Harry and the Harekaze

As the ship surged on through the sea, Akeno gazed out of the Harekaze's forward Bridge windows and sighed in contentment.

"You sound happy" a voice said from behind her.

"I am… Even with people thinking we've mutinied, I'm pleased to be on the sea"

"I just hope that people will believe us when we get to our next meeting point – I did not want to fire at them after all" Shiro said.

"It was the only way to escape… I just don't understand how a modern ship like that was sunk with an unarmed torpedo"

"I wish I knew" Shiro replied. She was about to add more when Macchi's voice came out of the speaking pipe.

"Bridge, Lookout… I have an object floating in the water almost directly ahead of us"

"Thank you" Akeno said. She scanned the water in front of the ship before finding the object – a body weakly moving in the water. "MAN OVERBOARD!" she shouted. "Rin, hard to starboard. Shiro, stop both engines. Away the seaboat" the orders were instantly obeyed and soon a boat was launched which returned with the body.

#

Apart from telling that it was a boy, all they could find was a wallet containing some odd paper, some strange coins and a wooden stick strapped to his wrist with a soft leather strap-holster. He was quickly hurried down to the Sickbay when he was brought aboard and their Doctor could examine him for any signs of injury. When they could find nothing but things associated with being in the water for a period of time, they treated him and gave him fluids and tried to keep him warm in the one bed they had. When he finally stirred that evening, he looked around in panic and started talking in English and had to be held down by most of the off duty watch. Akeno and Shiro came rushing down in time to see him throw the girls off and make a grab for the wooden stick on the Doctor's desk – waving it at him and muttering something. The girls were about to pounce on him again so he could be sedated when he raised his hands in surrender and started to speak to them.

"I give in" he said. "No more" he added as he sat defeated on the bed. The complete change in attitude surprised them

"You speak Japanese?" Akeno asked.

"In a manner of speaking" the boy smiled weakly. "I'm guessing you know what I am?" he asked.

"Not really… We found some odd coins, some thick paper and a stick stuck to your wrist" Shiro said.

"This… This may be hard to understand, but I'm a Wizard" and over the next ten minutes, he told them all about Voldemort, the magical world and how he ended up in the middle of the ocean.

"I thought you said you had to keep magic a secret, so why in front of us?" Akeno asked.

"Because I couldn't sense another magical person or being. The spell I used to get away from the fighting was affected by an attack from one of Voldemort's followers – instead of just distance, I think the magical energy came together to put me in another dimension"

"I'm sorry" Akeno said, "I know how it is to lose family and friends"

"Thank you" the boy looked around at the girls all looking at him with mixed expressions and sighed. "Thank you for picking me up… I was quite weak when you got to me. If you could find me somewhere to sleep, I'll just stay there until you decide what to do with me"

"I'm afraid all of our cabins are occupied" said Shiro. "Apart from that, this ship only has female students onboard"

"Oh… Well just give me a cupboard to sleep in then"

"We can't do that" one of the other girls said. "Captain, I think we have a spare storeroom. What if we gave him a hammock?"

"Hammock? Sweet… Hammocks are awesome. I can dry my clothes off with a bit of magic, but I would like to be alone"

"Why?" Shiro asked in suspicion.

"Because I want to get changed"

"Oh" the girls all blushed.

"Everybody out" Akeno ordered. "When you are ready, Minami will help you get settled in" she added.

"Thank you"

"One more thing… What is your name?"

"Harry… Harry Potter"

#

When Minami had waited some time for Harry to come out and he'd not appeared, she gently knocked on the door and pushed it open slowly. To her surprise, Harry was already fully dressed and sat on the bed in Sickbay sniffing through tears.

"I apologise for intruding" she said and made to back out before Harry's voice stopped her.

"It's alright – best to let it happen" and Minami came in and closed the door. "Things are happening so fast I just can not believe it. I am trying to come to terms with not being able to see those I love ever again"

"There are always possibilities"

"Yeah, but not this time. I'm a powerful Wizard and can detect a magical presence even years after it was imprinted, but I can detect nothing. I've tried Portkeying away, but it doesn't work – I'm trapped"

"I'm sorry" Minami said. "If you would like, I will show you around and then to your poor excuse for a room. I am sorry we could not offer a visitor anything else"

"Watashi wa yosō-gai ni tōchaku shitanode, shazai suru riyū wa arimasen" Harry replied.

"You speak Japanese?" Minami asked with an uncharacteristic surprise.

"I picked it up from an old friend of mine" Harry sighed. "It's going to be hard not seeing them again"

"Maybe you will find a way"

"Perhaps, but I doubt it. Would it be possible to get something to eat? I haven't eaten in six days"

"I suppose that is down to the time and dimension travel?" Minami asked as she led the way out into the passageway and back aft.

"Yes"

"I should introduce you to the ship's secretary… She's into science fiction" Minami rolled her eyes and Harry got the impression she didn't do it often. "The galley is this way. We have already eaten our morning meal, but perhaps there is something left over for you"

#

"I feel like a sideshow, but I guess I'm damned used to that" Harry muttered.

"It is not every single day a boy comes onboard the Harekaze" Minami said as she gestured towards the Bridge. "I must go back to Sickbay and make a note of everything that has happened. I will see you again – good, Harry Potter" and the young girl turned and walked back. Harry watched her go before he walked along the upper deck and stood at the edge of the starboard side of the Bridge.

"I am here to see the Captain" he announced.

"I will ask her to come up. You can wait by the back wall" Shiro said. When she finished the call and looked over to where Harry was still standing, she frowned in confusion. "Why do you wait there?"

"I was waiting to ask permission to enter the Bridge" Harry replied and Shiro blushed slightly and smiled.

"You have permission" she told him and Harry went to stand at the back of the Bridge near the telephone panels. It was only a few minutes before Akeno came up, glanced at the log before coming over to speak to Harry.

"How have you settled in?" she asked.

"Good, though I bet the shock will hit me later on when I think about it"

"We're short staffed on here – is there anything you can do?" she asked him.

"Well I can fly a broom, I can cook and clean… I actually do a lot more with my magic then you would expect. I will stay in the storeroom for now until something is decided about me – I do not want to be any bother to anybody. All I ask is that I be allowed up on deck sometimes" and Akeno thought Harry was very nervous about stuff.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

"When I was young, the people that looked after me kept me in a cupboard under the stairs. Even today, as old as I am now, I hate not being able to go and look at the sky"

"I'm so sorry" Akeno hugged him tightly.

"Captain, didn't your mother tell you not to hug strange boys?" Shiro asked. Akeno let Harry go and stiffened before turning round and looking at the Deputy Captain with as much anger as anybody could remember ever seeing on her.

"My mother never told me anything, Mashiro… She died in a shipping accident when I was young"

"I apologise, Captain" Shiro bowed low to her.

"You did not know, Deputy Captain, but you have upset me. I hereby relieve you of duty for the rest of the day and confine you to your cabin except to eat"

"Aye, Ma'am – again, I apologise" and Shiro stood to attention and then turned round and walked off the Bridge.

"I like it here" Harry said into the silence, "Its exciting"

"You said that you can repair things" Akeno said.

"Yep"

"We are having trouble with our engines – would you go to see what you can do?"

"I would be most honoured, Captain" Harry nodded in respect.

"Bridge, Lookout"

"Bridge"

"Captain, I can see another ship coming towards us – I think it's the Admiral Spee"

"Harry, you must go back to your storeroom – things are about to get dangerous up here"

"You don't think they will fire on you, do you?" Harry asked.

"Spee is rotating her main batteries"

"Yes" Akeno replied, "I think they will"

"As you know I can repair things, would you like me to help fix any damage?"

"Good idea" Akeno said. "I hate to think of firing on another ship of students, but my job is to look after my crew first" she added.

"I know only too well how that is" and Akeno looked deeply into Harry's far off and haunted look.

"You do, don't you? You've lost a lot of people close to you"

"Yeah… Sometimes far too many"

"Do the hard decisions ever get easier?" Akeno asked as Spee fired her forward turrets.

"No" Harry shook his head and braced for impact, "But they get easier to make"

A/N:

In the future, I might pad it out and change things, but as a standalone, I think it works well enough for a crossover…

For those wondering, Harry says to Minami "I arrived unexpected, so there is no reason to apologise"