Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of Harry Potter, Digimon, or the characters mentioned here.

Harry Potter and the Digital Monsters

1) New Kid in School

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger had arrived in London on the Hogwart's Express: the train service which served the school, via an otherwise unknown platform, this being as carefully concealed from the notice of the muggles as was Hogwart's itself: the 9.75 platform at the King's Crossing station. Hogwart's was located in the middle of nowhere in the Scottish highlands. The nearest towns, the muggle town of Dufftown, and the wizarding town of Hogsmeade, were not known for nightlife. The younger, lower class students were not permitted off-campus, though both Harry and Hermione, being upper classmen, were allowed the luxury and privilege of travel. One of the downsides to life at Hogwart's, as for any other boarding school, was that it could be damned boring at times.

Ron Weasley and his siblings were off to their family home, but Harry, having no immediate family, was accompanied by his good friend, Hermione Granger. He was certainly glad to have that company. Don't get the wrong idea, these two were friend friends, not boyfriend/girlfriend (though the idea had certainly crossed Harry's mind on more than one occasion).

"Harry...", Hermione started to say.

"I feel it too", Harry replied. A sudden cold had come over them. It wasn't like those cold shivers one experiences form time to time. This was actual cold, so cold they could see the condensation of their breathe. Cold like winter, yet during an otherwise warm spring day. The kind of cold that meant big trouble.

"There!", Hermione was the first one to spot them: "Dementors. What are Dementors doing in London?"

"More to the point, who are they chasing and why?", Harry asked.

From around a corner they saw a teen aged boy about their age running towards them, accompanied by a smaller figure they took for a house elf. They figured the situation must be dire indeed for any wizard - especially an under aged wizard - to be out in public with his house elf. The two of them turned and headed down an alley. A good move, Harry figured, as this would limit possible exposure to muggles. He also wondered why this wizard wasn't using his wand to cast a Petronus charm to ward off the Dementors. Maybe he couldn't do it? After all, Harry, himself, had learned this charm not too long ago, and it wasn't the easiest charm he'd learned during his continuing sojourn at Hogwart's. He hoped that he wasn't inadvertently helping an escapee from Azkaban. He also hoped he wasn't too late. The Dementor's Kiss is something that is feared more than death itself, as it leaves its victim devoid of feelings, free will, motivation, even the ability to think. It turns one into a living shell. Harry had gotten a taste of that, and definitely didn't want a replay, either for himself or anyone else.

Harry already had his wand out as they rounded the corner.

"Expecto...", Harry started. What he saw next left him speechless. What he took for an inexperienced wizard, or perhaps even a muggle, wasn't cowering before the Dementors. Even highly accomplished and experienced wizards were at the very least un-nerved by their appearance, as these were most horrifying beings in existence. He was just standing there, doing something they couldn't quite figure out. He didn't have a wand, Instead, he was holding something in one hand, and in the other, a card the same shape and size as a credit card.

"Super Evolution Plug-in S: digimodify!", as he swiped the card through some sort of device.

A strange golden light appeared around the smaller figure:

"Impmon evolve!" ...

... KYUUBIMON!

Where there had been a small, dark figure the size and shape of a house elf, now there stood a fox. Since they saw it from the back, the only details that registered were its size: that of a large horse, that it had nine tails, was canary yellow, and blue fire enveloped the tips of each tail and surrounded all four feet.

The "fox" lowered its head out of their line of sight, as it spread its tails, like a peacock: "Demon Spirit Fireballs!", as it flicked its tails, launching nine bluish-white fireballs at the two Dementors. They were driven back as they were struck.

Then, unbelievably, the "fox" ran towards the Dementors and leaped at them.

"Foxfire Dragon!" The "fox" tucked its head and tails, and began to spin. Faster and faster, until it dissolved into a homogeneous mass of blue foxfire. A dragon-like head appeared with a loud roar, enveloped both Dementors, which disappeared in a bright flash of foxfire.

"Did that fox just take out two Dementors?", Hermione gasped in amazement. This was supposed to be impossible, for they had always believed that Dementors were immortal. Yet these two had clearly been destroyed. "I've never seen or heard of magic that powerful before".

"The Professor definitely needs to hear about this", Harry agreed.

Kyuubimon landed on his feet before the teen: "It looks like we have company", he said.

Now Harry and Hermione clearly saw that the "fox" was wearing a heavy woolen rope with alternating white and maroon stripes, tied in a large bow around its neck, the ends tipped with large brass balls. Five pairs of crystals hung from the rope, below the neck. The forehead, flanks, and shoulders bore the black-and-white yin/yang symbol. Two purple zig-zags below each eye.

"You two should get the hell away from here: it's dangerous!", the "fox's" companion told them.

"I was going to say the same to you...", Harry started, as he and Hermione began to approach the teen and his "magical" companion.

"Huh? What could you two possibly have done to protect yourselves from those digimon? You're not Mentors since you obviously don't have partners..."

"Those weren't digimon", Kyuubimon, Harry, and Hermione said, nearly in chorus.

"What the hell are all of you talking about?"

"Jadin", Kyuubimon began to answer. So that was the strange teen's name. "I came into contact with them; their substance definitely did not originate in the Digital World. They were Material World beings".

"How is that possible? I never saw anything that looked like that on this side of the Frontier. The closest resemblance would be to malomyotismon...".

"They were Dementors...", Harry began to explain.

"Muggles aren't supposed to know about Dementors", Hermione objected.

"And Dementors aren't supposed to be attacking muggles", Harry counter objected. "Besides, we do need to get away from here in case more decide to show up".

"Would you mind, Kyuubimon?", Jadin asked.

"Not at all".

Jadin swung himself onto the big kitsune's back, and offered a hand up to Harry and Hermione.

"Where to?"

"12 Grimmauld Place: where my godfather lives", Harry said. With that, Kyuubimon set off at a gallop. Fortunately, that wasn't too far away. As they dismounted, the Light of Evolution reappeared, and devolved Kyuubimon back to Impmon.

"Harry? Hermione?" Sirius Black greeted as he answered the door.

"We need to talk right away", Harry said. "It's important". He literally pushed his way past the door.

"Do I know you? And why are you out with your house elf?"

"I'm no damn elf. I'm Impmon".

"We never got the chance for proper introductions. I'm Jadin. Jadin Weston, and my partner: Impmon".

"Harry Potter, and my godfather: Sirius Black..."

"Hermione Granger..."

"Harry, what's this all about? Why are you bringing strangers here?"

"I'll explain, but walls sometimes have ears, if you know what I mean"

Sirius pulled out his wand: "Muffliato!", he cast the spell that prevented being overheard. "Now what is this all about?"

"We saw two Dementors...", Harry began.

"Here? In London?", Sirius asked, incredulous.

"It's true, we saw them", Hermione agreed. "But that's not the strangest part. They were chasing these two", she motioned to Jadin and Impmon. "We followed them down an alley and Impmon transfigured into a large fox..."

"It's called 'digivolution', Impmon evolved from his present Rookie form to his Champion level: Kyuubimon", Jadin corrected.

"That's not the weirdest part. Kyuubimon destroyed both Dementors..."

"That's not possible... Dementors are immortal. The best you can do is drive them off with a Petronus charm, but you can't destroy them".

"That's what we thought too, but we were there. We saw it".

"Harry, what have you done this time? I know you inherited your father's penchant for playing fast and loose with the rules. But this: consorting with muggles, telling them about the Wizarding World... You're gonna be expelled, and I don't think even Dumbledore will be able to keep you out of Azkaban".

"We: Hermione, the Professor and I stood by you when no one else would. Do you think we'd be here just to tell you some wild story we made up just to get off the hook for breaking rules? I don't know Jadin; we just met. But can you look at him, and his partner, and tell me he's just an ordinary muggle? How many other ordinary people have you seen consorting with creatures so strange in appearance even we mistake them for magical beings?"

Sirius looked over at the lagomorphic digimon. Impmon stood there, arms crossed, tapping his foot, all the while glaring back. He was a head taller, at least, than the Black family house elf: Kreacher. He was covered in short, purple fur, except for the white facial fur. His eyes emerald green, small black nose, and long lapine ears. He was wearing red gauntlets over his three-fingered hands, a matching red bandanna tied around his neck, and a yellow smiley badge sporting an evil leer. House elves certainly did not dress like that, though these were the only "clothing" Impmon wore. His bare feet had three toes, each ending with long, sharp talons that clicked on the hardwood floor. House elves wore self-made clothing that came from cast-off items like old pillow cases, table cloths, odd bits and pieces of material. Unlike any house elf, he had a tail with an arrowhead-like tip. Like no house elf, he carried himself without the slightest trace of subservience. He was wondering why his master was tolerating such a show of defiance.

"So what, exactly, are you?", Sirius finally asked.

"I am a digimon; my name is Impmon". The name was nothing like that of a house elf either. Their owners typically gave their house elves silly diminutives as names, or like the elf who served the Black family: Kreacher, a sound-alike for "creature", a name that reflected the subservient nature of the relationship. A name like "Impmon" would be unthinkable.

"I never heard of digimon..."

"And I never heard of the Wizarding World, so we're even", Impmon responded sarcastically. Any house elf would be immediately told to self-punish for daring to use a tone like that, yet Jadin didn't even issue a rebuke.

"I think it's becoming obvious that there are two sides here, neither of which wants the other to know about, or the public at large. Now, I haven't got the foggiest idea as to who you people are, or what you're hiding. As for these 'Dementors', you seem to know all about them. All I know is that we were minding our own business when these things that looked like digimon attacked. We defended ourselves, and we destroyed them. Now we learn they aren't digimon at all, but something else. Something that we weren't supposed to see, or destroy. Co-operation seems like it's in order here. Wouldn't you agree? In the spirit of co-operation, I'll go first.

I'm a Digimon Mentor" He pulled out his digivice. "That's what those of us who have been chosen by our partner digimon who come from the Digital World call ourselves. We also receive these digivices which allow us to communicate with our partners, identify any strange digimon we might happen to meet, and since the Digi-entelechia is located in the Digital World, it also evolves our digimon to higher levels, that's what Harry and Hermione witnessed: digivolution.

The Digital World exists as an alternate reality which is composed of pure data. It has no substance. Recently, the inhabitants, the digimon - short for digital monster - have acquired the ability to materialize themselves into our world as fully physical beings. How they do this, no one knows exactly. Despite the name, most digimon don't live up to the 'monster' part. However, some do, and it is these feral and destructive digimon who cross over who cause problems for all the digimon, like Impmon, who want to get along the best they can. That's why they need human partners - Mentors - to instruct them into the ways of humans and the Material World".

"What's with the cards?", Harry asked.

Jadin pulled one out of the card carrier he wore on his belt, passed it around. They noticed that it looked like an ordinary card for some sort of game. "This looks...", Harry started.

"Yes, and you can buy them in any store. However, they have another purpose besides Digimon Battle Cards. The digivice can read the magnetic strip normally used with a score keeper accessory, or that can be used with the video game version. Run it through the card reader peripheral, and add those powers and/or attributes to your video game character. That's what they were made for. Only now, it turns out that it isn't a game: it's real. As I said before, digimon can materialize, but since they are separated from the Digital World and the Digi-entelechia, they can not evolve here without our help".

"I never heard of this, and I can't pretend to understand most of what you just said. Fair enough, Jadin. I am a wizard, and my godson, Harry, and his friend, Hermione, are wizards in training. They attend a school for this purpose: Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I, myself, am a graduate, as was Harry's father. Neither of Hermione's parents attended, as they are muggles. That's a word you're going to be hearing a lot from now on, but it's not meant disrespectfully. It's just our term for those who do not have any inherent magical abilities.

Like you and your digimon, it is imperative that the general public not learn of our existence. Hogwart's is highly protected by charms and spells that repel muggles, conceal its true appearance. The current headmaster of Hogwart's is Albus Dumbledore - a highly accomplished and well regarded wizard. He is long on patience, but like my godson, not entirely adverse to playing fast and loose with rules. After all, he did aid and abet my escape from Azkaban, saved me from the Dementor's Kiss, and bought me the time to clear myself and recover my good name.

However, Jadin, we have a problem that you don't seem to have, and that's the Ministry of Magic. They set the rules of conduct of not only Hogwart's students, but all wizards and witches. We are expressly forbidden from revealing our existence to the outside world. The one exception is the protection of innocent life. I don't know how that fits in here, since your partner destroyed the Dementors. As for Harry and Hermione, once they saw that and knew you were out of danger, they should have left the scene. They should have denied any knowledge of the phenomenon you experienced, let you believe you'd defeated some unfamiliar digimon. Left you with a mystery to ponder over. They did not, and that's the problem. Now, I don't know how it is that Dementors came after you. This is something that just isn't supposed to happen. Even though Dementors have the same deleterious effects on muggles that they have on wizards, I have never heard of their attacking muggles before. As for destroying Dementors, it is something no wizard has ever accomplished. I can understand why Harry and Hermione might have been confused into believing that you were one of us. And, to be quite honest about it, I'm not sure you're not".

"Is it possible", Hermione asked, "that Impmon could destroy them precisely because he isn't from our world?"

"It's very possible".

"Could that also be the reason the Dark Lord sent them? Could he know?", Harry asked. "Know about this Digital World - these digimon - Jadin's just told us about? If he could add their power to his own..."

"It's possible, but I doubt it. I think the Dementors were after you and Hermione. You said that Jadin and Impmon were nearby. Since Dementors lack sight and most other normal senses, they track their victims by sensing emotion; they were most likely confused. The same way I broke out of Azkaban: they were confused after I transformed myself into my animagus form: that of a dog. I literally walked out of Azkaban because the Dementors who guard the prisoners could not understand the different emotional 'signature' (making finger quotes) of a canine. May be Impmon confused them the same way, and they attacked them, instead of you? Since this is the first I've ever heard of digimon, it's just pure speculation on my part. But you are right about one thing: the Professor does need to know about this, and right away".

Sirius looked around, as if looking for something. He pointed his wand in his chosen direction. At what, Jadin couldn't tell.

"So when do you send the message", Jadin asked.

"I already did. I sent my patronus to deliver the message. It's fast, undetectable, and it won't be intercepted. That's at least one thing the Ministry can't do. At least not yet".

"You're telling me that you guys are real wizards? Isn't magic just like Penn and Teller, or David Copperfield? Just clever illusions?"

"No, Jadin, it's not. Is it any harder for you to believe that real wizards exist, than it is for us to believe that digimon exist?", Sirius replied.

"True enough. Sounds like this 'Ministry of Magic' is a bunch of damn fool politics", Jadin commented.

"What would happen if you and Impmon walked right into the offices of the Beeb and announced who and what you were?", Sirius asked.

"Besides freaking out a whole bunch of people, Impmon's disappearing into an MI-6 lab somewhere..."

"Precisely. They used to burn witches. Of course, they burnt a bunch of crazy old women, as they'd never catch a real witch. Not like they'd revive the practice, but you begin to see the problem here? Secondly, you've heard that power corrupts: we have an enormous advantage over muggles. Want to win every time at any casino? Want to beat any poker game? Be CEO of some major corporation? Even become Prime Minister? We could do all of that, and more. The Ministry protects muggles as much - if not more - than it protects the Wizarding World. That's the whole problem: the Dark Lord isn't satisfied with the powers he is permitted. He wants the muggle world as well, and if he finds out about it, the Digital World.

As for the Ministry and those who run it, we really aren't so different from the muggle world. There is political infighting between factions and bureaucratic inertia. Silly laws get passed, and stupid policies implemented. It's as imperfect as any government ever devised, it has its share of politicians and bureaucrats for whom process is the end, and not the means, but better than the alternative. That's why we need to proceed with caution, and why we need to consult Dumbledore over this".

"What do you think this Ministry of Magic might do?", Jadin asked.

"That, I do not know. There is the possibility that they may want to extend their jurisdiction over digimon and their partners, and the Digital World, if they decide it's a form of magic. They may simply decide it has nothing to do with them and leave everything as it is. I highly doubt that, since you have already proved that you can destroy Dementors, they're likely to know what else you can do that impacts the Wizarding World. There is also a third possibility: they may declare war against the Digital World. Like I said before, it's all just speculation at this point".

Hogwart's: Albus Dumbledore's Office

"Don't mean to disturb you, Professor..."

"That's quite alright, Hagrid", Professor Dumbledore acknowledged Hogwart's resident game keeper. "I've just received a most disturbing communique from Mr. Black, from London".

"Sir?"

"It involves you, and they shall be arriving directly".

12 Grimmauld Place

An image, like a shimmering phoenix, appeared. Jadin didn't see it, Dumbledore's patronus:

"I'm dropping the apparition shield. I believe there is no time to waste, so bring along your two most recent house guests: straight to my offices". This very odd line of communication was broken with no further comments.

"What about us?", Hermione asked.

"Return on the Express, like normal. It would look too suspicious if you two showed up back at Hogwart's so soon".

Turning to Jadin and Impmon: "It would seem the Professor isn't willing to wait. We'll be apparating straight to Hogwart's".

"Operating?"

"No, apparating - think of it as a form of teleportation. It can be a bit disorienting the first several times you do it, and it's not without its risks, so isn't done very often".

"Probably no more disorienting than crossing the Frontier", Jadin replied. "So how does this work?"

"You and Impmon link arms". They did so. "That's perfect. Just remember to not let go. Now, Jadin, if you'll take my arm". As soon as he did, all three instantly disappeared.

Jadin and Impmon landed in a heap in the middle of Dumbledore's office, though Sirius, being more experienced, kept his feet.

"Get off me", Impmon complained. Jadin slowly got up: indeed, it was as disorienting as crossing the Frontier. At first, that's what he thought he'd done: landed in the Digital World. One look around the office quickly disabused him of that idea. He saw nothing that looked the least bit modern: no desktop workstation, no laptops, no phones, neither cell nor land line, not even so much as an old fashioned, pre-electric typewriter. He wondered how Dumbledore managed to run an entire school without them. It also seemed this Dumbledore was as much a pack rat and collector of useless junk as any chuchidarumon.

"These are the two I told you about", Sirius introduced, "Jadin and Impmon".

"My word...", Hagrid started. He was used to all sorts of magical creatures, but he'd never seen any that looked quite like Impmon.

"I trust you two are well?", Dumbledore asked. He wasn't exactly what Jadin was expecting. Dumbledore had a beard as grey, if not so long, as Azulongmon's. He spoke with an old man's voice, yet moved as though extraordinarily fit for someone who'd seen ninety. "I am the headmaster of Hogwart's: Albus Dumbledore", he introduced himself.

"A bit of a rough landing, but nothing I haven't done before. Jadin Weston", he introduced himself as he stood up.

"I'm Impmon".

"And our resident gamekeeper and expert on magical creatures: Rubeus Hagrid".

Impmon and Jadin waved.

"Come here, young Mr. Weston let me get a look at you", Dumbledore requested. Jadin went to stand before Dumbledore's desk. "So this is the muggle boy who defeats Dementors?", as he peered over the top of his reading glasses.

"What!", Hagrid said, surprised. "You brought a muggle..."

"Calm yourself, Hagrid, all in due time".

"It wasn't exactly me, I had help".

"That would be your house...", Dumbledore started.

"Partner, old dude, I'm Jadin's partner..."

"You'll have to forgive him, he's still a bit rough around the edges", Jadin explained.

"Don't be apologizing for me", Impmon complained. "I've been called an 'elf', and a 'muggle', and 'house elf' and shit like that, and I'm getting pretty goddamned sick and tired of it. For the last goddamned time: I am a DIGIMON, and I have a name: Impmon".

"Quite, Mr. Impmon...", Dumbledore acknowledged the complaint. He didn't apologize as he was not used to being lectured by beings considered less than human, as most magical creatures were indeed considered, even if they could talk.

"Just plain Impmon will do nicely"

"Impmon, I will have to beg your indulgence. It's going to take us time to get used to you, as we have no experience with digimon. Would you tell us what happened?"

"It all began when these two digimon, or what we believed to be digimon, attacked us. We ran, all the while looking for some secluded place where we could fight them off without making a big public scene. That's when we ran down a blind alley. Since I was still at Rookie level, my partner evolved me to my Champion form - Kyuubimon - and I took them out with an attack called 'Foxfire Dragon'. When I came into contact with them, I could tell right off that, whatever they were, they did not come from the Digital World. They were from this world, the Material World. This had me confused, as I knew of nothing living here that resembled them in the slightest".

"I saw then too, and it's the strangest thing: I saw no sign of a Digital Field, and my digivice didn't alert to an incursion. I tried running an 'Ident', but got nothing. It wasn't recognizing them as digimon. But still, there they were, and they were definitely coming at us", Jadin agreed.

"Can you describe them?"

"Hell, yeah, I can", Impmon said. "I was quite close to them. These things were black, and I don't mean your ordinary black, like a black cat, or dog, or, well you get the point. It was like they simply swallowed every photon. They were flying, but I saw no wings, no obvious means of propulsion, not like Material World birds and animals. They were trailing what looked like robes with hoods, and I could see the material flapping in the wind. One look at their faces: no eyes, no mouth either, just what looked like an even darker hole - as impossible as that looked, but it's true. I saw no other features, and I'm not even sure they were aware of my presence until I attacked them. They burned in the foxfire, but left behind no disorganized data. Even if they had, I wouldn't've loaded them. I got the distinct impression these were bad news".

"Indeed they are, as you say, 'bad news'. Did they communicate anything to you?"

"No, nothing".

"Is that what you saw, Mr. Weston?"

"That pretty much describes it. Afterwards, we realized that these other two kids had seen everything, and that would be Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. They said they came to help, but I didn't see how that was possible, as they were by themselves. I wanted them to get out of there in case more of these... 'digimon' (making finger quotes) crossed over. That's when they told us they were 'Dementors', and that they'd never seen one destroyed before".

"Were you afraid?"

"We didn't have time for that. That's not how you win digi-battles".

"That's not what I meant, did they project feelings of fear?"

"Not that I recall. I had more important things to think about".

"You, the both of you, are quite fortunate indeed. There are few who've come into contact with Dementors and lived to be able to tell about it. Can you tell me about this Digital World?", Dumbledore asked.

"That's kinda hard to explain", Jadin began. "The Digital World is everywhere, yet nowhere. It isn't a physical space, as it consists of pure data, all form without substance. At first, it was believed that we had created it with our computers and the various networks. Then it turned out that the Digital World has actually existed all along, and that just now we are able to access it. It has at least two forms of what you could consider virtual life: digimon, like Impmon, and what are called 'Ancient Ones' about whom very little is known, not by us humans, and not by digimon either. Their existence precedes that of digimon by how long, no one knows. There may have been other forms inhabiting the Digital World, as there are ruins scattered across the Digital World whose origins and age remain unknown. What we do know is that the whole of the Digital World was a barren wasteland when the digimon arrived and began to reshape it to suit their needs. Whatever it was that came before, perhaps they destroyed themselves in some cataclysmic war, or were destroyed by some sort of natural disaster. We simply do not know.

As for digimon, it turned out that humans created them back in the early 1990s, as an experiment in artificial life and intelligence. They were given the ability to evolve, and a survival instinct in the hopes that they would evolve like living creatures, but at a much accelerated rate. That project failed, due to a lack of interest at the time, but the characters lived on as video game characters, and card game characters. That part of the project turned out successfully. Behind the scenes, digimon continued their pre-programed evolution, until they surpassed their original designs. Now, they have evolved to the point where they can cross the Frontier, and enter the Material World".

"I see. What is the nature of your relationship with these digimon?"

"We're partners", Jadin explained. "And friends. When digimon materialize in this world, they become disconnected from the Digi-entelechia: the source of digivolution. That means they need human partners with digivices". He unclipped his from his belt to let them get a better look. "These are communications devices that open a connection to the Digital World to send the Digi-entelechia so that our partners can evolve. It also allows us to communicate over distances, to identify unknown digimon, to alert to a near by incursion from the Digital World".

"Then I take it that you are not the master?"

"Oh hell no! Trust me when I say this: Impmon would never put up with that. Like I said, we're more than just partners: we're friends. Digimon are not pets".

"You sure got that right: I wouldn't accept that", Impmon agreed.

"You mentioned 'digivolution': what does that mean?", Dumbledore asked.

"Digimon have what you could call 'life cycles'", Jadin explained, "but these aren't determined by time. Rather, it's determined by the amount of data a digimon can absorb from the environment, or by defeating another digimon, and loading the data. Then they may progress from "Fresh", to "In-Training", "Rookie" - like Impmon - "Champion" - like Kyuubimon - "Mega", and "Ultimate". They gain more powers as they progress. It's kinda like growing up", Jadin explained.

"Hmmmm", Dumbledore let that sink in. "What do you think, Sirius?"

"I think we have inadvertently discovered new allies. If the Dark Lord is moving again, we can use all the help we can get..."

"Wait just a minute here", Jadin said. "Who said anything about this?"

"Young Mr. Weston, it would seem you are already involved, whether you like it or not. Those Dementors attacked for a reason, and likely were acting at the Dark Lord's behest. That they should appear in a muggle city, show themselves, is a very brazen act. If it wasn't you they were after, the fact that you destroyed them will make you and Impmon worthy of the Dark Lord's attention", Dumbledore reminded him.

"Who the hell is this 'Dark Lord'?"

"He was unfortunately a protege of mine many years ago - a young boy named Tom Riddle. I sensed that he had a level of magical ability seldom seen but may be once or twice every century. He was a disturbed young man, but I believed that a formal education here at Hogwart's would help him discover his true path. Unfortunately, I was wrong. He took his training, and his abilities, and used them for his own selfish purposes. He was so desirous of immortality that he committed seven murders in order to split his soul so that he could implant the parts into everyday objects, turning them into what we call 'horcruxes'. I don't know if Mr. Potter told you this or not, but at the risk of betraying a confidence, two of those people he murdered were Lily and James Potter: Harry's mother and father. He was nearly the third victim as quite literally a babe in arms. This completed Tom Riddle's transformation into the Dark Lord: Voldemort.

He is mad for power, immortality, and the total domination of the Wizarding World. He also has designs on the muggle world as well, in that he believes that such inferior creatures are not worthy of life, unless they prove useful as slaves".

"Then why aren't you contacting the military? Why aren't you warning...", Jadin began.

"And would they believe us? Did you not react with incredulous when you first heard that magic was more than, how did you put it: Penn and Teller and David Copperfield? Do you think that Voldemort is going to stop with the Material World once he learns of the Digital World? What about your digimon friends? You see, Jadin, our fight is very much yours, and that of your digimon friends as well", Sirius reminded.

"So what do we do about this, Albus?", Sirius asked.

"I think it best if Mr. Weston remained with us for awhile. Hogwart's has protections that can keep them safe from Voldemort. Impmon won't be a problem, as Hagrid is our game keeper, and it won't look suspicious since Impmon can easily pass as a magical creature".

"Impmon can stay with me", Hagrid agreed. "I'll take good care of 'im", he said to Jadin.

"As to Mr. Weston, that's going to be a bit more difficult. He will have to pass as a student, a late enrollment", Dumbledore speculated

"Where do we put him? Gryffindor?", Sirius asked.

"I think not. It would look too suspicious if another associate of Mr. Potter and his friends suddenly appeared... Ravenclaw, I think. Their dorms and common room are as distant from those of Slytherin as possible, and Ravenclaw has vacancies".

"I absolutely disagree. It's better that he be in Gryffindor even if it looks suspicious. At least, then, Harry and his friends can cover for him. Unless you're considering letting Ravenclaw students know about who and what Jadin really is... Jadin, be sure that you do your best to avoid Draco Malfoy. He's nothing but trouble, and his old man, Lucius, is one of Voldemort's...", Sirius explained.

"That has never been proven", Dumbledore reminded.

"Come on, Albus, you damn well know it, even if you can't say it. Didn't Lucius use his influence with the Ministry to almost get poor Buckbeak put down? All because that rotten kid of his got himself scratched because he wouldn't follow instructions regarding how you approach hippogryphs? Regardless, if he hears from his kid that there's a muggle at Hogwart's, he'll go straight to the Minister of Magic, and you can't deny that".

"No, I can't, which is why I'd still like him in Ravenclaw. Harry and his friends have long attracted the attention of Mr. Malfoy and his two associates. I'd rather not have him attract that kind of attention, being seen with Mr. Potter".

"What's with these Slytherin's?", Jadin asked.

"They, like the founder of Slytherin House, Salazar Slytherin, do not like those who are not of pure wizarding families".

"That's all well and good, but how do I keep away from them?"

"How about the Marauder's Map? Harry still has it, and I doubt he took it with him, as he'd have no use for it away from Hogwart's", Sirius suggested.

"No good, muggles can't use magical artifacts", Dumbledore reminded.

"What is this 'Marauder's Map'?", Jadin asked.

"It was created back when Mr. Potter's father was a student here. It's not only a floor plan of most of Hogwart's, but it also tracks the locations of anyone moving through the corridors. They used it for the purpose of breaking the rules about being out of the dorms after hours and sneaking off-campus", Dumbledore explained.

"Sounds like the perfect solution".

"It's a magical artifact that muggles can not use".

"Why not at least try? If it doesn't help, then what have you lost but time?"

"Hagrid, see if you can locate it. I'm sure Mr. Potter won't mind".

"Right away".

"Now, as for your course of studies, I suggest: Astronomy, Muggle Studies, of course, Care of Magical Creatures, as this will give you plenty of excuses to see and be seen with Impmon, Arithmancy, and Potions. That will look like a reasonable course of study, and prevent you from revealing what you are, as you won't be asked to cast any spells in these classes. At worst, you will fail some or all of these courses, but that's neither here nor there".

"You do realize, don't you, that I can't just disappear. My parents are going to have to know where I am. Otherwise, no deal".

"Do they know you're a... what was the term... a Mentor?"

"They don't like it, but they know".

"You could prevaricate a bit, explain your disappearance as a visit to the Digital World?"

"I have never left without telling them, and I'm not gonna do that, worry them like that".

"May be I could see them for you?", Sirius asked.

"So some strange man comes to their door and tells them their son is staying at some freaky boarding school somewhere in Scotland which they can't visit or even see? I'm sure that'll set their minds at ease, no problems there".

"Here it is", Hagrid said, as he set the map down on Dumbledore's desk.

"What do you see here, Mr. Weston?"

He picked it up and examined it: "Blank piece of old paper".

Impmon stepped over for a look: "Just an old piece of paper", he agreed.

"That's what I see as well", Dumbledore took out his wand, pointed it at the blank sheet: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good", he said. "Now what do you see?"

"Blank sheet of old paper".

"Exactly, Mr. Weston. I, however, see the entire floor plan of Hogwart's and the hidden tunnels under the grounds. You see, Mr. Weston, you can't see what aren't supposed to see", Dumbledore explained.

"You didn't ask me", Impmon said. "I see the map, plain as day. You have some student, a Mary Morgaine, walking down this corridor..."

"How can you? Could you have some wizarding abilities that you weren't aware you had?"

"I wouldn't know about that. I told you before, I'm a digital being. You can hide everything except for the data. Its data remains".

Jadin folded and picked up the map, and turned it over and over. "It is still a physical object", he replied.

He took out his digivice, and scanned the map through the digivice's card reader slot: "Digitize!"

He clicked through some menu screens showing on the LCD display until he came to a menu item: "MISC". There was one item under it: "Marauder's Map". He highlighted the entry, and clicked on it. A holographic display seemed to hover over the digivice. He showed it to Dumbledore: "That it?"

Dumbledore looked at the display, then unfolded the map laying on his desk, then back to the holographic image. They were identical, though the holographic display needed to be scrolled to see the entire map.

"How did you do that?", he asked. There were few times that Dumbledore could be shown anything that could perplex and amaze, given his long life, and all he'd experienced in his career as a wizard. This was one of those times.

"The digivice scanned the physical map and digitized it, storing the data in its memory. There is one thing that I do know about magic, and that's that spells and enchantments are applied to physical objects. It changes the outward appearance, but not the underlying data. The thing remains what it is, and the digivice itself does not care".

"Were you aware of this, Hagrid?"

"No, sir".

"Sirius?"

"I never considered the possibility".

"May I see that curious device of yours?", Dumbledore requested.

"Sure", as Jadin handed it over. Dumbledore turned it over and over. It was obvious he was neither familiar, nor comfortable, with any sort of tech. He took out his wand, and waved the tip over the device: "Reveal", he commanded. Nothing happened. He handed it back: "So it isn't magical at all?"

"I'm not surprised", Jadin said. "From what I see here, and at Mr. Black's, it's obvious that you are all a bunch of computer illiterate, techno-phobic, Luddites. No workstation on Professor Dumbledore's desk, no phone, not even an intercom, apparently. Nothing. Do you people even know what a computer is? How do you manage to run an entire school without so much as a PDA?"

"We don't have these things because muggle devices don't work here. The magical fields interfere with their operation, and so we have no electrical appliances. I don't understand why your digivice is still working", Dumbledore explained.

"This isn't exactly your garden variety muggle device. It came from the Digital World".

Dumbledore turned his attention to the Marauder's Map: "Mischief Managed", he said as he pointed his wand at it. "Return this to its rightful place", he asked Hagrid.

It began to dawn on Dumbledore that there was a serious vulnerability to magic. Jadin was right about one thing: charms were cast on objects. Was this a vulnerability they could exploit against the Dark Lord? It also meant something else that made his blood run cold, and he was even afraid to say it out loud:

"Hogwart's is protected by charms that repel muggles, and to the muggles, looks like old ruins. Nothing of interest to see. This has kept our school concealed for nearly a thousand years..."

"I see where you're going with this. I suppose there is a good chance that, should someone take a digital picture of the scene, that they would see Hogwart's for what it truly is. Digimon can already see it, Impmon had no trouble seeing Mr. Black's home, being that they are digital beings. As for your interference field, who knows? May be it prevents normal digital cameras from operating correctly? Even if that's the case today, it won't last much longer. Not at the rate digital tech is advancing. I don't think Hogwart's is going to stay your little secret for much longer".

"How could we allow ourselves to become so complacent?", Dumbledore asked no one in particular. This was another unanticipated problem Dumbledore could do without: how to explain to the Ministry this advancement of muggle (and to Dumbledore digimon were muggles) technology that was already poking holes in the Wizarding World's protections.

"I still need to get a message to my folks", Jadin reminded him.

"Yes, yes, of course", Dumbledore replied, as he brought sheets of parchment, a quill, and ink well to a smaller desk. "Write it down, and I'll see it gets delivered to your parents".

"I'd best be getting along", Sirius announced.

"So should I", Hagrid added, as he was returning from replacing the map in Harry's dorm. Turning to Impmon: "It's time for me to introduce you to your temporary new home".

"OK, you gave me the paper, now all I need is a pen or pencil".

"The pen's right there".

"It's a bird feather - you expect me to write with a bird feather?"

"It's a quill, Mr. Weston, and, yes, you do write with it. Dip it in the ink well. While you're doing that, I will have a word with Mr. Flitwick".

Jadin sighed, dipped the end of the feather into the ink, and tried to write. Instead, he made a large ink smear. He threw away that page and tried again. This time, all he made were thin, broken streaks. It took him a couple more pages until he got it right: just the right amount of ink, and the right pressure. Not as neat and convenient as a fountain pen, or especially a ball point, but serviceable, if considerably anachronistic.

By the time he'd filled two and a half pages, Dumbledore was returning with Filius Flitwick, the head master of House Ravenclaw. "This is highly irregular", he was saying before the small man entered Dumbledore's offices. Jadin doubted he was as tall as Impmon, and not much taller than Terriermon.

"So this is the famous Mr. Weston", he commented.

Jadin extended a hand: "That's me: Jadin Weston. I'm not so sure about the 'famous' part".

"Mr. Filius Flitwick", as he returned the handshake. "I am the faculty adviser and head of House Ravenclaw. First things first: put these on", as he passed Jadin a white button down shirt and a dark maroon tie with thin gold stripes - part of the Hogwart's school uniform worm by all students, male and female alike. Jadin pulled off his T-shirt, and donned the button down, knotted the tie, and buttoned the collar, and drew up the tie.

"You can loosen the tie and collar, if you like. We're not all that formal", Filius reminded him. "Now for the robe". Jadin slipped the long, black robe with the Ravenclaw crest over his head, and Flitwick made some adjustments. "There: now you look like a right proper Ravenclaw", he commented as he stood back. "The Professor has told me your class assignments are being arranged; now let me show you around Hogwart's. I think you'll like it here".

"But first", he handed over the letter he'd written. "See this gets to my folks".

"I'll get it off as an owlpost straight away. Muggles can receive owlposts", Dumbledore assured him.

"Let me show you our school", Filius began as he led Jadin towards the spiral "staircase" leading to the floors below Dumbledore's office complex. The pride in the man's voice was obvious. The "staircase" included a statue of an owl with spread wings, that partially filled the diameter of the circular shaft. Once Filius and Jadin stepped onto a step, the whole thing began turning like a screw. It reminded him of something he might encounter in the Digital World.

As they stepped off, Jadin found it would take some getting used to: walking in the robe he wore. At least it provided ample cover to hide his digivice and card carrier. Unless the digivice alerted to an incursion, but he wasn't expecting that, at least not here. Otherwise, it was like he stepped back in time by at least six or seven centuries. All illumination came from either torches attached to the bare stone walls, candles, or the light shining through the expansive windows.

"What did the Professor mean by 'owlpost'?", Jadin asked.

"We use owls from our owlry to send and receive letters and packages".

"You mean like carrier pigeons? Why not pigeons then?"

"I suppose we could, but it's the symbolism that's important. Owls have long been a magical icon, and pigeons have not. Ravenclaw House is located in the West Tower: that's where we're going now". He slipped Jadin a slip of paper: "Term starts in three days, and you should check these references at the school library, familiarize yourself with wizarding ways so you can fake it convincingly".

"Thanks, I'll do just that".

"See that you do, the Professor and I are taking quite a chance on you. Don't let us down".

"I understand, and I'll do my best not to disappoint".

Jadin also noticed the moving staircases which would connect to landings or to other staircases in accordance with where their climbers needed to go. That, too, looked very much like something straight out of the Digital World.

Fringe of the Forbidden Forest

Hagrid held open the door to his game keeper cabin located on the fringe of the Forbidden Forest: "After you", he invited Impmon. "Don't get many stay-over guests, but it's cozy", he explained.

"What a shithole", Impmon thought. "It certainly is... rustic", he said.

"Would you care for some tea?", Hagrid asked.

"Yes, please".

Impmon took the time to get better acquainted with Hagrid's boar hound, Fang. "Hey, boy, how're ya doin'", he asked as he held out a hand so the dog could get his scent. Impmon got down on his hands and knees, his own tail erect and wagging, like a dog's. He licked Impmon's furry face.

"What's his name?", Impmon asked, as he ruffled the dog's fur.

"Oh, that's Fang... Never saw him take to anyone that fast, though".

"I like animals", Impmon explained, "and they seem to like me".

"That so? Then it looks like we do have something in common after all".

"So, Impmon", Hagrid asked, "as I understand, you don't exactly serve Jadin do you?"

"We're partners, equals, we have a mutually beneficial relationship".

"Aye", he said. "Here, magical beings serve us. Like the house elves: they are bonded to their wizarding families as servants... except for Dobby, that is. Harry tricked Lucius Malfoy into setting him free by presenting Dobby with a sock he hid in Tom Riddle's diary. That's the only way for a house elf to gain his freedom. Dobby works in the kitchen now, as an employee on Hogwart's staff. If you ever catch me treating you like a servant, I apologize in advance".

"That's positively barbaric!", Impmon complained. "Why do they put up with that?"

"It's in their nature. It's true of a good many magical beings. Though there are some, like Miss Hermione, who disagree".

Impmon thought that over as he sipped his tea. Being called a 'house elf' became an even bigger insult, as far as he was concerned. Had he known that then, he just might've thrown a fireball at Dumbledore for calling him that.

"Would you like to help me feed the thestrals?", Hagrid invited after they'd had their tea, and to change the subject.

"Thestrals?"

"Magical creatures, like winged horses. Placid and quite intelligent, but not exactly easy to work with because you can't see them. There's a lot of prejudice against them, and nobody but me has ever tried to tame them. Mostly use them to pull the carriages". Hagrid explained, as they were carrying the buckets they would be using. He led Impmon to a smaller shack well upwind of the cabin, and it because obvious why that was, especially with Impmon's sensitive sense of smell. Thestrals feed upon carrion, as this was their favorite meal of choice, and the scent would quickly bring them in. Especially since they also knew when feeding time was. Impmon had a bucket filled with fresh blood, and Hagrid a bigger bucket filled with rotting meat.

"Just pour the buckets into this trough, and they'll come and finish it off pretty quick". The trough was located in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest.

"I'd say so, looks like one's coming our way now", Impmon told him.

"Oh? What do you see?"

"Like you said, definitely horse-like, but with wings like those of a devidramon, and a head like a dorugreymon. Silvery eyes, long black mane... But I dunnow, looks like this one's sick, nothing but skin and bones".

"You do realize that the only people who can see them are those who've experienced the loss of death? That's why there are so many hard feelings towards thestrals: their appearance reminds us too much of those we've lost. Most of our students here can't see them, and believe that our carriages move under their own power. Have you? Witnessed death, I mean?"

"I don't necessarily see as you understand it. I'm probably sensing his data and processing it into a visual image".

The thestral walked forward, and Impmon stepped up to meet it. It sniffed at the digimon, and lowered its head enough for Impmon to scratch behind its ears. It nuzzled, pushing him backwards. "You're right, they are friendly".

"You're defeating magic again. I dunnow", he said as he slowly shook his great, hairy head, "you two are turning everything we believed inside out and upside down".

Jadin put his three days to good use: reading up on the suggested material. He had a dorm all to himself, but that would not last. He would soon have a room mate, someone whose last name was "Sedgewick", who was due back on the Express with the rest of the returning upper classmen. The library also provided the privacy he needed to contact Impmon via the digivice. So far, Impmon was enjoying this a good deal more than he was. There was just that one incident: in Hagrid's absence, Impmon took it upon himself to tidy up Hagrid's cabin.

He recalled the last conversation where Impmon declared that he didn't see why they needed to call it the "Forbidden Forest". He compared its creepiness to the Dark Forest back home, and said that the only thing going for it was that the Forbidden Forest didn't have any phascomon - small, Rookie level digimon who attacked without warning from tree tops.

Jadin sat with the rest of the Ravenclaws in the Great Hall, under the House Banner: blue and bronze, and featuring the house logo: an eagle. Across from him, hung the banner of House Slytherin. He recognized Draco Malfoy right off: the golden blond hair being unmistakable. Down the line, hung the banner of Gryffindor, but he could only catch occasional glimpses of his new friends, Harry and Hermione. This was just a regular assembly, not a feast, though a breakfast was served, and he found it quite excellent. Not at all like the institutional chow he was expecting.

Dumbledore was stepping up to the podium, a fancy design in the form of an owl with spread wings, polished brass or bronze.

"I trust you all had a good spring break before we conclude this year's term. Now we must all get back to work. I have a special announcement: we have with us a new addition to House Ravenclaw. Would you all give a warm Hogwart's welcome to Mr. Jadin Weston", as he motioned for Jadin to stand, which he did. Everyone clapped.

"Mr. Weston will be joining us as a transfer student from North America...". At least this part was the truth: Jadin's father had been granted a promotion, and with it, a transfer to England. Their arrival came three days before he and Impmon had that run-in with the Dementors. "...and on behalf of myself and our faculty, we wish him much success". More clapping. "I will keep this speech mercifully short, so that you can be off to your first classes of the day".

On his way out, he was slipped a note, requesting his presence in Dumbledore's offices. He was excused from his first classes, obviously. He made his way to the special spiral "stairs" leading to those offices.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?", he announced his arrival.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Weston: the others should be joining us directly"

"Others?", he barely had time to ask, before Harry and Hermione trailed along. They were joined by Ron Weasley and his younger sister Ginny, then his twin brothers, Fred and George. Next, Neville Longbottom, and finally, the Ravenclaw room mate: Horace Sedgewick. Ron already knew, though second hand via Harry and Hermione, and his brothers and sisters third hand from Ron. Neville and Horace were clueless, wondering what this was all about, what sort of trouble they were in, though they had committed no violations of school rules that they knew of.

"I have called you here today, for a very special announcement, as I will be requiring your help. For those of you who haven't heard, I'm going to come straight out with it: your classmate, Mr. Jadin Weston, is a muggle..."

"Bloody hell! I'm rooming with a muggle? Sorry Professor, for the interruption", Horace Sedgewick said.

"Quite understandable, considering the circumstances. Mr. Weston, would you be so kind as to describe your experience once again?"

Jadin told the same story he'd told before.

"Bloody hell!", this time it was Neville. "You mean he actually killed two Dementors?"

"That's not quite right. My digimon partner actually did that", Jadin explained.

"Now to get to the reason why all of you are here, I have a request: I need to count on you to help cover for Mr. Weston during the classes some of you will be attending with him", Dumbledore announced. "Can I count on you?"

They all agreed, and with that, they were sent to class with the appropriate tardy slips.

"Jadin, hold up a sec", Horace requested.

"Yes?"

"So you play Digimon Battle Cards too?"

"Yes, you?"

"Love that game. Brought along my cards and lay-out, even though they're not exactly authorized equipment, but no one plays here".

"That's good to know", he said. "At least someone here does".

"We also have something else in common: I'm a muggle-born, and my parents aren't magical either. I don't have any relatives who are... You really have a real live digimon partner?"

"Yes, his name's Impmon. Right now, he's rooming with Hagrid".

"I wish I had a partner".

"Who knows? May be some day you will".

The main problem was the pointlessness of these so-called classes. Hogwart's would be a fine academic institution for the thirteenth century. "Astronomy" meant learning about constellations and asterisms. Not thing one about the latest developments: gamma ray bursters, dark matter, black holes, infrared, ultraviolet, or gamma ray imaging. No new results from the Hubble, or any other modern observations. It was basically a rehash of fourth grade science. As for the "Astronomy Tower", its equipment was pathetic, and even small telescopes seemed a grudging concession to modernity.

It was during this class he committed his first faux pas. The professor, Aurora Sinistra, had asked him about comets. He told what he'd learned that year in Earth Science: about the Oort Cloud, composition of comets, elliptical orbits when she stopped him. That's not what she wanted to know: what about the magical properties of comets, as harbingers of misfortune, citing the defeat of the English at the Battle of Hastings. To which Jadin said: "I bet the Normans wouldn't agree". There were a scattering of titters, and detention for Jadin: writing "lines" for Ms. Sinistra. This followed by a lecture from Dumbledore, reminding him to stop relating magical subjects to technology.

"Potions": the "lab" was devoid of a Periodic Table of the Elements. Measurement wasn't in grams and milliliters, but such archaic standards as drams and grains. No mention of solution molarity, and Jadin doubted that Professor Slughorn, though he seemed a nice enough guy (and Jadin was constantly reminded of how lucky he was to have dodged the former Potions Professor, one Severus Snape whom no one seemed to like) could have told the difference between an ionic bond and a covalent bond to save his life. Fortunately, he shared this class with Hermione, and Slughorn allowed them to be "lab" partners. He even had some small successes in brewing simple potions.

Of course, some things like Veritas Potion might be explainable in chemical and pharmacological terms. However, how could you describe Polyjuice or Felix Felicis? It struck Jadin as being more like cookery, with cause and effect having little to do with one another. If that was the case, then it made no sense at all: why not simply produce the effect without all the folderole?

"Arithmancy" (another class he shared with Hermione, and the one he excelled at) was likewise pretty much nonsense, though fun nonsense. As far as Jadin was concerned, numbers were for solving problems by mathematical modeling of the problem to be solved. As to the magical properties of numbers, it was superstitious nonsense. It had served its purpose: advancing mathematics back in the Dark Ages. The great irony was that the professor was Septima Vector. Did Ms. Vector know what a vector was? He highly doubted it as this was a very late nineteenth century branch of mathematics. Hogwart's had yet to catch up to logarithms and complex numbers. Calculus? They probably had never heard of it, and he wouldn't be getting a jump ahead for pre-calc here.

He'd been to his first Quidditch match - Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw. He found it fascinating and entertaining. He cheered as loudly for Ravenclaw as any real Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw lost. That was to be expected since the two best Seekers at Hogwart's were Harry Potter for Gryffindor and Draco Malfoy for Slytherin. It seemed it was a contest between those two Houses, with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff competing to not be dead last. Another odd thing about it was that the standings were based on total points scored, not matches won. Quidditch was more a game of running up scores than actually winning any given match. So far, at least, Ravenclaw was ahead of Hufflepuff.

Two weeks or so in, he caught up with Hermione during the afternoon break.

"So what do you think of Hogwart's?", she asked.

"You don't want to know", he replied.

"Yes, actually I do", she insisted.

"Very well. The food's great, much better than I ever expected when I heard 'boarding school'. My professors are fine, and I'm sure quite expert in their fields. My room mate is fantastic, and we get along quite well, the other Ravenclaws have been very good to me, and the dorms and common room are quite comfortable. However... Hogwart's is so damned insular. Malfoy's coming".

As Draco Malfoy and his two friends, Crabbe and Goyle came around the corner: "All I said was, 'isn't this a lovely view'..."

"Aren't there any Ravenclaw girls for you to hit on?"

"I wasn't..."

"Don't give me that!"

"Forget about that mudblood Ice Queen", Draco commented as he passed by. "I don't think she's into guys, if you know what I mean".

Hermione stuck her tongue out at him. The trio passed by, taking no special notice of Jadin.

"As I was saying, you draw the circle so damned tight that nothing might as well exist outside the perimeter of Hogwart's. Even inside, you don't hardly socialize with anyone outside your houses. In my Muggle Studies class, one kid even asked how airplanes manage to stay up. I could Google that in under five seconds, if I didn't know it already. That's pathetic. You shouldn't even require classes on dealing with the most mundane aspects of everyday life: how to use telephones, how to dress so's not to look like a total freak. Hell, every time I step in that class, I have to remind myself to constantly play 'stupid' in order to not give myself away. I could teach the damn class better than Ms. Burbage. That just isn't right".

"How is it any different being a Mentor..."

"Major difference there: I gained a world, you lost one. I can't go around broadcasting it to every person who crosses my path, that's true. I have to be careful about being seen, and have plausible excuses ready to explain away something I'd rather not have others see. But that has not caused me to shut out the rest of the world to the extent that I don't know the latest news, or trends regardless of whether I like them or not. I picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet, and found nothing, nothing in there about the situation in Libya. Nothing about the outside world at all".

"It isn't so bad as you make it out. We have our own 'technology' (making finger quotes) and, yes, a good many of us are as ignorant of muggle technology as you are of ours. Is that right? Probably not, but I can assure you, I don't feel as though I'm being smothered. Really, I don't. Just the opposite, the freedom to simply be me. I can at least help with one thing: my parents send me regular packages by owlpost, and I get copies of the Times. I could ask them to send extras. So, you see, some of us are keeping up with the world outside".

"I would appreciate that, thanks".

"Besides, we do get out, you know".

"Based on what I see, no I wouldn't know. Look around you: you - all of you - are stuck firmly in the Middle Ages. OK, so electronics don't work here. That's one thing, but there is no excuse for the rest of it. Your magical fields won't prevent your average Bic stick pen from working, would it? Why is it necessary to still be using feathers to take class notes? Would it prevent offering at least one class on using the Internet for those times when you are out and about in the 'muggle' world? It isn't simply the inconvenience of not having some modern conveniences. It's like you're actively shutting out the world".

"How did you know Draco and his pals were coming?"

"My digivice: I uploaded Harry's Marauder's Map and have it running in the background. I programed it to alert whenever he comes nearby".

"You can do that?"

"Yep".

"We are shutting out the world, and it's true: we of the Wizarding World do value our traditions. We'd like to keep Hogwart's as much as it was during the lifetimes of the Founders as much as possible. You might consider it maintaining a continuity of generations. What of your Digital World?"

"I'm guessing that, with digimon crossing over, that a proper introduction is going to be made. I don't know, five - ten - years from now, digimon will be a common sight..."

"That's the difference: we can't do that. Not without it's being a total disaster".

"And when they come and see Hogwart's and Daigon Alley and Hogsmeade and Platform 9.75, etc., as clear as day, then what? You heard: Impmon can see thestrals".

"How is Impmon getting along?", she changed the subject.

"He's really loving it. I'm gonna have a helluva time prying him out of here. There was something else I was wondering about. I write letters to my folks, and Dumbledore sends them, but I don't know if they're getting them, and I have no way of hearing back..."

"I'll ask my parents to visit yours. That way, they can relay messages. Being the parents of a magical offspring has its privileges".

"Would you? That would be great".

Hogwart's: Dumbledore's Office

"Ah Mr. Weston, what can I do for you?", Dumbledore asked. "I trust there are no problems?"

"So far, I'm finding the classes enjoyable, I have a terrific room mate..."

"That would be Mr. Sedgewick?"

"Yes, and the other Ravenclaws have been quite friendly... and that's the problem. I'm not feeling any too good about deceiving them".

"I see".

"It's this living a lie, having to trick them into believing I'm something I'm not when they offer honest friendship. I hate it".

"I'm not surprised you do, and I would be disappointed if you did not. I'm afraid that it is necessary, otherwise, I wouldn't ask this of you. There are those who have problems with our students of mixed parentage..."

"Mudbloods".

"I see you've encountered the term. There are those reactionary elements..."

"Draco Malfoy".

"...who would never come to tolerate your being here under any circumstances. This would put me in an untenable position within the Ministry. Should Hogwart's fall under their control, the muggle-born, like Miss Granger and Mr. Sedgewick, and those who have one muggle parent, the half-bloods, would suffer the most, and have the most to lose. That probably includes a good many of your new friends in Ravenclaw. I wouldn't under estimate your new friends, as I believe that when the truth comes out, they will understand. However, this must wait for its own good time, Mr. Weston. I trust you haven't mentioned this to anyone?"

"No one outside of Potter and Company, no".

"I hope I've been helpful in giving you some new perspective".

"You have, thanks".

"I'm always available for all my students".

Note: I have had a case of writer's block on one fic I'm working on, so I decided to get the first chapter of another done instead. I don't know when I'll be back to complete this, so have patience.