Allow me to point out: J.K. Rowling has never…and I mean, never…mentioned a current year in any of her books. I honestly don't understand why people say Harry's school years are from 1991-1998, as I've never seen anything and couldn't find any info on Ms. Rowling's official site. If you look at it, she's very careful never to mention any major event in the Muggle world, or even computers and any other sort of electronics that has come out since 1994 (Harry told Sirius that Dudley chucked his PlayStation out the window) For all we know, the first book could have started in 2001, or later. At least, that's my excuse. Keep your mind open. :)
I'm not going to explain everything about the DigiDestined and their involvement with the Japanese wizards all at once. If you want the full story, you're going to have to read the full story…that's how the books work too, if you pay attention.
Sometimes, this is a bit confusing…but just remember that, while England is on Greenwich Mean Time, Japan is on GMT 9. So, while Harry is awake at midnight, for Kouichi it's 9 in the morning…Also, this chapter's a bit of an explanation-filler, but it's got stuff that'll be important to the plot, so don't skip. Suffer through the boredom, it took me a week to write this…
P.S. - If anyone has a copy of Quidditch Through The Ages handy, will you please send me the section on the Japanese interest in the sport? (it's about a paragraph long) I've lost my copy, can't find it in a bookshop, and I need the info…
Disclaimer: I don't Harry Potter or the characters of Digimon Frontier. I'm just weird.
Chapter 2: Midnight At Privet Drive
Harry Potter was having an…interesting summer.
That wasn't to say that it was enjoyable, because it wasn't, but it was interesting.
Of course, he'd so far spent most of it lying on the bed in his small bedroom, with the door bolted locked from the outside. This was both 'punishment' from Uncle Vernon, who was still sore about the dementor-incident last summer, and a self-imposed, much-needed exile from people in the world.
He wasn't going to lie, the first few weeks he'd still been more than a little upset about Sirius. Mrs. Weasly and the others in the Order had given his godfather a proper sending-off, with a small memorial at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He couldn't have been there to see it, but neither had Ron, or Hermione, or Ginny, so he didn't feel quite as left out.
Eventually, though, even that pain died down to a mild numbness of the heart, and he'd begun to grow a bit anxious with wizarding current events.
He'd been reading the Daily Prophet more thoroughly this year, combing through it for the occasional useful article on Voldemort. It had, as usual, been full of panicked letters, claiming to have seen the Dark Lord on their street corner or in a dark alley, and of somewhat-interesting advice on identifying and dealing with Dark Wizards. But there had been no reports of disappearances or Death Eater sightings, although it did mention on an after-thought that Lucius Malfoy had managed to bargain his way out of Azkaban sometime in early June.
Big surprise.
But the lack of activity coming from Voldemort was worrying him somewhat. The Order had figured that, once his rebirth was revealed, Voldemort would lie low somewhat to try and throw off suspicion. That seamed to be about right, but it still bothered him…
Harry glanced up from the most recent copy of The Prophet, which he was reading by means of a lamp very late at night, to glance at the alarm clock on his bed stand. It was 11:48. In just twelve minutes, he'd be sixteen.
He wondered momentarily why it was that, for the past several years, he seamed to be awake at midnight the eve of his birthday. Homework, mostly, though now he could do that by daylight. He pondered it a moment, then pushed it from his mind.
He got up and crossed to the window, opening it wide to the crisp, warm summer air. It was a full moon, he noted, though Lupin probably wasn't enjoying it. But it was a rather nice sight, the mixture of pale white moonlight and the dull orange of the street lamps…the shadows their combination threw gave you the odd impression that something down there was moving.
…After a few moments of watching it, he realized that something down there was moving.
It was clomping down the center of Privet Drive, the sound of hooves clink-clanking against the pavement. The way it was shaped, it looked almost like a centaur… But that was impossible, no centaur would be stupid enough to prance into Muggle Surry. Besides, that cloak-thing it was wrapped in hid its full shape…you couldn't tell one way or the other what it could be.
Harry stiffened, his whole body going rigid and his hand reaching out for his wand. Whatever that thing was, it was definitely magical, and if the Dementors were any example, it could be working for Voldemort. And even if it wasn't, it could still be dangerous. It could still attack the Muggles. It could still hurt someone. It could still be…
Gone?
Harry blinked, rubbing his eyes. He had seen something…He was sure he had. And just a moment ago, he'd see it fade into the night…simply vanish. Like it had never been.
Harry closed the window, going back to lie on his bed. He mentally went through all the various Care of Magical Creatures textbooks and information that he'd gained over his past five years at Hogwarts, and came up with only one creature who could make itself invisible…the Demiguise, but it was more like an ape and human-sized. And only the Phoenix and the Diricawl could do anything in the way of Apparting, they were both birds. So what could it be…?
He got back up and locked the window, just in case.
. . . . . .
At the same time, roughly fifteen-thousand, twenty-eight kilometers away, Kouichi Kimura paced nervously through the kitchen of his mother's home, waiting for the tea kettle to boil.
July 31st…July 31st…This was the last day he could get his permission slip for the exchange program turned in to Kenkyo-sensei. It'd been almost two weeks since they'd received the letters…Why hadn't he gotten it signed?
It wasn't that he didn't want to go…Really, he wanted to very badly. A whole school year among other wizards, with his friends and brother 24/7, learning the reclusive, Western style of magic. That wasn't the problem…the problem was Motarasu-no-konton.
Takuya, Junpei and Tomoki had it easy, their parents were all muggles, so they didn't know about him. Kouji, too, simply told their father that he was going to an exchange program for school…not that he mentioned the wizarding factor, but that was beside the point. Even Izumi had gotten it signed, her father was a wizard as well, and agreed with Hakaishi-sensei about diplomatic relations. But his mother…
His mother was from a long, honorable wizarding family, so she knew all about Motarasu-no-konton, and she didn't give a damn about diplomatic relations. She'd told he many times before, all she cared about was his safety…
His thoughts were interrupted by the teapot's high-pitched shriek of a whistle, cracking through his thoughts. He hurried over and poured it into the cups he'd prepared for them. The fresh smell of green tea and magically-sweetened water nettles filled the room with the steam.
"Kouichi, dear?" his mother called, appearing at the door. She was already dressed for work, hair still damp from the shower. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, mother." he sighed, setting the pot down on a cool burner. "Everything's fine. I've got your tea ready."
"Oh, thank you dear." she smiled, taking the cup from him. She sipped it quietly, a smile on her face. "It tastes wonderful. Is it the mixture from Ryokucha-san?"
"Yes." Kouichi nodded, sitting across from her at the kitchen table. "He threw in some extra nettles for us, since he knows you like them and they're supposed to be good for your health."
"Such a sweet man." his mother agreed. "He always supplied all the Chilling-Crest potions I could ever need when you got fevers as a child."
Kouichi smiled, just a bit. Ryokucha, the grocer who lived down the street, was also the local wizarding apothecary. It was the standard for Japanese Wizards: A normal, Muggle job on the surface, their wizarding duties hidden behind it.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He was trying to keep himself from getting this done…
"Um, mother?" he said slowly. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you…"
She stopped, finishing her sip and setting the cup down in front of her. "Yes, dear? What is it?"
Kouichi gulped again, nervously shifting in his seat. He took the folded piece of parchment out of his pocket and slid it to her across the table. "I…was hoping you could sign something…" he muttered quietly.
His mother raised an interested eyebrow, unfolding the thick page and scanning her eyes over it. For several minutes, it was silent. Then she looked up with a slow gasp. "Oh…Kouichi…"
Kouichi looked up, expecting fear…disappointment…maybe even panic. But her face was filled with a wide, happy smile, eyes filling with tears. She moved the tea to the side, reaching across the table to take his hands.
"Kouichi, this is wonderful!" she sighed. "After what Hakaishi-sensei said about your accident, I was afraid…I thought you'd never be able to use your magic to its full potential. But Hogwarts! It's the greatest wizarding school in the world…Oh, Kouichi, this is so fantastic…"
Kouichi stared at her, momentarily forgetting how to work his mouth. "So…Can I go?" he asked, in a state of shock.
She tightened her grip. "I want to say no…" she said quietly. "Motarasu-no-konton…He's returned to England…It's so dangerous…"
She released, looking into his eyes with a smile on her gentle face. "But who am I to let my fears keep you from pursuing this kind of opportunity? This is something you shouldn't miss."
She pulled out her own wand from her bag, conjuring up a long quill from thin air. She slid the form over to her, pausing over the line to will her consent.
"If I sign this, you have to promise me one thing, Kouichi." he looked up, expectant. "Promise me you won't get yourself into any unnecessary danger, all right?"
Kouichi blinked. "Unnecessary…?"
She smiled. "Just promise me you won't do anything the teachers tell you not too. Okay?"
He nodded, smiling as well. "Yes, mother."
"Good." a quick motion and her graceful signature appear on the page, as well as the accompanying permission form for Hogsmeade trips. She folded them up, placing them inside an envelope. "Better hurry and get these in to Kenkyo-sensei."
Kouichi nodded again, kissing her on the cheek and hurrying down the street toward Shibuya Shrine.
It was 11:18 AM, according to his bedside clock. So far, Harry was having a rather good birthday, all things considered. Aunt Petunia had slipped some bread and water under the flap in his door, but they lay untouched.
Harry could see it quite clearly from his place on the bed, a small pile of presents stacked artfully on the end. The morning's sunlight had announced the arrival of several owls. A grand total of seven, to be exact, two of them lugging the same box.
The double-load had been from Fred and George. Apparently, business was booming for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, and they'd sent him a full Deflagration Deluxe of Wildfire Wizz-Bangs. The other owls were from various other friends, all from the Order and mostly from the Weasleys.
Pigwidgeon had arrived with Ron's gift, a box the size of a suitcase stuffed full of Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, while Errol had appeared with a box full of Mrs. Weasley's best mince pies. Hedwig had disappeared for three days, returning with Hermione's present of a large book with broomsticks and snitches zooming over its navy-blue cover. Inside were page after page of intricate Quidditch plans and technique demonstrations that moved when he asked them to. This was lying open on his pillow, repeating a beautifully drawn example of the Wronski Feint, the witch and wizard pair doing it taking turns being bludgeoned on the ground.
The last two were the standard start-of-the-term owl from Hogwarts, and a package from Tonks. Harry was surprised to receive a package from the Order's young Metamorphmagus, but it was a rather pleasing feeling to know she was thinking of him. The gift itself was fabulous…A specially-made Wizarding Disguise Kit, including a jacket that changed size, color and style with the press of a button, a wig which had hair that grew and changed color, and a bottle of make-up that modified itself depending on it's users wishes. The guarantee on the case claimed that it could 'Mimic Anything and Anyone With A Few Easy Moves'.
Harry picked up the wig, brushing the middle seams on the inside. The hair shimmered from color to color and changed length as he moved along them. A certain shade of brown with an edge of curl looked like Hermione's, while short and red belonged on Ron's head. And this blonde was slick and greasy enough to belong to Malfoy…
Harry smirked at the wig, turning Malfoy's blonde to a disgusting-looking green, which was rather satisfactory, then set it back into the case and reached for the letter that had come with Ron's present.
BANG! BANG! Two loud knocks broke his concentration. He groaned and stood, going to open the door. "Be quiet." he hissed to Pigwidgeon, tossing a sheet over the cage the two owls sat in.
The sound of locks being removed echoed about, and the door was opened just a crack. There were two chain-locks still attached from the outside, both above and below Uncle Vernon's fat eye as it peaked in.
"What's all the racket it there?" he snapped.
"Nothing, Uncle Vernon." Harry shrugged. "Just…cleaning up."
His uncle let out a low growl that belonged in the throat of some jungle wildcat. "Keep it quiet." he sneered, and slammed the door shut.
Harry sighed as the noise of locks being redone echoed through the wooden door. He went back to the bed and plopped down, switching the Quidditch book from the Wronski Feint to a diagram on the Porskoff Ploy, a move for Chasers. He retrieved Ron's letter again, smiling as he reread it:
Harry,
Happy birthday! It's been a madhouse around here…Since we no longer have the Black's permission to stay at Grimmauld Place, the whole Order's practically relocated to our kitchen. You should see it, Dad had to enlarge the dinning room three times last night to fit everyone in. It's been absolutely crazy!
Speaking of crazy…I think something's going on at Hogwarts again. Dad and Tonks keep giving each other these secretive looks, like they know something we don't, and Tonks is running around like a regular loony bird…and I mean more so than usual. I've asked Mum about it, but she keeps giving me these smug smiles and saying stuff like 'Only time will tell'. Bloody hell, why can't they ever just tell us what's going on, instead of keeping all these secrets?
By the way, I hope you can get your stuff packed quick. Mum's coming down next week to pick you up, and we've gotten permission from everyone up to Dumbledore for you to stay at the Burrow the rest of the summer! We know the Muggles treat you awful, but don't worry, Mum'll have you in and out of there before you can think about it. And the Muggles won't notice a thing, she doesn't want a big scene like the last time we came to pick you up.
Happy Birthday again, and see you in a week!
Ron
Harry smiled, tucking the letter back in its envelope, and turned to flip back through his new book. Only a few more days, and this 'interesting' summer was as good as over.
TBC…
