Author's note:
Madame Akira'a School for witches is another magical school like Hogwarts set in Japan. I chose to start off with the sorting ceremony of Regina's to show more about her characteristics but also how they get sorted into their houses and receive their new names. I based it on the way that Geisha get new names when they become an apprentice Geisha.
Hogwarts features in the rest of this series as Madame Akira's school are going to take part in the Triwizard Tournament. It is at Hogwarts that we meet Tom Riddle.
I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or Hogwarts but Madame Akira's School and the rest of the characters from that school are all my idea.
Please read and Rate this, I love to read reviews and know what I can improve on and who enjoys reading this, it encourages me to make more!
Well I'll stop going on now. So without further ado here is the prologue to Beautiful Moon.
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Regina stood there, with the others, waiting and listening. An excited yet nervous buzz swept across the room.
"What do you suppose it is that we have to do?" The girls next to her asked but before Regina had even opened her mouth in reply she found her questioned being answered by an insufferable know it all.
"Nothing really. They just sort you into houses. My older sister came here you know, best school there is around, personally I can't wait to start doing some magic, I'm really looking forward to Potions, very logical you see that's the way my mind works best, I mean don't you think it's just fascinating how they can look like harmless liquids and then the next moment your dead! See my sister was very good at potions, she went on…"
But what she went on to do the two girls never found out as the girl was quickly stopped by a gnarled old lady entering the room, waiting to take the students into the main hall for the sorting ceromony.
"File into two lines one behind the other, quickly hurry up!" Everyone bustled about as they went to find a place in the line and to make sure they weren't at the front, so when the massive double doors opened they would not be the first, scared looking, first years to be seen.
"Right." Continued the old lady, once everyone had quietened down again. Regina glanced round the large girl in front of her, to see the old lady. Her hair was done up on her head with wooden chopsticks, these looked very plain against the dress she was wearing: The material was made of very fine, red silk with golden embroidered flowers.
"Wow how much do you think that costs?" Regina turned her head only to find that the girl who had asked the question about the sorting was next to her in the line.
'What is it with her and her insufferable questioning? Doesn't she ever stop!?'
Regina chose to ignore her, she didn't want to go making enemies on the first day, besides something told her it would not be wise to start a fight under this old lady's nose. So instead she made a 'tut' sound under her breath before turning to listen to the old mistress.
"As some of you may know Madame Akira's school for witches hosts four houses and they are: Tsubasa, Yuki, Sora and Tsuk. The sorting ceremony will place you into the house you will be staying in during your time here at Madame Akira's. Along with your house, you will be given a new name; a name, which best describes your individual personalities. You will be put into your houses based on your name. So long as you are here at this school you will be referred to by your new given name. Your surname will be that of your house."
The old lady glanced around the students. "Any Questions?"
The students looked at each other scared but no one raised their hands.
"Very well then, follow me please."
The old woman swept away, the red material of her kimono blowing out behind her, for an old lady she moved pretty fast, they all had to enter a fast walk to keep up, which was indeed hard as they had to move fast while keeping their clogs on their feet.
The lady led them out of the room and into the most beautiful courtyard. A fountain stood in the middle, where different coloured jets spurted out from the top. Fireflies skimmed the surface of the water, one of the girls sighed at this sight, "How beautiful."
While most of her classmates seemed enchanted by the garden, it didn't seem to impress Regina that much, sighing she looked up at the moon.
"Huh what you looking at?" The girl next to her asked again following Regina's stare upwards "Oh wow! Look at that moon! I've never seen it this big before!"
She stopped, looking up at it. The people behind, not aware of the sudden pause crashed into her, causing her to unbalance slightly. The girl wobbled around trying to regain her balance but unfortunately she wasn't used to walking in clogs and so went shooting right into the people in front.
"You there!" Came the old mistress' sharp voice, "be more careful!"
The girl picked herself up with slightly flushed cheeks and followed the procession into the hall.
The golden double doors stood open for them. Some of the young girls gasped at the sight that greeted them. It was truly magnificent. Four long house tables filled the whole length of the hall. Placed either side were small plain cushions, upon which the students now sat watching the first years make their way up to the front. On each of the tables were different decorations, the table on the far right held lilies, orchids and other such flowers, the people sitting there wore a garment not unlike a Kimono but was more practical for working in, therefore they had no long, floating sleeves, these had flowers on them as well. Yet as Regina looked closer she noticed that none were the same.
"The reason why they wear different garments is because no person is the same." The know-it-all piped up again. "The garments portray the meaning of your name. That's why they're all different; no one has the same name. And look, the tables, they all hold different decorations to do with that house."
Regina looked at the other tables and indeed they were decorated very differently from the others. The one right to the left of her displayed all sorts of winged creatures some sparrows soared high above while fireflies whizzed round in their jars, creating the tables light. The one on Regina's right had huge sculptures on it that resembled, what she thought, looked like mountains. From the mountaintops a strange misty substance cascaded down, covering the table in a layer of thin mist. However the table that really caught Regina's eye the most was the table to the far left. This part of the room seemed darker to her. Looking up she saw a yellowing moon that cast an eerie glow over the table. Most of these people seemed to be dressed in dark colours.
The old lady came to an abrupt halt at the top of the hall and told the students to get into line. Regina had a quick glimpse of the high table before her back was turned to it and she, along with the others, faced the rest of the school. The old lady came out and placed a large headdress onto a cushion not to dissimilar to the ones the students were sitting on down bellow. Looking at the headdress Regina saw that it supported pink blossom, which circled the outside, a crescent moon, which came through the top, a strange mist which hung around the moon and some small birds which danced in the blossom.
Regina looked up at the rest of the school and saw that they were all focused on the headdress, so she looked at it too. A small rip appeared among the blossom causing some of the first years to squeal. The headdress then started to talk:
The strangest thing you've ever seen
A talking headdress just like me
Oh maiden pretty, oh maiden fair
I choose the house and sort you there.
You may belong in Sora – sky
Where dwells the mist and all things high
The strongest mountain cannot fall
While we unite, stand strong and tall.
Perhaps the purest Yuki – snow
Will be the place you will go
Pearl, lily and sapphire shareA very common place there.
But if you prefer to take flight
At any adventure that comes in sight
Tsubasa – wing
Is your thing.
Yet above all shine Tusk – moon
All wisdom seekers will be there soon
Unusual powers the moon brings out
Tusk's are never ones to doubt.
So to name you all have I
Moon, snow, wing and sky
This name is what you are
And in this house you will go far.
The headdress finished it's song and the hall burst into a round of applause, the headdress bowed and then became completely still.
The old lady once again made her way to the front of the hall. "When I call your name you will come and try on the headdress. Hikaru Cho."
A young dark haired, slightly round faced, girl stumbled up to the headdress and placed it on her head. A few moments later the headdress shouted:
"YUKI SAKURA"
The table covered with floral decorations exploded with cheers and claps, Sakura smiled and made her way to a cushion at that table.
The old lady called many more people on the list and each time the hat shouted the house name followed by the new name given to them to based on their personality.
"Yuadai Chinatsu."
The girl nest Regina in the line bounded forward and tried on the hat, it took a little while longer but eventually she became the first Tsuk.
"Laleth Regina."
The hall murmured at this, no one had come to this school before who wasn't Japanese. Regina had a certain element of Japanese to her: She had long dark hair, as black as everyone else's but she had very pale skin and perhaps the thing that made her most different to these Japanese was her startling grey eyes, a gift from her mother, her mother who gave Regina her eternal beauty.
Walking forward she placed the headdress on top of her head and had a last glimpse of the hall before the headdress dropped over her eyes.
"Well, well, well this is a tricky one. There is talent there and a thirst for knowledge yet you come from a pure race and your not afraid, oh yes defiantly not afraid but where to put you…I could give you the name of Monami, which means Love Beauty but I sense you find it hard to love. Akemi, yes this is a good choice meaning bright and beautiful but that means I would place you in Yuki and I don't think you would suit there. Yet what of Michiko – beautiful wise child, no again not enough, I sense something in you, a power yet to be unlocked. You hold many secrets and surprises, like the moon. Tuskiko – moon child but once again it doesn't recognise your beauty. Oh well then I'd better make you..."
"TSUK MIZUKI."
The headdress shouted out the last words to the whole hall but before she took the headdress of it whispered to her:
"Yes Mizuki – the beautiful moon."
The table on the far left applauded loudly and she went to join the table of Tsuk and it's many moons.