Daphne: "Well, here is the sixth chapter! I am so happy to finally get it
up! Now, in this chapter, you will meet two of Sakura's old friends (guess
who), and a few new ones as well. Plus, a seemingly evil character will
turn out to be-well, you'll see! Oh, and Sakura, Tomoyo, Rika, and Ginny
will arrive at Hogwarts!
~*~*~*~
Hogwarts-Sakura Style
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
*Two months later*
"You will promise to write every time you get the chance?" Molly asked, as she, Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione waited outside the Hogwarts express.
"Yes, mum." Ginny promised. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Rika were quietly talking with Harry, as he leaned down to pet them.
'You promise to write?' Sakura begged. Harry smiled and nodded.
'Yah! When we get back to the castle, and change out of these forms, we will be able to write, finally! I have been dying to write to mother and tell her how things are.' Tomoyo added, bounding onto the train without further ado.
'Goodbye!' Rika and Sakura chimed, as they too, got onto the train. Harry grinned and waved. Ginny hugged her mother goodbye, and then Hermione. Ron pulled her into a bear-hug, and to everyone's surprise, Harry added his own small hug after Ron let go of her.
"Write as soon as you get there! I want to know what they look like!" He whispered into her ear, causing little shivers to ripple down her spine. She nodded and got on the train, just before it pulled away from the station.
'Wow, I have never had such a great time! It was almost as though we were part of the family!" Sakura said naively. Rika sweatdropped.
'Um.Sakura? We were part of the family.' She pointed out. Sakura smiled.
'I know, but not really. I mean, Harry was more of a part of it than we were.or at least, he will be.' Sakura added cheekily. Ginny looked confused.
"What do you mean, 'will be'?" She asked.
'Why, when you and Harry get married, of course!' Sakura giggled, causing Ginny to blush.
"Will you stop that? He hardly even knows I exist! Besides, he is my brother's best friend." Ginny pouted. Sakura rolled her eyes but stayed silent, gazing out the window. A sadness filled her heart as she gazed at the passing scenery. Everything was a bright and healthy green. Green--
'No matter where I am, Syao-kun, I will always love you.' She thought, as his face appeared in her mind's eye. With his image in her head, she fell into a nice, peaceful sleep.
~*~*~*~
"Look! There it is!" Ginny crowed hours later, as their horse-less carriage came around a curve and Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry came into sight. Certainly, the girls had been inside the castle, but they had never realized just how immense it was.
'Hoe!'
'Wow!'
'Um.are was supposed to memorize our way around this place?' Rika asked, as they pulled to a stop outside the door. Ginny laughed and shook her head.
"It takes a while, but you will eventually know your way around--most places." She said, as they climbed up the great flight of stairs and watched as the front doors opened themselves.
'We have to go to Dumbledore's office. Wait for us outside.' Tomoyo said to Ginny, as she, Sakura and Rika made their way to the Gargoyle and said the password. The kitten/girls, continued on up the stairs, and saw Professor Dumbledore waiting for them in front of his door. He smiled, and led them into his office.
"Now, I believe that you would like your old bodies back, would you not?" He asked, taking out his wand and waving it at them. Immediately, they were back to their old selves, still wearing the outfits that they had worn when they first came.
"Boy, is it good to be back!" Rika crowed, stretching. Dumbledore grinned, and then motioned to a stool, on which stood a faded old wizards hat.
"This is the Sorting Hat, it will tell you what house you are to be in. Rika, you go first." Dumbledore instructed, picking up the hat and placing it on the girl's head. (a/n: I am too lazy to make up a song, so I am not going to have the hat sing, this time! Sorry!) After a moment, a tear opened up at the brim and it shouted,
"Gryffindor!" Rika smiled with relief and stood up, as Tomoyo took her place. She too was sorted into Gryffindor. Now it was Sakura's turn. She slipped on the hat, and then a little voice entered her ear.
"Ah! So, I finally meet you, Miss Kinomoto! Hmmm, very difficult. You have courage, and you stand up for your friends, you can be devious if you want to be.but you have a pure heart. You are kind to all, but naïve.Oh! And the Cards mistress I see! Even Dumbledore doesn't know this.now it is easy to see where I will put you. GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted, causing Sakura to giggle and jump off the stool. Dumbledore smiled at the happy girls.
"Yes, yes, but now some bad news. Because of your special.circumstances, I have decided to move you to a special dorm, where you will be safer." Dumbledore said. At this, all the girls' faces fell.
"But what about Ginny?" Sakura whimpered. Dumbledore looked thoughtful.
"If you would like, she could join you there. She may like it a bit better if she were among friends--yes, I think that would work. I will show you to your rooms, now." At this, the professor led them out of the room, and down to where Ginny was waiting. The red haired girl's mouth dropped open when she saw her three friends in their normal forms, but this did not stop her from hugging them and telling them how great they looked. But now, their group now had a new addition. Behind Ginny stood a rather pale boy, with blonde hair. The very boy from Sakura's dream!
"Ah, Mister Malfoy. Good to see you. Now, would you all please follow me." Dumbledore instructed, leading the group down the hall. Ginny moved as far away from Draco as possible, as she chatted with Rika.
"This is the way we usually get to the Gryffindor common room! I wonder where." Ginny was saying, as Dumbledore stopped in front of a portrait. Sakura looked at it carelessly, and then gave a shriek. Not only was the portrait moving, but it also was a picture of.Clow Reed! As he caught sight of Sakura, he gave her a wink and then smiled.
"The password is 'Star'. Boy's rooms on the left, girls rooms on the right. You are welcome to make this castle your playground until the other students come, but don't tell any of the other professors that I told you that!" With a chuckle, Dumbledore left.
"Star." Tomoyo said, slightly blushing as Clow Reed winked at her as well. The portrait swung open, revealing a rather large room, full of plush white chairs and white walls. There were no pictures on the walls, and everything seemed bare and desolate.
"Oh, good! Now we can have some fun!" Tomoyo giggled, running into the room and looking around. Sakura knew that idea's for remodeling the room were already swirling around her friend's head. Just then, Sakura remembered the blonde haired boy, and turned to him.
"You must be Draco. Where is Rose?" She asked. The blonde boy looked at her, his eyes widening in shock. She smiled her innocent, sweet little smile, and he relaxed.
"In the kitchens with Dobby and Winky. All three of them are going to be moved here, though." Draco said softly, looking a bit uncomfortable. Ginny looked at him in astonishment. This was not the Draco Malfoy she knew! Where was the loud voice, and 'hey, Weasel', and the other sharp comments? This must be some joke!
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" She snapped. Draco drew back a bit, his face neutral.
"I think you should tell her, or she will never understand." Sakura said gently. He nodded and then motioned to the seats. Each girl took one, except for Ginny, who was looking confused.
"You may want to sit down, Ginny. You aren't going to believe this." Sakura warned. Ginny did as she was told, and without hesitation, Draco launched into his tale, with Sakura adding in little parts that he had forgotten. When they were through, Ginny had gone as pale as a ghost, and Draco was looking at Sakura in bewilderment.
"How did you know?" He asked. Rika and Tomoyo looked at each other.
"You explain." Rika sighed, sitting back in her chair and grinning at Sakura, who was wrinkling her nose at her.
"Sakura has prophetic dreams. She saw you, on the same night that you saved Rose. Then, she told us on the way here. Congratulations on being one of the first Slytherins to escape Voldemort." Tomoyo said. Draco smiled slightly.
"One of the first?" Ginny breathed, getting over her initial shock, but still a bit unsteady.
"Oh, Uncle Severus used to be a Death Eater, but now he is a spy for Dumbledore." Rika said. At her words, Ginny and Draco jumped.
"Spy?!"
"Uncle?" Ginny added. Rika grinned.
"Professor Severus Snape is my half-guardian. He took care of me after my parents were killed by Voldemort. And yes, he is a spy." She answered.
"Well I'll be." Draco mussed, smiling again. Suddenly, there came a shuffling at the door, and everyone turned to see a pale, mousy-haired boy standing next to--Professor Severus Snape.
"Uncle Severus! How are you? Did you miss me?" Rika asked, all in one breath, as she hugged the man. He chuckled and hugged back.
"Fine and yes. Draco, how are you taking this?" He asked. Draco smiled.
"I think I could get used to it.but what is Longbottom doing here?" Draco asked, looking at the mousy-haired boy. Severus's face turned grim, and the boy shivered, his eyes becoming almost stony.
"It has started. Voldemort went after him because he was *snort* 'weak', and he only just got away alive. It seems our Mr. Longbottom has a little more buck than we thought. He actually refused to join with Voldemort, despite having a wand stuck in his face." Snape said, sounding a bit proud.
"Oh! Poor Neville! Are you all right?!" Ginny cried, rushing over to the boy and hugging him. He gave a nod.
"I wouldn't join that.git, even if you paid me." He said, his voice surprisingly strong. Sakura clapped.
"That's the spirit! Give him all you've got!" She cheered, causing the boy to blush madly at this beautiful girl.no, these four beautiful girls, cheering for him. Because there were now four absolutely gorgeous girls congratulating him and treating him like a hero. Draco Malfoy, too, was patting him on the back.
"I am sorry for everything I have done, Neville. I had no idea that it was going to come to this." Draco murmured to him in an undertone. "I am sorry that you had to go through it.but hey! You now have beautiful girls admiring you!" Draco laughed. Neville chuckled.
"I suppose it can't be all that bad, then." He mumbled.
"Now, I have to go, but I want you to show Neville around." Snape instructed, sounding not at all like his usual self. In fact, he sounded as if he were a father talking to his children. As he left the room, Neville gaped at his back.
"I suppose he is not as bad as he acts, as well. Blimey this place has too many secrets!" Neville announced, making the girls laugh.
"Well, there are quite a few more. Did you know that the 'Mortal Angels' are attending Hogwarts this year?" Ginny asked.
"You're kidding!"
"No way!" Draco added. Ginny grinned and nodded.
"Yes way!" Tomoyo joked.
"No, she isn't kidding." Sakura said, smiling happily.
"Ginny doesn't lie like that. Especially not in front of us." Rika added. The boys gaped, as reality hit them.
"You.you are *them*?!" Draco choked, as the girls smiled sweetly at him.
"Bloody knights! Wait until I tell Gram that the 'Mortal Angels' were actually fawning over me!" Neville squeaked, causing the girls to laugh.
"Oh, Neville! We are normal people too, just a little more advertised--not that we wanted that--" Tomoyo said. Then her face lit up again. "Enough chit-chat! I want to get to work on these rooms! They are all white, if you haven't noticed, and I want to decorate them! Oh, and boys? I will decorate yours as well! Just tell me how you want them decorated, and I will do it!" Tomoyo crowed, as she dragged the girls up the right-hand staircase. Soon, they came to the first door. Above the door was a gold plaque, with the name 'Rika' inscribed on it. Rika smiled and went into her room. Next was Tomoyo's, then Sakura's, then Ginny's. All the girls found their belongings in their rooms, as well as their pets. By now, Rika's cat had had five healthy kittens. To the girls surprise, there was one kitten who had silver fur, one that had purply-blue fur, and a third that had pink fur. The last two were black and white dappled, one with white paws and the other with black paws. Rika had not named them yet, so the girls were planning on doing it that night.
"OH MY GOSH!" Ginny screamed, making the others come running.
"What is it?" Sakura cried.
"What's wrong?" Neville added.
"Look!" Ginny squealed, pointing at the cage that was sitting on her desk. Inside was a the baby owl, just the same as when they had left.
"Oh, she is just a thank-you for housing us and keeping our secret. Enjoy her." Rika said, starting to leave the room, but Ginny grabbed her arm.
"But how did you know.that I wanted this exact one?" She asked, her eyes filled with happy tears. Rika grinned.
"We were sitting right across the way at the ice-cream shop. We heard everything, and so Sakura bought it for you." She explained, as she left the room.
"Well, thank-you!" Ginny called after them, as the rest left, laughing.
~*~*~*~
"All right, time to explore. Lets find our way around this place." Draco suggested, as they met back in their common room.
"Yah, and the restroom!" Neville added, making them all laugh.
"Maybe that is it, there." Sakura pointed to a door at the far end of the common room. They opened the door and found themselves in a little hallway that had two doors in it, one on each side of the hall. On the left, the door said 'ladies' and on the right, the door read 'men'.
"Bingo!" Tomoyo said, as they walked into the bathroom. Inside, it was quite glamorous, but also pure white.
"I will be decorating in here, too." Tomoyo said excitedly. There was a lock on the door, which Sakura tried, and found to be usable. Then they explored the make-up room, which opened up off the main bathroom, where one whole wall was made of a large mirror. There was a long table in front of the mirror, which held numerous amounts of cover-up, blush, eye-liner, mascara, lipstick, and other things, free for the girls to use. Across from the make-up room was a row of doors which, when opened, revealed.toilets.
"Well, at least we have plenty." Rika joked, as they opened five doors which held only these. Then next to the rooms, were several sinks with numerous taps that had strange labels. But no matter how hard they looked, the girls could not find the bathtub!
"I wonder what this does." Sakura mussed, pushing down on a rather fancy- looking towel-holder that hung from the wall next to the bathroom door. All at once, the ground disappeared out from under Rika's feet, and she fell with a startled screech. The floor from which she had fallen now rearranged itself to reveal a monstrous tub, almost the size of a pool!
"Wild! Hey, come and look at this!" Rika called up. The other three girls walked down about five feet, and then saw what Rika was pointing to. Dozens of taps lined the tub, all with their own shape and color.
"Kawaii!" Tomoyo squealed, whipping her video-camera out of nowhere, and beginning to record. Soon, the girls hastened up to join Draco and Neville out in the common room.
"What time is it?" Draco asked. Sakura looked around for a clock, and when she didn't see one, she took out her wand. She muttered something, and all at once, a clock appeared over the mantle of the fireplace. It was just like the one at the Weasley's and read, 'Not time for dinner'.
"Good! Now I can begin the redecorating. Now.how do we want the common room?!" Tomoyo crowed.
~*~*~*~
"All done!" Tomoyo cried, putting her wand away an hour later. She had redecorated every room in their dorm, including the boys bathroom, when she had kept her eyes shut the whole time. The common room had been done in foresty themes, with real pine trees growing in the corners of the room, and sun-splotched ceiling and walls, so it gave the real appearance of being in a peaceful forest. At night, the forest would naturally darken, and the sun-splotches would be replaced by twinkling stars. Then, for the girls bathroom, Tomoyo had kept the white tiles, but painted the walls purple with blue trim. The ceilings remained white, but the tub's inside had been decorated with a design of bubbles. In the boys bathroom, she had painted the walls blue, with light green trim.
Then it was onto the private bedrooms. First she had done Neville's room. He had decided on an undersea theme, complete with enchanted walls that had fish swimming across them ("No sharks, luckily!" Was Neville's comment). Next was Draco, who wanted a tropical forest, complete with swinging vines and a vine-hammock. Ginny came next. She had liked the idea of a royal bedroom, with gray stone walls and a canopied bed, with forest-green velvet coverings and blankets. Rika came after, and she had decided on a rather strange design. She wanted mood-change walls and blankets, that would change to fit her moods. Now it was Sakura's turn. She had settled on a bedroom that depicted everything floating on clouds. The walls were charmed to make it look as though the clouds were really moving, and fluffy, almost translucent clouds floated around the ceiling.
"It will remind me of where mother is." Sakura had said. Finally, Tomoyo got to her own room. She had decided on a meadow theme, complete with a distant forest and a field of tall, waving flowers. When she was though, she was tired, but happy.
"Dumbledore said that the school was our play-ground, right?" Sakura asked slowly, as the group walked down to the Great Hall. Everyone looked at her, knowing that she had something in mind.
"What if we were to decorate, say.the whole of the Great Hall, just the way we liked it?" Sakura asked tilting her head cutely to the side. One-by-one, each of their faces lit up in sheer delight of the idea. It would be so different, so forbidden, so--perfect!
"How will we do it?" Tomoyo asked, taking out her wand, and everyone else grinned at each other.
~*~*~*~
"Well, this certainly is.different." Dumbledore commented the next morning, when they dragged him in to see their handiwork. At first, he had stood stark still, simply staring, but then his face had twisted into a smile, and then a grin.
"Very imaginative. And I think I know a way for you to keep it throughout the school year. Whenever you have some free time, I or you, could change it, so this would appear, and you could play here for as long as you like." He said, looking around in interest.
Indeed, the place that used to have been the Great Hall, was quite changed. It had now taken on the appearance of a lovely, mystical garden. The tables were still in the same places, but they were carefully made into a small maze of high hedges, covered in ivy and roses. At the far end of the Hall, and of to one side, stood a great, tall Japanese Cherry tree, in full bloom. There was a big swing strung from one of the more sturdier branches, and it swung back and forth slowly, as though pushed by an invisible wind. Throughout the hall, were smaller cherry trees, and also some blossoming Plum trees. Peonies were dappled here and there around the garden, as were lavender, daphne, violets, lilies, and many other flowers. The walls of the hall had been made to look like a brick wall, covered in more ivy and roses. Then, above the wall, it was charmed to look like a sunny day. Tall trees shadowed the garden, but watery sunlight sifted through the leaves of the trees in a misty way, making the garden seem most angelic. Soft, green grass covered the floor, finishing off the picture.
"I would like to come here every day." Draco commented slowly, as he gazed around in wonder. With a giggle, Sakura raced over to the swing and sat down, starting to swing. There was a melodious chirp, and Goldenrod came sweeping into the room, landing on a branch near Sakura.
"This is our haven." She whispered to the phoenix, as she stroked Goldenrod's back. Suddenly, there came a low chuckle from behind the tree.
"Your haven for what, Sakura dear?" Sakura gave a small shriek and turned to see Eriol smirking down at her from an upper branch.
"Eriol-kun!" She cried, standing up and flashing her brilliant smile at him. He leaped down off the branch, and allowed her to hug him.
"My goodness, Sakura! You have grown from the little klutz I knew, into a lovely young lady, all in a few years!" He laughed jokingly, as she punched his arm gently. Then he turned to look at the others, who were looking astonished, and in Draco's case, suspicious.
It was indeed Eriol Hiiragizawa. The boy had grown quite tall, and more muscular, but his blue eyes still sparkled with the same hints of humor, slyness, mystery, and even a little bit of evil. Not the bad kind of evil, but the kind that makes you laugh. Eriol's black-blue hair had grown longer, but it was in the same style, so that some of his hair still fell over his eyes.
"Ah, Daidouji-san! You are looking even more lovely than the last time I saw you." He flirted, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her fingers. Tomoyo's sweet smile broke through her shock, and she laughed.
"Still the charmer, I see." She teased. He grinned at her, and then turned to Rika.
"So.you have finally made it to Hogwarts! How have you been, Rika?" He asked. Rika smiled her lovely smile.
"I have been fine. But Eriol.what are you doing here?" She asked. His grin widened.
"Why, I attend here. I just came earlier, because I heard that you were coming, and I wanted to be here to greet you. You are some of my oldest friends, you know." He commented, his eyes falling on the two other boys and staying there.
"It is good to see you as well. May I congratulate you on escaping the grasp of Lord Voldemort." Eriol said, in a deeper voice. The two other boys looked astonished.
"How did you know about that?!" Neville choked. Eriol simply smirked.
"He has his ways, just like I have mine." Sakura said, stepping in for the black haired boy. Still, the boys seemed unconvinced, but they stayed silent. Another person, however, did not.
"Sakura-chan!" A large blur of red darted out and threw itself into Sakura's arms, causing Sakura to choke from lack of air.
"Nakuru! What a surprise! What are you doing here?" Sakura asked.
"I am Professor Dumbledore's personal assistant. He hired me last month. I like working for him." Nakuru chirped, and then spotted Tomoyo and Rika.
"Tomoyo-chan! Rika-chan! I missed you so much! How are you? My how you've grown!" Nakuru cried, all in one breath, causing Tomoyo and Rika to laugh.
"Sakura, where is Kero? Suppi wants to play video games with him. Eriol even set up a TV in his room so they could play. We are staying in the same place as you.oh yeah! And I want Tomoyo-chan to decorate my room! It is too white." Nakuru said, causing them all to burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"All right, Nakuru, I will decorate your room, and Eriol's too, if he would like." Tomoyo said, as Eriol nodded at her.
"Kero is up in my room, taking a cat-nap. You have my permission to wake him up." Sakura said, her eyes twinkling at the thought of Nakuru waking Kero up. Nakuru gave a squeal and ran out of the room. Despite her twenty- three years of age, Nakuru still acted like a five year-old at times.
"She was.nice." Neville said hesitantly, slightly overwhelmed by the bouncy older girl. Dumbledore laughed.
"That is part of the reason that I hired her. She is so cheerful and full of life. She keeps me young, and that is a good thing, considering all that is happening now." Dumbledore said. "Now, I think that it is about time that we ate. Shall we?" Dumbledore waved his wand, and the Great Hall reappeared abruptly. Plates had appeared on the teachers table, and Dumbledore motioned for them all to be seated. The group was soon joined by Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. Having been told about all the happenings at the Burrow, Draco and Neville were not surprised when the great black dog trotted into the room and then immediately turned into a human.
".So then, Yamazaki starts to come up with another of his enormous lies, and then Chiharu hits him over the head with her mallet. Of course, after that, they had a make-out session, right in front of us, and Tomoyo taped it all!" Rika was saying to Eriol, who had been eager to hear about his old partner in crime, Yamazaki Takashi.
"Right, and then Sakura just had to break out laughing, and they stopped. It was a real bummer, because they were getting to a good part!" Tomoyo added.
"Really, Ms. Tomoyo! You were able to stay silent the whole time? Without even a 'kawaii'?! Shocking!" Eriol teased, causing Tomoyo to blush. She was about to retort, when the Great Hall's doors opened and a woman strolled into the room. She was quite lovely, with bright blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and full, rosy lips. She had a slim, curvy figure, which was accented by the forest-green robes she was wearing, that seemed to have been created just for her.
"Ah, Arabella! How nice of you to join us." Dumbledore stated, as the woman took a seat beside him. She smiled prettily, and then glanced at the students.
"Oh, I didn't know that school was starting early." She said, her voice soft and warm as a summer's breeze. Immediately, everyone felt at ease with her.
"For them, it is. Arabella, these are Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Virginia Weasley, Sakura Kinomoto, Rika Sasaki, and Tomoyo Daidouji. Children, this is Professor Arabella Figg, your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Dumbledore explained. At their names, Arabella jumped.
"So it has started. This is really going to happen." She murmured. However much her words confused the students, it did not confuse the older people.
"Yes it has, Bella. You knew that there was no way to avoid it." Sirius said, his voice sympathetic and soothing. She nodded sadly and looked down at her plate.
"If only we had understood. If only they had told us that Peter was." She stopped, and looked at the seven confused students. Then she laughed softly.
"Don't worry. Eventually, you will know what I am talking about." She said softly, beginning to eat. Sakura gazed at her for a moment, and then frowned. She looked at Eriol, who nodded.
"You speak as though you have met us before. But.I don't remember meeting you." Sakura said timidly. Arabella laughed.
"You wouldn't, because you haven't met me before now. I am just being foolish. Ignore me." She said, waving her graceful hand at them.
"Anyway, how is Harry doing? I haven't seen him since.oh, his third year, was it?" She went on. Remus nodded.
"He is thriving. He has become known as the school's heartbreaker, though, with his looks, that is not a surprise. He spent the summer with the Weasley's." Remus said. Sakura giggled.
"He *is* rather handsome, and very nice. But Ar.Professor Figg, how do you know him?" She asked, frowning a bit. Arabella looked startled.
"Oh, please call me Bella. Everyone does. And I know him because I used to care for him when his aunt and uncle went out for the day. I am afraid he didn't like me much.but, how do *you* know him?" Bella asked. Tomoyo, Rika, and Sakura grinned.
"Over the summer, we were disguised as kittens and then put in the care of the Weasley's. Even though no one but Ginny and Mr. Weasley were supposed to know, Harry, being as intuitive as he is, figured it out and we became quite good friends. He actually told us about a Mrs. Figg that used to take care of him, but according to Harry, she was quite old, and boring, and had dozens of cats." Tomoyo said. At this, Bella giggled.
"Oh, that was just an aging spell that I used when he came over, so he wouldn't recognize me from pictures of his parents and their friends. And the cats.all but three of them were just a multiplying charm that I used. You see, I had to be the complete opposite of my real self, so Harry would not suspect that I was a witch. I wasn't allowed to reveal that to him, because I was a sort-of guardian to him. I watched over him for Dumbledore, so when the time came, Harry would be able to come to Hogwarts. It was actually quite an amusing job, considering that I am a full-blooded witch, and I have been living in the muggle world since I was twenty!" Bella said.
"Wait! You knew Harry's parents? Just like Sirius and Remus?" Ginny questioned. Bella nodded.
"His mother, Lily, was my best friend. She was Lily Evens, back then, and we were the arch rivals of the Marauders. We absolutely hated them, and they us. But in our final year, something just snapped, and we all became friends. In fact, we were the first, besides the Professors and the Marauders to know what Remus was. Lily figured it out in our second year, and then told me and our other friend, Sophia Heath." Bella said, sneaking a sly look at Remus, who had gone quite red at the last name she had mentioned.
"Oh! And I suppose that Remus and Sophia were an item?" Rika asked. Bella laughed and nodded.
"Yes. In fact." She was about to add more, but Remus clapped his had over her mouth. This caused Eriol to smirk, and the others to giggle softly. Sirius was grinning slyly at his friend.
"Well, whatever happened between you and Sirius, Bella?" Remus retorted as he pried Bella's hand off his mouth. His question made both people go bright red. Now the students laughed outright.
"You three are acting like twelve year-olds!" Neville snorted, causing the three guilty to blush even more. Sakura grinned and met Eriol's eyes. This was going to be one interesting year, there was no doubt about that!
~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~
Hogwarts-Sakura Style
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
*Two months later*
"You will promise to write every time you get the chance?" Molly asked, as she, Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione waited outside the Hogwarts express.
"Yes, mum." Ginny promised. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Rika were quietly talking with Harry, as he leaned down to pet them.
'You promise to write?' Sakura begged. Harry smiled and nodded.
'Yah! When we get back to the castle, and change out of these forms, we will be able to write, finally! I have been dying to write to mother and tell her how things are.' Tomoyo added, bounding onto the train without further ado.
'Goodbye!' Rika and Sakura chimed, as they too, got onto the train. Harry grinned and waved. Ginny hugged her mother goodbye, and then Hermione. Ron pulled her into a bear-hug, and to everyone's surprise, Harry added his own small hug after Ron let go of her.
"Write as soon as you get there! I want to know what they look like!" He whispered into her ear, causing little shivers to ripple down her spine. She nodded and got on the train, just before it pulled away from the station.
'Wow, I have never had such a great time! It was almost as though we were part of the family!" Sakura said naively. Rika sweatdropped.
'Um.Sakura? We were part of the family.' She pointed out. Sakura smiled.
'I know, but not really. I mean, Harry was more of a part of it than we were.or at least, he will be.' Sakura added cheekily. Ginny looked confused.
"What do you mean, 'will be'?" She asked.
'Why, when you and Harry get married, of course!' Sakura giggled, causing Ginny to blush.
"Will you stop that? He hardly even knows I exist! Besides, he is my brother's best friend." Ginny pouted. Sakura rolled her eyes but stayed silent, gazing out the window. A sadness filled her heart as she gazed at the passing scenery. Everything was a bright and healthy green. Green--
'No matter where I am, Syao-kun, I will always love you.' She thought, as his face appeared in her mind's eye. With his image in her head, she fell into a nice, peaceful sleep.
~*~*~*~
"Look! There it is!" Ginny crowed hours later, as their horse-less carriage came around a curve and Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry came into sight. Certainly, the girls had been inside the castle, but they had never realized just how immense it was.
'Hoe!'
'Wow!'
'Um.are was supposed to memorize our way around this place?' Rika asked, as they pulled to a stop outside the door. Ginny laughed and shook her head.
"It takes a while, but you will eventually know your way around--most places." She said, as they climbed up the great flight of stairs and watched as the front doors opened themselves.
'We have to go to Dumbledore's office. Wait for us outside.' Tomoyo said to Ginny, as she, Sakura and Rika made their way to the Gargoyle and said the password. The kitten/girls, continued on up the stairs, and saw Professor Dumbledore waiting for them in front of his door. He smiled, and led them into his office.
"Now, I believe that you would like your old bodies back, would you not?" He asked, taking out his wand and waving it at them. Immediately, they were back to their old selves, still wearing the outfits that they had worn when they first came.
"Boy, is it good to be back!" Rika crowed, stretching. Dumbledore grinned, and then motioned to a stool, on which stood a faded old wizards hat.
"This is the Sorting Hat, it will tell you what house you are to be in. Rika, you go first." Dumbledore instructed, picking up the hat and placing it on the girl's head. (a/n: I am too lazy to make up a song, so I am not going to have the hat sing, this time! Sorry!) After a moment, a tear opened up at the brim and it shouted,
"Gryffindor!" Rika smiled with relief and stood up, as Tomoyo took her place. She too was sorted into Gryffindor. Now it was Sakura's turn. She slipped on the hat, and then a little voice entered her ear.
"Ah! So, I finally meet you, Miss Kinomoto! Hmmm, very difficult. You have courage, and you stand up for your friends, you can be devious if you want to be.but you have a pure heart. You are kind to all, but naïve.Oh! And the Cards mistress I see! Even Dumbledore doesn't know this.now it is easy to see where I will put you. GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted, causing Sakura to giggle and jump off the stool. Dumbledore smiled at the happy girls.
"Yes, yes, but now some bad news. Because of your special.circumstances, I have decided to move you to a special dorm, where you will be safer." Dumbledore said. At this, all the girls' faces fell.
"But what about Ginny?" Sakura whimpered. Dumbledore looked thoughtful.
"If you would like, she could join you there. She may like it a bit better if she were among friends--yes, I think that would work. I will show you to your rooms, now." At this, the professor led them out of the room, and down to where Ginny was waiting. The red haired girl's mouth dropped open when she saw her three friends in their normal forms, but this did not stop her from hugging them and telling them how great they looked. But now, their group now had a new addition. Behind Ginny stood a rather pale boy, with blonde hair. The very boy from Sakura's dream!
"Ah, Mister Malfoy. Good to see you. Now, would you all please follow me." Dumbledore instructed, leading the group down the hall. Ginny moved as far away from Draco as possible, as she chatted with Rika.
"This is the way we usually get to the Gryffindor common room! I wonder where." Ginny was saying, as Dumbledore stopped in front of a portrait. Sakura looked at it carelessly, and then gave a shriek. Not only was the portrait moving, but it also was a picture of.Clow Reed! As he caught sight of Sakura, he gave her a wink and then smiled.
"The password is 'Star'. Boy's rooms on the left, girls rooms on the right. You are welcome to make this castle your playground until the other students come, but don't tell any of the other professors that I told you that!" With a chuckle, Dumbledore left.
"Star." Tomoyo said, slightly blushing as Clow Reed winked at her as well. The portrait swung open, revealing a rather large room, full of plush white chairs and white walls. There were no pictures on the walls, and everything seemed bare and desolate.
"Oh, good! Now we can have some fun!" Tomoyo giggled, running into the room and looking around. Sakura knew that idea's for remodeling the room were already swirling around her friend's head. Just then, Sakura remembered the blonde haired boy, and turned to him.
"You must be Draco. Where is Rose?" She asked. The blonde boy looked at her, his eyes widening in shock. She smiled her innocent, sweet little smile, and he relaxed.
"In the kitchens with Dobby and Winky. All three of them are going to be moved here, though." Draco said softly, looking a bit uncomfortable. Ginny looked at him in astonishment. This was not the Draco Malfoy she knew! Where was the loud voice, and 'hey, Weasel', and the other sharp comments? This must be some joke!
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" She snapped. Draco drew back a bit, his face neutral.
"I think you should tell her, or she will never understand." Sakura said gently. He nodded and then motioned to the seats. Each girl took one, except for Ginny, who was looking confused.
"You may want to sit down, Ginny. You aren't going to believe this." Sakura warned. Ginny did as she was told, and without hesitation, Draco launched into his tale, with Sakura adding in little parts that he had forgotten. When they were through, Ginny had gone as pale as a ghost, and Draco was looking at Sakura in bewilderment.
"How did you know?" He asked. Rika and Tomoyo looked at each other.
"You explain." Rika sighed, sitting back in her chair and grinning at Sakura, who was wrinkling her nose at her.
"Sakura has prophetic dreams. She saw you, on the same night that you saved Rose. Then, she told us on the way here. Congratulations on being one of the first Slytherins to escape Voldemort." Tomoyo said. Draco smiled slightly.
"One of the first?" Ginny breathed, getting over her initial shock, but still a bit unsteady.
"Oh, Uncle Severus used to be a Death Eater, but now he is a spy for Dumbledore." Rika said. At her words, Ginny and Draco jumped.
"Spy?!"
"Uncle?" Ginny added. Rika grinned.
"Professor Severus Snape is my half-guardian. He took care of me after my parents were killed by Voldemort. And yes, he is a spy." She answered.
"Well I'll be." Draco mussed, smiling again. Suddenly, there came a shuffling at the door, and everyone turned to see a pale, mousy-haired boy standing next to--Professor Severus Snape.
"Uncle Severus! How are you? Did you miss me?" Rika asked, all in one breath, as she hugged the man. He chuckled and hugged back.
"Fine and yes. Draco, how are you taking this?" He asked. Draco smiled.
"I think I could get used to it.but what is Longbottom doing here?" Draco asked, looking at the mousy-haired boy. Severus's face turned grim, and the boy shivered, his eyes becoming almost stony.
"It has started. Voldemort went after him because he was *snort* 'weak', and he only just got away alive. It seems our Mr. Longbottom has a little more buck than we thought. He actually refused to join with Voldemort, despite having a wand stuck in his face." Snape said, sounding a bit proud.
"Oh! Poor Neville! Are you all right?!" Ginny cried, rushing over to the boy and hugging him. He gave a nod.
"I wouldn't join that.git, even if you paid me." He said, his voice surprisingly strong. Sakura clapped.
"That's the spirit! Give him all you've got!" She cheered, causing the boy to blush madly at this beautiful girl.no, these four beautiful girls, cheering for him. Because there were now four absolutely gorgeous girls congratulating him and treating him like a hero. Draco Malfoy, too, was patting him on the back.
"I am sorry for everything I have done, Neville. I had no idea that it was going to come to this." Draco murmured to him in an undertone. "I am sorry that you had to go through it.but hey! You now have beautiful girls admiring you!" Draco laughed. Neville chuckled.
"I suppose it can't be all that bad, then." He mumbled.
"Now, I have to go, but I want you to show Neville around." Snape instructed, sounding not at all like his usual self. In fact, he sounded as if he were a father talking to his children. As he left the room, Neville gaped at his back.
"I suppose he is not as bad as he acts, as well. Blimey this place has too many secrets!" Neville announced, making the girls laugh.
"Well, there are quite a few more. Did you know that the 'Mortal Angels' are attending Hogwarts this year?" Ginny asked.
"You're kidding!"
"No way!" Draco added. Ginny grinned and nodded.
"Yes way!" Tomoyo joked.
"No, she isn't kidding." Sakura said, smiling happily.
"Ginny doesn't lie like that. Especially not in front of us." Rika added. The boys gaped, as reality hit them.
"You.you are *them*?!" Draco choked, as the girls smiled sweetly at him.
"Bloody knights! Wait until I tell Gram that the 'Mortal Angels' were actually fawning over me!" Neville squeaked, causing the girls to laugh.
"Oh, Neville! We are normal people too, just a little more advertised--not that we wanted that--" Tomoyo said. Then her face lit up again. "Enough chit-chat! I want to get to work on these rooms! They are all white, if you haven't noticed, and I want to decorate them! Oh, and boys? I will decorate yours as well! Just tell me how you want them decorated, and I will do it!" Tomoyo crowed, as she dragged the girls up the right-hand staircase. Soon, they came to the first door. Above the door was a gold plaque, with the name 'Rika' inscribed on it. Rika smiled and went into her room. Next was Tomoyo's, then Sakura's, then Ginny's. All the girls found their belongings in their rooms, as well as their pets. By now, Rika's cat had had five healthy kittens. To the girls surprise, there was one kitten who had silver fur, one that had purply-blue fur, and a third that had pink fur. The last two were black and white dappled, one with white paws and the other with black paws. Rika had not named them yet, so the girls were planning on doing it that night.
"OH MY GOSH!" Ginny screamed, making the others come running.
"What is it?" Sakura cried.
"What's wrong?" Neville added.
"Look!" Ginny squealed, pointing at the cage that was sitting on her desk. Inside was a the baby owl, just the same as when they had left.
"Oh, she is just a thank-you for housing us and keeping our secret. Enjoy her." Rika said, starting to leave the room, but Ginny grabbed her arm.
"But how did you know.that I wanted this exact one?" She asked, her eyes filled with happy tears. Rika grinned.
"We were sitting right across the way at the ice-cream shop. We heard everything, and so Sakura bought it for you." She explained, as she left the room.
"Well, thank-you!" Ginny called after them, as the rest left, laughing.
~*~*~*~
"All right, time to explore. Lets find our way around this place." Draco suggested, as they met back in their common room.
"Yah, and the restroom!" Neville added, making them all laugh.
"Maybe that is it, there." Sakura pointed to a door at the far end of the common room. They opened the door and found themselves in a little hallway that had two doors in it, one on each side of the hall. On the left, the door said 'ladies' and on the right, the door read 'men'.
"Bingo!" Tomoyo said, as they walked into the bathroom. Inside, it was quite glamorous, but also pure white.
"I will be decorating in here, too." Tomoyo said excitedly. There was a lock on the door, which Sakura tried, and found to be usable. Then they explored the make-up room, which opened up off the main bathroom, where one whole wall was made of a large mirror. There was a long table in front of the mirror, which held numerous amounts of cover-up, blush, eye-liner, mascara, lipstick, and other things, free for the girls to use. Across from the make-up room was a row of doors which, when opened, revealed.toilets.
"Well, at least we have plenty." Rika joked, as they opened five doors which held only these. Then next to the rooms, were several sinks with numerous taps that had strange labels. But no matter how hard they looked, the girls could not find the bathtub!
"I wonder what this does." Sakura mussed, pushing down on a rather fancy- looking towel-holder that hung from the wall next to the bathroom door. All at once, the ground disappeared out from under Rika's feet, and she fell with a startled screech. The floor from which she had fallen now rearranged itself to reveal a monstrous tub, almost the size of a pool!
"Wild! Hey, come and look at this!" Rika called up. The other three girls walked down about five feet, and then saw what Rika was pointing to. Dozens of taps lined the tub, all with their own shape and color.
"Kawaii!" Tomoyo squealed, whipping her video-camera out of nowhere, and beginning to record. Soon, the girls hastened up to join Draco and Neville out in the common room.
"What time is it?" Draco asked. Sakura looked around for a clock, and when she didn't see one, she took out her wand. She muttered something, and all at once, a clock appeared over the mantle of the fireplace. It was just like the one at the Weasley's and read, 'Not time for dinner'.
"Good! Now I can begin the redecorating. Now.how do we want the common room?!" Tomoyo crowed.
~*~*~*~
"All done!" Tomoyo cried, putting her wand away an hour later. She had redecorated every room in their dorm, including the boys bathroom, when she had kept her eyes shut the whole time. The common room had been done in foresty themes, with real pine trees growing in the corners of the room, and sun-splotched ceiling and walls, so it gave the real appearance of being in a peaceful forest. At night, the forest would naturally darken, and the sun-splotches would be replaced by twinkling stars. Then, for the girls bathroom, Tomoyo had kept the white tiles, but painted the walls purple with blue trim. The ceilings remained white, but the tub's inside had been decorated with a design of bubbles. In the boys bathroom, she had painted the walls blue, with light green trim.
Then it was onto the private bedrooms. First she had done Neville's room. He had decided on an undersea theme, complete with enchanted walls that had fish swimming across them ("No sharks, luckily!" Was Neville's comment). Next was Draco, who wanted a tropical forest, complete with swinging vines and a vine-hammock. Ginny came next. She had liked the idea of a royal bedroom, with gray stone walls and a canopied bed, with forest-green velvet coverings and blankets. Rika came after, and she had decided on a rather strange design. She wanted mood-change walls and blankets, that would change to fit her moods. Now it was Sakura's turn. She had settled on a bedroom that depicted everything floating on clouds. The walls were charmed to make it look as though the clouds were really moving, and fluffy, almost translucent clouds floated around the ceiling.
"It will remind me of where mother is." Sakura had said. Finally, Tomoyo got to her own room. She had decided on a meadow theme, complete with a distant forest and a field of tall, waving flowers. When she was though, she was tired, but happy.
"Dumbledore said that the school was our play-ground, right?" Sakura asked slowly, as the group walked down to the Great Hall. Everyone looked at her, knowing that she had something in mind.
"What if we were to decorate, say.the whole of the Great Hall, just the way we liked it?" Sakura asked tilting her head cutely to the side. One-by-one, each of their faces lit up in sheer delight of the idea. It would be so different, so forbidden, so--perfect!
"How will we do it?" Tomoyo asked, taking out her wand, and everyone else grinned at each other.
~*~*~*~
"Well, this certainly is.different." Dumbledore commented the next morning, when they dragged him in to see their handiwork. At first, he had stood stark still, simply staring, but then his face had twisted into a smile, and then a grin.
"Very imaginative. And I think I know a way for you to keep it throughout the school year. Whenever you have some free time, I or you, could change it, so this would appear, and you could play here for as long as you like." He said, looking around in interest.
Indeed, the place that used to have been the Great Hall, was quite changed. It had now taken on the appearance of a lovely, mystical garden. The tables were still in the same places, but they were carefully made into a small maze of high hedges, covered in ivy and roses. At the far end of the Hall, and of to one side, stood a great, tall Japanese Cherry tree, in full bloom. There was a big swing strung from one of the more sturdier branches, and it swung back and forth slowly, as though pushed by an invisible wind. Throughout the hall, were smaller cherry trees, and also some blossoming Plum trees. Peonies were dappled here and there around the garden, as were lavender, daphne, violets, lilies, and many other flowers. The walls of the hall had been made to look like a brick wall, covered in more ivy and roses. Then, above the wall, it was charmed to look like a sunny day. Tall trees shadowed the garden, but watery sunlight sifted through the leaves of the trees in a misty way, making the garden seem most angelic. Soft, green grass covered the floor, finishing off the picture.
"I would like to come here every day." Draco commented slowly, as he gazed around in wonder. With a giggle, Sakura raced over to the swing and sat down, starting to swing. There was a melodious chirp, and Goldenrod came sweeping into the room, landing on a branch near Sakura.
"This is our haven." She whispered to the phoenix, as she stroked Goldenrod's back. Suddenly, there came a low chuckle from behind the tree.
"Your haven for what, Sakura dear?" Sakura gave a small shriek and turned to see Eriol smirking down at her from an upper branch.
"Eriol-kun!" She cried, standing up and flashing her brilliant smile at him. He leaped down off the branch, and allowed her to hug him.
"My goodness, Sakura! You have grown from the little klutz I knew, into a lovely young lady, all in a few years!" He laughed jokingly, as she punched his arm gently. Then he turned to look at the others, who were looking astonished, and in Draco's case, suspicious.
It was indeed Eriol Hiiragizawa. The boy had grown quite tall, and more muscular, but his blue eyes still sparkled with the same hints of humor, slyness, mystery, and even a little bit of evil. Not the bad kind of evil, but the kind that makes you laugh. Eriol's black-blue hair had grown longer, but it was in the same style, so that some of his hair still fell over his eyes.
"Ah, Daidouji-san! You are looking even more lovely than the last time I saw you." He flirted, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her fingers. Tomoyo's sweet smile broke through her shock, and she laughed.
"Still the charmer, I see." She teased. He grinned at her, and then turned to Rika.
"So.you have finally made it to Hogwarts! How have you been, Rika?" He asked. Rika smiled her lovely smile.
"I have been fine. But Eriol.what are you doing here?" She asked. His grin widened.
"Why, I attend here. I just came earlier, because I heard that you were coming, and I wanted to be here to greet you. You are some of my oldest friends, you know." He commented, his eyes falling on the two other boys and staying there.
"It is good to see you as well. May I congratulate you on escaping the grasp of Lord Voldemort." Eriol said, in a deeper voice. The two other boys looked astonished.
"How did you know about that?!" Neville choked. Eriol simply smirked.
"He has his ways, just like I have mine." Sakura said, stepping in for the black haired boy. Still, the boys seemed unconvinced, but they stayed silent. Another person, however, did not.
"Sakura-chan!" A large blur of red darted out and threw itself into Sakura's arms, causing Sakura to choke from lack of air.
"Nakuru! What a surprise! What are you doing here?" Sakura asked.
"I am Professor Dumbledore's personal assistant. He hired me last month. I like working for him." Nakuru chirped, and then spotted Tomoyo and Rika.
"Tomoyo-chan! Rika-chan! I missed you so much! How are you? My how you've grown!" Nakuru cried, all in one breath, causing Tomoyo and Rika to laugh.
"Sakura, where is Kero? Suppi wants to play video games with him. Eriol even set up a TV in his room so they could play. We are staying in the same place as you.oh yeah! And I want Tomoyo-chan to decorate my room! It is too white." Nakuru said, causing them all to burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"All right, Nakuru, I will decorate your room, and Eriol's too, if he would like." Tomoyo said, as Eriol nodded at her.
"Kero is up in my room, taking a cat-nap. You have my permission to wake him up." Sakura said, her eyes twinkling at the thought of Nakuru waking Kero up. Nakuru gave a squeal and ran out of the room. Despite her twenty- three years of age, Nakuru still acted like a five year-old at times.
"She was.nice." Neville said hesitantly, slightly overwhelmed by the bouncy older girl. Dumbledore laughed.
"That is part of the reason that I hired her. She is so cheerful and full of life. She keeps me young, and that is a good thing, considering all that is happening now." Dumbledore said. "Now, I think that it is about time that we ate. Shall we?" Dumbledore waved his wand, and the Great Hall reappeared abruptly. Plates had appeared on the teachers table, and Dumbledore motioned for them all to be seated. The group was soon joined by Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. Having been told about all the happenings at the Burrow, Draco and Neville were not surprised when the great black dog trotted into the room and then immediately turned into a human.
".So then, Yamazaki starts to come up with another of his enormous lies, and then Chiharu hits him over the head with her mallet. Of course, after that, they had a make-out session, right in front of us, and Tomoyo taped it all!" Rika was saying to Eriol, who had been eager to hear about his old partner in crime, Yamazaki Takashi.
"Right, and then Sakura just had to break out laughing, and they stopped. It was a real bummer, because they were getting to a good part!" Tomoyo added.
"Really, Ms. Tomoyo! You were able to stay silent the whole time? Without even a 'kawaii'?! Shocking!" Eriol teased, causing Tomoyo to blush. She was about to retort, when the Great Hall's doors opened and a woman strolled into the room. She was quite lovely, with bright blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and full, rosy lips. She had a slim, curvy figure, which was accented by the forest-green robes she was wearing, that seemed to have been created just for her.
"Ah, Arabella! How nice of you to join us." Dumbledore stated, as the woman took a seat beside him. She smiled prettily, and then glanced at the students.
"Oh, I didn't know that school was starting early." She said, her voice soft and warm as a summer's breeze. Immediately, everyone felt at ease with her.
"For them, it is. Arabella, these are Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Virginia Weasley, Sakura Kinomoto, Rika Sasaki, and Tomoyo Daidouji. Children, this is Professor Arabella Figg, your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Dumbledore explained. At their names, Arabella jumped.
"So it has started. This is really going to happen." She murmured. However much her words confused the students, it did not confuse the older people.
"Yes it has, Bella. You knew that there was no way to avoid it." Sirius said, his voice sympathetic and soothing. She nodded sadly and looked down at her plate.
"If only we had understood. If only they had told us that Peter was." She stopped, and looked at the seven confused students. Then she laughed softly.
"Don't worry. Eventually, you will know what I am talking about." She said softly, beginning to eat. Sakura gazed at her for a moment, and then frowned. She looked at Eriol, who nodded.
"You speak as though you have met us before. But.I don't remember meeting you." Sakura said timidly. Arabella laughed.
"You wouldn't, because you haven't met me before now. I am just being foolish. Ignore me." She said, waving her graceful hand at them.
"Anyway, how is Harry doing? I haven't seen him since.oh, his third year, was it?" She went on. Remus nodded.
"He is thriving. He has become known as the school's heartbreaker, though, with his looks, that is not a surprise. He spent the summer with the Weasley's." Remus said. Sakura giggled.
"He *is* rather handsome, and very nice. But Ar.Professor Figg, how do you know him?" She asked, frowning a bit. Arabella looked startled.
"Oh, please call me Bella. Everyone does. And I know him because I used to care for him when his aunt and uncle went out for the day. I am afraid he didn't like me much.but, how do *you* know him?" Bella asked. Tomoyo, Rika, and Sakura grinned.
"Over the summer, we were disguised as kittens and then put in the care of the Weasley's. Even though no one but Ginny and Mr. Weasley were supposed to know, Harry, being as intuitive as he is, figured it out and we became quite good friends. He actually told us about a Mrs. Figg that used to take care of him, but according to Harry, she was quite old, and boring, and had dozens of cats." Tomoyo said. At this, Bella giggled.
"Oh, that was just an aging spell that I used when he came over, so he wouldn't recognize me from pictures of his parents and their friends. And the cats.all but three of them were just a multiplying charm that I used. You see, I had to be the complete opposite of my real self, so Harry would not suspect that I was a witch. I wasn't allowed to reveal that to him, because I was a sort-of guardian to him. I watched over him for Dumbledore, so when the time came, Harry would be able to come to Hogwarts. It was actually quite an amusing job, considering that I am a full-blooded witch, and I have been living in the muggle world since I was twenty!" Bella said.
"Wait! You knew Harry's parents? Just like Sirius and Remus?" Ginny questioned. Bella nodded.
"His mother, Lily, was my best friend. She was Lily Evens, back then, and we were the arch rivals of the Marauders. We absolutely hated them, and they us. But in our final year, something just snapped, and we all became friends. In fact, we were the first, besides the Professors and the Marauders to know what Remus was. Lily figured it out in our second year, and then told me and our other friend, Sophia Heath." Bella said, sneaking a sly look at Remus, who had gone quite red at the last name she had mentioned.
"Oh! And I suppose that Remus and Sophia were an item?" Rika asked. Bella laughed and nodded.
"Yes. In fact." She was about to add more, but Remus clapped his had over her mouth. This caused Eriol to smirk, and the others to giggle softly. Sirius was grinning slyly at his friend.
"Well, whatever happened between you and Sirius, Bella?" Remus retorted as he pried Bella's hand off his mouth. His question made both people go bright red. Now the students laughed outright.
"You three are acting like twelve year-olds!" Neville snorted, causing the three guilty to blush even more. Sakura grinned and met Eriol's eyes. This was going to be one interesting year, there was no doubt about that!
~*~*~*~
