Third Year at Hogwarts
Title: Third Year at Hogwarts
By: arashiforyou
Genre: Friendship/ Fantasy/ Drama
Rating: PG13
Summary: Matsujun is a third year at Hogwarts. Aiba heard a bloodcurdling scream that the Elites have reported hearing the same sound. Suspicious of it's connection with the talismans, Aiba began researching intensely! Jun and Nino also decides to help Aiba and together, they plan to enter the Restricted Section to find out more about the Vocal Wizards. How will they accomplish this task? What will Jun do?
Chapter 6 - The Polyjuice Potion
It's strange. Jun suddenly feels...content. He hasn't realized it until now that he has been feeling down and depressed for a long time. After a few weeks already into his third year, Jun started noticing what a great place Hogwarts really is! Not that he hasn't noticed the greatness of magic that came into his life, but how bright the castle is and how happy the students are too.
Making friends. Having fun. Playing jokes. Sharing gossipy news. Complaining about too much homework. Playing wizard chess. Running away from Aiba's stinky fart "resistant" test sample pellets.
Maybe minus the latter, Hogwarts...is an amazing place!
"You're smiling more these days, Matsujun," Ohno pointed out.
"Am I?" Jun said, his face still grinning. "Yeah...I am!"
"May I ask why you have such a dopey face?"
"Well," Jun pouted, "things just feel...so much better."
Ohno's expression softly changed from gigglishly curious to a calming happiness.
"You really do look happy, Jun," Ohno nodded. "I'm happy for you."
Jun nodded as well. It was as if a large thorn has finally been pulled from his heart and the pieces are back to together. After such a long time, has Jun finally gotten over Sho's rejection...?
"Hey, look at that. The fog is clearing," Ohno pointed at the crystal ball.
It was another Divination class, and they were practicing the "art" of crystal gazing. Ohno had tried his best to see through the smoky white crystal, but he failed to see anything. Jun also tried staring hard like a moron into the crystal ball but nothing came up until now.
"I see something too," Jun gasped, straining his eyes to get a better look.
A dark shadow spiraled around until it straighten into two figures that looked like human bodies. One was a slim body that looked more like a female, and the other represented more like a male. The two figures started circling around each other as if they were dancing. Soon, the shadows wisped away and a new figure appeared. This time, it looked like a large creature, and Jun had a hard time seeing a clear picture of it.
"What is that?" Jun mumbled to himself. As if she heard him, Professor Shiori came to their table.
"Has the crystal revealed something?" She asked and gazed into the orb as well.
Jun waited for her expert advice until she gasped. Everyone who heard her turned their heads to watch what was the commotion. Her face turned pale, and her mouth opened in shock.
"I fear," she whispered, "that a great threat lies in your future."
Jun only raised his eyebrow at her. However, Ohno looked serious.
"For the both of us?" He asked.
"Since you both saw this," she said, "then it must be so."
Jun and Ohno glanced at each other in suspicion. Finally, the class ended and they descended down the long spiral staircase. Nino was right behind them, not bothering to follow Narimiya in his never-ending quest to peak at girls' panties.
"What did you guys saw?" Nino asked.
"It looked like...a giant snake," Jun said, trying to remember the strange figure. "But the first shadows looked like a man and a woman."
"Yeah," Ohno nodded. "They were dancing with each other or something."
"Too bad Professor Shiori didn't see that," Jun shrugged. "It could have meant something good."
"Heh," Ohno nudged Jun's side, "maybe it was about the future of you and Mao-chan. Heh, heh!"
"Shut up," Jun playful shoved Ohno away.
"Hey, don't you think so, Nino?" Ohno asked. Nino was quiet for a while.
"...yeah, sure," Nino responded that made Jun's stomach twist uncomfortably.
'He's still jealous about that?'
The three of them silently headed down for their Herbology class when Sho walked out of the Great Hall. He spotted them immediately and easily walked towards them. Jun watched Sho approached him and suddenly noticed he was breathing regularly.
'I'm not as fidgety as I used too,' Jun thought. 'I guess this is a good thing.'
"Hey, guys," Sho greeted them. "Are you going to Herbology?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Nino asked.
"Ohno told me," Sho shrugged.
"He didn't even said anything," Jun said, glancing at Ohno.
Ohno's expression was purely blank. His eyes stared straight at Sho without any emotion. He wasn't moving the slightest either, not a weight change of his foot or a small scratch of his nose...just dead on staring with sleepy eyes. Sho stared back with the same blank face and the same stillness, but Jun noticed they took turns blinking. It was as if...
"Don't tell me..." Jun mumbled, looking back between the two, "...you guys can read each other's minds?!"
Nino's mouth opened in shock. Finally, Sho and Ohno snapped out of their little staring session and moved again. Ohno scratched his nose, and Sho just rubbed his knuckles.
"Y-yeah," Sho nodded, looking bashful.
Jun felt his skin turn cold.
"How long have you done this?" Jun asked, trying to keep calm.
"It's no big deal," Ohno said, noticing Jun's worried face. "It's just something we found out one day."
"So you can communicate through your minds, now?" Nino asked.
"I guess we've always had," Sho shrugged. "Look, it's no harm to us. It's actually kinda neat, you know. We sometimes talk during class when the teacher is lecturing and-"
"You're getting sucked in!" Jun yelled, roughly grabbing his hair as if he was about to lose it. "Don't you get it! The more you use your powers, the more you'll lose yourself into it!"
"Jun, calm down!" Ohno ordered.
Jun was taken by surprised. Ohno hardly raised his voice except when they were in danger. But Jun remembered the time Ohno's tone changed back at the Leaky Cauldron. There was a strong sense of authority behind the usual calm and quiet boy. Jun wondered if this was a hidden personality of Ohno...or someone else...
"Let's go," Ohno said to Sho, and the two boys walked away in synchronizing steps.
"I don't believe it," Jun gasped, watching his two friends walk away. "Don't they realize what's happening to them?! Sho was worried about this before, but now he hardly cares anymore."
Jun felt Nino's hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly.
"We have to know more about these Vocal Wizards like Aiba said," Nino nodded. "If there is a way to get them back to normal...I'll do it."
"Where's Aiba?" Jun asked, feeling a new determination in his gut. "We need to get to that Restricted Section now?"
* * *
"No can do," Aiba shook his head.
"Ehhh?!" Nino and Jun complained.
They slouched in their chairs again while Aiba kept his feet propped up on the table in their library VIP spot.
"We need a better strategy to get in the Restricted Section than just walking in at night," Aiba said, sounding smart for once. "I just did a check on the area and it turns out the Head Librarian puts up a new scanning spell over the entrance."
"Scanning spell?" Jun asked.
"It's a type of security-slash-protection spell," Nino explained. "It acts like a toll booth."
"Teachers can access the place without a problem," Aiba continued. "But when they enter, their faces are scanned so the Head Librarian knows who has been there. If a student with a note enter, the spell will register the student's face with the note and allow them through."
"So if a student without a note entered...?" Nino wondered, letting Aiba answer for him.
"We'll get caught," Aiba nodded. "We can still get in, but the Head Librarian will be on us the next morning like the itch on Ohno's nose."
Nino rubbed his eyes like he haven't slept in weeks. Jun also felt let down with the new information. How are they going to get in the Restricted Section now?
"...what if..." Aiba mumbled quietly, "perhaps...yes, that must be it!"
But before Jun could ask, Aiba dashed away from their VIP spot and disappeared behind the bookshelves. Jun and Nino didn't even exchange a word or a glance yet since Aiba came back as quickly as he left. A huge grin spread across his face like the shining sun.
"I have a solution!" Aiba nodded, slamming down an thick book on the table and opening it to a certain chapter. "The Polyjuice Potion."
"Poly-what?" Jun asked.
"You can't be serious, Aiba," Nino said, staring down at the book. "The Polyjuice Potion is a complex potion. You want us to morph into someone else so we won't get caught as ourselves?"
"Whoa," Jun gasped, looking at the graphic pictures. "So that's what it is."
"It's the only plan we've got," Aiba said. "If we all work together on this, we might finish this before a month."
"We shouldn't rush a difficult potion," Jun said, carefully reading the ingredients. "Look at this! Fluxweed picked only during the fullmoon...antimony...lacewing flies stew for twenty-one days!?"
"Jun is right," Nino said. "It's too risky. Someone will spot us brewing it."
Aiba smirked again.
"Did I tell you guys a great friend of mine name Sunako?" Aiba smiled.
* * *
"What a dump!" Nino sneered.
Jun agreed. The abandoned bathroom was old and moldy. No one has cleaned or used the place in a long time. The perfect place to hide something or have some alone time. Jun walked down the aisle of stalls and found them all open and empty except one.
He pushed the door open and felt his stomach leap to his chest. Goosebumps crawled up his skin and the hairs on the back of his head stood up. A pale girl with long, dark, messy hair stood before him with a dark and shaggy cloak.
"AAAAHHH!" Jun jumped back three feet and bumped into Nino.
"Oh, hey Sunako," Aiba smiled. "Still hiding in the stalls?"
The girl slowly approached them, and Jun hid behind Aiba for protection while Nino cowarded behind Jun. Aiba continued to smile at the creepy girl.
"Ma..." she groaned. "MABUSHI!!" And head-butted Aiba.
Only she went right though him.
"Wah!" Aiba gasped. "Don't do that, Sunako! It's cold."
She just pouted and floated away. Jun watched the ghost girl sat on top of the stall doors and stared down at them, twiddling her fingers.
"Nakahara Sunako haunts this bathroom," Aiba explained. "Is it okay if we make a potion here, Sunako?"
"Oooh," she nodded, her voice too deep for a girl. Nino stared up at her with disdain.
"Ugly Sunako," he mumbled, but she heard him.
"UGLY?!" She screeched and swoop down to pass right through Nino's stomach. He shivered.
"Why here?" Nino moaned, wrapping his arms around himself.
"It's the only safe place I know," Aiba said. "Come on, let's get started if we want more information on the Vocal Wizards."
They each planned to gather the ingredients they could get easily first, and then move on to the harder ingredients to find. The plan was to make the potion as soon as possible before someone finds out they were brewing in a girl's bathroom. Jun took care of finding a spare cauldron big enough for them to use while Nino went ingredients-hunting.
Apparently, they decided not the tell Sho or Ohno about the mission. They will find out more about the Vocal Wizards on their own and, if possible, find a way to get them back to normal. Aiba was pumped and determined throughout the long weeks. Occasionally, Nino and Jun would looked stressed out, but Aiba would always walk into the girl's bathroom with a huge smile and encourage them to get to work.
Jun was surprised at Aiba's potion-making abilities. He was dead on with the instructions, and it wasn't long until the potion looked thick and murky with large bubbles slowly bursting.
"I can't believe that we actually did it," Nino sighed, his arms crossed and staring down at the disgusting potion. Jun stood with his shirt sleeves rolled up and his hands on his hips.
"We're suppose to drink that?" Jun asked, while Aiba continued to stir.
"Mmhmm," Aiba nodded, also looking disgusted. "We only have an hour before we change back. So we better be thorough when we search through the Restricted Section."
"Did you get the extra robes?" Nino asked Jun.
"Yeah," Jun said, pulling out three spare robes from his bag. "Regular robes with no house brand on them."
"Good, it's ready," Aiba said, pouring out three individual glasses for them to drink. Sunako watched them closely from the ceiling.
"That looks beautiful," she mumbled with a creepy smile.
"Okay, add the hairs," Aiba said and flicked a single hair into his potion.
Jun and Nino did so as well and watched their potions changed color. Jun's potion turned into a deep shade of orange like a ripe fruit drink. Aiba's turned into a dark red color whereas Nino's changed to a pleasant pink color like a peach.
"Who's hair did you steal from?" Jun chuckled at Nino's pink potion.
"Yamapi's," Nino said, also looking suspicious at the pink solution. "I went through his stuff without him looking."
"Mine is Seto Koji's," Aiba said. "He kinda annoys me. He has this fetish for violins, and he makes the most stinkiest potions to get the right color for a violin coating. He's a weird guy."
"I took Jin's hair," Jun said, looking at his orange potion. "Akanishi Jin. We got into a little argument once, so I don't mind getting him in trouble."
"Alright," Aiba nodded. "Bottoms up."
And together, the three boys drank down their potion without stopping. Nino smacked his lips like he drank a delicious dessert while Aiba and Jun only made subtle expressions. Jun's potion tasted like a fruit drink that had a little kick like a sweet alcohol drink. They waited for a good minute until Jun felt his skin move irregularly. He glanced at the mirror and watched before his very eyes his face morphing.
"Whoa," Jun gasped as he touch his face, or rather, Jin's face. "Huh? I still sound like myself."
"Wah," Aiba, or Seto, gasped. "Amazing!"
"Nino?" Jun stared at Nino's back, but his back looked rather...feminine.
"Oh my god!" Aiba gasped. "Horikita Maki?"
"No way!" Jun stared, realizing it was Maki.
"B-but," Nino stared at the mirror, shaking his new heart-shaped head. "That's impossible! I swear I took a hair from Yamapi's clothes last night!"
"You must've picked Maki's hair from Yamapi's clothes," Aiba shrugged.
"Why was Maki's hair on Yamapi's clothes though?" Jun asked the obvious question.
They didn't answer.
"This is bad," Nino said. "I don't want Maki to get in trouble. I wanted Yamapi to get busted because he planted one of Aiba's stupid fart pellets under my pillow."
"We still have to do this mission, Nino," Aiba said, looking insulted. "Either come or not, we need to get in that Restricted Section."
Nino, or Maki, pouted.
"Okay, I'll come," Nino sighed. "Since I know you're all useless without me."
It was the dead of the night as they tiptoed towards the library. Thankfully, the library was open and they sneak inside. The library is always quiet during the day, but at night, it's a different kind of quietness. There would always be someone walking down the bookshelves or the noise of someone whispering to each other. This time, there was no noise except for them. It was almost unpleasant...like they were being watched.
"There," Aiba whispered.
The Restricted Section only had a single bar to lock the door, but the frame was elegant. Jun guessed the spell surrounded the frame. Aiba quietly pull the lock free and pushed the door opened. Aiba and Jun easily walked through, but Nino tried to cover his face as best as he could.
"Even if you do that, Maki will be found instead," Aiba said.
"I know. I feel bad enough about it," Nino said. "Let's just get started."
"Alright, split up," Aiba said.
The Restricted Section wasn't that big, but if they don't work fast enough, they won't be able to go through all the books. Jun started the left side, Nino took the center area, and Aiba searched the bookshelves on the right. Jun quickly scanned the titles of the books. Normally, Jun doesn't like judging a book by its cover, but with the time limit, he had no other choice.
"Seduction of DansuMahou....Good Uses of Unforgivable Curses..." Jun mumbled.
Jun was already on the third bookshelf when a certain book caught his eye. It didn't had a title on its spine, but it had a thick, rich, velvet color. He carefully pulled it down and saw only one name on the front cover in silver print.
Metal
Jun opened the book and gasped. It was about the Metal Vocal Wizard as he suspected. There were charts and diagrams about metal and its powers. Chapters about the element and a whole section about the Vocal Wizard's history. This is just what Jun was looking for. He couldn't help himself but read the first few sentences.
"Known as the youngest of the five is the Metal Vocal Wizard, capable of manipulating the element metal. It was the Metal Vocal Wizard who made the prophecy before the fall of the Five Vocal Wizards: 'And they'll come once again. Five vocals of five different voice. Through truth and one love. Through blood and soul. They will take this world by storm.' The Metal Vocal Wizard is said to be the most strongest and-"
"Jun!" Nino whispered. Jun slammed the book closed. "We gotten get outta here!"
"What?!" Jun panicked.
Aiba appeared behind Nino with his bag filled with books. "There's someone here!" He whispered. "We gotta move!"
"Who-" but before Jun could finish, Aiba and Nino made a beeline towards the exit.
As quietly as they could, they tried to maneuver through the maze of bookshelves, but then a light appeared around the corner making them stop dead in their tracks. Aiba quickly led them behind another tall bookshelf and hid underneath the tables. Nino and Jun followed in suit and waited for the light carrier to pass by. Hopefully, the cover of darkness will spare them.
'Who would be out at night?' Jun thought, hoping they wouldn't be spotted.
Loud shoes clicked the floor, signaling the person was coming closer. It must have been ages just hearing the shoes growing louder and closer, as if it knew it was not alone.
Finally, Jun heard the footsteps stop. A long pause followed and Jun was sure they were caught, but he didn't dare peak from his hiding spot. From under the table, Jun could make out a pair of shoes.
"Are you alone?" A man spoke. A voice so raspy, deep, and deadly.
"Yes," the other responded, making Jun gasp.
'It's Naruse Ryo?' Jun's eyes widen. He glanced at Aiba and Nino. They also recognized his voice.
"There has been a new update," the man continued. "Tamaki-sama grows impatient. He wants the talisman now."
"I'm closing in on the talisman as we speak," Naruse answered. "Tsukumo Ryusuke has reported to the Elites that a boy has heard the beast's cry a month ago."
"Have the Elites suspected the boy as a Vocal Wizard?" The man asked, sounding enraged.
"No," Naruse said, calmly. "Other Elite members heard similar cries of the beast, but Tsukumo suspected the boy heard a different level of power."
"Naruse, if Tamaki-sama does not receive the talisman by spring...he will come for you," the man threatened.
"I am aware of the situation. The beast is difficult to capture, but in due time, we will have the Wind Talisman."
"Be that as it may," the man said, followed by a few footsteps, "but there are already two Vocal Wizards. If this one fuses with its perfect suitor, Lord Tamaki will be most displeased."
There was a long and nerve-wracking silence.
"You are forgetting one important fact, Fujiwara," Naruse said, his voice sounding dangerous. "My allegiance to Lord Tamaki Hiroshi surpasses your services. I communicate directly to Lord Tamaki, and I am one of the few who knows Lord Tamaki's true purpose."
The other man was silent, and Jun could imagine the anger growing on his face.
"Do not question my ways, Fujiwara Tatsuya," Naruse said, not changing his calm and dangerous voice. "Even if the Wind Talisman is fused with the perfect suitor, Lord Tamaki has nothing to fear yet."
Finally, more footsteps echoed throughout the library that signify the man leaving in a brisk movement. Jun could still see Naruse's shoes and watched as he turned around and walked away. The light from his wand faded away as well until the library was silent and dark once again. Aiba and Nino stood up from their hiding places, their faces back to normal already.
"What was that all about?" Aiba whispered.
"Don't you get it?!" Nino hissed. "Naruse is a spy! He's part of SIN."
--------------------------
is that really a shocker? hahaha
I'm sorry!! i planned to make this chapter longer, but i want to post this now, so i dont have to worry about it later.
as i'm typing this now, i took some medicine b/c i have summer fever and it's making me drowsy. so i'm posting this un-beta-ed. if you see a grammar error, please pass by it and i'll fix it when i'm awake.
i know i should hold on and wait until i have time to re-check it, but i want to post this chapter up now. so dont mind me rushing ^^
New Update: i just edited this chapter, so all grammar or spelling bugs are gone (i hope) ^^
To Chapter 7 - arashiforyou.livejournal.com/14494.html
By: arashiforyou
Genre: Friendship/ Fantasy/ Drama
Rating: PG13
Summary: Matsujun is a third year at Hogwarts. Aiba heard a bloodcurdling scream that the Elites have reported hearing the same sound. Suspicious of it's connection with the talismans, Aiba began researching intensely! Jun and Nino also decides to help Aiba and together, they plan to enter the Restricted Section to find out more about the Vocal Wizards. How will they accomplish this task? What will Jun do?
Chapter 6 - The Polyjuice Potion
It's strange. Jun suddenly feels...content. He hasn't realized it until now that he has been feeling down and depressed for a long time. After a few weeks already into his third year, Jun started noticing what a great place Hogwarts really is! Not that he hasn't noticed the greatness of magic that came into his life, but how bright the castle is and how happy the students are too.
Making friends. Having fun. Playing jokes. Sharing gossipy news. Complaining about too much homework. Playing wizard chess. Running away from Aiba's stinky fart "resistant" test sample pellets.
Maybe minus the latter, Hogwarts...is an amazing place!
"You're smiling more these days, Matsujun," Ohno pointed out.
"Am I?" Jun said, his face still grinning. "Yeah...I am!"
"May I ask why you have such a dopey face?"
"Well," Jun pouted, "things just feel...so much better."
Ohno's expression softly changed from gigglishly curious to a calming happiness.
"You really do look happy, Jun," Ohno nodded. "I'm happy for you."
Jun nodded as well. It was as if a large thorn has finally been pulled from his heart and the pieces are back to together. After such a long time, has Jun finally gotten over Sho's rejection...?
"Hey, look at that. The fog is clearing," Ohno pointed at the crystal ball.
It was another Divination class, and they were practicing the "art" of crystal gazing. Ohno had tried his best to see through the smoky white crystal, but he failed to see anything. Jun also tried staring hard like a moron into the crystal ball but nothing came up until now.
"I see something too," Jun gasped, straining his eyes to get a better look.
A dark shadow spiraled around until it straighten into two figures that looked like human bodies. One was a slim body that looked more like a female, and the other represented more like a male. The two figures started circling around each other as if they were dancing. Soon, the shadows wisped away and a new figure appeared. This time, it looked like a large creature, and Jun had a hard time seeing a clear picture of it.
"What is that?" Jun mumbled to himself. As if she heard him, Professor Shiori came to their table.
"Has the crystal revealed something?" She asked and gazed into the orb as well.
Jun waited for her expert advice until she gasped. Everyone who heard her turned their heads to watch what was the commotion. Her face turned pale, and her mouth opened in shock.
"I fear," she whispered, "that a great threat lies in your future."
Jun only raised his eyebrow at her. However, Ohno looked serious.
"For the both of us?" He asked.
"Since you both saw this," she said, "then it must be so."
Jun and Ohno glanced at each other in suspicion. Finally, the class ended and they descended down the long spiral staircase. Nino was right behind them, not bothering to follow Narimiya in his never-ending quest to peak at girls' panties.
"What did you guys saw?" Nino asked.
"It looked like...a giant snake," Jun said, trying to remember the strange figure. "But the first shadows looked like a man and a woman."
"Yeah," Ohno nodded. "They were dancing with each other or something."
"Too bad Professor Shiori didn't see that," Jun shrugged. "It could have meant something good."
"Heh," Ohno nudged Jun's side, "maybe it was about the future of you and Mao-chan. Heh, heh!"
"Shut up," Jun playful shoved Ohno away.
"Hey, don't you think so, Nino?" Ohno asked. Nino was quiet for a while.
"...yeah, sure," Nino responded that made Jun's stomach twist uncomfortably.
'He's still jealous about that?'
The three of them silently headed down for their Herbology class when Sho walked out of the Great Hall. He spotted them immediately and easily walked towards them. Jun watched Sho approached him and suddenly noticed he was breathing regularly.
'I'm not as fidgety as I used too,' Jun thought. 'I guess this is a good thing.'
"Hey, guys," Sho greeted them. "Are you going to Herbology?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Nino asked.
"Ohno told me," Sho shrugged.
"He didn't even said anything," Jun said, glancing at Ohno.
Ohno's expression was purely blank. His eyes stared straight at Sho without any emotion. He wasn't moving the slightest either, not a weight change of his foot or a small scratch of his nose...just dead on staring with sleepy eyes. Sho stared back with the same blank face and the same stillness, but Jun noticed they took turns blinking. It was as if...
"Don't tell me..." Jun mumbled, looking back between the two, "...you guys can read each other's minds?!"
Nino's mouth opened in shock. Finally, Sho and Ohno snapped out of their little staring session and moved again. Ohno scratched his nose, and Sho just rubbed his knuckles.
"Y-yeah," Sho nodded, looking bashful.
Jun felt his skin turn cold.
"How long have you done this?" Jun asked, trying to keep calm.
"It's no big deal," Ohno said, noticing Jun's worried face. "It's just something we found out one day."
"So you can communicate through your minds, now?" Nino asked.
"I guess we've always had," Sho shrugged. "Look, it's no harm to us. It's actually kinda neat, you know. We sometimes talk during class when the teacher is lecturing and-"
"You're getting sucked in!" Jun yelled, roughly grabbing his hair as if he was about to lose it. "Don't you get it! The more you use your powers, the more you'll lose yourself into it!"
"Jun, calm down!" Ohno ordered.
Jun was taken by surprised. Ohno hardly raised his voice except when they were in danger. But Jun remembered the time Ohno's tone changed back at the Leaky Cauldron. There was a strong sense of authority behind the usual calm and quiet boy. Jun wondered if this was a hidden personality of Ohno...or someone else...
"Let's go," Ohno said to Sho, and the two boys walked away in synchronizing steps.
"I don't believe it," Jun gasped, watching his two friends walk away. "Don't they realize what's happening to them?! Sho was worried about this before, but now he hardly cares anymore."
Jun felt Nino's hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly.
"We have to know more about these Vocal Wizards like Aiba said," Nino nodded. "If there is a way to get them back to normal...I'll do it."
"Where's Aiba?" Jun asked, feeling a new determination in his gut. "We need to get to that Restricted Section now?"
* * *
"No can do," Aiba shook his head.
"Ehhh?!" Nino and Jun complained.
They slouched in their chairs again while Aiba kept his feet propped up on the table in their library VIP spot.
"We need a better strategy to get in the Restricted Section than just walking in at night," Aiba said, sounding smart for once. "I just did a check on the area and it turns out the Head Librarian puts up a new scanning spell over the entrance."
"Scanning spell?" Jun asked.
"It's a type of security-slash-protection spell," Nino explained. "It acts like a toll booth."
"Teachers can access the place without a problem," Aiba continued. "But when they enter, their faces are scanned so the Head Librarian knows who has been there. If a student with a note enter, the spell will register the student's face with the note and allow them through."
"So if a student without a note entered...?" Nino wondered, letting Aiba answer for him.
"We'll get caught," Aiba nodded. "We can still get in, but the Head Librarian will be on us the next morning like the itch on Ohno's nose."
Nino rubbed his eyes like he haven't slept in weeks. Jun also felt let down with the new information. How are they going to get in the Restricted Section now?
"...what if..." Aiba mumbled quietly, "perhaps...yes, that must be it!"
But before Jun could ask, Aiba dashed away from their VIP spot and disappeared behind the bookshelves. Jun and Nino didn't even exchange a word or a glance yet since Aiba came back as quickly as he left. A huge grin spread across his face like the shining sun.
"I have a solution!" Aiba nodded, slamming down an thick book on the table and opening it to a certain chapter. "The Polyjuice Potion."
"Poly-what?" Jun asked.
"You can't be serious, Aiba," Nino said, staring down at the book. "The Polyjuice Potion is a complex potion. You want us to morph into someone else so we won't get caught as ourselves?"
"Whoa," Jun gasped, looking at the graphic pictures. "So that's what it is."
"It's the only plan we've got," Aiba said. "If we all work together on this, we might finish this before a month."
"We shouldn't rush a difficult potion," Jun said, carefully reading the ingredients. "Look at this! Fluxweed picked only during the fullmoon...antimony...lacewing flies stew for twenty-one days!?"
"Jun is right," Nino said. "It's too risky. Someone will spot us brewing it."
Aiba smirked again.
"Did I tell you guys a great friend of mine name Sunako?" Aiba smiled.
* * *
"What a dump!" Nino sneered.
Jun agreed. The abandoned bathroom was old and moldy. No one has cleaned or used the place in a long time. The perfect place to hide something or have some alone time. Jun walked down the aisle of stalls and found them all open and empty except one.
He pushed the door open and felt his stomach leap to his chest. Goosebumps crawled up his skin and the hairs on the back of his head stood up. A pale girl with long, dark, messy hair stood before him with a dark and shaggy cloak.
"AAAAHHH!" Jun jumped back three feet and bumped into Nino.
"Oh, hey Sunako," Aiba smiled. "Still hiding in the stalls?"
The girl slowly approached them, and Jun hid behind Aiba for protection while Nino cowarded behind Jun. Aiba continued to smile at the creepy girl.
"Ma..." she groaned. "MABUSHI!!" And head-butted Aiba.
Only she went right though him.
"Wah!" Aiba gasped. "Don't do that, Sunako! It's cold."
She just pouted and floated away. Jun watched the ghost girl sat on top of the stall doors and stared down at them, twiddling her fingers.
"Nakahara Sunako haunts this bathroom," Aiba explained. "Is it okay if we make a potion here, Sunako?"
"Oooh," she nodded, her voice too deep for a girl. Nino stared up at her with disdain.
"Ugly Sunako," he mumbled, but she heard him.
"UGLY?!" She screeched and swoop down to pass right through Nino's stomach. He shivered.
"Why here?" Nino moaned, wrapping his arms around himself.
"It's the only safe place I know," Aiba said. "Come on, let's get started if we want more information on the Vocal Wizards."
They each planned to gather the ingredients they could get easily first, and then move on to the harder ingredients to find. The plan was to make the potion as soon as possible before someone finds out they were brewing in a girl's bathroom. Jun took care of finding a spare cauldron big enough for them to use while Nino went ingredients-hunting.
Apparently, they decided not the tell Sho or Ohno about the mission. They will find out more about the Vocal Wizards on their own and, if possible, find a way to get them back to normal. Aiba was pumped and determined throughout the long weeks. Occasionally, Nino and Jun would looked stressed out, but Aiba would always walk into the girl's bathroom with a huge smile and encourage them to get to work.
Jun was surprised at Aiba's potion-making abilities. He was dead on with the instructions, and it wasn't long until the potion looked thick and murky with large bubbles slowly bursting.
"I can't believe that we actually did it," Nino sighed, his arms crossed and staring down at the disgusting potion. Jun stood with his shirt sleeves rolled up and his hands on his hips.
"We're suppose to drink that?" Jun asked, while Aiba continued to stir.
"Mmhmm," Aiba nodded, also looking disgusted. "We only have an hour before we change back. So we better be thorough when we search through the Restricted Section."
"Did you get the extra robes?" Nino asked Jun.
"Yeah," Jun said, pulling out three spare robes from his bag. "Regular robes with no house brand on them."
"Good, it's ready," Aiba said, pouring out three individual glasses for them to drink. Sunako watched them closely from the ceiling.
"That looks beautiful," she mumbled with a creepy smile.
"Okay, add the hairs," Aiba said and flicked a single hair into his potion.
Jun and Nino did so as well and watched their potions changed color. Jun's potion turned into a deep shade of orange like a ripe fruit drink. Aiba's turned into a dark red color whereas Nino's changed to a pleasant pink color like a peach.
"Who's hair did you steal from?" Jun chuckled at Nino's pink potion.
"Yamapi's," Nino said, also looking suspicious at the pink solution. "I went through his stuff without him looking."
"Mine is Seto Koji's," Aiba said. "He kinda annoys me. He has this fetish for violins, and he makes the most stinkiest potions to get the right color for a violin coating. He's a weird guy."
"I took Jin's hair," Jun said, looking at his orange potion. "Akanishi Jin. We got into a little argument once, so I don't mind getting him in trouble."
"Alright," Aiba nodded. "Bottoms up."
And together, the three boys drank down their potion without stopping. Nino smacked his lips like he drank a delicious dessert while Aiba and Jun only made subtle expressions. Jun's potion tasted like a fruit drink that had a little kick like a sweet alcohol drink. They waited for a good minute until Jun felt his skin move irregularly. He glanced at the mirror and watched before his very eyes his face morphing.
"Whoa," Jun gasped as he touch his face, or rather, Jin's face. "Huh? I still sound like myself."
"Wah," Aiba, or Seto, gasped. "Amazing!"
"Nino?" Jun stared at Nino's back, but his back looked rather...feminine.
"Oh my god!" Aiba gasped. "Horikita Maki?"
"No way!" Jun stared, realizing it was Maki.
"B-but," Nino stared at the mirror, shaking his new heart-shaped head. "That's impossible! I swear I took a hair from Yamapi's clothes last night!"
"You must've picked Maki's hair from Yamapi's clothes," Aiba shrugged.
"Why was Maki's hair on Yamapi's clothes though?" Jun asked the obvious question.
They didn't answer.
"This is bad," Nino said. "I don't want Maki to get in trouble. I wanted Yamapi to get busted because he planted one of Aiba's stupid fart pellets under my pillow."
"We still have to do this mission, Nino," Aiba said, looking insulted. "Either come or not, we need to get in that Restricted Section."
Nino, or Maki, pouted.
"Okay, I'll come," Nino sighed. "Since I know you're all useless without me."
It was the dead of the night as they tiptoed towards the library. Thankfully, the library was open and they sneak inside. The library is always quiet during the day, but at night, it's a different kind of quietness. There would always be someone walking down the bookshelves or the noise of someone whispering to each other. This time, there was no noise except for them. It was almost unpleasant...like they were being watched.
"There," Aiba whispered.
The Restricted Section only had a single bar to lock the door, but the frame was elegant. Jun guessed the spell surrounded the frame. Aiba quietly pull the lock free and pushed the door opened. Aiba and Jun easily walked through, but Nino tried to cover his face as best as he could.
"Even if you do that, Maki will be found instead," Aiba said.
"I know. I feel bad enough about it," Nino said. "Let's just get started."
"Alright, split up," Aiba said.
The Restricted Section wasn't that big, but if they don't work fast enough, they won't be able to go through all the books. Jun started the left side, Nino took the center area, and Aiba searched the bookshelves on the right. Jun quickly scanned the titles of the books. Normally, Jun doesn't like judging a book by its cover, but with the time limit, he had no other choice.
"Seduction of DansuMahou....Good Uses of Unforgivable Curses..." Jun mumbled.
Jun was already on the third bookshelf when a certain book caught his eye. It didn't had a title on its spine, but it had a thick, rich, velvet color. He carefully pulled it down and saw only one name on the front cover in silver print.
Metal
Jun opened the book and gasped. It was about the Metal Vocal Wizard as he suspected. There were charts and diagrams about metal and its powers. Chapters about the element and a whole section about the Vocal Wizard's history. This is just what Jun was looking for. He couldn't help himself but read the first few sentences.
"Known as the youngest of the five is the Metal Vocal Wizard, capable of manipulating the element metal. It was the Metal Vocal Wizard who made the prophecy before the fall of the Five Vocal Wizards: 'And they'll come once again. Five vocals of five different voice. Through truth and one love. Through blood and soul. They will take this world by storm.' The Metal Vocal Wizard is said to be the most strongest and-"
"Jun!" Nino whispered. Jun slammed the book closed. "We gotten get outta here!"
"What?!" Jun panicked.
Aiba appeared behind Nino with his bag filled with books. "There's someone here!" He whispered. "We gotta move!"
"Who-" but before Jun could finish, Aiba and Nino made a beeline towards the exit.
As quietly as they could, they tried to maneuver through the maze of bookshelves, but then a light appeared around the corner making them stop dead in their tracks. Aiba quickly led them behind another tall bookshelf and hid underneath the tables. Nino and Jun followed in suit and waited for the light carrier to pass by. Hopefully, the cover of darkness will spare them.
'Who would be out at night?' Jun thought, hoping they wouldn't be spotted.
Loud shoes clicked the floor, signaling the person was coming closer. It must have been ages just hearing the shoes growing louder and closer, as if it knew it was not alone.
Finally, Jun heard the footsteps stop. A long pause followed and Jun was sure they were caught, but he didn't dare peak from his hiding spot. From under the table, Jun could make out a pair of shoes.
"Are you alone?" A man spoke. A voice so raspy, deep, and deadly.
"Yes," the other responded, making Jun gasp.
'It's Naruse Ryo?' Jun's eyes widen. He glanced at Aiba and Nino. They also recognized his voice.
"There has been a new update," the man continued. "Tamaki-sama grows impatient. He wants the talisman now."
"I'm closing in on the talisman as we speak," Naruse answered. "Tsukumo Ryusuke has reported to the Elites that a boy has heard the beast's cry a month ago."
"Have the Elites suspected the boy as a Vocal Wizard?" The man asked, sounding enraged.
"No," Naruse said, calmly. "Other Elite members heard similar cries of the beast, but Tsukumo suspected the boy heard a different level of power."
"Naruse, if Tamaki-sama does not receive the talisman by spring...he will come for you," the man threatened.
"I am aware of the situation. The beast is difficult to capture, but in due time, we will have the Wind Talisman."
"Be that as it may," the man said, followed by a few footsteps, "but there are already two Vocal Wizards. If this one fuses with its perfect suitor, Lord Tamaki will be most displeased."
There was a long and nerve-wracking silence.
"You are forgetting one important fact, Fujiwara," Naruse said, his voice sounding dangerous. "My allegiance to Lord Tamaki Hiroshi surpasses your services. I communicate directly to Lord Tamaki, and I am one of the few who knows Lord Tamaki's true purpose."
The other man was silent, and Jun could imagine the anger growing on his face.
"Do not question my ways, Fujiwara Tatsuya," Naruse said, not changing his calm and dangerous voice. "Even if the Wind Talisman is fused with the perfect suitor, Lord Tamaki has nothing to fear yet."
Finally, more footsteps echoed throughout the library that signify the man leaving in a brisk movement. Jun could still see Naruse's shoes and watched as he turned around and walked away. The light from his wand faded away as well until the library was silent and dark once again. Aiba and Nino stood up from their hiding places, their faces back to normal already.
"What was that all about?" Aiba whispered.
"Don't you get it?!" Nino hissed. "Naruse is a spy! He's part of SIN."
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is that really a shocker? hahaha
I'm sorry!! i planned to make this chapter longer, but i want to post this now, so i dont have to worry about it later.
as i'm typing this now, i took some medicine b/c i have summer fever and it's making me drowsy. so i'm posting this un-beta-ed. if you see a grammar error, please pass by it and i'll fix it when i'm awake.
i know i should hold on and wait until i have time to re-check it, but i want to post this chapter up now. so dont mind me rushing ^^
New Update: i just edited this chapter, so all grammar or spelling bugs are gone (i hope) ^^
To Chapter 7 - arashiforyou.livejournal.com/14494.html