A/N- Ok. I know Kagome should be almost 17 by the time her journey in the Feudal Era ends, since she was 15 when it started. But, that would mean putting her in her 7th year at Hogwarts. So, just for the sake of the story, she is 15, going to her 5th year. And also, she fell into the well at 13. Ok?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Inuyasha. They belong to J.K. Rowling and Rumiko Takahashi respectively. The rest of this story is mine.


Chapter 2- Start of a New Journey

A cool autumn breeze swept through the courtyard of a shrine. Under a giant tree, a young woman practiced with her katana, her raven tresses floating in the wind. She wore the traditional red and white garb of a miko. The blade of her katana flashed in the sunlight as she thrust and slashed, going through basic practice movements. Her cerulean orbs were dreamy and misted, as if she was in another world.

"Nee-chan!" A young boy with messy black hair ran into the courtyard.

The girl smiled. "Hey, Souta." She said as she ruffled his hair.

"Nee-chan, Okaa-san wants you to come in for lunch." Souta said.

"Ok," The girl said as she sheathed her katana.

"Come on, nee-chan!" Souta shouted as he dragged the girl into the house.

---

Ms. Higurashi smiled as she saw her two children come through the door, chatting away happily. Her elder child, Kagome, was a girl of 15. Her younger child, Souta, was 9. Souta was a normal and happy 3rd grader. As for Kagome, well, that was a different story.

On her 13th birthday, Kagome had gone into the well house to search for their cat, Buyo. A centipede youkai had burst out of the sealed well and had dragged Kagome in with her. Kagome had discovered that she was the reincarnation of a powerful miko named Kikyo, and that she was the Keeper of the legendary Shikon no Tama. Kagome had accidentally broken the jewel, and unsealed a stubborn hanyou named Inuyasha. So, her travels in the past had begun.

"Mmm…oden!" Kagome exclaimed as she sat down. She picked up her chopsticks and began to dig in ravenously.

Her family stared at her.

"What?" She asked, her mouth full. "I trained the whole morning!"

Her family laughed.

---

"Whew, I'm stuffed!" Kagome groaned.

Ms. Higurashi stood up and began to clear away the plates. "Kagome, don't you have to be at Yasuyo's?"

"Ahhh!" Kagome sprang up and ran for her room. "I'm late!"

A few minutes later, she ran out the door with her katana, and her bow and arrows slung over one shoulder. "Bye Souta, bye Okaa-san, bye Jii-chan!"

Ms. Higurashi shook her head.

---

Kagome arrived at Yasuyo's, panting. She pushed open the gate, and walked into the courtyard. Yasuyo was waiting.

"You're late." She commented.

"I'm sorry…"

"Never mind now, you remember what I have taught you?" Yasuyo unsheathed her katana.

Kagome nodded.

"Very well, let's get started." She struck with her katana and Kagome blocked it.

---

A few hours later, they both sat down under the shade of a tree and rested. Kagome sat quietly, dwelling on how far she had come in a few months.

After the Shikon had sent her home, she had locked herself in her room and cried for a few days. After she came out, Kagome had plunged herself into training. Maybe she couldn't visit the Feudal Era again, but that didn't mean she couldn't relive in different ways.

Kagome had sought out an old miko who lived at another shrine close to her. Two years ago, she wouldn't have been able to tell her apart from a youkai, but two years in the past had sharpened her senses enough. Yasuyo had taken Kagome under her wing and had trained her in the arts of a miko.

In the past, Kagome had received some basic miko training from Kaede. She had some knowledge of plants and herbs, and Yasuyo was pleased with her first attempts at healing. Under Yasuyo's guidance, Kagome had quickly improved. Now well versed in herblore, she was able to concoct healing potions to heal almost any injury or sickness.

Yasuyo also guided Kagome in the art of battle and combat. She helped Kagome focus her miko powers, which in the past, only responded to strong emotions. Kagome nurtured those powers until she could call upon them with little or no thought. Because of the Shikon, which for some strange reason, had not disappeared but still resided within her body, her powers were much greater than that of a normal miko. Kagome also improved greatly in her archery. Her arrows, which once had required lots of concentration and power, now were almost a reflex and needed only a spark of power. Her aim was now very accurate, due to the grueling hours she'd spent training, until sometimes she felt her arm would drop right off. She could now even shoot the leaves off a tree, which she did sometimes, just to show off in front of Souta. Kagome was also taught in various types of weapons, including the katana. She had found an ancient katana hidden in a shed tucked away in the corner of the shrine. Her grandfather had reluctantly allowed her to take the katana and had shown her how to take care of it.

After Kagome had cleaned away the dust that had gathered over the ages, a plain looking sword sheathed in a black scabbard emerged. She pulled it out and was shocked by the immense power, rolling off the katana in waves. Only three other swords that she knew of had this much power. And they were hanging by the sides of their owners, or so she hoped.

Kagome gently ran a hand down the blade. At the top, near the handle were some kanji characters. Her name. She jumped in surprise. As far as she knew, this katana had been sitting in the shed for as long as the shrine had been standing. Which was very long, stretching back to at least the Feudal Era. She stared at the katana in wonder. How had her name come to be on there?

She sighed. Add that to the list of things to do. Solve mystery of katana.

Kagome still went to school, but she did not seem to care so much about her studies anymore. Most of her time now was spent training, reading up on the ancient legends, or helping her mother and grandfather around in the house. While she had ignored her grandfather's tales before, she now hung on his every word, hoping to catch some news of her friends.

"Kagome?" Yasuyo said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"I have some…news you may want to know about."

Kagome sat up rigidly. "What is it?"

Yasuyo pulled out a think manila parchment envelope. "This came a few days ago. Your mother thought it was best for me to give it to you here"

Kagome took it and examined it carefully. To Miss Kagome Higurashi, Shinwa Shrine, Tokyo, Japan. "Whose it from?"

Yasuyo took in a deep breath. "Ok, this may come as a surprise to you…but Kagome…you're not just a miko…you're also…"

"Also a what?"

"…a witch."

Kagome didn't feel any jolt of surprise. No flash of disbelief or anything. Just calm acceptance. Maybe two years in the Feudal Era had taught her that in her lifetime, she should expect plenty of surprises. I mean, what kind of ordinary girl falls into an old well at 13, and finds out that she is the Keeper of the legendary Shikon no Tama, and the reincarnation of a skilled miko, and goes on an epic journey with a stubborn hanyou, reserved taijiya, lecherous monk, orphaned kitsune, and a two-tailed fire neko? Kagome had long accepted that she wasn't ordinary.

Yasuyo was staring at her intently, obviously waiting for some kind of reaction.

"Ok, so what else's new?" Kagome asked calmly.

Yasuyo blinked. "You mean, you're not surprised?"

Kagome laughed. "I think I've long accepted that my life would not be ordinary."

Yasuyo smiled. "Run along then. You've done enough training today, and I think you'd be interested in what your mother has to tell you."

Kagome jumped up, and waving goodbye, ran home.

- - - - -

Kagome burst through the door of her house. "Okaa-san!"

Mrs. Higurashi stood up quickly. "Oh goodness, Kagome, don't shout like that!" When Kagome eyed her accusingly, she sighed and motioned for Kagome to sit down next to her on the sofa.

"You have the letter?"

Kagome nodded and pulled it out.

"Well, go ahead, open it."

Kagome pulled out the letter and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)

Dear Miss Higurashi,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

As you are a new transfer student, you will need to have your parent/guardian sign a permission slip for you to be able to visit Hogsmeade.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

Questions exploded like fireworks inside Kagome's head. After a few minutes, she spluttered, "Where is this Hogwarts?"

Mrs. Higurashi replied, "It's in London, in England."

"England?" Kagome echoed. That was far, farther than she'd ever been. She knew from her geography class at school that it was a big island off the coast of Europe.

Mrs. Higurashi put a calming hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Listen, Kagome. I'll explain everything."

Kagome waited patiently.

"I'm not a witch." Mrs. Higurashi began. "But your father was a wizard. I came from a long line of mikos, although I myself do not have the power. I knew that both your father and my gifts would show up in our children. When you were born, your father took one look at you and immediately knew that you had inherited both our gifts. He wanted you to be sent to Hogwarts at eleven like all magical children, but when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named took over and your father died, I took you and fled to my home country of Japan. Here I lived at our family shrine, and had Souta a year later. I sent a letter to Hogwarts explaining that I wanted you to also be trained in your miko abilities and they agreed to keep a close eye on you but not send you a letter. When you fell into the well at 13, I knew that the Shikon no Tama wanted you to fulfill your duty as Guardian and so, I sent another letter to them explaining about this. They agreed once again, to send you the letter once your journeys in the past had finished. And they have kept their word, as you can see."

Kagome blinked and stared at the parchment in her lap. "So I need to attend Hogwarts now?"

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "It's what your father would have wanted."

Kagome stood up and asked, "When will we be leaving to get my supplies?"

"In a week. I will explain it to Souta, and Jii-chan already knows." Mrs. Higurashi replied. "You need to pack whatever you want to bring with you."

Kagome nodded. "I'll go right now." She sprinted up to her room. But instead of packing up her clothes, she walked over to her window. Looking out, she could see the entire shrine, and farther beyond that, the city of Tokyo. Her gaze fell on the Goshinboku and she smiled. She raced back downstairs and out into the courtyard, and headed for the massive God Tree. Kagome stopped in front of it, and smiling a little sadly, stroked the cracked old bark of the tree. Her fingers passed over a small jagged hole, and she sighed. This was where Inuyasha had been pinned by Kikyo, all those years ago. This tree represented all the memories of her journeys in the past and everything that went along with them. The faces of her friends floated into her mind's eye, and she held back a small sob. A few tears trickled down her cheek. Wiping her eyes, she looked up at the tree. And she smiled.

You represent my past journeys. And yet… Kagome turned her face to the sun. I think I'm about to embark on a new journey. Every bit as exciting and fantastic as my last.


So… what do you think? Like it? Hope you did.

Truthfully, this chapter was not fun to write. Ugh… I don't like transition chapters. I did my best with it. Sorry it was so late!

By the way, if you haven't noticed, this is pre-OotP.

Review please!

Thanks to kyasarinyume07 for beta-reading this.

Ja ne

kibou hope