"Get a move on!" Mana called over her shoulder. "Honestly, you are so slow!"
She pushed her cart forward, nearly knocking her two sisters out of the way in her haste. Kuri, who was smaller and had been lagging behind, stumbled and fell to the ground, her trunk sliding sideways.
"Mana!" Reiko called sharply, but before she could reach her sister, a hand appeared in front of Kuri's face, outstretched to help her up.
Kuri looked up, blinking in surprise. The boy standing over her had messy black hair and round glasses perched slightly askew on his nose. His green eyes held a quiet kindness that felt both unfamiliar and familiar at once.
She took his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. "Oh, it's you!" Kuri said, a small smile forming. "I had a feeling I'd see you."
Her blue eyes flickered with a faint silver light for the briefest moment, something Harry noticed but pretended not to see. He looked over at the barrier leading to Platform 9¾ instead.
"So we just… run at it, like they did?" he asked, nodding toward the spot where Mana and Reiko had already vanished.
"I've never done it before either," Kuri admitted, brushing off her robes. She straightened her cart and gave him a sheepish smile. "I was going to go with Reiko, but… well, you saw how that turned out."
She hesitated for a moment before holding out her hand to him. "Aibou?"
Harry tilted his head. "What?"
"It means 'partner,'" Kuri explained, her tone both patient and playful.
Without waiting for a response, she took his hand confidently. "Come on. We'll go together."
Harry tightened his grip on her hand, a sense of calm washing over him as they began to run. Together, they passed through the barrier, emerging on the other side to the bustling sight of Platform 9¾.
XXX
Ron appeared behind them a moment later, red-faced and panting. "You lot almost left me behind!" he said, dragging his trunk along. Then he glanced at Kuri. "You alright? That was a nasty fall back there."
"I'm fine," Kuri said with a laugh. "It's not the first time Mana's knocked me around."
Ron smiled at her easygoing nature. "Come sit with us on the train," he offered as they all moved toward the waiting Hogwarts Express.
The three of them climbed aboard and soon found Reiko, who had saved a compartment for them. They all squeezed in, the excitement of the moment buzzing in the air.
XXX
Reiko pulled out a copy of the Daily Prophet, her eyes alight with excitement. "Did you see this?" she asked, holding the newspaper up for them all to see. "The Active Power Ban has been lifted! This must be why Grams wanted us at Hogwarts!"
Ron leaned back in his seat, his expression shifting from curiosity to concern. "You're Active Power Witches?" he asked, his voice low and tinged with unease.
Reiko frowned, her enthusiasm dimming. "It's not what you think," she said. "We're not fanatics like Sadako's followers."
"The name!" Ron exclaimed, sitting bolt upright. "You said the name!"
Kuri rolled her eyes, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Like that's going to do anything."
Harry spoke up suddenly, his voice steady. "Kuri's not a bad person. Neither is Reiko—or Mana. They can't help that they're different."
"Grams always said: Power isn't inherently good or evil," Reiko added. "It's all up to the individual."
Ron still looked wary, but his curiosity got the better of him. "So what… what are your powers?"
Reiko grinned, her mood brightening. "Let's do introductions! I'm Reiko Hikawa, second oldest of the Hikawa Clan. My power's more of a show than a tell."
She pulled out a water bottle, opened it, and poured some water onto the floor of the compartment. With a flick of her hands, the water froze in midair, completely immobile. Even the water inside the bottle stopped moving. She held it for a moment before dropping her hands, allowing the water to splash onto the ground.
"Molecular Immobilization," she said with a proud smile.
"That's wicked!" Ron said, his tone shifting to awe. "I'm Ron Weasley, by the way."
"Kuri Hikawa, youngest of the Hikawa," Kuri said, her tone softer but no less certain. "My power's harder to show, but I'll explain. I can see the future… sometimes the past, or even just an intuition about things. It's activated by touch or danger. If I touch you and something bad is going to happen, I can see it—and I do my best to stop it."
"Wait, you use your power to help people?" Ron asked, clearly surprised. "But… what if you get caught or something?"
"We were raised to follow the Wiccan Rede: An it harm none, do what ye will," Reiko said. "It means our power isn't ours—it belongs to the people. We're meant to use it to help others and protect them from evil."
"That's so cool," Harry said, his green eyes bright with admiration.
"You're Harry Potter," Ron said suddenly, his voice filled with awe.
Kuri nodded, glancing at Harry. "I thought you'd hate me."
"Huh? Why?" Harry asked, clearly taken aback.
"Well…" Kuri hesitated, glancing at Ron before choosing her words carefully. "Sadako—you know who she was—called Active Power Witches her 'true children.' She's the reason people like us had to hide. She saw practitioners as enemies. And because you're a practitioner, Harry, I thought you'd look at me and see her. I thought you'd see me as if I were a fanatic, or her reincarnation. But instead, you looked at me and saw a friend."
Her voice softened, and she inclined her head in a small bow. "Gomenasai… I misjudged you."
Harry felt a blush rise to his cheeks. She had fully expected him to hate her, and yet she'd approached him anyway—twice. Looking at her now, he saw someone both strong and vulnerable, someone who had carried pain and responsibility for far too long.
He recognized that look in her eyes. It was the same one he saw in his own reflection.
"You didn't misjudge me," Harry said quietly. "And… I'm glad we met."
Kuri's cheeks turned pink, and she gave him a shy smile before turning back to the others.
As the train began its journey, the compartment was filled with warmth and laughter. For the first time, Harry felt like he wasn't alone.
This rewrite focuses on Kuri's growing bond with Harry, adding layers of emotional connection and vulnerability between them. It also expands the scene on the train, emphasizing the uniqueness of Active Power Witches and the girls' personalities.