Hey there! Here's a new AU JCA/Harry Potter crossover oneshot I cooked up one day. I was thinking about the topic of bullying, which makes a great writing prompt, especially when it comes to cooking up fanfics about that very subject. And listening to music, such as the song "Breathe Me" by Sia, is a great way to get some ideas for them as well. Another way I glean ideas for stories is to read fanfics written by others, such as the JCA fanfic Cruel Christmas by LilyHellsing, which I like to read mostly because Jade Chan herself is in it, and she's my favorite character too.

Then, while watching the ‛Locker' commercial for the Foundation For a Better Life (which can be seen in the TV Commercials sub-category of ‛values dot com' - just replace the ‛dot' with a real period), I got to thinking – what if I cooked up a JCA/Harry Potter crossover oneshot based on the commercial I had seen?

Before the filming of "Locker," the director asked the young men and women in the cast: "who do you most identify with, the bullies or the boy who gets his books knocked out of his arms?" Almost everybody said they identified with the student who was being bullied. This indicates how widespread school bullying is.

The young female actresses in "Locker" also talked with the director about the differences between girls and boys when it comes to bullying. This discussion later inspired the idea behind "Cafeteria." It was a hard spot to film, not technically, but because the crew watching the filming sympathized with the boy being bullied. During the scene where the young man is picked on, many people working on the spot felt a sinking feeling in their stomachs, "like you'd had something bad for lunch." That the scene touched the cast and crew that much is indicative of how relevant the message is to all of us.

Almost everyone who worked to make "Locker" had witnessed acts of bullying firsthand, and was able to relate to the situation. Some had even seen people step in to help others out in situations where they were being bullied. "Locker" models a positive example of reaching out to someone else in need. It also positions the athlete in the spot as part of the solution – not part of the problem.

So, with that thought in mind, here's what I came up with. Hope you like it as much as I did writing it. :)

Disclaimer: Genius J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. John Rogers (also a genius) owns Jackie Chan Adventures. The title of this oneshot is taken from the song Breathe Me by Sia, which belongs to its respective owners. I own the fanfics I cook up from time to time.

Breathe Me

"When people hurt you over and over, think of them like sand paper. They may scratch and hurt you a bit, but in the end, you end up polished and they end up useless." ~Chris Colfer on the topic of bullying

"Hey, Jade," said a voice. It belonged to one of two boys in their fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as they walked up to Jade Chan. She was twelve years old, which meant she was in her second year.

As Jade turned around, she saw the fourth year's hand and arm going upwards to where her books happened to be in her arms.

Oh, great. Here we go again, she mentally groaned.

She blinked, and before she knew it, he knocked her books from her arms to the floor. The two students laughed and walked away as she shook her head and bent down to gather them together before picking them up.

‛Book check', she thought to herself as she began gathering her books in a neat little pile. Then the meaning for that very phrase came to her mind, and she remembered reading it from a printout she had gotten from a website called ‛Urban Dictionary', and then edited before putting it into a folder she had remembered to bring with her before she came to Hogwarts.

"The term ‛book check' means to knock the books out of someone's hands while in the school hallways. This causes all of the person's books, as well as papers and folders, to fly onto the floor. This generally makes them embarrassed, as well as causing them to be late for class. It is often used on freshmen by upperclassmen."

But what really hurt was the mean, hurtful words that were thrown her way right made her take a deep breath and bite her lower lip as she did her best to keep the tears from falling.

"Get some friends, loser!" the first fourth year laughed.

"Yeah. You're a weirdo. A freak. An oddball. And let me tell you something here, Jade – you don't belong here either," replied the second fourth year, a smirk adorning his face.

Draco Malfoy, who was in his third year at Hogwarts, watched the whole thing happen in front of him. He turned and locked eyes with the two bullies. Upon seeing him, their smirks instantly disappeared, and they shivered as he narrowed his grey gaze at them.

Then, accompanied by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who were seen by the bullies in the school as Draco's bodyguards, he walked over to the two fourth years, who were standing over by the point hourglasses, and hissed at them, "How dare you talk to a student like Jade Chan in that way?" Before they had a chance to respond, he added, "Filthy little Mudbloods".

The epithet, barbed but hidden behind a veil of anger, hit them verbally in the heart. A look of both shock and disbelief appeared on their faces as Draco turned away and then headed over to where Jade was kneeling on the floor by her things.

"You all right, Jade?" he asked as he, Crabbe and Goyle bent down to help her pick up her stuff.

"Yes, I will be," Jade replied. She then looked up at Draco, Crabbe and Goyle, and smiled as they handed her the last of her things. "Thanks for helping me."

Draco smiled. "No problem, Jade. Besides, bullies like those two guys are just jealous of you."

Jade looked puzzled. "Really?" Draco nodded. She decided to press even further by asking, "Why?"

Draco paused, looking quite thoughtful before answering, "I think it's because you have something they want. For other bullies and the victims of bullying, there are other reasons as well."

Now it was Jade's turn to look thoughtful as she processed what he had told her. Smiling, she realized that he was right.

Returning the smile, Draco then offered his arm to her. "Come on. I'll help you out," he suggested.

Crabbe and Goyle grinned and nodded.

"Indeed," said Crabbe while slipping his arm through Jade's other elbow while she took Draco's arm. "We're here to help, especially when it comes to bullies like those guys who picked on you," he whispered into her ear before giving her a wink. Jade smiled back.

"Draco, Crabbe, Goyle," she said, "thanks. You know, I think I will need some help with the bullies."

"Indeed," said Draco. "Say, I have an idea, Jade. How about we be your..." he paused and cleared his throat before adding, "...bodyguards?"

Jade chewed on the idea for a bit. It did seem like a good idea, and she would need some protection, after all – at least until she was able to fight back against the two bullying fourth years. After a moment, she said, grinning, "Why not? I think that does sound like a great idea."

Draco, Crabbe and Goyle nodded in agreement. As Jade set off down the hallway with the trio of Slytherin students by her side, she felt that, with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle's help and encouragement, she could do anything she set her mind to. She knew that for sure.

Now let me make something very clear here, especially to the writers out there who have either been bullied while in high school themselves, or have seen it happen to someone else. Bullying is very serious and realistic and should be seen as such – and not just in real life, but when it comes to writing about it as well (although you can be creative with it in fanfiction). No matter what form bullying takes, it hurts, and the scars run deep (and I don't mean just the physical scars either). Also, in my opinion, as well as having experienced being bullied once in middle school and twice in high school, it's better to stand up and be a leader than to stand by and be a follower.

So do the right thing. Stand up for those who are picked on. The small changes in doing right thing today are what cause the big changes in stopping bullying dead in its tracks.

And, of course, nice feedback is very much appreciated as well. :)