Konata Verdent and Blaze Alexanders experienced the hands down best summer vacation of their lives. Konata only had a handful of friends at her Muggle school, but she wasn't terribly close to them and didn't see them often over the break. Blaze had been a loner at her school, and only returned home to be threatened- and sometimes physically abused- by her father, so that she could go to bed every night with a girl she could truly call a friend and two humans that acted as her parents felt like a miracle.
They never got to visit Shiro due to the distance between their homes, but they wrote each other at least twice a week, every week. In about every letter Shiro sent, he mentioned Satoshi having a new girlfriend. He didn't take too fondly to any of them, for he and Satoshi only demonstrated a brotherly relationship when they weren't around. In the last letter he sent, however, he said he had a surprise for them and was talking quite lowly about his elder brother.
Blaze celebrated her 12th birthday on July 28th, and for the first time since her mom died, she awoke to the words "Happy birthday!" and received a cake. Mr. and Mrs. Verdent gave her the option of doing whatever she wanted, so they spent the day at the ocean.
During the last week of August, they took a trip down to Diagon Alley. As they picked up the textbooks they needed, they discussed what they thought the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor ("They must be awfully fond of this Gilderoy Lockhart fellow, he's the author of ALL our required books!") would be like, since Professor Quirrell had died "under unknown circumstances." They ate some ice cream and talked, then headed home in high spirits.
The girls awoke eagerly on September first; even Tar and Xalia seemed to be excited. Konata's parents drove them down to King's Cross, about 20 times more nervous than Konata or Blaze.
"Would you look around you? We're getting all these weird stares, honey," Mr. Verdent muttered. Konata shrugged, continuing to push her cart with a spring in her step. This year, she'd decided to replace her pigtails with a single side-ponytail.
"So what? They probably just think we're some nerds going to an anime convention or something," Konata remarked. Her dad, a man with windblown black hair and thin-rimmed glasses, bit his lip and proceeded on without a verbal complaint. In his head, on the other hand…
"Oi! Here's the column!" Konata suddenly called out. Blaze scoped the area to make sure no Muggles were looking, then turned to face Konata's parents. "I thank you for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Verdent. This was the best summer of my life thanks to you. See you later!"
"Wait, Blaze, what are you-" Before Konata's mom could finish, Blaze disappeared through the column. Konata spun around, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm sorry you guys, but Muggles can't come through. I love you!" She hugged both her parents tight around the waist; they hugged her back.
Eyes watering, Konata's mom kissed her head and whispered, "You be good now. Keep your head high and out of trouble, get good grades, maybe meet new friends… And don't forget to write us."
"Yes, Mum. Now c'mon, you're gonna create a scene, and I gotta go!" Without further ado, Konata gripped the bar of her cart and dashed through the column. The sight, sounds, and atmosphere that greeted her were the same as last year, but the feelings bubbling up inside her were quite different.
It didn't take her long to find Blaze, since she had waited for her. They started walking toward the train, too excited to speak, when Konata felt two hands cover her eyes. "Give me a hug and nobody gets hurt," a very familiar masculine voice whispered in her ear. With a squeak, Konata immediately pried the person's fingers off her eyes and turned around to wrap her arms around them.
"Shiro! It's great to see you!" she and Blaze exclaimed in unison. Shiro took a step back to make room for Blaze to hug him as well, and smiled. "You too. I've missed you so much!"
After a few long seconds, he released them and looked them both up and down. "Oh, wow, the months have been good to you girls, huh? I see you're growing your hair out, Blaze, it looks good on you. And have you grown a few inches, Konata?"
Konata nodded animatedly, standing on her tip-toes. "Uh huh! I grew 3 whole inches taller over the summer!"
Shiro put on his creepiest smile and said in a seductive tone, "Oh, I wasn't talking about your height."
Blaze snickered as Konata's face grew crimson. Her hands instinctively flew to her chest, as if someone had just ripped her shirt off. Shiro laughed, ruffling her hair.
"Kidding, kidding! I like the new hairstyle, by the way."
Still quite dazed, Konata just gave a small nod and a squeak that could have been interpreted as a "thank you."
"So, in your last letter, you said you had a surprise?" Blaze reminded him. Konata's face returned to its normal complexion as Shiro nodded and smiled.
"Ah, right! Come here, I'll show you." Fetching their carts, the girls followed him. He led them to a group of 7 people, one of which they knew. "I don't think I've introduced you to all of my family, have I? Here are my little sisters…" He motioned with his hand to 3 girls, one with curly, golden-reddish-brown hair that fell down to her shoulders, a shorter one with straight short hair that was a light shade of brown, and a little one with black hair pulled into two unruly high pigtails. "Sakura starts Hogwarts next year, but Sana still has 2 years to go. Satoko is almost 6. This is my only little brother, Sakito: Satoko's twin," Shiro explained. Konata and Blaze nodded, their shock at learning what a large family Shiro had returning to them.
"And, these are my parents," Shiro concluded. Mrs. Ueda, who was holding something wrapped in a sheet, nodded and said "It's a pleasure to meet you, dears." Mr. Ueda, on the other hand, grinned mischievously and took a step forward.
"Ah, so these are the two candidates for Shiro's wives!" he exclaimed. Konata's face flushed; Blaze seemed unfazed.
"Shut UP, Dad! I've explained to you COUNTLESS times that they're no more than my friends," Shiro groaned. Mr. Ueda laughed, ruffling Shiro's hair. He looked at Konata and Blaze, kindness replacing the playfulness flickering in his eyes. "It's an honor to meet you girls. Shiro's told me so much about you, I'm glad he managed to make some friends."
"Now then, before the train arrives, I should show you my surprise," Shiro suddenly said. He walked over to his mother, taking the lumpy sheet out of her arms. Konata tilted her head curiously, then she and Blaze both gasped a little when a voice squeaked sleepily, "Me was having happiest dream of dreams, me was! Kind Master Shiro did not do the leavings, oh no! He stayed with Opey forever and ever…"
"I'm sorry bud, but I have to go. When you get stronger, you can always visit me," Shiro told whatever had spoken. He pulled down the sheet to reveal one of the most peculiar creatures Konata and Blaze had ever laid eyes on. It had bat-like ears that appeared too big in comparison to its head, and only a few strands of hair on its head. It had a face sort of like a pug's, except its nose was surprisingly human-like and it had large, adorable hazel eyes. The creature was about the size of a human toddler.
"I think I've read about those things… Is that a house elf?" Blaze asked, her eyes locked on the strange little creature.
Shiro nodded, his expression matching that of a man who had just become a father. "Mum found him in terrible condition in the forest next to our house. She, Sakura and I are helping to nurse the little guy back to health… He says his name is Opey," he explained in an affectionate tone.
"More like Dopey. Damn thing can't do squat," Satoshi muttered, throwing a bitter glare at the elf. Shiro ignored the comment.
"We're probably going to keep him, but not use him as a slave or servant… I won't be doing that, at least. I'll treat him as family," he told the girls, snuggling the elf into his chest.
"Like he'd be good for doing any work anyway."
"Oh shut up, Satoshi!" Shiro gently handed Opey back to his mother as the scarlet Hogwarts Express train rolled into view. "Be good," Shiro told him, patting his head. He said his good-byes and gave his hugs, then turned to Blaze and Konata.
"Well, that's enough standing around. Let's get going!" The girls loaded their luggage onto the train, had a brief conversation about the school with Shiro's parents, and then searched for an empty compartment. However, it seemed that in the time spent talking to Mr. and Mrs. Ueda, a majority of the other students had settled themselves on the train. The trio stumbled upon a booth that was empty except for one girl. She had long, straggly blonde hair and wore a rather peculiar necklace consisting of bottle caps. She was lost in a book entitled The History of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, and gave off an aura of dottiness.
"Would you mind if we shared this booth with you?" Blaze inquired, despite Shiro's silent motioning for her to move on. The girl looked up slowly, almost like she was in a trance.
"Oh, yes. That would be lovely." Shiro and Blaze made for the seat across from her; Konata hesitantly sat beside the girl.
"It's alright, I don't bite," the girl told her. Her voice was rather high in pitch and had an in-the-clouds feel to it.
"Yes, of course, I'm sorry. My name is Konata Verdent. I don't believe I've seen you here before."
The girl closed her book and marked her page with what appeared to be very eccentric sunglasses. "Yes, I am a first year. My name is Luna Lovegood. It's so wonderful to meet you. Are you a second year?"
"Oh, yes, all three of us are. These are my friends Blaze Alexanders and Shiro Ueda," Konata answered.
"Nice to meet you," they both said. Blaze spoke with a friendly tone, but Shiro spoke softly like he was distracted or deep in thought.
It was silent for a few moments, Luna's anticipating smile giving the compartment an awkward atmosphere. Konata decided to break the quiet. "I like your earrings… Are those, um, radishes that they're made out of?"
"Yes, they are, thank you. I like your ponytail," Luna replied in the same type of voice she'd spoken in the whole time.
As they got closer to the castle, the girls decided it was time to change into their robes. They felt a bit uncomfortable changing with Luna in the room, though she didn't seem to mind at all. Shiro had slipped into Draco's neighboring compartment to change. He returned to see Luna stroking Mischief and murmuring incomprehensibly to her.
Soon enough, Hogwarts castle came into view. Luna pressed her hand against the window, smiling dreamily. "My, it'd grand."
"Oh, it gets better," Shiro assured her with a smile as wide as the ocean. Persuading Mischief into her carrier, Shiro stood up straight and declared, "Hogwarts, here we come!"