Magic and Mystery Coil by Allegory_for_Hatred

The Sensing Stone

Throughout the week, Dazai would occasionally catch sight of a pixie's blue blur in the middle of a random Hogwarts hallway. It would be gone just as fast as it appeared. A few of the pesky creatures had evidently taken up residence in the building's long corridors. When Dazai told Blaise as much, his friend burst out in uncharacteristically expressive laughter.

"Professor Lockhart still hasn't caught them all?" He chuckled, shifting closer to Dazai. "Don't let them near me, please. I'd rather my ears not be pulled on... Neville's ears are still red from the other day."

Dazai grinned. "Then don't wander too far."

They shared a friendly look—one that bubbled warmly in Dazai's chest. When it was just the two of them, Dazai could almost convince himself that everyone here wasn't his enemy. Unfortunately, they weren't alone often. Between classes and the halls, Hogwarts was buzzing with first-week energy. Students chatted and wandered about seemingly all throughout the days. Even in the Slytherin common rooms, Dazai couldn't catch a break. Pansy must have rallied all of Slytherin against him by now—not that she needed bother. The Daily Prophet was doing a good enough job of that on its own.

"Speaking of Professor Lockhart," Blaise said quietly, leaning back into his chair. The corner of the library they had settled down in was private, but Madam Pince would still chide them if they spoke too loudly. "What are you doing about his detention? It's in..." he paused, eyes flashing to a clock on the wall, "eight minutes."

"So is my class," Dazai said.

Blaise hummed, considering the conflict.

Dazai had attempted on numerous occasions to explain to Lockhart that he wouldn't be able to attend a detention at that time. Every attempt, without fail, Lockhart would tut-tut-tut at him for trying to get out of detention. Dazai grew tired of it after the third day. Since then, he simply let Lockhart go on with his nonsense. Dazai had given up on trying to explain himself. The professor would just have to deal.

Feeling petty, Dazai at once decided that if Lockhart wasn't going to listen to reason, then he wouldn't listen during lecture.

Needless to say, Dazai had accrued three more detentions on top of his first.

"Well," Dazai said, leaning forward to rest his head on an open palm, "it can't be helped. I'll show up to class and skip detention. Snape and Professor Lockhart can fight amongst themselves about it after."

Blaise nodded agreement. Then, indicating the time again with a shift of his eyes, he asked, "Do you need help finding your way to the infirmary?"

"I think I can manage." Dazai shrugged off the offer. He had a general idea of how to find the infirmary from last year, assuming the hallways hadn't rearranged themselves since. "Unless you want to tag along? I might get lost and starve to death!"

"On your way to meeting with Professor Snape? That won't happen, Dazai." Blaise raised a brow. "No thanks. Try not to be late."

"We'll see!" He winked, then leaned back into his chair without a care. The clock ticked overhead, but Dazai didn't budge.

Blaise shot him a look.

"On second thought, maybe I will come with. Just to make sure you don't end up skipping class and detention both."

"Or starving to death," Dazai added in for him. "Ah, Blaise is no fun. It wouldn't be on purpose, anyway. Hogwarts doesn't make any sense." He huffed. "I need a map."

"I don't think any exists, since the stairs are always—" here, Blaise made a spinning motion with his finger.

Dazai sighed, having already reached the same conclusion himself. Navigation of Hogwarts was hopelessly illogical, and even a map couldn't make sense of that.