I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Hello everyone, hope all are doing well. As promised, one last extra update this week. It's been a while since I've done 6 updates in one week. As promised, this concludes the extras to make up for next week. I am happy to announce though that I will be able to comfortably post an advent calendar style for all of you from December 1st to December 25th. It will be a mix of Side Dishes, Extended Family, Stone's Heart, Random Reddit Ramblings, and a special fic that I started last week and was able to do all but the last 2-3 chapters as of today. It's going to be a very sweet, Christmas/Holiday cozy romantic thing. I hope you all enjoy it when it starts.
I wish all of you the best. If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a day of rest with friends and/or family and get to enjoy a good meal with good company. If you don't, then I hope you have a wonderful week of good feelings and care. I am thankful for all of you. You keep me going writing wise and your time and kind words mean the world to me.
Thank you for being a part of my fanfiction family.
-0-0-0-
Side Dishes
33rd Course – Speaking With Words 12: The Sixth Year Part 4
As per tradition, takes place all over the timeline with the first instance starting at the 128th course of Taste when the students of Mahoutokoro came to visit Hogwarts.
The visitors gasped with delight as Hogwarts came into view, marveling at the very old structure and the immense magic saturating the air. Dumbledore felt that the school looked especially welcoming and picturesque at that moment. The clouds parted and sunlight shone down and the gates opened without his touch, inviting them onto the grounds.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," he said proudly.
"It is so beautiful in a very old way," Yuna said with delight.
"You can feel the magic everywhere," another professor said, looking about.
"Shimatta!" Tsumugi tried to catch a leaping Azuki who launched herself out of her arms. The small red-furred trickster fox landed daintily and looked about, tail and ears twitching with excitement and she took off at a run, straight for the castle. ("Oh this is a nice place. The magic is warm and old. But I can feel Harry's magic! At last! I'm coming Harry!") Three more trickster foxes followed her lead, scampering off after her.
"No no no! AZUKI! NO! BAD GIRL! GET BACK HERE!" Tsumugi shrieked and took off after the small skulk of foxes, followed by Sota and Chiyo. "YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T DO THIS!"
The other visitors gaped and groaned with the loudest groan coming from Sanada. "I deeply apologize ahead of time for what mischief those inflict," Sanada said with immense weariness. "Trickster foxes are very useful and fine companions but they live up to their name. And Azuki is especially clever and even more of a trickster."
Dumbledore smiled warmly. "I am not too concerned. If anything, I would be impressed if they could do anything at Hogwarts."
"Do not challenge them like that," Yuna begged.
Dumbledore chuckled. "In any case, if I recall, Azuki is quite fond of Harry. Mister Potter I mean."
"Oh yes, I remember her being very kind to him," Sanada said, "which I found very odd on her part. She normally terrorizes new people she meets. And people she knows well."
"Then she probably felt his magic and is off to find him," Dumbledore said. "If they were heading to the Forest, well, that would not be very good but since they are going to the castle, I am sure we will find them together with no problems really."
"That makes sense," Sanada said with relief. "Fox groups tend to be matriarchal and Azuki is generally in charge if her mother or aunts are not around. That said, once more, I apologize before they can cause any mischief."
"I am well used to magical animals causing some bit of mayhem," Dumbledore said wryly. "I understand completely."
Azuki led the other three foxes into the castle. Hogwarts students and ghosts looked down with astonishment as the four foxes went running past and up the stairs. They bounded around, moving speedily with Azuki following her instincts. She finally came to a door and immediately started scratching at it eagerly and the others joined her.
-0-
"Ooh, look at all the food," Parvati said, reaching out and taking a sausage roll. "Why are you making so much?"
"The Mahoutokoro visitors are coming for a few days and I wanted to make a lot of the usual things for them," Harry said. "Sota and Tsumugi and Chiyo wanted to try a lot and I'll be teaching Sota and he's going to be teaching me a lot too."
"Oh right, I can't wait," Padma said. "They're cool."
"Ron and Ginny have been training a lot with the Quidditch team," Neville said. "They want to try and beat them this time."
"Why are they visiting us again?" Astoria asked.
"Their school Quidditch team was invited to play in America," Harry explained as he took out more rolls and things from the oven. "They were going to go the other way but they were also invited to play in France against Beauxbatons. They saw it as a training trip of sorts and they managed to spend a few days here in Britain before continuing on. Professor Dumbledore invited them to play too and they can sit in on our classes and we can learn with them too."
"Oh that's neat," Astoria nodded.
"Are they nice?" Ivaan asked.
"Tsumugi, Chiyo, and Sota are really nice," Harry said. "The others I didn't get to know very well but they're polite. Their Headmaster is coming and so is their Potions professor and their Charms professor and some others. Tsumugi said everyone loves their potions professor and she's a big Quidditch enthusiast too and helps coach their teams."
"I wonder what that's like," Sue said, smiling a little. "Liking your potions professor, I mean."
"Certainly is a difference to the usual," Blaise smiled though he looked surreptitiously about as he said it.
"What's that sound?" Parvati asked, stopping her chewing to listen. They looked around with her, hearing what sounded like a lot of scratching. She got up and walked to the door. "Sounds like something trying to get in. Can't see anyone through the peephole." She opened it and the door was pushed in from the outside and she stumbled back, nearly falling over.
"Harry!"
Azuki and the other three trickster foxes bounded into the room and charged at Harry. Azuki yipped and barked happily and jumped on him with the others doing the same. Harry managed to set the food down before kneeling down and he was lovingly assaulted by the foxes. "Azuki?! Hi! Good to see you!" He sputtered and laughed as she licked his face and nuzzled him and the other three were almost as affectionate.
"Hi hi hi! It's so good to see and smell you again! This is my sister Ebi and this is Ika and this is Miso!" Azuki yipped.
"Oh he does smell and feel nice!" Ebi barked happily.
"Oh my gosh they're so cute!" Clover and Marigold squealed.
"I don't see any of the students," Parvati said, having regained her balance and peered into the hallway. "I hope nothing bad happened."
"Uh oh, something might be happening here," Padma said, seeing Hedwig fluff up with indignation. The owl barked loudly and flapped over, hissing at the foxes who hissed back at her.
"Hey! You again?! You pain in my tail feathers! And there's more of you now?!"
"We're all friends here," Harry said, catching Hedwig and hugging her. "All friends. You remember Azuki, right Hedwig?"
"Yes, I remember that one. Remember your place and you others better behave!"
Hedwig gave Azuki a perfunctory nod before narrowing her eyes at the other three who did the same to her. Azuki barked and the other three relaxed but still twitched their ears at Hedwig who glowered. "Don't mess with the bird, she's sensitive," Azuki ordered, smiling at Hedwig's deepening glower of annoyance.
"I'll show you sensitive," Hedwig growled.
"Look who I found!" Lavender came in with Tsumugi, Sota, and Chiyo beside her. "I couldn't believe it when I saw them but they were lost in a hallway and said they were chasing after Azuki. I figured she might have come here so brought them with me."
"There you are!" Tsumugi shouted and gasped when the four foxes flicked their tails at her in a nonchalant way. "Azuki! You promised!"
"I don't recall promising anything," Azuki said nonchalantly. "I mean, I promised not to cause trouble. And I'm not causing trouble. And if I did, you can't prove it."
"I do not think she did," Chiyo snorted.
"It's so good to see you all," Harry smiled at his three friends. "I'd get up but I'm a bit covered at the moment."
"So I see," Sota smiled, seeing the foxes sitting on Harry and Hedwig sitting on his head looking peeved. "It is very good to see all of you too!"
"Not even here for a few moments and you already embarrass us like this," Tsumugi scolded to an obviously uncaring Azuki. She grumbled when Azuki looked up dolefully at Harry and looked back at Tsumugi smugly when Harry petted her. ("Harry, Tsumugi is being mean to me. I need pets. Thank you!") "Sorry," she said weakly to Harry.
"I'm not, don't worry," he grinned. "Are they all siblings?"
"One is," Tsumugi sighed. "The one with red and white fur is her sister. Her name is Ebi. The black one is named Ika, and the brown one is named Miso."
"Azuki is a type of red bean, right?" Harry smiled when Tsumugi nodded. "Ebi is shrimp and Miso is the bean paste for soup. Why is Ika named that way when squid are usually white?"
"My friends and I got our foxes together," Tsumugi said. "Ika's owner was going to name him Inku or Kage but he pouted when we named the others after food so Ika was chosen for the ink from squid."
"That makes sense," Padma said. "And that's adorable."
"I didn't want to be left out," Ika pouted.
"Can we play with them?" Clover asked.
"Yes but be careful, they are usually very tricky and like to play tricks," Tsumugi said. "Typically." She shook her head at how docile they were while sitting on Harry. They sniffed at hands and looked inquisitive and friendly enough to the others when they approached.
"He really is nice feeling and smelling," Miso said, nibbling on Harry's hand.
"Told you," Azuki said smugly, sitting on his lap. "Harry is the best."
"Told you this would happen," Sota said, grinning with his hand held out.
"Yes yes," Chiyo said, putting a few coins into his hand. "No need to rub it in."
"Of course there is need to," Sota replied. He looked around at all the food on the long tables. "Wow! Did you make this for us?"
Harry nodded. "Wanted to give you all that Britain can offer foodwise and I've been so looking forward to learning more from you."
"Excellent! I have been wanting to share as well," Sota said eagerly.
-0-
"Goodness me," Hagrid said happily, "now you're a beautiful fox. Yes you are."
"Yes, yes I am. I'm glad that you can see that," Azuki yipped brightly.
The visiting students decided to sit in on the classes to see what it was like and as a whole, they accompanied Harry to his while visiting classes that interested them that Harry was not taking. Currently they were in Care of Magical Creatures and Hagrid had enthusiastically greeted Azuki and her skulk and decided to make them a part of the lesson.
Azuki and the others liked the attention and they struck dynamic poses on the table, shamelessly soaking up the attention and adoration. Hagrid asked Tsumugi and the owners of the others to share their expertise and experiences, asking questions alongside the others and paying attentive attention.
"Are they like the owls of your country then?" Parvati asked.
"In some ways," Tsumugi said. "In our folklore, kitsune are the messengers of Inari, one of our kami. A goddess or spirit. The older the kitsune, the wiser and powerful ones grow more tails. These trickster kitsune have a long history of being companions and assistants and can deliver messages too but not so much over long distances anymore. We have some owls or small storm petrels for longer distance things. What you call post."
"Not all trickster kitsune are suitable for companions," Haruto, Ika's owner, said. "Some are too sneaky and play too many tricks. Others are less like that. As you might guess, they all have strong personalities though."
"Trickery in moderation," Ika barked and the others nodded in agreement.
"So on a scale from mild to too tricky, where does Azuki and the others lie?" Lavender asked.
"Azuki is typically very troublesome with strangers and people she does not like," Tsumugi sighed with Azuki nodding emphatically. ("It's true, I am.") "The foxes bond with their companions and choose them as much as we choose them. They tend to become close to their chosen families. Azuki has a…how you say when people have heard of her before meeting her."
"A reputation?" Pansy offered.
"Yes, that," Tsumugi said gratefully.
"Even our Headmaster is well aware of Azuki," Chiyo giggled. "He is one of her favorite targets to tease."
"It's true, he is!"
"Sanada-sensei loves her," Tsumugi sniffed. "But yes, she does like to bother him. Again, I do say typically because I have never seen her approach a stranger so openly and be so friendly in a short while."
"Harry's a Disney princess," Parvati smiled. "Animals love him."
"You should see him with the unicorns," Millicent said. "It'd be so not fair if he didn't share the wealth."
"You have unicorns here?!" Tsumugi gasped. "May we see them?"
"I'm sure you could," Hagrid said. "I'd be happy to see if we could have one or two come by for a visit. Come on Harry, let's go see if we can introduce a couple to our guests." He and Harry walked into the Forbidden Forest and Tsumugi and the others shook their heads when the foxes followed after Harry.
"Are they hard to take care of?" Neville asked.
"Some can be," Chiyo said. "No worse than any other pet or companion, though the kitsune are incredibly clever." She snorted. "One time Ebi and Azuki exchanged all the clothing between Tsumugi and I. Before we lived together in the same room."
"Oh my gosh that's amazing," Lavender laughed. "Why?"
"Because they were bored and because they felt like we did not give them enough treats," Tsumugi said with a wry smile. "It was actually very impressive because they moved all of our clothes and we lived two floors apart. I was very confused the next morning trying to get dressed."
"I kinda want one," Parvati hummed.
"That thought legitimately scares me," Pansy said with a shudder. "You and a trickster fox together."
The Mahoutokoro students exclaimed with delight as Harry and Hagrid returned with two unicorns walking alongside them. The fox skulk walked sedately with them, unconcerned by the very large animals.
"So beautiful," one of the students breathed as the unicorns approached.
"You have kirin in your country, right?" Hagrid asked after talking about the unicorns some. "Similar to Chinese qilin?"
"They are both similar, yes," Yuna said as she reverently petted one of the unicorns. "They are in our folklore however, though there is a breed of dragon-like animal that is basically the origins of the myth. They are rare and powerful. We have a type of magical deer that is taller and stronger than normal deer with magical horns that are similar though."
"Hagrid loves dragons," Harry said.
"Deeply misunderstood creatures," Hagrid sighed gustily.
"Actually I've been meaning to ask," Ron said. "Charlie told me that you tried to hatch a dragon egg here?"
"I didn't try, I did," Hagrid sniffed. "Had to give the baby away though. Was getting a bit big. Too big for my home."
"Professor Hagrid, you live in a wooden home," Hermione said slowly.
"Yeah, and?" Hagrid asked. "Wood wasn't the problem. Just a bit small is all."
"Part of the allure of the trickster foxes I suppose," Pansy smiled as she watched Ika and Miso run around her feet. "Them being small, I mean."
"I do not want to imagine what they can do if they were bigger," Chiyo shuddered.
-0-
"Does everyone have rooms like this to relax in?" Haruto asked.
When they were not in the guest dormitories or the classes, Tsumugi and her friends spent time with Harry and his friends in the Uncommon Room. The Mahoutokoro students liked the room's cozy atmosphere and comfortable aesthetic. It was also helpful that Harry's friends were nice. Of course Tsumugi, Sota, and Chiyo had met the majority of them at the Showcase, but they were glad to see that the Hogwarts students were still very friendly and nice overall.
"Not at all," Pansy said while the others laughed. "Typically, most students spend leisure time in their House common rooms. Or interact with classmates from the other Houses in the library or the grounds or the courtyard. In fact, before, most friendships were mostly within the House."
"But Harry coerced us to be nice to each other using food," Millicent said brightly.
"Coerce?!" Harry said indignantly.
"I seem to recall a stunning coercion course," Daphne said loftily but with a warm smile.
"That was a dinner party, thank you," Harry sniffed, making all the Slytherins laugh. He grinned at the visiting friends. "Sometimes I feel a little bad having this separate place for us. It kinda feels like favoritism in a way."
"But you've contributed so much to the school and to others," Padma argued. "I think it's well deserved and I'm not saying that just because I get to benefit too."
"I'll say that," Parvati quipped.
"I'm thankful for the Uncommon Room," Luna said, her normally dreamy voice solid and grounded. "I love having friends and being somewhere nice."
"And I never would've imagined being friends with everyone here before without it," Susan said sincerely. "I'd really miss it too."
"Seriously." Blaise nodded his head. "Traditionally, Slytherins and Gryffindors were mortal enemies. A tradition I am glad that has gone to the wayside."
"Many of the clans and families of Magical Japan have such feuds and rivalries," Chiyo said. "It is somehow comforting to know that it happens in other cultures."
"Speaking of feuds," Harry sighed, looking at the other side of the Uncommon Room. The foxes were currently badgering and messing with Sunny, Crookshanks, and Hedwig and it was turning more intense.
"What's the matter?" Ika taunted. "Can't catch me? You being so big and covered in feathers makes you slow!"
"We already warned them," Tsumugi sighed. "They constantly vie for dominance even among themselves. Sometimes you have to let them sort things out in their way."
"THAT'S IT!"
Loud yips filled the air as Hedwig pounced with an irritated hiss. Ika had snapped her at her tail feathers and the snowy owl was beyond done with it. She grabbed the trickster fox and flew into the air, dangling him by his tail. She let him hang there, barking a question while the little fox flailed.
"Okay you dumb little fox! I'm done with you and your shenanigans! So you either calm it all the way down and stop pissing me off or I drop you and see what happens! I know cats land on their feet but do foxes? And I wonder if there is a height limit. Let's go to the top of the castle, shall we?"
"No! No no no please don't!" Ika begged, flailing. "I actually hate heights!"
"Hedwig!" Harry cried, getting up.
"It is okay," Haruto sighed wearily, motioning for Harry to sit. "Ika can be a very big pain in the butt for such a little fox. Dammit Ika."
"Well?! Are you going to behave or are we going to see how you fall? Hurry up and decide, I'm losing my grip!"
"I give! Forgive me! I won't test you again!"
The black-furred fox barked back anxiously after Hedwig barked the question again. Finally, Hedwig flew back down and dropped the fox, glaring at him. Azuki nipped Ika on the ear and the fox put belly on the ground, flattening his ears and looking contrite.
"I'll keep them in check," Azuki said. "You know how it is. Sometimes they need to learn why not to do something instead of being told not to."
"I do know how that is," Hedwig sighed.
With a very weary sigh, Hedwig nodded and a tension seemed to leave the assembled petlings and soon Sunny was playing with them while Crookshanks went back to sleep and Hedwig flapped over, settling down on Harry's head with a grunt.
"Everything okay then?" Harry asked and smiled with relief when Hedwig nodded, hooting in an irritated way. ("It damn well better be okay then. I'm tired of their nonsense.") "That's good. Good girl for not dropping Ika." He rubbed her belly and she nibbled on his fingers lovingly.
"Thank you. I'm glad you recognize that I was holding back and could easily punt the little shit out the window and watch him fly into the Lake."
"They really are adorable," Lavender smiled as they ran around the room, chasing each other playfully.
"Part of the reason they have survived for so long," Tsumugi smiled.
-0-
Tsumugi sighed when Azuki filched a rasher from her plate. "You have your own! I saw Harry make a big breakfast for all of you!" She rolled her eyes as the little fox sat in front of her and chewed on the stolen bacon with relish.
"And? I wanted more and you have more so now I have more!"
"I'm glad that happens to other people too," Harry smiled as Hedwig took a piece from his plate, dipping the end into his miso soup and then munching away with immense pleasure. "I know Hedwig does it because she thinks it's funny and it tastes better to her for some reason."
"It is funny! And it tastes better because it was on your plate and you make all food tastier and more wonderful. And I loooooovvve yoooooou! Also this miso soup stuff is pretty tasty. We should have more of it."
Harry watched as Lavender took a piece from him. "This is new though."
"Girlfriend tax," Lavender smiled. She replaced the taken piece with one from her own plate.
"And what's that then?" Harry asked with a grin.
"To replace the one I took," she said glibly, giggling at his snort.
-0-
"SLLLUUURRPPPP! Okay, I have to say it. Ramen is delicious!"
Tsumugi smiled as she watched Hedwig eagerly and daintily enjoying her own bowl of ramen, slurping the noodles with gusto yet somehow not splattering her feathers with anything. "We will sometimes feed our foxes what we are eating, or they steal parts of it as it amuses them, but never a fully completed dish like that."
"Harry makes sure the petlings have their fair share," Millicent smiled as Sunny was eating happily too.
"So good!" Sunny purred.
"We might have to do the same now," Tsumugi said, watching Azuki and the others gobbling their own portions happily with twitching ears and flicking tails.
"Why haven't we gotten complete dishes like this of our own?!" Ebi asked indignantly as she ate.
"I don't know but we will now," Miso said as he munched.
"We'll have to be nicer to Sota," Ika said.
Azuki nodded. "Tsumugi is an awful cook. She boils the miso soup and can't really do anything else in the kitchen."
"Chiyo isn't much better, sadly. You're lucky your boy is so good at cooking," Ebi said, looking at Hedwig.
"I am very lucky," Hedwig said smugly as she ate her fishcake. "Be jealous."
-0-
"Thank you again for hosting us," Sanada said, shaking Dumbledore's hand. "It was a wonderful visit. We will of course do the same when you and yours are in our part of the world."
"I look forward to it," Dumbledore replied. "I hope you have a pleasant trip to the States and do well in the tournament."
Tsumugi clicked her tongue a few times. "Come on, we have to get going." She smiled as the heads of the foxes popped out of Harry's robe pockets. "We cannot bother him any longer."
"Do we have to?" Miso and Ika asked plaintively.
"Sadly," Azuki sighed. "But hopefully Harry will come visit us in Japan and he can cook for us and play with us."
"Yeah!" Ebi barked.
"It wasn't a bother," Harry smiled as he lifted the foxes out and put them down gently with Azuki being the last. He petted them one last time and gratefully accepted last licks and nuzzles. He and Tsumugi and Chiyo hugged and he shook Sota's hand warmly and exchanged handshakes and embraces with the other Mahoutokoro students. "It was wonderful seeing all of you. Thanks again for sharing so much."
"Thank you for the same," Tsumugi said as she and Daphne hugged each other. "This was a wonderful visit and we learned so much too!"
"Good luck in the Quidditch tournament!" Lavender said. After last farewells and goodbyes from the friend groups, the Hogwarts students waved as the Hogwarts Express left the Hogsmeade station with a cheery whistle sound.
"World's a real big place," Parvati remarked as they left and slowly walked back towards the castle.
"It's nice knowing you can have friends in any part of it though," Harry said.
-0-0-0-
TheSphynx - At least the words and food are tasty in this case.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Harry is a consummate professional. He has learned from many different kinds of professionals and honed his craft and opinion to a solid foundation. Thanks for reading.
odonnellzoo99 - It was fun to play around with more magical food again. That wasn't a focus in this fic, but it's fun to imagine here and there. Chloe is so good at being French when she wants to be.
Arnie1701 - Probably.
HoneyBear84 - It's good at doing that.
Lucy Elizabeth Dawson - At least to some of them. Harry knows what's important and acts accordingly.
poka - It was fun to explore and see how the Malfoys could mellow.
alix33 - Chloe is very good at being rude and sounding professional while being rude.
Wentley - It was quite the multi-course meal full of magic, jokes and jabs, and good food.
iamchaos98 - A nice little throwback with a good glowup.
DOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Harry was indeed trained by many petty individuals and mentored by them. So he had to do the en croute but better. Just felt right.