Magic and Mystery

Chapter 1: Unusual Things

"You'll get used to it."

Dazai glanced up from his hands, frowning. It was strange... the half of his face usually hidden behind bandages was open to the cool air. He didn't let the unusual sensation show on his face. "You're the one always telling me not to pick at those bandages. Maybe it'll get infected and I'll die."

Mori offered a pleasant smile. "It's all healed up, I'm afraid."

"...I guess. "

Chuckling like he knew something Dazai didn't, the doctor waved off the concern. Dazai would think the man irritating if he weren't currently in Mori's care. A small mercy. "Did you do the research I asked you to?"

"Obviously." Dazai rolled his eyes, wincing slightly when his right one stung at the movement.

Of course he'd done his research! The information wasn't easy to find, but the challenge made it all the more intriguing. Magic-the magical community. A whole world hiding just beneath the surface of society. The idea alone filled Dazai with a sort of mute humor. It had been very difficult to find anything on magic (outside of fiction, which Dazai had immediately discarded with a scowl), and what he had found was rumor at best. But Mori was persistent in his quest for knowledge, so Dazai was as well. Not that persistence was going create documents out of thin air, but Mori didn't seem to realize that and Dazai didn't have the heart to tell him.

"Hogwarts, right?" he sighed and kicked a foot out, narrowly missing hitting his doctor in the shin. "They're clever to avoid detection, but they aren't really doing much with all that power."

"Oh?"

"Seems like there's a lot of infighting... is that why you're suddenly so curious about this place, Sir?"

"Something like that. You aren't trying to get out of our deal, are you?"

Dazai pouted. "I see the logic in not telling the me purpose of this mission, but also it's annoying. How am I meant to get information if all I know is you want me to attend this Hogwarts place? I'll just kill myself for sure. Ah, I read it somewhere. Let me look-" He suddenly reached into his pocket, clicking noisily on a phone. "-something about a killing curse. Hold on-"

Mori raised a brow, that insufferable smile unshakable. "Well, let's not get carried away, Dazai. Besides, wouldn't you like to make friends at your new school? I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate all this suicide nonsense."

Once Dazai's phone had returned to his pocket (accompanied by another near-kick to the shin), Mori continued, "Did you find anything else?"

"Something about a war?" Dazai blinked, scratching the back of his head where No Longer Human was a near-silent constant buzz . "Non-magic resources could only tell me so much, you know. Once I figure out where they keep their documents, I can tell you anything you want."

"Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about that." At his ward's annoyed look, the doctor chuckled. "I've arranged for a Hogwarts representative to meet with you tomorrow. I'm sure you understand what would happen if this were to go poorly."

Snapping shut the latch on his first aid kit, Mori beamed. "Remember to act surprised-you've been practicing, right? You'd look so cute with a shocked expression-"

This time, his kick didn't miss.

Pretend like I don't know magic exists, Dazai thought, grinning over Mori's melodramatic whines, I'm still not convinced it does, idiot doctor.

----

Snape's lip curled. "Are you certain this is the correct place?"

"The directory is never wrong. Although," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind the panes of his glasses. "It is curious that a name from Japan should appear on the list."