Title: Magical Alliance
Author: AkizukiSakura
Series: Yuugi-ou/Harry Potter/Cardcaptor Sakura
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Rating: M/R
Pairing(s): Yami no Yuugi/Yuugi, Bakura/Ryou, Sakura/Scorpius, others pending.
Spoilers/Warnings: Since all three series referenced here are complete, let it be safe to assume that I might reference anything and everything. This is heavily plot divergent.
Disclaimer: Yuugi-ou belongs to Takahashi Kazuki-san. Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. I own only the basic plot and make no monetary profit off this story.
Summary: With Voldemort gone, the wizarding world was allowed to release its collective breath. The danger seems to be over. So why are people who aren't even associated with wizards having visions that pertain to the hidden, magical world?
Notes: There are hints of pairings in this chapter that aren't listed above. Those will not change, either, but since they are not mentioned too much I deigned it unnecessary to list them under 'pairings'.

Italicized words represent thoughts unless they're in Japanese. Foreign words will be italicized as well.

'…' represents telepathic communication.
"…" (non-italicized) represent spoken words.
Any necessary translations will be at the end of each chapter.

Chapter 2: Memories and Shopping

At five-thirty in the morning most normal people would be in bed unless they happened to need to be at work. Twenty-nine-year-old Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world, was obviously not one of those lucky few. Slumped over a lukewarm mug of coffee, the raven-haired man did not look well. His face was drawn and pinched and there were faint beginnings of dark circles under his eyes. This was not a man who slept well – this was a man troubled by something.

The fact of the matter was that Harry Potter had finally defeated the dark lord in his seventh year. No one but Harry knew the exact details of the confrontation between Tom Riddle and himself and even after twelve years he showed no signs of wanting to divulge any details. Voldemort had led the attack on Hogsmeade – and then Hogwarts – but before his Death Eaters and organized sub-humans had managed to breach the castle walls Harry had defeated the darkest wizard of the age and the dark army had ceased fighting almost immediately.

Some people were pardoned and others were persecuted based on the accounts of a number of spies and informants present in Voldemort's army – namely one Severus Snape and, surprisingly enough, Lucius Malfoy. Plenty of people plead innocence, claiming to have been under the Imperius at the time, or blackmailed, or any number of 'extenuating circumstances'. The ministry did its best to sort who was guilty and who was innocent. Harry Potter was given an Order of Merlin, first class, and left to finish his schooling. Most people seemed to expect that he would end up an Auror – only Albus Dumbledore seemed unsurprised when the wizarding savior decided he wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at the only place he'd ever called home.

Even Albus Dumbledore, however, did not know what had transpired that fateful night when Harry had rid the wizarding world of a wicked wizard and Harry had buried those memories safely in a penseive that he kept from the clutches of everyone, even his wife Ginny.

Harry was roused from his blank state by the feel of small, slender hands on his shoulders gently massaging the knots of tension. He did not look up, knowing already who it was that had come downstairs after him – Ginny must have woken up and realized that he was not in bed and, like the caring woman she was, had gone in search of him.

"Nightmares again, Harry?" she asked sympathetically, though she was not insulted by the silence that followed her question. Harry had never been the type of person to burden other people when he could help it and, though Ginny could tell something was wrong, she was not one to pry into her husband's feelings. Still, it was a sign of trust that he had not pulled away from her, nor had he openly denied having any troubles. He had not told her what was bothering him, but at least he respected her enough not to lie to her.

She stayed like that for several minutes, smoothing her hands over Harry's back and shoulders before slipping her hands down his chest and leaning over him for a soothing embrace. She pressed her lips to his cheek and let the drift to his ear.

"Come back to bed, Harry… Staying down here won't help you. I have a little bit of Dreamless Sleep left over still from the last time you had these nightmares." She disentangled her willowy form from his and, holding her pale pink dressing gown closer, she went back upstairs. Harry was like a cat – he would come to her in his own time and not a moment sooner.

Eventually Harry got to his feet, scooping up the mug and depositing it in the sink before proceeding after his wife. Ginny always was a rock of good sense. It was one of the reasons he'd fallen in love with her and married her – one of the reasons their son had so much common sense hidden under his mischievous personality. She always knew how to calm him down, even if it was just with her presence and a few tender words, and Harry knew he would always love the woman he had married only a few months after graduating. Later he would visit Draco but, for now, he could enjoy the last few hours of the night with his loving wife.

Malfoy Manor was a behemoth of a structure set against the backdrop of rolling British hills and a lake that rivaled the size of Lake Erie in the United States. Like the castle of Hogwarts, Malfoy Manor and its surrounding land was Unplottable and probably had more secrecy magic infused into its structure than the school. The Malfoys valued their privacy even when the dark lord had fallen a little over a decade ago. Very few people could simply walk up to the manor and ring the doorbell.

Happily enough, Harry Potter was one of those select few who was always welcome at the home of his once-arch nemesis. Draco Malfoy had been Harry's year-mate and, while they had been the same age when starting school, Harry had taken an instant disliking to the aristocratic Slytherin for his constant jibes on the worth of being a pure-blooded wizard. It was only when the Malfoys revealed that they were truly on the side of 'good' that he and Draco had begun to reconcile even a little bit, and it was almost five years before Harry had learned to appreciate Draco's prickly attitude and dark sense of humor enough to call him a friend.

Harry did not typically make it a point to visit Draco too often, for there was a limit to just how much of the Slytherin he could stand at a time, but in times when he needed advice – or even just a "Get over it, Potter!" – Draco was definitely the person to turn to. Ginny would sooth him; Draco was a voice of reason that wouldn't allow him to pity himself. In a twisted way their relationship seemed to work.

A house elf answered the door, a little female with vivid blue eyes that Harry did not know. He smiled at her just the same and told her he wanted to see Draco. With subservient attitude that her kind was known for, she led him to one of the sitting rooms to wait. Harry was only mildly surprised to find it occupied already by none other than the hook-nosed potions master of Hogwarts.

"Severus," he greeted calmly, sitting down on a forest green armchair as the house elf ran off to inform Draco of another visitor. Harry had come rather early – the chances were slim that Draco was awake and dressed and, with the emphasis he placed on personal appearance, he would never greet a guest at less than his best.

The familiar sneer twisted Severus Snape's thin lips but Harry expected that. While he and Severus were coworkers now, and had been for almost eight years, Severus would never admit to liking him. Harry knew better than to press the issue, though it was clear to everyone else that he and Severus were able to hold a decent conversation with minimal insults. It was a relationship rather like Draco's and Harry's: Harry could count on Severus to be snide and superior and, like Draco, Severus was best kept in small doses to prohibit bloodshed.

"Potter," Severus replied, dark eyes waxing sadistically amused. "Dare I ask what brings you here so early despite the common knowledge that my godson is rarely awake and coherent before noon?" he asked, his tone condescending. Harry knew that Severus was actually curious, though, and perhaps a little concerned, because he knew, too, that Harry and Draco would never be called "best friends".

"I needed to ask him something… But, come to think of it, it's probably something I should ask you." From the way Harry's green eyes drifted toward Severus' left arm the ex-spy knew instantly what he wanted to know. Before he could open his mouth to reply, though, the house elf was back, this time preceding Draco Malfoy. The blonde man had not changed much at all in the past twelve years. His face was still vaguely pointed, his hair still blonde, his eyes still an interesting shade of blue-gray. His hair brushed his shoulders now and was receding slightly from his forehead but he still carried himself with the arrogance and pride he had always been known for.

"Professor Snape, Potter," he greeted in his usual drawl, sitting in an armchair that was a match in color for the one Harry had claimed. Harry did not miss the lack of title given to his name but he wasn't too insulted – it was Malfoy through and through. "What brings you to my home this morning?" He glanced at Harry and smirked faintly. "Or, rather, what brings you here, Potter? Since I invited Severus I know why he's here."

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's melodramatics but replied anyway with, "I needed to know if you've felt anything lately." Both Slytherin men stared at him. Harry grimaced. "I'm not in the mood for pleasantries this morning, all right?" He knew they were startled by his blunt words and now both of them were scrutinizing him carefully. Knowing that rushing either man would only make them purposefully take their time, Harry bore their examinations patiently. It was Severus who broke the silence first.

"You've been having dreams lately, haven't you?" Despite the phrasing Harry knew that Severus wasn't really asking him to answer. His question must have shown on his face, though, for Severus rolled his eyes but it was Draco who answered.

"Please, Potter," he sniffed derisively. "Not only is your face as open as it's ever been but there are circles beneath your eyes. Anyone who knows you knows that when you sleep badly it's usually because of your dreams. And the fact that you asked me if I've 'felt anything' means that whatever you're dreaming about has something to do with the dark lord." Draco folded his hands on top of his cane, one made similarly to the one his father carried. "If Severus wasn't here I'd suggest you ask my father," he added rather pointedly. Draco's arm was unblemished by the burden of the dark mark. Both Draco and Harry looked at Severus, who unconsciously brushed his fingers over the sleeve covering his left arm.

"I have felt things, certainly," he said slowly, as though weighing his words. "However, the dark lord was the only one to do something like this to his followers… There is no research as to the lasting effects of such a mark even with the source cut down." He glanced at Harry. "The fact that I felt the occasional twinge would be nothing to me if not for the fact that you are clearly troubled as well. It will be something to look into." He sighed faintly and relaxed. "It is probably nothing but the residual effects of his magic. Since it troubles you, I will make a fresh batch of Dreamless Sleep and have it sent to you."

Although it wasn't a concise answer to why he was still haunted by dreams of Voldemort, Harry knew he couldn't expect much else. He had, however, alerted two other people to the idea that something might be wrong. At least this way, should anything happen, not everyone would be taken by surprise. The new batch of Dreamless Sleep was definitely a plus, too, for with the new school term starting soon he needed to make sure he was up to par with teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. He got to his feet.

"Thank you Draco, Severus," he said, nodding to the both of them. "I won't take up any more of your time." To anyone else the comment might have seemed cold, like he was unhappy with the lack of conversation, but Harry knew they would understand that he didn't have time to spend here. Besides, Severus had actually been invited and yet they had dealt with Harry's problem first. The Slytherins may not have realized it but that fact spoke volumes on how much they had come to tolerate, perhaps even like, his presence.

Some would say that eavesdropping was not an occupation fit for a Malfoy. Scorpius would reply to that with the comment that eavesdropping was an occupation fit for anyone wanting information and that if they didn't want him to hear they should have put an Imperturbable Charm on the door.

Scorpius was not stupid, nor was he ignorant, and he certainly wasn't a fool. He knew the reputation his family had amassed over the centuries, just as he knew how hard his grandfather worked to dispel that reputation. His family was not evil. The Malfoys were not against using force to get what they wanted, but that didn't make them evil. A little heavy-handed, but not evil.

Even so, his father often deigned to keep him out of conversations that dealt with the Second War because the Malfoys were trying to be a little less trigger-happy, to use a Muggle turn of phrase, and Draco did not want his son picking up too many bad habits. That wasn't to say Draco wasn't proud of his Slytherin heritage – it was quite the contrary – but in the beginning all four founders had been friends. Scorpius, too, was a Slytherin. He'd be returning to Hogwarts this year as a second year student but, where plenty of his housemates were wary of the rest of the school, Scorpius made an effort to show that Slytherin House was not a dark house.

Since his father kept him out of the loop so much, though, Scorpius had learned that there was plenty of information to be had when the savior of the wizarding world got together with a Malfoy, especially when Professor Snape was there, too. Today proved that theory – Scorpius moved up the stair silently, headed back to his room and fiddling with the heavy silver ring on his right index finger. His father said it was a family heirloom that seemed right for him and told him that he should avoid taking it off. Scorpius had always thought those orders were strange. Now he wondered if it had anything to do with Professor Potter's apparent dreams and the mark on Professor Snape's arm.

He certainly had quite a lot to think about before the start of the new term in two weeks.

It was precisely ten minutes before their visitor was scheduled to arrive via portkey and both Sakura and Tomoyo were understandably nervous. Both girls had just finished packing, though Tomoyo kept thinking of things to add to Sakura's bag to "enhance your undeniable cuteness!" while at school. Sakura had to remind Tomoyo, patiently, that they would be buying new, uniformed robes to wear and that she wouldn't be able to wear any of the clothes Tomoyo kept trying to get her to take along.

In the end Tomoyo gave in but she still decided to take the video camera Dumbledore had charmed for her. It wouldn't work right now, since it had been modified to run on magical energy rather than electrical energy, but it would be useful when they got to school – Dumbledore had only done so because Tomoyo had looked so heartbroken at the idea that she wouldn't be able to film her cute Sakura while at a magical school. The headmaster had extricated a promise from Tomoyo that she wouldn't show that footage to anyone unaware of the existence of the magical world.

Now both girls were sitting on the couch, each bearing a purse and a duffle bag – Kero was stashed in Sakura's purse for the time being, as Tomoyo's mother was still not quite used to him. Tomoyo's mother Sonomi and Sakura's brother Touya alternated between sitting on chairs brought from the dining room and pacing back and forth in mild agitation. Only Sakura's father seemed content to stay seated, though his gaze shifted to the clock more than was casually normal. At exactly ten o'clock someone knocked on the door and Fujitaka immediately got to his feet, holding up a hand when Touya started toward the entryway to get the door. Recognizing that his father was just as nervous, Touya conceded and forced himself to take a seat.

Sakura blinked when she heard her father and the newcomer speaking to each other. Their visitor sounded like a male about Sakura's father's age. He also sounded very familiar, though Sakura couldn't quite place it, and a glance at Tomoyo proved that the other girl was just as baffled. They got to their feet as Fujitaka led the newcomer into the living room.

He was tall, probably at least as tall as Touya, if not a little bit taller, with dark blue-black hair and equally shadowed eyes. There was a pair of glasses perched on his nose and his skin was almost pale enough to be called translucent. Sakura and Tomoyo gaped rather openly at him. If he was shorter, and his glasses a bit bigger, and his lips quirked into a familiar semi-condescending smile, this man would look very much like…

"Eriol-kun?!" Sakura gasped in shock, staring at the man in complete surprise. Hiiragizawa Eriol's lips did quirk into that familiar smile then even as he bowed slightly.

"It's been a long time Sakura-san, Daidouji-san," he replied, his tone a little smug. Sakura shook her head at him, wanting to be upset with his need for dramatic secrecy but unable to keep the smile from her face. Eriol had been extremely secretive when he'd lived here in Tomoeda, and his entire appearance had been falsified, but Sakura found that she could not dislike the mage who had helped her so much, even if his help had come in an odd way.

"Dumbledore-san was adamant that we not know the identity of our escort," Tomoyo remarked as she examined Eriol's grown-up body. "I would guess he shares the same love of the 'mystical mage' as you, Hiiragizawa-kun. So this is how you should truly look?"

When Sakura and Tomoyo had met Eriol a year ago he had been a child about the same age as the both of them. One he'd revealed his presence as the one orchestrating the strange occurrences around Tomoeda so that Sakura could change the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, he had explained that he was actually much older than they were and had purposefully halted his aging so as to be Sakura's classmate. As far as the girls knew, once he'd returned to England – and to Mizuki Kaho, a woman who had helped Sakura win against Yue during the Last Judgment of the Clow Cards and the woman he loved – he had limited his contact with them to letters and the occasional phone call. They had figured he was busy with his new life.

"I might be a few years off one way or the other but as far as memory serves me yes, this is how I should truly look." Eriol was smiling now, too, and it wasn't his arrogant 'I-know-more-than-you' smile for once. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore told you that I was one of Hogwart's Divination teachers. Since my lesson plans were finished he gave me permission to escort you two around Diagon Alley for your school supplies, but I have to be back at the school a few days before the start of term to meet some of the new teachers, one of which will be teaching Divination with me."

Sakura turned to her father, who smiled faintly at her and nodded. She ran over to give him a hug. He held her a little tighter than he might have usually but, since she would be gone for several months, she wasn't very surprised. What did surprise her was that once Fujitaka let go Touya claimed her for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful and stay safe, kaijuu." When she scowled up at him Touya smiled in a way that Sakura could not keep from returning. He released her and stepped nimbly out of range. "And make sure you don't squash any of the other kids!" Sakura puffed her cheeks in annoyance but let it go for now, huffing instead and hurrying over to gather her bags. Sonomi let her daughter go, dabbing a handkerchief under her eyes so as to avoid mussing her makeup, and Eriol made sure both girls were ready before he held out an empty candy tin.

"This is called a portkey," he said before anyone could ask. "In exactly forty-five seconds it'll take us where we need to be, so make sure you're touching at least one finger to it. And make sure you've got a tight hold of your things," he added as the girls unconsciously reached for each other's hands before placing their fingertips on the chilled tin. They smiled at their families – Eriol inclined his head politely – and a moment later there was a curious hooking sensation around their navels and all three vanished from the living room.

"Stay safe, Sakura-san,­ Tomoyo-san," Fujitaka said quietly to the space where his daughter had just been before turning to Sonomi. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" he offered politely. Tomoyo's mother gave him a heavily scrutinizing look before she finally nodded, a faint blush tinting her cheeks.

If she had her way Sakura would never, ever, ever travel that way again. The sensation when the portkey had first extended its magic over them had been unpleasant, especially when it then proceeded to yank none-too-gently at her navel. If the beginning was unpleasant the end was ten times worse, for Eriol had not warned them that the magical device was going to slam them into the ground when the journey was finished. Both Sakura and Tomoyo had ended up sprawled on the cobblestones of what looked like a dingy yard behind an even dingier building. From the way Eriol casually floated down he had known that the portkey would not drop them gently. He at least had the decency to look abashed.

"I'm sorry, ladies – I had forgotten that you two have never travelled this way or I would have warned you." He offered a hand to each of them and helped them up, then picked up their luggage despite their protests. "It's fine," he assured them. "We're just going inside, anyway." Leading them into the building he smiled down at them. "This is the Leaky Cauldron, one of the entrances to the wizarding world and the only entrance to Diagon Alley from the non-magical community."

The building had looked rather run-down on the outside and, while it was dark and smelled a little musty on the inside Sakura could tell that the bar counter and tabletops were clean, the floors well swept, and the pictures were free of dust. They were also moving, something that Sakura pointed out to Tomoyo as Eriol called to someone named 'Tom'. He and the bartender exchanged a few words as the girls took in their surroundings. Finally both men came over and Eriol introduced them.

"Sakura-san, Tomoyo-san, this is Tom. He's going to show you to your room. I thought you might want to share so you wouldn't get lonely." Sakura nodded and Tomoyo took her hand again. "Don't worry about unpacking just yet – we have to go out to get your school supplies. Just drop off your things."

The room Tom showed them to had a silver '9' tacked firmly against the wood. The key he gave them, too, had the same number carved into its pewter handle. The room, like the bar, was plain but obviously kept clean. The window overlooked the muggle street outside, the rugs had been freshly aired, and there were clean sheets on the bed. All in all it wasn't bad.

Even Tomoyo, used to grander surroundings but in no way spoiled, had only good things to say and a smile for Tom. Once they had dropped off their suitcases – Sakura let Kero out of her purse, as he'd wanted to stay behind to scope out where they'd be staying for safety – Tom took them back downstairs where Eriol was speaking to an extremely large man with a beard. Catching sight of his charges Eriol excused himself politely and joined them, leading them back outside to the little paved area and right up to a brick wall. He pulled a wand from the sleeve of his pale blue robes.

"While I prefer it in its staff form, my Key works best with wizarding spells in this shape. Remind me after we get Daidouji-san's wand to show you how to turn your key into wand form, all right Sakura-san?" Looking at it now Sakura could tell that this was Eriol's staff, for the handle was carved with little sunbursts and the wand was made of a wood that was a pale yellow rather than a shade of brown. He waited for Sakura to nod before he began counting and tapping bricks on the wall. About to ask what he was doing, Sakura pulled in a sharp breath of surprise when the wall began wriggling and shifting until the bricks had rearranged themselves into an archway that opened onto a crowded street packed with people and shops.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," he said, smiling at the girls' openmouthed expressions of shock. "Professor Dumbledore gave me the money your parents sent him to change it from yen to wizarding money, so we won't have to visit the bank." He handed each of them a pouch that jingled with metal coins. "Keep it in your purses and keep them close to you. I think the first thing we should do is stop at Ollivander's for Daidouji-san's wand."

As he'd spoken he'd taken both girls' hands so they wouldn't get lost and led them down the paved street. He knew better than to try to talk to them, though, knowing that they would be too in awe of their surroundings to hold a conversation. He was right, too – Sakura's wide emerald eyes were on the various people they passed, ranging in age from very young children to very old witches. There were people who looked like they might be right at home in places like Egypt for their darkly tanned skin and glossy hair to even further southern parts of Africa with almost pitch-black skin and complicated hairstyles. Diagon Alley seemed to be a hodgepodge of witches and wizard from all over the world.

Tomoyo's attention was on the shops and stores they passed on the way to Ollivander's, her keen mind and admittedly girly shopping sense taking in colors, scents, and even hazarding guesses at textures of the items they passed. There was a shop displaying various styles of brooms fitted with seats – Tomoyo was reminded the witches were supposed to ride broomsticks, though she didn't think she'd care to be so high in the air unless it was with Sakura on her staff. They also passed an apothecary and a number of bookstores as well as a place called "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions" that Tomoyo wanted to take a look at to learn the wizarding style. Maybe she could get some ideas on new clothes to make for her beloved Sakura-chan.

Finally they came to a stop at a store with dusty windows and lettering that proclaimed 'Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.' Where many of the stores they had passed had proudly displayed various good in their windows, this shop had only a single, rather dusty-looking wand displayed on a faded purple cushion in the window. Despite the appearance of the shop, though, Eriol nodded to Tomoyo.

"This is the best place in the world to buy a wand. Mr. Ollivander is a tad…ah…strange, but he does brilliant work with wands and I have yet to hear of anyone unsatisfied with his work." When he pushed open the door to the shop a tiny bell tingled and, a moment later, an old man with odd silver eyes approached them with a smile that was vaguely strange, though Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Inside the shop the walls were lined floor to ceiling with thousands of narrow boxes that, Sakura guessed, each held a wand. In spite of herself Sakura was impressed but she supposed there would have to be a lot of wands if most new witches and wizards came here to buy them. "No two wands are the same, my dear," Ollivander spoke up suddenly, startling Sakura into giving him her attention. "They are made of different materials and no two are precisely the same. The wand chooses the witch or wizard, which means I must always have a wand that suits each person who comes into my shop."

"Professor," he greeted Eriol, who nodded in response. Ollivander peered at Sakura for several moments before shaking his head. "Not here for a wand, are you, mistress?" he asked, though it was clearly a rhetorical question for he soon smiled at Tomoyo. "A new witch… Follow me, please, all three of you. I have a few wands in mind already." They followed him deeper into the shop. Ollivander produced a tape measure. "Your wand hand?" he asked patiently. Tomoyo immediately volunteered her right hand and the man began measuring, starting with her arm and moving on to her hand, her fingers, her fingertips, and more besides. It was only when Tomoyo noticed that he was pulling down various boxes that she realized the tape measure was doing all this on its own.

"That's enough," Ollivander said suddenly and the tape measure dropped to the ground. He opened a box and offered the contents to Tomoyo. She stared at it and then at him, feeling rather nervous. "Just give it a swish, dear, and see if anything happens," he instructed, but she had barely lifted it when he grabbed it away. "No, no, not that one – try this one, mahogany and phoenix feather…"

They went through what felt like hundreds of wands before Ollivander carefully detached a box from the very bottom of a large stack of them, blowing dust off the box. "Tricky customer, eh?" he said, seeming delighted. "Tricky customer, special wand; willow, sixteen inches, unicorn-hair core." Tomoyo immediately noticed the difference when she picked this one up, for warmth filled her body and silver sparks shot from the tip, startling her. Ollivander nodded decisively.

"Long and swishy, built for charm work; I thought charms would suit you. A powerful wand indeed, my dear." He wrapped the wand in tissue and put it back in its box as he spoke, handing it to Tomoyo a moment later. "Take care of it!" he added. Tomoyo handed over a number of silver coins – Eriol called them "Sickles" – for her new wand and the luminescent-eyed man bowed them from his shop. Sakura linked arms with her best friend.

"Congratulations, Tomoyo-chan!" she said cheerily, knowing that her friend had begun to grow worried when none of the wands seemed to satisfy the wandmaker. Sakura, however, had a feeling when they first entered the shop that Tomoyo's power would be difficult to ascertain, especially since Kero had such a hard time realizing she had any magic to begin with. Tomoyo gave her a relieved, thankful smile.

"All right, ladies. Since I know how girls are with clothes, how about you two go get your robes" he pointed at Madam Malkin's "while I get your potions ingredients and books, and we can meet at Eeyelop's?" he finished, pointing at a store bustling with various animals. When the girls nodded he smiled. "Make sure your robes match what it says on your school lists, though I'm sure Madam Malkin's will help you out." He shook his head when Tomoyo started to reach into her purse for money. "I'll take care of it. Consider it a gift for future students."

Before either girl could protest Eriol was gone. Tomoyo and Sakura exchanged exasperated glances before shaking their heads and entering the shop. They had barely been in for a moment, looking rather lost against the massed multitude of robes, before a squat, cheery-looking woman came up to them.

"New students?" she asked without preamble, smiling wider when Tomoyo nodded and Sakura flashed a hesitant smile. "That's all right, dears, just follow me and I'll have you outfitted in a jiffy!" True to her word Sakura had barely stood atop a small stool when the witch had a long black robe over her head and was pinning the hems and sleeves, a number of pins in her mouth. Another witch did the same to Tomoyo and Sakura noticed a boy with pale blonde hair on the stool next to her. He noticed her looking and gave her a swift once-over.

"New to Hogwarts?" he asked finally, to which Sakura nodded. He gave her a tiny smile. "It's not that bad, you know." The witch at his feet seemed to be letting the hems down a bit. Sakura thought he might be a bit older than she was. Maybe he was in a year or two above her? As if reading her thoughts the boy smiled a little more. "I'm a second year. Name's Malfoy. Scorpius Malfoy." Sakura was suddenly very glad Dumbledore had given her and Tomoyo pendants to wear that would allow her to speak and understand English when she needed to.

"Kinomoto Sakura." She offered a hand, careful not to move any other part of her body while Madam Malkin pinned the black robe. He took her hand and, to her surprise and embarrassment, brushed his lips politely over her knuckles. If Eriol had not done the same thing to her a year ago and then explained it was polite to greet a lady in such a manner in England, Sakura would have been confused.

"Sakura," he repeated, looking thoughtful. "You're not from England, are you, Kinomoto?" he asked. "Your name doesn't suggest it, anyway." Sakura smiled at him as the witch finished his hems and told him he was done, pulling the robes off as he hopped off the stool. From the way he was dressed – black slacks and a pale gray button-up shirt – Sakura could guess that this person came from either a wealthy or a strict family.

"No, I'm from Japan. And, please, call me Sakura. I heard that it's more common to call someone by their first name here, right?" she asked, blushing faintly when he grinned openly at her.

"I think you'll do fine," he said. "And if I call you Sakura, you have to call me Scorpius, okay?" His eye was caught by a woman waving slightly at him. "Ah, that's my mother. I have to go, Sakura, but I guess I'll see you at the start of term." He waved a little and was soon gone, leaving Sakura to stare after him.

"He seemed nice," Tomoyo remarked suddenly from her left. Sakura jumped a little and turned to her friend, noting that she seemed to be finished. Before Sakura could answer Madam Malkin stood up.

"You're finished, dear," she announced happily, helping Sakura out of the robe so that she, too, could hop down from the stool. "I'll be back in a few minutes with these and another two sets, my dears, so just hold tight," she added, bustling off to the back somewhere. Catching the look in her friend's eye Sakura flushed faintly.

"He said he's a second year at Hogwarts," she explained to Tomoyo, who smiled at Sakura and gently nudged her ribs.

"Always the older men for you, ne Sakura-chan?" she teased. Sakura's face heated up instantly and, flustered, she hastily busied herself with looking through the robes on display while they waited on Madam Malkin.

"Tomoyo-chan, it's not like that!" she protested once her blush was under control. "He was just being friendly." Any chances that Tomoyo had to reply were lost when Madam Malkin came back bearing two large gift-sack shaped bags, one of which she handed to Tomoyo, the other to Sakura.

"There you are, my dears. Your names are on the inside collars and when you get to school your house crest will be put on your robes, too. Now then, the nice lady in green up front will take your payment, all right?" She waited for twin nods before beaming. "And relax, my dears! Have a good time!" It wasn't until they had paid and were waiting for Eriol at Eeyelop's Owl Emporium that it occurred to Sakura that neither she nor Tomoyo had given the friendly witch their names.

Eriol came up a few minutes later and smiled at them.

"I shrank your things and put them in my pockets so they wouldn't be too heavy – I'll undo the spell when we get back to the Leaky Cauldron. Would you two like to look in here for a pet before we head back?" he asked. Sakura, thinking of Kero, said that she didn't think she needed a pet, but Tomoyo remembered that they could have an owl and that owls were the medium for exchanging mail.

"I think I'd like an owl, Hiiragizawa-kun," she remarked. "We can share it so that everyone gets their mail. Is that all right, Sakura-chan?" Sakura smiled gratefully at her friend, knowing that Tomoyo knew she'd wanted an owl but didn't think Kero would like it too much. They entered the shop, emerging fifteen minutes later with a covered cage bearing a large female owl with pretty, pearly-gray plumage that Tomoyo named Haikagura as well as another bag containing "owl treats", something the bespectacled sales lady had said owls liked.

By the time they made it back to the Leaky Cauldron the sun was setting and all three of them were hungry. Eriol returned their things to their normal size – two large, bulging bags each as well as a large black trunk that bore their initials – and took them down to the ground floor for some dinner.

"You have a week to yourselves now, and I have to get back to the castle. If you need anything you can send a letter with Haikagura – owls are intelligent, she'll know where the school is," Eriol explained over dinner, a Western-style stew cupped in a bowl of bread. "You're both free to wander Diagon Ally, but stay on the main path and don't venture out into muggle London, all right?" He waited until they agreed before handing over two more pouches that jiggled with quite the amount of coins. "This is my gift of spending money," he said with a grin.

"But you bought most of our supplies already, Eriol­-kun," Sakura immediately protested, trying to give him the pouch back. Tomoyo didn't bother trying, knowing that Eriol would not allow them to refuse his gift. She was right.

"In my family it's a tradition to outfit the heir of the Clow Cards with anything they might need," he said seriously. "You're the first one to possess them since Clow Reed but it was his will – and I know since I have his memories – that you were taken care of." He smiled when Sakura reluctantly took the pouch. "Now, I didn't get your cauldrons or your quills and ink, so make sure you two manage to get it, all right?"

Eriol escorted them up to their rooms after dinner, promising to come and get them at the end of the week to take them to the train station and showing Sakura how to turn her Key into a wand rather than a staff – it required Sakura using "wand" in the spell rather than "true". Once they were settled into their room Eriol left, borrowing the fireplace downstairs to Floo back to Hogwarts, something that Professor Dumbledore had given him special permission to do since security had been tightened on the castle with the rise and fall of the dark lord.

Kero kept Sakura and Tomoyo up a little longer with questions about Diagon Alley and promised to accompany them when they went out from now on. Sakura could protect herself and her friend with her cards if she needed to but Kero told her it would be wise to keep them a secret for now since she was here to learn a different way of casting magic.

Though Sakura did not like keeping secrets from anybody she knew the wisdom of Kero's words and agreed.

And that's the end of chapter two. There isn't much to say about it except to note that the length is back to a more normal one, rather than the monster the first chapter ended up being.

The "spell" referred to regarding Sakura's staff is adapted from the anime and is as follows: "Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true form before me! I, Sakura, command you under out contract! Release!"

So in order to get a wand rather than a staff it would be changed thus: "Key that hides the power of the stars, show your wand form before me! I, Sakura, command you under out contract! Release!"

Unoriginal? Probably, but in the manga Sakura realizes that she must say "stars" in the spell to make the Key become a staff when she receives her Star Staff.

Note that, once again, this version had been spell-checked but has not been proofread.

Translations:

Kaijuu: Touya's nickname for Sakura is "monster". Normally she would reply with "Sakura kaijuu ja nai mo!" or "I am not a monster!" but here she decided to let it go.
Haikagura: Since Tomoyo is Japanese, her name for her pet is Japanese. "Haikagura" means "clouds of ash" which seemed suitable for a gray owl to me.

Word Count: 7,729

Kampai!
AkizukiSakura