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Food spread across the four tables, filling the whole hall with the aromas of roast beef, pasta, cinnamon buns, and pumpkin juice... Soon, everyone filled their plates and ate until they could eat no more. A content murmur rose from the students, signaling the end of the feast. Dumbledore stood up.
"Now that we are all well fed and watered, I have a few announcements to make," The students fell silent. "As many would know by now, the Forbidden Forest is off limits. No one is allowed in there.
"Unfortunately, the dungeons have been flooded yet again. Potions classes will be postponed next week and Slytherins will sleep in the dining hall until better accommodations are found." the Slytherins groaned, "Classes will begin on Monday and schedules will be given to you tomorrow." The headmaster smiled, "That is all I have to say for tonight." Professor Dumbledore nodded to the prefects and sat down.
The prefects stood up, except for the Slytherins'prefect, and they started to lead the students to their common rooms. Kurapica gestured to everyone so that they could see where he was going.
"All right Gryffindors, listen up," the blonde shouted loud enough for them to hear, "We are heading towards the common rooms and I hope everyone remembers that curfew is at 11:00. And, tomorrow is a Saturday, in case anyone has forgotten. Everyone clear?Now follow me, and try not to get lost. I am not going to be waving around those tourist guide flags, so watch carefully." He sighed, remembering the last incident which involved a group of children and a forbidden corridor, "Right then, everyone this way."
Gon picked up his pace, walking in time with Kurapica and Leorio at the front. He stared at his two new friends, noticing that Leorio looked much taller than the blonde.
"Ne, Leorio..." Gon pried.
"Hmm?" Leorio looked over his shoulder at the boy.
"Umm...how old are you?" Leorio twitched at his question.
"I'm not old! Just a little older than you!" He snapped at Gon. Gon blinked in confusion. Was Leorio angry at him again? Kurapica punched Leorio in the shoulder,
"Don't be so rude!" he shouted at the man and then tilted his head to look at Gon, "He's kind of touchy about his age..." Leorio growled angrily at Kurapica. The blonde whistled and walked ahead, keeping out of his angry friend's reach. I don't want to be strangled...
Gon thought over what his friends just told him and raised a finger, getting ready to speak,
"But..."
"But what!" Leorio snapped again.
"But why do you look like you're twenty or twenty-five. You're taller than Kurapica by so much." Gon pointed out. Kurapica chuckled and listened carefully to what Leorio would say to defend himself.
"I-I just have...strange genes that make me mature faster than others." Leorio muttered. Kurapica tried to stifle a laugh. Yeah, like that's gonna convince him, the blonde thought. Gon scrutinized Leorio for a while, making the tall man break into sweat.
"But you're not wearing jeans. You've got brown pants on. You lied!" Gon protested, pointing an accusing finger at Leorio, "And now that I've noticed, you're taller than everyone else, too!" Gon stared at Leorio, determined to get to the bottom of his question. Kurapica bursted out laughing uncharacteristically and gave Leorio a sideways glance,
"Leorio, Gon could probably keep up this conversation forever. You never could keep secrets for long anyway. Just tell him who you really are." Gon looked at Leorio expectantly. The tall man sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Fine! But don't you DARE go telling anyone else, alright? I don't want this all over the place, like that rumor of you and that girl," Leorio pointed at Kurapica. The blonde groaned,
"Oh,why did youremind me of that...!"
"And don't hint it to others either!" Leorio whispered harshly to Gon. The boy blinked at Leorio. He was extremely confused. Why would Leorio's age be such a big deal?
"I promise I won't tell anyone or anything. No hinting either." Gon swore to Leorio. The brown-haired man grinned, pulling Gon closer so that no one else could hear.
"All right, I trust you. Man, it's nice to tell someone other than Kurapica."
"What are you implying?" Kurapica asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Anyway—"
"Hey!" Kurapica glared at Leorio for ignoring him. Leorio cleared his throat and started again.
"As I was saying, I'm actually 23 or 24. I don't really bother remembering." Leorio waved it off. Gon's eyes widened.
"But then...wouldn't you have graduated Hogwarts then?"
"Wow, you catch on fast kid!" Gon grinned sheepishly at Leorio's compliment, "Right, I did graduate. And I took up a job at the Ministry of Magic." Gon's mouth formed an 'o'. "I'm a doctor there. But I have another job. I'm supposed to investigate and solve any crime that goes around in the wizarding world."
"Like a detective!"
"Yes, kind of like a detective..."
"So you came to Hogwarts to solve a crime?"
"That's right." Leorio said while patting Gon on the head.
"What crime?"
"Well, there's a group—" Leorio started, and then paused to look at Gon, "Wait, I already answered two of your questions so I'll leave it at that."
"Oh..." the spiky-haired boy sighed disappointedly. The Gryffindors rounded a corner and came face to face with a portrait of a fat lady.
"Password?" the lady moved. Gon stared in awe.
"Cabbage birches." Kurapica said in a clear voice. Leorio shook his head.
"Why do we have such strange passwords...?"
Kurapica merely smiled.
The Gryffindors climbed through the round hole revealed by the Fat Lady's painting. Gon stared at the common room happily. A fireplace burned peacefully in front of a coffee table, along with a circle of squashy chairs. In another corner, a few tables sat silently. Moving portraits covered the walls and two staircases extended up to separate dorms. All in all, the common room was comfortable and cozy. Gon liked it.
"Wow..." He sighed in content.
"Nice eh?" Leorio nudged Gon.
"Mmm." Gon nodded. Kurapica gestured to the Gryffindors where the girls and boys dorms were and said goodnight to Gon and Leorio. Then he left them, wanting to begin his book he had brought from home. Gon glanced around his dorm room and sat down on a four-poster bed.
"Hmm...this is comfy..." he murmured, patting the covers. Leorio laid down on another bed, crossing his arms behind his head.
"Yeah..." the tall man grinned happily. Gon followed his friend's example and laid down on his bed, crossing his arms behind his head. He sighed contently,
"I wonder how Killua's doing..."
"Eh! You're thinking about the Slytherin?" Leorio sat up quickly and stared at Gon incredulously.
"Huh? But his common room got flooded and he's sleeping in the dining room. I feel kind of bad that he's sleeping on the cold floor while I get to sleep in this bed..." He paused and Leorio mulled over what Gon had just said. Kid's got a point there. I feel kind of sorry for them Slytherins...
"…"
"…"
"Ah...!" Gon broke the silence.
"Hmm?"
"I know! I'll sleep on the floor tonight!" Gon said in a determined voice, hopping off of the bed.
"Now wait a second!" Leorio yelled, jumping out of his own four-poster. Gon looked at Leorio questioningly.
"…"
"Hmm?" Gon asked.
"I'm sleeping on the ground too! I-I...I feel kind of sorry for that Killua..." Leorio said sheepishly. Gon smiled and pulled off the cover and sheets of the bed, placing them on the ground. Leorio followed suit and jumped into the makeshift bed. Suddenly, Gon jumped from his spot on the floor.
"Ah!"
"Huh? What!" Leorio stared at Gon in horror, thinking something wrong had happened. I mean, what else would make the little boy jump from bed that fast?
"I...I forgot to brush my teeth!" Gon exclaimed.
o-o-o
After moving the tables away, Professor Dumbledore started summoning purple sleeping bags for the five-thousand and one hundred Slytherins. A few students shivered in the halls while others waited impatiently for the headmaster to finish the summoning. Killua leaned against one of the walls with his arms crossed, staring at his feet. He looked up when he felt someone staring at him. A raven-haired man—or at least he seemed like a man—steadily made his way to the little assassin. Killua stared at him. The man wore a white bandana, which covered most of his forehead, with a set of ebony black robes. He seemed to glide over with an aura of superiority and calmness, almost as great as the one Kurapica had given when he had stepped into the train compartment. Killua glanced at the man's eyes and shuddered. Cold and unrelenting. The little assassin stared at his shoes again, suppressing a shiver. What does he want with me? He thought anxiously, Will he try to kill me?
The man was swooping over, closer to him now.
Damnit. Not these thoughts again, Killua mentally berated himself, You've gotta open up. But...still... The silver-haired boy eyed the man in ebony robes. He's up to no good. Killua concluded. The man stopped in front of Killua and stuck his hand out in a seemingly friendly way,
"Hi. Killua Zaoldyeck, I presume?" the man smiled coldly. Killua stared at him passively. The man continued, still raising his hand, "I am the Slytherin prefect, Kuroro Lucifer." Killua shook his hand briefly, and then dropped it.
"Prefect? Are you some student monitor?" the assassin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You could say that, I suppose. But I like to be thought of as someone much more respectable. Like a...mmm..."
"Tyrant? Maybe that's the word you're looking for?" Killua said coolly, not caring that most people were gasping in fear. Kuroro chuckled quietly, shaking his head.
"You don't know who you're messing with, boy." His eyes bore into Killua's. The silver-haired assassin involuntarily shivered. "Anyway," he waved off the short moment of tension, "Why don't you tell us more about yourself? It's not everyday that we meet a member of the Zaoldyecks..."
"No thanks." Killua said calmly, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Oh, come on. You are a first-year." Kuroro sighed, "You should introduce yourself to us. Or maybe..." he said, raising his eyebrows in interest, "Maybe you could join me and my friends." Killua blinked at him. Was he crazy? Why would he be friends with such a creepy guy? His friends are probably even more creepier... the little assassin thought to himself.
"No thanks. I'm fine on my own."
Kuroro looked displeased, "Very well...but if you ever change your mind, just find the door next to a marble statue of a snake. You'll see it in the Slytherin common room."
When he left, Killua let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He scratched his head, This day just gets weirder and weirder, huh?
o-o-o
"Now wait a second!" Kurapica heard a familiar voice from the boy's dorm rooms. The blonde had just settled down in his favorite chair—the squashiest out of the entire common room—and had pulled out a book. Just when he had delved into the story, someone's loud voice had startled him. Ugh,they just had to interrupt atthe climax! Kurapica thought angrily. He threw down the book irritably and marched up the stairs, ready to scold the 'disturber-of-the-peace'.
"Ah!" the blonde heard another voice yell from the same room.
"Huh? What!" He heard the first voice exclaim. Kurapica stomped closer to the door and opened it quickly, wanting to surprise the two students inside.
"I...I forgot to brush my teeth!" Gon exclaimed. Kurapica sighed exasperatedly when he noticed who they were.
"Gon...Leorio..." the blonde warned them.
"Oh, hey Kurapica." Leorio waved from his seat on the makeshift sleeping mat. Gon walked out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth.
"I, Hurafica!" Gon sputtered. Kurapica sweatdropped.
"You guys are too loud. Keep it down!" He told them and then surveyed the room, "Umm...what are you two doing?" the blonde asked, eyeing the blankets curiously.
"Oh, well we're carrying out: 'Operation: Sleep like the Slytherins'." Leorio smiled innocently. Kurapica raised an eyebrow, clearly wanting an explanation. Gon ran back into the bathroom to spit and rinse.
"Well...you see, Gon and I feel sorry for the Slytherins because they have to sleep on the floor of the dining hall," Leorio explained, "And we decided to copy them."
Both of Kurapica's eyebrows rose.
"You know they aren't going to care. Even if you died for them." The blonde said pointedly. Leorio waved the comment off.
"I know, I know. But we just wanted to, all right?" Leorio crossed his arms in a child-like way, turning his head away from Kurapica. The blonde sighed exasperatedly again and folded his arms across his chest in a bossy manner,
"All right. You can carry out 'Operation: Sleep like the Slytherins'. But do not—I repeat—do NOT wake others up! You got that?" Kurapica said sternly.
"Yeah yeah. Damn prefects." Leorio grumbled. Kurapica smiled.
"Have fun." And after telling goodnight to Gon, the blonde strolled into the common room and headed towards his quarters. He took a quick shower and brushed his teeth, pondering what Leorio had just told him. He thought of the Slytherins, all lying on the cold, bare floors of the dining hall...and he glanced at his comfy, warm, and spacey four-poster bed...
The blonde shook his head and smiled, pulling off his sheet and covers, and set them neatly on the floor. He turned off the light and fell into a peaceful slumber on the ground.
And the book lay forgotten on the squashiest chair of the Gryffindor common room.
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