Guardians and Gatekeepers

wolvesorrow

Rating: R
Genres: Romance, Action & Adventure
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 29/01/2007
Last Updated: 04/05/2010
Status: in_progress

Eight years have passed since Harry Potter, the younger twin of Jonathan Potter a.k.a. TBWL, disappeared. Now four new Japanese students arrive to shake the very foundations of the school. But why are they really at Hogwarts? What are they looking for? And who exactly is the Gatekeeper? Pre-OOTP but follows plot for the most part, AU Harry/Hermione

Chapters

1. Here They Come...

2. Meeting Athena

3. First Encounter

4. Make My Enemies Idiots

5. Interlude 1 - Anthony

6. Deals, Detention, and Dickery

7. Back to School Again

1. Here They Come...

Please note that the translation to the odd language is at the bottom of the document.

***

He was annoyed, that much was sure. He was very annoyed.

He did not want to be here. Period and point blank. He did not want to face his other. His did not want to face anything of his past but knew he had little say in the matter.

A mission was a mission. Orders were orders.

He had been trained for a good portion of his life to follow orders, specifically those of his father and mother. They had done nothing but love him and raise him. It was the least he could do to follow a few orders, lead a team, and do a job.

Even so,…this might have been pushing the envelope a little too much in his opinion.

A presence entered his mind through a back door only she knew of.

It was a calm, almost soothing presence, and enabled him to relax again.

He did not turn.

He did not look.

But he knew she was there. On his right side. Always.

“Ready?” she asked. He only sighed in a deeply resigned way. She chuckled.

He might complain until he was blue in the face but they both knew his favorite motto.

Tribuo officium, cogito ilicet.(1)

“Let's just do the damn job and get it over with,” he replied sullenly.

“But let us have a little fun as well,” she requested with a little pout. He laughed at her face and shrugged.

“As you wish.”

***

The Great Hall was filled to bursting as usual at the beginning of yet another new year. The usual myriad number of candles floated overhead, hovering slightly over the four house tables. The enchanted ceiling showed the black velvet sky illuminated by the stars overhead.

Young Jonathan Ares Potter, age fifteen, sat in his usual spot in the middle of the Gryffindor table, staring down the Slytherin one across the hall where he was met with mirrored glares. Just like one expected of a son carrying the surname `Potter', Johnny as the spitting image of his father. Or rather, a complete clone, all the way down to his eyes, much to Professor Snape's eternal dislike. And to pour salt on an old wound, the boy acted exactly like his father as well. Arrogant, pompous, and a general arse.

To his right was his roommate and right-hand man Ronald Weasley while across from him were his two enforcers Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas, all age fifteen as well. Under Johnny's left arm was Parvati Patil, the resident fifth year Gryffindor slut and his current girlfriend. Her partner and fellow slut Lavender Brown was with Ron. The other two Gryffindor fifth years sat at the opposite end of the group, closer to the professors.

Bushy haired Hermione Granger sat with her fellow outcast Neville Longbottom. They were considered outcasts simply because they did not bow down to Potter's will. Hermione was a muggleborn witch and the smartest one in her year, if not the whole school and was thus automatically exiled while Neville was just too clumsy and lame to hang around the self-appointed `Gryffindor Dream Team.'

Dumbledore stood up, resplendent in his usual baby blue robes, opening his mouth to begin his usual ritual of nonsense words to begin the feast. All attention in the Hall was focused solely on him. Before one word could be spoken however, the closed doors to the Great Hall suddenly slammed open, hitting the walls with extreme force. Everyone jumped in surprise and after a double check of the head table, turned as one to the door. The new theoretical DADA professor, Dolores Umbridge, was already present in her horrible fluffy pink cardigan over her robes, pouchy eyes, and toadlike face. So, who in the world could be arriving so late?

A female stood in the open doorway, her body tilted to the side as her right foot, which she had used to kick open the door, maintained an almost parallel line with the ground. Pivoting on her other foot, she brought her leg around and down as she walked in the room amid the silence that had overtaken the Hall by storm.

“Good grief they have shity security,” she grumbled, looking around with eyes covered by black sunglasses, her short hair that barely touched her ears shifting as she did. Her hair was colored with red, yellow, orange, and white, making it look as though she had fire dancing upon her head. She began walking towards the head table, apparently oblivious to the looks she was receiving. Some of them full of awe, others hungry.

“Dumt oui ed fuimt pa aycein du ghulg,” said a soft male voice behind her. She did not turn and instead stood in one spot, staring at the enchanted ceiling in slight interest.

“Hush,” she replied simply. The young man she was addressing had dark blue hair and cobalt blue eyes.

“You know you love him Damien,” added another male, this one slightly more aristocratic than the others. He had silver blond hair with gray eyes and was walking with the first male.

“Not really you ass, stop lying to yourself.”

“Yes, yes. We know the security is shity,” said a slightly annoyed male, the final member of their little group. He looked almost exactly alike to the only female except he had emerald green eyes and raven black hair.

“Makes it more of a challenge you know,” said the girl, Damien. With the final one there, they made their way to the head table.

They all walked with large, sure strides, giving off an aura of authority no Hogwarts student could ever hope to match. The aura was only enhanced with their identical dark blue pants with blood red long-sleeved shirts and black boots. Over the shirts were blue vests, each outlined with a different color. On every one of their hands were fingerless black gloves with metal plates covering the backs. Pulling the whole outfit together were black cloaks with their hoods down. On each of their vests and cloaks was an emblem of a golden dragon in flight, its wings opened majestically. Superimposed upon the dragon was an elegant `T' that was positioned to look like the dragon was shooting the top part of the letter out of its mouth.

The male that had entered last led them up to the table where Dumbledore waited patiently, although one could still tell that he was slightly surprised. They bowed to him and he did so in return albeit hesitantly.

“Ah…I see the Lord and Lady Kuroi Tenshi no Tsubasa (2) don't like to waste any time do they?” The four straightened while the red head and the blue turned to face the school, their eyes wandering over each table individually. Their leader smiled benignly.

“Of course not, they have a reputation to never be late, Headmaster, and as such sent us here post haste.” Dumbledore smiled again, a little wary. Although he would never admit it to anyone else, he was a little intimidated by this fifteen year-old boy.

“Well, be that as it may, I still did not expect you to come so soon and with so many…” Damien snorted.

“You either take us as we are or not at all.” She was smirking; they knew even with her back turned and their leader moved to diffuse the situation before it escalated too high.

“But where are my manners Headmaster? I am called Darien and the girl is my twin Damien. The green lined vest is Darion and the one next to Damien with blue is Darius. Any…discrepancies that might arise should be directed towards myself.” His own vest was yellow with his twin's being red.

“Of course. Now, Professor McGonagall, if you would be so kind as to retrieve the Sorting Hat?” The stern faced woman had barely risen out of seat when she was cut off.

“Drana ec hu haat Headmaster,” said Darius. “Fa ryja ymnayto paah cundat.” The Headmaster's eyes widened comically in his confusion.

“Darius doesn't speak English. But he did say don't bother, we're already sorted,” translated Darion absently. They were used to having to deal with people not understanding him.

“Although this is just for show,” added Damien, turning her head to smirk fully at him. “There's no way in Hell you'd be able to separate us.”

“Really now?” The old man merely raised his eyebrows in curiosity. “Then by all means, sort.” He waved his hand almost dismissively.

“Darion crymm pa eh dryd uha, dra cemjan/knaah uha.” He pointed to the table all the way over to the right.

“Slytherin. Home of the cunning and ambitious.”

“Darien yht Damien crymm ku du dryd uha.” This time it was the one completely opposite the first.

“Gryffindor, home of the brave and bold.”

“Yht E crymm pa eh drec uha, dra pmia/pnuhwa.” He motioned to the one next to the Slytherin table.

“Ravenclaw, of the studious and sharp minded. Fine choices. Very well, if you four will please just choose a house to sit at, we can proceed. I realize it is an effort in futile to make you sit at your chosen houses.” Darien nodded and looked at Darius.

“Be my guest.”

“Du Gryffindor fa ku.” They all bowed at the professors before stepping down. All the students were still impossibly silent as they sat down next to Hermione and Neville, the only available seats left at the table. The poor boy nearly wet his pants as Darius sat next to him with Darion across from him. The twins sat across from them, Damien in front of Hermione, Darien with Neville.

“And without further ado…nibbet, blunder, and tweak!” The students began applauding as the first-years gasped in surprise at the food that materialized in front of them. Damien eyed the food in front of her with disgust while everyone else dug into it ravenously.

“Do they not have good chow here?” she grumbled, reaching into one of her vest pockets and pulling out a shrunken box. The others mirrored her action and as one murmured, “Kai” (3). The boxes enlarged until they were roughly the size of an average muggle lunch box. With relish, she opened hers and breathed in deeply. “Now this is food!” she exclaimed happily.

Inside the box were different things in each of six sections. One part had different kinds of fish while another had some type of beef. Vegetables took up two more, one had a bowl, and the last had some pink item that looked like a flower.

“Darion, ryja oui kud dra nela?” asked Darius politely. In reply, the boy cleared a space in front of him and placed a white pressure cooker in front of them, much to the confusion of the other people around them.

“What do you take me for? Unprepared?” Darius took his bowl in hand and placed some rice in it.

“Dnidrvimmo? Oac,” and he shrugged. Darion only replied with a glare at him as they all took their share. Once everyone had some, Damien pulled out four pairs of chopsticks and handed them out. Darien looked each of his friends in the eye and smirked.

“The two of you might wanna cover your ears,” said Darion in an offhand tone. The two Gryffindors did as they were suggested to do. Getting the message, they mimicked Darien as he clapped his hands together and shouted at the top of their lungs, “ITADAKIMASU!” (4), causing the whole of the Great Hall to jump once more and stare at them in confusion. It was all they could do to keep from bursting in laughter as they began to eat. Hermione peeked up cautiously at them before nudging Neville and eating as well. Damien paused for a moment.

“You know, we never did get your names,” she commented as she stuffed some veggies into her mouth. Neville swallowed nervously.

“I-I-I-i…I'm N-n-Neville Longbottom.” The girl next to him rolled her eyes slightly and sighed irritably.

“And I'm Hermione Granger.” Darius paused and looked across at Darien, who only shrugged. They were surprised at the defiance in the simple stating of her name.

“Since we weren't properly introduced, the name's Damien. The idjit to my right is my twin Darien and the idjit to my left is Darion.” The two males glowered at her. “And the one on your right is Darius. He doesn't speak much, if any English at all but don't be discouraged from talking to him. He is a pretty decent sounding board if you have a problem and mainly the quiet one among us. But since we hate being separated, there will always be at least one person to translate for you.”

“Pleasure to meet you all. But why doesn't he speak English?” Darien shrugged.

“When we asked him, he simply said it too troublesome. And I have to agree actually. He speaks perfect Japanese though.”

“Oh. Why don't you like being apart?” The four looked across at one another for a moment, a look that was missed due to a well-placed elbow that shoved Neville into Hermione.

“It's…complicated,” said Darion evasively. Hermione noticed of course; she wasn't the smartest underclass witch at that school for nothing but somehow felt it would be best to leave it alone.

“Well, what are you doing here at Hogwarts?” asked Neville before ducking his head to hide his glowing red face.

“New international exchange program. So when we are finally adults-”

“May Merlin help the world,” cut in Darien with a mischievous grin.

“We'll have good relations with people from other countries so there's less a chance for war.” Neville nodded thoughtfully.

“Makes sense. Wonder why the Headmaster didn't say anything about this…”

“Yeah, I wonder who was sent from Hogwarts. All the fifth years are here.” Their four new acquaintances shrugged carelessly and continued eating. Although unbeknownst to them, many a student and the wary professor were watching them but none scrutinized them more so than Hermione.

Darien was quietly eating when he felt the first brushes of someone against his mind.

Darion? Do me a favor and follow this link to its master for me, he mentally sent to his friend. The other didn't even break his rhythm while eating as he did so.

It's coming from the Headmaster of course.

Yna fa kuehk du tu cusadrehk ypuid ed? asked Darius.

No, let him think what he wants. It'll make it easier for us to do what we came here for.

Although that is going to be difficult enough, added Damien. They spent the rest of the meal in silence except for a few words with Hermione and Neville. No one else even dared to look at them, much less talk with them.

After everyone was finished eating and the noise level began to rise higher than usual, the food magically vanished. Dumbledore stood up once more, commanding the attention in the room and the silence that came with it.

“Now that we've all eaten our fill of the famous sorting feast, time for the usual start of term announcements.” He paused for a moment to look at each table before continuing. “All first years need to be aware that the forest on the borders of the school is out of bounds and forbidden, hence its name. Also, the left-hand corridor on the third floor is out-of-bounds to everyone. Some of our older students need to remember that as well.” He briefly glanced at the Gryffindor table, specifically at a sudden angelic looking Jonathan Potter and Ronald Weasley. Hermione scoffed in disgust.

If that boy was innocent any day of his life, I'm her Royal Majesty the Queen of England! she thought angrily to herself. Neville patted her arm after feeling her gaze accidentally on his back. Darion held in his grin. She was thinking rather loudly so he, the best out of them all in terms of telepathy, had heard her.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she didn't like the all-famous Potter.

“Mr. Filch, our resident school caretaker, has asked me to remind all students that magic is only to be used in the classrooms and not the hallways. There are also a number of items forbidden to be used in the hallways as well. A complete list is next to his office on the first floor if anyone wishes to see it. On that note, please help me welcome Professor Grubbly-Plank to the post of Care of Magical Creatures and Professor Umbridge to the post of theoretical Defense Against the Dark Arts. Good luck Professor.” Neither one stood up but they did wave.

There were plenty of smirks to go around as everyone applauded politely and remembered the theo-DADA `curse'. Many were betting she wouldn't last half the year. “Also as you may have noticed, we have four new older students in our midst. They are participating in a new magical international program designed to strengthen magical ties around the world. They will be here for the duration of the school year and should they see fit, return next year as well. Please welcome our friends from the east, the students from Meha no Tatekey Katogikko-”

“Actually headmaster, it's Tatakai no Maho Gakko, or in English, Magic School of Higher Learning, (5)” cut in Darion with a slight smirk that was quickly becoming a permanent feature upon his face. It wasn't an arrogant smirk per se; simply one that said `I know something you don't know' in an annoying singsong voice. Dumbledore looked a little put off at being interrupted but took it in stride well enough. “I apologize for my grievous mistake. Please welcome our friends from Japan.” And the applause started. The four subtly rolled their eyes as they gave halfhearted waves. The clapping was short thankfully. “Quidditch House Team tryouts will be-” And for the second time in less than one minute, he was interrupted, again. He frowned slightly at Umbridge, who was clearing her throat in an obvious way as she stood up. Unluckily for her, she was as short standing as she was sitting down so no one had noticed her. With a gentle sigh, Dumbledore sat down and stared up at her. His staff was staring at him in surprise and disgust for her. Apparently, she didn't know how things were run in Hogwarts.

“Thank you headmaster and welcome to our new students from Japan. I hope you like your stay here in the great country of Britain.” Almost instantly, Damien and Darien had an immediate dislike for the woman, never mind that they've never even met. Darion was smirking, as usual.

I almost feel sorry for her, he thought in an amused tone as Umbridge began speaking. It would have had a greater effect if her voice hadn't been annoying and her tone carried the idea that she had probably practiced this speech many times in front of a mirror. And the fact that she was talking to them all as if they were five years old again.

“She's annoying,” said Damien bluntly, crossing her arms and leaning against her brother. He rubbed her arm gently.

“It's okay. Hopefully, we'll only have to deal with her once or twice a week.”

“Actually, the schedule changes every year. There's a very good chance we'll have her more than twice a week,” said Hermione absently, listening attentively to the woman. Damien looked positively disgusted with the mere notion that anyone would want to listen to this toad woman.

It wasn't long before many in the hall began to chat with their neighbors or even sleeping. There were a few like Hermione actually listening but it wasn't for long. Umbridge didn't even notice the attention of the school slipping like sand between her fingers. The other members of the staff noticed of course, but none of them said a word. They were having problems paying attention themselves. Even Professor Binns was having trouble. And quite frankly, that was pretty disturbing.

She kept going for a while although no one really cared. It appeared to Darien that she would have gotten more attention out of the walls than any of them.

And she's supposed to be our defense teacher? Great Kami this is going to be some form of ridiculous, he thought with a slight growl. Damien sent soothing thoughts to him and he relaxed easily. One of his favorite benefits to their link, their ability to send feelings to the other. Although, Damien often needed it more than he did.

The noise level was steadily rising again by the time she finally sat down. It took a while for anyone to notice and the only reason they did was because someone had started to clap. But it was short lived once Dumbledore stood up again.

“Thank you, Professor, for that…enlightening speech. Now…”

“Enlightening indeed,” grumbled Hermione, crossing her arms with a frown on her face. Damien threw her a horrified glance.

“PLEASE don't tell me you actually enjoyed that!” Hermione smiled a little.

“I didn't say that. But it did explain a lot.”

“Really? Sounded like a lot of shit to me,” said Darion with a shrug. Neville gave her a thoughtful look. (A/N: With him being Hermione's personal friend for much of the time, she began to rub off on him and he's not as hopeless as he is in canon.)

“But…I'm guessing there was a lot of…stuff hidden in that shit, wasn't there?” She nodded.

“Yht ed ymm sayhc?” asked Darius. She frowned again, this time in confusion.

“He asked what all that meant,” put in Darien, now curious himself.

“Oh! It meant that the Ministry is interfering with Hogwarts.” The four threw each looks.

“And I'm guessing that's not good,” he said slowly.

“Not at all.” As the ideas presented began to be digested slowly, they now became aware of the amount of noise and movement in the hall and looked up to see everyone moving out. A quick look provided more evidence since most of the professors were gone.

“Dumbledore's dismissed us. Do you four know where you're staying?” asked Neville. Now that he knew them a little, he opened up and stopped stuttering. For the moment. Their leader looked up at the head table at the Headmaster, who was obviously waiting for him.

“Wait here.” Damien sighed, drumming her fingers absently on the table. She was never one to be still for extended periods of time..

“Would you two mind waiting as well? We don't know our way around the castle yet and we were warned that things liked to move a lot around here.”

“Then you were warned right.” Before she could say more, their leader returned.

“He said since we're not staying with our individual houses and because we're earlier than expected that he didn't have rooms ready for us but he did put extra beds in Gryffindor tower. Would you mind showing us the way?” Hermione and Neville nodded and set out for the tower, both of them running a commentary about certain things the new students should know about their new home. They were surprisingly quiet, soaking up everything they could. Neville specifically pointed out certain shortcuts that were essential when they might be late for a class and for keeping the location of the tower secret. He also took special care to point out all the secret and trip steps, most of which he had fallen into more than once in his Hogwarts career. It didn't take long before they saw the portrait of the Fat Lady at the edge of a corridor on the northeast side.

“Hello there Hermione, Neville. Welcome back. And who are they?” she added, looking over the transfer students curiously.

“International students for a project Lady. The one with the black hair is Darien; the red head is his twin Damien. The silver-blond is Darion and the last one is Darius. Guys, this is the Fat Lady, the main guardian portrait of Gryffindor Tower. She guards the entrance to it and if you don't give her the password, that changes randomly mind you, you won't be able to get in. What's the status Lady?” replied Hermione. She frowned for a moment.

“You know Potter, he's already launching his usual `This is my house, live by my rules' rubbish speech. I can't wait for the day he graduates.”

“Oh don't we all, serpent's tail.”

“Be careful young ones.” And the portrait swung open. Neville stepped in first, more to act as a shield incase Potter was feeling a little wand-happy. Which he usually was at the beginning of each year, especially if he and Hermione came in after he did.

The common room was warm, red, and inviting. There were comfortable looking chairs and couches sitting in front of the fire. Small and large tables were scattered around the room, waiting to be used by the many students. Two winding staircases went in opposite directions spiraling up into the tower. It all looked very cozy.

Or it would have been had Johnny not been standing in front of the new first years and berated them by the fire with Ron at his side sneering. It seemed that the entire house was there watching, standing, and sitting wherever there was room.

“So. As you all should know, I'm Jonathan Potter and welcome to my house. And when I say that, I literally mean MY house. I run this place and if you want a pleasant first year, you'll do what I say, got it?” He looked up from the first years when Ron nudged his side and nodded to the door. He smiled at the twins, his attitude a complete 180 from where it was as he addressed the younger ones. “Good, you two need to hear this too. However, you two need to leave, especially you,” he added, glaring and sneering at Darion. “No Slytherin is going to be allowed in my house, make no mistake about that. And also you two traitors need to listen again as well, you're so stupid something as simple as this is too confusing for your infinitely small brains. You three will do well to find better friends. No one wants a clumsy pureblood, a know-it-all witch, and a good-for-nothing Slytherin for friends.” Damien stepped forward and raised an eyebrow at him although all her friends knew she was getting ready to erupt.

There was a reason she wore red after all.

“Actually, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't insult my friends in such a way,” she said in fake politeness. “You could get hurt.” He rolled his eyes at her, obviously not intimidated.

“And if I remember Potter,” Hermione spat the name as if it was something incredibly foul tasting. “I still have the highest grade out of all the fifth years, including you.” Dean and Seamus stepped forward menacingly, cracking their knuckles ominously but stopped when Johnny raised his hand and waved them back.

“No, don't bother. It's not worth soiling your hands over. But still, you two really should think about your choice of friends. You're Gryffindors after all. They could make your time here in the Tower…difficult and possibly even unpleasant.” His unspoken threat weighed heavily in the air. Damien smirked at him, her first warning sign.

“I think you fail to grasp the situation Potter. Threaten us all you want, we could still kick your stuck up little ass from one side of the school to the other.” He scoffed and laughed loudly.

“Yeah right! He's been training since he started school in case You-Know-Who ever came back. He could take You-Know-Who out right now if he wanted!” spat Ron with a superior air and puffed out his chest pompously.

“Yht oad cdemm, oui yna yvnyet uv y hysa. Ehdnacdehk,” said Darius, his face thoughtful and his tone deliberate. Ron growled, probably more in confusion that anything else.

“DAMN IT! WE SPEAK ENGLISH HERE! And what the hell are you still doing in here! Get the fuck out! You're a Ravenclaw, go find your own bloody tower!” Darien finally stepped forward, his presence towering over them all easily.

“Maybe you weren't listening earlier but I do believe it was stated that we would be staying in one house together. The sorting was simply for where our points would go.” He turned around to Hermione, pointedly ignoring everyone else. “Do you know where the rooms are?” She nodded.

“Boys dorms are to the left, girls on the right.” Damien shared a glance with her brother.

It might be best if I went with Hermione tonight. It seems they are hostile towards her. And with us here adding fuel into the fire, it might cause them to move. Honestly, I don't need nor want that guilt on my chest. I'm going to have enough there as is.

I agree. But what about your condition…

I'll be fine. I have my music on hand. She sighed.

“I'm not going to be held responsible you know.” Darien smiled ruefully at her before clasping a hand firmly on her shoulder.

“I know, but it's only for tonight.”

“Yeah, we'll get our rooms tomorrow,” added Darion.

“Promise,” finished Darius. She smiled at them before turning to Hermione.

“Lead the way.” With a powerful glare that know one really saw but understood anyway, she made the crowd at the foot of the girls' stairs part and allowed her guide to pull her away. “Night boys. Behave. I WILL know if you've been naughty.”

“What? Us? Naughty? Never!” shouted back Darien and Darion. Darius only smiled. She rolled her eyes before disappearing fully. Darien turned to the males.

“Well Neville? Care to lead us up?” The boy, suddenly nervous, nodded and started towards the opposite stairs when Jonathan called out, “Longbottom, you're not seriously considering to lead a SLYTHERIN to our room are you?” The boy flinched but Darius laid a calm hand on his shoulder and turned towards the impudent idiot.

“Know…what best…for health, shut up,” he said in halted and choppy English with a thick accent. The others in the room only looked confused as if he was still speaking his foreign language.

“Come on,” muttered Darien, taking advantage of the confused state and rushing Neville up the stairs quickly, the other two directly behind him.

***

And that's that! Whoo that was kinda hard.

So sorry about all the `Dar's here but it is for a reason. Just because you don't realize it yet doesn't mean a thing.

I don't own the name Darion. It was borrowed with permission from Renatus, author of The Founders' Heir. It is a wicked good story and I suggest everybody read it just because and also I will be borrowing other ideas from this same story so reading it will give more of a background of why I borrowed them. It is the first time I have come across such good ideas that I wanted to give the author the credit that is due.

Incase you haven't realized yet, this is when characters are thinking to themselves and this is when they're talking to one another. I hold no claim over the language itself and will bow down to the genius of the greatest video game ever that had created it. It is called Al Bhed and it is from Final Fantasy X and X-2. It is the property of Square-Enix.

Also, I will be using a combination of Latin, Japanese, and Al Bhed in this story. Note, I do not take Japanese or Latin, although I wish I did. Having said so, I will not take kindly to flames about my grammar where those two languages are concerned. However, if anyone speaks either language, please by all means tell me any and all mistakes I will make. I like reading fanfiction and hate it when authors don't take the time to fix their own grammar. I am not a hypocrite.

(1)Latin- Give me a job, consider it done. (Literally give job, consider finished; it was the closest I could get with an online translator)
(2)Japanese- Wings of Black Angels
(3)Japanese- Literally it means something else but for my purposes it means cancel
(4)Japanese- A Japanese prayer traditionally spoken before eating
(5)Japanese- Really means Magic School of War (wink wink, hint hint)
Here are the translated sections of what Darius was saying. His words are in bold.

***

“Told you it would be easier to knock,” said a soft male voice behind her. She didn't turn and instead stood in one spot, staring at the enchanted ceiling in slight interest.

***

“There is no need Headmaster,” said Darius shortly. “We have already been sorted.” The Headmaster's eyes widened comically in his confusion.

“Darius doesn't speak English. But he did say don't bother, we're already sorted,” translated Darion absently. They were used to having to deal with people not understanding him.

“Although this is just for show,” added Damien, turning her head to smirk fully at him. “There's no way in Hell you'd be able to separate us.”

“Really now?” The old man merely raised his eyebrows in curiosity. “Then by all means, sort.” He waved his hand almost dismissively.

“Darion shall be in that one, the silver/green one.”

“Slytherin. Home of the cunning and ambitious.”

“Darien and Damien shall go to that one.”

“Gryffindor, home of the brave and bold.”

“ And I shall be in this one, the blue/bronze.” He motioned to the one next to the Slytherin table.

“Ravenclaw, of the studious and sharp minded. Fine choices. Very well, if you five will please just choose a house to sit at, we can proceed. I realize it is an effort in futile to make you sit at your chosen houses.” Darien nodded and looked at Darius.

“Be my guest.”

“To Gryffindor we go.” They all bowed at the professors before stepping down.

***

“Darion, have you got the rice?” asked Darius politely. In reply, the boy cleared a space in front of him and placed a white pressure cooker in front of them, much to the confusion of the other people around them.

“What do you take me for? Unprepared?” Darius took his bowl in hand and placed some rice in it.

“Truthfully? Yes,” and he shrugged. Darion only replied with a glare at him as they all took their share.

***

Darien was quietly eating when he felt the first brushes of someone against his mind.

Darion? Do me a favor and follow this link to its master for me, he mentally sent to his friend. The other didn't even break his rhythm while eating as he did so.

It's coming from the Headmaster of course.

Are we going to do anything about it? asked Darius.

No, let him think what he wants. It'll make it easier for us to do what we came here for.

Although that is going to be difficult enough, added Damien.

***

“And yet still, you are afraid of saying a name. Interesting,” said Darius, his face thoughtful and his tone deliberate. Ron growled probably more in confusion that anything else.

“DAMN IT! WE SPEAK ENGLISH HERE! And what the hell are you still doing in here! Get the fuck out! You're a Ravenclaw, go find your own bloody tower!”

-->

2. Meeting Athena

Since I already gave the identity of the Al Bhed language, the one Darius tends to use, I have decided to just replace it with :this:. It's easier on me to do it this way verses physically spelling out every letter. Although when the situation calls for it, I will use straight Al Bhed but reading before and after it will provide a rough gist of what he's saying. And it's probably going to be something rude as well.

If anyone is confused, please ask me to clarify.

Speaking of which, I'll clarify some things now.

Yes, Jonathan is the older twin of Harry, who is DARIEN, not Darius. I know it might have thrown people off with him being the twin of Damien but there is a reason for that, trust me. It also ties into why Jonathan didn't recognize him as his lost twin. I'll explain more about that in the story as it progresses.

Yes, the whole wizarding world believes Johnny is the Boy-Who-Lived but Darien is the REAL BWL, don't worry.

Yes, James and Lily are alive. (Didn't anyone wonder why Umbridge was just the theoretical DADA teacher?)

Stupid Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize except the plot, Jonathan, Damien, and Darius.

***

That next morning was especially tense for all those involved. Luckily though, the first was on a Saturday meaning that classes wouldn't start until tomorrow. It would give those that need it a chance to cool down.

The four boys were already waiting downstairs in the common room, each wearing their own particular style of clothing. Darien, in casual blue jeans and a yellow t-shirt, was pacing up and down in anxiousness at the bottom of the stairs going towards the girls' dorms while Darion, in leather black pants and a silk green button-up shirt, tapped his foot impatiently. Many of the girls that passed him did a double take and it wasn't hard to see why.

Even despite the fact that his clothes were moderately simple, the air of aristocracy that he held around himself made him eye candy for every girl's daydream fantasies. Darius was decidedly as plain as Darien with only a pair of slacks, a wife beater, and a blue button up shirt; Neville had decided to go with his casual robes. He was still a pureblood after all.

Darien was still pacing and only stopped when Hermione appeared, wearing pants and a cream blouse, before an unnaturally livid Damien. She wore baggy blue jeans, a tight long-sleeved red shirt, and a black choker around her neck with a silver buckle. If not for her shades, they were sure her glance would cause death to any unfortunate enough to get in her way. Her twin ran up to her in relief.

“Damien? What happened?” he asked in a troubled tone, placing his hands on the sides of her arms, pinning them to her side. Darion sighed in a well-worn and tired way before crossing his arms over his chest in disdain.

“Who did what when and why?” he questioned in a bored tone.

“I'm gonna kill `em! Little bitches tried to take off my glasses! Granger walked in before they could fully finish and then they ran like the cowards they are!” Her friends seemed to know what that meant because they started looking around for the other two fifth year girls, Parvati and Lavender, angrily. However, Hermione and Neville did not and sought to rectify that situation.

“What's so special about your glasses?” she asked curiously. Damien turned to her, getting ready to rip the clueless girl a new one when she remembered that she really didn't know. With a deep sigh, she calmed herself and leaned her head against her brother's chest. He gave her a final squeeze and released her arms, placing his hands instead on her shoulders.

“I was born with an ultra sensitivity to light. Most amounts of light will momentarily blind me and hurt like fuckin' hell on top of that. Even if I see light through my eyelids, I'd be in a world of pain. My glasses are magically charmed to block out all light and to keep them on my face, for the most part. However, they can still be magically summoned, which is what those two little bitches tried to do to me. They're lucky you walked in to stop them. If not…” Darion chuckled hollowly.

“You would have blown them to kingdom come and only on the first day too. I'm impressed Damien, really I am.” She glared at him, although naturally, he didn't see it but that didn't change the fact that he still felt it fully.

“Stop riling her up. I'm sure you remembered what happened last time.” The platinum blond cringed and she smirked at him in a satisfied way. Only to have that smirk turn into a slight snarl when she looked behind the boy, for coming down the stairs was Potter and his entourage. Darien turned around when he felt her tense up.

Damien, move Hermione over to Neville, out of the way. Darius on their right, Darion on the left.

They did as he ordered, subtly moving the pieces of the makeshift chessboard to his specifications.

Jonathan glowered at Darion, giving him an evil look that really did nothing to the boy.

“I thought I told you to get the hell outta my tower.” Darion looked him up and down before scoffing.

“You make it sound as if I am to obey you. Hell, I barely give Darien that kinda respect.” It was untrue of course but Johnny didn't need to know that. The boy sneered and shoved past him before walking over to Darien, trying to stare him down.

It didn't work.

“Actually you are. Everyone else does.” Hermione scoffed from next to Damien.

“I don't.” He glanced sharply at her.

“And neither do I,” added Neville in one of his rare backbone moments. Jonathan looked slightly taken aback before he made an exaggerated motion with his hand. Clumsily, six wands tried to snap out at the others but Darien looked at the wand in his face curiously before looking at its bearer.

“Go ahead. I dare you. But I'd suggest you take a look around first.”

While he had been arguing with Darion then Darien followed by being distracted by Hermione and Neville, the others had moved into flanking positions around them, completely surrounding the Dream Team, fists at the ready. Even Hermione and Neville had joined in with their wands. Parvati gripped Jonathan's arm hard and hid slightly behind him. The two grunts Seamus and Dean didn't know what to do, which was how they were most of the time anyway, and Ron was looking from their enemies to Jonathan and back again, obviously waiting for direction.

“And I thought you actually knew what you were doing. Had this been a real fight, you would have already been dead.” Darien waved Jonathan's wand carelessly back and forth. The boy started. He hadn't even felt it being pulled from his hand!

“Or I can handle that now,” added Damien with a growl at Parvati and Lavender, who were suddenly more clingy to their boyfriends than usual. The common room was silent as most of the Gryffindors had already gone down to eat and the ones who hadn't merely walked by without a word. The skill of keeping one's head down and out of trouble was one quickly learned. Fortunately, everyone was distracted from killing one another by the arrival of another girl.

“Excuse me,” she said. “You're in the way.” Two petite hands appeared on the chests of Darien and Jonathan and pushed them apart so she could walk through. Looking at the girl in surprise, Darien's breath caught in his throat painfully.

She was about five feet tall, give or take a few inches. Sleek red hair cascaded down to just past her shoulders and rippled as she pushed a stray strand behind her ear. Forest green eyes glared at Jonathan as she walked past in her jeans and red jumper. Hermione recognized her first.

“Cody! There you are! I was wondering where you were last night for the feast.” She grinned impishly and shrugged her shoulders.

“I was running a slight fever and Poppy thought it best for me to stay for the night. You know how she is.” By now she had walked forward and already given her friend a hug. “Lo Nev. How are you?”

He gave her a smile. “Been better. But not too bad for the beginning of the year.”

“Yeah.”

“Aren't you missing something Athena?” hissed Jonathan. The red head, who looked astonishingly like Lily Potter, turned around and smirked.

“Yes actually. Who are you four?” Damien was looking at her in slight shock before her face broke out in a grin.

“I like her already,” she stated.

“Sorry Cody, these are four Japanese transfers that arrived yesterday. Guys, and girl, this is my best female friend Athena Potter.”

“Yes, I'm related to that jackass over there. But please, call me Cody.”

“Yo. I'm Damien, that idiot over there is Darion-”

“I resent that!”

“And I don't care. Anyway, that's Darius and the last is my twin, Darien.” Darion, who had been observing their black haired leader ever since the girl appeared, strode over, and grabbed him by his elbow. He plucked the wand from his hand and threw it back at its owner.

“Please forgive me for being rude, however I do believe it's time for breakfast. Coming?” He none too gently pulled their boss out the door. Shrugging, Damien followed with Darius.

***

“What the fuck is wrong with you Darien?” he grumbled, the fair-faced aristocrat rolling his eyes. Their leader stayed silent and still in shock as they walked down the corridor, making their way to the stairs. They deliberately bypassed all of the shortcuts Hermione and Neville had mentioned the other night. Damien nudged her twin.

“Nii-san (older brother)?” He blinked a few times before wincing slightly.

“It's just that…I didn't expect to see her so soon. Out of all of my damnable family, she is the only one I don't have a grudge against. She never ignored me like my parents and uncles. She never acted superior like my brother. She just smiled at me until someone came and took her away. It hurts a bit, you know?” His tone was decidedly melancholy and miserable. Darius placed a hand on his shoulder.

“:It's alright my ototo (younger brother), we understand. We're your family now, remember? Besides, I don't like your twin.:” Darien only grinned a bit and stood up straighter, feeling better already.

“And you think I did?” he scoffed and crossed his arms in a huff. “I didn't like him then and I sure as hell don't like him now. He's even more of a bastard than I remember.”

“But there is one thing I like about this place,” interrupted Damien before they got too far into that particular conversation. It was sure to make all of them hate the Potter boy even more.

They had just come to stop at the top of the staircase. Glancing around they could see the main network of Hogwarts stairs, everything in motion, never stopping for more than a few moments. There were students everywhere, appearing from behind tapestries when they thought no one was watching, getting on, jumping off, and pouting when they didn't make it. But looking down revealed they were quite a ways up and directly above the main corridor to the Great Hall.

She smirked widely and withdrew a small oval piece of metal out of her pocket, no bigger than her hand. Murmuring `kai', it expanded out to about four feet long, two feet wide and about five centimeters thick. The silver gleamed in the sunlight that filtered in from all the windows, reflecting her smirk. Darion shook his head.

“Must you?” he asked with a whiny tone. In reply, she placed the metal on the ground and stepped on it firmly, special sticking charms gluing her feet to the board. Placing a hand on the rail that barely came above her naval, she launched herself over the side, going completely upside down for a moment, her remaining hand on the board to make sure it stuck. She cried out “BONZAI!” and startled the people on the level beneath them as she surfed through the air, bouncing off the staircases, and showering everyone with sparks, her maniacal laughter filtering back up to them. Darien grinned. There were just some days he truly loved his twin.

“Of course.” He followed his sister over the side, whooping in delight. Darion turned to the last member, trying to rally some type of support.

Why am I the only sane one?

“Is it safe to assume you're going too?” The boy smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

“:Race you to the bottom!:”

***

On the ground, the Gryffindor trio was just reaching the Hall for breakfast when a cry above caused them to look up.

“Watch out!” They jumped to the side as Damien landed loudly on the ground in a crouch, her metal board making a satisfying clap against the stone floor. They and a few others were just standing up when the other three appeared, one after the other.

“That was wicked,” she said in awe as she looked up at the distance she had just fallen. “I am so going to the top and coming all the way down.” Darius chuckled at her.

“:Tell me when you're going to do that. I'd like to come as well.:” He tapped his board with his hand and muttered, `daichi', causing it to shrink again before he put it in his pocket. The others mirrored his actions.

“Still think it was a waste?” asked Darien as they walked into the Great Hall and seated themselves where they were at last night. Darion shrugged.

“It was…okay.” He received a slap for that comment. Hermione, Neville, and Cody sat down in front of them, identical looks of shock on their faces.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Cody screeched quietly. Damien grinned at her over their bento breakfasts.

“Having some fun. You tell me you've been here for going on five years and you've never done that? The wind whipping through your hair as the adrenaline pumps through your blood, making you feel alive.” Darion just waved her off.

“Don't mind Damien, she's an adrenaline junkie. Trying to get her fix for the day.” She glowered at him and the clueless Gryffs got the feeling that the barb went a little deeper than intended.

“I can think of worse ways to `get a fix'. Can't you?” she sneered. Darion opened his mouth to snap back but was interrupted by the peacekeeping Darius.

“:I seem to remember you being the same way before-:” He was cut off as the boy in question threw a piece of his breakfast fish at him. Darius merely caught it in his mouth happily. “:I can't believe you'd waste kaa-san's food like that!:”

“I can, he has always been rather childish,” added Darien and soon, all four of them were in some type of argument that only they understood since they were all talking in Japanese. Hermione took the time to really observe the new students while they weren't paying too much attention.

Darion was obviously the more down-to-earth one and the main party pooper. He vaguely reminded her of one of the school board members, Lucius Malfoy, but as far as she knew, the Malfoy's didn't have a son and their daughter was scheduled to start Hogwarts next year. Darion's face was more rugged than Malfoy's and besides; his ever-present smirk didn't give off that superior air like most of the other Slytherins did. His cheekbones were rather high and his eyes slightly angled, proof of his Japanese heritage.

Looking at them all, she realized that they all looked in some way related to Darius, although he was the only `pure' Japanese looking one; the other three all had a Euro/Anglo-Saxon look about them.

Darius took the role as mediator as far as she could tell. He sided with Damien a lot more than any of the others however. He was quiet and shy but walked with the air of someone who was secure in themselves and their abilities. Also, she mused, his silence might only be because he didn't speak English rather than just being quiet.

Darien and Damien were the real mysteries though. It was obvious that they all had some Asian blood but she looked more Russian or Bulgarian than European. He reminded her of Professor Evans-Potter, albeit a more masculine one. Damien was the main party starter with her collaborates either being Darius or her twin, usually the former. She laughed a lot more than any of them and seemed rather laid back. She also argued a lot with Darion but that seemed more like a game she liked to play than anything else.

Darien was clearly the leader, that much was painstakingly evident. The others always stepped aside whenever he walked up or had something to say. It brought to mind the image of a wolf pack cowering before the alpha male. But most of the time, he didn't act that way, usually diverting the command up to his sister. They also looked frighteningly alike for twins, damn near identical if it wasn't for the fact that they had different color hair and Damien's inability to remove her glasses.

“Um…excuse me…” said Neville, breaking off Hermione's train of thought and stopping the argument that was steadily getting louder. The six looked at him in surprise and even he seemed a little shocked at his own boldness.

“Yes?” asked Darien, raising an eyebrow. The boy swallowed nervously and pointed over their shoulders. All of them looked up into the face of Lily Evans-Potter. Emblazoned on her robes was the Head of Gryffindor House crest. Darien tensed up a bit however it went unnoticed, save by his sister who was literally pressed up against him. Their green-eyed head of house peered down on them with a motherly smile.

“Hello you all. Morning honey,” she added sweetly to Cody, who turned back around and scowled viciously at her plate. “Since tomorrow is the start of school it was decided that we'd give out your schedules now. Also, Headmaster Dumbledore has set up your rooms just down the corridor from the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. It's behind the painting of Kise Watanabe the Wild,” she smiled at the little joke. “He thought you'd like a familiar face for your guard. He had it flown in from-”

“Our school, we know,” cut in Darion, feeling the unease bashing against his mental shields in waves. Professor Evans, to make it simpler on the students, frowned a bit but nevertheless shut her mouth, and handed out the pieces of parchment.

“Other than that, I'm your head of house Li-”

“Mrs. Lily Evans-Potter, wife of James Potter for sixteen years, theoretical Charms professor while your husband teaches practical Defense Against the Dark Arts. You are the mother of Jonathan Potter, the (*scoff *) Boy-Who-Lived, his dead twin Harry Potter, and Athena Potter. Correct?” interrupted Damien with a sick smirk. Darien ducked his head, lest anyone see the relief and gratitude on his face and call him on it.

It's harder than I thought it would be…facing my mother after all this time…He felt a comforting thought brush across his mind and smiled, placing a hand on his sister's thigh as she straddled the bench. She placed her hand over his own and squeezed it gently.

Lily seemed more than simply taken aback that these…children knew so much about her and her family. Of course, she was too stunned to realize that most of what was spoken was common knowledge to the known magical community. Just because they were halfway around the planet did not mean they were blacked out from said world. Instead, she gathered up what remained of her pride and took off in the other direction, passing out the other schedules.

Damn woman, remarked Darion with a sneer. His leader sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder tiredly.

Don't worry about it. The situation is only going to get harder the more we address it. Darius sent him a piercing stare.

:You're sure?: Darien nodded, his head still down and as such, failed to notice the other two males nodding towards his sister, who nodded back. The atmosphere was unnaturally tense and was only broken by Hermione's cry.

“Oh look, the owls are in.” Many of the other students noticed this as well and looked up as flapping wings brought their mail. A common brown owl dropped a letter in front of Darien before snatching a piece of bacon from Darion's hand and flying away.

“What's it say?” asked Damien. He unfolded it and allowed his eyes to flash across and down the page quickly. It was written in Japanese.

“It's from kaa-san (mom) and tou-san (dad). They hope we're having a good start and not picking any fights. Kaa-san specifically recommends we stick to the credo she's been drilling into our heads for as long as she can remember. Oh and to make sure Damien doesn't burn the school down,” he replied with a smile.

Truthfully, it's the class roster for this year and the next. A total of twenty-seven hopefuls.

:Actually, we can take the Hufflepuffs off; I saw no potential there.:

Alright, twenty-two then.

“HEY! Can they ever let that go?” groaned Damien, hitting her head on the table repeatedly, more than simply miffed at the situation. Cody looked curiously over at Darion.

“What happened?” He snorted.

“Some kid pissed her off when we were practicing fire spells. Needless to say, the spell went awry and ended up burning down part of the school. The section we were in is, or rather WAS, made of wood. They changed the material when they rebuilt it.” He laughed. The girl brought her head up and was about the throttle the idiot when Neville asked, “So what classes do you all have?”

“Let me see,” commanded Hermione, holding out her hand. They handed over their schedules without a care. “For the most part we all have the same things only after our first classes, some of you have free periods or are with Neville and I in one of our extra classes.” She handed them back before returning to her breakfast. Darius voiced what they were all thinking as they all looked at their schedules properly for the first time.

:You can't be serious…:

Unfortunately, yes, grumbled Darien. Every single day included at least one reminder of his long discarded past. Damien draped her arm across his chest and leaned into him, patting his knee comfortingly. “I know how you feel nii-san; we've got that damn Umbridge woman every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” And indirectly, Professor Potter as well.

Ouch. Sucks to be you. At least my past only haunts the Ministry. And the school when the fetish seizes him.

“Ugh, don't remind me,” he replied.

“Wait a minute. Aren't you younger than Potter?” asked Darion of Cody. The girl shoved a piece of sausage down her throat before answering.

“Yeah, but thankfully, I've inherited my mother's lovely genes of intelligence so I was skipped up a grade.”

“I'll bet Potter didn't like that.” She scoffed with a smirk.

“Hell no. His little sister is essentially as smart, or smarter, than he is? Pssh! It made me laugh so hard when he realized that I was joining him for the train ride to Hogwarts. He had been a real git just moments before and then mom told him what was really going on. I couldn't stop laughing. However, the bastard made it really hard to make any decent friends. Then I met Hermione and Neville here.” She threw her arms around their necks and drew them closer, grinning like an idiot.

“And I'm pretty sure Merlin turned over in his grave afterwards,” added Hermione with a similar grin. Cody mock glared and kissed her on the forehead.

“You love me anyway.”

“We do?” asked Neville with a smile.

“Why? The reason still eludes me entirely. I could love other people.”

“But none of them are as fun as me?”

“I bet I could fight you for that title,” said Damien idly as her last of fish found its way into her mouth. Cody grinned as she released her friends.

“And I'd give it to you, after that stunt a little while ago. What the bloody hell was that anyway?”

“A simple metal board, a rechargeable sticking charm, and no regards to personal safety. But seriously, don't do that before you've learned how to surf and how to board. Don't want anyone breathing down my neck about being irresponsible if you happen to hurt yourself, kay?”

“But that looks like fun!” she whined.

“It is, but you can do the same with a broom. That's how I learned anyhow,” interjected Darion.

“:Speaking of flying, that sounds like a good way to spend the day.:”

“You're right. Let's go. What are you three doing for the rest of the day?” asked Darien.

“Reading,” Hermione immediately popped out.

“Sleeping,” said Cody at the same time.

“Whatever they tell me to?” The three looked at one another and started laughing.

“I guess nothing then,” gasped Cody after a moment.

“We're going flying, would you like to join us?” Hermione went pink.

“You guys go on ahead, I'm going to go and study.” Before she fully got away, two hands reached forward and pulled her down again.

“Uh huh. You're comin' with us, whether you like it or not.”

“Most likely not,” added Neville. Flying was one of his favorite hobbies and he'd even be on the Quidditch team, if Jonathan wasn't.

“Merlin save me.”

***

“I'm worried about Jonathan and Athena, Albus. Who knows what those students are really here for,” said Lily, sipping her tea as she, her husband, his best friends, and the Headmaster sat in his office, discussing their rather unusual arrivals.

“Yeah, what are they here for anyhow? I don't remember anything about an exchange program,” burst out Sirius, tapping his finger on the edge of his knee impatiently. Remus rolled his eyes at him.

“Calm down Paddy. Getting edgy is not going to make this any easier,” he chided. The mutt growled at him but didn't say anything.

“Now Lily-love, why are you worried? We've all been training Johnny since he was seven and Athena is no fool. They'll be fine,” added James, waving his hand in dismissal. Albus smiled benignly at them.

“Actually James, she has good reason to be worried. Graduates that come from that particular school are very well wanted in almost every aspect of the magical world. They produce the best duelists, the best teachers, the best of basically everything. You name it and there is a very good chance that they have a master of it. They are also extremely selective of who they allow in.”

“If its so good, how come we haven't heard anything about it before?” asked Remus, ever the scholar.

“Because, the school itself is borderline dark. Britain does not allow information about it to reach students because they may want to find a way to go to the school. That and they are secretive and paranoid to the point where it makes Moody look calm and relaxed. No one knows much of anything, except that its alumni are very valuable.”

“So where were they during You-Know-Who's first rise?” blustered Sirius, slamming his fist on the table. “If they're as good as you say, where the hell were they?” Albus smiled sadly.

“They fought. Do not mistake that. The war would have been twice as hard had they not been there, killing the Death Eaters left and right. Since most of them are not British, they basically had diplomatic immunity in the time of war. They were as underhanded as the Death Eaters except they were more successful at walking away without causalities. After Johnny defeated Voldemort,” he paused to let the shudder pass, rolling his eyes inwardly. “They disappeared. One of them, or who I assumed to be their leader, approached me and said, `Do not perceive this as us helping you. If Voldemort would have won, we would have had to appear en masse. That is something we cannot allow,' and walked away.”

“So they're more or less concerned only with the secrecy of their school?” asked Lily. He nodded.

“It's probably what's kept them hidden for so long,” said James.

“But we're still back to square one. What the hell do we do with them?” interrupted Sirius.

“Hmm…well, I'm certain that they aren't graduates so they're probably not that skilled. So I believe its safe to say that tomorrow in class, have them duel against some of our own. Not only does it show us where they are, it shows how we compare to them. We need that insight just in case we have to face them in the future.” The four gave each other subtle looks.

“Professor, how can you be so sure that they aren't dangerous or graduates?” asked Remus.

“Because, all graduates receive tattoos or some type of marking upon graduating. The tattoos are always in a visible place, their pride I guess. Looking them over, I could see none. So it's safe to assume they're not at a level where we should worry.” He smiled at them, his eyes twinkling full blast. They nodded to him and after murmuring various things, departed. Once the door was closed, the smile and mask of a kind, lovable grandfather fell and was replaced with a cool, calculating look.

He stood up and walked over to the window, where he could see anything outside. He clasped his hands behind his back and scowled as he noticed the four Tatakai no Maho Gakko students flying around with the three banes of Gryffindor: Longbottom, Granger, and Potter.

It is too bad I lost her. She would have been a very good ally, he mused as he watched the female Potter attempt to assist Granger on her broom. It did not help that the others were doing crazy stunts all around her and her fear of heights was kicking in harder than a hippogriff. He scoffed. Silly girl. A mind like hers hasn't been seen since Lily was in school. Ah well, the other pieces are in place anyway. Potter, albeit the dumber one, is progressing at my desired pace, his parents and friends are still putty waiting to be molded. Ah…I wish I could have the other boy though. What was his name again…Harry. Yes, I would have loved to have had him. He saw right through me the first time I held him when he was barely a year old. And such power! HE would have been a better tool, if it were not for the fact that he did not trust me. It is obvious he spread that to his sister as well. I could have sworn I told James to keep Harry separated from the other two…probably Lily's interference. If only for her mind and control over the Marauders, she would already be dead. Oh well. I'll learn more tomorrow, I suppose…

***

I hope I didn't make Johnny too Slytherin-like. I have always held the belief that Gryffindors and Slytherins were almost identical except that Slytherins like to think before they act, are slyer, and always put their own health above others. Please tell me what you think.

Yes Dumbledore will be a manipulative old bastard. Personally, there are too many discrepancies with Harry's life for him to just play it off as `for your own good.' So, tell me what you think of my mani-Dumbledore.

Does he need to be slyer? More crafty? Subtler?

What do you think of Athena? Should she be calmer? More energetic? I'll be tweaking the characters as I go along and would like some help with that so this story doesn't end up one big cliché.

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3. First Encounter

The Great Hall was mostly full with the students of Hogwarts, minus a few lazy Gryffindors and some Ravenclaws that were probably in the library doing what they're known to do best. Cody, Hermione, and Neville sat in their usual seats, awaiting the presence of the four Japanese students.

“Did you see the boys in the tower Nev?” asked Hermione for the fourth time that morning, looking completely beside herself as she looked often at the entrance. Sometime during the course of a day, she had taken it upon herself to be responsible for them. Cody scoffed while the boy in question smiled a bit.

“Don't worry Hermione, they're probably-”

“Making a scene,” cut in Cody, her jaw slightly open as she stared at the doors. Her two friends turned in that direction as well, along with most of the school.

They had arrived.

Just as with the first night, they were all wearing uniformed clothes. Cobalt blue pants with matching tops, and black boots. Each of the tops had long sleeves, and tall collars that reached to just below their chins. On all of their wrists and their lower legs were dark crimson gauntlets that covered all of the respective body parts until they reached the joints, elbows and knees respectively, where they smoothed off into pointed ends. The clothes had no insignia and were all alike, except for the outline which was in different colors of red, yellow, blue and green. The curved part of their left ears glinted in the light off of the silver discs with jewels on top of them. Their hands were of course gloved with only the phalanges showing. Damien was sporting her choker along with earrings, both of which were red and in the lobe of her right ear. Darion had the reverse image, only with green earrings verses red. Darius had a pierced eyebrow with three platinum studs and Darien had his left lobe pierced with a yellow stud. They each had sling bags draped over one shoulder, all of them black.

Darion had a vicious scowl upon his face, at least the part not marked with an exceptionally red and swollen handprint. His bottom lip was also similarly swollen and split. He kept shooting glares at the only female.

Damien was walking with her head held high, completely ignoring the boy. There was a slight cut going diagonally across her face that was still red. It wasn't that deep but it would scar nicely if it weren't healed magically.

Darien and Darius were mostly untouched, though both of them were torn between laughing and keeping the other two away from one another, or at least out of touching distance.

“Bastard,” Darion hissed.

“What the hell do you think you are?” she retorted as they sat down with the three stunned Gryffindors. Darien quietly traded seats with Neville from being in between the girls. There was less chance of another fight happening if there was an innocent bystander in the way. A swift glare to the rest of the students had the school focusing their attention back on their breakfasts.

“A young man with a father. At least I know who he is.” Damien's fist came crashing down on the table, causing it to rattle. Many people looked over in surprise but were again turned away. Darius got annoyed and quietly murmured, “Muffliato.”

“You know who my father is you ignoramus! In fact, I'm pretty sure he left you a little souvenir when you two met.” Predictably, Darion's eyes darkened as he slowly stood up. Darien sighed irritably, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out two three inch long white sticks. He threw one to both of the irritate teens.

“Enough already, I'm tired of the whining.” Both of them looked at the sticks in their hands, comprehension dawning on their surprised faces.

“Was that all it was?” asked Damien curiously as she leaned over to a nearby candle and lit the stick up. She placed it in her mouth, breathing in deeply before letting loose a contented sigh. The once palpable tension dispersed as Darion mimicked her actions, relaxing himself.

Cody glanced at the others before pulling her hand away from Hermione's mouth, who immediately began shooting off questions.

“What are those? Are you two smoking? What's wrong with your faces? Why were you so late? What-?” Her voice suddenly vanished, Cody smothering a quiet smirk as she placed her wand back in her pocket.

“Thank you all so much for abandoning us to her mercies this morning,” she grumbled, her words oozing with sarcasm. Darien shrugged.

“C'est la vie. Now to answer your questions: These are a special blend of calming herbs and spices, a dry calming-draught if you will. The best way to activate the smoke is for it to be breathed in, hence the `smoking', Damien and Darion got into a bit of a fight.” Darius snorted into his breakfast.

“:If that was a `bit' of a fight, I don't want to see a whole one.:” Darien raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief. Darius nodded absently. “:Again,:” he amended.

“We are late because of said fight. Anything else?”

“Are you normally this…violent?” The four looked at each other contemplatively.

“This isn't violent…” muttered Darion darkly.

“Do I even want to know what happened?” asked Cody.

“Well you see, what had happened was…”

***

Flashback

An annoyingly loud buzzing suddenly filled the room and a red ball shot out from the darkness to destroy the offending object. Damien turned over, moving closer to the body behind her, and promptly fell back asleep, barely recognizing the sensation of an arm gliding over her bare stomach to pull her even closer.

The scene was something most people would either frown upon (adults) or look on in confusion and shock (everyone else). There was only one bed in the room, a rather large king size, pushed up against a wall in a corner. To the left of the bed was a side table, covered with a pair of familiar glasses. The window that was next to that had been completely covered up and blacked out so no light filtered in. There was a pair of dresser drawers on the other side. A door was on the opposite wall of the bed leading to the bathroom with another leading out of the room. Four trunks were cluttered in the corner between the drawers and the bathroom while various articles of clothing were thrown haphazardly on the red and gold rug. A desk was against the wall parallel to the bed and covered with wrist gauntlets and a few pieces of jewelry. All in all, the room looked exactly like one would expect of a room lived in by a teen, much less four.

Darien had taken up the side of the bed closest to the wall, Damien next to him. Darius was behind her, also the one holding her. Darion was simply thrown over all three, his head resting on Darien's stomach and his feet tangled up in Damien's.

Without any of them noticing, the clock reassembled, multiplied, and began buzzing again. This time however, right in their respective ears and about twice as loud as well. All four bolted up, one pair of eyes glowing red.

“Damn it Damien! Finite!” The clocks instantly merged into one and became quiet. He sighed heavily and glared at the red eyes. “You should know by now not to destroy those!”

“Fuck you Darion!” He should know by now not to mess with her so soon after waking up. Especially in such an annoying way too.

“Any time!” he smirked in reply.

“In your dreams!”

“Yeah, you're probably more feisty that way!”

End Flashback

***

Cody and Neville were clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard while Hermione retained her dignity and settled for a quiet chuckle.

“And then?” asked Cody, wiping away a tear with a wide ass grin.

“Well…after she slapped him, Darion shot a cutting hex which, since we can't see in the dark, missed for the most part. After that it all became a blur.”

“You mean I kicked his ass to the curb,” inserted Damien with a grin, taking another puff of her calming stick. Darion scowled at her but didn't respond, instead choosing to eye something over her shoulder.

“Well well well, if it isn't the Gryffindor outcasts,” drawled the lazy voice of Jonathan, his group in tow. Darien raised an eyebrow at the boy.

“Well well well, if it isn't the Gryffindor jackass,” he replied. “And his bitches to boot.”

“Do us all a favor and just…go away,” added Hermione with a shooing motion. Jonathan looked up, glancing at the teacher's table and smirked. With a clumsy jerk of his head, Ron and the goons moved to block anyone from looking in on whatever he was about to do. The Gryffindors that could see, along with the Hufflepuffs, wisely turned their gazes away and raised their voices. Jonathan slammed one of his hands on Hermione's shoulder and started squeezing it tightly. She gasped in surprise before her face twisted in pain. Pride alone kept her from shouting out. Darien reached over and deftly twisted the boy's hand, a loud pop telling those that could hear it that the wrist was either broken or dislocated. He didn't even get to cry out in pain before Neville silenced his voice.

“I'd suggest that you refrain from placing your grotesque hands on my friend, Potter,” Darien sneered, his voice not rising above the normal chatter in the Hall. Cody smirked and jerked her elbow backward, grimacing in a fake pained way at her brother's expression.

“Oh were your balls right there? So sorry.”

“Terrible misfortune that,” added Damien nonchalantly with a dramatic sigh.

“There go the Potter family jewels,” pouted Neville. They all broke into laughter as Ron and Dean each grabbed one of Jonathan's shoulders and pulled him away, lest he embarrass himself more. As the noise died down again, Darien turned towards Hermione, his eyes roving critically over her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” he asked, grabbing everyone's attention. She shrugged, honestly doing her best to hide the grimace of pain at the action. But nevertheless, it was seen.

“Could be better.” He hesitated for a moment before reaching out and pulling her robe away to inspect it himself. Hermione would have fought, of course, if Cody hadn't restrained her, and if she honestly did feel like arguing. She waited patiently as he called out, “Ice.” Darius nodded, tapping a goblet of water and muttering something, causing it to freeze. Damien grabbed the goblet firmly in her hand, slamming it once on the table so the ice could slide out before tossing it to Darion, who then wrapped it in a napkin and struck it with his fist. He handed it off to Darien who placed it on the slightly bruised area. Carefully he leaned closer and slowly blew on it. Hermione shivered as the cold feeling passed over the region before receding. She twisted, getting a good look at it. There was a handprint, naturally, but it was fading quickly. She smiled up at him.

“Thank you. What was that?” Darion grinned at her.

“Secret Chinese healing method.”

“If we told you that-”

“We'd have to kill you.”

***

“Welcome to what I hope will be your last year in potions,” said Professor Snape, glaring pointedly at the Gryffindor Dream Team. Jonathan stared right back with a cocky grin on his face, completely unfazed. He knew better than anyone that Snape would never lay a finger on him for fear of his mother's retribution. Lily Potter may have been the more benevolent of the two but was definitely the most vindictive. Darius rolled his eyes at the boy's antics.

:He is such a child…if I find out he's the one I'm killing him myself. Consequences and repercussions be damned.:

Get in line …grumbled Damien across the mental line they all shared. The four of them stood to one side of the room, waiting to be acknowledged. Unlike their British counterparts, the rest of the world respected the title Snape carried, even if he was just a schoolteacher.

“This will be your OWL year and I accept nothing less than an `O' for your final grade to be accepted into my NEWT class. Such grades must seem like fantasies for most of you. But thankfully, for my own sanity, we have not one, not two, but four competent potions apprentices. I am happy to have other brains in here besides my own Slytherins and Ms. Potter's crew.” Athena threw him a cheeky grin and waved, but he, surprisingly enough, didn't respond with anything more than a simple raised eyebrow. “Come here you four.” They stood before him, bowing their heads respectfully, giving their necks to him.

“Master Snape,” they intoned together. A pleased grin settled on his face as they stood up again.

“Finally. Students who might actually be worthy of teaching. POTTER!” he roared, causing the poor boy to jump in his seat as his head snapped to the front, his face obviously betraying his guilt.

“Y-yes Professor?” he stuttered anxiously.

“What part of the jobberknoll is generally used in potions?” Jonathan began to sweat nervously, a usual sign that he didn't know. Hermione rolled her eyes and raised her hand. Snape graced her with a brief nod.

“Sir, the feathers of the jobberknoll are generally used, although the talons have proven to be a nice catalyst to a particularly volatile potion.”

“Also, the feathers are most often found in memory potions and truth serums, albeit the less potent ones,” added Athena with a smirk in her brother's direction. Snape kept his beady eyes directly on Jonathan, a pleased sneer on his face.

“Fortunately for you, Mr. Potter, your sister and Miss Granger have kept you from losing Gryffindor points barely five minutes into the start of the first class. Ms. Tsubasa. In what book would such information be found?”

“Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger. I do believe that's a first year tome for potions is it not Master Snape?” At that moment, Jonathan would have done anything to get that look off his professor's face.

“Correct Ms. Tsubasa. Five points to Gryffindor. Mr. Weasley! Wormwood infused with asphodel is a key ingredient in what?” The boy's ears grew red but not faster than his face. He too did not know. “Mr. Longbottom. Please educate your classmate.”

“The Draught of Living Death sir. You spoke of it in our very first potions lesson and specifically told us to write it down.”

“Correct. Another five points to Gryffindor with an extra two for remembering what your housemate could not. Oh well. Maybe you'll actually learn something today Potter. The potion you will be making today is another draught, this one of Peace. Most commonly used to calm anxiety and sooth agitation. Just to let you all know, you will eventually be taking one of these this year, I can guarantee it. Now, too much of the ingredients will cause the drinker to what Mr. Thomas?” The black haired boy stuttered uselessly, his eyes darting between Jonathan and Ron, obviously looking for instruction that would never come.

“Apprentices?”

“It generally causes the drinker to go into a deep and often irreversible sleep, Master Snape,” said Darion in a bored tone.

“Ten points to Slytherin. Your instructions and your ingredients,” he waved his wand twice, once at the board and again at the cupboard. “It takes barely an hour and a half to complete. Begin.” The students shuffled around toward the cupboard to retrieve their ingredients as Darien and Darion crowded the board, dissecting the instructions piece by piece. The other two just stood to their right, neither one being masters at potions.

It would be easier if there was a dash more powered moonstone, noted Darion. Darien shook his head.

Two dashes less, actually. That way the hellebore would have more room to react potently.

:Damn potion fanatic…:

For the rest of the period, they just stood around the room, helping students that were having trouble, even Potter and his gang.

“I'm telling you, you're adding too much spine of lionfish,” said Damien in a singsong voice as she hovered a foot away from his cauldron. He sneered at her, still adding the ground up spine.

“Kiss my arse. I'm doing the potion just fine thank you.” She shrugged and took another step away. While she may not have been the best with potions, she was very intimate with the way in which certain chemicals reacted to one another. If he kept adding the lionfish then added the newt's claw as the recipe called for, his potion would most likely blow up in his face.

“As you wish. Master Snape, how much time is left?”

“Ten minutes.”

“Then that means around now all properly prepared potions should have a slight silver vapor rising from their cauldrons,” announced Darien loudly.

Looking about the room, he noticed that there were only about five potions that would be safe for human consumption. Seamus and Dean's potions were actually popping out black colored blobs that singed the ground where they landed and gave off a putrid smell as they popped. Parvati and Lavender's were emitting odd noises. Neville's vapor was a bit thicker than what would be considered normal but it was still usable although it might not work as long as a regular potion. Hermione, Athena, and two Slytherins named Greengrass and Zabini were the only other ones to get it anywhere close to right.

“Tell me, Potter. Can you read?” asked Damien haughtily. Jonathan growled at her.

“Of course I can!” he snarled out.

“Then please read for me the fifth line of instruction.” He squinted at the board, reread the words and blanched. “Ah, so what didn't you do?”

“Add the seven pinches of moonstone,” he grumbled reluctantly.

“Exactly. Evanesco,” said Snape, pointing his wands at each of the Gryffindor's cauldrons before they became too volatile. Their contents were instantly magiked away. “I want five feet, you six, on what you did wrong, what you should have done to correct it and when, along with what would have happened if you had continued with the potion. ALL IN EXPLICIT DETAIL. For the rest of you, bottle a sample of your potion and place it on my desk. Apprentices, if you would please gather the rest of the correctly made potions.” Cody hid a snigger by covering her mouth as she passed her brother, potion in hand.

“And here I thought you could read. What ever will mum think?” she asked with mock concern. Jonathan only glared at her.

“Bugger off!” he shouted.

“Another five off for Gryffindor. Really now Potter, when will you ever learn? I want a foot of parchment on how you might make the potion more effective from all of you. Since we have a few decent potions today, I'll collect the assignment a week from today. Class dismissed.” The Dream Team literally bolted from the room, lest they make more fools of themselves than they had already done. Darien and the others walked out a little more sedately, obviously not in a rush to get anywhere.

“What class have you all got next? I remember seeing a difference on our schedules,” mentioned Darion, cracking his neck to the side.

“I've got Ancient Runes,” replied Damien, stretching her arms over her head with a pleased rumble erupting from her chest.

“Sa duu,” said Darius. Damien threw an arm around his shoulders and brought him close to her side.

“Great!” she exclaimed. “At least I'll have one friend in there!”

Hermione cleared her throat loudly. “Excuse me but I have that class as well.”

“Damn it. Why must you torture me everywhere you go Mione?” shouted Cody woefully. Her friend only slapped her lightly on her arm in response.

“Hey! I take offense to that!”

“And?” she replied, ducking around to hide behind Neville, who merely laughed at their antics.

“Calm down Hermione. You know she didn't mean it.” She didn't reply and simply turned her nose to the air, throwing out a `Hmph!' as she walked before everyone else.

“Stop pouting over nothing Hermione. If you can't take the heat from your friends, who can you take it from?” Darien called out to her. She turned back with a thoughtful look and nodded at him.

“You're right…I guess,” she added with a playful smile as she elbowed him lightly in his side when they caught up with her.

“Well, I've got this next period free, thankfully. I'm going back to bed since someone thought it wise to blow up the alarm, thus waking us all earlier than expected,” snipped Darion, tossing a glance at Damien. The girl in question slowly raised an eyebrow.

“You know, I can always add a matching hand-print on the other side of your face,” she said conversationally, already cracking the knuckles of her left hand.

“Enough. Darion and I will meet you all after this period for our DADA lesson. Later,” said Darien, grabbing the other boy tightly and pulling him away before more could be said.

We'll go inspect the Slytherins and start weeding them down. Damien, start with the Ravenclaws in your runes class.

Gotcha.

***

:We can cross out Michael Corner and Anthony Goldstein. I didn't get a chance to look at the girls.:

I did, don't worry. Lisa Turpin can go as well.

Good, Darion and I took out Sally-Anne Perkes and Tracey Davis.

So that leaves sixteen then.

:I thought that there were twenty-two?:

No, Darien here forgot to take off one of the Hufflepuffs. It's sixteen.

Darion, I'd suggest if you'd like to keep living and breathing that you shut the fuck up. Now is not a good time.

And from his point of view, it probably wasn't. For now it was time for their very first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, proudly taught by Defense Master James Godric Potter. Darien had become very moody and sullen the closer they got to the door that would force him into close quarters with his father for the first time since his selection into the Gekko, their nickname for Tatakai no Maho Gakko, when he was seven. Damien placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly in a show of support.

“It's going to be okay.” Do everything you can to draw out whatever Potter's going to do. We mustn't let him pay attention to Darien, got it?

No problem.

:I understand.:

She turned to her brother with a bright smile. “See? We got your back.”

“Got his back for what?” asked Hermione, coming up behind them.

“Nothing too important,” replied Darion dismissively with a wave of his hand. “How was Ancient Runes?”

“A bother. Hermione kept asking so many questions…I swear half of that shit just went right over my head. And they were only talking about the stuff we would be learning later in the week!” moaned Cody.

“It wasn't that hard to follow…actually, I didn't even try so I'm right there with you!” The two girls gave each other high-fives. “Partners in failing?”

Cody shook the outstretched hand. “Partners in failing,” she proclaimed. Hermione threw her hands up into the air with an exasperated sigh.

“I give up!” she declared to Neville. He laughed.

“Don't worry Hermione. I doubt they're going to fail.”

“Of course they won't,” said Darion as they took their seats in the very back, much to a certain female Gryffindor's annoyance. “That would just mean they'd have to take the same class over again.” This idea seemed to rattle the girls for they shivered in horror.

“On second thought…”

“Let's just pass.”

“Welcome class! For those of you who don't know, my name is Professor Potter and I'm your practical defense teacher. For the rest of the year, classes will begin since this is a double period, with the first half being the theory behind what you're going to be doing for the other half of the class. Homework will always be, from me anyway, to practice whatever you've learned. I have no sway over what your theoretical professor does as far as homework. So just keep that in mind.” He clapped his hands together with an eager smile upon his face. He looked for all the world like a little boy about to go into a toy shop for a shopping spree. “Now since I'm pretty sure all of your other professors are boring you with the `O.W.L.s being the most important thing this year, blah-blah-blah, etc., etc., etc.' speech, I thought we'd have a little dueling demonstration, if our new students don't mind being picked on?” The whole class, Slytherins included, turned to see their reactions. Damien smirked.

“As long as you don't mind your students ending up in the hospital wing,” she replied boldly. For the first time in many, many, many years, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins were united in one thing, taking down that uppity Japanese girl.

“Well then, Ms. Tsubaba-”

“Tsubasa,” corrected Darion with a sneer. James colored for a moment, scratching the back of his neck. It wasn't his fault that his wife was the better one when it came to foreign languages.

“My apologies. Ms. Tsubasa. If you don't mind being the first demonstration?”

“As long as I get to pick my opponent.”

“That's fine.”

“Patil.” Heads swiveled around to look at the girl sporting an arrogant smirk as she stood up, her boyfriend giving her a kiss on the cheek for luck.

“If you wish to get hurt then fine by me.” The students cheered their approval as the girl walked down to stand next to her professor. Damien smiled, something that sent chills down some of their backs.

“Oh this is going to be fun,” she murmured, standing up herself. “Keiko.” As she walked down towards Potter and his student, her clothes began to change. The whole thing turned into a blood red gi as her shoes disappeared, leaving her feet bare beyond bandages wrapped around the ankle but left the balls of the feet and her heels bare. The gi became loose, not restricting her movements in the slightest. Her gloves vanished, turning into bandages that forced her hands to curve into more natural fists. Her glasses changed into goggles with a strap going all the way around so they couldn't be summoned or knocked off. There was a wicked smirk on her face as she stood toe to toe with Parvati.

“Alright now girls, you're fifth years so I'll trust you to keep this duel away from the Unforgivables and crippling spells. Sound fair?” Parvati nodded tightly while Damien shrugged in a careless manner. Most of the class bristled up with barely contained irritation. It was obvious that she wasn't taking this duel seriously.

“Fine with me.”

“Good, now let's just change the room a bit…” he murmured as he waved his wand around, enlarging the room while placing a duel arena in the center and arranging the desks in a rising circle so everyone could see clearly. “Take your places.” The two girls spun away from each other, stalking in opposite directions.

“Batto,” said Damien, causing a bright red baseball bat to appear out of thin air and in her hands. She spun it around a few times, getting a feel for it. The muggle-borns in the class looked at the bat in confusion, wondering how that could be helpful in a magical duel. “Yeah this is good. Go ahead Patil, I'll even give you first attack.”

“Professor?” she questioned, staring at the bat in slight fear. As a magical child, she did not know anything about the weapon, besides the fact that it was a blunt object that could be used in some painful way.

“It's allowed. Ready? Begin!” The Gryffindor wasted no time and snapped her wand up from where it had been resting at her side.

“Stupefy!” she cried loudly, the red bolt of magical energy crossing the distance between the two quickly. Damien kept right on smirking, standing still with her left side turned towards the spell while the bat stayed ready over her right shoulder. At the last second, she swung it forward and connected solidly with the energy. There was a moment of pause before the spell shifted direction and shot back towards its caster almost twice as fast as before. The girl screamed in surprise and only just managed to duck underneath it by throwing herself to the floor while the spell kept going and slammed into the wall, blasting off a part of it. The whole class stared at the new renovation to the stone, turning to watch Damien as she rolled her shoulders with a pout.

“That was too slow Patil! Can't you make anything faster or was that your best shot? Actually give me something to hit damn it!”

“Accio!”

“Oh please, can't we get out of second year bullshit sometime this class period?” replied Damien, keeping a firm grip on her bat as she allowed the spell to connect. The weapon gave a small twitch but other than that stayed unmoving in her hand.

“Mordax!” Damien took careful aim and swung her weapon again, this time hitting the girl in her left shoulder with the rebounded spell. The stinging hex caused her to cry out in pain, subconsciously forcing her to release her wand to grip the hurt area. Damien sighed and stalked forward, catching Parvati off guard as she swung her fist deep into the already pain ridden girl's gut, doubling the sting and crippling the Gryffindor completely. She picked up the wand and waved it at Professor Potter.

“Doesn't this mean I win?” she questioned. He only nodded, his mouth open in shock. “Great,” she replied, turning around to stare at Parvati, who laid curled in a ball at her feet, awkwardly trying to stem the blood flow while clutching her stomach as she struggled to breathe. With a disgusted sneer, Damien rolled the girl over with her foot so that her face was to the floor. “Breathe in slowly and exhale deeply, you'll live. Onken.” She made her way back to her seat, her training gi changing back into her previous outfit.

The whole class was absolutely silent, staring at Parvati and Damien in turn. It was obviously a blow to their school pride that a newcomer who hadn't even thrown a single spell the entire duel crippled one of their better witches with only two moves and a single spell that was actually originally cast against her.

“Cocky bitch,” growled out Lavender as she leveled a fierce glare at the offending girl who had hurt her best friend. A single eyebrow rose from underneath Damien's glasses.

“There is a fine line between cocky and just plain confident. If anyone is a cocky bitch, then that would be the sniveling little weakling curled up on the floor. Don't hate me just cuz I'm better than you.” The tension that followed was almost palpable enough to cut with a knife. James snapped out of his stupor when it became obvious that there was going to be another fight.

“Ms. Brown, could you please escort Ms. Patil to the infirmary? Tell Madame Pomfrey to yell at me later and possibly prepare for more arrivals?” The girl nodded and left the room quickly, her wand out and levitating her partner.

“Dad!” shouted Jonathan in protest, unbelieving that his own father thought them so weak that before they fought he already expected them to lose and be bodily harmed while doing it. But true to mischievous form, James Potter smirked at his son, almost reading his mind.

“No, not for us. For them.” There were a few dark chuckles following this, along with a few pointed glares. Darion sighed deeply, his gray eyes narrowing in annoyance.

“:See what you've caused Damien?:” The girl shrugged and leaned back carelessly, completely at ease even with all the animosity being directed solely at her.

“:Sure, I've done what I set out to do before class even began.: I'm content and ready to beat the shit out of any little uppity Gryffindork. The Slytherin's are too smart to fuck with me.” Of course, this simply pissed them off even more which was probably the effect she wanted to have.

“Unfortunately for you all, Ms. Tsubaba won't be dueling anymore till we go through the other three. And this time I'll pick. Mr. er…Tsubaba.” Three different pairs of eyes ripped holes through their professor and in unison they all stood up, anger in their eyes and menace oozing off their bodies.

“So it's a three way duel then is it?” asked Darion, cracking his knuckles, for once seeming to be interested in what they were doing.

“Um no…just you two, you can sit down er…what do I call you?” he asked humbly. Darien smirked viciously as he sat down.

He curtly replied, “Mr. Tsubasa.”

“And them two?”

“Mr. Tsubasa and Mr. Tsubasa.”

“But how will I tell the difference?” tersely asked the senior Potter. Darion shrugged from Darien's left side, Darius on his right. With Damien seated next to her brother they looked like king and queen with their most loyal knights at their sides. Some of the class was rather shocked at the image of Hermione on Darion's left with her own `knights' around her.

This was quickly turning into a group not to mess with.

“That's your problem to solve,” sneered Damien.

“:Are we going to duel now or simply talk some more shit?:” interrupted Darius, causing those that couldn't understand, basically the whole class, to tilt their heads slightly to the side, their eyes glossing over. Darien sighed irritably.

“I agree with him. Are we going to duel or bullshit some more?” Bristling with hidden fury, Potter barked out, “Weasley! Zabini! Front and center!” Ron jumped up eagerly, nearly bouncing with impatience and overconfidence.

“Yes sir!” He strutted down to stand at his professor's side.

“No thanks prof. I'd rather not get my ass beat today,” replied Zabini with an easy shrug and a hand brushing a black lock out of his brown, slightly Oriental face. Slanted blue eyes dared their professor to contradict him.

“Fine! Twenty points from Slytherin! Nott! Get down here!” The weedy looking boy rose up proudly and graced the Gryffindors with his presence, patent Slytherin sneer ever present on his face. “Alright you two, you're double dueling Tsubasa squared over there. Come on down boys.” Darion clenched one of his fists but didn't reply, only led the way and stood opposite his opponent, the annoying Nott. Darius calmly watched the overconfident red head.

“Let's do this shall we Darius? Keiko,” he commanded. Their clothes shifted much in the way of Damien's only Darius had a deep blue gi while Darion wore forest green. “Genkotsu.” His fists were covered in a firm brown coating that reflected off the light streaming in through the windows, almost as if it was metallic. He punched forward once or twice, nodding his acceptance. Darius sighed deeply, visibly relaxing his body.

“Kakuhan,” he muttered, causing a blue whip to appear in his hand. He cracked it in the air a few times, a satisfied smile settling across his face. Potter Senior stared at the weapons in mute shock, his jaw hanging open slightly. However, he soon recovered and stepped away from the duelers before he got caught in the middle of their fight.

“Begin.”

“Diffindo!” shouted Nott, intelligently moving to one side after he cast the spell not at Darion but at Darius. It would have been a good opening attack, had the victim not expected it. The quiet boy merely closed his eyes and snapped up his arm, effectively slicing the spell in half with a wet sounding crack. Darion used the shock and confusion to bulldoze into Ron before the boy could open his mouth to cast a spell. The feeling of air fled the Gryffindor's body quickly so it could depress with the added force applied to the abdominals to better protect the internal organs. He didn't pause for a moment and continued with his attack, landing a solid blow to the side of Ron's face that launched him clear across the room. He rolled for a moment before colliding with the wall and falling still, a small trickle of blood slowly flowing down from underneath that shock of red hair. Darion turned around just in time to see Darius crack his whip once more, this time catching Nott's wand in hand and tugging it free of the boy's slippery hands. Untouched and obviously bored, the pair stared hard at their teacher, wordlessly changing their clothes back and banishing their weapons.

“We win no?” asked Darion, moving back to his seat. Darius twirled the wand in his hand a few times before tossing it to the professor, not trusting the devious Nott with his wand in hand and an easy target.

Meanwhile, Professor Potter had Dean and Seamus take Ron to the Infirmary. He was getting more and more worried. None of the Japanese students had even thrown a single spell and yet they seemed to take down each student with little to no effort on their part. And now he was about to test what would probably be the strongest of them all. He cleared his suddenly constricted throat.

“M-Mr. Tsubasa. If you please?” he gestured to the dueling ring. Darien slowly stood up and walked down, passing by Darion and Darius on the way there. It struck everyone just then that excluding Damien, Darien was the shortest one there but at the same time was obviously the most dangerous if the way that the two parted to let him pass was anything to go by. A whispered Keiko later, and he too was in a deep yellow gi. His footsteps were deceptively soft as he walked on the ring, barely making any sound.

“Is there anyone you wish to challenge?” asked the professor tentatively. Darien's emerald eyes flared up with hidden fury as they turned towards Jonathan. The boy snorted but stood nonetheless, accepting the challenge with his action. Their eyes remained firmly connected until they were level with one another, hands twitching with anticipation as they waited for the signal. “A clean fight boys, for the love of Merlin. Begin.”

The two remained still, simply daring the other to attack first. In his first sign of weakness, Jonathan cracked and fired out, “Incarcerous!” The deep brown ropes flew across the ring only to be turned to the side with a wave of Darien's gloved hand. Jonathan's jaw dropped in his stupor but he recovered after a heartbeat, crying, “Flamen!” Again, the neon yellow light streamed towards its target and again was turned away with a simple wave. Jonathan's face became red in his anger while everyone else remained confused. Just how was he turning away the spells?

“Sagitto!” A set of ten arrows launched forward one after another, spaced by half a heartbeat. Darien smirked at the stupid boy and caught them one at a time as they passed by easily.

“My turn.” Tossing an arrow in the air carelessly, he caught it and with surprising quickness, hurled it accurately at Jonathan, catching the boy's robes at the very bottom, sinking the material underneath the point as it burrowed into the wooden ring. He tugged on the cloth and in his frustration, ripped it. Too busy was he with his robes that he did not remember that he was fighting Darien until it was too late. Before he realized what was going on, he was disarmed and nailed to the wall. When he finally came back to the world of the conscious, he noticed Darien tossing the last arrow into the air. Closing his eyes, he threw the arrow blindly, nicking the side of Jonathan's face as it imbedded itself in the wall.

“I win,” proclaimed Darien, crossing his arms in satisfaction, smirk firmly in place.

***

And so ends another chapter. I am so sorry for taking so long but no one ever told me senior year was such a bitch. But anyway, I'm back now AND finally with a beta reader! Everyone please thank melissa a.k.a. acoustics1220 for being crazy enough to take on this story as my beta reader! This really wouldn't have gone anywhere without you. Thanks so much!

And it's time for AUTHOR'S NOTES!!!!

I said Godric because I don't know his real middle name and since his family is so Gryffindor orientated, I thought it fit.

Plus for all of you that were a bit lost with all the new words, here's my mini glossary.

Keiko-training, or in this case training outfit

Mordax- Latin for stinging, the stinging hex. No incantation was ever given

Onken-school uniform

Genkotsu-fist

Kakuhan-whip

Flamen- Latin for blast, the blasting curse. No incantation was ever given

Sagitto- Latin for to shoot arrows, I'm dubbing it the arrow hex since no official spell name was given. No incantation was ever given

If anyone wants to, they can borrow my spells, just say where you got them from. I didn't just think of them out of the blue ya know.

On another note, I've been having a few complaints involving their names. TRUST: They are important to a future plot point. The names are not their real ones but are a mark of their ranks, a way of them shedding their past lives for the new ones.

REMEMBER:

DARIEN-Harry

DARION-Draco

DAMIEN-the ONLY GIRL

DARIUS-guy who can't speak English

The words that they keep saying are also an important plot point. I'd go back and reread everything with the idea in mind that all of what they say, specifically their arguments, are hints to their pasts. The names are in place to CONFUSE you so that it's more fun for me when I start revealing stuff because I've been saying it all along.

Darius said something in Al Bhed that is really easy to understand but I want people to take the time and think for more than a moment. Note, in Al Bhed, there are no new words or anything like that; it's really simple letter substitution. So `I began reading' would look like `X xxxxx xxxxxxx'. The number count is still the same.

And thanks so much to my reviewers!

-->

4. Make My Enemies Idiots

Please note that this chapter has not been beta read and that is the only reason why I haven't posted in a while. Also, I keep getting reviews about Harry's (Darien's) past. Would you rather read about it as interludes in this story or just make a whole new one altogether?

***

As Hermione sat tiredly in her bed that night, she couldn't help but reflect on all of the shite that had hit the proverbial fan earlier that day. Glancing over, she noticed that neither Parvati nor Lavender had returned from the care of Madame Pomfrey but Cody was sleeping as heavy as all hell. Truthfully, the younger girl stayed in a constant state of half consciousness while she slept. It only made sense when her brother's girlfriend and her brother's best friend's girlfriend were only five feet away. If anyone entered within three feet of her surrounding space, they'd find themselves at the business end of a wand two seconds before they were stunned. Hermione herself was a light sleeper but since her and Cody's beds were a foot apart, if either idiotic girl tried anything, they'd still be stunned in a heartbeat.

“Hey, Cody,” called Hermione cautiously as she propped herself upon her pillow. Predictably, the girl's eyes popped open instantly and focused on her.

“What's up?” she asked as a yawn escaped from her. A moment later Cody nodded and tried to keep the second yawn in. “What's on yer bloody mind to bloody well wake me up so bloody early in the bloody mornin'?”

“Four bloody's in one sentence. I'm impressed.” The younger girl smirked cheekily, sat up, and took a dramatic bow.

“I know. I've been practicing. But seriously, what's on yer mind?” Hermione sighed deeply, clasping the sheets tightly in her hands to keep them from wringing themselves.

“It's the four transfer students.” Cody snapped to attention.

“Yeah, but I'm more worried about us really.”

“How so?” She shrugged helplessly.

“We were seen all day with them and now with what they did in DADA…that was so wicked. I've got to get a pensieve to put that memory in. How Darien just demolished that fag of a git was beautiful…”

***

FLASHBACK

Hermione had watched with a slightly dropped jaw as Damien demolished what was widely considered the best fifth-year female dueler in Gryffindor. It didn't matter that she and Cody could defeat her just as easily, although nowhere near as fast.

She could tell, for some reason, that Damien's fight was less a duel and more like a blunt statement. `Don't mess with us. Try if you wish. I'm not responsible for the damage you will attain.' The girl had gone after Parvati with something to prove and prove it she did.

No Hogwarts witch or wizard was ready for them. Not really.

“She's not even really trying,” noted Neville with a grin. “You can tell just from the way she's moving. This is child's play for her.”

“I have just received a whole new respect for that girl,” mumbled the female Potter as she watched the short fight avidly.

Hermione kept the smirk off her face. Despite popular belief, the House of Potter wasn't as united as it seemed. Cody had once told her that things went straight to hell after her older brother Harry disappeared when she was six and he was seven. She had remarked once that whenever they would play together, one of the adults in their lives would pull her from her favorite sibling, claiming that he was a bad influence, and instead put Jonathan in his place. She hadn't liked Johnny the moment he first held her and she still didn't six years later. She didn't believe a lick of what the adults said about Harry, and the situation deteriorated rapidly once they stopped searching for him after only two weeks. It was obvious that they didn't care about the lesser-known male Potter heir.

The fight was finished brutally, and Hermione had to admire the entirely muggle way Damien had brought down the pureblood bitch. The evil smirk on her face didn't disappear as she left Parvati on the ground, looking utterly satisfied with herself. She leveled that look at the class as she sat down, raising an eyebrow elegantly when Lavender called her a cocky bitch.

“There is a fine line between cocky and just plain confident. If anyone is a cocky bitch, then that would be the sniveling little weakling curled up on the floor. Don't hate me just cuz I'm better than you.” Hermione could tell out the corner of her eye that Cody was fighting very hard not to laugh and she had to admit, she was fighting it too. Getting front row seats to someone taking down one of their biggest aggressors wasn't an opportunity that came often, if at all. There was just no rattling this girl. She seemed utterly unflappable. That is until Professor Potter made that comment about the extra beds in the infirmary being for them. The dark looks and smirks on the quartet simply became more pronounced. She was not surprised when her professor worked harder to rile them up, fumbling with their names and acting just like his son. The greedy look on Darion's face as he stared down Ron almost made her feel sorry for the boy.

Almost.

“Ooh, he's gunna get it bad,” said Neville, slapping Cody's outstretched hand with a grin.

“How broken do you think they'll be?” she asked idly.

“Whoever's facing Darius isn't going to be half as bad off as whoever's got Darion,” replied Hermione. “He looks ready to cause some real pain.”

This fight was almost twice as brutal in half the time. Darius looked like he was dancing as he expertly used his blue whip to take care of Nott. Ron's defeat was much more satisfying though. He had liked to boast often that no one could beat him in a muggle style fight except his brothers.

“Damn, those words must have been hard to swallow,” commented Neville casually. Both girls nodded.

“Looks like you were right, as usual Hermione.” She nodded her head in acknowledgement. But like everyone else, they were waiting for Darien's fight. The entire time his friends were taking down the others, he just sat there, staring at his desk blankly. They all watched him closely as he slowly stood, his body language screaming tightly leashed power just begging to be released. She noticed how the other two seemed to give way as he passed, going as far as bowing their heads to him until he was completely in past. Unlike the others, he didn't call out a weapon, just glared down Potter.

“This is gonna be good…” murmured Cody, leaning forward in anticipation. No one was that surprised when Jonathan cracked first, but were just as stunned when his spell got deflected with a simple wave of Darien's hand.

“How the bloody hell did he do that?” said Neville in shock. But the mystery of how he was doing it was blown away by the fact that he was doing it. They heard Damien as she murmured out, “Checkmate,” when Jonathan attacked with the arrows. In the most stunning performance yet, the Potter heir, the Boy-Who-Didn't-Need-A-Hyphenated-Name-To-Match-His-Ego, was easily nailed to the stone wall, one arrow dangerously close to his pride and joy.

END FLASHBACK

***

“Did you hear all the rumors going around the school?” asked Cody.

“Kinda hard not to. Everywhere I went, `Did you hear about the fight?' `Wonder when the next one's gonna be?' `Potter got his ass whupped good!' Yada, yada, yada. It wasn't that shocking.” She waved her hand dismissively.

“Still, I wonder how they summoned those weapons like they did, or how the hell Darien blocked all those spells!” Hermione rolled her eyes.

“Cody, darling, did you forget that they're all wearing gloves? It's probably enchanted to do that with low-level spells. And you know your brother isn't strong enough to use spells that might actually cause someone harm.” The girl smacked herself in the head for that one.

“I shoulda thought of that. Wonder what's gonna happen now? Or what Jonathan's revenge is gonna be? You know he'd never take something like today without some payback.”

“Yeah, and that's what worries me…”

***

“That was utterly satisfying!” shouted Damien, waving her hand about the room, nodding at the others when she was finished. “We're clean.”

“The nerve of that old man,” snarled Darion, pulling off his top. The others followed his lead, stripping off their tops as well. After spending nearly a decade together in various states of dress, and undress, modesty was thrown out the window a long time ago.

“:At least we can relax these damn charms. I've missed my face in all its scared glory.:” As Darius waved his hand over his body, his form shimmered as the glamour charms were turned off, revealing all the scars that crisscrossed his body.

Like the others, he had a paw print basically ripped into his left shoulder with four slashes underneath it. Marks that could have only been made with a whip covered his torso and back. Here are there were discolored bits of flesh, and cuts that probably came from a sword going diagonally and horizontally, mostly staring from his left shoulder going down to the right side.

“Ah, that was a good fight,” commented Damien, looking at the new mark on her face. Like expected, it had scarred nicely, blending in with the other ones. Her arms were much more cut than any of the others, along with her ungloved hands. They were all marked in the same ways, discolored patches, slashes, cuts, and the like. Darien ruefully rubbed at his side.

“You got me good that time Darion. Son of a bitch still hurts a bit,” he said with a grin. Darion grinned right back at him.

“Oh and what about this one?” He pointed to a thin dark mark on his back. Darien shrugged easily.

“You learned how to turn around that day didn't you?” Darion, of course, took offense to that and would have charged the other had Damien not stepped between the pair, taking her glasses off as she did.

Despite the bright light in the room, she seemed to be in little discomfort, only breathing in deeply once, and closing her eyes. When they opened the glowing redness of them disappeared, showing off her beautiful dark red orbs that she turned to each boy in turn.

“Shower gentlemen?” she asked and without waiting for a reply, grabbed them both by the ear and pulled them towards the bathroom, Darius' chuckling ringing through the room.

***

Hermione and Cody both stalked down the cold corridor cautiously, knowing though that fifth years they were, curfew had long since passed for every one except the prefects that had patrol. Neither one of them made prefect of course, it went to Parvati and Jonathan. The pair often used the time that should have been spent patrolling in the many broom closets and empty classrooms of Hogwarts.

They had been walking down the corridor for nearly a half-hour, trying to find the only other portrait besides the Fat Lady. Just before they were about to give up, they suddenly reached the end, facing a picture of a Japanese man resplendent in classic samurai armor, a katana firmly in his hand. The background was a simple hill, covered with blood, and completely littered with mangled bodies. All over the man too was blood. His beady black eyes glared down at them as he gripped his weapon tighter, almost as if he ached to attack them and add their blood to his picture.

“What do you want?” they heard him shout but noticed that his lips didn't form the right syllables in time with what reached them. Hermione paused for a moment, trying to figure out why that was.

“Probably a charm, get on with it girl!” cried Cody irritably, getting annoyed with the way Watanabe kept staring at her. And all that destruction in the background was making her nauseous. Hermione sucked in a deep breath and let it go. A long time ago, she had read a book of Japanese customs when she was bored and hoped that she still remembered the proper etiquette. She bowed to him, making sure to go lower than he could. When she straightened, she could see the slight approval in his eyes and took note that he relaxed his grip ever so subtly.

“Lord Watanabe-sama, we wish to warn the ones within,” she said to him, hoping he understood. The fierce crease of his brow lessened slightly and his glare upon them eased up. Apparently, that was the right thing to say.

“Warning the young masters you say? Of what?”

“There are those that wish to harm them and so great are the possibilities that it would be best to speak with one of them in person.” Watanabe considered that for a moment before nodding.

“Wait a moment.” With that, he disappeared off to the side of his portrait.

“What the hell?” questioned Cody, not knowing of a guardian that could leave his or her frame without permission or a replacement.

***

“/Young masters! Young masters!/” cried Watanabe, appearing in the mirror of the room. Unlike in his guardian portrait, now he appeared as the young lord he used to be with slicked back brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a ceremonial maroon kimono. The man who had created the portrait had been furious at how Watanabe had once decimated a village full of women and children and cursed him to forever be insane and be drenched with their innocent blood for his heinous act. However, what the man didn't know was that the village in question had been ravaged with a plague and the longer the victims stayed alive, the more pain they would have to endure. So in an act of mercy, he had them all put to death, not only to release them but also to make sure the disease stopped there. Luckily, the quartets' parents had found him, restored his sanity, and gave him a new place to disappear to whenever he got tired of his original home for they knew the truth of why he killed all those people. He had served as a guardian for the children ever since.

Heated words floated from the bathroom and Damien stepped out, dripping wet with only a towel around her waist and her arms crossed over her rather developed chest. Instead of dark red, her eyes glowed a vivid red from one side to the other. This was the reason why she always wore her glasses; every time she got annoyed or angry, her eyes would glow red. And quite frankly, that was a little creepy for most people to swallow.

“/Nani Kise? We are kinda busy,/” she replied with a raised eyebrow, eyes glaring into him. He had the proper amount of sense to look ashamed after he bowed low to her. She inclined her head in response, being of higher rank than he.

“/Two young ladies, one with red hair and the other with bushy brown have come to give you all a warning. I thought it best if you answered them yourselves rather than me deliver a message as I was warned that it might be too big for me to remember it all. I am sorry if I was wrong in my assumption but I did not feel a false truth in her words,/” he said forlornly. Damien sighed deeply, a hand mussing her hair absentmindedly as she thought.

There really was no way for her to be mad at him, at least for long. He had done all in his power to keep them safe since he was first offered to, and took pleasure in doing the act. He was very intelligent with a very selective memory of his experiences so he often regaled them with his tales of old. However, if you tell him five plus five equals ten and come back fifteen minutes later and ask him what five plus five equals, you can be guaranteed that he's going to forget. All in all, he was a favorite uncle who just so happened to be stuck in a portrait.

“/No Kise, you did the right thing. Tell them to give me a second./” He gave her a smile, bowed, and disappeared.

***

“A master will be with you shortly,” said he after he materialized in his picture and not a second later the whole thing was shifted to the side, revealing a still towel-clad Damien. She couldn't be made to care that she was basically naked in front of the two girls. She was missing her bath damn it!

Hermione and Cody's eyes widened as they stared at her in shock.

Even though she was fifteen, she wasn't that developed female wise. Her breasts were practically nonexistent; just mounds hardened muscle, much like the rest of her torso. To them her skin was perfectly tanned and flawless except for the slightly pink line on her face. They just didn't notice that she was under a glamour, even though since she hadn't had time to put it on properly, it shimmered lightly when she moved. Her fire hair looked completely drenched and was still dripping water as she ran a hand through her it, pushing it out of her face and causing it to stand up awkwardly. She crossed her arms and smirked at their dumbfounded expressions.

“What the hell do ya expect when ya interrupt meh shower?” she asked them bluntly with an eye roll. This snapped Hermione out of her shock and she glared at the girl.

“Have you no modesty?” she shrieked, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Damien shrugged easily, stopping the motion quickly when the glamour shifted.

“`Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind'. Dr. Seuss, lovely man. Now what is it that you wanted?” Cody came out of her catatonic state and stared firmly into her glasses.

“We've come to warn you.” Damien raised an eyebrow.

“Warn us? Warn us about what?” Her posture relaxed as she leaned into the doorway. Both girls hastened to keep their eyes on her face. They weren't interested in girls or anything like that but Damien had a very impressive body. One that anyone could admire.

“Potter and his gang. They're not going to take that embarrassment you handed them today that easily. And they're notorious for always getting pay back. That's the reason why they control Gryffindor like they do.”

“Hmm…and why exactly are you telling me this?” Cody and Hermione shared a glance.

“Because…we don't like Potter anymore than you do,” rationalized Hermione. Damien scoffed.

“And what makes you think we don't like Potter?” Cody rolled her eyes.

“Um…from what Hermione tells me, and Neville too, last night was a pretty good indication. This morning. During DADA. And that's not even including Charms!” Damien grinned in a distinctively feral way…

***

FLASHBACK

After the massacre that was the DADA `duel', the Gryffindors marched out to Charms, clamoring loudly, their `leader' still nursing his wounds. He and all the others disappeared soon after the quartet emerged from the classroom. The Slytherins in general gave them a wide birth. Except one.

“I don't care what anyone else says, you guys are alright with me,” said a male voice.

“Really now?” drawled Darion with a skeptical glare. Although he was hard pushed, Blaise made eye contact with him. And even if he didn't know it, he just gained the beginnings of respect with the four.

“Yes. You four are bound to be the heroes of the school by the end of the day.”

“Why?” asked Darien, just catching sight of the Gryffindor Trio, Hermione, Neville, and Cody, leaving the room.

“Because, there are a lot of people that have been waiting to see that happen for a very long time,” replied Neville with a shrug. “'Ello Blaise.” The young Slytherin nodded to him. He motioned down the hallway; an invitation to walk together and the purebloods began moving with the others falling behind.

“I thought the Gryffs and the Rins didn't get along all that well,” commented Damien as she yawned widely.

“Ordinarily we don't but since us three have been `cast out' so to speak, the Slytherins have been kind enough to overlook that whole blood issue where we're concerned. Besides, as they say, we have more honor in our thumbs than what most Gryffindors have in their bodies.”

“We're mostly immune to any mass-Gryffindor prank, usually because we're not there,” added Cody.

“What class do you all have next?” asked Blaise.

“Charms,” said Neville.

“We've got Care o' Magical Creatures with the Puffs now. I'll see you all later.” He went downstairs in the other direction, heading towards the grounds while they went up two.

The Charms corridor was mostly empty as they approached and entered the room. The Ravenclaws were to the right side of the room and the Gryffindors were on the left. Damien spotted the `Dream Team' in the center.

“I'd suggest we go the other way,” said Darion, going over to the Ravens' area, less animosity pointed in their general direction anyhow. The bell rang moments after they settled themselves and their two professors walked out. Flitwick was as short and energetic as ever while Lily was beaming at them all, her eyes resting upon her children a moment longer than any other.

“Welcome to your first Charms class!” squeaked the little man as he climbed atop his stack of books.

“You all remember who I am so let's get started. If our transfer students don't mind demonstrating what they know practically?” she inquired politely. Darien inclined his head in her direction, simultaneously telling her yes while telling the others that as well. “Excellent! Now let's see…Darius is it?” The boy rose to his feet silently. “Terry?” The young Ravenclaw stood up, squaring his shoulders. “If you two will please come down?” She waved her wand and expanded the room so that the circular dueling platform could fit in the ordinarily smaller room.

With a dual whisper of `keiko' and `kakuhan', Darius was in his training gi with the blue whip gently resting on the floor as he stood across from Boot. Unlike their initial `duels' with the Gryffindors, they had no beef with the other members of the school, and thus Darius bowed to him.

“May your wand fail you,” he intoned in accented English. The boy was surprised but quickly bowed back.

“And your whip betray you,” he replied bringing his wand into a ready position. Darius presented him with his right side, the one that held the whip, while shifting some of his weight to his back leg. Without warning, Terry cried out, “Avis!” A flock of blue birds fired out of his wand, on a direct collision course with Darius. He merely closed his eyes and moved to the left, allowing them to pass by him and slam into the wall. Upon contact, they disappeared.

“Like I thought,” muttered Darion. “He was too weak for the spell.”

“Yes, ordinarily they follow their target for at least five seconds,” added Neville.

“But not a bad attempt overall,” said Hermione in Terry's defense. Darion nodded to her, giving the point.

Darius opened his eyes and raised his arm, flicking his wrist. The edge of the whip careened towards Terry and slapped the ground directly in the middle of his legs. Had he aimed for his body, Terry would have been sliced in half.

“That's his way of saying move your feet,” called out Darien. Boot took the advice to heart and shifted to the right, calling out, “Tarantallegra!” before switching back over to his left. Darius used his whip to cut the spell in half again, moving a step closer. “Rictusempra!”

Another spell split in half and another step closer.

“Scatoporrus!”

Another step.

“You might want to give up now before you get hurt,” commented Damien lazily, watching as Darius slowly backed the boy into a corner, all while keeping his attention focused solely on the whip. Terry looked at her for a moment then nodded and relaxed his stance, taking care to turn the wand in his hand so that the tip was in his palm.

“I forfeit,” he announced, giving the other boy his hand. Darius shook it and bowed to him.

“Nice duel.” Damien snickered behind her hand as Darius returned to his seat.

“What's so funny?” asked Neville.

“Talk about a slap in the face! Thank you Darius!”

“I'm confused, what's a slap in the face?” asked Cody.

“Because Darius displayed obvious respect for Terry and not for the Gryffindorks, it was a physical manifestation of what we think of them,” replied Darien, leaning back in his chair, a finger gently tapping away at the desk.

“Excellent! Oh just marvelous! That's fifty points to Ravenclaw, twenty for Terry and thirty for Darius!” squeaked Professor Flitwick, dangerously teetering on his stack of books. Just as he was about to fall, Lily reached over and tipped him back. “Oh thank you dearie. And next…Damien and…”

“I'll volunteer professor!” cried Jonathan, a swift glare shooting across the room from one teen to the other. Damien merely raised an eyebrow as Lily added, “Why that would be wonderful! Thanks for volunteering Johnny!” With a roll of her eyes, the Japanese girl walked down to the platform, not even bothering to change into her training outfit. She scoffed.

“This is so not worth my time…” she growled out, staring carelessly across at Jonathan as he stood opposite from her.

“I always settle my debts.” Damien laughed aloud.

“That's a good one.” The boy scowled.

“You may begin!” said Flitwick. Jonathan's first spell, for whatever reason, was `Expelliarmus!' With a simple raised eyebrow, she sidestepped the spell.

“What the hell was the point in that?! Do I fucking look like I'm holding something?!” she shouted, causing most of the students to snigger. Jonathan colored a dark red before shouting out, “Convomo!” Rolling her eyes, Damien summoned her bat with a quick word and knocked the curse right back at him. A comically stunned look upon his face, Jonathan was frozen to the spot and only moved after the spell had hit him, causing him to throw up all over the place.

“My turn.” She swung the bat at him again, a red streak of light flying from her. It hit Potter, knocking him on his back but also removing his own curse. He looked up at her in confusion. “I have some honor. I don't hurt people who can't defend themselves. Or at least those who do not keep a hand on their weapons,” she amended after a thought. Jonathan wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his robe while his mother cleared away the mess he made with what he had eaten earlier.

“You're going to regret that.” She shrugged carelessly.

“Doubtful but whatever.”

“Diffindo!” Another eye roll and Damien carelessly knocked the spell into the barrier surrounding the two duelers.

“I apologize to all boys watching but this is an opportunity that I'm not going to waste. Nuxcastigo!” She swung the bat again, this time a blue light coming out. It hit Jonathan square in the stomach although his hands went instantly to his `family jewels'. His face contorted into the familiar grimace all boys recognized in an instant, letting out a simultaneous `ooh…'. He dropped to his knees and fell to the side, clutching his balls, and calling out `Mommy' in a creepily high voice before curling into the fetal position. Her friends laughed loudly while many other boys winced in sympathy. No matter who it was, save maybe Mouldyshorts, no man, or boy, deserved to feel pain in his nuts. Lily glared viciously at Damien who just stood there with a wide ass grin on her face.

“What did you do to my son?” she screeched. Damien stuck her pinky in her ear and wiggled it a bit.

“Damn you're loud. What I did was a spell all girls should know and all boys should fear. The Nut Check Jinx.”

END FLASHBACK

***

“Oh my god that was funny!” chuckled Damien, wiping a tear from her eye, holding onto the doorframe so she didn't fall. Jonathan had had to be levitated to the Hospital Wing after that. They, meaning the people who actually cared about the little bastard, weren't even sure if there even was anything they could do besides lessen the pain a bit. Since it was such an uncommon spell, nigh unheard of, there was no potion, that they knew of, that could help. Of course, had they asked Damien, she could have told them the solution to their little problem. But no one was going anywhere near her, much less the men. “Okaasan always said that the best way to train males was to put the `fear of the nut' in `em!”

“Yes well, I know from that that Potter isn't going to let that one go. Maybe his defeat by your twin, but that was embarrassing on all counts.”

“Yeah, so just…watch your step tomorrow. My brother knows this school better than any student so you can be sure he'll try to ambush you somewhere.”

“If we know him at all, he's gonna try to humiliate you in a public place, probably in the Great Hall.” Damien nodded a few times.

“Is that it?”

“No. Watch for paintings close to the ground-”

“And tapestries, those things hide more secrets than the doors do!”

“And the stairs. Potter knows how to activate and deactivate those trick steps.”

“Now is that it?” The two girls nodded and she ran another hand through her still wet hair. “That being the case, don't wait for us or anything tomorrow. If there's one thing we don't like, it's innocents being brought in the middle of something we started. After we're through with Potter, we'll let ya know.” Hermione let out a deep breath. Her conscience would probably let her sleep easy now.

“Aw shit!” cried Cody suddenly. The two other girls turned to her in surprise.

“What's wrong?” asked Hermione. She frantically motioned to her watch.

“My brother is on patrol right now, on this floor.”

“WHAT?!”

“They let him out of the Hospital Wing and gave him this floor instead of the fourth like he usually has. It took us nearly a half-hour to get here! There's no way we could make it back to the Fat Lady before we're caught!” As the two girls began to panic, Damien set a firm hand on both of their shoulders.

“Rule Number One: NEVER PANIC. Panic creates fear and fear clouds judgment. Since the pair of you were so nice as to come give us such a warning, I'll let you go through and back into the Common Room.”

“How?” Damien motioned the pair in and closed the portrait back over the door. The hall they were in was wide enough for three to walk abreast with four doors on both sides at the very end. Damien moved the tapestry on their left to the side, showing a slightly transparent barrier that looked into the Gryffindor Common Room just to the left of the fireplace on the opposite side. It gave a clear view to the whole room, the door, and both staircases.

“All clear. This is only one-way so don't bother trying to find it later. Night,” she added cheerfully, forcefully pushing them through and dropping the tapestry back over the wall. She sighed deeply and pulled off her glasses, pulsing red eyes glaring at the wall opposite her.

Damien? called Darien over their twin bond. She sighed deeply and walked to the end of the hall, going to the door on the right. She was back in their room and stepped into the hot tub after dropping her towel from her waist. The other three watched her cautiously.

“What happened?” asked Darion, letting loose a contented breath as the tub got warmer.

“Apparently, Granger and Potter female have come to warn us of retribution by Potter male for my actions today.”

“:That was brilliant by the way. The look on his face was absolutely priceless,:” said Darius with a chuckle. They all shared a laugh at Jonathan's expense.

“Anything else?” asked Darien.

“No, just that warning and to specifically watch out in the Great Hall. Apparently, he wants to get us back in a public place and there is none better than the Great Hall.”

“He'll probably make us sweat all day by not doing anything and then do something at dinner when the whole school is really there and he thinks we've let our guards down.” Darion scowled.

“Amateur…”

“Why must all the potential rivals be such idiots?”

“Because some idiot made a prayer to Kami to make all his enemies idiots. And Kami granted it.”

***

By the way /this/ is them speaking in Japanese.

scatoporrus- to spout leek; a combined form of `scato'- to spout and `porrus'- leek (Latin) No incantation was given

convomo- to vomit all over (Latin) My own personal spell

nuxcastigo- nut check; a combined form of `nux'- nut and `castigo'- check (Latin) My own personal spell

-->

5. Interlude 1 - Anthony

So sorry it's been so long since I've updated but as a freshmen in college, I've found my muses have abandoned me. Part of the next chapter is written, if only halfway. I'm still trying to work out the kinks but noteÂ that I am NOT going to abandon this. I know where I want this story to go, I just don't know how to get there. Especially since I have yet to decide who's going to die, because it will happen, and whether or not I'll rid the world of Umbridge. Ah well, any thoughts you are my readers might have would be greatly appreciated. Or who you would want to see die.

As a teaser for the next chapter, in it will be a few more revelations to shed some light on the Tsubasas and a few questions will be answered. Since I can't directly reply to your reviews, I've devised a way to directly address them within the story. So if there's something you want to know about the characters, just ask and I'll put it in.

I don't know if there will be another interlude but nevertheless, here's the first. Pay specific attention to the interaction between the characters and their reactions. It goes a long way in showing who I deem redeemable and who I don't. Enjoy!

***

Lily Evans sighed in annoyance, once again asking herself why in the world she agreed to this. James Potter, with a significantly deflated ego, was leading her to one of the castle fireplaces so they could floo to his house. It was a Hogsmeade weekend so the sixth years could elect to go home for the day instead. Only seventh years were allowed to go where they pleased, within reason of course.Â James had eventually worn her down with begging, pleading, and promises to leave her alone for the next week and a half. It was that promise of silence that broke her in the end. Truth be told, she was rather curious of what a pureblood's family home looked like. As a muggle-born, there was no way she'd have another opportunity to see one. So now here she was, preparing to follow him to his ancestral home.

“Okay Evans.” She refused to allow him the privilidge of calling her by her firstÂ name.Â “Here we are. The address is `Potter's Keep' and the password is `slytherins rule'.” She snorted in amusement.

WasÂ that honestly the best they can come up with?

“Really now? I'm sure I can name some Slytherins who would love to know that.” Almost instantly a picture of Severus sprang to mind, although honestly she'd never tell him something like that, despite how close they were. While James and his friends might be the world's biggest prats, this was something way more private than the password to the common room. Which she had given to Sev on occasion after obtaining an oath that he wouldn't go after anyone but his tormentors.

He grimaced. “We're such public Gryffindors; they would never think that that would be our password. Nevertheless, come on.” He threw the powder into the flames, turning them an emerald green reminiscent of Lily's eyes, before stepping in. “Potter's Keep!” he enunciated clearly, disappearing with a whoosh. Letting loose a deep breath, she stepped in as well, calling out, “Potter's Keep!”

The trip was the same as any other floo trip, only a lot tighter. She frowned nervously when she suddenly stopped in midair over the ocean. Forcing herself to keep a level head, she said to the air, “Slytherins rule!” and released another breath when she changed directions and shot towards another grate. With a grunt, she tumbled out of the fireplace, glaring at the laughing James. She ignored the hand he stretched out to her, slapping it away irritably as she drew her wand to spell all the ash off, and rose to her feet, pointing her wand threatening at his face. He stopped laughing so hard in the presence of her legendary fury. Especially since she could see he remembered boasting to Sirius and Remus how he could practice his magic underage at home because of the wards.

“You could have warned me about stopping in midair,” she growled out. Observing the room, she noticed it was more of a small sitting room really. Two chairs with a table in between them were pointed at the fireplace, an unfinished game of chess atop it, the black pieces winning. Three portraits hung around her, obviously sentries just in case someone managed to sneak in. James continued laughing, albeit a little more nervously this time as he ran a shaky hand through his hair, subconsciously making it more windswept at the same time. Lily continued glaring; she never really did like it when he did that. If she had to be honest, one of the main reasons why she didn't like the Potter heir was because he was such an attention whore. It didn't matter what kind of attention it was, so long as someone was admiring him. She assumed it was why he kept Peter around. He practically worshiped the ground James and Sirius walked upon.

“Yeah. Sorry bout that. I completely forgot. I'm keyed into the wards so I've never had a problem with it.”

“Whatever Potter. Let's just go.” She strode forward, walking out the room without a backwards glance but she knew he was following. Besides, she was aware of just how much he liked watching her ass.

The corridor floor had a red rug stretching everywhere. Portraits, windows, and landscapes alternated on her left where doors appeared sporadically on her right. Ignoring James, she walked forward, absently realizing they were at the end of this corridor.

“Um…Lily, this isn't-”

“Stow it Potter,” she snapped, emerald orbs glinting at him. It was because of this that she missed the explosion in front of her that knocked a door clear off the hinges. A cloaked form followed moments later, smashing into the wall with a sickening crunch. Lily lifted her wand to levitate the body out the way, not wanting to get closer to whatever had blown the heavy wooden door apart to begin with. She noticed out the corner of her eye that James was glaring rather hatefully at the form, much like how he looked at Severus, and Slytherins in general. Just as she was about to call him on it, the form popped up, laughing loudly.

“Loki! That was brilliant! A little much on the charging but beautiful in the execution!” cried the male. Lily was floored.

“Um…are you okay?” she asked, wand still held loosely in her hand. Either he was very resilient to harm or just insane.

She was leaning more towards the latter.

“I thought mum and dad had you on the other side of the castle. Permanently. Why are you even here?” She turned to James in shock, wondering why he was so vicious to someone who obviously had permission to be here. The other dusted himself off, pulling the black garment away. Underneath, he wore simple blue jeans and a gray t-shirt with black boots. He was just a bit over Lily's height and much less broad shouldered than James. He had easily controllable black hair that was currently tied back in a ponytail and out of his face. He looked just like the single Snape ancestor Lily had heard James talk about that had wiggled his way into the Potter line. His aristocratic facial features helped bring out the vivid amber in his eyes. He blinked at seeing Lily there before grinning. Unlike James' grins, this one was actually charming and almost made her knees go weak.

“Well, hello there. I'm pretty sure you don't know who I am, knowing my family as I do. I'm Anthony, James's younger twin,” he said with an extravagant bow. Lily looked between the newly discovered twins in surprise.

“You have a twin?” she eventually screeched. Honestly, one would think James would be only to happy to have an extra hand in the mischief making.

James grimaced, still looking disgusted. “Fraternal, thank Merlin,” he added bitterly. In the resulting silence, they all caught hints of what was previously hidden behind the obviously soundproof door.

“What is that?”

Anthony grinned. “Music. In the school I go to for weaker witches and wizards, it's more international. Some of my friends are composers so I have them make me a copy of whatever they've finished. It's generally pretty good, although it takes a while to get used to.”

“You still haven't explained why you're here. Or even on this continent,” interrupted James, attempting to pull Lily away from his twin. She simply turned her wand on his hand, muttering something lowly, resulting in his now burning limb. Deliberately she took a step closer to Anthony.

“Don't touch me Potter; you have yet to gain that privilege.” Anthony shot his brother a smirk over her shoulder. James merely puffed up in indignation.

“Well, the school is undergoing a continuous renovation so we were sent home, if possible. I'll be gone by the end of next week. Mother and father were gracious enough to let me stay here, since it's far away enough from the main part of the Keep that I don't bother them as I pop in and out.”

“So what would have happened if you couldn't go home?” asked Lily curiously. He shrugged.

“Dunno. But I'll be outta here soon, so don't pop a blood vessel AJ.” James bristled at the nickname. Lily looked between the pair again, fascinated by their interaction. James obviously hated his younger twin with a passion, while Anthony just let it slide off like stinksap. She decided then that Anthony was much more interesting than James and probably easier to get along with too.

“AJ?” He gave her a wicked grin.

“Absolute Jackass.” Both of them broke into peals of laughter, much to James's annoyance.

“Well, as unpleasant it is to see you again, Anthony, me and Lily will have to be going now.”

“Lily! Dear young chap-ette! It's so good to see you!” announced Anthony, grabbing and pumping her hand up and down, a wide grin upon his face. Lily could only continue laughing at his antics. He was obviously good-natured and very reminiscent of the Marauders, just without their tendency to hurt others with their pranks. She liked him immensely already.

“And good to see you too Tony. It has been too long hasn't it?” she replied, playing along. James watched the two of them act like old friends growing more confused by the passing seconds.

“What?”

“Anyway, what were you working on that started all of this?” said Lily, motioning towards the door.

“Oh! Right! Loki!” he called, grinning when the creature stepped out his room. It looked like a bear dog, although the front paws were shaped more like hands, with smooth black fur hiding the compact steel underneath. It came to about Anthony's waist, excluding the two horns coming out the top of its head. “This is Loki. The Care of Magical Creatures masters like to cross breed different magical and normal animals to see what they get. Loki here is part Cerberus and bear, I think,” he scratched his head in confusion before shrugging again, “Oh well. He was a gift from one of my friends. Anyway, the interesting part is that he can shoot fireballs from his mouth. That's where the explosion came from. He was practicing.”

“Is he yours?” said Lily, surprisingly not afraid of the rather massive, if short, beast. He tilted his head to the side, considering her. After a moment, he walked forward, amidst James's cries.

“No Lily! Don't! You don't know how dangerous that thing is!” She rolled her eyes, petting him after he pushed his head under her hand. Just as she had thought, his fur was very smooth, almost silky. From the corner of her eye, she could see Anthony shoot a triumphant look at James, one that made him glare even more.

“Just because he doesn't like you AJ, doesn't mean he's dangerous. It just means he's very smart.”

***

That one meeting had begun a friendship that would last well after James and Lily were married. Anthony, or Tony as she affectionately called him, became her confidant, friend, and older brother all in one, the one thing she needed desperately once Severus severed, no pun intended, his friendship with her. He was intelligent in everything James was not, and had a wit and sharp tongue to match any Slytherin on a good day. Tony also knew how to treat a woman properly and Lily was always of the opinion that had she met him first, she wouldn't be married to his twin as she was. Not that it mattered much.

After Voldemort's rise, she had seen very little of her best friend, and the only news she got was that he was still very much alive and well, if a bit more battered and bruised than she remembered. He sent her letters every now and again, just so she wouldn't worry too much. He had also been the first person to know of her pregnancy and the fact that she was having twins. Of course, he was named godfather to her youngest, since James demanded that Sirius be the godfather of the eldest. The choice didn't bother either of them, having come to expect this. Tony had no qualms about informing Lily of what his childhood had been like, and she was surprised at how similar it was to her own. This only strengthened the bond the pair had, much to a very jealous James's annoyance.

Although no one could really blame him. Any man would be furious at the thought of their wife with another man in any capacity. It didn't help that James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had been unreachable when Lily actually went into labor thus she had called on Anthony to be there. The divide between the brothers only grew with each passing day, more on James' part than the younger one.

***

A high-pitched cry broke the silence of the ordinarily comfortable safe house. In the master bedroom, decked out in reds and golds, a large hand reached out, and grabbed the mahogany wand sitting on the bedside table. A quick silencio later and the home was quiet again. The other occupant of the king sized bed grabbed the willow wand, turning it to the opposite side, and grumbling out, “'Ames, go'n get da `aby.” A thoroughly messed up black head lifted itself out of the comforts of its pillow irritably.

“Bug it all Lil. You go get `im. We `greed that Johnny was mine, `member?” The woman growled once from her own pillow before swishing her wand and poking it resolutely at her husband.

“Yer lucky I love you like I do,” groused out Lily, pulling herself carefully from her oh so warm and cozy bed so as not to wake the sleeping baby girl in between she and her husband. The temperature drop caused goosebumps to pop out all along her body, modesty preserved only through the light tank top and shorts she wore. Stretching lightly, she pulled on her green robe, tied it about her waist, and left the room. She walked across the hall and entered the room that housed her twin sons.

The wallpaper was, of course, baby blue and green with a mini Quidditch game being played all over it. However, the wallpaper was charmed to be still when the boys were asleep. Johnny was firstborn and in his bassinet closest to the door. Even now, he was slightly pudgy with his messed up black hair and muddy brown eyes. He was the one who was really crying and Lily smirked in sick satisfaction, a small trait she had picked up from the surprisingly malicious Tony. She knew Harry wasn't a crybaby. Moving towards him, she could see him wide-awake, staring up at her with a mirror image of her own emerald green eyes. He cooed at her and lifted his arms as much as he could. Lily smiled softly at him and picked up the twin designated as `hers'.

Since James came from a very old-school pureblood family, they did things just a bit differently from everyone else, especially when there were twins involved. Ordinarily, when twins were born, no one was supposed to know who was born first to prevent preferential treatment. Unfortunately, the Potter patriarch had demanded to know for that one purpose. James was a first-born and as such, was treated much better than Anthony. When James got new clothes, Anthony got his old clothes after they had been refreshed and re-stitched. James got all the attention while any achievement Anthony did was mostly overlooked simply because James had done it first, even if Anthony had done it better and in less time. Lily frowned at the thought. His parents had not let him go to Hogwarts because since he was second-born, he was much weaker magically than his older brother, and therefore more inclined to disgrace the Potter name. It was mostly untrue; he was just weak in the fields James was strong at. His forte was more into potions and wards. He had actually gotten a Mastery in both potions and ancient runes when his parents weren't watching. He had even been the one to place the Fidelius charm on the house. It was Lily's main thought to make Anthony the secret-keeper since almost everyone overlooked him but since James didn't trust his own twin, he gave that honor to Peter at Sirius's urging.

Lily herself had been a second born so she knew almost exactly what Harry would go through as he grew up. Her parents' attitude towards her only changed because she was accepted into Hogwarts. Petunia was very bitter afterwards since she was no longer the center of their parents' attention. Personally, Lily was happier being the overlooked one. It meant she could do just about anything she wanted without interference.

A few moments later James barged into the room, angry as a hippogriff, derailing her thoughts. On any other day, or any other time, Lily would have been pleased to see her husband strutting (he never did lose that one part of his personality) around the house in naught but a pair of boxers but today it was too bloody early, and she was too bloody annoyed to care.

“What the bloody hell did you do to me?!” he shouted, causing Jonathan to cry louder, and increase the grimace on James' face. Lily shrugged carelessly, one that she had often used when he had tried to court her when they were at school. In all reality, it had been Tony to convince her to give him a chance. Though Merlin knew why.

“Thought you ought to figure out the difference between your sons' cries. It's not my fault that I amplified the crying to get you out of bed,” she replied with an innocent air.

He didn't need to know that it was his brother that gave her the spell to begin with did he?

James merely growled at her and plucked `his' son from the bassinet. Johnny continued on for a while longer, his father doing everything in his power to stop the noise. Eventually he snapped, “Damnit Lily! Put down that brat and come help me with Jonathan!” Lily glared at him when Harry began to cry.

“Now look what you've done! Shh…it's okay baby. Daddy didn't mean it; he was talking about me okay? Shh…” She bounced the baby in her arms lightly, murmuring nonsense in soothing tones. Much faster than his brother, Harry stopped, sniffling only once, watching his mum with his big green eyes.

“Well if you're done with him, come get Jonathan before he screams his throat out,” said James in a very clipped tone. Lily glared at him again over her shoulder as she placed Harry back in his bassinet. She grabbed his stuffed cerbear, the mixed-breed familiar of his Uncle/Godfather Tony, and placed it in his arms. James was, of course, ignorant to the significance. He cooed in delight and squeezed the toy as tightly as he could. With a soft smile, Lily turned back around and rolled her eyes at two of the other males in her life.

“Just change him James, and give him a bottle while you're at it. I'm going to Floo Tony and make sure he can watch them for us tonight.” James scowled at the mention of his twin. They had never really gotten along when they were younger, Anthony being the far better scholar and mage. It didn't help that James could see what his parents didn't in their younger son. And the fact that Lily was still so close to him, despite his best efforts.

“That boy couldn't protect his own arse, much less my son. No Lily, get McGonagall or someone else. Better yet, get Peter to do it.” Lily stopped in the doorway.

She had never liked Peter very much, he reminded her too much of someone's minion who while loyal on the outside, was secretly planning the coup against his master on the inside. Tony had shared his similar ideas about the rat animagus with her and they both thought it wise to keep an eye on him.

“A compromise then. I'll Floo both Tony and Peter. End of story.” And she walked away before he could reply. James stood in muted shock, still cradling his son. With a scoff, he did as she said, changing the soiled nappie, and giving him a bottle. Johnny was still sucking on it as James went to look at Harry. The quieter twin was sucking on his thumb with one hand and holding onto `Loki' with his other.

“Waste of breath,” he sneered, glaring at his son. Harry noticed the rather evil presence and instead of crying, like most babies would have done, he looked directly back in his father's eyes. Their stare off would have continued if Lily had not returned. She felt the tension in the room and was afraid for her son. While James would never physically harm his children, second-born or not, that wouldn't stop him from making the boy's life harder.

“Tony will be here before we leave but Peter will be a bit late. He's got some work to do before he can come over,” she announced, pulling James' attention away. He nodded.

“No surprise. Wonder what he's doing.”

“Don't know. And he said that he'd only be able to stay a little while since he wants to go to the party too.”

“Fine. We're coming home earlier then.”

***

“Lily! So good to see you again!” said Anthony as he flooed in. He was still taller than she and had fleshed out a bit more from the war. He and his group of friends, whom she had only met once and found them to be quite pleasant company, had disappeared under the radar often, although he claimed to be under the orders of the Minister. No one knew what they were really doing, other than fighting the Death Eaters like everyone else. His hair was still long, although his face was a bit harder, and more worn out. On the right side of his neck was a discolored splash of skin, his most visible inference into what he had done when not with her. All he would say was that he had gotten a bit lax in the middle of a fight and paid the price.

Lily smiled widely as her brother-in-law/best friend dusted himself off before greeting her properly with a bear hug.

“It's good to see you too Tony. How goes the research?” she added, pulling away to look him in the face but not releasing him from her grasp. He shrugged.

“Same old, same old. Progress is good, and I finished it,” he added in a whisper to her ear. Her eyes lit up at the thought and she hugged him again, this time more tightly than before.

“Tony you're a genius!”

“If he was he wouldn't be holding you like that in front of your husband,” rumbled James. Not feeling any type of guilt, neither pulled away as if they had been caught doing something they weren't supposed to. They both just dropped their arms, Lily throwing hers around his waist and his around her shoulders.

“Oh calm down James! You know Tony is my best friend. Besides, I was just congratulating him. His new research project is progressing marvelously.”

“Yes, come on AJ, lighten up.” James bristled predictably at the old nickname.

“Don't call me that!” he growled.

“Regardless, where is that godson of mine?” asked Tony of Lily, totally ignoring James, as he knew that nothing else would annoy his brother more.

“I'll go get him, you wait here.” She left the room, shooting an unseen warning glare at her husband.

“Get the fuck out of my house bastard,” said James as soon as Lily was out of earshot. Tony only laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

“Can't, babysitting.”

“Not by my choice.”

“Not my problem. She asked, I said yes.”

“Mmm!” cried a voice in a much higher pitch than either man could attain. Amber eyes shot downwards, a pleased grin on his face.

“Harry! There you are!” Moving faster than one would think of a baby his age, little Harry crawled quickly over to his uncle's outstretched arms, giggling when he was thrown into the air. James sneered at how happy the both of them became while around each other. Jonathan was a lively baby to be sure, but he never seemed as happy with his father like Harry was with Anthony. Seeing them together, one could swear that they were father and son but James shrugged the thought off. After all, Anthony was his brother (even if he didn't like it) and Harry his son. It was just the Potter genes at work. (wink wink, hint hint)

“Oh Tony, you're such a child!” said Lily as she stopped in the doorway. Anthony simply smiled wider, Harry carefully perched on his shoulders, tiny hands clinging lightly to his hair.

“Can you blame me? He's just too cute!”

“Anyway, James and I are leaving, we should be back around ten or so. Floo the Keep when Peter arrives so we won't worry. Have you eaten yet?”

“Nah, but I'm sure I'll be hungry by the time Peter gets here. When is he coming anyway?”

“Dunno, he just said he'd be late. You might as well just come to the party for a quick bite while you're at it. I'll see you when I get back,” she added to Harry, tweaking his nose after she planted a kiss on his forehead. “Well, Johnny's upstairs sleeping so you'll have at least two or three hours before he wakes up. Athena is coming with us. Thanks for doing this Tony, I really appreciate it.” Using his free hand, he pulled Lily in for a hug, kissing her own forehead. James predictably bristled again. She and Tony kept in their laughs; shaking up his twin had always been a favorite pastime of his, and Lily was always up for deflating her husband's puffed up ego.

“No problem. You're my best friend slash sister-in-law slash partner slash partner in crime slash-”

“Alright already! Come on Lily,” barked James, grabbing her hand as he passed her by, almost shoving her into the fireplace. The party was being held at Potter's Keep and the only way in or out was by Floo for everyone. Waving with a cheeky grin, Anthony watched as they disappeared, a frown on his face once they were gone. Balancing Harry on his hip, he sat down with a tired sigh, running a hand over his hair while his fingers waved over the room, a mostly transparent blue dome appearing around him. Harry's happy smile fell, grunting in his baby way.

“I don't want to do it but it is for the best. You'll be going to my school when you're older, Harry, but to get there you have to go through some hell. And knowing my brother as I do, he'll be more than happy to provide ample motivation. I don't know how I'll be able to restrain myself from killing him. Lily will have to be spelled unfortunately. She will most likely try to make James change but you need to go to the Gekko. If only you didn't have to have a bad childhood first...” Harry blinked in confusion, titling his head to the side. Anthony let out a bark like laugh, throwing off his previous melancholy like one would dust. Placing his nephew on the floor, he changed into his animagus form of his familiar, and preceded to entertain the boy for the next hour.

As the clock announced the time as eight, the Floo roared to life, and Peter flew out, his momentum only stopped by the business end of Anthony's wand.

“Funny seeing you here Peter. You alright?” he asked, another wave banishing the soot from the man's robe. Peter's eyes glanced all about the room, as if looking for something.

“Yes, just a bit shaken up. Had a bit of a fright with some Death Eaters but I'm okay,” he replied, sighing in relief when his feet were safely on the floor.

“Well, get something warm in your stomach. The boys are upstairs sleeping, although Johnny might wake up soon. Harry should be good to go for two hours. Athena is of course with Lily. I've already changed both their nappies so all you've got to do is keep watch,” said Anthony in a deceptively mild voice. He had very good powers of observation and noticed how Peter's hand kept twitching while the other was firmly gripping his thigh.

“Where are you going?”

“Lily told me to Floo the Keep when you arrived since she didn't know at what time you'd be coming. You know how much she worries. And I was invited to taste some of the feast since I haven't eaten yet. When I get back you can go. I shouldn't be long, like twenty minutes, a half-hour tops. Think you can wait that long?” Elbowing the shorter man in the ribs playfully, Anthony approached the Floo, throwing out over his shoulder, “And keep a sharp eye. Voldemort has a tendency to create chaos on special days. Today is Halloween you know.”

Returning fifteen minutes later, Anthony gracefully stepped out of the fireplace, wincing at the residual dark magic. Moving fast, he approached the door, catching Peter just as the rat was about to leave.

“Where are you going? You know you can't Apparate to the Keep,” he announced loudly, causing the man to jump in surprise. He tittered nervously, wringing his hands in one of his more obvious tells.

“A-Anthony! I thought you said t-twenty minutes? That was f-f-fast.”

“Cut the crap you rat. I know where you allegiance truly lies. But I'm afraid you're stuck here until the Potters return. So just relax.” Faster than he could react, Peter was petrified, stunned, and bound by a simple wave of Anthony's hand. Transfiguring his body into a bone, he slipped it into his pocket, going first to check on the boys. After seeing the still bleeding scar on Harry's face, he moved it to his shoulder while placing a similar one on Jonathan's forehead. Grabbing the black wand on the floor, he returned downstairs and Flooed Lily to tell her of what had transpired. The Potters, with Sirius, Remus, Albus, and Minerva all came tumbling out of the fire, James springing to his feet, intent on attacking his brother, only to be restrained by his best friends.

“You bastard! You let the Dark Lord in!” he spat, fighting futilely against the grips of the two men who were way stronger than he combined.

“Tony! What happened?” asked Lily, gripping the front of his jacket, somehow keeping herself from running to check on her children.

“Lily calm down. They're both fine and very much alive.”

“But how could this have happened?” asked Minerva, cradling a sleeping Athena. The girl had been born nearly three months premature due to stress Lily had been under. She was still too small for a baby of eight months and thus had near constant attention from her mother.

“Only one person could have invited Voldemort into this house,” said Dumbledore gravelly.

“Yea, him!” roared James.

“Actually, Tony has been with us since around eight. I should know, I was talking to him the entire time,” said Minerva pointedly.

“But Peter would never-”

“Oh yes he would. Let's ask him shall we?” Canceling the charms, Anthony placed the bone on the floor amid the gasps from the others when he changed back. “But first, there's something I want to check. I noticed he seemed overly nervous when he arrived and kept a hand firmly on his thigh the entire time.” Waving his wand, he vanished the pants, smiling grimly at the Dark Mark on Peter's leg. The three Marauders were shocked into complete silence, eyes threatening to pop out of their heads. Pulling out a small vial, he placed three drops on Peter's tongue, enerverating him.

“What's your name?”

“Peter Piper Pettigrew.” Anthony couldn't help the snort much like Dumbledore. Lily finally gave into her maternal instincts and ran to her children.

“Try saying that five times fast. What time did you arrive here at Godric's Hollow?”

“A little before eight p.m.”

“What were you doing before?” asked Dumbledore.

“Reporting to my master that the Potters would be gone for a few hours and that his window of opportunity has finally opened.”

“Who is your master?” asked Sirius, almost afraid to find out the answer.

“The Dark Lord Voldemort.”

“Did...did you let him into the Hollow?”

“Yes.”

“What happened after he went upstairs?”

“He told me to wait for him. I heard him cast the killing curse but then he screamed and all was silent. I was just getting ready to leave when Anthony returned and captured me.”

“Did you betray your fellow Marauders?”

“Yes.” The three men sank to the floor, disbelief etched into their faces. Lily returned, carrying both her boys in her arms. She took a seat on the loveseat, rocking back and forth.

“Why?” asked James in a broken whisper. “Why did you betray us?”

“The Dark Lord asked me to.” Stunning Peter again, Anthony took a seat next to Lily, carefully prying Harry out of her arms, and placing a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“Professor, it might be a good idea to check out the boys. Voldemort's robe was up there and there is some heavy residual magic,” said Anthony, shifting Harry so he was facing the wizard. Nodding in agreement, he drew his wand, waving it over the baby's body, muttering all the while under his breath. He repeated the action on Jonathan, a relieved sigh escaping his lips.

“Well? What is it?” came the simultaneous cries.

“Well, they are both perfectly alright, besides the curse scar on his shoulder and his forehead. But it begs the question of who actually stopped Voldemort. They are both exactly the same.” James by then had recomposed himself and moving to pick up Jonathan, a proud grin on his face.

“Who else but little Johnny here! I always knew he was the special one!” he crowed, dancing around the room with the now awakened baby. With everyone's attention distracted, Anthony waved his hand one final time in Lily's direction, hating himself for the slightly glazed look in her eyes. Turning to Harry, he muttered his apologizes, knowing that until he was old enough, life was going to be Hell.

***

And there you go. I quite like my take on the events of Halloween and I especially like Anthony. Keep in mind that he is VERY important as he is the catalyst that kick started everything that happened to baby Harry. I hope I sufficiently explained the whys and hows of twins in OLD-SCHOOL pureblood families and to any arguments about the Patil or the Weasleys, I'll just say now that ample time has passed and enough purebloods were wiped out for the old ways to die. James will really be the only one who sticks to them like he does. I don't know when the next chapter will be up (and it will continue the story). But answer me this : would you all rather a completely separate story about Harry's years at the Gekko of would you rather sporadic interludes that focus on the more important parts?

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6. Deals, Detention, and Dickery

Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Due to non-negative responses, I think it safe to assume that you all like my OCs. Sorry to break it to you but they'll die eventually. It's the main reason why I didn't use preexisting characters. But who's to say when? *shrugs*

Anyway, I am pleased at the response to Anthony. This chapter moves the plot forward by a mile. A lot of info is given here so pay very close attention. And don't let the extra set of names confuse you; they won't be popping up…often. Otherwise, enjoy!

Chapter 5 - Deals, Detention, and Dickery

I'm tellin' ya Darien, they might not take this too well, said Damien early the next morning. She and her brother were currently in the fifth-year girl dorms, mentally arguing, quite literally, over what they were planning to do. Darien rolled his eyes.

Do you trust me? he asked instead.

Since the bond came to fruition, she replied with a tired sigh. He always did that when they were arguing and she always caved every time. It was truly her one weakness, her love for her brother. Bad part was that he knew it too and generally wasn't above using it when the situation called for her to bend. And bend she did.

Then trust me now and do it. Without further argument, she waved her hand in front of her, feeling the energy and magic that tied the wards to their beds, the items giving off a similar energy signature. She grabbed his arm and pulled him a foot to the left.

They must really not trust the other two girls. The wards extend in a semicircle about three feet in all directions. They're tied to bracelets both girls wear so they'll know if someone takes the wards down, despite how rudimentary it would be to remove them. Actually, I'm impressed at the sheer complexity and the forethought that went into putting these wards up. Had I not been a master, I'd say it was impossible, at least for their age.

Darien cursed. Darion just had to get the easy one didn't he? But of course, you are a master. Any other surprises?

Yeah, the moment we step foot in the boundaries of the wards, it'll wake up them both, and I'm pretty sure they're not holding teddy bears under those covers. He cursed again.

Just move as fast as you can and disable their hands, alright? I'll get Granger, you get Potter. She nodded and with an unspoken cue, ran full tilt towards the beds. Just as the girls were bringing their wands up, vice-like grips grabbed their hands, and covered their mouths. Their eyes flew open with a snap, panic clearly reflected back at the twins. However, both girls quickly got a hold of their emotions, and watched the intruders warily.

Interesting. I can sense no fear in them, only annoyance and slight curiosity, commented Damien. Darien couldn't help but agree. It was rare to meet a female that wasn't instantly frightened of them. Especially in a situation like the girls now found themselves. Quite a refreshing change, if he did say so himself.

“Now, I'm going to release you and I don't want you to scream or hex me to the next millennium, understand?” questioned Darien calmly. Hermione's eyes flicked over to Cody, and after seeing the other girl in a similar position, nodded carefully. He drew back slowly, taking care to remain within reaching distance in case something unexpected happened. Hermione took several deep breaths, placing her hand over her heart, glaring at him.

“Can you possibly think of another way to wake me up next time? Merlin, I think I just lost five years off my life!” Damien snorted but moved away from Cody as well. If it was possible, she was sure Cody's red hair would be on fire to match the anger in her eyes.

“We probably could but time is of the essence today.” Cody fingered her wand as she stared at them. Darien could tell she was itching to curse them, probably out of reflex if Jonathan was anything to go by.

“And what exactly do you want?”

“Information. About your brother,” said Damien.

“He's missing and has been for some time now.” Damien threw an unreadable look in Darien's direction but he subtly shrugged his shoulders.

“I thought he was in the infirmary?”

“Oh you're talking about him.” She waved her hand in dismissal. “I thought you meant Harry. Jonathan is not my brother, he is my sibling and nothing more than that; someone related to me by blood alone. My true brother Harry is missing and has been for a while. However, I digress. Why do you want to know about Jonathan?”

“Because, he plans on attacking us later by what you said to us last night was anything to go by. We like to be prepared and aware of our opponent's weaknesses before the actual confrontation,” said Darien. When the two girls gave each other weighed looks, he couldn't help but feel slightly worried.

Scheming females was something to always be wary of.

“Fine. We'll do an exchange,” said Hermione slyly.

“What kind of exchange?” he replied cautiously.

Cody smirked. “Information. You should know better than anyone else that you all are very mysterious. And we are very curious. So we'll tell you what you want to know and you will satisfy our curiosity.”

Couldn't we just break into their minds and get it over with? asked Damien.

It's better to have allies our own age here. The contact can't help us with everything. Besides, you have the subtly of a tank when it comes to mind arts. If it ever comes to that, I'll have Darius do it.

“Fine, but we reserve the right to not answer extremely personal questions. And do be mindful that some of what you could ask might be forbidden from being spoken,” said Darien, waving his hand, and creating two chairs for he and his sister to sit in.

“Also, once an answer has been given, if you want to know more information, you have to waste another question. Remember, every question you ask us is another one we get. So choose carefully.”

“Let's leave a question limit at five per round otherwise we'll be here all day,” added Darien.

“First question: how did you do that?”

He smirked. “Magic of course.”

The girls blinked in surprise. “What?!” Never would they have thought that such a blunt answer would be given, despite the fact that it was true.

“I told you, I created the chairs with magic.”

“And for you: what's Potter's biggest fear?” interrupted Damien. Unluckily for the girls, they never thought to magically bind them into telling the truth or compel them to do so. Not that the twins were that absentminded...they never noticed her other hand waving slowly in both their directions.

Cody snorted. “That's easy, being embarrassed in front of the whole school.” A wicked smirk spread across Damien's face and her brother grinned next to her.

“This is gonna be good…”

“Why are all you of named in a similar way?” asked Hermione.

“Because it sounds cool.”

“Our question: what's his biggest insecurity?”

“His sexuality. The Slytherins love to take the piss out of him about appearing gay since he spends so much time with blokes.”

“Were you all adopted since you all carry the same name but don't appear to be related?”

“Yes.” In truth, anyone who attended Gekko was adopted. One of the main, albeit unspoken, requirements of acceptance was to have a more or less horrible family that you wouldn't want to return to. Training at the school was harsh and draining in every sense of the word. They had to maintain an image of strength and couldn't have students running away just because the work was too hard. Those that survived were the best in their fields, as such with the twins' mother who was a world renowned master at potions and Gekko Alumni.

“What time does Potter usually show up for meals?” asked Damien, tapping her finger on her knee irritably. She never was one that could sit still for long, much to Darien's amusement.

“About twenty minutes in generally.”

“What are your real names?”

“I'm sorry but those are unknown even to us.”

“What do you mean you don't know your real name?” screeched Cody reflexively, clapping her hand over her mouth. In the other bed, Hermione groaned, rolling her eyes.

“And that's it for you. What are Potter's favorite foods?”

“Anything with salty meat in it, specifically bacon, sausage, and steak.”

“If you'll excuse us, I think that'll be all for this session,” said Darien, banishing the chairs as he and his sister stood up abruptly, much to the girls' surprise.

Damien smirked at Cody. “Sorry If we need more information, we'll let you know. See you in the Great Hall.”

“How do you know we'll not go blabbing what we've learned to anyone?” asked Hermione. They really wouldn't as they wouldn't have anyone to tell nor were they that type of people but were interested about why they were trusted so easily.

“You've already been magically silenced. Here's a snippet of knowledge to keep in mind in the future: always have all limbs accounted for. Especially hands. Later.” They left the room swiftly, leaving no sign of their presence. Hermione and Cody just sat up in their beds, staring silently at the walls, wondering what the hell just happened.

“Athena my dear, I think we've been duped.”

“I do believe you're right.”

***

“Surprised?”

Darien nodded, slowly sliding down the wall behind their guardian portrait to land on the floor. He silently stared at his hands for a moment in wonder, his heart clenching a bit. “She still doesn't believe I'm dead.”

“Well, you didn't break all bonds with her, just most of them,” she pointed out with a shrug.

“But she doesn't even know what I've become and she still considers me more of brother than the one she's grown up with.”

“Which only shows how much she really loves you, Cameron.” He looked up sharply at 'his' name, the one he himself chose to replace his old one. A cheeky grin was on her face, one eyebrow higher than the other in her patented look of 'are you really that stupid?'. “So get off your ass so we can do the damn thing. Maybe once we're finished, you could tell her the truth.” Her hand was extended, waiting for him to take it. With a rueful grin, he grabbed it, allowing her to pull him to his feet. If it was one thing he could always count on his sister for, it was being able to say the right things to get his sluggish mind working again.

“What would I do with you, my Anya?” She punched him on the arm playfully, understanding the sentiment anyway. He had really been broken when he had arrived at Gekko and had only begun to heal after the ritual to bind them as twins was completed.

“Hell if I know. But then again, I don't want to find out either.”

“Sure you're okay with that? I mean…she is my sister. Biologically at least.” One of her main personality flaws was her extreme possessiveness. Which when combined with her temper spelled out lots of explosions. Or just things on fire. Or usually a combination of both.

“So what? You're my twin. Mind, body, heart, and soul. I'll always have you close, no matter what, and we knew that from the beginning. If having her around will make you happy, then I'm okay with that. But you're still my brother, my twin.”

He shook his head in amusement, more relieved by her support than he originally thought. Tugging on her hand, he pulled her into a hug, smiling slightly when her grip tightened minutely around him. “You really are my better half.”

“And don't you forget it, dumbass.”

***

The Outcast Trio walked into the Great Hall cautiously, wary of the Tsubasas who were calmly sitting in their usual spots. A quick glance showed that Jonathan and his group were already there as well, their leader shoving down food in a similar manner to Ron, with no manners whatsoever. Hermione led the way, easing down into her seat slowly.

Darien snorted at her wariness, although mentally commending her for said caution. One honestly couldn't be too careful. “Calm down. Nothing is going to happen to you. By our hand at least.”

“Yeah, you're not the target for this,” added Darion. Cody and Hermione shared a look.

“Still, it pays to be slightly paranoid when you're us. Let's just say that besides the Slytherins, we're Johnny's favorite targets.” They nodded to Neville, the boy waving his wand over the food in their reach, relaxing when nothing glowed other than the four boxes.

“Your boxes are magical?” asked Cody curiously as she began loading her plate with food.

“Technically, they're called bentos. It's basically a localized portkey, or something similar to it. Honestly we have no idea how it works, just that when we open them, a meal is there, ready for consumption,” replied Damien.

“Must be handy.”

Breakfast continued calmly, conversation going back and forth, mostly questions about school and work. It wasn't until they were leaving for Transfiguration that Hermione realized nothing had happened, either to them or anyone else.

“Why didn't...”

Darien grinned sadistically. “Something happen? Trust me, we'll get him but he's going to kill himself in anxiousness. We'll have him almost begging for us to do something, just so the stress of waiting would be gone.”

“Don't mind him, he is very malicious when revenge is about to be served,” commented Darion idly.

“How come you're not like him? I'd think you would be almost giddy?” asked Neville to Damien.

“Don't have the patience for the waiting game he's gonna pull. When the actual -”

“Come now, no slacking! We've got a fun lesson planned for today and I'd hate for you all to miss it!” interrupted a cheerful voice before Damien could finish.

“Uncle Sirius, we're coming! Don't close the door yet!” shouted Jonathan, him and his posse running past them to the door. Darius waved his hand in their direction discretely, cracking a wide grin when they all tripped and fell to the ground. Everyone in the corridor started laughing, none quite as hard as Cody though.

“You might want to rein in that ego of yours brother dearest,” she called down to him as she stepped on his fallen body. “Accidents are prone to happen if you can't see around it.” The others had enough common sense to walk around them, despite how they wished to (pun intended) kick them while they were down.

Thankfully, for Darien at least, Professor McGonagall did not want a practical demonstration of their skill, and instead launched into her usual start of year speech before moving directly into the theory behind small animal to inanimate object transfiguration. Darius was hanging on most of her words, which was expected since he planned on gaining his first Mastery in the subject anyway.

As the lecture was winding down, Sirius Black popped up out of no where, a face splitting grin upon his face.

“Well, thanks Minny, I'll take it from here!” he cried cheerfully, ignoring the glare she sent at him. He rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Now let's get to it. You know the theory so let's see some imagination here! I don't care what you transfigure, so long as its properties are what they should be.”

The next hour was filled with the murmuring (read: shouting) of the students, the most noise coming from the Gryffndors while the Puffs worked diligently, but quietly. Darius had already changed his mouse to a fine quill, a pen, a hair tie, and everything in between. He eventually stopped on a very real dagger with wavy edges and a rather fine leather grip. Black, having been nearest, came over to investigate, grabbing the weapon from Darius's hands as he was examining it.

“A little crude, don't you think?” he asked, scorn upon his face as he stared down the side of the dagger, using a finger to glide across the edge. “Bet it's dull.”

“I wouldn't-”

“Do that,” finished Darion as the stupid man cut his finger. Damien shrugged, shaking her head, her own half-size tan baseball bat lying on the table.

“If Darius is the one doing the transfiguration, then believe me when I say 'what you see is what you get',” she added, unnecessarily hitting Darion upside his head with the bat, smirking when it made a solid 'thunk'. “If it looks like it can cause you harm, then it most likely can.”

“What the hell Damien?!” cried Darion, clutching his head. “Why me?!”

“Because you annoy me?” she replied in a `no-duh' tone of voice. Darion looked ready to attack her when Darius placed a solid hand on his shoulder, holding him in place.

“Be happy she didn't use the cast-iron pot again,” pointed out Darien. The other boy shuddered in remembered pain. He hadn't been able to feel his ass for weeks after.

“What is going on here?” demanded McGonagall, eyes moving between them and the other professor suspiciously.

“He cut me!” whined Sirius, despite having already bandaged the wound. She uncharacteristically rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue, saying “Well what do you expect when you run your finger on a blade? Ten points to Ravenclaw, Mr. Tsubasa, for excellent transfiguration and another five for design. Ms. Tsubasa, please refrain from using your item as a weapon upon other students please.”

“What? I had to make sure it was solid wood on the inside. Professor Black even said we could do what we want as long as the properties were as they should be,” she replied innocently. Hermione snorted from in front of them, her own dartboard in front of her, a set of darts courtesy of Neville and Cody.

“I hate to admit it professor, but she is right, technically,” said Neville, a wide smile on his face.

“Gotta love them technicalities,” added Cody with a grin.

McGonagall raised a single eyebrow. “Technically...the three of you can take five points for group work. Leave them here after class,” she added in an undertone before walking away. All three blinked in surprise. She wanted their dart set?!

“Did she just ask for your project?” asked Darien, leaning forward to whisper in Hermione's ear. She nearly jumped in surprise, managing at the last second to not flinch.

“I don't quite believe it myself either, but there have been weirder ones.”

“Like what?”

“Like the time I jinxed Jonathan by switching his wand with a big black dildo. He never saw it as a dildo but everyone else did. Sinistra, the Astronomy Professor, happened upon me after I had spelled him and asked if I could teach her the spell,” replied Cody with a straight face.

Darien didn't have anything to say to that.

***

“So...what were your impressions of the Tsubasas?” asked Dumbledore at the weekly staff meeting after dinner. Most of the staff had already left, leaving only James, Lily, Sirius, Sprout, Flitwick, Snape, and McGonagall. Remus was the only one missing due to the approaching full moon.

“I found them to be a perfectly well behaved lot,” started off McGonagall. “If a bit mischievous at times. Otherwise they are pleasant enough.”

“You'll hear no foul things from me,” said Snape, much to the others' surprise. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms defensively. “They were very helpful in making sure the chaos in my room was kept to a minimum and they're not complete dunderheads either. I have not had an explosion in that class since they started. For example, when Potter was making his potion, Apprentice Tsubasa kept telling him he was doing it wrong and had he continued, the potion would have blown up in his face. I am most happy to have them and for once actually look forward to that particular class.” His fellow teachers blinked in shock.

Severus never liked any of his classes besides the NEWT seventh year class. The fact that he did like a class, a Gryffindor-Slytherin one as well, was a very glowing mark on their records.

“Unlike Snape, I'm not biased because one's a Slytherin. They're rotten to the core, every single one of them. I don't like having my daughter associate with them,” grumbled James, a sour look upon his face. He could still feel the blow to his pride from when they took down his best duelers the other day, despite he having taught them, especially Jonathan, himself.

“Well if you didn't get your kicks from bothering them, maybe they wouldn't be so bad. And before you jump to me being biased towards them, remember that two of them, the same two that so happen to be in charge, are also lions.”

“Shut up Snape,” snapped Sirius, still feeling the pain in his finger. No one knew what Darius had charmed it with but despite the wound having already been bandaged and healed, every now and then the phantom pain would reappear, reminding him of his foolish folly. Snape had almost cracked a smile when McGonagall had related the story of how exactly his finger came to be the way it was.

“I didn't have much of a problem. I think they only react to the aggression shown them by others. My Ravens didn't have an issue with them. In fact, in their practice duels and in class, they were even teaching them how to overcome their flaws.”

“So it seems that only you have the issue,” said Sprout. “My Puffs get along with them perfectly well, especially Darion. That boy's got a green thumb to match Neville's and you know I've been singing his praises since his first year.”

“Personally, I think we should withhold judgment until next week,” said Lily just as James was opening his mouth. She shot a glare at him to make sure he remained quiet. “First impressions are rarely correct in portraying the person people truly are underneath. I happen to believe that Pomona is right. We did come after them rather harshly and I should have expected no different. As you said Severus, they are lions.” James shot her a betrayed look, one that she ignored.

Dumbledore sighed. So I guess I won't be getting the information I want just yet. Oh well. I am a patient man...

“Very well. Keep me informed of their progress, especially if they seem to be having a problem in class.”

“That reminds me Albus. Aren't they going to be punished for yesterday?” asked James. Snape rolled his eyes, a disgusted scoff escaping his lips.

“Must you be so petty Potter? It was a duel, things happen. If he didn't want to be hurt, he shouldn't have volunteered.”

“Now now gentlemen, let's not get out of hand. But he is right James. No, I believe if Mr. Potter has a problem he will sort it out himself. In one way or another.”

***

“Oi! Cameron! Your father wants to talk to you!” called Darion, standing in front of the special projector. The device was a small box pointed at the wall where the image of a slender man waited in a chair. It was just one of the many inventions the Technomagi had created with the help of their muggle relatives.

“Thanks Caleb. I'll take it from here.” As he walked away, Cameron bowed to the image of his father. The man nodded his head in return, a slight smirk twisting his mouth.

“I see you haven't killed anyone, or caused any trouble. I don't know whether to be pleased or appalled, my son.”

“Sorry dad. But we are planning something for dear old Johnny,” he sneered slightly in reply, his green eyes darkening as his brow bent over them, throwing his face in shadow.

“Cameron, remember, it's not his fault he's a grade A git, it's mine.”

“Don't flatter yourself. You only spelled Lily, not either of them. What they did to me was of their own free will.” His father sighed tiredly, running a hand through his long black hair.

He had done his best to make sure his son was not driven by revenge against his former family, and had largely succeeded in a positive manner. Now all that was left was intense dislike that often evoked his tendency to make their lives living hells.

“Let's leave that for now. I didn't call just to start an old argument. How has Anya been handling things?”

“Better than we expected. It was a near miss the first day but she's doing well.”

“The sooner you four find the remaining Guardians and the Gatekeeper the sooner we can relax. He's moving you know, far faster than master Lenneth had predicted. You'll need that power, and soon.”

“I know dad. Personally, I think we're wasting our time.”

“You only say that because you want to leave,” said Anya, walking up to him and bowing to her `father'. “Hi dad.”

“My little Anya. Behaving yourself?”

“If by behaving you mean I haven't blown anything up, then yes.” He threw back his head and let out a deep belly laugh.

“That's my girl. Don't worry though. You shouldn't be there the whole year anyway. By December, the missing will reveal themselves from being around you four for so long.”

“Prediction?” asked Cameron.

“No, the archmagi have Seen it and know it to be true. Master Lyon was the anchor.”

“Guess that makes it true then. So does that mean we can stop looking?”

“No, you lazy brat. December is when they will appear if they haven't already. You can speed up the process if you narrow things down. Anyway, your lessons will continue nevertheless starting next Monday.”

“How will we get there? I very much doubt the old man will just let us walk out.”

“Not that he could stop us unless he really tried,” added Anya with a smirk.

“Joshua will be escorting you to and from and if not him, then one of the Generals or Rangers.” A bright grin spread across Anya's face, her eyes glowing red again. “Control yourself little one. While I know it may be hard, you must try. Until the-”

“Gatekeeper is found, I know father. I don't need you or anyone else to remind me of that!” she snapped. Cameron laid a calm hand on her shoulder. Their father sighed again. While he couldn't really fault her, as others like her suffered from the same affliction, she was in a very sensitive position.

“Would you stop antagonizing my daughter Nicholas? I just might get annoyed and you know what happens when I get annoyed...” The twins couldn't help but grin to themselves as their mother appeared next to their now sweating father. While he was a very brave man, like any other red-blooded male, he feared the fury of a female like no other. Specifically this one.

“Mia...I-” She shut him up with a sharp glare from her oriental light brown eyes. Her hair was a dark, earthy toned brown and extended to just above her ribs. A small smirk was always pulling at her lips, making everyone think she knew something they didn't. Truth was, she usually did know something they didn't and rather often too. A tiny beauty mark was off the center of her face, right under her lip. All in all, she was a very captivating woman, and she knew it too.

“We'll be having a talk later, you and I, while I kick your ass in a duel,” she informed Nicholas, her tone leaving no room for argument. She turned and smiled at her children. “But the two of you look well and I'm proud of the both of you.”

“Thanks mom/mommy,” from Cameron and Anya respectively, practically glowing under her praise, which was given out few times and far between. She didn't neglect to tell them such but refrained from saying it too often, in which case the words would have become empty and meant nothing.

“Anything interesting happen with your former family?” Cameron looked down, not wanting to speak, to which Anya rolled her eyes in amusement.

“Apparently, his sister Athena considers him merely missing rather than dead and more of a brother than Jonathan. Although, that's not much of a compliment considering how he is. I just thank the Powers that we will still be continuing our own schooling. I don't think I could tolerate him day in and day out nonstop.” Mia's eyes widened in surprise while Nicholas merely smirked.

“I told you they weren't that bad.” Without looking, she hit him in the back of his head, the force of the blow sending him forward and out of the chair, which she promptly placed herself in. The pair snickered at him, as he slowly came back into the picture, standing behind the chair cautiously.

“You said Lily wasn't that bad and I agreed. James on the other hand...”

“Might I obtain permission to do something...not nice?” asked Anya, smiling wickedly. Mia seemed to think it over for a while before answering.

“When you're returning home. I expect it to be good and I expect there to be pictures. And I have a special message from your father Anya.” Predictably, her eyes shined a vibrant red but neither felt the need to chastise her about it. “He says he misses you and wishes he could send a message but he's in the middle of a mission right now and can't risk communication. He expects you to raise all kinds of hell and do him proud as a member of the Sirea clan.” As expected, she straightened her posture and nodded resolutely. “That's my girl. Now, bring Caleb and Dante. Their parents want to speak to them as well.”

***

The rest of the week continued normally, the Tsubasa quartet becoming better friends with the Gryffindor Outcasts and their Slytherin associates. Jonathan had tried to prank them early on by making them use enchanted quills that forced the user to randomly curse out loud for no apparent reason. It didn't work of course, Darius switching the quills when no one was looking. It was rather amusing to watch Snape take 200 points from Gryffindor in one class period and hand out enough justifiable detentions to last a week. James had whined and groused and made a general annoyance of himself but not even Lily would agree to removing the detentions. She, like many, believed it was a suitable punishment for a botched prank. Everything was normal, at least until their first theoretical DADA class.

Umbridge had started off the class by lecturing them with her annoyingly high simpering voice, slowing grating on everyone's nerves.

“Welcome class. I hope you will all be quite happy with the changes I am going to make here. Due to the nature of this course and its importance with it being OWL year, Monday Defense will be half theoretical and half practical while Friday Defense will be all theory. You all will be reading from your Ministry approved books for the entire time, in preparation for your OWLs. The books are very self-explanatory so it should not be difficult to understand the material. Trust me when I say that if you read these books and study hard, you will get at the very least an Acceptable. ”

“For the theory maybe,” muttered Cody with a grin. Neville and Damien had to work hard to hide their snickers.

“Excuse me professor, but isn't the practical section of the OWLs weighed more heavily than the theoretical?” asked Hermione, her face set in a frown. Umbridge turned to look at her, carefully concealed hatred in her eyes. But of course, Darien had spent a good portion of his life studying people and thus made a mental note against the toad.

“Yes, but theory is still more important in the real world. Thus you will not need to bring your wands to class, only your books, parchment, and quills.”

“Despite the fact that we still have practical exams to take? How are we supposed to pass that part if we don't know what it feels like to cast the spell?” drawled Darion dryly. “People are only good at magic from practice. What good is theory then?”

“Enough questions. Just open your books and read,” she snapped in reply, turning her back to them as she marched over to her desk. Most of the students did as she asked, albeit grumbling a bit. Darien flipped through his quickly, his frown deepening.

How old are we? Twelve? sneered Darion.

I thought this was an important year for them. The spells, what little there is, are so basic a third year could do them.

I say we get out of here, this is so unnecessary, replied Damien. While I understand the need for theory, making that the majority of our time is ridiculous. As one the four rose from their seats, drawing attention of the class.

“What do the four of you think you are doing?” demanded the toad-woman, attempting to stare them down but failing magnificently. It didn't help that she was also shorter than them all, even Damien at her modest five foot three inches.

“We're leaving. This is crap we learned in our second year of school. I'm not going to waste my time dealing with child's play,” snorted Darien. “I came here to learn, not tolerate ignoramuses. I don't know about you but I don't think Voldemort and his Death Nibblers are going to be intimidated with me spouting off random theory of spells.” Her eyes flashed triumphantly as she said with glee, “Detention! For all four of you. I expect you in my office after dinner tonight. I will teach you not to spout lies in my class.” To everyone's surprise, Darius began laughing, shaking his head in rueful amusement.

“You might as well do whatever it is you do when a student skips a detention because we're not going,” said Darion blandly.

“Besides, we're not lying. Voldemort's back and it's far better to be prepared for the worst than getting caught unawares,” added Damien.

“A week's worth then.”

“You add on more time like we'll care,” said Darien, rolling his eyes. The class looked at the four in slight awe, flabbergasted at their audacity to argue with not only a professor but a Ministry official.

But Umbridge only smiled secretly. “We'll just see about that now won't we?”

***

“I'm sorry Professor Umbridge but there's no real legitimate reason to make them go to detention, besides their initial refusal to go to the first one,” concluded Dumbledore with a sigh, much to her surprise. Just like she had promised, she had gone to their heads of house and the Headmaster to get them in detention. However it was proving harder than she had initially realized as all of them agreed. Because of how Hogwarts was structured, if enough of the staff were in agreement, there was little one professor could do. And now the Tsubasas were not being punished as all four heads agreed that `telling lies' was not good enough for a detention.

“But they should be punished for their belligerence!”

“That's what points are in place for Dolores,” said Snape dryly. “The best way to take the brats to task is to let their house mates take care of the punishment for us.”

“Fine, they'll just serve the single night of detention with the three of us,” put in Lily before the arguing could continue. They had already been at it for at least an hour and she was getting tired of it.

“I have no problems with that,” agreed Flitwick quickly. “Although I don't know how I'm going to communicate with young Mr. Tsubasa.”

“I'll lend you Mr. Tsubasa in the beginning before he reports to me,” said Severus, eager to leave the room. He had seen, heard, and done a lot in his life as both a former Death Eater and a spy but just being around Umbridge was making his skin crawl in disgust. A feat in and of itself for the man with legendary control over all parts of his body. Umbridge sputtered about uselessly for a moment, her argument momentum gone.

“But-”

“Just let it go for now Dolores. Their heads are in agreement so I see no reason to prolong this meeting any longer. I do believe it is rather close to supper and I am quite eager to feast this night.”

***

“So are you going to go?” asked Hermione, idly pushing her food around her plate. Darien shrugged.

“Might as well, I just didn't want to be stuck with her for an indeterminate amount of time. That woman just rubs me the wrong way and it has nothing to do with her abysmal fashion sense.”

“Well, at least it is with the House heads. That way you know it won't be too bad.”

“It's still detention though. I wonder what they'll make you do?” wondered Neville.

“Probably nothing too serious, mom has always been soft with hers,” replied Cody.

“Speaking of, we'll need some escorts to their offices, would you mind?” asked Darien. The trio nodded.

“I just wonder why you got off so easily. Any other day I'd have said you were looking forward to a week of detention but now I'm not so sure.”

“Were you really planning on skipping?” asked Neville.

“Of course, we don't usually go back on our words,” said Darion.

“After all, what more could they do to us?” snorted Damien.

“Take away house points,” pointed out Hermione.

“We don't rightly care,” shot back Darien.

“You can't join your house Quidditch team.”

“Darien's the only one who likes to play.”

“You can't go to Hogsmeade on weekends.”

“If we wanted to, we would find a way.”

“Tell your parents?” tried Neville feebly. The four started laughing again.

“In which case we would be praised for telling the truth and causing chaos at the same time.”

“Like I said, there's really nothing they could do to us as punishment,” ended Darien with a smug grin. Cody sighed wistfully.

“If only that applied to me as well…”

***

“Since it seems like our favorite bookworm wants to talk to you privately, I'll just stay back here,” said Damien cheerfully, moving far behind Hermione and Darien. He watched her go in surprise before turning to the other girl. Darius had warned him that this would happen, partially why Damien had been so eager to leave.

“Yes?” She bit her lip in nervousness, seemingly in a fight with herself. One side emerged victorious as she cast a privacy bubble around them with a flick and wave of her wand, and started walking. He silently fell in step with her, noticing Damien following along.

“How are you able to do wandless magic?” He grinned, inwardly sighing in relief. The small week he had spent with the girl allowed him to know that she was very perceptive and very likely to start seeking answers to questions she should really leave alone.

“It's not, despite what you see.” He pulled back the sleeve of his jacket, revealing the leather bracer on his arm, and the wand that was attached to the bottom. She didn't need to know that the wand was actually a blank and as dead magically as an ordinary piece of wood. “You don't really need to hold your wand, per se, to get the results you want. We actually hold them in the bottom of our hands.”

“I don't understand.”

“As I expected. Here's an example I've noticed. I've seen a majority of the students here use the Banishing and Vanishing charms interchangeably. Banishing sends the object away from you while Vanishing gets rid of it completely, right? While the intent might be to vanish, they'll use the incantation and wand motions of the banisher, but still get the same results. Why do you think that is?” Hermione chewed her bottom lip a little, her arms going into the `thinking' pose, one hand cradling her chin.

“Because…the intent was there?”

“Correct. Same thing with our wands. While we do get better results when we actually hold them, naturally, it gets the job done and intimidates our opponents. They of course think we're doing wandless magic and already believe in their minds that they will be defeated.” She smiled at him slyly.

“How awfully Slytherin of you.” He shrugged.

“Slytherins are just Gryffindors who like to think and use subtly rather than charging in blindly.”

“That's…a very astute observation. I've never thought of it like that before. Kinda describes me actually.”

“Which is the good part about bring in those who have not grown up with the rivalry. We bring in non-colored viewpoints.”

“That reminds me of my other question. When are you guys going to tell us the real reason why you are here?” He blinked wordlessly for a moment.

Well, we had only hoped she wouldn't notice, muttered Damien. Too damn smart for her own good.

“I told you, we're here on a foreign exchange program.” She shook her head.

“A likely and legitimate cover story. But it's obvious that you four are way ahead of us, both in academics and magically. Besides, I translated your school name. Magic School of WAR ring any bells?” He observed her quietly for a moment, a smile spreading across his face.

“Congratulations Hermione. You're right; we're not here for the program, although one does exist. The real reason why we're here is to protect Jonathan Ares Potter.” She stopped in astonishment, her jaw dropping open. He himself was surprised he chose to tell her so bluntly, although he hid it well, but the damage was done. Besides, she might actually be able to offer some sort of assistance. Chuckling lightly, he closed her mouth. “Don't seem so surprised. You know better than anyone that Voldemort is really back. The Potters wanted extra protection for their son so Dumbledore used his contacts to get that protection. So here we are.”

You are so vague with your words brother dear, sent Damien, grinning in the silence of the corridor.

She doesn't need to know the specifics; we don't know or trust them enough for that. They don't need to know our protecting Jonathan is only in exchange for coming here to find what we're missing. Or rather who.

“That makes so much, and yet so little, sense at the same time. But you never seem too interested in him, nor do you protect him as you say you do. I don't understand.” He sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Hermione, you're a smart girl and seem reasonably street wise too. But listen to me well.” His eyes hardened as he became serious, something she took note of immediately. “You're not meant to know or understand everything. No one is. Believe me when I say you're treading amongst things that are way over your head. LEAVE IT ALONE.” But despite that, she kept pushing, much to Darien's rising annoyance.

“But if you four are so powerful, why don't you just defeat him on your own?”

“Because we're not that strong. Stronger than the rest of you? Without a doubt, but Voldemort is in a class all his own. It'd be suicide and just plain stupid to face him as we are.”

“But why you? Why not someone older with more experience?” He let the barb go. It's not like she knew, or needed to know, that they were actually the best in their year. Or that that year was also the highest they could go without their Gatekeeper.

“Because he's not supposed to know. Hermione, maybe if we can trust you three more, I'd tell you more but as I don't, I'm asking you to let it go.” Either it was something in his tone or the way he was glaring at her, but she did stop questioning him, despite the fact that he could tell every bone in her body was screaming at her to learn more.

“Fine, but I won't stop until I get to the bottom of this,” she hissed. Darien barely withheld the urge to scream.

“Hermione, there is no bottom! We're here to protect him without him knowing, period and point blank, end of story. You're a smart girl, I know you are, but it's best you learn this lesson now. You are not entitled to know everything.” But to his confusion, she merely started grinning victoriously.

“Which simply proves to me that there is more going on besides you protecting him. But don't worry; I've long since broken out of that habit to need to know absolutely everything. I'm just letting you know that I'm aware of things that go on around this place that might affect me and my friends. And I'm telling you now.” This time, she glared at him, and to his surprise it wasn't half-bad. Naturally, his teachers were ten-times worse but she was coming along. “I personally don't care what happens to that boy but if this ends up hurting Neville or Cody, I'm coming after you and you know what they say, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

Darien just looked at her silently before he smirked, stepping in to whisper in her ear, purposefully dropping his tone to a husky timbre. “I think I'd look forward to it. Fiery bookworms are said to be great in bed,” and he pulled away before she could swipe at him, laughing loudly. Damien dispelled the privacy bubble with a wave, feeling this was as good a time as any to step in.

“Do I even want to know?” she asked, watching as Hermione tried to hex her brother, he dancing out of the way nimbly.

“He is so crude and I want to inflict pain upon him!” roared Hermione as she chased him down the corridor. Damien kept up with her pace easily.

“Is that all? I want to do that everyday. Aim for his torso, that's harder to move as quickly. But remember, we are in the corridor and-”

“What in Merlin's name are you three doing?” asked Professor Evans, looking at them in surprise from her office doorway. The trio froze, Darien grinning like a madman, Hermione huffing angrily like a mad bull, and Damien just looking mad amused.

“My brother's a dick. Often, he finds himself at odds with those who don't appreciate his dickery for what it is and thus he ends up running from those that would also do him harm. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing to be worried about. They'll get used to him eventually,” she explained with a shrug. The woman just sat in silence for a moment, shaking her head.

“I don't want to know. Just get inside. Thank you, Miss Granger, for escorting them. You may leave now.” She nodded, tossing a promise-of-pain-filled “See back in the common room Darien” over her shoulder as she left. Lily sighed to herself, closing the door, and turning to the twins who were now on the defensive, she noted.

“So what are we going to be doing? Writing lines?” scoffed Darien with a sneer usually found on Darion's face. Damien elbowed him in the side.

“Be nice……………er,” she added at his glare. Turning to the professor, she continued. “Ignore him, his daily dosage of dickery has been denied and he's descending deeper into the darker depths of withdrawal.” Despite herself, Lily snorted in amusement, shocking them.

“What? I can't laugh at a good joke?” She made her way over to her desk, waving them into the chairs in front of it while seating herself on the corner of said desk. They sat slowly, suddenly wary. “Now, I want to hear it from the two of you why you saw fit to argue with Dolores about Voldemort's return and you can speak freely here without threat of repercussion.”

“Because she's a Ministry lapdog and she gets on my nerves. Besides, we wouldn't be here if he really wasn't,” replied Darien.

“So you four are the guard Albus was talking about…well, from a mother's point I want to thank you personally. I know Johnny isn't the easiest of people to get along with, gets it from his father, so I know he's not making it easy to do your jobs. Now, what can we do to diminish the conflict between you and some of your professors?” Damien twitched.

“How do you know about that?”

“You four have been the topic of discussion all week in the lounge and in the weekly meetings. Severus, Minerva, Pomona, and Filius generally sing your praises, although that coming from Severus only reinforces it greatly. It seems however that there are continued problems with my husband and Sirius, Dolores notwithstanding.” Darien crossed his arms.

“If they weren't so interested in trying to defeat us or make us look bad we wouldn't have a problem.” Lily nodded.

“I had thought as much. Both of them are very prideful men and getting knocked down by a group of fifteen-year-olds is a hard pill for them to swallow. If I can assure that they shall leave you alone, do you think relations will improve?”

“Most likely. Although it might take an act of God to get us to be nice to Umbridge,” sneered Damien and Lily only agreed.

“If it makes you feel any better, no one else likes her either. It is the first time we've ever had a theoretical professor for Defense as James switches out with Sirius and Remus to avoid the curse on the position. As long as your offenses aren't too great, or damaging, I don't see why the staff can't turn something of a blind eye if…let's say Dolores started croaking in the middle of class or came into the Great Hall wearing naught but a bed sheet,” she said lightly. To say the pair was surprised would be an insult to the word. Hit with a Stunner might be more apt to describe them.

Did she just…

She just gave us permission to prank that woman…

“Professor? If…something like that were to happen, what would the punishment to the offenders be?”

“Most likely detention with me or one of the other House Heads. At least that way they'll be forced to do something more productive than just writing lines or cleaning things, as they will be supervised.” All of the implications made their head spin with the various possibilities.

“Professor, I think we're going to get along just fine,” said Damien, grinning wickedly. Darien didn't say anything, putting up the mask of agreement so she wouldn't think anything was off.

***

I don't mean to be so blunt, or crude, but you need to get over yourself, quickly, Darion sent to their leader in annoyance as they made their way back to their rooms from detention. It seemed as if the Heads had planned their detentions from the beginning, all of their `punishments' being remarkably similar in encouraging them to deal with Dolores on their own. So long as they were never caught of course.

:For once I agree with Darion. This is unhealthy brother. You can't hold a grudge against her forever, especially since you know it was not her fault, or her doing.:

Besides, she seems like an okay person to me. Hell, god forbid if you actually give her a chance you might like her. Perish the thought! Damien spat sarcastically. Darien twitched from the bombardment of his team, holding back the urge to snap at them because in his heart of hearts, he knew they were right. Didn't mean he had to like it, or how they were going about it.

Alright already! I get it! Jesus fucking Christ man!

What does he have to do with this? inserted Damien, just to piss him off. She received a none too gentle punch to the arm for her cheek.

Good, now stop being a pussy and start being that dick we all know, love, and despise, added Darion and he could tell the boy was grinning. Darien only sighed tiredly, willing himself mentally back to the Gekko and his mother's arms. While Lily might have birthed him, Mia would always be his mom. And nothing they could say would make him change that.

***

It wasn't until the next day that the Tsubasas made any sort of progress on their search mission. They had been about to enter the Great Hall when they crossed paths with the most curious looking girl.

:Darien, the supernal connection with this one is strong, far more than with anyone else we've come across.:

“Cody, who is that?” murmured Damien, gently feeling the same link pulling her towards the girl that Darius had reported. The female Potter looked to who Damien had nodded discreetly at.

“Oh her? That's Luna Lovegood, a year below us in Ravenclaw. Kinda wacky with a few twigs short of a steady broom, but alright overall. Hey Luna!” she called, causing the mostly confused looking fourth-year to approach them.

Her light silvery grey eyes were impossibly wide with a slight glazed look as if someone was home, just not paying attention. Her hair was waist-length, straggly, and a dirty blonde. She smiled absently at Cody.

“Athena, have the snorgleborks been pestering you again?” Despite the confusion of the four, Cody, Hermione, and Neville only grinned indulgiently.

“Good morning to you too Luna, and no they haven't but thanks for asking.” Luna nodded, moving her gaze over onto Darien. For a moment her eyes focused, only intensifying the slight pull into more insistent tugging. Only diamond-hard and rock-solid control kept the four from reacting visibly. But she only focused for that split second, continuing to smile in her odd way.

“I hope you find what it is you're looking for. And everyone deserves a second chance, whether they're worth it, or not.” With that cryptic statement, she turned around and skipped into the Hall, drawing the amused looks and jeering laughing of her schoolmates.

“What…the hell was that?” mumbled Darion, still reeling from the parting shot. Hermione shrugged.

“Luna's been like that since we've known her. Just take what she says in stride and keep going. I find that works best.”

“Don't take what she says too seriously though. She often mentions crazy creatures that only she and her father seem to know about. But I've noticed that she is also surprisingly observant, for all her show of not paying attention,” added Neville, the three of them following after the young Ravenclaw.

Did you all feel that? asked Damien as they entered as well.

:How could we not? Even me with my limited abilities can see it clearly. We are linked together, one way or the other,: Darius scoffed in reply.

But the question is, which role might she fill? We feel tugs to many of the students here, if only because our magic is compatible. It's too early to say anything, inserted Darion logically. Darien dropped his shoulders as if the weight of the world was upon them.

It's at times like these that I miss the Gekko. At least there everyone's magic is clearly labeled. But Darion is right; even now I can feel a tug from even Potter but whether it's because of blood or something else I have yet to discern.

It is still early though, said Damien with finality. Every one of our teachers has said the same thing. When it's time for us to know, we will with absolutely certainty and absolutely no doubt. Father said we'd be influencing the latent magic in those around us. The process has only begun. Besides, you'd think we'd have stronger pulls with Hermione and the rest rather than a girl we randomly bumped into.

They have not the potential anyway, Darion dismissed. You might as well strike those three from the list as well. Hermione wouldn't fit, Neville's not cut for it, and Cody has attachments she cannot abandon.

So three more down at least. We're making good progress. Only seventeen more to go really. Thank the Powers, said Darien with a smile. Considering the incident, I say we look more into the younger years. The tugs are generally stronger there anyway.

***

And that's that. How was that for moving the plot along? It may take a while longer for the next chapter, but only because I'll be covering the Gekko and the people who work there.

But I've left enough bombshells to keep your minds occupied until I can finish. And to help you along:

Notice the differences in Darien and Damien's interaction with Mia and Nick. (Spoiler to the reviewer who can tell me where I got the names and character design from)

Who is Nick really? (Hint: Nick is not his real name and it should be fairly obvious)

The group feels pulls to all people, just some more so than others

Seems everything will be resolved in December, if the magi are to be believed (BTW I don't own the magics that will eventually be discussed. I'd tell you where it came from, but that would be spoiling the plot a little too much for my tastes but I will officially name the group when the magic is revealed)

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7. Back to School Again

Hello everyone. It's been a while, hasn't it? Well never fear for I am back, sort of. Regardless, part of the delay of this chapter was a realization I had.

The Tsubasas were as Mary-Sue as you could get almost. They had the Japanese thing, the nicknames, almost the elemental abilities (I was this close to actually giving them those). I really could go on but the point is that that upset me. I had to find a way to essentially retcon this story without retconning it. Going back and just changing everything wasn't really sitting well with me but it needed to be done.

And then…it hit me. The solution was so damn simple and now that I've done it, I hope you all like it. I know I do now.

Oh! And before I forget, I own none of the Gekko students, professors, adults in general, and just about everything in the Gekko save the Gekko school itself and the few OCs I introduced. The Gekko is large and it would have been impossible to keep track of all the OCs that would be involved so I simply borrowed characters from one of my favourite games instead. That's the other reason why this took so long, organizing all the characters I wanted to use and then tweaking them to be applicable to the story, ignoring general laziness of course.

For all their swagger, Hermione was slowing accepting the idea that the Tsubasas had no fear in the slightest. They regularly tangoed with the adults in ways traditional European children would never have dared and generally came out without punishment. Now that everyone was getting used to them however, the professors were regaining their equilibrium and forcefully reclaiming control over their classes. She deduced that it was only because the students were new foreigners that prevented the Hogwarts staff from reacting as they normally would in the situation with an unruly student. Things were going to be different now, she could feel it.

Monday breakfast was a normal affair, the four eating only from their individual bento and talking amongst themselves. Neville and Darion were continuing a friendly debate over Herbology, to everyone's amusement, when they suddenly stiffened in their seats.

Cody eyed them worriedly when they didn't relax. “You guys ok?” To their surprise, the Tsubasas neatly leapt over the two tables, bolting for the main doors to the Great Hall. Everyone stopped what they were doing at the uncharacteristic behaviour, wondering what in the world was going on. In unison the four knelt, hands to the side and on the ground, heads bowed and necks exposed.

A figure walked into the Hall a heartbeat later, dressed in a dark emerald coat that extended to his ankles and was buttoned to his waist, the bottom half left open. His hair was a dark wine red that went straight to his shoulders underneath a matching emerald cap. Simple brown trousers were tucked into worn leather boots and rounded off his outfit. He stopped, glancing down at the still bowed teens.

Dumbledore stood up, smiling slightly although it was obvious he was just as confused as everyone else. It was starting to become habit with the Tsubasas around. “Excuse me, but do you have some sort of business here?”

A woman stepped out from behind the male with much lighter red hair drawn back into a tight braid that fell to her ankles. Unlike him, however, she wore a maroon tunic with a split down the back, the front piece a simple white over black trousers. A tan half-cuirass covered her chest with pauldrons extending over her shoulders and greaves coming up past her knees.

“We have come to collect our students. Did you not receive a letter of explanation from the Master?” she said, raising an eyebrow slowly. Her voice was calm yet authoritative, a clear indicator of her used to being in command and having her orders followed without question. “I do believe it was one of the matters discussed in the…agreement.”

“Yes but there will be a problem. Students aren't allowed to leave the school without parental consent. And all I received was a letter from your Headmaster. I'm sorry but that is not enough. They are not allowed to leave. But fortunately you may.” He smiled in his grandfatherly way although they were able to see him fingering his wand carefully. The professors closest to him, James on one side and Minerva on the other, were doing the same.

The pair looked at one another before the woman smirked and gestured him forward with a dramatic half bow.

“Headmaster, apparently you didn't look at that letter fully. It was signed by the Triumvirate, their guardians by proxy. You do remember who they are, do you not?”

Dumbledore's face paled.

The Triumvirate was a trio of the strongest sages in the Wizarding World. Everyone liked to assume he was the strongest wizard of his time and he was. He was also pushing his second century and his time was a much older period than theirs.

They had mutually decided that taking over the world, while possible and well within their realms of power, was cliché and not worth the effort it would take to continue ruling the planet. So they chose instead to consolidate their power and keep the citizens of the world from destroying themselves and the planet itself. They understood man and his need to destroy and build so every few decades they'd light the political powder keg that had been gathering and made sure that the war that spawned didn't go out of control. Eventually the building would begin and that would occupy idle hands for some time until the process began all over again.

The last time he had addressed them personally was the war on Voldemort. Rather than deplete the resources of the Ministry, they had spent the entirety of it keeping the fight outside of muggle attention, part of the reason they didn't go after Voldemort themselves, the other half being that there did exist people who were quite capable of doing it and the Triumvirate were not going to fix all of the world's problems alone. They had no formal power over any government, beyond personal power, but by many it was considered suicide, political or otherwise, to go against them. Dumbledore had seen it happen, once.

Grindewald never recovered.

The fact that their Headmaster had gotten all three signatures from some of the most reclusive people on the planet spoke volumes about his influence. And the fact that the four were their charges was most curious as well.

He flicked his wand in the general direction of his office, hand already outstretched for the letter that appeared shortly after. Taking the parchment, he carefully poured over it, absorbing every word rather than just glancing through like he had when he first gotten it, this time paying special attention to the signatures at the bottom.

“It seems that I was…mistaken. And who might you two be? Will you be collecting them every time?” he said, going from slightly embarrassed to studiously ignoring his faux pas in the blink of an eye.

“I am Henje and this is my partner Crim. We won't necessarily be the same ones every week but we'll be along more often than the others, I suspect.” He turned to the Tsubasas who were still in their original positions, waiting silently.

“Do you all have your things? You'll probably not be back till much later this evening,” Crim said to them. “Darion.”

“Our bags are packed and ready, Lady Crim,” he said immediately.

“And the work you will be missing?” Henje asked. “Speak.”

“Our professors have been notified and we already have our theoretical work completed. The practical is scheduled for this evening after our return, Lord Henje,” Damien replied.

“Excellent. Well I'm satisfied. Crim?”

“As am I. We shall depart. Rise.”

“Darien. Take command.”

“As you command, Lord Henje.” The four placed their right hands just above their hearts, leaning forward as the pair of redheads walked out first. “Order. Move.” In single file they followed, boots hitting the floor in unison.

The Hogwarts students waited until they were out of eyesight before breaking out into loud whispers.

Hermione and Cody merely blinked in quiet unison.

“I do believe that's the first time I've seen them in any form of submission. Even when they're cooperating in class, you can tell it's only because they want to, not because they fear the repercussions of their actions.”

“Hermione-speak for they seemed afraid of those two,” Cody said with an eye roll. “Well, we don't know all that much about them if you'll remember. I'd assume that their school is much stricter than ours but who wouldn't go wild at the idea of freedom like they have? I know I would.”

“Or we can just wait until they come back before we get the wrong idea,” Neville added calmly. The girls blushed, shooting him annoyed scowls. He only smiled, quietly going back to his meal.

___

They marched out the gates of the school, wordlessly touching the portkey that took them straight to the entrance of the school in foothills of Japan. Henje knocked a pattern on the large wooden doors, stepping back as it opened.

Inside was a long stretch of green, the school hidden farther in and blocked from view by an earth rise, seated as it was at the bottom of a mountain.

“Baron Orson.” The man that stepped out was tall and broad, covered by a full chest cuirass, pauldrons, bracers, greaves, and cuisses that covered only the outside of the thigh with a spear in hand. Off to one side, they could see his brown mount munching on grass.

“Lord Joshua, Lady Titania. Back to school then?” he asked conversationally, dismissing his weapon with an idle gesture of his hands as he relaxed.

“Yes, we've retrieved the Hogwarts group for their real education. I suspect you'll be seeing them often in the coming months,” Titania said, waving at the silent four. Orson's brown eyes took them in with the skill of a man used to fighting.

“Nice to meet you all then. I'm Baron Orson, one of the guardians of the gate. Sometimes my brother Oscar will be here too. I'll let him know about you all.”

“We thank you, Baron Orson. Would you mind opening the portal?” The hulking man waved his hand at the ground to his left, a pitch black hole appearing, its edges writhing as if alive.

“Good luck,” he said as they calmly walked into what others might see as certain death. In truth, it was the only way to get to the school itself. There were literally hundreds of dummy schools and universities scattered around the globe, each guarded by a Gekko alumni known as the portal keeper. It was only they who could open the portals that led to where the real campus was, situated in a secluded area of the Jura Mountains and just northwest of the Vaud canton, one of the southernmost cantons of Switzerland.

Stepping through the gates, the quartet let loose deep sighs, smiling in contentment as the enchantments woven into their very skin and magic were disabled by the magic of the land.

Gone were their battle scars, gone was the Oriental influence that made them look remarkably similar. Darius was in fact Swiss himself, not some Asian denomination as many of the Hogwarts students would have thought and not only the tallest in the group but also the oldest at seventeen. Damien's strong Russian blood was no longer suppressed, strengthening her jaw structure and slimming it down to make her more gracefully severe along with her stronger brow that added a slight perpetual shadow to her features. Her height shrunk to a mere five foot four, making her the shortest overall. Darion felt his eyes relax and his features harden slightly from his Italian heritage, a smooth tan darkening his skin. He, like his adopted brothers, grew in height slightly. Darien, unlike his comrades, didn't change as much in his facial features as his father was English and his mother German.

“Feel better?” Joshua asked pleasantly.

Cameron nodded. “Much. Feeding into the Headmaster's preconceptions of us is tiring. All those tacky scars and bruises. Are we not magical enough to completely remove most remnants of scars? Fool.”

“I can't believe he thinks we're all Japanese or some such though. What, can't other countries have highly selective and secret schools? On the other hand, I guess it doesn't help that the Japanese branch is the face of the Gekko,” Anya said, pulling off her glasses with a happy smile, shaking out her now calmer black hair, the strands lying in a limp style around her head. Her usually glowing red eyes were now back to their simple dark amber.

“Necessary evil brother. Give him what he wants to see and he will see nothing else,” Dante added with a smirk.

“Nevertheless, your teachers are waiting and I'm sure you'd like to see your parents before they disappear again. Off you trot,” Titania said, pushing them forward.

“Later Uncle Joshua!” the twins shouted. Grinning madly they separated, each going to the official residential quarters of their respective families.

The Gekko was more than just a school. It was a community, embedded in the mountains of the Swiss. Like the other cantons, they were their own state and had a self-sufficient economy. Thankfully for magic, they were able to expand greatly, much like the sister campuses. The Magic School of High Learning was naturally a front, although the schools themselves were legit. The Japanese branch was the international `face' of the whole Gekko society, although the main campus was still the largest. People stopped trying to infiltrate their world once they learned it was Japanese so they used that to their advantage. All in all, there was at least one campus on every continent and in the major city capitals where they could hide amongst the other magical schools and muggle electrical interference.

For missions outside their areas, everyone adopted Japanese appearances with their own nationality mixed in to perpetrate the lie that the Tokyo branch was the only one. Most of what the Headmaster saw of them was true, for the best lies were the truth, if only slightly misconstrued.

-_-` -_ `-_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-`

Cameron apparated into the home shared by his family, his smile somehow growing wider when he saw his mother just as she was about to disappear into the study.

“Mom!” he shouted, for once acting his age and throwing himself into her. She caught him easily enough, squeezing back twice as hard.

“Oh my darling boy. I didn't realize how much I'd miss you when you left. As cliché as it sounds, it feels like only yesterday you were here for the first time, hurt and confused. You've grown up well, my son.” He basked in her praise, finally relaxing for the first time since they were sent on the mission. She bestowed a kiss on his forehead, pushing him away to look him over. “That's much better. Much as I love you, dear heart, you don't look good Japanese.”

“For good reason. Where's dad?”

“One would think your skills are slipping my son. After all, you still haven't noticed me yet.” Rolling his eyes, Cameron turned to hug his father as well. “That's better. How are you liking your first major mission?”

“It's a pain. Acting the part of haughty Japanese is tiring. Although, beating on Jonathan is a wonderful counterbalance.”

“You would enjoy that part,” Nick replied, directing them into the study. It was a simple room meant for relaxation with well-worn seats and sofas placed sporadically around the room. Five or six books lay on the side tables, two open facedown.

“It's entirely your fault,” Mia said, seating herself on one end of the sofa, smiling when Cameron placed his head on her lap, the rest of his body stretched out. She immediately began threading her fingers through his hair, the activity comforting to both mother and child.

“So says the woman who encourages the chaos he caused as a child.”

“Yes she does, to the man who taught him to cause chaos.” Nick opened his mouth but shut it just as quickly. Mia smirked victoriously.

“So, how was the mission?” Cameron asked, subconsciously cuddling closer to his mother. Nick and Mia shared knowing grins over his head.

“Standard. The new class should be ready soon for admittance.”

“Do you know what we'll be learning since we've mostly plateau'd in our magic without the Gatekeeper?”

“More than likely furthering your Subtle lessons and your individual areas of study. Then probably some combat I'd suspect and a few hours of meditation to see if you find your animagi forms.”

Cameron sighed. “I'm starting to think I don't have one.”

“Nonsense. You have one, it's just being elusive. Quite frankly you have far too much potential to not have a form,” said his father firmly. “It will come to you, in time and its own way, much like mine did for me and Mia's did for her.”

“But genetics aren't a guarantee dad. There's nothing to say I will have a form just because my parents did.” Mia immediately swatted him on the head, clicking her tongue reproachfully.

“Enough. Whining about it isn't going to make it appear any sooner. Besides, the mediation isn't only for animagi training in any case. Focus yourself. Think about what it is about you that makes you different from everyone else. Do you like meat more than vegetables? Are you more comfortable in the air or on the ground or under the sea? Do you like the chase or being chased? These are things you should ask yourself. Your greatest opponent is yourself, my little one. Meditation is also useful for truly understanding yourself and your limits which of course make it much harder to kill you.” She kissed his cheek once more before unceremoniously kicking him off. He hit the ground with a surprised grunt, looking up only to see a sword pointed at his face.

“I guess it's that time then?” Nick reached over from his seat, shifting the open book over and placing it on the table. The trio were instantly transported into their training room albeit in the same positions.

Mia stepped back, giving him the room to rise to his feet. With a simple burst of magic his attire changed to his gi. Reaching one hand out, he firmly grabbed the bone white hilts that appeared, spinning the pair of three-feet sticks around in a circle, stretching out muscles in preparation for the spar.

“I still don't know why of all weapons you chose that one.”

Cameron shrugged, smirking slightly. “Hey it worked for a lot of people. Why shouldn't it work for me? Besides, long swords are overrated.” Grunting he sprung forward, unsurprised when Mia merely lifted her sword to knock the first stick to one side, blocking the other with her forearm. “You should talk. Jians are so unwomanly.” Narrowing her eyes she engaged him, Nick watching from the sidelines with a smile.

His family had the oddest way of bonding.

-_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-`

“Alright class. Time for some good old fashioned Focusing. Divide yourselves amongst your respective groups and your instructors will take over from there.” The class dispersed without much fight, all having a healthy amount of fear for their teacher. Master Athos may have been one of the oldest living members of the school at a few hundred years old but that didn't mean he couldn't still put most of them in their places with naught but a thought.

Cameron joined the others around Master Soren, who as always had a blank look upon his feminine face, foot lightly tapping as he waited for the various groups to split up. Classes like these were based on merit and skill, not age. The eldest was twenty-one and the youngest seven but they all had the same level of skill, for the most part. A few of the younger ones took a bit longer and with a small gesture from Soren's and they found themselves at his feet.

“I…do not appreciate tardiness no matter the age. You should know this by now.” After the pair, Rolf and Sue, apologized, Soren led them outside onto the spacious grounds and up into the air, clearing the tops of the forest in the time it took them to blink. The newer members all gasped in shock, doing their best to cling to one another as they stared down at the lush forest and the backdrop of the school.

“Hey, calm down. Soren likes to travel the grounds while he teaches,” said a passing voice. The class looked up, surprised to see the woman seated calmly on the back of a pristine white Pegasus. While many of them knew all manner of creatures truly existed, wyverns, dragons, griffins, etc., an equal number had never seen them in the flesh. The flying mounts were often secreted away by their riders to the higher altitudes of the mountains where most weren't allowed.

“Tana, stop distracting my class and go do whatever it is you pegasi riders do,” Soren said dryly, raising an eyebrow when Tana only giggled.

“I think I need to go find Ike…” she trailed off, grinning madly at the slight blush that flushed the male's cheeks. The older members of the class, Cameron included, shared secret grins with one another but did their best to remain silent.

“Stop messing with him Tana.” Those that fell under Lady Lyndis' rule all knelt as much as they could as she floated up to their position, all of the others settling for a bow. “I know how awkward it is to try and bend while in the air. Please rise.”

“Lady Lyndis, you bless us with your presence,” Soren said.

“It's only because she's royalty. I wonder if I-”

“Tana! There are children around! Shoo, shoo!” Lyn waved her hands at the hovering knight, using the wind currents to push her away towards the Ilia Mountains. She levelled a smile at the class. “Behave and listen closely. We've very few masters as advanced as Soren and you'd do well to listen to him.”

“Thank you, Lady Lyndis, for your kind words.” She dipped her head in reply, wheeling about with a cheerful wave before flying away.

“Master Soren?”

“Yes Rolf?”

“Can we do that too?” Predictably, the young, wide-eyed stares got even wider. Cameron could see why. Lady Lyndis made flight look like the easiest thing in the world and the freedom it granted was unparalleled, especially those inclined to it.

“In a few years maybe.” A pair of the older students snickered at their clansmen's comment. Cameron closed his eyes and called to Kazj, grabbing the wind streams Soren was weaving to keep them all aloft, and carefully opening a slight gap in the netting. When the boy shifted his weight, it caused him to seemingly trip on air, the class laughing at his misfortune even as his friends helped him up. He felt Soren's red eyes boring into him and flushed as he dismissed Kazj with a quiet murmur.

“Well, I don't know if you're good enough to be a match for Lady Lyndis, Chad, but any of you might one day be. For the record, flying isn't that hard once mastered. It's just tediously complicated and rather involved as you have to lift yourself, push yourself forward, keep a wind shield up in front of you to protect yourself, and push the other air streams away as you move. As an example, what I'm doing now isn't hard. Those of you who are more sensitive,” he glanced at Cameron for a split second, “can probably tell that you're not standing on solid air. It's actually a net woven from the different streams around us.”

“But what's to stop us from falling through?” Rolf asked. “Like Chad?”

“I'm also using your own abilities to hold you up. Your Furies may be strong but you haven't had much practice in flying so they're unused to holding you up. To supplement I'm using my own to boost yours. Later on today we'll try hovering in place. If you're up to it at least.”

“What about Lady Lyndis? She made it seem so easy, even though I know she's only a few years older than us,” said one of the older students.

Soren raised an eyebrow slowly. “If you consider fifteen years only a `few'. Keep in mind that Lady Lyn is one of the best Knights Aeris to have ever graduated from here. Her skill level was high when she started and only got higher as she grew. Part of it is also completely natural so you may be better or you may be worse. Just try before you whine about things being too unfair for you. Now, learning to fly on your own begins with…”

-_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-`

“Cameron, a word.”

He flinched slightly, remaining in his spot as the rest of the class left. The sun showed that it was clearly noon and the kitchens would begin churning out food soon. His abused stomach rumbled at the thought of real food rather than the Japanese cuisine they were forced to eat.

“Yes, Master?” he asked, turning.

Soren's face was placid, giving no help to gauge the man's attitude at the moment.

“Has he manifested?”

“No, sir. I can call him easily but he's yet to settle on something physical,” he said promptly. Soren nodded thoughtfully, eyes taking Cameron in.

“You really should be in one of my more advanced classes. Had I not already been affecting the net, I probably wouldn't have noticed Kazj.”

“Thank you, master. But I feel that Kazj is far more subtle than he is powerful. As it is he can barely hold me up.”

“Time and practice will help with that. But I want you to work on your strength rather than your manipulation for a while. Kazj can't get strong if you don't press his limits.”

“Yes, master, I will.” And then to his surprise, the normally blank master smiled.

“Good, you are one of my better students, Cameron. I'd hate to see you not reach your full potential.” The rare praise made him smile wide in reply, doing his best not to fidget. “Also, go see if you can't convince Lord Joshua to help you.”

“Soren, I see you working there!” Soren's face flushed brightly as the older, taller man ran up, casually throwing an arm about his shoulders. Cameron promptly saluted.

“Lord Ike, I didn't expect to see you this soon. This is one of my better students, Magvel Jehanna Cameron. Cameron, this is Lord Ike, son of King Greil.”

“It is an honour to meet you, milord.”

“Bah! Straighten yourself! Dad's the man in charge, not me! And what have I told you about overworking?” He directed the last at Soren, shaking the man for good measure.

“I wasn't. Cameron required some assistance, assistance I provided as I am his teacher. Now, to lunch?”

Ike grinned and Cameron began to feel awkward just standing by, watching. From what he had heard, Gatekeepers could communicate with their Guardians through nonverbal means and if Soren's blush was anything to go by, the rumours were true.

“Um, master, if that's all…may I be excused?”

“Sure, Soren will see you next week,” Ike said and the student wasted no time in fleeing as quickly as possible from the pair.

I think…I've just gotten the truth about Lord Ike and Master Soren, he sent to his group, stepping through the portal that took him directly to the cafeteria.

It was still fairly quiet as lunch didn't truly start till one when everyone would be out of their lessons for an hour and a half. He made his way to the line for Indian style cooking, happily piling the Awadhi dishes onto his tray. Having hung around Padma a little made him miss the diversity in Gekko foods. Hogwarts focused mostly on British and a few European dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, usually the same things over and over again. While working on missions, he, along with the others, was required to eat traditional Japanese cuisine that was good but boring after a while, used to diversity as he was.

What do you mean? The buzz that they're together? Anya replied, breaking him from his thoughts and towards the Magvel section. The only real divide between people at school was the clan and family they hailed from.

Oh yea. Let's just say I've never seen Master Soren blush that much in my life. I felt like I was with dad and mom when they were getting a little friendly with one another. It was that uncomfortable.

Nodding to the other family members seated around, Cameron sat in the Jehanna area, the other three joining him after a moment. A few people glanced at them but said nothing, returning to their plates quietly.

Not as if they could talk. Almost everyone's from some other clan, Dante scoffed. Hell, that one, right there, the blue hawk one? Yea, member of Phoenicis, in the Etruria area. Hypocrites.

So you saw Lord Ike and Master Soren being affectionate. So what? Damien said, keeping the conversation with her brother going over Dante's ranting.

:Stop taking everything so personally just because you are Goldoa, Dante. They must be new if they are so surprised at the interconnectivity we share. If such is the case, it is not worth the effort to get angry at them.:

It's just a little odd is all, Darien said.

You said they've been friends for years, right Darius?

:Yes. For as long as my parents could remember, Lord Ike and Master Soren have been inseparable. Very rarely did they see one without the other somewhere behind.:

We also got to see a Pegasus rider too who said some…interesting things about that as well.

“I can't believe we're honestly talking about this. What did you learn in class?” Dante said, abruptly changing the subject. The trio grinned but went along with it anyway. He was just this shade of slightly homophobic.

“Flight.”

“Healing.”

“Channelling. Or rather how to control our output. It's why we seem to feed off one another's anger, Dante. I'm essentially manipulating you subconsciously to keep going until you make me mad enough where the anger cools and I can rein it in. Granted, I'm always far madder with the cool anger than the fiery one but it does make it stop.”

“It's always hard in the beginning. After you get your Keeper they can drain you so you don't affect others as easily,” a passing male said, teal coloured tail and ears twitching at the ambient sounds as the cafeteria filled, one pierced with golden yellow hoop.

“Ranulf, I thought you were gone,” said Anya, rising to hug her cousin. He returned it, affectionately nuzzling her back.

“Finished early so King Cain told me you were here. How's the mission?” he replied, taking a seat.

“Not so good. From what you said about knowing when you found your Keeper, Lord Ike just drew you in immediately. There was no hesitation or indecisiveness,” Darien grumbled, voice reflecting his frustration.

“Lord Ike has also grown up here,” he said. “He responded to us because he was receptive to us. Most people aren't to the bonds you're trying to create with them. Your magics will take care of that, have patience.” Anya sighed but nodded.

“I don't like it but I guess that's not the point, is it?”

He grinned, heterochromic eyes shining in the bright sunshine, winking the purple one. “You wanna be like me, you gotta work like me. Well, I'm off. It was nice to see you all again,” he added to the males as he left.

“You didn't tell us you were thinking about following in Ranulf's footsteps,” Dante said suspiciously. Anya blushed, guilty.

“Because I wasn't sure it was possible. I mean, me? Spy? But he's been helping me out a lot. I just wanna be like he is for King Cain to my dad.”

“:You do realize he has an unfair advantage?:”

“I know, what with him being cat laguz and all but it doesn't mean I'm not going to try anyway,” she said fiercely, lips rising into a half-snarl.

“And I thought I was the animalistic one,” Dante muttered. She glared, rebuffed by his playful shrug. “I'm sure you'll get it…in a century or two.”

“Dante, time for the lesson.” The group jumped in surprise, to the young boy's amusement. Dante immediately fell to the floor, head bowed.

“Prince Kurthnaga! I apologize for my rudeness.” He giggled again, tossing dark teal hair over one shoulder.

“Never fear Dante. I've only come to collect you since I was passing by. Ena is expecting you.”

“At once, milord!” He saluted and without a backwards glance ran into the nearby portal.

“I love when you do that, Prince Kurt. It's always funny,” said Anya, still snickering. The prince smiled at her.

“And your uncle is waiting for you as well, little Anya.”

“:Thank you for the entertainment, Prince Kurthnaga. Will you be joining us?:” Caleb asked as Anya left faster than Dante had.

“No but thank you. I was on my way to see King Vigarde and was fashioned into a messenger on the way. Enjoy the remainder of your meals.” He nodded to them, walking away.

Is it just me…or are we seeing a lot more of the gentry today?

:It's not just you. In class I saw Lord Eliwood. Granted, Lady Ninian was teaching so it makes some sense but still. The gentry don't seclude themselves but neither do we see so many in one day.:

Something's happening. I'll ask Uncle Joshua about it later. He might be willing to tell me what's going on.

-_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-`

“What bring you to me so soon, nephew?” As usual, the prince of Jehanna was practicing with his sword. After his mother, the Queen, he was the best in Magvel and the one most wanted to emulate. “Surely your mother has given you your lesson today?”

“Two things: Master Soren suggested I ask you about work to make Kazj stronger.”

“Easy enough. And the second?”

Cameron shifted uneasily. “What's going on? I saw Lady Lyndis this afternoon along with Lord Ike. Caleb saw Lord Eliwood and then Prince Kurthnaga appeared at lunch. Some of the most powerful people in school are suddenly around a lot more often than they would be ordinarily.”

Joshua smiled, clapping Cameron on the shoulder. “Very good. You and your jiha have very keen eyes. Yes, something is going on, and no, I can't tell you. Focus on your schooling and your Keeper for now. If the time comes that you need to know, then you will. Not before.”

Cameron grimaced but nodded. There was no point in pushing the man further than he already had. That fact that his suspicions were confirmed at all was enough for the moment.

“Thank you, uncle.”

“You are my nephew, Cameron. Your mother would have my head, and so would your grandmother. But onto what I can help you with. Soren said Kazj's not as strong as he should be?”

“Yes. I believe he's more manipulative than pure power but Master said time and practice would help with that.”

“Not in all cases. Have you tried speeding yourself up?”

“It's the only way to keep up with mother.”

“And you've tried flight I'm sure?” Cameron blushed.

“Of course. And I fell straight on my face.”

Joshua's mouth twitched but he did not laugh. “We all do. But power isn't everything. One of our best spies has a pair of the weakest Furies I've ever seen. But it's how he uses them that makes him so effective. Try fine tuning your control and see if that doesn't help. If Kazj isn't stronger even a little by next month, chalk it up as a lost cause and focus on your control instead.”

“What about you? Are you power or control?”

Joshua smiled mysteriously. “Before or after finding my Keeper?”

“Both.”

“Control comes with age most times. By nature of blood, I was just plain powerful. Queen Eirika gave me the control later.”

“How did you know she was your Gate Keeper? Me and the others feel a pull but we're also sure it's not what we think it is.”

“I know you'll get tired of hearing this but you'll know when the time comes. It's not something gradual. It's an epiphany, a sudden flash of understanding. Because your Keeper is from outside the Gekko, he or she must first be open to the nature and facets of not only your magic but his or her own. You're going to essentially change who this person is on a fundamental level and they've got to be ready for it.”

-_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-`

Their return wasn't noted until the next morning, all of them looking surprisingly refreshed, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

“So…have a good time at school?” Cody asked. They all grinned.

“Of course. We got to have lessons with our favourite teachers.”

“What do you learn there that you can't here?” Neville said, careful to keep his tone light. He and the girls had been debating for a while what their secret lessons consisted of but hadn't been able to decide on anything that fit or couldn't be argued against.

“Our education is more specialized. All of us, meaning all the students, are taught the basics and after that comes specialties. It's not so much that we can't learn here, just that it's easier to learn at the school from the teachers we've been working with for a while rather than learning from someone who doesn't know us,” Darien replied.

“Besides, it's awfully rude to ask our teachers to come here just to give us personal attention when they've got classes of their own to teach,” Damien added. “And other students as well. We're not that special.”

“Oh. So what did you learn?” Hermione said, leaning forward in her seat eagerly. Neville and Cody almost had to hold her down.

Darion shrugged. “I went to Magical Theory and Woodland Specialties after a few hours of physical training.”

“Ditto,” the twins chimed in unison. “But I spent my PT time with my parents.” They both turned to stare at one another wordlessly. “Your dad was home? But he didn't tell me!”

“You'll have to excuse them. They tend to argue about the most childish things.” If I didn't know any better I'd say the two of you had different parents! he roared at them, careful to keep his face as nonresponsive as possible, covering up his frown with food.

The twins continued their glaring contest as if nothing was wrong.

Technically they know we're adopted but I don't think they realize by different people.

What does it matter anyway? So what if we're adopted? But damn it! It's only been a few weeks and we're already slipping! Damien shouted.

:I believe this is why we were barred for so long to any missions. Even though we are good, we are still young and prone to mistakes that could lead to trouble for the school. I believe the only reason we were allowed is because our Gatekeeper is here.:

“What are your parents like?” Hermione asked, breaking the stare off.

“Dad's a goof, mom's the greatest woman on the planet,” Darien said, smiling slightly, and kicking Damien when she looked to protest. It was a small ongoing rivalry, whose parents were truly the best but they could never decide, always loving the one that adopted them originally more.

“So you all have the same parents then?”

“For all intents and purposes. We believe in `it takes a village to raise a child'. We just have a very big village,” Darion said, shrugging. “We have a set of primary parents and a large amount of `uncles', `aunts', and `cousins'.”

“You went to a class called `Woodland Specialties?' What's it like?” Cody said, moving the conversation back to the starting point when it became obvious that the quartet weren't going to speak more on their home lives.

“What you'd expect. It's like a combination between Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures only it's not specifically magic based. We study non-magical plants and animals too.”

“There's one for marine life, another for avian, mountainous. For every kind of ecosystem in the world we more than likely have a specialty class for it,” Damien said. “That's what the colours on our uniforms are for. Each colour corresponds to a specific ecosystem specialty we're studying.”

“What's an ecosystem?” They all turned to Neville in surprise, the Tsubasas blinking wordlessly.

“Tell me he didn't just honestly just ask that?”

“Wasn't Arthur Tansley the one essentially create the definition we now use?”

“He's a pureblood; you can't expect him to know about science!” Hermione said.

“Ecosystems may be a science term but it isn't a science-specific subject. There's no reason why he shouldn't know what an ecosystem is. Are British magicals that behind in the times?!” She got a lot of dirty looks from that, seeing as how a vast majority of Hogwarts attendees were British, but raised the two finger salute, showing the back, unrepentant. “And I guess you don't know English Literature either.”

“English what?” The table jumped as Darius slammed his head on the surface repeatedly.

“Ignore him. He's our bookworm so he's offended that you don't know your own cultural history,” Darien explained, eventually shoving his napkin under Darius' forehead to muffle the continuous blows.

“But I do know our culture! For the past seven generations at least!”

“Neville, they're talking about muggle culture. One of the world's greatest playwrights is a British muggle named William Shakespeare,” Hermione said. “Most magicals don't even know about him unless told from muggleborns.”

“And can you call them `normals' please? Muggle sounds so offending, like they're one step from being mud.”

“Because muggles are mud,” Parvati said with a sneer, leaning around Jonathan to address them, proving that she had been eavesdropping the whole time. “They are beneath us and therefore deserve a fitting name.”

“You do realize that you're dating a suma then?” Darien said, raising an eyebrow sardonically. “After all, everyone knows James Potter as a pureblood and Lily Potter as a normal-born. Mix the two together and you get a suma.”

“Suma?”

“A child born to mixed parents.”

“It's a term we use at school since some kids are… let's say half-normal, half-magical, and one of those parents might have been a werewolf. `He's `suma' this and `suma' that.'”

“That's disgusting! Mixing and fraternizing with beasts!” Damien was already half out of her seat before Darius could pull her back down.

:Easy Damien, she does not know and we can't expect her to either.:

Doesn't mean I don't want to rip her head off regardless. Father would demand it of me.

“Some of our best teachers are werewolves, as is one of your own professors. Hypocrite much?” Darion said blandly, placing a hand on Damien's shoulder. “This one here,” he gave her a shake, ignoring the heel that met his leg, “her favourite professor is a wolf so I'd watch myself.”

“You watch yourself because you're a narcissistic prick,” she replied, throwing off his arm.

I don't think he'd like you to uphold your honour if it meant compromising something, Anya. Let it go for now, they'll get their comeuppance, Darien said. “Hey! We just got back from school. Do you honestly want father and mother to come here to pick us up because you two got into a fight? Again?” The pair glared at one another but sat down nevertheless, steadfastly refusing to interact in any way.

“Happen often?” Neville asked. “Your parents having to mediate them, I mean.”

“You have no idea. Mixing them together is like mixing oil and water. The worst part is when they can actually work together they're very effective.”

“Ah. Like Jonathan and Cody, no?” Neville said to Hermione, causing them both to snicker at Cody's cross look.

“So I don't like the prick. Big deal. We've never gotten along and I don't think we will ever until some type of miracle happens.”

“But Cody! He's the `CHOSEN ONE'! You should bow down and worship his feet!” Hermione said dramatically, complete with swooning effect.

“If he goes out and defeats Voldemort right now, maybe. And that's if he comes to school, in the middle of the Great Hall, and I see it happen.”

“I doubt it'll ever happen then. The Dark Lord needs to get used to his new body, I'd imagine. He was a spirit for a while, wasn't he?” asked Darion.

“Yep. He got his body back last Spring. Drove mum nutters when Johnny disappeared from the maze. Cedric Diggory, he's a Puff, almost got taken too but Johnny blasted him away before he could touch the Cup. He's the one that raised the alarm.”

“It's ironic in a way. With Jonathan being his normal selfish self, he probably saved Diggory's life.”

Again, we're protecting him...why? Damien asked, rolling her eyes.

:So we can be here to find our Keeper.:

After that we can tell him to go fuck himself right?

With a rusty spoon and no lube.

Dante, that's just gross. Amusing, but gross.

-_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-` -_-`

And that's that. Thank you everyone who's reviewed. I just went back and looked at them today and it prompted me to post this immediately. Cheers.

Just to clarify, yes, Tony is Nick and vice versa. Lily does not hate Harry/Darien/Cameron nor did she ever. In a few days I'll be reposting the earlier chapters (reading them made me blanch at how juvenile my writing was when I started this) and they'll be reedited with some information to make the links between chapters a bit more streamlined.

Thankfully, Spring semester is over so I'll have a lot more free time to write. Believe me when I say I'm as eager to get to the main plot as all of you are. Speaking of if you couldn't tell, the characters of the Gekko are the casts from the Fire Emblem series, three games in particular. Here's a list of characters and the game they appeared in:

Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken (Japan)/ Fire Emblem (America): Lyn, Athos, Sue, Chad, Eliwood, Ninian

Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones: Joshua, Eirika, Tana, Vigarde

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance: Ike, Soren, Rolf, Titania, Greil, Ranulf, Cain, Kurthnaga, Ena

Also, their names are a combination of the land they hail from, the country, and then their given name. So for Cameron, his name Magvel Jehanna Cameron and translates to Cameron from the country of Jehanna in the territory of Magvel.

Another thing I don't own are Furies, essentially elemental constructs. They come from a little series called the Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. In the world, everyone has elemental abilities and to not have one is considered odd. I'm using that here in the Gekko where everyone has one so it's not really that big a deal but the difference is the skill with which you use it. Hell, some people are going to have more than one! But you'll just have to see that later, won't you?

As always, I adore your comments and reviews so please feel free to do so. The set-up arcs should be done from here on so we'll get into the meat of the story soon. Once I write it at least.

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