Spoiler: show
Dawn in Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry today came with fog and mist.
As if that would stop one Harry S. Potter from going through his daily routine.
He stretched his left arm outward, his feet spaced apart, his knees bent, and his back ramrod straight. Slowly, he spun his left arm to point forward, and at the same time, his right hand stretched outward as well, and he slowly stepped forward on his right foot.
Tiptoe.
Hold breath for three counts; return to neutral position and exhale in five.
Assume the Crane's Landing stance in seven counts and hold for three.
Breathe in, and out.
Return to the Sleeping Crane in ten counts.
Breathe.
His concentration was broken as he could feel two of his newest friends come over - they had seen what he was doing, and were completely befuddled.
"What'cha doin'?" asked Ron, trying to imitate a few of his stances. "Some kind of kung fu stuff?"
"It's tai chi chuan," Harry answered. He cut a neat figure in the blue tracksuit with a few characters emblazoned across the breast pocket.
"A Chinese martial art?" Hermione asked. "But you said you'd never been to China."
Harry chuckled at some private joke. "Learned it where I came from. The gatekeeper only let me learn this, she'll probably let me try a few Wing Chun moves if I can do the last few stances perfectly..."
"Your gatekeeper knows kung fu?" Ron asked. "So what does she do, beat up people who try and get into your home?"
"Normally, yeah, but she spends afternoons napping, and when she gets up, a few friends manage to sneak in... I've seen her get chewed out by Saku-er, I mean the maid rather often because of that."
"Your place sounds awesome," Ron said. "A mansion, your gatekeeper's probably a martial artist... wonder what your maid can do?"
"You don't want to know," Harry simply answered.
"On another note, what do those characters say?" Hermione asked as they began the short walk back to the castle for breakfast. "I mean, over your jacket's pocket."
"It says 'Honored Guest of the House of Eternity'... and an honest-to-goodness princess gave it to me for my 11th birthday."
"That's... cool..." Ron said, the implications not lost on him. Harry Potter hobnobbing with princesses where he came from? If any, he wanted in on it.
The three of them remained silent on the way back to the castle itself.
Later at breakfast, Harry again surprised everyone when he insisted on carrying his and his friends' used breakfast dishes to the kitchen for washing - when asked why, he said that he had been taught the domestic arts, and did not want that skill to lie fallow, house elves or magic notwithstanding...
And then...
"Hey, Harry, you dropped this."
Ron handed The-Boy-Who-Lived a small card, and he took it rather quicker than usual.
"I've been looking for that for some time now; where'd you find it, Ron?"
"Saw it along the castle floor, someone thought it would be enchanted, but it's just a card with some writing on it. Yours?"
Harry nodded. You have no idea how much sentimental value "Survivor: Lightning Scar" has to me. "Thanks, mate."
"Anytime - come on, we're going to be late for Potions."
As if that would stop one Harry S. Potter from going through his daily routine.
He stretched his left arm outward, his feet spaced apart, his knees bent, and his back ramrod straight. Slowly, he spun his left arm to point forward, and at the same time, his right hand stretched outward as well, and he slowly stepped forward on his right foot.
Tiptoe.
Hold breath for three counts; return to neutral position and exhale in five.
Assume the Crane's Landing stance in seven counts and hold for three.
Breathe in, and out.
Return to the Sleeping Crane in ten counts.
Breathe.
His concentration was broken as he could feel two of his newest friends come over - they had seen what he was doing, and were completely befuddled.
"What'cha doin'?" asked Ron, trying to imitate a few of his stances. "Some kind of kung fu stuff?"
"It's tai chi chuan," Harry answered. He cut a neat figure in the blue tracksuit with a few characters emblazoned across the breast pocket.
"A Chinese martial art?" Hermione asked. "But you said you'd never been to China."
Harry chuckled at some private joke. "Learned it where I came from. The gatekeeper only let me learn this, she'll probably let me try a few Wing Chun moves if I can do the last few stances perfectly..."
"Your gatekeeper knows kung fu?" Ron asked. "So what does she do, beat up people who try and get into your home?"
"Normally, yeah, but she spends afternoons napping, and when she gets up, a few friends manage to sneak in... I've seen her get chewed out by Saku-er, I mean the maid rather often because of that."
"Your place sounds awesome," Ron said. "A mansion, your gatekeeper's probably a martial artist... wonder what your maid can do?"
"You don't want to know," Harry simply answered.
"On another note, what do those characters say?" Hermione asked as they began the short walk back to the castle for breakfast. "I mean, over your jacket's pocket."
"It says 'Honored Guest of the House of Eternity'... and an honest-to-goodness princess gave it to me for my 11th birthday."
"That's... cool..." Ron said, the implications not lost on him. Harry Potter hobnobbing with princesses where he came from? If any, he wanted in on it.
The three of them remained silent on the way back to the castle itself.
Later at breakfast, Harry again surprised everyone when he insisted on carrying his and his friends' used breakfast dishes to the kitchen for washing - when asked why, he said that he had been taught the domestic arts, and did not want that skill to lie fallow, house elves or magic notwithstanding...
And then...
"Hey, Harry, you dropped this."
Ron handed The-Boy-Who-Lived a small card, and he took it rather quicker than usual.
"I've been looking for that for some time now; where'd you find it, Ron?"
"Saw it along the castle floor, someone thought it would be enchanted, but it's just a card with some writing on it. Yours?"
Harry nodded. You have no idea how much sentimental value "Survivor: Lightning Scar" has to me. "Thanks, mate."
"Anytime - come on, we're going to be late for Potions."
And woe be Hogwarts when Harry's guardians are invited for a visit.
Spoiler: show
translator's note: Eientei = House of Eternity
