A/N: Yay!!! Positive feedback leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside!!! And I wasn't too sure about the 'miko' plural issue ^_^;;; I spent a lot of time debating in my head whether to add the 's' or not... I had a 50/50 chance and I blew it T_T Oh well, maybe Dumbledore just isn't all wise and knowing about the Japanese language (like me! u.u;;;) And there will be something happening on the New Moon with Inuyasha, don't worry! (*hint hint*) There'll be some hints here and there in the next chapter, I think. Shippou will be introduced in the next chapter too!!! Boy howdy!!!

Inuyasha/Harry Potter don't belong to me!!! (betcha couldn't have guessed that one!!!) I did by a Kenshin DVD today, though... Soujiro is so cute and little and crazy!!! Heehee! XD

Chapter 4: It Slices, It Dices, It Makes Julienne Fries! Enter Shikon no Tama.



A stray beam of sunlight drifted lazily across the boys' dormitory, finally resting upon the face of the sole girl in the room. Kagome in response mumbled and snuggled deeper into the sheets, pulling the fluffy comforter over her head. Sighing contentedly she began to drift back to sleep, curling into a tight ball. However, at the precise moment when she was teetering between reality and the sweet realm of dreams, a lark outside of the window decided to welcome the morn by singing a harsh tune. She reluctantly pulled down the sheets from over her head and glared at the offending bird perched innocently outside the window. Mumbling a variety of curses and still glaring at the creature singing happily on the other side of the glass, Kagome stretched and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and wearily looked about the room, gazing longingly at the rest of the occupants, the boys still sleeping and wrapped tightly in their sheets. She let her eyes fall upon the boy sleeping under the window across from her, black hair clashing against the bright sun at his back. Wait a minute...

"Gaaah!" Kagome jumped out of the bed as if it had suddenly burnt her, tripping over the sheets hanging over the mattress in her hurry. She landed very ungracefully on the ground still tangled in the fabric. She waited to see if any of the boys had woken up, and after a moment of awkward silence, continued to mutter to herself. "That idiot let me fall asleep and put me back in his bed...! Stupid considerate jerk..." She glared daggers at Inuyasha from her upside down and uncomfortable position on the floor. Kagome untangled herself from the sheets and dragged them over as she stomped towards the window and sleeping boy. She stood there silently for a moment, studying his peaceful face. Her anger ebbing away, she draped the sheets over him lightly, scrambling back to the bed and grabbing a pillow to put behind his head. "I told him I wouldn't leave until he had fallen asleep..."

Kagome yawned and walked out of the room, trying to shut the door as silently as possible. She descended the minute staircase and began to look for the room for the Gryffindor fifth year girls, darting up and down several stairs before she found the right one. Her strategy consisted of sticking her head in random doors and looking for a bed with Hermione's bushy hair protruding from the pillow. Once inside she looked around and saw one empty bed, already neatly made with crimson colored sheets. At the foot of it was a large and worn trunk, the name 'Higurashi' on the golden lock. Kagome pulled out her wand from her robes and tapped the lock, the top of the trunk slowly creaking open.

"Ick! I have blood all over these robes... I'll have to clean these later... For now, though..." She drew a new set of clothes from her trunk, pulling off the dirty clothes and hastily stuffing them in the trunk. She shut the trunk with a soft thud and turned to look over her shoulder to see the other girls in the room begin to wake.

"Mmm...Kagome? Is dat you?" Hermione rolled onto her stomach and looked at the girl sitting across from her. The pillow muffled her speech and her eyes drooped from her extra effort of trying to focus on the figure. "You..." She stifled a yawn. "...okay?"

"Yup! Never been better! I'm so excited about classes starting today!" Kagome tapped the lock of her trunk again, and satisfied with the faint click, stood up and adjusted the new robes.

"Nice to hear..." Hermione closed her eyes, giving in to her tired body. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she jumped out of bed, rousing every girl in the room with her loud rambling. "Classes??? I almost forgot!!! Oh dear, oh dear!!! I'm going to be late to breakfast! I normally wake up right on time, natural alarm clock really... Classes!!!"

"Oh, not again..." A girl with her brown hair pulled into a braid sat up, lifting the pillow from over her head and slowly shuffled out of bed. "She does this every year... Thinks she's going to be late at least once a week and still manages to be the first to leave the common room every morning... sheesh..."

Kagome sidled out of the room, trying to get away from the frantic Hermione as quickly yet politely as possible. "Well, I think I'll be going down to breakfast now... I'll see all you girls later, then..." She rushed for the door as the rest of the girls began to wake up, barely noticing the new girl in their dormitory. She walked into the common room and sat down heavily into an overly stuffed armchair. A small pounding had begun in her head again, but she ignored it as she pulled out her wand. Kagome said a few words and tapped her head, the mass of tangled ebony hair suddenly smooth and shining. A rumbling from her stomach reminded her she hadn't had anything to eat since the train ride to Hogwarts and was standing up and stretching before she realized she didn't know the way to Great Hall. Kagome sat down moodily in the chair again, watching as a few other older students emerged from their rooms. Not wanting to get the reputation as a delicious centipede snack and a creepy stalker, she decided not to follow them out of Gryffindor tower.

"I can't wait for some breakfast. A piece of toast with raspberry jam sounds splendid right about now, eh Harry?"

"I'm not actually all that hungry, Ron. I'm surprised you are after all you ate last night... Kagome! Feeling better?" Harry and Ron walked down the stairs into the common room, Kagome standing and greeting them.

"Much better, thanks." She rubbed away at the incessant pounding in her skull. "Do you know how to get to breakfast? I missed dinner last night and..."

"Come on, come on! We're going to be late to breakfast! This way, this way!" Hermione was walking briskly into the common room, dragging her fingers through her bushy hair, and was already at the portrait hole waving for them to hurry. "Are you hungry or not?" She swung the painting outward and jumped down onto the stone floor of the corridor. Ron, Harry, and Kagome soon followed, having to jog after Hermione to keep up. She stopped in front of a pair of thick wooden doors, which swung in to allow them to pass. The Great Hall was large, a total of five long tables in the room, candles hovering above them. The ceiling was currently displaying a bright blue sky, puffy white clouds marring the clear blue surface. Kagome looked around in awe as they led her to a long table on the far left of the room.

"Want some eggs, Kagome?" Harry nudged a golden plate in the girl's direction, who was stunned at the amounts of food piled on the table.

"Uh...sure. Thank you." She grabbed a little bit of this and that from every plate, nearly spilling a pitcher of orange juice as she reached for a warm biscuit on the other side of the table. As she was happily munching away on a piece of toast, a paper was shoved under her nose. "What's this?" Kagome took another bite of the toast, wiping the red jam from her lips, as she looked over the paper with her free hand.

"Class schedule. Oh bloody hell... We have Potions with the Slytherins first." Ron looked at the paper unhappily as he prodded a half-eaten piece of bacon on his plate.

"What's wrong with Potions? You just have to follow the instructions and put in the right ingredients..." Kagome looked around the enormous room again, sucking extra jam off of her fingers. "Have any of you seen Inuyasha? I didn't see him come in yet... He's not going to be late to class on his first day, is he?"

"Potions is horrible! Snape, the teacher, hates everyone but the Slytherins. Creepy bloke, wouldn't want to get on his bad side. Of course, we always are, right Harry?" Ron looked up from poking his bacon, which now resided in a puddle of maple syrup, and looked around the Great Hall with Kagome. "Inuyasha? That kid with the long hair? Is he in Gryffindor?"

"Yeah, Sorting Hat put him and Kagome into our house last night. When I woke up he wasn't in the room, but a pile of sheets was against the wall where I saw him last. Weird guy, didn't want to sleep...Ah! There he is!" Harry pointed at the far end of the Gryffindor table. Inuyasha was sitting all alone at the very edge of the wooden table, balancing his plate on the tip of the tablecloth as he stared ahead of him with a scowl on his face.

"Really! He's the least social--" Kagome was starting a rant about the long haired boy when a bell interrupted her, irritating her further. She got up with the other Gryffindors and followed a small cluster of them down a spiraling stone staircase. It got harder to breathe, and the air became thicker and more rank with every step. The pounding in Kagome's head escalated at an alarming rate as she stepped into the dimly lit and dank dungeon. She sat down at the first available table, mentally willing her head to stop from hurting. She began to rub her temples and twisted a lock of her hair to apply pressure to the hammering in her skull.

"Oi. What the hell is wrong with you?"

She had sat down next to Inuyasha. Oh joy. The perfect combination: a splitting headache and an arrogant jerk to help her ease the pain. The dull stepping of someone coming down the stone stairway echoed in the dark dungeon. A man in pitch-black robes entered, a sneer upon his face. His greasy black hair glistened in the dim light of the dungeon. His eyes however provided no light, warmth, or compassion. They were empty of any emotion, dull and lifeless. This must have been Professor Snape.

"Welcome to your fifth year at Hogwarts. I'm surprised most of you made it this far. If it had been up to me, some of wouldn't have made it past your first year." He continued to drone on, giving disgusted glances to the Gryffindor side of the room frequently. Snape then, after his encouraging speech, called out roll, pausing on Kagome's name. "Higurashi, Kagome." She raised her hand weakly, not noticing the venomous glare he was giving her. "I knew a man named Higurashi back in my days at Hogwarts. A year ahead of my class. Despicable man, really." Kagome's head jerked up, temporarily forgetting the migraine pounding in her skull. She was about to ask him further, but the headache returned full force, pushing any other thoughts from her mind. Snape continued with the roll, pausing on a few other names and telling them how horrible their relatives were.

"Excuse me, Professor? Do you..." Kagome couldn't take the pounding in her head any longer, having to grind her teeth together to keep from screaming in pain. "Do you think..." She clutched her head more tightly. "...it would be alright if I went to the nurse?" She nearly spat out the last part, continuing to grind her teeth, sweat beginning to bead on her brow.

"Can't take criticism of your old man, Miss Higurashi? Sit back and pay attention." He pulled a large leather bound book from the top of a large wooden desk in the front of the room. "Now class, turn to page 22 of your-- "

"Professor, I really...really need..." Kagome gripped the heavy table, fingernails making grooves in the thick wood. Sweat dripped down her cheeks, collecting at the tip of her chin.

"Your father always wanted to be the center of attention, too, Higurashi. Now quit acting and open your book! If your potion isn't perfect because of this nonsense I am going to--" Kagome, however, didn't hear his threat. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her hair clung to her damp face. She was falling heavily towards the stone floor when Inuyasha dived over her chair and caught her. He swung her limp form into his arms, her pale skin standing out against his black hair almost eerily. Inuyasha then proceeded to walk out of the dungeon, his bundle whimpering pitifully in his arms, but stopped as he passed Snape's desk.

"Bastard."

The dungeon resounded with the heavy steps of the boy as he climbed the staircase and headed towards the infirmary.

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Kagome opened her eyes to see white all around her, the brightness of it all pressing against her already groggy head. Oh, not this place again. She was pressing her luck, having survived the first time and waking up here. Just the next day, she was in the white room again, still not quite awake and not sure if she was alive or not.

"Unn... I'm not in heaven this time, am I?" Her thoughts were coming to her and sorting themselves out slowly in her head. As soon as she had said it, she regretted her words. 'Yes, you died of a headache, Kagome. Nice thinking.' The girl was feeling strangely aggravated and sarcastic, but was glad that the pounding in her skull had finally stopped.

"No, Miss Higurashi, I'm afraid you're in the care of our nurse again." Dumbledore was leaning over her, his crooked nose barely inches from her face. "Poppy, I think your patient is back among the conscious. Your medicine seems to have done the trick!" He stood up straight, towering over Kagome, who was lying uncomfortably in the stiff infirmary bed again.

"How did I...?" Thinking made her head feel light and dizzy, so she closed her eyes tightly to fight off the sudden wave of nausea. She suddenly became aware of how the white sheets of the bed scratched her burning skin. Kagome pulled the sheets down, kicking them to the end of the bed as she still clutched her eyes shut.

"I would hope my medicine worked, Professor! That potion would have even made a giant like Hagrid have a nice and dreamless sleep! But are you sure this is going to work...?" The nurse hustled over, wringing her hands worriedly as she looked at Dumbledore with a sense of doubt.

"I hope so, Poppy. Yet, I also hope not. We will have to see. Kagome? To your question earlier, your friend Inuyasha carried you here from Potions class. I will have to, ah, explain certain things to Professor Snape again. But that will have to wait until later. For right now..." Dumbledore pulled the rose colored jewel from his inner robes. Only this time it was suspended on a long thin golden chain. "...we have other matters to attend to." The jewel still glowed faintly in the bright light.

"This 'Shikon no Tama' as the centipede youkai called it... was believed to be a magical jewel from long ago, lost in the passages of time. Myths are the only facts we have to describe its properties now, these found in our own library on campus. It seems this jewel that was found in your body, Kagome, has the ability to provide an immense power to whoever possesses it. Good and evil can come from it, depending on the holder. However, even when it is in the hands of the good and being purified, in the hands of the corrupt it can give the side of evil enough power for mass destruction." The orb glowed innocently in his hand, small enough to fit in his palm. "But as I said, this is all found from myths, fact and fiction merged into one."

"So this is why that thing...attacked me?" Kagome opened one eye to stare at the jewel and let the information sink in. "But why was it...?"

"In you? Destiny, fate, pure coincidence. It's not known and may never be. But you, Kagome, if it is meant for you to have this..." Dumbledore placed the jewel in her hand, wrapping her fingers around it and muting the rosy glow. "...you may play a great role in the history of the magical world." He stepped away from the bed and began to pace around the room. "I do believe it has a significance and power, though, even if it is not key to our future. In the short time I had it with me I felt an urge to use it and was barely able to resist its power."

This didn't make any sense. If it was so important then why was it being given to a teenage girl? Much less a seemingly accident-prone teenage girl. The confusion must have shown on Kagome's face, because Dumbledore continued to elaborate on his decision.

"The symptoms you have been experiencing, Kagome, could be described as withdrawal. That jewel was inside of you so long and to suddenly be taken out must have had an effect on you somehow. After learning its magical abilities, I would be surprised if it had not. I am giving it to you so that you will be able to, most importantly, function normally and to also develop your miko powers. The power of the Shikon no Tama in your care can just be depended upon for excess energy and spiritual power until you have fully matured, mentally and physically, and are able to rely on your own powers."

"...Eh?" Kagome stared blankly at him and then at the jewel. "So basically... This thing is really powerful, it would be very bad in the hands of evil people, and I'm dependent on the thing, both physically and magically." Her head was much less groggy, but this still confused her.

"Basically." Dumbledore smiled at her, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses, and helped her out of the bed. Kagome draped the chain around her neck and stuck the jewel beneath her robes, giving it suspicious glances as she slipped her shoes back on.

"And, Kagome..." Dumbledore held the door open for her as the girl clumsily walked towards the steep staircase. "Be careful. Protect it, but protect yourself above anything else." The wizard shut the door softly behind her, and she pulled the jewel out along its chain from under her robes to stare at it.

"What's that?"

Kagome nearly fell down the stairs, but Inuyasha nimbly grabbed her hand and pulled her up straight. She stuck close to the wall going down, avoiding the boy's gaze as she shuffled down the stairs.

"Nothing. What are you doing here anyways?"

"Keh. I just didn't want to go back to that stinking dungeon. That Snape guy really gets on my nerves..." They reached the bottom of the stairs and were walking slowly down the corridors to the Great Hall, it being nearly lunch. The bell signaled the end of the morning class and students began pouring from the classrooms, all chattering happily and laughing.

"Inuya--" Kagome turned around and he wasn't there, lost in the mob of hungry kids. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were bounding down the halls, spotting Kagome in the quickly moving crowd.

"Kagome! Kagome!!! Are you okay???" Kagome turned around at the sound of Harry's voice, pressing herself against a suit of armor to escape the pushing of the students in the Great Hall.

"I'm fine, fine! Really!" She stuffed the jewel back down the front of her robes, not sure if she should tell them about it yet. Later would be better. Definitely later.

"Snape nearly had a fit when Inuyasha grabbed you and called him a--"

"Ron!!! Watch your language! But, Kagome, are you sure you're all right? After what happened to you last night and all--"

"Really!!! I'm fine! Nothing to worry about!" She patted the jewel around her neck again. "Let's just get some lunch, okay?" She dragged them into the Great Hall, the tempting aromas urging them forward. They sat down quickly, each grabbing an empty golden plate and piling food on in great heaps.

"Ah, there are no rolls left! Ron..." Harry looked from the empty plate to his best friend, who was hastily swallowing chunks of bread and hiding the remaining rolls from view. "Thanks for saving us some, buddy." Ron gave a startled outcry, muffled from the bread in his mouth. "Fine... I'll just go see if anyone has any extra. But you're not getting any, got that?" Harry left the table and began roaming the Great Hall in search of some extra rolls, starting at the top of the Gryffindor table. Kagome watched him get up and then Ron as he stuffed the rest of the bread in his mouth, quickly spreading butter before he bit into them. After finishing the last roll, he looked up and was finally able to talk.

"See! You've got no evidence! Take that!!!"

"Ron... sometimes I don't understand you..."

"Neither do I, miss, neither do I. Is this a friend of yours, Kagome?"

Kagome looked at the seat Harry was previously occupying and saw a boy with his hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He was wearing a smirk and leaning his chin on his right hand.

"Gah! Miroku! What a...pleasant surprise!" Kagome forced a smile and gave a nervous laugh. Ron and Hermione gave her curious glances to which she mouthed 'Don't ask!' behind her hand. They then looked at Miroku suspiciously, not having seen him before.

"If only our last encounter had been as pleasant, my brave heroin!" Miroku grasped her hands in his and pressed them to his chest, not seeing the horrified look Kagome was giving him. "The courage you displayed, the absolute--"

"Ahem."

Harry was back, carrying a plate of rolls in one hand, his other on his hip. He looked down to the smirk on Miroku's face, to the grimace on Kagome's, and then to the blank looks Ron and Hermione were giving him. He sat down heavily between Miroku and Kagome, the boy being forced to let go of Kagome's hands.

"Care for a roll, Kagome?" Harry passed her the bread, giving a thin lipped smile.

"Th-thanks..." Kagome took the roll and bit into it without spreading butter over it.

"Ah, pardon me!" Miroku looked at Harry and rubbed a hand behind his head. His earrings jangled as he shook from a small chuckle. "I didn't see that she was already spoken for. Your apologies, sir..." He stood up and waved at the two, who gave him blank looks back.

"Miiiirooookuuuuu~!!!" The loud bellow reverberated through the walls of the Great Hall, startling many students and making others spill their drinks over the tablecloths.

"It seems I have a prior engagement. If you'll excuse me!" Miroku quickly walked out of the Great Hall, barely missing the goblet thrown at his head by an irate girl following him.

"Miroku, yoooouuu...."

"Sango, maybe we can talk this out rationally--"

"You...you...LECHER!!!"

The doors shut behind the two, muffling out any other sounds from the corridor, except an occasional crash of armor and scream.

The bell rang and the Gryffindor fifth years went to Charms, passing the mangled form of Miroku on their way out of the Great Hall. Kagome's headache was gone and she felt perfectly fine, the class going off without a hitch. She followed the class then through many twisted hallways to Transfiguration, taught by Professor McGonagall. They learned a usual spell that changed objects into different objects of the same type. The concept confused the class except when Hermione demonstrated and turned a needle into a pin. Some other transformations included string into yarn, a sock into a glove, and a piece of charcoal into a crude pencil.

The bell rang for the end of class and the students again poured into the halls for dinner. Kagome walked with Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of the class and into the Great Hall and was about to sit down when she spotted Inuyasha sitting alone at the end of the table again.

"Save me seat, 'kay? I'll be right back!" She made her way to the end of the table, not getting Inuyasha's attention until she sat directly in front of him.

"Eh? What do you want?" He looked at her from under his black bangs, taking his chin off of his palm.

"I never got to thank you for earlier. You carried me all the way to the infirmary and even defended my honor!" Kagome smiled at him and leaned further against the table to try to see his eyes from under his bangs.

"I already told you I just wanted to skip Potions, idiot. Now how did I defend your honor?"

"By calling him a certain name, of course! By doing that you willingly defended my honor, like it or not, Inuyasha." She sat back and crossed her hands over her chest, nodding for emphasis.

"Believe what you want, Kagome. But just forget it."

"Oh, really now!!! You could at least humor me some or..." She paused, drawing her hands up to her mouth where a small smile had begun to spread across her features.

"W-what? What'd I do?" Inuyasha backed away from her, suddenly scared, frightened of the smile that lit up her face.

"You called me by my name for the first time, Inuyasha!" She continued smiling, practically beaming and not noticing the food suddenly appearing on the golden plates before her.

"You get happy when someone says your name, idiot? Girls really are--"

"Kagome!!! The food's here!!! Ron's going to eat your share if you don't hurry up!!!"

"I certainly hope he won't! You have been eating an awful lot, though, Ron. And Harry, it's rude to scream down the table!"

"Oh Hermione, lighten up. And I'm not some type of pig, really now!!! I'm going to eat your share of the food just for that, Harry!!!"

Kagome looked up the table and waved to them motioning she'd be there in a second before turning back to Inuyasha.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Inuyasha! And try to remember my name in that short period of time, got it?" She giggled and got up, waving at him, and hurried to the other end of the table. Inuyasha just watched as she went, not knowing how to react. Finally words reached his lips as he watched her sit back down with her friends.

"Kagome..."



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A/N: Wooowheee!!! Another long chapter @_@ I was getting really tired halfway through it and tried to finish it up kinda quickly. I didn't know it was going to be this long though! ^_^;;; Did I make any more mistakes, proofreading is for people who have the patience and aren't nearly asleep at the keyboard =P Keep on reviewing and I'll write earlier tomorrow so I won't rush it as much... ~.~

Next Chapter!!! Shippou introduced!!! Not quite sure how but I'll figure it out! I've been doing OK so far ^_^;;; And Malfoy makes a scene!!! Hints on the New Moon and our hanyou now human and magical friend!!! Some other stuff too... I think. See you then, and review and become official samurai pirates!!! :D (I'm not even sure what that is to tell the truth... but you gotta love it!!!)