Author's note: Okay, so I was going to write another chapter for my Marimite story. Then I got thinking - what if Natsuki and Shizuru met in a Hogwarts-like circumstance? What if what if what if?

Then this fanfiction was born. Based off Mai Hime, Mai Otome and the Harry Potter universe. Edit: Some small changes made in chapter 1!

Chapter 1: Train to Garderobe

Magic, madness, heaven, sin

Saw you there and I thought oh my god

Look at that face, you look like my next mistake

- 'Blank Space', T Swift, 2014.

A dark-haired youth slung her leather bag across her shoulders, and left home in the cold hours of Sunday morning. The sky was still dark, and the night was silent.

There were no goodbyes to be said, because there was no one to say them to. Lord Kruger was away on a trip, and the house elves were sent away the day before to his abode in southern France. Natsuki Kruger did not particularly care. Her 18th birthday had come and gone a week ago, to a similar lack of fanfare, and that was how she preferred it to be.

She was finally off to Garderobe.

A millenia ago, a formidable and fearsome group of witches and wizards from Europe travelled to North Asia as they sought to increase their magical learning and connect with other magical communities. Towards the end of their travels, they established a school for magical youth in the cold tundras of North Asia and named it Garderobe.

Before Garderobe, children were privately educated by tutors, thus only the very rich could afford a proper magical education for their children. Even then the quality of magical education was very much reliant on the tutor in question. Magical families refused the offer of the European magicians to send their children away to a school of magic (it was unheard of to train children in magic outside the safety of their homes), but seeing the benefits of formal education, agreed to send them once they turned eighteen.

Garderobe was a game changer, and other schools of magic were established throughout Asia, imitating its style. As centuries marched by, Garderobe anchored its position as the premier school of magic in all Asia.

Natsuki arrived in Shinjuku, Tokyo just as dawn was breaking. The train station was still rather empty and she wandered around the large place for a while, before deciding to buy a bento and head to the plaform she was to leave from.

Platform 24.

As she neared the stairs leading up to the platform she noticed a family of bright orange haired Muggles wandering around the area. Mother, father, son, daughter. It was hard not to notice hair of that colour. Did they dye it all the same colour?

"It's right here! Platform 24! Come on!" The orange haired girl insisted to her mother.

"I don't see it, dear. Are you quite sure you're feeling all right? Maybe it's in a different area of this station." Her mother said.

Ah. Muggle-confounding wards. Natsuki started up the stairs.

"Wait!" It was the girl.

Natsuki paused. Is she talking to me?

"So you see it too!" Yes, she is.

Natsuki turned around abruptly. "Of course I do. But it's Muggle proof. You're… Muggleborn?"

The girl frowned. "I know it's Muggle proof. Just because they can't see it doesn't mean they can't follow me. Once past the barrier they'll be seeing just fine. My family needs convincing to trust me. Couldn't you-?"

Natsuki raised her eyebrow. "Tsk. You're going to be late – the train's going to leave soon. Best say your goodbyes to your family here - it might not be safe for non-magical folks to join you on the platform itself."

"Ah, yes. Um, thanks.. I'll see you later?" The girl smiled at Natsuki.

"Maybe." Grunted Natsuki.

Natsuki moved quickly to the far end of the platform, avoiding eye contact with everyone else. In contrast to the train station itself, Platform 24 was bustling with families saying goodbyes. She stood in her black coat, hands in her pockets, facing the tracks.

Families. Her father asked if she wanted him to accompany her on her first train out to Garderobe, but she'd declined. When she was a child, her father shielded her fiercely from the public's gaze, and as a teenager she had grown accustomed to remaining out of the public eye. No reason to change now. No reason to get sentimental over a train ride.

She hardly saw him these days anyway.

The bullet train arrived, snapping Natsuki out of her increasingly grey thoughts. She strode onboard as soon as the doors opened, and headed for the nearest cabin. Natsuki was about to close the door when she heard a commotion.

"Hey! Orange hair! You a Mudblood? Our cabin's full, sorry." Jeering voices reached her sharp ears.

Natsuki bit her lip. Great. Her sense of noblesse oblige compelled her to act. She stuck her head out of her cabin. "You can join me." She said.

The girl turned around in surprise at hearing her voice. But before she could speak, eight other girls poured out of the nearby cabins. Natsuki frowned. Damn. Way to remain under the radar, idiot.

"Who are you?" A haughty looking girl snapped. "She needs to be in the Mudblood cabin."

Natsuki gaped in suprise. "What cabin?"

"You a Mudblood too?" Another girl sniffed.

"None of your business. She's with me." Natsuki's face remained emotionless.

The eight girls sniggered, almost simultaneously. "We don't think so. Mudbloods don't get-" The girls started moving towards Natsuki, pushing the orange haired girl onto the train floor.

Natsuki's hand reached for her wand. Damn, this could get ugly. The orange haired girl pushed herself back up, and stood ready to fight. Natsuki glanced at her violet eyes – she was no pushover. No one was going down easy.

Then.

"Ara….? What is going on here?" A gentle voice broke the tension.

Almost at once, the eight girls backed away from facing Natsuki and lined the corridors instead. They spoke nearly in unison again. "Just a misunderstanding, Shizuru-sama. Imparting some knowledge to our newcomers. We'll be going back to our cabins now." They quietly re-entered their cabins, a huge change from their rabid dog postures only seconds ago.

What sickly sweet voices. Natsuki rolled her eyes and pointed her cabin out to the orange-haired girl.

"I'm Mai Tokiha. Thanks for the rescue." Mai Tokiha bowed slightly in thanks to Shizuru and Natsuki before heading off towards Natsuki's cabin. Just like that, the potential fight was over in less than five minutes.

Natsuki glanced at this Shizuru-sama which had such an effect on the feral girls. Shizuru-sama turned out to be a rather tall brunette. Perhaps a year older than herself. And are those crimson eyes? Look at those lips. Wow, she's beautiful.

"Done staring, stranger-san?" Shizuru teased.

Natsuki glared at the girl before stopping herself. She reminded herself that this very girl just prevented a fight that could've turned nasty.

"Thanks." Natsuki said instead.

"Don't I get your name, at least, stranger-san?" Shizuru smiled, eyes twinkling.

"It's Natsuki."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Natsuki-san. I'm Shizuru."

"Yeah." Natsuki nodded.

Shizuru came forward and walked with Natsuki as she made her way back to her cabin. "Can I join you?"

"What?" Natsuki jumped back.

Shizuru grinned. "Those girls could return after I leave."

Natsuki frowned. What! Do I look like a helpless idiot? "I can defend myself quite well."

Shizuru had another shit-eating grin. "Oh?"

Mai opened the cabin door in the nick of time. "Hi! Ah, Shizuru-san, would you like to join us?"

Beside Shizuru, Natsuki sighed in acknowledgment of her defeat. "She will be, yes."

Shizuru smiled as she took a seat next to Natsuki. "Oh, how friendly of you, Natsuki. Thank you, Mai-san."

Natsuki bit back her response and decided to dig into her delicious smelling bento instead.

End of Chapter 1. Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts!