Sorry for the late update! I know I said when I hit 35 reviews but by day 2 it was on 32 and I hadn't wrote a word apart from the script and a play-by-play of the scenes from the movie! I hope 9.5k+ words makes up for it! XD
Thank you for your support! You guys are amazing!
Thank you Vsyo-Vremya, My Beta and my best and oldest friend =D
This time the review threshold will be 60 reviews! (39 at the moment so not many to go ^^) Because I need a while to writte the next chappy and have it Beta'd ^^so be sure to review ^^
Anyways. On with the story! =)
Harry watched with a growing sense of dread as Rin recalled what Olivanders had told him with his head tilted down, eyes shadowed by his hair. So now Voldemort not only had the Elder wand, knew they where hunting Horcruxes but he also figured out a way to make the wand even more powerful than before. As the thought went through his head he frowned. Something about that didn't fit, he had felt Voldemort's thoughts and there was no hint of him feeling accomplished, not like he had achieved something he was trying to do. He wracked his memory for any underlining thoughts he had picked up from him but nothing grabbed his attention. He remembered seeing him killing a group of people and drawing the blue katana Rin had discribed in his rage but nothing more, no hint as to what he might be planning. He hadn't transfered Rin's heart into the wand yet but that could mean anything or nothing. He tried to put it together but came up short, to mentally and physically exhausted from connecting to Voldermorts mind to think straight. His thoughts turned to a more pressing matter.
"Give me the cup." He spoke to Hermione who looked up questioningly, realising what he meant she nodded and fumbled in her bag for it, tossing it to him. He took a few steps back from the bluenette and set it on the ground.
"Remember when we asked you to do something for us? Could you try and destroy this with your flames?" He said softly. Rrin looked up with a confused expression, his eyes unfocused while whatever he was thinking still had a hold on him. "It's a piece of You-Know-Who's soul, we can't kill him until we find and destroy them all." Rin stared at him for a few moments with a hopeless expression before shaking it off, expression turning determined.
"Alright," he said a little shakily. He got to his feet awkwardly and looked down at the cup.
Rin's mind was a mess. He took a slow, steadying breath of the clean, open air and looked down at the cup. He could feel a dark aura oozing from it while it sat innocently on the pebbly ground, glinting in the setting sun. He crossed the distance to it and picked it up, an unpleasent feeling running down his arm and down his spine at a touch. Shaking the uneasy feeling he felt he drew on his flames like he always did and tried to coat his hand and arm in them. No sooner had he thought of them he felt a surge through his head, at the same time he felt electricity shoot through his arm from his elbow to his fingertips, like he had put his fingers in a plug socket and dropped the cup.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked immediately as he grabbed his head. The pain dissapeared as quickly as it came and he looked at the others.
"N-nothing." He looked down at the cup and tried to ignite it without touching it but the same pain shot through his head and the cup remained untoched. "W-what's going on?" He mumbled outloud. His eyes fell on a nearby branch and he tried to ignite that but the same thing happened. Growing frustrated he bared his teeth. "I can't..." he tried to let his flames engulf him but the electricity shot through his body and he let out a strangled cry. He gritted his teeth until it passed and felt a hand grip his arm.
"Whats wrong!?" Harry asked with a worried expression. Anger flared and Rin snatched his arm out of his grip and kicked at the ground, spraying rocks everywhere.
"I can't use my stupid flames! They won't do what I want them to!" He yelled in frustration, trying to ignite anything and everything around him with no success. He rested his palms on his knees trying to catch his breath. "I can't use my flames, stuff controlling them I can't use them at all!" He tried to ignite a twig on the floor between his feeth with no joy and a wave of dizziness hit him.
"Rin calm down." Harry said stiffly. "We have to go to the school, now! There's a Harcrux there and chances are your sword is there to." Rin turned at the statement and stood.
"Well, we can't do that! We've got to plan, we've got to figure it out!" Hermione tried to reason, giving the bluenette an apologetic look.
"Hermione, when have any of our plans ever actually worked? We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose." Harry insisted, dismissing her obection easily.
"He's right!" Ron interjected. "One problem...Snape's Headmaster now, we can't just move freely from the front door!"
"Who's Snape?" Rin interrupted.
"He's a Death Eater who posed as a teacher under the last Headmaster, He took Dumbledore's place after he murdered him." Rin's eyes shot open.
"Well, we'll go to Hogsmeade, to Honeydukes. Take the secret passage in the cellar." He paused while he thought. "It's...There's something wrong with him. It's like, you know, in the past... I've always been able to follow his thoughts. And now everything just feels disconnected. Maybe it's the Horcruxes."
"Rin, are you sure you're Ok?" Ron looked at Rin who had been rubbing his arms without realising. He looked down to see his arms red where he had pushed his sleeves up and rubbed his forarms raw. He put his arms at his sides, balding his fists to resist the urge to continue.
"S-sorry. I don't know... Feel a bit edgy." He stuttered the half true excuse. He couldn't explain it but he felt like there was something crawling all over him, maybe he was being paranoid because somebody else had and was using Kurikara.
"Maybe he's getting weaker. Maybe he's dying!" Ron tried to return to their previous conversation, eyes lingering on the bluenette for a few seconds.
"No! No, it's more like he's wounded, if anything he's more dangerous." Harry's answer was curt and it left the group silent. They sat in a circle, Harry, Ron and Hermione trying to form a plan while Rin sat quietly. If he didn't feel so weighed down he would have been happy that the group had practically insisted he come along but he was exhausted. His head was pounding and his arm made him have to re adjust himself every few sun slowly began to set over the distant mountains and he found his eyelids drooping. The warmth of the small fire Hermione had cconjured helped him relax a little but his nerves where stretched thin. He felt sleep an inch within his grasp when a rough hand shook his shoulder, jolting him awake.
"We're moving now, it's dark enough for us to sneak around." He yawned and stood up with a grumble and rubbed his eyes trying to work the heavieness out of them. Now standing in a circle, Hermione took Harry's and Ron's hand. Rin took the boys outerstretched hands and they where transported to there next location.
The cobble street was almost completely invistable apart from a few lights, completely shrouded in a dense fog. They where standing there for less than a second when Rin had to cover his ears with his hands as the sound of hundreds of angry cats filled his ears. The interior lights of a nearby building came on and the shouts of wizards became audiable.
"Right here. Come on!"
"Search everywhere!" The group ran to the left down a smaller street away from the approaching footsteps and collapsed behind a cloth covered table in what appeared to be an outdoor workshop of some sort. They all held their breaths as the footsteps slowed to a walk merely a few feet away from them. Rin's heart hammered in his chest as they lifted cloths off of tables noisily. He readied himself to fight if he had to when the screaming cats choir sounded again and the searching men ran off in the opposite direction.
"Go, move!" Hermione whispered, pointing at an alley and they all shuffled to their feet and ran towards it, keeping themselves crouched low. Once under cover of the dark alley they broke into a sprint. "Faster!" Hermione demanded as they moved. Much to their horror when they reached the end of the alley they came to an iron gate locked with thick chains. Ron rattled the gate and Rin tried to break the chain but did little more than make more noise, evidently attracting the searching guards who's footsteps could be heard entering the alley behind them. Rin looked around hopefully but saw no alternative escape until;
"In here, Harry!" A low male voice caught Rins attention and he looked around for the source. One of the rear building doors was open a few inches and a pair of twinkling eyes looked back at them. He repeated his words a little louder and caught the others attention and they ran towards the open door. Rin entered last and the man closed the door quietly behind them. He ushering them down a narrow stone stairway that lead down to an old cellar lit with old fashioned oil lamps. Rin looked around cautiously and almost jumped out of his skin when he met the eyes of a girl in a portrait who smiled back at him.
"Woah...what the hell?" He asked, jumping back out of reflex.
"It's just a picture, calm down." Ron said with a hint of annoyance.
"But it's moving!" He looked at the others hoping one of them would be as surprised as he was but they only raised their eyebrows. So this was normal? Hermione walked off looking around and Harry spoke to Ron.
"Did you look at him? For a second I thought it was Dumbledore!" Harry was saying, voice low to avoid being overheard and failing.
"Harry?" Hermione's surprised voice came from the next room. They ran in in responce and saw her looking at a small mirror that hung on the wall. "I can see you in this." Rin looked around at the bespectacled boy who was looking into a shard of mirror Rin had seen him looking at before. Before anyone could elaborate for Rin the old man who had lead them in came bustling in with a wide silver tray.
"Bloody fools, what are you thinking coming here? Have you any idea how dangerous it is?" He said with the kind of fury an angry father would reserve for his mischevious son.
"You're Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother." Harry said in astonishment. He held up the mirror shard."It's you who I've been seeing in here. You're the one who sent Dobby." The man didn't reply, choosing instead to turn his back and set the tray on the large wooden dining table.
"Why've you left him?" He asked mildly.
"We didn't want him to get hurt." Harry said. "He's safe."
"Good, I liked that elf." Aberforth said while stroking his waist length brown and silver beard.
"Who gave that to you?" Harry demanded, nodding his head towards the mirror which Rin noticed had a piece missing that was probably what Harry had.
"Mundungus Fletcher about a year ago."
"Dung had no right selling that to you. It belongs to-"
"Sirius." Aberforth cut him off, his tone lighter and almost amused. "Albus told me. He also told me you'd likely be hacked off if I had it. But, ask yourself; Where would you be if I didn't?" He gave a knowing laugh and Harrys defnsive posture relaxed a little. Aberforth waved a hand towards the tray he had set down on the table a few moments ago. "Help yourself." Rin practically dashed towards the table, the alluring smells of bread and cooked meats had been swaying his attention to the conversation since he came into the room. He grabbed at a bread roll and took bite after bite greedily, only pausing to stop himself from choking. The sickly feeling he had felt earlier eased off a little after the effects of him using his flames but the crawling, itchy feeling hadn't eased up.
"Do you have any others much? From the Order?" Harry asked. Rin would really like someone to sit and explain who all these people are and what's what.
"The Order has finished." Aberforth announced tiredly, turning away and standing by the moving painting. "You-Know-Who has won...anyone who says otherwise is killing themselves."
"We need to get into Hogwarts, tonight. Dumbledore gave us a job to do." At the bespectacled boys words Aberforth snorted.
"Did he now...Nice job? Easy?" The elder said with a patronising undertone.
"We've been hunting Horcruxes." Harry said outright. "We think the last one's inside the castle. But we'll need your help getting in." There was a few seconds where Harry stood with his chin high in defiance and Aberforth met his glare with narrowed eyes. The air around them seemed to spark.
"Which job my brother has given you, it's a suicide yourself a favor, boy. Go home, live a little longer." Rin spoke for the first time in the elders presence at the same time as Harry.
"Dumbledore trusted me to see this through."
"They have my sword!" The room fell silent and everyones eyes where on Rin who shuffled uncomfortably. Aberforth studied him for a few moments before speaking.
"And you are?"
"Rin Okumura." He said, "They have my sword. It's... important that I get it back." He said, dropping his gaze as hopelessness set in his stomach like a brick.
"Kurikara? You didn't find it in Gringotts?" Rin looked up in shock, he hadn't expected the old codger to know anything. "Yes I know. I thought I recognised you." He walked over to the dining table and picked up a regular looking newspaper and threw it to him. He unfolded it and looked at the front page which was covered by a small amount of script and two moving photos, one of Harry and one of himself. Underneith his picture, a mug shot of him with his head against a brick wall, huge bags under his eyes and blood trailing down from the corner of his mouth, was the title 'Undesirable number 2' and a short description of his appearance, no mention of his tail or flames. If it weren't for his eyes flickering he would have thought it was a regular picture.
"Undesirable number two...?" He thought out loud. Hermione who was closest snatched the paper out of his hands and read, her eyes almost bluring as they moved from left to right and back.
"They've been looking for you." Harry commented as he and Ron moved behind Hermione to get a better look. "They know we're together."
"How do you know about Kurikara?" Hermione asked while Rin read through the article, brows furrowing as he read further into it and about how Harry was wanted in connection with Albus Dumbledore's death and conspiracy against the Ministry.
"Through the grapevine. Couple of Death Eaters talking in the Hogs Head, talking about demons and that there sword of yours but I couldn't find and solid intel. Albus knew You-Know-Who would look for allies and forces in more exotic places." The group exchanged glances.
"You think he's trying recruit demons." Harry said, it wasn't a question. Aberforth nodded, confirming Rin's fears.
"As I said before. Find your sword and go home, get as far away from here as you can and take this lot with you. What makes you think you can trust my brother anyway? What makes you think you can believe anything my brother told you?" the elder shook his head with a pitying look. "And in all the time you knew him...Did he ever mention my name? Did he ever mentioned hers?" His voice sparked with anger at the last sentence and he jabbed a finger towards the pretty young woman that Rin had watch move before.
"Why should he-"
"Keep secrets. You tell me?" The elder cut Harrys objection off mid sentence, meeting his determined glare with a challenging expression.
"I trusted him." Harry tried to hold his ground but his tone was uncertain.
"That's the boy's answer." Aberforth boomed, catching the others off guard and making them jump. "A BOY goes chasing Horcruxes is on the word of
a man who wouldn't even tell him where to start."
"You're lying!" Aberforth crossed the distance between himself and the bespecticled boy and leaned down in his face.
"Not just on me, it doesn't matter. To yourself as well. That's what a fool does." the elder stood tall and looked down with a glint in his eyes. "You don't strike me as a fool, Harry Potter! So, I ask you again, there must be a reason."
"I'm not interested in what happened between you and your brother." Rin had been standing on guard ready to defend his friend if he had to but the sudden change of tone threw him off. He heard the pity in Harrys voice. "I don't care that you've given up. I trusted the man I knew. We need to get into the castle tonight." The air in the room was so tense it was suffocating. Rin blinked a few times, he had no idea of what really just transpired between the two. To his astonishment, Aberforth gave a crafty smiled and turned his attention to the moving picture.
"You know what to do." Rin watched in disbelief as the girl, the painting of a girl nodded, turned around and started walking away, getting smaller and smaller as she walked.
"Where have you sent her?" Hermione asked, speaking for the first time in a while.
"You'll see soon enough." Aberforth said, smile widerning as he walked past them towards the door leading into another room. He turned at the doorway when Hermione spoke softly.
"That's your sister, isn't it? She died very young, didn't she?" The elderly man sighed.
"My brother sacrificed many things, Mr. Potter. On his journey to find power. Including Ariana." He gave a regretful look to the portrait which now only displayed a scenic country road lined with foliage. "And she was devoted to him. He gave her everything. But time." Harry gave him an appreciative nod and he turned to the bluenette. "I may notcknow the details but be careful when you find your sword, who knows how they may have tampered with it." With that he left, closing the door behind him. His words had unsettled Rin, reminding him of the crawling, itching feeling that had slipped to the back of his mind until then. He tried to push it to the back of his mind when Hermione's words brought him out of his thoughts.
"She's coming back." Hermione said and everybodys attention fixed on the frame as the blond woman got closer and closer, a brown haired boy walking behind her.
"Who's that with her?" Ron spoke his thoughts. The woman stood in the place she had before and with a loud creek, the portrait swung forwards like a door and a gangly brunette stepped out with a toothy grin.
"Neville!" The three exclaimed in recignition, running forwards to greet their friend. Harry stood back feeling awkward while the friends greeted each other. He studied the newcomer and wondered where he got the nasty looking gash on his cheek.
"How you look..."
"Like hell, I reckon. But this is nothing. Seamus is worse." Neville caught sight of Rin and his eyes widened in recognition . "You're undesirable number two!" He exclaimed happily.
"Yeah, he's with us," Harry said with a slight smile and Rin's shoulders relaxed.
"Nice to meet you, what are they really looking for you for?" Neville said chuckling as he waved them to follow him down the cave like passageway. Rin gave a questioning glance to Hermione who shrugged nonchalantly. "Nevermind, we can talk later." Harry must have noticed the youngers discomfort as he made an efforct to change the conversation.
"I don't remembered this on the Marauders Map." The deliberate effort went over the tallers head and he explained how it suddenly appeared some time ago. Rin fell a few paces behind them to let them talk amongst themselves, arms crossed over his chest. Now that he thought about it this whole situation left him edgy. They where going into a school full of witches and wizards that was currently being controlled by death eaters and lead by this Snape person. The same man who killed the previous headmaster who, from what Rin had heard about him was a fource to be reckoned with. He was also under direct instruction from Voldermort. He caressed his neck absently where Wormtails metal like hand had choked him out and his tail twitched in it's confimement, thinking of when he was captured months ago. A few paces lated and he walked into the back of someone. Ron didn't even stumble as he walked into his huge frame and he saw Neville a few steps ahead holding out a hand for them to stop.
"Lets have some fun, shall we?" He said with a salacious grin as he swung a huge wooden door at the end of the cave open. Beyond it Rin could head a low hum of voices and an unknown amount of heartbeats and his own pulse fluttered anxiously.
"Hey, you lot! It's for your surprise." His words greeted with a heavily accented sarcasm.
"S'not more of Aberforth's cooking I hope. We'll be surprised if it just digested" Neville didn't reply, instead he moved out of the way so they could see beyond the door. Harry walked through followed by the others and there was a mutter of his name. As Rin slid in and closed the door he saw a huge group of students, all wearing the same uniform adorned with one of three coloured crests on their robes. They broke into applause as Harry stepped down into the room and exchanged handshakes, hugs and pats on the back with everyone. He felt the odd curious glance in his direction but nobody paid him much heed, to caught up in their reunion with their classmates. Rin watched and felt a hint of longing, the absence of his own friends and brother for such a long period of time really hitting him and he looked away.
"Okay, okay! Let's not kill him before You-Know-Who d-"
"What's the plan, Harry?" The room fell into silance. Just as Harry begain explaining, someone crept behind Rin and two hands shoved him against a wall where he grunted and slid down it, completely unbalanced by the sudden assault.
"WAIT! Everone back away! He's dangerous!" Another heavily accented voice, this time a girls, called to the crowd to backup. Rin regained himself and turned to see his attacker, leaning against the wall and baring his teeth in reaction. A girl with black hair was standing between him and the crowd, pulling out a familiar beaded necklace from under her uniform jumper and twisting them between her fingers in the same way Bon had many times before.
"Cho, what's wrong?" Harry demanded, taking a few steps too Rins side. Ron and hermione soon followed.
"What are you doing?! He's a demon! You could get hurt!" The girl cried, casting a hateful look at Rin who tried to make himself look small and unthreterning. "If I'm not mistaken he's the son of Satan himself!"
"He's with us, the death eaters tried to use him, he hasn't done anything wrong!" Hermione said sternly.
"You can't trust a word he says! Demons know nothing but lies and deceit! They'll say anything to manipulate you! He could be working for You-Know-Who!" With those words the students standing behind her looked at each other nervously, some pulling their wands and holding them readily. Rin lost his temped and stood tall.
"Ok, I'm HALF demon, HAAALLLFF demon! And how do you know about demons anyway? I thought you wizards didn't know about them!" Some of the students raised their wands but the uncertainty in their faces was clear.
"My parents fled Hong Kong after the blue night when I was a baby. My grandfather was a Sĕng, A monk who was posessed by your father. My mother was an Exorcist, Father a travelling Auror." Rin flinched at the unpolluted hatred in her eyes.
"Well it wasn't my fault! I wasn't even born!" He said defensively but his voice was quiet. 'Cho' took a few breaths, hands still raised ready to recite a mantra when Hermione spoke up.
"Harry is 'undesirable' number one, Rin is number two, doesn't that mean he has been declared as an enemy of You-Know-Who?" Her voice was steady and reasonable. "He's fighting along side us, helped us escape Malfoy Manor and break into Gringotts. He's on our side." She continued reassuringly. Chpo's brown eyes borded into Rin's azure ones and she slowly dropped her hands, head tilted down in embarrassment.
"S-sorry...My parents trained me as an Exorcist but I've never met a real demon before...I panicked..." Rin relaxed, hearing the sincerity in her words and grinned in a bid to lift the tense atmosphere.
"Half demon." He muttered as he walked towards her and bowed, a faint smile gracing his lips. "I'm Rin Okumura. Exwire from the Japan branch. Nice to meet you." She smiled shallowly and returned the gesture.
"Cho Chang." The rest of the group glanced at each other nervously when Neville clapped his hands together.
"Alright, Harry, what's the plan?" He said, easily derailing the atmosphere and all the focus turned to Harry. Rin caught eyes with Neville and mouthed a 'thank you'.
"Okay. There's something we need to find. There's something hidden here, in the castle. And it may help us to defeat You-Know-Who."
"Alright, what is it?" Neville asked all to eagerly.
"We don't know." Harry said after a few awkward seconds.
"Where is it?" Another student asked.
"We don't know that either." The students turned to each other uncertainly, an air of dissapointment setting in. Harry quickly caught their attention. "I realize that's not much to go on."
"That's nothing to go on." Someone said accusingly. Rin frowned, he had came here to find Kurikara but he wanted to return the favour to the others by helping them but even they didn't know what they where looking for. Gheir only real infomation was that it was a Harcrux and it was somewhere in this castle. Judging by the size of this room alone they had a lot of places to look.
"I think it has something to do with Ravenclaw. It'll be small, easily concealed. Anyone, any ideas?" Harry asked the crowd, words dripping with an almost childish optimum.
"Well, there's Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem." Luna's dreamy voice broke the silance.
"Oh, bloody hell! Here we go!" Ron muttered in Harrys ear and Rin shot him a venomous leer.
Lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Hasn't anyone heard of it? It's quite famous." Luna explained, looking around expecting someone to expand. It was Cho who put a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes. But, Luna, it's lost... For centuries. There's no person alive today who's seen it."
"Excuse me, can someone tell me what a bloody diadem is?" Ron asked.
"It's a sort of crown. You know, like a tiara." Cho explained. Behind the group Rin spotted a door opening and a small girl with long, flaming ginger hair stepped through.
"Harry!" She called, surprising everyone and they turned to the newcomer. Harry went rigid, eyes trained on the girl and Rin smiled knowingly at Hermione.
"Hi, there." Harry said awkwardly, looking like he wanted to move towards her but remained routed to the spot. Ron leaned towards Hermione with a grimace.
"Six months she hasn't seen me and it's like I'm a frankie first-year. I'm her brother!" He complained.
"She' got lots of 'em, but she's got only one Harry." The Irish boy commented sarcastically.
"Shut up, Seamus! What is it, Ginny?" Ron snarked and turned to his presumably younger sister.
"Snape knows... he knows that Harry was spotted in Hogsmeade. He sent Professor Smith to look around. He's the new high inquisitor." She clarified, a grim expression crossing her pretty features. The entire room remained silent as more people flooded in behind her. Rin crouched down defensively but the grim cloud that had hung in the room disbanded. Harry, Ron and Hermione moved through the croud and greeted them. Rin edged towards Luna, still holding his defensive position.
"They're friends and family. They're here to help us." She answered the question that was on the tip of his tongue.
"What are we going to do now?" He asked, trying to stifle a yawn. She shrugged.
"Something heroic probably, you should ask if anybody has seen your sword while you have a chance." She advised and called to the crowd. "Everybody, Rin has somehing to say!" She called, uncharacteristically loud. Everybody turned to the bluenette expectantly and he furrowed his eyebrows, nervous under the attention.
"Uum... I'm looking for a sword...my sword. It's a katana with a blue sheath and handle and it's got gold rope around it. It's very important that I find it. Has anybody seen it?" He asked hopefully. The students eyed him curiously and shook their heads. Rin tilted his head down.
"If it's that important maybe it could be hidden with the Diedum if it exists." One of the students offered half heartedly and there was a hum of agreement. Rin brightened and nodded.
"Thanks!" He said and ran through the crowd to join Harry an the others. They where talking to a shabby looking man who immediately extended a hand. Now Rin was closer he could see the newcomers properly. Two where identical twins, Rin could see the faint differences between the two but humans would probably have more trouble. Another was an exotic skinned man wearing regal looking blue robes and had a powerful aura about him. An older couple who Rin could easily identify as Ron's parents where talking to their daughter and the twins. Standing at the back where Bill and Fleur who stuck close and waved in his direction, smiling warmly.
"Nice to finally meet you undesirable number two. Remus Lupin," The shabby guy said with an amused smile. "I hear you've been quite the asset to our cause." Rin flushed and took his offered hand. When their hands made contact Rin felt an aura eminating from him. He looked up with wide eyes and the man smiled. 'Does he have demon blood or something?' Rin thought.
"I do believe that Lycanthropy is a result of human and demon interbreeding, diluted and passed on via a bite or injury like a temtate." He said knowledgeably and winked. Rin's mouth dropped open. Did he just hear his thoughts? As if he had the older man nodded, his grin widening.
"You're a wearwolf? That's so cool!" He said out loud, momentarily forgetting the predicament.
"Wait, how did you know that?" Ron asked flabbergasted. Rin raised an eyebrow.
"He just said...nevermind. what are we going to do next?" He addressed Harry. The bespecticled boy's smile turned grim and he nodded affirmatively.
"Ginny, do you know what Snape's doing now?" The girl who entered before appeared at his side.
"He's called everyone to the Great Hall. I slipped out before the teachers came to escort us." Harry exchanged a glance between the olders who had just came in.
"We should take back the castle, drive Snape and the Professor Smith out." A red haired woman said who could only be Ron's mother and those around her voiced their agreement. "Once they're out you can do what you came here to do." She said to the three and Rin.
"Just be careful, some of the death eaters have done something to their wands and are more powerful. You can tell because the spells they perform are blue. Do you know anything about it at all young Harry?" The regal looking man said. Rin, having picked up the habit, shrunk under the words.
"It's because of my tail hairs, I'm half demon." He said quietly, not wanting all the elders to hear incase one of them didn take it to well. The mans eyes widened but he regained his composure and smiled.
"Is that so? I think it to be a good assumption that you have a degree of resistance to them, is it not?" He said intelligently. Rin nodded, happy how his tone showed no hint of accusation or disapproval.
"Y-yeah, any magic as far as I've seen. Nothing seems to do anything."
"It's a pleasure to have you on our side. My name is Kingsley, Auror." He offered with a bow of the head. Rin smiled awkwardly, returning the geasture.
"Rin O-Okumura, sir!" He stammered. The man chuckled and patted his shoulder before walking over to Bill and Fleur. Rin let out a breath, everything was so out of place and he was having a hard time processing the scene. Nobody batted an eyelid at his heritage, nobody blamed him for their enemies now being stronger or raised pitchforks and tourches. It was unsettling but it was pleasant. They thought him as an allie, not a tool. As much as the sensation was uplifting he noticed how his hands had been rubbing at his upper arms to try and disband the dirty feeling and he cleared his head.
"Where next?"
Rin, Harry, Ron and Hermione stood just outside the Great Hall's grand doors. The adults where hiding around a corner awaiting their instructions while they listened with their ears pressed against the door. The interior was completely silent apart from one voice that addressed everyone. He paused every few words for dramatic impact and Rin felt the power of the threat in his words.
"Many of you are surely wondering, why I have summoned you at this hour. It's come to my attention, that earlier this evening...Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade." Their was a buzz of whispers as several hundred students muttered the name over and over again to each other. Snape waited patiently until the chatter died down before pressing on.
"In his company is an equally dangerous criminal, the one you all know as Undesirable number two. Now...should anyone...student or staff attempt to aid Mr. Potter or his accomplice? They will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transcription, further more...Any person found to have knowledge of these events...who fails to come forward...will be treated as equally guilty. Another...If anyone in here has any knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening. I invite them to step forward."
Now!" Harry yelled as he burst through the door. Rin followed half a step behind him as they found the huge dining hall lined with students who had abandoned their orderly positions and parted to let Harry and himself entry.
"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies,...you still have a security problem, Headmaster, I'm afraid it's quite extensive." He said breathlessly, waving a hand towards the rsst of the group who made their presence known. Rin had a moment to take in the appropriately named Great Hall. The room was roughly the size of a small football pitch. Rin looked up and was fascinated by how the ceiling looked like a night sky. Only his fine tuned sight could just make out the actual stone ceiling amongst the stars and thousands of candles that floated high above their heads.
The man who had been speaking was easy to spot out of the teachers who stood at the far end of the room. A tall, slender man in raven black robes with matching ŕhair that hung in greasy curtains on either sides of his face stood on a small raised platform. He stepped down from it and took a few purposeful steps forward. Face shocked as he stared from Harry to Rin and back again.
"How dare you stand where he stood? Tell them how it happened that night? Tell them how you looked him in the eye...A man who trusted you, and killed him!" Harrys mournful tone kept all eyes on him. Rin couldn't see his face but he asumed he was on the verge of tears from how he spoke. "TELL THEM!" He yelled.
The room was still, not a single person blinked, waiting to see what happened next. Snape stood tall, hand reaching into his robes and one of the teachers from the right ran out, throwing a thin arm out in front of them protectively. Rin caught a glimps of half moon specticles and wiry grey hair pulled back into a tight bun. The woman shoved them both back and shot a spell that crackled like thunder as it shot towards the black clad headmaster. He flicked his wand and the light vanished, leaving him unscathed. The witch shot another spell at him which forced him back a few paces, other teachers moving against the wall as not to get caught in the crossfire. As he stumbled, Rin saw something stick out from under his robes. He blinked too make sure he hadn't imagine it but when the woman in front of them pushed him back a few more paces, he saw something familiar slip out from his robes.
His mind turned blank and he ducked out from behind the teacher and jumped at the headmaster, every muscle in his body rippling like a feral beasts as he came down on the now terrified looking death eater. He clapped his hands on either of his shoulders and shoved him down to the floor, nails elongating and digging into the flesh beneath the raven fabric. He came nose to the nose with Snape, teeth bared and breaths coming in slow as he glared down at the terrified man.
"Give. It. To. Me." He growled, fumbling with the front of his robes. He was briefly aware of voices behind him calling his name but he was to blinded by rage to hear them. His hand brushed against something solid and a tingle shot up his arm. That's it! The man tried to point his wand at the bluenette but he held it down by his wrist. He fould the smooth, cylindrical object under the mass of fabric and ripped it from the strap it was in. Snape's face contorted as he tried to snatch for it but Rin held it above his head and out of reach. Realising he couldn't retrieve it he leaned his head up towards Rin who held back the urge to sink his fangs into flesh and kill him where he lay.
"Don't draw it." The man whispered, his tone urgent and commending. Rin held his position, staring down uncertainly at the man who had an unsettling urgency in his eyes. "Don't draw it whatever you do." He whispered once more before his face disappeared under a veil of black smoke and Rin was thrown twenty something feet into the air. The smokey shape rose into the air and plummeted through the stained glass window behind him. Rin landed tidily in a crouched position. His mind was so frayed, every nerve burnt to its end and it took him a while to remember where he was, who he was. He looked down at what he was holding, its smooth touch making his fingers tingle but the his mind not wanting to believe it was really real.
Kurikara. One hand holding the hilt, the other holding the sheath. He studied every inch of it, unable to believe he was holding it. He wasn't even aware of the crowd around him screaming and dancing, lamps and tourches all around the room erupting into life as they where lit with magic. Rin gripped the handle of the sword properly, wanting to draw it to make sure it was really his sword but something held him back. He remembered the mans words before he disappeared and how intense his gaze had been when he told him not to draw it. It wasn't just his words that defused his desire, as he held it he felt something dark eminating from the sword. It ran up his arms and raised goosebumps all over his body. He was an inch away from drawing it when he changed his mind. He had it, he had gotten Kurikara back. He could help Harry an the others and then he could go home, that was enough for now and he didn't want to startle the surrounding students with his full blooded demon appearance.
"Rin! Rin are you Ok? You found your sword!" Hermione and Ron where at his sides before he knew it. Hermione's excited tone brought him back to earth. "We did it! Snape's been driven out and you got Kurikara back! We need to find the last Harcruxes!" She rattled extatically. Ron's tone was uneasy.
"Rin, are you Ok...your eyes?" He said as the bluenette looked up. "What's up with your eyes?" He repeated. Rin blinked a few times, looking around for a mirror. Rons eyebrows met as he studied the younger when he looked back at them. "It's gone.." he shook his head like he thought he may have imagined it. He looked through the crowd and spotted Harry talking to the teacher who had defended them earlier and got to his feet, his balance off after the rush of adrenalin brought on by finally finding his sword within his grasp . He approached the two through the crowd.
"H-hay, um... can I talk to you for a moment?" He said blankly. Harry's relieved expression melted into one of concern and he nodded at the elderly witch who eyed Rin from head to toe. Harry followed him back to the other two.
"What's wrong?" The black haired asked when he reached the others who mirrored his look of concern. Rin sucked in a breath.
"This guy, Snape, you said he was one of You-Know-Who's oldest followers and he murdered Doubledoor right?" Hermione corrected his miss pronunciation of the name but it went unnoticed, they all nodded slowly in sync. Rin pressed on. "So I shouldn't trust anything he says right?" The effect was instant. The three looked uneasy, Harry looking suspicious and Ron shocked.
"What did he say to you?" Hermione demanded. Rin shifted his weight from one foot to the other cradling Kurikara close to his chest.
"W-well, when I took Kurikara off him he told me not to draw it. I can't explain it but something's wrong with it." He explained, clutching said sword so tight his nuckles turned white. Ron's eyes widened and Harry and Hermione caught eyes. Rin rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, awaiting their word.
"Did he say anything else?" Harry asked and Rin shook his head. "Maybe you should hold off drawing it, atleast for a while just in case. Snape's working under You-Know-Who so you can't trust him." He hesitated for a moment, "but if you don't feel right about drawing it then don't." He eyed the younger wearily and Rin saw his expression.
"But what does it mean? I feel like if I draw it something bad will happen but why would he tell me not to if he's the enemy?" He blurted out. He felt the disbelieving eyes on him before he saw them. Hermione's eyes where wide with shock. Ron looked affronted amd Harry looked like he had confessed to murder. Harry opened his mouth, his temper evident when his eyes became unfocused. He stumbled and his legs gave out from underneath him and he collapsed onto his backside. Rin moved to help him but stopped as felt something dark descent in his head and found it hard to stay vertical, his legs unstable. The laughter and cheers around them died to nothing and the bluenette heard a familiar voice in his head, one that made his blood boill.
"Rin Okumura?" it said, more a serpentine hiss than a human voice. He heard screaming around him, high pitched girls shrieks echoed off the stone hall and the next time it spoke it was louder. "I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you might even think to fight is wise. But this is folly. Give me Harry Potter and Rin Okumura. Do this and none shall be harmed. Give me these two and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me these two and you will be rewarded. You have one hour."
The darkness that had descended was lifted and Rin found himself being dragged to his feet by Remus. He spotted Harry being supported by the elderly witch from earlier and wondered why they had collapsed. The students around them where mumbling to themselves, some saying his name in question and others looking at Harry. From the students with a green emblem on their chests, one girl broke away and pointed at Harry.
"What're you waiting for? Someone grab him! And that's Okumura!" She screamed. Rin went to Harrys side and glared at the girl who recoiled at his expression.
"Nobody's going anywhere." Another teacher stepped away from amongst the students in green. They wore black robes, face hidden beneath the shadows of its hood. The green students looked at each other as the teacher stepped away and everyone else, teachers and students backed away, some even drawing their wands.
"And why are you still here High Inquisitor? I thought you where sent here from the ministry, or was it Voldermort himself?" The older woman said with a cold tone in her voice. The figure walked forward into the clearing the students had made around Harry and a hand on his hip. The teacher shot a spell at the figure, the bright white thunder she had shot at Snape but the teacher deflected it with a wave of his hand, no wand in sight.
"Damn it McGonagall, calm yer ol' tits. I'm not your enemy. I was placed here under orders to keep a watch on everything going on here." The person dropped the fake, more masculine tone he was using before and started shuffling with the back of his robes. Rin thought the voice was familiar but couldn't believe it. "Honestly, drop yer magic sticks. Do you honestly think ugly would have sent a muggle to assist Snape?" She managed to undo the back of the robes and more students raised their wands uncertainly. The back of the robes fell forward and the woman shuffled out of of the black fabric and kicked it to one side, sighing blissfully. "Aaah, better. I'm here for the kid." She said, magenta eyes finding Rin and walking towards him. Harry and some of the adults moved to stand in front of him defensively but he stood up and pushed past them, earning wide eyed glances from everyone around. He ran to meet her and had to make a mental effort not to throw his arms around her. She was dressed in her signature red bikini and denim shorts, white stockings and a black jacket with a white sash tied into a bow around her neck. Bright red hair tipped with orange tied back into a pony. "Glad to see ya still flaming." He said tauntingly.
"Rin is it? Step away from her, She's working with the death eaters, under Severus, spying on the teachers and students in his place. Training the Slytherins in combat in private." Shura put a hand on her hip, grinning at the shocked faces on every students face in the room. Rin frowned at the older teacher but Shura spoke smoothely and extended a hand to ruffle the youngers hair.
"Actually I have my own agenda. I haven't been training any students, just spying on them. I was sent here by my superior to spy on Voldermort and his followers and make sure Rin here gets home safe and sound and with his sword if I found him. Sorry for making ya'll feel uneasy but I had a job to do." Everybodys eyes turned to Rin who stood next to her, slightly hurt by the accusing glares he recieved from Harry, Ron and Hermione. He tried to act innocent.
"Um, I forgot to mention my guardian had sent teachers here to assist me. She's telling the truth." He tried to convince the others. Shura glanced questioningly but addressed the crowd.
"Senior first class exorcist Shura Kirigakure." She said, taking her ID out of the pocket of her jacket and showing it to the elders who lowered their wands. "I can help in a fight but I need to keep an eye on the death eaters." She anounced as she put an arm around the half demons neck in a one armed choke hold and dragged him to the teachers who gave dissaproving glances.
"H-hay! Cut it out!" He protested, smiling inwardly at the familiar action. She released him in front of Harry and the others.
"Well kid, gunna introduce me properly?" Rin flushed but couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face.
"This is Shura, she's my swordsmanship tutor." He said, introducing everyone he knew. Ron gawked her, eyes wide-fixed on Shura's chest- and lower jaw slack.
"Are those rea-really? Thats...thats cool," he said mindlessly and Rin snickered. Hermione undiscreetly stomped on his foot and deliberately turned away from him. Before she could say anything an old man with long grey hair skipped into the room with a cat under his arm. The students split to let him through, laughing at his odd run-skip-dance.
"Students out of bed! Students in the corridor!"
"They're supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot!" McGonagall said curtly and the man's face dropped.
"Sorry ma'am." He said, eyes falling on Shura and a creepy, yellow grin splitting his face.
"As it happens, Mr. Filch..." McGonagall said in a no nonsense tone. "Your arrival is most opportune. If you would, I would like you please, to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin house, from the hall." She said, waving a hand towards the students with green uniform.
"Exactly where is it I'll be leading 'em to, ma'am?" Filch said hopefully.
"The dungeons would do." One corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk as the Slytherins stared open mouthed at her and the rest of the students erupted into cheers and applause.
"I presume you have a reason for returning, Potter." Rin was going to join the conversation when Shura pulled him by the ear away from the larger crowd.
"Have you really been sitting in a cell for the past six months until you where broken out by those kids and broke into a bank?" She said, prodding him in the chest with a mildly impressed expression.
"Y-yeah. That doesn't matter, I think I'm in a bit of trouble." He said and explained everything that had happened since Gringotts; seeing Voldermort illing someone from their point of view, feeling like something was crawling over his skin, what Olivanders said, him not being able to use his flames at all and what Snape had said about drawing Kurikara. She listened intently as he quickly went over as many details as possible before crossing her arms. A firm expression took its place.
"Turn around." She demanded suddenly. Rin tilted his head curiously but did as she said under her deadly glare. In one swift motion she lifted up his tee and grabbed his tail, pulling it from its confinement and extracting a cry of surprise from the bluenette.
"W-wait! W-what t-the h-h-hell are y- GYAAAAAH!"
"Sorry for this," she said, barely sounding like she meant it. "Just a precaution." He tried to grab her arms as she pressed something metallic against his tail and snapped it shut around the stalk, clipping the skin. He clenched his fists and shoved her away as soon as she released him, sending a snarl in her direction while trying to see what she had done. His heart sank as the sting jogged his memory and he saw something sparkling gold around the base of his tail. The imprisonment binding.
"You've gotta' be kidding me!" He cried, trying to wipe the tears that had jumped to his eyes, feeling humiliated as the students around watched curiously, eyes fixated on his tail. "You could have given me some warning! Geck, why the tail?" He yelled, shaking a fist to her threterningly. Shuras grin widened further.
"Just a precaution. If anything happens an you loose yer shit there aren't many people here who can overpower you if any at all. If a big fight kicks off I could be busy. This way I can restrain you from a distance. Mind if I test it to make sure it still works?" She said holding up a hand and forming a sign. Rin grabbed her hand with one hand and clapped the other over her mouth in less than a second.
"Ok Ok! Fine. You could have waited until there wasn't an audiance," he grumbled and released her, slumping his shoulders and giving her a wounded look. "So what do I do about Kurikara? I can't even control my flames!"
"Listen Rin. Whatever you may have heard about Severus is incorrect. He's actually on our side undercover. If he told you not to draw the sword, don't draw it." Rin froze, unsure what to make of her words. "Listen, you know how the pictures here can move and talk like they are the real person? Well I spent a lot of time in the head office and the old headmaster told me everything. Snape's a good guy. He's been working for Dumbly all this time." She explained quickly. "Oh, and I was sent here months ago, the Vatican sent me, not the clown. If Mephisto's sending back up, that doesn't include me." Rin's eyes widened in surprise but before he could respond; Harry, Ron and Hermione came over.
"I'm going to the Ravenclaw tower. Ron and Hermione are going to the Chamber of Secrets. The teachers and auras are setting up all their defences around the castle and they said they'd really appreciate it...we'd really appreciate it if you could help defend us against Voldemort's army." Harry said with a hopeful look. Rin was shocked, he hadn't expected anyone to ask him for help, order it under the threat of execution yes but simply request because they recognised him as an allie, never. Hermione must have misunderstood his silance as she picked up Harrys plea where he left off.
"We know you only came with us to get Kurikara back but we could really...need you right now." She said. Ron narrowed her eyes for a fraction of a second and added;
"Weeeell, we don't neeeed need you. It would be helpful if you stayed with you being resistant to spells and those flames an everything." He ruffled his hair awkwardly. Rin felt his cheeks burning a bright red and turned to Shura who was examining her nails uncaringly.
"Meeeeh, don't have nothin better ter do. You probably should stay an help out yer friends, god knows you need them." She said with a shrug and Rin beamed. She chanted a short mantra and reached for the lower part of the seal on her chest. Something red poked out of it and she pulled it out, offering it to Rin. "Here, think you might need this." She said as he tool the familiar long red bag. He unzipped it, wondering what was in it and pulled out the wooden boken he had used in his earlier training some time ago.
"T-thanks!" He said bashfully, sliding Kurikara in and closing it. He swung it over his shoulder and held the boken in one hand and turned to Harry with a refreshed confidence and determination.
"Great, where do I go?"
Yay! Enter Shura =D and I hope it was a nice surprise with Cho being an unofficial exorcist ^^ she will have more of a part later on ^^
Please oh please oh please tell me if you see any gaps in the plot, if I haven't noticed it I will round it off in later chapters.
LottieKodaI - thank you ^^ wish I could review more than once now, to get the next chapter! I'm super worried for Rin, without the Koma sword its like he is missing part of himself! The fact that Voldemort wielded it makes me super mad. I'm glad not every death eater has a demon core wand now, because if they all did that would be super overpowered. Rin talking with the dragon was cool, so are dragons demonic in nature? Thanks for this chapter, I can't wait for the next! I hope you update even if you only get this one review (which I doubt):)
Blackchaosaria2501
XD I set the review goal cause I wanted to take some time out cause reviews usually take ages but holy crap! I got the reviews in less than a week an I'd bare,ly even writtwn anything! Teehee, I would rdcoment Wakfu, it's seriously one of the best things ever! Sorry, I left a cliffie again! atleast it isn't as bad as the last one ^^
Hope this chapter was long enough, over double the last one in length XD can't gaurentee the next ones will be that long. C ya in the next one xxx
BlackWitchesCat - Hope this didn't confuse you to much ^^ you're on the right track but...dun dun duuuun XD yer gunna have to wait for a while before...anything becomes clear XD hope you enjoyed this chappy =D
Snowywolf7 - Thank you ^^ Hope this chapter was interesting enough, not an awful lot happens but I tried to keep it interesting. Feel free to ask questions, i can find out if I haven't got anything covered in future chappies that way ^^ hope you enjoyed and review again =D
Animegeek220 - Thank youuu =D I was gunna ask you to beta this one but it's way to long so hope ya enjoy ^^
straydoghowling028 - Thank you =D I love Rin to bits like I wish he was my lil bro so I could pet him an stuff (fangirls) but he's always getting kicked around in my stories, I should probably stop bullying him so much XD He's resiliant so he'll live (or will he =P) XD thanks for reviewing and review again =D
Skorm. RiseAgain - Thank you =) the writing needs a lot of polishing but it's readable ^^ (I hope XD) Thanks for reviewing =)
And thank you all the guest reviews =D Turf, Vaas123, Guest 0.001, SickPuppies, LilMama and FFVsXIII xXx