Chapter 17
I know I have kind of left everyone hanging for almost a year but I honestly had no idea where I wanted to go with this...hopefully I have a better idea now!
Dearest Cassi,
I don't know what's going on at Hogwarts but the world out here is falling to pieces around us. Attacks are striking families left and right and those closest to the latest victims have fled into hiding, leaving a forth of the wizarding world dead, another forth in hiding, another fourth working with You-Know-Who and the final forth are those attempting to stand up against him. I hope you have found a way to counter curse Weasley and that there have been no more attacks on the school. I do miss you and hope this owl finds you well.
Yours,
Draco
Usagi, a week ago wouldn't have even taken the time to respond to Draco's owl, but with a new out look since her "talk" with Makoto Usagi sat down to respond to his letter.
Dearest Draco,
Things sound as crazy out there as they are here. You would be so proud of the school the way they have all rallied together. The one thing that has divided us in the past is gone; the houses no longer think of themselves as Gryffindors or Slytherins or Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, now all we think of is that we are Hogwarts students and members of the wizarding community. We have not yet found a counter-curse for Ron, but none of us have given up hope. Hermione has spent all of her time searching for an answer somewhere, and if any one can find it I know Hermione can. I too hope this letter finds you well.
Love,
Cassi
Not long after Usagi received the letter from her brother a letter came by owl from her mother in Tokyo.
Usagi-Chan,
A part of me thinks that listening to you about you staying on in Hogwarts now that Voldermort has appeared is a bad idea. But I must tell you that there have been some weird deaths and disappearances around the city lately, your friends have suddenly made another appearance in Tokyo, and I suppose trying to find a way to solve this problem. Please, darling daughter I beg of you to be safe. You aren't in Tokyo any longer and there are others to protect the innocent people, you don't need to go playing the hero. I am now receiving the Daily Prophet out of London, so I can be alerted to anything that is going on. Be careful, be safe.
Mama
Usagi quickly folds the letter back up and sticks it in the envelope dropping it into her trunk out of the prying eyes of her curious roommates. Slipping out of her room and waiting a couple minutes in the common room to make sure no one is watching her Usagi slips out through he portrait. Making her way carefully through the now heavily guarded halls Usagi finally reaches Seiya's classroom.
"I told you were taking a break from training Usagi-Chan." Seiya insist.
Usagi nods, "I know, that's not why I'm here. I just came to talk."
Seiya nods and leans back into his chair and Yaten and Taiki show visible signs of relaxing, Usagi was sure they were as tired as everyone else around school. "I got a letter from my mother."
"Is everything all right in Tokyo?" Taiki asks quickly.
"No better, no worse than things are here. My mother days there have been some weird deaths in Tokyo…the senshi have appeared again."
"Usagi-Chan I am sure they are handling things without you." Seiya states, picking up immediately on Usagi's fear.
Usagi nods, "I guess. It just feels weird having them fight and knowing that I can no longer fight with them."
"You have powers though Usagi-Chan, don't forget that you aren't powerless." Yaten adds his own encouragement.
Usagi nods firmly, "I know. Have any of the teachers had any luck finding the counter curse?"
The three men shake their head sadly and Taiki states, "actually, if anything Hermione is farthest along in her search."
"Tell me honestly, what are the chances of Hermione finding the counter curse in time for it to save Ron?"
The three exchange glances and Taiki speaks again. "Honestly very slim, gomen Usagi-Chan, I wish I had better news. But as Professor Dumbledore said the only woman who has ever been even close to cure in the curse died over a thousand years ago."
Usagi eyes go wide as if something is clicking for the first time, "do we know anything about this woman?"
Taiki shrugs, "I'm not sure. It hasn't been any of our jobs to search for the counter curse, Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall have been do all the research. Why do you ask?"
"I have an idea." Usagi jumps up, "it's unlikely that they are related but I have to check. I'll be back."
"Usagi-Chan you can't go out there, you aren't even supposed to be here." Yaten states as Usagi flies to the door.
"I've got to go, I'll be back." And with her words Usagi disappears out the door.
"Ms. Tuskino." Snape slow drawl stops Usagi in her tracks, "you are not to be out of your chambers after nine o'clock, the rules can't be broken."
"How old was she?" Usagi demands.
"I beg your pardon?" Snape questions staring at Usagi.
"The woman who was so close to breaking the counter curse, how old was she?" Usagi demands again.
"In her early twenties, but I don't see how that has anything to do with your being out of your chambers after hours."
Usagi doesn't wait around to hear anymore before she turns on her heel and runs toward Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore is just coming out as she reaches his office, "I know who the woman was."
"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asks, clearly as confused at Snape had been.
"Princess Ami of Mercury, it had to have been her. She was a muggle with ties to the wizarding world. Professor Snape said that she died in her early twenties when the moon was attacked by Queen Beryl, I can't believe I didn't see it before. Amy had to have been the one working to solve the curse, because someone was cursed."
"You may be right, but we have no way of proving this, and even so we have no way of getting to those records. Ms. Tuskino, if you are right and the woman was from the moon all of their records were destroyed along with the moon."
"Maybe there is." Usagi looks up at the ceiling and shouts "Setsuna! I need to talk to you! Setsuna! I know you can see, and hear me!"
"Ms. Tuskino I must ask you to refrain from your shouting." Dumbledore requests quietly, "and even if Setsuna can hear you she can't apparate into Hogwarts, no one can, not even a senshi, especially a senshi."
I know I have kind of left everyone hanging for almost a year but I honestly had no idea where I wanted to go with this...hopefully I have a better idea now!
Dearest Cassi,
I don't know what's going on at Hogwarts but the world out here is falling to pieces around us. Attacks are striking families left and right and those closest to the latest victims have fled into hiding, leaving a forth of the wizarding world dead, another forth in hiding, another fourth working with You-Know-Who and the final forth are those attempting to stand up against him. I hope you have found a way to counter curse Weasley and that there have been no more attacks on the school. I do miss you and hope this owl finds you well.
Yours,
Draco
Usagi, a week ago wouldn't have even taken the time to respond to Draco's owl, but with a new out look since her "talk" with Makoto Usagi sat down to respond to his letter.
Dearest Draco,
Things sound as crazy out there as they are here. You would be so proud of the school the way they have all rallied together. The one thing that has divided us in the past is gone; the houses no longer think of themselves as Gryffindors or Slytherins or Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, now all we think of is that we are Hogwarts students and members of the wizarding community. We have not yet found a counter-curse for Ron, but none of us have given up hope. Hermione has spent all of her time searching for an answer somewhere, and if any one can find it I know Hermione can. I too hope this letter finds you well.
Love,
Cassi
Not long after Usagi received the letter from her brother a letter came by owl from her mother in Tokyo.
Usagi-Chan,
A part of me thinks that listening to you about you staying on in Hogwarts now that Voldermort has appeared is a bad idea. But I must tell you that there have been some weird deaths and disappearances around the city lately, your friends have suddenly made another appearance in Tokyo, and I suppose trying to find a way to solve this problem. Please, darling daughter I beg of you to be safe. You aren't in Tokyo any longer and there are others to protect the innocent people, you don't need to go playing the hero. I am now receiving the Daily Prophet out of London, so I can be alerted to anything that is going on. Be careful, be safe.
Mama
Usagi quickly folds the letter back up and sticks it in the envelope dropping it into her trunk out of the prying eyes of her curious roommates. Slipping out of her room and waiting a couple minutes in the common room to make sure no one is watching her Usagi slips out through he portrait. Making her way carefully through the now heavily guarded halls Usagi finally reaches Seiya's classroom.
"I told you were taking a break from training Usagi-Chan." Seiya insist.
Usagi nods, "I know, that's not why I'm here. I just came to talk."
Seiya nods and leans back into his chair and Yaten and Taiki show visible signs of relaxing, Usagi was sure they were as tired as everyone else around school. "I got a letter from my mother."
"Is everything all right in Tokyo?" Taiki asks quickly.
"No better, no worse than things are here. My mother days there have been some weird deaths in Tokyo…the senshi have appeared again."
"Usagi-Chan I am sure they are handling things without you." Seiya states, picking up immediately on Usagi's fear.
Usagi nods, "I guess. It just feels weird having them fight and knowing that I can no longer fight with them."
"You have powers though Usagi-Chan, don't forget that you aren't powerless." Yaten adds his own encouragement.
Usagi nods firmly, "I know. Have any of the teachers had any luck finding the counter curse?"
The three men shake their head sadly and Taiki states, "actually, if anything Hermione is farthest along in her search."
"Tell me honestly, what are the chances of Hermione finding the counter curse in time for it to save Ron?"
The three exchange glances and Taiki speaks again. "Honestly very slim, gomen Usagi-Chan, I wish I had better news. But as Professor Dumbledore said the only woman who has ever been even close to cure in the curse died over a thousand years ago."
Usagi eyes go wide as if something is clicking for the first time, "do we know anything about this woman?"
Taiki shrugs, "I'm not sure. It hasn't been any of our jobs to search for the counter curse, Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall have been do all the research. Why do you ask?"
"I have an idea." Usagi jumps up, "it's unlikely that they are related but I have to check. I'll be back."
"Usagi-Chan you can't go out there, you aren't even supposed to be here." Yaten states as Usagi flies to the door.
"I've got to go, I'll be back." And with her words Usagi disappears out the door.
"Ms. Tuskino." Snape slow drawl stops Usagi in her tracks, "you are not to be out of your chambers after nine o'clock, the rules can't be broken."
"How old was she?" Usagi demands.
"I beg your pardon?" Snape questions staring at Usagi.
"The woman who was so close to breaking the counter curse, how old was she?" Usagi demands again.
"In her early twenties, but I don't see how that has anything to do with your being out of your chambers after hours."
Usagi doesn't wait around to hear anymore before she turns on her heel and runs toward Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore is just coming out as she reaches his office, "I know who the woman was."
"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asks, clearly as confused at Snape had been.
"Princess Ami of Mercury, it had to have been her. She was a muggle with ties to the wizarding world. Professor Snape said that she died in her early twenties when the moon was attacked by Queen Beryl, I can't believe I didn't see it before. Amy had to have been the one working to solve the curse, because someone was cursed."
"You may be right, but we have no way of proving this, and even so we have no way of getting to those records. Ms. Tuskino, if you are right and the woman was from the moon all of their records were destroyed along with the moon."
"Maybe there is." Usagi looks up at the ceiling and shouts "Setsuna! I need to talk to you! Setsuna! I know you can see, and hear me!"
"Ms. Tuskino I must ask you to refrain from your shouting." Dumbledore requests quietly, "and even if Setsuna can hear you she can't apparate into Hogwarts, no one can, not even a senshi, especially a senshi."