Muggle Meets Magic (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

TWENTY TWO Mahoutokoro

It had been two weeks since Callie's incident, and in that time we'd raided the library for information on the safest approach to destroying the necklace— but we didn't find anything helpful. I was constantly wondering if I should leave it in my dorm room and stop wearing it, but I was scared of what might happen to it if I left it alone. I didn't want to risk having something so dangerous out of my sight.

On top of this, Lucas had been avoiding me. When I spotted him in the halls he'd go the opposite direction. When I tried to confront him he'd make an excuse to leave. I didn't understand what his problem was, but it left me unnerved.

Maybe he was still mad about me thinking he'd been the one who attacked Callie.

On the morning we were leaving for Mahoutokoro, the wizarding school of Japan, to undergo our second Spellmaster Championships challenge, it was explained to our team that because of Callie not being able to compete, the next person who had succeeded in the previous challenge was taking her place. As such, Will, Veronica, Albus, Lucas, Eleanor and myself were joined by four more people; Isabella Courting, Nina Dustin, Mathew Harris and Zena Pond.

Zena was a seventh year from Gryffindor, and she knew Albus so the two of them were chatting. Nina and Mathew were the fifth year students, both from Slytherin, but they kept to themselves. Isabella was a sixth year student from Hufflepuff, but she was reading a magazine so she didn't bother to acknowledge us.

The ten of us, and Professor Plumble, stood outside in the wintery cold, near the stone circle outside the bridge. Professor Plumble was going to be escorting us to Mahoutokoro, though I wasn't entirely sure how yet. All I could see in the center of the group of us that had gathered was a rusty old pipe lying in the snow.

"Alright, do you all have your overnight bags?" the Professor asked, and we all mumbled or nodded in agreement.

"Good. Now, for those of you who don't know, this object here is a portkey," he gestured to the pipe. "A portkey is a method of transportation— an enchantment you can cast on an everyday object that is designed to send you to a certain destination. This portkey will take us to Mahoutokoro."

A feeling of anxiousness developed in my stomach. I was afraid that my lack of experience with this type of magic might force me to screw up somehow.

"You will all need to grab onto this pipe. It will transport us in exactly a minute. Quickly now, all of you," he instructed, picking it up and shaking off the snow. We all rushed in to grab hold of it. It was a little damp from the snow and I feared I might lose my grasp.

"Everyone holding on tightly? Good," he said, checking his watch. "We're leaving in three... two... one—"

The most intense sensation came over me— every nerve in my body tingled as I was sucked into whatever was pulling me away from Hogwarts. It was over so fast. One minute I was there, and the next I tumbled through the sky and landed smack into a hard, cold surface. It took me a second to regain a sense of my surroundings, and the sudden change in atmosphere left me a little light headed.

I slowly sat up, and what was before me was stunning.

An exquisite and ancient, pagoda style castle sat upon what looked like the very clouds— I quickly realized we were just very, very high up on a mountain and the clouds were drifting around us. The castle was made of mutton-fat jade, and stairs led up to the inviting entrance, where a lady in the most majestic robes I'd ever seen— made of gold and silver silk, with trailing long sleeves— awaited us.

Once we'd all managed to get on our feet, the Professor approached the lady, who bowed.

"Kyoju," she greeted. "It has been much time. You are well, yes?" Her accent was light, and she smiled gently.