Chapter Fourteen: Hagrid Makes a Somewhat Epic Comeback
Nico's P.O.V.

TODAY WAS THE DAY we finally met the mysterious professor Hagrid. Of course we couldn't let anyone know that we've never met him before, since he's always been groundskeeper for the school ever since he went here. Apparently it would be impossible not to know him after five years.

Professor Hagrid huge man who looked to be about eleven and a half feet tall with a long mane of shaggy black hair and a beard that covered most of his face. When we got to class, he was carrying what looked like half a dead cow over his shoulder.

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark . . ."

"What prefers the dark?" I heard Malfoy say sharply to Crabbe and Goyle, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark- did you hear?" That Draco kid is such a wimp. Of course, being the son of Hades I'm prone to love the dark.

"Ready?" said Hagrid happily, looking around at the class. "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare."

He guided us towards the apparently 'forbidden' forest.

"Gather roun', gather roun'," said Hagrid encouragingly when we reached a clearing in the trees. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me...."

Hagrid gave a shrieking cry. A minute passed in which the class continued to peer nervously over their shoulders and around trees for a first glimpse of whatever it was that was coming.

A pair of blank, white, shining eyes were growing larger through the gloom and a moment later the dragonish face, neck, and then skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse emerged from the darkness. But what really scared me is that I could see every single flawless detail of it.

"Oh, an' here comes another one!" said Hagrid proudly, as a second black horse appeared out of the dark trees, folded its leathery wings closer to its body, and dipped its head to gorge on the meat. "Now... put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"

I put my hand up along with Piper, Leo, Harry, Neville, and a Slytherin boy who was hiding behind Goyle.

"Yeah... yeah, I knew you'd be able ter, Harry," he said seriously. "An' you too, Leo, Piper Nico, eh? An'-"

"What's doing it?" Parvati demanded in a terrified voice, apparently she couldn't see it.

"Thestrals," said Hagrid proudly. "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here. Righ', now, who can tell me why some o' you can see them an' some can't?"

I raised my hand.

"Go on then," said Hagrid, smiling at me. I already don't like him.

"The only people who can see thestrals," I say, "are people who have seen death."

"Tha's exactly right," said Hagrid solemnly. "Ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, thestrals -"

"Hem, hem."

Professor Umbridge had arrived. She was standing a few feet away from Harry, wearing her green hat and cloak again, her clipboard at the ready.

Most of the rest of the class was spent while Umbridge asked students questions on how bad Hagrid was as a teacher. She walked up to me and said, "You can see the thestrals, Di Angelo, can you?"

"Yes," I muttered trying to focus on the lesson.

"Whom did you see die?" she asked not noticing that I was ignoring her.

"That is my personal business," I say cutting her off.

"Whom did you see die, Di Angelo?" She repeats.

"I'd rather not talk about it," I said.

"One last time. Whom did you see die."

All at once darkness surrounded the toad lady. Shadows danced around her, threatening her. She screamed in horror, "Dark Magic! Dark Magic."

She flees, running up the path back towards the castle. The shadows mostly blind her, making false threats. It frightened her though, and was certainly a sight that many Gryffindors didn't fail to laugh at.

By the next day, I was so grateful for charmspeak. Because I slipped up, everyone forgot about the shadows with Umbridge, all thanks to Piper. Harry of course knew something the other wizards didn't, but he kept quiet this time. Most likely because he had something on Umbridge.... I couldn't say I didn't blame him.

***

It's been about a week since the incident in Care for Magical Creatures. I've noticed something weird though, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville seem to be acting strange around the five of us. I think they know something.

Last night I was hanging out in the Common Room, when the portrait opened and the four of them walked in. Thankfully, I had enough time to slip out of sight where I could watch them in the shadows. The four of them continued their conversation from outside the common room, keeping out of the way of younger students.

"-tattoo," Neville was said. "Lee confirmed it. While he was asleep, he looked at his arm and there was a tattoo. It was dark so he couldn't really see what it was, but it was on the right place on the arm."

I nearly gasped out loud. Somehow, they knew about Percy's SPQR tattoo. There was no doubt in my mind that this was going to go down bad....

"Who are we going to tell?" Hermione says, "Not many people will believe us."

"We can always tell Dumbledore," Harry suggested.

"Are we really sure they're Death Eaters?" Hermione said, "We all have memories of them and they don't seem associated with Dark Magic. Well... Maybe all of them with the exception of Nico." Those meddling wizards think we follow Voldemort! And Hermione might has well as called me evil! I am not going to forget those insults.

"But Hermione, there's so much proof," Ron said. "Apparently, Piper has been manipulating our minds. Harry doesn't remember any of them. Percy spied on us. They have tattoos. Well, at least Percy has a tattoo."

"And we can't forget Trelawney," Neville added.

"I don't know," Hermione says. "Even though all of that is true, none of that makes sense. We have to find at least one more piece of evidence. Then we'll be sure."

"So what are we going to do?" Neville asks his friends.

"I have a plan," Harry looked around the Common Room, eyes eventually landing on a group of Third Years sitting by the fire. "Come on. I'll explain upstairs. I feel like someone's watching us."

"They're not listening, Harry," Neville says looking around the Common Room. But Harry was already half way upstairs.

I walk out of the shadows and I notice someone else is in the room. Annabeth takes her Yankee cap off and walks over to me.

"This is bad," she says. "They're on to us. They think we're on the bad side. We have to tell the others."

* * *

So half an hour later, four us are all sitting in the Room of Requirement. Leo finally walks in and with a huge grin on his face. That cannot be good.

"Guess what people!? Leo is now an official beater on the Quidditch team! I am awesome!"

"Seriously?" Piper says. "You're one of those guys who has the big stick who hits the ball."

"Yep," he replies with a scary grin that only he is capable of. He sits down next to Annabeth and she begins talking.

"Harry and his friends are on to us," she announces. "They know about your SPQR tattoo, Percy. They think it's the Dark Mark, a sign that means you work for Voldemort."

She continued to explain what happened in the common room, about the conversation between the four wizards.

"This is really bad," Piper says. "We already knew they were suspicious. On top of that we've had some pretty close calls, but this is certainly not going to end well."

"We should head back to the Common Room," Percy said, noticing the time. "It's getting late."

"Yeah," Annabeth says agreeing. "From here on out, we don't need any more suspicions."

Me: I do not own any of the characters. All characters either belong to Rick Riordan or J.K. Rowling.
Ron: I think I lost my shadow.
Nico: *Snickers*
Me: What the Hades is this!? Peter Pan?
Nico: What's that?
Me: It's a movie from the fifties about a boy who lives on a magical island called Neverland. He gets to stay a kid forever and fight pirates with a fairy and a bunch of homeless boys.
Percy: I WANT TO GO TO NEVERLAND!
Me: Too bad. I kidnapped you. You have to stay in this book until I let you out. Hahaha!
Percy: *Pouts* You're as bad as the Troll(Rick).

1/20/15