Hi guys, Ninja Penguin Princess here, thanks for the reviews, I love you all!
Prince: *sounding freakishly like Umbridage* Hem Hem
Ninja Penguin Princess: AHHHH! Oh, it's you... Oh! I mean- we love you all?. Ranma remembers Ryoga because they had the feud in Junior High, so It's closer to the time period.
I would personally like to thank Crying without a single tear For all her support on both of my fan-fictions. Thanks so much and I love you! ;) Without fans like you I don't think I would continue either story.
Anyway- Here's the chapter and for my other story My Wife the Cat, any day now, or even a week, it all depends on how much time I spend in doors. XD OH PAY ATTENTION TO THIS:
I have a poll on my Profile, I dunno which house to put Ranma in! It'd help If you all voted before Chapter Four: Sorting comes out...of the closet (Couldn't resist! =. ) sorry) Thanks guys!
Princess: Remember: *Talk example* means Japanese and !Talk Example! means English! Also, since Ranma was 14 or 15 when he got the dragon whisker and hair thing, I am not having it happen. Ranma with his hair down is HAWT! I mean...Oh look, a Penguin! *runs off set*
Prince: *sigh* Why me, always the crazy ones...Anyway! We do not own Harry Potter or Ranma 1/2. They belong to J.K Rowling and Rumiko Takashi. We're just lazy teens who are bored during summer, although...We like to pretend OKAY! IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU! Please support the official release.
Ninja Penguin Princess and Prince are tired of writing this every time, so here's
Ranma Saotome and the Sorcerer's Stone:
Chapter three: Journey from Platform Nine and Three Quarters:
Ranma's last week and a half at home were pretty un-eventful. As soon as they had got back from Diagon Alley, Nodoka rounded on the older martial artist, pulling out her wand and holding it to his neck, the fat wizard to slow to comprehend what had happened before it was too late.
"What," She had said rather threateningly "Did you do to Ranma." Genma looked a little confused and a whole-Lotta scared.
"What'dya mean woma-"
"Cats fist! You tried to teach my baby the cat's fist!" Nodoka nearly screamed, glaring at Genma and shaking with rage. Ranma calmly edged to the side of the room towards the stairs, not wanting to be near the line of fire.
Genma looked shocked for a minute, before he glanced at Ranma "You couldn't keep your mouth shut for two minutes boy? Thought you'd run to Mo-"
Nodoka just smiled evilly at him and Ranma was honestly thinking his mother had went crazy-or maybe she had been like that all along and he had missed it. "Oh, no, don't put this on Ranma Genma Saotome. Not when it is entirely your fault." Genma seemed to be scared by how calm Nodoka was being, which he would have reason to be. "We ran into some cats," Ranma shivered at the word, which went unnoticed, "while shopping today."
Genma held up his hands in the pure sign of "Don't shoot! I give up" and smiled lopsidedly at Nodoka "Now, Nodo-chan I just-"
"Don't you Now Nodo-chan me! You TORTURED my baby boy! From what I understand you didn't even read the entire manual!"
Nodoka seemed to think for a minute "I could curse you, but those don't last long...Hmm..." She thought for a moment before her eyes lit up, Ranma had three words implanted in his mind (which he ignored) the words were RUN, BOY, RUN!
"You will live in Japan, by yourself, no house-elf's or anyone to take care of you. In perfect solitude, Genma Saotome I will know if you meet up with someone and I will send Starr down once a month with some food and to fix repairs on the house. You will be allowed back in England when I am not so angry, maybe when Ranma get's back from school, maybe Christmas. Who knows?"
Genma looked utterly shocked "Nodoka-"
Nodoka whispered something under her breathe and Genma lit up in a yellow and grey light. She muttered something else, took her wand back a little, flicking it, and Genma was suddenly gone. "Well, now that that's taken care of, Why don't you help me make a potion Ranma? I can show you the basics and you'll have to make this one when your over at Hogwarts anyway."
Ranma was excited to finally get to do something related to magic and nodded his head furiously, following his mother to a wood door, which she knocked on in 6 different areas with her wand and it swung open to a large set of spiraling stairs.
"Wait, Mom?" Nodoka paused and looked at her son, who continued talking "I was wondering, why do I need this potion anyway?"
Nodoka just smiled and held up a hand in the clear way that said 'One second', waved her wand again, muttering "Lumos" and suddenly her wand had light growing out of it in a sort of flashlight manor, but Ranma had never seen a flashlight quite like this.
"There is a potion that I can brew, It helps people with their fears. If I just put a little bit of essence of cat and some cats bane, I can make it to where cat's stay away from you and you don't freak out when you see one."
Ranma was taken aback, holding onto the rail, he asked "Are you sure it will work, I mean, has anyone ever been afraid of c-c-ca-ca...fuzzy demons before?"
Nodoka was amused and disgusted at the fact that Ranma couldn't even bear to say the name. When Genma got back he was so dead...if she ever let him back that is.
"A few, yes. But not nearly as bad as you." She said, then cheerfully "I suppose I could switch this conversation and tell you more about Hogwarts?"
Ranma nodded, he didn't want to look foolish/more foolish when he got there.
As they stepped off the bottom step he looked around, shelves were filled with jars of odd-shaped things and weird colored liquids, was that eyes? Ranma shivered and tried to look at the rest of the room. The area was huge, large kitchen counter/stove type thing was in one area of the room, with a gold cauldren on top of the burner which was much better than Ranma had for school. The walls were a green color while the floors were a pure black. It was oddly homey in there.
"Now, Hmm...Where do I begin...?" Nodoka muttered as she went to one of the shelves and pulled out a few ingredients, setting them by the cauldron and going back to the shelves, doing the same to two or three of them before she seemed to have all she needed. "I guess I could tell you about the Great Hall, that's where you'll eat your food and be sorted."
"Sorted?" Ranma asked, not liking the sound of it.
"Oh! It's a test the put you through to see which house you'll be in dear, not to hard as all you have to do is sit. I can't tell you anymore on sorting, but I'll get back to houses later."
Ranma just nodded.
"Ranma, could you mash these up in the mortar until I say stop?" She handed him a handful of sharp, pointy teeth.
"What are they?" He asked, putting them in the mortar and grabbing the rounded thing, beginning to mash them at a slow, constant rate.
"Snake fangs. Anyway, the Great Hall is an amazing place, with the ceiling charmed so it looks like the sky outside. It's really beautiful during sun rise or nighttime." she sighed "The food is very good, and is rather, um, shocking the first time it is delivered to you." Ranma looked at her in confusion but she just shook her head.
"Oh, Ranma, those snake fangs are mashed perfectly! Now, first you add 6 snake fangs mashed up, and then a little bit of eels eyes." She held up a mushy liquid that she had mashed up. "They need to look as close to this as you can get them."
"Okay, what about the houses?" He egged his mother on, wanting to do potions and wanting to learn about where he would be living during the school year.
"They are where you will be living for the school year, where you will eat also is determined by house. Along with Classes. Basically it's one big family. Now we add three chopped up unicorn hairs."
"There's Ravenclaw- where the smart and studiers dwell, then there's Hufflepuff- who are nice enough but, I've always been told they have no real talent, not that I believe it." "I'll probably get that house" Ranma thought bitterly. "Then there is Gryffindor- who are brave and put honesty and honor over all, even their studies. Then there is my old house, Slytherin. They are cunning, smart and get out of pinches quick. But not all of them are too smart or nice, just like with the other houses." She just shrugged it off. "Did you know, Merlin was in Slytherin?"
Noting that Ranma hadn't a clue, she sighed. "You need to research all those other books I bought you, You'll need the knowledge dear."
"Now, with our potion you just let it simmer at about 200 degrees for exactly 30 seconds and add a little bit of cat essence. After that you stir it clockwise four times. Let it set for a minute and then add two sticks of chopped up cats bane. Then throw in five dragon scales and heat it up again for a minute, wave your wand and utter Vile non più and it's done, it only takes about fourteen minutes and is worth it! All that I just made should last three weeks, so you'll have to remake it every three weeks, possibly every two and a half to be safe."
Ranma nodded "Arigoto Mom!" He said, bowing slightly and clasping his hands together. His Mom just laughed.
Ranma sat in his bed, cozy, with his trunk packed at the foot. A book he had found in the home library in his hands, him intent on the page. You see, Ranma had woken up early and decided to roam around the house, straight to the library. He trained first and then found this intresting book. It was about the history of Jusenkyou, and was written by a English man (Aaron Tucker) who had actually fallen into one of the springs. He had fallen into spring of drowned woman, while his sister fell into spring of drowned pig.
The Jusenkyou springs were originally created by Morgana in the time of King Arthur. Morgana was jealous and wished to rule Camelot herself. Using her powers, the witch lured King Arthur's wife, Guinevere, to the spring. Guinevere was pushed in and drowned. Morgana cast a charm on the spring and then jumped into it, taking Guinevere's form, but only when she was splashed with cold water and hot water would turn her back.
Morgana knew her half brother Arthur was fragile about Lancelot since Guinevere had courted him before. She went to Lancelot and had an affair with him in Guinevere's body appearance. Arthur was devastated, having found them out a week later, and went to the springs. Being a muggle, Arthur could not stop himself when he had fallen into a spring of his own. Eventually more animals and things fell into the springs and drowned. The people who fell into them and did not drown taking there shape, the springs changing to where you would look like what you would have been if you were born that way. Arthur and Guinevere's springs, the first two, became known as spring of drowned man and spring of drowned girl.
Morgana did not succeed in taking down Camelot- she was stopped by the most powerful wizard of their time, Merlin.
But that is a irrelevant story and can be found in Merlin: The life and trials. I had found out the history of Jusenkyou when my sister worked there, she was one of the guides along with her husband. Her husband had went inside to get some tea and my sister and I were left to guard the springs. A group of Muggles came by and, of course, thought that this was a training ground.
I tried to warn them off, but they insisted on training here, My sister, Sarah, just told me to wait a minute and let them decide. The mother and father of the group fell into the same spring, Spring of drowned Veela. While the little girl was about to fall into the worst spring by far in Jusenkyou for a girl, Spring of drowned pig. At the same moment the little boy was going to fall into spring of drowned girl.
Sarah decided to knock the girl out of the way and fell in herself, while I fell in knocking the boy out of the way. The people thanked us and left with only two of them cursed.
Ranma's eyes widened as he read this, and he felt a little sheepish. He and his father had fallen in acting like stupid muggles, even though Ranma wasn't one he still was raised like one, so it wasn't really that different.
Since we already knew the curses can't be cured with Jusenkyou, we tried to live with it. I called my girl side 'Erin' and Sarah didn't really need an excuse name for a pig. Later that week Sarah and her husband moved back to England with me, wanting nothing to do with Jusenkyou.
I found that it's best when cursed to-
"Ranma-Sama!" Ranma was jolted out of his book and nearly screamed when he saw Starr at the foot of his bed. He sighed in relief and gave a small laugh, finding that he couldn't be mad at small house elf (If it had been anyone but his mother and Starr...) "Ranma-Sama, Mistress sent Starr up to be making sure Ranma-Sama be awake and getting ready."
"Sorry. I was reading a interesting book." He answered truthfully.
"Oh! Starr sorry Ranma-Sama!" The elf smiled up at him through her big jade eyes. "Starr be leaving now, Ranma-Sama. Mistress just wanted Starr to be telling Ranma-Sama and-"
"I'm going to miss you, Starr." Starr looked back at him with awe and astonishment in her wide eyes.
"Ranma-Sama! Ranma-Sama be so kind to Starr! Ranma-Sama make Starr very happy!" The elf practically beamed at him for just saying he'd miss her, it was kind of depressing. "Anything Ranma-Sama need over school timing just call Starr, Starr be coming quick for Ranma-Sama, Starr will!" Starr disappeared and Ranma laughed.
He frowned jus as suddenly, he had just got here a few weeks ago! It seemed like such a small time to spend with your mother you hadn't seen since you were one.
Shrugging it off, Ranma went to his closet and pulled out one of his red Chinese tops and blue pants, his flats also going on. He figured that they'd have to dress like muggles not to attract to much attention, and these were the only Muggle clothes he had.
When he got downstairs and into the kitchen he did a double-take, his mother's hair was longer and in a side ponytail. She had on a pink poodle skirt, long knee socks, and brown penny loafers.
"Good morning Ranma dear!" She said cheerfully, taking a bite out of a pancake. "Did you sleep well?"
"M-Mom?" He said, glancing at her and just staring.
"What is it, did you take your potion dear?"
"Y-Yes but, What are you wearing!" Ranma said, holding back a laugh as he sat down across from his mother, taking a bite out of the pancake laid before him and smiling his gratitude at Starr.
"Oh, this? I think it's best to wear Muggle clothes at Kings Cross dear, as you obviously can tell by your atire." His mother said obliviously.
"But, Mom. That's clothes that muggles wore in the Seventy's and eighty's." He said, finally laughing a little and smiling at his Mom, who just frowned a little.
Nodoka finally laughed with him "That's when I last had to shop for Muggle clothes dear, I don't mind if they're out of style."
(A.N: We can clearly see that, Nodoka dear. Poor, Poor fassionless Nodoka dear)
"Hey, Mom?" Nodoka took a drink of orange juice, frowning at it at, suddenly sugar decided to hop into her cup, a spoon stiring it around before she took another drink and smiled.
"Yes?" She asked, now not focused on her juice-sugar problem.
"I found a book in the library on Jusenkyou, I was wondering if I could take it to school."
Nodoka's eyes lit up and Ranma wondered if he said the wrong thing "Of course, Ranma! I don't mind really." She suddenly made a gasping sound and fumbled around her poodle skirt, muttering "I know it's in this room, somewhere" finally sighing and taking out her wand "Accio!"
A small black box flew across the room and into her hand. "Ranma, I got this for you. It's a wizard/Muggle watch. It tells the time on the digital part, and it shows how your family members are."
Ranma took it and smiled, slipping into Japanese in his excitment "*Thanks, Mom.*"
He looked at the watch more closely, in the middle was a small digital thing that showed the time(which had already been instaled- 10:15) and a round like clock thing which had three different hands that read "Ranma, Nodoka, Genma" His and his mothers hand were pointed to "Home" While Genma's pointed to 'Sulking' Ranma laughed and slipped it on his right wrist.
They ended up taking a taxi to Kings Cross, there being no magical way there, because what if they just magically appeared in the middle of it, chaos is what would happen.
Once they got there, Ranma looked up at his Mom "Isn't Hogwarts a long way away?"
Nodoka just nodded and fiddled with some mugle money for a second. "Scotland, yes. Somewhere in the northern part."
"Why do we take a train, when there's quicker ways to get there?"
Nodoka just smiled at him and gave the driver way too much Muggle money, making him smile brightly and thank her dearly, saying that if she ever needed a taxi to ask for 'Moe' before he drove off. "I think it's more for the Muggle borns, and to let you all socialize without predjudice of houses, that is the first years of course."
They stopped in between platforms Nine and ten, with only a brick wall. Ranma was confused. "Wh-"
"Oh, you just go through the wall, dear. It's just to keep Muggles away, It's really an-"
Ranma interupted his mother, having focused on the energy and properties of the wall, seeing an faint outline of an metal arch "An Archway."
Nodoka looked surprized before she beamed at her son "How did you know that Ranma?"
"Pops taught me how to focus of the Ki and aura of something, to identify with it. I just did that." He shrugged his shoulders like it didn't matter.
"That's really going to help you out later in you magical life, Ranma! Anyway, you just have to walk through the arch, but don't think that you can't, or you really won't." Ranma nodded and went straight through, not closing his eyes for a second.
A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign above it said 'Hogwarts Express, Eleven O' clock'. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Ranma felt a hand clasp his shoulder and saw his Mom.
"Are you alright? Potion working?" Ranma just nodded, not feeling scared and no cats daring to come near him. Ranma looked around again. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Ranma walked down the area, looking for a relitivley un-packed carriage. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I still can't find my toad."
"Oh, Neville, what am I going to do with you," he heard the old woman sigh.
An Asian girl with short brown hair and big brown eyes, was surrounded by a small crowd, she was holding a camera ready. She was standing beside a tall black boy with dredlocks, who was smiling and holding a box, the crowd a complete circle around them.
"Step right up! Step right up! See Lee's and Nabiki's astonding trancula, only 1 gallon! Two gallons for a picture with the deadly spider! 3 gallons to use it to prank your friends!"
After collecting some money, the boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.
Ranma then passed a long-blue-haired girl (Who was taller than him- crap) who was talking to a tall brown-haired girl with a kind smile that imediatly filled you with warmth- who already was in her robes and wore a badge with a large P on it, the same color as her robes, canary yellow and a dark black.
"Kasumi! Please tell me!" The blue haired girl was whining, looking sad.
"I can't Akane! Telling first years is against the rules, I just got my badge!" She declared happily, then waved to some people who passed by. "But I will tell you, It doesn't hurt." She then looked around and noticed some frowning faces, sighing she leaned in close to Akane "Much." The blue haired girl went seven shades of white.
As Ranma passed them he came to a relitivley clear carriage and smiled at his Mom. "Goodbye, Ranma. I wish I could stay but I'm already late for work. Tell Hermione I said Hello."
"Okay. See you at Christmas Mom."
"Don't forget to write, I want to hear every word about your first day!" Nodoka said before wrapping him in a giant hug. "I'll miss you Ranma-kun."
"Miss you too Mom." he whispered back, breaking away and climbing up the steps with his trunk.
As soon as he got up there, he dropped his trunk and stared open-mouthed at the students- at least a forth of the people were Japanese and almost all of them were people he knew. One person stood out pretty well though.
"Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!" an angry voice shouted as the taller (why is everyone so tall, damnit!) martial artist's weapon (an umbrella?) hit where Ranma had been a second ago, leaving a large-but not deep-dent.
"Hiya Ryoga!" He said cheerfully, waving at the bandana clad boy and smiling brightly. Ryoga had changed since he last saw him, he was taller, a little faster, his hair was a little longer, and he was wearing yellow and black traveling muggle clothes (which matched his bandana).
"You haven't changed Ranma," Ryoga Hibiki scowled at him, still in the crouching position and holding his red umbrella tightly, his accent just like the others- almost completly original and better than Ranma's (Hey, he only had a few weeks to learn an entire language!). "You're still good at running away."
They glared at each other for a minute before Ryoga broke the silence "Tell me one thing, Ranma, Why'd you ditch our fight."
Ranma huffed, becoming impaitent "*I waited three days!*" He nearly screamed, not even noticing when he slipped into Japanese.
Ryoga looked even madder then Ranma "You think I took a casual stroll for those three days! I suffered, I got completly lost!" Everyone looked utterly confused, and Ranma laughed.
"How'd ya get lost, the meeting place was, if I remember, right behind your house?" The pig-tailed boy asked, as the taller boy stood up and glowered at him.
"Shut up!" He screamed, making several people jump "It was a man-to-man promise, which you broke and ran off with your father to China!"
"How did he know we went to China?" Ranma thought and taking advantage of his hesitation, Ryoga quickly waved his umbrella where Ranma's knee caps had been. Ranma jumped up in the air and landed with his feet stanced and his left arm on the ground, keeping balance as he looked up at Ryoga "In other words..." He drawled out, jumping up and flipping, landing on his feet in a casual position. "You wish to finish our fight?"
Ryoga looked shocked and 100 times more furious "Finish our fight? Finish our fight? FINISH OUR FIGHT! This isn't about our fight, not anymore. This is about- revenge! No matter what it takes, Ranma, I will destroy your happiness like you did mine!"
It took Ranma 10 seconds, his brain caught up with what Ryoga said and he put 2 and 2 together. "* You, You followed us to China?*" He said, noticing Ryoga's look of shock and halt of attack he continued, "*We're continuing this conversation in Japanese. You fell in one of the springs, didn't you?*"
Ryoga looked stunned "*What's it to you?*" All the passangers except the Japanese ones looked confused, the Japanese ones looked slightly less confused.
"*I fell in one too, can we talk about this later? I think insted of being enemies we could help each other out and try to find a cure.*"
Ryoga looked a whole lot less mad "*They can't be cured by a different one, can they?*"
Ranma nodded "*We're wizards, Ryoga. We can try to form a cure.*" Ryoga nodded and they both picked up there trunks. "Sorry guys, shows over!" Ranma yelled and everyone moaned, going back to their compartments.
As they walked down the hall, Ranma glanced back at Ryoga "Hey, Ryoga. Would it be cool if we still sparred, that's been the most eventful fight I've had since Pop's turned into a panda."
Ryoga laughed "Genma fell in spring of drowned Panda?" Ranma just nodded "Suits him, anyway, yeah. I can't stay out of shape- so I'll spar with you, if you help me...not get so lost so often." Ranma laughed and soon they both were laughing.
They talked about fighting strategies until they came by a compartment that appeared to have only two boys in it. Ranma, forgetting to knock, opened it and barged in. One of them was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, bright red hair and a long nose. While the other was kind of short (A little taller then Ranma's girl form and a few centimeter's taller then Ranma- why was everyone so damn tall!) with short black hair that stuck everywhere, big emerald green eyes, knobby knees, and round glasses with tons of duck tape.
"Um, there's no other empty compartments so could we sit with you lot?" Ryoga said and Ranma's mouth dropped, there was no hint of the slight Japanese accent Ryoga had earlier- he had faked it! Most likely not to make Ranma look stupid, which was weird becuase they were fighting...oh well.
The one with the black hair nodded and they put there trunks up. "I'm Ron Weasley." The red-head said, Ryoga sat by him and Ranma took the seat by the shorter one.
"Harry Potter." Ryoga did a double take while Ranma just smiled, knowing he wouldn't want the whole 'Ohmygod your famous- teeheehee' thing.
"I'm Saoto-Err...Ranma Saotome and this is Ryoga Hibiki." He remembered at the last moment Americans and Britans used their family name last.
Ron's eyes widened slightly "Saotome...Is your Mum the ambasador of Japan?"
Ranma nodded "Yeah, she still represents Japan and stuff even though we live down here."
Ron just nodded "Are you two related, you seem a little alike." Ranma was horrified while Ryoga let out a laugh.
"No way man, you're probably just noticing that me and that bloke are both Japanese and have black hair. Ranma's been a friend and childhood rival of mine since I can remember. I have an older brother, he's a fourth year at the Japanese school."
Ron nodded "Japanese, that explains the accent. I thought you might be Chinese or something, but Japanese is the same thing isnt it?" Ranma and Ryoga both looked really annoyed.
"No..." They muttered together "It isn't..."
"For one" Ranma said "Every Chinese person I've met is crazy." He shuddered at the thought of Shampoo.
"For two, That'd be like comparing you all to the French or the Americans." Ron and Harry both looked horrified as Ryoga said that.
"Anyway," Ron said, trying to diverge from the awkwardness "I have 5 older brothers. I'm the sixth one to be going to Hogwarts out of a family that's all Gryffindor, You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat." He pulled out a fat grey rat- it was sleeping.
"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead." Ron's ears went pink and Ryoga and Ranma shared a look. They knew what it was like to be poor, so Ryoga decided to save Ron from an awkward moment.
"Hey, Harry. Didn't you go to live with Muggles." Harry nodded "Well, what was it like?" Everyone looked at Harry expectantly and
"Horrible-Well, not all of them are horrible. Just my aunt, Uncle, and cousin. I wish I had five wizard brothers like Ron, or one like you. What about your family Ranma?"
"I don;t have any brothers or sisters that I know of. I didn't know I had magic until a few weeks ago-"
Ron looked at Ranma shocked "Are you a Muggle-Born."
Ranma shook his head "No, Both my parents are magical. I've been traveling with Pop's since I was really young, training. He didn't want me ta' be 'round Mom- he thought it'd distract me, and he thought me knowing 'bout magic would too. I found out in early August."
"What house do you guys want to get?" Harry asked, brushing his hair away for a second and Ranma got a peek at a thin lightning scar.
"I'm expected to get Gryffindor, so I really want to get that one. I think it's the best house. Not that Ravenclaw would be all too bad." Ron said, Ranma noticed randomly that there was a black dot on his nose.
"Slytherin, or Gryffindor." Ryoga said calmly and Ron looked horrified.
"Why would any sane person want Slytherin- it's the house where all the bad ones go!"
"My Mom was in Slytherin." Ranma said, shrugging "She says Merlin was too." Ryoga nodded
"Slytherin's got blamed for a lot of bad stuff, but the other houses don't want you to know they have their lot of bad wizards and witches too. Morgana was a Ravenclaw." Ranma laughed slightly at Ron's expression.
"I still wouldn't want Slytherin." Ron stated, and Harry nodded.
"I just hope I don't get Hufflepuff, Slytherin sounds okay but I don't think It's right for me either. Coming down to it I'd want to be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw." Ranma responded, shrugging.
Suddenly the compartment door opened to a familiar bushy haired girl with brown eyes and big front teeth. "Have any of you seen a toad, Neville lost one-Ranma?" Hermione was followed in by a round-faced boy who had tear stains on his face and was sniffling.
"Hey Hermione! Um, haven't seen a toad...But Guys this is Hermione Granger. Hermione these are my friends, Ryoga Hibiki, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."
"Are you really?" said Hermione, her eyes gleaming. "I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.
"Am I?" said Harry, looking dazed.
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You four had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon. See you later Ranma!"
And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.
"You know." Ron said, looking dazed "Whatever house I'm in I hope she's not in it."
"You know her?" Harry asked, looking at Ranma incredulously.
"Um, yeah. I met her when we were at Madam Malkins shop. She's really cool, just a little-"
"Beaverish?"
"Bossy?"
"Annoying?"
"I was gonna say 'enthusiastic' but..yeah, maybe." Ranma grinned.
"Anyway, did you guys hear about the break-in at Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, though I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles – someone tried to rob a high security vault." Ron supplied.
"Really? What happened to them?" asked Ryoga.
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My Dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get around Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd." Ron said. "'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."
Ranma perked up at the mention of the Dark Lord. What had this man done that would cause such near panic with a simple robbery attempt? "It was just a robbery though." Ranma said, dismissively. "What's all the fuss?"
Ron looked at him in disbelief "Well, it's Gringotts, isn't it?" he said as if that explained everything. "You don't just walk in there and tell them to reach for the sky! You'd be a fool to try and rob them."
Harry nodded. "The vaults are magic. If you try to open one that's not yours, it'll suck you inside. And they only check them every ten years."
The grin slid from Ranma's face. He was beginning to get an idea of what You-Know-Who meant: power. He searched about in his mind for some way to change the subject, but Ron beat him to it.
"Any of you have a Quidditch team?" he asked.
"Falmouth Falcons." Ryoga said.
"Err, I don't know any." said Harry.
"Never heard of it." said Ranma.
"What!" Ron said, looking dumbfounded. "Just wait, it's the best game in the world -" He began explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he had been to with his brothers the broomstick he would like to get if he had the money. Ron was just going through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open and in stepped three boys, one of which was looking at Harry and Ranma with great interest.
The shortest boy, who was obviously the leader, had a pale, pointed face and cold, gray eyes. The other two boys, thickset and mean looking, flanked him like bodyguards. "Is it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter and Ranma Saotome's in this compartment. So it's you two, is it?" he said, his eyes flickering between Harry and Ranma.
"Yes." Harry replied, casting a glance at the other two boys.
"Oh, this is Crabbe and Goyle." said the boy, noticing where he was looking. Ranma eyed them warily. "And I'm Draco Malfoy."
Ron gave a slight cough which may have been hiding a snigger. Draco shot an ugly look at him. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." He looked at Harry and then to Ranma. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." "Normally this guy would really make me mad, but he's actually amusing" Ranma thought, smirking slightly.
He held out his hand to Harry, who did not take it "I can pick out the wrong sort myself, thanks."
Draco's cheeks went slightly pink Ranma felt the atmosphere in the room chill distinctly. He narrowed his eyes warily at the boys. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you." While Ron and Harry sprang to their feet, Ranma and Ryoga sat calmly, their anger building up.
Behind Draco's mask- Ranma saw hurt and frustration. "Ah, I get it!" He thought, realizing "The jerks been taught certain ways to act to people and doesn't know why it didn't work on Harry. Maybe he's a pure-bred (pure-blood?) like Mom was talking about" While Ranma was thinking Ryoga had stood up, only to stop from attaking Draco by the look on Ranma's face.
"Ran-ma?" He asked and everyone turned to the pig-tailed martial artist.
"Get out Draco." He hissed, standing up "I get why your acting the way you are and I might forgive you and accept your friendship but that's only if you get. Out. Now." He ground out, standing to his full height and glaring.
"R-Right, You lot are crazy anyway. Crabbe! Goyle!" Draco snapped and practically ran out. Ron and Harry looked at him shocked while Ryoga looked impressed.
"How'd you do that!" Harry finally managed to say.
Ranma screwed his eyebrows together in confusion "Do what?"
"You practically had electricity shooting off of you mate! And the look on Malfoy's face!" Ron grinned from ear to ear.
"Where'd you learn that, Ranma!" Ryoga said, smiling slightly.
"I Dunno. I didn't even know I did it 'till just now." Ranma shrugged, sitting down. "Hey, Harry? Did you know that blonde before?"
Harry nodded "When I was in Madam Malkins he was in the back, We talked for a minute and I could tell right away that he was a great prat." Harry went on to explain in great detail what had happened.
"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."
Ryoga looked like he disagreed "Now wait just a minute! My Mum told me that the Malfoy's, even though they said they'd been bewitched, had good reason to. Apparently you-know-who had control over Lucius Malfoy, told 'em that he would kill Mrs. Malfoy if he didn't stay and she didn't join. Then Draco Malfoy was born and he had a higher thing over Lucius' actually had been bewitched into joining at first but had broken out of it."
"Hey, guys. It looks like we'll be there soon." Harry said after an awkward silence, looking out the window. It had become dark out and it looked as if the train was slowing down.
While they were getting dressed, something hit Ranma- they might not be in the same house, how would him and Ryoga search for a cure! "Hey, Ryoga." They lost boy looked up, his robes fitting him perfectly but were a little worn in a place or two, Ron's robes were a little short on him (you could see his sneakers), Harry's and his own robes looked brand new and fit them perfectly. "What are we gonna do about that thing if we don't get the same house."
Ryoga seemed to scowl, but Harry interupted "Well, let's make a pact. Even if we're all in each of the different houses, we'll still see each other at least once a week." Ron and Ryoga smiled while Ranma just grinned, they put their hands in the middle and lifted them up- all yelling different stuff (but the gesture was nice enough)
A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." Ranma was beginning to feel a bit nervous, looking around he noticed his compartment mates didn't seem a bit better. Ron was pale under his freckles, Harry looked like he was going to throw up, and Ryoga nearly got lost on his way to his way to his seat.
After a few moments of silence, Ranma noticed the corridor was filling with students. "I think we should join 'em." Ranma said, jerking his thumb at the corridor. The others agreed and followed him into the throng as the train slowed to a stop. Everyone pushed their way forward out of the door and onto a tiny, dark platform. Ranma got seperated from Ron and Harry making sure Ryoga didn't get lost (he nearly walked into a wall) A lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Ranma heard a gruff, deep, friendly voice calling out: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right, 'Arry?"
The big, hairy face of a man, the biggest man Ranma had ever seen, beamed over the heads of the students. He had a fierce, wild, shadowy face with beetle black eyes, and his mouth wore a kindly smile. "C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years? Mind yer step now! Firs' years follow me!"
"You know that man?" Ranma asked Harry after he had caught up to him.
"Yeah, his name's Hagrid. He's the Hogwarts grounds keeper and he's really cool." replied Harry.
They headed down a steep and narrow path, everyone but a select few who must have been martial artists (was that Ukyo, naw) and Hagrid slipping and stumbling as they walked. Thick trees lined the path. No one spoke much, though Neville sniffed once or twice.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his should, "jus 'round this bend here."
There was a loud "Ooooh!" The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Ranma laid eyes on the castle that his mother had talked so fondly of for the first time and felt awed, even at this distance.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of boats sitting in the water by the shore. Ranma stepped into one, dragging Ryoga behind him, and was followed by Ron and Harry.
Neville and Hermione set with a pair of identical twins with long, dark hair worn in a long plait and dusky complexions that reminded Ranma of the people of India.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles, Ranma lunged at Ryoga and saved him from walking straight into the ice cold water.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands."It was in his robes?" Ranma thought, chuckling slightly "Hermione did all that searching for nothing!" Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
Catch us next time in: Chapter four: Sorting
There are 12 chapters remaining in The Sorcerer's Stone!
Sorry that took so long. But don't worry, we'll try to update faster next time. I was just trying to work on my other story which will be updated soon (if my Mom skips our camping trip)
Don't forget to vote in the Poll for which House Ranma's in. Voting ends June 13th.
Thanks for all your support but could you please...Review? Sorry If it was OOC at the end, we were dead tired.
(if your wondering why the prince isn't adding stuff after me, he crashed out on my couch an hour ago) Love you all!