Harry Works out the clue with a bit of help from a friend and hisdrunk wife, and yume feels the effect of fighting two dragons in one day. Luckily harry's got another friend ready to give him a hand, even if he doesn't know it.
Fate's Redemption chapter 11
They opened the door to the common room, and we're deafened by the applause. "Way to go!" Lee Jordan roared.
"I'm glad that a Gryffindor gets to win!" Angelina cheered.
"Bet whoever entered you is feeling pretty stupid now!" the twins clapped him on the back.
The cheers slowed and they started talking among themselves until the portrait opens again. "This isn't how Gryffindors are supposed to party!" Sirius said as he levitated cakes, butterbeer, food, and snack, "Let ole Padfoot teach you how it's done!"
Some students were scared of the once convicted mass murder, but the rest roared in approval as the food landed on the tables. "I propose a toast!" Sirius yelled, "To my godson! To Harry Potter!"
The crowd took up the cheer. Harry felt flushed, though he wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment, or because the twins had slipped him some firewhiskey. Minato's sekirei, Kazehana, had showed up about five minutes later and started handing out firewhiskey to everyone who asked. Sirius start confiscating them from the younger students, half of whom ended up wasted anyway.
"Congratulation." Neville said.
"Thanks." Harry smiles, "So, how are you and Tsukiumi doing? I never see you guys together. For that matter, I've barely seen you since the start of term."
Neville smiles, and looks over a Tsukiumi, who was engaged in a drinking contest was Kazehana, "She got into an argument with professor Dumbledore. She insisted she was my wife and demanded married quarters."
"She talked down Dumbledore?" harry asked astonishingly.
"He eventually gave her private quarters with two beds." he nodded, "I was as surprised as you."
Across the room, Tsukiumi fell over, passed out on the floor. "Is she going to be ok?" Harry asks.
"She'll be fine. This isn't the first time she passed out. I had to carry her back up to the school after the last Hogsmeade weekend." Neville assured him.
"Harry!" Seamus called, "So what's the clue?"
Harry had almost forgotten about the egg. The room went quite, except for Tsukiumi's snoring. "Want me to open it?" Harry asks, and they cheered. He placed his hand on the top and turned.
The egg opened and began screeching. Harry dropped it in surprise as the room covered their ears. Tsukiumi rise up and shouted, "Shut thy self up!" throwing a ball of water towards the egg.
For the briefest second when the ball hit the egg, the screams vanished. As soon as the water scattered, it started again.
"Shut that damn thing!" Ron shouted from across the room. Harry quickly reached down and shut it, and the sound disappeared. "What the bloody hell was that?"
"Banshee?" Dean asks, "Maybe you've gotta fight one!"
"That was Percy!" Fred laughed, "Attack him in the shower!"
The students that remembered the previous head boy laughed at the thought, Harry included. The talk died down, and some started going to dinner. Others went up bed early, or to the library to do homework.
Harry sighed, and walked to the staircase, when Hermione called out from behind him. "Harry! Meet us in Ku's room."
Harry nods back and walks up to take a quick shower. Afterwards, he walked down the stairs and into Ku's room. The moment he passes the barrier, Hermione punches him.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" she yells.
Standing behind her, Harry saw Yume with a bruise on her cheek. "Hermione, I already told you it was my fault." Yume says calmly, "I shouldn't have brought him with me."
"And he shouldn't have been so stupid!" she cries, "I was worried about you!"
"I'm sorry." Harry sighs, "It was just a reflex. I couldn't just let her die."
"I told you that you have a saving people thing." Hermione smiles.
"I think that's putting it mildly..." Dudley smiles. Ku nods in agreement.
"So, have we established that Harry and I are both idiots?" Yume smirks.
"Just about." Hermione laughs, "So what do you think of that clue?"
"Dean's suggestion of a banshee is the most likely." Harry shrugs, "Otherwise, I can only think of mandrakes."
"It might be mermish..." Dudley says quietly. When they all look at him stunned, he says defensively, "Binns said that mermish sounds like screeching above ground..."
"You pay attention to Binns?" Harry said, shocked.
"I promised Ku I'd work hard." he shrugs.
"That's a good point..." Hermione says, thinking.
"Hold on..." Harry says, "Remember earlier? When Tsukiumi threw that water ball at the egg? When it hit the water, the screeching stopped."
"You're right!" Hermione exclaimed.
"So, we submerge the egg?" Shiina asks.
"That's about it." Yume says, "I'll be right back." Yume quickly disappears and reappears with the golden egg.
"Ku has a sink in the back!" Ku says excitedly.
They relocated to the back of the garden and filled the sink with water. Harry puts the egg in and opens it. When they don't hear a sound, he places his ear into the water and listens intently to the song.
"They'll take something we value, and we have one hour to recover it from the black lake." Harry summaries as he closes the egg.
"So, you need to breathe underwater for an hour?" Hermione asks, tentatively looking at Yume.
"Don't look at me." Yume shrugs, "I can control shadows. And I can do a lot, but even I can't breathe underwater."
"So I can't rely on you for everything this time." Harry sighs, "Well, good thing I figured it out the first night. We'll need all the time we can. Imagine if i only figured it out a week before the task."
"I'll have you know, I am the second best sekirei at research." Yume says proudly.
"Who's number one?" Shiina smiles as he helps Ku tend her garden.
"Number two, Matsu." she frowns, "But i wouldn't recommend asking her. She's a major perv."
"Speaking of number one," Harry says as he remembers a tidbit from the initial conversation with Hermione, "Was that woman who saved us sekirei number one?"
"Who else could beat a dragon effortlessly?" She smirked.
"So I did see someone!" Hermione nods, "It was only like a second, but I swear I saw someone."
"Yeah. Miya always was a monster. Didn't think she would be here though-" Yume says before she falls forward.
"Yume!" they yelled, running to her side.
"Let's get her to the hospital wing!" Shiina said as he and Harry lifted her up and running out of the room. Hermione ran ahead of them.
"I'll get Madam Pompfrey!" she yelled back to them. They nodded and continued. Dudley came forward and carried her to the entrance hall by himself. As they entered, madam Pompfrey was running down the stairs followed closely by Hermione and professor McGonagall.
"She just collapsed?" Pompfrey asked as she conjured a stretcher.
"We had just figured out the clue and she fell forward." Harry said, "Will she be okay?"
"I don't know, but I will do everything possible to help." Pompfrey assured him as they ran through the halls.
Once they were in the hospital wing, Pompfrey quickly shoved them into the halls. "This hopefully won't take long." she said before closing the door.
Harry spent nearly an hour pacing outside the door. Hermione and Dudley were seated beside the door. Ku was crying next to Dudley, Shiina comforting her. When the door finally opened, Harry didn't waste any time, "How is she?"
"She'll be fine." she smiles at them, "Magical exhaustion. It would seem that she overdid it during the task. I'll be keeping her for bed rest for the next few days."
"Can we see her?" Hermione asked, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Don't stay too long." Pompfrey nods, letting them in.
Yume was seating up, looking through a book of charms. "Sorry to cause you worry." she smiles at them, "Guess I didn't know my limits as well as I thought."
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have dragged you into helping Fleur." Harry shakes his head, trying to hide the tears.
"I'm chief of the discipline squad. I'd have done it anyway out of a professional obligation." she sighs.
"Didn't we already establish you're both idiots?" Hermione smiles.
They all laugh, and Pompfrey shooed them from the wing. "You can visit again tomorrow." she said, "Professor Dumbledore wants all of the champions at the feast. Ms. Yume, I trust that you can take care of yourself?"
"Of course, ma'am." she says politely. Pompfrey nods and shuts the door behind her, leaving Yume in the hospital wing alone.
A few minutes later, a figure in black appears on the windowsill beside her. "Overdoing it is a rarity for you, Number eight."
"Well, I've never fought against two dragons in one day. Even before, one was my limit." She smiles, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure, Homura?"
"Takami wanted me to check in on Kusano, and Miya was worried about you after you're little display earlier." He replies, stepping into the room.
"I see. Pass along a thank you for me." she says, "And let Takami know that I'll keep an eye on her. Now, could you do me a favor?"
"Name it." He smirks.
"My ashikabi isn't all that popular at the moment, and number seven is at this school. Can you protect him, at least until I get out of here?" Yume asks pleadingly.
"As I understand it, he has Ku, Shiina, and by some miracle, Tsukiumi. No one but Miya could go after him unharmed." she points out.
"Each of them has an ashikabi and can't watch him all the time. Please, I wouldn't ask this if there was another way!" she bows.
Homura sighs, "Fine. I'll protect him. Just until you get out."
"Thank you. I owe you one." she smiles.
"I'm just paying you back for saving eighty -eight. That should have been my job and I probably wouldn't have survived." Homura says a smile hiding behind his mask.
"Still have no clue how I did." she admitted.
"Well, I'd better leave now if I need to protect him for you." Homura says as he jumps out of the window.
Life returned to normal the next day, though Harry kept looking over his shoulder every time he was alone. Ever since potions, Malfoy had been smiling at whispering to Akitsu. Even if she didn't seem to do much, it was obvious that Yume was the only reason he hadn't been attacked before now.
Harry spent as much time as he could with Hermione or Neville, and whenever he was away from them, he run to the hospital wing. He knew it was only a matter of time before they cornered him. 'Only two more days.' he thought as he went up sleep after the first day.
The next day was even worse. Though he was reasonably sure that Malfoy was the only ashikabi in Hogwarts who would attack him, now there were a few pairs from Mahoutokoro that had been eyeing him ever since breakfast.
That night, it happened. Harry was walking up to the common room, when he heard someone shout a spell. Instinctively, he ducked into a deserted hallway, and found himself face to face with Akitsu.
"I'm sorry." she says blandly, "My master has given me my orders. You must be eliminated."
Harry ran back towards the main hall, but it was blocked with ice before he could make it. "Just give up. It will make this easier." she said calmly as she approached, "Yume won't be able to save you this time."
Before he could do anything, the wall of ice exploded behind him. "She sure knew what she was talking about."
"Homura." Akitsu says defensively.
"Shall we continue?" Homura says, flames engulfing his hand, "Or will you give up this fight as lost?"
Akitsu answers with a torrent of ice. Homura sighs and unleashes an identical torrent of fire. "Give up! You're ice and I'm fire. A fight between us would be pointless."
"Perhaps, but i don't need to beat you. Only him." she responds, shifting her aim towards Harry.
Homura hesitates and sends his flames a moment too late. Harry stares at the ice as it roars towards him. His vision is blocked by a white cloth.
"Don't get me wrong." Uzume says calmly, "You and Yume saved Fleur. I'm just repaying the favor."
Akitsu stares blankly at the new arrival. Uzume stares back, "What will you do, discarded number? Will you flee, or fight the both of us?"
Akitsu didn't answer, but slowly backed away from the two, and turned her back just as Harry lost consciousness.
"Poppy, perhaps you could give us a moment?" Dumbledore smiles as he walks into the hospital wing the next morning.
"I suppose that I can step out for a bite of breakfast." Pompfrey says to the aged teacher, "However, I will be returning as soon as I am finished, regardless of whether you are."
"I understand." he smiles. As the door closes he locks them in and smiles, "Ms. Granger, Mr. Dursley, how is he?"
"According to Madam Pompfrey, he was impaled in the side by a shard of ice. He lost consciousness from loss of blood, but he should be alright." Hermione explains.
"So I heard. I have already banished Ms. Akitsu from this castle. We are lucky that Ms. Uzume arrived in time to help." Dumbledore assures them, "However, I hope that Ms. Yume will be back to her usual standards."
"I've been fine since yesterday." Yume says angrily, "I'm glad that she gone or I'd have to kill her."
"Then I will be sure to have Poppy discharge you. I feared this might happen when you were hospitalized. I intended to keep an eye on him, but I'm sad to say I failed in that." Dumbledore sighs.
"Well, at least I've got someone looking out for me." Harry mutters sleepily, "I suppose that I have you to thank for my rescue?" he smiles at Yume.
"Naturally." she smirks, "That is my job, after all."
"I'm glad to see you awake." Dumbledore smiles at him, "You'll be happy to know that Ms. Akitsu has been removed from the grounds."
"I'm sure Malfoy loves that." Dudley chuckles.
"Surprisingly, he wasn't pleased." Dumbledore shrugs, "But I told him quite clearly that such thing would not be tolerated."
"Well, hopefully everything will return to normal once we get discharged." Harry sighs, falling back to sleep.
The weeks passed quickly. With the looming threat of a sekirei attack gone, and the security of having Yume back, Harry was on top of the world. Malfoy's expression when Harry walked into the great hall the next morning was priceless. The expression when Yume glared at him was better.
"Are you sure I can't clobber him?" she asked, batting her eyes.
"If he tries something, you have my permission to overreact." Harry assured her, and she cast another glance at Malfoy, who promptly fled the great hall, "Well, I don't see that happening anytime soon."
"A girl can dream." she shrugs.
Classes were better than ever. Less people wore the potter stinks badges since the first task, and those that remained were plagued by embarrassing pranks. (Which Fred, George, Sirius, and Shiina all claimed credit for.) They started spending every free moment in the library, searching for something to help him and Yume breath underwater.
These plans hit a roadblock in the middle of December, when McGonagall reminded him that he was expected to dance at the Yule ball.
"What am I supposed to do?" Harry sighs.
"Ask someone?" Yume smirks.
"Not funny." Harry glares, before inspiration hit him, "Will you go with me?"
"Sorry, but it wouldn't seem very professional for a bodyguard to accompany you." she sighs sadly, "But I'm sure you'll find someone."
"Like who?" Harry glares, until Hermione sits next to him. "Hermione, would you... er ,"
"I'd love to." she smiles.
"Brilliant." Harry says, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Hermione!" Ron called from across the common room, "You wanna go with me to the ball?"
"Sorry, but I've been invited by someone else." she says coldly.
"Come on, no need to lie. Just go with me. It'll be better than going alone." he says brightly, oblivious to the hostility in her voice.
"I already said I was going with someone else. And what makes you think that if ever go with you after you tried to drug me with love potion?" Hermione yells, drawing everyone's attention.
"Who else would invite you?" he replies coolly, as if no one would dare do such a thing.
"Me." Harry stands, stepping between his best friend and former best mate.
"What the hell?!" he yells, "I thought we were mates!"
"You thought wrong." Harry sneers, "First you drug Hermione, which you never even apologized for, and then you ditch me because you thought I entered myself in this stupid tournament. Hermione, Neville, the twins, and bloody Dudley have been better friends you these last few weeks!"
Ron stood there with his mouth wide open, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Harry took one last look at Ron, and sighed, "Ron, thanks for everything, but we're done."
Hermione states at Ron for a moment and walks out, Shiina follows after her, casting a vengeful glare at the Weasley youth. Harry turns and follows them, Yume and Dudley behind him.
The five walk straight to Ku's room. Once inside, Harry collapses into a chair. "Damn that sucked."
"I know." Hermione said sympathetically, "But it had to be said. I doubt either of us would have been able to forgive him. It's better this way."
"Doesn't make it suck any less." he sighs.
"What do you want to do?" Yume asks, handing out drinks.
"I'd rather stay out of the school for now. Maybe talk to Hagrid or play with Ku." harry mutters as he takes a sip.
"Let's go to Hogsmeade." Hermione says suddenly, "According to the twins, professor Dumbledore will let ashikabi into the village, provide they are with their sekirei. Fred and George visit Hikari and Hibiki every day."
"Perfect, Yume, can you get the map from my trunk? I want to know if they're still here." Harry says excitedly.
Yume returns a minute later giggling with the map. "Your dorm mates are interrogating Ron. Apparently no one knew that he tried to drug you."
"Almost wish I was still there." Harry smirks, pointing his wand at the parchment, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The map reappeared, and it took almost no time to find them. "Second floor, behind the statue of Og the Unclean.
The six walked up to the statue, which Harry tapped, saying, "Balneo." the statue started shine, and the wall behind it disappeared.
"Harry!" the twins said in unison, "How can we help you?"
"We're going to Hogsmeade. Wanna come?" Hermione smirked.
"Do you need to ask?" Fred laughed, "Besides, we used out last few stink pellets in the Slytherin common room."
"How did you get there?" Hermione gasped.
"Sirius hooked us up with this." George said, handing them an old piece of parchment, "It's the teachers' master list. Automatically shows the passwords to all common rooms and the prefects' bath."
"Doesn't show the password for Ravenclaw, though. Apparently the door asks a question "Fred shrugged, "One advantage is that we've got the password for Dumbledore's office too."
"Which means we'll be able to talk to him about giving you permission." George concludes leading them to the headmaster's gargoyle.
"Cockroach clusters." they said in unison. The gargoyle sprang aside, revealing the spiral staircase. "We'll be right back." Fred smirks.
Ten minutes later, they return, accompanied by the headmaster. "I understand that you wish to go into Hogsmeade?"
"Yes sir." Harry smiles, "Just need to get away from the stress of the tournament for a bit."
"Quite understandable." he nods, "Very well. However, please keep this out of the public knowledge. I cannot be perceived as playing favorites. And don't forget that you are still bound by curfew. If you wish, you may spend the night, but please send me an owl so I can reach you in case of an emergency."
"Thank you, sir." Harry says, and Yume takes them straight into the three broomsticks.
"Before we get drinks" Fred starts, "We'd best pick up the girls or they might really kill us this time."
His twin nods in agreement and leads them down a side street they'd never noticed and up to a Japanese style boarding house.
"Maison Izumo?" Hermione reads.
"Yup, but whatever you do, don't piss off the landlady." George warns as he knocks on the door.
The door slides open and a woman with long orange hair says, "Fred, George, I see you brought..." she stop abruptly.
"Matsu, this is Harry, his cousin Dudley, and Hermione. Also their sekirei, numbers eight, one hundred and seven, and one hundred and eight." Fred introduces them.
"Never thought I'd see you again, Yume." Matsu smirks.
"So I've heard Yume laughs, "Why are you so flushed? Are you still a pervert?"
Matsu hides her red face, "I am not a pervert! I am a scientist. I just happen to some science more than others!"
"I rest my case." Yume laughs.
"Who is it, Matsu?" a kind voice calls from the kitchen.
"The twins! And they brought friends!" she calls back, face still flushed.
A strikingly familiar woman steps into the hallway, wiping her hands on a rag. "Yume? This is quite the surprise." she smiles, motioning them into the house and walking into the room behind her
"The feeling's mutual." Yume says, following her closely, "I had no idea you lived her. We were just picking up the other twins. Though their comment about the scary landlady makes a lot more sense now."
Miya casts a quick glare at Fred and George, "You think I'm scary? I see..."
The twins paled and began begging, "We're sorry! It was a bad joke! Don't kill us!"
"I would never." Miya says, offended they would suggest such a thing.
"She's right." Matsu giggles, "She can do much worse."
The twins shared a look of terror and resumed their begging. Hibiki and Hikari look into the room and see their ashikabis. "What did you do?" they ask threateningly.
"Called Miya scary." Yume smirks to their horror.
"Enough." Miya says calmly and the four of them stop immediately, "Now, I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Miya, and I'm the landlady here at Maison Izumo."
"Harry Potter." Harry says, extending his hand, "I'm Yume's ashikabi."
"A pleasure." she smiles, shaking his hand and turning to Hermione.
"I'm Hermione granger. This is sekirei Number one hundred seven, Shiina." Hermione smiles, bowing slightly.
"I'm honored to meet you." Shiina bows deeply.
"No need to be so formal." she smiles, "And you are?" she asks Dudley, who was sitting nervously next to Ku.
"I'm Dudley." he says quietly.
"And I'm Ku!" she says excitedly.
"Glad to meet you all. I was quite impressed with your flying during the task. You are your father's son." Miya smiles sincerely.
"You knew my father?" Harry says surprised.
"Your mom was a senior researcher during the sekirei plan's infancy. She was a close friend. Naturally I met James on many occasions." she smiles sadly, then turns to Dudley, glaring slightly as a demonic face materializes behind her, "Though I'd heard rumors Petunia's family wasn't treating you well. If you'd like, I'd be happy to pay them a visit?"
"You heard right. But since he met Ku, Dudley has changed. He's been more supportive then several of my mates from Hogwarts." Harry said, clapping his cousin on the shoulder.
"You might need to pay my dad a visit though." Dudley mutters, "The only reason he didn't kill Ku was because I broke his nose."
Harry stared at him, "Damn I wish if been there."
"I'll be sure to stop by the next time I'm in surrey." she nods. Behind her the door opens, "Kagari! I didn't think you'd be back so soon."
The young man with white hair laughs, "What can I say? Someone stole my job." he says looking at Yume, who feigns innocence.
Harry stares at him, "Have we met before?"
Kagari's face flushes, "N-no. I'm Kagari."
Harry couldn't shake the feeling, but let it drop. They each introduce themselves, and the conversations break down as Miya brings in the food and drinks. Despite his best efforts, Kagari wouldn't look him in the eyes.
Hermione laughs at one of Matsu's stories, and then looks at the clock on the wall. "Harry, we've better go."
Harry nods, and the group gets up. "Thanks for everything, Ms. Miya. And thanks again for saving us from the dragon." Harry says, shaking her hand again.
"Stop by anytime. I was a real pleasure to talk with all of you." she smiles as Yume takes them all up to the school.
Kagari breathes a sigh of relief once they've left. Matsu seems torn between following them and staying. Miya turns to the two sekirei, "What will you two do?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kagari says firmly, running from the room.
Matsu is quiet for a moment, then sighs, "I'm sorry, Miya. I'm going to my ashikabi."
Miya smiles, and hands a piece of parchment to her, "James potter gave me this years ago. You should find it useful. And there should be a secret passage into the castle inside Honeydukes cellar."
Matsu opens it and smiles, "Thank you, Miya. I'm off!" she says, running through the streets towards the sweet shop.
The group arrives in the empty Gryffindor common room. "I'm surprised. It's not even curfew yet." Fred remarks as he walks towards the portrait.
"Harry, what are you going to do?" Hermione asks, yawning.
"I'm going to take a quick shower and go to bed." he sighs, "Though I think I'll borrow the prefects' bath. I'd rather not risk running into Ron."
"I think I'll do the same." Hermione smiles as she towards the girls' dormitories, "Good night, Harry."
"Good night Hermione." Harry says, walking quickly up towards the dorms to get a change of robes, and then leaving for the prefect's bathroom.
"Damn this thing is tight." Matsu complains as she climbs through the passage way. Once she'd managed, she looks at the map in her hand and found her target. "Taking a shower. I can already tell this will be fun." she giggles as she crept through the halls.
Harry was enjoying the feeling of hot water in the secluded prefects' bathroom, when the door opened. Harry didn't think much of it, until he was attacked.
Next chapter, a sekirei emerges and the Yule Ball. Plus a very bad meeting with a murderer.
