Here the ninth chapter, the tenth will follow just after. I still don't own anything about Harry Potter who is J K Rowlings' work, nor the plot which is Zialema's. Review are welcome Thanks.
Madam Pomfrey was furious. And the reindeer who seemed to assist her couldn't choose between outrage and hilarity. The woman was ranting that nobody took Harry earlier to her. She wouldn't have to regrow his bones.
- I propose we boycott Lockhart class, Ace stated.
- For once that you have a good idea, Portgas, Wood approved.
- I'll pass the word to the Ravens and Badgers, Sabo sighed. Well, rest enough while you're here, Potter.
And he left the infirmary, imitated by his big brother and the Quidditch team.
The reindeer took a strange bottle to Madam Pomfrey.
Luffy looked… perturbed to see Harry's arm without any bones.
- A problem? Harry asked his friend.
- Nothing…
He remarked that he was massaging his hand, and, seeing how the boy's finger sink easily into his hand, he understood. To see something so similar to his ability must be strange to him, since he knew for a fact that there was only one rubber man.
While the healer was serving in a glass the liquid that Harry will have to drink to get his bones back into his arm, Luffy and Ron helped the patient to change into pajama.
- It's… is it as strange as that, to be made of rubber? asked Harry in a low voice when Luffy helped him slip a sleeve.
- I have bones, they're just of rubber too, Luffy told him. I don't feel any different than before I ate my akuma no mi. I just have a body more flexible than the others.
- I see…
The reindeer slipped behind the curtain, the glass with the potion on a tray which he posed on the bed.
- I advise you to rest, you won't have an easy night, the reindeer recommended with a soft voice. Luffy, could you do anything so Ace don't come for all his attack?
- I'll see what I can do, Chopper.
The reindeer walk far from the bed.
- It's… strange, Ron noted.
- It's Chopper! Luffy grinned.
- MARCO!
Ace rushed at the side of the man lying down on a bed, in the infirmary, dead.
Tears in his eyes, he shook him, ignoring Dumbledore and Chopper trying to take him away from the body.
Some blues and golden flames raised brusquely from the eyes and chest of the corpse, while the dead man took a huge breath, before begin to cough.
Ace was relieved and let himself slid on a chair near, a hand on his heart. To believe he had lost him really wasn't good for his health. A little more and all would have been reduce to nothing with his flames.
- Easy, my dear, Dumbledore advised.
Marco stirred in the bed before straightening, signaling to Dumbledore to move away, to let Chopper assist him better. He coughs during a while, and the flames began to disappear, then he took a deep breath.
From zoan to zoan, no need to hide. The young doctor knew what to do.
- I'm fine… Marco huffed.
- The Chamber of Secret really was open again? Dumbledore questioned.
- I don't know; I wasn't here at this time. I remember a huge yellow eye, and then nothing. The kid that I found in the corridor…
- The young Mister Crivey was petrified.
Marco turned toward the other bed where the Gryffindor was laying, and sighed.
- I think it would be better for you to stay here, at least for tonight. I'll give you a rumble ball, it will boost your regeneration from your akuma no mi, Marco-san, Chopper told him.
- If it is what the doctor say… Marco sighed, letting himself fall on the cushions. I think that you should think about how the Chamber was open, Director. Ace, go to bed.
- With all my respect, Taishou, Oyaji would be spitting mad if nobody was here to guard your back while you recover from a death, pointed Ace crossing his arms on his chest.
- And Oyaji would have my head if I let you wander in the corridors with something who tried to kill me on the loose, yoi. To your bed, Portgas.
The two pirates stared at each other for a long time, and then Ace stood up and walked away. The look of the young man said everything. He didn't like the idea of letting him alone, even more since he thought he had lost him a moment before.
But there were people here with them, it would be suspicious for the Phoenix to let him sleep with him, even in all innocence.
It really wasn't the time for that.
-I'll accompany him, Chopper assured.
And he transformed in his reindeer form to go after the young man.
- Well, I wish you a good night, my dear, said Dumbledore walking off.
Marco wait a moment, and snapped his fingers, changing his clothes in comfortable and large pajama. He stood up on legs quite weak and grabbed a chair to join Harry's side, who was feigning sleep.
- Painful to regrow bones, Potter? Marco asked sitting. You don't have to feign your sleep, I know that you're awake, yoi.
Harry straightened on his bed and took his glasses.
- What happened? Harry inquired.
- Not a lot. I was patrolling in the corridors, I heard the creature, I rushed toward the place, but too late, Crivey was already petrified, yoi. I had the bad luck to raise my eyes and poof… blackness. The rest, you know it. We can say that this creature can kill with one glare. I think I know what we face, but I miss some clues, yoi.
- You… you looked like you were dead.
- Oh, but I was dead. But my particularity make that I can't die that easily. I presume that Ace had a panic attack.
- Very big one, even.
Marco sighed and massaged his neck. He knew it, seeing his insistence in staying. But he couldn't allow it.
- You're not the culprit, Potter. I know what is being said, but it's rubbish.
- However, at first, it was to Slytherin that the Sorting Hat wanted to send me, Harry whispered. Maybe they're right and it's me.
It was the first time that he talked about it to someone.
- No. You chose Gryffindor. The most important isn't what the other say, yoi. It's your choice who has the most value.
Harry looked toward Marco with hope.
- You do know Nami, don't you? She has everything to be a Slytherin, but the blood, yoi. However, she chose Ravenclaw and she is friendly with Gryffindors. Everything is about our choices. If you decide to choose, then nothing can stop you and you're free to be whoever you want, you.
- I'm not sure if I understand, sir.
- It doesn't matter, you'll understand later, yoi. Sabo would have sited something from a video game, but I'll stop myself from doing it. When you'll be older, you'll understand what it means to be able to choose, and to decide, yoi.
- Sensei?
-Yes, Potter?
- I have a question… about Ace… at the start of the week, Hermione made an innocent comparison… and Ace's reaction… made me think, I would say.
- He told me about it. But it's not my place to tell you what you want to know, Potter. Everyone has their problems.
- What is yours, if it's not too much to ask…
Marco kept silent an instant, and sighing he told with a dead voice, without emotion:
- Do you know what is a house-elf?
- It's because of one that I'm in this bed and that I am on probation for the rest of the year.
- So I will tell you something… I passed my childhood envying them…
Harry frowned, while Marco talked, his voice low and dull:
- I was a slave, Potter, I have a brand burned on my back as evidence. I was thee years old when I became the pet bird of horrible people, who forced in my throat this present of Davy Jones. I was ten when I finally met someone who treated me as a human for the first time, yoi. This man became my new father, a perfect replacement for my true father who sold me to my masters, yoi. When I began to teach at Hogwarts, when I was fifteen, I was just beginning to think of myself as human… and to learn how to fly, yoi.
- Sorry, professor, it was none of my business…
- I trust you for it to stay between us.
Harry nodded.
- The more time I stay here, the more I saw how bad the world is, the boy muttered.
- If Sabo-kun still believe in humanity, it means that everything isn't lost, yoi. Good night, Potter.
- Good night, professor.
Marco stood up. Took the chair back and walked back to his bed, in which he falls groaning. A snap of his finger and the curtains were closed.
Harry let himself fall back on the cushions, staring at the ceiling.
He always though that the Dursleys were monsters.
Then, seeing Dobby, his opinion had changed a little. In comparison to what the elf was living, his life with his relatives looked almost normal…
But now, his teacher just showed him how lucky he was. He hadn't been very specific, but the simple fact of learning that he had been a slave… that he had to learn what it was to be human and to see himself as one… Harry couldn't even imagine the sort of things his professor had endured when he was young. Something was telling him clearly, with bright letters, that the treatment from Vernon to him would looked almost like affection, in front of what Marco had lived.
And to be brand as a slave…
Harry removed his glasses and turned on his side, realizing that he would probably not find any sleep.
- I have some news about the Chamber of Secrets, Sabo announced, his back against the cabin, staring at Sanji and Hermione brewing, while Ron was looking at them doing.
- What sort? Harry asked.
- Lucius Malfoy is in the clear. The opening happened at Ji-chan's time. I consulted the register with Robin's help, and Lucius wasn't in the school at that time. It could have been a parent, or Voldy.
- You know for the professor Fushisho? Sanji asked.
- What does he have? Hemione inquired.
- He almost lost some feathers. Ace came to me, he couldn't sleep because of that, Sabo answered.
- Oh, that's why you three slept before the chimney of Gryffindor, Sanji understood throwing something in the cauldron.
- No, a petrified teacher? Ron choked.
Sabo rolled his eyes and shook his head.
- No, he wasn't petrified. He was out of the infirmary this morning, when I awakened, Harry said. However, he was in the same corridor as Crivey.
- Marco died last night, but with… his particularity, he came back to life.
Hermione stilled a moment, and turned to Sabo.
- A Phoenix! The professor is a phoenix! I should have guessed earlier! Fushisho mean phoenix after all!
-Aah~! Hermione-chan is so smart! Sanji said making a strange dance.
- He is crazy, Ron commented looking at him.
- Almost, Hermione, Marco is a Fire Phoenix.
- It's an extremely rare species, almost mythical, the miss said gobsmacked.
Sabo nodded.
-Never heard of it, Ron confessed.
- Do you know what a phoenix look like? Sabo asked, while Sanji returned to the cauldron at Hermione's side.
- Yes, and?
- You double the size, give a shorter beak, a longer tail, feathers blue and gold who look like fire, and you will have a fire phoenix. For Marco, you give him a human size, a tired look with motif of glasses around his eyes and a motif in the center of his chest made of purple feathers.
-It's amazing, Harry commented. I remember briefly of that, last year, when he saved me from Quirrel, in the forest. But I was half blinded by the pain, I only saw the bright blue, before he took his human form back.
- Marco ate the worst thing, Sanji sighed turning a lollipop in his mouth, that he was using to compensate for the cigarette when he was at school. His animal form is beautiful and rare, and has the logia's capacity too.
- On the black market, if he is sell as a slave, it could be for a price of several hundreds of billions, if it's not more, Sabo sighed.
- I hope it never happen, I like the professor Fushisho a lot.
Harry didn't comment. His teacher trusted him.
- You'll do it? Zoro asked while saying goodbye to Ron, Hermione and Harry for the Christmas break.
- I'll look over them, Sabo assured. And there is still Robin and Marco here, if something bad happen.
- You don't come to celebrate the holidays with us? Luffy sulked.
- Iie. Not this time. My parents almost get me not long before, they would never think about me staying in the school, since I always ran away from my tutors at that time. Ace!
Ace put his hat on his skull and looked over Sabo.
-Happy birthday in advance, big brother. Sixteen, it's a great age, ne?
- Oh, your birthday is soon? Hermione wondered. Happy birthday. When is it?
- Thanks, but I don't like my birthday, even if everyone persists in wishing it to me, Ace said. Good luck Sab', you have the map?
The blond tapped his pocket and they said a last goodbye to the pirate who were going away.
- Hermione, I put all the ingredients in a bag behind a toilet, Nami said turning toward them one last time.
- Thank you very much! The young miss smiled.
- Why doesn't he like his birthday? Ron inquired.
- Portgas D. Rouge, Ace's mother, died in birth. The day of his birthday is a day of grieving. We have some work to do, I think.
Marco faced Lockhart on the platform, before all the students present for the dueling club. He was annoyed, it was visible.
- I would prefer to duel Severus, Gilderoy, Marco announced.
To do it with this happy fool wouldn't do any good.
- Could you be scared, my dear Marco? Lockhart smiled.
Sabo tried not to laugh, while Marco just stared at Lockhart an eyebrow raised.
-Why are you laughing? Ron asked.
- I know the Shirohige well enough to know that only Ace and their captain can live past his raised eyebrow. It's proof of annoyance. In general, after some birdjokes. If Lockhart doesn't calm himself, he'll lose all his teeth.
-I bet all I have in the bank that if they fight, it's Lockhart who'll lose, Harry mouthed.
- Come on, maybe he has a chance to win, protested Hermione.
Sabo looked at here blankly and she huffed:
- Okay, okay, he doesn't have any chance with someone who fight without holding back.
Sabo grinned at her and crossed his arms behind his neck.
Snape came on the platform, replacing Lockhart, who had judged more prudent to accept the demand from the professor of Natural Magic.
- For those who'll specialize in wand less magic, the professor Fushisho will show you the regulatory salute, Snape stated. And I'll show you the one with a wand.
Marco placed one fist in his hand and bowed, without looking away from Snape, who bowed too, with a gesture of his wand. They then took their posture, Snape his wand before him, Marco a foot slightly behind, his hand folded, crossed before him.
- If someone could give the signal, yoi, Marco asked.
- HAJIME! Sabo yelled.
A first spell came out of Snape's wand, Marco avoided cleverly, before throwing a spell from his finger, while his other hand was raising.
Snape jumped back, getting free from the wood trying to hold his legs and riposted.
The two men exchanged spell silently for a while, but it was visible that the advantage was to Marco, and soon, Snape lost his wand, which land further on the platform.
-Amazing, Ron breathed in awe.
- Sabo? Harry asked.
- Yes, Potter?
- Sensei… he held back, didn't he?
Sabo smiled at him, seeming to say 'of course'.
- Marvelous demonstration! Of course, it would have been even better if I had been part of it, but sometimes you have to let the glory to others! Lockhart intervened coming back on the platform.
- I think that the Phoenix want to murder someone, Sabo whispered seeing Marco slid his thumb in his belt.
- How do you know? Hermione inquired.
- He hide a blade there.
This remark dampened the mood.
-Potter who encourage a snake to kill a classmate… it's the best, Snape sighed in Marco's office.
- No, he asked him to not attack, precisely, yoi, the Phoenix said letting himself fall on his chair. I understand the animal language; it isn't for nothing.
- The rumors will be quite numerous. The great Harry Potter, Heir of Syltherin. We already had the Prince of Pirates…
- Snape. Leave Portgas out of this conversation. If you're searching for a prince, there is one just before me… right, Half-blood Prince?
Snape sighed deeply and made his alcohol turn in his glass, looking at Marco reading some paper, deep in though.
- It's not a lot, face to the Phoenix that you are, sensei.
- You don't know a lot, Severus… learn and then talk.
-Hmph.
Sabo,
I received your letter, and even if I'm worried about the situation, we can't do anything. Ji-chan doesn't think that the Mafoy are responsible, but he thinks it would be prudent to verify, still. He think- and Oyaji agree- that the Lord of Jerk, Voldy, is behind all of this. See with Robin if you can trace his linage, and see if he doesn't have a relative actually at Hogwarts who could be the culprit.
Be careful for now on. Even if your parents just realized that there are some advantages to have a wizard in the family, you're still, because of them, a muggleborn, and so a potential victim. Neither I, or Lu', want to lose you, so, stay on your guard, ne?
Oh, and reassure Potter. It's not because he talks to snake that we'll began to think that he is the one behind all of this. I am more with the twin and would open a way for him, to escort him to the Chamber of Secret for him to drink his tea with his favorite snake, and not run away from him. Well, you see where I'm going, right.
I leave you, take care, and pass a great Christmas and greet the others for me.
Affectionately,
Your aniki Ace.
P.S. Tell to you-know-who that I miss him and that I love him, please. Oyaji doesn't want me to write to him directly this sort of thing, for fear of the jiji intercepting the letter.
Sabo lowered the letter and knocked on the door of Hermione's cabin when Chopper came, relieving Ron and Harry who just came back from their expedition in the Slytherins.
- Hermione, come out from here, Chopper is here.
- No! The voice of Hermione said.
-Come on… I saw worse than someone with the head of a cat.
-It's simple, either I smash open the door, or, you come out alone. Robin, give me a cloak, Chopper said.
True, Robin came in too, a cloak in her arms, that she threw above the cabin's door.
-Thank you, professor, Hermione mumbled with a choking voice.
- It gives you a certain charm, young lady, you shouldn't be ashamed of this, Robin smiled.
- What do you know? Harry asked.
Robin gave a mysterious smile.
- She knows everything, don't search more, it's Robin, Sabo sighed while the door opened for Hermione to come out with her face hidden under the cloak.
Chopper took an appearance almost human and led Hermione out of the toilets.
-You spied, or do we have to resume for you? Sabo inquired.
- I spied, and Fushisho-san just sent a letter to an infiltrate agent in the aurors about something interesting under the Malfoy's living room, Robin stated. I am retracing the genealogy of another suspect.
- Well, we're not more advanced than before, Ron sighed.
-I don't like it… Ace stated.
Luffy nodded, while Sabo massaged his nose, trying to remember something.
- It's only a diary, pointed Nami.
- A diary doesn't have a voice similar to a human. And even that, it's not even human it's… how to describe…
-Bad? Proposed Luffy.
-Yeah. And then… there is Potter…
Harry stopped slouching on the table looking at the diary of Riddle, between them, to look at Ace.
- What do you mean?
- You have two voices, which is impossible. And one of this voice, even if she is weak, is the same as the diary's, Sabo told him.
- What is this, with these voice? Ron asked.
- The Kenbushoku no Haki permit to perceive the voices of people around us. More we develop it, more the area we can hear is big, and some can even perceive the voices from objects, Sabo explained. It's useful in a fight, because we can perceive the blow before it happens. But this diary doesn't have the voice of an object.
- We should give that to a prof, Sanji stated taking his lollipop from his mouth.
- Seing as the diary is from fifty years ago, if we can make it talk, we will know more about the Chamber, Hermione proposed.
The two oldest sighed.
- Do what you want, but don't come crying later. We have warned you, Zoro commented standing. I'll do some katas in the Room of Requirement. Ace? Sabo?
- No, thank you, revisions for me and mister Portgas, in prevision of our OWLs, Sabo refused, making his brother groan.
- But I don't need this diploma, k'ssou, Ace whined.
- Stand up, mister grumpy, come on, Sabo told him leading him by the collar.
- TAKE COVER! Sabo screamed hiding in the history class with Ace.
They closed the door and tried to block the winged cupids after them.
-I'll cut Lockhart open alive, Ace growled with all his weight against the door.
-||Imagine that Marco see your success, || Sabo breathed in Japanese, with a smile.
-||Half is for you, || Ace replicated.
Robin smiled a little and crossed her arms, closing her eyes.
Behind the door, twelve messengers engaged by Lockhart for Valentine Day found themselves on the ground, wings broken.
- The problem is dealt with, misters, if you would take place, Robin asked with a smile.
Under the laughter of their classmate, the two siblings took their place.
-So, we'll continue about the origins of the actual society, but this time we will talk about the predecessor of the house elves. Does someone know what they were before?
Sabo raised his hand, all the while getting his notebook out. His brother was doing the same, but with their history book.
- Yes, mister Silver?
- They were a rare species called before Alfae, similar to the human. In the actual muggle culture, the elves from the movies and books are good representation of what we think they were like.
- Ten points to Ravenclaw, it's an excellent answer. Someone can tell me when they disappeared?
- Lost century, Ace muttered.
- Louder please, Mister Portgas, Robin encouraged.
- Eight or nine centuries ago, we suppose, sensei. There only few written information from this time, and the tales talking about them are rare.
- Ten points to Gryffindor. So, today we will talk about recent finding confirmed by archeological data, that could explain how the house elves were born…
And the young woman continued, with passion, the lesson.
Marco let himself fall on his chair, tired by the day of class, and grabbed his reading glasses to begin the reading of the last rapports.
He took a paper from his pile, and found himself with a letter and a long packet falling from up there on his desk. Raising an eyebrow, Marco opened the letter and smiled before the innocent words written on the paper:
"Happy Valentine, Marco.
Ashiteru,
Ace."
Still better than the horrible things with wings who ridiculed the students all day, because of Lockhart. It even happened to Potter! Poor little Weasley. In comparison with his brothers (apart from the twins) she had talent for Natural Magic. She would be a redoubtable witch.
Marco opened the packet and found a chocolate bar handmade, seeing the little motifs and the form of the sweet. With a smile, the man cut a piece and munched.
- Thanks, Ace, he breathed.
It was almost criminal to eat it.
Marco let his feather fall on his letter when Ace told him what happened with Harry, the February fifteenth.
- Let's go see him, now!
- I should have argued to take this diary, Ace muttered.
- You didn't know, and you still don't. I have a suspicion, but nothing to confirm it, yoi.
Marco came from behind his desk and followed Ace quickly to the Gryffindor tower.
Everyone looked at the teacher entering the common room and walking toward Harry with big steps, in a corner with his friends, doing their homework.
- You have in your possession something of Tom Marvolo Riddle, don't you? Marco whispered in low voice.
Harry looked at the teacher surprised, then Ace, before nodding.
Marco swore.
- Take it to me, fast.
- Why? Harry asked.
- Because you have in your hand a dangerous item. Riddle was a Dark Wizard.
Harry stood up and ran to the dormitory, under the surprised stare of the others, Marco and Ace behind him…
The trio stopped before the state of the dormitory.
- Whoa, Ace commented. Someone have a grudge against you.
Harry searched his things and straightened, a hand his hair.
- The diary disappeared, sir.
The professor swore again.
- It's… it's really something dangerous? Harry asked.
- I still don't have identified what it is, but I fear that it is what I suspect, yoi.
He clapped his hands and everything went back to their place.
With calms steps, he went down the tower.
Once out, Ace posed one hand on his arm.
- The diary had a voice… what do you suspect? he asked.
- Tom Marvolo Riddle was also known as Voldemort. And I fear that it was a Hocruxe. It's bad magic, Ace. Very bad, yoi. He cut his soul in part to be able to escape death.
Ace shivered.
- We fight against a powerful Dark Wizard, we have to be careful, yoi.
- Marco… Potter…
Marco sighed deeply and turned to show Ace a sad look.
- The fragment is still asleep. When he awakens, we will have to tell Potter about the threat. That he became one may not have been voluntary, but it means one thing… this man wanted to do more, and for now, we can suppose that there are more. We're facing a hydra. We don't know how many blow will be needed to take down the immortal head.
- And about Hagrid?
- It seems like he was a victim who paid for this idiot. He did nothing else, yoi.