InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Magic is Just Around the Corner ❯ Sorting at Hogwarts ( Chapter 2 )

Magic is Just Around the Corner

Chapter Two: Sorting at Hogwarts

 

“You best get into your robes Kagome, we will be arriving soon.” Hermione stated; Kagome simply ignored her like always.

 

Sighing, Hermione looked over to Ron and Harry for supported, but they just looked at her like she was mad. Clearly they were scared out of their wits when it came to anything to do with the strange girl Kagome.

 

Suddenly, Kagome tensed, causing the others in the room to tense. “What are those? They feel so…empty and cold…so cold…” no one knew what Kagome was talking about, they didn't feel anything.

 

“There coming closer. Everyone, be prepared for an attack!” the other's snapped to it, unsure of what exactly to expect or what was happening.

 

Kilala transformed into her larger size, effectively scarring everyone in the room. Kagome drew her bow and arrows while Ron, Hermione, and Harry drew their wands. Each of them took their own battle stances, though Ron's, Hermione's and Harry's were more just like standing with a stick in front of them.

 

“Where did those come from!?” Ron squealed out when he noticed what Kagome was carrying; she just glared at him, effectively silencing any further questions from anyone.

 

Suddenly the train stopped, the lights started to flutter off. Everything went eerily quiet as a chilling cold crept in. “Dementors!” Ron, Harry, and Hermione said together, if Kagome was confused, she didn't show it.

 

Slowly, Kagome opened the door and silently crept out. Because of traveling in the feudal era, she learned how to creep around without making any noises. The lights were now all out, no one seen or heard her leave, except Kilala who just as silently followed.

 

Together they crept down the drowning cold of the halls, listening for any movement that would give away the location of the `Dementors.' Raspy breathing was heard ahead of them, the creatures that looked like floating rotting corpses crept towards her.

 

Notching an arrow, she aimed towards the, what she now called them, thing. This thing was too horrid to have a name. The cold intensive as a foggy white started to cloud her vision, `what's happening?' Kagome thought panicked as she struggled to stay conscious.

 

`”Sango!” Her adopted sister fell down in a splatter of blood before her, an arrow in her side. Kagome raced up to her sister, not caring about the attack that was still in the process. “Kagome, I will always be with you….'

 

“NO!” Kagome cried out, closing her eyes and shaking her head in an attempt to get rid of the images.

 

Putting her miko powers within her arrow, she let it fly. Its power lit up the halls, causing curious students to peek out of their windows. It's light purified the drowning dark as it struck true. The thing gave a horrid ear-piercing shriek before it dissolved into nothing.

 

Notching another arrow, Kagome let it fly. This was soon to be followed by five more as each one hit a different `thing'. Ear-piercing shriek after ear-piercing shriek filled the halls of the train. The curious students watched in wonder and amazement as each arrow dissolved the creatures looming in the dark. Soon none remained.

 

Finally the lights turned back on and the warmth once again filled the halls. Kagome fell to her knees, trying to catch her breath. `That was so horrible, I felt like I was never going to be happy again.' Kagome thought scared as she recalled the images that had flash through her head, images of Inu-Yasha's betrayal.

 

Still, Kagome tried to catch her breath, finding it increasingly difficult to do so. “Kagome?” someone called her name, but it sounded so distant. “Kagome!” the noises around her were fading, the attack of memories kept flowing through her brain. “Kagome! Someone go get some help! Kagome!” the same distant voice continued to cry out.

 

“Damn, I'm such a weakling…” those were the last words Kagome spoke before darkness clouded her vision.

 

/---/

 

“Do you think she's gonna be ok? I mean, she took on those things without a wand! What the hell were those glowing pink arrows anyway?” voices echoed in the recesses of Kagome's fogged mind.

 

“She'll be alright, but did you hear what she said before she passed out? `Damn I'm such a weakling' why would she think that?” another more sensible voice spoke out, still distorted in her fogged up mind.

 

Groaning, Kagome sat up, her head spinning like mad. She was in some kind of carriage; a strange and freaky looking horse was pulling it. The horse looked like it was dead. “What the hell is that?” Kagome asked dizzily, her vision still swirling about her.

 

“Kagome? You shouldn't even be awake yet! Wait, you can see the threstles (sp?)?” Hermione asked in slight amazement, Kagome just looked at her confused.

 

“Can't you?” she simply shook her head no, as she continued to gaze at her intently.

 

Getting annoyed with everyone staring at her, Kagome glared at them, “What is your problem?” she asked irritated, her arms crossed over. Her vision had finally stopped spinning only to show the same three people she had met on the train staring at her.

 

“Wait, where's Kilala?!” Kagome asked panicked when she noticed the fire cat was no longer with her.

 

Frantically, she began looking around the carriage, hoping to catch even a small glimpse of her best and only friend. Hermione, finally remembering what she was talking, began to speak, “Kagome relax! Kilala is safe, someone is bringing her up to the castle as we speak.”

 

Kagome looked over at Hermione bewildered, `someone took my cat!' she thought enraged as she gazed at the strange castle before her. No one touched what was hers; no one took what was hers. Kilala was the last of her friends; they always stayed together.

 

“They took Kilala! Without my permission!” Kagome screeched at the three in the carriage, causing them to flinch back from her.

 

“R-Relax Kagome! Y-You can see her when we go to a-are dorms!” Hermione stuttered in fear, Kagome was a scary person when she was really ticked.

 

Sighing, Kagome relaxed, she was over reacting. It was just that she didn't like not having Kilala with her at all times. She was scared that the fire demon would be attacked and taken away from her, like everyone else. She had made a promise to protect the fire neko with her life, and she wasn't about to break that.

 

Ron, seeing that Kagome was no longer going to kill them for looking the wrong way, decided to ask the question that had been bugging him ever since the train ride, “What the hell were those pink arrows?” he all but blurted out, curiosity getting the better of him.

 

Kagome looked over to Ron confused, `doesn't anyone know what a miko is?' she thought annoyed as she prepared for another long explanation on miko powers. Once again, Kagome explained what a miko is and what they do; it was getting rather tiresome.

 

“Bloody hell!” Ron yelled out in amazement after her explanation was over with. The other's simply nodded in agreement.

 

An idea crossed her mind, since Ron, Harry, and Hermione had obviously been to Hogwarts before, she could ask them questions about it. “What is sorting?” Kagome questioned, slight curiosity detectable in her voice.

 

This time Harry decided to take charge, “Sorting is a ceremony that happens every year with new students. A hat gets placed on their head, mind you, it's a magic hat, and whatever house the magic hat calls out is the house that person is `sorted' to.” Harry only hoped that was a good explanation.

 

Kagome nodded her head, understanding it perfectly. Once again, her attention was drawn to the night sky, her eyes taking a glazed look. `We used to watch the stars together, all of us, even Inu-Yasha…' she thought sadly as she remembered all the fun times they had in the feudal era.

 

Ron, Hermione and Harry all looked at each other, each one held a look of sympathy for the poor girl Kagome. They knew something bad happened to her, mainly something bad with her friends, but they didn't know exactly what.

 

They only knew that she still hadn't gotten over whatever it was and that it had changed her greatly. It was easy to tell that Kagome used to be a nice girl, for every now and then, that nice girl resurfaced before being squashed back down again.

 

“Kagome, you can tell us what's happened you know.” This time it was Harry who was pushing her to get it off her chest, like that would ever happen.

 

“Yeah, I mean we've all been through a lot lately.” Ron added, trying to persuade Kagome to talk about things she wasn't ready to. Once again, they were all greeted with her cold shoulder as she continued to look at the starry sky like they didn't even exist.

 

“Come on Kagome! If you talk about it, then maybe you'll feel better?” Hermione asked, hoping that her logic would get her to talk.

 

It did get her to talk, but not about her problems. “You think talking about it will make me feel better! You think talking will make everything right again! How could you even suggest such a thing?” Kagome all but shouted in their faces, tears forming in her eyes as she tried to hold them back.

 

They all just stared at her in shock, not really expecting such an outburst to come from the usually quite but deadly girl. Kagome realized what she did, and fell back to her chair, only then noticing that she was standing and yelling at them. `Where did that come from?' that wasn't like her at all, she never talked or shouted at a person since her friends died.

 

“Sorry Kagome.” Was all they could say, not wanting to upset her further.

 

“No, don't apologize, I shouldn't have done that.” Kagome said sadly, disappointed with her future self. `I shouldn't act like this, it's wrong of me.'

 

Harry looked at her confused; she really was a complicated girl. First she acts all mean and cold, and then she goes and does something like that. Talk about confusing, plus there was that little show of magic in the hallways of the train.

 

Hermione and Ron where thinking along the same lines, she was strange. Kagome looked to them, realizing that she must look extremely weird, “What? It's not like I'm a cold-hearted demon in disguise or something.” Kagome spoke curtly, annoyed with them once again. They all sighed audibly, yup, strange.

 

Kagome simply continued to take in her surrounding with a calculated eye; she didn't like not knowing every detail about where she was. It was a conservation habit she had picked up from the feudal era… `Don't think about it.' She told herself sternly in her mind, it was bad enough she just relived it with those strange things on the train. `Wait, what were those?'

 

“Hermione, what were those…Dementors I believe you called them?” Kagome asked, hoping for an answer. The worst thing to have is an enemy you know nothing about, never misjudge because of one simple battle.

 

“Yes, they are called Dementors. They're the guard keepers of the wizard prison in London. They feed off your happiness leaving you drowning in your worst nightmares. If they give you a `kiss' they steal your soul. We only knew of one thing that could hurt them, until you came along.” Hermione finished her explanation, quite proud of herself.

 

“Sometimes if your worst memory is really bad, you pass out.” Harry added, just to prove that he wasn't dumb and that he knew just as much as Hermione when it came to DADA, if not more. Then he realized something, Kagome had passed out after she fought the Dementors, did that mean she had a really bad memory like him?

 

“Oh.” Was all she bothered saying, taking the information in and storing it for later use. If that was true, she would have to be extremely careful, she had a lot of bad memories that they could use against her.

 

`This enemy feeds off my weakness, I have to train to become immune to them.' Kagome thought determined, she would not let herself have such a great weakness and be at the mercy of them when they fought, that was plain stupid.

 

For the rest of the trip they rode in silence, just admiring the spectacular view. Well, Harry, Hermione and Ron were, Kagome was taking it all in and storing it for information when she need to hide, escape, watch for enemies, and all the sort of jazz.

 

Eventually they reached the castle, it was breath taking for those who were not used to spectacular sights. Being in the feudal era for so long though, Kagome had seen so many castles like these, some even better. Being with Miroku made it that way; he always went to the best places with bogus claims. `Miroku, I miss you so much…' Kagome thought sadly as she gazed at the wonderful castle.

 

Harry watched Kagome when she first set eyes on the castle. When he had first seen it, he was stunned, but when she laid eyes on it, it brought her pain. He didn't understand her; it was confusing.

 

The simplest questions she wouldn't answer, the most spectacular things brought her pain, and she looked at everything in a calculating eye, as if she would need to know where everything was for future purposes.

 

She could fight, she could use magic like he never seen before, and her eyes, those cinnamon eyes, they almost made him cry when he looked at them. They held such deep pain he didn't know how she coped with whatever happened to her. He only wished she would open up a little to them, he wanted the pain in her eyes to go away…

 

They finally reached Hogwarts, the place Harry loved far beyond anything. It was his home away from home, even though his real home wasn't much one, more like a prison. Smiling fondly, Harry stepped off the carriage after Kagome, Ron and Hermione following close behind.

 

“So this is Hogwarts.” Kagome said in a board tone, drawing skeptical eyes on her. She seemed unaffected though, and simply continued on her way with the first years. Professor McGonagall had told her to follow them into the building after she arrived on the horses. (A/N: Sorry forgot to mention that!)

 

The first years all gazed curiously at her, she was after all the only sixth year there. Kagome had a feeling that they all knew it was abnormal for her to be with them, `great.' She thought sarcastic, knowing that they would try to make conversation with her.

 

“Hey, aren't you a sixth year?” one of them asked, Kagome maintained her cool mask but barely. Inwardly she was rolling her eyes and praying to any god who might be listening that she could simply ignore the kid and he would go away.

 

No such luck, this got more to draw up the courage to talk to the strange silent dark girl.

 

“You look sad, are you alright?”

 

“Why aren't you in uniform?”

 

“Are you new here?”

 

“What house do you think you'll be in?”

 

“Do you think Hogwarts is pretty?”

 

“You look cool! I think I will dress in black to!”

 

The last one got on her nerves the most. No, the questions continued, but that one drove her up the wall. The last thing she needed was for someone to admire her, `just like Shippo. No, don't think about that!' Kagome berated herself; she was pathetic.

 

Finally McGonagall opened the doors and let them in, Kagome was a little bit awed by the room. It was beautiful; it was something she had never come across before, even in feudal Japan. In the air were floating candles, the ceiling looked like the night sky, four long tables, two on each side of a long hallway, all were filled to the brim with kids.

 

“Welcome first years, welcome to Hogwarts!” (A/N: Should I end it here? Nah.) Professor Dumbledore greeted, a happy smile all over his face as his eyes fell to Kagome. She simply looked at him with a board expression, not really caring that he smiled at her; she had given up in smiles…

 

They stopped just before the teachers, a stool with an old looking hat placed in the middle. `I sense magic from the hat. Harry had spoken the truth.' Kagome thought, now realizing where the hum of magic was coming from.

 

One by one the young witches and wizards were called up, each getting sorted into their appropriate table. Soon Kagome was the only one left, `what else is new? I am always the lone one in the end.' She thought sadly, remembering all the time she was the only one left standing in battle, the time her friends were murdered by her true love…

 

“Kagome Higurashi!” Professor McGonagall called; Kagome inwardly rolled her eyes. `Who else is gonna be left?' gracefully Kagome walked up to the chair and did what everyone else did. She sat on the seat and waited for McGonagall to place the hat on her head.

 

Soon she could no longer see the tables and curious eyes of the students watching her, all went dark when the hat was placed on her head. It was then that Kagome felt the prod of someone entering her mind, it took a lot of will power not to destroy it, she knew it was the hat.

 

`Interesting, very interesting. I see you knew as soon as I entered your mind young witch. You have great power within you, your mind has great mental defense. Let's see, oh? What is this?' that hat spoke inside her mind curiously as it searched deeper into the pits of her inner being. `Stop, don't go further!' Kagome warned now seeing what the hat had spotted, she didn't want anyone to see that.

 

Ignoring her plea, the hat continued its prodding. `If you don't stop, I will be forced to make you.' Kagome threatened, not liking the hat ignoring her command in what he was allowed to see in her own brain! The warning came to late however, the dark sector of her mind was unlocked and now the images were flooding both the hate and her.

 

The hat screamed out in agony, everyone in the hall went silent as they watched in terror the hat twist and turn as if in great pain. They had all started to think something was wrong, usually the hat chose a spot quickly but it was taking its sweet time with Kagome. What shocked them even more was that Kagome had started screaming as well, her hands clutching the stool in an effort to keep from falling.

 

`I told you! Stop it now! Leave! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!' with a burst of magic, Kagome forced the hat to leave the corridors of her mind, not able to take the flow of so many dark memories at once.

 

It had been painful, the hate made her relive the feelings that came with each vision for it's magic wasn't strong enough to block it out. They both ended up screaming in pain, Kagome holding hers in not liking to be so weak, but eventually she to could not keep the scream from exploding from her.

 

Finally the throbbing in her soul and mind subsided, and Kagome fell in a heap on the floor. `Why did that stupid hat have to explore every part of my mind?' she pondered angrily, not liking the fact that the hat wouldn't listen to her when she allowed it to bypass her mental defense.

 

“Kagome? Are you ok?” she heard the voice of Dumbledore and felt his presence beside her. He seemed generally worried for her; then again, she had screamed a bone-chilling scream not even one minute ago.

 

“I'm fine as long as that damned hat doesn't ever enter my mind again. It wouldn't listen when I said it couldn't go there, it didn't listen!” Kagome yelled angrily, she was extremely pissed. Many of those memories had been her friend's deaths, along with many horrific battles and terrible destruction in villages where children could be seen distorted in the streets.

 

“What did the hat do Kagome?” He asked, trying to figure out the problem that had occurred between the hat and the girl. Something like this never happened, unless…

 

“It went to a place it wasn't supposed to go! Why did it go there, the dark place…?” Kagome sounded like a lost child; she hated herself for it. The hat had made her weak and venerable to emotions when it attacked her brain. Especially since it attacked a very sensitive spot, that was why she had so many metal defenses in her brain, so no one could use her dark memories against her.

 

“Kagome, the hat needs to go on one more time, but I promise it wont go their ever again ok? The hat listens to me.” Dumbledore assured her when he seen her eyes go wide in fright. He never could know what Kagome was thinking; she had strong mental barriers around her brain so he couldn't read it when he wanted to. Now he could see it clearly though. Now he knew why she had them there, why she was like she was; he felt sorry for her.

 

“Get out of my head Dumbledore.” She stated coldly, her metal barriers instantly kicking him out. She had regained herself, amazing. It had been only a minute since those horrid memories attacked her, he only got glimpses, but he still saw them. Already she sensed his presence in the corridors of her brain and she locked him out, regaining herself. Any weaker person would continue to be a mess, probably still screaming and trapped within their own mind along with the hat. He had misjudged her greatly.

 

He was right though, that was the reason for the little show between the girl and the hat. The hat unlocked buried darkness, trying to see if she would be a possible person for Slitheren, but instead got flooded with never ending pain and anguish.

 

Unable to deal with the multitude, the magic in the hat locked itself up, trying to hide. This made that hat unable to pull away from the recesses of her mind. A seal tight lock of magic formed trapping the both of them in the dark memories of Kagome's brain.

 

The hat cried out while Kagome tried to fight it, but soon she to fell victim to the darkness she lived. Apparently, she still had the will to fight though, and with as much strength as one could only hope to imagine, she unlocked the magic lock and set herself and the hat free.

 

“Just place the dumb hat on my head and get it over with. I swear it will turn to ashes if it goes anywhere near that part of my mind, got it?” the coldness in her voice was harsh, he understood but the students didn't, also the teachers. They were all gapping at her like she was insane to talk to him like that, but he had expected worse.

 

“Alright Kagome, agreed. Please, take a seat.” Dumbledore gestured towards the stool she was on earlier. Giving him a curt nod and a warning glare at the hat, Kagome took her seat in the chair.

 

Once again, darkness clouded her vision as the hat was placed on her head. `This time, don't go where I tell you not to.' Kagome mentally told him after she ensured he safely passed her mental barriers; no response greeted her. Apparently the hat was still scared of her brain, worried to be trapped in painful memories once more.

 

`Lets see here, I can't really pick a place for you. Your smart like Ravenclaw, you have a thirst to prove yourself like Slitheren, your brave like Griffendore, and your kind like Hufflepuff.' The hat mentally told her, not knowing what to do with her.

 

“Dumbledore, I have no place for her, she has qualities all equal to that of each house.” The hat stated out loud, causing murmuring to go about the students and nervous glances to go about the teachers.

 

“Then I shall send her to the Kiyoraka house.” Kagome looked over to Dumbledore a bit confused by the name of the house. It was Japanese, it meant pure.

 

“This is a special house though. Kagome can choose to go sleep in any corridor she wishes for the Kiyoraka house is a house that has all the houses in it. She can choose which points she wants to award to which houses but, when points are taken away it is taken away from the house she is attending classes with.” Dumbledore stated, causing the students to chatter about once more.

 

“Kagome, take a seat with whatever table you would like.” Dumbledore smiled at her, she simply looked at him and nodded before joining the Griffendore table with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Hey, they were the only people she knew.

 

“This is going to be a…different…school year.” Dumbledore stated to himself, looking pointedly at Kagome before beginning the rules of the school.

 

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Well, that's it! How did you like this chapter? You know you can vote on pairings, just name the ones you want and at the end I will tell you who is in the lead. I'd like to thank reviewer Ummm…..Hi once again for being the only person to review my stories. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow, I already have four chapters done on this story, and I am currently working on the fifth. Ja ne all and I hope you enjoyed!