Heike took a sip of his tea, his eyes locked on his book. However his tranquil reading time was disrupted by yet another fight between his cohorts.
"Yuuki we've been over this, no one here knows who your stupid cat is!" Toki shouted angry.
"That's why u brought them." Yuuki countered with his usual monotone.
Heike sighed as the two got into another fight over the Nyanmaru plushies Yuuki brought. "How many points do I need to deduct from you two?"
"Oh yeah!" Toki began, only to see Sakura and Ogami walk in with a small boy in her arms.
"I still think we should take him in for proper medical care..." Sakura mumbled.
"And I still think you should stop fussing about it already." Ogami replied.
"So, who's your friend?" Toki teased.
"A wizard." Ogami replied.
Yuuki ran up with cat like reflexes and observed as Sakura laid Harry on the couch gently.
"I take it there's a marvelous story behind this." Heike said giving Sakura a spare blanket.
Sakura accepted the blanket with a grateful smile, then gently wrapped it over Harry's tiny body before running her fingers through his hair. "Marvelous isn't the word I would use to describe it... It's a terrible story..."
"The kid was abused." Ogami said bluntly. "I saved him and Sakura, and now I'm pretty sure she's planning on adopting him." Sakura blushed and hid a smile at the suggestion. She WAS technically an adult now, so there would be no legal issues with adopting a child...And he WAS absolutely adorable and cuddly... It was then Yuuki started putting Nyanmaru stickers all over Harry's face.
"Yuuki, stop, he has enough problems as is." Sakura said harshly, trying not to wake the boy.
"So what happened?" Toki asked.
Ogami sighed. After a rough explanation, the remaining code breakers were speechless.
"...I see." Heike said grimly. "I trust this fat character has been dealt with?"
"Of course." Ogami replied calmly, smirking at the memory of the man's death.
"Very good."
"Speaking of which, didn't he have family?" Sakura asked.
"Don't worry, the government will run interference." Toki said offhandedly.
"I don't mean by that, that would mean his wife may know about Harry's heritage." Sakura said, still disgusted by their calmness.
"An interesting idea." Heike agreed.
"Let's ransack the place!." Toki shouted happily.
However it was because of this, Harry woke up and started shaking in fear.
"Hello." Yuuki said, unfortunately Harry didn't take it as friendly. The little boy whimpered in fear, and jumped to his feet in an attempt to run away...only to find his leg was still broken. He let out a cry and collapsed facefirst to the floor. Immediately Sakura scooped him up. Sakura slowly started to sway Harry in her arms. In the process she started to humm a lullaby. Sakura recalled during the early days as a member of the Sakurakoji clan, her mother would sing her the same song whenever she had nightmares. At first, Harry flinched at the back and forth movements, expecting to be thrown across the room...But gradually, he realized he was still snugly in the arms of whoever was holding him. Blinking, he looked into the eyes of a pretty purple haired woman, who smiled at him as she continued to hum her tune. "It's going to be Ok, Harry." Sakura told him finally.
"How... how do you know my name?" He asked confused.
"You could say I had a run it with your uncle." Sakura admitted, uncertain of how to tell the boy the fat man is now a pile of ash.
"Yeah, I killed him."
"OGAMI!" Sakura snapped, causing Harry to flinch.
You... you what?" Harry asked frightened. His pale skin was already turning ghostly white.
"Dude, you do not tell a kid that!" Toki said, backhanding him.
Frightened even further, Harry bolted out of Sakura's arms, ignoring the pain his leg was in. He ended up in the far corner of the room.
"Dude, not cool number 6." Yuuki said.
Sakura slowly started to walk over to Harry, who was now crying hysterically.
'Damn you, Ogami...' She thought angrily. 'First chance I get, I'm going to slap you unconscious...'
The little boy seemed inconsolable at this point, and the Code Breakers weren't sure if Sakura would be able to console him.
"Don't come near me! You're going to do the same thing those mean people did to me aren't you?!" Harry cried.
"No, absolutely not, we want to help." Sakura insisted. However as Harry panicked, the electrical appliances of the hotel room soon started to go berserk.
"What the heck?" Toki asked confused.
"Harry's magic must not work with electricity." Yuuki admitted, not surprised at all. "I see this on Nyanmaru."
"Sakura please hurry, I fear things may get explosive." Heike insisted.
Sakura turned and nodded. She cautiously walked up to Harry, and held him again. "We're not bad people, I personally would never harm another human being."
Harry began thrashing and screaming in the woman's embrace. "PLEASE DON'T HURT ME, I'LL MAKE IT STOP, DON'T KILL ME, I'M SORRY, I WON'T DO IT ANYMORE, I PROMISE-" It then, Sakura began to hum her lullaby again, instantly calming the boy down. In doing so, the lights soon start to return to normal. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief.
It's then Heike's cell rings. "Hello? Oh Rei, how are things in Japan?" As he's talking to the female code breaker, Heike leaves the room. After a few minutes, and Harry calmed down greatly, Heike re-entered the room. "It seems the problems are getting worse and Rei will be joining us in Japan tomorrow morning." Sakura sighed. Why did her life have to be so complicated? She looked down at Harry, and saw that he was looking back up at her with a look of adoration.
"Alright, Harry," She sighed, figuring this was the best time to do so. " My name is Sakura. Now that we know each other..." She hesitated. "How would you like to come back with me to Japan?" Harry was shocked at her statement, but after a moment of silence he looked up at her and smiled with a nod. "Good to here, now where did you live before?" Sakura asked, "I want to pick up your things before we leave England in a few days, after my Judo tournament." Heike nodded in approval of Sakura's decision to be vauge about why they were going to the Dursely's resident.
Harry remembered the teddy bear he had back in his cupboard. "Um...N-Number Four Privet Drive...I...I really want my teddy back..."
"Well then, shall we?" Ogami said, with everyone in agreement.
Yuuki then gave Harry a large white cat plush toy with a red vest. "This is Nyanmaru, he will help you." Harry looked incredibly confused at the guy.
"Kid, just take the toy, you'll shorten the war." Toki said flatly. Eventually they made their way to the average home of the Dursely's. "Allow me." Toki said with a bit of smugness in his tone. He put his finger to the lock and, using his powers, opened the door.
"Lock picking?" Heike said. "Rather impressive."
"Well thank you. I do try."
"Let's go get Harry's teddy." Sakura said as she stepped into the building. Harry smiled eagerly, still holding the cat plush.
The inside of Number 4 was dark and quiet. Ogami tunred on the lights, then he and Yuuki decided to go upstairs and look for clues.
"Man, these weirdo's had messed up tastes in décor." Toki said, chuckling a vase on the ground.
"Toki..." Heike began.
"What it's not like we're coming back." He reminded.
"So, where's your room Harry?" Sakura asked. The boy pointed to the cupboard door, under the stairs. "Oh you've got to be kidding me." She groaned. Sure enough, as Sakura opened the door she saw a beat up folded sleeping bag inside, along side the teddy bear they were looking for, which looked torn and burned.
"Uncle Vernon would take Teddy away and do things to him." Harry answered glumly.
Sakura gave Harry a sympathetic smile and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry. I think I can fix teddy up." She assured him softly. "I just need to sew him up, put some new fabric over the burns and he'll be as good as new. Sound good?" Harry nodded happily.
"Guys, check this out!" Toki got everyone's attention and they saw a great deal of china on the kitchen table as well as a vase of flowers. He pulled the table cloth underneath and only the vase remained. "The flowers are still standing."
"Cute." Sakura smiled. It was then she noticed something on the wall, no doubt the latest family photo. "Harry, is this your aunt and cousin?" She asked. Harry nodded. "Wow, small world, I bumped into them the day before I met you." Sakura said. "I just can't believe I didn't see the connection sooner."
"Go figure." Heike commented. Sakura sighed. It wasn't likely Harry had a good relationship with that spoiled brat of a child he had for a cousin... And that upset her further. It was then, a parrot flew down the stairs, and out the opened door.
"Fly! Be free!" Yuuki ordered.
"Yuuki... why?" Heike asked from the lower floor.
"The bird wasn't fed for a long time. I gave it hope." The sound blasting Code Breaker said. Ogami soon came down the stairs.
"This place has three bedrooms and the third is used as a junk room for the fat pig they call a son." He explained.
"Anything about what you learned?" Heike asked. Ogami shook his head.
"They're rotten, disgusting people, and they should all die."
"Ogami, PLEASE tell me the child isn't included in that." Harry was starting to panic himself at Sakura's response.
"I don't see a reason why he shouldn't." Ogami admitted.
"Ogami." Heike began. "The boy himself has committed no crimes, and his personality is the result of his environment. He deserves a chance." It was then a car door closing could be heard and both Petunia and Dudley walked in. Petunia immediately froze, rooted to the spot when she saw the strangers in her house, one of which was holding Harry protectively and shooting her a glare that could melt icebergs.
"Who are you and how did you all get in my house?!" She demanded. Dudley, however, was more focused on the large cat plush in Harry's arms. It was something Harry shouldn't have. After all, his daddy always told him he was a good boy and the freak doesn't deserve nice things.
"Gimme the cat toy!" Dudley charged at Sakura as fast as his pudgy legs could carry him. Sakura put her foot on the fat boy's face, while Yuuki grabbed him by the collar.
"Leave Harry alone, you brat!" Sakura demanded.
"I must protect Nyanmaru and his new wizard friend." Yuuki said with his usual monotone.
"W-W-W-W-W-Wizard?" Petunia stuttered.
"Yes, we know." Heike answered. "Now my charming friend Sakura here has taken a liking to the boy, I suggest if you don't want to experience her wrath or mine and my cohorts, you best make with the answers."
Petunia sneered. "What are you going to do about it? You're the ones who are kidnapping my nephew. Now leave before I call the police-" Petunia froze and tensed up when a small ball of blue fire singed her hair. She stared at Ogami with a look of terror and whimpered softly.
"We work for a higher calling than the police, and the British ministry is aware we're here." Ogami explained.
"I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I WANT IT!" Dudley thrashed around, not even listening to what was going on.
"And I have full plans to adopt Harry and keep him away from monsters like you!" Sakura shouted angrily.
"Keep the brat!" Petunia demanded, however it was clear she was still frightened of Ogami. "Let me live, and I'll give you his mother's diary!"
"Let us see the diary, then we'll talk." Ogami said.
"I'd hurry, this one's got a temper." Toki chuckled.
"I WANT IT!" Dudley screamed as he began punching Sakura's leg. "GIVE ME THE TOY! THE FREAK CAN'T HAVE IT! FREAKS DON'T GET TOYS! GIVE IT HERE, I DESERVE IT MORE THAN HE DOES BECAUSE I'M NOT A FREAK!"
"If you don't shut up, I'll spank your ass so hard you won't be able to sit right for a year!" Sakura threatened, her voice rising with anger. Immediately, Dudley fell back and scooted away from the girl. Petunia returned soon after with a black book. Ogami grabbed it and opened the book near the end.
The Code Breaker looked over the small book with a blank expression on his face. Sakura tried to sit down and read over his shoulder, but he simply responded by looking at her flatly and moving away from her. "Don't read over my shoulder."
"Fine, kill joy." She said backing off.
Ogami skimmed over the book until something caught his attention. "Voldemort? Really?"
"Wait, what?" Sakura asked.
"Loosely translated, it's French for flight from death." Heike said.
"Aparently it's the name of the man this Dumbledore character was obsessed with stopping." Ogami explained, still reading. "He set up an organization called the Order of the Phoniex."
"Code Breaker is a cooler name." Toki said. It was then, Petunia slowly started to creep out the door. "Oh no horse face." Toki used his powers to shut the door. "You aren't leaving until he finishes."
Petunia let out a whimper, then stood rigid as Ogami continued to read. His eyes narrowed, and he looked at Petunia. "Hmm...From the looks of it, the kid's mom knew you'd treat him like dirt, and tried her best to make sure you DIDN'T get custody of him."
"Dumbledore never mentioned it." Petunia stuttered. However it was clear, she was lying.
"Ogami, who was suppose to be the legal guardian of our young friend?" Heike asked. His tone sent shivers up and down Petunia's spine.
"Sirius Black." Ogami said, flipping some pages to find the answer.
"Who's that? A rapper?" Toki asked.
"Hey, I think I read the name on those files we got." Yuuki admitted. Everyone turned to the horse like woman on the floor.
"Alright, he's in prison!" Petunia shrieked, instantly knowing what they were going to ask. "The night we inherited the boy, Black was sent to jail for killing 8 people."
Sakura sighed. "Poor Harry..." She said softly. "It seems all of his living relatives are monsters..."
"I don't think so." Ogami said, reading over the diary more. "Apparently, he was the best friend of his father, James, since their school years." He looked up. "He's a troublemaker, sure, but by the way Lily described him, Sirius is by no means a murderer."
"Are you serious?" Sakura asked.
"No, the guy in prison is." Toki laughed. Everyone looked at him. "I can not be the only person who wanted to say that."
Harry looked up at the woman holding him. "So...I wasn't supposed to be here...?" He asked softly. Sakura smiled sadly and kissed the top of his head.
"No...And it infuriates me that you were put here..."
"So...You really wanna take me home with you...?"
"Of course I do." Sakura said with a warm and inviting smile.
"Let's go." Ogami said. Everyone nodded in agreement, though Ogami stayed behind, and menacingly turned to Petunia. "I've already turned your fat husband into a pile of ash." Ogami began with a menacing tone. "If I find any other scar on that boy that his magic can't heal, I will personally set fire to this whole damn house and insure your inside!" Ogami's voice actually rose to an angry tone.
Petunia's face blanched. "Wh-What did you say...?" She said.
"I said your husband is DEAD." Ogami replied, the anger in his tone making Harry flinch.
"M-My Vernon...Dead...?"
"Yes...And you better hope Harry recovers from what you did to him, or you're going to join him."
It was then, in a castle in Scotland, a series of lights and sounds went off. Albus Dumbledore quickly rose from his chair and went to observe the many instruments he made to monitor number 4 private drive.
"Someone has threatened the boy who lived!" Albus said, shocked. "But how? The wards around the house should prevent Death Eaters from entering!" He immediately went to the fireplace to Floo Call Amelia Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Petunia sat down on the couch and began to sob bitterly. Her life was now in shambles since her husband was dead and her chore boy was being taken away.
"You couldn't wait until we left could you?" Sakura demanded.
"I would have done it." Heike admitted. It was then a series of pops caught everyone's attention. Several men in cloaks appeared, each with a wand in their hands.
"Why are they dressed in bathrobes?" Toki asked.
"They're wizards. Duh." Yuuki said.
"Yes, Muggles, we are." One said incredibly rudely. "Now hand over the Potter boy and no one gets hurt." He extended his arm and Ogami noticed something.
"I don't think so." Ogami threw a fireball forward, scorching off the man's sleeve, revealing a strange tattoo that looked like a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth.
"Dude, what the hell?" Toki demanded.
"That tattoo is called a dark mark, the symbol of that Voldemort character." Ogami explained. Petunia heard this, snapped out of her stupor, and ran out the back door with Dudley not far behind.
"STOP HER! SHE MAY INFORM THE MUGGLE AUTHORITIES!" The hooded man in the front ordered.
"Avada Kedavra!" One of the men yelled, waving his wand. In a burst of green light, Petunia collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
"Mommy!" Dudley screamed, turning bleach white.
"Sakura, take the kids and run!" Heike demanded.
"We'll handle these freaks." Toki said smugly.
"For Nyanmaru!" Yuuki shouted triumphantly.
"You muggles think you can stop us?" One smirked.
"We're not muggles, We're Code Breakers!" Flames surrounded Ogamis arms as he charged forward. The death eater who had spoken could not react fast enough, and screamed in agony as he felt his body burn to ash. The other death eaters stared in shock at their fallen comrade. "An eye for An eye, A tooth for a tooth." Ogami began, filled with anger.
"And the Steel Hammer of Justice for EVIL!" Toki interrupted. He raised his hands and the metal particles spun around them and became shrapnel shards, which were soon embedded into the Death Eaters.
"And the Eternal Shackles for Evil." Heike chuckled as energy whips soon began to form from his fingers.
"And the Requiem of fury for evil!" Yuuki shot a powerful sonic blast at the death eaters.
"Time to go!" Sakura grabbed Dudley by the arm, and they ran fast.
Dudley was completely catatonic as Sakura dragged him and Harry away. Harry looked up at his new caretaker fearfully. "W-What's happening...?" He whimpered.
"Short version, Ogami and the others are doing their job." Sakura said, still running.
"Hold it muggle! Avada Kedavra!" Another green energy blast emitted from a Death Eater who apparated near them. The green blast nailed Sakura dead on the back, causing the Judo expert to drop to her knees.
"Miss Sakura! Are you ok?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, I'm a little sore, but I'm fine." Sakura winced.
"Impossible! No muggle can survive the killing curse!" The death eater shouted, surprised. It was then an energy rope wrapped around the man's neck. Heike swung his rope around, wrapping the death eater up. He then pulled the man hard and threw him over his shoulder, into three oncoming death eaters.
"...Run faster, Sakura. You'll never escape at that pace." He said calmly as he turned to deal with the murderers. Sakura nodded, her back still sore from the attack. However another pop was heard, everyone turned to see more wizards, lead by an older woman with an authoriative stance.
"Crap, it's Bones!" One shouted. They tried to escape, but the Aurors were too quick, binding them to the ground with body-binding curses.
"Who are you?" The woman, clearly Bones, demanded.
Sakura's eyes narrowed and she tightened her hold on Harry and stood in front of Dudley. "Sakura Sakurakouji! Soon to be new guardian of Harry Potter!" The Aurors soon looked at her with questionable gazes.
"Sakura," Heike began. "Let me do most of the talking." Sakura nodded in agreement. After a lengthy discussion, Amelia couldn't help but curse Dumbledore.
"Two muggles dead, and we find out several of our best Auror's were actually death eaters." She said wearily.
"I suggest retirement." Heike said.
"And let Fudge screw up some more? No chance." Amelia admitted. She then turned to what was left of Dudley. "What about him?" Yuuki was constantly poking him to move.
"I don't even know where to begin with him." Sakura admitted.
"Our best bet would be to leave him in England." Heike said. "This is the only home he's ever known."
"Yeah...I can't take care of two children anyway...Harry won't be any trouble, because he's a sweetheart." She said fondly as she poked Harry's couldn't help but giggle, and Yuuki was having another Nyanmaru moment.
"By the way, what's the story with this Sirius Black character anyway?" Heike asked, interested.
"I'm afraid that's classified." Amelia said. However, no one noticed as she flicked her wand and something reappeared into Yuuki's hood. Heike took the hint and nodded. "We'll be in town for a few days." The silver haired man said.
"We thank you for your help." The director said. However, several Auror's went up to the code breakers and pointed their wands at them.
"Put those away." Toki ordered.
"What he said. There's no need to erase everyone's memories." Amelia ordered.
The aurors nodded, and put their wands away. Sakura looked around and asked one simple question. "...Now what?"
"Now, we-" Ogami began, referring to the boys. "Head back to the hotel and plot our next move. You need to get back to your hotel and get some sleep. You have a tournament in the morning." Sakura nodded, noticing Harry was about to fall asleep himself.
She smiled at the little boy, and adjusted him in her arms. "...Can one of you do me a favour and take his cousin to an orphanage? I'm sorry...I would take him in if I was ready for two children...But I'm not."
"Agreed." Ogami said with a nod. Toki used his magnetic powers to lift Dudley off the ground.
"This kid really needs to lay off the after school snacks." He joked.
"Everything will be okay, Dudley." Sakura said gently. "Be strong, okay?" Amelia couldn't help but smile, not only for young Harry Potter who now had a reliable guardian, but also to think what was happening to Albus Dumb-old-dork right now. Sakura, for her part, was holding Harry tightly against her chest. Harry looked up at her, hope in his eyes as she carried him away.
"M-Miss Sakura...?" He asked softly.
"Yes, sweetie?" Sakura replied.
"Um...Y-You're not gonna hit me like Uncle Vernon did...right?"
Sakura's smile weakened as they headed to her hotel. "Of course not, Harry."
"But, Uncle Vernon said freaks don't get to be loved." Harry said.
"Well your uncle's wrong in so many ways." She explained.
Harry looked down, then back at the young woman holding him. "S-So...Does that mean he was wrong when he said I was stupid, worthless and ugly...?" His voice audibly cracked when he said this. Sakura bit her lip.
"Yes, Harry... yes he was..." Sakura said, trying to keep her voice down.
Harry looked down. "Are...Are you sure...? I...I looked in the mirror a few times, and I thought I looked pretty ugly...And I keep messing up on the chores, so I can't be very smart, either... Or useful..." Sakura held him tighter.
"Harry... What your aunt and uncle did to you was wrong." Sakura began, on the verge of tears herself. "You're cute, and if any of that house was your work, you are by no means useless." Harry looked at his new caretaker with shock. No one ever said anything that nice to him ever. It was then, they were at the steps of the hotel Sakura was staying at.
Harry looked at the building with wide eyes. "Is...Is this your house...?" Sakura giggled.
"No, no. It's just a hotel I'm staying at temporarily." Harry teared up.
"I AM stupid..." He said softly. "I should've known that..." Sakura allowed a single tear to fall.
"Harry, you didn't know... It's OK." She insisted. "But you will be shocked where I live in Japan." They reached Sakura's room and she pulled back the covers on the lone bed. Sakura put Harry on the bed with his teddy bear on one side, and the cat plushie on the other. Harry blinked, then nestled further into the soft, warm bed. Sakura smiled, then tucked the blankets up to his chin. "You get some sleep. I'm going to take a shower. I'll be right with you, okay?" Harry nodded as his eyes effortlessly shut and Sakura pulled his glasses off gently. She smiled and wonder how her parents were going to react to this event. Would they accept her decision, or turn it away? "No they wouldn't." Sakura thought with a laugh discarding her clothes and getting in the shower. Her parents and bodyguards would love Harry almost as much as she does.
She stopped momentarily and thought about what just ran through her mind. Love...She had just met him that day, yet already she loved him...
But then she thought, could she do it? Could she be a mother? Sakura shook her head as she got out and dried off her body. She couldn't have these thoughts now, not after the promises she made. After getting dressed in her PJs, Sakura left the bathroom to see Harry sound asleep. Sakura smiled at the boy snuggling up to the Nyanmaru plushie, as he adjusted his grip on the teddy. The young woman silently and carefully climbed into bed next to him and smiled into his sleeping face.
With a gently kiss and a whisper of "Good night, Harry", Her eyes closed themselves, falling asleep.