String 10: Mentors

"Victoire…Victoire"

Victoire blinked. Darkness gaped back at her. For a moment she thought it was still night but her body was visible and glowed slightly. She whipped her strawberry blonde locks back and forth as she desperately searched for her Gryffindor dorms.

"Argh! Caster, Illya, if this is some sort of trick –"

"Victoire!" Victoire stumbled backwards and fell. The black hooded figure in front of her laughed. It was deep but obviously girlish – it reminded the seventh year of Michi or Rosario. "You still have Caster with you? How strange…"

"Who? What are you?" Victoire shrieked. A small smile was all she could see of the girl's face despite the glow she also seemed to be emitting. "Where am I?"

"In a dream." The girl told her bluntly. "Such a soft – headed Master. Can't even remember me though we've talked before..."

"We did?" Victoire grimaced. "Well if this is a dream that explains it, I nearly failed Divination because my dream diary was blank. I never remember them." Another question floated in Victoire's mind. "But why aren't I waking up? I want out of this stupid dream already."

The girl snickered. "You've always been the loudest of all my Masters, barring that time I thought bringing the Lovegood twins together was a good idea." She shook her head. "My ears are still ringing."

"Lorcan and Lysander!" Last week's encounter with the werewolf, and before then with the monster that Mei destroyed. It flooded back into her mind so suddenly the part-veela shuttered. "I can't believe those two! I would've straightened them out by now but they've been avoiding everyone lately expect each other, figures the only time they don't squabble is when they can get others to squabble for them!"

"That's what I thought." The stranger agreed. "Which is why I gave them Lancer and Archer in the first place. I'm glad it's working out for them!"

"Y-You did?" Victoire exclaimed. "Does that mean you-you gave me Caster?"

"Ah, you're waking up, finally. The youth of today are always so slothful." She gripped the hood of her cloak. "Since you won't remember anyways, I guess I can answer your first question." Bright blue, nearly white hair spilled out to her waist. The deeper blue of her eyes leaked into her copper colored face and down into her neck, like someone splattered paint on her. "They called this one Reina - HiME. Have a good morning."

"Reina, wait–"

Victoire felt something hard hit her head before the darkness resurfaced. She clawed her way past it until Sari's snickering face greeted her.

"Good Morning Sleeping Beauty. Such class, falling out of your bed..." She scorned. "Wait until I tell Agni how graceful you are."

Go ahead and tell him, in fact, I might be glad if you did. Victoire grumbled in her head. "What time is it?"

"It's time for you to get up, all the hot water's probably gone by now. You might even miss breakfast." Sari said in an ever-so-saddened tone. The Head Girl left Victoire to stew in her blankets.

The part-veela groaned. Great, the perfect way to start a perfect day, I get a wake up call from two sadistic twits! She piled her covers on her bed before she suddenly stopped. Wait, who did I see before?

A little blue bird waited by the window. The woman noticed her immediately.

"…work on the Shield Charm in your spear time. And be sure to give our guest speaker Professor Tōsaka from the Clock Tower," She remembered to smile graciously at the applause of seventh – years Gryffindors and Slytherins. "…a hand. Well I guess I don't need to say anything then. Don't let it go to your head, Rin."

"Me? Never." Rin beam playfully at her old schoolmate, Shirō Emiya.

He laughed and released his class, save for three students. "Claudia Ruiz, Illyasviel Emiya, Victoire Weasley - you three please stay." Rin blinked, the first name she hadn't been brief about by Emiya when he asked her to come visit Hogwarts, but by the Head Auror when he insisted she come visit the Ministry Headquarters. The girl looked down, her expression was neutral but from Claudia's matted curls and heavy – lidded eyes Rin could tell she was troubled. "Claudia, are you alright?" The Charms professor started kindly. "If you have anything you need to talk about –"

"You aren't my Head of House." Claudia started dully. "And I don't need to talk to her either so there was no need to incite Professor Greengrass to console me." Before Emiya could protest the Spanish girl turned on her heel and ran out of the room.

"She's a mess." Illya told Rin. Her red eyes rolled. "Of course he has to still try and be the ladies' man and sweet talk her…"

"Ah! Illya please! She's my student I just was worried." Emiya persisted. Although the second bit seemed more directed towards Victoire, who scooted away from the trio and stood to the side uncomfortably. He turned back to Illya. "Her mother just died, if anything, you could feel some sympathy."

"She hasn't given me or any of the other Slytherin girls a chance." Illya pouted, folding her arms like the child she was, or appeared to be, when Rin first met her. "She hides out with her friend Lena. The only one I think talks to her besides that is Bianca and that's only since Bianca likes to hound her."

Mischievousness glinted in Rin's greenish-blue eyes, she couldn't help herself. "Remember that white haired Master who hounded you Shirō?"

Illya glared at Rin latched on to Emiya's waist and Emiya laughed nervously. Thankfully Victoire was able to break what could've escalated into a fight. "Excuse me, Miss Tōsaka. Illya told me your family was supposed to be in this war too. For people who could've killed each other you seem…well, like good friends who never tried to kill each other!"

"Funny, huh?" Rin shrugged, conceding the Hogwarts student's point. "I was a Master in the last Holy Grail War with this chick and her behemoth of a Servant…"

"Hercules was cooler than Archer." Illya said proudly.

"And this guy before he was your wise Professor."

"Shirō wasn't all that cool." Illya admitted.

Emiya sighed. "I forgot how crazy the two of you drove me when we were together." He smiled at Victoire. "But I'm glad. We became allies after a bit fighting. You could offer the same to the Lovegood twins. Though, I know Lorcan's a good kid. Why he'd choose to fight I have no idea, even if his twin tried to bully him into it - it's not like him."

"Well, you didn't exactly choose to join at first either." Rin reminded him. She turned to Victoire. "You didn't choose to be a Master either right?" The Gryffindor shook her head. "Unfortunately, I figured as much. That's going to make my meeting with the Head Auror a lot more difficult."

"You were going to meet with my Uncle Harry before?" Victoire asked. "A-Are you going to tell him about me and the Lovegoods?"

"I'm considering it. But for now I don't know." Rin sat at Emiya's desk and brushed wavy, coal – black strands from her face. She was starting to miss the days she kept her hair in twin tails. "Mister Potter strikes me as the protective, 'heroically-charge-into-a-scene' sort. If I tell him what exactly the Holy Grail War entails he'll most likely demand you all give up your Reiju. While that'll temporarily keep you kids out of trouble, whoever organized this war may just send the Servants to older, less scrupulous magi, witches, or wizards. Until we find the culprit, it's safer to leave Lancer, Archer, and Caster to you all."

"What about the Church?" Emiya asked. It was Rin's turn to sigh in irritation. "What? Are they refusing to protect ex – Masters this time around? I guess I wouldn't blame them after Kirei but –"

"That's not the problem Shirō, the problem is what you and Saber did." Glided brown, bright red, and sky blue eyes widened in shock. "Don't worry, as much as I'd like to blame this whole thing on you it's partially my fault too. After graduating our high school I moved from Fuyuki to London so I could study at the Clocktower. One of my mentors was Lord El-Melloi II, and he was Rider's Master in the Holy Grail War before ours. We both admitted to resenting our parts. As we got to talking, we realized that although you had your Servant destroy the Holy Grail, the Greater Grail – the force which turns Heroic Spirits into Servants and chooses Masters, still existed. So the Greater Grail could've started another war. While you took this cushy job at Hogwarts, El-Melloi and I returned to Fuyuki. Some in the Mage Association were not thrilled to say the least, but after a bloody battle the two of us finally dismantled it."

"So that means…" Victoire grimaced. "Why the hell does Lancer want to kill me still? He shouldn't exist!"

"Some people would say that about magic itself." Rin gave her a wry smile. "But alas, here we are with a clueless teen of a Master and at least one werewolf of a Servant. Somebody, or a group of somebodies since even the original took three powerful magi to make, made a fake Grail. That same group is cherry-picking it's Masters to be a bunch of easily-manipulated kids. The Mage Association won't step in since a new Grail War is what they wanted. The Church can't step in with risking an end to the truce with the Mage Association. Although there's this one nun who's a bit odd and is willing to work with me to find this guy. Still going to them is a last resort and the Ministry of Magic is a second-to-last resort. The Association is autonomous from them but it wouldn't be considered so odd if a Clock Tower professor lend aid in a case. If the Aurors find this lunatic and destroyed something the same professor convinced them was 'Dark Magic', then we might end this Fake Grail War with as little causalities as possible."

"But…"

"Victoire, promising no causalities would be stupid." Illya told her bluntly.

"Though, it wouldn't be impossible if there were none!" Emiya quickly told the shaking seventh – year girl. Rin had to smile.

You have to be an idealist to the end huh? She mused. Still thinking you can save everyone.

"I guess you're right. Thank you Professor." Victoire said. Out of the blue, or at least to Rin, the girl gained an annoyed grimace. "But if that white – haired git who sicked monsters after first years is behind this too, I wouldn't be surprised."

"White haired git?" Illya snapped her fingers. "That's right, you were babbling about some guy you saw after I found you and the first year. Caster called them HiME, not Princess."

"That I haven't heard of, but I've never looked for anything like that either. When I go back to the Clock Tower after visiting your Uncle I'll ask around about HiME." Rin patted Victoire's shoulder. "Good luck kid." She ruffled Illya's hair. "I guess it was nice seeing you too."

"Sure." Illya said, suspiciously sweet. She pulled out a wand. "You should come by more often. Shirō actually teaches us some funny spells, like this: "Accio Book." A textbook whapped the back of Rin's head before easily settling into Illya's hand.

"You little –"

"Before you go Rin." Emiya put a friendly arm around her shoulders, incidentally holding Rin back as well. "There's someone in my house who you shouldn't forget to visit."

"No worries Professor." Rin told him. "I wouldn't let my Little Yuki down."

"Ooh!" Rose shoved a Daily Prophet in Al's face. "The woman from the Clock Tower who was in Charms Class is visiting your Dad!"

Al glanced at the paper. "I guess so, past the beef slices please."

Rose groaned. She took her paper, stomped away from the Gryffindor Table, and thrust it into the face of Hazel who accidentally spilled chicken soup on Rin Tohsaka's grinning profile picture. Al was about to save the poor Ravenclaw from a furious Rose Weasley's torrent of words when Aimi suddenly hooked the redhead's arm in hers and dragged her to the Hufflepuff Table in front of Mei and Scorpius.

They look about as happy as Rose does. Although it was easy enough to say in his head, Al was a bit afraid to ask the two what was wrong. Since last week Mei and Scorpius had been unusually quiet and - even more unusually for Mei - stand-offish. She stays close to Scorpius but no one else. The middle-child Potter thought. And they always look away, like they're ashamed of something they did.

"Yuzuki, what's your Mum like?" As Sarah spoke Al blinked. She had taken a seat right next to Aimi. For all Al knew the second year Ravenclaw was supposed to be still infuriated with. It could've been solely because Yuki was sitting at Mei's left side, but he couldn't help but find it weird. So weird he hopped out of his seat between Zita Zabini and Annie Weasley and scooted into a space to the right of Scorpius.

"Oh! Well," Yuki blushed. Al felt for her as he wouldn't appreciate six pairs of eyes on him either. "She's nice, smart, beautiful, pretty perfect really. She's also extremely talented. She channels magic through jewels instead of wands. I…haven't really gotten the hang of it."

"Don't worry about that Yuki!" Ethan Thomas said. His voice was earnest and his smile heartening. "It's fine that you're better with wands, if you weren't you might have gone to that stuffy Clock Tower instead of here! I-" He choked on his own words, suddenly just as red as his fellow Hufflepuff. "I'm glad you're here."

Yuki smiled. "Thank you Ethan, you're a good friend." For some reason, the compliment made Ethan frown. He muttered some bit about getting more rice and ran towards the front of the long table. "But it's supposed to be a tradition of the Tōsaka family. I'm the first in generations who isn't a natural at it."

"But, if you went to the Clock Tower, you'd probably find a teacher who could help you get better. Why didn't you go there?" A wistful, dreamy look came over Al's cousin's face. "I heard that they don't just teach witchcraft like they do here. There's all sorts you could learn over there. I'd give my right arm to go but Mum says it's elitist."

"Well, it's only a piece of a larger organization called the Mage Association." Aimi and Mei had bemused looks, so did Al. "Powerful families have a bigger say in the Association. However everyone there is trying to learn study other forms of magecraft, of which witchcraft is a subject under. Broadly defined, magecraft is the science of creating a mystery, although muggles try to do the same thing with technology. That's why some even go further as to attempt True Magic."

"True magic?" Sarah snorted. "Something wrong with this kind?"

"Not at all. But True Magic is supposed to be something that technology nor magecraft can reach, it's supposed to do something impossible." Yuki clarified.

"Like?" Mei started quietly. Scorpius glanced at her before quickly looking away. "Like a woman coming from a black rose? Or a monster being killed by thorns that come from nowhere?"

Yuki grimaced. "Sorta…"

"Oye!" Ethan cried when Jaime Potter grabbed the plate of rice he just piled on and poured it onto his own. Each grain vanished as it landed on the Gryffindor's plate. Sarah smirked and Aimi giggled.

"You!" Jaime's pointing only made the girls laugh harder. "What did you do to my dinner?"

"Ah, that's the Displacement Charm." Professor Midori peered at the golden plate as she walked by. "So all that food you dumped is still around, just, probably where you least want it to be."

"Maybe in the Boy's Bathroom Toliet…" Sarah suggested.

"…Or the bed of a certain Gryffindor…" Aimi continued.

Jaime took off from the Great Hall. Al looked at the two Muggle-borns. "You both?"

Aimi and Sarah dissolved into chuckles and Midori couldn't help but join them before adding: "As your stern-minded professor I'll have to take away five points from each of your Houses for messing with Potter." She winked. "But for the use of a seventh-year spell I say Gryffindor and Ravenclaw deserve ten points each."

"Thanks! – I mean – we're sorry Professor." Aimi grinned. Midori waved as she walked past them. "Thanks for teaching me that spell Sarah!"

"Aren't you two supposed to be fighting?" Al finally asked.

"We were, but that time on the train wasn't the first Aimi's screwed with me, just the first she'd done it with magic." Sarah said.

"I went on my knees and begged – like this:" Aimi hopped out of the seat and stood on her knees, her hands clasped and her brown eyes wide. "Please! Please! Please!"

The group laughed and Sarah rolled her eyes, Al had feeling that she had a similar response the first time. "And after she told me the sob story with you lot at Hagrid's Hut I took pity and helped her out." Sarah pulled Aimi up and the first year jumped back upright. "I told her how the Displacement Spell worked and we waited a week to see where your brother's usual spot was." She had a wry grin, completely unlike the frothing scowl she wore when she and Al first met. "Well Kurauchi, was it worth it?"

"Absolutely!" She hugged Sarah. "Thank you Professor O'Blair!"

"Heh, no problem my earnest pupil…" The elder witch attempted to push Aimi off, but Al could see it was half-hearted.

Despite everything, they're still friends. Al mused with a grin. Mei gave them a small smile before staring sadly down at her own food. She poked lettuce absentmindedly. Her goblet of Cauldron Cola was still mostly fully. Mei's my friend too, she shouldn't be sad like this.

"I'm sorry guys, I'm not hungry." Mei stood up. "I'll see you later." The group all told her good night; save for Scorpius who also seemed to be in his own little world. Al sighed. He debated for a long, endless seeming two minutes before leaving his own plate and headed out of the Great Hall.

"Mei – HiME…" Al froze and Mei froze. The white haired boy in a Hogwarts robe turned to sneer at her before running off. Mei ran after him and Al after Mei.

A/N: Argh, the Nasuverse has a lot of canon. Foreshadowing, ahoy along with me trying to find ties between three magic systems. Stay tuned folks!