VI. Sakura Goes Shopping

Around the globe from the Burrow, a Japanese family was just preparing to turn in for the evening, when a soft tapping sound drew their attention.

"What's that?" Kinomoto Touya, a tall, lanky, handsome young man, asked as he opened the kitchen window. A barn owl swooped into the room, landed on the table, and deposited a thick, yellow parchment envelope. The boy blinked at the owl as it flew off into the night.

Fujitaka leaned around the doorjamb. "Something wrong, Touya?"

"An owl just flew through the window and dropped a letter."

Fujitaka's eyes widened. "So that's what he meant..." He headed for the table, and examined the envelope. The front was addressed in crisp, perfect Japanese, written in emerald green ink:

KINOMOTO Sakura
The third upstairs bedroom
4-1 Asabana 3-chome
Tomoeda
Japan

"Sakura-san!" he called as he sat down at the table, turning the envelope over and over in his hands.

The young girl appeared a moment later. "Hai?" she asked, blinking sleepily. She was already in her pajamas, and Keroberos (who had no need to pretend to be a stuffed toy anymore) floated nearby.

"You've got a letter," Fujitaka said. "From that wizard school, I believe."

Sakura's eyes widened, even as Keroberos became excited. "Sakura-chan going to Hogwarts...I'm so proud!" the diminuitive magical beast said.

Fujitaka eyed Keroberos warily. "I'm still not entirely sure about this. This whole wizard school thing...it seems risky. And if she goes, what will she be able to do afterwards?"

"Anything she wants!" Keroberos replied confidently. "Sakura-chan is a very powerful witch! There's nothing she won't be able to do after Hogwarts! Especially since she has the Clow!"

"Hmm. Well...we'll discuss it in the morning," Fujitaka decided. "Go on up to bed, everyone."

* * * * *

Dumbledore returned to Tomoeda to find that Sakura's father was willing to let her go to Hogwarts. He still had reservations, as well as a good number of practical questions and concerns, but he couldn't deny that his daughter needed to be properly trained if she had the degree of magical power the old wizard and the ancient guardian beast thought she did.

"But what about tuition, and money for her supplies?" Fujitaka asked. "I mean, money isn't a real problem, but—"

"You need not concern yourself with that, Kinomoto-san," Dumbledore assured him. "Clow Reed has a considerable amount amassed in his vault in London. As Sakura is effectively his heir, I'll withdraw all fees for her stay at Hogwarts from that vault. It will be more than enough to cover all seven years, any travel back and forth, and incidentals." He smiled.

"Well...if you say so..."

"Come, Sakura, we'd best be off to get your school things. Hold on to this, it's called a Portkey, that's right...off we go then..."

Fujitaka and Touya watched as Dumbledore, Sakura, and Keroberos vanished. "Do you think this will be alright, Touya?" Fujitaka asked.

Touya smiled. "I think it'll be fine. If the little kaiju doesn't destroy all of Britain or something." His voice held a fond, brotherly tone that belied his words, and Fujitaka chuckled softly.

* * * * *

"Diagon Alley...I haven't been here in a long time," Keroberos said wistfully.

"Sugoi," Sakura gasped as she looked around. The narrow lane they had arrived in was lined by shops boasting wares the likes of which she had never seen; the position of the sun told her she had indeed just crossed half the world. The people here were colourfully and unusually dressed; robes, cloaks, and pointed hats stretched as far as the eye could see as wizards and witches bustled to and fro.

Their first stop was at a bank called Gringotts, which was run by goblins—creatures that somewhwat unnerved Sakura. Dumbledore had spent a moment conversing with a goblin before turning to Sakura. As the goblin rushed off, looking rather disgruntled, Sakura asked what they had been discussing. "I merely asked the goblins to withdraw a sufficient amount from Clow Reed's vault for Hogwarts supplies, and explained that neither you nor I were much for the cart ride down to the vaults."

Sakura started to ask what he meant by that, but Keroberos cut her off. "Trust me, Sakura-chan, you don't want to know."

Moments later, the goblin returned with a jangling leather bag, which he thrust at Dumbledore. The creature bowed rather stiffly, and ushered them out of the bank.

"Now, the first problem we need to deal with," Dumbledore said as they emerged into the street, "is the language barrier. I expect that you will make an effort to properly learn English during your time at Hogwarts, but in the meantime..."

He led Sakura to a small, dusty-looking shop over which hung a brass placard: Telligess' Translation Talismans. "We'll be able to acquire some special assistance here..."

A scholarly-looking young wizard with wire-framed glasses and neat orange robes looked up at them and smiled as they walked in. "Hello, how can I help you—ah! Professor Dumbledore! It's been a while, sir."

Dumbledore smiled at the young man. "Good day, Samuel. You seem to be faring well."

"Yes, sir! My wife and I are expecting our first child in a few weeks."

"I'm happy to hear it." Dumbledore smiled. Sakura suddenly realised something—she'd understood every word the two of them had exchanged...but they'd been speaking English! "Samuel, this is Sakura Kinomoto. She will be attending Hogwarts this term, and requires a translator."

The young wizard nodded and eyed Sakura up and down, brow furrowing in thought. "Japanese? Hmm..." He walked over to a rack on the wall, perusing its contents at length before producing two items: a small white-gold pin with a round red jewel in the center which resembled the Japanese flag, and a pair of round, smokey eyeglasses. "This should do it." He knelt in front of Sakura and affixed the pin to her collar. "As long as you wear this, you'll hear Japanese no matter what language is being spoken, and anyone you speak to will hear the language they speak, so long as you speak Japanese." He handed her the eyeglasses. "These are for reading. And..." He frowned. "I don't have a Translation Quill for Japanese in stock...the last batch we made kept translating everything as 'aardvark' for some reason..."

"Quite alright, Samuel," Dumbledore assured him with a chuckle. "I've already ordered a parcel of English-translation glasses for her teachers. How long is the usual wait for a translation quill?"

"Well, the next batch will likely be ready at the start of October," Samuel said. "The kanji-based languages are very tricky." He frowned. "By the way, those glasses may show you something that doesn't look quite right from time to time. Be sure to ask for help from a teacher or a schoolmate if something doesn't make sense."

"A-alright," Sakura nodded.

"Right then..." Samuel clapped his hands together and smiled. "Anything else for you today, Professor Dumbledore?"

"That will be all, Samuel, thank you."

"Alright..." The young wizard whisked over to the counter and began scratching with a quill on a piece of parchment. "One Japanese pin, one pair Japanese readers, and order of a Japanese-to-English Translation Quill to be sent to Sakura Kinomoto at Hogwarts on availability...that comes to fifteen Galleons, nine Sickles."

Dumbledore paid the man with a double handful of gold and silver coins, thanked him, and escorted Sakura out of the shop. "Now, let's see about robes..."

* * * * *

After an hour spent going in and out of various shops, the elderly wizard and his young charge were laden down with parcels. "Well now, only one thing left to take care of, Sakura," Dumbledore said.

Sakura looked up nervously at the narrow, dusty shop she and the kind old wizard were standing in front of.

"Wands?" she asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "Mind, the wandmakers in Japan are more accustomed to this kind of job, but I'm of the firm belief that nothing is quite as good as an Ollivander's wand."

Keroberos frowned. "What's she need a wand for? She's already got the Key—"

"Keroberos," Dumbledore interrupted, "are you saying you'd want to be around to see what happens when a young, untrained witch tries to learn basic spells using Clow Reed's Key?"

"...Sakura-chan, you'll need a wand," Keroberos decided.

The three of them went into the shop, then, and Sakura jumped when a wisp of an old man with silvery eyes appeared in front of them. "Good afternoon," he said softly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ollivander," Dumbledore said.

"Ah, Albus," Mr. Ollivander greeted with a smile. "What brings you here today?"

"Mr. Ollivander, I've come with a bit of a challenge for you. This young lady is going to attend Hogwarts this term, and she'll require a custom wand."

The old wandmaker blinked. "A custom wand?" To Sakura, it seemed that he was half-intrigued, half-indignant. "Albus, you know perfectly well that my wands are more than adequate for any young witch or wizard..."

"I don't believe any wand you have in stock would suit this child," Dumbledore said softly. "She's...unique."

Keroberos fluttered forward. "Show Mr. Ollivander the Key, Sakura-chan."

Sakura blinked, but withdrew the shrunken Key from its place around her neck, and spoke the incantation which revealed its full size. Mr. Ollivander's moon-bright eyes widened at the sight of it. "Good lord..." he gasped, leaning closer. "May I, child—?"

Sakura looked uncertain, but handed the Key over to the old man, who pulled a loupe from his pocket and studied it intently. "Bless me!" he cried. "Polywood, brassroot, lasomorph resin...Merlin's beard, this has FOUR magical cores!" He glanced up at Dumbledore sharply. "Albus, what in God's name is a child her age doing with such a thing?"

"Miss Kinomoto," Dumbledore explained patiently, "is the current mistress of Clow Reed's book of cards."

Mr. Ollivander's eyes grew even wider. "Then this—"

"Is the Key that Binds the Seal," Dumbledore finished.

The wandmaker shakily handed Sakura back the Key, which she returned to its usual small size and slipped back into her blouse. "Yes, well..." He cleared his throat. "So, you say you need a custom wand, young miss?"

"She does," Dumbledore replied. "And I trust you can have it ready by start of term?"

"I'll give it my best, Albus," Mr. Ollivander replied. "Now, what sort of wand are we looking for here?"

Dumbledore withdrew a long, thin branch from his robes. "Cherrywood," he said. "And for a core...Keroberos, if you don't mind...?"

Mr. Ollivander seemed a bit put out that there was suddenly an enormous winged lion in the middle of his shop, but he recovered quickly. "A hair from my mane," Keroberos growled.

"Yes, of course...you gave one of the cores for that Key, did you not?" The wandmaker carefully plucked a long silver-white hair from the broad fringe around Keroberos' neck, and the guardian beast returned to his usual small size. "Most unusual," Mr. Ollivander murmured as he examined the branch and the hair. He glanced back up at Dumbledore. "I'll have it ready in two weeks."

"Excellent, excellent," Dumbledore replied, depositing a small pile of coins on the counter, along with a scrap of parchment. "If you'll just owl it to this address when you're done, then. Come, Sakura, we'd best be off."