Chapter twelve: Midnight Adventure

Professor Snape had been the first one to arrive, and he found a startling scene, in the Slytherin first year girl's room.

Racing up the steps, he found himself standing over a body. At first glance, he would have believed her dead. But when he looked closer, he found her chest rise and fall in a steady pattern.

His black eyes scanned the room assessing the area for potential danger. An open gift sat on an unmade bed. Blood splattered the walls, and floors.

Swooping down, Snape pressed a finger to the girl's neck, and found her pulse steady. A frown appeared on his already worried face, as he noted the mutilated rat upon the girl's chest. Scratches marred her cheek, three needles embedded in her skin.

He took in her appearance with a sweep of his eyes. She was still dressed in her nightwear, a pink cotton nightgown. It had been hiked up to her thighs, from what he assumed was a struggle. Blood was already drying in the soft gown, and in her hair.

He looked up, when pounding feet resounded behind him. Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared. The old woman gasped, clutching a shaky hand to her chest. "We heard a scream. We thought another had been taken." Her dark old eyes fell upon the girl he was crouched near. "Oh dear. Are we too late?"

Dumbledore moved across the room, his long robes billowed about him. "What happened?" He knelt down, touching a hand to the girl's forehead.

Snape nodded at the open present. "Someone sent her a nice little gift. I'm assuming when she opened it, she received this." He pointed at the dead rat.

McGonagall shook her head, "I'll go get Madam Pomfrey." She turned, and left taking the stairs quickly in search of the nurse.

Dumbledore pressed a finger gently against her pulse. "She's drawing a fever. Check those needles, I believe they might have been poisoned."

Snape carefully extracted the needles, and inspected in the light from the window. Unbeknownst to them, heels clicked heavily against the staircase. "It appears so. Whoever gave her this, wanted her,"

"Dead."

Both men looked up, startled by the third voice. "Pluto?" The woman dressed in the odd uniform nodded jadedly. "Yes."

Dumbledore shook his head, staring down at the blonde, "Who, who could have done this?" His eyes lifted to the box. "How could such a box get through our barriers?" Eyes filled with great sorrow, the aged man looked deeply troubled.

Pluto stepped forward, "It would be the same person, who has taken the girls. The same person, all of you fear, and wish not to speak his name."

Snape's head snapped to attention, "Voldemort? But how? How could he be in Hogwarts?" Pluto's eyes dropped to the body lying almost lifeless on the floor. "How did he get into Hogwarts before? Is that not, the rat who once went by the name Scabbers. The animagus, who goes by the name Peter Pettigrew?"

Snape looked down, studying the mangled rat, "It is, it is Peter. But how?" Pluto scoffed, "It seems you underestimate your enemy. He is not easily pleased."

She waved a hand to the room, "This is done by the work, of the man who you all fear, who kidnapped those girls, came here wanting the Sorcerers stone, and wants Harry Potter dead." She paused, her eyes softening.

"But is seems this time, he has not come for the boy, but for her."

Dumbledore seemed to age before their eyes. "Why? How is this girl so significant, that Voldemort is after her? It wasn't she who defeated him, but Potter." Pluto nodded, stepping forward. "Because she has something he wants, but cannot have. He killed her mother for the very same reason, he will not hesitate to repeat his actions."

Suddenly Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall appeared in the room. With a stretcher, they lifted the girl on the bed, and started for the infirmary. Dumbledore and Snape stayed behind.

"I cannot tell you more. But I will warn you. He is after Usagi, and will stop at nothing, till she is dead." A portal opened behind her. "Keep her safe, and make her strong, or she will surely die at his hands."

She stepped back into the portal vanishing from sight.

Snape looked over at the older man, a frown as usual decorating his face. Dumbledore shook his head regretfully, "when will all of this end?"

?????

Groaning, Usagi touched her fingertips to her forehead. What happened? Her head ached, throbbing all over. She opened her eyes to the darkness of her room. No not her room.

She recognized the stonewalls, and cupboards filled with medicine. Glancing out the window, she realized it had to be real late. She struggled to sit up, just as the door to the infirmary opened.

Usagi stared at the door, frozen. Why couldn't she remember what happened? How did she end up in the infirmary? The door remained open, but there was no hint of a shadow, from the flickering flames out in the corridor.

Was it still Christmas? She remembered waking up, opening presents. Presents! She felt a convulsive shudder ripple through her.

"Usagi?"

The girl nearly jumped out of her bed with fright. Her hand flew up to grasp her heart, as she jerked her head around. There was a soft sound of rustle of cloth against cloth, before Harry appeared before her. He held the invincibility cloak.

"Harry?"

He nodded, taking a seat on the bed next to her. "How are you feeling?" Usagi eased back against the pillow, "All right I guess. How long have I been asleep?"

The boy shook his head, "Not very long. A few hours. Are you okay? Professor Dumbledore said you fainted, what happened?"

Usagi shook her head, her fingers massaging her temples, "Not sure." She yawned suddenly, feeling exhausted, even though she had been asleep for most of the day. "What time is it?"

Harry leaned forward in his seat, "Around nine. I had enough time to run to the common room, before I came here." He paused, lowering his gaze, "So you don't remember why you screamed?"

Usagi blinked, "I screamed?" Dread seeped into her bones; sweat broke out onto her forehead, making her skin feel clammy. Her heart picked up its beat, to where it was racing in her chest.

An image of the present on her bed flashed before her eyes, and she paled. Her hand fisted around the sheets, which covered her from the chest down. Forcing one of her hands to relax, she reached up to her cheek, where her skin burned; the stinging seemed to eat at her.

Her hand withdrew, as she hissed from the contact. Three slashes marred her cheek, and were surrounded by a forming bruise. She shook her head, "You better head back Harry, before Filch finds you."

He shook his head, "No, I'm going to stay." She smiled, even though deep down, she felt a dark foreboding. Reaching out, she grasped his hand, "Artigato Harry kun." He returned her smile, his cheeks stained with a blush. "Why don't you get some rest Usagi?"

The blonde nodded, resting her head back, "I think I will." Her eyelids drooped, and soon she was fast asleep.

Harry sighed, leaning back in his seat. He waited till he was sure she was deeply asleep, and unable to be waken so easily. "You can come out now." From the corner of the room, where there was only shadows, a dark figure stepped into the light of the moon. "Thank you Harry, for helping me get inside."

The boy nodded his head, as he carefully removed his hand from the one he had held tightly. He stood, so that he could face the stranger, who had remained hidden. "She doesn't remember."

The figure shook their head, "She does, she's just not willing to share." The figure stepped further into the room, moving closer to the bed. Harry looked down at the blonde, a frown playing on his face. "I overheard the Professors talking. Some woman named Pluto told them it was Voldemort who did this." He waved a hand to the girl.

"What would she have, that he would want?" The figure looked out at the moon, then back down to the girl. "Maybe its because if this?" Reaching out, he touched the girl's forehead. When he removed his finger, a crescent moon insignia glowed softly.

Harry gasped, "I saw that before. I saw it when she tried to heal my scar." The figure bathed in shadows nodded, "It seems she's as pure as they come. All I ask of you Harry is help her in her search. I must go."

The figure turned, as the moon insignia vanishing. "I hope to hear from you soon." The boy nodded, watching as the man slipped into the shadows, and snuck out of the infirmary without being heard.

Sitting back down, Harry took Usagi's hand in his. He rested his head on the edge of the bed, a sigh escaping his lips.

He needed to get some rest.

?????

Usagi found herself spending the rest of her winter vacation in the Library. During the day, Harry and herself sat as a table with a cart full of books. They went from shelf to shelf, looking for anything about her parents. It was hard to look, when they had no idea what they were looking for.

During the night, with the help of the invisibility cloak, they snuck into the Restriction section, to search the books back behind the library.

Usagi had never noticed this part of the library, and wished she still didn't know about it. It wasn't a cheerful place at night, with only a lantern to light their way. They had to be careful what books they picked up, who know what would come out of it.

Usagi sat cross-legged on the floor, the invincibility cloak lying next to her. Harry had climbed one of the ladders, to search the top shelves. The blonde yawned, as she skimmed the contents of the book, hoping for something to jump out at her. But not literally. This would be their last real chance to get away with coming here.

Tomorrow everyone would be returning to Hogwarts, and the day after that the new Term started.

"Find anything Harry?"

The boy shook his head, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown. "Not a thing. How are we supposed to know what to look for?"

Over the week, Usagi had made herself think about everything Setsuna or Luna had told her since the day she realized she was a witch. Her mother and father were a sorceress and a sorcerer, not just a witch and wizard. Why was that so important to know?

"Hey Usagi you should look at this." He climbed down the ladder a book in hand. Seating himself next to her, he opened the book to the page he had marked.

Skimming the page, Usagi was immediately interested. "Do you think this is your mother?"

She stared at the picture of a woman with shimmering white hair, and a pair of lovely violet eyes. She had pale skin, a kind smile, but beside the color of hair and eyes, she looked like an older Usagi. She looked over at the name, 'Serenity.' No last name.

Usagi turned the book over, to read the cover, but there was no title. She looked back at the marked page with acute interest. "What kind of book is this?"

Harry frowned, his eyes slightly clouded, "Its an obituary." The words were like a stab in the chest. If this was her mother, than it was true, she really was gone.

Holding her breath, she stared at the picture. It had to be her mother, she looked so much like the woman, it was uncanny. Letting out the air she held, she whispered, "We should head back to our rooms."

Harry agreed. Together, they huddled beneath the cloak, and worked their way to the Slytherin common rooms. He dropped her off there, heading towards his common room.

Usagi slipped into the room, but didn't head for bed. She sat down in one of the green armchairs near the fire. She opened the book to the same page. She noted the page number mark in parenthesize. Turned the pages to another one, she found herself staring at a picture of the same person, but only older.

The last picture had been of a girl, in her early teens, this one was of a woman in her late twenties. She had the white hair, the same shade of purple eyes, and pale skin. But unlike the other picture, her smile was more force, her eyes very dull.

The woman almost looked sad, the electric emotions from the younger image had begun to fade. Usagi read the name, and this time she was awarded with a surprise.

Who in the world was Tom Riddle?

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Hey peeps, hope you enjoyed that. I know I know, not much of a Harry/Usagi shot, but I tried, and plus the voting is all against him!!!! So you'll just have to read my other story to get a Bunny (Usagi)/Harry action. This chapter took me forever to write, I almost got writers block on it, but I pulled through. Now I just hope I can start the next chapter. Wish me luck; I'll need all that I can get. Well anyway, here are the polls.

Harry/Usagi: 78 Poor, poor Harry, oh well, cant win em all.

Draco/Usagi: 90 I think this is how many I caught, I donno I sort of lost count. Two more to go Draco.

Ttyl ty for all the reviews. LP signing out

PS: Okay for Bunny Moon and the Philosopher Stone. Which player should Bunny should be?? Keeper, Chaser, or Beater. PLS PLS PLS PLS PLS PLS I need your votes on this. I'm torn between those three. PLSPLSPLSPls help me I beg you. On my knees I beg all of you. I can't write anymore, without knowing. Tell me which one would be better you think. I like all three, and can't choose. TYVM.