonks pointed her wand at the boy.

Nothing happened.

"Well that's odd," Tonks said, and her nose turned into a duck's.

"Let's just search him," Sirius suggested.

Lupin pulled a black sword out of his belt and immediately dropped it. He collapsed against Tonks, who barely got him to lean against the wall. A silvery light was hovering by his hand before it went back into his body, and he sat up quickly.

Sirius gasped, the dark memory of a terrible night coming back to him. "That's...that looks like a soul. Nobody touch that sword again!"

"This is unlike any sword I've ever seen!" Arthur frowned. "It could be Greek, though I'm not sure.

"No wand," he continued as he turned out the boy's front pockets. "Only these." He held up out a handful of coins and a plastic bag of some kind of food.

"Are those Galleons?" Molly asked, trying to see.

"Yes, hold on—they're not. These are definitely gold, but the design is completely different." He squinted at the kid, "Muggles don't use gold as currency, but those squares of food could be Muggle."

"Strange," Lupin muttered. He waved off Tonk's concern and examined the coins.

Sirius turned the boy over and found a metal bottle attached to his belt. "Found a canteen. Wait..." A realization had hit him, and he swirled it around and sniffed it. "Oh, it's not Polyjuice Potion. More like..." he sniffed it again, "...Butterbeer?"

Arthur frowned. "He sometimes seems like a Muggle yet also just can't be."

Molly made an impatient noise. "We are still neglecting something! If this boy really is as young as he looks, then there is something seriously wrong with our wards!"

Lupin shook his head. "It's a mystery. The defences here can keep away the strongest Death Eaters, and I don't see how this boy could have Apparated in here!"

"He didn't Apparate," Sirius reminded him. "At least not the normal way. He came out of a bunch of shadows."

"Let's wake him up and question him," Lupin said. "Everyone, get in position in case he fights. And Arthur, tell Dumbledore, Moody, and Kingsley about this boy." The red-haired man nodded and left.

"Rennervate," Tonks said. Nothing happened. They all took turns trying, but nothing would work.

"Perhaps he's dead?" Tonks asked.

"No Tonks, he has a pulse," Sirius said. "Don't be so morbid."

Tonks ignored his comment. "Perhaps we should wait for him to wake on his own."

"Shall I move him to a guest room?" Molly questioned.

"Yes, that's fine," Lupin said distractedly, mind whirling with this strange puzzle.

Molly waved her wand. "Wingardium Leviosa."

This time, the spell worked. The boy was lifted by his clothes up the stairs, Molly gently supporting his head.

It took two days for the strange guest to wake.

⋅⊰∙∘☾∘∙⊱⋅

N I C O

I shot awake. Probably too fast, as my head rang for a second.  Scanning my surroundings, I realized I was in an unfamiliar and tacky old bed. Everything here was old.

At least there wasn't too much white.

Desperately I tried to remember what had happened. Right, I'd been helping my dad with what was supposed to be an easy job. I've been doing that lately so we had an excuse to talk regularly, and I could try out my powers.

My task was to find this mortal man who was supposed to die about a year ago. Sometimes that happens. Thanatos often gets distracted with his iPad games and clears notifications without reading them.

The address of the man escaped my mind, and I wracked my brain. I remember liking the name... was it grim?

15 Grimmauld Place!

And I had been shadow traveling there when I slammed into some invisible wall. I should get out of here soon.

I still felt alarmingly weak, and wearily patted my pockets. The ambrosia wasn't there! And neither was my nectar, drachmas or Stygian Iron sword. I started to panic. Then I noticed a black dog sitting in the doorway. When it saw me, it bounded off.

I sighed. Living animals hated me, it's just one of the sure facts of the world.

The sigh had made me notice how incredibly dry my throat was, and I spotted a glass of water by the bedstand. Should I drink it?

I decided on 'no' and stumbled into the bathroom. Surely the tap water wasn't that bad.

Once I was done in there, I returned to investigate. But I entered to find a man with a peg leg and a fake blue eye clumping into the room, followed by another man with light brown hair and a moustache. The dog from before stood by the door.

"Who are you?" I demanded. My hand went to my side, but my sword, as I should have remembered, wasn't there.

"Mad-Eye Moody and this is Remus Lupin," Moody said gruffly. "Now it's your turn. Who are you?"

They had British accents. So at least I'd ended up in the right country. "That's classified information. Now where are my things?"

"That's classified information!" Remus copied me. He must've been a troublemaker in his youth to be that immature.

I glared at them. "Look, I just want my canteen so I can get my energy back."

"That stuff will burn you!" moody Moody growled.

Frustration threatened to burst out of me. I was exhausted and just wanted to go home. "It's safe for me. If you won't give me my sword, give that drink back at least."

"Hmph. Go get it, Lupin."

Lupin disappeared with a crack. Moments later, he reappeared with my water bottle. I stared at him in shock. "Did you just teleport?"

Moody took the canteen and shoved in my hands. "We're asking the questions here."

I warily uncapped it and downed a few sips, which tasted like Coca-Cola. I felt energized again, and I clipped it to my belt with satisfaction.

"Now tell us your name!" Moody snapped.

Revealing my identity could be dangerous, so I made up a name.

"Jason Grace," I lied.

"Stop lying!"

"Percy Jackson. What's wrong with your eyeball?"

Moody glared at me.

"Leo di Angelo."

That one made him hesitate a little.

"Connor Stoll."

"Nico Dare."

"Oh gods FINE it's Frank Zhang!!" I folded my arms and glared at them, trying to look convincing.

I probably should have thought that one through a bit more, because he stated: "You don't look Chinese."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't need to look Chinese to have a Chinese last name. I'm a mix, alright? I took after my mother. Next nosy question?"

"Alright then 'Frank Zhang.' Where are you from?"

"England. Am I in London right now?"

He thumped his walking stick against the ground. "Do not lie to me."

"Italy, geez! So where am I?"

"Your accent is American," he deadpanned.

I cursed myself mentally. "Well, I'm also American. My mother was Italian. So where am I? What city?"

"London," Lupin answered finally, "but how do you not know?"

"The answer to that is classified."

"Why are you here?!" Moody asked.

"I have a job, and I want to leave. And before you ask, the job is classified as well."

"Tell me, boy! Are you a Death Eater?"

"A what now? You guys eat Death? That's disgusting!"

"Don't play dumb with me, Zhang!" He took out a stick. "A teenager like you would hardly be a Death Eater, but who's to say you're not disguising yourself!"

"What?"

"I'm not afraid to use this!" Moody threatened, jabbing the stick in my direction.

I laughed so hard I thought my sides were splitting open. "You guys are using sticks against me? What're you gonna do? Poke me?"

"How dare you! Stupefy!"

A red laser beam shot out and hit me in the chest and bounced off. I leapt off the bed and checked myself over, but I seemed fine.

"What was that?" I scoffed, "A laser pointer?"

I pulled a Stygian Iron knife out of my boot just in case. I pointed it at them.

"Expelliarmus!" it hit my hand, and the blade nearly flew out of my grip before I tightened my hold.

"Why won't anything work on you?" Lupin gasped.

"That's classified."

Okay, I had no idea either.

Before they could say anything else, a woman with red hair came in with a tray with sandwiches and a glass of water. "I heard you're awake and OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS WHAT ARE YOU DOING MOODY?"

She didn't seem to notice that I was holding a knife, so I hurriedly shoved it back in my boot before she did.

"Mad-Eye, he's just a boy!" she gasped. "Put down your wand!"

I didn't appreciate being called "just a boy," but at least someone cared about me.

"He won't answer our questions!" Moody said loudly in frustration.

"You don't have to blast him!" she huffed. "He is clearly confused and knows nothing more than you do." She set the tray on the bed, and her voice softened, "Eat these, dear. You must be hungry."

I sat on the bed and cautiously drank the water, but the woman seemed very nice, like Sally, so I ate the sandwich too.

As she shooed them out the door, Lupin was trying to talk, "He — Alastor tried a Stunning Spell — it didn't work — Molly!"

She slammed the door, then turned around smiling. "Hello, I'm Molly Weasley. Do you need anything else?"

"Um, no thank you, Ms. Weasley."

"Mrs," she corrected. "But alright, dear. Give a shout if you need anything."

She left.

Wow she was nice.

After patting my pockets, I remembered that I didn't have my drachmas either. For Hades's sake, how was I supposed to IM anyone? I didn't have nearly enough energy to shadow travel, so making someone come get me was my only chance.

I mentally searched the room below, tracking the shadows to find one with no people. The entrance hall was empty. I concentrated and made a hole appear in the ground downstairs. A skeleton crawled out, the hole sealing behind it. I ordered the skeleton to steal back my stuff without being seen.

I was pretty worn out again, and chomped another sandwich. They were surprisingly good. In a few minutes, the skeleton rushed into the room. He dropped the stuff on the bed and I made him dissolve after a brief thanks. I strapped my sword back onto my belt.

It was time to take a shower, where I could make a cheery rainbow that just might blind me with color.