Shimo stared at the short thin stick in disgust. "What the hell is it?"
"It's a wand. Nine inches, holly, unicorn hair," snapped Kashi, who was in a horrible mood. "You've seen them before, there are hundreds of kids in the lower-power classes have them. They help focus magic."
Shimo waved her away. "No, no, no. I get what it is but why do I have it? Can't I just use my staff?"
"Sorry Shi," said Midori, "Hogwarts said we have to use these things. I'm not too pleased about it either, I prefer wandless." He fingered his own wand. He'd had to go to a shop in Diagon Alley to find one that worked for him. Thirteen and a half inches, yew, phoenix feather.
"But I can't do any Fae magic with this!" he complained waving the wand around. "My staff was specially made!"
A hand came around and smacked him over the head. "Stop complaining Snow Man," snapped Manebe.
Over the year Manebe had lost his childish appearance. His eyebrows were greying and his face had worry line etched all over it. Parenthood was a powerful force.
"Midori, please," he begged. "This is a really bad idea."
"Relax Manebe," the young teacher said, "Nothing is going to happen."
He groaned, "Whenever you say that something does happen and you end up duelling a water hag or a dragon or stuck in a giant eagle's nest!"
"That was one time! And it was a griffin not an eagle!"
Manebe glared at him. "My point is you are a magnet for trouble and I'd prefer to keep you where I can see you. I was Charged with you remember?"
Midori rolled his eyes. "Oh here we go again. You were Charged with a small child who appeared out of no where by a magical voice who you believe to be the Essence of Magic."
"Don't mock me Midori!" he snapped and then his face softened. "I just don't think this will end well." His eyes moved to Shimo's trunk where a white mist had started to gather.
"Shimo… please tell me Seppen isn't in your trunk," he growled.
"Okay," said Shimo, "Seppen is not in my trunk."
Manebe groaned and reached out and opened the trunk. A white wolf leapt out and stretched.
"SHIMO!" Manebe roared. "You are not taking her!"
Seppen was
a mist-wolf pup that Shimo had found when he was three. The two had
bonded and that was that. Midori had known there was no way Shimo was
leaving her behind.
"Manebe," he said, "Let Shimo take her.
I've read about Hogwarts, there are mountains around it. Seppen can
just spend her time up there."
Manebe sat down muttering something about 'no one respects me anymore'.
"How long did she say she would be?" asked Kashi who had Mangetsu on her lap.
Midori shrugged. "Don't know."
As if on cue the Headmistress walked in with Arina following behind her, her arm filled with cards and gifts.
Arina grinned at the group. "The girls are in hysterics. They're horrified that they are losing their 'wonderful, gorgeous Midori sensei.'" She said, imitating the girls' voices.
"Arina!" scolded Imamura.
"Sorry," she muttered before handing her bundle over to Midori who in turn blinked and caused them all to disappear. He didn't want them and they would all end up back in the sender's room.
"Are you ready, Midori, Shimo?" asked Headmistress. They nodded and picked up their trunks. She handed them each a handful of floo powder. "Just yell out Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Got your tickets?" They nodded again. "Alright. Good luck."
Midori was suddenly crushed together with Shimo by Arina, Kashi, Manebe and Mangetsu (although Mangetsu being too short just hugged him at the legs).
Kashi leant over and whispered in his ear. "I graduate in three months. I'll come visit you." She pecked him on the cheek and he blushed violently.
He nodded at Manebe who nodded back. There were no words exchanged and Midori knew that their relationship would be strained for a while. Manebe was hurt that Midori was looking for his family. He was scared he might find relatives and leave Manebe behind.
Midori sighed and threw the powder into the fire and stepped in as he yelled, "Platform Nine and Three Quarters!" The flames roared up and he had the feeling of being pulled through a plug. There was wind rushing in his ears and he felt like he was spinning.
Then it all stopped and Midori stepped out onto a crowded platform.
A scarlet steam train was a few metres in front of him next to the platform filled with people. A sign said Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Smoke from the train drifted overhead as people chattered, cats of all kinds ran around people's legs and the odd owl was flying over head.
"Whoa," whistled Shimo behind him. "Of course. We have magic but lets go to school by a big red train!"
Midori rolled his eyes, "Shimo you're not going to get on well here if you pick at everything."
"I don't want to get along," he snapped. "Let's just get on the train then."
Finding a compartment was the hard part. It was five minutes til the train left and everyone had jumped on. There was one compartment left at the back and there were two people in it already.
There was a bushy haired girl with slightly bucked teeth reading a book and a short, mild built and brown hair that was poking a frog with distain on his face.
Midori knocked on the door. "Can we can come in?"
The girl looked up and smiled. "Of course. I'm Hermione Granger and that's Neville Longbottom and err… Trevor."
'Neville' picked up the frog by a leg and dangled it. "Your only nephew goes off to magic school and you buy him a toad. Thanks Great Uncle Algie you always were in touch with sanity."
As they sat down Midori introduced them. "I'm Midori and this is Shimo. We're first years."
Shimo scoffed. "First years who have done years of school already. A first year that was one year away from graduating until the other first year that'd already graduated and was teaching made him go to fricken England."
Midori sighed. Ever since Shimo had agreed to come he'd been really annoying. Complaining about everything.
Hermione blinked at Shimo, "You taught?"
He shook his head, "No, that dumb ass did. Youngest graduate from The Academy of Magically Gifted in Hokkaido, only took him two years but he still lacks common sense."
"Ignore him Miss Hermione," said Midori calmly, "He's just tired and cranky. He'll get over it. What are you reading?"
"Hogwarts; A History," she said happily, "It's really interesting. The house system is very interesting. It's based on the four founders you see. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw sound like the best houses. Slytherin is notorious for dark wizards and Hufflepuff is little…"
There was a knock at the door and a red haired boy with emerald green eyes and an L shaped scar on his cheek stepped in.
"I'm sorry. Can I sit here? Every where else is full."
Neville's head snapped up, "What? Precious little Potter couldn't find anyone to take him in? I'm sure everyone was jumping at the chance to have the Boy-Who-Didn't-Die-Properly with them."
The boy's face fell, "Longbottom, go jump off a cliff," he nodded at the others, "Sorry to bother you." And he turned and left.
"Who was that?" asked Shimo.
"That," said Neville sourly, "was Matthias 'I'm so fucking awesome' Potter; The Boy Lived to Be a Jerk."
Hermione perked up. "That was Matthias Potter? The Matthias Potter? The Saviour of the Wizarding Race? I've read about him! He's in all the books! Can we call him back? I'd love to talk to him."
Neville scoffed. "Talking to him isn't all that great."
"Why don't you like him?" asked Midori.
"I pretty much grew up with. My mother and his mother are friends. James and Lily Potter are all right but I never liked Matthias. He's a right little twit, loves his fame, thinks he's too good for everyone else. He killed his brother."
Hermione gaped at him. "Matthias Potter doesn't have a brother!"
Midori and Shimo sat watching the exchange, smirking. They knew about Harry Potter. He had died the night Voldermort had attacked the Potters and marked Matthias. But they also knew that Matthias didn't kill him.
Neville's face darkened at Hermione's words. "Oh yes he does, it's just that the History books would prefer not to document him. He's not important, apparently. He died that night. Voldermort kill him first because he was awake. That was Pettigrew told us. Voldermort went for Harry first because he was awake." Neville ran his hand through his hair. "I used to play with Harry. We were as good friends as two one year-olds can be and I remember it all. So I hate Matthias Potter for living when Harry didn't. It wasn't fair."
There was silence in the carriage for a very long time. Hermione was sulking after having told that her books were wrong. Neville was poking his toad again, as if the out-burst had never happened and Shimo was staring out the window.
Midori sighed. It was going to be a very long ride.
-
A/N:
Next Chapter: The Sorting. Should Midori go to Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?
Kitsunekiri – No Dumbledore won't try and stick him with a Light family, but will probably try and distance Midori from his family in Japan. No, the story wasn't made up. All the McKinnons did exist, but he lied by tying them to Midori.
No, Matt isn't going to be snobbish (despite what Neville thinks) he genuinely misses his twin and as a result is pretty quiet and down to earth.
Power214063 – No James and Lily think Harry is dead, and it has pretty much destroyed their marriage.