Chapter 2

Blood and pots

Kenshin knelt on the floor working his way through the bowl in front of him. The taste of blood coated the inside of his mouth and throat (why did the soup have to be red) and he felt like crying. He had left Japan his home the only one he'd ever known to come to another country. It had been years since anyone in Japan had left their homeland. The shogunate had banned any contact with ganjin for years and let no western culture into the country. As such the Bakumatsu had been fought to not only bring back the emperor but to open the borders.

He sighed and took a bite of bread it had been a year since the end of the fighting. A year and a half since Tomoe had been killed. He had been in Osaka where he had saved the old man Dumbledore for a gang of yakuza. The man had introduced himself to Kenshin before announcing that he'd been looking for the swordsman. Apparently his mother who had been killed with cholera had been a witch and had put his name down for Dumbledore's school before he was born but they hadn't been able to find him. Kenshin had reluctantly explained his past to the man and surprisingly the headmaster said it didn't matter Kenshin was a wizard and he should go to school even if he was a Hitokiri.

Kenshin looked across at the two boys that lay asleep in the next beds. One of those had been awake when he'd come in. he gave anther sigh. They were innocent and so very young compared to him. He fought the urge to wash his hands. He got onto the bed it was raised not what he was used to, but there was a back support. He settled himself against it drawing the blanket up over his legs. The night cloths were strange, western in style and Kenshin was used to sleeping in his gi and hakuma which now lay neatly folded on the floor.

The katana gave him a feeling of safety that was perhaps irrational. He curled his body around it well he couldn't be expected to rational he was a hitokiri and hitokiri never feel safe without their weapon nearby and ready to use.

As he drifted off he hoped that nobody would try to wake him in the morning.

Meanwhile Dumbledore approached a rundown hut high in the mountains of Japan. It was pretty in a rundown way with wild flowers and birds everywhere.

He knocked on the door three times. Immediately the door slide open. Seijuro Hiko stood in the door way for a brief moment disappointment flashed across his face before its cool indifferent mask fixed itself in place.

"Dumbly" he said nodding his head in greeting.

Dumbledore invited himself in knowing that Hiko would not.

"I wondered if you would reconsider my offer Seijuro-san."

The dark haired man snorted "no offense old man but the last student I taught ran off to become an assassin I don't think you want your students to become like my baka deshi."

"My student's need your teaching there is a war coming they must be prepared." Said Dumbledore

"The last thing I need is more war" Hiko growled angrily "and what if the baka deshi comes here and I'm not here for him." Greif passed over his face "the thing, the monster that the imperialists made him become dumbly Kenshin cannot survive that on his own. He has a gentle heart really."

"You know he won't come here Hiko" said Dumbledore gently "you told him to never come to you again and the boy has always been obedient to you exempt for one time."

Hiko winced "I shouldn't have said that to him he should know that he is welcome to come here. And now I don't know where he is or even if he is still alive."

The head master gave a very tiny grin. "Himura Kenshin is at the moment in London at the headquarters of the order of the phoenix."

Hiko shot Dumbledore a nasty glare. "You recruited him. After all he's been through?"

Dumbledore shrugged "I found him in Osaka half starved. I offered him a place to stay, a school and some hope."

Hiko's glare increased "how very kind of you" he said sarcastically "how very selfless of you to invite my baka deshi to a new area of war and bloodshed."

The sparkle in Dumbledore's eyes had been lost to a hard look "I will do what I have to do to protect harry."

Hiko's glare intensified and he add some of his ki to it. "And I will what I have to do to protect Kenshin. Fine old man you win I will come and teach at your little school but remember I am not your dog to call as you chose like those other numbskulls you have under your thumb."

Dumbledore smiled the hard look still in his eyes "don't worry I won't forget." He blinked and the sparkle was back.

Hiko sighed and rubbed the back of his neck "so when do we leave?"

*Hi since everybody was so keen on the first chapter I decided to continue. I know this one isn't very long but there will be more coming don't worry. I hope it makes sense. I you see any spelling mistakes please tell me. Ganjin means foreigner in Japanese Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin or Harry Potter