Over millions of years ago, all beings co-existed. In the lands of red and green rivers, farmers in wooden houses with silver necklaces worked the land. Rice paddy layers of terrain filled the mountain sides of present-day Ghizhou. The Zang, known as a type of dragon, with colorful shining scales would rise above the river. Their long bodies curl as their wings fly above to the sky. If a human was faced with a Zang, they would see their sharp fangs and become immediately a Zang's dinner. Dragons in these lands help provide the earth with water. When thunder would sound, farmers would run to their shelter. The snakes, boars, birds and all sorts of animals scurry to safety. The Zang would fly across the lands near the river, lakes, and ocean. Wherever they flew, drops of rain followed.
On such a rainy night where Zang danced in the skies, a man with red robes walks slowly in a Hmong village. His thick black eyebrows become lighter than his black-covered eyes. It was as if walked for death. He stops in front of the first home, hearing a mother try to hush her child. Lightning strikes the trees nearby. He opens the door and the mother yells, "who are you?" His eyes filled with darkness mercilessly takes the lives of her and her daughter. Neighbors whom heard her scream and rush over, but the mysterious man had disappeared.
The villagers weep and sends a teenage boy to the next village to find her husband, Shee Yee. He was performing shamanic healing rituals as instructed by the Heavens. He was sent by the heavens to train more humans and heal their sicknesses. He married a human wife and had a child recently. Upon hearing the sad news, he returns to his family's bodies and cries. The Village Elder appoints all Qeej (Keng) musicians to prepare to send the souls of the fallen back to the spirit world, where all beings come from. Shee Yee, in anger, searches for the mysterious man after the funeral of his infant daughter and wife.
As he ventures out with his crossbow and arrow, he had passed all lands where the Yao, Han, Thai, Lao, and Mongols resided. He reaches a land of glistening water and lily pads. The grass is greener than all that he has seen. As he feels hungry, he finds a crane's nest nearby. He takes some eggs and attempts to crack one open. A dead baby chick body lays still as he unravels it. Then, a white crane with red feathers around her dark eyes swarms over with glittering water particles. Shee Yee drops the eggs and run for cover behind nearby trees and bushes.
The crane weeps, while Shee Yee watches cautiously from a distant. He grabs his arrow, preparing his bow to shoot her. She moves her beaks on her still chick. Tears keep falling. In a few moments, before Shee Yee prepares to press on the bow, she gives her deceased child a drop of yoke from another egg. The chick moves and chirps at it's mother. Shee Yee's eyes open wide and he plots to take some of the eggs to bring his child and wife back. As soon as the mother flies out of the nest to find some food for her chick, he runs to the nest and snatches all the eggs. He swiftly returns to the graveyard of his child and wife.
He attempts the same methods to revive his child and wife, but the Heavens appear and stops him. They take him back to ancestral spirit realm. He asks the Heavenly beings to allow him to stay, love his family again, and create more shamans from the humans. The Heavens tell him that his actions are forbidden. He stole from the Crane Spirit. It appears beside the Heavenly beings and huddles on its' eggs. Shee Yee makes a vow to the Heavens and all beings of the Eastern world that he will continue to become the keeper of Shamanistic abilities. The only humans who can become shamans will be those with a generous heart, but they will experience great sickness to prevent them from hurting humans who they serve.
May 1, 2028
As darkness fills the skies of London, Cua Lyfoung caresses nine year old Katherine's short black hair. Katherine's hair shines like black threads. She looks down to her granddaughter's bright brown eyes that were white only hours ago. She said: "My child, I know you will get better." Katherine looks blankly at the bright lights and the white covered ceiling, laying on a soft hospital bed. Then, she turns to her grandmother and replies with "Pu, where is mommy?"
A couple floors away, Hermione Grainger walks into the hospital, speaking to Mr. Robert Olivia. She says, "Mr. Olivia, I am at the hospital. I will meet with your daughter. Thank you for inviting me to asses the child." Mr. Olivia says, "Oh thank you, Mrs. Grainger. I just hope she has not become an Obscrurial. Daisy told me that the poor child's seizures shook the room and flickered the lights. I, say, she could be a witch. However, I know that in the East, they have less witches and wizards."
"I shall keep that in mind. I am taking the lift now and I shall return the call once we figure out her conditions. I have got to go."
Cua responds to her grandchild, "Mi ntxhais, nam tsheej ua hauj lwm. Ib plag nua nws maam le lug os. My dear child, she is still at work. She will be here soon." A knock at the door abruptly turns the attention of the two. Nurse Daisy Olivia appears at the door, "Hello, Mrs. Lyfoung and Katherine, I have a guest hear who can probably tell you more about what has happened. She is neurosurgeon and would like to evaluate Katherine."
Her grandmother answers with "I know what is going on with my grandchild. In the Hmong culture, her soul is lost and has been granted a gift."
Mrs. Grainger-Weasley replies with "I wonder what gift do you speak of when her soul is said to be lost. I am Hermione Grainger-Weasley, a neurosurgeon." She looks at the room to see a ritual set-up of paper with reds and golds marked and incense blowing on a table. The incense sits on rice and with on egg beside it. She recalls what Daisy told her about the family. According to Daisy, the grandmother claims to be a "shaman" in their Hmong culture and did a ritual at the hospital to return Katherine's soul. Mrs. Grainger checks for an Obscurus, but she does not see any in the room. She speaks calmly to Katherine. Suddenly, Katherine's eyes turn white again. Her small body shivers on the hospital bed. Nurse Daisy walks up to Katherine examines for her vitals. The screen flickers and the lights turn off and on.
Samantha Lyfoung, Katherine's mother, walks into the room and speaks to her mother-in-law, "Mom, what is going on?" She walks up to her daughter whose body uncontrollable moves on the hospital bed. "Oh my baby!" She cries in distress. Mrs. Grainger calms Samantha down and says, "Katherine shall be fine. I am a neurosurgeon, here to evaluate Katherine. I have something I need to speak to you about. I am wondering if you would have some time to speak with me."
Katherine returns with her brown eyes. Daisy checks on her. Her mother and grandmother rushes to her side.
Moments later, Samantha and Mrs. Grainger sits in the hospital lobby. Mrs. Grainger says, "I am wondering if your culture understands that there is another world." Samantha replies with "what do you mean another world? My mother-in-law is a shaman and they believe in connecting with a spirit world. I did grow up with Shamans in my family. They helped with healing people through their deep connection with the spirits."
"I believe that Katherine has special abilities and may need an environment to help her control them."
"Well, my mother-in-law believes Katherine has been chosen to become a shaman. Given all that I have seen in my community, I have never seen the environment impacted by a shaman's illness."
"What is a shaman's illness?"
"It is how people chose to become Shamans in our community."
"How do people become train to become shamans?"
"Other shamans in the community would teach new shamans. Shamans' sole responsibility is to treat non-shamans. It seems like a curse when every shaman has a sickness if they stop practicing. I agree with my mother-in-law, but with Katherine's age, I think it will be difficult for her to manage school and make friends."
"I am curious. I wondering if shamans are another word for witches and wizards in your culture. Well, many witches and wizards would rather not care for the non-magical world."
"I am not sure. I do know that supernatural looks different in many communities."
"If you say so, I am wondering if you would like Katherine to attend a special school, named Hogwarts for witches and wizards. It is boarding school where Katherine would not be home much."
"I heard about that from Daisy. I will think about it."
"Here is my contact information. Please call me if you would like to discuss more about it."