by Deirdre Blair
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Summary: Though it has only been a few days, many new surprises have been occuring at Hogwarts. And when a group of selected students is called to the hospital wing, an even stranger turn of events occurs. Also, Harry finds himself a little more than confused about his feelings. Well, he's not the only one...
Author's Note: Keram Malicki-Sanchez rules! You know, I could sorta see him as Blaise Zabini... Ah, anyway, I was thinking aloud. Chapter Eight. Can you believe it?! I mean, I couldn't when I finished writing it. I can't believe I have gotten this far! And the chapters are so long to begin with. Oh man...this is just too much to comprehend. Just...here's chapter eight!!! I'm sorry it's taken me so long!!!
Rating: PG13
Genre: Drama/Romance
Pairing: Hotaru/Harry, Ron/Hermione, Blaise/Draco
Warnings: Male/Male SLASH
by Deirdre Blair
The Tip of the Iceberg
Previously on Tragic Angel...
~Makoto shook her head, nearly laughing. "Dumbledore's a smart man, so he's probably got it all figured out by now. Destiny has taken a detour and left it all up to one person to decide which way the wind will blow," Makoto replied, sounding uncharacteristically prophetic. "He won't tell you anything yet. It's up to someone else to let you in. I wouldn't go poking my nose into things that aren't my business yet, if I were you."~
~Yue's eyes flashed. "I would never do anything to her. I love her. I've loved her since the beginning."
Harry suddenly felt as if his legs were going to give way at any moment. He suddenly felt very heavy, and ultimately cursed gravity. His voiced the only question on his mind. "And does she love you?" he asked in a quiet voice.
Yue smiled brightly. "Of course she does. It'd be a little odd if she didn't. What are you so upset about?"~
~Harry jumped, startled out of his thoughts. "O-oh, nothing really. I just find it strange that Malfoy and Zabini were able to calm Hotaru down that well...without her cursing them into oblivion."
Yue was a little shocked as well, but it didn't look as if it was because of what she did. "And you think she's the type to do that?"
Harry nodded without hesitation. "It wouldn't surprise me."~
~In that very instant, it seemed as if Lavender, Hotaru, Yue, and Harry had returned to normal. However, they only seemed like it. But they looked as if they felt like hell. Some of the students noticed that what they thought was sweat near the four's eyes were actually tears.
They had been mourning the fate of the world.~
~Hotaru looked away for a moment, trying to answer the question to the best of her ability. "You should know, Potter, that some people dig themselves into holes that are so deep, they need a rope or ladder to climb out of them."
Harry, acting on impulse, grabbed her hand. "I'll always have a rope for you."~
~Getting right to the point, Hotaru looked Trinity directly in the eyes. "Tell me, and be honest. Have there been any fatalitys back in Crystal Tokyo?"
"There has been one," Trinity replied in a melancholy voice. "Minako Aino, Sailor Venus, was killed last night." ~
-
Hotaru sat in the cold grass, staring up at the star-filled sky, using her arms as support. Trinity stood next to her, not worried if she'd be caught.
"Are you ever going to go back to them, princess?" Trinity asked.
Hotaru glanced at her. "Go back to them? Never."
"Helios tells me that they were your friends."
"Yes, I thought they were. But...friends don't do the things they did."
"What did they do to you?"
A dark look crossed Hotaru's sombre face. She said nothing, but continued to stare with distant hatred at a patch of grass. Suddenly, she rose to her feet and looked towards the rising sun. "The sun will be up soon. Madam Pomfrey will have my neck if I'm not in there when she checks on us." With that, she hurried off towards the castle at a steady run. She was fast like the wind. Haruka-papa taught her to be fast like the wind.
Haruka-papa.
Out of everyone in all of the senshi, Haruka-papa was the only one who understood Hotaru. She was cool, sometimes distant, but Hotaru knew she loved her very much. Hotaru returned the love everyday. She was the last one Hotaru suspected who could allow them to do what they were planning to do to her.
Tears breached the surface of her eyes. Her cheeks had long forgotten the feel of cascading tears, but were soon remembering with clarity. Hotaru bit her lip and continued to run. She had to run. Run from the memories flooding back into her river of thought.
Damn it. Usually, she had kept a pretty tight lid on those memories. But ever since Yue came back into her life, they were coming back with full force. Damn him.
Out of nowhere, Hotaru collided with something, causing her to fall squarely on her bottom. "Itai..." she spoke in her native tongue through clenched teeth. She looked up at the thing she collided into and saw...nothing. Absolutely nothing but thin air.
Her eyes narrowed. Potter had an Invisibility Cloak. Well, she could quickly solve that problem. She raised her energy level only slightly, causing a wind to pick up around her. The cloak rippled and then slid limply off a rather shell-shocked Harry Potter.
Hotaru smirked. "Well, well. Look who we have here. Looks like Potter's got himself an Invisibility Cloak."
Harry quickly recovered from his surprise and blinked. "As if you didn't know." He held out his hand to help her up.
Hotaru looked at it skeptically before reluctantly grabbing it. He hoisted her up with more force than was necessary. She collided into him again, but her hand was in his and she was still pressed up against him. Too close for her comfort.
"I-I'm sorry," Harry sputtered out.
Still pressed up against him, Hotaru felt herself begin to blush. He was much warmer against her than she would've liked. "My fault.... I...wasn't looking where I was going."
Harry smirked this time, challenging her to move with his eyes. "Like you could've seen me anyway."
Feeling nervous, Hotaru didn't have the will to pull a smirk on her lips. She managed to bite her lip, but it only made her look more flustered. Why wasn't he letting go of her hand? Damn it! Why wasn't she pulling away? "There are things you don't know about me, Potter," she said, trying to sound intimidating, but failing miserably. It only made her sound ever the more ruffled.
Hotaru cursed herself because realisation was dawning in Potter's eyes.
"Oh? Really?" he asked in feigned surprise. "Well, I have the funny feeling that there are a lot of things about you that mystify me everyday."
Hotaru mentally glared at the playful, mischevious glint in his emerald green stare. Oh how she wanted to stab them out. Yet, at the same time, they were very nice eyes.... No way. Not going there. Absolutely not.
Why was he doing this? Tormenting her like this. It just wasn't right. Her stomach was tied in knots. Why was he making her feel like this? She had never felt this way before, and didn't want to start now. Yet somehow, she couldn't resist the weak feeling in her knees, the blush creeping up her cheeks, and the relishment in the warmth he was providing.
And then suddenly, she couldn't resist falling foward, her lips meeting his. Tentively at first, and then needy. Her hands found their way to his neck and she pressed herself even more against him. The initial shock wearing off, Harry put one hand on the small of her back and the other on her cheek. Something wet slid across the back of his hand. He didn't notice.
When air was suddenly something necessary, Hotaru pulled away. Her eyes were closed as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes opened to find Harry watching her. Pain flashed across her face. "Oh no," she whispered. "What have I done?" She pulled away from him, looked at him with tears streaming down her cheeks, and ran into the clinic, the doors closing behind her.
Harry stood there, dumbfounded. He didn't know what to make of the situation. It was the most intimate contact he'd had with a girl in all of his life, and the best feeling he had ever known. It felt so right...but why was she so regretful afterwards? Maybe she needed comfort. She was crying after all when they collided. And she had been crying during the kiss.
Confused, excited, and a bit hurt, Harry picked up his Invisibility Cloak and went to walk back into the clinic. But something caught a glint of light and gleamed, causing Harry to pause and examine it. He picked it up and looked at much closer.
It was a wristwatch, elaborately designed with a gold band. It was weaving like ivy and vines. The face wasn't that of a watch though. It was an oval gem, light purple in colour, with unspeakable magic. Not the kind of magic wizards used, but magic in its own category. It looked and felt like it had limitless depth. Noticing tiny hinges, Harry opened it. Purple light shimmered out and died down to reveal ten different coloured buttons. White, pink, blue, red, green, orange, dark blue, aquamarine, maroon, and black. Each had a symbol on it as well. Two of them had crescent moons. The rest were the symbols of the planets. Only one was missing: Saturn.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he pressed the red one with a golden symbol of Mars on it. The lid closed and shined red for an instant. Within seconds, a face appeared.
"Hotaru-chan?"
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin. "Uh, no..."
The girl on the other end, with raven eyes and hair, opened her eyes wide. She looked like she could've been Hotaru's sister. "What are you doing with Hotaru-chan's communicator watch? Answer me! What have you done with Hotaru-chan?!" the girl cried hysterically.
Harry's eyes opened wide as well. "Oh my God..." he whispered. "I haven't done anything to her...but she dropped this. Who are you? What is this thing?"
Temper flared in the girl's eyes. "I don't believe you! I want to know who you are!"
"Ha-Harry Potter," he managed out.
Realisation flooded her features. "Harry Potter-san?" she asked in disbelief. "Prove it."
He proved it the only way he knew how. He revealed his lightning bolt scar.
"You are Harry Potter-san." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you doing with Hotaru-chan's...er...watch?"
"We ran into each other, she dropped it accidentally, and she ran off. Now, I know this isn't a watch. You said 'communicator' before. What's going on? Why does Hotaru have this? And who the hell are you?" he asked, his own temper getting the better of him.
The girl's eyes went hard. "Don't speak to me in that manner, you insolent piece of--." She was suddenly interrupted.
Another girl appeared on the screen, this one with blue hair and eyes. "Forgive my friend, Rei-chan. My name is Ami Mizuno," she introduced. "You say that she accidentally dropped this?"
Harry nodded.
She got a far-off distant look about her. "So that means she has been carrying it around. She hasn't been wearing it of course. Then how is it she won't answer any of our pages?"
"Um...she's sort of a Death Eater.... Maybe that has something to do with it?" he asked. He didn't know why he said it, but felt compelled to do so. Ami Mizuno looked like she was worried sick about her friend.
There were several gasps. This must've been a bit like Floo communicating, Harry reasoned. Just in the form of a wristwatch. "A Death Eater? Kami-sama! What has gotten into her?" Ami asked. "Go find her and put her on."
Harry nodded and walked into the clinic. He found Hotaru sitting at her bed, staring out the window absent-mindedly.
"Hotaru."
Hotaru looked up at him, blushing furiously. "What is it, Potter?" she asked with extreme distaste.
Harry, not having the patience to deal with her, tossed the wristwatch communicator into her hands. How could anyone keep her friends in a state of worry? Obviously, she had been ignoring them for quite some time. And it was making Harry very angry.
Hotaru's eyes widened and she looked at the face of the watch. Sudden pure hatred slipped into her expression.
"Hotaru-chan, listen! Don't hang up on me."
"You are the last person I ever want to see or speak to," she said in a cold voice. Harry got chills. He never knew such loathing existed in anyone else but him until now.
"Let me explain!"
Hotaru looked ready to shout the Killing Curse at Ami Mizuno. "No. I don't need a petty explanation. I saw what you were trying to do." Tears began to shimmer in her eyes again. "You. You pathetic piece of shit. How dare you?!" A glowing symbol appeared on her forehead and there were screams on the other end of the line.
Harry didn't know what she was doing, but he didn't like the sound of it. He raced over to her, grabbed the communicator, and threw it beyond her reach. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Hotaru! Stop it! STOP IT!" he cried desperately.
The symbol slowly faded and even more tears fell freely from her violet eyes. She choked back a sob and hung her head.
Feeling an over-whelming need to comfort her, Harry gathered her in his arms and held her tightly. She didn't resist at all. She cried silently into his shirt. The only thing that gave away the fact that she was, indeed, crying was the wetness on his shirt.
He whispered calming words to her. Anything he could think of. He didn't know the situation, if her actions were justified, or if she was acting to lull him into a vicious trap. All he knew was that he needed to hold her. Hold her or else risk losing her to the darkness deep inside her.
She stopped shaking and nuzzled into his chest. She wrapped her arms around his torso and tightened her hold. She held onto him as if he were her lifeline. Harry pet her hair reassuringly.
Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her office. "What's going on? I heard shouting."
Harry shook his head. "It's under control."
Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Is Ms. Tomoe all right?"
"She will be."
She nodded again and walked back into her office. Her expression told him she thought she knew something.
Harry felt like someone was watching him and looked over Hotaru's head to see Yue staring at him. It was a mixture of hurt and confusion. It was as if he were asking, "Why didn't she come to me?"
Harry returned an expression that said all too well, "I'm handling it."
Now his expression was cool anger, hurt, and confusion mixed together. Harry suddenly felt within danger's grasp.
-
"Are you absolutely sure we should be doing this?" asked Firenze, standing in Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore looked up at him from over his spectacles. "Do you agree that if the Seers that are in this school are not trained, then their powers could kill them and those around them?"
"Well, yes, but I am not qualified for this position. While I know several forms of Divination, I am a centaur and therefore not accustomed to a human's divination skills," he argued.
"That's where we come in."
Firenze turned around to see Setsuna Meiou standing in the doorway with Makoto Kino beside her. Dumbledore didn't look surprised at all.
"If it is all right, Dumbledore, I request that Makoto and I train the Seers. We have extensive Divination knowledge and skills. Also, we are certain that the abilities they have match our own. In addition to their Seer training, we must hone their skills as soldiers," Setsuna explained.
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose. "Soldiers?"
"Of their respective kingdoms," answered Makoto. "We all know of the enemy that must be defeated. The Ultimate Enemy. This goes way beyond Voldemort and the Death Eaters. You know this."
Dumbledore sighed. "Of course I do. And I agree with your proposal. But do remember that while their souls are ancient, they are still children."
-
Throughout the next couple of days, tests were held to see who had Seer abilities, or at least abilities useful to Setsuna and Makoto in the Ultimate War. Those who were positive of these special abilities were held in the hospital wing with Hotaru, Harry, Yue, and Lavender. Those sent to the hospital wing were Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Dean Thomas, and Xavier Denton.
"Why the hell are we here?" asked Ron in a grumpy tone. He was seated on a bed, his arms folded over his chest.
Hotaru, Harry, Yue, Draco, Blaise, and Xavier all glared at him noticeably. "Shut your trap, Weasley," Xavier sneered.
"They'll be here any moment to explain what's going on." Of course, Hotaru already knew what was going on--to some extent. She had a feeling that Yue knew as well, and much more than she did. But he was doing a good job of acting confused.
"I don't know you Denton, but I'm already beginning to not like you," Ron spat at him, furious at being kept in a hospital wing with Slytherins.
"Believe me, the feeling is mutual," Xavier drawled.
"Both of you just shut up!" Hotaru cried, now standing in the middle of the room. "Once Set--Meiou and Kino get here, they'll explain what's going on! Until then, you either stay quiet or risk getting injured in a most uncomfortable way," she threatened. She had slipped just a little then. She hoped nobody noticed.
Yue was looking at her, as well as Draco and Harry. Damn.
They had better get here quick, she thought to herself. Or else there would be a whole lot more to be explained than just what they were doing in their current whereabouts.
As if on cue, the doors opened to reveal Setsuna and Makoto. They walked through. The students all got up from their places on the chairs or beds and focused on them. They were all silent, expecting them to explain everything immediately.
"I ask that you all sit, for the news we bring to you is a bit over-whelming for some," Setsuna requested politely.
Only Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Dean sat. The rest stood exactly where they were, regarding the duo with extreme suspicion and distrust. However, only Yue looked at them with curiosity.
"I am positive that you all are here with many questions as to the reason we've been keeping you in isolation. And we understand that you demand answers. But you must first listen to what we have to say, for we might answer your questions in our explanation."
They remained quiet.
"It has been concluded that the eleven of you have superior ablities to those of your classmates. Two of you have known this all of your lives. Another two of you have already discovered this, but just a few days ago. And the rest of you are just learning this now."
"What do you mean, "special abilities"?" Draco asked without hesitation.
Makoto put her hand on Setsuna's shoulder to tell her that she'd explain this one. "Abilities different from any of those around you. While you possess magic, it is the magic that everyone around you has. But the abilities I speak of are...unique. The ability to See, for example. As well as the ability to control a certain element unique to you, and the ability to call upon a certain higher power so that you may access more of your stored energy."
"That told me nothing."
"Then you aren't hearing properly," Makoto scolded.
"I think you should go on with the history, Makoto. They know nothing about it, so your explanation doesn't make sense to any of them," Hotaru suggested, in hopes of getting the show on the road.
Makoto didn't know whether to glare at her or thank her. She chose to do both.
Setsuna went on with the history. "You have all heard before about Astrological Myth, am I correct?" She didn't wait for them to answer. "Or at least, you heard the basis of it. However, there is something about it that I left out on purpose. The entire myth isn't a myth at all. It's the past, true history. The goddesses were more than just godesses. They were soldiers in an eternal battle of good versus evil. Each lived on their respective planet and were master of their each respective element. They were what were known as the "Sailor Senshi"...which translates into "Sailor Soldiers". After a long a grueling battle between the evil queen Metallia and the entire galaxy, there were many casualties."
Hotaru looked at Yue with a forlorn expression. She stood closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder, thanking what ever power that was at work that she had not lost him permanently. Returning the feeling, Yue wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Setsuna didn't seem to notice. "The princesses of Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune tried to defeat Metallia, but could not. The next planet that came across Metallia's path was Saturn."
Hotaru buried her head in Yue's shoulder, not wanting to relive such painful memories.
"Metallia had difficulty in taking over Saturn. The princess, who is also the goddess of Saturn, had been locked away for her own protection. Instead of staying by her side the entire time, the prince of Saturn, the princess's beloved cousin, went out into battle. He sent her to the room where the Crystal of Silence was held, only to open the door for him when the battle was over." Setsuna glanced at Hotaru. "Days passed, and the princess was losing hope as the minutes went by. Then she heard the prince at the door. She opened it only to find that the prince had suffered fatal injuries. She mourned for him and then touched the Crystal of Silence. She fell into a deep sleep."
Hermione interrupted uncharacteristically. "Why is that?"
"The Crystal of Silence could only be touched by the Saviour. And when that happens, the Saviour's life energy is stored inside of it. Only when the Fateful Day comes, will that power return to her."
"Oh."
Hotaru looked over at the Gryffindors, huddled together. Ginny Weasley was on the edge of her seat, her eyes and mouth open wide. She believed everything--which was surprising. The story Setsuna was telling was true, but sounded a bit far-fetched.
"By then, Metallia had moved into the Inner Solar System, where she fought with the five Inner Senshi. Each fell within minutes. Their powers weren't strong enough."
Makoto began to wring her hands.
"Metallia came to her destination: the Moon. The Moon was the home of the most powerful senshi and goddess of all: Princess Serenity. She had actually not gone to the moon herself. She sent her most powerful minion: Queen Beryl. Beryl was in love with the prince of Earth, Serenity's fiancee. But when he wouldn't succumb to her advances, she killed him. The princess then killed herself by sword, not wanting to live in a world without her beloved. Queen Serenity used the last of her power to send all of the senshi, dead or comatose, to Earth to be born again in the future.
"These girls were also something else. They were Saviours. They were to be Saviours when the Ultimate Enemy would rise. They will all rise together to defeat the Ultimate Enemy, and hopefully, rid the entire universe of evil," Makoto interjected.
Setsuna nodded. "Many, many years later, the senshi were revived and fought endlessly to rid the galaxy of evil. To this day, they are battling demons. In fact, a minion of the Ultimate Enemy is in Tokyo right now...but in your futures. The year 3030 to be exact."
"The year 3030 isn't in our futures," Hermione argued.
"That's what you think now. But a great Ice Age will come and freeze the entire earth. This Ice Age will be different, however, because the life frozen will actually be preserved. Neo Queen Serenity, formerly Princess Serenity, will rise up with the ginzuishou--"Silver Crystal"--and revive earth. She will claim it as her kingdom and we will live the rest of our lives in peace."
"Peace?" Hotaru asked in a quiet voice. "When I left, there had been no peace."
Everyone turned their heads towards Hotaru. She was standing, completely tensed, with her fists clenched at her sides.
"Hotaru..."
"No. You were going to "out me" anyway, weren't you? You were going to out me, Yue, Makoto, and yourself. Don't lie," Hotaru spat. She glared directly in Setsuna's eyes. "In that future, a great enemy will appear and wreak utter havoc on all that is living. There will be suffering, torture, screaming through the night. I fought in one of the fights. The senshi, brave and noble as they are," Hotaru said sarcastically, with tears brimming the surface of her eyes. "Gave it their all in the battle with just a common demon. The only way it would stop their current battle was if the senshi handed over Sailor Saturn and the ginzuishou. They held on tight to the ginzuishou, but I was thrown into the pod it had formed and sent to the "mothership". There, I was witness to torture of innocents. And I was going to be next. Luckily for me, I had escaped by using all of my energy to get back to the palace. I could never rejoin you traitors. I went through the Gates of Time, going back to this period so that I--." Hotaru stopped. "So that I wouldn't have to be a senshi anymore."
Everyone was shell-shocked. Yue was staring at Hotaru with such sympathy. He walked up to her and held onto her as if she were about to fade away.
"Y-you're Sailor Saturn? The Goddess of Saturn? The princess?" Harry had a hard time spitting out the words.
Hotaru looked up at him. "Yes," she said, finally speaking the truth. "Yue Takada is my cousin. Setsuna is Sailor Pluto, and Makoto is Sailor Jupiter."
Hotaru caught sight of Draco and Blaise. Each had an identical expression of betrayal, confusion, and unadulterated anger. She bit her lip, but looked away. "I had to keep it a secret. For my sake, mostly. If Voldemort heard I was a senshi, he'd use me without hesitation. I hate being used."
Blaise and Draco kept silent, but crossed their arms, and stood defensively. They were looking at her with the same doubt and suspicion they regarded everyone else with. Xavier joined them.
Hotaru couldn't take it anymore. "Why don't you just tell them why the hell they are here?"
Setsuna glared at her. "You will not speak to me in that manner, Hotaru."
Hotaru met Setsuna's glare with her own. They stared into one another's eyes for a very long time. It seemed as if ages had passed before Hotaru finally looked away and muttered, "I'm sorry."
Astonished, Harry stared at her. Hotaru found passionate interest in her wringing hands.
"It looks as if I should tell you why you are here now. Recently, Sailor Venus, the supposed Saviour of Venus, died--leaving us to conclude that not all of the senshi are Saviours. We have reason to believe that some of you may be the Saviours of your own respective worlds." There was silence. "When Queen Serenity used the last of her power to send the senshi to Earth, she also sent selected people--among them, the Saviours. We have found one of the Saviours within this school. That person is Lavender Brown."
Lavender's eyes widened. "Me?" she asked meekly.
Setsuna nodded. "Yes, Ms. Brown. The rest of you showed a considerable amount of life energy related to the other planets. Except for Harry Potter. He showed a substantial amount of Earth energy--so much that it over-powers the life energy of Mamoru Chiba, the supposed Saviour of Earth."
"Does that mean...?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"Yes, Mr. Potter. It means that you have a high chance of being the Saviour of Earth."
Harry said nothing.
"Hermione Granger, you showed a considerable amount of life energy of that of Mercury. You have the ability to call upon the powers of Ice and Knowledge. While Ami Mizuno, the Saviour of Mercury, still has more, you may have a large part in helping us defeat the Ultimate Enemy. Ginny Weasley, you showed nearly as much life energy of Jupiter as Makoto Kino does. However, she is the Saviour of Jupiter. You may call upon the powers of Nature and Lightning. Draco Malfoy, you have within you a substantial amount of life energy of the Moon, which would explain your and Mr. Potter's immediate disliking of one another. While Mr. Potter is the Saviour of Earth, he is also the Saviour of the Sun, which is quite the opposite of the moon. You have the power to call upon Light and the very aspects which make every one of us human. That is one of the strongest powers available.
"Xavier Denton, you could be the Saviour of Neptune. You can call upon the powers of Water and Reflection. I have compared your life energy to that of Michiru Kaiou, and you have the purest amount. Ron Weasley, you have the power of Mars within you, although you do not have as much power as Rei Hino, the Saviour of Mars. You may call upon the powers of Fire. Blaise Zabini, you have the power of Pluto within you, the planet of which I am Saviour of. You may call upon the powers of Time itself. Dean Thomas, you have the power of Uranus within you. You may call upon the powers of Wind. Haruka Tenou is the Saviour of that world."
Lavender stood up. "Wait, you forgot about Yue and Hotaru! Also, what may Harry and I call upon?"
Setsuna smiled. "I did not forget about Hotaru and Yue. Lavender, you may call upon Love and Enchantment. Harry, your main power is protection, devotion to a certain something and protecting it with everything within you," she replied cryptically.
"What about Hotaru and Yue?" Ginny asked, suddenly curious.
Hotaru looked up. "I am the Saviour of Saturn, and therefore can call upon without limit, the powers of Death, Destruction, Silence, and Rebirth. Yue may call upon these powers, but they are no match for my own," she replied in small voice, as if being the embodiment of all those things was something to be ashamed of.
"You have the powers of Death, Destruction, Silence, and Rebirth?" Harry asked, feeling a bit sympathetic.
Hotaru caught his eye. She smirked, although it resembled a grimace. "It's not that bad."
"Now that everything is out in the open, Hotaru, Makoto, and I will being your training sessions. You will learn to call upon your powers and use them for good. If you decide that you would rather use them for evil, you will pay an ultimate penalty. Not death, but your memory will be erased completely of this entire conversation--of every encountering the four of us, Yue included."
"What do you mean I will be training them?" Hotaru asked.
"Yeah! She's only sixteen!" Ron cried.
Hotaru glared. "I am much, much older than that. I have been around since the creation of Saturn--over a billion years ago."
Ron gulped.
"Hotaru, you have considerable knowledge in this area, and will train them to help us defeat the Ultimate Enemy."
Hotaru clenched her jaw and fists so tight, that it hurt. "When do we begin?"
"Tomorrow," Setsuna replied. "None of you will be attending regular classes anymore. The magic you must learn is magic that cannot be taught here. However, since we do not want to alert your parents that you are learning anything but what is being taught here, we will stay at Hogwarts. We will use the Room of Requirement to train. I will "put a spell" on it to make it so that it will have a permanent placement, only when we use it. You will report to the Room of Requirement promptly after breakfast every morning, then we will break for lunch, then go back to training. After dinner, you will go back to your dormitories. This is a rigourous training process and should not be taken lightly. We will start small and then work our way up to bigger things. You are not senshi, and therefore will not be able to transform as we do."
"Transform?" Dean asked.
Setsuna thrust her henshin stick in the air. "Pluto Crystal Power! Make Up!" In an array of flashing colours and brilliant lights, Setsuna Meiou was transformed into the legendary Soldier of Time, Sailor Pluto.
"Oh, transform," Dean said, as if it were obvious from the start.
-
The students were allowed to go back to their dormitories to soak all of the information in. However, Hotaru did not feel like going back to the Slytherin Common Room where she would be looked upon with suspicion. She took refuge by the lake that reflected the silver moon above. She leaned against the tree while standing, resting her against it. She closed her eyes and thought about everything that had been said in that room.
Now everyone knew why she could never go back. She had been betrayed by the only family she ever knew. Why had they done it? Why had they so willingly sacrificed her to a small demon? These questions would remain unanswered, for Hotaru had her pride and would never go back to the senshi to ask. And the way Setsuna had retold her past with cool detachment. It was as if it really wasn't that emotional.
It was a part in Hotaru's past that made her begin to cry. She had lost the only friend, the only family she had ever really known. And she hadn't been there to protect him. Yue had been the most important thing to her, and yet Setsuna was acting as if it were just a link in a chain of events that made up Hotaru's life--not important at all.
"Hotaru?"
The quiet, almost meek voice startled Hotaru out of her thoughts. She stood up and turned around to see Harry, cautiously standing there, completely vulnerable.
Hotaru turned back to the serene lake. "Hello, Potter."
Harry took this as an invitation to stand with her, and leaned against the front of the tree, facing the lake. "I'm sorry," he apologised.
Hotaru furrowed her brow. "Sorry?" she asked with resounding shock. "What have you got to be sorry for? You haven't done anything."
"Well, I know...but I'm sorry for the things that have happened to you. I know it must be hard...and I just wanted to say that, you know, I sort of understand."
Oh, that's right. Harry had lost his godfather--the only family that he had ever known. And he had been used by Dumbledore, which was almost like being betrayed, but on a smaller scale.
Hotaru got closer to him and hugged his arm. He jumped and looked at her, blushing from ear to ear. She had closed her eyes, smiling. "Thanks, Potter."
A while had passed, and the two watched the lake as if it held all the secrets in the world. Finally, Harry broke the silence. "Why did you try to get closer to me?"
"Physically or in the relationship sense?"
"Er...relationship I guess."
Hotaru held onto him tighter, afraid that once she spoke the truth, he'd make a run for it. And then she'd be losing another important aspect of her life. "Voldemort told me to. It was my mission. I was to come here, make friends with you or even become something more...and then turn you over to him so that he could kill you."
Harry tensed and Hotaru bit her lip, hoping he wasn't going to say anything terrible. "And...now?"
Hotaru relaxed somewhat. "Now that I've been "outted", so to speak, we're both on his hit list." She paused. "Honestly, I never had the intention of turning you over to him. I was going to actually help you in the battle against the Death Eaters...not in killing Voldemort of course. That's your destiny. Although..." She paused again and bit her lip. "Although I never thought I'd get in so deep."
Harry blinked and looked at her. She was looking up at him. "What do you mean?"
"I guess...I kinda like you, Potter," she replied, blushing herself. She looked back into the lake. "I kinda like you a lot."
Harry blushed even deeper and slid his arm out of her grasp. Feeling a little braver than before, he took Hotaru's small hand into his, entertwining his fingers with hers. "I kinda like you a lot too, Tomoe."
TBC...
Author's Note: How's that for some Harry/Hotaru romance? There's more to come, believe me. We're only on chapter eight. I don't know how many more chapters there will be, but you can count on there being more than ten. I'm dreadfully sorry this took so damn long to get out. Writer's Block is the worst disease known to mankind, in my honest opinion. That and insomnia. I've had Writer's Block and insomnia for the past month. So, I've been bent out of shape. Well, it's finally here. So what do you think? I'm sorry if the history was confusing...wording was really hard...especially since I don't have any brain food...
I want my Chinese food.
-Deirdre Blair