She took off her robes, noting that they bore bloodstains. Kuso. Her kimono underneath was soaked through. She touched the skin of her stomach and was shocked to feel the blood dripping slowly, from the fresh wounds she had made there when she was brewing the Chishio draught this morning.

Cursing inwardly, she rummaged through her drawers until she found the poultice that she used to close her flesh wounds. Quickly she applied it on the wound and changed into a black tunic over her equally dark trousers. She set her bloodstained robes aside and put on a thick, threadbare black cloak. She glanced at the mirror.

She was very pale. Her skin looked like a shock of white against her black hair, which was pulled away neatly away from her face and piled on top of her head. Gods, she looked ill.

Instinctively, she took the flask of Chishio draught from the bed and took a drink. Lately, she did not think of the intervals between doses anymore, but drank whenever she could.

She tore her gaze away from the mirror and straightened her clothes. They felt loose and comfortable, very good for training. She felt a slight burst of enthusiasm at the entire Forbidden Forest being open to her, with its large mysterious trees and equally enigmatic creatures. A ninja's paradise.

Shinrei pulled the cloak tighter around her body and left Gryffindor Tower. Soon she was striding down the Entrance Hall, thinking that she would be missing dinner tonight, yet again.

He saw her as she pushed the doors to the Entrance Hall open, looking furtively from side to side before slipping out. Out of instinct from his near-three year spent in New York, he had immediately ducked out of sight.

Then Luis noticed she was not dressed in Hogwarts robes, nor did she wear a crest or anything. Just plain black men's clothes. Oriental, she was, and hurrying. With expressive brown eyes casting paranoid looks around her, black hair flying loose from her bun.

But he did not look like one of the students, too. He was carrying the beaten brown duffel, and still wearing his battered black leather jacket. Jeans and a Limp Bizkit shirt completed his outfit. New York clothes.

She was halfway down the steps when he stepped back into the light.

"Buenos tardes, chiquita. Where're you goin'? We seem to be in a little hurry, no?" With that, he bared his teeth in a grin.

Three years had not faded the mischievous Slytherin in him one little bit.

*Gods* Shinrei stared. She could do nothing else but stare at the stranger who had seemed to appear from thin air and stand in her way. He was not a Hogwarts student, she was sure of it. He looked like he had walked onto the grounds straight from one of the big Muggle cities like Tokyo. He did not look Japanese, however. His speech bespoke of a Hispanic background, she was certain.

He was so very tall compared to her. In fact, he towered over her and she had to look up at him. He had gray eyes that bore down on her with scrutiny, and his grin was not without...mischief.

"I...." she finally stuttered out, frozen on the steps, "Who are you?"

The Japanese girl was staring at him. Luis had the strange feeling that she perceived him to be an alien. He almost laughed at the thought.

"Who am I?" he asked in reply. "Luis Verga, at your service, chiquita." He swept out his free arm and executed a matador's flourishing bow. "Of Slytherin House."

He drew himself back up to his full height and began to ascend the steps, circling the immobile girl as he did. He stopped and spoke close to her ear. "Bueno. If I had answered your question, then will you humour me by answering mine? Who might you be, chiquita, to be wandering out of the school at an hour like this? And not dressed in Hogwarts robes?"

Sarah's walk with Piotr had ever so slightly left her feeling vague. *It was his eyes* she thought and wondered how soon the autumn term might come. Drat her not getting sorted into Slytherin!

She thought by now the others would have dispersed and hoped Fee wouldn't lose her heart too much over Magnus - after all there was Jacob and a bird in the hand was worth two hopeless crushes any day!

Feeling on top of the world she decided to go for a walk in the grounds before dinner. Coming down the steps, she saw that Shinrei was there out of uniform with an older boy in muggle clothes. She assumed he was another visitor. The place was crawling with them - still who was complaining!

Her curiosity got the better of her and she quipped as she passed them.

"Hey, Shinrei" she called casually, "You're not sneaking off to Hogsmeade are you?"

*Sarah-san.* The voice brought her back to reality. Shinrei blinked, and quickly side-stepped Luis, who was almost breathing down her neck. She still felt slightly breathless.

Shinrei spun around and looked up at the top of the steps where the blond Ravenclaw girl stood. *Bless you, Sarah-san*, she thought. "I...no. I am not sneaking off to Hogsmeade."

Without thinking, she began to ascend the steps in Sarah's direction. The Forbidden Forest could wait. She couldn't go there now. Not with this strange Hispanic boy...breathing down her neck.

She threw a glance over her shoulder at Luis. And she felt heat rush throughout her body as she looked straight into his gray eyes.

Sarah smiled at Shinrei and couldn't help notice her look at this new boy or that there was a bit of eye contact there. *Cool* she thought.

"No? Why the heck not, Shinrei?" she said with a cheeky smile. "Hey, I saw you came into DADA this morning with Marcus. What a honey, eh? Speaking of which, who's your new friend?" She meant Luis of course.

As she always did after an exam, Alpha had wandered around the lake, repeating in her mind the answers she gave on the questions. So deep in thought, she walked the steps to the entrance of the castle, where she met Sarah, Shinrei and a boy in muggle clothing she didn't know.

She was a bit startled at first, because in her mind she was still rehearsing the question about the rarely Leo and Aquarius conjunction (4th year exam).

"Hello Sarah, Shinrei..." and she looked at the boy. Being almost the same height as he was she looked in his gray eyes. "And you are.....?" she said.

"Hey Alpha, how's it going?" She watched with interest to see how this new boy would introduce himself.

The red flush that coloured the Japanese girl's lightly bronzed skin made his stomach frog-leap. A dim pounding reached his ears as her brown eyes widened and looked straight into his own gray ones.

Luis realised one thing for sure: He was going to ascertain he would be the only one she would look at that way. Only him.

"Shinrei," his voice came out light and almost caressing, her name sliding off his tongue as he would savour the sweetest syrup, "--and I were just getting acquainted, ladies." He said this in reply to the two blond girls who had materialised on the steps. He tightened his grip on the duffel he had slung over his shoulders and sauntered up the steps, stopping right beside Shinrei.

He repeated his matador's bow twice, a bow to each blond girl in turn. "My name is Luis Verga. I had the honour of belonging to Slytherin House the last time I was here. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

His eyes skated over the two girls, then finally settled on Shinrei. "A pleasure indeed," he reiterated, catching her eye once more and smiling slightly.

Sarah's could see the young man was drawn to Shinrei. She thought it would be interesting to see if Master Kanjou had prepared his little ninja to deal with boys or whether she might need a little assistance from girls her own age to deal with those particular challenges.

"So, are you here visiting your old school Luis Verga?" asked Sarah with genuine curiosity.

Also curious, Alpha waited for his answer. In the meantime she could introduce herself of course: "Hello Luis, I'm Alpha and I'm a Slytherin as well." She gave him a little smile and she looked with great interest the silent interaction between he and Shinrei.

He shifted his attention to the two blond girls. "Buenos tardes, Alpha, Sarah," he replied, inclining his head to each girl in turn.

"When I left Hogwarts three years ago I had only completed my third year. I'm looking forward to being in the fourth year next term, if they'll allow me, of course. I only came by at this time of the year to make the necessary arrangements in continuing my education."

"And I'm looking forward to rejoining Slytherin House, too," he added, smiling at Alpha.

Inside, he was wondering whether or not Shinrei belonged to Slytherin. She had the chutzpah to go sneaking out at this time--it was a Slytherin trait.

Sarah grinned *another Slytherin, "Well, I guess we should do the proper introductions. I am Sarah Taverner, who should also be of Slytherin House but due to new policies or something about space, I was placed into Ravenclaw instead."

She shrugged, "Not that it made that much difference. For most of the autumn term the students were taking their meals together by years rather than separated by Houses. We're back to normal now with the meals. Both Shinrei here and I are Third Years."

She hoped the other girl would say something soon!

"So, Luis if you are looking to see someone official about coming back to school, I know for a fact that Professor McGonagall is meeting with the family of another new student who is to attend in the new term now. So you might be able to catch her in the Great Hall in a while at dinner."

She was wondering why he hadn't continued his education away from Hogwarts - he seemed a little old for Fourth Year. All his old mates would be way ahead of him.

As Jonathan Sinclair came around the corner of the castle with a group of his Fifth Year friends, he noted the small gathering on the steps that included Shinrei Hikari. As she was in his House he felt he should see what was going on. He thus broke off from the group and came over to them.

"Good afternoon, Alpha, Sarah, Shinrei. I trust your exams are going well."

He then turned to Luis and thought he looked somewhat familiar. Like a foreign student who had been in Slytherin a year ahead of him though it must have been a few years since ..... "Is it Verga?"

"Si," Luis replied coolly at the younger boy's question, "Verga it is. Jonathan Sinclair, no? So they finally made you a Prefect. My congratulations."

Luis remembered Sinclair to be one of those "Head Boy aspirants" who always did the right thing--got into sports, did well in classes, always obeyed the rules.

Luis did none of those. He was only good in three things: Duelling, Potions and the Capoeira art. Not Head Boy material by a long shot.

"Thanks, was promoted in my Third Year. Pleased the folks no end." he said this with a smile. After all, Luis Verga wasn't a Gryffindor and he'd been long gone from Hogwarts.

"Anyway, what are you doing back here? We all thought our Scottish climate must have disagreed with you."

Shinrei said a silent prayer to the gods for the timely arrival of the fifth year prefect Jon Sinclair. After Sarah had finished with her advice to Luis, she swallowed hard and composed her face back into the blank mask that was her greatest bit of knowledge attained from her tutelage under Kanjou-sama.

/Never let them know what you feel. Never let them see weakness, or they will use it against you./

This new Slytherin boy...Luis. He was so unlike any other boy she had met. And the best thing for her to do was stay out of his way as much as she could.

"Sinclair-san." Her voice came out clear and crisp, perfectly expressionless as her face. "I was planning on a stroll at the grounds, but it seems the winds here are too strong than to what I am used to. Would you kindly escort me to the Infirmary? I promised Madame Pomfrey that I would tell her the moment I would feel a bit off-colour."

With those words, she walked up the steps, nodding apologetically at Alpha and Sarah. The sooner she was back inside the castle, the better. The sooner she was away from Luis, the better!

Jon looked at the girl, *too windy for a Ninja?* then figured she probably was looking for an excuse to get away from this Latin smoothie.

"Of course, Shinrei. Even at this time of year the weather can be a tad unpredictable and you have had a stressful few days. It would be my pleasure to be your escort once more."

"Shall we go inside, too?" Alpha asked. "We can continue the conversation there, during dinner, while you, Luis, can meet Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore and ask about next year. Or do you prefer to stay outside?"

She looked at Sarah and suggested that they should go inside. "How are your exams going, Sarah, you were so worried about it last Saturday?"

********

"He should go to Durmstrang," muttered Ivan Rachinov, walking towards the steps of the castle, his harassed-looking wife having rushed out to inform him that Piotr was coming to meet with them.

The big Russian stared around the school grounds. He'd had enough of being outside for one day, and was feeling the strain of being the polite, civilised father a little too much to bear now. He just wanted to return home.

"Please, Ivan, just an hour more. Then you can make your mind up."

"No, Svetlana. There's no point in arguing with him. If he's decided he wants to come to this school, then there's no point in trying to dissuade him. I'll be making the financial arrangements before I leave. Let him come here and let down the Rachinov family line. That's all the idle layabout really wants to do."

They passed the little group on the steps as he spoke the last paragraph and Ivan turned to give them all a piercing stare from behind his sunglasses before the couple disappeared back into the castle.

The 'idle layabout', in fact, stood, leaning against a tree opposite the steps, watching his parents entering the castle. Although his eyes remained covered, his very stance, his facial expression spoke of the disgust and venom that was being directed towards his father.

"You watch," he murmured, to no one in particular. "Piotr Rachinov will make his mark on Hogwarts and he will go further in life than the Almighty Andrei could ever have managed."

He pulled his overcoat around him, almost as though he was hugging himself and then wordlessly turned and stalked away from the castle, disappearing into the shadows of the trees. Let them wonder where he had gone. He did not wish to be with them right now. Right now he wished to be alone.

Right now the last dose of his potion was starting to wear off. He wanted to sort out his raging physical symptoms before he went back before his father and gave Ivan the repeated satisfaction of watching the agony his son was putting himself through just for the sake of a half-hour's normality at a time.

*********

Dios mio, Luis thought, the girl is a GRYFFINDOR. And no doubt high in Sinclair's little black book, the way she was shrugging everyone aside.

"Amigo," he said to Jon, "I have to admit that the Scottish climate was too cold for my tropical bones back then. But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, so I'm back, though I may have to play a little catch up. I think I'm not going to be complaining much about it, though."

With a wink at Alpha, Luis made his way up the stairs, taking his jacket off. Upon reaching Shinrei, he draped the black leather material over her shoulders and said to her, "Why would you bother someone so obviously busy like your prefect?"

"Muchas gracias for your advice, Sarah," he said to the girl, "I'll be heading for Professor McGonagall's office after I escort Shinrei here to the infirmary. Amigo," he addressed Jon, "if you will allow me to do it in your place. I bet all my pesetas I could still remember the way."

"I have no doubt you could, though Miss Hikari is a Gryffindor *and* here under the special care of the Headmaster. I am sure he wouldn't approve of her being escorted around these Hall by a ... stranger."

He smiled at Shinrei, "However, I have every confidence in Miss Hikari's ability to choose her escort."

He also had every confidence that Shinrei could beat Luis with her hands tied behind her back if he made a move on her.

The jacket around her shoulders was warm, so very warm and comfortable. It carried the scent of spring. It carried a feeling of security that she rarely ever felt these days.

*No* She slid the jacket off her shoulders and shoved it back into Luis's hands. "I shall not trouble you with anything concerning myself, Luis Verga. Good day."

Inside, she felt like crying. She felt like asking him if she could keep the jacket. If she could hold on to that odd feeling of security as long as she possibly could.

*No.* Shinrei pulled her own cloak tightly around herself. She looked straight at Jon, unblinking and steadily. "Shall we go, Sinclair-san?"

"Of course, Shinrei." he couldn't help the small smile of triumph towards Luis.

*Three boys in one day after Shinrei*. Now that she had a chance to get her feet back on planet Hogwarts, Sarah considered that Piotr was probably only talking to her for information about Shinrei.

"Alpha and I will take Shinrei to the Infirmary if she's feeling poorly." Sarah had suddenly realised that what Piotr had noticed might have another reason and who knew what they'd taught her about 'women's matters' in that Clan of hers.

"Luis, I am sure that you'll want to get the matter of your return sorted out with Professor McGonagall. Jon, I'll bet you haven't had five minutes to fill Nimue in on the last Prefects' meeting. You also should say something to her - you know about the..."

"Yes." Shinrei silently blessed Sarah again. "It would be better if Sarah-san and Alpha-san here were to accompany me," she said to Jon.

"I believe I have a certain matter about kimonos to discuss with Sarah-san, and something about pomegranate vitamin supplements to go over with Alpha-san." With these words, she allowed a smile to grace her face. Sarah's suggestion had definitely made her feel better.

Then Sarah piped up. *Oh just Great* thought Jon. "Oh kimonos, yes right. Well, if your sure..." he smiled graciously. "I guess you are right Sarah I should find Nimue. Bring her up to speed."

He turned towards Luis, "Best of luck in your application to return. May see you next year then."

Luis had stood unmoving on the steps after Shinrei had placed his jacket back into his hands. Something in her gestures had shown too much tension--and even hesitation. He watched her leave with the two girls.

As the three girls moved away from observing the courting rituals of the teenage wizard, Sarah responded to Alpha's question about her exams, "I think I've gone beyond worry about them into a kind of place that says if I get through I get through. No blame.

Well lots of blame - my parents will tie me to a rock and force me to study all summer instead of going off to the local mugglesville and catching up on all my programs. One of my muggle friends back home has taped all my favourites. She thinks I go to a strict private school in Britain where no TV is allowed and even if it were we'd be years behind in the popular series anyway - which I guess is kind of true. Anyway, we are going to have a ball!" Sarah didn't know how up on Muggle culture Alpha was.

"Come-on Shinrei, take my arm it walks more easily" Alpha said. They walked into the hall. "What do you mean by programmes, Sarah?"

Shinrei silently took Alpha's arm and followed the two girls back into the Entrance Hall. She did feel cold now. Now that she could no longer feel those warm gray eyes on her.

Bidding the boys goodbye with a little wink, Sarah walked with Alpha and Shinrei.

"Have you not taken Muggle Studies? It's their kind of magic called tech-nol-ogy. They have magical cameras which record things like plays and stories that get transmitted to other muggles houses by invisible rays which come into special frames called 'tele-vision' which you can watch. Some muggles then have their own magical boxes attached to their 'tele-visions' called VCRs which then captured the waves onto something called a video-tape and then they can play the programmes over and over again. It's best if someone who is making the tape - stops it during the advertising breaks which are boring - so when you watch it through no people trying to sell you things."

She smiled, "Anyway there are programmes I like to watch and my friend captures these every week for me on her VCR and I watch them during my holidays."

"I heard about them in class, but I never saw it. And I'm extremely bad at Muggle studies" Alpha confessed with a grin. "Maybe it helps when you see it work, but my family lives in an all wizard town."

"Mine do as well but there is a town not that far away and it is pretty remote so we can fly quite close before changing into muggles." Sarah giggled and rolled her eyes, "I mean into muggle clothes, of course. No one suspects they think we just live up in the mountains."

Alpha looked a bit concerned at Shinrei "You're shivering, do you feel cold?" She said to Sarah: "Let's hurry, I don't think Shinrei's very well!"

Noting Shinrei's coldness, "You're right." They moved along more quickly to find Madame Pomfrey.

She was cold, yes, but it certainly was not from the weather or the temperature of the grounds or some such. It was from her sudden encounter with so many strange...feelings. Emotions she could not understand. Confusion was the thing ninjas should never allow to grow inside of them.

Madame Pomfrey could do nothing about what she now felt. Shinrei immediately came back to life as if she had been doused with ice water. She stopped walking and smiled apologetically at the two girls.

"Sarah-san, Alpha-san, I am very, very sorry for the inconvenience I have caused you, but I believe I merely need my own vitamin supplements." She gave Alpha a weak conspiratorial smile. "I left them up at our dormitory room and I think it best if I get them now."

She disengaged herself from their grips and, without another word, ran quickly down the hallway and up the steps to Gryffindor Tower.

Shinrei shivered all the way.

*********

Luis turned his attention back to Jon after the girls had disappeared into the Entrance Hall. "Muchas gracias, amigo," he replied smoothly, inclining his head in emphasis. "I'm looking forward to being back in old Hogwarts next year, too."

He cleared his throat and fixed Jon with a steady gray stare. "So. You obviously have good taste, amigo."

Jon was instantly embarrassed. "No - I mean - well."

Jon looked slightly flushed, "Look Luis, don't get me wrong - she's a lovely girl but she's also had her world turned upside down in the last few days and been dumped here in a culture that she may know about intellectually but is just not in tune with.

I feel protective of her that's all. You were coming on a little strong. Girls like Sarah can cope with that - probably most of the girls here could. But Shinrei ......needs to be treasured not be the latest conquest in a little black book."

One of Luis's eyebrows shot up. He grinned suddenly. "I'm impressed at your analysis, amigo," he said. "I find it hard to believe you only feel protective towards the lovely chiquita."

"Well." He bowed his matador's bow again. "I really need to find Professor McGonagall before dinner. Buenos tardes. See you later, I hope."

First things first. Luis Verga had his priorities. He needed sanctuary above all. And Hogwarts would provide it. If he lived through all the demons pursuing him, then he would worry about what to do with the rest of his life. And the little brown-eyed chiquita.

He inclined his head in farewell at Jon and made his way into the castle he had left three years ago.

Jon hadn't stopped to analyse his own feelings. He found Shinrei fascinating but beyond that? Sarah was right about one thing, he really should see Nimue and so he followed Luis into the castle.

Aiming for nowhere in particular Branwen wandered out towards the main entrance, day dreaming. Lost in a world of her own she almost bumped into someone she didn't recognise, tall...older than she was. She unconsciously looked him up and down and smiled mischievously.

Luis smiled down at the brown-haired girl in response, his gray eyes twinkling. "Good afternoon," he said.

The old Luis would have preferred to the stand there in the halls and get to know the smiling younger girl better. But this time, the present Luis had more important matters to attend to. He inclined his head to the girl, side-stepped her and proceeded down the hall.

He was following Sarah's advice on looking for Prof. McGonagall right away. That way, his foremost concern would immediately be addressed.