Harry Potter and the Antiquity Link

Chapter 15

Dueling

Harry joined the family for breakfast at a quarter after seven the next morning; as he sat, Masako and Maeko were just finishing their meals. Masako soon left to go to her school; Maeko left after Sawako thanked her for making the food, and assuring Maeko that she would take care of cleaning up.

Harry hadn't talked to any Satos since Fred's visit the night before. He returned their morning greeting, 'ohayo gozaimasu,' with his own; he had started to learn a few basic Japanese phrases the day before, thinking he shouldn't rely exclusively on his translator. Also, Sawako had suggested that many Japanese would be impressed that he was at least trying to learn the language.

Sato asked him if he slept well, but after that, there was mostly silence at the table. The previous day, there had been a lot of conversation--Satos explaining various Japanese customs--at breakfast, so Harry guessed that they were uncomfortable, and thought he should say something.

"Um... I'm sorry about last night. I didn't know he was going to come, and I don't want you to think I don't respect the shrine, and how important it is to you. I know that for you, he acted pretty strange. To be honest, he is a little strange, even for British people. But... your ghosts come through to help you, and he came through to help me. And he did."

"Of course, Harry-san," said Sato. "We know that unusual things will happen when cultures interact. It was simply... very surprising for us."

Harry grinned a little. "I can imagine."

Now, Sato looked hesitant. "Not wishing to pry, but..."

Harry felt they were entitled, so he said, "Of course. You can ask anything you want."

"Who was he?"

"His name is, or was, Fred Weasley. He died a few months ago, fighting the Dark wizard who had taken over our country." Harry went on to explain that Fred had stayed behind for George's sake, and Fred and George's local fame for their constant joking. "What you saw was his typical character, except at the end, when he was serious. He's rarely serious."

Yasunori spoke, a little timidly. "Was he older than you?"

Surprised, Harry nodded. "Two years older. Why?"

"Well... I couldn't understand what he said, but the way you were talking to him, it was very... familiar. He is older than you, and he is an honored spirit..." Yasunori trailed off, but Harry understood.

"Well, first of all, we don't talk to ghosts any differently than we talk to each other. They aren't especially... revered in our culture. Not that we don't respect them, but they're not that different from the living." Amazed, Yasunori involuntarily glanced at his father, who nodded.

"Secondly, in our culture, we don't respect people specifically because they're older. If it's a situation like teacher-student, parent-child, boss-employee, there's a difference in the respect shown, though it's probably less of a difference than it is with you. But if the difference is only a few years... we don't care. To me, he's not my elder, he's my friend. But even if someone's ten years older than me, I don't care, and he doesn't care. We're equals."

Yasunori now appeared shocked beyond words; his father spoke to him. "This, Yasu-kun, was one of the most difficult things for me to get used to about other countries. Harry-san is absolutely right, and I have met Westerners whose manner is similar to that of the honored spirit we saw last night. Such people are often well-liked for their humor, and their irreverent attitude is not held against them." Turning to Harry, he said, "Harry-san, please feel free to decline to answer any question you choose..." Harry nodded, and waved for Sato to go ahead. "I did understand what was said, of course--the actual words, that is. Much escaped my understanding. But at one point, Fred-san referred to your late headmaster as if he were still living: 'Dumbledore insisted.'"

"His portrait," explained Harry. Nodding, Sato explained it to his wife and son, who were clearly fascinated. "We do not have such portraits in Japan," he said to Harry. "We would not need them, since we have the honored spirits themselves."

"That makes sense," agreed Harry. Lots of differences, he thought.

"Can I ask another question, on a different topic?" asked Yasunori.

"Sure," said Harry, taking a mouthful or rice.

"I hope you don't consider this an impolite question--"

"Yasunori-san, in my culture, only very personal questions are considered impolite. If there's a question that would offend me, it would be so personal that you would never in a million years ask it. So, go ahead."

Yasunori nodded. "That scar, on your forehead. How did you get it?"

Even though it was simple, it seemed like a strange question to Harry. After a second, he realized why, and started to laugh. To even his own surprise, he continued laughing for a short time.

Scandalized, Yasunori apologized. "I'm very sorry--"

Harry waved him off as his laughter started to subside. "No, it's no problem. I should apologize," he said, chuckling. "It's a natural question. The reason I laugh is... difficult to explain. The scar is probably my most obvious physical characteristic, but nobody has ever asked me that question before."

Yasunori looked stricken. "Because they didn't want to pry?"

"No. Because they already knew. Everyone in British wizarding society, whether they've met me or not, knows how I got this scar." Figuring it was time to clear the air, he turned to Sato. Deciding to act as he would if he hadn't heard what Sato had told his family the day he joined them, he said, "Sato-san, you're the Deputy Foreign Minister for English-speaking countries. Do you read the Daily Prophet?"

Sato nodded gravely, understanding where Harry was going. "Sometimes. I skim it, at least."

"So, you know about me."

Sato shrugged lightly. "It would be difficult not to, if one knows anything at all about England."

Harry nodded. "Well... I appreciate your pretending that you didn't know."

With a small grin, Sato responded, "I pretended I did not know that you are famous, and you pretended you were not famous. We had a common purpose."

Harry smiled. "I suppose so. Maybe that was one reason for me to go to another country. To not be famous... seems very appealing. To not have people staring all the time... well, okay, they stare here, but at least it's for a different reason. It doesn't seem so bad. Anyway... did you tell them?"

Sato nodded. "Basic information only, few details. I apologize, because I know you would rather as few people as possible knew, and I respect and admire your desire to be treated as an ordinary person. But you deserve to be treated with great respect, so I would rather that people who will deal with you a lot know this. I have told my family, and the headmaster of Yasunori's school, which you will begin attending in a few days. I asked him not to tell the students, and he told me that he would not."

Harry wished Sato hadn't done that. "You know, I don't need people to treat me with great respect. Just like an average person will do fine."

"I know, but as I have said, some Japanese have a certain unfortunate prejudice when it comes to foreigners. I am merely hoping to avoid any repeats of what happened in the Ministry hallways."

Harry nodded, reluctantly supposing he could understand that, from Sato's point of view. "Anyway... could you explain the story to Yasunori?"

Sato did so, conveying everything that was public knowledge, including how well-known Harry was. "I also told them, briefly, what you did in the forest, and about your defeating Voldemort," he added to Harry. "To be honest, part of me wishes I could have this printed in our newspaper. We have historical stories of people who gave their lives for their society, and such people are greatly respected, even revered. It is the finest thing a person can do."

"Except, they don't usually survive," Harry added, with a wry grin. "Even I'm still not totally sure why I survived in the forest." He was definitely not going to get into the Horcruxes. "Anyway, I do appreciate your resisting the urge to have it printed in the newspaper."

They asked a few more questions, and the conversation moved to other topics. Just as well that it's out in the open, he thought. But I still can't get away from being Harry Potter. At least this is one good thing about how restrained the Japanese are. They may be impressed by famous people, but at least they'll pretend they aren't. That's something, I suppose.

* * * * *

Yasunori's school wasn't in session that day--it was Saturday, the Satos would visit their ancestors' gravesite on Sunday, and he and Yasunori would go to school on Monday--but his father had asked him to go to the school with Harry and show him around so it wouldn't be so unfamiliar on Monday. They took the Portkey, and found themselves in a small cubicle in a small structure that had a roof but no doors. As they stepped out into the open, Harry looked back and realized that there were twelve such cubicles, and that the whole purpose of the building was to be a sort of Portkey station. The building was circular, and one-twelfth of the space was devoted to each student's Portkey station. Motioning back at the Portkey, Harry asked, "Yasunori, what's--I'm sorry, I mean, Yasunori-san--"

The young man shook his head. "If it's just us two, 'Yasunori' is okay."

Harry nodded. "Okay, if you call me Harry. Anyway, what's to stop someone, anyone, from getting into someone else's home by taking their Portkey?"

Yasunori seemed surprised at the notion. "Well, nothing, but... we wouldn't do that."

Now Harry was surprised. "Everyone is so honest? Nobody would even consider stealing something from someone else?"

"No, that does happen, but it's rare. Especially once you're an adult, doing that would give you a terrible reputation, and would cause you problems for the rest of your life. Kids do it occasionally, but they get seriously punished if they do. People our age... once you're seventeen, you're not an adult yet, but you're expected to act like one." He gestured toward the school; Harry could see one tall castle about a hundred meters away, with other smaller buildings spread around among grass fields and the occasional tree; a few looked hundreds of years old. They walked toward the castle.

"The school is mainly for training, but it's also expected to make sure we become good members of society," Yasunori went on. "Of course, that's true for all schools. If we do anything an adult isn't supposed to do, our parents hear about it, and it's a big deal. If it happens three times, our patriarchs hear about it, which is even worse. Then it's a huge deal, like, you're in danger of becoming a ronin. Not that you really are, but that's how big a deal they make of it. It's not like that at your school?"

Harry had already talked about Hogwarts, but more about the classes than the social environment. "As long as the students follow the rules, the teachers pretty much leave them alone. No one's supposed to act any particular way."

Yasunori shook his head. "Incredible. It seems like society would be really chaotic."

"I suppose to you, it would seem that way," agreed Harry. "But we're used to it."

Yasunori looked uncomfortable. "Can I tell you a secret?"

A little surprised, Harry nodded. "Sure. I can keep a secret."

"You said yesterday, that it seemed like there wouldn't be anything to talk to the honored ancestors about. It was amazing, because I've said that to my father before. I'm supposed to talk to them every now and then, but it seems more like a chore than something that helps me. I feel like, because I'm young, they can't understand me, and they give advice that doesn't help at all. When I said that to my father, he criticized me, saying I must be asking the wrong questions. But your questions were really good, really important questions, and you didn't get answers. So, what good does it do us?"

Good question, thought Harry. "I don't know. Have you talked to your school friends about it?"

"There are only two I trust enough to say something like that to, and not have it get around. They said they feel the same as me, but one of them said another guy told him that his ancestors, one in particular, understands him well and gives good advice, and he's glad he can talk to that ancestor. Maybe I just..."

Yasunori trailed off, but Harry could guess the rest. "Maybe your ancestors just aren't that helpful, but you can't say that, because in your culture it would be really offensive to say anything like that."

Yasunori nodded. "Once, when I was ten, I was angry about something and in a bad mood, and I said to my parents, 'I don't want to talk to the stupid ancestors.'"

Even after less than a week in Japan, Harry could understand what this meant. "Wow. I guess that was a serious mistake."

"Yeah," said Yasunori ruefully. "It was a year before I stopped hearing about it. I got very long lectures on how important the ancestors are, how important the Antiquity Link is, and I had to apologize to each honored ancestor individually. When I think about it now, I think my parents were actually worried that I might become like a ronin, someone who doesn't want to live in society."

"Well, I suppose if the punishment for having different ideas is exile, then they would worry about that," said Harry.

"I think it's not having different ideas," suggested Yasunori. "You can think anything you want; they can't stop that. It's--"

Harry understood. "What you say, what you do, how you act." Yasunori nodded. "You're right, I shouldn't have said it like that. But what is the Antiquity Link? I thought I heard your father mention it last night, when he was summoning the ghost."

"You mean, honored spirit," said Yasunori, with the barest of smiles, indicating that he wasn't serious, but that any Japanese who said 'ghost' would be corrected in such a way. "Or, 'honored ancestor' is okay. Anyway, last night, you said it was hard for ghosts to stay around, after the person has died. I hadn't known that, or thought about it, but it made me understand the Antiquity Link a little better.

"The Antiquity Link is a spell that connects father and son, mother and daughter. There are ceremonies. At seventeen, you're considered like a 'pre-adult,' with adult responsibilities but no adult rights. Things that would be forgiven as a child aren't anymore. Anyway, at seventeen, there's a ceremony to initiate the Antiquity Link, between you and your father, and at twenty, to complete it. It somehow links the generations magically. I was told that it's necessary to do it to be able to talk to your ancestors, and to make sure your children can, but I wasn't told more details than that. But after what you said, now I think I know more. You said it's hard for ghosts to stay, that they naturally want to go wherever they go. I think the Antiquity Link is designed to make it easier for them to stay behind as ghosts, that that's its main purpose. If it links the generations together, then that makes sense. Probably without it, a lot of ghosts wouldn't stay behind, like it is in your country. I'd guess that when you die, the Link is there, and you kind of grab onto it or something."

"That makes sense," said Harry. "Very interesting. It's really amazing how the cultures are so different."

"But wouldn't you--" Looking abashed, Yasunori suddenly cut himself off.

"What?" asked Harry.

"Nothing, it's okay."

"Yasunori, you can ask anything you want. It's okay."

"My father said that we shouldn't ask you many questions, especially about family matters, because you had a lot of hard times in your life. I don't want to cause any problems," said Yasunori uncomfortably.

"Well... that's very kind of him, but I think he's worrying too much. And I can't promise I'll answer every question, because some bad stuff did happen recently. But I'll tell you what. You should ask any question you want, and if I'm not comfortable answering it, I'll just say, I'd rather not answer that right now. I won't be offended that you asked, and you won't be offended that I didn't answer. What do you think?"

Yasunori thought for a minute. "I think it would never occur to a Japanese to say what you said, but I'm starting to understand your culture enough that what you said makes sense. So, okay, I'll try."

"Good. So, what was your question?"

"Hmmm... now, I've forgotten it." Harry grinned. "Just a minute... oh, yes, I remember. I was going to ask, my father said this morning that your parents died when you were a baby. Have you ever wished that they had stayed behind as ghosts?"

They had almost reached the large castle, so they stopped. "Well, I didn't know about ghosts until I was eleven, because I grew up with Muggles. But after that, sure, there were times I wished they had. I don't think that ghosts exactly have a good time, though, and now I think it's better that they didn't. I think we all need to do what's best for us, and if moving on was what was best for them, then that's what they should have done."

"In our culture, we are supposed to do what is best for others, best for society, before we do what is best for ourselves. I don't mean to criticize them," Yasunori hastily added. "I'm just saying, that's what our society says."

"Obviously, a lot of things we do affect other people, and we think about that. But if it's mostly us that's affected..." Harry tried to think of an example, and came up with one inspired by the Dursleys. "Let's say that your father owns a business, and he plans to pass it along to you. Maybe he teaches you about it, trains you for it. But you really don't want to do it, it's not interesting or exciting for you, or you really want to do something else. Do you do it anyway?"

"Yes," said Yasunori, to Harry's surprise. "Your father has placed his hopes on you, and you shouldn't disappoint him. Especially if you're the first-born son. If there are two sons, and the second one wants to do it, then maybe that's okay, though the father still might be disappointed. But if you're the only son, then yes, you do it."

"Even if you don't want to?" asked Harry, with mild incredulity. "Even if you're not happy doing it? I mean, this is your life, and except for your marriage, your job is the most important thing in your life. You're really going to do something you don't want to, just to make your father happy?"

Yasunori shrugged. "For us, filial piety is very important, it's one of--"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Filial piety."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand that."

Yasunori frowned. "Is your translator not working?"

"No, I hear the words in English. Filial piety." Yasunori nodded. "But I don't know what 'filial piety' means, in English. I've never heard the words before. Could you describe it, using other words?"

Bewildered, Yasunori thought, then answered. "It's the idea that we should be good children, loyal and respectful and kind to our parents. We should do things for our parents, and be the people they would like us to be. Maybe you could say, devotion to one's parents. Are you understanding that?"

Harry nodded. "Okay, I get it, I understand. But we just don't have this idea. I mean, of course, we should be good to our parents and respect them, but it's not an important cultural idea. Nobody would say, 'you know, you're not good enough to your parents.' It just wouldn't occur to us, unless someone was treating their parents very badly."

"Wow," said an amazed Yasunori. "For us, it's extremely important. It's one of the big things we get judged by. I guess it's related to 'respecting one's elders,' part of that whole idea. And I hadn't thought of it this way before, but that's probably part of why the Antiquity Link is so important, that it connects you and your father. Doing it is a kind of filial piety. And you mentioned marriage, but that's not always our choice, either. If we're not married, and our parents find someone for us, it's expected that we'll marry them. Even if we find someone first, our parents have to approve them. If they don't, we can't marry them."

"You're kidding!" Harry was stunned. "What about love?"

"Well, that would be nice," Yasunori admitted. "But love doesn't last forever anyway. Compatibility is important, and parents do consider that. If the people hate each other, the parents won't insist. But love comes with time."

"Incredible. Funny how you and I are both amazed at what the other country does. In my close friend's family--the family of the ghost you saw--one of their sons got married, even though his mother didn't like the woman he married. She's gotten used to her, but we marry who we love. Our parents have to accept it. But with you, you marry who your parents want, and you have to accept it."

"So, you don't have any arranged marriages?"

"Well, maybe a hundred years ago. I heard about them. But now, no."

Yasunori shook his head. "Well, we should go into the castle. This is the main area where lessons take place. As you can see, the castle has seven floors." Harry looked up; each level was square, with each floor slightly smaller than the one below it. "The first two floors are for first years, which is us, the next two are for second years, and the top three floors are for third years. They get more space--"

"Because they're senior," Harry finished.

"Yes, that's right." They walked into a large classroom, the floor consisting of tatami mats. Harry saw several stacks of large cushions against the wall, clearly each student sat on one in the class. "One thing you have to remember," said Yasunori, "is that seniority is very important. If a student is older than you, you have to behave respectfully. Don't talk to him unless he asks you to, use polite language, apologize if he criticizes you."

"Even if the criticism isn't justified?"

"Especially if the criticism isn't justified. Sometimes older students will criticize you for something stupid, or something that's just not true. The idea is to see if he can provoke you into responding inappropriately, then he has an excuse to harass you. You know, 'he talked back to me!' If you're wearing a brand new uniform, and an older student says that it's old and wrinkled, you say, 'yes sir, I'm sorry, sir.' Now, most older students don't do that, and don't repeat this, but most of us think the ones who do are jerks. But we still have to put up with it."

Harry grunted. "At my school, the answer would be, 'you need to have your eyes checked.'"

Yasunori chuckled. "I'd love to say that. Wouldn't they punish you for it?"

"They might, I suppose," allowed Harry. "The more friends you have, the less likely it would be to happen."

"Ah. Here, it wouldn't matter how many friends you have. Get an older student angry, they'll harass you, and your friends can't help you. You just have to take it."

Harry sighed. "Well, I may not be here long, then, because I'm not taking anything from older students. I can defend myself pretty well, and if they come after me, I'm not going to just lie down."

"Harry... sometimes, that's just what you have to do."

"No, it's what you have to do. I don't have to."

"But you're here, in this country, at this school. The rules apply to everyone, including you."

"Is it a school rule that you have to take abuse from seniors?" If it is, thought Harry, then I'm out of here, right now.

"No, but it's a social rule--"

"Yes, and I'm not a member of your society. I'm just visiting. I'm outside the whole thing. In any case, I'm not capable of just taking it if some nineteen-year-old asshole decides he wants to make an example of me."

Yasunori's eyes widened in shock. "I'd really recommend you not use that word, with... well, anyone, really. I'm not offended, but you should be careful."

"Okay. I'm just talking to you now, and I think of you as an equal."

Yasunori seemed pleased. "I understand. But what do you mean, you're not capable? It sounds like you mean, you just don't want to. But nobody wants to, but sometimes you have to."

"Not without a fight," countered Harry; he thought about how to make Yasunori understand what he meant. "Look... I fought against a wizard who killed hundreds, including my parents, a wizard whose name most people were afraid to say. This isn't to brag, it's just a fact. My point is that if I was the kind of person who could just accept stupid harassment like that, who didn't stand up for myself, then I couldn't be the kind of person who could fight against that wizard. Does that make any sense? I do mean, I just couldn't do it."

"It's... hard to understand. I mean, I believe you, it's just really unfamiliar to me. I couldn't fight against a wizard like that."

"You probably could if you had no choice," responded Harry wryly.

"No, I probably couldn't. Only an Auror could. Why was it you that had to fight him, anyway? Why couldn't others do it?"

"To really explain that requires a very long story, and to be honest, it's one I don't feel ready to tell anyway. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I'm sorry for asking."

"You don't have to be sorry for asking."

"Then you don't have to be sorry for not answering. Right?"

Harry grinned. "Okay, you got me. Let's look around more."

* * * * *

At a few minutes before six o'clock, Harry and Yasunori walked out of the Portkey cubicle near the Sato living room, took off their shoes, and put them away. "Tadaima!" they both shouted, Harry having decided he should get in the habit, if for no other reason than respecting the household customs.

Sato was in the living room, reading. "Okaeri," he responded, putting down his book. "How did it go?"

"It was fine," answered Yasunori. "There wasn't so much to show Harry-san, really, but at least he knows what everything looks like. The headmaster saw us, and asked us to talk with him for a few minutes. I think he mainly wanted to be sure that he and Harry-san had the same understanding about Harry-san's situation at the school."

"I told him I would respect the teachers, and that I'd try to bite my tongue if any of them give me a hard time," said Harry. "At least, I have some experience at that. But I also told him that I wouldn't put up with it from older students, that I'd defend myself. He said he understood, and that the school wouldn't get involved with how I dealt with other students. He said that students will be told to consider me as though I was on the same level as them, no matter what year they are. Teachers will be asked, not told, to give me a little latitude because there can be cultural misunderstandings, but not to be shy about telling me that I've done something wrong. I can live with that. Also, I'll get special dispensation with the whole seiza business. I can't imagine how you stay in that position for ten minutes, never mind an hour."

Sato smiled. "Foreigners have considerable trouble with sitting in that position for any length of time. You would be well advised, however, to at least do it for as long as you can, for the sake of showing your best effort."

Harry nodded. "Okay. But that reminds me, I wanted to ask about a few language points. One is that the headmaster used phrases like 'do your best' or 'try your hardest' like, four or five times in fifteen minutes. Is that just him, or just a common phrase here, or a cultural thing? I mean, it's not a phrase that comes up so often where I'm from."

"It's the culture," Sato explained. "We put great emphasis on doing one's best. My experience is that in Western countries, the roughly equivalent idea is 'get the job done.' They care more about the result. We care more about the process, and the person's effort and what it shows about their character. That the person tried their best is more important that what they actually accomplished. But in Western countries, how hard you tried is usually irrelevant. 'You don't get points for effort' is a phrase I heard more than once."

"Interesting. Well, I'll try hard to do my best," Harry half-joked. "The other thing that didn't seem to translate very well was a phrase I used that he," gesturing to Yasunori, "didn't get very well. I said something like it was important for me to stand up for myself. He didn't seem to get what I was saying."

"Yes, we do not really have the same phrase," said Sato thoughtfully. "The best we can do is something like 'be independent' or 'take care of oneself,' which is probably how Yasunori heard it. But I gather you meant something along the lines of 'don't allow others to treat you poorly, defend yourself.'" Harry nodded. "That is not something we say, because we sometimes must accept poor treatment from seniors, and if it comes from equals or juniors, we would use a phrase more like, 'they should act appropriately.' Our emphasis is on preserving social harmony; yours is on protecting individual dignity."

"Wow," said Harry. "It's so incredibly different... lots of things keep coming back to the idea that here, the group is more important than the individual."

Sato nodded. "I had the same experience, in reverse, when I was younger, though not quite so young as you. Australia and New Zealand are mostly individualistic, with some slight emphasis on group identity. But America, which I visited when I was twenty, and was my first foreign country to stay in for a year... I would describe it as militantly individualistic. Australians are individualistic; Americans are individualistic, and proud of it. It was, for me, a staggering culture shock. Part of me wondered, how do these people live? For them, there was virtue in being able to do something, some large task, by oneself. For us, it sounds more shameful, as it implies that you could not get help from others, probably due to social ineptitude.

"In fact..." Sato raised his wand, and Summoned a package from another room; it landed on the table they were sitting at, in front of Harry. "I did some shopping while you were gone, and I thought I would buy you a few books."

Harry opened the package, and found six hardback books, all in English. The one on top was titled, "For the Good of Society: An American's Five Years in Japan," by Thaddeus Stanton. Harry picked it up and flipped through it.

"I think that is the most important one, for you," said Sato. "I read it long ago, a friend's copy. It is most interesting, a well-written first-person account of the difficulties of adapting to such a different society. It is not exactly the same as your situation; the writer of this book genuinely wanted to fully adapt to Japanese society, be a part of it as much as possible. Ultimately, he found that he could not truly do so. He found Japanese society to be 'tribal,' and that the only way to be fully accepted is to be born into it. But his struggle, and his experiences, are fascinating, and may be highly instructive for you."

Harry was touched. "Thank you very much," he said simply. He wanted to offer to pay him for the books, but knew enough to know that such an offer would be inappropriate, if not insulting. "They sell books like this in Japan?"

"No, I purchased them in New York," replied Sato. "There is a magical way to travel to distant countries, and it takes only a few minutes. Normally, much paperwork must be done, but my position allows me to make such visits any time I choose. After I returned to the Ministry, I found an urgent summons to visit my counterpart in England. I went to their Ministry, to find that an audience with me had been requested by Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger."

Harry's face lit up. "What did they say?"

"They mostly inquired after you, asking how you were doing. I told them that you had said you needed a change of scenery, and that it seemed to be having a good effect. They were most concerned, Miss Granger even going so far as to ask if you were eating properly. I assured her you were."

Harry laughed. "Probably Molly, the Weasleys' mother, told her to ask that."

"They got the message from the honored ancestor who visited us last night. Mr. Weasley said that your message moved Miss Granger to tears, though he added, 'not that that's so hard.'" Harry laughed again. "I suspect you would have been amused at their interaction."

Grinning, Harry said, "I'm sure I would have. Ron's right, she does cry relatively easily."

"I will admit that I was discomfited a few times; I am used to talking to foreign people in a diplomatic context, and they are not very diplomatic. The first time I referred to Mr. Weasley's older brother as an 'honored ancestor,' he... giggled uncontrollably, and took more than a minute to get under control."

Harry laughed loudly. "I can imagine. It's very funny, but you have to know the family to really understand the humor. I bet he starts calling Fred that from now on."

"He actually said that he would do just that," said an impressed Sato. "You certainly know him quite well."

"I should, we lived together for seven years. By the way, I just want to make sure you know that he wasn't making fun of you. It just happens to be an extremely funny combination, that phrase and Fred's character."

"I should have added, after he recovered, he apologized and said roughly the same thing, assuring me that no offense was intended. There is not so much else to report, except that they said that while they wished you had not left, they want you to know that they completely understand why you did, and while they want you back, it is more important that you do whatever you feel is best for you."

Not surprised, Harry nodded. "The individual, not the group."

"Indeed," agreed Sato. "Lastly, they said that if there was anything at all they could do on your behalf, I had only to ask. I thanked them, and said I would contact them in such an event."

"It's very nice of them to offer," said Harry, "but right now, there's nothing really that they can do. But just getting the message is very helpful. So, thank you for that."

"It was my pleasure, of course," responded Sato.

Harry excused himself, picked up the books, and went to his bedroom to put them away, then to the bathroom, and back to his bedroom to look at them. He had left the door open a little, and while he had tried not to use his newly acute hearing to overhear household conversations in other rooms, he heard his name mentioned between Sato and his son, and listened.

"...so his friends want him back, but they also want him to stay here? I don't understand that."

"As you just heard Harry-san mention, his society focuses on the individual, not the group. A person does what is best for him or herself, and society understands and approves of this, provided it harms no one. And even if it inconveniences others, if the benefit to him is greater than the inconvenience to them, it is approved. Westerners do not hide their feelings as well as we do, sometimes not at all; I could see in their faces and eyes Harry-san's friends' deep affection and concern for him. For themselves, they would prefer he returned. But they know he has been through much; Mr. Weasley even said, 'He's been through more than you know, more than is publicly known. Please take good care of him.' So, their concern is for him more than for themselves."

"But wouldn't he be happier around the people who care about him so much?"

"It would seem to us so," agreed Sato. "But we must keep in mind that his position is unique; he is extremely famous in his society, nearly an icon. If you asked English wizards to name a hero, most would name him. But such fame is accompanied by pressure. More importantly, we cannot know how he feels, and even his friends cannot completely know. We Japanese tend to feel that what is best for one person is best for everyone, that everyone should feel the same way about things. Most of his people feel that each of them must be the one to decide what is best for them.

"For example, there was an article in the main English newspaper today; I picked up a copy after visiting Harry-san's friends. It has been announced by their Ministry that Harry-san is undertaking world travel for his own growth and breadth of experience. Many normal people were asked about this; bear in mind that this was after he had been kidnapped and treated very badly by his captors. Many citizens interviewed by the newspaper do not believe the official line, and assume that Harry-san's trip was prompted by the need to recuperate, or to 'get away from it all,' as one woman said. But the vast majority of opinion was similar to that of his friends: they wish he had not gone, but respect his need to do what he feels is best.

"Now, compare this to us. If he were Japanese, he would not have gone, feeling he had a duty to his society that overrode any stress or difficulty he felt. If he had gone, he would have done it in an official way, involving requesting permission, and then government officials or his patriarch would have tried to dissuade him. Then, finally, if he were somehow able to overcome their objections and go, society would feel abandoned, and mystified that he had abandoned them."

"People would say he was acting selfishly," suggested Yasunori.

"Yes, exactly," said Sato. "But they would not truly know how he felt, even if they thought they did. Let me tell you a little secret, Yasu-kun: our society operates as though we all have the same reactions to things, that we think the same way, that things affect us the same way. But the fact is, we are all different. Society simply demands that we react largely as if we were the same, for the sake of social harmony. So, we sometimes feel bound by the 'chains of society.' Harry-san's society makes no such demands."

"Well," said Yasunori, "I can understand why that would seem good; some people would like the freedom. But what do you think are the bad things about it?"

"A lack of a place in society, for some people," responded Sato. "Some people are isolated, alone, with no one to look after them. It is easy for them to be lost by society. Also, there can be a lack of social cohesion. For example, Harry-san's society was recently taken over by a powerful Dark wizard, the one Harry-san ended up defeating. I am reasonably sure that could not happen here. The wizard would have been identified in childhood as a potential problem, and efforts would have been taken to put him on the right path. Finally failing that, he would have been made ronin. Their social bonds are loose, so such a person could slip through the cracks. Ours are tight, so it would have been impossible. Such heroism as Harry-san showed would not have been necessary."

"So, you think Japanese can't be heroic?" asked Yasunori.

"No, I don't think that," answered his father. "But ours comes through in different ways. If you are very different, you act as if you are the same, for the good of society. It is not always easy to sublimate your own desires for the sake of the group. Harry-san's outstanding heroism kept his society together. With us, it is thousands of small acts of courage, of self-sacrifice, that keep our society together."

"Which way do you think is better?" asked Yasunori.

Harry heard Sawako call for her husband from the kitchen. "I think," said Sato to his son, "that their way is better for them, and our way is better for us."

Harry chuckled to himself. Typical answer for this country, he thought. Doesn't come down on one side. Then again, from what I've seen, a lot of Japanese would simply say that their way was better. I suppose because of his experience in both countries, he can see both sides. Could Voldemort really never have happened here? Interesting question. He picked up the Stanton book, and began reading.

* * * * *

Two days later, he and Yasunori walked into Yasunori's Portkey cubicle, and were soon at the school's Portkey station. Yasunori walked over to two young men, both shorter than Harry. Yasunori introduced them, Harry remembering to bow rather than shake hands. They were Yasunori's two closest friends at the school, named Yusuke Kato and Yosuke Sakata; Harry struggled to remember the names, and which was Yosuke and which was Yusuke, as they sounded a little too similar. Yosuke is shorter, and Yusuke is the one with the narrower eyes, he thought. Hope I can remember that.

As the four walked to the castle, the first question was about Harry's family, which he had learned was an important topic in Japan. When he explained that he was an orphan raised by Muggles, they seemed taken aback, and became quiet. For the others' benefit, Yasunori asked Harry about Hogwarts, and Yosuke and Yusuke started asking him questions about that. Ah, a safe conversational topic, thought Harry. I'm probably going to be doing a lot of talking about Hogwarts.

As they got closer to the castle, they passed groups of three or four students who were standing around chatting. Harry noticed some conversations stop, and as at the Ministry, several students were staring unabashedly.

Approaching the castle's large, ornate wooden doors, Harry heard a voice say, "Hey, Sato! What's that?"

Yasunori cringed slightly as Harry turned his head to see that the young man who had spoken was wearing a black robe with red trim, indicating that he was a second-year student; Harry and the others' robes had yellow trim, to indicate first years. Harry dearly wanted to approach the student and confront him in stark terms, but he wanted to avoid making a scene as much as possible; partly for Yasunori's sake, and partly for the sake of diplomacy. If there was one thing he had learned from Malfoy at Hogwarts, it was to not allow himself to be provoked. Not every jerk had to be responded to.

Harry leaned over and whispered to Yasunori. "Let me guess, the local bully."

"Something like that," said Yasunori. As they entered the castle, they took off their shoes, put them in the small cubbyholes in the wall provided for that purpose, and walked into the classroom.

"I thought you said people here were supposed to act like adults," Harry murmured as they sat on cushions next to each other.

"We are," whispered Yasunori. "But some people don't when the teachers aren't looking. We should be quiet now."

Harry nodded; he had been briefed on proper classroom behavior the day before, learning that once the lesson started, one did not speak out of turn for any reason, and unlike at Hogwarts, every teacher enforced the prohibition strictly (though if one wanted to ask a question, one could request to be called on by holding one's wand no higher than the shoulder and light up the tip of the wand). The lesson hadn't gotten underway yet, but Yasunori clearly wanted to be careful. I guess the last thing he needs is to look bad because of something I do, thought Harry.

A few people were still talking when the instructor Apparated into the room, at the front of the class; conversation stopped instantly. Harry now noticed that there was no blackboard; he had been surprised to learn that books and writing implements were not needed. Nothing more than one's wand was to be brought into the classroom.

"Good day," said the professor.

Harry responded along with the class. "Ohayo gozaimasu," he recited, hoping the pronunciation wasn't too bad. This was one of the phrases he had practiced with Sato the night before.

"Before we begin the summer session, there is an announcement. As you may have noticed, we have a visiting student. The school has been requested by the Foreign Ministry to include him in the summer session. He will now introduce himself."

Again as previously coached, Harry bowed low, hands crossed in front of his waist. "I am Harry Potter, and I come from England. I am pleased and honored to join this class, and I will try hard and do my best. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu." This was the phrase that Harry found hardest; he had to say it in Japanese because no English equivalent existed. A common Japanese greeting, Sato had said its rough equivalent was, 'please consider me favorably in the future,' but its actual meaning depended on the situation. Here, it was partly that, and partly a ceremonial greeting.

"Yoroshiku," the students chorused. Harry bowed again and sat in the uncomfortable seiza position.

The professor announced that the first week's lessons would consist mainly of review, including individual dueling; group activities would begin next week. Harry gathered from the professor's tone that individual activities were much less important than group activities. Dueling theory was discussed for the first hour, after which there was a five-minute break. Yosuke asked Harry what he knew about dueling; Harry truthfully said he hadn't had much practice in classes. He had practiced with Aurors, he recalled, in his 'other life.' Recalling that Aurors had told him it was important to keep moving, he asked if Japanese were taught to do so.

"They don't teach that," said Yasunori, "but it's allowed. Teachers tend to disparage it, like it's some kind of trick, and a good dueler wouldn't need to do it."

"Until Takenaka, of course," put in Yosuke. Harry had already started to notice that Yosuke was more outgoing, while Yusuke was reserved, rarely speaking.

"Yes, I was getting to that," said Yasunori. "There's a third-year student, named Takenaka, who does that a lot. He's always moving. The teachers can't criticize him much, though, because he wins every bout. Other students have tried it, but it doesn't seem to help. How about you?"

"I was taught to move," said Harry.

Yosuke nodded, eyebrows raised. "Well, this should be interesting."

On the resumption of the lesson, the professor reviewed the basics of dueling: using spells as rapidly as possible without saying incantations, using the blocking spell with maximum effectiveness, which spell combinations were the most effective, and when to emphasize offense versus defense. Harry was already familiar with most of it, and the Aurors had taught him a few tricks. As he listened, he reflected that this was one of the few occasions where information that from his other life--events that didn't actually happen, but he remembered happening, like Malfoy and the itching powder--could be put to good use. Strange, he thought. It didn't actually happen, but it's as if it did. Before the goblins kidnapped me, I didn't know much about dueling at all.

After another half-hour, they broke up into pairs for casual practice. Harry knew that with his ability to see spells, and the Elder Wand, he would be very difficult to beat, but he didn't want to show off, especially at first; he wanted to seem to have normal ability. He casually traded spells with Yusuke, who seemed to have relatively little ability, then after five minutes with Yosuke, who was much better, then finally with Yasunori, who Harry judged to be almost as good as Yosuke, but not quite. Harry could see the spells coming, but rather than dodge them, he simply blocked them, and occasionally let himself be hit by them.

The class already having broken up into eight groups of four for practice, the professor asked each group to have a round-robin tournament within the group, each person competing against each other person, best three out of five. The room was wide enough for four bouts at a time. Each contestant was on one tatami mat, about one meter by two meters, and would be disqualified for touching any surface other than that tatami mat. Good, thought Harry, enough room to move, if necessary. He was also told that Stunning spells were now allowed, but all other illegal spells remained forbidden.

Harry won within his group, taking nine bouts without a loss, and never having to move. He found that not only was the ability to see spells useful in terms of being able to dodge, but also in that he didn't have to block a spell he could see was going to miss, and since he knew the incoming spell's exact location, he could focus the block in a narrower area, making it stronger.

Everyone but the eight group winners stood at the side of the classroom and watched as the quarterfinalists dueled at the same time. Harry again defeated his opponent with relative ease, noticing that he was starting to get a lot of attention from those watching on the sidelines.

With now only four students remaining, only one match took place at a time. Harry watched two of his fellow semifinalists fight it out, the winner taking three out of five hard-fought bouts. Taking his place against his opponent, Harry could hear whispers. "Where is England?" "How old is he?" "What kind of spells does he use?" He could see Yasunori shushing classmates trying to ask him questions. This opponent was a little better, but not much.

His final opponent was better, blocking more than others had and shooting spells off more accurately, but Harry was also accurate, and didn't have to block so much. He won all three bouts, and the class applauded politely after the last match. As he had with every other match, Harry exchanged formal bows with his opponent after the match.

It was break time, and Harry suddenly found himself surrounded by a dozen students asking questions. He answered them as best he could, took a quick trip to the bathroom, and the break was over. Upon resumption of the lesson, the professor asked Harry to stand opposite him for some sparring, to talk about his technique. Harry tried to be as general as possible, chalking his performance up to good aim and reflexes. He explained a few spells that were unfamiliar to the class, such as what Aurors had called the 'sinker,' an impact spell that one fired with the wand pointed slightly up, but just before impact, dropped to the opponent's feet, ideally causing him to lose his balance. After ten minutes of observing and analyzing Harry's technique, the professor pronounced it basically sound, but observed that more practice would definitely not hurt. Harry tried not to roll his eyes, as it was definitely the case that this would apply to everyone, even experts. But he agreed, thanked the professor, and took his seat.

Lunchtime was near, and after another ten minutes of lecture, the professor announced that the first-year winner would play against the second-year winner; the winner of that match would then play the third-year winner after lunch. A few minutes later, the second years started marching downstairs and into the classroom. Each year's students stood on one side of the room, now lining the walls two deep, and the second-year professor asked the contestants to take their positions. As Harry took his place and saw that his opponent was the one who had insulted him and Yasunori earlier, the thought occurred to him: I should have guessed this. Jerks like this guy are more likely to open their mouths wide if they can back it up with their wands. This is going to be fun.

As he bowed to start the match, he noticed his opponent's bow was rather less deep than it should have been, and a primal instinct took over. This was his chance to even the score, and he wasn't going to waste it. The second-year--Harry had heard students saying his name was Murata--started firing spells, all Stunners, as fast as possible. They came in hard, but Harry's blocking spells were up to the challenge. After having one Disarming spell blocked, Harry's instinct told him to just defend for the moment. He ceased all offensive spells, focusing solely on defense, letting missed spells go by without blocking them. A few Stunners caused enough impact to rock him back an inch, but that was all.

After more than a minute, Harry knew that Murata might have been lulled into an all-offense pattern, and it was time to act. A Stunner came directly at his stomach; he pointed his wand directly at it to block it, and his wand was now pointing straight at Murata. With no extra motion to tip his opponent off, Harry shot off a Stunner. Murata never saw it coming, and was plastered against the wall three feet behind him. The students watching ooohed and aaahed as the second-year professor Enervated Murata, who stood, clearly angry. Harry allowed a small smile to cross his face, then quickly wiped it off.

Time to mess with his mind now, thought Harry. They faced off again, and Murata's Stunners again came, though not so fast, as he seemed to be worried about his defense. Harry blocked Stunner after Stunner, thinking, does this guy not use any other spells? This must be how he usually wins; he basically overpowers his opponent, who can't see the spells and is bound to miss one once in a while. Brute force, no finesse. I'm just going to make him look like an idiot. See if I can wear him out.

The bout went on for two, three, four minutes, Harry never firing an offensive spell, focusing only on blocking. Murata never went to another spell, continuing the Stunners, seeming to start to tire. Harry wondered if his show of disrespect--I'm just playing with you, I can win this anytime I want--was being understood, and in one savage impulse, decided to make no doubt of it. As soon as his wand was pointed the right way without any extraneous movement, he whispered, 'Levicorpus.' Murata yelled in alarm as he hung nearly upside down in the air; the students gasped as one. For a long second, Harry let him hang, then sent the counter-curse, and Murata fell. Two to zero.

Murata stood, clearly furious, as the students urgently whispered among themselves. Harry stared back at his opponent, a challenge in his eyes. You want me? You come and get me.

They faced off again, and Harry decided again to take sudden, unexpected action. Not worrying about defense, his first shot was a Disarming spell aimed right at Murata's wand hand; he would sidestep the Stunner if necessary. It wasn't, and Murata's wand went flying out of his hand. The bout had lasted about one second. Murata picked up his wand, now so incensed that Harry felt Murata would like nothing better than to physically attack Harry. Harry bowed exactly as Murata had before the bout; Murata even less, his being more like a nod than a bow. The second-year professor announced that it was lunchtime, and the first-year students all trooped out; the second years went back upstairs to get their shoes before leaving.

As they walked to the cafeteria, Harry was surrounded by other first years. "What did you do to him?" exclaimed the one who Harry had beaten in the quarterfinals.

Harry shrugged. "You heard what he said earlier, right?"

"Well, of course, everyone did. But still..."

"Look, I want to be friends with everyone. I really do. But where I'm from, we treat people the way they treat us."

"In that case," said Yosuke, walking on Harry's right, "I'm going to treat you really well." The comment got laughs from several students.

"Well, that's not necessary," protested Harry, even though he knew it was a joke. "Just don't do anything extremely insulting, and we'll be fine. Just out of curiosity, what he said this morning, was that a big insult by Japanese standards?"

"Oh, it was huge," said Yosuke, as others nodded agreement. "I was amazed that you didn't react. I wondered if your translator was working." This prompted other students to ask to see Harry's translating artifact, so he held it up to show them. Several students made admiring comments, and one asked if he bought it in Japan.

Box lunches and room-temperature glasses of water and barley tea awaited them at the yellow tables; across the hall, Harry could see the red tables for the second years, and further away, blue tables for the third years. They sat, and started in on their food. "Itadakimasu," said most students before eating. On Harry's left, Yasunori asked, "Hey, how does your thing translate that?"

"It doesn't," answered Harry, as he used his wooden chopsticks to pick up a mouthful of rice. "It's like 'okaeri,' I don't get anything. Is it just something you say before eating, doesn't have any meaning?"

"Yeah. Just a custom."

"Why say it then, if it has no meaning?"

Yasunori exchanged baffled looks with a few classmates. "I don't know," said another student. "We just do."

"Never thought about that before," added Yosuke.

Finishing a bite of fish--it was cooked, but Harry had no idea what type it was--Yasunori said, "Yeah, that's my usual answer when he asks me why we do something. 'Uh, I don't know.' We usually don't think about it. But that's why it's good that he's here. So we realize why we do things."

"You mean, so we realize that we have no idea why we do things," joked Yosuke.

Harry joined the laughter. "Well, I might not be able to explain some English customs, either. We just do what we're used to."

"And after less than a week, I've learned that their customs are very, very different from ours," put in Yasunori.

"No kidding," said Yosuke humorously. "I think Murata-san just found that out. Is that what you do when someone insults you?" he asked Harry.

"Well, we don't always have such a good chance," responded Harry. "Usually, bullies pick on someone they know can't fight back. Too bad for him he didn't bother to check first. But, yes, if someone attacks you, you let them know that it's not without a price. If we can possibly fight back, we do."

"But an insult is just words," said Yusuke, the quiet one.

"That's true, and if not for the match, I probably wouldn't have done anything. I wouldn't have gone looking for him. But I felt as though treating him with respect was far more than he deserved." He took another bite.

"Hey, you use chopsticks pretty well," observed Yosuke.

"He picked it up pretty fast," agreed Yasunori.

"It's not that difficult," said Harry. "Besides, some English use them, when eating Chinese food. Also, we have a Japanese restaurant or two in England."

"Did you ever use them before?" asked Yosuke.

"No," responded Harry, to chuckling. "But it's not that hard."

A first-year student a half a head shorter than Harry was suddenly standing at his left. "Excuse me," he said. "I'm Noboru Tachibana. It's nice to meet you."

Slightly baffled at the timing of the introduction, Harry nodded politely. "It's nice to meet you too, Noboru-san."

Noboru bowed. "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

Harry bowed in return, repeating the phrase. Noboru bowed once more, then went back to his seat at the other end of the table.

Wearing a puzzled expression, Harry noticed Yosuke and a few others suppressing laughter. One giggled, then they all did. "What was that?" asked Harry.

Yasunori explained. "As you said, Murata-san is basically a bully. Noboru is his favorite target, Murata-san often harasses him. Noboru was letting you know how much he enjoyed what you did."

"Well, let's be honest, we all enjoyed it," said Yosuke. "It's rare to see people get what they deserve."

Another student chimed in, "Well, if Murata-san asks me if I enjoyed it, I know what I'm going to say."

"No, sir, of course not, sir, it was terrible, sir," joked Yosuke, mimicking a frightened tone.

"Are you not going to say that?" asked the student.

"Well, he doesn't usually bother us," said Yosuke.

"Now, he might start," said Yusuke.

"That's a good point," put in Harry. "You guys, especially you," as he gestured to Yasunori, "might want to keep your distance from me for a few days, so you're not too associated with what I did."

Yasunori, Yosuke, and Yusuke traded looks for a few seconds. "It's nice of you to offer," said Yosuke. "But we've decided that no, we won't do that. We might not have done what you did, but we will cherish the memory for quite a long time. That's worth something."

Harry frowned. "You three just decided that?" Yosuke nodded. "But how did you decide? You didn't say a word to each other."

"We can read each other's minds," said Yosuke casually.

"Really?" asked Harry.

"No," answered Yosuke, who then smiled. Mildly annoyed, Harry grinned to let Yosuke know he took the joke as it was intended.

"Well, in a way, yes," said Yasunori. "We're fairly good at knowing what the others are thinking, without words. We can look at each other, and know. You don't have that in England?"

Harry shrugged. "I couldn't say it's impossible, but it isn't common. We usually use words, it makes things clearer."

"Ah, another cultural difference," said Yasunori; Harry wasn't sure whether he was joking. "Here, we say, 'silence is beautiful.'"

"My mother always says that," said Yosuke.

"Some English people say 'silence is golden,'" said Harry. "But most people don't follow it. I think people mainly say it when they want someone else to shut up."

Yasunori grinned at Yosuke. "That's why your mother says it, right?"

"Exactly," agreed Yosuke. "She'll say, why can't you be more like your friend Yusuke?"

"In England, Yusuke's mother would be asking why he can't be more like his friend Yosuke," said Harry.

Yosuke's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Well, I'm joking a little, but basically, yes. In England, people who are outgoing, making jokes a lot, they're pretty popular. Yasunori, you saw my friend's ghost, how he acted. He was very popular, almost everyone liked him."

As Yasunori told the story, everyone in hearing range reacted with shock. "He came out of a shrine making jokes?" asked a student. "Unbelievable!"

Harry told the table how Fred had died, then some of the ways Fred had woken him up in the days afterward; the story was greeted with amazement and laughter. "I do want to make clear, he's pretty unusual, even for my country. He and his twin, their mother didn't like it. But they were popular."

"I knew I was born in the wrong country," lamented Yosuke.

"We knew it too, Yo-kun," joked Yasunori. "But we don't like to mention it." Interesting, thought Harry, Yasunori has a sense of humor. I don't really see that at his home; he's more serious there.

"Potter-san," said a voice behind him. Harry looked up from his meal to see Okada, the school's headmaster. "Would you come with me, please?"

Harry nodded and stood. As he turned to follow Okada, he heard an exclamation of surprise, and a student saying, "Don't do that!" He wondered what it was, but of course there was no chance to ask.

Okada led Harry to a corner of the large hall. "Potter-san. I witnessed your duel with Murata-san earlier." Harry nodded again, saying nothing.

"I am talking to you in this way so as to give students the impression that I am chastising you. In fact, I have nothing critical to say, except that your actions lacked subtlety and finesse. If you had done everything exactly the same, leaving out that one spell, your point would have been made, and arguably better. Too blunt an instrument can leave a mess."

Harry decided to be honest and straightforward. "I understand, sir. But when someone has made his aggressive intentions so clear, you can't give any quarter, or they'll know you're weak. He deserved what I did."

"I would not argue with that," agreed the headmaster. "But that is not the point. Potter-san... you are the only wizard at this school who has had a wand pointed at him by a wizard who intended to kill him. I know you have fought many Dark wizards. But this is not that situation. Murata-san is not Voldemort, and your life is not in danger. It was not necessary to humiliate him."

"Do you think what he said this morning wasn't designed to humiliate me?"

"Yes, it was. But the scale is different, and that one spell was overkill. Again, I do not intend to berate you; you were greatly provoked. This is simply advice. Japanese admire restraint; we admire a measured response. Bullies are tolerated, but they are not respected. No doubt many students enjoyed what you did, because they have been harassed by him as well. But in adult society, what I am recommending you do will earn you more respect than doing what you did. You do not gain respect by sinking to the level of such a person. It is satisfying in the moment, but we think in the long term."

Harry could see the point; at the same time, he still felt he had a good reason for doing it. "I understand, sir."

Okada nodded. "One more thing. Bullies do not always remain bullies, and today's adversary can be tomorrow's friend. At least, that is to be hoped for. Another reason that such aggressive retaliation is frowned on is that one can create an enemy for life, and we strive to avoid that. If it is possible for you and Murata-san to make peace with each other, that would be a good thing."

Harry hated the idea, but again, he could see the point. "I understand, sir. I appreciate the advice, and I'll seriously consider it."

Okada nodded and bowed slightly. "Good day, Potter-san."

Harry bowed deeply, as he'd been taught to do for a person of high rank. "Good day, sir. Thank you very much."

Taking his seat again, Harry noticed that there was silence at that area of the table. "He gave me some advice," he reported, not intending to go into detail.

"Yo-kun, I'm going to tell him," said Yasunori sternly. Yosuke rolled his eyes a little, but offered no objection. Facing Harry, Yasunori said, "When you got up, Yosuke did a little spell he's known for; it landed on the back of your head, and it allows the person who did it to hear what you hear. He heard the whole conversation, and repeated it to us as it happened."

Yosuke gave Harry a sheepish look. "Sorry. I was just... extremely curious what he would say to you."

Harry sighed. "Well, I guess I can understand that, and I've done things like that before. But don't do it again," he added, mock-sternly.

"Oh, absolutely," said Yosuke. "My preferred position is standing on both feet."

Harry grinned. "So, what did you think of what he said?"

"I thought he would tell you to apologize to Murata-san," said Yasunori. "What he said was very reasonable. Some teachers are mindlessly strict, just spouting clichés. He didn't say anything about doing your best, following the rules of society, or respecting your elders. Some teachers can't get through a sentence without saying one of those things. But what he said was practical."

"But he hasn't been bullied for a very long time," argued Yosuke. "I think he's forgotten what it feels like."

"Yeah, but his whole point is that you don't let that control you," responded Yasunori. "That's what being a pre-adult is all about, thinking about things like an adult does."

"You're too serious."

"You're not serious enough, so it balances out." Yusuke quietly chuckled.

"I suppose this is a common theme with you two?" asked Harry.

"Yes, it's one of the jokes we always make," agreed Yasunori. "Another one is that when we disagree, one of us will say that Yusuke agrees with us. It's a joke, because he'll never say who he agrees with."

"Or, sometimes, he'll say, 'I agree with both of you,' even if we've taken completely opposite positions," added Yosuke. "So, are you going to do anything about Murata-san?"

Interesting, thought Harry, how they dislike him, but still use the 'san' even when he can't hear them. "Yeah, I suppose I should. If I apologize for what I did, do you think he'll apologize to me for what he did?"

Every head in hearing range shook emphatically. "Not a chance," said Yosuke.

"He'll pocket your apology, and act like if you kiss his ass enough, he might just consider forgiving you," added Yasunori. "But he won't. He'll just hold it over you, and expect you to take any abuse he dishes out."

"Well, screw that," muttered Harry. He looked at Yasunori quizzically. "You said, if I 'kiss his ass' enough..." Yasunori nodded. "Can you explain that phrase, using other words?"

"It means... there's a way you bow, like samurai used to bow to their lords, where you're kneeling and you bow so low your head touches the ground. He could cut it off if he wanted to; you're defenseless. It's like, you totally submit to the other person. I guess you don't have that phrase. How did your device translate it?"

Harry explained the anatomical details, to the amusement and revulsion of the others. "What a disgusting phrase," exclaimed Yosuke.

"I may stop using the Japanese one, just because of how it translates," added Yasunori.

"I'm a little surprised it didn't use 'grovel,' said Harry. "That's pretty close."

"A little different, if it's giving this one right," said Yasunori. "What you just said is more like 'begging,' but the other one is more like 'submit' or 'capitulate.' It's a good translation, just... yucky."

"Well, anyway... I will go talk to him, but there'll be no ass-kissing or groveling." He stood, paused, and gestured to Yosuke. "You can do it this time, if you want," he said, gesturing to the back of his head. Yosuke grinned, and did the spell.

Harry walked over to the red table; he could feel all eyes on him, and conversations ceased, or became whispered. "Murata-san," said Harry, standing a few feet away.

Murata stood, wand in hand, and pointed it at Harry. "What do you want?" he asked rudely. Harry could see that he was still very angry.

Harry held up both hands briefly, to show that he was holding no wand. "Look... I wish this whole thing hadn't happened." That was as close as he would get to an apology, for now. "I hope we can make peace over it. So, what do you say, that we pretend nothing happened today, and start over, from the beginning."

Murata thought for a few seconds; the large room was almost totally quiet. "You have to apologize," he said brusquely.

"If I apologize, will you do so as well?"

"You must apologize! I am your senior!"

Harry tried to repress his annoyance. "Was it not explained to you that at this school, I am to be treated as no one's senior or junior, but as equal to all?"

"The headmaster told you to apologize!"

"You mean, you think he told me to apologize," corrected Harry, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his tone. "I don't think your hearing is quite that good. The headmaster is a wise man, and I respect him very much. Because I respect him, I will not discuss the contents of my conversation with him. But, if he tells me to do something, I will do it, yet here I stand, not yet having apologized. What does that tell you?"

"That you are not doing what he told you! Apologize!"

Harry paused, baffled. Is he not understanding anything I'm saying? "Do you want to talk to me, as an equal, to resolve this situation?"

Murata stared. Maybe he's just too angry right now, thought Harry.

"Well. If you change your mind, just let me know. I'm happy to talk. But you insulted me first, so I will not... kiss your ass." He walked away, and conversations started immediately. Over his shoulder, from the blue tables, he heard someone say, "If someone demolished me in a duel like that, I'd definitely treat him as an equal."

"Maybe as a senior," another said; Harry heard laughter. He reached his table and sat back down; all of the first years looked down the table at him. He looked up at Yosuke. "You heard?"

"Are you joking? Everyone in the cafeteria heard. The spell wasn't necessary."

Harry nodded. A few seconds of silence passed; everyone seemed to be waiting for him to say something. To Yosuke and Yasunori, he said, "The last thing I said, when I said I wouldn't kiss his ass... that did translate correctly, didn't it?"

Yosuke laughed. "Yes, it did," said Yasunori, as he and several others started to laugh as well.

Harry ate and chatted for the next ten minutes. Yosuke asked him about what Okada had said about Voldemort; Harry tried to answer vaguely, saying that England had been taken over by Dark wizards, and he and many others had taken up arms against them.

A first year came up to Harry, introduced himself, and said, "My older brother is a third year, and he gave me a message for you. Takenaka-san is outside the building, and would like to talk to you."

Oh, great, thought Harry. I guess I'd better do it. "Okay, thank you," he said, standing. Yosuke looked up at Harry, the question in his eyes. Harry chuckled a little, and nodded. He barely felt the spell hit him in the back of the head as he walked away.

Outside, he saw the tall, slim student waiting near a tree, obviously wanting no one in hearing range. Harry walked over. Harry introduced himself, and learned that Takenaka's first name was Akira.

"Potter-san," said Takenaka politely, "dueling is a hobby of mine, something I take rather seriously. So, please excuse my rudeness, but I feel it necessary to ask. Is what you did with Murata something that is commonly done in dueling, where you are from?"

Embarrassed, Harry responded, "No, it isn't. And I'd like to apologize, for causing you to have to worry about something like that."

Takenaka raised an eyebrow. "You would apologize to me, but not to him?"

"He doesn't deserve an apology," said Harry firmly, "until he takes responsibility for his own actions. But you do, because you have a point. I... simply got carried away in the heat of battle."

Takenaka scoffed lightly. "You mean, in the heat of anger. That was not a battle, that was a farce. He was not even close to being a match for you. I look forward to our match. Excuse me if this sounds arrogant, but I have not met a worthy opponent near my age for a long time."

"We have a saying: 'it's not boasting if it's true.'"

Takenaka grinned. "We do not have that saying. For us, it is boasting even if it is true. Also, I would like to make clear that I would not object to that spell if its purpose was to win the duel. It is just that in your case, it was clearly not."

Harry nodded. "Again, I apologize. Please accept my assurances that I will duel with the best sportsmanship, and any spell I do will be in an effort to win."

"As it should be," agreed Takenaka. "I thank you for talking to me."

"It's no problem, of course," said Harry, bowing politely. "It was nice to meet you."

"And you," said Takenaka, bowing. As Harry walked away, Takenaka added, "Potter-san... I have dueled while angry before, and I must admit that I would be lying if said that I have never used my dueling skill in the service of that anger. It is a temptation I try very hard to resist. For reasons unrelated to me, you may want to do the same."

"The headmaster said roughly the same thing. I thank you for the advice." Takenaka nodded, and Harry returned to the cafeteria.

* * * * *

An hour later, they were in a large room that reminded Harry of a gymnasium, except that it too had tatami flooring. They really love that stuff, thought Harry. I guess older buildings are more likely to have it, and newer buildings have regular floors. All one hundred students attending the summer session were present, again viewing from the sidelines. Clearly, what would have been a routine practice event had now taken on great importance.

"I assume most people will be rooting for him," said Harry.

"More than half, but not all," said Yasunori. "Some people who enjoyed what you did to Murata would be happy to see you win. Also, Takenaka is respected, but he isn't exactly popular. He does have a reputation for being a little arrogant, and he's not so socially adept. Most people supporting him will be supporting the Japanese against the foreigner. If you beat him, some people would worry that all foreigners are better than all Japanese, and they wouldn't want to think that."

Having read fifty pages so far of the Stanton book, Harry recalled reading that Japanese had strong national pride, which could be easily bruised if they perceived that they were inferior to foreigners in some way. "They couldn't just assume that I don't necessarily represent all foreigners?"

"They don't know that you've fought Dark wizards," pointed out Yasunori.

"Well, let's hope that doesn't get around," muttered Harry.

"Don't worry," Yasunori assured him. "It probably won't."

As Yasunori spoke, the contestants were called to their places. I hope he was joking with that 'probably,' thought Harry as he stood in his assigned place. He bowed; Takenaka did as well.

The bout started much differently than the others had. Takenaka sent out spells cautiously, obviously not going all out, seeing what Harry had to offer. Having been advised about this tactic by the 'other life' Aurors, Harry did the same in return. As Harry had heard, Takenaka moved around, but Harry soon saw a pattern: he blocked few spells, mostly managing to get out of the way of the incoming spells, sometimes by the slimmest of margins. Usually, no one let such a close spell go unblocked, because one couldn't be certain whether it would hit. Suddenly it dawned on Harry: Takenaka can see spells, too! No wonder he's so good. I'm going to have to bear down, and raise my game.

A tactic came to Harry's mind: mix up the speed of the spells. Deciding to rely for a few seconds on dodging incoming spells, Harry sent a few slower spells in a row, then a sinker. Clearly deciding to block it, Takenaka appeared stunned to find it suddenly at his feet. As Takenaka tried to hop over the spell, he lost his balance enough for Harry's next Stunner to find its target, and he flew ten feet backwards. The students gasped, having seen Takenaka lose a bout for the first time.

Takenaka slowly got to his feet, stretched his arms and legs, and stepped back into the dueling area. In the second bout, Takenaka was more cautious, blocking more spells, and clearly not assuming that a spell would not suddenly change direction. He fired a few spells that missed Harry by very little; Harry wondered if it was intentional, to see if Harry had the same ability he did. Harry moved aside, and as he did, another strategy from the Aurors came to his mind.

Deciding to again not block spells for a short time, Harry fired hard Stunners as fast as he could, towards the center; Takenaka moved to his left. Harry kept firing, a few inches to the right each time; accuracy was extremely important, as he had to dodge a few incoming spells. After a few seconds, he had pushed Takenaka almost all the way to the right. He now fired one straight at Takenaka, who now had no choice but to go to his left; Harry fired Stunners in the place Takenaka would be going, and again, Takenaka couldn't block well enough or fast enough. He blocked a little, but was pushed out of the playing area. The score was two to zero.

Taking a deep breath, Takenaka resumed his position once more. For the next bout, Takenaka was even more cautious, being sure to stay near the center, and not be pushed to any side. Twenty seconds in, to Harry's shock, one of Takenaka's spells seemed to split in two from his wand, heading both to his left and his right; he didn't want to try to block it, because it was coming from two directions. It looked like it would miss on both sides, but suddenly, both arced in, towards him. He darted to one side, but it was too late. One side of the spell seemed to push him into the other, and it spun him around; he felt as if he were a top that someone had spun. He stumbled out of the dueling area, spinning four or five times, and hit the floor hard as the audience gasped again.

Wow, the Aurors never taught me that one, thought Harry. I'd love to learn it. Harry slowly stood and entered the dueling area, trying to think about how to deal with that last spell; a combination of dodging and blocking was the best he could think of. He needed an unfamiliar spell, and again reached back into his Auror-related memories.

Ten seconds into the next bout, he had decided to use a different spell when he saw another split spell on the way; he quickly moved to one side, but found that due to the unfamiliarity of the spell, he had mis-gauged its direction; Takenaka had actually aimed it to Harry's left, anticipating that he would dodge, and correctly guessing the direction. Crap, thought Harry, as he threw up a blocking spell that he knew wouldn't be enough. On a desperate impulse as the spell hit, he lunged forward, hoping not to be spun out of the dueling area. He was again spun, but was able to keep his balance a little better, as he was ready for it. Still, he had soon been pushed to the back of the dueling area, tipping, about to fall out...

Knowing he couldn't keep his balance, he improvised and jumped straight up on one foot; luckily, Takenaka's next spell had been at his feet anyway, so it missed. Harry quickly did a Hover Charm on himself, and facing one side and floating, aimed across his body and fired a spell that dissipated and got wider as it approached its target. It usually couldn't knock the opponent out of the dueling area, but it was distracting. It was also slow, so Harry could fire two Stunners before the dissipating spell finally arrived. The Hover Charm quickly weakening, Harry floated to the ground, but not before one of the Stunners found its mark, knocking Takenaka out of the dueling area as he tried to escape the dissipating spell. Harry hit the ground only a second after Takenaka. The third-year professor pointed at Harry, declaring him the winner. The audience applauded vigorously.

Slowly getting to his feet, Harry was surprised that his aim had been that good while floating. Guess it's like Dad said, he thought, you'll be all right if you don't think about it. He felt the sadness he always did when he thought about his parents, but it also occurred to him that at least now he had memories of his parents. He had paid far too high a price for those memories, but it was better than nothing, he supposed. He reached the dueling area at the same time as Takenaka; they both bowed deeply.

A few minutes later, Harry was accepting congratulations from first years when Takenaka approached him and requested a few words with him. This time keeping an eye on Yosuke and making sure he didn't use the eavesdropping spell, Harry and Takenaka walked to a spot out of everyone's hearing.

"Congratulations," said Takenaka. "That was... remarkable."

Harry shrugged. "Well, you try strange things when you're desperate."

"If I had been in your position, I would have lost the bout," admitted Takenaka. "It would never have occurred to me to do what you did. Also, I could not help but notice... you have the Gift."

Harry frowned; a translation problem? "I'm sorry, I don't know what that means."

"You can see spells," explained Takenaka.

"Ah, yes. I noticed you could, too. How common is that?"

"Extremely rare, from what I hear," said Takenaka. "My grandfather can do it, and his grandfather can, so it seems to skip generations. How about you?"

"I... never knew either of my grandparents," said Harry. "I don't know where it comes from." Of course he knew he couldn't tell the truth.

"Have you not asked them as honored spirits?"

"There are very few ghosts in my country; we don't have the custom of staying around for three generations. We just move on to the next place."

Takenaka's eyebrows went high. "Very interesting. Do you know why?"

"Well, to be honest, my understanding is that moving on is the natural thing to do. So, I might just as easily ask you why yours don't move on."

"Because of the Antiquity Link."

"Yes, I know, but my point is that the Antiquity Link isn't natural. My country doesn't have it, and without it, almost everyone who dies moves on immediately. So, that's why I think moving on immediately is 'natural.' It's what would happen without any artificial action, like the Antiquity Link."

Takenaka slowly nodded. "I had never thought of it that way before, that the Antiquity Link is somehow not natural. Of course you are right, according to your meaning. We simply take it for granted. No doubt there are many other differences between our countries."

"Almost too many to mention," agreed Harry.

"Yes. Well, to get back to the point... I would like to ask you, what part of my dueling technique do you feel needs improvement?"

"Blocking," Harry immediately answered. "I think you're so used to dodging that your blocking isn't as good as it could be. Sometimes blocking is preferable to dodging."

"As you very nicely demonstrated in the second bout," agreed Takenaka. "I was impressed with how quickly you found a tactical weakness, and exploited it. Of course, your Stunning spells are more powerful than most; it takes a concentrated effort to block them. Which I discovered, too late. But the last part of the final bout... you cannot possibly have practiced that?"

Harry smiled at the thought. "No. Just... desperation, improvisation."

"Creativity," mused Takenaka. "Spontaneity. Qualities that, I believe, are more valued in your culture than mine."

"Do you know much about my culture?"

"My mother is Muggle-born," responded Takenaka. He said it casually, but Harry detected the undertone of someone having made an admission that had not always been met with favor. "She is most interested in all things foreign, both Muggle-related and wizard-related. My parents have friends abroad, including in England and America. So, I am familiar with some basic cultural differences, though I did not know about your lack of Antiquity Links.

"In any case... we value a 'right way' of doing things, and anything unconventional tends to be looked down on. Because my style is unconventional, I am not much respected for my ability."

"Well, you're respected by me, at least," said Harry wryly. "I hope I can play against you again sometime."

"Actually, that is part of why I wanted to talk to you. I think you and I could learn a lot from each other. If you are interested, I would suggest we meet after lessons, say once a week, to have practice sessions. A good sparring partner is essential for improving."

Harry smiled. "That sounds really good." They agreed on a time and place, then Takenaka lowered his voice and said, "Potter-san... I trust everything we have discussed will remain confidential, but particularly about the Gift. I would not wish that to be common knowledge. Here, being different is not a good thing, sometimes even if that difference is a positive one."

"I know all about that," muttered Harry. "Of course, I won't repeat anything."

"Thank you. When I tell my parents about you, my mother will want to call her friends in England. Perhaps her friend will know of you."

Harry couldn't stop a chuckle. "Yeah, I think so. Look, do me a favor. I'd appreciate it if your mother didn't say anything specifically about where I am, and if you didn't repeat to anyone what your mother's friend tells her about me."

Puzzled, Takenaka asked, "You are sure my mother's friend will know of you?"

"Yes, she will. It's a long story, and nothing bad, just nothing I want to get around here. You'll understand after your mother talks to her friend. It's more about privacy than anything else."

Takenaka nodded. "Of course. I will see you on Wednesday, and thank you again for the match."

"My pleasure." They bowed, and Takenaka surprised Harry by offering his hand. "I believe they do this in your country?"

Grinning, Harry shook it. "Yes, we do."

* * * * *

Harry and Yasunori returned home at four o'clock; Harry read his book until five-thirty, when Sato arrived home. Ten minutes later, Yasunori knocked on Harry's door and asked him to come out to the living room. Harry followed him, and they sat on the sofa, opposite Sato.

"Well, Harry-san... I heard about your day."

"Ah. Sorry about that. How much trouble did I cause?"

"I just spent two hours in a meeting with the Foreign Minister, the Deputy Culture Minister, the Education Minister, the headmaster, and three teachers from the school."

Yasunori and Harry exchanged surprised glances. "Wow," exclaimed Yasunori. "Why all that? It wasn't such a big deal."

"Given the positions of the people involved, clearly, it was," said his father dryly. "I know it may not seem that way, to you and Harry-san, but such a disruptive day had not occurred at the school for many years." He paused, then shook his head. "Harry-san, I know I do not need to give you a talk about fitting in. Of course I know what Murata-san said to you in the morning, and it was inexcusable. The fact is that a student who was Japanese and knew that spell might well have done what you did, and it would not have been anywhere near the problem it was in this case. Ironically, the fact that you are foreign is what makes it a problem. That is not fair, but it is the reality.

"All three teachers disapproved of the headmaster's instructions that you be treated as equal to all years' students. They did not say it directly, but they made it clear nonetheless. They disapproved because it throws a wrench into the well-ordered social structure that we have built."

"Why is that so difficult?" wondered Yasunori. "Harry-san is equal to everyone. It seems clear enough."

"Of course, I agree," responded his father. "I am just saying why they disapprove. For example, the second year professor protested that when Murata-san insulted Harry-san, he had not yet been told about Harry-san's unique situation, and as Harry-san was wearing yellow, he had license to consider himself Harry-san's senior. Essentially, he feels that the rules were changed in the middle of the game. He claimed he was not defending Murata-san's insult, but pointing out that Harry-san would not have felt free to punish Murata-san as he did had Harry-san been socially equal to first years."

"Does he really think I wouldn't have done what I did if I was socially equal to a first year?" asked a surprised Harry. "That had nothing to do with it."

"I know that, of course, but he is thinking from a Japanese perspective. In his mind, if you were equal to a first year, you would not have done it because such flagrant disrespect and aggression against a senior would be punishable by his entire class. You would have been harassed and ostracized, and any first year who defended you would have as well. He--the professor--actually thinks that you took advantage of your flexible social status to commit an otherwise unpardonable act; because you are equal even to a third year, no one can punish you. Therefore, he feels, you have been made de facto a third year."

Harry sighed. "This has to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard. Let me see if I understand this. If I was a first year, he could recruit his classmates and punish me. If I was a third year, he couldn't do anything. What if I was a second year?"

"Then it would depend on your relative social status. If he had higher status within the group than you, he could punish you, though your fighting back would be allowable. If yours was higher, he would not try to fight you because he could not succeed. Ironically, Murata-san later claimed that his insult was directed at Yasunori, not at you."

Harry and Yasunori exchanged a look of amazement. "Okay, now that's the weirdest thing I've ever heard," said Harry, shaking his head.

"Father, that claim is utterly ridiculous. Perhaps it was aimed slightly at me, but Harry-san was the target. Every student knew that. That claim is nothing but tatemae."

Surprised that his translator didn't get the word, Harry decided to try to remember it. "Of course, Yasu-kun, I am aware of that. That is the point of tatemae, that in a polite situation, one cannot simply say, 'that is tatemae.' But I think everyone in the room knew that is was."

"But why even make such an absurd claim?" asked Harry.

Sato gestured to his son, asking him to answer the question. Yasunori thought for a few seconds, then understood. "If it was only an insult to me, then Harry's attack on him was unprovoked." Sato nodded. "Father, may I have permission to tell students around the school that Murata-san said this? It would get a big laugh."

Sato seemed annoyed with his son. "Yasunori, you know that everything I tell you from work is confidential. However, I take your point, and it may get around without your assistance. Speaking of keeping things confidential, I am sure it will amuse you to know that the headmaster reprimanded the second-year professor, saying that Murata-san's conduct did not reflect well on the professor, the headmaster, or the school, and that they should be apologizing to the Foreign Ministry instead of complaining that we have disrupted their school."

"Well, now I respect the headmaster even more," remarked Yasunori.

Sato nodded. Looking at Harry, he said, "He also pointed out that you took his advice and attempted to make peace with Murata-san, praising your use of the phrase 'I wish it hadn't happened,' which is understood in Japanese as a pre-apology, an offer to apologize under appropriate conditions. He appreciates that you offered Murata-san a face-saving way out of the situation, though he recognizes that Murata-san was probably too emotional, so soon after the incident, to think clearly.

"In the final analysis... the headmaster, at lunch, instructed the professors to remain silent to the students regarding the incident; that will remain in force. This will now be treated as a social matter to be resolved by the students, with no staff guidance or interference. Yasu-kun, how is the situation seen around the school?"

"Hmmm... of course, all students recognize Harry-san's actions as being unusually... emphatic, and either would not have been done by a Japanese student, or would only have been done as punishment for a grievous offense. First years are pleased--after all, many have been bullied by him--but trying not to be too open about it, fearing retaliation from Murata-san or other second years. The general feeling is that Murata-san is a foolish bully who got what he deserved. Second years, I hear, are mostly angry; not because they like Murata-san, but because first years are getting satisfaction at the humiliation of a second year by one who was seen as a first year. A few were heard to say that the insult didn't deserve such heavy punishment. And the third years don't care so much, since it doesn't involve them. They apparently think it's funny, but of course, they were the only ones not to see it directly. I think it feels different if you have. They were more impressed with Harry-san's defeat of Takenaka-san, who everyone expects to make Auror in the future. Also, since Takenaka-san is seen as kind of arrogant, the fact that after the match he treated Harry-san as an equal, with respect, is significant to them."

"Wow... you sure got a lot of information fast," said Harry to Yasunori.

"I talked to a few people, who had talked to other people. This was a big event, so everyone wanted to know how everyone felt. It was like a social earthquake, and we don't know if there'll be more aftershocks."

Sato nodded. "An excellent analogy, Yasunori."

Yasunori smiled. "Thank you, Father. One more thing: a feeling shared by pretty much everyone, about Harry-san, was along the lines of, 'I'm definitely not going to mess with him.'"

Sato eyed Harry. "Is that what you had in mind?"

"I didn't care what other people thought. What I had in mind was that he should think that."

"I have only one more question, Harry-san," said Sato gravely. "If you had it to do again, what would you do?"

Harry paused for what felt like a long time, thinking it over. Finally, he had an answer. "It would be very difficult to resist, but no, I wouldn't do it. I would look for something else to get across the same message... but with a scalpel rather than a sledgehammer."

Sato nodded. "In that case, today has been a valuable learning experience."

Harry stood. "I'm sorry if it caused you any problems."

"It has been a learning experience for us, as well. It may yet, I hope, be one for Murata-san. Only he can decide that, however."

Harry nodded, left the room, and walked to his bedroom, but paused near the bedroom door as he heard voices from the living room. I should stop listening like this, he thought, but he continued to listen.

"Yasu-kun, I'm sure you are aware that you are standing near the epicenter."

"I know, Father. But I'm not moving."

There was a pause. "You're a good boy."

"I'm eighteen, Father."

"My father would occasionally say that I was a good boy. The last time he did... I was forty-two years old."

"I understand, Father. Thank you."

Harry felt a pang, wishing his father were around to say that kind of thing. Well, he thought, at least I got to hear it once. Not nearly enough, but... wonder what an epicenter is, anyway. Must be one of those things, like filial piety, that they talk about but we don't.

* * * * *

Next: Chapter 16, Gaman: Slowly settling into a new school and a new culture, Harry tries to defend himself from a bully while not aggravating the situation, and tries to understand culture and customs he finds unfathomable.

From Chapter 16: Bewildered, Harry was mute for a few seconds. Finally, he exclaimed incredulously, 'What's the point of that?"

"To endure," said Yusuke earnestly. Again, 'gaman' came out. "To show that we can, and to fly in formation under adverse circumstances."

Again, there was silence as Harry looked back and forth at the other three. He shook his head. "You people are absolutely crazy."