Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or Harry Potter

Note: this story takes place between A's and Strikers of MGLN, and the first year of HP. It takes place in an alternate reality combining elements from the anime, manga, and Triangle Hearts. Some of the changes are plot points, so I leave them as a surprise; feel free to guess what they are. It's not my first story, but it is my first fanfic, so I'd appreciate any input. Enjoy!

Chapter One: First Meeting

"Ah come on Fate," Nanoha half said, half whined, slightly annoyed as the blonde haired, red eyed girl tried to take the serving tray, heavily loaded with dirty dishes, from her, "I'm not exactly a cripple anymore."

"Nanoha," Fate said, keeping a firm grip on the tray as she stared at her best friend and foster sister in her violet eyes, "you've only just got out of the hospital. Though you can obviously do normal stuff now, you should still take easy so that you won't suffer a relapse."

Nanoha closed her eyes, briefly forming the lightning-bolt shaped scar that showed up over her left eye and eyelid. "Alright," she said after a moment, letting go of the tray. She opened her eyes again, causing the four lines on her lid to disappear, leaving only the thin slanted lines and V shaped scars on her brow and just below the eye. The hair surrounding the slanted line and upside-down V was silver white. As Fate turned and took the tray to the kitchen, Miyuki said, from her place behind the counter, "Fate really takes care of you huh?"

"Yeah," Nanoha said. "It can be annoying sometimes, but she means well."

She turned at the sound of the door bell ringing. An elderly man walked in and sat at one of the tables by the window.

Nanoha suddenly felt that he looked familiar, but couldn't place him. "Who's he?" she asked, trying to remember where she'd seen that long silver gray beard, and wise blue eyes peering over half-moon specs.

"No clue," Miyuki said as she gathered his usual order. "He's been coming here every Saturday since you've…" She trailed off, lightly fingering her gold, lightning bolt pendent.

Nanoha nodded, gathering from the way Miyuki trailed off that it was nearly two years before, when she'd left home for the bureau at ten.

"I see…" She remained silent as she took the man's order from Miyuki. "He seems okay," she said with a smile, "I'll try to make friends with him."

Miyuki nodded grinning as she watched her sister turn to take the tray of crepes to the man. Then she grimaced, remembering Nanoha's usual method of making friends. I hope it doesn't come to that.

"Good afternoon," Nanoha said in English, placing the tray on the table.

"Good afternoon," the man responded. He smiled at the confused look Nanoha had.

"You speak Japanese?" she asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes," he responded again, "It is one of many things that I have learned. I've never seen you before," he continued, eying the scars around her eyes.

Nanoha noticed and blinked long and slow to give him a glimpse of her lightning scar.

He reacted immediately, giving a quick start before returning to his usual smile. "Are you by chance Takamachi Nanoha?" he asked.

Judging from his tone Nanoha knew that he already knew who she was, she nodded. "I am. You are…"

"Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwartz. I have searching for you for the past two years, Nanoha."

Nanoha's keen mind, honed by nearly three years of intense multitasking in the heat of magical combat, instantly branched off into four parts at the suspicious statement:

The first quickly scaned him for magic, and found that he was a B- mage rank with AAA potential.

The second began talking telepathically with Fate, Miyuki- Nanoha was glad that Shari had invented the telepathy earpiece- and Raging Heart: "Miyuki, Fate, This guy's been looking for me for since I left home, and he's at least a B-class mage. Be prepared to take him down but don't do anything yet; I think he knows about my scar and I'd like to find out."

"We'll be ready," Fate and Miyuki sent together as Fate returned from the kitchen.

"Alright, My Master," Raging Heart replied.

Nanoha relaxed mentally a little at their assurance.

"But don't do any magic if you can help it," Fate interjected as she took a tray from Miyuki, who remained at the register to trigger the Barrier spell that Yuuno had place, "You don't want to suffer a relapse and get sent to the hospital on Mid-Childa again."

Fate's worried tone touched Nanoha. "Don't worry, I'll leave the attack to you and Miyuki. I'll relay his responses and prepare a shield. I can do that much."

"Hai," Fate agreed, remembering that Shamal had cleared Nanoha for one use shields, "Just be careful."

"Hai."

The third part of Nanoha's mind, praying that he couldn't detect magic, began prepping a Round Shield spell in her left hand in case of an attack, dropping it out of view below the table to hide the telltale pink glow; she didn't have the strength to block more than one attack, but it would be enough until Miyuki triggered the Barrier and for Fate to take him down.

Finally, the fourth part of her mind caused her to visibly bristle because he used such familiarity, despite the fact that his accent pegged him as a foreigner even as she completed the rest of her tasks.

"There are only a few people on this planet that can call me that, Dumbledore-sensei," she said through clenched teeth- a little more harshly than she should have since she was just a child- her hands balling into fists at her side, "and although you look familiar, you are not one of them."

"I apologize, Takamachi-san," Dumbledore said, holding up a placating hand, indicating for Nanoha to sit. "I'd forgotten that you were very young when we last met; too young, I think, to remember me."

Nanoha, who flopped into the chair in surprise, blinking in confusion. "Excuse me?" she asked, echoing Miyuki and Fate's words in her head.

"We have met once before," Dumbledore repeated, "the night," he pointed a slim, bony finger at Nanoha's eye, "you received that scar."

"Looks like you were right," Fate observed in Nanoha's mind as she continued serving tables, though her interruption caused Nanoha to hesitate.

Dumbledore though took Nanoha's hesitation as a sign to continue, switching to English. "What do you know about magic?"

"Magic," Nanoha asked in English, faking surprise, while Miyuki and Fate echoed in her head alarmed, "You mean like card tricks and such?"

Sensing Miyuki and Fate about to interfere, Fate was actually headed towards them, Nanoha sent, "Please don't! This might be my only chance to find out."

Fate and Miyuki reluctantly stood down as Dumbledore continued, "Not exactly. If I may…" He pulled out a thin brown stick with five hickory like knobs that registered as some kind of device to Nanoha's senses, which Raging Heart silently confirmed.

Nanoha tensed a bit as she felt him gather magic, but sensing no ill intent she nodded and ordered Miyuki and Fate to stand down again.

Dumbledore pointed the strange device upward and whispered, "Muffliato"

A strange feeling swept over Nanoha as the Background conversations faded away.

"NANOHA!" Miyuki and Fate's terrified voices reverberated through Nanoha's mind as they felt the spell.

"I'm okay," Nanoha sent immediately. Their relief that she was fine and could still use telepathy was immediately apparent.

"What did you do," Nanoha asked Dumbledore aloud.

"A simple spell," Dumbledore replied as he put away his strange device, "Anyone that tries to eavesdrop on us will hear only buzzing."

"No offense," Nanoha said skeptically, "but it will take more than that to convince me that magic is real."

"I assumed so." Dumbledore looked Nanoha in the eye over the rims of his half-moon spectacles. "Tell me Takamachi-san: did you ever make something…strange, happen? When you were angry? Or scared?"

Miyuki, Fate, and Raging Heart- though how the device did that in the computer-like voice Nanoha had no idea- snickered in Nanoha's mind. "Shut up!" she sent an annoyed mental sigh. Audibly she sighed in resignation. "Yes," she said slowly, "If catching a ball from a blind spot counts."

The start on Dumbledore's face told Nanoha that it wasn't quite what he had in mind, but it was close. "I've always been able to sense things around me," Nanoha clarified. "I call it Spatial Awareness."

He nodded, it was like a sensory charm. He leaned in close. "You are a witch, Takamachi-san."

Author's Note: The reason Nanoha got mad when Dumbledore first addressed her was because he did not use an honorific, a sign of great closeness and respect usually reserved for family, and sometimes not even then. Fate and Nanoha don't use them because I think going from foes to facing life and death for one another is about as close as you can get. I'm still learning Japanese, so if anyone can help with translation I'd be grateful.

Also, I'm aware that Nanoha's device is Raising Heart in canon, but Raging Heart fits her better and is pronounced closest to the original Japanese pronunciation.

See ya next time.