It took longer than it should have to post this update. =/ I got rather busy recently and never got the chance to finish it/edit it/post it. But here it is not.

It still jumps POV but I think that'll be for the best, anyway. Mostly from Arthur's POV but bits of Al's as well. Just cause there's so many characters.

When Arthur emerged from his dormitory the next morning, rubbing at tired eyes, he found Kiku looking at the message board. Wondering what was so interesting, he stepped up beside him and looked at the two notices present. One was a reminder that the riddle for entering the House changed every day. The other was asking if anyone had seen a shishi cub.

"A shishi cub? Is that allowed here?" asked Arthur, guessing that Kiku was the owner.

"I was given permission by the Kōchō," explained Kiku.

Arthur nodded and looked at the picture. It had been drawn, presumably by Kiku, and depicted what appeared to be a small puppy. A small mane of fur surrounded its head but, for all intents and purposes, it looked like a small dog. "You're a good artist," said Arthur.

"Arigatou, Arthur-san," said Kiku.

"If I see him, I will make sure to bring him to you," the Brit added.

Bowing his head, Kiku smiled at him. "Arigatou. He is precious to me."

Blushing, Arthur turned from the board. "I-I'm going to breakfast," he muttered and walked off. Behind him, he heard Kiku following. In the corridor, Kiku even lengthened his stride to catch up with Arthur. He found himself wondering if he had accidentally made a friend. But it's okay. He barely speaks: we won't miss each other if I have to leave.

In the Great Hall, they sat opposite each other at the breakfast table. Arthur had just poured himself some cereal when he heard someone shouting his name. He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his spoon. Ignoring who he thought it was, he dipped the spoon into the bowl.

"Artie!" exclaimed Alfred as he dropped down beside him. "Didn't you hear me shouting?"

"It was hard not to," sighed Arthur.

"Hey, Kiku!"

"Konnichiwa, Alfred-san. Try not to bother Arthur-san too much," said Kiku as he picked up a piece of toast.

"Why not?" asked Alfred.

"Because I'm trying to eat," said Arthur as calmly as possible. "Go back to your own table."

"No way!" said Alfred, reaching for some porridge. "I wanna try this stuff!"

"You've never had porridge?" asked Arthur.

"Nope!"

"Well, be careful. It's hot-" began Arthur but stopped as Alfred placed a spoon in his mouth. He halted and his eyes widened. "I did try to tell you..."

"Ish 'ot!" mumbled Alfred round his mouthful. Then he let the gooey mixture drop from his mouth and back into the bowl. Bits splashed out of it and Arthur leaned away, disgusted.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Arthur snapped, glaring at the boy.

"Sorry," said Alfred, grimacing.

The Ravenclaw only rolled his eyes and went back to eating. He had only taken a few mouthfuls before he felt someone sit on his other side. When he glanced round he was galled to see that it was Francis. "Tsk! What do you want?"

Francis put a hand to his heart. "So mean!" he complained. "Et I even got your timetable pour you et Kiku." He held out the two pieces of paper and Arthur took his. Glancing down at it, he saw that his first class was Charms. He grimaced. If he was asked to perform a charm, people would find out that he had no magic.

"What do you have?" asked Alfred, peering over Arthur's shoulder.

The Ravenclaw jerked away from the American. "It's none of your business!" he snapped.

"Aw, you've got Charms? No fair – I'm not in the same Potions or Charms class as you. I get Potions with the Slytherins first."

"Well, that's a relief," muttered Arthur. He was not looking forward to Alfred being in a class with him.

An owl's cry sounded overheard and everyone looked up. "Ah," said Francis. "The mail is here." Barn owls and snowy owls, little owls and tawny owls; owls of all shape, size and colour flooded into the room, swooping over the heads of the students. When they found their owners, they flew low, dropping parcels and letters. A lot of parcels landed at the Hufflepuff table – seemingly, Feliciano Vargas was quite forgetful or well loved.

"Wow," breathed Alfred. Arthur glanced round to find the young boy positively sparkling. He must be a Muggle-born if he's never seen this sort of thing before. He almost smiled, amused by this awe for such a daily occurrence. Then an owl swooped down to him and landed. The barn owl had a newspaper in its beak and Arthur relieved it of its burden before dropping a coin into its purse. It took off and Arthur unfolded the paper, ignoring Alfred's staring.

"You already have a newspaper subscription, cher? Should you not be focussing on your studies and having fun?" said Francis. He looked rather amused.

"I can keep up on things outside of Hogwarts, too, if I wish," replied Arthur, haughtily.

"Oui, oui," said Francis, waving his hand.

"Anything interesting?" asked Alfred, leaning towards Arthur again.

"Really, do you have nothing else to do but bother me?!" exclaimed Arthur.

"I'm not bothering you," said Alfred, looking upset. "I'm just talking to you."

Arthur deflated a little and sighed. "Well, I don't know. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, Alfred."

"Ah!"

"What?" asked Arthur, confused by Alfred's outburst.

"You said my name!"

Blushing, Arthur ignored the answer and looked down at the front of the newspaper. With a gasp, his eyes widened. Ignoring the inquiring looks on the other's faces, he cleared space on the table and spread it out. "Volante Stronach has disappeared!"

"Quoi?!" exclaimed Francis, leaning in.

"Who?" said Alfred, also leaning in.

Across the table, Kiku made a noise and leaned in as well.

Rolling his eyes, Arthur held up his hands. "I'll read it aloud if you get back," he said. The others immediately did so, listening intently.

Disappearance of Popular Quidditch Captain

Volante Stronach, 25, Quidditch Captain for the Montrose Magpies has been declared missing.

The Quidditch team's manager, Gary McLeod, was unable to reach the captain on Sunday morning. When McLeod arrived at her house, he found the door unlocked and no sign of the popular Quidditch player. Efforts to locate her have begun and readers are requested to report any sightings to the authorities.

"We're all right worried," says team-mate, Bria MacDonald, Chaser for the Montrose Magpies. "I mean, we have games comin' up. It's so unlike her to disappear like this when we need t'train. So what could've happened to her? We really hope she comes back soon."

Mrs. Stronach, Volante's mother, is very worried. "The Wizarding World has been much safer and quieter than the Muggle world in recent years. But to think that something like this can happen really frightens me. I just want my baby back safe and sound."

However, the Aurors are adamant that this is a one-off occurrence and the public need not worry. "We're not even sure if the Quidditch player had been abducted. Some of her things are missing so she may have gone on an unannounced trip. Maybe she eloped with her boyfriend or somethin'," says Auror Jack Campbell. "We ask the public to remain calm."

"Remain calm?" repeated Francis. "How can we remain calm when that beautiful woman has disappeared?" He gestured to the picture which accompanied the article. Volante's flowing blonde locks framed a rounded face. Her grin as she held aloft a cup lit up her face. Although her nose was a little crooked – from a Bludger in an earlier game – it only added to her charm.

"Well, maybe they're only targeting Quidditch players," muttered Arthur.

"Ah, do not say that, cher!" said Francis, a worried look on his face. "I might be targeted if that is the case!"

"You're trying out for the Quidditch team?" asked Arthur.

"Oui, mon ami. After all, is that not the romance of school?"

"What the heck are you talking about?"

Francis leaned towards Arthur, as though to impart a secret. However, before either could say or do anything, Kiku spoke up. "Arthur-san. We should go to our first class."

"Ah, yes," said Arthur, putting a hand between his and Francis faces. "Let's go," he added as he stood, grabbing the newspaper and his bag. Kiku stood as well and they walked off, Kiku pausing to bow. Arthur ignored the two he was leaving behind.

"Bye, Artie! See you later!" Alfred called after him. Arthur tried not to react.

In the Charms classroom, Arthur found himself sitting next to Kiku. He hadn't meant to but, somehow, it had just seemed like the natural thing to do. Had he become friends with Kiku now? He pulled his books and his quill out, trying not to look at his companion.

The professor entered and stood on the slightly elevated platform. He was impossibly tall with long shaggy hair. He had a kind look about him and smiled round at the students. "Hi," he said, his accent American. "I'm Professor Winchester. It's good to see so many new faces. We'll be starting off with Levitation Charms."

A muttering started between the students. Half of the class seemed to be excited with the prospect of learning one of the spells made famous by the Potter books. The rest were just as excited – their first lesson wouldn't be so boring.

"But, before we start getting our wands out, let's go over the theory of the spell." A lot of groans accompanied these words but the professor ignored them, turning to the board. He took out his wand and tapped the board. Words materialised slowly across it. "Please take notes."

Arthur soon found that most of what was appearing on the board were things he already knew. He had even taken notes from the books he had bought. Some students seemed surprised that the spell was not the same as the Hover Charm. Glancing round at Kiku, he found that the Japanese boy did not seem to be surprised either. Something else in common, Arthur realised.

"As you can see," said the professor towards the end of the lesson, "the Levitation Charm and Hover Charm are different. Can anyone explain why they're different?" Arthur and Kiku raised their hands. "Yes... Mr. Kirkland?"

"A Hover Charm is only a type of Levitation Charm, as is the Floating Charm and the Rocket Charm. Hover Charms only cause the item to hover whereas the original Levitation Charm causes items to fly," Arthur recited.

"Awesome," said Professor Winchester. "Ten points to Ravenclaw. Now, does anyone know the incantation of the Levitation Charm?" Once again, Arthur and Kiku raised their hands. "Mr. Honda?"

"Wingardium leviosa," Kiku said, quietly.

"Yep, that's right. Another ten points to Ravenclaw," said the Charms professor. "Now, I'm gonna hand out feathers and we'll try the spell on these."

Arthur's heart sank. He wouldn't be able to make the feather fly no matter what he did. And he was right next to Kiku – he would be laughed at for sure. "You can try first," he muttered to Kiku. His fellow Ravenclaw nodded in understanding and drew his wand from his robes.

"Now, for the best effects, you need to swish and flick your wands," explained the professor as he reached the front of the room again. He demonstrated and the class nodded. "Now, on you go."

Kiku raised his wand. "Wingardium leviosa," he said quietly, moving his wand as indicated. For a moment, the two Ravenclaw boys stared at the feather. Then Kiku frowned and poked at it with his wand.

"Maybe you said it too quickly?" suggested Arthur. Kiku tilted his head before nodding. He repeated the spell slower, moving his wand with a swish and flick. Clearly he had enunciated it better as the feather began to slowly rise upwards. Glancing at Kiku, Arthur could see him smile in relief.

"I said the feather, not your textbook!" exclaimed Professor Winchester suddenly. Arthur turned to look and only just managed to duck out of the way of a heavy book as it swooped overhead. Kiku also had to duck, their feather floating down to the floor.

Before anything else could happen, the bell rang and there was a scramble to gather bags and wands. Arthur sighed in relief – he hadn't needed to show his terrible magic skills.

After the Charms class, Arthur noted that they had lunch. That would mean having to put up with Alfred again. Deciding against eating for the moment, he glanced at Kiku as the class spilled into the corridor. The other Ravenclaw was also gazing at his timetable. Without speaking to him, Arthur turned and headed in the direction of the library: he remembered the way from a previous visit.

When he turned into the corridor the entrance was located on, he heard someone behind him. Surreptitiously looking over his shoulder, he found Kiku following him. Stopping, he turned to him. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Īe," said Kiku. "I thought we could..." He trailed off and blushed.

"Huh? We could what?" asked Arthur.

"Ē to... Where are you going?" asked Kiku.

"The library. I'm going to do some studying."

"Sōdesu ka... May I join you?"

"Um," said Arthur, glancing towards the door that was so close. He couldn't prevent him from entering the library. Neither could he dictate where he sat. Also, he didn't want to appear rude. He sighed. "I don't see why not. But I'm looking up something specific so please don't be surprised if I don't pay you any heed."

Alfred's first class had been rather strange. He had ended up being paired with a Slytherin boy called Ludwig. He was German and seemed to love cleanliness. So it seemed to vex him that Alfred wasn't particular about how tidy their bench was. He also didn't seem to appreciate the fact that Alfred rushed ahead and put in the porcupine quills before they had taken the cauldron off the fire.

They had been held back to tidy up and, now, Alfred was eager to get out of the gloomy dungeon. Ludwig also seemed to be impatient to be gone and he left so quickly that Alfred didn't get a chance to speak to him. He found himself wandering up the stairs back to the Entrance Hall alone.

Once there, he heard someone call his name. Turning, he found Francis, Gilbert and Antonio approaching him. "Hallo, Alfred," said Gilbert. "How was your first class?"

"Fun! I melted a cauldron!"

The trio laughed. "I should have expected as much," said Francis.

"What are you going to do with your lunchtime, amigo?" asked Antonio.

"I dunno. Ludwig disappeared pretty qui-" began Alfred but he stopped when he heard someone calling on the Slytherin boy who was at the entrance to the Great Hall.

"Ludwig, Ludwig!" called one of the Vargas brothers. The other trailed behind him, coming down the marble stairs. Alfred also spotted his brother. The Hufflepuffs' and Ravenclaws' class must have finished. Ludwig turned round just in time to catch the Italian as he threw himself into the German's arms.

"Hi, Al. How was Potions?" asked Matthew quietly.

"I melted a cauldron," said Alfred proudly. Matthew sighed. "Hey, where's Kiku? Isn't he in your Charms class?"

"Yeah. He followed Arthur somewhere."

"Really? Ha! My heroic plan of friendship is under way!"

"Uh... What do you mean?" asked Matthew, nervously.

"Well, I'm friends with Kiku. If Kiku makes friends with Artie, then I can hang out with him! Then he'll be my friend, right?"

Matthew gave him a worried look. "I don't think it'll be that simple..."

With a dull thump, Arthur dropped all the books he could find on Squibs on the table. When he saw Kiku looking, he told him that his cousin was a Squib and found it embarrassing. "I've told him that I'd help find a way to get his magic working," he added. Kiku nodded in understanding and didn't question further though Arthur felt he wanted to.

There really weren't many books, though, as Arthur had discovered. And there was even less useful information. The Society for the Support of Squibs interested him but he knew they had no way to help him with his magic. He sighed and closed the last book. Just as he was about to check the time, something moved in his field of vision. He glanced round to find Alfred hurrying to the table. The American slipped into the seat beside Kiku who looked up in surprise.

"Yo, Kiku!" he said, loudly. "How was your first class?"

"It was interesting," said Kiku.

"Really? What'd you do?"

"We learnt about the Levitation Charm."

"Oh?" breathed Alfred. "Show me, show me!"

Arthur rolled his eyes and was just considering leaving when he noticed Kiku was actually pulling out his wand. "Ah, hey! We're not allowed to do magic outside of classes."

Kiku paused and seemed about to put his wand away. Alfred grabbed his wrist, however, and pointed the wand at the pile of books in front of Arthur. "Aw, c'mon. We're helping the librarian if we put the books away, aren't we?"

"That's-"

"Wingardium leviosa." Kiku's wand swished through the air and the books lifted from the table. They flew through the air and headed towards the shelves Arthur had gotten them from. Arthur watched them go, feeling annoyed. Why couldn't he do that himself?

"Tsk," said Arthur as he rose.

"Hey, where are you going? I just got here!" said Alfred, getting up as well.

"I fear that I am not going to get any peace to study with you around," sighed Arthur as he turned from his fellow students. He stalked out of the library and headed to his next class.

Arthur found himself paired up with Kiku once again in a class he was relieved didn't involve much magic: Herbology. In fact, their first lesson was all about dittany, a plant which only required pruning. The professor also listed several uses which they had to copy into notebooks which soon became covered in compost.

The Brit particularly loved this class because he felt much more at ease. At home, he had his own garden as well, a little patch separate from the rest. He would often escape from the noise of the house and his brothers to work in the garden, lovingly raising flowers. Roses bloomed and foxgloves flowered. Arthur was very proud of his garden and his green fingers. Everyone was impressed with it.

After a few minutes of happily pruning the plants in front of him, Arthur glanced up. He found Kiku watching him, a pair of shears uselessly sitting in front of him. "Ah! Do you want to...?" He pushed the plant towards the quiet Ravenclaw.

Kiku shook his head. "You seem happy in this class," he said.

Arthur blushed but returned to his work.

Alfred was sulking in his Defence Against the Dark Arts class. They were doing some theory stuff that he wasn't interested in. But, mostly, he was sulking because Arthur had barely spoken to him in his break. It was so unfair. And he suspected that Kiku had probably spoken to Arthur more than him. He scuffed his shoes on the ground and pouted.

"You should pay attention to the class," muttered Ludwig who he had sat beside. "This is important information."

"I just wanna do the spells," moaned Alfred, not bothering to lower his voice. The professor faltered and glanced up at him. Alfred smiled back innocently. With a sigh, the professor continued what he had been talking about.

"You are disturbing everyone's education – Mund halten," whispered Ludwig even as he scribbled down his notes.

"Dude, I don't even know what that-" began Alfred.

"Jones!" snapped the professor, an irritated-looking man. "Don't make me stop again or I'll be taking points from you!"

"But-"

"And no talking back!"

Reluctantly, Alfred put his head down and quietly scrawled some notes down. However, they were illegible as he was thinking of how to solve his friend-making problem. Towards the end of the lesson, he wrote some words which had nothing to do with the lesson:

Do something so awesome he'll have to be friends with me.

Arthur successfully avoided Alfred at dinner. There were so many students packed into the hall that it was impossible for the American to appear next to him. Instead, Arthur found himself between Kiku and Yao with Francis and Lovino across from him. He felt as though he had been cornered.

"What is that you are eating, aru?" asked the Chinaman, his nose turned up.

The Brit sighed. "It's fish. And chips. Surely you've seen it before?"

"Shì. I just did not think anyone would ever eat it, aru."

"Tsk! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Now, cher. Do not be like that. We are worried for your health," said Francis. "If not your tastebuds."

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

The Frenchman only grinned back at him. "So, Yao. How was your first day at school, chéri?"

"Busy, aru. They certainly like to throw you in the deep end, aru."

Thankful that he was no longer involved in the conversation, Arthur tuned them out. It was a useful tactic he had learned from ignoring Peter who normally couldn't leave him alone. Turning his attention to his food, Arthur ate quickly. If he finished faster, he could get away faster. Then he could hide in the library before going to bed.

However, he was brought back to the conversation when his name was mentioned. "Et Kiku... How was you et Arthur's day?"

"Yoi," answered Kiku with a smile. "Arthur-san is really talented with plants."

"Ah?!" Arthur managed as he blushed.

"Vraiment?" said Francis, sounding impressed. Arthur avoided eye contact. "Do you grow plants or flowers, cher?"

"Huh? Oh, um... Anything I can get my hands on..." muttered Arthur, even as he hurriedly reached for some dessert. "Why are you so interested?"

Before Francis could do more than open his mouth to speak, the white-haired boy from before appeared and flung his arms around the Frenchman. "Yo, Francis! What are you doing here? Antonio and I are over at the Slytherin table – come eat with us!"

"Ah? Oui!" said Francis with a grin. He rose from his place but paused as he gazed at Arthur. "Perhaps we will continue this conversation at a later date."

"I wouldn't count on it!" snapped Arthur, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Just leave me alone!"

Francis only shrugged and followed the boy to the other table. He and Antonio seemed to be in the middle of bothering Ludwig who was blushing and looking as unamused as Arthur felt when talking to them. Although he felt rather sorry for the boy, he hurriedly finished his dessert and got up. "I'm going now, Kiku," he told the boy politely. "So, if you'll excuse me." Kiku bowed his head and Arthur nodded back before he left.

When Alfred bumped into Kiku later, he looked round for Arthur, presuming he would be with the Ravenclaw. Not seeing him, he frowned and returned his attention to the Japanese boy. "Hey, Kiku. Where's Arthur?"

"I am unsure, Alfred-san. He may be in the common room. Or he could be in the library."

"Oh, well, I'll check the library! Thanks, Kiku!" And with that, he rushed off, leaving a bemused Kiku behind. He hurried through different corridors and finally found the one with the huge library. Grinning he rushed in and was immediately hushed by the librarian. He grimaced in apology and scanned the room. The sheer volume of books here still amazed him. His eyes sparkled as he looked at row upon row of shelves and breathed in the smell of leather and paper. Books may not be his speciality but he could see why bookish Arthur loved it here.

Moving through the rows, it wasn't long before he found the lone Brit. His back was to Alfred and he was poring over a book, taking notes. Sneaking up behind the Ravenclaw, Alfred leaned over and spoke to him in his ear, as quietly as he could so as not to disturb the librarian again. "What are you up to?"

Arthur gave a strangled cry and twisted in his seat. Alfred grinned at his surprise and slipped into the seat next to him. "What the hell?!" hissed Arthur. Alfred could hear his heavy breathing.

Alfred shrugged. "I was looking for you. What're you doing? Studying?"

"I have a paper to write for Charms," explained the grudging Arthur.

"And you're working on it already?" asked an impressed Alfred. "I have work to do for the Dark Arts class but I haven't even glanced at it yet!"

"Well, perhaps you should consider starting it," said Arthur, returning to his work.

"But it's boring! Besides, after being in class all day, I wanna have some fun! Let's go-!"

"No," said Arthur, shortly, taking another note from his textbook.

"But-"

"No."

"Just-"

"If you're not needing any books, you should leave the library."

Pouting, Alfred turned to look at the nearest shelf. He pulled an interesting looking volume with the leather binding covered in pictures. They all moved: the mother cradled her baby; the men laughed over a pint of ale; children ran across it, playing. He placed it on the table and opened it, wondering what was in it. Immediately, he regretted it as several different pictures started to tell him their stories. A glance at Arthur let him know that this noise was not appreciated. "Sorry," he muttered as he closed the book.

Arthur sighed. "This is going to be a long evening..." he said to himself.

When Arthur finished taking his notes, he decided it was high time to get to the common room before he got into trouble. He closed his textbook and stretched. Alfred jolted beside him: he seemed to have been dozing off as he stared at a complicated book. Arthur smirked as he stood, happy to have frightened the other boy.

Alfred looked at him blearily. "Whasup?" he asked.

"I'm going now," explained Arthur as he gathered his things.

"Huh..." mumbled Alfred, rubbing at his eyes.

"Come on or you'll get in trouble for being out of bed," said Arthur, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Alfred got up and groggily followed him. On his way out, Arthur remembered to thank the librarian.

In the corridors, students and teachers were passing by, each on their way to bed. Arthur started to make his way to his House's common room. However, once he realised that the sleepy Alfred was following him, he changed direction. Since the American was still following, he decided to confuse him as well as lose him. Finding a tapestry hiding a passage, he darted behind it and ended up on a different floor. Alfred was still following, however, so he stopped and sighed. "Why are you following me?" he demanded.

"Um..." said Alfred, blinking. "I'm a little lost..." he admitted, looking sheepish.

Sighing, Arthur shook his head. "Fine. I'll get you back to the Entrance Hall."

Alfred beamed at Arthur. "Thanks, dude! You're a great friend!"

"I'm not your friend," grumbled Arthur.

"Aw, c'mon," repeated Alfred. "Why don't you be my friend?"

"Won't," corrected Arthur.

"Huh?"

"It's 'Why won't you be my friend?' not 'don't'."

"Whatever. Are you gonna answer?"

"No," replied Arthur with another sigh as they passed by more people. Alfred fell silent and Arthur looked away from him. Some more people passed by, including a woman. Her blonde hair bounced behind her and, out of the corner of his eye, Arthur realised she was beautiful. Even with her crooked nose, he knew that men would like her appearance.

It was only a little crooked, her nose.

Exactly like Volante Stronach.

Arthur spun round to look at her better. However, the corridor behind them was empty. The only things there were the doors and a statue of Gunhilda of Gorsemoor. He stared at the empty place, frowning.

"Artie?"

The Englishman looked round at Alfred. The boy appeared to be worrying. "It's... I thought I saw someone I knew..." said Arthur hesitantly. "Let's just get going," he added, stalking off.

A shishi is actually a Japanese mythical creature. It's usually a lot bigger than I described and looks more ferocious but I thought that was a bit big to have as a pet in Hogwarts.

"Mund halten" basically means "keep quiet" or "keep your mouth shut".

"Yoi" (said by Kiku) means "good".

Alfred would be good at Potions if he didn't rush ahead. Arthur's just going to be disastrous.

I think everything else is self-explanatory. If there's any questions, let me know.