Disclaimer: JK Rowling is the maker of Harry Potter. Naoko Takeuchi is the maker of Sailor Moon. But I am the maker of this fic.

Sailor Witches

Chapter 5

Travel by Floo Powder

Author's note: You probably already know a bit of English slang, but posh means expensive, cool, stuff like that. It became my favorite word while I was there!

The five girls arrived at OsaP Jewelry store at nine am to speak with Mrs. Baker about their time off.

"Mrs. Baker, can we have a moment with you in your office?" Serena inquired.

"All five of you?" Mrs. Baker asked.

"Yes," Raye said. "It's important.

"All right," she let them in and she sat behind her desk. "What is it?"

The girls remained standing, hoping that they will be able to finish it quickly.

"We need some time off," Lita said. "You remember our Irish friend, Lydia? She sent us some sport tickets for an important tournament."

"When is it?" Mrs. Baker inquired.

"The 25th of August," Serena answered. "We'll need some where between a week and ten days off so we can tour the UK."

Mrs. Baker looked at the schedule. "Let me see what I can do. You girls are very good hard workers. You've been a great help."

They murmured their thanks.

"No one else has asked me for any work off," Mrs. Baker said looking over her list of employees. "Actually, they've been asking for more hours. I can give you the 18th through 28th of August off. How does that sound?"

"That sounds perfect," Serena exclaimed with a grin.

"Before then I'll give you more hours so you can get the money to go shopping," Mrs. Baker stated, "I hear shopping in the UK isn't cheap."

"It's not," Mina said. "I used to live there. But you can find some real posh stuff!"

--

Serena sent Lydia a post card of the time they were able to get off and that she was very excited to see her. The girls worked down until the day they could finally leave for Ireland. They were excited and nervous. They wanted to see Lydia again and see how she was doing with the search for the Rainbow Coins and if she has been doing any better since Fiore left again. Mina talked all the time about the best places to shop in London. They were curious about this Quidditch stuff and Mr. Hino told them about the greatest Quidditch games and how the game is played. He tried acting out the best he could while reading a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages and a broom, a long wooden spoon as a beater's bat and different things around the house for the balls.

"Now the Seeker gets hurts the most," he told them enthusiastically, "if I could ride a broom right, I wouldn't try out for it. The seeker has to have good eyesight and mines gotten bad over the years. Not to mention have to be really fast. They have to get the Snitch and it's a tiny little thing. I have to use a telescope to see it at most games. Now there's the chaser," he grabbed a pillow and tossed it to the girls, "my favorite position. The Chasers handle the quaffed—imagine the pillow's the Quaffle—and there's three of them…"

"Three pillows?" Serena inquired, wrinkling her nose, "I mean, Quaffle?"

"No, no I mean, chasers. There are seven people on a time: three chasers, two Beaters, a seeker and a keeper."

"Oh, so what do the Chasers do?" Mina inquired.

"They pass the Quaffle to each other, just the chasers now. And they try to get into three hoops," he jumped in front of three chairs as hoops, "but the keeper defends the hoops."

"I think I want to be a Chaser," Mina said, hitting the pillow with a volleyball maneuver. "Kinda reminds me of volleyball."

"Sounds more like basketball to me—except they're on brooms." Lita said. "Hey, what are the Beaters? You didn't tell us yet."

"Oh, right, the Beaters," Mr. Hino sighed. "Now there's the two bludgers that fly around that knock people off their brooms. The beaters keep the bludgers away from their team with a bat. You've got to have good strong arms to do that."

"Hmm, sounds like fun, knocking things with a bat," Lita said.

"Yeah, like boys," Mina grumbled.

"Sounds like a dangerous game," Ami said.

"Oh it is," Mr. Hino inquired. "But you'll be watching professionals play. I doubt you'll see any serious injuries. Maybe a broken nose or two…"

"Cool!" Lita exclaimed. "I think I'm going to like this…"

"So you'll be leaving tomorrow right?" he inquired.

"Yeah," Serena groaned, "I'd better go home and pack. I'll see you later guys."

--

Serena took her clothes and shoved them into her suitcase. She had a very difficult time closing it. She was trying to sit on it to make it close.

"Argh! I hate packing!" Serena groaned. "Come on and close!"

"I think you packed a little too much," Luna said.

"Too much? As if!" Serena cried. "Lydia told me what the weather is like. It rains all the time and other times it may be hot or cool and I don't know how many cute boys will be there!"

"Perhaps it is how you are putting your clothes in," Luna said, hoping onto her dresser. "Let's try this again. Take all your clothes out of your suitcase and put it on your bed. Think about what you need before putting everything in.

"Oh all right," Serena did as she said, dividing all her clothes from each other. "Shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, hats…"

"Serena, it's only going to be for ten days. Not ten years!"

"Yeah, you're right," Serena sighed. "Oh this is really hard! Concentrate Serena, concentrate! What can you do without?" Serena picked up her clothes and looked at them as if trying to solve an algebra problem. "I have no choice, I'll have to try everything on and then make a decision!"

"Oh, we're going to be here all day," Luna groaned, shaking her head.

Serena finally decided on bringing only one skirt, two shorts, two pairs of jeans and six tops. After she rolled them up to fit them easier in her suitcase, she added her socks and underwear and her personal items.

"I hope I don't go on a trip again anytime soon," Serena groaned. "This is tiring me out!"

Serena wasn't the only one deciding what to pack. It was the first time they ever went on a trip to Ireland to see a Quidditch Tournament and it was a new thing for them. But the new beginnings haven't even started yet.

--

They arrived at the temple early on the morning of the 18th, dragging their belongings behind them. Raye met them at the front.
"Hi guys," she said, "Let me help you with some of your stuff. Grandpa is waiting for you in the front room." She grabbed one of Mina's suitcases and had a little difficulty lifting it. "Chad, come here! Give us a hand!"

"Sure Raye!" he came over and picked up the girls' suitcases and straining under the weight, stumbled up the stairs into the front room. "Uh, here you are…oh, man, I think I pulled every muscle in my body."

"I'm assuming your friend's fireplace is already connected to the floo network," Mr. Hino said as he held a ceramic vase with kanjis all over it.

"What's that?" Mina inquired.

"It's how you travel to place to place," he explained, "you can't get anywhere if the place isn't set up to the network."

"We're going to get to Lydia's by using the fireplace?" Raye demanded. "Grandpa, that sounds ridiculous!"

"But it's a fast and easy way to get anywhere," her grandfather insisted. "All you have to do is grab a handful of floo powder, drop it into the fireplace and say where you're going. Just make sure you say it loud and clear or you may end up somewhere else."

All the girls exchanged glances. Was it too late to sailor teleport? Or go by plane maybe?

"So, who wants to go first?" Mr. Hino inquired.

Everyone looked at Serena and Mina nudged her to the fireplace. "Hey, she sent you the tickets."

"Oh, okay," Serena said, picking up her suitcase with Luna on her shoulder. She went to Mr. Hino and he told her to reach inside the vase and take a hold of floo powder.

"Now just step in," he said, "hold on tight to your suitcase now. You sure you don't want to leave your cat behind?"
Serena looked at Luna. She wasn't sure what the ride was like but she knew that Luna had to come with her.

"No, she's coming with me." Serena said.

"Just say where you're going." Mr. Hino said simply. "Say the house name or the address. Then you're there. Go on."

Serena thought for a moment. Where did she want to go again? She wanted to go to Lydia's. She thought of the name of the house and she remembered it. Shamrock Cabin. Madame Indigo named it.

"Shamrock Cabin!" she said loudly, throwing down the handful of floo powder down. In a flash of green fire, Serena and Luna were gone.

"Wow!" Lita gasped.

"Serena!" Mina exclaimed.

"I wonder how she was able to stand in the fire without getting burned?" Ami said without blinking.

"Is that supposed to Happen, Grandpa?" Raye asked nervously.

"Oh yes," Mr. Hino nodded. "So, who's next?" Mr. Hino looked at the four remaining girls and they all pointed at each other.

--

Serena and Luna screamed as they went through a tunnel of fire, passing millions of fireplaces.

"Luna, is this the right way?" Serena inquired, one hand on her suitcase and another around her cat.

"I don't know, Serena," Luna cried.

"Stop the ride!" Serena coughed and sneezed, letting go of Luna. "Oh, Luna!"

"Serena!"

In the Shamrock Cabin, Lucky was resting on Lydia's back next to the empty fireplace as she was looking through Madam Indigo's scrapbook.

"I wonder where that rat's hiding," Lydia mumbled to herself.

Lucky heard yelling and meowing. Perking up his head, he yawned and walked of Lydia to the fireplace.

"What is it, Lucky?" she inquired.

"I think I hear something," he answered, stopping an inch away from the fireplace, sniffing. Then the noise got louder and clearer, "Hmm. It's getting closer."

"Lucky, it's a bit early for Christmas." Lydia chuckled.

"It doesn't' sound like Father Christmas and his reindeer," he said and he saw a pair of familiar red eyes. "Huh?"

A screaming Luna rammed into him, making them roll back. Lucky coughed and looked up. "Oh, hello, Luna, nice for you to drop in."

"Hey, how did you get in the fireplace?" Lydia asked.

But Luna was coughing too much to reply. Lydia stood up, hearing a familiar wail. "Hey, that sounds like Serena!" She ran into the fireplace and expecting to see her best friend, Serena's suitcase landed into her chest. "Ahh!"

Lydia fell onto her back and grunting, pushed the suitcase off of her. Then Serena came screaming head first out of the fireplace and landed on Lydia as she tried to get up.

"Lydia!"

"Serena!"

"Ahh!"

Serena landed on Lydia, forcing her back down again.

"Serena, you're filthy," Lydia coughed.

"That was the worst ride I've ever been on," Serena said, rolling off of Lydia. "Gross!" She shook the soot off her. "Everyone else is on their way."

"Through the fire place?" Lydia asked and as she looked at it, she saw Ami slide through feet first. "Ami!" She walked forward and grabbed her hand. "I thought you were going to sailor teleport!"

"We were," Ami said, "but then Raye's grandfather overheard us talking about the Quidditch tickets and he told us he was a wizard too. He told us to use—achoo—floo powder."

"What's all this noise?" Madame Indigo demanded, walking into her den and laughing at the site of two soot covered girls and a cat. "Oh, I forgot that I still had my fireplace connected to the floo network!" She brought the girls away from the fireplace. "The rest of you will be coming?"

"Yeah," Ami said, "I think Lita's next."

Sure enough, Lita came out of the fireplace, hitting her head on the bottom of the mantle as she came out.
"Lita!" Serena shrieked, "you all right?"

"I'm too tall," Lita muttered. "But that ride was pretty fun for the first part."

"Best stay away from the fireplace as the rest of you are popping out," Madam Indigo said. "As this is your first time traveling by floo powder, your landings will be quite, well, rough."

After she said that, there was a rather rough landing for Mina as she tumbled out of the fireplace with once white Artemis, now covered with soot.

"Artemis, how ya doing, mate?" Lucky asked.

Artemis opened his eyes and sneezed, the soot falling off him.

Lydia helped Mina to her feet and pulled her aside. "Raye's on her way?"
"After she's giving her grandpa an earful," Mina coughed, "I bet."

"Best way to travel my foot! Grandpa, I can't believe you made us do thiiiiisss!" Shouted Raye as she came hurling through the fireplace and landed with a thud with her suitcases. Lydia jumped up and grabbed her friends in a group hug, though they looked dazed and covered with soot.

"I'm so glad yer here!" she exclaimed joyfully. "oh we have loads to talk about! Loads and loads and loads! I've been reading all about my parents and stuff. I'll have Madame Indigo fill you in. I bet yer all hungry…probably in need of a bath. Sorry, if I knew you were coming by floo powder we would've cleaned out the fireplace!"

"Y-you know about floo powder?" Serena asked edgily.

"I just read about it a couple days ago," Lydia answered. "Go ahead, take a bath and unpack. Madame Indigo has extra beds and if not she can always conjure some. Oh, together again!" she squeezed her best friends tightly once more. "I'll help you unpack!"

After the girls were unpacked and bathed, they settled in the clean den with a light lunch Madame Indigo made for them. Madame Indigo stood in front of the fireplace next to her trunk of pictures and magical items.

"Now, I'm sure you girls are all wondering about Quidditch."

"Actually, my grandfather already told us about it," Raye said. "I didn't know he was a wizard. But I'm not concerned about Quidditch. We'll find out more about that in a couple of days when we go to the cup. Can you tell us about, well, witches and wizards?"

"Yes," Ami added. "Could we probably be witches too?"

"Yeh just might," Madame Indigo nodded. "We'll find out soon. I suppose I shall start with the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"What's Hogwarts?" Serena inquired.

"It's a school for young witches and wizards," Lydia said. "My parents went there."

She pointed her wand to her trunk and shouted a spell to open it. The girls looked at it in interest, even Lydia as though she has already seen her do it. She was still getting used to the whole thing. Four portraits came floating out of the trunk in front of the girls.

"Hey, they're moving," Lita stated.

"They're not ordinary pictures," Lydia said.

"Godric Gryffindor," she said, tapping on the first portrait of a wizard with brown hair and a beard holding a sword with a background a lion and scarlet and gold squares. The portrait glowed gold for a quick moment and Madame Indigo continued to explain about Godric Gryffindor. "Godric Gryffindor was the bravest of the Hogwarts four. Daring. He wanted witches and wizards that were seeking for adventure and willing to strengthen their courage. He's my personal favorite of the four founders. Of course, Gryffindor was my house."

As if he heard her, Godric Gryffindor smiled and nodded.

Madam Indigo tapped on the next one of a pretty blond haired witch with roses around her head in front of black and yellow squares with a badger. She was holding different herbs and plants in her arms and wearing a warm smile. "Helga Hufflepuff." As Madame Indigo tapped it with her wand, Helga's portrait glowed yellow.

"She's so pretty!" Mina breathed.

"Yes, she is cute, isn't she?" Madame Indigo said. "Helga wanted students that were honest hard workers."

Helga sniffed her flowers and Madame Indigo tapped on the next portrait of a black haired witch holding a book and a wand and an eagle on the background with bronze and blue squares. The portrait glowed blue and Madame Indigo said, "Rowena Ravenclaw. She was the wisest of the four and so were the students from her house. "

"She sounds kind of like you, Ami," Serena said, "a real bookworm."

Ami's cheeks went pink and she cleared her throat.

"So who's the next guy?" Raye inquired. "He looks mighty handsome."

"Handsome?" Madame Indigo raised an eyebrow tapped the remaining portraight of a good-looking wizard and cold dark eyes holding a snake and a silver and green squared background. "Maybe, but this man is a snake waiting to strike. Salazar Slytherin."

"Sala-what?" Lita gasped.

"The four founders of Hogwarts did get along for a time, until Salazar Slytherin insisted that only children with magical ancestry can learn magic. He thought that children that were born to non-magical people, who we call 'muggles' should not set foot into Hogwarts. But the three others simply did not care about their magical roots. Salazar Slytherin was overly ambitious and sly and so are the people who end up in his house. Those that are sorted into Slytherin—become bad."

"How come?" Raye inquired.

"I don't know," Madame Indigo answered, "I tried to keep away from as Slytherins as much as possible."

Madame Indigo continued to talk about the four founders, the Chamber of Secrets, different famous witches and wizards, the story of Tom Riddle becoming the villainous Lord Voldemort, how Harry Potter stopped him, the ministry, Lydia's parents and Sirius Black and answered their questions.

"This Voldemort guy sounds like the wizard version of Jack the Ripper," Mina mumbled, "only worse."

"I hope we never have to see him," Ami said.

"Everyone does," Madame Indigo said. "Nobody wants him to come back. But Harry Potter only stopped him. Whatever happened was not enough to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named completely. He'll be back. It's only a matter of time."

"Wait, Harry Potter," Mina said quickly, "I know that guy! He lives with his Aunt and Uncle—the Dursley's."

"You know him?"

"Yeah, if I'm thinking of the same person," Mina said, "thin kid with dark hair and glasses—and a scar on his forehead?"

"That's Harry Potter," Madame Indigo nodded. "How do you know him?"

"We were in primary school together when I lived in Surrey," she answered, "he always had his fat stupid cousin and his gang giving him trouble. But Harry never told me he was a wizard."

"That's because he didn't know until he got his letter to Hogwarts," Madame Indigo explained.

"I wonder how he's doing," Mina said thoughtfully.

"I wonder if we're witches too," Serena mumbled, "do think there's a way to find out? I mean, like some magic blood test or something?"

"Have you ever done something when you got very scared or angry?" Madame Indigo inquired. "That's a sign you're a witch."

"I can't think of anything on the top of my head."

"I think the ministry might have something I can use," Madame Indigo said, putting her tea away. "I'll go there now to see what if I can find." She rose from her chair with her plate to put it away. "Make yourselves at home. Have fun."

"Thanks," Serena said.

The girls heard a loud crack from the kitchen and the girls ran into see what happened but Lydia remained in her seat, eating her sandwich.

"Madame Indigo, are you all right?" Lita asked.

"Hey, she's gone," Ami said. "But how?" They looked around.

"She'll be fine," Lydia said. "She just disaparated."

"What's that?" Mina asked.

"She can disappear and reappear," Lydia said with a shrug.

"Oh," Lita said. "Cool."

"How's the search for the coins?" Ami inquired. "Have you found any new ones yet?"

"No," Lydia groaned. "I'm still looking for the blue. It's making me insane! I should've found it by now."

"Let us help you find it," Serena said. "It'll be fun!"

"And you can show us around," Lita added.

"Okay," Lydia said. "Thanks!"

The girls transformed and set out on the search for the Blue Rainbow coin. Sailor Mercury opened her computer, bringing up a map and Lydia told her where she searched and Mercury marked each area with an X.

"There. There. There. Pretty much all north up here. There…there…there."

"You said that when you found the other coins," Sailor Mars recalled, "that the place you found them at was that color? The house you found the red one in was all red and the orange one was in a wildfire…"

"Yeah," Sailor Rainbow nodded, "I looked everywhere. I tried the mountains because it looked blue to me. But it wasn't there. It was near the beginning of summer. I tried rivers after that. Still nothing."

"There's a lake thirty meters from here," Sailor Mercury said. "Have you checked that?"

"No," Sailor Rainbow said. "Let's go check it out."

They went to the lake but Sailor Rainbow's locket was not blinking blue at all. She grunted and kicked the earth.

"How much longer must I keep looking?" Sailor Rainbow demanded.

Sailor Mercury walked up to the edge of the water, turned on her VR scanner and did a scan. "Nothing in there but fish."

"Another dead end," Sailor Rainbow groaned.

"How about we do something else?" Sailor Jupiter suggested.

"Like what?"

"You said there's tons of haunted houses and stuff here," Sailor Jupiter said. "We can clean it out."

"And fight crime," Sailor Venus added.

"Maybe you just need more practice with the green until you can find the blue," Artemis said.

"If that's the case I'm going to need loads after the blue," Sailor Rainbow said.

"I'm picking up something," Sailor Mercury said quickly. "Something coming this way. It looks like…"

She turned right around and saw two pale horses walking toward them.

"Horses?" Sailor Venus asked in surprise.

"They're pretty cute," Sailor Moon walked up to them, "Hello."

The one in the middle sniffed Sailor Moon's hand and let her pet him. It knelt down on the grass, beckoning her to climb on top of it.

"Look likes he wants me to ride him," Sailor Moon said.

"Just don't fall off," Sailor Mars joked.

"I won't," Sailor Moon said. "Want to go for a race, Sailor Mars? There's another one here for you."

"Uh, I don't know," Sailor Mars mumbled. "I'm getting a weird feeling."

"I'll go," Sailor Venus walked up. "They're only horses."

The other horse lowered down, allowing Sailor Venus to mount it.

"Ready, Venus? One…two…three!" Sailor Moon shouted and the two horses sped off, heading for the lake. Sailor Rainbow got a very good look at their necks right before they dove in the water.

"Kelpies!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Sailor Jupiter demanded.

"They're water demons," she said quickly, "quick, we got to go in after them before they eat Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus and their innards will float to the top!"

"That's disgusting!" Sailor Jupiter yelled.

"Those things are changing!" Sailor Mercury shouted, scanning the water.

"Let's go!" Sailor Rainbow cried, jumping in the water.

"Sailor Rainbow, no!" Mars exclaimed. "How are you supposed to say an attack under water?"
But Sailor Rainbow already dove into the water and swam deep into the lake where she found Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus struggling with the kelpies. Because of the water they could not shout an incantation. Then as she came closer, two of Sailor Mars' fire charms came into the water within Mercury's bubbles, landing on the kelpie's heads. Sailor Rainbow swam forward and grabbed Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon. Then a lightning bolt came through the water and electrified the kelpies. Sailor Rainbow stared for a moment at the light show and swam for the surface with the girl's in her arms. Sailor Moon had a bite on her shoulder but Sailor Venus was unarmed. The girls were choking and spitting out water. Sailor Mercury bent down to Sailor Moon and began to sort out her shoulder.

"How'd yeh do that without electrocuting us?" Sailor Rainbow asked Jupiter, spitting out water.

"With Mars' charms," she explained. "I was going to strike the water first but Mercury stopped me."

"Yeah," Mercury said. "But Mars' charms served as a target kind of and Sailor Jupiter's lightning was the guarded missile, so to speak."

"Good thinking, Mercury," Sailor Rainbow said. "It looked pretty cool under water."

"What were those things?" Sailor Moon groaned.

"How'd you know what those things were?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

"I saw their necks when they jumped into the water," Sailor Rainbow explained. "Did you notice they had bulbrushes for a mane?"

"Yeah, I thought that was weird," Sailor Mercury said.

"Well, they most often look like those kinds of horses," Sailor Rainbow said. "So they can tempt people to ride them and then they head for water, where they eat you so that yer guts float to the top."

"That's really nasty, you know?" Sailor Venus muttered.

"Well, that's what happens," Sailor Rainbow said. "You got so close to becoming Kelpie food."

"Do you see these things often?" Sailor Moon grunted.

"Yeah," Sailor Rainbow answered. "Saved a few people from them. Madame Indigo has a book on magical beasts. That's where I read about them. The kelpies are shape shifting water demons. You have to be careful when you're in the water. You will never know where a kelpie is."

"Well, we know for sure that the blue coin's not here," Sailor Mars said. "You think that a kelpie might be the guardian of it though?"

"No," Sailor Rainbow answered. "the guardians of the coins are good. Kelpies are bad. Very, bad."

"We'll look for it again later," Sailor Mercury said as she helped Sailor Moon to her feet. "Let's go back."

"Yeah," Sailor Moon answered. "I've went through an ash-slide and nearly got eaten by some man-eating horse!" She sighed. "I think I've had enough adventure for one day."

But what Sailor Moon did not know, this would just be her first encounter with magical creatures and the adventure has barely begun.

To Be Continued