So after a lot of thinking I came to the conclusion a good friend of mine and many others had the right idea about having a sort of catch-all for ideas that aren't main stay stories being actively worked on. A sort of Proving Ground if you will to see what reception would be like if it was made into a full story. I leave my thanks to one of my muses, friends and fellow HP writer DZ2 for posing the suggestion to me.
So heres entry number one to the Proving Ground, a first contender that has been bouncing around my noggin. Its a kind sorta idea inspired by ScribeMaster555s challenge posted on DZ2s forum House of Fun called The Bonded Wizard and a song called Eye Of The Storm by Watt White. The only element I retain from the challenge is Harry gets abandoned in Japan left for dead and adopted by a magical family after Vernon brings Harry to Japan on a business trip & I use the term in all sarcasm since we all know they'd jump the gun to get rid of the "freak" during his pre-Hogwarts youth. Where this becomes slightly unique in my mind is that the family that adopts him is NOT human but what the japanese label youkai, their equivalent of Britains creatures or creature blooded witches and wizards. This family is not only youkai, kitsune/foxes specifically, but in a sense royalty as the matriarch of the family is the Headmistress of Mahoutokoro- their response to schools like Hogwarts and Durmstrang. Only its through Harrys adoption by this family something odd happens, he loses his humanity becoming a full blooded kitsune like his new family and a gift that he inherited from his birth family- storm magic not seen in the Potter family for generations- gets a swift kick in the ass turning the potency of it up to 11 within Harry.
With a new family that actually cares about him, a new country to call home and unhindered training to use all his gifts to their fullest Harry-now known as Daisuke by the time Mahoutokoro enters the TWT replacing Durmstrang as the third school- is going to take the world by force. Nothing will stop him and all the gods out there help whoever gets in his way.
Albus Dumbledore couldn't help the gnawing sensation in his stomach. The amount of words out there to describe the ancient wizard was a mile long and the accolades that went with all he had accomplished was nearly as long but if you were to ask him he would say none of that was important. His advancements in magic withing the British Aisles were, in his own private opinion, meaningless and far outweighed by his single greatest failure-the disappearance of Harry Potter entering its seventh year.
"Look! Its a flying pumpkin!"
Dumbledore was broken of his thoughts as he looked up to where the younger students were pointing in excitement. "Not quite a pumpkin but that would be a near enough approximation. No, that would be half our guest for the duration of the tournament. Let me present the fair daughters of Beauxbatons!" he announced as the rounded carriage and its team of flying horses touched down.
As soon as the carriage came to a complete stop a boy in powder blue robes jumped out of the carriage with a golden step and set it level with the doorway on the carriage itself. As he took a sentry position the door opened and a giant of a woman stepped out first. She peered around for a moment observing that they had arrived before the other competing school and seemed to find a sense of satisfaction in that. Words were said in french into the carriage before she moved away from it toward Dumbledore. She seemed to pay no mind as her students, model-esque young women in the same powder blue robes, came out to excited whispers from the Hogwarts boys and glares from the girls.
Some of older students noticed a brewing storm on the horizon as the woman Dumbledore called Madame Maxime and himself exchanged minor pleasantries. While they were hosting the tournament and it was expected of them to greet the other competitors it was a half-cocked idea to wait in the middle of a storm. Not only was it not safe for one but two and far more importantly was that whoever could be chosen as their representative could get sick.
"Where are these Bulgarians who are supposed to be the third leg of the tournament? Waiting for their arrival with a fast approaching storm is just like those dark arts worshipping-"
Dumbledore made a placating motion of his hands. "Durmstrang won't be joining us for the tournament. It is my understanding that Bulgaria is on lockdown ordered by their Chancellor. I've only heard rumors and nothing to support fact but I have heard they are dealing with wraith problems, specifically them possessing young people if rumors are to believed" he said shaking his head. He didn't believe the rumors but he did know that Bulgaria was indeed under a quarantine lockdown. "Our asian friends from Mahoutokoro have agreed to take Durmstrangs place after a few concessions were made for bothering them last minute."
This seemed to intrigue Madame Maxime greatly. Bulgaria on Chancellor ordered lockdown? She hadn't heard of it and Beauxbatons was closer to Bulgaria than Hogwarts. "Mahoutokoro? That is the Japanese school no?" she asked.
"It is." Though he was certain that Maxime would ask him about the concessions promised in private, Dumbledore was glad that the giantess asked no more questions. Then lightning struck the ground scaring the life out of his students and he revised his thought to wishing the woman had. As he cast a wide area calming charm he heard one of the the french witches make a comment about the storm going away and the fact there were animals in the crater left by the bolt of lightning.
Like a russian nesting doll, a line of foxes walked calmly out of the crater shaking out their fur. The oldest one sat on her haunches and cleaned soot from her ears while nodding at the others like a signal. Before the eyes of everyone there each fox grew and changed into a person wearing the gold colored robes of Mahoutokoro signifying they were all final year students. When the last one finished changing, the one who gave the signal changed at last. The woman who took the place of the fox was tall, elegant and dressed in fine storm cloud grey silks like her fur was colored. "Apologies for our arrival scaring everyone. Storm travel is the fastest for us but it can be quite.. Explosive when we get where we intended to arrive" the woman said, her Japanese accent as distinct as the vulpine ears twitching on top of her head.
For a long minute the Hogwarts and Beauxbatons students stared at the newcomers. Storm travel? Were they all animagi of the same kind or was it a self transfigurstion to make their 'storm travel' easier? Was the woman human with a desire to mess with people by walking around with fox ears on her head or was she creature blooded like some witches and wizards? So many questions raced around their minds.
"Headmistress, Daisuke is missing" one of the japanese girls said as she did a head count.
The woman snorted at the comment and waved her hand like it was no big deal. Reaching into her top she pulled a snoozing fox kit with fur black as obsidian. "Daisuke my sweet little kit, its time to play with the foreigners" she whispered in one of the kits ears as her free hand ran through the kits fur slowly and gently.
The black furred kit arched into the hand running through his fur growling happily until the soft voice told him it was time to play. Playing meant he had to wake completely. Waking up completely to play also meant he'd have to put in serious effort. A whine escaped its muzzle and curled up in a tight ball intending to sleep. Crossing so many timezones so quickly was hell on his internal clock.
The woman sighed and poked his belly. "Wake up now young man, do your school proud or I swear to Kami I'm pushing your engagement to be a year longer than it already is" she said with an authoritarian tone.
The kit whined again before it opened one eye revealing gold with green specks. With absolute reluctance the kit uncurled and jumped off the witches hand and onto the ground. In the space a blink a rather tall young man took the place of the fox kit. His skin was a light tan, his hair slightly lighter black than his obsidian fur & reached halfway down his back in a braid and his eyes were the opposite of his fox form- a bright emerald green with gold specks. Unlike his schoolmates he did not wear a gold robe; in its stead he wore a black duster edged in silver over a black shirt with a piece of chest armor over his ribcage on top, black trousers secured by a belt and black boots with buckles front. "Yeesh ma, no need to be that mean. Kari is already agitated enough we have to wait til I graduate for us to be married. You push it back another year and she'd have my hide for a set of winter gloves" he said through a yawn as he scratched at the black fox ears atop his head, a long thin fox tail swaying underneath his coat lazily.
"I wasn't aware your son was going to be a possible champion Headmistress Matsuyori" Dumbledore said looking long and hard at the boy. There was somehing about the boy that was familiar but precisely what made Daisuke familiar eluded him.
"If he is then so be it. The Goblet of Fire will select the most qualified. He is one of our finest at Mahoutokoro so naturally I had to include him" the woman said patting Daisuke on the head between the fox ears as he leaned against her.
"Is this to do about when I turned the quidditch pitch into a field of catnip? I totally apologized for that."
The mixed body of students watched with some amusement as the conversation went from accented english to growling sounds. Whatever the woman in charge of the japanese school, the boys mother no less, growled had him pout and his ears fall flat on his head like an upset puppy. Well the boys were amused to be more accurate, the female population wanted to cuddle him to their chest and pet his ears telling him all would be ok.
"Shall we all get inside before a real storm is upon us all? We are in the Scottish Highlands after all" Dumbledore said as he made a motion of his hands towards the massive doors.
The french witches followed behind the British jabbering away in rapid fire french with the occasional look back to the japanese boy with black fox ears.
Daisuke rolled his eyes pawing his face trailing behind the pack at his mothers side. "Just what are you playing at mom? I told you and dad I never wanted to be back in this godless country after you two found me half dead in that Shinjuku alley seven years ago" he said in hushed tones so no one else heard him.
"Getting you what you deserve of your birth family my son. Your dad and I saved you, made you our flesh and blood, gave you a place to call home where you knew what it meant to be loved & cared for. But here in this country lies your birthright left by those who brought you into this world. You alone deserve what they left you as their son. They loved you enough to sacrifice their lives to protect you. I want to do rght by their sacrifice because I got the best blessing I could ever dream of even if the delivery was less than ideal obviously. I want to do right by you more so my son." There was a moment of silence as she raised an arm lovingly rubbing his ears. "Even if its only memories by way of things and pictures no son or daughter should forget where they came from."
"We could have done an asset transfer at the Tokyo branch of Gringotts. As the sole heir I could have authorized it and the fee would be a pittance in comparison of the fortune they left behind." Daisuke shivered at the attention paid to his ears before he shook his head.
"Yes you could've and can but I was referring to the properties owned by them. The contents locked away behind doors and spells that will only let in blood of blood. Those are not locked in the Gringotts vaults are they?" the witch asked in challenge. When Daisuke didn't answer she made a short sound that seemed completely in line with someone saying 'I thought so'.
"You know if I see those filthy genetic experiments their lives are mine."
The witch shot up a single eyebrow. "Their lives are yours but your dad, sister and I have first dibs to torture them for all they did to you my storm kit" she said with an edge of coldness that came up only when remembering the state he was in when she found her then human son half dead in alley.
"The compromise was if you, dad or big sister got your paws on them first you get the first dibs to make then scream & beg for their lives. Don't try to change it now baka kaa-chan" Daisuke said with a scoff though there was humor in his eyes. Even as his mother cuffed his ear the amusement only grew as returned the 'insult', which they both knew it wasn't, and tacked on that he was a cheeky brat. "You wouldn't love me any other way."