1We'll probably meet the Harry Potter group in the next few chapters when Kenshin gets on the train.

Thoughts

'Not translated dialogue '

"Translated dialogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Harry Potter

Chapter 5

'Idiot apprentice, you awake?'

Kenshin opened his eyes groggily. 'No.'

'Then get awake; we need to get you some normal clothes soon, unless you want to walk around in the clothes you have on right now all day,' Hiko said.

Kenshin looked at himself; he was still wearing the clothes he had on last night. 'No, I'll get up,' he said reluctantly. 'What time is it?'

Hiko looked at the clock on the wall of the room they had rented. 'Around 6:30 in the morning.'

'Are you serious, Master?' Kenshin asked. He could not believe he had slept in so long.

'Yes, so you better get ready now,' Hiko said, turning around to walk out the door. 'I'll be waiting downstairs.' He stopped and then threw a letter over to the bed. 'Your acceptance letter came last night. It seems your riding a train to get to Hogwarts. Don't loose your ticket.'

'Okay, Master,' Kenshin mumbled, opening the already opened envelope. He found a ticket inside. It said the train was leaving from Platform 9¾ on September 1 at 11:00 A.M. He decided to give the ticket to Hiko for safe keeping and then reluctantly got out of bed. The bed was so much more comfortable then the little cot in Hiko's shack had been. Maybe that was why he slept in so late: he didn't want to leave the bed.

Kenshin walked to the bathroom and washed his face briefly. Then he attempted to brush his teeth but halfway through, he found himself dozing off. He spat out the rest of the toothpaste, rinsed his mouth, and then filled the washbasin with icy cold water. When the sink was full to the brim, he dunked his head into the water and held it there for 5 full minutes. He came up gasping for air but fully awake now. After drying his head off with a towel, he walked out of the room and down to the pub area.

Kenshin looked around for his master and found him easily. Hiko, with his height and bright cloak, stood out like a sore thumb. Kenshin walked over and asked him, 'Could you hold onto this for me, Master?'

'I didn't know you trusted me so much, idiot apprentice. I am very touched,' Hiko said with a smirk on his face, as he put the envelope somewhere in his cloak.

'Right, ready to go, Master?'

'Yes,' was the reply as Hiko walked out toward Diagon Alley. Kenshin followed him out and found Hiko waiting for him. 'Use the hilt of your sword and tap the same brick that Quirrel did yesterday,' Hiko instructed him.

'Why can't you do it, Master?' Kenshin asked as he did what was told.

'It wouldn't open for me, I think, because I am not magical,' Hiko said, walking through the hole that appeared and looking annoyed at his disadvantage of not being a wizard.

'The shops should be open, idiot apprentice. Look for one that sells clothes,' Hiko told Kenshin.

'Okay, Master,' Kenshin said, looking from side to side as they walked. Even though it was early, there were a lot more people out and about than there were last night.

'Do you still have your letter, apprentice?' Hiko asked Kenshin while he looked around also.

'Umm- yeah,' Kenshin said as he pulled it out of the place in his gi where he had stuffed it into last night. 'The letters are a little crumpled up but they're still legible, Master.'

'Good, look for your supply list and tell me what you need to wear for school, apprentice.'

Kenshin looked into the envelope and pulled out the only letter still folded up properly. Seeing that it was the supply list, he quickly scanned it to know what to look forward to.

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protected gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of spells (Grade 1) By Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

'Hurry up, apprentice,' Hiko said, becoming annoyed

'It says that I need three sets of plain work robes- black plain work robes; one black plain pointed hat for day wear; one pair of protective gloves … made out of dragon hide or something similar; and one black winter cloak with silver fastenings. Oh, and I should have a name tag on everything,' Kenshin said.

'Good. I think we can get all that over there,' Hiko said, stopping and pointing at a shop.

Kenshin looked over to where Hiko was pointing at. It was named: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. 'Yes, Master,' Kenshin agreed.

'Well, let's go, apprentice,' he said. The both of them walked into Madam Malkin's shop.

A smiling witch who Kenshin guessed could only be Madam Malkin said to them, 'My, you two are up early.' As Kenshin was about to apologize, she went on and said, 'No matter, are you a new Hogwart's student, dear? Got your whole uniform- and quite few others's- right here. Now if you will step into the back, we can have you fitted in no time at all.'

When Kenshin didn't move- because he didn't wasn't used to being talked to so fast in English and didn't know if she was done yet- Hiko gave him a little nudge. 'My apprentice is from Japan and isn't very used to listening to English if it isn't spoken by me yet,' he explained to Madam Malkin.

'That's quite all right,' she said, smiling still and leading Kenshin to the back of the shop. There, she had Kenshin stand on a footstool and draped a robe much too long over him. As she was pinning the robe to the right length she said, 'So you've come all the way from Japan, have you?'

'Yes, ma'am,' Kenshin said politely.

'I can't say I've seen anyone with your shade of hair color before. Is it a common one in Japan?' Madam Malkin asked in a friendly voice.

'No, ma'am, I haven't seen anyone else with my hair color either.'

'Well I'd say that you'll have a lot of girls chasing after you with your looks,' She said with a smile as Kenshin flushed a deep shade of red.

'Th-Thank you ma'am, I think,' Kenshin said, confused at how this had come up.

'What's your name, dear?' she asked again in a few minutes when Kenshin's face had returned to its normal color.

'Kenshin, ma'am- Kenshin Himura.'

'Well, Kenshin, I'd say that you're just about done with the fitting.'

'Thank you, ma'am.' Kenshin said stepping down from the stool

'You're welcome, dear,' Madam Malkin said as she gathered all of Kenshin's clothes up.

A few minutes later, Kenshin and Hiko paid Madam Malkin and walked outside.

When they walked into a shop called Flourish and Blotts, they still had plenty of money so Kenshin bought everything that looked interesting along with his school books. They left with a stack of books as tall as Kenshin. Of course, Kenshin had to carry all of them ('They're your books. Why should I have to carry them?') . After they bought all of the books, they went to a store to get their potion supplies. Kenshin promptly bought a pewter cauldron and dumped his books into it.

'What's left to buy, idiot apprentice?' Hiko asked when it was close to 3:00, going back to calling Kenshin "idiot apprentice", probably because Hiko was carrying all of the supplies.

'Just my wand and a pet, Master.'

'Do you need a pet?' Hiko asked.

'No, but I really, really, really want one!' Kenshin said enthusiastically.

'Fine, but choose one that will not make a mess,' Hiko said, immediately relenting.

'Thank you!' Kenshin said happily. Kenshin's mood had become much happier and more child-like the longer they kept buying stuff.

'First, let's get your wand,' Hiko said.

'Okay, Master,' Kenshin said. 'How about we go there?' Kenshin suggested pointing at a store called Ollivanders: Makers of Fine wands since 382 B.C.

'Alright, just don't take too long,' Hiko said as he followed Kenshin into the store.

Hiko sat on the only chair in the tiny shop while Kenshin waited for someone to appear.

'Be alert, apprentice,' Hiko sighed as Kenshin looked for the person Hiko most obviously had already noticed.

'Wha-?' Kenshin started as he turned right into the face of an old wizard.

'Hello, there,' the man, who had to be Mr. Ollivander, said. 'I guessed I would be meeting you soon, Mr. Himura. You've come all the way from London, am I correct?'

'Erm, yes, sir,' Kenshin said, confused about how Mr. Ollivander knew his name.

'Well, it is always good to have a muggle born wizard in here; makes the wands' choosing so much more unpredictable and exciting,' Mr. Ollivander went on.

Kenshin nodded, very confused about what Mr. Ollivander was talking about.

'Shall we get started then, Mr. Himura?' Mr. Ollivander asked. 'Hold out your wand arm,' he added immediately, not waiting for an answer.

'I assume Mr. Ollivander means your sword arm, apprentice,' Hiko suggested helpfully while Kenshin looked as confused as ever.

'Oh, alright,' Kenshin said as he held out his right arm.

'Just a few measurements to do,' Mr. Ollivander said as he used a tape measure to measure everything from Kenshin's finger length to the space between his nostrils. To Kenshin's surprise, the tape measure kept measuring even after Mr. Ollivander left for the shelves in the back of the dark corner.

'That will be enough,' he said, and the tape measure dropped to the floor. Mr. Ollivander had come back with a wand for Kenshin to test. 'Yew and unicorn hair, 8 inches,' he stated as he held it out for Kenshin. 'Go on, give it a wave.'

Kenshin took the wand, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it back before Kenshin could so much as lift it over his head. 'Here, try this one. Holly and dragon heartstring, 13 inches, very pliant,' he said holding out another wand for Kenshin to try. Kenshin actually got the wand above his head before it was snatched away too.

'How about this one? Holly and phoenix feather, 11 inches, rather supple,' Mr. Ollivander said. Kenshin waved it around once or twice, feeling very foolish, before Mr. Ollivander took that one away also.

Kenshin didn't know that it would take so long to get a magic wand. He the pile of unsuitable wands had formed a small mountain on the counter. Instead of getting frustrated however, Mr. Ollivander just seemed to get happier and happier the more wands Kenshin tried.

'Let's try an unusual combination. Rowan and dragon heartstring plus phoenix feather, 10 inches.'

Kenshin took it, doubtful of finding a wand at all, so it came as a surprise as he felt warmth shooting through his fingers. He brought it over his head and then slashed it down as he would slash his sword. To his surprise, silver and gold sparks shot out of the tip of the wand.

'Good, good!' Mr. Ollivander cried excitedly. He put it in the box and wrapped it. 'It's always good to find a wand isn't it. Though, it's really the wand who finds the wizard. Yes, indeed.'

Kenshin just nodded. He was too excited at having his own wand. He couldn't wait until he could try it out. He paid the seven Galleons, and Mr. Ollivander bowed to them as Kenshin and Hiko walked out.

'Can we go back to the inn now, apprentice?' Hiko asked.

'Can I please get an owl for a pet, Master?' Kenshin asked imploringly.

'Are you sure, apprentice? I thought you didn't want to be seen in those clothes out here,' Hiko remarked, looking at Kenshin questioningly.

'Oh,' Kenshin had forgotten to change into his newly bought robes. 'Well, it doesn't matter. I've been in plain view for hours and nobody has noticed my clothes yet.'

Hiko sighed. 'Alright, let's see what we can get for you as a pet.'

They walked out of Eeylops Owl Emporium half an hour later with a new hawk owl. Kenshin was very happy about his new friend but could not figure out what his name should be.

'Master, what do you think I should name him?' Kenshin asked Hiko as they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron.

'He is your pet. His name is your responsibility,' Hiko replied unhelpfully. 'Try to choose one that you like, apprentice.'

Kenshin was still pondering about his new owl's name when he walked into his room in the Leaky Cauldron

'I'm going downstairs to gather information about this world,' Hiko called out as he walked out of the room right after coming in. 'Read some books in the meantime. Try some spell.'

Kenshin nodded absent-mindedly. He pondered about his new owl's name. He wanted one that his new pet would approve of. He looked into his owl's cage and decided to let him out. The owl hopped out and looked at Kenshin with an intelligence that seemed characteristic to all owls in the wizarding world.

'How would Hiko sound to you?' Kenshin asked the owl.

The owl hooted with what Kenshin interpreted as disapproval.

Kenshin pondered for a few more minutes. He finally asked, 'How about Hitmit?'

The owl seemed to think about this one. After a few seconds, he nodded and then hopped back into the cage to sleep.

Kenshin felt elated at having named his new pet. 'Well, Hitmit, I guess I should follow Master's orders and start reading.'

Kenshin pulled out a random book- The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1- and started reading. Finishing the introduction, he decided he was ready to try out a spell. He picked a spell that made things levitate.

'Wingardium Levioza!' Kenshin shouted, waving his wand at a pencil he had found. He frowned when the pencil didn't do anything. Kenshin consulted the book again and found that it was an 's' and not a 'z'.

'Wingardium Leviosa!' Kenshin shouted confidently, waving his wand around. To his disappointment, the pencil didn't so much as turn over. He decided that magic was much more than gestures and shouting words. Turning back to the book, Kenshin decided to read the text underneath the incantation.

Ten minutes later, Kenshin decided to give the Levitating charm another try. Swish and Flick, Swish and Flick, Swish and Flick, Kenshin thought as he practiced moving his wand. Feeling ready, Kenshin shouted for the third time, 'Wingardium Leviosa!' this time stressing the sounds that the book instructed to stress. Swishing and flicking, the pencil gave a feeble sort of back flip. That, however, was enough to make Kenshin very happy.

'I can do magic,' Kenshin said to himself happily. But Kenshin didn't stop there. He wanted to be able to make the pencil touch the ceiling of their room before Hiko came back. He decided that he wasn't saying the incantation right.

'Win-GAR-dium Levi-O-sa!' Kenshin said again and again, swishing and flicking his wand, each time the pencil going off the ground a little bit higher and longer than the last time. Finally, after nearly half an hour of continuous trying, the pencil hit the ceiling and stayed there. Kenshin let out a little whoop of satisfaction waving his wand around and making the pencil do laps around the room. He waved it a little bit too happily and the pencil accidentally got lodged into the wall separating the bathroom from the main living quarters. After jumping up and tugging it out, Kenshin decided to move on to another spell.

He looked for about ten minutes in search of a useful spell.

'Unlocking seems to be a useful little spell,' Kenshin murmured to himself and the sleeping Hitmit.

Kenshin went over to the bathroom door and locked it. Just as he was reading about the spell, Hiko walked into the room.

'Apprentice, I've found out that it is not exactly legal that kids under the age of 17 to do magic outside of school, but I have also learned that the Ministry of Magic cannot detect the exact perpetrator so just do not let anybody see you practicing,' Hiko said before walking out of the room again.

'Wha- perpe- am I a criminal!' Kenshin exclaimed at the doorway his master had just vacated.

'No!' was the reply. 'Just keep practicing secretly.'

Kenshin looked at Hitmit as if he would be able to tell Kenshin what to do. Kenshin decided finally to trust Hiko and blame him if this Ministry turned up to arrest Kenshin.

'Alright, let's see,' Kenshin muttered to himself as he finished reading the paragraph on the unlocking spell. 'I'm pretty sure noone has made this door unlockable so this should work.'

Kenshin pointed his wand at the door and said, 'Alohomora!' With a click, the door's lock became unlocked. Delighted at the success of his first attempt, Kenshin opened another spellbook that sounded more interesting.

He opened Curses and Countercurses to the first curse that it described. The book called it a jinx, but Kenshin couldn't distinguish the difference between jinxes and curses. It was called the jelly-legs jinx. He hoped that it wouldn't actually turn the person's legs to jelly because he was going to test it on himself. He wouldn't even think about jinxing or cursing someone unless it was in self-defense. Hiko had hammered manners into Kenshin ever since he was first given a sword.

With only the slightest sense of foreboding, Kenshin pointed his wand at himself and shouted 'Tarantallegra!' as he would shout when he was attacking with his sword.

Instantly, a jet of light hit Kenshin and pushed him back an inch or two. He was so surprised at seeing the jet of light when the other two spells had no visible path that he didn't notice that his legs were acting strangely until he kicked a bed.

'Ow,' Kenshin said out of surprise as he looked down at his foot. His legs seemed to be doing some sort of wild tapdance. Whatever he did, he could not stop his legs from moving. The next time he passed the book of curses in his dance, he swept down and scooped it up. He looked for something that would make his legs stop.

'Erm...ummm...' Kenshin hummed nervously as he looked for something; by that time he had knocked over a desk, table, and, surprisingly, a bed. He finished reading the paragraph on the jelly-legs jinx (something he forgot to do beforehand) and found a spell that would take off the effect of any spell cast on a person, though, the book said it was a rather difficult spell.

'Finite Incantatem!' Kenshin shouted, desperately hoping to stop himself, once again pointing at himself with his wand. Instantly his legs stopped moving. Kenshin let out a sigh of relief and went to put the furniture back in its correct place. The moment he lifted his leg though, Kenshin's legs started dancing uncontrollably again.

'Oro!' slipped out of Kenshin's mouth. Kenshin confidently said again, 'Finite Incantatem' but this time, nothing changed. Confused, Kenshin tried again. And again. And again. Each time he tried, nothing changed. Kenshin could not think of what was wrong with his spell.

Briefly- very briefly- Kenshin considered stabbing himself in both his legs so they would be too weak to move. Very quickly, Kenshin decided to do something else. He would stop himself by magic: preferably magic that did no harm to the user.

What was I doing differently the first time? Kenshin thought fervently as he kicked the bed one time after another now. Well, I was humming. I doubt that would help. What else? What else?

Kenshin was getting nervous again. He had been afflicted with the jinx for more than ten minutes already. He reasoned that someone might come knocking on his door asking for the reason for all the racket Kenshin was making. It was illegal to do magic if he was under 17 years old and not in his school, and he had just turned 11 according to the English way of aging: much younger than 17. He didn't want to get sent to prison on his first real day in the magical world.

Kenshin tried to remember anything Hiko might have told him to do if Kenshin messed up at something- which happened very often. Kenshin imagined his master's voice in his head.

Idiot apprentice, you are not concentrating hard enough! You must tackle every obstacle whole-heartedly if you expect any kind of favorable result.

Of course, realized Kenshin. I must be concentrated to be able to use magic effectively. It's just like wielding a sword.

Glad that Hiko had taught him something useful, Kenshin concentrated with all his considerable willpower on stopping his legs. 'Finite Incantatem!' Kenshin shouted pointing his wand at himself. Just as what had happened the first time he had used the spell, Kenshin's legs immidiately stopped moving. However, he was not sure about his success. For all he knew, he had just stopped the jinx temporarily again. Gingerly, Kenshin lifted his leg off the ground an inch. When his legs didn't start up again, Kenshin started walking around experimentally. After ten dance-free minutes, Kenshin let out a whoop of triumph. And then the door opened.

'Is this what happens when I leave you alone with a magic twig?' Hiko asked as he glanced around at the room, his eyes finally resting on Kenshin and the wand he had in his hand still.

Kenshin looked too. The room looked like it had been through a hurricane. The table was overturned. The chair was on one of the beds. The bed without the chair on it was on its side. The other bed had a few dents in it where Kenshin had unwillingly kicked it. Only Hitmit's cage and the bathroom were unaffected. Hitmit was miraculously still asleep.

'Sorry, Master,' Kenshin said looking at the ground and shamefacedly twiddling his thumbs. 'I was just practicing my magic.'

Hiko sighed. 'Yes, you always learned by overreaching, apprentice,' he said. 'I don't blame you. But I will still make you clean this mess up, apprentice, while I fill you in on what I've learned.'

'Thank you, Master,' Kenshin said as he started cleaning the room at once, glad that he hadn't been punished with another spar. His side still twinged at the memory.

'For one thing, apprentice, the people of this world have been terrorized by a wizard named Lord Voldemort. Though he has been...'

As Kenshin listened, he thought of the wonderful world he had been introduced to. Each day brought more miracles and discoveries. Think of what he could experience at Hogwarts, with kids his age. He could maybe even make some friends.