Categories > Books > Harry Potter > A Lost Friend
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, Pokemon to WB and Nintendo, and Ranma 1/2 to Rumiko Takahashi.
A Lost Friend
By: USA Tiger
Chapter 4
"Here, drink this tea, it will clam your nerves Potter-sama," Harry looked up as the stout but muscled goblin placed a cup of green tea in front of him. The goblin, who had introduced himself as Sharpblade, was the manager of the Mahou Village branch of Gringotts. Harry and Ryoga had been lead to Sharpblade's office after Harry's shock of learning that he had a vault in Japan. The British boy had of course known about his trust vault back home but Harry had always thought it was the only vault he owned.
"Thank you," Harry said as he picked up the offered drink, sipping slowly at the green tea. It was different from the teas he had back in England but he found he liked it when he first had it after appearing in Japan.
"Now, Swiftrock has told me you seemed quite shock when he mentioned your vault in this branch of Gringotts. May I ask why, Potter-sama?" Sharpblade questioned as he sat behind his desk, sharp eyes watching one of the richer clients that Gringotts had.
"The only account I have be aware about is my trust fund account back in England in Diagon Alley," Harry started, setting down the cup of tea. "I have always assumed that is all the money I own. Ever since I've rejoined the magical world when I turned 11, people had sprung one thing after another on me that I had no idea about."
"I believe I understand where your shock is coming from. You have not been completely informed of your family's status or accounts," Sharpblade said, his long, clawed fingers pressing together to form an arch. "Nor, I am guessing, have you been fully introduced to the magical world."
"Well you would be right on both accounts. So I have more vaults?" Harry asked, scowling a little as he learned that he knew even less about his family than he realized.
"It is my understanding, Potter-sama, that the bulk of the Potter accounts are found in Britain since the main branch of Potters, your family, is there. But there are vaults in all of the branches of Gringotts in most of the major cities of the world," Sharpblade informed Harry, whose scowl got deeper and deeper as he learned more and more. "I believe you wouldn't be able to access the main vaults in any branch until you reach adulthood but one vault is always set aside for Potter's to use at anytime."
Harry sighed, leaning forward and burying his face into his hands. Ryoga reached over and patted the younger boy's shoulder in comfort. Harry hated not knowing things like this. Not knowing certain things about the magical world was bad enough, with the way his life was it seemed to get people killed, but he also hated that he knew next to nothing about his family.
"How come no one ever told me any of this?" Harry moaned as he sat up straight up again. "The longer I stay in the Wizarding world, the less I seem to know about it."
"I do not know why you don't know about your vaults Potter-sama. As a minor, you would not have received any statements but your guardian would have, they should have informed you of your accounts to train you to manage them later. Once you reached adulthood, only then would you have began to receive your statements," Sharpblade inform the teen causing Harry to frown.
"I don't think the Dursley's ever got anything from Gringotts, ever," Harry said, slumping down in his seat a bit and crossing his arms over his chest. "They don't like anything from the magical world, they find it unnatural. They didn't even want me to go to Hogwarts, tried to stop me from getting my letters. On top of that, they would have tried to take all of my money, as greedy as my relative's are, if they had known about it."
"Is there anyone else that might have been receiving your statements?" Sharpblade asked, not liking what he was hearing.
"Well, my godfather was supposed to raise me but he was framed and sent to Azkaban without a trial," Harry said after a brief thought. "I guess my Headmaster could have gotten them too."
"What's Azkaban and what your godfather framed for?" Ryoga said, finally speaking up. The eternal lost boy thought he had heard of Azkaban before but he couldn't remember where. But as many places that he ended up around the world, there was no telling.
"It's the Wizarding prison back home. It's a hell on earth, guarded by Dementors," Harry said, disgust coloring his voice as he said 'Dementors'. "My parents and me was hidden under a Fidelius Charm when I was a baby to hide from Riddle. Our secret keeper was a man called Peter Pettigrew but only my parents and my godfather Sirius knew that, at least as far as I know. Everyone else assumed the secret keeper was Sirius. Pettigrew was... Is working for Riddle, he told him where me and my parents were and Riddle came to our house. Afterward, Sirius confronted Pettigrew in the middle of some street the next day but Pettigrew yelled out to the street that Sirius betrayed my parents before cutting off his finger and blowing up the street with his wand behind his back then turning into his Animagus form of a rat and escaped down the sewer."
"Hmmm," Sharpblade stroked his chin with a thoughtful look on his face before standing. "Please wait here Potter-sama, Hibiki-san, while I contact the Diagon Ally branch to make an inquiry," the goblin requested, waiting until both teens gave their consent before leaving the office.
"Wait, Sirius? As in Sirius Black? The convict that was on the muggle news a couple of years ago?" Ryoga asked as he finally remembered where he heard the name 'Sirius' before.
"Yeah, He escaped from Azkaban after seeing Pettigrew's rat from in the Daily Prophet. We almost had Pettigrew where we needed him so we could clear Sirius's name but the little rat escaped before we could hand him over. And Fudge, the minster of magic back home, wouldn't listen to reason, he ordered the Dementors to give Sirius the Kiss on sight. Guess it doesn't matter anymore," Harry said, sighing sadly as he slumped down into his seat, eyes closed in sadness.
"Why?" Ryoga had seen this look on Harry's face before in the last few days, whenever the boy thought he was alone. And he wasn't the only one to notice; even Ranma and Shampoo had mentioned seeing the look on the British boy's face as well.
".... He died right before school ended this year. He was trying to protect me, got into a dual with his cousin and she hit him with a stunner. Sirius was sent through the Veil, he can't come back," Harry reached up and removed his glasses so he could rub the few tears that tried to escape his green eyes. Ryoga was about to ask what the 'Veil' was but was stopped as Sharpblade reentered the room with a stack of papers in his hands.
"It seems we have found the answer as to where the bank statements have been going to," Sharpblade said as he sat in his chair, placing the papers on the desk in front of Harry. Harry quickly wiped away the last of his tears and put his glasses back on before picking up the top sheet.
Harry read first few lines on the paperwork before looking up at Sharpblade with a frown. "The statements have been going into a vault that belongs to the Black's?"
"Yes, as your godfather was not able to receive the statements as he was in Azkaban then later on the run, all of his post was sent to this vault. It is likely he never knew he was getting them," Sharpblade said as he watched Harry resume reading the paperwork.
"It says here, he's still getting mail in the vault, mostly the monthly statements from his and my vaults. Shouldn't the mail stop since he died?" Harry asked as he picked up another page of paperwork.
"Potter-sama, according to the goblins in the Diagon Alley, your godfather is still alive," Harry's head snapped up at this, and even Ryoga turned his full attention to Sharpblade.
"What... how!? I saw him fall through the Veil, the headmaster told me he could never return from it," Harry said, a new hope rising in him.
"I do not know what this 'Veil' is Potter-sama, but your godfather arranged for his life to be monitored by a life stone after he escaped from Azkaban, according to the goblin I spoke to, it is saying he is weak but alive at the current moment. But if he stays there much long, he will die."
*****
Plum looked on worriedly as the white hair girl tried again to get up. Her father was boiling water so they could reverse the transformation and see what sort of animal had fallen into the spring of the drown girl. But the pretty girl was having none of it, trying to escape to somewhere. Already twice Plum had to make the girl sit to keep from leaving. She was also making chirping noises, making Plum believe the girl was really a bird.
^Father, is the water ready yet?^ Plum asked, turning toward her father.
^Almost Plum,^ The Jusenkyo guide said as he tended to the fire in the fire pit that he was using to warm up the water in the large cooking pot. Hedwig frowned as she watched the two humans, twisting the cloth of the shirt she was wearing in her hands. She didn't like what happened to her, her wings were gone! How was she supposed to fly to her master if she was stuck in this strange form? ^But, I do not think it is a good idea to change her back with that wound on her arm. The arrow belongs to the Joketsuzoku, perhaps we should take her to them to have them heal the wound they made.^
^But Father, are you sure the Joketsuzoku would help?^ Plum asked as she reached down to untangle Hedwig's hands from the shirt. ^I hate to say this but her real form is an animal. She might be a male animal at that.^
^That is true daughter but animals have a harder time adjusting that humans with curses do. She will be unable to live in the wild,^ the guide said, looking Hedwig over. The owl-turn-human made a chirping noise. ^But.... she is much too comfortable with us. Animals who are cursed still have their animal ways and she should have been afraid of us. I wonder if she is a pet of someone.^
^Oh, you have a good point father,^ Plum agreed, turning her attention back to Hedwig. Hedwig frowned, getting frustrated that the pair didn't seem to get the point that she needed to leave! The girl closed her gold color eyes, trying to think of a new idea. Her body has been changed into a human like her master, could she speak like a human?
"Ha-ha-har-Harry," Hedwig manage to say, forcing her mouth to sound out her hatchling master's name. "Fi-fi-find Ha-ha-Harry."
The guide dropped the stick he was using to poke at the fire and Plum made a surprised gasping noise as Hedwig spoke. The guide understood some English, it was necessary in his job since Americas and sometimes the British came to Jusenkyo. Plum understood less than her father, having not gotten that far in her lessons.
^I think... she's saying someone's name,^ the guide said as he came over and knelt in front of Hedwig. "You say someone name? Find them?" he asked the owl turned human in English. Hedwig nodded her head, causing a few strands of white hair to fall into her face with the movements. ^Plum, I think now we will have to ask the Joketsuzoku for help.^
*****
Ryoga casted a side glance at the boy by his side. Harry was deep in thought, the teen barely paying attention to where they were going. After getting funds from the vault at the bank and getting part of it exchanged for yen, the boys left Mahou Ally and headed back to the muggle stores.
"Harry," Ryoga said softly, tugging at the hand holding his gently to get the other boy to stop. Harry turned and looked up at the older Japanese wizard.
"Hmm?" he hummed in a questionly way.
"What's on your mind?" Ryoga asked, worried for his best friend. "Is it what Sharpblade said about your godfather?" Harry sighed softly before nodding his head.
"Yeah, my guilt has been eating me up, thinking I had in a hand in Sirius's death and now I found out he's alive but I have no idea how to get him back before he really does die," Harry explained, reaching up to rub his neck with a free hand. "I don't know what to do, Sirius is one of the few people who doesn't treat me like the boy-who-lived, a weapon to be used against the dark lord. Remus, Hermione and the Weasleys too of course but Sirius is the only thing I had for a father-figure since Uncle Vernon wouldn't give me the time of day and I couldn't expect Mr. Weasley take that place when he's already get 7 kids of his own."
"You could ask Cologne," Ryoga suggested, Harry giving him a confused look.
"Cologne? Why would I ask her?" Harry asked, not understanding.
"Harry-chan, the Amazons have so many different things that do some pretty amazing stuff. She had a mirror, still does I think but it's broken, that could allow a person go to an alternate version of this world depending on what you wanted," Ryoga explained, thinking of the Nuban Mirror. “So it couldn't hurt to ask. Let’s get you some new things to wear and go ask her."
Harry thought about it for a moment then nodded his head in agreement, the Amazons had been nothing but helpful to the young wizard and he figured that Ryoga was right that it wouldn't hurt to ask Cologne if she knew of anyway to bring someone back from across the Veil. That in mind, Harry picked out a shop to get some new clothing, the first Harry had, barring the robes he got for school, since his parents were still alive.
A couple of hours later, Harry left the shopping center with few bags draped over one hand and a new set of clothing on. In the end, Harry settled for a simple pair of jeans and a dark green shirt. He even had new underwear and a couple of new pairs of shoes, something that Harry didn't come with when he managed to teleport himself from England to Japan.
"Hmmm, I didn't know how nice it was to have something that fit for once," Harry mused, holding up the bag that held his old Dudley clothing. "What do I do with these?" He asked Ryoga, who was eyeing the bag with a look that he usually had for Ranma when he was pissed at the braided teen.
"Might make good target practice for the Shi Shi Hokodan," He muttered darkly, hefting the couple of bags he was carrying up.
"I'll be just as happy to dump them in the nearest trash can," Harry said with a laugh.
"Harry-chan, how come nobody said anything about the clothing you wore before? It's obvious that at one time they belonged to that fat Gaki cousin of yours," Ryoga asked curiously, even the members of the Nerima wrecking crew had noticed and mentioned it at one time or another to Ryoga. To all of them, at least the ones who had met Harry so far thought the British teen was nice enough. Akane liked him just because he was Ryoga's friend.
"I don't know, not many people seem to notice my home life, I guess they always believed what the Dursley's told them about me. I think I remember a couple of people trying to do something about it once or twice but I never saw them again afterward," Harry said as he found the nearest trash can and dropped the bag with his old clothing inside. He had wondered that same thing all his life but could never seem to find the answer to his question. Harry led the way back to the Nekohanten, greeting Shampoo as he headed toward the room that was lent to him by the Amazons to drop off his stuff.
"You are looking better child," Cologne noted as she eyed Harry's new clothing.
"Yeah, seems everyone noticed that I was more or less wearing the same thing every day," Harry said with an embarrassed shrug. "Hey, Elder Cologne, have you ever heard of the Veil?"
"The Veil? I have not heard of one of those things for many years. I had thought the last one was destroyed," Cologne said, motioning for Harry to sit at the low table in the housing part of the restaurant. "Where did you see one child?"
"There was more than one? There's one in the Ministry of magic, down in an area they call the Department of Mystery. What is the Veil?" Harry could never get an answer as just what the Veil was.
"The Veil of death as it has been called is nothing more than an archway to another dimension connected to our own," Cologne took out a pipe and lit it, taking a long drag from the herbs inside before continuing. "It is said to be a world of demons who were imprisoned there as they were the vilest and dangerous demons there were, guarded by a special type of Wraith. The Veils were their attempt to escape from that world into our own. Why do you ask?"
"When I saw the Veil in the Department of Mysteries, me and my friends were there because Voldemort, the Dark Lord I spoke to you about before, had send a vision to me about my Godfather Sirius being held captive. I couldn't leave him there and rushed off to save him, my friends followed. It was a trap set by the Death Eaters and Voldemort so he could get a prophecy ball there about me and him. We ended up in the death chamber and during a fight between Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix Sirius was hit by a stunner spell and fell through."
"I see," Cologne puffed a few more times on her pipe, pondering over what Harry had just told her. "Getting your godfather from the Veil itself will be impossible as we have no access to it. But it will not be impossible to retrieve him from the other world. I will contact the tribe and have more of the elders come to help solve this problem."
*****
Later that evening, long after his talk with Cologne, Harry and Ryoga were in the local park. Harry was in his Tao form, lazing floating in the air in the cover of the trees. He watched Ryoga, who was camping there, as the older teen practice his katas. He found the almost dance like steps soothing to watch. Harry slowly floated down to lay on the branch of one of the trees, his head pillowed on his little paws.
Harry wished he could do that, so he wouldn't be helpless whenever he lost his wand. It would be great be able to perform martial arts much like he had seen Ryoga or Ranma doing. The young teen began to image it, not noticing as his feline form began to glow in a purplish light and began to grow into a larger from.
When the light died down, Harry gave a sudden yell as he much heavier body fell from the branch to the ground.
"Maachoppp!" Harry flipped at the last second, landing on his feet with knees bent to absorb the shock of hitting the ground, one hand behind him while the other braced itself against the ground.
"Harry!" Ryoga called as he ran over, stopping a few inches from the newly shaped Animagus, who was now standing up straight and was looking at his new body in shock.
"Ma... machop?" Harry asked, flexing his hands before shaking his head and turning back into human.
"Harry-chan, what happen?" Ryoga asked as he checked the other boy over.
"I-I don't know what just happened. One minute I'm a Mew then the next.... well you saw. I guess that is what Cologne meant by 'changing into difference creatures’," Harry could do nothing but shrug his shoulders, doing nothing to stop the older teen from making sure he was ok.
***
Edit 6-16-14: Changed ‘Amazons’ to ‘Joketsuzoku’ when the Chinese folk are referring to Cologne and her lot. Other than that just changed the spelling of Ryoga’s name and fixed the usual mistakes.
A Lost Friend
By: USA Tiger
Chapter 4
"Here, drink this tea, it will clam your nerves Potter-sama," Harry looked up as the stout but muscled goblin placed a cup of green tea in front of him. The goblin, who had introduced himself as Sharpblade, was the manager of the Mahou Village branch of Gringotts. Harry and Ryoga had been lead to Sharpblade's office after Harry's shock of learning that he had a vault in Japan. The British boy had of course known about his trust vault back home but Harry had always thought it was the only vault he owned.
"Thank you," Harry said as he picked up the offered drink, sipping slowly at the green tea. It was different from the teas he had back in England but he found he liked it when he first had it after appearing in Japan.
"Now, Swiftrock has told me you seemed quite shock when he mentioned your vault in this branch of Gringotts. May I ask why, Potter-sama?" Sharpblade questioned as he sat behind his desk, sharp eyes watching one of the richer clients that Gringotts had.
"The only account I have be aware about is my trust fund account back in England in Diagon Alley," Harry started, setting down the cup of tea. "I have always assumed that is all the money I own. Ever since I've rejoined the magical world when I turned 11, people had sprung one thing after another on me that I had no idea about."
"I believe I understand where your shock is coming from. You have not been completely informed of your family's status or accounts," Sharpblade said, his long, clawed fingers pressing together to form an arch. "Nor, I am guessing, have you been fully introduced to the magical world."
"Well you would be right on both accounts. So I have more vaults?" Harry asked, scowling a little as he learned that he knew even less about his family than he realized.
"It is my understanding, Potter-sama, that the bulk of the Potter accounts are found in Britain since the main branch of Potters, your family, is there. But there are vaults in all of the branches of Gringotts in most of the major cities of the world," Sharpblade informed Harry, whose scowl got deeper and deeper as he learned more and more. "I believe you wouldn't be able to access the main vaults in any branch until you reach adulthood but one vault is always set aside for Potter's to use at anytime."
Harry sighed, leaning forward and burying his face into his hands. Ryoga reached over and patted the younger boy's shoulder in comfort. Harry hated not knowing things like this. Not knowing certain things about the magical world was bad enough, with the way his life was it seemed to get people killed, but he also hated that he knew next to nothing about his family.
"How come no one ever told me any of this?" Harry moaned as he sat up straight up again. "The longer I stay in the Wizarding world, the less I seem to know about it."
"I do not know why you don't know about your vaults Potter-sama. As a minor, you would not have received any statements but your guardian would have, they should have informed you of your accounts to train you to manage them later. Once you reached adulthood, only then would you have began to receive your statements," Sharpblade inform the teen causing Harry to frown.
"I don't think the Dursley's ever got anything from Gringotts, ever," Harry said, slumping down in his seat a bit and crossing his arms over his chest. "They don't like anything from the magical world, they find it unnatural. They didn't even want me to go to Hogwarts, tried to stop me from getting my letters. On top of that, they would have tried to take all of my money, as greedy as my relative's are, if they had known about it."
"Is there anyone else that might have been receiving your statements?" Sharpblade asked, not liking what he was hearing.
"Well, my godfather was supposed to raise me but he was framed and sent to Azkaban without a trial," Harry said after a brief thought. "I guess my Headmaster could have gotten them too."
"What's Azkaban and what your godfather framed for?" Ryoga said, finally speaking up. The eternal lost boy thought he had heard of Azkaban before but he couldn't remember where. But as many places that he ended up around the world, there was no telling.
"It's the Wizarding prison back home. It's a hell on earth, guarded by Dementors," Harry said, disgust coloring his voice as he said 'Dementors'. "My parents and me was hidden under a Fidelius Charm when I was a baby to hide from Riddle. Our secret keeper was a man called Peter Pettigrew but only my parents and my godfather Sirius knew that, at least as far as I know. Everyone else assumed the secret keeper was Sirius. Pettigrew was... Is working for Riddle, he told him where me and my parents were and Riddle came to our house. Afterward, Sirius confronted Pettigrew in the middle of some street the next day but Pettigrew yelled out to the street that Sirius betrayed my parents before cutting off his finger and blowing up the street with his wand behind his back then turning into his Animagus form of a rat and escaped down the sewer."
"Hmmm," Sharpblade stroked his chin with a thoughtful look on his face before standing. "Please wait here Potter-sama, Hibiki-san, while I contact the Diagon Ally branch to make an inquiry," the goblin requested, waiting until both teens gave their consent before leaving the office.
"Wait, Sirius? As in Sirius Black? The convict that was on the muggle news a couple of years ago?" Ryoga asked as he finally remembered where he heard the name 'Sirius' before.
"Yeah, He escaped from Azkaban after seeing Pettigrew's rat from in the Daily Prophet. We almost had Pettigrew where we needed him so we could clear Sirius's name but the little rat escaped before we could hand him over. And Fudge, the minster of magic back home, wouldn't listen to reason, he ordered the Dementors to give Sirius the Kiss on sight. Guess it doesn't matter anymore," Harry said, sighing sadly as he slumped down into his seat, eyes closed in sadness.
"Why?" Ryoga had seen this look on Harry's face before in the last few days, whenever the boy thought he was alone. And he wasn't the only one to notice; even Ranma and Shampoo had mentioned seeing the look on the British boy's face as well.
".... He died right before school ended this year. He was trying to protect me, got into a dual with his cousin and she hit him with a stunner. Sirius was sent through the Veil, he can't come back," Harry reached up and removed his glasses so he could rub the few tears that tried to escape his green eyes. Ryoga was about to ask what the 'Veil' was but was stopped as Sharpblade reentered the room with a stack of papers in his hands.
"It seems we have found the answer as to where the bank statements have been going to," Sharpblade said as he sat in his chair, placing the papers on the desk in front of Harry. Harry quickly wiped away the last of his tears and put his glasses back on before picking up the top sheet.
Harry read first few lines on the paperwork before looking up at Sharpblade with a frown. "The statements have been going into a vault that belongs to the Black's?"
"Yes, as your godfather was not able to receive the statements as he was in Azkaban then later on the run, all of his post was sent to this vault. It is likely he never knew he was getting them," Sharpblade said as he watched Harry resume reading the paperwork.
"It says here, he's still getting mail in the vault, mostly the monthly statements from his and my vaults. Shouldn't the mail stop since he died?" Harry asked as he picked up another page of paperwork.
"Potter-sama, according to the goblins in the Diagon Alley, your godfather is still alive," Harry's head snapped up at this, and even Ryoga turned his full attention to Sharpblade.
"What... how!? I saw him fall through the Veil, the headmaster told me he could never return from it," Harry said, a new hope rising in him.
"I do not know what this 'Veil' is Potter-sama, but your godfather arranged for his life to be monitored by a life stone after he escaped from Azkaban, according to the goblin I spoke to, it is saying he is weak but alive at the current moment. But if he stays there much long, he will die."
*****
Plum looked on worriedly as the white hair girl tried again to get up. Her father was boiling water so they could reverse the transformation and see what sort of animal had fallen into the spring of the drown girl. But the pretty girl was having none of it, trying to escape to somewhere. Already twice Plum had to make the girl sit to keep from leaving. She was also making chirping noises, making Plum believe the girl was really a bird.
^Father, is the water ready yet?^ Plum asked, turning toward her father.
^Almost Plum,^ The Jusenkyo guide said as he tended to the fire in the fire pit that he was using to warm up the water in the large cooking pot. Hedwig frowned as she watched the two humans, twisting the cloth of the shirt she was wearing in her hands. She didn't like what happened to her, her wings were gone! How was she supposed to fly to her master if she was stuck in this strange form? ^But, I do not think it is a good idea to change her back with that wound on her arm. The arrow belongs to the Joketsuzoku, perhaps we should take her to them to have them heal the wound they made.^
^But Father, are you sure the Joketsuzoku would help?^ Plum asked as she reached down to untangle Hedwig's hands from the shirt. ^I hate to say this but her real form is an animal. She might be a male animal at that.^
^That is true daughter but animals have a harder time adjusting that humans with curses do. She will be unable to live in the wild,^ the guide said, looking Hedwig over. The owl-turn-human made a chirping noise. ^But.... she is much too comfortable with us. Animals who are cursed still have their animal ways and she should have been afraid of us. I wonder if she is a pet of someone.^
^Oh, you have a good point father,^ Plum agreed, turning her attention back to Hedwig. Hedwig frowned, getting frustrated that the pair didn't seem to get the point that she needed to leave! The girl closed her gold color eyes, trying to think of a new idea. Her body has been changed into a human like her master, could she speak like a human?
"Ha-ha-har-Harry," Hedwig manage to say, forcing her mouth to sound out her hatchling master's name. "Fi-fi-find Ha-ha-Harry."
The guide dropped the stick he was using to poke at the fire and Plum made a surprised gasping noise as Hedwig spoke. The guide understood some English, it was necessary in his job since Americas and sometimes the British came to Jusenkyo. Plum understood less than her father, having not gotten that far in her lessons.
^I think... she's saying someone's name,^ the guide said as he came over and knelt in front of Hedwig. "You say someone name? Find them?" he asked the owl turned human in English. Hedwig nodded her head, causing a few strands of white hair to fall into her face with the movements. ^Plum, I think now we will have to ask the Joketsuzoku for help.^
*****
Ryoga casted a side glance at the boy by his side. Harry was deep in thought, the teen barely paying attention to where they were going. After getting funds from the vault at the bank and getting part of it exchanged for yen, the boys left Mahou Ally and headed back to the muggle stores.
"Harry," Ryoga said softly, tugging at the hand holding his gently to get the other boy to stop. Harry turned and looked up at the older Japanese wizard.
"Hmm?" he hummed in a questionly way.
"What's on your mind?" Ryoga asked, worried for his best friend. "Is it what Sharpblade said about your godfather?" Harry sighed softly before nodding his head.
"Yeah, my guilt has been eating me up, thinking I had in a hand in Sirius's death and now I found out he's alive but I have no idea how to get him back before he really does die," Harry explained, reaching up to rub his neck with a free hand. "I don't know what to do, Sirius is one of the few people who doesn't treat me like the boy-who-lived, a weapon to be used against the dark lord. Remus, Hermione and the Weasleys too of course but Sirius is the only thing I had for a father-figure since Uncle Vernon wouldn't give me the time of day and I couldn't expect Mr. Weasley take that place when he's already get 7 kids of his own."
"You could ask Cologne," Ryoga suggested, Harry giving him a confused look.
"Cologne? Why would I ask her?" Harry asked, not understanding.
"Harry-chan, the Amazons have so many different things that do some pretty amazing stuff. She had a mirror, still does I think but it's broken, that could allow a person go to an alternate version of this world depending on what you wanted," Ryoga explained, thinking of the Nuban Mirror. “So it couldn't hurt to ask. Let’s get you some new things to wear and go ask her."
Harry thought about it for a moment then nodded his head in agreement, the Amazons had been nothing but helpful to the young wizard and he figured that Ryoga was right that it wouldn't hurt to ask Cologne if she knew of anyway to bring someone back from across the Veil. That in mind, Harry picked out a shop to get some new clothing, the first Harry had, barring the robes he got for school, since his parents were still alive.
A couple of hours later, Harry left the shopping center with few bags draped over one hand and a new set of clothing on. In the end, Harry settled for a simple pair of jeans and a dark green shirt. He even had new underwear and a couple of new pairs of shoes, something that Harry didn't come with when he managed to teleport himself from England to Japan.
"Hmmm, I didn't know how nice it was to have something that fit for once," Harry mused, holding up the bag that held his old Dudley clothing. "What do I do with these?" He asked Ryoga, who was eyeing the bag with a look that he usually had for Ranma when he was pissed at the braided teen.
"Might make good target practice for the Shi Shi Hokodan," He muttered darkly, hefting the couple of bags he was carrying up.
"I'll be just as happy to dump them in the nearest trash can," Harry said with a laugh.
"Harry-chan, how come nobody said anything about the clothing you wore before? It's obvious that at one time they belonged to that fat Gaki cousin of yours," Ryoga asked curiously, even the members of the Nerima wrecking crew had noticed and mentioned it at one time or another to Ryoga. To all of them, at least the ones who had met Harry so far thought the British teen was nice enough. Akane liked him just because he was Ryoga's friend.
"I don't know, not many people seem to notice my home life, I guess they always believed what the Dursley's told them about me. I think I remember a couple of people trying to do something about it once or twice but I never saw them again afterward," Harry said as he found the nearest trash can and dropped the bag with his old clothing inside. He had wondered that same thing all his life but could never seem to find the answer to his question. Harry led the way back to the Nekohanten, greeting Shampoo as he headed toward the room that was lent to him by the Amazons to drop off his stuff.
"You are looking better child," Cologne noted as she eyed Harry's new clothing.
"Yeah, seems everyone noticed that I was more or less wearing the same thing every day," Harry said with an embarrassed shrug. "Hey, Elder Cologne, have you ever heard of the Veil?"
"The Veil? I have not heard of one of those things for many years. I had thought the last one was destroyed," Cologne said, motioning for Harry to sit at the low table in the housing part of the restaurant. "Where did you see one child?"
"There was more than one? There's one in the Ministry of magic, down in an area they call the Department of Mystery. What is the Veil?" Harry could never get an answer as just what the Veil was.
"The Veil of death as it has been called is nothing more than an archway to another dimension connected to our own," Cologne took out a pipe and lit it, taking a long drag from the herbs inside before continuing. "It is said to be a world of demons who were imprisoned there as they were the vilest and dangerous demons there were, guarded by a special type of Wraith. The Veils were their attempt to escape from that world into our own. Why do you ask?"
"When I saw the Veil in the Department of Mysteries, me and my friends were there because Voldemort, the Dark Lord I spoke to you about before, had send a vision to me about my Godfather Sirius being held captive. I couldn't leave him there and rushed off to save him, my friends followed. It was a trap set by the Death Eaters and Voldemort so he could get a prophecy ball there about me and him. We ended up in the death chamber and during a fight between Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix Sirius was hit by a stunner spell and fell through."
"I see," Cologne puffed a few more times on her pipe, pondering over what Harry had just told her. "Getting your godfather from the Veil itself will be impossible as we have no access to it. But it will not be impossible to retrieve him from the other world. I will contact the tribe and have more of the elders come to help solve this problem."
*****
Later that evening, long after his talk with Cologne, Harry and Ryoga were in the local park. Harry was in his Tao form, lazing floating in the air in the cover of the trees. He watched Ryoga, who was camping there, as the older teen practice his katas. He found the almost dance like steps soothing to watch. Harry slowly floated down to lay on the branch of one of the trees, his head pillowed on his little paws.
Harry wished he could do that, so he wouldn't be helpless whenever he lost his wand. It would be great be able to perform martial arts much like he had seen Ryoga or Ranma doing. The young teen began to image it, not noticing as his feline form began to glow in a purplish light and began to grow into a larger from.
When the light died down, Harry gave a sudden yell as he much heavier body fell from the branch to the ground.
"Maachoppp!" Harry flipped at the last second, landing on his feet with knees bent to absorb the shock of hitting the ground, one hand behind him while the other braced itself against the ground.
"Harry!" Ryoga called as he ran over, stopping a few inches from the newly shaped Animagus, who was now standing up straight and was looking at his new body in shock.
"Ma... machop?" Harry asked, flexing his hands before shaking his head and turning back into human.
"Harry-chan, what happen?" Ryoga asked as he checked the other boy over.
"I-I don't know what just happened. One minute I'm a Mew then the next.... well you saw. I guess that is what Cologne meant by 'changing into difference creatures’," Harry could do nothing but shrug his shoulders, doing nothing to stop the older teen from making sure he was ok.
***
Edit 6-16-14: Changed ‘Amazons’ to ‘Joketsuzoku’ when the Chinese folk are referring to Cologne and her lot. Other than that just changed the spelling of Ryoga’s name and fixed the usual mistakes.
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