Dumbledore POV
I waited patiently as the Floo network connected all the way across the world.
It allowed me time to marvel at how our society had progressed in the years. Before the Second World War, we didn't have Floo networks that could reach this distance. Not that it wasn't possible, but many of our magical societies were a bit more insular.
And that was saying something considering how we are still rather conservative in nearly every aspect.
"Headmaster Dumbledore-san." The fiery image of Mahoutoko's Headmistress appeared in my fireplace.
"Headmistress Sumiko-san." I stood up and performed the proper bow of respect.
Sumiko chuckled from her side. "It's been far too long, Dumbledore-san. I appreciate the sentiment, but such things are unnecessary. I am adept enough at your western culture to navigate a conversation with an old friend."
"Ah, I thank you, Sumiko. I admit, my knowledge of proper Japanese etiquette has reached its limits." I shared a small laugh. "I apologize for the late call."
"It must be very early for you all the way over in England, Dumbledore." She replied good-naturedly. "I was merely grading paperwork for my students. What can I assist you with, Headmaster?"
"I found myself in an odd situation, Sumiko." I decided to cut right to the chase. "You see, I have a young lady of Japanese origin who decided to enroll in Hogwarts this year."
"Oh? That's surprising but hardly worth the effort of reaching out. Not that I don't enjoy talking to an old friend after so long. But if you're wanting information, I have no knowledge of any potential students from Japan that opted to go to Hogwarts, Headmaster."
Hmm, that's interesting.
Just as we have a method to discover potential magical children in England, so too do they have a method in Japan. Yet, even if a child picked up by our method decides to go somewhere else, we still are sent to speak with them. Admittedly, it's to potentially convince them to join Hogwarts instead. However, it's also procedure to make sure every magical child is sorted and has an education per ministry guidelines, regardless of where.
"I understand your point of view. But it's a bit odd for me because she happens to be half-human, a Youkai in particular. A young lady with fox-like features. You know me, Sumiko; I, of course, have no problem with non-humans. I am, however, rather unknowledgeable about certain things from your country. I simply wanted to sate my curiosity with a few questions if you don't mind."
"Please, Headmaster. You don't need to defend yourself; I know your character very well and never assumed the worst. That being said, you are probably working under a false misconception if you did indeed enroll a Youkai."
"Hmm? Please clarify."
"While not impossible, a half-human Youkai is exceedingly rare. They appear from time to time among such Oni tribes for some reason, as well as a few other species of Youkai." She replied.
Curious.
"Her mother had assured me that her father was human."
She seemed to nod in understanding. "Further clarification is required, it seems. It's entirely possible and even likely that her father was human. But it's a facet of their being that a Kitsune—if you're saying she has fox features—is always a Kitsune, regardless of their human parentage. There is no 'half' in this case."
"How odd; I never considered such a thing possible." I understood her explanation, and it aligned with what her mother spoke about in our meeting. And conveniently, it avoided some of the ministry pitfalls, as by definition of the Ministries' laws, she technically is a half-human despite evidence to the contrary.
Oh well, I highly doubt the Ministry will ever care to look beyond our borders for such information.
And if they tried to pass any such legislation, I was Chief Warlock of the Wizegamot for a reason. I rarely flexed them, but my political power was vast when I needed it to be.
"Thank you for alleviating some of my questions, Sumiko. I do have a couple more if you don't mind."
"By all means, Headmaster. It's rare that we get to have a chat."
I found myself smiling. "I'm curious about her mother. She said she was one of the Youkai leaders in Japan; I assume you know plenty about her then? Her name was Yasaka."
"Youkai Leaders?' She repeated in seeming confusion.
"Is there a problem?"
"Headmaster, there are no Youkai Leaders in the context you're speaking of so broadly. Youkai are...scattered. We employ quite a few here at our school, but there has been a steep decline in their numbers for a while. And of course what happened during the war…." She trailed off, and I didn't need clarification on that matter. We were all aware of what happened to end the second world war on the muggles side. "Suffice it to say, there are a few 'leaders' in a smaller scope, but no Youkai Leaders, like you're suggesting. Perhaps you misunderstood?"
"Perhaps." I acknowledged that I should have asked a few more questions. "She said she ruled over half the Youkai of Japan. I don't feel like she lied to me, and I tend to be a good judge of character."
"Kitsune are known for their mischievous nature and deceit, Headmaster."
Still...
"Would you describe her to me? Name as well. I may know who you're talking about if it's any particular troublemaker from my side of the world."
"Very well." I let out a small sigh, hoping I didn't get taken advantage of. "Her name is Yasaka, as I said. No family name given. She has long blonde hair and…..generous assets." I cleared my throat, earning a small laugh from her. "And of course, two fox ears and nine fox tails. Oh yes, she also—
"Pardon me for interrupting, Dumbledore. But did you say Nine Tails?"
"Yes, that's correct." I nodded.
"Headmaster…." She paused as if to consider her words. "That's not possible. What you describe is a legend even for us. The Kyuubi-no-kitsune—Nine-Tailed Fox. They're prevalent in quite a few myths and legends even among the non-magical population. They're often either the bringers of disaster on epic proportions or associated with Kami – gods. Either messengers or worshiped as kami themselves. I could go into hours long discussion regarding the folklore. But suffice it to say, there has never been any evidence of such a mythical Youkai ever existing properly."
Well, wasn't that a concerning discovery?
"Are you quite sure it's such? I don't mean to belittle your knowledge, but I can guarantee that both the mother and daughter – whom currently is within these walls – both have nine tails."
I can't claim to be knowledgeable about Japanese folklore, but counting is something still capable of being done by me in these later years.
"Dumbledore…" She went quiet again. "I'm not calling you a liar, but this is a substantial claim that I require evidence for. Imagine... what do you Westerners have...? Oh yes, imagine if I suddenly told them that I had an Angel enroll in my school."
"Oh my." If that was the same correlation, then I could understand her attitude. "Yes, I believe your position is perfectly reasonable. I can owl you a copy of my memories if you like. I seem to recall you also possess a Pensieve?" What a wonderful piece of magical technology nearly lost to the passages of time.
How many could still make the memory viewing device?
"I would appreciate it greatly, Dumbledore. And if it proves true... I must insist that I pay a visit in the near future."
"Oh, what a wonderful idea! Did you know that many of my students don't even know about the existence of other magical schools? It would be a perfect learning opportunity. Perhaps you can share a bit of your culture when you visit?"
"...Yes, quite. I would love to." She seemed distracted by something else.
"Very well, I will send them to you by the end of the day. Owls willing, you should receive it by the end of the week." Cross-country owling was still a bit slow, unfortunately.
"Thank you, Dumbledore. I await expectantly for your delivery. I will leave you to your morning."
"Have a good night!"
"You as well, Dumbledore." She spoke before the Floo call ended.
It was always nice to catch up with a fellow Headmaster. We don't communicate enough; perhaps we should schedule more interschool activities?
Something to look into for the future.
Now, the important bits!
Breakfast.
Those house-elf pancakes were waiting for me; I just knew it.
"Hmm, Fawkes." I looked towards my faithful companion. He raised his head and ruffled his feathers as if to answer me. "It's a new year; why don't we make a nice entrance for the first years?" I held out my hand.
He jumped off his perch and flew at me. I grabbed his tail and with a flash of flames, we teleported into the Great hall where many of the seats were full.
There were many shouts of surprise and glee as they pointed my way.
How joyous.
I did so love showing the wonder of Magic to such young children when given the chance.
I took my seat, and my breakfast appeared in front of me instantly.
First week of a new year, it was my turn to chaperone the meal times. Fortunately or unfortunately, in some cases, I am the staff member with the least workload at the beginning of the school year. Thus, I always volunteer to give my fellow staff members a breather to make sure they're prepared for classes.
Most of them don't even show up for the first few breakfasts of the week and take their meals in their offices.
I didn't mind; it was an enjoyable time for me.
Looking at all the new faces with the old. My Gryffindor students being loud and boisterous with excitement.
I had to raise a finger to cancel a spell that the two Weasley twins were about to cast. I didn't recognize it outright, perhaps another of their creations.
They looked wide-eyed and found me staring at them, then shrank their heads back.
No doubt it would have caused all sorts of chaos in its wake if I hadn't stopped it. Perhaps I would have pretended to see nothing if it were a bit later into the year. However, I didn't want the new students to be too flustered in their first days.
My Hufflepuffs were a bit less enthused in the morning. Was it a strange coincidence that they're usually less morning people? Obviously there are exceptions, but it took them longer to wake up and start socializing. But the Hufflepuff unity kicked in, and they happily shared and passed around plates without any arguing or fighting.
The Ravenclaws did what they do best. Books open, quills scraping against parchment, and mouths full of food as they tried to talk about the latest or upcoming assignments. Always the most studious bunch, though Miss Granger is giving them a run for their money.
Lastly, I looked at the Slytherin.
I nearly turned away noticing nothing abnormal until I had to do a double take.
They were quiet, too quiet.
They were always the more quiet ones. Reserved as Severus says. Yes, in public, they do like to pretend to be more reserved, even if they're truly children. They whispered and kept their voices quiet normally, but this was different.
They were completely silent, and they kept glancing towards one student in particular.
A specific young lady that had been the topic of discussion earlier with my call to Sumiko.
Young Kunou sat alone at the far end of the table.
They were intentionally avoiding her like the plague!
Was that fear in their eyes…?
No, that would be silly.
Of course, it's probably their prejudice. It's no secret that many of the more firm believers of blood purity and such fall into Slytherin. Having a young lady who very clearly is not entirely human must be a strange experience for them.
But it will do them good, I say.
It's important to experience other things outside one's narrow view of the world.
I just hope she's not getting overly bullied. I should talk to Severus to make sure they all treat her gently and don't harass her.
She seemed like such a sweet and gentle girl; I hope that she can make plenty of friends in her house.
@***@
Ginny Weasley POV
"This is so unfair!"
"Ron, we had the same class." Harry responded to my brother.
"But ours was later in the day! They get to have flying lessons first thing in the morning!" My brother whined.
"Ron, they just switched around the two classes due to a scheduling conflict from Madam Hooch. You know that; you were there." Hermione sighed.
"I just think it's not fair, y'know? We had to go through so many boring classes before we got to have our first flying lesson in our first year."
I rolled my eyes; Ron always says stuff like that.
"Ignore him. Go have fun, Ginny. The field is down the stairs here and out the main gate." Hermione smiled.
"Bye, Hermione. Bye, Harry. Bye, Ron." I waved goodbyes, happy that they showed me the way.
Ron just grunted.
But even he was more than willing to show me the way so that 'I wouldn't be late to the best class.'.
I was excited, though!
Mom barely ever lets me fly around at home; she always calls it unladylike.
Ugh.
She also used to use the excuse that I hadn't learned properly; well, now she can't say that anymore!
"Ginny!" I heard a familiar voice call for me, waving
"Oh, Kunou." I noticed her, not sure how to feel about the strange girl just yet.
She was nice and friendly and did nothing but treat me well. I guess it wouldn't be bad to say we were friends. It's not like I have a lot of those yet.
But she's Slytherin, and Ron always goes on about how bad they are.
"Are you excited? I can't wait to fly; it's going to be fun!" She beamed.
"Have you flown a lot?"
"Not on a broom."
Not on a broom, what does that mean?
I glanced at the others in the class, and I noticed that the other Slytherins were looking at her strangely. "...Are you okay?" I leaned in and whispered. "My brother said that Slytherins are mean and bullies."
"I'm fine!" Kunou looked at them, and they flinched back. "Don't worry, I get along well with them."
…okay.
"Um, excuse me." A boy from her house came over, looking a bit nervous; I don't remember his name. "Hi, I'm Colin Creevey, um... would you mind if I took your picture?" He was looking at Kunou holding a camera.
"You want to take my picture?" Kunou asked.
"Yeah, I just... never seen a girl with tails and ears on her head before. I thought it was neat, and I want to show my mum and dad when I went home." He didn't look her in the eyes.
"It's rude to take pictures of people you don't know." Kunou frowned.
"Oh...sorry."
Kunou held out her hand. "I'm Kunou Schweinorg." She smiled as the boy, confused and hesitantly, took her hand. "There, now we know each other. Do you want to take a picture together? And can I have one too? I have a scrapbook that my auntie made me; I want to add more pictures to it. I also have a camera." She held her hand out, and a camera—at least I think it was a camera—appeared in her hand.
"Wow, how did you do that!?" He exclaimed.
"Magic!" She giggled.
"What kind of camera is that? It's so small!?"
"My auntie gave it to me; I don't know." She shrugged. "But it's magic, and it will print out pictures right away." She held it up and snapped a picture of me all of a sudden. The little thing did in fact print out a picture rather quickly. "See?"
She held it up and it was just me looking like I sucked a lemon all of a sudden.
"That's amazing!" Colin exclaimed. "Do you mind if I also use my camera? It's something my parents do with me; we have a room back home because Mum is a reporter, and we can develop them ourselves. It's something we do together."
"Sure! Let's do both." She pulled him in, much to his surprise, and started snapping pictures. "Ginny, come take a picture of us!"
"Alright." Honestly, it was fun seeing her get excited; I don't know why. "Here, Colin, let me use your camera, and I can take a picture of you both."
"Alright, just be careful; they paid a lot for that camera."
I nodded, taking it from his hands as I snapped the picture.
"Children, it's time to begin!" A loud voice drowned out everything else. The teacher walked over, holding a broom in her hands with some broom riding gear on. "Put everything else away, please; it's time to begin."
Both Kunou and Colin put their cameras away. Well, Colin set his to the side in a safe spot. Kunou... hers just disappeared again.
I don't know how she keeps doing that, just making things appear and disappear.
"You may or may not know, but I'm Madam Hooch, the flying instructor for Hogwarts. I also am a registered and official Quidditch referee, and I normally referee the games between each house. I take my flying instructions very seriously. If I see anyone goofing off or not following my instructions, you will not be touching a broom for your remainder of time at Hogwarts." She said sternly. "Now, normally we would be using the school's brooms, but there is a slight change in the rules from last year thanks to your deputy headmistress." She sounded sour towards her for some reason. "The long-standing tradition of first years not being able to use their brooms has been abolished. So, if you have brought your broom, you may use it."
I looked around, and it seemed like only a few people even knew about this. Actually, I recognized some of the faces; they were all pureblood families or those with connections to them.
Of course they would know something like this ahead of time.
"Unfortunately, the new brooms we ordered haven't arrived just yet, so those of you without one will have to make do with the ones we've been using for years." She said pensively. "Now—"
"Excuse me for interrupting, Madam Hooch."
"Professor Kuzuki?" She looked at the maid walking over. He was also holding a broom. She adopted a rather amused smile. "I don't suppose you're here for lessons too?"
"I apologize for interrupting. I have been asked to deliver this to Miss Kunou Schweinorg." The muggle walked over abruptly, handing it right to her.
"Thank you, Mr. Kuzuki!" Kunou beamed.
"You're welcome." He said with a firm nod.
"I don't believe you have class just yet, Professor Kuzuki. And as a muggle, I don't suppose you have much experience with this sort of thing. Would you like to stay and watch?" Madam Hooch offered politely.
It was still so strange seeing a muggle walking around the school…
"Very well." He said simply.
"Wonderful." Madam Hooch smiled. "Alright students, if you have your brooms, take up a spot next to the ones set up. Otherwise, students who don't have brooms stand at the left side of one on the ground laid out here." She gestured towards rows of brooms on the ground separated by a few feet for each person. "Those of you with brooms already, set them on the ground like you see."
"You have your own broom…?" I glanced at Kunou as she stood next to me, her own broom on the ground.
"Yup, my grandpa and grandma made it for me." She nodded.
"Made it!?"
I thought brooms were super hard to make, which is why there are only a few makers of them?!
"Alright students, I want you to put your hand over your broom and say 'up!'" The teacher shouted.
"Up!" I gave it a shot; the broom shot into my hand from the ground. Glancing at Kunou, hers was already in her hand too.
"Now, swing one leg over the other side of your broom and grip it tightly between your legs." I looked up to see the teacher giving a demonstration. "You're going to grip it tightly about a foot away from your body towards the top. Then, you're going to kick up off the ground and hover there. I don't want to see anyone flying away; if I find out you're intentionally trying to show off, you will regret it!"
I've already flown before, so this wasn't new to me. I easily lifted it up off the ground, holding it a few feet in the air. Though, the broom was really bad, even compared to the ones we had back home.
I know Ron never shut up about how bad they were since last year.
"You okay, Kunou?" I looked at her.
"Just a little nervous." She gulped, slowly pushing up off the ground until she was about at my height, though she was rocking back and forth.
It was clearly her first time doing this.
"Alright, good job, everyone." Madam Hooch was already flying around, inspecting everyone. "Now, I'm going to give you a little bit of leeway. I will allow you to fly up and around the field. No racing, and no horseplay! Get a feel for it and go at your own pace. But I want to see a little bit of speed once you get more comfortable."
I easily took to the skies, high above everyone else.
"Well done, Miss Weasley. Let that be 5 points for Gryffindor!" Madam Hooch shouted. "Don't be scared, children; get up there and fly around." She helped each person until she went to Kunou. "Are you having trouble, Miss Schweinorg?"
"Uh... I've never flown like this before." She admitted.
"It's alright, dear, there's a first time for everything. Grip your broom tightly, okay?"
"Okay." She nodded.
"Now, tilt it up a little bit, and then I want you to imagine yourself shooting off. Push it; let the broom respond and whisk you away. I'll be right here; don't worry."
"Are you sure?"
"Go ahead." She chuckled.
"Okay." Kunou's broom tilted up, and then a sound erupted, nearly knocking everyone off their brooms.
It was like an explosion, and the ground below her was caved in.
All I saw was Kunou shooting up through the clouds in the blink of an eye.
"Crap, crap, crap --- !!" Madam Hooch followed after her very quickly, though not nearly as fast.
What in Merlin's name just happened...?
"Ah, I can't control it!?" That sounded like Collin.
His broom was swaying back and forth, and pieces of it were falling off on the back. My eyes widened as the shaking increased and he completely fell off.
He was high up, really high up, and Madam Hooch was gone.
I'll have to—
"What the heck?" I stopped in my tracks as I saw Professor Kuzuki—the Muggle—running up the side of the castle like it was flat ground at surprising speeds. And he leapt off the edge, catching Colin and landing gracefully on his feet like nothing happened.
He sat Colin down with a blank expression before wiping himself off. "Are you okay?"
"Uh-huh." Colin nodded absentmindedly. "Are you Spider-Man?"
Was I the only one who saw it?
No, I looked back, and all the others were staring with their mouths wide open at the muggle professor.
"Alright, I'm back." Madam Hooch came flying in with a hand on Kunou's broomstick as if to keep it in place. She dropped Kunou off and looked around. "What? Did something happen?"
"Thank you for letting me spectate your class, Madam Hooch. I should return to prepare for my class." The Muggle Professor spoke.
"Alright, thank you for watching the kids while I…retrieved our wayward student." She looked down at Kunou, who looked away awkwardly.
What... did I just see?
@***@
A/N
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