Just a rewrite to help rekindle my muse. Don't worry, the Hogwarts gang will still appear, just a little later.

Of Magic and Martial Artists

Chapter 1

Ranma's Birthday

Ranma Saotome was a happy person. Tomorrow would be his eleventh birthday, a moment he had been anticipating for quite some time. Not that he would get any presents or anything like that: his father said that getting to many gifts would make him weak. No, tomorrow would be the day that a great secret would be revealed to him, or so his father had said so many times.

Ranma idly wondered what this great secret could be. Knowing his father, probably some new technique or supposedly invincible training method. But it had to be different than that. His father had come up with so many of those that it would be ridiculous of him to make as much fuss about it as he had.

He could hardly wait, and that was a problem. Ranma was desperately trying to go to sleep. He and his father had pitched camp in a forest on the outskirts of a small town in china. And tomorrow promised to be a hard day.

Ranma could remember Genma's words earlier that day quite clearly. "This is where we make camp boy." his father had stated rather sternly, "Pitch the tent and go to sleep, is my advice to you, boy. Tomorrow I'm expecting a message, but until it gets here you're going to train like never before."

Ranma rolled in his sleeping bag glancing at his loudly snoring father. The snoring never bothered him. As long as he could remember this crowded tent had been home, and the snoring was part of it. It was anticipation that kept Ranma awake now. It fired through him making him more alert than he could remember being.

Ranma had learned the hard way never to be tired for training, and he was getting desperate. Maybe if I start counting sheep it will help, he thought. One sheep two sheep three sheep Ranma's counting continued to higher and higher numbers until, ninety-three owls ninety-four owls ninety-five ow wait wasn't I counting sheep before But before he could think further on it he dropped in to sleep.

Ranma woke the next morning to a thunderous bellow. "Boy! Get your butt out here before I have to drag you out!" Genma yelled. Ranma quickly threw on his battered white gi and hurried outside, blinking in the morning light. "C'mon, boy, we have training to do." Genma raced off into the woods leaving the still sleepy Ranma behind.

Ranma walked over to his fathers pack and out a stale loaf of bread. He sat down on a log and began chewing thoughtfully. What just happened, Ranma wondered, still not quite awake, and why is there suddenly a shadow over me. Ranma turned slowly to stare at his father. Ranma noticed immediately that his father's face seemed to be sunburnt, but he couldn't recall when it could have happened.

Ranma's gradually awaking mind had finally reached a point of near coherence, and it began to replay the morning's events. Ranma suddenly sat up much straighter and his face went white as he realized his predicament. It was too little, too late, however as Ranma was picked up by the front of his gi and tossed in to the woods by his enraged father. "When I say now I mean NOW!" Genma yelled before chasing down his airborne son.

By noon Ranma was regretting having angered his father. The training was more intense than he could remember, and even his father was starting to sweat. But there was no rest to be had as his father once again bombarded him with punches and kicks, which Ranma rather desperately avoided. Genma seemed to sense his son's weakness as he quickly prepared to launch another assault.

Ranma cringed; knowing there was no way he could avoid the next attack. But the attack never came. Ranma dropped out of his stance, his gaze following his father's steady stare to an owl perched on a tree branch near the creek by which they were training. The owl, sensing it now had the attention of the two humans, took off hooting, and began flying straight towards Ranma.

Ranma, startled by the owl's strange behavior, jumped back in to a defensive stance, but relaxed slightly as he judged the owl's path would take it over him. Then the owl opened its claws and a piece of paper Ranma had not noticed before fluttered down in to his hands. The owl flew past him and then sailed out of sight, heading west.

"Well," said Genma, "are you going to see what she brought you, or are you going to stand around gawking all day." Genma's words shook Ranma out of his stupor. He glanced down at the paper in his hands. It was an envelope. Flipping the letter over he saw the adress was written in a very elegant and archaic style, but he had no trouble reading it.

Mr. R. Saotome

The Old Tent

Outskirts

Lungchen

China

Ranma glanced up at his father questioningly. "Go on, open it." Genma growled, barely hiding his smirk. Ranma opened the envelope and began reading the letter in the same green script.

MAHOUKODOU SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Dear Mr. Saotome,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Mahoukodou School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours Sincerely,

Ryoushi Tejina

Deputy Headmaster

"Pops," Ranma said, somewhat confused, "is this some kind of joke."

Genma laughed. "When I got that letter twenty-seven years ago I said exactly the same thing Ranma. But it is serious." Genma stopped laughing. "When I was your age I got that same letter and I spent the next seven years learning thing you could only imagine. Best years of my life." Genma smiled. "It's up to you boy. You can toss it aside and forget about it or you can go and learn some real magic."

"Wait a sec' Pops, you're saying you could do magic? How come I never saw any?" Ranma asked.

Genma let out a heavy sigh. "I lost it boy," Genma sighed again, "I lost my ability to do magic, I stopped being a wizard, eleven years ago just after you were born." Genma's shoulders slumped. "But that's not important. It would make me prouder than I have ever been of you if you would follow in my footsteps and go to Mahoukodou. What do you say, Ranma."

Ranma looked intently at his father. Not dectecting any signs of a trick, Ranma at last spoke. "Alright Pops, I'll go learn magic. On one condition, I need some proof that this is real."

Genma laughed again coming out of his depression quickly. "No problem Ranma, all we have to do is get to Tokyo."

"Tokyo," Ranma asked, "why Tokyo?"

"You'll see, boy, you'll see." Genma replied. "Oh, and by the way, boy, happy birthday."

End Chapter 1

A/N There is actually a town called Lungchen in Northeastern China. I don't know anything else about it, however, as it was chosen at random. C&C Please!