Healer

[Healer] - Chapter One

"JAL flight 870 to London, connecting in Vancouver, is now boarding at gate 40," the woman announced over the public announcement system in Japanese, followed by broken English. Large brown eyes started to fill with tears as she gazed up at her father's familiar face for maybe the last time.

"Otosan..." Tears slowly started leaking down her porcelain cheeks. Her father brushed them away with callused fingers, embracing his daughter. Muffled sobs came from her frail figure as she started to weep into his shirt.

"Ai-chan, look at me." She pulled back from her father, eyes red and puffy. "We'll see each other again. Don't worry. I'll talk to you at Christmas."

"Promise?" She managed to ask between hiccups.

"I promise." Another boarding call sounded over the PA. "You'd better go or you'll miss your flight." She hugged her father one last time and kissed him farewell.

"Ittekimasu." She said finally, I'm going.

"Ittarashai." Her father responded, have a safe trip. She walked through the security gate, glancing back every few steps to see if he was still standing there waving. He stayed until he could no longer see her, and then some. "Ittarashai," he whispered to himself before heading to a shadowed corner to disapparate.

Aiko Yamanaka wearily dragged her feet towards the luggage claim belts at Heathrow Airport, her final destination. She'd had a grueling trip, chock full of screaming babies, delays and turbulence. 'I don't suppose I would have had so much trouble if I'd let Dad escort me over on broom,' but she shuddered at the thought: Aiko hated to fly. She didn't trust herself on a broomstick, so she opted to fly the muggle way. At least that way, she'd have time to sort out all her thoughts before starting at a new school in two days.

Aiko was just contemplating how she'd overcome her jet lag (yes, it affected witches too) when she spotted her mother in a sea of faces on the other side of customs. Gently setting down her guitar case and making sure her cart wasn't going to roll away, Aiko hugged her mother. Mrs. Yamanaka looked exactly how she had the last time they'd seen each other: short dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes and a cheerful face still splattered with paint.

"Aiko! How are you? Let me take a look at you, oh! My baby girl." Aiko blushed at being fawned over by her parent, but stood to be examined. Since they'd been together at Christmas break two years ago, Aiko had changed greatly. She'd grown her hair out, dyed it back to its original ebony and ditched her glasses for contacts. She'd grown a couple inches too, now level with her mother but still half a head shorter than her father.

They chatted as they got to Mrs. Yamanaka's car, a classic Volkswagen Beetle. Aiko loved this car, and hoped that it would one day be hers. Of course it had some sort of enchantment on it, all cars owned by witches did, to make the boot larger or the inside more roomy.

Mrs. Yamanaka questioned Aiko all about her home in Tokyo and how her father was getting on. They hadn't seen each other since Aiko was five. The break-up wasn't harsh or violent; both thought it best for all parties involved if they just went their separate ways. Their ambitions were just too different. Mr. Yamanaka was one of the best Japanese Aurors around, but Mrs. Yamanaka wanted to paint. The two just couldn't work it out. Plus, as Aiko's mother has always said, 'they were just too young at the time'.

Driving down the motorway, Aiko heard the distant blast of a train's whistle, bringing her wandering attention back to the present.

"We need to get shopping for your school supplies tomorrow, I think the letter from Hogwarts is in the den. Since they couldn't get a hold of you soon enough they contacted me about your school and..." Aiko's mother's chatter about spell books and classes faded into the background of Aiko's mind. 'Hogwarts? What kind of name is that? It's the worst sounding name I've ever heard; no wonder muggles have such odd ideas of what witches and wizards are like. They find them so outlandish even if they were to hear of anything, they would dismiss it as nothing but a fairy story from the Highlands.'

Aiko remembered her old school; it was on a secluded cliff on the coast north of Tokyo. It had been an all girls' school; it did seem a little ironic with a name like Mahou Academy of the Magical Arts (or MAMA for sort). The classes had been small: a dozen students, fifteen at the most. The school was rich in extra-curricular activities: sports, arts, music, whatever your heart desired. And if they didn't have it, they soon would. The headmistress, Madam Tanaka, believed firmly in the idea of an 'all-rounded student'.

"Aiko? Are you listening to me?"

Jumping slightly at being yanked from her present reverie, Aiko blushed with guilt at not paying attention to her mother.

"Sorry Mum, I'm really tired that's all. Been a long day."

"I bet it has. Well we're almost home, you can take a short nap when we get there."

Upon arriving home and finding everything just as she'd left it two years ago, Aiko retired for a rest. Her nap turned into a deep thirteen-hour sleep. When she woke, she was ready for a new day. Even though she'd slept so long, Aiko still rose with the sun just as she had with her father. Curled up in a cushioned chair on the third story balcony of the old Victorian home her mother had inherited, Aiko sipped her green tea. The old residence had been in the Johns family for twelve generations and was probably going to be Aiko's some day. The sun slowly crept across the English sky, lighting everything in its path. This was the last day of her vacation, and her mother said she still needed to take Aiko to Diagon Alley to get her school supplies.

'I wonder what Hogwarts is going to be like. Will all the kids be snobby brats like everything thinks the British are? I wonder how my magic will compare? Will they be ahead of me? What about the uniforms?' So much doubt about this new life filled Aiko's thoughts that she didn't hear her mother creep up behind her.

"Good morning, sweetie." She said cheerfully with a kiss on her daughter's cheek.

"Ohayo, Mum." Aiko cursed her tongue; she could just imagine what would happen if the Japanese phrases that sprinkled her vocabulary slipped out at Hogwarts. 'Blank stares for sure,' she thought.

"Sleep well? I should think so, it was long enough!" Aiko nodded in agreement. "So I suppose we should head into town by nine today, get our shopping done early. I doubt we'll the only one's who have left everything till the last minute." Mrs. Yamanaka noticed Aiko's unusually quiet behavior, even for six in the morning. "Nervous?"

"How could you guess?" Aiko's words were dipped in sarcasm. Of course she was nervous.

"I was once in your position you know!" They both shared a little laugh.

"What's it like there?" Aiko asked, breaking the comfortable silence that followed.

"Well it's a huge castle, not unlike Mahou but really different. There are four houses: Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Gryffindors are well known for their bravery. Hufflepuffs are the loyal ones, Slytherins are ambitious and Ravenclaws are the ones with the brains."

Aiko took in all this information. 'Maybe this won't be that bad.'

"I was in Ravenclaw, it was great. The people were all really friendly although they couldn't understand how I got put there. We both know I'm not the brightest crayon in the box." Aiko's mother was an artist and has passed her talent onto her only child. Aiko could draw, paint, and sculpt, anything visually stimulating. She was also a musician: she planned to bring her acoustic guitar and drumsticks (even though she had no drums to play, she could still practice) to school.

Mrs. Yamanaka continued for a quarter of an hour explaining the ins and outs of Hogwarts; meals, Quidditch matches, the Sorting, the inter-house competitions, house points and the general daily routine.

As they were getting ready to head out the door to the car Aiko gave one last thought to her last school and embraced the fact that Hogwarts was now her new home for the years to come. 'Maybe it won't be that bad at all.'

Walking down through Diagon Alley was a certainly different experience than walking around the wizard shops in Japan: people were smiling and friendly to one another, unlike the Japanese who kept to their own business. Aiko and her mother got some odd looks from people since they were in muggle garb: jeans, t-shirts and trainers. Mrs. Yamanaka was muggle-born and had never gotten used to wearing robes. She only wore them when absolutely necessary: formal occasions or when dress code required them. Aiko had adopted her mother's mentality and wore muggle clothes most of the time. They felt freer.

"Maybe we should head to Madam Malkin's first?" Mrs. Yamanaka suggested getting 'wizard-approved' clothes since the stares were becoming unnerving. Aiko didn't care; people could think whatever they wanted: she knew the truth. Besides, they were staring more at her mother than at her.

Madam Malkin's happened to be the closest shop anyway, so that was the first stop. Upon entering the crowded store, Aiko immediately had second thoughts about getting the robes first. She got claustrophobic sometimes, but Mrs. Yamanaka was already drawn over to the section labeled "Dress Robes" with a flashing sign hanging overhead. Aiko settled to scouring the racks of frilly, lacy - "stuffy" as she said - dress robes. They weren't absolutely necessary, but Mrs. Yamanaka's motto (one of many) was 'Be prepared'. The list had a little note saying that it would be advisable to have them anyway.

"I'm not buying - okay, you're not buying - any of these. They are so out of date and stiff. How can anyone move in these things? They look like they've been starched into cardboard." Aiko indignantly crossed her arms, refusing to try anything her mother pulled off the racks.

"What about this one?" 'Too heavy.'

"This is nice." 'Maybe if I was dead.'

"I saw a woman wearing this on the front of the Daily Prophet." 'Oh yeah! That's really going to make me want to wear it.'

After looking at every robe and gown in the entire store, most of the customers left leaving the counter free.

"How may I help this young lady today?" Madam Malkin's voice was genuinely kind.

"Hogwarts' robes please. And would you have any dress robes that aren't so poofy?" Malkin made a face at her robes being called "poofy".

Measurements were taken and robes were altered. Malkin thought over what she would have in stock, retreating to the back to check. She couldn't think of anything that would be acceptable for this girl.

"Sorry, I don't think I have anything here. You might like to check the catalogue? I've got your measurements on file, so you just owl me your order." They paid for the school robes and left.

Lugging books and clothes and supplies around the crowded Alley was no simple feat but somehow the two managed. The last thing they bought - Aiko bought - was an owl. She'd lingered in front of Eeylops Owl Emporium on their way into the Alley, remembering her faithful owl that she'd left to her father in Tokyo. Soon they were back in the Alley with a calm, chocolate barn owl in addition to the rest of their loot.

Aiko glanced around the street, finally taking in her surroundings: she'd been too bent on getting her shopping completed as soon as possible to notice anything before. There was a group of teenage boys crowded around the window of the Quidditch supplies store. 'Go figure; boys will be boys.' Thought Aiko. The windows of the Leaky Cauldron were open to admit the brisk summer breeze. People were loaded down with shopping, last minute no doubt. Aiko scanned the crowd for anyone she'd know, though she wouldn't find any friendly faces: they were all back in Japan.

"Aiko, it's getting hot. How about some ice cream?" Mrs. Yamanaka nodded towards Florean Fortescue's. Aiko caught a glimpse of the bustling ice cream parlor, with no empty tables.

"How about 'to-go'? I really need to pack still, Mum." Mrs. Yamanaka agreed and took Aiko's order for a Cinnamon Swirl and left Aiko to guard the shopping bags. She leaned against the wall next to the ice cream parlor, out of people's way. Admiring the bright blue sky overhead, Aiko hear laughter nearby. She's looked for the source, which was quickly found: two boys and a girl seated at one of the tables near her. She couldn't help over-hear.

"Then what?" The girl with long brown hair asked.

"Percy managed to dip his tie in the ink pot. Not to mention smudge all his work, which he needed to do all over, again!" The boy with red hair had them clutching their sides in laughter.

Aiko couldn't help smile at someone else's misfortune, it was rather silly. Laughter was infectious after all. She returned her gaze to the cloudless sky when she felt compelled to look back at the trio. 'Maybe I was caught eves-dropping?' she thought guiltily. She met a pair of brilliant green eyes: she'd been noticed. Aiko smiled, he blushed slightly and returned the gesture. He eyed her bags through his rimless glasses and she his: he'd been to the Quidditch store.

"Aiko? Ready? Let's go." Mrs. Yamanaka picked up her parcels and led the way back through the Leaky Cauldron at the end of the Alley.

Aiko managed a small wave good-bye before following close behind her mother. Smiling inwardly, 'Look, I've already made a friend.'

*

"Harry?" Hermione waved her hand in front of one of best friend's faces. "Are you there? Yoo-hoo?" She turned to the her other best friend Ron, and whisper, "The lights are on upstairs, but no one's home." Ron snorted with laughter.

"I'm not deaf you know!" Harry, brought back to reality by Ron's swine-like outburst, scowled at Hermione.

"Sorry, Mr. Sensitive! You just were gone for a second, I wondered where you went."

"I hadn't gone anywhere. I was just trying to block your boring rant about SPEW out." Now he'd really pushed her buttons. Anyone who knew Hermione like they did knew well enough not to bad-mouth her endeavors. Thankfully, before Hermione could really let loose Ron took a spoonful of his ice cream and stuck it in Hermione's open mouth.

"Here comes the broomstick!" Harry couldn't help laugh at the wizard's equivalent to 'Here comes the airplane'. After an excruciating ice cream headache, Hermione regained her composure.

"Thank you, Ron. Don't ever do that again though." She slapped him upside the head, but this just made him laugh even harder. "What were you staring at Harry?"

"Staring? I wasn't staring!" Harry realized a little too late how enthusiastic his reply had been. "Okay, maybe I was staring a little bit. There was just someone over there, and I think we've going to have a new fifth year at Hogwarts."

"How do you know that?" Ron asked after running out of giggles.

"I just know."