Teddy Meets Karasuno

Hi.

My name is Edward Remus Lupin, and I'm fifteen years old.

You can call me Teddy instead. Everyone does.

I stifled a yawn as I followed behind my godfather. After deciding to stay in Miyagi, we're looking at schools I can enrol in. Well, my godfather and I opted not to live in Tokyo even if a Black House was available in the big city. My godfather doesn't like crowded places. Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur and Victoire stayed with us at the Black House, but my godfather wanted to live away from the chaos of the city and opted to live in the countryside. Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur's work are in the city, so they're staying. It's better to live in a smaller house since it's just my godfather and I and the occasional house elf to cook and clean for us.

We're getting a tour of the school, and one of the teachers offered to take us around. I'm getting bored already, as this is the third this week. First was Shiratorizawa. Harry doesn't like the place as they aren't into international relations. Though the students were friendly and didn't stare at us when we arrived, Harry said the curriculum wasn't satisfactory. I felt the disappointment of the principal when Harry declined the offer.

Yesterday we went to Date Tech. Their curriculum is geared towards technology. Most of their alumni went to well-known universities for engineering and advanced electronics. However, the campus is far from our chosen house. Though Harry bought a car and he offered to drive me to school every day, I can only take up to two hours of his time to drive me to school and back home. I can take the bus as an alternative, but my sense of direction is atrocious.

Today, we're visiting Aoba Johsai. The teacher, Rinanto Jun, is the school's PE teacher. We quickly looked at their classrooms, and the teacher led us to each club. He kept gushing at Harry, and Harry only gave a strained smile.

We were on our way to the volleyball court, and the teacher ran ahead to check if it was empty. He opened the door and rushed inside, leaving Harry and I waiting outside the court's double doors.

"What do you think?" Harry turned to me.

I hummed at him, "Not promising, is it?"

Harry only sighed. Before he could respond, the teacher came back and waved us inside. "Our school has a practice match with another school," he explained, his eyes shining excitedly. "The coach told us we can watch for a little bit."

Harry smiled and followed the teacher. I trailed after them, shoulders slumped, and dragged my feet forward. We were led towards the viewing deck to watch the match.

The players didn't notice us, but the people on the bench did. Five of six players stood inside a square to the side for each team. Reserved players? I wondered to myself.

I roamed my eyes around as I watched the game. The sound of the ball smacking against flesh sounded familiar as I heard the small kid with orange hair Really? Orange? smack the ball with his palm towards the opposing team.

However, the ball didn't soar past the net as expected, but it hit the back of his teammate's head hard. The sound echoed around the court as each team member stared dumbfounded at the black-haired player. I bit the inside of my cheeks from laughing. Hey, at least it's not a bludger, I thought inwardly.

I looked around at the other people below and saw the two people sitting on the bench. Judging from their attire, they are the coaches for the Aoba Johsai. Both men look up at us with wide eyes and jaws almost to the floor.

The guy on the stand blew his whistle, indicating the end of the game, and players of both teams walked towards the bench where their respecting coaches were sitting. The blue team's younger coach spoke excitedly to the players and pointed in our direction. The players looked up at us and held a determined expression. From the background, the older coach fished out his phone and yelled at someone when the call was answered.

"Oh?" I reacted.

"I don’t think they know who I am," Harry muttered in a low voice. There's no need to be subtle, as our guide was busy giving thumbs up to the men below us, wearing a big and proud smile. "I meant as a wizard." He elaborated further. "As far as I was told when we moved here, wizarding places are in major cities, and most Japanese wizards prefer to stay within or near a magical territory." Then he grinned down at me. "I think they know me within the muggle world."

I stared at my godfather's smiling face, but he didn't elaborate.

We stayed for a while to watch the game until a few additional players from the blue team appeared. Judging from how they held themselves, they are experienced players compared to the others. One of the guys held himself taller than the rest and proceeded to sashay his way towards the coaches like he owned the place. This was when the annoying squealing girls started to get loud and exasperating.

I let out a grumpy sigh. Harry only chuckled at my frown. He knew why. The guy reminds me of Scorpius Malfoy.

The new guy eventually joins the game. Before he threw the ball towards his team's opponents, he pointed at the tall blonde player from the opposing team, then pointed in our direction, grinning. Come to think of it, at Harry.

"Fanboy?" I teased him.

"Hush you."

I sniggered at him but was forced to turn my attention back to the game as the orange kid suddenly exclaimed, "In Volleyball, every single player on this side of the net is an ally!" he screamed towards the tall blonde kid. The blonde kid only answered the orange kid with a look of disgust.

That perked me up. I felt Harry stood up straighter, so I looked up at him. He's wearing this soft smile that I can't interpret.

"Shut up," I grumbled at him, blushing.

"I haven't said anything," he answered back.

I gave him a pointed glare. He grabbed my shoulders and gave me a half hug.

Before I knew it, the game was over, and the red team gathered in front of their teacher. Even with the coach of the blue team scolding his players right below us, I could hear the other teacher speaking to the red team on the other side of the room because of my enhanced hearing.

"Well, I don't know much about volleyball. But I do know that something exceptional is going on here. Some great first-years have joined us this year. Things didn't go smoothly initially, but today I know one thing. We don't amount to much on our own. But together, we can help each other."

I saw the orange-haired kid tilting his head, but since I could only see their backs, I didn't know the expression on his face. I heard Harry shift right next to me, but my attention was only to the team at the other end of the gym.

"People meet, and that moment results in a change in the world itself. It could happen in a faraway country, somewhere at the world's edge, or even in the north of a far eastern island nation in a simple town's high school volleyball club. That miracle occurred here in Karasuno. I'm not qualified to say this but believe me, you will grow stronger and stronger.”

I was speechless. My face says it all because I felt Harry move away from me and approach our guide. He bowed respectfully, as was taught to us when we first came here, and I heard him say, "I apologise, but we will have to reject your school."

"Eh?!"

It was the same script that he gave to the first two schools. I expected him to lead me out of the campus to go home, but he didn't. Instead, he leaned his elbows on the railing, bumping his shoulders to mine beside me. I looked up at him with a determined expression. He knew what I was thinking because his grin just got wider.

"The red players are from Karasuno High School. He said," Harry pointed at our guide with his thumb, who was kneeling on the floor as he was about to cry, "that their school mascot is a crow."

I smirked. "I guess that's close enough."

He turned around, his lower back leaning against the railing. "Eagles are bigger than crows, you know."

"Both are birds, so it's close enough," I argued stubbornly.

He chuckled and ruffled my hair. "As you wish." After a few moments, he piped, "Dinner?"

"Steak?"

"Full moon's three days ago, you know," Harry answered.

"But this is a celebration!" I argued. Then I tried a different tactic. "Hmmm, perhaps sushi?" I suggested.

"Matsushima?" I knew Harry was going to suggest that place. It's his favourite.

I nodded, and we left. I cast a lingering eye towards the red team. The girl from the bench took notice and looked back questioningly. I smiled at her and turned away, following my godfather to the car.

Guess the eagle in me still wants to fly after all. Even if it's among crows.