Yachi awoke to the sound of Aurors banging on the door.
At first, the sound was almost indistinguishable from the thunder outside. She probably wouldn't have even noticed the difference if she was back in her room instead of asleep in the study, next to a pile of old books.
But she wasn't in her room and she did hear it. She was awake when her mother went to answer it. She was there to peak her head around the corner. She was able to see the bright gleam of badges and the crisp cut of uniform shirts.
She wasn't close enough to hear the low murmured conversation.
It seemed they were only there for a minute before her mother was closing the door, leaning heavily on the wood for support that Yachi had never known her mother to need.
"Mom?"
Her head shot up, eyes widening when she saw Yachi down the hall. "Hitoka, what are you still doing up?"
"I feel asleep in the study." Yachi made her way closer. "Mom, those were the Aurors, right? What were they doing here? Was it work or-"
"Not work." Her mother grasped her shoulders, guiding her to the stairs. "Come on, it's time for you to go to sleep."
"Wait! Mom, why were the Aurors here?"
Hands tightened on her shoulders, just briefly.
"The Ghost that killed your father and aunt was found dead in a cell tonight."
Yachi froze, allowing her mother to lead her the rest of the way up the stairs and to her room. "Mom?"
"Good night, Hitoka. We'll talk about this more in the morning."
The last words Yachi knew were a lie. Her mother never talked about her father.
ooooooo
"-those pesky, secretive Unspeakables were offering up too good of an opportunity to pass up and I knew I just had to volunteer you," his father continued, regarding him from the other side of the desk. "It's the perfect opportunity and all because they want to test what continued time travel can do to the adolescent mind and stress levels."
Kuroo held up the small golden time turner with a high degree of skepticism.
"Gee, Dad," he said dryly. "I never knew you cared so much about my stress levels. If you wanna talk about feelings, I could-" "
His father-Ozuro Kuroo, Councilor of the Wizamagot and the very embodiment of a career politician- sighed deeply. "I do wish you'd quit being absurd. You're a Kuroo, of course, the stress won't be a issue."
"Then, dare I ask, what is the issue?"
His father looked vaguely pleased, though whether that was for his son 'showing initiative' or just the chance to talk more Kuroo couldn't hazard a guess.
"Three reasons," Ozuro answered. "First, providing a reliable test subject means the Department of Mystery will owe me one which I can definitely use when I finally run for minister." He ignored Kuroo's snort. "Plus, the Review Board for the test is made up of some of the highest ranking members of the Ministry. Third, once you succeed-and you will succeed-the results will be published in a number of high profile magical scientific journals. In other words, the perfect opportunity for you to begin your own political debut."
"I told you politics is the last thing I want to do."
"And I told you that your willful disobedience has a time and place where it's amusing and this is not it," his father said firmly. "You will start cultivating your political alliances more seriously because it is what you were raised to do."
Kuroo glared silently.
Ozuro hummed. "It really is a pity you didn't inherit more of your mother's legilimency gift-"
"Don't," Kuroo warned.
-although you've been able to show somewhat of a keen political sense when selecting your friends anyway," he continued, swapping topics seamlessly as if it had been the plan all along. "The Bokuto's have always been a powerful Light family and though the Sugawara's are a controversial one, it might help us with the Traditionalists. The top muggleborn-Oikawa, right?-that may prove a helpful name if he becomes anything after you graduate. Boosts up the ones that want to appear muggle-supportive. And...the other one, what was it?"
"Iwaizumi, he's a halfblood."
His father made a disinterested noise. "...Oh. Well, I suppose it's good to look close to one or two common folk, too. It'll make you look humble."
"Wow, geeze, thanks," Kuroo muttered sarcastically. "And can you believe I chose them for something stupid like their personalities?"
"Always so stubborn." His father sighed. "This is a good thing, Tetsuro. Of course, it would have been even better if you were in Slytherin. Ravenclaw always comes off as so boring." Kuroo rolled his eyes. "But I suppose a responsible Ravenclaw, trusted enough to properly use a time turner, will still make for a good press release."
"Fine. Is that all?"
"Not quite," Ozuro answered. "I have another task for you during your school year. You should have time since your grades have been fine but not spectacular."
"I'm third in my year," he muttered.
"Exactly." His father conjured a file. "The Tsukishima and Yamaguchi families, they both have heirs a bit younger than you. Kei Tsukishima and Tadashi Yamaguchi. I take it you've seen them?"
"Wouldn't even know their faces," Kuroo lied.
Another sigh. "Well, luckily, I have some recent pictures of them that might jog your memory. Either way, I need you to get to know them. Talk to them, make a connection, become their friend if you're able."
Great, Kuroo hated it when he's actually ahead of his dad's schedule. Not that he was planning on mentioning it."
"I'm your son, not your spy," he said instead. "Also, I'm two years older than them and they're not even in my House. Don't you think it'll be a little bit weird if I try to get close to them now?"
"Spy is not a very pretty word, it's politics," Ozuro corrected. "Also, I know you're my son which is why I'm sure you're resourceful enough to find a way. Both of them come from old Wizamagot families that are notoriously moderate but currently showing slight intention to align more with the Light over the Traditionalists. Sway them and a number of the other moderates will follow which I need for a bill I'm campaigning for in a few months."
Kuroo looked down, tracing idly on the wooden armrests' engravings. "What's the bill?"
"It's introducing a new clause to the Werewolf Rights Act to promote access to wolfsbane for those less financially fortunate."
Merlin, and if there was one thing Kuroo hated even more it's when father's plan was something he actually agreed with.
"Wait!" Kuroo's head shot up. "You don't care about werewolves! I bet you've never even met one!"
His father let out an annoyed huff. "I'll have you know I took a photo opp with one last year at a charity event. Poor miserable little creature."
Kuroo didn't buy it. "I'm pretty sure calling them 'creatures' kind of hurts your point"
"Excellent point," Ozuro said. "I'll make sure to have my assistant look into what phrasing tests best. Anyway, the point is the bill will play incredibly well with the rest of our family's Light supporters while still being conservative enough to please the middle ground. All of which should put me in as a frontrunner for the next Minister elections"
"And it will actually help werewolves," Kuroo asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yes, of course," his father assured, "and a poor werewolf or two will get some wolfsbane while still staying far, far away from the rest of us normal wizards."
Kuroo groaned. "Fine, I'll help with the stupid bill."
"I knew you'd see reason, son."
"But, is that all," Kuroo asked, already standing up.
"One more thing." Ozuro regarded him steadily, face abruptly serious. "I shouldn't have to mention that the experiment with the time-turner is to remain an absolute secret until you can be reviewed by a group of ministry officials at the end of the year and the results can be recorded. Tell anyone and both you and I will be in serious trouble with the Ministry-a result that is unacceptable. No one can know. Do you understand?"
Kuroo looked down at the time turner gripped in his hands before turning up to meet his father's eyes.
"I understand."
ooooooo
"So, guys, guess who has a time turner," Kuroo said cheerfully, holding it up as he dropped to his seat in the train compartment.
A moment of stunned silence followed.
"What," Oikawa blurted out. "Wait, no, how? Why? Who?"
"Let's see," Kuroo ticks off on his fingers. "What-I got a time turner, as I said. Why-the Ministry thought it would be a fun idea to test the effects of time travel on teenagers or some other dragon dung that my father decided to sign me up for. And, yeah, I think that also answers the who and the how, too."
"This is a bad idea," Suga hummed, not sounding all that bothered by it.
"This is a great idea," Bokuto corrected. "This is the most awesome thing that's ever happened to us! Even better than the last two years."
"You know if you're ignoring the risk of going insane by using it," Iwaizumi said, eyeing the device suspiciously.
"He did say the last two years," Oikawa pointed out. "And compared to being killed by a blood purist or a giant snake, this definitely wins."
Iwaizumi snorted. "Stop, you'll jinx us."
"I guess I should probably mention this is a top level Ministry secret," Kuroo said, pocketing the time turner. "One that I've been severely ordered not to tell anyone."
"Great job with that." Oikawa rolled his eyes. "You made it to the train compartment."
"Eh, I never really liked orders." Kuroo shrugged. "And like I was seriously going to be able to hide casual time travel from all four of you for an entire year. Don't mention it to anyone else though, threats of legal action and topmost Ministry orders and yadda, yadda, yadda."
"We're still all going to use it though, right," Oikawa asked.
"Well, duh. I'm not crazy! But, I'm definitely not mentioning that to the Review Board."
Bokuto frowned. "Wait, what's the Review Board?"
"A group of high up Ministry guys that'll 'evaluate my progress' or whatever at the end of the year when they come to get the time turner." Kuroo shrugged. "They're not quite crazy enough to trust a teenager with one indefinitely."
"Aww, so we only get it for a year?" Bokuto pouted.
"That's probably for the best," Suga said and Iwaizumi nodded emphatically.
Bokuto stuck out a tongue. "Spoilsport!"
Suga didn't disagree. "So other than getting a device to travel through time, anyone else do anything interesting this summer?"
"You mean other than go on dates with their new boyfriend," Kuroo teased.
"Daichi and I are doing well, thanks," Suga said with a small blush. "Anyone else?"
"Hmmm, me?" Oikawa asked, holding a hand to his chest in mock surprise. "Oh, nothing much, I suppose. Just using that nice Ministry medical exemption for underage magic to catch up on all that terrible school work I missed while petrified-"
"Which you finished before we even left Hogwarts," Iwaizumi added.
"And, okay, maybe I decided to expand my areas of research a little bit more than the my school work strictly necessitated. In the name of being a better student, of course."
"Of course," Suga agreed solemnly.
"And I may have very possibly been working on a slightly challenging field of interest. Say," Oikawa grinned. "Wandless magic."
"No way, no freaking way!" Bokuto's eyes widened. "You learned wandless magic over one summer?!"
Iwaizumi coughed, looking at Oikawa pointedly.
"Weeeelllll," Oikawa said. "Somewhat. The basics at least. A few things might need a bit more practice."
"He blew up my family's garage," Iwaizumi said flatly.
Kuroo let out a snort of laughter.
Oikawa waved it away. "I'm sure I can master it once we're back at Hogwarts. I just need the library."
"So, you're going to be trying to learn wandless magic on top of schoolwork," Kuroo asked.
"Yep," Oikawa agreed. "You know me, I like to work ahead. Plus, no way I'm losing top of the grade again after the stupid petrification knocked me out from last year's ranks."
"Want to bet on it? A competition even?"
Oikawa made an interested noise. "Sounds fun, why?"
"Because," Kuroo said, "if I'm pissing my dad off-which I'm sure I'll do at least once in this whole stupid time turner research-it's good to have something better to point at. That means I need to raise my class rank and I'm sure not going through that without a little betting to make it fun."
"Full competition, no holds barred," Oikawa asked and Kuroo nodded. "What do we bet on?"
"Your choice."
Oikawa tapped his chin. "One unnamed favor. No expiration. Can be called in anytime. No questions."
"Deal," Kuroo agreed immediately, holding out his hand for Oikawa to shake.
Suga and Iwaizumi shared a look.
Suga sighed. "They're going to drive themselves crazy with this, aren't they?"
"Definitely," Bokuto said.
ooooooo
Lev tilted his head. "Do you think we should like poke him or something?"
"No," Kageyama whispered back. "He's just sleeping. Leave him alone."
Lev gestured to the slightly disheveled lump, currently occupying the compartment's corner. "But, why is he even here?! What if he like accidentally stumbled onto the train and then died and now if we don't poke him to check, he'll haunt us forever for not giving him a proper burial!"
Kenma didn't even look up from his book. "I'm willing to take that risk."
"Oh, what if he's a teacher," Hinata shouted before being aggressively shh-ed by Kageyama.
"I don't know," Lev said. "Doesn't he look kind of... scruffy for a teacher? I'm still going for disgruntled ghost."
"This train does go to Hogsmeade, too," Kenma pointed out.
"Yeah, but what are the odds of someone using it for Hogsmeade today," Lev asked. "Dad said anyone sane avoids the entire train station today."
"Probably because they'll get poked in their sleep," Kageyama said.
"What do you think, Yachi," Hinata asked.
The blonde girl didn't respond.
"Yachi?"
"Hmm?" She turned away from the window. "Sorry, what?"
"The guy in the corner," Hinata asked. "New teacher, random guy going to Hogsmeade, or ghost?"
Yachi frowned. "Wouldn't he be a little less solid if he was a ghost?"
"Pre-ghost then!" Lev waved the question away.
Kageyama snorted. "Isn't that just a nice way to say 'dead body?'"
"I'm pretty sure dead bodies don't breathe," Yachi noted, pointing to the rise and fall of the man's shoulders.
A rattle shook the compartment, jarring the man's head against the window. He groaned, stretching in his seat.
"Or do that," she added.
The man let out another groan, opening his eyes, and Yachi leaned closer to steady him. "Are you alright, sir?"
The man stared at her. "Madoka?"
Yachi frowned, shaking her head. "Madoka's my mother."
"Oh." The man straightened, rubbing at his head as a warm smile formed. "Then, you're….you're Hitoka, aren't you?"
"Um, yes?" Yachi shifted under the attention. "I don't mean to be rude but do I know you?"
The smile faded. "No. I...I'm sorry, I haven't seen you since you were a toddler. I was," the man paused, "I knew your father. Before what happened."
"Wait, what happened," Hinata whispered and Kageyama elbowed him.
"You knew my father," Yachi asked, her hands clenching briefly in her lap.
The man nodded, making to say something else before Lev interrupted.
"So, mysterious sleeping guy that apparently knows Yachi's dad," Lev started, "what are you doing on the Hogwarts Express?"
The man blinked, turning to face the rest of the compartment. "Oh, my apologies, I'm your new Defense teacher. Masao Reizei at your service."
Lev let out a choked sound. "Wait, you really are a teacher?"
"Hah, told you," Hinata crowed.
Reizei smiled, gesturing down to his clothes. "Admittedly, I'm a bit dressed down today. My last assignment kept me a bit longer than intended. I barely made the train."
Kenma perked up almost imperceptibly. "Assignment?"
"I'm a curse breaker."
"Oh, Merlin," Lev said, eyes wide. "I can't believe I thought you were a dead body! You're not going to fail me for that, right?"
Reizei shook his head, letting out a surprisingly warm laugh. "I've definitely been called worse."
"Why are you at Hogwarts," Kenma asked, voice emotionless as ever. "I thought curse breakers tried to stay mobile."
"We do," Reizei agreed. "But when your old headmaster owls you that the last guy got petrified, it tends to peak your interest."
"You're here about the Chamber of Secrets," Hinata asked, cautiously.
He shrugged. "I'll admit it's what got me interested. But from what I hear, there's nothing left now but a bunch of dead ends."
Lev nodded eagerly, obviously excited to tell the new professor something he didn't already know. "Yeah, there was this one message and then all the petrifications just stopped! No one even knows what happened to start it!"
Yachi, Hinata, and Kageyama studiously avoided looking at each other.
"Well," Reizei said with a small smile, "as disappointing as it is not to have a chance to solve a famous mystery, I suppose I'll enjoy having a quiet year for once."
"Good luck with that," Kageyama muttered under his breath.
The train whistle blew above them, signaling their approach to the castle. The teenagers stood reaching for their bags as Hinata and Lev both pulled out two very crumpled uniforms. Kenma sighed, casting a quick ironing charm, before heading out to the bathrooms to change.
After the boys left, Yachi hesitated, turning to the professor.
"Sorry, I don't mean to bother you, but...if you wouldn't mind, could I...ask you about my father sometime." She tried to pull up a smile but it came up hollow. "Mom doesn't like to talk about him."
Reizei looked momentarily surprised before an understanding spread across his face. "It would be my honor."
Yachi let out a breath. "Thank you, Professor."
"It's what your dad would have wanted." He hesitated. "Though I'm afraid I have a slightly odd request."
"What is it?"
"Your mother and I….we don't have the easiest history," he admitted. "She's a great woman but...well, choices were made that I found I didn't particularly agree with." He turned down. "And people I cared about got hurt because of it."
Yachi frowned. "What happened?"
Reizei shook his head. "A much longer story for another time. But if I tell you about your father, please, do not tell your mother I'm the one who told you. I...I don't think she'd be pleased to hear it came from me. Okay?"
Yachi would like to say she hesitated more. That the idea of keeping something secret from her mother caused her more distress. But, honestly, faced with the option of learning about the father that she never got to know only for keeping one tiny secret from a woman who kept so many…
The choice was obvious.
Yachi smiled. "Of course."
ooooooo
Around the fourth year Gryffindor dorm, Noya had the strangest feeling that everyone was waiting on him to do something.
It probably had something to do with way that all eyes were on him, including one particular glare from Tsukishima.
Noya turned to Tanaka, who looked just as confused as Noya himself, and shrugged.
Ah, well, he was sure he'd find out eventually.
As the expectant silence passed the two minute mark, Ennoshita sighed. "Can we hurry this up? I've got a distraught eleven-year old cousin I need to comfort about the Sorting."
"Pft, why would he be upset, he got into Gryffindor?" Tanaka asked.
"He wanted Hufflepuff," Ennoshita responded with a long-suffering sigh.
"But, Ennoshita, Gryffindor's so much cooler," Noya protested. "Why?"
Ennoshita shook his head. "Please, I'm begging you, don't ask."
"I don't know," Yamaguchi said, "maybe, he thought Hufflepuff would be...um, a bit more relaxed?"
"What does that even mean," Noya complained.
"It means that maybe he thought Hufflepuff wouldn't throw him in death defying stunts every year like some other Gryffindor idiots I know," Tsukishima said with an eye roll. "Speaking of which, will you please end the suspense and tell us why we're all here already?"
As if on cure, once again, the entire room turned to Noya and Tanaka.
For his part, Noya leaned over to Tanaka. "Is this one of those weird times Tsuki tries to pretend he's not friends with us?"
"Don't call me that," Tsukishima said without missing a beat. "No, this is one of those times where we all acknowledge that you two have way too much time over the summer to think of new ways to get us killed and we want to know which insane plan you have this time!"
Noya blinked in confusion. "What makes you think we have something planned?"
Tsukishima scoffed. "Well, you obviously weren't learning expansion charms over the summer, considering we were still packed in the train compartment like flobberworms!"
"You've gotta get over the expansion charm thing." Tanaka said, shaking his head sadly.
"I think," Yamaguchi stepped forward, holding Tsukishima back from exploding, "what Tsuki is trying to say is that normally you tend to come back from summer with, ah, unique ideas for the school year."
"Huh, like what," Noya asked.
"Like the dragon egg," Daichi said.
"Or the map," Asahi added.
Yamaguchi hummed. "Though I suppose, technically, the map on its own wasn't dangerous."
"It is when it led us to fighting a basilisk," Tsukishima said flatly.
"Actually, I think that was more due to Daichi's love life," Ennoshita disagreed.
Daichi sighed, turning back to Noya and Tanaka. "The point is we want to know what you two are planning for this year before it tries to kill us."
Tanaka and Noya shared a look.
"Er, guys," Tanaka said slowly, "we don't have anything planned for this year?"
Five faces stared back in varying levels of disbelief.
Tanaka frowned. "No, really, we were both kind of busy visiting Saeko on the dragon preserve."
"Rolling Thunder's doing great by the way!" Noya beamed.
Tsukishima narrowed his eyes. "You two really don't have anything planned?"
Noya and Tanaka shook their heads.
"Absolutely nothing that will get us killed, maimed, or otherwise traumatized?"
Another head shake.
Ennoshita leaned back, crossing his arms. "I don't know, it seems to good to be true."
"Shh," Asahi said hurriedly.
Noya grinned. "But, hey, if you guys are really upset about it, I'm sure we can find something!"
"NO!"
"Geeze, fine." Noya held up his hands in surrender. "But, sounds like a pretty boring year at Hogwarts."
Daichi groaned, leaning his head in his hands.
"We can only hope."
ooooooo
A/N: And I'm back! Like the last two books, this first chapter is more of a prologue than anything so get ready. That said, this story is...strange. I can't really call it a bridge book because there's too much going on but plotwise it sets up a lot of things. Also, get ready for A LOT of character's backstories including, but not limited to, more about Noya, Kuroo, Yachi, Tanaka, and even a small hint towards Akaashi's family. Sorry, this one is a bit later than planned. To be honest, life is a bit busy right now while I finish my masters and get ready for doctorate. With that, some chapters might be a bit delayed but I'm trying hard to stay on a weekly to bi-weekly schedule of posting. As usual, this story will never be discontinued or put on hiatus. Okay, last thing, this chapter also marks a year (plus a week or two) since I first started writing and posting fanfiction beginning with the first story in this series. So, I wanted to thank everyone for all the support you've given me in the past year. There's no way I would've made it this far with this without all of you! Thank you! Next Chapter: Electives