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.

The Girl Who Lived

They emerged into chaos.

Ami lay on the victor's stage, with Madam Pomfrey running a wand up and down her body. Behind Pomfrey, Meiou-sensei stood, her expression not as grave as Harry would have expected.

"Harry!" Hotaru slammed into him, wrapping her arms around him. "I was so worried, I asked Dobby to go to you but he said that he couldn't unless you called him and then he vanished and oh my God your face!" The sight of his slashed face brought her run-on sentence to a sudden halt. She quickly pulled off one of her gloves and laid her hand across his face.

"You'll get blood on your hand," Harry said, but she shushed him. He felt the warmth as his wound closed.

"Mr Potter!" Cornelius Fudge strode towards Harry, looking quite concerned. "What happened? The Cup was supposed to bring you here, to this stage, but it didn't. And both Cedric Diggory and Fleur Delacour have been attacked."

"Viktor Krum was under the Imperius Curse," said Harry quickly.

"How do you know?"

"Professor Moody has taught us about that curse," explained Hotaru. "Including how to recognize its effects, and how to resist it."

"I see," said Fudge. "Yes, that would explain it. Mr Diggory and Ms Delacour both named Viktor Krum as their attacker, but Krum insists he's innocent. If he was under the Imperius—"

"It was Narcissa Malfoy who killed Ami," said Harry angrily. "Ami shoved me out of the way of the Killing Curse, and got hit by it instead." He turned to Meiou-sensei and switched to Japanese. "I'm sorry, sensei. I failed her."

"She's not dead," said Pomfrey.

"She's not?"

"No," continued Pomfrey. "She's suffering from extreme exhaustion, and there are several fragments of ice embedded in her skin, but she's not dead."

In Japanese, Meiou-sensei said to Harry, "We Soldiers have some defences that most Magicals do not."

"What was that?" asked Fudge.

Meiou-sensei switched back to English. "Ms Mizuno has access to certain types of defensive magic that can even protect her from Killing Curse, though not without cost. Unfortunately, very few of our witches and wizards have been able to duplicate this, and I suspect it is an in-born talent."

Dumbledore finally arrived on the stage, Professor Karkarov on his heels. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I needed to speak with the Aurors," said Dumbledore.

"I must do the same," said Meiou-sensei. She turned and walked towards a small knot of red-robed wizards and witches.

"What happened to Ms Mizuno, Harry?" asked Dumbledore gently.

"She was struck by a Killing Curse meant for me," said Harry. "It was cast by Narcissa Malfoy." He paused. "Actually, I think it must have been meant for her, because Narcissa said that only Voldemort gets to kill me."

"I hardly think that Mrs Malfoy is the sort to be casting a Killing Curse," said Fudge hotly. "Why, she and her husband are pillars of the community!"

"Your 'pillar of the community' resurrected Voldemort tonight," said Harry angrily.

"Impossible!" snapped Fudge. "Voldemort is dead. There's no coming back from the dead!"

"Well, he managed it," said Harry.

"I don't know why you're telling such lies," said Fudge, "but I'd advise you to quit. He can't be back. He just can't be!"

Severus Snape chose this moment to step forward. He pulled the sleeve back on his right arm, exposing the Dark Mark.

"The Mark has been getting darker with every passing day," he said angrily. "And I don't doubt that, as soon as Voldemort reaches one of his own followers, we will be summoned to his side."

"I can't have you panicking people," snapped Fudge. "I'm issuing a gag order on any such lies!"

"You cannot do that," said Dumbledore calmly. "Only the Wizengamot can issue a gag order."

"They'll do it," said Fudge. "They won't want to hear about this any more than any other person."

"You cannot suppress the truth," said Dumbledore. "People need to know what's coming. You'll need to request extra funding for the Auror office, activate the—"

"I'll do no such thing!" Fudge snatched his lime-green bowler off his head and began worrying it with his hands. "He's not back. He can't be. And if you insist on trying to panic people like this, then I'll see you broken!"

"Then I suppose that we have come to a parting of the ways," said Dumbledore sadly.

"Don't test me on this, Dumbledore! You'll not like the results."

Fudge turned and stalked off. Dumbledore sighed, and turned to Snape.

"Severus. Please contact as many of the old guard as you can find. Let them know that I am reactivating the Order."

"At once." Severus bowed slightly, then turned and stalked off.

"Igor." Dumbledore turned to Professor Karkaroff, who looked rather uneasy. "I understand that Voldemort will be looking for you. I can offer you protection—"

"No need," he said quickly. "We'll be taking ship back to Durmstrang as soon as Viktor is released."

Meiou-sensei stepped up behind him, and dropped a hand on his shoulder. "Well, most of you will. You, whoever you are, will be staying here."

Her hand glowed a pale green, and Karkaroff doubled over as his face began to shift. Harry recognized the effects: Polyjuice potion. Somehow, Meiou-sensei had cancelled its effects. Karkaroff's hair changed from long and black to short and straw-coloured. He lost a few inches of height, and several pounds of weight.

Dumbledore's expression was one of shock. "Barty Crouch."

"That's not Mr Crouch," said Harry, confused.

"It's his son." Professor Moody, along with another Auror, had come up behind Meiou-sensei. "He was arrested during the war, after torturing two Aurors into insanity. Tossed into Azkaban for life, an' we thought he'd died there. But he seems to be not dead."

"Not sure how he escaped," said the other Auror, a young woman with pink hair. "But he's got a one-way ticket back there, assuming the Dementors don't decide to give him a snog first."

"Let's make sure that doesn't happen," said Moody. "I want to get some information out of this scumbag. Can't do that if he's been Kissed."

Moody pulled out a pair of handcuffs—they looked identical to Muggle handcuffs, to Harry's eyes—and locked the imposter's hands behind his back. As they led him away, Dumbledore turned to Harry.

"I have no doubt that you're as exhausted as Ms Tomoe, but I wonder if I might have a moment more of your time."

Harry looked down, to see Hotaru nearly asleep on her feet. He'd been supporting her weight without even realizing it.

"Her healing powers come at a cost, do they not?" asked Dumbledore.

"If we can find a place to let her sleep, then yeah, I can talk," said Harry. "You need to know what happened in the graveyard."

The students had gathered for the Leaving Feast, the last feast of the year. The students of Durmstrang, Beauxbatons and Mahoutokoro were still present, though most of them would be leaving immediately after the feast.

"And so another year comes to an end," said Dumbledore. "And we must bid a fond farewell to our new friends from other shores." He began to clap, and the students of Hogwarts applauded with him.

Harry took the moment to look out over the Great Hall. Where they had once been divided among the Houses—Beauxbatons with the Ravenclaws, Durmstrang with the Slytherins and Mahoutokoro with the Hufflepuffs—the students of the visiting schools were now mixed in and among the House tables, sitting with the friends they'd made during their year at Hogwarts. Harry noted that Ami, still looking a bit weak, was sitting next to Neville, much to that boy's embarassment.

"Yes, thank you, and good travels to our guests," continued Dumbledore. "We have been truly blessed by your presence this year.

"Unfortunately, while the International Championship was a rousing success, the end of this year brings some sad news. Lord Voldemort has returned."

Dumbledore waited for the shocked murmurs to pass before continuing.

"His return was witnessed by two of the Champions selected by the Goblet of Fire: Ami Mizuno, of Mahoutokoro, and Harry Potter, of Hogwarts. And both suffered badly as a result of Voldemort's actions, but managed to survive to tell the tale.

"The Minister of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But I would be remiss if I did not. I ask that you tell your families, so that they may be prepared. For the war will be starting anew."

"Will you be able to join us, Harry-kun?"

"Dumbledore really wants me to spend the entire summer at the Dursley's," said Harry. He looked out the carriage's window as the Hogwarts Express carried them southward. "I told him there's no way that's happening. I also told him that you and Souichi-sensei invited me to spend August in Japan with you." Harry chuckled. "I guess he decided that that's too far away for Tom to get at me."

Hotaru smiled, then looked down. "I'm glad. I'd been looking forward to showing you Japan ever since I learned that Papa invited you." She stroked Seiun's head, earning a whistle from her buzzard.

The door opened, and Draco Malfoy stepped in. "Potter."

"Malfoy."

"I need to apologize for the actions of—"

"No, you don't," snapped Harry. "You're not her. She's an adult, and she made her own decisions."

"If I'd kept my mouth shut—"

"You don't know that," said Harry.

Hermione, who was seated next to Ron across from Harry and Hotaru, spoke up. "Given what you'd already told us, Draco, we should have expected something of that sort. It's just a pity that she puts Voldemort above you. But you can't choose your parents, and you can't make choices for them."

"It's a disturbing thought," mused Draco. "If you hadn't given me that wake-up call, I might have flocked to his banner. I was raised on stories of Voldemort fighting to preserve the pure-blood way of life. Now I'm not certain that it's worth preserving." He glanced at Harry. "I wrote to Father, told him that you and a Muggle-born girl tied for victory in the International Championship. And that you then duelled Voldemort, and won. That Ami was struck by the Killing Curse, and survived."

Harry snorted. "Now she'll be the Girl Who Lived. Maybe they'll start ignoring me."

"I doubt that," said Draco. "Between the Death Eaters, the Ministry for Magic and the press, it might be best that you'll be in Japan for most of the summer."