Chapter 4/26
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AN: If you've missed it in the beginning, I want to reiterate: CANNON PAIRINGS and it's only going to be FOUR YEARS not 7, so they were 14/15 when they started. That said, thank you for your time, patience and sticking with me. So now, on with the show!
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(New as of 1.24.2017)
AN2: Wow, what a difference a paragraph makes! I had been sitting on the first paragraph unsure where to go even though I knew where it would eventually go but I came back, took a look at the paragraph and decided to either delete it completely or rework it and in the end it's neither and both, lol. You'd have to have seen the original first paragraph to understand! (Which I doubt you'll see). Also for those that don't think there's been enough Sailor Moon in this story so far, this chapter is for you! It's very Serena-centric, the entire chapter follows her.
AN3: So... I reread what I had written thus far and edited it and then wrote 3 more chapters and then went... I went on an incredible tangent that doesn't completely benefit this story and it's current pace. So I decided to rewrite/weed through the next 3 chapters and make it a bit more... concise? In doing so I will have to remove/move a lot of the information that will be revealed. However! It gave me a great idea, what I've mentioned before and rewatching some early Stargate SG1 episodes and doing some research online... I've decided to write a what-if in a what-if. It'll be a what-if of this story and will go into a far more details than this story can handle and will be written in a lot better too. I love how this story has been set up and has followed but... a part of me has a nag that I want to see this other story too and it'll be a great marriage. There will be more forthcoming in that story's AN. I'm really excited because I can keep this one as is and still follow that one and still have it all make sense! Hehe... Keep an eye out for it!
AN4 (4/4/2019): Someone commented on the first chapter of this story recently and I want to address the comment. They were criticizing the fact that the 'children' knew (read point 1 again) things that they shouldn't. Serena's blood last name was going to be known by the bloody sorting hat. In this story people knew that Tom Riddle was Voldemort. I have made that clear since the very beginning, so of course these TEENS that grew up IN the wizarding world would know of the connection. They found out about this age in the real books and so they'd have known in this story too. They are about the same age that their parents started fighting the war. The whole bloody premise is that things aren't the exact same as in the books, that there are a few changes that occurred and because of that the whole thing gets tipped on its side without getting rid of EVERYTHING. Rant over.
AN5: All of the above was written prior to 2020. As of 2022, I may actually return to this story. It's niggled in the back of my mind for ages and I've started posting the sister-story that I've always meant to as well. I've started uploading a lot of things that have bothered me that I didn't release up to now. I started rereading a lot and have been getting back into the mentality/groove. I'm also working in another fandom the last few years and so that's taken a lot of my time when writing... but I'm loosing steam there and returning to my original loves, mainly SM and HP, though I may stray occasionally still. :) I got back into my account after a few years locked out of it, so that helps. That's really the real reason I kind of disappeared from this universe, that and life. I find if I'm not posting something, then I'm not really in the mood to write, even if I first write a million and two pages and then start posting, lol.
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Paranoia it seemed was contagious. Even Hagrid turned her away that weekend with hands on her shoulders and guiding her back to the castle. He was looking around as if spooked and Serena, try as she might, couldn't get anything out of him.
Dumbledore was away from the castle constantly and she didn't know if that had to do with the triwizard preparations or if it had to do with something else entirely but whenever she did spot him in the halls he looked worried and busy contemplating things. She'd tried to say hi once and got a hand raised in her direction before he was off doing something else somewhere else.
Malfoy who once might have been her constant companion kept disappearing as well but not in an attempt to avoid her, no, she was doing that enough for the both of them. He was up to something and she wasn't sure what and he wasn't likely to tell her.
She ended up spending more time with the twins and Lee over the first week of school as Harry, Hermione and Ron all had questions for her she did not wish to answer. That was of course when Hermione wasn't handing out pins for elven rights and Harry and Ron were practicing practically every day.
She'd questioned the twins on that once and they said they weren't invited. Serena supposed Harry wanted to ease his new keeper into the position but she still hadn't heard if they'd be having quidditch this year. Although something bad always seemed to happen during the official games.
10 days before the arrival of the other schools, did in fact reveal that quidditch would still happen and Harry had called an entire team meeting and practice. Serena sat in the stands with Hermione to watch and see how the new team was shaping up. McGonagall had also joined them and had greeted them by reminding Serena there was still time to change her mind and join. Serena declined politely.
Ron didn't do a bad job of it. There was another new player too, he was a chaser but Serena remembered him now, he was kind of a jerk and he kept throwing winks at Hermione, making Ron upset and so he started doing poorly.
"That's Cormac." Hermione explained once Serena asked about the behavior. "He's just a big flirt. I don't pay him any attention."
"He's a good player." McGonagall commented. Ginny had become one of the other chasers and she was getting frustrated that every time she was about to catch the quaffle, he'd steal it from her. She would have played differently had he been on the opposite team but she didn't start out expecting that he'd showboat the entire game. "He just needs to focus a bit more and become a better team player."
Serena nodded and spun her finger and suddenly he was spinning and had to drop the ball to hang onto his broom. She looked innocently at Hermione when the other girl glanced at her in surprise and the brunette didn't catch her doing anything. Serena knew Hermione would bewitch anyone who attacked Ron and so didn't feel bad helping out his sister.
"He's also a good student." McGonagall continued. "Incredibly smart in many ways but unfortunately quite dumb in others."
"Professor!" Hermione let out in shock at the teacher freely admitting anyone was dumb for any reason but Serena just laughed.
Serena's laughter drifted off though when she felt the shift in the air that signaled her need to leave and transform. It was the only indicator to the other and more poignant change, dark storm clouds gathered suddenly and lightning disrupted the practice. Hermione, McGonagall and Serena all stood up instantly in an effort to leave field. Being in the stands was bad enough, the fact that they were metal was even worse. Three redheads came barreling to them, to offer their assistance instead of allowing them to take the time to go down the stairs. George offered his assistance to McGonagall while Serena got onto the back of Fred's broom and Hermione got onto Ron's. They were out of the stands and off the pitch instantly and joined the others on their trek back to the castle.
McGonagall thanked George and Serena gave them both hugs but she was needed elsewhere and so she ran off ahead of them and disappeared from view before disappearing from the grounds. She wasn't sure where to go or who was creating this lightning storm. Were they up there in the center of it? It covered quite a bit of ground.
What she hadn't been expecting however, was to be joined by Sailor Saturn. "No time to explain." The girl said as she kept pace with Sailor Moon. "What's the plan?" Seeing as how Moon hadn't expected for there to be two of them, she hadn't factored her into the plan and it took a minute to realign her decisions.
"We'll split up, they don't know about you yet, I believe, so you'll be used as a surprise tactic."
"I can do that." Saturn ran off in a different direction but kept parallel to Moon's movements. Moon nodded to herself, she'd deal with Saturn's reawakening later. This didn't have to be a bad thing, did it? Moon tried to convince herself that it wasn't but knew it was.
She finally found the youma. Thankfully it wasn't cliché enough to be a lightning bolt but it was a shocking yellow color, it practically radiated light and Moon learned to her misfortune when she got closer that it also had an electromagnetic field surrounding her. That had been quite a shock and she howled in pain.
The pain did not disappear as the youma turned it's sights and ministrations directly at Moon. She rained down bolt after bolt at Moon. She created a wave of electromagnetic energy and basically wrapped it around Moon, paralyzing her and contorting her body into terrible shapes as her nerves spasmed.
A glaive cut through the tether and freed Moon before it swung again, cutting the youma in half but nothing further happened to it. It did not attack itself as the youma had with her mothers. No... nor did it turn to dust and Moon looked to Saturn for guidance when it was she who should have been offering it. The younger, darker girl only shrugged, not sure herself. Then as they watched, it evaporated into thin air as if it too was nothing more than an electromagnetic manifestation made solid temporarily. "Think that's the last we'll see of her?" Saturn asked, turning to Moon who didn't know herself and said as much.
Then Saturn was down on one knee. "What are you doing?" Moon asked in shock, knowing fairly well what the girl intended.
"My liege, I dedicate myself to you fully once more. You were foolish to try to cut our bond and I am repairing it. I will do anything you ask of me."
"No." Moon denied. "You, above all others should not do that. You who wishes so strongly to be free of what I may ask."
"I admit that in the past I had wished that. Then I saw the inhumane destruction of the Moon and the other planets and knew that I would never again desire to see such a horrible sight. I have the ability to destroy worlds but no one ever suffers that way. I do not wish for there to be anymore suffering. You alone should have the power to end worlds. That is why I offer myself to you. I know it is not something you would ever ask of me lightly and if I were left to make my own decisions I might choose to do it again, falling back onto what I know. Yet if you were to ask it, then I would know it is the right thing to do, to save everyone from that horrible fate."
"It should be your decision, if it is something that has to remain with you, it should be your decision that you're living with. You are the one that causes death and either way it's on your shoulders but you should at least have the comfort to know that you made the right decision and that it was yours." Moon dropped to her knees and put her hands on Saturn's shoulders. "You can also have the comfort of knowing that you didn't destroy a world, that you saved all those people, that you were able to walk away from a situation you knew was wrong." Moon's hands shook. "You're nobody's puppet."
By now they'd all seen and had been puppets in Moody's class, every year was taught what it was like being controlled by another's will. It had only reinforced what Serena had decided before the year had began, what she had decided the moment her erroneously voiced wish of being a princess turned out to be true. She had been 6 when she said so and her moms had sat her down and explained that she was but it wasn't all about riding ponies and wearing pretty dresses. No, there was far more weight involved. Far more responsibilities and decisions and consequences.
That was when she had released all of her senshi from her control and her moms had raged at her in a way she had never seen before or since and she knew it stemmed from fear for her. Perhaps that's what had caused her to become a witch. Someone had seen her magic at such a young age and had mistakenly assumed that her magic had to do with the wizarding world. Yet... she had taken to this magic well enough as well and she didn't think they were the same.
The wizarding magic never hurt her whereas her senshi powers had, quite often... She shook her head, this was not the time or place to be thinking so hard about it.
Saturn took her hands from her shoulders and held them in hers. "My liege, you are shaking. You have been hurt and affected by this attack and so we should get you back and warm you up and see to any injuries."
"I'm fine." it was emotion that caused her hands to shake, not electrocution. "Please, don't call me that."
"But I cannot call you princess or queen as you are both and yet neither." Saturn protested as she helped Moon stand again and perhaps the girl had been right as Moon found her legs to be a bit shaky. Maybe she was reeling from the shock field that had been placed around her, also.
"The others have said that I should still be known as princess since I was never crowned queen. Without a coronation my ranking does not change." Moon didn't think either fit her, herself.
Saturn shook her head. "You are the only royal left and a coronation is pointless. What do they call you then?"
"Serena." She held onto Saturn's shoulder and it was Saturn who transported them back to the grounds. "Or daughter on occasion when they're cross."
The pause between responses got the attention that she'd expected and Saturn shook her head even harder. "That is inappropriate."
"But doesn't change anything. I was an infant when they found me and daughter is what I am." Serena was now back to her normal form and Saturn followed suit. Soon it was Hotaru in her place. While the first year was shorter than Serena now, she had a feeling the girl would be taller in the end.
"How many?"
"The other 3 outers." Serena explained and Hotaru nodded.
"The inners are not yet in your court once more?" Hotaru asked as they slowly made their way in. "They should be younger than your moms and I doubt they realize what you took from them. The outers have a different way of sensing things, we have a different connection with you." Hotaru frowned. "You should not be fighting. It is not your place. How can you be trusted to make the most informed decisions if you are in the thick of things?"
"How could I make the most informed decisions if I did not know what you go through or be by your side every step of the way?" There is so much more information gained on the battlefield than sitting on the sidelines."
"But you can't see everything when it is so close. You have to be removed to see the entire picture." They were probably never going to stop arguing about this but her moms had ended up agreeing with the decision to allow her to remain in the fight and as a senshi, they even had to let her fight on her own. Many times though she was not needed when they were there. Any one of them could take down any of the youmas but it never hurt to have backup, as Serena relearned today.
"Were you mad at me?" Hotaru asked out of the blue and Serena took a moment to try to figure out what she meant. Was she asking about the severing of ties? She had done that to all of her senshi so they could be free and she repeated that now. "No." Hotaru swallowed hard. "I mean about you seeing me with Draco."
"Draco? Oh. No." Serena shook her head, not wanting to talk about this but now that she had talked to Hotaru and had seen Saturn and knew that the girl could fight without raining down destruction on the entire planet, she was feeling better about her. "I was surprised and a bit wigged out by one of my court with my cousin and there were a few other issues with it too, but I was never mad at you. I am a bit surprised though. Do you really like him?"
"He's your cousin?" It was Hotaru's turn to be surprised. "I hadn't realized, I mean you're both blond but you never had family back in the day. It didn't even cross my mind..." She took a moment to reorientate herself to the rest of the question. "As for liking him, yes, I do. I wasn't expecting it when coming here but for some reason the minute we met, we hit it off and it developed quickly from there. We met in Diagon Alley a few months back and sat with each other on the train and well... he's a really powerful figure in our house and I can't help but be drawn to powerful people and people who know what they want and command they get it. There's more too, there's a sweetness that he's afraid to show and..."
Serena interrupted her before she made Serena gag for real at the sugary explanation. "Yes, yes, I've seen the latter too." Although the former wasn't really something she'd seen too much of, except with his inner circle of friends.
"It was also terrible what happened to him when Moody -. I almost attacked that man for daring to harm a student! But I held back because I know that our secret is more important."
"Well I'm glad the two of you are happy together. I am slowly coming around to it, it will take me some time because he is my cousin and I just don't see him that way at all... but I'll get there."
"Miss Riddle." The dry summons surprised Serena and she spun towards Snape. "What are you doing out of bed at this late hour? And with one of my house's students. You should be ashamed of yourself Miss Riddle. I do not allow or appreciate the likes of you tainting my house."
Hotaru almost protested and stepped in for her but Serena grabbed her hand and squeezed it, trying to tell her to back down. She looked to Serena who shook her head. "It's ok." She whispered out of the side of her mouth and braved Snape's dark eyes, knowing that this was all for show and hating it.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor for the aforementioned grievances. Now back to your house Miss Riddle. And Miss Tomoe, I shall accompany you to your house as well. Bare in mind in the future I might not be so tolerant of you associating at such a late hour with this interloper."
Ooh, Serena was really glad that none of her good friends from Gryffindor were there right this moment because they'd probably have lost the house a 100 points for defending Serena's honor. As it was, Serena was barely holding back the cheek she wanted to give him for saying what he did but knowing he had made her promise to keep her mouth shut and Hotaru wasn't fairing much better against her own house professor. Sometimes when her senshi world collided with this one, she forgot that they also had to abide by the same rules she did. Her moms weren't quite as restrained but Hotaru was, she was as at the same disadvantage that Serena was, worse maybe because Serena was the only one that understood about the senshi world that Hotaru knew. Serena at least had her moms to rely on all her life to go to and to ask questions whenever she was unsure. She would have to be that for Hotaru. Yet sometimes it seemed as if it Hotaru knew more than she did, from what she had said.
Serena needed to ask Hotaru if she had all of her memories intact. Also now that Snape was here, it reminded her that she needed to know how Hotaru had gotten into that house, especially for being a decent sort of girl from their interaction today. Then she scolded herself for falling into thinking thinking like that, there were good and bad people from all houses.
Serena didn't know why, because she was usually very accepting of people instantly, but she wasn't entirely keen on trusting Hotaru completely. She was her senshi and had vowed to be Serena's once more but... she was the senshi of death and destruction. Something about that held Serena back from being entirely too chummy with her right away. She knew it wasn't the girl's fault, she did, she more than most, understood that. But, what if she was joking or words slipped out of her mouth that Hotaru took as an order to destroy? She had to be careful around this girl, not because of Hotaru's intentions but because of her own fallacies. She was worried what the two of them might accomplish together. One mistake could set off the ticking time-bomb early.
Was Hotaru a time-bomb? Or was that just Serena's perspective of it? Maybe it was Serena that was the time bomb.
"Miss Riddle. Go on now." Snape's voice had a bit of a bite to it and Serena straightened, realizing she had been lost in her thoughts again.
She nodded. "Yes sir." She could never quite get that look of fear down that the other students had. She respected him as a teacher, yes, but fear? No. And so, even now, there was a lack of cowering or haste to her movements, but she did listen and headed towards her quarters. She heard Snape sigh in disappointment behind her and she realized that she would never be able to fear him in the way he wanted her to, even for show. She knew him too well for that.
But she didn't really fear any teacher except for maybe Moody. He sometimes caught her up short and she wanted to avoid that all-seeing eye of his but he was... nice... to her. He was one of those teachers that treated her with respect from the minute he learned her name and actually praised and guided her when she made mistakes, or at least over the last few weeks he had and never thought anything would be too much for her.
Lupin contrarily had thought she wouldn't be able to handle the boggart. Of all people and things, she had never understood that and so she never learned how to blast dementors with a patronus or laugh at her fear and make it laughable. Serena did suppose though that some fears couldn't be made light of, some were too heavy.
She had every intention of going back to her common room when this thought entered her head. Now that Lupin wasn't here, there wouldn't be anyone to stop her from finding out what she feared and so she spun on the ball of her foot and headed to the last known boggart location. There were a few hiding throughout this castle. She'd find one, tonight.
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She didn't find a single boggart. Had Lupin removed all the known boggarts? She was frustrated and then decided to just give up tonight. Perhaps it was better she didn't face this fear, especially on her own. She just hated that she didn't know her boggart's form and the self-pride of finally dealing with Hotaru (despite the girl coming to her) was draining away rapidly now. That feeling of being able to accomplish anything was greatly reduced just now as she couldn't do everything she set her mind to the minute she did, somethings took time and patience.
Serena popped up to a room near Gryffindor, too tired to walk up there and she knew this room was free of portraits and she had placed her own anti-ghost spell on it. She even placed a student and teacher repellent on it, it wasn't a room that was used usually and if they made the conscious choice to go in ahead of time, there was no way to stop them but without that, they just walked passed it without a second thought and the door was generally shut (and locked) but that wouldn't keep many out of it on it's own. She walked the rest of the way to the Fat Lady portrait and said what she needed to, to enter.
No one was waiting up as she walked in and it was quite late. Then she trudged up the stairs. Perhaps it wasn't just her exploration for the boggart that drained her. It probably didn't help after combining it with the youma attack and a long school day and unfortunately tomorrow was Thursday.
She had to trudge through two more days of classes and then as an enthusiastic spectator through a quidditch game on Saturday but on Sunday she could sleep, if all went according to plan and then one more week and then the other schools would be here, which would start an entirely new way of life here at the castle.
They said that the students would join them for classes but they had not said whether or not they'd be joining them in the dorms. Serena didn't think so, she was pretty sure there were temporary rooms set up for visiting schools in another part of the castle, equipped with their own boys and girls quarters and from what Serena understood, Durmstrang was bringing only boys and Beauxbatons was bringing mostly girls but there were going to be a few boys too. She might be wrong about that, but she doubted it.
She grudgingly got to the top floor of the dormitories and wondered why she didn't just sleep on the couch or something but entered her room and plopped onto the bed. Why had they agreed to move rooms this time? Before it was only a two flights up but now it was all the way to the top. Ginny's class decided to take Hermione and Serena's old quarters once they knew the 3rd years decided to move. The second floor was good enough for Serena.
Although, as she flipped over and saw the night sky through the enchanted ceiling, she did have to admit this floor was pretty cool too. There were some perks to being in a tower. Why had the 4th years passed this one up for the first floor? That group had stuck to the first floor the entire 3 years Serena had been here.
Some of the girls had expressed concern over the ceiling at one point when they recalled that anyone could fly over them with their broomsticks at any point (or on the back of some creature) and Hermione let them know that they could see out but no one could see in, even with the slipperiest of spells or toys. It was more likely that someone would slip in a pair of eyes into their cloak or something but it would go through the hallway rather than through the ceiling. The girls had relaxed until they realized what Hermione was saying and then they had all basically gone on a mass-panic search of their stuff to make sure nobody had done so.
Serena had laughed with Hermione about it for an hour after. The two of them hadn't bothered looking, knowing who the most likely culprits were and what they'd use and no, it wasn't the twins they suspected of doing something like that. Although they wouldn't put it passed them.
Serena passed out after a small laugh to herself as she remembered that day and she slept with a smile on her face.
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"You seem..." Ron tried to find the words that next day at breakfast as Serena hummed to herself as she ate. "As if a weight has been lifted."
Harry and Hermione nodded their agreements. They had seen Serena happy before but never this light and cheerful. She was gaining a lot of attention today actually although she hadn't really done anything out of the norm and it was only those nearest to her that could hear her good mood. She just radiated that warmth and good cheer today and it caught everyone's eyes.
Serena smiled brightly at Ron. "It has. I'm feeling fantastic today." Sleep had rejuvenated her happy feeling. She no longer cared about the boggart and what it would show her. Why face her fear? She faced them every day, no need to go in search of a scary experience. The stars were aligning and things were turning out to be less scary than she had originally given them credit for. She just couldn't find it in her to care as deeply about those problems.
"Stop, please..." Ron made a face. "Your good cheer is becoming nauseating." Which only caused Serena to laugh and throw a roll at him. He took it and ate it. Harry and Hermione were infected though and they started laughing too.
All of a sudden Harry groaned and made a disgusted face and Serena followed his eyes to the Slytherin table. Her face twisted too but it wasn't as bad as it had been before, both the actions and her reaction. Draco and Hotaru were making out again at the table and their housemates gave them a wide-birth. "Who in their right mind would go near him?" Harry asked with a groan.
Ron answered before she could. "Someone that's not."
Hermione turned in her seat to look too and her face did twist into dislike but she didn't comment. Serena had to break the news to them. "That is Hotaru."
Three pairs of eyes turned to her and she gave a helpless shrug. "She's one of you?" Ron asked, somewhat rudely and she nodded. "Can't you stop her?"
"I could, but I won't. It will either run it's course or we'll get over it. I don't interfere in the matters of the heart. Or rather, I don't destroy them but I might give them a little nudge to get together. Not that I'm responsible for that!" She defended herself when she realized how her words could be taken. "I was not happy when I first learned of it myself."
"But you won't stop it?" Ron questioned.
"Exactly. Not only is she one of mine but he's my cousin. I don't want to see either hurt and if I did ban their relationship, it would just encourage them more." That sounded vaguely familiar... was her relationship with Endymion banned in the past? Her moms always made it sound as if they were destined for each other and they really, really wanted him found and by her side. Why?
Why then too did it seem like an important lesson to her about being allowed to make decisions on her own without being influenced or manipulated? Perhaps it was only because she was being forced into that relationship and she wanted to choose and have the ability to say "no" rather than fight for "yes".
Serena had far too much exuberance that day and was hardly able to concentrate on her classes. She relished the opportunity to go out and face a youma. Hopefully then it would burn off her excess energy. She felt fully charged and ready to go.
Instead she convinced Hotaru to spar with her in the forbidden forest that evening, no powers, just hand to hand combat and Hotaru defeated her every round but Serena didn't care, she loved it.
They finished for the evening and Hotaru helped Serena to her feet and they both powered down. "You're getting better. Although I am unsure how you survived all these years on your own."
"It was occasionally dicey and I wasn't always completely on my own. Perhaps they just weren't as good of a fighter as you are." Serena praised. "How did you come to learn these skills?"
"Oh." Hotaru put a hand to the back of her head. "I had help. I was taught a lot of traditional martial arts growing up in Japan and then my memories returned two years ago and I learned even more moves and abilities. My family decided to take advantage of the commonwealth connection and moved here last year so I could enter this school. We had heard of strange events taking place here and then I saw you in a picture with Harry Potter and Gilderoy Lockhart."
"Your English is flawless. You sound British."
"I had a British tutor since I was 3. I think I learned English before I learned Japanese. It's certainly easier, surprisingly."
"So did you always know you would be a witch?" Serena had somehow surrounded herself with muggle-raised children except the Weasleys and would love to learn from Hotaru what life was like in Japan.
Hotaru smiled broadly. "Oh yes. However in Japan we live in the muggle world except for our shops and school. Even a few of those shops end up being part of the muggle world, they just never know there's real magic in the objects they purchase. None of it is harmful, there's strict guidelines on what can be sold to muggles. We call them non-wi by the way, well at least that's the English equivalent. We like to interact with them and you never know, one of those non-wis are future witches or wizards."
"So both of your parents are wis?" Serena tried to use Hotaru's word for it and to her it sounded almost French. Hotaru nodded. "That's really cool." She paused a beat. "How did you end up in Slytherin?"
"I'm surprised by you my liege, you've spent a great deal of time with Slytherins and yet you still hold that old prejudice against them?"
"No, but I figured you'd fit better into Ravenclaw."
Hotaru laughed. "Both houses fit me but you know something about that, don't you?" She had mysterious eyes and Serena supposed there was some considerable truth to that. "It's true that Slytherin has a poor reputation but there are very good people in the house too that get overlooked."
Serena nodded, she concurred with Hotaru's assessment. "I can think of several."
"I chose Slytherin." Hotaru finally stated as they headed back to the castle and that caused Serena's head to swivel towards her. "The sorting hat asked me what I wanted and I told it exactly what I wanted and it complied."
"It just straight out and asked you?" Serena asked in wonder.
"Yes. Said something about students being so snippy about the sorting and it might as well just ask and take the wearer's preference into consideration. It did tell me though that if I hadn't any Slytherin qualities it might have overridden me." Hotaru shrugged. "As it is, Slytherin is the most like the house I would have been placed in, in Japan. The only difference is I would have been a silver 9-tailed fox, a Kitsune, rather than a snake, but my colors would still have been silver and black but with orange instead of green." Hotaru thought about it for a moment. "You would have been Kirin. There would never have been a moment's debate for that placement. Spur of the moment but also kind and gentle and talented. You fit the entire description to a T, I just don't feel like repeating it at the moment."
Serena would have to look into that, but she didn't doubt Hotaru. And from what she knew of the houses in Japan, which was very little, Hotaru would have fit into that house perfectly, it was a bit more of a stretch to get her to fit Slytherin but not much of one. "I have faith that you will do many great things."
"Not 'terrible but great'?" Hotaru asked lightly and Serena shook her head.
"You could go either way." They both laughed at that and they finished walking up the castle steps.
Hotaru looked unsure for a moment. "Do you think it would be hard going back to your tiny palace after living in a castle like this?'
Serena snickered. "I go home to a 4 bedroom house every summer with 2 bathrooms and 3 other women in it. It's not tiny in comparison to what some people live in, but it's not a palace either. I don't think any place could stand up against Hogwarts in size and majesty but a cardboard box could be comfortable too. I'm not picky as long as it's safe... ish." No place was completely safe, it just couldn't be because life wasn't safe. She shook her head. "Not that it matters, that palace is gone and there's no way to get back there."
Hotaru looked at her strangely and she made a gesture that told Hotaru 'out with it'. Hotaru looked around hesitantly and then back to Serena. "Well... that's not completely true." Serena frowned at the girl not understanding at all. "Your memories really are gone, aren't they? I thought for sure since you recognized me that you would know some things, surely, but no... The palace has been rebuilt. It was set to rebuild once you met all of the outers. It had been assumed however that the inners would have already been with you when you met us." Hotaru shrugged. "I don't know what will happen because of that. Maybe nothing has changed in the plans. Either way you can return there whenever you'd like."
Serena's mouth fell open and she had a hard time picking up her jaw again. Her moms couldn't learn this. Serena didn't really want to know it either. She felt happier thinking that the moon kingdom was gone for good, that way none of what happened there would tempt her into repeating the mistakes of the past.
Although... would it be possible to encourage the enemy to attack there and not on Earth if they were ready for another round with the senshi? What was she talking about? How were they even supposed to get up there? She had the longest range of teleportation and could do it the most often and yet it was not up to going that far in one go. She'd made it to NYC in one go but that must have been a fluke. The only time it was even remotely possible to go there was when the moon was at it's closest point, once a year in the fall and that was only if it happened to be on their side of the planet at the time.
Serena shook her head and didn't mention the moon again to Hotaru because it was a fools errand, so many things could go wrong and they shouldn't even try. What would be the point?
Throwing her arms around Hotaru she gave the girl a hug before running off to find her other friends and Hotaru headed back to her common room.
–
Serena sat with Hermione while the game raged on. It had been going on for hours now and Serena bent her neck to rest her head on Hermione's shoulder and Hermione's head rested on hers and they both started to doze off as the game continued into the night. Lights appeared to light up the field and Lee was still going strong with his positive and enthusiastic comments and was still finding new ways to say the exact same thing "Gryffindor gets a point", "Ravenclaw gets a point". At least Gryffindor was up several points and even if Ravenclaw got the snitch now, Gryffindor would win.
Serena must have fallen asleep but when she woke up the only indicator was that the points were higher and the night was darker. She looked around and most of the spectators were sleeping too and she glanced at the teacher's box and saw Moody looking right back at her and that wide mouth twisted just slightly into a smile. So slight in fact that it could have been her imagination.
Was the former auror happy that Riddle's daughter was such good friends with muggles and not only that but Gryffindors? Serena didn't know why but she imagined that Moody was from Slytherin. There was just a feeling within her that said that it was right. It was an odd feeling, being praised for such things from such a person, but he'd never said anything, it was just a look he gave her occasionally. He could be happy that she was friends with Harry and muggle-borns and unhappy that she wasn't in his former house (if it were his former house)? Maybe he wasn't unhappy with that at all. Maybe he was glad she wasn't in Slytherin. She wasn't even sure if it was happiness he felt, it was a bit more like pleasure, but why?
She wished she could ask Snape about Moody but Snape stayed as far away from Moody as possible and Moody didn't seem to give him much notice in return. Although Serena was pretty sure Moody didn't like Snape. She concentrated on him now, trying to read him at such a distance. It was muddled at best.
Serena didn't try this too often and especially not at such a distance. Usually she just naturally read people or influenced them but sometimes she needed a bit extra but it was extremely rare and the few times she had tried it on a wizard, he'd rebuffed her. Her natural charms had better effect on Snape. The rest of the professors had just given in to her request of Dumbledore before she agreed to come to Hogwarts. Now that she knew the truth about Snape, she had a feeling he had a hand in things.
Speaking of him, he noticed her eyes on the teacher's box and not on the game and he sent her a disapproving scowl. She noticed and regrettably changed directions in her thoughts and went back to the game but the wheel in the back of her mind kept running and working through the issue she was pondering. She had some of the pieces, surely enough to figure out what the image was without needing all of them, right?
With her faulty memory though, it wouldn't surprise her if she had all the pieces or if she never put it together. She just... there was something... Her nose scrunched up in frustration. This world was almost as irritating as hers at times when things just didn't fit and she just didn't have the ability to make it fit. She needed something or someone else.
Her eyes flickered to her senshi on campus and she felt her lips tilt up a little at remembering that she wasn't alone here. Not in any way as the head now resting on her shoulder also served to remind her. She had all sorts of friends from all of her areas of life and they'd always be there for her, just like she was for them. She just needed to let them in to her mind and that was harder than she had realized since she let them into her heart so quickly.
All of a sudden there was a shift in attitude as Lee shouted in cheer. Cho had caught the snitch. McGonagall snapped at Lee. "Why are you so happy? Ravenclaw got it and you're from Gryffindor!"
"Because the game is finally over and we still won!" Lee shot back and the crowd had woken up at the announcement and laughter rippled through them.
"Harry's probably disappointed." Hermione mentioned sitting up and wiping at Serena's shoulder but there was nothing there.
"I don't know... I think he went easy on Cho. She is a cute girl after-all, and Harry knew that Gryffindor was still going to win even if he let her have it." Serena let out a tiny squeak, half in amusement and half trying to take back her words. "Not that Harry let her have it..."
Hermione laughed and held out a hand for Serena and she took it. "Oh, I don't think you're wrong. Harry does take it easier on girls. Although, I don't think he's still interested in her."
"No, I don't think so either." They watched Harry watch Cedric kiss his fellow female seeker in congratulations and good cheer. Harry looked amused and somewhat wistful even if she still made their team lose. Everyone was congratulating her for finishing the match, even Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw team was congratulating Gryffindor for winning and playing a good game. It was always a good run between them as they were evenly matched, with Harry being the only real ace on the field. The rest were great but not fantastic in their positions except maybe the youngest Weasley child.
Ginny dismounted her broom and came running up to Harry to give him a hug and he hugged her back, congratulating her for her ability out there. The girls caught up with them and gave Ginny a hug. She was part of the reason they won and gave Harry a hug too since he did not get the snitch and probably felt bad about that, good about winning and great about being such a good captain all at the same time?
He laughed, he really didn't feel that bad about the snitch and gave them a hug back. Then all four of them were scooped into a hug by two giant redheads. They just kept getting taller and taller and taller. Serena didn't know when they'd stop growing. After setting all four back onto their feet, Hermione slipped out to give Ron a giant hug and he spun her around, incredibly happy about his first game. He did a really good job too. Then all of those who had been in the earlier hug were hugging Ron and Hermione.
They were all in such a jubilant mood and they couldn't seem to stop hugging each other and letting out an occasional 'whoop!' of happiness. The remaining Weasleys at Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione and Serena spilled into the common room as one big mass that only then spread out and the entire Gryffindor house was there to help celebrate.
EAN: Some of what I've said about the school in Japan is true, and some of what I said is complete BS and I dare you to find out which is made up for the story and what is absolute fact and what is research which led me to many, many different answers and so I got to pick and choose from other people's made up facts.
EAN2: I didn't make Hotaru so meek, she's pretty reserved/quiet when she's not around Serena but she's not that sick and abused child either and so has lived a fairly regular life. Like I said, no Pharaoh 90 in this story.