(By popular demand, here's Gohan!)
Ch. 5
Fighting crime,
Trying to save the world,
Here they come just in time.
-Okay, so it's for the Powerpuff Girls (which I love, BTW.) It applies to the Senshi, too! Hmmm, maybe I'll do a PWP crossover…
"Find anything?"
Touma frowned as he worked the keyboard. "I'm not sure, Mamoru-kun. There's something odd about a section of the United Kingdom, but it's vague. The computer knows something's there, but it's not sure what. Whatever this is, though," he turned to Mamoru, a serious and worried look in his blue eyes. "It isn't the Dark Kingdom. Not as we know it."
He sighed. "I wish I was there, knew what was going-" he cut himself off as a beautiful snowy white owl had sailed through the window. Touma frowned as he took the note. He patted the owl gratefully, who nipped his finger affectionately before setting itself on a roost that Touma had set up after it had become apparent that owls would be visiting.
"It seems that a person's been attacked," he said softly. He gave the note to Mamoru, who quickly scanned it. When he looked up, his blue eyes were dark with worry.
"Is there a way we can scan for this type of magical energy?"
"How?" Touma asked. "I'd need a sample."
The owl hooted suddenly and they both looked at it. The owl, which had been preening itself offered a feather now. Touma took it and sighed.
"It's worth a shot."
"I'm worried."
Mars sighed and ate her breakfast. She'd managed to stop Malfoy's barrage of questions about Chibimoon with those two words.
"Why?" he asked. "No one's been attacked in a week, so maybe the menace is gone. And Madam Pompfrey's been working on an antidote."
"We sent an owl off to the Samurai Troopers.." she said softly. "She still hasn't returned."
Malfoy shrugged. "And? Owls take their time. Oh!" he said, remembering something. "Don't forget the Quidditch trials are this afternoon. You will be trying out, won't you?"
"Of course," Mars said, smiling. Malfoy hadn't been so bad to her since she'd been sorted into his house. As a matter of fact, he'd even been sort of friendly. "I'll go, even if it's only to see Sailormoon make a complete fool out of herself."
She opened her mouth to describe Sailormoon's equilibrium in her usual life when she saw a white owl flutter to the Gryffindor table. She leapt up from her table and joined the other Senshi, Harry, Hermione and Ron as they all clustered by the stairwell.
"What does it say?" Hermione asked anxiously. Mercury scanned the note and smiled.
"They were able to get a lock on the source of power that's actually selecting hosts and draining them. It's been moving slowly, but it's starting to pick up the pace…" she trailed off as she continued reading. "It's centred above Hogwarts. There's nothing we can do, though, until it attacks again. Touma wants us to send an owl to him so he can notify us when it's active."
"We'll send Pig," Ron said immediately. "Let him annoy someone else for awhile."
"There are notes in here from the guys, too. Usagi, Mamoru-san says he's saving all the new issues of Sailor V for you when you return. Chibiusa, Gohan says he's willing to help any way he can. Rei, Ryo wants to know where you hid his present, he says he can't take it anymore. Makoto, Shin says he's got a surprise for you when you come back."
"What's yours say, Ami-chan?" Mercury flushed.
"That's private," she said. All the other senshi smirked.
"Well, we can't stand out here forever," Mars said. "We've got to set up a system of letting the other Senshi know when someone's been drained. And I think we ought to go to Professor Dumbledore with what we know. But in the mean time, I believe that we all have classes?"
Sailormoon nodded. "We've got to go to flying."
Mars grinned. "I heard about the broom thing, by the way. Would you like us to place a trampoline under you?"
"I can always hold out a sheet," Jupiter offered teasingly. Mercury smiled.
"As long as I've got someone around me, I should be fine," she said. Sailorchibimoon smiled.
"We've got a class to go to!"
Sailormoon stopped by the dormitory. She had had to wait for the Fat Lady to come back from a visit. Then she fumbled for a minute for the password ("Oh! Fairybell!") before racing in to change. She was sweaty from the flying. She set her Firebolt by her bedside and stripped off her robes and untransformed. She stepped into the shower and sighed as the hot water hit her body. She was going to Quidditch trials in a half of hour, and she wanted to be clean. She knew the other senshi would be there, and a few would be trying out. She wasn't going to, but Harry had pointed out that she seemed to have a natural talent for flying, as he had had, and it had led to his being the youngest Seeker in a century. She was determined to have a go.
Transforming again and pulling on a fresh set of robes, she headed out to the Quidditch field.
As she had thought, all the others were there and five others-Jupiter, Uranus, Mars, Chibimoon and Venus-were carrying their brooms. She smiled.
"Gambatte," she said to everyone. Mars smirked.
"Only those with no talent need luck. But Gambatte to you, Usagi-chan," Mars had responded, much to Sailormoon's vexation. Sailors Mercury and Venus had had to hold her arms to keep her from launching a barrage of curses and attacks at her.
Madam Hooch blasted on her whistle.
"Okay! We will now try out for the most coveted role of Seeker. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw both need new Seekers and Slytherin needs a reserve. Will those trying out for the position please kick off."
Mars grinned. "Watch me fly." And she kicked off. Madam Hooch released the Snitch in turn for each student and timed them. Sailormars hadn't been too bad-four minutes.
"Next, we will try for the position of Keeper."
"That's a position you can play for Gryffindor," Harry whispered in her ear. "We don't have one since our last one left Hogwarts.."
Sailormoon nodded and kicked off. Madam Hooch had players throw the Quaffle for the goalposts for each student. First they tried Hufflepuff. Jupiter made about half of hers. Uranus made a quarter. She smiled as she landed.
"Guess I won't be playing that position."
"Next Gryffindor."
"Good luck!" Harry said as Sailormoon kicked off. She closed her eyes and calmed herself before giving Madam Hooch the go-ahead. The Quaffles started coming at her fast and furious. One to her left! She quickly moved to block it. To her right! That one was easy. So it continued, Sailormoon so engrossed in her role as Keeper that she didn't notice that the crowd below her was gasping in surprise and awe. Harry glanced at Angela Bell, the team captain, who grinned.
"We've got our new Keeper."
"Next," Madam Hooch said after Sailormoon had been appointed. "Is the position of Beater. Hufflepuff needs two new beaters, as does Gryffindor and Slytherin needs a reserve."
Jupiter and Uranus glanced at each other and shrugged.
"Might as well, right?" Jupiter asked. The two kicked off and began, at Madam Hooch's whistle, to attack the Bludgers. Mercury whistled.
"I don't know much about Quidditch, but they're good."
"They're very good," Hermione confirmed. "We'll have someone to look out for on the pitch during our Hufflepuff games."
Colin Creevy began taking pictures of the Senshi on their brooms. As Mercury watched the young photographer, he froze suddenly. His eyes went wide and he paled. She glanced at the wand tucked in his robes and gasped. It was turning to stone!
"Rei-chan!" she yelled. Rei looked at the young Gryffindor and gasped too. The other students were just beginning to notice him as his eyes filled with an iridescent blue light and, still staring, he began to tip backwards. Mercury caught him and shook him. No avail, he had been drained.
Madam Hooch quickly directed all off of the Quidditch pitch and into their various commonrooms. Sailormoon immediately stepped back out of the portrait hole.
"We've got to go to Dumbledore. We'll be back," she had told the other frightened Gryffindors. She reached the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office and saw everyone else had already arrived.
"We've been trying to get into the office," Mars said. "But we can't figure out the password."
"We've tried Cockroach Clusters, Lemondrop, and Butterbeer. " Mercury added dejectedly. Sailormoon thought.
"Have you tried Fizzing Whizzbee?" she suggested.
At this the stone gargoyle sprang to life and jumped aside, revealing a spiral staircase. Jupiter shrugged. "I think that's the password."
The Senshi ascended the staircase, casting worried glances at each other.
"What if Dumbledore thinks we drew the enemy here?" Sailorchibimoon asked softly. Mercury sighed.
"Tou-chan's got proof that it was here long before we were. It's increased activity may have something to do with us or may simply be a coincidence."
"Do you think he'll believe us?" Sailormars asked.
"He has no reason not to," Uranus said, her voice serious. "As all the students know we'd never hurt anyone and that we have been investigating."
She looked up at the big wooden door they'd arrived at. Seeing the nearly petrified faces on the inners' faces, she raised her hand to knock. The door opened before she could. Dumbledore was looking unusually grave as he sat behind his desk. He looked up and nodded for them to come in.
"So," he said softly. "A second student has been drained. How long," he continued. "Before you can determine what this is?"
Sailormoon blinked. He was asking them?
"The Samurai Troopers are working on it as we speak, Professor," she said softly.
"Rest assured, if the Sailor Senshi must act on this, we will."
Dumbledore smiled. "I trust you, Sailor Senshi. I'll leave it to you for now. May I add," he said, as they turned to leave. "That you all had better hurry, especially the Gryffindors, as you all have classes in a few minutes."
Touma frowned. "Another one's been hit. I don't like this…" he murmured. Shin sighed.
"What can we do? One of the girls may be targeted next!"
Touma looked around at his fellow troopers, Rajura and Mamoru. He reached over and picked up his armour orb and grins began to spread out across the faces of the men.
"I think it's time we gave them a helping hand."
"Perhaps," Rajura said softly. "But I think there's someone else who may wish to help."
She laughed. Another bit of energy was hers. And soon, with all the suitable energy this area was putting out, she'd have them all.
She was especially eager to meet those known as the Sailor Senshi. They were supposed to be filled with energy. All the more for her.
Chibimoon was stretched out on the lawn staring up at the sky. She was turning a lot of things over and over in her mind. What was this enemy? How were they going to defeat it? What was Gohan-chan doing right now? She sat up, flushed. Where had that thought come from? Gohan kept popping up in her mind lately, and she wasn't entirely sure why. Oh, yeah, she liked him okay. But, it was nothing like any of the Senshi's relationships with the troopers. They were just friends. Weren't they?
She gasped as a shadow fell over her. She whipped out her wand ready to hurl the person back when she saw the pale eyes, the blond hair. Gasping, she whirled on Draco Malfoy.
"What were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that?" she demanded. Malfoy flushed.
"I'm sorry, Chibimoon," he said. He was flushing quite hard. Looking around, he brought a bouquet of red roses from behind his back. "I thought you might like these. They match your eyes…"
Chibimoon flushed. Well, this was interesting! She stood and took the roses.
"Thanks you," she said softly. She smiled at Draco, who smiled back.
"You don't see me for a few weeks and already you're looking for someone else??" a voice rang out behind her. She turned and gasped, this time in delight.
"Gohan-chan!!" she yelled, dropping the roses and running to him. The two embraced before Gohan threw Malfoy a quick, dangerous look and gave Chibimoon a very affectionate one.
"What are you doing here??" Chibimoon asked. Gohan sighed.
"There's trouble here." It wasn't a question. Chibimoon nodded.
"Yes, there is, but how did you know to come here?"
"The guys are staying in Diagon Alley now," he said. "They asked me to come along and knowing you were in danger, how could I not?"
Chibimoon flushed even harder and smiled. "I'm glad you're here. But you've got to come see the Professor!"
She dragged Gohan past a stunned Malfoy, who was recovering from his shock and picking up the roses. Malfoy cast a very evil look at Gohan's back. He'd had her! And this guy comes along and ruins it, at the moment she was his!! He was going to pay.