Her is the next chapter! I don't know when the next one will be posted since I begin to work tomorrow. I will do it when I can. Meanwhile good reading and all review are welcome. Thank you to all those that favorite and follow the story.
I don't own anything.
Harry came down late the next morning, and was surprised to see Sabo sitting in the Gryffindor common room, skimming through what looked like some archives.
-Hello, Potter. If you're looking for Weasley and Granger, they are outside. Granger wanted to see something at the library and Weasley is scared of my partner.
-What are you doing here? Harry wondered.
-I'm the only Ravenclaw still in the castle. There is almost no one.
He arranged the scarf around his neck who was revealed to be…
-You have a snake around your neck?!
-What sense of observation, Potter, mocked Sabo. Her name is Shavna. She is a gentle girl. If you want to discuss with her, don't hold back. She come from an island named Skypiea.
The reptile raised herself while hissing, showing some strange white fringes on her body.
-What are you looking at, heh, four-eyes? The snake asked him with a voice definitely female. Don't you know that you have to let the servants work in peace? I'm sleeping as I wait for him to go pick me a mousey.
-You know that she considers you as her servant? Harry asked, uncertain.
-Yes, I know. I have a colleague parslemouth who pointed it out to me, Sabo laughed softly.
-That's all it does to you… to see someone speak to a snake?
Sabo shrugged, making the serpent hissed in irritation.
-No, I even find it fascinating. Mark of Dark Wizards… they make me laugh… When the wizard will learn that magic is only a tool, there will be some hope for the community.
-What do you mean?
-If I'm using the killing curse to stop the suffering of someone, or to eat, is it white or black magic?
-White, I would say…
-Still, the spell is forbidden by the Ministry of Magic. On the other side, we learn the benign ones like the hovering charm, and still, I could kill someone making him levitate very high in the sky and let him fall. All it depends is how you use your magic. It is neither good nor bad. It is what you do of it. You speak to the snake to make yourself be obeyed, or to speak with them, like you would discuss with anyone else?
-I don't cross path with enough of them and I don't see the interest of making them obey me.
-My point, exactly.
-Why didn't I see her when I spend the summer with you?
-I met up with a colleague yesterday, at Hogsmead. Shayna had helped her with a mission, so, she gave her back to me. Moreover, I thought that the one named Harry James Potter didn't have the authorization to go to Hogsmead… Why did I hear your name there?
Harry bowed his head, caught.
-I'm joking, I know that the twins gave you the Map, sniggered Sabo looking back at his work.
-All the school know of its or what?
-Iie. Ace learned of its existence while being friend with the twins. When he saw its utility strategic, he told Marco about it, who said he had the creator of this Map in class. At least, three of them. He passed a deal with the twins, telling that if they didn't prank him, and let him a free access at the Map, then he wouldn't seize it. Ace told me about it when I came to Hogwarts, and I made my own deal with the twins, promising them all my help and my knowledge if they let me use it.
-Oh.
Harry went silent, thinking back about what he had learned on Sirius Black the day before. However, he couldn't help but remember Ace's words, the day he had taken him from Privet Drive, who spoke about him like an innocent wrongly accused.
-Is something wrong, Potter? Inquired Sabo.
-It's… it's about Sirius Black… I… I learned accidentally that he was the Secret Keeper of my parents… but also my godfather.
-Oh. I understand your problem. But you have one wrong information.
Harry raised his head, surprised.
- I was studying the Black case, you see. Let me see, I must have it here… there!
Sabo took from his mess a letter and hand it to Harry.
-Black send this to Marco, two days before the death of your parents.
Harry took it and look at it.
He looked through it quickly. Apparently, Black was writing about the fact that his mother was thinking about who to invite for Christmas and that the professor Fushisho was on the list, with someone named Thatch. It was in the middle of the letter that he saw something interesting:
"While I'm there, James and Lily changed the Secret Keeper, like Dumbledore had advised. I know that you had strongly advised the contrary, but I agree that it is a good idea. The attacks against me increased these last days and, even if I manage to save my ass, nothing tell me that I will continue to stay around for a long time, and I don't want that, because I'm their Secret Keeper, James and Lily find themselves without protection. I won't tell the name of the new guardian, but it someone we trust."
Harry raised his head surprised.
-Two days later, your parents died. I think that it's the time that Voldy need to perfect his plan of action and hit. After that, Marco manage to go into Azkaban to speak to him. He was still under shock, but he managed to tell him that he wasn't the Keeper. You can't lie to a phoenix, Potter, you know.
Harry duck his head, sensing his hatred dissolve itself.
-But… and the incident with Pettigrew?
-It was him the Keeper. I think that under the anger, Sirius went in a quest of vengeance. After, what happened at this instant, only Black and Pettigrew know really. But I don't believe in Pettigrew's death.
-We found his finger, Harry pointed.
-It's easy to cut your finger, Potter, know that too. And there is more than one way to hide, other than an invisibility cloak. I leave you to think about this subject. What do you want Shayna?
The snake had just slid the long of his arm on the table, and undulated to go down.
-Since you don't want to go pick me a mousey, I will find one myself, damn blondy.
-She want you to find her a mouse.
Sabo snorted amused and stood up.
-Shayna, come my beauty, I know where to find you a big good mouse.
The snake immediately turned around and slid easily on Sabo's leg, until he catches her and place her on his shoulders.
Maybe he should ask her to hunt Peter for him.
The day of Christmas, in the boys dorms, Sabo was transmitting his report to Dragon by denden when he heard the exclamations. Were they realizing that Hermione entered in the boys dorms ?
-Something happened, I have to go.
And without saying anything else, he hung up (with some satisfaction) and went to join the dormitory.
-Merry Christmas, kids. So, what is happening for me to hear you from so far? Sabo asked coming in the room.
-Merry Christmas, Sabo. It's Harry. He received a broom without expeditor, Hermione stated.
-It's a Firebolt, Hermione! Ron scoffed undignified.
-Can I, Potter? Sabo asked.
-Oh? Hmm, yes… said Harry.
He held his broom to Sabo who searched it with his Haki and his magic.
He wasn't sure, but the broom seemed right to him. And he recognized the magical signature of Sirius Black, on it.
He had to call Ace, so that once they're back, either him or Marco, could go see the man in his hidden place to demand some explanations.
-The broom seems good to me, but it would be better to ask a prof to examine it.
-You're barking mad! Ron exclaimed.
-No, but I know that there are still a lot of people who would be happy to see Potter die, and we never are too careful. So, I'm for having this broom look over. It's better to do that and be wrong, than do nothing and see Potter falling to his death. Just because it's the best broom that exist. Potter, it's your choice. The grave, or a prof who take a look at this broom.
-Seeing how you present it, I prefer that a professor examine it.
-Then I will take it to Flitwick-sensei.
And Sabo went down the stairs.
Yes, he was definitely going to talk to Ace and Marco.
Ace opened one eye and glared at the denden who had dared to interrupt his sweet dream.
-It's not glaring furiously at him that will shut him up, yoi, Marco mumbled beside him in the bed.
-I could always burn him literally… Ace mumbled snuggling back in the arms of the man.
-And if it was your brothers? Or your godfather? Or even Shanks?
-I hate my family…
Marco kissed him on the forehead and forced him to get up. Coiling in one of the sheets, Ace went toward the denden and picked it up:
-Portgas D Ace.
"My greetings and congratulation to the new Nibantaï Taïsho!" Sabo's voice said.
-Thank you… a reason to call me this early?
"It's eleven, man."
-What time did we go to sleep? Ace asked Marco.
Marco raised his head from the pillow and stared at him seeming to say "Do I look like I know?" before letting his face fall in the pillows.
-We went to sleep late, that's for sure… Marco grumbled.
Sabo snickered.
-Another reason to wake me up? Ace asked. Because, you see, I had a very good pillow, and I would like to get back fast to him.
"I doubt that your feathery pillow will run away, seeing as you have him around your finger." Sabo clearly mocked.
-You're lucky that I'm not at the school before tomorrow, Silver, or I would have given you detention until the end of the year, yoi.
"I look too much like an angel for that! No, I have another reason to call you. Potter received a new broom for Christmas. Bough by Padfoot. Well, I think, because there wasn't any expeditor, but I recognized his magical signature via my Haki."
Marco straightened at once, frowning.
-Where is this broom? He asked.
"Flitwick, McGo and Hooch test it against all spells and counter-spells possible."
-So ka.
-I will go see him, Ace said.
Marco looked at Ace with a blanked face.
-What? I am a commander now, I have the right to take some initiative, right?
-If you want, just remember that your mother traumatized him when she was still at Hogwarts, yoi.
Ace nodded with a smirk, then went back to the denden.
-That's all?
"Other that I still want, even if you don't like that, wish you a good birthday and to congratulate you for your majority?"
Ace gave a poor smile.
-Thanks Sab'.
"Marco, take care of my aniki, he is precious to me."
-To us both, Marco assured.
Ace hang up and went back to bed, snuggling against the Phoenix. He had a small sigh of ease and with an idiotic smile, kissed him on the cheek, before trying to sleep.
Thing impossible since it was the instant someone with a pompadour opened the door wildly:
-Hello the lover birds! You will have all the time to hump each other after lunch! So, get some clothes and come to eat!
-Thatch… Marco hissed in a dangerously calm voice. If you don't close immediately this door, I will rip your head from your body, yoi.
Sirius bolt up when he heard someone hum a little air of music in the Howling Shack.
He hadn't heard anything, no creaking, nothing.
It was scary.
He jumped from the bed and hide the most silently he could behind the door.
He wasn't hearing any creaking in the house, just the voice singing. A ghost, maybe?
Sirius pulled his knife, his only weapon, ready to fight with everything. He wouldn't be caught, not until he didn't move away this traitor from his godson.
The voice was just behind the door, now.
- Attacking me with your knife wouldn't be the most intelligent thing to do, Padfoot-san. More so since I am one of your rare allies in Hogwarts…
The voice was young, undeniably male and mocking, but not aggressive.
-Put your weapon away, I have toys more intimidating than a kitchen knife on me. Friendly advice.
Sirius put his knife away. He didn't have a choice.
He opened the door, facing his visitor who raised his head to give him a smile.
The last time he had seen this sort of smile, it was when he was in his fifth year and that the Head Girl from Hufflepuff had surprised him red hand doing something monumentally stupid.
-I can come in? The young asked pushing his black fedora with one finger on his head, showing a little more of his face.
He had something familiar to Sirius, but what…
-Who are you?
Sirius moved away, letting him enter. Strange that this boy wasn't covered in snow. His black coat wasn't even wet. A spell, maybe ? But still, the boy seems too young for doing magic outside of the school.
-A colleague of Marco, the black haired boy answered coming in the room. The adoptive brother of Sabo… call me Ace. If I tell you who was my mother, you would risk to have a panic attack.
-I strongly doubt that, Sirius muttered staring at him posing a bag on the bed. I would have liked to say that you are a little young to be a pirate, but I think that when the professor came to Hogwarts, he was even younger than you and was already one.
-Exact.
Ace turned around and removed his hat, making an extravagant bow.
-Second Commander of the Shirohige, five hundred fifty millions berrys. I'm named Hiken no Ace in the circle. Fire Fist in English. But anyway, I am known here as Portgas D. Ace.
-Damn… Sirius grumbled. The Demoness got a child…
Ace snickered and opened his bag.
-I understood that my mother had let her mark in the castle. A nasty temper that I'm proud to have. Well, some presents from one of your old professors. I have a question for you… Did you send a broom to a Harry James Potter for Christmas?
-Yes. I know that his old broom was destroyed into pieces with the storm and the incident with the Dementors.
-So ka.
Sirius jumped when he found himself with a flaming finger between his eyes.
-Be very careful with what you do. Potter is a friend of my otouto. If anything happens to him, I will make you an example to prove that my senshô didn't lose his reason when he named me Commander. Are we clear?
-Crystal, assured Sirius raising his hands.
Ace nodded and turned off his finger, going back to the bag.
-Some first necessities products and clothes. No wands, unfortunately.
-That's alright, thank you.
-Don't worry.
Ace finished to empty the bag, before placing it back on his shoulder.
-Just one question, before you go, kid…
-The kid is seventeen, thanks, Ace growled, vexed.
-I just want to know when you were born… Rouge died a little after leaving Hogwarts… I wonder when she had the time to conceive and have you.
Ace sighed and half turned toward the man, out of the room, looking at him with sad eyes.
-It is strongly probable that when you saw her for the last time, she was already expecting me. I was born in January the First in 1976. Date of her death. Can I leave ? I have adoptive brothers that I didn't see since Christmas, and that I would like to join quickly. Thanks.
And in the swirling of his coat, Ace went back down the stairs in his feline demarche, producing no sound on his way, other than the wind on his clothes.
-Ace!
This left exactly one second point two of preparation before Ace found himself with a hyperactive kid in his arms.
-Pouf! What is it, Lu'? Ace asked, still locked in the arm of his brother.
It was good that he was enrolling his arms under his open coat, because he could sense his brother doing many time the tour of his waist with his rubber members.
-You're so cool on your new bounty! Luffy grinned.
-Of course! I'm a commander now, I can't allow myself to be ridiculous!
-Shihihihi!
-Congratulation for yours, too. Three hundred millions, it's a beautiful sum for the rookie that you are!
Luffy made a pout.
-Don't call me rookie!
-You will be a rookie for as long as I don't see that cute head of yours in the Shin Sekai!
-Meany Nii-chan!
-If you say so!
And Luffy released the older, his arms slamming slightly when they came back to the normal.
-Hello Ace. Congratulations, said Harry and Hermione.
-Hello you two. Ah, Ronny-kun isn't with you?
-He is scared of Shayna, George snickered.
-My commander…
-… you have all our greetings…
-… and congratulations…
-Thank you guys!
Ace let himself slump in a sofa with a content sigh, holding a little face when a dolor in area of his lower back woke up to say hello again. The laugh of Sabo, facing him, made Hiken thought that he must know about his state and also why.
Ace kicked him and closed his eyes in contentment.
-Say, Sabo, do you have the intention to go back one day in the Ravenclaws' dorms, inquired Ace while he saw in the corner of his eyes Harry and Hermione join the Mugiwara in Gryffindor.
-I don't know… Sabo commented from behind his newspaper.
Shayna, rolled in the laps of his master, raised herself and hissed something to Ace, who briefly raised one hand to greet her back.
Sabo scanned their surrounding with his Haki. Everyone was busy with their things. The twins with Lee, Ron with Dean, Seamus and Neville, ect. Nobody were looking at the two criminals near the chimney.
- ||I talked with the black dog|| Ace stated. ||The broom is good, it's from him. ||
-||Very well. Ace, we have to find an excuse so Luffy don't go at the next outing to Hogsmead. Dragon want to meet him. He wants to do a new Loguetown, but better. ||
Ace was gobsmacked and straightened in his chair, fighting the anger.
- ||I don't joke about this subject, you know this||
A distinct smell of something burning began to come from Ace's seat. Sabo didn't embarrass himself with something little. A simple gesture of his hand, and it was like someone had versed a bucket of water on Ace, letting him wet.
The silence fell in the common room, as the infamous Portgas D. Ace, known for his bad temper and his antisocial character, spit out the water gulped by error, still soaked, even if vapor was beginning to come from him.
Luffy cracked and began to laugh hard with the twins and Lee. More than one person turned around to not be seen smiling.
-You are lucky that we are brothers, Sab', because in the contrary, I would have killed you without remorse, Ace stated. I will change my clothes, since you soaked me.
And he stood up head high, walking fiery until the stairs of the boy's dorm. He brusquely turned toward Sabo and raised an eyebrow.
The next moment, the revolutionary was also soaked. But in blue paint.
-ACE!
And Ace ran away in his dorm laughing, followed by a Sabo completely blue.
-Reassure me… Ace has a bounty, right? Harry said, skeptical, looking Luffy pick up Shayna, covered in paint, who was complaining about Ace and Sabo on the carpet.
-Hmhm! But he loves to prank! That's why he is the terror of the Moby Dick with Thatch and Haruta, two other commanders. With the three of them, they make pranks to render the twins jealous!
Hermione shook her head with a little smile and washed the poor snake who hissed something to her.
-She will be eternally grateful, Harry translated.
-Oh, well, if she doesn't attack Crookshank, I don't see any problem to be her friend! Smiled Hermione.
- So long as you don't touch the mini-tiger that is her cat, she agrees to be your friend. Her name is Hermione, Harry translated.
The snake tilted her head on one side, repeating softly the name, before holding the tip of her tail toward the miss, still in Luffy's hands.
-Friend, then! No problem with the cat! I hate them since this damn panther took fire when I thought she could be my lunch!
Hermione took the tip of the tail in her hand like she was holding a hand, and Harry turned toward Luffy.
-She tried to eat Ace?
-Oh, yes, before you came this summer! Ace had an attack in his animagus form and he woke up with his head in her mouth. He didn't like it! Ahahahaha!
-Hopeless… Sanji noted.
-How right you are, ero-cook… Zoro grumbled.