Chapter Twenty-One- Shopping for all Kinds
One thing Subaru had to say about the Nightroad manor, was that it was unlike anything he had ever seen. Despite the fact that it was magic users home, but there were other things as well. Hikaru and Karou would go around asking other members of the family to play the Hikaru and Karou game. A game that consisted of telling the two identical boys apart. Subaru was a miserable failure at the game, never managing to get it right. To his relief Tamaki wasn't much better, nor was Mr. Nightroad. Mrs. Nightroad was always correct and Chi could get it occasionally, while Uryu just ignored them.
The shikigami was a cheerful fellow. Excited that there was someone new in the house he came down and played several dozen songs on his sitar. He even conjured some water clones of himself to dance to his music.
Ester Nightroad was a mother threw and threw. He made sure he had thirds and fourths and sometimes fifths at every meal. She fussed over everything. And Abel Nightroad sat next to him at meals to ask Subaru all about the muggle world.
One morning Mrs. Nightroad handed them letters from Hogwarts. "Yes, for you too, Subaru."
Happily opening the letter he read the welcoming back for another letter from the Headmistress Yuko Ichihara. The next part contained a list of books that he was required.
The twins whistled in unison. "All the Gourry Gabriev books."
"Me too," sighed Tamaki. Chi also nodded.
Subaru smiled at the young girl. "Are you starting Hogwarts too?"
Chi hid her face behind the letters and nodded.
"Good morning everyone," said Uryu coming down for breakfast. "I found this on the floor," he held up a Pidgeot, well what looked like a Pidgeot. It seemed to be passed out. It's feathers taking on a grayish tone, and beginning to fall out.
Tamaki's blue eyes lit up. "He'll have Sakura's letter!"
Subaru went to his side to read Sakura's letter.
"Dear Tamaki, and Subaru if you happen to be there.
I hope that you are successful in your rescue but please refrain from doing anything illegal or that could get you into a lot of trouble. I have also been very worried about Subaru and please respond at once if you are able to get him.
Better yet, my family and I are going to buy my books in London on Wednesday, we could all meet up then! If not then I'll see you on the train to Hogwarts. Please let me know what your plans are.
Love From Sakura
"That works out well," Ester said peaking at the letter. "We'll pick up your stuff then too."
Until then the boys played Quidditch out back taking turns on Subaru's Articuno2000. Well all the boys but Uryu.
The twins glared up at the older boys bedroom window. "Wonder what he's up too," they said.
Tamaki shrugged. "He got twelve O.W.L.S and didn't gloat at all." Tamaki glanced at Subaru. "Oh, the fifth year tests."
"Kaname got twelve two." shuddered Karou. "If were not careful, we'll have another head boy in the family."
Hikaru shook his head. "I don't think I could stand the shame."
XxXxXxXx
Wednesday morning was upon them at last. Mrs. Nightroad awoke them all, and had them getting them ready to go.
She lead them to the fireplace. "Guests first," she said offering the powder to Subaru.
He starred at her.
"Oh! Subaru has never traveled by Floo Powder before," laughed the twins.
"What?" the two parents stated also in unison.
"It's easy." Hikaru said. "Watch us first." He grabbed a handful of the green powder and tossed it into the fireplace. The red and orange flames turned green. He stepped in. "Diagon Alley!" With that the one twin disappeared in the green flames.
"You have to speak clearly," Ester said.
The next twin disappeared.
"And make sure you get off at the right grate,"
"Keep your elbows tucked in,"
"And your eyes shut,"
"Don't fidget or you'll fall out of the wrong fireplace."
"But don't panic,"
Subaru's head was spinning. He grabbed the green powder and threw it into the fireplace. Stepping in as well he took a deep breath, only to get a lot of ash in his mouth.
Coughing, "Di-agon Al-Alley,"
He spun fast. He wanted out of this fireplace. He was feeling dizzy. Then he fell forward. Coughing the soot out of his mouth he got up taking a glance around.
One thing was sure, he wasn't in Diagon Alley. He was in a shop, a shop that would most defiantly not have anything on his school list. There was a withered hand on a cushion, a blood stained pack of cards, an assortment of bones.
He looked out the dirty window. And to his dismay there was an even dirtier and darker street. Deciding the sooner he left the better.
Halfway to the door he changed his mind. Two people were approaching the shop, and one of them was the last person Subaru ever wanted to see. Especially covered in soot.
Rufus Shinra.
Eyes sweeping the room, he quickly found a large black cabinet. He hoped inside closing the door almost completely leaving it open it just a bit. Just seconds later Rufus stepped in, followed by an older gentleman whom Subaru had to assume was his father. The man wore robes of blackest black. He had a pale complexion and long silver hair. His eyes a blue green, but cold, devoid of any life.
"Touch nothing, Rufus." he tone was cold.
The red haired boy sighed and began to look about the shop.
"I thought you were going to buy me a present," huffed the boy.
"I said I would buy you a racing broom." The man stood at the counter, waiting patiently for assistance.
"What's the point of having a broom if I'm not on the house team. Subaru Fair, got on the house team and an Articuno2000, because he is famous."
"Save your self the trouble of telling me this story, again." His father glanced back at his son. "I must remind you, yet again, that it is not wise to appear anything less then fond of Subaru Fair. After all, he is the hero, who made the Dark Lord disappear." he added the last part bitterly it sounded. "Ah. Mr. Deidara,"
A younger looking fellow with long blonde hair tied up, and with a long blonde bang hanging in his eye appeared. His one reviled eye scanned the room and the two customers. At last he smiled at them. "Mr. Shinra! How may I be of service to you today? I must show you what I just got in today-"
"I am not buying today. Selling." the man stated coolly.
"Selling?" A put out face appeared on the younger mans face.
"I am sure you have heard that the ministry is conducting more raids and some items in my possession would embarrass me if I were to be raided." From inside his black robes he pulled out a roll of parchment and handed it to the man.
The man looked over the list adjusting the headband that was hidden under his blonde bang. "The ministry would conduct a search on someone like your self?" he asked.
The silver haired man smirked just a bit. "I would like to think not. However, the ministry grows ever more meddlesome. All these muggle protection acts, well as you can see some of these poisons would make it seem that I have less then good intentions,"
"Course. I understand completely."
"Can I have that" asked Rufus pointing to a large white clay bird.
The one blue eye lit up happily. "Do you like it? I made it myself. My own art work. It's a bomb-"
"That would destroy our nice home." interrupted the elder man. "Think Rufus. Course with your grades, I don't expect much."
A pale pink appeared on the youngest ones face. "It's not my fault! All the teachers favor that Sakura Kinomoto!"
"You should be ashamed that, that muggle born girl beat you in every class."
Deidara shook his head. "It's the same all over. Pure blood is becoming thinner and thinner."
"Not in my family." Mr. Shinra said sternly.
The blonde smiled weakly and they continued to go over the list. After what seemed like ages they finished.
"I'll expect you at the manor, tomorrow to pick up the goods." he headed to the door, "Come Rufus."
With that the father and son left.
Once the two left the blonde let his smile fade glaring at the list that Mr. Nightroad had left him. Scowling he grabbed it and went back, into his back room.
Breathing a sigh of relief Subaru climbed out of his hiding place and got the heck out of there. Still trying to rid himself of the soot that covered him head to toe.
Looking around the dark alley way, he still didn't know where he was, or how to get back to where he needed to be. He needed to stay calm.
"Not lost are you?" A man asked him wearing dark blue robes and a pointy hat. His face completely hidden.
Subaru shook his head and continued down the alley way. He needed to find a way out of here.
"Subaru."
He jumped turning around. He smiled happily at the familiar face. "Tres!" The keeper and guardian of Hogwarts.
"May I inquire why you are here?"
Subaru ran to the man's side. His usual attire of black robes with the silver trim.
"I'm lost! Floo Powder! Wrong fireplace."
The always stoic man pushed Subaru forward as the boy sputtered out how he got here.
"You're very dirty," observed the man. Patting out the soot out of his clothes.
"Yeah I noticed." His eyes lit up and the marble building that was the bank of Gringotts.
"I must ask why you never replied to any of my letters." said Tres after a bit.
With a sigh he went into his explanation of the Dark Magician Girl and her warnings.
"Plus my aunt and uncle locked up Pidgey. I couldn't send any letters anyway,"
Tres' eyes seemed to gain a red glow. "I should of known. I should have come to your house," His hands twitched to his guns.
Subaru smiled. Another Tres rescue would be kind of cool, and slightly less terrifying then the last time.
"It's all right though Tres, I'm staying with the Nightroads right now."
"Subaru!"
He smiled at the girl running towards him. She was short with bright emerald green eyes and short brown hair.
Her arms wrapped around him. "Subaru!"
"Sakura!" he returned the hug.
She released him, dusting the soot off of her outfit. She smiled
at Tres. "It's good to see you again,"
He gave her a slight nod.
"Tamaki and his family are looking everywhere for you Subaru, come on!" she pulled on his arm leading him towards the bank. Tres just a few steps behind.
Standing at the steps was a worried Ester and Tamaki.
"Ah!" the blue colored eyes lit up. "There you are!"
Ester breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness." she said dusting off the dark haired boy. "Thank you Tres."
The rest of the Nightroads appeared running up the steps. Abel also breathing a great sigh of relief. "We'd hoped that you had only gone one grate over."
Tres giving them all a nod as he walked off. The rest all headed into the bank. The three reunited friends huddled together as he told them what he saw in the shop he got sent to.
"It was a dark wizard shop for sure!" he told them. "And Rufus Shinra, and his father were in there,"
"And did Sephiroth Shinra buy anything?" asked Mr. Nightroad, who had surprisingly good hearing.
Subaru glanced to look at the father of the family. "No, he was selling,"
The man adjusted his glasses. "So he's worried," He smiled knowingly at his wife. "I would love to get something on that man,"
"You be careful," she scolded. "That family is nothing but trouble."
"You don't think I can handle Sephiroth Shinra?" he huffed.
"That's not what I'm saying at all," she sighed.
They all went to their vaults in the bank gathering up the coins that they would need to buy their school supplies. Sakura had to exchange her muggle money for wizard gold.
Back outside they separated.
"We meet and the book store in an hour to get your school books," ordered Mrs. Nightroad. The three friends walked together, pockets jingling with wizard gold. They bought some ice cream sodas and continued on their way. They stopped at other shops along the way too, shops that Subaru never had a chance to go in the first time he had been here.
They met the twins in the joke shop, and Uryu was in a fabric store where he was reunited with Rukia Kuchiki. She asked him he had, had a good first year at school. She smiled happily when he introduced Sakura and Tamaki.
"See. I knew everything would be okay,"
After much school supply they made their way to the book store, and they were not the only ones doing so.
Sakura's green eyes sparkled in delight as she read the banner above the book store.
"Gourry Gabriev will be signing his books today!" She jumped up and down happily. "We actually meat him!"
The crowd at the bookstore was mostly witches about Mrs. Nightroads age. And sure enough there she was waiting in line. They joined her in line.
"Were almost there," she said adjusting her bangs.
Soon they could see him. Long blonde hair bangs hanging just in his eyes. He was surrounded at the table with books and pictures of himself, all waving and smiling at anyone who came by.
Soon it was their turn. Gabriev's eyes lit up when he saw them.
"It can't be!?" he said happily jumping up. The book store was silent. "Subaru Fair, the boy-" a short pause. "The boy who…It's Subaru Fair everyone!"
The crowd clapped and cheered. Before Subaru knew it he was being pulled up to the table, the Nightroads being left behind.
"Big, big smile, Subaru" he said as the photographers went wild. "And since Mr. Fair is with us at this moment, I'll announce my big news! When young Subaru walked in here today, to buy my books, he had no idea that he would be getting more then just my books, that he would actually be getting, me! In fact his school mates will all be getting me, for I will be attending Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! Hogwarts will be getting the self proclaimed top wizard in the world."
More cheers! Before Subaru knew it he was being handed the complete works of Gourry Gabriev. Subaru quickly made his way out of the lime light, dropped the books into Chi's cauldron. She was waiting just outside the bookstore.
"Did you love that, Fair?"
Subaru sighed and turned to see his red haired nemesis Rufus Shinra.
"Famous Subaru Fair. Can't even go into a book store."
Chi stepped in front of Subaru. "Leave him alone!"
"And who is this?" He pulled on one of metal ears. "Another freak I am to assume?"
Chi's brown eyes turned glassy. She swatted the hand away from her metallic ears.
Tamaki and Sakura joining them moments later. "What do you want, Shinra?" asked Tamaki.
The red head sneered at all of them. "I'm surprised to see you in a shop Nightroad. Five sets of Gabriev's books? How can your family afford all that?
Tamaki laughed. "You still seem to assume that my family is poor. We could buy Gabriev's set of books a thousand times over and still have enough to live the life style we live."
At last an adult appeared to stop the potential fight. Mr. Nightroad stepped up behind them. "Boys and girls, lets start gathering our things and heading out."
"Well, well, well," said a cold voice. Walking up to them his black robes billowing around, despite the fact that there was no wind or breeze. His green blue eyes looked over the Nightroad children and then to Sakura and Subaru. "Look at the company you keep. And I thought your family could disgrace it's self no further." he picked up one of Chi's books from her cauldron, and examined it.
Mr. Nightroad stood tall. "There are different opinions of what disgraces a wizard family. You're family's recent history is all the proof I need."
The green eyes flashed dangerously. "Hanging around with muggle born children isn't disgraceful?" The man's hand moving to the inside of his robes.
"These muggle born children were the top of the class, where was your pure blood son?"
Both men reached inside there robes. Sephiroth was first. He pulled out a along black feather. "We go to the Promised Land, Masamune!"
"Awaken Crusnik!" Called out Mr. Nightroad.
Both men had large wands. Sephiroth wielding a blade twice as long as he was. Abel a large blood red scythe. The men starred at each other. Everyone family and otherwise was watching the two.
"Shine Star of Hope!" leaping in between the men came Ester her vale gone, her red hair wild, her wand was the form of a silver pistol, aimed at Sephiroth. Photographers had moved from the book signing to take pictures of this fight now.
"No one raises his wand to my husband," she hissed.
The sound of pistols being cocked was heard and suddenly Tres was behind Shinra. His two pistols aimed at him.
"Is there a problem here?" he asked.
Sephiroth's eyes traveled along his opponents. Clearly out matched, and a crowd of more and more people was forming. His wand faded back into a long black feather. He tucked it back inside his robes. Licking his lips, he tossed Chi's book back into her cauldron. "Here girl," he said quietly. He carefully adjusted his robes, beckoned his son to follow and they left. Rufus giving them all a glare followed his father without complaint.
Ester and Abel both withdrew their wands as well. Ester straitened her hair and then glanced at all of them. "Everyone got their books?" she asked.
The children all nodded.
"Good," she said happily. Mr. Nightroad adjusted his glasses and together they all left the front of the bookstore. The crowd parting to let them all threw, Tres also following, acting as a kind of bodyguard. They all headed to the Leaky Cauldron.
This place brought a somewhat painful memory for Subaru. This was not the first place he met Seishiro but, the first place he remembered meeting him. According to the lavender eyed man, they had met before Subaru knew he was a wizard. Sadly he had no memory of this event.
Still he glanced at the back door where the former professor had stood and greeted him. Even at that time, with all the intent in the world to kill him.
At the small diner slash tavern the kids whispered excitedly about the incident. Wishing that actual sparks had flown.
Sakura parted ways with them afterward saying she had a few other things to pick up. Tres left them as well. The Nightroads, and the single Fair, headed back home. Taking a deep breath he grabbed a handful of the Floo Powder, hoping that this journey was not as eventful as his last trip threw the fireplace.
A/N And back to school the kids will go in the next chapter! At last! Though I didn't mind this chapter at all.
New characters were;
Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII of course of course. I'm sure even the not big FF fans may have a vague idea who he is.
And we had Deidara from Naruto
And there was a black mage standing outside the shop. He is from early final fantasys.
And then I got an e-mail asking how many series I have in here so far.
So the grand total is….. 35 anime shows 3 video games with a total of 83 characters. So far! Not including all the Poke'mon that have been introduced.
The lead anime is Bleach with 6 characters, followed by Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) with 5.
Final Fantasy having the most with 9 characters.
I'll post the stats at the end of each book segment.
Hope you enjoyed! See you next chapter!