Disclaimers: I do not own either Gundam Wing or Harry Potter. I am making no money with this. This story is purely for
entertainment purposes only.
Notes: Dumbledore stops Heero from leaving his office and makes an offer.
Soldiers of Sorcery
Part Thirty-Four
Heero, having watched Trowa leave the room, felt concern for his friend. However, he knew that Duo would look after Trowa,
so was comforted by that fact. He stood to follow the others out of the room when Dumbledore stopped him.
“Mr. Yuy . . . a moment, please?” The aged wizard smiled and motioned with his hand. “Sit for a moment. I assume, like Mr.
Barton, you wish no sugar-coating from me.”
Heero nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Dumbledore nodded. “You’ve settled in nicely, so I think this is a good time for you to visit your mother. Today, if you want.”
Heero blinked, surprised. “Sir . . . I don’t know. What will I say to her?” He wanted to see her. And yet, there was a part of
him that was frightened by the prospect. Just how far gone was she? Would she recognize him? For that matter, would she
even see that he was standing there in front of her?
Dumbledore chuckled softly and stroked his long fingers through his beard in an idle manner. “I don’t really think that will
matter as much as your actual presence. I remember young Mr. Longbottom, a former student here, often visited his parents in
St. Mungo’s. They had a similar affliction, tortured horribly by a cruel curse. From my recollection, his grandmother often
complained of the dear woman giving him countless bits of paper and string that he kept as safe as if they had been the most
rare of jewels. In fact, it was his love of his parents and deepest concerns for them that put him in mind to be a healer at St.
Mungo’s. He’s apprenticing there now, been doing well as far as I know.”
Heero grunted softly. He didn’t really care for the strange people Dumbledore was speaking of. What did it matter to him what
a former student was doing with his life now? It wasn’t as if Heero had ever met the man. Not that he knew of anyway.
Heero thought carefully. On the one hand, the mere thought of seeing anyone in a mental hospital upset him. On the other
hand, he really wanted to see his mother. “Thank you, sir. I would like to meet my mother.”
The Headmaster nodded. “Excellent! I’ll make the arrangements while I make an appointment to see what I can do to help
Miss Bloom. I’ll contact Professor Potter’s godfather, Sirius Black as well, and see if he can help in any way. He did a turn in
Azkaban himself.” He quirked a smile. “Plus, I think he’d like to meet Mr. Winner.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you,” Heero said, thinking for a moment. “I’ll inform my friends and ask if they can take notes for me as
well.” He exited the office then, politely saying goodbye to both the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall before he departed.
He found Wufei and Quatre waiting for him in the corridor.
“Is something wrong, Heero?” Quatre asked, his hand absently pressing against his chest over his heart in a familiar way. The
blonde probably didn’t even realize he was doing it.
Heero narrowed his eyes. He did not like it when Quatre rooted around in his mind. “I’d appreciate it if you did not eavesdrop
into my psyche, Quatre.” He sneered. “My emotions are my own business, not yours.”
Quatre’s eyes widened slightly, his cheeks flushing. “I wasn’t,” he argued. “It’s just . . . I sometimes still have trouble
controlling it. That potion I take before I sleep makes it difficult to focus in the mornings.”
“Have you told Professor Snape of this side effect? Perhaps he can adjust the potion to compensate,” Heero advised. “It would
be to your benefit.”
Quatre nodded, though he didn’t look at all happy. “I know. I just . . . it’s difficult to separate his emotions and memories from
my own when he’s near me.” He sighed, brushing his hands through his hair.
“It would be wiser to seek out his aid now, rather than risk having your mental barriers shatter completely again,” Wufei
commented, awkwardly setting his hand on Quatre’s shoulder briefly.
Quatre suddenly began chuckling, shaking his head. “Honestly, it’s quite comforting to know that the both of you care so much
about my welfare, but we’ve strayed from the original topic,” he said with amusement in his voice. Then he narrowed his eyes
at Heero and all levity vanished. “Are you okay? Professor Dumbledore didn’t have bad news for you too, did he?”
Heero shook his head. “No, nothing bad.” He cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable about revealing private matters. But
these two were his friends. And friends did not hide things from each other. It wasn’t easy, but Heero was trying to let go of
his training. “The Headmaster is taking me to see my mother.”
Quatre and Wufei both froze in obvious shock. It was Quatre who found his voice first. “Your mother?” He asked quietly, as
if ashamed that he hadn’t known of Heero’s mother.
“I didn’t know you even had a mother, Yuy. With your lack of a personality, I had always assumed that J had grown you in a
vat.” Wufei smirked, his tone saying that he was merely jesting. Still, joking or not, Quatre smacked Wufei upside the back of
his head.
The petite blonde glared at Wufei, and Wufei had the good sense to keep his mouth shut. Then Quatre returned his attention to
Heero and smiled genially. “You never spoke of her. I’m sorry to say I had assumed her dead.”
Heero shrugged. “I didn’t know she was alive until the day we had that meeting with Dumbledore in London.”
“That’s why he held you back while the rest of us went on to Gringotts,” Wufei commented.
“Yes,” Heero stated simply. “He was reluctant to mention her existence to the entire group. She . . .” He frowned, searching
his mind for the right words. “She is unwell.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Quatre spoke with sympathy, his hand reaching to touch Heero’s arm. Heero took a step back to
avoid it. He was not all that comfortable with physical contact.
Wufei gave a small bow of his head. “Forgive my prying, but what is ailing her?”
Heero did not like the question, but he also didn’t feel right about not answering it. There would be no harm in telling Quatre
and Wufei. They were his friends and would not use the information to harm him in any way.
“Professor Dumbledore told me she was tortured to madness by a Dark Wizard with the use of an Unforgivable Curse.” He
found himself needing to take a breath, disturbed when it came out shaky. “I do not know all of the details myself. I only know
that she has been a patient at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for the past thirteen years. My father fled
with me and told me she had died in a shuttle accident. I never had reason to question his honesty.”
“I am very sorry, Yuy,” Wufei said quietly. “At least there is some small consolation to be found in knowing she is in good
hands. St. Mungo’s is the finest wizard hospital in Britain.”
“That is good to know,” Heero nodded.
Quatre smiled, offering comfort in the expression. “Have hope, Heero. Even the darkest of storms can have a rainbow after it.”
Heero chose to ignore Quatre’s choice of words, though the sentiment was appreciated. “Dumbledore is taking me to visit my
mother now. I have been excused from my classes today. Please take notes for me.”
“Of course we will,” Quatre assured. “Speaking of class, I think we’d better hurry or we’ll be late.”
“Yes,” Wufei nodded. “Take care, Yuy. I hope everything goes well for you.”
“Thank you,” Heero said, then walked away from his two friends. He returned to Gryffindor Tower, quietly entering the dorm
just in case Trowa had returned here after his departure from Dumbledore’s office. He found Trowa to be sleeping and didn’t
want to disturb his friend. Max lay along Trowa’s side, purring deeply.
Heero shed his robes, deciding that he did not want to wear his school uniform to visit his mother. He changed out of his
uniform and put on a comfortable pair of jeans and a forest-green turtleneck shirt. He hooked a leash on Odin’s collar and
picked up his puppy. He did not want to leave Odin behind. Heero had come to enjoy the puppy’s companionship and missed it
when he was not around. He picked up his robes again and folded the garment over one arm.
Heero didn’t think he’d need anything else, so he left. He returned to Dumbledore’s office, raising a trembling hand to knock on
the door. He didn’t get a chance to actually knock though, as Dumbledore pulled the door open and smiled down at Heero.
“Ah, ready to go, Mr. Yuy?” The elder man asked.
“Yes, sir,” Heero replied. He looked down at Odin, wondering if he would be allowed to bring him. The puppy looked back up
at him with all three heads, its tail wagging happily. “Sir, may I take Odin?” He asked.
Dumbledore smiled kindly, his eyes sparkling. “Of course you may. Your mother resides in the Long Term Care Ward. It
doesn’t have the same restrictions as some of the other wards.”
Heero gave a quick nod. “Good.” He briefly put Odin down, just long enough to put on his robe once again. When he was
ready, he picked up Odin again, tucking the puppy beneath the robe and close to Heero’s body. “How are we getting there, sir?”
“We’ll be using a Portkey. I have one in my office that goes to St. Mungo’s, in case of emergency,” the Headmaster said, even
as he guided Heero inside.
Heero was moderately surprised to find that most of the comfortable chairs that had been there not too long ago, were now
mostly gone. Only one remained now. But Heero had no intention of sitting. He wanted to meet his mother.
Headmaster Dumbledore moved silently to the desk, picking up an ornate silver box. He opened the lid, holding it out to Heero.
Heero peered inside, finding a ring nestled inside. It had a single stone set in the center, a gem which seemed to alternate colors
intermittently. The band was silver entwined with gold. It was simple, yet lovely.
“Put it on. Turn the stone clockwise one half turn and you’ll be taken to St. Mungo’s. Turn it the rest of the way to return
here. I expect you to give it back to me upon your return.”
Heero put the ring on and looked up at Dumbledore quizzically. “You’re not coming with me?”
Dumbledore chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course I’m coming with you, my dear boy. I just won’t be using the same
traveling method as you.”
“Oh,” was all that Heero could think to say. He looked down at the ring again, studying it for no real reason. Then he took a
breath and turned the stone.
It felt like something was tugging at his stomach. The world seemed to whirl before his eyes. He blinked and when he opened
his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. He didn’t recognize anything around him. It must be St. Mungo’s, Heero
decided, watching from where he stood as a number of obviously ailing individuals passed by him.
There was a man who seemed to have sprouted three extra noses on his face. When he sneezed, it was not a pleasant sight. A
woman with ugly red boils covering her face made Heero wince. He was suddenly glad that he was healthy, aside from a few
minor bruises and cuts that had yet to heal completely.
A hand clamped on Heero’s shoulder and he spun, relieved to see that the Headmaster was standing behind him. “Come along.
I’m sure you’re eager to meet your mother.”
Heero nodded, though he didn’t think eager was the correct word to describe what he was feeling at the moment. His emotions
were all jumbled together, his stomach feeling like there were a hundred insects buzzing around inside of him. He was nervous
and afraid of what he’d find. And yet, he didn’t want to be anywhere else. He wanted to meet his mother. Just knowing that
she was alive had his heart soaring with hopeful expectations. Heero wondered what she looked like.
Heero followed as Dumbledore moved swiftly through the halls, until they finally stopped in front of the entrance to the long-
term care ward. A young man approached them. He didn’t look much older than Heero, and had short dark hair. He was taller
than Heero, heavier too, by the look of him.
“Good morning, Headmaster. Is this Mrs. Lowe’s son?” The youth asked, his fingers fidgeting nervously.
“Yes, he is, Mr. Longbottom. How are your studies going?”
This must be the person Dumbledore had been referring to earlier, Heero thought. He stood there, not knowing what to do as
the two men conversed.
“W-Wonderful,” the younger man stammered, a bright smile on his face. “Healer Bevins is quite a kind man. V-Very patient.
He says it might take me twice as long to learn as some of his other students, but that I’m coming along.”
“Can I see my mother now?” Heero asked, feeling impatient. He didn’t like interrupting, but he wanted to see his mother. He
was curious to know everything he could about her.
“Forgive me, Heero.” The Headmaster smiled kindly. “Neville, could you kindly show Mr. Yuy to his mother’s room?”
“Yes, of course. This way, please.” He waved for Heero to follow him.
Heero looked back at the Headmaster. “You’re not coming, sir?”
“No, Heero. I think this is something you should do alone. I have some business to attend to for Mr. Barton. But I’ll return
within the hour to check on you.” Dumbledore smiled gently, patting Heero on the shoulder. “Go on then. You don’t want to
keep your mother waiting. Thirteen years is far too long to be missing her only son.”
Heero simply nodded, then turned to follow Mr. Longbottom. His insides began to twist again as they made their way further
into the ward. Heero bit his lip, holding tightly to Odin, feeling more nervous than he could ever remember being when they
stopped in front of one of the doors that lined the hall.
“This is it,” Neville said. “I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you, even if she doesn’t show it.”
Heero didn’t have anything to say to this man, so he merely opened the door and stepped into the room. He closed the door
behind himself, taking careful breaths as he looked around the room. It seemed to be a private room. Heero was glad about
that. He didn’t like the idea of other people watching him. Not with something so personal.
There was a single bed, the sheets and blankets a pristine white. It was a simple room, a few portraits hanging on the walls that
showed random images of scenery. Trees swaying gently as a wind blew. A light rainfall misting a flower garden. The images
weren’t all that intriguing, perhaps meant to keep the inhabitant of this room calm and tranquil. But Heero paid little attention to
the rest of the room when he saw her.
She was sitting in a chair by the window, blankly staring out at the clouds in the sky. Her hair was dark and straight, cascading
over her shoulders to end just above her waist. She was pale and slender and dressed in a simple sleeveless white nightgown
with soft slippers on her feet.
Kirei Lowe. Odin had often spoken of how lovely she was, yet Heero had never seen an image of her and he could not
remember her features himself. Here she was though, more beautiful than his mind had ever been able to conjure as a child.
“Mother?” He whispered breathlessly, taking shaky steps toward the silent woman. He paused briefly by the bed, not really
looking as he set his puppy down and unfastened the leash. As soon as Heero’s hands were off of him, the puppy jumped from
the bed and began exploring his new surroundings.
Heero’s focus was only on his mother.
He unclasped the catch of his robe, shrugging the garment off his shoulders to fall carelessly to the floor as he walked. His
hands were shaking so he clasped them together, not knowing what else to do with them. Step by step he approached her, his
heart racing faster and faster as the seconds ticked by. Until finally, he found himself staring at the most beautiful face he had
ever seen.
Even though her eyes were surrounded by dark circles and her cheeks were slightly sunken in, Heero was mesmerized by the
mere sight of her. His father, Odin had had light hair and a pale hard face with sharp green eyes. Heero had never been able to
find one physical similarity between himself and his father. But now, looking at his mother, it was as if there were finally a
connection to his past. Her eyes mirrored Heero’s own. The shade of her hair was the same. If not for the unhealthy pallor to
her skin, Heero was almost certain that she’d have the same skin tone as well. There was even a noticeable similarity in their
facial structures, though somehow his mother’s seemed more delicate.
For the first time in his life, Heero felt like he belonged somewhere. He was a part of a family. It caused strange, foreign
feelings to well up inside of him. His throat began to hurt and swallowing became difficult. His chest ached. And he didn’t
know why, but there were tears in his eyes. Long forgotten memories resurfaced in his mind, glimpses of the past he could
barely remember. His mother singing to him. His mother holding him. She had loved him. He remembered that now.
Overcome with these odd feelings and memories, Heero sank to his knees, his hands falling to settle on Kirei Lowe’s knees. “M-
Mama?” He croaked weakly, remembering that as what he had always called her when he had been little.
She didn’t blink, didn’t take her gaze from the window or the clouds she watched. She didn’t acknowledge his presence in any
way at all.
Heero felt the tears beginning to fall and didn’t try to stop them. He was finally here with his mother and she didn’t notice him,
didn’t see him.
“Mama? It’s me. It’s . . . It’s Yosei,” he said, wanting his mother to recognize him, needing her to realize he was there.
Kirei’s lips seemed to twitch, the corner of her mouth curling slightly. Had she heard him? Heero felt his heart flip at the mere
possibility. Then she spoke, her lilting voice soft and calm. “Yosei. My precious baby boy,” she said, never turning her
attention away from the window. She smiled, letting out a soft sigh before she began to hum a gentle tune. A tune that Heero
found himself remembering.
Wanting desperately to get through to her somehow, Heero began to hum along with her. Then, as the words came to him, he
started to quietly sing the words to her melody. It was a lullaby, the one she had sung to him. It was there, in the back of his
mind. It had always been there, as had his mother.
//Baby mine
Don’t you cry
Baby mine
Dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part
Baby of mine//
Kirei blinked then, a flicker of light entering her eyes. She turned to him, raising a hand to stroke through his hair. “My
precious baby boy.” She smiled, then turned away again. Once again to look out at the clouds as they passed.
It was too much for Heero to take and he collapsed. He dropped his head to his mother’s lap, resting his cheek against her
knees, his tears soaking into the fabric of her nightgown. His fingers clung tightly to the garment she wore, not knowing what
else to do. He was lost. He hadn’t known someone could feel so much pain. Here his mother was. And yet, she was farther
away than ever.
Graceful fingers slid along his scalp, brushing through his hair. Her voice came again, singing the lullaby once more, just like in
his memories. He listened, wanting to hold on to the illusion that she knew he was there, that maybe somewhere deep down
inside she realized who he was. He didn’t realize when she stopped singing or when her fingers stilled.
“Who are you?” A strange voice called.
Heero sat back on his heels, looking to the door. A strange woman was standing there. He blinked, finding it odd that this
woman looked so much like his mother, though her hair was much shorter than Kirei’s.
“I’m Heero . . .” He shook his head. “I’m Yosei Lowe.”
The woman narrowed her eyes, a sharp glare sent his way. “Are you, now? That’s funny. Do you know how many people
have pretended to be my nephew? How much trouble and pain those frauds have caused my family? My sister?”
Heero understood now. This woman was Kirei’s sister, his aunt. He hadn’t known he’d even had an aunt. He rose to his feet,
wiping the back of his hand across his eyes. “If I knew of a way to prove my claim, I would do so.”
The woman crossed her arms, her hard gaze trailing up and down Heero’s body. “What was your father’s name?”
“Odin Lowe,” he easily replied. “And my mother is Kirei. If the questions you have are going to be about family, then I’m
afraid I won’t be able to answer them. My father told me nothing of anyone else and that my mother had died in a shuttle
accident.”
His aunt frowned. She was silent for a while, as if trying to figure out what she could possibly ask him that could prove his
identity. “How did you get in here?” She finally asked.
This was a simple question. “Headmaster Dumbledore brought me here. And an apprentice named Neville Longbottom showed
me the rest of the way.”
“Dumbledore brought you?” She repeated, her eyes going a little wide, her face paling slightly.
Heero nodded. “Yes. But if you want to ask him about me, I’m afraid he’s left me here by myself to attend to other business.”
She sighed. “Of course, it just had to be complicated.” She shook her head. “Come here then. Show me your hands.” She
beckoned to him with a wave of her hand.
Heero didn’t know what she was up to, but he was curious. So he crossed the room to stand in front of his aunt. Unsure of
what she was going to be doing, he held out his hands, watching her carefully in case she meant to threaten him in some way.
She merely clasped his wrists with her fingers and closed her eyes, a faint murmur leaving her lips as she spoke a number of
unfamiliar words. To Heero’s surprise a cloud of blue smoke wafted up from his palms, lifting in the air only a few inches.
The woman opened her eyes then and they both watched as letters began to appear in the smoke. The first name to appear was
Heero’s true name, his code name scrawled beneath it in parenthesis. A line shot up from his name. Above that line appeared
“Odin Lowe." And beside his father’s name was his mother’s. Surprisingly, it continued, going back through the generations,
outlining each branch of the family tree. Just as a second line appeared beside his own, in the space where a sibling would be,
his aunt let go of his hands and the cloud of smoke faded away, leaving Heero to wonder about that last line and the name which
would have been written there.
Heero opened his mouth, but anything he might have said was silenced as his aunt caught him in a crushing hug. “By Merlin’s
beard, it really is you,” she cried as she held him even tighter, lifting his feet from the floor to spin him in a small circle.
Heero didn’t know what to do or say. He awkwardly hugged her in return, relieved when she finally put him down again.
“What was that? Who are you?” He asked, confused about these things.
“That was just a simple spell to check your parentage. I’ve had to use it several times over the past few years. There have
been many wishing to take advantage of Kirei, to get their hands on the family fortune.” She smiled, reaching up to brush aside
a portion of his hair. It only fell back where it had been as soon as she dropped her hand. “I should have realized it was really
you. You look so much like Kirei. My name is Hatsu Lin. Kirei, your mother, is my younger sister. Oh, how we’ve missed
you, Yosei. We never gave up hope. Please, tell me what you’ve been doing . . . all of your life.”
Heero nodded shakily, not knowing where to start. The woman had pretty much asked for his life story. He began with his
earliest memory, with Odin telling him of his mother’s death. From then on, the words seemed to have a life of their own,
flowing from Heero’s mouth in endless streams of information. He found himself confessing everything to her, wanting her to
accept him. When he finished, he stood there before his aunt, feeling vulnerable and afraid of how she’d react, his hands
trembling so much that he had to clasp them together once again.
Tears were trailing along his aunt’s face, dripping from her chin. “Damn that man for taking you away from us. For taking
you from Kirei when she needed you the most,” she said, wiping her tears away with shaking hands. “And you say he put a
block on your magic? He was a damn fool to do that without letting anyone in the wizarding community know. Once you
started school, it could have killed you!”
“It almost did,” Heero whispered, ducking his head. He took a glance back at his mother, a sigh escaping him as he saw she
was still staring out at the sky. “Is there any hope she’ll recover?”
“There’s always hope.” She smiled again, stroking her fingers across his cheek. “Yosei, do you want to meet the rest of your
family? I can take you, if you want.”
Heero’s heart skipped a beat at the thought. He nodded without thinking. “Yes, I would like that. But I do not know if I am
allowed. Professor Dumbledore . . .”
“It’s quite all right, Heero,” the Headmaster said, as he was entering the room. “As long as you’re back at school in time for
your classes on Monday, I see no reason why you cannot visit your family. You’ve been separated from them for far too long
as it is.”
“Thank you, sir,” Heero responded.
The Headmaster departed quietly, leaving Heero to the care of his aunt.
“Okay, now. Let’s say goodbye to your mother, and I’ll take you home,” his aunt said, ruffling his hair lightly.
Heero nodded. He turned and walked back to the chair where his mother sat, knowing that his aunt was right behind him.
Aunt Hatsu stepped up beside him as they stood before Kirei. She reached out, sliding her fingers along her sister’s straight
hair. “I’ll see you next weekend, Kirei.” She looked over her shoulder at Heero, a faint smile on her face. “I come every
weekend.”
Kirei did nothing, her eyes still fixed on the window.
Aunt Hatsu took a step back. Heero took a breath, not sure what to say really. He started to reach out, but pulled his hand
back. He felt unsure of what he was supposed to do here. He didn’t like feeling awkward. “G-Goodbye, Mama,” he said
finally.
Kirei turned, a smile curling her lips. “My precious baby boy.” She said again, her chill fingers caressing his cheek. Then her
focus was on the window once more, her hands settled on her lap.
Behind Heero, Aunt Hatsu gasped. Heero turned, confused when he saw that she had gone pale. Was she ill? “Are you okay?”
He asked, fearing that there was something ailing her. Maybe she wouldn’t take him to meet the rest of his family if she was
unwell.
“She spoke,” Aunt Hatsu said, her eyes wide. “She hasn’t spoken in thirteen years.”
Heero blinked. His mother. He had gotten his mother to speak for the first time in over a decade?
“See, I told you there was hope.” His aunt clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go. There’s so many people that’ll be happy to
see you.” She led Heero to the door, stopping only to pick up his robe and wrap it around his shoulders for him.
Heero gathered Odin’s leash and picked up his puppy again, carrying him out. He could hardly wait to meet his family. He had
never known anyone other than Odin. Now he was faced with a whole family tree he had never met. It was as frightening as it
was exciting. He only hoped that he wouldn’t be a disappointment.
To Be Continued . . .