Harry Potter and The Jade Dragon

Chapter 9 ~ The Translator

Shan seemed rather subdued over the next few days. Harry thought of asking her if anything was wrong, but with Robert sticking next to her all the time, this was impossible to do. His puzzlement over the matter was soon forgotten, anyway, by another more momentous event.

One day before dinner, Pixie breezed into the room where they took their meals, and announced dramatically, "Master Liu Pei is back!"

"What?" exclaimed Fatty, looking startled. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" she said. "I just had Potions" – she made a face – "and it was Liu Pei, not Lady Han-Yin, who conducted the lesson."

"But, does Master Yang-Kang know?" asked Hermione, looking rather excited.

Pixie giggled.

"That's just it!" she said, a curious gleam in her eyes, "No one knows where he is. The teachers have been searching high and low for him – he seems to have disappeared!"

There was a split second of silence, as they absorbed this piece of news, and then everyone started talking.

" – Liu Pei must have finished him off," said Fatty.

" – No more yelling during Black Way," Ron was looking relieved.

" – was Liu Pei wearing his onyx tiger?" asked Shan.

"Who will conduct our Black Way class?" Hermione looked worried.

They could talk of little else during dinner; after all, it wasn't every day that one of your teachers killed another in a duel. Pixie said that Liu Pei was indeed wearing his onyx tiger, and that she was sure he had killed Yang-Kang, because one of her classmates had overheard Lady Wen-Li asking him if he knew where Yang-Kang was, and the expression on his face had been very smug, although he said "no".

They were still talking about it when dinner ended, and were so absorbed that they forgot to tip Ting-Ting, until she gave a very loud and indignant squeak, and stood there, glaring at them, while they filled her little tray with coins.

Harry and Ron found Ping and Pong on their beds when they reached their dormitory. The two Pandas had become regular visitors, and the boys had become used to seeing their sad little faces suddenly appear at the window, like two masked bandits. Ping had attached herself to Harry, and would regularly hide various pieces of junk in different parts of his bed. Once, Harry woke up and found her trying to stuff an apple core down his neck, while on another occasion she stuck an old and broken comb in his hair.

The Pandas were not the only creatures that interrupted their sleep. Chee Chong had installed Chester, his cricket, in a little bamboo cage by his bed, and Chester had rewarded him by routinely chirping a loud and tuneful song every night.

On this night, Chester's chirping had just lulled Harry to sleep when he heard a familiar furry voice in his head again. He turned, and lay on his back. The voice went on. Something seemed rather odd about it. It wasn't speaking Chinese this time...

Harry woke up. Ping was on his chest, tugging at something. He looked down, and found that she had somehow managed to put a pendant around his neck.

I would like some honey. The furry voice was speaking English!

Harry blinked. He picked Ping up, and looked at her.

"What did you say, Ping?" he whispered.

She looked at him for a moment, then batted at the pendant round his neck.

Now you can understand me. The furry voice had a satisfied tone to it.

Harry looked at the pendant, then took it off.