Part Ten: Meeting Relena's Ancestor
Duo hurried toward Quality Quidditch Supplies, his pockets heavy with galleons. He was giddy with happiness. Heero had given him exactly enough for that Lightning prototype!
He burst through the doors of the store like a man on a mission. Luckily the clerk knew the look well. He hurried to Duo and grasped his shoulders. "Which one?" he asked urgently. Duo bounced up and down and pointed to the Lightning prototype. The clerk smiled and released Duo.
"Sorry, kid, but you can't afford that--" he began.
"How much?" Duo asked, still almost bouncing off the walls.
"It's an awful lot of money," the clerk tried again.
"How.Much," Duo demanded.
The clerk flushed and named a price that would have made Draco Malfoy cough a bit. Duo grinned brightly. "What, only 30 galleons? You insult me, good sir!" he said. The clerk just sputtered and accepted the galleons Duo pushed into his hands. "Wrap it up and have it sent to Hogwarts, please. Oh, and add that broom polishing kit I see over there. Thanks, chap." Duo dropped the last galleon he had in the clerk's hand and left the store.
~~~***~~~
Quatre headed back to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. He hadn't told anyone yet, but Trowa had proposed that morning and Quatre needed wedding robes. He'd brought it up with Malkin before he left with Ginny for Fortescue's.
He looked down at his gold engagement ring set with a sapphire stone, and sighed. He was finally getting married to the man he loved. Well, boy. And they did have to wait a year in the wizarding world, two back in AC 196. Shrugging, Quatre entered the shop and proceeded to pick out robes ranging from white to pink.
~~~***~~~
Wufei grinned uncharacteristicly as he hurried back to Flourish and Blotts. A store filled to the roof beams with books! It was a scholar's heaven! And the moving pictures! He couldn't wait to get back.
He entered the store and immediately went to the Myths and Legends section. He grabbed about 13 books and stumbled to the counter. Throwing down his pile of galleons to the startled cashier -who secretly suspected that the oriental boy was related to that bushy haired girl, Hermo-ninny or whatnot- his grin widening. Life was good when you had the money of future terrorists and political psychos to spend.
~~~***~~~
Trowa slipped into a chair near the entrance to Diagon Alley from the wizarding world. The galleons he'd received from Heero were safely tucked away. He didn't want to spend it frivilously. He had an engagement present to buy. Smiling slightly, Trowa settled in to wait for his beloved and his friends.
~~~***~~~
"25."
"12."
"23."
"12."
"Okay, 20."
"12."
"19?"
"Hn. 12."
"Please, kid...17?"
"12."
"Gah! Alright, 12!" yelled the man who owned the Diagon Alley branch of Zonko's Joke Shoppe. Before him was a humongous pile of jokes and a stoic Japanese kid with a handful of galleons and an attitude. Personally, the owner thought the kid needed the jokes. He quickly wrapped up the jokes and took the boy's money. "Thank you for shopping at Zonko's. We hope your pranks take flight. Enjoy your stay in Hogsmeade!" he said cheerily. "And get a frickin' personality! Honestly!" he muttered under his breath.
Heero just glared coldly at him, then snatched up his package and walked out the door. At least Duo would appreciate his dry humor.
~~~***~~~
All five pilots converged on their escorts in front of the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron at exactly the same time. They eached eyed each others packages, mildly curious. Heero walked up to Duo and handed him the large bag labled Zonko's in entricate letters.
"Zonko's! You got me pranks, Hee-chan?! Oh, arigatou gozaimashite!!" Duo cried, glomping Heero. The Japanese boy blushed faintly. He straightened quickly and eyed Duo's package.
"What did you buy?" he asked in his monotone.
Duo's face lit up. "I bought a Lightning prototype racing broom!" he cried happily. "It has charmed steering so it will turn at the lightest touch, and that, plus the amount of broom power it has can be modified to the owners taste!"
"Meaning what?" Wufei asked.
"Meaning someone could buy a Lightning prototype for a five year old, modify the speed and quality of the broom, and the kid would be perfectly safe," Harry answered. Leave it to the quidditch-obsessed Boy-Who-Lived to answer a question about the only broom possibly faster than his modified one.
"Cool," Quatre said vaguely, dreaming of nights riding on a broom with Trowa, the moon full and the stars bright. He blushed cutely, then gestured to the portal. "Shall we go? I'm sure Professor Snape has awoken by now."
"Unlikely. I told Tom to knock him out again if he regained consciousness," Draco drawled. Everyone turned to stare incrediously at him, even Blaise. "What? I wanted to enjoy this day." Before he could say more, an inhuman shriek filled the quiet afternoon air.
"HEEEEERROOOO!" it said, trailing down the bustling streets of Diagon Alley. The Perfect Soldier froze, then tensed almost imperceptibly. But it was enough for the other pilots. What alerted their escorts that something was wrong was the pale faces of the supposedly seasoned soldiers. Quatre was the palest of all and he looked guilty. Heero immediately picked up on it.
"What did you do?" he growled at the poor blond. Trowa moved in front of his fiance and glared at Heero.
"I'm sorry, Heero! She said her name was Rellina Pemberton-Dorci and she sat at the Hufflepuff table at the welcoming feast and she said she liked you and she probably overheard Dumbledore this morning about us coming here and she has just as much power as Relena from back home so she could probably leave school whenever she wants and I'm terribly terribly sorry! Please don't kill me!!!" Quatre wailed at a speed that even rivaled Duo's. Surprisingly, Heero's eyes softened somewhat.
"Forgiven, Qua--"
"HEEERRROOOO!!!" the cry came again. This time the boys turned white as a sheet.
"What's going on?" Blaise demanded.
"And what is that horrible noise? Is a banshee on the loose?" Ginny asked timidly.
"Pretty damn close, Weasley," Duo muttered, his blue eyes searching the crowd frantically. There! A pink bundle of something barreling toward them. "We can't stay here, Hee-chan. Make a decision quick. The Leaky Cauldron or Knockturn Alley?"
"I can lead you to a sanctuary in Knockturn Alley," Draco said helpfully.
Heero looked undecided, but after the third banshee-like wail (in which large amounts of the crowd fell to their knees screaming in obvious pain), Heero answered. "Knockturn Alley," he said. Then began spitting out orders. "Draco and Duo, point. Harry, Quatre, Trowa and Ginny, center. Hermione, Wufei, Blaise and I will cover rear. Use Dark Arts if you must. Understood?"
"Hai!" they chorused, the escorts picking up a bit of Japanese.
"Good. Move out."
The ten teenagers began dashing down the street, Draco leading them down back alleys and through shady shops, until the entrance to Borgin and Burkes Antique Shoppe, their sanctuary, came into view. It was only a few feet away. Heero lifted a foot to take a step...and was toppled to the ground by a weight. He opened his eyes and got a faceful of cloying rose perfume and pink cloth. They were too late.
"Heero!! Oh, Heero!!!" the pink monstrousity giggled, hugging the pale stoic teen below her. The others froze and slowly turned around, shocked to see their leader down for the count. They were even more shocked when Heero scanned each of their faces, lingering on Duo, then looked back at Rellina...before passing out cold.
~~~***~~~
"Fuck! What the hell am I gonna do! We gotta wake him up!" Duo cried, pacing back and forth in front of Fortescue's, where Heero lay on a long bench, out cold. The others surrounded him, including Rellina.
"Duo, he's only unconscious," Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"You don't understand!" Duo wailed, then turned away to bury his face in Heero's school robes.
"What is up with him?" Harry asked.
"It is simple. We have known Heero for almost two years now, and not once has he fallen unconscious by any other means but a severe wound...and Relena," Quatre said gravely.
"Relena?" Blaise said.
"Yes. Relena Peacecraft-Darlian, adopted daughter of Vice Foreign Minister Darlian and true daughter of King Richard Peacecraft the Third. Sister to Milliardo Peacecraft, who you all know as Zechs," Trowa supplied.
"Translation?" Hermione asked.
"A crazy onna who has been infatuated with Yuy since the day she met him, when they were eleven. Seeing an ancestor of the Pink Demon Witch has probably thrown Yuy into another relapse," Wufei commented.
"Another relapse?" Ginny questioned.
"Well, there was that time when all the guys threw Quatre a surprise birthday party, and Relena popped out of the cake, thinking it was Heero's bachelor party before their wedding..." Duo said.
"And the time when she showed up at one of our safehouses wearing a pink lace teddy and Heero answered the door..." Trowa said.
"And there was that one time when--" Quatre began.
"Enough," snapped Draco. "You are giving me chills."
Their conference was interrupted by the voice that grated on their sanity.
"Is Heero going to be alright? He hasn't even professed his love to me yet!" Rellina cried.
"No, he's not alright, and he never will be until your entire line is dead, and hell no, he won't profess his love for you!" Duo said, annoyed.
"But I've known him for six years!" she wailed.
"No you...what?" Quatre asked, his teal eyes going wide.
"I've know Heero since we were ten. Everyone called him Odin back then, since it was the name of his father's childhood friend, but I called him Heero, cuz he wanted me to," Relena said proudly. The pilots stared at her, and Duo voiced what everyone was thinking.
"What the hell?" he muttered.
~~~***~~~ //Back at Hogwarts, the Infirmary//
"Okay, tell us what you meant by knowing Heero since he was ten? Give us some solid info and evidence, Missy," Duo demanded. The others nodded decisively. The only other ones there were Harry, Rellina and -for some unknown reason- Blaise. On the bed beside the teens lay Heero, a cold compress on his head and a thick blanket around his body.
"Alright!" Rellina said cheerily. "I moved to Bath, England from Sanq when I was five and lived with my Aunt Merissa Dorci. After five more years, when I turned ten, Aunt Merissa brought me to London so I could be closer to Hogwarts. I got my letter early," she said smugly. "After then I went to Diagon Alley for my school supplies. When I was in Ollivander's I met Heero. He was with his father, Kamui Lowe, this half-Japanese wizard. Heero was incredibly mean to me, but I just found it adorable."
"No shit. Relena trait #562," Duo muttered under his breath. Quatre elbowed him in the ribs.
"Mr.Lowe met Aunt Merissa and since they were old school friends they began talking. That left me and my Heero alone. He told me to go away but I was already in love and he was just playing hard to get. He said some endearing things in Japanese, I'm sure they were wonderful, and left. Since then I see him every where. It's obvious he follows me around because he likes me. There's no way he could be everywhere I am all the time," Rellina said, grinning. "And here's my proof." She whipped out a photo, obviously from quite awhile ago, of a miniature Heero and Rellina, one leaning against the Entrance Hall doors and the other with her arms around his neck. "This is us in second year. I didn't recognize him in the Sorting because he's been gone for almost two years, supposedly to recuperate from a traumatic experience. He should have been fine that night, though. After all, I did finally express my love! But now my darling Heero is back!!"
"Yeah, back to kill your obsessive ass," Duo mumbled to himself. This time it was Wufei who elbowed him so hard he fell over and hit the floor.
"Wu-chan!" he whined, rubbing his aching head.
"Look, Miss Pemberton, I'm sure you believe that Yuy is your White Knight or some such onna logic, but he has been with us for two years and we know that he doesn't--"
"How long?" Rellina asked sweetly, interrupting Wufei.
"Two years," Wufei snapped. "We..." The oriental boy trailed off as he realized what he had said. "What in the seventh hell is going on?"
"I assure, Mr.Chang, nothing much is commencing there at the moment. But if you would kindly follow me to my office, I will tell you what is happening here," answered Dumbledore, blue-robed form appearing besided the Chinese 6th year. The pilots stared at the Headmaster, then one by one nodded. "Very well. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Blaise, please keep an eye on young Mr. Potter there. We will return shortly." Dumbledore exited the Infirmary in a swirl of robes, the others behind him.
It took Harry and the others a minute to catch what Dumbledore had said. "Mr. Potter?"
***THE END***
(A/N: Just kidding!)
The boys filed into Dumbledore's office, for once minus their unofficial leader. Quatre and Trowa had already discussed it somewhat the night before. Though extremely powerful and kind, Albus Dumbledore was not to be trusted. They were sure Wufei had already caught onto their feelings, and Duo could be dealt with later.
"Have a seat, boys. Get comfortable," the old man said, making a sweeping gesture at the four chairs set up before his massive desk. "Tea?"
"Earl Grey, please," Quatre said, familiar with Dumbledore's methods. A big teapot appeared over head, along with four tea cups. The cups fell into each boy's hands and the tea pot moved to Quatre and poured a measured amount. Two more containers appeared, sugar and cream apparently. Quatre partook of those also.
"I'll just have green tea," Trowa said. He was quickly served, as was Duo, who liked Camomile tea -who knew?-. Wufei didn't drink tea. He believed it was stereotypical to people of oriental or asian descent.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, drawing the four boy's attention. "As I was saying--." He stopped as his door was opened and a blond head poked in. "Welcome, Mr Malfoy. Come sit down and partake in the festivities." Draco did as he was told. "Now, as I was saying, yesterday I told you that Heero bore a strong resemblance to Kamui Potter and Odin Lowe Jr, I failed to tell you what I discovered weeks ago. Heero Yuy is Odin Lowe Jr." Silence greeted this announcement.
"No shit?!" Of course, Duo was the first to speak. He blushed. "I mean, really?"
"Yes, Mr Maxwell. Your comrade-in-arms is none other than the cousin of Harry James Potter." Dumbledore allowed them a moment to process the information. "The truth is, even I am not sure what exactly happened, but roughly two years ago, a few days before Heero's thirteenth birthday (which is December 3rd, by the way), Heero (Odin at the time) disappeared. All anyone felt was a large surge of magic, and then he was gone."
"So Heero just vanished one day? Didn't anyone register that this happened? Didn't Harry notice that his cousin was missing?" Quatre asked.
"Well, truth be told, Harry didn't even know he had a cousin, much less noticed he disappeared. He didn't know that his father had a half brother, thereby not registering the connection between Odin Lowe Jr. and himself. He also didn't know that Odin's proper last name was Potter," Dumbledore continued. Five mouths opened. "How? Simple. Kamui Lowe's mother married Mellius Potter, James' father, then had Kamui, thereby making Kamui a Potter. Kamui chose Lowe as his last name from his mother because he wanted nothing to do with the Potters in later years." The omniscient Headmaster relaxed in his chair and picked up his own teacup, taking a sip before setting it down. "Logically, any child of a Potter is a Potter, and Kamui was a Potter. Therefore, Odin is really Odin Potter, not Lowe." Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Dumbledore set about finishing his tea.
"So no one noticed that a student suddenly went missing?" Wufei asked.
"Surprisingly no. That is one of the reasons we are encouraging interhouse relations now. Apparently someone in Odin's House didn't particularly like him and he was a leader so others followed. This grudge kept Heero's disappearance under wraps. When he was gone, we didn't notice until a week later." Dumbledore stood. "Now that the situation is clear, I believe you children are still free of classes for the day. It might be productive to go to one of the dorms and organise your thoughts. Any word on Potter- I mean Heero, will be sent up to you. Good day." And the door to Dumbledore's office opened with no visible help from anyone.
Taking the almost painfully obvious hint, the four pilots and Draco filed out of the Headmaster's office, gathering in the corridor outside. They froze when they saw Severus Snape waiting patiently for them to exit. Duo, fed up with the all encompassing seriousness of the last couple of days, opened his mouth.
"Heya, Snape-baka! Whatcha doin' out here? Skulkin'? You seem to do that alot. It ain't healthy, man," he said, grinning. Quatre groaned and restrained himself from knocking Duo out. Trowa watched impassively, Wufei slapped a hand to his head and Draco just looked on with interest.
Snape's face twisted into an even deeper sneer than normal. "I wouldn't be grinning so much, Mr. Maxwell. You have Divination first thing tomorrow. Professor Trelawney will most likely predict your untimely demise," he said.
"Yes, but will it mean something?" Duo pointed out, wagging a finger in Snape's face. "That loon couldn't predict the color of a blue sky unless it could somehow be mortally wounded."
Surprisingly, Snape chuckled. "Too true. Be that as it may, you are required to take Divination for this summer programme, loon or no." Sneer returning full force, Snape turned and strode off toward Dumbledore's office, his inky black cloak billowing artfully around him. "I simply cannot wait to see you in Potions on the morrow, foreigners. It will make for an...interesting period." Another eerie chuckle bridged the gap between the Potions Master and the four pilots (plus Draco. Musn't forget him), before Snape disappeared through the door.
"Does he practice that or something? I swear, it ain't natural," Duo muttered, snatches of 'billowing' and 'has style' filtered through the jumble.
"Isn't natural, Duo," Quatre corrected. Duo stuck his tongue out at the blond. "Anyway, I suggest we take Dumbledore's advise and head to one of our commons. Which do you think we should go to?"
~~~***~~~
Head bowed and hands clasped behind his back, Duo strolled slowly along the edge of the lake outside of the castle. After Snape had made his dramatic exit, Quatre had expressed his wish to explore the castle. Trowa decided to go with him, thereby throwing the common room idea out the window. Draco planned to go to bed early, though it was only 7pm, and Wufei wanted to explore the Revenclaw dormitories more. Duo promptly decided that it was as good a time as any to think. Which found him out by the Squid lake, hands behind his back, braid slowly unraveling, thinking about whatever popped into his head. And today the star attraction was Heero Yuy.
Duo found the half-Japanese pilot to be an unsolvable mystery, the kind of conundrum that only made partial sense over time, but never really was clear. (Duo had spent almost a week compiling that sentence with the help of Quatre and a dictionary.He wasn't dumb, by any stretch, but it took more than smarts to construct a sentence that awe inducing.) Heero had many facets, and so far Duo had come to the conclusion that all were false. There was Heero the Perfect Soldier, a personality manufactured for war. There was also Heero the child, a personification of Yuy that took quite a shock to reveal. And then there was Heero the uncaring, the emotionless. Duo knew that this Heero was the falsest of all, since he made Heero feel at regular intervals.
The Perfect Soldier persona was just that, perfect. Not perfect in the sense that most people would see such a thing, though. Heero was perfect in a way only the Mad Five (the scientists) could truly appreciate. This Heero was emotionless, cold, and killed without even a twinge of remorse. Trained in anything and everything a soldier might need, his skills surpassed every other mobile suit pilot out there, including the four remaining Gundam pilots. That was why Heero's affliction was so amusingly ironic. The Perfect Soldier, felled by a ball of fluff.
Duo chuckled as the next thought immediately followed the first. Heero the child, child Heero, any name did for the broken mental illusion Heero casts upon himself at highly emotional times in his life. When Heero was extremely sad, depressed or frustrated, he reverted to how he was 5 years ago. Scared, confused, a look of abject horror on his face, Child Heero couldn't take the death and destruction around him. This side of Heero was the only side that openly questioned the mindless killing the pilots were commanded to do.
Daily in residence was the emotionless Heero that Quatre and the others were well intimate with. Waspish almost all the time, this Heero was always in a state Duo had dubbed 'constant male PMS'. He had no time for human contact at all, deciding instead to focus solely on the mission. All these sides served as an incredibly ironic joke to Duo. The Mad Five, or more specifically, Doctor J, had been so focused on creating the perfect soldier he accidently created a schizophrenic instead.
Allowing himself a quick laugh, Duo trailed slowly back toward the school. Right about now the others would be returning to their dorms and getting ready for bed. Quatre would hug Trowa and they would discuss things lovers do before curling uo together. Wufei would have finished a detailed map of Revenclaw, and be performing his bedtime Tai Chi before turning in. Draco would already be asleep, leaving Duo to find his way back alone. And Heero...Heero would still be unconscious in the hospital wing. Even the counterspell to the stunning spell couldn't wake him.
Sighing, Duo took off at a good pace, arriving at the castle doors in under five minutes. He entered and headed down the hall toward the Dungeons. Tomorrow would be a big day. Tomorrow the pilots started classes.
***Tsuzuku or TBC***
Duo hurried toward Quality Quidditch Supplies, his pockets heavy with galleons. He was giddy with happiness. Heero had given him exactly enough for that Lightning prototype!
He burst through the doors of the store like a man on a mission. Luckily the clerk knew the look well. He hurried to Duo and grasped his shoulders. "Which one?" he asked urgently. Duo bounced up and down and pointed to the Lightning prototype. The clerk smiled and released Duo.
"Sorry, kid, but you can't afford that--" he began.
"How much?" Duo asked, still almost bouncing off the walls.
"It's an awful lot of money," the clerk tried again.
"How.Much," Duo demanded.
The clerk flushed and named a price that would have made Draco Malfoy cough a bit. Duo grinned brightly. "What, only 30 galleons? You insult me, good sir!" he said. The clerk just sputtered and accepted the galleons Duo pushed into his hands. "Wrap it up and have it sent to Hogwarts, please. Oh, and add that broom polishing kit I see over there. Thanks, chap." Duo dropped the last galleon he had in the clerk's hand and left the store.
~~~***~~~
Quatre headed back to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. He hadn't told anyone yet, but Trowa had proposed that morning and Quatre needed wedding robes. He'd brought it up with Malkin before he left with Ginny for Fortescue's.
He looked down at his gold engagement ring set with a sapphire stone, and sighed. He was finally getting married to the man he loved. Well, boy. And they did have to wait a year in the wizarding world, two back in AC 196. Shrugging, Quatre entered the shop and proceeded to pick out robes ranging from white to pink.
~~~***~~~
Wufei grinned uncharacteristicly as he hurried back to Flourish and Blotts. A store filled to the roof beams with books! It was a scholar's heaven! And the moving pictures! He couldn't wait to get back.
He entered the store and immediately went to the Myths and Legends section. He grabbed about 13 books and stumbled to the counter. Throwing down his pile of galleons to the startled cashier -who secretly suspected that the oriental boy was related to that bushy haired girl, Hermo-ninny or whatnot- his grin widening. Life was good when you had the money of future terrorists and political psychos to spend.
~~~***~~~
Trowa slipped into a chair near the entrance to Diagon Alley from the wizarding world. The galleons he'd received from Heero were safely tucked away. He didn't want to spend it frivilously. He had an engagement present to buy. Smiling slightly, Trowa settled in to wait for his beloved and his friends.
~~~***~~~
"25."
"12."
"23."
"12."
"Okay, 20."
"12."
"19?"
"Hn. 12."
"Please, kid...17?"
"12."
"Gah! Alright, 12!" yelled the man who owned the Diagon Alley branch of Zonko's Joke Shoppe. Before him was a humongous pile of jokes and a stoic Japanese kid with a handful of galleons and an attitude. Personally, the owner thought the kid needed the jokes. He quickly wrapped up the jokes and took the boy's money. "Thank you for shopping at Zonko's. We hope your pranks take flight. Enjoy your stay in Hogsmeade!" he said cheerily. "And get a frickin' personality! Honestly!" he muttered under his breath.
Heero just glared coldly at him, then snatched up his package and walked out the door. At least Duo would appreciate his dry humor.
~~~***~~~
All five pilots converged on their escorts in front of the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron at exactly the same time. They eached eyed each others packages, mildly curious. Heero walked up to Duo and handed him the large bag labled Zonko's in entricate letters.
"Zonko's! You got me pranks, Hee-chan?! Oh, arigatou gozaimashite!!" Duo cried, glomping Heero. The Japanese boy blushed faintly. He straightened quickly and eyed Duo's package.
"What did you buy?" he asked in his monotone.
Duo's face lit up. "I bought a Lightning prototype racing broom!" he cried happily. "It has charmed steering so it will turn at the lightest touch, and that, plus the amount of broom power it has can be modified to the owners taste!"
"Meaning what?" Wufei asked.
"Meaning someone could buy a Lightning prototype for a five year old, modify the speed and quality of the broom, and the kid would be perfectly safe," Harry answered. Leave it to the quidditch-obsessed Boy-Who-Lived to answer a question about the only broom possibly faster than his modified one.
"Cool," Quatre said vaguely, dreaming of nights riding on a broom with Trowa, the moon full and the stars bright. He blushed cutely, then gestured to the portal. "Shall we go? I'm sure Professor Snape has awoken by now."
"Unlikely. I told Tom to knock him out again if he regained consciousness," Draco drawled. Everyone turned to stare incrediously at him, even Blaise. "What? I wanted to enjoy this day." Before he could say more, an inhuman shriek filled the quiet afternoon air.
"HEEEEERROOOO!" it said, trailing down the bustling streets of Diagon Alley. The Perfect Soldier froze, then tensed almost imperceptibly. But it was enough for the other pilots. What alerted their escorts that something was wrong was the pale faces of the supposedly seasoned soldiers. Quatre was the palest of all and he looked guilty. Heero immediately picked up on it.
"What did you do?" he growled at the poor blond. Trowa moved in front of his fiance and glared at Heero.
"I'm sorry, Heero! She said her name was Rellina Pemberton-Dorci and she sat at the Hufflepuff table at the welcoming feast and she said she liked you and she probably overheard Dumbledore this morning about us coming here and she has just as much power as Relena from back home so she could probably leave school whenever she wants and I'm terribly terribly sorry! Please don't kill me!!!" Quatre wailed at a speed that even rivaled Duo's. Surprisingly, Heero's eyes softened somewhat.
"Forgiven, Qua--"
"HEEERRROOOO!!!" the cry came again. This time the boys turned white as a sheet.
"What's going on?" Blaise demanded.
"And what is that horrible noise? Is a banshee on the loose?" Ginny asked timidly.
"Pretty damn close, Weasley," Duo muttered, his blue eyes searching the crowd frantically. There! A pink bundle of something barreling toward them. "We can't stay here, Hee-chan. Make a decision quick. The Leaky Cauldron or Knockturn Alley?"
"I can lead you to a sanctuary in Knockturn Alley," Draco said helpfully.
Heero looked undecided, but after the third banshee-like wail (in which large amounts of the crowd fell to their knees screaming in obvious pain), Heero answered. "Knockturn Alley," he said. Then began spitting out orders. "Draco and Duo, point. Harry, Quatre, Trowa and Ginny, center. Hermione, Wufei, Blaise and I will cover rear. Use Dark Arts if you must. Understood?"
"Hai!" they chorused, the escorts picking up a bit of Japanese.
"Good. Move out."
The ten teenagers began dashing down the street, Draco leading them down back alleys and through shady shops, until the entrance to Borgin and Burkes Antique Shoppe, their sanctuary, came into view. It was only a few feet away. Heero lifted a foot to take a step...and was toppled to the ground by a weight. He opened his eyes and got a faceful of cloying rose perfume and pink cloth. They were too late.
"Heero!! Oh, Heero!!!" the pink monstrousity giggled, hugging the pale stoic teen below her. The others froze and slowly turned around, shocked to see their leader down for the count. They were even more shocked when Heero scanned each of their faces, lingering on Duo, then looked back at Rellina...before passing out cold.
~~~***~~~
"Fuck! What the hell am I gonna do! We gotta wake him up!" Duo cried, pacing back and forth in front of Fortescue's, where Heero lay on a long bench, out cold. The others surrounded him, including Rellina.
"Duo, he's only unconscious," Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"You don't understand!" Duo wailed, then turned away to bury his face in Heero's school robes.
"What is up with him?" Harry asked.
"It is simple. We have known Heero for almost two years now, and not once has he fallen unconscious by any other means but a severe wound...and Relena," Quatre said gravely.
"Relena?" Blaise said.
"Yes. Relena Peacecraft-Darlian, adopted daughter of Vice Foreign Minister Darlian and true daughter of King Richard Peacecraft the Third. Sister to Milliardo Peacecraft, who you all know as Zechs," Trowa supplied.
"Translation?" Hermione asked.
"A crazy onna who has been infatuated with Yuy since the day she met him, when they were eleven. Seeing an ancestor of the Pink Demon Witch has probably thrown Yuy into another relapse," Wufei commented.
"Another relapse?" Ginny questioned.
"Well, there was that time when all the guys threw Quatre a surprise birthday party, and Relena popped out of the cake, thinking it was Heero's bachelor party before their wedding..." Duo said.
"And the time when she showed up at one of our safehouses wearing a pink lace teddy and Heero answered the door..." Trowa said.
"And there was that one time when--" Quatre began.
"Enough," snapped Draco. "You are giving me chills."
Their conference was interrupted by the voice that grated on their sanity.
"Is Heero going to be alright? He hasn't even professed his love to me yet!" Rellina cried.
"No, he's not alright, and he never will be until your entire line is dead, and hell no, he won't profess his love for you!" Duo said, annoyed.
"But I've known him for six years!" she wailed.
"No you...what?" Quatre asked, his teal eyes going wide.
"I've know Heero since we were ten. Everyone called him Odin back then, since it was the name of his father's childhood friend, but I called him Heero, cuz he wanted me to," Relena said proudly. The pilots stared at her, and Duo voiced what everyone was thinking.
"What the hell?" he muttered.
~~~***~~~ //Back at Hogwarts, the Infirmary//
"Okay, tell us what you meant by knowing Heero since he was ten? Give us some solid info and evidence, Missy," Duo demanded. The others nodded decisively. The only other ones there were Harry, Rellina and -for some unknown reason- Blaise. On the bed beside the teens lay Heero, a cold compress on his head and a thick blanket around his body.
"Alright!" Rellina said cheerily. "I moved to Bath, England from Sanq when I was five and lived with my Aunt Merissa Dorci. After five more years, when I turned ten, Aunt Merissa brought me to London so I could be closer to Hogwarts. I got my letter early," she said smugly. "After then I went to Diagon Alley for my school supplies. When I was in Ollivander's I met Heero. He was with his father, Kamui Lowe, this half-Japanese wizard. Heero was incredibly mean to me, but I just found it adorable."
"No shit. Relena trait #562," Duo muttered under his breath. Quatre elbowed him in the ribs.
"Mr.Lowe met Aunt Merissa and since they were old school friends they began talking. That left me and my Heero alone. He told me to go away but I was already in love and he was just playing hard to get. He said some endearing things in Japanese, I'm sure they were wonderful, and left. Since then I see him every where. It's obvious he follows me around because he likes me. There's no way he could be everywhere I am all the time," Rellina said, grinning. "And here's my proof." She whipped out a photo, obviously from quite awhile ago, of a miniature Heero and Rellina, one leaning against the Entrance Hall doors and the other with her arms around his neck. "This is us in second year. I didn't recognize him in the Sorting because he's been gone for almost two years, supposedly to recuperate from a traumatic experience. He should have been fine that night, though. After all, I did finally express my love! But now my darling Heero is back!!"
"Yeah, back to kill your obsessive ass," Duo mumbled to himself. This time it was Wufei who elbowed him so hard he fell over and hit the floor.
"Wu-chan!" he whined, rubbing his aching head.
"Look, Miss Pemberton, I'm sure you believe that Yuy is your White Knight or some such onna logic, but he has been with us for two years and we know that he doesn't--"
"How long?" Rellina asked sweetly, interrupting Wufei.
"Two years," Wufei snapped. "We..." The oriental boy trailed off as he realized what he had said. "What in the seventh hell is going on?"
"I assure, Mr.Chang, nothing much is commencing there at the moment. But if you would kindly follow me to my office, I will tell you what is happening here," answered Dumbledore, blue-robed form appearing besided the Chinese 6th year. The pilots stared at the Headmaster, then one by one nodded. "Very well. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Blaise, please keep an eye on young Mr. Potter there. We will return shortly." Dumbledore exited the Infirmary in a swirl of robes, the others behind him.
It took Harry and the others a minute to catch what Dumbledore had said. "Mr. Potter?"
***THE END***
(A/N: Just kidding!)
The boys filed into Dumbledore's office, for once minus their unofficial leader. Quatre and Trowa had already discussed it somewhat the night before. Though extremely powerful and kind, Albus Dumbledore was not to be trusted. They were sure Wufei had already caught onto their feelings, and Duo could be dealt with later.
"Have a seat, boys. Get comfortable," the old man said, making a sweeping gesture at the four chairs set up before his massive desk. "Tea?"
"Earl Grey, please," Quatre said, familiar with Dumbledore's methods. A big teapot appeared over head, along with four tea cups. The cups fell into each boy's hands and the tea pot moved to Quatre and poured a measured amount. Two more containers appeared, sugar and cream apparently. Quatre partook of those also.
"I'll just have green tea," Trowa said. He was quickly served, as was Duo, who liked Camomile tea -who knew?-. Wufei didn't drink tea. He believed it was stereotypical to people of oriental or asian descent.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, drawing the four boy's attention. "As I was saying--." He stopped as his door was opened and a blond head poked in. "Welcome, Mr Malfoy. Come sit down and partake in the festivities." Draco did as he was told. "Now, as I was saying, yesterday I told you that Heero bore a strong resemblance to Kamui Potter and Odin Lowe Jr, I failed to tell you what I discovered weeks ago. Heero Yuy is Odin Lowe Jr." Silence greeted this announcement.
"No shit?!" Of course, Duo was the first to speak. He blushed. "I mean, really?"
"Yes, Mr Maxwell. Your comrade-in-arms is none other than the cousin of Harry James Potter." Dumbledore allowed them a moment to process the information. "The truth is, even I am not sure what exactly happened, but roughly two years ago, a few days before Heero's thirteenth birthday (which is December 3rd, by the way), Heero (Odin at the time) disappeared. All anyone felt was a large surge of magic, and then he was gone."
"So Heero just vanished one day? Didn't anyone register that this happened? Didn't Harry notice that his cousin was missing?" Quatre asked.
"Well, truth be told, Harry didn't even know he had a cousin, much less noticed he disappeared. He didn't know that his father had a half brother, thereby not registering the connection between Odin Lowe Jr. and himself. He also didn't know that Odin's proper last name was Potter," Dumbledore continued. Five mouths opened. "How? Simple. Kamui Lowe's mother married Mellius Potter, James' father, then had Kamui, thereby making Kamui a Potter. Kamui chose Lowe as his last name from his mother because he wanted nothing to do with the Potters in later years." The omniscient Headmaster relaxed in his chair and picked up his own teacup, taking a sip before setting it down. "Logically, any child of a Potter is a Potter, and Kamui was a Potter. Therefore, Odin is really Odin Potter, not Lowe." Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Dumbledore set about finishing his tea.
"So no one noticed that a student suddenly went missing?" Wufei asked.
"Surprisingly no. That is one of the reasons we are encouraging interhouse relations now. Apparently someone in Odin's House didn't particularly like him and he was a leader so others followed. This grudge kept Heero's disappearance under wraps. When he was gone, we didn't notice until a week later." Dumbledore stood. "Now that the situation is clear, I believe you children are still free of classes for the day. It might be productive to go to one of the dorms and organise your thoughts. Any word on Potter- I mean Heero, will be sent up to you. Good day." And the door to Dumbledore's office opened with no visible help from anyone.
Taking the almost painfully obvious hint, the four pilots and Draco filed out of the Headmaster's office, gathering in the corridor outside. They froze when they saw Severus Snape waiting patiently for them to exit. Duo, fed up with the all encompassing seriousness of the last couple of days, opened his mouth.
"Heya, Snape-baka! Whatcha doin' out here? Skulkin'? You seem to do that alot. It ain't healthy, man," he said, grinning. Quatre groaned and restrained himself from knocking Duo out. Trowa watched impassively, Wufei slapped a hand to his head and Draco just looked on with interest.
Snape's face twisted into an even deeper sneer than normal. "I wouldn't be grinning so much, Mr. Maxwell. You have Divination first thing tomorrow. Professor Trelawney will most likely predict your untimely demise," he said.
"Yes, but will it mean something?" Duo pointed out, wagging a finger in Snape's face. "That loon couldn't predict the color of a blue sky unless it could somehow be mortally wounded."
Surprisingly, Snape chuckled. "Too true. Be that as it may, you are required to take Divination for this summer programme, loon or no." Sneer returning full force, Snape turned and strode off toward Dumbledore's office, his inky black cloak billowing artfully around him. "I simply cannot wait to see you in Potions on the morrow, foreigners. It will make for an...interesting period." Another eerie chuckle bridged the gap between the Potions Master and the four pilots (plus Draco. Musn't forget him), before Snape disappeared through the door.
"Does he practice that or something? I swear, it ain't natural," Duo muttered, snatches of 'billowing' and 'has style' filtered through the jumble.
"Isn't natural, Duo," Quatre corrected. Duo stuck his tongue out at the blond. "Anyway, I suggest we take Dumbledore's advise and head to one of our commons. Which do you think we should go to?"
~~~***~~~
Head bowed and hands clasped behind his back, Duo strolled slowly along the edge of the lake outside of the castle. After Snape had made his dramatic exit, Quatre had expressed his wish to explore the castle. Trowa decided to go with him, thereby throwing the common room idea out the window. Draco planned to go to bed early, though it was only 7pm, and Wufei wanted to explore the Revenclaw dormitories more. Duo promptly decided that it was as good a time as any to think. Which found him out by the Squid lake, hands behind his back, braid slowly unraveling, thinking about whatever popped into his head. And today the star attraction was Heero Yuy.
Duo found the half-Japanese pilot to be an unsolvable mystery, the kind of conundrum that only made partial sense over time, but never really was clear. (Duo had spent almost a week compiling that sentence with the help of Quatre and a dictionary.He wasn't dumb, by any stretch, but it took more than smarts to construct a sentence that awe inducing.) Heero had many facets, and so far Duo had come to the conclusion that all were false. There was Heero the Perfect Soldier, a personality manufactured for war. There was also Heero the child, a personification of Yuy that took quite a shock to reveal. And then there was Heero the uncaring, the emotionless. Duo knew that this Heero was the falsest of all, since he made Heero feel at regular intervals.
The Perfect Soldier persona was just that, perfect. Not perfect in the sense that most people would see such a thing, though. Heero was perfect in a way only the Mad Five (the scientists) could truly appreciate. This Heero was emotionless, cold, and killed without even a twinge of remorse. Trained in anything and everything a soldier might need, his skills surpassed every other mobile suit pilot out there, including the four remaining Gundam pilots. That was why Heero's affliction was so amusingly ironic. The Perfect Soldier, felled by a ball of fluff.
Duo chuckled as the next thought immediately followed the first. Heero the child, child Heero, any name did for the broken mental illusion Heero casts upon himself at highly emotional times in his life. When Heero was extremely sad, depressed or frustrated, he reverted to how he was 5 years ago. Scared, confused, a look of abject horror on his face, Child Heero couldn't take the death and destruction around him. This side of Heero was the only side that openly questioned the mindless killing the pilots were commanded to do.
Daily in residence was the emotionless Heero that Quatre and the others were well intimate with. Waspish almost all the time, this Heero was always in a state Duo had dubbed 'constant male PMS'. He had no time for human contact at all, deciding instead to focus solely on the mission. All these sides served as an incredibly ironic joke to Duo. The Mad Five, or more specifically, Doctor J, had been so focused on creating the perfect soldier he accidently created a schizophrenic instead.
Allowing himself a quick laugh, Duo trailed slowly back toward the school. Right about now the others would be returning to their dorms and getting ready for bed. Quatre would hug Trowa and they would discuss things lovers do before curling uo together. Wufei would have finished a detailed map of Revenclaw, and be performing his bedtime Tai Chi before turning in. Draco would already be asleep, leaving Duo to find his way back alone. And Heero...Heero would still be unconscious in the hospital wing. Even the counterspell to the stunning spell couldn't wake him.
Sighing, Duo took off at a good pace, arriving at the castle doors in under five minutes. He entered and headed down the hall toward the Dungeons. Tomorrow would be a big day. Tomorrow the pilots started classes.
***Tsuzuku or TBC***