AN: These events take place during the Goblet of Fire time period. There are no spoilers for the main MOF storyline [Which is why there is a month skipped in the beginning of this chapter.]
I'll be writing more once I start the GoF section of the main story. I've still got a way to go in the third year book as the next chapter will involve Halloween and possibly the Christmas Holiday for Harry and his friends, and Anna won't be there. I just wanted to get the basic premise down with this and have a foundation ready to go once I got into the fourth year era.
Anyway, here is a taste of things go come...
A Matter of Force Special!
Part 01
Anna and Malfoy's Kakkoii Adventure.
OooOOooOO
It was the end of August in the year Anna and Draco stood in line wearing Mage robes with round pointed hats on their heads. Anna's robes were a dark green shade, and Malfoy was wearing a medium brown color. They were in front of the Grand Hall looking up at the Headmaster. "Each of you has conquered the challenges put forth to prove yourself worthy of the rank of Mage Magister. I expect all of you to bear the weight and responsibility of this position with honor. Each of you will be receiving an assignment that will appear to you on your diploma upon opening it. I will now read aloud your name, and you will receive your diploma." The old man cleared his throat and grinned. He was much more cheerful than Dumbledore in an odd way, but it was also a bit creepier for some reason. It was as if he was a bit too happy all the time.
Their time at Hogwarts was not wasted, both of them had good grades before the incident got them expelled. A magister license was a bit easier to get, and coupled with their power over the Force, they were able to get through the test for graduation after a bit less than a year of study. The spells magisters used were simpler than Wizarding spells, but tended to be a bit more powerful. A wand was a paintbrush, and a magister's staff was a sledge hammer. Magisters spent much more time learning to control large quantities of energy rather than refining it and trying to use as little as possible to complete a task as wizards did.
That's not to say they ignored conserving power, but the focus was more on having more control over larger quantities of magical energy at once. It was primarily a combat focused training, though they also used magic in other ways. The guild wasn't the same thing as an army, but members were part mercenary, part international police, and part ambassadors. Structure was a lot less informal than a military force as well. It was a job in some ways, but also similar to being a member of a private social club in others.
"Be glad to be out of this place," grumbled Draco. "It was kind of nice I guess. Hogwarts was better."
Anna shushed him. "Save the commentary for after the ceremony. I'm pretty sure he can hear you."
He opened his mouth and closed it. "Whatever." He crossed his arms and pouted a little.
The girl sighed and pushed his shoulder. He blinked and walked up to the small book stand in front of the row of graduates. As the old man called their name, the diploma appeared on the stand. He walked up and picked it up before moving back into the line.
"Anna Potter," called the man, and she passed by her student to get her diploma.
Draco leaned in and looked over her shoulder. "So, where are you assigned?"
She opened it up and looked at it. Her brow scrunched up. "What the hell? This is...stupid."
The blond boy frowned at it as he looked on. "Crap. I was hoping it'd be somewhere else. Japan huh?"
The girl smirked at him with a not quite pleasant look in her eyes. "As if I'd let you escape so easily." Her attention went back to her assignment. "Still, this is just weird. Oh well." She hung her head.
Malfoy chuckled. "Aren't we supposed to be 'letting the Force guide us' or something?"
The girl cringed at that. "Yes. You're right. Still, this is strange. Well, I'm glad I've got Carrot. He may come in handy."
"Your owl? Well, that's convenient isn't it?" The boy narrowed his eyes at her. It was obvious he had no idea why that made any sense.
"I suppose it is. Huh." She slapped him on his chest and turned away. "Well, I'll be seeing you next month. We've got a month off. Don't forget everything I taught you because your family is..."
"Watch it," interrupted the boy as he watched her walk away. Her parents were there to pick her up and bring her home. Harry wasn't with them he noticed. "I suppose she did kill him." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Portkey his father had given him. Neither of his parents had bothered to attend his graduation. He was considered as something of a black sheep within the family now. Mages weren't despised by Wizards, but he doubted his parents would be bragging about his occupation to their friends. It wasn't something they would be looked down on for though. "I suppose I should go home myself then."
OooOOooOO
It was two days until the end of September, Anna had taken a month to be with her family over the summer and was now off to begin her duties with the Guild. She was standing in an airport awaiting her flight to Japan. Using Portkeys and Apparition to travel out of the borders of the British territories was illegal. It would allow wizards to bypass customs and there were measures in place to prevent it. Japan was not unfriendly, but most countries were like that and had seals along their borders to prevent such travel. The Americas were no different, though it was easier as travel to Canada in such a manner was easily done. It was a short hop into the country from there and such travel within the country's borders was quite legal. It wasn't a huge deal, Wizarding flights were shorter and a lot more comfortable than Muggle airlines.
Lily looked worried. "A Magister Mage? Really?" She'd still not gotten her head around the idea.
James looked a bit nervous as well. "I was expecting this to take a bit longer. You didn't even attend the full year."
The redhead shrugged. "I was here for most of the year. It suits me. My powers give me an advantage with this kind of magic it seems." She cocked her head a little. "I was a little surprised at how much wandless magic was involved. It sounded like it was a lot more unusual than it is." She hadn't needed to bother with potions at the school due to her already impressive credentials. During her time there she had managed to gain a degree in Mystic Seals and Barriers as well. They were often used in potions and she knew a fair bit about them from her studies at Hogwarts.
Her father shrugged. "Wizards use incantations as well, but they are much shorter because of how we use wands as a medium. It's safer, uses less magic, takes less time, and allows for more mobility. There were many Mages involved with the last several Wizarding wars on both sides of the conflicts. I'm sure you've noticed the differences in both types of casting, and how they are used. Magister Mages aren't much for subtlety, and usually don't use magic to accomplish small tasks or menial labor. To a Mage, magic is more of a weapon than a tool. Though, that doesn't mean they can't or don't ever..."
Her daughter was grinning at him as he lost steam as he spoke. "I know, Daddy. I am a licensed Mage after all now. I've noticed it's a bit different than what we learned at Hogwarts. I've got a staff of my own now, and I'm aware it's a bit different than a wand."
Her mother nodded. "Yes. Mages were used similar to how Muggles use artillery in warfare. A few made names for themselves as strong fighters, but the nature of their magic kept most of them from the front lines for the most part. I'm a bit surprised at this. You could have finished up Wizarding school with the other children in the neighborhood." It was a point of worry for her. Mages weren't like normal wizards, they pledged themselves to service into the Guild.
It was a sort of magical version of the U.N. It was a bit more relaxed than being a soldier, but it was something of a military force of it's own. In exchange for service, Mages were able to use magic where wizards could not. The Guild offered protection from Wizarding law regarding certain things and had it's own guidelines about magic use. Most of it had to do with interactions with Muggles, and the Guild and the Ministry accepted each other as allies. The Guild was a global entity, where as the Ministry of Magic only had jurisdiction in the British territories.
Her daughter nodded. "Yes. I know. I have my reasons for this."
"What might they be?" asked her mother. She didn't seem upset or surprised.
The girl shrugged. "It's a pain. Even though I've graduated, I've still got an internship to complete." She sighed. "I need to be away from here for a time. I need to clear my head. That's part of why they send us off this way I think. To get us away from what is familiar so we can understand what being a Mage really is."
Her mother arched her eyebrow. "Clear your head?"
James frowned. "One of my father's friends was a Mage. It isn't an easy life. You'll be a member of the Guild Anna. It's not something you can turn away from easily, and you will..."
The girl looked up at him and smiled warmly. "I know. I believe that those with great power, also have great responsibility. I intended to use my power to help not just our own kind, but all people and races of this world. By joining the Mage's Guild, I'll not only have a license to do so, but it will also be my job. Something that is expected of me. I'm looking forward to it, and I believe such an environment will be good for me and my new student. In many ways, being a Mage will grant me more freedom than being a wizard would. Though, it does have restrictions of its own as well."
Her father seemed a bit surprised. "I have no idea what to say to that."
Her mother gave a sigh. "I'll worry. I'm glad to see you seem to have thought this through at least. I still don't care much for it." The Guild had no rules about age restrictions on binding contracts. Once her daughter had signed herself over there was nothing either of her parents could do, despite Wizarding laws that prevented minors from taking such oaths. Anna was now living under a different set of rules than the rest of her family and had restricted their legal control as parents with what she had done. Her parents worried that she hadn't quite realized that yet as well as for her safety and well being. Mages used magic to benefit the Muggles as part of their duties, but they were also warriors traditionally, where as Wizarding was seen as a more scholarly pursuit. It was more similar to seeing their daughter graduate Basic Combat Training or Boot Camp than a school graduation ceremony.
Ivy was sitting on her father's shoulders and slapping around his head as she looked around and smiled. She was drooling a bit and had a curly patch of brown hair on top of her head.
Anna was having a hard time keeping her grin subdued at the sight of it. She turned her head and looked over at Malfoy. He was standing with his father and talking with him. His mother hadn't come.
Lucius hadn't smiled, but spoke to his son in an even and calm tone. The man wasn't exactly happy, but didn't seem upset with his son. "I can see you've made your decision. A Magister Mage. It's suitable I suppose. It will keep you out of England so you can't cause trouble for a time." The man looked stern, but not upset. "Your mother is beside herself, you and that girl. I can't promise you'll be welcome when you return. We'll be keeping an eye on the situation."
Draco smirked at him. "Yes."
The man grunted. "That's all?"
He looked up at the man. "I hate it when you make it sound like I'm marrying her. She's teaching me how to do what she does. You do understand that?"
The man nodded. "I may regret allowing it."
His son shook his head. "You couldn't have stopped her. Do you remember how we got expelled from Hogwarts? She doesn't need to be near me to teach me you know. It's just more convenient."
The man's eyes grew wide. "What? She..."
The boy gave a small sigh and put up his hand. The man went quiet but looked wary. "Don't mess with her. I'm fine, better than every actually. She's too much for you. I want to learn, so one day I can be like that. I want to be better than Harry Potter. With her, I can be. Without her, I'll never be."
His father glanced over at her. "Be careful who you choose as your friends, Draco. You may find being around her more dangerous than you imagine. Don't forget what's important."
The boy simply nodded. "I'm aware of the danger, and I don't think I will forget what's important. Besides, I've explained this before, we're not 'friends'."
Lucius nodded once. "Very well." He continued on his way and left his son standing in the terminal.
The young blond didn't seem bothered by it and glanced over at the redhead before walking over towards her and her family.
OooOOooOO
"I wish Harry was here," commented Lily.
"They started the term a little earlier this year." James scratched his head.
"Really?" Anna cocked her head. "Why?"
"Something to do with some sort of school wide nervous breakdown before the Christmas holidays last year," commented her mother as she frowned at the girl and crossed her arms.
Her father nodded in agreement and looked quite serious. "Yes. They decided to start a bit sooner this year because the semester has been extended for the past two years. You were involved with that as well as I recall."
The redhead blushed and took a step back. "Oh. Right." She pushed her head down a little. "I got better..."
"That's debatable," commented Draco from behind her.
"Oh, hello." The girl's mother looked a bit wary of him. "Draco."
He looked quite serious as he responded to her greeting. "I'm arrogant and bone headed according to your daughter. Not as bad as my Father I'm guessing."
James was reserved but seemed amused by the comment. "Well, I suppose I can't argue with that. You know we don't get along well." He glanced in the direction Lucius had gone.
The girl frowned at the two adults while her sister cooed and laughed on top of her father's head. "Anna!" she screeched and reached for the redhead. The man handed her off and the girl swung her in her arms for a moment and smiled. "I'm not dating him, he's my student. Cut it out would you?"
"Yech." He took out what looked like a tarot card and looked at it with a small scowl. "This thing is nice, but it wasn't worth the price."
"Wasn't exactly rainbows and sunshine for me either, so shut it." She elbowed him in the ribs lightly.
Her mother gasped. "Th-that card!"
Her father grabbed the blonde boy by his shoulder and pulled him up next to his side while looking down at him with a scowl on his face. "What are your intentions with my daughter?"
Anna put her face in her hand. "I'm not going out with him. Really. I'm not."
Draco narrowed his eyes at the man. "That's sick. You do know she basically turned me into her evil slave minion and got me into this mess in the first place. I didn't have much choice about tagging along with her on this little jaunt either. I mean, it's better now, but I'm kinda not over that whole mess just yet. I doubt I ever will be." He looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "Nothing personal, but marrying her would be rather unpleasant for both of us I think."
The man straightened up and slapped him on the shoulder. "Fair enough."
Lily glared at him. "James, really."
Anna felt a bit better about with the light tone the conversation had taken. It was obvious her father was only teasing the both of them a little. "Well, are you going to see us off then?" She smiled at her parents and cocked her head.
"You have no idea how worried I am," replied her mother with a straight face.
"Well, it is a license," commented her father. "Not a Wizarding license, but..."
"Yes. It allows for the use of any magic," grumbled her mother. "Don't forget you're still on an internship and not a full Mage yet. So even for you there are still some restrictions."
"Not in Japan," replied the girl. "They're an unrestricted country if you recall. As long as I don't broadcast the existence of magic to the Muggles, I can do as I please."
Both parents seemed to freeze in place.
"You can't go," said her Father.
"You're coming home with us," agreed her mother.
Anna sighed and glowered at them. "You can't stop me. I had to sign a contract when I enrolled here. I have at least one year of internship to become a full Mage, and I can't get out of it. It's an unbreakable oath." The redhead took a step back at the expression on her parents' faces. "Crap."
OooOOooOO
Draco gave a small sigh as he tried his best to not grin. They were on a trolley car that was moving through a Japanese town on rails in the street. He had a single red mark running down the side of his face. Some of the skin had come off, but it wasn't a deep or serious wound. It was about two days old at that point, but the memory of how he got it was still amusing him. Anna was beside him with a serious expression on her face. He rubbed at his chin and winced. "It still stings a bit."
"Get over it," grumbled the girl.
"Your mother scratched me in the face," he frowned at her.
"I don't want to talk about it," she groused as she sulked a bit more.
"They had to pull them off of you and sneak you away." He chuckled. "I believe it was 'for the sake of Japan'."
She gave a small sigh and decided to ignore him. "Japan is nice I guess. Might be good for us to take in the culture."
"Seriously?" asked a young boy with glasses on his face. He had his hair tied back in a short ponytail, and was a few years younger than either of them. On his back was a full pack with a gnarled wooden staff strapped to it with bandages wrapped around it.
Draco nodded and looked at him. "Yes. Quite a scene. 'No! She can't go! She's not safe! Japan could be destroyed!' I was a bit embarrassed actually, but it's not so bad thinking back about it now."
"It's a bit crowded don't you think?" Anna was trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.
The boy with them was polite enough to go along with it. "I'll say. I wasn't expecting so many people."
"What are you doing here anyway?" asked Draco. "I remember seeing you around school, but we never talked."
The boy was quite cheerful. "Oh. Right. Negi Springfield, I'm here to teach English."
"Draco Malfoy, I'm with her. I was assigned to be her assistant in class." He jerked his thumb at the redhead.
Anna turned her head to look at them. "I figured I was a bit young to get this assignment. They're sending you here to teach?" She was starting to wonder who the hell was making these decisions.
Negi nodded. "Yes. That's right. I think we'll do all right."
Draco nodded. "We'll be fine. I'm sure of it."
Anna wanted to slap him. He was clearly trying to annoy her. "You know I'm going to get you for this later."
"I'll endure I'm sure," replied the blond boy. In his opinion, it was worth a bit of extra work in training.
The redhead nodded towards the doors. "Come on, we're here."
Negi walked up next to her. "Who are you?" They were slowing to a stop. Everyone on the trolley was tensing up as if getting ready to start a race.
The girl blinked. "Oh. The glasses, right. Sorry." She had on her disguise glasses and lifted them over her eyes with her finger as she leaned in and whispered to him. "Anna Potter, nice to meet you. I'm teaching Science class here."
The boy's eyes got wide. "You're...!"
She put her hand over his mouth. "Shhhh. Not so loud. I've got to be in disguise. It will draw all sorts of attention. While we're here at Mahora, you'll have to call me Li'l Washuu." She gave him a wink and smiled.
The boy worked his mouth a few times and nodded. "You're not Japanese. That's a bit of a strange name." He was clearly flustered and a bit starstruck.
"Negi isn't a bit odd? Doesn't sound Welsh to me," commented Draco.
The boy blushed a bit more. "Well, my mother wasn't Welsh."
The redhead tapped her glasses. "Actually, to everyone else, I am. A Japanese version of myself. You knew I was foreign when we met, so the glasses fit that perception for you. I'm going to have to brew up a way to keep the disguise without them. I don't like relying on enchanted objects too much. Shouldn't pose any problems once I've had a chance to settle in." They exited the train car in a rush along with everyone else and found themselves running with the crowd just to keep from being trampled.
Draco frowned at her. "She's famous enough it could get annoying if anyone finds out she's here."
Two girls had moved up beside them in a bit of a hurry. They paused and were talking about something together. Anna noted that Negi was keeping up pretty well. It wasn't that surprising as Magisters were required to endure physical training as well. It helped with controlling the amount of energy some Magister spells used. They also used enchantments to provide boosts to their physical performance. The boy was in good shape, but no more than a normal boy with an active lifestyle would be. Negi took note of a pair of schoolgirls beside his group and spoke to them.
"Excuse me, your love will be unrequited." The boy smiled at them.
One of the girls whipped around to face him. Her hair was in two long ponytails and she locked eyes with him. "What did you say, you brat?"
Anna paused with Draco at her side and looked on. "Hey..."
Negi looked a little nervous. "Well, you were talking about fortunes."
The girl growled at him. "I didn't ask for a fortune!" She put her hand on his head and lifted him by his skull. "You take that back!"
The girl wasn't sure what happened after that. Her weight shifted and the boy was gone, without warning she was looking at the sidewalk with her wrist in an arm lock. "I suggest you keep your hands to yourself. He's got friends with him."
"I guess," grumbled a male voice. "Let her go. We don't have time for this. We'll be late."
The schoolgirl gasped as her hand was freed and she whirled around. "Huh? Who the?" She was clearly angry, but noticed her friend looked rather dazed.
"Wow!" The other girl had long dark hair and a cheerful expression. She seemed to have a bit of a sparkle in her eyes.
"Huh? What's with you?" asked her clearly more athletic friend. Her head turned and she noticed a tall blond boy looking them over with his arms crossed. "Who the hell are you?" She was not amused.
Draco glanced at her. "I'm not so sure I want to be associated with this group." He had no idea that is upper torso had a fuzzy outline and magical sparkles around it from one look, and a growing red haze around it from the other.
"Hey, over here sunshine," commented a female voice. The tomboy turned to notice the redhead in glasses.
"You. I..." She started to roll up her sleeves and move forward.
Her friend grabbed the back of her shirt. "No! You'll get in trouble, and we've got to find..."
The first girl continued to push forward. "You expect me to let this brat just get away with..."
Anna pulled out a tarot card and flipped it around to show her. It was an arrow piercing an apple on a man's palm, and his heart as well. "He's right you know, unrequited love. The cards are quite clear about that."
"Student's shouldn't fight!" cried the girl holding back her enraged friend.
Anna cocked her head and gave a sunny smile. "Student? Don't be silly. I'm the new Science Teacher. You can call me Li'l Washuu."
"What? You expect me to believe that? I'm gonna..." started the angry girl. "What kind of Science teacher reads fortunes anyway?"
"Ah! Negi! Mr. Malfoy! Miss Washuu! There you are!" called a voice from above. "It's been a while, Negi!"
A man was hanging out the window a floor above them with a cigarette hanging from his lips. He had a cheerful smile on his face and waved to them.
The girl who was upset with them whirled around with a look of shock on her face. "Takahata!"
"Takamichi! It's been a while!" called the young boy as he waved back.
The angry girl turned towards Negi. "W-wait a minute! You're a teacher?"
The redhead smirked at her. "Both of us are. Hello, we've not met." She smiled at the man as he emerged from the building.
"Yes. A pleasure, I am Takahata Takamichi." He was handsome, and a bit scruffy looking. His clothes were a little sloppy and he had a cigarette hanging from his lips. He didn't look disheveled so much as relaxed.
The girl shook his hand with a cheerful look about her. "I'm Washuu, nice to meet you." Draco remained silent and gave him a handshake in greeting as well.
The dark haired girl put her finger to her lip and looked rather dazed. "I'm confused."
"I'm annoyed," grumbled Malfoy. "I take it this is where we're supposed to be?"
"I hate kids! Especially fleas like this one!" cried the angry girl as she glowered at Negi. "No way I'll ever call this brat a teacher!" She pointed her finger at Anna.
"You know. We're supposed to be impartial, but you should remember that the courses the two of us teach are required for graduation." Anna stepped forward and smiled at the girl. "Perhaps you should reconsider your position?"
The girl froze and blinked. "Wh-what?" Her head whipped back and fourth. "I-I can't accept this! Wait, I've got..." She grinned and balled up her fist as she looked at Takamichi.
"It seems that from this day forward he'll be taking class A instead of me. Miss Washuu will be taking over for Mr. Ashio with her assistant Mr. Malfoy." The man smiled at the two young teachers.
"What? You've got to be kidding! I don't want him! Just a little while ago he was saying my lov...er, something really rude to me, and this girl..." The pony-tailed girl looked a bit panicked.
Draco gave a small sigh. "Doesn't know when to shut up does she?"
Anna narrowed her eyes at him. "Who are you to talk?" She glanced at the girl. "It's not like you've got any choice anyway. None of us has any say in staffing decisions to begin with. You're really starting off on a bad foot with two of your teachers you know. I won't have you for homeroom, but you'll be visiting my lab sooner or later."
Draco nodded. "She's a very strict teacher. Trust me on that one."
The pony-tailed girl frowned at him. "Like I care. I don't care if she is a teacher, I can take her any time."
Anna frowned a bit. "You're lucky I'm not allowed to fight students." The bratty redhead was getting on her nerves.
"Master," muttered Malfoy under his breath.
Anna gave him a fast glance and nodded. "Right. I suppose we shouldn't keep the Headmaster waiting."
The angry girl was a bit surprised by that statement. "W...wait. We're supposed to bring you." She flushed and looked away. "I was expecting some older guy," she muttered under her breath.
Her friend smiled and gave a shy glance towards Malfoy. "This is better, don't you think?"
"No," growled her friend. She imagined a handsome and rugged teacher standing with Takamichi. Neither one of the was wearing a shirt and they were leaning against each other panting for breath after a close volleyball match. The dream cracked and shattered.
Anna nodded as she walked behind the girl. "I see." It seemed she had a crush on the man with them. "I suppose I should go a bit easy on her then."
"Huh?" muttered Malfoy as he seemed to shake himself out of a daze.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it." The redhead looked back over her shoulder at the school grounds.
Draco looked up at the entrance to the place and frowned a little. "I've got a bad feeling about this place."
"I doubt it will be boring," said Anna with a nod as she walked in with the others. "Stay on guard."
OooOOooOO
The group found themselves standing before an old bald man sitting behind a large wooden desk. He was pleased to see them and smiled at the young Mages. "Ah, you've arrived."
Anna smirked. "Heh. He's strong."
The angry girl and her friend were standing next to the group. Negi just smiled and looked interested in what was going on.
The girl in ponytails whirled around to face her. "Are you kidding? He's..."
"Now, Asuna dear. You're not going to go and say something rude in front of an old man are you?" The principal seemed amused. "She's actually quite smart you know. She's the top mind in her field."
"Field? What, she's good at soccer?" grumbled the girl as she crossed her arms and turned up her nose.
"Engineering," commented Anna. She blinked, that had not come out as intended. She had meant to say Chemistry. "I'm a pretty good chemist too. I guess you could say..." She got a dark smile on her face. "That I'm..."
"Not this again," Malfoy put his face in his hand.
"...The Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe! Li'l Washuu!" Her two puppets appeared on her shoulders as she laughed madly out loud.
Negi cringed and shrank back a little. He leaned towards Draco. "Isn't she over doing it a bit?"
The boy shrugged. "You get used to it."
Asuna was staring at her with wide eyes. "She's a complete idiot!"
"No argument here," commented Draco as he turned his head away.
Anna cringed a bit as she realized the look everyone was giving her. "What? I've got this covered easy. No problem."
"Ahem." The old man behind the desk spoke up. "Very well. The three of you realize that there are no second chances here. If it is too hard you must return home. Training as a teacher in Japan will be more difficult than you think. You'll need practical experience, let's make it from today to March."
Anna smirked. "Huh. I won't complain, the three of us should be able to handle a group of middle school girls."
Draco looked confident as well. "I've lasted this long, I don't think it will be a problem."
Negi gave a serious nod. "Yes, I accept."
The old man smiled at the two young boys in the room and didn't seem to be speaking directly to either one of them. "Do you have a girlfriend? Have you met my granddaughter?"
The dark haired girl was about to hit him over the head with a very large wooden mallet, but noticed Draco looking at her and stopped. She backed off and hid it behind her back with a blush on her face.
"I think it's a cultural thing," commented Anna to his unasked question.
"Well then, it's settled. We'll start today. Let me introduce you to our staff Guidance Officer Shizuna," said the old man as he stood up and leaned over his desk a bit.
Negi turned and found his entire head enveloped by a pair of very large breasts.
Anna looked at the scene and snorted. "Wow. His first day in Japan, and he's already that lucky?"
Draco arched his eyebrow. She was a very pretty woman with long blond hair and a pair of glasses resting on the middle of the bridge of her nose. "Not bad I guess."
The woman blushed. "I'm terribly sorry." She narrowed her eyes at the girl a bit.
The old man smiled and looked over at the two girls who had brought them. "Konoka, Asuna, can Negi, Washuu, and Draco stay in your room for a while? We haven't decided where to put them yet."
Anna stepped forward. "I have arrangements already." She cocked her head. "Are you serious though? You want a kid that age to stay in a girl's dorm?"
Draco seemed confused. "It's not like he's gotten pubes yet."
Negi blushed. "Well, I'm still...young..." He poked his fingers together and looked very embarrassed.
"I'm not so sure I'm entirely comfortable with that. They'll treat this spineless weakling like a doll. Look at him, he's got no will to resist much of anything." Anna pointed at the boy behind her. "Those girls will eat him alive."
Negi seemed frozen in place and had his head hung. He was torn between being embarrassed and realizing that she was probably right about him. "I'll do my best." He managed to mutter as he lifted his head.
"He could stay with us," commented Draco.
Anna seemed to freeze in place. "I...urk. I guess I was asking for that. Yeah. He'll be fine with us, we can come here together. My place is only a few blocks from here. We've got plenty of room."
Negi seemed to brighten up. "Really?"
The old man shook his head. "I'm afraid that given his age we are required to house him with the students. I'm sure we can arrange something on campus soon enough, but until then he'll have to stay in the dorms. He's still too young, and you are not old enough to be his guardian. The only reason you are not required to stay here, is because you are the same age as the students, and as a teacher we feel you should be afforded more liberal housing opportunities. Honestly, I would agree with what your face is telling me. He is old enough to reach this level of his training, and we should treat him as such. However, legally, I cannot simply leave him on his own without supervision. It is a gray area even concerning you and your assistant given your age."
Anna sighed. "I live on campus. I said it's just a few blocks from here, to the east. I rented a flat there where some of the college students stay."
Takamichi chuckled and nodded. "It's expensive, but don't forget who she is."
The old man nodded. "Yes. I see. Asuna dear, please look after Negi. I'm entrusting his care to you and my granddaughter."
Asuna jerked upright. "What? You heard her! Why are we still stuck with him?"
Anna cocked her eyebrow. The old man seemed to want to get those two together for some reason. She was sure that it wasn't his granddaughter, he was including her to cover it up. He didn't seem to care that it was poorly done on his part. "Well, I tried kid." She slapped him on his shoulder. "Looks like you're stuck with the cute granddaughter and Attila the Student here."
The girl spun on her heels and pointed at her. "What did you say? We're the same age! I'll..."
"Ahem," the old man coughed in his hand.
Asuna stopped talking and narrowed her eyes. "This isn't over you know."
Anna smiled. "I know, I've got you for the next three terms in my class, and you can bet I'll be patrolling the dorms and halls. I'll be taking shifts just like any other teacher."
Takamichi chuckled at that. "She's right you know."
"If you'll just follow me," said the Guidance Officer. Anna noted she was being a bit cold with her.
"You seem to have upset her," commented Draco as he moved up beside her. He looked half interested as usual.
"I guess I got carried away. That girl is annoying me." Anna glanced over at Asuna, who was walking with Konoka behind the rest of the group.
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "You don't say."
Asuna looked annoyed and spoke up. "I refuse to live with someone like you. Go get a sleeping bag or some..."
"As I recall, you don't have much say in the matter. Even if he won't speak up about it, I will. You shouldn't be so rude to a guest. It's his first time in this country, and he's very young. I suggest you accept your fate, because I'm not going to stand for such poor treatment from someone like you." Anna frowned at her and crossed her arms. "You'll put up with him on your own, or I'll force you to. I have the authority to do just that as a teacher as well. You're not kicking him onto the street."
Negi looked a bit put off. "Now, there's no need..."
The redheaded teacher crossed her arms. "Yes there is. The old man entrusted her with this. I doubt he'll be pleased to find out she's trying to dump you off."
Asuna gasped and stomped her foot as she growled at her. "We're going on ahead." She took Konoka by the hand and pulled her along with her. The dark haired girl waved at them as she was dragged to the class.
"What's with her?" asked Negi.
"Yeah. What a brat," commented Anna. She looked at Malfoy. "Not one word."
The woman smiled at Negi. "She's always rowdy, but a very nice girl."
Draco snorted. "Where have I heard that bef..." He leaned forward and ended up rubbing on his belly as Anna put her elbow into it.
Shizuna looked over at the blond boy and smiled lightly. "Oh. I see. A lot alike are they?"
"Seems like it so far," commented Draco as he put his hands behind his head and looked cocky about it. "Kind of creepy actually."
Anna seethed for a moment, but kept her mouth shut. "Can we just get to where we're going?"
Shizuna nodded. "Yes. We've arrived. Negi, this is your classroom. You'll be all right teaching?"
The boy looked a bit pensive. "I'm a bit nervous...actually...I..."
Anna gave a snort. "Well, they can smell fear you know. You've got to be firm and direct, don't show any weakness, or they will exploit it."
Draco scratched his head as he peered through the window. "It's a classroom full of teenage girls, not tigers."
The redhead chuckled. "I expect he'd have an easier time with a room full of tigers." She slapped his shoulder. "Just relax. You'll be fine...I think."
Negi was shaking a bit. "You're not helping much, please stop."
The girl shrugged and looked through the window. "Do you have any doubt that you couldn't kick the ass of anything in that room? I mean, seriously. You're a Magister Mage, and it's a bunch of Jr. High School girls."
The boy's eyes went wide. "I couldn't! I mean..."
"Yeah, but you could. I'm not saying that you should, but if worse came to worse, you're pretty sure you'd win, right?" Anna shook his arm a little.
Negi looked embarrassed and blushed. "Um, I suppose so. When you put it like that..."
The girl nodded and looked sure of herself. "Well, what's the big deal then? It's not like it's dangerous. Even though you don't look it, you'll pretty much be the baddest mother f..."
"Ahem," Shizuna coughed into her hand.
Anna stopped and shrugged. "You get the point anyway."
Negi grinned at her. "You're right, Miss Washuu!"
Anna's hands struck like cobras and she pulled at his cheeks and leaned over him. "What was that?"
The boy was very nervous as he found his face being pinched. It wasn't painful, but it was also quite clear that it could become painful quite easily. "Um, Li'l Washuu..."
Anna tugged a little harder. "Yes?"
Negi had gone a little pale. "Li'l Washuu, the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe."
The girl released him. "Well, I suppose you'll be fine then."
Draco hung his head. "You're sick, you know that right?"
Negi blinked as Shizuna handed him a small ledger. "This is the class roll."
"Ah!" he brightened up and opened it up to have a look. "Well, it doesn't look so bad. I guess I'll get started then." He opened the door and walked into the classroom. The boy didn't notice the hand grab the eraser that almost hit his head from behind him, or the foot that stepped on the small tripwire and lowered it enough for him to clear it. He walked to the front of the room and noticed everyone was sitting and staring at him with wide eyes and slacked jaws. "Er...hello?"
Anna was behind him with a scowl on her face. She had a handful of arrows with suction cup tips, and a bucket in her arms that was filled with water, and there wasn't a single drop on the floor. Miss Shizuna had her hand over her mouth and arched her eyebrow a little at the sight of it.
Draco was beside her and snorted as he crossed his arms. "You get used to it."
The woman nodded and smiled at him. "I think I see what you mean about her and Asuna."
He nodded and frowned a little. "Yeah. Kind of annoying really."
Anna set the bucket down on the floor in front of the desk and slapped the arrows on top of it. "All right, listen up. I'm Washuu, the new Science Teacher, but you can call me Li'l Washuu." The look she gave them was enough to get across that it wasn't really a request. "This is Negi, your new English and home room teacher. I wanna make something perfectly clear right now. We're both teachers, you'd better remember that, or you'll answer to me. He's spineless, but I guarantee I'll have your asses in detention if I hear one single thing about you pushing him around or toying with him. Got it?"
There was a long silence and Negi scratched the back of his head. "Um, thanks."
Finally, the girls seemed to snap out of it. "Wow! He's so cute!"
They crowded around the pair and fawned over the boy while barraging him with questions. "How old are you? Where are you from? Who is this brat anyway, is she your sister or something?"
Anna growled and a moment later the class was collectively scowling at her back in their seats while rubbing their heads in irritation. The redhead had a large paper fan that was bent across the middle hanging from her hand as she stood with her arms crossed. "Keep your hands to yourselves you brats. He's not a puppy, he's a teacher. You do not get to fondle him, in fact, don't touch him at all. I meant what I said and you'd better not forget it."
She glanced back at the room and smirked. It was one large collective scowl. "Heh. I'll see you all in my lab third period. I kind of hope you don't listen. I take care of my own detention, and I wouldn't mind having a Guinea Pig or two for some of my experiments."
Asuna looked at the girl next to her. "She can't do that...right?" Her name was Yue, and she looked to be kind of quiet and a bit lazy.
Her classmate shrugged. "I don't know. I'd rather not find out." She was sucking on a juice box that the label claimed contained a Chocolate Seaweed Papaya drink.
The girl on Asuna's other side had a frown on her face and her fist was balled up. It was very unusual for her and Asuna took notice. "Hey, Ku Fei, what's with you?"
She glanced over at her as the hardened expression faded. "That girl. I want to fight her."
The pony-tailed girl nodded. "Yeah, she pisses me off too. That brat. There's got to be a way to get rid of her."
"Huh? Get rid of her? Why?" Ku Fei smiled again.
Yue looked confused. "Huh? But you just said..."
"She's very strong." The foreign girl gave them the sunny smile they were used to. "I will challenge her."
"You there, the brute in the back, please restrain your mouth. We're trying to have a lesson." A girl with long blond hair stood up from her seat and brushed her locks with her fingers. "Please, continue with homeroom, Negi. I heard you are a genius who graduated from Oxford. Teaching has nothing to do with age."
Asuna stood up. "What did you say?"
"Er, thanks," muttered the boy. He remembered her name from the roll. It was Yukihiro Ayaka, and she was the class President. Asuna rushed up and grabbed the girl by her shoulders, and the Class President did the same in response.
Both girls stopped and started rubbing at their heads as if something had hit them. Anna was leaning against the blackboard with a piece of broken chalk in her fist with her thumb resting on the broken end. "Shut up and sit down both of you." She glanced at the blond girl. "No one likes a kiss ass you know."
"You got that right, and she's a shotakon too," grumbled Asuna out loud.
"What? How dare you!" growled the blond as she started to rise from her seat. Her head tilted a little and she sat back down giving the red haired science teacher a glare as she rubbed at her scalp.
"I said shut it, both of you. I'll be seeing you later, and I'll be speaking with Negi about how this class went before then. So remember what I said. He's spineless dealing with women you know, I can get him to talk no problem. Even if he doesn't really want to tell me." Anna turned and walked by the guidance officer and into the hall with Malfoy in tow.
Draco scowled over his shoulder at the room. "Well, you're making sure we're popular right away. They'll probably try to drive us off."
Anna smirked and kept her gaze forward. "Let them try. I want this to go smoothly, and it will be easier if I'm firm with them from the start. They'll get used to it, and we'll have an easier time dealing with them if they know not to screw around with me. I can relax my guard a bit once they know I'm not to be toyed with. They'll start behaving when I'm around on their own once they know I'll reign them in on a moment's notice."
Malfoy nodded. "Yes. That sounds like Professor Snape."
The girl shrugged. "I was his apprentice. I'm a bit more lax than he is though."
The woman with them seemed to think on that. "Ah, I see. That's your teaching methodology. You're a disciplinarian."
The young teacher nodded. "I'm not cruel, but I expect them to learn. I'll make sure they do. I do not intend to fail here. As the old man said, there are no second chances."
Draco looked up at the door in front of them. "So, this is it then?"
Anna looked up at their guide as she was handed the class role. "Thank you, I'll take it from here. I think it will be better if I take control and introduce myself on my own."
The woman seemed surprised. "Very well, I'll be out here for a bit if you need me. The headmaster asked I make sure things go smoothly."
The girl smiled. "I understand, feel free to leave once you are satisfied. I doubt I'll need assistance." She opened the door and walked in.
A group of rather dazed looking girls looked on as the pair walked into the room. There were no traps or tricks this time, and the room was pretty quiet.
"Um, who are you?" asked a girl with long dark hair as she stood up. "Are you a new student? The teacher hasn't arrived yet..." She trailed off as the boy walked in behind her and stood there looking at him for a moment before shaking herself out of it. She looked like she was about to ask a question, but couldn't seem to get it out.
Anna was standing in front of the whole room, and the rest of the girls seemed curious and confused. They started to mutter amongst themselves and many were taking note of Draco. "Who is that? He can't be a student, this is a girl's school. He's cute though! Wai! A babe!"
The young redhead coughed into her hand. "Pipe down will ya? I'm Li'l Washuu, and this is my Assistant Mr. Malfoy. For the next three terms, I'll be teaching Science here at Mahora."
"Wh-what?" muttered the dark haired girl in confusion. The rest of the class followed her lead. The girls all looked towards Draco and then back at the redhead, and then back at Draco again. It was not something they didn't take well hearing that the cute and strong looking boy with blond hair and blue eyes was hanging around. He looked so aloof, so cool and collected, yet he also had that 'I'm trouble' vibe about him. No, that didn't sound bad at all.
The girl grinned at them and spoke in a tone just above a whisper. It carried across the silent room and everyone heard her clearly. "I'll warn you, I'm strict. Don't expect me to put up with any foolishness in my class. The experiments we'll be conducting can be dangerous if you're not paying attention, so I won't tolerate any horseplay. Now, I'm going to take roll, and then we'll start Homeroom. Pay attention and do as you're told, and you'll be just fine. I'm not someone to be crossed."
"Next you'll be telling me how perfectly I've roasted my slugs," commented Malfoy as he turned his head and stood behind her with his arms crossed.
The girl ignored him and walked behind the teacher's desk. The students looked a bit bemused, but sat at their desks without questioning it further. No one was sure what to make of this girl or her claim that she was teaching. It seemed to dawn on them a bit at a time that they were indeed taking a class taught by a girl their own age.
After she took roll, a girl near the back of the class raised her hand. Anna noticed and called on her. "Yes, Miss Akayami?"
"Um, how did you...become a teacher? You look about the same age as the rest of us." She seemed a bit nervous asking.
Anna cocked her head. "Fair enough. I graduated from Oxford with the new English Teacher for class 2-A." Her records now backed this statement. "I'm the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe, Li'l Washuu!" She pointed her finger in the air and her two puppets appeared on her shoulders praising her and tossing confetti about.
Draco ignored it and looked a bit lazy eyed. He yawned and stretched his back.
"What about Mr. Malfoy?" asked another girl as she raised her hand. She very much looked like she wanted to change the subject very quickly. The rest of the class seemed of a similar mindset at the display from their new instructor.
"I graduated with her. We were in the same class," he responded on his own.
Anna nodded. "That's right. He's my...intern. He'll be assisting me for the duration of my stay here at Mahora."
The girls read into that statement a bit more than they should have. "Aw man, he's taken. What a shame. Lucky brat."
Anna was annoyed, but refrained from comment.
Draco wasn't standing for it. "She's not my girlfriend you know, we just work together." It didn't take him long to realize that he might have been better off keeping his mouth shut. Almost the whole room turned to face him at once. The boy could feel something from them that almost felt like hunger. "Huh?"
Anna opened the textbook on her desk. "Should have kept your mouth shut." She looked up at the class. "All right, Homeroom is over. It seems I've got this group for the first period of the day as well. Everyone open your books to page thirteen and we'll begin."
OooOOooOO
Anna stood outside Negi's room and smiled at him as he walked out. It was still before lunch and he looked a bit disheveled. "So, how did it go?"
Takamichi walked up and smiled at them both. "Yes, both of you. How did your first classes go?"
Negi sulked a little. "Well, not very..."
Asuna jumped between the two young teachers and Takahata. "It went great! Smashing! I'm sure he'll do fine! I was with him the whole time, right Negi?"
Anna cocked her eyebrow at that and looked up at the man she was speaking to long enough to shrug.
He seemed pleased and slapped her on the shoulder. "Well, that's great. I'll leave him to you, Asuna."
"Hmmm." Anna frowned as the girl's scowl returned. "I'm betting she was a problem, huh?"
He flushed. "N-not really."
Asuna was bubbly and rubbing on her shoulder where the man had touched her. "Takahata!"
"That must be the source of the unrequited love," commented Anna. "Quite the crush I'd say."
"Oh, shut up," said the girl with a gleam in her eye as she frowned at Anna. She then turned her attention towards Negi. "I hate kids, and there's no way I'd recognize a guy like you as a teacher." She crossed her arms and turned up her nose. "How would a shrimp like you know someone like Takahata anyway?" Anna was getting annoyed again. The girl shifted her attention on her. "You either. We're the same age, you're not so great."
Negi gave a sigh. "It wasn't so bad. I had a bit of trouble keeping a handle on things at first though. I wouldn't say it was a great success."
The redheaded teacher nodded. "Well, you've just got to be firm. Unfortunately, you seem to have difficulty with that."
Draco walked up and glanced at the group. "Oh. That girl again. Azura or whatever."
A group of girls from their homeroom class walked by and giggled as they waved and called to him. "Good Morning, Mr. Malfoy!" chimed the group.
Asuna spun around to glare at him. "What? It's Asuna, Kagurazaka Asuna, and don't you forget it!"
"Why would I care to remember? I've got no interest in you," he replied simply and looked rather bored. He looked at his master. "We've got another class. I don't see why you're checking up on him anyway. He'll live."
The redhead nodded. "I know. We're all in the same boat though. We should help him out when we can." She glanced at Asuna and smirked. "Besides, my turn is coming up after the next period. I want to know how hard on them I need to be."
Negi gasped. "No! Don't worry. I was just a bit nervous and got flustered. They weren't that bad, really."
Asuna tossed her hair. "Whatever, I can handle anything this brat can dish out."
A group of her classmates called over to her. "Asuna! Over here!"
"Later," she spat rudely at the teachers.
Draco glanced at Anna and sighed. "Just don't kill her, all right?"
The redhead cocked her head. "Nah. I've got just the thing. I've got to get supplies from storage though, so be a dear and start the next class for me. It won't take long, you probably won't finish with taking the role by the time I get back." She skipped away and looked cheerful. One of Carrot's recently failed plots for world domination had a few leftover supplies that were just perfect.
The blond boy watched her go. "That makes me nervous."
The ten year old teacher nodded. "Me as well. What do you think she has planned?"
Draco shrugged. "Not sure. I'll find out. I doubt she'll hurt anyone. At least I hope not. That girl is getting under her skin, and she's still a little unstable."
Negi blinked. "Unstable?"
The older boy nodded. "Yes. I suppose you've not heard how she got expelled from Hogwarts?"
The young boy shook his head. "I've not heard. I know she had a bit of a reputation because she got thrown out of Wizarding school. You two were a lot like me, none of us socialized much. We kept to ourselves and studied a lot. I remember seeing both of you around the library and in the training hall. I meant to speak to you, but we were always so busy that I never got around to it." He flushed a little and scratched his head. "I could never work up the nerve, I'm a big fan of the D."
Malfoy nodded. "Yeah. A blessing in disguise I suppose. Anyway, she turned to the dark side and took over the school. She and her brother got into a big fight and killed each other. Somehow, they came back to life though. She won't say how she managed that one. Anyway, she's supposed to be finding her way back again. I was her evil apprentice, and she's bringing me along for the ride."
"Way back?" The boy seemed confused.
"Back to the light side. It's hard to explain, but our emotional state manifests itself in our powers. If we use negative emotions to control our energy, it effects us psychologically and we get really nasty dispositions. We're supposed to be on some sort of sabbatical to realign ourselves to the light. We're sort of psychic monks of a sort, as well as Magister Mages. Warlocks with advanced training basically. Part of the reason we left England was to find our center and achieve inner peace or some other such rubbish. According to her that is." He looked in the direction his master had gone. "She seems to have hit a snag."
The young teacher nodded. "Ah. That sort of makes sense, but I'm not entirely sure what you mean."
Draco nodded. "Don't worry about it. I'll be keeping an eye on her. I don't care much for her to be honest, but it's a lot better than that thing she turned into. I'd rather not deal with it again if I can help it. It's a lot more dangerous than you might think." Anna had told him his fear was holding him back, he was feeling more like it was keeping him in check. He didn't want her turning into that thing again because he was afraid of it, terrified. Staying with her and helping to keep her on track was the only option he had. He knew that if she turned again, she would come for him. The thought of that still sent shivers of fear down his spine. He shook his head and smiled at the boy who was giving him a questioning frown. He did tease her and annoy her as much as he could, but she took it well and bantered back with him. He was keeping a careful eye on her emotional state, and she was doing much better. In fact, getting on her nerves actually seemed to help a little, even if it did create extra work for him in training.
Negi cocked his head. "Dangerous?"
Malfoy nodded. "I'm sure you heard about what happened during the last House Elf Wars. It wasn't pretty."
The young teacher got a little wide eyed. "Um, yes. I had heard. She beat them rather soundly. Quite a..."
The blond shook his head. "She crushed them completely, 'beating them rather soundly' is putting it lightly. I saw pictures of her tossing about rocks the size of buses and shooting lightning from her hands without casting a spell. The Great Hall of the House Elves is still being rebuilt from that blast she made. Not even a Dragon would have caused so much damage." He scratched his head. "She says it would have been much harder if she'd not acted quickly and gotten to the leadership before things escalated. House Elves are difficult to contain, and they can get into a lot of places wizards and Mages can't. If they'd completely mobilized, she'd have been forced to take more drastic measures and it would have been a lot more trouble." He smirked. "The elves don't know it, but she used the same source they got their cold iron weapons from to make the chains she used to bind them when she took over their home. That old dwarf is still using bunnies to help him work his forge I've heard. They're good for that sort of thing."
Negi swallowed. "Oh. I see."
The older boy slapped his shoulder. "Well, she did get better, but we should both keep an eye on her. She's trying at least. I think so anyway."
The young teacher hung his head a little. "Well, she seems nice enough. She's been looking out for me. I don't think my first class was as bad as it might have been if she hadn't helped me out earlier."
Draco nodded at that. "Yeah. I've got to go. She'll watch your back, so don't worry. I suppose you're not so bad, so I guess I might lend a hand from time to time." He strolled away towards the lab again. "That brat, leaving me to start the next class..."
OooOOooOO
Anna was standing in front of her class and had a smile rather like a Cheshire cat. Draco looked annoyed, he'd ended up teaching for half of the last period. It was an easy lesson, mostly a reading assignment. "Well, hello ladies." She leaned forward and peered at the rather pensive looking group. There were several who were not very nervous though. She could feel it from them, their nerves were there, but well hidden with discipline. Anna's smile faded a little. "Hey, is that...a droid?"
Malfoy blinked and looked surprised. "Huh?"
There was a surprised gasp from within the room, a pair of them. Anna fixated on the loudest of the two and her smile had faded into a small frown. It wasn't just some robot, though that in itself would have been unusual. Whoever had built it used several design elements specific to droids. That was a bit much to be just a coincidence. She appeared to be made mostly of wood, but Anna could tell her internal components were more advanced than the exterior indicated. "It...it can't be." She pointed at the girl in question. "You, Chachamaru. State your designation and place of origin."
"Hey, there's no need..." snapped a young looking blond girl. She hadn't said anything before and was keeping a low profile intentionally. She actually looked a bit too young to be in the class, but not by much.
Anna's eyes went wide. "I see."
"Designation, Pr-921 class..."
"Chachamaru, that's enough!" snapped the Blond with a scowl on her face.
The droid went silent and looked at her master.
"So, she's yours is she?" The redhead narrowed her eyes. The droid had stood up, and the young redhead walked around her giving her a look over as she passed. "A Pr-class? Place of origin, Vandor 3. A Government produced protocol droid I'd wager. You need a power converter. That contraption on your back is a good fix, but it's not sufficient for continuous operation. I'll make you one later, I've got enough to whip one up no problem." Power converters were easy to make, she used to build and repair them all the time in Watto's junk yard. The basic components weren't so advanced she couldn't rig one together with the current level of technology in the world, especially with her owl to give her a helping claw in the matter. It would be a bit bulkier and not as efficient as the sort of unit she could have made back then, but not so large that it would hinder her in any way. It would still be much better than what she currently had installed.
Both girls got rather blank expressions on their faces. The blonde girl was clearly shocked, but she was already a bit pale.
"Um...Th-thank you?" muttered Chachamaru.
"Who...who the hell are you?" muttered the blonde.
Anna glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and turned back towards her desk. She let her lightsaber flash into her field of view for a moment.
The blonde girl swallowed hard and settled into her seat as she noticed it. "Huh? But...it's so far...so long...it can't be."
The redhead took note of this. Her class was confused. Asuna stood up. "What the hell is this? Do you three know each other somehow or something?"
Anna ignored her. She glared at a seat in the middle of the room. "Chao Rin Shen, I'd like to speak with you after class."
The girl gasped, and got wide eyed. "But...I haven't..."
The redhead put her hands on her cheeks and sat down behind her desk leaning forward. "You're not in trouble, but don't think I'm asking either. There's something I need to ask you about though." She glanced over at the droid.
The Chinese girl narrowed her eyes and nodded. "There's no connection."
Draco seemed as if something had just dawned on him. "Huh?" He looked at the girl Anna was talking to and narrowed his eyes.
"I guess we should start," grumbled Anna as she hefted the book up in front of her with one hand.
"It's about time!" snapped Asuna.
"My, so exuberant! You just volunteered to participate in my demonstration! Congratulations!" Anna stood up and put her foot on her desk while pointing her finger in the air.
Every desk in the room creaked a little as the students sat back all at once.
"Huh?" muttered the ponytailed student with a dumb expression on her face. "N...now...wait..." She started to back away.
"Hmm, haven't installed the suppression devices yet..." Anna jumped over her desk and landed in front of the girl. She grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the front of the room. In front of the desk was a kiddy pool with what looked like some sort of crude electronic device sitting in the middle of it.
"What the hell is that?" cried the girl. "Let me go! I..." She couldn't break the grip and found herself pulled on top of the thing.
"Don't worry, it's just a superconductor. If you just do as I say, it won't hurt a bit." Anna pulled a pair of welding goggles down from her forehead and covered her eyes. "You're not grounded, so you're safe. Don't move though." She plugged the device in with two ends of extension chord.
"What!?" cried Asuna with wide eyes.
Anna's wrists had started to glow a little and projections of screens had appeared in front of her. "Just be still, I'm working on something here...aaaaannnndddd...huh? That's strange...it's not..." She narrowed her eyes a little and typed a bit. "Huh. Resistant to...oh well. I've got a workaround for that." The teacher smirked as she worked her projected computer a bit more. "There. That should do it." She turned to look at her assistant. "Mr. Malfoy, the nitrogen bath please."
The entire room was stunned into wide eyed shock. Every jaw was hanging open and they could only stare at the scene as the blond boy poured a rather large bucket of very cold looking liquid into the pool. It was creating fog that rolled over the edge of the pool and onto the floor.
Asuna screamed as she floated into the air and started spinning slowly to her left. She was upright until she started waving her arms and ended up spinning head over heels a few times. Anna reached out and steadied her. "Now, can anyone tell me what's happening here?"
"She...she's flying?" muttered one of the girls in the front. Her name was Sakurako and she had been quite cheerful when she had first arrived. She looked rather numb.
The redheaded teacher nodded, "Well, she's floating. Flying is a little different, but can you tell me how and why?"
Asuna had her hand over her mouth and was making growling noises at the redhead. A quick flip from Anna's wrist put a stop to it as she let her spin sideways a few times. She stopped her again and the girl just looked a bit ill.
A girl named Satomi with two braided pigtails and a pair of glasses on stood up and raised her hand as she spoke. "Is it the Meissner effect?"
Anna smiled at her and nodded. "Yes, that's right. I've magnetized all the iron in her blood, normally it would start clumping together and kill her in a few minutes, but thanks to Super Genius Washuu, it's no problem at all."
Satomi cocked her head and seemed to think about that. "Um...how?"
Every girl in the room gasped and few looked toward Chao.
The girl shrugged and glanced around. "I don't know how she did it either."
Everyone was looking ahead now and seemed sufficiently amazed.
"You're skirting the line here," grumbled Draco. She was dangerously close to using magic openly. He supposed she could claim that her computer was something she made herself using her 'scientific genius' as cover for it. Still, it wasn't normal for anyone really. He had no clue why she was going so far for what seemed to be a private joke.
Anna sighed and gave Asuna a tug on the hand. She hadn't been able to float out of the center of the magnetic field that was holding her up. She was pulled out gently and landed on her feet beside her teacher. Anna quickly moved the trashcan behind them about ten inches to the left with her foot just before her student bent forward and heaved into it. "You could have told me you get motion sickness. I could have prevented it if you had said something."
The pony-tailed redhead growled as she stalked back towards her seat. "You didn't tell me what the hell was going on, you brat."
Anna nodded. "Yes, I'm more free with information with people I'm getting along with."
Asuna froze up and turned her head back to glare at her with a livid expression on her face as she sat down.
"Now, we're all going to read a chapter of our science books, and wouldn't you know it, our demonstration is relevant." Anna seemed quite cheerful as she kicked her feet up on her desk. Her screens surrounded her, but the students could see her through them. "Might even get a little work done while we're at it."
Draco looked at the class with a frown on his face. "Please, don't associate me with her. I didn't pick my assignment here you know."
On the whole, the class looked rather like they had enjoyed the show they had just gotten.
OooOOooOO
Anna had her hands behind her head with her legs up on top of her desk, Draco was standing behind her with his arms crossed.
Chao approached and seemed unconcerned with the looks she was getting from the pair. "Don't try to look so intimidating. I'm a Jedi, Padawan," commented the girl as she lifted a scarf that hung around her hip and showed them a lightsaber.
The redhead narrowed her eyes at that. "Interesting. Who are you? What brings you to Mahora?"
"The will of the Force, of course," replied the girl simply.
"That doesn't tell us much," commented Draco. He seemed to have relaxed a bit, she was no threat at least. Not at the moment anyway.
The girl nodded. "I'm not supposed to tell you much."
Anna kicked her feet off and leaned towards her. "Well, what can you tell us then?"
"I was warned about you, that you would be keeping an eye on me. I'm willing to accept that." She smiled at the pair and gave a small bow.
Anna sat back and sighed. "Well, who warned you? Tell us that at least."
The girl smirked. "You did." She seemed amused and pleasant. "Is there anything else you needed? I can't discuss anything about this with anyone here, not even you. You of all people should understand why."
"No, you can go," replied the teacher with a small nod. The girl walked out of the room and left the pair alone. Anna's face fell a little as it seemed to sink in. "The future then? Interesting."
"Now what?" asked her Padawan, he was annoyed with the girl for using the title. "I like apprentice more, it sounds better to me."
Anna chuckled at that. "Sith have apprentices, you'll get used to it, Padawan."
"You're dodging the question. What should we do about her?" asked the boy.
"I like her suggestion of keeping an eye on her, but beyond that nothing. I'm not so sure I trust her motives here, but I do trust her honesty in regard to her origins. I sense the mark of another time on her. I know it well enough, my parents are not as old as their birth date implies." She sat back and worked her tongue on the inside of her cheek. "That blonde girl...she's very old. I'm not sure what her purpose here is, but that droid...she knew where it came from. I don't think she was actually built there, but the design is unmistakable, if a bit more advanced than I remember."
"So?" Draco was confused.
"Vandor-3 is in the Corscant system. The same star system that was once my home. I'm very interested in those two." She narrowed her eyes as she said it. "How did they get here? She's not of this world, I thought she was a vampire at first. I'm gonna have to think on that one for a while." Anna looked at her screens with her chin on her palm.
"Maybe she's an alien vampire? Are you kidding me?" Draco grumbled and sighed. "This is getting stupid. Maybe you should...stop...thinking for a while."
Anna glanced back at him and smiled. "That's not a bad idea actually. This class is full of weirdness. I don't think it's a coincidence Negi and the two of us ended up with them on our schedules."
Her student rolled his eyes at that. "You don't believe in coincidence to begin with, so that's not a huge surprise. Someone should talk to these girls about the rules about weapons on school grounds," muttered Malfoy. "I think that tall brunette girl is some kind of ninja or something."
The redhead nodded. "Yeah, the quiet girl who hovers around Asuna's friend, Konoka. I think there's something there, not just a crush. Though, there is a pretty big one going on there."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Kind of hard to miss." He sat on the edge of her desk and looked down at her. "You can't keep antagonizing Asuna you know."
She nodded and thumped her head against the desk. "You'd think I'd get along with my fellow redheads. She doesn't seem like a bad person, but she's so aggressive and it bugs me." She cocked her head. "I think things will level out. If she hates me, there may be nothing I can do about it now. No big deal, I can handle one irate student. I guess I should try harder not to tease her. It's so hard to resist though, she made it so easy."
"What? You're looking to me for advice on how to be nicer?" Draco cocked his eyebrow.
Anna cracked a grin and kept her head down. "Say it, mean it, do it."
He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "Fine. Be excellent to each other."
She looked up at him and smiled warmly. "See, doesn't it feel better?"
He put his arms up to shield himself from having to see it. "Don't do that, you know it creeps me out."
She lost interest and kicked her feet off her desk. "Come on, that was our last period. You should head back and get some rest. I'm gonna go check up on Negi and make sure that girl doesn't dump him on the street."
Draco nodded. "I suppose so. Don't expect me to unpack your things."
"I'll deal with it when I get there, get started on your stuff. We're going to be here a while, no point in not getting settled as soon as we can though." The redhead nodded and walked out of her room. She walked down the hall with a smile on her face and her hands behind her back. "Not bad for a first day."
"You! Miss Washuu!" called an accented voice.
Anna turned and looked at the girl. She spoke in Chinese and the other girl looked a bit surprised. "What was that you called me?" A dark look gleamed in the teacher's eyes.
The girl backed off a little and shifted her eyes away from the glare. "Um, Li'l Washuu..."
"Oh, I must have misheard you then," said the redhead with a sweet looking smile. "Ku Fei was it? What can I do for you?"
"Yes, that's right." She got a grin on her face. "You speak my language? That's great, it makes this easier!" She pointed at her. "I want to challenge you to a fight!"
"I'm afraid as a teacher, I can't oblige," said the redhead with a shrug.
"You're strong," said the girl as she narrowed her eyes at her.
Anna gave a small sigh. "What if I am? I'm still a teacher you know. I can't fight with students, it could get me into a lot of trouble, far more than you. Not really a fair trade off. I probably would have clobbered that Asuna girl a few times by now if I could. Well, I shouldn't say that. A good swat to the back of the head at least. I'm to understand I can get away with that in moderation, but I'd rather just avoid the issue."
Ku-Fei nodded. "I see. Fine, I challenge you to a match then."
The redhead paused and glanced at the girl. "What's the difference?"
The Chinese girl smirked. "We do it in the gym, with a referee, as a sporting event."
'Miss Washuu' cocked her eyebrow and considered for a moment. "I'll talk with the old man and see if I can't arrange it." She smiled at the girl. "I warn you, I won't go...no. Nevermind. I see now. You don't expect to win."
The girl gasped and balled her fist as she stepped back. "What? How?"
Anna faced her. "I'll tell you what. I'm in no mood to push you around, not even for your own benefit. You lose that fear, and I'll accept your challenge. A match, as a sporting event of course. There are rules even I can't break after all."
Ku-fei glared down at her feet. "It's like...she's looking into me. I can feel it, her eyes go very deep." The Chinese girl leveled her glare at the girl and nodded. "Yes. I see you are a master. Your eyes see right through me. I will train hard, and I will return when I am ready."
Anna nodded. "I look forward to it." She had a feeling there would be no 'playing fair' with this one. She could not crush her, but had no intentions of facing her with a handicap either. "Interesting place," she commented.
"I noticed that," said another familiar voice in Chinese.
The redhead glanced over at her. "Chao. Time travel is dangerous. I'm not sure I approve of your presence here. Though, seeing as the reasoning is a mystery, I'll be keeping a very close eye on you. Watch yourself."
The girl nodded. "I intend to. I know what to expect of you."
The redhead cocked her eyebrow. "Do you now? Well, I expect you'll be able to handle me should the need arise then?"
The Chinese girl hung her head a bit. "I couldn't say. We'll be finding out sooner or later I wager."
"Why is that?" asked the redhead.
"I told you already, you warned me about you," said the girl. "No, I'm not yours either. My master, has not yet been trained. She was very beautiful though, often called the fairest of the Jedi."
Anna narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't sound much like a Jedi."
"Says the so called 'Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe'?" said the girl as she smiled cheerfully.
Both girls were rather relaxed and the tone became somewhat friendly. "Yes. Being 'fairest' is somewhat subjective and a bit self centered though. It's rather unlike a Jedi to have a title like that one. I have to admit, calling myself the 'Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe' is something of a personal joke on my part."
Chao smirked and seemed to think about it. "She never said it herself, it's just...popular opinion. You'd think she never noticed. I think it runs in her family actually, she's a third generation Jedi and her mother and Grandmother had similar 'titles' when they were younger." She shook her head. "Ah, you have experience with Vampires. I'd almost forgotten."
Anna nodded. "Yes. I think I can trust you, but...I really can't. You understand, yes?"
The girl smirked and nodded. "I wasn't expecting you to know that trick yet. You're still pretty young. I used to fall for it all the time, but not recently. I'm surprised I missed it."
The redhead shrugged. "A former Vampire by the name of Afina taught it to me inadvertently. She's a therapist and uses it to get her clients to open up a little more. She's very skilled, and I picked it up after a few months of seeing her over the summer. She's dating one of my Father's friends."
"Huh. Something I didn't know about you. Go figure." Chao seemed amused and shook her head.
"Well, I did get you to open up a little. I suppose it's a fair exchange, and a lesson." Anna looked out through a window onto the grounds.
"A lesson?" asked Chao in confusion.
"Your presence here has changed things. The past is already on a different course. You have no idea what to expect of me, child." She started walking away and left the dark haired girl scratching her head in the hall. After a moment she paused and kept her back facing the girl. "If you know as much as you claim of me, then you should also be aware, that I have quite the eye to keep tabs on you, young Jedi." She held up a tarot card over her shoulder facing her. It was two planets colliding together over a golden ring.
Chao hung her head. "Chaos."
"Yes, you have unwittingly unleashed it. Do not imagine that everything will go according to your plan. I would not be so foolish in your position as to assume such a thing." Anna continued on her way and didn't look back.
"Jeeze, she's as much of a pain as you said, Master," grumbled the girl with a slightly sour frown. "I guess she was right to warn me about herself. What a brat."
"Wait, she actually warned you that she'd be this much of a brat in the future? Exactly how long does this last? I'm stuck with her for the foreseeable future." Draco uncrossed his arms and pushed off the nearby wall.
Chao blushed as she turned to look at him. "I dunno. I mean, I know her and all, but not very well. I haven't trained with her since I was a Youngling. She's really old and everyone respects her. She doesn't do much besides work with the Younglings as I recall. I guess you could say that by the time I meet her, she's 'unofficially retired'."
Draco punched the air. "Drat. Then she might always be this bad. I'm starting to think the Sith system is better, then I could kill her and be done with it sooner or later."
The Chinese girl put her hand up. "I'm not even going to ask. Look, you two are weirder than I thought. She's right, and it's annoying. I'm completely surprised." She left him standing in the hall.
Draco had instructions to return home, and he planned on it. He did want to have a look around the area while he was at it though, and saw no reason to hurry. "I guess I'll head towards the apartment then."
OooOOooOO
TBC...