I'm only going to say this once, I don't own Harry Potter or Ouran High School Host Club.

Since I haven't updated either of my works in progress, I only have one thing to say: blame my Beta for this muse that refused to die until the story was complete.

With a heavy jolt, Harry awoke as the plane landed in Japan. With how everything had gone the past few months, Harry had taken the escape for what it was worth. Sirius had arranged everything; and not for the first time, Harry was wondering what his godfather was thinking. Although, the former Marauder's idea had merit. No one would look for him this far away from Europe.

Harry had busied himself about learning about Japan. However, there was also quite a bit of information about his standing in the Wizarding World and the expectations that he would be held to as well. As Sirius had put it time and again, Harry had been given the mushroom treatment. He had to learn and learn fast. He could do that here without the press hounding him. Hopefully.

Harry picked up his luggage and headed to the lines for customs. As he stood in line, Harry made sure to double check his paperwork. Harry already had gained a student visa. When it was Harry's turn, he stepped up to the desk, his documents ready. Harry rolled his shoulder, trying to stave off the twinge that had bothered him.

The customs officer took the papers with a smile. "So what brings you to Japan?"

Harry handed over the paperwork and spoke in Japanese. "Exchange student I am." Harry frowned. That wasn't right. "I'm sorry. I'm here as an exchange student."

The man smiled slightly. "How long have you studied Japanese?"

"Three months."

The man nodded as he stamped the papers. "Well good luck." He handed the sheaf back.

"Thank you." Harry took the papers back.

On the other side of the desk a man in a suit was holding a sign with his name on it.

Harry walked over and spoke. "I'm Harry Potter."

The man checked a folder and nodded. "This way Mr. Potter, your car is waiting."

Harry blinked. His car? Sirius did say that everything was arranged. "Very well."

Harry followed and his luggage was taken by the man and placed in the trunk of a car that would have Vernon slathering.

The drive was silent for almost twenty minutes before the driver began to speak. "Mr. Potter, a house has been purchased and prepared to your guardian's specifications."

Harry wondered exactly what Sirius' specifications were. "Understood."

"A contract has also been established with my company. Should you need to go anywhere, all you have to do is call. We have people available at all hours."

Harry nodded.

A packet was handed to the backseat. "The location of your home is marked as well as the closest stores for shopping. Your guardian informed us that the household services can be tended by you when your servants are not available."

Harry nodded. "Indeed."

The man nodded. "Your utilities and taxes are taken care of. A school representative will be in touch by this time tomorrow."

The information delivered, silence fell in the vehicle once more. The car pulled alongside a house. While it was larger than Number 4, Harry was glad it wasn't some palatial mansion. It was something that Harry was honestly leery of. Sirius had joked about it.

The man exited the car and took Harry's luggage. He unlocked the house and sat the luggage on inside. A ring of keys was then passed to Harry. "These are the keys to the house." He took one final letter from his coat. "This is how to manage your security system."

Harry nodded. "Thank you for all your help."

The man looked appraisingly at the foreigner. The lack of conversation could easily be attributed to nerves. The teen had been polite. It was a good quality to have; regardless of the wealth that had been thrown around by the boy's guardian. With the boy's looks, it would also go a long way too. "I look forward to working with you."

Harry nodded. "If you don't mind, are there any…" Harry hesitated over the next few words. "Stores for books around here? I need to remember kanji."

The man corrected Harry. "Memorize kanji?"

Harry blinked at the new word and wrote it down on pad that he pulled from his pocket. "Possibly. I'm still learning."

"Keep it up. You're doing well. On the papers I gave you is a complete list of the various stores."

"Thank you."

The man nodded as he stepped out the door. "No thanks are necessary."

Once the door was shut, Harry called out, "Dobby?"

The quirky elf appeared. "Yes Master Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "You know, I have told you to just call me Harry." He examined what the elf was wearing. "New uniform?"

The elf was wearing a bright orange outfit, looking oddly like traditional Japanese clothing and wooden geta sandals.

"Yes Master Harry."

"Can you get my stuff situated? I'm going to get a cookbook or two and go grocery shopping. Something tells me that standard British fare will be tricky to get around here. I figure that we can learn how to cook these dishes together."

Dobby was almost in tears from the suggestion that he might actually learn to cook. "Master Harry Potter is a truly amazing Wizard."

Harry shook his head and left the house. He followed the map to a store that had a wide selection of books. Out of long practice, Harry ignored the stares and subsequent looking away. His last fight with Voldemort had left several visible marks. Harry picked up a cookbook and turned to the worker that was stocking the shelves. "Excuse me, I'm new to Japan and I wanted to get the opinion of someone on cookbooks."

The woman turned and smiled, before her eyes widened. "O-of course. The one you have in your hands is actually rather complete."

Harry nodded. "Thank you. I'm still learning. Do you have book that help me with kanji in this book?"

The woman blinked in surprise. "Of course."

Once he paid, Harry thanked the woman and left.

The next stop Harry kept the books on hand, consulting them several times as he shopped to make sure that he purchased the right ingredients. He used them to match Kanji.

He was about to pick up a packet of meat when a voice spoke up behind him. "You don't want that one."

Harry turned and saw a girl with brown eyes and long hair. "Huh?"

Haruhi noticed a boy, about her age, shopping for groceries. She noticed him consulting a cookbook. As she stood behind him, she noted that he was getting ingredients for a simple pork dish. He was picking up cubed beef, not cubed pork. "You don't want that one."

As he turned, Haruhi's eyes widened slightly. The teen was foreign. He had a scar that ran from his forehead, looking like a lightning bolt that extended along the side of his nose and onto his cheek. A shiny scar, indicating a burn could be seen above his collar on the opposite side of his face and neck. At his confusion Haruhi nodded. "You're making a pork dish. That's beef."

Harry double checked the kanji against his book. "Thanks."

"No problem. Do you do a lot of cooking?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, but I don't know Japanese cooking. English, yes. Japanese, no."

Haruhi looked at the recipe. It was similar to one her mother used. "You may want to substitute potato starch in place of cornstarch. It helps things stick together a little better."

Harry blinked. Thank Merlin for the translation charm. "Does the store have..." Harry said the words very carefully. "potato starch? I've never cooked with potato starch."

Haruhi nodded. "I can help you get everything for that particular dish."

Harry looked hesitant. "While I'd really appreciate that, you're the first person to even offer to help. Most see scars and look the other way."

Haruhi shrugged. "Well, it's what's on the inside that counts. Besides, it's clear that you're a foreigner."

Harry smiled at that. "I'm Harry Potter."

"Haruhi Fujioka. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Harry gestured to his book. "Anything you recommend?"

Haruhi nodded and marked the page. She found another recipe. "Try this one. My dad really likes this one. Mom made it for us all the time."

Harry nodded. "I will." He looked at a redhead that was staring at them. In particular, she was giving Harry the Evil Eye. "Is that your mom?"

Haruhi turned to where Harry was pointing. "Dad! What are you doing here?!"

Harry blinked in shock at that comment. That might explain why Haruhi didn't stare and willingly helped him.

Ranka stepped out. "Well, I just came along to carry your shopping basket. You know how Daddy likes to carry shopping baskets. I simply love accessories."

Harry had to smile. "Well Haruhi's Dad. It's nice to meet you. Your daughter helping me get used to shopping. I'm still learning Japanese. Japanese not easy."

Ranka stared at the scarred teen.

Looking for something to break the man's glare, Harry turned the book. "Haruhi said your wife cooks and that it's good."

The pair in front of him shared a glance.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Haruhi spoke up. "Mom died almost ten years ago."

Harry winced. "I'm sorry. I misunderstood you. For what it's worth, both of my parents have died as well."

Ranka paused at that. Given the teen's appearance, it might be a tragedy. He hesitantly asked, "Is that how you got your scar?"

"One of them. I don't like to talk about the others."

Haruhi went to change the subject. "So are you an exchange student?"

"Sort of. I came here because a few not good things happened at my school. Both me and my guardian agrees that a change of scenery would do good for me. But Japanese isn't easy."

Haruhi nodded. "So where are you from?"

"England. I trying to fit in and food here is the first step."

Ranka nodded. "Well, Haruhi is an excellent cook, so if she tells you to try something, do it. Her mother was good too."

The rest of the time in the convenience store was spent with Harry purchasing several items at the pair's insistence. Harry thanked them for their help and headed home.

Harry found it odd when Haruhi and Ranka took the same route he did. When he got closer to his home, Harry turned around. "Are you following me?"

Ranka shook his head. "We live this way."

Haruhi pointed to an apartment building near the end of the street. "We live there."

Harry blinked pointed to his house which was closer. "Oh. Well, I live there. I just moved in today."

Harry waved goodbye to the Fujiokas and went onto his property.

Ranka spoke up. "You bought this house?"

Harry blinked. "Kind of, yes. My… I don't know the word, guardian did and once I'm a legal adult, it will be mine."

The answer surprised the pair. The house was rather large for one person. It was two stories, and had been listed as having four bedrooms.

Harry looked a little nervous at their reactions. "Do you want to see the inside?"

Haruhi shook her head. "We need to get dinner started."

Harry nodded. "Well, it was nice to meet you two. Have a good day."

Harry stepped into the house and began cooking. Luckily, Dobby could tell when things were getting close to burning. The end result was actually rather good.

Harry went to sleep after Dobby promised to clean up. He woke up with a scream. It was another nightmare of the graveyard. In some ways what happened that night helped him, but in so many others, it made things worse.

Harry took a glass of water that appeared on the bedside table. "All that matters is that Voldemort is dead, I'm alive, and Sirius is free." If anyone would have heard his words, Harry sounded like he was trying to convince himself of the truth of the matter.

Harry fell back into a fitful slumber.

In the morning, Dobby was waiting for him. "Breakfast is ready Master Harry."

Harry sighed and stood. "Dobby, just call me Harry."

A few hours after breakfast, Harry was practicing the language acquisition charm again when the doorbell rang.

Dobby popped in. "Master Harry, there are three people at the door. They are from Japan."

Harry stood from his desk. "Thank you Dobby. While at least one of them will be familiar with magic, stay out of sight."

Dobby nodded.

Harry went to the door and opened it. His scars caused the trio to focus on him.

"Lord Harry Potter?" The man was speaking English.

Harry nodded. "Yes. Can I ask who you are?"

"We are part of the Admissions Committee. Your godfather, Lord Black, has already taken care of several details. However, we need to test your level of schooling. Standards at Ouran are different than your previous school. There is enough time before the year starts for you to catch up should the need arise."

Harry nodded and switched to Japanese. He was glad he'd been practicing the charm. He was getting better. "Very well. Come in."

The next few hours were full of being tested. At the end, Harry was given the contact information to be fitted for a uniform.

At the end of the tests, one of the men spoke up. "A question Lord Potter. Are you certain that keeping your status as a Lord secret is wise? With your scarring, you may find acceptance difficult."

Harry nodded and spoke in English. "As you know, I have already seen several doctors about them and this is the best they can do." They were mostly Dark Magic scarring. Plastic surgery wouldn't work. The skin simply reverted. "While I have already seen that scars aren't exactly appreciated here in Japan, I see them as what I've survived. If people can't see past those, it is no concern of mine."

A man nodded. "I will need to discuss your additional classes. I need to ensure that you can handle yourself in those as well. There are conflicting results in your transcript."

Harry nodded. "Of course."

The other two men turned and left.

Another two hours or questions and magical demonstrations had the third man nodding. "You're actually advanced for your age and your power level is higher than what we normally see as well. I take it this was because of the TriWizard?"

Harry nodded. "Being in life-threatening situations has a tendency of forcing people to work harder."

The man nodded. "I should warn you that all of the schools rooms are warded against magical cheating. You may want to get a different focus for school. We have found that wands draw a lot of attention. Here in Japan there are several options."

Harry nodded. "I looked over what was available and I was thinking about getting a focus ring to keep up with my studies. However, I was also looking at other styles of magic. Once I read up on them, I was curious about ofuda. I was thinking about taking classes on making those as well."

The man grinned. "It's good to see you branching out. Is that for your arts requirement? Calligraphy would qualify."

After shaking his head, Harry looked a little nervous. "Well, I was thinking about something different. I never had the opportunity to learn an instrument. I want to at least take the opportunity while I have it."

The man smiled at that. "Do you have one in mind?"

"I was thinking piano but I haven't decided just yet."

"Well whatever you choose, there are several quality instructors at the school." The man seemed pensive. "I'm assuming that you're using a charm to learn the language?"

Harry nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Keep it on. I will tell you that the majority of the magic users in school are members of the 'Black Magic' Club." Seeing Harry's wary look the man laughed. "Don't worry. It is simply a club where students can help each other with their magical studies. Mr. Nekozawa runs the club and is rather advanced. He finished the equivalents of England's NEWTs as a first year. Some of the students take the image rather far. They do so to keep other students from gaining too much interest and should they barge in, most attribute it to the members being strange. I will tell you this, you aren't as famous here as in Europe. Unless there is a foreigner, you might not be given a second glance. Would you like directions to the nearest magical stores?"

"I would appreciate it." Harry pulled the map from his desk.

"Very well." The man indicated a spot on the map. "This is a small shrine to Tenjin, the Shinto kami of scholarship, education, and learning. There is a stone Torii that is off the main path. Channel some magic into a black stone on the left pillar. And there you are. Stores there take magical currency as well as Yen and credit transactions. To return, you just go back to the same pillar you exited from and repeat the process. There is a large row of them. You will have to remember the kanji above the gate that you exit from; otherwise you'll end up in a completely different part of the country when you leave. I will say that some magic users will use those to quickly travel to different parts of the country. Should you decide to do so, it is considered polite to leave a monetary offering at the temple you exit from." The man pulled out a card and pressed his own ring into it. "This will signify that you are a student here and are allowed to purchase a new focus. Since you already have a wand, most won't sell to you without this."

Harry nodded and bowed politely. "I understand. Thank you."

The man returned the gesture and left.

A meal of sandwiches appeared on the desk and Harry hungrily ate. "Thanks Dobby." Harry decided to get himself squared away magically. The sooner he got used to a focus ring, the better. They were banned in Europe because they couldn't be won from their owner and left no signature that could be tracked. However, using one took extra attention to the spell and will from the user. Wands could 'learn' their user's habits and eventually simply keep the spell from being too strong. Rings were a different matter. The magic user had to get used to the various quirks of their ring. Until that was accomplished, spells could be underpowered, overpowered, or simply chaotic.

Harry followed the map and when he arrived at the shrine, he unobtrusively drew his wand. He pushed magic through his wand and into the stone. A faint shimmer appeared in the gate. Harry stepped through. Harry was surprised. This was a magical form of transportation that wasn't horrible. It was like walking through a door.

A chaotic scene met his gaze. Harry had to smile at what he saw. It was a marketplace with open air stalls as well as shops. Harry noted people with animal features, Youkai if Harry remembered correctly, people wearing traditional Japanese attire, business suits, and everything else in between. The atmosphere was open and welcoming. Harry smiled and walked through the market. He was glad that he had learned the necessary spells to help learn the language.

Harry found a store and took a few moments finding the appropriate kanji in his dictionary. He stepped into the store. A large case held several rings and other types of jewelry. Writing tools were in another case. Several ringed staves could be seen lined along the wall. Even various tools and bladed weapons could be seen.

"Hello and welcome to Hirashin's. How can I help you today?"

Harry smiled and bowed slightly. "I'm new to the country and I'm looking for a new focus." The man's gaze turned calculating and suspicious. Harry held out the card he was given. "I was told to show this to the shop."

The man looked at the card. His body language shifted to be more welcoming. "Well then, this clears things up. What did you have in mind?"

Harry looked around the shop. "I've never seen so many different types. I'm only used to my wand."

The man nodded. "Yes. While they have benefits, many feel that the cost of those benefits is too high of a price to pay."

Harry's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

The man studied Harry once again. "While they make spellcasting easier, wands eventually limit the magic of the user. The users become dependent on their wands."

Harry took out his wand and frowned. "Really?"

The man nodded. "It takes several years, but yes. Don't worry; you can still learn to use another focus. However, once your magic grows beyond the bounds of your wand, it will never work properly for you again."

Harry looked at the man. "Can I ask your opinion on something?"

The man nodded.

"Then why have the British used wands for so long?"

The man shook his head. "Two possible reasons. The first is that magic with a wand can be standardized. You can teach everyone the same. The second is that the nature of wands is one that makes it easy to track the spells used."

Harry puzzled over the next few words. "So with other foci, everyone's magic will work differently?"

The man nodded. "Of course. While everyone can use a ring, some people find other implements better suited to their magic." He gestured to the wall behind him. "That's why we have so many."

Harry nodded. "Well, I was going to get a ring for school. When would you recommend testing some of the others?"

The man smiled widely. "Wait until your magic matures." He clapped his hands and gestured. "Follow me."

Harry went over to the counter. An odd wheel made of several concentric rings was on the counter. The shopkeeper picked up a metal spike that was sitting in the middle and ran it several times through the flame of a candle that was nearby. At Harry's curious glance, the man explained. "It removes any magic residue as well as germs. I would use sterile lancets, but they don't work with the enchantments. Believe me, I tried."

Harry nodded. "That makes sense."

"You need to poke your finger to draw some blood."

Harry placed his pointer finger on the spike and pushed down. Harry was surprised when he pulled away that a single drop of blood was suspended in the air above the spike.

Harry watched as the dials began to spin. Finally several tiles lifted into the air. The man's eyes widened. "Curious."

"What is curious."

"That combination, nothing more. Wind and fire go together, very well in fact, and you have heavy leanings in that regards. But there is also a heavy water component. Almost equal to the other two."

"What does that mean?"

The man grinned. "A fire leaning means you can be skilled in magical combat. Wind ties in because it's versatile. That means you can learn several types of magic. Water is the most polar of the elements in its usage. It is often indicated for healing magic and permanent protection. I believe the word is 'wards' in English. But it also can mean injury and destruction. Quite an intimidating combination."

Harry blinked at that. "What about Earth?"

The man shook his head. "Not much I'm afraid." At Harry's downcast look, he shook his head. "Don't be disheartened. Some people have no inclination at all outside of one or two of the elements. You do have a small amount. Again, it's a rarity with the strengths of your other leanings. A wise man builds up his weaknesses and makes his strengths even stronger. Earth is more for caring for the world. Magical plants and animals."

Harry nodded. All Ollivander said that was that he was destined for great things. "So what does that mean for me?" He had usually been decent with Herbology and Care.

"Simple. You have a lot to study. I also have to be careful in creating a ring for you."

Harry frowned. "But you have so many."

The man chuckled. "Those are some of the more common combinations. Often with only one or two of the four elements. If someone has three or more that means the ring is custom." The man pulled out a chest. "Electrum would be best. I haven't worked in Electrum for quite some time."

"Electrum?"

The man's tone was detached. "It is a mixture of gold and silver. There are also trace amounts of copper and other metals. This allows for someone with your particular nature to use their magic to it's full potential without feedback and interference from the magical substances infused to help to focus your magic." The man examined the still floating tiles. "Hmm. You are a tricky customer. The fire and wind can be taken care of easily enough and can easily be incorporated into the metal. As for the water and earth…perhaps a black opal magically infused with water from a kappa's head." The man seemed to realize that Harry was still there. "Sorry. A ring with your particular balance will be expensive. However, given the name of the school on that card, am I to believe that price won't be an object?"

Harry shook his head.

The man nodded. "Very well. Even with magic, I will need a few hours. Also it's useful because I have everything on hand already." He paused. "Is there any particular ornamentation you would like on it? I could match it to the crest on your other ring."

Harry belatedly realized that as they had spoken about rings, the Potter signet ring had appeared. "No, that's not necessary. I'm still not used to wearing this one to be honest."

The man gave a measured nod. "Very well. Come back just before seven. I close at seven, and should be done by then."

Harry nodded. He spent the next few hours simply browsing the magical market. He bought some food from a stall run by a man and wife with cat ears. Since it was slow, Harry had asked about Youkai and how best to interact with them.

The man scoffed. "Well for starters be polite, just like you would with anyone else. You're obviously foreign. Most foreigners don't even give us the time of day."

Harry winced at that. "Yeah, I can see that happening. Several people I went to school with are like that. To be honest, it's one of the reasons I left. I would occasionally be teased because I was friends with a…" Again Harry searched for the words. "Half of a giant and an elf of the house."

The man's wife smiled at that. "That just means that you're a decent person. But to answer your question, there aren't any special rules or whatnot. But there are some Youkai that are rather standoffish towards humans. Those generally are more animalistic. Just don't stare and you'll be fine."

Harry nodded. "Thank you. Would you suggest any stores here at the market? I'm looking around today so I know what is available."

The woman's eye gave a speculative gleam. "Well my daughter works part time at the potions supply store. You two are about the same age."

The man actually hissed at his wife. "What are you doing?"

"Well he's a nice boy and Reiri did say that there are no interesting boys around. I'm just looking out for our daughter. It's not like I suggested that they date or anything, just that they get to know each other."

Harry chuckled slightly. "That's not the kind of shopping I'm doing." He hesitated, remembering some of the comments at the end of the year. "Besides, I'm a little too young for all of that yet. I'm only fifteen."

The man relaxed and the woman pouted.

Harry paid for his meal and left. Harry continued browsing the stalls, simply looking at what was available. With the house to himself, Harry could add whatever he wanted. He had stepped into a small store that held paintings and was surprised at what he saw. It was a gallery of some sort. Magical paintings were rather well-displayed. Out of all the artwork present, two paintings seemed to stand out to Harry. His initial impression was that they were rather breathtaking. One was a pitch black canvas that occasionally would have fireworks explode, slightly illuminating the hidden background. The other was a lone tree atop a cliff face with pink flowers that would have petals drift away in a breeze as the sun set into the ocean. The waves even lapped against the shore.

The shopkeeper and artist stepped up as Harry was staring at the paintings. "Can I help you?"

The question shook Harry out of his shock. He spoke in English. "I'm sorry; I just hadn't seen magical paintings like these before. I've only seen paintings of people. These are very, very nice." Harry winced before switching to Japanese, "I'm sorry..."

The man smiled and spoke in almost flawless English. "Yes my family has been magical artists for generations. The firework painting took well over two years to complete. There are eighty five different types of fireworks it can generate with over a hundred different shades and hues of the various colors. The inspiration was both magical and mundane fireworks." He ran a finger along the edge of the frame and the frequency of the fireworks increased. "Everything is adjustable by runes on the frame."

Harry's jaw dropped. "That's amazing. I didn't even know that was possible. I didn't think it could get better, but it did. I've never seen a painting that could do that before."

Pleased by Harry's reaction, the man nodded. "As for the cherry blossom painting, it didn't take as long to complete. That one was only a year and a half. There are seventy individual sunsets that it will generate and the petals will change direction and speed as well. You can also set that one to mix and match parts of sunsets."

Harry shook himself slightly. "I didn't even know that was possible." Harry looked at the man. "That must take a lot of work and skill. I'm glad that I came in here."

The man's smile became slightly indulgent. "It is a technique of my family's. We focus on capturing the natural beauty that exists all around us."

Harry kept noting the small details that would appear and just as fleetingly recede. "I would say you succeeded. I could watch these for hours."

The comment earned a chuckle.

Harry looked at the man. "I apologize."

"What for? Young men can be honest in their comments, unless a pretty girl is involved. Given the time it takes to make them, we don't sell a lot of paintings and these two have been here for some time. It's nice to see them appreciated."

The next few minutes had Harry talking with the man about several details he saw and how they were superior to what he had seen in the past.

Harry had a sudden thought. The walls in his house were pretty bare. "How much are they?"

The man merely smiled. "Sakura Petals by Sunset is seven million and five hundred thousand Yen. Fireworks Festival is nine million. Unless they are sold, they will be going to auction soon."

Harry was taken aback at the prices. However, given the rather astounding wealth he now had at his disposal, he could get them without blinking an eye. He nodded slightly. "I'm assuming that the cost is because of the magical components in your painting as well as the time involved?"

"Very astute. Our paints are all made by hand and are family secrets. The canvas is specially made, again, by hand. And yes, that amount of time is also a factor."

Remembering Sirius' admonition, Harry pulled out his wallet and a card. "I'll take the pair of them."

The man's eyes widened when he saw the literal platinum card in the boy's hand. "Are you serious?"

Harry nodded and handed over the card. "Yes. I've never really had anything like these and my godfather told me that if I didn't at least make one outrageous purchase in the first month, he'd come and throw me in the ocean. This way I won't get thrown in the ocean, you get paid for your work, and I get two amazing paintings for my home. Everyone wins."

The man hesitantly took the card and ran it through a box. His eyes widened when the amount was approved. "Shall I wrap them up for you? I'm afraid that they don't take well to changing size."

Harry shook his head. "No, but I was wondering if there is a way to freeze the image in case non-magicals show up."

The man smiled. "There is a spell you can use to pause the image. You can also press your focus against any part of the frame. There is a preset image that will appear and remain there until you repeat the action."

Harry nodded. "Dobby."

The small elf appeared. "Yes Master Harry?"

"How many times will I have to ask you to simply call me Harry?"

Dobby smirked. "At least once more."

Harry gestured to the two paintings. "Dobby, I just purchased these two paintings. Please take them back home and put the firework one in the living room and the other in the office."

"Of course Master Harry."

The paintings were lifted off their stands and handed to Dobby who disappeared with a pop. The House Elf made two trips.

The man smiled, glad to have made quite the tidy profit. "Well then Mr. Potter. It was a pleasure to meet you. I'm Satoshi Hiwatari. The frames are enchanted to protect the paintings from being damaged."

"It was a pleasure to meet you too. I hope that what you paint next is just as awe-inspiring as those two pieces."

The man nodded, pleased that the paintings were bought by someone who clearly appreciated them, even if they were an impulse buy. "Thank you for your patronage. I'll send you a note about any similar artwork when it is available." He handed Harry a small booklet. "This is in Japanese, but it details how to make adjustments."

Harry smiled. "I'd appreciate that, and thank you."

Harry left the store, and headed back to Hirashin's. It was getting late. When he stepped back into the store, the man smiled. "I'm glad you came back." He waved Harry over to the counter. "Now before you try it on, you have to pay."

Harry nodded and pulled out his card one more time. The price paid, approximately one hundred and fifty galleons, cleared without a problem. The man slid a small wooden box to Harry. "Try it on."

Harry opened the box and a wide ring met his gaze. It was a pale gold ring and a black opal glimmered in the light. Harry touched the ring and a shock ran up his arm. He jerked his hand back.

At Harry's reaction, the man smiled. "That's a good sign. It shocked you a bit, didn't it?"

Harry nodded.

"That means I got it right. If there's no reaction, it won't work for you. Go ahead, put it on. It goes on your dominant hand and most people wear it on your pointer finger."

Harry lifted the ring and slid it on. When it met the base of the finger, the ring resized and a small sting was felt.

The man noted the wince. "Don't worry. That ring is now blood-bound to you. It can't be used against your will."

"Can I try a spell?"

"Something simple with no potential for destruction. You need to get used to it. It is different."

"Oh I know. I want to see the difference. I going to use a spell to create light."

The man nodded. "That is appropriate."

Harry focused. "Lumos."

The resulting flash of white light caused both Harry and the shopkeeper to cry out. Both were blinking spots away from their eyes for several minutes.

"I'd say that works amazingly well Mr. Potter."

Harry nodded. "I need to work on control if that was a simple light spell. A lot of work."

The man nodded. "Indeed." He was still blinking. "I wouldn't cast anything potentially harmful until you have that under control."

"You have my word."

"There are several charms on the ring. Non-magicals won't see it. It won't interfere with washing or bathing. It also won't catch on anything. There are several others mostly for convenience. I will say this. Each ring is different. Yours is rather forceful. It wants to be used. It has a drive to do powerful magic. There are so few foci that have such a drive. So when you do not use powerful magic, you will need to tone it down." The man smiled. "I normally would say: Don't abuse that power young man. However, I believe you already know what happens when power is abused."

Harry's face darkened as he nodded sharply. "Thank you for your hard work. I need to head home."

The sign flipped to close. "So do I."

Harry took a few moments to find the right gate to return home.

He picked up a meal to eat from a store. He made sure to get extra for Dobby.

Harry smiled at the painting when he sat to eat. Dobby had picked the perfect place. "Dobby."

"Yes Master Harry?"

"I think you chose a perfect spot for the painting." Harry offered a small bag to Dobby. "Here. You can eat dinner with me."

Dobby's eyes filled with tears. "Master Harry is truly a great wizard, but it is not proper for an elf to eat with Wizards. But I will accept your amazing gift Master Harry."

Before Harry could say anything, Dobby took the bag and popped away.

Tired from his busy day, Harry ate, washed up, and went to bed.

Reviews aren't necessary, please read the note in my profile. As a note, this story is finished and should be fully posted rather quickly. It may get slightly crackish in parts. For those who have read my previous works, you may recognize it as an attempt at humor. If this chapter wasn't your cup of tea, it might not be best to keep reading.