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Chapter 8

A Number of Comments and Two Letters

"Mister Potter, would you care to inform your dimwitted classmates of the ingredients to a potion to cure boils?"

"Dried nettles, crushed snake fangs, stewed horn slugs, and porcupine quills, sir."

"And when should the last be added to the potion?" asked Snape as he sneered at Seamus Finnegan, who had been the last to fail to answer his question.

Harry smiled slightly as he replied, "After the cauldron is taken off the fire, sir."

"Thank you, Mister Potter. Ten points to Slytherin. Now, if you dimwits can manage to brew this, we may attempt something that you must surely be capable of as you are in my N.E.W.T.S class. If you are incapable of brewing as such…you shall be unkindly asked to leave."

"Yes, sir," mumbled several voices before the scraping of cauldrons being moved about drowned them out.

"He's such a…a…ba," began Hermione as she started to work beside Harry.

"Don't finish that, Mia-san," said Harry brusquely.

Hermione blinked at him then hissed, "But, Harry, Snape's…"

"A good teacher," insisted the han-akurei as he crushed his snake fangs. "And, despite his harshness, a good man." He gave the bushy-haired girl beside him a hard look and added, "He's the only one of the teaching staff I trust."

"But why?"

"That," said Harry stonily, "is something too difficult to explain whilst making potions. Now pay attention, Mia-san, or you'll not crush all your fangs."

Hermione huffed and turned back to her work, leaving Harry to do his own in silence. Which was just how he liked it. In silence he could lose himself in the potion making, which he had often helped Haia in when she needed one for her work. The thought of his foster mother made him frown, though, and he wondered how she, William, and Aika were doing without him.

As he brushed the crushed snake fangs into his cauldron, he made a mental note to write his 'family' a letter. Soon.

By the time the class ended, he had been finished for thirty minutes and had been reading a book dragged out of his bag, his bottled potion sitting in the very center of his desk to prevent it being knocked over.

"Nice potion, Potter," sneered Malfoy as he appeared at Harry's side suddenly. "But I think it's tainted from working so near a Mudblood."

Hermione bristled and started to say something but Harry beat her to the punch. He lifted his eyes from his book and glowered at the blonde Slytherin from underneath his cap and a fringe of dark hair.

"Are you a fool, Draco?" he asked in a soft voice that made Snape look at him sharply from across the room. The han-akurei ignored the Potion's Master, of course. Someone had to discipline the Malfoy heir and if it wasn't going to be his Head of House or the Headmaster, then Harry was damn well going to see it done.

Malfoy blinked then sneered, "A fool?"

"Yes."

"Of course not. I'm a Malfoy."

Hermione made a sound that may have been a giggle but Malfoy and Harry both ignored it. The two of them were completely focused on one another, the blonde waiting patiently for the other teen's next words.

"Being a Malfoy does not make you a fool?" asked Harry curiously.

"Of course!"

Harry chuckled at that and gave the Malfoy heir a truly amused look.

"Draco, my dear Housemate, we are all fools. Are you at the higher or lower end of the spectrum? Or perhaps in the middle?"

Malfoy frowned and growled, "What are you playing at, Potter?"

" 'Playing?' " repeated Harry. "I 'play' at nothing, Draco. What would make you think such a thing?"

"Your stupid questions."

"Ah, but are my questions stupid or are you yourself?"

The blonde's cheeks colored and Snape decided that now was the time to intercede between his two charges before the Malfoy heir decided to do something stupid. Like draw his wand on the han-akurei.

"Mister Malfoy," he hissed, earning the blonde's attention quickly, "do please return to your seat and clean up your mess. Mister Potter, Miss Granger, do place your potions on the shelf and leave. The class is over."

"Hai, sensei," said Harry, nodding to the dark man. He picked up his and Hermione's potions and delivered them to the shelf then was back at their table with three long strides. Picking up his bag and grasping the girl's hand, he glanced once at Snape before he pulled her from the room.

He did not miss the feeling of Malfoy's steely eyes boring into their backs.

- - -

"What was that about?" demanded Hermione as they walked towards the Great Hall for lunch.

"What?" asked Harry as he looked at the first years pouring out of the Transfiguration classroom in front of them to see if Wen was among them.

"That stunt between you and Malfoy. It was almost as thought you were egging him on!"

"And if I was?"

Hermione's jaw dropped and she stared at him for a moment before shouting, "Are you mad?"

Harry grinned at her over his shoulder and replied, "Only a little."

"I'm being serious, Harry!"

"So am I."

"Be serious!"

"Fine," said Harry. He stopped and turned to face the bushy-haired girl, who found herself pinned to stillness by the intensity of his emerald eyes. "Draco – or Malfoy, whichever you wish to call him – is nothing to me. Nothing. I know him and all of his kind; they are bullies and that is the one thing I cannot stand. So if I taunt him – which I assure you I do not intend – it is his own fault if he acts upon it. I do not wish to fight him at all, despite what he or anyone else may think.

"Then why…?"

"My own amusement."

Hermione blinked.

"You're amused by him?"

Harry smiled grimly and replied, "Only by his attempts to make himself out to be more than he actually is. Draco Malfoy is nothing but a spoiled brat, Mia-san. One would do well to remember such."

"But his father…"

"Is what? A Death Eater? An ex-follower of Voldemort?"

Hermione just nodded, shocked that he knew such things.

Harry's smile thinned as he said, "I do know what goes on within England, Mia-san. Having a Yokai for a foster mother and an ex-Unspeakable as a foster father does have it advantages."

"I'd say so…"

Harry's smile returned at that and he chuckled before saying, "But moving on! Let's go find Wen and get something to eat. I'm starved!"

Hermione blinked at him then shook her head. She could figure Harry out another time.

She did have all year and the next to figure out such things, after all.

- - -

Harry had an empty slot after his Transfiguration class, so before dinner came about, he retreated to his room to write a few letters. He perched himself at the table in the main area of his rooms and took out two sheets of parchment and an ink pen he'd brought among his things.

The first letter he wrote was to his foster parents.

Haia, William,

England is a most interesting place and Hogwarts is even more so. The castle – as you have told me before, William – moves of its own will! And the portraits and ghosts have some of the most interesting tales to tell! It is sad that no one listens to them. A portrait of Myelin Slytherin née Gryffindor guards my own rooms and she has some very interesting insights on the House Founders here.

I'm in Slytherin House, by the way. And if you are wondering about why I have my own rooms, I informed Dumbledore of my parentage. He does not seem to trust me now that he knows my father was not his precious James Potter, but a demon. As though he thought my mother was anything more to him but a friend. A shameful thought, don't you say?

Don't worry. So far none of the students have discovered anything. I believe a new friend of mine, a Muggleborn named Hermione Granger, may suspect something but she doesn't know anything yet. I've also met someone you would love to meet, Haia: a little girl named Wencia. She's a sprite of a child and as sweet as can be. Unfortunately, she was Sorted into Slytherin with myself and they don't take well to Muggleborn's here. At least not her yearmates. The older members of our House don't seem to have any problem with it that I can see.

And before you can ask about my classes, yes, they are going well. My favorite is, as it always has been, potions. Professor Snape is a very interesting man and is one of the only teachers here that doesn't seem afraid to speak to me whilst alone, which I admire him for. It also feels good to have someone I can talk to about potions around, since I'm not at home to argue with you about them, Haia. Heheh.

Since I'm nearing the end of my parchment, I'll say goodbye. I hope you both are well and I'll see you when this year is over, hopefully.

All my love,

Harry

Rereading the letter, he grinned and nodded before rolling it up and slipping it into one of the small message tubes Snape had told him were best sent with owls on long journeys. After making sure that one was securely shut, he took his other sheet of parchment and began a letter to Aika.

Aika-chan,

How are you? Mai hasn't been bothering you since I've left, has she? I know how much she dislikes you and I wouldn't want to see you hurt by that abazureon'na. If she has given you trouble, inform her that it would be a simple thing for me to come and maim her pretty face for her.

Moving on from our schoolyard troubles, it is quite fine here at Hogwarts. My classes aren't that difficult and I am, of course, being very careful. I've made two friends so far – and perhaps a third but I'm uncertain about that. The two I've made are girls but never fear you always count first, tomodachi.

I can't think of what else to tell you except to ask Haia and William if you can read the letter I wrote them. You know how I don't like to repeat things and I'd rather not rewrite what I wrote in their letter.

Write me back soon. I long to hear from home.

Harry-kun

After reading over Aika's letter and sealing it up, he returned his pen and the parchment he hadn't used to his bag. Leaving his rooms, he checked to make sure his cap was still securely atop his head and that his tail was firmly wrapped about his waist before he set off towards the Owlery.

He saw no one along his way there as most were still in class but by the time he'd gotten there, his sharp ears picked up the faraway sound of the closest class getting out.

Flicking his emerald gaze over the owls, Harry finally said, "Do any of you know the way to Japan?"

There was some rustling among the owls and then a large, golden shape dropped swiftly down from nearly the top of the feather-filled tower. The han-akurei's arm came up instinctively and his jaw dropped as a gigantic eagle owl landed carefully on his arm.

"You know the way to Japan?" he asked the massive bird.

Amber eyes bored into his with a fierce intensity and the owl nodded its head before hopping from his arm over to a nearby empty perch. Harry followed and carefully attached one message tube to each leg, pointing each out as he explained where they were to go.

"This one goes to Haia and William Chamberlain and then other goes to Aika Yui, okay?"

The eagle owl bobbed it head before launching itself into the air. With two hard downward strokes of the bird's wings, it was out one of the high windows of the Owlery and gone.

With a smile, Harry turned and went downstairs to say hello to Hermione and have dinner with Wencia.

Translations

Abazureon'na: Bitch

Tomodachi: Friend