Sliver Of Shadow

Allies-For Now

Harry knew something was definitely wrong when all the ghosts shut up and left the Great Hall. Well, he had suspected it after the Sorting Hat went mental and started screaming like a demented cat, but…

Anyway, there was something up with that new transfer student.

Hermione caught his eye. Did you notice it too? Her expression asked. He nodded, biting his lip.

They turned to Ron.

Who continued eating.

And eating.

And -

"Ron!" Hermione whispered. "Ron, will you stop eating!"

"Mpgh?" He looked up. "Wit dun yi wun?" He frowned, then swallowed. "What do you want?"

"Did you see the ghosts?" Hermione asked him, her eyes wide. "Nico did something with them!"

Ron rolled his eyes in disbelief and... continued eating.

~

Nico awoke in a white hospital bed surrounded by a multitude of cowering ghosts.

He groaned. His quest was just getting better and better. First Professor Umbrage, now this? Why? Just... why?

Blinking, Nico took in his surroundings. It was dark, already nighttime, with stars glittering outside a nearby window. Rows of small, identically made beds lay around him. Obviously the wizards hadn't been able to wake him up, and had to take him here... wherever he was.

Stupid, he told himself, Why did I fall asleep? He knewsleeping was a bad idea. It usually ended up in nightmares that no one could pull him out of. He didn't remember what he had dreamed, but it must have been bad if he'd summoned so many ghosts.

He glared at the the entities in question. They, surprisingly, hadn't left.

"What?"

None of them spoke. Most just flailed their arms around their mouths. Nico remembered that he had silenced most of them after his Sorting.

Oops.

He flicked his fingers, undoing the spell. Unfortunately, the groveling began at once.

"M-my lord, please have mercy. We didn't mean any harm coming back - " One ghost started, trying at diplomacy.

"DON'T KILL US!" A fat poltergeist floating near the ceiling sobbed. Nico quickly re-silenced him.

Another ghost flew in circles, wailing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

The clamoring grew to a crescendo, ghosts crying and begging, until...

Nico lost his patience.

A wave of shadow rolled off of him, freezing the ghosts in their tracks as they tried to flee their angry king.

"Will you shut up?" He growled. "I'm supposed to be undercover, for the gods' sakes!"

The ghost of a pretty woman with a stab wound in her chest frowned at him. "What do mean, my lord? Are you not here to take us to the Underworld?"

"No."

"Then what - "

"I... well - You don't need to know." Nico sighed, releasing the ghosts. "Just - leave me alone and pretend you don't know me, okay?"

The lady nodded. "Would you like us to inform the other ghosts, too, sir?"

He nodded back at her. Then... "Wait - other ghosts? How many of you are there?"