Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Period.
Chapter Two:
Morning came and Harry gave a huge yawn. Beside him, Ron pulled a sweater over his head. They walked stiffly to the Common Room, where Hermione was chatting animatedly with Akira. Akira had a huge grin on her face, which only grew bigger when she saw Harry. He felt the back of his neck heat up.
"I was just telling him a little about you, Harry." Hermione laughed when Harry shot her a dark look.
"You're really accomplished, aren't you… and brave too." Akira grinned, her cheeks slightly pink.
Harry grunted and mumbled in return, running his hand through his hair. Together, the four of them went to the Great Hall. Then Akira veered off to the Slytherin table, looking back at them.
"I have business there. With a relative. I'll be back." She said to them. Hermione nodded then sat down on their table, with Ron and Harry exchanging puzzled looks. The inter-house rivalry was really intense, especially with Voldemort back on track.
"She has a relative there. It seems she had a message to pass from her mother." Hermione said absent-mindedly as she piled food on her plate.
"Who is her cousin, exactly?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, who is it?" Ron chimed in.
"Draco Malfoy." Hermione said a-matter-of-factly.
Ron made a funny noise in his throat. Harry scowled.
"I bet she's in Gryffindor to spy on the lot of us!" Ron exclaimed.
Several heads from the table raised and looked at them curiously, then Ron swallowed and lowered his voice, veins bulging on his neck.
"We know better than to mix in the lot of them." He finished very convincingly.
"Well, she is connected to Draco's mother. Very distantly, I assure you. Barely, even. In fact, I don't even think they're really connected and all. But her father knows Lucius. And in that "connection", might I say to you that she is a lot closer connected to Sirius Black." Hermione retorted, avoiding Harry's eyes.
Harry felt his stomach clench tightly at the mention of Sirius's name. He closed his eyes. When he opened them, Ron was looking at him curiously.
"Are you okay, Harry?" He said. Hermione didn't look up.
"Yeah… yeah…" Harry answered, sitting down and trying to focus on the food instead. Siruis had died when he was in fifth year, going through a passageway to the dead. That was all he knew. Upon attempting to ask Dumbledore about all that, the Headmaster just told him to accept it as it is. Voldemort was back. And Harry's time in Hogwarts was almost done. It was almost ending.
"Woah… that Draco Malfoy's a real prick." Akira sniffed, sitting heavily beside Harry.
"Oh that he is." Harry said. "We gryffindors over here hate him."
Hermione made a funny noise in the back of her throat, and Ron shot her a dark look. Hermione looked up, her face all too innocent for Harry's comfort.
"Don't we, Hermione?" He said, an edge in his voice. Ron continued to glare at her accusingly, while Akira just looked from one to the other, her brows wrinkling.
"Yeah. We hate him here." Hermione's voice was a bit higher than usual... but Harry decided to let it go for now.
Akira just shrugged. After breakfast, the four of them were marching to their first class, which was Potions with the Slytherins. Harry turned to Akira.
"Will you be staying for the whole year?" He asked. Ron and Hermione turned their eyes on Akira.
"No… probably just after Christmas… after that, I'm back where I belong. But the Headmaster of my school, and my father, have been thinking of sending me here permanently, to work. Because Dumbledore had asked for their help, with that – that Dark Lord and all. They seem to think that I would represent them just fine, while all the rest remain there to do what needed to be done… That Dark Lord has lots of supporters on the other side of the world." She trailed off, a thoughtful finger on her lip. "I seem to be talking a lot. Er… that's a first. So much for secrecy." She said.
"We'll never tell anyone. And no one else had heard you." Hermione said, Ron and Harry nodding their agreement. Akira was deep in thought. That's the first time I ever babbled without thinking it over first… She thought, a frown now marring her face.
"Well if it isn't the Golden Trio, and my dear beloved relative." Somebody drawled behind them.
Akira looked back coolly, giving Draco a cool look. She met Harry's eyes and he rolled it. She noticed Hermione's neck was flushing. But her eyes are filled with anger… She noted, then looked back at Draco and caught him checking her out. Her eyes widened and the strands of hair on the back of her neck rose. Before she could open her mouth, Hermione grabbed her hand and they ignored Malfoy. They sat in the back, Hermione and Akira on the front and Harry and Ron behind them.
"What's professor Snape like?" Akira asked under her breath.
"Well, Harry and Snape hate each other. Snape is very unreasonable towards Harry. I guess I hate him too. And most definitely does Ron." Hermione answered. She was itching to tell Akira of the Order of the Phoenix, but she wasn't sure if she could be trusted. I want to tell her.. Maybe someday… when we've gotten to know each other better. She decided.
"Can you speak a few Japanese words for me?" She smiled. Akira looked at her blankly, then grinned, her cheeks holding a tinge of pink.
"Well, the reason why the Headmaster sent me, of all the people back there, is that I can speak nine languages fluently. Not that I'm the only one, but I'm near the top of my class, and the Headmaster thinks I'm the most suitable candidate for it. More so than even those above me, like the seventh years and the like." Akira added hurriedly. "And my family's really powerful and all…" She continued, her cheeks now definitely red. Hermione felt her tongue at the top of her mouth. A small "oh" was all she managed. Akira looked away, embarrassed.
"Well, today, as our first lesson, I thought it might have been suitable if we were to make a fairly hard potion, just to test your levels…" Snape swept over them. "Instructions on the board," He said, waving his wand, and the instructions magically appeared. "And oh, I'd like to welcome our new student, Ms. Akira Yamamura." He continued, his mouth twisting at the foreign name. "The Headmaster has talked with us… he said you'd have no trouble whatsoever catching up on our lessons?" He raised an eyebrow. Akira answered a no in a clear voice that carried all over the classroom.
"Good." Snape looked her over one last time before turning to his desk.
Harry felt sweat drop from his forehead as he added dried snakeskin gout, and he shot a look at Hermione's cauldron. It was shooting sweet-smelling emerald smoke, just as it should, whereas Harry's was shooting smelly puffs of dark, dark forest green. He noticed that Akira's was exactly the same as Hermione's.
"They seem to be two of a kind." Ron said beside him, indicating Hermione and Akira with a nod of his head.
"Yeah… Hermione's found someone to contend with." He replied. Hermione shot them a frosty look. Then she glanced at Akira. Harry followed her gaze, to where Akira was already straightening up, stretching cramped muscles. She noticed them looking, and Harry gave her an impish grin. Hermione sniffed. She had noticed Akira never even glanced at the instructions.
"Aren't you going to double-check?" Hermione asked as she bent over her cauldron.
"Already did." Akira replied.
Harry looked back as a shadow passed over him.
"Well… very good Ms. Yamamura. I had expected at least five more minutes until everyone was finished." Snape said from behind them, glancing at Hermione, "Five points to Gryffindor."
Harry felt his eyebrows rise, and Hermione looked stunned.
"Well, that's shocking." Ron muttered under his breath. Akira simply looked grave and nodded politely to Snape.
A short moment later, class ended, and all of them marched to Snape to hand out their potions. Only Hermione and Akira weren't given assignments.
"Er, gotta go. I've taken up Arithmancy." Akira said, turning to go.
"But Hermione also has Arithmancy." Harry blurted.
Akira turned to look at Hermione, who gave a soft "oh." Then she took Hermione's hand, and together, they went off chatting quietly.
"I thought she was put out from having only been second best…." Ron shook his head.
"Yeah… she must have received quite a shock. I guess Hermione's so used to being the smartest, now, eh? But at least she didn't hold it against Akira…" Harry said. Ron grunted incoherently.
"Has anyone of you people seen Akira?" A voice said behind them.
"Harry turned and wished he hadn't. There, in front of him, studiously avoiding his eyes, stood Cho Chang. Her face was red, and the way she ignored him might as well have blasted sirens screaming "I don't see Harry in front of me!"
"She went off with Hermione to Arithmancy. You should still catch them around the corner if you hurry." Ron answered. Cho nodded thanks and hurried off, with her band of giggling girls following closely behind. Only now they weren't giggling. They actually gave Harry cold looks, and some of them sniffed disdainfully.
Ron shrugged at Harry, then proceeded to their next class unobtrusively.
"Uhm…" Ron trailed off, looking at the floor.
Harry glanced over at him, but then he bent his head again, concentrating hard on their various assignments strewn across the table. The Common Room only held a few people, besides him, Ron, Hermione and Akira. Hermione sat idly reading a book, while Akira was doodling on a piece of parchment. Harry had glimpsed some of it, and it was quite good. Television material, even. Ron had given up on his homework, choosing instead to daydream. Harry shook his head. Already several weeks into the school-year, they had a lot of homework piled on them. He wondered vaguely how Hermione and Akira found time to finish their homework without even seeming to do them.
"Er… what makes a Spotted Hungarian Forest Fire spit purple flame?" He asked, looking up from his work.
"Every third full moon of the year, when they are attacked by Flying Purple Trixies…" Akira replied absent-mindedly before Hermione could even open her mouth.
"Er… Flying Feather – oh never mind. Thanks." Harry bent back t his work. Ron finally gave himself a shake and turned to his share of the pile of homework.
"First Quidditch practice tomorrow, Harry. Angelina told me to remind you." Hermione said. "And tryouts too, for beaters and the like. Chasers too" Hermione added as an afterthought. Some had already graduated, leaving the Gryffindor team widely open.
"Oh yeah. Something to look forward to." Harry smiled, and he heard Ron sigh beside him.
"You play Quidditch?" Akira asked Hermione.
"Oh no, just these two over here." She replied hastily.
"I love playing Quidditch." Akira said a-matter-of-factly.
"You could go tomorrow. What position do you play?" Ron asked, interested.
"Well, back at home, I play Seeker. I love being one… But I've always wondered what it feels to play, say, as a Beater." She said, her voice warming.
"Well, jolly good! Come tomorrow with us!" Ron said enthusiastically.
"Sure." Akira smiled at him.
The door to the Girls' Dormitories opened and a few of the other sixth year girls went out, headed by Katie Bell, laughing loudly. When they passed by Akira, they gestured for her to come with them. Akira looked over to them.
"We're going exploring all 'round Hogwarts. I've always wanted to go exploring around in this place. Seems a bit Dark." She grinned.
"Oh! We could show you!" Hermione said hastily from the couch. Harry looked over and agreed with her.
"Nah, it will be really better this way. I kinda like the idea of Gryffindor's Golden Trio." She smiled, waving goodbye as she went out the door, surrounded by the girls as Katie held her arm importantly.
"Well, that was tactful of her." Hermione said slowly.
"I wonder what she meant by that." Ron said.
"Dunno…. But she was good company really, it's just that I guess she was a little left out sometimes." Hermione mused while Harry frowned.
"She felt out of place?" He asked.
"Yeah… I guess, that is." Hermione said.
The rest of the night passed by without incident. The next morning, Harry awoke with a start, drenched in sweat. He had been having one of those dreams again, where Voldermort had taken Hermione and Ron. The strange thing about it was, this time Akira had appeared, a spectator as Voldemort tortured Hermione. His hand drifted to his scar, where it was burning madly. The cool dawn made him shudder. The other students were still snoring. Unable to go back to sleep, Harry darned a heavy cloak and went outside. Hogwarts was eerily silent, every soft step heard. Harry gave a start when he realized he had reached the dungeons, where not far from there the Slytherin House resided. He gave a little shiver and took another path, one that led him farther and deeper into Hogwarts than he ever had dared. Something was compelling him to… Harry squinted in the darkness. It was, after all, only four in the morning. Something skittered behind him, and Harry whirled quickly, his robes a blur. There was nothing there. He raised a hand to his chest, where his heart was beating erratically. After a few minutes, Harry went on his way, taking another winding path that slowly led to where he could get back to his own quarters. It really is cold down here… how can the slytherins stand it? He thought. Harry came across a wide, forbidding door that suddenly appeared as he rounded the corner. He frowned. There was nothing like this that he had ever heard, and it couldn't have been the room they had used for the D.A. That one was floors up. He vaguely thought that he was even below the Slytherins' quarters. Something suddenly gripped him, to go in and see what was on the other side. Harry took a deep breath, easing the door open, sighing when it was clear that it would open with no problems. He had expected it to be locked. He eased himself in stealthily, crouching beside large tables, then he straightened. It was a very big room, with bookshelves filled up to the ceiling with hard volumes. The books looked really, really old. Why aren't they in the library? He thought. He approached one and he squinted at the unfamiliar writings.
Not even English, he thought. All around where strange objects, with chains and glasses attached to several. He frowned. He turned and found an archway leading to another room. Harry squinted harder. Vision was really poor, and the other room looked pitch black. As he was about to enter the other room, something made him stop. The hair on the backs of his neck rose, and a sudden foreboding consumed him. Without thinking, Harry crouched to all fours and stealthily entered, using couches and tables for cover. From something in the middle of the room. Harry held his breath as a figure slowly rose from the middle, where it was sitting yoga style. It laughed, chime like sounds sending chills down his spine. As Harry's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he recognized Akira Yamamura's face filled with ecstasy.
End of Chapter