A/N: Okay, this is my second HP fic. My first one isn't finished yet but I wasn't getting any reviews so I discontinued it, but if you'll read it (as in right after you read this one) and review it, if you like it, I'm gonna continue it for ya! Yay! (Eheheh….) So do please R&R both fics.
Anyways, this story (here below) is a kinda remake of my first but I swear it'll be better and besides, I'm planning to have different endings for the two. And this is nonslash (though I really like reading the stuff). Hm… One of these days, am gonna create a one-shot slash…
Setting here is 7th year, post HBP, but no pretty much spoilers since I haven't read the book yet, just heard bits and pieces of it from a friend. Like Dumbledore's death… And JKR owns everything, all right? But I wonder if I could ask a niffler from her… And some of the chapters will be awfully inspired by avril lavigne music. It's the newest CD I've got. By the way, forgive the errors, I don't have a beta…!
Enough of my ramblings and on to the story.
Just a teaser here. Someone is destined to be with Harry. Find out in later chapters, not who, but why…
Chapter 1: Underground
Harry descended to the Muggle underground station with most of the seventh years. Most of the crowd was chattering nervously about how they were to be welcomed into this new school. Harry remained silent, not wanting everyone to know he was just as nervous.
"What do you think will they serve for lunch, Harry? And do you think they'll be just as luxurious with food as Hogwarts?" Ron worried. Harry did not reply. He kept his eyes on the stairs and did not look up, trying to deal with his anxiety.
"Please, Ron. Don't you think of anything else but food?" Hermione said.
"Good morning."
Harry looked up.
A brunette girl wearing jeans and a fit t-shirt was standing at the foot of the stairs, waving at them. Everyone said a grumble of goodmornings and gathered around the girl.
"My name is Raven Lyndon. I am a Bridgework Prefect and I was assigned to take you to the school," said the girl, beaming around at them all. "Now, before I take you to Bridgework, may I speak with the Hogwarts Prefects first, please."
Ron, Hermione, and all the other Prefects approached Raven. After about a minute, they broke away from their huddled conversation.
"Please follow me. We will be boarding the train shorty."
They walked to the edge of the waiting area, just as a blue and silver train came swooshing and whistling. The doors opened, and their journey to Bridgework Academy of Eastern Magic began.
-- Flashback --
"It is with saddest thought that we will not be able to continue teaching at Hogwarts for this year."
A roar of comments, violent reactions, and loud worries broke out at the Great Hall. Hogwarts? Discontinue teaching? Today has got to be April Fools' Day. Harry thought.
"I know this news is simply unacceptable. I myself cannot believe the decision the teachers have come to," said Professor McGonagall from up the staff table. Everyone was having their joyous breakfast on a Monday morning, and now this. "But the school cannot run. Not at this moment."
The day must have been the gloomiest at Hogwarts. Hallways were full and yet so quiet. Students were on unusually low spirits that no one greeted anyone in the corridors. Only the Slytherins seemed to be enjoying, and even some of them were depressed.
"I've got a note from McGonagall!" Ron yelled, bursting throug the portrait hole and waving an official-looking letter around. Harry and Hermione had been waiting for him in the common room, since Professor McGonagall summoned him to the staff room.
Ron flicked the note open and read aloud to his fellow Gryffindors.
To all Gryffindors,
As you have heard ealier today, Hogwarts will not be able to facilitate your learning for this year. However, we have found the best alternative to have you learn your courses; an alternative very much like our own Hogwarts.
Anyone who has heard of Bridgework would know that it is one of the finest schools of magic in Asia, and that it is a sister school of Hogwarts.
Dates of travel to Bridgework will be released later this week. Students will be sent by batch as organized by your professors.
Professor McGonagall"I don't get it," Ron said as they packed their bags a week later in their dormitory. They were going to Bridgework the next day. "Are they shutting Hogwarts down because Dumbledore's gone? Can't they select another headmaster or something?"
"I don't think it's just because of Dumbledore. There has to be another reason," replied Harry. "But for now, we have to think about Bridgework."
"What about it?"
"Well, doesn't it intimidate you? They make it sound glorious and all, being the finest school in Asia… And how will the students there welcome us?"
"Trust me, Harry. They'll receive you well. You're famous there just as you are here," said Ron. "Oh, and I think they'll want you to meet Rose Ashworth."
"Who's Rose Ashworth?"
-- End of Flashback --
The train looked convincingly Muggle-like. Not a trace of magic could be seen. No flaws at all, Harry thought. In fact, it looked like a hi-tech train from a sci-fi movie. The Dursleys would have been glad to ride here.
As the train snaked its way around curves and lengths, more of the Bridgework Prefects turned up and introduced themselves. They called on at seemingly random Hogwarts names and ushered the students into farther cabins. This occurrence continued until only four students were left with Raven Lyndon: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco Malfoy.
Draco sat in a far corner, away from the three. Every now and then, he shot menacing glances at them, but Harry just ignored this. Hermione was chatting furiously with Raven, who seemed to be enjoying her company ("She must be a bookworm like Hermione too," Ron pointed out.), and Ron stared outside the train. Harry remained silent and his mind was still wondering about what kind of school Bridgework really was. Is it really just like Hogwarts? And then a memory flashed across his mind. He remembered Ron mentioning Rose Ashworth yesterday, while they were packing. He asked again and again who Rose Ashworth was but got no reply.
"You don't know her?" said Ron, looking confused for a moment. "Oh well, you don't need to, anyway…" he said. Harry raised an eyebrow. "What? She just crossed my mind, that's all. She's famous, I think she sings or something, and she studies at Bridgework."
The train stopped at its next station. The doors opened, and in came a girl wearing a red sleeveless shirt and black flared jeans. Harry stared at her now, distracted. She wassporting a black body bag. Her hands were bandaged with white cloth. Her hair was long and black. Harry found it interesting that her hair, though black, ended with cherry-red in the tips. Her hair was all over her face, and when she pushed it back, she revealed heavily pierced ears, shining with too much silver. It was then that Harry noticed that Malfoy was staring at the girl as well.
"Oh… my… god…" Hermione suddenly hissed. Harry turned and saw that she and Ron were staring too. The girl seemed oblivious to the stares, however, and sat on the bench across.
"What is it, Hermione?" said Ron eagerly.
"Don't you know her?" asked Hermione. Harry and Ron shook their heads. "Don't you recognize her?" she asked again. Heads shook once more. "It's Rui."
Harry had no inkling whatsoever who Rui was. He glanced at Raven, who was surveying them rather eerily, like she was amused of their reaction. Malfoy was still entranced by the punk girl, staring and mouth slightly open.
"Who's Rui?" inquired Ron.
"I know you two don't study, but don't you even care about music?" said Hermione. Harry and Ron stared back blankly. "Oh, Muggle music at the least. Harry?" Harry shook his head slowly.
Hermione heaved a sigh. "She's like, a teen singer in Asia, and she also performs in Britain for some reason. Her songs are mostly punk rock, don't you know?" asked Hermione once more, hoping to get some answer this time. No answer came. "She's like, really popular? In Asia at least? From what I've heard, they say she's 'slowly invading Europe all on her own.' Wait a minute... This is a train for wizards... Is she - "
"I see you're still updated on the Muggle world, Hermione, though you're a witch," said Raven suddenly.
"Well, I am Muggleborn, so I hear everything from both sides," replied Hermione.
"You've got some wrong information, though," Raven said with a grin. Hermione frowned. Raven motioned for her to move sideways so that she could sit. The three edged sideways and Raven sat beside Hermione and whispered. "That is not just the popular Rui."
"What do you mean?" said Hermione.
"That, my friends, is Rose Ashworth."
Silence greeted the end of Raven's sentence.
"Rose Ashworth? Are you serious?" Ron hissed back.
"A hundred percent," Raven nodded.
Harry wasn't getting the thread of the conversation. He did not know how popular Rui was that even Hermione, who had her attention on books all the time, was a big fan of hers. He also did not have a clue who on earth Rose Ashworth was. He did not see what was so shocking about the situation. Except for the fact that some supposedly Muggle singer was actually a witch, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
But why were Ron and Hermione so shocked?
"Can we, umm, talk to her? Ask her about some stuff?" said Hermione, her eyes twinkling with childish wishing.
"Yeah, ask her about some stuff," said Ron with a glazed expression on his face.
Raven gave a false laugh and said in a singsong tune, "You can try, but I doubt you will succeed."
Ron raised his eyebrows but Hermione suddenly got up and approached the punk girl.
"Erm, hi, umm, I'm Hermione Granger, umm, from Hog – hogwarts… I – I was just wonder – "
"What?" hissed the girl without looking up at Hermione. She was reading a small book. She barely moved her lips as she spoke.
"Erm, I – I wanted to – to ask about –"
"If it's 'bout the Muggle singin' career thing, I don' wanna talk about it, 'specially not with witches, so if you got nothin' more to say, back off, 'right?" said the girl. She said a longer sentence that made her accent obvious. It was not Asian accent; more like, punk talk.
Hermione turned and sat back on her seat. She was blushing a furious red, and Ron stared at her in disbelief. Raven was still smiling, though, and Malfoy was now eyeing the girl with what looked like suspicion.
"Well, sweetie," said Raven quietly so that only Hermione, Ron, and Harry could hear. "Welcome to Japan."
Harry stared at Raven confusedly.
"But I think you get the idea… Not everyone's welcome to Rose Ashworth's, or even Rui's, personality. Honestly, she's one of the two most obnoxious personalities at Bridgework. And you can just imagine how everyone else is there."
The train doors opened, and more people got on the train, some standing, blocking Rose Ashworth from view.
A/N: They're in Japan, all right? Bridgework is my created school… Nyahahahah… R&R people! So that I'd get excited and create the next chapter already! By the way, tell me what you think about the stuff I'd meddled with here. Tell me about your opinion about Bridgework, Rose Ashworth, and the thing about Harry James Potter all in all.
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