Notes: I was going to upload this a bit earlier, but then actually realized that this is the 50th chapter and it merits something special. Actually, this chapter originally already had an omake but I realized it fit better as part as the plot so I wrote another longer omake to make up for it.
Anyways, I'd like to thank everyone who has been following this story so far. Special thanks to Crystal who has to put up with me even during finals, and also to reviewers who leave such wonderful feedback. Seriously though, I really love hearing from you guys even though I'm pretty slow at replying. Thanks for everything!
….
Chapter 50: Little White Lies
…
"I´ve told you already." Harry told Hermione and Ron during breakfast the following day. "Snape reckons that I can continue practicing on my own."
Of course it was a big fat lie, but they didn't need to know that. He had yet to tell anyone of what happened that night in Snape's office, and he planned to keep it that way. But more than the terrifying look on Snape's face or the fact that he had been a target of the Marauder's bullying, what bothered him the most was that for so long he thought his parents were wonderful people.
It had made him happy, or rather, proud to be told that he was like them. But after seeing that memory he just wasn't sure what to think anymore. He always knew that his father and Sirius were troublemakers in school, McGonagall had called them predecessors to the Weasley twins, but even Fred and George wouldn't go as far as hang a person upside down for the fun of it… not unless they really loathed them, or they deserved it, like Malfoy for example. But as hard as he tried to find a logical reason as to why his father had done it to Snape, he just couldn't find one. Even his mother had said that Snape never did anything to James, and his father's only excuse was that Snape's existence bothered him.
'After seeing that, I'm surprised they even married afterwards.' Harry thought, recalling the angry look on his mother's face as she talked to James. 'At least she was a decent person.'
Hermione and Ron continued to talk about the upcoming OWLs and in Ron's case Quidditch game, but he simply couldn't find it in him to forget what he'd seen in the Pensieve. He'd thought about contacting Sirius for some time now, particularly after the whole DA incident, but now he wanted to talk to him more than ever. It was a selfish wish, he was fully aware of that, but he knew that until he spoke to Sirius he wouldn't get any closure. He had told Hermione before, but unfortunately, the thought of such an encounter was only wishful thinking at this point considering that Umbridge kept a watchful eye on every communication route in and out of the castle.
Deciding that there was no point in staying here, Harry decided that he might as well try to go and study at the library. Troubled as he was, he was still a fifth year student, meaning that he still had his OWLs to take care of. Besides, after having Hermione put so much effort into their time tables, it would be a shame if he didn't make good use of his time. At least he had more free time than Ron. The only good thing that came out of being banned from Quidditch is that he didn't have to attend practice. The least he needed now was more pressure.
Sitting down in a relatively empty spot in the library, Harry pulled out his quills and parchment to pick up from where he left off. Looking out a nearby window, Harry wished he could simply go outside and forget his troubles. Each day was becoming more breezy and warm as the Easter holidays passed.
"Harry!" A cheerful voice called to him, making him turn around.
Harry looked around and saw Ginny, her hair looking windswept while her cheeks looked slightly flushed.
"Oh, hi." Harry said but then frowned. "How come you're not at practice?"
"It's over." The redhead said. "Ron had to take Kirke up to the Hospital Wing."
"Why?" The raven haired teen asked.
"Well, we´re not sure, but we think he knocked himself out with his own bat." Ginny said. "Without our beaters, there was little we could do in practice."
"Wait, then what happened to Zidane?" Harry frowned.
"He didn't show up. We thought he might have forgotten. Angelina went to find him now, but nobody's seen him." Ginny replied with a shrug. "Anyways, a package just arrived. It only just got through Umbridge's screening process."
She hoisted a box wrapped in brown paper onto the table. It had clearly been unwrapped and carelessly re-wrapped. Written on the box in red ink was a note saying: Inspected and Passed by the Hogwarts High Inquisitor.
"It's Easter eggs from mum." The girl said. "There was one for you…there you go."
Harry had no idea that a simple Easter egg would have such an impact on him. The moment Ginny handed him the handsome chocolate egg decorated with small iced snitches and, according to the packaging, containing a bag of Fizzing Whizzbees, he couldn't help but feel a lump rise in his throat.
"Harry what's wrong?" Ginny asked quietly, though the older teen shook his head.
"I´m fine." Harry insisted, unsure of where that had come from.
"You seem really down lately." The redhead said. "You know, I'm sure if you talked to Cho…"
"It's not Cho I want to talk to." The teen said, before looking around and then lowering his voice. "I wish I could talk to Sirius, but I know I can't."
The teen broke of a piece of his egg and put it in his mouth, not because he wanted some, but rather to keep himself busy under Ginny's close scrutiny.
"Well," Ginny began slowly as she helped herself to some of her egg as well. "If you really want to talk to Sirius, I expect we could think of some way to do it."
Harry looked at her dully. "With Umbridge checking the fires and reading our mail?"
"The thing about growing up with Fred and George is that you sorta start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve." Ginny said thoughtfully before giving him a warm smile.
The teen looked at her, unsure of whether it was the happiness inducing effect chocolate had against Dementors, or the fact that he had finally gotten those words off of his chest, but either way he felt a flame of hope ignite inside of him.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Madam Prince's angry voice called out. Both teens froze, just then becoming aware of the partially eaten chocolate eggs now in front of them.
They were both promptly kicked out of the library, their things whacking them repeatedly over the head as they ran.
…
Zidane nervously looked around the corridor. Harry had just left the library to go to back to the Common Room, meaning he'd be safe for now.
Him on the other hand…
'Maybe I should have gone to Quidditch practice.' The blonde thought nervously, once again looking for any signs of Angelina.
He decided to skip practice in favor of his bodyguard duties, seeing as Harry seemed kinda down for some time and he didn't want to risk having the raven-haired teen do something stupid. He didn't think Harry was an idiot, he just knew from experience that desperation made people do some crazy things. That, and every time he seemed to turn his back, Harry seemed to attract trouble.
Unfortunately, now he was the one in trouble.
He hadn't shown up to practice, and to make matters worse, Kirke had injured himself, making it impossible for everyone to practice as a team. This of course meant that Angelina would be furious with him. He was honestly starting to consider the idea of going around the castle under the effects of his invisibility spell, but it wouldn't do any good if no one saw him. He already had a few close calls with a few ghosts and Neville since he was observant with that kind of stuff. And now that Umbridge knew the location of the Room of Requirement and many of the school's secret passageways, disappearing like that during the day would only attract more suspicion.
'I´ll eventually have to face her, though.' Zidane realized with a sigh. 'I just hope she's in a better mood then.'
Looking out a nearby window, the teen noticed Hagrid limping out of the Forbidden Forest and winced. Likely, he had been having some quality time with Grawp again. There was another thing that caught his attention though. Right there, above the tree line, there was a figure, too large to be a bird, glowing white under the sunlight as it flew below the thick canopy of trees.
'Sylph?' Zidane thought, squinting to see better. Its figure was definitely like that of a dragon, and wild dragons weren't exactly known to just wander into Hogwarts. 'Then that means…Kuja!'
Throwing away all previous caution to the wind, the teen ran off towards the closest stairs he could find. He was yelled at by passing paintings for running in the halls, while many suits of armor and students turned their heads to see what the commotion was about, but Zidane didn't particularly care.
After three minutes of running through stone corridors, the teen finally reached the Entrance Hall panting. It was then that he stopped and noticed the group of people gathering by the large double doors. Slipping through the crowd of students to see what was happening, Zidane then found himself looking at a very peculiar scene. Or at least, that's what a normal person would likely think.
"I will not repeat myself again, Professor Kuja. As Headmistress and High Inquisitor of this school, I will not tolerate such an unauthorized leave of absence, even if you are a member of the French Magical governing body." Umbridge said. She was standing with a smug look on her face, not dissimilar to the one she wore when she fired Trelawney, only this time, it was Kuja she was facing.
'Kuja!' Zidane called tentatively, but received no reply.
"You seem to misunderstand something, dear High Inquisitor." The silvery –haired man said, not missing a beat. Zidane frowned. There was something about Kuja that didn't seem like his usual self. "My unfortunate leave of absence was not outside of the bounds set within my contract, which I must remind you, is still in effect. Though of course, you must not be aware of this fact seeing as you have yet to access the Headmaster's office."
'Ouch.' Zidane thought, looking at the quill in Umbridge's stubby fingers snap. If the Toad was annoyed before, she was furious now.
"I see. Then surely you must know that as High Inquisitor, I must keep record of the activities pertaining to every faculty member of this establishment." The Toad said through gritted teeth. "Where were you Mr. L'Rougue? What business was so demanding of your attention that you had to leave on such short notice?"
"I'm afraid that it was mostly due to the sudden hospitalization of a dear business partner of mine. Dragon Pox, you see, it's particularly dangerous if it's acquired at a later age." The older genome said nonchalantly, though Zidane had no doubt that it was a lie. "Now if you excuse me, it has been a long trip."
The silvery-haired man walked towards the entrance, leaving behind a rather stunned looking Umbridge and several dozen students that wordlessly parted ways to allow the man to pass. Zidane wondered if there had been a little magic involved, seeing as the woman had let the subject drop so easily.
'Kuja!' The blonde called again as he slipped away from the crowd and followed his so called older brother. He was beginning to get the feeling that the man was purposely avoiding him. "Hey, Kuja!"
"Yes, what is it?" The man said, his pace remaining even. In fact, the man didn't even look at him.
"What's with you? You disappear for like, a week, and that's the first thing you say?" Zidane said. By now they were just a short walk away from the corridor close to the Trophy Room where Kuja's quarters were hidden. Fortunately, there were few students present to witness their little scene.
Things would be different when they got closer to the library, though.
"Like I said, it was a long journey, and I require some rest." The man said, turning left to reach the corridor lined with suits of armor. "Flarestar."
The door appeared, leading towards the hidden room, though much to Kuja's chagrin, the blonde decided to step inside right beside him before the door was shut behind them both.
"I know what you said to Umbridge was a lie. Why did you really leave?" Zidane said in a low voice as he grabbed the older genome's shoulder to have Kuja facing him.
It was then that he noticed a dark red stain on the man's thick winter coat, one that had been previously hidden from view.
The younger genome looked at Kuja in surprise. Honestly, he still believed that his eyes were playing tricks on him. "You're wounded."
Kuja simply rolled his eyes as he sat down on a nearby leather couch. It was then that Zidane also noticed the slight bags under Kuja's eyes and the unusual messiness of his hair he had originally attributed to flying through the air on Sylph. Upon closer inspection, the blonde noticed that the some of the lavender-tipped feathers on his brother's head had actually been singed, broken off or bent on awkward angles. That, mixed with Kuja's injury and the overall air of exhaustion that surrounded him, led him to a single conclusion.
"You got in a fight." Zidane said more than asked.
The reason Kuja hadn't even healed himself was probably because he had run himself dry of power, something he didn't think was even possible for the deadly mage. Then again, that was around a year ago, before they both nearly died. Kuja did mention that his power now wasn't nearly like it used to be.
"What happened?" Zidane asked once more as he checked the wounds out. Kuja wasn't exactly being very helpful. "Shit, there's too much blood, I can't tell just how deep they are. Rose!"
The man raised a brow in surprise. "Did you just command my house elf?"
The teen sighed in frustration. "Now's not the time. Just that thing off, would you?"
With a glare expressing his displeasure, the older genome slowly unbuttoned his coat, leaving his bloodied chest exposed along with several strands of fabric that must have been part of his attire at one point. There was a sudden snap announcing Rose's arrival, which soon turned to desperate cries as the petite house elf cause sight of her wounded master.
"Shh, Rose, it's okay. Kuja's just a bit wounded, so can you get me some towels?" Zidane urged, wincing at the shrill pitch of Rose's cries.
"Yes, yes, right away." The house elf replied, sniffing, tears still running down her face as she disappeared.
"Oh, thank gods." Kuja muttered as he massaged his temples. Zidane just sighed in agreement.
The house elf reappeared shortly, but thankfully, after some coaxing from both of them, she was dismissed in a relatively better mental state. That is to say, at least she was no longer a danger to their hearing.
Zidane gently cleaned the wound, noticing with some relief, that it wasn't as serious as the copious amounts of bleeding would suggest. If anything, it seemed like Kuja was slashed repeatedly though the wounds were shallow.
"You're robes are in the way." Zidane said with a sigh, though Kuja only seemed to sulk. "I need to check for wounds on your back."
Rolling his eyes, Kuja slowly took off his coat and peeled away the soiled remains of his clothes with a hint of disgust. It was then that the younger genome noticed something else hidden under the remains of Kuja's tattered clothes, stained red and slightly bristled.
Zidane blinked.
"What?" Kuja asked with clear irritation.
"Nothing, it's just the first time I see your tail." The blonde said, taking a closer look at the appendage. It resembled his own tail, only silver in color; the same as Kuja's hair.
"What did you expect? I am a genome after all." The man said with impatience and a hint of what Zidane later recognized as bitterness.
"Well, I kind of figured as much. I just thought since you never show it, you might have just cut it off or something." The blonde said with a shrug.
"I did, but it grew back." The older genome deadpanned. "Now will you hurry up?"
This time it was Zidane's turn to roll his eyes.
He could several bleeding cuts crisscrossing Kuja's back, though like with the others, his own cure spell was enough to stop the bleeding and heal some of the more superficial ones. In the end, he was forced to give Kuja an Ether from his pouch since his skill with magic was greater. He'd still have to get some rest or risk aggravating the wound, though it was far from life-threatening.
"You still haven't told me what happened." Zidane said, sitting on a nearby chair with his legs crossed.
"No I have not." Kuja replied, making the blonde send a glare in his direction.
"I'm being serious here, for once. You can't just disappear like that out of the blue." Zidane said.
"Isn't that exactly what you did to your friends when you came here?" The older genome replied.
"That was an accident!" The younger genome said, crossing his arms.
To be honest, he'd been worried. At first the worst case scenarios flashed through his mind: Kuja had gone evil again, Kuja had joined Voldermort, Kuja was off raising an army. But then after noticing that this world had yet to be set ablaze, another set of worries invaded his head: Kuja was kidnapped, or he was lost or hurt, or possibly even worse, killed. He really began to wonder when his view of the older genome had changed so radically. Before, he might have risked his life to save him, thinking that he wasn't all that bad, but that didn't mean he actually trusted him. But now, Zidane actually found himself caring for Kuja and actually believing that he had changed.
"What happened out there?" Zidane asked once more.
The older genome looked at his younger brother, lilac meeting cyan, before turning his gaze away with a sigh. "There was…something I needed to check on. Something I believed Voldemort was after. So I went back to my mansion in Paris after some investigating, but I didn't think they'd be expecting me."
"So Death Eaters attacked you?" Zidane asked while Kuja simply turned away.
"That's right." The older genome said.
"And that's all? They were just after you like before?" The blonde asked, somewhat in doubt.
"That's correct. I returned soon afterwards on Sylph." The man said as he got up and walked towards his room. "Now, shouldn't you be off guarding Harry?"
The blonde sighed, taking the gesture as a sign of dismissal.
"You know, I'm glad you're alright." Zidane said, though only silence answered him.
It didn't matter though.
"Here, catch." The blonde blinked, hand reaching out for the package thrown at him in reflex. It was wrapped in Christmas-themed wrapping paper, making him look at the older male in confusion.
"I happened to run into a certain pony-tailed Weasley. He told me to give you that and also tell you that he was sorry about what happened." Kuja said, hands on hips. "Well, aren't you going to open it?"
Zidane unceremoniously ripped open the packaging to reveal a scaly leather strap with a series of metal buckles and a small circular slot.
"It's a wand holster." Kuja clarified. "Now kindly get out of my living quarters."
Heading towards the entrance, the teen gave one last look behind him before having the door shut in his face. With a roll of his eyes the teen just sighed and headed back.
The trip to Gryffindor tower was a silent one. Zidane didn't really care since he was thinking about Kuja's story. There was something not quite right with what he'd been told. For starters, Death Eaters had tried attacking him before without success, so it was strange that they would try the exact same thing again. His wounds didn't seem to match those he'd gotten when facing other wizards, either. Then there was also the fact that Kuja had been gone for about a week, so his alibi didn't explain what he'd been doing the remaining time, unless it was investigating. But what exactly would Kuja be investigating, and why would he be so secretive about it? When did he even get the time to see Bill?
'Though at least I now know that Bill doesn't hate me.' The blonde though, gloved hands tracing the scaly leather of the holster now inside of his pocket. It was somewhat of a relief to at least know that.
By the time he reached the Common Room, his mind was swirling with different theories of what happened to Kuja, each more ridiculous and convoluted than the last. In fact, he was so caught up in his thoughts that he wouldn't have noticed the large crowd of people gathering around the bulletin board had Neville not gotten his attention.
"Hey, there you are!" Neville said in surprise. "They just put this up. Your turn is on Tuesday at half past three."
"Huh?" Zidane said, brows furrowed in confusion before he actually squeezed past the others and read the notice.
CAREERS ADVICE
All fifth-years and above are required to attend a short meeting with their Head of House during the first week of the summer term to discuss their future careers. Times of individual appointments are listed below.
"Well, damn." The blonde said. After all, he already had a future waiting for him. He supposed that McGonagall would understand his situation, seeing as she's in the Order.
"They put up several leaflets with career opportunities as well, though I'm not really sure about what I want yet." Neville said somewhat sheepishly as he handed Zidane at least a dozen.
The teen looked quickly through them, pausing occasionally when he saw something he recognized or found somewhat interesting. There was one that had the same emblem from St. Mungo's, so he supposed it was for those interested in becoming Healers. On each leaflet there was a small description with some requirements; many of them asking for something called NEWTs.
'Silly wizards.' Zidane thought, shaking his head in amusement. 'Hmm, "HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO TRAIN SECURITY TROLLS?'. Well, that's oddly specific.'
"Oh lookey Fred!" A voice suddenly called, making him turn around and see none other than a certain set of twins.
"Won't you look at that, George." The other twin said, supposedly Fred.
"Hey, guys." Zidane said a bit hesitantly. Neville had already excused himself, having long experienced what it's like to fall victim to the Weasley Twins. They were like fire in a way; not necessarily bad, but if you got too close then you were just asking to get burned. He hadn't forgotten about that Canary Cream incident, after all.
"We've been looking for you for some time now." The other twin said, making the blonde feel even more hesitant. After all, if the Weasley Twins were looking for him, then it wasn't just because they wanted to chat over tea.
"You see, we want to make you an offer you can't refuse." The other one said with a smile that suddenly seemed a lot more malicious and intimidating than it seemed just a few seconds ago.
'Well, crap.' Zidane thought, subconsciously stepping back.
….
"Have you had any thoughts of what you want to do after you leave Hogwarts?" McGonagall said.
Harry was currently in what had to be the most uncomfortable meeting he'd ever been part of. When he thought that he'd be meeting with McGonagall to discuss his future, he never expected Umbridge to be present as well. Furthermore, it had come to him as an even bigger surprise when he realized that Professor Kuja was not only back from his absence, but was also taking part of this strange meeting with his Head of House.
"Er-" Harry began, feeling a bit distracted by the scratching noise coming off from Umbridge's quill as she scribbled into her clip-board.
"Yes?" McGonagall asked once more, while Professor Kuja looked up momentarily from examining his nails.
"Well, I thought of, maybe, being an Auror." Harry mumbled.
Professor Kuja let out a small melodious chuckle. "Well, that certainly is interesting, wouldn't you say Minerva?"
"You'd need top grades for that." McGonagall said, extracting a small, dark leaflet from under the mass on her desk. "They ask for a minimum of five NEWTs, and nothing under "Exceeds Expectations", I see. Then you would be required to undergo a stringent series of character and aptitude tests at the Auror office. It's a difficult career path, Potter, they only take the best. In fact, I don't think anybody has been taken on in the last three years.
At that moment, Umbridge gave a very tiny cough, one that was clearly heard by the others, but largely ignored.
"You'll want to know about what subjects you ought to take, I suppose." McGongall said.
"Yes, Defense Against the Dark Arts, I suppose." Harry said while professor Kuja had gone back to checking his nails.
"Naturally." McGonagall said crisply while ignoring her colleagues. "I would also advise."
Umbridge gave another cough, this one louder than the one before. McGonagall closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again and continuing as if nothing had happened. In the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw Professor Kuja roll his eyes.
"I would also advise Transfiguration, because Aurors frequently need to transfigure in their work. I ought to tell you now, that I do not accept any students into my NEWT classes unless they have achieved "Exceeds Expectations" or higher on their respective OWLs. I'd say you are averaging "Acceptable" so you ought to put in some more hard work. I also advice taking Charms, and Potions. Yes, Potter, Potions."
Harry then noticed a flicker of a something cross both her face and professor Kuja's.
"She's right, you know. Aurors must know Poisons and Andidotes well." Professor Kuja finally spoke up, Professor McGonagall giving a slight nod in acknowledgement. "I believe Professor Snape only takes in those who have achieved an "Outstanding" in their OWLs, so needless to say, you have a lot of work waiting for you."
It was then that Umbridge gave her most pronounced cough yet.
"May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?" McGonagall said curtly without looking at the pink toad-like woman.
"Oh no, thank you very much." The woman said, giving that simpering laugh that he hated so much. Apparently, Professor Kuja did too. "I was just wondering if I could make the teensiest interruption?"
"I daresay you'll find you can." Professor McGonagall said through gritted teeth.
"I was wondering whether Mr. Potter has quite the temperament for an Auror?" The woman said sweetly.
"I see no reason why Mr. Potter shouldn't be an Auror given his background and exploits so far. Any other thing can be tempered through discipline and hard work during Auror Training." Professor Kuja said, and Harry couldn't help but feel a flicker of happiness at the thought that the man had faith in him.
"Well, Mr. L'Rouge, I believe you may be entitled to your opinion. I, on the other hand, see no reason why your presence would be requested here today." The Toad said.
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you." Professor Kuja shot back, a pleasant smile on his face. Honestly, Harry found himself restraining his urge to smile.
"Well, Mr. Potter, if you are serious in your ambition, I recommend that you concentrate hard on bringing your Transfiguration and Potions up to scratch." McGonagall interrupted the two, giving both of them a stern look. "Your marks in Charms seems satisfactory so far, as for you Defence Against the Dark Arts, your marks have been generally high. Professor Lupin in particular thought you-"
"Ahem." Umbridge interrupted once more, giving the loudest cough yet.
"Are you quite sure you wouldn't like a cough drop?" McGongall said through gritted teeth.
"Oh no need, thank you." The woman said. "I was just concerned that you might not have received my note regarding Mr. Potter's most recent Defense Against the Dark Arts in front of you, that's all."
"Oh, this thing?" The Gryffindor Head of House said as she picked up a sheet of pink parchment with a look of revulsion and then left it on her desk again. "As I was saying, Potter. Professor Lupin thought you showed pronounced aptitude for the subject. Your marks have been quite high as well."
"Did you not understand my note, Minerva?" The toad interrupted with a sweet honey tone of voice.
"I understood it quite well." McGongall said.
"Well then, I am confused…I'm afraid I don't understand how you can give Mr. Potter the false hope that he can become an Auror." Umbridge said. "As you can see, he has been achieving very poor results in my class."
"False hope?" McGonagall said, before finally turning around and looking at Umbridge in the eyes. "I should have made my meaning plainer: he has achieved high marks in all Defense Against the Dark Arts tests set by a competent teacher."
Professor Umbridge's smile vanished instantly, at the same time that Professor Kuja's smile widened. At least Harry was sure he'd seen that because it was gone a second later when Umbridge looked at him as if daring him to mock her. Seeing no reaction, the Toad began to frantically scribble in her clip-board.
"Any questions, Harry?" Professor Kuja asked, making the teen lock eyes with the eccentric man.
"Yes, what sort of character and aptitude tests does the Ministry do on you if you get enough NEWTs?" The teen asked.
"Well, it takes three further years of training as an Auror, so perseverance is a must. Of course, Practical Defense is very important and there's also the fact that Aurors work under some very stressful situations, so the ability to cope well under pressure is a must." Professor Kuja said.
"It really is a tough path, so unless you are willing to be tested, I recommend looking into other career choices." McGongall continued.
"I think you'll also find that the Ministry looks into the records of those applying to be Aurors; their criminal records." Umbridge said, her voice cold now. "Which means this boy will have as much of a chance at becoming an Auror than Albus Dumbledore has of ever returning to this school."
"A very good chance then." McGonagall snapped.
"Potter has a criminal record." Umbridge retorted.
"Potter was cleared of all charges." Professor Kuja said, speaking slowly as if he were dealing with a toddler.
"Potter has no chance of becoming an Auror!" Umbridge snapped, raising to her full, yet unimpressive, height. Even her entire demeanor had changed to one of cold fury. It made her broad and flabby face look somewhat sinister all of a sudden.
Professor McGonagall stood up, her height towering over the toad.
"Potter." She said in a strict tone. "I will assist you to become an Auror if it's the last thing I do! If I have to coach you nightly, I will make sure you achieve the required results!"
"The Minister of Magic will never employ Harry Potter!" Umbridge said, her voice rising furiously. Looking to the side, he saw Professor Kuja covering his ears, an irritated look on his face.
"There may well be a new Minister by the time Potter is ready to join!" McGonagall shouted back.
"Aha!" Umbridge said, pointing her stubby finger at the taller woman. "That's what you want isn't it, Minerva McGonagall? You want Cornelius Fudge to be replaced by Albus Dumbledore! You want my position as Senior Undersecretary and Headmistress to boot!"
"You are raving." McGonagall said, a look of clear disdain on her face.
"I suppose this concludes the meeting. You're free to go Harry." Professor Kuja said with a sigh before turning towards McGonagall and Umbridge. "Ladies, ladies, please calm yourselves."
Needless to say, Harry wasted no time in putting as much distance between himself and that office as he possibly could.
…
…
"Hmm…"
Zidane sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes drilling holes into the three items set before him. In a rare moment of release from his duties, he'd decided to make a trip to the Room of Requirement to take the time to sharpen his abilities. It had been quite some time since he last dedicated some time to training, but considering that Dumbledore was no longer here and Kuja had just been attacked, it seemed appropriate for him to take some extra measures.
'But how can I make this work?' The genome thought, looking at the options before him. Three items stared back at him back; his two recently polished Mage Mashers and his Iifa Tree wand.
He'd thought about this long and hard. Though he was confident with his handling of blades, he had come to realize that they didn't make the best weapons against wizards. In Gaia, the best strategy against magical opponents was to strike quickly when the opportunity presented itself, that is to say, in the small window of time where their casting made them particularly vulnerable to attack. However, that strategy did not work very well with wizards. Wizard spells were relatively weaker, but much faster to cast, leading to a shorter time frame where he could attack. There was also the issue of having his enemy apparate elsewhere to counter him, and furthermore, 'reflect' didn't seem to have the same protecting capabilities against wizard spells compared to mage spells. Though he was unsure if this was because of his own lack of ability at casting 'reflect' or a more fundamental difference between the two magics. It would hold momentarily, but with enough shots the reflecting bubble would simply shatter.
The blonde then looked at his wand. He'd certainly become more proficient at using it after so long, and truthfully, the DADA had been a great way to practice. With it he could bypass the whole issue of relying on close combat to attack. He was pretty decent with it now, but he still knew that compared to his skill with daggers, his skill with magic was at an amateur level. If he dueled against a Death Eater on equal terms he'd probably wing it somehow, but he didn't think he could manage against a whole group of them. Death Eaters weren't exactly known for playing fair, mind you.
'What to choose?' Zidane thought with a sigh. He still definitely favored the reassuring weight of metal in his hand. He'd become so accustomed to using daggers that he was even considered a master at it back in Gaia. Using anything else didn't feel as good, on the contrary, it made him feel like he was fighting with a handicap.
The blonde reached for one dagger with one hand and with the other he reached for his wand. Experimentally he swung both around, instantly disliking the unbalanced feeling it gave him. He could swing the dagger on one hand while casting spells with the other just fine; his style used both hands so at some point he'd become somewhat ambidextrous. The real problem was that with only one dagger, he wasn't sure he'd be able to fully use his skills with the blade.
'Well Vivi could do magic without a wand, couldn't he?' The teen mused, but then thought against it. He couldn't really compare his level to Vivi's. Furthermore he still didn't have quite enough finesse with his magic to forgo his wand completely. How would he even pull off spells that needed wand movements anyways?
The problem remained. He wasn't a wizard or a mage so he just wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to include his newly developed magical skillset into his fighting style.
'Well Steiner DID have those Sword Magic skills of his and he wasn't a mage, though fair enough, Vivi used to help him with that. How did they even pull that sort of thing anyways?' Zidane mused. He'd never really thought about it, but he supposed that it was pretty amazing how Rusty could apply Vivi's spells onto his sword without having the whole thing shatter or explode in his face. 'Well, I'd still need someone to cast the spells for me. It's not like I can take me sweet time during battle to do it myself; sheathing a dagger and switching it out for my wand. It's not like I have three arms-'
Zidane paused, an idea forming quickly in his mind. Maybe he did have three arms.
The teen set both weapons on the floor again, this time focusing on the wand alone. The genome experimentally moved his tail side to side, before concentrating and curling the tip to see just how far it would go. With the rest of his body perfectly still, the teen focused on grabbing the wand with his tail alone. The appendage reached for it a bit awkwardly at first because of the wand's relatively thin frame. However, after a few tries Zidane was able to pick it up, his tail curling around the length of wood for a better grip, yet with just enough force so as to not snap it in half. Setting it down, the teen tried it again only with his dagger instead, somewhat marveling at the feeling of weight his tail relayed. This time it was much easier given the dagger's thicker grip.
Zidane felt a grin slowly making its way into his features. This might just work. In fact, he was quite possibly the only person capable of pulling this off. Picking up the wand again, this time Zidane gave it an experimental swing.
Flames suddenly erupted from the tip of the wand, making the genome let out a cry of surprise. Dropping his wand in a frenzy, both hands quickly reached for the tip of his now-smoking tail to put it out.
The blonde gave the singed fur a last look before sighing.
It seemed like he still had a lot of work to do.
….
A/N: Here's an omake to celebrate the 50th chapter. I'm dedicating this one out to Crystal who is coincidentally also just about sick of studying for her finals. It's a little tribute to one of my favorite moments of FFIX. Bonus points to whoever gets Kuja's reference.
…..
Neville sighed, his head slamming against the thick tome on the table before him. He'd spent his last five years at Hogwarts hearing awful things about OWLs, however no terrifying anecdote could really prepare him for everything these examinations entailed.
"You sure you're doing okay?" Zidane commented from where he rested comfortably in front of the fireplace. His eyes were closed as if he were just trying to take a nap while Crookshanks rested comfortably on top of him.
"Uhuuh." Neville mumbled, face still planted on top of the large book.
He was in the Common Room, any hopes of studying in the Library gone when he realized that the place was already filled to the brim with fifth years. Well, the Common Room was full too, but it seemed like a better option by far given that it was already quite late and many had already gone to sleep. He was currently sitting at a table with Dean and Seamus. The Golden Trio was also present, though sitting at the table opposite from his, eyes focused on their respective notebooks or texts for once.
"I think I just read the same paragraph like five times already." The round-face teen lamented as he leaned back on his chair.
"Well at least you're nearly done with History of Magic." Dean whined. "Why would we ever need to know about the Goblin Rebellions? I mean, in what context would that ever be useful to us in real life?"
Neville shrugged in response. "It's Potions that scares me the most."
Seamus laughed. "Well at least Snape won't be there personally."
"I don't think it makes much of a difference. I still get queasy whenever I see a cauldron." Neville admitted nervously. "I mean, what if I suddenly go blank? What if I forget to add moonstone in my Draught of Peace? What if I simply forget how to brew potions?"
"Woah, I think you need to calm down a bit." Zidane said reassuringly. "It'll be fine. You'll do great!"
"Says the bloke not taking any OWLs." Dean commented. "What are you even doing here anyways?"
The blonde shrugged. "Don't exactly have anything better to do."
"I hate you." Dean deadpanned before sighing and getting up. "Anyways, I think I'm done for today. I'm going to bed."
"I second you on that." Seamus commented as the two gathered their things and left for the boy's dormitories.
"Maybe you should rest a bit, too. You're way too tense." Zidane said, setting Crookshanks down and making his way towards him.
"But I still have way too much to study! I need to do well on my OWLs, I can't fail now!" Neville said tiredly while the blonde leaned over his shoulder to see what he was doing.
"Hmm…" Zidane began, his eyes darting towards the Common Room windows before a smile graced his features. "Hey, you wanna do something fun?"
"Zidane, I really have to study right now." Neville said, running his hands through his hair.
"Come on, you clearly need a break. Besides, I'm not talking about right now right now." The cyan-eyed blonde insisted.
Neville was finally forced to agree, seeing as there was no way to convince the stubborn blonde otherwise. However, he didn't know what agreeing to Zidane's terms actually implied until he was already in bed, his consciousness already slipping through the steady sound of snoring.
"Psst." A voice suddenly called, though Neville groaned and turned.
"Pssst!" He heard the voice call again, only this time he felt a gloved hand shaking his shoulder just slightly and making him jolt awake.
Neville bolted upwards, only to be quickly shushed by the same voice. It was pretty dark but Neville could just barely make up Zidane's silhouette standing before him, the moonlight outside making his pretty unique hair appear to almost glow. He had a finger to his lips as if to tell him to keep quiet while he motioned him out of bed. Even in the absence of light, his cyan eyes almost seemed to glow.
"What are you doing, I was just about to fall asleep." Neville whispered.
"Come on, you already agreed to this." Zidane whispered back. "It'll be fun, I promise."
"What do you even want to do at this hour?" Neville questioned.
"You'll see." Zidane whispered back with amusement.
Neville considered his options and in the end realized that even if he refused now, Zidane wouldn't rest until he had his way.
"Okay fine." The round-faced teen whispered.
They both got quietly dressed, or rather, only Neville did because Zidane hadn't really gotten out of the clothes he wore during the day. He was just about ready to follow the blonde out of the dorms when said blonde suddenly paused and insisted they both take their thick winter cloaks. Neville paused at that, a sense of foreboding rising from those words. After all, the Common Room wasn't that cold, even when the fires were out.
Neville waited expectantly for Zidane to tell them what they would be doing, but the blonde only seemed to hum to himself as he led them both down to the Common Room. Once there, all he did was head towards the Fat Lady's portrait and swing it open.
Neville blanched just as the teen casually slipped out into the corridor. The Fat Lady was snoring quite loudly and didn't stir.
"Where are you going?!" Neville whispered harshly.
"Out." Zidane answered honestly. "You didn't think we were going to stay in the Common Room, didja?"
"We could get in trouble!" The shy teen retorted before stopping himself and checking to see if the Fat Lady was still asleep.
"Pff, it'll be fine. I sneak out ALL the time." The blonde replied in a manner that he didn't find reassuring at all.
"Zidane!" Neville said anxiously. The smaller teen simply put his arm over his shoulder.
"We won't get caught, I promise." The cyan-eyed blonde assured him.
Neville looked back at the Common Room entrance, flashes of his first year at Hogwarts playing through his head. Back then he had been so adamant at not letting Harry and the others break the rules and lose them points. He stood at a standstill, not knowing what to do. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't afraid; afraid of getting caught, afraid of getting punished, and of course, afraid of Gran finding out. However a small rebellious side of him wanted to go. He'd been obedient all of his life. Breaking the rules just one night wouldn't make any different, would it?
Giving a shaky step forward, Neville made up his mind. Zidane giving him a pat on the back that nearly made him fall over.
It seemed almost absurd that he was the one breaking the rules four years later.
As Zidane promised, they were not caught. At times, Neville thought he heard Filch patrolling with Mrs. Norris, but amazingly, Zidane seemed to know just what route to take to avoid being found out. Furthermore, even in the darkness the smaller teen seemed to have no problems leading them, in fact, he insisted on avoiding 'lumos' so as to avoid drawing attention to themselves. With silent steps, the teen finally led him to the castle's ground floor and then towards one of the exits that led towards the Clock Tower Courtyard. The large doors to this place should have been locked, but surprisingly they were not.
A cold, crisp breeze greeted him, his breath coming out in visible puffs. The moon above them was full, giving the entire courtyard a blue glow that seemed out of this world. The fountain that was normally running was now frozen solid, with icicles hanging from the cracked stone arch and surrounding statues that gleamed enchantingly under the moonlight. The ivy that normally covered the structure and what little vegetation surrounded it was now frozen under a blanket of ice.
Neville stood absorbing the beautiful scenery, cold hands moving up to his face so he could breathe some warmth into them. For a moment he felt peace, like no matter what happened, everything would simply be alright. It was a feeling that spread from his center and embraced him in a blanket of warmth.
"This is really beautiful." Neville commented as he looked at the moon. "We should have brought Luna along."
"Huh?" Zidane said as if he had suddenly said something strange.
Neville turned to look at the blonde, words of gratitude already on the tip of his tongue when he suddenly stopped, mouth hanging open as he truly got a look at what the teen was doing. The teen was surely enjoying the scenery from where he stood on top of the water fountain's border, however, he also seemed to be in the process of unzipping his trousers.
"Hey Neville, I found a great spot!" The blonde said, beckoning him over.
"ZIDANE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Neville almost shouted.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Zidane asked incredulously. "Now quiet down or you'll wake up the whole castle."
"You can't do that here!" Neville said harshly in a low voice, his cheek flushing red at the thought of doing something so indecent in public.
"Aww, come on. Where I'm from, this is an age-old ritual between male friends!" Zidane said nonchalantly. "You don't know freedom until you've let yourself go under the stars. Besides, there's no one around to see. It's perfectly fine."
"I can't do this!" Neville shot back.
"Well, in this world everything boils down to two simple choices, either you do or you don't." The teen said with a shrug. "You already followed me all this way. Do you really want to back out now?"
"That was different!" The taller teen said, thoroughly embarrassed.
"Well, suit yourself. It's not like I'm going to force you to do it." Zidane said before focusing on the task at hand, eyes looking at the moon and mouth whistling a small tune as he let himself go.
*tinkle**tinkle*
Neville felt the heat rise to his ears in embarrassment. Torn between the two choices, the teen just sighed. "Okay fine, I'll do it! Just don't look!"
The taller teen hesitantly joined the blonde up over the water fountain. Feeling embarrassment and disbelief at himself as he too unzipped his trousers.
Zidane Tribal was going to be the death of him.
*tinkle* *tinkle* *tinkle*
*tinkle* *tinkle*
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Zidane said.
Neville blushed and remained quiet, a part of him didn't want to admit it, but it really did feel good, wrong, but good.
*tinkle*
"Crap." The cyan eyed blonde suddenly said, making Neville freeze. "Someone's coming."
"What?" Neville asked, adrenaline rushing through his system as he quickly finished his business and zipped up, Zidane doing the same.
The round-faced teen was about ready to make a break for it when Zidane suddenly grabbed him by his cloak with a surprising amount of force and pulled him behind one of the eagle statues. Just then he suddenly heard footsteps and a voice suddenly approach.
"Shhh!" Zidane suddenly urged him.
My friend, the fates are cruel
There are no dreams, no honor remains
The arrow has left the bow of the goddess
Neville blinked. That voice sounded exactly like Professor Kuja's. In fact, he didn't think he knew anybody else with a voice like that.
My soul, corrupted by vengeance
Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey
In my own salvation
And your eternal-
The teen leaned forward, fear momentarily overwhelmed by curiosity. However in doing so, he suddenly tripped with something and fell, Zidane eliciting a pained cry that was later muffled as Neville accidentally smothered him with his much larger build.
"Who's there?" Professor Kuja suddenly said. Neville quickly got off Zidane, face flushed as he looked up to Professor Kuja to apologize for accidentally eavesdropping. However when he looked up, he certainly didn't expect to see the man wearing such a revealing garb.
Neville gapped. The man's thighs and midriff were bare, his more intimate parts concealed by a cross between a skirt and an elaborate codpiece, his upper chest was covered by a decorated blouse that somewhat resembled that of an Arabian belly dancer. Covering his feet were heeled boots that reached the man's upper knees. The man's eyes met his own, lavender orbs piercing right through him; demanding an explanation.
Neville tried to speak, but suddenly, he just couldn't find the words.
"What are you two doing out at this hour?" Professor Kuja asked.
Zidane slowly got up, straightening his back as if in pain. "Just out for a stroll."
The professor's eyes narrowed. "Really now?"
"Yup." The blonde confirmed. "What are you doing out at this hour dressed like that?"
Silence suddenly overtook the two, the sound of the wind rustling the frozen bushes was all that could be heard.
"Touché." Professor Kuja finally replied while Neville could do nothing but stand there, utterly gobsmacked.
"How about we forget this meeting ever happened?" Zidane suggested.
"Sounds about right to me." The professor said, instantly turning around and walking away.
Zidane and Neville quietly headed in the opposite direction. As they headed towards the entrance to the castle, there was one thing very clear in their minds. They would never speak of this again.
….