A/N: Some direct quotation from the HP books will be used in this chapter. You'll know when you see it. Those quotations belong to JK Rowling.

Previously...

Syaoran took a step back in shock. "You mean I've been searching for the Clow Cards all this time, when they were already captured by you?!"

Chapter 10: Imperius

Sakura nodded quietly. "Mm."

Syaoran paced back and forth in front of her, trying to make sense of the situation. He, too, had been searching for the Cards since he was 10, but how was it he hadn't been aware that someone else had already captured all the cards?

Sakura knew the truth, that he was there by her side, helping her to capture all the cards, but she knew that it wouldn't do her any good to tell Syaoran this, since it would only make him angry. After all, Meiling had mentioned that since his memory loss, Syaoran seemed to know that something was missing, but couldn't quite put his finger on what that something was, and Eriol told Sakura that Syaoran needed to figure it out on his own.

"Hoe? Li-kun, why are you here?" she suddenly asked. "Weren't you with Meiling-chan?"

"Huh?" Syaoran stopped pacing and looked at her. "Oh, uh, I felt strange magical energy coming from here, so I quickly ran over to check it out. Why are you out here?"

Sakura didn't expect him to deflect her question back at her. Flustered, she stammered, "Oh, I came out here to...think."

"Think?"

Sakura nodded furiously as she turned away from him so that he was looking at her back. "Y-yes. I had a lot of things on my mind."

"Well, you were pretty distracted at work after all," Syaoran muttered as he looked up at the sky.

"Hoe?" Sakura turned slightly to look at him.

"You were feeling mopey," Syaoran pointed out.

Sakura paused, then nodded. "You noticed, huh?" She went over to the swings and sat down. Syaoran stared at her with a slight frown. Then, he went to join her at the swings, sitting down on the swing next to her.

"Look, if it's something I said to you on the rooftop..."

"N-no, that's not it!" Sakura cut in.

"Then why...?"

Sakura smiled sadly as she looked down at the sand at her feet as she began rocking back and forth. "Someone...I consider very important and precious to me...got into a terrible accident recently."

Syaoran didn't say anything as he sat and listened to her. He didn't understand why he was here, but something compelled him to stay.

"When he came to, he couldn't remember who I was," Sakura said softly. "That most important person remembered his life before he met me, but he can't remember anything that happened after. We've been together since elementary school, though we didn't officially start dating until junior high."

"I'm...I'm sorry," was all Syaoran could offer, unaware that he was the subject of Sakura's story. "But I'm sure this most important person of yours will regain his memories soon, right? I've seen it in the movies."

Sakura gripped the chains holding the swings up tighter. He couldn't even recognize that she was talking about him. Forcing a smile, she suddenly stood up.

"Ah, I should be going home now. Dad will be worried if I come home too late. See you at school tomorrow, Li-kun!" She then quickly ran off. Syaoran shouted "oi!" after her, but she didn't hear him.

Voldemort was furious when Rowle and Dimitri appeared before him, thanks to the Teleport Card, empty-handed without the Cardmistress, and punished them accordingly. He was also furious that he was bested by a mere 17 year old girl once again. However, when Dimitri informed him that Rowle had accidentally removed more of the boy who tried to stop the abduction's memories, that according to Sakura, he couldn't remember the girl and that she was currently very heartbroken over it, the Dark Lord realized he could use this to his advantage. He could cast the Imperius Curse on the boy and make him bring the girl to him.

"She really loves him, does she?" he mused.

"It...it appears so, my lord. She was begging me to return his memories to him," Rowle affirmed.

"Very well. Bring the boy to me."

"My lord?"

"Do not question it! Bring him to me! Not you two, since you failed me. You three go," he hissed, indicating Nott, Rookwood, and a new Death Eater who was about Dimitri's age, but had silver dyed hair.

When Sakura arrived home, she was surprised to see a silver tabby cat laying down at the gate outside her house. It stared at her as she ascended the steps to the gate.

"A cat?" she wondered curiously, noting that she had never seen a cat around the house before, and wondered if it was a stray, lost, or just a neighbor's cat that liked to be outdoors. Squatting down, she held a hand out for the cat to sniff. The cat sniffed her hand for a bit, then headbutt its head into Sakura's hand, letting her know that she was welcome to pet the cat. Sakura giggled as she scratched the cat's chin.

"You don't look like a stray," she commented. "You have a family, don't you? You should hurry on home before they worry about you. It's not good to make your family worry." The cat meowed once again and watched as Sakura straightened up and headed for the front door, closing it behind her.

"I'm home," Sakura announced as she slipped out of her outdoor shoes into her indoor slippers.

"Welcome home," Fujitaka greeted. "You're home late today."

"Is that so?" Sakura asked. "Ah, there was a cat outside our house...do any of our neighbors have cats?"

"Hmm...not that I know of," Fujitaka answered. "It must have been a stray or from another neighborhood."

"Really? But it was so friendly though," Sakura said. "If it came from a different neighborhood, it must have traveled a long way. I told it to go back home to its family, but I'm not quite sure if it understood me. Ah, what's for dinner tonight?"

"Your favorite-crab croquette."

"Yay!"

Fujitaka noticed that while Sakura sounded cheerful, it wasn't the same kind of cheerful that she usually possessed, and looked at her worriedly as she helped herself to dinner. He wanted to ask her what was bothering her, but recognized when she didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering her.

After school the next day, everyone worked hard on their play for the cultural festival. As it turned out, according to the script Naoko wrote, Sakura had two parts in the play where her character would be singing-once near the beginning to Syaoran's character while he was a wolf to gain his trust, and again in the middle at his request because it made him feel calm and peaceful. Tomoyo had suggested the song Hitomi by Ohara Sakurako for her to sing the first time and Funwarito by Tange Sakura for the second song. After going through a script reading, Sakura and Tomoyo briefly worked on her songs together in the music room along with the music teacher, who provided a recording for Sakura to practice her songs at home.

While Tomoeda High was preparing for their cultural festival as well as their midterm exams, Hogwarts was preparing for the arrival of the delegates from the other two participating schools. It was all anyone could talk about: who was going to submit their names, what the Tournament would involve, how students from the Boston Wizarding Academy, the Uagadou School of Magic, and Mahoutokoro differed from themselves, and how this was the first international wizarding tournament in history. Classes were also much, much stricter than usual…well, all except for one class.

"Righ', then!" Hagrid said happily one day to the group of approaching students. The memory alteration performed 16 years ago clearly had no effect on his optimism. He also seemed to be carrying what looked like a dead goat with him, which unnerved the students. We're workin' over there today!" He pointed his thumb at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered. They also prefer the dark."

Many of the students shifted uneasily. Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid was never, ever guaranteed to be safe, especially since Hagrid liked dealing with creatures that were classified as XXX or higher according to Ministry of Magic classifications.

"Ready?" asked Hagrid happily, looking around at the class. "Right, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studying today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em. Now, before we move on, do any of yeh 'ave any questions?"

One girl, Belle Newman, raised her hand. "Are they safe?" she asked nervously. Her fellow students murmured and nodded in agreement.

" 'Course they're safe!" said Hagrid happily. "Yeh don't have to worry 'bout a thing with them!"

"I'd like to reserve judgment on that," a boy whispered out of earshot to his friend.

"Righ', this way then!" said Hagrid. He turned and strode straight into the forest. Nobody seemed much disposed to follow. They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight. Hagrid deposited the goat on the ground, stepped back, and turned to face his class again, most of whom were creeping toward him from tree to tree, peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon at any moment.

"Hmm, why does this seem familiar?" Hagrid wondered aloud. "Nevermin', then! Gather roun', gather roun'!" he said encouragingly to the class. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like to know it's me…"

He turned, shook his shaggy hair to get the hair out of his face, and gave an odd, shrieking cry that echoed through the dark trees like the call of some monstrous bird. One girl shrieked in return as she stumbled back and fell on her behind, clearly surprised by the horrid noise Hagrid made.

"Thestrals. He's teaching thestrals," said Amycus Carrow to his sister with a shake of his head. Every year, Hagrid would teach the Fifth Years about the creatures that were invisible to everyone but those who witnessed death, and every year, he would bring the Thestrals some kind of dead animal to feed upon and make that horrid shriek-cry. "I don't understand why the Dark Lord won't let me sack that bumbling oaf!"

While Hogwarts prepared for the International Wizarding Tournament, Voldemort seemed to have disappeared. No one, not even his Death Eaters, seemed to know where he had gone.

"I sound bad."

"You were fine," Tomoyo assured as they waited for her driver to pick them both up. Sakura had planned on taking the bus back home, but Tomoyo insisted on having her driver pick them both up and then drop Sakura off. "The songs I suggested suit you."

"Do you think so?" Sakura asked.

"Of course! Besides, sensei gave you a recording of the piano accompaniment so you can practice at home! You can also come to my house after school on days you don't work and we can practice in my studio with the best quality equipment!"

Sakura could only grin nervously. "Hoeee..."

"By the way, Sakura-chan, did you have a good talk with Li-kun last night?"

Sakura whirled around to face her friend in shock. "H-how did you know?"

Tomoyo giggled. "I had a feeling something was bothering you, so I secretly followed you to the park. I saw everything that happened."

Sakura didn't know how to react other than to laugh nervously again. "But I didn't expect Syaoran-kun to listen to my story. Even though he didn't know I was talking about him, him being there gave me a sense of comfort."

Tomoyo smiled. "I'm glad, Sakura-chan. Ah, looks like my driver's here," she said as a black limousine pulled up to the school curb.

Meanwhile, Syaoran and Meiling were waiting at the bus stop together, with Meiling talking about how his character for the play really fit Syaoran while her cousin paid no attention to her. Noticing that Syaoran wasn't paying her any attention, Meiling frowned and switched the subject to talking about the university entrance exams.

"Hey, Syaoran, are you going to take the university entrance examinations? Are you planning on going to university here in Japan or will you be returning to Hong Kong?"

"Huh? I don't know," Syaoran admitted. "But I don't have a reason to remain here, do I? I mean...I found out from her last night that all the Cards have already been captured and she's the owner of the Cards now."

"You two met up last night?" Meiling asked, surprised.

Syaoran nodded. "I sensed strong magical activity in the park and rushed over there, and she was there." He turned to face her. "There's something you know, don't you, Meiling? You, Daidouji, and that girl. You all know something I don't."

Meiling let out a sigh. "It won't do me any good if I tell you, Syaoran. You have to figure it out on your own." She gave her cousin a whack on the back. "Good luck with that!"

"Oi!" Syaoran protested.

"Oh, the bus is here," Meiling said as their bus line pulled up to the stop. She got on and scanned her bus pass, then sat down at an available seat. Syaoran sighed as he began to board the bus, but just as he was about to, he suddenly sensed some magical presences nearby. Looking past the bus, he saw three robed figures staring straight at him. Suddenly he ran off in their direction, surprising Meiling.

"Hey, where are you going?!" she shouted after him.

Syaoran reached the spot where he saw them, but when he got there, they were suddenly gone. "What the-?"

"Looking for us?" a voice sneered.

Syaoran spun around in the direction of the voice, but as soon as he did, he was suddenly hit in the chest by a jet of red light. When he came to, he found himself tied to a chair in a dark room, with the only source of light being in a 10 ft radius around him. He struggled against the bindings but it was no use. Suddenly aware of another magical presence in the room, he shouted,

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

"You must be Syaoran Li, the heir to the powerful Li Clan in China," spoke an ominously cold voice. "I've done research on you."

"Oh, you did, did you?" Syaoran growled. "What is it that you want with me?"

"It's not what I want from you, it's what you will do for me," Voldemort hissed. "Imperio!"

"For you?" Syaoran asked incredulously. "Like hell I wi-" He abruptly cut off as a strange sensation filled his mind, making it feel like it had been wiped of all thought. Instead, it was replaced by a blissful feeling that made him feel like he was floating on clouds. At the same time, his eyes became vacant as his whole body became eerily relaxed. In his heart, Syaoran had the feeling that something was wrong, that he shouldn't be feeling like this, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

You will help me capture the girl. You will help me capture Sakura Kinomoto.