Chapter five:

Juuban, District Tokyo, Japan
December 10th, 2004

Harry gazed down uneasily at the make shift bonnet as he strolled through the park. He was aware of the stares and the whispering about him. He could just imagine what they were saying as he passed.

So young, they would say. Too soon, they would whisper behind his back.

Sighing aloud, he pushed on. The sound of four squeaky wheels were the only sound he made as he walked along the given pathway. Forged by concrete, the sidewalk made a trail through the park, entering from one end, only to come out another.

What am I doing, he wondered, and winced when the wheel caught on a small pebble. Bloody hell, he grounded to himself, his lips curling into a frown. Letting go of the handles, he stalked to the front, but froze at the sight that greeted him.

She looked quite content sitting in the white stroller. That morning, Michiru had dressed her in a lavender dress, with white laced embroidery. His eyes softened at the matching bonnet she wore on the top of her head. It kept the light of the sun out of her eyes, and off her fragile skin. Skin that was as white as he remembered from the girl who had saved his life.

Crouching down in front of her, Harry reached for the bag Setsuna had packed for them, and pulled out a baby bottle. She only looked like a few weeks old. Still tiny. Small hands reached out greedily for the bottle he held out to her. "Okay, okay, I guess you're hungry," he said lightly, and gave her the bottle.

"Ah, what a darling little girl," a voice said from behind him. Startled, Harry turned around to find a tall and rather lengthy girl standing behind him. "Uh," he uttered, still taken aback by the girl's sudden appearance.

Despite the fact that he hadn't acted when he should have, his instincts, delayed as they were still triggered a response.

The girl lifted a brow at him, her lip curling up into a smirk. "Nice stick," she joked, her eyes dancing from his wand to his determined face. "Ooh, down boy," she cooed, taking a step back, not in defense, he noted but actually to give him room.

As he looked at the girl he realized the despite the fact that he could kill this girl with only two small words, she wasn't the least bit afraid of his wand. It's really true, he thought with despair. I really am not in my world anymore.

Setsuna had said his world was tainted now, not as he had left it anymore. Voldemort had destroyed everything, making the Earth his kingdom. Muggles were picked off the streets and murdered. Anyone who defied his beliefs were executed.

"I'm sorry," he said aloud, and as he stood there, he wondered if he meant it for the girl or for the people he had let down. Pocketing his wand, he shoved his wayward thoughts away for another day.

"Apology accepted," she said with a smile, then turned her attention back to the baby. "You sure look a lot like a friend of mine," she said in a small voice. "Is she your sister," she asked, her eyes glancing at him just long enough for him to realize she was talking to him. "Err," he stammered, his eyes dropping to the small child. Not a drop of resemblance linked them together.

"No," he replied, unable to lie to this stranger. "She's the daughter of a friend of mine," he added, stretching the truth some. Michiru, Haruka and Setsuna were hardly his friends. Prison guards, and over protective guardians, maybe. But not friends.

Harry looked over to find sharp green eyes that matched his own, staring hard at him. Startled he pulled away, the closeness she stood at, bothered him for some reason.

xxxx

Odd, he wondered to himself. Just moments ago, the green eyed girl had been standing just a foot away from him. But now, she was gone. A loud explosion alerted him, to what happened to her though. Turning his head, he saw the most bizarre creature he had ever come across.

Yes sure, he knew House elves, trolls, Goblins, Wizards, and Witches. But this one, was hard to beat.

Beautiful, and yet scary could have described her. She stood tall among the rubble of the fallen wall in which she had crashed into. With pale green skin, he would have called her an alien, except that she had human features.

Dressed in blue leggings, and a one-piece suit, she looked ready for a ballot with the finishing too-too. Among her mass of black tresses, a pair of antennas sat there twitching as if listening.

"Supreme Thunder!" a voice shouted from the rubble. The fallen wall exploded again and debris spread across the area like a fog.

Another figure appeared, this one human-like, but dressed in less clothing than the first. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" the girl cried, her body twisting in a series of movements. Harry's eyes widened, his jaw falling to the floor in his state of shock. Glowing leaves shot from her hands and attacked the creature, awing him even more.

Wandless magic, he wondered. That was new. He knew of no one who could do that.

"Damn these stray youmas," the girl cursed. She lunged at the creature throwing a right and a left hook. Harry watched with amazement, as the creature barely defended itself. It tried throwing a ribbon at the girl dressed in a green mini skirt and ankle boots, but to no avail.

The thing, the girl called youma, didn't seem to have a chance in this battle. Which made him wonder just which one was good and which one was bad.

"Dammit," the girl dressed in green, cursed as she slid in front of him. "Why are you just standing there!"

Harry blinked, realizing that for the last fifteen minutes, he had, instead of helping, had just stood by like the rest of the gawking crowd around them. But then what could he do? Sure he had his wand, but Setsuna had advised him only to use it, when no one could see him. But then before he could act, Hotaru made a sound. It was more like a gurgle than anything. Looking down at the stroller next to him, he creased his brows in thought.

Most babies, he knew, would have started screaming at any the loud sounds. He knew, because all the other babies in the park were screaming.

So how was he going to protect her, in a situation like this?

"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" a new voice shouted. Startled, he tore his gaze away from the child to look.

"No, you wont get rid of me that easily!" the youma snarled. Flicking its wrist, a ribbon shot from its hand. "Entangle," it growled. Harry stiffened in reflex, his mind betraying him by jumping back in time to that movement Voldemort had nearly killed him. "Harry!" someone screamed, but not even it could jar him into action.

He felt something slam into his chest, and the impact threw him off his feet. But before he could hit the ground something wrapped around his wrist, tightened, and then it snake passed his stomach and caught hold of his leg. What, he wondered. The hit to his chest had knocked the wind out of him, and a white light filled his vision blocking everything else out.

It was then he could hear a baby wailing from somewhere to his right. "Hotaru," he croaked, and drug in the much needed air. Blinking, his sight cleared and he was able to see again.

Harry hung suspended in the air by at least ten feet. The ribbon the youma had shot at him, was currently holding his left wrist, and right leg. Looking down, he noted that the ribbon hardened like steel, and had punctured the earth like a spear. Which all the more made him feel like a shish-kabob.

Further away from him, the youma clutched the other end of the ribbon. When it twisted the ribbon in its grip, the hold it held on him tightened.

Bloody hell, he moaned inwardly.

"Hotaru, please," someone begged. Alerted by the name, Harry looked to his right to find the girl dressed in green holding little Hotaru. How does she- he wondered but was cut off. The ribbon tightened around his body squeezing him uncomfortably.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution" the girl in green shouted. She pointed one hand in the youma's direction, sending a torrent of glistening leaves at it. The leaves attacked the youmas arms and hands. One hit the ribbon cutting him free.

"Silver Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" the new voice shouted again, and this time hitting the youma head on. A bright light lit the area it stood, and when it died, the youma was gone.

Harry didn't remember hitting the ground, but before he knew what was going on, he laid in the grass, feeling its blades cut into his skin.

"Harry," a voice called from a short distance.

"Bunny," he whispered recognizing the voice of his classmate. The familiar girl appeared in his sights, and fell to her knees at his side. "Oh Harry," she whispered. She helped him sit up, using her strength to hold him up. "Are you all right?" she asked sounding worried.

He nodded, his eyes lingering on the red welt around his wrist. "Jeez that was a close one," a familiar voice breathed. Harry looked up, and found the green eyed girl from earlier standing in front of him. She looked a little bruised and beaten. Her clothes had been torn, and a few bruises sported her chin, and bare legs.

But what relived him when he saw her, was little Hotaru staring him, with a pair of dark eyes. "Sailor Jupiter gave her to me, before she left," the stranger explained.

"Who," he asked, but figured the girl meant that lady dressed in green. "You know, the Sailor Scout, the one who just kicked that youmas ass," the girl tried to explain.

"Lita, he's new here, I don't think he knows about them yet," Bunny reasoned. She helped him get to his feet. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, she put his weight against her. "Help me get him home."

At this, Lita looked from him, to Bunny, and back again. "Yeah, sure," she said. Shuffling Hotaru in her arms, she managed to support the baby with one arm, while draping his other arm over her shoulders. And then proceeded to help carry him back to Setsuna and the other's apartment.

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Well there you have it, Harry's first experience with a youma. i used the japanese name, because its so much cooler than saying monter of creature the whole time.

Anyway, i hoped you like it, i know i did. Cute little Hotaru. Just to remind you, the next chapter jumps back to Harry's time, right after they spoke the his friends.

see ya all in the next chapter. tata

LP