AN: This is an Escaflowne x Harry Potter crossover, my first FanFic! Credit goes to www.britishairways.com for the name of the airport in Tokyo.
Disclaimer: None of the characters from Escaflowne and Harry Potter are my own.
Chapter One: Visions
"Hitomi ...? Hitomi! Hurry up! You'll be late!"
"I'm coming, Mom!" Hitomi shouted, snatching her duffel bag and sprinting down the stairs. She gave her mother a quick kiss goodbye and shot out the door, heading for school.
Hitomi scampered through the classroom door just as the bell stopped ringing. Out of breath, she slid into her seat and grinned at her best friend, Yukari, who sat nearby. "Late again, Hitomi-chan?" Yukari whispered happily.
"Almost!" Hitomi whispered back. When she opened her mouth to say more, a ruler rapped sharply on her desk, inches away from her nose. Hitomi squeaked and almost jumped out of her chair.
"If the ladies are finished ...?" Their teacher peered disdainfully down at the girls through his thick glasses.
"Sorry, Sensei." The two murmured in unison, bowing their heads in mock contrition while shooting laughing looks at each other.
"I know that your month-long summer break begins next Friday, but kindly refrain from showing your mirth during class. Now, as I was saying ... " Hitomi and Yukari grinned at each other and opened their books.
The sun glowed orange behind the girls as they walked home, sharing ice cream and laughing. "Last track practice for one whole month!" Yukari exclaimed, throwing her arms wide in a mock yawn. "Now I can finally have some peace - " She squealed, jumping away from Hitomi, who had poked her in the ribs.
"Peace! You'll be bored without us, Yukari!" Hitomi clasped her hands below her chin and planted a sorrowful look on her face. "Oh, Amano, I'll miss you soo much!" She mocked, dancing away when Yukari tried to hit her with her bag. "Whatever will I do?!"
"Oh, shut up, Hitomi," Yukari admonished, blushing and grinning. "Here's my house; I'll see you Monday, okay?"
"Bye, Yukari!" Hitomi waved and dashed off.
Hitomi stopped sprinting as she neared the train station, having to buy a ticket and ride the train to her Aunt's house, where her family was visiting for the weekend. Ignoring the strange looks from the clerks at her windblown hair, she skipped up the stairs and into the train. Searching for an open compartment, she ducked into one near the middle, occupied solely by a pale man with lanky hair, dressed all in black and wearing a cloak. Wondering for a moment at his odd clothing, Hitomi tapped him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, sir," she said. "I'm sorry, but do you mind if I sit down?" She rocked nervously on the balls of her feet when he didn't answer. "Well, okay ... I'll just ... find somewhere else ... " As she was turning to leave, he looked up at her, his black eyes catching her green ones.
Shocked, Hitomi froze, her eyes growing wide as blackness engulfed her and she was suddenly tossed into a different world ...
Professor Snape was very confused. As soon as the girl had collapsed, he immediately looked up and down the hall for signs of the person who might have cursed her, but saw no one. He had his wand out, ready to try to revive her, when she suddenly jerked awake, shrieking. Her eyes, still round and huge as if she were panicking, cast about madly. Finally, she locked eyes with him. She jumped to her feet, grabbed his arm, and tried to pull him away.
"Come on! They're coming - they're almost here - we have to get away!" Snape wouldn't budge. He lifted his wand and opened his mouth to ask this girl what was wrong when she shouted at him again. "That - " she pointed at his wand - "won't work! There are too many of them! All in black - cloaks and masks - holding sticks like yours! We have to hurry! They're coming for you!"
Snape went limp with shock when she described perfectly the dress of the Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort's followers. Lacking resistance and still crazed with panic, the girl hauled him bodily down to the end of the train and locked them both inside the cargo car. She ducked behind a stack of suitcases and glared at the door, as if she expected a hundred Death Eaters to waltz in at any moment.
Shaking her off a little more than angrily, Professor Snape got to his feet. He looked down into Hitomi's panic-stricken eyes, grabbed her chin, and said very quietly in Japanese, "I don't know who you are, or how you know, but I can assure you that no Death Eaters will be hunting for me anytime soon." He stepped back and pulled out his wand again, preparing to modify her memory, when she leapt up, blushing bright red, and bowed.
"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, bowing lower. "It's going to sound crazy, but sometimes I have these ... visions, usually about the future. And they're never wrong! I had this vision when I saw your eyes - you were on a train. The train stopped, smoke was everywhere, people were screaming, dying ... " She shivered, a tear dripping down her face. "A dozen men all in black cloaks and masks broke the door down. You smashed the window ... I don't know how ... and tried to escape, shooting things back at them with your stick." She gestured at his wand. "But it was no use. There were too many of them. They caught you, knocked you over, mumbled something to you, and then ... " She paused, wrapping her arms around herself and lowering herself to the ground. "I don't know how it happened. They pointed their sticks at you, and you just started screaming. It was horrible ... terrible pain ... and then they shot green light at you, and ... " The girl stared off into space for a moment, reliving the terror. Suddenly she leapt up again.
"When I woke up and saw you, I knew something terrible was going to happen! I just knew that if you didn't get away, those men would catch you, and ... " The girl swayed on her feet, her eyes rolled up, and she collapsed again.
Professor Snape could not have been more stunned if she had been a Death Eater herself. He gaped at this strange young girl who had had a vision of his death ... a vision ... he reached for her bag, searching for some ID, and found a little card with her picture and a name on it.
"Kanzaki Hitomi," the card said. She was fifteen.
Kanzaki ... of course! This was the girl Dumbledore had sent him all the way out here to get! "She's a true seer," Dumbledore had told him, "although she doesn't know it. Go get her and bring her back here - now that Lord Voldemort has returned, she will not be safe." Snape, as one of the few members of the Order who spoke Japanese, had been directed to collect this "seer" and bring her back to headquarters for her own protection.
Snape glowered down at the girl's unconscious form in disgust. Why did she have to faint on him like that? Now he'd have to carry her all the way home ... and explain to her parents. Sighing, he unlocked the cargo car's door and scooped her up; as he carried her down the aisle, he glared daggers at the closed compartment doors, wishing someone would come out so that he could tell them off. Once inside his compartment, Snape plopped the girl unceremoniously on a seat and then sat down himself, promptly going back to sleep again.
Some time later, the door slid open, and the conductor gingerly tapped Professor Snape on the shoulder. The man shook his head and stood, scowling down at him, like a cobra looking for an excuse to strike. "E ... excuse me, s-sir," the conductor stammered. "Y-you asked me to i-inform you when we arrived at K-Kinagawa Station, sir."
Snape had a terrible headache. "Yes I did," he growled. "And have we?"
The conductor was petrified - the man was going to kill him! "Y-y-yes, sir." He backed up a couple of paces, shot one last look at Snape's expression, and bolted.
Snape frowned. Did he really look that conspicuous? He shook his head - didn't matter, as long as he got the girl back to headquarters. The girl moaned a little. Snape peered down at her as he lifted her up again; this is going to be a long evening.
Professor Snape wandered up to a street light, thankful for any excuse to put the girl down for a moment. He couldn't afford to cast a levitation charm in the middle of a crowded muggle city, so he'd been forced to carry the girl all around the busy streets. Meanwhile, he had become more and more lost as the night progressed, and now he had stopped to pull a little slip of paper out of his cloak pocket. 157 Yuuyake Boulevard, the paper read in Japanese. Snape looked over at the street sign. Finally! He had reached the right street. Ruefully, he lifted the girl up again and lurched off down the street, checking the numbers in the dim light for '157.'
Mrs. Kanzaki was starting to worry. She had just called her sister, who reported that Hitomi had still not arrived. Hitomi had a tendency to run a little late, she should have been at her aunt's an hour ago. Mrs. Kanzaki was just getting ready to go out and look for her daughter when there was a sharp knock at the door. Something must have happened to Hitomi! Mrs. Kanzaki thought frantically as she yanked the door open. She glimpsed a rather tall, pale man, dressed in black and holding an unconscious Hitomi in his arms.
"Hitomi!!" She shrieked, holding the door wide and stepping back. "This way - into the living room!" The man stepped swiftly into the house, setting Hitomi down carefully on a couch. "Oh, Hitomi!" She cried, kneeling on the floor next to her daughter and checking for a pulse. Satisfied that Hitomi was alive and breathing regularly, she laid a blanket tenderly across her unconscious daughter before rounding on the man. "What have to done to my daughter?!" She demanded.
Professor Snape shook his head. "Nothing. She just - fainted."
"Sure! And you just happened to be in the neighborhood, hm? Hitomi was supposed to be on a train!" The woman paused for a moment. "How did you know to bring her here?"
Snape sighed. This was the hard part. "May I sit down?" The woman nodded warily, seating herself across the room, near the girl. Snape nodded. "Thank you. I am not sure if you are aware, but ... lately, your daughter has been having visions." He noticed the woman's look of surprise, but kept on speaking. "These visions always come true. Such gifted people are called seers - they have the power to see the future." He stopped, giving the woman time to absorb what he had said. "Because of this power, a seer is constantly in danger. The powerful and ambitious would love to get their hands on a seer such as your daughter and use her for thier own evil ends."
Mrs. Kanzaki gasped. "You - you mean, Hitomi might be ... kidnapped?!"
Snape nodded. "Yes. Now that we have discovered her powers, the forces of darkness, led by one very powerful man, will not be far behind. They will seek this place out and abduct your daughter."
Mrs. Kanzaki raised a shaking hand to her lips. "But, what can we do? How can I protect Hitomi from these people? Oh, Hitomi ... "
"That's why I am here, Mrs. Kanzaki." Professor Snape stood, looking down at her. "I am part of an organization that fights against this man and his followers. In my part of the world, he seeks to take power, and we combat him." The woman's eyes, wide with terror, shifted to him. Snape laughed humorlessly. "In case you have not noticed, I am English, not Japanese. I have travelled across the world to give you this information. While I was riding the train here, I happened to share a compartment with your daughter. She had a vision during the ride, after which she panicked for a few moments and then fainted." He pulled a card out of his cloak. "I had your address. Once I realized who Hitomi was, I immediately brought her back here." The woman inclined her head in gratitude, the fear in her expression no less diminished. "My name is Severus Snape. I work for the Order of the Phoenix. This is my card." He handed it to her; she stared at it without reading it, her mind on her daughter. "I have come to bring your daughter to London, where she can be protected."
Mrs. Kanzaki stared at the man - Severus - in alarm, her mouth moving soundlessly. Before she could put together a response, Hitomi stirred and moaned.
"Mom ...?" She sat up and blinked, rubbing her eyes. "Wha ...?" Her mouth fell open when she spied Snape, and realized that she was at home.
"Hitomi-chan!" Mrs. Kanzaki exclaimed, throwing her arms around her daughter. "I was so worried! When Mr. Snape here carried you through the door, I was sure you were dead! And now he wants to take you away, and I - I don't know what to do!"
"Take me away? What do you mean?"
Snape stepped forward, determined to say something before he lost the mother's trust. "Miss Kanzaki, you fainted in the train." He said placatingly. Snape decided to treat the girl very delicately - he didn't want her to resent him. "I brought you home. I had some ... information to share with you and your mother. I have already explained the situation to her. If you will allow me to elucidate ...?"
The girl nodded, confused and a little suspicious. She held tight to her mother. Snape told her the same thing he had told her mother - and said it just as vaguely. When he had finished, she simply stared at him, shocked. "Wait ... I know I have visions," Hitomi said slowly, "but ... me? A seer? And this 'Order' ... I can't just ... there's no proof!" She looked at him, wanting to trust him but afraid of him all the same. "How can I tell ... " Hitomi jumped up, smacking a hand to her forehead. "Of course! I'll be right back." She turned and ran up the stairs.
Snape and Mrs. Kanzaki sat in silence. Mrs. Kanzaki looked at him mistrustfully, and Snape did his best to maintain a pleasant, friendly expression. It was very difficult. Thankfully, Hitomi returned soon, clutching a deck of ... cards?
"Oh, Hitomi, don't be silly!" Mrs. Kanzaki said huffily, her nerves on edge. "Tarot cards? Those things never work, you know. Silly supertitions and nonsense."
Hitomi pushed some magazines off the coffee table and set the cards down. "They're accurate when I read them, Mom." She explained. "I know I gave this up this spring, but - if I do a reading, I should be able to tell whether this man - Snape-san - is telling the truth!" She looked at them triumphantly.
Both Snape and Mrs. Kanzaki looked increduluous, but for different reasons. Snape lifted a brow. "You can do that with a pack of cards?"
"Of course!" Hitomi replied, wondering. "Have you never heard of Tarot cards?" She asked, in the same tone as one would ask, "have you never heard of Quidditch?" Snape had to think fast. How to explain this without giving himself away?
"No, I - no one reads Tarot cards where I come from."
The girl looked at him quizzically, and shrugged. "Oh! Well, anyway, Tarot cards are used to tell the future, or to discover something about yourself or another person. They're very popular in Japan. I'm going to do a reading for you, and the cards will tell whether we can trust you or not. Now, if you'll just sit down across from me ... there ... we'll begin." As the girl muttered about concentration, she made him shuffle the cards several times, and then set them back in front of her. Snape realized that, even if she didn't know it, she was using magic with these cards! What an ... interesting ... form of Divination ... he decided to pay close attention to what she was doing, and to listen to her instructions very carefully. She should not be toying with ancient magic, he grumbled to himself, watching her hands as she laid out some cards.
Hitomi laid her Tarot cards out in the traditional pattern, leaving them face down for a moment. She took a deep breath, and flipped over the first card. The Chariot ... she thought, shooting a puzzled glance at Mr. Snape. Great mental control ... he's balanced between two opposing forces ... who is this man? Hitomi got a grip on herself and flipped the next card. A force crossing the questioner ... she gasped aloud. The Devil!! She peered up at Snape-san, who was glaring at the card suspiciously. A man who walks a fine line, opposed by great evil? This is getting stranger and stranger ...
Professor Snape was getting irritated. Divination was an unclear branch of magic at best, and this girl was no witch by any stretch of the imagination! This "tarot reading" of hers was taking far too long. Studiously, the girl flipped a few more cards, her expression changing with each one. Muggles and thier rituals ...
Trapped in an inescapable situation ... anxiety and insomnia ... fear ... and secrecy. There's something Snape-san isn't telling us. Hitomi frowned, pondering the cards. One last card ... the Magician! Hitomi stared at the cards, trying to decide. I think I can trust him. He's telling the truth; just not all of it.
Hitomi sighed, looked up from the cards, and began. "Well, Snape-san, the cards say that there is great danger in your near future. An old enemy will return to do you harm, or a great evil will present itself. You fear this evil, and yet cannot escape it." Professor Snape was astounded. The girl must really be practicing Divination! She wsa staring into his eyes ... was there something she wasn't saying? "Even though you are trapped in this situation, you have control over it. You have great mental control, and you use it." Snape stared. Just how much did this girl know?! She turned to her mother. "Most importantly, he's telling the truth. Mother, there is great evil in the near future. Snape-san is a powerful person, and he fights the evil already. He is hiding nothing from us - " at this she glanced at Snape, swallowed, and then turned back to her mother. "If he says I need to go with him, to protect me ... " The girl bent her head. "Then I should go with him."
Professor Snape faced the girl's mother in the hallway, wondering what she would do. The girl had already gone to bed, and the woman was looking pensive. "If you don't mind, Madam, I have to find somewhere to sleep," he said in his usual frosty tone, moving toward the door.
"Don't be silly," the woman stopped him. When he turned around, she looked as if she regretted what she was about to do. "You ... " she took a deep breath, looking down at the floor. "You may stay here for the night. The couch folds out into a bed."
"Your hospitality is much appreciated," said Snape, resisting the urge to pull the sofa-bed out with his wand. "We will be leaving for Narita airport in Tokyo tomorrow at nine."