Disclaimer: My name is not J. K. Rowling. I don't own Harry Potter and I never will. I don't own Naruto either.

"Parseltongue"

"Normal speech"

'Thought speech'

Flashback

"Parseltongue in Flashback"

AN: Thankies! Reviews make me write much faster!

IMPORTANT!!The reviewer who was closest to the answer is located at the bottom. What the prize is… it's there too. ;)

Chapter 5

"Aarrgghhh!"

Striding forward, Tom watched in amazement as something black and white attacked the back of Macnair's head. The Death Eater screamed and twisted around trying to reach the creature but to no avail. It just hissed and shifted positions. Macnair was withering and jumping around, desperately trying to dislodge the black and white projection when Nagini reached him.

With lightning fast reflexes, she twisted around his legs, tripping him. As he fell he gave a particularly loud screech of agony before finally managing to extricate the creature. It fell within a few feet of Harry, who was still against the wall and watching the proceedings with wide eyes. Tom felt a flicker of concern toward Harry, fearing that this wild animal might attack Harry, when he finally managed to take a good look at what it was. What he saw almost had him mentally reeling in shock.

Flecks of blood blemished midnight black and snow white fur. Delicate paws with deadly claws was stained with streaks of the ruby liquid. A single drop fell from jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. Mismatched but hauntingly beautiful eyes stared up with a gaze as menacing as it was chilling. One was an intense shade of purple, sparkling with the radiance of amethysts. The other was a startling scarlet, as crimson as the life liquid that pooled small puddles around it. The feline-like creature crouched in front of Harry, shielding him from the gaze of both Tom and the rest of the Death Eaters. Two silky furred tails waved gently to and fro; one black tipped in white, the other white tipped in black.

"N-neko?" Harry's voice seemed to break the spell of stillness that utter shock had brought upon everyone.

Tom flicked his hand and stunned Macnair. He turned slightly to his side and discreetly ordered his Death Eaters to take Macnair to the dungeons. When he turned back around fully, his eyes widened at what Harry was doing. He had moved away from the wall and was slowly approaching the creature. Tom resisted the urge to stun Harry and the creature when Harry hesitantly reached toward it.

Nagini, who had untangled her body from Macnair to allow the Death Eaters to remove him, coiled her body, ready to spring at the slightest hint of aggression.

The tension in the air was almost tangible when Harry's hand finally brushed against the soft and silky fur on its head.

"Neko? Neko, it's me girl. It's me Harry. Don't worry, we're safe here." Harry murmured softly while softly stroking the fur. Tom and Nagini relaxed slightly when the tension loosened from the presumed Neko's body. She turned her head a bit, gently butted her head against Harry's hand and began to purr in loud rumbling vibrations. Tom and Nagini stiffened again when suddenly Harry threw himself upon Neko, sobbing wildly.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Neko! I left you! I didn't mean to. I asked Tom to go find you but you weren't there. I missed you so much. I was so scared that I would never see you again." Harry blubbered and sniffed. Then he visibly attempted to compose himself a little and tried to be more cheerful. "At least you look okay. You even grew! You weren't even one fifth this size when I saw you two days ago! You're the size of a Labrador now. What did you eat?! A pig?!"

Neko just sniffed a bit and batted him gently with one of her tails. That was when he noticed them.

"You have two tails! How did you get another tail?!" Harry exclaimed. As he chatted with Neko, Tom contemplated the information he had just observed. No normal animal, much less a cat, could grow so big in such a small amount of time. The eyes were also not normal. Some cats could have purple eyes and albinos have red eyes. There were cases of cats with one blue eye and one green eye but never a purple eye and red eye. Not only that, there was no way a non-magical creature could have two tails. It didn't even look completely like a cat. It had some very distinctive vulpine features that included the slightly elongated muzzle, long strong legs, and large fuzzy ears. But it still had many of the cat characteristics of retractable claws, long flexible furred tail, facial muscles to bare fangs, and the ability to purr. It was a combination of both animals, merged into one perfect creature with the grace of a cat and the endurance of a fox.

No creatures resembled this "Neko." Except one. In a trip to Asia, there was many clans of demons. There was one clan called the Kitsuneko clan that was a hybrid tribe that was created when kitsune demons (or fox demons) integrated and mated with neko demons (or cat demons). There was no mistaking it. The creature must be from that tribe.

And the tails. Demons were ranked by how many tails they had. Tails were a sign of power. The more powerful they were, the more tails they grew. For Neko to have two tails would mean that she had either hidden her power from Harry for a while or become more powerful in the time it took for her to find the castle. The former was more likely. But that brought Tom a whole new problem. How could she have found the manor's location much less broken through the wards and reached Harry and by default, them?

'I knew that the Kitsuneko clan was advanced in their magic but not that advanced. There are hundreds upon hundreds of wards placed upon Slytherin's manor by his descendants and Salazar himself. I even placed a several blood wards. It should have been able to stop an army of thousands from finding the manor.' Tom mull over his thoughts, frustrated. 'This little two-tailed Kitsuneko demon slipped through them all!'

"Who are you?" Tom's question abruptly stopped Harry's rambling mid-sentence. As he turned toward Tom in confusion, Neko closed her eyes as if in thought.

"Tom, who are you talking to?" Harry wondered aloud. Tom was about to repeat his sentence when a low hissing brought everyone's attention toward Neko.

"My name is Tetsumi. I am the daughter of Lady Taisho of the Kitsuneko Clan and Lord Hachuu of the Hebi Clan." Vibrant eyes had opened as sibilant hisses issued from Neko's mouth as she gazed into Tom's eyes. She visibly shuddered and right before their eyes, burst into dark purple flames. Harry yelped slightly and jumped away but soon realized that the flames did not burn. Within a few seconds, the flames died down and in their place stood a young woman who looked to be no older than seventeen. Long sleek midnight black hair rested upon pale skin. Furred cat ears adorned the top of her head. Two long silky tails swept behind her. As she bowed, her silken black and white yukata rustled in the silence. When she looked up, her mismatched eyes were burning with something unidentifiable.

"I am the one whom Harry calls Neko. I have been his friend and companion for over two years. I wish no harm upon him or his friends. However, I will do everything in my power to insure that Harry is happy and safe."

Harry could only stare in shock as his long-time friend revealed an immense secret. Neko was not a cat. She knew about magic and could even talk. Her name wasn't even really Neko.

"I-I don't… What do… Why… I don't understand!" Harry cried in frustration and confusion. He didn't know what to think. He didn't want to lose Neko. She was his friend. But she had kept such an important secret from him. Then he realized something else.

"You knew!" He shouted almost hysterically. "You knew I was a wizard! You knew I had magic! Why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't you ever talk to me?!" Harry felt betrayed. She had known all this time that he was a wizard. That he wasn't he wasn't a freak. Tom and Nagini tried to reach Harry but he pulled away. "WHY?!"

"Because I didn't want you to hate me." Neko's quiet admission silenced Harry. "Because I knew you would go off to the Wizarding world and find someone else to watch over you. Because I knew you would leave me behind. Because I didn't want you to forget me."

"Why- why would I forget you?" Harry whispered. "You meant everything to me."

"I am a demon. My parents were sworn enemies of two different clans. My mother, the only one who loved me, tried to hide my heritage. She called me "Neko" in an effort to mislead her husband into thinking I was his. She loved me but in the end, she died because her treachery was eventually discovered. She was executed right in front of me. I have never known my true father. My whole clan tried to kill me. I was a mistake. I am unwanted. I am seeped in sin. I am a product of adultery." Harry's face looked horrified as each statement was said. "Why would anyone love me once they knew who and what I am? Once I told you about what you were, I would have to tell you about me. I cannot lie to you. You are my only friend. You are my everything."

Neko looked down, unable to meet Harry's eyes. She felt a whirlwind of pain and fear swirl within her. She had known that someday she would have to tell Harry everything but had not thought it would be so soon. And once she had started, she couldn't stop. Confession after confession that had wallowed in her soul bubbled out of her mouth. Her soul was laid bare and at the mercy of a seven year old boy who was felt confused and betrayed. He could save her or completely destroy her with a single sentence.

Just as she began to despair that he hated her utterly, Harry finally spoke.

"I- I don't hate you." He calmly. "I'm just sad that you couldn't tell me. I don't care if you're a demon. I wouldn't care even if you were the devil incarnate. You are my friend. I care about you. No matter what, I would never hate you for being what you are." Neko looked into Harry's eyes to see absolute acceptance. She hadn't seen that since she was only a little kitling playing in front of her mother.

She completely broke down. It had been so long since tears had run down her cheeks. Not even when her big brother had recoiled in horror of her when she first spoke parseltongue, had she shed a single tear. She hadn't cried when everyone shunned her and her mother when suspicions arose about her heritage. She hadn't shed a single tear when her family tried to murder her and her clan ran her out of the village. She hadn't even cried when human hunters had caught her and tried to kill her. She had forgotten how to cry when her mother was viciously ripped apart right in front of her. Everything was hidden deep inside; locked behind a wall of ice. Everyone disliked her for her stoicness and lack of emotion. She was afraid to cry. To cry was to show weakness. But somehow she didn't feel weak at the moment. She felt strong.

Tom was shocked by the revelation that had occurred in front of him. Harry's "Neko" had turned out to be a highly intelligent magical being that had most likely learned a great deal of the ancient magicks that the Asian magical community had guarded zealously for hundreds of thousands of years. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. He had already gained some of Harry's trust. The boy probably liked him and saw him as a father figure or a friend.

He would have to make her trust him through Harry and convince her to part with her secrets. That shouldn't be too much of a problem. He had been well liked when he had originally visited the Asian continent. The Kitsuneko clan had respected him enough to give him some lesser secrets. The Hebi clan had considered him as almost one of their own. His parseltongue had gained him a lot of standing in the snake demon community. Him having a serpent familiar and a basilisk at his command had made him very well respected among the royal snake demons.

Lord Hachuu was the current High Lord and had been for over seventy years. He and his line was said to be descended from the Demon Hebi Orochimaru. Their most distinctive attributes were their amber yellow eyes, long silky midnight black colorings, and their ability to shift-shape their body. Tom had gained a lot of knowledge on the workings of the soul from some royal scrolls they had allowed him to see.

Apparently, the Demon Hebi Orochimaru was very obsessed with the idea of immortality and had researched it thoroughly through many ghastly experiments on humans and demons alike. The scroll mentioned that he had created some sort of spell, or jutsu as the Asian magical communities called them, that transferred his soul from being to being, allowing for an extended life. It wasn't true immortality but it was to buy time to do more research.

However, it seemed that he was eventually destroyed by the nine-tailed Demon Kitsune Naruto and his mate the nine-tailed Demon Neko Sasuke. That was when the enmity between the Hebi clan and the Kitsune and Neko clans began. Eventually, through the kits of the nine-tailed Demon Kitsune Naruto and his mate the nine-tailed Demon Neko Sasuke, the Kitsune clan and the Neko clan merged to form the Kitsuneko clan.

There was no other pertinent information beside the notes he had taken from Orochimaru's notes and the brief history of the clans. He had thanked Lord Hachuu for allowing him to see them and begun his own research. At the time, he had not noticed anything strange about Lord Hachuu. Perhaps he had had his affair with his rival clan's mate at another time. Maybe he was extremely good at hiding his thoughts. Either way, Tom would have never thought the dark Lord Hachuu would ever have any sort of relationship with the light and bubbly Lady Taisho.

She was everything he was not. She was kind and gentle while he was harsh and unforgiving. He ruled with an iron fist while she was carefree. He was the very image of a descendant of Orochimaru; long silky black hair, amber-yellow eyes, and pale skin. She looked vastly different. With hair as white as snow, her purple eyes were like jewels set in a face as pale as moonbeams. She was very playful and energetic and it was very visible by the way her furry ears twitched or the way her tail shifted.

They were like yin and yang. Fate had to have opposites attract and they could not escape. Tom shuddered and vowed that fate would never do such a thing to him. As luck would have it, fate had decided to listen in at the very moment. Later when he reflected on it he would always wonder if things would have been different if he hadn't made that vow.

Nagini was in a state of incredulity. In a matter of minutes, she had been presented with a royal descendant of the Demon Hebi Orochimaru and that she barely knew anything of her heritage. It was ridiculous.

Now she could see what Tom had felt, retrieving Harry from those unworthy muggles. As she watched the debacle calm down she began to plan. She would tell Tom of course but only after she had finished her preparations.

She needed to go visit Lord Hachuu. All serpents knew of the Hebi clan and while few ever saw them, they were expected to know all about them. Alter all, almost all creatures had developed from a demon at some point. They were the ancestors of modern day animals.

She was certain that Lord Hachuu would not abandon a hatchling of his. He, while vicious and cruel at times, was actually a very considerate being for his kind. He most likely did not know of Neko's existence and therefore never sought her out.

It was almost inconceivable to Nagini that anyone would try so hard to kill a hatchling. Raising it as your own and gaining its loyalty was a much better way of taking care of things. 'Stupid Kitsunekos.'

As Nagini planned her visit, she was picked up by Tom.

"We should go to sleep now. It is quite late. There is much to discuss." At that point he gave a pointed look toward Neko. She blushed a little and looked down. "So let us all adjourn to bed. Now, Miss Tetsumi-"

"Neko." Tom glanced at her when she interrupted. "I would prefer to be called Neko. Thank you."

"Very well. Neko, would you like a separate room or would you like a bed placed with Harry?" Tom asked. She looked at him and then quickly stole a peek at Harry who looked dead on his feet. She burst into flame again and became her fox-cat self again.

"I will stay like this for the majority of the time as I am most comfortable in this form if that is aright with you." When Tom inclined his head she continued. "I would also prefer to just curl on Harry's bed. I do not require another bed."

"That is fine." Tom answered. He turned to find Harry asleep standing up. Apparently the excitement was too much and had tired the poor boy out. He levitated him all the way to his bed and set him under the covers. He performed a gentle scrougify, which Harry only giggled to, and vanished his clothes and replaced them with pajamas when he was under the covers. He left the room as Neko climbed onto the bed and snuggled into Harry's side.

He quietly left the room and crossed the hall to his own master bedroom. After taking a quick soak in his grand bathtub to unwind, he slipped under his covers next to Nagini and fell asleep contemplating the enigma named Harry.

To be continued…

AN: Yay! Another chapter finished! Thank you for reading my story and please review!

Thanks for reviewing to:

potteraddict1210, puffin, tonksiscool, Soler, MistyMossflower, VoicesInTheWalls, ElementalFoxGoddess, Jynx101, FanofDa'EdBoyz, Kemowitch92, brandygurl016, lady firefox, munchnzoey, Thunderjam, x-Ladiee101-x, Since When, Wynter Rayne, BatteredChild, Dreamweaver, meikouhaikitsune, darkwish3, SlashnYaoi, Fullmetal LVR

Anon. Reviews:

Tonkiscool: You're welcome!

Dreamweaver: Neko came! ;)

IMPORTANT!!

Neko's identity has been revealed! The closest one to the answer was…

tonksiscool

The reward is that you get to pick a pairing of your choice or kill off someone you really hate as long as I agree! I'll try to be open-minded but if it's a character I need/love/or is very important to the story you'll have to pick someone else. Sorry. State you choice in your next review or PM me!

Mr. Bunny hopes you liked this chappie and says to stay tuned next week for chapter 6!

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