By Cloud Dreamer

Foreword:

Each of these next chapters represents a story fragment or incomplete story that I was unable to complete or work on any further. Rather than have them gather electronic dust on my hard drive, I have chosen to post them here as chapters so that interested readers may peruse them for their possible enjoyment or for ideas to help their own stories. Due to heart problems and my age, I admit that I am unlikely to work on them in the future.

Enjoy and take care, Cloud Dreamer

This first 'chapter' was a scene for a Ranma/Harry Potter crossover that I envisioned but never got around to writing, well, except for this one scene that would have been near the end of the story. I have to admit that a story by 'muishiki' may have inspired some details. I do recommend 'What's in a Name'.

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Ranma-chan bemusedly watched the year old baby girl as she nursed. Her twin brother squalled as her husband changed him after successfully burping him first. 'Nine years,' she wondered to herself. 'Nine years since we married, then two years later twin sons arrived; twin sons with dark ginger hair with curls that masked the fact that they had inherited her husband's unruly locks.' She glanced down toward the baby girl who cooed back at her with a wide toothless grin, green eyes bright. She smiled back and gently raised the child to her shoulder and began the age-old burping ceremony. She sighed as her mind wandered again. 'It was odd how each of the three sets of twins each had one child with her husband's green eyes while the other child had her blue eyes.' About that time the second set of twins thundered into the room, scarlet locks flying behind the twin four year old girls.

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Harry studied the picture, checking to ensure it contained no details that could enable someone to locate his family. He sighed, then carefully disillusioned himself and walked several blocks before entering the traditional Japanese home of one Genma and Nodoka Saotome. He had already determined that they were absent, visiting the Tendou's as was fairly common for them. He placed the photo on the dining table before pulling out a portkey and vanishing back home to his own family.

Several hours later Genma and Nodoka returned home but froze in shock at the photo they found on the table. Genma snarled, "I thought we killed her!"

"Apparently not," whispered Nodoka, "somehow I am not surprised that she would do something dishonorable such as not die."

She frowned as she noticed the six children surrounding the couple who had their arms around each other. The man she did not know but the woman had once been her son.

Flipping the photo over, she read the careful calligraphy with a blank face.

It said, "Know this Genma and Nodoka Saotome, my husband honors me and because of that, my own honor is now complete and untarnished. These six children we call our own and they will never call you grandmother or grandfather. The scars on my mind and body ensure that you will never have the chance to hurt them as you have done to me. They will learn nothing of the Saotome family nor will I teach them 'anything goes'. You are dead to me and mine."

Genma growled low in his throat, "She can't do that! The school must continue on!"

Nodoka's face was flushed with rage to think that her grandchildren would know nothing of their honorable family.

"Tofu and Cologne lied to us." She paused and continued, "They prevented her from dying as honor demanded." Nodoka decisively stated, "We must contact them and force them to tell us how to rescue our grandchildren."

Genma grimaced, "That might not be doable considering both are well beyond our ability to demand anything from." He paused and added, "The master is the only one with the necessary skill to even have a chance at succeeding at that."

"Then we will enlist his aid."

Genma shrugged and replied, "I don't think he cares. As long as she isn't teaching his school he will do nothing."

Nodoka thought a moment then smirked, "Then that is what we will tell him." She looked at the note again and said, "All that is needed is to change a single word; change 'nor' to 'but' and it will seem she is taunting his authority.

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Nodoka snarled at her crouching husband, "Well! Is there any news? It's been fifteen years since Ranma sent that picture. I know Australia is large but surely they would have been found by now?"

She glanced at the now worn photo kept in a frame on the wall. For just a moment she wondered if the distant image of a kangaroo in the window off to the side of the posing family was an oversight or intentional misdirection.

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Author's note: Additional Ranma fan-fiction can be found on my Web Page

C & C to cloud_dreamer2000@yahoo.com

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