This chapter is a little longer than the rest, so I hope you enjoy! Also, are a lot of you going back to read Chance Untamed? Because that is still getting an INSANE amount of views. it's almost at 19,000 views in total and that's more than I had ever dreamed of. So thank you to all who have contributed, whether in large ways or small ways, it really means a lot!
~Silverleone
After getting our schedules sorted out, we sat in the Hall, waiting for Harry to get there. I was fiddling with my wand while reading a spell book for beginners. The Headmaster had given us permission to get the curriculum for the first half of the year, since it was already Spring. We were going to be with the first years and see how well we could catch up. I myself was intrigued by all of this, and so I wanted to read as much as possible. Akumu, on the other hand, couldn't care less and was laying on the bench across from me, meditating. I read over a simple levitation charm and raised an eyebrow.
'Wing-guardia...guardium...Leviosa? Interesting.' I sat up, having been lying prone on the bench I was on, and looked around. Seeing nothing, I decided to try and use the book. I set it on the bench and scooted back a little, pointing my wand at it, I followed the wand pattern while doing my best pronunciation.
"Winguardium Leviosa." Nothing happened for a split second, then I felt a rush of energy snap down my arm and into my wand, making it hum. A light appeared from the tip of the wand, and it slowly lifted the book off the bench. I felt my chest tighten and I did my best not to shout in my excitement. "Akumu! Akumu look!"
"What now? Huh?!" She sat up as I lifted my wand slightly, the book following.
"I did it!"
"Rai, that's awesome." I slowly lowered the book back down to the bench and felt the rush of energy break. I lowered my wand; I could feel my wand humming, almost like it was proud of me. I raised an eyebrow in thought when the large doors swung open. I quickly sheathed my wand, making it look like I was scratching my neck, when Harry peaked into the room and saw us. He walked over and shook our hands.
"Hello again."
"Yes, hello. Harry right?"
"Right. And it's, Rai and, pardon, I forgot."
"Akumu." She stated shortly. I nudged her when Harry quickly glanced away, not liking the tension.
"Right, Akumu. Can I trust you two?" I waved my hand lazily in the air.
"Depends. Are you pulling a prank? Then probably. Anything else? We need to hear it first." He motioned to the benches, so we sat down. He looked nervous and his line of sight was constantly on the rounds.
'This is more than a simple prank…'
"Alright...Just, please don't tell anyone. Especially not Professor Umbridge." I snorted.
"Please, I could keep a secret from her if it was the key to my worst enemy's house and she hated them." Harry raised an eyebrow but shook it off.
"Good. Because if she found out, she would probably hex me into oblivion." It was my turn to raise an eyebrow.
"Alright, spill. I'm interested." Harry looked around and stepped towards the doors.
"It's better for you to see it for yourselves." Akumu and I glanced at each other before following.
Harry led us down a seemingly random path, and I almost got turned around, but I was able to keep track of it. Soon he stopped at an empty hall and stopped.
"Wait here for a second." He walked down the hall, only to turn around and come back. He looked like he was deep in thought. When he got to us, he turned around without a word or glance, only to repeat the process twice more. He motioned for us to follow him, and we stepped into the middle of the hall. I looked on in shock as a door formed out of the wall itself. Once the door was formed, Harry opened it, stepping inside and waving us through. I stepped through first and looked around. Any chatter that had been going on ceased as soon as I walked in. I pretended to ignore the students and looked around the room.
"Well Harry, I must say, you sure do know how to make an entrance."
"Harry! Why are they here?!" Red Hair stepped up, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.
"Because Ron, we need as much help as we can get."
"Help with what?" I stepped into the conversation. I figured if it was going to be about me, I should be a part of it.
"We are creating an army."
"I get the feeling this isn't the army you play with in the sand box. What's going on Harry?" Hermione stepped forward.
"We need to learn how to defend ourselves. Professor Umbridge isn't doing any practical work. Those of us who need it aren't getting the help we need." I nodded and looked around the room.
"Do you happen to have a punching bag?" Everyone went silent, until Ron spoke up.
"What's that?"
"It's a bag full of sand. You punch and kick it to get stronger." Another student stepped forward. He had dark skin and eyes.
"Why would we need that?" I scoffed at the question.
"You really think that an army can win a fight using only magic?" A few students chorused a 'yes' and I shook my head. "I don't doubt they could. But wouldn't it be nice to defend yourself if you lose your wand?" Silence rang true. "That's what I thought." Harry stepped forward.
"Rai, what are you suggesting?"
"You learn Martial Arts." Another student, this one with a lighter complexion and messy hair stepped forward.
"Martial Arts? You mean? Like ninjas?"
"If you get good enough down the road, maybe."
"Don't we need a dojo?" I was happy to hear that the kid knew what he was talking about. Unlike the other student.
"Yes, that would be appropriate."
"We don't have one, but do you think the room could help?" Harry brightened up.
"Great idea Seamus!" He turned to me, "Rai, since you know what we need, think about it as hard as you can. This room is charmed to help out with that."
"O, kay?" I closed my eyes and imagined a basic dojo. I felt the floor shift slightly under my feet and a few gasps went around the room. I opened my eyes and gasped myself. The dojo I had imagined was sitting around me, with the classic paper walls and wooden beams. Akumu was just as shocked.
"Rai, the room changed."
"...Yeah." One of the students walked over to a rack full of weapons and I swiftly followed, keeping my footsteps quiet. They reached for a weapon when I gently grabbed their wrist. "Not yet." They pulled back.
"I was only going to look. Why not?"
"Because without knowing what it is, you might hurt you or someone else." I looked over at Harry. "You don't mind if I take over this part, do you?"
"Not at all. You know more than me." He seemed to be relieved no to be running the place for once, and gladly took the step down. I clapped my hands and turned to the whole room.
"Alright then. For this training session, I am the master. Now everyone, take off your robes and line up." They all hesitated and Akumu threw a knife at a gong, the handle striking the metal and making it ring.
"You heard him!" The students jumped and hurried to get their robes off. I swung my coat off my shoulders and tossed it to the side. It landed on the shelf lightly, thankfully staying there. I took off my socks and shoes, sighing as I felt the colder wood against my feet. Once they were in a line, I started with the basics.
"Alright, first thing's first. What is the point of Martial Arts?" Most of the students looked confused while Hermione raised her hand.
"It is to give someone the ability to fight with proper form." I nodded.
"General answer, yes. But Martial Arts is more than that. It is a way of life. It is how to breathe to effectively get your muscles the oxygen they need. It is how you think. Critically, with an eye for how to defeat any potential opponent before the fight even starts." I walked along the line, making sure everyone was paying attention.
"Please! I don't need to know how to fight a muggle." I stopped and turned, seeing the same dark skinned boy from earlier.
"Really? Mind demonstrating that for me?" He stepped out of line and pulled out his wand, a smirk on his face. "I will not use magic, and I will disarm you." I stated matter-of-factly.
"Hah! Stupify!" A light shot at me, which I ducked under. My center of gravity was over one leg while spreading the other out to the side. "What?" I cocked an eyebrow.
"Did you really expect me to sit there and take it? I'm not an idiot, even I know that would disable me, why would I let it hit me?" He shot another spell at my crouched form, which I simply frog hopped over. I rolled under the next spell and took two steps before swiftly but gently chopping his wrist, making him drop his wand. His other hand went to his wrist and he looked at me in surprise.
"Ow!" I stepped back and lowered my arms.
"You used three spells, missed all of them, and then took one hit to the back of the wrist to be disarmed." I stepped back to talk to the whole group. "This was a prime example of you witches and wizards getting too comfortable with your wands. From what I can tell, they are extremely powerful and useful, but you have gotten lazy."
"Hey! Don't call me-!"
"I could have dropped you to the floor with one more move after I disarmed you. You might have had no time to react either." I turned back to the group. "Who else would like to try?" There was a small whisper off to the side, and I turned to see Harry and Ron whispering. "Harry?" They both stiffened and looked at me. "You seem like you know what you are doing, since you appear to be running this thing. You want to try?" He hesitated, just long enough for Hermione to step up.
"I will try." I nodded and she stepped up. She raised her wand, ready, and I nodded. "Immobulus!" I rolled to the side, "Petrificus Totalus, Stupify!" I back flipped over the first and dodged around the second. "Confundus, Stupify!" I leapt over both, heading straight for her. She traced my movements well, and took a step back, giving herself more room. I dashed to the side, grateful she wasn't holding back, and killed my momentum with a flip, barely missing a spell. I leapt forward again and landed on my belly, rolling to the side. "Locomotor Mortis!" My legs snapped together, and I couldn't get them apart. One or two of the students cheered Hermione on, but the rest were worried. Out of all the spells she has thrown, only one connected.
'Flip!' I rolled onto my feet and did just that right over a spell, diving under another, using my locked legs for more strength. I popped up right next to Hermione and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from pointing her wand at me.
"Done." We both paused until she nodded. She used a spell to release my legs and I turned to the rest of the students as she rejoined them. They were all in shock. "Do you see now why I wasn't afraid to say anything? Even Hermione, as skilled as a witch as you all say she is, only hit me with one spell. Think this 'muggle stuff' isn't so useful?" Harry stepped forward.
"Where do we start?"
"First thing's first, you need to run." Almost all the students opposed the thoughts vocally.
"WHAT?!" I smirked.
"You think I did all of those flips while sitting on my couch? No. I trained, and I trained hard. You all will need to be able to run for a long time in order to fight like me." I turned to Akumu. "Break into two groups?"
"Hah, like I'm going to help."
"You can run them..." She raised an eyebrow and sighed.
"You know me too well. Alright maggots let's go. Split up." They did so quickly. She pointed to the left group, which had the Golden Trio in it. "You lot are with me. We start with running. Lose the ties and any heels. They won't help you." I turned to my group.
"First thing first, do as she said. Lose the extra stuff that will restrict your movements." The guys basically tore their ties off, while the girls hesitated in removing their shoes. I stepped over to a shelf against the wall, seeing a couple of useful things. "Perfect." I grabbed a sand timer set for 10 minutes and stepped back to the middle of the room. Akumu was leading her group over to the track that was opposite of us, unseen until she opened the wall up. "Alright, let's start with something simple. Meditation. Sit in a semicircle around me please." They all nodded and sat down. I nodded once they were situated. "Meditation is used to calm the mind and body. It allows your natural energy to flow easier by opening pathways that have been blocked due to stress and other aspects of life." I sat down and crossed my legs, setting the timer in front of me.
"Copy my position if you can, if not, find something close that feels comfortable." A few students could fully cross their legs, while others were not too far off. "Good. Place your hands on your knees or in your lap and close your eyes. Focus on your breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. Good. Keep breathing at that pace. Now, focus on the top of your head."
««{{¤}}»»
I smiled as I brought most of them out of the meditation phase. One of the students had fallen asleep, his chin against his chest. One of the other students wanted to shout in his ear, but I stopped him.
"I'll wake him up." I stood up and walked over. I pressed my pointer finger against his dropped forehead and gently pushed his head upright. I help up my right hand. "Wake up." I snapped my fingers and his eyes opened. "Morning. You have a good nap?" He just blushed and stuttered out a sorry. I stood up and helped him to his feet. "Don't worry about it. I fell asleep when I was first starting too." I turned to the rest of the class. "Don't be ashamed if you fall asleep, that just means you aren't getting a full night's rest and your body is taking advantage of your relaxed state." I smirked when I listened in on the other group. "Shall we see how the other group is doing?" A few chuckles went through the group. I walked over and opened the wall, laughing at the situation on the other side. All of the students were on the floor, moaning. Akumu looked peeved and turned the look onto me.
"This is pathetic." I snorted at her comment.
"What'd you do?"
"I made them do the basic runs and push-ups. Honestly, I've never seen anyone run so short of a distance." I smiled, remembering that that's how I was when first starting out. I couldn't even run 1/4 mile without feeling ready to puke.
"Alright, switch off." My group groaned. "Oh knock it off. Soon you'll be able to outrun any wizard in this dimen-country!" I kicked myself mentally for almost dropping that phrase. I took the tired group into the other room and sat them down. Once I got everyone to settle their breathing, I noticed Hermione was still tense. "Relax Hermione, you won't be able to meditate properly if you are fidgety." She opened her eyes.
"It's just, we do have curfew." I pulled out my pocket watch and looked at the time.
"Right. We'll get out of here on time, don't you worry." She nodded and closed her eyes. After a minute she seemed to breathe out the frustration and her body loosened up.
'Good, she's learning.' I slipped into meditation myself, focusing on the energy around me. I could hear the sand in the timer sifting through it. I could feel the heartbeat of each person as electricity zipped through their bodies. I breathed out slowly, finishing at the same time as the timer. I opened my eyes and gave them the instructions to come back to reality.
Harry had us stand at the door and officially greet to everyone as they walked out. Once the last person left, the trio walked us out of the room. The door shrunk until it became a regular sized broom closet. Harry shook our hands, followed by Ron and Hermione.
"Thank you for teaching us, even if I won't be able to move tomorrow." I nodded.
"No problem, I love teaching people who are willing to learn. Also, stretching and a lot of water will help with the soreness." He nodded.
"Got it." Ron stretched his aching arms over his head.
"Blimey, this is what you lot do all day?"
"Not all day, but we spar once or twice if we have time."
"I must admit, I didn't know what being, out of shape was, until today." I smirked at Hermione.
"Believe me, Akumu was going easy on you. She could've started chucking knives." All three of them nearly passed out.
"Bloody hell!"
"What?!"
"That is so dangerous!" I held a finger up and motioned them into one of the halls. I peeked around the corner and saw Umbridge walking along at her quick pace. She was looking around and scrunching her nose at everything. I turned to the others.
"Time to scat cats." Hermione was about to make an objection, but I cut her off, my voice just above a whisper. "It's curfew time." Her eyes widened and the three of them took off quietly. I hooked my arm around Akumu and dragged her back around the corner into Umbridge's line of sight. "Oh! Hello Professor!" She jumped, not expecting us to be there.
"Mr. Taiki. Miss Tanaka. What are you doing out so late?"
"Just a stroll. If we are going to participate in the classes, we should at least know where they are." She smiled.
"Well, I can see why. Hogwarts could use some...renovations..." Almost on que, the large castle creaked as it settled. But it almost sounded like it was protesting. I ran my hand over the rock on the wall.
"I think it gives Hogwarts the true magical vibe. I like it."
"Yes, well. Certain health codes must be met if this is to be a proper school."
"Well, you're not wrong. We don't need the kids getting sick." I lifted my hand from off the wall, almost jumping when I felt a tiny spark of magic. I knew it was different than electricity, because it shot straight to my core instead of continuing down through my feet.
'What was…?'
"Well, I would suggest that you are off to bed. After all, if you are going to be students, you should obey the rules." There was a glint in her eye.
"Agreed. Akumu?" We hooked arms and walked off without another word.
"...I'm going to puke." I grimaced.
"Same. She's too pink." We both shuddered.
««{{Three Weeks Later}}»»
"Come here!"
"Would ya chill out! Ah!"
"Not until I have you pinned! Rah!"
"Yikes! I thought this was sparring, not MMA! Oof!" I hit the ground as Akumu tackled me. She brushed the hair out of her face and smirked.
"Pinned ya." I grunted and threw her off of me, rolling away into a crouch. I jumped to avoid her and took a few quick steps back. She sent a flying kick my way and I rolled back, catching her heel with mine to redirect her past me. She rolled and popped back onto her feet, bouncing lightly. "Bring it Taiki!" I spun to my feet and took a breath. We had been going for almost an hour at the edge of the forest, and she said bag it with techniques after about 45 minutes. I lowered my arms a little.
"Wait up, we got a visitor."
"Huh?" I picked up a rock and turned, chucking it at a tree. There was a solid *thwack* followed by a yelp. A red haired girl stepped out from behind the tree, her face slightly pale.
"Ginny Weasley, if I remember correctly." She was one of the ones in Harry's secret army. Also the younger sister of Ron.
"Yes sir."
"May I ask why you are stalking us? Also, drop the sir." She seemed hesitant, and I gave her a moment to build up the courage.
"I...I wanted to learn how to fight!" I raised an eyebrow.
"Ginny, we are already teaching you." She glared at me.
"You haven't taught me anything! All you've done is run us till our feet fall off and make us sit still for an hour. How is that going to help?!" To be fair, it had been a while since we joined their DA group, and while they were progressing well, most of them hadn't moved on from the first two steps.
"It will make you stronger, faster, and more balanced. Mentally and Physically Once we've accomplished that, then we can move on to actual fighting."
"Why not now?" I sighed.
"Punch me." She pulled back a little, her eyes widening.
"What?"
"Punch me. See if you can land a hit."
"I'm not going to-!" I lazily cut through the air with an arm.
"Do it." I stared her down. She grimaced and stepped forward, throwing a lopsided punch. I leaned, rotating around the fist. Ginny lost her balance and fell onto her knees. I held out my hand and she took it, standing up. "You don't have a lot of balance. Meanwhile..." I spun and reverse kicked at Akumu, who simply blocked the faux attack with a forearm, neither of us blinking at the move. Ginny gasped. "I have done the basics, for years mind you, before I ever learned to properly fight." I said as a slowly lowered my leg. Ginny ducked her head a little, ashamed. I placed my hand on her shoulder. "We're going to keep teaching you all. In your free time, go running. You'll get a leg up on the rest of them." She looked up at me.
"It's not going to be instant, is it?"
"Sadly there isn't magic that can teach you patience and willpower." I said that just to keep her from looking. If there was, I would find out quickly. Dumbledore had given us a free pass to the library to catch up, as we were halfway through the semester anyways. I needed to make sure there wasn't anything these kids to use as drugs to boost their performance. So far all I found was a spell that energized you, but that was a counter to Stupify. I needed to look into potions still but attending Snape's class had been a drag. The most exciting thing happening was a cauldron exploding, nearly taking out its unfortunate user. Other than that, pretty boring class.
"...Fine...any tips for running?" I looked to Akumu, who had been the one watching them. She spoke up without resisting.
"Breathe evenly and loosen up, you're too tense. Also, don't think about running, pay attention to your surroundings. It won't do you any good to be able to run ten miles only get killed in the first three by running off a cliff." Ginny blinked and nodded. I did as well, apricating the fact that Akumu was being helpful.
"I'll try it. Thank you." She started to walk off, but I stopped her.
"Hey Ginny, don't give up. It's worth it to keep trying." She nodded and smiled a little before walking off, a bounce in her step. I watched her go for a while, then turned around, only to get a fist to the face. I hit the ground with a shout. "Akumu! What the-!" I rolled as a foot came down, landing where my head used to be. I scrambled to my feet.
"Too slow Taiki!" She tackled me and we rolled a little before I twisted out of her grip.
"Would ya quit it!" I blocked an arm and barely grazed her cheek with a straight shot. I pulled back and kicked out her knee, making her roll backwards. I turned and booked it for the castle, seeing Ginny almost at the large doors. "Open the door! Open the door!" I heard Akumu break through the brush and sprint after me. Sadly she had more endurance than me, but I had more speed. I sprinted up the hill as Ginny opened the doors, looking kind of worried as I barely made it inside before Akumu tackled me again. We hit the floor rolling and I threw myself away, coughing when I hit the wall behind me. I dropped to the ground, panting. "Alright! I cede!" Akumu got up, smirking wildly.
"I win again."
"I don't know what changed, but I can't seem to win any more."
"I guess because I'm no longer blinded by rage and hatred?"
"I guess." We said goodbye to Ginny again and walked off, ready for some lunch. We walked on down the hall, now used to the stares.
««{{¤}}»»
"Well children, how are your classes going?" Dumbledore asked as we sat down at the table. I leaned forward so I could speak to him face to face.
"It is all very interesting, to say the least. I've learned how to make something float already just through my own studies."
"It sounds like you two are having a good time learning. Minerva, how are they doing in Transfiguration?"
"Quite well Albus. They are both well behaved and listen better than some of my other students." Dumbledore clapped his hands lightly.
"Wonderful." He turned back to us. "I hope you stay long enough to learn as much as possible." I hid a frown at that comment.
"Don't forget Headmaster, we still have no idea how to get home." My blood froze as I felt a presence behind me.
"No idea how to get home? I didn't think it would be so hard to ask for directions?" I whirled around in my seat to see Umbridge behind me.
'Blasted lack of luck!'
"Oh, Professor! I just-." Dumbledore spoke up, a twinkle in his eye.
"These two are not sure exactly what the name of their hometown is, unfortunately. They forgot before I found them."
'Dumbledore you sly-somewhat-senile dog.'
"Yeah. Neither of us can remember the name."
"Well, isn't that...unfortunate."
'Don't pretend to believe us you snake...' I snapped a quick look to Akumu, who had pretty much the same thought.
"I hope that you soon remember soon. We don't want you to be apart from your families for too long..." The emphasis on her second phrase made Akumu tense up, so I snuck a comforting hand onto her's. Even if Umbridge didn't intend to be offensive, it was still a spear right through Akumu's chest.
"We hope so too." I returned her fake smile with an even faker one, and she silently huffed and walked away. I pulled my hand away from Akumu's and sighed, looking at her to have a nonverbal conversation. We knew each other like the back of our hands, so we could pretty much communicate without words.
'Sorry.'
'I will hang her.' I shrugged.
'Just ignore it.'
'Not like I would want to even touch her anyway.'
'Sure.'
"Hey." I raised an eyebrow as she ducked her head, embarrassed to no end that she broke the silence first. One or two of the Professors looked over, thinking she was trying to get their attention. I waved them off and went back to eating. It wasn't important for them to know anyways.
««{{¤}}»»
Later that night, I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk around the halls. I was sly enough that I even confused Mrs. Norris, Mr. Filch's cat, when she tried to catch me in the halls. There was something off about that cat, I didn't feel the urge to reveal myself and coax it over like I normally do.
I ran my hand over the cold stone of the building's inner walls, sighing. I wasn't sure how we were going to get back to our home dimension. Akumu still had no idea how to access her magic, and she had been attempting to at any free chance. I felt a small spark of magic from the wall and raised my eyebrow. I focused on my magical core, something I've identified as separate from my ability to control electricity. My ability rested more in my gut, while my magical core rested more in my chest. I reached out with my magic gently, not sure if my idea would work. I felt something reach out in return and I gasped, pulling my hand off the wall.
'No way...' I slowly touched the stone again, reaching out. I felt a warmth spread up my arm and I resisted pulling away. My eyes clouded over, but I didn't feel in danger. I felt strangely calm, almost like someone's love was filling my heart. I felt a light pierce the darkness and saw a woman standing there. She had brown hair with a white and green dress on. She looked about in her fourties, but the wisdom in her eyes aged her beyond imagination. There was also a pressure in her presence
"You are a strange one." I scoffed in response.
"I can't imagine why. Who are you?"
"I am here." She gestured outwards. I folded my arms, not in the mood for the cryptic garbage.
"'Cause that's helpful." She dropped her brow at that.
"I am the one who you learn from." I paused for a second, then it clicked.
"...Hogwarts...?" A small smile on her face nearly made my lip curl.
'Is she amused by me?'
"Of sorts. I am weaved into the walls and throughout the tapestries. I am in the water and the stone. I am the magic in Hogwarts."
"Okay, and what are you showing yourself to me for?"
"I am...curious about your story. I may contact you soon." The darkness vanished and I found myself back in the hallway I was in, the lady gone. I shook my head to try and clear it.
"Well that was weird..." I continued walking down the hall, deciding to head back to our room. "So...Hogwarts is sentient...Interesting." I was nearly back to our room when I heard a strange rhythmic clicking sound. I ducked into the shadows and waited as they got closer. I slowed my breathing as the steps slowed to a stop, and a low growl echoed through the halls.
'Great, it picked up my scent.' I saw that the small cubby I was in reached up to the ceiling. I placed my back against one wall and my feet against the other, reaching high enough that I didn't have to worry about a dog taking a chunk out of me. I looked down to see a large black dog slowly move through the halls, sniffing the ground. It paused where I had stopped, sniffing before looking around. It started to trace back the way I had come but turned around and moved towards the little cubby. It sniffed at the ground before pausing and looking up, freezing when it saw me. When it realized there was a human staring at it, it backed away, growling.
"Heh. Hey boy, what are you doing wandering the halls?" I lightly dropped to the floor, landing in a crouch. The dog bared its teeth, snarling at me, its stance widening a bit. "Oh come off it. Now, which student do you belong to?" It stopped and tilted its head. "Come on, I see cats, mice and owls all the time. I'm surprised more people don't have dogs." I sat back against the wall. I was used to aggressive dogs, and they were nothing compared to dragons. Dragons were much more dangerous. The dog seemed to settle and tilt its head. "Go on, go back to your owner." Its ears pulled back and it growled. "Don't you sass me." It almost seemed to gawk at my bravery. "What, you think I'm scared of a simple dog? Please I've faced a lot worse than you." It tilted its head the other direction. "What? You think tackling a dragon isn't dangerous?" Its eyes widened and it took a step back. My eyes squinted. "It's not like you can actually understand me...can you?" It did something that I never would have expected. It nodded. "...Okay, that's it. I'm going to bed." I got up and started to walk towards our room, when the dog leapt into my path, stopping me. "Move."
"Arf!"
"I said move." I stepped to the left, but it followed.
"Woof!"
"Dang it dog, move." I moved back to my right, but it followed again.
"Arf!"
"Sit!" I pointed at the ground. Its ears pulled back and a low growl sounded from its throat. We stared each other down before I sighed. "What do you want? Huh? Obviously you're not stupid. So, what is it?" The dog trotted around me and paused a little ways down the hall, almost disappearing into the shadows. I followed, stuffing my hands into my pockets. It turned a few corners, and I almost lost it a few times. I turned another corner, only to have my throat grabbed by a hand and be slammed into a wall. I started to react, when a voice stopped me.
"I wouldn't move, if I were you." I opened my eyes to see a man with dark curly hair. He had a wand pointed right at my throat. I slowly raised my hands, showing them empty. "Now. Who are you?" He kept his voice in a low, fast whisper.
'Fast whisper. Jumpy. Unable to hold still…He's not supposed to be here.'
"I should ask you the same question." He put a little more force into his hand, cutting my air a little. I nearly punched him, but there was no telling how fast he could shoot a spell off.
"I'm asking the questions here! Now, answer me. Who are you?"
"Rai Taiki." I said, my jaw tight.
"What are you doing here at Hogwarts?"
"Learning magic?" Wrong answer. His hand tightened a little more and he gave me a warning look. "Alright, alright, my sister and I are trying to get home. Only we don't know where it's at."
"...What is the purpose of befriending Harry Potter?"
"Because I'm more likely to find my home if I have more connections." Answering his questions honestly and promptly would probably save my neck, literally. But I needed to get him to back off.
"Why him?"
"Because he was the first friendly student who didn't question me on my skills."
"What sort of skills?"
"Martial Arts." As if to show him, I moved without giving him a moment to think. I twisted his wrist holding his wand, then chopped his hand and made him release my neck. I spun to face away from him, pulling him over my shoulder to slam him into the ground. He suddenly changed to the dog from before and landed on his paws. He growled, leaping at me. I yelped as I caught him in the throat with a backhand, knocking him away. He landed with a yelp of his own and changed back to his human form.
"Stupify!" I ducked under the spell and booked it out of there. I turned a few corners, trying to lose him, but I heard paw steps following me rapidly. I turned one more corner and stopped when I saw a dead end.
"Nuts!" I turned and tried to run, but the man came around the corner, wand at the ready.
"Why'd you run? Got something to hide?" Obviously, he was enjoying the chase. There was a light of mischief with a hint of insanity.
"Myself from the nutcase." I retorted nervously. He was shifting from one foot to the other, not able to sit still.
"Very funny. Did Voldemort send you? Are you one of his, little traps, to try and ensnare my Godson?" I did a double take.
"Wait, Godson? You mean..."
"Anyone who tries to harm him will be hearing directly from me." That look in his eyes made me think he was mentally screwy.
'At least he is willing to protect Harry…'
"Alright pal, I may not know a lot about this world yet, but I do know I do not take kindly to threats. I don't have any two faced intentions. I'm just trying to get me and my sister home." I fauxed an attack and leaped over him, rolling before leaping, then pushing off the wall in midair and disappearing around the corner.
He tried to chase me, but I somehow disappeared. He switched to Padfoot and sniffed around. Following my scent, he found that it ended with no trace.
Something did smell like smoke, which was strange. He found the specific spot and switched back to Sirius, running his fingers over the blackened stone. He noticed a flash of magic behind him and had vanished before the stunning spell could hit its target. Professor Umbridge walked forward, seeing the small scorch mark.
"Hmm..."
I snickered as I continued silently running down the hall. I had taken as far of a jump as possible, snapping my fingers to zap the place I had jumped from. Hopefully it would clog his nose if he switched into his dog form. I didn't hear any footsteps following me after a while, and slowed to a walk. It took me a few minutes, but I found my way back to my room. I walked in and dropped onto my bed, sleep quickly overcame me.