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Disclaimer: This is a crossover between Harry Potter and Kimetsu no yaiba/Demon Slayer, as such, I do not own the rights from neither of them. This story is obviously for fun, so enjoy!

Chapter 3

Avenseguim

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She was lost.

Literally lost.

"Where the bloody hell am I!?"

Kotoha was outside of what looked like a big garden, walking in the stoned path alongside some leafless trees as she looked to each room that she could found with nothing of what she was searching for; the kitchen.

She is so luck that she can still use magic. Her cloak danced around the cold wind, not flitching a bit. Before going outside of her room she had casted with a warming charm along on her kimono and her son's blankie, also an 'Impervius' in case of the ice melting on their clothes.

Imagine being outside in the middle of this winter!

Luckily spring will be arriving soon, she only hoped..

They would be alright from the cold but her actual status still stands.

She was lost.

And it was frustrating.

It has been two weeks since she arrived at the Eternal Paradise Cult's temple. She should have had this place memorized by now. But for some reason, she keeps getting lost no matter how people guided her from the grounds of the temple, especially Himiko.

Normally she is always accompanied by her, who calmly introduced her to the places she could visit -that included the kitchen where she still couldn't seem to find- and point out other rooms to which access was extremely prohibited.

But due to some personal issues, which Himiko had not being able to tell her about, she had to leave the temple to travel to her hometown.

"'I'll explain it to you when I get back Miss Kotoha!'" was the last thing she had said before being taken by the other followers and into the carriage down the mountain.

Since that day it has not been the same, not a while has passed and she is already lost inside the temple.

She and her blasted luck.

"This place is worse than Hogwarts," she mumbled in English as she took a look into another empty room, "Nope, scratch that, nothing is worse than Hogwarts and their blasted stairs and secret halls."

Kotoha was almost at the point of using some of her magic, but she didn't want to risk being thrown out of this temple, especially with Lord Douma roaming around the halls somewhere. He would probably think of burning her alive or something.

Not even when she has a child to protect against those werewolf-vampire-like creatures at night.

Nope, thank you very much.

"I hate this place already," Inosuke, bless his little soul, only babbled to her putting her entire attention back to his weird but cute antics. "What do you think Inosuke? Should we ask for directions?"

"Ugh, bah!"

"I think that's a yes," she then sighed, shoulders slumping, "Padfoot, please give me strength."

She went back inside through a random door, walking the empty hallways as her eyes took in the purple, gold and blue floral patters on the walls.

"They are quite beautiful. I wonder what kind of flowers are these..."

She decided then to open a random door and found a bunch of people gathered around a hall with a smiling Lord Douma sitting in the middle.

She, as quietly as she came, closed the door and tiptoed the hell away from there. Inosuke only giggle at this, his innocence resonating throughout the walls.

"Shhh! We gonna get caught!" she whispered as she rushed hurriedly to another random door and almost got hit by someone else's body.

"Hey, watch where you are going!" the man snarled, almost dropping a wooden box on the way.

"S-Sorry!" Kotoha was about to continue but her eyes returned to the man, "E-Excuse me sir, do you know where-?"

"I don't have time for your nonsense girl, get lost!" and then he was gone.

"Hmph, rude!" she sighed irritated, "This is getting us nowhere."

"Wah.. bah!"

"You say it, not me."

The rooms she went through went from rarities to exotic, in one they had to stop because she herself was so entertained seeing the many gifts that people gave the silver-haired man. In one she even found a miniature sculpture of a snake.

§"It's so adorable!"§ she exclaimed in fondness of the snake, not noticing the hissing that came from her mouth, not even the scare to the poor woman who was cleaning the room while Kotoha continued her way to see the colorful mirrors.

As she passed, hunger invaded her. She had missed breakfast and now it was time for lunch.

And she still can't find the kitchen!

"I think your mother will starve, son," she exclaimed dramatically as she leaned against an open door, bathing her in sunlight. "Merlin, how do I miss having Dobby around."

"Umah!"

"I will turn into a bag of bones," the woman continued dramatizing. "And then I turn into a food-sucking Dementor. Instead of souls I will steal food to survive."

As she was about to leave, she stopped to see out of the door and she noticed the same flowers from the walls, displaying their beautiful colors in the frozen waters of a lake.

There were so many.

"Wow," she walks towards the bunch, holding Inosuke firmly in one arm while the other one went down to touch the petals of one light pinkish lotus, "These quite are beautiful."

The entire flower came out and made her panic, her magic reacted by levitate it to her now open hand. Her smile returned and her green eyes shoned in amazement. It was so pretty up this close!

Inosuke tried to grab it but she pushed it away, laughing to his attempts.

"Nope, this one's mine mate," she softy booped his nose as the flower floated up, falling down again to her open palm to take a closer look, "Never seen it on England, it must be original to this era."

"Maybe…" Kotoha looked around the river of lotus flowers and into the other side of it, no seeing a soul around there. She softy caress the petals and put it close to her mouth, and whispered; "Avenseguim."

The petals of the lotus separated themselves from the heart of the flower and, like they were in the wind, they went towards the open door, making rapid circles around as if they wished to be followed.

Kotoha stood up giggling and rushed inside, making sure to chase them where they were guiding her. The kitchen.

"Baah.."

"We're almost there Inosuke," she said with a smile in hurried steps, hearing another happy babble on him, "Mommy is almost there."

Kotoha made a last turn of the corner, seeing the flowers stop into a slide door and, with Gryffindor confidence, opened it so the petals can go in-

Only to said petals hit themselves right into Lord Douma's face.

"Oow!" the man discarded the strange thing off of his face, noticing a pink petal in his fingers, "Mmmh? Petals?"

"Aah!" she rushed to him, frightened, "Oh my- Are you alright Lord Douma?"

"Ah yes, yes I'm fine!" he said with a plain smile, his hair had mostly the rest of the petals dancing around his locks. Embarrassed by this accident she stood up onto her toes to help fluffing his silver hair, pushing the petals off of it with delicate touches. She didn't notices his eyes lingering on her in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"Oh! Um, s-since it was my fault I thought-"

"Your fault?" Douma wondered, lifting the lone petal to her, "Why do you have these?"

Kotoha realized her mistake and she sweats.

'Shoots, what do I tell him!? What should I tell!?'

Her eyes landed on her son.

"For Inosuke!" she said in a hurry, sweating still, remembering her son trying to grab the lotus before. "He likes it when I throw the petals in the air and... well; I accidently hit you with them. I'm deeply sorry!"

"Throwing them? Why?"

"Erm, fun I guess? He really likes them and I'm her mother, I want to make sure that he is happy so I-I'm just do it."

He went silent for a moment, making her think that maybe he didn't believe her excuse, thinking of being all rubbish and deciding what to do with her. Her arms were firmly around her son, body a little bit shaking by the thoughts.

'Please believe it, please believe it, please believe it-!'

"I would like to see it!" he suddenly shouted, a weird gleam on his eyes.

"H-Huh?"

"The petals," he said like he explained enough, wide smile on his lips. "I want to see you do this," he shows the petal, "to your son up close, dear."

Kotoha was so confused. "Uuuh, may I ask why?"

"Why not?" he then put the petal into Inosuke's tiny hand, he grabbed it with a happy yell and put it on his mouth, "I'm just want to see, is that wrong?"

"Oh no!" she hurriedly said, feeling a kind of relief wash over her, "It's... not wrong, I think? Should I… come to you later or…?"

"I will call you both after the hearings!" he then passed her -she took a big step back so he can get out- and walked out of there, waving cheerfully in his goodbye, "Some lotus flowers are already set in the saloon, so don't worry about bringing one from outside. I'll see you later!"

"G-Good Bye!" she saw the man's back walk away, followed by his black cloak -her mind screamed bloody Snape vibes- as part of his being. And then he was gone.

She waited for a moment in case he returns before leaving an exhausted sigh; "That was mentally brilliant."

"Woooh..."

"I'm a horrible mother," Kotoha said as she took out the petal still on Inosuke's mouth, "I became a Marauder, blaming my own son for my deeds. But I think you could make a nice sidekick."

"Bah!"

"That's what I like to hear Robin. Now, Batman needs to cook! I'm starving!"

Not a whole minute had passed before her mind processed the encounter.

"Wait, does that mean I have to start throwing flowers like it's a tradition from now on?"

"Umah!"

"Fuck."

- In Noctem -

She had found a wooden bucket that she put her son in it, casting it in a silent 'Spongify' to make it comfy to her son -that looked like a burrito in his blankie, she tried not to laugh from his cuteness- and made herself to work. She made a hurry search of the ingredients, memorizing to where they were and made a nice tempura with some extra rice.

As Kotoha left the remaining food for the other followers, she returned to her room using only one petal as a tracker. She didn't want to make the same mistake twice. Fortunately there weren't many people roaming the halls so she returned without any issue.

After finishing her lunch and making Inosuke drink milk (she was still not used to it, she was so stubborn to admit it but she endure it like a Gryffindor anyway) she started looking at the new kimonos that had appeared on display. Huh, they weren't here before.

She made some minor changes colors, and then she made them float away to be stored. She was being reckless with her magic, she knows this. But she didn't have time to use it since she was married to that awful monster of a husband.

It was only to protect her son from him. Here, at least she could freely use it within these walls.

"I hope he never finds out."

Knock! Knock!

"Ehm… coming!" she picked up her son and opened the door, seeing the man from before with an annoyed face, "Oh, hello!"

"Lord Douma asks for your presence," he simple said, turning around and started walking, "Follow me."

"Git," she let out in a tiny whisper but follows him anyway.

They were a lot of twists and turns in the hallways that lead them to the darkest places of the temple. Huh, is it night already?

"Alright girlie, listen here, Lord Douma doesn't have time for foolishness," the man started to say as a rant, "He already is wasting his precious time with you of all people, so don't you go there disrespecting his greatness."

'Motherfucker!' she shouted in her mind, eyes flashing darkly in her orbs. 'As if I dared to be thrown out, you complete git!'

"Lord Douma, I brought the miss."

"Ah, excellent! Please, let her in!"

Kotoha ignored the cold gaze from the follower, making sure to not trip as she went inside. The door closed behind her as she took some steps to be respectfully in front of the man. He was there, sitting just like he had been that day, on the Bean bang chair. She decided to bow slowly in sign of respect; Inosuke made a huffing sound at the movement.

She didn't know how to interrupt the silence in the room, so she decided to go with her gut. "G-Good afternoon Lord Douma," she started to say, "I hope the hearings weren't too stressful for you today."

"Good afternoon dear!" he shouted with his signature smile, feeling oddly strange from her honest opinion of his cult hearings, "I told you that I would call you, did I not? Here!" and making a motion with his hand, he displayed the flowers in front of him. They were arranged with decorative spots on them, "Come on, don't be shy! Pick one. They were collected just for you and your child! We also have those lotuses that were since forever in case you prefered older ones."

Kotoha lifted her head fast, red in the face; "O-Oh r-right, excuse me!"

Hurriedly standing up, she rushed to the many lotus flowers that she could see. And in fact there were all beautiful.

She didn't know which to chose so, lifting her son a bit, she asked with a tiny smile; "Which one would you like Inosuke?"

Douma looked at the baby with interest, the big eyes of the toddler roamed around the many flowers before landing into a soft blue one. Kotoha laughed as her son reached out with grabby hands on his chosen and with delicacy, picked it up with her free hand.

It was easy to detach it, feeling the petals separating with some help of her magic –hidden inside her hand of course– and she decided to throw them bit by bit.

The first bunch went floating in the air, dragging Inosuke's entire attention. The sound of her son enjoying it put a real smile on her lips and, daring like the Gryffindor she was, throws the rest up high almost touching the ceilling, her magic reacting unconsciously yet without suspecting anything to make them move in the air.

Their laugh was captivated by the Lord, a hand holding his chin while he saw the childish yet curious play around him. He saw most of the petals dance around them like it was snow, delicate, slow and somehow breathtaking.

He was fascinated, surprised; his eyes took in everything by memory. He saw her face, still quite gorgeous, with a wide smile and a pink color on her checks, brighter green emeralds with a light like it was her soul showing up behind them.

The baby, Inosuke if he was correct, was happy giggling with his mother, hands in the air in attempt to grab one of the petals.

Douma closed his eyes for a moment, a sudden... something washed to his insides, alarming him. Had he been poisoned? No, she looked like a silly human, almost like a child herself. And the lotuses that he asked to be collected and placed with the old set of flowers were not poisonous. So what was it?

He soon felt something landing on top of his head, and his eyes were widened as he looked into a close-up green eyes. Petals were slowly falling from his hair and into his clothes. However, he didn't stop them; he only had his eyes fixed on the smiling human in front of him.

"Why did you do that?" he asked confused.

"I.." Kotoha soon regretted her life choices. She just had to poke the sleeping dragon, when is she going to learn to not do exactly THAT? She decided to be honest with the man, "I thought… that you should also have some fun, my lord."

"Me… have some… fun?" It was the first thing he heard from his entire century. Him? Having fun? It was… strange… he picked some of the petals from his hakama, analyzing them carefully on his hands.

Purple huh?

She picked a new lotus and threw its petals only for him, being involved in what he assumed was a tradition between her and her child. He wasn't… sure how to "feel" about this. Should he show anger, happiness, or some confusion?

Have… fun… how new.

He didn't understand what is happening really, this being the first time that this happened to him.

Douma didn't mind it though.

He… liked… whatever this was, for some reason.

So with a still soft smile on his face, he threw the same petals in the air, some fell right onto her long blackish-blue locks. Her eyes widened as her face showed shock, while her baby was happy yelling and trying in vain to grab one of the fallen petals.

"You are a weird one," he confessed as he petted her head, having the "need" to do so, "But I must… thank you… for the gesture, dear."

Kotoha only glance at the man, still shocked, but with the sounds of Inosuke's happy wailings, she decided to return his smile.

She and Douma threw some more petals, red and yellow, white and green, washing the floor with its colors. In the middle of it, Kotoha decided to embrace her curiosity and asked about his doings, what were the doings of the temple, what role did he have, and how was his days going.

The last question left confusion the Lord yet he indulged her. Then their talks went mostly from her life. She did say mostly truths about her awful marriage and before that.

But she never said about her life as Harriet Potter, not even when she was with the Dursleys.

However, she did talk about the Weasleys and her friends, since it's the closest thing as a functional family, especially Ron and Hermione, her "adopted" siblings.

Kotoha began with a giggle. "Biru had seven siblings," she said. "Mori, the youngest, was a master at jinxing things. We always needed to shut her up before the sky would fall on us. Standing beside her was Jin, who was one of the best advisors you could ever ask for; she knew everything and she was incredibly ambitious when it came to learning. You could always see her with a book on her nose."

"They sound like a nice bunch."

"They were," she agreed.

"What happened to them?" he asked, noticing the past tense of the sentence. He then remembered something that she said back when she arrived at his temple; that she had nowhere to go back to, had no friends and her parents were long dead. Could it be that these people were also dead?

Douma saw the darkness in her eyes again, and he was drawn to it.

What was that look?

"They are not here," she simply said. "They're just a memory now."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay," she said as the lights returned and she looked down at her son. "At least I still have Inosuke by my side."

And then Inosuke yawns.

It was time to go.

"Speaking to the lion," she hugged him close before standing up and bowing softly. "It was nice talking to you, Lord Douma. Have a good rest."

"You as well dear, sweet dreams!"

And then she was gone, taking with her that weird thing with her.

'Mmmh… how intriguing,' Douma thought, touching his chest.

When Kotoha came back to her own room and closed the door with magic, she was still in a trance of shock.

"That was... better that I was expecting.."

Inosuke cheered in content as he played with a stuffed badger that she had transfigured. Kotoha's mind kept replaying the time she spent it with the Lord of the temple, noticing something peculiar about the man.

He didn't have a great childhood, she noted from what little he told her about the temple, he being the leader of a forming cult at such in an early age were big red flags for her.

She could relate, having been put on a pedestal by a lazy magical community while adults do nothing but put their heads in the sand of ignorance and being expected a teen girl -currently 17- to be their savior in an early age and at the same time being branded by that same community as a lunatic, plus being put into a house with people who hated your very existence just because being born magical...

Yeah, Kotoha can totally relate.

It surprised her that he was even willing to share that tiny piece of his life with her -even when he didn't noticed-, it seemed like it was something that he really didn't care much about, which she was honestly envious of. How much she wished to do that, to not care about the megalomaniac snake face or even care the life of the Dursleys back from the beginning.

But well, the damage was done and she can't even go back now. Literally.

She then remembers the shock on his rainbow eyes. It saddened her, seeing his confusion and what she assumed internal panic. As if it were his first time being something more than the Lord of a cult.

And the feel of him not having any fun in his entire life, she couldn't imagine herself without Hogwarts. While the school was anything but a bunch of trouble for her (and she being a magnet of those same troubles), she had made good friends and made better memories, she had enjoyed being a witch.

She had at least something to distract herself of the pain and the loneliness that that awful house set into her heart in her childhood.

Lord Douma, however, didn't have that by looking again into his blank reaction.

It reminded her of Snape, the blank stare on his face as he took the petals in his hand, his mind working to understand something so simple as having fun, a distraction from their obligations –in her case, fucking surviving– and enjoying life..

It made Kotoha settles a new resolve.

"Even if I don't know Lord Douma that much," she began, as she put her son on her lap while the baby continued to munch his plushie, "I will do everything in my power to ensure that this man has the best experience of fun in his life."

"Waah! Bah!"

"I'm happy that you agree with me son," and with a smirk she lifted her son in the air, "Let the operation 'Mischievous Duo' begins!"

"Uhaabah!"

Douma watched as one of his followers rushed into the room to clean up the mess that the mother and son had made. After she was long gone and back to her dorm room, the demon finally decided to stand up from his beanbag chair. However, 'the something', in the form of a question, stopped him from leaving just yet.

"What was her name?" he asked suddenly to the follower, his eyes not leaving the door to where she was gone for the night.

"Huh?" the man was confused but after a moment he looked at his Lord with recognition, "Ah, do you mean the woman with the child, Gracious founder?"

"Yes," he was getting impatient. "What were their names again?"

"T-The mother was Kotoha, a-and the baby Inosuke, sir."

"Kotoha and Inosuke, mmh?" he holds their names and stores them into his memory, deciding to keep them, "I must retire for tonight. I'd like to have this clean up before the hearings from tomorrow."

"O-Of course, my lord!"

Then he went out, walking straight to his dinning room where he could satisfy his hunger by some fresh women for the night. Humming to himself, he plucked one lone petal of green and hid it in his pocket, going inside with a closing 'Clack' left behind.

Douma definitely will summon her and her child soon.

He wanted to have this fun again.

— - — - ϟ - — - —

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Taisho secrets

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"Kotoha is aware of the current era she is in, so the names of 'Ronald', 'Ginevra' and 'Hermione' screamed definetly of foreign origins. So in order to tell her past, she has to use "truth-over-lies". Harriet was changed to Kotoha by choice, and she decided to also mix her friends names by japanese related ones. For that she now refereced them as 'Biru', 'Mori' and 'Jin' in honor to their middle names 'Bilius', 'Molly' and 'Jean'. That way she could keep them safe from the curious rainbow eyes."

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