Disclaimer: All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Yujincho universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yuki Midorikawa and Hakusensha (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites.

AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.

Chapter 24: The Forging of a New Weapon

Takashima Town, Shiga, Japan &
Kakushugakkou no Jujutsu
June 1993 ~ August 1993

The changes in Ryuu's attitude after the meeting with his father and his sensei were immediately obvious to the rest of his family, his friends, and their guests. Gone were most of the haunted shadows that had filled his eyes since the night he'd faced Quirrell and Voldemort and gone too was the insecurity and self disgust that had plagued him since his fight with the basilisk and the subsequent attack by Lockhart. There was a subtle hardness about him now, a determined air laced with the stubbornness that had marked much of his early years; though instead of hiding away from the world as he had back then he now faced the world head on.

That didn't mean he didn't have moments when his new found determination and courage floundered in the face of his inner doubts or when the pain became too much to bear. Yet he did not give up or give in during those moments and he always bounced back stronger and more determined than ever. Hatake and his father both pushed him while at the same time they allowed him to lean on them when he needed their strength to keep him strong. His mother and grandmother soothed his hurts and encouraged him with kind words; their support unconditional and unquestioning, even if they weren't quite certain what had brought about the changes.

Most of his friends also didn't question Ryuu's new outlook on life; they were just happy to have their friend back. Satoshi was the only exception as he could see the subtle differences between Ryuu now and Ryuu before his first two years at Hogwarts. Satoshi also didn't miss the fact that Hatake-sensei was suddenly spending an awful lot of time over at the Natsume home and at least half of that time was spent with Ryuu. He didn't immediately confront Ryuu about the sudden changes, he didn't want to accidentally drive Ryuu back to the ghost of himself he'd been since he'd been released from the infirmary after he fought the basilisk but he did keep an eye on the younger boy that had become something of a little brother to him over the years.

That first week back in Japan saw Ryuu taking his final set of exams so he could pass out of junior high; two full years earlier than the rest of his age group and a full year earlier than he would have if he'd gone through school normally. That was despite the fact that he was only doing his non-magical courses in his spare time. If he managed to work his way through his high school courses in the same fashion he'd be finished with his basic education by the time he was fifteen and could either jump right into the university courses or take a couple of years off to figure out what he wanted to do with his life while he finished his magical education.

The appointment with the animal healer saw a vast improvement in Tenji's recovery from his lingering injuries. The healer had given both Tenji and Ryuu a specially made potion that targeted the digestive system in kneazles; Ryuu's actually being nothing more than a placebo intended to allow Ryuu to believe that by taking it he was helping his familiar which in turn allowed his magic to speed up the healing process through the familiar bond he shared with the kneazle. It was a convoluted way to help both wizard and familiar while working within the limits of the bond; something very few healers could do successfully because most bonded pairs refuse to allow healers to study their bonds.

Shogun had been treated to a complete check-up at the same time; at Ryuu's insistence because he didn't want to take any chances with either of his familiars. The healer gladly complied and gave the owl a clean bill of health ten minutes later along with a series of vaccinations for some of the more common avian diseases and viruses after he learned that Ryuu allowed him to hunt wild birds as a source of food. That one visit did much to improve Ryuu's outlook on life as Tenji's slow recovery had been weighing most heavily on his mind.

After the familiars had been taken care of as far as their health was concerned, it was Ryuu's turn to see a healer so his own progress could be gauged. Because the details of exactly how he was injured were virtually a secret, Hatake-sensei brought Healer Inoue from the academy with him for the purpose of monitoring Ryuu's recovery. The healer had been appalled by the physical changes in Ryuu since he'd last seen the boy and he'd naturally been upset when he learned how he'd been injured along with the complications incurred by the blessing and the curse of a phoenix healing the original wound with its tears in order to save Ryuu from the basilisk's venom.

The most shocking and troubling discovery occurred when Healer Inoue checked Ryuu's magical core index out of habit; something that had not been done since Ryuu's first summer session. The last time he'd registered as a level ninety, his index growing approximately one full level a year since he'd been removed from the Dursleys (bar that first year away when his core had jumped four levels in one year as it returned to its original level plus one). It was expected that it would have continued to grow over the past three years since most children gained between three and five index levels during their educational years until their core reached magical maturation. The results they got were completely unexpected.

Normally when the spell is cast, a single number is registered within a minute of the spell being cast and it will either appear in the air over the person being tested or on a specially charmed parchment with a linking charm to keep the results a little more private. Because they were in the privacy of Takashi's home office at the time, Healer Inoue had allowed the results of the test to be displayed magically.

The number ninety-seven had been displayed briefly before it began rising until it hit ninety-nine and then the number reset itself and started at the number one and continued rising until it once again reached ninety-nine a second and reset itself to start again. That pattern continued until Healer Inoue canceled the spell. He recast the spell ten different times and had Hatake-sensei cast the spell three more times; each time ending up with the same results.

The only logical answer for the results that they were getting was that the magical compounds in Ryuu's blood that had turned him into what amounted as a living focus were somehow resonating with his magical core; reflecting and magnifying his magic in an endless loop with the supposition that Ryuu was actually around a level ninety-seven; the number that always appeared first when they tested him.

It was enough to give all three adults pause. And Ryuu wasn't stupid; he new exactly what the adults weren't saying and why they were so concerned over the results. He well remembered what Kimura-sensei had told him back when he'd just been a level ninety wizard. He also remembered what he'd told Satoshi when they boarded the Hogwarts Express at the end of the year; his greatest fear was losing control for even a single instant and destroying everyone and everything around him.

In the end, it was a sobering revelation and it reinforced both Takashi's and Hatake-sensei's determination to keep Ryuu firmly grounded and as sane as possible. That Ryuu was fully aware of what that information represented meant that he gave them his complete cooperation; something that would have been lacking if either adult had been keeping secrets from him (something Hatake would have taken for granted prior to the night he learned about the prophecies). Ryuu's incalculable index also meant that he was forbidden from using either of his wands until he could once more control his magic and his emotions; something he'd been having trouble with since he'd fought the basilisk.

Hatake, Healer Inoue, and Takashi also decided that only two individuals would be made aware of the latest development with Ryuu's index levels; Headmaster Yamamoto and Headmaster Dumbledore. Kimura-sensei, Flitwick-sensei, and Madam Pomfrey would eventually be informed as well but not until they gave an oath swearing them to secrecy over the information; Kimura because he was the one training Ryuu and therefore at risk should Ryuu lose control during their lesson, Flitwick because he was Ryuu's Head of House at Hogwarts and needed to know the risk should something happen to Ryuu, and Madam Pomfrey because she would need to be aware of the risks when treating Ryuu for future injuries and illnesses.

Dumbledore offered an alternative to each individual swearing an oath regarding the information about Ryuu's index level, his current status as a living focus, and the lethality of his blood. He suggested that the information be hidden using the Fidelius Charm, the Secret Keeper being someone Ryuu trusted explicitly or Ryuu himself. It was no surprise to Takashi when Ryuu asked Hatake-sensei if he would be the secret keeper; the wizard had sworn an oath and Ryuu had absolutely no doubts when it came to trusting the man now.

The only reason he hadn't asked Takashi was because his father did not have the magic necessary for the spell to lock the secret within his soul. It was also telling that Ryuu didn't choose himself as the Secret Keeper, revealing that on some level Ryuu didn't trust himself; something that made Takashi's earlier concerns about Ryuu already being broken not seem quite so far fetched as they had when he'd first told Hatake about those same concerns.

On the day the children left for Kakushugakkou no Jujutsu for the start of the summer session, Ryuu was taken aside by Hatake and informed that there had been a couple of changes made to his schedule. The first change was that Ryuu had been pulled from his Monday and Wednesday hapkido lessons and would in their place be taking intermediate ju jitsu all four days with Hatake from now on. The other change was that he'd be turning an additional two hours every morning, to allow him to meet with Kimura-sensei for an hour and a half in order to help him regain the control he'd lost. His afternoon sessions with Kimura-sensei would then be spent focusing on the Mind Arts; specifically focusing on Occlumency, mediation, and emotional control.

The last change was that Dobby would be providing him with a strict diet intended to help him regain the muscle tissue he lost due to the illnesses that ravished his body. To help with that, he'd been prescribed a series of nutritional potions to be taken before each meal and a strengthening solution which he was to take before going to bed each night. Hatake had then presented Ryuu with a new hanbo; this one with a reinforced steel core that would hopefully allow it to survive an entire year (unlike his previous two hanbo). He'd also been offered a new bokken at the same time but Ryuu had refused; his feeling of betrayal from Takahashi-sensei still too fresh for him to even consider continuing with the wooden sword at the moment.

Ryuu had been exempted from mentoring a group of first years this year due to the concern that the added stress of dealing with the responsibility would have a negative affect on the still recovering teen. Hermione had actually volunteered to take over the responsibility of making certain Luna settled into her classes during that first week; the young Gryffindor thriving under the additional responsibility. The two girls weren't exactly close friends because they each saw the world differently; Hermione being a very logic oriented person while Luna had one foot outside of reality. They did more than just tolerate each other though as they made an effort to be friendly with one another out of their mutual friendship and respect for Ryuu. It helped that Luna provided a sense of levity when tensions ran high, her unique outlook and perceptiveness allowing her to know just what to say to make everyone laugh.

In the hierarchy of their group, Satoshi was their motivation, Kimi was the voice of reason, Hermione provided order and organization, Neville was a natural sounding board and an excellent listener, Ren played devil's advocate, Luna provided laughter and made them think outside the box, and Ryuu was the glue that bound them together; he was their leader even if it was an unacknowledged leadership. Colin and the twins hadn't yet found their place in the group, though that didn't mean they were left out because they were not. All ten of them were intelligent, each of them having different strengths and weaknesses that balanced each other out and they did not hesitate to help one another.

All together they were a force to be reckoned with and it showed both inside and outside of classes. People stood up and took notice of them, even when they weren't trying to be the center of attention. Ryuu especially drew attention, this year more than ever before because of the physical and emotional changes he'd undergone since the previous summer. Where before he'd often sought to hide in the shadows and clung to his solitude as if his very life depended on it (even after befriending Satoshi and the others) he now walked confidently in full view of the entire school's population and basked in the presence of his small group of friends. He even began participating during classes more than he had in the past, no longer waiting for the instructors to call on him specifically when it came to asking or answering questions.

Oh that's not to say he didn't struggle at times, especially when it came to trusting the staff members aside from Hatake, Kimura, and Healer Inoue. Even the instructors he'd known for the last three years were viewed with more than a little distrust and trepidation. None of the adults took it personally though and all of them were saddened to see his wariness to trust further hindered by the actions of two wizards. (The news that he'd been attacked by teachers during his two years at Hogwarts common knowledge due to the numerous newspaper articles and the reports from the staff that spent the year at Hogwarts had given to Yamamoto regarding what had happened.)

That distrust was transferred to his two familiars through the bonds and any adult pointing a wand in the direction of Ryuu or his familiars were given only one warning hiss from both bird and kneazle before they would be attacked (something that saw the pair banned from any class that involved active spell casting). The familiars also became very standoffish when it came to being handled by anyone that was not Ryuu, Ryuu's family, Hatake-sensei, or Satoshi. They tolerated the attention of Ryuu's other friends but only in the presence of one of the others and only so long as there was nothing threatening Ryuu.

Ryuu, for the most part, was fully aware of everything that was going on around him and with him. Hatake expected and demanded him to retain awareness no matter what he was doing, where he was, or who he was with. He also accepted nothing less than complete honesty and obedience from the young wizard. In return, the older wizard taught him basic survival, helped him train and condition his body, and gave him direction and advice when he needed it. Just four weeks into the summer, Ryuu started referring to the wizard as Hatake-oji or just oji when they were outside of school; a reflection of the trust and respect he held for the man.

Ryuu's academic schedule that summer was busier then ever. Mondays through Thursdays, he was up by five-thirty every morning and spent an hour and half in the dojo training, rested for half an hour and then turned back two hours to spend an hour and a half relearning to control his magic. He'd then have another half hour to clean up and get ready for classes before heading to breakfast. After breakfast he would attend Master's Level Calligraphy and Advanced Cultural Studies, which were an hour each followed by an hour long study period. He would then turn back another two hours to attend Master's Level Latin followed by another hour of study before heading to lunch.

Right after lunch he would meet back with Kimura-sensei to practice his meditation, work on his Occlumency, and go through several mental exercises that were designed to help him keep control of his emotions during times of extreme stress. After that he attended Advanced Spell Casting, spent another hour studying, and sat through Master's Level Music before turning back a final two hours to gain another hour of study time and attend Intermediate Runes before eating supper.

After supper he would finish any assignments that were due the next day and music practice with various members of the Advanced Music class including Satoshi and Kimi who had not yet met the requirements to join him in the Master's class (Satoshi needing to master one more instrument and Kimi not really interested in the Master's class). Before bed he spent a half an hour stretching before spending another half an hour meditating in the common room before he turned back six hours and went to bed.

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays were mostly devoted to his high school studies. He'd still be up by five-thirty and spend an hour going through the exercises that Hatake had given him to help him extend his range of motion, regain his flexibility, and rebuild the muscle he'd lost. After that he'd shower and have breakfast before spending the morning doing various assignments that Taki assigned to him. After lunch on Fridays and Saturdays he'd spend two hours doing aikido under the watchful eye of Satoshi who needed the teaching experience to get his instructor's license so he could eventually take over the summer aikido lessons at the academy from Hatake-sensei.

After he finished his training on Fridays and Saturdays, Ryuu would take another quick shower before hitting the books once again until supper time. Then the rest of the evening was spent practicing his music, doing his evening exercises, and meditating before going to bed. On Sundays, his afternoons were spent hanging out with his friends and family; either taking their guests sightseeing or just hanging out about town before they headed back to school for the next week.

About two weeks into the summer classes, when Ryuu had finally begun to accept his scars as something other than failure and weakness, Hatake had him start doing his weekend aikido lesson with Satoshi shirtless; in order to get him used to other people seeing his scars. That was considerably harder for Ryuu to actually do and it brought a lot of his insecurities back as he did not like other people looking or worse staring at his scars. It was for that very reason that Hatake wanted him to do it though; to break him of that discomfort that could distract him at a crucial moment should he somehow end up without a shirt during a fight. It was a matter of removing a potential handicap and only that knowledge gave Ryuu the strength to actually go through with the order.

The fact that it was Satoshi helped a little too; as the older boy already knew about the scars and had seen the ones he'd received from the attack by Quirrell. The first time the teen saw Ryuu's back though he'd faltered a bit and grown extremely pale. Sure, Ryuu had told him that he'd fought a giant snake; but to actually see the evidence that the monstrous creature had been large enough to swallow a grown man whole hit Satoshi hard as he finally realized just how close Ryuu had come close to dying. That was the first time Satoshi called Ryuu otouto before immediately making the younger boy promise to never again run off to fight deadly monsters alone.

Neville would be the second one to see the scar on Ryuu's back. It happened after Ryuu had become less self-conscious about the scar and grown used to Satoshi seeing it during their aikido sessions. Since Ryuu still shared a dorm with Neville at school and shared his room with the boy at home (Ryuu had grown used to not sleeping alone after virtually living in the same room with five boys for the last two years) when he stopped being quite so careful about when and where he changed. Neville had walked into their shared dorm and stopped cold because Ryuu had just taken off his shirt; his gasp alerting Ryuu to his presence and after an awkward couple of days the two of them talked about the scar.

It wasn't until Luna saw the scar that Ryuu really stopped worrying about other people seeing it though. She'd come skipping into the dojo where Ryuu and Satoshi were training one afternoon to tell him that his father needed to speak to him. She'd taken one look at the scar, burst into tears, and wrapped her arms around his waist; all the while muttering under her breath about her brave Dragon risking his life for everyone else. She went on to verbally thank him over and over again for saving her life the day they met when the two of them had nearly walked right into the basilisk. She'd then kissed his cheek and vanished without another word. Ryuu had walked around with a near permanent blush for the rest of that weekend.

By the time summer was half over, all of his friends had seen him without a shirt at one time or another. The true test of how much his view of the scars had changed over the course of those first five weeks of summer came when they once again celebrated Ryuu and Neville's birthday at Yomiuri Land. Unlike the previous year, when he'd worn a long sleeved white shirt the entire time (even when they'd played in the water park portion of the amusement park); Ryuu wore a short sleeved shirt and went shirtless on the water rides. He garnered more attention than he ever wanted that day but he managed to survive the entire day without dying of embarrassment or cowering beneath the onslaught of stares. The only person Ryuu absolutely refused to allow to see his scars was Touko and that was because he didn't want her to cry for him; something Takashi understood completely.

He hadn't wanted Taki to see them either but given how close of a relationship the two of them shared as mother and son meant that it was inevitable that she would walk in on him shirtless. She had cried a bit the first time she saw the one on his back and hugged him tightly for nearly ten minutes straight before she sternly told him he was under orders to be more careful in the future. (That had been shortly after Lockhart's attack toward the end of the Hogwarts term.)

When the children returned to the academy on the first of August, they'd barely stepped out of the portal when Hatake and Kimura appeared beside them and told Ryuu he was to immediately report to the Headmaster's office. Hatake had then stepped through the portal to get Takashi while Kimura apparated Ryuu up to the school's entrance to save time. When they reached Yamamoto's office, Ryuu immediately knew that something had happened because waiting with the headmaster was Albus Dumbledore, Flitwick-sensei, a weary old wizard wearing rather shabby robes, and an overly scarred man with an obviously magical artificial eye that gave Ryuu the creeps. Shogun actually hissed threateningly the moment that electric blue magical eye focused on Ryuu, the owl's wings opening in preparation of launching an attack. Tenji just growled low in warning and flicked his tail at the owl which brought the owl up short before it shifted on Ryuu's shoulder so that its back was facing the strange wizard.

Ryuu's reaction to his familiars' antics was to place as much space between himself and the stranger as the room allowed and to leave an avenue of escape open. A fact that actually brought a smile to the grizzled wizard's face; and it was not a pretty smile by any means due the man's scarred visage. Ten minutes after Ryuu entered the office, Hatake and his father joined them; both men wearing serious expressions. Headmaster Yamamoto then cast two separate privacy wards which were followed by the scarred man casting a third. Ryuu had shifted into a defensive stance the moment the scarred wizard had drawn his wand, one hand out in front of him and the other resting on the shaft of his hanbo.

"Relax, Natsume-kun," Hatake instructed as he stepped up behind Ryuu and dropped a hand on his shoulder. "No one in this room will harm you."

Ryuu nodded once and dropped his arms but remained on high alert as he studied the two strangers. Yamamoto then asked everyone to be seated as he conjured extra chairs; the adults immediately taking a seat while Ryuu remained standing at attention. Yamamoto had raised an eyebrow at the subtle declaration that he wasn't comfortable enough to relax in the presence of the two strangers but said nothing as he gestured to Dumbledore to speak.

"I am afraid that I am not here to pay a social call or to check on young Mr. Natsume's current condition; though I am pleased to see he is in much better health than he was when term ended in June. I am here because of a recent incident that could potentially place Mr. Natsume at risk due to who he is."

"Before you say another word, Dumbledore-sama, what guarantee will you provide my son that those you brought with you can be trusted with the information it sounds like you want to provide them?" Takashi demanded as his gaze shifted to the two as of yet unidentified wizards. "I know why Flitwick-san has been trusted with that information and to date he has not abused mine or my son's trust. But you've not even introduced the other two with you."

"Do you not trust my judgment, Mr. Natsume?" Dumbledore asked in a voice that sounded slightly hurt and a little offended.

"No. I don't. Not when it comes to matters concerning my son and any sensitive information that could place him in more danger than he's already in. Don't forget, Dumbledore, two of your 'trusted' staff members have already attacked my son."

"I see," Dumbledore replied, his voice now sad and tired. "The gentleman on my left is retired Auror Alastor Moody an old friend of mine and the gentleman on my right is Remus Lupin who was recently hired as this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts class professor. Moody, Remus; this is Takashi Natsume and his son, Ryuu. What would it take for you to allow me to speak freely in front of them, Mr. Natsume?"

"A wizard's oath," Hatake interjected as he pulled out a folded piece of paper that Takashi recognized and passed it over to Dumbledore. "That oath, specifically… as is with no changes other than each wizard replacing my name with their own."

"Is that really necessary?" Dumbledore protested as his eyes widened after reading the deceptively simple oath.

"Absolutely. You saw how Natsume-kun reacted when Moody-san drew his wand a few minutes ago. While I have been working on breaking him of his almost instinctual defensiveness he's developed since the most recent attack he is far from trusting of unfamiliar wizards and just barely tolerant of those he's known for years outside of those in this room."

"I can't possibly see what kind of information would require an oath such as this but I am willing to take it since Professor Dumbledore seems to think it important that I interact with the young man," Remus announced in a tired voice due the proximity of the full moon currently sapping his strength (not that anyone but Dumbledore, Flitwick, and Moody were aware of that fact just yet).

"I don't like it… sounds like the kid is as paranoid as I am and that can only mean trouble because he's too young to need reflexes like that. Of course, the fact that he does means he'll probably live far longer than most brats his age. Let's just get this over with Albus, I have better things to do," Moody grumbled as his magical eye focused on the paper in Dumbledore's hand. "I, Alastor Moody, swear on my life and magic, that I will not willingly physically, mentally, or emotionally attack Natsume Ryuu or his familiars with the intent to harm nor will I seek personal or political gain by bartering any personal or confidential knowledge of Natsume Ryuu's past, present, or future that I have been entrusted with. On my magic and my life, I do so swear."

Ryuu stared at the man for ten full seconds before he signed, so mote it be, sealing the oath. Shogun actually let out a series of complaining hoots and hisses before he jumped from Ryuu's shoulder and landed on Takashi's. Ryuu rolled his eyes at the owl's antics as he felt the oath settle around him much as Hatake's had at the beginning of the summer. To his surprise, after Mr. Lupin had given his oath (and Ryuu had accepted it) Flitwick and Kimura both also gave the same oath.

Ryuu had then bowed respectfully to the two wizards that he'd already trusted and respected; his appreciation of their gesture apparent in his body language to those that knew him. Feeling a little drained from having four oaths tied to him in such a short amount of time, Ryuu finally sat down in the chair that had been provided for him and he promptly folded his legs and moved Tenji down into his lap so he could pet the kneazle as he settled back into the chair and watched the other occupants.

"A little overboard but what is done is done," Dumbledore groused a bit, his pride and ego more than a little injured that Takashi (and apparently Ryuu) thought the oaths necessary. "I am here because sometime around midnight on July thirtieth, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban Prison."

Takashi's head whipped around to stare at Dumbledore with an unreadable expression while Ryuu went completely still, his face and eyes (and therefore his emotions) hidden by his messy hair. Silence filled the office as all eyes drifted to Ryuu; Remus and Moody both confused as to why the others were watching the boy so intently and a little curious as to what kind of reaction they expected the news about Black to draw from the boy. When he finally looked up, Ryuu's eyes were brimming with a torrent of emotions; fear, fury, frustration, determination, and resignation.

He will come for me, Ryuu signed, his words a statement that hung in the air and not a question.

"He will try," Dumbledore replied as he got the general gist of what Ryuu had said with his limited (but growing) understanding of sign language. "He will not know who you are but he will know that you are supposed to be at the school and according to the prison guards; Black had been obsessing about Hogwarts for at least a week before he escaped."

"What kind of security measures are being put into place around the school to keep him out?" Takashi asked softly.

"Mr. Lupin was a friend of Black's when they were in Hogwarts and therefore can offer some insight into what he is likely to do. Alastor has agreed to come out of retirement to fill the roll of caretaker for the school for the year as well as assist Mr. Lupin with the Defense classes when he is indisposed because of health reasons. The Ministry, against my advice, has also decided to post dementors around the school and in Hogsmeade. For the protection of all the students I have refused to allow them on the actual grounds but they will be roaming the Forbidden Forest and will be stationed outside of the school's gates. They will also be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade during the evenings while Aurors will patrol the village during the day."

"Your Ministry is barbaric for allowing those monsters anywhere near the children," Yamamoto growled. "Bad enough they keep them as prison wardens."

"I can not disagree with you and at the same time I can not make Cornelius see reason," Dumbledore replied. "The Minister saw fit to warn the muggle Prime Minister that Black has escaped and can be considered armed and dangerous. I myself will announce the news to the I.C.W. at tomorrow's emergency meeting in the event he flees Britain at any point. To further protect your son, I will be banning him from visiting Hogsmeade for the year; with your permission."

No! Ryuu protested as he jumped to his feet with his eyes blazing. I have been looking forward to visiting the village this year because it will mean that I can spend far more time with my parents. I will not allow you to take that away from me. I will not allow fear to keep me from my family.

"I agree with my son," Takashi replied simply. "I understand what you are trying to do but making my son a prisoner in the castle is not going to solve the problem. It would be a simple matter to ensure he is escorted when he is not in the castle and that he does not wander alone through the village; day or night."

"If you are willing to take that risk, it is your choice," Dumbledore intoned, sounding as if he was severely disappointed that they were going against his wishes.

If you think the risk is that great… Ryuu started as he raised his chin just a bit and met Dumbledore's blue eyes with hard green eyes, his scar glowing softly as his anger pulled on the wild magic flowing through him. I can simply withdraw from Hogwarts entirely. I would regret leaving my friends but I will not regret never stepping foot in the castle where I was nearly killed or as good as killed by two teachers; a castle where Voldemort's shade has twice possessed people who moved freely about the castle.

"Wait a minute… you said nothing about Voldemort when you approached me about taking the Defense job," Remus interjected, startling Ryuu who hadn't known the man knew sign language (though he'd suspected the man named Moody did because as an Auror he would have needed a method of communicating silently in dire situations). "You still haven't explained why you seem to think this young man is at risk. I could understand if we were having this conversation with Harry and his guardians due to Black's relationship with James's son."

Ryuu stiffened as his head snapped around to look at his father, who was currently glaring at Lupin. Ryuu's eyes narrowed as he tilted his head to the side as he shifted his eyes back to Lupin who was looking at his father in confusion while everyone else in the room kept glancing between all three of them. When Lupin glanced back at Ryuu, Ryuu asked, Who is Sirius Black to me? His eyes flicked to his father who suddenly looked tired before looking back to Lupin again and adding, What could that man possibly be to me to make me so damn important to him aside from the fact that he betrayed my parents?

"Your parents named him your godfather, Ryuu-kun," Takashi answered before a shell shocked Remus Lupin could fully comprehend what he'd just been told in a convoluted, round about way. "I did not tell you before now because I did not think it that important because the man was securely locked away in prison. If he had not betrayed your parents and murdered many innocent people you would have gone to live with him when your parents died."

"Harry!?" Remus choked out as he rose from his chair. "How…? Why…?"

Ryuu shook his head even as his hands flew up to correct the man, I am Natsume Ryuu. I will forever be Natsume Ryuu. Harry Potter died before I turned seven. He died when tousan saved me from the demons because Harry Potter was too weak and I refused to stay weak. I may have been born to James and Lily Potter but Natsume Takashi is my father and Natsume Taki is my mother.

"Harry… Ryuu… was it really so bad that you would forsake the one thing your parents gave you?"

They brought me into this world, they gave me life, Ryuu countered; his eyes filled with compassion and determination. Otousan bought me out of my nightmare and gave me hope. I was reborn and I will never forget my other parents but I will not live in a past that filled my dreams with countless nightmares for years.

"I… I am sorry you feel that way but I can understand. I will stand by my oath and respect your choices. I was not as close to your parents at the time of their death as I was when we were in school together but I loved them both, and you after you were born, very much. Of all the reasons I imagined as to why you might be targeted by Black I never would have guessed it was because you were hiding your identity. Though, now that I know I can see your resemblance to James and Lily; how is it that no one else has figured it out?"

"I would guess accidental magic," Kimura replied. "Based upon his last known magical index rating and the extreme lengths to which his magic goes to protect him when he is emotionally stressed; it wouldn't surprise me if he's unconsciously woven a type of illusion or protection ward over himself so that only those who are specifically told can actually see what no one else sees."

"What was his index at when previously checked? I know he was born with an index of eighty-seven; James had been so proud when it was announced by the mid-wife. He said, and I quote, 'That's my boy! Not even a minute old and he's already surpassing his old man.' James had an index of eighty-five when we finished Hogwarts."

"Natsume Ryuu's magical index rating as of June of ninety-three, was ninety-seven," Hatake replied as the only one present that was able to answer the question due to the Fidelius Dumbledore had cast back in June (using the base number that was always presented first and leaving out the fact that Ryuu's index was technically incalculable).

"I believe we've gotten off topic far enough," Moody suddenly stated with a growl. "We were discussing the boy's safety during the upcoming year. His index level isn't important; neither is his name. What's important is how good is he at following the rules, is he capable of constant vigilance, and does he know how to use that fancy twig he's carrying on his back? And why in hell's bells is he not carrying a real wand!? Training wands won't do you any good when you're faced with certain death."

I fought and killed a mountain troll on Halloween night in my first year at Hogwarts with a training wand and a 'twig', Ryuu declared without a trace of pride; it was a fact, nothing more. He then added, Last year I fought and killed a sixty foot basilisk with the help of my owl, another 'twig', and a sword because my wand was useless against its thick scales. The two times I faced Voldemort's shade I defeated him without a wand. A wand is a tool… just as my hanbo is a tool. Relying upon a tool creates a crutch that will kill you when it becomes useless and you have nothing else with which to defend your life.

"Well said, brat," Moody rasped with another of his creepy grins. "However, even as a tool it doesn't do you any good when you don't have it on you. You should never go anywhere without your wand."

"Natsume-kun had his permission to carry his wands withdrawn when his previous control over his magic was lost after extenuating circumstances that occurred during his fight against the basilisk," Kimura stated. "Would you hand a sword or a knife to a five year old that has never been taught to handle a weapon? Would you set a keg of gunpowder or a can of gasoline beside an open fire? No… to do so in either case would be to invite injury or worse death. Once he has regained a measure of control he will be allowed to carry them once more."

"Two wands? Interesting and unexpected," Moody muttered. "So he's been taught physical self defense, he knows some magical defense, and he's a lucky little snot. I'd say he has potential. I look forward to having an opportunity to viewing his memories of the battles he's mentioned he's fought. It should be entertaining to say the least."

My misery is not for your entertainment, Ryuu signed before he sat back down in his chair and lifted Tenji back up off the floor; the kneazle more than a little disgruntled at having been dumped onto the floor in the first place.

"We're getting off track again," Flitwick pointed out when it looked like Moody was going to say something witty in reply to Ryuu's declaration.

"You've stated that Lupin-san will be trying to anticipate Black's actions, Moody-san will be free to move about the castle as an added measure of protection, the Ministry has sent some sort of guards to watch over the school and the village, and Aurors will be patrolling the area," Takashi listed off without hesitation. "We had just established that it was unacceptable to turn my son into a prisoner within the school and were discussing ways to protect him when he visits the village. Although, Dumbledore seemed to find dissatisfaction with my willingness to allow my son a measure of freedom and my son stated his willingness to withdraw from Hogwarts if the risk to him is as great as Dumbledore seems to believe it is."

"If you did not wish Natsume-kun to leave the castle, why allow the other children to leave the castle? Wouldn't it be wiser to cancel all Hogsmeade visits until Black is caught?" Yamamoto inquired. "Or even limit those allowed to go to the sixth and seventh years or those who are of age."

"I considered that but did not wish to have a school wide mutiny on my hands," Dumbledore admitted. "And while their parents might understand most of the students would not and they would find ways of sneaking out which would put them at risk more so than allowing them to go in the first place."

"If it is just a matter of visiting his parents, why not allow him to travel between Hogwarts and his home via Floo or portkey?" Remus asked curiously.

"I don't know how much you know about Natsume-kun's… situation (above and beyond the complications of him being Harry Potter)," Hatake replied. "But to travel by Floo, one is required to speak their destination. Natsume-kun lacks the ability to speak; hence the reason why he communicates with hand signs. Theoretically, someone else could call out the destinations for him but that would mean that there'd need to be someone magical on both ends of the Floo in order to allow him to move back and forth. His parents are non-magical. Portkey has its own hazards the least of which being that his familiars would suffer repeatedly if forced to travel that way often."

"Ah… didn't think of that. But… he can't speak at all? How…? Since when…? He was a very vocal as a baby."

"Accidental magic," Takashi explained. "He… the time he spent with his maternal aunt was difficult and she did not know how to cope with Ryuu's gifts and he suffered in near silence until the stress reached the point where his magic reacted. He was three at the time and believed silence would protect him, or so I assume, and his magic cast a permanent silencing spell on his vocal cords. That is based off the observations and diagnostic scans from a handful of healers over the last five years since I adopted him just before his seventh birthday. They maintain there is a slight chance that Ryuu could reverse the ward himself but the longer it is in place the harder it would be to break. Once he reaches maturity they don't believe there will ever be a chance to reverse it."

"You're teaching him silent spell casting? Is he any good at it?" Moody asked, once again interested in Ryuu's potential.

"He's very good at it… when he's in complete control," Kimura replied. "He's been casting reliably since he was ten and up until his injuries interfered with that control he had about ninety-one percent accuracy on the higher level first and second year spells and one hundred percent accuracy on the lower level spells."

Moody's eye glittered with something between hunger and glee as focused on Ryuu again and Shogun hissed warningly from his perch on Takashi's shoulder; the owl still distrusting of the wizard.

"No, Moody, you may not claim him as your apprentice no matter how much fun you think it might be to turn him into your clone," Remus dryly stated as he too caught the look on the man's face and caught a whiff of the man's excitement.

"I am willing to return to Hogwarts as Ryuu's personal trainer and quasi bodyguard," Hatake announced once the gentle laughter Remus's rebuke had drawn from the other English wizards died down. "I handed in my resignation to the Bugyou Tokoro; officially retiring from the keikantai, effective as of August twenty-first. I can escort him during the visits to the village on the weekends and continue with his other training on weekday afternoons."

Arigatou, oji, Ryuu signed as he gave Hatake a small smile and bowed as best he could seated with Tenji in his lap.

"If you need a valid reason for my presence at the castle without revealing Natsume-kun's past, I am willing to teach basic self defense to the rest of the students as well."

"I will be available as well, since I will be continuing Natsume-kun's training again this year," Kimura reminded them. "As a privately licensed instructor and researcher I have no other obligations preventing me from continuing his training and I'll be the first to admit that I've grown fond of the mulish gaki over the years. It's actually a strange situation for me as I normally never spend more than a year under a single contract; and yet I've been at it for almost four years now and for once I don't miss the constant change of scenery."

"Anything else that needs to be addressed?" Takashi asked. "It's getting late; Ryuu is still recovering and I have to be to the clinic at seven tomorrow morning."

"There is just one last thing I wish to discuss with you Mr. Natsume before you take your leave," Dumbledore stated. "It is unrelated to the matter at hand and we can discuss it on your way out, if you'd like."

"That should be fine," Takashi agreed as he rose to his feet and shifted Shogun back to Ryuu's shoulder, giving Ryuu's hair a quick ruffle before heading towards the door as Yamamoto dropped the privacy wards. "I'll see you on Thursday, son."

Ryuu nodded as he reluctantly climbed to his feet with Tenji cradled in his arms. Hatake guided him out of the room while Kimura escorted his father back to the portal, Dumbledore and the other English wizards following them. When they reached the stairs, Hatake stopped and held Ryuu back for a moment.

"Are you going to be alright?"

I don't know yet. Knowing what that man did and what he was supposed to be hurts. The fact that he is running free right now frightens me; not because he might try to come after me but because he might seek out Voldemort and help him regain his power.

"When you're ready to talk, or if you have any questions or concerns; you know where to find me."

Hai, oji.

"Good," Hatake replied as he steered Ryuu up to the fourth floor and into the dojo as he took out a time turner and looped it over both of their necks before taking them back to six o'clock so Ryuu could join the rest of the school for supper before heading to bed early.

Just before they entered the cafeteria, Ryuu paused and asked, What am I supposed to tell my friends? I don't want to lie to them but I'm not ready to tell them about my past.

"Tell them the truth; remember honesty above all else. Tell them that we are concerned because you've attracted far too much trouble the past two years and because you've been confronted by Voldemort's shade there's a chance Black might seek you out if he learns of you from his master."

Wakaru.

Ryuu joined his friends, who had saved him a seat, and when they asked him what happened he told them he'd tell them after supper; when they could have a little more privacy. Yamamoto then stood up to address the student body and announced the news of Sirius Black's escape over the weekend. Ryuu stared at his plate and was thankful that he'd had prior warning; otherwise he might have created a scene during the announcement. To his shock (and confusion), Neville flinched and knocked his plate to the floor after hearing the news; his face chalk white.

The escape was the talk of the night though Ryuu's group of friends avoided the topic as they ate their meal in subdued silence; each of them lost in their own thoughts. After the meal, those with schedule conflicts picked up their time turners from Hatake-sensei before heading upstairs. They took a slight detour to borrow one of the study rooms connected to the library to have their conversation and before Ryuu could explain why he'd been called to the Headmaster's office, Satoshi beat him to the punch; the older boy having deduced the reason after the announcement about Black and being fully aware of Ryuu's track record of attracting trouble.

Later that night, in the privacy of their shared dorm, Ryuu asked Neville if he was alright and Neville revealed that Sirius Black was related to the three Death Eaters that were responsible for the attack on him and his parents when he was a baby. He revealed he wasn't actually afraid of Black (though the man was trouble enough) but the fact that if Black could escape (something no one else had ever done) then what was to prevent the Lestranges from doing the same.

Both boys suffered from nightmares the next couple of nights; their fears plaguing them far more than they let on. After the third night in a row, Ryuu dragged Neville with him to see Hatake before their morning training. His reason; he knew what it was like to be haunted by half remembered terrors and he could well imagine how much Neville was suffering from personal experience. He also knew that Neville didn't really have anyone he could go to since he wasn't really close to anyone in his family (aside from his grandmother whom he was still a bit intimidated by) and he nearly had as many trust issues as Ryuu did.

The talk helped them both but Ryuu benefited from it more because he was far closer to Hatake-sensei than Neville was. Ryuu then suggested that Neville could talk to his dad, since his dad helped people deal with things like nightmares and fears all the time; Neville eventually took Ryuu's advice and after a while his nightmares seemed to pass.

The rest of the summer passed far too quickly and before they knew it the summer session was over and they were taking their assessment tests to determine which classes they'd be taking the following summer. Ryuu earned a completion certificate in both Calligraphy and Latin, which would free up two class periods and allow him to pick up another two electives if he wished. He was also allowed to test for his black belt in aikido and ju jitsu (with his father's and Hatake-sensei's permission once they'd determined that his body was recovering) which he passed. Had Takahashi still been Ryuu's instructor he might have argued to wait until Ryuu was fifteen or sixteen as he'd originally stipulated but Takashi and Hatake both believed Ryuu was ready to move to the next level.

His results from his Intermediate Runes class were to be forwarded to Hogwarts so that he could be placed in the appropriately level class as he'd signed up for Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures. In Mastery Level Music, he earned the rank of summoner; his hidden status as a living focus naturally enhancing his ability to imbue his music with his magic. They also discovered he had affinities towards three different animals; birds, felines, and strangely reptiles with an extremely strong connection to snakes.

It was also during those lessons that Ryuu confirmed that he could understand snake speech; which kind of freaked him out a bit since their voices reminded him of the way Riddle's shade had spoken to the basilisk – cold with a hint of darkness. Hatake told him the ability was called parseltongue and that it probably explained why he had such a strong connection when summoning snakes; he also suggested Ryuu not speak of the ability as it was considered dark in some cultures (in and around Europe especially).

The rest of his group did exceptionally well in their classes too, all of them passing into the next levels with Neville and Hermione advancing one level in aikido as well; signifying that they'd improved over the year. Of those attending Hogwarts over the coming year, all but Ryuu would be sponsoring a student for the year; even Luna. Ryuu had been asked not to take on the extra responsibility this year since he was carrying a heavier class load than he had previously and both his father and Hatake thought it would add too much stress on top of everything else. That still meant there would be six transfer students attending Hogwarts for the upcoming year; five of them joining the Gryffindors.

On the flight back to England, Takashi joked that if the current trend continued they'd have to charter a private jet to transport them all back and forth since their group now occupied all but five of the first class seats. They could have moved back to coach and saved a bit of money but it was far more comfortable in first class and they had to deal with far fewer passengers. As it was, this would probably be the last time they'd be flying together as one large group due to the two schools making arrangements to provide magical transportation for those students joining the sponsorship program. Ryuu and his close friends would probably elect to continue traveling through non-magical means if only because they enjoyed the chance to hang out without school getting in the way.

Translations: Japanese to English

Bugyou Tokoro – Magistrate's office
Gaki – brat
Keikantai – police force
Oji - uncle
Otouto – (younger) brother
Wakaru – I understand (present tense – informal)

AN: I'd intended to have this up two and a half weeks ago but between one thing and another I didn't quite get around to it. Don't know when the next chapter will be posted but hopefully it won't take me as long as this one did. As a side note, I did not replace any earlier chapters with edited versions this time around. I may or may not get them done when I post the next chapter; depends on when I make the time to format the edited chapters.

I'd like to thank everyone that has left a review as well as those that have added this story or my author's page to their favorites and/or alert lists. If I did not reply to your review, it was nothing personal; I just have a hard time keeping track of which reviews I've answered because of the way has the review replies set up. All of your reviews were very much appreciated though. ~ Jenn