Disclaimer: My friend's toe's kinda dead, but all I'm wondering is, Do I own Yu Yu Hakusho? Then I realized I didn't, and resumed worrying about my friend's toe. What's up with the lack of apostrophes in WordPerfect? Damn it...

A/N: You know, I think I'll make the time line after the series, since some things aren't working out... Oh, might be slightly AU too. Thanks to all my lovely reviewers! -blows kisses- Oh yeah. If the apostrophes aren't showing, blame it on WordPerfect.

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Once Upon A Time

Chapter 2: Stairs, stairs, stairs.

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"Harry's gone!"

Those words rang throughout the sudden, startled silence. Then, the shouting started.

"Where?"

"Oh God! Voldemort's got him! We'r-"

"EVERYONE! CALM DOWN!" Professor Dumbledore shouted, the command having immediate effect as everyone fell silent. "Thank you. Now, Arabella, could you please tell us what happened?"

Several inquiring eyes landed on Mrs.Figg, who clutched her hands to her chest tightly, her breathing rapid and uneven. The cat lady's voice quavered. "Harry's gone. A young man with long red hair and almost exactly the same color eyes as Harry was talking to the Dursleys, and then after a while, Harry left with the stranger! He had his trunk and everything with him!" Mrs.Figg's voice ended in a hysterical cry.

"Did you hear what the stranger said?" Dumbledore asked Arabella urgently.

"I-I didn't. I was too far away." Mrs. Figg stammered.

"Thank you. Alastor, Remus, Kingsley, Arthur-" Dumbledore gestured at several other members of the Order. "-and myself will go and question the Dursleys."

With that, and several popping sounds, Dumbledore, a few Aurors, and members of the Order disappeared.

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Second week of July, Japan.

Harry Potter sat on the bench of the garden in the back of the Minamino residence, chewing his lip thoughtfully as he stared down at the homework assignment (Potions.)He leaned over to grab his copy of 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' and flipping through it.

"Aha! Scurvy...grass...and...sneeze...wort..." Harry scribbled down onto the parchment, before throwing it aside. "Done! No more Potions for the rest of the summer!" The Boy-Who-Lived pushed the rest of his books and papers into his bag. He stretched, sniffing the flower-scented air, delighted at being able to do his homework outside, and not hidden under the covers at night.

Soft laughter carried through the air, as Kurama, Hiei, and another person that Harry didn't recognize walked slowly down the path towards Harry. The Boy-Who-Lived strained his ears to hear what they were saying, but instead of Japanese, all three of them were speaking something else. Something cold, cruel, yet melodious at the same time. Harry shivered at the eerie sound.

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"The saviour of the wizarding world is your third cousin! You're shittin' me!" Yuusuke exclaimed.

Kurama laughed. "No, I'm not." He glanced at Hiei. "Ask Hiei."

Yuusuke turned expectantly to the little fire demon. "Well?"

Hiei shook his head. "He's telling the truth."

Raizen's heir's eyes widened. "Okay, I believe you. Anyways, are we still on for that little trip?" he asked.

Both Kurama and Hiei nodded.

"Now, both of you can stay if you want, just try to not be too loud." Kurama warned them, as he reached Harry.

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"Hello Harry." Kurama smiled at Harry, speaking in Japanese. Harry waved at Kurama, Hiei, and Yuusuke, showing inky fingers.

"Hey Shuuichi, Hiei!" Harry greeted them.

"Harry, this is a friend of mine. His name's Yuusuke." Kurama introduced Yuusuke, who nodded at Harry. Harry grinned at the teenager.

"Now, let's start with your first lesson in Japanese." Kurama smirked evilly. Harry gulped audibly, while Yuusuke stared. Hiei smirked too.

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"No, you don't add an 's' on plural words, like in English. So kimono would be kimono, even if it were plural. And 'ai' is said like 'aye'." Kurama interrupted.

"Ai." Harry repeated, pronouncing it correctly.

"That's right. And 'ei' is said like 'hey', except without the 'h', of course."

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A bit later in the afternoon, Kurama and Harry had finally finished their lesson. Harry sighed. "Man, this is hard."

Kurama was about to respond, but was interrupted when Hedwig abruptly landed on the bench. Kurama, Hiei, and Yuusuke reacted almost simultaneously.

"Kai!" Kurama shouted, one hand touching Hedwig.

Hiei held onto Yuusuke's arm, restraining him from shooting the snowy owl with his rei gun. "Don't shoot." Hiei warned Yuusuke.

Harry stared, before saying to Kurama. "Can I have my owl please?" Kurama glanced at Harry, and let Hedwig go. The owl ruffled her feathers indignantly.

The Boy-Who-Lived untied the letter from Hedwig's leg, which she'd stuck out. Harry read the letter, frowning.

(The letter)

Dear Harry,

Where are you? Who're you with? The Order's been searching for you all day! Harry James Potter, you're in SO much trouble the next time I see you!

Love from, Hermione.

Hiei read over Harry's shoulder, before translating to Yuusuke, and telling Kurama what it said. "His wizard friends are looking for him."

Kurama responded dryly. "I noticed, if the tracking spell on the owl meant anything." Yuusuke snorted.

"So kid, what're ya gonna do?" Yuusuke asked Harry. Harry picked up a piece of blank parchment and his quill, dipping it into the ink.

"I'm going to tell her I'm fine, I suppose, and that I'll see them when school starts. Actually, I'm kinda surprised that Professor Dumbledore and them haven't already come here." Harry eyed Kurama suspiciously when he said this.

Dear Hermione (and everyone else),

I'm fine, don't worry. I'm staying with my third cousin's mother, Shiori. I'll see you when school's about to start, in Diagon Alley.

Harry.

Harry scribbled messily, before tying the letter to Hedwig's leg and patting her softly. "I'll get you something when you get back." He murmured.

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Second week of July, same day, England.

"The tracking spell's gone." Dumbledore announced with a frown.

"How?" Mrs.Weasley questioned. She twisted the edge of her apron worriedly.

"I'm not sure." Dumbledore admitted with a frown. The other Order members along with Ron and Hermione all glanced at each other.

Where could Harry be?

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First week of August, Gandara, Makai.

Kurama sat, his chin propped up by his hand, listening idly to what the advisors were saying. Something about an...internet connection! Kurama blinked. Computers? The redhead dismissed it as another bizarre trend.

"You're been rather quiet, Kurama. What do you think of the idea?" Yomi asked.

Kurama straightened, clasping his hands in front of him. "I think that it's an excellent idea."

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First week of August, Minamino/ Hatanaka residence, Japan.

Harry sat on the bench again, a few weeks later, and a couple of lessons after that week the first letter had arrived. Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore had owled him several times already, but he still hadn't told them where he was, only that he was somewhere in Japan staying with Shiori. Harry felt guilty almost, for hiding his location and making them all worry.

But somehow, he knew that Professor Dumbledore and the others would make him go back to the Dursleys. THAT, was something he did not want to do. Besides, wouldn't the spell still work, since Shiori and Shuuichi were related to him?

Another thing that puzzled him: Why hadn't any of the Members of the Order found him yet? Harry had learned from his homework that there were such things as tracking or locating spells, and that was how Hogwarts got the letters sent to the right location.

He'd mentioned Shiori's name and Shuuichi's, but how come Hermione or someone hadn't found the Minamino's address yet and come? I mean, since they're related to me, how come they didn't go through the family tree or someone and find them? Harry thought, perplexed. Shiori told me that her husband, well, former one, was something like and Unspeakable... Do they hide all the Unspeakable's records or something?

"Harry-kun!" Shiori walked down the path, waving. The dark-haired woman approached Harry, sitting on the bench next to Harry. She smiled at him, and Harry smiled back. "I heard from Shuuichi that your school's starting again, and I just wanted to tell you that we'll be flying back a week before school starts." Kurama's mother paused. "Do you have your letter?"

The Boy-Who-Lived nodded, fishing around for his letter in the stack of parchment piled up on the little wooden table next to him. Hermione had sent the letter to him along with her last letter, saying that 'Professor McGonagall's quill couldn't write out the address, so Professor Dumbledore told me to send this to you.' The tone of the letter had been slightly frustrated. He found the letter, waving it at Shiori.

"Great!" Shiori said cheerfully. "We'll go get your supplies at Diagon Alley together!"

Harry grinned. "Thanks, Mrs. Hatanaka." He glanced around the large garden. "Er- where's Shuuichi? Usually he comes here for our lesson at this time?"

A slightly worried look crossed over Shiori's face. "I'm not sure. He wasn't at his apartment when I called him today." She smiled softly at Harry. "Don't worry, Shuuichi does this sometimes. Disappear for awhile, I mean. But he always comes back."

Harry nodded, slightly reassured by Shiori's explanation of his tutor's absence.

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Same day, Neutral Lands, Makai.

"Duck Yuusuke!" Kurama shouted, lashing out his whip at the purple skinned demon attacking Yuusuke, who'd just punched out another, equally ugly looking demon. Kurama himself narrowly avoided a set of claws, before he turned quickly and lashed the demon into pieces.

Hiei smirked, slicing and dicing a demon with at least five eyes and six sets of arms. With those demons, you never knew exactly how many brains they had stored away, in their tails, a few extra in the arms over there, or maybe on in the thigh... So, the best way to go was to chop them up into little pieces. The little fire demon wiped his blade on the grass, the demon's purple blood staining the green grass.

"Is that all of them?" Yuusuke asked, grinning. The three had gone for a little R&R, if you would call killing random weak demons rest and relaxation. Of course, with those three, who knew?

"I believe so." Kurama replied, his Rose Whip held loosely in his hand. Hiei hn'ed.

"Well then, onwards we go!"

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Last day of the second week of August, Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, England.

Hermione sighed, flipping through a large book distractedly, trying in vain to read, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Harry. He sounded fine in his letters, but what if the people he was staying with had put him under and Imperius curse? No, that wouldn't be possible. He fought it off in his fourth year...

There was nothing that the Order could do currently, because from what Ron, Ginny, the twins, and herself had heard on the Extendable Ears, all the tracking spells seemed to be malfunctioning, or just vanished into thin air.

Hermione frowned. Wards maybe? Or the Fidelius charm? Would that stop a tracking spell from finding someone? Hermione flipped through the large leather bound book, squinting at the tiny print before throwing the book down in frustration. She'd been looking nonstop for four hours, her eyes hurt, she was hungry and annoyed.

Aaargh, Harry was going to be in SO much trouble when I see him...

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Same day, same week, Japan.

Kurama dabbed some cleaning alcohol onto a particularly nasty cut along his arm, wincing as the fluid cleaned the cut. The redhead grabbed a band-aid, sticking the large patch onto the cut and groaning when he realized that the band-aid wasn't large enough to cover the cut completely. His face pulled into a grimace, as he peeled the band-aid from his arm. Kurama grabbed a long roll of clean white gauze, wrapping it around his left arm neatly, tearing off the edge with his teeth.

There. Last one. The youko grinned in satisfaction and the fact that the wrapping looked eerily like the wards Hiei had around his arm to contain the dragon. Speak of the devil.

The little fire demon had just stepped in, actually using the door for once. He flitted to the bathroom, standing by the door. "Lunch?" Hiei asked Kurama. Kurama nodded absently, brushing his hair and tying it back. He grabbed the first aid kit, mentally reminding himself to get some more supplies as he hurried out of the washroom. The redhead sniffed the air delightedly, his stomach rumbling at the smell of food.

Kurama shook his head wryly. Who knew that Hiei was a great cook? Certainly not Kurama, and he doubted any of the others knew. The youko strolled next to Hiei, grabbing a plate stacked with inari zushi and walking to the kitchen table while eyeing the food hungrily. He passed Hiei, who was holding two bowls of miso soup. Kurama snagged some cutlery, before rushing to the table.

"Great job, Hiei." Kurama smiled warmly at the little fire demon.

Hiei turned his face away, blushing lightly. "Hn. No problem."

The two demons ate quickly, talking between bites. Shortly after both had finished, they set out for the former Minamino residence, now Hatanaka.

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Same day, same week, Hatanaka house, Japan.

Harry sat, more or less patiently on the bench in the garden where Shuuichi held their lessons, hoping the redhead was back. As confusing as Japanese was, Harry was having a good time learning it. So far, they'd only concentrated on speaking, and Shuuichi had said they'd work on writing later. Amazingly enough, the Boy-Who-Lived had finished all his homework fairly early during summer break, do to the lack of things to do.

So far, summer break had been uneventful and quiet, if you didn't count the Death Eater attack, the Howler Hermione sent, and Shuuichi's seemingly random disappearances, and Shuuichi's three weird friends.

Harry swung his legs idly, staring at the red rosebush, lost in his thoughts.

Of course, school was starting again. Harry's spirits lifted at the thought of seeing Ron and Hermione again. In a week him, Shiori, and Shuuichi would be flying back to England! Of course, Harry hadn't understood why Shuuichi had wanted to come, but his mother had said that the redhead had never been to England before, let alone Diagon Alley.

The Boy-Who-Lived also suspected that Shuuichi was worried about his mother being attacked by Death Eaters or something of the sort, being Harry's current guardian. But Shiori, Mr. Hatanaka, and Shuuichi's step-brother had all assured him not to worry about it, and that it was perfectly safe.

"Haaaaaaaaarry!" Harry lifted his eyes from the rosebush, and his features were graced with a grin when he saw Shuuichi and his friend Hiei. The redhead had his hair tied in a ponytail, and was waving at Harry. The Boy-Who-Lived waved back, staring slightly at the bandages on Shuuichi's arm, and the scrapes and bruises.

"Hey! What happened to you, Shuuichi?" Harry questioned as the youko reached the bench.

Shuuichi glanced at Hiei, before looking back at Harry. "You wouldn't believe it. Hiei, Yuusuke, and I decided to go on a romp in the neutral lands of Demon World, where we were fighting demons. Did I mention that all three of us are kind of demons?" The redhead had a mischievous smile on his face, and even Hiei had a small smirk on.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Sure, and I'm the Prince of England. Not to mention the ruler of all things sweet!" The Boy-Who-Lived replied sarcastically. He switched topics. "So, what're we working on today?"

"Actually, nothing really. I thought you'd like to go out a bit. See the library, the malls, the restaurants, the museums..." Shuuichi said. "I've already told mother."

Harry jumped off the bench excitedly. "Great! Let's go!"

"I'll meet you at Genkai's temple later, Kurama." Hiei interrupted. Kurama nodded, and Hiei disappeared from view. Harry shook his head.

"Why does he call you 'Kurama' all the time? And how does he disappear like that? Is he a wizard?" Harry asked curiously, bouncing with energy at the prospect of doing something different.

Kurama laughed. "It's just a nickname. He doesn't disappear. No."

Harry scowled. "It always feels like you're keeping secrets..."

The youko laughed, but didn't reply. Instead, he led Harry out of the garden and onto the busy streets. "First stop. Keiko's family's restaurant." Harry looked at Kurama curiously. "Keiko's Yuusuke's girlfriend, you could say." He explained.

The redhead weaved expertly in and out of the crowds, Harry following him towards a small building. "Here we are." Kurama lightly pushed Harry forward. They both entered the ramen shop, the bell on the door jingling merrily.

Keiko Yukimura and Yuusuke Urameshi looked up at the two. The latter's face split into a grin. "Harry! Kurama!" He waved them over to a seat. "Keiko, this is Harry Potter, the kid I told you Kurama's related to?"

Keiko smiled at Harry. "Nice to meet you." Harry smiled back at her.

"So, are you two going to England in a week?" Keiko asked, interested. "I've always wanted to go to another country, just to see what it'd be like..." The girl paused. "So, can you tell me what it's like?"

Harry started. What England was like? "Well..."

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"Everything's gone well so far." Kurama remarked to Harry cheerfully. "Now, the last place on our list. Genkai's temple..." The redhead led Harry up the path, before stopping at the foot of the long stairs. Harry stared, jaw dropping.

"No way..." Harry groaned. "We're gonna have to go up all those?"

Kurama nodded. "It's good exercise. Besides, it's the only way up. No elevators, no spells, no nothing. Just stairs."

Harry groaned again, staring at the stairs. Shuuichi sure seemed happy for someone who'd been walking around all day, nonstop except for a few short breaks. How did the redhead manage to do it?

"...could always carry you if you got too tired." He heard Shuuichi say.

An independent streak rose inside of Harry. "No, it's fine. I can manage."

Oh how Harry would regret it.

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The Boy-Who-Lived collapsed at the top of the stairs, gasping for air. He grabbed Kurama's arm gratefully as the redhead helped him up.

"I suppose you need a bit more exercise..." Kurama commented thoughtfully.

"Hell...yeah..."

But Kurama hadn't heard. He was waving at someone, someone coming closer. Harry shivered, feeling slightly cold all of a sudden. He glanced up, trying to even his breathing. Hiei, a girl with teal hair, and an old woman with pink hair approached them. Was it just him, or had all the people he'd been meeting recently all have weird hair? Let's see, orange hair in an Elvis impression, pink hair, hair that stood up straight, long red hair, teal hair, black hair that reminded him of Malfoy's... Yeah. That did it. All of them had weird hair, except maybe Keiko.

"Here." A sweet voice interrupted his thoughts. Harry looked up to see the small teal haired girl offering him a cup of water. "My name's Yukina. You're Harry Potter-san?" She introduced herself. Harry nodded, feeling a glare on his back. He turned around to see Hiei glaring at him. The Boy-Who-Lived shivered.

Kurama noticed, and laughed. "Don't worry. Hiei's just very protective of Yukina." He whispered to Harry. Harry nodded.

"Hello. We've been expecting you." The pink-haired woman said. "I'm Genkai."

"Nice to meet you." Harry replied.

Genkai grunted. "Bit scrawny aren't you?"

Harry bristled indignantly. And things went slightly downhill from there.

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Kurama was still laughing when they reached the front door of the Hatanaka house. Harry scowled at Kurama. "Why didn't she like me?"

The redhead struggled to talk. "Oh she did. That's just her way of showing she cares. In a way."

Genkai had made Harry run laps around the temple a few times, before letting him in and proceeded to grill him on how to keep fit. "Just because you wizards use your wands for everything is no excuse for slacking." She barked as the old psychic watched Harry huff and puff around the temple for the tenth time.

"Why didn't she make you and Hiei do it?" Harry complained.

Kurama shrugged. "We don't need it." He ushered Harry into the house, using his key to let them in. We'll be leaving in a week to England, you might want to start packing. Things get spread out a lot over the summer." He suggested.

Harry grumbled under his breath about pushy relatives. "Oh, hello Mrs. Hatanaka!" He greeted Shiori when he saw Kurama's mother.

Shiori smiled. "Hello Harry. Shuuichi, are you staying for dinner?"

"Yes, 'kaasan." Kurama nodded. He followed Shiori into the kitchen to help her with dinner, as did Harry.

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A/N: Ah, that was a bit of an awkward place to cut it off at, wasn't it? Oh well. Erm. This was basically a filler chapter, that I couldn't skip but wouldn't fit into one chapter. -sweatdrop- Sorry if it's short. Wait. It's actually not that short.

Comments, feedback, review? Thanks. XDD

Oh, and about Shiori's background with magic. I'll probably be making that into a sidefic unless I can fit it into the story somehow... Well, till next time!

EDIT: Will you believe I put the wrong chapter in the wrong place? Thank god someone caught that. Next chapter's nearly done. Thanks, kamiyra!