Character(s)/Pairing(s): Harry Potter, Nasutei, Jun, Naaza, various Youja

Warnings: Episode 5 spoilers

Summary: Nasutei makes a surprising discovery concerning Harry…

Hiss

Nasutei thought she had known terror already, first when she had raced on a stolen bike in Shinjuku as people fled Tokyo and dark clouds obscured the sky. Then she had been taken hostage, twice, first by a Youja and then by Oni Masho Shuten Douji, who had promptly tried to throw her into a volcano. She had lost her beloved Grandfather and cried like she had never cried before before trying to reason herself and help young Rekka no Ryo find his companions again, less their world would be condemned.

Yes, so far, her experience had been pretty terrifying and traumatizing, and dimly, she thought she'd need intense therapy once… once everything would be over.

She probably wasn't the only one, for Jun and Harry seemed pretty shaken themselves, though they tended to hide it. But losing his parents had been hard for Jun, and Harry… Well, she didn't know for sure how Harry felt about losing his Uncle, Aunt and cousin. He looked worried for them, but nowhere near as adamant at getting them back as Jun was. Then again, Harry didn't speak much, what's with their communication problems. It was a pity Ryo barely knew two words of English and herself, although she spoke the language, was not used to speak it.

The little green-eyed boy sometimes blinked at her when she spoke, not having understood her right away. Her accent and her sometimes awkward grammar didn't help, she knew, but they had managed so far. It was lucky for them she at least could communicate with the child. Still, she had decided she would feel better once they found Kourin no Seiji. Seiji could speak English with surprising fluidity and though he maintained a sort of cold, aloof air about him the other Troopers didn't have, he was very kind to Harry.

However, Seiji was still sleeping somewhere in these caves… and the three of them were currently in a bad situation as Doku Masho Naaza loomed over them, his troops circling them, allowing them no escape. The two children were huddled against her, and she held to them dearly, even if she knew whatever protection she could provide them with was futile.

That evil laugh as he boasted of Ryo's imminent failure made her shudder. Harry pressed closer to her, green eyes wide and she could feel him shake against her as he watched the Masho warily.

Did he fully understand what was going on? From the looks of it, even if Harry didn't know for sure what was being said, he could at least guess. Their situation, after all, wasn't good, even the youngest child under her care could say. She desperately wanted to reassure him, but she couldn't find the right words in the little British boy's own language.

Harry couldn't seem to get his eyes off Naaza, even when he spoke to her. "Nasutei…" he whispered.

Then… something weird happened.

There was a sound… a sound she startled at and she lowered her eyes in shock. Was Harry… hissing? Like a snake? She stayed petrified for a second, thinking she had misheard. There was no way… no way she had heard him correctly. Perhaps Harry was just… playing? No, that was stupid; nobody would play or tease in a situation like that.

Curiously, the Doku Masho threw his head back and laughed darkly, eyeing Harry insanely, and she saw the child gulps.

"You're right to be afraid, little Ningen. But don't think for a second the woman or the other whelp can help you. They're just as helpless as you, and don't count on Rekka to save you either," the Masho seemed to grin insanely beneath his helmet, and his voice seemed to hiss as well. In fact… just as Nasutei registered what he had just said, he launched himself into a couple of hisses that made Harry take a step back and huddle closer to her. Nasutei's mind raced.

How did Naaza do that? Granted, his eyes were… weird, and not unlike those of a reptile, and he wasn't human, he was a demon. But how did Harry produce such a sound? More importantly, how could anyone but her not have noticed? Because, at first glance, she seemed to be the only one who had noticed something amiss. Whatever sound Harry had produced… it hadn't been any human language she could think of. Jun didn't seem to have noticed, but then again he had been on Nasutei's other side and might not have heard the whispered hiss over the sound of armoured feet clanking on the stone.

More puzzling was Naaza. Had the Doku Masho thought Harry was speaking audibly? Had he really deciphered that… that… hiss Harry had produced? Had he understood him… as if Harry had spoken Japanese? Had he just been mocking, or was the hiss… a real language? If so, had the Youja understood it too? None of them had reacted to it as if it was something unusual, for what she could see. As for Harry… had he understood what Naaza had said back? He seemed to, but she couldn't be sure. Had the boy even noticed what he had done? Because now he was whispering again in English, no more hissing like a snake.

If not for the fact Naaza had actually partially hissed his answer, she could have dismissed it as a hallucination.

What could that mean, exactly? Was Harry… not human?

She didn't get the time to pursue that line of thought for long. Quite suddenly, they were grabbed and dragged along as the Masho progressed further in the caves, seeking to end the life of the warrior of Light.

Then they found Ryo, blind from the venom thrown into his eyes (and she felt dread as she realized it, wondering if Ryo would ever see again) and Seiji awoke and defeated Naaza, who disappeared in the confusion even as the Youja were annihilated, and then he managed to heal Ryo's eyes (thank Kami!) and then they were talking about the poem and which of their fellow Troopers they should go and get…

Nasutei eyed Harry speculatively all the while. The green-eyed boy was watching the Troopers with awe, especially Seiji, hanging by Jun and Byakuen, not daring to come closer to the older boys, as if shy.

He was the perfect picture of innocence, harmless and vulnerable. There was nothing remotely worrisome or strange about him.

And still… Nasutei remembered the hiss, and wondered…

End… For Now

Rather short, I know, but hopefully next part will be longer; I just need to write it down. XD
To answer any question you my have, Harry spoke Parseltongue upon meeting Naaza's eyes, as they're similar enough to a snake's for him to slip without noticing. Naaza and the Youja didn't notice either because so far, nobody on their side really noticed Harry didn't speak Japanese, and Naaza was so busy boasting he didn't notice right away that what he heard wasn't human speech, luckily for our young wizard. I'm using Naaza being probably part demon-snake to explain it, just so you know.
Will he continues to be obvious to Harry's 'gift', however, remain to be seen.
And Nasutei will have to speak to someone about Harry...

See you around for a next part!