A/N: Last episode, Harry had to deal with Jump-y pseudo puffskeins, a date with three women, a crack Shot out to kill him, and naughty, kiss-y happy Clow Card girl-sprites! What does this day have in store for the Card Captor? Try a bed scene and 'multiple reruns'… -snicker-
Put your eyebrows back on people, it's not what you think…even if I do lament ffnet's decision not to have m+ fics.
'Tobira wo Akete' starts playing in the background
----------------------------------------
Card Captor Harry
by Shadow Crystal Mage
Card 3, The Shadow: Harry's Never Ending Day
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does. I wish her well and covet her money. Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP, not me. I covet their drawing skills. Both are used here without their owners' permission. I'm not doing this for money, so please don't sue me. I do, however, have a medical condition the requires me to ingest large amounts of review and ideas. Got any of those you can spare?
----------------------------------------
When Harry woke up, he was sweaty, breathing hard, flushed all over and wearing a ruined pair of underwear. It took him all of two seconds to remember why. When he did, the flush turned into a full body blush so bright, it would have made the sun jealous.
"Oh, bloody…" Harry muttered, recalling his dreams during the night. What had started in his dreams as a kissing contest between The Earthy, The Wood, The Flower and The Windy to turn him into some kind of bright red fruit or vegetable had rapidly degenerated into the most intense REM sleep he had ever had. The soiled state of his boxers were proof of it.
Thankful that Kero was still asleep, Harry snuck to the bathroom to wash up the mess. Leaving the mess to be laundered, he silently got dressed.
Taking the nine Clow Cards he had out of his jacket, he stared at them. He'd only been with them for two days, and already, he felt a bond with them, a connection. Although he turned brighter-than-cherry-red as he flipped through The Earthy, Wood, Flower and Windy Cards. What is it with those girls!
Looking at The Wood Card, Harry touched his lips in recollection.
"She stole my first kiss," he realized, speaking in a whisper, going even redder. It was a medical miracle he wasn't gushing blood from all facial pores.
Staring at them, he finally stuffed them in his jacket's inner pockets. The Jump, Dash, Shadow and Shot went into his right-side pocket, The Earthy, Wood, Flower, Windy, and after some hesitation, The Mirror, went into his left.
Kero woke up as he was putting the Key around his neck. "Morning, Kero."
Keroberos yawned, stretching in a way that reminded Harry of one of Mrs. Figg's cats. "Morning, Harry. So, how were your dreams?"
Kero's tone said it all.
Harry threw a pillow at him.
----------------------------------------
After another breakfast served in their room, Harry and Keroberos headed out to Diagon Alley.
"So, what do we do today?" Kero asked. They were now well practiced in this, Kero hiding in Harry's jacket and whispering to Harry, and Harry answering back without being noticed.
"We're not doing anything until we go to Quality Quidditch Supplies," Harry said.
"Again! Do you look at that broom every day! " the Sun Guardian moaned.
"Deal with it," Harry said.
----------------------------------------
"There, we've looked at the stupid broom," Kero said a while later. "Can we look for lunch now? Or maybe ice-cream?" he added hopefully.
"Harry! HARRY!"
Harry turned, surprised. Sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlor, ironically at the same table he had sat at with the Cards yesterday, were Ron and Hermione, both looking like they'd been under a lot of sun, and both waving frantically at him. The sight of them, when they had been the furthest things from his mind, made the Card Captor break out into a smile.
"Hold that thought," he muttered to Kero as he made his way towards his friends. He ignored the Sun Guardian's depressed sigh.
"Finally," Ron said, grinning as Harry sat down. "We went to the Leaky Caldron, but they said you left..."
Ah, life was good.
----------------------------------------
It was a good day, all things considered, though that stupid crow had attacked Harry again when he had take Ron to the Magical Menagerie for Scabbers' Rat Tonic. He felt fairly sure the witch at the counter was wrong. Now that he knew how to look, and what to look for, he felt very clearly the magical energy coming from Scabbers, although that didn't tell him anything about what Scabbers could do. And while he didn't think Hermione buying Crookshanks was such a good idea, at least he wasn't that stupid crow. Seriously, WHAT DID THAT BIRD HAVE AGAINST HIM, ANYWAY!
And through out all this, Keroberos kept his silence. At the first opportunity, Harry had taken him back to their room, since it would have been suspicious if he kept his jacket on during dinner. After securing some food Kero, and a promise not to leave, he went down to eat with some of his most favorite people in the world.
Dinner that night was fun. Dinner with Hermione and the Weasleys was always fun, no matter where they ate. After dinner, however...
----------------------------------------
Harry lay back in bed, listening to the shouting in coming from Ron and Percy's room. So Sirius Black was after him. That sure explained a lot of things.
Listening to Kero's soft breathing as the little Sun Guardian slept on one of the pillows, Harry wondered why he wasn't more afraid a mass murderer was after him. Well, that was simple enough. After all, where he was going, there was Albus Dumbledore, and where Dumbledore was could be considered the safest place on earth. And anyway, he rationalized, Dumbledore had been absent from the premises during the Sorcerer's Stone thing, and during the fight with the Basilisk.
And- and at this, Harry's face formed a grim smile- Harry had a trump Card. Or more precisely, nine of them. He'd like to see how Black could kill him if he was bound by The Earthy, Wood or Windy Cards.
Nope, the biggest problem Harry would have to deal with would be how he'd be allowed to go to Hogsmeade. After all, it was probable that he'd be watched, and...
...and...
...wait.
Harry abruptly sat up, staring at the Clow book next to his bed. Hogsmeade wasn't his most pressing problem. In all the excitement of the day, he'd nearly forgotten about the Clow Cards. He recalled something that Keroberos had told him that first night. Something about how while he was looking for the Clow Cards, the Cards would be looking for him. Did that mean that the Clow Cards would follow him to Hogwarts?
Uh oh.
He needed answers on that score.
Giving Keroberos a sideways glance, Harry briefly considered waking the little guy up, but dismissed the thought. After a day of hanging around inside Harry's jacket, it would unfair to wake him up just to ask a question.
On the other hand, Cards didn't need to sleep...
Turning on a lamp, Harry drew the curtains over the windows and stuffed the rug into the crack under the door. No need to let anyone know what he was going to do.
Opening the Clow Book, he debated whom to ask. The Shadow, Jump, and Dash didn't seem the talkative types. He didn't trust The Shot yet; after all, the guy had been trying to kill him last night. The Windy...?
Unbidden, the memory of two soft lips pressing hard against his own as a tongue was thrust into his mouth...
Shaking his head violently to dispel the image and thanking his lucky stars Kero wasn't awake to see his blush, Harry crossed The Earthy, Wood, Flower and Windy Cards off his list. So that left...
Prying out The Mirror Card out of the recess, he removed the key from around his neck.
"Key of power, show me your true form. I, the one to whom you are bound, command it!" Harry recited. "RELEASE!"
Twirling the Sealing Wand the way he always did, Harry raised The Mirror Card. "Clow Card, show me your true power. Mirror Card!"
Harry remembered not to yell out as he brought down the Sealing Wand. The Mirror Card dissolved from it's Card form, becoming a giant mirror in front of Harry. The Mirror Card's sprite stood where his reflection was supposed to be. The sprite moved forward, passing through the mirror's surface the way one would pass through the surface of water. As she passed through the mirror's barrier, she became a perfect carbon copy of Harry.
Stepping forward, Mirror-Harry bowed down before him. "Master," it said. Even it's voice was perfect. Harry shuddered slightly, a bit creeped out, but nodded back.
"Mirror," he said, then indicated the bed. "You better sit down. This may take a while."
The Mirror-Harry glanced briefly at the bed. "If it will be long, master, may I have permission to alter my form slightly? So I could be a bit more comfortable."
Harry knew where this was going. "Sure," he said, sitting down on the head of the bed himself. He waited, trying not to fidget or let on how disturbed this was making him. Or how even more disturbed he would become. You'd think he'd be used to this by now, but no, every weird experience was always a surprise.
The Mirror-Harry rippled slightly, and then he changed into a she. There were no obvious differences, no big signs that pointed to the change. Her chest certainly didn't balloon out or her waist squeeze like an ant. Yet her face seemed softer now, filled with a delicacy Harry associated with females, or at least, the female Clow sprites. Her chest was slightly different too, but only because Harry was looking for it. He knew that if you took off her shirt- at this, Harry grabbed the thought, stomped on it with combat boots, locked it up in a chest, wrapped the chest with chains and dropped it in the ocean- there would be some minor but significant changes to the upper chest area.
Abruptly, Harry realized he was staring at The Mirrors chest and snapped out of it. Coughing to cover his slight, he waved at the foot of the bed. The Mirror Card sat down carefully, it's copy-perfect-yet-female face looking inquisitively at him.
Shaking his head again to get rid of the weird thoughts, Harry faced The Mirror. "Keroberos told me once that the other Clow Cards would be looking for me while I was looking for them. Does this mean they'll follow me to my school?"
Mirror-Harry-girl frowned, her face crinkling in thought, in exactly the same way Harry's did when he was thinking. "Possibly. Very likely, actually. Almost sure. We Cards are drawn to the Clow Book and the Key. It was a mechanism Master Clow Reed implanted in us in the event we should be separated from him. Clow Cards will always be drawn close to you. I wouldn't worry though. So far, they are spread all over London. It will be a few days before they reach you at Hogwarts."
Oh, bloody… Even her voice sounded like him, just a little lighter and throatier. Or was 'huskier' the word? 'Sexier'?
Wait… did she say Hogwarts?
"How did you know I went to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, surprised at this bit of information.
"Recognized the feel of this place," The Mirror said. "I remember England. And the only magic school in England was Hogwarts, unless things have changed a lot since I was last awake."
Harry shook his head. "No, they didn't."
The Mirror nodded. "I thought not. Master Clow Reed went to Hogwarts."
New nugget. "Really," said Harry. "What House was he in?"
"Gryffindor. Will you be needing me for anything else, master?"
Clow Reed was in Gryffindor? Whoa! "No, nothing else. You can go back now."
Still, The Mirror Card hesitated. Then, looking interested at the coverlet on the bed all of a sudden, she shyly asked, "Will it be alright if I stayed out tonight? It's been so long since I've spent any length of time in my sprite-form, it would be nice to do so again."
Harry blinked. "I guess it would be alright, although I don't know what you would do."
The Mirror Card looked even more interested in the coverlet, and Harry suddenly had the sneaking suspicion she was blushing. "Well, it would be nice to sleep… if that's alright with you."
"Uh, sure. You can sleep here if you want," Harry said, before he realized what he was saying.
Mirror-Harry-girl looked up at that. Yup, she was definitely blushing. "Are you sure I won't crowd you?"
Very disturbing to look at, a female him blushing demurely like that. "Nah, it'll be fine."
Wait-a-minute…DID HE JUST SAY THAT!
Mirror-Harry, however, clasped her hands in front of her in that 'I'm so happy!' way girls have. "Oh, thank you, Master Harry!"
Crossing over the distance between them, she gave the still-shell-shocked-by-his-own-answer Card Captor a big hug. Releasing him, she quickly settled under the covers, careful not to disturb Keroberos. Laying her head next to Harry's knee, she settled down and closed her eyes.
Harry sat in place for several minutes, still stunned and wondering what the heck was wrong with his mouth, the way it was saying things without telling him.
When he finally came out of his funk, he looked at the female doppelganger in his bed. Well, he had allowed her to sleep here, and it would be pretty rude, not to mention mean, to kick her out now. And she had thoughtfully left most of the bed available for him.
Sighing, he crept cautiously under the covers, careful not to wake up either The Mirror or Kero. Lying down, he turned on his side, his back to The Mirror, thoughts turning back to Sirius Black out to kill him. Unbidden, the big, black dog he had seen the night he left the Dursleys came to mind
"I'm not going to be murdered," he said out loud, then promptly wished he'd kept his mouth shut.
"That's the spirit, dear," the mirror over the basin said sleepily.
Behind him, Mirror-Harry-et shifted slightly in her sleep, and the thought crossed Harry's mind the being a Card must be pretty boring if sleeping was more interesting. That thought was promptly chased out of the area when The Mirror shuffled a little bit closer in his direction. It wasn't a very big bed, but Harry was able to scoot a little bit away, almost dangerously close to the edge. He waited.
Nothing happened. Keroberos slept on. Mirror settled down. Harry was able to breath a sigh of relief.
Then Keroberos started to snore. Right in Harry's ear.
Instinctively, Harry turned over.
Right into The Mirror Card.
Harry froze as he found himself almost face to face with the girl. Their lips were mere centimeters from touching and he could feel her hot breath on his face. The tips of their noses weren't just close; they were almost touching the other's face.
The Mirror picked this very bad time to shuffle around. Muttering in her sleep, she moved closer to Harry, burying her face in his shoulder and wrapping one arm around him. Her other hand found its way to his chest, where it lay squeezed between the two of them. Beneath the covers, her feet entwined around his, effectively immobilizing him.
Harry's heart started going at a speed to make his broom jealous. It thumped loudly, making him conscious of the hand on his chest, which made him conscious of the rest of her. Oh boy…
Softly, trying not to wake her, and most especially, Keroberos up, he tried to extricate himself. It was no use, however. Every time he tried to pry away, she snuggled closer, and it was not a very large bed.
He stopped when her chest became dangerously close to his chest. The only thing keeping hers away from direct contact with his was her hand on his chest. Her hips felt a scant two inches from… Harry promptly took that thought, stomped on it, sent Hagrid after it, had it shot by a firing squad, locked it up in a chest, put the chest in a vault, placed it on a rocket and sent it to the sun. Way too dangerous territory.
As The Mirror Card's hot breath caressed his neck, sending his heart rate through the stratosphere, Harry concluded it was going to be a long night…
----------------------------------------
As Big Ben tolled midnight, it's loud ringing echoing through the half-asleep city of London, for true cities never really sleep anymore, something strange began to happen. The hour hands of the four big clock faces began to turn backwards…
----------------------------------------
At the crack of dawn, Harry woke to sensations of warmth and weight. A warmth was constantly streaming down the back of his neck at regular intervals, while a large weight seemed to be evenly spread against most of the front part of his body. Kind of comfortable, actually, and very nice. He snuggled closer…
And froze instantly, eyes still shut, as the memories of last night uploaded itself from storage, immediately ringing warning bells and setting off those annoying hormone switches. Slowly, praying that his pillow had just gotten really warm during the night, he moved back as much as he could and opened his eyes.
A beautiful face- granted, seen from three inches away, there wasn't much to see- lay in repose before him. Perfectly shaped eyes, rumpled black hair, a lightning bolt-shaped scar barely hidden by bangs.
A disturbingly perfect mirror image of himself.
Which became more disturbingly perfect when her eyes opened, and a pair of green eyes stared back at him.
Harry tensed as they made eye contact. For an endless moment, neither of them moved.
Then The Mirror-Harry-et smiled, such a radiant smile that Harry almost could not believe it could be done with his face, and snuggled closer. "Good morning, Master Harry. How did you sleep last night?"
Somehow, that wasn't one of the reactions he was expecting. When a member of his fantasy division tried to inform him it was on his list, he promptly fired the guy, had him kicked out of the brain, and blacklisted him so he could never be hired again (he later found work with the Weasley twins).
When he was done firing the fantasy guy, he promptly received the reminder from his secretary about the current situation.
It was then that Harry realized that he had his arms around Mirror.
Uh oh.
His reaction time dulled by the surrealism of the situation, Harry didn't act on that bit of information right away. Instead, he asked, "What happened last night?"
The Mirror shrugged, which did very interesting things to her… everywhere. "We both went to sleep. I don't remember anything after that."
Then she grinned. "Although if you did anything after I fell asleep, I wouldn't know."
Harry blushed, belatedly letting go and trying to extricate himself. The Mirror, however, snuggled closer, something Harry hadn't thought was possible. "Stay a minute. It's so nice and warm under here."
This caused Harry to blush even more. "Er, I really have to get ready to leave. We're going to school today, and I don't want to miss the train."
Mirror-Harry-et pouted. "Oh, alright. Well, I better get back in the Clow Book. Thanks for letting me sleep here, Master Harry."
To his surprise- which, in hindsight, he shouldn't have been- The Mirror Card pulled him closer and gave him a long, lingering kiss on the lips. She took her time with it, as if savoring him like a fine wine. Her soft lips pressed gently against his own, contrasting sharply with the way The Windy had done it. It reminded him of The Wood, actually.
Breaking the kiss, she seemed to inhale his scent, nibbling the side of his mouth and nuzzling his cheek, which had gone a spectacular shade of crimson. Her entire body was pressed against his, which had caused other very interesting reactions.
"Farewell, Master Harry," she said. Giving him one last kiss, she reverted back into her Card form, leaving Harry lying on his side, completely flushed- among other things- and breathing hard. The Mirror Card lay innocently on the bed sheets, looking like nothing more than an innocuous peace of paper.
----------------------------------------
When Harry had unfrozen a little bit later, the first thing he did was thank his lucky stars he hadn't asked Tom to wake him up. That would have taken a lot of explaining.
Still, he wondered why no one had gone upstairs to check up on him. He and the others had all packed last night, but still, it wouldn't be a picnic getting all their trunks to King's Cross.
Getting out of bed, Harry took all of to steps before he paused. His stuff was spread out all over the room like it had been yesterday. His trunk was open, gaping emptily with only a few odds and ends left inside.
Harry distinctly remembered packing and locking it last night.
He immediately made the most logical conclusion.
"I'm going to kill Fred and George for this," he practically growled, then froze as the implications started to sink in. If Fred and George had been in here to mess up his trunk, that would mean they saw him with…
Oh. BLEEP !
He was in so much trouble.
Shaking himself, he started prioritizing. Kill the twins now, worry about Mrs. Weasley's wrath about both issues later.
Walking past the room calendar, he reached for his wand beside his bed on the night table, intent on vengeance, and was about to leave the room when he did a double take.
The date on the calendar said Saturday.
Wasn't it supposed to be Sunday?
----------------------------------------
Deciding not to bother with little things like the date, Harry hurriedly got dressed and started tossing things back into his trunk. Sealing it shut with a loud bang- and incidentally waking up Keroberos- he decided the next order of business was payback.
Leaving a still drowsy but about to get cranky Kero, he headed out the door, wand in hand, Key around neck, revenge in mind. Heading down the hall, he had barely rounded the corner when Tom, the bar- and innkeeper, came up the stairs, carrying a tray of food.
"Morning mister Potter," Tom said. "Your breakfast is here."
"Thanks, Tom," Harry said, having forgotten he had arranged to have his breakfast delivered to his room. "Here, let me take that," he said, sticking his wand in his pocket and taking the tray. "Listen, do you know where Fred and George Weasley are?"
Tom shook his head. "Sorry mister Potter. No Weasleys yet today. Maybe they'll come by later, though."
Before Harry could ask any more questions, Tom turned around and headed downstairs.
----------------------------------------
Keroberos looked up in irritation as the door opened again and Harry came in carrying the tray, a confused look on his face.
"Good thing you brought breakfast," Kero said, flying over to the tray before Harry could put it down and snagging a piece of toast. "I had half a mind to get mad at you for waking me up so rudely."
Harry said nothing, deep in thought. Putting the tray down, Harry grabbed his own slice of toast and started chewing, watching as Kero ate with near-obscene enthusiasm.
"Kero," Harry said, finishing off his slice and spearing a piece of ham on his fork, "what day is it?"
"Sunday," the little Guardian said, mouth stuffed with food.
"You remember yesterday, right?" he pressed.
"Small lunch, no ice-cream, you spending all your time with those friends of yours," Kero listed in a hurt voice. "Kinda hard to forget."
"So I didn't dream it?" Harry said.
"NO!" Kero said, sounding annoyed at all the questions so early in the morning. "What's with all the questions anyway?"
"The calendar say it's Saturday," Harry said.
Kero paused in his eating. "Hm. That's weird. Magical time-keeping devices are seldom wrong. Almost never, actual."
"But it does happen?" Harry said.
"Yeah, sometimes," Kero said, reaching for more food.
"HEY! I NEED TO EAT TOO!"
----------------------------------------
"Got everything?" Kero asked Harry as he checked his trunk one last time.
"Yeah," Harry said, locking up his trunk. "Although I don't know why Tom said the Weasleys weren't here yet. Come to think of it, we should be able to hear them by now."
"Maybe they're sleeping in?" Kero suggested.
"If they are, they're cutting it pretty close," Harry said, tucking his cards into his jacket, managing not blush as he looked at The Mirror. Wouldn't that be a dead giveaway.
"Forget about it," Kero said, waving the subject away. "Look, why don't you go take one last look at that broom of yours, you know, to take your mind off this."
Harry shrugged. "Sure, why not? Maybe afterwards things'll make sense."
Kero smirked at that. Honestly, what was with this kid and broomsticks?
----------------------------------------
So things were back to Kero hiding under Harry's jacket.
Walking over to Quality Quidditch Supplies, Harry felt better when he saw the Firebolt. Finally, a constant he could navigate with.
"Feeling better?" Kero asked wryly.
"Uh huh!" Harry said cheerily.
Yup, nothing could shake him now. Absolutely nothing-
"Harry! HARRY!"
Harry turned and stared. Ron and Hermione were sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlor, sitting at the same table Harry and the Clow Cards had sat at when they'd had dessert two days ago.
"Whoa," Harry said. "Deja vu."
"Finally!" Ron said with a grin. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they'd said you'd left..."
Oh-kay, Harry thought as he sat down. This is really getting weird...
----------------------------------------
Harry went through the day in a sort of automatic, robot trance mode. He sounded normal, acted normal, took Ron and Hermione to the Magical Menagerie as he had before, got attacked by that STUPID CROW AGAIN; in fact, did exactly what he had last time- yesterday?- but it was like watching someone else doing it. Someone else teased Hermione about taking so many subjects this year; someone else tried not to laugh shaking hands with Percy; someone else had dinner with the Weasleys and Hermione.
After someone else listened in on Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking, and handed Ron's potion to him, however, it was DEFINITELY Harry Potter who freaked out in his room.
"WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TODAY! " Harry hissed, wanting desperately to scream and knowing fully well he shouldn't. "EITHER I'M HAVING A REALLY BAD CASE OF DEJA VU, OR SOMETHING REALLY MESSED UP IS GOING ON HERE!"
"Something really messed up is going on here," Keroberos said. "Time seems to have reversed itself."
"COME AGAIN! " Harry hissed at him.
"Time seems to have reversed itself," Kero repeated a bit impatiently. "It's the work of The Time Card."
"The Time Card?" Harry repeated in something close to his normal tone.
Kero nodded. "It has the power to control time."
"The power to control time! " Harry repeated.
Kero gave him a look. "You practicing to be an echo?"
"Why would he make a Card like that?" Harry asked.
"Because he could," Kero said simply.
"Right..." Harry drawled.
"You need to catch it, or else we'll be stuck in time forever!"
Harry raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"
Another look. "Do you really want to keep repeating the same day for all eternity?"
"Point."
"We have to find it, ASAP," Kero said.
"Where do we even start looking?" Harry asked, trying not to think of the implications of a Card that could control time. Seriously, WHAT KIND OF MIND THINKS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT!
Keroberos thought. "Well, it is fond of timekeeping devices. Maybe it's near one?"
Harry laughed mirthlessly. "This is London. There must be hundreds of thousands of clocks in the city. How are we supposed to know which one it's hiding in?"
At that moment, Big Ben tolled.
The two exchanged looks. "You don't think maybe…?"
Kero shrugged. "What else do we have to go on? Besides, if we're wrong, time will just repeat itself, and we can try again tomorrow. Doesn't matter if we have to check every timepiece in the city. We'll have time. The only problem is if we go insane from days repeating itself."
"Oh, goody," Harry said sarcastically.
----------------------------------------
After leaving The Mirror Card in his place in case anyone checked in on him- which me sincerely hoped no one would, since that would mean they had checked in on him last night and had seen him with her and, oh this was getting confusing- he and Kero crept downstairs in his Invisibility Cloak, careful to avoid bumping into anyone.
Creeping out the front door behind an exiting patron, they waited until they were a couple of blocks away before speaking.
"Whoa," said Harry. "I've never been out at night like this before."
"Careful," Kero said. "London was dangerous at night in our day. I don't think that would have changed."
"You think I should keep the Cloak on?"
"Definitely."
"So, which way to Big Ben?"
"Uh, let me check."
Kero slipped out of the Cloak, and flew straight up, becoming lost in the darkness and glare of the night sky. Strange, Harry thought, how the night wasn't really dark around here. Even in the late hours, the sky held a yellowish glow from the hundreds of streetlights bathing it.
A few minutes later, Kero came back down. He flew aimlessly for a few seconds until Harry, realizing Kero couldn't see him because of the Cloak, grabbed him as he passed by.
"Ouch," Kero said. "Watch your grip! I'm not a rag doll, you know!"
"Sorry," Harry said. "Which way?"
"Follow me."
Kero began to lead Harry. After fifteen minutes of walking, however, and still no Big Ben in sight, Harry began to get impatient. "Kero, how far away is it?"
Kero pointed. "Waaayyy in that direction."
Harry scowled. "There's got to be a quicker way to get there…"
Quicker, quicker… just like that, the proverbial light bulb went off in Harry's head.
----------------------------------------
No one saw the streak as it sped through the streets of London. You can't see what's invisible. Or in this case, wearing an Invisibility Cloak. If you were listening for it, however, for a split second, you'd be able to hear...
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Keroberos cried as he held on to Harry's jacket for dear life.
Harry ignored him. He ran, ran like the wind. Energy coursed through, begging to be used, and used it was. Once, he thought that the only thing that could give him this kind of rush was riding his broomstick. Now, he knew he was wrong.
So he ran, somehow keeping his Invisibility Cloak closed around him, following Kero's slightly panicky directions towards the clock tower.
----------------------------------------
"OH, SWEET GROUND!" Kero said, letting go of Harry and literally kissing the sidewalk. "I'M NEVER GOING TO LEAVE YOU AGAIN! NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN!"
Under the Cloak, Harry rolled his eyes. "Kero, you can fly."
"I'M NEVER EVER GOING TO LEAVE YOU AGAIN UNLESS IT"S UNDER MY OWN POWER AND NEVER AGAIN WITH THIS GUY!" Keroberos revised.
Harry smirked. "Come on, you. We've got a Card to Catch."
After getting Kero to stop hugging the ground, the two debated on their choices.
"If it's here, The Time Card will probably at the top, where the clock's mechanism's are," Kero said. "Just how we get there is your problem."
Harry gave him a look. "You're just full of useful suggestions, aren't you," he said sarcastically.
Kero shrugged.
Sighing, Harry pulled a Card out of his jacket. "Good thing I remember you telling me about this."
Kero looked at him warily out of the corner of his eye. "What are you thinking?"
Harry grinned. "Hang on," he said, pulling the Sealing Wand from where he had tucked it in his belt and raising it over his head.
Kero's eyes bugged as he saw which Card Harry was holding. "Oh no. Not again..."
----------------------------------------
A Jump Card later...
"OH, SWEET GROUND!" Kero said, letting go of Harry and kissing the floor. "I'M NEVER GOING TO LEAVE YOU AGAIN! NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN!"
Harry rolled his eyes as he closed the panel they had gone in through. "Didn't you do this already."
"SHUT UP!" Keroberos yelled at him.
Suddenly, the bell to toll. Harry and Kero put their hands over their ears.
"Midnight," Harry said, checking his watch, yelling to be heard.
"WHAT?" Kero said.
"I SAID- oh, forget it," Harry muttered.
Then he saw him.
He was sitting on a rail, wearing flowing robes. In his hands was an hourglass. He had a pointed nose, long, swept-back hair, and was glowing. His eyes stared at Harry expressionless and ageless, reminding him somehow of an older Dumbledore.
"Time Card," Harry whispered, his words lost in the ringing of the bell. He could tell this being was of time, even if he hadn't been positively been screaming CLOW CARD!
As Harry raised his Sealing Wand, the Invisibility Cloak falling off his shoulders as he did so, the bell tolled one final time, and then there was silence.
Harry opened his mouth, but no words came out. The Time Card seemed to moving farther away, as if he was moving back through a tunnel. He lost track of Keroberos as darkness swam before his eyes...
----------------------------------------
Harry jerked awake. Sunlight was streaming through the window of his room at the Leaky Cauldron. His trunk was open, his stuff spread out over the room.
Groping around his bedside table for his glasses, he hurriedly put it on. Across the room, the calendar said 'Saturday'.
"Kero," he said, shaking the little guardian awake. "Wake up!"
"Wha...?" Kero said eloquently.
"Kero, did all that really happen, or was I just dreaming?" Harry asked.
"Did all wha... Wha?" Kero said.
"The Time Card!" Harry said.
That snapped Keroberos out of whatever mental funk he was in. "Oh, right! The Time Card!"
"Finally!" Harry muttered.
"I guess The Time Card reversed time again when the clocks struck midnight," Kero said thoughtfully.
"Why?"
"That must be when he's at his most powerful. He expends all his power reversing the past twenty-four hours, and it takes him twenty-four hours to regain it."
"Wait a minute," Harry interrupted. "We're back to Saturday morning, aren't we?" Kero nodded. "So how come we remember all this? Technically, it hasn't happened yet."
"The fact I have Clow Reeds power protects me. I guess you're protected because you're the Card Captor. A bit of Clow's magic must interact with yours every time you use the Clow Cards. That must insulate you against some of the effects of The Time Card," Keroberos theorized.
"Well, that explains that," Harry muttered. "Well, now we know where The Time Card is, we should be able to go after it."
Kero nodded in agreement. "Preferably now, when it still doesn't have it's full power."
"Uh, that's a problem," Harry said. "I'm meeting Ron and Hermione later today, remember? I can't just disappear."
Kero frowned. "So what can we do?"
----------------------------------------
"Harry! HARRY!"
'Harry' turned, not at all surprised. Sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlor were Ron and Hermione, both looking like they'd been under a lot of sun, and both waving frantically at 'him'. Smiling, 'he' went to join them.
"Finally," Ron said, grinning as 'Harry' sat down. "We went to the Leaky Caldron, but they said you left..."
The Mirror Card smiled along, trying to keep it's master's orders straight. Oh, the things one did for love!
----------------------------------------
"You sure it was a good idea to leave The Mirror Card alone like that? Kero asked Harry.
Harry nodded minutely. "She'll be okay," he whispered back. "Now why don't you just enjoy the view?"
"Kinda hard to do from inside a jacket," Kero retorted.
Harry smirked, taking his own advice as he watched London pass by the open-topped double-decker bus.
Harry had very little in the way of Muggle money, so first thing that morning, he'd gone to Gringotts to have a few of his Sickles turned into Euros. After which, he and Keroberos had snuck out of the Leaky Cauldron under the cover of the ever-useful Invisibility Cloak, and walked into Muggle London. He was in such a hurry to leave, he didn't even think about looking at the Firebolt.
After walking 'undercover' for a couple of blocks, far enough that wizards who were watching the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron- at least, Harry suspected there might be wizards watching for him- wouldn't spot them, they'd ditched the Cloak and hopped a bus. After that, they'd found a bus that could take them past Big Ben.
"Here's our stop," Harry said as the bus slowed down.
"Finally," Kero muttered as they got off the bus.
"Don't talk yet," muttered Harry. "We still have a little walk."
"Don't celebrate yet," retorted Kero. "We still have to find a way in. I don't think it's a good idea to use The Jump Card in broad daylight, even with the Cloak."
Harry smirked. "Coward."
Kero wanted to glare at him. "It was a stupid and dangerous stunt!"
"Oh, come on! You can fly, for crying out loud!"
----------------------------------------
'Harry' lay back in bed, listening to the noise from Ron and Percy's room. Even though it had started out as a job the mast-no, Master Harry- had assigned her, today had been fun. It had been enjoyable, walking around Diagon Alley again, taking in the sights and sounds of life. It was an experience denied them in their Card form. Sure, they were peripherally aware of what was going on around them, but only as interpreted by their magical senses, as energies in this or that place. There was no vibrancy, no feel. There had only been awareness.
That was why she had asked Master Harry if she could sleep here that night. Even unconscious, she had felt, heard. She had experienced, as opposed to just being aware.
She'd grown fond of her new master in the short time she'd known him. He'd been accommodating, even indulgent, of her, her and her fellow Cards. Master Clow Reed, rest his soul, though she loved him too, though he created her and her siblings, would never have allowed them to kiss him as they had kissed Master Harry. Though he'd never hurt them, he had in his own gentle way been strict with them. He had allowed Flower to dance for him, but never to fawn over him. And whenever Earthy was in her one of her snits, Master Clow had always gently but firmly told her to snap out of it. He had never tried to appease her the way Master Harry had. Master Clow would never have let her sleep on his bed. And even if he had, he would have slept somewhere else. Clow had always thought of them as his children, and treated them as such.
Master Harry, however...
Master Harry was completely different from Master Clow. He had allowed her to sleep on his bed, he had allowed Flower to fawn all over him, and he had appeased Earthy instead of being firm with her. Instead of deciding he was a pushover and taking advantage of him, it actually made them like him more. He was... different.
It had been nice of him to let her sleep on his bed. And even nicer of him not to sleep somewhere else. That cuddle had been nice. She hadn't known about it right away, but she'd woken up in the middle of the night with his arms around her, so she had gladly reciprocated.
In short, he was nice, he was likeable, and he was their new Master. A new order had arrived.
The fact he was cute didn't hurt either.
The Mirror's reverie was interrupted when the door suddenly opened and closed. A second later, Master Harry had removed the Invisibility Cloak.
The Mirror Card jumped off the bed, unconsciously changing to female form as she did so. "Master Harry! Are you all right! "
Harry waved her away tiredly, but he didn't object when she helped him get to the bed. Sitting down, he gave a tired sigh, closing his eyes.
"What happened?" The Mirror asked worriedly. Harry didn't answer; he just sighed again.
A second later, Keroberos managed to fight his way out of the Invisibility Cloak. "He's fine," Kero told her. "Just a bit tired from fighting The Time Card."
Mirror winced. Time, though laid back, was by no means a pushover.
"Actually," Harry said, "it wasn't the fighting so much as the waiting that got to me."
"Sissy," Kero said smugly.
"Hey, YOU HANG BY YOUR KNEES ON A RAIL UPSIDE-DOWN FOR FOUR HOURS, LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT!" Harry snapped.
"You wouldn't have had to if you hadn't attracted those guards," Kero retorted.
"ME! That was YOU, you little plushy!"
"I DIDN'T DO IT!"
"NEITHER DID I!"
"Then who did?" asked Mirror.
Both blinked and looked at her.
"Good question," Harry said.
Kero yawned. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow's definitely on it's way, so no sense waiting."
"I'll sleep in a minute," Harry said. "I need to talk to Mirror first."
Kero shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, curling up on a pillow. Almost immediately, he began to snore.
Mirror smiled. Master Keroberos never changed.
"So," Master Harry said, drawing her attention back to him, "how did the day go?"
"I did exactly as you said," Mirror replied. "I met your friends outside the Ice-Cream Parlor, took them to the Menagerie, avoided the crow, met the other Weasleys, had dinner, got your friend his tonic, and stayed here the rest of the night."
"Good," Harry said, nodding tiredly. "Did you have fun?"
Mirror nodded, clasping her hands in front of her happily. "Oh yes, Master Harry. It was wonderful!"
Harry smiled. "That's nice to hear. Well, you can go now."
Mirror suddenly became very interested in the coverlet. "Uh, Master Harry, I was wondering..."
----------------------------------------
When Harry woke up the next day, the first thing he did, besides untangling himself from The Mirror, was to grab his glasses and look at the calendar.
It read 'Sunday'.
Harry sighed in relief, falling back to the bed and into The Mirror's sleepy but waiting arms. Later, he'd extricate himself completely. But for now, he was going to enjoy the fact it was a new day...
----------------------------------------
Inside Big Ben's clock tower, a feather quill fluttered, forgotten, in the breeze...
----------------------------------------
- To be continued...
----------------------------------------
A/N: Sorry I skimped on the Sealing scene, but we all know how that's going to turn out. The Mirror Card introspect was as much a surprise to me as it is to you. It just grew organically.
I finally gave a more-or-less solid explanation for why Cards head for the general area of the Card Captor. If Big Ben doesn't seem that close, well, it's close enough for jazz. I know Harry isn't usually that quick on the uptake, but this is my version. Let's just say all his anime viewing has led to increased brain activity. Oh, his uptake wasn't that fast during the bed scene? Then that's canon Harry.
Side note, I'm going to give each female Clow Card a distinctive kiss. If I double use a kiss, inform me.
I'm supposing that the Hogwarts Express leaves on Sunday, since they always seem to start class on Monday. That means this whole fic happened on the same repeated Saturday.
I've also decided to see how long I can keep writing Ron and Hermione- and anyone else from HP canon, for that matter -coughDmblrcough- from finding out about the Cards. After all, Sakura didn't tell her brother and father about her being the Card Captor, and she probably wouldn't have told Tomoyo if the girl hadn't had photographic proof Sakura had been flying around, so there's canon precedent for this kind of behavior.
Sorry if I skimped on how the day went, but it was basically canon with Kero hiding under Harry's jacket. From now on, if it's mostly canon, I won't write it. Too tedious, and you guys probably own a copy of the books. For those whose only experience with HP are the movies, I Imperious Curse you to buy the books. Trust me, it's a good investment. Oh, and the chapter the canon stuff can be found in is Chapter Four, The Leaky Cauldron.
Final note, 'love' does not necessarily mean romantic love.
To Voakands: Thanks for the review! Don't worry; there will be more funny stuff. I can't write without putting in weird and demented things like that, so be suspicious if you don't find any. This chap is proof of that. XD If that happens, please inform I'm dead and some alien is pretending to be me.
To Ran Hoshino: Ah, my favorite reviewer. I'm thankful that CLAMP's brand of humor helped create a generation that'll appreciate the kissing scenes. And thanks for the comparison to said ladies. Really warms my heart. As for the contents of your last sentence, it wouldn't be a CCS derivative without it, but hey, the fun is in the journey, not the ending. The ending is to make us feel good and kill Voldemort!
To kuraishi blackblade: yeah, I hate finding only 'blank from blank goes to Hogwarts' stories too. Especially when there are so many good animes to cross HP with. Digidestined Harry, Gatekeeper Harry… okay, maybe not that many, but still, maybe all that's needed is inspiration. No, Syaoran will not show up, at least, not directly. Harry will probably make more Tsubasa references.
As my first three reviewers, I dedicate this Chap to you guys!
So, you all liked the kissing scenes, huh? -snicker- My, my, you guys are such… I can't think of something polite enough, but whatever the word is, apply it to me too! At first, I thought the kissing scene would make a good close to lunch, but now, with a little thought, I realize that the Clow sprite-girls haven't had 'any' in decades! And here's a young, relatively non-commanding guy they can take it out on! Expect way more! Like the one in this chap, for instance. I can diversify, I've read a lot of weird fics, enough to draw inspiration from (But by 'inspiration', I do not mean copying). Just not from the guy Cards, I find that slightly disturbing .
Soon to come: no Clow Card girl-sprite naughtiness planned -sigh- (but you never know oo). Harry fights the forces of darkness; and Ron and Hermione are still clueless! Watch this space! Although it might be a while, I have other projects and schoolwork I still have to work on.
Please review, C&C welcome. Heck, even flames are welcome. That means at least it's being read, if not liked.
Until next time, this is Shadow, signing off.
Trivia: Big Ben is actually the bell, and not the clock tower itself.