A/N: At first this story was just supposed to be a "what would happen" type joke. But somehow someway I seriously started planning this thing and, tah-dah! Here it is. This is also a Fate/Stay Night crossover - though at first only Mai-HiME meets Harry Potter story, for the plot's sake I have to slowly but steadily introduce the F/S N stuff. I plan on staying as close to canon as possible but I may deviate.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter, Type-Moon, or Mai-Hime franchise. All orginal plots, places, and characters are mine though.

Hope you all like my first fanfic. Reviews are most welcome!

String 01: Surprises

In the early morning of July 15th inside a small house in the suburbs at Denver a man sat on a stool in his kitchenette, unwaveringly focused on the fancy green inked text he read. A woman also read from behind his shoulder, the smile she wore fading more and more the further down she skimmed.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Regina Lumpsack

(Order of Merlin, Third Class; Junior Executive Mugwump)

Dear Miss Tate,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

The term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 August.

Yours sincerely,

Hestia Jones II,

Deputy Headmistress

"It's a joke right?"

He looked up from the letter in his hands to meet his wife's skeptical purple eyes. If he hadn't known what laid beneath them, a flash of fear, he would have snorted. She of all people couldn't be cynical. "Well, it's a pretty elaborate one. It even comes with a supplies list: one pewter cauldron, apparently there's a standard size two; three plain work robes, black. Sheesh! These people are specific about things–"

"It's just a prank Yuuichi!" His wife said firmly. "One of the neighborhood kids sent it to her, probably those Prescott boys." She snagged the parchment from him and made for the door. "I'll deal with them."

"Careful Mai, I don't want complaints about my crazy wife again."

Mai stuck her tongue out jokingly. She then opened the door to find it blocked by a girl, no, she could just barely pass for an adult in appearance. The stranger smiled sympathetically at Mai. It was one of those smiles someone would get right before they were about to be thunderstruck by big news.

"Is this the Tate residence?"

"Er, yes." Mai answered, she was a bit startled by the young woman. She looked familiar but for the life of Mai she couldn't figure out where she had seen the guest before.

"I am Michi Ishigami, there's something we need to talk about. May I come in?"

Mai stepped aside for Michi to walk in. Her grin widened once she glimpse at the piece of parchment in the elder's hand. She took a seat at their kitchenette across from Yuuichi and signaled Mai to come over. "I think you'll need to sit down for this. I know it's hard to believe but I'm here about that letter. It's hundred-percent real, as is Hogwarts."

Mai lazily sat in the stool next to her husband. "Really? Can you prove it?" she scorned.

Michi smirked. "Certainly." The woman thought for a moment, then removed an old wooden stick from her pocket and pointed it at Mai. "Accio." The Hogwarts letter flew the redhead's hands into the brunette's. The couple blinked a few times before Mai laughed out loud.

"I'm sorry but…" She said between giggles. "You'll have to do better than that. A flying paper and a tree branch! Please."

"Accio!"

"WAH!" Mai felt to the floor as her stool flipped from under her to Michi's side. Her chest gave a bounce when she landed. The young woman looked down her own chest -much smaller chest - and sighed. With a quick cough Michi began again:

"You'll have to excuse me. I got a little carried away there. Charms aren't my strong suit anyways."

Mai grumbled as Yuuichi helped her up. "Fine then! You're a witch but what does that have to with our Mei."

"What about me?"

A girl clad in pajamas gave the adults a bewildered stare that replaced her drowsy look. Michi immediately gained a huge grin as she saw her. "You're Miss Mei Tate correct?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm Professor Michi Ishigami. I teach at Hogwarts – a school for witches and wizards. Like you."

Mei gaped as her parents but her gaze had Mai's cynicism in it. She was truly Mai's daughter from the orangey-red ahoge atop carroty hair to her violet eyes, differing only by having a slightly tanned skin tone thanks to Yuuichi. "Seriously? I'm one of those pointy black hat and broomstick-riding witches?"

Michi chuckled. "The very same. Don't worry I didn't believe a word of it either when I first found out." She turned to Mai and Yuuichi. "My parents were Muggles too and it took nearly the whole day to convince my mum."

"Muggles?"

"Merlin, this is going to be longer than I thought. Mei, have you ever done anything unexplainable? Something you wanted to happen but you didn't think you could do or you thought you imagined it?"

Mei gazed at her fuzzy slippers. "Last week."

Mai and Yuuichi were stunned once again but Michi only beamed at the girl, she put a gentle hand on Mei's shoulder. Speaking warmly and softly she prodded the child onward with her story.

"Well, I was walking home from the store with friends one day when I saw the people two streets down let their dog out again. It was barking at some little tabby and I tried to shoo it away from the sidewalk. Suddenly the dog started to attack the kitten and the poor thing couldn't even fight back. So I ran across the street, grabbed it and took off but the dog chased me! I ran as fast as I could but it was catching up and I really just wished it'd go away! Then the barking behind me stopped. I looked back and saw the mean old dog was behind its owner's fence again. It happened so quick it was like…well…magic I guess."

"You are a witch." Michi told her. "You and other Muggle-borns, Muggle means non-magical by the way, had their name written by a magical quill at Hogwarts because it sensed the magic in you. Since it has, you may come to Hogwarts and learn to be a proper witch in time. You'll live and learn at Hogwarts just any other boarding school in Scotland but you'll learn things like Divination, Ancient Runes, and, one of the best classes at the school, Defense Against the Dark-"

"Why would she need it?"

All turned to Mai, completely forgotten. "If she needs to learn defense, doesn't that mean there's some danger to her?"

Michi grimaced. "Well, yes, but I assure you, no one but the best wizards and witches in all of Britain are allowed to teach at Hogwarts. There isn't a single one who wouldn't die to protect your daughter."

"Die?" The Tate family repeated. Michi blushed and soon added: "The Wizarding world's been at peace for awhile now. An untrained witch can cause serious damage to other Muggles and herself." She glanced back at Mei. "You'll be fine, that is, if you want to go…"

"Of course!" Mei said finally smiling back at her soon-to-be (she hoped) teacher. She always felt there was something sleeping inside of her, some sort of power, maybe this was it. "Can I go Mum? Dad?"

"I don't think–"

"Mai." Yuuichi interrupted her, pulling his wife away into their bedroom and locking the door behind them.

"This is a horrible time Yuuichi–"

"I know you're worried for Mei." He whispered. "But it may be the best thing for her. I mean, they're going train her with this magic thing so she'll be safe against them. Plus, she not being shipped to Fuka Gakuen. She's been invited to a school on the other side of continent!"

Mai took a deep breath and cracked the door slightly open. Michi was levitating a couple glasses the family had left forlorn in the sink. The child watched in awe as the mentor made the each cup twirl in the air, encircling each other, gleaming in the rising sun's light. "She does seem to like it." The mother said with a small smile. Stepping out the room she plastered the biggest grin she could muster upon reaching the two. She spoke: "Please, take care of my daughter at this 'Hogwarts' of yours."

Mei leapt in the air for joy, giving Michi a high five on the way down. Though that one second of no concentration caused the spell to break, as did the five glasses once they crashed back to Earth. "Oops." Michi said sheepishly. "Sorry, as I said Charms aren't my strong suit. Reparo!" The shattered glass instantly mended itself.

"I'll use my own owl to write the school a reply, and I'll be back the day before to take Mei supplies shopping. It's been nice to meet all of you." Michi headed toward the doorway.

"Wait!"

Michi froze at Yuuichi's voice. She turned to face him but he didn't seem angry with her. He looked shocked – ironically, Michi noted, he was the calmest one all day. "That mark."

Michi felt ice travel down her spine before she realized he referred the one on her face. Near to her right eye was a simple black dot. "Sister Yukariko had the same one next to her eye." He told her.

Mai looked a little more closely at the witch. Michi's light blue eyes were hidden behind eyeglasses but they clearly resembled the nun's Mai met in her first year at Fuka Gakuen. The curly bob-haircut wasn't hers though; it was much darker…like the old art teacher she hardly got to know… "Ishigami was our art teacher's name back at Fuka."

Michi smiled but from all those years of trying to be strong: throughout Takumi's health problems, throughout the HiME Carnival, throughout everything – Mai could tell it was a fake one; a forced sign of happiness to throw others off. "Yukariko is my mother's name and Ishigami my father's last name. I think they used to work at a place called Fuka. I'll tell some old students said 'hi' the next time I talk to them."

Michi suddenly didn't feel as comfortable as she did before – screw the Muggle way – she wanted to leave now.

With a faint "POP!" Michi was gone right before the family's very eyes. "That…was…so…cool!" Mei exclaimed. She was none the wiser about Michi's subtle hints of sadness. "I hope I can learn to do that! When do I go? I'll need to pack! Where I'm going to find a magic stick like Michi's? Will I know it's magic? Will I have to–?"

"Oye, don't ask us. We aren't the wizards here!" Yuuichi teased her. "We figure all that stuff later, but for right now…" she jumped into his arms and her spun her around."Happy Birthday Mei."

She giggled and hugged her dad tighter. "Thank you Dad!" She spun around to Mai. "I'm going to be a witch Mum!"

He grinned and chuckled. "Our daughter's full of surprises, just like her mother. Right Mai?"

The mother beamed back. "Right!" The family drifted into the kitchen. Mei and Yuuichi discussing the birthday party they'd planned today. Mai wasn't listening however, she was stuck glaring at her daughter – or more specifically, her daughter's birthmark. Unlike Michi's it wasn't as simple as a black dot. It was two orange concentric circles with a dash on the bigger one. The HiME mark was small enough to fit on her collarbone hidden by her bulky nightgown. Mai had the HiME mark as child too. It nearly ruined her life and could've ended it – along with her "most important person's". She thought she had attended the final Carnival but…"I guess not." Mai thought sulkily. "Our daughter's full of surprises, just like me…"