I'm back! Thanks for the reviews! Sorry about the shotty work on the last three chapters. I ended up staying a little longer than planed and put them up without proper editing. I wanted to get more of the story out but I ended up looking like an idiot. Ugh, that's the last time I'm doing that. Also, I'm dropping the STAB acronym, not as good as I thought. Anyway, I redid the last three chapters, and filled a few plotholes for all four. All for now. Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Another Scar

The rushing sensation lasted only for a moment before Nanoha found herself stumbling out into an ancient looking pub, very disheveled and absolutely filthy.

"Kuso," she cursed under her breath, coughing up the soot out of her lungs. She was grateful that the crowd was too preoccupied with what appeared to be a small giant, greeting him with words like, 'It's an honor,' and 'Welcome back,' to notice her disheveled state or even arrival. "What a stupid way to travel," she muttered in Japanese when she could talk again, brushing her clothes off, "Whoever came up with that was an absolute baka! That teleport got soot all over my uniform! Our Dimensional Transfer is much better"

Switching to telepathy as she undid her pigtails and tried to smooth out her hair, regretting that she couldn't use magic to clean herself since it would attract too much attention, she sent, "Raging heart, got a report yet?"

"This method uses much less energy and spans the entire world Master," Raging Heart reported, "but it appears to be limited to some sort of network, and thus in destinations. I have compiled a map of the network for later use"

"Arigato." Nanoha then burst into laughter as the fireplace roared and Fate stumbled into view, looking very undignified in her dirty clothes and hair, coughing up soot. "What a stupid way to teleport," she remarked in Japanese as she brushed off her clothes and tried to comb out her waist-length, now dirty blonde hair, "and don't laugh at me like that Nanoha," she scowled playfully, "You're in the same boat you know."

"I know," Nanoha laughed as Dumbledore entered the room through the fire, "but you appear so ridiculous."

"Ah," Dumbledore said, "you made it alright. No trouble I trust?"

Nanoha switched to English. "No, but they really need to cut down on the soot." She waved a mournful hand at her clothes.

"Allow me." He waved his wand and a moment later their appearances were spotless. Dumbledore then noticed the giant. "Ah Hagrid. It appears we are just in time."

The hairy man turned toward them, and, unfortunately for Nanoha, so did the crowd.

"Good Heavens!," someone said, "Miss. Takamachi's here too!"

Fate stood protectively in front of Nanoha as the crowd rushed toward them.

"STOP," Dumbledore bellowed, freezing the crowd in their tracks. A moment later he said, much more calmly, "There is no more to see."

Dumbledore was obviously well respected because the crowd immediately dispersed, going to their respective tables, though a few still threw furtive glances at Nanoha. It wasn't until the crowd had thinned that Nanoha and Fate noticed the young boy next to Hagrid. He was whip thin, with big round glasses that had been broken and taped back together, ragged and wrinkled clothing that was a couple of sizes too big, and a messy mop of black hair that fell in bangs across his forehead, nearly hiding the lightning scar above his right eye.

"That scar..." Nanoha whispered, moving up to take a better look despite herself.

The boy flinched back at her approach.

"Now, now, 'arry, it's a'right," the giant said, blocking Nanoha. He looked at her. "Come gal der's no reason ta be so touchy."

Nanoha checked herself. "I apologize," she said in English, "it is just that..." She bit her lip for a moment, and then closed her left eye, ,showing her own lightning scar.

Confusion as to why she'd close her eye crossed Harry's face only to turn to surprise when he noticed her own scar. "You have the..."

"This is Takamachi Nanoha," Dumbledore interrupted, "and this," he waved a hand at Fate, "is her sister, Fate."

"Fate, Nanerha," Hagrid said, "I'm Rubeus 'agrid. Groundskeeper of Hogwarts."

"Harry Potter," the boy said, relieved that Nanoha and Fate did not react at all to his name.

"Ah, I apologize for my actions, Potter-san," Nanoha stated, "I have never seen anyone with a scar like mine before."

"Same here," Harry admitted, "From what I've gathered it's very unusual. And just call me Harry, Nani..Nanyu..." his tongue stumbled over the unfamiliar name.

"Na-no-ha," Nanoha said slowly, "It's Japanese Harry-kun."

The look on Harry's face at the honorific was priceless. "Kun?"

"A term to indicate familiarity among peers," Nanoha explained, "Kun for boys, chan for girls."

"And san?"

"Same as Mister or Miss. And we consider it very rude to address someone without an honorific." She threw an amused look at Dumbledore.

"Quite right," he said, amused, "Now Hagrid, if you could take charge of Fate and Nanoha, I must be off."

"O'course, Professor. It'd be a pleasure."

"Just be sure to pick up that thing I asked for."

Hagrid nodded.

"Alright then. Nanoha, here is the key to your vault." Dumbledore handed Nanoha a gold antique key. "Now then, I bid you farewell." Dumbledore Apparated away with a crack.

"Alright no'," Hagrid said, looking at the two mages, "Fate, Nanerha, do ya want ta put yer bags away in a room berfer we ger ta Diagon Alley?"

Nanoha and Fate glanced at each other, and then shook their heads. Though they had each brought close to fifty pounds of belongings, including a maintenance kit for Bardiche and Raging Heart, the majority of it was in a dimensional storage space similar to the one that contained the full components of their devices, and thus didn't weigh much.

"Ne, that's alright," Nanoha answered. "I'm too excited about seeing the Wizarding World."

"A'course," Hagrid said, though somewhat surprised, "Foller me."

"Hagrid," Harry asked as the giant led them through the hallways, "All those people, How did they know who I am?"

"Iie," Nanoha added as they came to a stop in front of a rather dilapidated brick wall with several bricks removed in a section about as high as Hagrid's chest.

"Master, I'm detecting another Barrier."

Realizing that it was simply another transfer barrier Nanoha ordered Raging Heart to scan and continued without skipping a beat, "I would like to know too Hagrid-san."

Hagrid frowned, taking out a rather large pink umbrella. "Not sure as I should be ta one ta tell yas."

"Nuts," Nanoha sent to Fate, "Another chance gone. I don't suppose there's a magic version of Google or something."

Fate gave a mental snort, and then ordered Bardiche to track the barrier.

Then they became interested in following Hagrid's movements as he began tapping the bricks surrounding the hole in rather complicated pattern. No sooner than he finished when the bricks began to fold in among themselves,reveling a busy village.

"Fate, 'arry, Nanerha, welcome ter Diagone Alley."

Dumbledore paced around his office, having gone there immediately after Apparating to Hogsmede.

"There is something strange about those two," he said to his phoenix, Fawkes, who stood on his perch, preening himself. "Nanoha is not what I expected from living with Muggles, too aware. Her eyes were shifting constantly, scanning her surroundings as if expecting something, and she and Fate were too muscular for children, and carried themselves like adults, not children, almost like soldiers. The spell Fate used was astonishing, and the language they used in the car...Fate knew it far better than Nanoha did, not what you'd expect from a recent addition to a 'Family language'."

He sat in his chair, his fingers stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I was reluctant to use Legilimency because I find it so repugnant..." He paused to collect his thoughts. "I'll wait a while and see what happens. It could be there is a logical explanation. However, at the first sign of something that threatens Harry, and they are not forthcoming, I shall resort to Legilimency."

Hope ya'll liked it! Oh, and in case any of you were a little put off at Nanoha's cursing a bit, remember that although kids she and Fate are still soldiers so that habit's inevitable.

See ya next time!