A New Beginning

June 30 2000...

Hermione and Ginny are the ones first released from their tanks, awakened after the tanks' fluids were drained.

'Nice to see you awake after six months.' said Diantha, blasting them with a Scourgify Spell but instead of in the mouth, she ensured its aimed at their hair and bodies instead, cleaning the tank fluids off them. She also cut their long hair to bob-length for practicality for later.

'It feels like we slept real good...if this is what sleeping for six months is like, I wouldn't mind.' said Ginny as she and Hermione took each a bottle of Dentifricium Mouthwash appreciatively.

'Its also weird, sleeping for six months would have caused us muscular atrophy, we wouldn't be able to move for a while since we're technically comatose.' Hermione commented as the girls began gargling and swishing the precious product to cleanse their icky-feeling mouths after sleeping for so long.

'That's because of the aggressive treatments.' said Diantha. 'I focused on healing your internal organs, nerves, blood vessels and arteries...all of which, severely damaged by stress. You're also anemic.' said Diantha. 'I also fill your stomachs with enough water and protein-rich food so you won't be dehydrated as well as protein is good for muscle growth so you're not atrophied. Your skin and hair is also in tip-top condition so you don't look stressed. Your sagging skin and ugly, yellowing fingernails caused by stress, I trimmed though you guys lost weight considerably.' she informed them. 'You lost much of your fat which I compensated with food so you'll gain healthy fats. I also fixed your teeth so its nicely straight and white, not crooked.'

'Thanks.' said Hermione. 'One last thing...' she twitched, shaking. 'What's with the uneven sizes?!' she complained, pointing at her chest then at Ginny's.

Hermione has a full and ample C-cup while Ginny has an E. Both girls went from 5'2 to 5'8 like Diantha herself.

'Its because of your inborn body shape and bone structure, I simply improved a little by giving them shape and bounce.' Diantha shrugged. 'It'll hurt your health if say, I gave you Ginny's size yet your bone structure isn't compatible with it...' and she left it hanging, causing Hermione to groan at the unfairness. Ginny giggled. 'Anyway ladies, shower time.' she pointed at a door not far from them. 'I'm giving you thirty minutes to shower, and five minutes to get dressed because I need to release the boys soon.'

'Right right!'

After a hot bath, they were given underwear and a flowing white cotton nightgown normally worn during Crest-Transfer Rituals. Except, wearers are commando beneath.

Next were the boys, subject to same treatment and explanations, before being treated to dinner.

A dinner of crab and corn soup that had diced carrots and scallions, sliced chicken teriyaki breasts with crispy skin intact somehow, sauteed crunchy veggies with sauce, a large boneless and magically-skinless Hokke which can be shared by everyone as its at the center of the table, and a bowl of fried rice. The drink is a large iced tea. While the others have a soup spoon, spoon and fork, Diantha however, has chopsticks alongside her soup spoon!

'Now then, how are you guys feeling since waking up?' Diantha asked them. Ron was happy with the food and tried to eat as quickly as he could, but yelped as it's still hot. Ginny muttered, 'Idiot.'

'Its a little weird that we grew taller and hair longer though you cut it for us.' said Neville. They were all healthy again and their eyesight was clearer than they last remembered it.

'Well, I did heal your organs.' Diantha shrugged. 'But after this, continue eating healthy for the rest of your days.'

'Wow, did you cook all this?' Ron drooled at the food that looked so good. He hasn't seen this stuff before! They look much better than what he used to eat! And there's a large fish big enough for all of them on the table! Its awesome!

'We are in an empty apartment I rented for six months so nobody can see our entire operation. So yes, I cooked as you're all busy in the showers and getting used to your better forms and adjusting to your new eyesight.' said Diantha. 'I used false named to rent this entire floor and told the Landlord that these individuals will be coming home late from work, so nobody will disturb you here while I'm at school. I'll graduate this summer but I have one more project to go but I'll make it in time.'

'This is still a medical miracle though...at least I won't scare my parents when I get home.' said Hermione in relief. 'How can I show up to them that I looked like halfway dead because of school from hell?' she laughed hollowly. 'Though to be fair, its to catch us up to the rest of the world.' she said with a sad smile. 'After how the ICW revealed how we suck so bad because of our curriculum, those students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang openly mock us. The Champions wrote off our school champion, confident that he's easy picking.'

'I see...well, at least you awakened to the bitter reality, so that you'll strive to be better than the failures before you. Isn't that good?' Diantha jovially chirped. 'Hogwarts sorely lacked in History, Defense and Muggle Studies and as of recently, Potions since a Professor Slughorn retired to be replaced by Snape, COMC since Hagrid replaced Kettleburn and Divination when the previous one retired and a moron replaced that person. And Dumbledore allowed all that.'

'What do you mean?' Ginny asked Diantha.

'I did a little investigating ever since...apparently, Voldemort cursed the DADA Position that no Defense Professor will ever last a year so curriculum is forever inconsistent.' Diantha held up a finger. 'He allowed a senile old ghost to teach History instead of hiring a new prof who actually knows history.' middle finger stood next to her raised index to make 'number two'. Snape who's a spiteful little shit sucks as a teacher, telling us to follow a recipe on board and get on with it when I'm pretty sure a class is more than that...' ring finger was raised next. 'Trelawney is often drunk in Sherry and teaches drunk, stoned out of her shit.' pinky finger raised next. 'Muggle studies is STILL victorian era, not today's time so Wizarding Britain is the most likely country to out our kind to the world and five,' her thumb was the last to be extended, 'Hagrid is self-explanatory. Good guy he may be and means well, but what's cute to him is deadly to kids. Yet Dumbledore did NOT hire professionals and simply stuck to people he knows will never say no to him or refute him. Not only that, his trust in them is so great he didn't even bother checking their competence level. Joke's on him now.'

Silence with crickets...

'Anyways, food's getting cold...'

'You're eating with sticks?' Ginny asked her, seeing Diantha start eating with said sticks with ease.

'Yep. Eating with chopsticks is interesting, I just learned how to use it last week!'

xxx

And so...after their dinner, they talked some more till it became midnight.

'Whoops...its already late.' said George.

'Yeah, we should get you guys home as the rent ended tonight. Tomorrow, Landlord expects us all gone.' said Diantha. 'Neville, have your house elves take home Hermione and the Weasleys. They can't go out in public in pajamas.'

'Alright, I'll help send them home.' Neville agreed. 'But why in these odd pajamas?' he inquired as its a natural, not-even-bleached pure cotton robe.

'Well, natural products unstained by synthetic products is more receptive and reactive to magical energy of a wizard and witch, thus suitable for recovering magicals to wear when injured or ill. Cotton is the most favored.'

xxx

Once her friends went home via Elf Express, Diantha took back her tanks, and went home to her actual apartment where Sirius was working on his thesis for the coming end of the year. This year, no social events to go to, so they have a lot of free time.

He learns really quickly from a guy who's 26 this year and how old is Sirius again? Oh yeah, 41!

Sirius reckons he'd rather finish Clock Tower and gain respect before getting married to add to his handsome appeal and attract a wife. So yes, he's still unmarried. And the way Waver teaches, Sirius will either be a Brand or Pride, it's up to him as Sirius shone like many with him when Waver dissected him.

Sirius will soon graduate Modern Magecraft Theory and one thesis to go, only time will tell now...!

Like Diantha, he created many and presented many while avoiding 'the worst'. So yes...he's gaining the respect he wanted. He felt that by having wholesome accomplishments, he was way better than the family he hated so much.

'Ahhhh I'm done!' Sirius gasped out tiredly, neatly packing away his stuff into his expanded pouch. 'I can sleep for a week after this!'

'Good work.' Diantha grinned. 'I'm almost done with mine too and we can finally graduate!' she said cheerily.

'What do you want to do when we're up and done?' Sirius asked her.

'Relax for starters, I think we worked too much!' Sirius had a goofy smile at her words as he melted into his seat.

'Yeah, that would be appealing...' he sighed wistfully. 'A month of being lazy for starters before we travel around and maybe while traveling, I'll meet my future wife, future Lady Black!'

xxx

On one sunny day, Graduation Ceremony...

Thirteen years old Tohsaka Rin was witness to a Graduation Ceremony Diantha invited her to since she and Sirius are graduating. She was training in Martial Arts under an Executor in the Church. A Hansa Cervantes. Diantha divined who'd be friendly enough among that lot to train Rin, given how they disdained Magi for being 'barbaric heretical sinners', the last part due to how far they'll go for Akasha, even as far as heinous crimes.

Because the Tohsaka are known Christians and practiced sorcery that does not advance through committing heinous crimes, they have a better repute at least with the Church, that Rin enjoys such privileges now. Hansa, a man much better than Kirei in personality, agreed to train Rin as a warrior when Diantha asked of him during British School Breaks while she lives and studies in London in Clock Tower, in Modern Magecraft Theory.

Diantha from the Botany Department as a rare Brand from its faculty while two others are Prides with six being a Fes with the rest being Cause, and her godfather who's from Modern Magecraft Theory who's also a Brand along with four others, while the rest were Prides!

Rin learned the ranking system of Clock Tower from Diantha.

Ranks are assigned according to each magus' ability, and are also given to lineages too. Normally a magus' rank and his family rank are in agreement, however in many cases, a large gap creates a tragedy.

Grand is rare even in the entire history of the Clock Tower, and Brand, the rank at which most of the Lords of the Clock Tower peak, is often considered the actual highest practical rank due to that. Diantha and some others were titled Brands which is amazing, given great respect.

Pride families where both the main and branch families do not have suitable successors will adopt and usher in an excellent magus from more common stock. This is usually embarrassing for them, hence 'Pride' can sometimes be an insult if the magus in question came from notable families. However, Pride is also a rank for noteworthy magi with accomplishments but not good enough for Brand.

The Fes rank differs from the normal rankings in that it is granted as an honorary title for skills and achievements, such as awe inspiring unusual abilities outside of the purview of ordinary magi, separate from the normal assessment of their rank as a magus.

For a pleb with about five hundred years behind them doing their very best, the rank of Cause is the limit. Any lesser than that, you're a Count.

The lowest ranks is Frame, but to obtain that rank the Clock Tower must recognize them as a legitimate magus. These are usually, students who just enrolled thus also registering as Association Magi. A self-taught or unassociated magus is not 'magus' to the Association, merely an outsider. That includes Apprentices.

'W-wow...' she croaked out as she watched in awe. Since there's many scions present, there are a lot of nobles present. Diantha told her to memorize their faces while the ceremony is ongoing so when her turn comes, she knows who NOT to cross as the Lords and their Branch Families are powerful with money and a lot of resources, two things the Tohsaka have in meager amounts as her family fortune is merely 'a drop of water compared to a full glass'. 'So this is a Magical Graduation...' "With my talents, I'll surely be a Brand too!" she swore to herself, clenching her fists. She cannot be any less!

In the history of the Tohsaka Clan, none of them went here due to their being worse-than-mediocre. Its an embarrassment to be here if you have less than 20 circuits.

Her father has 18 as their family history was that short. 196 years. She and Sakura gained a whopping high quality 40 when he married mother for her family's ability.

'40 Circuits of your caliber...that's like you're from a lineage of a clan worth 500 years.' Diantha would tell her.

But Asians are discriminated against in Clock Tower for some reason not even Diantha knows as she was a newcomer as of 1992.

Thus, little Rin swore to work hard under Hansa.

Rin wondered if having kids for students in El-Melloi Class is normal as there are effing ten year olds in his class, but Diantha told her, 'Its a little flexible here, Waver doesn't care how old you are as long as you can study. But Svin and Flat are runaways from their families and he found them so they're under his guardianship while learning here too.' she would tell her and Hansa. 'Everywhere else in Clock Tower, minimum age for most families to protect their reputations is 15. They won't dare to send their kids here without Fundamentals and Family Craft Mastery to maintain good repute of their families, bragging that they send heirs and spares with no flaws to Clock Tower. They don't care about anyone else they deem rifraff. Heck, I joined Clock Tower at twelve and nobody gave a damn. I could be a test subject any time but I kept my head down to avoid that fate and lived this long as back then I was a nobody with no backer. Students like that are often unlucky.'

He is one of the rare, few magi with morals and a conscience, and he is raising his students to have 'a heart' while still aware of danger outside their classroom, and spam out such graduates thanks to his Magical Attribute of Counteraction that he is naturally and magically-inclined to do just that. He would know what to do with you if you tell him even minimal information about yourself. So his classroom is the safest place to learn in Clock Tower and he's actually a teacher while other so-called Lecturers only put up a facade while smoking out ideal assistants or if one is unlucky, a lab rat.

Proof that he really DOES teach? His students are all Brands and Prides. Prides if only because they lack in money and resources to advance themselves further or are 'spare heirs' with same problems. Ironically, the Almighty Professor can only be a Fes despite the mind of a Brand for his abilities, because of his circuits that advancement is beyond his reach. He was from a 'newborn lineage'.

So Rin wanted to start young too. Clock Tower during school time, training in vacation time!

xxx

After graduation...

'So, how about it?' Sirius spoke to a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed like an aristocrat.

'I agree, on the condition that I'll take someone with me.' said the woman rather urgently and anxiously.

'Don't worry, I can already guess why you're so urgent. Like knows like.' Sirius laughed bitterly. 'You came from a crappy home life like I did as I can see through your 'language'. But with my accomplishments and I'm wealthier than even him, he won't take a second-guess for sure.'

'I hope so...'

'Padfoot, finally found a girlfriend?' Diantha approached the pair with Rin by her side.

'More than that, kiddo!' Sirius grinned. 'Dia, I finally found an ideal lady.' he said, putting an arm around the young woman's shoulder. 'I know our age gap is kinda large, but she's thankfully legal now.'

'Well, as long as you'll do each other right it's OK.' said Diantha. 'Its hard to find a good fit in a society like ours anyway and I have YET to find a partner who is not after me for my money or riding on my fame for my accolades.' Diantha grumbled unhappily with an armfold before looking at the young woman who's just her age. 'Now who might you be?'

'I am Mary Lil Fargo, daughter of the Fargo Family, a branch off the Animusphere Family.' Mary introduced herself with a proper curtsy.

'I'm Diantha Potter, this guy's goddaughter.' Diantha smiled with proper manners to match. 'Rest assured that growing up with him, he's a fun-loving, doting kind. So Padfoot, you know how to deal with a Magus Parent?'

'Do I?' Sirius spoke dramatically. 'I have known, and spoke to many eccentric personalities growing up. This'll be a cinch.' he said smugly. 'We better prepare the proverbial axe.' that, and he brewed Felix Felicis and swallowed some before leaving home to attend graduation ceremony! He and Mary went off to a group of middle-aged men...

'Dia, what were you implying back there?' Rin asked Diantha with a slight frown.

'...as you know, magi marries spouses who will bring mutual benefits to both families that its rare to marry for Love here.' Diantha would tell her softly. 'Its a use and be used world and you've seen that growing up with your parents and you were thought what a so-called good magus wife should be, which is basically, be a doormat to your husband's wishes.' Rin scowled at that. 'What's worse here in the west is that if wives are doormats to their husbands, their children are mere property. Childhood trauma is default setting here that somehow, you and Sakura are lucky because your family are Christian Magi so you are treated kindly growing up. And its very rare to find a partner who will be good to you as both a partner for you and a parent to your kids. At least Mary's lucky with Sirius.'

'Oh...'

'Teach that to Sakura-chan when she's done in four more years from Touko.'

Rin shook.

Sure, her father treated her mother and her kindly, but treated Sakura like a non-entity, as if she didn't exist, so mother cared for her too. All because she wasn't heir but a spare he can't be bothered with.

If that's a Japanese Magus Husband, magi men in the west are way worse?! Even worse, her father is a christian but he's also just as cold that Sakura felt she only had one parent in life and unable to trust men.

Rin's world was shaken badly.

By nightfall, everyone knows that Sirius Black and Mary Lil Fargo are going to marry by next year and she will be living with Sirius in his manor outside London.

Mary's friends were quick to point that 'She sure moved out quickly!'

His square-shaped manor is large and beautiful thanks to a tasteful mix of various architectural styles and colors in its creation, but with magecraft-related designs to bring in good fortune to the family. The gardens surrounding the manor are also lovely, but with practical trees for extra food when in season, while the flowers are medicinal in nature, arranged in tasteful landscaping with a large pond of lotuses. There's an inner garden where the inside of the 'square' was. But its mostly, ornamental good for social gatherings.

Its current residents, were Sirius and Diantha only but while well-maintained with electricity and plumbing, they lived in an apartment just for commute convenience to Clock Tower until they graduate, but during 'the season', they live out here. The Black Manor is protected with a ton of curses and wards and Bounded Fields.

Diantha also moved out as she's an adult and moved into her own mansion which was at south of London, outside of Crawley if Sirius' was at the east, by Tilbury.

It was because she wants it 'a bit warmer' and near Brighton so she can go to the beach anytime she wanted.

Her mansion was just as beautiful as Sirius', but while his designs affected luck and prosperity, the designs in her home affected magical harmony, something she needed in her craft. Her garden also has medicinal flowers and herbal gardens which he didn't have. While Sirius has fruit trees, Diantha owns specific type of trees for one reason...mushrooms. She grows her own culinary mushrooms...and her mansion is guarded by animals she tamed, and biologically modified to safeguard her home, powerful enough to tear apart first-rate magi. She owned a lot of stray cats and owls. Among she modified, was her beloved Hedwig and gave Hedwig 'the best of care' so she is protected from any spells at her and she's combat-capable.

All these cats and owls know who's allowed and who's not. She came home to show them the new family addition. However, welcome and friendly as long as no thieving and murder attempts are done, that is! She also owns poisonous magical snakes. She owns a flock of Fairies just for decor, it helps she has a garden of flowers and they like 'beautifying' the garden. The last bit of security was a pair of Jarveys named Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Purpose? Protect her garden from damned gnomes! However, her estate has a ward that kills Streelers.

She began living her peaceful life with her final project...building a Crest Grimoire.

Magic Crests are built by ahem, tearing off Magic Circuits off oneself through a ritual with help from family members. The first step, is for a magus to store all they know that wasn't in the Crest yet. Progress others before them hadn't done yet. But by doing this, you basically give up being a magus. Magi who tear off their circuits to forge it into a crest for the next successor are usually retirees, or dying from some circumstance.

The family members will then forge it into a Crest Archive. Then they shape the newly-forged crest piece before placing it in the crest. Magic Crests usually take the form of an elaborate magic circle or whatever shape they want it to be.

For newborn lineages like Waver, they build a 'vessel crest' first. In his case, it's a plain square. His grandmother and mother made the vessel. He would have been the first to fill it up though Reines has the Vessel Crest as collateral that he might get back, if he fulfills all her demands.

However, Melvin permanently tuned his Circuits. His grandmother and mother are weak while he is strong. Incompatibility will occur and damage or worse, destroy the weak vessel so Waver has to start over with his own circuits in building a magic crest.

When he heard that from her, he nearly gave up the ghost from shock. Well, at least he now knows that in a way, the crest in Reines' hands is now worthless. However, Waver cannot quit being El-Melloi II anyway or else, it's open season for him, causing him to sigh.

However, because Diantha and Sirius have circuits that are abnormal of abnormals, they cannot forge a crest so Diantha thought, if they're wizard species...she should forge a Grimoire instead. A Magic Book made entirely out of magical energy that can be tattooed on a successor. And when taken out, it will manifest as a ghostly tome attached to the successor, when being utilized to use spells within.

It helps that her Magical Attribute is Belief. That she can make the impossible possible by 'instinctually figuring out methods best efficient to achieve the goal as long as it can be possibly done' after she gains enough information from sources like books, or Waver's smarts. So she really needs to crack open books to gain as much knowledge as possible, to be directed to a best solution to accomplish her goals. If she doesn't have enough information, 'it becomes impossible to do so'.

Belief is also Sirius' attribute.

When Diantha checked all her friends, same thing as is for Hilda Weasley.

So their power, being a magical species of wizardkind sums up as 'as long as you believe in it, you can do it as long as you have what you need'. What limits oneself, was other factors like logic and being a pessimist!

So the pair of godfather-goddaughter had fun with their attribute, greatly enjoying themselves, thus rose to Brand by believing they can make accomplishments without reaching Sealing Designate status. Thus they're forever safe no matter what they do, while gaining immense respect in the process.

xxx

Black Manor...

The garden was luxurious but also useful.

The mansion is modern, but with magecraft designs made for attracting good luck and prosperity to the home. Its modern feel was because Sirius enjoyed modern, not 'outdated ugly things' when it comes to architecture and clothes.

There's one big BUT in here.

The house, is EMPTY! There's nothing inside for crying out loud!

'Welcome to Neo Black Family Manor Mary!' Sirius jovially welcomed Mary and her maid Claire. Mary agreed to marry Sirius if she can take Claire with her to save themselves from a horrible home life they put up with for years.

'Er...the house...?' Mary squeaked as the two women were wide-eyed at how empty the house was.

'Hahaha, I know I know. But while I built the house and gardens as well as kitchen and a bathroom myself and a nice underground workshop, I thought that I'll leave filling and decor to you.' said Sirius. 'While I'm not picky, I uhhh can't trust my taste since I grew up with a family with lousy taste in home decor.' he shuddered. 'The Black Family Manor I'd rather leave to rot is such brilliant example I'm doing all I can to spite them all while enjoying a better life and being a better human being than them.' he chuckled. 'Be glad that aside from some cousins, they're thankfully dead.'

'It can't be worse than mine?' Mary laughed weakly, wanting to pretend she did NOT hear that. Nope, nope nope and NOPE.

'With a story like yours, your dad and my dear ol' ma might become best buddies and compare child-rearing styles and compete in who can make your life hell the best.' Mary and Claire shivered at the very idea of the mental image Sirius implied. 'For now, Dia helped me with Claire's room in the Servant's Quarters. Claire can decor how she likes, with a salary of 500 pounds a month.' Claire's eyes bulged at her salary. In the Fargo Estate, her salary was barely enough for a person if she lived on her own in an apartment!

'For now, the only furnished other places here are the Master's Bedroom, and a couple bedrooms in the East Wing...my cousins the Tonks Family lives there now but they're not magi like us. They're also from my old society so they don't do our ways.'

'Oh...'

'Second Cousin Andromeda who's married to Ted Tonks and my niece who's also my Third Cousin Nymphadora (Mary and Claire choked at the horrible name) are nice folk, don't worry...but Dora gets angry if anyone calls her by her full name...well, with a name like that, she was teased a lot in Hogwarts she made it a point to hex anyone, though she can't hex her mum who'd sooner send a stinging hex at her bum.'

'Any children would.' Mary sweatdropped.

'Like I said, my people have horrid taste if you're born 1960s-backwards. Naming sense for kids only got better at around 1975.' Sirius snorted. 'So yep, I'm counting on you for decor taste and style wifey!' he cheerfully patted her back. 'And let's go modern! Let's carry your stuff upstairs after I featherweight them.' he said, casting the spells on Mary's belongings using his own finger. Her suitcases and boxes were now charmed. Claire tried lifting the two suitcases again and she was astonished at no effort required any more.

'T-this is amazing...the suitcase now weighed nothing!' she gasped out, amazed.

'We got a long day ahead of us in Carnac.' said Sirius. 'Claire, we'll be eating out, so don't bother cooking anything for us today, just for yourself and familiarize yourself with the manor.' he told her. 'You might bump into Ted and Andy at some point, so say hello. Dora hardly comes home due to the nature of her job and if she ever did, she'll go straight to her room as soon as she could and pass out on her bed, tired. The manor is warded for only us and my goddaughter who can safely come and go here which is why I asked for your blood back then. Anyone unwelcome dies instantly, so it's very safe in here. The only useful thing I got from my no-good relatives is our massive collection of Dark Arts spells thankfully focused on security of the house.'

'Y-yes sir...'

'If you see fairies, it's OK, they'll just look cute, so show them you appreciate their beauty. They tend to get annoyed if ignored and go sulking. They stay among the flowers as they think they look cutest there so they avoid the house where they're not cute.'

'F-Fairies?! Here?!' the two women yelped, wide-eyed as they trembled at the idea of having possibly malevolent fairies around...

'Not THOSE kind of fairies, those dangerous or phantasmal things we studied in the tower? Nope! These ones are a lot cuter and friendlier and spend their lives being cute and vain.'

Needless to say, while her lady and new master are gone, Claire avoided the gardens while exploring the mansion...