Harry Potter and the Reflection of Tromedlov

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The story told in the "fairy tale" is copyrighted by Takahashi Rumiko, various publishers including anf not limited to Shogakukan, Sunrise, YTV Ltd, Viz Communications, Dynamic Italia, Star Comics. The story is told only to give the Harry Potter readers the possibility to understand the Fanfiction. I DO NOT make money on this fic, and no copyright infrignment is intended.
Author notes:
Beta-read by: Sneeky Witch, Remus's Nymph, Silver Angel and Claire.
Special thanks: I would like to thank Igenlode, who helped me by pointing out word by word how I should write in literary English

The old man's grey eyes fell on the young girl coughing on her makeshift bed. Her parents were sleeping close to the fire, propped up with their backs resting against a tree. Their faces were drawn with exhaustion.

They were dirty — God only knew how long it had been since they had last washed themselves — and their clothes were so grubby that they should long since have been thrown away. It was the middle of June, but the little girl couldn't help coughing. The clearing in the woods must have made a very uncomfortable shelter for them; but the family was so glad to have found the fire that they cared nothing for comfort.

They'd told him that they were running away because the father was drowning in debt and their house had been destroyed by fire. If they could live for a while in the forest, they thought, people might forget about them.

"Time heals the worst wounds, they say..." the father said, somewhat uncertainly. It was as if he was trying to convince himself of the truth of his own words.

The old man sighed. What a confounded nuisance. To find yourself together with a Muggle family in the middle of your own quest — now there was a real problem for you!

But he hadn't the heart to tell the girl to stay away from his fire. He was a Death Eater. She was a Muggle. But when he looked at her he couldn't help but feel a strange warmth inside him. She was so innocent.

"What's up, child? Can't you sleep?" he asked, his eyes taking on a gentle expression they'd never, ever shown.

The girl shook her head for 'no', and then rolled over and scrambled to her feet, staring at him with hopeful eyes. "Can you tell me a story?" she asked, hugging her teddy bear with her free hand. The wizard sighed again.

"Child, I'm not the type of person to tell stories to children. I've never had one and I don't know any fairy tales." He got up as he spoke and walked closer to her. The hem of the long black cloak he wore brushed across the moss, until a stronger gust of wind caused it to billow around him. He sat down, cross-legged, next to the child.

"I dun care 'bout what type of story, just a story. Mum's sleeping and I can't..." The pleading in the girl's blue eyes was too much to resist.

"All right - all right. I'll tell you... this stone's story." Sighing, the wizard groped inside his robes, and took out a strange-looking necklace that bore a piece of pink stone.

The girl stared at it, eyes widening. "What's the story?"

"It's a very ancient story that happened on the other side of the world. But you must promise that when I'll finish you'll go to sleep." He smiled, looking at the child's serious face as she nodded.

"So... how do fairy tales start? Let's see if I can remember... Once upon a time, in a very distant land — the land is named Japan, you know, and it really is distant —

"Once upon a time, then, in a very distant land, there lived a very beautiful girl. She was the priestess of a shrine. She had long, raven hair, beautiful dark eyes, and she dressed in white and red. This girl's name was Kikyo, and she was chosen to be the keeper of a very powerful jewel, the Shikon no Tama, or Jewel of Four Souls.

"The number four was an unlucky number, and the Jewel was cursed. Within it, the souls of three evil demons and one human woman were at war; such a concentration of evil could give great power to the wicked... but there was also a deep remaining force for good in the Jewel. Every use that was made of its powers helped to tilt the balance in the struggle within. If it was used to aid evil desires, the evil inside it gained in strength. If ever it was asked to grant a pure wish, then the demon souls would be finally overcome.

"Kikyo took her duty as priestess very seriously. She was very powerful and no demon could ever defeat her. She had to protect the Jewel from those who would use it for evil purposes, and, at the same time, use her powers to help slowly purify it.

"But for all that, this great and lovely priestess was only a woman. One day, she met a very handsome boy — well, perhaps not truly the most handsome person in the world, but he seemed that way to her. He had long, silver hair, beautiful golden eyes, a red outfit that he always wore as if it was armour, and the sweetest little pair of dog ears, one on either side of his head — here, and here. He was a half-demon, the son of a demon and a human woman. His name was Inuyasha. Kikyo fell in love with Inuyasha immediately, and he loved her too, with all his heart."

"A half-demon?" The child looked at the old man; terror could be read in her eyes. "He wasn't handsome at all! He was ugly! And evil!"

The wizard chuckled at her words.

"No, my dear. The demons that live in that distant country are not ugly and evil like the ones that live here. They're beautiful creatures and have wonderful powers. Some of them are evil, but not because they have no choice.

"Inuyasha was not evil — just a lonely boy. His Mama died when he was a child... a child like you, my dear. He was so young, but nobody wanted to take care of him. Both demons and humans rejected him and drove him away for not being one of them. Kikyo was the very first person who approached him, the first one who considered him worthy to be spoken to. She was the first person to accept him as an equal. That's why he fell in love with her.

"But she couldn't marry him. She couldn't follow her heart. She was a priestess. Her duty was to fight against demons, and she couldn't fall in love with one. She was the Jewel's keeper. She had to maintain her heart pure and beware any passion or love.

"It was at this same time that Kikyo found a man who had been set on fire and then shut into a casket and thrown from a high cliff. This young man, Onigumo, was so hurt he could barely move, and would never truly heal. He was on the point of death; but he was a thief, a bandit and a murderer. He deserved what had happened to him. But since she was so kind-hearted, Kikyo decided to help him, and she hid him, trying to heal both the hurts of his body and the darkness in his heart.

"Onigumo, however, was filled with desire to possess this lovely woman, and as she tended him, his lust for her only grew. Kikyo didn't see it. She was completely absorbed in the love she felt for Inuyasha, and as she ceased to give thought to her duties, her powers waned.

"But a group of demons came to Onigumo and made an agreement with him. He would let them devour his body and his soul, and they would give him the powers of a demon, their immortality and their magic — for Onigumo wanted not only to possess Kikyo, but to tarnish her soul and steal the Jewel whose purity she was guarding, the Jewel of Four Souls. He wanted her to befoul it with resentment and hate.

"Meanwhile the young priestess and the half-demon had come to their own agreement. Kikyo wanted to love Inuyasha, but before that could come to pass she must cease to be the priestess, keeper of the powerful Gem, and become instead no more than an ordinary woman. In his turn, he had to become a normal boy, and not a half-demon. So she asked him to use the jewel to make himself human.

"The Shikon no Tama could grant any type of wish. Those who used it to grant an impious or selfish wish would make it more powerful and evil. But if it was used to grant a pure and noble wish, then the jewel would be purified and her task would be ended.

"What Inuyasha really desired was to use the Jewel to become a true demon; but his love for Kikyo was so strong that he agreed instead to do as she wanted. They decided to meet the next morning in the forest, where Inuyasha would ask the Jewel to make him human.

"But neither of them was to arrive at that meeting safely. The monster who had once been Onigumo saw deep inside their souls. There he found love, but in place of confidence he saw only guilt and doubt.

"Kikyo did love Inuyasha. But she was also scared that in loving him she was betraying her villagers and the people who trusted her. On the other hand, Inuyasha loved Kikyo. But he had always lived alone, and he couldn't yet bring himself entirely to trust even the woman he loved. He knew all too well what hate was, but he had never before known what it was to love.

"The monster observed their weakness. Reading their hearts, he found doubt there and decided to use that flaw to his advantage. He fed on betrayal, guilt, sorrow and hate. He wanted to divide the two lovers, and he wanted at the same time to find and steal the Jewel of Four Souls.

"Having many demons merged inside a human body meant the monster could take on the appearance of anybody he wanted to. He took the appearance of Inuyasha that morning, and approached Kikyo before she arrived at the meeting place. There, he came upon her from behind and mortally wounded her with one blow from his demon-clawed hand. He stole the Jewel, saying scornfully that he had never truly wanted to become human.

"This removed all the doubt from Kikyo's heart. The love that she felt for Inuyasha swiftly became hatred. She railed at the young demon and blamed herself for having put her own happiness before the safety of her people. But the monster went away to carry out the remainder of his plan.

"Taking on Kikyo's appearance, he went back to the village and put the Jewel back in its place. Then he returned to the place where the two lovers were to meet, and found Inuyasha. He shot Inuyasha with an arrow from Kikyo's bow, and screamed at him in her voice that he had to die.

"This broke Inuyasha's heart into a hundred pieces. He thought he had been betrayed and that she had wanted to kill him from the start. He believed that she had toyed with him. He decided to steal the Jewel and use it to become a full demon. Maybe in this way he would no longer feel the pain of her betrayal.

"But when he finally stole the object he desired, he found the real Kikyo waiting for him. When she saw him destroying her village with the Jewel in hand, the last doubts that had passed through her mind left her. Channelling all her remaining strength into a single seal of never-ending sleep, she took aim at the young demon. Her arrow struck him, pinning him to a tree, and she died, her heart filled with hate.

"Inuyasha did not die as Kikyo had done. Instead, he fell asleep pinned to that tree, thinking that the woman he loved had betrayed him." The old wizard stopped when he saw the hot tears on the child's cheeks.

"Poor Kikyo and Inuyasha! Why did that monster have to be so cruel? Why was he still alive? In fairy tales, the villain isn't supposed to win... what happened next?"

"Well, it's true that the monster did survive. His trick had worked - but he didn't get what he wanted. Kikyo's final actions had not gone as he'd expected. He'd counted on her asking the Jewel to heal her wounds and restore her to health. This would have tarnished the Jewel with hatred and selfishness, making it more powerful than ever, so that he could have used it to achieve his goal. But when she decided to die together with her beloved half-demon, she asked the villagers to burn the Jewel with her body, so that it would never fall into evil hands again. And so the monster's aims had failed."

"Hurrah for Kikyo!" the child said with satisfaction. "But... everybody's dead, is the story finished already?"

"No, my child. The evil demon is not yet dead. He lost the Jewel, but he didn't lose his immortality. He decided to wait until something happened. He was sure that somehow the Jewel would be back. And he was right.

"Many years after that tragic day, a girl came from the future — from our own time, child — and brought the Jewel back. She fell into an ancient magical well and arrived in the village fifty years after Kikyo's death. The girl, whose name was Kagome, was the reincarnation of the dead priestess. She was as beautiful as Kikyo had been, and she had the Jewel inside her own body. When a centipede's demon bit her on the wrist, the Jewel came out of the wound.

"Kagome fled in terror. She awakened and freed Inuyasha from the never-ending seal that kept him asleep, to try to save her own life with his help. He helped her and then he tried to kill her. He had not forgotten that the woman who was so like her had betrayed him, and he hated her still. But Kagome was able to use a charmed necklace to calm him, and he was forced to treat her with respect."

"How could she make a demon respect her? Was she as powerful as Kikyo was?" the child asked, yawning a little.

"Well, she was powerful, yes; but she didn't know how to use her power... In any case, however, there was an old priestess in the village, Kikyo's younger sister Kaede. She put a magic necklace on Inuyasha's neck with a spell, and asked Kagome to 'say the word that would calm him down'.

"Since the boy was a dog demon, Kagome said 'Sit'. And Inuyasha crashed to the ground. Every time she said 'Sit' the dog-boy crashed to the ground — so he had to respect her... if he didn't want to injure his back." The wizard smiled at the child's laugher.

"But then Kagome made a terrible mistake. A big raven-demon attacked and ate the Jewel of Four Souls, gaining power until it became the greatest and most evil raven-demon ever. In order to destroy it, she shot the creature with an enchanted arrow. The monster was destroyed... but the Jewel was broken too, shattered into hundreds of fragments, each of which had the same powers as the complete stone. If any of them were to fall into evil hands, or into the possession of a demon, it would be a tragedy for the whole world.

"That was why Kagome and Inuyasha had to join forces and start a quest in search of all the shards of the Gem. Slowly, Kagome's kindness and sweet nature began to heal the wound in the young demon's heart. Slowly, he fell in love with her and she began to feel the same, although he did his best to insult her and yell vulgar words at her.

"But after the first few times, Kagome came to understand that Inuyasha only behaved in such a way in order to shield himself from being hurt. He had been alone all his life and unable to trust anybody, not even his own shadow. He had to mask his true feelings or he would have been killed a long time ago. Inuyasha had no place he could call home, and gradually, wherever Kagome was became home to him.

"But unfortunately, in a story like this something always seems to go wrong. An ogre witch who happened to know the spell used magic to resurrect Kikyo from the ashes of her tomb. Yes, Kikyo — that same priestess of whom Kagome was the reincarnation, the woman who Inuyasha used to love and now he hated...

"And so Kikyo was reborn as a doll filled with hatred. After having killed the witch who gave birth to her, she decided that she would hunt Inuyasha down once and for all.

"When the half-demon saw her again, he understood at last that there was something wrong. She accused him of betraying her — but he'd thought that she was the one to have betrayed him! Someone must have deceived them both in an attempt to make them hate each other; but he had no idea who. He tried to find out. But Kikyo wanted him dead, and she put constant obstacles in his way.

"One day, however, she too discovered the truth. She learned that it had not been Inuyasha who had killed her. They had both fallen victim to the evil schemes of a monster.

"Love for him woke again in her heart; but her spirit was locked into the hatred that had consumed her at the moment of death. She could not forgive him for living while she had died. She sought to kill first him and then herself, so that they could be reunited at last.

"Besides, she was driven by her duties as priestess to ensure that she was the one who would kill the monster who had cheated them. So, she went looking for the monster by herself, sometimes crossing Inuyasha and Kagome's path, but never staying with them.

"Slowly, others came to join the group with the half-demon and the girl. They were all people who had dealt with this evil monster — Naraku, as he now called himself.

"They had to face thousands of dangers, adventures and fights; and all the while the monster Naraku was gaining ever more power as he collected the Shikon shards himself. Soon, he was even able to form new demons from the substance of his own body and send these 'children' of his against Inuyasha and his group. But they destroyed all of them, save for the two most powerful, Kagura and Kanna.

"Kagura was the demon who ruled the wind with a mortal dance. Beautiful and cruel, she had fans on her hands that could send dangerous wind sickles — sickles that could kill you. She could create tornadoes that could destroy even the most powerful demon. And she could animate the dead bodies of those she killed and use the corpses as tools.

"Kanna, on the other hand, had the appearance of an innocent child. Pale, dressed completely in white, with white hair, she carried a magic mirror, named 'The mirror of Nihility'. It could reflect any events of past or present, and those whose souls were sucked into the glass became puppets under her control.

"These two demons tried to dispose of Inuyasha and his friends. Kagura was a little rebellious, while Kanna was always obedient, but between them they were a great problem. They were for ever trying to steal the Shikon shards that Kagome was keeping, and whenever they succeeded they would take them to their master.

"Slowly, despite everything Inuyasha and Kagome could do and all their adventures, all the Jewel's shards fell into Naraku's possession. All of them except one..."

"This one?" the girl asked. She was getting more and more tired, and kept yawning.

"Exactly." The old man smiled at her.

"So... what happened to Inuyasha and Kagome? Did Kikyo die in the end, and even Naraku? Did they live happily ever after?" The girl yawned again.

"I don't know, child. I only know that Naraku tried to separate them at any cost. He's a dangerous demon. He feeds on the joy and the happiness of others. He reads inside people's hearts, and insinuates doubt, torment and hatred there, and the feeling that those they love have betrayed them, and those who love them are just using them.

"He controls reality, dreams, visions... he can drive you mad for as long as it suits his needs. His helpers and his symbol are a group of venomous wasps that are always with him.

"With the aim of corrupting the Jewel of Four Souls and making it more powerful, he turned brother against sister, and lover against lover. With one spell, he created a cursed hole in the hand of a monk that would suck in everything that surrounded him and finally devour its owner. He has enough power to insinuate doubt and hate inside the heart of the most good and pure person alive, if ever he, or she, should have the misfortune to cross his path."

The old wizard smiled, noticing that the teddy-bear was slipping from the child's sleepy grasp as he finishing talking. A few moments later, the girl's breathing had grown soft and regular. She was finally asleep.

The wizard stood up and spent some time staring at the child. He knew that he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but love her. He set her blankets in order and took some more time looking at her. The innocent face was relaxed in a child's confident sleep. Her blonde hair looked like a halo on her pillow. The man smiled. It was funny how a smile could light up his old face, making it appear almost beautiful.

But that smile didn't last long. Almost immediately, his usual worried frown returned and he began checking the dark forest nervously. Then, as if called by something, he walked away, putting some distance between himself and the sleeping family. He went into the forest and, when he thought he was far away enough from the fire, stopped. He held up one arm and whistled lightly.

Suddenly, a grey owl approached him and landed on his arm, digging in its claws. The man had started to caress the owl's feathers, when he heard a noise in the bushes behind him. A very different expression had come into his eyes.

"I knew that Rusty would find you, Lord Voldemort. I welcome you to the Dark Forest," he muttered softly. Then he closed his eyes and smiled. The moonlight shone on the person who was approaching from behind, revealing him as the One who Must Not Be Named.

Written by:
Kagome-sama.

Beta-read by:
Sneeky Witch, Remus's Nymph, Silver Angel and Claire.

Special thanks:
I would like to thank Igenlode, who helped me by pointing out word by word how I should write in literary English

Legal Disclaimer
Both Inuyasha and Harry Potter are NOT mine. I wish they were... especially with Inuyasha... but… cruel world… Inuyasha is owned by Takahashi Rumiko, Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling… I do own this story, but it's not the same thing :P

It wasn't the first time that an owl had brought a letter to number 4, Privet Drive. Harry didn't take much notice when he saw the bird fly into his room. He was worried, though, when he saw that it hadn't come to perch next to him, but had flown right through the room and down the stairs. And he was even more worried after hearing the high-pitched scream of his aunt.

He went downstairs to see what had happened, and saw Aunt Petunia gesticulating frantically as if the letter she had in her hands was burning. Hoping that no-one had noticed him, Harry came closer, curious to know the reason for all the noise.

The envelope was exactly like the one the one Harry remembered, the one he had received four years before, announcing that he was being admitted to Hogwarts. But it wasn't his name written on it, this time.

"Mr. Dudley Dursley,
Big room on the first floor,
Number 4, Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey"

Harry's heart sank.

Dear Mr. Dursley,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress

After reading the letter, Aunt Petunia sat down and stared at nothing for a while. Dudley was staring at her; the surprise could be read in his tiny little eyes. But his astonishment could never be compared to Harry's, whose face was as white as a sheet with shock.

What will happen to me now? Aunt Petunia will be furious, and Uncle Vernon — they hate the Wizarding world! I'll get punished again, and they probably won't give me permission to go to Ron's house next week! thought Harry desperately.

He was a thin boy, with thick, rebellious black hair, green eyes, and a pair of glasses that were always on his nose. His face was never as red as Dudley's, but now it was positively ashen.

Ever since he remembered, he had always lived with the Dursleys. He knew that they weren't his true family. They were forever repeating how much he had to be grateful for, and how they had taken care of him since the day his parents had died. How his parents were feckless and irresponsible, and lived off other people. They'd told him this sort of thing so many times that in the end he'd half come to believe it.

But then, one day, he found out he was a wizard, and that his parents were like him. That they died trying to save him from the most evil being that ever lived — Voldemort, or "You-Know-Who", as most wizards called him.

Harry found out that he was famous in the magical world, and he began to attend Hogwarts. The school was his home. He was happy there, and his life was worth living. Obviously, he DID have enemies there. He had a lot of homework to do, and he'd got into trouble many times over the past few years. Professor Snape, head of Slytherin House, detested him.

Harry risked his life at least ten times a year, losing the bones in one of his arms and having them grown back in the course of one painful night. He was, even without any reason, looked at suspiciously by his classmates, but despite all these things, Harry loved Hogwarts, and he wouldn't swap it for any other school in the world.

He knew how much the Dursleys hated magic. They were people that wizards called 'Muggles', normal humans with no magic powers. They hated even the word 'magic' itself, and they loathed any hint of spells and so on. This was why Harry couldn't accept what was now happening in front of him as being true. And what happened next was even harder to believe.

"What does it mean?" Uncle Vernon asked, frowning a little. This question seemed to awaken Aunt Petunia as if from a dream.

"What do you mean, 'what does it mean'?" she asked, her mouth spreading into a vast smile of satisfaction. "Finally those fools realised the truth about me! They admitted my sister and not me to Hogwarts, and after that our parents always cared more about her than about me. But I have some magic in my blood too — and that's why my baby angel has been given a place. Come here, Duddy, and let Mummy hug you! Are you happy?"

Aunt Petunia stood up, a big smile all over her face, and hugged her enormous son with pride. Harry's eyes had gone so wide it looked as if someone had put a growing spell on him.

The next few days were awful. The Dursleys weren't scared any more by that fact that he was a wizard now that Dudley was supposed to be one too. They even locked him up back in the cupboard under the stairs where he had lived for eleven years, and wouldn't let him go and see Ron. Busy buying Dudley's equipment, they paid no attention to Harry save for preventing him from using his owl, Hedwig, to contact Sirius.

I only hope, he thought sadly, that they'll let me go back to Hogwarts— But strangely enough the days passed quickly, and it was soon the first of September. Uncle Vernon eventually remembered that Harry was supposed to be going to Hogwarts as well.

"I wish to God I never had to see your face again," he muttered, allowing Harry to get into the car with all his school things.

Harry was relieved to see the Hogwarts Express, but his happiness was short-lived. Dudley ruined the whole trip. Dudley had bought a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and had eaten, unfortunately, an earwax-flavoured bean. He spat it out right onto Harry's face, and just at the moment that Malfoy had the bright idea of opening the door to the compartment.

Needless to say, they immediately became friends. Soon Draco's cronies Crabbe and Goyle had crowded into the small compartment. They spent a while mocking Harry until he got tired of the teasing, got up and left.

He remembered suddenly that he hadn't seen Ron and Hermione at the station - or on the train, for that matter. How could he possibly have forgotten about them? The shock of Dudley's admission to Hogwarts must have been bigger than he'd thought...

Harry did his best to look for them, checking every single compartment in the train. He caught sight of a lot of people he didn't know, most of whom didn't even give him a second glance, but he still couldn't find any sign of his friends.

He had one more look up and down the train, beginning to be seriously worried. Why aren't they here? he thought. Did they miss the Express?

Then he happened to pass the compartment where he had left Dudley, Malfoy and the others. Ron and Hermione were in there with them, and Harry couldn't believe the sight that met his eyes.

"Oh, so you finally bothered to come and look for us, Harry," Ron said venomously, sharing a Chocolate Frog with Dudley. Hermione was sitting on Draco Malfoy's lap, very busy fondling him. Harry's eyes had widened in shock.

This is impossible! he thought. I don't believe it—

"What's up, Potter, did you see a ghost?" A mocking flash had passed through Malfoy's pale eyes. He was stroking the back of Hermione's neck with one hand, and she seemed to be enjoying the attention.

"You know, Harry, Dray isn't really that bad," she said with a little smile as she inspected her nails.

Malfoy murmured something in her ear that might have been "I told you not to call me that in public...", as Hermione made amends by biting his ear-lobe and then kissing him passionately. Dudley was laughing like an ape, together with Crabbe and Goyle, as he watched Harry's expression.

"What are you doing, Potter?" Malfoy jibed. "You've gone so pale you look more ghostly than Nearly Headless Nick!" Hermione laughed. The last straw for Harry was when he caught sight of Ron trying not to laugh.

"What are you doing? Malfoy, if this is a joke, it's not funny. Hermione, Ron — what has he done to you? Come on, let's get out of here..."

"Look at him, the Great Harry Potter, giving out orders," Ron mocked, eating a Chocolate Frog. "The Great Harry Potter who expects his followers to come running at his call..."

Draco Malfoy laughed in Harry's face. Hermione stood up gracefully from his lap as Draco himself rose to his feet, followed immediately by the others. Even Dudley was standing, occupying a good half of the compartment together with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Harry Potter calls his flock!"

"Leave us alone, Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter, don't mess with us."

"Go away, Harry Potter!"

They approached him slowly, the words coming out in a deliberate and monotonous tone. Harry didn't understand. They were all acting as if they were under a spell.

"Go away, Harry Potter! We don't want you!" Hermione shrieked in his face, while Ron clapped his hands in delight.

He closed the door of the compartment, his eyes burning and a painful lump in his throat. He didn't want them to hear him crying. He'd been an idiot. Had he really thought they were his friends? No, he was on his own... he'd always been on his own...

He turned to go, his eyes filling with tears... and only at that moment did he see the giant serpent in the corridor, coming swiftly towards him.

On Harry's left was Neville Longbottom, looking horrified. He was staring at the serpent just as Harry had done. Despite the speed the snake was moving, everything seemed to be happening in slow-motion.

For a moment, Harry was about to drag Neville back into the compartment to take shelter; but he couldn't bring himself to face his 'old friends' again. But for Neville's sake at least, he had to try...

Then something strange suddenly happened. Moving with an agility that Harry had never seen from him before, Neville stepped in front of Harry, shielding him with his body. He raised his wand and cast a single spell.

"Impedimenta!"

The snake stopped dead in a flash. And Harry was frozen too, his eyes even wider than when he'd seen Hermione kissing Malfoy. The snake writhed on the ground, and abruptly turned into a huge cloud of wasps that flew in their direction. Neville thrust Harry away and advanced to face them. "Get away from here!" he said urgently.

"I can't leave you here, Neville!" Harry yelled, trying to grab hold of his friend's clothing to drag him in the other direction.

"Harry, save yourself. I lost everything, you didn't. GO AWAY!" Neville's voice had a strangely different, almost feminine, tone.

"But..."

"DO WHAT I TOLD YOU TO DO!" It was the last thing Neville said before the wasps got him.

His friend's painful shrieks were too much for Harry. He'd meant to do his best to save Neville, but instead he found himself racing in the opposite direction, trying to save himself. He had almost reached the end of the carriage when something reached out to trip him... or was it that he simply stumbled?... and he fell...

Harry found himself on the ground with a dreadful pain in his forehead. The noise of the train had disappeared and all around him was silence, but in the distance, he could hear a rhythmic snore.

Snore?

He opened his eyes only to find that everything was dark.

Wha..?

In front of his nose he thought he could just make out the cover of his bed back home in Privet Drive; it was as if something was blurring his vision. He blinked two or three times, and then realised why he couldn't see properly. He wasn't wearing his glasses. He checked what he was wearing, and found that he was still in his pyjamas. He stood up and groped for his glasses on the bedside table, fumbling them into place on his nose.

There was no doubt about it; it was his room at number 4, Privet Drive. Harry's heart was racing in his chest as an uneasy feeling threatened to overwhelm him. He began to shudder convulsively, hugging himself with both arms as he rocked backwards and forwards, trying to calm down.

What happened? A minute ago I was on the Hogwarts Express... He was confused. Had he ever really got on that train? He was starting to doubt it.

He looked for the calendar where he marked off the days until he could go back to school, checking for the last marked day with shaky fingers. The fifteenth of July. It wasn't even his birthday yet.

But in that case...

"Was it a dream?" he said out loud, sitting down on his bed. He couldn't stop trembling, despite the warmth. Instinctively, he put up one of his cold hands to touch his forehead, and finally noticed that his scar was burning. That was what had been hurting him since the moment he'd woken up. Hearing his voice, Hedwig awakened inside her cage and ruffled her feathers.

Harry couldn't forget what he'd seen in the nightmare. It was a nightmare... wasn't it? Ever since the day, a few months ago, when he'd seen the resurrection of Voldemort, he'd had a horrible feeling that something was going to happen to him. Something bad.

He knew that Dumbledore had placed a magical barrier on the Dursleys' house to keep him safe for the moment, which acted as some reassurance. But his scar hadn't stopped burning, and the nightmare was still vivid in his mind.

"I'm an idiot... Hermione and Malfoy kissing! Fancy coming up with an idea like that. And Dudley! That fat lard-ball wouldn't make a wizard in a million years..." But his own voice sounded strange in his ears. He was still shaking at the memory of Neville being tortured by the wasps. He wanted to go back and help him. Why had he run away? Even if it was only a dream, he still felt guilty. Inside her cage, Hedwig put her head on one side and and made a soft sound.

Harry stood up and walked over to the desk. His hands were shaking, but he managed to switch on the light and find a quill. He looked for some parchment, trying to keep his hands steady for long enough to let him write a letter. It took several attempts, but he finally made it.

Yes, that's what I'll do. I'll write to tell Sirius, and to Ron and Hermione. I don't suppose it's serious... but then my scar's still hurting, and that has to mean Voldemort's up to something...

Several sheets of parchment were crumpled up and thrown away before he was finally able to produce a letter that satisfied him. By the time he managed to get it right, he found that he had also managed to calm down a little.

"Dear Sirius,

"How are you? Everything's much the same as usual here — the Dursleys haven't forgiven me for the way I left last year, or the jokes that Fred and George played on Dudley. It's pretty tense.

"Do you have any news about Voldemort?

"This evening something weird happened. I had a nightmare where Dudley was accepted to go to Hogwarts and everything started going really odd. Hermione and Ron were friendly with Malfoy, my aunt was proud to have Dudley as a wizard in her family, and Neville Longbottom managed a very powerful spell. All very unlikely, wouldn't you say?

"When I woke up my scar was hurting, and it's still hurting now. You told me to tell you if anything unusual happened, so I thought I'd send Hedwig. I hope to see you soon. I miss you.

~Harry"

He let Hedwig out of her cage and tied the letter to her leg. The owl was glad to stretch her wings.

"Go and look for Sirius, Hedwig," he murmured, stroking her. Then he let her go, and stayed at the window for a while as he looked at the street in front of him. He didn't doubt that Hedwig would find the person she was looking for. She never got a direction wrong, even when Sirius was hidden and in exile.

After a moment, he decided that he felt better, and he went back to bed, trying to sleep. But it was useless; he couldn't sleep a wink.

He tossed and turned in bed for some time, then got up again and went back to his desk. Although it was only 3 a.m., he couldn't sleep. He decided to write his letter to Ron and the one to Hermione, so that when Hedwig returned, he'd have the letters ready to send off at once.

The days at Privet Drive passed slowly. Harry's scar had stopped hurting, but he couldn't get rid of that uneasy feeling.

Hedwig's arrival came as a shock. It was as if the memory of the owl that had arrived in his nightmare had returned. He froze. It took him several minutes to realise that this was Hedwig with Sirius's reply.

The owl had to spend quite some time trying to get his attention, and by the time that Harry finally recognised her she seemed to be very irritable. He tried to calm her down by giving her one of her favourite biscuits. Eventually, Hedwig let him retrieve the letter from her before going back to her cage to rest a little and drink some water.

"Dear Harry,

"Nothing here is different from usual. I've searched for news about Voldemort, but the Daily Prophet doesn't say anything about him. As we expected, Cornelius Fudge is trying to keep it out of the press.

"Everything around here seems to be quiet, anyway. I can't say I like this apparent calm. You say your scar's been hurting again — and nothing else? No more dreams?

"Let me know immediately if anything odd happens. And please don't leave the protection Dumbledore has set up for you.

~Sirius"

Harry sighed. No news about Voldemort, anyway. Sirius didn't know what he was plotting. He looked at Hedwig, who was drinking some water in her cage, and decided that it was now Ron and Hermione's turn to get a letter.

The figure of the boy approaching the owl was reflected by a mirror.

"Enough, Kanna."

The small, pale demon dressed in white, moved the surface of the mirror she held. The glass was now reflecting the room where they were staying in.

A man was sitting in front of her. Long, black hair framed a face too beautiful to be human, while his red eyes were shining with an evil and mocking light. A hard smile curved the edges of his mouth while he stared at the image now looking back at him.

The face in the mirror was very different from his own: red eyes injected with blood, spectral and almost invisible body, a face that was as hideous as the one gazing at it was beautiful.

"What are you laughing at, Naraku?" the image inside the mirror asked.

"Nothing, Voldemort. Just — I expected him to be better." The person named Naraku closed his eyes while an evil grin appeared all over his face. "That boy, he's the one that reduced you to such a state. You couldn't destroy him in fifteen years, and, even after you resurrected, you failed. I really expected him to be better."

"Fool!" the image inside the mirror hissed. "the boy would be no problem at all if he weren't protected by that spell! His mother died to save him, that's why I couldn't touch him! In fact—(1)" Noticing Voldemort's annoyed tone, Naraku closed his eyes once again, smiling.

"Are you forgetting that I have every memory and experience that you have ever had? I know very well why you didn't destroy him. That's exactly why I expected him to be better. Someone like him is no problem to me. He's not even worth destroying." The expression on the demon's beautiful face became satanic.

"Oh yes, you have all my memories — just as I have yours. So you know very well that you shouldn't underestimate that boy, Naraku. Don't make that mistake. Harry Potter must be killed!" Voldemort's red eyes narrowed in hatred as he spat out the name.

"You're an amateur—" Naraku's voice mocked him.

"Be very careful, Naraku. You're dealing with Voldemort himself — a name whose very shadow can cast fear across the Western World, the most powerful Dark Wizard of all time. Don't dare to call me an amateur..."

Voldemort's eyes had narrowed to tiny slits as he spoke, his face very close to the surface of the mirror.

"I'm in no hurry to kill him," Naraku retorted casually. "I have better plans for him..."

"You stole my power. The only thing I want is to see Harry Potter dead. You know that he could kill me instead, if you keep him alive. And he might even be the one to kill you."

"I stole your power?" Naraku retorted and stood up, glaring at the mirror's surface. "Keep in mind that it was you who trapped yourself. You wanted to possess my body and my power. But you were absorbed, and now you must subjugate to my will." Voldemort seemed to boil with rage inside the mirror. But it was the truth.

Recently, he had met a vagabond, who introduced himself as one of his best followers. He congratulated Voldemort on his recent resurrection, and then he gave him a strange piece of stone that it would make him stronger.

The fragment was part of an evil oriental gem named Shikon no Tama, a stone that had the power to make every evil wish come true. The Jewel gave Voldemort more power, and even a semblance of a true body. But then Naraku arrived, attracted by the fragment, saying that it was his and he wanted it back. He asked Voldemort for it directly, offering an alliance in exchange.

But Voldemort had other ideas about it.

Naraku had a handsome and powerful young body — the body of a demon, not that of a man. Voldemort thought he saw his chance to become in truth the most powerful evil wizard on Earth. When he heard of Naraku's ability to incorporate the bodies of others into his own, he challenged the demon to try absorbing him, with the intention of controlling his host's mind and obtaining his power.

But unfortunately for him, his plan turned against him. When he was finally inside Naraku's body, he discovered that the demon was very different from the humans whom he had possessed. And he learned it too late. The demon that he should have possessed had possessed him.

But in the end even Naraku could not achieve his aim. Voldemort's power was too strong for him to possess completely. It was as great as his own but of a different order. Ultimately, the two souls and bodies became merged, with Naraku receiving all Voldemort's memories and experiences, and Voldemort gaining those of Naraku himself. They were two equally powerful entities blended inside one body.

"So what's your plan? The boy must be killed! He was the cause of my ruin, and he could even end up destroying... Naramort."

"Mmmmm... 'Naramort'. Nice name." Naraku smiled at the idea, staring into empty space for a moment before returning his gaze to the reflection inside the mirror. "I won't simply kill him. Why should I destroy one who would be so easy to... employ?" An evil laugh echoed in the room while a flash of understanding passed through the red eyes of the man in the mirror. He smiled at last. "Harry Potter will regret that moment when his mother sacrificed herself to save his life. He'll come to regret it with all his heart..."

Inside the mirror, Voldemort laughed devilishly.

(1) Voldemort was referring (spoiler for GoF) to the fact that after he was resurrected he could actually touch Harry. But since Naraku already has all these memories, finishing the phrase would be useless.

Author’s note:

Here I am with my usual rants :). I'd like to know if the story interests you so far — is it any good or you don't think it can appeal you?

People who know Inuyasha must have some explanations. This story starts from Inuyasha's comic book #30, where Naraku finds out, thanks to Mimisenri (a demon who has a very good sense of hear) that there's only one fragment missing. This fragment is hidden 'in a place between this World and Afterlife'.

In those days I was reading "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and I had a flash in my mind — what if Voldemort had gotten his dirty hands on the Shikon no Tama? After all even if he resurrects in Book 4 he's not that alive... he's anyway 'in a place between this World and Afterlife". Of course recently we found out where the last fragment is — not onto Voldemort's dirty hands =). But, you know, this COULD have been happened.

While reading the third book, then, I've met even the Dementors and found a lot of similarities between them and our dear Hakudoushi. Is it obvious only to me that Voldemort and Naraku are very similar, as characters?

So, I’ve had this fanfic idea :) and I'm SURE nobody will understand where I want to drive you at!

Obviously I await REVIEWS! It's the very first Harry Potter fanfic I ever wrote, and I'm very unsure about the way I'm portraying the characters. Now it's up to you readers: REVIEW and tell me what do you think of my work!

Written by:
Kagome-sama.

Beta-read by:
Sneeky Witch and Claire.

Special thanks:
I would like to thank Igenlode, who helped me by pointing out word by word how I should write in literary English

Legal Disclaimer
Both Inuyasha and Harry Potter are NOT mine. I wish they were... especially with Inuyasha... but� cruel world� Inuyasha is owned by Takahashi Rumiko, Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling� I do own this story, but it's not the same thing :P

The Ministry of Magic was even draughtier than usual. Inside his office, Cornelius Fudge looked up from his work with a frown as a particularly wild gust sent his papers into disarray.

"Who was the idiot that forgot to close the window?" the Minister muttered to himself, rising from his seat behind the desk.

For a wizard's office, it was positively Spartan. On the walls, there were some pictures portraying the most famous Ministers of the past, all of whom appeared to be sleeping like logs. There was a tall bookcase filled with hundreds of ancient books, a globe of the world with queer-looking dots moving across its surface, and a big desk placed in the centre of the room, with some winding steps on the left leading up to a small recess almost hidden by piles of paperwork, where quills were busy scribbling on various parchments of their own accord. Very simply furnished, in fact.

Fudge thrust back his chair with a scrape and got up to open the door of his office, annoyed. As he left the room he found himself surrounded by a swirl of cold wind that caught at his neatly-parted hair with a vicious gust. Instinctively turning up his shirt-collar, he buttoned up his bottle-green waistcoat, shivering, and looked around. The window to his right was closed; so was the one on the left. Where had the wind come from?

Muttering impatiently at the thought of the attendant who'd failed to close the window somewhere downstairs, he set off up the stairs, intending to see to it himself. The corridor's darkness was broken only by the light from the window behind him; the pictures on the walls, which should have been filled with scenes showing former Ministers and Councils, were empty � no doubt because the characters involved had gone off somewhere to have a chat.

But the Minister didn't have to seek the open window for long. He was suddenly assaulted by a stronger, icy gust that left him shivering with cold; and from within the swirl of wind he caught sight of a woman appearing.

Fudge's eyes widened. He hadn't detected any spell. Who was this woman? He spent some time in trying to get a better look at her. She seemed young, and very beautiful. She probably came from some place in the Far East... China, or Japan. The Minister couldn't be certain about it, but he was almost sure she had to come from that part of the world, judging by not only her features and general appearance, but also her clothes. She was wearing a white Japanese Yukata, decorated with exquisite violet and purple designs. She had long, raven hair swept up on top of her head. She was indeed beautiful... but Fudge was shocked by two other details: the woman's eyes were as red as burning brands, and her ears were pointed, like the ears of a pixie. Supposing that she *was*, after all, a woman...

"Mmmmm... what are you staring at me for, human?" she said. Her English was almost perfect, but she spoke with the slightest trace of an accent.

"Hu- human? I'm a wizard!" Fudge retorted, somewhat shocked. How could she possibly have mistaken him for a Muggle? He, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic...

"Wizard, Muggle... in any case you're a human. Feh! What a stupid mission Naraku had to give me..."

Fudge's expression was the very picture of amazement. The woman was classing wizards and Muggles together off-handedly as if she didn't consider herself to belong to either. Who was she?

"Kagura, let me have a look at our host."

It wasn't until Fudge heard the voice that he noticed that there was another person present. It was a child... at least, it seemed to be a child.

He spoke in an unaccented monotone, as if under a spell, and he was about seven or eight years old, with a face at once so cruel and so beautiful that it was terrible to behold. It was impossible to tell from his features if he was a boy-child or a girl. Only his voice revealed him as male.

"Who... who are you? You talk about Wizards and Muggles in the same breath... aren't you any of them?"

"Mhmmmm... we do not like to waste our precious time giving explanations. Who do you think we are? And do it quickly... I'm in a hurry," the woman whom the boy called Kagura said, annoyed. The boy drew near Fudge, staring at him with his weird eyes, that had a colour even weirder, half violet, and half pink. Fudge's world began to mist over.

The boy glanced at him with magnetic eyes. His white, almost pink-shaded hair seemed to be shining. Fudge's sight darkened and he felt as if someone were scanning his soul, stealing away his most intimate thoughts and feelings and leaving only hatred, resentment and pain...

Wait a moment � he thought suddenly � it was just as if he were dealing with a Dementor. The feeling was exactly the same. And in that case... he knew what he must do.

"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled, pointing his wand at the small boy. A Patronus in the shape of a badger appeared and approached the boy, but it passed through him without hurting him. Fudge stared at him with bulging eyes.

"Stupeficium!" he tried. Once again, a light came out of his wand, but nothing happened. The boy was watching him with an evil grin all over his face � not the cheeky grin he would have expected to see on a normal boy's face, but one that seemed almost diabolic.

"Impedimenta!" It wasn't working... those eyes, he couldn't bear the power of those eyes...

"Conjunctiva!" Fudge was sweating hard. Not one of the spells he knew was working on those two.

What weapons do they use? he thought, and knew at once that he wanted to know just how they were mocking him.

"Expelliarmus!" he yelled, aiming his wand at them once more. Almost immediately, the fans Kagura was holding flew out of her hands and fell to the ground. The woman looked taken aback; but the child... he... was just standing there, in the same position. Nothing fell from his grasp.

He has no weapon? How is that possible? Fudge was starting to panic.

You fool, did you really think your stupid tricks would work on me? The boy was still staring at him, and Fudge felt his soul abandon him. He didn't notice that the boy hadn't said a word; it was as if the phrase had come from his own mind.

"Who... who are you? What do you want from me? Go away!" he asked the voice inside him.

I'm Naraku... and I want YOU. You can't get rid of me. Now I AM you, the voice replied, and something began scanning his soul again.

Fudge saw his whole life pass in front of him, all the worst moments standing out above the rest, while the best moments seemed now to have become ridiculous and horrible. He saw the woman he loved making fun of him, pretending to love him but then giving her heart to another man. He saw his best friend betray him in order to get prefect status at Hogwarts...

No, wait � I was the one who supported John and asked the History of Magic teacher to help him become a prefect. He was my best friend, and he deserved it, Fudge thought. But suddenly his memories were shifting, changing... No, it wasn't true! John always made fun of me. He just used me to get prefect status for himself... he was never truly my friend. He betrayed me!

You're a fool, you're nothing, nobody wants you... the voice was repeating inside Fudge's mind.

No, I'm the Minister of Magic, I'm an important person, everybody must obey me whether they want to or not -

You're a fool, you're nothing, nobody wants you... Fudge's memories seemed to shift again beneath him as all his happiness turned to pain, his bad moments overshadowing everything else, his satisfactions ebbing away.

I wanted to be important; I wanted to be brave... I wanted to be a Gryffindor, but the Sorting Hat put me in Hufflepuff, his young self thought, while disappointment became settled unhappiness.

You're a fool, you're nothing, nobody wants you...

It's true... I'm nothing... I have nothing, no friends, nobody! he thought bitterly. His heart was like a stone. He felt himself filled with sadness, discomfort, pain... hatred. He was falling off a cliff into darkness. Then, for a moment, he came to himself.

"No... " He shook his head. "What am I thinking? What am I saying?"

He glared at the woman and the child. Deep in his heart, they frightened him, and he couldn't hide it. It was their fault... why did they do such a thing to him? HOW could they do such a thing to him? Where did they come from and why? Cornelius trembled at this thought, and a new idea crossed his mind.

"You'll pay for this. I'll send an owl to Dumbledore..." he muttered under his breath, turning around and trying to get back to the door of his office. He wanted to run away, he wanted them to leave him alone. The remote sound of his own footsteps seemed to be something entirely unconnected with him; something pointless and stupid. He wanted to talk with Dumbledore about what had happened.

Once again, another cold wave overwhelmed his heart and mind. Dumbledore? He's a fool... a stupid person who trusts a brat and thinks the Dark Lord has been resurrected... do you really want to trust him? Do you want to believe in a crazy old man who never pays any attention to what you decide? You're the Minister of Magic, although he doesn't think of you as such.

But this thought brought Fudge up short.

No, Dumbledore is a real friend and a person I respect. I do believe the child was telling the truth, but if I accept the idea publicly, panic would start in the wizarding world...

No, what Dumbledore says is untrue, you know that. He never was your friend, he was always laughing at you behind your back... In Fudge's mind the memories of Dumbledore became distorted, modified, transformed, until only a caricature of the truth remained. The reliable and trustworthy ally he'd always been able to call on when he needed help turned out to be a stupid booby who'd mocked and never trusted him. Cornelius could no longer tell if the words he was hearing in his head were his or not. He fell to his knees.

"Feh! Everything was too easy," the woman with pointed ears muttered to her companion, retrieving her fans. "You did everything. There was no action at all. How boring..."

"Let's see if it really was that easy!" Fudge yelled, standing up again suddenly. Shock spread across the child's face. He clearly hadn't been expecting it.

This encouraged Cornelius. Life came back into his eyes, which had been blank and vacuous. "Did you really think you could trap me in such a way? I'm Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic! I'm not some Muggle you can trick easily! I don't know how you do it, but never, ever try to enter my mind again!"

The Minister was suffering. His pride was greater than his courage or his strength. He was scared... but he didn't want to admit it. He was beaten... but he didn't want to accept it.

"Then you leave me no choice," Kagura murmured, her lips curling in a sadistic smile. "These are not the methods I normally use or prefer... but I have precise orders, and if you persist in being stubborn, I shall have to use them."

"What are you planning to do, woman?" Fudge shouted. He was suffering even more now. The pain was spreading all over his face from his efforts to resist the child's spell. His forehead was wet with sweat, and his face was turning red.

"Imperio!" Kagura said, snapping her fingers. The eyes of Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, widened; but before he could utter a word, he collapsed to the ground.

"What did you do that for, Kagura? I almost had him. I just needed a few more minutes. And if I'd won him, we could have used him in a better way," the boy said. His expression never changed. He still had the same, cold, distant smile and his voice was always the same, calm and toneless.

"Are you an idiot or what? We can't waste more time, Naraku, and that Voldemort asked that we get rid of Fudge quickly, or someone may notice us." The woman shot a quick look at the boy, annoyed. Then she glanced again at the Minister, who was still unconscious, and smiled.

"Now this man will be a puppet in my hands... imagine... I'll have fun dealing with a living marionette for once..." The prospect brought a laugh from deep in her throat.

Then she snapped her fingers again, and the Minister of Magic stood up. His normal expression had returned, and he turned to go back to his office, no longer aware of the others' presence.

"Keep it in mind, Mr. Fudge..." Kagura said. And then, in a swirl of wind, both she and the boy had disappeared.

"Ah yes... obvious... why on earth didn't I think of that before? I know just what to do," Fudge murmured under his breath, closing the door to his office and going to look for a quill.

Summer was very boring at Privet Drive. After his nightmare, Harry followed Sirius's suggestion and didn't even try to stray far from Number Four. The last letter his godfather had sent had sounded a little brusque... but this helped Harry to stay alert and to keep an eye out for trouble: he knew Sirius only replied in that way because he was worried about him.

Harry spent most of his time in the garden, the kitchen, or his room. He tried his best not to be noticed while doing the homework he had been set over the summer, which was particularly heavy this year. As always, Snape had assigned more than any of the other teachers. He had set two essays about the Veritaserum potion, its composition and the way to prepare it; which were the ways to use it and why the Minister of Magic had to give the permission every time it had to be used. Both essays had to cover at least 4 rolls of parchment each.

Harry had already resigned himself to the fact that he was going to be put on detention for at least a month. For a decent essay, he needed to look for information in the school text books which had been put under lock and key in the cupboard under the stairs. Last year, Harry had used the threat of sending a note to Sirius to make sure Uncle Vernon was too scared to prevent him from using his books. But the practical joke Fred and George had played on Dudley before they left for the Quidditch World Cup last year had its consequences on all the family. Uncle Vernon decided that Harry should pay for it, so when he got back from Hogwarts that summer, he was told that whether he liked it or not, he would not be permitted to use his books and stuff.

To Vernon's satisfaction, although his nephew's green eyes met his in helpless fury, the boy said nothing. Harry had no choice but to obey his uncle: he couldn't summon Sirius for such a petty reason.

Besides, even those books wouldn't be enough to help. Snape was very clear that he wanted at least four parchment rolls for each essay, and right now Harry couldn't manage to write more than one. He won't be satisfied... at all... Harry thought, sighing.

A quick glance at what he had written caused him to sigh even more deeply � it was too short. He glanced at the clock. He was sleepy; it was one o'clock in the morning, and his eyelids were heavy. He simply couldn't think straight any longer.

He heard a creaking, and quickly turned off the light. It was just as well, for after a few moments he heard footsteps in the corridor going in the direction of the bathroom.

Probably Uncle Vernon, Harry thought. Some minutes later, the same person left the bathroom, made an odd noise, and then went back to his own room, and Harry could breathe again. Only at that moment did he realise that he had been holding his breath.

He turned the light on again, thinking that he desperately needed to get his hands on the Potions book if he really wanted to write something acceptable. Finally, he decided to put off thinking about it until the next day, rolled up the parchment he had been writing on, and hid it, together with the other homework he had to finish, in the secret place he'd built two years before.

He was just about to get back under the blankets when an owl came into the room through the open window and flew in his direction. Harry couldn't help remembering the dream he'd had, but fortunately after a moment the shock wore off. Fortunately... because the small owl had begun to hoot and jump everywhere to get his attention.

"Pig! Pig, stop it! Let me catch you!" Harry whispered, trying to catch Ron's owl. Finally he managed to get hold of the owl and managed to remove the letter from its leg, while trying to calm the excitable little bird.

Finally, Harry got Pig to shut up, and then he stopped, trying not to breathe so that he could hear what was happening in the rest of the house. Uncle Vernon's snore didn't seem to be resounding any more in the big bedroom, and Harry was rather worried.

For a while he kept holding his breath, but he couldn't hear anything from outside and eventually relaxed.

Just imagine if Uncle Vernon came here to see what I was doing... he uses any excuse to punish me, he'd never let this go... he was thinking, when the door suddenly opened. The blood drained from Harry's face.

"I knew it! I knew you were plotting something. Wha... wha... what's all that noise? Can't we SLEEP in this house? What are you doing out of your bed at this hour of night?" Uncle Vernon hissed while his big face went redder and redder; his annoyed look went from his nephew's face to the owl, to the letter tied to its leg. Pig, frightened by the sudden opening of the door, began to flap wildly and hoot. His movements were jerking Harry's arms from side to side, and getting on Uncle Vernon's nerves even more.

"Umm... So- sorry... Uncle Vernon... errr... he arrived just now and he's a bit hot-headed. I tried to catch him immediately but..." The worry in Harry's eyes was clear to see, and this was doubtless the only thing keeping Uncle Vernon where he was. He was enjoying, for once, the fact that the young wizard was afraid of him. The boy had been getting far too disrespectful of late.

"No buts. Give that letter to me and I'll tear it up. Don't you ever try again to receive letters from your weird friends at this hour of night... and wake me up this way! What would our neighbours think about all this chaos?" Uncle Vernon's big face had become even redder.

Harry knew why his uncle was so worried. The Dursleys hated all 'abnormal' things. They hated magic and the wizarding world deep in their hearts, and they didn't even want to hear such words in their home. Aunt Petunia was a dreadful busybody and always prying into her neighbours' business. She wouldn't be at all happy if they were to hear strange sounds coming out of Harry's room in the small hours...

But Harry didn't want to lose this battle. He badly wanted to read Ron's letter. Thank goodness he had already put away the parchments and the books he was using to write the Potions essays, or Uncle Vernon would find out that he studied at night!

Suddenly, he had an idea. He deliberately let go of Pig. The small owl began to flutter all over the room, hooting in joy at having been freed, and Uncle Vernon started to go after him to try and catch him. The noise in the room got so loud that even Aunt Petunia was woken up. She started to come in and then stopped still in the doorway, watching the mess in shock.

"Uncle Vernon..." Harry was trying to get his uncle to notice him, following him everywhere, but it was almost impossible to get Uncle Vernon to stop his hunt.

"Damn bird! If I catch it, I swear I'll KILL it! Yes, I'll kill it, pluck it, and we'll eat it tomorrow at lunch! Petunia! Are owls good to cook?" Uncle Vernon's face had gone practically purple. His eyes were bulging and sweat was running down his forehead.

"You can't kill him! Pig's not mine!" Harry protested. Uncle Vernon didn't look as if he were joking.

"I don't bloody care if it's not yours. This damn bird came into my house and it's interrupting my sleep! I'll kill it, I swear!" Uncle Vernon stepped backwards to try to catch poor Pig, tripped over a pair of shoes, and crashed headlong to the ground.

Oh no... Harry thought. He was beginning to sweat hard. Pig was zooming about in the room hooting crazily when Uncle Vernon got up. Harry could not remember having seen Uncle Vernon so upset, ever. Not even when he freed the snake at the zoo, or the time he was accused of having turned his primary school teacher's hair blue.

"I'LL KILL IT!!!!! Petunia! Bring my rifle! QUICK! This damn thing must die!" Yes, he really was angry. Aunt Petunia wanted to say: 'what would the neighbour think about a gunshot coming from our house?' But noticing Vernon's rage she decided to shut up; she didn't go to get the gun, though.

"PETUNIA, BRING MY DAMN RIFLE!!!!" Vernon yelled, again. If Harry hadn't been so worried about Pig, he'd find it funny. Uncle Vernon was white-hot from anger and Aunt Petunia didn't know what to do.

Uncle Vernon can't kill him � Ron has already lost Scabbers, he'd never forgive me if something happens to Pig! thought Harry, his face as white as a sheet.

Uncle Vernon went to his bedroom � to get his rifle, of course. Harry followed him.

"Uncle Vernon... listen to me... Uncle Vernon... please... you can't kill him... he's not mine... Uncle Vernon!" Harry run after him very worried. The noise was so loud that even Dudley came out his room, and stared at them, mockingly. Uncle Vernon was fuming with rage and Harry was following him, terrified � it was a funny show, after all.

"Yeah! C'mon dad, kill that stupid thing!"

Vernon came out of the bedroom, loading the rifle. It was a pretty new weapon � probably he bought it after Hagrid broke the last one, few years before. The blood drained from Harry's face. He had only one more attempt to perform;

"You can't shoot a rifle in the middle of the night or the neighbours will call the police!" he said.

Uncle Vernon clogged � he had already pointed the rifle at the crazy owl, but spent some time reconsidering his actions. It was true; the neighbours would probably call the policemen, who would ask to come into their house and search it. Eventually, they could find a trunk filled with 'abnormal' stuff and books closed into the cupboard under the stairs, tossing a lot of dust on Dursley�s reputation. It wasn�t a risk worth taking, after all.

Harry saw his uncle thinking hard and turning purple, as sweat drops were falling all over his face. Then Vernon finally glanced at him, putting the rifle away.

"I may, eventually, decide not to kill that thing," he said. Harry let out a breath of relief. "BUT..."

"But?" the young wizard said aghast, trying to overcome the high-pitched hoots of Ron's owl.

He saw Uncle Vernon's face turning even redder. Harry wondered if his uncle was going to burst a blood-vessel. "You're going to behave when Aunt Marge comes here. GOT IT?"

Harry's heart sank. Oh no... Aunt Marge. How he hated her! His memories of the last time he'd met her, how she'd made his life a misery and how he managed to make her float in the air when she insulted his parents and he got angry, were all too vivid. But the Ministry had removed the memory from Aunt Marge's and the Dursleys' minds, so neither she nor Uncle Vernon would be able to remember what had happened.

"A... Aunt Marge?" he asked.

Dudley was watching him with a grin all over his porky face. You could tell how much fun he was having from the way his various double chins were going up and down. He was trying to keep himself from laughing.

"That's right, Aunt Marge," Uncle Vernon replied, ducking just in time to avoid Pig, who was still zooming all over the room excitedly.

"She's coming here?" Harry said, appalled.

"Precisely. Next week, for three days." Uncle Vernon was enjoying himself as he saw the horror in Harry's expression.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Harry demanded, but Vernon wasn't in the mood for explanations.

"You must promise me that you'll behave in a normal way. You won't talk any of that rubbish about magic, nothing weird will happen when she's here, and you'll be polite and civilised in her presence." Vernon's eyes narrowed as he listed Harry's duties.

"But..." Harry said, once again.

It was long past the stage where he'd had to bow his head, obey and do anything they wanted him to do. A determined look crossed his face as he thought about saying 'no', but Uncle Vernon, noticing his change of expression, had raised his rifle again.

"O- okay..." Harry said, sighing and trying to look resigned. Vernon lowered the rifle again and put it down. With a quick movement, Harry caught the small owl that was still tumbling through the air in a crazy dance. He removed the letter from Pig's leg and put Ron's owl into Hedwig's empty cage � she hadn�t come back with Hermione�s reply yet. The little bird was exhausted.

"Don't forget!"

Uncle Vernon looked at his nephew with triumph shining in his eyes. He'd probably known about Aunt Marge's visit for ages and waited for the right moment to tell Harry about it. He'd been scared about what Harry might tell Sirius. Oh great � he'd walked straight into that one. He really was an idiot... Harry noticed out of the corner of his eyes that Dudley was looking at him with scorn. This annoyed him even more.

Vernon closed the door of Harry's room softly. As he was going back to bed, he said something under his breath to Aunt Petunia... it was impossible to hear the words, but it definitely sounded as if he were proud of himself.

Harry sighed... Aunt Marge! He hated her � he couldn't believe it. He almost caught himself glaring at poor Pig, but stopped himself just in time. After all, it wasn't Pig's fault he hadn't been fast enough to catch him. It was all the fault of that dream.

He sighed again, then noticed that he was still clutching Ron's letter. It had been a costly letter; to get his hands on it he'd had to agree to putting up with Aunt Marge for three whole days. He'd better get round to reading it before he did anything else.

"Dear Harry,

"I haven't got any real news. Fred and George keep inventing more and more jokes and this gets on Mum's nerves. Especially since they keep trying them out on her. They have created some pretty evil stuff � Ginny's face went green just from having tried one lemon-drop! And you know what? They say it's all thanks to YOU, and Mum yells at them to 'stop insulting Harry like that'.

"On the subject of your letter: WHAT was that you said your dream was about? Hermione kissing MALFOY? Neville doing powerful spells? What did the Muggles give to you for dinner that night, a dungbomb?

"But seriously, was your scar really hurting again? I thought You-Know-Who couldn't reach you when you're at the Dursleys � isn't that why you have to go back there to be tortured every summer? Did you get a reply from Sirius? Is he well? Did he find out any news about You-Know-Who?

"Oh, and another thing � what about your summer homework? Have those Muggles locked up your books again? George wants to know if you used his suggestions about how to force padlocks...

"I hope Professor Snape won't be too mad if my essays are only three rolls of parchment. The essay about the composition of the Veritaserum only came out at one parchment and a half, but I just don't know what else to write. I tried making my handwriting as large as I could, but it's still not enough...

"Anyway, please don't forget to be careful. Remember to look twice before you go anywhere, and if those stupid Muggles make you eat weird dungbombs again, just tell me, and I'll come and pick you up, whether Dumbledore gives me permission or not.

-Ron

"PS: Hullo Harry!

"Here's Fred and George! As Ron's already told you, we've put the money you kindly donated to us to the best possible use!

"That's right, you'll see our work at Hogwarts... and you'll be the first to try our new jokes. Aren't you proud of us?

-Fred and George"

Harry smiled. As usual, Ron and the Weasleys made him feel better. He noticed that the post-script had been written by both of the twins - the two phrases were written in different handwriting.

He tried not to think about Aunt Marge. It was better to try to imagine what the twins were planning for the next year at Hogwarts. But even that was alarming enough. Last time, one of the twins' Ton Tongue Toffees had made Dudley's tongue grow to a length of four feet before Mr. Weasley had got Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia calm enough for him to fix it. He'd definitely better watch what he ate at Hogwarts from now on...

He decided to write a reply to Ron. He wasn't sleepy any longer after all...

"Dear Ron,

"I'm fine here ... well, the scar hasn't hurt again, that is, though I just found out that Aunt Marge is coming here next week on a visit. I don't think it's going to be much of a birthday... but I'm used to that.

"Unfortunately when Pig got here it was very late, and he began to fly around wildly and hoot like mad, waking up the entire house. It wasn't his fault, it was mine, for not catching him quickly enough. But Uncle Vernon woke up furious and said he'd kill Pig. He got out his rifle (a rifle is a very dangerous thing that throws small balls to kill people and animals), so I had to agree to everything to stop him doing it.

"Anyway, don't worry � I'll survive three days. I'll try and think about something else while Aunt Marge picks on me. If I lose my temper and make something happen I'll probably really be expelled from Hogwarts this time... Do you remember that time the year before last when she blew up like a balloon? I was incredibly lucky to get away with that. But I'm two years older now, and if I could stand the Triwizards Tournament then I can put up with three days of Aunt Marge.

"To change the subject: yeah, Uncle Vernon locked my books away again. Last year's Ton Tongue Toffee incident really got on his nerves. I'm even worse off than you are when it comes to Snape's essays � I only wrote one parchment roll for each! I need my books to write more. I did the best I could without them.

"Give my thanks to George - I managed to get hold of my Herbology book thanks to his suggestions, and that way I was able to complete my Herbology homework, at least. I hope I can manage to get at the Potions books before Aunt Marge arrives. The three days she's spending with us are going to be a total nightmare.

"Yes, I did get a reply from Sirius. He has no news about Vol... You-Know-Who, but he seems to feel it's all too quiet to be natural. He was pretty abrupt with me too... he ordered me not to stir from Privet Drive, but, you know... staying here with the Dursleys always trying to control me, not even giving me room to breathe... it's not much fun.

"I think I'll wait until tomorrow to send this letter off. After everything that happened, Pig's absolutely worn out. He's sleeping in Hedwig's cage - she hasn't come back with Hermione's reply yet. I'm going to let him rest for tonight. The weather's really bad out there.

"See you soon,

-Harry"

Harry read the letter through again two or three times. Then he decided that it was good enough to be sent, and put it into the envelope. He approached the window and looked out. The wind was whipping the trees and the hedges wildly in a howling fury. That howl... For a moment, it almost sounded like an icy laugh.

Harry frowned and closed the window. Even if it had been Pig's fault that he'd been forced to accept Aunt Marge's visit without complaint, he wasn't going to send the little owl out in such weather. Pig was so small that he'd probably get killed... definitely better to wait for tomorrow.

A swirl of wind materialised in front of a great house near London. In the middle of the wind, a small, decisive woman suddenly appeared, followed by a white child.

The woman shot a disgusted glance around her and entered the house. Despite the fact that the outside was like any other mansion, the inside of the house resembled the ancient castles of Japan. When she passed in front of them, two skeletons in armour bowed respectfully.

The woman glared at them, annoyed; but a look of disgust crossed her face as she noticed who was drawing near her. A gigantic snake was approaching from the inside courtyard. The eyes that met her own were cold and unreadable.

~Kagura... Masssssssster wantsss to know iffffff your misssssssssion was a successssss~ it hissed.

~Feh... he asked YOU to tell me? Where was Kanna? Couldn't Naraku check my movements in the normal way?~

The demon was glaring at the serpent with a look of complete and utter loathing. She walked through the wide courtyard, entered the corridor within, and crossed to the steps to go upstairs.

~Nagini, the mission was a full success,~ the white child said, with his usual unemotional tone. The serpent stopped next to him and lifted its head to meet the boy's eyes.

~Hakudosssssshi, are you ssssssure that nobody ssssssaw you?~

~Quite sure.. It wasn't difficult at all. Nobody was there other than the Minister. That man fell at my knees almost immediately after I used the curse tha... hem, Voldemort told me,~ the woman said in Parseltongue.

She turned on her 'dear companion'. "Why did you intervene?"

The boy gave her an icy glare in return, and Kagura bit her lip.. Hakudoshi wasn't the best companion she could ever dream of, but he was better than that serpent. Then, when Voldemort merged with Naraku, that damn animal became almost a double of the one she was forced to obey. Whenever she was inside the castle she could feel Nagini's cold gaze on her, and she didn't like it at all. It was as if the serpent was controlling her... and evaluating her. She couldn't stand it.

Kagura finally came to a halt outside the door of the big room on the first floor. She slid the door open and entered.

"So, Kagura, you completed your mission."

A deep voice resounded within the almost empty room. The place was furnished very simply; there were only a few things inside, as if someone were staying there, but not living there. It was wrapped in darkness. In the dim background light, she could see a man with his gaze fixed on her; his beautiful red eyes expressed a cruelty greater even than Kagura, herself a demon, could ever feel.

"Yes, Naraku. It was easier than we thought. Hakudoshi almost got him, but the Minister was still trying to resist, so in the end I controlled him with the Imperius Curse. Anyway, he's under our control now."

"Good." The man was seated cross-legged on floor covered by Japanese matting. Nagini slid towards him, and he caressed the snake's head as if it had been a puppy. "You may go, Kagura."

The demon turned, but before she could leave, Naraku continued: "...but keep this in mind. Nagini is loyal to me. You must respect her just as you respect me."

Kagura turned around suddenly at this, hatred clear to be read in her eyes. "How can you say that? The animal only follows you because you meddled with its owner. What makes it better than us?"

"Don't argue with my orders, Kagura. Keep in mind that you are merely one of my creations � even as I created you, so can I destroy you, taking you back into my own body."

Suddenly, half-hidden in the darkness, a live and beating thing could be glimpsed in Naraku's grasp. Kagura's face contorted with pain and she put a hand to her breast, sweating, and fell to her knees, groaning as if an iron grip had seized her heart.

"Remember, Kagura, who you are. Remember that your heart belongs to me... just a little more would be enough..." The man increased his hold and the woman stifled a moan, while her face turned as white as a sheet.

"Yes, Naraku... I'm yours to command..." she murmured painfully. The throbbing thing in her master's hand disappeared, and Kagura breathed again. She stood up, and glared at Nagini for a long moment, hatred in her eyes. The serpent answered with a silent hiss that no human could hear, showing her its forked tongue.

"But one thing, Naraku�" she said before going out of the room, turning back to her master. Now her heart was no longer in Naraku's hands she felt better.

"What is it, Kagura?"

"I understand the order about the two of us � but the... fourth-year? Isn't he a bit young?"

Naraku smiled. "In the fourth year... there's someone I have the possibility of controlling. The age is irrelevant. Now go away."

Kagura bowed her head and left the room, followed by the white boy, who closed the sliding door behind him.

"How is it going?" Naraku asked when he was sure Kagura had left, raising his voice slightly. It was as calm and cold as ever. "Is the treatment working?"

"Yes, Lord Naraku," came the reply in a monotone.

"Are you learning the new language?"

"Yes, Lord Naraku."

"Do you think you can comply with your mission?"

"Yes, Lord Naraku."

"Good."

A flash of lightning lit the room. Outside, the first sound of rain filled the air; and near the window, the momentary brightness revealed the vague figure of a young boy.

Author's note:

Phiew� even this chapter's finished ^_^V

To all people who reviewed chapter one: a big THANK YOU! I hope you'll like this chapter and will write another review for it.

To Cycle: thank you :) hope you'll like even this chapter ^^

To MP: I don't understand. Do you mean that you don't agree with the plot? Anyway as for your question: Naraku in the actual manga *spoiler* already got almost the full sphere *end of spoiler*. Naramort doesn't have the full shikon no tama yet: he misses the fragments on Kouga's legs and the one into Kohaku's back. Anyway if Naraku *really* needed only the full jewel, he would've used it years ago, when he had had the opportunity. He needed even something else... and even Naramort does need the same. They're not yet invincible. What fun can it be in a story if you cannot destroy your enemy? This is valid for BOTH parts :)

To Anonymous: thank you for the review. Yes, you're right. I didn't think that an Inuyasha's fan reading this could not know the full Inuyasha's story, because I'm too much used of people who already know it. Then, I'm not from USA and I don't know where the story is arrived in US. I follow the japanese story. if you go to Inuyasha--Sengoku O-togi Zoushi you will read the manga up to the new installment in Japan :). I hope you like this chapter: in the next one Harry will finally *meet* Inuyasha and his group. Of course they will be there... they have a pretty big role as well :).

I hope that more people will review it... I'm always very sad when I see few reviews, I feel that my readers don't like what I wrote... I'll use this space in the next chapter to answer to your new reviews. So review! I don't mind receiving constructive criticism by the way: unless it's not a flame, it helps me A LOT! So don't be scared, write what you really feel of the story ^_^ I await comments!

Written by Giulia "Kagome" Kagome@tiscalinet.it

Beta-read for grammar etc. by Sneeky_Witch. Gamma-read for British compatibility by Claire.

Published for the first time at , and the 25 March 2003.

Disclaimer:

Both Inuyasha and Harry Potter are not mine. Inuyasha is owned by Takahashi Rumiko, Harry Potter by J.K.Rowling… I own this foolish idea of a story… but it's not the same thing. So don't sue me I have no money ^^

The sound of steps resounded in the empty Hogwarts' corridors. A man was walking in the direction of the dungeons; he looked to be around his fourties, black oily hair, ashen face, worried glance, and he wore dark clothes. He didn't seem to be very happy, and his pale face contrasted with the long, black cloak he was wearing, making him look spookier than ever.

"Damn!" he was muttering, "Possessed idiots, vane morons, werewolves, dismissed Aurors... they weren't enough!" his voice increased, "Now even JAPANESE PEOPLE! Japanese... do you see, Minerva? JA-PA-NE-SE!" he glared at a middle-aged witch, approaching her and pointing a finger in her direction. Minerva stared at him with amazement through her thick and square glasses — why was Professor Snape acting like that?

"Wha..." she began to say. But Snape didn't pay attention to her, and went away, as if she didn't exist.

"Now I must go meet them at the train station. What am I, a servant?" he muttered as he closed the door behind him and leaved. Professor McGonagall heard the noise of Snape's steps fade, but she still didn't understand what had happened.

"Eh, Minerva, my dear," a voice behind said. She turned around, and noticed Dumbledore looking at the same door she was staring at, only a few steps distant from her. "Severus couldn't accomplish his dream to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts... this year either. I had almost decided to give him a try, but Cornelius told me today that he asked a witch from Asia to teach it, someone whom he trusts completely. She'll be followed by a sort of bodyguard, to prevent her from being in danger here. I asked Severus to go receive them at the station, maybe you caught him saying that?" Professor McGonagall nodded and Dumbledore chuckled. "When I asked him, Severus nodded and accepted my orders without saying a word. But I knew he wasn't happy about it."

"So... are our guests arriving soon? We'd better ask for their rooms to be prepared," Professor McGonagall said, frowning.

"I knew I could count on you, Minerva. Now, unfortunately, I must go to take care of some things, last but not least thinking on how to reply to Cornelius. He told me that we'll have a transfer student. We're not used to receiving transfers from Japan."

"Japan? It's awfully far. Why Japan?" Professor McGonagall was pretty amazed and truly interested.

"The new teacher's 'bodyguard' asked for it, since he's one of his relatives. This is what Cornelius told me in his letter... odd letter indeed; cold, remote, really not his style. I think he was just too tired of having to deal with the Japanese Ministry of Magic, and got a huge headache. Once I had to deal with one of those as well. They have no sense of humour, and they always bow ... I had a big pain in my back for two weeks after they left." Dumbledore chuckled again, and even Professor McGonagall had to smile at the mental image. Then, the Headmaster sighed and made to leave. The woman glanced at him, doubtful.

"By the way Albus, do you know about THAT news?" The Headmaster turned in her direction — his eyes, hidden by his thick, half-moon glasses, showed a worry she rarely saw inside them. They gave Minerva the creeps, even more them than the Headmaster's reply.

"Of course I know, Minerva. It's terrible, isn't it?"

"So, it's not just a rumour." McGonagall shuddered when the Headmaster nodded. Dumbledore was strangely serious... and this could only mean that current situations were very difficult. "I'm wondering how the Ministry can keep the secret about the resurrection of You-Know-Who after this has happened. Do you have any good news?"

"It's what I've been wondering as well. Cornelius didn't ask for help in his letter; he didn't say anything about this. It was as if he didn't know anything. But I'm already working on a plan to do something. Come with me to my office, Minerva. I'll show you what we're going to do." Dumbledore beckoned the woman to follow him and, after few moments, they disappeared up the moving steps to the Headmaster's office.

"Want to get up, you lazy-bones? You must cook breakfast for Uncle Vernon. I'm going out with Duddy!" Aunt Petunia's voice and various knocks to the door brought Harry back to the real world. He noticed suddenly that something was wrong: his scar was burning.

Damn. It couldn't choose a worse day to burn again! Harry thought, rising quickly from his bed. Aunt Petunia was still knocking on the door, and the sound was getting on his nerves. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'm coming!" he said loudly so that his Aunt decided she had enough of knocking on the door and went downstairs.

This was going to be a bad day... and it wasn't starting well at all. Hedwig wasn't back yet, his scar was burning, and Harry had the horrible feeling that he just woke up from a very important dream, but he couldn't remember what it was about. He swore to himself, but this act didn't help him feel better.

He dressed quickly and then went downstairs, a hand still on the burning scar and a tormented look on his face. He waleked to the kitchen to put the eggs and the bacon to cook for breakfast, glancing now and then at the TV, which Uncle Vernon was watching.

A normal family would notice him there; at least, a normal parent would be worried, by that hand on the scar, but this wasn't what the Dursleys would do. Dudley had been by the front door for ages, ready to go out and very excited. His jumps showed exactly how flabby his porky legs were. Aunt Petunia appeared at the door, wearing her jacket and arranging her hat in order.

"Mrs. Figg phoned me just half an hour ago. She said that she can't move from her bed because of a bad cold, and she needs to send someone on an errand. I promised you'd go there today, so don't complain." Petunia sent a piercing glare at Harry and then eyed again at the mirror, trying to set her hat in the best position.

Harry sighed — Mrs. Figg was awful. Her house was very close to the Dursleys' one, and he had been forced many times in the past to stay there with her talking about her beloved cats. He had to do this when his uncle and aunt took Dudley around the day of his birthday, or for any other reason. Harry hated that house; it smelled of cabbage! Going there wasn't exactly the best way to spend his day.

But then, a few years before, the old lady broke her leg falling over one of her cats, so recently she didn't bore him, forcing him to spend his afternoons 'admiring' hundreds of photos portraying them. Besides, he learned from Uncle Vernon that recently she started to give away most of her animals... she kept only the ones she loved the most. Probably age forced her to make some choices.

"Again," said the voice coming from the TV, "there's no news about the child who escaped from the Institute for the Care of Children trauma in London. The young girl, who answers to the name of Jane Collins, was found on the fifteen of June, scared to death and exhausted. Even with the help of the best psychologists..." The screen showed a photo of a blonde child with pale blue eyes, scared to death. Harry glanced at the TV, interested.

"Bah! Such a waste of time to look for a stupid child. They shall use our money to do something USEFUL! Mad people must be sent to the madhouse! Certainly not an 'institute for the Care of Traumas...'" Uncle Vernon muttered, his face hidden by the newspaper that he was reading. Harry sighed and kept cooking the eggs; right now he had other problems to pay attention to... his scar was still hurting.

He turned around, to place the plate of eggs and bacon on the table, in front of Uncle Vernon, along with a glass of orange juice. Uncle Vernon grunted and his hand appeared from under his newspaper, to grab the glass. Harry was going to return to the gas-ring, to get his portion, when something caught his attention.

"She's in a big shock, and it's impossible to explain if you don't link it with a big trauma," a doctor with long, dark hair was saying at the TV. "When we found her, she kept yelling senseless things, something about a green light, and a monster. She was..." But suddenly the TV sound decreased and the screen turned black. Harry glanced at Uncle Vernon, disappointed, and found out that he turned the TV off.

"Baaaah... who cares!" he said, and closed the newspaper, starting to eat his bacon; his big face turning redder, his thick moustaches drenched with orange juice. "And you... don't stand there staring at me like an idiot. Have your breakfast; don't forget that today Marge will come!" That name was enough to bring Harry back to reality. The boy went to take his eggs and bacon, and he ate it quickly, together with the orange juice.

Green light... that woman talked about a green light. My scar was hurting today, but the journalist said that the girl was found in the middle of June, now it's the thirtieth of July. It's impossible that the two things are related. Moreover... what should Voldemort have to do with a Muggle child? Harry was wondering, as he ate his breakfast. Uncle Vernon got up, and went away to get ready, so Harry grabbed his newspaper. He had a quick skim over the articles, and looked at the one that talked about the child. He was getting worried about her — did she really meet Voldemort?

Soon, however, he found it less interesting than it seemed to be. The newspapers always gave the same news, which weren't very thorough. He got up and washed his plates quickly, then went upstairs to get ready to go to Mrs. Figg's. Even if he didn't like the old hag, he preferred to stay there being bored than staying at the Dursleys' when Aunt Marge would arrive. For once Harry thanked Mrs. Figg and her cold.

He didn't take long to get ready. One of Harry’s big traits was that he didn't have anything of his own. When he was in the wizarding world he did have money — an entire bank account that his parents left him at Gringotts, the wizards' bank. But in the Muggle world, Harry was always forced to wear the old Dudley's clothes, which he had to fold and refold at least five or six times on the legs and sleeves. Those clothes made him look like a walking scarecrow, but he couldn't help it, he had nothing better to wear! Since he already wore his clothes, he just needed to wash himself and comb his hair — not that it was helpful though — to be ready to go out.

He had a better look through the window, to see if Hedwig was coming... not at all. So he grabbed a letter Aunt Petunia asked him to take to the post office that day, and he left.

The sun shone in the sky, that morning. Birds chirped, it wasn't too hot, and a light breeze moved the foliages in the tidied gardens of Privet Drive. If the scar would stop burning maybe Harry could relax, and he would forget how bad the day got started, and how worse it would finish with Aunt Marge — uncle Vernon would go out to get her at the stations in minutes.

Unfortunately, the pain didn't want to leave... and he was starting to feel a vague sense of nausea. Now more than ever, Harry missed Madam Pomfrey, the witch who ran the infirmary at Hogwarts. She'd have something to make him feel better — of course, he ask a Muggle pharmacist for something to calm the pain for a magic scar!

He stopped. He was feeling giddy, and he couldn't walk properly any more. Suddenly, the air got difficult to breathe, as if he moved from an air-conditioned place to a sauna. His lungs became heavy. His skin was wet from the sweat. He staggered, and sat for a moment on the pavement to calm down'the nauseated feeling. He stared at a tree in front of him, while his scar began to burn even at his touch, and the world around him turned dim. What was going to happen? Did he get sunstroke? It was end of July, it was true, but it wasn't really so much hotter than yesterday. So why did he have the feeling that the temperature had increased a good fifteen degrees?

He widened his eyes and he blinked two or three times, but the things around him were still fading, as if he had no glasses. Feeling out of sorts, he touched his face, to see if the glasses were really on his nose, as he thought. Yes, what an idiot he was... of course they were there! If they weren't there he'd found out it before! Probably they were just misted... because of the sweat?

He cleaned them on his shirt, and was going to put them back on his nose when...

"Kagomeeeeee ato na!(1)" The sound of an explosion rebounded all around him. Harry lifted his glance all of a sudden. His heart was racing in his chest — he was still feeling dull, and had a painful headache. This, together with his scar that burned him, was giving him trouble to think correctly. He put his glasses on his nose quickly, and saw with horror *something* was running in his direction... something that looked like a gigantic black thing — a grim, maybe?

Harry rubbed his eyes and blinked twice, but the thing was still running in his direction. His heart sank and blood drimmed from his face.

God! I have Visions! HELP! he thought, the stone in his stomach becoming heavier. His hand ran automatically to look for his wand but, of course, he didn't have it with him...

Too frightened to think clearly, he thought to run and tried to stand up. His hands looked for the pavement... but didn't find what they were looking for — strange enough, they touched nothing. Harry’s sight ran from the monster to the pavement he couldn't find any more, but he saw only some grass before falling down.

Wasn't I sitting on the pavement? He found himself on the ground, while the monster passed awfully close to the point where was his head, just seconds before.

"Matte yo, Inuyasha!(2)" a female voice yelled in the distance. Harry felt the ground and noticed that it was grass and not asphalt. He couldn't check if he was still alive, since *something* walked over his back, as if he was transparent.

"URUSEE!(3)" an angry, male voice yelled.

Finally, Harry got up and stared at the place around him, stunned. Where was he? He didn't see any more the tidied and clean Privet Drive gardens, with their beautiful squared houses and their shining brass plates at the doors. The pavement where he sat down just seconds before had turned into... a stone. The houses and the streets became thick with trees and bushes of various shapes and dimensions. Only the clear signs of a flight bombing ruined, here and there, the peace and regularity of the woods... well, at least it looked like to be a flight bombing. There were enormous holes, in which the destroyed branches of the trees were still burning.

Harry was shocked; what had happened to him? Where Privet Drive was? What was he doing in a forest? He hadn't run into a port-key by any chance? No... he hadn't felt that jerk somewhere behind his navel... The feeling in his stomach reached the heaviness of a big stone. He didn't have his wand, his scar was still burning. He felt hot; everything was giving him a very annoying headache. What would happen to him? Would he die?

Harry was startinc to panic when he heard the sound of steps approaching from the right — the monster, a sort of enormous black beetle, was running in his direction again. He realize it just in time and ducked away, so that the monster passed him, followed by a sort of boy. Harry didn't understand who was weirder: the beetle was horrid but that boy... was spine-chilling — yes, there was no other way to describe him. He had long, silver hair and wore strange red clothes that made him bigger than what he really was. He handled an enormous sword, and had the glare of one who'd love to gut you with no mercy.

Anyway, looking at both, maybe the beetle was worse... maybe...

Probably that boy was the one who walked over me before... Harry thought hitting the base of his neck, still aching, with his fists. He gulped, realizing suddenly that he had just escaped by luck to be face-to-face with a monster he didn't know how to fight.

"TEMEE! Nigete kiyagatta na!(4)" the white-haired boy was yelling, while raising his sword and preparing himself to send a downward stroke against his enemy.

No, he can't do it; he's too far away! That beetle’s too fast! Harry thought, but his heart sank when the monster was shot by a shining arrow and stopped, turning around. Harry looked in the same direction, and saw a girl who, clearly, had shot it. Long, black hair, anger flaming in her eyes, a bow in her hands, which was still quivering from the shot it had just sent. She wore a sailor dress, green skirt, white jacket with green sleeves and a red ribbon on the chest. Harry stared at her, speechless, for few moments until a voice made him come back to reality.

"KURA E! KAZE NO KIZU!(5)" Harry turned around to see what was happening. A strange flash went out of the boy's sword and... yes, it was impossible but... he could see a sort of crack in the wind. The flash made a rip in the air and it hit the giant beetle, which broke into hundred of pieces. The big explosion caused Harry to almost fall to the ground.

The boy and the girl sighed happily, and Harry understood that the fight was over. Hundreds of questions came to his mind. All of this couldn't be true... even if he was used to strange things happening to him, this was perhaps the most unbelievable one.

Maybe it's just a dream, he thought. But then he realized that his back was aching and that his right wrist was bleeding — he had hit it on the ground badly when he tried to look for the pavement.

If it hurts, it can't be a dream! Harry was getting the more and more nervous. Then, worse than ever, he was sweating hard, and not because of his worries; he never felt so hot in his whole life. His clothes were glued to his body and he felt the need to undress quickly and take a bath... but he knew he couldn't.

"Kagome, yatsu no Shikon ni kakera wa, doko ni aru?(6)" the white-haired, red dressed boy asked, still out of breath. The raven haired girl approached the pieces of the monster, getting close to Harry as if she didn't notice him; she kneeled down and took something from one of the body's pieces. Harry widened his eyes when, after she got up, all the pieces of the monster turned into dust, suddenly.

The girl glanced at the white-haired boy with relief. Maybe her name was Kagome; each time the boy referred to her he always said this word, and Harry thought it could be her name. She was pretty, and while looking at the boy, her face got'such a sweet and caring expression'that touched the deepest point of Harry's heart. She looked beautiful... like an angel.

"Inuyasha, daijobu ka(7)?" she asked with a sweet voice, while Harry's heart skipped a beat.

What am I thinking about? I don't even know her... Harry thought shaking his head to remove the bad thoughts. He didn't know where he was and why, he didn't know how to go back without his wand, and then it was obvious that the girl felt something for the white-haired boy. Other than this, he liked Cho... These thoughts passed through his mind in a fragment of second, and just thinking of Cho made him feel a pain in his stomach. What if he'd never be able to see her, or his friends, any more?

"Kagome-chan, Inuyasha!"

"Daijobu?"

"Kagomeeeeeeeeeee!"

Other people yelled in the distance. Harry turned around and he saw a very beautiful girl running in their direction, followed by a boy a little older than her and a funny, small being with a fluffy big tail, pointed ears and red hair who suddenly jumped up to hug the raven haired girl. The other two people approached the white haired boy and had a quick speech, of which Harry didn't understand A SINGLE THING. Not that he did understand something before... He wondered which language it was. It should have been something like Chinese, or Japanese; a language he didn't know. Now the monster wasn't the most important problem and a new worry was giving Harry the creeps.

Damn! Hermione would know some handy spell I could use to be understood... he thought, worried. He wanted to know where he was and why, but how could he ask these people if they didn't know English? What if they attacked him? The white-haired boy wasn't exactly the best person to have a fight with... especially without his wand! Harry decided to have an attempt. After all, he could try to be understood with gestures. If they'd get angry, he could just turn around and run... He was very quick, after all!

"Hum... excuse me..." he said, moving near the group, his heart in his throat from worry. But they didn't turn around; they kept talking as if he didn't exist at all.

Nice people they are, Harry thought, trying to caugh the attention of someone. I know they probably don't understand me, but... hell... they could reply or turn around!

He gulped and tried to get a little courage. He approached the red-dressed boy, pushing him on the back, but he seemed to not notice it at all. At that moment, Harry saw a strange detail he didn't notice before, and his hand stopped: the white-haired, red-dressed boy had a pair of pointed dog ears instead of the normal, human ears. What was this place? What was that boy? He wasn't human!

Just at that moment, he heard the creepy sound of a wolf howling in the forest. He shuddered and decided to keep trying to talk with those people. After all he had seen a lot of strange beings in the four years he'd spent at Hogwarts — most of the time they were awful to look at, but they didn't harm too much. Whoever they could be... he had to be seen!

The dog-eared boy didn't want to hear him, so Harry decided to have a try with the saiolr-dressed girl.

"Hum... excuse me? Hey?" he passed a hand in front of her eyes, but she didn't seem to notice it. Harry felt annoyed at being transparent. But he wasn't wearing his invisibility cloak! Then, the girl blinked two or three times, and glanced around, frowning.

"Nanda?(8)" the dog-eared boy asked, roughly.

"Dou, date no, Kagome-chan?(9)" the beautiful girl asked after him. She had long, dark hair, put up on a pig tail, and wore a dark Chinese-like outfit, which wrapped her body like a second skin. She really was beautiful... even more her than the Kagome-girl. But right now, Kagome was the one who caught Harry's attention. She DID notice something!

"To, tonikaku...(10)" the girl replied, shaking her head as to say no. Harry didn't know the language, but he understood that the two asked Kagome what had happened, and she replied that it was nothing. Nothing? How the hell NOTHING! She DID see something! He decided to try his best for her to see him. Maybe she had some special powers — the other people didn't seem to be able to do the same.

Harry drew near Kagome, an avalanche of words came out his mouth, but the girl kept talking with her companions, and she didn't hear him. The group started to walk away, and Harry panicked again.

"Hey you! What's your name? Kagome? Why are you ignoring me? I KNOW you have noticed me! Please tell me something! What am I doing here? Who are you? Why can't you see me?" Harry felt the heavy stone in his stomach get heavier by the moment. What would he do if they didn't see him? What if he turned out to be a ghost? Maybe he died in the middle of the street... at Privet Drive?

Maybe this is dying? You feel bad and you find yourself in another place, where nobody can see you, he thought, scared. But then he realized that it couldn't be; if he really was dead, he shoudln't feel any pain!

So... why can't they see me? Harry thought while pushing the girl, passing his hands over her eyes, shouting in her ears. He was slowly having a hysterical crisis; he would have been ashamed of himself, in a different situation. He didn't want to cry, but tears were falling by themselves from his eyes, and his heart was spending too much time up in his throat. He'd prefer having to deal with Malfoy, or to get caught by Dudley's gang and be beaten to death. He'd prefer to fight Voldemort too... anything would be better than this indifference!

Suddenly, Kagome looked around doubtfully. Maybe she noticed something again? Her sight passed through his face, as if he really was transparent. This allowed Harry to calm down; he dried his eyes with his hand, and noticed that they were burning from the tears, and that his glasses were misty and wet. Then, he touched his chest, and felt with happiness his clothes and his body under his fingers. He was not wearing his invisibility cloak... he was sure of it! But in this case, why didn't they see him? And even wearing the cloak, they at least should have been able to hear his voice! Why weren't they able to see or hear him? He WAS able to hear and touch THEM!

The pain from the scar, which hadn't left him alone during the whole fight, became more and more annoying. Harry bent forward, hugging his own clothes and closing his eyes.

When he opened them again he was lying down on a bed. The shining ceiling of a building that looked like a hospital took the place of the clear and blue sky which he saw just a minute before.

"Wha..." Harry set down, feeling thoroughly out of sorts. Yes, now that he could look around better, he really was in a hospital... his right wrist had been disinfected and covered with some bondages, and he was wearing pyjamas, which smelled of disinfectant.

"Mr. Williams, please do come here! The boy woke up!" the nurse was checking the temperature of a patient close to his bed, and she immediately noticed that Harry had woken up. She ran to call a middle-aged man, the doctor, of course.

"Are you feeling better, Mr. Dursley?" he asked, worried. Harry blinked few times when the doctor said that name: how could he know it? Then he remembered that he brought with him that letter, in his pocket. They must have read the Dursleys' name there...

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter," he said, a bit annoyed for the mistake. "Yes, I'm fine. What happened to me?" Harry had a huge headache and heavy shivers. His scar didn't burn any more, but he didn't understand anything yet, and he couldn't help but tremble. He knew very well what those shivers meant.

"A person called the ambulance. You were lying on the pavement with a hand on your forehead, and your dog was madly trying to get the attention of people," the nurse replied.

My dog? Harry thought. He asked for some chocolate and received a negative reply. Then, Uncle Vernon came in the room, his face red with anger. After him was Aunt Marge, livid with rage and wearing her travelling clothes. Harry gulped at the glare they sent at him. He hadn't thought far enough to even consider it — if the doctor knew the Dursleys' name, the hospital would have called uncle Vernon asking him to come.

They were mad at him, of course, but the nurse didn't want them to scold him too much. Harry looked at the minute woman dressed in white with thankful eyes. He got up from the bed, still shivering, and dressed in the clothes he wore that morning. In the meantime, the doctor had a talk with his uncle, asking details about Harry’s scar; Vernon said that it was a memory of the car accident where Harry’s dad and mum died, but the doctor didn't believe him. Anyway Harry was feeling better and he had no reason to be kept in the hospital — so the doctor allowed him to go back home.

"Your dog's waiting for you in the hospital's park. It didn't want to be far from you, but we had to keep it outside because, you know, dogs are not allowed here—" the nurse said with a sweet voice.

"Dog? We don't own dogs!" Uncle Vernon said, rude.

"It's strange, Mr... ah yes, Dursley." The nurse was amazed. "I can't believe that it was just a stray dog! It was too concerned about the boy." Uncle Vernon told her again that they didn't have dogs. Still gulping at Aunt Marge disgusted glare, Harry suddenly realized something — his face brightened for the sudden hope.

"Err... Excuse me. Was that dog very big, with a lot of fur and black? With pale eyes?" he asked, still shivering for the cold. The woman nodded yes, and a smile spreaded all over Harry's face. He left Uncle Vernon and Aunt Marge in the middle of the corridor, and ran more than he had ever in his life.

"DON'T RUN INSIDE THE HOSPITAL!" the nurse yelled, but Harry didn't pay attention to her.

Sirius! he thought going down the hospital steps and running outside. Yes, there he was — Snuffles was waiting for him, sitting down politely. Harry couldn't believe his own eyes, he felt as if hundreds of days had passed since the last time he saw his godfather... but in reality he had seen him just two months ago. He hugged the big dog, and the animal pushed Harry’s cheek with his nose, trying to show him something in his mouth.

"What are you doing here, Sir... ahem, Snuffles? I missed you so much!" the big dog whimpered, as an answer. Harry observed that what Sirius was carrying in his mouth was a chocolate bar; the paper was a bit smudged, but not ripped off. Harry hugged his godfather again — he understood that the Muggles would never give him what he really needed to feel better and brought it by himself. "But you have to leave now. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Marge are here and it's dangerous," Harry said, then removed the paper and ate the chocolate. He felt a nice warmth pass through his veins, and his strength came back immediately. He tried to do things as fast as he could, so that his Uncle and Aunt wouldn't meet Sirius.

"What's that... that... that disgusting thing?" Harry was startled, and he grew pale noticing that Aunt Marge was standing behind him. She was livid with rage as before, and she appeared to be sickened, looking at the sort of cross between an English Mastiff and a Terranova that was glaring at her while a deep growl came out his throat. Her face was turning purple.

"He... he's a DOG!" Harry was thinking fast. He had to find a way to avoid the two of them fighting. Padfoot was growling even harder now, his teeth showed in a scary grimace and his hair rose on his back, which made him look even bigger than he really was. If Harry didn't do something quickly, Padfoot would attack Aunt Marge... "Y-you like dogs, don't you?" he said, stroking Padfoot on the back. The dog didn't seem very willing to stop, but he noticed that Harry was afraid and shut up, sitting down once again. He kept glaring at Aunt Marge, the hair on his back still up.

"How dare you compare my sweeties with that... that..." Aunt Marge's face became even redder. "Saint Brutus didn't teach you anything? Petunia should ask them to hit you harder! You'll see... you'll repent of what you said!" A loud growl came out of Aunt Marge's arm socket, replying to Sirius's one. The old Ripper's shabby mug showed from the big woman's clothes, and the little thing struggled madly to be put down.

Sirius growled again, and Harry sweated hard. The hair on Padfoot's back rose up, even more than before. Ripper jumped on the ground, growling, and made the first move. Padfoot replied, trying to protect Harry. Suddenly, Ripper lost all his rage and strength, and screamed with high sobs, as if someone was trying to break him into pieces. Aunt Marge yelled, trying to separate the two dogs; she hit Padfoot's back with her stick, causing the enormous dog to become even angrier. Harry was too stunned to have the will to do anything — he got sent backward with such a huge push that he had found himself on the ground. But then Aunt Marge got bitten by one of the dogs and her rage became anger. She yelled to call the Pound for a dog catcher, so Harry's strength came back immediately.

"No, not the Pound!" Harry shouted, suddenly standing up. He tried to stop Padfoot, and was almost bitten on the arm by Ripper. The situation was getting worse and worse, when a guardian at the hospital came with a huge rope and used it to catch Padfoot. Aunt Marge took out of the big dog's fangs her small old one, and she inspected him, to see if he was injured. Luckily he didn't seem to have been harmed, he was just all wet, panting and shaking. But Marge glared at Harry, as if it was his fault, while massaging the sign of a bite she had on her arm. Then she gave a ferocious glare to the big black dog.

"This evil thing must be immediately destroyed. Crossbreeds... awful things they are. Dirty, grimy, flea-bags, with no sure appearance and with no reason to exist. I'll go call the Pound, and I'll see with my own eyes this dog executed. It bit me, and could harm my Ripper!" The old bulldog was still panting, sitting in his owner's lap, but he was once again growling at Padfoot.

"You can't do it! I mean... it wasn't his fault, Ripper attacked him! How can you be sure that Snuffles bit you?" Harry was shivering even more than when he got up in the hospital. He knew that his word didn't count against Aunt Marge's, and that Ripper was small, and old... anybody who looked at the thing objectively would think it was Padfoot's fault. And he was a stray dog... damn!

"Of course I can! That flea-bug will be sent to the Battersea Dogs Home. You know... there's a law here, and if a dog bites a person it's KILLED!" Aunt Marge barked, her small eyes became little slits on her face. She was annoyed by Harry's reply, but then she saw him lower his sight shaking his fists and her lips turned up into a smile of satisfaction.

"No, I'm sorry. You can't send this dog to the Battersea, and anyway they won't execute him," the guardian said, suddenly. Two pairs of eyes moved to his direction; one glaring at him, the other glancing at him with joy.

"How dare you say that? This dog attacked me and my Ripper and I'll have it killed even if it's the last thing I'll do in my life!"

"Well... you know... this is not a stray dog," the man said. He was reading a small thing linked to Padfoot's neck with a collar. "His name's Snuffles. Someone named Arabella Figg is his owner." Harry blinked three times before getting to understand what the guardian had said.

What? Mrs. Figg? he thought, his heart skipping a beat. Padfoot glanced at him with languid eyes, as if he did think of everything...

Hogwarts Express slowed down, a huge cloud wiping up the locomotive and the closer wagons. A woman with long, raven hair and brown-red eyes sighed staring at the view out of the window. The trees and the houses on the background moved quickly, but they didn't change — it was boring.

"Naraku, did I really need wear this... thing?" she asked, shivering in the western robe that her companion forced her to wear. "I understand the need to modify our eye colour and ear shape, so we'd not be suspicious, but you could let me wear my clothes, they know we come from Japan, after all!" She glared at the heavy black cloak that she had to wear before going on the train. She hated that foreign country; it was so much colder that she almost renounced to ride the wind... she wanted to go back to Japan, as soon as possible.

But she had a reason to not scream in anger; Naraku himself had to do the same thing and now he wore a dark wizards robe, and a black and purple cloak. He looked almost... funny dressed like that, even if his icy glance didn't lose its cruelty.

"Kagura, keep in mind that you must go bring the others here, after we'll be settled," he said. The woman sobbed again.

"Do you think anyone will be suspicious about us?"

"No. Dumbledore is the only one who can take the hint... he's a hard nut to crack; but I highly doubt he can identify me. He couldn't get it when I possessed that stupid man... Quirrell." He paused for a long time, as the train began to slow down its run and the Hogsmeade's binary and station took the place of the trees and houses outside the window. "Then... there's the betrayer... he'llpay forit. I'll be sure to punish him with a big pain, before we leave..."

The train finally stopped. Kagura didn't understand who the person was that Naraku was talking about... since the day he melted with that wizard, she never understood any more who was talking to her, the Youkai or the western Dark Lord. She noticed, though, that Naraku's eyes were glaring at a dark dressed man who was waiting for someone in the distance.

They got off the train, and Kagura shuddered again. It's summer! How will the weather be in the winter? she thought, rubbing her hands to get some heat. The blackly dressed man approached them and eyed them from tip to toe, annoyed. When he met Naraku's eyes he turned as white as a sheet, and his right hand moved frantically to his left arm, as if it was burning. He frowned, but immediately got back his grimy glare.

"You're the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," he stated. Kagura nodded yes, a bit bored by the obvious question. After all, they were the only passengers on that strange machine!

"You must be Severus Snape, the Potions Master, if I'm not mistaken. I've heard *a lot* about you," Naraku replied, with an icy tone, insisting on the 'a lot' as if it was a fault. His eyes were harsh, but Snape wasn't scared and sent another annoyed glare in their direction.

"Someone gave you good information about Hogwarts and its teachers," the wizard replied, sustaining Naraku's glance. Kagura shivered as she noticed Naraku's wrath — this caught Snape's attention. "But I can see that you still have problems dealing with our weather. It's better if I bring you to Hogwarts, so you can settle and get comfortable." His words were kind, but his voice showed that the man wanted them to instantly die.

Snape guided them to a carriage with no horses, telling them to sit down, and taking a seat across from them. The trip was very silent; the atmosphere was tense, and nobody talked. The view Kagura saw outside the window was completely different from the one she was used to; the woman looked at it, bored.

Luckily their destination wasn't far, and soon the two new teachers made their entrance into Hogwarts's castle. They were followed by Snape, icier than ever and keeping a hand over his left arm.

That man... he seems to have something. I think Voldemort hated him, but Naraku shall act differently. If someone finds out, our plans would be in serious trouble! Kagura thought while noticing the mute glares the two men were keeping to share.

They came into the big castle, and Naraku stopped a moment, looking around and smiling lightly, as if he recognized a place where he had lived a long time before; a place that he loved. Kagura didn't see any familiar things in that building with strange structure, so different from what she used to think normal. She couldn't make herself like it. But after all, she didn't need to like it; she just needed to obey her master. Obey — how she hated that word! She wanted to be free, like the wind! And she wanted to go back home, to a place where she wouldn't risk freezing on July 30th.

"You must be the new teachers," a female voice said, bringing Kagura back to reality. The woman who spoke was a tall and thin witch. Her face showed several signs of age; her eyes were hidden under thick squared glasses; her hair disappeared under her pointed, black hat. Everybody seemed to like those types of clothes... Kagura smirked, disgusted.

The witch whispered a few words to Professor Snape, who went away muttering. Then she gave the new teachers a nod. "Nice to meet you two. I'm Professor McGonagall, please follow me. I'll show you your rooms. When you feel well enough, you'll need to reach the Headmaster's office. You came here just in time to add your books to the notes we send every year to the children. All owls will need to leave the Owelry in two hours." The woman turned around and she walked through the right side corridor, beckoning them to follow.

"How can you have Mrs. Figg's address on your collar?" Harry asked Padfoot, while he took him to Mrs. Figg'’s house. He had to spend a lot of time arguing with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Marge to get this. The woman lost her chance to do something Harry would be sad about, and she was very disappointed to know that the dog was Mrs. Figg's, so that she couldn't vent about having been bitten by him. She had also accused Harry of being a dog thief! But luckily Harry had said that he was bringing the dog out as Mrs. Figg asked him to do; after all, he had to go to her house... and nobody could tell that he hadn't arrived there yet. So Uncle Vernon allowed him to take the dog back to its 'owner'.

Sirius trotted next to Harry, his intelligent, pale eyes were looking at him with affection. They reached quickly Mrs. Figg's house, and Harry had many doubts about ringing the bell. He had things to discuss with Sirius, and he couldn't do it in that house, nor could his godfather take back his human appearance walking on the street... so where could he go?

But before Harry could think of something, Padfoot had already scraped Mrs. Figg's door with his paw and someone, from the inside, had replied, "I'm coming!"

"Sirius, I want to take you somewhere you can return human," Harry whispered in Padfoot's ear, but the door opened before he could finish.

"Oh, I was wondering when you two would be back. Sirius, tell me why you left so quickly. I was getting worried!" Mrs. Figg eyed at the dog and the boy, a bit upset.

Harry's eyes got wide. Had he heard correctly? She had called him SIRIUS!

The dog came in the house, followed by a very astonished Harry. When the door closed, Padfoot turned back human, right in front of Mrs. Figg.

"I'm sorry, Arabella. I know I shouldn't have, but... I felt that something was wrong. And in fact, you know, Harry was screaming on the ground a few steps from here, with his hands on his scar. Nobody was willing to help him, I had to beg a lot of people to get someone to call a doctor!"

"Muggles... those cretins!" the woman said. Harry was staring at her with eyes wide and jaw dropped; Mrs. Figg glanced at him, amused.

"Harry, my dear, I can see you're surprised," the woman said, smiling.

Sirius took off the 'collar' from his neck, with big relief.

"I thank you for this, Arabella. I guess it saved my life today. And, Harry, I'm sorry I made you worry. That git of a dog had insulted you." He threw the collar to Mrs. Figg, who sent it back to him immediately, giving the man a piercing glare. Sirius sighed, and once more put on the collar. Then, he turned around and saw Harry's face — he was staring at them in shock and didn't even pay attention to his words.

"I think you owe Harry some explanations, Arabella." Sirius smiled, amused at Harry's nods. Mrs. Figg smiled too and asked them to sit down in the living room.

Mrs. Figg's house was always the same. The same rooms filled with darkness, the same ancient looking, odd furniture; none of them had a small scratch, or moths, and looked as if they were restored the day before. The living room had always the same unmatched chairs, with hand-made crochet covers. The same, old, television showed off in the exactly same place as ever. The same annoying smell of cat and cabbage infected the atmosphere. Harry noticed a cat staring at them with curious eyes from under the big sideboard; then, it saw Sirius, and it ran as fast as it could to the other side of the room, and then outside. Even his godfather saw the animal, and followed its movements, a bit amused. Sirius was turning up his nose; probably he couldn't stand the smell.

Arabella Figg asked them if they wanted to eat something. Sirius told her to give Harry some chocolate. He didn't have much of it when he found Harry; and judging from the boy’s screams, it was a very strong Dark Magic’s attack.

"How is it possible that You-Know-Who reached him here at Privet Drive? Albus..." Mrs. Figg was saying while, putting out the sleeve of her dress a long wand, probably made in beech. She made suddenly appear a pot fill with hot chocolate and a cup. Harry was more astonished than ever now.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Figg," Harry said, wanting to understand. The woman looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "but... why... err..." he stammered, realizing that he didn't know what he wanted to ask. He always thought of Mrs. Figg as an old, odd woman, obsessed about cats and with a house that smelled of cabbage. Now he was finding out that she was a witch! And not your average witch... a friend of Dumbledore and Sirius!

"I'll explain everything to you, Harry, but not immediately. Now you must drink your chocolate before it gets cold. Then we'll sit down calmly and talk. I promise you that I'll give an answer to all your doubts." The woman smiled and poured some dark and hot chocolate into a cup. She handed it to Harry, so that he had to shut up and blow on the liquid until it became warm enough to drink. The questions could wait, after all.

Author’s note:

Oh well ^_^ here we are, at the end of another chapter! :) I hope you liked it enough to write a little comment ^_^ I enjoyed writing it, above all the part in Japan and the Sirius vs. Ripper fight ^^

Let's translate the Japanese words:

1) Kagome, beware!
2) Wait, Inuyasha!
3) SHUT UP!
4) Damn Bastard! Don't bloody run away!
5) Take this! Cutting Wind!
6) Kagome, where’s the Jewel’s fragment?
7) Inuyasha, are you all right?
8) What's up?
9) What's happening, Kagome?
10) Never mind, it's all right.

I'm sorry if I wrote these phrases in Japanese. I couldn't avoid to do it: I should let you know that Harry didn't understand what Inuyasha and his group were saying, and the only way I thought about to get the evidence of it was letting them talk, actually, in Japanese.

These dialogues should be correct: I took them from various volumes of Inuyasha’s manga, so that I wouldn't let people talk differently from how they really talk... or with mistakes.

So, going back to your comments ^^ time to answer!

Clyde: Thank you :) here's the next one, did you like it? ^_^

Paul: Well, yeah, it's true. Naraku is a much more good-looking enemy than Voldemort ;). And well... wow, you are an attentive reader ;). Yes, the fourth year boy is going to be Kohaku. How Harry will fight Naraku? well... it will be difficult, he may win or he may be defeated... or he also may be helped. Who knows? (I know ^^; you're right!) Tell me what do you think of this chapter and the first meeting with Inuyasha and his group :)

Written by:
Kagome-sama.

Beta-read by:
Chibi Sarel and Cowdenon.

Legal Disclaimer
Both Inuyasha and Harry Potter are NOT mine. I wish they were... especially with Inuyasha... but... cruel world... Inuyasha is owned by Takahashi Rumiko, Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling... I do own this story, but it's not the same thing :P

"Wormtail? Wormtail?" a cold voice echoed in the darkness of the room. The tall, dark haired man sat down in a corner, his flaming red eyes stared into Kanna's Mirror, amused. "Wormtail, don't pretend you can't hear me. I saw the way you jumped when I called your name." He watched the person in the mirror gulp at his words and smirked.

"M-my Lord. I beg your pardon. It's just that... your voice has a strange sound since... I didn't understand..." The small wizard wrapped in a cloak too big for him glanced around. His small pale eyes were looking for a place to stare.

"Wormtail, did you follow my orders?" asked the man, his glance turning sharper.

"Of course, my Lord. Lord Vold... hem, Lord Nara... I mean... Master..."

A cold laugh echoed in the air, freezing the man's new attempts at stammering. Inside the Mirror, Wormtail shuddered.

"I don't care what you call me. I only care that you obey my orders. Did you make sure that she hid where I told you to?"

"Yes, my Lord." Peter's eyes darted around the room, trying to avoid his master's stare.

"What about the fragment? Did you put it where it could be found?"

"O-of course, Master. The fragment was put where no one should be suspicious of it. Your servant won't disappoint you-"

"I didn't tell you to put the fragment where no one would be suspicious, Wormtail!" the voice roared. "I told you to hid it where Harry Potter would find it and decide to keep it!" Peter shuddered again and hid his face under his arms.

"Ma-Master. Harry Potter WILL desire to keep the object. I-I'm SURE of this! I'm sure! He shan't put it down—"

"You better hope that he does, Wormtail. If anything goes awry, hiding your face won't help you," said the voice, laughing at his panic. "Of course, you did follow my orders, so you won't get into trouble, correct? All you have to do now is relax and keep an eye on her. Don't let her move from where she is."

"Y-yes, Sir, Master, My Lord—"said the man before the image in the Mirror faded into the face of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"Do you really trust that git?" asked Naraku after staring at the wizard's face for a while.

"No," Voldemort replied, his bright red eyes filled with disgust. "Not at all. He's a coward, though, he'll follow orders because of his fear for me."

"Until someone more frightening comes along, you mean." Naraku's lips lifted into a hard smile.

"It's a risk we must take. We could show the Mark and call the other Death Eaters. But I trust them even less — they didn't do anything to help me when I needed them. Maybe the only one we can trust is..."

"Of course, I know who you're talking about. I'll send Kanna and Hakudoshi to have a talk with him, he may be of some use." The Mirror misted again and Kanna walked away, impassive.

"Kanna, you've heard what to do."

"Yes, Lord Naraku," she said blankly. She walked to a precise point of the room and disappeared. At that very moment, Nagini appeared from the exact same point and approached her master. She coiled herself around his feet.

"Good." Naraku closed his eyes and softly stroked the serpent's head. "Let's have a look at our little friend..."

Harry returned to his room, exhausted. The evening had been extremely tiring — but then he wouldn't have expected any less from Aunt Marge.

When he had returned to number four Privet Drive, his Aunt and Uncle greeted at him with a glare. Aunt Marge's bite was better than it had looked and in fact it had disappeared before she had returned to the Dursleys'. However, the Dursleys couldn't blame poor Mrs. Figg. So, they blamed Harry — he was the one responsible for the dog, after all.

Aunt Petunia scolded Harry for long time. She then sent him to bed with no dinner. Thus, the day after he'd need to take Aunt Marge to the hospital, which thing Harry supposed he wouldn't like at all.

He wanted to collapse on his bed, but something stopped him, something that gave him back some of his strength — Hedwig was back, finally, and she wasn't alone. In fact, Errol, the Weasley's elderly owl was lying on Harry's bed. It was obvious that Hedwig had dragged him for a long time, since he was lying still, as if he was dead. It looked like he wasn't breathing, but Harry knew that he was just having a rest. So, he drew near the only creature which didn't glare at him in the household. He was happy to see her.

"Welcome home, Hedwig!" he said petting her. He took some biscuits he knew she liked from his pocket and fed them to the bird who took the food politely. He picked up the letter she was carrying and then noticed the large package that Errol had been carrying, one that was larger than the owl himself. Harry had a sudden revelation.

Hang On! In few hours it's my birthday — I nearly forgot, he thought. He decided not to open the package until midnight. Harry was sure that Ron thought that Errol would take more time to get there, but Hedwig had helped him and they had arrived earlier. Harry helped Errol into Hedwig's cage, where she already waited, patiently. She glanced at him thankfully, then went to drink some water and rest her wings. Hedwig had carried Hermione's reply but, strangely, no present at all. Harry picked up her letter and read.

"Dear Harry,

"How are you? I'm sorry I haven't written sooner, but I've been trying to get permission from my parents. I can't tell you anything at the moment, but I promise you won't have to wait too much longer for the truth.

"I hope that you're alright. I'll write if there's a problem.

"Sorry, I can't tell you more.

"Love,

-Hermione."

Harry stared at the letter in disbelief. He couldn't help but be disappointed. It was the first time since he met Hermione that she hadn't sent him a present. Not that he cared that much... but he'd thought she would've at least sent him a card!

Hermione had never been so cold. Her letter seemed rushed and she was clearly hiding something. This isn't like Hermione, thought Harry.

He fought the temptation to open Ron's gift. After all he had to wait only a few hours, and he really wanted to have something to open at the right moment. He decided to at least open Ron's letter to cheer himself up.

"Dear Harry,

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, mate! I hope you have better luck this time than with my last letter. I didn't want to send Errol on such a long trip, with this big a package, but I'm sure that he can do it, and he's not as noisy as Pig. I apologize for Pig! I yelled at him but he was too busy zooming around the kitchen to pay attention. I suppose the rilfe scared him to death.

"I hope that your Aunt doesn't ruin your birthday. I received a letter from Hermione and I have a feeling that you'll have a good birthday for once.

Harry stared at Ron's letter. Have a nice day? He looked at Hermione's letter again and wondered what Ron was talking about.

"But I shouldn't tell you anything, I don't want to spoil the surprise. Of course I doubt that you'll read this message that early — but you can't ever tell.

"Once again, Happy Birthday! I hope you'll enjoy the few next days — it's not the best thing you could do during the summer... but it's better than staying with the Muggles!

-Ron."

Harry's heart skipped a beat. What did Ron mean? Since when had his friends became so sublime?

He glanced over at Ron's package longingly, but he was determined not to open it. He decided to write his reply, to keep himself busy.

"Dear Ron,

"It's not that bad here, after all. Thank you for your letter and present. Errol met Hedwig in his way to Privet Drive and so he made it here earlier. It's not midnight yet, but I already got your present. I won't open it until my birthday, though; I want to have something to open then.

"I'm not sure why you're saying that Hermione will make my birthday happier. I received her letter too, Hedwig brought it, and it was cold, and sublime. I didn't expect her to send me a present, after all she had sent very expensive gifts every year, and I couldn't expect her to do this all the time. But I thought at least a card, a greeting... something. She didn't say anything at all! And your letter was very mysterious as well. What has happened to you two?

Harry paused to read what he had written and frowned — his scar was burning again.

"Damn... not now! Please!" he muttered. Pain was spreading across his face. He tried to go back to writing — perhaps keeping himself busy would make him feel better.

"Anyway, I have big news to tell you. Mrs. Figg is a witch! Yes, that old woman who took care of me when Dursleys went out with Dudley on his birthdays. And she's not your average witch — she's Dumbledore and Sirius' friend!

"Today my scar hurt again (Damn, it's hurting even now!) and I had the strangest dream ever. I was in a very hot place and I met people who talked Chinese, or Japanese... I dunno. I couldn't be heard, or seen, I could touch them but they didn't notice. When I woke up I found out it was a dream and that Sirius was there. He told me that I had a Dark Magic attack — you know, like the one I had that time, in the Astronomy Tower. Mrs. Figg told me that she was asked by Dumbledore to protect me. In reality she's a woman of Sirius' age, she's the daughter of the old lady the Dursleys knew. She took her mother's appearance using the Polijuice Potion. That's why her house smells of bad cabbages. I can't believe I never thought of that!

"She told me that the real Mrs. Figg died two years ago and she wasn't able to get out of bed long time before I was brought to Privet Drive. I'll tell you more when we'll meet at Diagon Alley. When are you going there to buy stuff for School?"

Harry couldn't go on. The burning in his scar was becoming more and more annoying and he could hardly see now. With or without his glasses everything was blurry. The last thing he remembered before falling to the ground, was what he thought was the sound of the Dursley's door bell ringing.

"I'm coming," Aunt Petunia said, walking from the lounge to the front door. Uncle Vernon was very busy telling Marge a funny story he heard at the office, and paid no attention to anything else.

"Good evening, how may I help you?" Aunt Petunia said as she stared curiously at the two middle-aged people who were waiting outside the door. A girl appeared behind them. Petunia reckoned her to be about Dudley's age. She wasn't ugly or beautiful; she had long, bushy brown hair and was staring at her in a way Petunia judged to be arrogant. In one hand she carried a big ancient book and in the other one she had a bag, which contained a mysterious package.

"Good evening, you're Mrs. Dursley, if I'm not mistaken," the tall man said sticking out his hand politely.

"Of course I am. Who are you?" Petunia asked, glancing at the man's hand suspiciously. After a moment he put it down and sighed.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Robert Granger, this is my wife, Diana and my daughter, Hermione." Aunt Petunia nodded politely to each of them, and then she stared again at the man, waiting for him to continue. "Hermione is a sch... friend of Harry," Mr. Granger changed his sentence after his daughter elbowed him. Petunia frowned hearing the name and glanced at the girl, scared. "We're..." he said, but couldn't finish his speech because Uncle Vernon's voice echoed from behind the door.

"Who's there, Petunia?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"They're PEOPLE who claim to know Harry," she replied, too much shocked to say anything more. Vernon glanced at the trio, concern in his small, blue eyes. But all he saw was an ordinary looking husband and wife, with a daughter who looked very ordinary looking as well. He glanced behind them and stared at a beautiful Rover Coupé, dark blue, that looked in very good shape.

They're probably doctors or something... people with money, Vernon thought. Uncle Vernon had a bad habit of judging people by the car that they drove and this car was new and expensive.

"What do you want?" he asked frowning — he was still thinking of who the they had asked for, and stared at them suspiciously.

"We're carrying a letter from the Hog... err the Headmaster of my daughter's school. He grants us the permission to take the boy with us. I know it's not nice of us to ask you to give up your nephew so soon. After all, as with my daughter, he just came home a short time ago. Unfortunately..." Mr. Granger said.

Vernon stared at him for a moment, his face turning violet. Mr. Granger's word's had caught his attention — yes, he would be happy to get rid of Harry early. But could he trust a person who had a daughter who was one of THEM? At least he couldn't SHOW of trusting them only because they owned a good looking car...

He grabbed the letter which Mr. Granger was handing him and ripped the envelope rapidly, giving a quick look at the contents. He glanced at Mr. Granger again suspiciously. Mr. Granger was staring at him in a friendly manner and, after all, the three of them didn't look ABNORMAL.

Aunt Petunia thought about inviting the strangers in after she recovered from the shock of someone asking for her nephew. After all Mr. and Mrs. Granger didn't look as strange as the Weasleys who had come the year before. But before she could say it, a high pitch scream came from Harry's room. Everyone frowned at the sound of something falling to the ground while Harry moaned in pain. Hermione elbowed her way into the house and immediately run upstairs, worried.

"Hermione, where are you going?" asked Mr. Granger who apologized immediately for his daughter's behaviour — after all the Dursleys hadn't invited them in yet, and it wasn't nice to go into other people's houses without permission. But Hermione hadn't paid attention, she just kept running until she reached Harry's room.

Hot. It was awfully hot. Harry got up and looked around, frowning.

No, it can't be. Please... not again! he thought. He was no longer in his bedroom, but in a forest similar to the one he had been in that morning.

He dusted off his clothes and stared at the trees — he was surrounded by darkness. His scar was burning again, but not as much as the last time and not as bad as when he wrote Ron's letter. He realized it was useless to stare, since he couldn't see anything. However, when he looked up to the sky, he saw the most beautiful site he ever stared into. It was the night of the new moon and the stars seemed to be more gorgeous than ever. The air was almost lighter, as if no smog made it heavier, and he didn't see any light in the environs. Maybe that was why the stars were shining so brightly. Such beauty took Harry's breath away.

Suddenly a wolf's howl echoed from somewhere in the distance. A shiver ran through Harry's spine bringing him back to the sad reality — he was alone, once again. He didn't have his wand and he didn't know how to return home. He found himself thinking of the people he had seen that morning, and wishing they were there.

He glanced around looking for danger, could a wolf be approaching, or perhaps something worse. His eyes were becoming accustomed to the darkness and he was beginning to recognize the shapes of the things around him. The foliage and the vegetation, the sudden flash of a wild creature's eye, in the dark branches of the trees. No wolves were around, at least he couldn't see them; he breathed a sigh of relief.

All of sudden, he noticed a light in the distance; someone had probably set up a fire. He ran in the direction of the light — maybe the person who made it would be nicer than the strange group he met that morning.

Damn, I can't see a thing! he thought walking in the light's direction. Although his eyes were now accustomed to the darkness, he didn't know this place and he couldn't be sure of where he should tread. He tripped over a root, and stammered.

"BLOODY HELL!" he yelled. He needed to reach that fire as soon as possible, he needed help. But when he got there, he got an unpleasant surprise — he had encountered the same group of people that he had seen that morning. Are they the only persons in the environs? he thought in disappointment. He tripped over another root and moaned in pain. He kicked at the root and then drew near the group. He decided to try again to get the girl's attention.

Then Harry noticed something odd, the small group all looked distressed. There was a new person in the group , or at least that's what he thought at first. A boy with long, raven hair and the exact same red clothes as the dog-eared one from that morning. God only knew why all of them liked these clothes that much!

He felt tension in the air and had the chilling impression that the boy dressed in red was glaring at him. The sailor-dressed girl looked around as though she heard him approaching. She seemed to be staring at his feet.

"Hum... do you see me?" he asked hopefully. If they could see him, Harry would be delighted.

"Gajin?" was the only word he understood her say. Harry felt excited shivers running down his spine, as the girl continued to stare at his feet. The others repeated that word as a question. The sailor-dressed girl blushed and said, "Hum... you stranger?"

Harry's heart skipped a beat. Did he hear correctly? Did she really speak... ENGLISH? Well, her English wasn't that great of course. But English, he was sure of it! He felt an adrenaline rush — he'd never imagined he could be so happy that someone was speaking his language!

"Can you see me? Can you REALLY see me? Oh God, thank you!" was the first thing that came to his mind. Harry's arms and legs shook. His heart was thumping in his chest, the adrenaline rush was giving him the creeps. He tried to calm down, but it was very hard.

"Eh?" she asked making a face. Harry decided that probably the girl didn't speak English very well.

I'm too much lucky that she speaks it at all! he thought, relieved. He drew near and saw that she was following his moves, looking to the ground.

"Can-you-see-me?" he asked spelling each word slow and clearly. The girl was a foreigner, he thought, she would understand only if he spoke slowly.

"No. No see... hear," she said while her companions stared at her in amazement. "They no hear. Too." Harry frowned; if he did understand correctly the girl could hear his voice but not see him. And she was the only one; the others couldn't hear him at all. How strange!

"How's that possible? Your eyes are following me!" he said quickly and then repeated himself slowly so that she would understand. The situation was annoying, but better than that morning.

"Can not see you... I can not. I see grass move," she said. Now he got it. She heard his voice and saw the grass moving under his feet, that's why she stared at the ground,

"Who you are?" she asked, still staring at his feet.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter. Who are you?" he was curious to know if he got her name right, and he was even more curious to know where he was.

"I am Kagome, Higurashi Kagome. They... Those are Inuyasha, Mirokusama, Sangochan and Shippochan." The girl pointed to the red dressed boy, then she showed the older boy with the pigtail, the beautiful girl who wore the black outfit in the morning and the odd little creature with the tail. "We are... oh... nice you to meet. That is... nice to meet you." She got up and bowed in his direction. Harry did the same, by instinct, and then felt stupid — she couldn't see him, so why should he bow?

"I'm VERY happy to meet you too... this morning was awful!" he thought aloud. Kagome widened her eyes in shock.

"Anta... hum... it was you? Sorry, my English is ugly... I am not very good grade at school." The girl looked ashamed, but Harry was just relieved to understand her!

"Don't worry. Your English is fine... and I'm happy I can understand what you say."

"You no true... uh... usotsuki... liar! Arigatou... I mean — thank you anyway." She smiled, blushing. The boy dressed in red — Inuyasha — told her something and she glared at him. She replied, in an angry tone, and the boy with the pigtail asked something else. Maybe he was more polite, because Kagome didn't get mad. Even the beautiful girl — Sangochan — asked something. Kagome began to talk, excitedly. She made the gesture of a circle and kept talking for a while, as if she was saying a very important thing. Everybody stared at her with eyes wide and the small being with the tail — Shippochan — jumped to her lap.

"Err..." Harry coughed. Kagome blushed and turned around to his direction, mortified.

"Sorry, Hali-san. I forget you." She blushed brighter. Harry found it difficult to recognize his own name. But he liked the way Kagome talked; monotone and laboured. She didn't speak English very well, she said it herself. But he didn't dislike it. To her, he'd be Hali-san.

"I'll forgive you. But only if you‘ll stop staring at my feet. I'm not a fly, you know," he said joking.

"Demo... where look?" she asked.

"Hum... I'm a bit taller than you. I suppose I'm as tall as the dog-eared boy I saw this morning. Where did he go?" he said aloud. Yeah, he thought, he was probably as tall as him; he hadn't really noticed that detail before.

"Dog-eared boy? Where he go?" Kagome stared at him puzzled, and then she glanced at Inuyasha. She turned around, blushing. "Well, he—"

"That boy has the same clothes. Is it a fashion or what?" Inuyasha said something and once again Kagome glared at him. Maybe he understood that they were talking about him. Suddenly, he got angry and yelled at Kagome, who yelled back at him. Then, she shut him up and stared at Harry's feet, again.

"Hali-san... so... boy dog-eared is Inuyasha. He." She pointed to the red dressed boy who was glaring in his direction and fuming.

"But..."

"I know what you think. He different now. Shingetsu... New Moon? He human at the new moon. He hanyo, half-yokai." she said, as if this explained anything, but Harry hadn't understood.

"What is a yokai?" he asked. Kagome blushed again; of course she didn't know how to explain it to him. Harry bit his lip. He didn't want to give her trouble, but he wanted to understand. In the mean time, Inuyasha was glaring at him, getting angrier but the moment. Strangely enough, though he couldn't see or hear Harry, but he seemed to know EXACTLY where Harry's face was.

"Well. Yokai is being of here, he has magic powers. He has long life and he can change into an animal," explained Kagome.

A wizard? Harry thought. If these are the Wizards from the Orient, they are strange indeed, he thought to himself. They have dog ears. He laughed; Aunt Petunia would scream in horror.

"Laugh? I know I no good to say it. Yokai are no human. Yokai are... how to say... spirits? No... ghosts? No-no-no, they no dead. Demons? No, not all of them evil... but some are. Yes, demons," she decided.

So they're not Wizards, but demons? I've never thought a demon could be good, Harry thought. These yokai could they be one of the various magical creatures he didn't know yet? Harry bit his lip again. Hermione would know, Kagome wouldn't have to explain anything to her. He made a promise to himself to spend more time studying that year. However, he still wasn't sure... what a half-yokai was? He decided to ask Kagome, she smiled.

"Hanyo is son of demon and human. Inuyasha no okasan... I mean, mother of Inuyasha was human. Father was demon. He half-demon, one time every month he human." Inuyasha said something which, once again, annoyed Kagome. She glared at her companion and said, "He is no happy I tell you. Shingetsu... new moon is secret. Nobody must to know."

"I see," said Harry, amazed.

"No, you no see... I mean, you do not understand. You do not know what it mean. He magic power. This night he do not have, so he is in danger. He can not defend himself."

"I do understand. I'm in a similar situation," Harry said quite sure that it was true. He couldn't defend himself that night—he didn't have his wand with him. If he was visible and a... yokai would attack him... what would he do? He finally understood why the boy was glaring at him so much. "Tell your friend that I shan't tell anyone his secret. I swear. Besides, if you're the only one who can hear me, or understand me, I won't be able to tell his secret anyway. Even willingly." Kagome gave Harry a nod and told Inuyasha what he had said. The red-dressed boy seemed to relax.

The small thing with the tail— Shippochan— drew near the point where Harry was standing up and said something. The older boy with the pig tail seemed to agree and said laughing what sounded to be a joke. But the beautiful girl, Sangochan, didn't agree. Well, at least Harry thought she didn't because she stomped a loud slap onto the pigtailed boy's face.

"You have to forgive Mirokusama. He hoshi... priest. But he hentai. Perverted. He joke always but Sangochan do not like he jokes." A PRIEST? Perverted? Harry's eyes widened in shock; this world was strange, indeed!

"What did he say?" he asked, curiously. If it was a joke, he wanted to laugh as well.

"Hum... Shippochan say is not nice you stand up. Mirokusama say it right, he can take Sangochan on lap so you sit down. But Sangochan do not agree; if she sit there he touch her bottom—" Kagome mimiked what she had just said, and both girls blushed. Harry sympathized with Sangochan. It shouldn't be THAT nice, after all, to have someone touch your butt. The boy called Inuyasha said something and, for once, Kagome didn't glare at him.

"Inuyasha say you can sit down like him, crossed legs," she said.

Good idea, Harry thought. The group followed his moves by staring at his feet as he approached them. Inuyasha waited until he drew near and then moved his body to allow him some empty space. Harry sat down and thanked Shippochan; he was really feeling tired. Besides, this new position had an unexpected benefit; finally Kagome wasn't staring at his feet. She had trusted what he said about being as tall as Inuyasha, and was now looking up into his eyes.

The half-demon asked something which, once again, didn't annoy Kagome. "He say now you sit down, who you are and why you are here."

Good question, Harry thought, I'd like to know it as well, but said "As I told you I'm Harry. I'm English I live in the Surrey, a place near London." And then he added, "I'm a wizard."

"A wizard? You pull rabbits out of hats?" Kagome asked. Harry laughed like a child.

"No... I don't pull them out!" he couldn't stop laughing. He knew it was rude but he couldn't help. "But I can read a crystal ball, if you want—" he continued sniggering, he couldn't help it. He waited while Kagome explained what he had said to the others, then Mirokusama asked a question. Kagome turned once again in his direction, glaring at him because of him snigger.

"Mirokusama wants to know why you are here."

"I'd like to know as well. I'd love to tell him if I knew," Harry said. Kagome stared at him, puzzled. That is... Kagome stared at the tree, which was staying right behind him. "I mean, I don't know why I am here. I feel a pain in my scar, my sight mists, I feel hot and I find myself here..." explained Harry. Kagome asked him about his scar and Harry told her about his life, Voldemort, and Hogwarts. He told her everything he could think about.

At first Harry felt it strange saying Voldemort‘s name and not having the people around him gasping in fear. But then he realized that these people didn't know who the Dark Lord was. In the same way that he did, they couldn't be scared of someone they never met. Kagome tried to describe to Mirokusama what Harry was saying. When she had stopped speaking, the priest closed his eyes and pondered for a long moment before replying.

"Mirokusama say that this Bodemoto powerful. Is Yokai?" Kagome asked. Harry's eyes widened when she spoke Voldemort's name. He decided that he preferred Bodemoto to You-Know-Who and it was less terrifying.

"No, he's not a yokai. I mean... maybe somehow he is one, if I really understood what they are. Voldemort is evil, very evil, and powerful. Everyone refers to him as 'You-Know-Who', because they're too afraid to say his name." Kagome translated and Mirokusama said something in return.

"He say that not good no tell name. Much worst for fear." Harry nodded and looked at the priest respectfully for the first time. Even if he was an 'hentai' as Kagome said, he was really wise and worthy of respect. Dumbledore had said the same thing, after all.

"Yeah, but how do you explain it to people who stare at you as though you murdered someone in front of them when you say his name..." he thought aloud. Kagome stared at the tree behind him, puzzled. "Err... I guess you don't understand. Don't worry, it wasn't important at all," he said, feeling sick. Harry moaned in pain — his scar had begun to hurt again.

"Nani? What is happening to you, Hali-san?" asked Kagome concerned.

"The scar..." Harry said between the moans. He noticed that his sight had misted again and he felt a voice calling him in the distance.

"Harry? Harry?" It sounded like Hermione's voice. But it couldn't be, thought Harry Hermione isn't at Privet Drive! He hugged his clothes, rubbed his eyes, and tried to not vomit. He didn't want to, but he had fallen forward and he had landed on the red-dressed boy, Inuyasha. Harry heard him yelling; probably cursing at him, but he couldn't help it, he was in too much pain.

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw himself lying on the familiar floor of his bedroom, in Privet Drive. He was back... he couldn't believe it! Still stunned, he sat up and put a hand to his scar, which no longer hurt.

"Harry, are you alright?" asked a voice behind him. Harry gulped and turned around quickly to find Hermione standing there. She had sat down next to him, had red eyes, a pink face and tears rolling down her cheeks. She must've been very worried about him. "You had me scared to death. For almost an hour you lie there, clutching your scar and screaming in pain. I didn't know what to do!" she hugged him, relieved and Harry blushed to the roots of his hair; he truly hadn't expect it!

"He-Hermione! What are you doing here?" he stammered, still stunned. She glanced at him wiping the tears from her eyes; then she chuckled, noticing his embarrassment.

"Well... since I FORGOT to wish you a happy birthday in my letter... I decided to come here and say it directly," she said, wearing a dangerous smile on her lips. Harry felt stupid for having doubted her.

That's why her letter was so much mysterious. Hermione must've spent a lot of time persuading her parents to come here, he thought and then he said, "How could you come upstairs? Uncle Vernon, Aunt Marge..."

"Dad and mum are downstairs with them. I heard you screaming, and I immediately ran up here. What happened?" she asked her expression changing from amusement to concern. She was biting her lip — Harry never noticed this tic of hers before, she must be really worried.

"Well, I was writing a letter to Ron," he said and then stopped, blushing his eyes widening. He remembered well what he had written in his letter! His heart sank, he didn't want Hermione to read that letter now. But her face told him that she already knew.

"Yes, I've read it. Your last phrase has the tenses messed up. 'I'm going to tell you everything when we'll meet at Diagon Alley. When will you go there—?' she said aloud, glaring at him. Harry blushed — Hermione DID read... damn!

"I'm sorry for what I wrote there. I didn't know that you—" he said feeling guilty, but she shook her head, smiling.

"It was a surprise. I knew what the reaction would be to my letter." She glanced at him, amused. "I know very well that you like it when people wish you a Happy Birthday." she was joking with him and Harry knew it. His face turned pink and he smiled. At least she wasn't worried any more and this was good. "Besides, I think you must eat this."

"Huh?" Harry stared at what Hermione had just put in his hands. "Is this my present?" he asked.

"No, silly boy... it's a chocolate bar. Don't you see, you're shaking?" she replied frowning. Harry smiled as he noticed she was right, he was shaking. He bit into the bar and felt the warmth flow through his veins; he loved that feeling! He moaned for the joy.

"What happened? I read that you felt sick even this morning. I'm sorry that I peeked at your letter, but I was worried and I needed to know." Now it was Hermione's turn to blush. Harry explained to her what had happened.

"Hali-san! Cool! Maybe we should call you that as well!" she said, giggling. Hermione was teasing him, once again—Harry glared at her.

"I don't understand why that -san in the end of the name—", puzzled Harry. Of course Hermione had read some books about Japanese culture and she told him that not only the -san, but also the -sama and the -chan were suffix which Japanese people used to show their relationship with the others.

"The girl was telling you that she respects a lot that Miroku and thinks that the girl and the little being with the tail as close friends," said Hermione finishing her small lesson. Harry stared at her in disbelief; Hermione really did know everything! "Next time you go back there, Harry — and don't look at me like that. Of course it wasn't a dream, you really went there! So, next time you go there, try to use the Understanding Charm."

"Understanding Charm?" asked Harry amazed. He KNEW it! He was SURE that Hermione was aware of a handling charm he may use to be understood! "I didn't know it existed and, anyway, I couldn't do magic there."

"Why?" Hermione asked and Harry explained that he didn't have his wand with him; Uncle Vernon hid it in the cupboard under the stairs, together with his books.

"Next time you won't have that problem, since you're going with us," said Hermione. Harry's heart skipped a beat.

"I'm leaving?" he asked excitedly. He wouldn't have to spend his birthday succumbing to Aunt Marge's will, after all.

"Yes. I got an owl from Professor Dumbledore some days ago. It was almost the same moment I got your letter. He asked me to come here to pick you up, we're going to meet with Sirius. I spent the few last days begging my parents for permission."

"Sirius? That's why he's at Mrs. Figg's..." all the mosaic's cards were falling into place. Maybe he wouldn't have a bad birthday, after all...

Author's Note:

Hello! First of all I'm sorry if this chapter took so much time to be uploaded, but I couldn't get ONE person to be my beta-reader and send me the file back. Luckily enough I've found Cowdenmon who was so nice to help, or the chapter would stay there forever =(.

Oh, one thing more: Kagome's English is awful on purpose. I know that she has not much trouble for English at school, but the English you learn at school is not very *complete*. And Japanese people are a bit difficult to understand in English. I wanted to show down all of this.

That's all for now, since I only got one review for the last chapter and I already replied in the reviews =(. I hope that somebody else will review this chapter :(