Breaking Free
The start of the school year began just like any other. Kids from year two through seven chattered noisily, waiting for their meal and anticipating the new housemates they would soon gain. A group of timid first years were lead through the main doors by Professor McGonagall, then sorted into the appropriate houses after the sorting hat recited another strange yet informative poem. Next came the start of the year feast, just as rich and satisfying as the years previous. And finally, the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, stood to make his annual speech.
"Welcome students, old and new, to another year," he began merrily. "I have a few announcements to make before we head off to bed. Firstly, I would like to remind all students that the forbidden forest is strictly that—forbidden. And a forest. Also, our caretaker, Argus Filch, would like me to remind you that the notice to which items are banned in the corridors will be posted in your common rooms, this now includes any product manufactured by Weasley Wizarding Weases," a number of groans were met by this, causing the headmaster to chuckle. "Furthermore, I would like to introduce two new teachers to our staff."
All heads turned towards the new additions at the teacher's table. One of them was a woman with a hooded cloak discerning her features. Professor Sprout, who was stuck sitting next to her, seemed rather weary of the seating arrangements. The other one had all the girls giggling and blushing since the moment they set foot through the door. He was young and handsome, with glittering violent eyes and dark, wavy hair that curled at the nape of his neck fell into his face.
"First I would like to introduce Professor Morgana Verchik," Dumbledore announced, "who will be taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts position."
The woman gracefully removed her hood, emitting many gasps and a couple screams from the students...as well as some of teachers. Morgana's ivory skin gleamed in the candlelight and her long, black hair fell flawlessly down her back. Her eyes were as dark her hair and she had two white fangs that revealed themselves when she smiled. Somehow she managed to make a smile look unfriendly.
She was a vampire.
Dumbledore ignored the muttering around him and continued talking.
"I know that many of you have realized she is a vampire, but she has chosen to fight on the light side against Voldemort and will do you no harm. Now for our second teacher, replacing Professor Middleton, who is suffering from a rare form of amnesia and will not be able to continue to teach muggle studies, is Professor Inuyasha Nagasaki."
Inuyasha grinned winningly at everyone, causing many girls to sigh dreamily. But while he played it cool on the outside, on the inside he was a nervous wreck. All because of one person sitting three seats down from him. Someone who he knew was going to slap him when she had the chance.
The light smile on Dumbledore's face released itself as he prepared to deliver a crushing blow to the students and faculty who had not already been informed. Come tomorrow, he knew what he had tried to keep quiet would be all over the Prophet.
"I have one, last announcement before we move on to our. I did not want to burden you with this and ruin your meals. If you were to look around you, you will notice that one of our number has not returned to us this term," a movement of head rippled over the student body; several had already noticed the absence of one noteworthy individual.
"I regret to inform you that, as of three weeks ago, after an attack on his residence, Harry Potter went missing," gasps and whispers broke out. Dumbledore paused for a moment before continuing, "Very little detail has been brought to light on the matter, but our best speculations point to the possibility that he may have been dragged into the depths of Hell. As this is the most likely case considering the circumstances around his disappearance, the chances of his survival are minimal at best."
Cries rang out around the tables as many students and faculty alike tried to register the fact that their savior, the Boy-Who-Lived, could be dead. Some cried: Cho Chang had her hands around her mouth, her eyes blinking back the gathering tears. Colin Creevy stared at the camera in his lap, absolutely crushed. Professor Spout comforted a blubbering Professor Flitwick.
Professor Trelawney did her best to appear unsurprised.
Many now had fixated their attention on the remaining members of the golden trio, both of whom had their heads bowed. Hermione had bitten her oddly quivering lip, willing herself not to break down in front of the school and Ron sent around a hard look, as though daring anyone to speak. His eyes lingered on the Slytherin table where many looked gleeful, particularly one smug Draco Malfoy.
Dumbledore cleared his throat to regain the attention of his audience.
"I am sorry for having to burden you with such devastating news to you at such a crucial time in this world; for the war has begun and the light side has lost an important figurehead. I hope this will only serve to inspire you to fight for the light in this brewing turmoil, and avenge Mr. Potter."
'Yeah,' Inuyasha thought flatly, keeping his face neutral. 'He'll need to be avenged after I kill him.'
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Harry sighed as he glanced aimlessly about the barren land. He had been there for weeks—fighting demons, scrounging for food and water (though he often found demon meat to be the most acceptable source of nutrition), reading the book, and adapting to his new body.
His greatest relief came from knowing that this body wasn't too different from his human one—shape-wise that is. He had yet to find a mirror so he did not know his exact appearance, but he could already tell he wasn't completely demon. The transformation must have gone wrong—which wasn't surprising to him given the circumstance he was in—but he knew it could have gone much, much worse. His dumb-luck came through for him once again. McGonagall owed him another five points.
Nevertheless, the comforting power he felt swirling within his body assured him that he would never have to take crap from anyone ever again. Every demon he had defeated down there had been full-blooded demons. Most were more powerful than the ones he encountered in the human realm thanks to the enabling environment. If there were ever a situation that would give him the opportunity to get used to his new body quick—this was it.
Harry yawned and stretched out on a rock. Opportunities aside, he was completely and utterly bored. He defeated just about every demon within a five-mile radius from where he currently lay and refused to wander any farther incase another rift opened up to give him a free pass into the human world. This train of thought always got Harry thinking.
He had been under the impression that only the guardians of the gates of Hell could break the barrier separating the two. If that were the case, then why would one of them open it right where his house was? Unless something else caused the rift to appear. That led him to believe that he could possibly open the rift himself, which had him searching through the book for anything that could get him out of there. So far there was no such luck, and every time he convinced himself that he simply missed something, he would come back up empty.
His thoughts were interrupted by a distinct and foul odor that left an eerie tang in the air, alerting Harry of the demon's presence long before it spoke.
"Kukuku. Well, well...what do we have here?"
Harry released another, loud yawn and rolled onto his stomach to look at his new prey. He almost fell off the rock in shock. Before him was what looked like a human—the first humanoid demon he had met yet. The "man" had long, crimped, black hair, malevolent red eyes, and, frighteningly enough, bluish eye shadow. Draped around his shoulders and pooling at his feet was a white baboon pellet.
"I had heard there was someone or something in this area causing a disturbance, killing off anything that had gotten near it. But this is a surprise..." he spoke again with a chilling voice.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Harry snarled, lifting himself cautiously off of the rock. There was something about this demon that was really off. It may have been because he looked so human, or because he was wearing make up. He wasn't sure...
"You're not even a half demon. This, of course, leaves me wondering...what are you doing in Hell?"
"None of your damn business," He said shortly. "What the hell do you want?"
The demon tisked, "So crude. This is the where the barrier is weakest. I am in search of something. I suggest you leave or I will be forced to kill you."
Harry snorted but didn't doubt his words. Instead he stayed put, sitting cross-legged on the rock.
"Do what you want, I wont stop you." Harry had a sneaking suspicion that this was the demon responsible for the breach in the barrier last time.
The demon ignored him and stared up at the murky-red sky.
"It is near," he whispered. "I can feel it. It must be HERE!"
And as he yelled the last word he thrust his hands in the air, his fingers spreading towards the sky. Lighting flashed all around them and the clouds began to swirl, the eye forming directly above the demon. As the winds picked up Harry grabbed the book to keep it from being sucked into the forming vortex. The demon now had a crazed look on his face as the clouds swirled faster and faster, dispersing outward. A patch of blue appeared in the mass of red and it began to broaden. Warm, friendly air hit Harry in the face—human air. Harry grinned; this was his ticket home.
He stood, brushing off the seat of his pants and grabbing his book. The jump would be easy enough for him make. Unfortunately, his movement reminded the demon of his presence, who looked at him from the corner of his eye.
"What are...you!" he growled, abandoning his activity and turning to face Harry.
"Hey, don't mind me," Harry said nervously, lifting a peaceful hand. "I just need to borrow your hole for a minute."
He tried to move around the demon but the man blocked his path, those sinister, red eyes transfixed on the book. Harry knew that couldn't be good.
"You have it," the demon said softly, reaching for the leather cover. "You've had it the whole time..."
Harry back away only to have the demon step closer.
"Hey, back off asshole," Harry bared his fangs and growled loudly, warning the thing to stay away from him.
"Don't presume to threaten me, half-breed," the demon snarled back. He lifted an arm, which exploded into multiple branching tentacles. Harry leapt in the air, dodging the rocketing appendages left and right, hacking them to pieces with his free clawed-hand. As effortless as it was, Harry soon learned that no matter how hard he tore the tentacles apart they would only regroup and form again.
Snarling in frustration, Harry attacked the main body, using his unnatural speed and lithe, agile body to doge the limbs. The demon's eyes widened at Harry's sudden travels. Harry lifted back a clawed hand, the nail lengthening two inches of in readiness for the strike, and brought it down on his aggressor, managing to tear the baboon pelt from his body but no more. The creature's youki was strongly protecting it. The demon was now left in nothing but a pair of loose pants. Before Harry could make any more attacks, a cloud of purple smoke erupted around the man, sending Harry staggering backwards, in hacking coughs. He looked back at the rift to find it closing back up.
Without an actual guardian monitoring the breach, the opening could not sustain itself.
Harry knew he couldn't win against the demon as more tentacles were launched at him. He dodged them and ran in the opposite direction, towards his escape.
"No!" the demon cried, shoot even more tentacles at him at an accelerated pace as Harry leapt towards the rapidly closing portal. He hugged the book to his body with one hand while the other dug his claws into his palm, drawing blood. He flung his palm outward, sending what looked like spears of blood raining down on the tentacles, ripping them apart and sending the demon flying backwards. The last thing Harry saw before exiting Hell was the demon screaming in rage, pounding his fist on the ground, and a spider-shaped scar on its back.
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Guess who's back…back again? Naraku's back, tell a friend. Heck yes!
I got some very good ideas for what Harry should look like from many of you—and don't fret if you think he doesn't look like much now. Appearances can be deceiving. He has a few tricks he's going to discover.
Well, I'm v. v. tired so tootles.
Thanks for the reviews!
