Chapter 2

Not Your Typical Slytherin

Izuma-sempai's Portkey proved to be too much for Kusuke. As soon as he landed, Kusuke vomited and passed out.

Sleep never had agreed with Kusuke. As far as Kusuke could remember, he'd never gotten a proper night's sleep. His dreams were always very dark, to the point where he almost oculdn't see them, but what he could see always woke him up. This time, however, perhaps because he was unconscious, not asleep, he could see perfectly for the first time.

He was standing on a grassy plain in the middle of the night, and before him stood a man that Kusuke knew was familiar—someone he should know—yet he could not recognize him. One thing Kusuke knew for certain: the man before him was a Samurai Wizard.

"You won't win." The familiar stranger said. "My son will stop you."

Kusuke laughed evilly, and he realized that he was simply a passenger in this dream. "Thou art a fool. Thy son hath not the power to stop me from fulfilling mine own goals. Twas not for thee, I wouldst have conquered him long ago." Kusuke reached out his hand, and touched an invisible barrier, but it was more than that: Kusuke's hand exploded in pain, and he withdrew it immediately. "Thy accursed barrier is strong, yet it weakens by the day. And that thing…whatever it did advanced me months of hard work…Soon I will be free…"

Kusuke woke with a jolt, his own evil laugh still ringing in his ears.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

"So Kusuke's dark powers stir." Kaduki-sama said quietly.

"Yes, my Lord." Izuma said from his kneel. "I felt them spike after he wore the Sorting Hat. It won't be long until they begin to manifest."

"What do you suggest?"

"…I don't think there's anything we can do. After all, Sasuke-sempai did what he could, but even he knew that it would not last forever. All we can do is keep going as we have been."

"…Very well. Thank you for your report. Please send Midori in."

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

King's Cross station looked different from the Japanese train stations Kusuke was used to. For one, it was far less crowded. A Japanese train station was usually standing –room only, but King's Cross actually had benches!

Midori sat on one just for the novelty of it. "Wow…never thought I'd be sitting in a train station!" She gave Kusuke a goofy grin, and Kusuke couldn't help but smile back.

"And hopefully here you won't have to worry about chikans trying to feel you up."

Now Midori's smile turned sadistic. "Not that I had a lot of trouble before."

Kusuke laughed. "Yeah, no one's tried it after what happened to the first one. I think they're till rebuilding the station from that incident."

It was at this moment, that Kusuke saw a rather large group of teenagers walk by led by an older woman, and all of them (except for two of the men and the woman) lugged carts loaded with trunks not unlike Kusuke and Midori's…and they had two owls.

"Is that them?" Midori asked.

Kusuke nodded.

"Then it's time to go."

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Their mission was simple: Kusuke had to get close to Harry Potter. But Dumbledore had foreseen that Kusuke would be sorted into Slytherin house, and knew that without help, the old Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry would defeat him before he began. So he recruited Midori, whom he correctly predicted would be sorted into Gryffindor to help Kusuke get close to Harry.

What Kusuke didn't anticipate was Draco Malfoy.

Almost since he stepped onto the train, Kusuke found himself inundated by fellow Slytherins, and was subsequently pulled into a compartment with other Slytherins, including Draco Malfoy and his two thug bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle.

"So you just transferred to Hogwarts this year?" Draco drawled.

Kusuke nodded.

"Are you here for the Triwizard Tournament?"

Kusuke kept silent, not wanting to lie, but Draco took that as an affirmative.

"Can he even enter?" A girl named Pansy Parkinson asked.

"I don't see why not. Father didn't say anything about new transfers not being allowed to enter."

"If they told me I couldn't, I'd like to see them try to enforce it."

Draco seemed to be impressed by this. "So what family are you from?"

"Family?" Kusuke asked, confused.

"Yes, your wizard family. You are Pureblooded, right?"

Kusuke could feel their stares, but refused to lie. "No."

Four pairs of eyes widened at him.

"Both of my parents were wizards, yes, but my father's parents were both muggles."

"Your father was a Mudblood?" Draco, seemingly unconsciously, slid a short distance away from Kusuke.

"…From what I understand, that is an insult here in Britain. I recommend that you don't say such a thing about my father again. Understand?"

Kusuke kept his voice calm, but his face said what he truly felt: Insult my father again, and you will die a slow, painful death.

"Y-yeah…No problem…"

"So are you going to enter, Draco?" Pansy asked.

Kusuke relaxed, and so did Draco after a moment. "I might. I mean, I am the one best suited to represent Hogwarts in the tournament."

"Aren't you only 14?" Kusuke asked. "I thought 17 was considered an of-age wizard here in Britain."

"Hmph. Age doesn't matter, only talent. And what do you mean, 'in Britain?' What's the age in Japan?"

"Fourteen."

They all stared at him again.

"Samurai Wizards start their training much earlier than the rest of the world…I started when I was 7."

"But then—what are you doing here?"

"Red tape. Your government won't let me perform magic outside of Hogwarts until I turn 17 and pass the birds."

"Birds?" Pansy asked. Then her mouth went 'oh' in realization. "You must mean the O.W.L.s!"

Kusuke shrugged. "I guess. Honestly, I don't care. Me being here is just a formality…I already know more magic than any other student, and probably some of the professors, too. Not to mention I'm just more experienced."

"Experienced?"

"Samurai Wizards do a lot more than wizards in Britain. I mean, let's face it…in Britain, what career fields are there for wizards?"

The four exchanged looks.

"Precisely. The reason your Ministry of Magic is so huge is because it has to be…it's where the majority of wizarding jobs are. But Samurai Wizards have our own very important role to fulfill:

Monster slayer."

"Monster slayer?" Crabbe asked, to Kusuke's surprise. Kusuke hadn't thought he had the brainpower to keep up with a conversation that didn't involve visual aids.

"Japan is well-known for having a whole host of magical creatures…snow women, kappas, multi-headed snakes…and most of these monsters like to eat people. So even after Japan was 'modernized', the Samurai Wizards kept their own traditions so that we could keep protecting people from these monsters."

"So you hunt monsters?"

Kusuke nodded. "Since I was 11. Most children don't start until they're 13, but I was powerful enough that they started me earlier."

"…You need to enter." Malfoy said, his face in open awe.

"What?"

"The tournament! You need to enter the Triwizard Tournament! If a Slytherin became Hogwarts champion, oh man, we'd nail it to those goody-goody Gryffindors! It would almost make up for four years of Potter worship! And then, if you won? Slytherin would be known as the greatest house for years!"

Kusuke rubbed his chin. "What do you have against the Gryffindors, anyway?"

"They're a bunch of arrogant, holier-than-thou prats. Just because they have the whole 'courage' thing, they think they're better than everyone else, especially us Slytherins."

"…Have you ever asked a Gryffindor if they think they're better than Slytherins?"

"They'd never admit it, of course, but we all know that's how they feel. But Slytherins are the best, and we'll prove it to them."

Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy all whooped their agreement, and Kusuke sighed inwardly. If this is the relationship between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins, this may be harder than I thought it would be.

"What about the other two houses?"

"What? Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff?" Malfoy waved his hand dismissively. "Ravenclaw may have the brains, but they don't know how to use them properly. And Hufflepuff is just a bunch of leftovers, they don't matter."

"I disagree. I think a person determines his own worth. I mean, aren't there any Hufflepuff students who you respect?"

Draco snorted. "No. The only students worth knowing are Slytherins."

"Ah. Glad you cleared that up. Excuse me." Kusuke needed to get out of there before he wiped that smug look off of Draco Malfoy's face. Besides, he needed to change out of his Muggle clothes into his school uniform.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Once he was in his school uniform, Kusuke set off to find Midori. He searched for all of two minutes until he found her in the same compartment as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. Kusuke knocked, then slid the compartment door open.

"Oh hey!" Midori said, only slightly surprised. Kusuke figured that she had sensed him coming but hadn't expected him to try to enter.

"Hey, it's you." Harry said when he recognized Kusuke. "You're that guy from the World Cup…Kronos?"

"Kusuke. Mind?"

"Nah, come on—" Ron said at first, then he spotted the Slytherin badge on Kusuke's cloak, "Actually, I think we're all full."

Kusuke stared at him. "Judging before you know me, Ron?"

"What are you—" Harry spotted his badge, too. "Oh."

"Not all Slytherins are cut from the same cloth, you know." Kusuke argued.

"Yeah!" Midori said, incensed. "I've known Kusuke since we were kids, he's a good guy."

"Oh yeah? What do you think of Hermione?" Ron said cruely.

"I think I don't know her yet. But you…I already don't like you, because you think I'm scum before I even give you a good reason to. All because of some stupid badge on my cloak, or the colors of my ties. I thought Gryffindors were better than that."

"We are." Hermione said, glaring at Ron. "Come on in."

Kusuke waited until he got Ron's go-ahead. Ron glared at him.

"One crack about Hermione, and I will personally curse you into next year."

Kusuke couldn't help but smile. "Deal." And he took a seat.

"So you're from Japan, too?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I came over with Midori."

"What are you," Ron asked, "her boyfriend?"

Midori blushed profusely and turned away from them.

"No, we aren't, just close friends."

Hermione slapped Ron's arm. "How can you ask them that? I swear you're so thick!"

"Ow, what was that for?"

"So how long have you two been going out?" Kusuke asked him.

Hermione blushed even more than Midori, and Ron started mouthing like a fish.

Kusuke grinned like a cat. "Got you."

Harry, Neville, Kusuke, and Midori laughed. Even Hermione struggled not to laugh.

It was to this scene that the lunch trolley decided to make a visit, and Harry bought a bunch of Cauldron Cakes to share with everybody. Kusuke passed one to Midori before accepting one for himself. The cakes were filled with strawberry preserves, and they were utterly delicious.

(Mmm….Strawberry Cauldron Cakes….*Homer Simpson drool*)

After several of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's friends dropped by, talk turned again to the Quidditch World Cup…all except for Hermione, who buried herself in a book and started practicing a charm.

"Gran didn't want to go," Neville said, looking miserable. "Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing though."

"It was," said Ron. "Look at this, Neville…"

He rummaged in his trunk up in the luggage rack and pulled out a miniature figure of Viktor Krum.

"Oh wow," Neville said as Ron tipped the walking toy into Neville's hand.

"We saw him right up close, as well," said Ron. "We were in the Top Box—"

"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley."

Draco had appeared in the door. He seemed ready to start jeering at Harry and his friends, until he spotted Kusuke sitting across from them.

"What are you doing in here?"

"A question I could easily put to you. I, at least, have a reason." He put his hand on Midori's shoulder. "Midori-chan is a childhood friend, and I'm visiting her. What's your excuse?"

"The girl? Really?" Draco looked skeptical. "That's funny, because it looks like you're getting chummy with a bunch of Gryffindors."

Kusuke calmly stood and faced Draco squarely. "And if I am?"

"Slytherins—proper Slytherins, anyway—don't associate with scum."

"Then that makes him a proper Slytherin." Hermione said from her book. "He's associating with us instead of you."

Good one!

"Why you filthy little—Ugh!"

Draco was interrupted by the appearance of a pitch-black sword at his throat. It was then that everybody realized that Kusuke had gotten close enough to put an inch of steel from his sheathe and press it to Draco's neck.

"I thought I warned you about that before. Do I need to make my warning more…" Kusuke pressed harder, and Draco's flesh sizzled slightly, "permanent?"

Draco retreated, his hand at his throat.

Kusuke shut the compartment door behind him and returned his sword to his belt. He turned to a not-unexpected sight: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville were both utterly shocked, and Midori simply looked exacerbated.

This scene lasted all of three seconds, then Ron and Harry were both on their feet, cheering Kusuke and slapping him on the back. Apparently the badge he wore was forgiven.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

By the time they arrived at Hogwarts, Kusuke was afraid the train was going to hydroplane right off the tracks and into the nearest building. The storm had become impressive, and Kusuke had to conjure umbrellas for his new friends.

"Firs' years, this way!" Came a voice in the darkness carrying a lantern. Kusuke was about to do battle with a hinkypunk, until he realized that there was actually a bearded face illuminated by the lantern.

"Hi, Hagrid!" Harry yelled.

"All righ', Harry?" Hagrid bellowed back, waving. "See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!"

"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," Hermione said, shivering. The four started off, and Kusuke and Midori followed.

"Why would you want to cross the lake?" Midori asked.

"That's how first years get to the castle their first time." Neville answered. "They ride in boats with Hagrid across the lake."

Kusuke looked in the direction of the lake. "Midori-chan…we may have to do some lifeguard duty tonight."

Midori giggled, and they reached a line of carriages being towed by Thestrals. Kusuke and Midori kept a wary eye on them (they'd had a run-in with a wild herd 3 years ago), but climbed in a carriage with Harry and his friends all the same…