-What did he want? Luffy asked when Harry joined him with Ron and Hermione to climb on the train.
-To assure himself that I won't play 'search for Black', and that I'll be careful. It's as if he believe that he wants to kill me… Harry huffed in a whisper.
-Mmmh… he'll have to pass the pirates before having any luck in killing you, if it's what he want, but I believe Marco when he says that he is innocent. We'll see each-others at the feast, I'm joining my nakamas.
And he went away.
Ace was with the twins and Lee already, only letting Sabo with the trio.
-You want to join us? Hermione proposed to Sabo.
The young man shrugged and followed them.
Sabo sat in front of the new teacher, that he had renamed for himself "Okami-sensei". The Haki sensed the wolf in this man. Not in the same way that he hear the shuffles of the animal form of an Animagus in their human form, but more of a deep mix, like for the zoans.
-In the end, what did you do during your holidays, Harry? Ron asked.
-I passed the last days at Ace, Sabo and Luffy's home… It was rather entertaining, Harry told with a smirk.
-You find it entertaining to avoid the punchs of the old geezer? Sabo asked raising an eyebrow.
-You were at your grandfather's? Hermione wondered. But he is a marine.
-A Vice-Admiral, true, but when he found us, at the beginning of the summer, he told us that since he didn't see us often, he wouldn't sent us to jail, with the condition that we spend the summer break wxith him. Between that and Impel Down, for me, and the scaffold for Ace and Luffy… the choice is easy.
-The scaffold? Ron choked.
-Unlike me, they have a bounty, and… we have to say that they have some family history who would be a disadvantage for them. Well… the old man wasn't there very often, so, not too annoying. We were able to see Soul King on concert.
-I'm still wondering how Luffy get the first raw tickets, Harry smiled.
-Brook is in his crew.
-The Soul King?! Ron and Hermione exclaimed.
-Yep! Sabo grinned.
-You know him? Harry inquired.
-He is a squib, even if we wonder how he look so much like a skeleton, Hermione replied. Even muggles listen to his music. He is in Luffy's crew?
With a smile, Sabo pulled from his bag a big notebook, that they had seen more than once in the hands of the blond. During a moment, the young man turned the pages, before handing it open on one page.
Harry changed his seat to see above Hermione's shoulder. The double page showed a continuation of portraits with the name of each person and apparently, a position.
Luffy was on the top of the list, his huge grin under his straw hat. On the side, we would see some ideograms.
-I hope you progressed in japanese, Sabo remarked with a smirk..
-Yes, assured Hermione.
He look down the list of images. She already knew the majority of them… Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Chopper and Robin. Two of them were unknown. A boy their age with dark skin and a long nose, and a man with strange blue hair, sunglasses and a metallic nose. The last on the list…
-It's Soul King! Harry exclaimed.
-It's Luffy's whole crew, in their admission order, Sabo informed.
-Ship's musician, "Humming" Brook… also called Soul King… second swordman… Hermione read. I translated it well?
-Very well, Sabo assured. He has… a fruit, which is why he look like that…
The three young made an "oh", of understanding.
-The first swordman, it's Zoro, isn't it? Harry inquired.
-Yep.
-Can I? Hermione asked.
-There is a lot of crew, in there. I stay informed, it's almost vital for what I do. If you go back at the first pages, you will find the Shirohige. The crew are classed by their order of creation. It's also Ace and Marco's crew.
Hermione went to the beginning of the notebook and found Marco's face, his air still half-asleep and his pineapple cut easily identifiable. Just above, there was the photo of a ferocious man with golden eyes, with a beautiful white mustache in the form of a crescent moon under his nose.
-Edward Newgate… Wasn't he already present at Gol D. Roger era? Hermione questioned.
-Yes, it is said that he is the only one, with Rayleigh, to know if the legendary One Piece exist or not, Sabo confirmed. And strangely, he is a muggle and I bet you anything you want that even at his strongest, Snake Face wouldn't dare to fight with him.
-Why? Ron asked curious.
-Maybe because he only need to sneeze to create a tsunami? This man has in his hands the power to destroy the world. And I am serious.
-It's… scary… it's a fruit too? Harry whispered.
-Yes.
-Sabo… why is the photo of the person under the professor Fushisho crossed out ?
-It's Frey, the Second Commandant. When the crews are really big, I only put the photos of the important people, here, the commandants, and with the numbers of people under them. Frey isn't alive anymore. Ace will be is successor when he is seventeen. It was Frey's wish. He died soon after Ace twelfth birthday.
-It's young, to decide that he will have such a place, Hermione noted.
-It wasn't expected. He though that he would live long enough for Ace to be at least fifteen, but the sea decided otherwise. We know the Shirohige since we were nine, even if we were more often with the Akagami.
Hermione nodded while she continue to look over the list.
-Hey but I saw him, Harry said pointing out the last person on the list.
-It's a girl, Harry… and a vampire on top of that… isn't it dangerous to have a vampire around? Ron said.
-Izou? He is a man. I presume that it was for this reason that the day you came, Ace had to make a detour… Sabo pondered. Izou is very nice, a little special, but very agreeable. But you don't want to be on his black list.
-Because of the fangs? Hermione asked.
-The fangs, it's the last of your worries against him. He can put you a bullet between your eyes, without looking at you, but also to make your life a living hell.
-He looked like someone normal, when I saw him… he just had a funny dress… Harry told them.
-Izou-san is a cross-dresser. We could call him an okama, but he scalp anyone who dare call him that. And for his clothes, it's a kimono. He like to dress himself as a geisha, even if he don't bother to wear a traditional kimono on the sea.
Hermione continued to flip trough the pages and fell on the image of a redhead man sticking his tongue to the camera.
-Akagami no Shanks? Hermione read with difficulties.
-Shanks-nii-san is an old cabin boy of Roger's crew. Akagami literally mean red hair. He saved Luffy when he was seven, and lost an arm. He studied at Salem.
-He don't seem redoubtable… Ron stated.
-The appearance are misleading. What are you thinking about, Granger?
-I read the term Akagami in a recent New Coo… with the one of Yonkou… the girl said.
-After Roger's death, the second part of the Grand Line, the Shin Sekai, was divided in four territories who works a little like the mafia's territories more or less at peace. Four pirates are at the Head of these territories. We call them Yonkou, but in your language, it would be the Four Emperors. The Four strongest pirates of this era. Big Mum and Kaidou are two of them, Shirohige is another one, and Shanks-nii-san is the last one.
-This man is the captain of a crew who control a part of the Grand Line? Hermione said astonished.
-Which show that… Ron breathed. We wouldn't think so seeing him.
-I didn't know that the pirates had so much influences… Harry commented.
-Two pirates are monarchs, too, Sabo told them. The Shichibukai is a group of seven pirates who have a sort of alliance with the Marine. They are in a way… tolerated. Among them, Boa Hancock, the Kaizoku Jotei, the Pirate Empress, rule Amazon Lily, an island exclusively feminine. Then, we have Donquixote Donflamingo, who is the King of Dressrossa… we suspect more, but I can't talk about it. Some things are better unsaid, more so to people who won't have more than a exterior implication in this universe.
Sabo held his hand and Hermione gave back his notebook.
-Even so, it's a fascinating world… I would like to study it, once out of Hogwarts, Hermione sighed with want.
-You need to learn how to fight, then, because alone, you won't survive on the Grand Line.
-Nami isn't stronger than Hermione, Ron remarked.
-You don't know anything about Nami. Trust me, she is strong. She use the meteo as a weapon. She know the climate and know how to take advantage of it with her weapon to defend herself and fight. She is a pirate with a bounty, don't forget. Even the cute Chopper can very well be a threat for you, if he is angered. Don't underestimate anyone, not even me…
Sabo had a thin smile and stood up.
-You don't know a thing.
He opened the door of the compartment, facing Malfoy and his lackeys who looked like they wanted to enter.
-What can I do for you? Sabo asked.
-Who the hell are you? Malfoy asked frowning.
-Your worst nightmare, if you don't go elsewhere…
The smile made the other blond step back.
-Who do you think you are…
-I passed the firsts years of my life with people much more haughty and uptight than you… if you want to give me lessons, you're in the wrong place. Now, if you don't want to wake up a teacher, I advise you to make less noises.
And Sabo moved a little apart to show him the sleeping professor. This was enough for Malfoy to go away.
Sabo jumped on his feet when the train stopped.
-We are already there? Ron wondered.
-No. Stay put, Sabo hissed puting away his book..
A simple flick of his wrist and he had his weapon in his hand. A simple touch on a button, and it was ready to be used.
-What… Harry began.
-Quiet! Sabo cut.
We almost couldn't see anything now that the lights were off. Something shady was coming, he was sure of it…
When the door of the compartment opened, Sabo grabbed the intruder and pushed him inside, before closing the door again.
-What is it? Hermione asked.
-It's only Longbottom, Sabo answered a low voice. Don't do any noise, I need to concentrate…
Sabo lead the poor Neville toward a free seat before taking his guard back near the door.
-What the hell is happening? asked the poor Neville.
While Sabo searched something into his bag without moving from where he was, Harry talked softly to his friends.
-Something is wrong. Sabo know how to fight so he took the defense of the compartment into his hands.
The door opened again, and like for Neville, ginny found herself pulled quickly inside.
-Someone, wake up the teach' and don't make anymore noises, Sabo hissed charging his gun.
-No need… I'm awake… a hoarse voice announced.
A snap later, the teacher was standing, some flames in his hand.
This allowed everyone to see Sabo, against the door of the compartment, his fighting stick covered of Haki in one hand and his fire-arm in the other.
A sign of the head and everyone could understand what it was.
Then, the swear…
-K'ssou, Dementor!
And at this instant, the door opened.
Standing in the entry, alighted by the flickering flames, was a tall silhouette envelopped by a cloak, the face totally hidden by a hood. She was tall enough to almost touch the roof and, coming out of its cloak, we would see a hand glowing, sticky and greyish covered with scab letting think of a corpse who would have degrade in water.
It turned Harry's stomach upside down.
The being took a long breath sounding like a rale and the cold began to spread in the compartment.
Bam!
A blow from a bô full of Haki in the belly, and the Dementor stepped back in the corridor.
-Expecto Patronum.
The cry of a bird filled the compartment while a silver eagle began to turn around the entry, protecting the occupants.
-Nice reflex… I entrust the others to you, I'll try to negotiate with the Dementor, Remus said.
Sabo forced the students to stand and move away from the door. Ginny and Harry were the most touched by the Dementors but his quick action had limited the damages. The silver eagle stayed near them, protecting them from the Dementor while Remus took care of it.
However, Sabo had noted something, and he had to talk about it with his brothers fast.
Something was wrong in this compartment and it wasn't only Potter.
Ace entered brusquely in the compartment where he knew that Sabo was, Luffy not far behind. The two of them had their Patronus on their shoulder. For Luffy, an ape and, for Ace, a fire phoenix.
The scenery reassured them a little.
Sabo was helping someone, an adult, to assure themselves that everyone was alright, his own Patronus, a beautiful and ferocious eagle, on his own shoulder. Patronus which disappeared when he saw the two D.
-Daijobu? Luffy asked passing his head under his sibling's arm.
-You are surprising youngster, the adult commented with a smile. So young, and already corporal Patronus…
-Everything is alright here, Sabo assured straightening, his hands on his hips. I created a Patronus the moment when Potter was too affected.
Harry was a little pale, but he seemed to slowly calm himself.
-Who… who screamed? Harry asked.
-No one screamed, Neville told him.
-Really?
-It's in your head, Luffy told him. Memories. That's what they do…
Ace went to Ginny's side and patted her hair softly before pulling her in his arms, where she cried in his shoulder.
-Oh, I understand why you are so well prepared, the man understood seeing the tattoo on Ace's back, who was shirtless. You are a part of the professor Fushisho's crew, aren't you?
Ace nodded, cradling the little Ginny against him. The two patronus disappeared.
Sabo searched something in his bag, and groaned.
-I'll go toward the driver and bring some chocolate. Lu', go back to your compartment, I'll pass to deposit some for you and the others. Ace, I don't have anymore money, can you give me an advance? We will have to talk about something, too.
-Back pocket on the right, the black hair boy only said. No need to give it back, no outing to the village for me this year.
Sabo took the purse and went in the corridor with Luffy, who went back to his own ti assure himself that the others were alright.
-This should be enough, Remus said giving some chocolate to the students.
Ace gave Ginny to Hermione who began to console her and stared at the chocolate before him.
-No thank you, I'm alright, my Patronus protected me, Ace refused.
- I never saw a student refuse chocolate. You're a little white, still…
Harry remembered the last time when Ace ate some chocolate in this form, during the holidays, he ended with his fingers full of chocolate because he melt it. He had to have his uncle gave him a new one who was iced, for him to finally be able to eat it.
-I prefer to let it to you, after all, my brother will be here soon with a lot of them, so… Ace stepped back.
And faster than when he came, he ran away from their compartment.
-Well, here is something surprising… the teacher noted. Maybe…
-Professor? Hermione said.
-No, it's nothing, I'll just have to talk with my colleague of Natural Magic when we're there, the man assured.
This let the students perplexes.
Sabo came back quickly, a bag with a lot of chocolate in his arms.
-Help yourself, my brothers already took their share, the blond smiled.
-Seeing the way Ace looked at the chocolate the professor held to him, we could have think that he feared to be eaten by it, Ron sniggered picking some.
He stopped laughing when he saw the glare that the Ravenclaw gave him.
- Can I let them in your care, young man, the time for me to see the driver? The professor asked.
-No problem, sensei.