Challenge: You're a witch, Miss Inoue!

A fanfic in which Orihime discovers she has magic and goes to Hogwarts. You can do this fic in a multiple of ways:

1. Orihime discovers she is a witch late at the age of 15 (Sometime after she gains her powers of rejection) and goes to hogwarts with Harry Potter – meaning the story would startin the Order of the Phoenix if you want Orihime to be in the same year as Harry.

2. Orihime, as a result of a hollow or some event (most likely concerning shinigami) ends up in 'another universe' (read below for elaboration) where she learns she has the ability to use magic.

3. Orihime becomes young again (after she gains her powers or after Bleach's storyline/timeskip or sometime around those two options) and receives a letter for a school of magic.

4. A young Orihime finds out she has magic not too long after her brother's death (before she receives her powers in the Bleach canon). Starting Hogwarts either in Harry's year or Luna's.

OR

Any other way of your choosing.

Things to think about:

- Orihime is known to not be the strongest fighter in Bleach, her powers suiting the role of a healer or defence better. If Orihime finds out she has magic, would she go to Hogwarts to learn how to go on the offensive (to help her in a fight along side her friends) or to help her healing abilities (St. Mungo, Nurses, interest in magical healing?)

- With the 'another universe' idea, could Orihime actually go to a different world where magic exists and her abilities are mistaken as proof of her 'magical core' or could Orihime just think she is in another universe but actually in the same universe but different time and place? (eg. Instead of going to school with Harry, could she be going to Hogwarts with Tom Riddle or Severus Snape and James Potter?)

- Would the soul society know of the magical community or would the two be separate powers not concerned with each other. Would they know the other community exists?

- Which House could Orihime fit in? And Why?

- How will Orihime's powers of rejection fit in to this? Will it be a secret or common knowledge? How with her reiatsu react to spells (how will a spiritual shield hold up compared to a magical shield? Will her spiritual energy effect the result of her magic, of her spells and stop her from easily casting them? Can she hold a wand or need something a bit different?)

- Who would Orihime become close to; who will become her friend? Will she fall in love?

My Thoughts:

Why a fanfic about Orihime going to Hogwarts?

I feel that there are not many fanfics or crossovers in general with just Orihime in it. I have read a few Harry Potter/Bleach crossoers with Orihime and Ichigo in it, or with a big group going to Hogwarts but not just Orihime. I think that Orihime's want to prove herself able to fight and be strong is admirable however, I also feel that she is treated like just a love interest not only by fanfic writers but also by Tite Kubo (mangaka and creator of Bleach) as well. To waste a strong, or potentially strong, character is stupid – or at least in my opinion – and I think Hogwarts is a good setting for such a fanfic.

Orihime's power of rejection could also change the events of the Harry Potter series (eg. Sirius not dying?) and give her character a greater sense of importance. It could lead to Harry Potter becoming a bit less of a target or Orihime becoming a bargaining chip of power between the dark and the light, or change the plot by incorporating a new set of information (Shinigami and the Soul Society, Death possibilities and Muggle Japan).

Also, while Ichigo and Orihime make a cute couple, it saddens me to think Orihime is only paired up with him in most Harry Potter/Bleach crossover stories. It would be better in there was a wider range of pairing possibilities.

Which idea is better?

Any of these ideas are okay, what matters is how you can deliver the story across. For example, I think the idea of a time traveller and dimension confused Orihime is a great idea, and that you can play it a few ways:

1. Orihime being confused about her where about, thinking where she may be but not when as well (thinks she is in another realm like the Soul Society and Huceno Mundo).

2. A gradual realisation of events (and of being stuck in another time) and either trying hard to find a way back or struggling with the new information and feeling at lost or both.

3. If in Snape's or Riddle's time, I think Orihime could be a good influence. She would also not know of the future deeds and attitudes of the two and wouldn't let that effect her judgement.

OR

a) Orihime finding out she is in another time and not another dimension, trying to find a way back home.

b) Reiatsu confused for magic, similar but not quite the same (?), and ends up learning about the wizarding side of England due to this misunderstanding. Magic leads her to learning about Hogwarts and Time Turners (or the development of, if the Time Turner was not invented yet) - leads to Orihime's involvement in the Magical world and to her unintentionally changing canon events?

If neither of these ideas work for you, but you still want to try you're hand at the idea, then do so and do it your way. Just make sure you put thought and effort in your fanfic story and that you can justify your reasons for depicting your story in such a way. All I want of this idea is to gain more fanfic stories to read and to get the different perspectives of the same idea.

With that said, if none of the options in the beginning met your fancy, but you still want to write a fanfic about Hogwarts and Orihime or about Orihime having magic, please do so. No option is better than the next, write your take on the idea.

What House should Orihime belong to?

This question depends on the direction of the story. Overall, Orihime shows ideas of Hufflepuff and Giffandor, but due to the story direction, it could be Sytherin or Ravenclaw as well. If you play the story off as Orihime using Hogwarts as a way to better herself in healing and/or to improve her fighting abilities in an effort to support her friends and become stronger, she could easily pass off as Slytherin (Amitious, Cunning and Resourcefulness). I'd say the only quality she is missing from Slytherin is Leadership, though if you disagree and can prove otherwise, do so.

Orihime could also fit in with Ravenclaw, being quite smart herself. Not only is Orihime intelligent, she is creative (what with her strange dreams and weird food combinations) and enjoys learning (in order to become strong and to help herself and others in the future). I wonder about wit, though, as I can't see such a trait in Orihime, but then again I guess her strange ideas and belief could be thought as 'out-of-the-box' thinking and therefore be a different type of wit. Orihime would also, in my opinion, make a great friend in Luna Lovegood since both have dream-like personalities and can sometimes be seen as weird and childish.

As for the other two, Orihime has the attritubes of Hufflepuff; hard work, patience, justice and loyalty, as well as Griffandor traits; courage, bravery, nerve and chivalry (though I like to believe she has such qualities due to the influence of one Ichigo Kurosaki).

All in all, she could be in any house as long as you swing the story in a way to fit such placement, though my bias is that Orihime suits being the under appreciated house of Hufflepuff. If you don't think so, then you don't have to place her there.

What about Orihime's powers?

For me, I would keep Orihime's power of rejection and reiatsu separate from her magical abilities. If you want to play as her not having magical abilites and pretending to so she can find her way home, then so be it. However, I do think that a key part of this idea is to keep Orihime's powers a secret. If you are writing the story with Orihime having both spiritual energy and magic, keep her spiritual abilities secret, if you are doing it the other way I suggest showing Orihime struggling to pretend her spiritual energy is magic (not being able to wield a wand? Having trouble casting spells?) and hiding her more important abilities – her powers of healing and rejecting.

As for reasons for magic, you should decide whether:

a) Orihime is a muggle born wizard

b) One of her parents were a wizard or squib (person aware of magical community, normally born from wizard parents but containing no magic)

c) Doesn't have, spiritual energy mistaken for

OR

d) New universe messing with her original powers. Such a small detail may change the whole plot of your fanfic.

Other Words?

Now, if you have made it this far I want to congratulate you – I do write a lot and ramble a bit. Also, if you wish to take on this idea – this challenge – please PM me. I am happy to edit and discuss story ideas (both this idea and any of your own) with you guys and help in the process of developing your story.

I also would like you to know that I may also take up this idea and write my own attempt of an Orihime going to Hogwarts fic later on, but please don't let that discourage you from taking this idea. It may be a year or so before I try writing anything and believe me when I say I already have a pretty solid plan for writing this idea in my own way. So please, try your hand at this idea because who can say my story attempt will be better than yours. My only desire is to have more to read and add to the collection of fanfics on this website (eventually).

Don't forget, if you like the idea or just want to discuss details (like possible titles or other fanfic ideas) with me, please PM me.

Awaiting your replies, Shadowrosella (or Flick, if you prefer).