Hailey staggered through the snow, her footfalls becoming heavy, struggling through the sheets of wind and sleet. A part of her knew she couldn't go on like this. Already she was struggling to stay upright, yet she kept moving forward. It was all she could do. After all, going back was out of the question. Not after what she had done.

She could feel the blood running down from the corners of her mouth freezing in the bitter cold. For some reason, that bothered her less than the cold, and the fact that she wasn't bothered in turn bothered her more than both combined… all the more considering that wasn't even her own blood. It had been tasty, almost sweet.

It should have made her sick, but all in all, the act alone had made her feel more alive than she ever had been during her admittedly short life, and no matter how many times she replayed the memory in her head, all she could drum up was a mild contentment.

"What… What is happening to me?" She weazed through burning lungs and frostbitten lips.

Not that it really mattered, as her legs gave out from underneath her and she collapsed into the snowy street.

She did the only thing she could do, rolling onto her side and curling up to conserve what little heat she had left. The primal part of her mind knew she was going to die, and she began to cry. She was going to die in the Snow and no one would even care, her six year old mind couldn't take it.

But a small unknown part of her head reminded her that even if she died here, at least she died free, and someone who wronged her at least suffered. She didn't know where that came from, but she chose to take comfort in those words, and they offered her a surprising amount of warmth.

"My my, what ever have we here?" came a voice, surprisingly audible in the blizzard that surrounded her.

The sound around her quickly faded, and the wind immediately stilled, and a new warmth seeped into her body. She uncurled and looked around, the frozen tears on her cheeks quickly thawing.

The Blizzard was still all around her, but it seemed she now inhabited a small bubble of calm and warmth. And it was quiet, as if the storm was suddenly very far away. But more important was the woman standing in front of her. Similarly unaffected by the wild weather. She towered over Hailey, her violet eyes twinkling with mischief. Her long hair was a golden blonde, and she was dressed in a strange, expensive looking purple dress, with a pinkish mob cap tied with a red ribbon, and had an open parasol resting on her shoulder.

"Such a tiny little thing, all on its own, like a little puppy lost in the snow. Might you share with me your name little pup?" the woman said, crouching down in front of her.

Hailey struggled into a kneeling position to face the woman. She felt compelled to answer, "Umm… Hailey… Hailey Potter… Who are you Miss?"

The woman, giggled before reaching forward with her free hand and ruffling Hailey's hair. "My, I do love the bluntness of children, I have a feeling that we are going to get along well."

Hailey was taken aback by the suddenness of the affectionate gesture. "Huh?"

The woman sighs, "Oh yes I suppose an introduction is in order, very well young youkai, I am Yukari Yakumo, and I am going to be your new best friend."

Hailey blinked, her head suddenly becoming heavy. "New… friend?"

"Yes, new friend, and I see the change is starting to take its toll. Don't worry, sleep. When you wake up we will be somewhere warm, I promise." Yukari said, even as Haileys eyelids started drooping.

"Okay…" Hailey, quickly becoming too tied not to take it at face value. "Good night… Miss... Yuki." she fell forward into Yukari's arms.

Yukari giggled, "Now that was just adorable," She gently picked up the young girl, and started stroking her head gently. "I'm going to have a lot of fun with you little Hailey, I do hope we get along."

In the first blurry confused moments of consciousness, Hailey wondered if this was heaven. She was lying on what had to be the softest bed she had ever slept in, she couldn't remember how she got here, but she wasn't keen on leaving, even as consciousness tugged harder and harder on her mind, she just pulled the blanket tighter, snuggling into its depths.

Her resolve was weakened however when she heard a door open, and the smell of something tasty wafted into her cocoon of warmth. She unwrapped herself and sat up to see the woman from before, this time holding a tray with a bowl and jug of juice. "Looks like that got your attention." Yukari said teasingly.

But haileys focus was on the bowl, the origin of the smell. She suddenly felt extremely hungry, not that that was really any different from usual, Hailey spent a great deal of time hungry, but it felt more acute than normal, like she would go mad if she didn't have that soup.

"Don't get up little youkai," Yukari said cheerfully, as she folded some legs out from underneath the tray, and placed it in front of Hailey "You deserve some breakfast in bed after the ordeal you just went through."

Hailey was too hungry to argue, picking up a spoon and digging in to the heavenly soup with gusto. It was unlike anything she had ever eaten. She had no idea what kinda soup it was, nor could she identify the meat, but she loved it. And then there was that strange sweetness, which felt strangely familiar, and strangely addictive. She was sure she had tasted it somewhere before…

As her supernatural hunger was quenched, she suddenly remembered where she had tasted it before. Her eating slowed and she looked down at the soup, a worried sort of confusion written on her face.

"Oh so you recognised it did you?" said Yukari who was kneeling next to the bed and watching Hailey with an amused expression, "don't worry, it isn't anyone you know."

"So it is… someone then? People meat." said Hailey, still confused.

"Why yes, does that bother you?" Yukari said with a predatory grin.

Hailey had to think about this for a moment before saying. "I think it bothers me that I'm not bothered."

Yukari gave a laugh. "That's just the last shreds of your human conscience. Don't worry, it will pass."

Hailey was still looking hesitant so Yukari said. "Come on, eat up, otherwise it will get cold. You shouldn't let good food go to waste. It's disrespectful to both the cook and the cooked."

Haileys six year old mind couldn't argue with that logic, and ate the rest of the soup with steadily growing enthusiasm.

"Now there's a good girl Hailey. We will make a proper Youkai out of you yet." Yukari said.

Hailey paused in the middle of drinking the last dregs of soup. "Whats a youkai?"

"Why, I am of course, and now, so are you." Yukari said, softly pressing the tip of Haileys nose, making her go cross eyed.

"But I'm not a Youkai, I'm a girl." Hailey said, in an impressive display of child logic.

"So am I little Hailey, yet Youkai I am, and Youkai you be." Yukari said waving her finger in front of her face. "In fact most Youkai are girls, funnily enough."

"But… What is a Youkai, and why am I a Youkai?" She asked desperately, extremely confused.

Yukari tutted and booped Haileys nose again, "I'm afraid such a complicated question might well be outside your comprehension." She laughed at the pout she was now receiving "But I suppose I can give you a simplified version. You see Youkai are very… 'special' people, although that specialness can vary greatly." Hailey was hanging on her every word. "Some are strong, so strong that they can crush mountains between their hands. Some are fast, and can ride the winds around the world faster than it takes for you to blink. Some are wise, so wise that the very secrets of existence are laid bare. And some like me…" she stood up, and behind her a strange opening full of unblinking red eyes appear, "Can bend the very world to their whim."

She stepped backwards and vanished into the void, the gap closing behind her, only for another to open up above in front of her on the bed, and Yukari to rise out of it, to once more lean on her hands and examine Hailey for a reaction.

Hailey blinked, looking down at the eye filled void. She leaned down to try and see under it. There was nothing there, just her own feet. Straightening up she said. "Is that… Magic?"

Yukari couldn't help but laugh from the sheer innocence, "Why yes, yes it is, my magic to be precise. I am the Border of the Phantasm, or the Youkai of boundaries to put it simply."

"Wow!" said Hailey, "What else can you do?"

"Many, many things." said Yukari, "But what is more important is what you can do."

Haileys eyes open wide. "You mean…"

"Why yes, you can perform magic too, in fact you always could. Even before you became… special." Yukari said. "After all, have you ever noticed strange things happening around you?"

Hailey thought hard for a moment, and then nodded.

"Well that was all that magic building up inside of you, trying to get out, and helping you when you were in distress. And considering how much distress both you and your body was in due to your treatment of you by that… family of yours, you had a lot of magic to spare."

Hailey frowned at the word family. But it didn't seem to affect her as much as it should, as if her mind had already registered them as insignificant. So she pushed on with her questioning. "Then why am I a Youkai, what makes me special?"

Yukari booped her again, "Lets not get too hasty. A Youkai you might be but you are a young one, practically a newborn. An ability may emerge, but for now, You are simply a Youkai."

Hailey pouted, "I'm not newborn, I'm six years old."

"Ah-ah-ah!" said Yukari, "You were six year old as a human. But you have been a Youkai for only a day. But don't worry, as a Youkai you will soon be more powerful than most humans could dream of."

"But… but." said Hailey, trying to word her frustrations. "How am I a Youkai? what makes me any different then how I was before!?"

"I see you have already developed a little common sense. We will have to deal with that later. But for now some proof might be necessary. Although if you search your mind you will find all the proof you need."

"I will?"

Yukari smiled. "When you woke up in your little cupboard under the stairs this morning you felt different did you not? You had gone without dinner the night before, for some small crime most probably committed by that fat little cousin of yours. You were hungry, ravenous even." she leaned in, her smile growing predatory. "That vulture you call an aunt decided arbitrarily that you should go without breakfast too. Your hunger grew, and then the little lardball decided to rub it in your face. You were angry, hungry, but most importantly you were alone, with a little piggy who was suddenly looking very tasty indeed. Maybe if he paid any attention to you, he might have noticed your new teeth."

Haileys hand went to her mouth. Her teeth felt sharper, more jagged. There was definitely more points than she ever remembered having. Yukari helpfully supplied a mirror. Hailey looked at herself and tried smiling. Her grin had a slightly sharky quality now. Her canines had also extended into full fangs.

"It suits you, makes you cute in a dangerous way. Either way they did quite a number on that wretched cousins arm. Went right through the bone. It gave quite a satisfactory crunch did it not?" Hailey couldn't help but nod. "If you are lucky, he might never be able to use that arm again. He could spend the rest of his life cursing your name. Doesn't that excite you?"

Hailey couldn't deny it. The very thought of permanently maiming Dudley after all the abuse he had put her though sent a shiver of excitement down her spine.

"That is your proof right there, You have been hungry before, but you have never thought of that useless pig as food before. You have been angry before, but never enough to maim. And never before until this day have you had the power to physically overpower him. And yet on this day you did all three. You have shed your humanity and have become something greater." Yukari leaned in again, "You are a Youkai, and your body knows it, even if you don't."

Hailey's head is spinning, this is too much information for her six year old mind to process. Thankfully Yukari decided to show mercy. "Relax, this might be a lot to take in, but there is no rush. You have all the time in the world, and I am willing to give a helping hand."

"Wh-what do I do?" Hailey said, for the first time in her life completely lost.

Yukari boops Haileys nose again. "I already told you, relax. You are a Youkai now, there is no right way to be one, just do what comes naturally, I am willing to catch you when you stumble."

"Relax…" Hailey repeated, as if not quite familiar with the concept.

Yukari retreated into her gap, closing it behind her before reappearing by the curtained door-sized windows. "Of course if you want me to make a suggestion…" she said opening the curtains, revealing the mediterranean ocean in all its splendor. "While it might be off season, Santorini is quite pleasant even in the winter."

When Yukari says she will take you somewhere warm, she doesn't mess about.

And So began the first day of Hailey's new life. And under the warm rays of the mediterranean sun, for the first time she was looking forward to what tomorrow might bring.

First story on this site, and its trash, go fig.

Still intend to have fun with this, writing this for fun, but will still welcome critique.

Fair warning though, I love touhou far, far more than I love Harry Potter, so expect some minor poing fun of the HP universe.

Trying Incorporate the two universes together, so expect some minor divergences of cannon, especially for HP

Expect some rapid fire chapters from this point, as I have about nine other unedited chapters in reserve. As soon as I give em a little bit of polish, I'll publish them immediately.