Chapter 13: The End of the Beginning

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

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Original Author note: This concludes Portgas' first year at Hogwarts! I thank ou all for following this story and your appreciation (it is not because the translation is published by someone else that I don't read the reviews).

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"We are coming out" said Ace.

He got up and detached Buck.

"What are you doing?" asked Hermione.

"A werewolf is about to come straight toward us... Do you really want to meet him?" inquired Ace.

This got the desired effect.

"Where are we going, Commander?" asked Harry.

"We're going to move closer to Hagrid's hut, since he isn't there. But keep the lake in clear sight, to insure nothing happens to... ourselves?"

The moon was their only light as the trio walked toward the lake, still hiding in the forest's edge. They could see Sirius take his dog form and Ace his panther's to fight against the werewolf. A stray paw, and the panther howled in pain and anger.

"That's how you got hurt..." whispered Hermione. "But..."

"Not in that shape" answered Ace, understanding the implication.

Remus finally ran away toward where they used to be, leaving Sirius and Ace alone, who took back their humane looks.

"He almost had a heart attack when I ignited myself." commented Ace with a smile. "It allowed me to cauterize and heal my eye.

"Do you ignite yourself often?" asked Harry.

"I have fire in my veins. There are the Dementors... let's see who is going to save our lives."

The dementors arrived at the same time as Harry and Hermione For a short few seconds, the students seemed to resist, then, one after the other, they lost consciousness.

Realizing no one was coming to save them, Ace and Harry jumped out of their mutual protection, wands raised.

For a second, Ace felt the subtle embrace of his beloved hands on his skin, a kiss on his neck. The laugh of his brothers and comrades...

"Ace! Are you coming?!"

A smile spread on Ace's lips. He was free, and happy, as much as he possibly could. And quite content to be able to have a second chance.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The two young man screamed at the same time.

From their magic wands, silver gush forth, but not simple silver fog, something dazzling. Such light that they both had to squint their eyes. A soft feather noise and a galloping sound. Two beautiful Patronus ran toward the Dementors who rapidly ran away, disappearing in the dark.

The light creatures came back toward their masters. What Harry had taken for a horse was actually a beautiful deer. It stopped on the river's edge, it's hooves leaving no trace on the soft sand. Looked directly in Harry's eyes and slightly bowed. Harry understood:

"Prongs..."

He's fingers only touched empty air.

In the mean time, Ace seemed petrified and hit by lightning at the same time, fixing the large silver bird on his arm.

Hermione had never seen such a bird. It's feathers seemed to be fire, and it was staring at Ace with half opened eyes.

A tear slowly trickled down Ace's cheek, he immediately dried it.

"Ashiteru mo, Marco..."

The bird incline it's head, closed his eyes with satisfaction and disappeared.

"Ace?" hesitantly inquired Hermione.

Bim!

"Ay!" moaned Harry, while massaging his head.

"That's for having confused me with Roger." roared Ace.

"You're crying?

"No, I'm not..."

Ace turned his head away to hide his emotions.

"A fire bird... that suits you well..." smiled Hermione. "It's still dangerous here, someone could see us."

Ace motioned for them to go slightly deeper in the forest.

"Potter saw us, but he confused us. I am not quite sure why I succeeded this time..."

"I know, it's because I had already done it!" answer Harry, excited.

"Lowe your voice." hissed Ace. "Here's Snape."

Indeed, Snape just showed himself, Ron floating behind him on a floating stretcher. He made extra stretchers and put each students on them, and Sirius, before walking back to the castle.

"We don't have long anymore. There is only forty five minutes before Dumbledore lucks us in the infirmary." stated Hermione, looking at her watch.

Ace let himself fall on the ground, his hat hiding his face, focused.

He was following Sirius' voice that was climbing the floors before being locked in a room. He regained consciousness shortly after. On the other side, Ace could feel Macnair leave to castle to get the Dementors.

"Let's go, it's that tower." announced Ace while pointing one of the highest ones. "I will mark it. Take Buck, we would be a bit too many, if four on it."

"And you?" asked Hermione.

Ace had already disappeared.

He quickly scaled the castle's wall and reached the seventh floor before the hippogriff. He threw fire to darken Sirius' window before continuing his climb upwards.

Once he reached the slots, he watched Harry and Hermione pull Sirius out of his prison and fly up to him where Buck settled down.

"You're quick, Ace." commented Hermione.

"And yet, I didn't use my wild card." confessed Ace.

Harry and her got down from Buck.

"You need to leave now, Sirius. Quickly!" said Harry. "They will get here anytime."

Buck was hitting the ground with one of his paws, and shacking his head, as if to express impatience.

"Your eye, Portgas? And the other boy? Ron? Quickly inquired Sirius.

"I saw worse, per pity, Black. And Weasley is fine. Now leave, quickly!"

But Black only continued to stare at the three of them.

"How could I ever thank you?..."

"Leave now!" insisted the three students in unison.

"We will meet again, one day." said Black. "You... Your father would be proud, Harry... Portgas D. Ace..."

"Black Sirius..." replied Ace slightly nodding his head.

"Watch over them."

"Read the Quibbler in the next few days, you should find, if I get this right, an interesting article."

"I'll try."

Black signalled Buck with his heels, and the hippogriff flew away. Ace did not let them contemplate but pulled them toward him.

"How much time, Hermione?" asked Ace while running down the stairs.

"Under ten minutes before the door is locked." answered the young girl.

Ace motioned them to freeze against the wall.

They could hear Snape and Fudge pass close by their hiding spot. Ace motioned them to keep silent, and they ran toward a new corridor.

Peeves was awarded one of Ace's Haki covered fist in the head.

"Haki?" whispered Harry, looking at Peeves unconscious behind them.

"Yes... How long?"

"Still four minutes! We'll never be there on time!"

Ace grasped the two students by throwing them over his shoulders and ran down the corridors, until the infirmary.

Dumbledore was in the slightly agar door.

"No question to your fellow. Obey him without question. It is not yet the hour to reveal this secret."

Ace dropped his charge on the ground, just as Dumbledore was locking the door and turned to them, smiling.

"So?"

"Mission accomplished." assured Ace.

"Sirius ran away on Buck." answered a smiling Harry.

"Sir..." started Hermione.

"I know you have many question for your friend, but this is not the time. Later. It is his story, he may not want to twist the knife in this particularly painful scar. What about the infirmary, Portgas?"

"We left."

"Perfect, congratulations to the three of you. You may go rest, I will lock you back in. Oh and the 'Tsuki no Hime' asked me to give this back to you."

Ace grabbed the book and the tone dial that Dumbledore was holding for him.

"Arigatou."

The three students silently slipped inside the infirmary and the door closed on them. Each went back to their bed, seemingly happy to enter them.

"What are you listening to this time, Ace?" asked Hermione while the young man was putting his headphones in.

Ace activated the denden and smiled.

"The Dark Lady. A story about a pirate ghost ship... Lumos."

And he put his lighted wand in his book, in a way that he would be able to read lazily. A little after, Pomfrey came out of her office and walked toward them.

"Has the director left? Will I finally be able to take care of my patients now?"

She seemed in an especially foul mood.

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She stared at them while they ate their chocolate. Ace basically inhaled his without protest (while also trying not to get it all over his fingers), while Harry and Hermione seemed to struggle after their fourth piece.

That is when a furious howl could be heard throughout the castle.

Ace hid a smile, while the two others hid behind their chocolate.

"What is it now?" wondered the nurse both worried and upset.

Angry voices could be heard, coming closer to the infirmary, making the nurse turn toward the door, wrath on her face. If they continued like this, the entire castle would be awake.

"He must have apparated, Severus. We should have left someone with him in the room. When this is going to spread..."

"HE CANNOT HAVE APPARATED!" roared Snape, who was now close by. "IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO APPARATE WITHIN THE CASTLE! I AM SURE THAT POTTER IS IN ON IT!"

"Severus... be reasonable... Harry was locked..."

Bam!

The door to the infirmary swung open.

Fudge, Snape and Dumbledore irrupted in the room. Only the later one seemed perfectly calm. He almost looked amused. Fudge seemed angry, but Snape was absolutely livid.

"THIS IS IT, POTTER!" he screamed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" hissed Mrs. Pomfrey. "Control yourself, I beg you!"

Ace was silently supporting Mrs Pomfrey from his corner, but only Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore saw him.

"Please, Snape, be reasonable." said Fudge in a placating tone. "The door was locked, they couldn't have..."

"THEY HELPED HIS TO RUN AWAY, I KNOW IT!" screamed Snape, pointing to the three students.

"What do you want, it seems Black had to answer the Jolly Roger's call..." said Ace.

Snapes' face seemed to convulse in anger.

"Please, calm yourself!" said Fudge. "What you are saying does not make sense!"

"You read too many pirate stories, young Portgas." commented Dumbledore.

Ace stayed unfazed.

"YOU DO NOT KNOW POTTER!" persevered Snape. "HE'S THE ONE THAT DID THIS! I KNOW IT'S HIM!"

"Enough, Severus." said Dumbledore. "Think a little. This door was locked from the instant I left the infirmary, barely ten minutes ago. Mrs Pomgrey, did you see the students leave their beds?"

"Of course not." answered the woman, exasperated. "I did not leave them since you left!"

The story was done.

Ace was bored by conversation and decided to turn his focus back on his reading. He still listened, through his music (now a song boasting pirate's life) that the Dementors had to leave the castle once for all. A great thing. No more reminder of Marine Ford.

When the visitor finally left, Mrs Pomfrey walked back to her office, and Ron woke.

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Ace released the seventh year students and stretched out, breathing deeply.

Nothing left to do, except to choose which grade to give. He exchanged a nod with Percy who was leaving and went to collect his own things.

That is when Potter came running into the room.

"Portgas!"

"Nani?"

"Lupin is making is bags! Snape told on him!"

Swearing under his breath, Ace hurried to pick up his things and followed Harry in the hallways. All the way to Lupin's office which door was wide open. He was almost done packing his bags. His head was looking down on his desk and he only lifted it when hearing Harry knock on the door.

"I saw you come." said the werewolf with a smile.

He showed them the parchment on which he was looking. Ace had a sad smile. The Maraudeur's Map.

"I just hear that you were leaving up... how come?" inquired Ace.

"I am afraid I gave my resignation." sighted Lupin.

He opened his desk's drawers and started to empty it's content. The two boys noticed that he was limping.

"But why?" asked Harry. "The ministry did not think you had anything to do with Sirius did they?"

"That would be the icing on the cake... that guy is useless..." hissed Ace.

Lupin closed his door.

"It's because Snape-sensei let slip you second face?" asked Ace. "I am disappointed..."

"We had it coming. Whether it be James, Sirius or me, we were far from nice to him during our school years." sighted Lupin.

"You can't leave just for that!" exclaimed Harry.

Lupin had a weary smile.

"Tomorrow morning, around this time, the owls send by concerned parents will start to arrive. They will never want their children to be taught by a werewolf. And after what happened yesterday, they have every right, Harry. I could have bitten any of you... Ace was hurt... this cannot happen again."

"No sane student would run after a werewolf. And I got hurt because I haven't been able to use Haki with my animal form." answered Ace. "And since I can see you are still limping, I would say we both made some hits. I wear my scars with honour. They are part of my past, not a reason to be ashamed."

Lupin's smile was still sad.

"You are the best teacher we ever had!" said Harry. "Don't leave!"

Lupin silently nodded his head, and continued to empty his drawers.

"From what the Director told me this morning, the two of you saved the lives of multiple people yesterday evening. If there is one thing I can be proud is the progress you both made. Can you tell me about your Patronus..."

"I have seen your phoenixes, so I cannot compare them directly." said Ace. "Your are... different from what I know."

"Oh, really? What is your idea of them?" inquired Lupin, curious.

Ace closed his eyes, seeing his beloved Phoenix form.

"A huge bird, with feathers of fire, turquoise and fold... That is what my Patronus is. A bird, symbol of freedom, and fire... which is what I am..."

"I see... Your Patronus must be quite beautiful to see."

"It really is." confirmed Harry.

"Your deer is quite elegant itself, Potter." replied Ace. "Tell him."

Harry described what had happened. When he was done, Lupin was smiling anew.

"Yes, your father would morph into a deer. You guessed right... That why we nicknamed him Prongs."

Lupin threw his last few books in his suitcase, closed his drawers and turned toward Harry.

"Here, I grabbed this back from the Shrieking Shack, yesterday evening." he said while holding Harry's invisible clock.

Lupin hesitated, then also gave him back the Map.

"I am no longer your teacher, and as such, I cannot feel bad to give this back to you... I have no use for it, and can only image it would be useful to you..."

Harry took it with a smile.

"You told me that Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs wanted to trick me out of the school... You said they would find it funny."

"It's true." answered Lupin, closing his bag. "I am absolutely positive that James would have been extremely disappointed if his son did not discover a single of the secret passages that allow to leave the school."

Someone knocked on the door. Ace went to open while his fellow Gryffindor put the cape and map away.

"Ah, I see you finished the exam of the seventh year." said Dumbledore to Ace.

Ace nodded.

"You cab is at the door, Remus."

"Thank you, Director."

Lupin took his suitcase, and Ace grabbed the aquarium.

"I'll help you." said the D.

Lupin nodded and gave a last goodbye to Harry.

"Well this is it." concluded Remus while Ace slipped the aquarium into the back of the carriage.

"Thank you for having taught us." said Ace while bowing. "It's the first time I go to school, I am happy to have had a teacher such as yourself."

"It was my pleasure, Ace. I thank you for having kept my secret for so long."

"I know what it is to be an outcast, sensei."

Ace bowed once more and started to go away, but Remus called him back.

"Since we probably won't meet again, would you allow me to ask a few questions?"

Ace hesitated, then shrugged.

"How old were you when you died? And why did you?"

"Soka..." sighted the young man.

He looked at the ground for a little, then to the man in front of him.

"I was twenty one. It was a bare few days before my little brother's eighteenth birthday. I was sentenced to death for piracy, but also because I am the son of a notorious criminal. That day became a war between the Marines and the King of the Oceans. Two steps away from freedom, my brother fell, and was about to be killed... I didn't think, I interfered. It was the only think I could do. Save the one that gave me everything, the first, that gave me a taste of living."

Ace unbuttoned the top of his shirt, revealing his scar.

"I took a magma fist through the chest. I died with tears and a smile, with the only regret to not be able to witness when my brother will achieve his dreams."

"I see..." replied Lupin. "Meeting you was something quite unique, Second Commander Portgas D. Ace. I hope to see you again."

"Same goes here, Sensei."

"Please watch over of Harry."

"You're asking an infamous pirate... you're not scared of anything. Nevertheless, I will. Iterashai."

And on those last words, Ace turned back. He had a meeting with Dumbledore waiting.

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"This is ludicrous! Don't keep such an information to yourself!" roared Ace, moving all his weight on Dumbledore's desk.

"I agree with him, and you know it. The world must know this information." a strangely supportive Snape added, seated in front of the Director.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, I cannot. First, it would endanger thousands of people who never asked for it. Second, it would also give an opportunity to Tom's faithfuls to bring their master back at his full power."

"And the poor little people who are in danger?! How are they going to defend themselves? By barricading themselves in their home and wait until it's too late?! Why aren't you sharing this, at least with the Minister?!" raged Ace.

"Many of Tom's inner circle are now close to the Minister. Per example, Lucius Malfoy... Trusting Cornelius for even a shred is risking to give knowledge to the enemy.

"At least give the information to a few trusted people in the government, k'ssou! I'm a pirate, I shouldn't be the one telling you how to save your country! And Potter?! He needs to know! He has that bloody think in his own head! And no one wants to explain to me what it is, and nobody is doing anything for him to get rid of it. It could even kill him!"

"I will make no comment on that." announced Snape.

"Nor did I expect you to, sensei."

Dumbledore sighted and removed his glasses to massage his nose.

"If I am hesitant to bring Harry in confidence, it's in the hope for him to be able to live as close as a normal teenage-hood as he can, before he must face his destiny... There is also that if Tom ever manages to come back, through Harry, though involuntarily, there would be a way to know."

Ace straightened up, thoughtful.

"I am no magic expert, far from it... but is there such a think that allows one to split some of his soul into something else... or something like that?"

Snape gravely nodded his head.

"Horcrux. The darkest of the arts. After killing someone, a wizard can divide his soul to anchor it into something... this way, he can avoid dying, since a part of his very soul will still be lodge on this Earth."

"So, Snake Face made an Horcrux into Potter?"

"And the only way to get rid of it, is by killing Harry." sighted Dumbledore.

Ace let himself fall back in his seat, sighted heavily and started to think harder.

"Have you previously found this kind of object?" asked Ace.

"Unfortunately, a diary that was, until then, in Lucius Malfoy's possession." answered the old man.

"Malfoy was in the inner circle of Snake Face?"

"One of the important members, especially in the financial department..." answered Severus. "Why do you ask?"

"If Snake Face gave a piece of his soul to that man, it is possible, in the eventuality that he made others, he entrusted them to some of his closest ass-kissers..."

That left the two older wizards thoughtful.

"The Goblins do no like this kind of magic any more than we do. I will try to see with the Bank's director, if it is possible to search the Death Eater's vaults. At least those that are currently in Azkaban, to verify this possibility." announced the Director.

"About Potter... Is there a way to protect him from what's in his head?"

"Occlumency. Which you will never need. Is the art to close your mind to external intrusion." answered Snape. "Especially against Legilimens. I will teach you Legilimens as of next year."

"Is there books about this?"

"A few."

"I would like to access them. If I manage to grasp the idea of Occlumency, maybe I'll be able to teach it to Potter, which would protect him."

"And how do you hope to convince Harry?"

"I raised by myself, seven years during, my little brother. If there is one thing I learned, is that to get someone to do something, nothing works more than the idea of the final reward. If Potter learns that, once his mind is protected, he will have access to information that are kept from him for a long time, then... I am quite positive he would be more than happy to submit to the training. I will also make sure he learns how to fight without a wand. It will increase the likelihood of his survival."

"You seem to have planned quite a packed summer." commented Dumbledore.

"I also want to continue here. Potter will not survive, in the current state of things. And since everything indicate that the only way to get Snake Face six feet underground is with Potter as his adversary, I will do all I can to insure he will have every tool at his disposal. Sensei, with the books, could you add some shinai, and two bo?"

"With great pleasure." assured Snape.

"Potter stopped being a kid the day he lost his parents. He needs to be treated like an adult and stopping to cover for him."

"I am afraid I disagree with you about this. He is barely thirteen."

"That is when I killed someone for the first time, in the middle of Grey Terminal, to prevent my brother's rape. On another subject, I think there is something foul in the castle... extremely foul..."

"I will search it from top to bottom." was Snape's solemn answer.

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"It should be published this summer." announced Luna on Hogsmeade's platform on their way back to London.

"This is the address where I will be living" Ace told her while giving a piece of paper.

"I will send you the paper in preview." said the young girl, taking the address.

"My greatest thanks to your father for accepting to publish this."

"If it is about putting an incompetent leader back in his place, there's no trouble, Taisho. Have a nice summer."

"Thank you, same goes for you, Tsuki no Hime."

They both boarded the train. Ace quickly found an empty compartment, and took out a book and his music. Like on the way to school, the Golden Trio came to sit with him.

"Did you plug your mind back on your health?" asked Ace looking at Hermione.

"Yes. No more Muggle Study."

Ace nodded, ignoring the next conversation. He was happy to focus on his book, slightly humming along the music.

"How about you, Ace?"

Ace pulled his head back and blinked.

"Nani?"

"What will you be up to this summer? My father always manages to get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, using the ministry contacts! You could come!"

"No thank you, I'm not big on Quidditch." answered Ace.

"Where are you going to spend your summer?" asked Harry.

"In your neighbourhood, from what Dumbledore told me. A Squib is going to host me."

"I didn't know there was a Squib close to me." confessed the boy.

"Now you know. If you ever have issues with your family, come get me. It will be my pleasure to negotiate with them!"

Ace's smile seemed demonic, which made the three others laugh out loud.

"Oh and by the way, the Firebolt, Sirius is the one that asked me to buy it."

"How did you manage that?" exclaimed Ron.

"Hi-mi-tsu!"

Once the train reached it's destination, one could find it funny how they learned Potter had a godfather, and exactly who he was.

Then...

"Weren't you supposed to have a class that might kill you?" groaned Vernon.

"We'll see each other this summer, Potter!" saluted Ace with a wide smile, his hat deeply embedded on his head, hiding most of his face.

"Would you be able to train me? Since you won't be far?" asked Harry.

"No problem! If you're nice, I might even initiate you to Busoshoku!"

And Ace disappeared from the station.

"He is actually the teacher for that class! A war mage in formation, and with enough strength to break a fat tree with a single fist. And he's going to live right in the neighbourhood!"

Vernon managed to look even more horrified, which was quite hilarious.

"My godfather would not be happy to know that I cannot see one of my friends..."

Yes, this summer would definitely be awesome, from what he could gather on his uncle's crisp white face.

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Translator's Note: This is a little earlier than usual. Hopefully it will make someone smile today.