Yue: bored tone And welcome to another installment of-
Aimee: No, no, no! You have to be more enthusiastic.
Kero: snicker Yue's never enthusiastic about anything, Aimee.
Yukito: sigh Look on the bright side, Yue. Aimee never updates quickly enough, so you don't have to go through this every single day.
Aimee: sweat drop I guess that's a good thing for some people…
Nakuru: Alrighty! Let's start! -
Aimee: Places people!
cue music, Yue, Nakuru, Kero, and Suppi are on stage.
Yue: still bored Welcome to another installment of The Magic of the Present.
Audience: (Consisting of three people) sweat drop, shake their heads
Yue: Everyone seems to know my name already, so I won't introduce myself. Today we have Nakuru and only Nakuru, for today Ruby Moon and her counterpart have joined as one.
Suppi: mutters One less bubble-head to think about.
Yue: And everyone knows the other guardians on stage. And today we have a special guest joining Aimee and Yukito in the audience, Touya Kinomoto.
Touya: glares at Aimee I'm happy to be here.
Aimee: - I know you are! I said I was going to bring you here, so you're here!
Touya: But all four guardians, with the moon counterparts split? to Yukito I don't know how you do it, Yuki.
Yukito: - As I said, Aimee never updates quickly enough! -Aimee: Mou! Yuki, you're supposed be the supportive one!
Yue: Ahem. Moving on, we have been forced to-
Aimee: Stick to the script!
Touya: The script's already been discarded!
Yukito: Sigh… read on and stay tuned for the Guardian's Corner!
Chapter 10: Secrets of the Time Traveler
"Alright, alright," Xiaolang Li II said with mock annoyance. "Here's your food, you don't have to get all your feathers ruffled. Or claws. Or fur. Or scales." He pushed the bowls of assorted foods in the middle, letting the animals choose whatever they want. "You know, maybe I shouldn't be feeding you guys, especially what you guys did to me during the summer."
The turtle raised her head and bit his finger. "Ow! Jeez, I was only joking. I'm thankful for what you did." The unicorn held eye contact with the boy and waved her horn in a playful-threatening way.
Xiaolang looked around, counting to make sure all animals were present. He was supposed to keep them all safe. Not that it wouldn't be very hard; the animals happened to be very dependant in their forms. They needed someone to take care of them, shelter them, feed them. Someone who knew. It just so happened that his oh-so-loving parents appointed him the job. 'Playing zookeeper was never used to prepare the next heir,' Xiaolang thought sourly.
His green eyes stopped on a pair. Xiaolang figured that he might as well take advantage of the situation. Man did over dominate animals, after all.
"You know, wolves eat deer. Don't you think you two are a little too close?" Xiaolang asked the doe and the wolf, smirking.
The doe just merely raised an eyebrow and the wolf smiled widely- too widely in fact, it bared its fangs as a warning…
The last two was the chibi dragon and the peacock. They were doing fine by themselves. Surprisingly the dragon hadn't done anything of (to say lightly) the usual.
Then there was a flutter of scarlet wings with a flash of emerald as Celes landed neatly next to Xiaolang. "Guess who decided to grace us with her presence, guys," Xiaolang said to the others.
Celestial cast a weary look to the teenage boy, telling him she would deal with him later. She leaned against him and fell asleep. The dragon and the peacock- including the rest of the gang- looked at Xiaolang expectantly.
Xiaolang sighed. "You know, it's scary the way you guys look at me. I thought I could have some peace and quiet now, but when you look at me it's almost like you're talking."
A shadow loomed over him. "Ah, but if you listen, you can hear what they are saying instead of looking into their eyes," a familiar voice said.
Xiaolang turned, then gave a slight bow. "Konnichiwa, Mizuki-san."
Kaho gently took the sleeping bird in her arms. "Poor thing," she murmured. "She must have flew around the world- to America and back."
Xiaolang stood up and shrugged. "Well, she is stubborn. She wouldn't let me help her."
"Where is Sakura?" Kaho said softly, stroking the bird.
"Ka-san? She's inside. Are you and the others staying?"
Kaho walked towards the newly-built house, cradling Celes. "Only Bella will stay tonight."
Xiaolang followed the older woman, the animals coming also. "He won't see us, right? You can see down into Godric's Hallow from that way."
Kaho smiled and she knocked on the door. "Only from the third floor, remember? But the third floor no longer exists, Xiaolang."
Xiaolang frowned as the older Xiao-lang welcomed his old teacher and carefully took Celes from her. 'So it was just destiny that the Hiiragizawa's mansion was reduced to rubble, wasn't it?'
Inside, Sakura Kinomoto Li opened her eyes to see a familiar woman. She smiled brightly as she stood up to hug her.
Kaho laughed. "I see. As long as Sakura Li is still smiling, it's not the end of the world yet."
"Not yet, anyway," Sakura said wryly.
"You've Seen, haven't you?" Kaho softly said.
Sakura looked away, averting her eyes outside the window. Just months ago you would have been able to see the Hiiragizawa Mansion looming high on the hill.
"Yes…" the Sorceress trailed off. "Ying Fa has recognized her memories," Sakura said, switching to a different topic.
"It would seem so," Kaho said, still softly.
Sakura looked back at the woman. "It would be useless to argue, wouldn't it? About the guilt I feel about easing her pain by making her forget it."
Kaho shook her head sadly. "You understood then that at her young age, Ying Fa could not have been able to accept the fact of important people being killed so easily for her sake. You knew then that little Ying Fa could not accept her own fate. So you did what you could to help her- by making her forget until she would be ready to understand and accept what has passed, and what is to come."
Sakura was silent again, and once more she turned to another subject. "Tomoyo-chan is…"
Kaho smiled. "Tomoyo is fine. Just as much as Cho and Eli needed to learn how to rely without Jade, Tomoyo has learned to do same without."
Sakura shook her head, though smiled too. "That's not what I meant. Tomoyo- she wants someone else, not me. I bet in her heart, she knows I am not truly gone; she doesn't need Meirin or Madison to tell her that. I meant, that Tomoyo and Eriol…"
Kaho smiled even more. "After 16 years, Tomoyo and Eriol will meet again."
Clink.
Finally, Eli Chang finished his lunch. The other occupants of the table were long done. Eli looked around, his eyebrows raised at the expectant looks coming from Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Chelsea had made the most delicious food they all had tasted. They could smell the strawberry-vanilla cake she was making, but it was pretty evident that Chelsea wouldn't let them eat it.
Eli smiled. Oh, it was fun making them wait for what they wanted to know. It was just a matter of time when one would snap…
"Eli…" Ginny said, frowning. Eli and Cho had plenty of secrets, didn't they? Plenty, and she hardly knew any of them.
"Yes?" Eli said, still smiling as the house-elves cleared the table.
"You can start explaining," Harry said, amazed at the differences between him and Eli. Eli was the most cool and collected. And just like Cho, he seemed older than fifteen- he had an air of being precocious.
Hermione frowned as well. All this secrecy wasn't going to fool her. "You can start explaining by telling us who you are."
Eli turned to her, mildly surprised. "I was introduced as Eli Chang, was I not?"
Hermione frowned, her eyes suspicious. "But you and Cho hardly look alike. Are you really her brother?"
Eli smiled. He always smiles, doesn't he? "Are you proposing that I may be Harry's brother? Granger, we may look alike, but I am in fact Cho's brother. You can ask our mother for proof."
"That won't be necessary," Ginny said. "I know that you're Cho's brother, and you don't need proof. I want explanations."
"What are you?" Hermione asked suddenly.
Eli's smile turned to a slight frown. "I beg your pardon?"
Hermione realized how vague her question was. Flustered, she said, "I meant to say was, well, you don't go to school here, but you do know magic-"
Eli smiled again. He wasn't a telepath like his sister, but he was very intuitive. Cho could be at times, if she didn't rely on her magic too much. "I'm a Sorcerer."
Ron perked up. "Sorcerer? But you look like you're our age. Sorcerers have to be twenty or something and have powerful magic."
Eli shook his head. "Not that kind of sorcerer. By Sorcerer, I mean by people born with powerful magic, such as Clow Reed."
"You mean the kind that have been separated since Clow Reed," Hermione said, her voice tart.
"Well, yes. We Sorcerers tend to keep to ourselves. We are not like you, as wizards and witches. Our magic is too complex, too complicated, and too powerful compared to your magic-"
"You mean you're stronger than us? Even Voldermort?" Harry interrupted.
Eli's eyes flicked as there was a little pause. "Evidently, you do not know about the laws of Sorcerers and wizards."
"Those laws still exist?" Hermione said.
"There are even laws!" Harry spoke.
"I think I've heard of them, I'm not too sure…" Ron trailed off.
Ginny smirked. "Well, it seems you're breaking a whole bunch, Chang."
Eli returned the smirk. "Well, the street went both ways, Weasley."
"Ahem," Hermione said, bringing attention to the others around the table. "Care to explain?"
Eli smiled, but it didn't seem like he was going to indulge in fulfilling Hermione's wish. He called to the kitchen. "Chelsea, your cooking has improved!"
Ginny rolled her eyes, exhaling. "Now I know how Cho feels whenever she's around you," she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for others to hear. Turning to Hermione she said, "There are laws that Sorcerers and wizards are supposed to follow. There was a separation between them and us, mostly because of the great difference in our powers. Long time ago, Sorcerers and wizards met for the last time and decided on laws on how to keep their people safe, since wars kept breaking out between us and the Sorcerers. The first one law was that Sorcerers were not supposed to have any contact with any wizard, and vice versa. There were other laws, such as Sorcerers could not use their magic on a wizard (since they could seriously hurt us even if they were trying to help us), wizard affairs were strictly wizard affairs and did not need the help of Sorcerers, and vice versa, and another strict rule was that there was no cross-breeding between Sorcerers and wizards."
Eli returned his attention to the table. "You could say that every one of the laws have been broken. As of now, we are breaking Code SW #3776 Let's just say I made that up right now, the rule which basically says that Sorcerers and wizards are not allowed to talk to one another."
"Which, according to Eli," Ginny said, "has been broken more times than we can count."
"Which, fortunately," Eli smirked, "no one has been caught."
"Yet," added Hermione.
"True," Chelsea said as she came in. "But then that would mean everyone in this school and the people of the Ministry would have to be punished for breaking that old rule."
"What?" Ron said.
Chelsea passed around plates and teacups as she spoke. "Well, Cho technically is a Sorceress, being that she comes from that bloodline and has the qualities of being one. Anyone who has talked to her can be accused of breaking that rule."
"But we didn't know!" Harry said.
"Don't worry, you won't be punished because the Ministry also has a Sorceress in their midst." Eli grinned. "And they don't know about it either."
Chelsea placed a plate of sugar cookies on the table. "Have you ever heard of Xiefa Li? She's a Sorceress, and a good one too."
Ron gawked. "Li? She's Fudge's secretary."
"Head Secretary, Ron," Ginny added before turning to Eli. "Really, I can't believe that Xiefa-san works for him. She acts like she's on a sugar-high whenever I see her," Ginny joked.
Chelsea chuckled. "Then you should see her when she works. It's like she's a completely different person."
Eli shook his head, smiling. "Well, that's how all of Jade's aunts are- it's either all work or all play."
"But usually all play," Chelsea added.
"So you know about Jade? Such as her family, friends, interests?" Hermione asked casually.
Eli raised his eyes to meet hers. He caught onto what she was trying to do. "Yes, I do know. What exactly is it that you want to know about her?"
"Like who she is, why is she here, and why did not Cho tell us in the first place?" Hermione shot back.
My my my… I think Eli's enigma is too much…
Eli smiled. "That is a lot to answer for. What do you want to know first?"
"I'm going to see if Cho's alright," Chelsea said suddenly. "I may need help. Anyone want to come with me?"
When no one answered, Eli told Ginny, "Ginny, you go."
"Why me?"
With a grim smile, Eli said, "Because you already know, and you do not need to hear this again."
"So you mean…" Ginny said carefully as her face paled. "Oh!" She stood up so quickly that a house-elf had to catch her chair before it clattered on the floor. Warily Hermione watched all of this- and she caught the sad frown Chelsea had on her face before she turned around to get the food.
You mean- Xiaolang and Cho- Ginny sent Eli telepathically.
/Yes. Since when are you are a telepath/ Eli sent back, his face still grim.
Since Cho gave me some of her magic to be able to talk with telepathy.
Eli's answer was quick. /She gave you her magic/
/Don't worry, she made sure that I would be able to handle it-/
"Ginny? A little help here please," Chelsea called.
Ginny didn't answer and looked at Eli worriedly. "You want me to stay? You already went through it, you don't have to-"
Ron and Harry were surprised at the sudden change in Eli, not noticing that Ginny and Eli had shared a mind-link. Eli abruptly frowned as a dark look passed through his face. "Not talking about it is not the best way. You saw what happened to Cho, and that was what happened because she decided to forget about the whole thing."
Ginny could see Chelsea trying to balance the food on the trays, waving the house-elves away telling them that she could handle it. Ginny turned to Eli and saw that he would not change his mind, and sighed. "I've already said this already, but if you want to talk, Eli, I'm here. I'll listen." Then she turned around to catch up with Chelsea.
The house-elves seemed to know that they needed their privacy and left the room, leaving the kitchen eerily quiet as the portrait door banged loudly behind Ginny and Chelsea.
Hermione broke the ice. "Well…?" she asked hesitantly. All eyes were on Eli, whose gaze was focused on something else. The sugar cookies remained on the plate, untouched, even by Ron. Finally Eli looked up and decided to start, his violet eyes serious.
"So what's a good looking guy doing on this side of dreary London?" a female voice said.
Eriol looked up to see one of the women he had seen when he sat for lunch at a café. She had brown hair and blue eyes. Even though Eriol had never met this woman before, he thought that she was a little familiar.
The Sorcerer realized that she was flirting with him. He raised an eyebrow to show that he wasn't interested- death or no death, he will still remain faithful to Tomoyo. "Just trying to eat lunch," Eriol said dryly.
The woman sat down across him, smiling . When Eriol frowned and opened his mouth to protest, she cut him off. "I don't think that I'm taking anyone's seat. You seem a little on the lonely side."
"I am not lonely-" Eriol retorted.
"Then why do you have that look as if your heart is broken?" she asked softly, her blue-green eyes focused on his cerulean ones.
Eriol stared at the woman. She hit it on right on target, and she was someone without magic at that. He couldn't answer, because she was right. His heart was broken- he left Tomoyo only to find out she was gone, long gone. Tomoyo was there at Godric Hallow on Halloween, and she was good as dead.
Chloe smiled at Eriol's inner turmoil. Glancing briefly at her partners in crime, Chloe suppressed herself from sending a glare. Okay, true, just because between the three of them, she was the one with the least flirting experience, it doesn't mean that Jennie and Eve have the right to go bursting with laughter. And one guy she flirted with brought Chloe her downfall.
She knew heartbreak, she experienced it firsthand. Chloe put it the memory behind her and smiled at Eriol with all the charm she had. Eve knew that he would never fall in love with Chloe, much less would Chloe even let him, but all Chloe had to do was get Eriol interested. Interested and distracted.
Eriol was startled when she stuck her hand out. "Chloe. You?"
He shook it. "Eli."
Chloe didn't let go of his hand and pulled him closer, smirking. "So, Eli, I ask again, what are you doing here in dreary London?"
Eriol hastily pulled away from her and put some distance between them. He had noticed the wedding ring on her hand; didn't she see the one on his? "Just a vacation."
"Really? What are you doing spending it alone?"
His voice was still tart. "To have some quiet so I can think."
She grinned. "From how I see it, you've been doing too much thinking, Eli. I think you need a break. How about it?"
Calling reinforcement phase. Chloe shot a look to her partners and they understood, taking a nearby chair and seating themselves at Eriol's table. Jennie spoke, her being the most mischievous out of the three.
"So what have you picked up here, Chloe?" Chloe could just strangle Jennie for that. Instead, Chloe opted for the glare and calmly answered.
"Eli. He's on a vacation, and he's spending it alone."
Eve interjected. "Alone? What kind of vacation is that?"
"The kind I prefer," Eriol snapped. The girls exchanged a secret look. He obviously did not like them here. So Eve, sending him a nasty look that was not hard for her to manage, (she's a Malfoy after all) decided to do the introductions.
"I'm Eve and this is Jennie. And no, we are not interested in you. We just need your help."
Jennie nodded. "See, Eve here won these tickets to a hotel resort for four. Our last person couldn't make it, and so we're stuck here in this part of boring London."
"Excuse me, I live here," Chloe shot back in a joking way. She looked at Eve. How the cunning little girl had gotten her hands on the tickets in five seconds flat would forever be a mystery to her.
Amazingly, Eve produced the four tickets. "Unfortunately, they won't let us in without four people. Eli, I'm giving you the offer of the lifetime."
Jennie couldn't help but snicker. "And that's Eve's good deed for the rest of her life."
When Eve glared back at Jennie, Chloe took up her part. "All you have to do is bring us in. That way, you have a place to stay, as well as some company. All we want is in. Are you with us or not?"
Jennie snorted. "You sound like a recorder on some kind of movie, Chloe. Where have I heard that before?"
Oh-oh. The girls thought. Eriol still looked like he would deny. Where the hell was that waiter?
"Italian Special with a drink?"
"Yes!" Eriol answered, glad for something he wanted went well. But the girls exchanged grins and Jennie made the victory sign. Technically, Eriol just said yes to their so-called proposal. But before he would notice, Jennie, being the closest, knocked Eriol unconscious. Special technique taught by Meiling.
"Going out the back door would be less suspicious," the so-called waiter said.
"Thanks a bunch, Ethan," Eve said, smiling slightly, slightly frowning. Ethan, blond with brown eyes, smirked.
"Here's the real tickets, Eve. You girls did a good job."
"Sure, Ethan, believe whatever you want. That was the easy part," Chloe said.
"Don't get mushy with him, Chloe. You'll see him when you get home. Now we have to bring him to what-chi-ma-call-it hotel," Jennie interrupted.
"I hope you knocked him out for enough time to get your own suitcases," Ethan added as he helped Eriol into the car.
Driving away, the girls shared a giggle. "Imagine, the three of us just took out a Sorcerer!" Eve laughed.
"So you, Cho, and I'm assuming Jade are Sorcerers since you specialize in willed magic?" Hermione asked.
Eli nodded. "Yes. That is one of the things that separates us from wizards, especially wizards that become sorcerers in your case. We still have an advantage over wizard-sorcerers, because we often do not need a wand, or other tangible properties, to use magic. When we do, it is usually for the use of powerful magic."
"Then why does Cho come to this school at all, if she is a Sorcerer?" Ron asked.
"And doesn't Cho use a wand, like us?" Harry asked.
Eli sighed. "Cho… Cho's a complicated person. Her magic is complicated, too. Cho is a Sorceress, but she needs to learn the ways of a witch. Your magic is not so different; it's just that the level of power is very different. Sorcerers are the highest quality of spell-casters; we only do powerful magic. Witches and wizards-"
"Are beneath Sorcerers?" Hermione said bluntly.
Eli raised an eyebrow at her, but they all knew that she was right. Witches and wizards, technically, can barely hold a candle to Sorcerers. "What I was going to say is that witches and wizards are like the several first stepping stones to become sorcerers. Only, born-Sorcerers are the ones who skip those stepping stones and go directly to the top. We may be able to do many things, but we cannot do your kind of magic; we do not know how to since we have not gradually learned to do powerful magic from starting at the weakest. What I learned was to harness and perfect my magic; what you learned was to improve and strengthen your magic.
"Cho can do both: harness powerful magic, and then go back and strengthen her weaker magic. She is the only Sorceress who has magic as powerful as a Sorcerer but can use magic that only wizards and witches use. She is the only one with such a wide range. Cho has qualities of both a Sorcerer and a witch."
Harry, Hermione, and Ron were quite speechless for a while. "Wow," Ron said.
"So what's this have to do with Jade?" Hermione asked.
"Well…" Eli paused. "Have you heard of Hisui Li?"
Ron dropped the cookie he was about to eat. "She's the Hisui Li? Hisui Li actually exists?"
"Jade's Hisui Li? Who is Hisui Li?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded slowly. "Well, that makes sense, Hisui means Jade in Japanese."
Eli grinned suddenly. "You should know of her other names. We used to call her Rose Potter, for example."
"Rose Potter!" Harry said.
Eli smiled. "Lily Evans Potter always used to say that if she had a daughter she would name her Rose." He shrugged. "Jade's resemblance to you is very uncanny."
"So who is Hisui Li?" Hermione pushed.
Ron interrupted. "There were… there were these stories that somebody named Hisui Li saved Harry the night You-know-who attacked. But no one could prove that someone existed, so everyone thought that it was just some made-up story."
Eli blinked innocently. "Well, you have five people in this school besides Hisui Li herself who can vouch that she does exists."
"So is it true? Did she really save Harry?"
Eli frowned, and said coldly. "I wouldn't know, I wasn't there." Everyone stared at him for his sudden coldness. Eli caught this and sighed, calming himself. "I wasn't there," Eli said softly. "But I saw it. I have the unexpected power to see into the future. It might have been about a minute before it happened, but I Saw."
Harry remembered something that was said in the mirror scene. "Do you think Cho liked seeing that vision? Do you think I wanted to see the Potters killed?"
Eli sighed deeply. "It gets complicated, you see. That Halloween night is what connects Jade, Xiaolang, Cho, and I to Harry. It's better if I explain from the very beginning. As I said, Sorcerers are born with powerful magic. We learn to take control over our magic. Just like you, we specialize in certain things. Like how Lily specialized in Charms, how Sirius Black specialized in Defense Against the Dark Arts, James Potter specialized in Quidditch, and Arabella specialized in History. It's-"
"How did you know about that? About my parents?" Harry asked.
Eli shook his head. "It doesn't matter how I know- I'm just using it for you to better understand. The point is, us Sorcerers specialize in certain areas also. Clow Reed did well with elements, Jade's mother could see into the future, Jade's father was best with dueling, Jade's aunts were good with enchantments, and Tzao's strong point was with herbs. Jade, Xiaolang, Cho and I have special gifts too."
"Like how Cho is a telepath?" Hermione questioned.
"Or Jade's three auras?" Harry asked.
Eli nodded his head. "Yes. Xiaolang and I can see into the future, as I said. The difference between his power and mine is that mine always turns out to be correct and Xiaolang's premonitions are very detailed. You see, whenever Xiaolang has a premonition, it is like he is exactly there. Everything just seems so real. But just because it seems so real, it does not mean that it is true. For example, if Xiaolang happened to foresee the four of us in this kitchen, he would See it as we see it now. There would be no house-elves around, that many cookies on that plate, and that much tea in our cups. It would not be any different. However, there would be at least one missing factor, for example, Xiaolang might not See one of you three, and would only See me talking to two Hogwarts students."
"I'm sorry to say this, but didn't you write in a letter that Xiaolang was dead?" Hermione interjected. Eli was talking about Xiaolang in present tense, as if he was still alive. Which Eli doesn't know that he is, but technically, when someone is dead, you talk about them in past tense
Eli paused. I did write that, didn't I? There is no evidence to prove otherwise, Eli, so why don't you believe it? "Ah… well, as I was saying just because Xiaolang's premonitions were detailed, it did not necessarily mean that they would become true. There were experiences that Xiaolang's premonitions did not come true. They do not come true because of the million of possibilities to make one future. Some things change, and that makes one of his details incorrect. But most things, like the setting, the time, the people, the place, are fairly accurate. I, on the other hand, my premonitions are correct. But as I said, because there are many ways to make one possible future, I only See the near future, or what I See is shrouded in mist or darkness, making it hard to decipher. "
"Wait…" Ron said. "So your premonitions are always right, but Xiaolang Sees them as they really happen but with a major flaw in what would happen?"
"Yes. You must understand that Xiaolang's premonitions always seemed real. You must remember that. Remember what I said about Sorcerers having to harness their magic? Ever since Xiaolang was born, he always had premonitions about what was to happen. He was too young to understand then, so the natural thing for a child like him was to cry. These dreams were so frequent and real, that Xiaolang cried nonstop throughout the day. His mother didn't know what to do with him until…"
Harry was distracted as he looked behind Eli to see a pair of cerulean eyes. Those eyes were so mesmerizing that the blue eyes pulled him even deeper, deeper into another world- and Harry looked around.
"Harry? Do you know where we are?" came Hermione. Harry saw that she and Ron were with him, in the place that was not the Hogwarts kitchen. They all knew for a fact, because it was a warm sunny morning, and there were outside what seemed like a large mansion. Screams erupted from the front gate. The trio exchanged glances and ran towards the sound.
"Let go of me! Mother! Help! Don't let them take me!" came the shrieks of a little girl as a driver struggled to put her into a car. The little girl had short auburn hair and fought with her captor to run back into the mansion.
"Hey- let go of her!" Harry said, but Hermione stopped him and shook her head. Then Harry noticed that all three of them- were ghosts in this world.
"Oka-san! Don't let them take me!" The little girl said, crying, as the driver successfully closed the door of the car. A woman, with wavy violet hair, who stood near the front gate, had sunk to her knees and sobbed.
Inside the car the little girl pounded on the window, begging her mother. The other door was opened, and a little boy took the seat next to her. He looked sadly at his sister, as he too looked back to his mother.
An unpleasant woman with a look of disgust on her face, took the passenger seat in the front. She nastily said to the sobbing child, "Be quiet! We're taking you to a better home. Quit your howling." she nodded to the driver to drive away.
"Ka-san!" The girl shrieked, looking back to see her mother.
"Eli!" the woman hissed angrily. "If your sister doesn't stop crying, both of you will be separated!"
The little girl heard the woman and quieted instantly. Eli, her brother, hugged her tightly to hush her whimpers. "Ying Fa… it'll a be okay. You'll see. We'll see Mother again," he whispered.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron exchanged shocked looks. The Changs!
Ying Fa, with her tears streaking her face, said, "Eli, you'll never leave me right? Don't you ever leave me, no matter what!"
Eli hugged her closer, a sad look on his face, swallowed and said, "I promise. I won't leave you, Ying Fa. Don't you leave me too."
Suddenly, the world dissolved and the three of them landed back into their seats of the kitchen table of Hogwarts. After regaining their surroundings, they saw that they had a new visitor- it was the same little girl, only older, with auburn hair and blue eyes. She was sitting on Eli's lap, with her eyes glazed and unfocused. Eli had his eyes closed and his hands on the side of her head. Slowly, Eli opened his eyes and let go of the girl in front of him. The girl named Ying Fa, but known more familiarly as Cho.
"What did you see?" Eli asked quietly, patting the little Ying Fa's hair. She was still in a trance-like state.
"Who's that?" Ron asked.
"Answer the question. What did you see?" Eli repeated.
"Is… is that a younger version of Cho?" Hermione asked, ignoring the question.
"Call me Ying Fa, so not to confuse me with the present-day Cho," the girl said, still in her trance. The voice sounded younger than the Cho they knew, but it was the same nonetheless.
Eli sighed. "Yes, this is Cho, when she was about seven or eight."
"I'm ten," Ying Fa said. "Cho called for help, so I came to explain some things." Ying Fa was eight, but she still had that precocious air.
"That gives you no reason to do what you've done," Eli quietly said.
"What did she do?" Harry asked.
Eli looked up. "As you know, Cho is a Sorceress. She can be very powerful."
"Powerful enough to jump into the future?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. And back. Unfortunately, her power is still not in control. That's why she goes to Hogwarts: to learn control. And this Ying Fa here is before Hogwarts. She might have successfully went into the future, but her heart and emotions still control her power. She wanted to find out what happened in the future. And she found out that Cedric was going to die."
Hermione gasped. She knew the dangers of time traveling, having done so herself. Ying Fa ultimately changed their past!
Eli caught her look and shook his head. "No, she didn't. We already knew that he was going to die back then. We just didn't know how. That's why she's in this trance- because I'm holding her back. I can subdue her a little, but not completely. She can still talk, but whatever she is thinking is gone through me. She can't do magic, nor reveal too much about herself." This might be Cho, but it has to be the Cho you know to tell you about herself.
"So you knew that Cedric was going to die?" Harry said angrily.
Eli calmly looked at him. "Yes. But we didn't know how or when. We only knew he was going to die young." Changing the subject, he said, "I ask again. What did you see? You unwillingly gave Ying Fa information, so it makes sense that Ying Fa must have unwillingly gave you information. What did you see?"
"We saw a bit of your past…" Hermione said softly.
"Yeah… we saw that you two were being taken away from that nasty woman," Ron said. "She works with Dad in the Ministry… Umbridge, I think."
Eli nodded. "So you've found out…"
"You're adopted by Changs?" Hermione said softly.
Eli looked grim. "Yes. We aren't born Changs… the Chang clan started to break before we were even born. Our foster father, Tzao Chang, and his sister, Cedric's mother, were the last children of the Chang family.
"So who are your real parents?" Ron asked.
Eli looked at him suddenly. "That's an entire different matter. We were straying on the subject before Ying Fa came. What was I saying before you were taken into her memories?"
The three were a bit taken aback with his sudden sharpness. Eli suddenly looked tight-lipped, as if he didn't want to speak with the subject anymore. Cho and Eli's real parents are a touchy subject, Hermione thought. They were torn apart… and I don't remember seeing their father when Umbridge took them away…
"…It was stupid destiny that took the Potters away, it was stupid destiny that separated our parents, and it was destiny that took us away from our family!" Eli sighed. Things never stayed the same after that forbidden night.
"Halloween…" Ying Fa said softly. "Jade's birthday…" and a lone tear fell.
"Jade's birthday is Halloween?" Harry asked.
"You were last talking about Xiaolang's gift of premonitions…" Hermione said.
"Xiaolang's gift… can you really call it that? When you see everything like it was so real that you're actually there?" Ying Fa shook her head. "It's a curse! It's a dratted curse!" Ying Fa screamed, before breaking into tears.
Eli tried to console her. "Ying Fa, it wasn't real. You know that. Look at the proof before you! He's not dead!"
"And that makes one out of five?" Ying Fa bitterly said. Eli just hugged her closer.
"Xiaolang's premonitions…" Eli looked sadly at them. "The ability to see things as if it's reality, was too unbearable for a young child like Xiaolang. As I said, Xiaolang would always cry, because of these dreams. His mother didn't know what to do, until Xiaolang stopped crying for the first time when Cho held him. And every time Cho comforted him, he would stop crying. We didn't know then, but Cho unknowingly used her telepathy to create walls between Xiaolang and his premonitions, making them less intense."
"But…" Hermione said. "What happened?"
Eli had a hard time with the words. "But Cho could also unknowingly see the premonitions too. And one time she did see them, as if they were reality… three days before a certain Halloween. You… you put the puzzle together."
To See things as if they were real… mix that with Cho's telepathy… and a certain Halloween…
Hermione gasped. "She- She saw Voldermort kill the Potters! And worst yet, she saw Harry die that night!"
…and Ying Fa's tears grew.
… as well as Cho's…
It was just the matter of time… if Cho ever decided to accept her past
Yue: Welcome back to the Guardian's Corner. Today-
Aimee: Yue, you'll never be recruited to be a game show host.
Yue: I would never want to.
Aimee: Sigh… - Welcome to--
Kero: The best part of the chapter!
Aimee: --the Guardian's Corner! yay! Today, we-
Suppi: Actually, it was just Aimee that decided.
Aimee: glares - decided to have a new spin on today's corner!
Nakuru: We're playing American Idol!
Aimee: sweat drop I didn't plan that.
Yukito: Actually, it works out. You're Paula, I'm Randy, and To-ya is Simon! -
Aimee: We are NOT playing that! For one thing, I can't be Ryan and Paula at the same time!
Touya: And we don't want to hear those stuffed animals and the Hyper One try to sing anyway.
Kero: I am NOT a stuffed animal!Suppi: nodding Yes, you definitely do not want to hear Nakuru try and sing.
Nakuru: huff I sing perfectly fine!
Yue: We're playing The Guardian's Corner Game.
Aimee: Oh, so now you want to be Mr. Game Show Host!
Kero: What an original name for our game.
Yukito: Yue's is the one who asks the questions.
Touya: And the stuffed animal, the talking cat with wings, and the Crazy One have to answer to get points.
Yue: The one who reaches 10 points first gets the prize.
Aimee: Which is… drum roll, please! drum roll
Yukito: - To own this key! holds a key up
Nakuru, Kero, and Suppi: face fault
Yue: smirks It's not just any key.
Touya: -.-" Unfortunately.
Yukito: to readers Have you noticed that Nakuru hasn't tried to hug Touya today?
Nakuru: I did! Many times! But I can't hug him! ;;-.-;;
Suppi: rolls eyes That's because there's a shield around him. No one can get near him within a 5 meter radius.
Aimee: sigh It was a contract agreement. In order for him to come, I had to promise him the Shielding Spell.
Touya: glares at Aimee But you didn't tell me that the key to open the shield was the game prize!
Nakuru: Really! So if we win, we get the key, and then we can get to Touya! Let's play!
Suppi: How does it pertain to me if I win?
Yue: rolls eyes As you can see, nobody can go in without the key, but that also means that nobody can go out without the key either.
Yukito: In other words, if you have the key to the spell, you can have your own space. Sharing it with To-ya, of course.
Aimee: And Kero, you can always use the key as blackmail to get either Touya or Nakuru to get you candy.
Kero: eyes light up Let's play!
Stage: plays game show music, lights light up Yue rolls his eyes
Yue: For an easy point, who's the Sorcerer who has accurate premonitions?
N/K/S: stare blankly at him
Touya: If you were paying attention to the story, you would know!
Aimee: sweat drop And there are not many Sorcerers in this chapter too.
Yuki: double sweat drop And this is the easy one.
Yue: rolls eyes Now, no need to all scream and shout.
Nakuru: OOHH! I know! Xiaolang!
Suppi: shakes head No, he's the one who has incorrect but precise premonitions.
Kero: Ah-ha! Then it's Eli!
Touya: One point to the stuffed plushie.
Kero: I am not a plushie!Yue: Next question for three points. stage is silent Is Sakura-sama alive?
N/K/S: Of course she is!
Yuki: And everybody has three more points. Kero's ahead with four points.
Yue: shuffles scrip For five points, what were the stories Cho told to Harry and Ron?
Nakuru: The one with James, Lily, and Arabella!
Suppi: The one with Ron's parents.
Kero: sweat drop Isn't this in Chapter 5?
Aimee: No, it's in Chapter 6. Hah! Now Nakuru and Suppi have 8 points!
Touya: And the plushie still has 4 points.
Yue: For five points, who are the reincarnated cousins?
Stage: silent
Nakuru: You really want us to answer that question?
Suppi: You never actually explained that part in the story, Aimee.
Yukito: But you know who they are, don't they? We've known Aimee for a long time…
Touya: Huh? What are you talking about?
Yue: Chapter 5, Cho was telling the breakfast table the "Cousin Story, part four"
Touya: She actually did that? Let's see, part one was the boy and the girl, who were--
Aimee: Hey, don't help the contestants! If you tell them who their incarnates are, then they can figure out who are the reincarnates!
Yukito: But they're not really reincarnates! Cho said, quote: "two of them were… reincarnated, to say it lightly".
Aimee: I know that! Just answer the question already!
Kero: Hisui and Ying Fa!
Yue: Correct. Cerberus is in the lead again with 9 points.
Aimee: Nakuru and Suppi get an extra point for not giving spoilers.
Kero: NANI! You said to answer it already!
Aimee: smiles evilly I know. Tie breaker question!
Yue: Why did both Eriol and Harry lose their memories?
Suppi: That's a trick question. You're referring to Chapter 7, where Ginny: knew a couple things Eriol and Harry didn't know. Or at least didn't remember.
Nakuru: Yea! The last part was actually just referring to Eriol-sama, because he kinda forgot everything with Tomoyo and all when he left her 16 years ago.
Kero: Yup, actually Harry's the only one who lost his memories… because someone took them. But Eriol just forgot his.
Aimee: Playing it safe, huh Kero? Good thing you didn't say the person's name or I would have taken off a point.
Kero: sniff You're only picking on me!
Yue: Well, they all have 10 points.
Aimee: Oh well, that just means that all three of them win. tosses them the key
N/K/S: all jump for the key fall into a jumbled mess
Touya: smiles That'll keep them there for awhile.
Aimee: You didn't really think I would feed you to the wolves, didya? smiles evilly
Touya: sweat drop mutters yes, I actually did.
Aimee: Well, your fate will be decided by your answer.
Touya: Nani?
Aimee: If you answer wrong, something terrible will happen.
Yue: mutters but if he answers correctly, something terrible will still happen to him.
Aimee: Ready, Touya? - No pressure, you know?
Touya: falls You really expect me to believe that.
Aimee: Not really. -
Yukito: pops up behind Touya So To-ya! Who are the special animals in the forest at the birth of Jade's Guardian?
Touya: breathes Yuki, don't scare me like that!
Aimee: evil face next to Touya Wrong answer, Touya.
Touya: wha--?
Aimee: Oh guys! claps hands There's no need for the key after all! The Shield Spell just expired.
Nakuru: Oh goody! TTTTTTTOOOOOOOUUUUUUUYYYYYYYAAAAAAA!
Touya: ACK! runs off
About the reincarnated cousins, who are they? Sigh… I'll try and not give too much info. Anyway, I think you're referring to chapter 5, the last and recent cousins. Cho did not really mean that they were reincarnated. Just similar, because they have the same magic, almost the same hearts, and basically the same fate. But the "recent" cousins ought to be easy to figure out, follow the Amamiya line, and stop where there are twins, one boy and a girl. They been already introduced. You can guess. - As for their incarnates (the people Ying Fa and Hisui are "reincarnates" of) well, you'll need more clues to figure that out. And I don't intend to give up last card. 0
Why did both Eriol and Harry lose their memories? Well, Eriol technically didn't lose them… he forgot them after running away from Voldermort and supposedly keeping Tomoyo safe. He at least remembers Tomoyo. But all those fuzzy details… like Rika and Naoko for example, they've been in the back of his mind for nearly 16 years. Though they do spark recognition when Eriol listens to Cho's stories. After all, Cho's the one who supposedly knows everything. And Harry… well in Chapter 5, the last part, where "Or at least didn't remember" was referring more to Eriol than Harry. Harry's memories were more like… stolen. But the person who stole it had a reason, whether it was good or bad depends on what you think. But the person had a reason, even if it was a misguided reason. - (I think I'm being cynical here) But don't worry, in the end, Harry will get that memory back. And eventually Eriol will be caught up with the latest events that happened to his childhood friends.
Who are the special animals in the forest at the birth of Jade's Guardian? The special animals in the forest at the birth of Jade's guardian are the Twelve: the yellow cat, the ginger cat, the dark gray cat, the ocher-eyed wolf, another wolf, a beautiful female peacock, a white-speckled doe, a white unicorn, a small eastern dragon, a cute turtle (like in Love Hina… I forgot the turtle's name!), Celes the green eyed phoenix, and Star the green eyed phoenix with a star on her neck. But for who they actually are… that's a bit of a spoiler. - I have plans for those twelve.
But here are the clues: (1) the three cats, the yellow, ginger, and the dark gray cats are real animals, real cats. If you have not heard of a ginger haired cat, well… that cat belongs to somebody living in England. Oh, and hint: the dark gray cat used to belong to Minerva. It doesn't anymore…it belongs to somebody living in the US. And no, you wouldn't be able to know who it is. Sorry. But all three cats have something in common… well a lot in common… and eventually the girls who own them will have a special part to play.
(2) Seven animals… fine, the animals except for the cats, the ocher-eyed wolf, and Star the phoenix… are really people under a spell. They can't turn back into people until the next obscure. Though Celes the phoenix is special because … well, let's just say that Celes has a difficult time having two souls in one shell. But who are the people? shrug Don't want to tell you that either. You can guess all you want… but I think I have foreshadowed already enough. Hint: everything happens for a reason. I mean it. I don't type out anything without a reason, you know!
(3) Xiaolang said that Star the phoenix and the ocher-eyed wolf was his parents. - And his parents are Sakura and Syaoran. Those two sorcerers can change into animals, but Sakura and Syaoran have a favorite for transforming into that phoenix and that wolf. That's all I'm telling you. You just have to figure out who the seven animals-people are. - Have fun guessing, because they're not revealed until the end!
Aimee: I hoped that answer your questions, yi. But I really can't… don't want to give out too many things that would spoil the end. Just wait! It'll be all explained at the end. But you can keep guessing! I'll at least try and keep you on track!
Yuki: Everybody have a nice and cool summer! - And hope Aimee updates faster!
Aimee: Yuki! Well, I hope so too. Stay tuned! -