Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess
Urd looked around the living room at the faces looking at her expectantly. This is going to be stressful.
"Urd? You wanted to talk to us about something?" Belldandy asked pleasantly.
Urd sighed. "Yes. OK, there is no easy way to say this so I'll cut to the chase. There is a complication in the paperwork we put together to adopt Harry."
The tension in the room suddenly went up considerably. "Complication? What kind of complication?" Skuld demanded.
"The issue relates to adoption laws in this country. Both magical and non-magical jurisdictions put stringent requirements on prospective adoptive parents in order to at least try to make sure that any adopted children go to a good home."
"Go on." Keiichi said. He had a bad feeling about this.
"One thing that both have in common is that only close family members can take guardianship without much in the way of a check. The assumption is that aunts, uncles, siblings, grandparents and so on are already known to the child or children and are therefore the best option. Which, as we have seen with Harry, is not always the case."
"Get to the point, Urd." Keiichi sighed, earning him a small glance from Belldandy.
"OK. We weren't close enough relatives for that to work. Even though we are fairly close in terms of the family tree, we had never met Harry before and are therefore not close enough for the bureaucrats. Which means we had to go the other route and a more traditional adoption. And that's where the complication arises..."
"Yes?" Skuld asked pointedly.
"Single people usually don't have a chance to adopt. So for the sake of getting Harry into our care, I've put Keiichi and Belldandy down as a married couple." Urd blurted out.
There was a short silence, which was broken by Skuld.
"YOU DID WHAT?"
Keiichi looked stunned. Skuld looked horrified. Belldandy looked...pretty much like normal.
"Look, this marriage only exists on the adoption forms we filed with the Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the magical and non-magical worlds. So long as nobody checks them - and thanks to our friend Albus' charms that I reinforced, nobody ever will - this information won't go any further than the filing cabinets the forms get dumped in."
"Urd, do you think you could have told us about this in advance?" Keiichi asked in a small voice.
Urd sighed again. "Yes, I could. And we would have had an argument that went on for days and wasted time."
"What do you mean, sister?" Belldandy asked.
"I mean that Keiichi here would have just about died from embarrassment on the spot and been completely useless around you at a time when we needed him to coordinate our move from Japan. And Skuld would have thrown the tantrum she is currently building up a lot earlier and disrupted that move." Urd said bluntly.
Keiichi looked like he was going to protest, but he seemed to think about it and closed his mouth. He settle on staring fixedly at his hands resting in his lap. Skuld, on the other hand, was less restrained.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?"
Urd's tone was chilly. "I mean that for all that you've come a long way in terms of accepting them, you were still opposed to Belldandy and Keiichi's relationship. Everybody else who knows them has pretty much accepted them as a couple. His family in particular have been amazing regarding it. You, little sister, seemed intent on behaving like a 10-year-old screaming about 'cooties'. Well, tough. We needed to do this for the job at hand. Whether you like it or not. Now you can either grow up and behave like the goddess you aspire to be, or you can continue to act like a brat."
Skuld opened her mouth to shout at Urd again, when she noticed that Belldandy...seemed to agree? Since when did Belldandy side with Urd against her youngest sister?
"Skuld, dear, while Urd could have been more tactful...I am afraid she is correct. Keiichi and I are bound by more than just a contract, and you were the only person who seemed incapable of accepting it. While I do wish that Urd had not just taken matters into her own hands without consulting me first, I can understand why she has done this." Belldandy's voice was as warm and friendly as ever, but there was a definite hint of steel underlying her words. Urd caught the subtle message directed at her and resolved to come up with a decent apology later.
Skuld blinked a few times, before she slumped back into her seat and started bawling. Belldandy moved over to her and hugged the youngest Norn, who promptly buried her face into her sister's shoulder.
Keiichi looked up at Urd. "So, do we need to do anything about this? Or can we leave it as it is?"
Urd paused. "We can leave it as it is. In truth, all we need is a legal fiction to allow the adoption of Harry to get through the bureaucratic process. That's been done and we probably won't have to re-fight that battle, so there's no need for more action. However..." Urd stood up, and gestured for Keiichi to follow her.
Urd went outside and shut the door behind Keiichi as he joined her.
"Time for more bluntness, Keiichi. You and Belldandy are ready for this. The two of you have been married in all but name for the past couple of years anyway, all that is required now is to make it official."
Keiichi objected. "Hey, Bell and I haven't..." He trailed off, mortally embarrassed.
Urd simply raised an eyebrow. "There's more to marriage than what happens in the bedroom, Keiichi. The relationship you two share is closer than most people could ever dream of having. Sharing yourselves with each other is just the icing on the cake now for you two. And that's speaking as somebody who has had more than her fair share of relationships that have gone to third base and beyond."
Keiichi seemed incapable of speech.
"On a more pragmatic note, it would cover our arses if you did marry her. It would mean that the cover story we created to allow us to adopt Harry would be just a little more real, and more likely to stand up to any investigation. I don't expect one, but I also know that we have a determined old wizard who desperately wants Harry back in his control. If anybody is going to expose any weaknesses in our paperwork, it'll be him."
Keiichi stared at Urd. In all of his years dealing with the mischief-loving Norn, he had rarely seen her so serious.
"I'll leave it to you. If you do propose, we can organise a proper wedding to take place in Japan next year. We could do it next month, but it might not be a good idea to take Harry travelling internationally that soon. Not to mention you should get settled into your job first. In the short-term we can get you a quick civil marriage at the local Registrar's office, and have something formal later when all your friends and family can attend." Urd grinned. "And hey, this would be the first marriage between a deity and a mortal for centuries. A lot of Bell's friends and family will want to attend as well."
Keiichi looked away into a corner of the yard for a moment, before he returned his attention to Urd.
"OK. Can you help me shop for rings tomorrow? You'll have a better idea of what I should get Belldandy."
Urd slapped Keiichi on the shoulder gently. "Hey, after that ring you got her a few years ago, you should be fine picking out an engagement ring. But it's OK, I'll help you spend your money any time you like..."
Keiichi groaned. Just what had he let himself in for this time?
At Hogwarts, Dumbledore was occupying a table in the Restricted Section of the school library that the students didn't know about. There was the Restricted Section that held books that were only available to staff and students the staff considered responsible enough to be allowed access to the more dangerous magical arts, and then there was the Restricted Section that held material that was available to a select few individuals in the world.
The reason was obvious once you knew what was in the special Restricted Section. These books contained magic that was illegal, downright immoral or just plain evil. Everything from a version of the Cruciatus that caused continuous pain for several hours after the spell had been terminated (Dumbledore was extremely glad that nobody apart from him even knew the existence of that particular hex) through to the most abominable sacrificial rituals.
Dumbledore was the only person on staff at Hogwarts who was allowed access. He had been granted that by a researcher at the Department of Mysteries during the first rise of Voldemort - until he had been shown the doorway hidden behind several dusty shelves in the regular Restricted Section, Dumbledore hadn't even known that the collection existed - which had surprised him, considering that he had been the Headmaster of Hogwarts for several years by that stage. His first exposure to the knowledge contained therein had horrified him. He had been tempted on more than one occasion to destroy some of the tomes he had found inside.
Not that he ever would, of course. Albus knew that sometimes knowledge of the Dark Arts was essential to properly fight against them. He had no way of knowing just what horrendous spells in what he had privately named the "Black Section" (in order to distinguish the collection from the regular Restricted Section) might be essential knowledge in some future battle against the darker elements of the magical world, and as such was not willing to rid the world of the horrors contained.
He had been amused to discover that he was the first Headmaster of Hogwarts to have been trusted with the knowledge of the existence of the Black Section. Apparently it was one secret of the school that was only ever entrusted to those who would not abuse the knowledge contained in those books, and being assigned as Headmaster was not considered an adequate test of character. Considering some of Albus' predecessors in the role, he wasn't surprised.
Right now, he was busy researching everything he could find on Blood Wards. He had been stung by Miss Odinsdotter's allegation that he knew nothing of the Blood Wards he had staked so much on - his pride alone compelled him to research the matter more fully. The rest of the Hogwarts library contained frustratingly incomplete accounts of the forbidden practice. Most books focussed on how that branch of warding magic was illegal. Others briefly discussed the differences between Blood Wards and regular wards, though most of those barely went beyond the obvious fact that Blood Wards required blood to be shed for their creation. A handful of books, found in the Restricted Section, went further and described how to cast Blood Wards but had little else.
Dumbledore knew that Lily Potter had acquired her knowledge of Blood Wards from those books in the Restricted Section, as he had allowed her access in the months leading up to the Potters' seclusion under the Fidelius at Godric's Hollow. She had stated her desire to find additional spells that could be used to protect her child from harm, and Albus had seen no reason to deny one his most loyal Order members from the research material.
What none of the books in the Restricted Section had in them was a precise description of how Blood Wards functioned once cast, or why they were banned in the first place. It had been assumed that it was the use of blood that had turned the Ministry of Magic against the Wards, but closer scrutiny revealed that to be a poor assumption. There were other blood based spells that were not illegal, even if they were officially discouraged. Some of them were for obvious reasons such as proving the identity of a person or magically sealing a contract, but Dumbledore knew of several diagnostic spells useful for detecting magical traps that required a few drops of blood and no more. If the Ministry truly had been worried about the use of blood, there would be many more spells that would have been banned alongside the Wards.
The lack of information in the Restricted Section had caused Dumbledore's current search. Mostly he had been able to remind himself of the reason why he had placed young Harry Potter with the Dursleys. The Blood Wards cast by Lily on her son required Harry to live with blood relatives of his mother, and as such the Dursleys were the only option...or so he had thought at the time. I will have to check the claims of this Urd Odinsdotter, Albus thought to himself grimly, I find it hard to believe that I could have missed another part of her family, even if they were in Norway.
Albus had wanted those Blood Wards in place because they offered an incredible defence against Voldemort. Which was a key advantage of Blood Wards; their focus could be specified to an amazing degree. Dumbledore had read accounts in one of the books in the Restricted Section of people using Blood Wards to defend themselves from things as specific as death by bee sting. Albus had no doubt that by making the Blood Wards on her son protect him from Voldemort and nothing else, Lily had managed to create a protection strong enough to reflect the Killing Curse. A more generic ward would have been breached easily, but by putting so much power into such a tightly defined purpose...yes, Albus was sure that was what had saved Harry Potter from death in 1981.
Which still didn't answer the question of just how Blood Wards worked in practice, or why they had been banned. Though if Albus was honest with himself he was more interested in the former. He had long since learnt to ignore most of the bans on magic the Ministry imposed, recognising them as attempts by a steadily more authoritarian government to control the population it was meant to serve.
A few hours of patient search amongst the shelves of dusty dark books had rewarded the Headmaster with a tome entitled "Sanguine Protections, A Treatise On Those Most Potente Of Wards Afforded By Blood Sacrifice" by a certain Maximillian Gaunt, apparently written sometime in the 1400s. It was easily the most comprehensive book on the subject, and Dumbledore had quickly brought it to a table where he could read it under decent light.
It appeared Mr Gaunt had been an exceptionally good researcher for his time, as he had a full page of references to other works that related to Blood Wards near the start of the book. Dumbledore had quickly copied these down onto some spare parchment he had brought along for the purpose of taking notes, before he started to read the rest of the book. He would read Gaunt's thoughts on the subject first and then check the referenced works.
That had been several hours earlier, and now it was almost dawn. Dumbledore had been so engrossed by the information contained in the book that he had gone the entire night without sleep. He had now finished the book, and looked around his table to see it covered with loose sheets of parchment filled with his notes. He distractedly started to gather them up as he pondered what he had learned.
He now knew why the Ministry had banned Blood Wards in the 1600s. He also had a good idea of how they worked. Most importantly, however, he knew that he had managed to create a small nightmare in the lives of Harry Potter and the Dursleys...through ignorance.
The key element of Blood Wards was that they were very tightly bound to the people that cast them. Which was one reason why they were only truly effective on those who were related by blood to the caster. The problem was that this made Blood Wards extremely sensitive to human emotion. Albus knew that magic was usually tied to the intent of the person casting it - this was why the Cruciatus curse would only be truly effective in the hands of those who had real hate behind their magic. The Supreme Mugwump had never cast the spell and likely never would, but he suspected that even if he should find himself in a situation where he felt it was warranted that he could not muster enough hatred to power the curse properly.
Blood Wards, on the other hand, were tied to the emotions of those affected by the Wards. Tightly. Furthermore, there was feedback involved. If a person protected by Blood Wards became angry for some reason, that anger would change the nature of the wards and cause that anger to worsen over time. To compound the issue, negative emotions had a greater effect than positive.
This meant that unless a person was completely emotionally balanced for the entire time they were under Blood Wards, it was inevitable that negative emotions would warp the Wards which would in turn exacerbate the negative emotions. This process would take time, but was almost guaranteed to happen.
Gaunt had apparently felt that this was only a minor concern, but had taken the time to record a few case examples. The worst of which concerned three brothers who had been involved in an ongoing feud with a rival family. The brothers had not wanted to be involved, and had worked together to cast Blood Wards on themselves to keep themselves safe from all members of the rival family.
It had worked brilliantly at first. Over time, however, the Blood Wards were twisted by the small traces of jealousy, mistrust and general annoyance that exist in almost all family relationships. The net result was that the three brothers ended up hating each other to the point of attempting murder, whereas they had once been described as the closest friends possible.
To say that Albus Dumbledore was horrified by this information would be an understatement. He could well understand why the Ministry had banned the use of Blood Wards now. Regardless of the intent, they were extremely volatile and dangerous. After numerous cases of magical families destroying themselves with the very magic they had invoked as a protection against some threat, the Wizengamot had decreed that Blood Wards were simply too hazardous and banned them outright.
Of course, Dumbledore could see that such a ban was overkill. Short-term use of Blood Wards was fairly safe, as the problems associated with negative emotions would not have enough time to build up to a dangerous degree. If the Blood Wards on Harry Potter had been allowed to dissipate in 1981, there would have been no unfortunate consequences at all.
Of course, that hadn't happened. Dumbledore had intervened and decided to make use of something he didn't truly understand. And as a result, Harry Potter had gone to the Dursleys for protection. Albus knew that Petunia Evans had always been jealous of her younger sister and disliked magic in general, which meant that Harry had likely...
Great Merlin! Just what did I subject Harry to for the past eight years? The Blood Wards must have been twisted beyond all recognition. No wonder that Urd Odinsdotter dispelled them.
A yawn escaped the Headmaster, and he realised that he was dead tired after his all night research session. He resolved to sleep for a few hours, and then take a Pepper-up potion that would last him until evening.
Much as I would like to sleep the rest of the day away, I need to investigate further. The Headmaster thought to himself. I need to return to the Dursleys and find out exactly how Harry has been treated since I left him in their care.
When Harry woke up, he was confused. He was not in the cupboard under the stairs, that much he could tell, and this bed was a lot more comfortable than he was accustomed to. Unsure of exactly where he was, he elected to remain still until he was sure that it was safe.
He carefully opened one eye a crack, just enough to perceive the rough outlines of the room he was in. Where-ever he was, it wasn't at the Dursleys' house. The decoration and paint scheme was completely different from that used at Number 4 Privet Drive.
Harry's eyes opened fully as his memories caught up with his consciousness. Dudley's birthday party - was it only the day before? It seemed like a lifetime since his aunt had pulled him out of his cell early to cook a lavish breakfast for his overweight cousin. Then the arrival of guests - family members? Talk of wizards? Showing his alleged cousins around the house, pointing out where he slept, giving an account of what his life was like with the Dursleys. Then these women dressing down his aunt and uncle, his belongings (such as they were) being packed, escorted by one of his apparent cousins - Belldandy, that was her name - to a bus, then to a train, followed by another bus, then...
Harry carefully sat up, wary of any ambush. Life had taught him to be cautious of the intentions of other people, if nothing else. His memories of the previous evening suggested that this room was in the house that Belldandy had escorted him to. The décor certainly matched what he remembered seeing.
Harry was contemplating his next move when there was a gentle knock at the door. He peered at it suspiciously, before he decided to take a risk.
"Hello?" he said, loudly enough to be heard by whoever was outside his room. The door opened, and the young woman he remembered as being Belldandy took a few steps inside. He blinked as a detail he hadn't noticed the day before became apparent - she had blue markings on her face. The one on her forehead appeared to be a narrow diamond, while there was a triangle on each cheekbone right next to her eyes.
"Ah, you're awake. I thought you might be up at this time. Did you sleep well?" She said in a friendly tone.
"Ah, yes." Harry replied. He thought of saying more, but could not think of anything suitable to add. I wonder if they want me to cook breakfast for them like the Dursleys did.
"Would you like some breakfast? Everybody else is starting to get ready for the day, I thought you might like to join us for some food."
"Er, OK. Do you want me to...?" Harry trailed off. Belldandy's smile dimmed just a little bit.
"Oh, that's OK Harry. I'll cook breakfast today - I usually cook for us all. Is there anything you'd like?"
Harry blinked. This was the first time anybody had asked him what he wanted to eat. Usually the choice was made for him. "Um, bacon and eggs?" He asked tentatively.
Belldandy seemed to consider this. "Maybe a small portion on toast for now, it is very rich and you might get sick eating a lot of it. You can have some cereal after that if you're still hungry."
Harry just nodded. He was still wary of this stranger.
"OK then, you'll find a dressing gown and slippers by your bed. Come down when you're ready and you can be re-introduced to everyone." With that, Belldandy exited the room, closing the door behind her with a small click of the latch.
Harry looked around his room and saw where the dressing gown and slippers had been left. Clambering out of his bed, which was quite an exercise considering that the bedding was a lot thicker and softer than the basic blankets he was used to, he quickly donned the aforementioned garments and opened his bedroom door.
Outside, he saw a corridor that led to a set of stairs that led down. Harry decided that the temptation of breakfast was strong enough to overcome his natural paranoia, and he ventured downstairs and followed his nose to where food appeared to be available.
The house had a large kitchen, and traditionally breakfast was served on the kitchen table. Belldandy had claimed this table as a working space, and was serving food in the dining room that was immediately next to the kitchen.
As Harry entered, he saw the rest of the occupants of the house. A young man, Asian by appearance, was chewing absently on a piece of toast while he read a book he had pinned to the table with his elbow. An apparently teenaged girl with long black hair and blue tear-drop shaped markings on her face was digging into a bowl of some sort of sugary breakfast cereal. An older tan woman with silver hair and three blue triangles on her face was leaning back in her chair, nursing what appeared to be a cup of tea. All three looked up as Harry entered.
"...hello?" Harry said tentatively.
"Ah, hello. You must be Harry. Welcome. I am Keiichi." The young man said with a heavy accent. He was also a little hesitant in his speech.
At that moment Belldandy appeared from the kitchen carrying a plate. "There you are, Harry. Come over to the table, I have your breakfast here. You met everybody except Keiichi yesterday, but I think we should all reintroduce ourselves."
Harry timidly walked to a vacant chair at the table and sat down, at which point Belldandy placed his breakfast in front of him. Realising that he was in fact quite hungry, Harry dug in with some enthusiasm as Belldandy moved around the table next to the others.
"First of all, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Keiichi Morisato. This is my older sister Urd, and this is my younger sister Skuld. My name is Belldandy Odinsdotter."
Harry swallowed his current mouthful of food and gingerly raised one hand to wave. "Hi. I guess you know who I am?"
"Yes," the woman identified as Urd said, "Harry James Potter. Just to clarify what we said yesterday - Belldandy, Skuld and I are your second cousins. That means that our father was your mother's cousin. We share great grandparents. With me so far?"
"I think so," Harry said, "so my grandparents would have been your great-aunts and great-uncles?"
"Some of them, anyway," Urd agreed, "only those we were related to by blood though."
"The reason we haven't met before is that our grandmother moved from England to Norway after the Second World War," Belldandy stated, "we grew up there. I met Keiichi in Japan when I went there on an exchange program."
Keiichi nodded. "I was lucky to meet Belldandy. Please excuse my English, I know enough to understand most things but I need to improve before I can truly cope." He held up his book, showing Harry a cover with Japanese text on it. "This book is to help me improve my English."
Harry nodded as he kept eating. The food was good, and he was really quite hungry.
"Keiichi recently got a job with Triumph Motorcycles here in Hinckley," Urd put in, "and we all decided to tag along. We knew we had family here in the United Kingdom, so we decided to look them up when we arrived." She grimaced. "I have to say that of those we have met so far, you're the only family member that I'm willing to claim as a true relative."
Harry smiled slightly. He could understand the sentiment.
"Because your other relatives were not...taking care of you properly, we have moved to take over your guardianship." Belldandy said. "I am sorry that we just took you away without asking you first, but the sooner we could get you away from that place the better."
"That's OK," Harry said, "I never liked living there. I am happy to be away from my...relatives."
Harry noticed as the expressions on everybody else's faces hardened for a moment, before they all relaxed. "Yes, well," Urd started, "you're done with that lot. No need to go back. Now there's one other thing we needed to talk about this morning. How much do you remember of the row we had with your aunt and uncle yesterday?"
"Um, most of it, I think. Why?" Harry replied.
"Remember what I said when they called you a freak?" Urd asked gently.
"Um, you said something about me being a..." Harry trailed off.
"Wizard. Yes, Harry, you are a wizard. By which I mean that you are a person capable of using magic." Urd said seriously.
Harry blinked, and looked around the table. Everybody was looking at him soberly.
"Magic? But that doesn't exist..." He started. Belldandy shook her head.
"No, Harry, magic is very real. Let me demonstrate." With that, the middle sister waved a hand over the table. The tea pot that had been the centrepiece of the table setting lift into the air, before it moved over to Harry. Pausing at his place on the table, it poured tea into Harry's cup before it floated back to its original position.
Harry was stunned. "Um..."
"No wires, kid. Watch this." Urd said with an impish grin. She snapped her fingers, and suddenly the tea pot was replaced with a stuffed toy.
"Urd! Please don't transform items at the table." Belldandy scolded. Urd rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers again. The stuffed toy promptly returned to being a tea pot.
"...magic is real?" Harry asked. Everybody else just nodded.
"Yes, Harry, magic is very real. And you are one of the lucky people who is able to use it. Not everybody has the ability, it is something that you are born with." Belldandy explained.
"And my aunt and uncle hated me because I..." Harry trailed off again. This was a lot to take in.
Urd sighed. "Yes. They dislike magic intently. In fact they pretty much hate everything that is different from them or that they consider to be "non-British". Which includes a lot of the world, when you think about it. That prejudice led to them treating you...poorly."
Harry could tell that Urd had other ways of describing his upbringing at the hands of the Dursleys, no doubt including words that Dudley and his friends used when no adults were around.
"Because you have access to magic, you must learn how to use it properly. Left untrained, you could hurt yourself or others by accident with your powers. We would like to help teach you how to use your magic properly, but we can only offer. Would you like to learn?"
Harry's heart leapt. Real magic! "Yes, of course!"
"Good attitude, kid!" Urd said with a wicked grin. "Just be careful you don't get too carried away. Magic requires patience and care, otherwise you could do a lot of damage unintentionally. Skuld can attest to that."
Skuld glared at Urd, before she sighed and turned to Harry. "She's right, unfortunately. I'm still learning to use my magic properly as well."
Harry nodded, and then looked at Keiichi. The young man shook his head.
"I cannot use magic, Harry. It does not really upset me. I can teach you other things."
Harry nodded. "I guess magic isn't very common then."
Belldandy nodded. "That is correct. It is probably more widespread than you might imagine, but the number of people who can use magic in Britain is a small part of the population."
"All three of us can use magic, Harry. And that's the other reason why we never met you until yesterday." Urd put in.
Harry was puzzled. "Why?"
Urd shrugged. "Roughly 300 years ago, the magical world felt threatened by non-magical people. Magical children were often persecuted because of their abilities. Religious authorities often caused witch burnings to take place. The Salem Witch Trials in North America were the final straw. Because of that, the magical people of Europe came together and created what is called the Statute of Secrecy. This was meant to keep the magical world separate from the non-magical world. Other nations outside of Europe joined the Statute over the following years."
Belldandy picked up the tale. "When our grandmother moved from England to Norway, she had no idea magic existed. Neither did our grandfather. They were both surprised when their children were identified as being magical. In Norway, our father and aunt are called First Generation. Here in Britain, they would be called muggleborn."
Urd continued. "Magical people here in Britain call people who do not have magic by the slightly insulting term of "muggles". They would call your uncle a muggle, for example. "Muggleborn" refers to any magical child born of non-magical parents. I dislike the term, as it is just a bit insulting."
Belldandy nodded. "Because our grandparents did not know of any magical relatives here in Britain, they were bound by the Statute of Secrecy to keep the magical world hidden from their own family. The easiest way to do that, sadly, was to lose contact over time. This is why we never met until yesterday."
Harry nodded. "Is the Statute important?" He asked.
Urd snorted, earning herself a stern look from Belldandy. "It depends on who you ask, kid. Personally I think the world has moved on to a point where we could do away with the Statute with minimal fuss, but the magical governments of the world disagree. From your point of view, the punishments for violating the Statute are fairly strict so it is a good idea to obey it."
"What do I have to..." Harry started to ask. Belldandy came to his assistance.
"The most important rule is to never use magic in front of anybody who is not aware of the magical world. Which is most non-magical people. Keiichi has no magic, but because he and I are engaged he is allowed to know. His sister, on the other hand, is not allowed to know - not even if Keiichi and I get married."
"That doesn't seem fair," Harry said with a frown. Belldandy nodded.
"No, it isn't, but that is the law and we must obey it. Hopefully it will change one day. Apart from not using magic in front of non-magical people, you cannot tell them about magic either."
Urd grinned. "Sounds pretty simple, right? It can be hard at times to avoid the temptation. Don't worry about it, we'll help you learn how to manage your magic and the Statute."
Harry nodded. It seemed fairly simple.
"Urd and I will teach you how to use your magic, as well as introduce you to the magical world so that you know what is out there. Once the school year starts, you will attend a local school for your non-magical education as well. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to relax and have fun. We won't take up all your time with lessons." Belldandy informed Harry with a reassuring smile.
"We'll also have some other lessons for you here at home." Urd continued. "Skuld will teach you everything you need to know about modern technology."
"That's right," Skuld interrupted, "I may still be learning to use my magic, but I am the best when it comes to combining magic and technology!"
Urd resumed as if Skuld had not said anything. "Keiichi will probably teach you a thing or two about motorcycles and other motor related things. He's good at that stuff."
"Really?" Harry asked, his face lighting up. "I have a lot of dreams about a flying motorbike, I've always wanted one."
Keiichi smiled a little uncertainly. "I do not know about flying motorcycles, but I can teach you to ride a normal one."
"Flying motorcycles are my forté!" Skuld said enthusiastically. She wilted at the glares she received from both of her sisters and Keiichi. "Well, maybe once you've learned how to ride a normal bike."
Urd sighed. Sometimes there was no helping her youngest sibling. "Right now, though, we need to check you out. We want to be sure that you have no problems with your health, so we'll be using some magical scans to give you a thorough check-up. Is that OK?"
Harry paused. "It won't hurt, will it?"
Belldandy shook her head. "No, Harry, it will be painless. We just want to be sure that you aren't suffering from any long-term problems caused by your previous guardians."
Harry could understand that, even as the embarrassment started. He had a few scars that he was ashamed of, and they weren't on his forehead.
Urd turned to Belldandy. "Will you need my help, Bell? I think we managed to compile everything into one process."
Belldandy nodded. "With the work we did last night, I think I can manage this with Skuld's help if you are going to be busy."
Urd returned the nod. "It isn't anything that can't be put off until later if you need a hand, but if you're alright with Skuld's help then Keiichi and I can get an early start on things. Is that OK?"
Keiichi just nodded. Belldandy stood to take Harry's plate - with a start, he realised that he had eaten everything without noticing.
"That will be fine, dear sister. Skuld and I will draw a type 3 circle of healing in the nave of the church and use it to perform the scan we devised. That will allow you and Keiichi to go about your business."
Urd stood up as well. "Thanks, Bell, that'll save us time later. Are you ready, K1?"
Keiichi placed a bookmark in his textbook and hauled himself to his feet. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready and I will be right with you. Are we taking the bus?"
Urd seemed to consider it. "Probably. You don't have a sidecar yet and we'll probably have bags to carry home later. It's either the bus or we call for a taxi."
"Buses are cheaper," Keiichi agreed, before he turned to Harry. "It was nice to finally meet you, Harry," he stated, "I will see you again later."
Harry blinked. "Thank you."
At Privet Drive in Little Whinging, an old man was walking at a slow pace away from the house he had just been visiting. He wasn't sure whether he was angry, depressed or both. His investigation into life at Number 4 had been...enlightening.
Dumbledore had known in advance that the Dursleys weren't likely to welcome Harry into their family with open arms, but he had never suspected that anybody could be so inhuman to a small child. The Dursleys had welcomed the Headmaster of Hogwarts with their usual charm, which involved insults and threats. Albus had originally wanted to have a calm discussion with Harry's relatives, starting with an explanation of what the Blood Wards had been doing, an apology for inadvertently inflicting such a volatile and dangerous type of magic on them, before interviewing them about what had actually happened to Harry since the 1st of November 1981.
The hostile and obstinate behaviour of the Dursley family had scuppered that plan. Ultimately he was forced to cast a Petrificus Totalus on all three and conduct a full legilimens scan. He hated doing it, as it reminded him of the muggle-baiting that had been rampant during his youth, but he needed answers and he needed them fast.
Trawling through the memories of the Dursleys had taken the better part of four hours to complete, and the experience had left Dumbledore in his current state. Apparently people like Vernon and Petunia were incapable of keeping their ingrained bigotry out of the way of common decency, and the result was that Harry's life at Number 4 Privet Drive had been miserable. Albus now had images of Harry being beaten by his aunt for minor failings, beaten by his uncle for crimes committed by Dudley, rampant bullying from Dudley and his cronies, plus a few attacks from bulldogs owned by Vernon's sister. Coupled with being forced to live under the stairs, overwork and not enough food and the whole case looked like something that could keep the Daily Prophet occupied for months.
It hadn't taken Dumbledore long to realise that the abuse had gone undetected thanks to the charm he had used to make Harry's official documentation - both magical and muggle - disappear into the background. Reports from teachers regarding a possible case of child abuse ended up forgotten in dusty filing cabinets, which meant that nothing was ever followed up. Harry's teachers had evidently given up after a few years of trying with no tangible outcome.
Dumbledore was sorely tempted to visit unto the Dursleys some long overdue punishment for their frankly barbaric behaviour, but he restrained himself. He himself held no small amount of responsibility for this mess. Even if he had never intended for Harry to be abused the way he had been, the Supreme Mugwump's failure to research the Blood Wards that had underpinned a large part of his plans had been a significant contributing factor.
Dumbledore also didn't want to take justice into his own hands. Down that road lay the temptation to follow the "might makes right" attitude that Grindelwald had used to justify his campaign to enslave all of humanity to the whims of a powerful elite. For their own good, of course.
No, the Chief Warlock had more important things to do than apply chronically overdue attitude adjustments to bigoted muggles. First and foremost of which was to come up with a plan to try and salvage something from this wreck, and get his overall strategy back on track. He had no illusions about what needed to be done, and the current situation would be a large obstacle to the final defeat of Thomas Marvolo Riddle.
The path to that destination was obvious. Riddle had done something to keep his soul from moving on after the destruction of his body, and Harry was the key to undoing it. The Prophecy all but said it outright. Unfortunately, Harry would almost certainly not have the time to train to his full potential before he was forced to confront Voldemort again. That meant that Harry would need allies to help him fight the Dark Lord, and guidance in what to do.
Albus planned to provide allies in the form of the Order of the Phoenix. The Headmaster would then supply the guidance required. But that meant he needed Harry's trust. The obvious way to get that would have been to raise Harry himself. Circumstances, however, dictated otherwise. With three important roles, he would not have the time to properly care for a child. Additionally, raising the Boy-Who-Lived himself would have made Harry very prominent in society, and an obvious target for Voldemort's "former" followers.
This led to the other reason why Harry was left at the Dursleys. Albus had fully expected them to not welcome Harry into their family, denying him links to the muggle world. Then Dumbledore could enter the scene and provide Harry with all the friends, family and care he needed. The Headmaster would then be in a position to take the role of Kindly Old Mentor, and thereby gain Harry's trust and be able to direct him down the right path.
Not that he was entirely sure what the right path was yet. There were still too many unknowns, and attempts to fill in the blanks had been fruitless so far. He had a few ideas of just how Riddle might have been able to avoid a permanent death, but until he had more evidence those ideas would remain unproven hypotheses.
In the meantime, he needed a way to get Harry back into a position which Dumbledore could control. Time to visit the Ministry of Magic and find some loopholes in the paperwork submitted by that Urd Odinsdotter.
Urd had a wide variety of activities she would get up to when bored. Needling Skuld was always good, as it invariably alleviated boredom rapidly. Developing exciting new potions was another great way to keep herself occupied, especially as she would occasionally come up with something that was equally good at easing the tedium. Like that love potion she had slipped into Tamiya's beer at a recent party causing him to chase after Otaki...until Satoko stepped in.
One diversion she could pursue almost anywhere, however, was her practice of observing people. It was part of her job as well; granting wishes required good interview skills, and that required the ability to read somebody to understand the messages they gave without saying anything. But Urd found the practice fascinating on its own, and engaged in it on a regular basis.
Right now she was observing one Keiichi Morisato as they sat at the back of a bus. He was unusually preoccupied, looking at the passing scenery without actually seeing it.
"Something on your mind, Keiichi?" Urd asked in a breezy tone. She spoke Japanese to make it easier for Keiichi.
Keiichi turned to look at her, and gave a small grin. "Lots. There's a lot that's happened recently and I'm having a hard time keeping on top of it all."
Urd nodded. "Moving from Japan to England, leaving all your friends and family behind. Starting a new job in a workplace that only uses English. Moving into a new home, helping Bell set the place up, meeting Harry for the first time, and now I've just sprung your bogus marriage on you without warning..."
"Yes, that didn't help things. Even if I can understand why you did it that way, it has ramped up the pressure. And then hearing about what young Harry went through with his relatives..."
"Nasty business, that." Urd agreed. "Still, we need you on top of your game. So let's take it step by step. What is the first thing you want to do during this shopping trip of ours?"
Keiichi looked thoughtful. "Buy Belldandy a proper engagement ring."
Urd smiled. "I like your sense of priorities. After that, what else needs to be done that we can do today?"
Keiichi leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "Skuld and Belldandy have both talked about renovating our new home, and we can certainly use more space. Skuld actually suggested remodelling the church itself to give us more living space. So maybe we need to find a good architect."
Urd nodded, even though Keiichi couldn't see her. "I have to agree. Especially as Belldandy will want to have children pretty much as soon as you two are married."
Keiichi's eyes slammed open and he turned towards Urd rapidly. "Are you serious?"
Urd nodded again. "Very. Amongst other things, Belldandy is one of the goddesses of fertility. She's got the maternal urge in a big way, and will have no trouble satisfying it - no empty cribs for you two. Be prepared for a large family, because with Bell it is pretty much a given."
Keiichi had gone pale. "Somehow I knew children would come up as an issue at some point, but this is..."
"Focus, Keiichi. That's something that'll happen later, and you'll have time to talk to Belldandy about it. Just one bit of advice: don't say no unless you've got an exceptionally good reason for not wanting to have kids, because you could hurt Bell badly if you simply don't want to disrupt your lifestyle."
Keiichi hung his head for a brief moment, before he returned his gaze to Urd. "OK. I'll definitely have to talk to Belldandy later about this. Back to what you said earlier - things we have to do today. The only other thing I think we need to get a start on is purchasing a car."
Urd raised an eyebrow. "You just got a bike, Keiichi. Why a car as well?"
"The bike made sense in Japan, because it was only ever the two of us travelling around. The bike and sidecar were perfect for that. Now we have Harry, and apparently more kids on the way eventually. We need more transport space that doesn't involve public transport." Keiichi explained.
Urd inclined her head. "I see you've thought about this. Have you any idea what car you want?"
"This will mostly be for Belldandy, though I assume you and I will drive it a fair bit as well. Skuld can't drive, can she?"
"Not yet," Urd said with a sigh, "that's something she would have learned during her field agent training. Which she skipped when she came down here chasing after Belldandy. One day we'll have to force her to complete the training. For the moment, though, the answer is that Skuld can't drive."
"We could sign her up for driving lessons around here," Keiichi mused, "it'd be right for somebody her age. At any rate, as it is for Belldandy I thought a station wagon would be the best choice. I think they call them estates here in Britain."
Urd considered this. "You're thinking about having cargo space, right?"
Keiichi nodded. "Primarily. As for which car in particular - Urd, be honest with me for a moment. Just how big was that lottery win of yours?"
Urd stifled a groan. "OK, that's the legal fiction that explains why we suddenly have large amounts of money available. The short answer is that I have arranged for us to have the money we need to get ourselves established here. Exactly how much that is depends on how much we need. But be careful, Keiichi, the emphasis is on "need". Don't go buying Ferraris all of a sudden."
Keiichi's eyes widened. "Whoa. So I take it we won't need a loan to get the renovations done?"
Urd shook her head. "We could pay for it all in cash if we wanted. Just don't get carried away."
Keiichi contemplated this. "I've got an idea."
Urd glared at him. "What?"
Keiichi pointed out a familiar logo affixed to a car dealership. "That one. They make good cars, and they have one in particular that would be nice to have. How about we visit and have a look?"
"After you have the ring, Keiichi, and not before." Urd said firmly. "I won't have you going off on a petrol-head craze before we have the important business done."
Keiichi grinned. "Sure. Though it probably won't take us very long..."
Urd did not stifle the next groan.
At the church, Belldandy and Skuld were drawing a circle on the floor using chalk. Various runes were drawn in specific locations around the circle. Once it was finished, a larger circle was drawn that completely encompassed the first circle and the runes.
Harry was off to one side, watching curiously. This, apparently, was all to allow his relatives to run a scan of his health. Skuld was now off to one side, setting up some sort of computer station. Cables ran from the computer to various instruments placed around the chalk diagram on the floor. After some minutes spent staring fixedly at the screen, Skuld looked over the Belldandy and gave her a thumbs up.
Belldandy addressed Harry. "OK, Harry, we are ready to begin. Please step over the circle without disturbing any of the chalk lines, and then stand in the centre. Once you are in position, we'll tell you to stop there. After that you'll just have to stand still for a few minutes. OK?"
Harry nodded, and gingerly stepped over the chalk lines and walked to the centre of the circle.
"OK, stop right there! Perfect! We can start at any time, Belldandy!" Skuld called over.
"Fine. Please commence the scan." Belldandy replied.
Skuld started to type commands into her computer, and the entire diagram on the floor suddenly light up like it was a neon display. Harry froze where he stood - he didn't want to do anything that might upset things.
After what felt like an eternity, the light faded and Harry was left standing in the middle of a chalk circle again. He looked at Belldandy with a questioning expression, noticing that she had walked around to join Skuld. She smiled back.
"All done, Harry! You can join us over here now. No need to worry about the circle now, I'll be cleaning it off the floor fairly soon."
Harry walked over and peered at Skuld's computer screen. It was filled with incomprehensible text, graphs and diagrams. Skuld looked up and gave Harry a quick smile.
"We got everything we wanted, but it will take time to process all the results. Belldandy, is there something Harry can do until this is done...?"
Belldandy put a finger on her chin as she thought. "We could start improving the garden. Harry, would you like to help me in the garden until lunch time?"
Harry was quietly stunned. Normally he was just ordered to do the gardening by himself. "That sounds good." He replied. Maybe he could find out a bit more about his cousin.
As Belldandy and Harry walked in the general direction of the yard, Skuld's smile slipped and she returned her attention to her screen.
"Those readings for the scar on his forehead are all wrong. I think we'll need to get an expert."
The Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards was having a frustrating time at the Ministry of Magic. He'd been able to get access to all of the files that pertained to one Harry James Potter easily enough. He had cast the charms that kept them obscure after all, bypassing them was child's play...even if somebody else had apparently augmented them. He hadn't even known that augmenting charms like that was possible, it was definitely something to look into later.
The problem was that the files didn't contain what he wanted from them, namely a legal loophole that would allow Dumbledore to take guardianship of Harry away from the Odinsdotters. The forms were just too complete, too thorough, too...perfect.
The family relationship was clearly established and proven, with numerous supporting documents not only cited but provided. The character of Belldandy Odinsdotter was also clearly established, with numerous references from impeccable sources. They were all in Norway, naturally, but Albus recognised several of the names and knew that they would stand up in even the most biased Wizengamot court.
The one discrepancy that Dumbledore had noticed was that the muggle files had referred to Belldandy Morisato, while the magical files had her listed as Belldandy Odinsdotter. Unfortunately that wasn't much to go on, as choosing to go by different names in the magical and muggle worlds was not uncommon. Especially as Belldandy appeared to have simply chosen to use her maiden name in the magical world.
It didn't help that Dumbledore's original role in placing Harry with the Dursleys was...legally questionable. Strictly speaking, Albus had no business interfering with the placement of the heir to Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. Harry James Potter should have been left in the care of his godfather until the will of James and Lily Potter could be probated and the terms carried out.
Grabbing the child from the ruins of the family home less than an hour after the deaths of his parents and spiriting him away to a new home in the small hours of the morning was a long way from the correct process. Albus had no doubt that if the entire chain of events that led to Harry being placed with the Dursleys were ever questioned in court, he would personally end up being censured at best or jailed at worst.
So, the legal avenue was blocked off. He might be able to overpower the Odinsdotter sisters and forcibly take Harry away, but that would be messy and might attract undue attention. Not to mention that after witnessing the wards settling in at their residence in Hinckley, Albus wasn't sure that a direct attack would be successful. He would need allies to help him achieve his goal, and that would mean many awkward explanations that he didn't want to make.
Albus sighed. Sometimes the world conspired against you. The law won't help me, force is extremely inadvisable, I have only one option left. Dumbledore rose from the table he had been using to review documents and suppressed a grimace.
I'm going to have to...negotiate.
Urd stared at Keiichi. Keiichi stared back with a broad grin on his face. In the background, a car salesman waited with an expectant look.
"Are you serious?" Urd asked. Keiichi merely nodded.
"You do realise that this is not a station wagon like you originally wanted, right?"
Keiichi just nodded again.
Urd sighed. "Fine. I'll go organise a bank cheque."
Belldandy and Harry were having a pleasant time in the garden at St Francis Close. Belldandy had insisted that Harry dress appropriately to the weather, which had presented difficulties when they examined Harry's meagre collection of Dudley's cast-offs. In the end, Belldandy had declared that an entire new wardrobe was in order, and that they would just make do for the moment.
Harry had realised that working with Belldandy in the garden was an entirely different experience from tending to Aunt Petunia's garden at Privet Drive. Aunt Petunia had viewed the garden as a status symbol, something to show off to the neighbours and hopefully win awards. All decisions regarding the garden revolved around keeping up with fashion and the demands of peer pressure.
Belldandy, on the other hand, was only interested in creating the best garden for the yard. She was not interested in the opinions of others, only in how well everything grew and co-existed. She was also completely bereft of the perfectionist attitude that Aunt Petunia had in spades. No shouting about trimming the rose bushes an inch too low or mowing the lawn in the wrong pattern. Instead there was pleasant conversation about the various merits of different plants and warm encouragement when Harry made suggestions about the overall layout.
They had stopped on two occasions to get themselves cool drinks, as it was just a little warm outside. This was far preferable to Harry's memories of suffering heat stroke on at least one occasion when he had been forced to work in the garden constantly for 6 hours with no breaks on a sweltering day. During their short breaks, Belldandy had continued their conversation regarding the garden and her future plans for it.
Inside, Skuld had made a lot of progress with the data gathered from Harry's scan. The information regarding his scar had been set to one side, and she had finished the analysis of the rest of the results. Now she needed input from both Belldandy and Urd, as she was unsure as to how to address the various problems she had identified with Harry's overall physical condition.
Skuld's contemplation of Harry's health was interrupted by Belldandy's voice. "Skuld, dear, I am serving lunch. Please come and join us."
Skuld eagerly locked down her computer as she set off for the dining room. Belldandy's cooking was not to be missed.
In a café across town, Keiichi and Urd were sitting down to a light lunch. They had finished most of their business, and were taking a quick break before investigating to see if any architects opened their offices on a Saturday. Neither was particular optimistic about their chances.
Urd glared at the car parked nearby. "You get to explain that to Belldandy, Keiichi. Understood?"
"Sure thing Urd." Keiichi responded lazily. He was trying to figure out British café food.
"I swear, you petrol heads...still got the ring?"
Keiichi's attention was suddenly riveted on Urd. "Of course. Did you think I'd lose it?"
Urd smirked. "Do you really want me to answer that?"
"I suppose not. Apart from the architects, what else do we have to do?"
Urd looked thoughtful. "Not a great deal today. We'll need to get Harry registered for school, but that'll wait until Monday. We'll probably have to do the same with the architects if my understanding of Britain is correct. There is some stuff that I have to do in the magical world, but I think Monday or Tuesday would be the best time for that. Why?"
Keiichi looked slightly nervous. "I'd like to get home and do this properly sooner rather than later. The longer I wait the more likely it is that I'll chicken out."
Urd looked sympathetic. It wasn't an expression Keiichi was used to. "Buck up, K1. You'll do fine. Let's ditch the idea of finding an architect today and just head home. Personally I can't wait to see how Belldandy reacts to the car you bought her."
Keiichi relaxed. "I think she'll be fine. Shall we go?"
Albus Dumbledore was back at his office at Hogwarts. He was marshalling his thoughts as he wrote a letter to one Urd Odinsdotter. He didn't want to offend his correspondent, but at the same time he didn't want to appear to be begging. Constructing his message took time, and he did not finish until late in the afternoon. Summoning Fawkes, he directed his companion to deliver the letter when he would not be seen by any muggles. Fawkes disappeared with a flash of fire, and Dumbledore settled down to deal with the paperwork he should have been looking at when he was chasing after Harry.
It was mid-afternoon when Keiichi and Urd entered the new home of the Norns. Harry and Belldandy had spent their time after lunch looking around the house coming up with ideas for the upcoming renovations, while Skuld was doing her best to reconstruct Banpei and Sigel. Skuld had been forced to disassemble her beloved robots to get them to the UK, and today was the first opportunity she'd had to try and rebuild them.
"Hello dear," Belldandy greeted her almost-fiancé cheerfully, "did you get what you wanted?"
"Er, yes." Keiichi said in Japanese. "I think we were successful. Actually there's something you should see outside, care to join me?"
"Certainly dear." Belldandy promptly switched to English. "Come on Harry, let's see what Keiichi has."
With Skuld and Urd trailing behind, Keiichi led Belldandy and Harry outside to the St Francis Close side of the property. Parked on the side of the road was a brand new car.
"What is this, Keiichi?" Belldandy asked in English. It was a reminder to Keiichi to use English around Harry.
"I thought a car would be useful for us here, so Urd and I bought this one this morning. It was a bit of a lucky find as the dealer had it in stock already. This is a BMW M5. I wanted a station wagon but they did not have any." Keiichi explained.
Harry and the sisters examined the car, though Urd had seen it already and was less interested.
"I have my motorcycle, so I thought this would be mostly for you Belldandy." Keiichi carried on.
Belldandy turned to Keiichi with a radiant smile. "Thank you so much! This will make things a lot easier." With that she hugged him tightly.
Urd's eyebrow twitched. That's my sister, over the moon about Keiichi's thoughtfulness and not a moment spent thinking about what this thing must have cost.
Keiichi was blushing from the close contact with Belldandy. "There is something else..." He started to say in Japanese, his grasp of English failing due to the proximity to his almost-fiancée.
"Let's go back inside for that," Urd broke in, speaking English to keep Harry in the loop.
Once inside, they all gathered in the living room. Belldandy looked to Keiichi expectantly.
"What is it, dear?"
Keiichi started to say something, then looked at Urd. Urd nodded and decided to have mercy.
"Just say it in Japanese, Keiichi, I'll translate for Harry as you go."
Keiichi nodded, and turned back to Belldandy.
"Um, I've never been very good at this kind of thing, but I think it is time and...I'm not putting this very well." Keiichi paused, swallowed hard before he pulled something out of a pocket and went down on one knee before Belldandy.
"We've been together for several years now and I've finally decided to make this official. Belldandy, will you marry me?" With that, he opened a small container, revealing that it contained an exquisite diamond ring.
Belldandy put both hands over her mouth in shock, before she squealed out a "YES" before gathering Keiichi up in a hug. Harry was stunned, Urd looked proud and Skuld appeared to be on the verge of tears.
Eventually Belldandy disengaged enough to allow Keiichi to put the ring on her finger, at which point she kissed him. Hard.
"Let's leave them to it for the moment, they probably need some privacy." Urd whispered to Harry and Skuld. "Let's see if we can't cook something special for them tonight..."
Harry, Urd and Skuld departed in the direction of the kitchen, unnoticed by the newly engaged pair.
Author's notes: first of all, many thanks to the tireless and endlessly patient people at Caer Azkaban. You all know who you are, and thank you all for answering my barrage of questions regarding life in the UK during the 1980s.
I originally wanted Keiichi to purchase a BMW M5 Touring, as it was a fast station wagon/estate and Keiichi is the kind of petrol head to go for that sort of thing. Sadly the Touring model didn't enter the market until 1992, so he has the sedan for now.
In the next chapter: stuff happens. I'll know what when I write it.