YAY! Second story! And I'll warn people now that this one isn't going to
update nearly as quickly as the other. But, that's because the chapters are
longer ...so I think it balances. Thanks to everyone reading and thanks to
everyone who read my other story. With that said, on with the disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS. I do not own HP. If I owned either I'd have a whole lot more money and would probably not need to write fanfics to begin with.
The Letter
"Me, too," a voice said firmly from a smiling mouth. Amber eyes were shining and she couldn't resist any more.... "BEEP BEEP BEEP." Sakura's alarm clock began to go off annoyingly ruining one of her favourite dreams. She slowly opened her beautiful green eyes to see the morning sun as it flowed into her room from her window. A small smile remained on her lips as she placed the alarm clock back on her head board and rose to dress. She went through the actions a little mechanically, as she had been more and more prone to do lately. Then she sat down on her bed and remembered her dream again. Sakura looked out the window wistfully. It had been two years since she had last seen Syaoran. While he loved her more than ever, duty called him home shortly after she had confessed her love to them. They were able to exchange the occasional letter, but the Elders decreed that his attentions should be placed on his training which had been lost during his long stay in Tomoeda. And so he trained.
And Sakura had too. In an effort to remain high spirited over the long days she had started training even harder than before. Tomoyo still regularly showed up for most of these events but there were too many for the best friend to witness them all. But, in the past two years since Syaoran had gone back to Hong Kong her magic had increased rapidly. Kero explained that it was a side effect of puberty, that with natural growth into adult hood her magic would grow with her as would her control.
The Card Mistress was now more formidable than ever and had learned a lot from Yue and Kero, and even occasionally Eriol when he came to visit for a week or so at a time. She had learned to sense the auras of everyone and not just sourcerers and even to repress her own to the point where it was undetectable. But most surprisingly to everyone, Eriol included, she had gained a control over her Cards that was unexpected.
Since the battle with the Void, the Cards reacted to her almost instantly ten times better than they had before. They could be summoned to her from long distances and, if need be, she could even tap into their powers without using the wand. But she didn't do that much, since her wand still seemed so much a part of her.
"KAIJUU! YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE!"
Broken from her reverie at last, Sakura looked at the clock and screamed, "Hoe!!" Grabbing her bag she rushed down stairs, rushed through breakfast and set out for school.
"Tomoyo-chan, can you believe the look on sensei's face when I aced that English test! She was so surprised! Remind me to thank Eriol again."
The half-reincarnation of Clow Reed had been very attentive of Sakura, frequently visiting. One might say that he still felt guilty about the Void Card and forgetting about it, but no one really minded. He helped Sakura develop her magic even more and also taught her English.
"Sakura-chan is so amazing! She learned a language fluently in just a year!" Tomoyo looked up with starry eyes as she waxed poetic on her favourite topic: the awesomeness of Kinomoto Sakura.
"Tomoyo-chan," the blushing girl objected to little success. "Oh! Otousan has invited you to dinner tonight. He heard we had a project to do and thought your mother might be happier to know you ate at my house rather than going home hungry."
"I'd love to! I'll call okaasan the moment we walk in the door."
"Hai," Sakura smiled. The two girls grinned at each other and walked to the Kinomoto residence holding hands and talking without a care in the world.
"Maybe if we did it this way," Tomoyo said, looking at their project with her head tilted.
"You think? I mean- HOE!!!" The honey haired girl broke off as an owl flew into her open window and fluttered around the room a minute before landing tiredly on her headboard.
"An owl? I wonder where that came from."
"Help me get it out of here, Tomoyo-chan. Kero-chan hates birds and I just know he'll go ballistic if he comes up from eating pudding and sees an owl."
"Hai, Sakura-chan. Matte, what is that it's holding?"
The raven haired girl walked up to the owl and took the letter from its talons. A moment later the owl took off and flew out the obliging window with a small hoot. They girls looked at each other then quickly looked back at the letter.
Ms. Kinomoto and Ms. Daidouji
Upstairs bedroom
Kinomoto Residence....
"Uh, they are very exact aren't they, Tomoyo-chan?" she asked a little hesitantly as she opened the letter and read through it. "Hoe?!" Quickly she read through it again.
"Daijoubu desu ka, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo inquired.
"Tomoyo-chan, I think you need to read this." She handed the letter to her best friend who read it out loud.
'HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZADRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore...etc.
'Dear Miss Kinomoto and Miss Daidouji,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Normally we accept students when they have reached age 10-11 and they start as First Years. However, due to understandable events, the issue of your acceptance letter was delayed until your present ages of fourteen. It is understandable that you have many questions but please trust that all of them will be answered if you come to Hogwarts.
Enclosed is a set of directions for where you need to go to get school supplies, what supplies to get and information on how to get to Hogwarts itself. I hope that any further objections will be quelled when I state that I have been in correspondence with Mr. Hiiragizawa for many years and he wishes you to come as well.
Term begins on September 1. Please send your response care of Mr. Hiiragizawa no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress'
When Tomoyo stopped reading she refolded the letter and the two girls looked at each other.
"What do you think Tomoyo?"
For a long moment the raven haired girl only looked forward before breaking into a magnificent grin. "I think I have a whole new set of people to introduce the wonders of Sakura-chan to!"
"Hoe..."
Two months later, in the last week of August, Sakura and Tomoyo were introduced to the wonders of Diagon Alley. They stared in amazement at the things around them and Sakura could hardly keep her jaw closed as she watched the different auras bump against each other and either mingle or sizzle with hatred. The past couple of months had been hectic, trying to convince both families that the idea was sound and that it was best for them.
And trying to convince Tomoyo that she actually had magic.
"See Tomoyo, the auras around here are just like yours! I told you they didn't make a mistake. Your magic is just different from mine!"
The amethyst eyed girl smiled sweetly and took her best friends hand as they made their way down the street to Gringotts to exchange their 'muggle' money. The goblins surprised both girls but they played it off well. The creatures they had run into during the long process of capturing and changing the Cards had more than prepared them for some of the weirder things in life. Even if it was a brand new life.
They had both bought a good sized amount of money, much more than they really needed, and hid it safely in their pouches. "Now, I'm guessing we should go to your favourite place, Tomoyo. The clothes shop," she sighed as they headed to Madam Melkin's.
"You are going to look so KAWAII!"
After they bought their uniforms they went to Ollivander's Makers of Fine Wands since.... "Hoe, they've been around a very long time haven't they Tomoyo?"
"Just go in, Sakura-chan," the raven haired girl said pushing her friend in.
"But it's going to be weird having a different wand," the other girl said clutching the Star Key which was much larger than usual and looked more like a pendant than a charm. "I mean, it won't be half as long will it?"
"Who knows? But now I get to emulate Sakura-chan and have a wand of my very own." Tomoyo was gushing and her eyes sparkled as they waited for someone to attend them. After a moment a very ancient looking man came to the front and eyed them carefully.
"New wands? I don't remember selling you two ones before so are you just younger than you look or did you buy elsewhere?"
The two girls were confused and finally Tomoyo said, "Neither, sir. But we do need new wands."
"Well, then I suggest we start. Come to me young miss and tell me which is your wand hand."
Tomoyo went through a few different wands before finally the man handed her the correct one. "Ah, very nice. Seven and a half inches. Oak and Holly with Phoenix feather. Very good for Transfiguration. Take care of it. Now you miss?"
Sakura stepped forward a little shyly and indicated her right hand as which one was dominant. Ollivander thought he had another tricky customer on his hands from the way she looked but when he turned around a wand fell off the shelf and landed directly in front of him. Sakura cringed since she had almost been expecting something like that to happen.
"Now, that doesn't happen very often. Why don't you try this Miss Kinomoto."
Sakura reached forward and took the wand in her hand. It felt right, the way her Star Wand did and she immediately liked it. When she flicked it a series of small cherry blossoms flowed out from the tip.
"Very nice. Eleven and three-quarter inches. Cherry and Yew. Core is a unicorn hair, from the purest I ever saw too. It fits you miss." They paid their sum and walked from the shop, both feeling a little weird from the sensation the old man had but both were well pleased.
"I guess we should get our books next, ne, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo chimed, taking her hand and heading towards Flourish & Blotts.
Two hours later they had gathered all supplies except for their familiars. The girls were tired and the bags were heavy so they stopped in the Leaky Cauldron, where they were staying until school stated, to unload and discuss which animals to buy.
"One of us should buy an owl, Sakura. That way we have a permanent way of conversing to and from the wizarding world even when we are back home."
"I want a cat though. I miss Kero." She sighed and remembered the conversation she had had with her two Guardians.
"Yue-san, Kero-chan, you can't come with me! I mean, Yukito-san isn't a student and Kero-chan would be too noticeable. You have to stay here!"
"We are coming with you!" they yelled in unison.
Sitting down hard on the bed, Sakura sighed and tried to think of a solution to their problem. At last she thought of something. Slowly she turned back to her two guardians who were glaring at her.
"You may come with me IF you agree to one of my two conditions."
"What are they?" Yue asked.
"Since I can't have you around physically I can bind you into the book, where you can leave if I'm in trouble or if I let you out."
"Unacceptable. We wouldn't be there to protect you like we should," Yue growled.
"Grumpy is right, Sakura. We need to be easier to free than that," Kero sighed.
"Or, choice two is you can reside in my wand like you did when I battled it out against Eriol. Either way, Yue-san, Yukito-san will have to be away from oniichan which isn't the best in my mind."
The Moon Guardian glared at her then looked at his fellow guardian. They seemed to be making up their minds without verbal conversation. After a few minutes, Yue said, "We'll go into your wand. It is better. And Touya will get over it."
"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked, breaking into her thoughts at last. "Daijoubu?"
"Oh, hai. Sorry, Tomoyo-chan. I think I'll get a cat. You can get an owl."
Tomoyo nodded in agreement. After a few minutes they went out into the madness that was Diagon Alley and found Eeylop's Owl Emporium where Tomoyo bought a lovely silver and black owl with startling blue eyes. She promptly named it Yamazaki.
"Why Yamazaki, Tomoyo-chan?"
"It sounds like something he would make up," she replied with a grin.
After a few minutes they found the Magical Menagerie that sold other sorts of animals. Sakura looked around for awhile before settling on a black and white kitty. She paid for it, giggling as it started to hiss at everyone who came too near its new mistress. So she named it Touya.
"Why after your brother?" Tomoyo inquired with a laugh when they returned to their room.
"Because he's already over protective," Sakura giggled. "Maybe he's channeling the spirit."
The two girls giggled and settled into bed, hardly being able to wait for the week to pass and for their new school life to begin.
"Hoe! Why do I always oversleep?!"
The voice was loud and carried over the various people who were milling around the train platforms. They were barely able to catch sight of to pretty girls, one with a large pendant swinging to and fro, before they were past and gone. They reached the platform between 9 and 10 and stopped suddenly.
"Uh, Tomoyo-chan, do you see a Platform Nine and Three-quarters?"
"No, Sakura-chan."
The sourceress sighed and closed her eyes. She focused her energy and searched the area for a sign of any strong magic that would be hiding something as large as a train. After a moment she felt a strange aura, similar to Tomoyo's and the other witches and wizards she had come across. She slowly went towards it and opened her eyes to find she was standing directly in front of a wall.
Turning to grin at Tomoyo, she laughed, "Let's just hope I don't break my nose!" She grabbed her trolley, took a deep breath and charged through the wall, thankfully through it and not into it. She was quickly followed by Tomoyo. Both stopped to look at the amazing sight before them, a sizable train with shining red paint and various people milling around in front of it. They were so awe struck that the sound of the whistle blowing startled them.
"Come on before it leaves without us, Sakura-chan!"
They quickly gathered their belongings, settled Touya on his owners shoulder and made their way into the train. They walked a good ways before they realized an empty compartment would be too much to hope for. They continued walking towards the back, looking for one with room left when Sakura felt a familiar presence. Gasping she started running down the length of the train, Tomoyo following confusedly behind, until she stopped still in front of one compartment.
Quickly sliding the door open she glanced inside at the two occupants who were looking at her in shock. The girl was seated, her long black hair down and around her shoulders as she held a small cat in her hands. Her red eyes were widened beyond belief as she stared. But Sakura couldn't tear her eyes off the boy who had turned around to face her from putting the bags in the storage. His amber eyes were partially covered by chocolate brown hair.
"Syaoran-kun!"
"Sakura-chan?" he stuttered before the honey haired girl threw herself into his open arms. "I didn't know you would be coming here," he whispered, holding her close to him.
"Daidouji-chan, you're here too?" Meilin asked pointedly ignoring the happy couple.
Tomoyo sighed, wishing she had her video camera available to her to capture the absolutely adorable moment. Instead she smiled at Meilin. "Apparently I'm a witch. Who knew? I'm assuming you are as well and that is why you are here?" She asked tilting her head to one side questioningly.
"It shocked the Elders. I got the last laugh, finally proving that I did have magic in me." The Chinese girl grinned haughtily before she was tackled in a hug.
"Meilin! Sorry I didn't greet you before hand. How are you? You got taller!" Sakura was gushing at seeing her friend after so long. "Why didn't you write to say you were going to Hogwarts?"
"Same reason you didn't, Kinomoto."
Sakura blushed. Suddenly she realized that the door was still open and their baggage was all over the place. With a small laugh she and Tomoyo stored their bags in the above head compartments and sat down happily opposite their friends.
"When did you get your letter? How long have you known?"
"We got it around May I think. It took almost this long to convince Auntie that she could part with her son again."
Syaoran blushed. "Mother will be happy to know you are here, Sakura- chan. She was always asking about you."
Sakura blushed but then they passed into easy conversation, catching up on various things.
Across the hall, Harry was talking to Neville about his new plant, Mimbulus mimbletonia, which was somewhat odd looking almost like a small cactus covered in boils rather than spikes and it glowed a little every time someone mentioned its name. Harry always knew that Neville was best at Herbology and his aunt gave it to him over the holidays. Neville was trying to show Harry what it did when it suddenly sputtered a liter of puss and goo onto everyone in the compartment. Luna saved herself with her magazine and Ginny with her arms but Harry was covered in the mess. And of course at that moment Cho Chang opened the door.
"Hiya, Harry. Did I get you at a bad time?"
Harry sighed, cursing his own fate again as he wiped off his glasses. "Hi," he muttered blankly, trying to think of something to say through the large amounts of goop all over him.
"I guess, well, I just came to say hello. I'll be going now. 'Bye then."
She closed the door, obviously embarrassed. Harry shared in that feeling, wishing that he could have seen his long time crush come to him while he was sitting with rather cool people, looking very handsome. But instead he got Luna and a stuttering Neville as he apologized profusely and horrible sap. It fit that it would be these people after all. After a moment, though too late to regain his lost male pride, Ginny pulled out her wand and yelled, "Scourgify!"
Everyone, now clean, turned to look at the door as it opened again, this time revealing the two new Gryffindor prefects. "Hiya, Neville," Ron grinned. "Did I just see Cho leaving, Harry? Is that good news?"
"No," Harry muttered, looking away, resisting the urge to wipe the grin off his friends face, despite his good intentions.
"Anyway, Ron, Hermione, this is Luna Lovegood," Ginny answered the unasked question. "She's from my year but a Ravenclaw."
"A pleasure to meet you," Hermione smiled at the younger girl who merely glanced up from the magazine she was reading and nodded before going back to reading. The two prefects glanced at each other in confusion before shrugging.
"Oh yeah, Harry, Ginny, guess what?"
"What?"
"They just told the prefects that there are four new students."
"Ron, there are a whole year full of new students," Ginny said rolling her eyes at her elder brother. "That's not news."
"What he means is that there are four new students that aren't first years technically speaking. They are around our age. In fact I think I saw them just across the hall so I'm going to go say hi. Anyone care to join me?"
Neville decided to stay behind with his new plant, obviously afraid of a repeat of what had happened earlier. He was never really good with new people and Harry agreed silently that it might be a good idea for him to stay away rather than embarrass them all again. Instead, Neville asked everyone to give him a full list of details when they returned.
Harry and Ginny got up to join her, Ron following, and Ginny asked, "Why are they coming in so late?"
"No one knows," Hermione said before opening the door to the compartment.
Sakura, who had been standing to get something from her bag, turned to look at the four people at the door. For a moment she was rather startled by their facial expressions but then she gave them a breathtaking smile.
Harry and Ron were immediately captivated. At first they had seen the other two girls, who were beautiful beyond human belief, but when the third turned around and the sun shone on her honey hair and her twinkling green eyes reflected her smile, they swore they were looking at a veela.
For a moment nobody spoke, each side waiting expectantly until Hermione rolled her eye and pushed her way to the front extending her hand to the girl who was standing.
"Hi, my name is Hermione Granger. I'm a prefect for Gryffindor House and a fifth year. This is Ginny Weasley and her brother Ron Weasley. Ginny is a fourth year and Ron is fifth year like me and also a Gryffindor prefect."
Sakura frowned for a moment before taking the extended hand and shaking it. She had no clue what a prefect was but it sounded important. She looked to the second boy, with the black hair and green eyes, to introduce himself.
"Heh, you probably already know who I am," Harry muttered in annoyance. He was used to the shocked looks of disbelief and so was very startled by her reply.
"Actually, I have no idea." Her accent was vaguely British and he liked the sweet tone of her voice. Especially since it denied knowledge of him, which was a new sensation.
"Oh, well," he stuttered looking at the others who were a bit nonplused themselves. "I'm Harry Potter, a fifth year in Gryffindor."
The green eyed girl smiled at him in a way that made his heart flutter and Hermione glare at Ron. "I'm Ki- Sakura Kinomoto and I'm from Japan. This is Tomoyo Daidouji who is also from Japan. And this is Meiling Li and her cousin Xiao Lang Li from Hong Kong." Everyone bowed slightly when their name was said and it was Hermione and Ginny's turn to go slack jawed when they focused on Syaoran for the first time.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat under the stare of the two strangers but couldn't help being amused that Sakura had introduced him not only by his proper name but as Meilin's cousin.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Tomoyo said with a smile. "I hate to sound ignorant but I'm going to assume that a prefect is something like a student counsel or something?"
The term was foreign to Ginny and Ron who looked at each other in confusion but Harry and Hermione who had grown up in the muggle world nodded. "Yes, we help other students and can give out minor punishments in the teachers' stead."
Sakura laughed a little nervously. She was always doing things she wasn't supposed to. But after a moment she smiled. "Would you tell us a little about Hogwarts? We don't know much at all about it actually. See we went to ordin- uh, muggle schools before now."
"Why is that?" Ron asked, still a little in awe of the girl in front of him.
She shrugged and looked at her friends for help. When they didn't offer any she rolled her eyes. Why did she have to be the spokesperson? Meilin was usually the loudest.
"We don't know. We just got our letters a couple months ago and that's the first we heard of any school for Witchcraft and Wizardry as well as the fact that Tomoyo and Meilin had any magic at all."
Hermione noted the way she only pointed out the other two girls but didn't comment. Instead the others crowded into the compartment and helped the newcomers with a few of the odds and ins that most students learned in their first year. About ten minutes into the conversation the door slid open again, drawing the eyes of all eight occupants. There just simply wasn't anymore room.
"If it isn't little Potty and his followers. Are you recruiting now?" Draco Malfoy asked in an acidic voice.
Before Harry could reply or Ron could hit the blonde boy, Sakura once again stood and smiled at the three people in the door. "I'm Sakura Kinomoto. Who are you?"
"The name is Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe and Goyle. It would be good for you to remember those names, mudblood."
The honey haired girl was a bit startled by the ice cold tone in his voice. It wasn't often that someone spoke down to Sakura, who was generally loved for her kind nature, even if she didn't realize her own mass popularity. She looked around at Ron and Harry who were being restrained from doing violence against the boy and she realized that the name he had called her must have been a bad one. So did Syaoran who immediately stood up.
"No, Syaoran," she smiled, holding up a hand.
"Calling off your body guard already?" Malfoy smirked. "You think a little girl like you can fend me off."
She sighed, not liking to have to fight people she just met. "Easily," she stated, her eyes glazing over slightly as she focused deeply. The compartment went still for the barest of instants in anticipation before the three figures in the door way were shoved forcefully back into the corridor by unseen hands and the door shut neatly behind them. Sakura smiled and turned back to her friends.
The two Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were staring at her with slacked jaws and wide eyes. That bit of magic was something completely unfamiliar to them, and in their years at Hogwarts they had seen quite a lot. The slight girl had used great magic without even a wand nor uttered an incantation. Or had she used a wand? Perhaps she had and they didn't see from their odd angle, but Hermione very much doubted it.
"Is that what we have to look forward to?" Meilin asked without bothering to hide her obvious contempt.
The others were startled from their awed state at the new voice, since Meilin had neglected to speak throughout the whole of the conversation so far.
"Please don't judge us by Malfoy. He's a contemptible Slytherin whose father is a Death Eater," Hermione pleaded.
"Fine, we'll judge by you," the Chinese girl said with her red eyes grinning.
"I'm sure you could use a better frame of reference since we hardly act as proper students ourselves. Anyway, I think we should return to our own compartment now so that we can change into our robes. We'll see you at the Sorting though," Hermione smiled.
"Perhaps one of you will even be in our house," Ron added, making it perfectly obvious who he hoped that 'one' would be.
Ginny rolled her eyes and grinned as she left the compartment with the others, closing the door behind them.
"Sorting?" everyone asked each other.
When the group had safely returned to their own private compartment, with the company of Luna who was studiously ignoring them for some ridiculous article about Sirius being a singer and Neville, they looked at each other in amazement.
"Did you see that? She did magic without a wand! That is very powerful magic!" Hermione was gushing. Harry and Ron looked at each other with the familiar feeling that they would be spending a lot of time in the library this year as well.
"So really not only is she as beautiful as a veela but she is amazing as well." Ron turned to Harry and Neville. "One of us has to marry her now. It's absolutely certain. May the best mate win?"
"Is she really that beautiful?" Neville asked. "I think I regret not going." Ron and Harry immediately began a full description of the girl they had just met, impressing their friend greatly.
Hermione looked at the boys with barely suppressed anger. "Stop that! She might be dangerous!"
"What her? She's all smiles and laughter. I don't think she could hurt a fly, a gnat."
Ginny rolled her eyes and giggled while Hermione fumed. "Yes, and everyone thinks that Si-Ruffles is a cold-blooded killer and that Harry is insane. Impressions are not truth, Ron. You'd think you would have realized that by now!"
"Well, sorry Miss Intellect. Why don't you tell us what is so worrisome about this girl?" he said before eating a chocolate covered frog.
Hermione glared and looked like she was about to argue further but decided against it, much to the relief of Harry and Ginny who rolled their eyes.
"Well first is the way she handled Malfoy. She not only didn't use a wand but she didn't say anything out loud, that I could hear anyway, and she didn't move her hands at all. She just used her will alone. That is very powerful stuff. I don't know if Dumbledore could do that."
The idea of a small girl who didn't know what a prefect was being more powerful than Dumbledore was a bit hard to believe and so the collective faces showed, excepting Neville who looked impressed, until Hermione brought up her next point.
"Also, if you remember rightly, Sakura said that nobody knew Tomoyo and Meilin had any magic."
"And?" Ron asked stupidly.
Ginny rolled her eyes, understanding where her friend was going. "That means that she and the boy knew about their own magic." She paused and thought for a moment. "But they didn't know about schools for witches and wizards. Isn't that a bit odd?"
The group thought over this for awhile before Luna humphed over the whole conversation and started speaking her mind. At the point where Hermione insulted Luna's father's business and Harry was reading the magazine upside down in an attempt to control his anger which was threatening to boil over, Ginny decided it would be better to talk about how cute that boy was and what year he was going to be in, which they did until the train reached Hogwarts.
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS. I do not own HP. If I owned either I'd have a whole lot more money and would probably not need to write fanfics to begin with.
The Letter
"Me, too," a voice said firmly from a smiling mouth. Amber eyes were shining and she couldn't resist any more.... "BEEP BEEP BEEP." Sakura's alarm clock began to go off annoyingly ruining one of her favourite dreams. She slowly opened her beautiful green eyes to see the morning sun as it flowed into her room from her window. A small smile remained on her lips as she placed the alarm clock back on her head board and rose to dress. She went through the actions a little mechanically, as she had been more and more prone to do lately. Then she sat down on her bed and remembered her dream again. Sakura looked out the window wistfully. It had been two years since she had last seen Syaoran. While he loved her more than ever, duty called him home shortly after she had confessed her love to them. They were able to exchange the occasional letter, but the Elders decreed that his attentions should be placed on his training which had been lost during his long stay in Tomoeda. And so he trained.
And Sakura had too. In an effort to remain high spirited over the long days she had started training even harder than before. Tomoyo still regularly showed up for most of these events but there were too many for the best friend to witness them all. But, in the past two years since Syaoran had gone back to Hong Kong her magic had increased rapidly. Kero explained that it was a side effect of puberty, that with natural growth into adult hood her magic would grow with her as would her control.
The Card Mistress was now more formidable than ever and had learned a lot from Yue and Kero, and even occasionally Eriol when he came to visit for a week or so at a time. She had learned to sense the auras of everyone and not just sourcerers and even to repress her own to the point where it was undetectable. But most surprisingly to everyone, Eriol included, she had gained a control over her Cards that was unexpected.
Since the battle with the Void, the Cards reacted to her almost instantly ten times better than they had before. They could be summoned to her from long distances and, if need be, she could even tap into their powers without using the wand. But she didn't do that much, since her wand still seemed so much a part of her.
"KAIJUU! YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE!"
Broken from her reverie at last, Sakura looked at the clock and screamed, "Hoe!!" Grabbing her bag she rushed down stairs, rushed through breakfast and set out for school.
"Tomoyo-chan, can you believe the look on sensei's face when I aced that English test! She was so surprised! Remind me to thank Eriol again."
The half-reincarnation of Clow Reed had been very attentive of Sakura, frequently visiting. One might say that he still felt guilty about the Void Card and forgetting about it, but no one really minded. He helped Sakura develop her magic even more and also taught her English.
"Sakura-chan is so amazing! She learned a language fluently in just a year!" Tomoyo looked up with starry eyes as she waxed poetic on her favourite topic: the awesomeness of Kinomoto Sakura.
"Tomoyo-chan," the blushing girl objected to little success. "Oh! Otousan has invited you to dinner tonight. He heard we had a project to do and thought your mother might be happier to know you ate at my house rather than going home hungry."
"I'd love to! I'll call okaasan the moment we walk in the door."
"Hai," Sakura smiled. The two girls grinned at each other and walked to the Kinomoto residence holding hands and talking without a care in the world.
"Maybe if we did it this way," Tomoyo said, looking at their project with her head tilted.
"You think? I mean- HOE!!!" The honey haired girl broke off as an owl flew into her open window and fluttered around the room a minute before landing tiredly on her headboard.
"An owl? I wonder where that came from."
"Help me get it out of here, Tomoyo-chan. Kero-chan hates birds and I just know he'll go ballistic if he comes up from eating pudding and sees an owl."
"Hai, Sakura-chan. Matte, what is that it's holding?"
The raven haired girl walked up to the owl and took the letter from its talons. A moment later the owl took off and flew out the obliging window with a small hoot. They girls looked at each other then quickly looked back at the letter.
Ms. Kinomoto and Ms. Daidouji
Upstairs bedroom
Kinomoto Residence....
"Uh, they are very exact aren't they, Tomoyo-chan?" she asked a little hesitantly as she opened the letter and read through it. "Hoe?!" Quickly she read through it again.
"Daijoubu desu ka, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo inquired.
"Tomoyo-chan, I think you need to read this." She handed the letter to her best friend who read it out loud.
'HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZADRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore...etc.
'Dear Miss Kinomoto and Miss Daidouji,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Normally we accept students when they have reached age 10-11 and they start as First Years. However, due to understandable events, the issue of your acceptance letter was delayed until your present ages of fourteen. It is understandable that you have many questions but please trust that all of them will be answered if you come to Hogwarts.
Enclosed is a set of directions for where you need to go to get school supplies, what supplies to get and information on how to get to Hogwarts itself. I hope that any further objections will be quelled when I state that I have been in correspondence with Mr. Hiiragizawa for many years and he wishes you to come as well.
Term begins on September 1. Please send your response care of Mr. Hiiragizawa no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress'
When Tomoyo stopped reading she refolded the letter and the two girls looked at each other.
"What do you think Tomoyo?"
For a long moment the raven haired girl only looked forward before breaking into a magnificent grin. "I think I have a whole new set of people to introduce the wonders of Sakura-chan to!"
"Hoe..."
Two months later, in the last week of August, Sakura and Tomoyo were introduced to the wonders of Diagon Alley. They stared in amazement at the things around them and Sakura could hardly keep her jaw closed as she watched the different auras bump against each other and either mingle or sizzle with hatred. The past couple of months had been hectic, trying to convince both families that the idea was sound and that it was best for them.
And trying to convince Tomoyo that she actually had magic.
"See Tomoyo, the auras around here are just like yours! I told you they didn't make a mistake. Your magic is just different from mine!"
The amethyst eyed girl smiled sweetly and took her best friends hand as they made their way down the street to Gringotts to exchange their 'muggle' money. The goblins surprised both girls but they played it off well. The creatures they had run into during the long process of capturing and changing the Cards had more than prepared them for some of the weirder things in life. Even if it was a brand new life.
They had both bought a good sized amount of money, much more than they really needed, and hid it safely in their pouches. "Now, I'm guessing we should go to your favourite place, Tomoyo. The clothes shop," she sighed as they headed to Madam Melkin's.
"You are going to look so KAWAII!"
After they bought their uniforms they went to Ollivander's Makers of Fine Wands since.... "Hoe, they've been around a very long time haven't they Tomoyo?"
"Just go in, Sakura-chan," the raven haired girl said pushing her friend in.
"But it's going to be weird having a different wand," the other girl said clutching the Star Key which was much larger than usual and looked more like a pendant than a charm. "I mean, it won't be half as long will it?"
"Who knows? But now I get to emulate Sakura-chan and have a wand of my very own." Tomoyo was gushing and her eyes sparkled as they waited for someone to attend them. After a moment a very ancient looking man came to the front and eyed them carefully.
"New wands? I don't remember selling you two ones before so are you just younger than you look or did you buy elsewhere?"
The two girls were confused and finally Tomoyo said, "Neither, sir. But we do need new wands."
"Well, then I suggest we start. Come to me young miss and tell me which is your wand hand."
Tomoyo went through a few different wands before finally the man handed her the correct one. "Ah, very nice. Seven and a half inches. Oak and Holly with Phoenix feather. Very good for Transfiguration. Take care of it. Now you miss?"
Sakura stepped forward a little shyly and indicated her right hand as which one was dominant. Ollivander thought he had another tricky customer on his hands from the way she looked but when he turned around a wand fell off the shelf and landed directly in front of him. Sakura cringed since she had almost been expecting something like that to happen.
"Now, that doesn't happen very often. Why don't you try this Miss Kinomoto."
Sakura reached forward and took the wand in her hand. It felt right, the way her Star Wand did and she immediately liked it. When she flicked it a series of small cherry blossoms flowed out from the tip.
"Very nice. Eleven and three-quarter inches. Cherry and Yew. Core is a unicorn hair, from the purest I ever saw too. It fits you miss." They paid their sum and walked from the shop, both feeling a little weird from the sensation the old man had but both were well pleased.
"I guess we should get our books next, ne, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo chimed, taking her hand and heading towards Flourish & Blotts.
Two hours later they had gathered all supplies except for their familiars. The girls were tired and the bags were heavy so they stopped in the Leaky Cauldron, where they were staying until school stated, to unload and discuss which animals to buy.
"One of us should buy an owl, Sakura. That way we have a permanent way of conversing to and from the wizarding world even when we are back home."
"I want a cat though. I miss Kero." She sighed and remembered the conversation she had had with her two Guardians.
"Yue-san, Kero-chan, you can't come with me! I mean, Yukito-san isn't a student and Kero-chan would be too noticeable. You have to stay here!"
"We are coming with you!" they yelled in unison.
Sitting down hard on the bed, Sakura sighed and tried to think of a solution to their problem. At last she thought of something. Slowly she turned back to her two guardians who were glaring at her.
"You may come with me IF you agree to one of my two conditions."
"What are they?" Yue asked.
"Since I can't have you around physically I can bind you into the book, where you can leave if I'm in trouble or if I let you out."
"Unacceptable. We wouldn't be there to protect you like we should," Yue growled.
"Grumpy is right, Sakura. We need to be easier to free than that," Kero sighed.
"Or, choice two is you can reside in my wand like you did when I battled it out against Eriol. Either way, Yue-san, Yukito-san will have to be away from oniichan which isn't the best in my mind."
The Moon Guardian glared at her then looked at his fellow guardian. They seemed to be making up their minds without verbal conversation. After a few minutes, Yue said, "We'll go into your wand. It is better. And Touya will get over it."
"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked, breaking into her thoughts at last. "Daijoubu?"
"Oh, hai. Sorry, Tomoyo-chan. I think I'll get a cat. You can get an owl."
Tomoyo nodded in agreement. After a few minutes they went out into the madness that was Diagon Alley and found Eeylop's Owl Emporium where Tomoyo bought a lovely silver and black owl with startling blue eyes. She promptly named it Yamazaki.
"Why Yamazaki, Tomoyo-chan?"
"It sounds like something he would make up," she replied with a grin.
After a few minutes they found the Magical Menagerie that sold other sorts of animals. Sakura looked around for awhile before settling on a black and white kitty. She paid for it, giggling as it started to hiss at everyone who came too near its new mistress. So she named it Touya.
"Why after your brother?" Tomoyo inquired with a laugh when they returned to their room.
"Because he's already over protective," Sakura giggled. "Maybe he's channeling the spirit."
The two girls giggled and settled into bed, hardly being able to wait for the week to pass and for their new school life to begin.
"Hoe! Why do I always oversleep?!"
The voice was loud and carried over the various people who were milling around the train platforms. They were barely able to catch sight of to pretty girls, one with a large pendant swinging to and fro, before they were past and gone. They reached the platform between 9 and 10 and stopped suddenly.
"Uh, Tomoyo-chan, do you see a Platform Nine and Three-quarters?"
"No, Sakura-chan."
The sourceress sighed and closed her eyes. She focused her energy and searched the area for a sign of any strong magic that would be hiding something as large as a train. After a moment she felt a strange aura, similar to Tomoyo's and the other witches and wizards she had come across. She slowly went towards it and opened her eyes to find she was standing directly in front of a wall.
Turning to grin at Tomoyo, she laughed, "Let's just hope I don't break my nose!" She grabbed her trolley, took a deep breath and charged through the wall, thankfully through it and not into it. She was quickly followed by Tomoyo. Both stopped to look at the amazing sight before them, a sizable train with shining red paint and various people milling around in front of it. They were so awe struck that the sound of the whistle blowing startled them.
"Come on before it leaves without us, Sakura-chan!"
They quickly gathered their belongings, settled Touya on his owners shoulder and made their way into the train. They walked a good ways before they realized an empty compartment would be too much to hope for. They continued walking towards the back, looking for one with room left when Sakura felt a familiar presence. Gasping she started running down the length of the train, Tomoyo following confusedly behind, until she stopped still in front of one compartment.
Quickly sliding the door open she glanced inside at the two occupants who were looking at her in shock. The girl was seated, her long black hair down and around her shoulders as she held a small cat in her hands. Her red eyes were widened beyond belief as she stared. But Sakura couldn't tear her eyes off the boy who had turned around to face her from putting the bags in the storage. His amber eyes were partially covered by chocolate brown hair.
"Syaoran-kun!"
"Sakura-chan?" he stuttered before the honey haired girl threw herself into his open arms. "I didn't know you would be coming here," he whispered, holding her close to him.
"Daidouji-chan, you're here too?" Meilin asked pointedly ignoring the happy couple.
Tomoyo sighed, wishing she had her video camera available to her to capture the absolutely adorable moment. Instead she smiled at Meilin. "Apparently I'm a witch. Who knew? I'm assuming you are as well and that is why you are here?" She asked tilting her head to one side questioningly.
"It shocked the Elders. I got the last laugh, finally proving that I did have magic in me." The Chinese girl grinned haughtily before she was tackled in a hug.
"Meilin! Sorry I didn't greet you before hand. How are you? You got taller!" Sakura was gushing at seeing her friend after so long. "Why didn't you write to say you were going to Hogwarts?"
"Same reason you didn't, Kinomoto."
Sakura blushed. Suddenly she realized that the door was still open and their baggage was all over the place. With a small laugh she and Tomoyo stored their bags in the above head compartments and sat down happily opposite their friends.
"When did you get your letter? How long have you known?"
"We got it around May I think. It took almost this long to convince Auntie that she could part with her son again."
Syaoran blushed. "Mother will be happy to know you are here, Sakura- chan. She was always asking about you."
Sakura blushed but then they passed into easy conversation, catching up on various things.
Across the hall, Harry was talking to Neville about his new plant, Mimbulus mimbletonia, which was somewhat odd looking almost like a small cactus covered in boils rather than spikes and it glowed a little every time someone mentioned its name. Harry always knew that Neville was best at Herbology and his aunt gave it to him over the holidays. Neville was trying to show Harry what it did when it suddenly sputtered a liter of puss and goo onto everyone in the compartment. Luna saved herself with her magazine and Ginny with her arms but Harry was covered in the mess. And of course at that moment Cho Chang opened the door.
"Hiya, Harry. Did I get you at a bad time?"
Harry sighed, cursing his own fate again as he wiped off his glasses. "Hi," he muttered blankly, trying to think of something to say through the large amounts of goop all over him.
"I guess, well, I just came to say hello. I'll be going now. 'Bye then."
She closed the door, obviously embarrassed. Harry shared in that feeling, wishing that he could have seen his long time crush come to him while he was sitting with rather cool people, looking very handsome. But instead he got Luna and a stuttering Neville as he apologized profusely and horrible sap. It fit that it would be these people after all. After a moment, though too late to regain his lost male pride, Ginny pulled out her wand and yelled, "Scourgify!"
Everyone, now clean, turned to look at the door as it opened again, this time revealing the two new Gryffindor prefects. "Hiya, Neville," Ron grinned. "Did I just see Cho leaving, Harry? Is that good news?"
"No," Harry muttered, looking away, resisting the urge to wipe the grin off his friends face, despite his good intentions.
"Anyway, Ron, Hermione, this is Luna Lovegood," Ginny answered the unasked question. "She's from my year but a Ravenclaw."
"A pleasure to meet you," Hermione smiled at the younger girl who merely glanced up from the magazine she was reading and nodded before going back to reading. The two prefects glanced at each other in confusion before shrugging.
"Oh yeah, Harry, Ginny, guess what?"
"What?"
"They just told the prefects that there are four new students."
"Ron, there are a whole year full of new students," Ginny said rolling her eyes at her elder brother. "That's not news."
"What he means is that there are four new students that aren't first years technically speaking. They are around our age. In fact I think I saw them just across the hall so I'm going to go say hi. Anyone care to join me?"
Neville decided to stay behind with his new plant, obviously afraid of a repeat of what had happened earlier. He was never really good with new people and Harry agreed silently that it might be a good idea for him to stay away rather than embarrass them all again. Instead, Neville asked everyone to give him a full list of details when they returned.
Harry and Ginny got up to join her, Ron following, and Ginny asked, "Why are they coming in so late?"
"No one knows," Hermione said before opening the door to the compartment.
Sakura, who had been standing to get something from her bag, turned to look at the four people at the door. For a moment she was rather startled by their facial expressions but then she gave them a breathtaking smile.
Harry and Ron were immediately captivated. At first they had seen the other two girls, who were beautiful beyond human belief, but when the third turned around and the sun shone on her honey hair and her twinkling green eyes reflected her smile, they swore they were looking at a veela.
For a moment nobody spoke, each side waiting expectantly until Hermione rolled her eye and pushed her way to the front extending her hand to the girl who was standing.
"Hi, my name is Hermione Granger. I'm a prefect for Gryffindor House and a fifth year. This is Ginny Weasley and her brother Ron Weasley. Ginny is a fourth year and Ron is fifth year like me and also a Gryffindor prefect."
Sakura frowned for a moment before taking the extended hand and shaking it. She had no clue what a prefect was but it sounded important. She looked to the second boy, with the black hair and green eyes, to introduce himself.
"Heh, you probably already know who I am," Harry muttered in annoyance. He was used to the shocked looks of disbelief and so was very startled by her reply.
"Actually, I have no idea." Her accent was vaguely British and he liked the sweet tone of her voice. Especially since it denied knowledge of him, which was a new sensation.
"Oh, well," he stuttered looking at the others who were a bit nonplused themselves. "I'm Harry Potter, a fifth year in Gryffindor."
The green eyed girl smiled at him in a way that made his heart flutter and Hermione glare at Ron. "I'm Ki- Sakura Kinomoto and I'm from Japan. This is Tomoyo Daidouji who is also from Japan. And this is Meiling Li and her cousin Xiao Lang Li from Hong Kong." Everyone bowed slightly when their name was said and it was Hermione and Ginny's turn to go slack jawed when they focused on Syaoran for the first time.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat under the stare of the two strangers but couldn't help being amused that Sakura had introduced him not only by his proper name but as Meilin's cousin.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Tomoyo said with a smile. "I hate to sound ignorant but I'm going to assume that a prefect is something like a student counsel or something?"
The term was foreign to Ginny and Ron who looked at each other in confusion but Harry and Hermione who had grown up in the muggle world nodded. "Yes, we help other students and can give out minor punishments in the teachers' stead."
Sakura laughed a little nervously. She was always doing things she wasn't supposed to. But after a moment she smiled. "Would you tell us a little about Hogwarts? We don't know much at all about it actually. See we went to ordin- uh, muggle schools before now."
"Why is that?" Ron asked, still a little in awe of the girl in front of him.
She shrugged and looked at her friends for help. When they didn't offer any she rolled her eyes. Why did she have to be the spokesperson? Meilin was usually the loudest.
"We don't know. We just got our letters a couple months ago and that's the first we heard of any school for Witchcraft and Wizardry as well as the fact that Tomoyo and Meilin had any magic at all."
Hermione noted the way she only pointed out the other two girls but didn't comment. Instead the others crowded into the compartment and helped the newcomers with a few of the odds and ins that most students learned in their first year. About ten minutes into the conversation the door slid open again, drawing the eyes of all eight occupants. There just simply wasn't anymore room.
"If it isn't little Potty and his followers. Are you recruiting now?" Draco Malfoy asked in an acidic voice.
Before Harry could reply or Ron could hit the blonde boy, Sakura once again stood and smiled at the three people in the door. "I'm Sakura Kinomoto. Who are you?"
"The name is Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe and Goyle. It would be good for you to remember those names, mudblood."
The honey haired girl was a bit startled by the ice cold tone in his voice. It wasn't often that someone spoke down to Sakura, who was generally loved for her kind nature, even if she didn't realize her own mass popularity. She looked around at Ron and Harry who were being restrained from doing violence against the boy and she realized that the name he had called her must have been a bad one. So did Syaoran who immediately stood up.
"No, Syaoran," she smiled, holding up a hand.
"Calling off your body guard already?" Malfoy smirked. "You think a little girl like you can fend me off."
She sighed, not liking to have to fight people she just met. "Easily," she stated, her eyes glazing over slightly as she focused deeply. The compartment went still for the barest of instants in anticipation before the three figures in the door way were shoved forcefully back into the corridor by unseen hands and the door shut neatly behind them. Sakura smiled and turned back to her friends.
The two Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were staring at her with slacked jaws and wide eyes. That bit of magic was something completely unfamiliar to them, and in their years at Hogwarts they had seen quite a lot. The slight girl had used great magic without even a wand nor uttered an incantation. Or had she used a wand? Perhaps she had and they didn't see from their odd angle, but Hermione very much doubted it.
"Is that what we have to look forward to?" Meilin asked without bothering to hide her obvious contempt.
The others were startled from their awed state at the new voice, since Meilin had neglected to speak throughout the whole of the conversation so far.
"Please don't judge us by Malfoy. He's a contemptible Slytherin whose father is a Death Eater," Hermione pleaded.
"Fine, we'll judge by you," the Chinese girl said with her red eyes grinning.
"I'm sure you could use a better frame of reference since we hardly act as proper students ourselves. Anyway, I think we should return to our own compartment now so that we can change into our robes. We'll see you at the Sorting though," Hermione smiled.
"Perhaps one of you will even be in our house," Ron added, making it perfectly obvious who he hoped that 'one' would be.
Ginny rolled her eyes and grinned as she left the compartment with the others, closing the door behind them.
"Sorting?" everyone asked each other.
When the group had safely returned to their own private compartment, with the company of Luna who was studiously ignoring them for some ridiculous article about Sirius being a singer and Neville, they looked at each other in amazement.
"Did you see that? She did magic without a wand! That is very powerful magic!" Hermione was gushing. Harry and Ron looked at each other with the familiar feeling that they would be spending a lot of time in the library this year as well.
"So really not only is she as beautiful as a veela but she is amazing as well." Ron turned to Harry and Neville. "One of us has to marry her now. It's absolutely certain. May the best mate win?"
"Is she really that beautiful?" Neville asked. "I think I regret not going." Ron and Harry immediately began a full description of the girl they had just met, impressing their friend greatly.
Hermione looked at the boys with barely suppressed anger. "Stop that! She might be dangerous!"
"What her? She's all smiles and laughter. I don't think she could hurt a fly, a gnat."
Ginny rolled her eyes and giggled while Hermione fumed. "Yes, and everyone thinks that Si-Ruffles is a cold-blooded killer and that Harry is insane. Impressions are not truth, Ron. You'd think you would have realized that by now!"
"Well, sorry Miss Intellect. Why don't you tell us what is so worrisome about this girl?" he said before eating a chocolate covered frog.
Hermione glared and looked like she was about to argue further but decided against it, much to the relief of Harry and Ginny who rolled their eyes.
"Well first is the way she handled Malfoy. She not only didn't use a wand but she didn't say anything out loud, that I could hear anyway, and she didn't move her hands at all. She just used her will alone. That is very powerful stuff. I don't know if Dumbledore could do that."
The idea of a small girl who didn't know what a prefect was being more powerful than Dumbledore was a bit hard to believe and so the collective faces showed, excepting Neville who looked impressed, until Hermione brought up her next point.
"Also, if you remember rightly, Sakura said that nobody knew Tomoyo and Meilin had any magic."
"And?" Ron asked stupidly.
Ginny rolled her eyes, understanding where her friend was going. "That means that she and the boy knew about their own magic." She paused and thought for a moment. "But they didn't know about schools for witches and wizards. Isn't that a bit odd?"
The group thought over this for awhile before Luna humphed over the whole conversation and started speaking her mind. At the point where Hermione insulted Luna's father's business and Harry was reading the magazine upside down in an attempt to control his anger which was threatening to boil over, Ginny decided it would be better to talk about how cute that boy was and what year he was going to be in, which they did until the train reached Hogwarts.