YAY! AN update! I like updating this story. It's easy for the moment.
Anyway...Thanks to the reviewers! You I adore. Thank you to everyone who
reads even if you don't review, I love you too!
Response: I was asked why the heck Syaoran was holding a pink teddy bear when we all know that pink (except in relation to Sakura of course) is the root of all evil. Or at least so I say anyway. There IS purpose to this. In the manga Sakura confessed her love to Syaoran by giving him a pink winged teddy bear that she made for him after she heard that he was leaving and she realized how much she adored him. That's one of the numerous things from the manga that will pop up. I will try to explain them if I remember but if not just ask and I'll make a note next time.
Dedication: Narukami Aiko whose story actually has more reviews than mine so I wont tell you to go read because people obviously are. But she's my beta reader of sorts.
Disclaimer: I do not own either Harry Potter or Card Captor Sakura. But man if I did...do you realize just how many hot guys would be under my thumb? Syaoran, Harry, the Twins, Wood, Touya, Eriol....anyway...
The Term Begins
The sleep afforded after the Dream Card was so restful that Sakura woke early, nearly before the sun rose. Yawning, she slipped out of bed and looked around the still quiet room. Apparently she was the only early riser of the morning. She changed her clothes silently, carefully sliding the Cards into the secret pocket Tomoyo had sewn into the underside of her skirt, and picked up Touya before making her way down the stairwell into the Common Room. She carried her shoes with her since she was still unused to wearing them inside what was basically her home and wistfully wished that she could roller blade.
The Common Room was empty but for a small strange looking creature that was tending to the fire. When she approached it, it bowed and left the room quickly. Left alone in the large room, Sakura shrugged and sat down on the couch comfortably. The small kitten began to tromp around her lap and then around the room as a whole. She kept her eyes on it when possible but felt that no harm would come of it so early.
When she had been there for twenty minutes she heard noise in the stairwell and looked up to see Syaoran yawning tiredly. He walked into the room, glancing around a little, and when he saw Sakura he stopped dead in his tracks. Blinking a few times, as if not quite sure he wasn't still asleep, he finally shrugged and walked over to sit beside her.
"I can't believe you actually woke up on time," he yawned, letting his head fall back against the couch.
"Neither can I really," she agreed, leaning her head on his shoulder. After two years of separation it felt nice to just be able to sit with him like this. When they had parted they still blushed half the time that they were together and frequently stuttered. But perhaps the intervening two years had matured both of them because, while she felt more light hearted in his presence, Sakura didn't feel the need to blush or stammer, just to sit and enjoy his company.
"That boy has had a pretty interesting life, you know," he noted quietly, breaking the silence.
She nodded. "I can't help but feel sorry for him. Still, he's pretty strong to have survived it all without being a crybaby or ending up in an insane asylum."
"The same could be said for you, Sakura."
She shook her head. "Can you imagine me facing a big snake like that?"
Syaoran rolled his eyes and tried to understand the difference between fighting off a big snake and a full sized dragon. There wasn't one really so instead he closed his eyes again and dozed off a little until he heard her speak again.
"It's going to be weird not having any of you in my classes. And you are a full year ahead of the rest of us. I just hope the rest of my classmates like me," Sakura sighed, sitting up and away from him as she heard noises coming from the stairwell.
Syaoran almost objected when she pulled away but stopped himself. Instead he just rolled his eyes and said, "Sakura, the day your classmates hate you will be a fascinating new day." Stretching he stood up. "I left the rest of my things in the room. I came down because I could have sworn that you were down here but I knew that was impossible since you always oversleep."
"Syaoran!" she yelled annoyed.
He grinned at her and quickly climbed the stairs before she could throw a pillow at him.
Harry noticed the new student walking into the room in the middle of his fight with Seamus Finningan. When the other boy huffed out of the room, Harry sighed irritably. First he waited around without information for a month while Ron and Hermione got to be in the thick of things, then the Daily Prophet printed out all those lies, now he had to deal with people believing them.
"What's his deal?" Li asked, gathering his books into his bag and slinging it over one shoulder.
"Oh, he believes that Harry is crazy or something. Says he's lying about You-Know-Who being back," Ron nearly growled.
Li looked at Ron for a moment before training his cold amber eyes on Harry. He felt his skin crawl under the fixed gaze which was too intense for someone so young and as care free as he seemed to be the day before. After a moment the Chinese boy rolled his eyes and turned to leave.
"That's stupid," he growled, walking away. "If you were going to make up a story about the return of Voldemort why not put you out as the hero who defeated him single-handedly in combat? Who would make up a story that so obviously lacked in hero worship?" He climbed down the stairs leaving the rest of the boys staring after him.
"I'm not quite sure if he just insulted you there, mate," Ron commented as he pulled on his socks.
"Me neither. But one thing is for sure, he at least believes me."
Ron nodded and the two boys went down to the Common Room to find Hermione so they could all go to breakfast. When they got there they found her deep in conversation with Ginny and Sakura as they explained to the transfer student the basic time schedule.
"You'll be getting your schedule of classes at breakfast. You'll have most of them with Ginny, too, so don't be afraid of getting lost," Hermione reassured the worried looking girl.
"The only difference will be electives most likely. I have Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures. Do you know what you are signed up for?"
Sakura shook her head, wishing, not for the first time, that she had asked more questions before she agreed to come to the school. "Hoe," she whimpered.
"What does that mean anyway?" Hermione asked with pointed interest. "I'd love to learn your language!"
Sakura blinked, not quite knowing how to answer the question. She was rescued by Syaoran though who said, "It doesn't mean anything. It's Sakura's own personal way of expressing anxiety or frustration." She blinked at him. Was that what it was?
Hermione nodded, obviously making a note in her head. "Does everyone do that?"
"No."
The fifth-year nodded again before checking her watch. "We should all head to breakfast now. And don't worry, Sakura, you have Ginny to help you and the rest of us if you get really lost." She smiled in a comforting way and gestured for them to leave the room.
Sakura got up to follow but had only just when she was pounced on by the two Weasley twins. Startled she stepped back a little and looked back and forth between the two for a moment. When she looked she noticed that one had a royal blue aura while the other had a sky blue. With a deep breath she said, "Now tell me your names again, so I can try to tell you apart."
The two grinned devilishly at the beautiful girl. "A pleasure, Sakura. I am the handsome one, Fred."
"And I am the smart one, George."
Sakura noted that George had the sky blue while Fred the royal. She nodded with an air of someone who figured out a puzzle at last. She gave them both a breathtaking grin, shocking the two figures into a stunned silence for just long enough for her to escape.
When she caught up with the rest, Ron looked at her and commented, "You know, it's nearly impossible to tell them apart. No one ever managed to do it before knowing them for most of a year."
"Care to wager on that," Syaoran spoke up unexpectedly with a grin. Sakura shot him a look, which he ignored. Sighing she gave it up, if he wanted to cheat let him have fun at it.
Ron looked at the boy up and down for a moment, weighing the chances. "I don't know. You seem awfully confidant. I bet you are going to cheat somehow."
Hermione frowned at him. "Ron Weasley, you are a prefect! You shouldn't be gambling!"
Ron winced, silenced for the moment at least. Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll take you up on that, Li. What do you say to a galleon?"
"Sure," the other boy shrugged before shaking hands with Harry to seal the deal. They continued walking until they reached the Grand hall. Sitting down for breakfast, Sakura looked around worriedly, hoping to catch sight of Tomoyo. Unfortunately though, the Hufflepuff table was situated between hers and Ravenclaw so it was hard to pick one person out.
Midway through the meal, the owls flooded the room, taking Sakura by surprise from the sheer number of them. Some carried letters and others carried packages from parents of forgetful students. One went to a boy name Neville who sighed in relief when he opened it. Towards the end, a beautiful brown owl flew down and landed beside Syaoran.
"Is that yours, Syaoran?" she asked after swallowing a piece of pancake.
He nodded. "Mother bought her for me. Actually she probably bought her so that she could pester me about my marks," he sighed as he began to open the letter.
Sakura reached forward to pet the pretty bird. "What did you name her?"
"Ying Fa," he replied, glancing up long enough to wink at her.
Sakura blushed, causing Hermione and Ginny to look at each other and shrug in confusion.
"Who'd you get a letter from, Li? It's only the first day of term," Ron noted as he ate noisily.
Li looked at him for a moment, obviously deciding whether or not to answer, before shrugging. "It's from the Elders reminding me to train or else."
"Are they ever going to leave you alone, Syaoran?" Sakura asked, stealing the letter from him and reading it through.
"Not until I turn eighteen," he noted dryly.
"What happens then?" Hermione asked, obviously enthralled at being able to learn about a foreign culture, even second handedly.
"Huh? Oh, then I become leader of the clan," the Chinese boy noted almost absently, stealing the letter back with a frown for the Japanese girl, who smiled in retaliation. After a minute he realized that the other four had gone silent and were staring at him. "What?"
"You are going to become leader of your clan?" Hermione asked excitedly. "Is it an important family? Do you have lots of influence?"
Harry watched the two transfer students exchange looks before in confusion. "The Li family is one of the most influential families in all of Asia," Sakura finally answered, as if stating the obvious.
"And you are going to lead them? Blimey, what luck! I wish I could lead a bunch of people in a few years." Ron began to stare into space with wide eyes obviously day dreaming about the possibilities.
"Well, no one else wants you to," Harry laughed. "Though, you might do a better job of running the Ministry than Fudge."
"Anyone would do a better job than Fudge right now," Hermione agreed, glancing at Ron who suddenly got quiet at the mention of his elder brother's boss. The conversation was interrupted when schedules were passed out. Ginny and Sakura quickly compared and found that Sakura had Divination instead of Muggle Studies, which was reasonable. While she got directions on how to get to Divination, Harry glanced at Li's schedule.
"Hey, you have all the same classes with Hermione!"
"Really? Someone else took Arithmancy? See I told you it was an enjoyable class!"
"What's Arithmancy?" Sakura asked, rejoining the conversation.
"It's math, your favourite subject."
Sakura shuddered and was about to comment when she heard someone calling her name. Turning around she saw Tomoyo running to her with almost panicky eyes. "Sakura-chan, we only have one class together and that isn't even until tomorrow! How am I supposed to survive in this new world without Sakura-chan! We've been in the same class for so long! You have to promise me that you will spend every mutual free class we have together. Promise me or else I'll feel so lonely."
Everyone but Sakura stared at the raven haired beauty in confusion. She was speaking in rapid fire Japanese, obviously upset. But her words were so quickly spoken and teary that Sakura was the only one who could make them out completely.
"I promise, Tomoyo. Besides, don't you still have at least one class with Meilin? Isn't that nice at least? I don't have any!" Sakura replied in English.
Tomoyo drew a calming breath and smiled. Sakura was trying to cheer her up again and it worked. With a slight blush she turned to the rest of the group, who were all looking at her with shock. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. Good morning everyone! I hope I see all of you around often! Ja, Li-kun, take care of Sakura-chan for me," she added in Japanese before hugging her friend again and walking back to her own table.
"Uh," Ron began, "What was she saying?"
Sakura blushed, without looking at Syaoran who was grinning at her, his eyes begging her to tell the truth. "She was just upset since we only have one class together. And she told Syaoran that she would see him later."
"I thought I heard your name though," Hermione said, obviously trying to analyze the language.
"Oh that was nothing. Um, if you are finished Ginny could you show me to the library? I still don't know how to get there and I'm sure I'll need to spend some time there pretty soon." She tried to ignore the way that Syaoran stared at her and gathered her things.
"Coward," he murmured in her native language.
"It's private, Syaoran-kun!" she sniffed back, ignoring the questioning looks of their new friends.
The other fourth year nodded and stood up, grabbing her bag. The two girls left the room talking quietly between themselves. As Harry watched, he saw how often the brunette girl nodded and figured that Ginny was still helping the girl get used to the school. When finally Harry looked around, he saw that Li's eyes had been following the two as well.
"Just our luck getting Snape on the first day of term. I don't feel like seeing him today," Ron sighed as he gathered his things together.
"I don't ever feel like seeing Snape," Harry replied. "You'd think he'd actually be more of a human being after everything that's happened."
"Really, Harry, Ron, he's on our side. You shouldn't talk about him as if he were some Death Eater," Hermione began before suddenly remembering Li's presence. "Anyway, we should get to class. You can come with us, Li until you get to know the grounds better."
Li nodded and joined the rest of them silently. Something about the boy made Harry extremely uncomfortable. He didn't quite know what it was, but there was definitely a change in the way he acted from time to time. Letting the others go first, Harry watched Li from behind, careful to watch his every move. He didn't know what it was, but something about Li was different and at that point he didn't know if that was good or bad.
Harry was shaken from his thoughts at last when they reached Professor Binn's room. When the door opened and Li saw who the teacher was he turned to look at the others. "Is he the regular teacher?"
"Yes, funny story that. He taught this subject for years and every morning got up for class ready to teach. Oddly enough, one day he left his body behind and really didn't seem to notice the difference of all." Hermione looked at the teacher as he floated a little above the floor, preparing for yet another undoubtedly boring class.
Li chuckled, drawing everyone's attention. "She's going to love that."
"Who?" Ron asked.
"Sakura. She's absolutely terrified of ghosts. I can just imagine her having to have a class taught by one."
Harry frowned, wondering at Li's callous behavior. The girl was his friend and he was laughing at what she was afraid of? It was kind of cruel, especially in a situation where the she would have to put up with it for an hour and a half at a time a couple of times a week. However, Harry didn't comment on the other boy's behavior and merely took his seat, settling back in his chair ready for a nice long nap.
As Sakura went with Ginny to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, Harry and company made their way to the dungeons for Potions. "I'm warning you, Li, Snape is not a man to be trifled with. He hates Gryffindor and he hates anyone who associates with Harry. Of course you are probably already doomed since you got promoted like you did. He hates people who think they are special. Good death to you, mate," Ron grinned at Li before opening the door into the Potions room.
Class started moments later when the greasy haired Professor Snape entered the room noisily. He looked over the class, finally centering his attention on where Li was sitting beside Harry. "Ah, I see that our newest celebrity keeps in ties with our old one. Perhaps the two of you wish to share all the fame between yourselves."
Harry glared at Snape, feeling the familiar dislike bubble up again every time he looked at the man. But for once, Snape wasn't staring at him, but instead at the boy seated to the right of him. It was kind of a relief to have someone else getting abused, even if Harry had no real reason to hate the guy.
"Now, since Dumbledore thought that you were special enough to be promoted all the way to Fifth Year your first time at a wizarding school, perhaps I should ascertain your knowledge." The Gryffindors began to look at Li sympathetically, remembering the way he had grilled Harry on the first day. "Now, what is the most common use of Jobberknoll feathers?"
"They are usually used for Memory potions, due to the very nature of the bird that they come from. However, they can also be used for truth serums, including Veritaserum," Li recited calmly without hesitating for an instant.
Harry couldn't help but stare at him wide eyed for a moment before turning to see the look on Snape's face, which was undeniably classic. He wished he had a camera on him, the muggle sort so that he could never hide the look he had now. At last, however, the look changed and Snape frowned, glaring at the Chinese boy fiercely.
"Very well," he muttered walking to the head of the class. "Today you will be making the Draught of Peace. The instructions are here," he stated pointing his wand at the black board, "the supplies are in the cupboard," he continued waving his wand so that it opened. "Begin."
The class began to make the potion in relative quiet. The thrill of seeing Snape being told off wore away after a few minutes and was replaced by a sense of bitterness. Snape obviously didn't like Li but he did respect him. Harry wondered darkly if he would have commanded the same respect if he had answered the questions that first day. His wonderings overwhelmed him and he started slightly when he heard Li whispering to him.
"Re-read step three, Potter."
Confused, Harry reread the instructions and noticed that he hadn't finished reading the third line and was about to make a serious mistake. Glancing over at Li, who seemed to be fully concentrated on his own potion, Harry frowned. For some reason, instead of gratitude that Li had helped him, Harry felt as if the other boy was showing off by correcting his mistakes. After a moment though the bitter feeling passed and he sighed internally. He was being ridiculous; Li had helped him instead of watching him fail. He made a mental note to thank him after class was finished.
"Now, if you have done everything correctly, your potion should be emitting a silvery smoke about now," Snape instructed, glancing around the room. Harry followed his look and noticed that his own cauldron had silver smoke above it as well as Hermione's and Li's. Ron's wasn't quite there but looked a lot better than Neville's which was hissing and looked greenish- orange.
"Mark your sample and bring it to the front of the class. For homework I expect a foot long essay on the moonstone and its uses in potions. Class is finished."
Harry was glad that he had successfully made a potion that looked as good as Hermione's. When he turned it in, he smirked at Snape before going back to clean up his area. Snape glared at him but looked away when he saw Li coming to turn in his sample. Harry watched with interest at the look of extreme dislike, but also almost nervousness that shone from Snape's eyes as he looked at the boy.
"I know what you are, Li, but don't think for an instant that will get you anywhere with me or in my class. You are still a student so don't take a leaf from Potter's book and act like you own the place."
"I wouldn't dream of it professor," Li answered calmly as he turned to clean his area. Harry watched in silence as he erased the contents of his cauldron, nodded at Harry and left the dungeons without speaking further. After a moment, Harry quickly followed, running to catch up with Hermione and Ron. They had things to talk about.
"Oh, no, actually Meilin, Tomoyo, Syaoran and I are going to go sit outside with our lunch. No one told us that we couldn't and I want talk about their day and what to expect and everything. I'll see you at dinner!" Sakura laughed as she left Ginny at the doors to the Grand hall. Quickly she walked down the corridor and exited the door into the Courtyard. When she looked around she realized she was the first one there and sat down on one of the low walls surrounding the grassy area.
Tomoyo and Meilin came only a few minutes later, followed by Syaoran who looked annoyed. There were a few other students milling around the area so they walked further into the courtyard where they were sure they wouldn't be overheard easily. For a few minutes they just chatted amiably about their different classes until they saw that most people had left. Then they got down to business.
"Alright, Tomoyo, Meilin, here is everything from start to finish," Sakura started and proceeded to tell them about what Dumbledore had told them, some of which they had overheard in the halls, and about the Dream they had last night. It was a long conversation that lasted most of the way through lunch and when Sakura finally finished the four couldn't help but sit in silence, wondering about what exactly would be happening this year. And if they could handle it as they had in the past.
In the hall, the four Gryffindors were discussing the interesting things they had noticed about their new friends. Harry told them what he had overheard in the dungeon. "I wonder what he meant by 'what you are,'" Ron said through a roll. "I mean wouldn't you normally say 'who'?"
"It does imply that Li isn't a wizard, or at least not a normal one," Hermione mused.
Ginny nodded. "I don't think that Sakura is a witch either. I like her and all but last night something weird happened. I think I am the only one that noticed because none of the other girls mentioned anything but," she took a breath, "it was really weird."
"Explain already, Ginny," Ron rolled his eyes.
"I was getting to it! Anyway, it was pretty late but I couldn't sleep and was just lying there thinking about my schedule, you know? Then I heard Sakura moving around and moving her curtains. I had thought that she had gone to sleep a long time ago so I looked out of my bed curtains to see if she was alright. At first I didn't see anything but after a second I saw this bright light shine from between the bed hangings and I heard her saying some stuff in Japanese. The only thing I could make out was 'Syaoran' and at the end she said 'Dream' in English. After that the light got even brighter then died away completely. I waited for a few minutes until I realized that she was asleep."
The three others thought about what Ginny said before Hermione spoke. "So far this is what we know," she started, writing down points on a piece of parchment. "First, they all know each other really well despite not having seen each other for two years, implying that something major happened when they were together."
"Why's that?" Ron asked only to receive exasperated looks from the rest of them.
"Second, we've witnessed Sakura doing magic without wand or using incantation and Ginny saw what she did which implies that Sakura is a powerful witch at the very least.
"Third, we heard Snape call Li a what which implies that he is different from everyone else, probably Sakura as well."
"Oh and don't forget to add that they are good friend with the new DADA teacher," Harry reminded.
"Oh yeah, how do you say his name again?"
"He-rah-ghee-zah-wah," Ginny answered her brother without thinking.
"So all together we know some but not a lot. Just enough clues to drive me insane," Hermione sighed, getting that look in her eye.
"Let me guess, to the library?" Ron asked with a wince in his tone.
"First thing after dinner."
"I need to start heading to Divination. It's really far away," Sakura sighed, gathering her books again. "Why do I have to go to Divination anyway? I thought I already learned out to tell the future."
"I heard the professor is a real fruitcake," Meilin commented. "Maybe they want you to show her up."
Tomoyo laughed. "That wouldn't be hard for Sakura-chan!"
Everyone sighed in exasperation as they began to walk their separate directions. "I need to find Granger so I can get to my class. I'll see you tonight okay, Sakura?"
She smiled up at Syaoran. "I'm sure I can manage until then," leaning up she kissed him on the cheek before scampering off towards the North Tower, leaving Syaoran standing there with a look of shock plastered onto his face. When Hermione found him a few minutes later she smiled at the almost goofy smile on his face.
"Li, you look like something really good just happened."
Syaoran snapped out of it and dropped his smile. "Perhaps. Shall we go?"
Harry hated Divination and wondered not for the first time why he kept with the class. The idiotic woman was constantly predicting his death. In fact it was almost a weekly ritual now. Climbing the long rope latter he and Ron wondered what sort of death she would predict this year. Ron suggested that perhaps this year he was going to suffocate from her incense, causing them both to chuckle as they took their seats closest to the window as they could get. Harry was resigning himself to another intolerable year of Divination when someone completely unexpected entered the trap door.
"Harry? Ron? I think I'm in the wrong place," she said with a troubled voice as she looked down at her schedule. "But it says Divination right after lunch."
"No, my child, you are correct to be here," Professor Trelawney's airy voice said coming from the back of the room. Sakura was startled and turn to face the odd looking woman. "I predicted that a girl with a wonderful eye would be coming to Hogwarts and pleaded with Dumbledore to have her placed in my advanced class. Especially when someone of such misfortune shares the class," she sighed, motioning to Harry.
Sakura sighed and nodded before heading to where Ron and Harry were sitting, to the delight of both. Harry instantly began to think of Divination as his favourite class. "Do you have this class Wednesday morning too?" he asked her anxiously. For a moment she looked at her schedule then nodded. Things were looking up, Harry thought with a grin towards Ron who was obviously thinking along the same lines.
"Is she always so...uh," Sakura faltered trying to find the correct word, mastery of the English language failing her.
"Mad as a hatter? Yes," Ron said.
"She can predict correctly according to Dumbledore but it doesn't happen very often," Harry noted dryly. The three sighed and looked to their professor who was beginning to speak.
"I had originally thought to start class picking up on astrology once again but a spirit told me that I was better with starting with the Tarot cards. You will all find a set on the tables before you. Take turns reading each other's fortunes and I will come by correcting them each in turn.
The three looked at each other for a moment, wondering how they were going to work out three instead of two, when Harry suggested, "Why don't we go clockwise, reading for the person on our left? Or something."
"That works for me," Ron agreed peaceably. "You go first, Harry."
Looking in the book he instructed Ron to carefully shuffle the Cards, making sure the touched all of them before Harry set them in the formation shown. "Um, this says that someone is coming for you and um, that you lied about something. Though, someone is in love with you and you are going to have lots of babies together."
Ron rolled his eyes. "You aren't even trying Harry. Hand Sakura the cards so she can fondle them." Sakura laughed and carefully shuffled them before handing them to Ron. Following the instructions he laid out the pattern like Harry had. Though, he looked at the various meanings his reading wasn't much better, or so he thought. "Apparently some chap is madly in love with you, don't blame him personally. Um, but something came between you and now you are having to start fresh. Uh, I don't get the rest of this. It's all just stuff about a powerful lady and some guy who doesn't stay the same or something."
He shrugged and motioned to hand the cards to Sakura who held up a hand. "No thanks I have my own actually." Both boys watched intently as she reached up her skirt. Glancing at each other they wondered at the free show they were getting before they saw her extract a deck of cards. "Oh, so she wasn't lying when she said that you had that damned third eye she's always talking about."
"Not precisely no. I have been fortune telling since I was ten." Suddenly she stopped and chewed on her lips. Sakura was suddenly afraid of her rash decision to use the Cards. After all it would call attention to her and her powers if she proceeded normally since there was usually a lot of flashing lights involved. With a shrug she began to speak to the Cards through her mind and begged them to seem as normal Cards.
Harry watched as the beautiful girl closed her eyes in concentration before shuffling the pink cards in her hand. Without opening her eyes or taking away from her concentration she laid out the cards in a diamond shape: one, two, three, two, one. Harry got a chance to inspect the weird design on the back of the card for a moment before she opened her eyes and flipped over the first card.
"The Fight, obviously this is about Voldemort, Harry," she said plainly, causing Ron to wince. "The next two Cards show his weapons against you for the moment." She carefully flipped over the next two cards as Harry fidgeted. Tarot cards were one thing, but something about this girl reading about Voldemort set him ill at ease. "The Dream and The Return. He holds your dreams and the past against you. He probably knows something you do not."
Harry nodded, staring at her hands as she explained the next line. "These three are about what he is in relation to you and..." she broke off biting her lip. Harry looked over to see three cards labeled, "The Mirror," "The Twin," and "The Dark." They seemed harmless enough to him but by the look on the witch's face she looked severely disturbed, her eyes trained specifically on "The Dark".
"What?" Ron said.
"Oh, nothing, just a little weird. These say that he is the darkness and that your destinies are linked," she lied quickly, storing away the true knowledge for later use. "Anyway, the last two are your weapons against him are, oh how nice," she smiled as she turned over "The Windy" and "The Firey." "Your power lies not only in your passion to fight but also what you can gain from those around you. All in all I think I can see you winning." She smiled at him softly, making him feel a little queasy inside.
"What is the last card, Sakura?" Ron asked, gesturing to the only one left unturned.
"Oh, it is the Card that signifies Harry, The Light Card," she said without even bothering to flip it over.
"How'd you know that if you didn't see it?" he asked before he was interrupted by a sharp intake of breath from behind him.
"My dear child, only in dreams did I ever think to see this!" Trelawney gasped. Harry noticed that the woman was looking at Sakura and her Cards as if she were some sort of god. Sakura laughed nervously before gathering the cards into one pile and hiding them in her pocket once more. "Oh, you must promise my dear girl to tell me what you saw! Or perhaps let me try one day myself?"
At that point Harry noticed that Sakura was looking very uncomfortable. "I'm sorry professor but I don't allow anyone to use my Cards really. I think you can respect that as a fellow Seer," she added pleadingly causing the older lady to smile in pleasure.
"I'm sure that is fine. Anyway, class is dismissed. Everyone needs to hurry to their own classes."
Harry and Ron watched as the younger girl sprang into action and quickly grabbed her bag before sprinting for the trap door. When she disappeared from sight they exchanged a significant look. "Why do I get the impression, Harry, that there is something more to that little tarot deck that Sakura's not telling us?"
"Probably because you are right," he sighed. "We need to make sure to tell Hermione about that. Come on, Ron, we've got the magnificent new DADA teacher to have class with."
They met Hermione outside the classroom door as she stared in at the professor. Li was standing just barely inside the class, glowering at the blue haired man and muttering something under his breath in Mandarin. Harry looked over to notice that the professor was watching all of them as they stood in the doorway. With a sigh he pushed through to take a seat in the classroom. Ron followed behind him closely with Hermione and a still glowering Li in tow. "Do you think he'll last more than a year this time?"
"Who knows? The better question is if we'd want him to," Harry muttered as the last of the class filed in and the professor signaled the start of the class.
"As you already know, fifth years, I am Professor Eriol Hiiragizawa. No, I am not from Asia. I was born right here in England and attended this school myself a few thousand years ago," he exagerated causing his students to giggle. And yes, I am a decent teacher as I hope to prove. Will I be the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher yet? Probably not, but I can assure you I'm better than Lockhart and Quirrell at least." The students chuckled slightly. "Now, before I start class I'll answer any other questions you are dying to ask."
Dean Thomas raised his hand quickly, "How do you know Kinomoto?"
The professor smiled complacently and Harry wondered if he would answer like she had the previous day. "I've gotten that question a few times already. The answer is that not only did I help her with her studies but I am also an old friend of the family. This also applies to Miss Daidouji as well."
"What did you do before you came here?" Lavender Brown asked.
"Actually, I did a little of everything. Mostly I help both the Ministry and the Wizard Council gather information about the wizarding world around the globe."
"Who's side are you on, professor, the Ministry's or Dumbledore's?" Seamus Finnigan asked, glancing at Harry.
The dancing eyes of the professor suddenly grew serious as he stared at the class. Harry felt a little nervous, unsure of what the man would say. He knew that Li believed him when he said that Voldemort was back, but it wasn't certain that everyone Li knew felt the same way.
"I will answer your question then I will start class. I also want everyone here to realize that no matter who I agree with, I still expect you to do your best in this class. Is that understood?" He waited until each student had nodded in assent. "It is my understanding that as of the Twenty-fourth of June He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned to this world. I am sure there are many who disagree with me, but as far as I can tell, it is truth.
"Now, this year in class you will be learning counter-curses and how to defend yourself in the incident you are attacked by dark magic. I will do my best to help everyone prepare for their O.W.L.s at the end of the year so I expect everyone present to do their best for me."
He continued talking about the concentration needed to perform counter-curses and why they are used. The lecture lasted for the whole of the class period but was not boring. Professor Hiiragizawa frequently stopped to answer questions and would often pick on a student to name a situation where they might encounter dark magic, outside of Voldemort or Death Eaters.
Harry was thoughtful when he left the classroom. It was a relief to know that he had the new DADA teacher on his side at least and that he was a competent man who didn't have a superiority complex. However, he did find it rather odd when, while leaving the class, he overheard the professor say, "My cute descendant," to Li before getting, "You're creepy, Hiiragizawa," thrown back at him.
After dinner had passed and students were encouraged to go to their dorms before curfew set in, Sakura made her way to the griffin that guarded Dumbledore's office. She was alone, and nervous, but after taking a deep breath she said, "Bertie Bott's." The griffin once again jumped into life and Sakura stepped forward, allowing the turning stairwell to do the work for her. When she finally found herself outside of the doorway, she hesitated, biting her lip.
I don't need to do this now, she told herself. I can do this tomorrow or the next day and bring Syaoran or Tomoyo or Meilin or all of them with me. Yes I should do this tomorrow, she thought finally turning to leave.
"Come in already, Miss Kinomoto. You can be surprisingly indecisive for someone who has done so much," Dumbledore called. The door opened before her and inside she found Professor McGonagall and another professor she didn't recognize with dark hair and a hooked nose. Nervously, she bowed to them in greeting.
"I'm sorry, I am interrupting something. I just...," she broke off, feeling decidedly uncomfortable under the intense stares of the three adults.
"It's fine Miss Kinomoto. Severus, you may go if you like, but Minerva I'm sure you would like to stay." The lady nodded, returning to her seat while the other professor looked at her askance, as if deciding whether or not he should leave. At last he decided that he had better things to do than listen to adolescent girls complain about what they thought they knew and left the room.
"I don't think he likes me," Sakura observed.
"Perhaps not, Miss Kinomoto. Now I'm sure you had a very good reason to speak with me. I actually had expected another conversation with you but not this soon. You work faster than this old man is used to."
Sakura blushed and sat in the seat he indicated. "I actually don't need to ask as many questions as I thought I would yesterday. I saw most of the important things last night, as well as Syaoran, but something unusual happened in Divination and I didn't know what to think so I came to you."
"Yes, Sibyll told me that you did a reading for Mr. Potter. That may have been unwise since you are trying to keep your powers a secret."
Sakura blushed, knowing he was right. "I know, professor, but the Cards would be mad at me if I relied on another deck. And when they are upset with me they don't respond as well."
"You speak as if they are alive, Miss Kinomoto," McGonagall observed.
"You could almost say they are, professor. It is hard to explain, but they are not just objects." The professor nodded and indicated that she go on wit her story. "When I did my reading today it automatically picked up on Voldemort. It told me...actually would you like to see what it showed me?" she asked since she herself was a visual person.
"If you like," Dumbledore agreed, indicating the desk.
Sakura nodded and held out her hand expectantly and obediently nine Cards flew into her hand. She held them out to the desk and they got in the order they had been without her having to do anything more. The sourceress made all of her actions with a practiced casualness, showing that she had done this many times before.
Sakura began to go through the reading again, repeating almost verbatim what she had told Harry a couple hours before. She pointedly skipped over the row of three cards and continued until she came to the Light Card. "This Card matched with these three is what troubled me. These three tell what Voldemort is in respect to Harry. The Light and Dark prove that they are opposites but the Mirror and the Twin say that they are equal opposites. I told Harry that it meant that their destinies were linked, which he must already know, but this is more than that. It shows that their fate is balanced upon one thing and there is an equal chance of either coming true."
She stopped and looked at the Cards in confusion for a moment before gathering them to herself again and slipping them in her pocket. "I came here to ask if I am not reading right or if there is something you haven't told Harry yet."
Dumbledore sighed and a weary look grew over his face. "You are reading correctly, perhaps more than makes me comfortable to see. But I must ask you to respect my wishes when I say that I cannot reveal to you what I haven't told him." He drew himself up in his chair, regaining some of his vigor. "I'm sure you realize that you were placed in the fifth year Divination class to watch after Mr. Potter. I would have placed your friend Li with him, but I must allow him to lead his own life as well so we gave him the electives more suited to him.
"Miss Kinomoto, I am glad that you are already keeping a good watch on him and have already learned what you could about his situation. But perhaps there is something you can do for him now that others can't."
"What is that, professor?"
"Be his friend. Everyone else is tainted with bad memories and Harry is growing bitter and angry. Right now he needs a friend who can prove that he is not the only one out there and that there are others who have to suffer. But also that they can get by. Can you do that for me, Miss Kinomoto?"
Sakura stared at the aged man for a moment before smiling and nodding. "I'd love to be his friend." She stood up and excused herself before the time came when she would be in trouble for being out after hours.
The two professors watched her as she left and kept their eyes trained on where she had disappeared for sometime. Finally, Professor McGonagall broke the silence. Awe and respect filled her voice when she said, "She is so young, but I wouldn't hesitate to say she has more magic in one hand than most wizards have in their whole being. I think I'm one of them," she smiled, looking at Dumbledore as she continued.
"She is a very amazing girl. The level of control she has on her magic is almost unheard of at all, much less at her age. And she does everything so easily. She doesn't even realize how amazing she is nor does she think she has a hard time of it herself."
"No, Minerva, she doesn't and perhaps that is her greatest strength. She doesn't look down on anyone because to her there is nothing to look down on, no difference between herself and others. And she has survived everything and can still smile genuinely at the end."
"Don't you think that perhaps we were a bit cruel to bring her into a world so full of death?"
"Perhaps. But also I think one aspect of her reading was wrong. Harry might be the light to Voldemort's dark, but Sakura is pure light for the world. I think she may be able to help heal our wounds when this is all finished."
McGonagall nodded in agreement.
When Sakura returned to the common room, she heard Fred and George Weasley in serious argument with Hermione. She didn't quite understand what they were talking about and by the time she got close enough the argument was nearly over.
"No," Hermione said with anger embedded in her voice, "But I will write to your mother."
"You wouldn't," both breathed at once.
"I certainly would. I can't make you stop testing those horrible things on yourself but I can stop you from giving them to the First Years."
The twins stared at each other in horror before the new prefect walked away, obviously shaking in rage. Sakura looked at the twins in curiosity. "What was that about?" she asked in general.
"The prefect doesn't want us to test out our new products. Says they'll hurt people," Fried answered.
"What's the product?"
"We are starting a new line of candies that when you eat them feign illness until you can take the antidote. That way you can get out of class whenever you need to." George grinned.
Sakura stared at them. She usually liked class so she didn't understand why someone would work so hard to get out of it. But, shrugging mentally, she thought to each their own. "I need to get to my homework now. Ja!" She smiled to them and walked over to where Hermione had gone to sit with her friends. She was glowering at Ron as she pulled out a bag filled with what looked like cloth disks or something of the like to the Asian girl.
"What are those things you are making, Hermione?" Sakura asked politely as she sat down next to Syaoran.
"They are hats for the house elves. You see when a house elf receives clothing they are free. I am trying to free them from their slavery." When the girl still looked confused, Hermione continued on. "You see, house elves are forced to do whatever their master says, whether it be getting food or cleaning or doing things they absolutely hate. And they aren't paid for it at all! It really is horrible to see a race of creatures enslaved like that."
"But they LIKE it, Hermione! How many times do we have to remind you of that?" Ron said with irritation shaking his voice.
"What do you mean they like it?" Syaoran asked, speaking for the first time since they had entered the common room after dinner.
"They like their job! They like what they do!" Harry answered, feeling annoyed to be back on this same topic again.
Suddenly, Sakura was reminded of Kero and Yue. They did everything for her without qualm or question. They would even die for her if they needed to. Even more, the only thing they did object to was the repeated times she had told them to do as they liked, always arguing that they wanted to be with her, to guard and protect her.
"Ano, if they like it, it isn't slavery is it?"
"What?" everyone asked turning to her with obvious shock. "I figured you'd be on her side," Ron said amazedly.
"I am in a way, but not if they like what they do. You might say that I have two...beings that are bound to me like the house elves are to their masters. I have often told them to do what they would, to be free with their own time and wishes, but they ignore me." As she spoke, she reached up to clutch the pendant, in essence holding her two Guardians in her hand. "They wish to stay with me and I respect their wishes."
"Heh, you just mean you'd miss them if they left," Syaoran observed.
Sakura turned and wrinkled her nose at him with a grin. "Very much!"
"See," Ron exclaimed, pointing to Sakura. "She's not a horrible person but she has something like house elves! They are happy here!" He frowned as he watched his fellow prefect cover the hats with rubbish. "Are you trying to trick them into freedom?" he cried angrily.
"Yes! They are too brainwashed to know any better! And I'm sure Sakura allows her...servants freedom! They are not the same!" With a snort of indignation she gathered her belongings and headed up the stairs to the girls dormitory. Everyone watched her go and Sakura felt a little guilty.
Ron groaned. "There is no point in trying to finish homework now," he gesturing to his potions essay. "I have no clue what to do with moonstone. Do you Harry?"
Harry shook his head tiredly. He reached up to massage his right temple for a moment. When he stopped he looked over his homework with a dejected face. "I really don't feel like doing all this now. First day of term and I'm already behind."
"Is your head hurting, Harry?" Sakura asked with concern in her voice.
Harry turned to look at the pretty girl with the kind eyes and smiled a little. "Nothing out of the ordinary really. Thanks for asking though." Harry felt his heart nearly stop when she grinned at him in relief. "Where did you go after dinner by the way?"
She seemed a little flustered, causing Harry to wonder a little. "I had to go speak to the Headmaster about something. See I was wondering why they put me in fifth year divination, since I don't really trust Professor Trelawney's explanation. He didn't tell me much but he did say that it wasn't a mistake of the schedule."
"Just make sure you do your homework or else you will get in trouble," Harry warned her, not wanting to see the cheerful girl upset.
"Oh, she'll get it done," Li observed without looking up from his essay. "She's just a procrastinator and likes to leave everything to the last minute."
"Syaoran!" she yelled back, holding up one fist angrily. "Just because you do your homework the instant you get it doesn't mean everyone else has to! I mean during lunch the rest of us were all talking and you were doing the potions essay."
Ron and Harry glanced at each other before looking at Li hopefully. "Er, mate, would you mind helping us out a bit then, since you are already finished?" Ron pleaded.
Li finally looked up, giving Harry the distinct impression that he was going to say no or tell them to eff off. But instead he shrugged. Leaning forward he started going through a series of scrolls before he finally pulling one out and tossing it to the two boys on the couch. Harry leaned over to read as Ron opened it up. He quickly realized that it wasn't the essay but almost three feet of notes on moonstone, a lot of which dealt with its uses in potions.
"Who did you nick this off of?" Harry asked in awe at the detail the notes went into. It wasn't as nice as being able to copy from Hermione but it would cut down on the effort by half.
Sakura giggled, distracting the boys at the entrancing sound for a moment before they looked back at the scroll. "Syaoran didn't steal that, he wrote it."
"Why'd you take the time to do something like that, Li?" Ron asked, obviously awed.
Li shrugged as he went back to working on his DA homework. "Taking notes was beat into me. Though, I probably would have picked it up sooner or later from the level of grades mother demands."
Harry stared at the Chinese boy as he worked diligently on his homework. There was still a sense of dislike and eeriness that came to him when he looked at Li, but he was beginning to understand him a little more. Sure his own life hadn't been a picnic but it was beginning to sound as if this boy's wasn't either. "Thanks, Li," he said finally as he began to work on the essay instead of putting it off.
Sakura looked around at the three boys around her who were all studiously working. Despite Syaoran's jabs she had already finished her Care of Magical Creatures homework and since she had so impressed Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher didn't assign any to them. She felt a little awkward since everyone else was busy and she had nothing to do herself. So instead she stood and wished everyone a goodnight.
"Oyasumi nasai, Sakura," Syaoran said, looking up at her with smiling eyes before returning to his work.
"Er, night?" Ron said looking a little confused.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Goodnight Sakura. See you tomorrow at breakfast."
Sakura nodded and went up the long stretch of stairs before changing into her night clothes tiredly. She had a feeling that the next days would be tiring, almost as much as it had been four years ago when she first got the Clow Cards. Learning new magic was always like that. With a sigh she slipped into her bed and was quickly asleep.
(A/N: REVIEW! The next chapter should be up pretty soon! So please be very kind and review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism or just words of hey I like that really do help me write. Anyway, Ja!)
Response: I was asked why the heck Syaoran was holding a pink teddy bear when we all know that pink (except in relation to Sakura of course) is the root of all evil. Or at least so I say anyway. There IS purpose to this. In the manga Sakura confessed her love to Syaoran by giving him a pink winged teddy bear that she made for him after she heard that he was leaving and she realized how much she adored him. That's one of the numerous things from the manga that will pop up. I will try to explain them if I remember but if not just ask and I'll make a note next time.
Dedication: Narukami Aiko whose story actually has more reviews than mine so I wont tell you to go read because people obviously are. But she's my beta reader of sorts.
Disclaimer: I do not own either Harry Potter or Card Captor Sakura. But man if I did...do you realize just how many hot guys would be under my thumb? Syaoran, Harry, the Twins, Wood, Touya, Eriol....anyway...
The Term Begins
The sleep afforded after the Dream Card was so restful that Sakura woke early, nearly before the sun rose. Yawning, she slipped out of bed and looked around the still quiet room. Apparently she was the only early riser of the morning. She changed her clothes silently, carefully sliding the Cards into the secret pocket Tomoyo had sewn into the underside of her skirt, and picked up Touya before making her way down the stairwell into the Common Room. She carried her shoes with her since she was still unused to wearing them inside what was basically her home and wistfully wished that she could roller blade.
The Common Room was empty but for a small strange looking creature that was tending to the fire. When she approached it, it bowed and left the room quickly. Left alone in the large room, Sakura shrugged and sat down on the couch comfortably. The small kitten began to tromp around her lap and then around the room as a whole. She kept her eyes on it when possible but felt that no harm would come of it so early.
When she had been there for twenty minutes she heard noise in the stairwell and looked up to see Syaoran yawning tiredly. He walked into the room, glancing around a little, and when he saw Sakura he stopped dead in his tracks. Blinking a few times, as if not quite sure he wasn't still asleep, he finally shrugged and walked over to sit beside her.
"I can't believe you actually woke up on time," he yawned, letting his head fall back against the couch.
"Neither can I really," she agreed, leaning her head on his shoulder. After two years of separation it felt nice to just be able to sit with him like this. When they had parted they still blushed half the time that they were together and frequently stuttered. But perhaps the intervening two years had matured both of them because, while she felt more light hearted in his presence, Sakura didn't feel the need to blush or stammer, just to sit and enjoy his company.
"That boy has had a pretty interesting life, you know," he noted quietly, breaking the silence.
She nodded. "I can't help but feel sorry for him. Still, he's pretty strong to have survived it all without being a crybaby or ending up in an insane asylum."
"The same could be said for you, Sakura."
She shook her head. "Can you imagine me facing a big snake like that?"
Syaoran rolled his eyes and tried to understand the difference between fighting off a big snake and a full sized dragon. There wasn't one really so instead he closed his eyes again and dozed off a little until he heard her speak again.
"It's going to be weird not having any of you in my classes. And you are a full year ahead of the rest of us. I just hope the rest of my classmates like me," Sakura sighed, sitting up and away from him as she heard noises coming from the stairwell.
Syaoran almost objected when she pulled away but stopped himself. Instead he just rolled his eyes and said, "Sakura, the day your classmates hate you will be a fascinating new day." Stretching he stood up. "I left the rest of my things in the room. I came down because I could have sworn that you were down here but I knew that was impossible since you always oversleep."
"Syaoran!" she yelled annoyed.
He grinned at her and quickly climbed the stairs before she could throw a pillow at him.
Harry noticed the new student walking into the room in the middle of his fight with Seamus Finningan. When the other boy huffed out of the room, Harry sighed irritably. First he waited around without information for a month while Ron and Hermione got to be in the thick of things, then the Daily Prophet printed out all those lies, now he had to deal with people believing them.
"What's his deal?" Li asked, gathering his books into his bag and slinging it over one shoulder.
"Oh, he believes that Harry is crazy or something. Says he's lying about You-Know-Who being back," Ron nearly growled.
Li looked at Ron for a moment before training his cold amber eyes on Harry. He felt his skin crawl under the fixed gaze which was too intense for someone so young and as care free as he seemed to be the day before. After a moment the Chinese boy rolled his eyes and turned to leave.
"That's stupid," he growled, walking away. "If you were going to make up a story about the return of Voldemort why not put you out as the hero who defeated him single-handedly in combat? Who would make up a story that so obviously lacked in hero worship?" He climbed down the stairs leaving the rest of the boys staring after him.
"I'm not quite sure if he just insulted you there, mate," Ron commented as he pulled on his socks.
"Me neither. But one thing is for sure, he at least believes me."
Ron nodded and the two boys went down to the Common Room to find Hermione so they could all go to breakfast. When they got there they found her deep in conversation with Ginny and Sakura as they explained to the transfer student the basic time schedule.
"You'll be getting your schedule of classes at breakfast. You'll have most of them with Ginny, too, so don't be afraid of getting lost," Hermione reassured the worried looking girl.
"The only difference will be electives most likely. I have Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures. Do you know what you are signed up for?"
Sakura shook her head, wishing, not for the first time, that she had asked more questions before she agreed to come to the school. "Hoe," she whimpered.
"What does that mean anyway?" Hermione asked with pointed interest. "I'd love to learn your language!"
Sakura blinked, not quite knowing how to answer the question. She was rescued by Syaoran though who said, "It doesn't mean anything. It's Sakura's own personal way of expressing anxiety or frustration." She blinked at him. Was that what it was?
Hermione nodded, obviously making a note in her head. "Does everyone do that?"
"No."
The fifth-year nodded again before checking her watch. "We should all head to breakfast now. And don't worry, Sakura, you have Ginny to help you and the rest of us if you get really lost." She smiled in a comforting way and gestured for them to leave the room.
Sakura got up to follow but had only just when she was pounced on by the two Weasley twins. Startled she stepped back a little and looked back and forth between the two for a moment. When she looked she noticed that one had a royal blue aura while the other had a sky blue. With a deep breath she said, "Now tell me your names again, so I can try to tell you apart."
The two grinned devilishly at the beautiful girl. "A pleasure, Sakura. I am the handsome one, Fred."
"And I am the smart one, George."
Sakura noted that George had the sky blue while Fred the royal. She nodded with an air of someone who figured out a puzzle at last. She gave them both a breathtaking grin, shocking the two figures into a stunned silence for just long enough for her to escape.
When she caught up with the rest, Ron looked at her and commented, "You know, it's nearly impossible to tell them apart. No one ever managed to do it before knowing them for most of a year."
"Care to wager on that," Syaoran spoke up unexpectedly with a grin. Sakura shot him a look, which he ignored. Sighing she gave it up, if he wanted to cheat let him have fun at it.
Ron looked at the boy up and down for a moment, weighing the chances. "I don't know. You seem awfully confidant. I bet you are going to cheat somehow."
Hermione frowned at him. "Ron Weasley, you are a prefect! You shouldn't be gambling!"
Ron winced, silenced for the moment at least. Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll take you up on that, Li. What do you say to a galleon?"
"Sure," the other boy shrugged before shaking hands with Harry to seal the deal. They continued walking until they reached the Grand hall. Sitting down for breakfast, Sakura looked around worriedly, hoping to catch sight of Tomoyo. Unfortunately though, the Hufflepuff table was situated between hers and Ravenclaw so it was hard to pick one person out.
Midway through the meal, the owls flooded the room, taking Sakura by surprise from the sheer number of them. Some carried letters and others carried packages from parents of forgetful students. One went to a boy name Neville who sighed in relief when he opened it. Towards the end, a beautiful brown owl flew down and landed beside Syaoran.
"Is that yours, Syaoran?" she asked after swallowing a piece of pancake.
He nodded. "Mother bought her for me. Actually she probably bought her so that she could pester me about my marks," he sighed as he began to open the letter.
Sakura reached forward to pet the pretty bird. "What did you name her?"
"Ying Fa," he replied, glancing up long enough to wink at her.
Sakura blushed, causing Hermione and Ginny to look at each other and shrug in confusion.
"Who'd you get a letter from, Li? It's only the first day of term," Ron noted as he ate noisily.
Li looked at him for a moment, obviously deciding whether or not to answer, before shrugging. "It's from the Elders reminding me to train or else."
"Are they ever going to leave you alone, Syaoran?" Sakura asked, stealing the letter from him and reading it through.
"Not until I turn eighteen," he noted dryly.
"What happens then?" Hermione asked, obviously enthralled at being able to learn about a foreign culture, even second handedly.
"Huh? Oh, then I become leader of the clan," the Chinese boy noted almost absently, stealing the letter back with a frown for the Japanese girl, who smiled in retaliation. After a minute he realized that the other four had gone silent and were staring at him. "What?"
"You are going to become leader of your clan?" Hermione asked excitedly. "Is it an important family? Do you have lots of influence?"
Harry watched the two transfer students exchange looks before in confusion. "The Li family is one of the most influential families in all of Asia," Sakura finally answered, as if stating the obvious.
"And you are going to lead them? Blimey, what luck! I wish I could lead a bunch of people in a few years." Ron began to stare into space with wide eyes obviously day dreaming about the possibilities.
"Well, no one else wants you to," Harry laughed. "Though, you might do a better job of running the Ministry than Fudge."
"Anyone would do a better job than Fudge right now," Hermione agreed, glancing at Ron who suddenly got quiet at the mention of his elder brother's boss. The conversation was interrupted when schedules were passed out. Ginny and Sakura quickly compared and found that Sakura had Divination instead of Muggle Studies, which was reasonable. While she got directions on how to get to Divination, Harry glanced at Li's schedule.
"Hey, you have all the same classes with Hermione!"
"Really? Someone else took Arithmancy? See I told you it was an enjoyable class!"
"What's Arithmancy?" Sakura asked, rejoining the conversation.
"It's math, your favourite subject."
Sakura shuddered and was about to comment when she heard someone calling her name. Turning around she saw Tomoyo running to her with almost panicky eyes. "Sakura-chan, we only have one class together and that isn't even until tomorrow! How am I supposed to survive in this new world without Sakura-chan! We've been in the same class for so long! You have to promise me that you will spend every mutual free class we have together. Promise me or else I'll feel so lonely."
Everyone but Sakura stared at the raven haired beauty in confusion. She was speaking in rapid fire Japanese, obviously upset. But her words were so quickly spoken and teary that Sakura was the only one who could make them out completely.
"I promise, Tomoyo. Besides, don't you still have at least one class with Meilin? Isn't that nice at least? I don't have any!" Sakura replied in English.
Tomoyo drew a calming breath and smiled. Sakura was trying to cheer her up again and it worked. With a slight blush she turned to the rest of the group, who were all looking at her with shock. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. Good morning everyone! I hope I see all of you around often! Ja, Li-kun, take care of Sakura-chan for me," she added in Japanese before hugging her friend again and walking back to her own table.
"Uh," Ron began, "What was she saying?"
Sakura blushed, without looking at Syaoran who was grinning at her, his eyes begging her to tell the truth. "She was just upset since we only have one class together. And she told Syaoran that she would see him later."
"I thought I heard your name though," Hermione said, obviously trying to analyze the language.
"Oh that was nothing. Um, if you are finished Ginny could you show me to the library? I still don't know how to get there and I'm sure I'll need to spend some time there pretty soon." She tried to ignore the way that Syaoran stared at her and gathered her things.
"Coward," he murmured in her native language.
"It's private, Syaoran-kun!" she sniffed back, ignoring the questioning looks of their new friends.
The other fourth year nodded and stood up, grabbing her bag. The two girls left the room talking quietly between themselves. As Harry watched, he saw how often the brunette girl nodded and figured that Ginny was still helping the girl get used to the school. When finally Harry looked around, he saw that Li's eyes had been following the two as well.
"Just our luck getting Snape on the first day of term. I don't feel like seeing him today," Ron sighed as he gathered his things together.
"I don't ever feel like seeing Snape," Harry replied. "You'd think he'd actually be more of a human being after everything that's happened."
"Really, Harry, Ron, he's on our side. You shouldn't talk about him as if he were some Death Eater," Hermione began before suddenly remembering Li's presence. "Anyway, we should get to class. You can come with us, Li until you get to know the grounds better."
Li nodded and joined the rest of them silently. Something about the boy made Harry extremely uncomfortable. He didn't quite know what it was, but there was definitely a change in the way he acted from time to time. Letting the others go first, Harry watched Li from behind, careful to watch his every move. He didn't know what it was, but something about Li was different and at that point he didn't know if that was good or bad.
Harry was shaken from his thoughts at last when they reached Professor Binn's room. When the door opened and Li saw who the teacher was he turned to look at the others. "Is he the regular teacher?"
"Yes, funny story that. He taught this subject for years and every morning got up for class ready to teach. Oddly enough, one day he left his body behind and really didn't seem to notice the difference of all." Hermione looked at the teacher as he floated a little above the floor, preparing for yet another undoubtedly boring class.
Li chuckled, drawing everyone's attention. "She's going to love that."
"Who?" Ron asked.
"Sakura. She's absolutely terrified of ghosts. I can just imagine her having to have a class taught by one."
Harry frowned, wondering at Li's callous behavior. The girl was his friend and he was laughing at what she was afraid of? It was kind of cruel, especially in a situation where the she would have to put up with it for an hour and a half at a time a couple of times a week. However, Harry didn't comment on the other boy's behavior and merely took his seat, settling back in his chair ready for a nice long nap.
As Sakura went with Ginny to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, Harry and company made their way to the dungeons for Potions. "I'm warning you, Li, Snape is not a man to be trifled with. He hates Gryffindor and he hates anyone who associates with Harry. Of course you are probably already doomed since you got promoted like you did. He hates people who think they are special. Good death to you, mate," Ron grinned at Li before opening the door into the Potions room.
Class started moments later when the greasy haired Professor Snape entered the room noisily. He looked over the class, finally centering his attention on where Li was sitting beside Harry. "Ah, I see that our newest celebrity keeps in ties with our old one. Perhaps the two of you wish to share all the fame between yourselves."
Harry glared at Snape, feeling the familiar dislike bubble up again every time he looked at the man. But for once, Snape wasn't staring at him, but instead at the boy seated to the right of him. It was kind of a relief to have someone else getting abused, even if Harry had no real reason to hate the guy.
"Now, since Dumbledore thought that you were special enough to be promoted all the way to Fifth Year your first time at a wizarding school, perhaps I should ascertain your knowledge." The Gryffindors began to look at Li sympathetically, remembering the way he had grilled Harry on the first day. "Now, what is the most common use of Jobberknoll feathers?"
"They are usually used for Memory potions, due to the very nature of the bird that they come from. However, they can also be used for truth serums, including Veritaserum," Li recited calmly without hesitating for an instant.
Harry couldn't help but stare at him wide eyed for a moment before turning to see the look on Snape's face, which was undeniably classic. He wished he had a camera on him, the muggle sort so that he could never hide the look he had now. At last, however, the look changed and Snape frowned, glaring at the Chinese boy fiercely.
"Very well," he muttered walking to the head of the class. "Today you will be making the Draught of Peace. The instructions are here," he stated pointing his wand at the black board, "the supplies are in the cupboard," he continued waving his wand so that it opened. "Begin."
The class began to make the potion in relative quiet. The thrill of seeing Snape being told off wore away after a few minutes and was replaced by a sense of bitterness. Snape obviously didn't like Li but he did respect him. Harry wondered darkly if he would have commanded the same respect if he had answered the questions that first day. His wonderings overwhelmed him and he started slightly when he heard Li whispering to him.
"Re-read step three, Potter."
Confused, Harry reread the instructions and noticed that he hadn't finished reading the third line and was about to make a serious mistake. Glancing over at Li, who seemed to be fully concentrated on his own potion, Harry frowned. For some reason, instead of gratitude that Li had helped him, Harry felt as if the other boy was showing off by correcting his mistakes. After a moment though the bitter feeling passed and he sighed internally. He was being ridiculous; Li had helped him instead of watching him fail. He made a mental note to thank him after class was finished.
"Now, if you have done everything correctly, your potion should be emitting a silvery smoke about now," Snape instructed, glancing around the room. Harry followed his look and noticed that his own cauldron had silver smoke above it as well as Hermione's and Li's. Ron's wasn't quite there but looked a lot better than Neville's which was hissing and looked greenish- orange.
"Mark your sample and bring it to the front of the class. For homework I expect a foot long essay on the moonstone and its uses in potions. Class is finished."
Harry was glad that he had successfully made a potion that looked as good as Hermione's. When he turned it in, he smirked at Snape before going back to clean up his area. Snape glared at him but looked away when he saw Li coming to turn in his sample. Harry watched with interest at the look of extreme dislike, but also almost nervousness that shone from Snape's eyes as he looked at the boy.
"I know what you are, Li, but don't think for an instant that will get you anywhere with me or in my class. You are still a student so don't take a leaf from Potter's book and act like you own the place."
"I wouldn't dream of it professor," Li answered calmly as he turned to clean his area. Harry watched in silence as he erased the contents of his cauldron, nodded at Harry and left the dungeons without speaking further. After a moment, Harry quickly followed, running to catch up with Hermione and Ron. They had things to talk about.
"Oh, no, actually Meilin, Tomoyo, Syaoran and I are going to go sit outside with our lunch. No one told us that we couldn't and I want talk about their day and what to expect and everything. I'll see you at dinner!" Sakura laughed as she left Ginny at the doors to the Grand hall. Quickly she walked down the corridor and exited the door into the Courtyard. When she looked around she realized she was the first one there and sat down on one of the low walls surrounding the grassy area.
Tomoyo and Meilin came only a few minutes later, followed by Syaoran who looked annoyed. There were a few other students milling around the area so they walked further into the courtyard where they were sure they wouldn't be overheard easily. For a few minutes they just chatted amiably about their different classes until they saw that most people had left. Then they got down to business.
"Alright, Tomoyo, Meilin, here is everything from start to finish," Sakura started and proceeded to tell them about what Dumbledore had told them, some of which they had overheard in the halls, and about the Dream they had last night. It was a long conversation that lasted most of the way through lunch and when Sakura finally finished the four couldn't help but sit in silence, wondering about what exactly would be happening this year. And if they could handle it as they had in the past.
In the hall, the four Gryffindors were discussing the interesting things they had noticed about their new friends. Harry told them what he had overheard in the dungeon. "I wonder what he meant by 'what you are,'" Ron said through a roll. "I mean wouldn't you normally say 'who'?"
"It does imply that Li isn't a wizard, or at least not a normal one," Hermione mused.
Ginny nodded. "I don't think that Sakura is a witch either. I like her and all but last night something weird happened. I think I am the only one that noticed because none of the other girls mentioned anything but," she took a breath, "it was really weird."
"Explain already, Ginny," Ron rolled his eyes.
"I was getting to it! Anyway, it was pretty late but I couldn't sleep and was just lying there thinking about my schedule, you know? Then I heard Sakura moving around and moving her curtains. I had thought that she had gone to sleep a long time ago so I looked out of my bed curtains to see if she was alright. At first I didn't see anything but after a second I saw this bright light shine from between the bed hangings and I heard her saying some stuff in Japanese. The only thing I could make out was 'Syaoran' and at the end she said 'Dream' in English. After that the light got even brighter then died away completely. I waited for a few minutes until I realized that she was asleep."
The three others thought about what Ginny said before Hermione spoke. "So far this is what we know," she started, writing down points on a piece of parchment. "First, they all know each other really well despite not having seen each other for two years, implying that something major happened when they were together."
"Why's that?" Ron asked only to receive exasperated looks from the rest of them.
"Second, we've witnessed Sakura doing magic without wand or using incantation and Ginny saw what she did which implies that Sakura is a powerful witch at the very least.
"Third, we heard Snape call Li a what which implies that he is different from everyone else, probably Sakura as well."
"Oh and don't forget to add that they are good friend with the new DADA teacher," Harry reminded.
"Oh yeah, how do you say his name again?"
"He-rah-ghee-zah-wah," Ginny answered her brother without thinking.
"So all together we know some but not a lot. Just enough clues to drive me insane," Hermione sighed, getting that look in her eye.
"Let me guess, to the library?" Ron asked with a wince in his tone.
"First thing after dinner."
"I need to start heading to Divination. It's really far away," Sakura sighed, gathering her books again. "Why do I have to go to Divination anyway? I thought I already learned out to tell the future."
"I heard the professor is a real fruitcake," Meilin commented. "Maybe they want you to show her up."
Tomoyo laughed. "That wouldn't be hard for Sakura-chan!"
Everyone sighed in exasperation as they began to walk their separate directions. "I need to find Granger so I can get to my class. I'll see you tonight okay, Sakura?"
She smiled up at Syaoran. "I'm sure I can manage until then," leaning up she kissed him on the cheek before scampering off towards the North Tower, leaving Syaoran standing there with a look of shock plastered onto his face. When Hermione found him a few minutes later she smiled at the almost goofy smile on his face.
"Li, you look like something really good just happened."
Syaoran snapped out of it and dropped his smile. "Perhaps. Shall we go?"
Harry hated Divination and wondered not for the first time why he kept with the class. The idiotic woman was constantly predicting his death. In fact it was almost a weekly ritual now. Climbing the long rope latter he and Ron wondered what sort of death she would predict this year. Ron suggested that perhaps this year he was going to suffocate from her incense, causing them both to chuckle as they took their seats closest to the window as they could get. Harry was resigning himself to another intolerable year of Divination when someone completely unexpected entered the trap door.
"Harry? Ron? I think I'm in the wrong place," she said with a troubled voice as she looked down at her schedule. "But it says Divination right after lunch."
"No, my child, you are correct to be here," Professor Trelawney's airy voice said coming from the back of the room. Sakura was startled and turn to face the odd looking woman. "I predicted that a girl with a wonderful eye would be coming to Hogwarts and pleaded with Dumbledore to have her placed in my advanced class. Especially when someone of such misfortune shares the class," she sighed, motioning to Harry.
Sakura sighed and nodded before heading to where Ron and Harry were sitting, to the delight of both. Harry instantly began to think of Divination as his favourite class. "Do you have this class Wednesday morning too?" he asked her anxiously. For a moment she looked at her schedule then nodded. Things were looking up, Harry thought with a grin towards Ron who was obviously thinking along the same lines.
"Is she always so...uh," Sakura faltered trying to find the correct word, mastery of the English language failing her.
"Mad as a hatter? Yes," Ron said.
"She can predict correctly according to Dumbledore but it doesn't happen very often," Harry noted dryly. The three sighed and looked to their professor who was beginning to speak.
"I had originally thought to start class picking up on astrology once again but a spirit told me that I was better with starting with the Tarot cards. You will all find a set on the tables before you. Take turns reading each other's fortunes and I will come by correcting them each in turn.
The three looked at each other for a moment, wondering how they were going to work out three instead of two, when Harry suggested, "Why don't we go clockwise, reading for the person on our left? Or something."
"That works for me," Ron agreed peaceably. "You go first, Harry."
Looking in the book he instructed Ron to carefully shuffle the Cards, making sure the touched all of them before Harry set them in the formation shown. "Um, this says that someone is coming for you and um, that you lied about something. Though, someone is in love with you and you are going to have lots of babies together."
Ron rolled his eyes. "You aren't even trying Harry. Hand Sakura the cards so she can fondle them." Sakura laughed and carefully shuffled them before handing them to Ron. Following the instructions he laid out the pattern like Harry had. Though, he looked at the various meanings his reading wasn't much better, or so he thought. "Apparently some chap is madly in love with you, don't blame him personally. Um, but something came between you and now you are having to start fresh. Uh, I don't get the rest of this. It's all just stuff about a powerful lady and some guy who doesn't stay the same or something."
He shrugged and motioned to hand the cards to Sakura who held up a hand. "No thanks I have my own actually." Both boys watched intently as she reached up her skirt. Glancing at each other they wondered at the free show they were getting before they saw her extract a deck of cards. "Oh, so she wasn't lying when she said that you had that damned third eye she's always talking about."
"Not precisely no. I have been fortune telling since I was ten." Suddenly she stopped and chewed on her lips. Sakura was suddenly afraid of her rash decision to use the Cards. After all it would call attention to her and her powers if she proceeded normally since there was usually a lot of flashing lights involved. With a shrug she began to speak to the Cards through her mind and begged them to seem as normal Cards.
Harry watched as the beautiful girl closed her eyes in concentration before shuffling the pink cards in her hand. Without opening her eyes or taking away from her concentration she laid out the cards in a diamond shape: one, two, three, two, one. Harry got a chance to inspect the weird design on the back of the card for a moment before she opened her eyes and flipped over the first card.
"The Fight, obviously this is about Voldemort, Harry," she said plainly, causing Ron to wince. "The next two Cards show his weapons against you for the moment." She carefully flipped over the next two cards as Harry fidgeted. Tarot cards were one thing, but something about this girl reading about Voldemort set him ill at ease. "The Dream and The Return. He holds your dreams and the past against you. He probably knows something you do not."
Harry nodded, staring at her hands as she explained the next line. "These three are about what he is in relation to you and..." she broke off biting her lip. Harry looked over to see three cards labeled, "The Mirror," "The Twin," and "The Dark." They seemed harmless enough to him but by the look on the witch's face she looked severely disturbed, her eyes trained specifically on "The Dark".
"What?" Ron said.
"Oh, nothing, just a little weird. These say that he is the darkness and that your destinies are linked," she lied quickly, storing away the true knowledge for later use. "Anyway, the last two are your weapons against him are, oh how nice," she smiled as she turned over "The Windy" and "The Firey." "Your power lies not only in your passion to fight but also what you can gain from those around you. All in all I think I can see you winning." She smiled at him softly, making him feel a little queasy inside.
"What is the last card, Sakura?" Ron asked, gesturing to the only one left unturned.
"Oh, it is the Card that signifies Harry, The Light Card," she said without even bothering to flip it over.
"How'd you know that if you didn't see it?" he asked before he was interrupted by a sharp intake of breath from behind him.
"My dear child, only in dreams did I ever think to see this!" Trelawney gasped. Harry noticed that the woman was looking at Sakura and her Cards as if she were some sort of god. Sakura laughed nervously before gathering the cards into one pile and hiding them in her pocket once more. "Oh, you must promise my dear girl to tell me what you saw! Or perhaps let me try one day myself?"
At that point Harry noticed that Sakura was looking very uncomfortable. "I'm sorry professor but I don't allow anyone to use my Cards really. I think you can respect that as a fellow Seer," she added pleadingly causing the older lady to smile in pleasure.
"I'm sure that is fine. Anyway, class is dismissed. Everyone needs to hurry to their own classes."
Harry and Ron watched as the younger girl sprang into action and quickly grabbed her bag before sprinting for the trap door. When she disappeared from sight they exchanged a significant look. "Why do I get the impression, Harry, that there is something more to that little tarot deck that Sakura's not telling us?"
"Probably because you are right," he sighed. "We need to make sure to tell Hermione about that. Come on, Ron, we've got the magnificent new DADA teacher to have class with."
They met Hermione outside the classroom door as she stared in at the professor. Li was standing just barely inside the class, glowering at the blue haired man and muttering something under his breath in Mandarin. Harry looked over to notice that the professor was watching all of them as they stood in the doorway. With a sigh he pushed through to take a seat in the classroom. Ron followed behind him closely with Hermione and a still glowering Li in tow. "Do you think he'll last more than a year this time?"
"Who knows? The better question is if we'd want him to," Harry muttered as the last of the class filed in and the professor signaled the start of the class.
"As you already know, fifth years, I am Professor Eriol Hiiragizawa. No, I am not from Asia. I was born right here in England and attended this school myself a few thousand years ago," he exagerated causing his students to giggle. And yes, I am a decent teacher as I hope to prove. Will I be the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher yet? Probably not, but I can assure you I'm better than Lockhart and Quirrell at least." The students chuckled slightly. "Now, before I start class I'll answer any other questions you are dying to ask."
Dean Thomas raised his hand quickly, "How do you know Kinomoto?"
The professor smiled complacently and Harry wondered if he would answer like she had the previous day. "I've gotten that question a few times already. The answer is that not only did I help her with her studies but I am also an old friend of the family. This also applies to Miss Daidouji as well."
"What did you do before you came here?" Lavender Brown asked.
"Actually, I did a little of everything. Mostly I help both the Ministry and the Wizard Council gather information about the wizarding world around the globe."
"Who's side are you on, professor, the Ministry's or Dumbledore's?" Seamus Finnigan asked, glancing at Harry.
The dancing eyes of the professor suddenly grew serious as he stared at the class. Harry felt a little nervous, unsure of what the man would say. He knew that Li believed him when he said that Voldemort was back, but it wasn't certain that everyone Li knew felt the same way.
"I will answer your question then I will start class. I also want everyone here to realize that no matter who I agree with, I still expect you to do your best in this class. Is that understood?" He waited until each student had nodded in assent. "It is my understanding that as of the Twenty-fourth of June He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned to this world. I am sure there are many who disagree with me, but as far as I can tell, it is truth.
"Now, this year in class you will be learning counter-curses and how to defend yourself in the incident you are attacked by dark magic. I will do my best to help everyone prepare for their O.W.L.s at the end of the year so I expect everyone present to do their best for me."
He continued talking about the concentration needed to perform counter-curses and why they are used. The lecture lasted for the whole of the class period but was not boring. Professor Hiiragizawa frequently stopped to answer questions and would often pick on a student to name a situation where they might encounter dark magic, outside of Voldemort or Death Eaters.
Harry was thoughtful when he left the classroom. It was a relief to know that he had the new DADA teacher on his side at least and that he was a competent man who didn't have a superiority complex. However, he did find it rather odd when, while leaving the class, he overheard the professor say, "My cute descendant," to Li before getting, "You're creepy, Hiiragizawa," thrown back at him.
After dinner had passed and students were encouraged to go to their dorms before curfew set in, Sakura made her way to the griffin that guarded Dumbledore's office. She was alone, and nervous, but after taking a deep breath she said, "Bertie Bott's." The griffin once again jumped into life and Sakura stepped forward, allowing the turning stairwell to do the work for her. When she finally found herself outside of the doorway, she hesitated, biting her lip.
I don't need to do this now, she told herself. I can do this tomorrow or the next day and bring Syaoran or Tomoyo or Meilin or all of them with me. Yes I should do this tomorrow, she thought finally turning to leave.
"Come in already, Miss Kinomoto. You can be surprisingly indecisive for someone who has done so much," Dumbledore called. The door opened before her and inside she found Professor McGonagall and another professor she didn't recognize with dark hair and a hooked nose. Nervously, she bowed to them in greeting.
"I'm sorry, I am interrupting something. I just...," she broke off, feeling decidedly uncomfortable under the intense stares of the three adults.
"It's fine Miss Kinomoto. Severus, you may go if you like, but Minerva I'm sure you would like to stay." The lady nodded, returning to her seat while the other professor looked at her askance, as if deciding whether or not he should leave. At last he decided that he had better things to do than listen to adolescent girls complain about what they thought they knew and left the room.
"I don't think he likes me," Sakura observed.
"Perhaps not, Miss Kinomoto. Now I'm sure you had a very good reason to speak with me. I actually had expected another conversation with you but not this soon. You work faster than this old man is used to."
Sakura blushed and sat in the seat he indicated. "I actually don't need to ask as many questions as I thought I would yesterday. I saw most of the important things last night, as well as Syaoran, but something unusual happened in Divination and I didn't know what to think so I came to you."
"Yes, Sibyll told me that you did a reading for Mr. Potter. That may have been unwise since you are trying to keep your powers a secret."
Sakura blushed, knowing he was right. "I know, professor, but the Cards would be mad at me if I relied on another deck. And when they are upset with me they don't respond as well."
"You speak as if they are alive, Miss Kinomoto," McGonagall observed.
"You could almost say they are, professor. It is hard to explain, but they are not just objects." The professor nodded and indicated that she go on wit her story. "When I did my reading today it automatically picked up on Voldemort. It told me...actually would you like to see what it showed me?" she asked since she herself was a visual person.
"If you like," Dumbledore agreed, indicating the desk.
Sakura nodded and held out her hand expectantly and obediently nine Cards flew into her hand. She held them out to the desk and they got in the order they had been without her having to do anything more. The sourceress made all of her actions with a practiced casualness, showing that she had done this many times before.
Sakura began to go through the reading again, repeating almost verbatim what she had told Harry a couple hours before. She pointedly skipped over the row of three cards and continued until she came to the Light Card. "This Card matched with these three is what troubled me. These three tell what Voldemort is in respect to Harry. The Light and Dark prove that they are opposites but the Mirror and the Twin say that they are equal opposites. I told Harry that it meant that their destinies were linked, which he must already know, but this is more than that. It shows that their fate is balanced upon one thing and there is an equal chance of either coming true."
She stopped and looked at the Cards in confusion for a moment before gathering them to herself again and slipping them in her pocket. "I came here to ask if I am not reading right or if there is something you haven't told Harry yet."
Dumbledore sighed and a weary look grew over his face. "You are reading correctly, perhaps more than makes me comfortable to see. But I must ask you to respect my wishes when I say that I cannot reveal to you what I haven't told him." He drew himself up in his chair, regaining some of his vigor. "I'm sure you realize that you were placed in the fifth year Divination class to watch after Mr. Potter. I would have placed your friend Li with him, but I must allow him to lead his own life as well so we gave him the electives more suited to him.
"Miss Kinomoto, I am glad that you are already keeping a good watch on him and have already learned what you could about his situation. But perhaps there is something you can do for him now that others can't."
"What is that, professor?"
"Be his friend. Everyone else is tainted with bad memories and Harry is growing bitter and angry. Right now he needs a friend who can prove that he is not the only one out there and that there are others who have to suffer. But also that they can get by. Can you do that for me, Miss Kinomoto?"
Sakura stared at the aged man for a moment before smiling and nodding. "I'd love to be his friend." She stood up and excused herself before the time came when she would be in trouble for being out after hours.
The two professors watched her as she left and kept their eyes trained on where she had disappeared for sometime. Finally, Professor McGonagall broke the silence. Awe and respect filled her voice when she said, "She is so young, but I wouldn't hesitate to say she has more magic in one hand than most wizards have in their whole being. I think I'm one of them," she smiled, looking at Dumbledore as she continued.
"She is a very amazing girl. The level of control she has on her magic is almost unheard of at all, much less at her age. And she does everything so easily. She doesn't even realize how amazing she is nor does she think she has a hard time of it herself."
"No, Minerva, she doesn't and perhaps that is her greatest strength. She doesn't look down on anyone because to her there is nothing to look down on, no difference between herself and others. And she has survived everything and can still smile genuinely at the end."
"Don't you think that perhaps we were a bit cruel to bring her into a world so full of death?"
"Perhaps. But also I think one aspect of her reading was wrong. Harry might be the light to Voldemort's dark, but Sakura is pure light for the world. I think she may be able to help heal our wounds when this is all finished."
McGonagall nodded in agreement.
When Sakura returned to the common room, she heard Fred and George Weasley in serious argument with Hermione. She didn't quite understand what they were talking about and by the time she got close enough the argument was nearly over.
"No," Hermione said with anger embedded in her voice, "But I will write to your mother."
"You wouldn't," both breathed at once.
"I certainly would. I can't make you stop testing those horrible things on yourself but I can stop you from giving them to the First Years."
The twins stared at each other in horror before the new prefect walked away, obviously shaking in rage. Sakura looked at the twins in curiosity. "What was that about?" she asked in general.
"The prefect doesn't want us to test out our new products. Says they'll hurt people," Fried answered.
"What's the product?"
"We are starting a new line of candies that when you eat them feign illness until you can take the antidote. That way you can get out of class whenever you need to." George grinned.
Sakura stared at them. She usually liked class so she didn't understand why someone would work so hard to get out of it. But, shrugging mentally, she thought to each their own. "I need to get to my homework now. Ja!" She smiled to them and walked over to where Hermione had gone to sit with her friends. She was glowering at Ron as she pulled out a bag filled with what looked like cloth disks or something of the like to the Asian girl.
"What are those things you are making, Hermione?" Sakura asked politely as she sat down next to Syaoran.
"They are hats for the house elves. You see when a house elf receives clothing they are free. I am trying to free them from their slavery." When the girl still looked confused, Hermione continued on. "You see, house elves are forced to do whatever their master says, whether it be getting food or cleaning or doing things they absolutely hate. And they aren't paid for it at all! It really is horrible to see a race of creatures enslaved like that."
"But they LIKE it, Hermione! How many times do we have to remind you of that?" Ron said with irritation shaking his voice.
"What do you mean they like it?" Syaoran asked, speaking for the first time since they had entered the common room after dinner.
"They like their job! They like what they do!" Harry answered, feeling annoyed to be back on this same topic again.
Suddenly, Sakura was reminded of Kero and Yue. They did everything for her without qualm or question. They would even die for her if they needed to. Even more, the only thing they did object to was the repeated times she had told them to do as they liked, always arguing that they wanted to be with her, to guard and protect her.
"Ano, if they like it, it isn't slavery is it?"
"What?" everyone asked turning to her with obvious shock. "I figured you'd be on her side," Ron said amazedly.
"I am in a way, but not if they like what they do. You might say that I have two...beings that are bound to me like the house elves are to their masters. I have often told them to do what they would, to be free with their own time and wishes, but they ignore me." As she spoke, she reached up to clutch the pendant, in essence holding her two Guardians in her hand. "They wish to stay with me and I respect their wishes."
"Heh, you just mean you'd miss them if they left," Syaoran observed.
Sakura turned and wrinkled her nose at him with a grin. "Very much!"
"See," Ron exclaimed, pointing to Sakura. "She's not a horrible person but she has something like house elves! They are happy here!" He frowned as he watched his fellow prefect cover the hats with rubbish. "Are you trying to trick them into freedom?" he cried angrily.
"Yes! They are too brainwashed to know any better! And I'm sure Sakura allows her...servants freedom! They are not the same!" With a snort of indignation she gathered her belongings and headed up the stairs to the girls dormitory. Everyone watched her go and Sakura felt a little guilty.
Ron groaned. "There is no point in trying to finish homework now," he gesturing to his potions essay. "I have no clue what to do with moonstone. Do you Harry?"
Harry shook his head tiredly. He reached up to massage his right temple for a moment. When he stopped he looked over his homework with a dejected face. "I really don't feel like doing all this now. First day of term and I'm already behind."
"Is your head hurting, Harry?" Sakura asked with concern in her voice.
Harry turned to look at the pretty girl with the kind eyes and smiled a little. "Nothing out of the ordinary really. Thanks for asking though." Harry felt his heart nearly stop when she grinned at him in relief. "Where did you go after dinner by the way?"
She seemed a little flustered, causing Harry to wonder a little. "I had to go speak to the Headmaster about something. See I was wondering why they put me in fifth year divination, since I don't really trust Professor Trelawney's explanation. He didn't tell me much but he did say that it wasn't a mistake of the schedule."
"Just make sure you do your homework or else you will get in trouble," Harry warned her, not wanting to see the cheerful girl upset.
"Oh, she'll get it done," Li observed without looking up from his essay. "She's just a procrastinator and likes to leave everything to the last minute."
"Syaoran!" she yelled back, holding up one fist angrily. "Just because you do your homework the instant you get it doesn't mean everyone else has to! I mean during lunch the rest of us were all talking and you were doing the potions essay."
Ron and Harry glanced at each other before looking at Li hopefully. "Er, mate, would you mind helping us out a bit then, since you are already finished?" Ron pleaded.
Li finally looked up, giving Harry the distinct impression that he was going to say no or tell them to eff off. But instead he shrugged. Leaning forward he started going through a series of scrolls before he finally pulling one out and tossing it to the two boys on the couch. Harry leaned over to read as Ron opened it up. He quickly realized that it wasn't the essay but almost three feet of notes on moonstone, a lot of which dealt with its uses in potions.
"Who did you nick this off of?" Harry asked in awe at the detail the notes went into. It wasn't as nice as being able to copy from Hermione but it would cut down on the effort by half.
Sakura giggled, distracting the boys at the entrancing sound for a moment before they looked back at the scroll. "Syaoran didn't steal that, he wrote it."
"Why'd you take the time to do something like that, Li?" Ron asked, obviously awed.
Li shrugged as he went back to working on his DA homework. "Taking notes was beat into me. Though, I probably would have picked it up sooner or later from the level of grades mother demands."
Harry stared at the Chinese boy as he worked diligently on his homework. There was still a sense of dislike and eeriness that came to him when he looked at Li, but he was beginning to understand him a little more. Sure his own life hadn't been a picnic but it was beginning to sound as if this boy's wasn't either. "Thanks, Li," he said finally as he began to work on the essay instead of putting it off.
Sakura looked around at the three boys around her who were all studiously working. Despite Syaoran's jabs she had already finished her Care of Magical Creatures homework and since she had so impressed Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher didn't assign any to them. She felt a little awkward since everyone else was busy and she had nothing to do herself. So instead she stood and wished everyone a goodnight.
"Oyasumi nasai, Sakura," Syaoran said, looking up at her with smiling eyes before returning to his work.
"Er, night?" Ron said looking a little confused.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Goodnight Sakura. See you tomorrow at breakfast."
Sakura nodded and went up the long stretch of stairs before changing into her night clothes tiredly. She had a feeling that the next days would be tiring, almost as much as it had been four years ago when she first got the Clow Cards. Learning new magic was always like that. With a sigh she slipped into her bed and was quickly asleep.
(A/N: REVIEW! The next chapter should be up pretty soon! So please be very kind and review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism or just words of hey I like that really do help me write. Anyway, Ja!)