I own nothing. All respective characters and settings belong to their respective franchises.
A split second.
That was all the time it took for Minerva's instincts to kick in and she whipped her wand hand in the direction of where Emmeline had apparated before the woman could bind Yuki in chains, catching her with a Stupefy that sent her careening back. Much of her old Auror training had been dulled by the years of memory manipulation, but it was as if a wave of nostalgia was washing over her, unable to hide the smile that came. She was no longer in her prime, but her mind, sharp as ever, raced as spell formulas fired from her neurons and filtered through her wand.
"Minerva!" Emmeline screeched through the stunner she was hit with, her features contorted into an ugly grimace as she wriggled on the floor, trying valiantly to fight the effects of the spell. "You traitorous bitch!"
"Words, Emmeline," Minerva scolded the woman who had been one of her students in the past, a senior to Lily. "And I was never officially one of you. I can at least thank Albus for not forcing me to join your little vigilante group." She subtly observed the woman's features and body language as she said this, and no flash of surprise or confusion could be detected. She's either imperiused...or in on it. I honestly can't tell at the moment. On the other hand, Emmeline had always admired Albus, even in her younger days. One thing is certain, though. I cannot trust any of them.
Speaking of Albus. The old wizard was still sitting calmly behind his desk, holding Yuki's gaze with his own in a silent stare-off while the sorceress burned a hole in him. The corner of his lips quivered in amusement as he said, "Come now, Miss Tsukumo. Can you really find it in you to attack an old man?"
Yuki grinned, noticing the deliberate omission of the word 'helpless'. "A bunch of idiots back home would say the same thing if they were in your place, right before siccing their dogs on me because I dared to look at them funny."
Dumbledore's gaze flickered downward. "Well, I'd like to think that I'm not that petty."
"Oh, I can see that," Yuki shot back. "You put on a good show, but that's all it is. Aspiring cult leaders could learn a thing or two from you."
Albus' smile turned friendly at the snide remark. "Miss Tsukumo, whatever you may think of me, I have always acted for the greater good. You may find this hard to believe now, but I assure you that my intentions are anything but evil."
"Sacrificing the lives of people who had nothing to do with your little project isn't evil?" Yuki replied emotionlessly.
"A tragic but unforeseen..." Yuki lunged forward and drove her fist straight through the man's desk before he could finish, splitting the wood in two and sending debris and splinters flying. The noise was as loud as it had been sudden because of how fast the sorceress had moved like the crack of a whip, echoing throughout the room and startling the other occupants. Surprisingly, the action did not break Albus' composure, other than causing his hat to tilt slightly.
Despite this, his gaze never left hers, red eyes smoldering as she allowed her anger to amplify her cursed energy. "Just try to weasel your way out of this. In fact, hearing you talk out of your own ass makes me even more pissed," Yuki breathed through a snarl that spread across her lips. "On that note, how about you just save us all the trouble and hand it over?"
That would be enough to turn Albus' smile upside down. "Oh, don't look so shocked," Yuki said coyly as she straightened her posture and now towered over the headmaster. "You didn't really think I wouldn't notice, did you?"
"What is it, Miss Tsukumo?" Minerva asked, alert after binding Emmeline with ropes. Emmeline finally succumbed and lay limply on her side, her wand confiscated and banished to an undisclosed location.
"I suggest you brace yourself, granny," Yuki said warningly. "This disingenuous bastard-" She was cut off as she jerked out of the way of a fireball that came from behind the old wizard, seemingly out of nowhere, allowing Albus to vanish from his seat. Minerva was taken aback; she didn't even see the man make a gesture, and his wand was nowhere to be seen.
The concentration to even cast elemental magic and focus it accurately... "Protego! " Minerva shouted as she swung her wand to cast a shield to her left, blocking another fireball. Soon, a rapid barrage of smaller fireballs came hurtling down from the ceiling, forcing Minerva to duck as half of them threatened to hit Emmeline. Damn you, Albus. The whole room was practically a fire hazard, and she had to disperse instead of deflect. "He's going for Harry!"
"I know," Yuki replied archly after sneaking up next to an unconscious Emmeline and hoisting the witch over her shoulder. "But we have bigger problems right now!"
Minerva froze after dissipating the last few fireballs, a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Don't tell me-" She was cut off by a distinct metallic sound coming from the floor where Albus' desk once stood, her gaze flickering and falling to where a single object was found nestled among the shards of wood.
A small iron box that looked worn and rusted, with only a single paper sutra taped over the lock for Yuki to see. There should be more. Much more, for the energy she felt made the hairs on her skin stand up like nothing else. Whether the box had been there all along or had been summoned by Albus, the sorceress looked more ready to run than anything else.
For the remaining seal was torn in half.
Minerva had just enough time to open her mouth before the lid slowly pushed open. This caused the witch's next words to catch in her throat. For a moment, the room was silent as the duo froze. Not even the red bird, abandoned by its owner, made a sound, only trembling heavily as it fixed one eye on the strange box.
Goosebumps gripped both women as Yuki began to feel the air around her becoming stale, the distinct taste of metal on her tongue, the palms of her hands wet with sweat. Minerva stiffened slightly as a faint rumbling sound reached her ears and she realized that the metal box was actually vibrating on the hard stone floor. "I-Is that-"
"Listen, I need you to act fast," Yuki addressed Minerva urgently, planting her feet firmly in preparation for any possible action. "Everyone in this school—students and faculty—needs to be evacuated."
Minerva's blood ran cold as it was the first time she had heard the sorceress speak in such a tone. From that, the only question running through her mind was, "How bad?"
Yuki swallowed as she made sure Emmeline was secured, glancing at the witch and replying, "It'll be a miracle if this place is still standing."
That was more than enough, and Minerva apparated the lot of them from the room as the box began to emit an ominous black miasma, leaving only Fawkes, the red bird, to endure what he knew would be his next death.
Dungeons…
Severus Snape was a man full of regrets.
Not that he would ever flaunt that particular detail about himself out loud. He preferred to express other things to people, especially those he had no patience with - mostly his students - or those who managed to annoy him - also mostly his students. He never put much stock in formality or politeness unless necessary, and even then he would sprinkle in a bit of sarcasm in case one was sharp enough to catch it. Maybe even earn a crumb of his respect.
In that regard, he could only really count on one hand the number of people he genuinely respected. The number excluded himself.
He might feel pride, smugness, a sense of accomplishment, maybe even vindication when a student actually puts in the work without the risk of melting their own face off. But he was never truly good with his emotions. Not since he was a boy. Memories came flooding back as he worked. Of having to endure days of his parents arguing, seething and flaming at each other, or his father hitting him when he stepped out of line or felt the need to vent. His mother, while not nearly as caustic, was hardly the ideal maternal figure from whom he sought comfort.
The only silver lining that literally stumbled into his life was a neighbor girl.
A girl who...
More memories flooded in, of days in his old hometown of Cokeworth, genuine laughter peppered with the sounds of dry leaves crunching. A respite from his misery.
There would be another girl, though he was anything but fond of her, and the feeling was mutual. That particular memory now carried a weight of its own with her death, though he thought he'd been nothing but respectful these past few days since he'd been made aware of it. He was content not to think about her at all.
"Mister Snape." His gaze flickered away from the documents he was sifting through, rolls of parchment so scattered that it was a wonder if the wide table on which they were all laid wasn't partially made of paper. From across the table and down the stairs leading to it, he saw a boy with both hands outstretched, an oddly round object suspended up to the boy's eyes, which were gleaming with a wonder that betrayed his age. "Mister Snape," he repeated, "look."
The man would have recoiled at the misnomer, followed by a scolding for which he was infamous for in Hogwarts' very halls, but he remembered that his job was not to add to the boy's issues.
Harry's mouth was set in a smile, his mouth parted just enough to reveal his small front teeth as he watched with wide, sparkling eyes what he knew was his own doing. "I can do magic," he declared with the kind of glee that comes to any young wizard. Snape would have snorted, allowing only a roll of the eyes at the boy's feeble-minded excitement.
"He must have just awakened to his innate technique," Snape thought to himself, staring at the orb, no, the Portkey, as it floated for another brief moment before falling down for Harry to catch with both hands. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about Albus getting in..." Just one look at the deceptively innocuous object had been enough to set off all the alarm bells in his head and make him want to banish it, but when he saw the tiny traces of cursed energies swirling around it, it was enough to ease his worries. "It seems you've miscalculated, Albus. Unwittingly or not, by infusing it with his cursed energy, Harry has dispelled all manner of enchantments around it."
Feeling a bit dizzy, Harry took a moment to catch his breath, then took a long look at the glass ball. To his immediate confusion, the trinket no longer glowed or changed color. His eyebrows furrowed, and he gave the now ordinary bauble a good shake, then another, before dropping his shoulders in disappointment. Did he break it? Unfortunately, he would not have time to think about it any further as he felt arms wrapped around him swiftly, ripping him from his thoughts as he felt his body tossed through the air before he looked forward to see the room spinning around him. Blinking quickly to adjust his swimming vision, he craned his neck upward to see Snape's head above him, his face set in a dry scowl as he seemed to stare ahead.
After a few more blinks, Harry followed Severus' gaze and to his surprise found the old man standing in a far corner, away from them. Had he peered any further into the darkness, Harry would have seen the large cavity in the wall behind him, but all he could see was that the man looked a little more dishevelled than when he had last seen him, with labored breathing as he seemed to be boring a hole into both of them.
Holding out his free hand, Albus Dumbledore croaked, "The boy, Severus, if you please."
Severus' features narrowed. "He masked his arrival with a silencing spell." He made sure to avoid the other man's gaze as he scanned Albus' condition. "He's sweating." That would have set off all sorts of alarm bells in him again, but he had to be sure. He set Harry down behind him and assessed the situation calmly, even as his mind raced with spells. "Has something happened, Albus?" He decided to pretend that everything was normal, knowing that it would only serve to wear down the Headmaster's patience.
Albus collected himself; as difficult as that was proving to be, he tried to keep the tone of his voice even as he replied, "Change of plans, Severus. I'm going to need Harry to come with me. It won't be safe here for long."
Wonderful. Severus quickly drew his wand and pointed it at his soon-to-be former Headmaster. "I'm afraid not. It would be remiss of me to allow such a young boy to go off with an older gentleman he barely knows. You, of all people, should understand that."
The wizened wizard would have chuckled at being forced to waste precious seconds. "Severus, I will not ask again."
Snape's free hand went to Harry's shoulder. Whatever it was that was unsettling the normally unflappable Albus, it couldn't be good. They then vanished, forcing the older wizard to follow suit and apparate.
Elsewhere…
Minerva had sounded the alarm as soon as they were in the Great Hall. Since the last war, Hogwarts had become more than vigilant enough to establish levels of emergency that warranted certain actions. In Miss Tsukumo's case, as deceptive as it had been, a total lockdown, with everyone confined to their respective rooms and dormitories, anti-apparition charms activated to prevent even that kind of entry until the matter was resolved. Now, every single student, faculty and staff member was to be apparated to a safe distance outside the school so that the Ministry could come and secure them. To do this, Minerva had to link her mana to the school's for support, using the magic circle already carved into the centre of the very Great Hall they were standing in. Rather than a time-consuming ritual, the circle had been designed by the finest specialists so that any teacher could use it at a moment's notice. Once she had a foothold, all she had to do was Apparate as usual.
Along with every occupant in Hogwarts.
Before Yuki knew it, she found herself in a wide, open clearing, surrounded on all sides by a large crowd of mostly children and teenagers her age, which she noticed as soon as she got her bearings after experiencing the all too familiar sensation of dizziness.
She stumbled forward as she felt Emmeline's weight shift from her shoulder, not even a few steps before she collided with something. Shaking her head, she looked up through the fog of her vision and the first thing she saw was a shade of red, followed by a face. Bill Weasley looked down at the disoriented blonde before helping her to her feet, having found her next to Minerva as all of Gryffindor gathered under her protection. As the Transfiguration Professor barked orders for her students to take a head count, two house elves, thinking quickly, stood guard over Emmeline as the witch slowly regained consciousness. Noticing this, the elf to her right tapped her forehead with a finger and she was out like a light, under orders from Minerva to keep the woman sedated.
After leading her to a nearby tree to sit down, Bill asked as he rubbed her back, "Are you alright?" Yuki held a hand to her forehead, still trying to get her bearings.
She soon turned her attention to the redhead, staring at him as if he were a stranger, when something of a grin came to her lips and she remarked back, "Are you?"
Bill curled his lips at the offhand confirmation. "What happened?"
Yuki grunted as she pulled herself up to the tree. "I'll probably never get used to this."
Bill was curious as to what the blonde could have been referring to when he realized, "You get sick from apparition?"
Yuki would have denied it to keep up appearances, but she wasn't in the mood and decided to lean her head back against the rough bark instead. Licking his lips, Bill continued, "Did you hear about the escaped convict from Azkaban? Were you in your dormitory?"
Yuki didn't deign to laugh that the redhead was still running on that assumption. Instead… "Bill," she began, deciding to defer the consequences for later. That is, if they were still in one piece, "I'm sorry, but... I haven't exactly been completely honest with you."
Bill blinked, his eyes widening a bit before he replied with a wiggling of his brows, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time with a girl." Both held the other's gaze before breaking into a soft chuckle, but before any more could be said, they were interrupted by a slight disturbance coming from the crowd and what sounded like a woman's cries coming closer.
"Percy? Fred? George? Where is your brother? Where is Bill?!"
"Wha..." Bill blinked rapidly, startled as as his face lit up with recognition. "Mum...?!"
"Bill?! Bill!" As the crowd of his housemates dispersed, Bill and Yuki's eyes landed on a rather plump woman wearing an old brown winter coat, a long pale magenta skirt and black boots that were worn around the soles. Her long, full red hair fell down her back, some of the strands beginning to show shades of grey. Her face could have been described as friendly, if not kindly, with rosy cheeks amidst the lines, were it not for the heavy scowl she was currently wearing. Soon her own eyes met his and her features mirrored those of her son. Her lips parted and moved, working out the words to say - until her gaze landed on Yuki and her scowl tightened as she hissed, "You!"
She stomped her feet in their direction as Bill stood up to meet the woman he realized was his mother. Holding his hands up in appeasement, he began, "Mum, wh-what are you...?"
"Not now!" His mother cut him off with a snarl, marching past him and straight to Yuki, never taking her eyes off her. Before Bill could really ask his mother why she had come at all, he panicked as the woman grabbed Yuki's arm with her free hand and only then did he notice that her wand had been pulled out and was now pointed at the blonde.
"Mum-" Bill sprang into action, followed by a few others whom he sensed were his siblings. "Mum!"
"Wha-?!" Molly screamed as she was dragged away without warning by two identical boys with the help of another older redhead. Bill stood protectively in front of Yuki, his back to her as he could only stare at his mother in barely contained shock. "What are you all doing?!"
"What is going on here?" Another woman's voice broke through the commotion, and this time it was Minerva, accompanied by some of the teachers while the others were still busy organizing the students. She blinked as she saw who the source of the noise was. "Molly?!"
The woman broke free of her sons' grasp, throwing castigating glares at each to cow them before turning her attention to Minerva. "You!" She pointed her wand at the witch. "You traitor!"
Rather than letting the label affect her, Minerva let her shoulders drop with a sigh. "Just what we needed," she deadpanned.
Moments later, things had calmed down just enough for words to be exchanged, and Minerva found herself talking to Molly. Although it would have been more apt that she was working her level best to calm the hysterical Weasley matriarch down. "Molly, if you could just..."
"I don't want to hear it!" Molly interrupted imperiously, hands on her hips as she snubbed the other witch. "I don't need to hear anything from a bloody traitor!"
Minerva looked towards the heavens to grant her patience. "Molly, as much as it would be cathartic for me to explain to you the sheer extent to which you and your husband have been misled, now is definitely not the time when a more dire crisis is afoot."
"Oh, really?" Molly ventured sarcastically, giving the other woman a pointed smile as she waved her hand at Yuki. "You wouldn't exactly be referring to her now, would you?"
"Miss Tsukumo-"
"Is a dark witch!" Molly shrieked in announcement for all to hear. "A Death Eater!"
Minerva stiffened, and before she could even get a word in, the fire began to sweep through the crowd. Soon, several students, both young and old, who had heard of the scourge of the Dark Lord's followers, let alone been touched by it, were beside themselves, a chorus of murmurs soon bringing the clearing into turmoil, many pairs of eyes resting on Yuki with equal parts fear and suspicion. The sorceress, however, took it all in stride, her mind more drawn to the Cursed Spirit that was-
When she suddenly sprang to her feet, a small but no less terrible realization hitting her, as it did for Minerva. The witch wasted no time, leaving Molly to be flanked by her sons, barring Bill, who followed the blonde as she left with the head of their house.
"Bill," Yuki turned to the boy, "it's Harry. He's-"
"Right," Bill cut her off as he sped off to help with the search. Minerva ordered for another headcount, and while it turned up one or two with the first name Harry, they weren't the missing five-year-old. Snape was also conspicuously absent, leaving Flitwick with the burden of handling both Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
Yuki joined the search herself, but this only resulted in a less than warm reception from the crowd following her approach. Students and teachers, many with their wands drawn, barked warnings for her to stay away, with calls for her arrest (mostly from Molly) when the Ministry was to finally arrive. Minerva was quick to step between them before a single spell could be cast. "Stop! Put down your wands, all of you!"
"She's a bloody Death Eater, Minerva!" Molly interjected as she stomped closer, still accompanied by her younger sons, while Bill still searched for Harry. "Are you going to side with the Dark Lord?! Where is Dumbledore?! Let me speak to him!"
Minerva was unfazed by the accusations. "Miss Tsukumo is far from a dark witch, Molly. Just as Albus is far from the man you believe him to be. Was it he who summoned you here?"
"I will not allow the Savior's name to be tarnished by your treacherous mouth!" Molly screamed at the top of her lungs, causing those nearby to jump at the volume, some wondering if she had actually used magic to raise her voice. Percy watched his mother in alarm, while Fred and George flanked him with equal concern, the eldest of the three pulling them both away from the hysterical matriarch.
Not long after, Bill returned and Yuki addressed him. "Well?"
The redhead shook his head in disappointment. "Nothing. No trace of him. Nor Professor Snape. They must still be at the school."
Yuki clicked her tongue. "Fantastic."
"I don't suppose you're going to tell me what's really going on?" Bill asked with genuine curiosity, unwilling to jump to conclusions like his mother had done, just as he stole a glance from the woman who still had Minerva's attention.
Yuki let out a sigh. "All I can really tell you for now is that you need to be ready in case things escalate."
Bill nodded after a pause, a pit forming in his stomach. "You're... not a witch, are you?" It had been his suspicion, a feeling in his gut, when he had first spoken to her. That there was just something that... set her apart from the other witches he'd known.
"Not on your side of the aisle, I'm afraid," Yuki admitted, finding the prospect of denial stifling at this point. "I'll explain everything later, I promise, but like I said. You just need to be ready in case everything goes pear shaped. Can you do that?"
Another hesitant nod, and despite the growing tension that hung over them, without him still being the wiser, Bill couldn't help but grin flirtatiously at the girl. "I'll hold you to that explanation."
"It's a date." Yuki ended their interaction with a smile and a wink before heading to where Minerva was, causing Molly to shoot daggers at her again with a glare.
"Stupefy!"
Before anyone even knew it, Molly fired a stunner at the blonde with surprising quickness. Minerva didn't bother to act, choosing to let the scene play out if only to prove a point. Instead of collapsing, Yuki simply shivered, a grin stretching across her lips at the familiar sensation of mana entering her system. Molly's eyebrows furrowed after a moment from seeing the girl still standing, seemingly unaffected, and she shot another, which resulted in the same. Yuki would have taken the time to voice her appreciation, but the sooner they went to work, the better.
"We need to hurry," Yuki told the witch.
"Very well," Minerva said gravely, motioning for some of the house elves to jump on Molly and hold her down before she had a chance to make sense of her spell failing. As the screaming woman was taken away to where Emmeline was (with her sons trudging along), the pair made their way through the crowd where the rest of the teachers had gathered. Many of them recoiled at the sight of the blonde, but after a stern look from Minerva, the Transfiguration Professor spoke, "Everyone, you're all probably-"
"I-is it true, Minerva?" A figure among them blurted out in trepidation, a squat little witch whose dress was caked with dirt, a pointed hat worn over her graying curls, hands clasped anxiously. Her eyes darted between her and Yuki, she and the rest of the faculty on guard, some clutching their wands tightly. "I-Is that girl... did you...?"
"Pomona, please," Minerva said pleadingly to the woman, the gleam in her eyes appealing to her friend and colleague to trust her. "This," she motioned to the young woman, "is Yuki Tsukumo. And no, she is not a Death Eater. As for why she is here, that will be made clear shortly. And as for the... emergency, let me say that it will require your patience, as Miss Tsukumo will fill you in on the gory details." That Albus literally dumped on our laps.
Stepping forward, Yuki swept her eyes over the assemblage, a collection of colourful characters dressed in robes and pointed hats. She kept her composure, her expression thoughtful as she began to address them. "Whatever you want to believe about me, there is a far more pressing matter that needs to be resolved, which is why I am here," she stole a quick glance at Minerva, opting for a more professional cover than the actual story, "I am a witch who is part of a group based in Japan. We are in the business of finding and securing cursed objects to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. I was sent by my organization to hunt down a criminal who had managed to steal one of our cursed artefacts. I had been tracking him for the past few months, which led me here to Hogwarts. We fought and he managed to overpower me, so I had to spend some time in the hospital after being found injured not far from the Forbidden Forest." Thank goodness she had the good sense to listen to idle chatter while still bedridden. "He managed to escape, but from what I gathered in the midst of our struggle, the artefact was nowhere on him. Upon my recovery, I approached the Headmaster to conduct a clandestine search of the premises, suspecting that he might have left it here. Sure enough, he had. Unfortunately, when I found the object in question, I called for the immediate evacuation of the building. You see, the artefact is a prison used to house a dangerous magical creature, and whether through sheer neglect or stupidity, the seal used to contain the beast has been damaged. Until I've carried out the necessary procedures to repair the seal, the school is off-limits and cordoned.
A few gasps, followed by a series of murmurs, went through the group as they wondered if it had been the escapee from Azkaban. Minerva hid a nod of approval, impressed that the girl had managed to piece something so elaborate together on the fly with a generous dose of half-truths. In his own way, Albus had inadvertently helped to corroborate the story. She knew the worst, though. No doubt the Cursed Spirit was already roaming the halls, and her thoughts rounded back to Harry. She had her suspicions that Snape's anti-apparition charms had proven to be detrimental to their own escape, but with Albus also missing, she could only hope that both were safe.
Still, a pit formed in her stomach as she caught a few of the looks that crossed the faces of her colleagues, as well as some of the nearby students within earshot, and regretted that she hadn't cast a dampening spell or Imperturbed their proximity, a chaotic mix of understanding, confusion, doubt and fear.
Soon, a new conflagration consumed the clearing, and some wondered why the Ministry or the DMLE had not shown up yet. Yuki subtly indicated that she needed to speak to the professor privately. At that moment, the witch realized that the young woman was no longer the teenage wanderer she had met on Privet Drive. The one before her was a Sorcerer on a mission.
Finding a corner where the trees were denser, just enough to obscure both of them from view, Yuki leaned back against a trunk with her arms crossed over her chest and locked eyes with Minerva. "I've got good news and bad news. Pick your poison."
Minerva inhaled sharply. "The bad news."
Yuki lowered her head. Closing her eyes, she began, "As you might have guessed, the metal box in the office that Bricklebeard kindly left behind as an early Christmas present is a Cursed Object. But not just any kind. It's a prison. A prison in which a powerful Cursed Spirit was sealed over a thousand years ago."
The witch swallowed, thankful that she had cast an Imperturbable Charm this time, not wanting to take any chances. "A... thousand years ago?"
Yuki nodded, her features sombre. "That would be Japan during what is historically known as the Heian Era, considered by sorcerers to be the Golden Age of Jujutsu. It was a time of great turmoil, famine, and bloodshed. If you weren't starving to death, you were off fighting and dying in a war for the local feudal lord, or whoring in the streets while your children, if you still had any, watched."
Minerva tightened her grip on her wand and squeezed her eyes shut in disgust. What part of any of that could possibly be considered a 'Golden Age'? "I suppose there was no shortage of Cursed Spirits then?"
"There were so many of the damn things, even the feudal lords were scrambling to get some under their service." Minerva gaped; were such people mad? Then again, she had no place to talk when the Ministry was shamelessly employing Dementors. "They were tougher, too; much tougher and just as mean. What's worse, some of them were intelligent, able to think on the same level as humans, but they were still Cursed Spirits, so they killed and terrorized as they pleased."
"And...sorcerers?" Minerva swallowed a lump in her throat, already sensing the nature of the answer to her question.
"Sorcerers back then were a completely different breed compared to the ones today," Yuki replied. "To be as strong to survive such troubled times as the Cursed Spirits they hunted and exorcised. That is, if they were willing. There were those who were little better, oppressing and cursing the already weak and helpless populace, if they happened to not be employed by a lord as his personal guard or hit squad. And even then, they would keep the people in line."
Minerva shook her head. Just more of the same drivel. "That's not to say it was completely hopeless. Japan is still here, after all. For, as with every Golden Age, it was a time when sorcery experienced a renaissance, with many innovations crawling out of the woodwork, especially those belonging to the sorcerer clans, with the Three Great Families at the forefront."
So sorcerers had their own form of nobility, Minerva mused. Yuki paused as if deciding what to say next, pressing her lips into a thin line and running her tongue through them before asking the witch, "Granny, how superstitious are you?
Minerva blinked. "Pardon?"
"Just answer the question."
Whatever her reservations, Minerva decided to be less prudent and replied, "Only to the extent that there are certain 'superstitions' which have substance to them."
Yuki paused, darting her eyes from side to side before opening her mouth to ask, "Do you mean..."
"No, Miss Tsukumo, black cats are not bad luck," Minerva deadpanned knowingly, used to this kind of conversation. "In fact, having one as a familiar is a sign of good luck and is very common among witches. But how does being superstitious have any significance to..."
As the gears in Minerva's mind turned, Yuki would elaborate, "I don't think I even need to point out that people didn't have much of an education back then, so they naturally believed in things that we today would consider ridiculous. One such example would be something like the tooth fairy-"
"They're real," Minerva interjected.
"Huh?"
"Tooth Fairies," Minerva continued. "An entire subspecies of pixies that subsist on a diet of calcium."
Yuki stared at the witch blankly. "What about the Easter Bunny?"
"Easter Hare," Minerva corrected. "But no, it doesn't exist."
"Santa Claus?"
"Father Christmas, on whom this 'Santa Claus' was based, was a wizard who would occasionally give gifts to the less privileged during the winter season," Minerva provided. "Since then, his legend has been kept alive by the hearts and beliefs of children; and department stores around the world."
"Huh," Yuki blinked. "You know, since I was a kid, I always thought Santa was a spirit himself from all of the stories."
"They are real, as well."
The blonde sorceress turned back to the witch. "...Hm?"
"Spirits, or ghosts, are very much real," Minerva said flatly, with a slight incline of her head.
"You mean...Cursed Spirits, right?" Yuki slowly asked for clarification.
"No, Miss Tsukumo," Minerva refuted dispassionately. "The traditional, honest-to-goodness, disembodied remnants of the deceased. In fact, Hogwarts is home to quite a few ghosts, and as you can see for yourself, they were included in the apparition."
Yuki was already looking back at the crowd and to her growing amazement, as she raised her gaze higher, she could make out figures hovering just above the more solid-looking students. Figures that wouldn't have been out of place in times past: one wearing what could only be described as a powdered wig and another wearing a dress that would have been rather antiquated for a woman in Europe. How on earth had she not noticed them before?
Blinking quickly, Yuki would have been over the moon if the situation had been more lenient, as it was generally assumed that souls, unless they were cursed, usually tended not to stay in the physical world. "Let's get back to the point. To help simplify things, we have a classification system in place for the types of Cursed Spirits that have been recorded and registered."
Minerva listened intently. "There are four in all. The first is, well, the regular kind we encountered in Little Whinging. Next is the Vengeful Cursed Spirit, which happens to be what your... friend and the Dursley son ended up as, since their deaths were cursed. That's usually what happens when someone dies by a Curse. Alternatively, all it takes to become a Cursed Spirit is a great deal of resentment, typically a grudge."
Minerva's features softened with melancholy. None of those people deserved their fate. "The third is the Diseased Cursed Spirit. This kind of spirit arises out of the fear and anxiety caused by illnesses. They were much more common in the past when medical knowledge was still unrefined. Historically, the most notorious case happens to be the Black Plague."
Minerva paled. The Black Plague or Black Death, the most horrific pandemic to strike medieval Europe, was rumored to have been perpetrated by a single wizard, but no evidence was ever found to support such a heinous crime that would have dwarfed both Wizard Wars in sheer numbers. "A...Cursed Spirit was formed from...that?"
"And a damn powerful one," Yuki confirmed with a nod. "According to our records, an entire team of sorcerers was sent to deal with it. Their battle ravaged nearly a third of what is now Belfast. Only one of that group managed to return with his life, but ultimately succumbed to the very same disease."
The witch stifled a shudder. As far as she knew, the population back then was nowhere near what it was now, but for the accumulated fears that came from such a pandemic forming an entity that could do so much damage, she didn't even want to think about what another one of its kind might bring.
"The fourth and final one is the Imaginary Cursed Spirit," Yuki went on. "And I say 'imaginary' because this type is formed from the collective belief of a population."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the witch as Minerva allowed this piece of information; and all the implications that came with it, to sink in. "Wh-What would be... an example, Miss Tsukumo."
"Mythological creatures, for one," Yuki shrugged, to the witch's concern. "Trolls, ogres, werewolves... those things are real too, aren't they?"
Minerva sighed deeply. "Yes, every single one, and then some. Alright, from what you seem to be insinuating, Miss Tsukumo, these kinds of Cursed Spirits are more like what the non-magical perceive such creatures and myths to be. Would that be correct?"
"Right," Yuki nodded. "But it still largely depends on how much negative emotion can be inspired by such beliefs. It doesn't even have to be a myth. Just something that would elicit a memetic response from a large enough mass of people. Conversely, you won't really find that many who would raise a stink over something obscure like...maybe a Thunderbird.
"Also real," Minerva revealed. "The premier wizarding school in New York named one of its Houses after the beast."
"If this whole fiasco manages to blow over, I might just go on another tour," Yuki remarked. "Anyway, back in the Heian era, the people of Japan themselves had a lot of superstitions. Ayakashi, Yokai, nature spirits, you name it. Many formidable Cursed Spirits were born from such beliefs, and there were sixteen of these bad boys that stood out as being the most dangerous. They were so powerful that instead of being exorcized, they were sealed away. These Sixteen would come to be branded as Special Grade."
"Special Grade," Minerva repeated thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. "Is that how you rate their threat level?"
"There are certain other factors involved, but in general terms, yes. Grades 1 to 4 are strongest to weakest, and special grades are a classification of their own," Yuki explained. "I mean, not to toot my own horn, but the grading system can apply to sorcerers as well."
The tension gripping Minerva dissipated as the sorceress took her time to gloat. "Yes, you mentioned that you were... special grade yourself. How does one get designated as such?"
"It depends," Yuki shrugged. "Usually, they either have to possess a powerful Cursed Technique or a vast enough reservoir of Cursed Energy."
"How vast... exactly?" Minerva asked cautiously, having already seen the extent of the damage the young sorceress seemed capable of; granted, she was empowered by mana at the time, but she still needed a more comprehensive measure than the destroyed parts of Little Whinging.
"Enough to cover an entire continent being a start." Minerva recoiled. Was that even possible? Could someone so strong even exist? How could anyone possess such power? If any of what she had been fed was true, then what exactly was Voldemort...Tom, other than a petty thug terrorizing their little corner of Britain? "Do you need to sit down?"
Minerva held up a hand. "I'll manage, Miss Tsukumo. So, what kind are we dealing with now?"
"That, I'm still not so sure about," Yuki replied to Minerva's obvious disappointment. "It's definitely Special Grade, though, but I still need to identify which one it is to better formulate a plan of attack. It might not even be part of the Sixteen, but if it is, those Ministry guys can't come any sooner. Also, if the old man did manage to obtain that Cursed Object by having it stolen, then Jujutsu Headquarters won't be far behind. They'll be wanting their pound of flesh. And no doubt whoever it was that Dumbledore enlisted to raid the Storehouse is already dead and buried."
"Storehouse? Is that a vault of some sort?"
Yuki glanced at Minerva with a meaningful gleam in her eyes, and the witch nodded to confirm that their conversation was secure. "I can only tell you this much: your Headmaster is now a wanted fugitive to us sorcerers."
Honestly, Minerva couldn't bring herself to care what was to befall Albus now. If the man happened to croak the following day, she'd simply breathe a sigh of relief. But she couldn't dismiss the political ramifications either. She had no illusions that all would be forgiven even if the man was apprehended. Nor would the Ministry be so willing to hand him over. She hoped the two factions would come to a compromise, but she wasn't holding her breath.
"Former Headmaster, Miss Tsukumo," Minerva asserted hotly. "And what is the good news?"
Yuki smiled confidently and pointed a thumb at herself. "Me."
MInerva deflated. "You?" The witch asked flatly with a pointed raise of her brow.
"Yep," Yuki nodded. "Me. You can count your lucky stars, granny, because I doubt you would have been able to find another Sorcerer on such short notice."
The witch massaged the bridge of her nose. "How reassuring."
Yuki fidgeted. "Hey, come on. I'll make it worth your while. Free of charge, considering how well you guys have been taking care of me."
"That's not the point, Miss Tsukumo," Minerva shot back. "You're still, what? seventeen?"
"Fifteen, actually," Yuki corrected the witch, taking in stride the horrified look she earned. "I'm tall for my age."
"You're still a child!" Minerva snapped.
Yuki blinked, her face a complete blank as she held the witch's gaze. "Yeah? And?"
Minerva's expression fell. This girl…
"Listen to me," Minerva pleaded. "We will wait for the Ministry, they might even get in touch with your community and send someone-"
"No," Yuki interrupted her bluntly.
"What?"
"They won't be sending anyone, I'm afraid," Yuki clarified, scratching her cheek with a finger, sounding so sure. "They won't waste their time. Headquarters can be rather picky with jobs, favoring those that can net them the most political and financial gains. It's part of why I left in the first place."
"But...didn't you mention-"
"Schools in Japan," Yuki repeated. "And even then, it's more a matter of resources they're not willing to spend if they can help it. Not to mention avoiding whatever fallout when the dust settles."
Minerva's front teeth bit into her lower lip, barely able to keep herself from shaking. Just more and more of the same!
"Professor McGonagall!" A voice, one of the seventh years, broke from the crowd, bringing them back to the matter at hand. "Come quickly!"
Yuki stepped next to the witch and whispered as Minerva dispelled the Imperturbable. "Whatever reservations you have, I'm your best chance at taking care of this problem."
Putting aside her own feelings on the matter for the moment, the two began to march through the crowd, Minerva soon spotting three newcomers ahead of them, standing on top of an overlapping hill where some of the teachers were gathered. They were all wearing the familiar dark uniform robes, black gloves and trousers. One of them was a woman she recognized, flanked by two other men. She stood with her back to them, her hands linked behind her as she faced towards Hogwarts.
"Are you finally done?" the woman asked, though it sounded more like a demand. Her harsh tone managed to shake those nearest her, save for her companions.
Minerva squared her shoulders, breathing in sharply and replying, "I am afraid I have no excuse, Amelia. Albus caught me off guard, and I've been paying for my mistake ever since."
"Hmph," Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE, kept her eyes on Hogwarts Castle, letting a few memories of her school days dance around the corners of her mind, only to be superseded by the dark clouds that were literally brewing over it, the sky rumbling. "And I don't suppose you have any explanation for this?"
Minerva sidled up to her former superior, despite being a decade her senior. "What do you think?"
Amelia's features were set like stone. "I think we're going to need more than an army if the reports from my contacts are even slightly true."
Minerva arched a brow at her. "You…know?"
"Did you try asking that young Oriental back there?" Amelia quipped sharply with an inclination to where Yuki was standing. "This is deeper than you know, Minerva."
"Honestly, I've hardly been in the dark these past few days," Minerva shot back. "Do you at least have a plan?"
"Nothing less than bringing down the entire foundation on top of whatever abomination is slithering about Hogwarts' halls," Amelia suggested with ease, as if the destruction of her old alma mater did not unsettle her in the slightest.
"The only thing that will accomplish is drawing the creature's attention," Minerva chided. "Our first and foremost priority is getting everyone here to safety. The school's Apparition Circle only had enough mana to take us so far."
Amelia let out a huff.
"Also, two are still missing and unaccounted for."
Hearing this, Amelia faced Minerva with the turning of her head, adjusting the monocle over her right eye. "Oh? Who?"
"Severus Snape." The Head of the DMLE breathed through her nose, her shoulders slumping at the mention of the former Death Eater. Minerva drew her head ever so slightly, casting a brief Imperturbable before whispering. "And Harry Potter."
Amelia kept her expression even. "The destruction of Privet Drive has generated quite a bit of buzz over the past few days. There have been Death Eater sympathizers celebrating, assured that the enemy of the Dark Lord has perished."
Minerva raised an eyebrow, deciding to put that bit of information aside for now.
Amelia sighed. "Well, Minerva, as someone fresh from the trenches, what do you propose?"
"You can send me in," Yuki called from behind the two women, stepping confidently up to them.
"Miss Tsukumo!" Minerva berated the girl. Amelia said nothing, taking in the sorceress' appearance as if she were seeing the blonde for the first time. Yuki did the same, with the Head Auror's cropped hair and square jaw making her look almost masculine if not for the lipstick and makeup. A mature beauty befitting her station.
"We can argue about this until we're blue in the face, but I'm going," Yuki persisted. "You can even use me as a distraction-"
"Do you even know what you're saying?!" Minerva snapped. "We are all going-!"
"I still need to see if Harry and Snape are back there," Yuki spoke out defiantly, cutting off Minerva's words. "And lest we're forgetting, the old man might even be there, too."
Minerva would have protested further if Amelia had not said, "Fine."
"Amelia!"
"She is a Sorcerer, Minerva," Amelia pointed out dispassionately. "This is more her field of expertise, and if she's so willing to volunteer, who am I to refuse?" She gave the Transfiguration Professor a sharp look. "And this is hardly our jurisdiction."
"She's fifteen, Amelia!" Minerva pointed out more emphatically. "I will not send a child-"
"I haven't been a child since I was twelve years old."
Those words made both women look at the sorceress from opposing points of view. Yuki met both of their gazes with an unyielding strength that should not have belonged to a girl her age. "Not even in high school and I'd already seen enough shit that would give even the toughest bastard nightmares. This really isn't anything that I haven't already been through. Only difference now is that this'll be my first case dealing with a Special Grade."
Minerva could hardly believe what she was hearing. Just... just what kind of devils were these Sorcerers that they would send even children into such danger? To face merciless beasts that would make even feral werewolves whimper in terror.
Amelia, on the other hand, was more objective. "Do whatever you feel is necessary, Miss… Tsukumo, was it?"
"Yes," Yuki nodded, keeping her features impassive as the woman seemed to stare at her for a moment.
"Do you happen to know what kind of Cursed Spirit it is?" Amelia asked, and was given a truncated explanation. "You need to see it first?"
"I'll cross that bridge when I get there," Yuki said, about to embark. Suddenly, Amelia raised her wand.
"Aspectu!" Amelia declared, thrusting her arm forward in the direction of Hogwarts, and began to slowly draw a circular pattern on thin air, a halo of light being produced by her magic. Before long, the pattern showed an image of an empty courtyard.
Yuki stepped even closer, a hand on her chin. "Can you-?"
With a wave of her wand, the image changed to that of a classroom. After a few more motions, the image stopped once it caught movement, and soon enough, all three women watched as something came into view on the screen.
"I was afraid of this," Yuki muttered as she finally saw the Cursed Spirit in all its glory. The light was dim as it seemed to be wandering in a corridor, but she could still make out its green skin, with a stature that almost reached the ceiling. Its frame was equally massive, with rippling muscles that could have been carved from marble. The only article of clothing it wore was a skirt that came to its knees, tied with a large rope. Large, curved horns protruded from the tops of its bald head, its receding black hair spreading out like spikes. A large harness fanned out from its back, with circular objects resembling drums attached to the sides.
Minerva nearly recoiled when she saw its face. It resembled that of an ogre, but instead of the dullness that indicated their limited intelligence, this one was twisted into the most menacing scowl she had ever seen, and she felt the palpable hatred from such a visage.
"Of all the..." Yuki muttered to herself. "This is definitely one of the Sixteen."
"Who or…what is that, Miss Tsukumo," Minerva asked, a tremor to her voice.
"Raijin, the Thunder God."