Chapter 7
3rd Person P.O.V.
****First Day at Hogwarts****
When Rikuo woke up in the morning, he could already here people moving about outside of their rooms, so he quickly got up and put on his robes over some of his normal clothes. "Hey Kuro, coming to breakfast?" he questioned the still-sleeping monk.
"Yeah, I'll be down in a moment to talk to the other teachers." Kuro replied, sitting up and starting to get off of his traditional Japanese sleeping mat. The room that the two Japanese had been given resembled the Nura mansion a lot. Rikuo had guessed that it was designed to change according to the occupants and hadn't questioned.
He climbed out of the portrait hole and joined in with the other Gryffindors passing by as they headed to the Main Hall. Once he got there he picked a spot where he could still keep an eye on the Potter boy, though not to close to anyone. You could say that Rikuo, in his human form, was a little shy and didn't want to impose on anyone's private space. However, Hermione had other ideas and soon invited him to sit with her and the two boys.
A girl soon came over and started talking about something called Quidditch. While she talked, Rikuo took the time to look up at the teachers table to see if Kurotabou had showed up yet. He noticed two of the teachers talking, and he vaguely recognized them as Professor Sinistra and Professor Grubbly-Plank from the pictures Dumbledore had shown him of all of the staff. But Kurotabou was not here yet and so he turned back to the conversation the Golden Trio were now having. The mail had come in showering the students in raindrops as the owls shook their feathers. Hermione was reading a paper called The Daily Prophet and Harry was complaining about said paper being rubbish.
Rikuo heard footsteps coming down the table and looked up to see McGonagall handing out the schedules. As she came up to him, she leaned down and whispered "Can you have the one Dumbledore calls the third heir meet me outside tonight? I wish to speak with him."
"Yeah, sure" said Rikuo wondering what she wanted to speak with him about. After she walked off he looked down at the schedule she had given him. History of Magic, double potions, divination, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. If he could remember correctly the professors in charge of these classes were named Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and Umbridge. He had already started to dislike Umbridge just by the feeling she gave off to everyone around her. It felt disgusting, sort of like a toad. He really wasn't looking forward to her class, though the rest seemed slightly interesting and he was getting curious as to what wizards could really do.
He went to History of Magic and found out that the teacher was a ghost and that the class was most definetely the most boring class he had ever attended. He was normally a diligent student but this class, to be frank, bored the hell out of him and he soon started to drift off and daydream about being back home leading his clan, as was his job. As soon as that class was over he joined the Trio as they headed down to the dungeons for potions.
"So, how do you like Britain, Rikuo?" Hermione asked as they walked down the hall.
"It is…interesting…to say the least" he replied.
"Oi, Rikuo where are you staying? I didn't see you in the boy's dorm or the common room this morning, or last night." Ron questioned him. "Yeah, now that you mention it, neither did I" Harry added.
"I am staying in a separate room down the hallway from Gryffindor with Kurotabou."
"Kurotabou? Isn't that the monk's name?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, it is. He came with me from Japan" said Rikuo, a little shocked that she had payed enough attention to the two of them to know Kurotabou's name.
By now they had reached the dungeons and were waiting for the bell to ring signaling that they could go in. The bell rang and Snape let them into the dungeon and they found their seats. He gave a short little speech about what he expected of the students, and then told them to get to work as he put the instructions on the board.
Rikuo was finishing up on his potion when Snape said "A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion" He then walked around the room looking at the potions. When he got to their table he looked at Rikuo's potion and then at Hermione's and said nothing. Then he walked to Harry and glared at him before speaking.
"Potter, what is this supposed to be?"
"The Draught of Peace" Harry replied tensely.
"Tell me Potter" he started "can you read?"
Rikuo could hear Malfoy laughing from the other side of the room.
"Yes, I can" said Harry, and Rikuo could see his fingers tightening around his wand.
"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter" Snape said icily, enjoying picking on The-Boy-Who Lived.
Rikuo could see Harry squinting to see through the multicolored haze and then he started reading, "Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore"
"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?" Snape questioned.
"No" said Harry quietly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"No" said Harry, louder this time. "I forgot the hellebore…"
Snape sneered "I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco." With that Harry's potion disappeared.
Snape then told everyone else to bring their potions to the front of the room. The three then left with Rikuo trailing behind. They went to lunch to eat. Hermione left, saying that she had to go to Arithmancy. Then, it was only Ron, Harry, and Rikuo left.
"Hey could you show me where the Divination classroom is? I'm afraid that I don't know my way around very well." Rikuo asked them.
"Aw…you got Divination too, that class is rubbish" said Ron.
We're heading there now, would you like to just come with us?" offered Harry.
"Sure, thanks guys" Rikuo said enthusiastically.
Ron had been right. The only interesting part of the whole class had been when Trelawney had predicted Rikuo's demise. It had happened as soon as class started. Trelawney walked up to Rikuo, looked him in the eye and said "You will be devoured by the shadows and perish" At this Rikuo just laughed. I mean seriously, he was the Lord of the Night, he ruled the shadows.
Anyway, the rest of class was boring as they tried to predict the future using their dreams. Rikuo didn't have dreams, so this was fairly easy. Divination went quickly and then it was time for Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA for short) with Professor Umbridge, and Rikuo had been right, this woman gave him the creeps wither sugary voice and stuck up attitude. She told the class to write down some writing that she had put on the board and came down to where Rikuo was sitting to ask him some questions.
"So, you're the transfer from Japan?" she asked in her sickeningly sweet voice.
"Yes, ma'am" he replied.
She started talking again "So, that man that came with you, is he some type of monk or maybe something else that he is hiding under those long robes and large hat of his? Something inhuman perhaps?"
"Yes, he is a monk from my homeland. He has been serving my family's religious needs for years ma'am. He's completely human."
Her voice got, if possible, even more annoying "I had heard that he is starting a hand to hand combat class on the weekends. I thought that monks were peaceful people, not fighters. What is that about?"
"My family is a well-known and very influential group in my town and we need some protection, so he decided to learn how to protect as well as serve; and I must say, he has done a very exceptional job and become a master at hand to hand combat."
"Ah, well just wondered" she said as she went back up to the front of the classroom and sat down. For a couple minutes, Hermione had had her hand up and when Umbridge finally called on her she asked about the course aims and this soon led to a discussion about Voldemort being back and in the end she gave Harry an unearned detention. The class was let out shortly after that and they all headed their own ways. Harry had already left to go to McGonagall's.
Dinner that night was fairly normal except for one thing. When dinner was served, Dumbledore stood up and announced the new hand-to-hand combat classes being held on the weekends with the transfer teacher, now called Professor Kurotabou.
When dinner was over Rikuo met with Kuro to discuss McGonagall's request that he meet with her in his yokai form.
"It is an odd request to be sure, so be careful" Kurotabou warned.
He would be staying here because he was confident that Rikuo could take care of himself.
"Don't worry, I will be." said Rikuo as he transformed into his night form, ready to meet McGonagall.
