You know I love you all, right? Reading all of your reviews was so much fun lol. I guess I thought it was pretty obvious what I was doing, but I was wrong apparently. Sorry lol, I do have the obvious advantage of knowing the plot sooo... But it's nice to know that you all won't hesitate to voice your concern :)

I'll just say this – I named this fic as such because of a reason lol. This is seriously a fic based around secrets, half-truths, and lies and how the characters deal with it. Kagome's not being entirely truthful about everything's she's saying... picture it as she's giving Harry crumbs off the whole cookie. There's some more – something other than the whole, miko and time traveling thing. I won't say anymore cause I won't ruin the story for you lol. Point is, take what you read with a grain of salt - not eveything is as it seems ;)

Anyways, and as always loves: Read, Review, and of course – ENJOY! XD

P.S. - Shout out to I like blueberry pie, you know, for making me laugh and being cool like that haha ;)

Disclaimer:I do not own, nor claim to own, anything pertaining to Inuyasha nor Harry Potter. Just the ideas that pop into my mind ;) And if you recognize anything – well, you know where I got it from by now lol

—Visitors From the Past—

Hogwarts was in a noticeably different state by the time the thirtieth of October arrived.

During the past week, there was only one topic of conversation: the Triwizard Tournament. Rumors about said tournament went flying from who was going to enter, to what it would involve, to how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would differ from themselves.

Aside from that, Hogwarts itself had a bit of spiffing up, someone deciding it needed a step further in cleaning. Portraits were scrubbed clean much to their subjects displeasure, suits of armor were gleaming and oiled, and anyone so much as five feet within Filch would get snapped at for dirtying the floors which he so passionately cleaned.

But despite how crazy things were getting at Hogwarts, Kagome's good mood would not be deterred so easily.

One secret of many was off her shoulders, and though it might not seem much, it was one less thing she had to worry about.

And she didn't even have to go into the history of the jewel; Hermione gladly did it for her, dashing off to look for books the moment Kagome told them – well, after first hugging Kagome and thanking her for trusting them enough to tell them, before following up with reprimand for waiting so long to tell them about the kidnap attempt. Of course.

Kagome shook her head wryly – you can always count on Hermione for taking the initiative...

And not only that, Kagome found out exactly what Shippo had meant by an 'old friend' that past Monday when they all went down to Hagrid's for a visit.

Unfortunately, her good mood ran out by the end of the week.

It was after lunch that same day she told the trio and Luna about the Shikon, that Kagome found herself sitting next to Harry. They were perched on the wall, looking out from their spot.

"So," Harry began, glancing at Kagome, "There was another reason for why I confronted you," he admitted quietly, fiddling with a stray string at the sleeve of his robe.

Kagome snorted, and peered at him teasingly. "You mean cornered me," she deadpanned.

Harry coughed lightly, sheepish. "Anyway," Harry muttered quickly, and decided the blunt approach was best. "It's about Voldemort."

Kagome blinked blankly at first, and then stiffened slightly when it finally registered. "Oh?"

Harry nodded quickly, and looked away and out into the horizon. "You know how we have a...past, right?" he said, scowling at his own words.

Kagome nodded slowly, studying him. She bit her lip, realizing something – it didn't take a genius to see where this was going... why he brought her here alone. "Harry, look, you shouldn't feel obligated to tell me anything just because I did," she said softly.

Harry glanced at her, surprised as well as sad – remembering what happened always did that to him. But he shook his head, "No, I want to," he assured her. "I mean, yeah, it wouldn't feel right if I didn't tell anything, but still – you should know this."

Kagome stared at him, unsure, but relented. "Okay," she murmured in a soft whisper.

Harry took a deep breath. "Okay," he repeated, steadying himself. "So, first off, what you should know is Voldemort really wants to kill me. '

"Do you know why?" Kagome asked gently. "I've always wondered that – I mean, you were only a baby."

Harry snorted derisively. "None whatsoever," he grumbled bitterly. "All I know is that on Halloween of '81, Voldemort came to my house. He-" Harry swallowed thickly here, and Kagome felt the urge to move closer to him.

Hesitation was etched on her face, but she pushed past the uncertainty to scoot over and wrap an arm around him in a one-armed hug, to offer him some sort of encouraging comfort.

Harry stiffened at the unexpected embrace, but slowly, he relaxed into it. Before, the only people who had ever hugged him was Mrs. Weasley and Hermione, and even that was rare. It was... new, and it was still something he wasn't completely used to.

So it was funny when he realized it wasn't as awkward when Kagome hugged him, just as it wasn't uncomfortable when she made this gesture in an attempt to comfort. It was, in all actuality, helpful.

He didn't put much thought into why it was so – no, he just chalked it up to him getting used to it. Giving it any more thought would only complicate things...

Harry took another deep breath, before plowing on. "He killed my dad first – then he went to my room, where my mum and I was. He..." he choked on the words, fists clenching. "I remember this part myself – there were dementors last year, and they affect me more because of what happened. And the first time I came across one, it brought back the memories and I heard her – my mum – screaming. Pleading for my life..." Harry's voice dropped into a soft, haunted whisper.

Kagome frowned pensively, sympathy etched on her face, and she gave Harry a comforting squeeze.

"She could have saved herself, you know?" he said suddenly, glancing at her, green eyes churning with heavy emotion. "Voldemort gave her a chance – to step away and let him kill me. She didn't have to die."

Kagome's eyes widened, realization dawning as it registered what he was feeling. Survivor's guilt – something she was more than familiar with... "Harry," she began gently. "No mother could do that – to step aside and watch a man murder her own child to save her own life," she told him with the utmost conviction. "They would have to be heartless – selfish."

She would know – if it was between her and Shippo, she would die before she let anything happen to him. She would gladly sacrifice herself for him to live – defend him until her last breath. Even now, when he's all grown up.

Their eyes locked for a moment, green eyes searching blue, before, after a moment, Harry slowly nodded; not so much as accepting but instead acknowledging that. "Yeah, you're right..." he murmured. "My mum sacrificed herself for me – Voldemort used the killing curse on her, before using it on me..." he trailed off, and Kagome's grip tightened at those words. "Something went wrong. Dumbledore says because my Mum sacrificed herself out of love for me, it created some sort of protection. The curse rebounded and hit Voldemort, killing him – or rather, his body," he corrected after a moment.

Kagome shut her eyes – it was like Naraku all over again. Bastards just didn't know when to die and stay dead.

"He's coming back," Harry said in a somber, severe tone. "He's coming back, and he's after me," he gritted out, before turning to Kagome. "Just like he's after you," Harry told her seriously.

Kagome stiffened, eyes snapping open in shock as her head whipped towards him. "What?" The words tumbled out dripping with disbelief. It was his tone that got her – he wasn't voicing an opinion, but a fact.

Harry nodded deeply. "I've been having these dreams – and at first, I thought I was imagining things. Just nightmares, but now, I'm not so sure. I dreamnt of Voldemort having a meeting. He was talking to this man – Crabbe. He was sent to talk to you."

Kagome's face drained of any color, shocked. "Crabbe? Like the boy in Slytherin? Vincent?" she blurted out in an incredulous, soft voice. "And – but, this man, he was dragging me down an alley," she argued, "That's not someone wanting to talk."

Harry snorted. "Yeah, I think he's Vincent's dad – but he messed up. Instead of making an offer of Voldemort's interest in you, he tried taking you instead. Voldemort wasn't happy," he said darkly. "From the looks of it, Voldemort is not the type to take failure well and he likes to hand out Crucios like they're candy – even if it's on one of his followers," he explained at Kagome confused look.

Horror and disgust passed through her face.

Harry agreed with her wholeheartedly. It took a pretty sadistic bastard to torture his own supporters. "He doesn't only want that jewel Kagome," he said in a severe, slow tone. "He wants you too – dead or alive, it doesn't matter," he told her seriously.

Kagome snorted, groaning in a mix of exasperation and frustration. "What's new?" she muttered under her breath tiredly. "Let's just say it wouldn't be my first run in with someone after this," she explained at his raised eyebrow, tapping at the curvacious object hiding beneath her shirt.

"Ah," Harry murmured thoughtfully. "You know, this was the first time I ever had to explain this to someone..." he admitted in an idle whisper after a moment. "Everyone already knew – they even knew before I did..."

Kagome blinked, and turned to him, shocked. "How?"

Harry shook his bangs out from his eyes. "I was sent to live with my Aunt and her family, because of the protection my mum made. It's linked with blood, so it wards the house apparently. But thing is - they're non-magical. Actually, they might be the definition of everything normal and not magical," he muttered darkly.

Kagome grimaced, "Sounds horrid," she remarked sympathetically.

Harry let out a dry laugh. "Yeah," he agreed, remembering his time spent with his relatives. "It is..."

There was this brief silence that fell between them – letting everything settle in.

"So," Kagome murmured pensively after a minute, breaking the silence. "This dream, you think it's a sort of vision?" she suggested, thinking of Divination.

"Of the present?" Harry said skeptically, and grimaced at the thought of likening himself to Trelawney. Dear Merlin, no. "No, I don't think this is Seer stuff..." he said, and trailed off.

"Whats wrong?" Kagome questioned, seeing his troubled face.

Harry's jaws clenched as dark thoughts assaulted him "These dreams, " he began slowly, voice dark and low – but there was a hint of fear tucked in as well. "It's like I was participating in it..." his voice dropped so softly that Kagome had to strain to hear. "It... it was like I was Voldemort," he confessed, horror beginning to creep inside his tone.

Harry turned to Kagome to stare right at her, face white as snow. "It was like I was the one ordering Crabbe – torturing him..." he choked out thickly. "Felt the... the satisfaction... the pleasure from the torture..." The disgust was obvious on his face – whether with his 'dream' or himself, it was hard to tell.

"Oh, Harry," Kagome murmured, and she pulled the boy into a complete hug. "I can't even imagine what that must feel like..." she whispered sadly. "Just know that it isn't you, and put stock in it," she advised him. "If this is real, think of it like this – you have one up on Voldemort – you're spying on him, and he hasn't the slightest clue. And if it gets to be too much, just try to break out of it. It's your dream – or at the very least, your conscious. You ought to have some measure of control over it."

Harry blinked, looking over at her, a hint startled. "I never thought about that," he whispered. "Mind you, I never have much opportunity to do anything other than watch, but... I'll try that..."

Kagome pulled back, nudging to break the heaviness in the air. "Have you told anyone yet? Dumbledore?"

Wincing, Harry shook his head. "No, not Dumbledore... I haven't told Hermione and Ron about this last one either," he admitted, ducking his head sheepishly.

Kagome's eyes widened in shock – she expected him to at least tell Hermione and Ron first. "Well, I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me this, Harry," she murmured softly, looking away. "But you should really tell Dumbledore about this – forewarned is forearmed, and all that," she advised, and internally cringed.

For just a moment, it felt like she was channeling Sesshomaru by saying that philosophical comment.

"Kagome," Harry said, grabbing her forearm to get her attention. She looked up, blinking. "There was no way I could hide this from you – not when it's about you," he told her seriously. "Voldemort's not after only me anymore. He wants that jewel, and he wants you to join him. What's worse is he's planning something to get what he wants."

Kagome stared at him, thinking deeply, and nodded slowly. A wry smile quirked on her face. "Then we just have to make sure we're ready for it when it comes, won't we?" she chirped optimistically.

Monday, the four of them decided to visit Hagrid.

Well, two of them really. Hermione and Kagome had to drag the boys, seeing as they'd rather be civil to Draco than to visit an area filled with miniature mobile time bombs waiting to explode.

Merely five minutes of walking into Hagrid's home and talking with him, Hermione let out a small squeal. "Awh, Hagrid! Who's this little one?" she exclaimed as she walked towards the back of Hagrid's hut.

They all turned around to see the curly blond crouching before something. When she turned around to show them, Hagrid grinned but Kagome's mouth dropped.

"Ah found 'er down by the Forbiddin' Forest ah did, right by the edge. Cute 'ittle thing, just prancin' 'round, lookin' lost. Couldn't leave 'er alone, could ah? So ah took 'er in," he gushed happily.

Hermione smiled sweetly, gently petting the animal in her palms, fingers gliding against the silky cream coat and down to twirl her fingers playfully with it's two tails dipped in black. "She's adorable!" she exclaimed, ignoring the way the two boys shared an exasperated look and groaned at her. Glancing up though, Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. "Kagome?" she asked hesitantly at the look on her face.

The animal, a two-tailed cat, stiffened at the name and stopped in its purring bliss to whirl around.

Delighted orange eyes locked with shocked blue eyes. "No way," Kagome blurted out in astonishment.

The cat jumped out of Hermione's hands and bounded up to Kagome, jumping. Kagome hurriedly threw up her hands to catch her, bringing the feline up to her face. She let out a little pleased mew, and headbutted her on the nose.

Kagome laughed, shocked. "I can't believe you're here..." she murmured, amazed. 'Alive...' she added silently.

It didn't take very long to become acutely aware of the incredulous stares turned her way. "You know that...cat...?" Harry asked uncertainly, not really sure one could call the two-tailed animal a cat per say...

Kagome looked up, a wide grin stretched out on her face. "Yeah, I do actually," she said. "She's an old friend, and let's just say, she isn't any old cat," she murmured wryly.

Her own words made her still. 'An old friend...' And then, her eyes widened. "Shippo," she muttered under her breath, and then she couldn't help but grin as Kirara meowed affirmatively. 'So you're the old friend, huh?' she thought in amusement. 'Looks like wonders never cease...'

What better to keep an eye out on her than a guard cat demon that can pose as a inconspicuous feline?

It was on the morning of the thirtieth of October that they found the Great Hall looked noticeably different. Haven been decorated overnight, enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffindor, green with a silver serpent for Slytherin, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, and yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff.

And to tie it up nicely, the largest banner in the Great Hall was strung behind the teachers' table, bearing the Hogwarts coat of arms: a lion, eagle, badger, and snake all united around a large letter H.

As Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kagome made their way to the Gryffindor table, they spotted Fred and George sitting apart from everyone else, heads bent together and deep in a serious, and undeniably, private conversation.

It was an unusual occurrence that had been seen more than once, but most thought they were merely knee deep in planning how to sneak their way into entering the upcoming tournament.

But as Ron led the way over to them, that didn't seem to be to be the case from what they managed to overhear.

"It's a bummer, all right," George was saying gloomily to Fred. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."

"Who's avoiding you?" said Ron, sitting down next to them.

"Wish you would," said Fred, looking irritated at the interruption.

"What's a bummer?" Ron turned, asking George.

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother," George muttered.

"You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked, changing the subject. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"

George scoffed. "I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," he said bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon..." he muttered unhappily.

Hermione and Kagome couldn't help but snicker at that.

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" Ron murmured thoughtfully. He looked over at his black-haired best friend, a grin twitching to life on his face. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before. . . ."

"Oh, really?" Kagome said, raising an eyebrow.

Ron smirked at her. "Our first three years were pretty busy... " he said mysteriously.

Fred let out a snort. "Yet, that was never in front of a panel of judges," Fred pointed out. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed in thought, and he leaned forward, propping his chin on his hand. "Any idea on who the judges are?"

"Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," said Hermione, and everyone looked around at her, rather surprised, "because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage."

She noticed them all looking at her and said, with her usual air of impatience that nobody else had read all the books she had, "It's all in Hogwarts, A History. Though, of course, that book's not entirely reliable. A Revised History of Hogwarts would be a more accurate title. Or A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School," she practically hissed.

Fred, George, Ron, and Harry all stared at her in astonishment and slight fear.

Hermione often evoked those kinds of feelings rather often...

"What are you on about?" Ron demanded in an incredulous voice.

Hermione sidled him with a narrow-eyed glare – as if he was suppose to know already. "House-elves!" she snapped, her eyes flashing. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts, A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"

Harry shook his head and applied himself to his scrambled eggs. Their lack of enthusiasm had done nothing whatsoever to curb Hermione's determination to pursue justice for house-elves.

If anything, it only furthered it – making her self-righteousness shoot through the roof at the lack of care for the house-elves' cause.

They might have paid the two Sickles for a badge, but only to keep her off their backs.

It really didn't make much of a difference – she pestered all three of them to not only wear the badges but to persuade others to join.

And when they didn't – she took it upon herself to corner people in the common room every evening and shake the collecting tin under their nose.

Some went ahead and paid – like Neville – to stop the girl from glowering at them. Other seemed a bit interested in what she had to say, however like them, they were reluctant to take an active role in her campaigning crusade.

Everyone else saw the whole thing as a joke.

Luna however was the only one who actually wore the badge – but, when all was said and done and her taste in accessories was taken into account, it wasn't that big of a statement...

While Ron was looking up at the ceiling, as if finding it utterly fascinating, Fred was staring at his bacon with the utmost interest.

George, however, decided a frontal confrontation was best and leaned toward Hermione. "Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"

Hermione stared at him as if he was stupid. "No, of course not," she said curtly, "I hardly think students are supposed to -"

"Well, we have," said George, indicating Fred, "loads of times, to nick food. And we've met them, and they're happy. They think they've got the best job in the world -"

"That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione began hotly

"Really, Hermione," Kagome interjected in a placating tone, "You're really going about this the wrong way," she began.

Kagome was unperturbed by the narrowed-eyed stare turned her way. "What do you mean," Hermione demanded sharply.

"Tell me," Kagome asked. "What do people do when faced with a change in something deeply ingrained in tradition or society?"

Hermione blinked, and her eyebrows furrowed. "Well, I imagine they wouldn't do it – they would rebel," she answered slowly, a thoughtful look about her face.

Kagome nodded sagely. "Exactly! You see, it looks like elves have been living this way their whole lives, you can't force them, nor can you force wizards and witches who know nothing other than the tradition. This kind of subject needs a gentler touch, to be coaxed in. You see? If you somehow figure out how to do it, it would be so much easier if they come to accept it themselves."

Hermione's eyes lit up brilliantly. "I need to brainstorm," she muttered, snatching a piece of toast and taking one last sip from her goblet before running off.

The moment she left behind the oak doors, Kagome let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that'll get her to back off a bit," she muttered wryly.

Harry, Ron, and the twins looked at her in amazement. "How did you do that?" Ron breathed out in awe.

Kagome laughed at their expressions. "She's determined and twice as stubborn - you just need to figure out how to redirect it."

"So..." Fred began. "Everything you said was just to get her to lay off?" George finished dryly, albeit grinning.

Kagome shrugged. "Partially," she murmured, lips twitching wryly. "It's true either way, tradition can't be forced out, people are pretty bullheaded about it. You really can't force the issue. This is so she doesn't go fighting for elves' rights while simultaneously alienating them. If she can somehow convince them to accept it, well, all to her. If she can't, well, then... that kinda sucks for her..." she ended rather sheepishly.

They couldn't disagree with that.

The rest of the day passed in a flash of anticipation.

The people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were to arrive that evening.

Nobody was very attentive in lessons, too distracted by the upcoming event. Even Potions was more bearable than usual, especially as it was half an hour shorter. When the bell rang early, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kagome all hurried up to Gryffindor Tower, deposited their bags and books as they had been instructed, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.

"Nearly six," Ron muttered, pulling on his cloak to keep warm. The end of October brought with it a cold chill. The redhead glanced at his watch, and stared down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

Hermione, shuffling, shook her head, eyebrows furrowed pensively. "I doubt it," she surmised.

"How, then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.

Kagome shivered at the thought. "That long of a ride? They'd be icicles," she muttered.

"Portkey maybe?" Ron guessed, shrugging. "Or they could Apparate - maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

Hermione huffed, eyes flickering at him impatiently. "You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" she muttered under her breath.

The mass of students scoured the darkening grounds, shuffling with excitement. However, nothing was moving – everything was still, silent, and quiet like always. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The cold began seeping into their cloaks, and the students were becoming restless, if they weren't already, before Dumbledore finally called out from all the way in the back, where he stood with the other teachers." Aha!" he exclaimed in a chipper tone that seemed a bit too much considering the current situation. "Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" various students exclaimed eagerly, all looking in different directions.

"Do you see anything?" Ron exclaimed, eyes squinting. "I can't see anything!"

"There!" someone yelled, pointing over the forest.

Something large and black in the sky skimmed over the treetops.

"It looks – it looks like some kind of a bird!" another student shouted.

"No, it's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years.

Kagome started laughing. "No – it's Superman!" she managed to exclaim between snorts of laughter, unable to help herself.

The people around her stopped short, staring at her. Harry and Hermione in particular stared at her incredulously, before bursting out laughing. Nearby, Dean Thomas was snickering, as well as any other half-blood or muggleborn children that managed to hear.

The whole student body of Hogwarts watched in awe as – instead of a dragon, or Merlin forbid, Superman – a horse-drawn carriage soaring towards them. Powder-blue and the size of a large house, it was led by a dozen winged horses, all palominos and each the size of an elephant.

It skimmed along the treetops of the Fobidden Forest before hurtling towards the ground with great speed, ending with thunderous crash of a landing. The horses let out deep, loud, long neighs, tossing the heads and rolling fiery red eyes.

They all watched in awe as a door bearing a coat of arms, two gold wands crossed, each emitting three stars, swung open.

A boy in pale blue robes stepped out from the carriage, jumping down to unfold the steps. He swiftly stepped back just as a shining, high-heeled back shoe emerged – a shoe so big it was almost as large as Hagrid's.

It was followed by a the largest woman most of the students ever seen before, her size only matched by Hagrid's. Dressed in black satin, she bore the air of strict elegance with her hair drawn back in a shining knob.

And with that, Dumbledore began to clap.

The students quickly followed his lead, and the woman broke out into a smile as Dumbledore went to greet her. He barely had to bend to kiss the hand glittering with jewels extended out to him.

The students from Beauxbatons began to file out from the carriage as Dumbledore proceeded to greet the Headmaster of the French institution, otherwise known as Madame Mazime.

About a dozen of boys and girls, all in their late teens, emerged. The shuffled over to stand behind Madame Maxime, all the while shivering in the silk robes.

"Well, that's some kind of entrance. How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Seamus Finnigan wondered out loud.

Harry snorted. "Well, if they're any bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them," he muttered, and shot him a wry grin. "That is, if he hasn't been attacked by his skrewts. Wonder what's up with them?"

Ron's eyes lit up as he turned to his green eyed friend, brimming with hope. "Maybe they've escaped!" he said in a elated whisper.

Kagome scoffed, rolled her eyes as she shook her head.

Hermione moaned. "Oh, please don't say that," she said, shuddering. "Just imagining that lot loose on the grounds..." she trailed off ominously.

They all shuddered at that – even Kagome. Hermione had a point...

They waited for a few minutes for Durmstrang to arrive, the silence was broken only by the Beauxbatons horses snorting and stamping. But then - "Can you hear something?" said Ron suddenly.

They listened; a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound reverberated repeatedly, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed.

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"

Where the lake was usually a smooth, black surface of water – it wasn't any more.

Something shifted deep underneath – the water above rippled and bubbles at the center, only getting bigger and more violent. Waves were washing upon the shore like an ocean on a stormy day, and suddenly there was this great suction, slurping sound as something shot out from the lake's surface.

It was a long, black pole and it began to rise slowly from the center of the lake... and then rigging could be seen.

"It's a mast!" Kagome heard Harry murmur, turning to them in surprise.

And where there was a mast, there usually is a ship attached. A grand, magnificent ship rose out from the water, gleaming in the moonlight.

'What is it and the movie references today?' Kagome thought to herself dryly. 'First Superman, and now it's like the Flying Dutchman come to life...'

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

Silhouettes appeared as began walking out.

The delegation was of mixed company, boys and girls, all bundled in thick cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur, and led by a tall, much older man.

The man in question was lean, with long wavy dark locks and a thick goatee. His face was rugged, weather worn almost, and wore sleek and silver furs, contrasting deeply to his students. The expression on his face, while there was a smile, was cold and shrewd.

"Dumbledore!" the man called out heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?" he greeted, shaking hands with both of his own.

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied warmly.

They watched as they shared pleasantries and as the Headmaster of Durmstrang beckoned one of his students.

The boy, looking about seventeen, possessed a curved nose, thick black eyebrows, and an impassive expression.

"Harry - it's Krum!"

Kagome however was to busy pay attention to Ron's excited exclamation. She was staring a certain male striding right beside Krum.

Bright, almost shocking blue eyes. A tan, smooth, almost charming face carefully set into an equally impassive expression as the boy beside him.

Really, the only major difference would be the hair – instead of the long braid, it used to be, very short hair replaced it. His face, though there were differences since she'd last seen it, was no less recognizable.

Kagome blinked... looked... blinked again, rubbing at her eyes just to make sure, and then gaped rather unattractively.

What the hell?

She couldn't help the horrified whisper tumbling from her lips.

"Bankotsu?"

Earlier

"Vhat about the girls?"

Four boys lounged in a rather large, luxurious room filled with furs and dressed with shades of deep red and brown. Each boy were stretched out on again, large, grand beds in some form or another.

A lewd grin crossed one of the boys' faces, his brown eyes sparkling. "It vill sure be interesting to... get to know them..." he murmured slyly. "It vould be a velcome difference to the one's back home. I have heard much about them. They are not..."

"Frigid as those back in Durmstrang?" a black-haired boy supplied, snorting in amusement.

A messy, light brown haired snickered. "Karkaroff vould kill you if you tried, Dmitri," he retorted towards the blond.

Dmitiri's grin only widened. "Only if he finds out, my dear friend, and vho vould tell him?"

The same black-haired boy from before scoffed, white teeth flashing in a laid back smirk. "Vith Krum vith us, there von't even be any available," he murmured wryly.

Merely five feet away, a young man grunted. "I heard that," he grumbled unhappily.

Glancing over, startling blue eyes glinted wickedly and the boy's smirk widened. "Good," he said simply.

Viktor sneered at him, but the expression on his face was nothing if not good-natured. "And you vonder vhy I cut your hair off," he snarked halfheartedly.

The smirk fell off instantly, a frown replacing it. "Got you back by shaving your head bald, didn't I?" he retorted smartly, straightening.

The two boys glared at each other, hazel matching off with blue as the two other males began laughing.

"Vey, Ban, didn't you say your cousin vill be coming?" the teen with the light brown hair question.

The boy, Banimir, fell back into his bed with a loud groan. "Must you remind me Nikolay?" He buried his head in his arms. "Merlin knows vhat kind of trouble he'll get into. I vouldn't be surprised if he got kicked out before the night's over," he muttered in a deadpan tone.

The boys snickered, remembering the last time his cousin came to visit.

Ban's cousin, Jac, had a certain sadistic pleasure in making people uncomfortable...

"Vell," Viktor muttered, half-grinning himself. "At least things at this school vill not be boring – be thankful for that..." he commented, before batting away the pillow Ban threw at him in response.

Jac snorted at the ensemble in front of him, dismissing it as he turned back to the mirror floating before him. "I'll stun you myself if you walk out zis carriage in the 'orrid piece," he muttered to the blonde behind him.

Said blonde frowned at her outfit. "C'est not zat 'orrible," she muttered. "Besides, my robes will be covering it."

Both eyebrows rose, his hands pausing in mid brush. His eyes flickered back to the mirror to look at the reflection, narrowing. "'Orrible – no, maybe not. But c'est terribly mundane."

Snorting, the girl lowered her arms. "Zat is what I am going for – remember?"

The male huffed. "C'est a shame you don't milk zat veela in you for what c'est worz. If I could make men flock to me in crowds..." he trailed off suggestively, shaking his head in disappointment. "Well – let's just say you wouldn't see me outside a room or a cupboard vairy often."

A brunette, lounging on a bed nearby, laying on her stomach as she flipped through the pages of a magazine, threw her head back, laughing. "I second zat!" she said breathlessly, grinning.

"Marie!" the silvery blonde said in a mock-scandalous tone, "I expect such be'avior from Jac! But you?" There was a beat of silence as they all stared at each other before they were reduce to giggles. The blond rolled her eyes eventually. "You are incorrigible – ze boz of you!"

The man merely shrugged. "My dear Fleur, do you see me complaining?" he murmured slyly.

Fleur's lips were twitching, and she shook her head at her friends. "Besides, you do not have to be a veela to make men flock to you. It is called Amorentia," she remarked wryly.

Marie raised an eyebrow at Fleur. "Mhm, really? I zought it was called five years in prison if caught..." she drawled sarcastically.

Fleur shrugged, like it was no big deal. "That's why you don't get caught," she said as if it was obvious.

A sound of agreement had them looking over, and they watch as Jac dipped his head at that. "Girl's got a point," he murmured, smirking.

Fleur's lips were twitching into a smile. "So, 'ow long will you be playing your charade zis time?" she asked, pale blue eyes dancing wickedly.

A full on smirk crossed the man's lips. "Durmstrang already knows me, so no use fooling zem..." he actually sounded sad admitting that. "But, Hogwarts... well, zey won't know what 'it zem until c'est too late..." he said evilly.

So? I had a bit of trouble with setting the scene up for the school arrivals. I swear, I had the first half written weeks ago, and just finished the end part. I finally got sick of using the books description and went off script, cutting out scenes and doing my own thing haha. Which is why there's references to Superman and Pirates of the Caribbean lol... that was when I was grasping at the fraying strings of my sanity lol. As you can see, I'm never one to skip the opportunity to slip a little humor wherever possible ;)

And it's Bankotsu and Jakotsu – aka, Banimir 'Ban', and Jaques, 'Jac'. I went looking for Bulgarian and French names, and found Branimir and Jaques lol, which was as close as I could get to their names. I usually don't like using other names for a character, but then again, these guys are reincarnations, and Kagome obviously didn't take the name of her incarnation.

Anyways, next chappy, the tournament, aka, picking the champions, should be done. Till next update!

P.S.- Big thanks to ArmyWife22079 for helping me out this chapter! ^^ You're better than any muse lol!

-RainLily^^

A big huge honking thanks to these awesome reviewers!

ladyyuuki16, MoonPrincess1989, Chelly18, cherry-888, MidnightReader1, AnimeMoonlightGoddess, Tenshi 'Gome, Kagome Lady of Darkness, JollyLoser, Wheelchairmaniac99, Moonlight Rein, AngelofDrakness95, rspringb, Shadekid, meow, Bishonen'sFoxyMiko, Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami, Unnamed, ArmyWife22079, Stebba stud28, InfiniteWhiplash, Bunny.W.K, Miyuki, Valleygoat, Venas, crazyone256, TMH09, dragonfly1339, Scrawny Scrivener, I like blueberry pie, Sesshy's lover77