When Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia announced the trip to Tokyo, Harry wasn't sure he had heard them right. The worn bag that the fourteen year old often kept with him sat at his feet, ignored as he stared at both of them incredulously. A trip to Japan? That was quite… surprising. Especially since Vernon had recently got demoted and had verbally flayed into Harry as soon as he had arrived back at Privet Drive.

"Japan?" he inquired dully, shoving recent events to the back of his mind as he focused on this confusing new development.

"We thought that the family could do with something new." Petunia replied flatly, her cornwall blue eyes unconcerned as she thinned her lips in disapproval. "We won four tickets to Tokyo."

"Marge couldn't come, she's sick with the influenza," Vernon grunted from his position in his armchair. The arms on the chair had been pushed out to the side so often, the chair was beginning to look like it was wilting in on itself.

"Yvonne is in Majorca on her yearly family trip," flipping her ash blonde hair over her head, she craned her tall neck over the top of the couch to eye Harry with some scorn. "Mrs. Figg has left on some business, selling her latest litter of those little fleabags."

Pursing his lips, he aimed a questioning stare at his uncle. "Where am I staying this year, then?" he inquired quietly, not willing to argue with the Dursley patriarch this early in the morning. If he wanted to be honest with himself, Harry just wanted to be left alone this summer. If he could just stay home for once-

"You're coming with us." Vernon ground out reluctantly as he pressed a series of buttons on the TV remote. The black and white screen of the American western that was on flickered black as the television was turned out. "We're not exactly happy, but there's no-one willing to take you in." He narrowed his beady little gray eyes on Harry, making a displeased noise as he reached over to pick-up the newspaper that lay on the coffee table.

Harry stifled the urge to sigh as he ran his hand through his messy black hair, staring incomprehensibly at the black TV screen. His reflection stared back at him emptily, his pointed face blank as he traced his high cheekbones with his thumb. The one year where he could possibly be alone for the summer, and his relatives had to take a free vacation to Tokyo.

Though… this could be his way out of Britain. The flaws and inconsistencies in the ritual that had revived Voldemort had actually exploded by the time Harry's blood was added. The phoenix tears in his life source, combined with the destructive properties of basilisk venom was remarkably potent in his blood to the point where potions or rituals that needed it would explode and backfire brilliantly in his face.

Thus, Voldemort had not foreseen his incredibly early demise. Not to mention Pettigrew had blown up rather spectacularly himself, so when Harry Portkeyed back to the TriWizard maze with the dead body of Cedric Diggory, he had been met with complete silence. A single, questioning gaze towards the Headmaster had his veins run cold.

Despite looking remarkably worried for him, Dumbledore had his hands tied behind him. Hermione Granger, peering out smugly behind the black robes of Minister Fudge, seemed particularly satisfied about something. Ron was glaring ferociously at the Muggleborn, seemingly wanting to spit fire at her.

It was at that moment that Harry had passed out. He woke up in the infirmary around midnight, sweat drenching his forehead as he frantically sat up. Gasping and panting, Harry had been found later that night shivering in the corner of the room. Lake green eyes so previously filled with slight humor and kindness were curiously blank, though the tear-tracks that made the way down his cheeks were a telling sign of his nightmares.

Much to his relief, Dumbledore had come into the infirmary that morning shackle-free. However, what he was told next would shake his very world to the core. The Ministry would be attempting to take what was left of his parents fortune in order to repay the debts he owed to the Diggory, MacMillian, and Prince families. They couldn't do that! Couldn't they?

Apparently they could definitely try. Within the next few days, he was supposed to make his way to Gringotts. Instead of waiting a few days, Harry had immediately said he was available to go right then and there. Once stepping onto the cool marble floor of the bank, he sought out the closest goblin to inquire where he could find an account manager.

The Potter manager was a sneering goblin by the name of Adkar, who oversaw his family's finance. While he wasn't rich by any means, he was well off to the point where he wouldn't have to work for a few years after Hogwarts. Until then, if he wanted to, he could technically slowly drain them. However, his parents' assets were in danger of being seized.

Working with Adkar, Grukkus, and Furlor bore fruits of what would happen to the money. For a small fee, they transferred all of the money to a completely new vault under a different name. Yugure-Toko Harison. Admittedly, taking up the Japanese elective in primary school had been extremely useful. His limited knowledge of the language, upon query, actually gained a rather curious look from Grukkus.

He was one of the goblins that worked for their branch in Tokyo, so upon learning that Harry was fascinated by the language and could tentatively speak a conversation in it, he offered to pierce the boy's tongue and ear for him. When fastened to either ear, it gave him the ability to understand whatever language he wished. The one that pierced his tongue would be able to have him fluently speak any language he desired.

A far less painful option was a capsule that he could dissolve on his tongue. Once dissolved, he would gain fluent understanding in the specific language he asked for it in. Not to mention it was far cheaper. It took a few hours and various bickering with the goblins when he placed two orders for the capsules. One in Gobbledygook and the other in Japanese.

Now, he simply stared at his relatives in resolute bewilderment. The curious thing about this 'vacation' was that it was in Tokyo. Did the Goblins somehow manage to factor this in? Did Dumbledore figure out his running away plans? Maybe Ron? Someone magical that cared for him? A faint pang of loss hit him as he remembered the distinctly satisfied look on Hermione's face.

What had she told the Minister? The higher-ups? Why had Dumbledore been in cuffs? More questions arose as he thought of it, a faint frown tugging at his lips as he stared at the carpet. A faint 'hm' of curiosity escaped him, before he lifted his eyes to examine his aunt and uncle with dully fascinated eyes. "Would it be possible to cancel the flight back for one of the tickets?" he inquired, twisting his fingers slowly together and thoughtfully gnawing on his lower lip.

Vernon narrowed his beady little eyes at his nephew, reminding Harry of Pettigrew in the graveyard and causing a hot flash of loathing to fill him. With all of his might, he struggled to look away and merely glared a hole in the floor instead. "Why would we do that?" he grunted out, but was stopped by Petunia's thoughtful stare.

"I wouldn't have to come back here anymore," Harry muttered, picking at some of the cuticles on his right hand. "I need to get away from the European wizarding world, and the East Asian one is a lot more reasonable than the one here. The Japanese school, Mahoutokoro is somewhere in Japan and the isles around it. I think it's in a mountain. I could go there at a lower cost rate than Hogwarts and its a hell of a lot better than the education here." The nearly fifteen year old had to clamp his mouth shut from rambling even more.

"Would you be able to go to normal school as well?" Petunia cut in from his harried mumbling, rolling her eyes. "Don't mumble, it's unbefitting." The woman sniffed haughtily, picking up her tea-cup and taking a slow sip from it. Her nose crinkled, was it cold? "Go get me a hot cup of tea, boy. I'll discuss it with Vernon." Without waiting for an answer to his question, she shoved him through the door with a brief flutter of fingers over his shoulders.

As he picked through the nearly empty tin of Earl Gray leaves, Harry contemplated the woman's question. He could probably get a tutor over in Japan to get his grades up so he could take the OWLs to the international standards and get his assignments mailed to him by owl. Speaking of owls... Hedwig couldn't go with him. Maybe she could go stay with the Weasleys as their new owl to replace Errol.