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 43: Harsh Words and the Parting of Ways*

Hogwarts Castle, Scotland
Kakushugakkou no Jujutsu, Japan
May 1996

After supper on the day immediately after Ryuu's final test, Ryuu met with Dumbledore in the Headmaster's office along with Hatake, Takashi, and Moody. Flitwick was supposed to have joined them too but the Head of Ravenclaw still had one more exam to administer for the younger students. Under the supervision of the adults, Dumbledore passed Ryuu eight journals, fifty vials each containing between one and five memories each, six books, and over a hundred scrolls filled with close to forty years of research notes that Dumbledore had been compiling through the years.

Ryuu packed everything into his satchel, pulled out the blank book that would become his new war journal and a pen, and then glanced up at the Headmaster expectantly; waiting for the man to start speaking of what he knew about Voldemort. Ryuu could find the time to go through the research notes on his own time to confirm what Dumbledore told him and to learn the tiny details that the Headmaster would inevitably gloss over during the telling.

"Lord Voldemort was born as Tom Marvolo Riddle to Merope Gaunt on December thirty-first nineteen twenty-six," Dumbledore reluctantly began once it became apparent that he wasn't going to be allowed to draw things out.

Ryuu listened attentively, occasionally writing down the pertinent facts. He listened to the sad life of Merope Gaunt, her trickery in ensnaring a muggle named Tom Riddle, and how Tom Riddle junior had been orphaned by his mother and raised in an orphanage as his father didn't even know he existed. He learned of young Tom's penchant for bullying after discovering his magic, his tendency to collect trophies from his victims, and how he reacted when Dumbledore turned up to tell him he was a wizard.

Tom's years at Hogwarts were then discussed as were Tom's discovery of his heritage and the information of how he'd eventually located and murdered his father and grandparents. The news that Tom had been the one to originally open the Chamber of Secrets was no shock to Ryuu; he'd figured that out in his second year when he'd faced Tom's shade and the basilisk.

They were just starting to discuss Tom's activities in the two years immediately after Hogwarts when they were interrupted by a frantic call from the Ministry; Voldemort had just broken into the Ministry and was fighting his way to the Department of Mysteries to steal the prophecy. Dumbledore immediately began issuing orders to rouse the Order of the Phoenix (a group of witches and wizards dedicated to fighting against Voldemort that directly answered to Dumbledore). He then made to dismiss Ryuu only to draw up short when he saw Ryuu and the other three adults in the room smirking and chuckling.

"This is no laughing matter," Dumbledore intoned harshly as he glared at them over his glasses.

"I disagree," Ryuu cheekily countered as he bit off yet another bout of laughter. "Let him take the prophecy… it can only help us in the long run."

"If he learns what it says there will be nothing to stop him from coming after you!" Dumbledore protested angrily. "You are not ready to face him and he can't be killed yet!"

"He has been chasing after me for years already," Ryuu replied calmly, his mirth turning feral as he glanced up at Dumbledore with glittering green eyes that were as hard and cold as diamonds. "Voldemort learning the prophecy will not make him hate me any more than he already does, nor will it help him. You see… I didn't like your plan to just watch over the prophecy when I heard about it at the beginning of the year so I took matters into my own hands and swapped it out. Let him take the prophecy, Dumbledore-shishou, it will only make him doubt himself even more."

"What have you done?"

"I gave him something to think about with a little help from Trelawney-sensei," Ryuu quipped as his mirth returned and he snickered into his hands. "He will have greater things to worry about than little ole me."

"What did you do!?" Dumbledore roared in anger as he glared furiously at Ryuu.

"What you should have done the moment you knew Voldemort would go looking for the entire prophecy," Ryuu countered coldly as he matched the aged wizard glare for glare; his respect for the older wizard having taken a harsh beating over the past two years. "Go to the Ministry and fight him if you wish, capture as many of his Death Eaters as you can but do not stop him from taking the prophecy. I will not allow you to destroy this chance to make him question everything that has happened over the past five years and make him doubt his own followers."

"You would have him turn on those that follow him? You would condemn those men and woman to their deaths or worse?" Dumbledore demanded in shock as he dropped back down to his chair.

"They condemned themselves the moment they swore allegiance to Voldemort."

"They can be redeemed!" Dumbledore spat out in anger as he leaned forward and began glaring again.

"So you would consign hundreds of innocent lives to brutal deaths to save a handful of murders, rapists, and the worst sort of criminals?" Ryuu demanded right back as he stood up and allowed his own anger show. "You would rather have the blood of those same innocents on your hands than do your duty as Headmaster, Chief Warlock, and Supreme Mugwump? Are you so damn blind to those that are suffering that you'd allow it to continue just to save those who are beyond saving!? You'd willingly condemn an entire world to repeating this bloody damn cycle of prejudice in another twenty years by allowing those that propagate the bigotry and intolerance to continue teaching the next generation?"

"You don't understand; you are too young…" Dumbledore began heatedly only to be cut off by Ryuu.

"No… you don't understand… you refuse to look beyond the forest to see the trees. You don't see people you see pawns. If you can't even bother to care for the lives of those lost in your quest to save those who have sold their soul to the underworld, then it is past time you stepped aside and let those of us who are willing to fight to protect what is innocent and good do our jobs. This isn't a matter of those Death Eaters and Voldemort being a little misunderstood and needing a little reform… this is war; a war to protect our families, our friends, the innocents, and our very way of life. In war people die and when you fight a war, you fight it to win even if it means killing those that threaten you and yours; you don't stand back and allow children to die just so you can make your enemy see the error of their ways."

"So you would harden your heart and murder them in return? You would sink to their level? You would seek to turn yourself dark?"

Ryuu's wild magic slammed into the Headmaster with the speed of a striking snake, disarming the older wizard and flinging him across the room. The scar on his temple pulsed wildly in time to his racing heart as he easily caught Dumbledore's wand in his hand; his eyes far colder and far harder than they had been earlier as he seethed over Dumbledore's accusations.

"I will not allow you to condemn me and paint me as tarnished as you yourself feel over whatever haunts your past," Ryuu spat lowly as Shinjin hissed at the Headmaster from his shoulder. "I have murdered no one… not Quirrell, not the basilisk, not the dementors, not a single creature that sought my blood during that stupid tournament, not the Death Eater that Malfoy used as a shield, and not Umbridge. And yet they are dead and the world is a slightly better off without them."

"Can you not see that you are…?" Dumbledore implored as he pushed himself up onto his feet.

"No… you do not see," Hatake cut in before Ryuu could say anything else. "You are accusing Ryuu-kun of things he would never do while you try to convince him that those who are the true problem are more important than the innocents whose lives are at risk. All in the name of redeeming them so that you look good in the eyes of the public."

"If that is what he truly believes than there is nothing we can do to change his mind," Ryuu stated tightly as he glanced down at the wand in his hand with a puzzled expression on his face. "And this wand will never again sing for you in battle. I trust you have left nothing out of the notes you have given me because you will not have another chance to fulfill your oath and if you break your oath you will lose your magic."

"I will not discuss anything further with you until you see what you are doing is wrong; now give me back my wand," Dumbledore ordered as he held out his hand.

"It is no longer your wand," Ryuu replied absently as he slipped it into his pocket and looked up to meet the Headmaster's gaze; the diadem once again slipping him knowledge that he hadn't asked for. "The wand now belongs to me because you are no longer strong enough to protect it. I hope, for your sake, that you have left nothing out because this is the last time I will step foot in this castle as a student so long as you are Headmaster."

"You have two more years of classes," Dumbledore pointed out with a scowl and more than a little smugness.

"And I have a standing invitation to attend Kakushugakkou no Jujutsu that I can and will accept in order to finish those two years," Ryuu replied as he turned away from Dumbledore and started leaving the office. He paused with his hand on the door and glanced back over his shoulder, "And Dumbledore, if Voldemort learns that the prophecy he is stealing is a fake or if he is not allowed to steal the prophecy I will see to it that the history books remember you as the worst Dark Lord in the past two hundred years and that Voldemort is seen as nothing more than your tool… and I will see to it you are… what was the word the prophecy used? Oh yes… vanquished."

Ryuu slipped out of the room as Dumbledore sank back down onto his knees and covered his face with his hands. Takashi spat on the floor in front of the Headmaster, the forty year old pissed at the way his son had just been treated, before he chased after Ryuu to make certain he was alright. Moody and Hatake exchanged a look and the two of them silently agreed to wait and see what Dumbledore would do. When the second call came from the Floo for help in the Ministry, Moody slipped away to deal with it and see to it that Ryuu's prophecy ended up in Voldemort's possession while Hatake continued to watch over the Headmaster.

Takashi caught up with Ryuu just outside the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office; the teen kneeling on the floor with his face in his hands in an eerie mimicry of the Headmaster that had a shiver tracing up Takashi's spine. As he crouched down beside his oldest son and placed his hand on his back, Takashi noted that Ryuu had thrown up on the floor in front of him and that the teen was trembling.

"He would spare murderers like Malfoy… he would have pleaded for leniency for Umbridge despite the fact that she would gladly harm children just to get what she wants. He… he said I was going dark… Why, tousan? Why?" Ryuu choked out as he lifted his face from his hands and revealed tormented green eyes swimming with unshed tears. "Why doesn't he care about those that suffer? Why is it so important that those who harm others are allowed to walk free while the rest of the world weeps tears of blood? Why is it wrong of me to wish to stop those who are causing that suffering?"

"I don't know, son," Takashi murmured sadly, his heart breaking for the latest burden that had been placed on his son's shoulders. "I do know he is wrong. It is not wrong to want to make people see that they are wrong but he is wrong to allow them to continue harming others just so that they may be saved. And you are not dark… not so long as you continue fighting for those who can't protect themselves. So long as you remember that the burden of taking another life in the course of war is a heavy burden to bear and you take no pleasure in hurting others."

"I can't stay here any longer, tousan," Ryuu rasped as he pulled out his cherry wand and used it to clean up the mess he'd made when he was sick earlier. "I get sick just thinking about… I can't… I just want to go home."

"Then we will go," Takashi promised as he helped Ryuu to his feet. "Go pack your things and meet me in the dojo in two hours and we will use the portal. I'll let your mother know."

"May… may I invite the others?"

"Of course you may but keep in mind that some of them might not be able to leave today since they will need to obtain their parents' or guardians' permission. They are welcome at our house any time though; you know that."

"Arigatou, tousan," Ryuu murmured as he impulsively hugged his father tightly before he vanished into a secret passage that appeared from out of nowhere.

"Anything for you, son, anything," Takashi whispered to the air as he stared at the now blank section of wall where Ryuu had disappeared.

Sighing, Takashi glanced down at his watch to check the time before he headed towards the quarters he shared with his wife and youngest son. Taki would not be happy when she learned what had happened and she would be sad to leave the castle early; she'd grown fond of the children she'd been tutoring for the past couple of years. She would also not hesitate to do what she could to help Ryuu keep his spirits up in the face of this latest blow to his confidence.

Shaking his head and shoving his unpleasant thoughts to the back of his mind, Takashi picked up his pace as he approached the entrance to his rooms; there was much to be done if he was going to meet Ryuu as promised.

Ryuu exited the secret passage and found himself standing right outside of his quarters on the third floor. He'd been one of the few students to not return to his dorm in the Ravenclaw tower. Not because he thought himself better or that he thought he deserved to have private rooms but because he was still taking care of one hundred and eight immature wild phoenixes and he seriously doubted that his dorm mates really wanted to put up with the racket they made when they started signing discordant songs or crying for food.

Thanking the castle for delivering him to his rooms, Ryuu stepped inside and headed straight for his bedroom where he methodically began gathering up his things and piling them up on his bed. From the various perches all around the room, many of them stuck to the walls to save room, over a hundred pairs of obsidian eyes watched him with undisguised curiosity.

It took Ryuu nearly an hour to collect everything he had spread through out the three room suite (bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room) and pack it all away in his magically expanded trunk. He'd also sent messages off to his friends letting them know he was leaving shortly and that they were invited to join him at any time. He was just turning his attention to the half-grown phoenixes that were watching him when his small apartment was invaded by close to twenty individuals. Ryuu sighed and told the wild birds that he'd be back in a moment before he stepped out in the living room to find the majority of those he'd befriended through the years standing with their trunks in hand along with his girlfriend who was watching him intently.

"When're we leaving Special Lieutenant Colonel Natsume?" Fred cheekily asked as he jauntily saluted Ryuu with his wand.

"We're awaiting our orders, boss," George added as he too saluted the fifteen year old.

"Not that it will make one wit of difference or make us change our minds," Cedric began. "But why the sudden rush to leave?"

"What happened, Ryuu? Last I knew you and your father were meeting with Dumbledore-shishou for research and whatnot," Satoshi added as he took in the practically bare sitting room (Ryuu's personal effects already removed).

Ryuu bowed his head for a moment trying to decide just how much to tell them and sighed when he realized he could tell them no less than the entire truth least Dumbledore try to twist it around on him later in order to turn his friends against him. When he looked back up more than one of his friends stood up straighter as they immediately took notice of the intense emotions in Ryuu's eyes.

"I will not lie nor will I sugar coat the truth to make it easier to swallow," Ryuu began softly, his voice hard as steel but no where near as cold as it had been when he last addressed the Headmaster of Hogwarts. "You have all earned my trust, respect, and friendship and you deserve to know what happened and what will happen. I am leaving Hogwarts early because I am leaving Hogwarts entirely. I will not be returning to this castle as a student so long as Dumbledore is the Headmaster."

More than one of the students blinked or gaped in shock over that announcement, nearly every one of them confused over the unexpected declaration. Ryuu grimaced as he reached up to run a hand through his hair, tangling his fingers at the back of his head as he tried to find the right words to explain without making it look like he was painting the Headmaster as a villain.

"There are some things I can't reveal at the moment because it is sensitive and classified information and the more people who hear it the more of a chance there is that it will get back to the wrong people. I know that you are all aware that I have a part to play in the war against Voldemort…" More than one of the British born magicals flinched at hearing the name but they remained quiet and attentive. "…as I have not made any attempt to hide the fact that I am preparing for war from you over this past year. More over, Dumbledore is fully aware of what I must face and he has made no secret of the fact that he has always wanted me to be kept ignorant of what I will have to face; grooming me personally to be a sacrificial lamb. My father, Hatake-oji, and many others have fought him every step of the way to insure that did not happen."

Ryuu paused again and noted that while most of those gathered were frowning none of them appeared skeptical or disbelieving so far and he took heart that it meant they would not in turn believe him to be going dark like Dumbledore was implying he was. Taking a deep breath, Ryuu let his shoulders sag a bit as the pain of that accusation shot through him again and he had to close his eyes for a moment before he could continue.

When he did, his voice was soft and weary; "Earlier this evening Voldemort and his forces were reported to be attacking the Ministry in hopes of stealing something from the Department of Mysteries. Something I removed back at the beginning of the year to prevent it from falling into Voldemort's hands and at the same time I replaced it with a fake that would hopefully weaken Voldemort's forces."

Eyes widened and the Weasley twins actually smirked as they glanced at each other. Ryuu briefly smiled as he knew they appreciated the mere thought of pranking the Dark Lord. His smile vanished as he continued, "When I told Dumbledore to allow Voldemort to take what he was after and why he should allow it… Dumbledore… he grew angry." Ryuu glanced down to hide his own anger as his voice turned cold and brittle as he revealed exactly what Dumbledore thought of his plan.

"Instead of rejoicing over the idea of getting one over on the Dark Lord and seeing the benefits of making the Dark Lord turn on his followers he berated me and accused me of being just as bad if not worse than the Death Eaters; going so far as to call me a murderer. He told me I was going dark because I would not believe that those that follow Voldemort should be given a hundred second chances so that they could be redeemed or reformed."

"I'll gut the bearded berk where he stands," Luna uncharacteristically growled in anger as she stalked towards the door with her wand in hand. "My Dragon is not and will never be dark and I'll not stand for the bloody bearded bugger to hurt you any more."

"Luna, he's not worth it," Ryuu stated, making Luna stop in her tracks as she glanced over her shoulder at him with her blue eyes glittering with pure fury. "I disarmed him and severed ties with him. He'll not be able to hurt me and by the time he thinks to spread tales of my apparent growing 'darkness' I will already have addressed my international advisors to warn them. I will gladly share the memory with you later if you wish. Please, my beautiful moon, don't leave me without your light over an old wizard fast approaching the end of his life."

Luna was clinging to Ryuu a moment later, her tears soaking through his robes as he held her tightly and ran his fingers through her hair. As he comforted his girlfriend he took in the looks of outrage on the faces of his former captains and wondered if they all felt the same as Luna or if they were angry over the fact that Ryuu was suggesting that Dumbledore was not quite as light as they'd always believed.

"Did you at least punch him once in the nose for the audacity of accusing you of such nonsense?" Satoshi growled tightly as he clenched his fists.

"No… but I did fling him across his office with wild magic and kept his wand when I realized it bonded to my magic the moment I touched it," Ryuu replied with a half grin. "I also might have threatened to uh… rewrite the history books to paint him as the worst dark lord in the past two hundred years if he gets in my way or interferes with the fake weapon that I left for him in the Ministry; linking him to Voldemort since I know that Dumbledore knew that Voldemort was on the rise for a good fifteen or twenty years before he actually began attacking the wizarding world in the late sixties."

"What!? Are you saying Dumbledore allowed or possibly helped Voldemort rise to power during the first war?" Hermione gasped out half in fear and half in anger. "That if he'd have taken out the Dark Lord in the beginning there never would have been a war to begin with?"

"No… not exactly… but at the same time if he did anything to try and stop him at the time, I haven't been told about it yet. There is a possibility that he tried to convince the Ministry at the time to end the threat and he wasn't believed but as I said I don't know what he did. All I know is that Dumbledore has been researching Voldemort's entire life for around forty years. I'd have to read through the notes and journals he gave me to find out more."

"He gave you all of his research?" Cedric asked in astonishment. "Headmaster Dumbledore never shares the knowledge he's gathered; my dad told me years ago to always be skeptical of what Dumbledore tells you because chances are he's left out half of what you should know and candy coated the other half so it is only vaguely recognized as the truth. Not that my dad thought Dumbledore was dark or anything just that he didn't like sharing what he knows."

"He was oath bound to share what he knows about Voldemort," Ryuu quietly admitted as he buried his nose in Luna's hair now that he noticed she was no longer crying. "He has until the end of this academic year to pass along all of his notes and information regarding Voldemort and his Death Eaters or he would be stripped of his magic. I don't know whether or not he honored that oath fully today but he did supposedly give me copies of everything he had including quite a few memories he's collected. He was in the middle of giving us a verbal summary when we learned of the raid on the Ministry."

"Ryuu-kun, your father told me to…" Hatake announced as he stepped into the room unannounced only to drift off as he took in just who had gathered and how many of them had trunks in their hands or by their feet. "Whoa didn't realize you were holding a war council already. Anyway, Takashi's ready to leave whenever you are; he had Dobby clear out the dojo already and the rest of the elves are stripping everything that belongs to the Student Protestors from the third floor and taking it down to the Chamber."

"Not a war council, oji, just letting them know I was leaving and why," Ryuu corrected as he lifted his face just enough to meet Hatake's gaze. "They've also been invited to come with us and from what I can tell the majority of them have decided to accept."

"Most of us are seventeen and don't need parental permission," Lee announced with a grin. "We go where our boss goes. We did take the time to send off a bunch of letters letting them know we made other plans for the summer and to not expect us when the Express pulls into King's Cross on the day the rest of the students go home."

"The rest of us sent off letters as well since we'd already made plans to spend the summer in Japan again this year," Hermione added with a small nod. "We're just going a few weeks earlier then planned and I know my parents won't mind because they'll see me when they land in Tokyo."

"Gran will be a little upset that I didn't wait around to take the train but she will be furious when she hears about Dumbledore accusing you of going dark," Neville stated simply as he shrugged.

"Arigatou," Ryuu murmured with a small smile.

"Anything any of you have left that needs to be done?" Hatake asked as he glanced around the room.

"I just need to find out what I'm going to do with all of the phoenixes I'm still watching over," Ryuu admitted as he lifted his face the rest of the way out of Luna's hair. "Everything else is packed and ready to go."

"Dobby be having the elves move the many birdies to the garden in Japan, Master Ryuu-sama," Dobby declared as he popped into the room in order to let Ryuu know the problem had already been dealt with. "Dobby will be taking everyone's luggage now." The elf snapped his thumb and all of the trunks in the room, and Ryuu's from the bedroom, vanished in an instant just before the elf disappeared as well.

"I think that means we're ready to go now," Ryuu pointed out with a shake of his head over the eagerness of the house elf that had bonded to him years earlier.

"Everyone down to the dojo then," Hatake ordered as he pulled the door open once more.

Ryuu watched them go as he continued to hold Luna. Once it was just the three of them, his uncle watching him from the door, Ryuu reached up and lifted Luna's chin so he could give her a tender smile and a gentle kiss. He then murmured softly, for her ears only, "Arigatou, Luna, for believing in me and for staying with me."

"I told you last year that you couldn't get rid of me that easily," Luna whispered in reply as she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Ryuu's neck, pulling him close once more. "I just can't stand the thought of anyone hurting you anymore. You're always getting hurt."

"Oh, sweetheart," Ryuu cried softly into her hair as he lifted her off her feet and pulled her closer. "The only thing that could truly hurt me is if something happened to you or my family and friends. Physical pain only hurts for a brief moment… true pain, pain that tears at the heart and destroys the mind… true pain is what one feels when those we love are torn from us through violence. I would raze this world to the ground in a heartbeat without an ounce of regret in order to protect you or destroy those that dared harm you."

Hatake silently watched the two teens, listening to their declarations and he felt his heart stop for a brief moment when Ryuu spoke of razing the world. He knew Ryuu was perfectly capable of destroying the world if he chose to and the knowledge that he'd helped turn the once shy and frightened child into the powerful wizard warrior he was fast becoming filled him with pride and fear. He was proud because Ryuu had become strong and frightened because Ryuu could potentially do far more damage than any five of the last dark wizards or witches in the past century.

He didn't fear Ryuu going dark, he honestly didn't think the teen had a dark bone in his body; no… he feared Ryuu would lose himself to his rage should someone harm his family.

There were three incidents in particular that stood out in his mind; the night of the final dementor attack at the end of his third year and the rage he felt when Ryuu cast the patronus that destroyed the dementors, the night of the fourth task when Ryuu returned and unleashed his magic in his grief over Shogun's death, and the night Umbridge had forced Luna to use a blood quill. Each of those instances showed but a fraction of what Ryuu was capable of and that in his anger he wasn't afraid to shatter the laws of magic in order to protect his loved ones (or mourn them in Shogun's case).

In the time it took Hatake to restart his heart and review those few memories, Ryuu had lowered his face and taken Luna's mouth with his in a kiss not unlike the one Ryuu had taken after he'd beaten Bane the centaur in hand to hand combat for the third task of the tournament the year before. The older wizard was almost embarrassed to be watching what seemed to be a far too intimate moment between a fifteen year old and a fourteen year old (well technically Ryuu was nearly sixteen and Luna just about fifteen year old).

Averting his eyes and fighting the slight blush that tinted his cheeks, Hatake waited for his unofficial nephew to come back down to earth. When after a few minutes that didn't seem to be happening, Hatake coughed and cleared his throat before offering to hose them down again. The older wizard then snickered as the two teen practically apparated apart at the mere mention of water.


Ryuu stumbled as he stepped out of the portal onto the outer grounds of Kakushugakkou no Jujutsu, the buzz of the wards ten times stronger than they had been the first time he'd stepped onto the grounds. He just barely managed to remain on his feet this time and he wondered why the wards affected him so much more then they usually did when he'd been passing through the portal without any problems for years (only that very first time affecting as much as this latest time). Shaking his head, he stepped away from the still open portal and shook off the last of the strange feeling clinging to him as he unconsciously stuffed his hand into his robe pocket and palmed the handle of the wand he'd taken from the Headmaster.

A moment later, his father stepped through the portal with Kenji in his arms followed by his mother, his girlfriend, and his uncle. Shortly after that the portal blanked out and Ryuu knew that the door in the dojo had just been disconnected and would be transferred to the Potter Cottage in Hogsmeade as his uncle had requested. The second portal leading to the Chamber of Secrets would also be moved to the Potter Cottage so that no one could slip into the Chamber and mess with all of the supplies and equipment that had been stored down there. All of the exchange students that had been attending Hogwarts that year had opted to leave early as well so there was no danger of any of them being stranded in Scotland and the two instructors that had opted to stay until the end of term (Mori and Kimura) had alternatives means of getting home.

"Turn the glow off, kiddo," Hatake barked as he glanced over at Ryuu and noticed the scar on his temple glowing slightly.

"Huh?" Ryuu asked in confusion as he turned to give Hatake a puzzled look.

"You're channeling," Hatake replied as he tapped his temple.

"No I'm not," Ryuu countered as he frowned and took stock of his body's magic while at the same time pulling his hand out of his pocket and away from the wand. "Nothing…"

"Well something was obviously affecting you," Takashi pointed out as he too had seen the soft glow. "What were you thinking about just now?"

"I was wondering why the wards of the academy were acting up a bit as it felt like a strong wave of magic hit me the moment I stepped through the portal, enough to make me stumble. They haven't affected me that bad since the first time I stepped onto the grounds my first summer."

"Yamamoto-shishou might have upgraded the wards," Hatake suggested as they began heading towards the stone stairs leading up to the castle; the rest of those who'd crossed with them already halfway there. "We can mention it to him when we discuss the coming summer session and your transfer to the Academy; unless you are having second thoughts?"

"No second thoughts," Ryuu replied curtly without any hesitation. "And while I would have preferred to stay here in the first place; I'm glad that I at least gave Hogwarts a chance because I made a few good friends and discovered the beauty that is the Moon."

Luna blushed prettily at the not so subtle compliment as she slipped her hand into Ryuu's as they slowly crossed the grounds. Ryuu couldn't help but lift her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles before tucking her hand in the crook of his elbow, enjoying the way he could feel the warmth of her body next to his as they walked in perfect sync with each other. On their shoulders, the two kneazles purred in contentment while Shinjin just twittered in amusement and groomed Ryuu's hair with her beak. If only moments like these could last forever, Ryuu thought to himself as Luna sighed happily and leaned her head on Ryuu's shoulder.

All too soon Ryuu was standing in Yamamoto's office with his immediate family (Luna had gone to spend some time with her friends that had left on November first and not returned due to the trouble with Umbridge). In the small hand thrown clay tea cup sitting on the Headmaster's desk was Ryuu's memory of the fiasco that his earlier meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore had deteriorated into once they'd received news that Voldemort had attempted to sneak into the Ministry. Said memory was currently playing out above the miniature pensieve in startling clarity in nearly life-size proportions.

Ryuu's eyes were focused on a point just behind Yamamoto's desk, his jaw clenched tightly as he fought to keep his temper under control and his ears ringing with the effort to ignore the harsh words that Dumbledore had directed at him. He remained slightly on edge even after the memory ceased playing and the images sank back into the pensieve.

"I am disappointed, Natsume-kun," Yamamoto began in a tone that was both filled with disappointment and repressed anger.

Ryuu flinched back as if he'd been struck; having never before had that tone directed at him before and he bowed deeply as he murmured out a submissive but respectful, "Moushiwake arimasen deshita."

"You misunderstand me, child," Yamamoto gently chided. "I am not angry or disappointed in you and you have nothing for which to apologize. I am angry and disappointed in our Supreme Mugwump; that he would say such things to you, of all people, after all of the things you have been put through since you first started attending his school is beyond the pale (as the English say). You acted well within your rights and while you allowed your anger to get the better of you, you didn't allow it to completely consume you."

Ryuu started again as he jerked upright before he blushed and nodded sheepishly as he nervously shifted before he took a couple of calming breaths to settle his nerves. Once he was back under control, Ryuu bowed a second time and murmured a soft thank you.

"Now that we have cleared the air," Yamamoto declared he leaned back in his chair, steepled his fingers, and tapped his index fingers against his lips as he studied Ryuu intently. "I have to ask you if you are certain you wish to follow through with the… declaration… you gave to Dumbledore regarding your final two years of schooling and before you answer think carefully, because if you choose to attend Kakushugakkou no Jujutsu, I can guarantee that it will be no walk in the park."

"I am certain, shishou," Ryuu replied softly without hesitation. "I can't afford to fight this war on two fronts and if I return to Hogwarts I will be fighting Dumbledore and his ideals as well as fighting against Voldemort and whatever he may attempt to throw at the world in his efforts to take control of Magical Britain."

"Wakaru, Natsume-kun," Yamamoto replied with a nod. "I will expect you to put forth your usual effort in your classes and extra lessons and I will make arrangements with Ashikaga about stepping up your training. There are a few other classes I would like you to take as I think they will help you in the long run; one of which is a Basic Healing course since you've already proven efficient with your Shaman Rituals not to mention the unique ability you posses to pull the dark magic from a wound. We will also need to make arrangements to speak with the International Advisory Council regarding Dumbledore's machinations and warn them that he may attempt to tarnish your name and reputation."

"Iie, he won't," Hatake refuted quietly. "His oaths will not allow him to do so. The only reason he was able to say what he said to Ryuu earlier this evening is because everyone there to witness the debacle were sworn to help and protect Ryuu. He was also… not exactly broken but he was greatly shaken by what happened and I seriously doubt he will recover from it any time soon. We should still advise the Council but I think it more just to let them know why Hogwarts will no longer be a viable location to hold future meetings."

Yamamoto was just about to make a reply when a silvery wolverine slipped into the office and trundled right up to Ryuu. Recognizing Moody's patronus, Ryuu knelt down and ran his hand over the ethereal creature's back and froze as he saw the memory that Moody had sent him (the grizzled old ex-Auror fully aware that Ryuu could read the memories used to create a patronus). As he watched the unfolding memory of Moody entering the fray at the Ministry, Ryuu couldn't help but worry for those witches and wizards he knew.

When he reached the part where he saw Voldemort snagging the prophecy from the shelf (Moody had surprisingly managed to still arrive before the Dark Lord had reached the Department of Mysteries despite the delay in heading off to the Ministry) Ryuu crowed triumphantly. The memory then ended as the Dark Lord apparated right out of the Ministry and Ryuu couldn't help but laugh as he pulled his hand away from the patronus.

"The mission was a complete success," Moody's gravely voice declared now that Ryuu was no longer touching it. "There were only two fatalities on our side, the two security guards on duty when Voldemort arrived, and a few serious injuries that will be healed in a few days. Six Death Eaters were captured and three died during the fighting."

Ryuu sobered immediately when he heard the news that people had died and been hurt and he sat up as the wolverine nodded at him before vanishing. Sighing, Ryuu dropped his head onto his knees for a moment to pray for the souls of those lost and for the family that they left behind. The teen then climbed to his feet and stuffed his hands back in his pockets, shoulders slumped with sadness and guilt, his left hand once again curling around the wand he'd taken from Dumbledore.

"Natsume-kun, please calm down, you are not to blame for the deaths of the guards; you were not the one who fired the curses that killed them," Yamamoto ordered gently. "Bring your magic under control, please."

Ryuu started as he tilted his head to the side and furrowed his brow. He still felt no draw on his magic, just the slight tug of his patronus as the silvery memory of Shogun sat on Nyanko-sensei's back. Closing his eyes so he could look inwards, he searched deeper to see if he was missing something but still didn't sense any hint of his magic escaping his control. Opening his eyes once more, he meet Yamamoto's stern gaze with confused green orbs as he stated, "My magic is not out of my control, shishou."

"That's the second time you've said that when you scar has been glowing tonight," Hatake commented as he pursed his lips and studied Ryuu.

Ryuu simply shrugged as he had no clue what he was doing or why his scar was reacting the way it was. He knew it usually only reacted when he was actively channeling magic or when his emotions got the best of him. Feeling self-conscious, he pulled his hands from his pockets and crossed them over his chest while the adults arched their brows in surprise as the moment he let go of the wand the glow stopped (not that they knew he was holding the wand).

"What did you just do?" Takashi asked curiously.

"Nothing, tousan, I just pulled my hands out of my pockets," Ryuu replied while giving his father a look that clearly questioned his father's sanity.

"Just out of idle curiosity," Yamamoto began. "What exactly do you have in your pockets?"

"Nothing… except the wand I took from Dumbledore-san," Ryuu replied with a shrug.

"May I see the wand?"

Nodding in confirmation, to both questions, Ryuu reached his left hand into his pocket and withdrew the wand, the adults curiously noting that Ryuu's scar had once again began glowing as he removed the wand and held it out handle first to the older wizard. Once he released the wand his scar stopped glowing once again.

"The wand? Curious… curious indeed," Yamamoto murmured as he studied the wand in his hand. He gave it a flick, intending to conjure a small flock of birds only to blink in shock when nothing happened. A second flick to light the tip of the wand produced the same lack of results. "That is odd… I've never known a wand to not respond to simple spells regardless of who was wielding it. Natsume-kun, could you please humor an old man and conjure something simple with this wand please?"

Taking the wand back, which immediately set his scar glowing yet again, Ryuu barely flicked the wand when it produced hundreds of large, metallic blue swallowtail butterflies that fluttered about the office before landing all around and on Ryuu and the others. Yamamoto carefully pulled out his own wand and tried to cancel the spell only to find that the butterflies refused to be returned from wherever it was that Ryuu had conjured them from.

"Natsume-kun, could you please cancel the spell now?"

Ryuu blinked and attempted to use the same spell that the headmaster had only to blink in surprise when they didn't budge. Tilting his head to the side in curiosity, Ryuu tried again only to end up with the same exact result. Glancing down at the wand in his hand, Ryuu tried to remember what he'd been thinking about when he conjured the butterflies and smiled softly when he realized he'd been thinking about Luna and her delicate beauty that he found so entrancing.

Blushing lightly, he realized that he would not be able to dispel the butterflies because in his mind nothing could diminish Luna's beauty. Knowing that, Ryuu flicked his wand to open the window in the Headmaster's office and watched as the butterflies rose in a cloud and swooped out of the office in a steady stream until there was just a half dozen left clinging to him, his mother, and his brother.

"Most curious, most curious indeed," Yamamoto murmured as he glanced between the lingering butterflies and Ryuu who was currently staring down at the wand in his hand. "At least we know that the wand is in perfect working order and that it somehow causes a reaction in your scar. We can explore that most interesting bond another time though so you may go ahead and put it away. And could you please explain what you found so amusing when you interacted with the patronus?"

"Hai," Ryuu automatically replied as he tucked the wand back in his pocket before he answered the question as requested. "I was laughing because Voldemort took the bait; Moody actually saw him take the fake prophecy and disappear with it, which ended the battle as the Death Eaters fled shortly after as well. I'll have to find out what Dobby did with the receiver for the monitoring charms on the fake, so we can view his reaction to the false prophecy. As amusing as it is to know he fell for the trap the others helped me set up; I can't help but feel guilty that those two guards lost their lives. I know I am not responsible for their deaths but that doesn't make it any easier to accept that they died while Voldemort was seeking the bait I placed for him."

"And if you had not placed the 'bait in the trap' would Voldemort still have gone to the Ministry to steal the real 'bait'?" Yamamoto asked seriously as he studied Ryuu closely.

"Yes, he would have. Like I said, I know it isn't my fault… it's just that I can't help but think of those two guards and the family they left behind to grieve for their deaths. It is not right that their families will suffer such heartache because of a monster that left his humanity behind."

"I understand," Yamamoto murmured. "Can you please tell me more about the false prophecy you left for Voldemort?"

"Tousan? Oji?" Ryuu asked as he glanced over at the two men, his eyes flicking slightly to his mother who was holding his little brother who in turn was giggling over the butterflies still clinging to the pair.

"Taki love, why don't you take Kenji to the kitchen and see if one of the elves could get him a small snack and show you to a place where he can take a short nap to help him adjust to the time change?" Takashi suggested.

"You wouldn't be trying to get rid of me now, Takashi dear, would you?" Taki asked sweetly as she arched an eyebrow at her husband before canting her eyes to the side to see Ryuu's guilty expression. She sighed, knowing her adopted son was just trying to spare her from the darker aspects of the magical side of his life. "I expect a full accounting later, dearest, or you and I will be having a reckoning. And Ryuu-kun, I think the two of us need to sit down and discuss your insistence on protecting me while at the same time leaving me to worry over what trouble you will stumble onto next."

"Hai, kaasan," Ryuu meekly replied as he blushed and glanced away from his mother.

"She took that better than I expected," Hatake mused as he glanced at Ryuu and Takashi.

"She's angry…" Ryuu muttered. "I just don't want her to worry even more or worse get hurt because of me."

"Your mother just doesn't like being left out and she feels like you're pulling away from her lately," Takashi stated cautiously so as not to make Ryuu feel any guiltier. "As she said, she worries about you."

Ryuu nodded then turned his attention back to Yamamoto as he pulled his mostly blank war journal from his pocket and wrote down both the original prophecy and the fake prophecy. He then glanced at his father and uncle once more and when they both nodded, indicating their permission, Ryuu passed the journal to the headmaster as he began explaining.

"There was a prophecy given before I was born indicating that the one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord would soon be born. The prophecy was given in the presence of Dumbledore-san by the Divination instructor at Hogwarts, which is the reason she was hired, and partially overheard by a Death Eater (Dumbledore never did tell us if he knew who that was) who in turn told Voldemort what he'd learned. The Dark Lord decided that I was the one the prophecy spoke of and he sought to kill me before I could become a threat. I know you are aware of what happened at that point so I will skip to earlier this year."

"On my first night back at Hogwarts at the beginning of this year, oji mentioned that Dumbledore believed Voldemort would seek to learn the entire prophecy and instead of taking more permanent measures to prevent him from taking the prophecy, Dumbledore had some of the people in his Order of the Phoenix guard the prophecy each night. I thought that beyond foolish and came up with a plan to both prevent Voldemort from getting the real prophecy and planting a fake prophecy that would make the Dark Lord doubt himself and those who followed him. I had help from a small handful of adults to create both the fake prophecy and in pulling the switch with out letting anyone know we planted the fake. Earlier tonight, Voldemort took the bait and now all that remains is to see whether or not he will react the way we hope he will. What you have in your hands is the wording of the original prophecy and the twisted verses I wrote to replace the second half."

Yamamoto glanced down to read the two verses and his eyes bugged out when he read exactly what Ryuu had substituted the second half of the original prophecy with. He then began chuckling softly for a few minutes until he was roaring with laughter much as Ryuu had earlier when he'd first seen Voldemort take the fake orb.

"You wrote that… you intend for him to… I can't believe you actually…" Yamamoto gasped between laughs as tears of mirth poured down his face. "If this works… you do realize you might have just started the beginning of the end for the Dark Lord, ne?" The headmaster immediately stopped laughing as he glanced up sharply to study Ryuu. "You wrote this yourself, correct? The entire false prophecy, ne? (Ryuu nodded) So, this prophecy could be said to be written by your hand. This could easily fall under the portion of the true prophecy where it speaks of the need for either of you to die by the hand of the other. Were you aware of that?"

"It could… but it is not," Ryuu replied softly as he glanced off into the distance as Ravenclaw's diadem once again automatically supplied him with the information he sought. "I've already started killing him one soul fragment at a time. The first one I wounded once when he attacked me as an infant. I wounded it further when he attacked me in my first year. I killed his largest soul fragment when I destroyed the diary in the Chamber of Secrets in my second year."

"Shogun and Shinjin killed another soul fragment when they killed Voldemort's snake in the graveyard. Finally, I striped the magic and vanquished a third fragment when I pulled the dark magic and the soul fragment from Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. There are five more fragments out there; the fragment I have twice wounded which is bound to the construct body Voldemort gained the night of the third task, a fragment that was severed when I wounded him as a child, and three more fragments that are bound to objects and are hidden out there somewhere."

"Soul fragments? He made a horcrux? He made multiple horcruxes?" Yamamoto demanded in shock as his face went bone white with fear and disgust.

"Horcrux? Is that what they are called? Dumbledore had not mentioned that word before… if there is no mention of it in his research notes he may well yet lose his magic. What exactly is a horcrux? What does it do?" Ryuu asked as he tilted his head to the side and focused his headmaster with a piercing gaze only to blanch back in fear and drop to his knees feeling sick to his stomach as the diadem supplied the answer in full detail; complete with details on how one is made and why someone would desire to make one.

"How could someone do that? Why would someone do such a horrible thing? How in the hell are we supposed to find those that remain? Where would you even begin to…?" Ryuu asked tremulously as he glanced up at the adults with haunted eyes as he broke off the last question when the diadem supplied an answer once again.

Ryuu then reached one trembling hand up to brush against the scar on his temple before he let out a keening whimper as his mind shattered over the horrifying revelation that the diadem had just made. Unable to acknowledge the truth, or even consider what he'd just been told could be true, Ryuu's consciousness fled into the depths of his mindscape to escape the horror.


Translations: Japanese to English

Itai – ouch
Moushiwake arimasen deshita – A very formal apology, usually used when one has seriously messed up and is apologizing to a stranger or a superior. I believe the literal translation is 'I have no excuse' and the deshita turns the phrase into the past tense. At least that is how I understood it.

Notes:

*Titles of this chapter is partially inspired by the title of chapter 36 of HP & the Goblet of Fire; The Parting of the Ways (in which Dumbledore and Fudge have their falling out over Voldemort's rebirth); I thought it appropriate. I also wanted to say that Dumbledore is not evil… he's just old, set in his ways, and under the firm belief that he knows best; especially when he sees Ryuu as nothing more than a child still.


AN: A bit of a cliffy, I know, but the next chapter will be up soon. Ryuu's reaction at the end might seem a bit too much but I always thought that JKR had Harry take the revelation that he was a horcrux and had to die in stride too easily. But that's just me. Anyway, next chapter will be up in a day or two. ~ Jenn