A/N: Word of advice to all of you. Save often, for you do not know what stupid thing you might do next (such as kick the power cord) and you just might loose half the day's work. Lucky for everyone, my stuff is a lot better when I write it the second time around because I am not happy with merely rewriting everything the way I had it. It is drudge work with a keyboard. So everyone please enjoy this rewritten chapter of Words Without Sound. Or else.
Journal Entry, Bad Sunday: I've decided to name my new Phoenix Pandora, not sure why though, it just seems to suite her. She is so cute, and she'll sit on my shoulder and cheep her thoughts out into the room. Even though I can't quite understand what she says, I can tell by her thoughts and emotions what she wants. She prefers fruit over anything else, especially strawberries and grapes, they're her favorites. She'll squawk and bite when someone else tries to touch her, though she let's Kioko pet her she won't let her hold her.
Kioko's trying to teach her to squawk at Malfoy when he comes within eyesight. She hasn't quite got it yet, but we had all Sunday to train her to do that.
Well, we were able to figure out the chest deal at the Three Broomsticks and all we needed was to get the stuff and charm it just right. When we tried it out on Fred and George, well, lets just say they immediately started offering up money for the 'recipe'. They called it a Mocking Chest and Kioko got some money to shop at Saturn's Eye. Needless to say we spent most of our time there.
"Oh look, they have quick pens too." Hotaru said when she saw them.
"Just came in, but they're no ordinary quick pens. Here, let me show you." He said. He took something that looked like a metal dot, placed it on one piece of parchment while turning to write on the other. But what he wrote appeared on the other parchment. "Let's see, ah, here we go." He took another slab from the top of the pen and put it on another parchment. He then clicked a small button on the side of the pen and then had it write down some more, the words came up on the second. "There are markings that tell you which slab you're pen is using." He said, showing us the 2 that was on the button he clicked. "When you press this it changes which slab you're using."
"Oh!" I gasped in delight.
"Oooooo," A mischievous grin spread onto Kioko's face, I knew what she was thinking, and some of it wasn't all that great.
"Er…how much?" I asked.
"10 galleons for the lot of them." He answered, there was something in his eyes that made me a bit…wondering. It was the kind of look Setsuna had when she knew that something she did was going to be of a lot of use in the future.
"Er, I don't know." I said, wondering just what he was planning, what Kioko could be planning.
"Oh come on Firefly, here, I'll help you." Kioko said, she took out 5 galleons that she had gotten out of Fred and George and handed them over, she then gave me an expecting look.
I sighed and gave in, buying the pens with Pandora cheeping happily on my shoulder. Kioko and I split the pens and went to look around some more. "Sush Pandora." I hushed when the Phoenix didn't stop cheeping.
"You named her Pandora? How…interesting." He said, another sly smile played on his lips. He knows something, what is it?! I'm still trying to figure that out.
Well, a few more store-bought items later we finally left the shop. Though it wasn't long before a certain someone found us again.
"Hey Tomo, what's that thing stuck on your shoulder?" He asked.
"It's a Phoenix, Malfoy, don't you have eyes? Are you blind?" Kioko retorted.
"That's not a Phoenix, that's some messed up potions experiment." He sneered.
Pandora gave a loud squawk in disapproval and then proceeded to continually voice her opinion aloud. "I don't see your parents anywhere Tomo." Malfoy said, "Weren't they suppose to be here? Or did they forget about you?" He asked sneering.
"They merely couldn't make it." I replied mildly.
He snorted, "Riiiiiight. Let me guess, you're dad was late for his manicure? Tell me, is he suppose to look like a girl?" I was ignoring him, I was petting Pandora and ignoring him as we walked on down the street. "And what's that big green thing you're mommy wears, who'd want to put on a wig like that. Is she bald or something to need one?" I felt my ears grow red, I bit my lip and continued on down the pathway, trying my best to block out his insults. "And why do you have two mothers?" He sneered, I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling my face flush. "Wasn't your father satisfied with just one?" He pressed, "Or is he more amused with two?"
"Shut up," I hissed quietly, Kioko went unusually silent as she was about to retort for me.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Malfoy questioned mockingly.
"SHUT UP!!!" I shrieked spinning around. "You, you don't know anything about my family!!! How dare you insult my Haruka-papa!!! How dare you insult my parents!!! You're—you're ignorant of EVERYTHING that concerns me!!! You don't know, you don't know!!! THEY'RE MY FOSTER PARENTS!!!" I screamed. I then spun around and ran, hot tears ran down my cheeks, anger forcing me to go faster. I had to get away from him, I had to.
Pandora squawked with protest all the way, but I didn't care, I didn't care that everyone seemed to be staring at me. I just wanted out, I wanted to go back home, I wanted to leave and never return, I wanted to get away from him. Why? Why did he always have to try and make me angry or miserable?! I didn't do anything to him but snip at him in the compartment that first day. Sure I might have given him a few retorts now and then, but that was before I had numbed to his insults. I wasn't doing anything to him, and yet he was continually doing this to me. Why? Why couldn't he just get bored and leave me alone? I can't seem to figure it out.
Soon my run turned into a shaky walk, my sobbing became a collection of exasperated huffs and sniffs, I didn't have enough energy to continue on. I was getting a really bad headache, and Pandora's chirping in my ear wasn't helping a bit.
After calming the mental part of my run down I suddenly realized that I had lost Kioko, in fact, I had lost my way. Nothing around me looked familiar, no one around me looked familiar, where was I?! Panic threatened to take over me, but I forced it down and tried to think strait, just like how Haruka-papa had always taught me. But after having a look around me I realized that I was utterly lost, lost in a part of Hogsmeade that harbored Vampires and Goths. People who wouldn't care if I screamed, or was being robbed, or worse…
I couldn't have been in bounds, there was no way Hogwarts would allow its students here. But that wasn't important right now, what was important was finding a way back. Thankfully Pandora had the sense to keep quiet so as not to attract attention. Maybe, being half hidden by my hair and still very small, she wouldn't attract too much attention anyways.
Well, Pandora didn't attract any attention, but I did, even though I didn't look very out of place here, I was still getting some looks. And not very good ones either.
Without warning, I was grabbed and jerked to the ground. "Hotaru!!!" I heard someone call, but I didn't know who. Pandora was squawking uproariously in my ear and I had to get to my feet. No good. Someone else grabbed me. I tried fighting back, but it didn't seem to be working.
Suddenly they were thrown back into one of the walls. "H-Harry?" I gasped just as another vampire grabbed for my neck.
"Stupefy!!!" Harry exclaimed, stunning the Vampire. The ones closing in on us growled, I quickly took out my wand and the two of us stood there with our backs nearly touching the wall. "Any ideas?" Harry asked.
My heart was racing, my head was spinning, and panic was threatening to take over, no, I had absolutely no ideas that didn't require the use of a particularly sharp object as well as the exposure of a certain senshi, possibly all of them. "No, but if we get out of this alive I'll probably have several by tomorrow." Was what I said, with all my studying and all the charms I had been made to learn, I couldn't come up with any of the ones that would probably get us out of there.
"Incendio!!!" Harry exclaimed, a small blast of fire was released from his wand and caught onto a nearby vampire's cloak.
"Stupefy!!!" Exclaimed one vampire with his wand out. Harry dodged the spell by stepping aside, I had to practically fall on the ground to get away from it. A group moved in and started circling me, cutting me off from Harry.
Panicking, I scrambled up the wall and shakily held my wand up. They merely laughed at my attempt.
After that, everything seemed to happen at once. They moved in, I heard a scream, a scream that belonged to Harry. "Harry!!!" I yelled. No, it couldn't be, it couldn't end like this!!! He couldn't die just because of my stupidity. NO, I wouldn't let it happen!!! I wouldn't!!!
I felt something start to blaze on my forehead, it was the symbol of Saturn, I knew. Power started to coarse through my veins as I unlocked the power of Silence, pulling it, calling it forth. And then I attacked. Screaming out my thoughts with the blast of power, for Silence refuses sound. I caused the ground to break apart, I destroyed those closest to me. Die I thought, die all of you!!! As I wished it to be, so did it happen.
When I came to my senses again, or rather woke up from a black out, everything around me had been broken, the wall behind me was still in tact, the street had only a few pieces of it missing, but what really showed me what I had done was all the dead bodies that laid before me. Dead…I had killed them all…how could I have done that? I can't believe I did that, it, it, I can hardly bare to think of it. But I must write this down, I have to get this out.
Harry was there beside me, holding my limp form. I felt as though I could no longer move, that I'd be paralyzed forever. After a few moments, I could hear him speaking, frantically shaking me and trying to wake me up from my stupor.
When I was finally able to walk, when I was finally able to take account of everything else around me, I saw someone else there, it was Professor Snape. And he was holding my arm in an attempt to keep me stable.
"Potter, you'd better explain this. What were you doing here? This place is restricted." He stated.
"I'm s-sorry P-Professor, it's all m-my fault." I stuttered out. Still very week and worn from the sudden unleash of power. "I got lost and, H-Harry was only t-trying to find me." I said.
"Tell no one what you just saw, Potter." Snape warned as he brought his arm around me in a better attempt to keep me standing. "No one." He repeated.
"I won't." Harry insisted, though he was still giving Snape a dark look. "But what was that?" He asked.
"Never you mind, Potter. Now, let's get you both back within bounds, and you back in the Hospital Wing Miss Tomo." He said.
"W-wait, Pandora, where is she?" I asked, looking around frantically. I didn't, no, I couldn't' t have…
"You mean that purple bird that saved me, she's right here." Harry said, he dug into one of his pockets and pulled out Pandora. She gave a little cheep as Harry handed her back over to me.
"Where did you get a…never mind." Snape said before he could finish his question. "We'll talk about this later, both of you." He said, he then ushered the two of us away from the scene and back to Hogsmeade.
While Harry was excused back to his friends, Snape made sure to escort me back to Hogwarts and directly to the Hospital wing. Though he carried me most of the way because I was so tired and spent.
"HOTARU!!!" Setsuna shrieked when she saw me. "Wh-what happened?! H-Hotaru you're, you're bleeding!!!" She gasped, taking me into her own arms. I just started sobbing and couldn't stop until after she had laid me down and bandaged up my forehead. All the wile Snape didn't leave.
"Meiou, I have some questions and I think you have the answers." He stated, closing the door behind him, probably hoping to keep Madam Pomphry out.
"Snape, this is hardly the time." Setsuna huffed irritably.
"It concerns Tomo as well as what I saw." He stated, his eyes falling upon my forehead.
"What happened?" Setsuna asked cautiously.
Snape waved his wand and murmured something that sounded like a silencing ward before continuing, "Tomo apparently got separated from Night and lost in an area that is out of bounds for students, for very good reasons might I add. Potter followed her, apparently, and the two got attacked by a good deal of Vampires. That's what I gathered, what I saw, however, was suddenly Tomo unleashed waves of dark, monstrous power, power that the Dark Lord has been searching for. She killed all of the Vampires, likely they won't be missed much, but the question still remains there, and I doubt I have to speak it." He told us.
Setsuna turned and gave me a sharp look. "I-I couldn't help it!" I chocked out, "They were, they were about to kill Harry and it was because of me!!!"
"That, is, no, excuse!!!" Setsuna exploded. I shrank back in my pillow. "We told you a thousand times to never, never, revel that, that…power." She said angrily, though she gave me a look, hidden from Snape, that told me to 'play along'. So I bit my lip and stayed silent as she turned to Snape. "You can't tell anyone!" She exclaimed, a bit angrily.
"Of course not," He said smoothly, "But I'd like to know what I cannot tell them."
Setsuna bit her lip, giving the impression that she really didn't want to reveal what she was about to say. "Hotaru, Hotaru has an evil spirit living inside her, a demon maybe, we don't know. It gives her these…powers, but it's continually trying to take control of her as well. We've seen exorcists, but the only thing they can do is help her fight it. We can't destroy it without killing her, and if we kill her before her time has come we'll only set it free. But no one can know about it!" She explained.
"Of course not, but perhaps I may be of some help." He said. "Perhaps Tomo could kill this evil spirit herself."
Setsuna looked thoughtful for a moment, "It was considered, but we couldn't go to anyone who could help without keeping it a secret." She said. "What do you recommend?" She asked.
"Study of the Mind. Not Occlamancy, but something that goes deep into one's being, into their mind, and let's them see what is there. Though I'll warn you, those who have succeeded in seeing everything that their mind is made up of die instantly." He said. "At least, most do." He looked at me as though saying that he figured I'd be one of the few who could handle it.
"Sound's too dangerous for my liking." Setsuna said.
"Don't worry, it has more uses than just that, and if Tomo is strong enough to have fought off this evil spirit for so long she will surely be able to handle it." He said. "So, is it settled then?" He asked.
Setsuna turned to me, question in her eyes. No answers, just a question. But maybe this was the answer, maybe, just maybe. So I nodded in agreement. Without another word Snape left. Leaving Setsuna alone with me.
"Sorry I yelled at you then, but the less he, anyone, knows the better. I understand that you were probably under a lot of strain and couldn't control yourself, but it's better for him to think you have more control than you do so as not to alert them that you might endanger the other students." Setsuna explained.
I nodded my head, "I understand. But maybe, maybe if Snape teaches this to me I can get rid of Mistress 9, for good." I said.
"Perhaps. But you should rest now Hota-chan." She told me. "You're condition isn't so bad, you can go to classes tomorrow. I suspect Night and Potter will be wanting to see you so try and get some rest now while you still can."
"Okay." I told her, suddenly realizing that all I really wanted to do was sleep.
It seemed too short a time before I was awakened by movement in the room, and not very gentle movement either. I cracked an eye open to find the one person I'd never expect to come and visit me trying to pick one of the chairs up from the ground, and also trying to be quiet about it. My head started to pound again, I wasn't about to forgive him for what he said, and I wasn't about to let him get away with 'visiting' me either. I closed my eyes back and relaxed to try and get my head to stop hurting so much.
"What are you doing here?" I mumbled, just loud enough that I knew he'd hear. There was a pause, a long pause. It seemed as though I had frozen him in his place.
"Er…" He was at a loss for words; he had rather hopped that I wouldn't wake up while he was still there. Serves him right. And not even I could think up an excuse for him to use, of course I didn't want him to come up with an excuse. I was still furious with him after all. "I was…um…" Ha, the great Draco Malfoy at a loss for words or snappy retorts. That was one I'd remember to tell Kioko.
"Forget it, I don't even want to know. Just go away." I sighed after another stretch of silence. I didn't see him go, I rolled over and went back to sleep after that.
Though once again I was shaken awake by a couple of certain people busting into the room. "What happened!?!? We heard you were attacked by Vampires!!!" I heard Fred yell into the room.
"Weasley PLEASE, she was still asleep." Setsuna snapped.
"I thought I told you not to do that to me again!!!" Kioko yelled when she reached me.
"Not so loud, please." I said softly.
"What happened?"
"Is it serious?!"
"Did you get hurt?!"
"Whoa, is that a Phoenix?"
"How did you escape?!"
"Did Snape fend them off?"
"SILENCE!!!" Setsuna yelled. The room went very quiet. "Yes, she was attacked by Vampires, she and Harry both. Luckily Severus was there to fend them off." She said.
"But, there was this blast of, something, and the next thing I know they're all lying on the ground unconscious." Harry told her.
"Sounds like they tried using some of their own magic and Mr. Snape turned it back on them." Setsuna said.
"But then wh—" He tried again.
"Mr. Potter, shouldn't you be getting some healing too?" She asked in such a way that she ended the subject.
"Er, no, that's okay." He said, getting the picture.
"Good, good. Now, if you'll all put you're Get-Well presents on the table here and sit down maybe Hotaru won't be so overwhelmed." Setsuna said.
"Who brought you the Chocolate Frogs?" George asked.
"Never you mind Mr. Weasley." She said.
"Bet it was Malfoy again wasn't it?" Kioko said, though she had no humor in her voice. Everyone looked at her with shocked expressions. "The baka, guess he has some guilt after all. That's a lot of Chocolate Frogs." She commented.
"What do you mean 'again'?!"
"Guilt? What'd he do this time?" The twins both said at the same time.
"He started insulting Hotaru's parents, first time he tried doing that, the results weren't pretty though. It ended with Hotaru uncharacteristically screaming at him then running off and me hexing him until my arm got soar from swishing my wand around. I'm surprised he wasn't in the informatory himself after all that." Kioko explained.
"He was, he just needed some medication to get all those hexes out of his system and by the way where did you learn so many?" Setsuna asked.
"I'd tell you, but I don't really fancy detention." She said. When Setsuna gave her a questioning look she went on, "Well, technically I didn't tell you what I did, so technically you have no proof, and therefore don't have a reason to put me in detention. So I can say that much." Setsuna just rolled her eyes. "Anyways, you should have seen Malfoy's face when you stalked off. If I wasn't so steamed at him for that I'd have laughed in his face before hexing him to the informatory." Kioko said grinning.
"Well, I'd be pretty surprised too if Hotaru raised her voice at me, I still can't picture her yelling like that." Ron stated.
"Neither can I." Harry agreed.
"Let's hope you never do because it's not fun." Kioko told them. "And I wasn't even on the receiving end."
"Okay, okay, you can stop now." I said sitting up in my bed. Setsuna helped me reposition my pillows to do so.
"Can I have a Chocolate Frog Hotaru?" Ron asked.
"Help yourselves." I told them, I'd certainly never eat them all. "Shush Pandora." I pleaded, the Phoenix was starting to give me a headache with all her screeching.
"Oh yeah, how'd you get a Phoenix?!" Fred exclaimed excitedly.
"Er,"
"She got it at Saturn's Eye." Kioko explained.
"You mean the shop with all the spooky odds and ends that no one goes to but weird people?" George asked, though it was in such a way that made you think he had gone into it as well.
"Yes. Hotaru got me an amulet from that place." Kioko said pulling out the chain she had hidden under her robes.
"Eeeeek!!! Put it away! It must be haunted!!!" Fred exclaimed with playful fear.
Kioko smirked and then came at him with the amulet held outwards towards him. "I command you to scream like a girl again!!!" She ordered.
"Ack!!! Lady Hex is trying to hex me!!!" George exclaimed, the twins then started running with Kioko at their heels. I giggled, Lady Hex was a title Fred and George had come up with a while back and it was starting to become popular this year.
"Oh, before I forget." I said, reaching over to the bag beside my desk. I pulled out all the quick pens I had bought for them. "I got these for all you." I told them. I handed them each their own pen.
"Quick pens!!!" Hermione gasped in delight. "How ever could you afford these?" She asked.
"Er," I blushed a bit.
"We're very rich." Setsuna explained smiling. Pandora gave a chirp and hopped from the dresser onto my shoulder.
"I can see that." Ron said a bit awkwardly as he stared at Pandora.
"Oh, you don't have to be incredibly rich to buy something from Saturn's Eye." George came up. "Silver always has the best prices, he says he wants his customers to be able to afford his wears instead of going into debt for them. Pandora, that's her name right?" I nodded, "Pandora probably cost a small bit of money compared to any other store."
"Well, he gave her to me for around 80 galleons." I told him. I couldn't quite remember the exact amount.
"Whoa, that's a really good deal. Especially for an oddly colored Phoenix like yours." Fred said, George nodded in agreement.
"Won't Dumbledore be surprised?" Hermione said. Harry gave an odd twitch at the name but covered it up quickly.
"Doubt it, he's hardly surprised at all." Setsuna said.
"Good evening everyone." Galaxia said, bustling in the doorway. Everyone starred at her. For one she had her hair down so that it nearly reached the floor, meaning they could see the ends dyed red. She was also wearing a white sun-dress and had a teddy bear in her arm with a balloon tied to it. The whole thing made her look no older than 20, possibly younger.
"S-Sapphire?" Fred dared.
"That would be me, yes." Glandria said smiling. "I heard you were having a few bad episodes Chibi-hime." She told me as she handed me the cute little teddy bear.
"Thank you Glandria." I said smiling myself.
"You're, you're…young!" Ron exclaimed.
"Well I like to think I look the part. Extended youth is only one of the secrets you may find in the stars. I expect you're all doing you're homework?" She asked, everyone nodded.
"So is it true? You know Umbridge?" Harry asked.
Glandria grinned, "Oh it is. And Dolores just happens to be…'inspecting' me tomorrow first period." She said.
"What?! No fair, she couldn't do it second period?!" Fred exclaimed making everyone snicker.
"I trust you'll be able to come to class tomorrow?" She questioned me.
I shook my head. "Nope. I just have to spend the night here again."
"Oh good, I got my hands on some of Saturn's Black Crystal and we'll be studying it tomorrow." She said.
The Weasleys, Kioko, and Hermione all gawked at Glandria. "How in the world did you get that?!" Fred and George exclaimed.
"Simple, from Saturn." She said, though the look in her eye gave it away.
"Saturn's Eye right?" Kioko asked.
"Of course. Rare items at good prices. That amulet you're wearing looks like something from Medusa's tomb. Well, I must be going, need to run back to Hogsmeade for a bit. Sayonara." She said before turning to leave.
Kioko looked at her amulet with newfound interest. "He does have good prices!" She exclaimed taking it off to examine it more closely.
All 6 of them stuck around for the rest of the day, or at least until curfew. Fred and George had a later one so they stayed and helped me eat most of my Get-Well presents. But then they had to leave. Setsuna-mama let me stay up long enough to write all this down, but now that I've done so I feel just so tired I don't think I could continue without writing something down that makes no sense at all.
"Book up now." Setsuna ordered.
"Okay." Hotaru said, she wanted to write down just a little bit more, but it wasn't that important. She set her book up and Setsuna helped her position her pillows so she could lay back down and go to sleep.
A/N: One chapter with no Journal Entry and one chapter with nothing but. Yeah, I think that evened out pretty well don't you? I was gonna include the clash between Galaxia and Umbridge here, but it got a little long after rewriting it all, so you'll have to wait until the next chapter!!! And now, I shall save.