Of Wizards, Akuma, and Exorcists

Fourteen: Protection and Endangerment

Disclaimers: 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!
Harry and Ron came back for lunch, during which Hermione lectured them about how much she thought they were being irresponsible. Both boys seemed to be useed to her irritation about studying -or the lack of it, in their case- and kept a non-flustered face until they left for their official Quidditch practice. Lenalee thought she saw several Slytherins go after them, but brushed it off as her paranoia and that even nasty Slytherin jerks had the right to go anywhere they wished. But...

"You know as well as I do where they're going," Lavi said, sighing. Fred and George Weasley, the two Quidditch Beaters, had left for practice as well. Lavi and Lee Jordan were the only ones left, watching in boredom as Allen shoveled down his food.

Lenalee agreed and sighed. "I'm going to look for Komui," she said, standing up from the table. "I'll see you guys later."

"Wait- Lenalee!" Allen said suddenly, stumbling to his feet as well. "I'm coming with you...where're you going?"

She suppressed another sigh. "The greenhouses to talk to Krory, then I'm going to go look for Komui and the others," she answered.

The white-haired Exorcist straightened his coat and brushed bread crumbs off the front. He fumbled in his hood for a moment, then nodded. "Let's go then," he said. "Are you coming, Lavi?"

"I'll catch up in a few," the bookman replied. "So, what were you saying, Jordan?"

The two Exorcists left the Great Hall.

"No reports of Akuma lately, huh?" Lenalee muttered. "You haven't seen any, have you?"

"No," Allen answered thoughtfully and touched his cursed left eye with a gloved hand. "But...I'm not so sure if I haven't missed any."

The Chinese girl stumbled and gaped at Allen in shock. "You think you've overlooked some?" she said in astonishment. "Allen, I'm not trying to sound mean or anything, but that eye of yours could detect Akuma up to three hundred yards away, even through objects- you said so yourself. It can't overlook any..."

"But a curse is considered Dark Magic," Allen replied.

"So?" Lenalee asked. The two of them had reached the greenhouses now, and, upoon spotting Arystar Krory inside one of the large sunlit rooms, she opened the door for the both of them.

"Ever since Lord Voldemort's come back," Allen explained, taking his hand off his eye, "Somehow the protection against Dark Magic's strengthened. Dumbledore told us that during our meeting a few days ago. I think...because the protection surrounding the castle is so strong..."

"What is it, Allen? What?" Lenalee asked, sounding as well as feeling anxious. She grabbed Allen's shoulders; it took every ounce of strength and self control in her to refrain herself from shaking him, her frustration and worry blinding her. "Allen, you're not hiding something, are you?"

Hearing the sudden exclamation, a frightened and surprised looking Krory rushed over to them. "Lenalee, Allen, what is the matter?" he asked. He pried Lenalee away from Allen, who stepped back and regarded the two of them calmly.

"The protection is too strong for Mana's curse," he said grimly, "and it's harder for me to tell whether someone is human or an Akuma."

"What?" Krory gasped. "Allen, do you mean to say that you cannot detect the Akuma?"

"Since when?" Lenalee demanded.

"Well," Allen said, "I was just beginning to notice it since those two Akuma's arrived. I only saw them when they were nearly right outside the window, and I'd seen those two at the opening feast and at breakfast that morning. It was strange because I didn't recognize the lost souls hovering over them until they were so close..."

"Allen, that was on Monday!" Lenalee said angrily. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Lenalee," Krory soothed, "do not yell, calm down."

"Lenalee," Allen said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But what would you have done if I'd told you?"

"I-I..." Lenalee stuttered, hot tears stinging in the corners of her eyes. Allen was right. If he'd told her about his eye, what would she have done anyway? What could she have done for him? She hid her face, looking down at the ground, feeling useless, helpless.

"What's all the ruckus in here?"

All three Exorcists looked up, seeing another of them leaning against the greenhouse doorway, looking bored, although his eyes said otherwise. Yu Kanda stood was glaring at them through narrowed eyes, regarding them with just as much interest he had for anything else, and repeated, "What's going on?"

Allen and Krory exchanged looks over Lenalee's head, and the younger boy said, "It's nothing, really."

"How come I don't believe your answer, Moyashi?" Kanda muttered, pushing himself off the wall and walking over to his least favorite Exorcist, looking him straight in the eye. "One thing I know is that she doesn't exactly start crying and yelling at nothing, especially not some bean sprout like you."

"Gee, thanks, should I be happy about that?" Allen asked sarcastically, but looked away at a small bug crawling up Kanda's long black hair. "It's not something that concerns you, Kanda, please leave me alone."

Lenalee sent Allen a sharp glare but didn't say anything. Kanda, however, just rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue in irritation. "For once Moyashi gets something right," he muttered. "Whatever. Komui's looking for the three of you. I already sent Lavi down, but then that idiot told me to get you three and bring you to Dumbledore's office. I don't feel like wasting my time here any more than I have to, so come with me, will you?"

Lenalee sniffed, "Okay," and Allen nodded. Krory gave one longing glance at the plants he was tending to and nodded as well. He, being the gentle, kind hearted man he was, gently placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and led her out the door, looking back at Allen with a sad face.

"I guess both of them are mad at me," Allen muttered, scratching the back of his head. Kanda rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Wow, you're actually responding?"

"Did you think you were the only one feeling the effects of the protection, you idiot?" Kanda asked irritably.

"Huh?"

"Whatever."

------------

"I was wondering when you'd come, we were so lonely, you know?" Komui mock-whined as the Exorcists all gathered in Dumbledore's office. From a shady corner, Miranda waved shyly and smiled, although her eyes looked frightened beyond all possibilities.

"Shut up, Komui," Kanda almost growled. "Moyashi got lost."

"Lost, you say?" Dumbledore asked calmly from his desk. He peered at Allen with a look of good-natured amusement. "Ah, I see, I see."

Allen grimaced. "Do I even look like a person who gets lost easily?" he squeaked. The headmaster of Hogwarts smiled.

"Please," he said, motioning to the chairs that had, just now, magically appeared by his desk, "take a seat."

Kanda inwardly cursed his luck as he found himself being forced into the seat between Lavi and Allen, but didn't say anything, sensing that, if he were to grumble and complain, Lenalee would be less merciful than and might kick off his head in her state of mind right now.

Dumbledore folded his hand on his desk and peered at them all through wise eyes. "I hope your first week here has been comfortable for you?" he said.

Allen, Lenalee, and Lavi nodded in reply, as did Komui and Krory. Miranda seemed lost in her thoughts, but Kanda just rolled his eyes. "I hope that's not the reason you called us all to this room, is it?" he asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, no, certainly not only that," he chuckled. His gaze suddenly turned grim and serious. He gazed, in particular, at Allen and Kanda. "I take it that the two of you have noticed?"

Allen and Kanda looked at each other in surprise as the others' gazed landed on them. "What?" Allen said to Dumbledore.

"The protection," Kanda muttered, realization dawning on him. "It's been decreasing the power of Moyashi's curse, and..."

Lavi blinked. "It has?" he asked Allen.

Lenalee answered for the boy. "He's been noticing it since Monday and never told us about it," she said. Allen glanced at her feeling guilty, but she avoided his eyes. "Professor Dumbledore, do you know who strengthened the barrier?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "If any of the staff or goverment, or anyone strong enough to actually do so who is on our side, did it," he said, "I would know immediately. "

"So you're saying," Kanda analyzed, "that one of them might have made the barrier stronger so that us Exorcists' powers would decrease?"

"I would calculate so."

"Is there any wizard strong enough to actually do that?" Krory asked.

"No," Komui answred, "I've checked the records. The only people who could have been able to alter the protection are the founders of Hogwarts- or Professor Dumbledore himself."

"Then who-" Allen gasped.

Miranda was sitting silently in her seat, staring at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. At this time, however, she looked up and muttered the name of the possibility that had been haunting everyone's mind. "The Millenium Earl, perhaps?" she suggested softly, voicing everyone else's fears.

Dumbledore turned to her, and she returned to staring at her hands. "I mean, it...it is a possiblity...I'm sorry," she stuttered.

"The Earl," Kanda sighed, slumping forward in his seat. "His messing with this place makes our life so much more troublesome."

Allen and Lavi glanced at each other over Kanda's head. The future Bookman's green eyes fell on the star-shaped curse, the pentacle, on Allen's forehead. "That won't help you much anymore, mate," Lavi muttered, "or us."

Lenalee looked from her brother to the headmaster. "We should be prepared from now, more than ever," she said.

"Yes," Krory agreed, "the Earl may start sending in Akuma from now, and Voldemort-"

Dumbledore closed his eyes. Allen understood how he must feeling. The headmaster of a school with hundreds of witches and wizards, responsible for all of their lives, and the people he'd called for help were now also in danger. Helplessness. Uselessness. Allen remembered seeing the deperation in an Akuma's soul as it was forced to self-destruct...how it had hurt to know he could have saved him...

"Dumbledore," Allen began, "can't you fix the barrier?"

"No, I'm afraid," the headmaster sighed; "it appears that the Millenium Earl has more mgic than I do.."

"Well, if he can control Dark Matter and destroy Innocence, he probably does," Kanda scowled.

"Damn," Lavi cursed, and Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean, crud- crap- arrgg..sorry, sir."

"I do not have any ways to...assist you in this case," the old man said slowly and sadly. "My apologies, but I sensed the need to inform you all about this."

"We appreciate it," Komui said, but his jaws were tight and his eyebrows creased. His eyes hardened and he unconsciously squeezed his sister's hand. Lenalee looked up at his face in wonder. Was Komui scared?

"Cheh," Kanda seethed, standing up swiftly. "I take it there's nothing else you have to inform us, is there? I'm leaving, if Moyashi's eye isn't going to work for us, then it's all the better if we don't coop up in this room. I'm going back to the Great Hall to hunt some Akuma."

Lavi and Allen followed the samurai as he stomped out of the office. Allen looked over his shoulder once and called good-bye before the three of them disappeared behind the door. Lenalee stared after the white haired boy, wondering if he even cared about how his keeping things to himself affected her. Krory and Miranda left as well, both looking rather defeated and anxious. Komui stayed, and so did she, as the two of them and Dumbledore sat in silence.

------------

"That was a lousy meeting, wasn't it?" Lavi asked Allen as the two of them entered the Gryffindor common room.

Allen, distracted, just nodded and slumped down on an armchair. "Yeah, it was-"

"Completely lousy," a voice said in a monotone. The Exorcists looked up and saw Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Judging from the gloomy look in Ron's eyes, they were probably talking about Quidditch practice.

"Well, it was only your first one," Hermione said, "it's bound to take time-"

"Who said it was me who made it lousy?" Ron demanded.

"No one, I thought-"

Ron cut her off by jumpingout of his chair and stomping off. "I'm going to get started on some homework," he said.

"Psst, Allen," Lavi whispered, "let's go talk to them, eh?"

"No, I'm going to sleep," Allen answered, and he promptly closed his eyes. "Wake me up when you're going to sleep, will you, Lavi?"

"Sweet dreams," the red haired boy said.

It's probably going to be a nightmare, Allen thought as he fell into the world of darkness that lay beyond the colors of everyday life, the darkness when he closed his eyes. Mana, I'm sorry, maybe this time, I might stumble...will you help me up again and send me on my way?