Standard Disclaimer still applies. Just letting you know.

Chapter 3

Harry woke late the next morning. He tried to remember the dream he had last night, but he couldn't get a hold on the memories. He sat up slowly and a damp towel fell from his forehead. He picked it up slowly and tried to remember how it had gotten there. His eyes widened in realization. "Makoto was here when I woke up last night." He thought to himself. He slowly got up from his bed and put on his robes. No one was in the room so he walked down to the stairs to find the common rooms empty as well.

It was a Saturday morning, so no one had classes. He figured everyone was in the hall for breakfast so he ran out from behind the painting and rushed to the hall for breakfast. As he got to the hall he looked at his watch, not only was it after breakfast, but it was almost lunchtime. He walked in quietly to find most of the tables filled with students. He spotted Ron and Hermione playing a game of wizarding chess before lunch began. What surprised him was Makoto. She looked to be having a conversation with Hedwig.

"Hullo." Harry said as he took a seat next to Ron and across from Makoto.

"Bout, time you woke up, Mate. I was going to come in and levitate you down to lunch if you didn't show up." Ron said still concentrating on the game.

"You mean you would have dropped him on the floor half way here when you lost your concentration." Hermione said as she watched her Castle get sliced in half by Ron's knight. Harry watched Makoto as she pet Hedwig and seemed to smile and laugh at different times.

"She's been like that most of the morning. Hedwig has just been perched on her shoulder, and Makoto keeps giggling at nothing." Ron said as he commanded the knight to take the king.

"Check Mate." He said smiling.

Hermione shook her head. "I think I'll just stick to reading."

Hedwig noticed that Harry was now sitting at the table and flew over to him, nibbling on his nose. She dropped a letter on the table and flew off. Makoto stretched and giggled. "So Harry, Hedwig has been telling me some very interesting information."

Harry blushed slightly as he looked at his letter. He could tell that from the writing that it was from Sirius. He put the letter in his robes and looked up into Makoto's eyes. She smiled.

"So how are you feeling?" She said quietly.

Harry returned her smile. "I feel a lot better then I normally do when I have a dream. Thank you." Ron and Hermione looked at Harry.

"You had a dream last night?" Ron said a bit frightened. Harry nodded.

"Do you remember anything?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked down and shook his head. "I don't know if I should tell Dumbledore. I don't remember anything from the dream, but I know I woke up with my scar burning. Makoto was there and helped me."

Hermione tried not to glare at the green-eyed brunet. Hermione didn't trust the new student. It was odd that an exchange student would come to Hogwarts knowing about what was going on. She also didn't like the fact that Makoto wasn't a witch. Sure she had read up on Ecomancy but it was a very rare ability.

Ron looked at Makoto with a bit of confusion. In spite of what everyone thought, Ron was a light sleeper and often knew when Harry was up pacing the room, or sitting up in bed. If Makoto had been woken and come over to their room, he should have heard something, but he heard nothing. He didn't know if he could trust Makoto, but the fact that she actually knew the teacher that Dumbledore had gotten as a replacement gave her more credit, though Dumbledore had also gotten Moody and look how that turned out. Harry was aware that his friends were giving Makoto strange looks. He turned to Makoto and saw as she frowned slightly before bowing her head and excusing herself from the table. Hermione looked satisfied that the new girl was gone, and Ron just turned to set up the chessboard again. Harry was about to say something when he was interrupted.

"Harry, want to play?" Ron asked.

"No, I'm going to read my letter. It's from Sirius." Harry said taking the letter from his robes.

Dear Harry,

I hope the start of your year is going well. You'll be seeing a lot more of me soon, well Snuffles anyway. I've decided that I'll just stay in Remus' rooms while he's teaching. I still have some unfinished business to take care of, but I just wanted you to know that I'll be around. If anything should occur out of the ordinary between now and then let Dumbledore know and I mean ANYTHING.

~ There is a bit of space that was magically erased but Harry could still make out the words, Niece and Cousin somewhere in the blanks. ~

Take care of yourself Harry, and I'll see you soon.

Sirius

Harry folded the letter again and put it in his robes.

"So what did he have to say?" Ron asked as he continued playing against the board.

"He's coming to stay at Hogwarts with Lupin, so we'll be seeing more of him." Harry said with a smile almost completely forgetting about what had just happened between Makoto and his friends.

Makoto walked slowly across the vast grounds of Hogwarts. She looked around to see if anyone was looking before entering the Forbidden Forest. She walked slowly, "talking" to the plants to make sure she was alone. She came to a small clearing and slowly sat in the center taking in all the wonders of nature and magic combined. She slowly turned to look as a centaur walked over to her. It was a female with long golden brown hair braided to fall in front of her shoulder. Her coat was also a soft golden brown. Her eyes were a strange color of blue.

"Mars is covered in mystery." She said calmly.

"Mars is always covered in mystery. Nothing has ever changed with that. Tell me of Jupiter." Makoto said as she slowly stood. The centaur was about to run away, but gave it a second thought and looked to the brightly-lit sky. To the naked eye nothing can be seen in the light of day, but centaurs are different.

"Jupiter is visible, even in light. It is a strange time when the great planet is visible from its meteor covering." The centaur said slightly startled.

Makoto giggled softly. "Thank you, I just wanted to make sure it was truly time."

The centaur looked at the girl in front of her strangely. She bowed slightly and began to leave. "Ecomancer, I feel a strange power from you, not unlike the planet of Jupiter itself. If ever you should need answers call for me. I am one of the few Centaurs left that deal with humans."

"And what shall I call you?" Makoto asked smiling.

"My name is Arina. Good day to you Ecomancer." At that Arina turned and left.

Makoto sat back down to think. Setsuna had seemed surprised to see her, yet her planet was now visible. Pluto was able to see into the future, and yet, Setsuna was still surprised. Perhaps it was time to have a talk with her fellow senshi.

After lunch Harry had gone back to Gryffindor Tower and grabbed his broom. The Gryffindor team was having tryouts for a replacement keeper, and since the beaters and chasers would also be leaving at the end of the next year, they were looking for replacements for those as well. They were also deciding on a new captain, but said that that could wait until the team was fully developed again. Harry walked out of the castle and down to the Quidditch field. The whole Gryffindor house, including Professor McGonagall was there.

"Ok students, I want you all out on brooms. First years please sit in the stands and watch. You may feel like trying out next year after you have had your flying lessons." McGonagall said.

Harry flew out into the field to join the rest of the team. Hoards of second through seventh year students flew out to join the team. Neville was flying about ten feet higher than everyone else and begging the broom to follow his instructions. Harry looked around at all the students and then looked down at the stands to see all the first years looking up in awe. He then spotted Makoto sitting on the very top bleacher. She looked sad and slightly frightened. He watched as McGonagall turned and spotted her, then yelled to her to get out on the field. Makoto shook her head and started arguing with the Professor. Harry flew down to the bleachers to find out what was wrong.

"Ms. Kino, you will get out there with the rest of your house. I don't know how you normally act in your school, but you will follow my instructions." Professor McGonagall said sternly.

"I don't fly." Makoto said firmly. She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Do you not know how to fly? Do they not teach you at your school?"

"That's not it, I do not fly. I have never flown, and I will never fly." Makoto said glaring at the professor. At that time Harry gently landed on the bleachers.

"I don't want to but, 5 points from Gryffindor for talking back. Now get out on that field." McGonagall said starting to get angry.

Harry turned to Makoto. "You can use my broom if you like."

Makoto looked ready to scream. "I told you, whether I know how to ride of not, I do NOT fly."

"Another 5 points for not listening and if you keep it up I'll give you detention on top of it." McGonagall was livid.

Makoto was about to tell her exactly where she could put her detention when a phoenix landed on Makoto's shoulder. She took the note from its beak and read it.

"Well, I'm sorry professor, but it looks as if I'm being called away. We must do this again sometime." Makoto said sickeningly sweet. She looked at the phoenix, which nodded. She walked past the professor and back to the castle.

McGonagall turned to Harry. "Get back out to the field now." She said almost yelling. Harry gulped but quickly mounted his broom and flew back off to the group.

That night in the common room Hermione, Ron, and Harry were sitting at a table talking about nothing in particular. The group watched as Makoto walked into the common room and smiled as she spotted them. She waved and came to sit at the table, seeming to tense slightly as most of the room looked at her annoyed.

"What's everyone's problem?" She asked as she sat down.

"You lost us ten points and classes haven't even started yet." Hermione said slightly bitterly.

"It's not my fault I don't fly." Makoto said pouting grumpily.

"You could have just gotten on the broom and tried. What you did was a very Slytherin thing to do, just flat out refusing." Ron said following Hermione's lead.

Makoto glared at the two. "Why do neither of you like me? What did I do?"

"Isn't it strange that I didn't hear you or Harry last night?" Ron answered.

"And Harry seems to just forget about a dream that makes his scar burn." Hermione added.

Makoto sighed and stood. "You both are lucky that I promised my uncle that I wouldn't fight, or I'd send you both to the hospital wing." She slowly walked back out of the common room.

"See, she just threatened us. I think she should just go join the Malfoy fan club now and get it over with." Ron said.

Harry shook his head and stood following Makoto.

Harry walked around the halls trying to find where Makoto had gone. He knew that Ron and Hermione were just protective of him, but they didn't have to be so mean. He thought that they were possibly jealous that he had a friend other than them, but she was trying to be friends with all of them. He thought back through out the last four years and realized that besides the occasional conversation with Neville, he only really hung out with Ron, Hermione, or the Quidditch team. Hermione really didn't bother with anyone else, and neither did Ron. He sighed as he turned a corner. He knew Makoto had to feel pretty out of place, and now with how the Gryffindor house was acting, she must feel pretty isolated. He slowed down when he heard people talking. He crept closer and saw it was Makoto and Draco.

"I hear you did a great job of getting your own house Professor to take points away." Draco said with a smirk.

"I don't have time to talk to you, so get to the point, Malfoy." Makoto said annoyed.

"I just wanted to congratulate you. The Slytherins are all behind you." He laughed. Makoto clenched her hands together. She seemed to snarl but then closed her eyes and calmed down.

"Malfoy, may I make a suggestion?" She asked. He smirked at her.

"Go ahead, I'm always up for a laugh." Makoto grabbed the front of his robes and lifted him off of his feet.

"I am REALLY pissed off right now and don't feel like dealing with snot nosed brats. If you value your free time then I suggest you go back to what ever hole you just crawled out of and stay out of my way." She then put him back on his feet and stomped off towards that owlry. Draco glared at her back.

"I'll get you back for that." He then walked back towards the dungeons.

Harry quickly followed Makoto into the owlry. He watched her as she sat in the open window and pet the small owl that could only be Pig. Harry walked forward and cleared his throat. Makoto turned to see who it was and then turned back to look out the window.

"Here to add to your friends' comments?" She asked bitterly.

Harry sat next to her in the window and shook his head. "No. I don't know what's wrong with them."

"They view me as competition. Hermione's upset that she never thought to come in and help you when you woke from a nightmare and Ron's afraid that I'm going to steal away his best friend." Makoto sighed and let Pig go back to his perch.

"I never thought about it like that." Harry said looking out at the forest beyond the castle. "Can I ask you something?"

Makoto smiled. "You just did, but go ahead."

Harry smiled back at her and looked down. "Is there a reason you don't fly? Professor McGonagall might have been more understanding if you explained it to her."

Makoto frowned and looked to the moon. "I don't fly because I'm afraid to fly. I don't fly brooms, and I don't fly in planes. I don't even go on roller coasters."

"Is there a reason?" Harry asked.

Makoto looked down at her hands. "When I was seven, my parents went on a business trip. I stood in the terminal of the airport and watched with my nanny as the plane took off down the runway. It was the last time I saw my parents alive. The morning they were supposed to return the plane crashed during the landing. It seems the landing gear never came out from the bottom of the plane. I watched the burning inferno from the plane. They could find no reason for the malfunction with the landing gear, but I know. It was disabled by magic; I saw the blue flash before the plane started to come in for it's landing. I may not be a witch, but I know magic." She said sadly.

Harry frowned. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

Makoto looked at him. "It's ok. We orphans have to stick together right?" She smiled a sad smile. Harry nodded.

"I had no family to go to after my parents died. There was a lone uncle back in England, but he couldn't take me in. He sent me money though, and when I was of age I left the foster home I was in and got my own apartment." Makoto said looking back out to the night sky.

"You're old enough to be on your own?" Harry asked surprised.

"Different countries, different rules, but I was also in a special halfway house kind of set up. I may have had my own apartment, but I was still being watched." Makoto said yawning.

Harry jumped down from the window. "We should head back to the rooms before lights out or well get in trouble."

Makoto nodded. "And here you are without your invisibility cloak." she giggled.

"Yes, that too...wait how did you know?" He asked looking at her strangely.

"I've been talking to Hedwig all morning remember. She's been telling me all about the last four years of Hogwarts." Makoto answered.

"What else did she tell you?" Harry asked walking out of the owlry.

"She said and I quote "I don't like the humans Harry stays with. They should go away and leave us alone" end quote." Makoto smiled.

Harry giggled. "I'd like that."

Makoto looked at her secret charge. "If we survive this year, you can come stay with me. I think Sirius will agree." She thought to herself.

Authors Notes: Nothing much is really known about Makoto's past…so it gives me free reign to add details. Makoto is supposedly supported by a mysterious uncle, but that is really all that known.

Please review and thank for reading.

In the next chapter we skip to Monday and the first of the classes. We'll have a bit more struggle between Hermione, Ron, and Makoto before the official trio becomes a quartet, and there will be plenty more Draco for you lovers of the young deceiving one. ^_^