Hi guys, I got my inspiration from someone else to write this (more in my profile) and I've been working hard on this, can you say "All nighter?"
Ninja Penguin Prince: All nighter!
Princess: Quiet you! You actually did your half (and part of mine... -.- jerk) of the work this time, I stayed up until after midnight days and days working on this!
Ninja Prince: I'm sorry, I would have sent it earlier but I got caught up in the beach.
Ninja Princess: You had it done earlier!
Prince: Nooo...Okay, maybe.
Princess: *Bursts into tears* do you have any idea how long I spent working on this! I was working on this before the first chapter came out!
Prince: Oh...You really need some sleep, this is a lot of words.
Princess: *snore*
Prince: Ugh...We do not own Ranma 1/2 or Harry Potter, they are property of Rumiko Takashi and J.K Rowling. Oh, and when you see a *Blah blah talk example* with the icons on the end that means that they are specking in Japanese and the rest are speaking in English. When You !Blah Blah talk Example ! It's English while everyone else is speaking Japanese, that doesn't happen often though.
Ninja Penguin Princess and Prince, of Ninja Penguin Royalty Productions, are Proud to Present:
An original Ninja Penguin Fan-fiction:
Ranma Saotome and The Sorcerer's Stone:
Chapter two: Diagon Alley and Kitty's
Ranma just looked at her mother in shock, Nodoka not seeming shocked or bothered by what she just revealed, stood up and walked to the kitchen. As she had been fighting with Genma, her kitchen had become soaking wet (maybe she had been making tea, or soup?) and there were several broken things, the door to the kitchen to be more precise. Ranma could see almost all of the kitchen through the broken door. Nodoka smiled at Ranma, held up a hand, and got out a stick that was really long and a black color, with a squiggly shape at the end.
Ranma watched in amazement as her mother flicked her wrist muttered something that sounded like "Scourgify!" The kitchen was relativity clean then, making Ranma gasp. Nodoka just flicked her wand again and the broken pieces fixed themselves.
A few more flicks of the wand, for that was what Ranma was sure it was, and the kitchen was normal once more. Nodoka walked over to Ranma and waved the wand over her head. Hot water flowed over her, turning Ranma, once again, into a boy. Another flick and Ranma felt a miraculously warm breeze flow over him, rendering him as dry as the rest of the house. "Thanks." he said, looking at her in awe. She saw his expression and smiled.
"It's nothing, dear. Before long, you'll be doing this without even thinking about it." she said.
"But I can't do any magic, I never have." said Ranma.
"Oh, of course you can. You're my son, after all." she said. "You just need some training, that's all. And you most likely have, accidental magic and all."
The thought of doing magic excited him. "You're gonna teach me?" he asked eagerly, forgetting what she had said earlier.
"Me? Oh no, that's what magic school is for." she said. "You'll be heading out to Hogwarts soon, we need to get you to England sometime tomorrow."
"Hogwarts is an odd name for an school." Ranma thought "It doesn't sound Japanese at all, sounds more like a prank school then anything. Not that I wouldn't mind going to a prank school..." "Isn't it here in Tokyo?"
"No, dear, it is in Great Britain."
Now that Ranma had thought about it, she had said something along the lines of it being in England before..."That sure is far away." he said. "Is it the only magic school?"
"No, there are many all over the world . There is one in Japan, but they only except a few students and year, the rest go where they like."
"Also, I'm...well, not exactly on good terms with the headmaster of that school. The man really is xenophobic, and he's insanely jealous of Dumbledore..."
"Who's Dumbledore?"
"He's Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts. Most wizards, even Japanese wizards, say he's probably the greatest wizard of the age. Oh!" she exclaimed. "I forgot, I need to send an owl to Dumbledore about you."
"An...owl?" asked Ranma uncertainly, "Why would she send him an owl?" He thought, biting his lip.
"Oh yes, owl post. Like the muggle mail system, but owls carry the letters. And, I might add, it's much more reliable than the muggle postman, almost never lose or damage the post." Nodoka replied, walking back into the kitchen and putting a pot of water on the stove.
"But how do the owls know where to go? Are they some kind of specially trained owls?" Ranma had seen a movie once where the American CIA trained pigeons to deliver war codes and messages, he guessed it would be relitivley like that.
"No no, they need no special training. Owls are actually quite intelligent and have been companions of wizards for centuries. They have excellent directional sense and they can find almost anyone. That is, if they wish to be found." she replied. As she spoke, she drew her wand out of her robes and waved it, conjuring a bottle of ink, a feather quill, and a piece of thick yellow paper, sitting down on the couch once more.
"So...you're sending an owl all the way to England? Isn't that kinda far for an owl to fly?" said Ranma, surprised and delighted to see his mother work more magic.
"Oh no, Kyoko will be fine." Nodoka replied absently as she scratched out the letter. Ranma went silent, not wanting to disturb her as she wrote. After several minutes she stopped, held the paper up to read over and, seemingly satisfied with the letter, rolled and tied it up and said: "Alright, that ought to do nicely. Starr, please fetch Kyoko."
Ranma was about to ask who she was talking to before the answer literally appeared before his eyes. A loud crack made him jump in his seat and, next to the couch, where before there had been air, now stood a short, brown creature dressed in a bright red towel, and holding, on it's right arm, a magnificent brown and black eagle owl.
The creature bowed slightly and held the owl forward while Nodoka attached the letter to the owl's outstretched leg. "Please deliver this to Albus Dumbledore as soon as possible. But please, this time, don't overdo yourself, ok?"
The owl clicked it's beak and nodded. "Starr, please go set her off."
"Yes, Nodoka-sama." the creature said and, with another crack, disappeared with the owl.
Ranma was staring at the empty space recently vacated by the creature, his mouth hanging open as he tried to wrap his brain around what he had just seen. Nodoka chuckled softly at his astonishment, which roused him from his stupor. "What...what was that?"
"I'm so sorry, Ranma-kun, I didn't think to tell you about Starr." she said apologetically. "Starr is our house-elf. She helps me keep this house in order. She is recently new, I hired her mother after your father left and when her mother died, the poor dear, she started taking over. I'll introduce you." Nodoka then snapped her fingers.
Another crack, and Starr had returned to the kitchen. This time, the house-elf turned and bowed at him as well, giving Ranma a better look. She was very short, about three and a half feet tall, with skinny limbs that had knobbly knees and elbows, small, bare feet, and child-like hands with long fingers. Her head was rather large and was completely bald. Her face was framed by pointy, floppy ears with a golden earring in each lobe, her nose was small and hooked like a bird's beak, and her mouth was rather small with two buckteeth slightly protruding from beneath the upper lip. Starr's eyes were quite large and the pupils were a deep jade, flecked with gold. The red towel, he noticed, was really two towels, fastened together around the neck and arms with gold pins and worn like a dress. Besides the towels, the elf wore nothing else. He knew why she was called Starr, as the elf had a Star shaped birth-mark smack in her forehead.
"Ranma, this is Starr." Ranma stood up and held out his hand, bowing slightly. The elf's floppy ears twitched slightly but she did not reach for the hand. "It's ok, Starr, this is my son Ranma."
The elf cautiously grasped his hand in a surprisingly strong grip, then bowed even lower. "Starr is happy to finally meet young master!" she squeaked in a high-pitched voice
"Uh, nice to meet you too." Ranma said, feeling embarrassed at the title she used to address him. "You really don't have to call me master. Just call me Ranma."
"Oh no, Young master, Starr must address Mistress's son properly. Young Master must be shown proper respect."
"But-"
"Ranma, I'm afraid she really won't budge on this issue, even if you order her to call you Ranma." interrupted Nodoka. "However, I think that calling him Ranma-sama will suffice, Starr."
"If Mistress thinks it's best, Starr will call Mistress's son Ranma-sama." Starr agreed reluctantly.
"Ranma will be staying with us from now on, we will be moving to the England estate tomorrow, so consider his requests to be the same as mine. However, you are not to take any orders from Genma; that's the fat man in the door frame to the cabinet. Treat him kindly but, if he has any requests, tell him to come to me."
"Starr will gladly do anything Ranma-sama asks but will not follow Genma's order, as Mistress asks." she said, sounding more cheerful, as if she was happy to have two more people to look after.
"Very well, you may return to your duties. But, before you do, could you kindly apparate Genma upstairs into the smallest guest room please." said Nodoka. The house-elf bowed to them both and walked over to the door frame Genma was in, grasping his swollen head and, with another crack, disappeared from the kitchen with Genma also gone. "What's wrong, Ranma- dear?" she asked, for he now wore a dazed expression.
"Well, it's just that this is a lot to take, all at once, you know?" he said, shaking his head. Ranma felt very strongly as if he were trying to fill a teacup with a firehose.
"Yes, it is quite a shock, finding out you can do magic. You're luckier than I was, though, because you'd seen real magic before you'd been told, the magic of Jusenkyou, any wizard knows not to step foot near that place. Oh, how that shocked your grandparents."
"They didn't know about magic either?" asked Ranma. "But how-" Ranma's stomach cut him off, choosing to make itself heard. He blushed with embarrassment, his face as red as his female sides hair.
"Goodness, what sort of mother am I? You must be starving. I just hope I have enough for you, from what your father's said, you've got quite an appetite." Without getting up, she pointed her wand at the small refrigerator and muttered "Accio".
The door flew open and from inside came a parade of dishes and a carafe. When they had deposited themselves on the table, she repeated the spell, this time pointing at the cupboards to summon a cup, a bowl, and chopsticks. When they landed on the table, a wave of the wand lifted the covers on the dishes, all of which were mysteriously warmed, filled the bowl with rice, and filled the cup with water. She nodded at him to follow her into the kitchen, where she pointed at the thing she had put on the stove earlier- which turned out to be tea.
"Please, have a bite and I'll tell you all about it."
"Arigoto!" said Ranma enthusiastically over folded hands before grabbing his chopsticks and digging in. His mother paused for a second, both amused and amazed at the speed the boy could eat.
"I think you were going to say 'But how did you become a witch?' The thing is, no amount of teaching will give you magical powers. Wizards and witches are born, not raised. Even though my parents were not magical, I, by some coincidence of genetics, was born a witch. You see, Muggle-borns are people born into muggle family's."
"Muggles?"
"Non magical people. I was born into a wealthy and completely 'normal' family. my father was promoted so we moved to the united kingdom. I was ecstatic because, as you can see from my house, I am very into western things."
"A professor came, apparently I wasn't all muggle blood, not that it matters- people are born like that. One of my old friends were." She looked incredibly sad as she said this so Ranma chose not to press it.
"Anyway, I was related to this Professor, her name was Minerva McGonagall. She told my family about how I was magical- me! I had never been more happy, as I was considered 'freaky' at school and a 'bad representer' of my family. I had done some magical outbursts, they stop after you get your wand but can occur if you become severely sad or angry. McGonagall said she was my aunt and explained everything."
By now, Ranma had eaten his fill and was listening attentively. "What happened after that?"
"Well, we went to Diagon Alley - a wonderful place, I think you'll enjoy it – and I rode the train to Hogwarts for my first year at school. That, however" she said, noting a stifled yawn from Ranma, "is a story for another time. We have to make an early start tomorrow and, besides, it really is time that you were off to bed. Starr will show you to your room." They rose from the table and she, again, wrapped him in a tight hug. "It's good to have you back home, Ranma."
Ranma hugged her tightly as well "It's good to be home, Mom." He whispered.
When Ranma woke up in the morning, he couldn't believe how well rested he was. His mom had a western bed in his room, which was really soft and comfortable. When he'd first hit his head on the pillow he'd fallen asleep.
Ranma slowly yawned and sat up, stretching his arms and legs. He looked out the window and wasn't surprised to see the sun only just rising, his father was one for waking up early and training.
Ranma got out of bed and changed into his Chinese clothes, finding nothing else he could wear except his training Gi, and he was not going to be like his dad and walk around in it.
Ranma was confused when he went out the door, there was no indication of stairs anywhere! Just when he was about to begin looking, Starr appeared in front of him, smiling and she bowed deeply to him.
"Good Morning Ranma-Sama! Starr was certain that Ranma-Sama would be confused as he was being to tired to remember way to kitchen last night, so Starr came to lead Ranma-Sama downstairs." The elf was smiling so brightly her eyes twinkled.
Ranma felt his heart swell with gratitude "Arigoto, Starr! I was kinda...lost."
Starr's smile faded and she glared at the house, then she beckoned Ranma to lean over and whispered in his ear "This house plays tricks, it does, Ranma-Sama. It be seeing how smart new master be. Starr try to warn it not to hide or Mistress will be getting onto it, but it didn't listen!" Ranma decided right here that he liked this elf, she was kind, generous, and she was funny.
"Well, let's show the house how smart we both are, will you help me find the stairs?" Starr nodded her head, her ears flapping and Ranma let out a small laugh.
"Of course, Ranma-Sama! Starr be doing anything Ranma-Sama wishes!" Ranma frowned when she said that.
"How much do you get paid, Starr?" He asked politely, Surely the elf could afford better clothes.
Starr's eyes filled with horror and she made a gasping sound in her throat "Pay! Starr get's paid nothing, Ranma-Sama! Starr wishes to be paid nothing! Please don't! No pay! No clothes!" Starr nearly screamed, her eyes filled with tears as she clutched at Ranma's feet "No clothes, Ranma-Sama!"
Ranma didn't know what he did, so naturally he freaked out "What! Why? I mean-Ugh! No clothes, Starr! Just, just, why don't you get paid?"
Starr smiled and let go of the short boy's leg (who couldn't be happier about that arrangement) "Starr is a house elf, Ranma-Sama! Starr lives to serve her Master Ranma-Sama and her Mistress Nodo-chan!" Ranma's eyes were the ones filled with horror this time.
"You're a slave!"
"No! Starr is a house elf! Starr loves what Starr be doing! Ranma-Sama, let's go find stairs now, was Ranma-Sama request, yes?"
Ranma headed down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, where he saw his mother sitting at the table, having tea and toast and reading a newspaper that seemed to be made of parchment. "Good morning, Ranma, what's got you up so early?" she asked.
Ranma shrugged. "We usually get up this early to spar."
"I was going to have to wake you up soon anyway. Would you like some breakfast?"
"Not yet, I can't really eat anything unless I've had a morning practice. I'm just waiting for Pops to come down."
"Well, I see the time on the road hasn't changed too much about him."
"Yeah, but I sent Starr to wake him up and send him down so-" Ranma was cut off by a muffled yell of surprise followed by a splash from outside in the yard. Using a door from the kitchen, they ran outside to find a very wet and dazed panda in the large koi pond. Nodoka was trying, without much success, to hide her amusement. "Oh dear, I'm afraid she took you literally at your word." she said
Ranma hefted his father from the pond, careful to avoid getting too wet himself, after which Nodoka sprayed Genma with hot water from her wand, rendering him human once more. "That damn elf." he groused.
"Careful Genma, Starr's ears are very good." teased Nodoka.
"Why'd she throw me out here anyway?" Genma asked grumpily as he squeezed the water from his bandanna.
"I told her to send you down here, but I didn't think she'd throw you." said Ranma, laughing. "You should've been up by now anyway. We're supposed to spar before breakfast, remember?"
"What's the point anyway?" Genma said darkly, more to himself than to Ranma.
"I have to train, obviously. What, you can't keep up anymore, old man?" said Ranma, goading his father.
Genma's face lit up with outrage. "I'll show you whose an 'old man', boy." said Genma to his now smirking son. "And keep it down, we don't need to be disturbing neighbors at this time of the morning."
"Don't worry about that, Genma." said Nodoka. "A bomb could go off over here and no one would know any better. I've put up a few protections since you've been gone."
"I didn't mean the noise, I meant that we should keep this fight below the roof line, for a change. I don't feel like explaining to someone why I crashed through their roof." Genma replied.
The two martial artists faced one another as Nodoka looked on with great interest. She had never seen Ranma display his skills, though she knew, from what Genma had been telling her for years, he was exceptional. Now, however, facing his tall and stout father, Ranma looked very small and insubstantial. Ranma, however, did not appear to be too concerned. His stance was very relaxed, while Genma seemed extremely concentrated. They bowed slightly, then launched at one another.
It was a very short match. They moved at speeds that Nodoka had only come to associate with Quidditch seekers, if not faster. Genma, at least, she could follow, though his hands and feet were blurs; Ranma seemed to almost teleport between places. In the span of thirty seconds, they had moved around the garden, onto the roof, and along the fence. In the end it was obvious, even to her untrained eye, why Genma had been concentrating so hard. Despite his youth and limited training, Ranma was simply faster and stronger than his father. She knew of Genma's extensive strength and skill which, at times, allowed him to do superhuman things. Now, seeing the two in action, Nodoka could understand why he was starting to say Ranma was "probably the best martial artist of his generation."
Nodoka could clearly see that martial arts had a grip on her son so tight that he would probably never truly abandon it, even after the eye opening experience of magical education. It had not really seemed possible, in her mind, to compare magic to fighting, but it was clear, for that brief moment, that Ranma might well choose martial arts over magic. She forced this unsettling thought from her mind and led the way back into the kitchen, where she knew Starr would have a large breakfast awaiting them.
After breakfast, Ranma went into another room for an hour to read up on his mother's job.
"Ranma, this way." called Nodoka, who was standing with two people he had not met. One was a dark-gray haired Japanese man of medium build and average height who was wearing teal robes and looked to be near his mother's age. Next to him was a white woman of about fifty years, in plum-colored robes and a matching wizard's hat, who was about the same height as Nodoka and had long brown hair that was just beginning to go gray." Masamune, Hermesia, allow me to introduce my husband, Genma," Genma shook hands with them both, " and my son, Ranma. This is Masamune Shirow, who is taking my place as Liaison to the British Ambassador, and Hermesia Beckancall, the British Ambassador."
Ranma bowed slightly to both of them before shaking their hands. Masamune enthusiastically shook his hand, much as a subordinate would to score points with their boss. " It's a pleasure to meet you, Ranma, Nodoka has told me so much about you." he said.
"Indeed she has." said Hermesia. "I hear you're of age for wizard school. Lucky for you your mother got a promotion! Hogwarts is a lovely school, I really think you'll enjoy it. I know your mother did, with all she got up to there."
"You went to school together?" asked Ranma.
"Only a year. Hermesia was head girl when I was a first-year. I believe I may have been a bit, er, rambunctious my first few years." Nodoka replied.
" Rambunctious indeed. " Hermesia laughed. " Between the prefects and Filch, I can't say who was more successful at catching you when you were up to your mischief."
"Yes, I did seem to get a lot of detention, didn't I?" Nodoka agreed, astonishing her son, who would never have believed his mother was anything more than a model student. "Hermesia, I'd love to chat, but We have so much to do today, if we don't hurry... Thank you both for seeing me off. I will, of course, be at your service if you need me."
"Do have a good time of it, Nodoka. I'm sure I'll be seeing you within a few months." Hermesia said.
She shook hands with them both and bowed slightly to them before turning around and leading Ranma, Genma, and Starr towards the door with their stuff. Nodoka waited until they were out of the 'Anti apparition' wards and took a hold of them,Starr already being told to apparate there "This might feel a little weird."
Ranma suddenly had the feeling that he was being squeased through a tiny tube. His stomach felt plastered to his back.
After settling in, Genma went to sleep imediatly complaining of 'Damn apparating" and other not-so-nice-words-that-can't- be-put-in-a-K rated-fic. Later that day after settling in a letter came via a very tired Kyoko, which Nodoka read out loud:
Dear Nodoka;
It was a most pleasant surprise to hear from you. I do, of course, keep an eye out for news of my former students, but it is far more enjoyable to have a direct line, so to speak. I hope that this letter finds you and your family in good health and spirits.
I am glad to hear that your son Ranma is now of age to attend wizarding school. However, I was rather surprised to learn that you wished for him to attend Hogwarts as opposed to the Kirinas I have made an inquiry as to the first case with your Ministry and it seems that Ranma is, indeed, on the short list for Japan's elite school. On the other hand, your residence is in Tokyo, which does present a difficulty. I'm sure, however, that if I were to receive proof of your family's residence in the United Kingdom by the third week of August, It would not be a problem.
I hear that you have an estate in the United Kingdom, so when you get this please send proof that Ranma will be living there and you will at least be living there during the summer.
If Ranma does join our school, please note that his Jusenkyou 'situation' will be notified to all the teachers and Prefects, as to get away from the students if some occurrence happens.
Your Aunt told me to send her love and brought up an issue, will Ranma be registered as female or male, It does not matter either way, it would make it easier for Ranma if he so wishes to hide his, how did you put it, curse I believe is what you said.
I look forward to hearing from you again in the next couple of months.
Waiting your reply,
Albus Dumbledore
"I am NOT going to school as a girl!" Ranma nearly shouted. Nodoka just smiled at him.
"Of course not, Ranma dear. But do you wish to keep your curse a secret?"
Ranma was for a stump, finally he nodded his head and said "Yes, at least at first." Nodoka nodded and began writing a reply. When she was done, she let Ranma read it.
Dear Professor,
Thank you for allowing Ranma into Hogwarts, here is our bills, deeds and such saying that Ranma will be living in the United Kingdom. Thank you again for allowing his curse to be no bother. Ranma told me that he wishes to have it a secret, at least at first.
We recently arrived in England, which I believe is why I got your Owl so suddenly. I am more than glad to be sending my child there, and could you please send his Hogwarts acceptance letter soon.
Tell Aunt Minerva that I will see her very soon.
All my love,
Nodoka S.
Though he knew it had to happen, Ranma was disappointed that, within a day of their arrival, Nodoka became so busy with her duties as the incoming Ambassador that he only saw her late in the evenings. His father did not let the free time go to waste, however. After ensuring that the same magical charms from their other house had been applied to this house, Genma resumed Ranma's martial arts training with renewed vigor, though making sure to keep it to only a few hours each morning. In the evenings he began Ranma's English lessons (which often ended with a fight, but got the message across all the same). The rest of the time he and Ranma would venture out into London and explore, though they often had to fight the urge to hop onto the rooftops to quickly traverse the city, as they were wont to do. "We're not in Japan or China, where people wouldn't be surprised by that sort of thing." Genma reminded his son.
Time flew by so quickly that, one Friday, three weeks into July, Ranma was startled to realize that the second week of August had come to a close. It was more surprising to see his mother not rushing about to get to the office. In fact, she was enjoying a leisurely breakfast and trying, with the usual lack of success, to get Starr to sit at the table and join her. "Well, I was wondering when you'd get down to breakfast." she said cheerfully. "And where's your father?"
"Uh, I think he went to get changed." said Ranma, knowing full well that his father was probably out in the yard sulking over yet another "secret technique" that Ranma had already mastered. "Shouldn't you be off to work?"
"Oh, I thought I'd go in a bit later today, seeing as how I've been so busy lately." she said nonchalantly, though Ranma noticed that she was avoiding his eyes.
"Oh, okay." he said, deciding to wait and see the real reason she was taking her time. He sat down and helped himself to toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, and porridge, breakfast items which he was gradually accepting as "normal", though he thought it would have been nice to have a more traditional Japanese breakfast on occasion. Realizing that it would be hard to come by Japanese food unless he got it at home or cooked it himself, Ranma had eaten a lot of food that his mother assured him was common British fare to prepare himself for his months at Hogwarts.
Ranma was halfway through his food when Genma finally entered the kitchen. Knowing that his food was in imminent danger, Ranma immediately shifted to Saotome Speed Eating(TM) mode and polished off the rest of his breakfast in a lightning fast and noisy manner. Nodoka frowned disapprovingly but did not say anything, knowing that it would be futile to argue against the eating habits of her son and husband, who used every meal as yet-another training exercise. "Save some for me, boy." Genma growled.
"You gotta get in here earlier, old man!" said Ranma cheerfully. As Genma sat down at the table, the sound of a bell ringing filled the house, signaling the arrival of Kyoko with the post. When Starr appeared, however, she was not carrying Kyoko but a normal brown owl. He looked interestedly as his mother took a thick roll of parchment from the bird's outstretched leg.
"Ah, I believe that this is for you." Nodoka said, handing the parchment, unopened, to Ranma. He could not imagine anyone who would be writing him, much less anyone who would send something through owl post. He looked to his mother questioningly and she nodded with a smile. "Go ahead, open it." His father just grunted, and Nodoka frowned at him.
He slit the parchment's seal and unrolled the letter. It read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Saotome,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
He had known, since moving to London, that he would have a place at Hogwarts, but that did not make receiving the letter any less exciting. "Mom...it's my invitation to Hogwarts!" he said, handing it over to her with an uncharacteristically trembling hand.
"Well, I see they haven't changed the wording one bit. Same letter I got." she said with a grin as she handed it back to him. "I expect we'll need to make a trip to Diagon Alley soon. It usually gets so crowded towards the end of August."
"Diagonally?" Ranma asked, looking confused. "You don't mean the direction, do you Mom?"
"It does sound like that, doesn't it? It's Diagon Alley." she replied, emphasizing the two words. "And it's the largest collection of wizard shops in Britain. It's right in the middle of London. It's been there for ages, as long as London has been here, I think."
"Sounds like Pai Yar Square in Kyoto." grunted Genma, who had surfaced for air momentarily before diving back into his breakfast. "Probably full of cheap foreign stuff, I bet."
"And, of course, you'd be the authority on that, living in England and all." Nodoka replied, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I think you ought to send your reply straightaway, no sense in putting it off."
She magicked a quill, ink, and parchment onto the table. He thought a second, then wrote, in somewhat uneven cursive:
Dear Professor McGonagall,
I accept the invitation to Hogwarts and I will try my best this coming term.
Sincerely,
Ranma Saotome
On the following Saturday Ranma and Nodoka headed out to do Ranma's school shopping. "We'll stop off at the Leaky Cauldron first. That's the pub that hides the entrance to Diagon Alley." she said, answering his unspoken question. After a quick trip through the Floo, they stepped out of the fireplace and into a rather dark and shabby looking pub. Nodoka looked around the place fondly as the buzz of conversation stopped at their arrival.
"Well I'll be...Nodoka Saotome, it has been too long." said the bartender. The other customers seemed to recognize Nodoka's name and whispered to each other.
"Tom, it really has been. You're looking well." she replied as she approached the bar, Ranma in her tow. "The place has changed a bit."
"Oh no, the pub never changes, just the people." he chuckled. "I saw that you're Ambassador now, congratulations. And who is this?"
"Oh yes, Tom, this is my son Ranma. He's starting Hogwarts this fall. Ranma, this is Tom. He's run the Leaky Cauldron since...well, since I was your age at least."
"Pleased to meet you." Tom said, giving Ranma a surprisingly strong handshake for an old man. "Join me for drink, Nodoka dear? We can catch up on old times."
"Perhaps later, Tom. Ranma and I have his school list to get."
"Of course, of course." said Tom, smiling. "Another time then."
Nodoka waved goodbye to Tom, then led Ranma out of the bar into a small, walled courtyard that was empty save for a few weeds and a trash bin. "Now let's see if I remember..." she counted the bricks above the trashcan, "Three up, two across, and tap with your wand." She said, tapping the brick. The brick quivered and wiggled as a hole grew from a pinpoint in it's center. Soon the whole had expanded into an archway that was easily sixteen feet tall.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley ." Nodoka said to her son, who was looking through the archway with awe. They stepped through the archway into the bright sunlight that bathed the cobble stoned street that stretched before them. Ranma nearly wrenched his neck trying to take in all of the sights. There was a stack of cauldrons, some gold and silver even a copper one, glittering in the sun outside of one of the first shops. People, all dressed in brightly colored wizard robes , bustled about, entering and exiting the shops lining the street. They passed an Apothecary, which was having a sale on dragon livers at seventeen sickles an ounce. "Oh, that is ridiculous. And I thought the prices were bad in Japan." said his mother.
They walked on, passing a shop called Eeylops Owl Emporium, which was loud with the hooting of countless owls. Further down was Quality Quidditch Supplies, whose window display, a Nimbus 2000 racing broom, was drawing a crowd of boys. They passed more shops, which were selling everything from robes to telescopes to spell books; from potion bottles to parchment to wart cap powder. Nodoka did not say anything, letting Ranma absorb the experience. "This place is amazing!" he said finally, rubbing his neck after all of the craning it had done.
They had stopped in front of a snowy white building that towered over the other smaller shops. "I'm glad you like it. It hardly seems to have changed." she said fondly.
"What's this place?" Ranma asked, pointing to the white building.
"Ah, this is Gringotts, the Wizard's bank. It's owned and operated by goblins. It's a worldwide bank with branches in every country. The one in Japan is in Par Yai Square."
"So we're going in?"
"Not today, though it's usually worth the trip through the vaults. No, I already retrieved enough gold for your things." she replied. "Now then, you need to get fitted for robes, so I'll go get your potion ingredients." She pointed him towards a robe shop, Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, handed him a small, purple velvet bag that jingled with coins, and headed back up the street towards an apothecary.
Ranma entered the shop feeling slightly nervous. A squat, smiling witch dressed in peach colored robes with a nice-kind-face greeted him. "Hello dear, here for Hogwarts uniforms?" she asked pleasantly. He nodded. "Got the lot here. There are a couple people in the back, just follow me. In the back of the shop, standing on footstools, were a tall black boy who seemed Ranma's age despite his height, and a pale girl with very bushy brown hair and very prominent front teeth. The girl seemed to have just been talking very excitedly while the boy seemed somewhat relieved by Ranma and Madame Malkin's arrival. Ranma smiled and nodded at them both.
"Up you get." said Madame Malkin after floating a footstool for Ranma to stand on. He got up on the stool and she slipped a robe over his head and began to pin it to the right length.
"Are you a first year?" asked the girl.
"Yes." replied Ranma.
"So am I. I was so hoping to meet someone else in my year. My name's Hermione Granger, what's yours?"
"Ranma Saotome."
"Well, that's a strange name, but Hermione isn't very common either, is it? By the way, this is Dean Thomas, he's in our year." she said, sounding kind of disappointed. "This is all very interesting, isn't it? I didn't even know I was a witch until last week when I got the letter. Nobody in my family is magic at all! I hear Hogwarts is the best school of witchcraft there is. I just can't wait to get my books and my wand, and I'll need to spend the rest of the summer learning the course books off by heart, not that there is much of summer left, just a week and a half, but I can do it! I hope that'll be enough."
Ranma did not know what to say to all that, partly because she had spoken so quickly that it took him a moment to work what she had said, but he did find it impressive that she could say so much without taking a breath. "So what about you? Are your parents wizards?" she asked.
"Yes, but my dad can't preform magic, he dropped out of the Japanese school." he replied.
"It must've been really interesting growing up in the wizarding world. By the way, that's a really interesting accent. Where are you from, China?"
"No, we're from Japan." said Ranma with a slight bit of indignation at the insinuation, which Hermione did not notice.
"Really? Are wizards there really different from wizards here? Do they say spells in Japanese? Why didn't you go to school in Japan?"
"Hermione, can't you give the bloke a chance to answer one question?" said Dean, exasperated. "You're talking so fast that even I can barely understand you!"
"It's okay Dean." Ranma said, though he was grateful for the chance to process Hermione's questions. "I really don't know about wizards in Japan. I didn't even know they existed until a few weeks ago, when I found out my mum was a witch."
"How could you not-" she started, looking utterly shocked, but he cut her off.
"I was traveling with my dad around the world for ten years and didn't really come back home until May. He never told me about my mum being a witch." said Ranma. "And I'm going to Hogwarts instead of the Magic Academy of Japan because my mum went to Hogwarts and she wanted me to go too."
The witch that was fitting Dean tapped him on the shoulder to tell him she was finished. "Well, I'm done, so I'll see you two on September first!" He waved goodbye to them and walked back to the front of the store.
The witch tapped her on the shoulder just as Madame Malkin said to Ranma, "All done dear."
They followed the witches out to the front of the store, where Nodoka and two people whom, from the absolute normality of their attire, Ranma guessed were Hermione's parents. "All done?" she asked Ranma, who nodded. "This is Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Ranma. And this must be Hermione." She shook hands with Hermione. "I met your parents in the apothecary. I was just telling them about my first time in Diagon Alley. It's all very overwhelming, coming from a Muggle family."
"Your parents were Muggles too?"
"Oh yes, the visit from Professor McGonagall were quite a surprise, more for my parents than for me. But they, like your parents, were open-minded, which I think makes us two very lucky daughters." Nodoka said, smiling. "Well, we have more shopping to do and I wouldn't dream of holding you all up on your errands." She shook hands with the Grangers again. Mr. Granger payed Madame Malkin, who had just come back with Hermione's package.
"I'll see you on the train then, Ranma." Hermione said, waving goodbye.
"Yeah, see you." he replied as the Grangers walked back out into Diagon Alley, looking extremely out of place. "They sure were...normal." he said to Nodoka.
"Yes. They're both dentists, as normal as a Muggle can be, and with a witch for a daughter! By the way, what did you think of Miss Hermione?"
"Uh..." he said, thinking back over their conversation. "Well, she talks really fast and seems to be really excited about studying. She was nice enough, though."
"Well, at least you'll know one person on the train. That's one more than I knew on my first trip to Hogwarts."
Ranma payed Madame Malkin and thanked her, then led the way back out into the street. "We're making excellent time. Now, to get your books." said his mother cheerfully behind him. They went into a bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, which sold books of all sizes and shapes with titles like "Secret Wand Techniques: Improve Your Spell Casting With Tips from Leading Wizards" and "Potion Making for Dummies". Nodoka bought him his set books and a couple extra potions books that she assured him would be a good deal more informative than the one on the list, "Magical Draughts and Potions".
"Not that it's a bad book, of course, but it's not as thorough as I'd like for first years." she said, frowning over the supply list. "Well, I have scales, phials, and a cauldron at home, and you can use my old telescope. All that's left is your wand and a pet, if you want one. To Ollivanders, then, it's the only place to get a good wand."
Ollivander's, it turned out, was a narrow and shabby-looking wand shop. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. In the window display was single wand on an old and faded purple velvet cushion.
A bell tinkled as they stepped into the small shop, which was filled to the ceiling with thousands of narrow boxes. Nodoka sat down in a spindly chair while Ranma looked around the shop warily, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Something about the place that he could not identify put him on edge. He felt as if there were a hundred people hiding in the room, all silent as ghosts and attempting to conceal their ki.
"Good afternoon." a voice said softly. Ranma turned to see an old man with wide, pale eyes.
"Uh, hi." said Ranma, feeling relieved that he had been able to faintly detect the man's approach. "We're here for a wand."
"Of course, of course." the man said, glancing over at Nodoka and smiling with recognition. "Nodoka Saotome! What a pleasure to see you again!" He took her hand and kissed it. "Yew, eleven and a quarter inches, somewhat stiff, if I recall."
"Your memory is as remarkable as ever, Mr. Ollivander." Nodoka replied, beaming. "How have things been?"
"The wand business is steady as always, my dear." he replied. "And this is your son..."
"Ranma." said Ranma.
"Of course, and starting at Hogwarts this year? Well now let's see..." Mr. Ollivander pulled out a long tape measure with silver markings on it. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Right, I guess." Ranma shrugged.
"Hold out your arm." He then proceeded to measure Ranma from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and around his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. Of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand." From the way he seemed to recite these words, Ranma had a feeling that he said the same thing to every customer.
"That will do." said the man and, as the tape measure fell into a heap on the floor, Ranma realized that Mr. Ollivander was rummaging through the boxes; the tape measure had apparently been taking measurements on its own. He brought down a stack of boxes, set them down, and pulled one out, handing it to Ranma. "Ash and unicorn hair, ten and five-eighths inches, bendy. Give it a little wave."
Ranma did so but Mr. Ollivander took it from him almost immediately and handed him another wand. "Maple with unicorn core, Nine and Three quarter inches, a little swishy."
While the other wand felt like an ordinary piece of wood, this one felt strangely warm and tingly in his hand. He flicked his wrist, sending a jet of red and gold sparks into the gloomy room. "Very good! Got it in two, excellent!" He returned the wand to its box and wrapped it up. "You're wand is best for charms and Defense against the Dark Arts. Now, would you like anything else? A wand care kit, perhaps?" Ranma nodded and paid for the wand and the kit. They exited the shop, Nodoka promising to stop by again as they left. After the dusty gloom of the wand shop, the sun seemed blindingly bright.
"Well, that's all of the essentials." said Nodoka. "Shall we go to see about an animal?"
"Sure." he replied, though he could not think of any pet he might want, never having had one before. They walked back up the street and turned into a shop that looked very similar to Muggle pet shops. Nodoka walked in with Ranma close behind but, when she turned around, after hearing a half dozen cats purring and meowing, she was surprised to see that her son was frozen in the doorway, looking pale and terrified, with six cats circling and rubbing his legs.
"Ranma, what's wrong?" she said quickly as she moved towards him. As the cats continued to rub on him, his eyes grew wider and more fearful, she reverted to Japanese as she adressed her son. "Ranma, what's wrong? Say something!"
"N-n-n-n-" Ranma stuttered, " -n-n-ne-ko!"
"May I help you, Madame?" asked the witch, who had just come from out of the back. Nodoka ignored her.
"Cats? What about-" Suddenly, it dawned on her what her son was trying to say; he was afraid of cats.
"Oh no, those aren't cats, they're kneazles." said the witch.
"Thank you very much!" Nodoka said impatiently before ignoring the woman once again. "Ranma, they're not going to hurt you..." she said gently.
But Ranma did not seem to hear her. His agitation was growing and he was beginning to act strangely. His fingers were curling up like claws and a warning growl, like a cat on the verge of striking, rumbled deep within his chest. The sound made her skin prickle. "Okay Ranma, we're leaving." She shooed the kneazles, nearly kicking a bandy-legged ginger one, grabbed Ranma by the arm, and dragged him out of the shop, an action that was made more difficult because he was as stiff as a board.
It was another five minutes before the look of terror eased from Ranma's face. They were back in the Leaky Cauldron, where Nodoka had ordered a cup of hot tea with a couple splashes of firewhiskey for Ranma. His hand was shaking so badly that she had to hold the cup up for him to drink. Gradually the drink had its effect; the color returned to Ranma's cheeks and his shaking subsided. Nodoka sighed with relief.
"Are you alright, Ranma?" she asked, concern etched on her face. He nodded slowly. "What happened back there? I've known people to be afraid of cats, but never like that. It was like you were afraid for your life."
"I've been like this for five years. Ever since Pops tried to teach me the Neko-ken." Ranma said darkly.
"Cat's Fist?"
"Yeah. It's supposed to be some kinda invincible technique. Pops got a manual for it somewhere and he tried to teach me."
"Okay, but what's training got to do with-"
"He wrapped me in fish sausages and threw me into a pit of starving cats." said Ranma, his voice trembling slightly. Nodoka looked shocked. Ranma smiled, but the expression seemed more like a grimace. "It wasn't so bad the first time but, see, I didn't learn the technique, so...he...he kept wrapping me in fish sausages and throwing me back in until I learned the technique."
Ranma looked away from Nodoka, not wanting to see the look of mingled pity and horror on her face and fighting tears. He blinked rapidly, trying to keep the moisture in his eyes. He swallowed hard before continuing. "I heard that I acted like a cat for a couple days before snapping out of it. He didn't finish reading the manual before trying it on me, or else he would've seen the warning about how the training makes you crazy." he said bitterly as he wiped his eyes. "I've learned to live with it. As long as I stay away from cats, I'm okay."
Nodoka's mind was reeling as she imagined her son, six years old, huddled fearfully in a dark pit while starving cats tore into him. He probably screamed for help that never came, probably thought the worst was over when Genma had lifted him from the pit, only to be thrown back again and again. It made sense that Ranma acted as he had in the pet shop; he had serious mental scarring. "I don't believe your father..." she hissed, outraged. She jumped to her feet suddenly and pulled Ranma to his feet. "Well, we shall have to find ways for you to deal with cats, as I'm afraid they're quite prevalent in the wizarding world. In the meantime," her eyes flashed menacingly and her voice became harder than steel, "I am going to have a word with your father about this."
She swept him away towards the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace, giving a rather brusque goodbye to Tom. As the Floo spun them quickly toward 13 Brandywine Court, Ranma could not help but feel a little sorry for his unsuspecting father, who would soon be facing the wrath of a very angry, very powerful witch.