Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Harry Potter and the Tsuki no Hime ❯ Chapter Four - Far Away Future ( Chapter 4 )

Authors Notes: Trenchcoat Man and I have done some discussing of this fic, and we've come up with some things that I hope will keep you all glued to your computer screens and begging for more chapters. ::grins:: Twists and turns and bumps and bruises and so many other fun things. Whee! Stay tuned!

Thankies: I couldn't have come up with HALF of these great plot things without Trenchcoat Man. Aishiteru. Fuu-chan, where've you been, ne? Tensei, why aren't you reading this yet? ::sniffles:: And of course I want to thank everyone who happens to be reading this.

Disclaimers: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Sailormoon and all related characters belong to Takeuchi Naoko-sama. Any random original characters that pop up and the story line of Harry Potter and the Tsuki no Hime belong to me, Sailorcelestial. And a few of them came from the conduit to the astral realm known as Trenchcoat Man. Bah!

Harry Potter and the Tsuki no Hime

Chapter Four - Far Away Future

Usagi lifted the trapdoor to Trelawney's Tower room and pulled herself up. The place still smelled faintly of the incense burned during class, but for the most part the Tower's air was clear. She noticed the heavy curtains had been pulled back, allowing a light inside that wasn't seen during class. The other Hogwarts students never spoke of Trelawney or Divination without snickering about the incense, the darkness, and the teacher.

Trelawney's dark eyes peered out at her from around a corner to her right. Usagi noticed immediately that the thick, owl-eyed glasses were missing, allowing the professor to have normal-sized eyes. Trelawney smiled at her and stepped fully around the corner.

"Usagi-san, welcome. Thank you for coming so quickly." The misty voice also had vanished into the ethers, leaving a lower, more down to Earth tone none of the other students would believe.

"You don't have to call me Usagi-san. We aren't in Japan, and none of the students will."

"I like to observe proprieties as often as possible." The woman gestured to one of the large chairs. "Please sit."

"Thank you." Usagi sat, then turned her gaze back to the woman who sat in another chair across from her, a woman worlds different from the one who had taught Divination class earlier in the day. She reminded herself that the professors knew the truth about her, or at least about her true age. "I came so quickly because I sensed a particular urgency in your message. It seems to be quite important."

Trelawney didn't speak as she poured them both cups of tea. It was Western tea, not the green tea Usagi was more accustomed to from home, but good enough. The British, however, seemed to be obsessed with their tea. Usagi sipped hers politely, waiting for her host to begin, to tell her why she'd been summoned.

"I'm certain you've noticed I'm not the same teacher from class."

"Yes."

"I'm in the same sort of situation you are, Usagi-san, constantly pretending to be something and someone I'm not. In my case, however, it is voluntary." Trelawney set her cup down on the table, then looked up and smiled kindly. "I'm also not hiding quite as much as you. Dumbledore told us you're an Auror. I know this isn't the truth. I haven't been able to see the entire truth, but that much I know for certain. You are not what you seem."

Usagi said nothing. Trelawney had not asked her to explain. Nor did she.

"Dumbledore always has reasons for everything he does or says, so I will trust that he has reasons for not telling us the entire truth. But in class today you surprised me, which doesn't happen very often."

"Excuse me, Professor Trelawney, but you're confusing me. Why do you act so differently in class?"

The woman chuckled, sat back in her chair, and sighed as her eyes fixed onto the ceiling.

"It's difficult to have the true Inner Eye. There are wagon-loads of charlatans, those who can use the general tools such as the Tarot to a sufficient enough degree to fool those of clouded minds. There are also throngs of skeptics who make it their life's mission to expose every Seer as a fraud." Another sigh, this one sad. "But not all of us are frauds. Some of us are real. Muggles, Usagi-san, those who live without magic, are not the only ones who can be closed-minded about what they do not understand. Witches and wizards also have difficulty believing in something they cannot see with their own two eyes, forgetting the Third Eye. The Inner Eye. McGonagall is such a witch. She dislikes me because she feels I deceive the students into believing something that isn't true. Sadly enough, to an extent she is correct."

Now the dark eyes normally distorted became so very sorrowful. Usagi recalled the sadness of Dumbledore when she first arrived. She thought of the sadness Harry sometimes revealed when he thought no one looking, and the sadness from Ron and Hermione when they saw it. Was everyone in this world so sad?

"The Inner Eye is like the gift of magic itself, in that it chooses only a certain few. Divination is offered as a class any student can take, but not all students will benefit from learning the art, for they simply do not have the right equipment, if you will, to use it. I tried to teach true Divination when I first became a teacher, but since the students couldn't See for themselves, they thought it all silly and inane." Trelawney shook her head, pushing back a strand of dark hair. "So I realized that teaching them anything true would be a waste of time. So I teach them tricks, things they will forget and never use once they leave Hogwarts and go into their chosen professions."

"Except the Tarot."

"Yes. The Tarot, as I said before, is a general tool. It has it's own magic. Anyone can learn the meanings of the cards and how to interpret them. Anyone can learn to use the Tarot with enough skill to make general readings. Enough to fool the gullible if that is what they want to do with it."

At this point, Trelawney leaned forward and fixed Usagi with a serious gaze, appraising and wondering.

"But there are very few who have the Gift of Sight and are able to truly understand the Tarot, not just interpret it. There is much to you, Usagi-san, that I cannot See. You have protections around you, so many different energies concerned with your safety. But you also have a great deal of power that belongs to you alone, and the intuition and compassion to use it correctly." The teacher reached across the gap between them and placed one hand on one of Usagi's. "Throughout the years, when I have found a student with the true Inner Eye, I have taken them aside, told them the truth, and offered to teach them in private classes to understand and utilize this very rare gift. I think that you don't need my help, Usagi-san, not really, but there are still some things you need. Such as discovering how to trust yourself." Trelawney squeezed her hand gently. "You've always relied on others, needed them for your happiness, am I right? You need to learn to trust in and rely on yourself." Usagi tried to take her hand back, afraid of the words the teacher said, but Trelawney gripped her hand tightly and the sadness returned to her eyes, bolstered by a deep knowledge and fear. "So much is going to happen this year. So much, and you need to be ready for it so you can fulfill your mission here."

"I- I'll think about it."

Trelawney stared at her a moment longer, those unnerving eyes staring into Usagi's own as though searching. Usagi dropped her gaze, fearing what the Divination teacher might see in her soul's windows. Finally the grip loosened and Usagi was able to free her hand.

"Of course. I'm sorry if I've frightened you. You may go now if you like. But please don't tell anyone what I told you here. I have a reputation, after all." She winked when Usagi looked at her, and some of the heavy dread slipped away.

"I won't tell, I promise."

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

In History of Magic, while Professor Binns droned on and on, Usagi thought about Trelawney, everything the woman said, and what it might mean for her. And for Harry.

I'm supposed to protect him, but I'm not supposed to engage Voldemort or any of his followers in battle. But how can I protect Harry from an attack without fighting?

The thought of fighting almost made her cry. She certainly wanted to cry, but managed to hold back until a more private time. She'd managed to defeat both Nehelenia and Galaxia without fighting. Fighting was never the answer. Only love could truly defeat evil, and not through destruction, but through the creation of something new.

But isn't that what creation did? The message of the Death card was precisely that. Death of the old must occur in order for the new to be born and flourish. Sailorsaturn also represented this idea with her powers of Destruction and Rebirth. Sailorsaturn destroyed in order to make way for new life. The Moon Kingdom had perished in order to make way for the Earth Kingdom that would rise in the future. Queen Serenity had to die in order for her daughter to become NeoQueen Serenity. Their old selves from the Silver Millennium had died to give way to their new selves, the ones who would rule the new kingdom. So didn't love, in it's own way, destroy as well? Destroy evil, destroy darkness, destroy hatred?

Usagi sighed. Why did everything had to be so complicated? At least Binns never noticed when someone wasn't paying attention. The first couple of days having a ghost for a teacher had delighted Usagi, and she listened raptly to everything the ghost said. She knew a lot about the giant civil war of 1847. But the newness wore off, and now the class was one for heavy contemplation of other things.

She noticed Harry doing the same a row ahead of her. The angle was bad, but she could see enough to see his green eyes were intense with whatever thoughts percolated through his mind. He certainly was a mystery. Even with his two best friends. Observing them, Usagi noticed that Ron and Hermione were more open with their fears and hopes than Harry. Harry hardly ever spoke of himself, his own desires or anxiety. He allowed the other two to speak for him, while he dodged into the background. She supposed it was natural, since he hated the fame that came from being the Boy Who Lived. Of course he would want to fade into the woodwork if possible. He really was no different than any of the other boys in Hogwarts. He'd only been put through an extraordinary series of events.

"And that is how the Dementors came to be the guards of Azkaban."

Azkaban? What an odd word. Before thinking, Usagi raised her hand, startling Binns, who nodded to her with a wary glance.

"What's Azkaban?"

In the silence that followed her question, Usagi came to believe that she shouldn't have spoken. The wide-mouthed gapes of disbelief she received translated into the obvious conclusion that Usagi had just asked a question to which the answer was common knowledge.

"Azkaban is, of course, the wizarding prison, where all Dark wizards and witches go once found and convicted. Even those from your country, Miss Tsukino."

Usagi nodded, not daring to speak again, though her mind was filled with so many questions. Binns, however, once interrupted, seemed persistent to an annoying degree.

"The Dementors are the consummate guards for a wizarding prison because of their nature. They feed on happy memories and emotions, leaving behind only the darkest parts of a witch or wizard's past, thus leaving the person too weak with sorrow and despair to consider escape. They wear hoods, which they only remove to perform their worst punishment, the Dementor's Kiss."

His words made the world stop.

Hooded figures, in league with evil, in love with death. They have no faces, and bring with them the sorrows of ages. Happiness slips away under their black gazes, and despair is all that lives.

The air became thin, unbreathable. Usagi gasped, but couldn't breathe. Dementors. They were real, the creatures of Rei's premonition, and they were called Dementors. And they were going to Tokyo.

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

Usagi woke in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey stood over her, shining a light into her eyes from the tip of her wand. Usagi blinked and turned her face away.

"She's awake," Madame Pomfrey reported to someone standing behind her. What had been a shadow in Usagi's vision moved, came closer, and emerged from the darkness to become Professor Dumbledore.

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey," he said, and she retreated, having been dismissed. Dumbledore settled his sparkling gaze on Usagi and sat at the end of the bed. "I must say, Tsukino-san, that I've come to spend a great deal of time here in the hospital wing. But mostly for young Mr. Potter and his friends. They were here, by the way." He smiled when Usagi jumped.

"They were here?"

"Oh yes. Where ever there is mystery you can find Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Ms. Granger used to tag along to keep them from too much trouble, but I believe they've gotten to her and now she enjoys the trouble just as much as they do." He chuckled. Usagi couldn't help but laugh with him. Despite everything he and his world had seen, he managed somehow to keep his sense of humor. "Now, Tsukino-san, would you mind telling me why it is you're here. All Professor Binns could say was that you fainted in class after asking a very revealing question." He lowered his face so his sharp eyes peered at her from over his half-moon glasses. Usagi blushed and swallowed.

"I'm sorry, Dumbledore-san, I forgot. I asked what Azkaban was because I didn't know and wanted to-" She remembered. "The Dementors!"

"The Dementors?" Dumbledore's brows wrinkled and he passed her a confused glance.

"Rei, you must know who she is, she's one of the Senshi. Sailormars."

"Yes, I am aware of the identities of all of your royal court."

"Then you know that she is psychic."

"She is possessed of what Professor Trelawney would call the Inner Eye, yes."

"Before I left, she made a prediction about creatures coming from the West, creatures . . ." Usagi paused, making an effort to recall every single word Rei had said. "' They will come from the West. They will bring a death and destruction like we have never known. I fear for Tokyo. Hooded figures, in league with evil, in love with death. They have no faces, and bring with them the sorrows of ages. Happiness slips away under their black gazes, and despair is all that lives. They answer only to the call of their master and the need to feed. They are night. They are darkness. They are pure evil.' She said she fears for Tokyo." Usagi gave him a desperate look. "Tokyo. She means they'll be going to Tokyo."

Dumbledore didn't answer for a long time. He merely gazed at her, fear in his eyes and a helpless manner about him that caused her to shake with her own fear. She knew already that Dumbledore was a powerful wizard. Whatever caused the dread in his eyes would be like nothing she'd ever known or faced.

"I feared something like this," he finally murmured, more to himself than to Usagi. She waited, but he didn't clarify. Instead he stood and forced a smile onto his face. "I will investigate this. If there is anything I or any of my allies can do to prevent the Dementors from invading Tokyo, we will certainly do it. Until then, wait and protect Harry."

"I will."

"Thank you."

"Now if you can convince Madame Pomfrey you won't be fainting in anymore classes, I'm sure she'll allow you to go on to Potions."

Dumbledore left in his usual swirl of robes and white beard, leaving Usagi to shiver and wonder whether her home could ever truly be safe.

Madame Pomfrey did NOT let her go, and she missed Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. She wasn't too upset about missing the second. Hah-greed , or Hagrid, as she'd been corrected, turned out to be nice enough. Except for his love of dangerous creatures. Luckily she'd been warned before hand so wasn't too surprised . . . but still, baby manticores were a little too dangerous for Usagi's tastes.

By the time she'd gotten a clean bill of health, dinner was over and she'd missed all of her classes for the rest of the day. Usagi headed towards the Gryffindor common room with a sigh and a rumbling tummy. The hallways twisted and turned, and she barely escaped being trapped in unfamiliar corridors by changing staircases on several occasions. On the last occasion, she wasn't so lucky. Usagi gazed at the alien paintings, none of whom seemed very friendly. Unlike the Gryffindor paintings, or those in any other part of the castle, these stared down their noses at her and refused to speak.

"What are you doing in our part of the castle, Gryffindor?"

Usagi turned to see the owner of the voice, a pale boy with white-blonde hair and icy eyes. His lips curled into a tauntingly cruel smile. On his robes blazed the green and silver crest of Slytherin house. Oh no, I think I know who this is . . .

"Well? Are you too dumb to speak? Or haven't you learned English yet?" He sniffed. "I know who you are, or who you're supposed to be. But I haven't seen you do any magic at all. Not any real magic." At this he stepped towards her with a scowl and poked her in the shoulder. "I think you're just another dirty Mudblood who doesn't know their wand from-"

"I've heard of you. You're Malfoy, aren't you?"

"So she does speak." He made a show of wiping the finger he'd poked her with on his robes, as though something dirty had rubbed off from her to him. "And I see you've been talking to Potter and his friends the Mudblood and the Weasel."

Yes, Harry and the others had spoken of this one. Nasty, prejudiced thing, they'd said. Hardly worth the trouble to even ignore. And she could see how difficult he could make it to ignore him.

"Why are you so nasty, Draco?" She used his first name, which Harry had told her but never used in reference to the boy. "What has anyone ever done to you to deserve what you put them through?"

"They were born dirty, that's what. The Malfoys are pure-blooded wizards for more generations than you can imagine. Why should we have to associate with people lesser than we are?"

"Your hatred will get you no where, Draco." Why couldn't everyone see what was so clear to her? "It will only make you old and bitter, and will probably earn you a place in Azkaban with the rest of the followers of Voldemort."

He blinked at her for a moment, then his cold eyes narrowed. Usagi realized that she'd spoken aloud the name of the Dark Lord, a name even his own followers were afraid to speak. She didn't care. All she saw before her was a boy filled with a hatred he didn't really understand. She knew this type. It was a hatred one followed because it was taught, not validated.

"What do you know? You're just a Mudblood." Though his stare told her that he had his doubts.

"I'll be going now," Usagi said as the staircase changed again, giving her an exit from this darker realm of Hogwarts. "Please think about what I've said. Hatred isn't the answer to the world." She turned and stepped downwards. As her hand fell on the banister, a pale cold hand fell on hers and gripped hard, painfully.

"If hatred isn't the answer, what is?" Draco was close behind her, too close for comfort. But she didn't let her uneasiness show as she turned her head to look at him in the face.

"Love. Find love, Draco, and you will find the answer to every question you've ever asked and all questions you ever could." She pulled her hand from his vise-like hold and left him standing at the top of the stairs.

Her heart pounded the rest of the way to the common room. Harry and Ron certainly were correct about Draco Malfoy. Not only was the boy filled with rage and loathing for anyone different than himself, he was dangerous. Underneath his cool surface she'd sensed the will and desire to do unspeakable things. He hadn't understood her message about love. She wasn't sure he ever would. Sixteen years of learned hatred could do much to stifle any teachings of love. Usagi thought she should tell Harry and the others what had happened.

"Mary had a little lamb."

"Hello dear," replied the Fat Lady before swinging open to allow Usagi entrance. She stepped through to see Harry kneeling in the small hallway that opened up into the common room. He turned, put a finger to his lips and gestured her to join him. She did so, and in the common room she saw Ron and Hermione. They stood facing each other, both looking at the ground, avoiding looking at each other. Harry grinned.

"Well, uh, that was a nice walk." Ron finally said.

"Yes, is was." Hermione fidgeted. Usagi knew they had no idea two people lurked in the shadows watching and felt slightly guilty. But her curiosity and basic nature refused to reveal her position. This was too good of a scene to interrupt or miss! "Ron, I-"

"Hermione-"

They stopped, looking up to signal the other to speak first. Another awkward silence followed. Hermione was the first to break down.

"Ron, I-I wanted to ask . . . well, it was a nice evening but . . . why did you ask?"

"Well . . . I figured, you know, I'd take your advice."

Hermione blinked, obviously confused.

"My advice?"

"Yeah. You know. I figured I'd ask you to go for a walk before someone else did. And not as a last resort."

Usagi didn't understand, but Harry did, for his grin widened. Hermione's smile grew as well, so wide it seemed a miracle she could speak through so tightly-drawn lips.

"What were you going to say?"

Ron's ears flushed deep red, almost as bright as his hair. He stuttered for a moment, unable to form a complete sentence. Then he stopped, took a deep breath, and muttered something all in one breath. Hermione leaned forward.

"What? I couldn't hear you."

"HermioneIknowI'vebeenreallystupidandIthinkIlikeyouawholelotandIwa ntedyou-toknowsonowyouknowandI'mgonnashutup."

Usagi held a hand over her mouth to stifle the squeal that threatened to erupt. How cute! She'd missed such a scene for herself. Mamoru was a self-assured man, never embarrassed, especially about things he knew he wanted. He'd known he wanted her, and when the time was right, he'd gone for her. To see Ron confess his feelings like this was something that would affect any girl or woman. It was just too cute.

Hermione seemed stunned. She didn't speak or move, merely stared at Ron. The longer she stared, the brighter his ears flamed. Then, after what must have seemed a forever or two for the red-haired boy, Hermione leaned forward and placed a quick, chaste kiss on his cheek. Ron gaped and stared.

"I like you too, Ron. A whole lot. I've just been waiting . . . well . . ." Hermione began to blush through her smiles. "I think I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

"O-Okay."

The two gazed on each other a bit longer, the knowledge of something special happening on their faces. Then Hermione turned and went up the stairs. She left Ron staring after her, and when he turned away so Harry and Usagi could see his eyes, they were glazed and dreamy, staring into a far away future of hopes and dreams.

End Chapter Four.