Author's Notes: The comeuppance. Enjoy, and as always, let me know your thoughts. 3

"My, if it isn't Skeeter-san."

The reporter nearly leapt out of her hiding spot in the bushes.

Tall and majestic in her feudal garments, Headmistress Miyo stood before her, hands folded atop each other in a decidedly passive pose. "Good evening."

"Why are you – "

"I am here to inquire on the progress of my student," Miyo explained, lilting slightly in a melodic accent. She flashed a smile that failed to reach her slanted eyes. "If I may be honest, I did not find your article amusing."

"I did try to reach you…"

"Indeed, you did. At precisely the time when I was assisting the Japanese Minister of Magic with a bout of youkai revolts in the easternmost part of Japan."

"Well he's not your student anymore, is he," Skeeter muttered after a brief pause.

"My students are like my children," Miyo's smile sharpened ever so slightly, "And I'm afraid I can be rather protective of them, regardless of their present affiliations."

Skeeter swallowed. "I was doing my job, Professor Miyo, just like anyone else."

"Goodness," Miyo laughed, and the reporter felt dread twisting her stomach like a wrung out towel at the sound. "Is that what you call it?"

"See now, you can't Jinx me here," Skeeter warned. "We're at Hogwarts, and according to the new laws decreed by the Department of International Magical Cooperation, magical schools are to be considered as neutral ground. Breaking them would mean instant dismissal – " When the Headmistress took a step forward, the shorter woman all but shrieked her next words. " – and especially given your kind – !"

There was a beat.

"Given my kind?" Miyo prompted, very quietly.

Skeeter dug frantically in her robes for her wand. The Japanese Headmistress's figure appeared to be wavering: a vague outline of some tailed beast forming and reshaping with every blur.

"You misunderstand," the echo of Miyo's tinkling voice sounding akin to death knells, "My kind would never Jinx our fellow humans. Jinxes are beneath us for We, should We so choose, fulfill the honorable duty as servants to the Gods." Skeeter reeled back as the Headmistress began to loom large, wisps of blue fire winking up around them in a full circle. "So you see, We do not Jinx."

Nine, waving, tails snapped open like a fan. "We Curse."

Whipping her wand out, Skeeter opened her mouth.

Something exploded.

Then, Miyo, drawing her robes around her, vanished in a hot flare of magical fire.

Thrown from the resulting blast, Skeeter landed several meters away, hair disheveled and jeweled glasses askew. Groaning, she started when she heard the faint sound of giggling ghosting close to her ears.

"May you live in interesting times, Skeeter-san."

"Headmistress Miyo!" The Hogwarts Headmistress gave a respectful bow as she approached. "I do apologize for the wait; we weren't expecting you this early."

Miyo returned the bow, headwear jingling lightly. "Not at all, Minerva-sensei, I quite enjoyed myself."

"Enjoyed yourself?"

"I chanced upon Skeeter-san on my way to your office."

The Headmistress shot Miyo a sharp look. "Surely you didn't."

Miyo smiled beatifically.

"… How long, Miyo?"

"A hundred years."

"Well," the Headmistress sighed, "At least she'll be looking forward to death by the end of it."

"Then you approve?"

"No more than I approve of Katsuki's behaviour towards her."

"Oh," Miyo breathed, lifting a sleeve to her lips in coy delight, "I am most eager to hear about this."

Hogwarts's Headmistress rolled her eyes skyward.

Notes

Youkai - loosely translated, Japanese demons/spiritual beings

Foxes act as guardians or messengers to a collective of deities called Inari. In the Japanese language, deities and higher level youkai may refer to themselves as 我々 (Ware-ware / "We") instead of 私 (Watashi / "I" ), hence Miyo's formal deity speak when she started transforming. Also, the more tails on a fox youkai, the older and more powerful they are, with nine as the largest number they can have.

Fox fire is a real thing called 狐火 (kitsune-bi) in Japanese.

... what was the exact curse you ask? I leave that to your imagination. ;)