10/25/08

Because this review REALLY PISSED ME OFF, especially with the warning I have in the summary:

Original

'why praticli all storie of harry potter is SLASH and with snape beurk or malshit this is stupid'

Corrected

'Why are practically all Harry Potter stories SLASH and with Snape (N/A) or Malshit, this is stupid!'

More Polite

'Why are there so many Harry Potter Slash fanfictions?'

Firstly, you SUCK at spelling. Secondly, why did you bother looking at this 'stupid' fanfiction then? There is no indication of this being a Snarry or Drarry or ANYTHING referring to a pairing between them. If you weren't so CHICKEN as to send that review anonymously I'd be sending you a whole other list of reasons why people like it, as well as a few reasons why you are sniveling douche.

On another note—I really do love ripping up flamers—thank you for the quick response. I got 10 hits about 3 seconds after putting it up.

Rating

PG13 for swears and violence, rating may change in certain chapters, you will be informed when such happens.

Harry Potter and the Inner Demon

Chapter 18

With the condensed magic bumping merrily against his chest beneath hastily thrown on robes, Natsu scrambled to make it to lunch on time. The burned skin was still uncomfortable; like it was stretched over too much space, only to seem wrinkly the next. After pushing the doors to the Great Hall open and dashing around the House tables, Natsu claimed a seat next to Hagrid. The half giant was occupied in brushing crumbs out of his beard while chortling merrily with Professor Flitwick, his great stomach shaking with each bellow.

Natsu munched on a sandwhich square and was sipping on a glass of water—pumpkin juice didn't seem all that wonderful anymore—when the Potions Master arrived. 'Later than usual,' he thought dazedly as the professor took a seat by the headmaster. Seshomaru didn't show up for lunch, but Kagome did, seating herself beside McGonagall anf the two chatted—rather nervously on Kagome's part.

Finished with his own meal, he waited for Snape to depart. Minutes passed and he looked up to the ceiling; it was slightly overcast today, however, the sun still shone brightly through the puffy clouds.

Snape rose, catching Natsu's drifting attention, and left the hall. He fell in line with the man as they made the trek down to the dungeons and neither spoke. Their footsteps seemed to echo in the stone halls and when in front of the entrance to potions lab, Snape moved through the door first. Once Natsu had entered, it slammed shut on its own, the sharp noise hurting his sensitive ears.

Snape watched him coolly, dark eyes narrowed. Lips pulled back in a sneer and bared slightly yellowed teeth at him.

"Would you like to tell me why Harry Potter is playing the role of kid brother to a demon lord?"

Kagome laid prostrate on the floor, cheeks against cold wooden boards just in front of the unlit fireplace. Surrounded by textbooks on several subjects she didn't think she would ever understand, Kagome realized just how hopeless this all was. This was material people learned over seven years; there was no way for some one to soak it up in one summer. She had skimmed through the first, second, and third year books but that didn't mean she knew how to perform any of it—maybe she shouldn't have even come to Hogwarts at all.

Pulling herself into a sitting position she felt her arms and back crack with stiffness and concluded that there was no way all of this studying was healthy.

Reaching for the book nearest her—with the title of Rudimentary Third Year Spells—that Professor McGonagall had given her to study, Kagome found that she had barely covered half the book. Dropping her head miserably, she stood and planned just how she would tell the Headmaster her decision; she wouldn't study magic. Not like this anyway, she would find a tutor and learn at a correct pace rather than cram it all into her mind at once. Piling the numerous books she snapped her fingers twice and a house elf popped into the room, looking up at him timidly.

"Is there somethings that Kringle can be doing for Miss?" Kagome smiled gently at the elf and replied in a soft voice, "Could you take these books to Professor McGonagall? I need to talk to the Headmaster."

The elf bobbed its head frantically and a wide smile broke across its face. "Yes Miss! I will be returning these books to Ms Minnie!" Kringle and the books both disappeared and Kagome shook her head--house elves were such strange creatures.

Walking past the portraits, she heard many rumors and whispers--about which paintings have been eerily empty for the longest times and which had been suggestively full—and did her best to ignore them as she reached the Gargoyle in front the Headmaster's office. Mumbling the week's password she hobbled inside the passage before it closed and waited as the stairs rose.

Raising her knuckles to the door, a voice called, "come in," before she could rap even once on its mahogany wood. Professor Dumbledore sat behind his desk, popping a lemon drop past his lips as his blue eyes twinkled at her. "What may I do for you, my dear?"

Maneuvering herself into a seat in front of the desk, Kagome looked at him somewhat imploringly, almost hoping she wouldn't have to say anything but he'd know by the look alone. However, the old man was not omnipotent and could not read minds—she believed he couldn't, anyway—so she started her explanation.

"So," Dumbledore said when she was finished, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "You don't believe you will be able to attend Hogwarts as you cannot reach the level of magic that the seventh years are currently at before the school term starts."

Kagome nodded, somewhat relieved; explaining was not her forte. "I was wondering if there were any private tutors outside of the school that I could learn from." The Headmaster nodded, eyes looking at her considerately. "The Ministry has a Department of Education that supplies a list of private tutors; it's common for magical families to have their children start learning before sending them to school."

Rummaging around in his desk he pulled out a file. "These are the tutors in Britain—the Board of Governors make sure to keep me updated. Of course," he added, "You could return home and inquire about the Japanese Ministry's options." Shocked, Kagome gave him a funny look.

"Japan has a Ministry?" The Headmaster nodded. "So that must mean there's a Wizarding school there too! So why didn't my father get a letter to go there instead of Hogwarts? Why didn't I get a letter?"

Dumbledore smiled at her questions and replied, clasping his hands in front of him, "Your father the son of a Scottish Wizard from a prestigious pureblood family. After your grandfather finished his schooling at Hogwarts he went to study magical creatures in Japan. There—I assume—he fell in love with your grandmother and your father was born. Wizarding schools monitor the offspring of those who have attended and send a letter whether they are still in their designated regions or not. I believe your father may have received a letter from the wizarding school in Japan and turned it down for Hogwarts. As such, his children are off the roster for that school as they would guess you would follow your father's stead and go to Hogwarts.

We did not know where you were for most of your life. I believe that the temple you lived in had wards that kept our Ministry from knowing of your existence but after many checks and double checks we finally found you and sent the letter." With that ending note, the Headmaster popped another lemon drop in his mouth—looking quite pleased with his explanation. His eyes twinkled a little too much and Kagome could tell he had just come up with a plan, though she hadn't a clue whether it had anything to do with her.

Shaking her head to snap out of her little daze, she realized the Headmaster was looking at her expectantly and realized she needed to answer his earlier question. "I think I'll look at the list for Jap-" she stopped mid sentence. She couldn't go back to Japan. She had sensed another jewel in the castle and as the keeper of the Shiko No Tama, she couldn't let something like it fall into the wrong hands. She had learned that the hard way.

"I'll look at the British Ministry's list," She said confidently, and picked up the somewhat thick file of tutors and began to read them. Dumbledore watched and smiled, feeling as though he had finally found a solution to one very tedious task on his list of things to do for the coming school year.

Natsu froze, staring at the man in horror. How did he find out? Snape glared at him irately, expecting an answer. "How long-"

"Since I first heard your voice, Potter," Snape drawled, "and your are not adept in the art of occlumency, if I recall last year correctly."

All the hatred that Natsu held for the man came spilling back into him, face flushing as he bared his canines. "If you had taught me properly, none of that would have happened!" How naïve of him to believe that Snivellus Snape could ever be anything but a greasy, no good-

Snape interrupted his thoughts with a low growl, "this is not why I brought you down to my classroom, Potter." He moved around his desk and sat down, making no offer for Natsu to do the same. "Explain to me how this-" he eyed Natsu warily, "transformation came about."

"That's personal," Natsu replied evenly, scowl evident on his young face. His body may have changed, and more memories may have come to him but he still had the mind of a teenager. He would not do what this cruel man wished him to. Snape did not respect this at all.

"I have every right to know as an employee of the establishment you will be running rampant in. And-" he added coldly, "I am asking you. You should be pleased that I have not merely searched through that cob web you call a mind and been done with you." Natsu had not considered that. He was on edge and his arms crossed defensively in front of his chest. The orb around his neck had grown cold, and he now missed its warmth.

"Fine," Natsu said, trying to sound reluctant though it was somewhat difficult—he had forgiven Snape for last year's events, if he recalled correctly—and continued on to say, "A lot happened this summer." Snape rose an elegant brow, pushing him for more.

"Professor Dumbledore picked me up a few days after my birthday," he explained, "and I went with him to see Kagome and Seshomaru. Being around his demonic energy effected me. I was- am his brother. When I was only a few years old there was an accident and I was reborn through my 'mother', Lily Potter." I suppose I may have possessed Harry Potter's baby and changed how he would have been like had I not done so."

Swinging one leg back an forth across the floor self consciously and shifting from one foot to the other, Natsu looked Snape in the eye and said bitterly, "When you arrived at the school to prepare for the school year, I thought you were nicer. That you weren't such a jerk. However, I'm not so sure anymore. Were you only pretending to act like a decent human being to get into my head?" There was almost a desperate plea in his voice, begging for the Potions Professor to say he really wasn't as cruel as he led everyone to believe.

The man had served as a—dare he say it—friend for his brother. Natsu doubted that Seshomaru had many friends, the danger they'd be in as companions of a taiyoukai was great and he knew that he'd wish to alienate himself from others to protect them. He thought of his father—the short story his brother had given him anyway—about falling in love with a human yet keeping her far away to protect her. Yet she was killed by association.

Snape returned his stare, unrelenting, black eyes tore through his soul searching for sincerity. Apparently he found it, as he leaned back in his chair and gestured for Natsu to take a seat.

"My attitude toward my students is for a reason, Potter," he started slowly, "I must keep the appearance of a cold hearted Slytherin for my duty as a spy for the Order is always being compromised. If a student sees me handing out freshly baked cookies to Gryffindors and sharing gossip with Hufflepuffs, they will undoubtedly send news to their parents who may or may not be part of the Dark Lord's circle." The very idea of that happening seemed to unnerve him as he gave a small shudder and Natsu felt a tiny bit of pity creep into his heart.

"You are a special case, Potter. I am especially harsh toward you as you are the greatest enemy of the Dark Lord and-" the next few words were spat like venom, "because of James Potter, as you should know after looking into my pensive last year." He still held a grudge it appeared.

"Yet you yourself are not so innocent. You always rush into things like the Gryffindor you are, endangering others and getting yourself nearly killed. I could only imagine what Lily would say if she saw her son running around like a wild animal." Rubbing his eyes with his fingers, Snape looked older and more tired than Natsu had ever seen him. "While you are the brother of Professor Janfrer, you are also the son of Lily and James Potter. You are who you are through them if only for the fact that Lily carried you in her womb and Potter impregnated her." Natsu blushed furiously at how blunt he was being.

"I suppose," Snape said, quietly, removing his hands from his face, "I must learn to know you—as you are the sibling of a colleague and I will see a lot of you for the rest of this year." A small smirk pulled at his lips as he said, "Your brother has asked me to further your knowledge in swordsmanship." Natsu's eyes widened and instantly he felt his gut churn furiously. "Why didn't he ask me first?" Gnashing his teeth together angrily, he fought back the urge to stomp his foot like a child.

"He is concerned for you," Snape replied smoothly. "He wants you to know everything you possibly can before he takes you to his time." Natsu's eyes shot up in shock. "Yes, I know all about that. The Headmaster informed the staff of Professor Janfrer—and I suppose yourself's—home. Professor Dumbledore feels it's best that everyone know everything they can know as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. He will not, of course, tell the students. They have no need to know." Natsu nodded with acceptance though annoyed that he had been left out of so much.

"So," Natsu said, deciding it would be best to change the subject before thing became awkward, "What other reason did you have for wanting me to come down here." Glancing around the lab suspiciously, he continued, "Surely you didn't plan on us just talking everyday until the start of term." Snape nodded and stood. He glided across the room to a cabinet and tapped it with his wand before opening it, revealing three shelves of books. Pulling one tome out, he closed the cabinet again and dropped it on the desk in front of Natsu, the thud resounding in the cavernous room.

"I plan to make a Potions Master out of you, Potter." He said smugly, staring at the spot where his orb of magic was starting to hum under his robes. He reached under his own robes and pulled a silver chain and a cloudy blue-gray orb into view. Black mist swirled inside; giving the orb an air of darkness as it seemed to tremble gleefully in the man's grasp.

TBC...