Title: Magical Alliance
Author: AkizukiSakura
Series: Yuugi-ou/Harry Potter/Cardcaptor Sakura
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Rating: M/R
Pairing(s): Yami no Yuugi/Yuugi, Bakura/Ryou, Sakura/Scorpius, others pending
Spoilers/Warnings: Since all three series referenced here are complete, let it be safe to assume that I might reference anything and everything. This is heavily plot divergent.
Disclaimer: Yuugi-ou belongs to Takahashi Kazuki-san. Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. I own only the basic plot and make no monetary profit off this story.
Summary: With Voldemort gone, the wizarding world was allowed to release its collective breath. The danger seems to be over. So why are people who aren't even associated with wizards having visions that pertain to the hidden, magical world?
Notes: In order to make this work, I had to pretty much cut, paste, slash, and hack the plots of each series to respective pieces. With that in mind, please excuse the obscenely long note, and address any concerns in reviews. I'd be happy to explain anything that is not a plot point for later. Please note that the teaching staff at Hogwarts will be drastically different than it is in the books, for reasons that will be obvious soon enough.
Harry Potter is canon through perhaps book four (Dumbledore, Sirius, Snape, and all other casualties of war from the fifth, sixth, and seventh books are not dead). Cardcaptor Sakura is canon all the way, but has her starting capturing cards at a younger age (ten) – she is eleven at the start of this fic (which will mean she has just finished capturing and converting the cards), and Sakura and Syaoran do not have feelings for each other. Yuugi-ou is canon through Millennium World.
Key differences include Atem and Bakura gaining bodies despite Atem losing the ceremonial duel, Mokuba being much younger (he is also eleven when this story starts), and a general screw-over of several characters. For the purposes of this story, Tomoyo and Mokuba have magic. Yuugi, Atem, Bakura, and Ryou have magic, but it did not actually manifest until after they received the Items. Harry and Ginny are married, as are Ron and Hermione – Scorpius, Rose, and James Sirius exist, but anyone younger than them do not (they are twelve at the start of this story). This story subscribes to the idea that a wizard will live at least triple the life expectancy of a muggle.
And no, the listed pairings will not change. I'm up to suggestions on anyone else, so long as I can fit it into the plot. The plot does not revolve around pairings, however, and should not pose too much of an issue. This is in the Yuugi-ou category because they are the main focus of the story. That does not mean I will purposefully neglect any other group and, while I have personal favorite characters, I will try to slight no one. For the most part I'm mixing anime and manga references.
Italicized words represent thoughts unless they're in Japanese. Foreign words will be italicized as well.
'…' represents telepathic communication.
"…" (non-italicized) represent spoken words.
Any necessary translations will be at the end of each chapter. Don't expect chapters of this length all the time, either.
Chapter 1: Dreams and Visions
Curls of black mist crawled over his legs and up his torso, twining down around his arms and falling gently from the crimson spikes of his multi-colored hair. To most anyone else in such a situation these dark shadows would have been cause for panic and fear, but for the once-pharaoh, Atem, it was not a cause for alarm. At least, under normal circumstances, meditating to monitor the realm of shadows was no reason to worry.
Having been imprisoned in shadows for three millennia, give or take a few decades, and having been the one to seal those shadows away that many years ago, Atem had the most control of the magic that abounded in this place. The tomb robber probably had decent control, too, given that he'd been sealed into one of the items as well, but Atem tended to avoid thinking of the being who had taken the name "Bakura". The others thought the spirit of the Sennen Ring was reformed, if mischievous, but the day Atem became, dare he think it, friends with the other spirit who had recently gained a body would be the day Kaiba Seto decided to hand out donations and set up charity cases willingly and with a smile.
When the Shadow Realm was its normal self, shards of color flicking randomly and swirls of shadow monster essence curling languidly about, Atem had no need to fear it, for the power was controllable by will, and Atem's was made of pure iron. But for almost twelve years now Atem had noticed that the Shadow Realm felt strange, somehow darker and a little more malevolent than it should have been. He had been unsure while still borrowing his partner's body but, once the gods had granted him and, regrettably, Bakura their own bodies he had been more in tune with the realm he had been imprisoned in with only the shattered Sennen Puzzle for a link back to the living world.
He couldn't really explain what he meant by malevolent, not even to his partner, whom he shared the closest bond with, but the others knew not to question he-who-had-once-been-pharaoh without a reason. They were all friends (even if it was a prickly sort of friendship where Kaiba was concerned) but there was no denying that Atem had definitely possessed the will (Bakura called it arrogance) of a pharaoh if his occasional bouts of headstrong attitude were anything to go on. He had been monitoring the realm for several years now in between going to college with his partner – both had decided to pursue degrees – and the shadows had grown increasingly restless. Unsurprisingly, given his late grandfather's occupation, Atem's former host chose history and archaeology to study and teach while Atem decided to study dead languages and apply that aptitude to translation for various museums around the world.
With a small from Atem realized that he was allowing his mind to drift again, which seemed to happen whenever his partner managed to sneak into his thoughts. When that happened Atem knew it was time to end his meditations for the time being, for concentration was extremely important for even him to survive in this realm, power or no power.
Opening his claret eyes Atem drew a soft, almost annoyed breath as he drove a hand through his spiked hair and blew his blonde bangs from his face. Well, another session, another failed attempt at locating whatever it was that had offset the balance of the shadows. All he could say for certain was that it was growing in power. The idea of eventually having to face that darkness was not an appealing one, especially not after what had happened with Bakura's memory game and the resurrection of the dark god, Zorc Necrophades. He swore his essence still ached from that battle.
Atem knew there would be no sleep for him later on this night, which had been happening progressively more often as he had monitored the Shadow Realm over the years. His partner would not be pleased if he stayed up again... Reaching over, he clicked the light to his bedside lamp on and placed his feet on the floor, sighing faintly. Like his partner, Atem was not the tallest individual around (especially when compared to the former High Priest), and he was always reminded of his lack of height when his feet barely pressed flat to the floor. Tiredly he let his crimson gaze sweep his room, taking in the neatness. His partner had been notoriously messy back when he and Atem still shared a body but it seemed that trait did not carry over to Atem now that they were separate people.
Speaking of his partner…
There was no movement in the apartment but Atem expected that would change once his partner came home from his recent excavation, which – Atem glanced at his digital clock for confirmation – should be in another hour if not a little earlier. Atem opened his curtains and window to allow the dying sunlight to filter into his room, leaning casually on the ledge with a small frown. Though it was easier for him to meditate at night, knowing his partner would be home this evening Atem had purchased ingredients for dinner so that he could have a meal ready as a small surprise.
Like Bakura and Ryou, Atem and Yuugi lived together and Atem still thought of him as his partner, or aibou. Both he and Yuugi were in their late twenties and yet neither of them had really found anyone to settle with in a romantic sense. They were best friends, he and Yuugi, and it was easier financially to share a fairly nice two-bedroom apartment, not to mention less lonely, especially since everyone seemed to have paired up when Yuugi and Atem weren't paying attention. Kaiba had finally stopped being an idiot and gotten together with Jounouchi; Anzu was in America living out her dream of being a dancer with her boyfriend Otogi; and Honda had finally gotten together with Shizuka, Jounouchi's honey-sweet little sister.
Anzu regularly sent letters to all of her friends in Domino City, usually with a post script by Otogi, who was usually too busy – he'd taken over Industrial Illusions with Pegasus' retirement – to write up his own letter. Jounouchi teamed up with Mokuba, Kaiba's younger brother, to convince him to invite Yuugi and Atem to the Kaiba estates for dinner regularly, and Honda and Shizuka had made Yuugi and Atem godparents to their just-born child, so their friendship circle had never really waned. Atem could almost enjoy this second chance at life if not for the Shadow Realm acting up. It was a sign of a storm brewing but nothing he did seemed to dissipate it.
Knowing there was nothing else he could do for now, Atem walked around the apartment opening curtains, blinds, and windows to tempt in a late summer's evening breeze. This was easier due to their location on the second floor – as there was less blocking the air flow than on the ground floor – and Yuugi was partial to fresh air and warm sunshine. Atem had already cleaned up the apartment and even ventured into Yuugi's room to pick the clothes up off the floor and throw them in the laundry. Knowing that putting folded clothes on Yuugi's bed would only result in them being shoved under the bed and forgotten, he had also put them away, hanging up what should be hung up even as he smiled fondly at the unmade bed and messy desk. The one he had once referred to as Mou Hitori no Ore really was like a child if one didn't truly know him.
With the apartment clean and open to the air and sun Atem lit one of the aromatic candles Yuugi was so fond of and began to prepare dinner, mind still on his little hikari. It really was amazing how well Yuugi was able to slip into every aspect of his life, but Atem wasn't complaining. He cared greatly for the one who had set him free and accepted him into his body without complaint. It was the least he could do to have Yuugi come home to a welcoming apartment.
"Tadaima!" Mouto Yuugi announced as he closed the door and casually tossed his restricting suit jacket and tie over the rack by the door. He sniffed the air curiously as he stepped out of his shoes and slipped his feet into his slippers to proceed further into the apartment. "Wow, Atem, you cooked?" he teased – he and Atem had long since dropped addressing each other with honorifics – as he dropped his keys on the counter and proceeded down the hall to drop his briefcase off in his room. "And cleaned?" he added in mock surprise, seeing his room and smiling.
He padded back down the hallway to the small dining room adjoining the kitchen where, to Yuugi's surprise, Atem was finishing the icing on a cake. He glanced up at Yuugi, smiled his amusement, and put aside his spoon.
"Okaeri, Aibou," he greeted. Yuugi snickered faintly, drawing a blank stare from Atem. Yuugi picked up a cloth and moved over to his housemate, reaching up.
"You have chocolate on your nose, Atem," he informed Atem with a grin as he wiped the smear off his partner's golden skin. "You always make a mess when you cook," he added, "though it's usually only on you." This was true enough: Atem normally kept the kitchen clean while he cooked but tended to end up with all sorts of food on his apron. Atem gave Yuugi an overdramatic frown.
"I take the time to cook you dinner and make you dessert and all you do is make fun of me?" he demanded, crossing his arms and looking highly affronted. As he'd expected Yuugi only grinned affirmation and put the towel down. For some reason Yuugi was not one to be affected by Atem's regal attempts, though it worked both ways because Yuugi's (what Kaiba had dryly termed) "eyes of doom" only worked on Atem half the time. Kaiba often complained that it wasn't fair because Mokuba, apparently, was a master of the eyes of doom as well and whenever they wanted something Mokuba and Yuugi would gang up on him and he'd find it impossible to say "no".
"I wasn't making fun of you," Yuugi replied innocently, violet gaze amused. "But you can't deny that you somehow manage to have whatever you're making all over your apron by the time you finish," he added, gesturing to the sand-colored apron Yuugi had bought Atem which was smudged with not only chocolate but also soy sauce and a few other stains that Yuugi didn't care to analyze. He ducked the playful swipe Atem aimed at him and allowed his yami to shoo him out of the kitchen and back into the dining room where the food still sat patiently, covered to stay warm.
"All right, Aibou, I get it. I am not the neatest cook in Japan. Since you have made your point, please go wash your hands so we can eat." He smirked at the mild pout Yuugi gave him in reply, knowing that his words had the general effect of a mother scolding her son and not feeling repentant at all. Huffing theatrically, Yuugi flounced comically off to do as Atem instructed, taking the time to change into a more comfortable pair of leather pants and a plain white shirt. He'd need a bath later, but trying to eat dinner in that uncomfortable suit would put off Yuugi's appetite. Now he knew why Seto detested the business meetings where he was required to wear a suit rather than his usual flowing white coat.
When Yuugi came back, this time stifling a yawn, Atem was already seated and was in the process of serving food. He placed a bowl of rice down next to a plate of tuna sashimi, sunomono, and yamoto. Yuugi smoothed a grin from his lips; Atem had been a terrible cook when he'd first tried it but Yuugi had eaten his meals anyway. Atem wouldn't be opening any high-class restaurants anytime soon but he had definitely improved enough for Yuugi to be looking forward to a meal that wasn't packed in a station bento or eaten standing up at an excavation site.
"It looks delicious, Atem," he said, eyes dancing wickedly when Atem smiled a little mistily, obviously remembering the same things about his first cooking attempts as Yuugi. "Itadakimasu!" he chimed with Atem, picking up his chopstick case and pulling out what had been a gift from Atem, a pair of pale purple chopsticks to compliment the set of red ones he had given Atem. They ate in amiable silence for several moments before Yuugi broke it with a question. "…how did it go today?" Atem would know Yuugi was not asking about work, seeing as how today was Atem's off day. Atem paused, a clump of rice halfway to his lips, and lowered it back to the bowl with a small sigh. Yuugi immediately regretted bringing the subject up over dinner.
"It was the same as ever," Atem replied with a small sigh. "I was not able to pinpoint the precise location of whatever it is in the Shadow Realm that disturbs it so. I could not even try to disperse some of my power in an effort to at least inhibit the growth of such malevolence. It is…disheartening, Aibou. I am supposed to protect this world in my new life, but I feel that I can do nothing to prevent this." Yuugi reached across the table and brushed his fingers over the fist Atem had unconsciously clenched on top of the table. His partner looked up in surprise, his ruby gaze meeting Yuugi's sympathetic lavender stare.
"We'll get through this, Atem, just like we always have. I know I'm not as strong as you when it comes to the Shadow Realm…" His mind went back to that fateful duel on Pegasus J. Crawford's island, when the man had pulled their duel into the Shadow Realm and Yuugi had come very close to dying. "But everything will definitely be all right. We just have to believe that it will be." He waited until Atem finally inclined his head just slightly in reluctant agreement before drawing his hand back to his side of the table and finishing his tuna sashimi, pointedly staring at Atem until he, too, picked up his chopsticks. Yuugi knew Atem wasn't sleeping well – he wasn't going to let his partner add malnourishment to the equation.
"Perhaps we should contact Ryou and the tomb robber anyway, though," Atem said finally, surprising Yuugi a little that Atem would openly contemplate asking Bakura and Ryou for assistance. In the end he nodded his concurrence.
Kaiba Seto did not want to believe in magic. In fact, he had tried for nearly four years to deny its existence but there simply was no other explanation for all the weird crap that happened around Mouto and his friends – or, rather, around the Sennen Items, one of which he now possessed. Kaiba had not wanted to accept the Sennen Rod from Yuugi when the lilac-eyed youth had offered it to him, but those damned eyes of his were too difficult to deny. Damn it all to hell.
He couldn't deny that magic existed. First Mokuba's, then his, soul had been stolen by Pegasus. Then there was that psychotic Malik, who's Item – the Rod, incidentally – had helped spawn an evil personality that had only dissipated when Yuugi – or, rather, Atem – had defeated him. Then there was Dartz and the Duel Monsters that suddenly existed beyond Seto's gaming board holograms, and finally there was the duel between Yuugi and Atem – Seto still couldn't believe that Yuugi had won – and the awful power of the voice of Ra, he who had given Atem and Bakura their own bodies. Seto did not want to believe in magic. His extensive knowledge of physics and mathematical formulae, however, refused to give him any other explanations as to what had happened.
And now there was this. If it had come only a few years earlier Seto would have dismissed this as a very poor attempt at a joke but there was no denying the tawny owl sitting on his desk fluffing its wings or the heavy parchment envelope he was currently staring at.
Mr. Mokuba Kaiba
The West Wing Room Decorated in Blue and Gold
Kaiba Manor
Domino City, Japan
Who the hell addressed a letter like that? For that matter, who wrote it on parchment and had an owl of all things deliver it? Seto read through the letter for the fourth time in ten minutes before turning to the other letter the owl – he was still trying to decide why it was an owl of all things bringing this to him – had brought. It was addressed similarly, though it bore his name rather than Mokuba's and his room was described as "The West Wing Room Decorated in Blue and White"
The content of the two letters was also different. Drumming his fingers on his mahogany desk for a moment, debating the pros and cons of what his mind was suggesting he do, Seto finally huffed his annoyance and pulled out a wafer-thin cell phone, hitting a speed dial with a scowl and waiting for someone to answer the phone. It picked up on the fourth ring.
"Ah, Atem, hold on a second and let me answer the phone!" Despite the entirely inappropriate way the speaker answered the phone Seto found a smile threatening to overpower his scowl. It was hard not to smile when Yuugi was around, just as it was difficult to avoid being competitive around Atem. "Ah, hai, moshi, moshi?" Yuugi answered finally, sounding out of breath. Seto shook his head, even though he knew Yuugi could not see him.
"Yuugi," he said by way of greeting. "I need you to gather Ryou, Bakura, and Atem and come over to my mansion later on tonight at seven o'clock," he informed the shorter duelist without preamble. There was a light, almost airy chuckle on the other end.
"Presumptuous as ever, Seto-san." Yuugi had long since received permission from the CEO to call him by his first name but, though they had been friends for over ten years, Yuugi always kept that honorific on his name. Seto didn't take it personally. The only person whose name Yuugi didn't add an honorific to was Atem. "All right. You're lucky Atem and I have today off and that Bakura and Ryou don't usually work evenings," he remarked before pausing and then adding, "Then again, knowing you, Seto-san, you probably knew that before you called. May I ask the reason behind this invitation?"
"Call it a dinner date, if you want. I need to talk to all of you but I would never be callous enough to call you and then not feed you," Seto replied, sounding almost testy that Yuugi had to question his motives. There was another warm giggle.
"I only meant that we wouldn't want to be unprepared for any – Atem?! What is that?" There was silence on Yuugi's end of the phone before he spoke again, this time to Seto and voice sounding rather harried. "Ah, Seto-san, I have to go. I will definitely make sure to be on time, okay?" Seto was slightly mollified by the fact that Yuugi waited for him to reply before hanging up, leaving the CEO to stare bemusedly at his cell phone before shaking his head and making another call, this one to his younger brother.
Ryou hung up the phone with a puzzled expression on his pale, delicate features. His confusion must have transferred through the mind link he still shared with his darker half, for the spirit of the Sennen Ring – self-dubbed "Bakura" – poked his head out of the bathroom where he was washing his hands.
"What?" he demanded, sounding almost cross. Ryou smiled faintly through his confusion, knowing that Bakura had not been happy to be denied lunch until he washed his hands. Before he and Bakura had started to get along Ryou might have feared for his safety for denying the spirit anything but now he knew Bakura wouldn't do anything too bad to him – though he might be angry enough to lapse into rather creative Ancient Egyptian cursing – and Ryou knew that all he had to do to keep Bakura in line was threaten to withhold sex. Even after five years of being together the threat worked.
"Ah, Yuugi-kun called to tell us that Kaiba-san has invited us to his mansion for dinner tonight at seven. He sounded a little strange over the phone, though."
Bakura rolled his eyes and went back to washing his hands, his head of snowy hair vanishing back into the bathroom. 'You're sure it wasn't the pharaoh you were talking to this time?' he sent to his former host, smirking when he felt Ryou's amusement and resignation travel through their mind link. At one point Ryou had trouble distinguishing between Yuugi and Atem over the phone, something that it seemed Bakura would never let him live down.
'No, Bakura… And Atem-kun has a name, you know. You could try addressing him by it.' Ryou was unsurprised when Bakura replied with a comment suggesting that Atem's mother had done something extremely unlikely with a jackal, which Ryou ignored.
'And if I called his highness by his name I'd never hear the end of it. Plus, he'd probably think I really had gone insane. There are some truths to the world that you just should not try to change, hikari mine,' Bakura finished. Ryou shook his head but knew better than to pursue the topic any further.
"Yuugi-kun said it was just a dinner invitation, but that Kaiba-san wanted to talk to us, too. I wonder if some – yeek!" It was a decidedly un-masculine sound, Ryou would decide later, but it suited the fact that something large and brown had just swooped into their house through the open window. Bakura came out of the bathroom, drying his hands on his shirt. Ryou was too occupied to remind him of the use of towels.
"What are you yelling about?" Bakura began, sounding irate again, only to stop and blink as the brown thing left again, leaving Ryou to pick up the letters it had left behind. Ryou stared at the letter.
"I think I should be worried about the fact that an owl just flew in through the window in broad daylight, but I'm more concerned with this," Ryou murmured, examining the heavy parchment envelope. "What an odd way to address a letter!" he exclaimed, noting the vivid violet ink and the lack of a return address. Tired of being ignored, Bakura came over to read over his hikari's shoulder. To his surprise Ryou handed him one of the letters. "That one is addressed to you," he informed Bakura. Staring at the ink, Bakura found that his former host was correct.
Mr. Bakura
The Master Bedroom
Domino City, Japan
"I know it's only been ten years since I started living in this time but I don't think I've ever seen you get letters like this," Bakura remarked, noting the thickness of the envelope and the faint yellow tinge to it. "I'd almost call it papyrus except, well, its not. It certainly isn't the paper you usually use." Bakura was clearly confused. Ryou, however, had opened he envelope and was reading the contents, his surprise flowing through the link he shared with his yami. Without warning he snatched the letter from Bakura and read it, too.
"They're the same, mostly," he mused out loud, not protesting when Bakura grabbed his letter back. "I guess we'll definitely not want to be late to Kaiba-san's tonight." For once Bakura made no protest about spending the evening with "that damned priest" and "his royal-pain-in-my-ass".
It was something of a surprise when Kaiba Seto came down to greet them. Usually it was Mokuba – with his brother's permission, of course – or Jounouchi who extended the invitations and even then a butler usually showed them to wherever Seto was waiting. All four – Yuugi, Atem, Ryou, Bakura – exchanged surprised glances, though Bakura and Atem had to lay off the glaring contest for a few moments to do so.
"Konbanwa, Seto-san," Yuugi greeted, breaking the silence first. Being the one that Seto could tolerate most, Seto nodded to Yuugi and repeated the greeting with his usual coolness, gesturing and inviting them to follow him.
"Mokuba and the pup are already in the dining room. We'll talk after dinner," he said simply. Only Yuugi was daring enough to protest, since Seto had called them to talk to them, but Seto only shook his head. "After dinner," he said firmly, suppressing the urge to smile when Yuugi sighed in resignation.
Dinner at the Kaibas' was always an interesting affair, particularly because Seto was partial to Western cuisine over traditional Japanese dinner foods. He also knew precisely what everyone liked. The first course was salad for Yuugi and Ryou and soup for Atem and Jounouchi, who did not care for too many vegetables. Knowing that Bakura preferred meat over anything else, but not wanting to ruin the main course, there was a small portion of beef tips for him to eat. The main course was a New York Strip – rare for Bakura, medium well for everyone else – marinated in Asian sauces, something that everyone could appreciate, with potatoes – mashed for Ryou, fried for Yuugi and Jounouchi, and baked for Bakura and Atem – and broccoli that neither Atem nor Bakura touched.
Yuugi produced a cake for dessert, to Seto's barely-concealed surprise, and they had that and coffee and made polite conversation. Only after everyone was finished nibbling did Seto have everyone adjourn to a smaller side room.
"Maybe it will seem pointless to you all," he began, rummaging in the study's desk for something as he spoke, "but I received something in the, ah, mail earlier today that I was hoping someone could explain to me, given that your four are the one's with magical knowledge." He produced the two envelopes – Mokuba had read his, but had left it with Seto for safe keeping – and watched with faint amusement as everyone in the room went stiff with shock. He had expected that reaction. He had not, however, expected the yami to glance at their hikari and vice versa before all four pulled similar letters from their pockets.
"I do not think this is so pointless, Kaiba," Atem remarked, noting the letters that Bakura and Ryou held. Atem and Bakura were the only two people who addressed Seto without honorifics, Bakura because he didn't care to address anyone with them and Atem because he and Seto were and would always be rivals, even if the CEO had yet to defeat him in a duel.
Before anyone else could speak – though Jounouchi had already opened his mouth to do so – there was a knock at the study door. Seto's brow furrowed as he crossed the room to open the door, listening quietly as his housekeeper explained that there was a guest at the door. At any other time he would have had the person sent away but the letter had stated such a guest would arrive at precisely half past eight. To the housekeeper's surprise her employer informed her to show the guest to the study. While she left to do as he ordered he turned back to see his guests watching him.
"I called you all because one of the letters I received asked me to do so in an effort to help explain the other one. Apparently, according to the letter addressed to Mokuba, he is" Seto's lips twisted faintly here and Jounouchi frowned at his lover's hardheaded personality "a wizard, and has been invited to study at some sort of boarding school in Scotland."
"Mine and Atem's said something about wanting our help and to accept your invitation tonight," Yuugi remarked. "It was a little strange because an owl delivered it almost right after you finished inviting us to dinner." Seto and Ryou remembered how oddly Yuugi had sounded on the phone. There was another knock on the door. Seto opened it and, getting a good look at his guest, stepped back automatically.
"Konbanwa, minna-san," the man said cheerily, peering over half-moon spectacles perched on a nose that looked like it might have been broken – perhaps more than once – in his youth. He spoke Japanese fluently though it was clear it wasn't his native language. "My name is Albus Dumbledore. I'm pleased to see everyone got their letters! May I come in?" he addressed Seto, who seemed to recover his manners and gestured for the old man to do so. Inwardly Seto lamented the days when his life was simple – or at least magic-free.
"Please sit down," Seto murmured to Dumbledore, sitting after the man did. Blue eyes twinkled at everyone in the room before settling on Mokuba. Dumbledore smiled and, instinctively, Mokuba smiled back shyly.
"You must be Mokuba Kaiba-san. I trust you were able to read your letter?" Mokuba nodded. "First, let me assure you that it is no joke…"
If anyone had told him years ago, even after he had been forced to believe in magic, that he was going to be teaching at a school full of witches and wizards, Kaiba Seto would not have bothered with the police – he would have had that person committed to a mental institute in a heartbeat and dismissed the words as lunatic ravings.
As it turned out, Mokuba was not the only one being invited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which Albus Dumbledore introduced himself as the headmaster. Mokuba was being invited as a student but Dumbledore was also in need of four teachers and a new caretaker and had been informed by magical means that the best people for those jobs happened to all live here in Domino City and, in another stroke of luck, happened to know each other.
To Seto the headmaster offered the job of Arithmancy, knowing already, somehow, that Seto was not one to openly practice his awakened magic. Arithmancy would give him a subject to teach that was more theoretical than practical while also allowing the older Kaiba to stay close to his younger brother. It was decided the Jounouchi – who had displayed a surprising talent for marketing and arithmetic – would take over Seto's place in the company while they were gone. It was a mark of deep trust that Seto would leave his company to Jounouchi, husband of five years or not, and Dumbledore promised to charm Seto's computer so that the CEO could keep up with his company.
For Yuugi, who was already into history and archaeology, Dumbledore offered the job of the History of Magic teacher, promising that there was a very good bookstore where Yuugi could find books to relate to his subject, as well as an extensive archive in the school library. His last teacher, the headmaster explained almost wryly, had finally decided to retire from teaching. Yuugi thought this over for several moments before giving his assent, though he knew it would be difficult to both teach and learn a course at the same time. To that end Dumbledore produced a thick book for Yuugi to read to familiarize himself somewhat with the subject. Yuugi would have started reading it immediately had Atem not taken it from him so that he wouldn't miss the rest of the conversation.
Dumbledore knew of Atem's affinity with languages of all kinds, though he didn't say how, and told the yami that the Ancient Runes teacher had decided to travel, which left him short yet another staff member. He also mentioned that he wouldn't mind if Atem incorporated languages into the class rather than simply focusing on ancient runes. Though he seemed a little apprehensive to be teaching a class without any experience with modern children Atem, too, finally agreed, mostly because he did not wish to be parted from Yuugi.
Out of the new teachers Ryou was the only one to show true excitement when Dumbledore mentioned that his Divination teacher had decided to retire from teaching to work elsewhere. For someone like Ryou, who loved the occult and anything to do with it, such a subject was definitely something he would enjoy. Dumbledore mentioned that the classes were split with another teacher, which only thrilled Ryou more – he would love to swap methods. Bakura glanced at his former host, took in his excitement, and shook his head, hiding a faint smile behind his typical scowl.
Bakura stated flatly right off that he would not let Ryou go alone but that he would definitely not be a teacher. To the yami's annoyance nearly everyone spoke up as if on cue to deny Bakura any teaching position. This seemed to amuse Dumbledore, who smiled and told Bakura that he didn't need another teacher but that the castle required a new caretaker, as Mr. Filch had grown weary of children and handed in his resignation. From his expression it was clear that Bakura was going to refuse until Dumbledore mentioned that the castle had secret exits and various hallways, corridors, and rooms that students seemed to have a knack to find. At the mention of snooping Bakura was interested and the prospect of scaring children into following the rules clinched it. Bakura, too, would be going to Hogwarts.
"There is a school list enclosed with Mokuba-san's letter. The booklist is missing Arithmancy, Divination, History, and Ancient Runes books since you four have obviously not decided on them yet. I will send Hagrid to you on the twenty-eighth of this month so that he can take you to Diagon Ally. Once you know what books you would like to select for your curriculums I will have Flourish and Blott's order enough books for the students and have them sent to the castle by express."
Mokuba would have to stay at some place called "The Leaky Cauldron" for the four days after that until the start of term but Yuugi, Atem, Bakura, Ryou, and Seto would need to be at the castle at the end of that day so that they could set up their classrooms, learn the castle, and begin work on lesson plans. The students would reimburse the teachers for the books and Dumbledore would make sure that money made it to Flourish and Blott's.
With everything taken care of, for the moment, Dumbledore bowed to the room.
"I will see you all in two weeks time, then." With that last comment the old man took his leave, allowing the new teachers and student to absorb what had just happened. Unsurprisingly, it was Jounouchi who broke the silence first with a loud bark of laughter.
"Seto teachin' kids? I never though I'd live ta see the day!"
Where was she that it was so dark? She knew she was dreaming simply because she knew, with complete certainty, that she was definitely not awake. It didn't have the same feeling of being in The Dream's hold but, even so, somehow Kinomoto Sakura knew that whatever was going to happen would be important. With that in mind she turned her awareness outward to her surroundings, noting only distantly that she was dressed in her pajamas and her Star Staff was already grasped in one hand.
Despite her attention now being on the darkness around her she could discern nothing in the blackness beyond that it felt somehow disconnected from the world in a way that even dreams were not. Staring around, jade gaze confused, she noticed that the darkness wasn't as black as she had initially thought, for there were shards of reds, violets, grays, and even hints of yellow becoming visible. Dream or not, true blackness or not, Sakura was afraid now, more afraid than she had ever been. The feeling here was distinctly evil, suffocating and overpowering even as it held a sense of completely wrongness.
Sakura had never dealt with true evil before. The Cards were not evil. They were magical and occasionally mischievous, even after she had written her name on them and later converted them to Sakura Cards, but they were not malignant. Even The Void had not felt like this. Eriol had not been evil, either – only secretive and almost a little infuriatingly smug.
But this…
Somehow Sakura knew it wasn't supposed to be like this here. The feeling of wrongness nearly quadrupled with that realization and Sakura instinctively shrank back. She had not taken a single step since becoming aware of this place. This place was separate, an area all its own that was not a part of the world, and yet she knew, somehow, that something was here that definitely did not belong. She had never been here in this place where chill seeped into her very bones, gray mist curling all over the ground, but she knew… In the way that Sakura was always attuned to her surroundings, she knew something was dangerously out of place here.
Why was she here? She did not like being here, not at all. It was a place that she knew she could not flourish in and that, like a plant left too long without sun and water, she would soon shrivel and die. Even her magic felt strained. Kero and Yue told her that she was powerful. She had to be, to control the Cards. Even with her power, though, she knew that whatever was here, she could not fight it, not alone.
As though that thought had been a key to escape, the realm around her suddenly vanished; or, rather, she began to dissipate into the air, her staff resuming key form and her essence finally escaping this place that she so longed to escape. She thought perhaps she might be returning to the conscious world but knew only moments – or minutes? Or hours? Time seemed to flow strangely here – later that she was still asleep.
It had ceased feeling so much like a dream and shifted to that feeling of when she'd used The Return's power to go back in time. She felt like an observer here, though, and not an active participant. She was also floating in the air, peering down at something below. There were people gathered in a circle, thirteen perhaps, and they were all surrounding what could only be classified as a creature of pure darkness and malice, of pure evil and hatred. It sent a shiver through Sakura and she almost turned away from the scene. Only a feeling that she needed to see this kept her terrified gaze on the happenings below.
Gold shone on seven of the people in the circle, though she could not see the shapes of what they wore, or even what the shadowed people looked like. She felt magic from them, though, magic that was both foreign and powerful and ancient in nature. With nothing else to go on, though, all she could tell otherwise was that the people in this circle varied in size.
Two figures here bore swords; two bore long staffs; one a long bow; and the last bore something that shone silver. Any detail on any of these items escaped Sakura, but all were infused with magic that, not unlike the seven golden items, was extremely powerful.
One of the figures – one of the two holding a staff – raised the magical item. Sakura felt as though she should know that person, the magic felt so familiar, but there was something different about it, and undertone that she was not familiar with, making it feel too unusual for her to consciously recognize. She had brushed that power only once before and, whatever it was, whoever that person was, eluded her. Presumably there was an incantation involved here, for the twelve other items were glowing even more brilliantly and a large golden circle had encompassed all, including the screeching, howling blackness that was clearly the enemy.
Only when this whole picture had been completely observed – strange realm, magical circle, and evil being – did her surroundings rust away into nothingness.
Sakura sat up with a gasp, perspiration beaded on her forehead and sticking her nightgown to her chest. A quick grope for her clock and applying pressure on the button to make it light up confirmed the time to be shortly after four in the morning. Despite the early hour, Sakura now found that she could not sleep. She ran a hand through her sweaty brunette hair, trying to calm her erratic breathing.
Kero-chan would scold her for this later, she knew, but she could not remember her dreams now that she was awake. She knew only that they – it? – had not been good. If anything, it had been definitely, decidedly bad, in a way that she could not ever recall having experienced before, not even when that Chinese sorceress had lured her into that alternate realm, thinking Sakura was Clow Reed because of her ties to the then-Clow Cards.
Clearly deep, calming breaths were not helping right now. Brow furrowed in annoyance, Sakura reached up to the head of her bed. Her fingers slid along the wood for a moment before coming into contact with a rectangular plastic object – her cell phone. Tomoyo had given it to her from her mother's company halfway though her transforming of the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. Now Sakura hit the speed dial and listened to the phone ring, hoping that the person she was trying to reach would be awake. Then again, where it was four in the morning here, it was seven in the morning there, and hopefully the hour wasn't quite so ungodly. The phone picked up on the second ring and a deep, masculine voice spoke up.
"Moshi, moshi, Sakura-san."
Despite her fear Sakura felt a small smile grace her lips. Eriol would know that it was her calling and answer in Japanese.
"Eriol-kun…" Now that she had him on the phone, she was unsure of where to start. What exactly should she say now? I had a nightmare? Somehow that sounded childish, even for someone only eleven years old, and Sakura had not considered herself an average pre-teen ever since she'd begun to collect the magical cards she'd accidentally freed. "Is everything all right?" she asked finally. With anyone else she would worry about being too vague; never with Eriol. As predicted, when he spoke again his voice was completely serious.
"Your dreams are troubled too, aren't they Sakura-san?" Even over the phone his voice resonated with the same calm magical aura Sakura had learned to associate with the great sorcerer Clow Reed. "I had suspected something like this would happen, especially to you… You were able to predict my coming through your dreams, and my darling relative's arrival, and even the Book. This was too large for you to miss…Your pre-cognition really has become stronger…"
"What's going on, Eriol-kun? I can't remember anything about my dream. Only that it was dark, and cold… And there were people in it, thirteen I think, and something… Something horrible, Eriol-kun!" In contrast to Eriol's calm demeanor, Sakura sounded almost hysterical.
"I'm not sure," Eriol replied after a long enough silence for Sakura to think they might have been disconnected. "Like you, I seem to have trouble recalling my dreams lately, and my readings and attempts at scrying turn up nothing definitive. Then again, I was never as gifted as some in the areas of scrying, only fortune-telling." There was a sigh and Sakura sucked in a breath, shocked. For Eriol to actually sigh, something had to be wrong – at least when he was in his serious-sorcerer mode.
"I can't say for certain what's going on, Sakura-san… But…" And then, almost completely off topic, "You turned eleven this past April, yes?" Sakura stared at her cell phone, wondering where on Earth this tangent had come from.
"…Yes… April first was my birthday… You wished me "Happy Birthday" over the phone four and a half months ago," she reminded her friend and, though she wouldn't admit it if Syaoran was in earshot, mentor. "Is that relevant, Eriol-kun?" she asked finally, delicately. There was a warm chuckle from the older sorcerer.
"Actually, Sakura-san, it is… You should get something in the mail soon. Give it serious thought, all right? I think it may be important." Even though Eriol hadn't really answered any of her questions, talking to him had somehow managed to calm her down enough for Sakura to understand that he was ready to end the call. She smiled in spite of herself – Eriol had never been a morning person.
"Okay, Eriol-kun. I'm sorry to have woken you so early, but thank you for helping. I feel much better now." They exchanged goodbyes and Sakura ended the call, staring at the cell phone in her lap thoughtfully. Something in the mail for her…? How would that clear anything up? Sakura made a slightly annoyed face and put both alarm clock and cell phone back in their place as she settled back down to sleep. Eriol was too much a "mystical mage" sometimes. She knew he enjoyed surprising people – this would probably be one of those times.
A week later found the answer to Sakura's ponderings. Cerberus – Kero-chan for short – had noticed his mistress' oddly thoughtful countenance increasing by the day, but any inquiries as to what was the matter were met with a smile and an assurance that nothing was wrong. Though it was frustrating to the not-always-small creature, Kero could not and would not pry into his mistress' thoughts. She would tell him what was wrong when she was ready and not a moment sooner.
It was Sunday, the only day of the week off from school, and both Sakura's older brother, Touya, and father, Fujitaka, were out at work and an archaeological dig, respectively. They would be home late tonight, which meant that Sakura had the house to herself and that she had all the chores. A year ago it would have meant that Kero was allowed to roam the house but, shortly after converting all the Clow Cards to Sakura Cards (the upgraded name courtesy of Sakura's best friend Tomoyo) Sakura had mustered up the courage to tell her brother and father what she had been doing, though Touya already had most of the details, considering he'd given his power to Yue. This had involved introducing Kero and Yue, which had involved explaining about Clow Reed, which had brought up a whole slew of other questions. To her surprise and relief her family seemed perfectly all right with Sakura being a sorceress.
Sakura was flicking a feather duster over the valance at the largest window in the living room when something fluttered directly up to the window, perched on the ledge, and began pecking lightly at the glass with the air of one used to doing such things. Sakura did the first thing instinct suggested she do – she screeched. The sound immediately drew Kero into the living room from where he had been about to start the washer, his form changing from that of a small, winged, golden bear to a winged lion that was large enough for Sakura to ride upon.
"What is it?!" he exclaimed, glancing about for any signs of danger. Sakura pointed at the window, voice temporarily robbed with her mild fright. Kero took a single look before rolling his golden eyes. "Honestly, Sakura… It's just an owl."
Now that the initial shock had worn off and Sakura actually looked at the brown thing still patiently tapping on the glass she realized that it was, indeed, a plain brown owl. About to ask Kero what she should do about it, she noticed that there was something clasped in its beak. It looked like an envelope. Sakura blinked. She'd heard of carrier pigeons, but owls? Hesitantly she approached the window and opened it. Immediately the owl hopped inside and stuck out its head, clearly waiting for her to take the envelope. Sakura took it and looked around, gaze landing on the remains of the snack she had shared with Kero on the living room table. Retrieving a cookie, she offered it to the owl, who examined it intently before pecking at it delicately while Sakura turned to her letter.
Now that she was holding it she realized that it wasn't actual paper – it was much too heavy, smelled faintly musty, and was tinged a pale yellow. There was also something strange about the address – not only was it written in bright purple ink but the format was odd, and in English. Luckily the words were simple enough that Sakura could read them with only a little struggling. It read:
Miss Sakura Kinomoto
The Westernmost Bedroom
Tomoeda, Japan
Maybe it was from Eriol? He had hinted that there would be something coming in the mail for her, though this was certainly an unorthodox way for him to send anything. Even when he didn't use the regular postal system he would transport things directly to her, which had occasionally resulted in some interesting scenarios (namely involving Sakura and being in a public place). She had scolded Eriol enough that he usually sent things by way of the usual postal services unless he knew for certain that she was at home.
"What is it, Sakura?" Kero spoke up, startling her from her thoughtful reverie. She shook her head, turning the envelope over and working it open so that she could slide a sheaf of parchment out of it. About to tell Kero that she didn't quite know what it was, the words died on her lips as she caught sight of the letter header, thankfully written in kanji.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)
Hogwarts school of what? Sakura thought, completely shocked by what she had just read. And what in Kami-sama's name was a Mugwump? Hoping to make some sense of what she'd just read, Sakura went over the rest of the letter, also written in kanji.
Dear Miss Kinomoto,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
(Here was signed a rather strict-looking signature)
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Lowering the letter, Sakura sank onto the window ledge, hands dropping to her lap in sheer surprise. She didn't even notice that the still-in-true-form Kero was trying to get her attention. Finally he settled for nudging her palms with his head until she snapped out of her trance.
"Kero-chan?" she began weakly. There were at least a hundred questions swarming around in Sakura's mind. The first one she managed to articulate had Kero pause in surprise, not sure if he'd heard correctly.
"Say again?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm. Sakura cleared her throat and, after a moment of watching the owl flutter over to the table to peck at more cookies, she tried again.
"Do you know anything about a place called Hogwarts?" she asked, pronouncing the foreign name with only a little difficulty – it had been written in English, since it wasn't a word native to the Japanese language. Kero froze. Yes, that's what he thought she had said. He almost couldn't believe his ears. Since there was now no discernable danger, Kero reverted to his smaller form so that he could settle in the air, legs and arms crossed, in the pose he favored when about to start a lecture.
"I should have seen this coming," he admitted, surprising Sakura immensely. "Yes, I know about Hogwarts… In fact, Clow used to speak of Hogwarts. One of the headmasters of that school had been fond of going to Clow for advice even though he wasn't usually one to frequent the wizarding parts of the world." He scrutinized Sakura's face carefully; she did not look like she was about to freak out, so to speak, but rather like she was fascinated.
"You have a lot of magical power, especially since you now possess and are master of all of the Sakura Cards. I should have expected this to happen, though I'm surprised it was Hogwarts who scouted you. I'd have thought it would be the Imperial Sorcery Academy in China, or even that institute they have in America."
"So…it's a school… For what, exactly?" Sakura asked eventually after taking a moment to process this idea. Kero smiled faintly at his mistress. Perhaps it was a good thing she was still so young – the idea of a magical school was not one that she was about to begin ridiculing, in any case.
"For learning magic," Kero replied. "See, the gaki (Kero still did not like Syaoran and would probably always refer to him as "gaki") was right when he told you that the Clow Cards – or Sakura Cards – are not the only things in the world with magic. It just happens that most of the magical community keeps to their respective cultures. Hogwarts is located in Scotland, which lies to the north of London in the United Kingdom. Prospective students receive letters like that one," he nodded to the letter Sakura still clutched like a lifeline, "and are instructed to respond. Clow always spoke very fondly of the school."
"Eriol knew this was coming," Sakura said when Kero finished. Kero's brows snapped together but, before he could ask what she meant, Sakura explained about her dreams a few nights ago and how she had called Eriol to discuss them, ending her monologue with Eriol's mysterious question on her age and how he had suggested she might receive something in the mail soon. Silence ensued in the room for several moments before Kero broke it again.
"Do you want to go?"
Before Sakura could answer, though, someone knocked on the door, startling both of them. The owl, nearly halfway through the plate of cookies and currently indulging in some lukewarm tea, only ruffled its feathers irately and settled back. Since the letter had stated that Sakura was to reply by the end of the month, she suspected this owl was waiting for her reply. Shaking her head, Sakura went to get the door. She was only mildly surprised to find Tomoyo standing there and wasted no time in inviting her best friend inside.
Tomoyo was her second cousin (her mother and Tomoyo's mother having been cousins), her classmate, and one of two people who Sakura had trusted with her secret, though since Syaoran had magic, too, she had never really considered it an issue of trust with the Chinese boy. Tomoyo's mother was the head of a very successful toy-and-electronics company, which made Tomoyo extremely wealthy but also very sweet. She had videotaped nearly all of Sakura's adventures and had also provided all of the brunette's "battle costumes". With gray-violet eyes and long black hair, Tomoyo was quietly pretty with an air of grace that made her seem all the more like a noblewoman of old.
Today she did not seem as composed as usual – in fact, she almost looked as though she wished to faint. Sakura hurriedly brewed some tea, ignoring the strange look Tomoyo gave the owl still resting on the table for the moment. Finally, cup of tea resting in her lap, Tomoyo looked over at Sakura.
"That owl… Did it, by any chance, bring you a strange letter, Sakura-chan?" she asked in her soft voice. Sakura started in surprise, nodding before she had really thought about it. Before she could ask how Tomoyo knew, the other girl held out an envelope that, like Sakura's, was written in purple ink on heavy parchment. It was addressed in the same odd fashion that Sakura's had been. Sakura looked at Kero and was surprised to find him scrutinizing Tomoyo thoughtfully.
"I knew I wasn't crazy," he said abruptly, surprising both girls. "Back when Yue had yet to show himself, I thought I felt power from you, Tomoyo. When you didn't show any signs of it, though, I was sure I'd been mistaken…but now that I have this letter and I really look at you, I can see it. You have magic, too! It's not as well trained as Sakura's, but maybe that's to be expected."
Silence settled over the room again, each occupant thinking their own thoughts. Once again it was Kero who broke the silence with "It's a good school. Do you want to go?" This time the question was directed at both girls. They exchanged glances.
"Mother will have to be told about you, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo remarked. "She will want proof that magic is real and that this is not some strange attempt at jest." Like her mannerisms, Tomoyo spoke extremely politely to everyone, including Sakura. "I am not certain she will allow this, especially since it is in Scotland, I believe I heard Kero-chan mention before I knocked?" She looked to the small creature for confirmation and smiled when he nodded.
"Otou-san and onii-chan will need a lot of persuasion too," Sakura added thoughtfully. To her surprise there was another knock at the door. Sakura blinked and got to her feet, glancing at Kero, who nodded and fluttered over to sit in Tomoyo's lap. If it was anyone not included in who knew about Sakura's power he was to assume his stuffed toy impression. Sakura opened the door and, forgetting her manners, promptly stared at the man on her doorstep. He grinned cheerfully down at her, blue eyes kind behind half moon spectacles.
"Konnichiwa, Sakura-san," he said with a bow that had his snowy beard sweeping the floor. His accent was really good; it was clear, though, that he was not a native Japanese speaker. "I had meant to deliver your letter personally. My name is Albus Dumbledore," he added, still speaking in Japanese. In spite of the way he looked, Sakura felt an instant liking towards this kindly old man and smiled at him, bowing in reply and trying not to stare at his strange clothes.
"Please come in, Dumbledore-san. I'm glad you came. It seems we might require your assistance…"
On an ordinary day that he worked so late Kinomoto Touya would have come home to a darkened house, the light in the entryway thoughtfully left on for him by his younger sister, taken of his shoes, and gone to the kitchen for something to drink before heading up to bed.
Tonight was different. When he approached the house he noticed, to his surprise, that the lights to the living room and kitchen were both still on. His father's car was just pulling into the driveway as he opened the gate, so clearly it was not Fujitaka in the house. Was Sakura still awake this late? It was almost ten o'clock and she had school in the morning. Even if she was still doing homework, which was unlikely, she would be in her room. Touya waited for his father to get out of the car, home from his latest excavation. They exchanged worried glances.
"Do you know what's going on, Touya-kun?" father asked son in confusion. Touya shook his head and shouldered his bag, closing the gate behind them and walking with his father up the sidewalk.
"Maybe Sakura waited up for us?" Touya suggested, though he didn't sound very convinced. It must have shown in his voice because his father only shook his head faintly.
"That's not like Sakura-san, especially when she has school the next day," Fujitaka remarked.
"I guess we'll know when we get inside," Touya said finally, pulling his key from his pocket and unlocking the door. Letting his father go first he dropped his bag on the floor and switched his shoes for his slippers. There were voices coming from the living room. One was Kero's unmistakably Osaka-accented tone. The softer one was Sakura's friend Tomoyo, and Sakura spoke up a moment later to offer more tea.
The fourth voice was completely alien and held a trace of the accent of one not accustomed to speaking Japanese. Without a word Fujitaka and Touya made their way to the living room. Both stopped and blinked to find an old man seated on the couch conversing with both girls and, astonishingly, Kero. Touya cleared his throat and all four looked up. Sakura immediately jumped to her feet.
"Ah, ah, okaerinasai, otou-san, onii-chan!" From the almost frantic way she welcomed her brother and father home it was clear that she was rather nervous. The owl perched on the man's shoulder only made things even odder. Sensing that explanations would have to start with introductions, Dumbledore got to his feet and bowed to both men. "Otou-san, onii-chan, this is Dumbledore-san, the headmaster of a…special school," Sakura stumbled over what to call Hogwarts.
"Dumbledore-san, this is Kinomoto Fujitaka, my father, and my big brother Touya." The men exchanged greetings, Touya's slightly suspicious and Fujitaka's mildly confused. Both sat down and, after an invitation to do so from Fujitaka, Dumbledore reclaimed his place on the couch beside Tomoyo.
"Doubtless you are wondering who I am and why I'm here," he began, resting his hands in his star-spangled robes, his hat resting on the table after he had respectfully removed it shortly after Sakura invited him inside. "If you do not mind, I would very much like it if Daidouji-san's mother might be called? It would be substantially easier to explain all of this with her present, as well. I promise you I mean no harm."
Only when Fujitaka had given permission did Tomoyo step out of the room to call her mother over to the Kinomoto residence, saying only that it was important. When she came back it was with a polite smile and an assurance that her mother would be here soon. This night was definitely going to be interesting, to say the least.
Convincing Tomoyo's mother had not been as difficult as Sakura expected and, surprisingly, Sakura did not have to use any of her magic. Dumbledore had adequately managed to prove the existence of magic to Daidouji Sonomi all by himself. Convincing her to allow Tomoyo to attend a school in Scotland, without the family bodyguards, was another task in itself but Dumbledore seemed to have experience with this for, by the end of the very late night, not only had Sonomi reluctantly agreed but Fujitaka had given his permission as well. Touya did not look overly happy but he, too, finally said it was fine by him. His stipulation, though, was not one that Sakura was looking forward to.
She had to be the one to tell Yue of the circumstances, and also that he wouldn't be able to go with his mistress. She had protested, since Tsukishiro Yukito was Touya's boyfriend and it would have been easier for Touya to tell Yukito's true form what was going on. Though Sakura was over her crush on Yukito, who was in reality only the disguise form for Yue, her moon guardian still frightened her a little bit. Even so, Sakura knew her brother would not back down, and inwardly she knew it would not be right of her to try to get her brother to break the news to her stoic guardian.
That didn't mean she was going to enjoy this. As she had expected, Yue was not happy to hear that his mistress would be going halfway around the world and that he would not be allowed to tag along because, firstly, he was not a student and, secondly, he was not small enough to hide like Kero was. Actually, to say Yue was not happy was akin to describing a hurricane as a friendly little breeze. In the end Yue only agreed, though sourly, to allow this to happen because Kero had reminded him of how safe a school it was and how fondly Clow Reed had spoken of it.
"And she'll learn more magic, Yue," Kero had added. "Practical, modern magic to help her if she is ever unable to access her cards." Both Sakura and Kero knew it wasn't the idea that she could learn more magic that had Yue accepting but the idea that she would learn more ways to protect herself. He seemed cold at times but Sakura knew Yue really did care about her, even if he had a hard time showing it.
In the end it was decided that Sakura and Tomoyo would be attending this magic school in Scotland and, in return, Dumbledore gave them both train tickets and informed them that their school lists were included with the letter. He also told them that he would be sending someone by something called a "portkey" who would be able to take them where they needed to go to get their school supplies a week before school started on the first of September, and that there was a place they could stay in that week before reporting to the train station. When Sakura asked Dumbledore who this person was the old wizard only smiled faintly and said that they would know when the time came.
This had taken more persuasion on Touya and Sonomi's part before it, too, was finally allowed. Dumbledore's parting advice was to make sure the girls changed their money from the Japanese yen to the wizarding currency at a bank called "Gringotts". It all seemed so overwhelming, but the prospect of a boarding school for magic was enough to override the girls' worries for the time being. With that Dumbledore took his leave and Sonomi called her driver to come and pick her and Tomoyo up. She was muttering about paperwork when they left – Fujitaka explained to Sakura that, of course, they would have to be removed from Tomoeda Private Elementary since they would not be attending any longer.
By the time everyone had settled in for sleep it was well past midnight. With her father's assurances that she would not have to go to school tomorrow, though he wanted her to go up until it was time for her to leave with the person Dumbledore was sending, Sakura drifted off to sleep, mind buzzing with excitement and all thoughts of horrific dreams forgotten.
So this is the first chapter. I have up to chapter eight in my notes so far, but churning out decent chunks of story is time-consuming. I've had this crossover on my mind for almost a year now. It took a push from a dear friend of mine – and a lot of help from that same friend with the plot – for me to finally write and post it. I love feedback, good or bad, and look forward to everyone's opinions!
Translations:
Aibou: Partner (This is the most literal translation. When used by Atem and Yuugi, I imagine that it implies something closer that a physical partner. More like "soul partner".)
Mou Hitori no Ore/Boku: "The other me." Yuugi (and most people) would use "boku". "Ore" is considered very arrogant and possessive when used by anyone other than a king or noble. Then again, Atem was pharaoh.
Hikari: Light
Tadaima: "I'm home!" Usually said when a person arrives home.
Yami: Darkness
(These two are shamelessly plagiarized from Wikipedia):
Sashimi: A Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces and served with only a dipping sauce (soy sauce with wasabi paste and thinly-sliced ginger root or gari, and ponzu), and a simple garnish such as shiso and shredded daikon radish.
Sunomono: Namasu is a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced uncooked (nama) vegetables and seafood, marinated in rice vinegar (su) for several hours, pickling them slightly. Sunomono and other vinegar salads are related to namasu.
Yamoto: I lost the web page I got this from, but yamoto is a type of soup that's usually served at dinner, as opposed to miso soup, which is a breakfast soup.
Itadakimasu: Usually translated as "It's time to eat now!" or "Thanks for the food!", this phrase is actually more like saying grace before partaking of a meal.
Bento: Box lunch
Minna-san: I might be wrong about this one, spelling-wise, but it means "everyone".
Moshi, moshi: "Hello", when answering the phone
Hai: "Yes", "Okay", "Sure"
Kami-sama: "Kami" means "god", "-sama" is an honorific. The literal translation of this would be "Lord God", taken in a spiritual sense rather than as if someone was cursing.
Gaki: Although this isn't exactly what Kero calls Syaoran, it means "kid".
Otou-san: Father
Onii-chan: Big brother, affectionately. This is how Sakura refers to Touya. Variations include "Nii-sama (what Mokuba would refer to Seto as), Nii-san, Onii-san, Onii-sama, etc.
Okaeri/Okaerinasai: "Welcome home!" said in response to "tadaima"
On Japanese street names: Most Japanese places don't actually have street names. Wikipedia has a very nice article on this subject.
On honorifics:
-chan: Used between young girls or very good friends, -chan can be translated as "little so-and-so". Most of the time boys won't be referred to by this honorific unless they are very young.
-kun: Used exclusively for young men, typically teenagers, –kun does not have a direct English translation. –kun can occasionally be used on females who bear names traditionally used for males, such as Tohru in Fruits Basket.
-san: The English equivalent is "Mr." or "Ms." or "Mrs." Note that this honorific is used much more commonly than the English equivalent. Also note that even enemies may address each other with this honorific, such as the case with Soujirou calling Kenshin "Himura-san" in Rurouni Kenshin.
-sama: This confers high respect to the person whose name it is attached to. The English equivalent is "Lord" or "Lady".
-ou: This honorific is no longer in use but would have been used to defer to a ruler. Hence, Yuugi-ou.
-dono: Unlikely to be used in this story, but it confers an even higher level of respect than "-sama", and would be used in the "servant speaking to master" respect. It is an expression that the speaker is extremely humble.
Usually left off lists, the lack of an honorific is sometimes more important than an actual honorific. Usually the only people who will refer to each other without some form of honorific are family members or very, very close friends. However, if a person does not have permission to do so, addressing another person without an honorific can be very rude. The same principle is attached to the importance of swapping from addressing a person from their last name to their first, the latter indicating closeness, such as when Sakura asked to call Li Syaoran "Syaoran-kun" in Cardcaptor Sakura.
That should be all, for now. In later chapters I'll leave out the honorifics guide and put only notes and the translations.
Word Count: 13, 521
Kampai! (Cheers!)
AkizukiSakura