Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Third Person 

Nico had been traveling all over Great Britain and Scotland with Will. The trip had two purposes though, Nico wanted to show Will the world and was taking him all over the world, the other purpose was Nico was on a mission. Hades had sent Nico to destroy seven Horcruxes, Hades had been going over some paperwork after the whole Doors of Death issue and had discovered the missing soul. Tom Riddle had been a pain ever since the Wizarding War and had cheated death multiple times. Nico had so far destroyed six but leaving Nagini alive to prevent Voldemort from becoming suspicious. During this time Nico and Will were able to see many famous monuments and attractions in Britain. There was only one Horcrux left, the one in Harry Potter’s scar. After a little bit of digging Nico was able to figure where Harry was currently living, in Little Whinging, Surrey. The boys were under the assumption that it would be an easy task to remove the Horcrux; after all, who wouldn’t want the evil soul removed from a child.

Once Nico and Will arrived, it soon became clear that this was not the case. They decided to be mature and knock instead of just barging or shadow traveling in. A walrus of a man answered that door and looked at the two boys in disgust. Already they did not like this man. 

“Hello, my name is Nico and this is my partner Will, we were wondering if we could meet with Harry. We believe that there is a Horcrux in his scar and would like to remove it.”

“You’re, you’re one of those freaks, aren’t you?! Your kind aren't welcome here! Now get lost before I make you!”

Nico took a deep breath to try to prevent himself from doing anything that might land him in jail and Will was seething behind him.

“Listen Mr., we did not come here to seek permission, now we will be entering your house and seeing young Harry one way or another. You can choose, do you want us to peacefully walk inside, or are we going to have a problem?”

Mr. Dursley looked like he was going to punch the boys before looking around and then stepping to the side of the doorway.

“Get in here before any of the neighbors see, I will not have my good name soiled by your freakishness.”

Nico gave a small smirk, indicating that things would have got messy if Mr. Dursley had chosen to do it the hard way.

“Good choice Mr. Dursley. Now if you would be so kind and direct us to Harry’s room. We shouldn’t be long”

Mr. Dursley pointed a finger towards the cupboard under the stairs, clearly not happy about being threatened in his own home. He was lucky that Mrs. Dursley had taken Dudley to the park, or she would be having a fit right now. It was at this point that both boys noticed the multiple locks on the cupboard. Will inhaled sharply at the idea that a child was in there.

------------------Warning Mentions of Child Abuse------------------- Summary of this section in the end notes------------Will mark when this part is over----------

“You wouldn’t. That's abuse. Nico, please tell me that there isn't anyone in there.”

Nico could feel the lingering smell of death in the air and sadly shook his head. Only a Horcrux could do that. Will rushed over and began frantically pulling at the locks. Nico pulled out his sword and in one swoop, all the locks were broken. Will pulled the door open and surveyed the scene. Immediately the medical professional side of him kicked in and he began looking over the small boy, asleep on a cot, for any obvious injuries. It was clear he was malnourished and most likely dehydrated. There were a few bruises on his arm, in the clear shape of fingers and a hand. Will had seen enough new campers who came from rough homes that Harry had been grabbed and likely pulled around. Nico, on the other hand, was looking at the interior, even with his dyslexia he could make out the paper that was taped to the wall. In sloppy childish handwriting, it said “Harry’s room” in crayon. Nico turned, furious, and punched Mr. Dursley in the face, knocking him out instantly.

Will, with previous knowledge on how to work with traumatized patients, did not touch Harry but softly called his name to wake him up. Harry woke up with a start and immediately scooted away from the two boys. Nico and Will looked at each other and came to an unspoken agreement that they were taking Harry home with them. They couldn’t just leave him there. 

“Harry? My name is Will and this is my friend Nico. I’m a doctor and is it alright if I make sure you don’t have any boo-boos? I promise it won’t hurt and I have a sticker and lollipop for you when we’re done.”

“I get sticker? And lolly? For me?”

“Yes, Harry. They’re just for you! I have a penguin sticker or a-” Will was rooting through his bag, really hoping that he had packed extra stickers. He wasn’t planning on needing his bag but he was glad he brought it. “A snake sticker. Do you want to choose?”

Harry nodded and inched towards Will. Both Nico and Will felt a little bit of joy that Harry felt comfortable moving towards them without too much issue. Harry grabbed the snake sticker and Nico found it a little ironic considering the whole Voldemort situation.

“Good choice Harry! That’s a very pretty sticker. Is it alright if we all sit in the living room and I give you a check-up? When we’re done I have a lollipop for you.”

Will discreetly elbowed Nico to remind him that Mr. Dursley was still lying unconscious on the floor. Harry did not need to see that. Nico slowly stood up and not too gently dragged Mr. Dursley into the kitchen so he would be out of sight. Will stood up and stepped to the side of the cupboard. Harry slowly stepped out and once Harry was standing in the light, Will was able to see just how small he truly was. The wheels were already turning in his head about what the best course of action would be to help Harry return to a healthy weight, and that he would have to be careful to prevent him from getting sick with a sudden influx of food. Will walked into the living room with Harry following him from behind, looking over his shoulder as if Mr. Dursley was going to appear at any minute. 

“Where, where Uncle? He be mad. I ‘posed be in my room.”

“It’s okay Harry. He’s not home right now. I promise he won’t be mad.”

Will sat down on the carpet in the living room and gestured for Harry to follow suit. By this point, Nico had reentered the room and was silently observing from a distance. Will is showing Harry all of the tools in his bag. To help Harry feel more comfortable, he lets Harry pretend to be a doctor and perform a check-up on Will before he gives Harry a cursory check-up. Once Harry is sitting comfortably on the floor with a lollipop in hand, Will walks over to Nico to give him the details

“He’s definitely malnourished and dehydrated, based on how he kept shifting when we were talking, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a diaper rash. The bruises won’t cause any long-lasting damage and I didn’t see any other injuries to be too concerned about.”

“Diaper rash? According to his birthday, he’s 3 years old. I thought most kids were toilet trained by now.”

“It’s not until four that you need to be concerned if your kid isn’t toilet trained but I’m not surprised that he isn’t. I have a feeling the Dursley’s never took the time to teach him and not change him often. Those monsters.”

“That’s it. We’re taking him with us. I’m also going to hold off on removing the Horurcrux until he is healthier because it can be a stressful experience for his body. I’m not too worried it causing too many issues in the meantime but it is definitely at the top of my to-do list.”

-------Abuse Mention Over----------Summary of this bit in the end notes-------doesn't have anything super important for the plot so don't worry if you didn't read---------

Will nodded and walked back over to Harry.

“Harry, would you like to live with Nico and me?”

Harry looked up at Will for a second before asking, “will I get another lolly?”

Will chuckled before answering, “yes Harry, you can have sweets, as long as you finish your fruits and vegetables though.”

Harry smiled and nodded, looking excited at the idea of candy. 

Pretty soon Harry was playing at a park with Will while Nico was waiting back at the Dursley’s house, with Mr. Dursley slowly regaining consciousness and Harry’s blanket at his side. Not much is known that about that afternoon, only that the police arrived and arrested Petunia Dursley, Vernon Dursley was taken away in a body bag, Dudley Dursley could not remember any of this and would be sent to live with his aunt Marge, while the Minister of Magic received a letter, stating that Harry was no longer living with the Dursley’s and that he had been adopted and was safe at an undisclosed location. There was no mention of the names of those who adopted Harry but for some unexplained reason, the Minister felt that he should not go investigating. The whole incident circulated in both magical and muggle papers but pretty soon people stopped questioning who Harry was with and why. Dumbledore had also received a separate letter stating that Harry was still set to attend Hogwarts unless his new guardians deemed it unsafe for him. Harry was then hidden from the British Wizarding Community up until when he started Hogwarts.

Chapter Text

Harry had a new home; or homes. He primarily stayed at Camp Half-Blood but would visit and stay at Camp Jupiter occasionally. Every once in a while he would stay down in the underworld when he would visit his new grandad. The one constant was that where ever he went, Nico and Will would be with him, unless he was having a sleepover with some of the fellow campers, which became often during the summer months. Thanks to Nico being able to shadow travel, he was able to visit different places all around the world and see things no mortal would ever be able to see. It did take some time though for Harry to warm up to his new family. It wasn’t until he was five that he was consistently calling Nico, pops, and Will, dad. Though, when he first called Nico and Will his dads, they cried a little, even though they probably won’t admit that. 

When he was seven he started learning basic self-defense, Annabeth tried to give him a knife for his birthday, claiming that she was seven when she got her first knife, but Nico and Will held on to it until he was older. He did get a “my first bow and arrow” kit and a “my first sword and shield” kit. He also learned that he was a wizard and got a toy wand and broom. When he was eight he did get Annabeth’s gift from the previous year, and a sword, some throwing knives, and a bow and arrow; he was still figuring out what weapon he liked most. He also met his parents again. There was a long talk about death and its inevitability and how you should never mess with death. That death was irreversible and that Hazel and Leo were special cases, but in the end, Harry went down to Elysium and hugged his parents for the first time in seven years. It then became an annual tradition to visit James and Lily on Harry’s birthday. Talking with his parents helped Harry feel even more comfortable calling Nico and Will his dads. James and Lily were proud of him and were glad he had a good family raising him. He was safe and happy, and he was Horurcrux free. 

When he was five Nico had removed the Horurcrux in his sleep. He didn’t even notice. With the Horucrux gone his scar had faded a bit but there was nothing more they could do about the scar. When he was nine he participated in his first capture the flag game. Thanks to some accidental magic, his team won the game. He began hanging around the Hecate cabin more after that, learning how to control his magic. When he was ten, the prophecy was revealed to him, but thanks to Nico destroying all the Horcruxes, all he had to do was essentially push Voldemort down the stairs and have him hit his head. The Hecate cabin, with help from the Hephaestus cabin, created a custom wand for his birthday gift that year. By this time he could easily hold his own in a fight. 

Ever since he was told he was a wizard, Nico had been teaching all about the wizarding history and the government and how to be diplomatic and win in a verbal fight. He would be able to blend in with purebloods, but that wasn’t the reason, Nico wanted to make sure that once he was at Hogwarts, he wouldn’t feel lost and confused. Will had also been making sure he knew basic first aid and taught him how to use a bow and arrow. Harry soon discovered that practicing with a bow and arrow helped him with his aim with spells. Since both camps and the underworld were off the map, he was able to practice magic whenever he wanted. 

On his eleventh birthday, his letter was delivered to the DOA Records building. Harry was having his birthday breakfast with his dads and James and Lily when Charon sent the letter down. The letter arrived in the dining room, in the mouth of a skeleton cat, before being dropped at Harry’s feet. 

“Is that my letter!? Dads! Mom! Dad! I got my Hogwarts letter!”

Harry was ecstatic, waving the letter in the air and showing everyone the letter up close. James and Lily were smiling at each other, remembering when they got their letters. Nico reached under the table and pulled out a gift bag, a small pouch, and a small box.

“Since you’re starting Hogwarts soon, I think you have this.” 

Inside the bag, there were a few sets of casual robes, made custom by Aphrodite, which fit Harry like a glove. Harry threw on the robes before opening up the small pouch, discovering it was filled with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts.

“I thought you might want some spending money when we visit Diagon Alley later and for the trolley on the train.”  Nico winked at him in the last part of the statement, knowing that Harry has a major sweet tooth. Harry opened the last item, the small box. Inside there was a metal rectangle, made of celestial bronze, with runes carved into the outside.

“A phone!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!”

“Will and I knew it might be hard to IM us when you’re at camp so we had the Hephaestus and Hecate cabins make a phone that won’t be affected by the magical interference at Hogwarts. It has all of our numbers in it so there shouldn’t be a problem if you need to contact anyone.”

Harry began playing around with the phone, seeing if he could get music and games on it. One of the newer campers had been talking about her phone and all of the stuff it could do, so Harry wanted to make sure he got full use out of the phone. 

“Now I have a feeling that Hogwarts won’t let you carry a sword around so, Nico and I called in a few favors and had your sword and bow and arrow transformed. Your sword will be similar to Nico’s ring, spin the jewel and it will turn into your sword, twist the jewel at the bottom of the hilt and it will turn back into your ring. When you pull on the pendant on the necklace, your bow will appear in your hand and a quiver will appear on your back. Pull the strap on the quiver and both will return to the pendant.” 

Will slid over a necklace with a pendant shaped like two wings, one white and one black, and a ring with a small red ruby on top. Harry smiled at the winged pendant. It had been a running joke after Harry discovered Nico’s last name translated to “angel.” Ever since then Nico was nicknamed the angel of death, to which he replied that the title belonged to Thanatos but there was nothing he could do to change Harry’s mind. In spite, Nico then nicknamed Will “the angel of light.”

“Whenever you are ready to go we can head over to Diagon Alley and get your school supplies. I will need to stop at Gringotts though. Dad asked me to check on something for him.”

“Can we go now! Please!”

Will chuckled, “We can go after you get out of your pajamas. I have a feeling you wouldn’t like shopping in your pajama pants.”

Harry blushed before running off to his room. His closets at each camp and in the underworld were stocked with clothing. Mostly chosen with the help of the Aphrodite cabin but there were a few items that Harry had picked out himself. He ended up choosing a basic outfit of jeans and a graphic tee but he did have on his combat boots. Will had gotten them for him on one of his birthdays. The importance of having sturdy shoes that were easy to run in was a necessity for a demigod.

Pretty soon Harry came running out of his room, almost running into the doorway. Nico and Will had gone to Diagon Alley a few times to get things for Harry and the Hecate cabin but Harry himself had never been. Nico and Will had been trying to keep Harry out of the spotlight for as long as possible. Harry slipped on his ring and necklace and grabbed the aviator jacket Nico had gotten him. When Harry was little, he loved to wear his pop’s jacket so for his birthday Nico surprised him with his own. 

“We’ll be using Floo Powder because while we can shadow travel to Diagon Alley, it’s good if you know how to land on your feet when you use it. A skill that took a while for your dad over here to learn.”

Will blushed and playfully swatted Nico’s arm. “It’s kind of disorienting. Don’t judge!”

“I’m sure Lou Ellen gave you the rundown of how Floo Powder but as a refresher, put a pinch, you don’t need much, into the fire, say your destination out loud and clearly, and step into the flames. Keep your elbows in and try to keep your balance and step out of the fireplace instead of practically being spit out.”

“It was one time!”

“We were at the Ministry! You’re lucky the atrium was empty. Purebloods can be stuck up little bitches if they want to be. Remember though, not all purebloods are brats, just the majority.”

Harry was too busy staring at the fireplace to be paying attention to his dad’s conversation. He was just so excited. 

“Alright Harry, I see you’re ready to go. I’ll go first just to make sure it’s all good out there, and then you can follow. Will, are you good with taking up the rear? If not we can switch, I just don’t want Harry to be alone.”

“Don’t worry darling, you go first and make sure those wizards don’t bother Harry. I’ll make sure he’s safe on my end.”

“Alright Harry, we’ll be going to “The Leaky Cauldron”, it’s the closest public fireplace to Diagon Alley. All good?”

Harry was basically shaking with excitement. “I know I know, “The Leaky Cauldron”, don’t go with strangers, don’t mention anything about demigods, try to avoid getting into fights and using weapons, and to try to not use “Potter” as my last name to avoid drawing attention to myself. I know dads. I’ll be fine.”

“Alright son, follow me. The Leaky Cauldron!”

Chapter Text

Third POV (I’m planning on using third pov unless stated otherwise. I need some practice writing in third pov)

Nico stepped out of the fireplace and took in his surroundings. The Leaky Cauldron was busy, especially right before school was starting, but nothing appeared to be dangerous. He stepped to the side as Harry appeared and stuck out his arm to help stabilize him. The last thing they needed was Harry faceplanting in the Leaky Cauldron and drawing more attention to the ragtag family. Will was surprisingly graceful when he came out of the Floo and only stumbled a little bit. For a moment it seemed like the trip would go well but the two demigods should know, the fates are never in their favor. 

Nico and Will were hoping to pass through the crowd without drawing attention but as they were passing by the bar, their luck ran out.

Good Lord,” said the bartender, peering at Harry, “is this — can this be — ?” The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent. “Bless my soul,” whispered the old bartender, “Harry Potter . . . what an honor.” He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry, and seized his hand, tears in his eyes. “Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back.” 

Harry pulled his hand back, it didn’t matter that two somewhat paranoid war veterans had raised him, even he knew that it was a bad idea for some stranger to grab his hand.  Everyone was looking at him. An old woman with a pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Nico and Will simultaneously moved closer to Harry to form a barrier and also prevent people from becoming closer. Then there was a great scraping of chairs, and the next moment, Harry found himself surrounded by everyone in the Leaky Cauldron. 

Nico cursed under his breath, he knew he should have at least tried to disguise Harry, unfortunately, Harry had distinct facial features, ignoring the scar, and his parents were practically famous so it was only a matter of time until someone recognized him. They were just hoping it would take a little bit longer. 

“Hey! Back away from our son right now before I make you!”

Will placed a hand on Nico’s shoulder to calm him down and prevent him from doing anything rash but to also let him know he was there and would also fight if need be.

“Your son?” A voice said from the back of the crowd. 

“Didn’t Harry Potter disappear 8 years ago?” Another said.

“He did, there was a report in the Daily Prophet. It said that he had been adopted and the papers were filed at the Ministry. No one knew who adopted him though.” Someone added in response.

“Well, here he is. Now if you don’t mind, we have school supplies to buy.”

Nico and Will began pushing through the crowd, glaring at anyone who got too close to Harry for comfort. Harry seemed uneasy but was comforted by the presence of his dads. Right before they made it to the back door so they could enter Diagon Alley, a pale young man stepped in front of them, looking nervous. One of his eyes was twitching. 

“P-P-Potter, m-my name is P-p-professor Quirrell I-i’m one of your teachers at H-h-hogwarts.” stammered Professor Quirrell, trying to grab Harry’s hand.

Nico squinted at Quirrell, something was off with the man, he could tell. Will stepped in front of both Nico and Harry to try to prevent Nico from attacking the teacher.

“What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?” Will asked, hoping that the faster they indulged the man in a conversation, the faster he would leave.

 “D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts,” muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he’d rather not think about it. “N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-PPotter?” He laughed nervously. “You’ll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I’ve g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself.” He looked terrified at the very thought.

“We were just trying to get Harry his supplies.” Nico practically growled. The man reeked of death and abomination and he did not want Quirrell near his son for any longer.

“M-m-my apologies. I’ll l-l-let you be on y-y-your way n-n-now.” 

“Thank you, Professor, we can’t wait to hear all about your class from Harry.” Will smiled in an attempt to diffuse the situation but also made sure Quirrell understood the underlying message of his sentence. The family pushed through and made their way through the door. Nico brushed up against Quirrell on their way out and immediately realized what was off about him. As he walked by him, he hissed four words that would leave Quirrell shaken up. “See you later Tom.”

Nico stepped outside as the bricks were moving into an archway for Will and Harry with a satisfied smirk on his face. 

“Darling? What did you do?”

“Don’t worry Will, I was just making sure Quirrell wouldn’t bother Harry; and Harry?”

“Yeah pops?”
“If Quirrell gives you any ‘trouble’ you have my permission to send him to the underworld.”

“Yes!” Harry looked excited at the fact that he would be allowed to send someone to the underworld if he was in danger, instead of just using self-defense like what he does with mortals. He didn’t look the least bit concerned that his dad thought Quirrell was a threat. Will on the other hand looked both concerned and exasperated.

“Don’t worry Will, Quirrell deserves it. Besides, Harry would fulfill the prophecy.”

Chapter Text

Harry was amazed by all the different shops in Diagon Alley. This was the most living wizards he had ever been around. He had learned about magic from the Hecate cabin and some witches and wizards in the underworld but he hadn’t been around so many different wizards at once. His dads had been trying to keep him out of the British wizarding public eye for as long as possible to try to keep him safe because he was both recognizable and some death eaters still wanted him dead. 

“Alright everyone, first things first, I’m going to swing by Gringotts and you can meet your account manager and I have to check up on something for my dad real quick.”

“Gringotts? I have an account manager? What’s that?”

“Gringotts is the wizarding bank, remember? You have an account manager to keep track of your vaults and funds and to help you with any bank-related needs. Don’t worry too much about it though, money should be the least of your worries. I just need to check on something in one of the vaults before we head out to get your school stuff. It shouldn’t take long.”

Harry and his dads made their way to Gringotts with little fanfare. Even though Harry had spent almost his whole life surrounded by large extravagant buildings, he still thought the bank was pretty cool; the goblins did freak him out a bit though. Nico, on the other hand, was walking through the bank as if he owned the place. Years of working as a diplomat for both camps and running errands for his dad helped him master working with political figures, such as the goblins. 

“Greetings Master Griphook, may your vaults overflow.” Nico gave a short bow to the goblin behind the counter while Will and Harry stood next to him.

“And may your enemies cower at your feet. What is the reason for this visit.?”

“We need access to two vaults and a name change.”

When Nico and Will had adopted Harry, his last name had been changed to ‘Solace-di-Angelo’ in the muggle world. Like a name change in the muggle world, the person whose name was being changed had to be present for the change. Since they had been avoiding taking Harry in public in the wizarding world, they hadn’t been able to have an official name change for him.

“What vaults will you be accessing today and who will be changing their name today?”

“We would like to access Harry Potter’s vault and vault 713, please. The person changing their name will be Harry James Potter.”

Griphook looked over the three of them, eyes stopping on Harry’s forehead, before continuing.

“I see. I believe it to be best if we visit the vaults before the name change. I do regret to inform you that vault 713 has been emptied and is no longer in use.”

Nico scowled and seemed upset at the news. Will glanced over to him in concern but Nico just gave him a look that said ‘I’ll tell you later.’

“May I inquire as to who emptied vault 713?”

“I am afraid not. We do pride ourselves on privacy and discretion here at Gringotts.”

“I understand.”

Griphook stepped down and walked around the counter. “Let us head to Mr. Potter’s vault.” He then lead the family to a small cart before they were all sent careening down into the caverns. Will looked motion sick but Harry seemed to be having the time of his life. The cart screeched to a halt in front of Harry’s vault.

“Key please.” Griphook held out his hand expectantly. Nico pulled a large skeleton key out of seemingly nowhere before handing it over to him. Griphook then inserted the key into the door, even though there was no visible keyhole, and opened the door. Inside there were heaps of Galleons, Sickles, Knuts, and many ancient family heirlooms and portraits. 

“This is all mine?” Harry looked around the room, already planning on what he was going to buy. Will and Nico looked at each other, clearly already knowing what Harry was thinking. Will ruffled Harry’s hair before speaking. 

“Technically yes kiddo, this is all yours. But that does not mean you can go around spending all of it. It’s very important to learn how to properly manage your money. Your dad and I already have all of your school supplies covered so any money you take from the vault today will be if you want to get yourself something. It is always good to have some money on hand, even if you don’t plan on spending it.”

Nico laughed, “Yeah, like that time neither one of us had brought money when we just walking through Central Park but there had been a pop-up market and your dad really wanted this goofy-looking piece of pottery so I had to travel back to camp to get some money for him.”

Will smiled and gave Nico a playful shove, “It was a little duck wearing a hat and his eyes were lopsided, how could I not get him?”

Nico just rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything more. Pretty soon they were all heading up to Griphook’s office and one magical oath, three drops of blood, and thirty minutes later, Harry was officially Harry James Solace-di-Angelo in the eyes of the wizarding world. The little trio walked out of the bank, with one thing crossed off their to-do list before heading out into the battlefield that was Diagon Alley. 

Harry pulled out his letter, scanning it over, before announcing that they should go to Flourish and Botts first. The store was swarming with students and parents, all shopping for Hogwarts. This is when the family hit the second (third if you’re Nico) snag of the day.

“Um, Harry?”

“Yeah dad?”

“Your pops and I aren’t too good at reading English, especially when it’s written in cursive, which almost all of the book titles are in.” Harry was fluent in Ancient Greek and all of the demigods rarely used English when writing to each other. It was times like these that all demigods cursed at whoever decided that dyslexia should even exist.

“Don’t worry about it. We can walk through the aisles together and I can read the titles out loud.” The trio made their way through the store with little problem as they gathered up titles, such as The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk, A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot, Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, and many more. Nico, with Harry’s help, grabbed a few books that were directed towards muggleborns and their parents, along with titles he thought the Hecate cabin would like. He knew that even though Will understood the wizarding world to an extent, it would still be good to have a few books that went over the basics and important things to know; and if any of the other demigods wanted to write to Harry, they would know how to send letters and have an understanding of the school Harry was at. 

They paid for the books, with the shopkeeper only just now noticing who was at the counter, before heading out once again. According to Harry, they needed to go to a store called “Slug and Jitters Apothecary” to get his potion supplies. His list said he needed a cauldron (pewter, standard size 2), a set of glass or crystal vials, and a set of brass scales. The store also had many potion ingredients but based on the list of supplies, it seemed the school was providing the ingredients. As they were all making their way through the store, Nico explaining the difference between a brass, copper, and pewter cauldron as they went. 

“The type of cauldron can affect the results of your potion and the type of metal it was made out of can have different kinds of interactions with potion ingredients.”

“Pops… I’m sure I’ll learn all about this in school, can I look at the ingredients? They look all gross and mushy and cool.”

“You can, just don’t touch the ingredients and don’t wander too far.”

With that, Harry took off through the store, excited to see all of the weird potion ingredients that were in the store. The shelves kind of reminded him of the attic in the Big House, full of spoils of war. 

“Is that a dragon liver? Cool!”

Will and Nico had caught up with Harry and were laughing at his antics. 

“Dragon livers have many important uses, for example, in healing potions. And you know how many healing potions I have stocked up in the infirmary. I’m pretty sure dragons fear my siblings more than they fear Cabin #5.”

“Even more than Clarrise?”

“I think Clarrise is the exception, she can be scary when she wants to.”

Harry laughed before turning around to go exploring, before running directly into another person.

“I’m sorry sir. I didn’t mean to run into you.”

The man looked down at Harry and froze. It looked like he was petrified. Harry would have thought he was petrified if it wasn’t for the fact he was still breathing. “Are you alright sir?”

The man just stood there, staring at Harry. Harry started to get a little freaked out at this point and went to grab his dads.

“Dads, something is wrong with the man over here.”

“Are you alright though?” Will looked concerned as he put his hand on Harry’s arm and began trying to feel if he was hurt.

“I’m fine. It was just some man I had run into and I apologized and then he just stood there and stared at me.”

Nico was looking over at the man before everything clicked.

Nico sighed, “ Tesoro, that man is Severus Snape. He was good friends with your mother. He was probably just surprised by you. You do have your mother’s eyes after all.”

“Oh. That makes sense. Should I say something to him?”

“Only if you want to.”

“Can I introduce you guys to him?”

“Sure, why not. He will be your potions professor at Hogwarts so it will be good for you to know him before the start of term.”

Harry went back over to Professor Snape so he could introduce himself.

“Hello Professor Snape, I’m Harry and these are my dads. My pops said you teach potions class. Are we going to make potions in class? Lou Ellen says I’m really good at potions.”

Snape seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and looked down at Harry and sneered. “You must be the famous Harry Potter. I see you are as arrogant as your father.”

“What? Which one?”

“Whic-? James Potter. What other father do you have?”

“Oh, I was adopted when I was a baby and now I have two dads. And I changed my last name to Solace-di-Angelo but the goblins said it could take up to a whole moon cycle for my name to change on all of the papers.”

Will and Nico stepped forward on either side of Harry.

“I would appreciate it if you don’t call our son arrogant if you haven’t even met him.” Nico’s eyes were practically completely black, looking as if the iris had almost taken up the whole eye, a sign that Nico was extremely angry. Will wasn’t looking much different, ready to protect Harry from Snape.

“I see. And you two raised Harry?”

“Yes. We adopted him when he was young.”

“Are you two wizards? Or muggleborns?”

“Both my partner and I are half-bloods. Is that a problem with Snape?”

“It is not. I expect to see you, Harry, at the sorting ceremony.”

Snape walked off, clearly not happy about how the interaction had gone. Nico and Will felt the same way.

“Harry, if he bothers you in any way or seems to have a bias against you, you let your dad and I know and we’ll do something about it right away.”

“I’ll be fine guys. I don’t think he’s going to try to kill me or something.”

“As your dads, it’s our job to worry about you. Besides, it seems like he was about to snap at any moment.”

Nico rolled his eyes, “ Amore mio, I love you but even your dad has made better puns.”

“But you love me anyway.”

“That I do.”

“Ewww. You guys are gross.”

Will laughs at Harry’s response. “Alright kiddo, how about your pops drops you off at Madam Malkin’s while I go pick something up.” He winks at Harry as he says the last part.

“Is it for me!?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

Harry grabbed Nico’s arm and began pulling him outside to get to Madam Malkin’s.

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

----------I know this isn’t Wattpad but I really need a time skip because I have so much to say but it’s already taken me so long to write this and I’ve put it off and I have homework to do-----------

Once Harry was all settled in Madam Malkin’s, Nico had set off, saying he had an errand to run for his dad. While Harry was getting poked by Ms. Malkin another boy walked into the store. The boy’s father left while the boy began getting fitted for his robes.

“My name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.” The boy stuck out his hand for Harry to shake.

“Hello. I’m Harry Solace-di-Angelo.” Harry shook his hand.

“Solace-di-Angelo? I haven’t heard of that family before. I hope you are not a muggleborn.”

“My dads hyphenated their last names together. Both of them are half-bloods.”

“That’s good. Father says I shouldn’t associate the Malfoy name with muggleborns.”

“That’s a weird rule.”

“He says that muggleborns are below us.”

“Well, that just sounds like bigotry.” Harry went to move his hair out of his face, talking mostly to himself.  “Maybe I can ask my dads to take me to get my haircut before school starts.”

“You are also going to Hogwarts?”

“Yeah, it will be my first year.”

“Do you know what hous-. You’re Harry Potter!”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, I am but I just got my name changed.”

“I have to tell my father that my new friend is Harry Potter!”

“Harry Solace-di-Angelo. Besides, my dads said I shouldn’t leave the shop until they get back.”

“We’ll be really quick! You’ll be back here before your dads even know you were gone.”

Harry’s want to go meet Draco’s dad and go exploring won out over the need to stay put. Harry is only eleven years old after all. Soon Draco was dragging Harry through Diagon Alley and turning down Knockturn Alley.

“My dads said I shouldn’t go down Knockturn Alley. They said it’s dangerous. Let’s go!”

“My father is in one of the stores down here. We’ll be really quick.”

The boys began making their way through Knockturn Alley and were almost to the shop that Draco’s father was at before they ran into trouble. 

“Not lost are you, my dearies?” said a voice behind them, making both boys jump. An aged witch stood in front of him, holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails. She leered at him, showing mossy teeth. Harry and Draco backed away.

“No ma’am, my friend’s father is expecting us. We should be going”

“I can help you, dear. I wouldn’t want something to happen to you two. It can be dangerous for little boys down here in Knockturn Alley.”

“No need to worry about us, ma’am. We can handle ourselves.” Harry was subtly trying to get in front of Draco while simultaneously trying to back away.

The old woman leaned closer, “Now don’t be rude boys. Why don’t you just let a kind old lady help you.” The woman held the tray with one hand and reached out with her other hand. Harry, in a moment of panic, punched the lady in her stomach. The old witch dropped the tray, the fingernails flying everywhere. 

“Run Draco!” Harry grabbed Draco’s arm and began pulling him along. He glanced over his shoulder to see if the old lady was following but she was bent over, holding her stomach. It appeared Harry had knocked the wind out of her.

“Harry, in here!” Draco pulled Harry into Borgin and Burkes where they paused to catch their breaths. “You just punched a lady!”

“She was trying to grab us! I wasn’t not going to do something.”

“Draco?” 

“Father?” Lucius Malfoy had walked over to see what the commotion was and had found his son with another boy, talking about punching a lady. “Father! I made a friend at Madam Malkin’s. Harry, this is my dad Lucius Malfoy. Father, this is Harry Potter.”

“Harry Potter?” Lucius looked at Harry in disbelief. “You are Harry Potter?”

“Well technically yes but I changed my name to Harry Solace-di-Angelo but the goblins said it would take a whole moon cycle for all the papers to ‘reflect the change in the name’.”

“I see. Is it true you have a scar from defeating The Dark Lord?”

“From Voldemort? Yeah, I have this cool-looking scar on my forehead.” Harry lifted up his fringe to reveal the lightning bolt scar. “Some people say it looks like a lightning bolt but my pops says it is shaped like the wand movement for the killing curse.”

Lucius put his hand on Harry’s shoulder, already thinking of what the presence of Harry could mean for the future of The Dark Lord. Harry tensed up, fully prepared to slap Lucius’s hand aware, but luckily he didn’t need to.

“Mr. Malfoy, I would appreciate it if you remove your hand from my son before you find yourself missing your hand.” Nico, who had been looking over what Mr. Borgin had to offer, had noticed Lucius over by Harry and was immediately on guard. Lucius removed his hand and took a step back.

“My apologies, Mr.?”

“Nico di-Angelo, and I have half the mind να σε σκοτώσω εδώ, τώρα, και στη συνέχεια να αφήσεις την ψυχή σου να βασανιστεί για όλη την αιωνιότητα επειδή έβαλε ένα χέρι στον γιο μου. Αλλά δεν θα το κάνω γιατί είμαι καλός. ( to kill you right here, right now, and then let your soul be tortured for all of eternity for laying a hand on my son. But I won't because I'm nice.)

Nico’s eyes flashed dangerously as he talked and for a moment, Lucius Malfoy couldn’t help but see The Dark Lord in Nico. At this moment he realized that Nico di-Angelo was truly dangerous and was not to be made an enemy. Before Lucius could fully process what had happened, the moment ended.

“Pops,” Harry whined, “You’re embarrassing me in front of my new friend.”

“Sorry tesoro, it’s my job to worry about you.” Nico leaned over and ruffled Harry’s hair before pulling his hand back. “I see you want shopping for human fingernails. If you need some you can just ask.”

Harry blushed and reached up to his hair and realized that when Draco and he had run from the witch, some of the nails ended up in his hair.

“It’s not my fault. Some creepy witch tried to grab Draco and me and she had this tray of nails.”

Lucius’s eyes widen at the exchange, briefly acknowledging that Nico had access to human fingernails before getting distracted that his son was almost hurt.

“Is this true Draco? Did someone try to grab you and Harry?”

“Yeah. We were trying to come and find you when this witch showed up out of nowhere and tried to get us to come with her and Harry said no and then she got mad and tried to grab us but then Harry punched her and we ran all the way here.”

Harry grinned proudly, “I punched her in the abdomen, just like you said to.”

“I’m proud of you tesoro, but this is the reason your dad and I didn’t want you to leave Madam Malkin’s. We just don’t want you getting hurt. Why don’t we head back to Madam Malkin’s now and see if we can beat your dad there.”

“Did he really get a gift for me?!”

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Let’s go! Let’s go!” Harry was practically dragging Nico behind him before he paused. “Draco! Come with us. You can meet my dad.”

Draco turned towards his dad. “Father can I? I’ll stay close to Harry and won’t wander away.”

“Why don’t we both go. I do need to pay for your robes after all.”

“Thank you! Come on Harry! Let’s go!”

Harry and Draco ran ahead but still stayed close to their dads. Lucius and Nico followed close behind, both seizing up the other but also keeping an eye on their sons. Harry and Draco burst into Madam Malkin’s, where Will was waiting.

“There’s my kiddo. I was worried when I arrived and you weren’t here but your pops filled me in about what happened. Did you have a good time exploring with Draco?”

Draco looked up, startled by fact that this stranger knew his name, but Harry was already rambling on about their trip.

“-And then fingernails went everywhere,” Harry threw his arms in the air and gestured wildly to emphasize his point, “and Draco and I ran to the store where Draco’s dad was at and pop was there and he reminded me that you were getting presents and then Draco and I ran all the way back. We were trying to beat you here but you got here first.”

“That sounds like a wild adventure kiddo. Pretty soon you’ll have Percy beat for craziest stories. And your pop was right, I was getting presents for your birthday. You can open them now or we can wait until we get home.”

“Can I open them now? Please?”

“ ‘Course you can. You are the birthday boy after all.”

Will handed Harry and tall box with holes poked into it. Harry pulled the box off and gasped. There was a beautiful red Easter Screech-Owl sitting in a cage inside the box.

“Is this for me?”

Nico walked over and opened the cage and let the owl sit on his shoulder. “It is for you. You’re going to need an owl to send letters when you’re at Hogwarts. We made sure she knows how to get to both camps and my father’s place.” 

“Can I name her?”

“She’s all yours Harry.”

Harry looked at the owl, and the owl looked back. After a moment, Harry remembered one of the stories about the Second Titan War.

“Silena. I’m naming her Silena.”

Nico tensed and Will gave a sharp inhale. Lucius looked over at the two of them in confusion, wondering who Silena was.

Nico placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder and gave a small smile “I’ll make sure to let Silena know. She’ll be happy to know she is remembered.” Nico bent down and let the owl, Silena, hop down his arm and back into her cage.

“Now I know Nico only told me to get an owl but I’m allowed to spoil my son on his birthday.”

“Will…”

“It’s always a good idea to have a backup plan, and in this case a backup plan for sending messages.”

“Will… What did you buy?”

Nico looked slightly annoyed but also concerned. Harry on the other hand was practically vibrating in excitement. Will reached behind him and pulled out a large ball python and gave a sheepish grin.

“Is that a snake!?” Harry could rival Will’s whistle with how loud he was.

“I thought it would be good to have two messengers who can find their way to both camps and Nico’s place plus anywhere that is warded.”

“I’m naming him Monty Python”

Nico rolled his eyes, “You’re just like your dad, both making terrible puns.”

“Well, I think it’s a great name.”

“ Sssso do I”

“See pops, even Monty likes his name.”

Lucius Malfoy had been thrown off his rhythm by the appearance of the snake but when Harry indicated he had understood the snake, Lucius almost lost it. It was only his political poker face that kept him from showing he was freaking out.

“ All right Monty I’m glad you like your name. And Will…”

“Yeah?”

“Sssstop corrupting our child with bad punsss.”

“You can speak Parseltongue!” Draco, on the other hand, was not able to contain his reaction.

“What’s Parseltongue?”

“It means you can talk to snakes kiddo. You know how my dad is able to talk to snakes? It’s just a trait passed down to his kids. It’s how my siblings got those snakes to prank cabin 14.”

Finally Lucius collected himself and spoke, “You are all Parselmouths?”

Harry, new to the prejudice opinions and ideas of the wizarding world, did not understand the implications of his whole family being able to talk to snakes. “Yeah, it runs in the family. Why? Does it matter?”