All warnings were given first chapter… please refer to it!

The Crow
(First Arc: The witch from another world)
(Part 05)

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Violet learned a lot more things about Clow Reed during the dinner than she had that first night.

It's been a week since then.

He's apparently extremely famous and revered in magical societies. 'Another thing we have in common. Only, he's famous for something he did while I was a scapegoat…'

Magical society in this world is composed by Families. 'Nothing new here too… except that in this world there wasn't a Hogwarts to unify the enclaves, and the families and clans remained isolated'

When the founders unified and created Hogwarts, they did so with the intention of better teaching the magical arts in a more organized way. By dividing the particular subjects and lecturing on them separately, following the existing masteries – It worked in a similar way to a master/apprentice contract where Hogwarts students would optimistically graduate at least a journeyman in their field.

'Magic here is taught by masters and is jealously kept by each family… someone like Clow who is open to teaching students must be very treasured'

Indeed. Everyone wants a piece of Clow Reed's legacy because he's debatably the most powerful sorcerer of all times, with far reaching sight and prescience, aside from elemental control and an intelligence that could cross the very stars.

'And he's taken me under his wings. Why?' It's just a small measure of suspicious. Violet manages to fall right in this man's arms. It's no coincidence. 'He's said he pulled me out of the storm. Does that mean anything?' Her true knowledge of sorcery is lamentably lacking.

'Oh… that is another thing' Magical fields also worked a little differently here.

While Violet could say she's relatively good at witchcraft - the art of potion making, divination and herbology – she could also claim titles of adept sorceress – for elemental magic in the form of spells, crude as the elemental wand spells were if compared to what could be reached with true mastery and a staff – and aspiring wizard, for her knowledge of transfiguration and charm work – like warding and enchanting.

'What makes a witch and a wizard? In this world they work separately… I can claim to be a witch who also practices wizardry and sorcery' She hesitantly concluded 'would it be too much outside the norm? Clow is a sorcerer who knows wizardry, witchcraft and battle magic'

Clow Reed is a master sorcerer, an elemental mage that also knew the subtler arts of wizardry and a little of witchcraft. His title as the most powerful also came from his acquired alchemy knowledge gathered through his ample interest in many areas of study – for everything he is, Clow Reed is also the most feared.

'Where did all this thirst for knowledge came?' She inwardly wondered.

Violet could understand that though.

Appreciate it even.

It is something that drove her in the beginning, when she was first introduced to magic and just wanted to fit in. 'But Ron never demonstrated even the slight interest in learning, and he was a prime example of a wizard raised boy… if he could fit in with horrible scraping by, so could I… I'm sorry Hermione – for all your eagerness, guess even I was also a little judgmental because you're muggleborn'

And then things came to this… Clow's thirst for power.

He didn't tell her much about his past yet, but what she's managed to gleam from the scattered gossip between both servants and students, his past wasn't the brightest around. Violet could also wholeheartedly relate to that, if anything. 'A whole lot of parallels, really'

And Clow's power is frightening.

'Love and hate. People love and hate they do, or love to hate and hate to love. I'm used to that, aren't I?' Magic yielding clans and families hounded the sorcerer like dogs slobbering over a juice slab of meat – they coveted his might and feared it, feared that he'd go to another family and they'd rise above everyone else.

Not just that. Power is dangerous. Too much power is deadly.

To appease those families that he wasn't about to go on a rampage and go world conquering any time soon, the master sorcerer dubbed as a teacher. Which means his house is filled with adepts from magical lines seeking his ample knowledge and his study ethics – he didn't sit in a classroom all day, but he did hold workshops and guided the apprentices' studies.

The green eyed witch sat back on the chair she's claimed in Clow's personal study to think about what happened this past week as she waited for her master to make an appearance.

'Funny how that happened…'

…

Violet could say with only a modicum of shame that the day after her arrival in this world was spent locked in her room brooding over everything.

'There's that old quote my first grade teacher said in the waiting room, when no one was there to hear but me, who was hiding from Duddley in a cupboard' She'd muse nostalgically. "'I feel always feel Happy. Know why? Because I expect nothing from no one. The only problem you can't solve is death. Life is short, so love it! Live intensely with no regrets'" Ironically, that teacher resigned from the school and no one ever heard from her again.

Because the short child that she was back then had nothing to her name, felt hated by her family and managed to grasp what life in a small community meant: The horrible gossip aunt Petuna spread would ensure the little girl had no friends.

'So much for missing home… I think I will start losing my mind when I miss the Dursleys'

Not ever. No.

Violet just laid curled on her bed, nestling under the covers and hiding from the world – she could have pretended that she was back at Hogwarts, but the comforting smells she's come to associate with her beloved school were all wrong.

'There isn't the strange scent coming from the forbidden forest, or the wet biting smell from the black lake. There are no sounds of my roommates or their pets, no tiny rustles from the house-elves'

It was all so very wrong.

At least Clow Reed was making sure she was still alive.

The manor' servants knocked on her door a couple of times that morning, but when the witch replied with a barely heard grunt and they'd leave her alone for the next hour or so.

They were respecting her privacy, Violet acknowledged that, and was also thankful she was giving the time for herself. 'What can I do? Will I be able to go back home?' thoughts that sent her spiraling into depression – so Violet had to endure the onslaught of negative feelings and rise above them.

'You are a survivor Violet, do as survivors do'

By noon, there weren't many tears to cry anymore. And Violet was honestly tired of feeling sorry for herself. 'What use there is?' She mused, rubbing her aching, swollen eyes. 'It still hurts, will hurt for a while until I manage to go back' But there's nothing stopping her from enjoying this adventure.

'Yes. Let's call this an adventure! Clow is a sorcerer; he also offered to teach me… If I don't take this opportunity Hermione will be so disappointed!' Were the thoughts that Violet violently planted in her mind so she wouldn't fold into depression.

Maybe there are such things as the stages of grief.

Being positive and looking for a silver lining never worked for her before, but hey! It worked for Dumbledore plenty of times! 'If I give one more chance. If I stand up and fight just once more, maybe it will make a difference this time' What was the deffinition of insanity again?

So Violet took the rest of the day to mourn and brood, but by the third day of her arrival here, she had a new purpose. 'Learn, live and thrive. When the time comes that I'm certain of the price to pay for going home, I will do it'

'No matter what' She promised herself.

The third day started with the young woman requesting a meeting with Clow Reed.

"I am glad to see you're faring better Miss Potter" He regarded her with a warmth that sent tingles down Violet's back.

How come he treated her so highly? Compared to him she was but an inexperienced child – he has that Dumbledore-ish aura of power that set him above the rest, even the best of them. Plus none of the wrinkles...

'It's too soon to think about that...'

"I had time to think about stuff" Her shoulder went up in a shrug. She was given a spare change of clothes after her first day when she had a bath – 'Used to bathtubs, but the ornate bathroom and the servant waiting for me was a little… off putting'. The servant doesn't wait for Violet anymore after her protests though.

"What can I do for you, then?" Green met deep blue. His eyes were still mysterious and as pretty as when she first woke up here. His tall, slender form seemingly filled a space larger than it occupied as he lounged on his office chair.

Violet didn't hesitate. She's learned by now that Clow Reed's unexplainable charitable streak when concerning her was wide. "If I am to stay here, I'm going to need some more clothes, toiletries and other…supplies"

"Of course Miss Potter" Clow smiled cheerfully "How would you like to visit town for the morning? You can pick whatever you need there"

"Yeah, that sounds nice" She nodded "I'd also like a wand, if it's possible"

"It is" The seemingly ethereal sorcerer nodded once, though he looked conflicted for a moment "It might take a while to procure a wand maker willing to make a wand for you, or teach us how to do it… should you be willing to wait for longer, I will look into it"

Not understanding why procuring a wand was so troublesome 'Aren't they supposed to be common tools?' Violet could only blink in exasperation. She hated being wandless. It translated to being defenseless quite too easily.

"Why?" Clow looked at her with bewilderment written all over his eyes. Violet cleared her throat awkwardly. "I mean, why is it so hard to get me a wand?"

The sorcerer smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes "You will come to learn, Miss Potter, that magicians guard their craft like dragons guard treasure"

"Oh…"

'Is this how Alice felt when she first stepped into wonderland?' The green eyed witch thought mulishly, honestly frustrated. 'Everything seem the same, but magic is completely different… at least they still have dragons here'

Her host spared Violet a look filled with foreign emotion – fingers twitching under the sleeves of his robes. She didn't notice, staring at the tiled floor and sinking into a bad mood.

"Call for the carriage, Miss Potter and I are going to town" Clow called for John - who was dutifully waiting outside, letting Violet to awkwardly scuffle her foot on the ground. She's still wearing her old sneakers, thankful that they are easily hidden under her skirts. "Just a few minutes, my dear" He turned to the witch, offering a hand and a grin.

'I can't even say anything about the 'my dear' of his!' Violet thought indignantly. 'Not when he's already being so nice… oh, Merlin's wrinkled knee!'

"Not yours anything" She mumbled under her breath, shaking her head.

…

Accepting the hand, Violet let the older man guide her through the manor until they reached a foyer that she hadn't visited before –having gone only from her room to Clow's quarters.

As their skin made contact, a shockingly warm feeling blossomed inside her chest. Their bond thrummed satisfied, his ethereal, jubilant laugher echoed in the ether. The witch couldn't tell what was going on, but she sure as heck felt.

'What is the meaning of this? This tingle beneath my skin must be magic, but why is it reaching out so much?' the dreams came suddenly to mind. Violet's cheeks burned until the heat spread and her whole head was red. 'Those bloody dreams! How can I look Clow in the eyes having those… dreams in my head?'

'Later Violet. Think about these things when you're not holding his hand'

The large entrance room was large and spacious, with tall, open windows that were doing a good job in letting warm, soft morning sunlight in. There was a brilliant iron wroth chandelier up the arched roof, and delicate, beautiful drawings of clouds all over the overhead plastering – reminding Violet of Hogwarts, even though these aren't charmed. The front door was grand and intricately decorated, a gold motif depicting a sun and a moon hung on the far wall, where a robust staircase led to a second and third floor.

The pair of magic wielding people came from said staircase, Violet holding onto the elbow of her guide and protector as he led her down the steps.

They also weren't alone.

"Excuse us teacher, but who is this?" Violet peeked from Clow' side as a group of young men and women circled around them.

The boy who spoke was handsome, with curly brown hair, deep eyes and an olive complexion that spoke of his Spanish origins. There was a cold calculating glint in his dark eyes as he regarded Violet's proximity to Clow.

'If Zack Smith had a Spanish twin I'm sure their sneers wouldn't look more similar'

Aside from him, the ones who caught Violet's attention most were a pretty Asian woman – her features seemed a lot like Cho's, so Violet guessed a Chinese origin, a blonde, blue eyed girl who was a couple of years older than the green eyed witch and a young looking boy with strawberry blond colored hair and green eyes.

These were Clow' students, each dressed in conservative clothes but not the robes she's always seeing the master sorcerer wear – not even his house's colors.

'I will be joining them, it seems' Violet thought, fighting down the urge to fidget when Clow turned around so she'd be more visible to the crowd. Then she realized something that sent a jolt of ice down her stomach 'There is something wrong' the witch fretted, widening her attention.

"Why, this is my new apprentice" The smile on his face was impish. Violet realized he is having fun then, and by looking at the frustrated glares she received, she could understand why. He likes messing up with them! "Miss Potter, allow me to introduce you to my students. This is Eduardo Del Parole, he specializes in elemental magic. That one is Lady Charlotte Dubois, her family is quite well known for their forays in rituals and thaumaturgy. The dark haired lady is Xiao Ling Li, adept spell crafter and battle-mage, and this young man is Edgar Manson, alchemy prodigy"

And isn't that an information dump! 'Why don't they try to meet Clow Reed's eyes?'

Violet smiled tentatively at the four, noting right away those who fell into the belligerent category and those who she'd try to get along with. The recurring theme in the eyes she received was dislike at best, though. Not encouraging in the least.

The Chinese girl, Xiao Ling Li, was sending quite the impressive glare. The same derisive glint in her steely black eyes that Violet could see in Draco Malfoy's eyes back in the first train ride to Hogwarts. 'That is one blood supremacy jerk or is she just stuck up?'

"Hello, my name is Violet Potter. Nice to meet you" The witch offered with a slight curtsy as it's often done in the Enclaves still stubbornly fixated in the medieval era. She hoped it would be acceptable in Victorian England all the same.

Unbidden, a memory came to mind.

...

"Miss Potter, at the reception of the Yule ball, you should curtsy to your partner like so – no, not so abruptly, flow with the movement like this" The elder witch demonstrated one more time. On the side where the other girls were practicing, Violet could hear their giggles. Hermione shared a commiserating look, but her parents had obviously paid for a couple of etiquette lessons.

"Yes professor McGonagall"

...

Violet squashed it down before more unpleasant memories surfaced.

The blonde girl, Charlotte Dubois the ritualist, approached with a nice and open grin splattered on her face. That effectively sheared Violet from her memories for good.

'Why don't I trust that smile?' The witch wondered, imagining absently that maybe a shark smiled like that to its food.

Her blue eyes were clear and friendly, a lot lighter than Clow's midnight colored ones, and closer in shade to a warm summer sky. "Nice to meet you! My name is Charlotte, please, no Miss Dubois, I get that enough from teacher and the others" She greeted enthusiastically. The other male students all rolled their eyes, while the other female hid her distaste better. "This will be my third month here! Oh! It is so nice to have another girl to talk to"

"Miss Dubois, I'm sure that teacher and Miss Potter were going somewhere before we inconvenienced them" Xiao Ling Li cut off Charlotte's babble. "Right teacher?" She turned large, hopeful eyes toward Clow. Her nicely sculpted face and exotic features really working for her innocent acting.

Violet felt a lump in her chest.

'She might be smiling, but I bet she's plotting something' her experience in dealing with unreasonable people in general was telling.

Clow simply nodded once, tightening his hold on Violet's arm and sending a deep wave of hang in there that had the green eyed witch almost stumble.

"Indeed Miss Li, Miss Potter and I are on our way to Cambridge. You should resume your studies" His smooth voice was a balm. Li's face darkened for a moment, a flash going through her eyes too quick for Violet to discern its meaning.

The sorcerer just stared down at her, in that placid, calm and collected manner.

"Of course teacher" The Chinese battle mage bade a hasty retreat when under Clow's undivided scrutiny, making Violet finally understand what the weird vide she felt from the four.

Fear.

'They ask for his teachings, they are undoubtly attracted by his power, and yet they fear him with the rightfulness of their families'

…

Shaded eyes glaring at her from all corners as she passed through the corridors. They were scared of what she's capable of. They want her to fight their battles. She wanted to fight their battles so she could prove she was not evil. That time when she was but twelve and vilified for the fact she could understand and talk to snakes had nothing on this permeating hatred/hope that now followed Violet everywhere.

…

'Pay attention Violet'

"Let us depart Miss Potter" Clow spoke, and before she knew it they were on their way out.

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TBC~