The following day was the last day of the festival. A very irritable Mizore and Kurumu immediately sought out their mothers to give them an earful.
Harry was spending the day with Inner Moka.
Moka looked around with approval at the looks they were getting as they walked the concourse. "They fear you. They respect you." She explained her approval. "Those that are unaware of what you did to the fool who assaulted Outer Moka recognise me as a Shuzen and a Shinso."
Harry nodded. Moka had instructed him on her Shuzen family's history and her own specific breed of vampire, the Shinso.
"Speaking of Shuzen, is there a reason your father didn't come?" Harry asked as they walked. Had they been in the semi-privacy of the woods or the lake then he would have held her hand, but Inner Moka would never accept public displays of affection, they were a sign of weakness.
Moka chuckled. "You see how they step away from me? They sense my power. Imagine my father or the Headmaster walking by."
"I suppose you'll see him when school breaks for the holiday." Harry nodded.
Moka hummed non-committedly.
"Harry!"
Harry and Moka immediately turned to the sound of the English voice. Twenty feet away was a bushy, brown-haired girl.
"Hermione? What are you doing here?" He asked with concern and worry.
"I don't speak Japanese, Harry." She glared at him.
"If you don't speak our language, why did you come here?" Moka asked in flawless English.
"I came to rescue Harry." Hermione sneered at the vampire. "Professor Dumbledore said-"
"The old fool?" Moka snarled. "He couldn't even be bothered to send his phoenix to aid Harry when he was poisoned, but he'll send a girl into a pit of monsters?"
Hermione decided to ignore the silver-haired woman and focused on Harry. "Here, grab this and we can be back in England in seconds."
Harry immediately backed away from the red rubber ring. He recognised it as a dog toy. "I don't know why you came here, Hermione. But I don't appreciate you helping Dumbledore trying to kidnap me.
"You made a real stupid decision coming here. You could be killed on the spot."
"Harry, we should go somewhere more private… just to be safe." Moka whispered in his ear.
Harry nodded, he waved a hand at the ring causing it to vanish and Hermione to look horrified. "Follow me."
The witch was stunned stupid, so Moka grabbed her by the arm and dragged her along after Harry.
Halfway to the SPC building Hermione regained her senses, she tried to draw her wand only for the silver-haired goddess to snatch it away.
It was only Harry's warning that stopped it for being snapped.
Once they reached the living room, Moka practically tossed Hermione onto one of the couches.
"Master, would you like me to make refreshments?"
Harry grimaced, he hadn't thought anyone would be home. Especially not the scandalously clad Mako.
"No thank you, Mako. Could you please get changed and go and inform your mistress that Granger Hermione has come to try and kidnap me."
Harry winced again as the blonde-haired monstrel bowed low, revealing that the tight nurses 'dress' was the only thing she was wearing aside from her high heels.
Hermione, despite not understanding what was being said, looked to be getting very angry.
"How did you get here, girl?" Moka demanded.
Hermione's expression became defiant. "I'm not telling you anything. Give me my wand and let Harry go."
"Let him go? Nobody is keeping Harry Potter here. He joined this school willingly.
"Now, answer my questions or we will be keeping you here."
The long fangs cresting past those soft lips seemed to bring the reality of the situation home to the witch.
"Professor Dumbledore sent me. He arranged for this bus driver to bring me here to convince you to leave."
"Since when does that involve attempted kidnapping?" Moka sneered.
"I never tried to kidnap him!"
"You demanded he come with you!"
"I see that the English fools have stooped to new lows." Came the sultry yet clearly angered voice of Kagome Ririko. She entered with Miss Nekonome, Gin and the others.
Fortunately, they hadn't brought any parents.
"Apparently the bus driver brought her." Harry informed them, still scowling. "But I don't understand why he would as they clearly told him-"
"The Headmaster enjoys his games, Harry." Moka sighed. "He probably finds the old fools attempts amusing, especially as they would have no chance of holding you."
"You know, I don't so much care about the attempted murders and kidnappings, what concerns me is that England exiled me and now they can't leave me alone."
"Ruby, take Harry for a walk." Moka ordered. "We will stay and educate the stupid bitch."
"Moka… she was one of my best friends." Harry reminded her sadly.
The silver-haired vampire stepped into Harry's personal space and kissed him. She then nuzzled his neck before drinking deeply.
When she broke off she was nearly panting. "Go. Trust this to me."
Harry pecked her lips before turning to leave.
"Mako, go with them." Ririko ordered.
The monstrel was now dressed in the same nurses outfit she had worn when she first tried to assassinate Harry. Which meant, when she bowed, she didn't flash the world.
"Harry!"
Moka turned to the increasingly distraught witch and raised an eyebrow. "You ignored him in his hour of need… and you want him to listen to you?"
"He's my friend! I never ignored him. Headmaster Dumbledore said it was for Harry's safety. I can't believe he is being so immature as to still hold a grudge." She said in disgust.
There was loud slapping sound and Hermione flinched as she looked up to see the girl's hand inches from her face, but being held by the tall boy with the red head-band.
"A slap from you would kill her, Akashiya-san." Gin said gravely. "It would break Harry's heart, no matter how badly she treated him."
"Akashiya-san, step back." It was unusual to hear Miss Nekonome be so stern and firm, so both students stepped back as she walked up. "Morioka-san, take Sendo-san and speak to the bus driver. Find out how soon he can take the girl home."
Gin bowed and then headed for the door, gesturing to Yukari as he went.
"Keito, the bitch looks a bit too comfortable there." Ririko smirked. "I believe she needs to be in a more suitable position for this lesson."
The Jorōgumo mirrored the smirk as she popped the buttons on the front of her black School Protection Committee tunic and allowed her monster form to appear, spindly black spider legs reached out as white webbing began shooting out and attaching to the floors, walls and ceilings.
Hermione screamed as she was caught in the webs and suddenly pulled to hang, spread-eagled in the air. Her trousers and shirt were pulled taught as her arms and legs were over extended.
Then she noticed the woman dressed like a secretary no longer had legs, but a long, thick snake tail.
She screamed louder.
"I think I might be more monster than wizard or human." Harry grumbled as he walked with Ruby around the small lake. Mako trailed behind them quietly.
"She'll probably beat me when she hears I said this, but, I think even Moka has some human in her lineage." Ruby smiled at him as they held hands.
"Yeah, but… I've been feeling the urge to just go back to England and kill all the fools who keep trying to hurt me."
Ruby released his hand and leaned into his side, her arm slipping around his waist. She walked carefully for a few steps to allow her walking rhythm match his.
"Harry-chan, I believe even pure humans would desire the same, if they were treated as you are."
"I can't believe that Hermione would just try and force me to do as she says. After all we've been through… after all she knows I've been through."
"She is young." Ruby shrugged. "Yukari has happily been telling me the stories of what she knows about your time in Hogwarts. Moka has told me about the troubles you had here before we met.
"I know you had issues with Moka and Kurumu treating you badly."
Harry looked at her and frowned.
"When Gin accused you of looking up their skirts?"
Harry grimaced. "That was one thing. Inner Moka said even she was disgusted with Outer Moka's lack of faith and loyalty.
"But, it's different here. In Hogwarts everyone who tried to kill me did so from the shadows. The students and teachers accused me of all sorts of things. They never apologised, not even when I was proven innocent.
"Here, most monsters will confront me head on. Or I confront them."
"Perhaps it is best that you embrace more of your monster side, Master."
The pair stopped as Mako spoke up. "I often hear you argue with Mistress and Akashiya-san, they claim to be feared is better than to be loved and respected.
"Some are incapable of love, all are capable of fear. Perhaps a balance is what you seek."
Harry held out his free hand to the blonde monstrel and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I like it when you speak more. You are very helpful."
"Harry-kun!"
The trio turned at the excited female voice and saw two faces he never wanted to see at the Yōkai Academy.
"Keiko? Yui? What the hell are you doing here?" He asked as he saw a worried Gin and Yukari who were coming up behind them.
"We were offered the chance to come here and see you!" Keiko beamed as she pulled him into a hug before doing the same with Ruby, Yui copying her.
"Gin, are we alone?"
The werewolf shifted briefly and focused before shifting back. "I can't sense anyone."
"Take Mako and Ruby, patrol the area and make sure we aren't interrupted."
Gin nodded and headed off, giving hushed instructions to the monstrel and witch.
Harry pulled Yukari closer to him and the older girls and put up privacy wards. "Do you know how dangerous this is? If anyone finds out you are humans they… well, you'll be lucky if they just kill you!"
"We were promised it was safe." Keiko said dismissively. "All we had to do was promise to deliver this." She said as she handed over a manila envelope with something hard and flat inside.
"Harry, you need to relax." Yui said as she hugged him. "No one knew you were human. We don't intend to go off alone so we won't have to worry about proving we aren't humans."
"How did you get here?" Yukari asked.
"We were picked up by your bus driver, Yukari-tan." Keiko smiled warmly at the girl, ignoring the slight scowl. "We were easily hidden amongst the other people he picked up and brought here. A festival, we were told."
"A festival where former students, now fully matured monsters, come back to visit." Harry said pointedly.
"Who asked you to deliver the package?" Yukari asked.
"Some lady. She said she was sent to offer us the chance to visit."
"It wasn't Nekonome-sensei?"
Yui laughed gaily. "We're here to surprise her too!"
Harry couldn't help but smile at the true joy on the older girls' faces. He needed a reason to be happy.
"Harry… it should be ok." Yukari offered hesitantly. She was still uncomfortable with humans, but the two university girls had been very nice. "I couldn't tell human from monster at the convention we went to."
And it was that recommendation that decided it for Harry. If Yukari, who had feared humans to the point of hatred, was willing to have them around, then they could stay.
"Alright, but you will make sure that you are with someone I trust at all times."
"Yes Harry-chan." They chorused, making Harry eye them suspiciously.
He dropped the wards and called Mako over, instructing her to never leave the human girls alone unless they were with other members of the harem.
They headed back to the SPC building.
"What did you do to her?" Harry asked as he saw the unconscious form of his supposed best friend, hanging from Keito's webs.
"We just scared her a little." Ririko smirked. "Honestly, Harry, are you sure you remember your adventures correctly? The girl lasted thirty seconds before she became a babbling mess."
"Other than Keito's webs, we never touched her." Miss Nekonome said with clear disgust as she observed their prey.
And that was when Yui pounced gleefully on the unsuspecting cat woman.
"Harry, aren't these the human girls?" Keito demanded as she stepped up.
They had all been introduced when they had to deal with Dumbledore at New Year's.
"Apparently they were invited. The bus driver picked them up."
"The Chairman must have his reasons." Moka spoke up as she nodded in greeting to Keiko, Yui was still obsessing over her Nekomusume.
The vampire had come to respect the two humans.
It certainly helped that neither girl had flinched at Keito's spider legs or Kagome's tail.
"What did you do though?" Gin asked curiously. "She's wet herself."
"We simply pointed out that she was an untrained witch, without her wand, surrounded by creatures that wouldn't think twice about enslaving, eating or raping her." Ririko answered.
"I may have implied that I would love to have a full drink." Moka smirked. "Other than the sips I get from my lover."
Harry raised an eyebrow and tilted his head curiously. Neither Moka did anything other than sleep in his bed, and certainly not all the time.
"Something tells me it was Ririko's little story of what we did last Saturday that pushed her over the edge." Keito grinned at the unrepentant Lamia.
"What can I say, I know a prude when I see them."
"Ruby, Yukari, can you take her and get her cleaned up and coherent?" Harry asked wearily.
"Neither of us speaks English, Harry-kun." Ruby pointed out.
Harry finally smiled… well smirked. "That's her problem. She came to Japan without learning Japanese. I'd be insulted if someone came to England making demands and didn't bother learning my language."
Ruby shrugged as she began cutting the English witch down with her short staff. Yukari looked like she was outraged by what Hermione had done.
"I could just make her one of my thralls." Ririko offered.
"No." Harry said firmly. "Other than blind stupidity, she hasn't done anything wrong. Mako tried to murder us, if someone else tries, I won't say anything."
"Unless one of us kills them first." Moka glared at the departing witches.
"Gin, what did the bus driver say?" Harry turned to the werewolf.
"Bring her by anytime. But he suggested you talk to her and learn what she knows."
"She's one of your English friends?" Yui asked as she finally finished molesting the cat woman. "I thought they were finished with you, wasn't New Year's the last time you expected to see them again?"
"It was the last time I wanted to see them." Harry corrected. "There was one thing that bothered me about that night. It should have been clear I was fine. I was happy. But why didn't Sirius offer to come with me?"
"He may never have thought about it, Harry." Keiko said softly as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "He thought he was supposed to be rescuing you from danger."
"Then why not at least come with me and protect me?" Harry was clearly hurt by this. "He should have taken me when my parents died. But he left me with a half-giant and went after the Betrayer."
"He is not wrong." Miss Nekonome spoke up with a dark look. "They haven't even written to him. They have the address for sending letters."
"And they have not approached my father." Moka added.
"Then why is she here?" Keiko asked.
"To try and force me back to England… the place that exiled me."
"Wait, wait, wait." Yui scowled, waving her hands. "She's you're age, fifteen, right?"
"Probably sixteen." Harry nodded.
"Does she work for the government?"
"Still a student as far as I am aware."
"Then why did they send her?"
"No idea." Harry shrugged. "It probably wasn't the government, Dumbledore is the more likely culprit."
"And he's a civilian?"
"He used to be the Chief Judge. He was kicked out of office by the same person that exiled me. Now he is just Hermione's headmaster."
Keiko and Yui exchanged a look of disbelief.
"Moka-san, will you be sending a response to these…"
"Fools?" Yui supplied for her friend.
"I was thinking of 'monsters', they certainly seem to match up to the term better than Harry-chan and his friends."
"I had not considered it yet." Moka smirked at the by-play. "But, I will send a message to my father, he may enjoy… toying with them."
"Good." Keiko nodded firmly. "Then we will leave the subject for now and try and enjoy the day."
"Erm… is that ok with you, Moka?" Harry asked his girlfriend. "I would say this day was ruined already. We could try again tomorrow or another day?"
Moka scowled. This was supposed to be her day. Her first instinct was to lash out verbally at Harry, but it wasn't his fault.
And Outer Moka was trying to be very stern in her ear about that.
She nodded. "I will stay here to help deal with Granger." She then smirked. "I'm sure Nekonome-sensei will be otherwise occupied with you and our guests."
Despite the serious conversation, Yui's hand had been firmly stroking Miss Nekonome's ears. Miss Nekonome was purring loudly.
Harry made a quick trip to drop the envelope off in his office before he rejoined the two humans and his teacher. He cast several protection and tracking charms on the humans… just in case.
They encountered no real problems as they showed the two girls around the campus. Keiko and Yui were very intelligent and level-headed. They didn't ooh and aah when they saw something like magic. They didn't gasp or scream when they saw a monster in their true form.
They acted like they could be just another pair of monsters, just visiting.
It calmed Harry and lifted his spirits.
Until they went back to the SPC building for the night.
They found Hermione sitting, fairly morose and subdued on one of the couches.
Harry immediately looked to Moka.
"The girl is a blind fanatic." Moka said calmly, with a hint of distaste. "She believes everything Dumbledore says. Strangely, she still believes she is one of your best friends."
"Why? Why steal Harry-kun?"
Everyone was shocked when Yui started talking in broken English.
"Steal? I-"
"She means kidnap." Moka sneered. "Harry said you are supposed to be intelligent. Prove it."
"I wasn't trying to kidnap him!"
"You didn't ask him if he wanted to leave. You just demanded that he come with you."
Behind them, Miss Nekonome was quietly translating everything into Japanese for the others.
"I was trying to rescue him!"
"From what? What could he possibly need rescuing from that a pitiful witch could handle?"
"You, vampire." Hermione spat.
"Mind your manners, Hermione." Harry stepped up angrily.
"Let me remind you that not only do you not have your wand or portkey, but you are in a foreign country where you don't speak the language."
"Harry! Please, you need to return home. Headmaster Dumbledore says you need to be back at Privet Drive. Voldemort attacked Azkaban and freed his followers. The Ministry has assigned a horrible person to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts and she is torturing people!" She was on the verge of tears as she held out her hand, palm down.
Harry growled as he grabbed the hand. Carved in the back were the words 'I will remember my place.' "Who did this?" He demanded.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" She began to cry in frustration. "You need to come back so we can stop this."
"One person, did this?" Moka asked, clearly not moved by the tears and genuine distress.
"She's the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. She's trying to get Dumbledore fired and she isn't teaching us to defend ourselves."
"Then kill her."
The crying came to a sudden and shocked stop, even though the tears still flowed. "Harry-"
"What? You can't cast a cutting curse at her neck? Cave her head in with a blunt object? There are swords all over that castle. Ram one through her heart.
"All things you could do and don't involve me going back to the place that tried to kill me and exiled me."
"That's horrible!"
Moka laughed harshly. "If you aren't willing to defend yourself, why should you ask Harry to do it? Especially as you will probably condemn him when he kills her."
"Killing is wrong." The tears were gone and the disgust and indignation returned. "If we did that we would be no better than Voldemort."
"YOU BE ALIVE!" Yui practically screamed in anger.
"You would say that, monster. That's all your kind does."
"I'm a human." Yui smirked. "Not even- erm…" She pointed to Harry, Hermione, Yukari and Ruby.
"A witch." Moka supplied. "That's right. A powerless human has more sense than the so-called 'Smartest Witch of Her Age'."
"I won't become a murderer." Hermione said defiantly.
"What do you expect Harry-kun to do?" Yui demanded.
"A good question." Harry nodded. "Let's say I go back. You want me locked away with my abusive relatives. How will that solve your torture and ministry problem? How will that deal with Voldemort?"
"I- I don't know." She admitted. "Professor Dumbledore couldn't tell me."
"Couldn't or wouldn't?" Moka asked suspiciously.
"He said it was safer if I not know."
"Enough." Miss Nekonome said firmly as she stepped forward. "Miss Granger, you have entered this country illegally. You have attempted to kidnap one of its citizens.
"I will give you two options: One, you get on the bus, go home and warn Albus Dumbledore that we will not return anyone else he sends to kidnap Harry.
"Two, we turn you over to the police and you can explain to them how you illegally entered the country and tried to kidnap Harry."
"What if I refuse to leave?" She asked defiantly.
"You'll wind up eaten by one of the monsters. Probably Miss Akashiya."
Moka grimaced. "I only drink from Harry. Granger probably tastes disgusting."
"If I go back to England then I will have to suffer with more torture. Voldemort will eventually make himself known and will kill me and every other muggleborn."
"Then kill them first!" Harry said in exasperation. "That's how things work here. Monsters try to hurt us and we slap them down and if necessary, kill them."
"You're a killer?!" Hermione was aghast.
"Harry, you are not getting anywhere, are you?" Ririko spoke up. "If you won't let me have her, then why not stick her in the dungeon for the night?"
"No. She won't listen. Take her to the bus driver and tell him to take her home." Harry said as he turned and walked off.
Harry was sitting at his office at his desk. He didn't have paperwork as the Head of the SPC. But he did use it for homework.
He was trying to forget the fact that his former best friend had tried to kidnap him.
He picked up the manila envelope and emptied the contents onto the desk.
A mirror.
Harry raised an eyebrow as he picked it up. It was a circle framed in gold with a pair of wings at the top.
He dropped it on the desk and went back to the envelope to see if there was a letter.
"Ow!" A small female voice came from the mirror.
Harry looked and saw a small green haired female climbing out of the face of the mirror. She wore a near transparent purple dress and had dragonfly like wings that looked like they were made of glass.
"Why did you do that?" The tiny female glared up at him.
"I apologise." Harry said sincerely. "I did not realise that the mirror was someone's home. Did you send your mirror to me?"
"Oh! You must be my new master." She beamed. "I'm Lilith, the spirit of the mirror."
"Uh huh. Can you tell me why you are here? Or how you got here?" Harry asked.
"I was sent to you. You saved me by releasing me from my mirror. Allow me to show you my gratitude by granting you one wish." She bowed.
"That's ok." Harry shrugged as he leant back in his chair, propping his feet on the desk. "I don't need to wish for anything."
"Erm… what?" Lilith seemed unsure on how to respond to that.
"I have all I need."
"But what about what you want, Master?"
"I currently have all I want. Anything else… I can earn, buy… ask for it as a Christmas present." Harry chuckled.
"There must be something you want." She argued.
Harry appeared thoughtful. "Well, I suppose there is one thing you could give me."
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Tell me!" The little creature bounced.
Harry dropped his feet to the floor and quickly moved, nose-to-body with the creature. "Tell me who sent you and why you are here." He said, his facing losing all geniality.
"I- I- I-"
"Do you know who I am?" Harry asked. "I am responsible for the safety of this place. You did not come here through the normal means, so that makes you a security risk."
The female scowled. "You really won't play, will you? I guess I'll take your soul as it is!" She grabbed the mirror and pointed it at Harry. "Dinner time!"
Harry sat there, looking between the mirror and the spirit. "Are you expecting me to feed you, or are you going to feed me?"
Lilith looked into the mirror. "Why isn't this working?" She demanded to her reflection.
"Because you took your eyes off of it long enough for me to switch it." Harry smirked as he held up the real mirror.
Lilith was looking back and forth between the mirror she held and the one in Harry's hand. Harry just watched in amusement.
"How did you do that?" She eventually asked in awe.
"That would be telling. And it doesn't seem fair for me to answer your questions when you won't answer mine."
Lilith dropped the fake she was holding and lunged for the real mirror. Harry grabbed her by the legs and slammed her into the desk, she flopped about in his fist like a jack-in-a-box.
When she regained her bearings she paled… further than her already pale skin.
Harry was holding the mirror over the corner of the desk. "You've already tried to kill me. Give me some good reasons why I shouldn't return the favour."
"Please don't." She begged meekly.
"That's not really a reason, now, is it?"
"Please, I don't know names. I was trapped in my mirror, I don't know how long I was in there for." She was beginning to cry. "I swear! You were the first person I've seen since I was trapped."
"So what is it you do? Can you simply grant one wish to a person?"
"No." She admitted slightly ashamed. "I reveal a person's true self. I can strip away their masks and reveal their true face."
Harry put the mirror face down on the desk and then gently released Lilith's legs on the opposite end. "That sounds like an interesting ability. I wouldn't mind learning more about you and your mirror."
"You aren't going to kill me?" She asked hopefully.
"Only if you make me."
"I won't."
After a few more honest answers, Harry locked the mirror in a glass cupboard in his office, the mirror facing inwards. Lilith admitted she didn't need to touch the mirror or be around it all the time.
Harry was giving her the chance to prove she wasn't a danger.
From her point of view, she needed to convince Harry not to kill her.
They headed back down to the living room to find Kurumu and Mizore had returned.
But standing there grimly was the Bus Driver.
He was staring intently at the small sprite on Harry's shoulder.
"You released Lilith." He said in his gravelly voice.
"You know her?" Harry asked.
"Word came down that Lilith's Mirror had been stolen and was heading to the school. An artefact of that nature and power could cause havoc."
"The mirror itself is locked in my office. Lilith did try to… eat my soul, but she is now going to try and prove she is not a danger."
The Bus Driver clearly needed a moment to process that. Then he chuckled. "You're one of a kind, kid. Might be best if you go see the Chairman. Let him know you've got it covered."
"I wonder what would happen if I showed all these monsters their true forms?" Lilith wondered as she flitted about excitedly as they walked through the milling crowds towards the main building.
"They already know." Harry shrugged. "They struggle to hide it every minute. You can't hide something if you don't know what it is."
"No, no, no." She said as she stopped him by floating in front of his head. "Not their monster forms, their hidden personalities."
Harry gently nudged her out of the way and kept walking. "What do you mean, hidden personalities?"
"Hmm…" She said thoughtfully as she came to land on Harry's right shoulder. "Things they don't realise or deny about themselves. Do they have secret desires to feel love, pain? Do they wish to experience inflicting pain, giving love?"
"Sounds like psychology." Harry nodded.
"What?"
"It is the human study of the mind. You'd probably enjoy reading it."
The little spirit looked forlorn. "Oh… I can't read."
"Can you learn?"
"No one ever let me try. They get my mirror and I wake up. This is the first time I have been out and not eaten a soul or revealed someone's true form."
"Well, we can teach you, and there are new ways to watch people talk about a subject. So you can learn more about what you do, if you want."
Her wings began beating furiously even though she stayed on Harry's shoulder. "That is amazing!"
"Do you need to eat souls? Can you eat regular physical food?"
"I don't know… I've only ever eaten souls."
"Do animals have souls?"
"Some do."
"Well, my friend is an owl. We can ask her to catch her meals alive and you can try and eat them. We can also see if you can eat regular food."
"You have an owl for a friend?" She giggled.
"Ow!" Harry grimaced at the sharp talons digging into his left shoulder.
Lilith gulped at the massive amber eyes boring into her as the white head leaned around Harry's.
"Prek!"
Harry quickly picked Lilith off his shoulder and Hedwig jumped off and landed on the vacated spot. He then opened his palm for Lilith to sit in.
"Sorry about that." He said as he subtly cast a healing charm on his bleeding shoulder. "Hedwig is very possessive. That's her shoulder."
"Erm… that's fine." She said, clearly terrified.
Harry deposited her on his left shoulder and Hedwig gave a sharp nod. "Prek."
Harry made it inside the building and to the upper floors where nobody was milling around. It was nice and quiet.
Was.
"Potter. So you managed to tame the spirit of the mirror."
Harry turned and saw Miss Ishigami sneering at him. She had tied her braids in a tight ponytail that stood up straight from her head.
"You are useless, spirit." She looked at the sprite.
"Hedwig."
The owl leapt off his shoulder and plummeted over the railings to the floors below, speeding away to get help.
"You were the one who sent Lilith here?" Harry asked calmly.
"Those disgusting humans, I thought they would release the mirror." She scowled. "It doesn't matter. She was just a distraction."
"Are you going to try and kill me again?"
She took on a look of utter hatred. "I am no match for you or anyone, now that you have turned my snakes against me.
"But I know you won't kill them, so you won't kill me." She smirked.
Harry waved his hand and she fell over, stiff as a board. "I don't have to kill you. I have a prison where you can stay and I can keep your snakes company."
"Your prison could use some improvements, Harry-tan."
Harry scowled as he saw Hokuto standing behind him, his left leg was a badly burnt mess and he was in his monstrel form. A spindly, tall creature that seemed to be made of bone. His 'limbs' made him look like a praying mantis.
"I'll look into it." Harry promised. "Lilith, fly back to the others. Tell them Hokuto is free."
Lilith nodded and dived off Harry's shoulder as Harry threw a banisher at the monstrel to distract him.
"So, you haven't run off. Are you here for some attempt at revenge?" Harry asked calmly.
Hokuto laughed. "My how your ego has grown. I have no interest in you and your little friends. You are a nuisance in my way. Nothing more."
There was only one thing on this level of the school. "So you want to confront the Chairman. Any chance you will go back to your cell quietly?"
Hokuto smirked. "I will enjoy putting you in your place."
"That is my job."
Hokuto turned to see Moka standing there, the rest of the gang arrayed around her.
"If you've got this, I have something that needs doing." Harry called over.
Moka just nodded.
Harry jumped over the railing, following the same path Hedwig and Lilith had just taken.
Hokuto snarled as he charged at Moka.
Harry knew the story of Kaneshiro Hokuto. A human boy who had received an invitation to attend Yōkai Academy. After Harry had imprisoned the former human, the Chairman had informed him that Hokuto was essentially Harry's predecessor.
Hokuto was supposed to be the guiding force for monsters at the academy.
But he couldn't cut it and became a monster, in every way.
Things were not looking good. Moka and Gin were struggling to match the monstrel that Hokuto had become. His regeneration was almost on par with Moka's.
If Harry had been there she could have drunk his blood and used the boost to put the mad man down.
Kurumu was out with a broken wing, Mizore was using her ice to shield the group whilst Ruby and Yukari cast rapid healing spells at the fighters.
Keito and Ririko were stuck watching, neither had the strength nor speed to be of any help to the two S-Class monsters.
The school was an absolute mess. The open walkways had collapsed and they were now standing in rubble on the ground floor.
"Kaneshiro-senpai, I have a question."
Hokuto spun around in shock, he hadn't noticed Potter arriving.
"What is your true self?"
Too late, Hokuto saw his own reflection staring at him as Lilith's mirror began to glow.
And suddenly, the frightening monstrel was replaced with a pitiful, weak, human. He was soon bound in Keito's webs.
Harry placed the mirror back in his blazer and knelt down in front of the cowering human. "The Chairman saw something in you.
"I'd like to think you squandered it because of fear. It's time for you to return to the human world… after you've told me everything I want to know."
Harry was sitting in front of a very stern Chairman. Lilith was sitting in the chair next to him, her legs out straight and her hands clasped in her lap.
"So many mistakes have been made today, Potter-san." The anger was tightly controlled, but audible. "You have a lot to answer for."
Harry frowned.
The Chairman continued. "You were responsible for the security of your prisoners. You didn't just kill him and that left him a risk to the school.
"The same goes for Ishigami-san.
"Your human friends brought an artefact that could destroy the barrier that hides this school. They should be killed for their crime."
"Chairman-sama, I will willingly accept blame for my mistakes." Harry said with a glare. "But I will not shoulder the blame for the mistakes of others.
"I will not allow my friends and family to be made scapegoats."
"You dare!" The Chairman shot out of his seat.
Harry remained calm. "My mistake was not monitoring Kaneshiro's prison more carefully.
"I should have been more suspicious of Keiko and Yui bringing me a package of unknown origin.
"I should have paid more attention to Ishigami to see that she was allowing her hate to consume her.
"But, I was not the one who brought a human to this school. I was not the one who didn't watch him carefully and intervene when it was clear he was suffering-"
"You would accu-"
Harry shot out of his own chair and glared at his superior. "I am not the one who allows his staff to attack students.
"I am not the one who allowed a dangerous artefact to be stolen.
"I am not the one who granted two humans and a foreign witch access to the school."
"I should rip your head from your body."
"It won't make what I said any less true."
The Chairman grunted and sat back in his chair. Harry remained standing, but stood tall, his hands clasped behind his back, awaiting orders… or sentencing.
"The effects of the Lilith Mirror are not permanent." The Chairman said warningly.
"I've learnt that nothing is permanent. Not even death." Harry responded calmly.
The Chairman growled miserably. "Do you still intend to wipe his memory and simply return him to his family?"
"Unless you order me not to." Harry nodded. "But I won't execute him."
The Chairman sighed irritably. "Get out Potter. The school will be closing early so we can fix the mess. I suggest you use your new free time to develop better methods and plans for your next year."
Harry bowed low and left.
"Well, this explains how Hokuto escaped." Harry said with a grimace. He was standing out the back of the SPC building with Gin and Keito. In front of them was a severely burned, dead monstrel that was half in the ground.
"It must have been pretty tough to survive the lava walls." Gin nodded.
A foot past the walls of the dungeon was a six foot layer of lava, in every direction. Strong metal walls encased the lava.
"I should have put more wards up around the dungeon." Harry scowled, he was disappointed with himself. "I was relying on the assumption that only Ruby and I could get in as we could do it with magic and knew the location."
"We can all think of ways to improve security." Keito offered. "I could set various traps with my webbing."
"I'm thinking of moving the dungeon completely off campus." Harry informed them.
"Where?" Keito asked, clearly not believing it was a sensible move. "You need to be able to monitor and check the prisoners. If you want them to live then you need to feed them."
"I'm not sure where, yet. But as for monitoring and caring, I'll ask the Chairman for permission to leave campus as needed."
"What are you going to do about Ishigami?" Gin asked.
"I've asked Yukari's parents to get me two potions. I want to try an experiment. The first potion will put the drinker into a deep sleep. They will appear dead to the world. They don't need to eat, drink, use the bathroom… humans call it suspended animation.
"I'm hoping that if Ishigami drinks it, it won't affect her snakes. If it does, the second potion is the cure."