Fair warning: Don't expect to see Shiori's reaction to the letter immediately. Remember how long it took for Harry to receive an answer from Sirius when he was hiding abroad? Japan is very far from England. It'll take some time for the letter to reach Shiori.

I own neither Harry Potter nor Yu Yu Hakusho.

o.*.o.*.o.*.o.*.o.*.o

Kurama quickly disenchanted. Mostly because Reikai apparently didn't know where Tom Riddle was either, but also because though he now had allies from Reikai which meant that a solution could be found much faster, it also meant that he had to decide on a lie for his family and he had no idea what to invent. It needed to be both credible and grave enough that it explained his absolute silence. He was starting to consider lying about being kidnapped, only he knew it would make things chaotic in his family if he came back covered in blood with (self-inflicted) wounds, and a story of an at least two months long kidnapping. His mother would be both sad and panicky, his step-father would probably be overly cautious about what he should say and how he should act around him, and he couldn't even begin to guess how his little brother would react. The young human boy was sometimes unpredictable, and Kurama hadn't known him long enough to figure him out completely. That was the downside of getting a brother not long before you left the family house to live on your own. The fact that Shuichi was very private, like most teenagers, but also remarkably calm and introspective didn't help matters.

Kurama was very careful around his little brother, but at least he was protected by his own private shell made up of carefully intertwined lies. Out of the two of them Kurama knew he was the harder nut to crack.

The problem was that his web of lies would have been shaken while he was away, and he had no way to know how badly.

Still, he decided that since things were finally moving he wouldn't panic. He would find a solution to all his problems, like he always did, and he would keep his calm at all cost. He needed to be calm so he could be efficient, it had always been this way. Yusuke hadn't been able to change that about him. Apparently only the man's recklessness was contagious, which worked badly for Kurama when he tried to add it to his own strategies. Which meant Kurama had to fall back on what had kept him alive for millennia; careful planning.

Which was what he was going to do right now. He was going to meet with some Grims, for the third time that week if he counted the first accidental meeting, and he was trying very hard not to think about what clauses of the summoning he could be breaking. He had been doing a lot of meditation and attempts at self-convincing this week. For each meeting he had to negotiate with the magic binding him.

Technically he was not meeting with people coming from Reikai, but people he had encountered in England, not to mention that he wasn't trying to get out of England (that one had taken a fair bit of convincing). He was only trying to get rid of Riddle, and Kurama had been quick to notice that the summoning did not forbid him to go against the annoying human. Albus had told him that out of the two, the binding ritual was most likely the spell meant to restrict his actions. Said ritual had failed, which meant Kurama was allowed to kill Riddle if he so desired. Now, if Koenma and Enki would give him the green light as well...

See? He wasn't trying to leave England was he? He had things to do here after all.

Kurama reached the border of the forbidden forest, and entered its protective shadows after checking that no one could see him. There shouldn't be anyone to see him, it was only breakfast and Harry Ron and Hermione were too taken by a letter the messy haired boy had received to care about where he was.

He ran deeper into the forest, ignoring the sounds of hooves not that far away from his position, until he came upon a large clearing. He felt a smile light up his face when he saw who was here. Aside from Daïf, whom he had met at his second meeting with Grims, and an unknown green-haired Ferry-Girl, there was a blue haired girl wearing a pink yukata waving at him energetically, and a boy with slicked back hair grinning at him. Yusuke waved lazily at him with the hand holding his cigarette, sending a few ashes to the ground. Kurama could smell the smoke from where he was, it was the brand Yusuke always used, and the fox was struck by how he had missed it. To think that he had the hardest time tolerating it back in Japan!

"Fox-Boy! Missed us?"

Japanese... Dearly missed Japanese language...

"Yusuke, Botan, I didn't know you would come!"

"Well yeah... Hiei said something about not telling you. Said you'd avoid us if you knew we'd come. Something about some blasted wards messing with your head or something. But hey! We're not here to get you back right? We're here to end one more megalomaniac. Been there, done that. Easy right?"

Kurama could have laughed out of pure relief.

"Though, fair warning, I came here to tell you that it's a mess back home. Kuwabara says your brother suspects something. That he noticed he's missing memories."

Kurama's optimism dropped some hundred feats below ground. He turned to Botan.

"I thought Koenma assured me that he would deal with replacing my brother's memories?" Said the red-head accusingly.

"He did! But Reikai rarely encountered this sort of possession... Usually we replace memories of short events, like a day or something. We don't normally have to replace weeks worth of memories..."

"Wait, Kurama... I thought you wiped his memory yourself?" Said Yusuke.

"I didn't. I trusted Reikai with it, since I can only wipe memory, which leaves a noticeable trace, as opposed to filling the void. I didn't dare ask Hiei since he was working with Mukuro at the time and we were supposed to be enemies. I could have put him, and myself into quite a spot of trouble had we been discovered... And now I realise I should have taken the risk."

Kurama was trying his hardest not to blame Botan, who hadn't been the one charged of changing Shuichi's memories. He took a deep breath.

"I'll deal with this in due time. Now about Riddle and my current situation?"

Daïf, who was the first organized Reikai employee Kurama had ever met, frowned in annoyance and answered him with his heavily accented Japanese.

"Better get the bad news out of the way. We still haven't found him, and Koenma, in agreement with Enki, forbids you to try killing him."

Kurama saw red.

"Are they saying that I am to remain stuck in my situation eternally?"

Yusuke and Botan both looked nervously in his direction, having heard the underlying danger in his words. Daïf was either oblivious or he didn't care, and answered him straight-faced.

"Nana here can tell you exactly what he said." The green-haired Ferry-Girl shot the fox yōkai an apprehensive look. "She is our messenger with Japan."

"He... He said there was a prophecy concerning Tom Riddle... He also said prophecies always happen as they are meant to, and that you won't be able to kill Riddle, even if you had an army with you... Ci... Circumstances will get in your way... if you try to kill him."

"Is he saying I am unable to kill him?" Said Kurama disbelievingly.

The girl nodded and tried to hide behind Daïf who rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Well, it's as she just said. Basically the prophecy says that the only person who can kill Riddle is a boy named Harry Potter." Kurama did a double-take. "And even if you try with all your might, you will not have any luck in getting Riddle's head. Literally. Prophecies can't be broken, they are an attempt of Fate to repair itself. Riddle made a mess of the afterlife and the cycle of reincarnation, and Fate choose Harry Potter to repair everything. If you try, even if you have Riddle ensnared in your plants, there will always be something that will make it impossible for you to kill him. You could trip, or sneeze, or anything, and he'll get away. That's how it is. Which is why you are forbidden to even try, unless you want to get killed or captured again."

Kurama tried his very best not to snap at the Grim that he didn't sneeze during a fight.

"So I can't do anything." Gritted Kurama. Yusuke cringed.

"No. The only thing we can do is find a way to make it impossible for Riddle to summon you again. That way you will at least be able to move about England without worrying about being summoned back. It's lucky that you made friends with Albus Dumbledore. He is the greatest wizard of his time. He can surely find a solution. On our side we will ask some Reikai specialists in wards, and also some yōkai for help."

Yusuke grinned and clapped Kurama on the back encouragingly.

"They're gonna put Suzuki on the case. That guy's great when it comes to inventing things. But he won't be working alone. Hiei will have to work with him, since he's a ward specialist. Hiei's going to be pissed when we tell him."

"He wasn't told about the arrangement?"

"No way! He'd do anything to avoid it if we told him in advance!" Snickered Yusuke. "Also, both will come to England to work on this, so if you've got some info on the summoning or anything, you can tell them about it. You should even be able to contact Hiei mentally once he's here. I can't leave my ramen cart full time, I have a rent to pay, but I'll drop by too."

This really touched Kurama. He knew that Yusuke couldn't take on long jobs in the supernatural like when he was in school. Yusuke had become much more responsible, and he wanted to prove to Keiko's parent's that he wouldn't become a weight for their precious daughter. He was trying to become an adult, and Kurama admired that about him. Yusuke, while still very young in body and mind, had grown a lot since they first met. Nowadays he was someone Keiko could rely on.

And yet here he was reminding Kurama that he also could rely on him. He was ready to juggle between a normal life and the supernatural again if it meant helping a friend.

Kurama wasn't really sure what he had done to deserve such a great friend...

"What should I say to the wizards? Should they be informed that I have friends helping me?"

"Obviously the Reikai shouldn't be mentioned." Answered Daïf. "If people knew about the organisation ruling the After-Life things could get even messier than they already are. We really don't need any-more complications. But since the barrier between the Makai and the Human World has fallen, there is really no reason to keep the Makai's existence a secret. Humans are bound to find out about yōkai sooner or later. And if this is bound to happen, then it would be better if the first humans informed are both influential and understanding, like Albus Dumbledore."

Which meant Kurama was allowed to introduce Hiei and Suzuki to Albus if them working together made it possible to find a solution faster. Good to know. Between Hiei and Kurama himself, the wards would be bypassed. The two of them did make a great team when it came to breaking wards and rules. Add in Suzuki and his ingenuity, and Albus all his impressive knowledge on magic and this could even become a walk in the park. Well, hopefully. And Kurama didn't dare get his hopes up too soon...

"I... Should get back."

Kurama really didn't want to leave and return to speaking English, eating English food, and not having anything to remind him of home. From the way Botan was smiling a bit sadly she understood that perfectly. She had been working with them for years, and supported them from the sidelines. She knew "her boys" as she sometimes called them.

"You don't want to be late for class right?"

Yusuke looked like he was about to make a sarcastic remark, but he stopped himself in time. Botan fidgeted a bit, then she hugged Kurama tightly.

"You better be careful. I'm ready to give you hell if I have to ferry your soul in the near future. I'll drop by to visit."

Her pink eyes were intent and her bubbly personality was back. Kurama smiled.

"I will try to keep out of trouble. Then, until next time."

Leaving the clearing was painful, but nothing he couldn't handle.

He ran back out of the forest, purposefully ignoring the movements at the edge of his vision. He still sent out a warning flare of his yōki, feeling a small amount of satisfaction when he heard a cry that was half-human half-neigh. A centaur had probably gotten stuck in some plant.

One thing Kurama liked about magical plants was their reactivity and their protective tendencies. He would take as many seeds and samples as possible before this was over and he could finally get home.

Feeling a bit better, he knew he would be able to keep a pleasant façade once he got to his first class.

o.*.o.*.o.*.o.*.o.*.o

For Harry, the most important talk of the day concerned their animagi project. Kurama and he had debated how to tell Hermione in order to get her hooked on their plan.

In the end Kurama had pointed out that they should warn Ron first, so he wouldn't feel left out, being the last one told, but also because Hermione usually listened to her two best friends when Harry and Ron tried to get her to do something against the rules. Having Ron's help in convincing her would be invaluable.

Harry told Kurama he would talk to Ron during the break before Charms. For this, they had chosen an empty classroom, where they would not be caught talking about something illegal. Kurama for his part had told him he would distract Hermione, and get some catch up work done with her help at the same time.

Hermione had not suspected anything of course, since Harry and Ron usually found somewhere else (far away) to be when homework was mentioned. Their timely absence was nothing abnormal in her eyes.

Which meant Harry could explain the research Kurama had been doing on animagi to Ron, and how Harry himself also wanted to become one, though he'd prefer if it was with his two best friends, and how he had no idea how to convince Hermione to help.

Ron's reaction, though at first a bit angry because Harry hadn't told him sooner, became understanding when Harry mentioned that Kurama hadn't wanted to tell anyone until he knew it was possible. Ron had said something about "that bloke still not trusting them", but his tone had been more annoyed than angry, and Harry had been able to explain what exactly they had found in the library so far. Once they had passed this difficult stage of the conversation, the rest went smoothly. Ron was very motivated by the prospect of becoming an animagus himself, and had exclaimed that "this was something none of his brothers had done, not even the twins" which meant that it was a secret he would have for himself, something he could do that all his brilliant older brothers couldn't, something he could be proud of.

They now needed to convince Hermione, which would be altogether harder to do. But with Ron and Kurama on his side? Harry knew it was possible.

They decided to talk to her during lunch break, because they knew the foreign schools would arrive in the evening and they would have other subjects to talk about then. They also established that they really couldn't risk getting overheard, and they guided a bemused Hermione to yet another empty classroom, one that had apparently been used for potion-making once upon a time, and really Harry couldn't begin to guess why Snape didn't use this one, with its beautiful view of the lake instead of the one in the dungeons.

Kurama was looking around with a pondering look (one might even say plotting), and for once Harry could easily imagine what the other was thinking. This room already had some of the necessary potion equipment, and probably all the magical safety measures that came with it, and it was situated in a part of the castle that was rarely used these days. It was perfect for what they were planning.

Hermione spotted the looks Harry and Kurama exchanged, as well as the eager one on Ron's face, and seemed suddenly somewhat wary.

"I'm not certain I like the faces you are all making right now."

"You will, I know you will Mione." Grinned Ron. "When those two told me I thought they were bonkers. The sort of bonkers the twins are! Or you know... Snuffles."

Now, Hermione's eyebrows were pretty much reaching her hairlines. Kurama looked as if he didn't entirely understand the reference, but was not overly concerned by the fact that they were keeping something secret from him.

"You are not suggesting what I think you are." It was almost a warning. "It is illegal."

Harry jumped in.

"Yeah, well it didn't make Snuffles or Prongs big bad criminals did it?"

"Well.. No."

Hermione probably felt uncomfortable saying otherwise, like every time Harry mentioned his father of even his mother. Harry knew she didn't want to hurt his feelings, and right now he was ready to use this to get her to agree with him. He desperately wanted to try becoming an animagus himself, to better understand the world Sirius and his father lived in.

Kurama softly interceded in their favour.

"Hermione, I may be new to the wizarding world, but from what I understand Voldemort..." Hermione and Ron both winced. "...is still a threat. Albus warned me about him, and told me I could be targeted simply for being his cousin. But it seems to me that Harry is in a position much more dangerous, being the one that once defeated Voldemort."

"Stop saying that name!" Hissed Ron. Kurama ignored him.

"And you and Ron could also be used to get to him. I think it might be best to have as many hidden cards as possible in your deck early in the game, rather than have to improvise in the last minute. If it makes you feel better, you can always declare yourself after the threat posed by Voldemort is completely gone."

Now Hermione was biting her lips in thought, probably tempted by the offer of learning advanced transfiguration under the pretext of preparing themselves against any potential threat.

Ron and Harry really were much more of a bad influence on her than they thought, for it really didn't take long for her to make up her mind.

"I... As much as it pains me to admit it, I see your point."

"Will you help then?" Asked Harry and Ron at the same time.

Hermione flushed, and tried to keep a prideful expression.

"I am not breaking the law! I will declare myself when I think the time is right!"

"But you won't declare us right?" Grinned Ron.

The girl looked as if she wanted to pout, and Harry snickered.

"Brilliant! I wonder what animal we'll be?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"We won't know until we actually transform. Now, can I see the book Harry? Knowing Kurama you probably started your research already."

The red-head smiled innocently and took out the thick volume. He opened it on the page describing the time necessary to become an animagus and gave it to the girl.

Hermione looked at the date of the book, and read the part Kurama showed her quickly, brows furrowed and lips pinched.

The three boys waited and fidgeted the entire time.

When Hermione was finished, she frowned.

"This is pretty old... Two years? I doubt it took that long for professor McGonagall. She told me she did it during her seventh year if I remember correctly. It was work for a thesis she was writing on Human Transfiguration..."

"How do you know that?" Asked Ron, surprised by how much she knew on their transfiguration professor.

"I asked her of course. In our first year even."

"Oh."

"Anyway, two years seems unlikely. McGonagall would know... I could always ask for her thesis. She probably wouldn't suspect a thing since I already showed some interest in it before."

"No." Immediately said Kurama. "The risk of her discovering our plan is too great. She must have a copy of her thesis in her office, or it could be in the library. We'll get it that way. Do you know of a spell that creates copy of an object? That way we can leave the original in place."

"I do know one, but it's very advanced and I don't think I could do it. Not to mention that the copy disappears after a while."

"Then we take it, copy it the old-fashioned way, and return it where we found it. There are four of us, so copying the interesting parts by hand shouldn't take too much time."

Which meant they would have to search McGonagall's office, McGonagall being one of the stricter professor in the School... If they were caught...

They all exchanged firm looks (though a little less firm in Hermione's case). Yes, it really wasn't enough to make them back down.

o.*.o.*.o.*.o.*.o.*.o

"Weasley, straighten your hat, Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair. Follow me, please," said Professor McGonagall. "First years in front...no pushing..."

A hat. A pointed hat. Granted that one didn't talk, nor did it peek into your memories, but Kurama didn't like it anyway. They all looked ridiculous in his opinion. Thank the kami they didn't have to wear those during most of the school year. But it seemed that hosting two foreign schools was not like any official event. They needed to show off for it. And in the wizarding world showing off was a bit different than in the Makai, or the Muggle world Kurama had grown up in.

Kurama could really appreciate theatrics if they showed off your power (whether physical, intellectual, political, economical, or anything actually helpful), but he really couldn't understand how the pointed hats were useful in that matter.

McGonagall's eyes fell on him, and she frowned. However the frown was more thoughtful than resentful for once.

"You are a bit too tall to stay with the fourth year..."

Ah... True, his situation was a bit abnormal.

"And too old as well."

"What should I do then?"

Asked Kurama, trying to sound as neutral as possible. Albus approached with a smile and patted his shoulder in support.

"Why don't you go with the Weasley twins and the other sixth years? You are about their height."

"Shouldn't he stand with the seventh years with how old he is?" Asked McGonagall.

"It won't matter. The other schools won't memorize where everyone was standing outside. Let him stay with his friends."

McGonagall nodded and guided him to where the sixth years were standing. She stopped far away enough from the sixth year students so as to not be heard, and right before she left she shot him a severe look.

"Your promise not to hurt any student in this school, do you intend to apply it to the foreign students?"

Her voice was so low that Kurama actually had to strain his hearing to catch what she said what with all the noise around. The fox grimaced and whispered back.

"Contrary to what wizards believe, yōkai kind is not composed sorely of monsters that eat human flesh. My kind has never eaten humans before, and I would gain nothing from turning on you and your kind. So would you stop suspecting me?"

McGonagall didn't even twitch.

"I do trust Albus, but I needed to hear it from you."

So she could wave his words in his face if he slipped wasn't it?

"This line here is where you'll wait. I think I see the twins right here too."

She said, pointing to two ginger-haired heads some feet away from them. She then left to organize the rest of the students.

This woman was hard to win over wasn't she? No matter, this situation was temporary after all.

"Kurama? You're staying with us? How come?"

Asked Lee, obviously surprised to see him join them.

"For appearance's sake. I don't look like a fourth year."

Twin wry smiles.

"Well, yeah..."

"... You do look too old."

"Though it's nice to have you with us Fox."

To hear this nickname coming from another mouth than that of Hiei or Yusuke, even translated in English, gave him a pang of bitter melancholy. He was already missing this morning it would seem.

"Say, oh cunning friend of ours, we still haven't solved our financial problem..."

"You know, the one we told you about?"

"The one about you two getting swindled during a bet at the World Cup?" Asked Kurama. "I thought you sent the man a letter."

"He isn't answering. And he could still have made a mistake when he gave us Leprechaun gold. Anyway, we thought we'd ask an almost Slytherin for help."

Kurama looked at them with a kind but somewhat pitying smile.

"The way I see it he is doing all he can to avoid you. You have been swindled, it probably wasn't a mistake at all. Lee even agrees with me."

Lee nodded.

"Yeah, and you two are way too nice to him in your letters. My dad's in the same situation. Bagman never paid him for the bet he won, and Dad's a lot less polite in his letters to him."

"Anyway! Any idea Fox?"

"Blackmail."

An answer worthy of Yōko Kurama, or of a Slytherin.

"If I understand correctly this Ludo Bagman has quite the reputation as an ex-quidditch player and current Head a department of the Ministry of magic. If it was leaked that he swindled teenage boys in a bet they won fair and square it would make quite the scandal."

"Are you mad! If Mom found out that we participated in a bet..."

"She doesn't need to. I meant that you could always use bluff. After all, as long as the man believes you will spread the story it might be enough to get him to crack."

The twins still looked somewhat unconvinced, perhaps because they could not imagine that a famous ex-quidditch player could do such a thing being the quidditch fans they were. Kurama was about ready to solve the problem himself if those two didn't open their eyes. He could be very convincing when he wanted, and from what Albus had told him that Monday, Ludo Bagman was one of the judges for the Tournament.

Their talk had allowed them to ignore the long wait and the cold, thankfully. Especially since Kurama was somewhat weak to cold weather (he would never share that weakness it in front of Toya), and the weakening plant-life that came with winter.

Their attention was attracted by some shouts of surprise and fingers pointed toward the sky, and they lifted their heads.

A gigantic flying carriage pulled by palomino horses the size of elephants... Kurama had seen many strange things in his life, and wasn't exactly fazed... But it was still a new experience for him to witness such sights surrounded by humans on all sides. The last time he had was some centuries ago, when he clashed against goblins and had the occasion to see a few sights of the wizarding world. Centuries were long enough to become unfamiliar with anything.

The door of the carriage opened. A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage and fumbled to unfold a set of golden steps. Once he was done he sprang back respectfully and a woman as tall as Hagrid left the carriage. As Albus started to applaud, followed by the professors and the student body, she smiled graciously and advanced toward the Headmaster extending a hand covered in jewels that Albus gracefully kissed despite the height difference which could have made the situation ridiculous.

"My dear Madame Maxime, welcome to Hogwarts."
"Dumbly-dort," The French accent was so strong that Kurama had to replay the sentence in his head to understand that she meant Albus. "I 'ope I find you well?"
"In excellent form, I thank you." said Dumbledore.
"My pupils..."

She said while extending her arm to the students all dressed in pale blue behind her that seemed to be suffering from the cold even more than Kurama was.

A breeze made them all shiver and brought two interesting smells over to Kurama. One was similar to Hagrid, and not completely human, and obviously came from the Headmistress from Beauxbatons ("half-giants" said a corner of his mind). The other smell was also familiar, and came from one of the students behind her. Kurama's eyes searched for her... His eyes met deep blue ones.

This smell was that of a veela hanyou. He could feel some traces of yōki curling around her, though it was weak, nothing compared to pure-blooded veelas.

Veelas weren't originally from Ningenkai. Like a few different magical creatures, they had lived in Makai once upon a time, and Kurama was no virgin. Veelas were weak demons that had the power to ensnare men with their yōki. Kurama was mostly unaffected by this, as their yōki was too weak to do anything to him, not to mention that he had learned to control his thoughts and his body utterly so they wouldn't betray him at a crucial time a long time ago. Still, he was a few thousand years old, and he couldn't have passed by thousands mating seasons without getting laid at least once. And Veelas were beautiful. Though he had always made sure that none of the women he slept with ended up with children. As a thief, it had been a responsibility he hadn't wanted. Seeing that half-veela child (for she was so young, even younger than Yusuke) was somewhat nostalgic.

He idly wondered what a half-veela half-silver kitsune child would have looked like. He had a pretty good idea... Keeping men at bay would have been a pain...

As the foreign students entered the hall, following their Headmistress, the blues eyes finally left him, though her yōki lingered, surrounding him in a way that was clearly intentional.

The moment the twins managed to get out of their stupor, having been transfixed by the veela girl, they turned toward Kurama with devious grins on their faces.

"You my good man have to bless your foxy looks."

Kurama wasn't exactly of the same opinion... Girls had been a pain in high school, and he had been happy when this part of his life had ended. They were just that, girls. Children. Way too young for him, not even full adults yet in human years! Sleeping with one of them could be called paedophilia knowing his real age.

A sound attracted his attention toward the lake before any of the students could hear it. It was very weak at first, and only his hearing as a fox had allowed him to catch it. It slowly became stronger until everybody could hear it. It was a sucking, watery sound, like when one empty a bathtub.

"The lake! Look at the lake!"

Shouted Lee to the rest of the students, momentarily deafening Kurama at the same time.

The surface of the lake, which was very smooth usually, was now agitated by a large whirlpool. What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool, then the rigging... In a few moments a mast was floating at the centre of the lake. It bobbed a bit until the waters calmed down, then it magically glided toward the bank (it never opened its sails).

From the boat disembarked the students and their Headmaster, all clad in thick furs that made them seem bulkier than they probably were.

When they reached the Hogwarts students, the Headmaster, recognizable by the silver fur he wore (Kurama internally twitched) and his own silvery hair, smiled brightly at Albus.

"Dumbledore! How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff."

Professor Karkaroff's smile, Kurama noticed, did not reach his eyes at all, and his show of friendliness was probably more of a front than anything.

"Dear old Hogwarts. How good it is to be here, how good...Viktor, come along, into the warmth...you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..."

Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students, who left the ranks of his fellow schoolmates to stand by his Headmaster's side. Whispers rose all around them, and Lee, George and Fred all gasped in concert.

"Blimey... It's Krum! Victor Krum!"

Kurama didn't try to point out that he didn't understand. The three seemed to have fallen into fanboy mode, which meant it was probably quidditch related, and the fox really wasn't keen on talking about nothing but quidditch for the rest of the evening. If they did that he would escape them and go eat with Neville.

"We need to get his autograph somehow..."

Kurama let out a long-suffering sigh. Eating with Neville did seem like the best perspective at the moment.

He was quick to excuse himself when they all entered the castle, but the twins and Lee barely seemed to notice at all.

When Neville saw his relieved face when Kurama found him, he smiled understandingly and pointed at Dean and Seamus who were asking anyone that passed by them for a quill.

"You're just on time... I wanted to escape them..."

Kurama laughed softly.

"Well... How about we talk botany tonight?"

Neville grinned.

o.*.o.*.o.*.o.*.o.*.o

Armin: name from the middle age, deformation of the Frankish name Herman (army + man) that came with the Norman invasion. Names from Frank origins were popular in Normandy in the early Middle Age of France.

Which means that in my head the Grim Armin did start working for Reikai sometime in the Middle Age, and never got rid of his accent.

Answer to Mischief2459 (guest): Since you are a guest I couldn't answer you directly, so here is my answer to your question "I thought that Moody knew Kurama was a demon at all that, why is he asking Harry and Nevile to write a letter to Kurama's parents?"; I can't tell. But be sure that he knows what he's doing. What his plan is will be revealed later in the fic ;) Sorry if my answer wasn't very informative, but I can't give anymore spoilers, since I'm answering directly in a chapter that everybody can read, meaning I would spoil everyone ^^" . Still, thank you very much for your review! It was kind of you to leave one!