Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Prince of Tennis!
...
"Parseltongue"
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...
Hari followed her friends into the airport waiting area quietly. While she was excited about visiting Tezuka in Germany with the others, she couldn't help the nervousness she felt as well. She was too aware of just how close she was to Britain. She had never thought Germany was close to England before, but now… she felt it. Japan had felt so perfectly remote from everything she had known, and she had created a new life with a family that loved her and friends. Away from everything.
But that wasn't the entire reason why she was nervous, though. The plan she and Hermione had come up with was also taking place here, and it would be a risk. A big risk and she was second-guessing it now. Was the risk worth it? She wasn't sure.
"Oi! Hari!" Ryoma called. "Pay attention!"
"Yes, yes," Hari said with a small smile.
She saw Momoshiro and Kikumaru run around and looking at everything like excitable kids, while Inui was writing in his notebook while looking around with sharp eyes. Kaido was standing quietly as he waited but was hissing slightly under his breath (she was too far away to pick up on what he was saying). Oishi was trying to rile Momoshiro and Kikumaru in looking flustered, while Fuji just looked amused along with Kawamura.
"They sure act like normal," Ryuzaki commented.
They were waiting for Tezuka's doctor, who was coming to meet them and take them to where they needed to go. After the long flight, Hari hoped that it meant somewhere with a shower and a bed. She was tired. She hadn't been able to sleep at all on the plane, too worried about where she was going and what she would do to relax. Though, she knew they would probably not get any time to rest. They had to make the most of the time they had with Tezuka, after all.
"You okay?" Ryoma asked.
"Mm," Hari nodded. "Just tired."
"I know you're worried about being found, but how can they find you here?" Ryoma whispered. "They won't know to look here, Hari. You'll be fine."
She smiled and nodded, but she still felt worried. It wouldn't be too hard for someone to get to Germany from England if they picked up on her being here with magical means. And with what she had planned… well, she was worried.
"Hello," a female voice said, and Hari turned to see a woman with red hair tied back in a ponytail. She was tall and had an athletic build but was wearing a white doctor's coat. "I'm Tezuka-kun's doctor. I've come to pick you up."
Hari followed into the small bus and took a seat beside Ryoma. She got the window seat, so she turned her head to look out while they drove. She heard Ryuzaki ask about Tezuka and smiled a little when his doctor said he was doing well and was working hard. Not that she had expected anything else from Tezuka. He was the ideal image of hard work and discipline.
...
Tezuka was waiting outside of the clinic for his team and friends to arrive. He wasn't one to articulate what he felt very often, but he would admit that he had missed them and was looking forward to having them visit. He had done his best to follow them through the tournament from where he was, but it wasn't the same as being there and taking part in the games. But from what he could tell, they had done very well and had won. That was amazing, and he couldn't wait to hear more about it. He also wanted his trainer to meet Ryoma and Hari. He knew she would be very interested in them.
And… if he were honest with himself, he would admit that he was a little jealous of his friends. It didn't sit right with him to feel like that because he knew they would have given anything for him to be there with them. But he wasn't, and they got to experience something he had longed for. To win with his team. So, he felt a little jealous… but he did his best to push it away and ignore it.
So, when the bus drove up and his friends stepped out of the bus, he smiled and hearing them all say his name or call him captain when they noticed him was nice. He had missed that too, and it was nice to see that they had missed him as well.
"I'm glad you came, everyone," he said.
He looked at them all and took in the changes. Well, they had changed little since he had last seen them, but it felt like they had at the same time. He saw Hari standing beside her brother and he hid a frown because she looked a little distracted as her eyes were directed toward the small cluster of trees to the side rather than him or the others. A small frown was between her eyebrows and he wondered what she was thinking. Then she turned her head and met his eyes and the frown disappeared and she smiled, looking more like herself again. He smiled back but decided that he would keep an eye on her.
"Come on," he said. "I'll show you to a room we can use."
He had been told they could use one of the conference rooms to talk, and he led them inside of it. They talked excitably all the way, and Tezuka listened as they tried to tell him all about the tournament and how the matches had gone.
"Ah, it really has been a long time," Kawamura commented when they gathered around a table without sitting down.
"Have you gained a little weight, eh Tezuka?" Kikumaru teased.
Tezuka laughed a little and looked around at them all, "you all seem to be doing well."
"Tezuka," Oishi said, and Tezuka turned to him and blinked when he saw what he was holding up. His medal. "Here, we brought this for you. It's the Kanto Tournament Championship Medal. Please take it."
Tezuka stared at it, unable to find words for a moment.
"Um… but… I…" He fumbled for words.
"It's too late for you to hold back now," Kikumaru grinned.
"Even though you weren't at our side, you were always fighting alongside us," Kawamura said.
The others nodded in agreement and were all smiling at him and looked expectantly at him, even Ryoma.
"Take it, Tezuka," Ryuzaki said. "Everyone has been looking forward to giving this to you."
He looked around at them all before looking at the medal that Oishi now was holding out to him. He felt uncharacteristically emotional as he stared at the medal. A part of him didn't feel like he deserved it. They had won it without him, after all. They hadn't needed him, and it hurt a little to admit that, even if it was only to himself. Another part of him wished he had been there, had seen them win even if he couldn't play yet.
"You were a part of it," Hari said, making him look over at her and saw her looking at him with understanding green eyes. She smiled faintly as she stuck her hands into her pockets while looking at him. "We couldn't have done it without you, Captain. We felt your support and knew that you were fighting hard here so we would do the same for you on the courts. So, take the medal, yeah?"
Tezuka felt stunned and touched as she smiled at him again, and the others made agreeing noises. He reached out and accepted the medal from Oishi, who looked a little teary-eyed as he handed it to him.
"Thank you," Tezuka said even if the words felt inadequate to express just what he felt but he knew they understood. He really couldn't ask for a better team or friends.
He then turned toward Ryoma, "I watched your match against Sanada. Oishi sent me a video. You played fairly well."
"Thank you," Ryoma said, fidgeting a little.
"However," Tezuka continued. "It seems there are still many holes in your play."
Ryoma frowned while the others laughed.
"He's got you there, Echizen!" Momoshiro laughed.
"You're all laughing too much!" Ryoma snapped.
Hari put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly. Tezuka noticed how he seemed to relax more at the contact.
"Oi, that's enough," Tezuka said.
...
They spent the next part of the day sightseeing and seeing the different tourist attraction around Munich. Kikumaru was running around excitedly looking at everything while Oishi tried to keep track of him. Tezuka was watching with a smile without saying anything.
"You okay?" Fuji asked.
"Yes," Tezuka said. "Just thinking."
"It's a nice city," Fuji commented. "A lot to see."
"Yes, I'm lucky," Tezuka said, repeating what he had told Oishi a little earlier. He knew he was lucky; it was a nice city and friendly people. Yet he missed playing tennis with his friends. He missed being a part of this team.
"You'll be back soon," Fuji said, seemingly able to read his mind.
"I will," Tezuka agreed. "So, how is Hari-chan, really? The match against Kirihara was rough if I understood Oishi correctly."
Fuji's expression darkened slightly as he nodded. "It was a rough one, but she played very well. She's taken significant steps in her game, and it impressed me when she won. I think it created some problems with Yukimura because Hari-chan was upset for a few days after the match. She wouldn't tell anyone why, but from what I could tell from watching Yukimura during the match… he blamed himself for her getting hurt. But they seem to have made up now, though."
"Good," Tezuka said. "I always thought Kirihara played too roughly, but it's difficult to make the call on what's too rough and not."
Fuji nodded in agreement. "He hurt Tachibana from Fudomine as well, and I know Tachibana's sister was pretty upset about it. She even seemed to blame Hari for a while there, but again it seems like they have made up."
"I see," Tezuka said.
Fuji looked around before he frowned, and a heavy feeling settled in his stomach.
"Um… where is Hari-chan?" he asked.
Tezuka immediately started to look around as well and realised with dread that he couldn't see her anywhere… in fact, he couldn't see Echizen, Momoshiro, Inui or Kaido either. Soon they were all looking around and Kawamura even ran back up to the clock tower to see if they were up there, but when Tezuka thought about it, he couldn't remember seeing them for a while.
This was bad.
"Oh shit," Fuji said. "I swear I was keeping an eye on Hari-chan, knowing that she has a tendency to get lost…"
"She's probably with the others," Tezuka said, but he was frowning. "I'll call the rehab centre and see if they have been contacted. "
Fuji nodded, but he felt worried. He knew something had distracted Hari since they had left Japan.
...
Hari felt bad for sneaking away. She knew she shouldn't have done that, but they wouldn't have let her go off on her own if she hadn't. And for this… she couldn't have anyone with her. Maybe Ryoma, but she didn't want to have him involved.
She hoped she would be back before they noticed… but that was very unlikely.
Pushing back the guilty feelings she looked up at the small café she had stopped outside of. This was where the taxi driver had let her off, so she hoped that it was the right one.
Was she doing the right thing? Having sneaked away from her friends didn't feel like a good start on what she was about to do. What if she made it worse? What if…
She stopped herself. She had talked this through with Hermione and they had agreed that it was the only way, the best way to create pressure on the British ministry. If they were pressured enough, then they might be forced to actually do something about the mess they worked so hard to cover up.
The only problem was… she would need to be the one to do it and that meant to reveal herself. She had to make herself known to someone magical… Yes, they could have sent notes to someone and hope they would research it more, but both Hari and Hermione had agreed that it wasn't good enough. They had to make sure it was communicated clearly and right, and that the truth wasn't twisted around again. So, that meant that Hari had to talk to someone…
A journalist.
She swallowed thickly, even though her mouth felt dry.
Someone bumped into her and said something in German. They sounded annoyed but Hari couldn't understand what they said, but she could guess.
"Sorry," Hari said quickly and pushed past her nerves and walked inside the café. There was no going back now.
A quick search had provided her with the name of a small café that seemed good enough for what she needed. It was on the outskirts of the city centre, but not too far away, so she should be able to find the others again later (or so she hoped).
Hari opted for a table in the corner that gave her a good overview of the café and the door, and it pleased her that there weren't too many people inside. She ordered two tea and a teapot to be left on the table from a smiling woman with kind eyes.
While she waited, she thought about the journalist Hermione had suggested. Hari trusted Hermione's judgement, knowing that she actually read the Daily Prophet and probably knew more about the journalist than Hari did. Karen Dillon was the name of the woman Hermione had suggested. She was a muggleborn and had been writing for the Daily Prophet for ten years already. She was also a mother of two, and from her pieces, she seemed honest and had a more critical view of the ministry and their work. That was why Hermione had suggested her.
Hari had read a couple of the articles Dillon had written thanks to Hermione magically copying them over into the journal for her to read. After reading them she had agreed with the choice and that was that. Hermione had contacted Dillon and asked her for a meeting, promising a story that would change her career if she did it right.
Hari had smirked at that; it was the best bait to get the attention of a journalist. Dillon had responded quickly and asked for details, and Hermione had made her take a vow to not reveal her sources. They had left out just who would meet her. Hari had been a little nervous about it, but Dillon had agreed and even agreed to meet her in Munich. It had all gone through more smoothly than Hari had dared to hope for given the short notice Dillon had to work on. But it was the only time Hari could make it work.
The door opened and Hari saw a short woman with dark hair cut in a pixie cut enter the café. Hari knew that this was Karen Dillon. She was pretty and had a gentle look about her, but her grey eyes showed steel. Hari waited for her to spot her and could tell the moment she did. She did a kind of double-take as she looked past her before looking back. Her eyes going wide.
Hari worked to keep her face blank and stay calm as she waited for Dillon to walk over to her.
"Harriett Potter?" Dillon said, and her voice shook a little.
"Hey," Hari said with a small smile. "Karen Dillon, right?"
"Yes," Dillon said.
"Why don't you sit down?" Hari offered. "I ordered some tea; I hope you don't mind."
"No… thank you…" Dillon said as she sat down. "I don't mind, I mean. Thank you."
Hari smiled and nodded.
"So… you were the one who asked for this meeting?" Dillon asked.
Hari looked at her for a moment before taking a sip of the tea she had ordered for herself.
"Yes," Hari said. "Or my friend was the one you communicated with."
"And why did you ask for the meeting?" Dillon asked, her eyes sharp.
Hari put her tea down and leaned forward slightly.
"You made the vow?" Hari asked. "Oh, and will you please cast a privacy charm around us? I don't want to be overheard by muggles, after all."
Dillon nodded and cast the charms before answering.
"Yes," Dillon said. "I did. I won't tell anyone I met you here or what you say without it been cleared to go into the article. We protect our sources."
Hari was quiet for a moment. She thought the woman was honest and Hermione had also had a good impression from the letters they had exchanged. So… did she trust her?
...
Ryoma watched the woman in front of him. Her face was flushed, and she was holding a glass with a golden drink in it while looking at him. They had just met her while asking for direction because they were lost and had to find the others again.
"Oi, Echizen," Momoshiro whispered. "Do… you know her?"
"No," Ryoma deadpanned. "Who are you?"
"I'm Hannah Essenheimer," she said as she took another sip of her drink. "So, what is a group of Japanese kids doing here?"
Inui frowned thoughtfully as he looked at her, but didn't say anything.
"We're here visiting a friend," Momoshiro said.
"I see," Hannah said. "A friend, huh? That seems fun."
"You play tennis?" Inui asked curiously.
"I'm not that good, but I'm not at so low a level that I would lose to someone like this boy here," Hannah said smugly.
Ryoma narrowed his eye but didn't say anything as the woman kept ranting and clearly drunk.
...
Hari met the calm grey eyes with a searching look. She knew she didn't really have a choice now. She was here. She had already made her choice. So now she had to follow through, and Dillon seemed to be okay and she had read some of her work.
"If I say that I have information about Sirius Black, what would you do?" Hari asked.
Dillon's eyes widened, and she straightened up in her chair even more as she stared at Hari. Hari's heart thundered in her chest as she waited for a reaction, for Dillon to say something.
"You have information about Sirius Black?" Dillon asked and there was an eager look in her eyes now and she pulled out her notebook and pen. "Do you know where he is? Is it true that you helped him escape from Hogwarts?"
"I'll tell you the truth if you promise that you will give an accurate account of what happened and what the Ministry is trying to hide," Hari said, knowing she would pull Dillon in even more with the hint about the Ministry. "They will not want you knowing this."
"I will let you read it before publishing it," Dillon agreed.
Hari hummed, "I've read some of you work and you seem to be good at your job, that was why we decided to reach out to you instead of Rita Skeeter."
"Rita is more interested in creating a sensation," Dillon said diplomatically.
"This will do that without adding anything to it," Hari said. "Unfortunately, I don't have too much time… so we need to be talking quickly."
Dillon nodded and agreed. "I took the vow, and I will do as you ask."
"Good," Hari said. "Sirius Black is innocent of the crimes he's been accused of."
Dillon stared at her for a moment before she jumped in with questions.
...
Ryoma starred at the hand reached out in front of him for a moment before he accepted it and shook it.
"I lost, Echizen Ryoma," Hannah said with a bittersweet smile.
"Good game," Ryoma said.
It had been a much tougher game than he had expected when she challenged him. Though, how could he know that she was a former pro tennis player who had stopped playing because of an injury? But the game had been fun, and he had just managed to win, and only because she was out of practice or probably because she was still tipsy from the drinks.
But the bigger shock was the fact that she was Tezuka's trainer… who would have guessed? To think the one she ranted about being younger than her and still lecturing her was Tezuka? Ryoma snorted, amused.
"Though, where's the girl you wanted me to meet, Kunimitsu?" Hannah asked, looking over at Tezuka.
Ryoma blinked and looked over at where his team stood and realised that Hari wasn't there… he had thought it was odd that he hadn't heard her but thought it was because she was distracted lately.
"Where's Hari?" he asked.
Fuji frowned, "we thought she was with you when we noticed you were gone…"
Ryoma felt a spark of fear go through him. His sister was lost in Munich? All alone? What if something had happened? What if they had found her?
"She's not with you?!" he demanded.
"No…" Kawamura said, sounding worried now.
"Shit…" Ryoma muttered. "I have to find her."
He rushed to his bag and grabbed it before moving to run off toward somewhere. Anywhere. He had to find her.
"Wait, Echizen," Tezuka said. "We won't find her by running around without knowing anything, and Kaido is missing too. They might be together."
Ryoma scowled.
"Tezuka is right," Momoshiro said, trying to calm Ryoma down.
"She's missing?" Hannah asked. "Have you tried calling her?"
"She might have her phone…" Ryoma realised. "Okaa-chan has told her to always have it on her in case she gets lost."
"But we don't have a phone," Momoshiro said.
"We can find a payphone," Fuji said.
"Or you can borrow mine," Hannah said, already holding hers out. "We should try to find your missing friends, after all."
...
Hari wasn't sure how long she had talked, but it was at least a couple of hours. She also knew that the time was running out and that she had to find her friends again soon or they would worry too much.
Dillon was good. She was efficient and only asked questions when Hari paused or fumbled a little with how to tell her story.
"This is very interesting," Dillon said, looking at her. "I must say… if it's true then this will create a lot of waves."
"It's true." Hari said. "But I know you can't just take my words for it. Research it, Ms Dillon. Check, and you'll find that Sirius never had a trial."
"But you haven't said anything about how he escaped from Azkaban in the first place," Dillon said.
"And I won't," Hari returned. "Not yet anyway. I've told you everything I can for now."
Dillon looked at her for a long moment and Hari was sure she was deliberating the risks of pressing more for the information. But Hari wouldn't tell her about Sirius being an animagus because that would mean that his method of being able to hide now was at risk. And that was something she wasn't prepared to risk.
"Fine," Dillon finally said. "I will do some research on my own and when I'm ready to publish it I will send an owl to your friend?"
"Good," Hari said, eager to finish and get back to her friends.
"And where are you staying now?" Dillon asked.
"That's not part of the deal," Hari said getting up. "I won't tell you that."
"Well, it was worth a shot," Dillon smiled wryly, getting up. "I must say… you might have just handed me the case that will make my career, Miss Potter."
Hari shrugged, "just remember your vow."
"Yes, yes," Dillon said.
...
Hari stepped out of the café and winced when she saw the time. It was nearly five o'clock now, and it was getting late. She hadn't seen her friends since one o'clock, and that was hours ago… this had been a bad idea…
She hurried away and was just reaching the corner when she stumbled into someone and blinked.
"Ka-chan!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Hari-chan," he said, sounding relieved. "I was lost."
"Huh, I thought I was the one who got lost around here," Hari said with a smile. "Well, we should find our way back together then…"
"Yes," Kaido said. "You got lost as well?"
Hari hesitated for a moment before she nodded. She was saved from explaining further when her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and grimaced when she saw the 14 missed calls. Right, she had put her phone on mute while talking with Dillon and had ignored the buzzing she'd felt as she talked with the other woman.
"Hey," she said as she answered the unfamiliar number.
"Hari!" Ryoma's voice was stressed. "Where are you?! And why haven't you been answering your phone?!"
"Sorry," Hari said, feeling even more guilty as she heard the fear and stress in her brother's voice. "It was on mute. I didn't hear the phone."
"Hari…" Ryoma sighed. "Where are you?"
"Um… we're by a large church, I don't know what it's called," Hari said looking over at the church.
"We? You're with Kaido, then?" Ryoma asked.
"Yes," Hari said, glancing over at Kaido who was standing patiently beside her. "I am."
"Can you get back to the rehabilitation centre by yourselves or should we come and pick you up?" Ryoma asked.
"We'll get a taxi back to the rehabilitation centre," Hari said, thinking about Karen Dillon. She didn't think the woman was hanging around, but just in case she didn't want her to see more of her friends.
"Fine," Ryoma said. "See you soon."
As he hung up Hari could feel another wave of regret eat at her, but she did her best to push it away.
"We'll get a taxi back to the rehab centre," Hari told Kaido, who nodded.
"You okay?" he asked. "Thugs and remorse are bad luck."
Hari barely heard the parseltongue as she looked around for a taxi. She spotted one and waved her hand hoping that he was free and luckily, he soon headed their way.
...
The regret came back for full again when she saw the worry and relief from her friends when they looked at her and came running up to her and in some cases hugging her and ruffling her hair. She did her best to smile and not look too guilty, but it was hard. They assumed she had gotten lost, and she didn't correct them.
"You scared me," Ryoma scowled at her.
"I'm sorry," Hari grimaced.
"Hn," Ryoma huffed and looked away.
"So this is the famous Echizen Hari," a woman said and Hari looked away from her brother and over at a tall woman with red hair watching her curiously.
"Um… yes," Hari blinked, confused.
"This is my trainer," Tezuka said. "Hannah Essenheimer."
"Oh, nice to meet you," Hari said.
"You too," Hannah said. "Your brother just beat me at tennis."
"Oh?" Hair said, looking at Ryoma again. "Good."
"I would like to play you too," Hannah said.
Hari looked at her for a moment before she shrugged, "I don't know."
Ryoma frowned at her but didn't say anything.
"Well, I should go," Hannah said. "See you tomorrow."
Hari was quiet as they found a restaurant to eat dinner and just listened to her friends laugh and talk. Her mind was still on the interview she'd done with Dillon and wondered if she had said too much or maybe too little? Had she managed to get the truth out? Or was it obvious that she was still hiding parts of it?
...
Hari sat down on the bench with a sigh. They had stopped at a marketplace to buy souvenirs and Hari had already bought hers and was tired, so she found a bench and sat down as she waited for the others. She really was too depressing right now. She shouldn't let her own worries get in the way for them all when they finally were here visiting Tezuka. Had she really enjoyed a minute of it? Yes, she had been happy seeing him again, but everything was overshadowed by her meeting with Dillon and her own fears of being in Germany.
Seriously. Just because she was in Germany wouldn't mean that she was closer to being discovered. It wasn't likely that they would find her in the few days she was here, and who's to say that they were even looking for her anymore?
Okay, so she knew they were looking, but why should they be looking in Germany?
It wasn't likely. So, she should focus on having fun with her friends. This was an opportunity of a lifetime and she was squandering it away by being depressing and scared. Her friends wouldn't even understand her fear because she couldn't tell them about her magic and therefore not about the reason she was scared.
Ryoma knew, though, and she knew he worried about it too. That was why she didn't want to tell him more because he would worry even more then. Well, if she was going to be completely honest with herself; Hari knew that this wasn't the whole reason why. She didn't want him involved more than he was because she feared what it meant for him. If he knew what she had planned he wouldn't have let her go on her own, and she couldn't risk him being seen by a journalist.
It was enough that she had to trust the journalist with Sirius, but she was not taking that chance when it came to her brother. No way.
But… she felt bad for lying to him. For worrying him… maybe she should tell him? She looked over to where Ryoma was looking at some items from one of the stands in the marketplace they had stopped at. He was talking with Momoshiro, who was waving something at him while laughing. They looked so carefree and she wished…
She watched her friends around the different stands, all looking like they had a good time and laughing and talking. She wished to be a part of it, and she knew that if she walked over, they would welcome her, but… did she deserve it?
She had purposely lied to them. It nagged deep in her stomach and she felt sick.
This is what magic did. It created a wall between her and her friends. A wall she wasn't sure how to tear down.
Suddenly a feeling of being watched hit her and she quickly scanned the surroundings, but nothing stood out. The prickling at the back of her neck still told her she was being watched, but… where?
She blinked when she suddenly noticed a little girl with blond curly hair hiding behind a rubbish bin. Her eyes going wider when she saw Hari looking back at her, and Hari immediately relaxed a little. It was just a little girl… she really was paranoid.
Hari smiled at the girl before turning back to watching her friends.
Kawamura and Fuji were discussing something at one of the food stands, and she wondered what they were talking about. Maybe Kawamura was looking for tips for something to bring back to his father.
Tezuka was listening to Kikumaru with a patient smile as the other boy bounced in place while pointing at something.
"Are you Hari Potter?"
...
Hari froze for a second or longer before she ripped her eyes from watching her friends to look to the side and see the girl who had been watching her now standing right there and looking at her with wide blue eyes.
"Are you?" the girl asked again in a British accent. "Mum said Hari Potter had a scar that looked like lightning, and you do too."
Hari blinked and wondered what to do. She could deny it, but the scar was a rather good give away.
"You are, aren't you? Mum said that you are a hero," the girl beamed and came closer. "I'm Mary!"
"Hello, Mary," Hari said quietly and looked around. "Are you here on your own?"
"No, silly," Mary grinned. "I'm here with my mum and dad, and Ian and Marcus and Sarah!"
"I see," Hari said. "And where are they now?"
"Back there," Mary said, waving somewhere behind her.
Hari looked and saw a man and a woman coming rushing toward her with three kids behind them, all looking worried. She guessed they had just realised that Mary wasn't with them.
"Mary!" the woman called. "Don't go wandering off like that! Do you realise how scared we got?"
"Sorry, but I saw…" Mary started.
"You don't go wandering away like that, young lady," the man said, they had reached them now. "I don't care about what you saw."
Mary pouted.
Hari got to her feet and took a couple of steps hoping to get away before they spotted her, but then the woman talked to her.
"I'm sorry if our daughter bothered you, miss," she said. "Thank you for keeping her company."
"It's fine," Hari said quietly, wishing she had her hair down so she could brush it in front of her scar.
"Oh…" the woman blinked, and Hari knew she had guessed who she was.
"See! I was telling you I saw Hari Potter!" Mary declared. "I had to talk to her!"
Hari barely kept from wincing when the rest of the family did a double-take and stared at her with apparent shock written on their faces before amazement took its place.
"You're really Hari Potter?!" one boy exclaimed. "Cool!"
"Do you have the scar?" the other boy asked.
"She does," the girl said. "I see it."
"Kids," the woman said, sounding a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry about them… they're huge fans of yours, though."
Hari knew she was blushing.
"Oh, um… it's fine, I guess," she said. "But I should…."
"Did you really beat You-Know-Who?" Mary asked. "Like in the stories?"
Hari rubbed the back of her head. "My mum was the one who did something, not me. I was just a baby at the time."
"But not your first year at Hogwarts, right?" one of the boys asked. "Our cousin attends Hogwarts, and he said that there was a rumour that You-Know-Who was there then! And that you stopped him! And when the chamber opened…! You were the one who stopped it, right?!"
Hari flinched as Quirrell's face and the basilisk flashed in her mind and she took a step back and she grabbed the arm where the basilisk tooth had penetrated it like she could suddenly feel the pain from it.
...
"I'm not talking about that," Hari said tersely, looking away. "Sorry, but I have to go."
"We're sorry, Miss Potter," the man said. "We didn't mean to bring up bad memories. The kids really are just excited about meeting you."
"It's fine," Hari said, even if she didn't really think so and she just wanted to get away.
"Good," the man smiled.
"We're here on vacation!" Mary said. "Dad wanted us to see the muggle world before Ian starts Hogwarts next year. He says it's important to see the muggle world too and get to know it… he's a muggleborn, you know!"
Hari couldn't help the small smile as she looked at Mary.
"I'm Joseph Crawford," Joseph suddenly said. "And this is my wife Amalie, and you already met our youngest, Mary. Then there's Ian, Marcus and Sarah."
Hari nodded politely to them and wondered why it was so difficult to just leave, but she didn't want to be rude…
"Nice to meet you," Hari said.
"Is it true that your mum was a muggleborn too?" Sarah asked. "Like dad?"
"Yes," Hari smiled sadly. "My mum was a muggleborn while my dad was a pureblood."
"So, you're a half-blood like us," Marcus said, awed.
"Awesome," Ian said. "I… don't want to be treated differently because of who my dad is."
Hari looked at him and frowned slightly.
"I know some might be jerks about it," Hari said. "But you shouldn't let them decide what you think. Being a muggleborn, half-blood or a pureblood isn't what makes you a good witch or wizard. Or a good person, really. It's what you believe and what you act on that makes you a good person. That's what should be more important, not what blood you got."
"Very well said," Joseph said.
...
Ryoma sighed as he looked around for Hari. He knew she hadn't told him exactly what happened the day before; he wasn't sure if he believed she had simply gotten lost. While she got lost a lot and it was believable, he knew his sister. He knew her and something told him she was hiding something.
He frowned when he didn't immediately see her. She'd been together with Fuji and Kawamura earlier, but she wasn't with them now.
"Has anyone seen Hari?" He asked.
"She's missing again?!" Kikumaru exclaimed, looking around.
Ryoma felt his heartbeat start to race again as he once more didn't know where his sister was…
"She's over there, Echizen," Fuji said calmly and Ryoma looked at the older boy and saw him nodding to his left. Ryoma followed his direction and spotted Hari. But she wasn't on her own like he expected. She was talking with what looked like a family, and the kids seemed to talk rather excitedly. While Hari looked uncomfortable in Ryoma's eyes it was hidden well enough that he was sure the one she talked to didn't see it.
"Who's she talking to?" Momoshiro asked curiously.
"Don't know," Ryoma frowned. "But I don't like it."
Something about it seemed… off.
"I'm sure it's fine," Kawamura said kindly. "Maybe they are asking for direction or something?"
"Maybe," Fuji hummed, but he looked a little sceptical.
Tezuka nodded and adjusted his glasses as he looked over at Hari. Ryoma wasn't sure what they were thinking.
"Oi! Hari!" Ryoma called and saw that Hari looked over at them before she turned back to the ones she talked to and said something before waving and left them watching after her.
She had almost reached them when the little girl ran after her.
...
Hari was glad that Ryoma and the others hadn't walked over to them, but called out. While it was clear, they were with Hari, they wouldn't get a too close a look at them. Okay, so she knew she was being paranoid now, but she couldn't help it.
She politely said goodbye to the family and walked back toward her friends, mentally wincing at the curiosity she saw in their eyes. Great, she thought exasperatedly.
"Miss Hari!" Mary called and Hari paused and turned toward the younger girl, wondering what she wanted now.
She was closer to her friends now too, and she was sure they could hear what was being said now too.
Before she could ask Mary what she wanted the younger girl hugged her around her legs and looked up at her with such adoring eyes that Hari had to swallow back the feeling of lacking and guilt she immediately felt.
"You're still a hero, Miss Hari!" Mary said. "I want to be just like you when I grow up!"
"I…" Hari swallowed again, but her throat was oddly dry.
"Bye!" Mary beamed and stepped back and turned before she went running back to her family who was smiling and waving at her too. Hari could only wave back, feeling the eyes of her friends burning at her back.
With a sigh, she turned and faced the curious faces of her friends.
"What?" She asked, doing her best to seem innocent and calm.
She had to keep calm.
"What was that about?" Kikumaru asked.
"Just a girl who got separated from her parents," Hari shrugged. "We got to talking and turns out that her brother is starting the same school I went to in Britain next year."
Ryoma stilled at that, and Hari shot him a quick smile. She wanted to tell them what was as close to the truth as she could; she was getting tired of lying or hiding parts of herself for her friends.
They nodded at that but didn't say anything else and Hari let out a small relieved sigh.
...
Hari managed to push everything away for the last part of the day and enjoy herself with her friends as they found a restaurant and met with Ryuzaki for dinner. It was a loud and fun experience that had Hari laughing and just being a kid on a trip with her friends.
"This is soooooooooo goooood!" Momoshiro moaned.
"It's meat, of course it's good," Kikumaru grinned.
Hari snorted but just smiled.
"Did you have fun today?" Ryuzaki asked.
"Yes!" Oishi smiled. "Tezuka took us to some museums and then a marketplace."
"And no one got lost today?" Ryuzaki asked, glancing over at Hari who rolled her eyes.
"I didn't get lost," Hari muttered.
"Fuji made sure she didn't," Kikumaru grinned while Hari sighed.
"Good," Ryuzaki said.
Hari might have argued a little more about this because she wasn't the only one who had gotten lost, but since she hadn't really been lost… she thought it was best to just let it go.
Ryoma was looking at her, but he looked away when she looked over at him and she sighed. He was still upset. Not that she blamed him.
...
Hari sat on the bed and just stared into the air as she went over all that had happened since arriving in Germany. It had been two long days and she couldn't wait until they left again tomorrow.
It sounded bad, but she just wanted to go home. She was glad she'd gotten to see Tezuka again, but she was ready for the trip to be over now and getting her life back to normal again. To leave this behind and focus on her new life.
She felt like it was slipping away, and she hated it.
You're still my hero, Miss Hari!
I want to be just like you when I grow up!
Mary's words echoed in her mind again and left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. Hari knew she wasn't a hero. A hero would have stayed and fought, not left like she did. A hero was someone strong, determined and brave.
Hari didn't feel like any of these things, she just wanted to be left alone and to have friends and family like everyone else. Was that so wrong?
A knock on the door had her look up and before she could answer it opened and Ryoma entered the room.
"Hey," he said stoically as he looked at her. The door closing behind him.
"Hey." She said back.
He stood there for a moment and just looked at her. Hari looked back and waited for him to say something.
"Where did you really go yesterday?" he asked.
Hari had known he would ask, but the question took her by surprise, anyway. She fidgeted on the bed as she went over everything she'd been thinking over the last couple of days and the reasons for not telling Ryoma. It was good reasons; she knew that, but… looking at him and remembering him upset and worried… was it right to lie to him?
She already had to lie to everyone else. Could she really keep lying to her brother too? Did she want to?
"It's complicated," Hari finally said.
"So, you didn't get lost," Ryoma stated.
Hari grimaced. "It's better if you don't know, Ryo-chan."
"Says who?" Ryoma challenged, and she noticed his hands fisted against his side. "Are you in trouble, Hari?"
Hari blinked before she shook her head, "no. Not like that."
"Tell me," Ryoma pleaded and stepped closer. "You've been distracted since we got here, and then you disappeared yesterday and then there were the people at the marketplace today… something's going on and I…"
He trailed off and looked away. He was worried. She could tell, and it broke her heart to see him looking like that. He wasn't one to plead or demand anything, and Hari couldn't help but wonder if maybe she owed him the truth.
"Okay," she finally said, knowing she might regret it. "I'll tell you."
He looked back at her and she inhaled before she started to tell him everything from the last few days.
...
...
AN: What do you think? XD
Hope you liked it! So, I took inspiration from how they make people aware of Voldemorts return in the fifth book when Hermione has Skeeter write an article about it and publish it in the Quibbler. But I didn't want to have Skeeter doing the article now, so I made up a journalist for the job. ;) Also, decided to have it in the Daily Prophet and not the Quibbler. Hari and her friends haven't lost faith in the Daily Prophet yet so it's natural for them to chose this paper because it is the most read. And the situation around it hasn't been bad enough for people to start looking elsewhere for news like they did in the fifth year. Well, here's my thoughts about it. You might not be interested in why I decided this but thought I would add it just in case. :)
Thank you for reading! XD