Kindred Spirits

by Tailkinker

This is a work of fan fiction based on the Harry Potter series and the Sailor Moon franchise created respectively by J.K. Rowling and Naoko Takeuchi. The characters and settings belong to their respective owners and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered as part of the official canon of either series.

Detentions and Gifts

"Make way for the Heir of Slytherin," intoned George.

"Seriously evil wizard coming through," warned Fred.

"That's not at all funny," snapped Percy Weasley.

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred.

"Yeah," said George. "Harry's on his way down to the Chamber of Secrets."

"He's off to have a cup of tea with his fanged minion."

Harry chuckled. "Whatever the Beast of Slytherin is, I doubt it has fangs."

"Oh, come now, Harry. If Slytherin had a pet, you know it would have fangs."

He needed the laugh. Ever since he'd been outed as a Parseltongue—including to himself. How could he be able to speak another language and not even know about it? But then Justin Finch-Fletchley had been petrified, and something bad had happened to Nearly Headless Nick, and now the entire school was shunning him.

Well, except for his closest friends. And Fred and George, who viewed it as just another reason to crack wise.

As Harry rounded a corner, he nearly bumped into Hotaru. And then Fred and George nearly bumped into him, as he came to an abrupt halt.

"Out of the way, ickle first year, or the Heir of Slytherin will feed you to his beast," said George.

Hotaru's lips quirked, and Harry knew that the Twins were about to get some of their own back.

"Oh, please, great Heir of Slytherin. Show mercy on this poor child." She fell to her knees at his feet. "I shall be your eternal slave!"

Fred and George stared at her.

Hotaru's composure cracked first, and she giggled. Harry offered her a hand, and pulled her back to her feet.

"Also, I'm a second year," she added.

"They make them smaller every year," said Fred.

"But she got us," admitted George.

"Ravenclaw, that's why."

"We probably shouldn't prank them for a while."

"Congratulations, little second year."

"You've earned your house a pass."

They bowed to her, and then walked off.

Harry chuckled. "They're good guys."

"Yes," admitted Hotaru. "Listen, Harry. I have a detention tonight, so I can't help Hermione with the potion."

"A detention? You?"

"Yes, me," she said. "The Ravenclaws aren't bullying me anymore. They've moved on to a first year."

"Really." His voice was flat.

"She's a sweet girl, but her father is the editor of the Quibbler. It's essentially a tabloid, but she idolizes her father, and believes anything that goes into the Quibbler as though it were the absolute truth. And some of the things in the Quibbler are downright odd."

"How so?"

"Like the story that they ran about a secret cabal of dentists trying to overthrow the Ministry of Magic using a combination of vampires and gum disease."

Harry blinked. Then tried to process that sentence again.

Nope. Still didn't make any sense.

"Okay, that's odd. But just because she believes some batty things doesn't mean she isn't a nice girl, right?"

"Exactly," said Hotaru. "But they've been tormenting her. They call her Loony, and they hide her belongings, and try to say that some of the odd animals that she believes in took them." She shook her head. "It's quite terrible, how they treat her. But when Lisa Turpin took the picture of her mother—her dead mother—kusottare—"

Harry winced. It was the first time he'd ever seen her this angry. It was also, he mused, the first time he'd heard her speak Japanese.

"Well, I flew right off," admitted Hotaru. "I slapped Lisa so hard she flew across the room and smacked her head into a table. She had to be taken to the Hospital Wing to have her lip healed." She looked down. "I guess I must have been even angrier than I thought, to hit her that hard.

"Anyway, Professor Flitwick gave me a detention, which I suppose is fair."

"Even though you were standing up for another student, who was being bullied?"

"I shouldn't have slapped her," said Hotaru. "It wasn't...well, it didn't fix anything." She looked up. "Anyway. There's naught but a few steps left in the potion. And you're better with Potions than you think, so you should have no problems helping her out. Also, in case I don't see you before then." She reached into her book-bag, and pulled out a slender package, cellotaped to a card envelope. "Happy Christmas."

"Thank you," said Harry. He took the package. "I'm sorry, I don't have anything for you—I didn't have any chance to go shopping, really."

"It's all right, Harry," she said.

"When's your birthday? Maybe I can get something for then?"

"January sixth." She giggled as his face fell. "Really, Harry. It's all right." She smiled. "Just...having a friend, for the first time...that's the best present I could get."

Madam Pomfrey examined Hermione's eyes, then her ears, and finally her tail.

"All right. What did you do to yourself?"

Hermione shot Harry a betrayed look. "I thought you said she wouldn't ask any questions?"

"Technically," said Harry, "I said she doesn't typically ask many questions."

"I can't treat you if I don't know what you did to yourself," said Madam Pomfrey. "And if you're worried that I'll tell someone, don't be. If my patients feel that they can't trust me, they won't come to me for help. The only time I'd tell someone something I learned in here is if I felt that they were a genuine danger to someone."

"So just like doctor/patient confidentiality," said Hermione. "All right. It was Polyjuice potion."

"You used a cat hair, didn't you?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "I picked it off...well, a girl's robes, thinking it was hers."

"This can take a while to treat," said Madam Pomfrey. "Of course, Mandrake Restorative Draught would fix you right up, but if we had any of that..."

Her eyes drifted across to a divider. Behind it, Harry knew, was Colin Creevey.

Which reminded him. "What about Hotaru?"

"Eh?" Madam Pomfrey blinked. "Did she also take Polyjuice?"

No. But you know she can heal people. Would she be able to undo this?"

"I don't think so," said Madam Pomfrey. "I happened to overhear you talking about treating Mr Creevey. You were right, Harry, but for the wrong reason.

"Ms Tomoe's healing powers repair things that are wrong. A person in a state of Transfiguration is in that state because their magic and their body are convinced that it is their proper state. In Ms Granger's case, the Polyjuice has tricked her body into thinking it's meant to be a cat. If Ms Tomoe attempted to heal her, at best it would do nothing, and at worst, it would fully turn her into a cat."

"No thank you," said Hermione quickly.

"In Mr Creevey's case, there is nothing physically wrong with him," continued Madam Pomfrey. "His metabolic processes have been completely stopped, and his muscles stiffened as a reaction to this, but no harm has actually been done."

"So there's nothing for her to heal," said Harry.

"Exactly," said Pomfrey. She paused. "Where is Ms Tomoe, though? I would have expected her to be here."

"I...don't know," admitted Harry. "I last saw her two days ago, when she was on her way to a detention."

"Detention? Ms Tomoe?" Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "I have trouble believing that."

"Professor Flitwick gave her detention, because she stood up for a friend in trouble." He paused. "Well, she hit a girl in the face."

"Lisa Turpin," said Madam Pomfrey. "Well, then the mystery is resolved." She paused. "But you didn't see her at the Christmas feast?"

"No, and that's odd," said Harry. "She said she expected to see me Christmas, and I wanted to thank her for the gift she gave me. But she never showed up."

Pomfrey frowned. "That's quite odd." She walked over to a portrait on the wall. "Phyllis, can you ask the Headmaster to come to the Hospital Wing, please?"

"Certainly." The woman in the portrait turned and walked out of her picture frame, and Pomfrey turned back to the trio.

"Mr Weasley, Mr Potter, if you could just drag that privacy screen around Ms Granger's bed...there's no need for the Headmaster to see her current state."

Ron hopped to his feet, but Harry paused. "Hold on. You think she's in trouble?"

"She might very well be, Mr Potter. Ms Tomoe is a Muggleborn, is she not?"

"So whatever's attacking the Muggleborns might attack her."

"Exactly." She paused, as Professor Dumbledore hurried into the ward.

"What is it, Madam Pomfrey? Another attack?"

"I do hope not, Albus, but one of our second years hasn't been seen in a couple of days. She was to serve detention with Filius."

Dumbledore's eyes flicked across Ron and Harry. "I assume you are referring to Miss Tomoe? Filius mentioned to me yesterday that Gilderoy had requested help with his Christmas load of fan mail, and that he had assigned Miss Tomoe to assist him."

"She would have loved that," snarked Ron.

"I think not, Mr Weasley, which may have been Professor Flitwick's intent." Dumbledore turned and walked towards the door. "I will summon some of the staff, and see if we cannot—"

He broke off, as Professor Snape walked in.

"Severus?"

"Another attack, Professor."

"Oh, no," moaned Harry.

Professor Snape stepped aside, and flicked his wand. The petrified form of Hotaru floated in, frozen in a crouch, her hands flung up before her face.