Chapter 12: Christmas Time Murder
Before I start off I just want to say, I know advertising for another story in one you are writing sound dumb but anyway, I started a Hermione/Ron story called To Each Their Own World and if you are interested check it out and let me know what you think!
"Good I'm glad I found you guys." Seiya bursting into the train compartment startles the 4 people tucked comfortably inside.
"Seiya what's wrong?" Usagi asks lifting her head off of Harry's shoulder.
"We missed a lot while we were in Tokyo and not getting a newspaper." Seiya responds.
"What's happened?" Hermione questions.
"A family in Hogsmeade had been murdered." Seiya breathes.
"What?!" All four exclaim staring incredulously at Seiya.
"It's all over the papers, and there is no question as to who did it." Seiya's expression is terrifying.
"Voldermort?" Harry asks.
Seiya nods, "There is no doubt in anyone's mind that it isn't."
Usagi buries her head in her hands and murmurs around them, "Bad times are coming, there is not getting around it anymore. It's going to be nothing like any of us have faced before. Not battling Chaos or Voldermort in the past." Usagi looks up and faces the group, but her blue eyes are glazed over and she doesn't seen anyone in front of her, "The wizarding world's worst fear is about to meet the senshi's. Only the chosen few will be able to defeat Voldermort with his body taken over by Chaos."
"What's going on?" Draco asks bursting into the train compartment.
The group sees that Draco had obviously heard at least part of what Usagi was saying in her trance like state. "Nothing's going on Malfoy, you can continue on with your way." Ron responds.
"Something's wrong with my sister, what's going on?" Draco snaps.
"It's nothing Drackie I'm fine." Usagi said coming out of hypnotic state. "Was there something you needed?"
"No, I just wanted to say hi." Draco responds.
"Then run along and find your lackeys." Ron urges.
Draco shoots Usagi one more worried look, and when she offers him a gentle smile he rolls his eyes, "Did you expect me to want to hang out with you Weasley?"
"Probably, without your minions you're friendless and you want to get in with your sister's friends." Ron snaps.
"Drackie I think this is your cue to exit, I'll catch you tonight or tomorrow morning." Usagi states.
Draco walks out of the train compartment and heads in the opposite direction that Crabbe and Goyle are waiting for him in. He needs to gather his thoughts before he returns to them. Over hearing his sisters obvious prophecy threw him for a loop, Draco was beginning to think that his sister was involved in something else. She obviously knew who the famous senshi from Tokyo were, and this left Draco in trouble. Lucius Malfoy's last words to his son before Draco boarded the train were in the form of an order:
~Flashback~
"Draco, son, you need to keep your eyes and ears open when you get back to school. You must not let on that I have returned back to Voldermort's side, Hogwarts is going to play a key role in Voldermort's plan."
"What is it?" Draco risks asking.
"That is unimportant now, what is important though is that you must tell me everything that seems out of the ordinary at Hogwarts. Watch everyone, especially Potter and his circle, watch your teachers, they are aware that our Dark Lord's powers are growing and they will be preparing. You must, I repeat must, send me an owl whenever you come across even the smallest detail you will find information."
Draco nods, "Yes, father."
~End Flashback~
And now, not even an hour later, Draco was faced with a choice, betray his sister's trust or not tell his father what he wanted to know. "Dammit." Draco kicks the wall of the empty compartment.
"I would like to welcome back all our students who went away for the Christmas Holiday." Professor Dumbledore's words reach Usagi and the rest of her Gryffindor friends' ears as they walk into the Great Hall just in time for dinner. Usagi's mouth drops open in shock to see the amount of people sitting at the house tables greatly reduced. Even when all the students were sitting at the tables there were still maybe half missing from the Gryffindor tables as well as Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Slytherin was missing ever more than the other three tables and Draco was easy to spot sitting at the greatly reduced Slytherin table.
"Under the circumstances I am afraid I am going to have to inform the returning students of the new rules that have been put in place. Nobody is to leave campus at anytime, Quidditch has not been canceled but all three Professors Kou will supervise all practice sessions. All future Hogsmeade have been canceled indefinitely. Despite everything that is going on the other Professor's and myself are attempting to maintain a normal teaching condition and we ask the same of you." With the end of his speech Professor Dumbledore sits back down into his seat.
"Poor Professor Dumbledore," Usagi sighs watching him carefully. "He looks a million years older since we left for holiday."
Everyone nods in agreement as they survey their table, "Dean's gone." Ron states.
Taking notice of the many other familiar faces that weren't present the four friends ate in grim silence.
By the time the final Gryffindor, with the exception of Ron, Harry, Hermione and Usagi, had gone to bed it was nearing midnight. The four had spent time with different groups of people who had stayed on at Hogwarts for Christmas, being filled in on whatever they could find out.
"Almost all of the muggle born and half muggle borns have gone home." Ron states.
Harry nods, "Only the pure blood families are feeling like keeping their children in school is safe. And even then a lot of pure blooded families are brining their children home."
"Lavender's gone home and she's a pure blood." Hermione adds.
"Hermione I know you aren't going to like this." Ron speaks hesitantly but continues, "But maybe the other families are right, maybe you should go home too."
"Go home?" Hermione screeches, "Go home? Are you our of your mind Ronald Weasley I'm not letting Voldermort chase me home, when it comes the time I am standing up and fighting against him, not running!"
"Then if you get yourself blown up then be my guest! It was just fair warning!" With Ron's shouts he stands up and stalks out of the common room.
When Ron has disappeared up the steps Hermione bursts into tears and flies out of the common room towards her own dorm room.
Usagi moves towards Harry on the couch in front of the fire, "I wish I knew what to do Harry. I'm so lost anymore."
"We never go to talk about you losing you power." Harry states pulling Usagi close. "We never go the chance, I sensed that you didn't want to talk about it when we were in Tokyo."
"I'm so lost," Usagi snuggles against Harry and while he expects tears none come. "Always before I knew what powers I was capable of using against the enemy. I don't know what anymore, I understand I'm not powerless. And on top of this, and don't take this the wrong way you, Hermione and Ron are great…but…"
"But we aren't the senshi." Harry finishes Usagi's trailing sentence.
"Right, they've always been backing me up. And sometimes when I'm doing something, in one situation or another, I can almost hear their voices telling me how to handle it. I'm just so damn confused here! I don't know why I'm here or what I am expected to do! I hate not knowing myself and feeling so lost all the time."
"Usagi I-" Harry's sentence trails.
"You don't need to say anything Harry, just hold me." The two sit cuddled on the couch in front of the fire until both drift into a deep sleep.
~Usagi's Dream~
"Why do I have to go?" Princess Serenity huffs dropping onto her vanity bench, "I don't want to go to some dumb school on earth! Draco's going shouldn't that be enough? One sibling offered to father's precious school!"
"Darling I know you don't like your father's school…" Queen Serenity sits next to her daughter.
"Then why are you making me go? If you understand so well then why are you making me go?" Serenity asks as tears fill her eyes.
"Serenity your father needs to know he is right about a few things he arguing about with the other founders of the school." Queen Serenity attempts to explain.
"That has nothing to do with me." Serenity exclaims, "I'm so tired of father making a point out of me."
"Serenity please go along with this without a fight." Queen Serenity begs. "You father does love you."
Princess Serenity shakes her head, "No, he doesn't, please don't lie to me about that. Father loves his school and occasionally, when he has time, he loves Draco. But as for me, he I am just his pointless daughter whose only point is to be married off to the richest prince and now to build up the amount of people in his house! I don't want to go! Why can't I go to the school you did, so that I could still live here in the palace and see all my senshi friends?"
"Please Serenity, darling, do this for me." Queen Serenity touches her daughter's face, "I love you and I don't want you to go but this is a really good opportunity for, with or without your father being a founder of the school."
Princess Serenity rest her head on her mother's shoulder, "I'll go for you mama, but I still don't want to go."
"That's my girl." The queen kisses her daughter on the forehead.
"Does Draco know I'm going yet?" Serenity asks.
"No, your brother is on the Sun making his yearly trip to survey the kingdom that will eventually be his."
"Why don't I ever do that?" The princess asks, "Draco always takes 2 weeks going around his kingdom to meet the people, why don't I?"
"Because you live here, everyone sees you."
"But I never get to meet anyone outside of the school."
"If you want to before you leave for school you may. But I suggest you tell your senshi that you will be attending the school on Earth."
"We're going to miss you." Princess Minako states silent tears slipping down her cheeks as she hugs Princess Serenity.
"I'm going to miss you guys to, but I'll stay in touch I promise." Serenity hugs everyone else quickly.
"Are you ready?" Draco asks, having said good-bye to his knights a lot quicker than his sister does.
"Yeah, I'm ready." Serenity takes her brother's hand as her the Transporter Controller presses a few buttons, "Bye guys, I'll miss you. Bye mama!"
"Where's Father?" Serenity asks surveying the crowded train depot.
"He'll be here, chill out Serenity." Draco replies squeezing Serenity's hand comfortingly.
"I don't want to be here, I want to be home with my friends. I don't want to go to some dumb school! I want to go home, I want to be with mom." Tears begin to streak down Serenity's cheeks as her pale blue eyes fill with tears.
Draco drops Serenity's hands and hugs, "It's going to be all right Serenity I promise. We're going to have fun, I promise. I'll be right here with you, we'll be in the same house and everything will be fine. Now we have to get on that train with out Dad I guess because he's not coming, we will meet up with him at school."
"Draco! Serenity!" The 11-year-old twins reach the great hall to find their father waiting for them. Both received their looks from their father, from their pale blonde hair, eyes and skin. Their facial shapes had come from their mother though, their father's face was harder and a lot more mean than Serenity's. "I'm glad you made it, sorry I couldn't make the train I had to get here earlier. The founders had to have a meeting before the start of school, now listen there's been a change in how we are sorted."
"We're still going to be in your house together right?" Serenity asks grabbing Draco's hand quickly.
"Of course, you two are my children you'll be in my house together. Now get in line with the rest of the first years."
The twins exchange glances before they fall into line with the few other first year students as they watch the hat sitting before them anxiously. The twins are one of the last few to be called.
"Slytherin, Draco!"
Draco walks towards the front of the room and sets the hat on his head after a few moments and within moments the hat calls out, "Gryffindor!"
Serenity's eyes go wide as she shoots a questioning glance at her father and his expression of pure rage across his face. When the hat is taken off of Draco's face his shows his own shock but the sorting ceremony continues.
"Slytherin, Serenity!"
Serenity looks once more towards her father; Salazer's face is a mixture of anger and hope for his last chance. But it doesn't come; it doesn't take the hat more than 3 seconds to place Serenity in the same house as her brother.
Serenity pulls at her pigtails as she walks towards the table she can't help but look towards her father who is now on his feet and arguing with Godric Gryffindor and before anything else is done the twins watch their father stand up and storm out of the Great Hall.
~End Dream~
Usagi jerks awake, "What's wrong?" Harry asks groggily, obviously awoken by Usagi. "Did you have a bad dream?"
"I had a dream about my father." Usagi replies trying to think through her dream.
"Kenji?" Harry asks. Usagi shakes her head. "Lucius?"
"No." Usagi shakes her head again, "My father from the moon kingdom. I've never dreamt about my father before, never. No one's ever talked about him."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asks wrapping his arms around her warmly.
Usagi turns to look Harry in the face, "My dad was, my dad was Salezar Slytherin."
"What?" Harry asks shocked, "As in Salezar Slytherin the founder of the Slytherin house?"
Usagi nods still trying to sort through her dream, "I'll talk about it more in the morning. I've got to go back to bed."
Before I start off I just want to say, I know advertising for another story in one you are writing sound dumb but anyway, I started a Hermione/Ron story called To Each Their Own World and if you are interested check it out and let me know what you think!
"Good I'm glad I found you guys." Seiya bursting into the train compartment startles the 4 people tucked comfortably inside.
"Seiya what's wrong?" Usagi asks lifting her head off of Harry's shoulder.
"We missed a lot while we were in Tokyo and not getting a newspaper." Seiya responds.
"What's happened?" Hermione questions.
"A family in Hogsmeade had been murdered." Seiya breathes.
"What?!" All four exclaim staring incredulously at Seiya.
"It's all over the papers, and there is no question as to who did it." Seiya's expression is terrifying.
"Voldermort?" Harry asks.
Seiya nods, "There is no doubt in anyone's mind that it isn't."
Usagi buries her head in her hands and murmurs around them, "Bad times are coming, there is not getting around it anymore. It's going to be nothing like any of us have faced before. Not battling Chaos or Voldermort in the past." Usagi looks up and faces the group, but her blue eyes are glazed over and she doesn't seen anyone in front of her, "The wizarding world's worst fear is about to meet the senshi's. Only the chosen few will be able to defeat Voldermort with his body taken over by Chaos."
"What's going on?" Draco asks bursting into the train compartment.
The group sees that Draco had obviously heard at least part of what Usagi was saying in her trance like state. "Nothing's going on Malfoy, you can continue on with your way." Ron responds.
"Something's wrong with my sister, what's going on?" Draco snaps.
"It's nothing Drackie I'm fine." Usagi said coming out of hypnotic state. "Was there something you needed?"
"No, I just wanted to say hi." Draco responds.
"Then run along and find your lackeys." Ron urges.
Draco shoots Usagi one more worried look, and when she offers him a gentle smile he rolls his eyes, "Did you expect me to want to hang out with you Weasley?"
"Probably, without your minions you're friendless and you want to get in with your sister's friends." Ron snaps.
"Drackie I think this is your cue to exit, I'll catch you tonight or tomorrow morning." Usagi states.
Draco walks out of the train compartment and heads in the opposite direction that Crabbe and Goyle are waiting for him in. He needs to gather his thoughts before he returns to them. Over hearing his sisters obvious prophecy threw him for a loop, Draco was beginning to think that his sister was involved in something else. She obviously knew who the famous senshi from Tokyo were, and this left Draco in trouble. Lucius Malfoy's last words to his son before Draco boarded the train were in the form of an order:
~Flashback~
"Draco, son, you need to keep your eyes and ears open when you get back to school. You must not let on that I have returned back to Voldermort's side, Hogwarts is going to play a key role in Voldermort's plan."
"What is it?" Draco risks asking.
"That is unimportant now, what is important though is that you must tell me everything that seems out of the ordinary at Hogwarts. Watch everyone, especially Potter and his circle, watch your teachers, they are aware that our Dark Lord's powers are growing and they will be preparing. You must, I repeat must, send me an owl whenever you come across even the smallest detail you will find information."
Draco nods, "Yes, father."
~End Flashback~
And now, not even an hour later, Draco was faced with a choice, betray his sister's trust or not tell his father what he wanted to know. "Dammit." Draco kicks the wall of the empty compartment.
"I would like to welcome back all our students who went away for the Christmas Holiday." Professor Dumbledore's words reach Usagi and the rest of her Gryffindor friends' ears as they walk into the Great Hall just in time for dinner. Usagi's mouth drops open in shock to see the amount of people sitting at the house tables greatly reduced. Even when all the students were sitting at the tables there were still maybe half missing from the Gryffindor tables as well as Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Slytherin was missing ever more than the other three tables and Draco was easy to spot sitting at the greatly reduced Slytherin table.
"Under the circumstances I am afraid I am going to have to inform the returning students of the new rules that have been put in place. Nobody is to leave campus at anytime, Quidditch has not been canceled but all three Professors Kou will supervise all practice sessions. All future Hogsmeade have been canceled indefinitely. Despite everything that is going on the other Professor's and myself are attempting to maintain a normal teaching condition and we ask the same of you." With the end of his speech Professor Dumbledore sits back down into his seat.
"Poor Professor Dumbledore," Usagi sighs watching him carefully. "He looks a million years older since we left for holiday."
Everyone nods in agreement as they survey their table, "Dean's gone." Ron states.
Taking notice of the many other familiar faces that weren't present the four friends ate in grim silence.
By the time the final Gryffindor, with the exception of Ron, Harry, Hermione and Usagi, had gone to bed it was nearing midnight. The four had spent time with different groups of people who had stayed on at Hogwarts for Christmas, being filled in on whatever they could find out.
"Almost all of the muggle born and half muggle borns have gone home." Ron states.
Harry nods, "Only the pure blood families are feeling like keeping their children in school is safe. And even then a lot of pure blooded families are brining their children home."
"Lavender's gone home and she's a pure blood." Hermione adds.
"Hermione I know you aren't going to like this." Ron speaks hesitantly but continues, "But maybe the other families are right, maybe you should go home too."
"Go home?" Hermione screeches, "Go home? Are you our of your mind Ronald Weasley I'm not letting Voldermort chase me home, when it comes the time I am standing up and fighting against him, not running!"
"Then if you get yourself blown up then be my guest! It was just fair warning!" With Ron's shouts he stands up and stalks out of the common room.
When Ron has disappeared up the steps Hermione bursts into tears and flies out of the common room towards her own dorm room.
Usagi moves towards Harry on the couch in front of the fire, "I wish I knew what to do Harry. I'm so lost anymore."
"We never go to talk about you losing you power." Harry states pulling Usagi close. "We never go the chance, I sensed that you didn't want to talk about it when we were in Tokyo."
"I'm so lost," Usagi snuggles against Harry and while he expects tears none come. "Always before I knew what powers I was capable of using against the enemy. I don't know what anymore, I understand I'm not powerless. And on top of this, and don't take this the wrong way you, Hermione and Ron are great…but…"
"But we aren't the senshi." Harry finishes Usagi's trailing sentence.
"Right, they've always been backing me up. And sometimes when I'm doing something, in one situation or another, I can almost hear their voices telling me how to handle it. I'm just so damn confused here! I don't know why I'm here or what I am expected to do! I hate not knowing myself and feeling so lost all the time."
"Usagi I-" Harry's sentence trails.
"You don't need to say anything Harry, just hold me." The two sit cuddled on the couch in front of the fire until both drift into a deep sleep.
~Usagi's Dream~
"Why do I have to go?" Princess Serenity huffs dropping onto her vanity bench, "I don't want to go to some dumb school on earth! Draco's going shouldn't that be enough? One sibling offered to father's precious school!"
"Darling I know you don't like your father's school…" Queen Serenity sits next to her daughter.
"Then why are you making me go? If you understand so well then why are you making me go?" Serenity asks as tears fill her eyes.
"Serenity your father needs to know he is right about a few things he arguing about with the other founders of the school." Queen Serenity attempts to explain.
"That has nothing to do with me." Serenity exclaims, "I'm so tired of father making a point out of me."
"Serenity please go along with this without a fight." Queen Serenity begs. "You father does love you."
Princess Serenity shakes her head, "No, he doesn't, please don't lie to me about that. Father loves his school and occasionally, when he has time, he loves Draco. But as for me, he I am just his pointless daughter whose only point is to be married off to the richest prince and now to build up the amount of people in his house! I don't want to go! Why can't I go to the school you did, so that I could still live here in the palace and see all my senshi friends?"
"Please Serenity, darling, do this for me." Queen Serenity touches her daughter's face, "I love you and I don't want you to go but this is a really good opportunity for, with or without your father being a founder of the school."
Princess Serenity rest her head on her mother's shoulder, "I'll go for you mama, but I still don't want to go."
"That's my girl." The queen kisses her daughter on the forehead.
"Does Draco know I'm going yet?" Serenity asks.
"No, your brother is on the Sun making his yearly trip to survey the kingdom that will eventually be his."
"Why don't I ever do that?" The princess asks, "Draco always takes 2 weeks going around his kingdom to meet the people, why don't I?"
"Because you live here, everyone sees you."
"But I never get to meet anyone outside of the school."
"If you want to before you leave for school you may. But I suggest you tell your senshi that you will be attending the school on Earth."
"We're going to miss you." Princess Minako states silent tears slipping down her cheeks as she hugs Princess Serenity.
"I'm going to miss you guys to, but I'll stay in touch I promise." Serenity hugs everyone else quickly.
"Are you ready?" Draco asks, having said good-bye to his knights a lot quicker than his sister does.
"Yeah, I'm ready." Serenity takes her brother's hand as her the Transporter Controller presses a few buttons, "Bye guys, I'll miss you. Bye mama!"
"Where's Father?" Serenity asks surveying the crowded train depot.
"He'll be here, chill out Serenity." Draco replies squeezing Serenity's hand comfortingly.
"I don't want to be here, I want to be home with my friends. I don't want to go to some dumb school! I want to go home, I want to be with mom." Tears begin to streak down Serenity's cheeks as her pale blue eyes fill with tears.
Draco drops Serenity's hands and hugs, "It's going to be all right Serenity I promise. We're going to have fun, I promise. I'll be right here with you, we'll be in the same house and everything will be fine. Now we have to get on that train with out Dad I guess because he's not coming, we will meet up with him at school."
"Draco! Serenity!" The 11-year-old twins reach the great hall to find their father waiting for them. Both received their looks from their father, from their pale blonde hair, eyes and skin. Their facial shapes had come from their mother though, their father's face was harder and a lot more mean than Serenity's. "I'm glad you made it, sorry I couldn't make the train I had to get here earlier. The founders had to have a meeting before the start of school, now listen there's been a change in how we are sorted."
"We're still going to be in your house together right?" Serenity asks grabbing Draco's hand quickly.
"Of course, you two are my children you'll be in my house together. Now get in line with the rest of the first years."
The twins exchange glances before they fall into line with the few other first year students as they watch the hat sitting before them anxiously. The twins are one of the last few to be called.
"Slytherin, Draco!"
Draco walks towards the front of the room and sets the hat on his head after a few moments and within moments the hat calls out, "Gryffindor!"
Serenity's eyes go wide as she shoots a questioning glance at her father and his expression of pure rage across his face. When the hat is taken off of Draco's face his shows his own shock but the sorting ceremony continues.
"Slytherin, Serenity!"
Serenity looks once more towards her father; Salazer's face is a mixture of anger and hope for his last chance. But it doesn't come; it doesn't take the hat more than 3 seconds to place Serenity in the same house as her brother.
Serenity pulls at her pigtails as she walks towards the table she can't help but look towards her father who is now on his feet and arguing with Godric Gryffindor and before anything else is done the twins watch their father stand up and storm out of the Great Hall.
~End Dream~
Usagi jerks awake, "What's wrong?" Harry asks groggily, obviously awoken by Usagi. "Did you have a bad dream?"
"I had a dream about my father." Usagi replies trying to think through her dream.
"Kenji?" Harry asks. Usagi shakes her head. "Lucius?"
"No." Usagi shakes her head again, "My father from the moon kingdom. I've never dreamt about my father before, never. No one's ever talked about him."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asks wrapping his arms around her warmly.
Usagi turns to look Harry in the face, "My dad was, my dad was Salezar Slytherin."
"What?" Harry asks shocked, "As in Salezar Slytherin the founder of the Slytherin house?"
Usagi nods still trying to sort through her dream, "I'll talk about it more in the morning. I've got to go back to bed."