Harry Potter and the Reikai Tantei

by Mint

Harry, Ron and Hermione had just apparated from the Hogwarts Express Station when they heard Professor McGonagall talking about something to a walking Professor Dumbledore in the front hall.

"Albus, are you sure about what you are doing? You are letting in complete strangers inside Hogwarts! And do you believe what that... immature child told us just like that, without evidence?"

"Professor McGonagall, that 'immature child' is our ally. He has agreed to help us keep Hogwarts safe from harm, and his help is very valuable. The team he had sent has very interesting credentials, and Ko- oh! Harry! Ron, Hermione! Welcome back to Hogwarts!"

Professor Dumbledore reversed his direction and turned to face the three, while other students were apprating from everywhere. Harry just couldn't feel anymore at home, with what he had to endure with the Dursleys that summer.

"Hi Professor" Harry greeted. Ron waved shyly.

"Professor, if you don't mind my asking, what were you and Professor McGonagall talking about?" Hermione asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Ah! It was just a silly argument over some matters... You shouldn't concern yourself very much! Now if you'll excuse me, we'll be getting to the banquet! You three enjoy your fifth year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore cheerily winked at them and proceeded to the dining hall, with a very haggard looking Professor McGonagall at his tail.

"So, what do you think they were talking about?" Hermione asked. "I heard something about 'keeping Hogwarts safe from harm' and 'a team with interesting credentials' being sent here..."

"I also heard about complete strangers!" Ron answered. "Looks like this year's gonna be as exciting as the previous ones, isn't it Harry?"

Harry could just nod. He wasn't sure if he was glad about this, what with the so many near-death experiences he had during his past four years at Hogwarts. Still, having a few adventures here and there wouldn't be so bad.

"Hey look" Harry pointed to the main door. "The first years are coming in!"

The three all looked toward the direction of the main door and saw a big, burly Hagrid rushing some star-struck looking first-years into the hall.

"Look, its Harry Potter!" a first year pointed in Harry's direction, and consequently all heads turned to look to him. Harry blushed.

"Do you see those four?" Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron, pointing to four people who were looking at Harry (they were the only ones with their mouths closed) "They don't look like first years do they?"

"Yeah.." Harry agreed. Except for one, they were certainly taller than all the other students, and they looked more mature. One was a black haired guy with his hair crushed up, one big guy with orange hair, a long-haired guy with scarlet red hair and the small guy, with black spiky hair. He watched as the four strange guys entered the dining hall with the first years, and eventually they disappeared from view.

"Come on, lets watch the ceremony!" Ron said, then the three of them ran to their respective seats in the Gryffindor table. Nothing has changed- the roof was still enchanted so that it looked like the night sky, the mouth-watering foods were still present in the tables, and the ghosts were still flying around, excited by the start of the new school year. The chatter of students were also above all sounds, and Harry thought he heard Draco Malfoy's laugh echoing from the Slytherin table.

"They all..." Hermione muttered between pants "...seemed to.... know each other.... pretty well already..."

"Sssshhh! Its beginning!" Ron whispered, just as Professor McGonagall beat her goblet with her fork and shushed everyone to remain quiet. Then the sorting hat was put on the chair in the middle of the hall, and the first years were told what to do.

The sorting hat then began its song.

Ah! Another year, another time

to bring you all to hear this rhyme

for I am the hat with the mind-

your deepest secrets I will find.

Don't be afraid, I will not tell

the knowledge is only in here to dwell.

Are you to be in Gryffindor,

where only the brave can enter the door?

Or are you to be in Slytherin,

better be prepared for power and cunning!

Perhaps Ravenclaw would be your place,

your wise knowledge will win you the race!

Hufflepuff's a good place too,

if hardworking is the real you!

So up you go, try me on!

Who's to tell, it can be fun!

The hall burst into applause, with Harry, Ron and Hermione clapping the loudest. Each year the sorting hat sings a new song for the first-years.

Professor McGonagall then stepped forward. "This year, we will start sorting special students who transferred here from a different school in Japan! They will enter as fifth-year students. Lets start with... Yusuke Urameshi!"

"Its him!" Ron whispered to Harry, as the boy with the brushed up hair stepped up and tried the sorting hat on. He seemed confused on what was happening in his head, and Harry wondered if the sorting hat really was unique to Hogwarts.

"Gryffindor!!!!" the sorting hat bellowed.

The Gryffindor table applauded loudly as Yusuke approached their table. Hermione called out to him as he passed by. "Hey, you can sit here!" she shouted, pointing to a few empty seats in front of her, Ron and Harry. Yusuke thanked her and sat on the chair. He then watched as Proffesor McGonagall called out another name.

"Kazuma Kuwabara!"

The curly haired giant gingerly picked up the hat and tried it on.

"Gryffindor!!!!!!" The sorting hat then followed.

Kuwabara then let out a loud 'yeah!', then sat beside Yusuke. They exchanged high-fives.

"Minamino Shuichii!"

The red head proceeded calmly to the hat and put it on.

The hat said nothing.

The hall waited silently for about five minutes, but then the hat said nothing still. Whispers started to exchange among the students. Apparently, Minamino wasn't affected. He still had a calm expression on him.

Professor McGonagall whispered something to Professor Dumbledore, then Dumbledore nodded. Professor McGonagall went back to her place then whispered to the Minamino guy to take the hat off. Minamino followed, then whispered something again to the spiky haired guy, and went to proceed to another room. The hall went aflame with whispers.

"Is the hat broken?" Ron asked hurredly to Hermione.

"I don't think it can be" Hermione said slowly. "Perhaps... perhaps it can't classify Minamino!"

Harry saw Yusuke and Kuwabara flash a glance at Hermione when she said what she said, then they stood up and followed the two other boys to the adjacent room.

"Silence!" Professor McGonagall shouted. "Due to some instances, Minamino and Hiei Hatanaka will not be put under the sorting hat anymore. Now, may Artin, Shirley step up please?"

Harry looked on tensely as Shirley put on the hat. Then the hat shouted "Ravenclaw!!!"

Harry looked at Hermione and Ron. "You must be right Hermione. The hat's not broken. There must be something strange with those guys..."

**********************************************

Kurama waited in the next room with Hiei. Apparently, the talking hat couldn't classify him or even read his mind. He remembered what the hat said very well.

Hmmm... you're a different one, 'Minamino', or should I say Kurama? I'm having quite trouble reaching into your mind now, but certain parts are flashing. Yes... yes... mother's very good...Hmmm? love for this person... Hmm.. thats all...Well, Mr. Kurama, it seems like I can't classify you. Congratulations, you're a first in Hogwarts history!

Of course he knew the reason why. And based from what the Sorting Hat said, it seemed like it was the first time a demon stepped inside Hogwarts.

It seemed like the would have to learn a lot about this new mission. All Koenma told them was that an 'old friend' asked him for help and that he was sending them to a school called 'Hogwarts'. Their mission was to keep it safe and prevent any deaths from occuring, and they would all take orders from Dumbledore for their whole stay. They had been given a brief background about magic, but Kurama and Hiei knew about it already. In the Makai, a wizard made a living as a cook for the three lords.

After that, they had been given robes and 'wands'. Hiei and Kurama threw away theirs. They both knew they couldn't use it anyway. Yusuke and Kuwabara, on the other hand, started to joke around with it until Kuwabara accidentally made his work- a zapping sound and Yusuke's torn pants were the result. After that, they kept it and took it seriously.

Yusuke and Kuwabara suddenly emerged from the door.

"What happened?" Yusuke asked Kurama.

"Well, it seems like that old hat only worked on humans" Kurama aswered, then stood up to look at the window. "It couldn't read my mind, so it couldn't classify me."

That was partly a lie, because the hat had been able to read a part of his mind- the deepest, strongest part. Perhaps it reverberated too much.

"Well, there goes our secret.." Yusuke muttered.

"Its not his fault" Hiei said blankly.

"I'm not saying that!" Yusuke argued, but then the door opened and Dumbledore, McGonagall and a greasy-haired guy came in.

"Yusuke, Kuwabara, Minamino, Hiei- this is Mr. Snape, another trusted teacher here." Dumbledore introduced. Snape just stared at them darkly. Hiei stared at him twice as darkly.

"Well... I guess we've got a situation here, Albus. The sorting hat can't classify Mr. Minamino and Mr. Hiei, for reasons I cannot understand! Perhaps they are keeping something from us...?" McGonagall tattered.

Kurama sighed. Time to put charms into works.

"Ms. McGonagall? We're sorry we didn't  inform you earlier, but Koenma didn't want you to worry too much about us. I- well, me and Hiei- we're not exactly humans. We're demons, and well... apparently the hat can't reach into our minds like it can to humans... We're really sorry, perhaps we can make it up?" Kurama then furnished a white Makai rose and gave it to McGonagall.

"Well...I...well... it's okay, I guess..." McGonagall flustered. Hiei snorted.

"Professor, don't be mislead by a rose!" Snape butted in. "What we need to know is why the Sorting Hat, a thing of powerful magic, could not sort out these two!"

"There's no need to shout, Severus" Dumbledore slipped in. "But we would appreciate it if everything were clear?" he said, pertaining to the two demons.

"You humans don't understand anything, don't you." Hiei stood up. "Your magic- it doesn't work on us demons. That goes as well with the stupid -

"Please excuse him!" Kurama butted in, cutting off Hiei. "You see, the two of us, we're originally from Makai, the world of demons. Well, at least he is. I'm a sort of half-human half-demon. Anyway, your magic- it was created only for humans. It can't affect us demons."

"Lets see about that" Snape said slowly. "Petrificus Totalus!" he pointed his wand at Hiei, but instead of the magic affecting Hiei, it was just... absorbed.

"I told you" Hiei said.

"But it works both ways. Since magic was created only for human use, well, we can't use it. Us demons have no power over it, just as it has no power over us." Kurama pushed through intelligently.

"Yes.. yes.. you may be correct" Dumbledore replied. "Koenma, that smart brat, he didn't want me to know that there were non-humans in the team he sent me!" He then laughed, loudly. The rest of the people in the room just stared at him. "Well, pardon me, heh heh... It doesn't matter- its okay if you're demons. But we'll have to make a few arrangements, now that this has come up. Now now, we don't want any more surprises like these, do we? So why don't we make a deal..."

"Dumbledore..." Snape began.

"..I quite know what I am doing Severus. Now, lets loose any secret we have. Any more surprises that might come up? This is what we know about you, from the credentials Koenma sent us. Would you mind reading it, Ms. McGonagall?"

Snape looked beaten.

"Well...okay" McGonagall flicked her wand on her hand and muttered "Pariolis Illusius!" and a parchment suddenly appeared from her hand. "Lets see... Urameshi Yusuke- Reikai Tantei that can shoot projectiles from finger, powerful martial arts, incredible speed... Kazuma Kuwabara- Reikai Tantei with a powerful sword made of energy, powerful martial arts... Minamino Schuichii-"

"Thats Kurama, by the way. Koenma just used that to sound human" Kurama iterrupted.

"er... Kurama- can control plants at will, has several forms... Mr. Kurama, would you mind expanding?"

"My pleasure. I can control plants- summon them as well as make them disappear. And we're not just talking about any plants here- I'm talking about Makai plants, of whom you may have not encountered. And I can change form- into a human fox and a real fox form..." Kurama explained.

"Uh-huh.. and Hiei Hatanaka-"

"Drop the last name" Hiei snapped.

"-incredulous speed, has a third eye, can control a Black Dragon, a fire-ice demon cross-breed...hmmm... You can control a dragon? What specie-"

"Umm... not that kind of dragon. His dragon's made up of energy, black energy that is.." Kurama said before Hiei could utter a word. He had DEATH in his eyes.

"Hey, I have a question. Who's that Harry Potter? And why did all the kids point and gawk at him when they saw him?" Kuwabara asked.

"Ah! You will all know sometime. Thats it then! I will have food sent here while I make arrangements for some changes. Do enjoy Hogwarts, my friends. Lets go, Snape, MacGonagall" Dumbledore said, then walked out from the door with Snape and McGonagall following behind him.

The tantei looked at each other.

"Hey" Kuwabara breaked in " at least they've got good food!"

*******************************

"And did you see the short guy with the black hair? He looked so scary, like he was going to kill someone!" Neville said.

"Get over it Neville!" Seamus Finnigan said. "Anyone looks scary to you!"

The Gryffindors burst into laughter.

The whole Gryffindor house were gathered in the common room, talking about the strange newcomers. There were all kinds of speculations going around. Frankly, Harry thought they were all pretty okay. In fact, the reason he was in the common room was so that he can see Yusuke and Kuwabara when they enter the room.

His thoughts were interrupted by a creaking sound from behind them. The Gryffindors all turned to look at the Fat Lady swinging open, and tensely waited for who was coming.

It was Proffesor McGonagall. And they all had questions needed to be answered. McGonagall was swamped, pronto.

"Settle down, all of you!" she shouted. "We have made a few arrangements. I believe that as opposed to previously announced, Yusuke and Kuwabara will not be staying in this house. Instead, Minamino and Hiei will. Please make them feel comfortable. Now, if you'll excuse me.."

"Wait Professor! Where are Yusuke and Kuwabara staying?" Hermione asked.

"Oh! They'll be in the Slytherin house!" and with that McGonagall left.

Ron, Harry and Hermione looked at each other.

The room grew quiet once more when a redhead and a small guy entered the room from the Fat Lady. It was Minamino and Hiei. The room was awkwardly quiet, as the Gryffindors pretended they were all doing something, but kept an eye on the two. Harry, Ron and Hermione were no better off. Their books were open, but their ears were attentive to the two.

"See Hiei? This isn't so bad." Minamino said. "We'll just have to find our room. Now, where's 'Pickled Spinachtop'?" MInamino looked around. Hiei remained motionless, expression bored.

"Thats just beside your and Ron's room! Lets help them" Hermione whispered to Harry. Harry nodded and tugged on Ron, who was perplexed by the two newcomers. They stood up and approached the two.

"Hi" Hermione said, extending her hand. "I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ron Weasley and this is Harry Potter." Hermione said, waiting for a reaction. But Kurama just extended his hand, smiling at her, and Hiei just remained just as he was before.

Harry was dumbfounded. When he first arrived at Hogwarts, everybody, and he means everybody, knew him. It was as if only he hadn't heard about himself! And now, for the first time in Hogwarts, he was introduced and there was no, not even a second, of reaction. He liked it!

"I'm Kurama, and this is Hiei" Minamino said.

"Kurama? I thought it was Minamino?" Ron asked.

"Oh, well, I'd prefer it if you called me Kurama" Minamino said.

"Oh okay, Well, Harry and Ron here will show you your room. Its just beside theirs, Pickled Cabbagetops. Sorry, we can't help but overhear your need for help" Hermione smiled sweetly. Somehow, Harry had the feeling the Hermione had a crush on the Kurama guy. She's been acting strange- too friendly, too smiley. Luckily, Ron appears not to notice it.

"Thank you!" Kurama said.

"Well, we better go to your room" Harry said. "You'd have to unpack and all. Where are your stuff anyway? You know, your books."

"Uh-right! Our stuff! Its already in our room!" Kurama said. "Lets go Hiei"

"You go" Hiei snapped. "I'm going out"

And with that he headed out of the room.

For a minute Harry thought Kurama would feel bad about Hiei's rude attitude, but Kurama's actions proved otherwise. He just smiled at him and Ron. "Well, pardon him, but its okay. Come on, I want to see what our room looks like!"

Harry and Ron led Kurama into the room beside theirs. Last year some 7th year Gryffindors had slept in it, but now that they've graduated, it was otherwise empty.

"So, what do you think of Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

"Well, it certainly is big!" Kurama said, looking around the corridors.

"Wasn't your old school in Japan just as big? What was the name of your school anyway?" Harry asked, curious. He'd never been to any magic school except Hogwarts.

"My old school? Uh, it was big yes, but not as big as Hogwarts. Its called...um... Sara Yashiki" Kurama answered.

"Sara Yashiki? Cool!" Ron exclaimed. "Well, here we are!" he stopped at the room beside theirs.

Kurama smiled.

"Well?" Harry asked Kurama.

"Well what?"

"Uh-get your wand and open the door. I'm sure they've had it charmed already."

"Um... Could you do it?" Kurama said tensely.

"I'd be glad to, but I can't. Only yours and Hiei's wands- if they've been charmed already- can open your room door." Harry explained.

"Um... I guess they've forgotten to charm my wand."

"They what?" Ron exclaimed. "Well, don't worry, I guess its okay if we used a little magic to open the door."

Ron took out his wand and pointed it on the door without a doorknob. "Alohomora" he exclaimed.

The door swung open. Harry nodded at Kurama. "Well, there you go."

"Thank you so much." Kurama said. "Do you want to come in for a second?"

Ron was already in. "Where are your baggages? I though they were already sent here"

Kurama went in as well, and so did Harry. "I guess they've forgotten. Maybe they'll send it tomorrow" Kurama said, fingering the wild wood carvings on the bedpost.

"Wow, I thought they'd be kinder to you guys, since your new and all. I bet Hagrid's been the one assigned. He's always forgetting things" Ron said, jumping on the bed and bouncing up and down.

"So, Kurama" Harry said, sitting beside Ron. "Could you tell us more about Sara Yashiki? Does it have paintings that act as doors too? Does it have ghosts?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Well... not really." Kurama said. "Sara Yashiki's very... simple. Its basically a normal building. But we do have ghosts- lots of them in fact. They can get pretty irritating, specially the blue haired one on a broomstick..."

"Yeah, the ghosts here are like that too. Wait till you get a load of Peeves! Man, is he abnormal!" Ron said.

But Harry had other things in his mind. Sara Yashiki was a normal human building, except for ghost, according to Kurama. So maybe he's still confused about Hogwarts, like the first time he came here. There were still some things he didn't know about the magic world. He and Kurama were, in a sense, alike.

"So what were your subjects?" Harry asked.

"Uh- just about the same as yours, probably." Kurama said feebly.

"I thought so. What subject do you like most? I love Charms best!" Ron said.

"I like Transfiguration" Harry followed. "But the worst subjects are Divination and Potions. Divination? You'd be surprised at how a great fake Professor Trelawny is! And Snape! He'd probably bite you off too, just because you're a Gryffindor- and...a friend of mine..." he hesitated. Did he consider Kurama a friend already? He guessed so. Kurama was really nice.

"Really?" Kurama was fingering a plant on the corner of the room. Maybe it was just Harry's imagination, but did the plant just grew a flower?

Suddenly there was a tap on the window. Harry and Ron looked at it, and saw Hiei there! Kurama saw it too, but he didn't seemed surprised. He just opened the window and let Hiei in. "Good thing you arrived. I was getting worried." Kurama said, the closing the window.

"What are these twerps doing here?" Hiei snapped, shooting a dark glance at him and Ron. How could this two get along? Kurama's so nice and Hiei's so... not nice.

Harry stood up. "I guess we better go. See you in the morning Kurama" he said, then dragged Ron out of the room.

"Thanks again!" Kurama called out from behind them, just before Harry closed the door.

"What is his problem?" Ron whispered harshly. "He's so mean, unlike Kurama at all..."

"Yeah. I wonder how Kurama puts up with him" Harry replied. "Come on, lets get to our room. I haven't really finished my Care of Magical Creatures essay about handling gwerps, Hagrid will be mad...."

****************************

"So, how was the scouting?" Kurama asked, sitting down on the bed. He crossed his legs and waited for Hiei's answer.

"Hn."

Kurama stood up and hugged Hiei from behind. He burried his face on Hiei's black coat, savoring the warmth it furnished him.

"Are you upset about something?" he whispered, then bit gently on Hiei's neck. God, did he need some cuddling.

"Can't you sense it?" Hiei asked.

"I miss you Hiei" Kurama continued the biting and nibbling.

"Kurama... there's something in this place... something not right..."

"Mmm Hmm, I know"

Kurama let go of Hiei and Hiei turned around, facing him.

"You know?" he asked.

"Yeah... I've been... sensing it, but very vaguely. Magic's not supposed to affect us demons, but there's something I can feel, like the air's full of grief- no, evil" Kurama explained.

"My jagan's not leaving it alone. Its been flashing me different... illusions..."

"What do you see?"

"Pictures... dark pictures of shrieking pain"

Kurama nodded. Hiei's jagan allows him to extend his senses more than Kurama. And for Hiei, it takes a lot of pain for him to say it is pain.

"What do you think we're up against?" Kurama asked.

"Something big" Hiei answered curtly.

"We're up against something we've never encountered before" Kurama followed. Then silence.

..

..

..

"What are we going to do with these two beds?" Hiei asked suddenly.

Kurama grinned knowingly. "Throw one out?"

**********

Kurama stood up from the bed carefully, letting the sheets slide across his naked body. He pulled on his robe- something Koenma forced all of them to wear during their stay at Hogwarts- and kissed Hiei's tired lips lightly.

"Sleep well" he whispered, then opened the window. He got out and jumped down carefully from the building. Then he sneaked quietly to the