Of Wizards, Akuma, and Exorcists
One: The Ministry of Magic and the Black Order
Disclaimer: I do not own any D. Gray-Man or Harry Potter characters/settings. They rightfully belong to Mr. Hoshino (D. Gray-Man) and Ms. Rowling (Harry Potter). Also, some conversations between the Harry Potter characters are direct quotes from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and that also does not belong to me!
Allen watched the worn out hat intently as he made his way towards the stool. It was ripped, stained, and downright just old. The woman holding it up, Professor McGonagall, stared down her nose at him with slight disapprovement (of what, why?) and curiosity. With her gaze, she told him to hurry up and sit.
Allen did, and she placed the oversized hat atop his head. It almost covered his eyes, it being so big.
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the soft whispering of the other students. And then, the hat moved abruptly. In a barely audible voice, he said, "Aha...you're cursed too, eh?" and everyone gasped. "And I see you're not too bothered by it either, surprisingly. In you I see...great courage and honesty. You've seen many hardships, I see. But oh, what's this?" He paused. Then spoke again. "You have a dark side. Not that it will, in any way, endanger anyone, it being so...insignificant. Right, right..."
Allen felt his hands shaking and gripped them tight. He realized he was scared. He was familiar with humans-turned-machines and the dead wearing their beloved's skin; he'd even seen floating candles while fighting a Noah. But talking hat's? Nu-uh.
The Sorting Hat stopped talking and sat still on Allen's ruffled mess of white hair. Allen, at that point, probably experienced the longest moment of his life before the hat yelled out a house name. To the young Exorcist's relief, it was Gryffindor.
"I knew you'd come here, Allen!" Lavi cheered as his best friend sat down between him and Lenalee.
"Thanks, Lavi," Allen said, grinning. Lavi smiled back and turned to the two red haired boys sitting next to him. They were twins, Allen noted. "Who're they?"
The twins, hearing the question, leaned over and held out their hands. "I'm Fred-" one said.
"-And George. Weasley," the other cut in
"Nice to meet you, Allen Walker," they said in unison
"They're the trouble makers of the school," a girl sitting across from Lavi sighed playfully, tugging at her bushy brown hair and giving a gentle smile. "I'm Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you."
"Hello," Allen said to the three, shaking the twins' hands and smiling at Hermione. From the corner of his eye, he saw a third redhead glare at him, then at Hermione.
Lenalee leaned over. "There are so many red haired people here," she observed.
"What's that, Miss?" Fred piped up.
"You say there are many red haired people?" George asked.
"What? No- I mean-"
"No big, Lenalee," Lavi said, waving his hand. "They don't mind."
"Who's that boy over there, Hermione?" Allen asked the girl, pointing to the one who had glared at him earlier.
"Do you mean Harry?" said Hermione. "That's Harry Potter. Don't you know him?"
"Um, maybe..."Allen muttered. He glanced over at the boy again, who was talking to a black haired boy with glasses. Allen guessed that he was Harry Potter, and decided to ask the redheaded boy's name later, for apparently, he and Hermione were talking about different people. Maybe the black haired boy was a common topic of conversation...?
A ringing sound cut through the chatter, and all of the students quieted down. Allen looked up and saw Albus Dumbledore was standing up again; all eyes were on him, even the one of the froggy woman. Seeing her 'pleasant' smile, Allen felt irritation once more. She'd get along well with Kanda, maybe, he thought bitterly, although part of him highly doubted the possibility of that. Kanda never got along with anyone...
Dumbledore sweeped the room slowly with his bright blue eyes. "To our newcomers," he said, his arms stretched wide as if to embrace everything and everyone, "welcome! To our old hands- welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
Everyone laughed heartily yet politely at those words and applauded as Dumbledore seated himself once more. Allen looked down at his plate in wonder, asking himself why the headmaster had told everyone to tuck in when there was no food- when pop! Magically, piles and piles of delicious looking food materialized on the table. From down the table, Allen heard someone groan, "Excellent," before he himself grabbed the nearest chicken leg (a big one at that) and bit off a large portion of it.
"Allen, Allen," he heard Lenalee whisper. "There's a ghost!"
Nearly spitting out his food (a waste that would've been if he had), Allen looked up and at the nearly see-through body of a man, who was looking forlornly at the red haired boy that had glared at Allen. The boy, he saw, was eating the food greedily.
"I don't see anything strange anymore about ghosts, Lenalee," Allen whispered back, sighing slightly. "I've seen too much already, nothing surprises me anymore."
Hermione was trying to ask the ghost a question. Begrudging himself for being nosy, yet too curious not to eavesdrop, Allen listened in on the conversation. "What were you asying before the sorting? the bushy haired girl asked. "About the hat giving warnings?"
"Oh yes," said the ghost, looking rather happy. He turned away from the boy, who was eating potatoes at a sickening speed. (Not that Allen had any right to be disgusted by him, for he too was devouring his food with an almost equally indecent enthusiasm.) "Yes, I have heard the hat give several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. And always, of course, its advice is the same: Stand together, be strong from within."
"Ow kunit node skusin danger ifzat?"
Lenalee, Allen, and Lavi's heads snapped up at the almost unhuman voice. Following Hermione's and the ghost's gaze, Allen saw that it was the red haired boy, and that his face was stuffed with food. Relieved that the voice hadn't belonged to an alien, Allen and Lenalee laughed a little, and Lavi went back to talking to Fred and George.
"I beg your pardon? said the ghost politely, although Hermione looked quite shocked. The boy swallowed hard and repeated his question, "How can it know if the school's in danger if it's a hat?"
"I have no idea. Of course, it lives in Dumbledore's office, so I daresay it picks things up from there," answered the ghost.
A warning, only given before something bad happens, Allen thought suspiciously, and made a mental note to tell Komui about it later.
Harry looked over at the Slytherin table, the only one where no Exorcist had been sorted into. "And it wants all the houses to be friends?" he said, as if that was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever head. "Fat chance." Allen guessed it must be, for both Hermione and the other boy looked as if to be in agreement.
"Well, now, you shouldn't take that attitude. Peaceful cooperation, that's the key. We ghotst, though we belong to separate houses, maintain links of friendship. In spite of the competitiveness between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I would never dream of seeking an argument with the Bloody Baron," said the ghost good-naturedly.
"Only becuse you're terrified of him."
"Terrified? I hope I, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, have never been guilty of cowerdice in my life," the ghost, who Allen now knew as Sir Nicholas, sniffed heatedly. "The noble blood that runs in my veins-"
"What blood? Surely you haven't still got-?" the boy interrupted.
"It's a figure of speech!" Sir Nicholas snapped. The Exorcists swore his head wobbled on his shoulders. "I assume I am still allowed to enjoy the use of whichever words I like, even if the pleasures of eating and drinking are denied me! But I am quite used to students poking fun at my death, I assure you!"
Hermione threw the boy an angry glare and said to the fuming ghost, "Nick, he wasn't really laughing at you!"
"Node iddum eentup sechew," said the boy, his mouth, once again, filled to bursting point.
Sir Nicholas, looking, if possible, angrier than before, swept away from his seat beside Hermione and floated into the space between two tiny boys.
"Well done, Ron," Allen heard Hermione say to the boy.
"What?" said the boy, Ron. "I'm not allowed to ask a simple question?"
"Oh, forget it," said Hermione. She turned to Allen, who'd completely forgotten how he was eavesdropping and was now staring at the space Sir Nicholas used to be. "I'm sorry Allen, Lenalee. It's your first day here and you had to see a fight. Ron could be insensitive sometimes, and.."
"Oh, it's alright," Lenalee reassured nervously. Allen glanced in Ron's direction and saw him glaring at Hermione (with jealousy?) and Harry eating steadily through his food. Apparently, he was used to Ron's and Hermione's bickering.
Several minutes passed in silence between the threesome and the Exorcists. Allen gulped down as much food as possible, sometimes earning revolted glances from Lenalee and amused ones from Lavi and the twins. Hermione kept looking at him, and when their eyes occasionally met, she would quickly look the other way, a hint of a blush on her face, and Ron would send death glares at Allen. Soon enough, though, the food disappeared, and Dumbledore stood up at his seat.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I get a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," he said. "First years (and our new guests) ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students-and a few of our older students ought to know that by now too." At that, Allen saw Hermione exchange smirks with her two friends. Dumbledore continued in his clear, strong voice. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.
"We have two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubby-plank, who will be taking care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." The students applauded fairly politely, but Hermione, Ron, and Harry looked at each other with stricken expressions. "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-"
Allen looked at Dumbledore in question when he abruptly stopped talking, and Dumbledore was looking inquiringly at the frog-woman, Professor Umbridge. She was just sitting there, wasn't she?
"Hem hem," said the professor, and Allen felt a bit of understanding when he processed, in his mind, that this woman was probably not much taller standing than she was sitting, and that she was currently standing and intended on making a speech. Dumbledore looked surprised for a moment before he sat down and looked expectantly at Umbridge, although some othe teachers, especially McGonagall, looked offended as well as shocked; many students, Allen saw, were smirking. Umbridge took no notice of anyone else's discomfort and simpered, "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." Allen felt another sear of irritation buzz through his system, and thought that maybe this was how Kanda felt towards him, as undeserving Allen was of that treatment.
Not that Umbridge deserved to be hated, either.
The woman in question coughed and cleared her throat once more. "Hem hem...Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" she announced cheerfully. "And to see such happy faces looking back at me!"
Allen doubted that. He could see other people looking around, trying to search for at least one happy face. Umbridge must be daydreaming or something, he thought, for every face, old or new, looked quite appaled at being treated like a toddler. Allen imagined how Krory and Miranda must be feeling.
"I thought that Komurin...whatever number it was...was scary," Lavi whispered into Allen's ear, "but this lady is scarier. I hope we'll get to go home soon. There were so many things here I didn't know about. Imagine! Stuff I don't recognize!"
"I don't," Allen said, chuckling, wiping fake tears. "I don't want to look for Master anymore." Despite his unreasonably disliking of Professor Umbridge, he didn't think anything could be worse than his evil master, Cross Marian.
"Allen! What about the world?" Lavi said in a hurry. "Well, I guess we've at least got another century before it gets destroyed looking as this place looks darn safe, but still!"
"Shh!" Lenalee hissed.
Umbridge was still speaking in her girly, high pitched voice. "...the rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generation lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by out ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Allen suppresed a yawn and watched in a daze as Umbridge bowed slightly to the staff and continued with her speech. "Hem hem. Every headmaster and headmistress..."
"This is very boring. And I thought Bookman was boring," Lavi muttered.
"Let's put Dungbombs in her office tomorrow morning," one of the twins said. "That'll serve her right for putting us to sleep early."
"What're Dungbombs?" Lavi asked.
Allen spent the rest of the speech, half listening to Umbridge and half listening to Lavi, Fred, and George. It was almost five minutes later that Umbridge finally sat down, and Dumbledore began clapping. Several people, either out of a feeling of neccesity or just wanting to clap, followed his lead. A few awkward looking students clapped once or twice, and people who hadn't realized the end of the video had barely began clapping before the headmaster stood up again.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge," he said, "that was most illuminating." He bowed to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held..."
Allen's tired ears perked up at Hermione's voice. "Yes, it certainly was illuminating," she said under her breath. Allen hoped he wasn't being serious, and apparently, so did Ron.
"You're not telling me you enjoyed it?" he said, faking a horrified face. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and I grew up with Percy."
"I said illuminating, not enjoyable. It explained a lot."
"Did it?" Harry and Allen asked at the same time. "Sounded like a load of waffle to me," Harry said.
"There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle," Hermione said, and Lenalee nodded. All hail the nerds, Allen thought grimly.
"Well, I'm new in this world so I only know that it's important, but I won't say that was just pointlessly boring," Lenalee winked at Allen.
"Is wasn't?" said Ron and Lavi, gawking at the girls.
"How about 'progress for progress's sake must be discouraged'?" Lenalee quoted. "How about 'pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited'?"
Ron looked impatient, although Lavi looked to have understood the point. "Well, what does that mean?"
"I'll tell you what it means," Hermione grumbled, gritting her teeth and glaring angrily. "It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."
Ron and Harry's mouths fell open, and they looked as if they wanted to ask more, but all at once, there was a great uproar of banging and clattering around them. Dumbledore had just dismissed the school, obviously; everyone was standing up ready to leave the dining hall. Hermione jumped up, looking embarrassed, hurried, and grabbed Ron's collar. "Ron, we're supposed to show the first years where to go!"
"Oh yead. Hey-hey you lot! Midgets!"
"Ron!"
"Well, they are, they're titchy..."
Hermione looked at the group of lost looking Gryffindor first years mingling not too far but not too near the large doors. "I know, but you can't call them midgets...First years!" she called. "This way, please!"
Allen and Lenalee watched as Hermione and Ron wrestled their way through the crowd towards the small children. "So, uh...do you want to follow them?" Lenalee asked uncertainly.
Allen looked at how tiny the first years were. "No...I don't think so," he replied. "Where's Lavi?"
"He went to the rest of your group," answered a tired voice. "Come on, I'll lead you to the Gryffindor common room."
Harry Potter stumbled up to the two Exorcists, rubbing his eyes. "I can't believe I used to be so tiny- or so fidgety. Look at those first years!" he mumbled. "Here, come on. Follow me."
"Wait- no! I mean, it's okay. We have to meet up with our friends. We're, um, summoned to Dumbledore's room," Allen said hastily. "We'll meet up with you later."
"Oh," Harry said. He smiled a little. "Okay. See you later." He then disappeared out of the room.
"Now, as to finding Lavi and the others," Lenalee groaned, skimming the room once. "It's going to take a long long time."
"Absolutely," Allen agreed. "I take it we're probably not allowed to jump up and down," he said, thinking of Lenalee's boots.
"Nope." Both Exorcists sighed.
Heyys readers! I thank you all for reading that first chapter. It's great, because the first one I wrote here only got 6 reviews total, and it had like 21 chapters before I gave up (yes, I did, hate me for it), and this one got 10 for the first chapter! Now I'm not going to be a pain and do one of those "I won't post till I get so and so reviews" so no worries on that! I just hope you enjoy this story, and that I finish it!
Author,
Kagine324