Daphne: "All right, yay, eleventh chapter...now, I want to make some things
clear. Sakura will *not* be announcing her rank as the Cards Mistress for
some time, so please be patient. Also, since it is not culturally
acceptable in England to be engaged at such a young age (usually), Sakura
and Syaoran are going to be keeping it a secret for as long as possible.
Don't worry, it will all come out, but all in good time! BE
PATIENT!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, that is all I have to say!
~*~*~*~
Hogwarts-Sakura Style
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 11.
"Ugh! How much longer until Ginny gets back?!" Ron groaned, toying with his fork. It was a almost a full week after they had heard from Ginny, and there was still no sign of her returning anytime soon. At the present, Hermione was listening to her boyfriend in earnest, while Harry stared into space, hardly seeming to realize that most of his food was still on his plate. His mind was full of several things, but the chief thing was Ginny. All of the students, save the ones in China or Japan...or wherever they were, had returned to school the day before.
"Harry? Harry!" Hermione called.
"Huh? What?" Harry jolted out of his revere. Ron snickered and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Professor Dumbledore is about to speak!" She hissed, and so he was.
"Now, we are going to check up on Miss Weasley and her friends. They are not expecting this, so please be understanding if they are not completely happy to see us." The headmaster chuckled, pulling out a transmitter similar to the one Ginny had contacted them with, and rubbed his finger over the red light; first came the voices.
"KAWAII!"
"My cute little descendent isn't wasting any time, is he?"
"...so Muggles actually make this stuff? It's good!"
"Isn't it though? Although I must admit, I like mixed-fruit sparkling cider, better."
"What a lovely night!"
"Not as lovely as you."
"...I can break it off anytime I want!" Came the last, teasing voice. Then came the people themselves.
There was Meiling, with her arms wrapped around Neville's neck, her head resting on his shoulder as they swayed back and forth to fancy music. They were standing in the doorway of the Great Hall. Then there was Rika and Draco, carrying stemmed glasses full of sparkling cider, walking arm-in-arm near the head table. Then there was Tomoyo, who was ducked down beside the Ravenclaw table, her camera out and going, and Eriol right behind her, with his hands on her shoulders. Then came Sakura, looking like a goddess, and completely unaware of Syaoran Li, who was sneaking up behind her, an evil look on his face!
"Sakura!" Tomoyo shrieked, her face registering panic; she had just realized that they weren't in the gardens anymore, but to rest of the school, it seemed that she too, had spotted Syaoran's 'evil' intent. Sakura looked around and turned pale, while Syaoran backed off, scowling even worse than he had before. Meiling and Neville sprang apart, blushing, as did Rika and Draco. Now there was only one person missing; Ginny!
"Sakura?! Tomoyo? What happened?!" Came Ginny's slightly panicked voice. Harry felt Ron relax beside him when he heard his sister's voice. Sakura turned around and sighed, her eyes sparkling with annoyance and suppressed humor.
"It's alright, Ginny. Professor Dumbledore is just checking in with us." She called back. It was then that Harry realized just what the group was wearing. They were all dressed in fancy, elegant evening apparel, and they were quite the showy group. All of them moved nearer to Sakura, who was in the isle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. All eyes were on the stunning group and their outfits; most of the boys in the Hall were drooling and the girls were looking flabbergasted. Then there came a fluttering from the doorway and everyone turned in awe. There stood Ginny Weasley in all her glory, looking stunningly beautiful in her forest green dress and jewelry. Her hair had been pulled up and made her neck seem even more elegantly long, than usual. And that slit up her skirt...well, lets just say that some of the young men in the room went dry-mouthed, including Harry.
"Well, we are alright, so you can send us back now. We were in the middle of a very important get-together, and it will seem quite strange to have me disappear from, and then reappear into the ballroom." Ginny said in a rich voice, as she glided over to her friends and grasped Sakura's hand in a comforting gesture. Dumbledore looked a bit put-off, but he nodded.
"May I ask what the get-together was for?" He questioned. Panicked looks flickered across Sakura's, Meiling's, Tomoyo's, Ginny's and Eriol's faces, while Draco and Neville still seemed a bit confused.
"NO!" They all chorused, looking uncomfortable. This caused everyone to get suspicious, but they didn't question any further. All this time, Syaoran had been sulking back in a corner of the room, refusing to join the others. Professors McGonagle and Figg had winked at him as he stood there, but he simply stared back, and nodded his head slightly, in recognition, though no one but them saw it.
"It was a party in Syaoran's honor, Professor." Eriol finally said, admitting half the truth. The professor looked less doubtful and nodded.
"Very well, you may go then." He announced. They all smiled up at him, while Ginny quickly walked over to her bother and gave him a hug.
"I will be home in five days." She whispered, smiling at him. He nodded and then allowed Hermione to hug his sister. When they were through, everyone was astonished to see Ginny reach out and hug Harry as well.
"We will be fine, Harry, I promise." She whispered into his ear, almost as though she had known what he was thinking at that very moment. Then she straightened and walked back over to her friends.
"All right, then." Dumbledore stated, running his long finger back over the red light. The group waved and then evaporated into thin air.
~*~*~*~
"This is one nice plane!" Draco exclaimed, as they entered one of the Li's private airplanes. It had cushioned seats running up each side of it, and small clear areas where there were overstuffed chairs and sofa's bolted down to the floor. There was a small refrigerator in the rear corner, and a cabinet filled with a TV, VCR, DVD player, and a boom box stood in the front right corner of the cabin.
"The sofas fold out into recliners, so we can sleep." Syaoran explained. Meiling grinned.
"You know, this is the very plane that we came in, when we first visited Japan! Quite a coincidence, ne?" She joked. Just then, Wei came back and told them to buckle up for take-off. He was going to come with them, and then stay at Clow Reed's (or Eriol's, now) mansion in Hogsmede until the school year was through. Yukito and Touya were going to stay there as well, and they had all agreed, through a heated debate, that Rose would be safer there, with the men. Touya seemed more than happy to take care of her, and Nakuru had also promised to visit every day, to check on the baby; for some reason, this did not seem to disappoint Touya.
When they finally turned off the 'Fasten Seat-belt' button, Meiling and Touya had fallen asleep, and the others were either finishing some last- minute homework, or reading a book.
"I am going to watch a movie." Touya finally spoke up, startling everyone. For some reason, Touya's skin looked ashy, and his eyes were bright. Sakura looked at her brother for a moment and then gasped.
"Touya, what is it?" She asked. Only a few minutes before, he brother had been calmly asleep, but now, he looked as though he might be sick. Even Syaoran, who had been avoiding the older boy like an disease, looked worried. Touya shook his head.
"Something is going to happen. Voldemort...never mind." He mumbled, walking over to the TV cabinet and opening it, ignoring their further questions.
~*~*~*~
"Agh!"
Harry sat up in bed, sweating. He had had the strangest dream.
*Dream*
"I want those cards!" A hissing voice shouted. It was echoing through a large, empty stone cavern, that had stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
"But master, what if they rebel? What if they already have a master?" Came the shaky voice that Harry knew all too well; Peter Pettigrew, alias, Wormtail.
"I do not care, Wormtail! I want those cards, no matter what. Power of that magnitude would guarantee me a defeat of Dumbledore and that *Potter* scum." The last words were said in a hiss of hatred.
"Yes, master. I..."
"And I do not appreciate being argued with, Wormtail." Came the slow, evil drawl.
"NO! Please master, I beg of you, no! No, I...AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
*End of dream*
Harry threw back his covers and bolted out of bed, and out into the common room. From there, Harry fled past the portrait and made his way outside, onto the grounds. He had to talk with Hagrid, and a certain *large dog* that Hagrid was harboring in his hut...
Little did he know, that in an airplane not-so-far-away, a young man by the name of Kinomoto Touya had woken up from the very same dream.
~*~*~*~
"Were back!"
"School, sweet school." Eriol said sarcastically, adding to Neville's half- pleased, half-regretful exclamation. Everyone groaned at this, and rolled their eyes. Wei, Touya, Yukito, and Rose had parted from them when they had reached the train station, and the students had continued on their way back to the school. Lugging the small carts with their trunks behind them, the group made their way up into the school.
"Hey, I am really going to miss all of your dad's cooking, Sakura. Boy! Who would have thought that Japanese food could taste so good!" Neville said, as they neared the Great Hall. It was near dinnertime now, and they had decided to check in with the teachers before going up to their dormitory.
"Yah, and do you remember shopping at the mall there?! Boy, that was a blast!" Ginny cried, giggling hysterically as the boys rolled their eyes. At the mall, the girls had insisted on modeling every outfit that they tried on, and made the boys sit through it.
"I have never been so bored in my life!" Draco groaned. Rika hit him in the shoulder just as they passed through the doors of the Hall.
"Oh, admit it, guys! You liked seeing us in those skimpy bikinis!" She teased, as the other girls laughed at the boys red faces. They would have continued this banter, if not for a loud, distinct, "Ahem" from nearby. They all turned, startled and then smiled at Professor Dumbledore, who was looking amused.
"Did you have fun?" He questioned, eyeing their outfits. Since China was warmer than England, the group was dressed quite casually. The girls were all in shorts and skirts with short-sleeved tops on, and the boys were in similar attire.
"OH, yes! You wouldn't believe all the things there were to see! I must have taken a hundred pictures, and used up at least seven rolls of film!" Ginny exclaimed, her cheeks flushing pink with excitement. Despite the fact that she was no longer wearing the slinky dress, most of the young men in the room still stared at her as though she were some sort of eye-candy.
"They spent half the time shopping, and the rest of the time hanging out with their old friends." Neville groaned. The girls shot him lethal glares.
"We did not. Meiling found plenty of time to make-out with y...humfffff!" Tomoyo's mouth was covered by Meiling's hand, as the black-haired girl blushed; Neville was no better, as his face rose to roughly the color of a ripe tomato.
"Well, I am glad that you had a good time. Mr. Li, I trust that your family is well?" Dumbledore continued. Syaoran gave a stiff nod but said nothing.
"Good. I suppose that you are in desperate need of some sleep, but I will tell you that there are five very anxious people waiting for you in your common room. By the way, Dobby and Winky returned to the kitchens last night." The professor told them. They all gave tired nods and then went up to face the five people that they knew would be waiting for them; Sirius, Remus, Severus, Bella, and Sophia.
~*~*~*~
"What the bloody hell is going on?! Ginny didn't even say 'hello'! And did you see who was standing right beside her? That Malfoy baffoon! What on earth is she thinking?!?!" Ron shouted, as he, Hermione and Harry wandered mindlessly through the halls, trying to sort out the events of that night. None of them had gotten very far, though.
"And who would be waiting for them in their common room? Where is their common room?" Ron added. None of this added up. It was like a puzzle and most of the pieces were lost. Little did they know, that they were wandering right past the portrait of the 'pink fat lady', and into unknown territory for them. They were all too deep in their own thoughts, until:
"Um.Harry? Ron? Where are we?" Hermione asked, looking around. They were in a strange stone hallway, filled with pictures of numerous things. But there was one picture that caught Harry's eye for some reason. It was a portrait of a man with long black hair and blue eyes. The man was wearing strange black robes, and he looked surprisingly like Eriol Hiiragizawa! Even more surprising, were the muffled voices coming from behind that picture!
"What on earth?" Hermione murmured, walking forward and putting her hands on the artwork. The man in the portrait smirked and shook a finger at them, but said nothing. Suddenly, there was a bout of laughter and the portrait swung open, nearly nailing Ron in the face. And out of a hidden hole behind it came...
"Serius?!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione shouted. Serius looked confused, and then slightly annoyed.
"What are you three doing here?" He asked. They looked at each other and then all three tried to tell him at once. There was a slight giggle from behind Serius, and they all looked up to see a shocking sight. Inside the room, behind Serius, stood Professor Figg, Remus Lupin, a woman they didn't know, Sakura, Tomoyo, Rika, Ginny, Meiling, Neville, Eriol, Draco Malfoy, and Syaoran Li. Besides those people, there was also several owls, a wolf, a strange phoenix, half a dozen cats, and a...winged unicorn baby!!!
"What in the *HELL* is going on?!" Ron shouted, looking outraged at the fact that Draco Malfoy and Syaoran Li were in the same room as his precious sister. Ginny rolled her eyes, stepped forward and dragged Ron into the room, looking annoyed. Harry and Hermione quickly followed, and Serius quickly closed the portrait behind them.
"So...this is where you sleep." Hermione commented timidly, looking around. Tomoyo beamed.
"I decorated it! Do you like it?" She asked happily, looking pleased. They looked at her and tried not to grin, telling her politely just how much they liked the room.
"But you still haven't answered my question. What is going on?" Ron repeated. Remus sighed and then leaned back against one of the walls.
"They are the 'Mortal Angels', Ron. They have to be protected. Plus, Syaoran is the future *Ruler of China*. Those two things put together make us a target for Voldemort. We have to make sure that the girls and Syaoran come to no harm. That is one reason why Bella and Sophia are here in the first place." Remus explained.
"I suppose, but why are Neville and Malfoy here?" Harry persisted. Serius stepped forward and frowned.
"That, my boy, is none of your business. Now, why don't Remus, Sophia, Bella, and I walk you back to your dorm?" Serius said, herding them towards the doorway. Ron looked back anxiously at his sister, who was now standing dangerously close to Syaoran Li.
"You may try to hide some things, Ginny, but I always find out in the end." He reminded her threateningly, as he and his friends were herded out of the room.
"You have no idea, Ron. No idea." She murmured, looking at the now closed portrait. The others nodded in agreement, and then went back to what they had been doing.
~*~*~*~
Later that night, Ginny found herself wide awake, staring up at the velvet draperies above her. She had pulled all the hangings closed around her bed, shutting out any and all light, but she still could not fall asleep. Ginny's owl, Diaphanous (also known as Dia), ruffled her feathers anxiously, seeming to understand her mistress's distress.
"With a finally sigh, Ginny slowly got out of bed and slipped on the over- robe that Tomoyo had made for her. She was wearing a floor-length, sleeveless light green nightgown, and the over-robe was a translucent white. It buttoned to just below her breasts, and then flowed out to the ground. The sleeves of the over-gown were puffy and tied to her wrists with ribbons.
"I'll be back soon." She whispered to Dia. Ginny then crept out of her room and snuck out of the portrait hole. Lost in her own thoughts, she never noticed that she was heading outside, onto the grounds.
'Why can't I sleep? Why do I feel like there is a reason I need to be awake?' She wondered silently, shaking her head. It was about that time when she realized that she had reached the bank of the lake. She looked around in amazement, but not necessarily disappointment. There was little light, besides that of the moon, so she was bathed in the calm night. She made her way over to a pile of rocks on the shore, and sat down, listening to the sounds of the forest. If she listened carefully, she could even hear a sort of music flowing from deep inside the lake; the mermaids were singing.
"Ginny?"
Ginny turned around in alarm, only to see Harry standing there beside her, looking troubled. His eyes were flashing with a hidden emotion, and his face was tight.
"Are you alright?" He questioned, sitting next to her. She looked at him for a moment and then nodded.
"Harry, what is wrong? You have been so quiet." She whispered, looking out over the water. Harry sighed.
"Things are so confusing. Nothing is fitting together and things are moving too fast for me to understand." He finally said, looking even more bothered. He clenched his hands onto his pants, and it was then that she realized he was only wearing a pair of loose green pants and a white muscle- T; she blushed, seeing his muscles ripple beneath the thin fabric. Even though it was the middle of winter, he seemed unfazed by the cold.
"I just...I just don't know how I fit into things anymore. One minute, Dumbledore is worried about Voldemort coming after me, and the next, all he seems to think about are the 'Mortal Angels'. Not that it matters...it gives me a bit more freedom, but still. And Serius, I hardly see him anymore, despite what he told me about seeing me much more since he was staying here...I just don't know anymore, Ginny." He murmured, putting his head in his hands and grasping some of his hair between his fingers. She looked at him in pity, and then gently reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"I know how you feel. I am sort of lost too. I get the feeling that there is more to this, that even I don't know, but I am not sure whether it has to do with Sakura and her friends or not. They seem to tie into so many things, and yet at the same time, they don't." She agreed. He nodded.
"And suddenly Neville has gone all popular on us, and Meiling is actually hanging out with a non-popular group, and Malfoy...well, he is just acting loopy." Harry said, causing Ginny to laugh, but she immediately went serious again.
"Harry, you know about Neville's parents, don't you?" She questioned. He looked confused but nodded. Ginny sighed.
"Well, Neville never had that much confidence, and he did want some attention. This summer, Voldemort gave him the chance to have some attention. He invited him to join the Death Eaters." Ginny whispered. Harry nearly fell of his rock in shock and he looked at Ginny in horror.
"Neville refused and only just escaped with his life. He has become a lot more confident since then. And Draco, well, he is just the opposite. He was going through the Death Eater ceremony, in which he was supposed to kill a baby girl. He realized that he would never be able to do it, so he ran, taking the baby with him. She is the baby that you saw Touya taking at Christmas. Dobby, Winky, Draco, and all the rest of us have been taking care of Rose since then." Ginny explained. Now, Harry just sat still, listening.
"And Harry, Snape is not all he seems. You see, he is the one who saved Neville. He also suggested that we take care of Rose, instead of giving her up to some muggle adoption agency. And what is more...he is Rika's half- guardian. He has been taking care of her since she was a baby." Ginny whispered, looking down at her hands.
"But...but what about her parents?" He asked finally, his voice low and scratchy.
"They died. Voldemort killed them, Harry, just like your parents. And like you, Rika never know her true parents." Ginny finished. Harry caught his breath.
"But how does it all fit together?" He mussed. She sighed.
"I don't know, Harry, I really don't." She replied, looking out over the lake. Harry gave a bitter laugh.
"You know, ever since Cedric died, things have just started falling apart. I hardly know who I am now." He stated, looking almost like a lost little boy. Then, almost too fast for comprehension, Harry threw his arms around Ginny and smothered the sobs that rose into his chest. Ginny looked down at him in astonishment, but quickly recovered and held him close. She had known that Cedric's death was hard on him, but ever since that incident, he had never talked about it, keeping his emotions to himself.
"You are Harry Potter, my brother's best friend and Hermione's closest friend. You are 'the Boy who Lived', and one of the nicest young men that I know." She said quietly, in a soothing voice, as tears filled her own eyes. After a while, Harry calmed down but stayed in her arms, his head pillowed my her shoulder.
"Why are you so understanding?" He sighed. She smiled weakly.
"Because I care about you and I hate to see you unhappy..." She whispered, her words slowing as he looked up at her and began to lean closer, his eyes now trained on her lips. Ginny gasped as she realized what was about to happen; then her eyes closed.
Gently, his lips pressed to hers, causing shockwaves to run up both their bodies. For Ginny, she felt pure shock mixed with bliss, considering this was her first kiss, and it was coming from the boy of her dreams. As for Harry, he felt as though this was where he should have been all along; it just seemed...right, to be there in her arms. For some strange reason, it seemed to quell all of the sorrow that both of them had been feeling just a moment before, and replaced it with sheer ecstasy.
Then, as quickly as it had began, the kiss ended.
"Harry...what..." Ginny breathed, her voice shaking slightly. Harry groaned and reached up to kiss her again, feeling a need to taste her deeper.
*AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
Harry and Ginny broke apart, startled. The scream had been long, terrible, and horrified; and it ended with a sudden abruptness. With a frightened glance at each other, they got up and broke into a run in the direction the scream had come from. When they got there, they were horrified to see a cloud of light pink satin and lace lying on the ground...
...It was Sakura.
~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~
Hogwarts-Sakura Style
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 11.
"Ugh! How much longer until Ginny gets back?!" Ron groaned, toying with his fork. It was a almost a full week after they had heard from Ginny, and there was still no sign of her returning anytime soon. At the present, Hermione was listening to her boyfriend in earnest, while Harry stared into space, hardly seeming to realize that most of his food was still on his plate. His mind was full of several things, but the chief thing was Ginny. All of the students, save the ones in China or Japan...or wherever they were, had returned to school the day before.
"Harry? Harry!" Hermione called.
"Huh? What?" Harry jolted out of his revere. Ron snickered and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Professor Dumbledore is about to speak!" She hissed, and so he was.
"Now, we are going to check up on Miss Weasley and her friends. They are not expecting this, so please be understanding if they are not completely happy to see us." The headmaster chuckled, pulling out a transmitter similar to the one Ginny had contacted them with, and rubbed his finger over the red light; first came the voices.
"KAWAII!"
"My cute little descendent isn't wasting any time, is he?"
"...so Muggles actually make this stuff? It's good!"
"Isn't it though? Although I must admit, I like mixed-fruit sparkling cider, better."
"What a lovely night!"
"Not as lovely as you."
"...I can break it off anytime I want!" Came the last, teasing voice. Then came the people themselves.
There was Meiling, with her arms wrapped around Neville's neck, her head resting on his shoulder as they swayed back and forth to fancy music. They were standing in the doorway of the Great Hall. Then there was Rika and Draco, carrying stemmed glasses full of sparkling cider, walking arm-in-arm near the head table. Then there was Tomoyo, who was ducked down beside the Ravenclaw table, her camera out and going, and Eriol right behind her, with his hands on her shoulders. Then came Sakura, looking like a goddess, and completely unaware of Syaoran Li, who was sneaking up behind her, an evil look on his face!
"Sakura!" Tomoyo shrieked, her face registering panic; she had just realized that they weren't in the gardens anymore, but to rest of the school, it seemed that she too, had spotted Syaoran's 'evil' intent. Sakura looked around and turned pale, while Syaoran backed off, scowling even worse than he had before. Meiling and Neville sprang apart, blushing, as did Rika and Draco. Now there was only one person missing; Ginny!
"Sakura?! Tomoyo? What happened?!" Came Ginny's slightly panicked voice. Harry felt Ron relax beside him when he heard his sister's voice. Sakura turned around and sighed, her eyes sparkling with annoyance and suppressed humor.
"It's alright, Ginny. Professor Dumbledore is just checking in with us." She called back. It was then that Harry realized just what the group was wearing. They were all dressed in fancy, elegant evening apparel, and they were quite the showy group. All of them moved nearer to Sakura, who was in the isle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. All eyes were on the stunning group and their outfits; most of the boys in the Hall were drooling and the girls were looking flabbergasted. Then there came a fluttering from the doorway and everyone turned in awe. There stood Ginny Weasley in all her glory, looking stunningly beautiful in her forest green dress and jewelry. Her hair had been pulled up and made her neck seem even more elegantly long, than usual. And that slit up her skirt...well, lets just say that some of the young men in the room went dry-mouthed, including Harry.
"Well, we are alright, so you can send us back now. We were in the middle of a very important get-together, and it will seem quite strange to have me disappear from, and then reappear into the ballroom." Ginny said in a rich voice, as she glided over to her friends and grasped Sakura's hand in a comforting gesture. Dumbledore looked a bit put-off, but he nodded.
"May I ask what the get-together was for?" He questioned. Panicked looks flickered across Sakura's, Meiling's, Tomoyo's, Ginny's and Eriol's faces, while Draco and Neville still seemed a bit confused.
"NO!" They all chorused, looking uncomfortable. This caused everyone to get suspicious, but they didn't question any further. All this time, Syaoran had been sulking back in a corner of the room, refusing to join the others. Professors McGonagle and Figg had winked at him as he stood there, but he simply stared back, and nodded his head slightly, in recognition, though no one but them saw it.
"It was a party in Syaoran's honor, Professor." Eriol finally said, admitting half the truth. The professor looked less doubtful and nodded.
"Very well, you may go then." He announced. They all smiled up at him, while Ginny quickly walked over to her bother and gave him a hug.
"I will be home in five days." She whispered, smiling at him. He nodded and then allowed Hermione to hug his sister. When they were through, everyone was astonished to see Ginny reach out and hug Harry as well.
"We will be fine, Harry, I promise." She whispered into his ear, almost as though she had known what he was thinking at that very moment. Then she straightened and walked back over to her friends.
"All right, then." Dumbledore stated, running his long finger back over the red light. The group waved and then evaporated into thin air.
~*~*~*~
"This is one nice plane!" Draco exclaimed, as they entered one of the Li's private airplanes. It had cushioned seats running up each side of it, and small clear areas where there were overstuffed chairs and sofa's bolted down to the floor. There was a small refrigerator in the rear corner, and a cabinet filled with a TV, VCR, DVD player, and a boom box stood in the front right corner of the cabin.
"The sofas fold out into recliners, so we can sleep." Syaoran explained. Meiling grinned.
"You know, this is the very plane that we came in, when we first visited Japan! Quite a coincidence, ne?" She joked. Just then, Wei came back and told them to buckle up for take-off. He was going to come with them, and then stay at Clow Reed's (or Eriol's, now) mansion in Hogsmede until the school year was through. Yukito and Touya were going to stay there as well, and they had all agreed, through a heated debate, that Rose would be safer there, with the men. Touya seemed more than happy to take care of her, and Nakuru had also promised to visit every day, to check on the baby; for some reason, this did not seem to disappoint Touya.
When they finally turned off the 'Fasten Seat-belt' button, Meiling and Touya had fallen asleep, and the others were either finishing some last- minute homework, or reading a book.
"I am going to watch a movie." Touya finally spoke up, startling everyone. For some reason, Touya's skin looked ashy, and his eyes were bright. Sakura looked at her brother for a moment and then gasped.
"Touya, what is it?" She asked. Only a few minutes before, he brother had been calmly asleep, but now, he looked as though he might be sick. Even Syaoran, who had been avoiding the older boy like an disease, looked worried. Touya shook his head.
"Something is going to happen. Voldemort...never mind." He mumbled, walking over to the TV cabinet and opening it, ignoring their further questions.
~*~*~*~
"Agh!"
Harry sat up in bed, sweating. He had had the strangest dream.
*Dream*
"I want those cards!" A hissing voice shouted. It was echoing through a large, empty stone cavern, that had stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
"But master, what if they rebel? What if they already have a master?" Came the shaky voice that Harry knew all too well; Peter Pettigrew, alias, Wormtail.
"I do not care, Wormtail! I want those cards, no matter what. Power of that magnitude would guarantee me a defeat of Dumbledore and that *Potter* scum." The last words were said in a hiss of hatred.
"Yes, master. I..."
"And I do not appreciate being argued with, Wormtail." Came the slow, evil drawl.
"NO! Please master, I beg of you, no! No, I...AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
*End of dream*
Harry threw back his covers and bolted out of bed, and out into the common room. From there, Harry fled past the portrait and made his way outside, onto the grounds. He had to talk with Hagrid, and a certain *large dog* that Hagrid was harboring in his hut...
Little did he know, that in an airplane not-so-far-away, a young man by the name of Kinomoto Touya had woken up from the very same dream.
~*~*~*~
"Were back!"
"School, sweet school." Eriol said sarcastically, adding to Neville's half- pleased, half-regretful exclamation. Everyone groaned at this, and rolled their eyes. Wei, Touya, Yukito, and Rose had parted from them when they had reached the train station, and the students had continued on their way back to the school. Lugging the small carts with their trunks behind them, the group made their way up into the school.
"Hey, I am really going to miss all of your dad's cooking, Sakura. Boy! Who would have thought that Japanese food could taste so good!" Neville said, as they neared the Great Hall. It was near dinnertime now, and they had decided to check in with the teachers before going up to their dormitory.
"Yah, and do you remember shopping at the mall there?! Boy, that was a blast!" Ginny cried, giggling hysterically as the boys rolled their eyes. At the mall, the girls had insisted on modeling every outfit that they tried on, and made the boys sit through it.
"I have never been so bored in my life!" Draco groaned. Rika hit him in the shoulder just as they passed through the doors of the Hall.
"Oh, admit it, guys! You liked seeing us in those skimpy bikinis!" She teased, as the other girls laughed at the boys red faces. They would have continued this banter, if not for a loud, distinct, "Ahem" from nearby. They all turned, startled and then smiled at Professor Dumbledore, who was looking amused.
"Did you have fun?" He questioned, eyeing their outfits. Since China was warmer than England, the group was dressed quite casually. The girls were all in shorts and skirts with short-sleeved tops on, and the boys were in similar attire.
"OH, yes! You wouldn't believe all the things there were to see! I must have taken a hundred pictures, and used up at least seven rolls of film!" Ginny exclaimed, her cheeks flushing pink with excitement. Despite the fact that she was no longer wearing the slinky dress, most of the young men in the room still stared at her as though she were some sort of eye-candy.
"They spent half the time shopping, and the rest of the time hanging out with their old friends." Neville groaned. The girls shot him lethal glares.
"We did not. Meiling found plenty of time to make-out with y...humfffff!" Tomoyo's mouth was covered by Meiling's hand, as the black-haired girl blushed; Neville was no better, as his face rose to roughly the color of a ripe tomato.
"Well, I am glad that you had a good time. Mr. Li, I trust that your family is well?" Dumbledore continued. Syaoran gave a stiff nod but said nothing.
"Good. I suppose that you are in desperate need of some sleep, but I will tell you that there are five very anxious people waiting for you in your common room. By the way, Dobby and Winky returned to the kitchens last night." The professor told them. They all gave tired nods and then went up to face the five people that they knew would be waiting for them; Sirius, Remus, Severus, Bella, and Sophia.
~*~*~*~
"What the bloody hell is going on?! Ginny didn't even say 'hello'! And did you see who was standing right beside her? That Malfoy baffoon! What on earth is she thinking?!?!" Ron shouted, as he, Hermione and Harry wandered mindlessly through the halls, trying to sort out the events of that night. None of them had gotten very far, though.
"And who would be waiting for them in their common room? Where is their common room?" Ron added. None of this added up. It was like a puzzle and most of the pieces were lost. Little did they know, that they were wandering right past the portrait of the 'pink fat lady', and into unknown territory for them. They were all too deep in their own thoughts, until:
"Um.Harry? Ron? Where are we?" Hermione asked, looking around. They were in a strange stone hallway, filled with pictures of numerous things. But there was one picture that caught Harry's eye for some reason. It was a portrait of a man with long black hair and blue eyes. The man was wearing strange black robes, and he looked surprisingly like Eriol Hiiragizawa! Even more surprising, were the muffled voices coming from behind that picture!
"What on earth?" Hermione murmured, walking forward and putting her hands on the artwork. The man in the portrait smirked and shook a finger at them, but said nothing. Suddenly, there was a bout of laughter and the portrait swung open, nearly nailing Ron in the face. And out of a hidden hole behind it came...
"Serius?!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione shouted. Serius looked confused, and then slightly annoyed.
"What are you three doing here?" He asked. They looked at each other and then all three tried to tell him at once. There was a slight giggle from behind Serius, and they all looked up to see a shocking sight. Inside the room, behind Serius, stood Professor Figg, Remus Lupin, a woman they didn't know, Sakura, Tomoyo, Rika, Ginny, Meiling, Neville, Eriol, Draco Malfoy, and Syaoran Li. Besides those people, there was also several owls, a wolf, a strange phoenix, half a dozen cats, and a...winged unicorn baby!!!
"What in the *HELL* is going on?!" Ron shouted, looking outraged at the fact that Draco Malfoy and Syaoran Li were in the same room as his precious sister. Ginny rolled her eyes, stepped forward and dragged Ron into the room, looking annoyed. Harry and Hermione quickly followed, and Serius quickly closed the portrait behind them.
"So...this is where you sleep." Hermione commented timidly, looking around. Tomoyo beamed.
"I decorated it! Do you like it?" She asked happily, looking pleased. They looked at her and tried not to grin, telling her politely just how much they liked the room.
"But you still haven't answered my question. What is going on?" Ron repeated. Remus sighed and then leaned back against one of the walls.
"They are the 'Mortal Angels', Ron. They have to be protected. Plus, Syaoran is the future *Ruler of China*. Those two things put together make us a target for Voldemort. We have to make sure that the girls and Syaoran come to no harm. That is one reason why Bella and Sophia are here in the first place." Remus explained.
"I suppose, but why are Neville and Malfoy here?" Harry persisted. Serius stepped forward and frowned.
"That, my boy, is none of your business. Now, why don't Remus, Sophia, Bella, and I walk you back to your dorm?" Serius said, herding them towards the doorway. Ron looked back anxiously at his sister, who was now standing dangerously close to Syaoran Li.
"You may try to hide some things, Ginny, but I always find out in the end." He reminded her threateningly, as he and his friends were herded out of the room.
"You have no idea, Ron. No idea." She murmured, looking at the now closed portrait. The others nodded in agreement, and then went back to what they had been doing.
~*~*~*~
Later that night, Ginny found herself wide awake, staring up at the velvet draperies above her. She had pulled all the hangings closed around her bed, shutting out any and all light, but she still could not fall asleep. Ginny's owl, Diaphanous (also known as Dia), ruffled her feathers anxiously, seeming to understand her mistress's distress.
"With a finally sigh, Ginny slowly got out of bed and slipped on the over- robe that Tomoyo had made for her. She was wearing a floor-length, sleeveless light green nightgown, and the over-robe was a translucent white. It buttoned to just below her breasts, and then flowed out to the ground. The sleeves of the over-gown were puffy and tied to her wrists with ribbons.
"I'll be back soon." She whispered to Dia. Ginny then crept out of her room and snuck out of the portrait hole. Lost in her own thoughts, she never noticed that she was heading outside, onto the grounds.
'Why can't I sleep? Why do I feel like there is a reason I need to be awake?' She wondered silently, shaking her head. It was about that time when she realized that she had reached the bank of the lake. She looked around in amazement, but not necessarily disappointment. There was little light, besides that of the moon, so she was bathed in the calm night. She made her way over to a pile of rocks on the shore, and sat down, listening to the sounds of the forest. If she listened carefully, she could even hear a sort of music flowing from deep inside the lake; the mermaids were singing.
"Ginny?"
Ginny turned around in alarm, only to see Harry standing there beside her, looking troubled. His eyes were flashing with a hidden emotion, and his face was tight.
"Are you alright?" He questioned, sitting next to her. She looked at him for a moment and then nodded.
"Harry, what is wrong? You have been so quiet." She whispered, looking out over the water. Harry sighed.
"Things are so confusing. Nothing is fitting together and things are moving too fast for me to understand." He finally said, looking even more bothered. He clenched his hands onto his pants, and it was then that she realized he was only wearing a pair of loose green pants and a white muscle- T; she blushed, seeing his muscles ripple beneath the thin fabric. Even though it was the middle of winter, he seemed unfazed by the cold.
"I just...I just don't know how I fit into things anymore. One minute, Dumbledore is worried about Voldemort coming after me, and the next, all he seems to think about are the 'Mortal Angels'. Not that it matters...it gives me a bit more freedom, but still. And Serius, I hardly see him anymore, despite what he told me about seeing me much more since he was staying here...I just don't know anymore, Ginny." He murmured, putting his head in his hands and grasping some of his hair between his fingers. She looked at him in pity, and then gently reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"I know how you feel. I am sort of lost too. I get the feeling that there is more to this, that even I don't know, but I am not sure whether it has to do with Sakura and her friends or not. They seem to tie into so many things, and yet at the same time, they don't." She agreed. He nodded.
"And suddenly Neville has gone all popular on us, and Meiling is actually hanging out with a non-popular group, and Malfoy...well, he is just acting loopy." Harry said, causing Ginny to laugh, but she immediately went serious again.
"Harry, you know about Neville's parents, don't you?" She questioned. He looked confused but nodded. Ginny sighed.
"Well, Neville never had that much confidence, and he did want some attention. This summer, Voldemort gave him the chance to have some attention. He invited him to join the Death Eaters." Ginny whispered. Harry nearly fell of his rock in shock and he looked at Ginny in horror.
"Neville refused and only just escaped with his life. He has become a lot more confident since then. And Draco, well, he is just the opposite. He was going through the Death Eater ceremony, in which he was supposed to kill a baby girl. He realized that he would never be able to do it, so he ran, taking the baby with him. She is the baby that you saw Touya taking at Christmas. Dobby, Winky, Draco, and all the rest of us have been taking care of Rose since then." Ginny explained. Now, Harry just sat still, listening.
"And Harry, Snape is not all he seems. You see, he is the one who saved Neville. He also suggested that we take care of Rose, instead of giving her up to some muggle adoption agency. And what is more...he is Rika's half- guardian. He has been taking care of her since she was a baby." Ginny whispered, looking down at her hands.
"But...but what about her parents?" He asked finally, his voice low and scratchy.
"They died. Voldemort killed them, Harry, just like your parents. And like you, Rika never know her true parents." Ginny finished. Harry caught his breath.
"But how does it all fit together?" He mussed. She sighed.
"I don't know, Harry, I really don't." She replied, looking out over the lake. Harry gave a bitter laugh.
"You know, ever since Cedric died, things have just started falling apart. I hardly know who I am now." He stated, looking almost like a lost little boy. Then, almost too fast for comprehension, Harry threw his arms around Ginny and smothered the sobs that rose into his chest. Ginny looked down at him in astonishment, but quickly recovered and held him close. She had known that Cedric's death was hard on him, but ever since that incident, he had never talked about it, keeping his emotions to himself.
"You are Harry Potter, my brother's best friend and Hermione's closest friend. You are 'the Boy who Lived', and one of the nicest young men that I know." She said quietly, in a soothing voice, as tears filled her own eyes. After a while, Harry calmed down but stayed in her arms, his head pillowed my her shoulder.
"Why are you so understanding?" He sighed. She smiled weakly.
"Because I care about you and I hate to see you unhappy..." She whispered, her words slowing as he looked up at her and began to lean closer, his eyes now trained on her lips. Ginny gasped as she realized what was about to happen; then her eyes closed.
Gently, his lips pressed to hers, causing shockwaves to run up both their bodies. For Ginny, she felt pure shock mixed with bliss, considering this was her first kiss, and it was coming from the boy of her dreams. As for Harry, he felt as though this was where he should have been all along; it just seemed...right, to be there in her arms. For some strange reason, it seemed to quell all of the sorrow that both of them had been feeling just a moment before, and replaced it with sheer ecstasy.
Then, as quickly as it had began, the kiss ended.
"Harry...what..." Ginny breathed, her voice shaking slightly. Harry groaned and reached up to kiss her again, feeling a need to taste her deeper.
*AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
Harry and Ginny broke apart, startled. The scream had been long, terrible, and horrified; and it ended with a sudden abruptness. With a frightened glance at each other, they got up and broke into a run in the direction the scream had come from. When they got there, they were horrified to see a cloud of light pink satin and lace lying on the ground...
...It was Sakura.
~*~*~*~
