Chapter 5
The chill of October nights

Haruto squeezed his eyes shut and tried his hardest not to scream as pain racketed through his body. The Shadows around him were hissing, swelling in size with excitement. Something had happened, though not in his direct environment, that made them very happy. Haruto didn't care that he was in the middle of class and he was supposed to pay attention. The teachers (well most of them) were very sympathetic as he tried to explain why their form of magic was so bad. It burned, bit and blinded him. Haruto guessed that they probably though he was scared and needed to get used to his surroundings. Only tiny professor Flitwick was interested in his predicament. He had asked Haruto and Neville, who had decided to follow his small friend around from the start, for tea every now and then to slowly introduce the raven haired child to magic. Sure it had helped, if only a little, but it didn't take away the pain their magic caused him.

"How are you doing Haruto?" Neville whispered next to him, lightly touching the smaller boy's arm but keeping his distance. "Are you still with us? You remember professor Flitwick explaining the floatation spell the other day? We're supposed to learn that today. Aren't you excited? I remember you said you enjoyed the flying lessons, even if I ended up falling off my broom and breaking my wrist. I still want to get you something for saving my life. It could have turned out a lot worse if you hadn't done some accidental magic. I've never been that frightened in my entire life before. Not even when uncle Algie dropped me off the peer and I nearly drowned. Or that time when I first showed any sign of magic because he accidentally let go of my ankles when he was dangling me from the window."

An overwhelming sense of pity coursed through the smaller boy as he heard his friend confess those things as if it were nothing. Haruto shifted closer to Neville, trying not to let the pain in his protesting muscles stop him from reaching out to his friend. "Neville-kun," Haruto whispered. "I don't want to trouble you but it sounds as if you had a lot of accidents when you were young." The raven haired child almost missed the flinch and sheepish grin from Neville when he winched from the pain in his head. "Before I was very accidental prone too, still am when I fall asleep. Onii-san and Jii-chan are helping me now just like you are. They told me that those accidents weren't my fault. My uncle, the one I lived with before I went to Japan, he used to blame me for a lot of things causing the accidents to happen." Neville gasped softly and the smaller boy felt his friend tense next to him.

Haruto coughed softly, winching at the pain from the simple action. "Itai," he hissed as his head throbbed painfully. His ears felt like they should be bleeding.

A high pitched cackle filled Haruto's head. "Oh that silly boy, look how he fights a pointless battle. But he will soon learn just like the rest of them." It was silent for a few seconds when Haruto raised his head to see if he could find the source. "What is the boy doing now? It looks like he could do with a good night's sleep. Maybe I should help him with that."

"Iie," Haruto said in a panic, shaking his head and trying to push himself backwards. "Iie!" The small, raven haired child didn't even notice that he was drawing the attention of the entire class. "Hottoite*! Boku wa nete inai**!"

Laughter filled the air around Haruto as pain continued to course through his body. Something heavy pressed against him and as Haruto tried to fight against it together with the pain. Panic suddenly left him, together with the light around him and the pain in his body. Only darkness remained, spreading out before him. It was the strangest thing. Never before had Haruto been this awake during his moments of 'sleep'. All there was left was the strangest sensation that he was being watched.

All emotion seemed to have left his little body. His senses had been sharpened and Haruto was sure that he was no longer wearing his glasses. Not that he needed them at all. Not in this place, where ever it was. Haruto took a step forward, not fearing the consequences of what those actions could bring. The raven haired child walked on calmly even when creatures started appearing around him. His emerald green eyes sparkled in their glow and only a few of the strange creatures dared to cross his path.

Suddenly, one of the creatures stopped Haruto on his path. Magic, so different yet so similar from his own, swirled around this tall magician. Haruto could feel the magician's power and if he had any emotion left he would have stood there in awe. Now, however, all he could do was raise his green eyes to observe the creature. The magician was dressed in green robes and clothing, the green much darker then Haruto's eyes. Everything was lined with golden patterns and the orbs pressed into his clothing and hat were glowing red. The magician's staff was held loosely in his hand.

While Haruto observed the magician, it was clear that the creature was also observing him. Suddenly it spoke, its voice deep and powerful. "The time is near, brother of the Vassal. Soon the man who broke your body will seek you out for revenge. We will be there to guide you, as you will guide the Vassal in his quest."

Haruto remained silent. No emotions had reached him yet and he silently wondered if he should feel anything at all as this creature revealed this information to him. "What is your name?" Haruto whispered.

"I am known as the Chaos Command Magician," the creature replied, bowing its head in greeting.

Haruto nodded. "I was once known as Potter, Harry James," the child replied, still as calm as ever. "And the ones who hold me at the school still call me this. I was adopted by my Onii-san and Jii-chan and they choose to name me Mutou, Haruto. I prefer this name and my closest friend and most of my fellow classmates call me this. Potter, Harry James belonged to someone else who is no longer me."

The magician nodded, his expression showed nothing but respect. "We will speak again soon, Mutou-sama. When you are in need of my services all you need to do his call out my name."

The raven haired child bowed. "Thank you for this Chaos Command Magician." As the creatures around Haruto started to fade once again, everything came rushing back. The pain, the pressure and all his emotions were once again pushed back into him. It left the small child panting where he sat, shivering at the cold and panic that had gripped his heart.

Pushing himself away from the wall, Haruto winched at the burning pain on his arm and legs. "Sit still for a moment Haruto," a familiar voice spoke from next to him and the green eyed child turned to see Neville standing next to him. The blonde seemed to be arguing with someone and when Haruto turned, he noticed a few others standing around them. The two Weasley twins were kneeling next to him, each with a reassuring grin. "How you doing buddy?" George asked quietly as Fred waved his wand, spraying cooling water over Haruto's legs.

Winching as the cool water dripped down his legs, the raven haired child finally noticed the burn marks on his legs and arms. He also noticed he was no longer sitting in the classroom, but in the hallway at least a few meters away from the DADA classroom where he had been last. "I'm good," Haruto whispered softly with a small and painful smile. The Weasley twins looked at him in disbelief. "I've had worse. What happened?"

"You tell us little buddy," Fred said when George took Haruto's arms to send out the same cooling spray of water. They seemed to have dropped their act at the seriousness of the situation. "When we came down the hallway we found you here with Neville standing guard over you while Hermione was having a shouting match with our little brother. Neville asked us to take a look at you before he joined in on the argument. I've never seen him act like that."

George nodded with a smile. "I have," Haruto whispered with a fond smile. "First time I fell asleep around him, Neville-kun must have been in a right panic. He reminds me of Onii-san, always looking out for me in case I get hurt."

"And to think Lee thought Neville couldn't be a real Gryff," George said.

Haruto stared fondly at the blond. People often underestimated Neville because he was shy and often didn't know how to react around others. But he protected his precious people, few as they might be, with the fierceness of a Lion. "Neville-kun is the best there is," Haruto stated with a wide grin and shining green eyes. "Arigato Fred-kun, George-kun."

The twins grinned at the raven haired child. "Can you walk?" George asked as Haruto moved to stand. His legs were stiff and painful. Even if the skin had been cooled by the water they still burned painfully. "Or do you want one of us to carry you?" Fred asked as he supported Haruto as the child straightened.

"I think I'll be fine," Haruto said, winching at the pain which was shooting up and down his legs. He didn't mind the tight skin on his arms much. They seemed to be not as bad as his legs. "Neville-kun?" Haruto asked as he twisted himself slightly to look at his friend. The blonde turned, his eyes widening as he saw his best friend standing and hastily made his way over to support his friend while Fred kept supporting the raven haired child on the other side. "Are you sure you should be standing?" Neville asked, clearly worried about the smaller child.

"I'll be fine," Haruto repeated with a reassuring smile. "Pomfrey-sensei will have me fixed again in a heartbeat." Even if he wanted to know what happened while he had been 'asleep', Haruto remained silent because he knew Neville would start ranting the moment he asked.

Neville looked ahead, blushing slightly as he realized he had just spent a few minutes arguing with one of his dorm mates. "By the way," he said, staring at George's back who was keeping their path clear from obstacles. "No offence, but your little brother can be a real…"

"We know," the twins replied at the same time. "He can be really frustrating some times," George continued as Fred and Neville helped Haruto down the steps that seemed to be fine with staying still for them. "Even if he likes to rant about how annoying Percy is, Ron can be just like him."

Haruto kept silent. The youngest Weasley at Hogwarts still confused him. Even if they were a poor family, Ron still had a family who loved and cherished him. But it didn't seem to be what he wanted. He annoyed Haruto at times because the red head still called him Potter or Harry. The raven haired child stopped trying to correct the youngest Weasley. It was clear that the red head would not listen to him. "I often wonder if he realizes what he has," the raven haired child muttered.

Apparently Haruto had panicked and run out of the classroom before he had completely fallen 'asleep'. Neville had run after him to stop him, letting him rest in the hallway so Haruto could 'wake up' without sustaining any damage. Throw in a hostile Slytherin and an agitated Ron who had been arguing with Hermione only moments before, and soon sparks had been flying around the hallway, successfully burning Haruto's legs and arms because he was unable to protect himself. It was strange that the teachers hadn't turned up when the sparks started to fly. Fred and George told him that it might have been because they had only been a few sparks. They were usually harmless after all, but because Haruto was sensitive to magic, the sparks caused his skin to burn.

While Madam Pomfrey had healed him within seconds, she insisted Haruto would not return to classes or join the feast this evening. Haruto couldn't care less. He didn't want to learn how to use magic anymore and the feast… why would he want to celebrate on the day his birth parents had been murdered? That was the only thing the Wizarding World in Britain had given him, a name to the man who had taken away his family and the possibility to have had a different life. Sure he wouldn't have met his Onii-san or his Jii-chan, but he would have had his parents and maybe even be a big brother to someone.

So, instead of joining all the students in the Great Hall, Haruto shared a small dinner with the house-elves in the kitchens. The twins had shared the whereabouts of the kitchens with Haruto when the raven haired child had explained why he didn't like the food here. The house-elves were happy to help him out, making many of his favourite dishes with ease. They were pleasant company as well, only too happy to share any tips or experiences with him. Haruto was thankful for their company on this night. Neville would have joined him, but Haruto had insisted the blonde enjoy the feast. His pain on this night was not for Neville.

When he entered the upper levels again, an overwhelming sense of fear and panic filled Haruto. It was as if the entire population of Hogwarts was scared and in a panic. Fear gripped the raven haired child, making him bite his lip. Following the feeling of uneasiness, Haruto wondered if he should just head back to the common room. Something told him to return another way though. That someone might need his help.

Slowly making his way to the second floor, Haruto could feel the newly healed skin on his arms and legs tighten. Entering this part of the castle felt wrong and painful, as if there was something far too powerful sleeping down these parts. Something or someone shrieked. The high pitched sound made it sound like a girl and Haruto slowly approached the room where it seemed to be coming from. When the raven haired child realised it was a girl's bathroom, he became even more hesitant but the smell and the sound of something crashing made him react almost automatically.

What he saw almost made him freeze in fear. Fighting against it and his panic Haruto noticed someone standing behind the monster. Trying to get past the smell, Haruto watched in horror as the creature made to attack whoever it was. Without really knowing why or what he was doing, Haruto gathered around him some magic and called out with closed eyes. "Chaos Command Magician!"

The creature turned at the sound of his voice and Haruto could see Hermione standing in the corner of the toilet, eyes wide with fear. It all disappeared in a short second when a cloud of smoke covered the bathroom, blinding both child and monster. The magician appeared before Haruto, ready to defend him in his crisis. "Ready to be of service Mutou-sama," the magician said.

Haruto blushed at the suffix, but sighed in relief at the appearance of the strong magician. "Please help us," the raven haired child whispered, staring up at the monster who raised his weapon again to strike.

"Hai!" The magician raised its staff, making the orbs on his clothing glow a bright red. There was something incredibly beautiful about the magician before him as he radiated in power. Gathering it all around him, the magician shot out a blast, knocking the monster back and away from Hermione. Running around, Haruto quickly moved towards Hermione who was still staring at the spot where the Troll had been, frozen in shock.

"Hermione wake up," he said, shaking the browned haired girl by the shoulders to snap her out of her daze. She blinked a few times, before winching when she noticed she had bitten her lip till it bled. "It's over now. You don't have to be afraid anymore." Haruto turned towards the magician with a smile and bowed respectfully. "Arigato Chaos."

The magician kneeled before him, bowing its head. "Glad to be of help Mutou-sama. Till next time." And with a great cloud of smoke, the magician disappeared. Haruto turned back to Hermione with a sigh of relief. "Are you okay now?"

She stared at him, her mouth opened in disbelief. "What…?"

"Well at least you're speaking again," Haruto said with a small smile. He was panting slightly. Apparently getting the magician to appear took out a lot of energy from him, more then he would have thought. Sweat rolled down the side of his face which Haruto wiped away. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Hermione shook her head, sinking towards the floor as the energy left her legs. At that moment a few teachers decided to show up. Professor McGonagall looked shocked at the sight and Haruto couldn't blame her. The Troll had taken down the toilet block, creating a hole in the floor where it had fallen. Even the attack of the magician had created some damage. Most of the lights had been taken out or had burst and two of the five sinks had been taken down. Professor Snape, expressionless as ever, looked at Haruto with a calculating look. It wasn't like he had done it before, but the fact that they were standing in a ruined bathroom made Haruto cringe slightly. He paid professor Quirrell no mind. The strange teacher had already sought refuge in one of the cubical which was still standing.

"What's the meaning of this?" professor McGonagall spoke, shock and disbelief clearly evident in her voice.

Seeing how Hermione had only just found her voice again, Haruto spoke up. "I was down in the kitchens for dinner tonight. I was just on my way up when I heard a strange noise and smelled something weird, so I went to see if I could find where it was coming from. When I came here I heard Hermione-chan scream and something crash. I thought she might have fallen over or something and only wished to help."

"An unlikely story," professor Snape said, still staring at Haruto with an emotionless expression. "Tell me mister Potter -"

"Mutou," Haruto whispered silently.

"- why were you in the kitchens, which is off limits to the students? Were you not good enough for the festivities in the Great Hall?"

Haruto's gaze hardened for the first time in his life. "I will not join festivities on the day of my birth parents' death. I may not have known them, but it would be disrespectful towards them. If it is your wish that I join in on your custom's then I must say that I no longer wish to be here."

"We've had this conversation before Mr Potter…" sneered professor Snape, clearly losing his patience with the raven haired child again.

"Mutou," Haruto said, growing angry with the man for the first time. "I told you, my name is Mutou." The words echoed through the bathroom, just as the last of his energy left him. Haruto landed on his knees, falling forward when his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

A/N: Someone asked me about parings. The thing is that I haven't given it much thought. I'm not yet sure when or where the ending is going to be and, especially Haruto, is only eleven at the moment. I'm not sure if I want to make it a Haruto/Yuugi love story or if I just want to keep them as brothers. Let me know what you guys think.
Also, let me know if you think I should keep the Chaos Command Magician as Haruto's 'soul' card or if you think a different one out be better.
Thanks for all the reviews and till next time!

Translations done with Google translate. My Japanese is not that good :P
*Hottoite means: leave me alone
**Boku wa nete intai means: I don't want to sleep

Updated 21-07-2013

Some may noticed I changed 'watashi' to 'boku'. I actually wanted to leave it before to giving Haruto a more feminine speech. In the end I decided that 'boku' would do.