Chiharu's POV
Chiharu sighed as she lay back on her bed. She looked up at the ceiling and contemplated the coming year. She hoped to get on the cheer team at the new school alongside her friend, Sakura-chan. If she even tried out, that was. Sakura-chan seemed so busy these days, always running around with their other friend, Tomoyo-chan. She sat up, not envying the other girl, as her boyfriend was off in Hong Kong at the moment, handling the paperwork to move to Toemeda permanently. Li Syaoran-kun, is quite a mystery. At first, he seemed as if Li-kun had some kind of grudge against Sakura-chan. But that had not lasted long, and she and the others girls witnessed love bloom between the pair.
Chiharu smiled and opened the drawer to peek at her middle school uniform. She was excited for this year and to see what developed with her friends. At that moment, there was a knock at the door. She could hear her mother answering it. Chiharu could not hear what was being said, but her mother called out a minute later.
"Chiharu, honey. Please come down here."
"OK, Okaasan!" She called and pulled on her socks before heading down the stairs. She had no idea what awaited her.
Tomoyo's POV
Tomoyo sat at her sewing table working on an outfit for her best friend, Sakura-chan. She smiled as she worked. Her friend was a magic user and constantly being pulled on wacky adventures with her beloved, Li-kun. As she worked, she reached over to grab her phone to check for messages. As she touched it, the screen began to flicker oddly before clearing up. She paused and blinked. This was not the first time she had seen something similar to this. She went to a drawer and opened it and found an identical phone sitting there.
The raven-haired girl sighed, she had given this newest model of smartphone to Sakura-chan. She recalled how excited her friend was when she saw it. But the moment she touched it, the screen had gone weird before it died. Sakura-chan had apologized several times but neither could understand what happened. Until they asked Kero-chan. Kero, also known as Keroberus the Guardian Beast or the Sun. He had thrown a fit.
"But! She's not eleven yet! This isn't fair, Clow. It's all your fault."
"What are you talking about, Kero-chan?" Sakura-chan had asked him, her jade eyes full of worry.
"Well, you see, electronics weren't meant to be used by magical folk. As their powers grow, members of the Magical world can no longer use those devices as their magic kills it. Instead, they use magic to do the things the devices are made for."
"So, no more phones or walkie-talkies from Tomoyo?"
"Worse, no more videos of my beautiful face or video games! Oh how will I survive?"
"Well, doesn't the magical world have anything fun?" Tomoyo had asked, patting the familiar on the head.
This led to a two-hour-long explanation about Quidditch. Tomoyo had not really understood it and saw Sakura-chan's eyes glaze over a few minutes in. She recalled giggling at the lovely picture.
Tomoyo shook her head, shaking off the memory. Sakura-chan wasn't in the room, but her phone had clearly reacted to a dose of magic. Then there was a knock at her door. She looked up to see her mother standing in the door.
"Tomoyo, could you come with me? There is someone here to see you."
Sakura's POV
Sakura sat on the top of a tree in the park near the giant penguin slide. She had been noticing an increase of owls flying around the area recently and wanted to get a better view. After all, she was usually tucked in bed when the owls were active. Owls flying around in broad daylight however were unusual. Kero-chan had told her the magical world used Owls to deliver letters. She was hoping to see if this was true. She looked down, making sure her Onii-chan had not followed her again today. He might have lost his magic, but he still had a talent for being able to find her. Just then, she spots a small owl with rusty plumage flying overhead. She adjusted her spot in the branches and just saw a rolled-up paper attached to the owl's leg.
"It's true!" She clapped her hands in amazement, forgetting to hold on. She had no fear of falling though, thanks to the pair of magical wings coming from her back. The Fly, a card created by her ancestor Clow Reed and changed by her own growing powers, flapped slightly to keep her up. She used to fly on her rod, using it to channel the card. But flying with a pair of wings was just so right, she knew she couldn't go back to the rod. She glanced down at her current rod, the Star Rod. She had recently been feeling that it was getting too small for her. Just then, a large gust of wind sprung up and pushed the owl off course.
Her eyes dart from the bird and checked to see if anything in it's path could hurt it. Her breath caught as she spotted a mass of clouds coming at the owl.
"What is that?" She asked in shock before it dawned on her she was alone. No Kero-chan or Syaoran to help her this time. She gripped her rod tight and took off from the branch.
Chiharu's POV
Chiharu arrived downstairs and found her mother sitting with an older woman with gray hair. She had a severe face and a no-nonsense expression.
"Mihara Chiharu, correct?" The woman asked. Chiharu blinked. The woman seemed to be speaking Japanese but she had a thick accent that she could not quite place.
"Yes, ma'am. Can I help you?"
The woman softened her expression. "It is I that will be helping you, Mihara-san. My name is Professor McGonagall. I am the Headmistress of Hogwarts. I have come to offer you a place at our school."
Chiharu blinked. "Hogwarts? I have never heard of the place. Is it far away."
"Aye, all the way in Scottland. It's a school only a few know about. I must tell you something, Mihara Chiharu. You are not an ordinary person. You are a witch, the correct term for a female magic user."
Chiharu looked at her mother who just looked grim. "Your late father told me on his death bed, Chiharu dear, that he was a Wizard. He came from England, actually. Hogwarts was his school. I wanted to tell you about it, but I have not seen any signs of accidental magic he told me to look out for."
The older woman nodded and pulled out a small piece of paper. "We can fix that. Here, Mihara-san. Please press your hand on this paper. If you have magic, it will ignite and burn away."
Chiharu gulped, she was unsure if she actually wanted to know. She was a witch? But the way Naoko-chan spoke about witches in her stories made them sound scary. But surely this Professor was a witch too in that case. And she seemed nice enough, if strict. She reached out and took the paper, which immediately burned away to ash.
"There we are, the paper has proven she has the magical ability. Seven years at Hogwarts and she will not even be able to recognize herself."
"Professor, what I do not want to go?" Chiharu asks, her voice growing desperate. "My friends are all here. Will I ever see them again?"
"You will be able to return home for the holidays. As you are so far away, a port key will be arranged for trips back and forth, although you must go on the Hogwarts Express at the start and end of each term. It is tradition. I will say, there are other methods for you to learn magic, and a school here in Japan as well. But your name has been down for Hogwarts and your father left you a sum to handle your schooling. It is very dangerous to not learn to use your magic as well. It has a way of forcing itself out eventually and could break the laws of Secrecy that protect us from the rest of the world."
Chiharu nodded. What she said made sense. The Professor rose to her feet. "I will say there are three other students from this area that will be joining you at Hogwarts but cannot release any more information. Perhaps you will know them."
Chiharu thought for a time before looking at her mother. "I want to see where Dad went to school. May I go, Okaasan?"
Her mother teared up as she took her only child in her arms. "Yes, my dear. I know it would make him happy, and it does make me happy too though I will miss you."
The Professor smiled. "I will be coming to collect you on August 30th to get your school things and taking you on to the Hogwarts Express on September 1st. You will get to meet the other three young people at that time as well. Your letter should have arrived by now, where is that owl…"
At that moment, someone came flying through the kitchen window.
Sakura's POV
Sakura jumped from the branches and flapped her light pink wings as she soared towards the mass of clouds. The creature was about to grab the bird when it paused. She gulped, it must have noticed her. She reached to her side for a card as the thing swung its arm at her. The wind caught her wings and tossed her backward. She strained to keep herself balanced. Whatever that thing was, its strength was not enough to completely overwhelm a magical spirit created by Clow Reed. The pressure dropped, similar to when Syaoran was about to cast his best spell. Quickly she slid the first card from her deck holder and tossed it up, slamming her Star Rod into the card.
"Oh Shield, grant me a protective barrier to block this attack. SHIELD!"
The Shield spirit swirled up and created a barrier no lesser magic could pass. Lightning splashed over the shield and was dispersed. The swirling face of the creature looked puzzled at this failure. Sakura recalled The Shield and reached for another card. Just as she grabbed one, the creature vanished. She turned around on her wings, looking for it in every direction. She noticed the owl booking it away to safety.
"Where did it…"
She was cut off when she felt an unnatural breeze above her. She looked up and found the creature's fist coming at her. She brought up her rod to block the blow. It was so heavy, in fact too heavy. She was sent flying, straight into a house below.
Chiharu's POV
Professor McGonagall had pulled out a length of wood at a speed that was unbelievable and had moved the table up to block the shards of glass. Chiharu looked at the person that had flown through the window. She felt her heart sink as she saw her friend, Sakura Kinomoto, in a heap on the floor. Her face and arms seemed unharmed but that's when Chiharu noticed the pair of pale wings on her back. The wings were covered in cuts. Chiharu tried to make herself speak but Sakura rose, touching the wings.
"You protected me, thank you. But your hurt now. I'll have to handle this from the ground. Back to your true form, Fly."
There was a soft cry and the wings vanished, becoming a card. The card was cherry blossom pink with a small bird on it. The bird was covered in cuts.
"You'll have to go back in the book later. I'm so sorry." She walked towards the window, pulling out three more cards from a holder on her side. Chiharu didn't know why she did it, she slipped out of sight. She wanted to pull Sakura into a hug and make sure she was alright. After all, she had just flown through a window! But, this Sakura was so different than the one she was used to. Gone was her usual dreamy look and absentmindedness. This Sakura looked determined.
"Hold up, young lady." Professor McGonagall said, blinking at the girl. "You cannot just use magic in front of muggles. You should not be using magic at all."
Sakura tossed a card and pointed it at Chiharu's mother and the Professor. "Oh erase, take away the memories of me, and undo the damage caused by my flight. ERASE!"
The card glowed and a mist surrounded the two women and then spread over to the window. As it passed, the widow was fixed and the shards on the ground were just gone. Chiharu blinked as the mist surrounded her. She collapsed along with the other women.
Sakura's POV
She hated having to do that, take people's memories. But keeping her secret was more important. Errol had drilled that into her head with his letters. Keep hidden, only tell those that already knew or needed to know. She glared up at the creature that was coming down at her.
"I cannot just let you attack poor innocent owls!" She paused though. She had always fought card spirits or spells made by Errol. She had never fought a magical creature before. Should she try to capture it? But if she did, she had no idea what to do with it. She could certainly attack it to destroy it, But she had never done that before.
The creature looked at the house behind her and began to glow again and then the pressure dropped again. Sakura sighed, bringing up the two cards still pulled earlier. She would have to attack.
"Don't worry." A silky voice said from above. "It's a being made from Dark Magic. It must be destroyed. Don't hold back."
She recognized the voice and her indecision vanished. After all, he had never steered her wrong before. She tossed both cards.
"Oh Fire! Oh Wind! Create a vortex of flames and banish this Dark Magic! Firey! Windy!"
The two spirits appeared and swirled together. Their powers formed a massive corridor of flames surrounding the cloud being. A moment later, the flames died and the spirits ceased their movements. They returned to cards as she turned around and found Errol looking down at her with that same gentle smile he always had. The smile that reminded her of her father and brother, made her feel so safe.
"Uncle Errol!" She exclaimed as she hugged the Sorcerer.
"Hello, Sakura. So good to see you again."
Chiharu's POV
Chiharu came too and blinked as she looked around the room. Her mother and the Professor were standing up and looking just as confused as she was.
"Well, that was odd." The professor remarked. At that moment, there was a knock at the window. "Ah, there is the owl. I wonder what kept it."
She opened the window and took the letter. She handed the parchment envelope covered in emerald ink to Chiharu.
"I will see you in a few weeks to leave. Please pack whatever you need from your current things in a single bag and be ready to leave in the early evening."
She nodded and took the letter. "Thank you, Professor. I'll see you then. Okaasan, I am going to go see Takashi."
Her mother nodded in understanding and pulled out a basket. "I'll pack somethings for you two. I know you usually make his treats but I know you both will need them for the coming talk."
While Chiharu was looking forward to being a witch, this coming talk was not something she was looking forward to.
Tomoyo's POV
Tomoyo returned to her room, clutching a letter to her chest. She blinked in surprise as she once again read the letter. She grabbed her bag. She needed to see Sakura right away.
What does Tomoyo want to tell Sakura? What will come from the talk with Takashi? Find out soon, but next time, we return to Britan to see what our favorite family, the Weasley's, are up to after the war. See you next time.
Say it with me! Release!
I do not own any of the canon characters in this story, just the ones created by me.