Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unto the Few ❯ Green, Gold, and Yellow ( Chapter 6 )

A/N: The Sorting Hat’s Song in this chapter was created and made up by myself, so any plagiarism and heads will roll! It was all thought up by me. The only disclaimer I will put on that thing is the fact that the Sorting Hat and anything that he sings about is not mine. I simply put it all together. Do I make myself understood? Good.

Chapter Six: Green, Gold, and Yellow

~~

“Come on! We’re going to be late! We’ve got to get GOING!” Molly chided her two youngest, the male of which had put off packing until the morning they left. Not only that, but Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Ron himself had all slept until 9:00, which put them even further behind schedule! Mrs. Weasley was about ready to pull her hair out and the others made a point to steer clear of Hurricane Molly if at all possible.

Finally, at 10:30 Molly had successfully gotten all eight of the students, herself, and the twins (who had decided to tag along to say goodbye) out of the door. By ten till 11:00, they were all at King’s Cross Station and all had their trolleys with their trunks and creatures. It was five till when they had made it on to Platform 9 ¾.

“Goodbye, dears! Don’t forget to write! Ron, stay out of trouble, say hello to Harry and Hermione for me, and Ginny, keep an eye on your brother for me! Kagome and Yukina, you two have fun and write me too! Yusuke and Kuwabara, I’ll tell you what I told the twins—don’t make me come back to that school! Hiei—well…take care, dear. And Kurama, you watch over the lot of them!” All of this was shouted by Molly as the eight boarded the scarlet train, waving and shouting farewells along with the other last-minute arrivers. Fred and George called out last warnings and reminded them of the Christmas Special that they would get for ordering from their shop in the next three weeks.

Finally on board, having given their luggage and animals to the baggage people, the group split, with Kagome, Yukina, and Ron going to find ‘Harry’ and ‘Hermione’, with Ginny splitting off to find her own friends. Yusuke and Kuwabara went the opposite direction, Kurama and Hiei trailing behind them.

Yusuke finally found them a box that had only two people inside—a short, round boy and a skinny, toe-headed girl who was reading a magazine entitled, “The Quibbler”. The boy looked up nervously from his seat and asked with wide eyes, “Who are you?”

Bold question from a weak person, Hiei mentioned telepathically to Kurama.

Bold, yes, but maybe not weak.

Hn.

“I’m Yusuke. The one that looks like a horse’s ass is Kuwabara. The red-head is Kurama and the short one with the attitude is Hiei.”

“I assure you, Yusuke, that I am quite capable of giving out my name when and to whom I wish.” Hiei said nattily.

“Jeez, just trying to be friendly,” Yusuke muttered.

At least he’s trying for a good first impression, Kurama said to Hiei.

Hn.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Neville Longbottom and that is Luna Lovegood.”

“I, too, am quite capable of answering questions directed at me, thank you, Neville.” Luna said, bulbous, electric-blue eyes peering at them from behind the magazine.

“No question was ever asked to know who you were,” Hiei said harshly, trying to get a feel for these two’s personalities.

Luna blinked slowly at Hiei, as if lost in thought. “Hmm,” she said softly, making a considering noise. “You never did, did you?” She returned to her reading.

What!? Hiei thought, aghast at this girl’s behavior.

She’s a strange one, Kurama replied.

“Hey, you mind if we sit in here?” Yusuke asked, driving the attention away from the quick spat between Hiei and Luna.

“No, not at all,” Neville said, gesturing for them to come in. “So I take it that you’re all new?”

“Yeah,” Kuwabara said, taking a seat beside Luna as Yusuke sat across from him, pressing Neville up against the window, and Kurama sitting beside Yusuke, and Hiei beside Kurama.

“Where are you from? You’ve all got weird accents.”

Bold little… Hiei seethed quietly.

Hiei, Kurama told him in slight reprimand. Calm yourself! Why are you acting so callous?

I don’t like this boy. He has too much sense and too little knowledge of how to use it. He annoys me.

Keep your temper, we must remain low profile.

Says who? Hiei asked in challenge, although he knew very well whom Kurama inferred to.

Says Genkai. Our powers will be new and strange, even to these people. Therefore, Lady Genkai recommended that we lie as low as possible.

Genkai is halfway across the world—I don’t really care what she recommends.

You should.

I’ll hold my fire as long as he doesn’t do anything stupid like challenge me.

Kurama figured that this was the best promise he would get out of his friend, so let it be. All he could hope for was that this Neville wasn’t so thick as to approach Hiei.

It’s too bad that that was too much to hope for.

~~

The girls and Ron had little trouble finding the car that held Harry and Hermione, and the introductions were quick and they all hit it off marvelously.

Hermione, in Kagome and Yukina’s opinion, talked too much about one subject for too long, but she was tolerable with a kindly personality. The Harry Potter boy was introduced to them as if they were presenting someone mentally unstable. Kagome and Yukina decided to ignore this oddity and treat him just like everybody else, although Kagome did notice the strange scar on Harry’s forehead.

“Excuse me, Potter—Harry, I mean,” Kagome said, leaning forward. “Where did you get that scar?”

Harry’s face flushed and he muttered, “Never had to explain what happened before…” he glanced up and grimaced at having to recall all of the horrible memories thinking about that damned scar of his brought back. Bloody red eyes and cold, scaly skin…brr! It was giving him the creeps already!

At his lengthy pause, Kagome took it as a sign of unease and replied smoothly, “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s alright. I know how that all works.”

Yukina had been studying Harry’s head quite intently for some time now, her wide, warm, crimson eyes careful and calculating. “Mr. Potter—Harry, I meant—do you wish to keep that scar?”

Hermione, Ron, and especially Harry turned incredulous looks on the koorime. “K—Keep…Keep it!” Harry stuttered. “Bloody hell, NO! But it’s not like it’s my choice!”

“I could heal it for you, if you’d like,” Yukina offered, kneeling on the ground in front of Harry.

“You—You can’t though!” Hermione protested. “That was put there by dark magic and it’s a—a curse! I don’t know what will happen if you try and remove it!”

“I wouldn’t remove it, Miss Granger. I would heal it.”

Hermione paused, her lips twitching in thought. “Still…It could backfire and do something terrible to you!”

Yukina turned soft orbs to Harry and looked at him steadily. “It causes you much pain, doesn’t it, Mr. Potter? Do you not want that gone?”

“Well…yes…but, but I don’t want you getting hurt trying to do anything about it!” Harry said hurriedly, waving his hands frantically to make Yukina understand.

“Then let me try it. I’ve been working privately on my healing skills all summer—I should be able to do it.”

“I think she’s talked herself into doing it, so why don’t you let her try?” Ron said, jumping in.

“Well…” Hermione said, still unsure. Her eyes were slightly glazed and anyone who knew her would know that she was browsing her mental library for any possible after-effects on either of them. She obviously came up with nothing, as she let her sentence hang. “Alright…but be careful!”

“Of course,” Yukina replied softly. She kneeled and put her hands on Harry’s forehead, just barely grazing the skin, still puckered and reddish, after all of these years. Her eyes glazed over slightly and her pupils turned a glowing white, her hands an arctic blue-green. After ten or so seconds, sweat began to break out on her forehead, and her arms shook.

Harry himself had his eyes squinted shut and tried not to yell as icy hot fire—from Yukina or the scar, he couldn’t tell—and then there was a piercing hot spike in his temperature. Now he did shout, falling back into his seat. Yukina fell back with a soft cry, her hands red and bloody. As soon as she was able, she refocused and sent her healing into her hands; in seconds, they were healed.

Kagome herself was reeling from the battle of powers that had just ceased, having begun as soon as Yukina tried to begin the healing process. The evil and the pure energies had immediately begun to fight, the darker energy warding off and at the same time, feeding off of the healing energy. Without realizing it, Kagome had tried to aid Yukina by giving some of her own purity to assist. However, when it still didn’t work, Yukina had had no choice but to pull back after only fifteen seconds; otherwise the dark energy would’ve sucked her soul dry of its purity.

“Oh, no! I knew something like this would happen!” Hermione bemoaned, at the same time checking Harry’s vital signs, as he was out cold. Kagome was helping Yukina to sit up at the same time.

The koorime held her head in her hands, gritting her teeth together. “I thought I could do it, Kagome. I was making quick progress on the outer rims of the skin, and then there was a sudden wall put up around him. I tried to break it through to continue, but it just…hit back…Miss Granger was right…that is not a scar begotten by good means! Not at all! Not at all!” Yukina was holding off her tears—crying would only make the situation worse, not to mention if she did, billions worth of her tear gems would go scattering everywhere—exactly what they didn’t need!

Kagome could tell her friend was on the verge of hysteria. Something else had happened while she’d tried to heal Harry, she could tell. “Shh, shh, Yukina,” Kagome said, quieting her friend. “You tried. I’m sure Mr. Potter is not upset with you, are you Mr. Potter?” Kagome questioned, looking up at the boy, whom was now sitting up, awake.

“No, not at all…It did hurt a bit…but at least you tried.” Harry said courteously, not quite sure he was comfortable being called “Mr. Potter” by anyone but Snape.

“I am sorry that I harmed you, Mr. Potter.”

“Ah, please stop calling me that—”

“You would prefer Mr. Harry, then?”

“No, no,” Harry said quickly. “Just Harry is fine, thank you.”

“So, you are obviously new to the school,” Hermione said, leaning forward intently. “Ron wrote us about you, but he just said that there were six of you. Where are you from?” Eastern Asia…Thai…no…Chinese, maybe Japanese, would be my guess, Hermione thought to herself.

“Tokyo, Japan.” Kagome answered.

Close enough, Hermione answered her own question. “Really? I’ve always been interested in the culture…very traditional in ancient times…refined and dignified, right? What did you two do in Tokyo?”

“I lived on a shrine, with Master Genkai. She taught me much of my healing skills.” Yukina said.

“I lived on a shrine, too. My family’s—the Sunset Shrine. My grandfather is the groundskeeper.” Kagome explained briefly, thinking of her own room, her mother, brother, grandfather, the steep stairs leading up to the shrine, of course Goshinboku, and the well…InuYasha, Shippou, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara…. Kagome shook her head violently. No! She told herself. I will NOT start thinking of them now! It’s too soon!

“That’s very interesting! Could you tell me some legends, maybe? I’ve read a few, and they are so fascinating!”

I know a great legend, Kagome thought dreamily, and yet with sorrow. Kagome shook her head and forced the tears back down. The ending was never written, she told herself.

“I don’t—” Kagome began, but just then, the door to their car was thrown open and a very bedraggled Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama appeared with a very pissed-off Hiei in Kurama’s tow.

~~

“So you are from Japan, huh? That’s interesting! What’s it like over there? Do you have to wear those dress-things? Is it cold in the winter? What city do you live in? Where is that? Is it just genetic, or is everyone supposed to be really short over there?” Neville was being quite uncharacteristically talkative, shooting off all kinds of questions at rapid fire, while Luna sat aside, reading The Quibbler quietly.

With every word, Hiei was growing more and more agitated with the boy, only Kurama’s presence beside him keeping him from ripping out the brat’s vocal cords. One more word, Kurama, and you won’t be able to stop me from harming him!

You won’t lay a hand on him, Hiei.

Who said I would harm him physically? Hiei countered, focusing enough of his energy on his Jagan to awaken it just slightly.

Hiei, Kurama said in warning.

Hiei didn’t reply—his ruby gaze boiled on Neville’s plump form.

Yusuke was too busy trying to answer this strange boy’s questions to notice the change in the car’s temperature, but Luna did. “It is getting quite warm in here, don’t you all think? Oh, I think it is coming from the little man, there,”

The “little man, there” was most unhappy with her phrasing, which set him off even worse. “Humans,” Hiei ground out in disgust. He stood, fully intent on advancing on Neville, then Luna, but Kurama stood as well, as did Yusuke and even Kuwabara.

“I’m sorry, but I think we’d better be going,” Kurama said politely, motioning Yusuke and Kuwabara to walk behind Hiei; with Kurama in front, he'd have an escort on all sides. “We’d better find Yukina and Kagome.”

Soon enough, they did find the car that the girls and Ron were in, and by then Hiei had had a chance to cool down, at least somewhat.

~~

“Oh, hello!” Yukina greeted them with a smile, despite the happenings of the last few minutes.

“Phew! It reeks in here!” Yusuke said, his left eye squinting in distaste.

“It wasn’t me!” Ron denied immediately.

“No, not like stink…Who set off a Spirit Bomb in here? This whole car is charged freaking full of energy!” Yusuke said casually.

“Yukina tried to do some healing, but it backfired,” Kagome explained.

“What do you mean backfired?” Hiei questioned intently, his eyes snapping.

“She tried to heal my scar,” Harry said, sitting forward. “It…fought her off our out…or something…”

“It didn’t allow my healing inside—there was a blockage.”

“Blockage?” Kurama asked. “I’ve never come across someone with a block against healing.” As he said this, he stepped forward to examine Harry’s head more closely. He raised his hand and passed it twice in front of the lightning bolt-shaped scar and his brows furrowed deeply. “I see. This would indeed give the most accomplished healers a very difficult time. That is a soul-deep scar, Yukina. That is why you were unable to heal it.”

“Soul? Deep?” Ron asked, very confused.

“Oh,” Yukina said softly, a look of dawning recognition on her face.

“Soul-deep—what do you mean?” Hermione asked.

“Well,” Kurama said, with a soft sigh, “A regular scar, gotten by any means, can be healed with the right treatment. However, there are different levels of scarring. The skin level is only, obviously, skin or bodily deep. These can be fixed or healed. The next and only other level is soul-deep—the skin can have a mark or not, but the signature and essence of the thing that caused the scar is embedded into the person’s soul until that problem is dealt with. That problem can be a fear, a guilty conscience, or another person’s mark and after-effects. Fix the problem, and under most circumstances, the skin’s scar will heal.”

Hermione seemed startled by this newcomer’s knowledge—especially since it was knowledge that was new to her. “Interesting…I’ve never read anything about soul scars…Wait a minute, wait a minute! Yukina tried to heal Harry, and her hands and eyes glowed! She didn’t give him a potion, or a draught, or use her wand, or anything! All she did was use her hands! And you,” she gestured to Kurama, “waved your hand in front of Harry’s face and could tell it was a soul-scar. What type of magic do you practice!”

“Eastern magic—energy, as it is known to us.” Kurama said.

“So we’re weird, get used to it!” Yusuke said loudly.

“I already knew that you were weird!” Ron said, earning a slug on the arm from Yusuke and an indignant, however not very intelligent reply from Kuwabara.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your names…” Hermione said, letting her sentence draw out, changing the subject.

“We didn’t state them,” Hiei reminded her coolly.

The girl blushed and re-phrased. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced yet. I’m Hermione Granger, and this is Harry Potter.”

“Pleasure,” Harry said, nodding.

“And you are?” Hermione prompted.

“I am Kurama Minamino,” the redhead said, nodding once.

“Hiei.”

“Yo, I’m Yusuke—Urameshi, that is. The ape is Kuwabara.”

“Shut-up, Urameshi! I’m NOT an ape! I am the Great Kazuma Kuwabara, Best Fighter in Japan and Future Husband of the Beautiful Yukina!”

“Oh, Kazuma!” Yukina said quietly, blushing politely. Her voice was lost under Yusuke’s loud protest of Kuwabara’s claim at being best fighter.

“Bullshit you are! I’M the best, you bastard! Who won the Dark Tournament, huh? Who fought Sensui? Who has saved YOUR SORRY MONKEY ASS more times than I care to count? Huh? ME, that’s who!” Yusuke said proudly, not really noting the horrified looks on Ron, Harry, Hermione, and even a bit of a shocked expression on Kagome’s face.

“What’s the Dark Tournament?” Ron asked, not that anyone would tell him.

“Who’s Sensui?” Harry questioned.

“Don’t get smart with me, Urameshi!” Kuwabara continued, over the British teens’ questions.

“Would you even be able to tell if I was getting smart with you, Kuwabara?” Yusuke replied nattily.

“Shut up, Urameshi!” Kuwabara demanded, towering over Urameshi by at least sixteen inches.

“Boys,” Kurama said, trying to calm them down, but Kuwabara pushed past him to get into Yusuke’s face—even if he had to bend down to reach it.

Kurama’s eyes flashed gold and he grabbed onto Kuwabara’s forearm in an iron-like grip. Kuwabara stopped his verbal assault then, looking down in surprise at the usually passive kitsune. “Stop, now. We cannot afford to stick out here.” The absolute venom in his voice was as good as dumping ice water over the two argumentative young men.

“Well, if that was your plan, I think that’s blown out of the water, mate.” Ron said, not noticing the cold air emanating off of Kurama. He did shut up when the redhead turned that icy stare of green flecked with gold on him. “Uh…right.” Ron gulped and glanced nervously at his best friends. “They weren’t like this at all over the summer,” he whispered to Harry.

“Our apologies,” Kurama said, eavesdropping on his words to Harry. “Tensions are high for us, not being used to so much energy condensed into one place. Our already…irritable members of the group…have felt this and, when provoked, you will find some of us to be quite inhospitable.”

“…Right, then…” Ron muttered.

“Please, sit down by me, Kazuma,” Yukina said, patting the seat beside herself. At this invitation, Kuwabara didn’t hesitate and plopped down immediately by her, ignoring the holes Hiei attempted to burn into his head.

Once Kuwabara was calmer, Yusuke relaxed as well and sat in-between Hermione and Kagome, with Kurama taking a place beside Kagome. Harry had the window seat across from Hermione, with Ron beside him, and Yukina followed by Kuwabara. Hiei chose to lean up against the corner of the box, staying silent.

Soon, there was a friendly witch who came by with a trolley loaded with trays of sweets the Japanese students had never seen. “Something off of the trolley for you?” the witch asked the nine students.

“I’ll take four Bertie Botts, a pumpkin pasty, and three cauldron cakes.” Ron said, passing over the money (while Hermione and Harry looked on in amazement—never had Ron had so much “loose change” to spend on candy!).

“I’ll have two cauldron cakes, please,” Hermione requested, handing over the money required to pay.

“What all is there?” Yukina asked, looking the cart over curiously.

“Well,” Ron said, around a mouthful of pasty. “You got Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, they’re really good, and then there’s—“

“Ron, stop! It’s disgusting watching you talk with your mouth full!” Hermione chastised. “There’s Fizzing Whizbees, and Ice Mice, and Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes—“

“There’s something else new this year, too, my dear. We’re selling Muggle candies now!”

“Really?” Hermione said, sitting up, her attention snared. “What have you got?”

“We’ve got some…Starbursts…they don’t burst at all, though…Not stars, either…such strange folk, those Muggles! Now, let’s see…and some Hershey’s chocolates…from America, those two kinds. And…Swedish Gummy Fish, they don’t look very real, and they don’t swim, but I suppose they taste alright. And we’ve got some Pocky, twelve flavors—not very inventive flavors, if you ask me! Muggles really could use some imagination¾ ”

“Pocky?” Yusuke asked, perking up. “You say you have Pocky?”

“Twelve flavors,” The witch repeated.

“I’ll take two of each kind!” Yusuke announced, shoving the money at the witch.

“Make that a double order!” Kuwabara said, pushing his own pay at the slightly overwhelmed witch.

“Ah…anything else for you, then?” she asked, flicking her wand and sending the amounts requested to the glutinous boys.

“I’ll take two Starbursts, a strawberry Pocky, and I’ll try one of those Bertie Bott’s, too.” Kagome got out her purse to pay the witch, who handed over the candies and went on her way.

“What are those Starbursts, Kagome?” Yukina asked, leaning over to look closer.

“Here, just try one.” Kagome passed a pink one over to her friend, then proceeded to pop one into her mouth, wrapper and all.

Everyone sat forward immediately, concerned for her mental well being at such an action, but Kagome seemed completely aware of what she was doing. Her mouth worked and in about ten seconds, she pulled the wrapper of the Starbursts out of her mouth, perfectly flat.

“Oh…” Hermione said, softly.

“That was interesting, Kagome!” Yukina said, applauding several times. “How do you do that?”

“Well,” Kagome said, swallowing the last of her piece. “All you do, is take one of these, and put it in your mouth, and use your teeth to get at the edges, and just…pull it apart.”

“I’d like to try that, Kagome, if I could,” Hermione said hesitantly.

“Sure, here you go,” Kagome said, passing a yellow one over.

“It…can’t be too tough, after all,” the girl said, putting it slowly into her mouth.

Yukina followed suit, and Kagome put another into her mouth. Unbeknownst to them, they three girls had hypnotized every male in the box.

Star…bursts…? Hiei thought numbly to Kurama, who was just as dumb-founded.

So it seems, Kurama replied.

“Uh…” Ron said stupidly, staring at Hermione’s mouth.

“Herm…(gulp)” Harry said, unable to tear his eyes away from his best female friend.

“Sugoi…” Yusuke muttered, gawking blankly at Kagome, who announced,

“GOT IT! Eight seconds, that’s a new record for me!” She smiled happily, breaking the trance among the males.

“Oh, no fair!” Hermione whined, still working on her piece. “Mine is dissolving!”

“I got mine, Kagome!” Yukina said happily, revealing her wrapper, soggy and falling apart, but off of the candy nonetheless.

“Great, Yukina! Want another?” Kagome was offering her friend one, but Kurama’s hand shot out and grabbed the red-wrapped candy in haste.

“Ah, Kagome, why don’t you try some of those Beans you bought?” Before all of these little boys are driven out of their minds with lust, he thought to himself, barely masking the scorn and at the same time wishing he had allowed the girls to continue. Somehow, Hiei caught his thought and chuckled malevolently aloud.

You were affected too, Kurama reminded him. Hiei shut up.

“Huh?” Kagome asked, surprised with his change in subject. “Oh, alright.” She opened the domed box and drew out a dark red one. “Oh, strawberry!” She popped it into her mouth.

“I don’t think that’s—” Harry began, trying to warn her exactly why they were called “Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans”, but her face was already contorted in disgust.

“YUCK!” she shouted, spitting the half-chewed bean into her palm. “What is this? It tastes like—like blood!”

Hiei’s eye twitched and he subconsciously leaned closer to silently incorporate himself into the conversation—only Kurama noticed this.

“What on Earth…”

“Now you know why they’re called “Every Flavor Beans”. They really do have every flavor!”

“Even…rubber and cotton and salt and that sort of thing?” Yusuke wanted to know.

“I’ve had bugger, and pepper, salt, earwax, grass, dirt, flower, worm, liver, wood…”

“Don’t they have any good tasting flavors?” Kuwabara asked, eyeing Kagome’s opened box warily.

“Oh, sure! Sherbet, orange, peach, butter, popcorn, root beer, strawberry, marshmallow, and all other sorts!” Hermione said, grinning.

“That seems very strange…” Yukina said.

“Welcome to the Wizarding World,” Hermione said. She looked at her wristwatch and looked out the window, where the sun was just about gone down. “Oh, no! We’ve got to get our robes on! We girls can stay in here to change, but you boys better go to the caboose. We’re going to be arriving soon!”

~~

In about twenty minutes, the train pulled into the station at Hogsmeade and the students got off of the train. A giant of a man stood, towering over everyone, calling out in an accent so heavy that the Japanese could hardly understand him, “Firs’ years, firs’ years and transfers to me! Firs’ years and transfers to me!”

“I guess we’ll see you at the school, then,” Ron said to the six transfers, going off in another direction to a line of carriages drawn by fearsome, red-eyed horses.

“Wait a minute!” Kagome said, tugging on Harry’s sleeve, “What are those…those things pulling those carriages?” The Tantei and Yukina gathered around Kagome, all curious about the fearsome beasts.

“You can see them? All of you?” Harry said, dumbstruck.

“Of course we can see them! We’re not blind!”

“Well, I can see them too, but you’re not supposed to be able to see them unless you’ve seen death.”

Kagome snorted. “I’ve seen so much death it’s not even funny. Regarding these boys’ pasts, I’m guessing that they’ve seen as much as me and probably more. Yukina’s seen her share, too.”

“Really? When did you—“

“Harry!” Ron called from the door of one carriage. “Come on, we’ll be late!”

“I’ll ask you later. Go see Hagrid—he’s the big one calling for first years and transfers. I’ll see you at the feast!”

“Well…okay,” Kagome said. “He never did tell us what those things were called,” she muttered in disappointment.

“It’s alright, I’m sure we’ll find out later.” Kurama said in assurance. “We’d better go see this Hagrid, or we’ll be left behind.”

The six meandered over to where the giant man stood, holding a lantern and ushering scared looking eleven year olds into boats. He turned when they approached him and grinned broadly. “You must be the transfers the Headmaster’s been talkin’ bout. I’m Hagrid, Groundskeeper and Professor of Care of Magical Creatures. Why don’t you all get into a boat—three to a craft, and we’ll be on our way.”

The six split into the two groups; Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Yukina in one vessel, and Kurama, Hiei, and Kagome in another. The lanterns hung off the bow of the boats cast eerie reflections on the still waters of the broad lake. Then, without warning, the boats shoved off on their own, moving through the waters, silently propelled forward by an unseen force.

Suddenly before them loomed a gargantuan castle with towering spires and intimidating heights.

“Welcome to Hogwarts!” Hagrid’s booming voice echoed over the water.

~~

In the carriage, Ron, Harry, and Hermione began to discuss the houses they thought the transfers would be placed in.

“That Hiei guy will go to Slytherin, easy!” Ron said.

“Was he the really short one in all of that black, with the spiky black hair?” Hermione asked. “Brr! He gave me the creeps!”

“And Yukina, that girl with the turquoise hair, you know? She’ll make Hufflepuff. All summer she was a mediator when that Urameshi and Kuwabara started getting into it!” said Ron.

“What about that Urameshi and Kuwabara, anyway? What house do you think they’ll make?” Harry asked, joining in the conversation.

“Yusuke will probably make Gryffindor—Kuwabara, too. Kagome and Kurama will both make Ravenclaw. All summer that’s all that those two did—study, study, study! It was almost ridiculous!”

“I study a lot too, and I didn’t get Ravenclaw!” protested Hermione.

“No, but the Hat wanted to put you there, and then it changed its mind.”

“Huh!” Hermione huffed, averting her eyes.

“Anyway, Fred and George are betting on what houses they get, so I’ve got to write them back and tell them who went where.”

“Sounds good,” Harry said, as the carriages rolled to a stop outside the school. “Let’s go!”

~~

When the boats reached the far shore, everyone stepped out and gazed in awe at the splendor of the layout before them. Hagrid led them up the stairs and into the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts and up another flight of stairs to wait for another teacher’s instructions. He left them there, exiting to the left.

Not two minutes later McGonagall appeared to them, her hair pulled back into a bun at the base of her neck and sweeping robes opened that same door on the left that Hagrid had exited from.

“Attention, everyone.” Her voice was cracked and aged, but her back was ramrod straight, making her seem very much imperious and one not to be taken lightly. “When these doors open, you will be led into the Great Hall and I will read your names off in alphabetical order. You will stand in quiet order as the Hat performs its ritual song, and then, when your name is called, you will approach the stool. You will sit on the stool and I will place the Hat on your head, and it will sort you into your house for the rest of your years here at Hogwarts. Now, you six transfer students, you will be called up after the first years have been sorted. Does everyone understand? Good, let’s go.”

The staunch witch pulled open the seemingly heavy doors with much ease and led the odd hundred or so new students into a long hall, where candles floated mysteriously above their heads.

“Oh, look up!” Kagome said, pointing to the ceiling, not seeing all of the stares they were receiving.

The other five looked up and were startled to see the ceiling didn’t seem to be there at all—instead they were looking up at the night sky—clear as crystal and each star shining especially bright.

“Amazing,” Kurama breathed. Truly a wonder-filled world, he thought to himself.

Professor McGonagall brought out a tattered, brown-aged hat and sat it on the stool. There was dead silence, when suddenly, a tear opened itself and the hat began to sing!

“When age ago and I was new,

I was sought upon to sort the few

Of the cunning, quick,

Courageous, and kind.

To Ravenclaw went the swift of mind,

To Hufflepuff was the patient kind.

In Slytherin those with cunning and sly,

Divided too, I put Gryffindor with courageous eyes.

But there is one problem to my scheme;

And this was once what only I could dream.

But among the four Houses still divide,

Many terrible rivalries still rampant ride.

I have no way to mend this err,

But should those of you, whom truly care,

Begin to make amends and see

That true power comes from a friendly rivalry.

Make not the mistakes as made before,

Take not revenge to even the score

Please chance to think in those bright young heads,

To look to one another for strength instead.

See within the bond you share,

Never again will the Houses tear.

For when the time of need is great,

Then will not be the time for tempers and hate.

Rise up as one, new and old

Students, Strangers, and teachers, together a sight to behold.

Only this way can we all be saved,

Only by the way this year shall be played.

For comes the Darkness known to all,

Join up now, weak, scared, short, and tall.

Seek the ones, who shine dark and light,

Embrace those of natural, pure, and fight.

Within these two and groups of three,

Shall come forth a great Prophecy.

Should we join with them, these strangers of kin,

We will rise and defeat any evil that dare stray in.”

After the Hat had finished, there was a sort of quiet that comes when someone has been told something shocking and they are trying to process what was just told to them. Then, there was a hesitant clap that was answered with more hands and soon there was a thunderous roar of applause.

The witch who had escorted them into the hall unraveled a long scroll and began to call off names. One by one the frightened first years sat beneath the Hat, and one by one each was sorted into one of the four houses described by the Hat’s song.

“I wish people wouldn’t stare at us so,” Yukina said to Kagome.

“Me too,” Kagome answered, looking not at the pointed fingers and ignoring the persistent whispers, but instead studying her fellows. Yukina had shifted closer to Kazuma, as if for protection. Kurama had a relaxed stance, but a year of experience with InuYasha and some with Sesshoumaru said that he was ready for any sort of attack. Hiei, too, seemed indifferent to everything going on, but Kagome could see in the broad stance of his feet that he was prepared for a trap of any sort. Somehow, he reminded her of Sesshoumaru, more so even than Kurama did. Yusuke had his hands buried in his robes, looking around menacingly and staring down anyone who would meet his eyes. Kuwabara seemed to be getting very ticked at people, and the angrier his body language got, the louder and bolder the whispers became.

Just when it seemed that Kuwabara would just jump in and start pummeling the gossips, there was a male’s voice that silenced everyone. They all turned to face the head table, where an ancient wizard with a tumbling white beard and long hair, wearing half-moon spectacles and bright purple robes stood up.

“To our returning students, welcome to another year at Hogwarts! To our new additions, welcome to your second home! As you have all probably noticed, we have six students here who are obviously not first years. These six have transferred to Hogwarts from Japan and have been tested this summer and have passed all of their courses with a minimum of fourth-year knowledge. They will be here at Hogwarts until all of their classes are completed at a seventh year level. I am sure that you will all make them—and all of our new students—feel welcome. Now, Professor McGonagall, please continue the Sorting.”

There was a round of applause after his speech—obviously these students and teachers admired and thought greatly of this man. The Headmaster, don’t you think Hiei? Kurama asked the hybrid.

Most likely, he replied.

McGonagall stepped forward again, this time with just a piece of parchment. “Urameshi, Yusuke.”

Yusuke grinned and said out of the corner of his mouth to his comrades, “I’m up!” He stepped up boldly and sat on the stool as if he owned it. The Hat was set upon his head and in seconds the rip it had for a mouth opened and it shouted, “GRYFFINDOR!” to the Hall.

A cheer (mainly Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny) went up from the table decorated in red and gold and Yusuke swaggered over to sit by Ron.

“Kuwabara, Kazuma!”

Kuwabara stepped up next and the Hat didn’t even rest on his head before it shouted, “GRYFFINDOR!” Another wild cheer rose from the Gryffindor table, louder this time, as Yusuke’s radical voice was added in.

“Koorime, Yukina!”

Hesitantly, Yukina walked up, and as she sat up on the stool, she shot a shaky smile at Kagome, who smiled back and gave her a thumbs-up.

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

The black and yellow table clapped loudly in welcome and Yukina smiled in relief. She had barely sat down when McGonagall read off the next name.

“Jaganshi, Hiei!”

Hiei uncrossed his arms and walked cautiously up to the chair. When he got situated on the stool, Kagome almost laughed out loud at how he was trying to look so intimidating from a sitting position—he was even shorter than before!

~~

“Ah, you seem to be the type to go to Slytherin, Mr. Jaganshi.”

Hn. I don’t care where you put me, just get it over and be done with it.

“Now, now, don’t be in such a rush…Let me see…You have a lot of disregard for what others think…Slightly reckless…Powerful and at one time, power hungry…but I think that your best match for a house would be…

“GRYFFINDOR!”

~~

Another cheer, wilder than before, went up and Hiei slid off of the stool, looking neither left or right as he went to his new House’s table.

The noise hadn’t even died down when McGonagall read off the next name. “Minamino, Kurama.”

Kurama approached the seat silently—his shoes didn’t even make a noise on the floor. His long legs were crossed at the ankles as he perched on the edge of the seat and the Hat was set upon his crown of fiery hair.

~~

Well, well…what have we got here? The Hat said in Kurama’s mind. Very smart, yes, very, very smart…You’d do excellently in Rave—What’s this? You certainly have quite a split personality, Mr. Minamino,

My other half thanks you, Kurama replied dryly.

I had thought you were a quick mind only, but it seems that I was mistaken. Youko, is it? I believe that I have a House that you’d be even better suited to than Ravenclaw.

Which is that?

“Slytherin, those with cunning and sly” the Hat quoted from his earlier song. You’d do marvelously well in that House, Mr. Minamino. Your other half would flourish.

That may not always be such a good thing, Kurama said.

Oh?

No, but I agree, it would seem that Slytherin House is the best choice, given all aspects of my personality.

Very well, then!

~~

“SLYTHERIN!”

Gasps went up from the Gryffindor table and Ron leaned across to whisper to Yusuke and his other friends, “Why on Earth would he go to Slytherin!”

“He seemed nice…” Harry said, but his eyes already held the distrust granted to a Slytherin.

“He is nice!” Kuwabara insisted, but he was ignored.

“I would’ve bet money that he would make Ravenclaw!” Ron protested again.

“He did seem the type for Ravenclaw,” Hermione pondered aloud.

“You obviously don’t know much of Kurama’s past, then,” Hiei said sharply. “Don’t judge him before you get to know him.”

“I had the whole summer with him, and I never—“

“No, you would be lucky to know what his favorite color is after only spending a few months with him,” Hiei said snippily. It took me hours to even get his name! He thought, thinking about their first meeting.

“I—“ Ron was cut off by McGonagall’s voice announcing the last one of their group to be sorted.

“Higurashi, Kagome!”

Kagome stepped up and, with her knees knocking took a seat on the stool, while McGonagall placed the Hat on her head.

~~

Ah, Miss Higurashi. I have another brilliant mind to sort, here…Let’s see…Ravenclaw, it would seem would be good for you, but let’s just dig a bit deeper into your mind, shall we?

Don’t—Kagome began, but she could feel the magic in the Hat slipping past all of her mental blocks on her memories and she could almost feel the shock of the Hat when it came across all of her suppressed feelings and memories.

Well, well…It would seem that you, too, have another counterpart buried in you, Miss Higurashi!

I don’t. Know. What. You’re. Talking. About. Kagome replied steadfastly. She’d worked this hard to block out Kikyo’s last curse and it wouldn’t do for her to be surfacing now.

Oh, now, now, don’t be touchy! This will be for your own good!

What do you mean, my own—

“SLYTHERIN!”

~~