Sorry that the chapter took awhile. I was away from home for three days and didn't spend much time on the computer, and no internet at all (*cries*), and then had to move from my old room to this one. After the Dawn will be updated tomorrow, I'd hoped the new chapter would be ready for today, but it seems not, since the power was off for some time today.
In Every Darkness
Chapter Eighty Three: Arrivals
3.2.1997
"Harry? Are you alright?" Ron and Hermione had
cornered Harry in the common room, it was early morning and Lily had already
gone down to breakfast. Harry was just coming down after showering, since he
still practiced early in the morning before anyone was awake.
"Of course," Harry seemed genuinely
surprised by the question. "Why do you ask?"
"You've been a lot … More reckless lately," Hermione said slowly.
"More reckless?" Harry repeated.
"It's like you fear absolutely nothing. You've been very close to being rude to several professors, in Quidditch practices, some of the dives you do are just … frightening," Ron took over.
"What's wrong with that?" Harry demanded.
"We just don't want you to get hurt," Hermione told him. "You've got to be alive for the Final Battle, and if you learn caution now, you'll be alive at the end of it all to. We don't want to lose you, Harry!"
"You won't."
Harry walked out of the portrait hole and down to breakfast.
"Did Ron and Hermione talk to you?" Lily asked him.
"Yes," Harry replied.
"I told them that they didn't need to."
Harry nodded quietly. "I didn't mind too much," he replied. "They are my friends, at least that showed it."
Lily nodded quietly. "Quidditch training this afternoon?"
"Yeah," Harry smiled slightly. 'Grypis, remind me to take it easy and not make Ron and Hermione more suspicious, or worried.'
'I've said that every practice, Gryfas. You just haven't been paying attention to me,' Grypis pointed out.
Harry made a face at the griffin who was currently a cat, who preened slightly.
"You talk to him, don't you?" Lily asked Harry. "I can see it in your eyes. Gryphon is no ordinary cat."
"No," Harry agreed, "he's anything but ordinary."
"I don't suppose you're going to tell me why he's anything but ordinary?"
"Of course not," Harry replied comfortably. "It's not my secret to tell – it's his, if he wishes to."
"And I suppose he doesn't want to right now?"
"Nope," Harry grinned back at her.
"Figures."
The rest of the day passed without incident. Neither Ron nor Hermione mentioned the conversation of the morning to Harry, and Harry had no intention of bringing it up any time soon.
Harry walked down to the Quidditch pitch with only Grypis for company. The rest of the team would arrive shortly and practice could begin. But Harry wanted to see if the little white wolf creature was still around.
To his surprise, the moment he walked to the fringe of the forest it turned up. 'Wow, I didn't think it would actually come to you a second time,' Grypis remarked.
"Hello there," Harry said softly.
The white creature turned its muzzle, meeting Harry's eyes with a brilliant silver gaze. It looked at him for awhile, and then wagged its tail, walking closer to Harry.
Harry dropped to a crouch, not wanting to startle it because he was so much taller than it was. He stretched out one hand, figures extended and trembling slightly.
The creature sniffed at them, then slipped forward so that its head was resting on Harry's palm, soft white fur just touching Harry's hand. Harry slowly stroked it, very gently.
Suddenly, they heard the rest of the team walking toward them, and the wolf creature stepped away from Harry, then suddenly licked his hand with a warm, moist (but not wet) tongue, then it was gone, bounding gracefully into the depths of the forest, its bright, white form almost immediately lost from view.
'I've never heard of something like that happening,' Grypis remarked, voice almost subdued.
'Finally, something you don't know everything about,' Harry teased his friend, walking over to join the Quidditch team.
"Why were you over by the forest?" Ginny asked him suspiciously.
"I thought I saw something. Turns out it was nothing," Harry shrugged it off.
"You saw something and went to look?"
"Not really close, just close enough to make sure it wasn't anything. And I had my wand out," Harry replied irritably.
The team laughed at this tone and quickly changed, taking to the air. Harry swooped and danced through the air for awhile, letting the Snitch get itself well and truly lost before going to search for it.
The next game wouldn't be for a little while, since the knock-out matches were occurring for this round now. In another month or so, Unity would be back on the pitch in the semi-finals. Harry hoped they got through those, because he really wanted to win this year – it would make up for only being able to play one match last year.
Practice ended well and Harry was very happy with the work of his team. "We have a really good chance of getting to the finals," he told them, grinning happily.
"We're gonna win," Lily added firmly, and the rest of the team cheered happily before heading up to the school.
*
Blaise was walking through the dungeons slowly. She didn't really want to go to the Slytherin Common Room, because she disliked most of the people in her house.
Her lip curled slightly. Slytherins were supposed to be cunning and ambitious! In her mind, neither of the traits seemed needed to kiss the hem of a self-stylised Dark Lord and run around and do his bidding. And her housemates called this power.
Her ambitions were quite different. She wanted power too, but didn't see Lord Voldemort has paving the way to power at all. She wanted to be Minister of Magic, or some other political figure, who could influence what went on in the magical world, and get paid heavily for it.
Or to get a job which would give her lots of money, and make her again influential, like Lucius Malfoy had tried to be. But he worked for Voldemort, and had no real power.
Suddenly a hand found itself over Blaise's mouth, and she felt a wand tip at her temple. She froze. She had no time to do anything that would allow her to get her opponent off her, so she went limp.
She was tugged to one side, and then pushed forwards. She soon gave up on being limp and started walking, since it was a little painful sometimes.
Eventually they found their way into a room. Blaise suddenly felt the wand at her temple jerk back, and the hand holding her mouth let go. She spun around, her wand coming up, to find it pointing at none other than Draco Malfoy.
"You?" she demanded, surprised.
"I couldn't confront you in the Slytherin common room," he informed her, "and I'm not stupid enough to think that you'd come with me voluntarily to a place of my choosing. Therefore this was the only option left to me."
"Confront me about what?" Blaise demanded, not lowering her wand, her heart beating fast.
"You're with Potter, aren't you?" Draco demanded.
Blaise hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was trying to trick her. Then she remembered that he'd been careful to get her away from the Slytherin common room before asking the question … Could that mean that he wasn't an enemy?
Her mind raced through various thoughts, but she eventually decided to tell the truth. After all, she could obliviate him later if she needed to – she'd learnt that spell long ago.
"Yes," she said firmly.
To her surprise, Draco looked relieved. She arched an eyebrow questioningly at him.
"I don't think that I want to join the Dark Lord," he said quietly. Blaise was so surprised that she lowered her wand before she realised what she was doing.
"No?" she demanded. Ever since first year Draco had been bragging that he would join the Dark Lord before anyone else in their year, and that he would be one of the most respected of the Dark Lord's followers.
"No," he agreed. "It … it suddenly doesn't seem so great after all. With my father being arrested and all … I suddenly realised that that's what happened to almost all of the Dark Lord followers last time around. I remember now that my father never questioned doing anything for the Dark Lord, and realise now that this wasn't because the Dark Lord had to be right, but rather, my father knew that if he didn't do as he was told, he would be tortured, or even killed …
"Then I look at Harry Potter. He has had the right to chose what he wants to do, and he isn't afraid to do it, no matter what the odds. He went to the Department of Mysteries last year to help someone, even though he knew that the place would probably be crawling with Death Eaters, because he wanted to help.
"Though I used to hate him, and everything he did, now I can't help but give him a measure of respect. He doesn't let anything get him down for long, and he always seems to do what he wants … I just do what my father tells me to."
Blaise nodded slowly. "So, what brought about this sudden change of heart?" she demanded.
"My father wants me to get marked in a fortnight," Draco replied. "And I have to decide now what I'm going to do about it."
"You know that if you refuse, you'll never be welcome in Slytherin again," Blaise pointed out. "Your father will disown you and you'll have nothing left. All of your so called 'friends' will desert you."
Draco nodded. "I know. That's why its such a hard decision."
"You should talk to Harry," Blaise told him. Draco's mouth dropped open in surprise, and he started to protest, but she cut him off. "I'm serious, Draco! You've already pointed out that he doesn't do anything unless he wants to – surely he can think of something that will work out best for you!"
"But … Why would he help me?" Draco asked. "We aren't friends and we never have been. I've done a lot of things to him over the years, and I won't delude myself into thinking that he's going to forgive me for them. And I don't want him to forgive me for them!"
"He can help. He'll help you because you're doing the right thing. I was nervous about approaching him the first time I did too, but he held nothing against me, even though I'm a Slytherin."
"You haven't been wronging him since the first day of school," Draco pointed out.
"No, but he won't care. You two will never be friends, but Harry will help you anyway, just because you're doing right!"
"Can you organise for him to meet me somewhere where no one will find out then?" Draco asked, voice small.
"Of course," Blaise replied. "I'll tell you when, and where."
Draco nodded. "Don't tell anyone else," he told her, "especially not Weasel."
"Weasley," Blaise corrected.
"I don't like Weasel, and I never will, even less than I like Potter," Draco informed her coolly. "So don't tell him!"
"Fine, fine, I won't," Blaise said. Privately she agreed with Draco, she didn't like Ron too much either. He had been the last one of DA to accept her, and she didn't think he had completely yet.
She left, but Draco stayed behind the room.
*
"So, are we ready to go?" Tatsu asked.
"Yes Tatsu-kun," Neko smiled at him. "We are now completely and utterly ready to go. We've contacted a wizard to perform a transportation spell on one of us, so that we can modify it to take us where we want to go."
The biggest downside to the Modifier talent - you had to have a spell to work with before you could do anything, which meant that you had to have a witch or wizard who would help you, even if they didn't realise that they were.
"I look forward to meeting your young ward, the famous Harry Potter," Neko remarked. "Though do not worry, I will not remark on his fame. I remember what you said, about him disliking it."
"Good, I look forward to introducing you," Tatsu replied, thinking that Harry would probably like the outgoing, pretty Japanese woman. Neko would also be able to help Tatsu with training Harry in the ways of the Katana, for it was Neko who had taught Tatsu in the first place.
"So, what's the plan?" Tatsu asked. He wasn't sure what the rest of the group had planned with the
"Hanako-san will go out to meet up with the wizard and ask him if he could perform a transportation spell on her – she's a witches younger sister, so it makes sense that she would know about magic. Then she'll Modify it so that it covers as all and takes us where we want to go, rather than just up to Tokyo."
Tatsu nodded. "Good. Then we'll be at Hogwarts swiftly. I'm worried that something bad will have happened since I left."
"The Dark Lord has been quite forward in his movements," Neko agreed, "from what I've heard. But he seems to be concentrating on Muggles and Muggleborns, outside of Hogwarts."
Tatsu nodded. "That doesn't stop my worrying," he pointed out.
"I didn't think it would," Neko informed him, smiling slightly. "Did they tell you what Samu-kun's nickname is?"
"No?" Tatsu invited her to share.
"We call him Kame (KAR-meh)," Neko replied with a rather wicked grin, "Though we haven't told him his new name yet."
Tatsu laughed, "If you do tell him, I would advise you start running as fast as you can. However fitting a name 'Turtle' might be, I doubt that Samu-kun would appreciate it at all."
"Probably not," Neko agreed, laughing quietly, "but that doesn't matter. Just as we once named Tatsu, and myself Neko, we have named Samu-kun Kame. This is how he will be known, whether he likes it or not. Despite the honour of your title, Tatsu-kun, you hated it for a long time. As I disliked mine. He will accept his name in time. There is no other way."
Suddenly the world wrenched around them, and Tatsu could only assume that Hanako had done her bit, and they were on their way to Hogwarts.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before his feet slammed into solid ground, and he found himself standing in front of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with sixty Modifiers accompanying him.
"Wow," Neko breathed in his ear, and her word was echoed by just about every member of the group. Tatsu smiled, glad that his new home had such a good impression on his friends, those he counted as family.
Suddenly the door flew open and Harry, dressed very formally with Grypis perched easily on his shoulder, walked down the front steps, with Minerva McGonagall at his side, and the rest of the Hogwarts teachers, and the prefects, walking behind them.
"Good evening, Tatsu Kendo, and company," Minerva smiled gently around at the Modifiers. Harry bowed perfectly, Japanese style, as Tatsu had taught him, and welcomed the group formally in Japanese.
Tatsu had taught him the phrases long before, and he recalled them now, to make as good an impression upon the Modifiers as possible.
"Well at least you're polite," Hanako said coolly, bordering on the disrespectful, as she nearly always did.
"I am Harry Potter," Harry introduced himself politely, and then followed with the names of the teachers and prefects who accompanied him.
The Modifiers replied with their own names, and, once everyone was introduced, they were invited into the Great Hall for dinner. McGonagall sent the Head Boy down to the kitchens to order the House Elves to prepare Japanese food for the guests.
All of the Modifiers, Harry noticed, looked quite pleased when they heard this order, and Tatsu stepped up to Harry's side, resting his hand lightly on his wards shoulder. "You did well, Harry," he said softly. "They like you already, and that will make them all the more willing to help you and your friends in anyway necessary. Well done."
While not much, these simple words of praise had the desired effect, and Harry smiled gratefully up at his guardian and friend. "I'm glad you're back."
***
There you go! Tatsu has returned and Draco has made his choice, all in one single chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!
Thanks:
Athenakitty, solar1, wadeva, jo0609, MikiBaby, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows, Goldengirl2, Dumbledave, jbfritz, Stix-the-Rebel, Loony, MiakaChan5, torifire126, cantfindagoodname, Charmed88, r, TopQuark, sourskittles89, moony*padfoot, TuxedoMac, HermioneGreen, Charmed-103, Designated Pooper-Scooper, Sammy Solo, Faceless One, Nphipps, Jaded Angel8, Ted M. Hammett, texasjeanette, Wynjara, Flame of Shadow, Wytil, Tortie, Musicstarlover, boing_bang_kerplunk, misty43, uNoeWho, Nasser Himura, wadeva, Lord of Darkness13, Kelei, easilyamused, Clare, dnd4ever, Carolina06, eloisamuggle, Izabel, I'm not the weakest link, telpesir, Hunta, A-Potter-Person, Songbreeze Swifteye, fcuking cathy, Iniysa, Prongs4, harryluvzginny, How dare you., kraeg001, kraeg001, kraeg001.
A-Potter-Person: I believe Easter Saturday is an all-Aussie thing, though I have absolutely no idea why we have it … Possibly because it's Easter Sunday and Monday and we wanted the whole weekend to be 'Easter (insert day)' … Who knows?