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Chapter 5

People Fear What They Don't Understand

"Hello, Mister Potter," said a short, sturdy-looking blonde witch with a kind smile as she shook Harry's hand. "Ima Foot, at your service."

"Konnichi wa," said Harry with a wry grin. He then winced and added, "Sumimasen. Ah…sorry."

Ima smiled and said, "I understand completely, Mister Potter. Auror Moody told me that you've been raised in Japan. I myself grew up in Russia and had such a time remembering to use English when I came here."

Harry smiled at that.

"I'm glad I'm not the only person who's had that problem."

"And I doubt we are the only one's who have had that trouble. Now…we are supposed to have a meeting with the Headmaster, are we not?"

"Yes," said Harry. "His office is that way…no, that way. Chikusho. I don't remember…"

The Ministry witch laughed and said, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure the Headmaster knows I'm here."

"You would be correct, Miss Foot," said Dumbledore as he appeared as though out of nowhere. "Ah, Harry! You've already met. Excellent. Shall we go up to my office?"

"An excellent idea, Headmaster," said Ima. "Mister Potter?"

"Coming," grumbled Harry, slouching along behind them. He glowered at Dumbledore's back as they walked.

He hadn't even given the old man permission to use his first name…

- - -

"Well, it seems like we have everything in order now."

"That's it?" said Harry in surprise. It'd only been an hour since they'd come into Dumbledore's office!

"That's it," confirmed Ima with a grin as she straightened a stack of papers and put them into the satchel she had carried in. "In a week's time, you will be declared a living, breathing resident of England. After that, I should be able to get you the key to the Potter family vault as well as the Black family vault."

"Sirius Black?" said Harry. "Why should I have the key to his vault?"

"After Mister Black was imprisoned, all of his assets were taken from his name and placed under yours," replied Ima. "Were your father still alive, the Black assets would be in his name. As he is not, they have passed to you, Mister Black's godson."

"Ah," said Harry, shifting nervously at the mention of his 'father'. He hoped she hadn't noticed it. "So…a week?"

"A week, Mister Potter." Ima smiled at him, noting his shifting, then nodded at Dumbledore, saying, "Good day, Headmaster. I'll see you in a week, Mister Potter."

"Thank you, Miss Foot," said Dumbledore as the Ministry witch picked up her satchel and left his office. He then turned towards Harry and asked, "How are you settling in, my boy?"

"Quite well, thank you," replied Harry gruffly as he stood. "And I should let you know, sir, you have neither the right nor my permission to call me by my first name nor anything else."

With that, he turned sharply on a heel and stalked out, long hair streaming behind him. Dumbledore blinked after the half demon then turned and frowned into the fireplace.

"This could be more difficult than I first perceived…"

- - -

When September 1 finally rolled around, it found Harry sprawled on the front steps of Hogwarts awaiting the arrival of the train. Since his arrival at the school he'd been able to forgo hiding his ears and tail for the most part. All the teachers had been informed of his odd breeding and few had been able to treat him normally afterwards.

Well…except for Snape. The Hogwarts Potions Master had taken the news in silence and then smirked the next time he'd seen Harry. After that discovery, the animosity the dark man had originally showed to the han-akurei had vanished and they were able to have a civil conversation. Several, in fact, as Harry was very interested in Potions as well as the supposed Dark Arts, which he could discuss with the ex-Death Eater at length.

Supposed Dark Arts because the English Ministry would classify Haia herself as a Dark Witch. The Japanese MOM made no such distinction; in fact the Yokai were taught the Dark Arts. Haia had explained to him and her husband that the Arts themselves weren't dark. It was what a person did with them and their intention that made them dark.

Snape agreed with this and praised Haia on her opinion. He wanted to meet her, in fact, and discuss the subject more with her.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes, shifting his thoughts back to the original problem. Now that the other students were about to arrive, he was going to have to be careful again. One little slip and his ears or tail could show.

It was just a good thing that his tail was so short. According to Haia, his father's only revealing demon trait had been his tail, which had been long enough to throw over his shoulder. Of course, he had had fangs and claws too but those were easily hidden.

Sighing, Harry ran his tongue over his own fangs. The teeth just about the two long canines were also pointed, providing him with a different set of teeth than a vampire, which he could be easily confused for. And had been more than once.

"Ah, there you are."

Opening his eyes, Harry tilted his head back to see Snape standing over him. The position wasn't one a demon wanted to be in as it implied submission and the teenager got to his feet, careful to keep his tail curled tightly about his waist underneath his shirt. His hat lay forgotten where he'd placed it on the steps.

"Sir?" he said nervously, trying to remember if he'd missed some meeting with the dark professor. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" repeated Snape as he looked at the hat sitting on the steps between them. "No, nothing's wrong. Your book did come in, however."

Harry's eyes brightened and a grin spread over his face.

"That's great! Have you got it now?"

"Indeed I do," said Snape with a smile, taking a shrunken book from his robes. He tapped it with his wand, causing it to jump back to its normal size, and handed it to the han-akurei. As Harry gleefully flipped through it, he flicked his wand at the pointed wizard's hat. It jumped up off the ground and landed sideways atop the teenager's head, hiding one furry ear but leaving the other visible.

"This is great," murmured Harry as he flipped to the last page in the book before closing it. He grinned at Snape and said, "Thank you. For ordering it for me."

Snape just nodded then asked, "May I inquire as to why you wanted a book on Animagism? Particularly that one?"

"Well…akurei have demon forms that they can change into. Since han-akurei's don't have that ability, becoming an Animagus seems the next best thing. And this book supposedly can allow you to become an Animagus in half the time it usually takes."

"Ah. What if you end up being a dog?"

Harry shuddered at that thought, hugging the book to his chest. Being a cat demon, he automatically had a dislike for dogs. Wolves were no problem but dogs were an entirely different story.

"Don't even suggest that," groaned Harry. He then smirked and said, "I suppose if I get caught with this, you had no part in getting it?"

"Exactly," said Snape, smirking back. "Now what are you doing sitting out here? Waiting impatiently for the other brats to arrive?"

"I'm certain they're not all brats," said Harry.

Snape snorted. "Most of them."

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Am I a brat?"

"You are a very responsible individual. I'll leave it at that."

Harry chuckled and grinned slyly at the Potions Master.

"Why, professor," he teased, "was that a compliment?"

Snape glared at him in response but Harry had learned to differentiate between the man's glares. He had an annoyed one, an angry one, an embarrassed one, and a humored one. This was the humored one.

The man then coughed, trying to cover a laugh, and said, "You tell anyone I can actually give compliments, and I'll take a hundred points from whatever House you get in."

"What if its Slytherin?"

"Twenty then."

"My, my, professor. Such a sudden drop."

"Trying to keep the House Cup," said Snape. "Not that it really matters to me. I just enjoy annoying Minerva."

"And it works!" said Harry with a laugh, remembering when he'd been present during one such times. McGonagall, in her anger, hadn't noticed the small smile tugging at the corner of Snape's mouth. Harry had nearly told her he was just baiting her then decided against it. Why ruin the man's fun, after all?

"Indeed it does."

The two lapsed into a companionable silence for a few moments, just standing on the steps and staring out over the peaceful grounds. At the faint sound of a train whistle in the distance, Harry's ears twitched, causing his hat to fall off his head.

Snape smirked and said, "You may have a difficulty with your hat if your ears continually twitch."

"They only do it sometimes," said Harry as he bent to pick up the pointed hat. "It's just that this hat is so light. My other one is of heavier material and keeps them held down. Couldn't I wear it instead of this one?"

Snape looked at the tall teenager standing beside him, remembering the bulky, black velvet hat with its black leather brim he'd worn during his first week at the school. After all the teachers had discovered his real parentage, he'd abandoned the hat, nearly giving several teachers strokes when they saw his ears.

Personally, Snape found their reactions quite amusing. Then again, he always had a sick sense of humor – except when it came to Black's damn jokes, that is.

"It would look rather odd with your robes, wouldn't it?" asked Snape.

Harry snorted and grumbled, "I don't care what it would look like. If the other students see my ears…" He trailed off and Snape arched an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Humanity hates what they don't understand, sir," said Harry softly. He looked in the direction of Hogsmeade station and added, "I don't think they'll be any different than anyone in Japan."

"What about your foster parents?"

"William knew my father. He had no problem with it. I know Haia had a few problems in the first years I was with them but that was only because she grew up in a family who have been slaying demons for centuries."

Snape arched an eyebrow at that.

"And your mother trusted this woman to take care of you?" he asked, shocked. The idea that Lily Evans would place her son in the care of a woman who had been brought up to hate what he half was made him want to doubt her judgment. And he had never doubted that fiery woman's judgment.

Harry shrugged and replied, "She trusted her. And her fear of Voldemort getting his hands on me outweighed her fear of anything Haia might do."

"I see. The Light would truly have had a difficult time had Voldemort gotten his claws into you." Snape shuddered and added, "I fear what might have happened if your mother had not been so wise."

"I know."

They heard they train whistle again and Snape glanced at the slowly darkening sky before he said, "We have another half hour before they arrive. So we'd better hurry."

"Hurry and do what?" asked Harry as the Potions Master turned and started to head inside.

"Fix that hat of yours so it won't fall off your head. Come along. I've not the talent in Charms that your mother had but I'm not completely inept."

Harry chuckled and jogged to catch up with the slightly taller man.

"Sir, I don't believe you are inept at anything."

Snape laughed brashly and said, "You'd be surprised. Now give me that hat while you shrink that book. If Minerva sees it, she'll flay me alive."

"Aww…is ickle Snapikins afraid of the bad McGonagickle?"

"Take that tone with me, boyo, and I'll turn you into a poodle."

Translations

Konnichi wa: Hello

Sumimasen: I am sorry

Chikusho: Damn

Han-akurei: Half demon

Akurei: Demon