Disclaimer: All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Yujincho universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yuki Midorikawa and Hakusensha (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites.

AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.


Chapter 10: Time Stands Still for No Man

Takashima Elementary School
Takashima Town, Shiga, Japan
02:45 P.M. Friday June 29, 1990

An almost ten year old Natsume Ryuu piped a happy tune on his multi-chambered ocarina that Touko-baasan and Shigeru-jiisan had given him two years earlier, his green eyes sparkling as he skipped through the gates of the elementary school he'd been attending for the past two years. Those two years had been filled with frustration and hard work for Ryuu and he was quite happy to have them well and truly over with. As he skipped passed his fellow students he ignored the dirty and jealous looks directed his way; looks he'd grown used to over the two years he'd been attending classes.

Despite starting two years after the majority of his peers, Ryuu had worked his way through six years worth of classes in a total of three years; one year spent in private tutoring and two years in the public school system in addition to continuing his private tutoring after school. It wasn't that Ryuu was a genius; he worked hard to skip two grades and climb his way into the number seventh spot school wide. However, his peers never saw the effort he put into his studies; they only saw him breezing through the courses in record time and it was something the other students had greatly resented.

Ryuu's incentive for pushing himself so hard was the burning need to get away from the other children. He had made no friends his age during his two years at the school and had in fact been bullied constantly during the first four months of his first year until the other children finally grew bored over his lack of response. Word of the classes he was taking at the local dojo every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday helped in that regard as well.

A lack of friends didn't really bother Ryuu though, since it meant no one was asking him uncomfortable questions, pushing into his personal space, or cutting into his study time after school. The only ones that really worried over his lack of friends his own age were Takashi and Touko; Takashi because of the unpleasant memories of his lonely childhood and Touko because worrying was what she did best.

That's not to say Ryuu never socialized, because he did. He grew very close to Taki through the three years she'd been his private tutor and he frequently went to her for comfort when Takashi wasn't available. Kaname was another one of Takashi's friends that Ryuu enjoyed spending time with; not only did the ten year old share a fondness for Touko's cooking with the other man but Ryuu felt a kinship with him because he sensed the youkai that still flocked to Ryuu. And while Taki couldn't actively see or hear the youkai she could see and interact with them if they stepped into a specially drawn circle that her grandfather had recreated through extensive research.

That kind of connection didn't exist with Natori despite the fact that the older man also saw the youkai. Ryuu continued to do his best to avoid the actor slash exorcist and his various youkai servants. Takashi couldn't blame his son for being uncomfortable around Natori because of what had happened when they'd first met but he did wish Ryuu would give the older man another chance. If only because of the fact that Takashi looked up at Natori as an older brother; the man having taught Takashi much over the years and treated him as an equal after they'd gotten to know each other. It wasn't actually Natori that Ryuu was leery of anyway but the youkai that always followed him; especially the small tattoo-like gecko youkai that shared some kind of symbiotic relationship with the man. (A youkai that still hadn't completely recovered from the shock of Ryuu's magic forcefully ejecting it from his body.)

Ryuu stopped playing the small flute as soon as he reached Taki (who'd been waiting just outside the gate for Ryuu) and tucked his ocarina into his pocket so he could sign a quick hello to Taki. While most of his peers would have been mortified if their parents or guardians had come to the school to pick them up at age ten; Ryuu looked forward to seeing whoever picked him up each day.

He really preferred not to walk home alone because having someone with him made it easier for him to deal with the constant presence of the youkai that followed him whenever he stepped outside of the house. He was no longer as terrified of the various spirits that were drawn to him but that didn't mean he liked them hovering around him all of the time and he definitely had no desire to be touched by any of the beings.

As they walked, Ryuu kept up a constant string of hand signs as he told Taki about his last day of classes in reply to her verbal questions. Their conversation was interrupted by the untimely arrival of Nyanko-sensei darting out from behind a parked car with a purloined bag of yeast buns clasped in his mouth. Taki tripped over the escaping cat and crashed into a pair of trash cans while Ryuu danced gracefully back out of the way of both cat and flying trash. The ten year old then scooped the disguised youkai up from the ground to prevent him from running off to cause more mischief as Takashi skidded around the corner in pursuit of said cat. The thirty-five year old growled as he took in the spilled garbage, a floundering Taki, and the struggling Nyanko in Ryuu's arms.

"Sensei," Takashi hissed in a tone that spelled certain death for said cat as he reached out to help Taki to her feet.

He tricked you again? Ryuu signed to his father with one hand and a grin twitching at the corner of his lips as he deftly held Nyanko against his chest with the other.

"As if you need to ask," Takashi countered with a huff as he plucked the bag out of Nyanko's mouth.

"Hey! Give those back, baka! I stole those fair and square," Nyanko protested as he wiggled all four feet in an effort to escape Ryuu's grasp and take back his stolen treats.

"If you don't behave I'll tell Touko-san that due to your advanced age the vet recommended that she stop feeding you table scraps," Takashi threatened. Nyanko started cussing and calling Takashi names which Takashi ignored as he turned his attention to Ryuu. "Congratulations on graduating. I picked up some yeast buns to celebrate but I'm not certain if they survived the walking garbage disposal's antics. How was your last day of class?"

Arigatou, tousan, Ryuu signed back with a grin as he dropped the struggling cat so he could reply as they all started heading home once more. Classes were boring, all of the teachers were giving the same boring speech about not forgetting everything we learned during the year and how when we enter junior high next year we'll have to work even harder.

"The teachers gave the same speeches when we were in school," Takashi commiserated as he ruffled Ryuu's hair. "So… grades for the year?"

Seven A's and one B; which dropped my GPA from a solid four point oh to a three point nine, Ryuu replied with a small frown. Hasegawa-sensei marked me down a full grade because of a 'lack of teamwork' for the social studies group project we were required to do; she'd marked our entire group down half a grade on that presentation because the other three students hadn't wanted me to be in their group. I still ranked number seven over all in the school though this year; that's two places higher than at the end of last year but one place lower than I was at the end of the first term this year.

"I spoke with Hasegawa-sensei about that a couple of weeks ago," Takashi revealed as he felt a pang of sadness over the reminder that Ryuu still hadn't made any friends in any of his classes. "She had been concerned because you don't really socialize with your classmates. The entire point of the project was to cultivate teamwork; all four of you failed to work together. And while the other three students' attitudes might have been at the root of the problem, the fact that you only made half an effort to work with them in return hadn't helped."

I did try, Ryuu countered with a slight pout. It was like ramming my head against a brick wall. Can't I just go back to tutoring full time?

"We've already discussed that," Takashi reminded Ryuu with no little exasperation as the four of them walked in through the front door. "You need to get used to spending time around other people; you can't spend the rest of your life hiding away from everyone."

Ryuu rolled his eyes at the familiar counter-argument and headed upstairs to his room to put away his school things. He then picked up the case that held the various flutes he'd collected over the past three years and his binder full of sheet music before returning downstairs for his daily music lessons with Taki. He'd been practicing Brahms' Waltz for the past few weeks and if he could make it through the entire score without any mistakes Taki had promised him he could start working on Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee. In addition to the western pieces he was (or would be) learning he was also working on a traditional Japanese piece titled Sōran Bushi, a sea shanty that is often played during the Bon Festival.

He'd just begun running through the scales on his shakuhachi to warm up when there was a knock at the door. Taki signaled for him to keep going when he'd automatically turned to face the direction of the front door and he paused just long enough to nod compliance before he continued practicing. When voices started filtering into their practice room as someone approached, Ryuu closed his eyes in order to better concentrate on the rising and falling notes he was coaxing from the bamboo flute.

The moment he finished the twentieth repetition of his warm up exercises he launched right into the Sōran Bushi, only pausing long enough to take a quick breath. As the first notes issued forth, Ryuu slowly began swaying as he played; completely lost to everything but the music as his fingers lifted and dropped gracefully with each new note.

When the final note of the song finally faded out of existence, Ryuu lowered the flute just enough to take a couple of breaths before bringing it back up to his mouth as he prepared to start on another piece he'd learned earlier in the year only to pause when he heard his name called. Slowly opening his eyes, Ryuu blinked a couple of times as he lowered the flute to his side and turned to face the door where Takashi was standing with a man Ryuu only vaguely remembered.

"Ryuu-kun, you remember Headmaster Yamamoto; don't you?" Takashi half inquired and half introduced.

"I apologize for interrupting your lessons," Headmaster Yamamoto intoned as he bowed slightly in Ryuu's direction. "Had I known you would be otherwise occupied I would have timed my visit accordingly. This afternoon, however, I found myself with a clear schedule quite unexpectedly and had thought there was no better time for me to meet with you and your father in order to finalize your enrollment in Kakushugakkou no Jujutsu."

Ryuu's eyes widened as he stared at the man in shock and clutched his flute tightly, his mind skittering off in a hundred different directions as he tried not to give into the growing panic he felt. Finally, after nearly two full minutes, he tore his eyes away from the stranger he vaguely recalled meeting two years earlier, set his shakuhachi across the music stand that held his sheet music, and began rapidly signing to his father.

What does he mean, tousan? I thought I wasn't supposed to start my magical training until after I turned eleven and that we were going to be going to Scotland. What about when classes start again at the end of August? What about my lessons at the dojo? What about my lessons with Taki? Do I have to go? Can't it wait another year?

"Peace, Natsume-kun," Headmaster Yamamoto softly instructed, making Ryuu start a bit as he hadn't expected the older man to understand sign language. "Your magical lessons will not completely interfere with your other classes and lessons during the normal school year."

"Why don't we move into the kitchen and discuss this over a cup of tea," Taki suggested as she began putting away her copies of the sheet music that she'd been using to follow Ryuu's progress as he played.

Ryuu was the last one to arrive in the kitchen, having taken his time putting away his instruments and music. He'd taken one look at Headmaster Yamamoto before heading to the cabinet and taking down five tea cups that he set on the table. He then grabbed a small platter and arranged an assortment of the cookies that Touko-baasan had baked earlier that week on the large plate before setting it in the center of the table.

By that time, Taki had finished making the tea and began serving everyone; the young woman easily falling into the role as hostess while Touko was absent. If the headmaster thought it strange that Ryuu took the extra cup of tea and set it on the floor along with a couple of cookies he didn't show it.

"Now, I believe you were expressing your concerns about enrolling in our school of sorcery," Headmaster Yamamoto mused over the top of his tea as he fixed his dark eyes on Ryuu. Ryuu nodded tentatively as he nibbled on a shortbread cookie. "First; you have not been signed up for what we call standard sessions. While we would more than love to have you attend Kakushugakkou no Jujutsu for your seven year education; your father informed me that you have already been enrolled at Hogwarts underneath Dumbledore-senpai. You have, instead, been signed up for five years of summer session, each session running eight weeks."

I have summer lessons at the dojo.

"May I ask which branch of martial arts you are studying? How long you have been taking classes? And what level you are currently at? We provide instruction in several different branches of martial arts classes for all of our students since meditation and self control are essential when it comes to harnessing the natural energies of one's spirit."

I have been studying aikido for two years, Yamamoto-sensei. I am still just a white belt as Takahashi-sensei won't allow me to take the test to obtain my black belt until I am sixteen. Ryuu signed respectfully, his earlier panic fading completely as the idea of new lessons sparked his interest.

"A wise choice of styles considering your age and physical stature," Yamamoto mused as he eyed Ryuu critically. "I would recommend expanding those lessons to include both hapkido and ju jitsu styles as well since aikido draws techniques from both branches. The Tokimune branch of Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu could easily be integrated with what he has already learned while hapkido is a derivative of the Daito-ryu that includes kicks, punches, and several traditional weapons. A hanbo would be an ideal weapon for Natsume-kun's current size and weight; allowing him to extend his otherwise rather limited reach while not overwhelming him with a staff that is too long for him."

"I'm not certain I'd be comfortable with the idea of Ryuu-kun learning to use weapons," Takashi interjected softly. "On the other hand, knowing what I do about what awaits him in Great Britain it would be best if he could defend himself without placing himself within reach of an opponent. Although, one stipulation I have is no swords until he is at least fifteen and can handle a hanbo, bo, or jo competently."

Takahashi-sensei was going to start our class on the bokken this summer, Ryuu reminded his father. The ten year old then turned to address the headmaster once more. How would I explain my absences during the summer to my sensei? I have not missed a single class in two years and he is already expecting me to continue attending lessons three days a week.

"Summer classes run Monday through Thursday, allowing the students Friday, Saturday, and Sundays to visit with their families and catch up on any assignments they did not complete during the week," Yamamoto explained.

"If the summer sessions only run thirty-two days, how do you expect the students to progress during their studies?" Taki asked curiously as she refreshed everyone's tea.

"The courses we focus on during the summer do not include the core classes that make up the curriculum of a standard school term with the exception of history which falls under Cultural Studies. Summer sessions focus more on the skills that help a young witch or wizard better control their magic; skills such as meditation, coordination, penmanship, pronunciation, familiarization with the magical society, and many other useful skills."

"These are all skills that a child usually learns growing up if one or both of their parents are of magical decent and as such usually forgo sending their children to the academy for summer courses. On the other hand, those who come from non-magical families are required to attend a minimum of three summer sessions in order to help them catch up with their peers. We also offer accelerated courses for various subjects that a student may or may not have the time to take during the course of the year."

Yamamoto paused a moment to take a sip his tea to wet his throat before he continued, "During the summer session the student's day starts at five-thirty in the morning and ends at nine-thirty, leaving them a full eight hours to rest. The duration of each class varies depending on which skill the class is focusing on; for example, Natsume-kun's schedule for this summer has been tentatively arranged so that he is in the dojo from six in the morning until seven-thirty, he then has a half hour to shower and change into his uniform before breakfast which starts at eight and ends at eight forty-five."

"From nine to nine-fifty he will have calligraphy (which teaches students to write with brushes, feather and reed quills, styluses, and at the higher levels chisels). He will then have ten minutes to get to his next class which is Cultural Studies (an introduction into wizarding society) and runs from ten o'clock to eleven-fifty. Lunch is from twelve to twelve-forty-five and directly after lunch is a fifty minute study period which allows students to start on their morning assignments."

"At two o'clock Natsume-kun would then attend Introductory Spell Casting (a class that teaches basic wand movements, spell terminology, and introductory theory) which is another double class or an hour and fifty minutes of instruction. He would have another fifty minute study period afterwards in order to allow his magical core to rest before attending an elective of his choice (a few of which include music, art, sports, foreign languages, Introductory Runes, and Introductory Arithmancy). Supper runs from six p.m. to six forty-five.

"All students then have from seven until eight thirty to finish their assignments for the day. At eight-thirty students are expected to prepare for bed and spend anywhere from thirty to forty-five minutes in meditation or until nine-thirty which is lights out. Meditation techniques are taught to the students in both the martial arts lessons and in Cultural Studies."

"Would he be taking those same classes for all five of the summer sessions he has been signed up?" Takashi asked curiously.

"Not necessarily," Yamamoto replied. "Each class has five basic levels; introductory, beginning, intermediate, advanced, and mastery. All students are required to complete the first three levels in the required summer courses by their fifth year of standard sessions. There have been cases where students have repeated one course or another two or three summers in a row if they struggle with that course but that is a very rare occurrence; just as it is rare for a student to go beyond the advanced levels in a given course. Meaning the average summer student takes four years of summer courses before opting out of the summer program."

What if a student wished to take more than one elective? Ryuu asked after making certain his father didn't have another question at the moment.

"First time summer students are only allowed a single elective. However, starting from the second session onward, students have the option of taking up to three electives if they pass all of the required introductory courses. They are also given the option of dropping a single study period in favor of taking another elective if they have proven their ability to manage their time responsibly and turn in all of their assignments on time."

Another hour was spent discussing Ryuu's upcoming summer classes, rearranging his previous summer schedule, and making arrangements to purchase the supplies Ryuu would need for his classes. Takashi and Yamamoto also discussed ways to insure that Ryuu would have some form of protection from potential attacks. This was doubly important because of the fact that Ryuu was virtually a mute, though he did know how to whistle and ninety percent of the time he carried his ocarina on him at all times.

The youkai were mentioned as well, since they were currently the biggest threat to Ryuu; something that Takashi had not revealed when he'd first met the headmaster two years earlier. Permission was granted for Ryuu to bring a pet to the school, in this case it was recommended that he either purchase an owl (which were well known to sense the presence of youkai) or a kneazle (a magical breed of cat which was also able to sense youkai).

Taki had suggested that Ryuu take Nyanko-sensei but the taciturn youkai in disguise had nixed that idea in the bud while at the same time shocking Yamamoto with his ability to speak. Nyanko's reasoning was that he could not watch over both Ryuu and Takashi if they were thousands of miles apart and while he claimed he tolerated the kid (meaning he adored the boy, slept in his room, and begged for scraps from him) he had an obligation to watch over Takashi since he was the older Natsume's bodyguard.

Takashi and Nyanko then contemplated contracting another youkai to watch over Ryuu but Ryuu balked at the idea since most youkai seemed to lose control of themselves around him. Nyanko then pointed out that Ryuu would need to get used to dealing with the youkai to a certain degree because Takashi would not be able to be by his side all the time. That was, after all, one of the reasons Takashi had signed Ryuu up for martial art lessons; so he could learn to defend himself from the youkai that still hunted him. In the end, they decided to see what kind of kneazles and owls were available before making a decision.

As Ryuu lay in bed later that night he reflected on how quickly things had changed for him over the course of a single day. Instead of spending ninety percent of his summer preparing for his first day of Junior High School he would be attending a magical school and attending tutoring for his regular classes on the side. Monday through Thursday evenings he'd be living on the school grounds in the mountains of Hokkaido Island. He'd return home on Thursday evenings just before supper every week provided he hadn't earned a detention and spend Friday and Saturday mornings preparing for his fall classes leaving him Friday and Saturday afternoons to continue his aikido lessons at the local dojo. Sundays he would either have the day off or he would spend the day finishing up any assignments he hadn't already completed for the week.

He'd taken the headmaster's suggestions and signed up for both hapkido and Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu. Something that was possible because he had a firm grounding in the aikido basics (which incorporated techniques from both hapkido and ju jitsu) and he could attend alternating lessons so that he ended up having two days of instruction in each branch. If taking both classes at the same time became too much for him he could always drop one of them and pick it back up another summer.

For his elective, Ryuu had chosen to take music since it would give him one less class to worry about over the weekends aside from an hour or two of practice each weekend so Taki could still monitor his progress. Since he was already playing his chosen instrument at an intermediate level he'd be testing into one of the higher music courses instead of being placed in the introductory course with those who had never played an instrument before or those that were still just learning.

Finally, Ryuu would be required to attend special lessons in place of his early afternoon study period to guide him through silent spell casting. Normally, silent casting wasn't taught until a wizard's sixth year of formal study when their magical core was approaching maturity because it required a higher level of control over one's own magic that one only achieves with years of practice. Due to the permanent silencing spell on Ryuu's vocal cords he was going to need to gain that level of control quickly or he'd forever lag behind his peers. That was one of the reasons that Ryuu was starting summer sessions a year earlier than most young magicals; to give him the skills he would need to survive seven years of formal education.

As he finally drifted off to sleep, Ryuu worried about the fact that come Monday morning, he would be spending four days and three nights a week away from the man who had taken him in and given him both a family and hope.


Ōtsu (capital), Shiga, Japan
09:25 A.M. Saturday June 30, 1990

Ryuu followed his father into the magical pet store located in District Seven, the magical shopping center located in Shiga prefecture. He glanced up at Nyanko-sensei perched on his father's shoulder as the disguised youkai rumbled in discontent as the cat caught sight of the various cats and kittens on display in the store. Nyanko had made his displeasure at the idea of a magical cat joining the family known from the moment that particular breed had been suggested as a familiar. Ryuu didn't particularly care if he ended up with a cat or a bird since both would remind him of home; the cats because of Nyanko's earthly vessel and the birds because of the flocks that Ryuu had somewhat tamed over the last couple of years.

Smiling impishly, Ryuu moved closer to the large cages containing various breeds of kneazles in order to tease the guardian youkai. All thoughts of pranking Nyanko fled when he genuinely began examining the various kittens that swarmed the edge of the cage closest to him the moment they noticed him standing there. There were kneazles that resembled Japanese Bobtails, Oriental Short and Long Hairs, Russian Peterbalds and Blues, Korats and Siamese from Thailand, and a couple of other breeds from Egypt and Europe.

They came in a wide assortment of colors and patterns as well, each kitten unique even amongst kittens of the same breed and color; the only common trait they shared being the black tuft of fur at the tip of their tails much like a lion's (except in those breed that had shortened or cropped tails). There was one Korat male that was a solid charcoal gray with bright yellow green eyes that were more green than yellow that Ryuu thought was rather adorable; the kitten in question pawing at his fingers through the cage as Ryuu teased him.

Before he could decide on whether or not he really wanted to get a cat, Ryuu was called over to where the store kept a wide range of native and non-native owls by his father. Sighing softly with something akin to regret, Ryuu dutifully joined his father in looking over the owls. There were close to thirty different types of owls at first glance, more than a few of them from the same family and at least five of them that Ryuu knew were listed on the endangered species lists such as the Blakiston's Fish Owl and the Spotted Owls he saw in the higher cages. Ryuu stared at a pair of juvenile Fish Owls as he listened to his father discussing various breeds of owls that could be used for long distance and international correspondence.

Wandering closer, he found his attention drawn to another juvenile owl, this one an Ural Owl. Ural Owls were native to Japan and in the same genus as the Great Grey Owl and the Tawny Owl. Urals are mainly white in color with brown-gray streaks, small black eyes, and like all of the owls in the genus strix have the twin facial disks that give the impression the owl has a flat face. As Ryuu watched the young owl, the bird turned to look directly at him and yapped out a soft 'wau-wau' as it tilted its head sideways and leaned closer to inspect Ryuu in turn. Unconsciously, Ryuu reached into his pocket and pulled out the ceramic ocarina that he carried with him out of habit and brought it up to his lips as he attempted to mimic the owl's call.

Unnoticed by the ten year old, all of the animals in the store fell eerily silent as he began 'speaking' back and forth with the young Ural; the owl switching between the first 'wau-wau' call and a longer 'wo-ho… woho uhwo-ho' call. The longer they exchanged calls the more excited the young owl became until it began trying to break free of the cage that held it captive. Ryuu abruptly stopped playing when the proprietor of the store stepped in front of him blocking off his view of the overexcited owl. Blinking at the unexpected interruption, Ryuu turned to his father with a questioning look.

"Did you wish to take that particular owl for your pet?" Takashi asked in response.

Ryuu started to nod yes in reply when a sharp yowl of protest came from the front of the store where the kittens were housed. He took two steps back towards the kittens, the memory of the charcoal gray with bright greenish yellow eyes tickling his senses. He froze in mid-step when the Ural juvenile voiced its own protest and Ryuu began glancing between the two cages as he felt torn between the two creatures. Finally, he looked back up at his father with uncertainty as he timidly signed; How am I supposed to pick between them if they are both begging me?

"Most unusual," the proprietor intoned, drawing the attention of both father and son as the man glanced between Ryuu, the kitten that was now clinging to the top of the wire cage and pawing at the air in Ryuu's direction, and the still flustered juvenile owl. "It is very rare for an untrained wizard to form a familiar bond with a single animal let alone two animals whose natural instincts will be in direct conflict with each other… and in such a short span of time."

"Familiar bond?" Takashi inquired uncertainly as he too glanced between the two animals and his son. "What exactly does that mean and how does it apply to my son?"

"Familiar bonds are the connections that form between a wizard (or witch) and the animal that best represents the wizard's magic or as some believe the wizard's soul. Usually a bond between a wizard and his chosen familiar will occur when the wizard's magic matures or over a span of years if the wizard and pet spend more than eighty percent of their time in each other's presence."

"A wizard's magical index plays a large part in the forming of the bond as the higher the index the stronger the bond (though there have been cases where a known squib has developed an exceptionally strong bond with his or her familiar out of necessity). There has also been speculation that a wizard with an index level over eighty has the potential to form a familiar bond with multiple animals or in some cases with exceptionally powerful magical creatures, such as phoenixes or unicorns, with just a glance…"

As the man trailed off, Takashi stiffened because he was well aware that Ryuu's magical index was last logged at eighty-eight; something that he didn't think should be bantered about in a pet store. In fact, based upon what he'd learned from Dumbledore, Yamamoto, and various magical texts; it was better to let people believe Ryuu's magical index was fifteen or twenty points lower than it actually was in order to protect the boy. It wasn't a big deal for various officials, health practitioners, and school staff members to be aware of the boy's true levels but the general public tended to fear those with indexes over seventy-six and often labeled them as dark wizards or witches because they feared their power.

"What happens if a wizard ignores the newly formed familiar bond," Takashi asked in an effort to draw the man's attention away from Ryuu's currently undisclosed magical index.

"Nothing happens to the wizard though he might feel a sense of emptiness, as if he was missing something," the man replied as he focused fully on Takashi. "The creature on the other hand descends into depression and often loses the will to live because of the rejection; but that's only if a true familiar bond has been initiated between the animal and the wizard."

"So, basically, you're telling me that if my son only takes one of the animals he's apparently formed a bond with the one left behind will die because it wasn't picked?" Takashi asked incredulously. "Are you certain you're not just pulling my leg in order to make a double sale?"

"It might seem that way at first glance," the man admitted with a soft sigh. "However, that isn't the case. I rarely ever sell multiple animals to a single wizard unless they are a breeding pair because most familiar bonds develop over several years and require a considerable effort on the part of the wizard. If a wizard has more than one pet than he will be forced to divide his attention between each of the animals and will most likely never form a familiar bond."

"Not a big deal when it comes to postal owls since they are trained as service animals from the day they grow their first flight feathers. However, for true familiars the lack of a proper bond actually shortens their life span; a familiar bond being a magical link between the wizard and the familiar which links the animal's lifespan with that of its wizard."

"You mentioned something about a potential conflict? What exactly does that mean in relation to the familiar bond and will it cause problems if we take both the owl and the cat?"

"Well, owls and cats are both considered the top of their food chains and often see each other as a threat or as a potential meal. They are both highly intelligent animals, both extremely independent, both of them are nocturnal by nature, and both have the potential to be aggressive and territorial; especially the males and brooding females of both species. It basically means that they will be in direct competition for your son's affections."

"The only differences between the two, besides the obvious feathers versus fur, are that cats are associated with earth and shadow magic and owls are associated with wind (sometimes referred to as air) and light based magics. There is a slim chance that you won't have any problems though because both critters in question are still juveniles and can be trained to tolerate each other."

Tousan? Ryuu signed questioningly with troubled eyes the moment Takashi glanced back down at him. How do I choose knowing one of them could potentially die because of me? Is there a way to tell if the bond has formed?

"My son has an excellent question," Takashi stated slowly. "Is there a way to find out if a familiar bond has formed between my son and the two animals? I would really prefer that my son only has one animal for which he is responsible but at the same time I don't feel comfortable with the idea of condemning one of the animals to death."

"Absolutely," the clerk replied as he pulled out his wand and twirled it in a small spiral above his head as he cast a single spell; a minute later a thin gold thread sprang into being between the proprietor and an elderly cat that was lounging on the counter near the cash register. "As you can see I am bonded to old Rufus there; he's been my familiar for nigh unto fifty years now; the paler the color of the thread the stronger the bond with new bonds typically starting out as a dark bronze or medium copper in color. Give me a moment and I will cast the spell again over your son and we'll be able to verify whether he's formed a bond with one or both animals."

As soon as the spell was cast over Ryuu, a gold thread shimmered into existence and promptly split itself into three parts; a dark gold thread connecting him to the Korat kitten, a medium gold thread connecting him to the Ural juvenile, and a thicker pale silvery-gold thread that connected him to Nyanko-sensei. That last thread was a complete surprise to all three humans and the disguised youkai since youkai were considered spirits not magical creatures (or so they believed) though some youkai took the form of magical creatures; like kappas, kelpies, and mermaids. (Ryuu would later learn that those youkai with magic above and beyond their spiritual powers were considered to be magical creatures by the magical world.)

"Huh… never would have pegged Nyanko-sensei as being my son's familiar though they have spent quite a bit of time together over the last three years," Takashi mused thoughtfully before he turned his attention to the other two threads. "Is there a reason why the two new threads are different colors? I mean, I can understand Ryuu-kun having a stronger bond with Nyanko but why wouldn't the two new bonds be the same strength?"

"Most likely because your son consciously, or possibly unconsciously, reinforced the bond with the young owl when he was playing his flute. If he had spoken to the kitten or reached out and pet the kitten before interacting with the owl the thread colors would probably be reversed."

"Ah… that makes sense. I suppose you'd better ring up both animals," Takashi replied as he began gathering a selection of owl treats, a bag of cat food, cat treats, a sturdy owl perch, a cat bed, a cat box, a leather gauntlet and shoulder pad (for Ryuu to wear when handling his new owl), cat litter, and a small selection of toys for both animals. He also picked out three manuals; one on owl care, one on kneazle care, and one providing in depth information about the familiar bond.

The young owl happily ran his beak through his breast feathers as his cage was placed on the counter while the tiny kitten purred contentedly as it was loaded into a small carrier and placed beside the owl. Ryuu seemed more than a little stunned that he was being allowed to purchase both animals as he robotically placed the items his father picked out on the counter beside his two new familiars.

Ryuu wasn't exactly spoiled but neither was he deprived as he had been when he lived with his maternal aunt but he still was caught off guard when he was given substantial gifts. Like when Takashi had purchased an older model desktop computer (with lotus and word perfect installed) for him to use for school work or today when he was being allowed to have both of the pets he'd been torn between; both examples of things Ryuu never would have asked for on his own.

Once everything had been paid for and the supplies packed into a feather light bag with an expansion charm; Ryuu picked up the cat carrier while his father took both the bag of supplies and the owl cage. That only left Ryuu's wand left for them to purchase; since they'd already picked up Ryuu's uniforms and consumable course supplies (text books were provided to the students by the school). Silently, Ryuu followed his father out of the pet store and down the street to the wand shop that they had passed earlier that morning while picking up his other supplies.

The wand shop, whose name Ryuu didn't catch as they entered the store, reminded Ryuu of a museum or possibly a book store although it was far less cluttered. It was a one room store and three of the four walls were covered with thousands of cubby holes that were filled with dozens of long, slim wand boxes that were organized by wood, core, and length. To the left were the softwood wands and to the right were the hardwood wands while the back wall was filled with mixed woods or rare woods.

There were four or five columns for each type of wood with each column containing similar cores and the shorter wands near the top of the wall and the longer ones down near the floor. The rest of the room was open with tatami mats spread out over the floor with the forth wall holding two large floor to ceiling windows on either side of the door that allowed sunlight to filter into the store.

Seated on a cushion in the center of the room was an old man with a long, dark gray Fu Manchu moustache and an equally long, gray sparrow beard. By contrast the man's scalp was completely bald. He wore a simple white cotton kimono with delicate green bamboo leaves embroidered along the hem and on the sleeves. The man appeared to be meditating as he had his legs crossed, his hands resting lightly on his knees with his palms face up, and his eyes were closed.

"It appears that you have wandered into my shop a year too early," the man suddenly announced without opening his eyes. "Are you just curious about wands in general or was there something specific that you wished to ask me?"

"My son has permission to purchase his wand a year in advance from Headmaster Yamamoto; he'll be attending the summer session starting this coming Monday and he'll need a wand for class," Takashi explained as he shifted the owl cage and bag of supplies into the same hand so he could rest a hand on Ryuu's shoulder.

"Ah, your son must be Natsume Ryuu," the man exclaimed as he finally opened his eyes and studied Ryuu with dark brown eyes. "You are not what I expected. No matter; come sit, child, and let us see what wand sings your name."

"Singing wands?" Takashi echoed skeptically as he took the cat carrier from Ryuu and nudged him forward.

"Yes, the magic of each wand sings a melody all its own until the day it comes in contact with the magic of a witch or wizard that it can harmonize with. The closer the harmony matches the melody the stronger the match between the wizard and the wand and the easier it is for the wizard to draw upon the magic trapped inside of his core. I have within this shop, thousands upon thousands of melodies; each one differing in dynamics, pitch, rhythm, tempo, and tone."

"So… how do you find the one wand that harmonizes with a wizard's magic?"

"With magic, of course!"

Takashi felt the urge to palm his face at that rather offhand and more than a little corny reply but resisted the urge as he watched Ryuu tentatively sit down in front of the wand seller. The barest hint of a smirk lingering around the corners of the man's mouth told Takashi that the older man knew full well what effect his answer had had on him. In order to avoid rolling his eyes at the childishness of the wizard, Takashi focused his attention on his son who was sitting rather stiffly in front of the wand seller.

"Close your eyes, child, and relax; let your magic sing for my wands. Good… good… now tell me which hand is your wand hand."

Ryuu tilted his head to one side and furrowed his brow as he considered the question before he tentatively held out both hands since he used them equally in music, writing, and martial arts.

"You are ambidextrous?" the wand seller murmured in surprise. "Very daring… but are you truly ambidextrous or do you just think you are? Tell me… which had do you use when you write?" Ryuu wiggled the fingers on both hands to indicate that he used them both. "Speak up, child! Contrary to general opinion I am unable to read minds; I need to hear your voice in order to hear the song your magic sings."

"My son does not speak," Takashi announced softly as Ryuu hunched his shoulders and dropped his hands into his lap. "And he writes with both hands equally."

"Does not speak? Oh dear… that makes finding his true wand a bit more difficult. Hmm… Can he not make not a single sound?"

"He knows how to whistle and he plays the flute but he is unable to use his voice."

"The flute you say? Whistling might work but is so limited… I don't have a flute in the shop. Can you come back on Monday and bring a flu… oh you have one with you already! Wonderful. Close your eyes again and play whatever comes to mind."

Ryuu snorted silently, since he hadn't bothered opening his eyes when he pulled out his ocarina, and lifted the flute up to his lips as he thought of his new owl. He'd barely produced a half a dozen soft, low notes when said owl began calling to him as he had in the store and Ryuu obliged the bird for a few minutes before he felt an urge to play the higher, sweeter tones that the starlings produced interspersed with the sharper, crisper notes of the magpies and the melodious twittering of the finches that sometimes visited him. After several minutes of bird song, accompanied by the hooting calls of the juvenile owl, Ryuu seamlessly moved on to a fairly simple piece that sounded like a gentle summer breeze that built up to a winter gale before mellowing out to a spring storm before turning into the wind whistling through the reeds that faded back into the softest breeze.

While he played, the wand seller climbed to his feet and after a moment's contemplation he approached the wall holding the hardwood wands. Every few feet his hand would dart out to select a wand or two before he moved on to the next column until he'd gathered up approximately thirty wand boxes. Around the time Ryuu switched from the lively bird song to the mournful tones of the wind, the man had arranged the boxes in a semi-circle in front of Ryuu after discarding a couple of the boxes he'd taken down. By the time Ryuu's song had reached the raging storms that brought to mind storm tossed seas there were only twelve boxes sitting in front of the ten year old.

Ryuu was just falling into one of the livelier festival tunes some thirty minutes later when he was asked to set his flute aside for a moment and open his eyes. When he saw the boxes arranged in front of him he gave them a curious glance before he looked to the wand seller for instructions.

"Go a head and give them each a try… if your wand isn't among these ones we can try again," the man eagerly ordered with a wild wave of his hand at the wands. "I've never had such a challenging search and I'm eager to see how close I came to selecting the correct melody to accompany your soul."

Nyanko growled and groused as Ryuu reached out towards a rather dark wand and Ryuu hesitated as he glanced at the ageless cat before swinging his hand over to where a trio of pale white wands sat side by side. When Nyanko made no further protests, Ryuu reached out and picked up the shortest wand and felt a slight warmth flood through him. Not certain what was expected of him, he brought the wand closer to he could twirl it between his fingers as he studied the fine grain of the wood before he put it back in its box and reached for the one beside it.

This time his fingers had barely touched the handle when the sound of his new kitten sneezing repeatedly had him pulling his hand away as if he'd been burnt. When the third wand from that group drew a similar response, Ryuu ignored it completely and randomly picked up one of the other, slightly darker wands. The moment his hand closed around the handle, Ryuu felt a flood of something rush through his entire soul before it poured over into his body and up out through the wand in a shower of tiny golden sparks and frozen snow flakes the size of a penny.

A swirl of icy cold wind mixed up in a warm breeze swirled around Ryuu as a muted roar fought with the soothing melody of a mythical songbird. All the while as the magic danced around and through Ryuu, the strange scar on his left temple glowed. Two minutes after first picking up the wand the magic slowly faded and retreated back into Ryuu's core and the almost ten year old was left with the feeling that he had thousands of bees buzzing just beneath his skin.

"Sugoi!" the wand seller breathed with unfeigned awe as his eyes tracked the path of a single snowflake as it drifted to the floor lazily before it disappeared. "Sugoi. I never would have guessed that one would match… I considered putting it back several times but something stayed my hand. Fifteen inches of sturdy cherry wood from a wild Yoshino Cherry tree I found stubbornly growing on the side of a cliff on Mount Fuji thirty-five years ago."

"One of the few duel core wands I produced; it has the heartstring of a twenty year old Chinese Fireball that was responsible for taking out seventeen passenger flights crossing over the Japanese Sea before five Samurai no Mahoujutsu brought him down after a three day long battle and the flight feather of a fledgling ice phoenix that my grandfather saved from a yeti eighty-seven years ago."

"Once thought to be an impossible combination to create in a wand, it combines the power of fire and ice in a house of unbending hardwood; that wand will sing loudly in battle… making it an excellent choice for defensive magic and transfiguration. Treat that wand with care; it will become temperamental should you not show proper respect or fail to take proper care of it."

Ryuu nodded hesitantly as he stared down at the wand in his hand in awe. He almost didn't want to let the wand go when the man gently took it from him and returned it to its box; swallowing thickly at the sudden feeling of loss he felt the instant he lost contact with the wand. His eyes never left the wand box as the wand maker wrapped the box in translucent gold foil and tucked it into a small tote bag along with a pamphlet on wand care, small jar of wand polish, a soft chamois rag, and a removable sleeve and pocket holster.

If he had a voice he would have whimpered and groaned when the man passed the bag holding his wand over to his father with a knowing smirk once more playing around the corners of his mouth.


Translations: Japanese to English

Aikido, hapkido, and ju jitsu are all types of martial arts; Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu being one branch of Ju jitsu.
Baasan – grandmother
Bo – staff that is typically about six feet in length
Bokken – wooden sword
Hanbo – half-staff, usually about 35 inches in length (just under three feet)
Jiisan – grandfather
Jo – another short staff that is about 50 inches in length (or just over four feet)
Sugoi – wonderful, amazing, or wow and also terrible and dreadful depending on the tone used

Notes:

Sparrow beard – a goatee that has been split into two braided sections that usually hang down at least two to three inches below the chin


AN: And we're now a year and a half closer to Hogwarts and Ryuu has flourished while in the care of Takashi though he still has issues. I could have gone into far more detail about what happened over the two year time skip but covering everything could have gotten tedious given how much he needed to grow during that time to get him to where he is now.

I also figured that any events that merited mention could be dealt with in flashbacks or through omakes at some point in the future; such as some of Ryuu's meetings with youkai that Takashi interacted with repeatedly like the little kitsune boy or that weird pair that often runs to him in fear, cheers him on from the side lines, or drinks sake with Nyanko.

From this point forward the story is going to be fairly fast pace (spending no more than a chapter or two on specific events or covering a specific time period) and the chapters will only grow longer from this point forward though there may be an occasional short one. I'd also like to remind everyone that while certain specific canon events will take place they won't necessarily happen the way they did in the books and there are some things I've thrown out, changed completely, or left the same depending on how they fit in with the plot.

That said; I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. ~ Jenn

09-01-12: This chapter has just been edited to remove a few minor punctuation errors, a grammatical error or two, and cleaning up of a few sentences in order to smooth out a few awkward areas as well as breaking a few paragraphs down so as to improve readability.