Next chapter up, within a week! I'm on a roll!

Wow, guys, thank you so much. I woke up one morning with 12 (!) review alerts in my inbox, which just made my day! I can't thank everyone enough – everyone who's reviewed, added to favourites and author alerts, and even everyone who's reading this.

I responded to most of you with the review response thing, but I'd also like to thank my unsigned reviewers, whom I couldn't contact due to lack of an account. Especially hw the blue dog, who has reviewed every chapter thus far. To answer your question, hw: 'gomen nasai' is "I'm sorry!" or "Excuse me!" in Japanese. Thanks for bringing it up, though – from now on, if I use any Japanese, I'll include definitions at the bottom.

On to the chapter!


The next day turned out to be just as difficult as the first. After breakfast, the Gryffindors all headed to Charms. Tohru was excited but also nervous to be using her wand for the first time.

Professor Flitwick cheerily greeted them all, and gave them the standard lecture about OWLs. Then he explained that today, they would be doing silencing charms.

"Each of you, come get a bullfrog!" he cried over the students' chatter. Soon the room was filled with a near-deafening croaking.

"Silencio," Tohru said timidly and waved her wand at her bullfrog. It stared back at her, and then let out one long, defiant croak.

Soon, Hermione's frog was opening its mouth and, much to its chagrin, producing no sound at all. She was busily helping Ron, whose frog only seemed to be getting louder. Harry sighed and gloomily prodded his frog with his wand. It croaked irritably and hopped away from the prodding.

"No, Ron, don't poke it – Tohru, it's all right, you can speak a little louder. Try to jab your wand, a really definitive gesture, don't just wave it..." Hermione was giving instructions left and right.

"Be quiet, you damned toad!" Kyo growled, finally losing his temper. "Or I'm going to make you into toad stew," he added in Japanese. Tohru shot him a worried look.

"It's a frog, stupid cat," Yuki said absently, not really paying attention. His toad was industriously making every effort to escape; however, its croaks did seem to be quieting a bit.

"Cat? Why'd you call Kyo that?" Ron asked, finally giving up on his frog, which at this point was making quite a racket.

Kyo and Yuki both blanched and jumped back in their seats. Tohru hadn't heard Ron's comment, but she looked at her two companions with surprise. "No reason," Yuki muttered, at the same time as Kyo said "Stupid nickname from when we were kids."

Yuki's toad let out another noise, breaking the (relative) silence that ensued. "Oh, be quiet," Yuki snapped. "Silencio!" The frog stopped mid-croak, its mouth still open wide.

"Well done, Mr. Sohma!" Flitwick cried. "This is very difficult magic, and to think that you'd master such a charm on your second day of school! Ten points for Gryffindor!"

"Fantastic," Harry congratulated him sincerely. Yuki grinned at him in thanks.

Of course, Kyo was fiercely competitive, and threw himself into his work with double the effort he'd been putting in before. Eventually, he silenced his frog with a victorious grin.
Ron stared glumly at his frog. Flitwick had come over and silenced it himself, as its croaking was increasing in volume until nearby students began to cover their ears and edge their desks away. Harry's seemed content to just sit there croaking happily, as was Tohru's. They exchanged helpless glances.

"Ten minutes!" Flitwick called. "Don't give up, Mr. Finnigan! There's still time, Mr. Potter!"

"Let's try again, Tohru," Hermione encouraged. "Here, try and jab your wand, like this."

Tohru jabbed her wand enthusiastically. "Silencio!" she commanded, with more force than she'd put in all day. Her frog stared up at her silently. Hermione was just about to open her mouth in praise.

"Croooaaaaak," it positively bellowed.


The rest of the day passed quickly. Tohru felt like an invisible load was gradually pressing down on her chest, making her more and more worried. Each of her teachers gave a nearly identical lecture on OWLs, and every subject proved to be exceedingly difficult. The homework was also piling up; practicing Silencing Charms for Charms, Vanishing spells for Transfiguration and a drawing of a small, stick-like fairy called a Bowtruckle for Care of Magical Creatures. This in addition to the homework she hadn't finished the previous day; the moonstone essay for Potions, the dream diary for Divination and completing the worksheet on Chapter One for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Unknown to Tohru, Harry was feeling a similar weight on his shoulders. He would never admit it out loud, but he was slightly envious of Yuki's relatively easy mastery of difficult spells. He'd gotten used to Hermione's achievements, though somehow, he couldn't quite get over being completely and totally bested by a student who'd only learned he was a wizard a week ago.

"What d'you reckon's with that Sohma bloke?" Ron muttered lowly to Harry at lunchtime.

"Dunno," Harry said, swallowing his bite of cold steak and kidney pie. "Maybe he's a genius of some sort."

"Unfair," Ron sighed. Harry nodded in fervent agreement, glad to know that his best friend felt the same way.

That evening, Harry set off for his detention with Umbridge again, feeling a growing panic. Partly because he knew that there was a huge pile of homework laying in his bookbag that this detention gave him no chance of finishing on time, and partly because he knew that he would have to spend the evening carving lines into the back of his own hand.

"Twisted old cow," he said to himself, then took a deep breath and grimly knocked on her door.

After what seemed like six hours, Umbridge called him up to her desk in her breathy, little-girl voice. She grabbed his hand, and Harry resisted the urge to yank it back.

"Seems we haven't quite made an impression yet, Mr. Potter," Umbridge said sweetly, a saccharine grin spreading across her flabby toad's face. "I'll see you again tomorrow."

Harry felt a strange determination as he left her shockingly pink and frilly office. He had no idea why he hadn't told Ron and Hermione yet, but he knew that he wouldn't tell them. He would keep coming every day, be polite to Umbridge, and do his detentions. He trudged back to the Gryffindor tower, his hand stinging sharply.


"Master..." Pettigrew sobbed, throwing himself onto the floor.

"You irritate me," Harry said in a high, cold voice. "Remove yourself from my sight, or tell me what you have discovered, or you will receive another taste of pain."

"F-forgive me, Master," the small, ratlike man moaned pitifully. "I c-couldn't find anything about the c-c-curse..."

"Fool. Sometimes I wonder why I keep you with me."

"Please, Master!" Pettigrew's voice became shrill in its desperation. "I live only to serve you!"

Harry laughed in the same terrible, cold voice; it was a chilling, entirely humourless sound. "You live only because you serve me, as we both know."

Pettigrew was crying in earnest now, grovelling at Harry's feet and clutching at the hem of his robes. "No, Master! I am your most faithful servant, I p-promise..."

"Prove it, then, you worthless rodent," Harry said icily.

"Anything!"

"Find them. You know where they are, as do I. Find them and extract information with any means necessary. Then, dispose of them."

Harry never heard Pettigrew's reply, for he woke at that moment in a cold sweat. His heart was hammering against his ribcage and his mind raced. What was that? Harry thought, gasping for breath. He wondered for a moment what had woken him, and then he realised that some of the gasps permeating the still, midnight silence were not his own.

Kyo Sohma was sitting on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. He seemed not to be entirely awake. His shoulders were heaving and his head was shaking rhythmically, as if he was denying something and shaking his head no over and over. He got up from his bed, and though he appeared to be sleepwalking, he moved with an almost feline grace towards the window.

Harry was paralyzed for a moment, confused by his own exhaustion and the dream he'd just had. Before he could react, Ron had jumped out of his bed and crossed the room in two long strides, grabbing Kyo roughly by the arm. "OY!" he shouted. "Wake up, mate!"

Dean and Seamus both sat up in bed abruptly, groping for their wands. Neville snored on, apparently unaware of the commotion. "Lumos," whispered Harry, finding his wand first. The glowing light illuminated Kyo standing there, eyes wide, as Ron shook his shoulder. "What the bloody hell is going on here?" Seamus demanded.

"Looks like Sohma was sleepwalking," Dean observed. "Did you really have to bellow, Ron?"

"He was about to throw himself out the bloody window," Ron retorted. Yuki was just beginning to stir, rubbing his eyes groggily. Kyo was still just standing there, looking as if he was trying to make sense of the whole thing.

"Back to bed with you, then," Ron said gruffly. Kyo trudged over and literally fell facedown into his bed, his ears reddening slightly in embarrassment.

"Does he do that often, then?" Seamus asked Yuki, still slightly grumpy. Yuki blinked a couple times to clear the sleep from his eyes. "No," he responded blearily. "In our house- in Japan – there's a window in his room that leads out to the roof. Sometimes when he can't sleep he goes to sit on the roof. He must have gotten confused."

"What is he, a cat or something?"

At Dean's comment, Yuki twitched backwards. He pulled his bedcurtains abruptly.

"Didn't mean to offend him," Dean muttered. "How'd you wake up in time to stop Sleeping Beauty over there, Ron?"

"Harry woke me, tossing and turning in the upper bunk."

"Sorry," Harry mumbled.

"Shut up, the lot of you," Seamus' voice came from behind his bedcurtains. Not wanting to aggravate him further, the boys shut up promptly and drew their own curtains. Harry fell easily back to sleep, and dreamed no more.


Throughout the next week, the fifth-years all began to feel the stress. "How on earth do they expect us to do so much homework?" Lavender Brown moaned to Parvati Patil. "I'm going to be expelled if I miss turning in any more assignments," Neville lamented to anyone who would listen.

"That's ridiculous, Neville," Hermione snapped at him one day. "You haven't missed that many. As long as you really put your nose to the grindstone, you'll be fine." Her words were far from reassuring, judging from Neville's glum expression.

After dodging Ron's questions for the past few days, Harry finally had no choice but to tell his two best friends about the dream he'd had. Their reactions were exactly as expected; Ron's mouth dropped open in horror and Hermione's expression became tight and wary.

"Harry, this isn't good," she told him. "Go see –"

"No," said Harry, with a little more force than necessary. "I will not go and see Dumbledore."

"So you're...inside You-Know-Who's mind, then?" Ron asked, half curious, half horrified.

"It was just a dream," Harry muttered. Hermione gave him a suspicious look, but left the matter alone.

"I wonder what Sohma was all worked up about?" Ron asked, unsubtly changing the topic. "He looked awful this morning."

"What happened?"

Harry and Ron explained Kyo's sleepwalking to Hermione, whose expression was becoming thoughtful and calculating.

"There's something about Kyo that I can't quite put my finger on," she said, absently tugging on a lock of her hair.

Harry had the same sort of feeling. During the past week, Yuki and Tohru had grown quite comfortable with Harry, Ron and Hermione, sitting with them in classes and for meals, and chatting quite comfortably. Kyo was another matter entirely. He spoke only when addressed, and when Tohru or Yuki addressed him, he would respond in curt Japanese as if he didn't want anyone else to understand his replies. During free time he would often disappear for long periods, occasionally even skipping meals or leaving halfway through. This was the case right now; Tohru and Yuki had given up their lunch period to work in the library, whereas Kyo had just vanished. However, he always came to class on time, did his homework, and could answer most questions the teachers put to him. Harry had no idea what to make of him; but, in all fairness, he usually had so much on his mind that understanding Kyo was a bottom priority.

"Harry! Ron! Look!" cried Hermione suddenly.

A very large, very familiar figure was making its way to the staff table. Hagrid's bushy beard was easy to spot.

"It's Hagrid!" yelled Lee Jordan, jumping to his feet. He went to wring Hagrid's hand, with the twins in close pursuit.

"Hagrid! You're back!" Ron bellowed, an enormous grin on his face.

Hagrid beamed. "What've you three bin up to?" he said gruffly, though his expression gave him away.

"What have you been up to?" Hermione countered, after they'd all shaken his hand.

"Er...nothin'," Hagrid said evasively. "Anyways, I'm on'y here ter tell Dumbledore I'm back...I've got some business ter attend to."

"We're coming to see you," Harry said, his voice low. "I have a detention at five o'clock, but we'll come before that."

"No," said Hagrid, his voice taking on a panicked edge. "You three stay away fer now, I'll see yeh in class t'morrow..."

"We'll see you at quarter past four," said Harry with a grin, and they went back to the Gryffindor table, leaving Hagrid looking rather frantic.

After that, the day went slowly. Immediately after their last class, they set off across the grounds.

Harry raised a hand and pounded on Hagrid's door. Inside, they heard Fang begin to bark wildly.

"No, Fang, be quiet," they heard Hagrid say. "I said be quiet, yeh dozy dog!" Hagrid's very large face appeared, peeking from behind the curtains.

"Don' come in!" Hagrid bellowed. "I'll be seein' you three t'morrow!"

"Let us in, Hagrid," Hermione called back.

"Oh, do let them in!" they heard another voice say. "Let them come and partake in my marvellous company! It would be unfortunate indeed to send these three youngsters away, when they are clearly eager for my wisdom in the subject of romance and schoolboy's fantasies! Come! Come in, my three delightful disciples!"

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged wide-eyed glances at this.

"And you," growled Hagrid's voice. "Shut yer dirty great mouth, or I'll sic Fang on yeh!"

"Ha ha ha ha!" laughed the voice with genuine glee. "But Hagrid, as you can see, the dear dog is as gentle as a lamb! Sadly, I shall not grace it with a pet from my delicate hand, for it might drool on my handmade attire!"

Fang let out a pronounced whimper. And, from behind them, someone let out a very loud curse word.

They whirled around to see, standing behind them, Yuki, Tohru and Kyo. Yuki swore again. His eyes were very, very wide, and his mouth was open in an expression of horror. Kyo looked like he was going to kill the nearest person.

"Oh my!" gasped the voice. "Hark! I have heard a familiar voice which fills the caverns of my heart with warmth and joy! Step aside, my dear, gigantic man, for I must speak to Yuki!" And with that, the door flew open.

A tall man stood in the doorway, his arms flung wide. His white hair flowed down his back, delicate pieces framing his amber-coloured eyes. He was clad in an expensive-looking purple suit with a flamboyantly ruffled shirt underneath and flared sleeves with yet more ruffles peeking out.

"Niisan," Yuki said weakly.

"What the hell are you doing here, Ayame?" Kyo growled, at the same time as Tohru cried "Ayame-kun!"

"Never mind that," Ayame said airily. "Come inside, my lovely children. Well, except for Kyonkichi! He is certainly not lovely," he laughed, ushering them all inside.

"Don't call me that," Kyo muttered in Japanese.

"Why, Kyonkichi!" Ayame said reproachfully. "We must not converse in the soft, musical tones of our native tongue, for that would be excluding our gracious English hosts!"

"Harry, Ron, Hermione," said Yuki, in a voice that sounded extremely tired. "This is my older brother, Ayame."

"Yes, that's right!" cried Ayame, throwing his arms around Yuki. "My younger brother, whom I clasp to my bosom as he pours his heart out to me during his times of greatest trials!" Yuki fought his way out of his brother's embrace and sighed as he slumped back onto his chair. "And I see the sweet, gentle Tohru is here as well!" Ayame continued, unruffled by the rejection. "Come, Tohru-kun, I simply must greet you!" and he moved to embrace her. He was thwarted, as Kyo and Yuki suddenly leapt out of their seats and seized the back of his suit.

"What are you thinking, you idiot?" Yuki hissed in Japanese.

"Now, now, Yuki," Ayame said with a patronizing air, in English. "You have forgotten that now, I may embrace whomever I like!"

"Stupid!" Yuki replied, again in Japanese. "Shut up! You can't talk about those things!" However, he and Kyo had both released Ayame, realizing their mistake.

"Er, right," said Harry awkwardly. "I've got to be back for five o'clock."

"Get outta here," Hagrid said, looking very exhausted indeed. "I'll see yer t'morrow."

"Why, what a tragedy! For you to leave before even introducing yourselves – alas, the chaos of our joyful reunion has –" Ayame was still carrying on as they left and shut the door.


After his detention, Harry was in a very bad mood. His hand stung viciously, and was bleeding through the bandages he'd clumsily applied. Hermione and Ron were waiting for him in the common room, but he just wanted to go to bed.

"So that's Yuki's brother," Hermione mused aloud.

"A real character, if you ask me," said Ron. Harry slumped in his chair.

"What d'you suppose he's doing here?" Harry asked, curious despite his mood. He reached up to scratch his nose.

"Harry!" gasped Hermione, spotting his bloody bandage. "What is that?"

"Er," said Harry guiltily. Ron was staring, mouth agape, as Hermione unwound the bandage.

"That horrible woman," said Hermione, tears of fury stinging her eyes. "That horrible, horrible cow."

"Tell McGonagall," Ron urged. "She'll go mental."

"That's exactly why I can't tell her," Harry snapped. "D'you really think it's a good idea for McGonagall to have a go at a Ministry spy? Get herself sacked?"

Hermione's expression was still furious. "You're right, Harry, but...oh, that despicable woman..."

Ron's eyebrows were knit together in a line across his forehead. "It's not right, mate. That's not right."

"I know," Harry said heavily.

They stopped talking abruptly as the Fat Lady's portrait swung open to emit three stooped forms. They seemed to be discussing something very intensely. It was none other than Tohru, Yuki and Kyo.

"Can we sit down?" Yuki asked heavily, approaching them. Harry really, really just wanted to go to bed, but something in Yuki's tone made him, Ron and Hermione nod in assent. Yuki slid down into one of the squashy armchairs. Tohru sat beside him, while Kyo dropped down on the floor in front of the fire, staring into the flames.

"So, that's your brother?" Ron asked with a barely suppressed grin. Yuki nodded, his eyes unfocused.

"If there was anyone in the entire world I could freely punch in the face, Ayame would make the top ten of my list," Kyo said suddenly, narrowing his eyes. Tohru nudged him with her foot, with a tiny frown.

Hermione tried to ignore Kyo's comment, though she couldn't wipe the surprise off her face, and turned to Yuki. "So, is your brother visiting?"

Yuki sighed a long sigh. "Maybe. It's the kind of stupid thing he'd do, flying halfway across the world to visit on my first week of term, but I think he's hiding something."

This time, Harry, Ron and Hermione were startled in earnest. Yuki had never been so open with them before, always watching what he said very carefully.

"I can't believe that that idiot could actually be capable of keeping a secret," Kyo scoffed. "It's bad enough that Shigure won't tell us a single damn thing." Put together, it was the most he'd said to anyone all week.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Hermione took advantage of the tiny opening.

Yuki and Tohru turned to face her, both with polite but guarded smiles. "Depends," said Yuki evenly, just as Tohru said "Of course, Hermione-san." They both laughed quietly and briefly at the simultaneous answer.

"There must be magical schools in Japan," Hermione said carefully.

"According to Dumbledore, yes," Yuki replied, letting his head fall back to rest on the top of his armchair, and closing his eyes. "I suppose you're wondering why we're here?"

"Well, yes," Hermione admitted. There was a long pause. Kyo wrapped his arms around his knees and glared into the fire, the light dancing on his hair. The effect was rather like someone had set his head on fire.

"We don't know either." Yuki turned to face Harry squarely. "May I ask a question in return?"

"I don't see why not."

"We read about He Who Must Not Be Named. It took a couple lunch period's worth of research, but we think we have the whole story."

"So that's where you were," Ron said, shuddering at the mention of the Dark Lord.

"Yes. Kyo preferred to do his research independently, but in the end, we've discussed it and seem to have a fair understanding."

"Go on then, ask your question," said Harry defiantly, staring directly at Yuki. There was a long silence.

"Is he back?"

Harry laughed bitterly, feeling the familiar anger welling up inside him. "Why ask me? If you've read the Daily Prophet, you'd know that I'm a lying, attention-seeking nutter."

"Harry, stop it," Hermione said, but she was cut off by Kyo.

"We believe you, so cut the crap."

Harry felt slightly embarrassed. "Oh."

"Dumbledore is a good man," Yuki continued, where his cousin had left off. "If Dumbledore is behind you, then we believe you. In addition, anyone who takes to slander and rumours to prove their point is not to be trusted, which is what those who oppose you have done." He said this last part with a certain fierceness, crossing his arms tightly.

Tohru stood and bowed deeply. "Harry-san, we are behind you," she said softly. "Please regard us kindly."

"Er, thanks," Harry replied awkwardly.

Yuki eased himself out of his chair. Kyo stood up and stretched, although his expression remained tight and wary. Without another word, they went to their separate dormitories.

"Blimey," said Ron.

Harry didn't say anything, because he couldn't think of anything to say that would sum up the conversation any better.


As you might have noticed, the story kind of switches between the Hogwarts trio's point of view and the Furuba trio. Next chapter will probably be more oriented towards the Furuba trio's perspective, but who knows? Haha.

'Niisan' is "older brother" in Japanese. 'Kyonkichi' translates roughly to "Lucky Kyo," and is what Ayame generally calls Kyo in the manga as an annoying sort of nickname.

Thanks for reading, I'd really appreciate if you would drop a review my way! Not that you guys haven't been doing great on the review front, thank you so much. Let me know how my characterisation is, and I'm always curious to hear where people think the plot is going, or answer any questions I can.

Humbly yours till next time,

Lysi