Vannen: Well, this is quite familiar.
Hiei: What ever it is, I don't want to know. LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!
Kurama: Don't tell me we have to go through this again.
Vannen: rubs back of her head Actually…
Kurama and Hiei: Shake heads
Vannen: As I'm sure many of you have gathered, I have to repost this. For some reason, the website you are currently visiting decided to delete it. I'm not sure why, but I assure you, I'm not happy.
Hiei: Neither are we.
Vannen: We've already established that.
Hiei: Hn.
Vannen: Well, anyway. I'm just going to put this back up. Yes, many things will change considering I don't have the original. I've deleted it. The first chapter or two will be the same as before but that's about where it will stop. I hope you all enjoy this years rendition of my story.
Kurama: RandR… Again, I guess. Oh, and Vannen does not own any of the characters mentioned in this chapter.
Vannen: Thanks Kurama. On with chapter 1 which I'm thinking I might revise a little as I go. Thanks all, and here we go!
Chapter 1
Letters, THE BOOK, Executioners, Travel, Wands, and Pets
Minamino Shuuichi sat at his desk, doing his homework, as always. Enjoying the quiet of the afternoon, he leaned back and looked out his window for a moment. It was so peaceful now. Koenma had stopped bothering him about new missions. Nothing in the world was bothering him. Well, almost nothing.
A raven soared gracefully past his window. Ah, to be that raven. To just soar, wheel, and turn by a simple rotation of the wing or shift of the weight. If only the life of an ex-thief was that simple. Instead, he was stuck, on the ground, bored, and waiting for an excuse to stop being Mr. Perfect.
"Daydreaming again, eh, fox?"
"Hello, Hiei," the redhead responded without being fazed. "Please use the door next time." He was used to the abrupt appearances of his short friend. "Watch your head," he added as something else caught his attention. The koorime jumped off the windowsill just as a pair of owls flew in. One, a handsome barn owl, coasted to a soft landing on Kurama's desk, the other, a screech owl, pumped its wings to keep itself aloft in front of Hiei.
"Hello there," Kurama murmured, ruffling the large bird's chest feathers, a small smile gracing the kitsune's features. "Where'd you come from? And why are you awake in the middle of the day?" The bird nipped playfully at his fingers. It then stuck out its left leg where an envelope, addressed in spidery green writing, was tied to it. "What's this?" The boy muttered, a little louder this time as he untied the twine that was holding the object there. He lifted the envelope and looked at it in puzzlement. "Mr. Minamino Shuuichi, third and final room upstairs on the left hand side, desk under the second east-facing window from the north, 2400 East, 95 North, Tokyo, Japan." He lifted an eyebrow at Hiei that was inspecting a similar envelope. "How would anyone know that?"
"How would anyone know this?" The fire demon retorted, handing over a similar envelope.
Kurama read, "Mr. Jaganshi Hiei, third and final room upstairs on the left hand side, windowsill of the first east-facing window from the north, 2400 East, 95 North, Tokyo, Japan."
"What do you think?" Hiei asked as Kurama tilted his head in bewilderment.
"I don't know," the youkai-kitsune murmured, "the only smell is that of the owl. There is no spirit energy on it, not even a trace. Can you sense where they're from?"
"No," Hiei replied, "which means only one thing."
"Koenma," the two chorused, one in mild amusement, the other in anger and disgust.
"I have no idea what it is," Koenma Daioh whined as he put his head on his desk, avoiding his pad of red ink he used for stamping his papers barely. "Not even my book has any record of this being sent. Have you looked at their contents?"
"No," Kurama replied, a little startled that THE BOOK wouldn't even have a record of this. That blasted thing had a record of everything, including the exact second he had started to brush his teeth that morning.
"Well, open them and see what they say," the pintsized ruler of Rekai ordered.
"We'll do that on our own time," Hiei interrupted and left the office abruptly. Kurama followed after bidding good-bye to his boss.
"What do we do with them?" Kurama inquired, turning the envelope over in his hands as they walked.
"Use them to make soup," his companion replied sarcastically. Kurama glared. "We open them."
"I figured that but I'm not sure I like the idea," the fox murmured.
"Get used to it," Hiei retorted as he walked through the breech in the barrier he had created and jumped back onto Kurama's windowsill.
"Shall we?" Kurama asked a little apprehensively. Hiei nodded and the two broke the strange seal on the back. "'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards) Dear Mr. Minamino, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress'."
"I don't understand." Hiei murmured. "Where is this place?"
"Wait, there's a postscript." Kurama murmured. "'We realize that you are from Japan. Enclosed is a plane ticket to London, England, where a wizard or witch will find you. They will give you instructions.'"
Hiei glanced at the list. "Where in the Makai are we going to find all this?"
"I suppose in England," Kurama replied. "Do we go? I seriously don't know what to do about all this."
"You're stumped? Oh, no. There world's coming to an end. Kurama, Mr. Perfect, doesn't know what to do. Enma save us." Hiei remarked mockingly, half smirk playing on his lips.
"Ha, ha," Kurama's voice was equally dry but held more humor than his friend's. "You didn't answer me. Should we go?"
"Hn. Think about it fox. You'll get to learn something new, or did you miss the word 'school'?" Hiei commented. "And I'll have new people to scare into their graves and a new place to steal from," he added to himself with an inward devilish smirk.
"You have a point. Only one problem," Kurama muttered, paling slightly.
"What?" Hiei inquired. After Kurama didn't answer immediately, he turned to the kitsune and looked at him in question. "What is it? You look as if you have a date with an executioner."
"Worse," the kitsune replied, fear evident in his voice. "What am I to tell Mother?"
"I'm going to murder you," Hiei growled in Japanese as the two entered the international airport in London, England. "Never again will I trust you when you say something is perfectly safe."
"It was only a little turbulence," the taller boy retorted absently in the same language, looking around. "Besides, how are you going to get back to Japan at the end of the school year?"
"I'll go through the Makai. It'd be more fun that way anyway."
"Point taken," Kurama replied. "Now, where are the people that are supposed to meet us here?"
"How would I know?"
"You could try to be nice for once."
"Right and the fool will win his next fight with Yusuke."
"Pardon me," a soft voice behind the two made them turn. "Might you be Minamino Shuuichi and Jaganshi Hiei?" A tall man with long silvery white hair, a long silvery white beard, and half moon spectacles stood behind them.
"Hai," the redhead replied. The person took on a quizzical expression. "I mean," he inwardly berated himself for forgetting the language difference, "yes, we are. And who might you be?"
"I am Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster at Hogwarts. I'm sure you're wondering what this is all about."
"Yes."
"Well, to put it simply-" he broke off and looked around. "Not here. Follow me," he turned on his heel and started walking rather briskly for someone his age. Looking at Hiei with a raised eyebrow, Kurama shrugged and did as he was told, the small fire demon following.
"Now, to put it simply, I've asked you to come and keep an eye on a pair of students that are starting this year as well."
"Translation: you want us to baby-sit." Hiei said to Dumbledore's explanation.
"You could put it that way but it doesn't make any difference. You will also be here to learn wizardry as your letters said."
"Wait," Kurama commanded rubbing his forehead. He was getting a headache. "What all do you know about us?"
"I know very well that the two of you are very talented eleven-year-old boys and that, with the right training, you will become very talented wizards."
"'Eleven-year-old boys'," Hiei murmured in Japanese with a smirk. "Does he really think we're that young? And that we're ningens?"
"Technically, in this form, I am only eleven, and you're short enough to be that old," Kurama replied.
"You know very well what I mean."
"Yes, Hiei, I do. So we're a little olderin spirit, andit's a simple mistake buthe's in for a BIG surprise when we tell him."
"Hn. I say we don't."
"That's a better idea. Let him find out on his own." A glint of gold entered the youth's eyes.
"Anyway, you will be staying here until September 1st, on which day I will return for you. Tom, the Innkeeper, will tell you how to get into Diagon Alley tomorrow where you will get your supplies. Here is all the money that you will need," Dumbledore told them, ignoring their conversation that he didn't understand and handed Kurama a bag with bronze, silver, and gold coins in it. The Youkai's eyes lit up at the sight of the shiny objects. "You each may get any pet that you wish. I know the letter says that you may only have a cat, a rat, or a toad but the creatures in that alley usually have magical properties. I wish for you two to have what ever animal will aid you the most in protecting your charges."
"Who are our charges?"
"You will find out soon enough," the head master replied. "I must be going. I'll see the both of you in a few weeks." With that, the old man left.
"I hate people like that," Hiei muttered.
"They aren't exactly my favorite either," Kurama agreed. The two retired to their rooms in the Leaky Cauldron Inn.
"I'm going to kill that stupid piece of crap." Hiei growled as he walked down the stairs. "Who would make a blasted mirror talk?"
"Morning Hiei," Kurama said once his friend had entered.
"Hn."
"Someone's in a cheerful mood." Hiei glared vehemently at his tall friend.
"Hello lads. I'm Tom. Professor Dumbledore asked me to show you around and help you in any way." A bald man with hunched shoulders said."What'll you have for breakfast?"
"Just an orange," Kurama replied, covering a yawn with his hand.
"Same," Hiei growled.
"Two oranges, coming up," the man left the two. He soon returned with the requested items. The boys ate quickly and Tom showed them into Diagon Alley, telling them how to get in and how to return when they had completed their shopping.
"What do we need?" Hiei asked, snatching the list from Kurama's hands.
"Wands," the redhead replied and dragged his friend along behind him. He was headed for a shop called Olivander's. A bell over their head jingled as they entered. An old man came walking in and gave a squeak.
"Take what you want, just don't harm me!" he pleaded, dropping behind his desk, staring fixedly at Kurama.
"Pardon my bluntness," the youth murmured, "but what on earth are you talking about?"
"He knows who we are," Hiei growled, his Jagan glowing slightly behind its bandana on his forehead.
"How?" Kurama's voice had gone cold. A familiar gold tint came to his eyes. He stared directly at the man.
"My family specializes in identification spells. We have to know who and what we deal with in our line of work," the old man's voice shook as he spoke.
"What do we do with him?" Hiei was half a step behind the taller demon, hand hovering over the hilt of his sword.
"We leave him. He won't tell anyone." The gold faded and emerald green eyes blinked.
"Oh, thank you!" The old man leapt from behind his desk. "Now, I suppose you'll be needing wands." He started sorting through shelves, all business once again. He handed it to Kurama. "Nope!" he said and snatched it back immediately. He threw it in a corner after Hiei had tested it with similar results. This went on for quite a while. Soon, every wand in the place had been tried and none of them seemed to be what the man was looking for. "I don't understand," he murmured, distress evident on his face. "I've never had a customer that I didn't have a wand for."
"Maybe you don't have the right materials," Kurama suggested.
"Of course! That's it," he turned and looked the kitsune in the eyes. "I'll need you to enter your true form and you into your more demonic looking one," he looked at Hiei.
The two sighed heavily. "I'm warning you," Kurama said, "this may not be wise."
"I know very well the destruction you can cause. I will take my chances. Please, take on your forms."
Hiei and Kurama gave each other a look that clearly stated that they really didn't want to do this. Nevertheless, they did as they were told. Kurama put on a large display of power as he let his other half take over. Hiei kept things quiet. As soon as the two were finished with their changes, Olivander stepped forward. He reached towards Kurama's head.
"What do you think you are doing?" The fox demanded as he glared down at the man and stepped out of reach.
"I need one of your hairs. Only the right one will do."
The demon sighed as he allowed the man to pull a hair out. "It does not matter which one you take, you know," the fox commented absently. "They are all perfect." Shuuichi took over immediately after.
"I wish that wouldn't happen?" The human murmured tiredly.
"It's quite alright. He was as well behaved as I would expect him to be, although he wasn't completely correct. Some of his hair is more potent than the rest. Had I taken one of them, your wand probably wouldn't obey you." Turning to Hiei, he quickly plucked out a hair before the fire-demon could protest.
"Perfect," the man said with a smile. Hiei dropped the multiply eyed form and glared at the human. "Now, for wood type and length."
"May I make a few suggestions?" The ever-helpful side of Kurama inquired.
"Of course."
"Rosewood around ten inches in length for me and wood from the Death Tree around eight inches for Hiei."
"I've never heard of the Death Tree and I rarely use rosewood. It's not strong enough, breaks too easily."
"I will strengthen the rosewood. I will also provide wood from the Death Tree." Kurama informed the wizard. He pulled a rose from his hair and started manipulating it with his energy. When he had finished, he held the desired length of wood. "This is just as strong as my whip. It will be perfect." He handed the wood to the astounded man. Moments later, Kurama had sprouted a Death Tree. He took off one of the branches, formed it, and handed the results over to the wand maker in front of him. The youth forced the tree back into its original form.
"These are exquisite specimens." Olivander stated, slightly amazed. "You would make a fine wand maker." He nodded at the demon. He completed the wands, Kurama paid him, and the two demons left.
"What next?" Hiei asked, again stealing the list.
"Robes," Kurama replied. He led his short friend to a nearby shop.
"Hello dears," an elderly woman came walking up. "Hogwarts I assume." Kurama nodded affirmation. "Step up here dear. We'll get you fitted." The woman motioned Kurama forward. After he had been fitted for his normal robes, she stepped back to gain a better look at him. "You are a difficult choice for colors," she stated. Turning, she started rummaging through different colors of cloth. "We need something dark to accent that gorgeous hair of yours. Let's see here. I think a deep blue or maybe a forest green. What do you think dear?" She held up a few shades.
"Black with gold, blue, and green embroidery," a voice behind Kurama said. He twisted from his position as the lady started fitting him with the dress robe. Standing behind him was another old woman, probably the owner of the shop.
"You're finished. Come by at the end of the day and pick them up. They should be ready." She turned to Hiei. "You're next. Step up there." Hiei did as he was told grudgingly. After a similar process, he was fitted for his normal robes and midnight blue robes embroidered in silver and red for his dress robes. He was given the same instructions.
"Never again," Hiei grumbled as they left. "Come on, fox. Hurry up." He headed off for the next shop.
An hour later, the two had everything they needed except for a pet. Looking around, Kurama found a dark shop that housed all sorts of creatures. He led the way. Upon entering, the two were buffeted from sound on all sides. They separated and started walking among the rows of creatures.
Something intelligent, crafty, quiet, and graceful. That was what Kurama first thought of as he searched for a pet. A fox would be nice, but the few that resided within this shop didn't exactly meet up to what he wanted. Passing by the small creatures, he came to the dogs. A little tiny one wouldn't do him any good. Besides, they had those annoying yippy voices that drove everyone insane. Larger was better in this situation. He gave these creatures a look. All of which were too loud, clumsy, untrained, or stupid. Dogs were out of the picture as well it seemed. Cats uh… they just didn't interest the kitsune. Birds were more of a meal than a pet to the predator. Not a single creature appealed to him. He sighed heavily as he continued. It seemed that he was wasting his time. As he made his second circuit of the store, he noticed a cage behind the others. Inside was a creature he hadn't seen before. It looked like a dog, but it was a lot larger than those he had heard of. Its dense, glossy black coat caught the light and its deep-set golden eyes watched the youth carefully.
"What are you?" Kurama whispered as he bent to get a better look.
"She's what's known as a Newfoundland Hound. She has unusual eyes for her kind. Gorgeous, isn't she?" A woman came up behind Kurama to look at the dog. "Too bad no one will take her."
"Maybe if you didn't hide her behind all these other cages," Kurama suggested as he reached a hand through the bars and scratched the dog behind the ears.
"It's not that. She's just not very nice, rather protective, doesn't like people touching her." The woman looked at Kurama oddly. "She must find something about you that she likes though. Most people can't get near her without her trying to bite them."
"I'll take her," Kurama decided as he opened the door to the dog's enclosure. She padded out and butted his hand, wanting to be scratched some more.
"Thank you," the woman said relieved. "She's not cheap to feed."
"I'll be alright," Kurama replied. "Does she have a name?"
"No, I'm afraid not."
"Is she trained?"
"I'm not sure. She'll do something one time when you tell her and other times she doesn't. It seems she only does what she wants to do."
Kurama looked at the large dog that now stood next to him. Just four inches shy of being three feet tall; the dog was able to nudge his hand without difficulty.
Meanwhile, Hiei was searching for something that wasn't annoying, was calm, intelligent, didn't fear him too much, and could stand up to the intense heat that he produced. Everything here shrank back from him as he approached. Even creatures that originated from countries around the equator wouldn't go near him. Grumbling slightly, he kept maneuvering between the cages. A glint at the back of the shop caught his eye. Approaching the object, he realized that it was a large black egg. He reached a hand out and felt an immense amount of heat radiating from it. Only one thing that he knew of could produce such temperatures. It was a phoenix's egg. He scooped it up gently and looked at it. He knew a lot about these creatures and intended to test his knowledge. From the coloring of the egg, it was one of the rarest breeds of phoenixes. The only way that this creature would obey him and stay with him is if he raised it from the moment it hatched. He knew of their healing powers and their intelligence. Not only that, they generally didn't make much sound. Deciding this would be his knew companion, Hiei picked the egg up and carried it to the desk.
"Nice mutt," Hiei commented as the two left with their new pets.
"I thought so," Kurama replied.
"What are you naming her?"
"Yugure."
"'Nightfall,' fitting," Hiei murmured as they continued down Diagon Alley.
"What did you get?"
The fire demon pulled the phoenix egg out of his pocket and showed it to the fox.
"Good choice," Kurama commented. "What are you going to name it?"
"Moyasu."
"'Consume with fire,' perfect for a phoenix."
"Hn."
Vannen: Well, that's finished. I just went through and corrected spelling and grammar and stuff. Hope you all enjoyed and I'll place the next chap up later.
Hiei: Give her some reviews so she'll stop chattering my ear off.
Vannen: Oh, shut-up you pintsized demon.
Hiei: What did you just call me?
Vannen: Uh… Never mind… sweatdrop
Hiei: DIE!
Kurama: While those two settle down, why don't you review? Vannen will appreciate it.
Vannen: Thanks Kurama! Later all! keeps running from Hiei.