Sorry this chapter took so long, people, but right after school let out my folks packed us up and we went to stay with our grandfather in Austin for a while. I'm…actually still in Austin, connecting to the net by way of my mother's laptop. I do hope you can understand, because if you don't I'm in a lot of trouble…(gulps at the numerous torches and pitchforks) Continue? Okay…
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or Harry Potter. Deal with it.
Chapter 34: The Bond of Friendship
"I just don't get it." Ron muttered the following afternoon, moving in their disorganized bunch of red-clothed students towards Charms. "Why on earth would Volde-"
"Ron." Hermione hissed savagely. Even though it was a major rumor and the assumed reason of Kimura's disappearance, those who spoke the name within school corridors had a nasty habit of winding up in severe conditions, or at least in detention.
"Sorry." The redhead apologized hastily. "But why would…You-Know-Who… want to kidnap a transfer student? I mean, it's not like any of them are really a threat or anything."
"It was the act of kidnapping that makes it a threat."
Harry glanced at Hermione with confusion. "Say again?"
The girl sighed. "Look, the Japanese government sent them over here as a sign of friendship, brotherhood, well-being, all that stuff. It was a show of trust, both in our country and in Dumbledore. Now that one of the transfers has disappeared, that trust is broken."
"So you're saying that Volde-." Harry was interrupted by Hermione's cough. "That You-Know-Who just took him to threaten the Japanese government?"
"Not exactly." Hermione shook her head, taking her seat in the classroom. "When the Japanese Council hears about this, they'll be furious. They'll probably withdraw all efforts to create allies or any other kind of support against the Death Eaters. And that would leave both countries vulnerable."
Professor Flitwick entered the room them, ushering in a new wave of silence as he began his lecture. If Harry had turned around, he would have seen the Transfers just behind him, hearing every word and glancing at each other as though they disagreed…
( - ) ( - ) ( - )
The next morning, Kouji received at letter.
Now, this was a somewhat normal occurrence, all things considered, except that said letter was delivered by a familiar eagle-owl, which soon afterwards returned to its normal place at the Slytherin table.
Harry and Ron were almost instantly on alert. "What does Malfoy want?" The black-haired boy asked, leaning over the table.
Kouji glared at the two of them in annoyance, then glanced at Takuya in contemplation before hooking his fingers under the seal and pulling the letter open. A single, thin sheet of parchment fell out into his hand. Blue eyes scanned over the small page contemplatively, one eyebrow perking in interest.
"So?" Takuya prompted after a moment. "What's up?"
Kouji looked back at him nonchalantly. "You tell me." He said simply, handing the note back.
Takuya's dark brown eyes narrowed. "You know I can't read English."
Harry leaned over one shoulder as Hermione leaned over the other, reading the somewhat neat, almost calligraphic script on the simple parchment:
Be behind Greenhouse 5 after breakfast. Alone.
"Don't go." Ron suggested instantly. "If it's Malfoy, it's probably a trick."
"Or a trap or something." Hermione added.
Kouji frowned at the parchment slightly, then pushed away from the bench and made his way to the grand doors at the front of the room. "H-Hey!" Ron exclaimed. "Wh-Where're you going?"
"Breakfast is almost over." The transfer said simply.
"You're not seriously going to meet him, are you?" Hermione gasped, standing herself. "But what if it's…"
Kouji turned to glare at them in annoyance. "I'm. Going."
"Then so am I." Takuya insisted, jumping up and running over to his friend's side. "Malfoy's a slimy little rat, and besides…" He leaned in close to whisper. "I get the feeling that this is about…Him."
Kouji glared at him, but the glare read that he had thought of the same thing.
Harry was on his feet as well, followed closely by Ron and Hermione. "We're going, too."
"No." Takuya and Kouji snapped in unison.
"You don't know Malfoy the way we do." Hermione insisted as the group made their way out the door.
"Yeah." Ron nodded intently. "You don't have any idea what he could pull."
Kouji growled low in his throat, tensing his fists as though ready to punch through a wall. "Fine." He snapped shortly, and stormed out in a huff.
( - ) ( - ) ( - )
Malfoy's blue eyes narrowed in annoyance as the group approached the small alcove behind Greenhouse 5. "I told you to come alone."
"They're a little pushy." Kouji muttered slowly, taking the head and coming forward to match Malfoy glare for glare. "What do you want?"
Draco glared at Harry, Ron, Takuya and Hermione in turn, before reaching into the pocket of his cloak and pulling out a thick parchment envelope. "Here." he growled, shoving it into Kouji's hands.
The transfer looked down at it suspiciously. "What it is?"
"Direction to Malfoy Manor." Draco snapped shortly. "It's Southeast, roughly the distance to London."
Takuya's glare narrowed. "And you're telling us this…why?"
"None of your business." Malfoy glared. "It's between me…and Kimura."
"Kimura?" Harry stiffened slightly, but Kouji cut him off.
"That's where Kouichi is?"
Draco glared at them both, taking one very small step backwards. "I guess that's just for you to find out, isn't it?"
"You know what I bet?" Ron proclaimed loudly, taking a step closer to Malfoy himself. "I bet you had something to do with him going missing in the first place!"
A low growl rumbled up from Malfoy's throat. "Shut up, Weasley."
"It's true, isn't it?" Ron's voice raised slightly and he took another step forward. "You probably tricked him right into it, you lying little…"
The redhead was suddenly cut off by a sudden movement from the blonde, striding forward and snatching up his collar, slamming him into the castle wall a few feet away. Harry's hand went to his wand, but his wrist was suddenly caught by Takuya, who was listening to Malfoy's slow, steady exclamations of barely-contained rage.
"Shut…the hell…up." The refined voice didn't quite suit the snarls and growls coming from the blonde's throat. "You don't have any idea…You think it's so easy, your type, standing up against Him like that. Anyone in our circles know about your family, lot of blood traitors they've always been, and your mother's family too. Your type's always the same…"
Harry snatched his wand out of his pocket and leveled it at the back of Malfoy's head. "You better let go of him, Malfoy."
Icy blue eyes turned back to glare at him, but his grip relaxed and thin fingers released the cloth of Ron's robe. With one last annoyed growl, he spun on his heels and stormed off.
"You better bring him back in one piece." He sneered, turning around just slightly to glare at Kouji. "He's the only one with any sense in your lot."
A slightly cold smirk wormed its way over Kouji's lips. "Always has been."
( - ) ( - ) ( - )
Eleven o'clock.
Takuya rolled out of bed, moving through the heavy curtains to land as softly as he could on all fours. He was fully dressed, save for his shoes, which were clutched in his hand quietly as he moved. He could feel the presence of two things weighting down his pockets. In the right pocket was his D-Tector, the left his wand. He was bringing nothing else.
His hand reached slowly into his left pocket as he moved slowly on all fours through the room. He hid the tip of his wand in the sleeve of his robe. "Lumos."
The light flickered on, muffled slightly by the cloth of his robe, shining just enough on the wooden floor for him to move around without bumping into anything. He made his creeping way slowly toward the center of their 'wagon-wheel' formation.
A few moments later, another muffled light flickered on around the corner, coming out into the center. For a moment it illuminated the face of Kouji Minamoto, crouched slightly with one hand around his wand, the other around the handle of Takuya's broom.
Takuya breathed a small sigh of relief. "You're so much better at this than I am."
"Just keep it quiet." Kouji hissed shortly, moving towards the door. "Come on… Tomoki's waiting."
The pair slipped through the door to the dorms, slowly shutting the door behind them before rising to their feet to creep down the stairs. Two landings down they found Tomoki, wrapped in his cloak and clutching the green D-Tector with both hands. As a group they made their way down to the common room to put their plan into action.
"Uh, Kouji?" Tomoki gulped, looking down the five stories to the ground. "Are you sure about this?"
"You got a better plan?" Kouji asked simply.
"Well, no, but…" Tomoki swallowed again. "Three of us, on one broom?"
"Izumi's using hers, and Junpei's risking it with the Transfiguration classroom window." Takuya rattled off. "And if we don't get going, they'll beat us out there."
"So what are we waiting for?" Kouji snapped.
"You two to hang on."
Tomoki gulped and slipped his arms around Takuya's waist. Kouji gripped the wood handle tightly, leaning forward slightly so Takuya could see over him. "Everybody set?"
"If we're ever going to be."
"On my mark, then." Kouji took a deep breath. "One…Two…Three!"
Takuya and Kouji pushed off at the same time, but Tomoki was a few seconds later, causing them to warble slightly on take-off and knock haphazardly against the windowsill and fishtail as they gained altitude.
"Takuya!" Kouji shouted as the wind whipped his ponytail into his face. "Get this thing back on track!"
"I'm working on it!" Takuya exclaimed, pulling at the stubborn broom furiously. It took another few moments of warbling, and they almost plummeted twice, but they made it out into the clump of trees at the very edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Izumi was already waiting for them, leaning against the handle of her broom and tapping her foot restlessly. "It's about time you got here." She sighed.
The three jumped off their ride and stashed it under another bush, as Izumi did with her prized Inazuma. Suddenly, there was a small crash from behind them, making them all jump. "What was that?" Tomoki squeaked.
Kouji and Takuya both snatched up their wands as the trees rustled in front of them…And out came Junpei, look flushed and slightly out of breath.
"Hey, hey, hey!" The widest of the group exclaimed, waving his hands wildly. "It's just me!"
"You're late," Kouji growled softly, stowing away his wand.
Takuya blew his bangs up with a sigh, replacing his wand and beginning to fumble with his D-Tector nervously. "So, are we all ready?"
"I guess so…" Izumi shrugged slightly, producing her D-Tector from her pocket. "But are we really sure about this? I mean, it'll take a while, even if we Digivolve, and we don't even know if Kouichi is really…"
"We really don't have any choice." Takuya sighed, adjusting his goggles restlessly. "We only have three weeks until school is over. Once we leave, we won't be able to do…anything."
Tomoki sighed. "And Voldemort will still have Kouichi…"
"And a way into the Digital World." Junpei nodded.
Kouji glared slightly, tossing his ponytail back behind his back. "That's why we have to…"
He cut off suddenly, snapping his head around at a sudden noise. Junpei raised an eyebrow. "What's with…?"
"Quiet." Kouji hushed, pulling out his wand again and staring intently into the dark trees.
"Kouji?" Izumi asked worriedly. "What is it?"
Kouji shushed them again, moving forward with one hand curling around his wand, the other reaching out to feel amongst the trees. He groped about a moment as though he couldn't see, but before anyone could ask him what he was doing he gripped the thin air and yanked it back to reveal…
"Potter!"
"Weasley!"
"Granger!"
"Aw…Crud."
TBC…
"…and your mother's family, too." - According to Molly Weasley had some close relatives that were killed by Voldemort.
