When I publish my 100th story, I wanted to make it a special one. I wanted to do it as a Potterverse crossover with either Final Fantasy VII (in honour of my first fanfic published here, Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage), or the Final Fantasy webcomic 8-Bit Theater (which is still on the cards, by the way). But then, inspiration struck. I am yet to really do a Kingdom Hearts fic in any way, so it was about time I did so. Hopefully, this will get enough chapters written so I can publish it as my 100th story.

This is actually not my first attempt at a Potterverse/Kingdom Hearts story, but my first attempt didn't make it beyond the first chapter, and by the time I considered doing it, sakurademonalchemist came out with Memories of Nobody. Plus, there's trying to do something moderately novel. Eventually, I decided, what the hell, and wrote this up. The original story had Harry, Hermione, the Weasley Twins, Luna, and a couple of others shoved through the Veil, becoming Nobodies and ending up eventually working with DiZ. That...didn't go too well. This story focuses more on Harry doing impossible things because, well, he's Harry Potter. Which means that a few of your favourite Nobodies don't suffer the same fate they did in canon.

Plus, this story is Harry/Yuffie. That was the pairing I intended for my Final Fantasy VII crossover, before I decided I had done that too many times before. Oh, and if you're wondering why I'm posting it here, well, Kingdom Hearts IS practically an actionized Final Fantasy game with Disney elements...

Enjoy...

HOLLOW HEROES

CHAPTER 1:

THE NOBODY WHO LIVED

He remembered the battle mostly within his nightmares now. Of spells whizzing past him, of his friends being attacked. Of his godfather being hit by a curse from his godfather's deranged cousin, stumbling towards an archway. He managed to break free from the werewolf's grasp, and save his godfather…but at the cost of falling through the archway, through the Veil, himself.

The last thing he remembered of that time with any great clarity was the screams of his allies, screaming out his name, and the high cackling of the deranged witch. Then, a great pain in his chest, like something being torn out. It left an icy cold in its wake.

Then, oblivion.

He woke up standing on a mysterious stained glass image, showing himself, his friends and enemies, a mysterious, deep voice guiding him through a new life. Then, as if from a dream, he woke up…

"Oh, he's waking up!" The voice of a woman, not much older than he was.

"Be careful, Aerith. Merlin says he's a Nobody, like those creeps the King warned us about." The gruff voice of an older, middle-aged man.

"Even if he wasn't a Nobody, he's an interloper here." A younger man's voice, somewhat cold and clinical.

"And he practically fell out of the sky onto me!" This was a girl about his age.

"Which means we need to be cautious, if nothing else," the younger man was saying, as the teenager opened his eyes, and saw who was speaking, a brown-haired young man with a handsome, if rather stoic, features, a scar running across his face. He seemed to be in some sort of house, with magical paraphernalia on one side, and on the other, what looked like a massive computer terminal. So, not Hogwarts or the Ministry…though his memories of those were admittedly a little hazy.

"Leon, he isn't even wearing a dark hoodie like the Organization does," the older girl, who had brown hair, gentle and demure features, and stunning green eyes, so much like his own, pointed out, though the teenager was a bit baffled as to what she meant.

"That means little," the scarred young man called Leon said.

"Excuse me, but isn't it rude to talk about someone while they're right here?" the teenager asked, rubbing his head, and wondering why his scar felt so sore, like it was bruised. "Anyway, who are you guys, and where am I?"

The quartet looked at each other, before finally, Leon shrugged. "I am Leon. This is Aerith Gainsborough, that is Cid Highwind, and that is Yuffie Kisaragi." Leon indicated the brown-haired young woman, the older man, and then the girl about his age, who had short dark hair, and Asiatic-looking features, on which a cocky-looking smirk was plastered, respectively. "We comprise most of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee."

"Hollow Bastion? Where is that? Britain? America? You sound American," the teenager said.

After a moment, Cid pinched the bridge of his nose. "Damn. Well, we know one thing. He's definitely not from this world. Merlin's yammered on about how he helped teach and advise the King of Britain."

The teenager frowned. "Wait, Merlin? But Merlin died years ago! I mean…"

"Rumours of my death, my dear boy, have been greatly exaggerated," came an ancient voice, and someone who looked too much like Dumbledore, albeit in far less eye-gouging robes, walked in. Long white beard, sky blue robes, dotty and eccentric-looking…yeah, too much of a resemblance for his liking. "Still, I have to say, it's rare that someone from Lost Avalon(1) ends up in another world, given that the Keyhole there should be firmly shut." He moved close, and peered into the teenager's eyes. "Though I do keep an eye on events there. Dear oh dear, this is troublesome. I know who you are…and you have my sympathies for being roped into becoming their saviour."

"You know this guy, Merlin?" Yuffie asked.

"Indeed I do. His name is…"

"…M-I-C, K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E(2)!"

"Please stop that," the diminutive, big-eared figure in the dark hooded coat next to him said with a wince in his falsetto voice as they walked through the main railway station of Twilight Town. "Leaving aside the fact that I'm meant to be incognito, that song has gotten annoying the more times you sing it."

"Hey, in the unlikely event that I ever meet anyone from home, who would believe that I have trolled Mickey Mouse himself, huh? Anyway, blame Walt Disney for the Mouseketeers. Seriously, Merlin's explanation as to how Disney came to be…if I hear terms like 'recursive memetic resonance' and 'the Universal Egregore' once more, I will shave his beard off. Again."

"I once tried doing that to Master Yen Sid," Mickey Mouse remarked wistfully, before chuckling. "It did not end well."

"I'm sure it didn't. Still, at least Yen Sid and Merlin aren't as stubborn about Nobodies as DiZ was," the green-eyed teenager remarked, before adopting as deep a voice as he could, mocking with a bitter tone. "Nobodies do not have a right to know, nor do they have a right to be." Scoffing quietly, he muttered, "Wanker. Ansem the Wise my arse."

"Mind your language," Mickey chided gently. "But you are right…my old friend has fallen far, thanks to the betrayal of Xehanort and his apprentices. If he had stayed around after you rescued the others, I would be having words with him."

"So would I," said a third member of their party, a boy with light brown, spiky hair, and deep blue eyes. A scowl marred his features.

"We all have our issues with DiZ," a blonde-haired, rather waif-like girl said. "Well, save for Xion."

The fifth member of their party, a dark-haired girl, looked down ruefully at her own clothes. "I'm not sure how I even exist anymore. Not that I'm complaining."

"Don't ask me, Xion," the green-eyed teen said. "I'm sure Hermione would know…" Then, his face fell. "If she's still even…"

"Your friend will still be alive," Mickey said, with a gentle tone that was nonetheless filled with utter conviction, and the green-eyed teen was reminded of why Mickey Mouse, contrary to what he usually was in the cartoons Disney pumped out, was both a leader and a warrior. "All your friends will be."

That was a pretty empty platitude, but the green-eyed teenager liked Mickey Mouse more than the other mentor figures he had in his life, so he didn't comment on it, any further than a disgruntled huff. At least Mickey Mouse cared. And he wouldn't ask his subordinates to do something he wouldn't do himself, like get his hands dirty, even if it was mostly towards Heartless and Nobodies.

"In any case," Mickey said, "we need to send Sora, Donald, and Goofy to Master Yen Sid's tower via the special train. With them just awoken…"

"I'm glad it's finally over," the blonde girl said quietly. "My debt to Sora is now paid."

"Organization XIII took advantage of you, Naminé," Mickey declared. "You desired a connection to others, and they exploited that. What you did was wrong, but that you recognise it and attempt to redeem yourself for it goes a long way."

"I know, it's just…" Naminé's eyes widened. "Nobodies, a swarm of them outside the station! And Sora and the others are being attacked!"

"Right. Xion, look after Naminé!" the green-eyed teenager barked. Then, he, along with the brown-haired boy and Mickey, sped out of the station…

Sora grimaced as exhaustion took its toll. These weird things in silver bodysuits (or were they the actual bodies of the creatures?) were dancing around him, Donald, and Goofy, moving in weird, unpredictable ways, their humanoid bodies warping and stretching in an unnatural manner. There were so many of them, he and his friends were being overwhelmed.

It was partly being asleep for a whole year that did it, he reckoned. He didn't know why, or how he ended up in that weird pod underneath the abandoned mansion. A mansion on the outskirts of a place called Twilight Town. And it was weird, the sense of déjà vu he had felt on emerging, to find that he had grown, that his voice was breaking. And the only clue was a mysterious note Jiminy Cricket couldn't remember writing in his journal: Thank Naminé.

The King had been spotted, searching for Sora, though Pence and Olette, the two kids their age they had met (a third, Hayner, had gone off in a sullen huff, for them intruding on their 'secret spot'), had told them that four others accompanied the King. None matched the descriptions of Riku. One seemed to sound a bit like Kairi, but why would she be accompanying King Mickey?

As the creatures closed in, Sora raised his Keyblade, ready to defend himself against the inevitable onslaught, only for a trio of figures to burst out of the train station they were fighting in, all dressed in dark, hooded cloaks. One was short, diminutive, with the distinctive large round ears Sora had glimpsed what felt like a fresh memory, and yet also felt like an eternity ago. The other two were…odd.

One of them seemed vaguely familiar, with the light brown hair and the deep blue eyes, fighting determinedly, using two Keyblades, of all things! One light, the other dark. The other had a messy thatch of black hair with a white streak through it, emerald eyes flashing behind glasses, a year or so older than Sora. A faded scar snaked its way from beneath his fringe, like a lightning bolt. He raised his Keyblade and snarled, "REDUCTO!" A jet of light smashed into one of the creatures, and punched a hole through it, causing it to dissipate. The Keyblade was red and gold in colour, with a feather-shaped part protruding from the blade.

Between the three newcomers, they decimated the remaining creatures fairly quickly. "The Organization is moving fast," the dark-haired teenager remarked, as he cast healing magic at Sora, Donald, and Goofy, handing the belligerent duck mage an Ether to replenish his MP. "They sent these Dusks and Creepers to attack them, hoping to catch them off-guard while they were still recovering from their little nap. What do you reckon, Roxas?"

"They're testing Sora," the brown-haired boy said. "If they really wanted him dead that badly, they'd send higher-level Nobodies. Or send one of the Organization proper."

"We're running out of time," King Mickey said, before he looked over to Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "Guys, I know you're pleased to see me, and you have a lot of questions, but time's of the essence. You've gotta board the train and leave town. It knows the way. These two will help you, as will the girls." He then chucked a pouch to Sora, who caught it.

"Hey, isn't that…?!" the brown-haired boy yelped.

"Yeah, that's the one the emo nicked off you, Roxas," the dark-haired boy said. "Mickey, you've got my number. Call if something goes wrong."

Mickey nodded, and then said to the others, "See ya!" He then hurried away.

"But Your Majesty…!" Donald complained in his raspy voice.

"Hey, he's doing some stuff of his own," the dark-haired teenager said. "Official King Mickey business. Look, there's a lot to take in, I understand that. But we're on the clock. The train is taking you to the tower of Yen Sid, but we'll be briefing you along the way. It's a very long story, even abridged. And for what it's worth, Sora, you have my sympathies. I know what it's like to be dropped in the deep end, left to sink or swim."

Sora, after a moment, looked at Donald and Goofy. "Can we trust these guys?" he asked.

"Well, the King was with 'em," Goofy mused. "And Master Yen Sid was the tutor of the King."

"Yeah, but those outfits look suspicious," Donald grumbled.

"Not surprising," the dark-haired teen remarked. "Leaving aside the colour scheme, there really are some rather nasty guys going around wearing these coats. They're a bit of a necessary evil when you're in realms of darkness for a while. And if you had all your memories, well, let's just say you'd find it harder to trust us. You haven't actually met Roxas and I before, though you've met one of our number, Naminé. Not that you'd remember her."

"Naminé?" Sora asked. "Jiminy said there was a message in his journal to thank Naminé."

"Yeah. It's a long story, like I said, and we don't have much time. Our other party member is Xion. Xion, Roxas, and Naminé all have a connection to you, Sora."

"And what about you?" Donald asked querulously. "Who are you?"

"I was…well, I am a wizard from another world. What's left of him, anyway. I doubt you've been to my world. Merlin called it Lost Avalon. And I doubt you know my name. Unlike most Nobodies, I'm not doing the whole 'anagram plus an X' thing they seem to be doing. I think that's what Yuffie calls a 'chunibyou' phase, really(3). My name's Harry Potter. And it's good to meet you three at long last…"

CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Harry's a Nobody, and for some reason, Roxas, Xion and Naminé are accompanying him. So, what does this mean for the Boy Who Lived?

1. This is what sakurademonalchemist called the Potterverse in her story Memories of Nobody.

2. Harry is, of course, singing the Mickey Mouse Club March. To troll Mickey Mouse.

3. A chunibyou (well, properly transliterated to chuunibyou) is basically, well, an overly dramatic adolescent phase, or something like it (as it can be said to affect adults). Basically, being pretentious and dark, thinking one is cool.