Chapter 18 –Land of the Rising Sun

Standard disclaimer – don't own any of JK Rowling's works, nor am I profiting from them.

A/N: To the new and old readers of this story, thank you again for your continued support. I would ask (again, I know) for reviews and comments, I realize it is difficult to leave a note, but it keeps my writing honest, especially if you see grammar or continuity errors. I assume, hopefully, that the lack of angry comments means that the story is a good read. To my PMers, thanks for your insights. This chapter has some implied sexual assault subject matter (very brief) so please be aware of it, it will be obvious when it is coming.

The misunderstanding also seemed to banish the subject of Harry's manhood, at least for the time being, for which Ginny was extremely grateful. As they all piled out of the booth and prepared to floo home, George waved them all ahead.

"Go on you lot, I'll be home soon, I just want to take a walk and think a bit. I'll be at the Wheezes if you want to check up on me." He started for the doors of the Leaky, when a warm arm looped in his and a rare genuine smile lit up his face when he saw Angelina standing there, sliding in close to him.

"I'll look after him and make sure he gets home safe." She all but declared herself to the Weasleys then and there, and judging by the smile on George's face, she knew that Harry was right to invite her tonight even if it had blindsided him. They had a lot to talk about and there would hopefully be plenty of time for it later, but just for tonight, George needed to remember how to enjoy life. She lost one of her best friends to this war, she wouldn't lose George too.

Harry gingerly stepped into the Wheezes, in order to shift all the way to Japan; he needed at least one sobering potion. He knew George had taken to drinking regularly so had a plentiful stock as well as their hidden stash to sell to sixth and seventh years from Hogwarts. He searched fruitlessly for the muddy vial for a few moments before smacking himself on his head.

"Kreacher!" As his elf appeared at his side, his golden eyes pierced Harry's own. "Master called for Kreacher? How may I serve Master … Is Master Harry … drunk?"

Harry felt a pang of guilt, knowing how Sirius had taken to drinking to sooth himself when sheltered at Grimmauld Place, but shook it off quickly; he was definitely not a normal drinker. "I did have a few drinks, but it was for a good cause." As he heard the horn blast from the door charm, he motioned his elf back to the Cauldron.

Angelina and George stumbled into the joke shop, laughing at each other unaware of their company. Harry felt like an intruder to George's first real attempt at healing and so pulled further into the secret laboratory. He quietly asked for a sobering potion and Kreacher left silently to fulfill his Master's wishes. He couldn't keep the smile from his face as he saw the real George return for just one night. He cast Muffliato to mask his own presence because he also had work to do before going back to check on his sempai.

He gathered all of his research and stared hard at the dampening rune scheme that George had questioned earlier. George had outdone himself with the Shade cloak and earned some time away from the Cauldron. Time away whether he liked it or not; time that would hopefully be used to be with Angelina.

What George didn't realize about the scheme, and what Harry hoped, was that this piece of rubbish that he so eloquently called it, would be used to control Kenji's outbursts of magic while he was still learning to control his core. He absently thumbed the scheme, taking care not to activate it, if everything went as planned, he would finally have an ally that had just as much to lose as himself.

He felt a cold vial pressed into his hand and drank it without hesitation, only slightly grimacing at the thick texture. As his head began to stop spinning, he thanked his elf profusely and asked for his help one more time this night.

"We need to go to Gringotts … can you take us there? My head is still a bit fuzzy." Kreacher scoffed quietly with a smirk, but nodded.

They apparated into the dimly lit lobby of Gringotts which appeared scarcely staffed at this early hour. Their mild shock at seeing Harry Potter at this time was replaced by stunned silence at seeing his golden eyed companion.

The first teller hissed and made a warding gesture in Kreacher's direction to which Harry's bewildered eyes narrowed dangerously at the disrespect shown to a member of his House. As the goblin completely ignored his requests for his account manager, Harry moved down the line to hopefully a more helpful goblin. When that second goblin teller began the same dramatics, Harry snatched his wand and prodded the teller in the forehead, pointedly ignoring the looks of anger from the other goblins. Wand envy be damned.

"The Lord Potter-Black, with an inquiry to my account." When the goblin's fixed stare did not waver from glaring at his elf, Harry replaced his wand with his tanto and pressed deeply enough to draw a thin trickle of blood. He glared at the tellers, daring them to challenge him. Bill's warnings about goblins echoed in Harry's mind, but he was fueled by anger and firewhiskey.

"The account, goblin. Now." Harry swept towards the edge of the lobby to wait for his account manager, with his elf trailing behind, a satisfied smile on his face. Master Harry has certainly embraced his Black mantle. Kreacher sat in comfortable silence with his Lord as they both contemplated the same question: Why were the goblins so affronted with his existence?

A feral unfamiliar goblin emerged from the offices off of the tellers and approached the pair. "I am Sharpfang, I am the …" His grating voice trailed off as he glowered at the golden eyed faery.

Harry had enough with the contempt for his companion, "You are not my account manager, leave and return with him." He dismissed the goblin with a wave of his hand, knowing that his blatant disrespect would surely not be ignored.

Sharpfang's eyes narrowed then showed his sharpened bloody teeth in a grimacing smile. "Surely Mr. Weasley told you never to cross a goblin, Mr. Potter. Your disrespect could cause … a mistake in your accounting or … an accident when visiting your vault."

To which Harry loosened his control over the Fade, causing the air around them to crackle and singe Sharpfang's clothes. He matched the feral smile with a bitterly cold one of his own, "I may be a Potter in name, goblin, but I am also the Lord of House Black. You would do well to remember that." He closed the distance between the two and hissed so only Sharpfang could hear, "Interfere with my accounts, and your paltry wards won't protect you or your kind from my wrath."

Sharpfang regarded Lord Potter and his refusal to be intimidated and smiled. The man knew goblins and their penchant for bravado and intimidation. Perhaps he had learned more from William Weasley than they thought. "Your new manager is not here now, Lord Potter, she will return in the morning."

"She?" Harry growled. He felt rather than saw the trap now waiting for him, but the pieces fell into place quickly; he knew of only one "she" that was associated with Gringotts and would be used in negotiating his particular wealthy account.

"She", agreed the goblin gleefully, believing they had won this round with the powerful Lord Potter judging by the stony look on Harry's face.

Fleur Delacour.

Harry had arranged for Ginny's new account at Gringotts after he had collected his thoughts. Fleur … she was as close to me as they could find, and no doubt hoped she would use her allure in negotiations. But Fleur was no tart or slag, nor one to ever flaunt her Veela nature, even to gain the upper hand in the TriWizard Tournament or the War. She was placed there by the goblins, but it was more likely that the Veela demand she take this station.

That she was probably harboring and sharing information about his account would never occur to the goblins; she probably convinced them that she wanted a percentage of her overage because she and the Weasleys were poor. It would be so easy for the goblins to understand that sentiment, wealth was power in both the wizarding and goblin worlds. The Veela were certainly thorough in using their assets; a gambit worthy of Dumbledore himself. Now, both Gabrielle and Fleur were inserted into his life, ensnaring the Weasleys indirectly. The Delacour sisters were caught in an untenable situation based on their heritage, but how willing they were to play their roles would determine how he dealt with them.

If Gringotts was this blinded and narrow-minded in pursuit of Galleons, then whoever accepted Fleur for the commission was not to be trusted due to his sheer incompetence. He would have to make his own deal with the goblins, one that trumped their greed for gold, to forge a direct relationship with the very head of the bank, if necessary to prevent his slow moving plans from being discovered. He again thanked Hideki for his unintended wisdom when in America. The goblins might not even know why they craved wizarding wealth so much, but he did and would use that knowledge to force their loyalty. However, it meant that he would be travelling a long distance again and could jeopardize his promise to see Ginny for her birthday. Ginny's promise about leaving earlier echoed in his mind, prompted a silly smile to his face. He would not miss that opportunity again. I'll have to hurry.

As Kreacher apparated them back to Grimmauld Place, his elf made an apologetic bow. "Mistress Weasley is still not staying here, Lord Potter. She is staying at her Burrow to spend time with Masters Ron and George before she returns to Hogwarts."

Harry waved off the apology, he had not expected her to stay and truthfully, he needed the time alone with his elf to discuss what happened at Gringotts as the sobering potion worked its own magic.

Kreacher sensed his unease and shrugged his shoulders as if he knew the conversation coming. He had a theory about the goblin's behavior, but was reluctant to bring it up, knowing his Master's reaction. But if he was asked a direct question, then he couldn't refuse.

"Kreacher? Is it possible that the goblins were unaware of what you are? Or that they knew, and were afraid of what you had become?" His Master seemed unsure of his own questions as he asked them into the still air of the Black home.

"Perhaps, Lord. It is unlikely they have seen something like me in their lifetimes. All of the Arcane vanished from the Isles centuries ago, it would be like seeing an angel, a true pharaoh, or even the return of Merlin." Kreacher dropped his gaze from his Master, "Do not worry, Master, I will remain within the walls of Grimmauld Place. I will not endanger your secret until you are ready."

"No, Kreacher." Harry would have none of it, "I am the reason you changed …" Harry knew it wasn't his fault, but didn't want his elf to be stuck here until he was ready. "Can you go to Hogwarts to watch over Ginny and the others? I know it won't be easy around the other elves, but it must be better than just being here alone. Maybe you could ask McGonagall to let you use the library to see what you can find?"

Kreacher nodded, now that he had changed, he felt he was more than just a house elf. He wanted to be more, and going to Hogwarts in a few weeks, may provide that opportunity to learn what he was destined to become. He could also provide an invaluable service to his Master; not only would he look after his friends, but Kreacher could keep an eye on the heirs to the Greater Houses to ensure his Master's safety when he was ready to return.

Minerva McGonagall sat in the now austere office of the Headmistress at Hogwarts idly thumbing the last envelope to be sent out for the school term. She rediscovered it as she sorted through all of the professors' portfolios. Heavier than the rest, it held more than just badges and accommodations, it should have held a happy resolution to a troubled life. After she became Headmistress, she had learned all of Albus' plans from the man, himself, and from the other portraits. She was so incensed that she had banished his portrait to the Hog's Head so that Aberforth could give him a few choice words and had refused to talk to him since.

She knew Albus had very few options to win the War, but to allow Potter to wander aimlessly in the dark about his fate for so long was unforgiveable. It was also hard to forgive her own ignorance in his time there at the venerable school; she may have seemed aloof but she cared deeply for her students. She was a sharp witch, but her fondness and respect for Albus had her turn a blind eye to the signs she should have seen with her young Gryffindors. But Harry in particular, Minerva saw in him everything that she would have wanted in her own child. Brave, moral, compassionate, but resolute.

The envelope contained both the Gryffindor Quidditch captaincy and the Head Boy badge, they were both by right Harry's to have. After the revelation of his illness, Minerva knew he wasn't returning to Hogwarts and had to dispense those honors to others. Nothing was ever easy for that boy. In truth, that particular sentiment along with many others had also been placed in that thick envelope; it contained the proud words of she and Dumbledore both as apology and joyful praise. She hoped one day to be able to hand it to Harry and say those things that went so far beyond, "It's good to see you."

Hogwarts would not be the same without either Mr. Weasley or Potter, but at least one of her favorites would be returning, Ms. Granger. In a few days they would be meeting at the Three Broomsticks to speak about the upcoming term and how the returning students would react when coming back. Hermione did not know what happened at the school this past year and she would need to be both Head Girl and part counselor.

She sighed heavily and placed the letter she had not sent back into her desk; she had to focus on recasting the wards on the castle as well as fix some of the greenhouses that had suffered damage to reopen the school in less than a month. As she delved back into the minutiae that was being a Headmistress, she wondered how Albus did it all and kept that damned twinkle in his eye. She could've returned his portrait to its rightful place to ask him, but her Scottish temper wouldn't allow him off that easily, at least not yet.

Lavender had counted the days since Harry had visited her and placed a hope that within her something was valuable enough to salvage. She carried those words with her through every consultation with her healers and used it as a shield to all of those whispered taunts about dark creatures. And when those words were not enough, she would always palm the Potter crest and take solace in its dictum. In balance, strength. In strength, life.

She had taken to walking the grounds of the hospital in the early predawn when the moon was finally cresting, as proof that she was still fully in control of herself. The staff originally forbid it and tried to confine her to her room, but Kreacher would not stand to have a member of his House treated in such a fashion. It took a lot of pleading with the elf to not vent his displeasure on the staff or structure of St. Mungo's. It was then, when at her height of desperation that a slow croaking, "Please" escaped her lips, and the mere sound of her voice had rendered the elf still in shock, before a wide grin spliced his face. Kreacher promised to hold that as secret, so she could surprise Harry then next time they met.

It would come much sooner than Lavender thought, as she heard the quick swish that foretold Kreacher's appearance. He wore the same wide grin as he regarded the Gryffindor girl; she had regained much of her color and had regained some of her lost weight. He gestured for her to get fully dressed as he busied himself cleaning the room. As she pulled on her jumper to ward off the morning cold, she finally heard the elf speak, "Mistress Brown, it is time. Please gather your wand and when you are ready I will take you to Master Potter." A slight shiver ran through her, while St. Mungo's was not friendly, it was all she had known and she was accustomed to the numbness of it. She took a deep breath and grabbed Kreacher's arm.

They swirled back into existence in a darkened vault; it held numerous pieces of jewelry, gemstones, and various other objects amidst the backdrop of mountains of Galleons. Her curiosity almost compelled her to reach out to touch the nearest piece but she felt Kreacher's arm flex under her grasp and so she just waited for Harry to show himself.

A deep voice called out from the darkness, "This is the Potter vault. I had Kreacher bring you here before we traveled again, while I have full confidence in his abilities, it is a far journey and he does not know the exact destination." She heard Harry's almost silent footfalls come closer and saw his brilliant green eyes flaring in the darkness before she made out anything else.

"My offer still stands, if you are willing." Lavender nodded her head, this chance was everything she held onto while in St. Mungo's, the chance to get help for her condition and gain some acceptance from others and from herself.

Harry smiled and nodded to Kreacher, "The Welsh locket, it was my mother's favorite." His elf smiled and disappeared with a rustle, and Harry claimed the space next to her. He peered down at her, "I can take you to see my healer for the nightmares, but I think you will get more from my mentor, if he is … healthy." At her quizzical look, Harry spoke quickly, "He was in the Alley too. He has been bitten as well, when he was a little child. He is no Fenrir and I trust him with my life, but I won't ask you to, especially given the past year."

She nodded and swallowed the bitterness that came flooding in, at least Harry wasn't pitying her much or mollycoddling her. He must have felt her turmoil because he lightly touched her arm, "It's a lot to handle, but you can always leave my House, if you want to go back to your own. I know you don't see eye to eye now …" She shook her head vehemently, but stopped when she saw Harry's deep sadness extinguishing the bright green from his eyes. Her eyes squeezed shut at her callousness, but gave one final shake to prove her point.

Harry stepped closer to her and held out his hand, "We aren't apparating, or Portkeying." He chuckled as she looked around for the trigger. "It's something unique to the Potters' bloodline but can be disorienting the first time, especially with the distance."

He smirked at her eyes raised in question.

"Japan."

Harry was right, it was disorienting, with conventional Wizard travel like apparition or Portkey, there was always a squeezing or pulling sensation, and it took time, but this was almost instantaneous. One moment they were in the vault, the next in a shaded grove of cherry trees. The lack of vertigo in itself cause a bit of nausea and disorientation. He motioned to a temple complex, higher up the mountain and began to walk up the path, his hand still holding hers. Harry

"Dr. Saito!" Harry's relief at seeing his Healer was palpable and instantly put her mind at ease. It also helped that the man looked professional and honestly, harmless. As he turned his eyes to hers, she amended that statement, his eyes were penetrating and full of wisdom; he wasn't imposing, but she felt that he fought his battles within the mind and not with a wand. She shivered slightly, this would be the man making her relive those horrible moments at Hogwarts and his prowess would be brought to bear against her. But Harry swore by him, attributed a lot of his recovery to him, so Lavender knew they would be seeing a lot of each other.

"Kenji?" She caught the flick of his eyes towards her, and knew this Kenji was the one to help her gain her vengeance.

"See for yourself, Lord Potter." His mocking tone drew a smile from Harry and the tension drained from her companion.

"Come on Lavender, time to meet your new teacher."

"Bollocks!"

"Language, Ronald." Hermione's tone was only teasing when she saw how frustrated her boyfriend was becoming. His Auror training would be incredibly difficult, so he decided to show some foresight and join Ginny and Hermione's study group, but he always struggled more with spells than her or Harry. He wanted very little help because he couldn't rely on anyone else during the training, but it was obvious that he along with the rest of them, needed practice.

Ron finally had the fame and notoriety that he thought he had craved, but it seemed hollow. Losing a brother and your best mate was a stiff price to pay, and he finally understood why Harry, even with his fame, tried so hard to achieve. Kingsley and Dawlish would accept him based on his fame, but he wanted to advance based on his own merits. This was something that was going to be his doing, his own work. He gritted his teeth and tried the Disillusionment charm again. He felt the cold feeling of water dousing him and gave a small invisible smile.

"Brilliant, Ron." Hermione's genuine praise brought a blush to his cheeks. Merlin, did he love that woman. He cast the countercharm and swept her up into a quick kiss, oblivious to the groans of both Ginny and Neville.

"Come on you two, not again." Neville blushed slightly at being the wet blanket, but he needed the practice, and it made him slightly jealous because he hadn't seen Hannah in a few days.

"Whatever, Nev. You were the one the ditched me to go back to Hogwarts. I just need the proper motivation and Hermione happens to be it." Ron was grinning ear to ear and missed the retching sounds Ginny was making behind him.

"Well if you keep taking up her time, then we will all be behind, and with McGonagall now Headmistress …" Neville shivered at the thought of the stern woman's disappointment that nearly all her Gryffindors would be bumbling baboons as she put it.

"You could start up the DA again, that would be the extra practice you need. With Diagon Alley and all, it wouldn't hurt to be extra prepared." Ron's voice trailed off as the quick reminders of Harry and subconsciously he peeked at his sister. Ginny glared back at him in defiance, arms crossed, she was not going to fall apart just mentioning Harry or things that had happened to him.

"It's a good idea, Ginny and Neville did a great job keeping it going for everyone else, and thankfully, we can use it just to practice spells this year, to keep everyone prepared. Especially when I have no idea who the Defense teacher is going to be, God help us if it's another Umbridge." Hermione's placating voice seemed to calm the oncoming storm between the Weasleys. Of course, she would agree with her brother, Ginny thought with a roll of her eyes.

"Hermione, aren't you meeting with McGonagall in a few days? Do you think you can find out if we can hold the DA and figure out who the professor is?" As she nodded, Neville took up his wand again, "Now can you help me with this spell, I just can't get these birds right." As Hermione started her all too familiar professorial tone for her lecture about the Avis spell, Ron chuckled and moved back to watch her in action.

He caught his sister's eye and sidled over to her, whispering, "Just be careful Ginny, I'm sure the Ministry will be at Hogwarts again this year for protection, given the Death Eaters' attacks, and you all still need a Defense teacher …" At her wrinkled nose, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a side armed hug. "It won't be like Umbridge and it definitely won't be like last year, McGonagall and Kingsley will be sure of it. Hell, I will make sure of it, but be careful of what you say, all of you, for both Dad and Harry's sakes. You know Hogwarts' walls have eyes and ears."

Ginny felt her temper simmering, she wasn't a little girl anymore, of course she knew all of that, but when she looked at how concerned Ron was she smiled and nodded. He chuckled, "I know you know; I just needed to say it." She quirked an eye at him and he gave a wan smile that didn't reach his eyes, "I wasn't there for you last year or when you had that bloody book, and now …" He wouldn't meet her eyes, but Ginny felt pain stinging her own. She grabbed his hand draped on her shoulder and squeezed. She knew Ron, of all her brothers, saw her as an equal and quite a capable witch in her own right, despite his protectiveness. Being together at the Ministry and being in the DA opened both of their eyes to what each other could do, and she had missed him last year; had really missed all of them.

"I know Ron, but I'm sure I will be seeing you more than you think." She gave a pointed nod to Hermione, as they both watched Neville finally conjure a bird, a yellow finch.

"Oi! Did it have to be a yellow finch?" Ron chuckled darkly and ducked the bird as Hermione sent it at him half-heartedly. He gave her a cheeky wink, Merlin I do love her.

Harry and Kenji's punishing morning run was noticeably less so, Harry's indulgence in firewhiskey still making him sluggish, and Kenji's body was still trying to accommodate the needs his magic demanded. Kenji noticed Harry struggling slightly as they crested the last hill and finally caught sight of the temple.

"Being with your friends made you soft, kohai." Kenji's mocking tone carried high in the silence of the morning. Harry grunted in acknowledgement through his hard breathing, he definitely had a rough week and his routine had been shortened for most of those days, but he would never give Kenji the satisfaction of hearing him say it aloud.

"Just wait, when Lavender and I train your core, we'll see who is soft." Harry's voice only held a little venom, but he was anxious to return the ass kicking he received when Kenji first sparred with him.

"The girl, is she ready?" Harry shook his head, as much as he knew Lavender wanted vengeance, she needed time with a mind Healer to make sense of what happened to her. She still hadn't said anything to him, for Merlin's sake, she wasn't ready for revenge if she couldn't truly face what Amycus or Greyback did to her.

"I don't know if she will take no for an answer, though. I promised her that chance." Kenji glanced back towards Harry, but saw from his look, that it was not his reason to explain. They finished the rest of their run in silence both lost in their own thoughts.

Harry was keeping an eye on Lavender from the house as Hideki worked with her near the reflecting pool. He involuntarily shivered, he knew how insightful his Healer was, and while it was necessary, the healing was incredibly painful. Kenji was further down the complex practicing basic control of his magic, and judging from his room, he was finding it difficult. The scorch marks around the bed was his first clue, but the depth of the burns showed him that they would need to start controlling it soon for everyone's safety.

He palmed the ward scheme in his hand and began to place and draw the runes along the walls of Kenji's bedroom. He and Lavender could try and work with Kenji during the waking hours to train his core, but at night, Harry suspected, is when most of the damage was taking place. His sempai might have supreme control, but focusing his magic would take practice and guidance.

It would be the same for Lavender; Kenji had already refused to start her on the physical training that they practiced every morning. She wasn't strong enough due to that fact, she was starting on the same diet that Harry had when he awoke from his coma of potions and intensive therapy. Harry could relate to her frustration and said a quick prayer for her taste buds, but as she left Hideki's company and began determinedly marching towards his sempai, he knew she wouldn't give him a choice in starting her first real lesson.

Kenji had, instead, promised to tell her more about being infected with lycanthropy, how to cope with the anger and preparing for full moons. Harry could tell it resonated with her, it was one thing for healers to explain factually what was happening, but to have an emotional connection and understanding of how it felt made the teaching much more effective. Kenji knew down to the very detail, how powerful the longing was for the full moon, or every nuance at how quickly her rage escalated out of control.

But those were just words, and Lavender didn't leave the hospital and join his House to talk, she wanted to hurt those that had taken so much from her … he only hoped that Kenji would take it easy.

As that ridiculous thought crossed his mind, he quickly closed the last ward and raced down towards the bamboo grove. Kenji would always prove his point which meant she was in for an ass kicking of a lifetime.

"Kenji! I'm done waiting, Harry promised you would teach me, so here I am." She planted herself directly in front of him, staring right into his black eyes. "I met your father like you asked …"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand after the initial surprise of hearing her shrill voice left him, "You aren't ready for anything. If you actually listened to my father, you would know that." His scorn was barely hidden and just enraged her more.

She poked him in the chest with her finger, cutting into his skin, "You taught Harry early, how else could he be so good?" Kenji allowed a small smile of pride flash across his face, but stamped it down as he stared down at the blonde girl.

"Potter-san was ready; he faced his pain and came to terms with it." He placed his finger right into her breastbone. "You can't even speak of it yet; you are either a coward or want to keep it close to your heart." Even as he said it, he saw how deeply the words cut into her, laying her open and bare. Making her question if she really desired what caused so much pain, and before he could even ask forgiveness for his ignorance, she had raked his cheek, leaving deep scratch marks on his face before trying to tackle him to the ground.

Kenji quickly rolled them over and pinned her underneath him with his forearm bridging across her neck, "Lavender, you are not ready." He spoke to her firmly but with as much sympathy as he could; something terrible had happened to her, something much worse than the scars that she bore on her face and chest. "I will teach you when you are …" but the rest of his words were lost as Lavender began to shake violently.

The weight, the awful weight was pushing against her, trapping her to the ground. His hot breath was snapping around her face as she felt the pressure on her throat. His words disappeared into the loud rush of sound that engulfed her.

His hand pinned her arms down above her head; he hadn't even bothered to use magic, he was going to make her struggle and fight. The cruelty in his eyes matched the vile speech dripping from his lips. She screamed and screamed until he entered her roughly and his hands clamped on her throat, silencing her …

"Father, Harry!" Kenji's voice was steady but Harry could hear the panic in his voice and shifted the rest of the distance to his fallen Gryffindor. When he saw the position they were in, he swore aloud; Lavender was having a seizure and Kenji was holding her fast against his chest, trying to keep her convulsions as mild as possible. Her screams that tore through the midmorning calm also brought Hideki running.

Harry did what he wished he had done two years ago, when Katie was in agony from Draco's locket; his powerful stunner struck Lavender right between her shoulder blades and for the time being ended her physical suffering. "Lay her down, your father is coming." Harry looked at Kenji for an explanation, but his sempai's eyes were clouded in confusion and embarrassment. Harry noted the slightest shaking of his hands and shallow breathing of his mentor. "You didn't do anything wrong, and she needed to know what she was in for." Kenji shook his head and stepped aside as his father bent low and opened her eyes and met her gaze as Harry murmured, Rennervate.

Lavender's screams ended as Hideki entered her mind, she began to calm and finally the tension bled from her body as his healing took hold. It was disconcerting to see her placid face only moments after she was in a full blown panic, but once again, he thanked Merlin for Hideki's incredible skill. Hideki's face was pale and his breathing was labored; he stumbled when standing up and Harry was surprised to see the anguished and furious look on his Healer's face. He closed his eyes and grimaced as a wave of nausea passed, waving off their attempts to steady him. Both of them were shocked to see the rage in his eyes for a man trained to keep his composure, but were more so to hear his words from a man who took the Healer's Oath.

"When you find that animal … kill him. Make him suffer, he deserves nothing less."

She was aware of the drowsy warmth that only the afternoon sun provided splashing on her face; it merged with the delicious heavy weight of the down comforter and soothed her rattled nerves. She heard murmured whispers from below her, the sweet white noise adding to her fugue. She was bone weary, even the thought of getting up was exhausting. Suddenly, the white noise was punctured by the shrill whistle of a tea kettle and she heard faint footsteps coming up the stairs. She shut her eyes tightly against the world pushing her out of her cocoon and feigned sleep as she heard the shoji screen slide open with a hush.

She felt the eyes on her form, when at Hogwarts before … Amycus, she delighted in feeling those roaming eyes; she had been beautiful and relished in the harmless stares of the students. She barely opened her eyes and saw Harry standing there propped against the wall, teacup in hand, just watching her with a cautious smile. She closed her eyes again, wanting to hide in embarrassment from the earlier scene she made.

"Lav?" Harry walked slowly to the edge of the bed, and sat down, gazing down at her serene face. He placed the tea on the side table and brushed a blonde curl from her face, "When you feel up to it, Kenji would like to talk to you ... to apologize."

"How?" Lavender winced at the scratchiness of her voice, but saw the shock register and a brilliant smile light up his face.

"Your breathing … and I saw your eyes looking at me." Harry's face was still frozen in a giant smile as he gestured to the tea, "Earl Grey. Hot." His wondering eyes didn't have to ask, she knew he wanted to know when.

"A few days ago, I wanted it to be a surprise … it didn't work out like I had planned …" Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands. "Surprise …" she said meekly as she reached out for the tea, if only to give her something else to focus on.

"It definitely is. Whenever you are ready." Harry gestured to the door to show himself out and give her some privacy when her voice, with more timbre in it, stopped him with a question.

"When we're you ready?" Her question was wet with desperation and Harry's shoulders sagged slightly, knowing that the answer was a long time from now.

"You have to understand Lavender, I have spent nearly every day with Hideki since the Battle, working through who I am, and everything that has happened to me since I was born … it isn't an easy fix. I still have days were I feel lost or angry. Kenji's training isn't about fighting; it's about focus and being free and you can't be ready for that until you own everything that you are. There are no shortcuts here, sadly. But you will have all the time you need here to get better."

Harry turned to leave her alone with her thoughts and show himself out but not before he turned and seeing her despondent face, gave her a winning smile, "Welcome home, Lavender."

Harry slowly descended the staircase lost in thought. He knew that Lavender hadn't wanted to wait for her revenge and would only take Hideki's help if it furthered that goal, but it was clear from her seizure that she needed his healer's help more than she let on. The fact that she was speaking did grant him some solace; that she had broken through that barrier this soon, with only Kreacher for companionship was remarkable. His elf's quiet ministrations and judicious prodding had put her at ease, but here nothing was easy. Healing the mind was not gentle, nor pleasant. But Kreacher had convinced her that it was worthwhile to come here and for that Harry was grateful. Perhaps some new books, or an addition to his room…

He entered the dining room where his sempai and father sat in quiet contemplation, both nursing cups of hot green tea, and shook his head lightly when their questioning glances met his eyes. "Soon, she has a lot to think about." Kenji still looked slightly chagrined; his rebuke had precipitated her panic attack. Harry placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze as he passed to retrieve his own tea from the kitchen.

When he sat down, Hideki's voice broke the quiet, "Harry, there is something we must talk about. There is only so much information you can gather here about your family, and we can only mask your magical signature for so long … the ambient magic here is static, with the exception of you and now my son …" Harry understood, Japan was a tremendous hideaway and he could live out his life here in anonymity, but if he wanted to advance his magic and learn what he truly was and be able to return to his friends and Ginny, he needed magic training and information, both of which were not here at Mt. Hiei.

"You have another safe house, another part of the Legion?" Hideki nodded quickly, and slid a sheet a paper, that same paper he drafted when Kenji was returned to him, over to Harry. "Two choices, they fulfill the needs while minimizing the risks, I felt it important that you choose, given your past."

Harry normally would have thanked his healer, but there was something ominous in his tone, something he knew would upset him was on this paper. As Harry began reading the reasons Hideki wrote for leaving, he was nodded his head in agreement and it was true that Kenji would follow for he needed magic training as well. In reading further, his green eyes darkened as it became clear what Hideki was asking of him, and when he reached the bottom at the two underlined destinations his anger was flaring. Using the last vestiges of control, Harry calmly placed the paper down on the table and strode out into the waning sun.

Kenji glared at his father; his kohai's anger was palpable and it had been a long time since Harry had just walked off, unable to control his temper. Something on that paper bothered him on an emotional level … Kenji snatched the paper off the table and skimmed down to the bottom where his eyes also narrowed and cut across to his father's unyielding gaze. They stared at each other for a moment and Kenji abruptly stood and followed Harry out of the house.

Hideki hated to place Harry in such an uncompromising position, but it was necessary for him and the Legion to make the choice. His son reacted exactly as Hideki had planned, but it hurt him immensely to see his son choose Harry. The two of them needed each other to fulfill their destinies … I just wish I didn't have to push my son away to do it.

Kenji found him at the reflecting pool as he always did when his kohai needed to think. He didn't bother speaking, Harry knew he was there; his magic presence and training would have alerted him seconds before he arrived; so he waited. The raven haired magi stood there staring into the water, wistfully watching the koi swim freely in the pond, blissfully unaware of the life outside of their little pond. "Such an easy life …" Harry didn't stop looking down at the calm water but his soft voice carried back to his hypersensitive ears.

"Your father is right ... about all of it, I'm not angry at him, he told me what I needed to hear. It's only because our choices are so limited." Kenji's eyes widened at the pronoun but wouldn't press Harry on it at this moment. "We do need a place to research and to practice our magic, I do need a magical library to learn more about the Peverells, and we do need a large source of magic as well as allies to help hide our growing signatures." Harry sighed deeply and waited for a response to an unasked question. He could feel Kenji's gaze on his back and finally turned to face his mentor.

"But the French Ministry?" Kenji knew that trusting another Ministry was ludicrous and had no idea how they would leverage their allies there to keep it quiet from their British counterparts. But it was the only real option available. Because surely the other option was even more absurd. Harry's withering glare could not conceal his contempt for that government option.

"No, the French are not in play right now, their price for assistance is … much too high. The other choice is much more dangerous, but the information would be first hand and irrefutable."

"Kohai, this is a dangerous game you are playing, with both of our lives. You know what the price of being caught would be." It wasn't a threat, merely a reiteration of fact. Kenji's life was much less at stake than Harry's; he just wanted Harry to acknowledge he was putting two House lineages at stake and that if they were dead, all the information they gained would be useless.

"Then we must not fail." Harry's steely tone announced that the discussion was closed for now and that his decision was made. It is my choice to make.

Kenji merely nodded; he understood the reasoning, but enrolling his father would be another matter. He expected Harry to side with the French and begin to rebuild the Arcane's political standing, starting in Europe, where the Veela already had a foothold.

"You will need some new robes and clothes, sempai, Scotland gets brutally cold in the winter time."