Veela One Half

by Dumbledork

Ranma discovers that there are worse springs at Jusenkyo than the Spring of Drowned Girl. But couldn't the curse be considered a blessing in disguise? Especially once he learns about his origins? Ranma & Harry Potter crossover.

3. Flashback Part 2

Hi everyone. This chapter was a bitch to write and I had to rewrite it several times until I was somewhat satisfied with my work. I'd like to thank the crowd at fukufics for their help, and especially frice2000 and Spokavriel for their much appreciated input.

I'd also like to apologize for the amount of exposition in this chapter. The good news, however, is that this will be the last such chapter. The action really starts next chapter with Ranma's and Genma's arrival in Nerima.

Ryoga has his big debut in this chapter and I can't wait to see your guesses as to what he turns into in this fic. I can promise you it won't be a pig, and not a house-elf either, although that was my first idea when I came up with the idea for this story.

I think I've said enough already and I hope you'll enjoy the new chapter, especially since I put so much effort into it. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. I love answering questions. And don't forget to review. Reviews give me the energy I need to write.

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me. Blablabla, blablabla.

CHAPTER 2

What has gone before:

Genma and Ranma arrive at Jusenkyo, a supposedly legendary training ground. Not heeding the guide's warnings they spar on top of the bamboo poles sticking out of hundreds of pools. Of course they fall into the springs and end up cursed. Ranma turns into a Veela and Genma into an anthropomorphic panda girl). We learn about Ranma's past and how Nodoka, a pureblooded witch from a very prominent clan got pregnant with him. Behold the tragic conclusion of the story of Genma's past and the reasons that pushed him to take Ranma on such a long and arduous training journey.

*** FLASHBACK 2nd PART ***

Genma's lack of reaction was understandable of course, since he was still under the effect of the spell, but his bulging eyes were explicit enough. The unfortunate man was shocked of course, although he'd probably deny it if he could move, but being incapacitated and without means to lash out at his tormentors he had time to think. His brain was working in overdrive and it took only mere seconds for Genma to come to the conclusion that Nodoka being pregnant was very possible since they hadn't used any contraceptives that night. Then his eyes started to water, but it was impossible to determine whether it was of joy or sorrow, although the people who knew him well would bet on the second possibility. Genma was praying silently and he hoped that they wouldn't kill him for impregnating the girl.

One of the men slowly approached the frightened martial artist and Genma noticed the resemblance with Nodoka right away. "Genma! I am Nodoka's father, Kazu Saotome. If I lift the spell, do you promise not to run away and to listen to what we have to say? Blink twice if you agree."

After Genma had complied the stranger made a swish gesture with his wand and the martial artist was able to move again. He quickly jumped to his feet and with lightning quick reflexes knocked the wand out of the surprised man's hand before he ran to the window… only to be stopped and thrown back by some kind of invisible barrier. Several spells hit him at the same time and he was once again unable to move. Inwardly he cursed since he was sure the men wouldn't make the same mistake twice and that he'd just blown his only chance of escape. Knowing that they would be more alert now and having lost all hope he stopped resisting and prayed that whatever they had in store for him, they'd get it over with quickly.

"That really shouldn't have surprised me after all I've heard about you, Genma Takahashi." The man sneered. "Always running away from your responsibilities. Well, not this time. We came prepared and there's no way that you can get through that barrier spell. I gave you a chance; I thought we could talk about the consequences of you having you way with my little daughter like adults, but you just confirmed the information I got from people that know you: you can't be trusted. Listen, and listen well. The Saotome family NEVER lets anyone make a fool out of them. You knocked up the heiress of the clan for your cheap thrills and there's unfortunately only one possibility for us to avoid losing face. You will marry Nodoka today. And don't even think about running away from your responsibilities. We won't lift the spells incapacitating you until you're in a tuxedo and in front of the priest… with our wands pointed at you just to make sure. You might be able to dodge one or two spells coming at you, but not a whole volley. I think I made myself clear. Well then, I'd like you to meet your future family."

One by one the Saotomes introduced themselves to the incapacitated man while glaring daggers at him. It was obvious they really didn't want to have the commoner muggle become a member of their family, but they had no choice. Abortion was simply out of the question if they wanted to avoid having their honor tarnished if it ever came out. It was already bad enough that the child was conceived out of wedlock, but since the Saotomes were one of the oldest and most respected magical families in Japan and always in the spotlight of the paparazzi it was very hard if not impossible to hush up a scandal like that one, especially since Nodoka was stupid enough to curse Genma's name loud enough to be heard throughout the hospital after she received the confirmation of her pregnancy from the mediwitch. Obliviating a few people would have been possible with all the resources the Saotome family had access too, but doing the same to a whole hospital was above even their means. The only possibility they had to avoid completely losing face was to come up with a good cover story. They told their friends and other acquaintances that Nodoka had married a wealthy and important businessman, and that she'd done so in secret to avoid all the hype which is typically caused by those kinds of events. Kazu was angry with her daughter for keeping her pregnancy a secret and going to the hospital instead of confiding in her family. They could have easily swept it under the rug with no one the wiser.

"Levicorpus!" Kazu Saotome pointed his wand at a very surprised Genma, who was slowly rising in the air and felt completely weightless. He was floating upright and had a perfect view of everything that was going on around him, such as his attackers standing near the table waiting for something. Kazu joined them and the unwilling groom wondered where the old sock on the table came from. He was perplexed to see the wizards grab each. Nodoka's father grabbed the unwilling groom's leg and his daughter's hand.

"Yoshi, I'll leave it to you," he said. The wizard grabbed the sock and a few seconds later the group was gone in a flash leaving the room completely empty. A loud *pop* announced their arrival at their destination. Used to apparating the Saotome family members looked completely unfazed, which was definitely not the case for Genma. The martial artist had turned an unhealthy shade of green and looked quite sick and he'd probably have thrown up already if he weren't completely paralyzed.

Mr. Saotome cancelled the levitation spell and as gravity affected Genma once again the unfortunate martial artist fell to the floor flat on his face. A little bit dazed he got up and froze when he saw the wands pointed at him once again.

"As you can see," Nodoka's father continued, "you're completely surrounded and have no chance to escape. Welcome to the Saotome manor, one of the most heavily warded locations in Japan. Only members of the Saotome clan are keyed into the protections of this place and traveling the grounds alone, unaccompanied by a member of the clan can be deadly. So don't try anything stupid if you value your life. Personally I don't care what happens to you, but it would reflect badly on the clan should you die before you're officially married to my little sunshine. Consider it an honor to become part of one of the most prominent magical clans in Japan, even if you're only a muggle."

Before the young martial artist could protest he was roughly pushed through the door by Mr. Saotome and his entourage and led to another room a few doors away. Nodoka was being led away by two women who had been waiting in the room for their arrival. The young martial artist was pushed into the new room and was astonished by what he saw; a mannequin wearing a very expensive and high quality wedding hakama and accessories. "Surprised?" The older man smirked at Genma's bewildered look. "Don't be. With time you will come to learn that I hate inefficiency. I started preparations as soon as I was made aware of my daughter's pregnancy. No Saotome child will ever be born out of wedlock."

"Jiro! Akira! Nobu! You three stay here with the groom until he's ready. Always keep your wands aimed at him. He's a tricky one and I wouldn't put it past him to use every trick he knows to get away. I need to talk with the priest."

As he was walking away he gave the unwilling groom one last piece of advice. "Don't try anything stupid, Genma. You have no idea how powerful the Saotomes are and what means we have at our disposal."

The icy tone in which the message was delivered chilled Genma to the bones and he realized that the powerful man didn't make empty threats and was quite willing to resort to force as his abduction has proven. Recognizing how hopeless his situation really was he decided to just get it over with and go through with the stupid ceremony.

After Nodoka's father had left the three men who were to guard Genma led him into the adjacent bathroom at wandpoint where he was forced to take a bath and shave, much to the martial artist's outrage, as he hated being told what to do. He obeyed however since he was quite sure his guards wouldn't hesitate to take some drastic measures against him if he didn't comply. After tha martial artist Had finished in the bathroom two female servants entered and helped him into the formal wedding garb. All of this had taken no more than twenty minutes and soon Genma was ready to get hitched, or as he preferred to think, ready to face his doom.

They guided him to a waiting room where he was told to wait until everything was ready for the ceremony. After about an hour he saw Kazu Saotome come back dressed to the nines.

"The preparations are done. Follow me."

*** END FLASHBACK ***

"There's not much to tell about the wedding ceremony proper as nothing out of the ordinary happened at all, except for the wands that were pointed at me, of course."

"Wizards and witches?" Magic? You really want me to believe that? You've come up with a lot of lame stories over the years but this one probably takes the cake. If…"

Before he could continue his rant he was interrupted by the elder. "What other explanation do you have for the Jusenkyo curses then?" She interjected. "They should be proof enough that magic is very real and all around us. There are many things in this world you haven't seen yet. Does that mean they don't exist? No, it doesn't. Wizards are a very secretive folk and are masters at hiding their world from the muggles. Don't dismiss your father's story so easily. From what I know about purebloods it's quite possible that this is what really happened."

That made him pause. He considered the old woman's words for a few moments and decided that she had a point. The curse was real and that meant that magic had to be real too. Still, that didn't mean that his father's story was true. He'd lied so much over the years to save his hide, but the old man had never sounded this convincing. He usually was a really bad liar and he would never be able to come up with something this convincing on the fly. Ranma still had his doubts, and he really needed more information before he could either accept or dismiss the story. He looked at his father. "If that is true, then why didn't you tell me before? You probably thought it funny to make me think my mother was dead and that I had no family left? This is really low. And here I thought you couldn't sink any lower. You know I've always wanted a family. All these years… All these years I've had relatives and never knew about it... Well, as soon as I get rid of the damn curse I'll visit mom. Suck on that, old man. I don't give a damn about your problems with mom and gramps. Nothing you say will change my mind."

"I'm sorry but you can't." Genma countered, giving his son a sorrowful look. "Just let me finish my story and you'll understand why. I had a very good reason for taking you away from those bastards." He took a deep breath figuring out how to continue. It was a painful memory and it would probably devastate the poor boy who had so many problems to deal with already.

"I've told you about the marriage, right? Well, to sum it up, it was hell. My in-laws resented me for 'defiling' their daughter and the whole family reminded me of that fact almost every day. Your mother didn't even acknowledge my presence at all and I was confined to a small house on the estate and shunned by everyone except for some servants. I felt like an outcast and the servants were the only people I had contact with. I have to admit that I got almost everything I wanted except for the thing I wanted most, my freedom. I was only ever allowed to leave the estate when I had to accompany my 'wife' to some dinners or other social gatherings. I think that I hated having to pretend that Nodoka and I were a happy and loving couple even more than being a prisoner.

Things changed after you were born, though. Everyone was happy to see the next heir to the family even if his father was a muggle. Your mother fell immediately in love with you and doted on you all the time. Our relationship even improved to the point that we were talking to each other again and my in-laws allowed us to live together. From one day to the to the next it seemed that the rift between us had never existed and I didn't resent the forced marriage all that much any longer after I saw how much your mother cared for you. She was once again the spirited girl I met back in Nerima all those months ago."

"Well, everything's fine then," Ranma interjected. "I don't see any reason for you to keep me away from them."

"I wish it were that easy," the cursed man continued. "Unfortunately, like so often, good things don't last for long. All was fine for the first three years of your life, but slowly our relationship degraded once again when it became more and more obvious that you didn't have any magic at all."

From Ranma's blank stare he deduced that he needed to be more explicit.

"Ok. Let me explain that a little bit. Magical children tend to use accidental magic whenever they are startled or in danger. It's a natural reflex that protects them from harm. This is the most common way to see if a child is talented or not. Wizards have some very strange ideas and some go so far as to put their children in danger just to have them use accidental magic. Naturally, my in-laws were insane enough to try the same. Sometimes I even had to laugh at the ideas they came up with to frighten you into using your magic. Unfortunately, it didn't work and after several months they had given up hope and pretty much abandoned you to my care. Nodoka's reaction hurt me the most. While she had spent a lot of time with you when you were little she grew cold over time after she began to realize that you were probably a squib. In the end she couldn't even stand to be in your presence any more. "

"WHAT?" Ranma interrupted the story in a violent outburst. "Are you bullshitting me? NO WAY is that true. You're full of it, old man. Are you seriously telling me my mom and grandparents would reject me for such a stupid reason?"

"Let me finish," Genma hissed. "You don't know anything about the Wizarding World and what purebloods are like. Everything I've told you is the truth."

"Oh yeah? That would be a first. No, seriously now. Tell me the real story or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"QUIET" Cologne ordered as she let loose a very impressive battle aura, calming down the two martial artists who were shaking in their pants. "Now then, let's discuss this like civilized people."

Satisfied that there wouldn't be any further outbursts she dimmed her aura until it disappeared completely once again. "That's better." She looked at the teen. "Well, I think your father has told the truth, Ranma.," Cologne added her two cents. "I've met a lot of accomplished liars in my life, but I usually see through them very easily. Mr. Saotome hasn't lied once throughout the story.."

Now that the elder's aura was gone Ranma got back some of his confidence. "Oh really? Shows how well you know him. Old age must have affected your senses if you really believe him."

"Ouch!" Ranma complained after the old woman violently rapped him on the head with her stick.

"Insolent brat! That's the problem with the young people nowadays; they always think they know better than their elders. I'm over 300 and believe me when I tell you that I've seen it all. You're still young and have yet to realize the lows a human being can sink to. I've met a lot of purebloods in my long life and I can assure you that such behavior is not all that unusual. Besides, why should I lie to you? I have nothing to gain by doing that."

That last statement made the pigtailed teen think. Indeed, why SHOULD she lie to him? This made Ranma feel really uncomfortable. What if his father HAD told the truth? What if he really had been abandoned by his family? No, best not to go there; one problem at a time.

"I see you're not convinced. How about this then? Once we are in the village we'll have your father confirm his story under Veritaserum, only if he agrees of course?"

"Veriwhat?" the teen wanted to know.

"Ve-ri-ta-se-rum. A very powerful truth serum," Cologne answered. "Are you willing to do it, Mr. Saotome?"

"I am," the portly man answered firmly, and there was not a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Seeing his father agree so firmly, and without any doubt really rattled the boy and made him rethink his earlier stance. His father had never been so convincing before and he had the sinking feeling that there might be some truth to the story after all.

As the sometimes panda saw the state of his son he felt sorry for him. It was much too soon for him to learn the truth as the boy lacked the maturity to digest the ugly truth, but after the accident at Jusenkyo there was no way for him to hide his past any longer.

"I know how you feel," the middle-aged man tried to raise Ranma's spirits. "Rejection is always hard to deal with. Let me finish my story before you ask any questions. As you can probably imagine I haven't had a good opinion of the Wizarding World ever since I was coerced into this farce of a marriage and this made me really hate the Saotomes and their bigotry. You must know that squibs are outcasts and never get any fair chance to land a good job; they are the burakumin of the Wizarding World. This is even worse if it is a prominent family who gives birth to a squib. Since you didn't have any future in their world I decided to take you away and teach you the only thing I was good at: martial arts. I thought that it would give you at least some skills you could put to use later on and live a decent life with normal people. Much to my surprise I was given the permission to leave with you. They probably figured it would be easier to cover up your condition if you weren't there. The official reason they gave to explain our absence was that we went abroad to get you some specialized magical training."

Ranma looked at his father in awe. He'd always known that the bespectacled man was a great martial artist, but he hadn't had much respect for him outside of the art due to his cowardly nature and dishonesty. This new information, however, put him into a very different light, and it warmed his heart to learn that his father really loved him and that he wasn't just a meal ticket for him.

But if he had been so wrong about his father, then maybe Genma had been wrong about his in-laws. Hope flared up in his heart. "Are things really that bad?" He tentatively asked. "What if they've changed and regret what they've done? Maybe we can visit them and see how things are going. What is the worst they can do? Throw us out?"

The bespectacled man sighed. He hated himself for having to kill his son's last hopes, but unfortunately there was no way around it. "Impossible!" He assured with sadness in his eyes. "Do you remember what I told you earlier? That they are bigots? Like most other pure-blood wizarding families the Saotomes are xenophobic and avoid having to deal with magical creatures whenever possible. It simply is beneath them. And even if I have never heard of Veela before I'm sure they qualify as magical creatures."

Before Ranma could get a word in edgewise Cologne had already continued where his father had stopped and he immediately refrained from saying anything as his head was still smarting from the blow he'd received earlier and he didn't want to have a repeat performance. "Your father is correct," she confirmed. "Veela are indeed classified as magical creatures. Due to their great strength, control over fire, and charming powers they are often feared and even actively hunted in some countries for either the bounties on their heads, potion ingredients or for selling them into prostitution. I believe that the Japanese Wizarding Government is rather progressive about the issue, at least compared to a lot of other countries and even has issued some laws pertaining to their protection and even granted them some basic civil rights… well, on paper at least. In reality wizards are afraid of things they don't understand or that are different from them, which include magical creatures, making it almost impossible for them to find a job. Squibs have it easier since they are human and can simply go to the Muggle World to find work. Because of their inhuman nature and often look magical creatures have trouble blending in. Wizarding Communities throughout the world continually try their hardest to hide their world from the eyes of muggles and that includes magical creatures. Oh, and before you ask, 'muggle' is the word wizards use for normal people with no magical background and 'squib' is the word for descendants of wizards who can't use magic."

Ranma couldn't believe his ears. While he had been angry before he was now ready to explode. "DAMMIT, POPS!" the young martial artist verbally lashed out at his father. "What the hell were you thinking bringing us here?" He mockingly shook his head. "How silly of me; of course you haven't been thinking. Would have been a first." He venomously looked at the recipient of his anger. "You REALLY have the knack of royally screwing up and making a bad situation worse." And just as the pigtailed boy was about to strangle the life out of the idiot he did something so unexpected and astonishing that his son had completely forgot to kill him: the part-time panda kneeled in front of Ranma and lowered his head to the ground.

"Please forgive me, son. I never wanted this to happen. I don't know why I even chose to come here. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. I can't help it; my brain somehow short-circuits whenever I hear about a new training ground or an unbeatable technique. It's like my brain is compelling me to try out every insane technique I can get my hands on. I'm still ashamed for trying to teach you the nekoken. I promise you that I won't rest until I've found a cure for your curse."

The astonished teen was speechless. He had seen his father use the Crouch of the Wild Tiger ™ more than once, but unlike that pathetic, stupid, and hypocritical technique this was an honest-to-God apology.

The elder's eyes widened when she heard the elder Saotome mentioned the nekoken, but chose not to comment on it since it really wasn't a priority at the moment. There was another statement that worried her a lot more and she really had to get to the bottom of it. "Excuse me," she interrupted the apologetic man. "Did you say compulsion?"

"Yes," he confirmed and lifted his head. "I don't really understand why, but whenever I find a martial arts scroll or a training manual a seductive voice seems to short-circuit my common sense and I can't resist the lure to teach them to my son as fast as possible."

"Hmmm…" the elder paced up and down and thought about the implications of that statement. She had a very good idea of what must have happened, but she needed to take the pair to the village to confirm her suspicions. "Did anything unusual happen before you left on the training journey? Anything out of the ordinary?"

Genma thought intensely about it for a while and even if it had been a long time ago he could still remember the day very clearly. There was one thing that really stood out that day but he was not sure if it was important. Still, the old woman asked him for anything out of the ordinary and this was the only thing that came to mind. "There was something unusual indeed, but I don't know if it's relevant. Shortly before I left my father-in-law asked me to join him in his study, which surprised me since he usually didn't even acknowledge my presence. After that things get a little fuzzy. I remember joining him in the room but nothing about the conversation we've had. At the end he patted me on the shoulder and wished me luck on my journey. That was really strange coming from him, but I didn't dwell on it."

"I see," Cologne said. "Are you absolutely sure that you can't remember the discussion at all? Not even the smallest bit?"

"Sorry, but that's all I can tell you. There seems to be a gap in my memories concerning that particular event and now that you mention it, it's true that it's really strange. I wonder why it has never come to my mind before. Do you think he might have done something to me?"

"I wouldn't be surprised from what you've told about him so far. My guess is that he has removed the memory from your mind and probably added a small compulsion to keep you from ever thinking back to that conversation," she told the martial artist, "but you'll have to come with me to the village for confirmation as I don't have the means to verify my theory with me. I suspect that your father-in-law subjected you to the Confundus Charm, a very nasty spell that's not as bad as the three unforgivable curses, but it's still illegal to cast it on another human being. The Confundus Charm befuddles the mind and allows the caster to implant some insidious ideas or concepts into the victim's mind. In your case probably something directing you to try more and more insane techniques. There's only one reason I can think of as to why he would have done something so despicable. He probably hoped you'd try something so stupid that it would kill the boy. If they are really as bad as you make them out to be it's something that would be right up their alley. They wouldn't even need to get their hands dirty. I don't think there's any viler act than trying to murder one's own family."

"Oh come on now!" an incredulous Ranma exclaimed not believing a word of what he had just heard. "Next you'll tell me they eat children and kick puppies for fun." Wondering about the lack of reaction he turned towards his father and was quite surprised to see him deep in thought. The old man really seemed to believe the elder's explanation, outlandish as it may have been.

"Hey, pops," he tried to get his father's attention. "Don't tell me you believe that bull." The bespectacled man didn't react at all. "Hello? Earth to moron."

"Quiet, boy!" He absentmindedly hit his son on the head, his brain cataloguing, processing, and analyzing all the new information he got, a horrible as it might be.

Ranma rubbed his head and waited for his father to finish; he'd rarely seen him so serious.

"You don't know what they're like," he explained after a while. "I wouldn't put it past them to do something like that. You haven't lived there for as long as I have." He grabbed his son by the shoulders and looked him right in the eyes. "You have no idea what life with them was like. So don't act like you know everything." He shuddered. "Those spells really exist. I know; I've read about them in some of their books. You don't know what those bastards are capable of. When I think back to all the things they did to get you to use accidental magic," he was getting hysterical. "Do you want to know what they did? Do you?"

Ranma was fascinated and horrified by the state his father was in. He obviously was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

The older Saotome continued, not looking at anyone, all those repressed memories coming back to him. "They… locked you into a cupboard for a few hours. They threw you into a cannel with savage dogs. They threw you out of a window from the fourth floor. There was more, but I really don't want to talk about it. Now tell me, son, would you put it past people like that to use those spells on me?" He looked at the floor and continued in a repentant tone, thinking back to some of the biggest mistakes he's made over the last years. "I… I know I've done bad things to you in the name of training, but I never wanted to hurt you. I… I always felt really bad afterwards. Each and every time I was horrified by my own acts. And now… the elder's suspicions… all of it would explain so much."

The haunted look in his father's eyes had really shaken the young martial artist up. He'd never seen him so frantic in all of the time they'd traveled together. Yet, he couldn't believe it; or rather he didn't want to believe it. If it were true… no, he really didn't want to think about it. He violently shook his head in denial and was about to bolt as the sight of his father in such a sorry state had really unnerved him and he didn't want to be witness to that any longer.

Before he could run away Cologne tripped him with her stick and he heavily fell to the ground face first

"What did you do that for?" He jumped up and yelled at the elder.

"That's what I should ask you. What were you thinking? "Do you honestly believe that running away will solve anything? You're a fool and a coward."

"I am not a coward!" Ranma countered angrily and the elder hid a smile. He had reacted exactly like she'd expected. She was certain that anger was much better in this situation than depression.

"Oh, really?" She taunted. "What else do you call someone who runs at the first sign of trouble? A hero? I don't think so. A real martial artist would face his problems like a man, but what do I see in front of me? A little boy who is too afraid to face the truth."

"You take that back!" He attacked the old woman, but she countered the clumsy attack without even looking at her opponent and threw him to the ground. This continued for a while, but Ranma never even came close to tagging his opponent. A few minutes later he lay in the dirt, completely exhausted."

"Are you quite finished?" She asked him with a hint of concern in her voice. "You know, sometimes letting it all out is the best solution."

Much to Ranma's surprise he was indeed feeling a little better, or at least he could once again think rationally.

"I can see that you are still in denial and need some proof. There's nothing more we can do here. Just forget about your family for the moment, calm down, and once in the village it will be easy to get to the bottom of this. Is that okay with you?

The young martial artist nodded. He'd give her the benefit of the doubt… for the moment. If there really was a way for him to learn the truth inside the village he could wait that long, and if the matriarch's suspicions were confirmed… well, he'd still have time to think about his next step afterwards.

Genma had watched the one-sided match and realized that he couldn't let himself fall into depression. He owed his son that much at least… and a lot more. His son needed him now more than ever. At least he had now the confirmation that removing Ranma from his family's clutches was the right thing to do. He was sure that Ranma would get over it. The boy was a survivor and this was just another stepping stone on the way to adulthood and martial arts mastery. No wizard would hurt him or his son ever again. He had trained the boy over the years well enough to be sure that no wizard had a chance against the young martial artist. After all, while he didn't neglect any aspects of the art he had put emphasis on Ranma's speed and intuition, turning him into the perfect weapon against wizards. What good is a wand if you can't hit your target? Additionally, he had sharpened the boy's senses to such an extent that he could unconsciously evade any attack, even in his sleep.

He'd never seen anyone as talented in the art as his son. There wasn't really all that much left to teach his son, except for the forbidden techniques, but those moves were much too dangerous to teach to someone who wouldn't use them responsibly. The next few days would decide if the boy was ready or not; it all depended on how he'd deal with the heavy emotional blow he'd just received. However, this latest treachery by his in-laws confirmed his intention to teach the boy everything he'd ever need to survive. The senkens would be quite an ace against his enemies, especially if the Saotomes should target his son directly. After all, he had developed them specifically as a weapon to use against wizards.

"I suggest we leave for my village. It's already late and I don't want to miss the end of the annual tournament. Are you coming?" She asked the two foreigners. She then turned towards the guide who had been silently listening to the conversation. "Thank you for your help, guide. You've been a great help and I will see to it that you're rewarded for your hard work."

"I was just doing my job. Too bad they never listen. Well, I wish you luck and hope that you'll find a cure to your curses, although I doubt it. Take care."

They thanked the guide for his help and followed Cologne out of the valley. Very soon Genma and Ranma involuntarily figured out one of the most annoying things about Jusenkyo curses: they are very easy to trigger since a little bit of cold water was more than enough for them to activate. As they were entering the woods on the right side of the cliffs surrounding Jusenkyo they were drenched by a sudden localized downpour that only lasted for a few seconds but was enough to trigger their curses.

"Ah yes, that tends to happen a lot to cursed people. The curse magic seems to have a strange sense of humor as water seems to be drawn to its victims. I should have warned you before," Cologne apologized. "People who fight the curse have it hardest since not a day goes by without at least one water related accident. It can be very annoying I've been told. That's why it's called a curse I suppose."

"Now you tell us," the young Veela grumbled as she was removing her gi top to wring it out while continuing to walk. She was startled out of this occupation by the loud noises caused by something tramping through the surrounding woods, something that was approaching the group's position at a fast speed, toppling trees and frightening the wildlife as it approached. She hurried to put her clothes back on, but before she was finished the creature had cleared the woods and entered the small clearing they'd been walking through. As it turned out the creature in question was a rugged, strong looking human male wearing an orange shirt, black pants, and a black-spotted yellow bandana and carrying a huge backpack.

"WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW?" The pissed off boy shouted in an angry tone while continuing on his way straight ahead without even checking the surroundings.

The sudden appearance of the boy had startled Ranma to such an extent that she had completely forgotten to close her gi top, leaving her unrestrained breasts move about freely for all to see and especially drawing the eyes of the stranger to their fullness and perfect form, probably aided by the strong allure the girl was emitting. The wanderer was so entranced by the beautiful angel in front of him that he continued straight ahead without paying attention to his surroundings, his mind working to full capacity at memorizing the features of this heavenly apparition he had immediately fallen in love with. Very soon he had disappeared back into the woods, his eyes glued to the bare breasted beauty until he couldn't see her anymore. As his mind was otherwise occupied it couldn't warn the wandering martial artist of the danger that lay ahead and so it came that he ran straight ahead towards the cliff and fell into the valley below. He only came out of his dream world when he landed in the cold water below.

The band of travelers blinked, once, twice, and looked at the path of destruction the boy had left in his wake before simply shrugging their shoulders in indifference and resuming their trek. They had seen stranger after all. Although the funny scene had distracted the group Genma had the presence of mind to remind her daughter of her indecent state. She looked down and blushed at her blunder and very quickly closed her gi top hoping that she could avoid another awkward situation like that in the future. Very quickly she forgot the incident as she was having an interesting conversation with the Amazon elder and inquiring about some of the finer points of magic and to get some more information about the Wizarding World. She got a lot of interesting information and found the idea of using magic very intriguing. Her father, much to her surprise, even urged her to learn as much as she could if she was able to. It could only benefit her martial arts in the long run and make her an even more unpredictable fighter.

"Do you really think I can learn magic?" She asked the matriarch.

"I don't know," Cologne answered. "Sorcery at least shouldn't be a problem. I've told you before that Veela are natural sorceresses with an affinity for fire if you remember. I can't say for sure if you'll be able to use wand magic; we'll have to test you in the village."

"I'm still not sure if I really want to learn it though. Magic is the cause of most of my problems. Without magic I would have a family and wouldn't be cursed."

"Ah, but you shouldn't look at it that way. Nothing in this world is black and white. Take the wizards for example. They always classify everything as either dark or light, be it magic, people, or magical creatures. I think that's a misconception. There is not really any light or dark magic; it all depends on the intentions of the person using a spell. Take the levitation charm for example. It allows you to lift objects without touching them. Now imagine someone lifting a large rock and levitating it over someone's head and let it fall. It's one of the easiest spells to learn, yet it can be deadly if used with the intention to harm; not unlike the martial arts. They too can be used to protect, but just as well to kill. Here's another way to look at it. If you learn wand magic you'll have an easier time fighting against it since you'll know how it works and what to expect."

The young girl had to admit that the elder was right, in every point. It made sense after all. Didn't Sun Tzu himself say 'Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a thousand battles without disaster'? Another thing had been bothering her and she really wanted to get to the bottom of it. "I've been wondering," she asked the matriarch. "You talk about muggles and squibs all the time and explained the meaning of the words, but I have no clue where they come from. They don't sound like Japanese to me. How come?"

"That's easy to answer," the elder explained. "Wand magic originates from Europe; from Great Britain to be more precise. English has been established as the official language of the Wizarding World. That's why in most countries young wizards are taught English at school."

Cologne noticed that the young girl listened very intently to her explanations and since they still had a ways to go she decided that teaching her the basics about the Magical World would be educational and a nice way to pass time. "One important fact you have to know about wizards, and pure-bloods especially," she continued. "They are very set in their ways. Wizards haven't changed much over the last few centuries and usually don't mingle with muggles. Most of them are unaware of the technological advances of the Muggle World and have never seen a television or even a phone. Basically, they think that muggles are uncultured and beneath them. Their reasoning always seems to be 'why change something that works?' This is true for almost every country. They don't even realize that the muggles outnumber them and could easily destroy their world with modern weaponry.

She shook her head at the stupidity of it all. "Most don't remember or choose to forget that wand magic is a rather young discipline in Asia. In fact, it first appeared in the late 1500s brought over by a few hundred English refugees who had settled down in China after they'd fled the persecution of a dark lord who was very active in England at that time. It didn't take very long for some of the families to explore the relatively unknown continent and teach their ways and magic to the locals. Since wand magic is much easier to learn than other, older magic arts like voodoo, sorcery, shamanism, necromancy, or druidism and much more versatile a lot of mages have abandoned tradition and embraced wizardry. Over the last few centuries the number of practitioners has been steadily declining to such an extent that I predict in the next two centuries most of those disciplines will die out. It's sad but there is not much we can do about it. At least in my village we try to keep the old traditions alive while not neglecting innovation as our very talented witches can attest. Wizardry has spread so fast because even magically weak people can learn it, their wands helping them channel their magic, as low as it may be. That's also the wizards' major weakness. Take away their wands and they are pretty much defenseless, unless they can cast wandless magic, but only a few of the most powerful wizards are able to do that. That's why I really urge you to develop your sorcery skills. It will be an additional weapon in your arsenal; a weapon most wizards will be helpless against and that they can't take away from you."

"You got a point there," the young sorceress agreed. "IF I can learn how to use magic it would be stupid not to learn it. And if it doesn't work, no big loss. I'll still have martial arts."

Genma had been listening to the whole conversation, but hadn't said anything so far. She too agreed with the old woman. She might not like magic in general, but that was more because of some of the wizards she knew rather than because of the magic itself, but that was not a good enough reason for Ranma not to embrace his heritage and show the Wizarding World that he was much better than those stuck-up bastards. And wouldn't it be ironic if he could defeat the people who shunned him in their own discipline? Well, as long as he didn't neglect his martial arts training of course.

There was no more talking for the rest of the way to the village as the two foreigners had much to think about. Cologne just led the way and left them to their thoughts.

When the village became visible to the naked eye Cologne slowed down. "Wait! Before we enter I need to give you some very important information. First of all, the most important rule: don't do anything stupid! We are a very proud people and easily take offence. Just as important: don't run afoul of the outsider rules." She looked at Ranma specifically when she said that. "Because of them you should avoid answering any challenges in both of your forms or you could be subjected to either the kiss of marriage or the kiss of death. Basically, the rules say this: whenever a male outsider defeats a Joketsuzoku warrior, she must give him the kiss of marriage and they automatically become husband and wife; however, if a female outsider defeats a Joketsuzoku warrior she is given the kiss of death and the defeated Joketsuzoku must chase her to the ends of earth until one of them is dead. If you really want to test your strength against our fighters you should set terms before the fight and specify that it's just a friendly fight. Is that understood?"

The Veela nodded and the elder, sure that she got her point across, bid them to follow her. As they approached the gates they heard a lot of noise coming out of the village and as they got nearer they were able to identify the racket as being shouts and cheers.

"What's that noise?" Ranma wondered.

"The great festival," Cologne explained as they were walking. "Every year we hold a martial arts tournament where the youngsters can show off their fighting skills. The champion will gain fame and prestige as well as earn a lot of privileges until the next tournament where the champion either confirms her position by winning again or loses it to a stronger warrior who the becomes the new champion. Afterwards there is a big celebration that lasts all night long with a large spread of dishes, wine and other spirits, and not to forget music and dancing as well as some friendly or sometimes even less friendly sparring matches. My granddaughter is participating this year for the first time and has a very good chance of winning. I'm glad it isn't over yet; I want to see how she handles herself in a fight against more experienced opponents, I prepared her as well as I could after all, and I would be disappointed if she didn't make a good showing."

Very soon they approached the entrance and nodding to the two sentries the elder led her guests into the village. Ranma was feeling uncomfortable when she noticed the scathing looks the guards were giving her. The matriarch noticed them too and as soon as the group was past the guards she stopped the two foreigners. "Wait here. I'll go and get some warm water to change you back or else you'll receive a lot more of those stares."

"Why are they staring at me like that? I didn't do anything to them."

"That's true, but it's an instinctual reaction women have towards Veela. You don't realize yet how powerful your charm is and the effect it has on other people. Basically, the guards are jealous of your beauty. It's not your fault, nor is it theirs. They just don't realize that their reactions are caused by your Veela charm, but they instinctually believe that you're a dangerous predator who might take away their mates. So don't be surprised to see women show your female form a lot of animosity. Men on the other hand will lust after you and some will do anything to make you theirs. I remember having read in a book once that in the past more than one duel or family feud has been initiated by men who were attracted to the same Veela. Until you learn how to control the charm this will be the standard reaction you'll get. The only people immune to your aura are family members or people who are deeply in love with someone else. Homosexuals are an exception since their reactions will be reversed. That's why you must learn to control your powers or will never be able to live a normal life… in either the Muggle or the Wizarding Worlds. Unfortunately, only another Veela will be able to teach you with that, so you'll have to find one that's willing to help. I can't help you there since I have never met any."

"I know some people who might be able to help," Genma interrupted. "My old training partner, Soun Tendo, also married a witch and he works part-time for the Japanese magical government. I'm sure he'll be able to help. I was planning to have you meet him after our trip to China anyway, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"That's good news and one less problem we'll have to deal with. For now stay put; I'll be back in a few moments," the elder pogoed away and into the first house she saw. She came back with a bucket filled with hot water and poured it over the two females' heads returning them to their birth form.

"That's better." Ranma was relieved to be male once more. It would take time to get used to his alternate form, especially with the weird powers that came with it.

Genma was relieved too. His curse was probably not as bad as his son's, but he could really have done without, especially since his cursed form looked so cute. He shuddered at the thought of people seeing him like that.

They toweled themselves off and followed the old woman through the deserted streets and towards the place where the commotion was coming from. As they approached they could hear the cheers the large audience was giving the contestants who were dishing it out on top of a horizontal log suspended in the air by some sturdy ropes more clearly. The whole village was present and some watchers were betting on the outcome of the fights. Ranma concentrated on the fight and had to admit that the girls weren't half bad. One of them was an average sized, cute brunette who was using a short sword and the other one was very large and butch, with a bodybuilder's body and who looked more like a bad cross dresser than a girl. She wielded a tetsubo and was clearly dominating the fight with her overly aggressive style. The smaller fighter was constantly on the defensive and had a very difficult time blocking her opponent's powerful strikes. The girls were not in his league of course, but he had to admit that they knew how to handle themselves in a fight.

"We got here just in time," the matriarch told her guests who were following the fight with great interest. "I've been told that this is the last semifinal and as I expected my great-granddaughter has made it all the way into the finals. Look over there. That's her; the girl with the lavender-colored hair. She's my pride and joy, the best warrior of her generation in our village. I know she'll win."

The fight was over very soon as the small fighter couldn't keep up with the giant's onslaught of powerful strikes and was launched off the log.

"Well, that's that," Cologne stated. "There'll be a five minute break before the final match. I'm going to check on Shampoo to see how she's feeling. I'm sure she'll be relieved now that I'm back. If you like you can come with me and meet her."

"How come only the girls are fighting? What about the boys?" Ranma saw a lot of boys and men among the crowd, but none of them looked like they had been in a fight. He noticed several heavily bruised or wounded Amazons, but all of them were girls.

"Simple," the elder explained. "They aren't allowed to participate. This is a women's only tournament. One thing you mustn't forget is that we are a matriarchal society. The men have no say in the political workings of the village. That's why their own tournament which will take place in a few days is not really important, unlike the women's tournament, where the champion will be able to participate in the political life of the village. You should treat every woman here with the utmost respect if you want to avoid any trouble. I know this must seem barbaric to you but that's how it's been since the creation of our society and the system has worked well for us so far. I can assure you that our men are treated a lot better than Japanese women used to be until a few decades ago."

Very soon they'd reached the throng of people that had surrounded the young finalist and which was congratulating her for her good showing so far. When the fans saw the elder approach they opened a passage and let her through.

"Great-grandmother!" The lavender-haired girl shouted in glee and gave the elder a firm hug. "I'm glad you came back in time to see my triumph. I made it all the way to the finals just like I promised. Everyone will see that you're the best trainer in the village and that our bloodline is still as strong as ever. I can't wait to see Lan-Fen's reaction after I humiliate her apprentice. She'll never again insult our family and your training methods."

"You may be right. However, don't let your anger cloud your mind. Underestimating an enemy, especially one trained by Lan-Fen is never a good strategy. Don't get too cocky or might get a very nasty surprise."

The reprimand had the desired effect since Shampoo calmed down at once. "You are right. Please excuse my outburst just now." She then noticed the two males standing behind her great-grandmother and who were waiting for something. "Who are the strangers?" She asked rudely and even if Ranma couldn't understand Chinese he was able to detect the disrespectful tone in her voice as she was staring at them.

"They are honored guests," Cologne hissed at the teenager, "and the reason why I had to leave for Jusenkyo. I want you to be on your best behavior. They haven't done anything to warrant such disrespect." She then continued in a more civil tone. "Do you know where I can find Yip Dongmei? I haven't seen her in the crowd and I need to talk to her about a matter of the utmost importance."

"I Think I've seen her with Chen Huifang's group before the last fight. No idea where she is now."

The old woman nodded and made a come-hither sign to a nearby middle-aged woman. "Jia, please fetch Yip Dongmei. I have need of her 'special' skills."

She nodded and very soon came back with a very old woman, barely taller than Cologne and who had a strange aura around her. "Ah, Dongmei. Just the elder I've been looking for. Could you please cast a translation spell at the two foreigners? They don't speak our language and it's very important they understand everything that's going on. I'd like to avoid any unnecessary complications."

She then turned to the two martial artists who hadn't understood a single a word of the conversation. "Don't move! I asked Dongmei to cast a translation spell so that you can blend in and avoid any potential dangerous situations. The effect only lasts for a few hours so it will have to be reapplied regularly. Don't be afraid, she knows what she's doing. She's been an accomplished witch for more than 150 years."

The now named elder nodded, rolled up the left sleeve of her blouse and retrieved an ornate stick from the holster attached to her left arm. She flicked the piece of wood in a strange pattern and shouted something unintelligible as she was pointing the stick at the jittery foreigners. A blue beam shot out of the stick and honed in on the pigtailed outsider hitting him in the chest. She immediately repeated the procedure with a fidgeting Genma. He knew he needn't be afraid of the old woman, but his mistrust in magic users in general was not easy to overcome.

"Can you understand me?" Cologne asked the two in Chinese.

"Yeah. This is one hell of a useful spell. If I can learn stuff like this, studying magic might be fun," Ranma grinned, very happy at the prospect of learning something new and potentially useful for later.

"Not so fast!" the elder curbed the teen's enthusiasm. "We'll have to test you first. We'll do that once the tournament is over. For now just enjoy yourself. Watch tournament and mingle with the crowd; we can continue the discussion afterwards. I still need to talk to Shampoo before her big fight." She then walked away with her granddaughter who wasn't showing any obvious animosity towards the foreigners but she didn't trust them either just yet.

"So, what is this all about?" Dongmei asked her fellow elder's guests. "Are you wizards?"

Genma shook his head. "My son might be one. I was sure he was a squib until now, but Cologne thinks he might be able to use magic now that he has a Jusenkyo curse."

"Ah, I see. That's why she talked about a test. Very interesting. Well, that shouldn't be too difficult. Come to my house after the tournament and we'll know more. I'll see you later then. In the meantime enjoy the fight."

"I will," Ranma answered and mingled with the crowd, eagerly listening to the people's conversations around him and still marveling at the usefulness of the translation spell. Genma, who was pretty much desensitized to the use of magic, enjoyed one of his favorite pastimes, gambling. He placed a bet on the winner at the makeshift betting office. He didn't know the fighters, but he was an accomplished martial arts master, and even if he hadn't seen Shampoo fight he was sure she'd win. She was very nimble and walked with a feline grace which was perfect against her opponent who was a slow, crude fighter relying on power. She clearly had the advantage on the narrow log as she only needed to evade her opponent's powerful strikes and disrupt her balance. He imagined a fight between her and Ranma and was convinced that it would be very entertaining to watch, not that she had a chance against his son of course, but she could probably give a good showing.

After a while Shampoo came back with her great-grandmother, brimming with confidence and ready to take on her opponent and secure the title. She jumped onto the log where her opponent had already been waiting and smirked at the butch girl. She was handed a pair of melon hammers while her adversary used her tetsubo once again. As soon as the fighters got into a stance, weapons at the ready the crowd's cheers died down as everyone was anxiously waiting for the referee to give the starting signal.

A middle-aged woman wearing very fine and probably very expensive silk clothes slowly approached the log and lifted her right arm. She extended her hand and let the arm fall down, signaling the start of the fight.

Shampoo's opponent attacked as soon as the signal had been given with a heavy blow which completely missed the agile girl who then jumped over the powerful offense oriented fighter. This was going on for a while with Shampoo dodging every single attack, waiting for a chance to finish the fight with a single blow. She didn't have to wait for long. The large fighter overextended a very powerful blow which caused her to become unbalanced, a mistake which Shampoo was quick to take advantage of. She jumped in the air and kicked her opponent in the neck. While the blow was not all that powerful it was enough to make the tetsubo wielder lose her balance and fall off the log. Shampoo raised her hand in the air and gave the V sign while smirking at her opponent who had trouble getting up. The referee jumped on the log, grabbed Shampoo's arm, and declared her the victor while the crowd was cheering. A very happy champion jumped off the log and was immediately crowded by the onlookers and her fellow competitors who all wanted to congratulate her for her impressive and undisputable win.

Cologne let her great-granddaughter bask in the adulation of the audience for a few minutes knowing how the girl must feel, having experienced the same thing when she was that age. Once the commotion had died down a bit she joined the group and took the new champion in her arms. "You did great, my heir. I'm really proud of you, but we'll talk more afterwards; you still have to give the victory speech after all."

As Shampoo was basking in the cheers of her fellow Amazons the other participants had lined up and were waiting for the new champion to open the festivities, which was traditionally done with a speech, the contents of which was up to the victor, although it usually conveyed a similar message.

The young girl lifted both her arms and spread them out, causing the conversations around her to stop as the crowd was waiting for the champion's victory speech. They didn't have to wait long. "My fellow warriors and friends." The young champion began. "Another tournament has come to an end, and a new champion has been crowned. It's a great honor to follow in the footsteps of some of our greatest champions like Liu Ling or Fan Fang Jie, but there's one very special person I'd like to dedicate my victory to, my great-grandmother Cologne. Without her help I'd never have made it this far." She turned towards the matriarch and bowed deeply. The crowd erupted in cheers and clapped. Shampoo raised her arms once again and the spectators fell silent. "I'd also like to congratulate all the other participants for the strength and determination they've shown throughout the tournament. They really made me work for my victory and I'd like to thank them for that. I can't think of anything else to say and my speech has been long enough anyway, so I'll get immediately to the part everyone's been waiting for. So, without further ado, LET THE FEAST BEGIN!"

Immediately the whole village was in uproar. Some people resumed their conversations while others left and came back with foodstuff and drinks and still others broke into songs or started to dance to the sound of the music played by some very talented musicians. Genma had a more materialistic reaction as he went to collect his winnings.

Ranma was just standing there completely lost not having much experience with parties and feasts. Cologne approached the young martial artist with an annoyed Shampoo in tow. The new champion didn't understand why her great-grandmother was making such a fuss about some weak foreigners, who were male to boot. She had just won the annual tournament and the elder should concentrate on her and not some strangers. Her interest had been piqued however since her great-grandmother usually wasn't so accommodating to foreigners, especially on such an important day. This was probably that diplomacy thing she has mentioned in her teachings, a concept the young Amazon didn't really understand just yet.

"Great fight," the pigtailed teen praised the Amazon. "You have some nice moves for a girl. Can't wait to see how well you'll do against me."

Shampoo stiffened at the unintended insult and Cologne shook her head. 'That boy really needs to learn some tact', she thought.

The lavender haired girl looked venomously at Ranma. "What did you say? How dare you insult an Amazon, MALE! I'll show you what a girl can do. I…"

"SHAMPOO! STOP!" The elder shouted. She then turned towards Ranma. "And YOU! Watch your mouth. You really need to learn some tact, you know. What did I tell you about insulting Amazons?"

"Sorry," the chastised teenager meekly apologized.

She then turned back to her great-granddaughter. "Shampoo, he really didn't mean anything by it. He's a stranger to our culture and didn't mean to insult you. How about you two have a match tomorrow and find out who the better fighter is? Today is a day of joy and fun and shouldn't be ruined by a childish fight. IS…THAT… CLEAR?" She looked sternly at the teens that could only flinch at the harsh reprimand directed towards them. They timidly nodded and Ranma realized that pissing off the elder might be detrimental to his health.

"I'm sorry," a sheepish Ranma extended his hand to the young champion. She took the hand without looking in Ranma's direction and harrumphed.

"Apology accepted," she answered insincerely but the pigtailed boy reluctantly decided to let it go. He'd show her tomorrow who the better fighter was.

"That's better," Cologne approved.

While Shampoo went over to the table where a veritable feast was waiting for the champion and her fellow Amazons to be partaken in Cologne bade Ranma to follow her away from the crowd. He was rather reluctant since he hadn't eaten anything in quite some time, but the elder reassured him that there was more than enough for everyone and that he would get something later, as soon after they'd tested him. She gave Dongmei a sign and followed her towards a large hut with Ranma in tow.

The witch opened the door and bade them in. "Welcome to my humble abode. I have to admit that you've wetted my appetite and I can't wait to hear the whole story."

The elder told Dognmei all about the young martial artist's past after getting his approval and the old witch was listening intently, nodding at some parts and shaking her head at others. "I see," she said after having heard the whole story. "Well then. Let's find out if you are indeed a wizard."

She rummaged through a large chest that was sitting in a corner and very quickly found what she was looking for. She handed one of the items to Ranma who didn't understand why she would give him a stick.

"This is a so-called 'beginner's wand'. It is not keyed to anybody's magical signature and you can't cast powerful spells with it. These are used to help children get a feel for their magic before getting their first real wand. Beginner's wands are not regulated by the Magical Government and can be owned and used by anyone since they are harmless. At most you'll be able to cast a lumos spell. Just swish it and see if anything happens."

Ranma complied and could feel the wand connect to something inside of his body. He couldn't really describe it, but it felt somewhat warm. He told the two elders about it and they nodded to each other.

"That proves it," Dongmei stated. "Congratulations, you're a wizard."

"Could you show him the basics?" Cologne addressed her fellow elder. "I'll go and get his father to inform him of the result of our little test."

"No problem," the witch replied.

The old woman pogoed back to the victory feast and saw the boy's father stuff his face rather disgustingly, eating as if it was his last meal. Well, they'd had a good harvest so foot was aplenty, but the man's eating habits still unnerved her a bit. She tapped the martial artist on the shoulder who promptly turned around, half a chicken hanging out of his mouth.

"Waaa aaaa?" He asked unintelligibly hastily gobbling down the food.

Cologne grimaced at the disgusting act. "We've finished testing Ranma and it's just as I thought; he is indeed a wizard. Follow me and we can talk about his options. Our top witch is showing him the ropes and teaching him the fundamental facts about the Wizarding Society he should have learnt while growing up. Rest assured that I don't blame you. How could you have known that things would turn out like they have?"

It didn't take them long to get back to the hut where Ranma was sitting on the floor, listening to Dongmei's explanations on the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.

"The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was laid down by the International Confederation of Wizards in 1689 to safeguard the Wizarding Community from muggles, and to hide their existence from the world at large. I'm sure you were surprised to learn that magic was real after falling into the spring. Well, now you know the reason. Some countries enforce the Statute more than others, but it's the general consensus amongst all of the magical governments that the less the muggles know about magic the better, especially since the countries who fail to uphold the Statute will face punishment. This Statute has been passed to avoid the persecution of wizarding children by muggles, to lessen the attempts by muggles to force wizards to teach them magic or help them fight their wars, and to avoid any further witch burnings. Unfortunately for you this also includes hiding the existence of magical creatures. Since you're a citizen of Japan your country may be in serious trouble should you ever reveal or showcase your magical abilities in public. That's why it's imperative for you to learn to control your Veela powers as soon as possible or you might even face execution. Magical creatures don't benefit from many rights in a lot of countries and are often discriminated against, persecuted, or even openly hunted."

"Really? It's that bad?" The pigtailed boy wanted to know.

"That it is," Dongmei confirmed. "Unfortunately, a lot of the old wizarding families are rather bigoted, old-fashioned, and set in their ways. They often look down on those that are not of their social standing. Magical creatures, even intelligent ones, are at the bottom of the food chain. It's sad but it's a fact you have to live with if you want to survive out there. Even in the more progressive countries, where magical creatures have some rights and are theoretically protected, the wizarding courts rarely pursue purebloods that harm or kill a magical creature. The one thing you must never forget is that in the wizarding world it's the people with the money and the political and social power who decide the rules everyone else has to play by."

The old Amazon gave the young wizard a sad look. "I'm really sorry for you, but unfortunately your curse will probably keep you from ever leading a normal life in the Wizarding World. It's in your best interest to reveal it to as few people as possible."

Ranma let his head fall down much to his father's dismay who once again wished that he'd never heard of Jusenkyo. He firmly embraced his son to calm him down. "Don't worry, boy. We'll pull through. I'll try everything I can to find a cure, even if the chances are very slim. We should never lose hope. We'll deal with this problem together like we always do. You have suffered a lot to become the man you are and survived everything I put you through. I'm sure that this time, too, you'll pull through."

"I'm sure he will," Cologne put the foreigners' minds at ease. "From what I've seen and learnt so far your son is a survivor. And things aren't really all that bad as your cursed form has at least one very significant advantage compared to other curses: you look completely human and as long as you rein in your aura and don't use any magic in front of muggles no one will ever be the wiser. You also have to consider that no one can force you to live in the Wizarding World, and as long as you don't draw attention to yourself, or reveal the existence of magic to muggles the Wizarding World won't care about what you do."

"Yeah, you have already told me about it, but I didn't think things would be that bad. Just what I needed; more complications in my life."

Cologne didn't have a satisfying answer and stayed silent. There was nothing she could do about the curse. The boy would have to deal with it. The more pressing problem at the moment was his father. They really needed to check if he had been cursed by his father-in-law or not.

"Dongmei, I have another request."

"Yes? What do you need, Cologne?"

"Could you check if Mr. Saotome is affected by any curses or charms, besides his Jusenkyo curse of course? We have reasons to believe that his father-in-law might have used the Confundus Charm on him, maybe even the Imperius Curse."

Dongmei took out her wand and cast several diagnostic charms on the bespectacled man. After analyzing the results which only took a few moments she confirmed Cologne's suspicions. "You were right. He has indeed been subjected to the Confundus Charm. It's very old though; it must have been cast several years ago. Reversing it should be easy. I'll just have to find it in my books. Too bad a simple finite incantatem isn't enough for such a complicated spell."

Ranma really felt weak in the knees after his worst fears had been confirmed, yet he was surprised that he didn't feel as depressed as before, probably because deep inside he'd already accepted the fact. He didn't know what to do next, except that he'd make a wide berth around his family.

Meanwhile Dongmei had gone to work and quickly browsed through the table of contents of the heavy tome she had taken off of a shelf. "There it is. Just stand over there and don't move. This will take but a moment."

Ranma paid a lot of attention to the elder's wand movements and unfamiliar foreign words she was using. It always fascinated him to see a master of his art at work. He watched as the spell hit his father and he hoped that it would work.

"It's done," the old witch solemnly proclaimed."

The pigtailed martial artist watched the elder cast her diagnostic spells once again and this time imitated her wand movements and tried to memorize the words. He wasn't very successful at it but it was a beginning.

"The charm has been successfully dispelled," she announced to her audience after finishing the procedure. "He should be alright now."

"Well, that's one problem we won't have to deal with in the future," Cologne said. "Onto the next one." She then turned towards her fellow elder. "Dongmei, do you have any books on Veela? I think it's important for young Ranma to learn more about the abilities of his cursed from before he leaves. It's vital for his survival to learn as much as he can."

"Well… I'm sure I can find some stuff in my books, but it will take time. Why don't you attend the feast while I do some research? This will also give me the time to collect some study material for our young guest and procure some books on the history of the Wizarding World and other useful information."

"That's a good idea," Cologne agreed. "We'll see you tomorrow then. Thanks for your help."

"Think nothing of it. You know that I like teaching. Oh, and Ranma, before you leave I want to give you some advice and I'd like you to think it over until we meet again. Magic is not an exact science and can't be explained rationally. Why does it work like that? Why do we have to use these exact wand movements and incantations for the spell to take effect? No one knows although many wise wizards and witches have tried to find an answer. Magic isn't supposed to make sense I think. It's been part of this world since the dawn of time and I'm glad it's so difficult to understand since life would be a lot more boring otherwise. That's why I love magic; there's always something new to learn.

Before you really start your magical studies I want you to understand one thing that most young wizards never even think about as they've been surrounded by magic their whole life: never take anything you learn about magic at face value. Most wizards simply accept the way things are and never question the reason as to why they are that way they are. That's the reason why the Wizarding World has been stagnating for a long time. The children rarely try to come to their own conclusions and mostly adopt their parents' view of things.

That's why people like you, who don't have any magical background and consequently no preconceived ideas about how magic is supposed to work are important for the future of the Wizarding World as it is very often they who come up with new ideas or concepts.

Well, I think I've said enough for today. Enjoy your stay and come back tomorrow. Have fun."

"Thank you. I will. See you tomorrow." Cologne, Genma, and Ranma bowed and left the hut.

"I've rarely seen her talk that much," the matriarch remarked. "I think she likes you. She has given you some good advice and I completely agree with her. I believe that there are no limits to what magic can accomplish and one of the goals in the life of every witch and wizard should be to improve their skills. Same as with martial arts, actually. I'm sure the both of you understand that. It's the Amazon way. Find out what you're good at and try to come as close to perfection in your chosen art as you can."

"That's a philosophy I can agree with," Genma answered before he noticed that his son was awfully quiet. "Do you feel alright, boy?"

"I'll survive. It's a lot to take in, but I've decided. I don't want to meet my family. You're all the family I need."

Genma was moved by his son's heartfelt declaration. "Thank you, son."

Ranma shrugged. "Yeah, well I don't even remember them. I guess that means I never really cared about 'em. For now I want to concentrate on my magical studies. I can't wait to learn magic. Wizardry really has a lot in common with martial arts, I think."

"You're absolutely right," Cologne confirmed. "It's true for every other art, be it martial or not. Striving to be the best is always a noble goal. I'm sure your father agrees with me," the elder claimed.

"She's right. I know that it was selfish of me to keep you focused on the martial arts, but as a result you've become one of the best fighters of your generation. I won't stop you from learning magic as long as you promise not to neglect your martial arts training. I want you to show your mother and grandparents what fools they've been to dismiss you that easily."

"I promise. There are probably some techniques you haven't taught me yet. I can't wait to learn them as long as there is no insane training involved, not like I can blame you for it now that I know the truth. And I have to admit that all the crazy stuff I've gone through has made me strong."

"That's the spirit," Cologne encouraged the young martial artist. "I know a thing or two about dangerous training methods, but there's a difference between dangerous and insane. The nekoken training definitely falls into the second category and you should really try to get cured of the trauma; it's too much of a liability. I'm sure that you can conquer your fear if you work really hard at it. It will take a lot of time however. But enough of these depressing discussions. This is not a day to mope around. Just enjoy the festival for today and we can talk more tomorrow. There are some things I need to take care of before I go to bed. See you tomorrow."

Having said her piece she left and the two foreigners took her words to heart and had fun, enjoying the food, the music, and in Genma's case the alcohol.

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The village was rather silent the following day as most villagers too tired or sloshed to work. Genma was completely wasted and sleeping off his hangover on the floor of a random hut he had been invited into and it was a very tired Ranma who knocked on Dongmei's door, accompanied by a cheerful Cologne who didn't look tired at all. He was quite impressed by her stamina. They didn't have to wait long as the door opened by itself, as if by magic… which it probably was the pigtailed boy thought. Now that would be a useful spell to learn.

They entered and saw Dongmei busily browsing through some books and taking notes. Ranma was astonished when he saw several quills writing into a dozen of opened books at insane speeds.

"Oh, you're here." She lifted her eyes from the book she had been reading. "Don't mind the mess, I'm copying some study materials for you: beginners spell books, wizarding history books, and several books about magical creatures, especially those which mention Veela."

"I don't understand," Ranma answered in Japanese.

"Oh, I forgot. How silly of me."

She took her wand and recast the translation spell. "Sorry about that. That's the inconvenience with this spell. It wears off rather quickly. You should learn at least some basic Chinese as it will be some time until you're ready to learn this spell."

"I see you've been busy," Cologne interrupted. "Have you found anything to help our young friend master his Veela abilities?"

"Sadly, no. He'll have to find a Veela for that."

"That's a pity. Well, at least I'll be able to help him control his sorcery skills before he leaves. He's much too dangerous to be left alone."

"Hey! I'm here you know. I know to how far I can go before I injure anyone, thank you very much."

"Then you're a fool. That might be true for martial arts, but you have no experience with magic and not a clue as to how to use your fire powers. I can guarantee that you will be splashed more than once on your way home and while I can't help you with the Veela charm I'll make damn sure that you won't inadvertently set anything on fire. You WILL learn to control your fire abilities. That's a promise. It would be foolish to let you leave like you are now. For the next month you'll stay here and I'll teach you sorcery in the mornings and Dongmei will teach you wizardry in the afternoons."

"And what about martial arts?" The teenager wanted to know. "I promised not to neglect my training. How about teaching me some of your techniques?"

"Out of the question!" Cologne countered. We don't teach our special techniques to outsiders. If you agree to join our tribe I'll think about it. For the rest I'm sure you'll find some time to train with your father. What do you say? Do you agree?"

Ranma thought about it for a while. He was sure Cologne was overly dramatic, but it was a fact she knew more about magic than he did, and if there was even the slightest chance that he might lose control over his abilities he was reluctant to take the risk. Control has been one of the first precepts his father had taught him. A martial artist was a living weapon and never used more force than absolutely necessary, lest they cripple or even kill their opponents and so his only possible choice was to agree to the old woman's proposition.

After Ranma had left the hut and Cologne was about to follow she was stopped by Genma. "One moment of your time, please elder."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Isn't a month a bit long? The boy is an excellent student and I'm sure he'll master the training a lot faster than that."

"I believe you, but the training is not the only reason why I want him to stay here for a month?"

This came as a surprise to the bespectacled man. "Really? What other reason could there be?"

Cologne just grinned at him and chuckled. "You really have no idea? Tell me, what do you know about female biology?"

He considered those words and his eyes widened comically when he understood what the elder was getting at? "So, you mean… he's completely…?"

"She nodded. Yes, the transformation is complete, and I doubt you'd want to deal with the problem while trekking through the wilderness."

He nodded vigorously much to Cologne's amusement.

"Will you tell him?" He asked, afraid that it would be up to him to inform his son.

"Not right now. It would come as too much of a shock to him if I told him right away. He'll have to get used to his female form first. I think that after a month in the village that shouldn't be a big issue any longer."

With that said the conversation was over and Cologne joined Ranma outside.

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The next month consisted of training, training, and even more training.

Dongmei, after giving him a training wand (1), showed him how to channel his magic and how to cast a few very simple spells. She also taught him a bit of magical history, etiquette, the inner workings of the various Magical Governments, how do identify the most common magical creatures and what they were capable of as well, not to forget all the most basic knowledge that he should have acquired as a child, among others that sticking one's wand into one's back pocket could be fatal.

Cologne's training sessions were held outside of the village far away from anyone who would be affected by Ranma's aura. The training regime included meditation techniques as well as the production and control of fire, magical as well as natural. Ranma was especially intrigued by the magical fire as it burnt much hotter than ordinary fire and her trainer told her that its biggest advantage but also biggest flaw was that it was very difficult to heal burns caused by it. Cologne was a rather harsh taskmistress as the young Veela found out the hard way, and she tried every trick in the book to make Ranma lose her concentration and thus also lose control over the fire, but in the end it had been worth it. She wanted to learn how to control the other elements as well, but when Cologne told her it would take years she reconsidered. The matriarch offered to continue her training once the young Veela had mastered all of her natural abilities and Ranma agreed.

Genma trained his son in the evenings although at a slower pace seeing the state his son was in after his sessions with Cologne. He required a training ground far away from prying eyes while he was teaching Ranma the senkens. If the Amazons refused to hand over their techniques he didn't see why he should fork over his most secret techniques, some of the deadliest ones ever invented. Cologne agreed on the condition that the bald martial artist repaid the community for all their help they'd given him and his son by training their warriors in some of the simpler techniques of his school.

The planned duel with Shampoo had been postponed however, much to the young Amazon's ire as she was convinced that the outsider was just afraid to face her. The first day of his training she followed the boy around to observe him and see what he was up to and was shocked when she saw him change genders after the matriarch had doused him with water. Cologne had to shake her heavily before she recovered her wits. Intense jealousy immediately developed inside of her and it was only after Cologne had led her away from the gender changing martial artist that she calmed down. After a quick explanation the lavender haired girl went away in deep thought and didn't bother them again while Cologne returned to her student's side to start her training.

Shampoo however continued her spying activities over the following days as the stranger who was so unlike the male Amazons intrigued her. Here was a boy who was sure of himself and not a spineless wimp like the rest of the boys in the village. She found him quite interesting and was also impressed by his prowess. She couldn't wait to fight against him and test his limits. Her great-grandmother had promised that the fight had only been postponed and not called off. Another thing that impressed her was the foreigner's tenacity. She knew from experience that the matriarch always went full out and didn't stop until she was satisfied with the results of the training. Even more astonishing was that he still had the energy to train with his father in the evening. Ranma's resiliency was another thing that had really impressed her and so she befriended the teen who was so very different from the tales she had heard about foreigners.

It was on the thirty-first day of Ranma's training when it happened. Shortly after the elder had splashed him with a bit of water, just enough to activate the curse, her boxers became wet and when she looked down she noticed some red spots. She pulled them down and saw that she was bleeding out of 'that' thing. Before she could panic Cologne pressed a spot on her chest which caused her body to lock up and refuse to budge.

She glared at the elder which didn't impress the old woman at all. "I'll free you if you promise to stay calm. Blink if you agree."

The Veela complied and Cologne pressed another spot, this time on the back, which liberated her and the blonde fell to the ground in a heap, tears forming in her eyes, eyes fixated on the bloody mess.

"Don't worry. This happens to every woman once a month."

The Amazon then explained the menstrual cycle to a horrified Ranma whose eyes widened a bit more with each new bit of information. She knew a bit about that of course, but since she'd never expected to have one of her own she hadn't really paid attention. After Cologne had shown her a tampon and a pad an how to use them she chose the pad and after the old woman had handed her panties she put both items on and was surprised as to how well they fit. They made training in female form a lot easier than the boxers did.

"Okay, ready when you are," Ranma challenged the elder.

"The training is over," Cologne answered. "In fact, you've already achieved decent enough control a few days ago. I just wanted to keep you around long enough for you to experience your menarche."

The blonde understood the old woman's reasons although she was a bit pissed that she hadn't been informed before and had to go through that mortifying experience without any mental preparation. It had been bad enough that she'd been shown how to apply makeup, look after he body, wear female underwear and other dresses, how to walk in high heels and other skills every young woman should have. The reasons for this torture were rather flimsy in her opinion, but since her father agreed with the Amazons she complied and after the month was over and 15-20 minutes of training every day she was able to pass off as a normal girl, except for the Veela aura of course which made her new skills useless until she learned how to control it. However, all of those experiences combined didn't even come close to the embarrassment she had felt after Cologne's earlier lecture.

The next day Ranma and Shampoo held their long awaited duel, but instead of the grudge match everyone had expected it to be it had turned into fight between equals. There was competitiveness, yes, but no resentment from either side. They didn't use any destructive special techniques, only pure skill, since neither of them wanted to injure their opponent. They offered the spectators a beautiful match that lasted for at least twenty minutes but in the end Ranma had the better stamina and he was declared the victor.

"Well done you two," Cologne congratulated the two exhausted fighters. "I've haven't seen such an intense and entertaining fight in a long time. I'm sure that we can expect a lot from you in the years to come."

Shampoo was sad to have lost, yet she didn't resent her opponent at all for her defeat, much to her own surprise. She had given her all and yet it had not been enough in the end. She'd have to step up her training and challenge her newfound friend again.

After the fight Genma and Ranma packed their things so that they could leave early the next morning. The young wizard's backpack was especially heavy since it was filled with magic books that Dongmei had copied for him.

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The following day came sooner than expected for the teenager who was a little sad to leave the village where he made some good friends, but he was also very excited at the prospect discover a whole new world out there; a world he knew nothing about but which he wanted to explore.

"Are you sure you don't want to join the tribe," Cologne asked the two travelers once again as she followed them to the outskirts of the village together with Dongmei. "We could teach you a lot."

"Thank you for the offer," Genma answered sincerely, "but there's so much we have to do and so many things that my son has yet to discover before he can settle down."

"I understand," the matriarch said. "I was like that too when I was younger. I've always loved traveling around and explore the world. I hope that you'll come back and show me the results of your training, young Ranma."

"Of course," Ranma assured. "I promised Shampoo a rematch and I keep my promises."

"I hope so. I'll train her very hard and you can be sure that she'll be much stronger the next time you fight."

"I'm counting on it. I won't slack off either."

"And don't forget to send us letters from time to time. The owl post is very reliable, so we should get your letters very fast."

"I promise."

Genma and Ranma then bowed to the two elders and left. A short time later a very sad looking Shampoo came out of hiding and joined the sorceress and the witch. "Why didn't you say goodbye to your friend?" Cologne asked. "I'm sure he would have been very happy."

"I couldn't let him see me like this. An Amazon is supposed to be strong and never show any weakness to outsiders."

"Hoho. Are you sure that's the only reason?" Cologne chuckled when she saw her heir blush a bit. "Don't worry. You'll see him again one day. In the meantime let us train. After all, you'll probably want to impress him next time you see him."

This lightened Shampoo's mood and she followed the elders back into the village hoping that she would really see that interesting boy again.

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(1) The beginner's wand is mostly used as a tool to help the aspiring wizard or witch get a feel for magic and to let them cast some simple spells which don't have any effect at all. The training wand on the other hand is pretty similar to a real wand except for a few restrictions: the effects of the spells are limited in time, lasting at most one or two seconds, and the wands can't be used to harm people.

Finished and posted: 01/30/2011

Edited: 01/30/2011 + 01/01/2012