A/N: The story has been written for the International Wizarding School Championship. I do not own Harry Potter; it solely belongs to J.K. Rowling!
House: Thunderbird
Year: 5
Word Count: 2052
Prompt: 1. [Location]: Headmaster's/Headmistress' office (Main prompt)
2. [Colour]: Turquoise (Additional Prompt)
Theme: Mahoutokoro School of Magic
From what she had observed and seen so far, Mahoutokoro was very different and divergent from Hogwarts - not only in terms of culture but also in its location and the discrete academic structure.
The Japanese wizarding school, located on the topmost point of the volcanic island of Minami Iwo Jima, gave it the perfect secluded neighbourhood to hide from the muyo's prying eyes, as well the opportunity to its students to participate in outdoor activities without the fear of getting caught. Hermione was actually very impressed with the precautions taken for the safety of the school.
Though the school was significantly smaller in comparison to the British Wizarding school, its architecture in itself, was highly descriptive of the immense Japanese culture.
Hermione was currently standing in the middle of the headmistress' office, waiting for her, while staring in awe and fascination at the elegant decor of the school. The exquisite palace resembled a pagoda made of some translucent white stones. The architecture had traditionally typified wood structures, and sliding doors - fusuma - were present in walls, allowing more space. Tatami mats covered the deep green stone floorings.
The walls of the office were adorned with paintings and portraits of famous Japanese wizards and former heads of the school.
One wall on the other side of the office depicted the origin story of Mahoutokoro and how it came to gain its present fame for being educational prowess and Quidditch legends. Hermione saw some pictures of Hogwarts and Mahoutokoro students in their respective Quidditch gears - they were probably the students who had introduced the famous wizarding sport to the Japanese school.
She moved forward and her eyes caught on one of the most detailed and intricate tapestries of all wizarding families from different parts of the world. She could only, however, recognise some of them - the Sacred Twenty-Eight from the British Isles; the Sayre's and Lestoat's from North America and the Grindelwald's from Europe. Her curiosity kept on increasing as she read more names on the tapestry - the Akaal's, Dilraj's and Jadu's from the Indian subcontinent; Kwaito from Africa; Bellarosa, Coccoti, Dubois from Italy; Bonnacord and Bonnesante from France; Arigaapa from German; Azam from Egypt; Dolohov, Rozenblat and Petrov Russia; the list seemed never-ending.
She hadn't ever heard of these families before, nor did the curriculum at Hogwarts allowed the students to study them. And Hermione could say this with confidence because she had spent most of her time at Hogwarts either with Harry and Ron, or in the library, yet not a single regarding the rich culture of the wizarding world was present there.
She was in deep thought as to why Hogwarts didn't teach them about it. It seemed like a very concerning matter because not only the students of Hogwarts lacking behind according to the International Standard Curriculum but they also weren't aware of their history. The only thing they knew about history was the bloody goblin war.
Various shouts of 'hurrahs' broke her stupor and Hermione moved to stand by the large window of the headmistress' office. She curiously peeked at the ongoing activities. Hermione smiled when she saw some kids exercising enthusiastically, while some others seemed deep in meditation. That was another unique thing about Mahoutokoro that had impressed Hermione - the school faculty seemed to give equal importance to both mental and physical health of the students along with their studies.
"It pleases me that you so humbly accepted my invitation, Miss Granger. Welcome to Mahoutokoro School of Magic." Hermione's head whipped around to see a familiar woman with a kind smile on her face, staring at her. She was wearing a floral printed robe in turquoise colour, and her hair had been pulled in an elegant bun with the traditional Kanzashi in them. The fine lines on her face spoke of the immense wisdom and experience she may have gained over the years. She moved forward and bowed in greeting to Hermione; the latter followed suit.
"The pleasure was all mine, headmistress Hamasaki. The castle is remarkably beautiful, just as you had said," Hermione spoke as the headmistress joined her side by the window. The two had met each other during an International Conference in France. Their shared political views and ideas to help the wizarding society in various ways had further strengthened their bond. Hermione could easily say that headmistress Kohaku Hamasaki had been a mentor to her when she was starting her campaigns and eventually making her way in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The woman had supported Hermione immensely, something she would forever be grateful for. So when she had received a letter asking if she would like to visit Mahoutokoro and interact with its students, Hermione had literally jumped at the given opportunity.
"Oh yes. I assumed that you would have liked it, especially the architecture and the Wizarding Family Tree if I'm not wrong," Hamasaki said making Hermione chuckle slightly. Hermione knew that she was too curious at times, but she also knew that the headmistress wouldn't mind her honest eagerness in the least.
"I sincerely thank you for inviting me here, headmistress," she sincerely expressed her gratitude before she continued. "And seeing your immense efforts to help the students understand the importance of your culture is truly exceptional. It's saddening, though, that Hogwarts is far behind Mahoutokoro in this area."
"The bloody war and the innumerable problems Britain had faced for the past so many years, couldn't simply be ignored. The teachers at Hogwarts were not only burdened by an incompetent Fudge Ministry but also with the constant load of protecting its students," headmistress Hamasaki reasoned. "The whole world was well aware of the havoc Voldemort was wreaking upon the British Isles, but we sadly chose to not act upon it. It was our mistake," she sighed heavily as she said those words. "I remember Dumbledore trying to convince everyone of the Dark Lord's return and asking for help, but no one supported him. Unfortunately, I wasn't in a position to help him or offer my support at that time." Hermione understood her reasoning perfectly well. The fear of the crazy Dark Lord wasn't limited to Britain alone; others had refused for any sort of help in an attempt to safeguard the lives of their citizens.
"Anyway, that is all in the past now," headmistress Hamasaki said as she led Hermione to her table where some drinks and delicacies were already laid out for her. She poured Hermione some Amazake while she was busy nibbling on her dorayaki. They were in the middle of a random conversation when the door to the office slid open and another woman came strolling in. She was wearing similar turquoise robes, like the headmistress, though her dress was a little less floral and glittery. This caught Hermione's attention.
"How may I help you, Miss Tanaka?" Hamasaki asked politely.
"My apologies, headmistress Hamasaki. I didn't know that you had guests. I'll come later; its nothing that important," she said looking a bit guilty.
"Not at all, my dear. Now that you've, allow me to introduce you to our guest. This is Miss Hermione Granger, the Deputy Head of Magical Law Enforcement of Wizarding Britain. And this is Miss Aiyo Tanaka, our very brilliant Arithmancy teacher." The headmistress introduced them to each other. While Hermione moved forward to greet the teacher, the latter was staring at her wide-eyed; she was looking at Hermione in absolute awe making the bushy-haired girl feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Oh my! It's an honour to meet you. I'm a huge fan, Miss Granger, huge admirer truly." Now Hermione had seen many people fawn over Harry the same way, but to experience it one-one-one was a different feeling. She didn't know whether she should be flattered or concerned. She chose, however, to not show her varying thoughts.
"Thank you. I'm really flattered. It's a bit unbelievable people know us," Hermione voiced her thoughts. The fame and recognition they had earned over the years still didn't look worthy enough to either Harry or Hermione.
"Are you kidding me," Miss Tanaka asserted. "Who doesn't know about Mr Potter and his two brave friends, who helped in saving the fate of the Wizarding world?" Headmistress Hamaksaki chuckled before she turned to Miss Tanaka and spoke, "How about you give Miss Granger a tour of the castle while I send a reply to the Minister's letter? I'm sure the students and staff members will be equally excited to meet you."
"I would like that," Hermione piped in and followed Miss Tanaka out of the office. The hallways were lit by light-torches, there were colourful paintings proudly kept on display; they were the ones made by students it seemed, and were put up for presentation to encourage and boost their morale. Occasionally, Miss Tanaka would stop by and translate the texts engraved on the walls. Hermione was also impressed by the intricate rune work on the walls of the castle for extra protection.
"Can I ask you something?" Hermione asked Miss Tanaka, who had been a very patient guide to throughout.
"Of course, Miss Granger."
"I noticed that all the students here wear different coloured uniforms. Is there a reason for it? Like, are they different house dresses?"
"Although we have four houses - Seiran, Yosamu, Toppuu and Shunrai - the robes aren't entitled to that of specific houses. When students join Mahoutokoro, they are presented with enchanted robes which eventually grow in size as the students do. They also gradually change colour as the learning of their wearer increases, beginning with faint pink to orange then red, then purple, then blue and finally golden. If the robes, however, turn white, it's an indication that the student has betrayed the Japanese's wizarding code by performing illegal magic or broken the Statue of Secrecy. To 'turn white' is a terrible disgrace which results in immediate expulsion and trial at the Japanese Ministry of Magic." Hermione heard every word with rapt attention. The rules at the Japanese school weren't ceasing to amaze her.
"It is kind of similar to the teacher's uniform as well."
"The teachers have to wear designated uniforms too?" Hermione asked.
"Oh yes. It was the former headmaster's idea in an attempt to teach students that a school is a learning place for all - not just for students but for their mentors as well. So he introduced turquoise robes for the staff members. As we teachers grow in our own aspects and understand to view every child without any partiality, instead of changing colour, the intricate handiwork on our robes changes. It becomes more detailed and must have seen, headmistress Hamasaki's robes are much more complicated than ours because of the years of experience she has had. If the teacher, however, shows any signs of partiality between students or that of taking their future for granted, their robes turn black, and they are immediately suspended from their teaching position."
"That is a very thoughtful approach, I must say. Though I don't understand why specifically use 'turquoise' robes?"
"Turquoise is a colour that associates with meanings like calm, sophisticated, refreshing, energy, wisdom, serenity, emotional balance and good luck - all the necessary traits required in any teacher or mentor, that's why."
They came to a halt in front of a large open courtyard where some students were involved in spending quality time with their books while others were simply goofing around and having fun.
"Today we have a small cultural fest to introduce the newest additions to school to our history and rules. I think that is the reason headmistress Hamasaki invited you today as well. She had told the upper classes to prepare something special this time." Miss Tanaka voiced her thoughts, and Hermione's excitement knew no bounds. She was ecstatic to be able to get the opportunity and learn something more about the Japanese school. She greeted all the students with a warm smile and chatted enthusiastically with them - learning about Mahoutokoro as well as teaching the traditions of Hogwarts. They also asked her about the various endeavours she had endured with Harry and Ron, and how they defeated the Dark Lord. To say this trip to Japan was bloody brilliant would have been an understatement.