This one is dedicated to my two reviewers, Darkenesswithinonesheart and crystalshower. I love the reviews I'm getting for this one, though I would really like more. I wonder if there are people who read this and just decide not to review a story. Hmm.
Guess what?! I have a 50/50 chance of getting my novel published! The publisher I've been talking to is really interested in my ideas and he wants to review the manuscript. He says they usually work through agents, but he wants to make an exception with me. Yea!
Anyways. Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura or Harry. But I may just be having my own characters to own soon! YIPPEE!
Quote of the Update: "But…I haven't remembered any of my dreams in so long." –Sakura, CCS:MotC, Vol 5
Jaded Angels and Silken BlossomsChapter 7: Hermione and Eastern Magic
***
Six o'clock the next morning, I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. Syaoran had told me to be wary of Eriol, in any case. I pulled on my robes and packed up my bags again for a new day and a new string of classes.
The first one of the day was Transfiguration. I was looking forward to this class most of all, because I'd always wanted to be able to change things with the flick of a wand. Following that was Defense Against the Dark Arts, Lunch, and Charms again.
Hermione and I chattered away the entire breakfast, eating healthily along the way. Neville Longbottom had taken to waking up early and eating with us, copying the platter I was eating. It wasn't so much annoying as it was inspiring. I had never seen a boy so determined to lose weight. After breakfast, he took a large bottle of water and ran around the building three times.
At half past eight, Hermione and I walked through the Great Hall doors and I ran into Eriol, like clockwork.
"Now this is just getting ridiculous!" Hermione said. "Angel, Eriol, you really need to stop that! Honestly!" The three of us cracked up and knelt to, once again, pick up my things.
"You're lucky, Eriol," I said. "You never seem to be carrying anything."
"Not this early in the morning," he smiled. "Well, I must speak with Dumbledore. See you tomorrow, girls."
"See you, Eriol!"
Hermione and I made our way to the Transfiguration classroom and sat down in the front desk. Each desk had three seats in it. We left the one on the right open, in case anyone else wanted to sit at the front of the room.
"Good morning, girls," said Professor McGonagall. We were the only ones in the room. "You're early."
"Earlier than the rest," Hermione said.
"The early bird catches the worm," I recited.
"Quite right," Professor McGonagall said. "Would you be willing to help me? I've got to move some of these things into the supply closet."
"Certainly," Hermione and I smiled.
"So what are we going to do today?" Hermione asked.
"First take some notes," McGonagall said, heaving a large crate into my arms. It was actually quite light to me, but it was fairly heavy to a person who hasn't been working out. "Then we will be attempting our first transfiguration. A match into a needle."
"Oh, sounds like fun," I said. "I've always wanted to change stuff. I think this will be my favorite class."
"Perhaps," McGonagall said. She tried to keep a straight face, but I could tell she was grinning.
The crates moved, Professor McGonagall's space was now cleaned and well organized. The students started to file into the classroom and Hermione and I took our seats again, taking out some parchment and our quills and wands.
As soon as everyone was in the classroom, she was suddenly strict and serious.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone caught messing around in my class will leave and not return. Have I made myself clear?"
The class nodded.
She changed herself into a cat and back again, and then changed her desk into a large hog and back again. We took the notes she spoke of, which would seem complicated if I hadn't already read through the book. Transfiguration was one of the classes that Molly had wanted me to focus on preparing myself for, so I was pretty prepared.
Professor McGonagall handed out the matches and told us to begin. Hermione pointed her wand at the match and it changed silver. She started trying to make it pointy. However, I had already changed a match into a needle and back again several times before. The trick was to get the shape first, and then try to change its color.
"Look, everyone, Ms. Indigo has done it!" McGonagall shouted to the class. "Ten points to Griffindor!" I received one of her rare praising smiles as she set the needle back down on my desk. "Change it back, if you can, Angel."
I pointed my wand to it and started backwards. First the color changed. Let me tell you, a tan colored needle is hard to find against a fine-grain desk. I found it again and started changing its shape. By the end of class, it was back to normal again.
"How'd you do that?" Hermione asked.
"I practiced over the summer," I answered. "I'm staying with a wizard family, and as long as I was practicing in front of a licensed wizard, I was all right."
"I read as much into it as I could before the class," Hermione said. "But I guess reading about it and actually doing it is a whole different matter."
"It always is, 'Mione," I said. "That's why writers write from experience."
Defense Against the Dark Arts turned out to be a bit of a joke. Everything was from the book, by the book, and for the book. Anyone who could read halfway decently and write with a third grade education could ace the class.
The classroom and teacher, however, were most interesting. Garlic was everywhere, and Quirrell's turban was a real laugh. However, every time he turned his head, I got this feeling, deep in the pit of my stomach. It was worst that when Draco had showed himself a liar. Worst than that feeling I got when I saw Lucius glaring at me.
"Hey, Hermione," I said as we walked out of the classroom together. "You get the feeling he's got something wrong with him?"
"Other than the garlic and the turban?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, other than that stuff," I said, looking back. "Under that turban, I mean. Who would want to wear that thing? It's still summer time! I know it's cooling off, but I've heard he was wearing it in the dead of summer."
"That is rather peculiar," Hermione nodded. "But what of it? He's a strange person, sure, but he's a teacher."
"Teacher or not, something's fishy with him," I said. "And I'm gonna find out what."
***
Hermione and I did our homework together again. Sakura still hadn't come yet, and I was getting worried.
"Maybe she's just tired," Hermione suggested. "She's an owl, not a plane."
"That's true," I laughed. "I wish there was a TV around here. Then I could watch the weather and see if it was just a storm or something."
"How would they get it to work?" Hermione asked.
"They wouldn't," I said. "Hey, we've
got astronomy tomorrow night, right? I took Muggle astronomy last year. I
wonder how different it'll be?"
"Probably not much," Hermione
said. "Except we're going to learn how to apply it."
"Yeah."
***
The next morning, we awoke and went down to breakfast. When the owls flew in, so did Sakura.
"Sakura!" I said. "Where have you been, girl? Are you okay?"
Sakura hooted at me and took a few drinks from my goblet.
"Thanks, girl," I said. There were three papers attached to Sakura, which I detached. "Go wait in the Owlry, okay? Get some rest, I'll be up after Astronomy class to give you the new letters, okay?"
She hooted and took off.
Dear Angel,
How are you, dear? We loved hearing about the Weasleys. They sound like a very nice family. What House did you get in? We bought a book called Hogwarts, A History, and learned a little about it.
Thank you for your letter to David. We think he really enjoyed hearing from you. He said he had a dream where you were with him. He said you had another boy there, who was only speaking Japanese. Imagine that!
Love,
Mom and Dad
"Yeah, imagine that," I said. Shaking my head, I opened another of the envelopes.
Quick note here: We kept Sakura here because there was a bad storm passing through Virginia.
"Okay, that explains that."
Dear Angel,
Hey, Sissy! I told Mom about our dream. She didn't believe me! Can you believe that?! Anyway, I did okay on FFIX. Kuja's dead, and Garnet's beating up Zidane! They're gonna get maried. A quill and inkpot? Cool! I love it! I'm gonna try it! I think I'm okay with the writing. What do you think? I wanna pay Quidditch! It sounds like fun!
Keep it up, Sissy! Love u! David.
"Aw, that's sweet," Hermione smiled. "He sounds like a cool kid."
"He is," I smiled. "He is."
***
The day passed by until finally, it was time for our Eastern Magic class. Eriol's classroom was on the second floor corridor on the left-hand side in the first classroom on the right. It was a large and spacious classroom with a chalkboard and a dusty teacher's desk. There was a row of three desks, each seating two.
Hermione and I sat in the middle desk and chatted with Eriol until the bell rang, in which time four other kids had filed into the room.
"This class is small because it is a very difficult course, one which is in its primary stages at this time," Eriol said. "You may all call me Eriol, because that is my name. I have three first year students and three third year students."
He glanced at the six of us.
"I chose each of you because you are strong in your own power, and because each of you has a unique magical ability. Two of you have that same magical ability, one which I have been tracking closely."
Magical ability? He didn't mean my dreams, did he?
"Please, stand and state your name, House, and ability, if you know what it is," Eriol said. "Let's start at this end and go that way."
(AN-Correct me if I'm wrong, please. I can't scratch my brain hard enough to remember whether Fred and George are a year or two years older than Ron.)
"Um…I'm Fred Weasley, Griffindor House, you know," he said. "Not quite sure what my…er…magical ability is."
"Quite simple, really," said Eriol brightly. "Perception. You can perceive the value of something without knowing much about it. Very good for getting good marks on tests." He winked.
"Oh…"
"George Weasley, also Griffindor House," he said. "I dunno what mine is, either."
"Slightly different from your brother, you've got a very clever Inner Eye. You can tell the possible future," Eriol said.
"Well, I'm Hermione Granger, also Griffindor House," she smiled. "I have what's called Solid Precognition Dreams."
"Actually, you can do Solid Retrocognitive Dreams as well," said Eriol. "You and Angel were the reason I wanted to start this class. The two of you have the very powerful skill of being able to conjure up people and things into your dreams and remember them as though you'd done them while you were awake. It's almost as if you didn't have to sleep at all."
"Really?" I blinked.
"Yes," Eriol nodded. "I sort of gave you both a nudge in the right direction by giving you each a contact to talk to who has the same ability. Angel, introduce yourself, and I'll explain in greater depth."
"Angel Indigo, Griffindor House," I said. "What do you mean?"
"You've both been talking to a special person who also has Solid Pre/Retrocognitive Dreams during the night," he explained. "Angel, you've been talking with Syaoran Li, a boy from Hong Kong. He happens to know my brother, who is also called Eriol Hiiragizawa. Hermione has been talking with Sakura Kinomoto."
"The girl that Syaoran likes?" I said.
"That's the one. Anyhow, you two, I can explain later. Let's continue."
"Draco Malfoy, Slytherin House," said my cousin. How had he gotten to be the other first year? "I can talk to things."
"Omnitongue," said Eriol. "He can speak any language without trouble."
"Heather Lionheart, Hufflepuff House," said the last girl, a rather strong-looking girl who looked like she could really do some damage. But she seemed to Angel to be just like Hagrid—a gentle giant. "Don't quite know what it's called, but I can Transfigure molecules."
"A very rare case of Minute Transfiguration," said Eriol. "Heather can create anything, literally, from thin air."
"No Ravenclaws?" I asked.
"Unfortunately not," said Eriol. "Now, I have chosen each of you for your unique talents, as I said. Hermione, Angel, I'd like you two to join your dreamscapes together and learn as much as you can from Syaoran. He can help you a great deal.
"Today, we will be learning a bit more about what we will basically be learning this semester. They include simple talismon magic, the magic circle, and card creation. Anyone can do Eastern Magic with the tiniest bit of magic. But there are very few who become powerful in them like the great Clow Reed. You will each make a team of eight cards combining your own Western Magic and the Eastern Magic you learn here."
"Sounds hard," I cringed.
"Everything sounds hard until you master the basics," said Eriol. "Just trust yourself and trust me and trust your friends, and it becomes simple."
Trust Draco? Yeah, right. That was asking for a miracle. I would never trust Draco Malfoy again.
***
"He's inducing it?" Syaoran asked.
"Well, not anymore," I said. "He only connected us that first time. We're doing the rest on our own, basically. He asked me to ask you to train me in Eastern Magic. And another girl. Hold on, I'll bring her over here."
I called up Hermione in my brain, and suddenly, she was standing there in my blank white void. She wasn't alone. Sakura came with her.
"Syaoran?" she said. "What are you doing here?"
"Hello," I smiled. "You must be Sakura."
"Yes, that's my name, but who are you?"
"I'm Angel," I said. "I brought you here. According to your Eriol's brother, our Eriol, we all have something called Solid Pre/Retrocognitive Dreams. That's how we're all connected like this."
"Oh…neat," Sakura smiled. "I haven't been able to remember my dreams until I see Hermione again, so I'm clueless when I wake up."
"That's why you haven't said anything," Syaoran said.
"It's just that her magic isn't strong enough yet," Hermione said. "Remember, Eriol said this was very powerful magic. He connected us so that we could make her stronger."
"But she won't be able to remember
that when she 'fights' the other Eriol," I said. "The other Eriol is lying, he
said he wants to make everyone in Tomoeda sleep forever, but it's just a ruse.
For what reason, I do not know."
"Isn't Eriol going to teach us
how to make cards?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, he is," I nodded.
"Weird. Okay, let's try a magic duel. Maybe that'll get us all warmed up."
***
There's a nice little clue for ya'll. Can you figure out who "Eriol" is now?