Chapter 2: Who sow the wind

Harry felt a hand shake him to wake him up. He groaned "Five more min Ron…" and turned around, ready to go back to sleep. His blanket was torn from him, and he protested, still half asleep. Raising his head to glare at the one who had deprived him of his heat source (most likely Dean or Seamus), he was instantly awake when he saw that it was actually Sephiroth. Who seemed really amused this time.

And everything came back to him. The sheet of paper in Hermione's hand, the descent into the Chamber of Secrets, Esmeralda, Sephiroth, his awakening followed by their discussion, and the confrontation with Riddle/Voldemort.

"Get up Harry. I already let you sleep later than expected, you really looked exhausted. But the Bloody Baron has already come to say it was breakfast time. And the students have already begun to be released from their common rooms, according to him."

Harry groaned as he heard that. It promised to be chaotic, then. He had disappeared since midday the day before, and if all the students had been sent to their common rooms, it was impossible to conceal his disappearance or that of Ginny. With the alarm that had apparently echoed the day before, impossible to miss their disappearances.

"Ginny!" He exclaimed, jumping out of bed.

The girl was sitting on her own bed, curled up on herself, tears clearly running down her cheeks. Obviously, the events of the day before still weighed on her. Sephiroth put his hand on his shoulder, making him raise his head.

"Get dressed first. We'll have to go down, and I doubt you want to expose yourself in pajamas," he added with amusement.

Harry looked down at his current outfit, and nodded, blushing. He went up on the bed, pulling the draperies for a little privacy. His uniform and his robe had been cleansed by the school house elves, and he put them on with relief. He wouldn't have liked to have to put back on a dirty uniform. Once dressed, he came out and noticed that the third bed had apparently not been used. Surprised, he looked at Sephiroth.

"You didn't sleep last night?" He asked shyly.

Sephiroth laughed softly.

"Harry, I slept for more than ten thousand years minimum. And I promised you I'd watch over you two, right? A night of missed sleep will not cause me any problems. In the worst case, I can go up to a week without sleep, if the circumstances require it. It's rare, but it has happened to me before."

Harry looked at him with big eyes. Hearing this, he almost felt that Sephiroth was not human. And yet, he was the first adult to seem to really care about his well-being. But above all, his story had shown him that he was ultimately an almost normal man. And, at one point, like any normal human being, he had snapped. More violently than the average, certainly, but it was inevitable given what he had lived. Harry was even surprised that he had held on so long.

He then walked over to Ginny, and put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She jumped violently, visibly surprised, and looked up terrifiedly at Harry. Seeing it was only him, she partially calmed down, but burst into tears.

"I'm sorry Harry!" She sobbed. "I didn't want to do all this! But I couldn't stop! Harry... Oh, Harry, I tried to tell you... the other day... but I... I couldn't talk in front of Percy. It was me, Harry... but I swear... I didn't want to do that... It's Riddle who forced me to... He imposed himself with his power and... How did you kill… Where is Riddle? The last thing I remember is when he came out of... his diary... And... who is it?" She asked, clearly speaking of Sephiroth. "He... he look like the character of the Meteor Legend... but... he…"

"Ginny calm down," Harry tried to calm her, uncomfortable. "I know it was not your fault. Riddle is gone now, Sephiroth took care of him. We are in one of the castle room, we slept there. Sephiroth watched over us during the night."

Ginny looked up, tears still running down her cheeks, disconcerted.

"Sephiroth?"

"Sephiroth Valentine to be precise," the latter presented himself.

Harry looked at him in surprise, it was the first time he had heard him use a last name. Sephiroth shot him a look that clearly said "later," and Harry did not insist. He turned to Ginny again, and gave her the best explanation he could invent in such a short time.

"He's going to be my bodyguard for now. With everything that happens to me in my life, I really need it," he added dejectedly.

In addition, it was largely the truth. Slightly distorted, but the truth. After all, Sephiroth said he woke up hearing his plea. He didn't even know why he said that, but that was what the warrior wanted to hear from his crystal. Ginny nodded slightly, before adding timidly.

"What do we do now?"

"We're going down to the Great Hall for breakfast," Harry said. "I don't really want to be stared at by the whole school," he grumbled, " But we can't stay hidden forever. And your brothers must be worry."

Ginny turned pale when she heard that, but she nodded and got out of bed, putting on her shoes. Her clothes had obviously been exchanged during the night, probably by a House Elf, so they were clean, though a bit wrinkled, as she had slept in it. There must have been a millennium of grime in that pipe when they traveled in it on the way down.

As he walked out of the Room of Requirement, Harry looked around himself, completely lost. It was the first time he had come to this area of the castle, so he was lost. He looked up at Sephiroth, hoping he would at least remember the way to the girls' bathroom. Once there, he could find the way to the Great Hall.

"Follow me," gently ordered the silverette, choosing a direction with confidence.

Harry was surprised to see the path they had traveled the day before. He did not remember that it was so far! After a while, they arrived at Myrtle's bathroom, and Harry took a few seconds to orient himself.

"That way", he said, starting to walk, the two others following him obediently.

Ginny was almost glued to him, visibly fearing Sephiroth, who was just looking around, seeming to memorize the path. Finally, they arrived at the doors of the Great Hall, and Harry took a deep breath. He hated his fame. Everyone was going to looked at him again, and the fact that he was coming back with Ginny was going to blow his reputation through the roof. While it was Sephiroth who did almost everything!

He reluctantly pushed the doors open, and he could hear the sound of gossip on the other side. Which died when he entered with Sephiroth and Ginny, before changing into panic screams among part of the student population. Mainly on the side of older students, and probably a majority of Pureblood. Even the teachers seemed frightened, and Dumbledore was the first to act, skirting the teachers' table to get close to them, wand out and ready to act.

His first spell, however, simply produced a sound of explosion, like cannon fire, bringing silence. He then shifted his wand to Sephiroth, who calmly stood motionless, arms crossed over his chest, one eyebrow raised. Harry moved quietly to get behind the warrior, his Headmaster scared him. There was no trace of the grandfather a little eccentric in Dumbledore's attitude, even his eyes did not twinkle as they usually did. Harry understood better why he was the only wizard Voldemort ever feared, he was terrifying like that.

"Who are you?" Dumbledore asked, completely serious for once.

"Sephiroth Valentine," was the calm answer. "And yourself?"

The old wizard blinked, a little surprised by the calmness of his interlocutor, and the fact that he doesn't seem to recognize him. It was the first time that this had happened.

"Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts," he answered, still on his guard. "What are you doing here?"

"Bless you," said Sephiroth, sarcastically. "Well, I was hired by Harry Potter here as a bodyguard. And from what I've learned, he needs it."

"Potter, what crap did you do again?" snarled Snape while approaching, frowning in all his dark glory.

Harry did not have time to say anything, Sephiroth had interposed himself between him and the "dungeons bat", as the students called him. He grabbed his shoulder, making the Potions master wince under the force of his grip. Snape felt a shiver run down his back, realizing that his interlocutor was holding back. And if he was right... then he was probably able to tear off his arm without much effort. He glared at him, ready to swear at him in the most contemptuous way possible, but his voice died in his throat, crossing the feline eyes that faced him.

The look was cold and hard, and he felt a chill of dread running through his back, realizing that Sephiroth could certainly kill him without hesitation if he pushed things. He tried to use Legilimency to find out what his opponent had in mind... but he came up against a barrier stronger than anything he had ever encountered. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, then leaned over and whispered in the professor's ear.

"If I were you, I would stop doing that right now. I'll leave you alone for this time, but next time I'm not going to be that... forgiving."

He straightened up and let go, Snape recoiling immediately, massaging his shoulder. He was certainly going to have to take out the bruises balm, and he would not be surprised to find a Sephiroth's hand-shape mark. The Potions teacher was a lot of things, but an idiot, certainly not. He decided here and now that if he could avoid confrontation with Sephiroth, he would do it. And if that meant leaving Potter alone, so be it.

The students began to whisper in front of the demonstration, especially when Snape moved to get behind Dumbledore, after whispering something in his ear. The old wizard frowned as he heard what the spy was telling him. This... individual was someone dangerous. Much too dangerous. And if he took Harry with him... his plans might fall apart. He could not afford it.

"And why do you look like the legendary Nightmare?"

Sephiroth decided to have a little fun with them, and also to mislead them a bit. If they thought he had nothing to do with the character of his legend, they would be less suspicious. He began to change the color of his hair and eyes, and also played with the length of his hair. The whispers resumed around them, less frightened this time, and he saw redheads approaching by the corner of his eye. No doubt the brothers of Ginny. Twins, a seemingly older brother, and another of the same age as Harry, probably the famous Ron. Ginny seemed reluctant to join them, so he gently pushed her in the back, making her flinch.

He gave her a soft smile as she looked up at him.

"Go on."

She took a few seconds to understand what he was saying, but left running to join her brothers when his words penetrated her brain. They grabbed her, pulling her into a multiple embrace, only Ron hesitating, looking towards Sephiroth and Harry. The warrior turned back his attention to a Dumbledore obviously baffled by his appearance changes. Fortunately, Sephiroth had also learned about some of the wizards' peculiarities, apart from Parselmouth, including metamorphmagus. If they thought he was one, it would give him more time before they realized who he really was. It would inevitably happen, he had no illusions, but at least he would buy some time.

"Let's say that I take his appearance to make the morons run away. If they stop only at my appearance and they do not try to get to know me, then they are not worth the trouble of me taking interested in them."

"I... see," said Dumbledore slowly. "In any case, your... worry is appreciated about Harry, but you don't have to worry. He isn't risking anything."

"And I'm a Chocobo's ass," Sephiroth replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's out of the question for him to go back to those... animals that pretend to be his family. As for what happens in this school…"

Dumbledore frowned, then froze as he went to argue. He had completely forgotten that they were in the middle of the Great Hall, with a good part of the student body watching them. Sephiroth's demonstration seemed to have made them forget who he was (Albus was pretty sure he was the legendary Nightmare, the timing was too close), but if they continued, there would be things that would be revealed, and that he wanted to keep hidden. He was perfectly aware of Harry's treatment at the hands of his uncle and aunt, thanks to the objects he had bound to the child. His treatment was part of his plan, he needed Harry to be weak and manipulable.

"If you do not mind, we'll talk about it later," Dumbledore said, trying to project his eccentric grandfather's persona.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

"I doubt that I'll change my mind. Now, if you do not mind, I suggest stopping this show. Harry had a stressful day yesterday, as did Ginny. I hope that you will organize an examination with a competent healer, given what happened to her this year."

"I'll think about it," Dumbledore replied, without going too far.

If she was ever seen by a healer... information about the Horcrux could be leak by word of mouth. And they might get to Tom's ears, although he's not in England right now. If that was the case, he was likely to move the others he had made (he was almost certain he had made 6, Harry included). And to make them inaccessible.

Sephiroth stared at him intently, feeling his lack of sincerity. He then snorted, suspicious, and turned, placing his hand in Harry's back to guide him to the table where the redheads were sitting around their sister. He could feel Harry shivering under his hand, and above all he could feel his leanness under his uniform, despite being able to eat as much as he needed for 10 month. His desires for murder resurfaced, and he struggled to control them. Yes, keeping him as far away as possible from these... animals was definitely a priority.

They sat next to the redheads, who looked at them briefly out of the corner of their eyes, more concerned about their little sister than him. Ron was the only one to look at him with a frown, apparently not pleased with his presence. But if he wanted to sit next to Harry, his options were limited, the other side being taken by Sephiroth. On the other side of the silverette, the students had pushed away as far as they could, clearly not comfortable with him, despite his demonstration.

He couldn't really blame them. He had always been impressive, and his lack of sociability had not helped. His education had focused solely on war, and all that was going on around it. Interacting with people was considered secondary, and he had to learn that on the job. The missteps had been many, especially before meeting Genesis and Angeal. Understanding what others thought had always been a problem. With Her... he could begin to understand how to interact in a less... harsh way. Use metaphors and euphemisms, and not always tell what was on his mind as it came to him. Coat a few words. Certainly there were times when it was necessary to say what was on his mind, but not always.

He sighed, rubbing his face. He had to stop thinking about that. Maybe observing the children around him would help him. Even if Ron, according to what Harry had said, also lacked manners. He frowned as he looked at the boy. He had as much table manners as a Behemoth, for Minerva's sake!

Annoyed, he leaned over Harry, and banged lightly on Ron's head with his knuckles, causing the boy to freeze.

"What are you, an animal?" Sephiroth questioned without hiding his annoyance. "You have cutlery, use them. And close your mouth when you eat."

Ron stayed frozen a few seconds, a little pale, then swallowed his bite, before making smaller pieces. He continued to eat without pausing, just taking the time to cut off his food. He also kept his mouth shut a bit more, and Sephiroth nodded with satisfaction as he straightened up. Better. Not perfect yet, but better. He noticed the relief in the expression of the children in front of Ron, and wondered why, in the name of the Goddess, his parents had not instilled good table manners in him.

He frowned as he looked at the food in front of him. He was not a fan of fatty foods like that, but a glance at the length of the table showed him that there was nothing more to his liking. Well, given his metabolism, he was not at risk of gaining weight anyway. With an inaudible sigh, he began to eat, keeping an eye on his surroundings out of habit. A good thing, otherwise he would have had an unfortunate reflex when a chestnut missile hit Harry.

He watched with some amusement the reunion between Harry and Hermione (the famous chestnut missile), who tried to stifle Harry in her embrace. However, the boy obviously did not resent her, if he judged by the broad smile he wore. Hermione was one of his only two friends, which caused his heart to pinch by reminding him of his own situation. He chuckled softly as he heard her talking at full speed, wondering if Harry could follow.

It reminded him of that time that someone had found a way to give Genesis a whole mug of espresso. And not even a small one. The latter had been hyper for almost an hour, before fainting in a corner when the effect had stopped. He had recited Loveless at full speed all that time, and only the force of habit had allowed him to understand what he was saying. He suspected Reno for that one. Above all because the red Turk had been the first to circulate the photos of Genesis in compromising position.

Finally, Hermione calmed herself long enough for Harry to summarize his adventures. He did not say much more than to Ginny, but her friend froze and looked at Sephiroth with wide eyes.

Hermione had read about Sephiroth, of course. After all, his legend was even older than Merlin's, and equally famous. Yet she failed to panic at seeing him. Because his eyes did not look like the one described in the stories, full of hatred, malice and madness. No, his gaze on her was calm and impassive, with barely a hint of curiosity. And, strangely, his presence was reassuring. She did not know why, but he made her feel safe. As if she had found something she had missed. Moreover, according to Harry, it was Voldemort who had throw the Basilisk at the students. And Sephiroth had apparently defeated him. So that made him a good person, right?

Finally, the breakfast was over, and most of the students left, some going to their common rooms to finish their homework, others going outside, enjoying the sun. Harry decided to take the opportunity to explore the castle with Sephiroth, just to show him the place. Hopefully, if they get lost, Sephiroth could allow them to find their way back. And like that, he could tell his story to Hermione.

Leaving the Great Hall, he headed to the Gryffindor Common Room, telling Hermione what she had missed during the time she was petrified. He had just reach when he found the page in her hand, when Sephiroth motioned them to stop. He stared at two students a little further away, one of them, older, clearly bullying a younger student, probably a first year. The latter was clearly terrified, and seemed close to tears.

Sephiroth strode forward, Harry and Hermione cautiously remaining behind. He had not talked much about his life as a General to Harry, but he had told him that he had never tolerated harassment. Whenever he had come across such situations, he had always invited the harasser for a "nice" discussion in his office, making him understand that it was in his best interest to not do it again. If he would do so, he would be send away with disgrace from the army, and banned from all the possible lists of engagement. And he had better not be trying to come back with a false name.

Harry recognized one of the students when Sephiroth put his hand on his shoulder, pulling him back and away from the terrified first year. It was a Gryffindor third year, Conac ... no, Cormac MacLaggen. He was absolutely infrequentable, persuaded to be Merlin's Gift to the girls. And he was really arrogant, aggressive, and self-righteous. Harry thought he embodied the worst features of their house. The first year, on the other hand, was a poor Slytherin.

Contrary to popular belief, Harry had nothing in particular against the house of snakes. It was more Ron that did. Harry's problem was summed up in one name, Malfoy. He and his clique had plagued his life from the first day. Otherwise, Harry had little more interest in Slytherin than in the other houses, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

He and Hermione helped the poor completely lost boy, picking up his books and helping him put them back in his bag, while Sephiroth passed a monumental dressing down to a completely bewildered Cormac. The young Slytherin then fled, more than surprised that the Gryffindor Golden Boy had helped a "slimy snake" as Ron called them.

Cormac then took on Harry, clearly furious.

"Potter! Why did your "bodyguard" attacked me like that? We can't even make snakes learn their place now?"

Harry flinched under the volume of his voice, which dangerously reminded him of Dudley, before Sephiroth, even more annoyed, pulled him aside to give him another dressing down. At the end of it, Cormac, pissed, walked away, stomping his feet, visibly furious that someone dare to tell him what to do in school, without being a prefect or teacher. Harry sighed. The story would certainly be out around the school before lunch, if it even took that long.

He looked at Sephiroth, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, as if to restrain a migraine or a deep annoyance. He let out a sigh and looked at the children in front of him.

"Decidedly, humanity does not get better with time. It's a wonder why Minerva took the trouble to equip humans with a brain."

Hermione opened her mouth, ready to fire questions at him, but Harry put a hand on her shoulder to silence her. She glared at him, until he explained.

"Hermione, you can ask as many questions as you want later, I promise. For the moment, there is too much risk that someone hear us."

His friend could only recognize the accuracy of these arguments, which did not prevent her from grabbing Harry's hand to drag him behind her. Sephiroth followed them, laughing softly at Hermione's eagerness to absorb new knowledge. A little scholar at heart, this child. It reminded him a little of Genesis, but less obsessed by Loveless.

They passed quickly in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, who guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the name, but made no comment. They did not come in, mainly because they would be sleeping there tonight, and Harry did not want to be stared at/interrogated by everyone.

Finally, he reached the Astronomy Tower, one of the highest points of the school. Harry pointed to the Forbidden Forest, Black Lake, and some other landmarks to Sephiroth.

The latter shook his head.

"To tell children not to go somewhere is to encourage them to do just that. Even I know that. And it's especially obvious about your first year, Harry. Especially knowing that it was enough for a simple opening spell to unlock the door."

His remark had the dam burst free, and Hermione bombarded him with questions about his story, why he was there, when his legend had happened, and so on. Sephiroth, amused, answered all her questions. Fortunately, she did not ask about his personal life, or rather the lack of privacy he had. He told her everything he had said to Harry, developing a little more what Jenova was in front of her curiosity on this subject, insisting on her dangerousness. A Calamity from the sky that had almost wiped out the Cetras, or Ancients, when it had landed, and ended up provoking their extinction as their own people. He was not sure, but thought the wizards might have been descendants of Cetras who had mixed with normal humans.

He did not hesitate to explain how he had almost destroyed the world under the influence of Jenova. He did not hide his role in the death of the last Cetra aware of her powers. Unfortunately, he could not answer many questions about Cetras. Their story had been lost long before his own birth, and even Aerith, as she had told him, had never known more than the basics. Even Ifalna, her biological mother, knew little more about it. And almost all the other souls of the Cetras had long since been absorbed into the Lifestream, melting into it's very stream.

The magic had evolved a lot since his time too. The Materia had been forgotten, or the knowledge about them had been deliberately lost.

It provoked a new flood of questions about the magic of his time, the Materia, and who was Minerva. He had answered as best he could, explaining that he was not really the best person to talk about Materia.

"Who do we need to ask then?" Hermione asked, sulking slightly at the fact that he could not answer as precisely as she would have liked.

"Genesis was considered to be the Materia expert within Shinra," Sephiroth said softly, his gaze fading into the forest. "If you wanted to know something about Materia, he was the one to ask. But unless he has reincarnated…"

"Do you think he is?" Harry asked softly.

Sephiroth shrugged.

"It all depends on whether Angeal has reincarnated too. Knowing them, since they had already refused to be promoted separately, I doubt that they reincarnated very far from each other. A few months of difference at most. And that if they did not reincarnate as a woman, one or the other," He added, laughing.

"That's possible?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Of course. The Cetras, according to what Aerith told me, thought that no life was superior to the others, and therefore it was quite possible for a person to be reincarnated into an animal, a monster or even a plant. So I do not see why they could not have reincarnated as a woman. By cons, I can completely imagine Genesis insulting the Goddess if his memories come back to him and he is a woman. He may venerate her, but I doubt that he will enjoy being in the body of a woman. He had, let's say, a little reputation as a womanizer before he deserted," he added, becoming melancholic again at the end. "Even though he calmed down afterwards."

Hermione, curious, asked for clarification with a touch of hesitation. She could see that it was a sensitive subject. Sephiroth was not very precise, just talking about the fact that they had been sent to other worlds. He knew the theory of parallel worlds a little, thanks to a young woman, so he explained that he and Angeal had been brought back to life, and that they had another chance in another world, and Genesis had been brought out of his sleep and sent there too.

He did not dwell on what had happened, simply explaining that this world was in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and Hermione shivered at that. The mere mention of zombie terrified her, to the greatest perplexity of her parents. The fashion was just starting to take off, but out of the question for her to be interested. She was too young to look at that anyway, but every time someone talked about it, it terrified her for no reason.

She was surprised to learn that the young woman he was talking about had lost her sight because of a nuclear bomb. A plane had bombed a city a little further. Just far enough that she was not hit by the radiation, but close enough to see the explosion, and lose her sight because of it. They had protected her in their travels, until she was killed in yet another world.

Under the effect of rage and grief, Genesis had used one of his Limit Breaks, a particular attack that people of their time could use when they had taken enough hits, a bit like an episode of accidental magic, which would always have a precise effect. Unfortunately, the Limit Break had a connection with the Lifestream, and their access to Materia had been blocked, so the Limit, called Apocalypse, had caused a violent backlash on his body, which had caused him to vomit blood before dying.

And Angeal was also killed, by a survivor of the squadron who attacked them. Sadly, Sephiroth could have only arrived after the fact, and Angeal, although still alive, was dying. He had survived just long enough to tell him what had happened before he died. He had almost destroyed a good piece of the area under the effect of anger and pain, but the spirit of the young woman had stopped him. She told him they were not worth it. Killing them would not bring him anything except a feeling of emptiness. It would not bring her back to life.

Heartbroken, he had returned to Gaia with their bodies, following Aerith and Zack. He had then asked to be sealed in a Lifestream Crystal, in the hope that one day he would find a reason to live. And he had slept for more than ten thousand years, until he heard Harry begging someone to protect him. He would not repeat what the boy had told him out of respect for him, but one thing was certain, he would not let him go back to those… animals.

Hermione nodded with satisfaction. The little that Harry had told her about his life with the Dursleys painted a pretty dark picture, and the story of Harry's rescue last summer indicated that there was something really wrong in this house. What sadist locked a child in his room like a criminal, with half a dozen locks, and giving him only a bowl of soup a day? Not to mention that they only let him out for 10 minutes a day, morning and evening, to use the bathroom and wash, leaving him locked up the rest of the time. No, there was something wrong in this house. Wondering how Harry could think of it as his home.

She shook her head. Where did that come from? Why did she think of that?

Harry looked at his watch, and sighed that it was already time for lunch. The show never stopped at Hogwarts, and he was often the main attraction. If he could have remained hidden until the end of his schooling, he would have done so. He was tired of being the savior of the wizarding world, or sometimes Voldemort's heir. He was just Harry, damn it! Just a kid of 12 who wanted to be normal!

Maybe now that Sephiroth was there, he could relax a little. With luck, Sephiroth would not mind drawing attention to himself, and people would forget about him. He snorted. He could always dream.

Reluctantly, he took the way leading to the Great Hall. Hermione continued to talk with Sephiroth, but on the subject of the various monsters that were in his day, and he listened distractedly with one ear. Of course, his point of view was that of someone who had to kill them to protect civilians, but some needed some strategy to eliminate them. Certainly, given his power, it was sometimes enough for him to simply dominate them by force, but even he had his limits.

And where his subordinates could sometimes rest (and how he had envied Genesis and Angeal when they were on vacation, even though he never said it out loud), he never had a vacation. He had only worked, and his workload had become even worse with the desertion of Lazard Deusericus, who had been the Director of SOLDIER until he disappeared with Angeal. They had stuck him with the position without asking his opinion, and he had not dared to protest, too well conditioned to obey orders, until he snapped.

"Sometimes," he says softly, "you have to know when to say no, and refuse when it gets too hard. Trust in authority should be done with caution, because power corrupts, and some are willing to do anything to keep it."

"But…" wanted to protest Hermione.

"Hermione, I do not know why you have such blind trust in authority, and I will not ask you, but you should moderate it, or one day it will cause you trouble. I'm not saying it's bad, but some teachers are clearly not worthy of this trust, like Snape. This morning he tried to enter my mind without my permission. He now knows that if he tries again, I will not be content to deny him access."

"He can do that?" Exclaimed Hermione with surprise.

Even Harry looked up as he heard that. Some wizards could read minds? The mere fact that it was possible gave him chills. His mind was the last place nobody touched, and he didn't want to be violated without his permission.

"He can, and, from the rare information that I have, did it illegally. Normally, you need a Ministry authorization for that."

"How can we counter that?" Harry asked with determination.

"Learn Occlumency. On the other hand," warned Sephiroth, "it is a hard discipline to control. I would not be surprised if Hermione had some natural shields, but you still have to train hard to get there."

Harry nodded, determined to learn how to protect his mind from intrusions. Hermione, for her part, was already thinking about the books to get to learn that. She did not remember seeing them in the school library, which was a bit suspicious. Maybe in the Restricted Section? On the other hand, it would take another pass to access it, that is if she knows the title of the book she needed. She was going to have to wait to go home and be able to go to Diagon Alley to find what she was looking for. She let out a grunt of frustration at this thought. She hated having to wait to acquire new knowledge, which could also be useful to her right now.

Sephiroth looked at her with amusement at her grunt of frustration. Yes, a real copy of Genesis, without Loveless's obsession. He sighed. If only his friends could reincarnate... Unfortunately, it was not an exact science. As far as he knew, they were not ready yet to reincarnate.

Arriving in the Great Hall, they were accosted by an incredulous Ron.

"Harry, Cormac did not stop complaining that you would have prevented him from making a Slytherin learn his place. It is true?"

"Ron," Harry said exasperatedly, "Cormac was attacking a first year. I did not see it was a Slytherin before Sephiroth pulled Cormac back. And it was he who gave Cormac a scolding, I didn't do anything."

"But... but... it was a Slytherin!" Stammered Ron.

"I don't give a rat's ass," Harry grumbled. "It was a first year, point. It could have been a Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or even a Gryffindor, I would have intervened anyway. Well, I would have let Sephiroth do it."

Ron looked about to protest until Sephiroth lift him by the collar, snatching a surprise squeak. Whatever he was about to say, the words got stuck in his throat when crossing the warrior's annoyed look.

"Ronald Weasley. Since when should someone's house have an impact on intervening in an aggression or not?" He asked in an icy tone. "I do not care about the houses of those who are attacked, like Harry. If I see a child having problems, I will intervene, that's all. Now, I do not want to hear you on that subject anymore, am I clear?"

Ron just stared at him with wide eyes, his mouth open in amazement. Why did he have a shiver running down his back when he saw him like that? He didn't even knew him! Sephiroth shook him out of his thoughts, by shaking him slightly to get his attention, repeating his question. He nodded his head frantically, not daring to speak, and the warrior put him back down, satisfied.

The scene had caught the attention of everyone, and the last skeptics at the Slytherin table were forced to admit that the first year was right. The rest of the school was perplexed, but for once the rumors were right. Ron rushed to the table, not wanting to be even more humiliated by Sephiroth. He, Harry, and Hermione followed more quietly, and sat next to him, Sephiroth on the other side of his protege, while Hermione sat in front of him.

The meal was lighter than the discussions of the morning, turning more around the lessons. Sephiroth resolved to keep an eye on Lockhart, the incompetent giving him the impression of being an impostor. He'd have to borrow Hermione's books to look at this, but he was under no illusions. This man represented a potential threat to the future, but not because he was good at fighting, rather the opposite. Teaching students to remember his favorite colors or what he supposedly did would not teach them anything useful. He was posing a threat to their education, and he was well placed to know how important it was for the future. Especially with Voldemort continuing to walk free, even though he was currently a specter.

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose, a migraine beginning to form. He had not been awake for 24 hours and he already felt as though as he had returned to his position as General, with the duties of the SOLDIER Director added on top. At least he did not have to deal with the Puppy. His endless enthusiasm and energy was exhausting, though he wouldn't have said no. This time he had only two people to handle, three if he counted Ron, since he doubted Harry would leave him behind.

And at least there were no Turks. He shuddered thinking about it. Once, Tseng had told him that he felt like he was running a giant daycare. Sephiroth had compassion. Sometimes he had the same feeling. It had vaguely calmed down after Genesis's desertion, on his side at least.

After the meal, they went back to the exploration of the castle. Sephiroth had asked if there was a map, but the children had explained that exploring Hogwarts was considered a rite of passage, according to older students. Another thing he did not really want to attend was the Quidditch matches. It was not really his idea of fun, rushing on flying brooms while being attacked by enchanted cannonballs. Hermione shared his opinion, but Harry still had fun playing, despite the fact that one of his matches ended in a stay in the infirmary because of Lockhart.

He resolved to look at the subject of the House Elves. If he could understand why Dobby was still serving his master, maybe he could do something.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Harry, who was pulling on his sleeve to get his attention. He was looking ahead, and Sephiroth realized there was another harassment situation going on. Seriously, it was too much to ask teachers to do their job? Annoyed, he strode toward the children, girls this time. Lifting them in the air, he noticed that one of them was of Asian descent (Wutainesse in his time), while the other, a redhead, was probably of this country. He glared at them.

"It seemed to me that I have been clear at lunch. Maybe you want us to go see your Head of House?"

"It's Professor Flitwick," Hermione said, glaring at the two girls.

"No!" Protested the Asian.

"So leave her in peace," Sephiroth ordered, putting them back down. "I'm willing to let it pass for this time."

The girls hurried away, terrified. Little by little, Hogwarts was realizing that there was now someone who would not tolerate harassment in its hallways. However, habits were hard to break, and it would take time for the message to get into everyone's mind.

His gaze fell on the strangest girl he ever saw. Her long, ashen blond hair was tied behind her back by a pink ribbon, excruciatingly familiar. Her grey eyes had a dreamy expression, her strangeness accentuated by the radish-shaped earrings she wore, and the collar of corks around her neck. She offered him a dreamy smile.

"Thanks for your help."

"It was a pleasure, Miss...?"

"Lovegood, Luna Lovegood," she replied in the same dreamy tone as the rest. "It's nice to see the Swords and their Sheath walking again for the protection of the world."

She then merrily skipped away, while the other three looked at her with varying degrees of bewilderment. Silence reigned for a long time, before Harry summarized the general thought.

"That was weird"

"You'll tell me," Sephiroth murmured, puzzled. "Do you know her Harry?"

"Not at all. All I can say is that they were all in Ravenclaw. Other than that, nothing. And you, Hermione?"

"Same. Do you think she was talking about Genesis and Angeal?" Hermione asked, having a flash of inspiration.

Sephiroth paused on hearing that, and began to think. Strangely, what Hermione said was sound. Did that mean Zack too? In this case... She may have been reincarnated too. The question, in whom? And the others? He held back a laugh as he imagined Zack reincarnated as a dog. Nah, maybe not anyway. But the Puppy reincarnated as a dog, it would be pure gold.

oOo

Far away, in a prison in the middle of the sea, a large emaciated black dog sneezed violently, before changing position to try to get warmer. Provided he does not catch a cold. Nobody would help him. And if he dies... he wouldn't be able to help Harry.

oOo

They then continued on their way, continuing to explore. The rest of the afternoon was uneventful, and they went down to dinner without incident. At the table, they found a Ginny who had got some colors back. The presence of her brothers had obviously done her a lot of good, but when Sephiroth questioned them, he learned that no one had organized an checkup with a healer. He frowned. Okay, maybe their family was poor, and maybe they were reluctant to accept help, but still!

He sighed. Their situation reminded him of Angeal. He himself had been poor, but proud, sometimes too proud to accept help. And let's not talk about Genesis, he thought, snorting. He may have calmed down after their first trip, but he was too proud for his own good, from his point of view. Sephiroth could not really talk, but it was his education the problem. She told them that it was normal to cry or to get help when you could not do everything yourself. And it took a lot more courage than the other way around

He closed his eyes, sorrow and despair threatening to overwhelm him. He pushed them back without mercy, it was not the moment. He was not a hothead like Genesis to the point of suicide when she died, but that did not mean he had not suffered. He wanted to honor her memory.

McGonagall walk to them, pulling him from his thoughts. Apparently, Dumbledore wanted to talk to Harry privately, about what had happened, and how Ginny had been saved. Sephiroth pursed his lips as he heard that. If the old fool imagined he was going to leave Harry out of sight just because he was the school Headmaster, he would stick his finger in his eye to his elbow!

Harry was reassured to see that Sephiroth was getting up to accompany him to Dumbledore's office, even though McGonagall did not look happy.

"Mr. Valentine, the Headmaster wants to talk to Mr. Potter privately."

"Too bad for him," Sephiroth replied, "but it's out of the question that I leave Harry alone with anyone until I'm sure of their intentions, with the exception of Hermione. That includes you, the Headmaster, and just about every teacher here."

The Transfiguration teacher looked a little miffed, but a look at Sephiroth told her that trying to argue was like trying to get past the gargoyle leading to Albus' office without a password. A endeavor doomed to fail. She strode to Albus' office, her back stiffened with annoyance.

Sephiroth massaged his temples, following the movement. Back when he left the Chamber of Secrets, he had to shut down his ability to see magic, otherwise he couldn't work. The school was so saturated with pure magic and spells that allowed it to function that the migraine had threatened to render him inoperative. Fortunately, he did not need a lot of time to do that.

During the day, he had done tests to see how long he could hold. Verdict: five minutes max. And again, hardly. At the end of the five minutes, he already had a ragged headache, which had thankfully dissipated fairly quickly. This ability would therefore be used sparingly, if necessary as in a fight or that kind of thing. But by activating it now, he could see spells on McGonagall. Impossible to say exactly which, he hadn't had enough time. However, something told him that it was compulsions, from the little he could see.

Something told him that he would quickly hate the Headmaster, especially if he persisted in wanting to send Harry back to his torturers. It reminded him too much Shinra Sr, mixed with Hojo on the side (less sadistic). But he clearly did not have Harry's well-being in mind. If he has, then he was a Chocobo.

They finally arrived in front of the gargoyle, and he raised an eyebrow at the password. He may be addicted to sugar, but this treat just did not make him want to try. Frankly, who would want to eat a candy called COCKROACH? He shivered in disgust, before looking up at the stairs moving alone with interest. It reminded him of the one they had used to leave the Chamber, except that this one was spiraling up.

Minerva knocked on the door before opening it, motioning for Harry and Sephiroth to enter. Albus raised his head as he heard them, before frowning at the sight of the warrior, the twinkle of his eyes diminishing. He had hoped to talk to Harry privately, and perhaps use some compulsions to convince him to leave his bodyguard behind. Obviously, this plan was already useless. However, he had taken advantage of the fact that they had explored the castle in the day to place some Portkeys on Harry's belongings, mostly his Muggle clothings. He had cautiously programmed them to activate on the morning of the return day by the Hogwarts Express, but before the departure.

This way, if he managed to keep Sephiroth in his office long enough, Harry would be whisked away to his uncle and aunt without him being able to do anything, and even if the silver-haired man knew how to Apparate, he had never been to Privet Drive. So he could not go quickly. If he could find the place. And the house where Harry lived in the summer was so full of spells that he would have a hard time accessing them.

Snape frowned as he saw the warrior enter. Fabulous. He had just made the decision to avoid him that he was already confronted with him. Too bad, Albus insisted he be here, not for him to do anything. He cared about his life. He shuddered when Sephiroth met his eyes, feline eyes of an acid green meeting his own black as ink. No, trying to stand up to him was doomed to failure. And he was not suicidal.

"Mr. Valentine," Albus sighed in the tone of a disappointed grandfather, "It seemed to me that I had said I wanted to talk to Harry in private."

"And as I said to Professor McGonagall," Sephiroth retorted dryly, "It's out of the question for me to leave Harry alone with anyone until I'm sure of their intentions. It includes you, and even more, Snape. You want to talk to Harry? This will be in my presence, and that's final."

Albus sighed, continuing to project his innocent old grandfather's personality. Inwardly, however, he was fuming with anger, and only his mastery of Occlumency permitted him to continue. His plans were all falling apart one after the other because of this individual.

He tried to question Harry on the diary, but without success. The shock he felt when he heard that it was Sephiroth who had destroyed the Horcrux left him speechless for a moment. How? Normally, there were only two ways of destroying these things: Fiendfyre, and, as Salazar Basilisk Slytherin herself had said, the venom of the mythical snake. He did not want to believe that Salazar Slytherin was not a Dark Lord like Esmeralda (the Basilisk's name) had said. It had to be something to lower Harry's guard.

Yet... if it were true, the attacks should not resume. And he had already interviewed Ginny, but the fact that she fainted when she saw the giant snake had not allowed her to get much information. She had, however, confirmed the part according to which the diary had been destroyed, since she had survived. If it had not been the case, she would have died.

Harry couldn't tell him anything about how Sephiroth had destroyed the Horcrux, partly because he did not see what he had done. And the silver-haired warrior refused to say how he'd done it.

Sephiroth was far from stupid. Had he been in full possession of his faculties during the fight against AVALANCHE, things would have ended very differently. Reveal one of his assets to someone who was likely to be an enemy? No way. He had not become a General by being educated to be an idiot. Nor to lose his temper. But by Minerva, the Headmaster was gently getting on his last nerve. He had learned to control his emotions and not get angry, but how much did he want to get pissed at the old wizard.

Dumbledore refused to give up, he was worse than a Nibel Wolf with a bone. In the end, Sephiroth cut across him, annoyed.

"Listen, I do NOT intend to tell you how I did it. So stop insisting. And unless you give me an EXCELLENT reason for him to go back to these… animals, and even then, he will NEVER go back there. We will only go if he wants to retrieve belongings of sentimental value, and that's it."

Albus pursed his lips. He did not want to reveal immediately why he was forcing Harry to return to Privet Drive, and if he could avoid talking about the Blood Wards (he was sure that Sephiroth would see the flaws in this reasoning immediately), he preferred to do it. Knowing that Sephiroth had been a General, he probably did not reach that rank by being stupid, far from it. And tactical reasoning being important, he was sure that the warrior could unveil all his machinations without major trouble.

So when Sephiroth got up and gently pushed Harry to follow him, he did not try to hold them back. The boy had avoided his gaze throughout the interview, and Albus wondered if Sephiroth had told him about the basics of Legilimency. He had not tried to get into the silverette's mind, taking into account Severus' warnings, so he was missing information.

The latter had studied the situation carefully. It was not because he did not intervene that he remained inactive. And from what he could observe, the relationship between the two, although still in its infancy, was clearly of the protector/protected type, or perhaps big brother/little brother. In any case, Sephiroth was clearly determined to protect the Potter offspring. He shuddered as he imagined the Dark Lord trying to pick on Potter. He had no trouble visualizing the blood and limbs flying if he could raise his hand on the brat. He resolved to Apparate as soon as possible if the situation ever occurred. Surviving the Dark Lord's anger was possible, especially knowing he was the only Potions Master in the organization. Survive the Nightmare's rage? No. In any case he did not see any way. If not saving the brat.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth was coming down with Harry, heading for the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry was tired of all the walking he had done today, and he was anxiously waiting for the moment to go to bed. They had just turned a corner, when they fell on the last person that Harry would have thought to see here, Malfoy Sr. The latter was advancing with the arrogance of those who thought they were allowed all, and Dobby was following him in a hurry, his body wrapped in bandages, his face ravaged by abject terror.

Harry froze, shocked. What was he doing there? A light bulb went off in Sephiroth's mind, connecting different events. Dobby coming to warn Harry of great danger (accidentally putting him in even more danger), the House Elf's attempts to force Harry out of school, the "battle" in Flourish and Blotts between Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley, where Lucius had to slip the diary into Ginny's books. Dobby had gone against the link that bound him to this... individual, to try to save Harry.

His eyes narrowed. Lucius Malfoy reminded him horribly of Shinra Sr. The same tendency to strut and throw his money around (according to Harry), and especially, the same contempt for the lives of others. What was he doing here?

His eyes fell on Dobby, who pointed to Malfoy, before slapping his head. Apparently he was trying to get him a message, but he already knew it. His attention was again drawn to the wizard, who offered him a smile as false as that of Scarlet.

"So, you are the famous Sephiroth Valentine."

"And you are Lucius Malfoy," replied Sephiroth flatly. "What do you want?"

His dry tone clearly indicated that he did not appreciate his interlocutor, and a flash of anger passed in his eyes. He controlled himself, however, and Sephiroth was slightly impressed by that. At least he was smarter than his son.

"I heard about you. As far as I heard, you are not an ally of this old crazy muggle lover, are you?"

"And what makes you think that I might want to associate myself with criminals and murderers of your kind?" scoffed Sephiroth, looking at him coldly. "You, who bribe people with money tainted with innocent blood? Just because they are different?"

Malfoy Sr. could not hold back the flash of anger in his expression this time, but quickly regained control.

"You are probably referring to these rumors that I would have been a Death Eater? Come on, these are just rumors. Everyone knows that I was under the Imperius curse. I have never been sentenced for that. I am a respected member of this community."

"But of course," replied Sephiroth, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "And my ass is what, a Chocobo's?"

Harry looked up to look at him, surprised. It was the second time he heard him being rude, whereas usually he was always polite and used more sustained language than anything else. He wondered if it was a sign that Sephiroth was getting angry, but he was not really rude to the Headmaster earlier.

His gaze went back to Dobby, who was still pointing at Lucius, before banging his head, and repeating these actions in a loop. Suddenly Harry understood. He nodded to Dobby and he pulled back in a corner, wringing his ears to punish himself for what he had done.

"You do not know how Ginny came into this diary, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Harry.

Lucius Malfoy turned to him.

"Why should I know how this little fool went about finding this diary?" he said.

"Because you gave it to her," Harry replied. "It happened at Flourish and Blotts. You took her old book on Transfiguration and you slipped the diary in it, isn't it?"

He saw Mr Malfoy clench his fists.

"You would have to proved it," he hissed.

Sephiroth offered him a shark-like smile, full of teeth and malice, and Lucius took a step back, a long, cold shiver running down his spine. Sephiroth was just terrifying like that, and he wondered if he wasn't really the legendary Nightmare.

"Oh, no one will be able to," he said, giving him a disturbing smile. "It's impossible, now that I've erased Riddle from the diary. But on the other hand, Lucius, I advise you to no longer distribute Lord Voldemort's old school supplies. Because if some of them fell back into innocent hands again, I think Arthur Weasley would do anything to prove that they belonged to you... And I'd be happy to help him," Sephiroth purred in a dangerous tone.

Lucius Malfoy stood motionless for a moment, and Harry could clearly see his hand twitching, as if itching to pull out his wand. But eventually, he turned to his house elf.

"We're leaving, Dobby!"

Sephiroth's hand sprang like a snake, closing on the filthy pillowcase the Elf wore, tearing a terrified squeal from him, when he passed by. Dobby was shaking with terror under his hand, but he ignored it. His eyes shone lightly, making him even more disturbing, and he distractedly admired the elf's courage, which managed not to piss himself. However, his focus was entirely on the bond between Dobby and Lucius Malfoy, who looked at him in disbelief, not understanding what he was doing.

Finally, he understood how the link worked, and, with his other hand, pinched the thread of magic that supported the bond, severing it. Dobby's eyes widened in an almost impossible anatomical way, before he gently put him back on the floor.

Lucius glared at him before turning away.

"Come on, Dobby. I said come!" He barked when the latter did not seem to hear him.

Dobby, too busy examining his hands, does not react. Finally, he looked up at Sephiroth.

"Mister Nightmare… has freed Dobby?" He asked in a tone halfway between wonder and terror.

Lucius froze, before displaying a scornful expression.

"Ridiculous. The only way to free an Elf is to give him cloths. Everyone knows it. And since I did not do that…"

Sephiroth laughs softly, turning to him.

"As everyone knows you aren't a Death Eater? You do not know anything about magic. You forgot that there are certain rules that shouldn't be broken. You have abused your house elf, thereby damaging one of the terms of the Covenant that unites the Elves and Humans."

"Really?" Lucius hissed. "And which one is it you think?"

"Protect the Elf. By abusing him, you have sufficiently damaged the link so that I could cut it easily. If you had not done it... if you had respected your part of the contract... I would not have been able to break it for him. Even if Harry could have managed to free him, by tricking you to give him a garment."

Lucius Malfoy froze, staring at the elf, then at him, and back at Dobby. For a moment, Sephiroth thought he was going to rush at him. He was waiting impatiently for that. Humiliating this… individual would have been a pleasure, since, from what he had understood, once deprived of their wands, wizards were useless. He took a mental note to teach Harry how to wield a sword. It could always serve him.

Finally, Lucius Malfoy gave him a look of pure hatred, before turning on his heels in a whirlwind of expensive cloak. Sephiroth relaxed, letting the spell that he had quietly prepared in his right hand dissipate. He had always liked to cast spells with that hand, because it allowed him to use his left hand to wield Masamune. With a sigh, he cut off his ability to see magic... but not before seeing Dobby recreate his bond, with Harry this time.

He rolled his eyes, praying Minerva to make his life easier. At least, if Dobby were bound to Harry, he might not take such… drastic measures to save him. At least, he hoped. He noticed that Dobby was watching him with a mixture of respect and fear, and he sighed.

"Dobby," Sephiroth said softly, making him flinch. "I have nothing against you wanting to protect Harry, but in the future, if you think he's in danger, come see me first, okay? I'm here to protect him now."

Dobby frantically nodded, looking barely relieved. Harry, on the other hand, looked much more relieved than the elf, and he prayed earnestly for Dobby to obey that. He suddenly thought of something.

"I still have a question for you, Dobby," Harry said, the elf bringing his attention back to him. "You told me that this whole story had nothing to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, remember? So…"

"It was a clue, sir," said Dobby, as if it were obvious. "Dobby gave yous a clue. The name of the Dark Lord could be freely pronounced before the name changed. Yous understand?"

"That's right," said Harry in a weak voice. "Well, I have to go now. The day has been long, and I still have stuff to do…"

Dobby nodded with much more enthusiasm, and disappeared in a last bang. Harry heaved a sigh of relief. Sephiroth could understand it. Dobby's devotion to Harry was remarkable, although exaggerated. He could also understand that Dobby prefers to serve Harry than someone like Lucius. Speaking of that... Sephiroth thought back to what the Bloody Baron had said to Harry.

"Harry…"

The boy looked at him curiously.

"Yes, Sephiroth?"

"I think you should ask Hogwarts to reactivate the Code of Conduct," said the silverette thoughtfully. "In my opinion, this should help to calm the bullies who seem to reign in the school. If they realize that their behavior is the reason why their house loses points... maybe they will calm down?"

Harry blinked, surprised, and pondered what Sephiroth said. Indeed, he was not wrong. But, would that be enough with Malfoy? Looking around and seeing no one, he decided to try it.

"Hogwarts, could you reactivate the Code of Conduct please?" He asked, trying not to feel ridiculous when addressing empty air.

Even knowing that the school had developed a form of consciousness, he could not help feeling ridiculous enough by saying that without addressing someone. To his amazement, a bell rang somewhere in the school. The slightly crystalline sound echoed briefly, and a portrait not far away burst out laughing.

"Ah, that's nice to hear! It's been so long since I could duck points from those idiots Slytherins! Frankly, their behavior has deserves slaps for a good century, minimum! I am ashamed of what my old house has become! Thank you, my boy!"

Still cackling, the portrait went to the side of his frame, and disappeared, going in another painting. Harry watched him slip from portrait to portrait, a feeling of worry running through him briefly. Well, too late to regret what he did. He looked towards another portrait, who was rubbing her hands with glee. He asked shyly.

"The Headmaster isn't going to know that it was me who did this at least?"

The portrait, a plump woman with ashen blond hair, looked at him with a touch of surprise, before offering him a warm smile.

"Don't worry, honey, if you do not want to be talked about (Harry nodded furiously), then none of the painting will tell the Headmaster anything. The loyalty of paintings goes primarily to the school, then to the heirs of the Founders, and only then to the Headmaster in place. I guess you do not want him to be replaced?"

Harry shook his head.

"As long as Riddle is walking free," he said grimly, "it's better he stays. Once he's no longer a threat…"

The woman nodded with a blood thirsty smile, which made Harry shudder.

"Very well, my dear. Hogwarts will tolerate him until this little upstart Riddle has kicked the bucket. After that…" she cackled. "Do you also want the school to scatter the Board of Governors? Given that they were not part of Hogwarts' creation, she doesn't recognize them as valid."

Harry hesitated a moment, then looked at Sephiroth, hoping his elder would have an idea. The Ex-General rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, then looked at his puppy.

"I think that for the moment anyway, it would be better not to touch it. It would be too risky for them to catch on. On the other hand, I would recommend that Malfoy Sr. be sent away. It may calm his offspring."

Harry nodded, and looked at the portrait of the woman, who was laughing sadistically.

"Oh yes, that would calm him down! I also believe that this silly little snake will dig the biggest hole in which his house will end. Frankly, he does not have one-tenth of his father's intelligence and cunning, not to mention his charisma. He relies solely on his name and his family's money. He has ambition, of course, but that's all. And what an idea to offer ONLY Nimbus 2001 to the Slytherin team. These are brooms designed for speed! They are perfect for the Seekers, but not for the other posts," she sighed shaking her head. "And let's not talk about brooms used for beginners," she added exasperatedly. "I don't know by what miracle there has not been a fatal accident yet!"

Sephiroth nodded as he heard that. He would have to see that with Harry in the future. For now, he decided, seeing him yawn, it was time for him to go to sleep. Gently, he caught the boy's attention and guided him to the Common Room. He had noticed that Harry flinched every time he touched him or someone raised his voice, and he was well aware that these were consequences of what the Dursleys had done to him. Oh yes, if he ever fell on them, he doubted to be able to restrain himself from massacring them.

Arriving in Gryffindor's tower, he looked for Hermione. Seeing her in a corner, her books spread around her, he walked in her direction, Harry following him obediently like a little puppy. And now he was in Angeal's place. At least Harry was not as hyperactive as Zack.

Drawing Hermione's attention this time, he asked her if he could borrow Lockhart's books. The latter, visibly surprised, accepted, and went back to her dormitory to go and get them. He thanked her, assuring her that he would return them the next morning. Sephiroth sat down at a table, Harry next to him, and borrowed quill and ink from the boy while he sat down to do his homework.

Neither was disturbed for the rest of the evening, and Sephiroth helped Harry store his belongings before going back to the dormitory, the books in one hand and his notes in the other. Just when Harry was wondering where Sephiroth was going to sleep, opening the dormitory door, he saw that an extra bed had been added to the dormitory... and was it him, or had the room widened slightly?

He blinked, tired, then shrugged, deciding not to ask questions. He prepared for the night as usual, and slipped under the covers, pulling the draperies. Like Dean and Seamus, after realizing that Ron and Neville snored like lumberjacks, he had sought a spell of silence, to place on the curtains. Too tired by his weekend, he forgot to tell Sephiroth, falling asleep like a rock.

The latter had settled against the head of his new bed, his notes beside him, and he continued to read the books, stopping from time to time to write. So far, he had already found two occurrences where he would have been to two different places at the same time. And too far apart for him to reach them by Apparating, even by making several stops. That, plus the so-called spell that would return human form to a werewolf... and he was a Chocobo in that case.

After a while, he finally noticed the snoring sounds of Ron and Neville. A bit bothered, he raised his right hand without interrupting his reading, and threw a Silence in their directions. The silence returned, he continued as if nothing had happened. He continued to work all night, alternating between the different books. Yes, clearly, between what Harry had told him and what he could read, Lockhart was an incompetent moron. He began to seriously suspect that other people had done these feats, and that Lockhart had appropriated them.

It was around dawn that he finished, and he laid his conclusions on his knees, leaning against the wood, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was even worse than he had feared. Moreover, if no one had come to attack him on trial (or the equivalent), it meant that he had probably erased the memories of the real perpetrators of these acts. His dangerousness was lower than he thought, in terms of combat anyway, but about education... it was even worse than he thought.

With a sigh, he took his notes and read his conclusions carefully. He nodded when he finished. If with that, it didn't push the students to get rid of this incompetent... It only remained for him to hope that Hogwarts would help him. Raising his head, he gently called the only school elf whose name he knew.

"Tippy, can you come? I will not hurt you. I need you to do something for me."

After a few minutes, when he thought he would have to fend for himself or ask Harry to call Dobby, a *pop* sounded softly, Tippy appearing on his bed. The elf was shaking like a leaf, but he still came. Sephiroth offered him a reassuring smile, which seemed to calm him very lightly.

"What can Tippy do for Mister Nightmare?" Asked the elf bravely.

"Could you copy this and post it in all the common rooms, please?" Sephiroth asked softly, speaking in a low voice to avoid waking the children around him. "I would also like to know if Hogwarts can make sure that nobody can take them out or damage them."

Tippy blinked, surprised, and took the pages hesitantly, looking at them. He then looked at Sephiroth, visibly perplexed.

"Why does Mister Nightmare do that?"

"Because he's a threat to the children's future," Sephiroth said softly, his eyes glowing in the darkness of the dormitory as a result of his contained anger. "If he continues like this, he may pose a threat to Harry in particular. With Voldemort walking free, if he doesn't know how to fight…"

Tippy nodded.

"Hogwarts will help. Master Harry is the only Heir now. The others do not know."

"Does Hogwarts know who it is?"

"No, Mister Nightmare. Hogwarts does not know that there is an Heir unless the Heir comes to school. Master Harry is the only one at the moment. Will Mister Nightmare protect them if they come to school?"

Sephiroth nodded.

"The management of the school causes me serious concern, honestly. I do not know what the Headmaster is playing at, but I don't think he has the safety of children in mind or even their education. In any case... can you do that quickly?"

Tippy nodded.

"Tippy will have it ready before the students get up. Tippy... wants to thank Mister Nightmare for protecting Master Harry."

Sephiroth shook his head with a slight amusement.

"If I woke up, Tippy, it's because Harry begged someone to protect him. If his enemies want to lay a hand on him, they will have to get over my dead body first."

The elf left with a relieved air, and Sephiroth sighed. Massaging his forehead, he leaned thoughtfully against the head of the bed. It was too late (or too early, depending on the point of view) to try to sleep a bit. Finally, now that he knew Harry was pretty safe, he could sleep the next night. He kept thinking about what he would do in the near future until it was time for the children to get up.

To be continued…

*evil cackles*

Yes, they sow the wind, and now, they're going to reap the hurricane!