"Haha! How's Headmaster Minamoto doing these days?!"
Dumbledore chuckled warmly as he helped the young man who had introduced himself as Tachibana Yusei to his feet.
With a wide smile, Yusei replied,
"Our headmaster was delighted to hear you'd be visiting today. He's already prepared your favorite, Rainbow Dango, to welcome you properly!"
At this, Dumbledore's smile deepened, and he responded with hearty enthusiasm,
"Ah, Minamoto is as thoughtful as ever! I've truly missed those Rainbow Dango from your school. Come to think of it, the last time I had them was over twenty years ago!"
After a brief exchange of courtesies, Yusei extended an invitation,
"Headmaster Dumbledore, before I came, Headmaster Minamoto instructed us to lift the anti-Apparition charm around the school grounds. You're free to Apparate directly in."
But Dumbledore waved a hand with a light-hearted grin,
"No need for that. It's rare to have a bit of leisure time, and we're in no rush. The sea breeze is rather refreshing, and besides, it's good exercise for the young ones."
As he spoke, Dumbledore turned his gaze toward Wentworth.
Seeing this, Wentworth could only offer a wry smile and nod along.
"Quite right, Headmaster. Nothing like rowing under a blazing sun to build character. Heh."
Yusei, catching the exchange, glanced between Wentworth and Nala, then beamed and said to Wentworth,
"You must be the Hogwarts champion for this year's Wizarding Schools Potions Championship, Wentworth Dumbledore, if I'm not mistaken? Our headmaster nearly spit out his tea when he saw your name on the roster. Ha!"
Wentworth laughed and returned the greeting, then asked,
"Then you must be the Japanese representative for the championship…"
But before he could finish, Yusei waved his hands quickly.
"Oh no, not me! I wouldn't dare take on such a responsibility. Our school has someone much more suited for that."
Despite Yusei's repeated invitations, Dumbledore insisted on traveling by boat to Minami Iwo Jima Island. With no alternative, Yusei mounted his broom and led the way, offering commentary along the route about the preparations for the upcoming tournament.
Eventually, under the sweltering sun, Wentworth managed to steer the boat to the island's shore. As he stepped off and onto the rocky coast, he still felt the lingering sway of the sea beneath his feet.
Up ahead, Yusei strode eagerly, giving them a tour of his school.
As the group advanced, more and more students from Mahoutokoro began to appear. They wore robes of various colors and observed the visitors with curious eyes.
Noticing this, Wentworth asked,
"Why are your students wearing different colored uniforms? Is it like Hogwarts, where each house has distinct colors?"
Yusei laughed and explained,
"Not quite. At Mahoutokoro, the color of our robes represents both age and magical proficiency."
"These robes are enchanted to grow along with the student, and they change color as one's magical knowledge deepens. New students start with a pale pink, and if they achieve top marks in all magical disciplines, their robes turn gold."
He paused for dramatic effect, then leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper.
"However, there is one color you should be wary of—white. If you ever see a wizard wearing a white robe at Mahoutokoro… run. Immediately."
Wentworth and Nala looked puzzled, prompting Yusei to explain further,
"When a robe turns white, it means the student has broken the code of the Japanese magical community, either engaging in dark magic or violating the International Statute of Secrecy."
"It's a disgraceful sign of corruption. Those students are expelled and placed under investigation by the Japanese Ministry of Magic. Only a rare few ever escape punishment."
Intrigued, Wentworth found himself once again marveling at the uniqueness of each ancient magical institution. Their rules and traditions didn't just set them apart, they elevated their entire atmosphere.
Just then, Nala abruptly turned to look toward the sky behind them. Startled, Wentworth followed her gaze.
At first, he saw nothing. But he waited patiently, and sure enough, in the distance, seven enormous storm petrels soared through the air toward them.
One flew prominently in the center, surrounded protectively on all sides by the other six.
Wentworth watched in wonder, but Yusei suddenly remarked with a hint of surprise,
"Well, what a coincidence. Looks like you'll get to meet her sooner than expected!"
"Wentworth, the one riding in the center, that's your opponent for this year's championship. Our school's potions prodigy… Uesugi Yukina."
There was something unusual in the way Yusei spoke her name, a strange mix of sarcasm… and fear.
Before Wentworth could ponder it, the massive birds arrived above Minami Iwo Jima Island. The six outer birds hovered high in the sky, never descending, their eyes fixed on the one that dove toward the mountain summit.
At that moment, a chilling thought struck Wentworth, the six birds weren't guarding the central one. No… they were watching her.
Moments later, the diving storm petrel landed neatly before the group. A girl with an innocent, delicate appearance clumsily dismounted from the bird.
She bowed politely and said,
"Uesugi Yukina, at your service. Greetings, Yusei-senpai. Greetings, everyone."
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]