Chapter 29
After the commotion calmed down, Harry was found once again in the twins' presence in the small back room. This time however instead of Ron joining him, Kagome volunteered in on the debate.
Ron had wanted to come but when he overheard Koga trying to escort Hermione to her room for a, how Koga put it, a 'thrilling debate' about the differences of his world and hers, he seemed to think the best place for him would be upstairs with Hermione.
Harry honestly didn't mind, the only thing that seemed a setback was they had to explain anything magical to Kagome. He was surprised, however, when she knew more then when they spoke last time.
"Hermione has been telling me things about your world," Kagome replied sheepishly. She had no idea why she was turning red, but she only hoped in the dim light none of the others would notice.
One person did notice, but thankfully George knew when to keep his mouth shut. He wondered what was going on between the two ever since he saw them holding hands, and overheard their 'conversation' in the woods.
"Well I can see you got the sword, but did you run into any of our old friends?" Fred asked, breaking the moment of silence after Kagome's awkward statement.
"We saw Hagrid, Madam Rosmerta, and well that was about it." Harry stared at the table.
"Didn't you go into the office; you know Dumbled- the headmaster's office?" George knew that it was hard for even him to mention Dumbledore's name.
"Yeah, we had to get the sword out of there." Harry's deadpan answer came.
"Harry talked to a painting of a tree, and it gave us some very interesting clues." Fred burst out laughing after this. Harry seemed to wake from his thoughts to look over at the twin.
"Oh that is too good, the man came back as a tree! Oh I bet the others hated that!" Even Harry was confused, but George seemed to connect to what his brother was saying because he soon started laughing as well.
"When the headmaster's die, they come back to give their wisdom to the next headmaster. And Dumbledore came back as a tree!" George was able to control himself only long enough for him to explain to the two non-redheads, but when he reached the end of his short speech he burst out laughing again.
"He probably gave the reason, that when he was headmaster he got tired of only looking at portraits of old men and women!" Fred was able to get out before he started laughing.
Harry now joined in the gaiety along with the twins, he couldn't understand why he had been so sad about Dumbledore's death but now he somehow felt better than he had in the past few hours.
"No he said, he hated to have his portrait done." Kagome had hoped that would calm the boys down but it seemed only to increase their hilarity.
After much laughter and Kagome glaring at every boy in the room and pondering going up to her room, did they settle down.
"Now dear, lady Kagome, what were you saying before we so rudely interrupted you?" Kagome glared at the twin who had taken a mock bow before her, they could be charming when they wanted to, reminding her of a certain monk.
"I was saying the tree," that got a few sniggers, which were cut off prematurely when Kagome threw them all a glower, "it said whatever Harry was seeking was in a house he had been to in his mind." This made all of them very serious. "Harry," she said turning to the boy next to her, "do you thing what that, that tree said was what you saw in the Pensive?"
Harry nodded, perhaps it was good to have Kagome with them, it would have taken him longer to get to the Pensive. He motioned to the twins, "do you guys have a map? We need to find Tom Riddle Senior's house."
"Oh!" Kagome squeaked, the other three stared at her.
"What?"
"I just, no wait, well maybe…" Kagome seemed not to notice she was not making any sense. She got up and ran out of the room. Harry turned to Fred and George, they both shrugged.
"I don't know anything about girl troubles, mate." Said one of the twins, they didn't have to wait long before Kagome came back.
"Is everything ok?" Harry said staring at Kagome very apprehensive.
"Yes, well, I mean, I guess…. Yes I'm fine." Kagome said realizing she was sounding like a complete idiot. She smoothed out the paper she was carrying and let it fall on the table.
The boys watched Kagome as her nose bent down and searched the map in front of her.
"Aha!" She shouted in triumph. "There see," she pointed at a place on the map, the three others leaned in to see what she was pointing at.
Right next to her finger Harry was able to read small writing stating: Historical Society: The Riddle House. Harry was impressed with Kagome's memory to find the spot so readily.
When he was about to congratulate her, his eyes fell on the prophecy they discovered last time the map was out.
"Kagome," he said harshly, "did you get a different map?"
"No, why?" Kagome looked at the person sitting next to her in alarm.
"Because it changed." Was all he said as Kagome looked down and saw he was right. "One of you better get Hermione. She may be able to read this." Harry said quickly, and by the tone of his voice both twins got up and left to find Hermione.
"Harry, I can read this part, it's in Japanese." Kagome whispered. She seemed frightened of something, her face had gone pale and a slight sweat beaded up on her neck and cheeks. Harry tried to comfort her by taking her hand as it lay limply on the table. Harry had seen Kagome only once before like this, it was on the first day they met next to the cemetery.
"It says An unspeakable power will arise before it is finished, for Good, For Evil none will know until it has been diminished." Kagome stopped reading, Harry still holding her hand tight. When the door banged open he slid their clasped fingers under the table, but refused to let go.
Hermione went instantly to the map, she studied it, and then turned to the others.
"This half is purely Ancient Runes, I can read this without a book. It says Good cannot exist with evil lost, one cannot replace the other at any cost."
"So it reads:
An unspeakable power will arise before it is finished,
For Good, For Evil none will know until it has been diminished,
Good cannot exist with evil lost,
One cannot replace the other at any cost."
Kagome intoned over the silent crowd in the room they were all occupied in.
Everyone stayed silent for a while as the seriousness melted over them. Then there was a crash above their heads and then silence. Inuyasha's voice rang out over the hushed people downstairs.
"Damn kid!"
The silence rang over the group again, then all at once they started laughing. Harry wondered why it felt so good to laugh at the breadth of the power facing them, but when he thought of Shippo pulling some crazy prank on Inuyasha and the hanyou chasing him he just started to laugh.
Shippo did indeed play a trick on Inuyasha. Apparently he got a hold of one of Fred and George's fake wands, but Shippo had 'improved' it.
He hid the wand under Inuyasha's seat in the corner of their room so when the hanyou went to it he was forced to reach under the mat to find out what was sticking him.
When the others made it to their room they found a very grumpy Inuyasha sitting on top of a giant, purple Pigmy Puff, who apparently loved the warm thing above it, and was purring quite loudly.
Fred, Kagome, Hermione, and Harry all fell to the floor, their legs unable to hold them up after the tremendous bout of laughter they were all experiencing. They were soon joined by Ron, Koga, and a very disgruntled Sesshomaru. Koga and Ron soon followed suit and fell to the floor like the others and even Sesshomaru had a tiny smile escape his lips.
George, the only one who was able to keep his cool, pointed his wand at the pigmy puff. The thing shrank to its normal size, but it didn't disappear. The puff snuggled up to Inuyasha's cheek and finally ended up in the crook of Inuyasha's neck.
Inuyasha was livid, his face was redder than the robes he wore. He started to grab at the pigmy puff but it scooted away from his claws and hid at the base of his neck under his head. Inuyasha turned and looked at all the figures in the door, well at the foot of the door, daring them to laugh at him.
They dared.