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:Still don't own InuYasha or Harry Potter:

LostArtist

Last Chapter

Draco left class, thinking. The first part of his plan had worked perfectly. Now he just needed to get Kagome to trust him enough so that he could carry out the rest of his task. He could find much more information this way too. Draco was so proud of himself for thinking of such an ingenious way to get to her that he never even considered that Kagome might in fact become his greatest weakness. For now he was content, this was playing out very smoothly in his mind.

Chapter 7

Kagome arrived in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class shortly after. Finding Ron, Harry and Hermione already there, she sat with them, distracted and only half-listening to their conversation.

Her thoughts were interrupted as their professor walked into the room, causing the buzz of voices to quickly silence. The woman who walked into the room wore robes of deep purple. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and dark rimmed glasses sat on her nose. She looked to be in her early twenties and was very pretty with a strong athletic look about her. Reaching the desk at the front of the class she turned around. Crossing her arms and leaning against the desk she surveyed the classroom with calculating violet eyes.

Finally she spoke, "As Professor Dumbledore said before, I am Hirai Kaza, or as you will know me, Professor Kaza" standing up strait, Professor Kaza walked around to the opposite side of the desk. Facing the class again she leaned with both hands upon the desk. "This year will most likely be a very different experience for you. I will be teaching you techniques from my home country that have never been taught in the halls of Hogwarts. Dumbledore thought it would be a good idea, with the resurgence of Voldemort, to incorporate these alternate forms of fighting with your wands and magic."

The class murmured to each other at this wondering what techniques she would possibly teach them. Professor Kaza began to speak again, "Obviously there is nothing dark or forbidden about these techniques, or I would not have Dumbledore's permission to teach them. No, I am not only going to teach you magic this year, but train you in the ways of a fighter. With the combination of both magic and agility you will be able to hold your own against any adversary."

Gryffindor common room was abuzz. News of the new teacher and her new method had spread quickly throughout the school.

The past few Defense Agaisnt the Dark Arts classes had been filled with a brief overview of the history of magic in Japan. Since it wasn't a history class Professor Kaza had only given the basics. She had covered the power of Buddhist monks, priestesses, and a fighting class called tajiyha. She also explained about purifying arrows, sutras, and just the sheer strength and agility of the fighting class.

It was only after centuries, she told them, that the thought to combine all these separate powers first occurred. Training select people in the ways of not just one, but all the classes. With this discovery the wizards of Japan were born. When England and Japan began however rocky a trade, wands were introduced and Japanese wizards found new ways to incorporate the wand instead of their traditional fighting weapons. Ms. Hirai had left it there at the last class and all of the sixth years were left anxiously waiting for their next DADA class.

Kagome's first few days had gone rather smoothly. She and Draco had formed a rocky sort of friendship in History of Magic, while her three Gryffindor friends had immediately accepted her into their seemingly impenetrable circle. The trio-turned-quartet was apparently the talk of the school at the moment, as Kagome found out at the end of her first week.

"Hey Potter, got a new girlfriend huh?" a girl's voice called down the hall as he and Kagome walked up a little behind Ron and Hermione. Kagome looked around confused for a moment before Pansy spoke again. "Got a thing for Asians, huh? You do know he dated your cousin don't you Kagome? How does it feel being second pick?"

"Give it a rest …" Ron said angrily, "They aren't even dating, not that it's your business anyway."

"Aw does little won want the new girl too? At least she's not a mudblood like Granger," Pansy replied, looking to Malfoy for backup.

Malfoy shrugged causing Pansy to look affronted. He always backed her up. Hermione looked curiously from him to Kagome who was now fuming.

"I could care less what you say about me, but keep your mouth shut about Hermione, Pansy. She's a far better person then you'll ever be," Kagome replied angrily, pulling down Ron and Harry's wand hands. They were just waiting for Malfoy to say something so they could blast him.

Just then the dungeon door opened. Snape looked over suspiciously at the four, but said nothing as Kagome angrily pulled the two boys to the door with her. Hermione followed and the four sat at their usual table. Kagome's boiling anger had amazed them into silence.

"Blimey, I thought you were going to bite her head off," Ron said as they headed to the Great Hall for dinner. He was still amazed that such a nice girl could have such a temper.

"You didn't have to say that Kagome. She's going to be all over you now." Hermione said worriedly.

Kagome shrugged, "Don't worry about me, I've been through worse. She can't do anything but throw a few rumors around anyway."

Harry looked at her, it was comments like that that made him think she was more like him then she let on. He hoped she would be alright though. He certainly knew what it was like to be talked about behind your back.

"You know, I want to know why Malfoy didn't say anything back there," Harry said suddenly. "He never passes up a chance to get us in trouble."

"I was wondering the same thing," Hermione said thoughtfully, "He was looking at you when I looked over Kagome."

"Huh? Oh Well uh, he and I kinda talk sometimes," Kagome said. "He's really not that bad…at least not to me." She blushed, embarrassed that she was sort of friends with the person they all hated.

"Not bad! He's a slimy git! He must want something if he's being nice to you." Ron said.

"What? He can't just be friends with me for me? Am I so bad that people have to have an ulterior motive to hang out with me??" Kagome said angrily.

"That's not what he meant Kagome, it's just that Malfoy has never given us a reason to trust him and he's always given us reason not to. We don't know what to make of it. Usually just being friends with Harry and us would make you Malfoy's instant enemy," Hermione tried to soothe the girl.

Kagome humphed.

"Look, just be careful, okay Kagome?" Harry said. "We just don't want anything to happen to you."

Kagome let out a sigh, giving Harry a small smile. "Okay I'll take your advice and be careful, but maybe you could give him a chance? Maybe he really isn't that bad."

Ron snorted causing Hermione to kick him as they reached the Great Hall.

From behind them Malfoy scowled. It was lucky she was so naïve, but he had to find a way to get her away from those friends of hers before they ruined his plans.

----

Harry's first lesson with Dumbledore had passed, quidditch tryouts were on the horizon, and Kagome was so consumed by the amount of work she had, she barely even had time to listen to the new rumors flying around about her.

It was Friday and Kagome was just about to leave Defense Against the Dark Arts when Professor Kaza asked her to stay behind for a moment. After telling her friends to go on ahead she curiously looked at her teacher wondering what this was about. Kaza motioned for her to sit down looking serious.

"I waited a few weeks to make sure it was truly you. I'm supposed to give you this Kagome-sama, with the gratitude of our family and the hopes that it finds you in good health and happiness." Professor Kaza handed her a long thing package, bowing as Kagome looked at her in amazement.

"So they married?" Kagome said ignoring the package and looking with new eyes at her professor. Hirai Kaza nodded and Kagome didn't know why she hadn't figured it out before. Miroku's eyes, Sango's build. The Kaza line was directly descended from her feudal age friends. Kagome bowed in return taking the package with tears in her eyes.

"Now I'm still your professor Kagome-chan so no one can truly know who we are to each other, okay?" Kagome nodded smiling at Hirai, happy to have gained a familiar friend in a world so different from before.

"How did you know it was me Hirai-chan?" Kagome asked.

"The story of the five travelers of the Shikon no Tama has been passed down through each generation of our family for 500 years. Sango and Miroku wanted to make sure that if they could not see you again you could at least know what happened to them and that they were happy thanks to you. They built your family shrine and then moved back to the old tajiya village to restore it. Our family has lived there, on the outskirts of Tokyo, ever since."

"And Shippo?" she asked hopefully.

"Still alive and well in Japan," she replied smiling. "He's kept in touch with our family through the ages, waiting to hear of your return. Perhaps you can see him this holiday? I will at least let him know that I have given you the sword."

"Sword?" Kagome asked finally looking at the package in her hands.

"Yes, that is the sword of your hanyou friend, InuYasha. He gave it to my ancestors before he left hoping it would find its way back to you. He figured he wouldn't need it in the afterlife, but you left before he could give it to you."

Kagome eyes watered at the thought of InuYasha but she held back. Bowing she thanked Hirai and headed back to Gryffindor tower. There was no way she could go to class just yet after news like that. Since class had already begun she ran into no one in the hall. Running up to the girls dormitory she sat down and opened the box. Lying there on a velvet cushion was Tetsusaiga in its sheath.

Picking it up almost reverently she pulled the rusty old blade out. It looked almost as it had 500 years ago. Hugging the re-sheathed sword to herself she let out the tears she hadn't cried since she returned from the well five months ago.

That was where Hermione found her. Asleep on her bed hugging what appeared to be an old sword.

Hope you enjoyed! Sorry there's so much time in between updates, but I try to give you the best possible story I can even if it takes a little more time.

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LA