Mystery of Minako Yui

Ch. 8

Disclaimer: I don't own them except for Minako Yui and quite possibly, since my creativity sometimes astounds even me, the plot itself. smile I'm just joking. I don't astound myself, just everyone else. smile

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Minako Yui was in a classroom, taking a Potions test during off-school hours. It had already been an hour and a couple of minutes before Professor Snape gave up.

Inwardly, Mina was laughing. Professor Snape had been tossing verbal questions about ingredients of certain potions and with all of them, she had answered correctly. She sometimes wondered if he was even asking her the questions that was for her year. For example, the potion for making its drinker hallucinate, creating a 'high' sensation, wouldn't be in the fifth year curriculum. In fact it shouldn't at all be taught in school, fearing the abuse of students. Minako knew of this however because in her old school, the first two years of school you concentrated on basically NOTHING but Potions and its very different uses. Professor Snape might have feinted at the thought because it was most likely that she herself was capable at teaching the class.

Minako watched as the Professor mumble to himself and stare moodily at the sheet of paper he had to sign, making her part of his advance potions class. She could see that he was looking forward to putting her down today but had the nasty surprise of underestimating the student. Now that Minako had a closer look at him, he looked quite young. A little bit on the oily side, but still, he could be quite a looker if he dared tried.

He looked up at her and gave her a dark stare. That same feeling that had befallen her earlier came back. It was like icy cold water had been splashed on her back unsuspectingly, letting all thoughts about his looks wash away. The war against good and evil that Mina saw still disturbed her. Mina felt sorry for him. It's not a good feeling, two sides of a coin fighting each other. Imagine putting a feisty cat and a passionate dog in a small pen, watch the chaos. If Mina took a guess to the reason this was so, she might have to leave school.

He was a deatheater.

If Mina stayed, the sole reason of hiding at Hogwart's was pointless. She was trying to get away from deatheaters. They were looking for her and her sister. She didn't know why but she knew that when they did find her, it wasn't going to be pretty. The fact that this teacher had yet to take her to his master or hadn't yet known about her importance for his cause, totally puzzled her. The fact that he had been constantly battling that evil side of him, puzzled her more still.

Mina watched him some more. There was definite resistance there and maybe, in time, he might be able to control it. Unfortunately, the alien mark that she was felt that was coming off him had some sort of psychic connection to him, and that was the really big part that worried her.

"Ms. Yui, you have now been transferred to my AP class. I hope that you don't disappoint me." He motioned for her to come up.

Mina got up and reached for the paper. Then she felt it. There, on his forearm. The alien mark. It had the same energy pattern as the people that had attacked her school. The same evil energy that had killed everyone she had known and come to love, the same essence, aura.

Instinctively, she roughly placed her palm on the area. She didn't know why she reached for it but an over-whelming panic had suddenly got a hold of her. Fear of capture got a hold of her.

"Ms. Yui! Take your hand off me! 50 points-"

"Be quiet. He's listening." Minako's voice was rough with emotion. She looked up straight into his eyes.

Snape was shocked as well as angry. How had she known? She had only been here a day and a few hours and she had known about his secret. The urge to kill Potter and his friends got stronger. He was about to deduct points from his own house for real this time when he was distracted.

Minako Yui had just pulled up the arm of his robe and placed her palm directly on the Mark. Searing pain that he had only felt once upon receiving the mark shot up through his body. He stared daggers at his student. What the hell was she doing? and why is he paralyzed to his seat?

"Ms. Yui! I demand an explanation." The guttural sound that came from his mouth was barely recognizable.

"Professor Snape, please, shut up."

Snape watched as Minako take her other hand and place it in her robe. She pulled out a white crystal-like pendant. It was glowing a bright white, nearly blinding, like looking directly at the sun. She wrapped her hand completely around it and started chanting. Snape looked up into his student's face and was scared shitless.

She was pale and her lips, it seemed, had taken a mind of its own and started to mumble incoherent words. Her eyes held a faraway look, and her hair flowed as if being combed by the wind. The word that came to Snape's mind was that she had become possessed.

Minako was lost. She had never encountered such a powerful evil. The scary part was it was only a fraction of the whole. Inside her mind, the light and the dark had their own battle. The counter-chants she had learned seemed to be working but her focus was off. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was trying to invade her.

Finally, she opened her palm that had griped the crystal tightly, and looked down. A thread of black swirled in the light. She had trapped it, if only for a while.

Snape looked down at his arm and almost cried out. It was gone. The mark that should have been on his arm forever to remind him of his more than imperfect past was gone. He touched the place where it used to be, just to see if it was real. Was he... free?

"It's not really gone, Professor Snape." She sounded tired, exhausted. Had Snape decided to kill her at that time, he would have encountered no resistance.

He closed his eyes. Disappointment coursing through him. He might as well known. No one could beat You-Know-Who. Mentally he kicked himself for having hope.

Finally getting control his emotions, he looked at his student. She was still pale and her eyes looked tired. Twice today, this student of his had done many odd things. She had somehow evaded curses without pulling out her own wand and had, even if briefly, taken away his mark. He prayed for the elements above that she had no prophecy attached to her like Potter, but again, he seriously doubted that his prayers would be answered.

For the first time in many years, he felt light. He would forever be in her debt, a Wizard's Debt, for letting him have even a little bit of peace.

Without the constant battle in his mind, he found it easier to be nice, less like an ass. He leaned back into his chair, and sat. He suddenly felt very tired, world-weary.

"Ms. Yui, have you any idea what you have done?"

"I believe that I have taken the Mark of a deatheater off you, sir." Sitting down hard on a chair, she looked straight at her teacher. She had a feeling that her attempt at blending in with the rest had suddenly been blown.

"What did you mean he was listening, Ms. Yui, and why did you panic?"

"Because, Professor, I believe that your former Master has a connection to your mind through that mark and I panicked because is looking for myself and my sister and I cannot have him find me."

"How did you get this notion?" Snape had not heard of any of this from the meetings he had attended.

"His newly initiated Deatheaters killed my teachers and my classmates in order to find my sister and myself, sir. I think that was a clear indication that he was looking for me." Minako said this quietly and clearly. She couldn't mourn them yet. He was yet to be defeated.

Snape looked at her, a look of apology in his eyes. She ignored it.

"Ms. Yui. Although I thank you for the big favor you have done for me, you have said that this isn't a permanent situation. When will it return?" He couldn't help but hear the fear in his voice when he said the last four words.

"Honestly, it doesn't have to return to you. I can keep it in the Crystal until I regain enough power to fight it and banish it. The only question is if you are willing to give it up." Minako knew that it was a silly question but she had read into his mind while she was trying to eradicate the mark from his body and soul.

He was an ex-deatheater and he was spying for the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore.

Minako didn't exactly know who this Voldemort character was, but she knew that he was the sole reason for her and her sister's situation, the reason they were in hiding. She hated it. She wanted this to be over, to grieve properly for those she lost, and then, somewhere in the future, get on with her life. But she knew, until this Voldermort is defeated, there was no way she was going to have that life.

"I believe we need to have a word with Professor Dumbledore. This situation is very unlikely. The curse of the Mark is supposedly too powerful for it to be taken off. I am somewhat surprised that you were able to do it. We will ask for an appointment with Dumbledore."Snape looked at her, afraid to ask, but he knew that he had to." Do you mind... keeping that thing with you? I really want to be free, if even for a little while."

Minako smiled. It wasn't a big deal, keeping the essence with her. It wasn't as powerful as it had been when it was feeding off her Professor's energy, but now, it was really nothing. But, to be safe, it was better to just keep it in a non magical container.

"If you want, I can transfer it to something of yours. It won't be in you, but it'll be trapped all the same." Spying a marble, she picked it up. " Would this do?"

Snape nodded. He watched as Yui grab the again glowing pendant and the marble in her other hand. The Faraway look was again in her eyes and garbled words spilled for from her mouth.

Opening her palm, she revealed the purple orb that was the marble. Fascinated, he picked it up. Cool to his hand, he didn't feel a thing. The dark inside was swirling and whirling, as if overexcited. It was enthralling, in a dark sort of way.

Dropping the marble into his robe-pocket, he looked up at Mina.

"Ms. Yui. You do know we will need to have a talk about your strange powers, as well as to the reason why you are here. I am deeply curious about your knowledge and your capabilities. But, if it's any assurance, this is the safest place you could possibly be from Voldemort. He fears Dumbledore, you know. And if you have any problems, you come and talk to me. I owe you one."

Somehow, something in Minako eased up. She still had her guard on but this assurance that she made the right choice in hiding made her feel so much better. And in some twisted way, Professor Snape filled in the fatherly figure that she had missed if forever. If only she could call her sister to her, then everything could be almost perfect.

"Thank You, Professor. For everything." She picked up the signed paper saying that she was in Advanced Potions. She walked up to the door, feeling better than ever since the whole thing started, and opened it. For the last time, as to asure herself that she was truly safe, she looked back at her Professor.

He had picked up the marble and was looking at it. An expression of relief on his face.

Smiling even more to herself, she walked out of the room.

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Minako closed the door behind her. She was smiling when she caught a familiar redhead sitting right across the wall from where she was standing. He had leaned his head back and closed his eyes. From this point, he looked older, more mature, as if in sleep he had deep thoughts troubling him.

Walking up to him, she said his name. He didn't wake and she said it even louder.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. His smile was goofy and sweet. Minako had never been charmed in her life.

"Took you long enough. So how was the test?" He had jumped off the wall and had stretched. He was taller than Mina. A lot taller. His hair was fingered-combed and his robes a little wrinkly but Mina couldn't help but feel a little frisson of attraction at the sight of the fabric stretch tight against his wide shoulders.

She knew that he fancied her in a romantic fashion and she did feel an attraction to him. But she couldn't get close to him. Not yet.

At the stairs, she didn't know what had happened. He had grabbed on to her, trying to protect her. She had instinctively held on to him. Once the stairs had become stable, they had jumped apart from each other but she felt a pull to get near him, just to touch him. She thought that it might have been adrenaline but somehow she began to think it was something else.

"Yeah. Look. I'm in his advanced Potions class. I passed his test." Ron smiled at her again. Shyly, she smiled back.

"Hey! That's great! Let's celebrate! I can introduce you to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. My best friends." Ron secretly waited for the outburst that usually occurred with the mention of Harry's name with dread. He watched her expression and didn't even see a flicker of acknowledgement at the name, just mild interest to know his friends. He tried again.

"You know, Harry Potter, he is the youngest seeker this school has ever had." Still no reaction. Unbeknownst to him, Minako had never heard of a Harry Potter or the legend that was attached to him.

"Oh. That's nice. What's a seeker?"

Ron almost tripped on his feet.

He stopped and stared at Minako. His mouth closed and opened, like a fish out of water. Mina just looked at him, question in her eyes.

Slowly, as if the question had never occurred in his mind, he spoke.

"You don't know... what a ... seeker... is?"

Looking down, Mina didn't know if she should feel really stupid or feel really stupid. Peeking up at him, she shifted her weight.

"Um. No." She gave him an uneasy smile.

Ron sighed and thought. Hermione Granger all over again.

"Come on. I guess there's a lot I have to teach you."

With Ron chatting up about his favorite subject and Minako listening truly with interest, they walked down the hallway, out of the dungeon, and into the light.

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"So when the seeker finds this snitch, the game ends and you add 150 points?" Minako asked.

"Yes!"

"But how about if the seeker doesn't find the snitch?"

"The game goes on until he does!" Ron was very proud of his student. She caught on quick. They had a problem earlier understanding the idea of bludgers and them flying at people's head, but after that, it was easy sailing.

"Oh. Sounds interesting. A little complicated since not even the referee knows all the fouls but still. Interesting." Minako was truly interested. She wouldn't mind being a chaser now that she thought of it.

"So when's tryouts for the Slytherin House?" The moment Minako asked it, she felt Ron flinched.

"Uh. I really don't know and to be honest I don't care, no offense to you, Mina."

"You really don't like us Slytherins do you?" She looked up at him, studying him.

"It's not that I don't like the house but a certain Malfoy git is what's making me like to burn it down."

Ron tried to find a way to stay away from the subject of Slytherins. For along time he had almost forgotten she was a Slytherin. She didn't seem it at all. She smiled a lot, didn't talk about Dark Arts and hexing anyone, and she wasn't annoying like Malfoy.

Ron seriously thought that she had been mis-sorted. Spying the doors to the Great Hall, he pointed it out.

"Hey, come on. I'll introduce you to my friends."

They half-jogged, half-walked to the entrance. Once they got there, they walked calmly.

Mina felt eyes on her from her table. She looked and found all of them look at her darkly. Several flicked their eyes at Ron. Their frown got even deeper. Sighing, she communicated another shield spell. This one more powerful, covered both herself and Ron, and stayed for quite awhile.

Giving her attention back to Ron, she looked at him. She found herself at the Gryffindor Table. A lot less evil stares but it was definitely present. She powered her smile up anyway. Many were done with breakfast and was there to just chat. The two people she found herself across of was looking at her curiously. Neither had the malevolent stare and both had smiles on their faces. Thanking someone up there for at least finding people who didn't hate her, she nodded at them.

"Hey, Mina, this is Harry Potter. Harry, Minako Yui." He got up and shook her hand. Harry waited for her eyes to flick to his forehead, where the scar was located. She didn't do it. Harry's smile got wider.

Ron noticed this too and smiled wider too, as if proud.

"This is Hermione Granger, Mina. Hermione, Minako." She too got up. She nodded and smile. She shook her hand and felt a warm feeling come over her. A little confused, she kept her smile.

Another one, Mina thought. Draco, now her. What does it mean?

"Would you like to sit with us?" Hermione asked.

"I would appreciate it. My house isn't very happy with me right now."

Harry turned around and studied the Slytherin table. They were whispering with each other and pointing fingers at the Gryffindor Table. He looked back at Minako and smiled at her a little sadly. It's never a nice thing to have your entire house against you.

"So what's happened since I've gone?" Ron asked. It's been almost two hours since he was back. There wasn't any classes so he expected the class to be outside. The fact that everyone was still here was a little surprised.

"Oh, Professor Dumbledore is going to make an announcement or something. It seems that we don't have a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher yet and so our schedules are going to be arranged differently." Hermione explained.

"How did you know all this?"

"I'm a prefect, silly."

"Right. I forgot."

Just then, A man with robes of several shades of blue stood on the podium. A twinkle in his eyes that reminded everyone of St. Nick and a beard to rival him.

"Good Morning, everyone. Or is that Afternoon? I am sorry for keeping you all here but I have a very special announcement to make. We will be having a change in schedule for everyone due to the fact that we have yet to find a suitable Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Until we do find one, all classes shall be lengthened to fill in the allotted time, " a groan was heard from all the students and suspecting some of the teachers," But do not worry. The moment we find a person in that department, we shall revert back to the regular time. Well, now, you may go have your fun. Good Day." With that Professor Dumbledore smiled, a twinkle in his eyes, and stepped off.

A big whoop could be heard across the room and everyone laughed. The hufflepuff blushed but smiled. Slowly, but surely, everyone got out to the Great Hall, heading for the Outside.

Before anyone went, Ron noticed something missing.

"Hey. Where's Ginny?"

Harry looked at Hermione, Hermione looked at Ron, and Ron looked everywhere else.

"Wasn't she with you Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. But she said to meet her here."

"She probably went to unpack and stuff."

"It's been two hours, Hermione." Ron said this as if taking that much time to unpack was unbelievable.

"She's a girl, Ron. When we say unpack, we mean we take out every article of clothing out of the trunk ,and anything else that is in the trunk for that matter, hang it and then organize. I'm not talking about taking out the clothes you plan on wearing tonight and tomorrow, like you do." Hermione walked faster, Minako right besides her.

"But two hours, Hermione?" Harry and Ron jogged behind them, still puzzled.

Hermione looked at Mina, and Mina looked back. They rolled their eyes.

"Boys." They said at the same time. Hermione was starting to like this one.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean." Ron stopped and cried out.

"Let's go, Ron." Harry said, sensing defeat against the female mind and followed.

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A/N: I didn't even answer the cliffie on ch. 7... sorry... this just got really long! forgive me? But hey! it's about 7 pages per chapter! They are long and are not that bad! don't get mad! rhymed!

Oh yeah. About Hermione being Prefect and how I didn't show the first years to their rooms... umm... yeah.. I made an eensy weensy mistake-y. SORRY! So... umm... trying to fix it. ok.

Hermione is a prefect and let's assume that she showed the first years to their rooms already even though its basically impossible from the way I wrote it. hey, it's fanfiction!

Oh yeah... Minako Yui = Mee-NAH-Koh YOU-eey (Sound it out really slow.... then REALLY FAST... then you gots it right! YAY!)

Oh yeah.... don't expect anything of Ginny from CH. 7.... very unexpected. Just a hint! ^-^ Toodles!