Disclaimer: HP and everything associated with it belongs to great J.K. Rowling, while SM belongs to our dear Naoko Takeuchi.
"You want what?"
Haruka Tennou asked her superior, namely Setzuna Meiou, the Japanese Ministress of Magic with a shocked expression.
"I want you to go and teach at Hogwarts!"
"But... but..."
Haruka tried to find a reason for not going. Setzuna had just informed her that Voldemort had returned, and that Albus had asked for her presence at Hogwarts.
"Don't worry about senshi business, there won't be any. And if there is, I'll make sure to get you. But, before you go into a rant again, read this."
Setzuna handed Haruka a sealed letter. After taking a short look at the seal, she paled.
"How...?" she whispered.
"It was sent by delayed mail. It arrived along with Albus' letter."
Haruka starred with disbelieve at the letter in her hands.
It was a letter written by her brother.
A brother that had been dead for fourteen years already.
Carefully breaking the seal, she started reading
Hello 'Ruka
it said
If you read this letter, I will have died before Harry was old enough to be told the truth about our family.
Hell, if Lily's predictions are true, then Harry won't even know he's a wizard until he gets his letter.
Many know that we went under the Fidelius, but you are the only one who knows about the change of secret keeper. If father truly finds us, you will know that it was Peter who betrayed us, not Sirius, as everyone is going to assume. I included a document that will prove Siri's innocence, it's a paper signed by Lily, Sirius, Peter and myself, declaring Peter the Secret Keeper, and that Sirius will cover for him.
I just made Peter believe I had destroyed it, as I want to know whether he'll stay loyal.
Well, as for why I'm writing this letter, I do have a bad feeling about what I did.
Should we die, I want you to be the one to inform Harry about our father.
If you go into our vault at Gringotts, you will find a package I left for him, holding his true birth certificate, as well as a book I want him to read, and a letter addressed to him.
Also, he'll find my Star Pendant.
I took fathers charms off it, and it is charmed to work as a protection against dark spells now.
It even repels Imperio and Crucio.
Tell Harry about us, about Salazar, Thomas and Amanda, about the lies, and our reasons.
If he doesn't believe you, then show him this letter, too.
And please ask Salazar to forgive me for the things I said the last time we talked before Lily and I went into hiding. I said things I should not have, and now I can not take them back.
I called him father's pet, and a traitor to our cause, when I did not know about the risks he took onto himself, spying for the Order. If he is anything like the brother I remember, he will probably go as far as to take out his anger on Harry one day, unless I get to apologize.
Please try to mend the gaps I caused our family, and be careful.
Let Ariel return, if you must, but take caution. You know that it is hard not to fall under father's spell, so make certain not to let that happen.
Hoping that you will never have to read this letter,
Thomas Jamison Riddle aka James Potter
PS
If you find Serenity, tell her that I am sorry for not protecting her as I promised.
I am certain that one day Harry will be willing to take mine and his mother's place.
Himeo Ventur
Once Haruka had finished, she looked up at Setzuna in both, sadness and shock, her eyes stained with tears about to fall.
"He knew about us?" she asked.
Setzuna nodded slowly.
"Yes. I guess it also was his reason for breaking with your father. He did not want to break the Senshi Oath. He never had to torture or kill before, as none of you could have, without arising suspicion, but that night... It was to be his initiation, and his first act as Heir, but he rebelled, not appearing, but breaking the bond, and openly joining the Phoenix Order. You did, too, after much coaxing from James and Severus, in secret, but James did it because he believed in it. Needless to say that HE was furious." the senshi of time said.
Haruka's tears had started to fall, now, and she tried hastily to wipe them away, without success.
"Did he write it when..." she asked.
"No. He did it about a week before it happened, actually. I don't really know why it was delivered now, however. The date he had set was far sooner." Setzuna said, smiling sadly.
"If I had known it would come to that, I'd have tried to interfere. Now, all I can say is that I'm sorry for it."
"Don't be. He did what he did, and there's no changing it."
Haruka replied silently, turning away so Setzuna wouldn't see the tears that she could not control.
Suddenly, she felt a hand resting reassuringly on her shoulder.
"Your father has done horrible things to you, as he did to your brothers. But no matter what, don't ever try and hide your emotions!" Setzuna said.
For a moment Haruka stiffened, but then she turned around, and fell crying into the older woman's arms.
"I'm scared, Setzuna ... If you're right, and he's back ... I don't know what to do…" she said between sobs.
The older woman gently rubbed her back, in an attempt to calm her down.
"What ever you do, make certain that you will make it through. Your mother would hate me if anything ever happened to you!" she told the sobbing young woman, who leaned closer into the embrace.
~~~~~
Hotaru was walking home from school. It was a hot day, and they had been let off early today.
So now Hotaru was slowly wandering back to the house she shared with Haruka and Michiru.
Setzuna had moved into her own apartment about half a year ago. Entering the house she found that everyone was still gone.
'No wonder, they are probably still at work!' she thought, and first went to the kitchen, where she made herself a light snack. Michiru would make real lunch once she got home.
Then, pulling a book from the shelf in the living room, she sat down to read a little, when suddenly there was a tapping at the window.
An owl was fluttering outside, insisting to be allowed inside.
Startled Hotaru opened the window, and the owl landed softly on the living room table, dropping a letter on her book. It was made from heavy yellow parchment, and on the front stood, written in an accurate, green-inked, handwriting
Hotaru TomoeFirst floor, second room on the right
Kaiou Manor
Uneko Park Street
Beika
Tokyo
Japan
Hotaru looked at the letter skeptically. How would someone know where exactly her room was? And why 'Kaiou Manor'? She was confused, but decided to open the letter anyway.
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Miss Tomoe,
We are pleased to inform you that you are hereby accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Due to your temporary disappearance during the time of your eleventh Birthday, it was impossible for anyone to send you a letter, but due to recent events, that lead to you re-discovery, you will be starting school in fifth grade. You will receive tutoring lessons from 1 August to the beginning of term on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July. For advice please ask Misses Kaiou, Tennou, or Meiou.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonnagall
Deputy Headmistress
She blinked. Either she had misunderstood the English letter, or this had to be one of Haruka's jokes.
Her, a witch? Witches were people in fairy tales, who cursed people and turned them into toads.
Her line of thought was interrupted when she heard voices in the entrance hall. Haruka and Michiru were back already. Silently she wondered what the two women were doing all day. She had asked once, where the two were working, but had only gotten a 'You wouldn't want to know!' as an answer.
Michiru seemed worried about something.
"What's going on, Haruka? You haven't talked at all on our way home. What did Setzuna want to speak to you about?" She asked, her voice filled with worry.
"Nothing. Only my transfer to Hogwarts as a defense teacher." Haruka replied, and Hotaru immediately understood Michiru's worry. The blonde's voice sounded tired and beat, something that didn't happen often.
Only after she realized that something was wrong with Haruka did she realize that they were talking about the same school her letter had supposedly come from.
She got up from the couch she had sat down upon when opening the letter, and walked towards the hall.
"Hello, Michi-kaasan, Ruka-tousan!" she greeted.
Both woman were dressed in something that reminded her of a witches costume at Halloween.
"Oh Hotaru, hello, err..." Michiru said, slightly shocked by her sudden appearance.
Hotaru held up the letter.
"I take it this is no joke, right?" she said, and handed the letter to Michiru, who looked at it for a moment, before breaking into a wide grin.
"Congratulations Hotaru, you've been accepted at the best school of Magic in the world, and as a fifth year, even. You'll have quite a lot to catch up on, but they seem to think that you should manage!" she said cheerfully, and turned to Haruka.
"Hey, Haruka, could you kindly snap out of it?" she asked, as the blonde was currently lost in thought.
She was playing with a locket Hotaru hadn't seen before. In truth Haruka wore it all the time, though usually it was hidden by a glamour spell. However, she was in no state of mind to maintain it right now.
"What?" Haruka asked, snapping out of her reverie.
"Hotaru is going to Hogwarts!" Michiru said, waving the letter in front of her face.
"Nice." Haruka replied, and went into her room.
Michiru looked after her friend with worry.
"What happened, Michi-kaasan?" Hotaru asked.
True, she was physically to old for such nicknames, but they just, well, stuck.
"I really don't know. She was called to speak with the Ministress today, and after she came back, she was like that. I really don't know what Setzuna could have told her to upset her that much." Michiru replied thoughtfully.
She worried about her friend.
"Wait, didn't you say she had to speak to the Ministress?" Hotaru intervened.
"What? Oh, sorry, maybe I should explain first." Michiru said, and began to explain about the Ministry of Magic, Setzuna being the Ministress, and the Wizarding World in general, while entering the kitchen and starting to prepare lunch.
~~~~~
Haruka sat in her room, weeping, and contemplating the revelations of the day, thankful for the fact that every single room in their apartment was soundproof.
That letter had reminded her only too clearly of her inability to prevent Sirius imprisonment, and of her own cowardice.
Unable to do anything for any of her friends, she had run.
Run away, planning never to return again.
But now, Albus had found her, and wanted her back, and to teach there, in Hogwarts.
She knew that Severus was teaching there, too, and that made things a bit more appealing, but she knew that to return, would mean to face her past, something she had been afraid to do for a very long time.
She had been neither, dark, nor light.
She had done what she did simply for her own well-being, and in the hope to protect those she loved.
In return for her faith, and obedience, her father had promised to spare her brothers and friends.
But he had broken that promise. She knew they had switched the secret-keeper at last minute, but her father had kept his plans secret until it was too late.
And so her father had killed his own son, and Sirius had been sent to Askaban for a crime he never committed, framed by a traitor who had received honor upon his name, because everyone thought he died.
Haruka cried even harder.
But also, her resolve strengthened.
She would not allow anything to happen to her nephew. And this time, she would betray her father, if she had to.
For she now knew that promises meant nothing to him.
With her resolve stronger, she wiped away her tears, and got up.
She knew what she had to do, and the fact that Hotaru would be going to Hogwarts, too, made things considerably easier.
~~~~~
Michiru looked up as the door creaked open to see Haruka enter.
She seemed to feel better than earlier.
She had gotten out of her robes, and put on a jeans and a white T-shirt. A strange fire was in her eyes.
"Can I see Hotaru's letter?" Haruka asked.
Michiru nodded and gave it to her. Hotaru had left to do her homework, and she had kept the letter, to write the necessary reply for her.
Haruka looked at it for a moment, then, with a wave of her wand, summoned a sheet of parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink, and started writing a reply, sitting down at the dinning table that stood in one corner of the living room.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I am taking the liberty to inform you that my surrogate daughter Hotaru Tomoe will be accepting your invitation. Also, I will accept the offered position as Teacher for Defense against the Dark Arts. We will be arriving at Hogwarts on the 30st of June, around lunchtime.
Yours sincerely,
Haruka Tennou
PS, Give Severus my greetings, and kindly inform him of my arrival.
Michiru, who'd been reading over Haruka's shoulder gave her friend a puzzled look.
"You want to leave so soon?" she asked incredulously. Haruka gave a short nod, while she whistled for her owl, Ariel.
"Yes, Hotaru has a lot to learn, before she'll be able to start her fifth year, and with the OWLs coming up, she won't have any time to catch up during the school year." she said, and paused, to give the message to the black owl that landed on her shoulder.
"Take this to Hogwarts. It's urgent!" she told the owl, before continuing where she had let off. "Also... I have some family business to take care of."
Michiru gave her a questioning look.
"But I thought your parents had died?" she said. Haruka shook her head.
"I lied. Well, only a little. My mother IS dead, but my father... I don't want to talk about it, all right?" she said, her voice filled with sorrow. Michiru nodded, and gave an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry I asked. If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'd be willing to listen, alright?" she said, before leaving to check on Hotaru, and tell her that she'd be leaving in a few days. Haruka looked after her, a sad smile on her lips.
"I'm sorry, too, Michiru. But if I have my way, no one will know, ever!." she said, before summoning more parchment, to write some more letters.
~~~~~
About half an hour later, Haruka left the house, and drove around on her motorbike, thinking about what she had left behind.
She knew that Sirius had escaped his imprisonment, but she knew no way of contacting him.
If she would, she would have told him to come to her the moment she learned of his escape. She didn't want to risk owling him, it might be intercepted.
She knew they would be searching for him all over Europe. But they would never think of looking for him on the other side of the globe, so he would have been save here.
But now, what would she do if she possibly saw him again?
After reading the letter, she now had a way to get him pardoned, but how could she tell him?
How could she tell anyone, for that matter?
She couldn't show them James letter, no, there were far too many secrets unveiled in it, secrets that she didn't want them to find out about.
For if they did...
Haruka didn't want to think about the consequences.
Also, she wasn't sure of Sirius feelings for her, not after fourteen years of separation. She still loved him deeply, but what if Askaban changed him?
It had to have changed him, somehow, no one could stay at the prison and not change at all, no matter what the circumstances. But somehow she hoped that he'd still be his old self, always joking and making fun of Severus, or some other Slytherin.
She had come to a cliff that overlooked the ocean, and stopped. She dismounted her bike, and sat down on the edge, looking down on the crashing waves.
'Why is everything collapsing around me?' she asked herself.
'After meeting up with Michiru, and then meeting the other senshi, I thought that maybe I would finally be allowed my happiness. So why is everything being turned upside down again?'
She began playing with her locket again.
It had a small crystal star as a charm, and the chain itself was made from pure silver.
One of a few 'presents' of her father. As she touched the star, she felt a slight pulse, but only ever so slightly.
'Did he really return?' she wondered.
'Was it the right decision to return?'
She didn't know. Had never known whether it was the right thing to stay with him. But she didn't have James courage, nor had she Severus' cunning. She had been caught in the middle of a raging war, unable to decide which side she was on. Now, she had made her decision, but it had been made fifteen years too late...
~~~~~
As Setzuna returned to her apartment this evening, she felt a slight pulse run through the ring she wore.
To most it would be invisible, concealed by tons of spells, but she knew that at least Haruka could see it.
'So his power is strengthening. Soon, I won't be able to resist the call.' She thought worriedly.
'Hopefully Haruka won't make the same mistake twice. For whatever reason, he has no control over her, or her brothers, and she is the only one who can break the spell of Darkness.' She thought, and entered her flat with a sigh, wishing that she would not have to carry the burden being a seer brought. For she saw nothing but darkness, if the future remained unchanged.
~~~~~
Two days later, oceans away, Albus Dumbledore received a letter. A letter that let him hope that may be not everything was lost yet. Throwing a pinch of glittery powder into the fire burning in the fireplace, Minerva McGonnagall's head appeared in the fire.
"Minerva, if you could please tell the house elves to prepare two guest rooms? We'll be getting some visitors soon!" he said.
"Very well, may I ask who?" the transfiguration teacher replied.
"You may Minerva. Miss Tennou agreed on teaching here, and will be bringing a girl from Japan along. They will be staying with us for the holidays." He answered. Minerva McGonnagall gave him a questioning look, but gave it up as she realized that she would not get an answer out of him.
"Very well, I will inform them." She said and her head vanished from the flames.