A/N: I apologize in advance for the sheer number of Chinese names. But this is to get the character dilemma straight because one Chinese word can have many homophones (with or without tone). Also, all Chinese names are in Cantonese Romanization (naming edition), not Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) – which you are most likely used to seeing. The meanings behind the names will be explained for the sake of etymology if you want me to explain it to you. Also, any and all documents are officially bilingual (Traditional Chinese and English), but for your sake, I will only show the English text. Thank you for your understanding, and enjoy the chapter!

Wait, hold on a sec, happy (early/late) Remembrance Day, even though this place doesn't celebrate it. *showers reader in poppies* Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the end of WW1. May all soldiers who fell in combat rest in peace…thank you.

Chapter 3: Intervention II – Heiresses of Causeway

Lyrical Title: Welcome to My Life

Date of Writing: Unconfirmed (October 2018)

Date of Typing/Editing: 6-8 November 2018

Warning: Racism and seemingly useless information. But hey, character establishment is a thing, y' know.

In the 19th century, there lived a family on Hong Kong Island – the Kwans. Prior to the Statute of Secrecy's establishment, they were the go-betweens of the mundanes and the magicals. However, after 1692, they closed their gateways and went into isolation, developing a hatred for the mundane community. And in the 1870s, Mr. KWAN Chun (關俊), heir of the Kwan family, also known as Nick to the westerners on the island, met Miss Antlia Margaret BLACK, a descendant of the infamous House of Black – daughter of Dorado Caelum BLACK and Margaret Camille NOTT, descendant of Polaris BLACK and Tabitha POTTER – in her thirties.

They set up a magical school in Causeway Bay, on the outskirts of Victoria City. Causeway Bay Enchantment Academy, they named the school with the hippogriff symbol and gold-and-black colours. (Thus, so came Adhara BLACK-KWAN.)

Chun (or Nick) and Antlia tied the knot eventually. Their second child, Vega Lei KWAN (關莉) married Henry Shing-Chun (巫誠進) from the pureblood MO family. The third child of the next generation, Markab Fung MO (巫峰) ended up with Charlotte Bo-Tung (鄧寶彤) from the ancient Punti clan of the TANGs, and their firstborn, Scutum Kit (巫傑) had four children with Jasmine Ching HA (夏晴) – descendant of the kings of the mythical Xia Dynasty (the only wizard-ruled dynasty in Chinese History), the youngest child of the four being Alrescha Yin MO (巫妍).

More on how Nick and Antlia met, as well as what happened to the rest of them, are two more stories to tell in the future, I suppose.

Alrescha – or Allie, as she preferred to be called – was studying Magical Literature at the local University when she met Roger Pang YEUNG (楊鵬), heir of the wandmaker family of YEUNG. In the early 1980s, they had three daughters, Mira Bik (楊碧), Ara Ha (楊霞) and Kitalpha Pui (楊佩).

Yes, I know that this family tree business is like how the New Testament of the Bible began, but hey, this Big, Screwed-Up Family was how it all started on the mundane side.

2 weeks later

"Breakfast!"

A teen girl of nearly fifteen years of age ran into the dining room. Twin girls merely a year and two months younger than her followed, arguing.

"We are sun-huet and should stick to the sun-huet!" Mira rolled her eyes. How her little sister turned out so racist was honestly beyond her. Perhaps she should blame prolonged exposure to her cousins and ancestors.

"But Uncle Ming married Auntie Zhen-San and she's san-huet! We've been telling you for the last eight years, Kitty!" Ara, the middle sister protested. Their mom's second-oldest brother Acrab (巫銘) had indeed tied the knot with Christina Zhen-San CHUI (徐真珊) a couple of decades ago. They had two children, Falcon Lik-Hang (巫力恆) and Tammy Ka-Tung (巫嘉桐), neither English name being part of their naming traditions (they chose from the most popular names list instead), but oh well.

Ara and Kitalpha were twins. Identical twins. (Well, not that identical, but the differences are minor.) How could their opinions differ so much? Where had they gone wrong raising them?

"Don't call me Kitty! And Uncle Ming can lok dei yuk for all I care! He has betrayed us! That sei-huet is not my aunt, and Lik-Hang and Ka-Tung are not my cousins!" Did he just renounce Uncle Ming, Aunt Zhen-San and our cousins? Oh hell no. Kitalpha had gone too far.

"Yeung Pui, watch your language!"

"Sorry, ma!"

Mira sighed. This happened all the time. The summer holidays had only just begun, but it didn't feel like a holiday in the slightest. Her mundane school was expecting an around-15cm-thick pile of homework (around 6 inches, if you want the Imperial System), and that wasn't counting CBEA – for that, she had four two-page essays and History of Magic, Magical Geography and Runes (magical electives that she planned to choose) to read up on. Of course, the reading part was optional, but still.

The clock struck nine. A brown hawk-owl flew in through the window. She had always thought that using carrier birds (especially owls) was a thing of the past, but nope, this modern city (in both mundane and magical aspects) had to stick to this…tradition. Didn't they know how much dung they had to clean up after they dropped by, or have they ever even noticed?

Speaking of owl droppings, the brown hawk-owl had just taken a dump on the toast. Ugh.

She opened the parchment (only for formal documents) envelope and out rolled three rolls of parchment. The first that she opened was her result slip…as usual, it was delivered by post/mail.

Causeway Bay Enchantment Academy

1994-1995 School Year

Result Slip

Name: YEUNG Mira Bik

Sex: Female

Date of Birth: 13 October 1980

Grade: Three

Student ID: CB199221

Grading System

Pass Grades

A – 90-100%

B – 80-89.9%

C – 70-79.9%

D – 60-69.9%

E – 50-59.9%

Fail Grades

F – 40-49.9%

G – 30-39.9%

H – 20-29.9%

I – 10-19.9%

J – 0-9.9%

Astronomy: 72/100 (C)

Charms: 85/100 (B)

-Practical: 78/100 (C)

-Theory: 92/100 (A)

Combat Arts: 74/100 (C)

-Practical: 62/100 (D)

-Theory: 86/100 (A)

Herbology: 69/100 (D)

-Practical: 62/100 (D)

-Theory: 76/100 (C)

History of Magic: 93/100 (A)

Magical Geography: 96/100 (A)

Magical Theory: 77/100 (C)

Potions: 77/100 (C)

-Practical: 70/100 (C)

-Theory: 84/100 (B)

Transfiguration: 83/100 (B)

-Practical: 81/100 (B)

-Theory: 85/100 (B)

Total Marks: 1114/1400

Average Mark: 79.6/100 (C)

Number of Absent Days: 1.5

Mira groaned at her scores. By Huangdi, her practical scores for Herbology and Combat Arts were absolutely appalling. She was drinking from her carton of lemon tea when she nearly spat it out onto the second piece of (now-)unrolled parchment.

Dear Miss Yeung,

You have been invited to the Hogwarts-Causeway Exchange Programme, between Causeway Bay Enchantment Academy and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: the first Programme of the International Education Exchange.

The exchange programme will take place during the duration of the 1995-1997 school years. You will attend Hogwarts with your fellow exchange students and be guided by an assigned Buddy in the next school year. In return, your Buddy will attend our Academy for the following school year.

The details of the gathering of the exchange programme participants are listed below:

Date: 9 September 1995

Time: 14:00

Venue: Entrance Hall, Ministry of Magic

Your booklist for the year is included on your usual booklist. A viable excuse for your absence will be provided to your mundane school, but you will remain updated of your assignments and assessments by post. You must also take mid-year and final-year examinations during the Christmas holidays and the summer holiday to ensure that you are allowed to advance to your next level of mundane education.

If you have any further inquiries, please return a message by owl.

Yours sincerely,

Annabel TO Wai-Ying

Principal of Causeway Bay Enchantment Academy

Mira's jaw dropped. She had signed up for the programme two-and-a-half months previously, but she was not expecting to be chosen.

Oh my Huangdi, I'm going to Hogwarts. I'm going to Hogwarts next year.

"Ah Bik, you got the exchange programme letter too?" Ara was peering over her shoulder, her dark (not quite Asian-dark though, probably her Black genes) eyes all but twinkling in curiosity and anticipation.

"Nei doh yau meh?"

"Kitty tung ngo doh sau doh ah," she continued. That was when Mira's mind went into overdrive (be it from shock, anticipation or joy is yet to be determined). Oh my Huangdi, we're all going to Hogwarts.

Booklist of Yeung Mira Bik, Grade Four Sorceress

Note: Hogwarts-Causeway Exchange Programme Participant, Will be Studying as Fifth Year

Charms

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5 by Miranda Goshawk

Over 1000 Sensational Spells, Volume 4 by Phoenix I.S. Shum

Defense Against the Dark Arts (Combat Arts)

Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard

100 Dangerous Spells and How to Counter Them by John Sanders

Herbology

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Plants Worldwide and their Properties by Ezra Tin

History of Magic

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

New Generation of Magical History: Advanced by Reymond C. H. Chiang

Magical Geography

International Magical Communities, Volume One by Spica L. Mo

Potions

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Study of Ancient Runes

Ancient Runes Made Easy by Laurenzoo

Spellman's Syllabary by (unconfirmed by canon)

Magical Hieroglyphs and Lolograms by (unconfirmed by canon)

Ancient Chinese Hieroglyphs: the History of Chinese Characters and How They Can be Applied to Magic by Lawrence S. T. Wu

The Runic Guide (Intermediate) by Sabrina Sylph

Transfiguration

Intermediate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

Appearance Alteration by Ashley Chan

Others/Reference Books

Note that the following books are not required.

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3 by Miranda Goshawk

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

Creatures of the World by Belle Seymour

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

Hogwarts: A History by Bathilda Bagshot

TRANSLATION TIME!

Sun-huet - 純血 – literally pure-blood

San-huet - 新血 – literally new-blood, means mundane-born, or magical born of non-magical, British equivalent is muggleborn

Lok dei yuk - 落地獄 – literally go-down hell, basically "go to hell" (the more accurately Cantonese phrase would usually shortened to PK, but I'd rather use it elsewhere on more deserving…individuals, and saying the current phrase sounds a little more childish than PK)

Sei-huet - 死血 – literally death/dead-blood (note that 死 is also a Chinese equivalent of damn), British equivalent is m**blood

Nei doh yau meh? - 你都有咩? – Cantonese for "You have [it] too?" or "You also have [it]?"

Kitty tung ngo doh sau doh ah – Kitty 同我都收到呀 – Cantonese for "Kitty and I also received [it]."

I managed to get out over 1500 words here, or seven Microsoft Word pages for me with font-size 12 and 1-inch margins for every edge. Some challenge for me!

As for Belle Seymour… "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere", anyone? I like to imagine Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast as a witch with English heritage (hence the surname) who married a French nobleman whose curse she removed, and went investigating magical creatures with her husband around the world. Gaston, being the (mundane) buff b*stard he was, went chasing after her, but she set her familiar on him eventually. She didn't get in trouble with the law, because that man was an annoying piece of s**t that the magical community had been trying to get rid of for ages. Think of it as a little AU crossover that I can't be bothered to write in detail.

Currently, I have written (most of) the next Intervention chapter, then perhaps we will take a trip down memory lane, since I have written some background/past chapters already. Updates will be less sparse next week, since I have two Sports Days (neither of which I'll take part in) and Outdoor Learning Day (School Picnic) after one day of lessons, then not have school until the Tuesday after.

I'll see you sooner than you might expect of me (with my unpredictable schedule and academic issues). Reviews are welcome, and giving me ideas on how things will work out can help me out a little with my planning. You can also suggest prompts for me to write out in this crossover. However, I would prefer it if you PM me instead of reviewing, as it may be interpreted as interactive, which is against the site rules. (Admins: note that the above is not interactive, since very few individuals – if any – review my stories anyway.)

Thanks for reading!

-MN