Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Higher Learning ❯ Letters Home; Forbidden Forest ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Drama / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 11.30.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 950 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Drama / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 11.30.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 950 | Status: Work In Progress
Author’s Notes: Queen of Roses mentioned that youko is Kurama’s name, not his species. I know kitsune is the Japanese word for fox, but youko is used in anime to denote certain types of foxes – namely the multi-tailed demon foxes like Kurama. I know this because the term youko has been used in Naruto to describe another multi-tailed demon-fox [they refer to him as either youko (multi-tailed demon fox), or a youkai (demon) kitsune (fox)] – Kyubi. Without a term to distinguish a normal fox (kitsune) from a multi-tailed spirtit/demon fox (youko), we’d be calling Kurama the same thing Sano calls Megumi in Rurouni Kenshin – merely fox (kitsune). That would be very misleading. ;p So I’m basing my use of the word ‘youko’ off the anime usage (YYH, Naruto, RK, etc).
About the kekkai’s described in the first part – there are two of them. Kurama’s kekkai is over the room Lupin is in, and Hiei’s kekkai is over Snape’s room.
Category: Harry Potter-YYH crossover
Warnings: none
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina (a) hotmail . com
Website: www . geocities . com / arigatomina
Higher Learning
Part 4: Letters Home; Forbidden Forest
That evening found Snape seated at a small impromptu dinner table, which he’d reluctantly set up. He was only there because it was better than being locked in his chambers immediately following the daily meal downstairs. He’d already eaten with the rest of the professors, so he sat back from the table, sipping the foul – to him – tea Kurama was so fond of.
Hiei refused to touch the food in the main hall, claiming the presence of so many humans made his stomach curl, and that the choices were disgusting. The continual pumpkin juice was to blame more than anything.
Snape sneered as he watched Hiei pick at the small platter of steamed vegetables and rice. For someone who just had to eat in private, the demon didn’t seem very interested in the food.
To his credit, Kurama was doing his best not to hover over the table. He and Lupin had eaten earlier, privately, since he didn’t want the wizard in the open until he was using magic again – about the same time he’d be taking over his class. The man was subsiding on soup mostly, despite Kurama’s best efforts to con him into something more substantial. He suspected the werewolf ate more at certain times of the year, so he hadn’t pushed too hard. Hiei, though, was a continual headache.
“At least eat the chicken,” Kurama sighed, his shoulders slumping as Hiei pushed the food away from him. “I hate watching you not eat. You’re not exactly strapping you know. You never did get your weight back up after the tournament.”
Hiei’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance, the only sign he gave of having heard the frustrated complaint. As far as he was concerned, there was no reason to eat. He hadn’t seen a spot of action since they’d come to the school, so he didn’t need to replenish his energy. Besides that, he’d learned a few years ago that summoning black fire on a full stomach was unpleasant at best. It made him feel hot and bloated. But he’d die before explaining that to Kurama.
Wrinkling his nose, Hiei broke into a wide yawn that made Snape grimace in distaste.
“I see you never learned to cover your mouth when you do that,” Snape said snidely.
“And you never learned when not to speak,” Hiei shot back.
The two glowered at each other, but Snape stayed quiet and Hiei’s mouth stayed closed, so it seemed they had reached a compromise. Kurama and Lupin exchanged an amused look.
“Did the classes wear you out that much?” Kurama asked Hiei.
Hiei sniffed, glaring at Snape for a moment longer before flicking his gaze to Kurama. “Even Koenma doesn’t mess with time that much.”
It was an insult on Snape, but also wizards in general. Lupin shook his head. “The timeturner is rarely used. Dumbledore acquired permission for its use this time, only because it is the only way for a single professor to cover two courses without rescheduling. It’s only for a few days.”
“Besides that,” said Kurama, “it’s my turn to keep watch. You can catch up on sleep tonight.”
“I thought demons didn’t need sleep,” Snape sneered.
Hiei’s eyes snapped back to the professor, his lips twitching to reveal one small white fang. “And he’s still speaking.”
Without further ado, Hiei gave another wide-mouthed yawn. Snape bristled in reaction and bolted from his chair, hissing under his breath about disgusting ill-mannered demons and the idiots who put up with them. A soft laugh was muffled into a fake cough, but it was unknown whether Kurama or Lupin had made the sound since they were hiding their smiles.
“Where does he think he’s going?” asked Hiei, his eyes bright with devilish amusement.
Kurama winced and wiped the grin off his face. He crossed the room to let Snape through his kekkai – before the wizard tried to blast a way through. Unlike Hiei’s kekkai, magic could wreck havoc on his plants. The entire school would be swarmed with energy-hungry vines in a matter of minutes. Luckily Snape was aware of that and didn’t try to force his way out. He did send Kurama a very hateful glare on his way out of the room, though.
Not closing the door, since Hiei would have to follow Snape, Kurama remained in the doorway. His arms were folded, annoyance written clearly over his face.
“Why is it I always get blamed for how immature my friends are?” he asked.
Lupin laughed, knowing exactly what he meant. “You’re expected to keep a leash on him – that’s what the responsible friends are there for.”
Kurama raised an eyebrow at Hiei, who was wearing a satisfied smirk. “This isn’t a romp, you know. We’re on assignment.”
“So says the fox who’ll be romping the halls an hour from now,” Hiei scoffed as he left the room.
- - -
Despite Hiei’s prediction, it was a while before Kurama could take a ‘romp’ around the school. He didn’t get far from Lupin’s room before a shadowy figure beckoned him into an empty classroom. The scene was cliché enough that Kurama couldn’t help but smirk at the man’s dark cloak.
Instead of making him blend with the shadows, it made the man even more conspicuous.
“I didn’t think you would be here so soon,” said Kurama. “Have you heard something new already?”
Arthur Weasley tossed back the hood to his cloak and pulled a folded letter from his pocket.
“Just a few hours ago,” he nodded. “Harry and Ron must have sent it during their midday break. They’re asking about Remus, and two strangers. I don’t know what to tell them in my reply.”
“Tell them the truth,” Kurama smiled. “You haven’t seen Lupin since he failed to return to the Order house over a month ago. Professor Dumbledore tells you he’s going to be the new Defense teacher, and that Snape will be helping with his classes until he’s ready to take over the position full-time. Why make up some ruse when the truth is easiest?”
“Yes,” Arthur said slowly, clearly uncertain about how simple Kurama made it sound. “But what about the strangers? Do you want them to know, or don’t you? If I told them, that would make word get out quicker-”
“A little too quick,” said Kurama. “Just tell them the strangers are friends of Dumbledore’s, so if they want to know about them, they should ask themselves. Tell them it isn’t your place to be gossiping about them.”
The redhead was giving him a wry smile that made Arthur a little uneasy. He couldn’t tell if Kurama was mocking him for having come with such simple questions, or if the demon could see right through his excuse.
“Any news on the escaped DeathEaters?” Kurama prodded.
“No, no,” Arthur said quickly. “There’s been no sign of them since they moved from the mansion. We’re confident Lucius will be in contact with Draco at some point to find out what’s going on Hogwarts. But we haven’t any evidence that he’s tried so far. Fudge is still hoping we’ll find them and get them back in Azkaban before the public knows they’ve broken out. And you probably know that Harry hasn’t had any reactions from his scar. You-Know-Who must be biding his time. If he were frustrated or angry, Harry would feel it.”
“Well you did say he already knew there was a spy,” Kurama shrugged. “That he just didn’t have proof that it was Snape. I imagine he’d be relieved to have the spy revealed. And if he’s as fearsome as wizards claim, he wouldn’t be too concerned with disposing of the witnesses. For him, it would be a simple matter of assassination. At least until he realizes we’re here.”
Mr. Weasley gave a reluctant nod, and Kurama smiled at him. “Don’t worry, he’ll be getting frustrated soon enough. We’ll keep an eye on Harry to watch for any signs.”
“He’ll write about them,” said Arthur. “And he’s bound to tell Dumbledore posthaste if he has disturbing dreams. It isn’t an issue of spying on him, he’s a good boy.”
“So I’ve heard. Lupin speaks highly of him.”
“Yes…yes, I imagine he would.”
There was a ‘but’ hidden in that soft statement. Kurama waited a moment before giving the man a gently knowing look. “There’s another reason you came. You wouldn’t come all the way here over a letter, not when it would be easier to communicate by other methods.”
Arthur winced, scrubbing a hand over his temple and shuffling in more than a little discomfort. He’d met Kurama weeks ago, but he still couldn’t reconcile the redhead with the demon he knew him to be.
“Right,” Arthur sighed. “I was wondering – Albus has kept all of us in the dark – about their conditions. Molly has been worrying herself ragged about this, and you know Remus hasn’t been the same since, well, what happened last year and all. She was quite adamant that I get some news on him, anything at all. You could even make something up if it’s best we not know, the dear wouldn’t know the difference really.”
The man was shifting in discomfort and embarrassment, his words mumbling together. Kurama nearly winced. He hadn’t made the best impression when he and Hiei had been to their ‘Order,’ but he’d had no idea it was this bad. Not that it was his fault.
Hiei had been the one to burn the shrieking picture, and he’d only done it because the psychotic picture-woman had screamed at him, and the wizards had said they wanted her gone. How was he to know the flame would take out the entire hall of portraits in a cacophony of howls and wails? He’d actually been doing something nice for a change. But instead of being grateful that the picture-woman couldn’t insult them anymore, they’d been terrified of him. Hiei really had the worst luck with humans.
Kurama heaved a sigh at the memory and shook his head at the wary man in front of him.
“You know what happened,” said Kurama, “so you should have an idea what his status is. You’re a wizard, after all. Wizards don’t like to get their hands dirty, so most of your spells don’t leave a mark. The only thing affecting Lupin now is the poison, and that should be cleared out within the week.”
There it was.
Arthur eased back a bit, his eyes taking in that cold inhuman sheen to those bright green eyes. For all that the redhead appeared nice, he was not human. It came out when he discussed wizardry, particularly spell casting. The other one, Hiei, had been open about his dismissal of magic-using humans. Kurama accepted them more, but at times it was clear he liked them no more than any demon did. And as much as that dark, age old resentment worried him, Arthur couldn’t blame the two for feeling the way they did.
Demons and wizards had been avoiding each other for centuries. Even the barrier the Reikai had set up wasn’t enough to stop the resentment on each side. It was a tenuous truce at best. Wizards stayed out of the Makai, and demons stayed out of wizarding communities when they stole into the Ningenkai. Even fugitives, demon and wizard alike, steered clear of going into the other’s territory.
Only someone of Dumbledore’s status could have convinced two demons to work with them, and he wouldn’t have managed that if it weren’t for his…friends in high places. Arthur didn’t even want to know who had arranged for Kurama and Hiei to stay in a wizarding school. The less he knew about the three worlds, the happier he’d be. That knowledge was something only Merlin class wizards were privy to.
“I could clear up the side effects quicker myself,” Kurama was saying, his expression distasteful. “But they might interfere with the antidote. Regardless of that, the only reason he’s alive is because he’s a werewolf. Even that small amount of demon blood is enough to counter wizarding magic.”
The suppressed derision in Kurama’s voice made Arthur look away, biting his own tongue so he wouldn’t say anything. Wizards didn’t consider werewolves demons – they were magical creatures. That was just one more area of discord – which creatures were un-human enough to be considered magical, and which were evil enough to be called demons. Needless to say magical creatures were allowed into the Ningenkai, demons were not.
“But the antidote is working?” asked Arthur, doing his best to keep the talk civil. “I understand there was some doubt that it would be effective.”
Kurama frowned at himself, not answering immediately. He knew what he was doing, but as much as he disliked his instinctive reaction, he couldn’t help it. He was starting to like Lupin, and as far as he was concerned the man would have led a better life among demon and human friends than discriminating wizards.
“I wouldn’t know,” Kurama said shortly, his eyes flashing gold. “I’ve never poisoned someone I didn’t want dead.”
- - -
They skirted him, ducking in the shadows as he raced past or scattering to the trees when he followed the ground. He smelled them, sensed the low level youki of the smaller creatures and the suppressed energy of the more powerful ones, and he heard the sounds of them rushing to hide as he passed. The creatures in the forest had felt his coming, but they’d known he was there from the day he and Hiei had arrived at the school. The two of them had taken a midnight tour – leaving Dumbledore to watch the two professors while they acquainted themselves with the area. Since that trip, the creatures in the Forbidden Forest knew to hide, and not to interfere.
A few were more curious, following in the trees and chittering to each other about the silver fox below. Kurama sniffed at a group of them, recognizing the slight bodies and webbed fingers despite the dark branches they were hiding in. His tails waved as if in a light wind. They wouldn’t get in his way, and he would make their tree beautiful. An even trade that let him burn a bit of his excess energy.
He’d discovered early that he didn’t need to be inside the school when it was his turn to stand guard. His plants, grown during that first week, served as traps and triggers, early warning signs and a few more interesting pets to snatch up any designated DeathEater that was stupid enough to enter the school. Kurama had Snape to thank for that little trick.
Who would have thought Voldemort would be stupid enough to clearly mark his followers with a cursed scar? Once he’d convinced his plants that they didn’t want to eat Snape, they were happy to keep an eye out for anyone else with such a mark. Very useful.
That left him with more freedom to roam the forest at night – not just for fun, but to spy out any human tracks or residues. He and Hiei had been warned to watch out for portkeys, simple objects that reeked of old magic and humans. Personally, Kurama expected a creature to attack, rather than a human.
He’d heard about Voldemort’s track record and his DeathEaters seemed more cowardly than C class demons. They attacked in groups or sent in lackeys to do the work for them.
The only exception would be Malfoy, and Kurama could only hope he wouldn’t try a direct attack. With Hiei watching Snape, that sort of thing would get them into a load of trouble. Hiei wasn’t exactly subtle when he fought, and DeathEater or not, they weren’t allowed to kill humans.
A whispering sigh eased by one of Kurama’s pointed ears, and he tilted it, golden eyes flicking over to spot the dark body a few yards from him. The centaur was backing away slowly, to keep his hooves from sounding. They were not like the other creatures in the forest. Kurama knew. He could almost feel their energy, the need to attack and drive him out. They were demons like himself, and they hated to stand by while another invaded their territory, especially one who reeked of humans.
Kurama sniffed and darted off, leaving the centaur to his slow retreat. He couldn’t help it if he still smelled like the children he’d been around earlier. And if the centaurs were so set on living without humans, they should have moved to Makai years ago. They were too soft to give up their forest, where they were sheltered and protected magical creatures. It was their choice, so they could live with it.
Deeper in the forest the sounds died. The creatures here would not retreat from him any more than they would attack him outright. He’d seen to that when they first arrived. They were hunger-driven creatures who didn’t care if the food was human, demon, or animal. Kurama had gifted them with a few rare plants, the sort that were best used to collect insects and small rodents. The spiders loved him for it. In return, they left his private collection alone and made sure the rest of the forest inhabitants did the same.
This was Kurama’s target, a small shiny red flower that sat prettily on a mess of bleeding vines. The sap had burned all of the grass away from the area where he’d planted it, but the flower itself attracted all sorts of creatures. He as glad to have the spiders guarding the area. He didn’t even want to think what would happen if one of the centaurs got near the plant. The flower had three petals left. If those were plucked the hapless thief would find himself eaten alive. Messy.
Kurama crouched, his silky fur brushing the cleared dirt as he focused his energy into the ground, deep to where the roots had curled around a nearby tree. Growing a plant was easy compared to reverting one to seed form. But he couldn’t leave it here now that he was done with it.
He’d dosed himself and Hiei moment he realized they would be facing spell-casting wizards. The third petal he’d used on Lupin last night. But he didn’t think he would be able to trick Snape into taking it. As a potion-maker, the man was the sort who just might realize what it was, and they couldn’t risk that. Hopefully with Hiei staying close to Snape, that wouldn’t be a problem. Hiei was more than fast enough to intercept a spell.
Kurama couldn’t exactly explain to the wizarding world what the plant was for. If they knew demons had a ward against their most deadly spell, it would break the balance. Koenma would kill him if he let that happen, assuming Hiei didn’t get to him first.
- - -
TBC
--notes--
I know Hagrid had a young giant in the forest, but I’m hoping he’d have moved it to a more secure location by now. Especially since he was planning to bring a female over and start a breeding population of them. The forbidden forest isn’t big enough to hide that many giants – they’re giants.
Next up, Hermione breaks the rules. o.O
About the kekkai’s described in the first part – there are two of them. Kurama’s kekkai is over the room Lupin is in, and Hiei’s kekkai is over Snape’s room.
Category: Harry Potter-YYH crossover
Warnings: none
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina (a) hotmail . com
Website: www . geocities . com / arigatomina
Higher Learning
Part 4: Letters Home; Forbidden Forest
That evening found Snape seated at a small impromptu dinner table, which he’d reluctantly set up. He was only there because it was better than being locked in his chambers immediately following the daily meal downstairs. He’d already eaten with the rest of the professors, so he sat back from the table, sipping the foul – to him – tea Kurama was so fond of.
Hiei refused to touch the food in the main hall, claiming the presence of so many humans made his stomach curl, and that the choices were disgusting. The continual pumpkin juice was to blame more than anything.
Snape sneered as he watched Hiei pick at the small platter of steamed vegetables and rice. For someone who just had to eat in private, the demon didn’t seem very interested in the food.
To his credit, Kurama was doing his best not to hover over the table. He and Lupin had eaten earlier, privately, since he didn’t want the wizard in the open until he was using magic again – about the same time he’d be taking over his class. The man was subsiding on soup mostly, despite Kurama’s best efforts to con him into something more substantial. He suspected the werewolf ate more at certain times of the year, so he hadn’t pushed too hard. Hiei, though, was a continual headache.
“At least eat the chicken,” Kurama sighed, his shoulders slumping as Hiei pushed the food away from him. “I hate watching you not eat. You’re not exactly strapping you know. You never did get your weight back up after the tournament.”
Hiei’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance, the only sign he gave of having heard the frustrated complaint. As far as he was concerned, there was no reason to eat. He hadn’t seen a spot of action since they’d come to the school, so he didn’t need to replenish his energy. Besides that, he’d learned a few years ago that summoning black fire on a full stomach was unpleasant at best. It made him feel hot and bloated. But he’d die before explaining that to Kurama.
Wrinkling his nose, Hiei broke into a wide yawn that made Snape grimace in distaste.
“I see you never learned to cover your mouth when you do that,” Snape said snidely.
“And you never learned when not to speak,” Hiei shot back.
The two glowered at each other, but Snape stayed quiet and Hiei’s mouth stayed closed, so it seemed they had reached a compromise. Kurama and Lupin exchanged an amused look.
“Did the classes wear you out that much?” Kurama asked Hiei.
Hiei sniffed, glaring at Snape for a moment longer before flicking his gaze to Kurama. “Even Koenma doesn’t mess with time that much.”
It was an insult on Snape, but also wizards in general. Lupin shook his head. “The timeturner is rarely used. Dumbledore acquired permission for its use this time, only because it is the only way for a single professor to cover two courses without rescheduling. It’s only for a few days.”
“Besides that,” said Kurama, “it’s my turn to keep watch. You can catch up on sleep tonight.”
“I thought demons didn’t need sleep,” Snape sneered.
Hiei’s eyes snapped back to the professor, his lips twitching to reveal one small white fang. “And he’s still speaking.”
Without further ado, Hiei gave another wide-mouthed yawn. Snape bristled in reaction and bolted from his chair, hissing under his breath about disgusting ill-mannered demons and the idiots who put up with them. A soft laugh was muffled into a fake cough, but it was unknown whether Kurama or Lupin had made the sound since they were hiding their smiles.
“Where does he think he’s going?” asked Hiei, his eyes bright with devilish amusement.
Kurama winced and wiped the grin off his face. He crossed the room to let Snape through his kekkai – before the wizard tried to blast a way through. Unlike Hiei’s kekkai, magic could wreck havoc on his plants. The entire school would be swarmed with energy-hungry vines in a matter of minutes. Luckily Snape was aware of that and didn’t try to force his way out. He did send Kurama a very hateful glare on his way out of the room, though.
Not closing the door, since Hiei would have to follow Snape, Kurama remained in the doorway. His arms were folded, annoyance written clearly over his face.
“Why is it I always get blamed for how immature my friends are?” he asked.
Lupin laughed, knowing exactly what he meant. “You’re expected to keep a leash on him – that’s what the responsible friends are there for.”
Kurama raised an eyebrow at Hiei, who was wearing a satisfied smirk. “This isn’t a romp, you know. We’re on assignment.”
“So says the fox who’ll be romping the halls an hour from now,” Hiei scoffed as he left the room.
- - -
Despite Hiei’s prediction, it was a while before Kurama could take a ‘romp’ around the school. He didn’t get far from Lupin’s room before a shadowy figure beckoned him into an empty classroom. The scene was cliché enough that Kurama couldn’t help but smirk at the man’s dark cloak.
Instead of making him blend with the shadows, it made the man even more conspicuous.
“I didn’t think you would be here so soon,” said Kurama. “Have you heard something new already?”
Arthur Weasley tossed back the hood to his cloak and pulled a folded letter from his pocket.
“Just a few hours ago,” he nodded. “Harry and Ron must have sent it during their midday break. They’re asking about Remus, and two strangers. I don’t know what to tell them in my reply.”
“Tell them the truth,” Kurama smiled. “You haven’t seen Lupin since he failed to return to the Order house over a month ago. Professor Dumbledore tells you he’s going to be the new Defense teacher, and that Snape will be helping with his classes until he’s ready to take over the position full-time. Why make up some ruse when the truth is easiest?”
“Yes,” Arthur said slowly, clearly uncertain about how simple Kurama made it sound. “But what about the strangers? Do you want them to know, or don’t you? If I told them, that would make word get out quicker-”
“A little too quick,” said Kurama. “Just tell them the strangers are friends of Dumbledore’s, so if they want to know about them, they should ask themselves. Tell them it isn’t your place to be gossiping about them.”
The redhead was giving him a wry smile that made Arthur a little uneasy. He couldn’t tell if Kurama was mocking him for having come with such simple questions, or if the demon could see right through his excuse.
“Any news on the escaped DeathEaters?” Kurama prodded.
“No, no,” Arthur said quickly. “There’s been no sign of them since they moved from the mansion. We’re confident Lucius will be in contact with Draco at some point to find out what’s going on Hogwarts. But we haven’t any evidence that he’s tried so far. Fudge is still hoping we’ll find them and get them back in Azkaban before the public knows they’ve broken out. And you probably know that Harry hasn’t had any reactions from his scar. You-Know-Who must be biding his time. If he were frustrated or angry, Harry would feel it.”
“Well you did say he already knew there was a spy,” Kurama shrugged. “That he just didn’t have proof that it was Snape. I imagine he’d be relieved to have the spy revealed. And if he’s as fearsome as wizards claim, he wouldn’t be too concerned with disposing of the witnesses. For him, it would be a simple matter of assassination. At least until he realizes we’re here.”
Mr. Weasley gave a reluctant nod, and Kurama smiled at him. “Don’t worry, he’ll be getting frustrated soon enough. We’ll keep an eye on Harry to watch for any signs.”
“He’ll write about them,” said Arthur. “And he’s bound to tell Dumbledore posthaste if he has disturbing dreams. It isn’t an issue of spying on him, he’s a good boy.”
“So I’ve heard. Lupin speaks highly of him.”
“Yes…yes, I imagine he would.”
There was a ‘but’ hidden in that soft statement. Kurama waited a moment before giving the man a gently knowing look. “There’s another reason you came. You wouldn’t come all the way here over a letter, not when it would be easier to communicate by other methods.”
Arthur winced, scrubbing a hand over his temple and shuffling in more than a little discomfort. He’d met Kurama weeks ago, but he still couldn’t reconcile the redhead with the demon he knew him to be.
“Right,” Arthur sighed. “I was wondering – Albus has kept all of us in the dark – about their conditions. Molly has been worrying herself ragged about this, and you know Remus hasn’t been the same since, well, what happened last year and all. She was quite adamant that I get some news on him, anything at all. You could even make something up if it’s best we not know, the dear wouldn’t know the difference really.”
The man was shifting in discomfort and embarrassment, his words mumbling together. Kurama nearly winced. He hadn’t made the best impression when he and Hiei had been to their ‘Order,’ but he’d had no idea it was this bad. Not that it was his fault.
Hiei had been the one to burn the shrieking picture, and he’d only done it because the psychotic picture-woman had screamed at him, and the wizards had said they wanted her gone. How was he to know the flame would take out the entire hall of portraits in a cacophony of howls and wails? He’d actually been doing something nice for a change. But instead of being grateful that the picture-woman couldn’t insult them anymore, they’d been terrified of him. Hiei really had the worst luck with humans.
Kurama heaved a sigh at the memory and shook his head at the wary man in front of him.
“You know what happened,” said Kurama, “so you should have an idea what his status is. You’re a wizard, after all. Wizards don’t like to get their hands dirty, so most of your spells don’t leave a mark. The only thing affecting Lupin now is the poison, and that should be cleared out within the week.”
There it was.
Arthur eased back a bit, his eyes taking in that cold inhuman sheen to those bright green eyes. For all that the redhead appeared nice, he was not human. It came out when he discussed wizardry, particularly spell casting. The other one, Hiei, had been open about his dismissal of magic-using humans. Kurama accepted them more, but at times it was clear he liked them no more than any demon did. And as much as that dark, age old resentment worried him, Arthur couldn’t blame the two for feeling the way they did.
Demons and wizards had been avoiding each other for centuries. Even the barrier the Reikai had set up wasn’t enough to stop the resentment on each side. It was a tenuous truce at best. Wizards stayed out of the Makai, and demons stayed out of wizarding communities when they stole into the Ningenkai. Even fugitives, demon and wizard alike, steered clear of going into the other’s territory.
Only someone of Dumbledore’s status could have convinced two demons to work with them, and he wouldn’t have managed that if it weren’t for his…friends in high places. Arthur didn’t even want to know who had arranged for Kurama and Hiei to stay in a wizarding school. The less he knew about the three worlds, the happier he’d be. That knowledge was something only Merlin class wizards were privy to.
“I could clear up the side effects quicker myself,” Kurama was saying, his expression distasteful. “But they might interfere with the antidote. Regardless of that, the only reason he’s alive is because he’s a werewolf. Even that small amount of demon blood is enough to counter wizarding magic.”
The suppressed derision in Kurama’s voice made Arthur look away, biting his own tongue so he wouldn’t say anything. Wizards didn’t consider werewolves demons – they were magical creatures. That was just one more area of discord – which creatures were un-human enough to be considered magical, and which were evil enough to be called demons. Needless to say magical creatures were allowed into the Ningenkai, demons were not.
“But the antidote is working?” asked Arthur, doing his best to keep the talk civil. “I understand there was some doubt that it would be effective.”
Kurama frowned at himself, not answering immediately. He knew what he was doing, but as much as he disliked his instinctive reaction, he couldn’t help it. He was starting to like Lupin, and as far as he was concerned the man would have led a better life among demon and human friends than discriminating wizards.
“I wouldn’t know,” Kurama said shortly, his eyes flashing gold. “I’ve never poisoned someone I didn’t want dead.”
- - -
They skirted him, ducking in the shadows as he raced past or scattering to the trees when he followed the ground. He smelled them, sensed the low level youki of the smaller creatures and the suppressed energy of the more powerful ones, and he heard the sounds of them rushing to hide as he passed. The creatures in the forest had felt his coming, but they’d known he was there from the day he and Hiei had arrived at the school. The two of them had taken a midnight tour – leaving Dumbledore to watch the two professors while they acquainted themselves with the area. Since that trip, the creatures in the Forbidden Forest knew to hide, and not to interfere.
A few were more curious, following in the trees and chittering to each other about the silver fox below. Kurama sniffed at a group of them, recognizing the slight bodies and webbed fingers despite the dark branches they were hiding in. His tails waved as if in a light wind. They wouldn’t get in his way, and he would make their tree beautiful. An even trade that let him burn a bit of his excess energy.
He’d discovered early that he didn’t need to be inside the school when it was his turn to stand guard. His plants, grown during that first week, served as traps and triggers, early warning signs and a few more interesting pets to snatch up any designated DeathEater that was stupid enough to enter the school. Kurama had Snape to thank for that little trick.
Who would have thought Voldemort would be stupid enough to clearly mark his followers with a cursed scar? Once he’d convinced his plants that they didn’t want to eat Snape, they were happy to keep an eye out for anyone else with such a mark. Very useful.
That left him with more freedom to roam the forest at night – not just for fun, but to spy out any human tracks or residues. He and Hiei had been warned to watch out for portkeys, simple objects that reeked of old magic and humans. Personally, Kurama expected a creature to attack, rather than a human.
He’d heard about Voldemort’s track record and his DeathEaters seemed more cowardly than C class demons. They attacked in groups or sent in lackeys to do the work for them.
The only exception would be Malfoy, and Kurama could only hope he wouldn’t try a direct attack. With Hiei watching Snape, that sort of thing would get them into a load of trouble. Hiei wasn’t exactly subtle when he fought, and DeathEater or not, they weren’t allowed to kill humans.
A whispering sigh eased by one of Kurama’s pointed ears, and he tilted it, golden eyes flicking over to spot the dark body a few yards from him. The centaur was backing away slowly, to keep his hooves from sounding. They were not like the other creatures in the forest. Kurama knew. He could almost feel their energy, the need to attack and drive him out. They were demons like himself, and they hated to stand by while another invaded their territory, especially one who reeked of humans.
Kurama sniffed and darted off, leaving the centaur to his slow retreat. He couldn’t help it if he still smelled like the children he’d been around earlier. And if the centaurs were so set on living without humans, they should have moved to Makai years ago. They were too soft to give up their forest, where they were sheltered and protected magical creatures. It was their choice, so they could live with it.
Deeper in the forest the sounds died. The creatures here would not retreat from him any more than they would attack him outright. He’d seen to that when they first arrived. They were hunger-driven creatures who didn’t care if the food was human, demon, or animal. Kurama had gifted them with a few rare plants, the sort that were best used to collect insects and small rodents. The spiders loved him for it. In return, they left his private collection alone and made sure the rest of the forest inhabitants did the same.
This was Kurama’s target, a small shiny red flower that sat prettily on a mess of bleeding vines. The sap had burned all of the grass away from the area where he’d planted it, but the flower itself attracted all sorts of creatures. He as glad to have the spiders guarding the area. He didn’t even want to think what would happen if one of the centaurs got near the plant. The flower had three petals left. If those were plucked the hapless thief would find himself eaten alive. Messy.
Kurama crouched, his silky fur brushing the cleared dirt as he focused his energy into the ground, deep to where the roots had curled around a nearby tree. Growing a plant was easy compared to reverting one to seed form. But he couldn’t leave it here now that he was done with it.
He’d dosed himself and Hiei moment he realized they would be facing spell-casting wizards. The third petal he’d used on Lupin last night. But he didn’t think he would be able to trick Snape into taking it. As a potion-maker, the man was the sort who just might realize what it was, and they couldn’t risk that. Hopefully with Hiei staying close to Snape, that wouldn’t be a problem. Hiei was more than fast enough to intercept a spell.
Kurama couldn’t exactly explain to the wizarding world what the plant was for. If they knew demons had a ward against their most deadly spell, it would break the balance. Koenma would kill him if he let that happen, assuming Hiei didn’t get to him first.
- - -
TBC
--notes--
I know Hagrid had a young giant in the forest, but I’m hoping he’d have moved it to a more secure location by now. Especially since he was planning to bring a female over and start a breeding population of them. The forbidden forest isn’t big enough to hide that many giants – they’re giants.
Next up, Hermione breaks the rules. o.O