Disclaimer: The owning of Death Note illegally will land me in jail. I think that practically explained all.
A/N: Hope you enjoy and read through everything and think if this story is worthy of being reviewed or not. If it's not, I give in to my mistakes and if it is, I will love you forever. As most of you all know, reviews motivated the author to update faster no matter if it's a flame or not. You can flame and write critics on this story as long as you provide a subtle reason as of why you flame me.
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-Chapter 4-
Black, Alive?
Harry Potter was bored. He had spent the entire past holidays sending numerous letters in hope of obtaining further information on any suspicious movements of the Death Eaters; Voldermort to be precise. The Daily Prophet, like the usual, was full of crap and rubbish, trying to calm the wizarding world down by saying that You-Know-Who is currently powerless and all and taught them the precautions they needed to know for self-defense.
It seemed to Harry that the Ministry of Magic wasn't being truthful enough but this was fine as long as everybody acknowledged the fact that Voldermort is back and is seeking. His room was strewn with his possessions and a load of trash such as candy wrappers and used parchments with his messy handwriting scribbled roughly across in. The boy had been trying his best to think of what to come up with.
An excuse, perhaps? Anything would be a dream come true to him if it meant getting away from the Dursleys. The Dursleys weren't any fun now. They had been terrified ever since they learnt of the fact that Harry was now legal to use magic outside the wizarding world. Once, Harry, in a fit of rage had used a spell on his cousin, Dudley that sent him floating in mid-air for weeks. Uncle Vernon and Petunia had locked him in his room ever since.
He snorted at the thought. The boy remembered those life-threatening days where they would sneak out of bed some nights at Hogwarts, much to Hermione Granger's protest. But he and Ron never listened so she would always give in at the end. And also, the death of his beloved godfather, Sirius Black. It was as if it was only yesterday when Sirius had come to save him and even risked his life doing it. Something in the pits of his stomach told Harry it was his fault, no one else but his alone.
But Voldermort was back! Surely he could do something? He grimaced. He just did. His actions had just killed his godfather.
Trying to stifle a sniff, the golden boy buried his head in between his knees, hoping that nothing will go wrong this term since he couldn't afford any casualties from now on. He knew it was practically pointless to even think of the past. But it hurts. It really hurts. Adjusting his broken glasses, he proceeded to rummage through his trunk to find something which might help to cure his boredom.
It was still a hot blazing afternoon. Ron, this time, knew perfectly well on how to use a telephone and had called Harry yesterday afternoon about staying over at his place. Harry had quickly agreed to his offer and told his uncle and aunt about it. They gave a sighed of relief and replied yes. Harry couldn't help but snort. They were obviously very keen on having the boy gone for the whole entire year.
Harry continued to steal glances at the old alarm clock by his bed ever since he received the phone call. He wanted to get out of this house fast. As if god was reading his mind, a loud strangled cry of rage came from downstairs, startling the boy with a jump. Harry grinned, knowing that his ride was here at last. He jumped across his room; snatching everything he needed and threw it into his wide-open trunk.
Nudging his snowy owl, Hedwig into the cage, he could hear Uncle Vernon's furious shout downstairs in the living room, "DUDLEY! MY BOY! DON'T!"
Throwing in his wizard chess set, he proceeded to clamp his trunk down with a loud snap before leaning over and wrenched the bedroom door open, just in time to hear his aunt screaming like a mad woman.
The boy froze in his actions, a sudden dread churned in his stomach, wondering what on earth had the Weasleys done now. Silently hoping that it won't be anything big, he dragged his trunk out of his room and dumped it at the top of the staircase before running down the stairs at the same time, his face registered nothing but happiness. His steps soon came to an abrupt halt since he heard nothing else but the loud bawls of his mostly hateful cousin, Dudley.
Carefully making his way to the living room, Harry poked his head in and what he saw made him had the sudden urge to laugh. Ronald Weasley was sprawled over his fat cousin with Fred and George sitting victoriously on top of him while Mr. Weasley was admiring the work of a television and kept on asking never-ending questions on how do people actually got in there. The expression on his uncle and aunt's face was priceless and that alone made Harry laughed.
"Funny peak up, don't you think so? Ronniekins." The twins teased, poking their brother who was buried under them with their wands.
"Mmf-off-mmh!" Came the outrageous cry of Ron with Dudley bawling underneath.
It appeared to Harry that they came by floo powder. Dudley looked like his usual strength was sucked out of him as he lay on the floor whimpering and bawling loudly at the sudden intruders. His father and mother were helpless since their face registered nothing but shock. After making sure that it was safe to go in, Harry trampled over the fallen desk. "You all came!" He laughed.
"Harry- My boy! Still the young lad as usual." Arthur Weasley spoke up, sidestepping the twins who just wouldn't bother to get up from their almost comfortable seat. Ron squirmed more than ever and finally got the sudden strength to shout out loud. "GET OFF ME!"
The twins mimicked their little brother. "Get of me! Now Ronniekins, that isn't nice. Where are your manners? Surely, our mother has implanted some manners into that potty mouth of yours?" They sang, chuckling as Ron turned another shade of purple.
"Afternoon, Mr. Weasley." Harry greeted.
"Afternoon to you too, my boy. You looked…thinner than ever! Whatever been these muggles feeding you? Worn out spinaches?" He cried out, grabbing Harry's arm and mentally measured them in the process. Harry could only chuckled nervously. Just as what Mr. Weasley had said, the Dursleys had been treating him like he was some sort of creature from outer space and hadn't given him much food to eat. He was already used to it though.
"Don't worry Harry! Mom will fatten you up once you get to the Burrow." Ron squeaked up from under the twins.
"She had been awfully depressed and worried sick about you." Fred piped up while George sighed dramatically. "Besides, we got guests."
"Guests? What guests?" Harry questioned curiously.
"You will know once we get there." Mr. Weasley interrupted. "Now Harry, is your trunk packed?"
"Yes. It's packed."
"Good. Now we better get going. Molly's going to have a fit if we're late for dinner." He said softly before ushering the boy to get his belongings so they could get out of here soon enough. Harry briefly nodded and rushed upstairs to get his trunk. Heaving his trunk in one hand and holding Hedwig's cage in another, he slowly walked down the stairs and into the living room.
Ron by now was standing flushed beside the fireplace and the twins were nowhere to be found. Mr. Weasley was apologizing for their sudden intrusion to his still flabbergasted uncle and aunt. Meanwhile, Dudley fainted from what he would call as wizard infection.
"Dad told Fred and George to be off first so they can help mom to be ready for dinner," said Ron, straightening his robes and using his fingers to rake his hair flat with difficulty. "Dad said that he got something important to do and went off. It was supposed to be Dumbledore who was going to fetch you but mom said that he got someone important to meet. No idea who that person is though. Sounds mysterious." He muttered meekly, handing Harry some floo powder.
"By the way, is your aunt and uncle continue to stare at us like that? I feel awkward."
Harry laughed softly. "No idea. They are probably going to be like this until Dudley wakes up and screams."
"That's better. Come on. The others are waiting for you. Worried not, mom's going to feed you. Look at me. I gained two pounds in a week!" He said, throwing in some floo powder into the fireplace and shouted, "The Burrow" loudly.
Harry heaved his trunk into the fireplace with Hedwig perched on top of it. Clutching his belongings and the cage tightly, he bided a hasty goodbye to the still shocked Dursleys before doing the same procedure as what Ron did before.
"The Burrow."
And he disappeared in the flames.
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There were a lot of things and situations that had left Harry in awe and telling him that he had not expected this at all. One of the things he had not expected was to see a stranger crouching in his seat in a weird manner, continuously stacking sugar cubes with courtesy of Molly Weasley. He had thought he was probably the Weasley's guest as well as the one who Fred had mentioned earlier.
But there was something mysterious about the guy and he couldn't seem to lay his finger on it. Black owlish eyes suddenly looked up and spared a small glance at the golden boy. His face was devoid of all emotions and Harry couldn't help but to suppress the sudden shiver down his spine. There was something about this guy and he would have to talk to Hermione about it later.
Dinner was as great as ever and everyone applauded to her excellent cooking once more. Face reddened by the comments, she smiled cheerfully. After dinner, Harry hugged Hermione who looked like she could burst any minute from now on.
"Harry! I missed you! Anything happened?" She asked desperately, her face pink from worrying. Ron scoffed and mumbled. "Told you nothing's wrong. You have been worrying yourself too much Hermione."
"Honestly! Don't tell me that you haven't been trying to call Harry for the past few days to ask how he's been feeling." Hermione retorted, casting a glare in Ron's direction who in turn, had turned a deep shade of red.
Harry just had to break the two up. "Guys! I'm fine!" He exclaimed, turning round and round just to convince his friends that he was perfectly healthy.
The black-haired teen just couldn't resist looking at the quiet guest one more time, his mind full of questionable thoughts. Hermione and Ron seemed to notice it and followed their friend's gaze straight to the guy who was still stacking sugar cubes on the dining table. Able to read Harry's thoughts, the bushy-haired girl cleared her voice and ushered the two males upstairs to their bedroom.
That was when their conversation really started.
Closing the door shut behind them softly, the two boys proceeded to plop down onto the bed while Hermione resolved for a seat by the tightly shut window. Silence elapsed them as the three of them stared at the floor as if they were in deep thoughts. None of them knew what to say and couldn't even find the courage to say it out loud. There was no one here except them. So…it shouldn't be that hard to spit the contents out, right?
The uncomfortable silent in the room made them feel distance from each other. Hermione, clutching the edges of her stool, bit her lips, her eyes showed nothing but fear. She was the first one to break the silence in the room. Smacking her lips, she began, "I felt like it was ages since I saw you two." She chuckled nervously.
Rolling his eyes, Ron slid off the bed and exclaimed in an irritated tone. "Oh come on, Hermione! We know what you wanted to say! So just tell us what's bothering you!"
"I wanted to but I couldn't help it. The eyes. They looked like they could see right through me." She trembled.
Harry yanked the sheets right to his chin before rolling to the left. He muttered, "Just who is he anyway?"
Ron merely shrugged. "I don't know. He just shows up like that with Dumbledore. Reckon that he's probably a great person."
"Ron!" Hermione burst out. "He looks barely sixteen!"
Narrowing his eyes, he retorted back. "Look at Harry! He's just sixteen and already is famous! Haven't you heard? Dumbledore was supposed to be the one who was going to fetch Harry but suddenly poof! A change of plan! And he went to get that weird protruding cow who had been nibbling on my color sugar cubes ever since!" He said crossly, loud enough only for the other two occupants to hear. "That means how important he is!"
"Ron!" Hermione exploded, glaring sharply at Ron to tell him to shut up.
"What?"
She cast a worried look at Harry who was being quiet throughout the whole conversation and then back to Ron. The red-haired Weasley's mouth gave a small o shape and lowered his head down even more. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, feeling guilty at his comment.
Harry sat up abruptly and smiled which further Ron's guilt even more. "Ron's right, Hermione. He must be one who can help with the Order since Voldermort," Ron winced at the mention of the dark name which Harry promptly ignored. "Is back." The bushy haired girl stood up from her seat and squeezed Ron's shoulder tightly.
"For heaven's sake, Ronald! Just get over with it already!" said Hermione, slapping her forehead in distress.
"Let's see how you feel for having to live up with that name for years." He retorted grimly.
Harry laughed softly and nodded in respond. "You got a point."
"I always have a point!" said Ron, who looked oddly groggy at the floor.
Lips curling into a sly grin, she countered back. "Yes but the problem is you pick things up slower than the normal."
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do!"
"I said I do not!"
"Oh yes you do!"
The bickering duo shut up at once when the door suddenly flung open as Mrs. Weasley walked in nervously. She cast a small worried look to the trio before gesturing the newcomer to come in. The sugar insomniac nodded briefly, taking one step at a time cautiously as if there was going to be a bomb inside the room, waiting to blow up any second from now. Ron glared at the new member angrily before striding off to stand beside Hermione once he reached the wall.
Harry, feeling a bit awkward, yanked the sheet higher so that it covered his face or best, his entire head to prevent from being noticed. Mrs. Weasley smiled weakly as black owlish eyes looked around the room. Nodding again for the second once he set a foot into the room, he said. "This will do. Thank you."
Ron stared at his mother curiously. Clearing her throat, she started, "Ronald and Harry, Ryuuzaki here will be sharing a room with you. So now boys, play nice." She added a very unconvincing smile at the end of her phrase.
Ron felt like his world had came crashing down right at that very moment. "We will what?.!" He exploded furiously, his eyes widening to the size of a saucer. "But mom if he is going to stay here, what about me and Harry! This room is big enough for only two people!"
"Oh come on, dear. It won't be that bad. Three's not a crowd here. If you want, you can always share with Bill."
"There's no way I'm sleeping with that pig!"
"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley snapped crossly. "Don't be rude to your brother!"
Muttering something about mothers who never understood their children, he folded his arms and sat down on the floor fuming.
"Whether you like it or not, Ryuuzaki willl be staying here with us until the term starts." She said quickly before turning to face Ryuuzaki who looked undisturbed by the comment. "I'm so sorry about my son's behavior. He had been touchy lately."
Ryuuzaki shook his head slowly, his eyes boring onto the figure on the bed. He went to sit in a corner, stuffing his thumb into his mouth for further comfort. Ron chose to wrinkle his nose in disgust at the boy's lack of manners. Without any invitations of sorts, the raven-haired boy began, "That is a quite troubled look you have there, Mrs. Weasley."
Hermione nodded curtly, her eyes fell on Mrs Weasley dully, unable to find the right words to say. Everyone paused in his or her movements at that particular phrase and like Hermione, they knew it was going to come soon enough. Clearing her voice for the last time in the room, she answered meekly, "Oh, it's nothing, dear. Don't have to get worried over me for nothing."
It came out more like a croak. Ryuuzaki tilted his head to at Mrs. Weasley direction before asking again, "Are you sure, Mrs. Weasley? You have been having that look on ever since dinner. I do hope that nothing surely had gotten out of hand for you." He spoke the words out in fluent English, making the occupants of the room looked in awe.
Millions of questions exploded in Harry's head, his mind asking who is this peculiar teen? What had he been doing with Dumbledore and what made him so special. He grimaced at his ugly thoughts. Was he jealous? Was he that angry that Dumbledore hadn't chosen him over this boy who just appeared out of the blue? Or maybe he was just being a paranoid? He sighed grimly at that.
Breaking the silence once more time, Mrs. Weasley said softly, her eyes near to tears and her nervous system near to breakdown. "It's Arthur. He's not home yet."
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The trio had spent the rest of the hours trying to calm the devastated woman down but Ryuuzaki paid no heed to it. He just sat calmly down at the corner, his mind doing various sorts of mental calculations. Knowing that it will be an okay situation for them, he crossed out the thought of actually saying it for an awhile. After all, it was of nothing big.
Ron, however wasn't able to hold up his anger anymore as Mrs. Weasley cried and cried, thinking of all the possibilities that her husband could be in danger. "Hey you!" he shouted loudly at the sugar-obsessed fiend. His anger rose to its peak at once when Ryuuzaki promptly ignored him.
"Hey you! Just what in the blazing pits of hell do you think you're doing! You're staying in my house and can't you even say anything for god sakes?" He hollered, struggling to get free from his friends who now pinned him onto the wall.
"Ron! Calm down!" Harry and Hermione shouted in unison. "Just calm down! He didn't do anything wrong!"
"But look at him! He just shows that kind of expression in which he didn't cared at all. Truthfully, he's acting like a bloody Slytherin, cold-blooded and all!"
Hermione cast a worried glance at Harry who just smiled in return. For now, all they could do is wait and see if Mr. Weasley is going to come home safe or not. If not, they just had to prepare for the worst thing that is to come. Ryuuzaki remained quiet for the next few minutes. Finally making up his mind, he involuntarily spoke out, 'Mr. Weasley will arrive safe back home. So I see no point in worrying about him."
"Why you little…" Again, Ronald Weasley was pinned to the wall for the next few minutes by a defensive spell, courtesy of Hermione who reminded Rona again and again to control his temper.
"But Hermione!"
"No buts. This is the last straw. Surely Ron, do you really want to have a class on anger management that much?"
He fell silent after that. The door to the room suddenly flew open and Ginny came in. "Mom! Dad's back."
With a squeal of happiness, Mrs. Weasley rushed out of the door rapidly as Ginny rolled her eyes in defeat. "Was she even that happy if we got home late?" Ron muttered darkly, glaring at the blackhead angrily.
Ginny scoffed. "Not if you just landed yourself in deep trouble. But I just can't see to it why it's so depressing to mom."
"Haven't you heard of couples? Mom did say that their hearts beat as one."
"More like half because you will see how mom is going to yell at dad for making her worry later."
With that she turned on her heels and ran down the stairs with the trio tagging behind her. Ryuuzaki momentarily paused in his steps before continuing his walk down the stairs too, his mind fully aware that he was not welcomed by the teen-inhabitants of the house except for the grownups who had treated him nicely. As what he had assumed earlier, it came true. Dumbledore had told him that he and Mr. Weasley had an emergency called. That was why he didn't come for dinner.
Poking his head into the living room, he watched on as Mrs. Weasley cried and ranted on and on about worried she was. She raised her voice on each level and finally Mr. Weasley exploded. "Will you all please keep quiet!" He roared angrily. It had been a frustrating day and couldn't his family just leave him alone just for even one mere second? A brief knock on the door caught their attention.
Ryuuzaki smiled at the incoming guest whom he knew instantly was Dumbledore. The old wizard sure had a knack for arriving at a bad timing. He carefully and slowly made his way into the room before seating himself at a black-colored couch, listening intently to what they had to say about it. Dumbledore walked into the room with a stern look on his face. He turned to face Ryuuzaki who looked up in return.
"Ryuuzaki-san." He said sternly, silencing everyone at once. "I'm afraid we're already too late."
Shutting his eyes, Ryuuzaki lowered his head before turning to look back up at Dumbledore. "I see." It came out more of a disappointment. "But we still have next time. You all had done your best from preventing it from happening. I applaud to you for that."
Dumbledore smiled gently before replying, "I thank you. However, we do have an important witness to come of account."
"Oh? That is?"
"A Squid apparently was inside her house at that time. Fortunately, she lived beside the shop."
A sudden dread churned inside Harry's stomach. But it felt different form the usual. A feeling of happiness and excitement were mixed into tit. Even him couldn't describe what this feeling is as he looked on at the conversation between the vulnerable headmaster and the fellow newcomer.
"Arthur?"
Mrs. Weasley hastily spoke up, looking at her husband's troubled face. "What's wrong?"
"What we have been trying to say is that…Trox Mundungus is dead," said Arthur Weasley quickly. "She was a great loss to the Order."
"But she works for You-Know-Who!" She gasped.
"She did Molly. The witness said that she immediately ran into the shop just in time to see three figures apparated and a figure lying on the ground. We got there late and unrecalled for. She did say something which was quite impossible." Dumbledore queried, his fingers raking his long white beard softly.
"What is it, Professor?" Harry asked, stepping into the conversation.
What he heard made his heart stopped.
"She heard the victim shouted, 'Black. Help me.'"
None could find the words to describe how they feel but what Ron said after that clarified one important thing.
"Bloody hell…"
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Err…not much of L-action but there's a lot of talk involving L. He's still a mystery to them. Let's see if he will blend in the crowd or not. And lookie! Bad first impression. XD I'm mean to the bones. Stay tune to the next chapter.
Preview:
Chapter 5: The Train Ride
"Platform what?" Raito asked, surprised at the sudden mention of the train's platform.
"Nine and three Quarters." A wizard replied irritatingly.
"For your information, there's no platform nine and three quarters."
"Sure there is. You just have to know where to look."
"One more talk of this rubbish and I will have you drop dead in 40 seconds!"
"Is that a threat?"
"Sure it is. Want to bet?"
Teasers for the next chapter.