Harry takes his first steps to expose Nico di Angelo.

Chapter Rating: General Audiences

Content Warning: Cursing

Word Count: 2630

WHAT???? A MORNING CHAPTER???? I told you posting on Monday would work better ;)

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

All morning, Harry focused on getting di Angelo to confess during Potions. He actually looked forward to the double period; it meant he had twice the time to crack the Slytherin.

"What are you going to do?" Ron asked as he, Harry, and Hermione hurried to the dungeons.

"Confront him," Harry answered immediately.

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed. "Harry, his father's a Death Eater. You can't just-- "

Hermione cut herself off as di Angelo rounded the corner with his Slytherin friends. Harry was ready to face him, but Ron grabbed his arm and pulled him through a doorway instead. He pressed his ear up to the wall, hoping to hear di Angelo's conversation.

"Why won't you tell us how you got that bruise on your stomach?" Zabini sounded pissed; this couldn't be the first time they'd discussed di Angelo's injuries.

"I told you, Blaise, you were seeing things. I don't have a bruise," di Angelo protested.

"I wasn't seeing things, Nico. I don't understand why you're lying."

"I'm not!"

"Then why are you getting so defensive?" A girl's voice that time, Hestia Carrow.

"I'm not lying, Hestia. Just drop it, okay?" Anger slipped into di Angelo's voice that time. Harry reached into his pocket, fingers curling around his wand. As much as he hated the Slytherins, if di Angelo hurt those students for asking the wrong questions...

"I'm not dropping it until you tell us how you hurt yourself." Carrow easily matched di Angelo's hostile tone.

"It's none of your business!" di Angelo shouted, momentarily losing control. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged looks. He was hiding something, that was obvious.

"Whoa, Nico, um, okay..." Zabini said, startled.

Di Angelo took a deep breath, calming himself. "I'm sorry guys... just don't ask, okay? It's--complicated..."

Harry poked his head out of the door, drinking in the scene. Di Angelo's skin was even paler than usual, and his palms looked burnt. Carrow rubbed his arm in a sisterly kind of way, Zabini looking at him with concern.

"You can tell us anything, Nico," Carrow assured him, her voice softer now.

Di Angelo shook his head. "Not this. Please, drop it."

They entered the potions classroom, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione alone in the hallway. They left their hiding place, glancing around to make sure no one was coming.

"What did he mean?" Hermione asked in a nervous whisper.

"Only one way to find out," Harry replied, and stepped into the potions room.

They took their usual seats at the back of the class. Di Angelo and his friends sat in front of them, meaning that they could eavesdrop more if need be. After the final student had entered the classroom, Snape closed the dungeon door with an echoing bang. Chatter stopped at once; Snape walked to the front of the room as dozens of eyes followed his every move.

"You will notice that we have a guest with us today." He motioned towards a dark corner of the dungeon, where Umbridge sat with her clipboard on her knee. Harry glanced from Umbridge to Snape to di Angelo, none of whom looked the least bit concerned. The inspection would complicate things; Snape's presence already made Harry's plan difficult, but Umbridge made it nearly impossible. Feeling Harry's heated gaze on him, di Angelo turned to return it with a glare of his own. One look told Harry he knew exactly who sent Tonks after him, and that he was looking for revenge.

Bring it on, di Angelo. I'd like to see you try.

"We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today," Snape continued, interrupting Harry's thoughts. Di Angelo turned back to the front of the class, since Snape was approaching their desks. "You will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, and if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend. Instructions--" he waved his wand towards the chalkboard, "--are on the board. Carry on."

Umbridge remained in her dark corner for the first half-hour of her lesson. Between straining to eavesdrop on di Angelo's conversation and watching Umbridge inspect Snape, Harry's mind was far from his potion. "Salamander blood, Harry!" Hermione moaned, grabbing his wrist to stop him from putting the wrong ingredient in the cauldron for the third time. "Not pomegranate juice!"

"Right," Harry mumbled, putting down the bottle with his eye on Umbridge. Di Angelo had gotten his wish. Blaise and Hestia had dropped the subject of the bruise, and only talked to him about the potion.

After an hour of waiting, Harry noticed Umbridge stand. She was ready to question Snape. "Ha," Harry whispered to himself, watching as she made her way to the Potions master, who was bent over Dean's cauldron.

"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," she noted, talking to Snape's back. "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus." Snape straightened slowly, turning to look at her. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw di Angelo watching the scene as well. "Now... how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?"

"Fourteen years," Snape answered, expression blank. Still watching Snape, Harry haphazardly added salamander blood to his potion, turning the liquid from greenish-blue to orange.

"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Umbridge asked.

"Yes." Snape's voice was barely above a whisper.

"But you were unsuccessful?" Umbridge pressed.

"Obviously." Snape's answer carried daggers in it.

Umbridge, if she even noticed, didn't react. "And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"

Snape's expression turned from deadpan to murderous. "Yes."

Umbridge scribbled something on her clipboard. "Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?"

"I suggest you ask him." The answer came from a locked jaw, cold fire in Snape's eyes.

"Oh, I shall," Umbridge returned with a sweet smile.

"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed.

"Oh, yes," Umbridge assured him, voice laced with honey. "Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers'--er--backgrounds..."

She turned, approached Pansy Parkinson, and began questioning her about the lessons. Snape surveyed the classroom, stopping when he locked eyes with the eavesdropping Harry. Trying to cover up what he'd witnessed, Harry moved his eyes to his potion, which had hardened inside the cauldron and smelled like burnt rubber.

Snape approached it slowly, a cruel smile on his lips. "No marks again, then, Potter. You will write me an essay on the correct composition of this potion, indicating how and why you went wrong, to be handed in next lesson, do you understand?"

"Yes." Harry directed as much anger in the word as he could, then glared at Snape when he walked away. From the corner of his eye, Harry noticed di Angelo's smile. "What do you think is so funny, di Angelo?" Harry challenged him.

"Nothing," di Angelo replied. Despite his innocent tone, his eyes shone with vengeful happiness.

"Nice and calm now that you're safe and all healed up, are you? Did you have a good trip?" Harry smiled as di Angelo's eyes darkened.

"Yes, I did. Thanks for asking." No one could miss the hatred in those clipped tones. Not that they did, since everyone in the area was watching them now. Pansy Parkinson kept Umbridge oblivious, and if Snape heard, he didn't care enough to intervene.

"How about you stop lying, di Angelo?"

"I'm not lying to anyone, Harry. You got nothing on me, so lay off before I make you."

"How about you tell them how you snuck out of Hogwarts in the middle of the night? How Jackson pulled a sword rather than say where he was going? How you never left the country like you said you would? Tell them about your mission, about who you serve. If you think I have nothing on you, you're deluding yourself."

With every word, di Angelo grew angrier, like a wild animal growing defensive as it got backed into a corner by a predator.

"You just made all that up," di Angelo snarled.

"Did I?" Harry countered. "I know exactly what you're here for, and who you're here for. I'm going to tell the entire school all about you and your little mission."

Di Angelo stood and drew his sword; Harry did the same with his wand. Zabini and Carrow tried to calm their friend, with no success. Harry had set a fuse ablaze, and nothing could stop the coming explosion. All eyes were on them now, moving between di Angelo's and Harry's respective weapons. The air grew charged until no one could stand it, until -

"Hem, hem." Both boys turned towards the noise, where Umbridge stood with her sweet smile. "Detention for both of you, I think. Mr. Potter for spreading nasty, attention seeking lies, and Mr. di Angelo for drawing a weapon in class. Now sit down, both of you, if you don't want further punishment."

Both boys exchanged one last, threatening glare, then sat for the last few minutes of class. As the students filed out, Harry heard them discussing the fight, how defensive di Angelo was, and how he'd had no real answer for Harry's accusations. Despite the fact that he had to deal with an Umbridge detention and all that meant, Harry couldn't help but give a victorious smile. He'd gotten his peers suspicious about di Angelo; the rumors would be spread by dinnertime. He'd won his first battle against the son of a Death Eater.

After weeks of learning new skills with relative ease, this current training session felt jarring to Nico. His breath came heavy, his face reddened, and his recently healed ribs throbbed. He gritted his teeth and stared at his pillow, all his concentration directed at the incantation.

"Damn to Hades!" he shouted.

Nothing. He slammed his fists on the nightstand, letting out a frustrated yell.

"You'll get it," Teddy Lupin assured him. He stood behind Nico, his arms crossed, a stony look on his face. From the shortness in his voice, Nico knew he was getting frustrated, too.

"Two days! We've been at it two days, and nothing! I got all the other stuff in a matter of minutes!" Nico collapsed on the bed, tired from both the effort and lack of sleep. He hadn't dreamed in two days, instead electing to spend from dusk until dawn with Teddy, trying to learn the new power. But, as hard as he tried, he couldn't make the stupid pillow glow black. "How could I get it on my first try in Little Hangleton, and not do it now?!"

"You were under attack. Things are different on the battlefield, instincts take over... you can do almost anything when your life's on the line." Teddy's voice wasn't just short now, he sounded angry. "Face it, you're not ready for this. We need to try something different. I can--"

"No!" Nico yelled. "I'm going to get this."

Teddy's jaw clenched. "Don't delude yourself into--"

"I'm not deluding myself into anything!" Nico shouted. It marked the third time in twenty-four hours that the son of Hades had lost his temper.

Teddy raised an eyebrow. "Um, are you okay?" he asked, more questioning than actually concerned.

"Harry fucking Potter's getting on my nerves again. He nearly blew my cover this morning. Who the hell sends an assassin after you and paints you as the lunatic?! He almost killed Percy, and I have to sit in a dark room staring at the wall with him?! How in Hades' name is that fair?!" By the time Nico finished, his screams had produced an echo, and his throat hurt from the effort.

"Nico! Stop!" Teddy commanded. "Calm down! We'll start again tomorrow, you need to get some sleep."

"Damn to Hades!" Nico screamed, turning back to the pillow. Before his eyes, it turned grey, then black, then disappeared. "Wha..."

"Of course!" Teddy cried, his eyes sparkling. "It's anger!"

"Anger?" Nico repeated, the question coming in a breathy whisper.

"Anger," Teddy confirmed. "You were angry at my mom when you used the spell first, then again just now when you did it again! All we have to do is get you angry, and you'll be able to do anything!"

"Shouldn't be hard," Nico muttered, but Teddy looked too happy to hear.

"Get up, we're going outside. Let's see if you can do bigger objects. Maybe the angrier you are, the better you can use your powers." Teddy was halfway out the door when he realized something. "You haven't slept in two days. Get some rest, we'll start up again to--"

"No, let's go." Nico walked towards the door. Teddy gave him a look, but he still seemed anxious to try out Nico's new power. Nico forced himself to smile, because he had to admit he was curious too, even if he was dying from exhaustion. "No, I mean it. I'll be fine, we can take a break after we've tried out a few things."

Nico was able to damn a log, a boulder, and a tree to Hades before his iPod alarm pulled him from Westover Hall and into the morning light of Hogwarts. It took him a full twenty minutes to get out of bed; the only thing that kept him from just falling back asleep was the thought of IMing Will. When he finally got dressed and made himself look halfway decent, it was 6:30 in the morning.

"If I'd known you'd take this long to IM me, I would've gotten some more sleep." Despite Will's sarcastic tone, Nico had to smile at the grin on his face.

"Seriously? You've been waking up at one for what? A month? If you're not used to it by now, that's your own fault, not mine."

"Well, I'm so sorry I want to talk to my boyfriend. I don't know why I do it, because I'll tell you: he's kind of a dick most of the time. But, he's cute enough, so I keep him around for eye candy."

Nico recoiled in disgust. "Eye candy? I cannot believe you just said that. What are you, fifty?"

"Eye candy, eye candy, eyeeeeee caaaandyyyyyy!" Will sang off-key and in his usual, screechy singing voice.

"Will! Stop!" Nico managed, after doubling over in laughter. "Gods, how are you the son of the music god again?"

"My singing is wonderful Neeks," Will teased. "And don't you forget it."

They mostly chatted about camp, since Nico didn't want to think about Potions just yet. Instead, he enjoyed Will's funny stories about his step-siblings, his mother had surprised him with a visit the day before, so he'd been able to spend an afternoon in New York with his family. Janice and Cole Solace-Williams, his seven-year-old half-siblings, had apparently caused their fair share of troubles the day before, including the near destruction of Dylan's Candy Bar, and almost killing a few of those creepy mascots in Times Square. Seven came sooner than usual, forcing Nico to say good-bye and watch Will's image fade.

"I love you," Nico whispered to the empty air where Will had just stood. "I'm sorry about all the lying, and the hiding, and the secret-keeping."

Maybe one day I'll say that to his face.

The thoughts came suddenly, as he left to go wake up Blaise.

Probably not. I'll be too busy breaking up with him to manage an 'I love you'.

Nico stopped just outside his dorm. He closed his eyes and sighed, calling back the feeling of Will's lips against his own.

It's going to be a hard thing to give up.

Ok, so my betas Sara and Giulia and I have about 25 different inside jokes going on under the Google Drive comments throughout the various chapters, but this one was so hilarious I have to share it:

: "Anger," Teddy confirmed. "You were angry at my mom when you used the spell first, then again just now when you did it again! All we have to do is get you angry, and you'll be able to do anything!"

: Use the dark side, Nico...

: OMG that comment

: It gets better when you realize that that means that Hades is Vader...

: OMG Hades

: I mean... Darth Vader = dark father...

**I know how this makes Giulia look, but she does plenty more than fangirl. She contributes her varying degrees of sass by screaming "conjunction junction" at me every time I have a run on sentence. Which is about 500 times per chapter. There, I got that disclaimer out the way!**