An extensive knowledge of the anime/manga series isn't necessary to enjoy this story as it is set in Harry Potter's world and will focus on that timeline. All necessary knowledge of the series will be included in the story that follows. I hope you will enjoy it!
Summary: Sakura dies unexpectedly and Xiao Lang's cousin Zhen Li – a 1st year student at Hogwarts – becomes the next cardcaptor. While getting her supplies in Diagon Alley she meets Harry, changing his fate and hers as in the two become friends, perhaps more. Harry becomes Zhen's ally in capturing and protecting the Clow Cards. Zhen in turn helps Harry to discover the true power of the Chosen One, power he never would have believed he could possess, as he faces Sirius Black, the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and the Dark Lord himself. However, both are unaware that the mysterious sorceress hunting Zhen has joined forces with the Dark Lord, making Harry's task even more difficult. With two of the most powerful magical beings in existence as their adversaries and an unparalleled darkness rising Zhen and Harry struggle to sort friend from foe in a world where friends are enemies and enemies are friends. A wrong choice could mean their death.
AN - WOW! I never imagined my chapters could get any longer after the last one, yet here it is! Hope you all enjoy. I love hearing from you all. Reviews of all shapes, sizes, and denominations are welcome! My responses to any questions, comments etc will follow provided you have active PM accounts. Best wishes – Sierra.
Chapter 3: Of nightmares, Gryffindors, and required rooms.
"No matter what you hear or see you must promise me that you will stay hidden, Zhen."
"No Sakura, please, don't go," Zhen pleaded, ignoring the tears coursing down her cheeks as she clung to the Clow Mistress. "You're sick. Your magic is almost gone. Please, don't go. Yue and Kero, they will keep us safe. Stay with me."
Sakura's smile was sad, her jade eyes bright with tears as she gently tugged at her robes, pulling them from Zhen's fisted hands.
"I wish that I could stay, Zhen, truly I do," Sakura assured, running her fingers through Zhen's hair. Zhen leaned into her soothing touch, trying to ignore the sounds of the battle being fought outside. "But I can't."
Zhen shook her head, grabbing desperately for Sakura's hand.
"Yes, you can! Just don't go! Stay here, please," Zhen choked, wiping her face on the sleeve of her ceremonial robes. "Xiao Lang told me to protect you."
"You have," Sakura reminded her, her jade eyes flicking to the three unconscious men that Yue had moved to the far side of the room. "You have protected me and I am so proud of you."
"Then stay," Zhen whispered. "Stay."
Sakura glanced over her shoulder.
"He's coming."
"Who, who is coming," Zhen questioned, but Sakura only shook her head. "Why did they attack us? Please, Sakura, I don't understand what's happening."
Sakura smiled at her briefly, the effect of it somewhat lessened by the dark shadows under her eyes and the translucent pallor of her skin.
"Someday you will, Zhen. I promise."
Reaching for the bedpost, Sakura pushed herself to her feet. Her expression was determined, but the proud stance Zhen had come to associate with the Clow Mistress had withered. Her shoulders were curled into her chest, her steps were careful and unsteady as her breath rattled ominously in her chest. Even her magic staff appeared too heavy for her to hold.
Zhen dropped to her knees, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed. Not even the Clow Cards were powerful enough to protect someone so frail.
"Promise me you will stay, Zhen," Sakura whispered, her back to Zhen as she spoke. "Please."
Zhen nodded.
"I-I promise."
"Yue, Kero, stay here. Keep her safe."
Sakura opened the door to the courtyard and stepped through, sliding it closed behind her as Yue's hand came to rest on Zhen's shoulder. Without opening her eyes Zhen turned to the stoic guardian, burying her face against his chest. Kero rubbed his head against her shoulder consolingly. She knew it hurt Kero and Yue even more than it did her to see their mistress go to her death, but Sakura had ordered them to stay. They would not disobey her.
"There you are." A man's voice rose above the sound of magic and grinding steel. "I've been looking for you. Did you truly think that you could hide from me?"
Zhen shivered. The voice was cool, hard as steel and edged with malice. Yue drew her closer.
"I haven't been hiding," Sakura replied calmly. "I've been here, waiting for you to find me."
The man snorted derisively.
"Don't play word games with me, child. Semantics cannot save you."
"I wouldn't think so, no."
"Then I'll get straight to the point, shall I?" The man seemed to take Sakura's silence for her assent. "I've come for the Clow Cards. We both know you're too weak to wield them and any other manner of defence you might conjure would, I assure you, be no match for my own power."
"You are powerful," agreed Sakura quietly, "but I will not let you take the cards. They are under my protection."
The man laughed and Zhen felt a surge of anger. She knew Sakura would do anything to protect the cards. It wasn't right for this man, no matter how powerful, to laugh at Sakura for that. She pulled away from Yue, pleased when the guardian granted her silent request and released her. Kero nudged her shoulder questioningly as she got down on her hands and knees. Zhen shook her head, crawling carefully across the silk mat to the door. It hadn't latched when Sakura closed it and Zhen was grateful as she inched it open just enough to see into the darkened courtyard.
The lamps that usually lit the patio were dark, their long slender shapes shadows against the posts that circled the wending walkways, ponds, and flowering trees beneath the full moon. Sakura stood less than a dozen feet in front of her, facing a tall figure in a hooded cloak that touched the ground. Zhen couldn't see his face, but he spoke Mandarin with a British accent like her grandparents. Zhen frowned, able to make out a wand in his right hand. What was a British wizard doing in Hong Kong and how did he know about the Clow Cards?
"I was told the Clow Mistress was brave," said the shadowed man, "but no one told me you were a fool." The man raised his right hand, levelling his wand at Sakura. "Give me the cards," he commanded, "or I will take them by force."
Zhen watched, unable to breathe as with a flash of light Sakura's staff disappeared, returning to the key that hung from a small silver chain around her neck. The man chuckled, lowering his wand as he held out his left hand.
"The cards, if you please," he purred.
Sakura said nothing, her eyes fixed on the hooded man as she drew aside her outer robes. The hiss of steal against leather reached Zhen even in her hiding place, but the wizard didn't seem to recognize the sound. He stood motionless as Sakura drew not the Clow Book, but her sword from its place on her hip. Zhen scrambled to her feet, vaguely aware of someone screaming as Sakura drove the sword through her stomach.
The wizard howled with rage and lunged forward as Sakura's magic circle appeared at her feet. A funnel of wind erupted from the golden sigil, throwing the wizard against the eastern wall like an unwanted ragdoll as Zhen was sent skidding backwards toward the house. She blinked quickly and watched as the Clow Cards appeared with a flash of golden light like dozens of falling stars, each gleaming softly as they circled their wounded mistress.
"I'm sorry," Sakura whispered, her hands still clutching the hilt of her sword as her knees buckled. "It was the only way to keep you safe." The dark stain surrounding the blade protruding from her abdomen was spreading quickly. "If he'd defeated me you would have belonged to him. I-I'm sorry."
Zhen watched, stricken as Sakura swayed and fell to her side, her auburn hair pooling beneath her like strands of spun silk. One of the cards flashed and in its place a young woman with long chestnut hair and a flowing gown stood. Zhen recognized the woman from her picture on the card. It was the Hope, the only card Zhen had never seen Sakura use. The woman smiled sadly at Sakura as she knelt beside her.
"We know," the Hope whispered. "We have always trusted you to protect us, Mistress. We are only sorry it came at such a cost."
Sakura nodded weakly, her eyes sliding closed. Zhen's heart seized and she clambered to her feet, pushing through the wind that was still swirling around the courtyard and ignoring the spark of magic when her feet touched the edge of Sakura's magic circle.
"Sakura! Sakura, wake up, please! You have to wake up," Zhen wailed, dropping to the ground at Sakura's side. "I'll go get help, just hold on!"
Sakura's eyelids fluttered open.
"Zhen?"
Zhen nodded, taking Sakura's bloody hand in her own, distantly registering the Hope card laying its hand on her shoulder briefly before it vanished.
"I'm right here, Sakura," she whispered thickly. "Just hold on."
"I l-ove you," Sakura rasped, squeezing Zhen's hand weakly. "Tell Xiao Lang, t-tell hi-m, h-im..."
Sakura's head lolled to the side, her jade eyes disturbingly vacant as Zhen moaned, rocking herself back and forth as the wind whipped around her. Two more magic circles appeared and at their centres Yue and Kero lay lifelessly, their beautiful white wings splayed across the stone pathway as the Clow Book appeared in the air above Sakura. The wind howled around them, but Zhen didn't feel it as the cards flew into the book. It shut with a dull snap and in reply Kero and Yue flashed once and then disappeared, their emblems emblazoned on the red leather binding once more as they were sealed away. Sakura's key appeared beside the book and with a soft click the cards were sealed. Zhen winced at the concussive force of the sealing magic as it exploded and then slowly ebbed away.
The courtyard was dark now, the lamps still unlit, the light of Sakura's magic dead with her. Zhen shivered, registering the wet warmth clinging to her thighs as she sat by Sakura's lifeless body.
"Please wake up, please wake up, please wake up," she chanted, the salt of her tears making her cheeks itch as she held Sakura's lifeless gaze. "Please wake up, please wake up."
The darkness that surrounded her became darker still. The courtyard disappeared, but Sakura's body remained. Xiao Lang appeared in front of her.
"You are the next cardcaptor, Zhen." He smiled. "Now it's your turn to die protecting them."
"Black told Riddle where the Potters were hiding," her grandfather said, appearing abruptly in the darkness. "Now he's going after Harry. Poor boy won't live to see Christmas."
A shadowed figure in a long cloak appeared beside her grandfather. It had the shadowed man's voice and Sirius Black's face. A sharp snort drew Zhen's attention next. A thestral stood, nudging Sakura's head quizzically. Zhen began to cry harder, pressing her hands over her ears as Sirius Black continued to laugh. She shivered, her heart growing cold as she heard the soulless chafing of a dementor and looked up to see dozens of them circling her.
"No! Stop, go away, please, go away," she whimpered as the dementors tightened their circle. "Please, please."
"C'mon Zhen, you've got to wake up." Zhen shook her head, absently acknowledging someone tugging vigorously at her collar. "Wake up!"
Zhen woke with a gasp and sat up so abruptly that Kero was sent flying into her bedpost. He moaned softly and climbed back up onto the mattress as Zhen sat struggling to catch her breath.
"That must have been some nightmare, kid," Kero whispered. Zhen nodded absently, wiping at the cold sweat coating her brow with the sleeve of her nightgown. "Was it Mei Ling again?"
Zhen shook her head, shoving her hands under her thighs to try and stop the trembling as she leaned back against the headboard. Kero settled cross-legged on her knee, studying her with a disgruntled expression. Zhen squirmed uncomfortably, knowing from experience that her guardian would not let this go. She glanced at her roommates. They were all still sleeping, unsurprising given that the sun was nothing more than a pale yellow line on the horizon. Zhen sighed.
"It was Sakura," she confided quietly, "and Sirius Black, and the dementors, and a thestral, and-
"What's a thestral?"
"The skeletal horses that were drawing the carriages up to the castle yesterday."
Kero shivered.
"Those things gave me the creeps."
Zhen smiled weakly.
"Me too," she admitted. "Granddad says a person can only see them if they've seen death, so I suppose it's unsurprising that they're a little bit creepy."
Kero scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What is it with wizards and all of these dark creatures? No wonder so many of them go bad."
"Thestrals aren't dark creatures, Kero, or at least I don't think so," Zhen admitted. "I've always thought of them being kind of like the Dark card or the Shadow. Being made of darkness doesn't make them inherently evil."
Kero beamed, puffing out his chest dramatically.
"I love it when you say stuff like that. You make me look like the world's best guardian."
Zhen poked Kero's stomach, giggling when his chest deflated with an unimpressive cough. The girl in the bed to Zhen's left stirred, mumbling in her sleep and Zhen stifled her giggles with her palm, shooting Kero a worried look. Kero mouthed the word sorry and flew to his place beside her pillow, looking very much like the stuffed toy he was pretending to be. Zhen smiled, glad to have Kero for company after her nightmare. No matter how dismal the circumstances, he could always make her smile.
Zhen settled back against her pillows, glancing at the girl that had moved, pleased to find her sleeping soundly once more. There were seven girls in her year in Gryffindor including herself. According to Hermione, Zhen's was the largest year since before the War ended. Gryffindor and Slytherin had fifteen first years, Hufflepuff seventeen, and Ravenclaw fourteen. One of her roommates, Priya Parvine had expressed her horror the night before at Hufflepuff having the largest number of students. Zhen was fairly certain the Indian girl was from one of the old pureblood families. She'd had no qualms in expressing her distaste for Hufflepuffs, Slytherins, and muggleborns, which had sent one of the muggleborn girls in her dorm, Marcia Summers, off in a snit.
Zhen sighed, scanning the room in hopes of finding someone she might be at least slightly compatible with. Priya was a little snobby and Marcia was far too girly for Zhen's taste, having spent half an hour brushing her hair before bed. The girl to Zhen's left, the one she'd nearly woken, was a Scottish girl named Emily. Zhen was certain the girl hadn't spoken more than three words in the hour the seven girls had spent together unpacking and preparing for bed. On Emily's left was Marcia and next to Marcia was a girl named Tess Dewhurst.
Zhen and Tess had spent a few minutes talking to one another over the sinks as they brushed their teeth. She was a very likable girl with straight auburn hair and pretty gray eyes. She'd confessed to missing her little sister and worrying about classes. Apparently the tutor her family had hired to teach her until she came to Hogwarts, a Professor Toulson, had been less than impressed with the quality of her schoolwork. Another girl, Camille something, had overheard Tess' confession and had promised Tess' grades couldn't have been worse than hers. However, rather than worry about her lack of academic prowess like Tess, Camille found her abysmal scores amusing as they were in large part due to her tendency to play quidditch with her younger brother when she should be studying.
Zhen spotted Camille's messy brown curls half buried under her pillows on the far end of the right side of the room across from Tess. Priya was sleeping in a much more refined position to Camille's left leaving a redhead named Finley Stewart sandwiched between Zhen and Priya. Zhen didn't know much about her except that she was Irish and was good friends with one of the Gryffindor boys in their year.
Sliding back down beneath the covers Zhen decided she could have done much worse for roommates considering she had six of them. Apparently Hermione didn't get on with any of her roommates. The older girl had stopped by the night before to see if Zhen needed anything and had stayed to chat for a bit while Zhen did some unpacking. Hermione had alternated between complaining about a girl named Lavender – who apparently had not stopped nattering on about a boy she'd met during the summer holidays – and fretting over the fact she'd only had the time to read through the semester's texts once. As much as Zhen was beginning to like Hermione, the girl's almost compulsive need to know things was slightly off-putting. It was making Kero incredibly uneasy about trying to hide in plain sight. Hermione was nothing if not observant and intelligent. Spending a significant amount of time with her would make it difficult for Zhen to hide the Clow Cards.
"Zhen, did you feel that?"
Zhen rolled onto her right side so that she was facing Kero. Her guardian had abandoned any pretence of being a stuffed toy and was hovering inches above her pillow, his long tail flicking side to side agitatedly as his black eyes bore into the door of her dormitory.
"Feel what, Kero," Zhen whispered. "I don't feel –
The word anything stuck in her throat as a warm draught of air tickled the back of her neck. She spun quickly, throwing off her covers as she sensed the familiar hum of magic she'd come to associate with the presence of one of the Clow Cards. Ignoring the cool nip of the stone floor as she leapt out of bed Zhen grabbed her housecoat and tore for the door. Kero was already there, sniffing the air through the crack around the door. Zhen lifted the iron latch and heaved the heavy wooden door open, grateful the castle's architects hadn't made it any larger. Once in the corridor she turned back, careful to shut the door behind her in hopes it might deter the card from wreaking havoc on her roommates.
"Which card do you think it is," Zhen asked as she crept quietly down the hallway toward the stairs to the common room. "Are the others in danger?"
As if in answer another breath of air, stronger this time, wafted through the corridor, sweeping Zhen's long hair across her face. Zhen smiled and breathed deep, soothed by the scent of the sea, of spring rain, and of flowers. She glanced at Kero. The small guardian nodded and the tight knot between Zhen's shoulder blades began to untie as the breeze funnelled up the stone stairs making her robe billow out behind her like a sail.
When she reached the bottom step she stopped, unsurprised by the sight that met her. If anyone else in the castle had seen the beautiful spirit twirling around the centre of the Gryffindor common room, they would have likely thought her to be the ghost of some beautiful lady. The prettiness of her flowing hair and her mild expression were not diminished by her translucent state, her long wispy robes dissolving into an indistinguishable alabaster streamer that flowed behind her.
"Hello," Zhen said quietly, fisting the Clow Key in her hand. "Eriol thought that I might find you and the others here, but I doubt he thought it would be so soon. Have you been waiting for me?"
The beautiful spirit continued to swirl, weaving in and out of the overstuffed chairs near the fireplace as the gentle breeze that followed her swept across the room. Zhen stepped out into the middle of the room and the spirit smiled, somersaulting with a spectral grace so that she was facing Zhen. The wind in the room eased slightly as the spirit stopped in front of Zhen, her smile widening as she held Zhen's gaze. Zhen returned the gesture and held the Clow Key out on her open palm so she could summon the staff and seal the spirit away, but she never got the chance. With one final twirl around Zhen the spirit vanished in a flash of light, leaving a glowing gold and red card floating in her place.
"She sealed herself," Zhen murmured as she held out her hand to the card labelled Windy. "Sakura said she was gentle, but I never imagined she was this docile. She's so powerful."
"Of course she's powerful. She's one of the four element cards," explained Kero, "but she's also one of the kindest cards. It's her kind nature that allows her to bond so strongly with her master, which makes her even more powerful."
"I don't suppose there's a chance that all of the cards left to capture will be this easy," Zhen asked as she walked across the common room to a table under the window. "I could get used to this."
"Sorry, not gonna happen, kiddo," Kero declared, firmly quashing any illusions Zhen might have created for herself regarding the capture of the Clow Cards at Hogwarts. "Especially not with cards like the Illusion and the Fiery left to find."
Zhen nodded as she dipped a quill in a pot of ink that had been left on the table, signing her name on the back of the Windy. Only one other card, the Wood, had been willing to seal itself. The rest of the cards had resisted – many of them violently – Zhen's attempts to seal them. But she had done it. She would continue to do it. It was her duty.
"You can do this, Zhen," Kero promised, laying his paw over her thumb. "We can do this."
Zhen slipped the Windy into her bathrobe pocket, ruffling the fur on the top of Kero's head.
"Thanks, Kero."
Kero squawked, trying to pat down his fur which was now standing in all directions. Zhen laughed, looking out at the sun as it finally broke over the hazy shadows of the Scottish vales surrounding the school. Ming meowed, hopping up onto the chair next to Zhen and batted at the feathered end of the quill she'd left near the edge of the table. Zhen smiled, scratching under his chin as she replaced the stopper on the bottle of ink in hopes of keeping Ming out of it. For all he was insightful, her cat still had a knack for causing trouble.
"Did you stay down here last night," she asked her familiar as he flopped down onto the seat of the chair allowing Zhen better access to his chest. Zhen obliged him. "Hermione said you were down here with the upper years last evening. You going to ditch me for someone more mature now that I'm at school?"
Ming turned his head fractionally, his eyes narrowed in what Zhen could only describe as a glare as his tail snapped against the back of his chair. Zhen laughed.
"All right, all right, you're not going to desert me. I get it."
Ming purred in reply, returning to his previous mellow state as Zhen continued to scratch him and Kero climbed into her robe pocket grumbling about messy fur and creepy cats. She could hear the sounds of a few students moving about the dormitories above, their hushed voices wafting down the stairways as Zhen sat watching the sun rise. Hogwarts was a much prettier place when it wasn't pouring.
"Zhen?" Zhen turned, surprised to see Tess standing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the girls dormitory. "Are you all right? Cam and I got worried when we got up and saw you were gone."
"I'm fine, Tess," Zhen answered, scooping Ming out of his chair as she stood. "Sorry to have worried you both. I've only been in the U.K. a couple of weeks. I don't think I've fully adjusted to the time difference."
"Time difference?"
Zhen nodded, allowing Tess to lead the way back up to their dorm room.
"Yes, between Britain and Hong Kong," Zhen clarified. "That's where I'm from."
Tess glanced at Zhen over her shoulder, eyes wide.
"No way! Are you serious?"
Zhen laughed.
"Yes."
"You speak English so well, I never would have guessed," said Tess as she pushed open their door. "It must be hard to be so far from home. Why did you come to Hogwarts? Don't they have wizarding schools in China?"
"Of course they do," Priya answered haughtily, setting her toiletries on her bedside table. "Some of the best wizarding schools in the world are in Asia."
"Why are you wondering about China anyway," Camille asked around a yawn. "We're not in class yet. It's too early for learning."
Tess rolled her eyes.
"I'm wondering because Zhen's from Hong Kong and as much as I love Hogwarts, it's a long way to come just to go to school."
"Then you're actually Chinese," Marcia squeaked as she exited the bathroom, a cloud of steam chasing her. "That's so cool!"
"Half Chinese, actually," Zhen clarified, taking her uniform out of her trunk, rolling her eyes when Ming hopped inside. "My father was British, which is why I'm at Hogwarts."
"My parents considered sending me to a school in Dehli," Priya informed them as she buttoned the blouse of her uniform. "It's a very prestigious school, much older than Hogwarts, and for years they only let the best of wizards and witches in. I of course would have qualified given my family's bloodlines and my academic excellence, but my father's cousin told him that their standards have slipped so much they're practically as bad as Hogwarts. They've got halfbloods and muggleborns right alongside real witches and wizards. It's so unfortunate."
"What's unfortunate is stuck-up purebloods who won't recognize that without muggleborns magic would have died out long ago," Camille commented peevishly. "How'd you end up in Gryffindor anyway? You sound like a snake."
Priya whirled on Camille, wielding a hairbrush as she advanced on the taller girl who was half in her trunk rummaging for a second sock. Zhen watched the pair from the corner of her eye as she tossed her pillows onto the floor and started pulling her tangled blankets up to the headboard. Having been raised in a house with Xiao Lang's four sisters she recognized the signs of an impending row as Priya stalked toward Camille, her expression tight.
"You take that back," Priya demanded. "You take that back this instant!"
Camille straightened slowly, having successfully located her second sock. She tossed the sock onto her bed next to her robes and turned to face the irate girl, clearly unimpressed by the hairbrush that had been shoved in her face.
"Take it back or what," Camille challenged, arching a single brow.
"Come off it, Priya," chided Finley, neatly plucking the hairbrush from Priya's fingers as she passed between the pair on her way from the bathroom. "Your blood's as pure as blood can get. Fine, we get it, but you dunna need ta go rubbin' our noses in it every minute of the day."
Priya's dark cheeks flushed and grabbing her toothbrush she made a hasty retreat to the bathroom.
"You didn't have to do that you know," Camille said as she pulled her nightgown over her head. "I could have taken her."
"I didna say you couldn't," Finley pointed out as she looped her tie around her shirt collar, "but we're goin' ta be spendin' an entire year together. Best we learn to get along sooner rather than later. Besides, Priya's not so bad once she gets ta know yeh. She just comes off as snobbish in the beginnin' because she's self-conscious."
"Yeah, well if she keeps it up she's going to be unconscious," Camille growled, hopping on one foot as she put on her second sock. "Nice or not."
Finley smiled and shook her head.
"How many brothers do you have, Camille?"
"Three," Camille answered, weaving her hair into an untidy plait. "And it's Cam. Why do you ask?"
"Because when you have sisters fist fighting isn't your first response to conflict," Tess offered helpfully, laughing when Cam stuck out her tongue. "Hey, that wasn't a criticism, just an observation."
"It's not always true, either," countered Zhen as she discreetly tucked Kero into the inner pocket of her school robes. "My aunt Yelan had quadruplets, all of them girls, and their fights have come to blows more than once."
"I could not live in a house with that many girls," Cam pronounced, fighting with her tie. "I'd either kill them or myself."
"You do realize you're now living with six girls," Marcia pointed out as she twisted her long brown hair and deftly pinned it in a bun at the nape of her neck. "Some of us might find that offensive."
"Then some of us can shove it," snapped Cam. "Damn this tie!"
"Language, Cam," Tess chided with a smile, rescuing Cam's tie from the floor where Cam had hurled it. "Why not just ask for help?"
Zhen shook her head, pinning the bun for her second pigtail as she watched Tess attempt to help a struggling Cam who was now vehemently insisting that she didn't need to wear a tie at all. Ming, having abandoned his exploration of her trunk, sent the pair a withering look and curled up in front of Zhen's pillows.
"She's going to keep life interesting for us, isn't she," Finley predicted, sliding her books into her rucksack. "Especially with Priya around to wind her up."
"I don't think she needs anyone to wind her up," Zhen observed as she stepped into her skirt. "She's currently having an argument with her tie."
Finley laughed, fastened the latch on her rucksack and slid her robes over her shoulders. She hefted her pack onto her left shoulder and then paused, glancing at Zhen. She waited until Zhen had finished buttoning her shirt and then held out her right hand.
"My name's Finley, by the way, Finley Stewart. I don't think we were actually introduced last night."
Zhen smiled and shook Finley's hand, stifling the reflex eleven years in a traditional Chinese family had instilled her which told her she should be bowing.
"Zhen Li, it's nice to meet you Finley." Zhen glanced at the girl's bag. "You headed to the Great Hall already?"
Finley nodded and grinned.
"I told my friend Sully I'd meet him in the common room about now. We grew up on the same street and used ta walk ta our tutor's house together. It's a tradition o' sorts and we thought we should at least walk to breakfast together on our first day here at Hogwarts too."
"I think you mentioned him last night," Zhen said as she stepped into her shoes. "Maybe I'll see you both in class then."
"Definitely, we can even sit together if you'd like."
Zhen smiled and nodded, her fear of not making friends having evaporated as the morning progressed.
"I'd like that very much."
"See you then," Finley called over her shoulder as she crossed the busy room to the door, stepping aside quickly when it swung in from the hallway. "Sorry."
"My fault," said Hermione. "Is Zhen still here?"
"Aye, but enter at your own risk," Finley warned as she stepped past Hermione into the hallway. "Cam and Priya have been at it since their eyes opened."
"Have not," argued Priya, trailing after Finley. "Besides, I was provoked."
Zhen shook her head unable to hear Finley's mild reply as the door swung closed behind them. Carefully navigating the minefield that had formed at the foot of Cam's bed Hermione made her way to Zhen, plopping down on the foot of her bed with a smile.
"Thought you might like a guide to breakfast," she said, glancing at the watch on her left wrist. "We've got a few minutes before we need to head out though, so there's no rush."
Zhen noted that in spite of Hermione's assurance that she didn't need to hurry the older girl was twitching. Hermione clearly liked to be early for things as Harry had told Zhen the night before she wouldn't need to leave the tower until quarter past eight and it was barely eight o'clock. Slipping into her robes Zhen grabbed her rucksack, pleased she'd thought to pack it the night before or Hermione might have exploded in the time it took her to fill it.
"I'm ready to go now if you are," Zhen said, biting her lip to stifle her giggles when Hermione sprang to her feet. "Do you mind if I check with the other girls and see if they want to come?"
Much more relaxed now that she was in motion Hermione shook her head.
"Of course not."
"Do any of you want help finding the Great Hall?" Tess looked up from her rucksack while Marcia glanced at Zhen's reflection in the mirror she was using to apply pale pink eye shadow. Cam continued to shove her books into her school bag. "Hermione's a third year and she's offered to show us the way."
"You are my hero," proclaimed Cam, cramming her parchment and quills into her backpack with a force that made Hermione wince. "I can't tell up from down in this place."
"I'd love to come too," said Tess, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "I kept hoping one of the prefects would come around with a map last night and when they didn't I had nightmares about missing breakfast."
Hermione chuckled.
"You get used to it," Hermione assured her. "By the end of the first week you'll know your way around enough that you won't be missing meals at least, although I've been here three years and I still get lost finding some of the classrooms."
"That doesn't bode well for me," said Zhen with a grimace. "As my cousin loves to remind me, I'm directionally challenged. I can get lost in the market in my home town."
"If you do get lost, you should talk to the paintings," advised Hermione. "Some of them are really arrogant, but others are really quite helpful." Hermione glanced at Marcia who had moved on to lip-gloss. "Are we ready then?"
"Marcia? You coming," asked Tess.
"No thanks, I'm sure I'll find my way."
"Right then, if the rest of you are ready we can head out," announced Hermione. "I can't wait to see our schedules. They'll hand them out at breakfast."
Cam made a gagging motion with her finger down her throat, clearly upset by Hermione's unabashed exuberance regarding school. Tess nudged her pointedly with her elbow and Cam rolled her eyes, but ceased her mimicry. Hermione glanced over her shoulder at the pair as they reached the bottom of the spiral staircase.
"My name is Hermione Granger, by the way. I think Zhen may have mentioned that, but I didn't catch your names."
"Sorry, Hermione, that would be my fault," said Zhen. "These are my roommates Tess Dewhurst and Camille – Sorry Cam, but I don't remember your last name."
"No worries," Cam assured her with an easy smile. "It's Alden, Cam Alden. You might have heard of my brother Nate. He's a couple of years ahead of you in Hufflepuff."
Hermione pursed her lips.
"Nathaniel Alden? Is he one of the Hufflepuff beaters?"
Cam grinned.
"Yup, that's him. Do you like quidditch, Hermione?"
The bushy-haired third year shook her head.
"No, sorry, but my friend Harry is seeker for the Gryffindor team and another of my friends Ron is an avid follower of it. To be honest I've never seen the appeal, although that may be in large part due to the fact that I'm terrified of flying."
"Muggleborn," Cam inquired good-naturedly as they followed Hermione down the seventh floor corridor toward the stairs. Hermione nodded. "A lot of muggleborns have trouble adjusting to the idea of flying without being in a plane. Not that I can say I blame them. If someone came up to me at eleven years old and told me I was meant to swim underwater without any scuba gear I'd pitch a fit."
"Are you muggleborn as well," Zhen asked, genuinely curious. "Most purebloods have never heard of a plane or scuba diving."
Cam shook her head.
"No, but my dad's one and I spend most of my summers with his parents."
"Just to prove my ignorance, can someone explain to the lacking pureblood what planes and scooping gear are and what they have to do with flying and swimming?" Tess blinked when her three companions laughed. "What did I say?"
The rest of their trek to the Great Hall was spent explaining muggle flying machines and the concept of scuba diving to Tess who was fascinated, particularly by the diving gear as she was an avid swimmer. Hermione was very knowledgeable both about planes and diving, something Zhen was beginning to expect from the older girl. It seemed Hermione was knowledgeable about everything, although Zhen noticed the more the older girl relaxed the less know-it-all her explanations sounded. She'd just finished her explanation of an oxygen tank – with Zhen and Cam interjecting occasionally – when they reached the Entrance Hall. It was the first thing Zhen recognized from her trek up to Gryffindor Tower the night before in spite of the fact she'd made a concerted effort to pay attention to her surroundings both trips.
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to run some sort of a ferry service for me, Hermione," Zhen asked as they crossed the Entrance Hall. "I don't think I know any more where I'm going now than I did the first trip."
Hermione smiled.
"You'll get the hang of it Zhen, don't worry."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something else, but was drowned out by a roar of raucous laughter coming from the table Zhen remembered as belonging to the Slytherins. Draco Malfoy was at its epicentre, gesticulating enthusiastically and glancing pointedly at the Gryffindor table as he swooned dramatically. His onlookers laughed again, one or two not so quiet comments audible over the din even from the doorway. Zhen glanced at Hermione, knowing she hadn't mistaken the name Potter when she saw the older girl's grim expression.
"If you'll all excuse me," Hermione managed through clenched teeth, her clipped tone barely civil. "See you later, Zhen."
Zhen watched as Hermione made a beeline for Harry who was sitting to the right of one of the Weasley twins, his frame rigid as the Slytherins continued to hurl insults at him.
"Hey Li!" Zhen's head turned reflexively toward the Slytherins who had finally taken note of her arrival. "Do you think you can make it to the table by yourself or do you need someone to carry you?"
At the Gryffindor table Harry, Hermione, and the two Weasley brothers turned to look at her, the boys clearly just realizing she was there as the Slytherins exploded with laughter once more. She caught a flicker of sympathy in Harry's stony green eyes, but it turned quickly to surprise as Cam stepped in front of Zhen protectively.
"Oi! Keep your fangs in your mouths you lot of snakes. I don't appreciate having venom spewed all over my toast." Cam's voice carried clearly over the Great Hall, the Slytherins having been shocked into silence by such a fearless first year. "Do you not have enough puppies and kittens to torment you've got to start picking on us first years?"
A snicker of approval rose from the three other tables as the Slytherins stood staring dumbly at Cam. With a nod of dismissal Cam took Zhen by the shoulder and steered her to the far end of the Gryffindor table where Priya and Finley were seated with a couple of boys their age. Cam sat with a thud on the bench, her set jaw clearly conveying her annoyance as she reached for a plate of toast with one hand and a plate of sausages with the other.
"Are you crazy, Cam," hissed Tess as they sat. "They were all at least two years older than you and twice your size. Do you really want to make trouble with them on the first day?"
"I don't like bullies," Cam managed around a mouthful of eggs.
"Clearly you don't like common sense either," Priya commented archly, "Or you'd have enough to realize that tangling with the snakes is a bad idea."
"Priya, Cam, stop," Finley interjected quickly, seeming to sense Cam's rebuttal was forthcoming. With a sigh Finley turned to look at Zhen who to this point had sat motionlessly between Tess and Cam. "Zhen, are you alrigh'? It was you they were makin' fun of after all."
Both Priya and Cam softened at this, abandoning their glaring match to glance at Zhen. Zhen blinked, surprised to find everyone suddenly looking at her. She felt her cheeks flush and nodded, reaching for the plate of fried eggs in front of her.
"I'm okay, Finley," she assured the Irish girl, "Really."
Finley nodded, but her blue eyes were doubtful as she turned to the boy sitting to her left, correctly assuming that Zhen would appreciate a change of topic.
"Zhen, this is the friend I told you about, Sullivan Murray. Everyone calls him Sully." The boy nodded, smiling as he chewed the half sausage he'd just stuffed in his mouth. "Discountin' his table manners, he's really quite nice."
Sully swallowed and elbowed Finley good-naturedly.
"Aye, and you're as flawless as the good Saint Patrick 'imself."
"Saint who," queried Priya from Finley's other side.
"Saint Patrick," Sully repeated. "A muggle saint who got 'imself famous in Ireland for one thing or another." Sully shovelled a forkful of eggs into his mouth and swallowed. "I never was much good wit' muggle studies."
"Ah, finally, a kindred spirit," chimed Tess as she sliced her sausage. "Zhen and the others spent the entire trip downstairs telling me about airplanes and scuba divers. I'm beginning to sense that wizards' perspectives of muggles may be slightly skewed."
Zhen smiled as Cam began diatribe condemning wizard prejudices, during which Priya looked decidedly uncomfortable. Having envisioned herself sitting alone for meals Zhen appreciated being surrounded by other students, but in spite of herself she found her eyes flicking to the Slytherin table between bites. She'd been made fun of by some of the members of the other clans in Hong Kong. They had resented Zhen's position as the niece of the Li clan's head, Yelan. They'd called her princess and found endless ways to imply she was stuck up or spoiled.
Yet, the taunts had never bothered Zhen because no matter what they said, she knew it wasn't true. The same could not be said of the barbs the Slytherins had stuck her with. She had fainted and she had needed to be carried off the train and out of the carriage. In fact she'd broadcasted as much to Draco when he'd made fun of Harry, a rash decision she was beginning to regret as the Slytherins continued to snigger over their plates, their glances volleying back and forth between Zhen and Harry.
"Zhen?" Zhen jumped when Tess waved her hand in front of Zhen's face. "I asked if you're ready to go. We thought we should head out a little early in case we have trouble finding the classroom."
Zhen looked down at her full plate, but couldn't force herself to take a bite as her stomach twisted and curled under her ribs uncomfortably. Instead, she quickly drained her milk, tucking a muffin into the pocket where she could feel Kero squirming, and nodded. The others stood, grabbing their bags from under the benches as a tall boy with sandy hair called out to Cam. As he drew closer Zhen noted that he had Cam's hazel eyes and a Hufflepuff tie and decided he must be Cam's brother, Nathanial.
"Hey Squirt," he greeted with a grin, ruffling Cam's already untidy hair. "See you're as shy as ever."
"Why would coming to Hogwarts change the fact that I speak my mind," Cam quipped with a grin. "I never mess with a good thing."
Nathanial chuckled.
"I know you don't, Squirt, but a word of brotherly advice?" Nathanial's expression had grown more serious and Cam's expression shifted to match as she nodded. "Steer clear of the Slytherins, especially Malfoy and his lot, and especially when the professors are around. They aren't fond of us engaging in inter-house rivalries, although I've noticed they don't do much to discourage it." Nathanial shook his head, his grin returning as he slung his arm over his little sister's shoulders. "Just be careful, all right? I don't want to have Mum sending me a howler for having hexed a bunch of snakes to protect your honour, kapeesh?"
Cam laughed.
"Kapeesh."
"Good, now that's settled what about introducing me to your new friends? Got to make sure they're of good character," Nathaniel teased, pinching Cam's cheek. "I did promise Mum to look after her baby girl and all that nonsense."
Cam rolled her eyes, but introduced them anyway.
"Everyone, this annoying bloke is my brother, Nathaniel. You can all call him Nate or jerkwad, whichever strikes your fancy." Cam ducked her brother's half-hearted blow with ease, grinning as Zhen and the others snickered at the elder boy. "Nate, this is Priya Parvine, Finley Stewart, Sully something or other and – sorry don't remember your name – Cam paused for breath allowing Sully's dormmate Jared Ross to supply his name. "And over here we have Tess Dewhurst and Zhen Li."
Nate greeted them all good-naturedly, nodding at Zhen.
"You're the one the Slytherins are having such a time about, is that right, Zhen?" Zhen nodded silently at the elder boy, glancing reflexively at the Slytherin table. Nate reached out and ruffled her hair much as he had Cam's earlier. "Chin up firstie, the Slytherins will get theirs someday."
Zhen smiled, heartened by Nate's optimism.
"Thanks."
"No worries. I'd pick the worst of the lions over any one of those slimy snakes any day. They can be a right pain." Nate glanced at his watch. "However, I'll be in a right amount of pain if I'm not to class on time. McGonagall's no Snape, but she's a sharp lady that one. Reckon I've still got time to show you all the way to your first class though. Where are you off to?"
"Charms," Priya supplied and the others looked at her, surprised. She blushed. "Professor McGonagall handed me the schedules on my way in. I forgot to give them to you. Sorry."
"All right, Charms it is then," boomed Nate with a grin. "All you lot here? Or do we need to pick up some of your fellow firsties on the way?"
"The rest of the lads have left already," said Sully, standing on his toes to see down the benches along the Gryffindor table. "Must've decided to go it on their own."
"Marcia still hasn't come down from the tower," Cam observed with a dismissive snort, "But what about that other girl? What was her name?"
Zhen blinked, realizing she hadn't given the girl a second thought since she and Kero nearly woke her.
"Emily," Zhen supplied, scanning the Great Hall. "She sleeps next to me, but I haven't seen her all morning."
"Then I'm afraid she'll have to fend for herself along with all the other firsties," declared Nate, striding toward the doors to the Great Hall. "Muggles might not leave men behind in war, but it's every man for himself when dealing with Minerva McGonagall. Off we go!"
"Come off it, Ron. Really, who are you going to believe," challenged Hermione sourly. "Professor McGonagall – a perfectly reasonable and respected witch – or this Trelawney, who if you ask me, seems to have tipped off her trolley."
"You're just upset because she said you were no good at Divination," snapped Ron. Harry said nothing, but a small part of him wanted to agree with the redhead, to be precise, the part of him that was hoping to live to see his majority. "You just can't stand taking a class where you can't memorize the textbook and ace it."
Hermione's cheeks reddened, her lips white, as she pressed them together in a frightening imitation of Professor McGonagall.
"I just don't think it's proper for professors to go about predicting a student's doom," she clarified tightly. "Think about how that must make poor Harry feel."
"You know," Harry interjected morosely, "if you really wanted to know how that makes poor Harry feel you could just ask him. He is sitting right here."
Both Ron and Hermione's cheeks flushed at that, but Harry found little satisfaction in their discomfort. Logically, he knew that Hermione and Professor McGonagall were probably right. Trelawney had seemed more like a candidate for a madhouse than a professor. He just couldn't let go of the fact that she had predicted Neville breaking his first cup – not that Neville being clumsy was rare. Then there was that massive black dog he'd seen leaving the Dursley's the first of August. He'd tried to convince himself through all of Transfiguration that it had been his imagination, but he knew what he'd seen. There had been a dog, whether it was a Grim or not.
"Mate?"
Harry looked up from his bowl of stew to find Ron studying him with a rather ill expression. Ron certainly believed in the Grim, Harry thought bitterly, and apparently he thought it was out to kill Harry.
"I'm fine, Ron. You don't have to worry," Harry assured his friend, inwardly wincing at his surly tone as he scooped a lump of potato out of his bowl. "I'm not going to be dropping dead any time soon."
"Why on earth would you do that?" Harry glanced up, both surprised and pleased when Zhen took the empty space on the bench to his left. "I wanted to check and see if all that Slytherin nonsense from this morning was still bothering you, but if you're contemplating suicide I think I know the answer. Not that I can't relate."
Harry watched as the younger girl took a bowl of stew, her narrowed eyes fixed on the horde of Slytherins across the hall that was sniggering in her direction. She looked as bad-tempered as Harry felt.
"Are they still giving you problems, Zhen," asked Hermione, passing her a roll. "I'd hoped they'd leave you alone after your friend's rather ferocious tongue-lashing."
"No kidding," agreed Ron, his eyes wide. "She's as much of a spitfire as Ginny and that's saying something."
"Well, apparently it takes more than an irate first year to cow a crowd of Slytherins," Zhen muttered, stabbing at a carrot with her spoon. Abandoning her spoon with a huff and resting her head in the palm of her hand Zhen swivelled slightly on the bench so she that was looking at Harry. "You know, I'm beginning to regret sticking up for you, Harry Potter."
Harry snorted.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm beginning to regret being me, period." Harry sighed wistfully. "I think I'm going to leave Hogwarts, go somewhere secluded, and tropical. A deserted island maybe, where there are no Slytherins and no soused professors predicting my doom in a teacup."
Zhen blinked.
"I think I missed something there."
"We had our first Divination class this morning," Hermione explained, not looking up from the Arithmancy text balanced against the pitcher in front of her. "We were reading tea leaves and after seeing Harry's our professor is convinced he's going to die. Some nonsense about a great black dog or something."
"The Grim," Ron cut in vehemently, "and it's not nonsense."
"It wouldn't be so bad if she hadn't convinced everyone else of it too," Harry continued, ignoring Ron and glaring at Lavender and Pavarti as they whispered far too loudly about poor Harry's imminent death. "It just makes the whole thing with the Slytherins seem that much worse."
Harry returned to his stew, scooping a lump of beef into his mouth. It wasn't until he reached for his cup that he realized Zhen was studying him with an unnerving intensity. It was exactly the expression he'd expected to see her wearing after she realized he was the boy-who-lived. He wondered absently if it was possible for there to be a delayed reaction to such things and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling ill at ease with the girl for the first time since they'd met. When she spoke abruptly a few seconds later, he was so unnerved he nearly dropped his cup.
"You're not going to die, Harry," she said with an undeniable air of certainty, "at least not any time soon."
"And just how would you know that," Ron demanded, his expression one of mistrust. "You some sort of seer or something?"
Zhen straightened and turned to face Ron across the table.
"No, I'm not a seer, but death is one of the most difficult things to predict. Only the most skilled seers can see it and I don't think seeing a dog in a blot of tea leaves is enough to prove that Harry's going to die." Harry slumped against the table in relief. Now it was two against one, Hermione and Zhen against Ron. Surely that must somehow work in his favour. "Besides," Zhen continued, "his aura doesn't suggest he's going to die."
Harry froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth. Across the table Ron's pumpkin juice was dribbling down his chin and Hermione looked up sharply from her book. Zhen glanced between the three, fidgeting as they stared at her.
"W-what did I say?"
Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione, trying to ensure it wasn't his magical ignorance that made Zhen's statement seem off. Hermione shook her head slightly and Ron mouthed the word barking, tipping his head in the small girl's direction. Zhen scowled.
"All right you three, out with it," she commanded with a startling amount of authority. "So far today I've been harassed by snakes, goggled by Hufflepuffs, looked down on by Ravenclaws, and ostracized by my own roommates. Hence I'm sitting with you instead of them, by the way. Cam's the only one of them willing to be seen with me. I'm tired, I'm cranky, and I would really appreciate it if the only three people in this entire school that knew me before I was toted about by one of my professors like a rag doll would stop staring at me like I'm suddenly sporting wings and a beak!"
Harry couldn't have told anyone specifically what element of Zhen's unexpected fit of temper was so amusing. In fact, having spent the morning in similar circumstances he probably shouldn't have found it funny at all. But he did and there was nothing for it. What started as a muffled snicker soon morphed into gales of laughter that had his eyes watering and his sides aching. Ron and Hermione fared little better. Even Zhen was smiling as Harry fought valiantly to regain his self-control.
"I-I'm sorry, Zhen," Hermione gasped, "We shouldn't be laughing. It's really not funny. You've had a horrible morning. It's just, you sounded so much like Harry that I couldn't help it."
"Hey! I do not sound like that," protested Harry, a residual grin from his laughing fit still in place.
"Sorry, mate, but you do," Ron insisted, chuckling. "I mean think of all that's happened in the last two years. Now first day back you've been tormented by Slytherins, told you're going to die by one of our professors, and that's ignoring that you have some sort of deranged lunatic out to kill you. I didn't think I'd ever meet someone with your kind of luck and here she is sitting right next to you."
"Maybe it would be safer if we kept you two apart," said Hermione. "I'm not sure Hogwarts can survive the two of you together."
Harry glanced at Zhen, grinning at the younger girl who smiled widely in return. Yes, Harry thought absently, he definitely preferred it when Zhen was smiling.
"Is it safe to ask what put you three in such a gormless state before my little tantrum," Zhen inquired, buttering a roll. "I'm still confused about that part."
Harry's smile dimmed slightly, his eyes quickly meeting Hermione's. His friend nodded.
"Zhen, you said that Harry's aura didn't suggest he was going to die," Hermione prompted gently. Zhen nodded in agreement. "How would you know?"
"I've been able to see auras for as long as I can remember," Zhen explained with a shrug. "Can't some of your yearmates see them?"
Harry shook his head and Zhen frowned.
"Actually, I don't know of anyone who can do that, well except maybe Trelawney," said Harry and Hermione snorted derisively. Zhen looked worriedly between the three. It was clear she'd never considered that seeing auras wasn't something common at Hogwarts. "Maybe some of the other professors can though or some of the kids in the other houses," Harry suggested, hoping to cheer her somewhat. "I mean, it's not as though I've asked them about it."
Harry didn't think Zhen looked particularly comforted by that thought and he reapplied himself to his lunch as the younger girl stirred her stew glumly. He glanced at Ron, but couldn't bring himself to break the awkward silence that had fallen. Ron apparently had no such qualms.
"You know, Harry," he mused, "maybe you should keep her around after all." Harry glared at his friend, certain Ron's train of thought was headed in the wrong direction as Zhen eyed the redhead warily. Ron grinned at her. "No, seriously, think of how many times Harry's nearly got himself killed. With you around, we'll be able to relax a little bit. You can just check his aura and we'll know whether he's going to make it out of whatever scrape he's gotten himself into."
Zhen smiled uncertainly and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, Ron, Zhen does not want to be turned into some sort of Harry-danger detector."
In spite of her disdain the corners of Hermione's lips twitched briefly upwards and soon all four of them were in hysterics. Harry didn't even notice Professor Lupin approaching until the man sat beside him on the bench.
"I'm glad to see you are all in better spirits today," he greeted warmly, reaching past Harry for a biscuit. "I don't have you or Zhen in class today Harry and I wanted to check and make sure you were both doing all right."
"We are, Professor," Harry assured the man, oddly touched that he cared enough to check on them. He'd never had an adult care enough to check on him before. "Thanks."
Professor Lupin stood with a nod.
"Come and see me if either of you need anything, all right?" Harry and Zhen nodded. "I don't relish the thought of what your fathers would do to me if they discovered I let something happen to you. James was bad enough, but he and Richard together would be enough to put me in an early grave, not to mention your mother Zhen." Professor Lupin glanced at his watch. "I've got to get a move on. You all might want to do the same. Class starts in ten minutes."
"Thanks, Professor," Harry called as the man strode toward the door, waving back at them as he popped the last of his biscuit into his mouth.
"He seems so nice," observed Hermione, "I can't wait to have class with him."
"I'm just hoping he doesn't try to kill me," Harry muttered, only half joking as he stood and pulled his rucksack from under the bench. "He'd be the first DADA professor I've had that didn't have it in for me."
"You ask me, mate, he seems more concerned with keeping you safe than wanting to kill you," said Ron. "I'm not sure anyone's that good an actor."
"I'm sure you'll be fine, Harry," Zhen assured him, slipping a roll into her robe pocket. Harry caught the action and arched a brow. Zhen blushed. "I have problems with my blood sugar. I have to have something to eat between classes."
"Here, take this too then," Hermione instructed passing Zhen an apple. "The last thing you need is to faint again today. Malfoy would never let you hear the end of it."
Zhen grimaced, tucking the apple into her pocket.
"Thanks, Hermione."
"No problem," Hermione assured her with a smile. "We've got class outside this afternoon so we'd probably better go, but you're welcome to come and sit with us at supper if your roommates are still avoiding you."
Zhen beamed, thanking Hermione and waving goodbye to he and Ron as she started up the marble staircase to try her hand at finding her History of Magic classroom. Harry followed Ron and Hermione out the front doors and onto the grounds, pleased to see that Zhen and Hermione seemed to be getting on so well. Ron was more of a mixed bag, vacillating between liking the girl, not speaking to her, and treating her like an intruder. He'd ignored her for most of the train ride, helped her into the castle, belittled her in the common room last night, and then just now applauded her for being some kind of danger-detector. It was like watching a muggle tennis match. He just hoped when the game was over, Ron would be okay with Zhen being around.
Harry hadn't yet spent a great deal of time with Zhen, but he felt a strange connection to her. He wondered if it was because of what Lian and Professor Lupin had told them about their fathers being friends. Or maybe it was because she hadn't freaked when she'd found out that he was the boy-who-lived. Or because they had both passed out when the dementors boarded the train. Or because the Slytherins were harassing her. Or because she'd been sorted into his house. Or maybe it was all of those reasons.
Harry decided he'd probably never figure it out, but he was pleased nonetheless. He'd spent the first ten years of his life without any friends at all and even at Hogwarts the only people he could honestly call his friends were Hagrid, Hermione, and Ron. It was certainly more than he'd ever had and he was undeniably grateful. Still, it wouldn't be so bad to be able to add another name to his list.
"Satisfied, Minerva?" The chafed baritone made Minerva flinch, drawing her attention away from the Gryffindor table. Remus Lupin smiled. "You know I'm quite enjoying getting to know this side of you, Minerva. As a student I never doubted you cared. However, I'm beginning to realize that I severely underestimated just how much you cared."
Minerva pursed her lips, feeling uncomfortably exposed. In spite of the fact she'd had both Harry and Zhen for classes today and objectively knew they were fine, she was worried. There were worse things than dementors hunting both children and she couldn't rid herself of the nagging belief they were in danger every waking moment, a belief that was making her older than her years.
She had, however, believed she was being discreet, inspecting the two lions over her plate from her seat at the Head Table. Apparently her discretion was not enough to escape the notice of Hogwarts' newest Defence professor. Remus had always been an observant student. Apparently it was a trait the years had not altered.
"Would it really be so bad to let them know," he enquired softly, sipping his tea. "To show them how much you care?"
"I am not here to be their mother or their friend, Remus," Minerva replied tersely, mentally squelching the voice in her head reminding her that she referred to the students of Hogwarts as her children. "We must be professional or we lose their respect as an instructor."
Remus took another sip of tea, his eyes fixed on a raven-haired boy at the Gryffindor table.
"You know, my favourite professor while I was here was Professor Quillshire. She seemed old at the time as I was only in my second year, but she must have been barely 25, just finished her mastery." Minerva glanced at the younger wizard curiously, wondering where this was going. "She was a very good teacher, one of the few good defence teachers we ever had, and I never felt more cared for by a teacher than I did by her. Care to guess why?"
Minerva sighed, feeling very much like she was having a conversation with Albus Dumbledore. Remus knew precisely where this conversation was going and Minerva was very much lost. It wasn't that she didn't remember Professor Quillshire. Remus was right in stating she was one of the few capable DADA professors Hogwarts had managed to hire in recent years, a bright spot amid the gloom. She'd been young, enthusiastic, and had been a favourite of all the students. A small part of Minerva doubted the fact she was beautiful had hurt her chances with the boys of Hogwarts, although she had been married to a rather imposing auror who'd visited on several occasions. In fact, her husband was as well liked as she was, so it likely wasn't her looks. Moreover, Minerva doubted looks would have endeared Professor Quillshire to a bookworm like Remus Lupin, even as a teen.
"I haven't the foggiest," she finally admitted. "Care to explain?"
Remus chuckled, unbothered by having his question turned back on him.
"She called me by my first name."
Minerva blinked, certain she'd misheard.
"I'm sorry?"
"She called me and everyone else she taught by their first names," he repeated and Minerva scowled, finding his explanation lacking. Remus merely smiled and continued unperturbed. "We spend seven years here. Some of you teach us from the moment we enter those doors. Yet, the first time you called me by my name was yesterday." Minerva opened her mouth, a befuddled apology on her lips, but Remus held up his hand. "It's not a criticism, Minerva. It's the way children have been taught for decades and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. I just know that being away from home for ten months of the year, it meant everything to me to hear an adult call me by name. It made Hogwarts feel a little bit more like home and for some students this place is the closest thing to home they'll ever have."
Minerva said nothing. There really was nothing she could say to such an open and honest confession. She'd never thought of such a thing before. Glancing at the young man beside her she smiled softly.
"Am I to assume then, Professor Lupin, that you will be addressing your students by their given names?"
Remus smiled into his teacup, but said nothing. Smile still in place, Minerva wordlessly added a helping of meat to the younger man's plate. He glanced at her curiously, but she merely arched a brow, silently daring him to leave his plate unfinished. Nodding sheepishly, Remus applied himself to his dinner, glancing up when Severus took the empty seat to his left.
"Severus, I was hoping I'd see you," Remus greeted warmly. "I wanted to see how young Draco is doing. I understand he was involved in a bit of an incident during Hagrid's class."
"Then one would suppose your anonymous sources have also informed you that the injury is not a life threatening one," Severus answered snidely. Minerva caught his eye, glaring reprovingly. Clenching his teeth as if it pained him to do so, Severus continued in a more neutral tone. "Poppy has tended to him and says he may return to class sometime tomorrow."
Remus smiled.
"I'm glad to hear it," he said heartily. "It's a shame it had to take place on Hagrid's first day teaching though."
Severus snorted, but glancing at Minerva said nothing. Minerva frowned, inwardly seething at the potion master's petulant behaviour. Perhaps the infamous Marauders had done him ill as a schoolboy, but Severus was now a grown man acting as a schoolboy. To Minerva's mind it was particularly unbecoming in a man as skilled and intelligent as Severus.
Dabbing at her mouth with a napkin she pushed her chair back and stood.
"If you'll excuse me, I have a few things to prepare for tomorrow's classes." She nodded at Remus' farewell and glowered pointedly at Severus behind Remus' back. "Good evening to you both."
She strode from the Head Table, trying to temper her frustration with Severus as she approached a pair of first years that were still lingering at the Gryffindor table. Most of the other students had left the Great Hall, but Zhen and her companion Miss Alden seemed in no hurry as they sat cross-legged on one of the benches talking animatedly. Miss Alden noticed her approach first.
"Hello Professor McGonagall," she greeted with a smile. "We were just talking about the homework for your class. Zhen's trying to explain to me where I went wrong with my matchstick."
"I would have thought your common room or the library a more appropriate place for homework," Minerva answered, deliberately avoiding the topic of Miss Alden's abysmal first attempts at transfiguration. "You might find talking with your other yearmates helpful. No two people will approach transfiguration in exactly the same way."
Miss Alden snorted and Minerva arched a brow inquiringly.
"They're still being twits because of the Slytherins teasing Zhen," Miss Alden explained crossly. "We decided to stay down here for a bit."
"Is that all right, Professor McGongall," asked Zhen. "Are we allowed to be here?"
"So long as at least one of the professors is present, yes, you may stay here," Minerva answered, her frustration with Severus flaring again. He really did give his snakes far too much latitude. "However, I wondered if I could have a few minutes of your time, Miss Li. You have inherited you father's gift for transfiguration and I wanted to speak with you about some of the possibilities that opens up for you in your studies."
Zhen's cheeks turned a pale shade of red, but she nodded wordlessly, glancing at Miss Alden.
"Meet you up in the common room?"
Miss Alden nodded, grabbing her bag and Zhen's as she stood.
"Sure thing. It'll give me time to straighten out the rest of those pansies, remind them they're lions not mice."
Minerva nearly lost her stern expression at that, watching with carefully masked amusement as one of her newest lions made her way to the marble staircase.
"Am I to understand that some of the other students have been giving you a hard time then, Miss Li," Minerva said quietly, gesturing for Zhen to follow as she led the way out of the Great Hall. "You should have said something after class."
"They've let it go since Draco was hurt," Zhen answered with a shrug. "I think now they're just scared of me attracting the older students' attention."
Minerva nodded as they made their way up the first of several sets of stairs leading to the seventh floor.
"Then I can understand why Miss Alden is unbothered by spending time with you." Zhen glanced up at her, smiling shyly. "She draws enough attention all by herself."
"Yes M'am, she does," Zhen agreed, her smile widening. "Although her brother has already warned her it could get her into trouble."
"Mister Alden is a prefect," informed Minerva. "It is his job to try and keep students out of trouble."
Zhen nodded and Minerva said nothing more as they traversed the last four sets of stairs to the seventh floor. Her desire to talk to Zhen had nothing to do with transfiguration – although the girl was gifted – and theirs was a conversation unsuited for public corridors. They had nearly reached their destination when Zhen spoke up, her expression one of unease.
"You don't really want to talk to me about transfiguration do you, Professor?"
Minerva shook her head shortly and stopped. Zhen gazed up at her expectantly. Glancing quickly in both directions Minerva cast a few spells to ensure their privacy before turning to Zhen. Zhen had taken a step back and stood with her hand fisted around her necklace, eying Minerva warily. Minerva frowned.
"The spells were to guarantee our privacy, Miss Li. In Hogwarts even the walls have ears," Minerva explained gently, eying the troll and his dancing tutor that had stopped to watch from the tapestry opposite them. Zhen relaxed visibly at her explanation and Minerva filed away her concern at Zhen's wariness to consider at a more suitable time. "As I'm sure you remember Miss Li one of the conditions of your attendance here at Hogwarts is that we permit you to continue your martial arts training. However, there exist no proper facilities for such an endeavour on the grounds, which is why we are here."
The young girl blinked owlishly, eyes trailing up and down the corridor before looking back to Professor McGonagall.
"Professor, where exactly is here?"
Minerva permitted a small smile, having never had the opportunity to tell a student about a room that few discovered and even fewer understood. She herself hadn't learned about it until she was a professor. The house elf that had told her about it had called it the come and go room, which Minerva later learned was an informal title for the Room of Requirement.
The Room of Requirement had been a fable during her school years. It was rumoured to hold great treasures left by Hogwarts' founders, mountains of galleons, or the answers for the NEWT examinations, depending on which of her school mates was telling the tale. Of course, it was only later that Minerva realized some of them had found it without even knowing it. Her friend Tilly had found it in the form of a library one night, filled with books on ancient runes when she'd been pacing the halls trying to assemble her final essay for her seventh year class. A boy named Robert from Hufflepuff had found an attic and used it to hide the engagement ring he'd bought for his girlfriend Laurel. Unfortunately, not understanding the mechanics of the room, he never found the ring again. At Dumbledore's suggestion, the Room of Requirement would be made into a training room for Zhen, provided the young girl could properly envision what the room would become.
"Here, Miss Li, is the Room of Requirement. You will likely hear rumours about it from your classmates, although I would imagine their accounts will be lacking at best. Even the headmaster admits he doesn't fully understand its workings, but in essence it is a magical room that given the proper instruction on the part of the one seeking to use it, will become whatever sort of room that person needs. For example, if one had run out of writing supplies one might open the door to find shelves filled with quills, ink, and parchment. It is our hope then that you will be able to shape the room into the training area that you require."
"How do I do that, Professor," Zhen asked, glancing nervously about the corridor. "I don't even see a door."
"I think the best way to approach it would be like transfiguration," advised Minerva, gesturing toward the blank wall in front of them. "You will need to walk past this section of wall here three times, focusing on what type of room you would like to appear, the types of objects that would be found there, the dimensions, etcetera. The more detailed your image of the room, the more likely it will appear as you desire. It may in fact help you to think of a room you already know that would be suitable, perhaps the room you use for training at home.
"However, much like transfiguration it is an exercise in concentration and intent. You must know what you want, focus on it, and then will it to happen much the same way as your matchstick turning into a needle. Once you have created the room that room will appear as it was when you left it the next time you enter. You won't have to go through this every time."
Zhen nodded, glancing at the wall.
"Should I try then?"
Minerva stepped back toward the trolls.
"Go ahead."
Zhen walked down the corridor the way they had come a few paces and then walked the length of empty wall Minerva had indicated three times, the end of her necklace still clutched in her hand. She stopped and for a moment Minerva feared it had been too daunting at task for a first year. She was wrong. A set of sliding paper doors inked with wispy cherry trees and elegant storks in flight shimmered onto the wall of stone. Zhen grinned and looked back at Minerva over her shoulder. Minerva smiled.
"Well done, Miss Li," she praised, amazed by the details the young girl had conjured on the doors. She knew it had been the castle's magic interpreting the young girl's intentions, but it was still impressive. "Shall we take a look inside?"
"Please," Zhen agreed.
Minerva nodded, gesturing for Zhen to enter ahead of her. It was well she did as Minerva stopped abruptly just inside the doors, her mouth agape as she stared at the room. She'd never seen its equal.
Stepping out of her shoes with a faraway smile, Zhen began to explore the room she had created. Minerva couldn't move, but her eyes followed the child. The stone floors of the castle had been replaced with gleaming hardwood and Zhen's socked feet made no sound as she crossed to the top left-hand corner of the room where several cushions were scattered around a five foot tall marble fountain. Further down the same wall an austere stone mantel framed a roaring fire, warming the room even at the doorway where Minerva still stood. Just past the mantel in the corner to Minerva's left two bookshelves stood corner to corner behind a long, low table surrounded by cushions and covered in parchment, brushes, and ink.
However, Zhen was more interested in the corner to Minerva's right. The young girl opened one of the dozen closets and Minerva's knees nearly gave way. The next closet was opened and the next and the next, each one filled with muggle weaponry. There were swords, knives, lances, wooden staves, armour, bows, arrows, and other objects that Minerva couldn't name. Zhen traced her fingers over each, the child's calm making the contents of Minerva's stomach churn dangerously as the gravity of what she was doing struck with violent intensity.
Except for the corners and the mantel the room was empty. Tightly woven reed mats were rolled against the far wall next to targets, padding, and wooden posts. Minerva swallowed, bothered by the realization that the room was empty because it was designed to train a person for war. Mentally, she had understood the concept of muggle martial arts, but seeing it made it different somehow, especially when the person being trained for war was a child that appeared more at ease in a room of weaponry than Minerva had seen her since her arrival.
"Professor, are you all right?"
The sound of a young man's voice made Minerva jump, her hand reaching for her wand until her eyes spotted the small, leonine creature hovering at Zhen's shoulder, his black eyes watching her worriedly. She hadn't even realized the creature was with them. Zhen turned at her guardian's inquiry, her melancholy expression shifting to one of concern as she met Minerva's gaze.
An armchair appeared with a quiet pop beside the fireplace and without a word Minerva strode toward it, determined to reach its cushioned depths before her knees gave out. She did and gave a small sigh of relief as Zhen sat at her feet, Kero perched on her shoulder. The small guardian eyed Minerva with concern.
"Professor, if you don't feel comfortable doing this, you don't have to," he offered quietly. "I'm more than capable of overseeing Zhen's training now that we have somewhere to do it."
"It's not that," Minerva murmured, removing her square spectacles to pinch the bridge of her nose. "It's just not what I expected."
"I can change the room if you like," Zhen suggested quickly. "What would you like to be different?"
"Truthfully," Minerva managed, meeting the girl's warm brown eyes, "I would like for you not to need this room at all. Tell me, Zhen, have you ever used any of those weapons I saw you inspecting."
Zhen nodded. Her expression was much older than any an eleven year old should wear.
"I have used them all in training," she paused, glancing at Kero who nodded, "and some of them to fight."
Minerva's heart broke with such force she swore she heard an audible crack. Then again, it might have been the fire.
"Have you ever," her throat tightened and she had to swallow several times before she managed to steel her nerves enough to continue. "Have you ever killed someone?"
Zhen shook her head and Minerva felt weak with relief.
"But I have seen other people kill and be killed."
"No child should ever see such things," Minerva snapped, her Scottish brogue thick with fury. "It's not right."
"No, Professor, it's not," agreed Kero gravely, "but it happens to a lot of children. Zhen's not the only one."
An image of a year old Harry crying in Hagrid's arms flashed vividly in Minerva's mind and she had to concede that no, Zhen was not the only child whose innocence had been stolen far too early. She had been teaching during the First War. Students had seen parents slaughtered during a trip to the market, watched as their friends were tortured or murdered during a trip to Hogsmeade, and fought to protect themselves and those they loved long before they left the relative safety of Hogwarts. It had been devastating for Minerva to watch her children suffer then, but it seemed so much more cruel now when there wasn't even a war to blame.
"Professor, your classes teach children to fight with magic," said Kero. Minerva opened her mouth to protest, but the small guardian continued. "You may call that class Defence Against the Dark Arts, but I've studied enough of the spells you use to know there is an offensive component, particularly in wizarding duels. You're teaching these kids to protect themselves, to fight for themselves because you know one day you won't be there to protect them. The Li family is doing the same."
Minerva eyed the toy-like guardian with bewilderment, his insight at odds with his appearance.
"Professor?" Minerva turned her attention to the child at her feet. "The Clow Cards, they're here." Minerva blinked numbly as the girl passed her a thin crimson and gold card labelled Windy. It looked a little like an ornate tarot card. "I sealed this one in the Gryffindor common room this morning. There will be more and I want to be able to help protect the other students and teachers. What I learn here will help with that."
Minerva nodded, feeling the return of her resolute constitution. What she did here with Zhen would be no different than teaching a child a disarming spell, a shield charm, or how to cast a stunner. If that child was lucky, they would never need such knowledge outside these walls, but if they ever did Minerva was going to make damn sure they knew how to do it better than anyone else. Minerva replaced her spectacles with renewed composure and returned the card to Zhen.
"Shall we meet here tomorrow morning then," she proposed briskly. "How long do you usually spend training a day?"
"Three hours," Zhen supplied, "but mother said two would suffice while I'm here."
Minerva nodded, permitting a wry smile as she met the child's gaze.
"Good, because I am not about to get out of bed at three in the morning to supervise anything for anyone. Not even Merlin himself." Zhen grinned and allowed Minerva to lead the way to the door. "Shall we plan on five thirty then? That should give you time to return to your dorm, shower, and get breakfast before your first class."
Zhen grimaced, but nodded as she stepped into her shoes.
"Thank you for doing this, Professor." Zhen held open her robe and Kero flew into an inside pocket. "With Sirius Black on the loose, my mum will worry a lot less about me if I'm not training by myself."
"It's only sensible you be supervised," Minerva stated as they stepped back into the empty hallway and the door behind them faded away. "Now, Miss Li I must caution you to keep the whereabouts of this room to yourself. I don't want to hear rumours of students cavorting about in it unsupervised."
"Of course, Professor."
A few minutes later they had arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady. The woman bowed slightly to Minerva who nodded stiffly in return.
"Did this little one get lost, Professor," the portrait asked, eying Zhen with interest. "I always worry about them traipsing about the castle so young."
"Miss Li was simply speaking with me about some of her course work," Minerva replied tartly. Gryffindor's portrait was the greatest gossip in the entire castle. "Fortuna Major."
The portrait swung wide, preventing any further comments from its occupant and Zhen stepped through, waving to Minerva as the portrait snapped shut behind her. Ignoring the renewed chatter of Gryffindor's Fat Lady, Minerva began making her way to the headmaster's office. He would want to know about the appearance of the Clow Cards if he wasn't aware already. Minerva swore sometimes the old codger and the castle were on speaking terms.
However, her thoughts abruptly shifted from the headmaster and his strange ways when she met Harry and his two ever-present compatriots on the sixth floor landing. The trio froze, eying her anxiously.
"And just where is it that you three are coming from at this time of night," she inquired, quickly noting the flush of their cheeks and the dampness of their hair. Her stomach clenched. "I better not find you three were out wandering the grounds after dark. The dementors will not discriminate between you and Black, discounting the fact that Black is on the loose to begin with."
A chorus of 'yes M'am' told Minerva that outside was exactly where they'd been as she shooed them up to the tower. It was nights like this that made Minerva envy Pomona Sprout and her bashful badgers.
Merlin, what she wouldn't give for a glass of firewhiskey.
To be continued...
Sorry we didn't get to Harry's unexpected present. The introduction of Zhen's roommates was much longer than I anticipated, largely due to the fact that I discovered they were much less boring than I expected them to be :P First thing next chapter though I promise!
NEXT – Harry gets an unexpected gift, Malfoy gets an unexpected letter, and Zhen's first flying lesson takes an unexpected turn. Stay tuned! (Next chapter will have more Harry, promise!)
ALSO – Check out my HPverse story - Harry Potter and the Dark Lord's Daughter ~ The stunner Hermione sends at Nott in the Department of Mysteries hits Harry instead, driving him back into the shelves in the Room of Prophecies and knocking him unconscious. When he wakes a short time later he finds a battle being waged around him and is unable to remember who he or anyone else is. Terrified, he runs, only to be found wandering London by a young witch named Moira Carnahan and her muggle family. Isolated from the magical world, Moira and her parents take Harry in unaware of who he is or that the wizarding world is frantically searching for him until Moira sees his picture on the
front of the Daily Prophet. While Harry struggles to come to terms with a past and a destiny he can't remember, Moira's mother struggles with a secret she's kept from her daughter for years, a secret that could put Harry and Moira in even more danger: Moira is Voldemort's
daughter. Both bound irrevocably to Voldemort, Harry and Moira feel a shared obligation to bring an end to his war. The Chosen One and the Dark Lord's daughter – can they rid themselves of the Dark Lord's shadow? And having been forgotten by Harry, will his friends still stand with him against Voldemort? Will the wizarding world forgive them if they do?
