HP: Spirit Talker

— Well. There's still time, can we go somewhere if we feel like it, hmm? — I ask the teenager.

We're in Hogsmeade right now and we're approaching the center of the wizarding village. To be honest, I'm getting tired of it myself, not to mention the puny Potter who can't get fat at Hogwarts. I could check his health the same way I did Sirius, but I'm afraid this circle isn't designed for Horcruxes, so the information could be skewed arbitrarily. And the wrong treatment, as we all know, is far worse than no treatment at all.

— We could stop by the Three Broomsticks, — the teenager's voice sounded tired. — Ron and Hermione are probably still there.

— Well, that's fine with me. — I shrug, and the next thing I know, I'm being hugged.

— Hello, son, long time no see! — Junko smiled mischievously and contentedly, while Harry froze, staring at the woman whose beauty was undeniable.

— I was wondering when you'd get here. — I smiled back, feeling her halfway there. — Hey, I'm glad you're here. — I'm telling the truth and she can feel it.

— You didn't have to run.

— I'd like you to meet Harry, I'm ignoring the last words because it's a great teaching moment for the boy. — My mother, Hoshino Junko. — The woman smiled warmly and bowed slightly, not letting go of my elbow. — Mom, this guy is known as Harry James Potter, Destroyer of the Dark Lords, an excellent (according to other students) player in the strange local game of Quidditch, and not a bad guy at all.

— Nice to meet you, ma'am. — The teenager nodded jerkily, blushing at his mother's smile, which amused her even more — I could feel it.

— You were going to the Three Broomsticks, weren't you? — Junko asked, and I replied with a nod. — Well, we were expecting you there because we were told it was a popular place.

— And who is this "we"? — this question is important to me, because Fox suddenly dragged me there, and you have to be morally prepared to go to this lady.

— A secret! — Junko's wide, sly smile made the Hufflepuff stumble as she stared at the exotic beauty.

At her words, I could only sigh and try to get into a serious, businesslike mood. But those I saw inside the establishment gave me a broad smile, for it was these sensible people I was glad to see.

The table next to theirs was occupied by four Gryffindor students. The girls present were clearly not happy with the way the boys were drooling over the Japanese girls, except for the older, short woman with the snide smile.

There was the somewhat sleepy Nanao, the inquisitive and open-minded Maya, the snide Kurumi (the fox who had given me a good run for my money before that memorable fight in the Yokai village), the short-haired girl with almost orange hair and a figure so gorgeous that there wasn't a single rival in the place.

 I don't know her. However, I not only recognized the tanuki elder, but also felt her power.

I wonder why they are here? What do they want? And why her?

***

That's funny. Although, knowing the natural love of jokes and intrigue of both tanuki and kitsune, I could say that this group had come to the Three Broomsticks on purpose. In fact, I'm sure they came to this place to laugh at the locals who couldn't hold back their emotions at the sight of beautiful Japanese girls.

Many girls tried to keep up the brand, but they did it badly — envy was too strong. More honest, or wiser, girls left the institution, dragging their suitors by the nose.

The male part of the crowd was also heterogeneous, but only in their methods of observation: one part tried to stare covertly, hiding their interest; the other part stared unabashedly, almost completely ignoring their companions, which turned the girls on even more.

The funniest thing is that ayakashi are very sensitive to the various cursed "dirty blood" that they'll never mess with. Unless you catch such a beauty and take her by force, and then keep her in a straitjacket so she won't kill the fruit of violence.

Among the locals without curses in magic, you can only find rare foundlings, and even then, up to thirteen-fourteen years, until the mating games begin, or all sorts of curses from around the corner and around the back. In short, I found it funny to watch the local "macho" seniors or the rare locals who tried to flirt with Japanese women. Judging by the aura of the older members of the tanuki community, they were enjoying the situation immensely.

Especially amused was the tall, skinny Slytherin with mousy hair and a huge ego, who smugly invited Kurumi for a 'walk'. Oh! It was an art to refuse so gracefully and beautifully, and if you also vaguely hinted at the thick circumstances of "dirty-bloodedness" in such a way that the guy didn't immediately realize what he was talking about — it was top class!

All in all, we had a very good meeting, but we couldn't talk about business. Who knows who and what might overhear and whose ears the information might reach, so we did not touch on important topics. The only thing was that while we were sitting at the table, I burned a new seal with a message to my mother, telling her the date and time of the meeting near Hogwarts.

I could still skip it, but there's really no extreme need for that, on the other hand, I have things to do at school, and Mom and company aren't going anywhere. They said they were 'not in a hurry', so I decided not to rush.