Might and Magic:Tales of Ranma Saotome, Boy Wizard
A Ranma ½ and Harry Potter Crossover
Book 1: The Map, The Stone, and The Boy Who Lived
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (see J.K. Rowling and Rumiko Takahashi), I'm just making up a new story with them. Please don't sue me (especially for any OOC).
Author's Notes: and denote a different language (Japanese, more than likely).
Chapter 2: Potions and Preparations
The next day, Ranma awoke early. This was a habit instilled by his father, who always wanted to get in a bit of sparring before breakfast. Ranma did not feel that the day was off to a good start if he did not give his father a sound thrashing in the morning. He stretched and rolled off his futon, colliding painfully with the Western style bed that he had abandoned after a few minutes of uncomfortable tossing and turning the previous night. The room was large and, like most of the house, furnished in a Western fashion. Besides the four-post bed, there was a chest-of-drawers on one wall, a large rug covering the wood floor, and a small fireplace. The lower half of the walls were panelled with dark wood while the upper half was papered with a garnet and ivory striped wallpaper. Several candle sconces were on the walls and a large, gold-framed painting of a bowl of fruit hung over the fireplace.
After dressing and exiting his room, Ranma realized that he did not know where his father was, nor could he find his way back to the stairs. The hall's walls were panelled and papered like the room with a long red runner down the middle. At one end of the hall was a large window; the other end turned off to the left. After walking around for ten minutes and not finding the stairs, he realized he was very lost and wondered how he could get lost in what should have been a relatively small house.
"Is Ranma-sama needing anything?" said a high-pitched voice from a room he had just passed. Ranma jumped, wondering why he had not detect Ten-ten's presence.
"Uh, yeah." he replied. The elf looked positively ecstatic at his answer. "I, uh, sorta got lost and now I can't find the stairs. I'm trying to get to the kitchen."
"They is very tricky, Ranma-sama! They is hiding and is playing a joke on young master." She said, sounding irritated. She grabbed his arm and pulled him along past several rooms and the bathroom to a wide sitting area at the end of the hall. She pointed at a desk set up against the wall. "There they is, Ranma-sama."
"Where?"
"The desk, Ranma-sama. They is pretending!"
"But-" Ranma began, but suddenly he could see what she meant. The desk and the floor surrounding it shimmered and rippled. He squinted, and the desk became even less coherent. Below it, he could see the faint outline of stairs and a banister. "It's fake? The stairs made that?" Ten-ten nodded, looking pleased that he had caught on so quickly. "Weird. Say, have you seen my dad?"
"Master Genma is still asleep." she replied, and he could not help but notice a small note of derision in her voice.
"Figures. Can you go wake him up and send him down to the garden?"
"Yes, Ranma-sama." she said, bowing to him before scurrying off down the hall and around a corner.
Ignoring the mirage, Ranma headed down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, where he saw his mother sitting at the table, having tea and toast and reading a newspaper that seemed to be made of parchment. "Good morning, Ranma, what's got you up so early?" she asked.
Ranma shrugged. "We usually get up this early to spar."
"Would you like some breakfast?"
"Not yet, I can't really eat anything unless I've had a morning practice. I'm just waiting for Pops to come down."
"Well, I see the time on the road hasn't changed too much about him."
"Yeah, but I sent Ten-ten to wake him up and send him down so-" Ranma was cut off by a muffled yell of surprise followed by a splash from outside in the yard. Using a door from the kitchen, they ran outside to find a very wet and dazed panda in the large koi pond. Nodoka was trying, without much success, to hide her amusement. "Oh dear, I'm afraid she took you literally at your word." she said
Ranma hefted his father from the pond, caref to avoid getting too wet himself, after which Nodoka sprayed Genma with hot water from her wand, rendering him human once more. "That damn elf." he groused.
"Careful Genma, Ten-ten's ears are very good." teased Nodoka.
"Why'd she throw me out here anyway?" Genma asked grumpily as he squeezed the water from his bandanna.
"I told her to send you down here, but I didn't think she'd throw you." said Ranma, laughing. "You should've been up by now anyway. We're supposed to spar before breakfast, remember?"
"What's the point anyway?" Genma said darkly, more to himself than to Ranma.
"I have to train, obviously. What, you can't keep up anymore, old man?" said Ranma, goading his father.
Genma's face lit up with outrage. "I'll show you whose an 'old man', boy." said Genma to his now smirking son. "And keep it down, we don't need to be disturbing neighbors at this time of the morning."
"Don't worry about that, Genma." said Nodoka. "A bomb could go off over here and no one would know any better. I've put up a few protections since you've been gone."
"I didn't mean the noise, I meant that we should keep this fight below the roofline, for a change. I don't feel like explaining to someone why I crashed through their roof." Genma replied.
The two martial artists faced one another as Nodoka looked on with great interest. She had never seen Ranma display his skills, though she knew, from what Genma had been telling her for years, he was exceptional. Now, however, facing his tall and stout father, Ranma looked very small and insubstantial. Ranma, however, did not appear to be too concerned. His stance was very relaxed, while Genma seemed extremely concentrated. They bowed slightly, then launched at one another.
It was a very short match. They moved at speeds that Nodoka had only come to associate with Quidditch seekers, if not faster. Genma, at least, she could follow, though his hands and feet were blurs; Ranma seemed to almost teleport between places. In the span of thirty seconds, they had moved around the garden, onto the roof, and along the fence. In the end it was obvious, even to her untrained eye, why Genma had been concentrating so hard. Despite his youth and limited training, Ranma was simply faster and stronger than his father. She knew of Genma's extensive strength and skill which, at times, allowed him to do superhuman things. Now, seeing the two in action, Nodoka could understand why he was starting to say Ranma was "probably the best martial artist of his generation."
After a couple of minutes, Genma called an end to the fight, having picked himself up off the ground far too many times. "C'mon, old man, you're not giving up already, are ya?" said Ranma.
"Show a bit more respect for your elders, boy." Genma retorted, looking very irritated.
"Yeah yeah, you always say that when I beat you." Ranma looked disappointed at having to stop and, for a fleeting moment, Nodoka could clearly see that martial arts had a grip on her son so tight that he would probably never truly abandon it, even after the eye opening experience of magical education. It had not really seemed possible, in her mind, to compare magic to fighting, but it was clear, for that brief moment, that Ranma might well choose martial arts over magic. She forced this unsettling thought from her mind and led the way back into the kitchen, where she knew Ten-ten would have a large breakfast awaiting them.
Nodoka returned to her room to dress and, by the time her son and husband had finished their meal, she was ready to leave. "Well, I'll be off now. You boys will have to entertain yourselves until this afternoon."
"Where are you going?" asked Ranma.
"To work. I do half days at the Department of International Magical Cooperation as Liaison to the British ambassador."
"There are magical departments in the government?" asked Ranma, dumbstruck. "But I thought Muggles don't know about magic."
"Oh no, they're not in the Muggle Ministry." she replied, laughing. "No, we have a Ministry of Magic to oversee the magic community."
"And...and you're an ambassador?" asked Genma.
"No, merely a the primary contact for the wizard from the British Ministry of Magic."
"But you weren't even in the Ministry when we left!" Genma said, sounding incredulous. "How'd you move up so fast?"
"Hard work and good luck, I suppose." she replied airily, so that both Ranma and Genma looked at one another with raised eyebrows. She ignored them and headed towards the door to the sitting room. "Anyway, I really must be going. I shall see you both later."
"Mom, the front door's the other way." Ranma said.
"Yes, Ranma-kun, I know, but I'm taking the Floo."
"Huh?"
"Sorry, I forgot about how much you don't know. The Floo Network is a way of travelling for wizards. You basically travel by enchanted fire through fireplaces connected to the network. It's very quick and convenient, if a bit dusty." They followed her into the sitting room, where there was a large fireplace big enough for a man to stand in upright. She opened a box on the mantle and pulled out a handful of dust with her left hand, then used her wand to start a fire. She threw the dust into the fire, which grew larger and turned emerald green. She stepped into the fire, turned and waved at them, then said "Entry Hall, Ministry of Magic!" She began to spin around like a top before disappearing with a -pop!-.
"Whoa." said Ranma, looking at his father, who did not seem impressed. "So, what're we practicing today?"
"It doesn't matter. Do whatever you want. You don't still need my help, do you?" Genma replied, suddenly sounding bitter. "Besides, you over-did it a bit. I think I'll go lie down."
Ranma shrugged to himself as he watched his father leave the room and wondered what had gotten into him. Normally, Genma would have jumped at the chance to train him but, since they had begun their journey back to Tokyo, the man had cared less and less about training. Ranma had even gone easy on him that morning. He resolved to keep an eye on his father.
Ranma spent the rest of the morning getting to know the lay of the house, as was his habit in unfamiliar surroundings. Most of the house was unfamiliar, though occasionally he would encounter an area that he could vaguely remember. More unsettling were the rooms which all had identical views outside into the yard. When he went outside to inspect this oddity, he found that the house itself appeared, from the outside, to be too small for its interior. He went back inside to find Ten-ten, who explained it to him. "Oku-sama expanded the insides but not the outsides."
"How long ago was that?"
"Oku-sama is doing this after Ten-ten is coming to work for Oku-sama. Ten-ten remembers, because old Master is giving Ten-ten c-c-clothes." She shivered when saying the last word, as if re-living something unpleasant. "But Ten-ten isn't being sad because old Master isn't freeing Ten-ten for being bad, he is giving Ten-ten great honor by giving Ten-ten to Oku-sama. Now Ten-ten is happy with a whole house to look after!"
"Wait a minute...'freeing'?" asked Ranma, thinking about what she had said. "And someone gave you to my mother?"
She nodded. "Oku-sama is needing a servant and old Master is needing gold. Old Master's business isn't doing good and old Master isn't being able to afford keeping Ten-ten, so old Master is selling Ten-ten to Oku-sama."
"But that's slavery!"
"Ten-ten is happy to help old Master! That is why Ten-ten is not sad that Old Master gave clothes."
"What's so special about clothes?"
"If Master gives house elf clothes, house elf is f-f-free!" she said, sounding as if such a thing were a death sentence. "But old Master isn't freeing Ten-ten because Ten-ten is bad, so Ten-ten isn't disgraced."
"Wait...so you want to be a slave?"
"Ten-ten wants to serve wizards, yes."
Ranma shook his head, trying to wrap his head around the concept. His mother was a slave owner and her slave was happy to be enslaved, and apparently this was a normal thing in the wizarding world. He decided to not think about it too hard before it made his head hurt; he would ask his mother about it when she returned. At least one thing was clear in his mind; he now understood why Ten-ten was wearing towels as a dress.
He let Ten-ten get back to her chores and returned to exploring the house. In the library, he discovered a wall covered in framed pictures, many, he was surprised to see, were of him over the last seven years. He was looking at one, taken when he was about nine years old, when the Ranma in the picture stretched and yawned. He yelped with surprise but quickly calmed himself when he saw the other pictures moving as well. They were magical, of course. He wondered how many more familiar things he would discover that now had a jarring, magical note.
Ranma lingered in the room long enough to look over the other photographs. There were a few of an old Japanese couple who, from the stillness of their pictures, he guessed were his grandparents. As they had died before he was born, and because he had left home at the age of four, he did not remember them, so he made a mental note to ask his mother more about them. The other pictures featured his mother with various people, most of whom were not Japanese. They were all smiling and waving out of the pictures.
He wandered through several more rooms, spare bedrooms from the looks of them, before running into a locked room. He seriously considering picking the lock but, when he twisted the doorknob again, wishing it would not be locked, the door provided no resistance and swung forward. The candles on the wall immediately flickered to life and the drapery slid aside, letting sunlight pour into the room. The room was as large as the library, at least fifteen feet square. It was decorated and furnished quite unlike the rest of the house. A fine wooden desk and a high backed chair were situated in a corner on a large rug. Several smaller chairs sat in front of the desk. Along one wall, below a window, was a settee with a coffee table, on which were a few magazines and a couple thick, leatherbound books. Along the other walls were display cases stocked with bottles of all sizes and colors. Another door lead outside of the house and there was a bell above the door.
Ranma had hardly taken a step into the room when, with a loud -crack!- that startled him, Ten-ten appeared. "Ranma-sama! You isn't supposed to be in here!"
"Why not? What is this room?"
"This is Oku-sama's office. Oku-sama is going to be very angry at us!"
"But the door was open. Anyway, you didn't do anything, why would she be mad at you?" he asked.
Ten-ten could not seem to find an appropriate answer to this, so she fell back on reprimanding him. "You isn't supposed to be in here!" she said, tugging on his arm to pull him from the room. Ranma being exceptionally strong, somewhat taller than her, and unwilling to leave the room at the moment, she could not move him an inch. Instead, she was dragged into the room quite against her will. Ranma was so interested in the room that he did not notice her struggling against him as he looked around.
"Ranma, I think you're going to give Ten-ten a hernia if you keep dragging her around." said an amused Nodoka from the door. Ranma was startled once again; he was not accustomed to anyone approaching undetected. He looked down at his left arm, next to which he now noticed Ten-ten looking very apologetically at his mother.
"Oku-sama, Ten-ten tried to tell Ranma-sama he isn't supposed to be in Oku-sama's office..."
Nodoka waved her hand dismissively. "It is quite all right, Ten-ten. I must not have locked the door properly. For future reference, however, Ranma is welcome in here, but thank you for your concern, nonetheless. Now, if you do not mind, please prepare tea for us."
"Yes Oku-sama." the elf replied, sounding extremely relieved, before disappearing again.
"Don't mind Ten-ten. She is an excellent house elf which, of course, means she is almost overprotective. They take their employment very seriously." Nodoka said.
Ranma was suddenly reminded of his conversation with Ten-ten earlier that morning. "Mom, about Ten-ten...she said...she said that you bought her from someone. Is that true?"
Nodoka seemed startled by the question. "That is correct." she said gravely.
"So she's your slave then?" he asked, not quite keeping the accusatory tone out of his voice.
"Yes, I suppose you could say that. But you must understand that house elves want to be the servants of wizards. I know that sounds strange to you, Ranma, but surely even Ten-ten said as much to you." He nodded but still looked unconvinced. "Believe me, I'd love to treat her as a servant, pay her, give her holidays, but even suggesting such things to a house elf is highly insulting."
"So she just works for you for free? And you're ok with having her as your slave?"
"Not slave. Servant. And even though she won't allow me to give her a salary or holidays, I try to make up for it. She has a full size room here in the house which I've furnished very well. Her towels are the best that I can find in Japan and the pins that hold them together are gold. I take her on holiday with me and have her do very little while we're gone. I insist that she eats the same food I do and I even try to get her to take meals with me, which she has steadfastly resisted for years. I doubt you'll find any house elf in Japan that is treated better."
"I guess..." he said, sounding unsure. "It's just...I don't understand..."
"How anyone could want to be enslaved? Yes, it is strange and I don't doubt our wizard ancestors had something to do with it. Unfortunately, it is among the many things you must learn to tolerate in the Wizarding world that are different from the Muggle world. But, as only very old or rich families tend to have house elves, you will probably not see another besides Ten-ten for a long time."
The elf returned at that moment carrying a silver tea tray laden with a decidedly non-Japanese silver tea service. In addition, there were china cups and saucers, silver spoons, a small china pitcher of milk, and a plate of pastries with butter on the side. She set the tray down on the desk, curtsied, and exited. Noting her son's confusion, Nodoka explained what Ten-ten had brought out. "This is an English tea service. I grew rather fond of them during my years in Britain. Ten-ten brews an excellent Earl Grey and her scones are very good." She motioned for him to sit while she poured the tea.
Ranma looked interestedly at the items on the neat desk as he enjoyed a scone. On the left was a stack of parchment in a wooden bin, next to which was a small bottle of scarlet ink and several quills. Beneath the silver tea tray he could see several sheaves of parchment with writing he could not quite read. A candlestick holding a half-burned candle sat to the right, flanked by two small plaquards, one reading "International Alchemical Society Fellow" and the other reading "Certified Mistress of Potions".
"I trust you weren't too bored this morning while I was out." Nodoka said, sitting down. She added a bit of milk to her tea and took a sip.
"Just looked around. I found out the house is bigger in here than it is outside." Ranma replied, grabbing another scone. "But you're home early. It's only been a couple of hours."
"Yes, well, the office is a bit slow, what with Hermesia Beckancall, the British ambassador, back in England for a month. I only had a bit of, er, 'business' to take care of, and it went surprisingly smooth." She sipped her tea again, looking pleased with herself. "Now then, I want to ask you something: How well do you understand English? "
Ranma, who had spent, collectively, nearly two years in English speaking countries during his travels, understood her fairly well. "I understand English ok." he replied with a shrug.
" No no, in English please. " she said gently.
He frowned with concentration before dredging a response out of his memory. " I am understanding good English, demo...not good speaking. " he said, feeling embarassed at his poor English.
"Hmmm...well, your English is better than I expected, and you can understand it well enough. This won't be such an uphill battle after all." She set her cup down and looked at him. "If Dumbledore accepts you, you'll need to improve your English so, from now on, I'll be giving you English lessons. After a few months, you'll have a reasonable enough grasp of the language, I think."
Ranma nodded, though in his mind he was thinking of how much he disliked studying. His eyes fell to the plaquards and a question rose to the surface. "Mom, what's a 'Potions Mistress'?"
She followed his gaze and smiled with understanding. "Ah. Well, I suppose a Potions Master or Mistress would be the equivalent of a Muggle chemist. We specialize in the preparation of magical potions. All wizards and witches are trained in the basics of potion making but becoming certified as a Potions Master or Mistress is a long and difficult process. Fortunately, I learned early on that I had a head for the subject so I was able to apply myself towards becoming certified. The hard work has had its compensations." She gestured around the room.
"So you make potions? In here?" Ranma asked, looking around for any signs of equipment.
"Oh no, I have a laboratory in the basement where I do my work. In fact..." she looked expectantly at her son, "would you like to see it?"
"Sure!" he replied, hopping out of his seat excitedly. For some reason he could not quite understand, Ranma was extremely anxious to learn more about magical potions, far more than he wanted to learn about the wand magic he had already seen.
Nodoka led the way out of the office and into the kitchen, opening a door that seemed to open into nothingness. "Watch this first step." she warned as she stepped forward. Ranma almost tripped into the darkness as he saw her tilt forward and step onto a staircase that was perpendicular to the rest of the house. Taking a very big, dry swallow, he followed her, feeling, for just a moment, as if he were falling forward, before gravity righted itself again and he was standing on the staircase. He slowly walked up (or was it down?) the stairs after his mother, watching candelabra flicker to life along the brick walls of the narrow stairwell. Soon they had stepped off the stairs and into a large and brightly lit room that looked like a combination of a chemical lab and a storage room.
The floor of the room, like the walls and ceiling, were made of old brick that had been smoothed over by years of wear. To the left was an open door through which Ranma could see stacks of boxes. An ornate stone sink and basin stood next to the door. On the right, glass-windowed wooden cabinets lined one wall, inside of which was a myriad of glass jars filled with all manner of liquids, powders, and other objects he could not quite make out. A bookcase was built into the rear wall and was full of volumes of varying thickness. A large, U-shaped island work area was the center piece of the room. It's surface was cluttered with glass phials, jars of ingredients, scales of various sizes, and small, rounded gold pots, which issued vapor as they simmered over little fires of different colors. In the middle of the "U" was a large bronze pot hanging over a circular recess in the floor made of fire-blackened brick. Next to the pot was a skinny book stand that held an enormous, dog-eared, leatherbound book, opened and marked by a scarlet ribbon.
"Well, this is my laboratory. This is where the magic happens, so to speak. Feel free to walk around and look." she said, looking pleased as her son excitedly walked about the room. He peered into the cabinets, marvelling over the glass jars of pickled animals and various phials of shimmering liquids that changed colors as he watched. Ranma then turned his attention to the simmering pots with interest. "What's in these?" he asked, pointing at them.
"Those are a few simple healing potions that I'm concentrating. I supply a few apothecaries with them, which they dilute and bottle. That is, unfortunately, the bulk of my business, brewing and concentrating relatively simple potions for others. These days, most people are too busy or unskilled to make their own potions and there is a strong demand for the more common ones. They're very boring to make, but what can you do? All of that boring work funds my research. I won't complain too much, it's allowed me the time and money to invent a few potions that have become rather successful." She waved her wand at the large cauldron and a fire blazed beneath it. "Now then, I've received a more interesting commission yesterday that I'd like to start today. This potion will certainly do more than heal cuts or cure a migraine!"
Ranma perked up instantly, excited at the prospect of watching the creation of a magic potion. "Can I watch?" he asked.
"Actually, I'll need an assistant for this one. Usually I'd have Ten-ten help me but, if you're not busy, I was hoping you would take her place today." Ranma smiled widely at her.
Nodoka and Ranma worked in the laboratory until lunch, then returned to continue working on the potion. To Ranma's surprise and Nodoka's great delight, he seemed to have inherited her intuitive grasp of potion making. He found the process was very similar, in many respects, to cooking, a skill which he had finely honed out of necessity while travelling with his lazy father. "That's mostly true, though most children won't have had enough experience to make that connection." she said, sounding impressed when he had voiced this observation. She looked fit to burst with pride. "You seem to understand potions as well, maybe better, than I did when I first went to Hogwarts. Between you and me," her voice dropped so low that he almost could not hear her, "you're much better than Ten-ten." Her voice resumed it's normal volume. "I would like for you to continue assisting me down here. It'd be a good head start for you, I think, and I can show you a few tricks of the trade."
The Saotomes fell into comfortable routine, at least as far as Ranma and Nodoka were concerned. Genma seemed particularly sullen and would only get out to spar if Ranma made pointed comments about his father's pride and how he had nothing else to learn from Genma. Otherwise, Genma spent his days in his panda form, laying about the house and, Ranma was sure, sneaking bottles of sake, for he reeked of alcohol by the end of the day. Ranma spent his mornings training alone in the garden or, if he felt bored, following Ten-ten around the house and asking her about herself. This flustered the elf to no end, especially since she was now required to speak to him only in English. Between talking to Ten-ten and the tough English lessons Nodoka had set him to improve his reading and writing (which she called a "crash course"), he was beginning to remember more of the language.
Some evenings, instead of working in the laboratory, they would just sit in the library and talk ("English only," as Nodoka would admonish) for hours about the wizarding world while Genma sulked in a corner in his panda form, playing listlessly with his beach ball. The ostensible reason was to improve Ranma's conversational ability, but he quickly realized that his mother had missed their company for so many years because she seemed determined to make up for all the time they had not talked. She regaled him with reminiscences of her time in Britain, the goings-ons at the Ministry of Magic, the state of the Japanese magical community, and, rather vociferously, a wizard game called "Quidditch", of which he could tell that, for all her fervor for the game, she was not very knowledgable. Ranma found this all very interesting, if a bit overwhelming. There were a lot of things about being a wizard that he would have to learn.
One afternoon, when his mother had sent him on an errand to find a particular book in the library, Ranma discovered another activity to pass the time: reading. He had never been much for studying or reading for fun because martial arts had taken up most of his time. Now, however, with not much to do beyond studying, training, and talking with his mother, he was almost beginning to miss having a television (an appliance which, according to Nodoka, most wizards would never have heard of, let alone have seen). But, in the course of searching for that particular book, he discovered volumes of strange and interesting books, from dusty, handwritten tomes to freshly printed novels with moving illustrations, almost all of which were written by wizards, for wizards, and about wizards. A week after arriving at the house, Ranma was more likely to be found, in his free time, inside reading or studying English than outside honing his fighting skills, a fact that seemed to depress Genma even further.
Nearly two weeks had passed in the Saotome household when, after they had finished dinner and retired to the library for the evening's English lesson, the sound of a small bell rang through the house, startling Ranma and Genma. Nodoka looked up from the book she had just opened and, recognizing the sound, said, "Ah, I thought we might be seeing her around now." Seeing the puzzled look on her son's face, she continued. "That ringing is a signal from Ryouko whenever she's returned with post. There's a bell out in her tree that she can prod with her beak and it rings through the whole house."
A loud -crack!- signalled the arrival of Ten-ten and it was a credit to Ranma's adjustment to the house that he did not jump at the noise. She was carrying Ryouko on her outstretched right arm as she had before and presented the owl to Nodoka, who untied the roll of parchment from her leg. "Excellent, you've made good time without overworking yourself, Ryo-chan." she said, smiling at the bird and stroking its fine black face. Ryouko clicked her beak affectionately. "Ten-ten, give her a little treat, whatever she likes. I think she deserves it."
As the owl and the elf left the room, Nodoka slid her wand tip across the parchment's seal and unrolled it, then wave the wand over the parchment to make it lie flat. She read it quickly, a small smile spreading over her face as she did, before handing it to Ranma to read. It was a letter, written in neat, cursive English, addressed to his mother and dated five days prior. It read:
Dear Nodoka;
It was a most pleasant surprise to hear from you. I do, of course, keep an eye out for news of my former students, but it is far more enjoyable to have a direct line, so to speak. I hope that this letter finds you and your family in good health and spirits.
I am glad to hear that your son Ranma is now of age to attend wizarding school. However, I was rather surprised to learn that you wished for him to attend Hogwarts as opposed to the Mahou no Gakuen no Nippon. That notwithstanding, there are, as you know, only two requirements for acceptance to Hogwarts: recognizable magical ability and residence in the United Kingdom. I have made an inquiry as to the first case with your Ministry and it seems that Ranma is, indeed, on the list for Japan's school. On the other hand, your residence is in Tokyo, which does present a difficulty. I'm sure, however, that if I were to receive proof of your family's residence in the United Kingdom by the second week of July, we could find a place for Ranma at Hogwarts.
I look forward to hearing from you again in the next couple of months.
Your servant,
Albus Dumbledore
P.S. - Please give my regards to Kishimoto-sensei.
Ranma read the letter twice before looking back at his mother, who seemed to be taking the bad news rather well. All of the talk of the school and his excitement with learning magic had built up his expectations, only to now find that he was only qualified to go to the "Mahou no Gakuen no Nippon" (Magic Academy of Japan), a school he knew nothing about. He did not doubt that it was a good school, as Japanese schools were reputed to be, but of all the schools in all the countries he had ever been to, the Japanese ones were the least enjoyable. "Well, there goes Hogwarts, I guess." he said, feeling rather disappointed.
"Don't sound so disappointed, Ranma-kun. I wouldn't count Hogwarts out just yet." she said, and Ranma could detect a subtle tone in her voice, as if she knew something significant.
"But he basically said we'd have to move there..."
"Yes, I expected as much."
"But what's the point of these lessons if I can't go to school there?"
She patted him on the hand reassuringly. "You needn't worry about that. This letter has not derailed the plan to get you to Hogwarts in the slightest." Nodoka grinned at her not-so-reassured son. "Have faith, Ranma-kun. If we delegate the problem to fate, I'm sure something will turn up." And she would not discuss the letter for the rest of the night.
Several days later, Nodoka stepped out of the fireplace looking rather windswept, as if she had literally flown in. As he welcomed her home, Ranma could see that she seemed in a hurry, tossing her travelling cloak and wizard hat ont the coat rack. "I have something to show you," she said, not quite disguising the note of excitement from her voice as she swept from the room, heading for the library. Ranma followed, wondering if she had a new potion recipe to show him.
When they reached the room, she dropped two newspapers onto the table and motioned for him to read them. "I think you'll find something interesting in there." she said as calmly as she could sound. He sat down and looked at the first paper called the Tokyo Legilimens, which looked very similar to the tabloids he had seen during a brief stay in America and which his mother read daily. He scanned the front page before stopping on an article that had been circled with scarlet ink. The tagline read:
Mayura-san Announces Retirement from Ambassadorship
Saotome-san Tapped as Replacement
Ranma stared at the line, wide-eyed, unable to process the information. He looked up at his mother to say something but she stopped him. "Keep reading." she said, looking extremely triumphant. He read on.
"Sasuke Mayura-san, Magic Ambassador to the United Kingdom, announced his retirement today after serving fifteen years in the position. The Minister of Magic, Aika Nakahara-san, praised the outgoing Ambassador for his years of dedication to bringing the magical communities of Japan and Britain closer together. Following long-standing Ministry tradition, Nakahara-san deferred to Mayura-san in choosing his replacement. Mayura-san immediately named Nodoka Saotome, Liaison to the British Magic Ambassador, as his successor. The appointment of someone so young and with so few years in the Ministry came as a surprise to many. However, Mayura-san gave Saotome-san the highest praise.
'Nodoka Soatome has served with distinction since joining the Ministry as the Liaison to the British Ambassador. I am confident that, with her years of living in the U.K. and the experience in her former position, she will continue her trend of excellence and help increase cooperation between the British and Japanese Ministries of Magic.'
In the wake of Mayura-san's retirement, Nakahara-san appointed – Continued on Page 5"
Ranma set the paper down and quickly snatched up the other. Unlike the Legilimens, this one, called the Daily Prophet, was in English. He quickly scanned the front page, finally locating his mother's name in an article.
Japanese Ambassador Mayura Retires, Names Saotome as Successor
The Japanese Ambassador for Magic, Sasuke Mayura, today announced his retirement after serving in the position for fifteen years. Cornelius Fudge, Minsiter for Magic, called the outgoing ambassador "a gentleman whose years of dedicated service have brought the magical communities of Britain and Japan into closer cooperation." Mayura is credited with, among other things, the drafting and signing of a treaty between Japan and Britain that protects the silver fur salmon, a magical creature which was brought near extinction because of it's magical and culinary properties.
Mayura chose Nodoka Saotome as his successor, promoting her from the post of Liaison to the British Ambassador. This new position would mark the return of Saotome to Britain, where she attended Hogwarts School fo Witchcraft and Wizardry as well as worked briefly in the Ministry of Magic. Saotome comes into the position highly regarded by both Mayura and Hermesia Beckancall, Ambassador for Magic to Japan. Said Beckancall of Saotome: CONTINUED ON Page 3>
Ranma looked up to his mother, his hands shaking with excitement. "You-you're Ambassador to Britain? Does that mean..."
"That we'll be moving to Britain? It does." She said, beaming. "I am expected to report to the embassy in London on the first of July. We will, however, be moving there next month."
Ranma's mind was reeling. Ever since reading Dumbledore's letter, he had resigned himself to going to magic school in Japan. Suddenly, his mother was appointed to a position in Britain and he would be able to attend Hogwarts! In the back of his mind, he remembered how confident his mother had been that something would turn up to solve the problem. It all seemed very convenient, maybe even too convenient. Before he could say anything, though, his father made his presence known.
"What do you mean 'we'll be moving to Britain'?" asked Genma, startling both Ranma and Nodoka. Ranma had not felt his father's presence and he felt certain that the man had been listening in since they had been in the room. It could not have been clearer that he knew exactly what Nodoka had meant and was not happy about it.
"I should think it would be crystal clear, dear, unless you've suddenly become incapable of understanding Japanese." Nodoka replied coldly.
"I understood just fine, except the part where you didn't ask me if that was ok." said Genma, his voice, too, becoming chilly.
Nodoka smiled tightly. "Oh yes, well, pardon me, but your approval is irrelevant."
Genma drew up in what was an admittedly impressive manner. Gone was the obsequious manner with which Genma usually approached his wife; he was openly challenging her now. "Is that right? You think I'll just let you take Ranma to England?"
Nodoka was not intimidated in the least and drew herself up even more impressively. "Yes, you will, just as I allowed you take him all over the world for seven years. Or have you forgetten our agreement?" And, like that, Genma deflated like a punctured balloon. "As for you, Genma, you may stay here if you like or come with us to London. Either way, Ranma and I will be on our way to London in two weeks, whether you approve or not." With the air of a woman who had resolved a minor annoyance and was focusing on a more pressing task, she turned back to Ranma and ignored her husband.
During this exchange, Ranma stayed very quiet, not wanting to incur the wrath of either of his parents. When Nodoka had turned her attention back to him, her eyes blazing in the aftermath of the short argument with her husband, he decided that his question about her promotion could wait until a moment when she was not furious. "Now then, Ranma, I'm afraid that your English lessons are going to become more intensive, as I won't have nearly as much time to instruct you when we get to London." she said with an obvious effort to control her voice. "I'm afraid that I'll be winding up my business and filling out the last of my orders, so I hope you won't mind doing a some tedious work to help me get all of it finished within the next two weeks."
"No, that's fine, really." he said hastily.
"Thank you for being so understanding, Ranma-kun. I really wanted to show you more, but I think what you've learned so far will give you a good leg up." She said, patting him on the shoulder. "Now then, lunch, I think, and then on to the laboratory."
"Right, I'll be in there in a second, I just need to talk to Pops first." he said, trying to sound aloof. She cast a questioning glance over him but nodded before walking into the kitchen, leaving her son and husband alone together. An awkward silence fell between them. "Well, what is it?" Genma grunted, sounding very sour.
Ranma screwed up his courage and then asked a question that had been in the back of his mind since they had arrived at the house. "Why don't you want me to go to Hogwarts?"
Genma opened his mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it and closed his mouth again. "Look, it's not that I don't want you to go." he said, looking away from his son, who could tell, after years of seeing his father lie, that this was not the truth. "Besides, I haven't taught you half of what you need to know to inherit the Saotome Ryu."
Ranma frowned. "Are you serious? Pops, I already learned everything you know."
"Don't get so full of yourself just because I let you win every now and then!" Genma retorted, anger creeping into his voice again. "There are a few things I've kept up my sleeve."
"You are serious..." said Ranma. He wondered if his father was referring to the technique scrolls he kept hidden or if, perhaps, Genma was referring to techniques so advanced that he never needed to use them. "But why won't you teach me everything, if that's such a big deal?"
"It's not that simple. Your body's not ready yet." said Genma. "I never expected you to learn everything so quickly..."
"So what's the problem with me going off to wizard school and picking up training again in a few years?"
"Hmmph. By then you won't care about martial arts anymore, you'll only care about being a wizard."
"If that's what you think, why'd you bother teaching me anything?" said Ranma angrily. "I love the Saotome Ryu, it's pretty much all I've known, and I'm good at it! But if you want to quit just because I want to learn about magic, go ahead! I'll just go find Soun Tendo or Happosai to-"
"What did you say?" Genma cut across, whipping his head around to look penetratingly at his son. "Where did you hear those names?"
"From you. You talk a lot when you're drunk, you know. I know all about your old training partner and sensei, the only other people besides you that knows Anything Goes martial arts." Ranma replied. "Pops, I'm telling you...no, I promise you, on my honor, that I'm not going to abandon the Saotome Ryu. But I don't want you to abandon me, either, just because I want to go to magic school!"
Though he looked chastised, Genma did not respond. He was looking at Ranma as if he had never properly seen his son and was only now getting the full measure. "You don't need my permission to go, if that's what you want." he said gruffly.
"I don't want that. Just say it's okay for me to go."
"Fine."
"And that you'll train me during the summer."
"I said-" Genma stopped short and looked at his son, who was smiling at him. His features softened slightly. "Yeah, I, uh, I guess that'll work." And even though he was as gruff as ever over the next few weeks, through all of the preparations to leave Japan, Ranma knew that he had his father's approval and that, the next summer, their training would be back to normal.
To Be Continued...in Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
Author's Notes:
A month passes and another chapter is finished. Sorry to anyone who thought this would be swiftly moving, but real life has been calling, as usual. I think it will please all 1281 of you who viewed the first chapter to know that the third chapter will be released within another day or two. See, I originally was going to have this huge 2nd chapter to fill in some detail before getting right to Harry and Hogwarts. The chapter turned out to be twice the size of the first chapter, had two logical stopping points, and covered two portions of time that, upon re-reading, seriously needed some separation. So I chopped it in two, the first half of which you just read. The second part needs a bit of tweaking and some more content before I release it, but I think you'll find it worth the extra day's wait.
Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter (go-go gadget ego-boost!) and a special thanks to the reviewers for taking a bit of time to say a little something. Don't be afraid to rip me to shreds if necessary, I can always use the feedback (especially when I start straying OOC m/()m/ ). Anyway, thanks for reading and please look forward to the next chapter.
Sorry for making you read this long A.N. section