Chosha's notes

Yo! Welcome back as RKatPS begins to fall into its final moments! Thankyou reviewers! The fic has reached over 100! So this is my 100th special!

Hihihihihi: It wasn't opverly intentional, but I wanted it to happen this way, next book, Kenshin and the golden trio will be much closer, because of all the things they've done. I was thinking that Harry just didn't want them to worry too much. Then again… (shrugs)

Anywho, lets get the party started!

Disclaimer: (bangs head on table, anime tears falling from eyes.) Why me? Kami-sama, Why me? (slams head on table again.)

Last time on RKatPS

Kenshin was forced to display his hiten Mitsurugi and now knows the questions will soon follow. Plus he has now discovered the most feared wizard is now in on the plot. Kami-sama!

Chapter Eighteen

The third floor

Two days later, the exams started. Kenshin wasn't quite sure how he managed to do them. Oh, it wasn't because he didn't know the stuff, because he did (Hiko would murder him if he didn't know the stuff, even if it was astrology or History of magic.) But it was because, not only did he have the philosopher's stone and Voldemort to worry about, but he was also trying his best to avoid Harry, Ron and Hermione like a plague. He knew that, even though they might be busy now, they would try to draw from him the one secret he had kept under lock and key since he had arrived. However, his luck, never good to start with, finally ran out the night before the last couple of exams. Harry, Ron and Hermione had come into the common room to find Sanosuke and Kaoru there – but, more importantly, they found Kenshin. And Kenshin, seeing them, found he couldn't escape.

'Alright Kenshin Himura,' Hermione said in her most adult voice. Kenshin flinched. 'We want to know what's going on!'

Harry shot her a slightly annoyed look at the tone. 'Kenshin,' he said in a softer tone, 'We want to know how you were able to fight like you did, with a sword…'

"Oro?" Kenshin said as innocently as possible. However, he knew it wasn't going to work this time. Plus it didn't help that Kaoru and Sanosuke were now both staring at him. He was delaying the inevitable. But then again, Kenshin never let loose on his secrets so easily.

'Kenshin,' said Ron, 'C'mon you can tell us. We're your friends.'

Kenshin looked at their faces and winced inwardly. The looks on his friends' faces told him that they weren't going to let him go until he told them. Kenshin let out a sigh. Why him? Why did this always happen to him? His shoulder's sagged a little and he gave in. He had known he had to tell them sooner or later. Somehow, he had a feeling he would greatly regret this…

'Fine. Sit down, this is going to take a while.' He practically winced at the happy looks on his friends' face. They were going to be in for a real surprise.

'So, how did you manage to fight like that?' asked Hermione. Kenshin smiled a little. Trust her to be the first to raise a question.

'Well, it's a long story, but in short… I told you, didn't I, that Seijuro Hiko, who makes pottery, adopted me, sort of, correct?' Everyone nodded. 'Well…Pottery is not the only thing Hiko is good at. And I wasn't adopted in the way you would think.

'Hiko is actually the last and only master of an ancient Japanese Sengoku, or warring states, period sword style known as the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. When I was young, Hiko took me in, because while there is always only one master at a time, the master also needs an apprentice.'

'You're his apprentice, aren't you!' Kaoru said with a gasp. Of course, Kaoru had most likely heard of the style. Any Kenjutsu or kendo fanatic did – the style was once legendary!

Kenshin sighed. 'Yes. Hiko is the master and I… I am the heir to the Hiten Mitsurugi style.'

Everyone sat there, staring at him with a mixture of awe and even a little fear. Suddenly Sanosuke punched him on the arm. 'You've been holding out on me buddy! You should have told me! There are no decent people to fight round here!'

'Oro!'

o0o

Something was bothering Kenshin later that night. A gut feeling, instinct, whatever you call it, it was bothering him. It wasn't exam nerves – they had all been completed now, but… Kenshin stumbled out of bed, almost tripping over his bed sheets, letting his ki sense look round to try and find why he had been woken and hissed a little. Two ki that should be there were not. Kenshin looked around, two empty beds. That was not a good sign. Both Ron and Harry were missing.

Don't tell me they went wandering around the school at night again! Kami-sama, did those two WANT to get expelled? But…no, it was more than that. It had to be. Why else would he have that terrible sense of foreboding? Kenshin quickly got dressed into his training gi and hakama, grabbing both his wand and his sakabato.

Kenshin walked down to the common room. No one was around – at least that's what he thought until he saw a shape on the floor… Neville with his arms to his side, his legs together and his whole body rigid, on the floor. "Neville-kun?" asked Kenshin. "What on earth are you doing on the floor?" Neville didn't answer him. He couldn't answer him. Kenshin realised what it was. Damn, a full body bind!

Kenshin took out his wand and mumbled, 'Finite Incantatem.' Neville's body returned to normal.

'Harry! Ron! Hermione!' stammered Neville, sitting up. 'T-they went out again!'

'Great, wonderful,' Kenshin spun round to find Sanosuke fully dressed in white, rimmed with black. Behind him was Kaoru, dressed in the training clothes of an assistant kendo master.

'Kaoru-dono? Sano?'

Sanosuke grinned. 'I told you stop trying to hog all the fights. Don't forget, I'm here too. You try that again, an' I'll whack you one, got it.' Kenshin half smiled. Well, no getting out of it now. They wouldn't let him do it alone.

'Hey, where are you going?' asked Neville, getting up from the floor. They weren't going out too right? That was going to get Gryffindor in even more troubles.

Kaoru exchanged a glance with Kenshin. Kenshin nodded. 'Neville, I'm afraid we have to go—'

'But you'll get us into more trouble!'

'You idiot!' Sanosuke exploded. 'This isn't just because it's some game! They've gone after the philosopher's stone! Someone's gonna steal it, we're gonna stop them!'

Neville looked like he was going to argue, but Kenshin stopped him with a look. 'Neville, this is important. If we don't stop him, there won't be a Hogwarts left to get expelled from. Harry, Hermione-dono and Ron have all gone to stop him. We're going to help. Neville… if we aren't back soon, you have to find a teacher. Tell them what we told you. If you don't…' he let the sentence drag in the air. Neville's eyes widened and he sank to the floor, face drained of colour. Kenshin turned to Kaoru and Sanosuke. 'I suppose you mean to come?'

'Damn straight!' Sanosuke said.

'You're our friend, Kenshin. They're our friends. We have to go help them. If I didn't, everything I learned about Kamiya Kasshin-ryu would be for nothing.'

Kenshin nodded, knowing there could be no arguing. 'All right then. Lets go.'

o0o

Kenshin was surprised when they didn't bump into anyone on their way to the corridor, not even the annoying poltergeist Peeves. But Kenshin wasn't going to question their luck about a small thing like that. The door to the third floor corridor was slightly ajar.

Standing before them was the three-headed dog. The dog let out another low growl. More strangers… Drool dripped down from its mouth. Behind the large animal was the trapdoor, just like Hermione had said during their first meeting of the beast.

Sanosuke just barely dodged one of the monster's paws that came at him, jumping back out of the room again. "How the hell do we get pass this thing!" He shouted.

Kaoru yelled to them, 'I heard Harry talking today. They kept saying something about music making Fluffy go to sleep, so we can get passed. And cause we don't have instruments, one of us is going to have to sing.'

'Fluffy!' Sanosuke choked at the name, staring at the furious monster incredulously.

'Sing!' Kenshin almost walled.

'Yes. Kenshin! Sing!'

"That was a joke right?" asked Kenshin. Kaoru did not just tell him to sing. There was no way that Kenshin was going to start singing. It would be a very cold day in hell before he started singing.

Kaoru jumped out the way of an angry swipe. "Yeah, well, if Sanosuke tried hard enough he could crack glass with that horrible voice," she said.

'Hey!'

'I'll sing too, kay. Come on!'

"Would you believe me if I told you I can't sing either, de gozaru ka?" asked Kenshin.

"KENSIIIIIN!"

Kenshin winced at the shrill yell. Kenshin pinched himself, hoping that this was a dream. It wasn't. Kenshin let out a sigh. Kami-sama, this was going to be embarrassing. Choosing the first song that came to his mind, he began to sing. "Rocka-by-baby on the tree top. When the wind blows the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And down will come baby, cradle and all."

Not a bad voice, Kaoru mused as she joined in. Kenshin had way too low self-esteem. Apparently Fluffy agreed, as the three-headed dog's movements began to slow down. As Kenshin and Kaoru continued to repeat the verse of the nursery rhyme, Fluffy's eyelids began to droop. Sanosuke quickly headed towards the trapdoor.

"Hurry up, Jou-chan, Kenshin," he whispered. Kenshin and Kaoru made his way towards the trapdoor. Unfortunately, they didn't realise you had to constantly be singing. Within seconds after they stopped singing, Fluffy woke up.

Kenshin's eyes widened. Fluffy let out a loud growl and leapt towards Kaoru.

'Kaoru-dono!' Kenshin dashed forward, scooping Kaoru up in his arms and skidding towards the open trap door. They jumped in just as the jaws tried to close, missing the ends of Kenshin's ponytail by millimetres. The door itself smashed onto the creature's nose. It yelped and withdrew, plunging them into darkness.

Kenshin blinked, wondering how the hell they were still alive after a fall like that. Kenshin tried to get up, only to find Kaoru sitting on his chest. Well, at least she wasn't hurt. Sanosuke groaned somewhere near to them. 'Ugh… that first step…was a doozie…'

Kaoru stirred a little and turned to look at him. Kenshin tried to smile back, except it was a little hard to do so when you could hardly breath. "Daijobu, Kaoru-dono?"

"D-Daijobu" she replied, a little shaken. Suddenly she screamed. Kenshin's eyes widened. The plant they had landed on. It was moving! Kenshin grabbed Kaoru and threw her to the far side of the room, away from the plant, just before it got too tighter hold on his arms. His sakabato skidded away from his reach. Kenshin and Sanosuke yelled as they struggled against it. Suddenly, Kenshin's eyes widened.

'Sano! Stop moving! I know what this is! It's a devil's snare!'

'Lovely to know that – but how the hells that gonna help!'

Kenshin brought his arms up to stop the vines choking him as they tried to wind around his neck. 'I-it likes the dark… and damp… Kaoru-dono, light a fire!'

'A fire?'

'Hurry!'

Beginning to panic, Kaoru answered, "There's no wood!"

If his hands were free, Sanosuke looked like he would have whacked his head at that answer. Kenshin almost stared. She did not just say that. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT!" Sanosuke yelled at the girl. This was a life or death situation and Kaoru just forgot that she was a witch!

"Oh right," mumbled Kaoru. She grabbed his wand out of her training gi. "Incendio!" From her wand, a blue flame shot out. As the flames began to spread, the vines of the Devil's Snare started to wither and shrink. It loosened its grip on Kenshin and Sanosuke as the plant fled from the warmth and heat.

'Finally, I can breath again…' Sanosuke said. He pulled himself free from the loose vines. Kenshin was doing the same, except unwinding it from his neck and arms. Once they were free, Sanosuke sent a mini-glare towards the girl. "Honestly, Jou-chan, 'there's no wood'," Kenshin could tell Sanosuke was just joking, but it didn't stop Kaoru from hitting him on the head with her bokken, the vain twitching. Kenshin ignored them as he picked up his Sakabato and slipped it into his training hakama.

'Come on!'

They ran down the hall. Kaoru looked over at the redhead running next to her. 'Are you alright?'

'I'm fine, Kaoru-dono, thanks to you!'

Kaoru blushed.

At the end of hallway, a dim light shone. As they got closer to the light, a soft rustling and clinking was heard.

"What's that sound?" asked Kaoru.

Kenshin frowned in confusion. "It sounds like… wings." But how was that possible, so far down under the school.

They came to the end of the passageway and skidded to a halt, blinking in the bright light. They had reached a large room, light reflected in brighter patches from above, which moved around like a disco ball. Kenshin glanced up and gasped. The chamber had a high, arched ceiling. Near the top, jewel-like birds flew together in a swarm. They fluttered and clicked as they flew in the air. Across the room, there was a big, heavy wooden door.

"Do you think they'll attack us if we try to get to the door?" asked Kaoru, gripping her bokken.

Kenshin glanced up at them again. The birds looked innocent enough, but Kenshin knew from experience that looks could be deceiving. After all, you wouldn't have thought he was any good at Kendo just by looking at him, would you? But, strangely enough, Kenshin couldn't get a read from their ki to see if they would attack. In fact, he couldn't get a ki reading at all! But they just fluttered about, glittering – hang on! Glittering?

Kenshin blinked, once, twice, three times as he recognized the objects flying in the air. His eyes widened. They weren't birds! "They're keys!" he exclaimed. His eyes scanned the room again to find several brooms lying about. "And if I haven't missed my guess, I bet one of them opens that door."

Sanosuke growled. "We don't have time to fly about to catch a damned key," he snapped. "We have heads to crack and no time to crack 'em in! Kenshin, just Alohamora the damn thing!"

The other shook his head. "They wouldn't have designed this so a simple charm like the Alohamora would open it. I bet they'll have enchantment on it against all unlocking spells."

Sanosuke cracked his knuckles. "Then we'll just have to break it down." And he rushed at the door.

"Sano! Wait!"

"Futae No Kiwami!" Sanosuke's fist slammed into the door. There was a pause, then—

BOOM!

The door exploded sending dust and debris in all directions. Kenshin flung his arms over his head protectively, choking and coughing against the dust cloud. When the smoke cleared, the door was gone, replaced by a hole twice as big as the door had been.

"Oro! That's one way, I suppose," said Kenshin, as he stared at the wreckage.

"Subtle, Sanosuke. Real subtle…" Kaoru said sarcastically, before sneezing. Sanosuke just grinned.

They entered the next room. They were now standing on the edge of a giant chessboard. Broken pieces of former chessmen littered the floor around the board. Faceless white pieces stared back at them. But before they could do anything, they heard someone scream. 'Kenshin! Kaoru! Sanosuke!'

Hermione was kneeling by the limp form of Ron; his face was deathly pale.

'Hermione-dono!' Kenshin stepped forward, but before he had even moved half way, the line of white pawns drew swords on him. Eyes widened, Kenshin leapt back, hand on the hilt of his sakabato.

'You have to play across!' Hermione yelled. 'Please hurry – Ron won't wake up!'

Kaoru looked at Kenshin. "You're good at chess aren't you? I mean, you're probably the only one of us who could rival Ron at it. What should we do?"

Sanosuke looked a little insulted. "So what am I, chopped liver? I'm good at it too!"

Kaoru shot Sanosuke a side-glance before giving a rather undignified snort. "You wouldn't be able to play your way out of a paper bag, Sanosuke. You would lose this game in minutes. Be grateful that Kenshin's here."

Kenshin sweat-dropped. "Um, this really isn't the time to fight, de gozaru…" He straightened. "Sano, could you take place of the knight? Kaoru-dono, take the place of the bishop. I'll take the place of the king."

Kaoru looked confused. "The king? Why?"

"I need to be able to see what's going on in the game, but if I have to keep moving, I might miss something. The King doesn't move much so I can see what move is best to make."

They quickly got into position. Kaoru looked at Kenshin. "Now what?"

Kenshin looked back at her grimily. "White has first move." A white pawn suddenly moved forward two spaces. The game commenced.

Kenshin had to wince when the first pawn was taken - smashed into pieces. If that had been one of them… quickly he cleared his head of the though. This was like a fight. But if he was going to win, he had to focus. Thankfully, it seemed that the moves were of a common nature to Ron's of desecrating the enemy, rather than aiming to take the opposing king, or defending their own, a style which Kenshin had long become an expert at defending against. But if he was going to get them across safely, sacrifices had to be made. Kenshin offered up something that he knew the whites would not resist – his queen. As predicted, the whites fell for it, leaving the king wide open.

"Sano! Move now – the king is unprotected."

Sanosuke did as told.

Kenshin looked at the white, faceless king with a grim smile. 'Checkmate.'

The white king threw down his crown at Sanosuke's feet, making him jump a little to avoid it landing on his toes. The white pieces bowed and parted out the way.

'Hermione!' They all ran over to her. She had propped Ron against the wall, trying to wake him. Thankfully, he didn't look so pale any more.

'Hermione-dono. Where's Harry?'

Hermione gave him a slightly panicked look. 'He went after Snape. He should already be in the last room! He asked me to help Ron and find Dumbledore. He said he wouldn't be able to hold him off for long.'

Sanosuke swore. Kenshin turned to Kaoru. 'Kaoru-dono, please help Hermione-dono to get Ron up and to get Dumbledore. If its Voldemort in there with them, we might need his help soon'

Kaoru looked mortified. 'But Kenshin—'

'Please! Kaoru-dono, this is important!'

Kaoru stared at him for a moment before nodding. 'Be careful Kenshin.' Kenshin smiled and nodded before turning to Sanosuke.

'Sano, lets go.' And they ran through the next door.

Kenshin almost gagged as the most disgusting of smells hit his nostrils, making him cover his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his gi. Eyes watering, he noticed, face down on the stone floor in front of them was the largest troll either of them had ever seen, easily twice the size of the one they had taken down at Halloween. It was unconscious, a bloody lump on its head that rivalled those from Kaoru's bokken.

"Glad we didn't have to face that one," Sanosuke muttered. Just as he said that, the troll began to stir. "Kuso! Me and my big mouth!"

The troll rose to its feet, its blood-shot eyes rolling in anger. Catching sight of them, it roared and thrashed out at them with its arms. Kenshin dodged just as its fist came crashing down where he had stood, causing a shock wave through the floor. Sanosuke punched at him, sending the creature flying from the force of his Futae No Kiwami. Sanosuke spun to Kenshin.

"Kenshin! You go get Harry and kick Voldemort's ass – I'll deal with this!"

Kenshin stared at him as if he had proclaimed undying love to him or something. "What! But Sa—"

"Go!"

He leapt at the rising troll again, throwing another Futae No Kiwami, sending it crashing into the wall in a cloud of debris and an explosion that shook the whole room. Kenshin hesitated, then bolted towards the next door. "Sorry…"

Kenshin stumbled into the next room, hand on his sakabato, body tense. But to Kenshin's surprise, there were no towering creatures or possessed games in the room, just a line of different shaped bottles. Across the other side of the room was an open, door shaped arch.

As Kenshin took a few cautious steps into the room, a fire sprang up behind him, blocking the doorway in flames. But it was no ordinary fire – the flames were violet! In the same moment, flames leaped up in the opposite doorway, Jet-black like flickering shadows.

Kenshin looked round wildly, trying to find some indication as to what to do. His eyes landed on a roll of parchment lying haphazardly on the table by the bottles. Seizing it, Kenshin read:

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,

One among us seven will let you move ahead,

Another will transport the drinker back instead,

Two among our number hold only nettle wine,

Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.

Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,

To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First, however slyly the poison tries to hide

You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand at either end,

But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

Kenshin almost smiled. This wasn't magic, it was logic, and Hiko had drummed logic puzzles into his head almost as much as Kata. He was willing to bet it was Snape who had put together this trap. He had to admit he was pretty impressed. He re-read the parchment before he frowned and looked at the table again. He noticed that there were only six bottles on the table. Kenshin then spied a little black bottle on the floor, the missing bottle. If he hadn't missed his guess, that was the bottle he needed to get through the black flames. But as he picked it up, his face fell. It was empty. Kenshin bit his lip as he looked at the flames again. Only one way then. His eyes hardened and he unsheathed his sakabato.

"Doryusen!"

The force of the attack parted the flames like Moses did the Red Sea, but Kenshin didn't have time to congratulate himself. Kenshin darted through the gap, the flames, like burning black curtains, closing in behind him.

To be continued…

Chosha's notes

Bit of a cliff-hanger, hmm. Well, I have to have a Slytherin streak every now and then! Any comments? Please, review to your hearts content! But for now…

Next time on RKatPS

Kenshin has gone through the flames. What horrors will he find on the other side? Find out, next episode: Scarlet eyes

Ja ne for now!

Chosha Kurenai xXx