The chill of the late autumn morning clashed with her warm body. She could see the trail of steam she left as she ducked, dodged, and danced through the courtyard.
"Ouch!" someone, probably Helen, exclaimed as one of the dozens of tiny bouncing balls hit them.
Ginny jumped over a bench to avoid several balls.
"Don't spill the water!" Neville shouted even as he spun leapt over a ball and made his way up the stairs that lined the wall of the courtyard.
After two weeks of training under Saotome Sensei, Ginny thought she had a better understanding of what he was up to. Unlike with their classes sensei did not spend time stretching. That was something that they were supposed to do on their own time. Training started every morning at 5:30 with the five trainees carrying buckets of water from the lake to the top of a tower along the northern courtyard. Once the room turned reservoir was filled they would spend time practicing a kata – a series of jumps, punches, and kicks until they had all done it correctly. After that they all changed into a kimono and were doused by the water they had used to fill the reservoir.
Evening training was different as they spent the time sparring, usually five against one as he lectured them about magical theory and martial arts philosophy. He was training them to be observant during a fight and how to think on their feet.
They were at the point where they could feel the energy moving through their muscles before it catapulted them up the wall or stairs. Saotome Sensei wanted them to be at the point where they didn't feel it at all. It was not to say that he wanted them to go back to how they had been before they had started training, but that he wanted it to become so regular that they did not even have to even consider it. As he had explained to them, due to their long exposure to magic they were able to perform feats that would boggle a no-maj's mind (that being the American term for muggle). Their internal magic allowed them to leap higher and further than a normal person, but they needed to train that internal magic so that they could do those things instinctively and automatically.
Yes, it was physical training that pushed their bodies, but the results were already showing. Training had shifted from carrying buckets of water up from the lake to one of the towers to carrying water through one of the side courtyards and up to the tower while avoiding being tagged with one of the balls. First it had been the blue balls that simply stung and occasionally left welts, then the larger and heavier brown balls that would throw them off balance and occasionally spill their water, and finally the number of buckets they each carried had increased. Theodore and Neville were currently at eight, Ginny and Su had four, and Helen was at two large buckets.
Since they had increased the number of buckets, Ginny had noticed that she was eating three times as much as before, but had not put on any weight though she had become leaner and considerably more flexible and stronger. Helen, the little Hufflepuff, had slimmed down as well but that was it. Su had changed the least. It was Neville and Theodore that had changed the most. Both had been bigger boys but now they were lean and trim having burned off nearly all of their body fat without packing on the bulging muscles.
The changes weren't just physical either as both of the fifth year boys were able clear half of the stairs in a single bound. It was impressive, but nothing compared to their sensei who could clear the wall with ease.
Training with sensei had begun in earnest following the Umbridge incident. He had accepted them as students with a few conditions – no fighting against each other (sparring was not seen as fighting), do not share with anyone else anything about what they learned from him (a magically binding contract), do what he instructed, always have each other's respect and support, and not to use what they learned to bully others and to always help others.
While some had thought it nonsense at first, Ginny knew that training with sensei had improved her flying. While her body had not caught up with her she knew that she could spot snitches quicker and even the projected flight path of snitches and bludgers as a result of the physical training that she was enduring. The rest of her teammates had merely attributed it to her finally earning a spot on the team and being able to practice with the best team in the school, but she knew better. Even a quick bludger was slow compared to the large balls that Saotome Sensei threw at them. She was at the point where she could even spot the practice snitch sooner than Harry.
Academically she was able to keep a clear head while in class. It was the same for her fellow Gryffindor as Neville, who had been notorious at wrecking potions and blowing up or melting cauldrons, had turned in a perfect potion and had earned more points than even Hermione had in a week of classes.
"Good job," Saotome Sensei declared from the top of the reservoir. With a flick of his wrist he sent several balls flying, not to hit his students but to knock several other balls around and seemingly herd the rest of the balls into a pen. She'd been sure that he'd been using magic the first time she'd witnessed him doing that, but he insisted that this part of their training be completely magic free.
Without the threat of more balls hitting them Helen, Su, Ginny, and Theodore ascended the stairs quickly, buckets in hand, and emptied them into the reservoir. The heat that they had built up in their many trips down to the lake and back to the courtyard was nothing compared to the sweat that they soon worked up as Saotome Sensei lead them through a kata. He was not just showing them how to throw a punch, kick, elbow, or knee, he was showing them how to maintain their balance and not let their momentum control them. As the courtyard was filled with balls and other debris the five students were forced to improvise parts of own kata to adjust to their terrain.
The basic standing katas allowed them to stretch and work on their flexibility. The advanced katas worked on their balance and ability to adjust on the fly as the terrain was not level. They learned to roll with a hit and their increased their durability and stamina during their sparring session while also being able to use what they had picked up from the katas in an actual fight.
Today they managed to complete the kata after only needing to run through it three times, a new record for them.
"Nice work," Sensei stated. "You've earned more weights." Each of them groaned. "You can put the new vests on after you change."
Sensei's belief that their bodies would adapt to the weights was true, as each of them was now carrying around at least thirty kilos beneath their robes and clothes daily. The only time they were free of the weights were when they were running with the buckets.
"Hurry up and change," he ordered them.
Though they were all sweating profusely their excess body heat was soon stripped away once they took a position in the empty rooms below the reseroir. The girls were provided one room while the boys were in the other. A tabletop provided them with the space needed to place their dirty clothes but nothing else. There was no need for privacy between the girls as they went from sweat and dirt stained clothes to clean white silk kimonos. She assumed the same was true of the boys. Despite his sex-changing curse, Saotome Sensei always changed with the boys and waited for them to depart for their classes before dousing himself with warm water to change back to his male form.
The reservoir that they had labored to fill was slowly emptied onto the students and their sensei via gravity as a small opening spilled water down onto each of them. The cold water had initially been a shock to their systems but within minutes Ginny felt at peace as if the water had washed away all doubts, fears, and worries from her.
Only half of the water had been emptied on them. Still, it seemed like the end came all too soon. After their evening practice they would again rinse off. Su had previously mentioned that it was a cleansing or purifying, not a proper bath, and was used to help them attain a state of clarity of mind and body. When they were ready sensei would have them all purify in the same pool.
Ginny wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet, though she supposed that eventually she might be.
"I think your boobs have grown," Su stated.
The redhead fought back the need to blush. Having supposedly cleansed herself she shouldn't need to feel embarrassed or ashamed of her body, especially with another girl. "Do you really think so?"
Though older, Su was significantly shorter and did not need to bend over to get a better look at Ginny's still growing bust. "May I?"
She gave the Ravenclaw a tentative nod. The feel of Su's hand cupping her left breast sent a shiver through her body.
"They've grown," Su sighed enviously as she gave the firm mound a squeeze. "It's not just that the rest of you got skinnier either, don't you think so Helen?"
The youngest girl did not hesitate to join the inspection. "I can't wait for mine to grow."
"We should hurry up," Ginny suggested as she heard the clock tower chiming.
Though they had spent the past week getting used to their new routine and the placement of their training they were still learning to navigate the corridors. The court yard where they trained was on the northern side of the castle. Su and Helen had it the easiest as the north side of the castle were where the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff dorms were located. The Gryffindor and Slytherin dorms were on the south side of the castle giving them the longer trip to and from training.
Neville quickly caught up to her as she dashed through the corridors. His hair still wet, he was running barefoot. It was easier for the boys as they were now able to land the two story jump from the purifying bathroom even if they were doing so with nearly fifty kilos strapped on them.
"Your, um," Neville fought to contain a blush as he averted his eyes.
Ginny glanced at her attire. She'd been in such a rush to dress and return to Gryffindor tower that she had ripped her shirt when she'd pulled it on. "I thought it was just wet from my hair."
Ever the gentleman, Neville pulled off his shirt and tossed it to her. While he was not muscular he was nice to look at. With their dorms closer Su and Helen had not felt the need to rush off as she and Neville had. Theodore had since taken a different path into the dungeons leaving just the two Gryffindors alone in the corridor. Wearing just the weight vest he it was clear that he had lost some weight since starting his training under their sensei.
"Where are you two going?" a familiar and irritating voice demanded.
Both Gryffindors slowed down to a civil a bit rushed walk. "We are headed back to the Gryffindor dorms for a quick bath," Ginny replied as she eyed her brother. "You've been back here a few weeks already, shouldn't you know that by now?"
The ever stiff as a board Percy Weasley held himself regally. "In that state of undress?"
"Morning practice with Saotome Sensei," Neville stated. "My shirt was damaged and I didn't have a spare."
"Why not use your wand?" Percy demanded.
"Sensei prefers that we not use our wands for an hour after practice," the taller boy answered.
"And why is that?"
Neville shrugged, "Something about letting our bodies restore our chi reserves instead of relying on magic for everything."
The older Weasley looked Neville up and down, "You may go. I wish to speak with Miss Weasley."
"If you have something to say to me you can say it before both of us," she said defiantly. She loved her idiot brother, but he was being an idiot. Not only had he sided with the ministry against Dumbledore and thus their father, he had the gall to bring up the fact that he resented the stigma of being Arthur Weasley's son. "If this is a matter that relates to your position as the Junior Inquisitor then I suggest that you schedule an appointment."
He stiffened.
Percy had arrived the Monday after the High Inquisitor had 'fallen ill'. As the Hogwarts' Junior Inquisitor, he acted in Delores Umbridge's stead while she was off recovering. In the week since he had approached Ron in an attempt to curry the youngest Weasley son's favor. It had not gone well.
"Today is Saturday," he stated. "You have no classes today."
"I was hoping to get some breakfast before quidditch practice," she shot back. When Percy had been prefect and eventually Head Boy he'd at least shown enough interest in quidditch, though perhaps that was because the team influenced the outcome of the House Cup. Even then he'd lectured the twins about how quidditch would only prevent them from reaching their full potential. "If the Junior Inquisitor wishes to meet with me, then you shall have to schedule something with my head of house."
Turning sharply she strode off towards Gryffindor tower. Neville followed suit. Once they were sure that he was not following them they picked up their pace again, dashing up the stairs a what others considered a breakneck speed
Few of the Gryffindor girls were up at such an early hour, save for the Prefects, and they had their own bath if they wanted to venture out of the tower to use it. By the time she was finished with her bath and redressed there were only a handful of girls up.
Spotting Harry, Ron, and Hermione along with Neville in the common room she rushed to catch up with them. It was perhaps because of this that she did not get along well with her fellow fourth year lions. As the youngest Weasley and the only daughter her brothers had always looked out for her, but in Gryffindor that mentality had hampered her ability to get to know the other girls in her year. It did not help that Romilda Vane ruled their roost and did not like the Weasleys.
Only Colin, as the fifth wheel in the boy's dorm, had bothered to speak with her when he wasn't busy taking pictures of everything. It had not helped that he spent much of their first year petrified.
"You need to do something about that." It was not uncommon for Hermione to chastise Harry or Ron, but the look of concern on her face and the look on Ron's face suggested that they had both agreed that whatever it was that Harry was dealing with needed to be addressed.
"It's just a dream," Harry muttered. Glancing at Neville it was clear that while he was close with his dormmates he did not trust them the way that he trusted Ron and Hermione.
"You know," Neville said as he rolled his shoulders and tested the flexibility of the weights he wore "Se- Professor Saotome has us sit in cold water to help us clear our minds."
The others looked at Neville skeptically.
"It helps. I used to be so nervous in Potions but our training has helped me calm down a bit."
"Is that why I caught you shirtless in the loo?" Ron asked.
Neville nodded. "I just needed a bucket of water to splash over me to help calm my nerves before potions."
Still skeptical, Harry shook his head.
"Why not take it to Dumbledore?" Unhappy with the direction of the conversation, Hermione tried valiantly to steer the conversation into what she deemed to be an appropriate direction.
Harry shook his head, "He's too busy dealing with the High and Junior Inquisitors."
"So talk to Professor Saotome," Neville suggested. "He is the Defense Professor for a reason."
Ginny rounded on Harry, "You're afraid that because our last Defense professor was a Death Eater pretending to be the real professor, this professor might be out to get you too?"
That stopped Harry in his tracks.
"You think that Professor Saotome is using us to get to you just because that happened with Moody?" She glared at him, "That would be like me never taking up a diary again."
She could see that her words had stunned him. He carried the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders, especially following Cedric's death. That was why he was too blind to the rest of the world that was passing him by. He had quidditch, and Ron and Hermione, but that was it.
"Ginny's right," Ron finally said, surprising all of them. "I know you feel that Dumbledore's too busy for you, but you have people around you who are offering to help. Neville and I didn't have to talk to Seamus about his mum and the Daily Prophet but we did because we both felt that he and his mum were out of line. And last year when we had our row, who helped you? Neville did, that's who.
"Now quit being such a bloody git and get that stick out of your arse!"
The early morning sun failed to pierce the autumn canopy of the Forbidden Forest. Every breath he took was full of potent magical energy. Its aura was greater than the Ryugenzawa suggesting that there were many more magical creatures in this forest and not just creatures that had been enchanted. He'd heard the tales and stories that the students and other teachers had spun of the centaurs, werewolves, acromantulas, unicorns, hippogriffs, threstrals, pixies, and other magical creatures.
He was barely inside the forest when he heard the herd. Dropping from the trees, he purposefully walked along the obvious path until the herd made their presence with the twang of a bowstring as it loosed an arrow in a display of power and authority.
Ranma stood still out of respect as a score of the demi-humans emerged. The foremost of the group had deep red hair and a full beard that matched his gleaming chestnut body and long red tail. "I do not recognize you, wizard, but you are trespassing onto our lands."
The defense professor bowed deeply. It was uncharacteristic for him to show such respect, but he was not here to provoke a fight. "It was my intention to seek out the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest."
The redhead eyed him, gauging his ability and sincerity. "I am Ranma Saotome, and I came here seeking some wood for your land."
His words caused some of the herd to bristle.
"I am Ronan," the red replied. "There is plenty of wood beyond our lands, go find it there."
'One, two, three, four, five' he counted in his mind. He knew that his ego and mouth more often than not got him into trouble. "While that is true, there is something special about the wood in your forest. I require some of your wood and am willing to barter for it."
Centaurs were not motivated by wealth, but there were things that they might want that could not be provided or found in the forest.
"What could you have to offer us that we could not take from you?" one of the other males scoffed.
"I can aid you in reclaiming some of your land," Ranma proposed. "It is my understanding that the forest is you domain, but you are not the only ones in the forest. I could help you reclaim some of your territory back from the spiders."
A murmur passed amongst the herd's warrior and hunters. There were at best a score strong, insufficient numbers to deal with a nest of giant, semi-sentient spiders that could breed ten times as often and as many than the demi-humans. It was likely that this party was the last line of defense for the foals and the females with at least twice this number dealing with the threat from the spiders.
"Wizards will destroy the forest in fighting with the spiders," Ronan stated. "It is not worth it for us"
"I will not destroy or burn the forest," Ranma interrupted. "I give you my word that I will not destroy the forest. I might take out a tree or two, but I will not destroy the forest."
They considered him, unsure what to think.
"I was the one who slew the female basilisk and her young beneath Hogwarts. It was the enemy of the spiders, but had the young grown to maturity they would have posed a threat to your herd. I wear the skin of the mother." He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal part of the bounty he had claimed from his trip into the Chamber of Secrets.
"If you can clear out a sufficient portion of land for us, we would allow you to claim a tree from that area," Ronan finally offered, "provided that you do not damage the forest beyond what you have promised us."
Under escort it took nearly an hour for him to reach the contested area. Along the way he watched as the centaurs slew any spiders that they came across regardless of how tiny it was.
"Follow the webs," Ronan advised, "you will encounter the younglings first. You will have until sun down to clear out as much as you can"
"I'll have clear out two square kilometers in by noon." It was a brash claim, but it earned him a smirk, or at least he thought it was a smirk.
The young master martial artist had gone less than fifty paces before he encountered the first of the young acromatulas. It was the size of a dog. Ranma bashed it over the head, squashing it and sending its bodily fluids flying. From the looks of its remains it was not even an adult but its venom sack was full. By the time he'd stashed the organ into a jar several angry acromatulas appeared. These were larger, though not as tall as he was.
The largest leapt straight at him only to have a hard punch rip through its torso. Enraged, the others attacked as one, only for Ranma to dance around them and land hard kicks to their legs, mangling the limbs but not incapacitating the creatures.
More of the creatures appeared; each one larger than the last until they were all far taller than he was. Still he continued to break legs, though he occasionally ripped off a fang or two when the spiders got too close.
The spiders had clearly underestimated him but were now much more cautious. They had him completely surrounded, but he didn't care. A large male leapt from a tree. Ranma sprang into the air and greeted it with a powerful kick to the head, smashing the brain and eyes. Stealing it's momentum he propelled himself into the tree branches above.
Looking down on the clutter of spiders he still saw some of the younger ones that he had initially encountered. He counted at least two score of them. Not nearly enough for what he had planned.
Using the spring in the branch he flung himself towards another branch with dozens of spiders eagerly waiting for him. He grabbed the leg of the closest one as it sought to catch him and instead was caught and then thrown into the others. Ranma used only enough force to throw his attackers back into other attackers, giving himself enough room to fight and to survey the battlefield.
Finally he'd had enough. Kicking off of a monstrous spider he flew into the air. With a clap of his hands he sent a spray of water at the spiders beneath him. The sudden appearance of a hundred and eight boars startled the spiders off as they found supple meals within their grasp. The clutter of spiders thinned as those closest to the giant boars secured the easy meals and sought to bring them back to their nest.
The distraction bought Ranma a few seconds to reassess his situation. He had to give the centaurs more credit as he had underestimated the number of spiders and their ferocity. And these were the young, expendable ones.
By his count he had killed only ten of the giant arachnids before he'd had to resort to the transformation tags. "I guess this the closest I'll get to fighting Spider-man."
Pulling out a pair of Wodao he dove into the clutter. The blades themselves were nothing special but in his hands they cut through the spiders with ease. It did not take the spiders long to grow wary of him as he left a trail of death in his wake. Hunger gave way to fear as the spiders began to retreat, leaving their injured behind. The young master did give chase, though only to ensure that the spiders were not likely to come back.
By his count he had reduced the number of young soldier spiders by a good two hundred at least and had easily reclaimed the desired space that the centaurs had wanted.
"I am not easily impressed," Ronan stated as he and his warriors descended upon the clearing. The twang of bowstrings followed them as they killed the injured spiders that remained. "Our warriors have not slain this many of their hunters in a single engagement, though this is only a fraction of their number."
Ranma shrugged. From what he had seen the spiders had nearly killed everything in their territory. How they were able to sustain their numbers he did not know, but he was sure that had he not intervened when he had the acromantulas would have cleaned out the forest. Only the centaurs were keeping them in check, but even they were losing ground to the deadly predators.
Pulling out some hempen cords he placed them around several trees. Using the blood and venom from the slain acromantulas he wrote out several charms on his blank spell tags before tying the tags onto the trees. "Do not take the charms off of these trees," he instructed Ronan. "The charms will keep the acromantulas from returning to this clearing as long as these trees remain standing."
The proud centaur nodded. "You may claim any one tree."
His needs were modest, but Ranma understood that he could not appear to get the short end of the stick. As he searched for a suitable tree he took note of the fact that not all of the defeated acromantulas were killed. A handful were captured, their legs ripped off so as to decrease their mobility. He knew that they would be useful in providing fresh venom and perhaps silk/webbing to the herd. The fortunate ones were killed and their bodies carried triumphantly back to the herd's camp. Ranma did not want to think about that.
While the spiders would provide the herd with food, Ranma knew that there was only so much one could take of the tough arachnid. Approaching a group of warriors as they prepared to slay a dying acromantula Ranma held up his hand. With a flick of his wrist he tagged the creature then sprayed it with water, transforming it into a boar before their eyes. A quick thrust put the startled creature out of its misery.
"Gather the legs of the spiders, Friend Ronan." The centaurs quickly did as he requested. In a flash the unappetizing, still twitching limbs were transformed into meaty venison haunches.
With his blades he cut several portions out of a leg and took a cut for himself. The warriors' eyes were on him as he bit into it and chewed down a piece. Ronan took another cut and bit into it. "Deer," he proclaimed before eating more.
The other warriors quickly joined in. Several centaurs brought wounded spiders over to him and he obliged them by turning them into nearly whole bears or large fowls. After a good thirty minutes the spiders had been cleared from the area as more of the herd joined them.
The females and young, though cautious, joined in on the feasting though many worked to cure and preserve the meat. The young males practiced slaying spiders and bears with the warriors.
Through it all, Ronan remained by Ranma, waiting for the human to claim his tree. It took him less than ten minutes to find a suitable tree to claim. It did not radiate power, but the plants and creatures that were near it were thriving despite the ravenous appetite of the magical spiders. "I claim this tree."
Displeasure was evident on the centaur's face though he was honor bound to accept Ranma's decision. It was a tall, mighty tree with a tall trunk over two meters thick and that went up ten meters before it branched out into eight sturdy branches. With a swift but powerful blow he cut off one of the thick branches before tying his purified rope around the trunk. "This tree is now mine. Your herd will grant me safe passage to this tree whenever I chose to come here."
Ronan nodded. "Friend Saotome, so long as you take nothing that is not yours, you will be permitted to traverse through our lands."
"Thank you, Friend Ronan." While it was not uncommon for centaurs to befriend others not of their race, it felt nice that they had bestowed that upon him.
As he carved the wood, several centaurs approached him. There was some bartering of tools, weapons, food, and aid, and the occasional tale of past exploits. Even the young, both male and female, approached him, some offering to assist as he carved and prepared the wood.
It was an odd sensation, but he could not help but think that this was what it should have been like in Nerima.
Wings fluttering in the air brought him out of his reverie. A large owl descended with a letter in tow. For a moment he could feel his heart slowly beating. Opening the scroll he quickly read the brief letter.
Professor Ranma Saotome,
Your presence is required at the Hog's Head.
Professor Filius Flitwick
To say that it was not what he had expected was an understatement. Still, he was not one to refuse another professor's minor request.
As the oldest and largest of the taverns in Hogsmead, the Three Broomsticks was nearly packed to the brim with traveling witches and wizards. In contrast the Hog's Head was a run-down joint at the edge of town. The building was slightly beaten and in need of repairs, and there was no music or merriment oozing from the dull brown façade as there had been with the warm and inviting Three Broomsticks.
"Aya!"
The familiar cry and subsequent hug caught him off guard. "Xiao-Hua?" He was no idiot, though he liked to act like one. He spoke little of her language, but he knew enough to know that her name was not really Shampoo.
"Ah, so she does know you," Filius smirked as he, for once, looked down on Ranma.
His mind raced, ignoring the compromising position he appeared to be in as the nubile Amazon cuddled up to him.
"Hello Ranma."
The other woman's sweet, polite voice sent him into a mild panic as he looked around for Kasumi's youngest sister. He waited for the mallet to fall, but when it didn't he finally turned to the tall young woman, "Kasumi, what are you doing here?"
Beside him Xiao-Hua sighed. Pulling herself and him to their feet she led them over to the table where several Hogwarts professors were seated.
Though the brunette had a smile on her face, her eyes lacked the usual glimmer of happiness. "I'm here to marry you."
He could only look on as Ponoma Sprout and Aurora Sinistra consoled Kasumi. Again he glanced around, this time matching the names to the professors' faces. Charity Burbage, Filius Flitwick, Rolanda Hooch, and Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank were also present. There was something about the amount of estrogen that made the situation unsettling for Ranma.
He chairs again, hoping that he had gotten the math right.
"Hello Ranma." The elder's voice sent a shiver down his spine. Turning around he saw the tiny Amazon elder balancing a tray with ten mugs. "Good to see you."
Her English was actual English and not the result of a translation charm.
"I don't know if I can say the same," he grumbled.
"Oh, don't be like that Ranma," she sighed as she set the tray on the table. "We're practically family now." That made no sense at all. He could understand why Kasumi might say what she'd said, but why had the elder not reacted? Things were not making sense to him. "I'll explain things once your co-workers are gone."
Dawn's light brought about an intense pain as Ranma had never felt before. It seemed as though Akane had tried to use her mallet to play golf with his head. He felt cold metal being pushed up against his throat and jaw but could not push away from it.
"You'll feel better soon."
He wanted to snap his eyes open, but he couldn't find the strength to. Instead his energy was diverted to his stomach muscles and throat as he violently, though belatedly, rejected what he'd consumed the previous night. Though he did not want to give the old ghoul too much credit, she had been right – he did feel better once he'd finished throwing up.
"Your students leave much to be desired," the elder said in a light but firm whisper.
As he slowly acclimated it dawned on him that he was naked save for the bed sheets that he was tangled in. He blinked. These were not bed sheets but furs. And he was not in a room but in the forest? His mind, now free of the fog of alcohol, quickly made the connections. "Kasumi!"
His new bride lay naked beneath the furs, her back and shoulders exposed as she lay curled up contently in the warmth of the furs with Xiao-Hua.
"Put this on," the elder chided.
Hastily he did so, ignoring the fact that twigs and pine needles had gotten to some sensitive areas. With his pants on he was at least able to look modest as he followed the ancient Amazon through the centaur encampment.
"Many of my warriors were impressed by your strength and stamina against the spiders, Friend Ranma," Ronan stated with a grin as the centaur approached the pair. "They were even more impressed by the display of your strength and stamina last night."
He couldn't help but scratch at the ivory writhe in his hair, though his mind cautioned him from removing it. 'I had a centaur marriage.'
"It is a good thing that they like you, son-in-law."
Ranma sat straight up, throwing off his blanket as he did so. Sweat covered his bare chest as his heart raced. It was just a dream, but it was not far off from a possible future.
Telling himself that he couldn't think about it at the moment, he quickly changed and rushed off for the northern courtyard.
"Good morning, Sensei." It was Theodore Nott. The Slytherin often passed by his room on his way from or to the Slytherin dorms.
"Morning."
The two of them dashed down the corridors, Nott trying to keep up with the quicker and nimbler master. The large boy's long strides prevented him from falling too far behind despite the fact that Ranma was only going at a third his usual speed.
"Is something bothering you, Sensei?" Theodore asked. By now he could at least run and talk without getting winded. "Does it have to do with the old crone that showed up for training last night?"
Ranma wanted to reply but he knew that he needed to tell all of them at once. "I'll tell you all when once we're done training."
It was actually a lot for him to process, much less for him to explain to his apprentices. 'My old man took the dowry from several families, so now I'm legally obligated to marry each of them… My old man is an idiot… I have several fiancées….' Somehow none of those seemed to be right.
There was nothing as good as some exercise to help him clear his mind. That had been the plan. Seeing that another Gryffindor had joined his two lions though seemed to throw a wrench into his pattern.
"Sensei," young Ginny Weasley stepped forward as soon as she spotted him, "our friend"
"Can speak for himself," Ranma finished as he stopped before the trio.
The redhead stepped back with a slight bow allowing the raven haired boy to step forward.
"I, I was told that perhaps training with you would help me clear my mind and remove distractions," the boy known as Harry Potter said tentatively.
"It's possible," the young master shrugged. "If you're interested then you'll have to endure what the others have. It's fortunate for you that they're still new at this so the weights shouldn't be too much for you to handle."
Harry blinked, unsure of what he had gotten himself into. "Weights?"
"Theodore, your old weights please."
The big Slytherin pulled up his shirt to reveal the two weight vests strapped to his chest. "This one's fifty kilos."
Ranma eyed the scrawny boy. "That might break him. Just give him thirty kilos for now but make sure he gets the twenty liter buckets. Everyone else, double your weights."
They knew by now that groaning in protest merely increased the weights that they had to carry. Obediently they did as instructed before setting off towards the lake. Ranma followed the newest inductee to see if the boy would break.
It did not take long for the others to lap Harry as the scrawny boy was not used to the rigors of this training.
"Don't set the buckets down," Neville advised as he rushed towards the lake.
"If you do, Sensei will empty it and you'll have to go back to the lake to refill them," Theodore finished.
"Take your time," Su added as she passed Harry up for the second time. "With Sensei focused on you we don't have to worry about the balls. We can fill up the reservoir without you."
The others had emptied their buckets at least four times before Harry had even reached the courtyard once. Leaping atop the landing in a single bound Ranma began pelting them with the various balls.
"If you drop the bucket because of the balls, you can still go ahead," Ginny said as she ran around Harry. "Just don't let anything into the water or else you'll have to dump it out in the courtyard."
Between the six apprentices it took them nearly forty minutes to fill the reservoir. The ensuing katas took another thirty minutes though he had the others show Harry how to complete the basic katas before he showed them the advanced katas. As an instructor he was impressed with Harry's determination but that was it as it was too soon to tell and it was unfair to compare him to the others who had already endured two weeks with him.
As the boys prepared to rinse, Harry appeared skeptical about wearing only a loincloth while their sensei wore a robe. The cold water though washed away his unfounded skepticism along with many other thoughts.
With training complete he waited for the boys to change before he himself transformed and changed clothes. Still unsure what to say he considered his options as he stood before them.
"Next weekend I am getting married." Why the hell did he start with that? "As my apprentices you will be expected to attend" and find out that not only will I have a wife but a mistress on the side. "I'll explain more about what your duties will be over the next week" once I find out why you need to be there.
Ginny was the first to raise her hand, "Does this have anything to do with the woman that showed up last night?"
Ranma nodded. "I'll have passes for you on Friday."
In his fifteen years of life Harry Potter had never felt so tired/exhausted/sore. If not for the fact that Hermione was forcing him to eat and that the muscles in his mouth were probably the only ones not sore, he might have forgone eating breakfast and simply fallen into a deep sleep.
The hour was still early and few students had been tempted out of bed by the thought of a hearty breakfast, leaving the Great Hall fairly empty. Only a few Prefects and the handful of apprentices and some of their friends were present.
"What's wrong with you?" Hermione finally demanded. His best female friend of course did not sleep in much. Being a Prefect also meant that she was supposed to be up and ready for Sunday rounds. Since food was involved Ron was up as well regardless of his duties as Prefect.
His mouth full of partially chewed food, he glanced at Ginny and Neville as the pair did their best imitation of Ron while eating.
"Eat up Harry," Neville said after washing down some eggs with water. "Otherwise you won't have the energy to endure tonight's training."
"Training?" a sneering voice repeated. "Is that what you call training? That's more like muggle slave labor."
All eyes turned towards the Slytherins table just beyond the Ravenclaw table. "If you ask me"
"Nobody asked you," little Helen Monroe interjected from the table behind the Gryffindors. Her bright eyes stood out from her dark completion as she glared at the pale Slytherin.
"Wouldn't it be easier to use magic to fill up that room with water?" the girl beside Draco suggested.
"It would," Ginny replied, "but it's not about doing what's easy."
"You mean doing things the muggle way," Malfoy sneered. "That's just bloody stupid!"
"For someone who has it easy it might look stupid, but then again, we all know that even though you've got it easy you always come up short. Isn't that why you haven't beaten Gryffindor in Quidditch or why you're not at the top of your year?" Her green eyes locked with Draco's grey. "But what am I saying? We all know that you like 'easy'."
Affronted, Pansy made to stand up but realized that she was alone as Theodore Nott gripped the two larger boys by the shoulder, keeping them planted to the Slytherin bench. "That was too far," he glanced at Ginny.
For a moment Ginny glared at him but relented. "You're right; I apologize for the slight Miss Parkinson."
"Be gracious Pansy," Theodore cautioned.
The petite Slytherin, startled by the turn of events, simply nodded.
"Draco, if you wish to test our ability and training, why not challenge" Nott glanced at the other apprentices "Longbottom to a duel?"
Draco eyed Neville, "Fine! I challenge you, Longbottom. One hour - the shore of the lake by the forest."
Neville glanced at Draco, then Nott, and finally back to Draco. "Fine."
"I'll be his second," Ginny proclaimed.
Neville shrugged. "Ginny Weasley is my second."
Draco smirked, "Pansy?"
"Fine."
"She's my second."
Trapped in the maelstrom of the moment, Harry and the others watched as the Slytherins departed first. The few Prefects that had been in the Great Hall when the challenge had been issued were on hand.
"You really shouldn't be doing this," Hermione lectured Neville.
The old Neville would have wilted beneath the studious and stern Hermione, but this one simply shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to stand up for what you believe in, remember?"
Harry glanced from Neville to Hermione, then back to Neville, then to Ginny and the others who apprenticed under Professor Saotome. Of the group he knew Neville and Ginny the best, but it was Neville who had changed the most since the start of the term. Initially he'd put it off as perhaps Neville having finally grown out of his shell over the summer, but thinking back on it, Neville had been the same on the Hogwarts Express as he had last year. The changes had all occurred since… well, since when? Racking his brain he realized that the changes had happened after he had started training with Professor Saotome.
"Padma," Nott said as he walked between the Gryffindors and Slytherins "can you be an impartial official for this duel?"
The taller of the Patil twins glance at the participants, both of which nodded in agreement. "O-kay."
Wand in hand she stepped between Draco and Neville as everyone else moved to the tree line. "This is a duel between Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom. Win by incapacitating or submission – no lethal spells."
Both combatants nodded again.
"Wands at the ready," Padma declared as she stepped out of their direct line of sight. Only Draco had his wand before him while Neville had his pointed at the ground in his left hand.
"Confringo!"
Neville threw something at the bolt of red causing the item to explode. Draco gasped as the air was forced out of his lungs. Dashing through the smoke Neville seemed to vanish.
Malfoy clutched at his ribs, gasping for breath, his wand held before him.
A blur flew from the smoke, burying itself in Draco's stomach. Doubled over and gasping for air it was all he could do to stand up as Neville rushed in to deliver a punishing uppercut that sent the darling of Slytherin flying into the lake.
"I don't think he can continue," Neville stated as he picked up two metallic bars from the shore.
Padma turned to Pansy, "As his second you must tend to him to see if he is able to continue as his opponent is allowing you this opportunity."
Startled, the petite Slytherin Prefect rushed to her companion's side. "He's unconscious."
"And his jaw is broken," Neville added.
"Do you wish to continue this duel?" Padma asked.
"No!" Pansy cried out. "Crabbe, Goyle; we need to get him to the hospital wing."
"In my student's defense" he was getting too used to saying those words lately "Mr. Malfoy was the one to issue the challenge. He could have chosen any of my other apprentices to challenge but he chose Mr. Longbottom. There were several Prefects present; one of them presided over the duel even.
"And it was Mr. Malfoy who used the Blasting Curse to open the exchange. Mr. Longbottom simply responded with the appropriate force necessary to disable his opponent."
"By breaking Mr. Malfoy's jaw!" Professor Snape was livid. Yes, Draco was one of Snape's snakes, but Ranma doubted that he'd have reacted this badly had their roles been reversed.
"Well, a broken jaw does hamper someone's ability to throw curses at you."
"Gentlemen!" The Headmaster's firm voice silenced them, forcing them to turn their attention to him. "While it is regrettable, Professor Saotome is correct. His apprentices did not initiate the challenge. One of your own students suggested that Draco issue a formal challenge, which he did."
"Mr. Nott is also one of his apprentices," the greasy haired man hissed.
Turning to the other heads of house, Dumbledore considered the situation. "Remind the students that duels are not sanctioned at Hogwarts and any who engage in such behavior will be punished accordingly.
"The dueling club will be allowed to continue under the combined supervision of the heads of house but each of you must ensure that nothing of this sort is repeated."