Dumbledore sat at his desk, staring at the glass container that held one of Voldemort’s soul pieces.
Pieces, plural.
It wasn’t until he had this that a lot of thoughts sort of…snapped into place for him.
The idea that Voldemort had separated his soul wasn’t one he initially considered, but the proof was in the pudding, as they say.
Who was to say that this was the only one?
Dumbledore’s immediate thought was that there was no way that someone would be foolish enough to mutilate their soul into more than two pieces. But then again, he didn’t think there would be someone foolish enough, in this day and age, to split their soul at least once regardless.
He admitted, to himself, that he underestimated Voldemort’s resolve.
Tearing apart your soul was not something the faint of heart could or would do.
At the very least, it took someone courageous to do something, as vile as it was.
If someone asked him, he would freely admit as well that he would not have the courage to pull off a stunt like that, even if it weren’t a crime against nature and magic.
Nonetheless, Dumbledore had all but retired to his office for the past few days.
He was kicking himself for not realizing sooner. It all made sense: the scar, the dark mark it left, and the pain that Harry was feeling when Voldemort was nearby in the form of a wraith.
It was the piece of soul left behind that was reacting.
Dumbledore wouldn’t be surprised if Harry found some newfound talents in magic after he healed up properly as well.
The Soul piece must have been sapping at his magic. If nothing else, he could be sleeping a bit better for now on as well.
He had been so focused on this the past few days that he had completely forgotten what day it was.
The call coming through his Floo was barely enough to pull his eyes away from the piece of soul within the flask.
He looked over to see who was Floo calling him. “Ah, Headmistress Sumiko-san.”
“Oh, Dumbledore, I already said you don’t need to bother. If I’m going to be here in England, we can just stick to your English niceties.”
Dumbledore realized that was today.
“Yes, yes, of course!” He quickly put the flask of Voldemort’s soul away. “I assume you’re requesting permission to Floo over."
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’m sitting in the ministry office right now; I just cleared customs.”
Dumbledore quickly scrambled to make his office resemble something presentable. “Yes, of course. I’m lowering the wards now; you’re welcome to Floo over.”
He tossed a few things out the back window, hoping no one would see them as he sat back down in his seat, trying to appear as if he were all prepared for her arrival.
The Floo flashed as the headmistress appeared in his office.
She let out an immediate sigh. “It’s good to be out of the ministry. I swear, if I had been there for another hour, I think I would have been arrested for kicking one of your Aurors between the legs. How many times am I going to get asked what the ‘purpose of my visit’ is after saying the same thing over ten times?"
Dumbledore chuckled as he gestured at a seat across from him; she happily took it, relaxing in the chair. “You know how the Ministry is. They’re very…strict when it comes to your parts of the world.”
Ironically, it wasn’t racism.
“They looked at me as if I were some ‘dark wizard’— " She added air quotes and shook her head again. “I love your school, Headmaster Dumbledore, but I very much dislike your ministry.”
Dumbledore held back his tongue because he felt like he would agree with her if he didn’t.
“Different cultures have different values.” He tried his best to sound wise.
"The problem is that many over here have seemingly gotten it into their heads that our culture is 'dark.'"
That was the crux of the matter.
The ministry viewed a lot of practices and magic taught over in parts of Asia as 'dark,' which had become a point of contention between governments over the years.
Many things, such as rituals to honor the dead or magic that would be classified as necromancy over here, were freely taught in Japan and other parts of Asia.
Dumbledore could potentially see how it could be misused and misconstrued by the masses, but to him, there were absolutely no problems with their practices.
“I have heard that you are having your own difficulties, yes? Something about an ancient witch coming out of the woodwork to be one of your teachers.” The headmistress changed the subject. “I admit, I am not as familiar with Western figures, but even I have a cursory knowledge of Medea.”
“Yes, our newest magical theory teacher," Dumbledore smiled. “It’s been…interesting."
“There have not been any painful inquiries from your ministry?”
“So far, it’s only the kind I can ignore.” He responded.
“Ah, how quaint.” She smiled knowingly.
As a fellow school head, she understood exactly what he meant and knew how to play the same game he was playing back home.
“I assume you went over my memories?” Dumbledore asked. “If your eagerness is anything to go by.”
The woman adjusted her posture slightly. “I admit, I was taken aback. I expected there to be some kind of misunderstanding, or perhaps a trick. A kitsune, you need to understand, is by nature a trickster. Not always malicious, but they are not humans. They find humor and jokes often at the expense of others. They don’t find joy in pain, but their jokes and tricks can often lead to it.”
“Oh?” Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like young Kunou though. She is a very sweet young girl.”
The headmistress frowned. “Yes, that also concerns me somewhat. Youkai don’t usually deviate from their own species norms like that. I wouldn't say it’s impossible for, say, an Oni to be a pacifist and vegetarian, but it would be an incredibly strange and rare sight.”
“I understand, I suppose.” Only to an extent that he did. “It’s just hard to reconcile the words you’re saying to the young girl in my halls. Perhaps I don’t wish to generalize an entire species of people. Humans come in all shapes and sizes; it would be foolish to make an absolute claim about ourselves. It’s a courtesy I would extend to every person in the world.”
“Stories and legends give warnings for a reason, Headmaster.”
"Warnings deserve consideration. They should not become judgments. Wisdom handed down by our predecessors is valuable—but so too is the wisdom gained from meeting someone with one's own eyes."
“I concede this point.” She at least acknowledged his stance. “But consider mine. You have a tiger in your school and are defending it by saying that it will not eat or maul anyone, that it’s a nice tiger.”
“I acknowledge your point as well.” Dumbledore relented. “But I believe we are, but who we choose to be. And Kunou has been a wonderful young lady, if a tad…mischievous, as you would say.”
“There haven't been any…mysterious deaths?”
“Headmistress Sumiko….” Dumbledore blinked. “What…exactly did you expect to see when you came?”
“Headmaster. Allow me to be frank.”
“Please.” He gestured for her to continue.
“I had fully prepared for you to have been replaced and for the girl in question to be wearing your skin as a prank.”
"..."
"..."
“I see.” Dumbledore swallowed lightly.
“I think there may be some cultural dissonance between our understandings.” The Headmistress awkwardly changed the subjects. “I imagine you are comparing our Youkai to your Goblins or your Centaurs, yes?”
Dumbledore nodded. “The comparison did cross my mind.”
“I was spending a few days polishing up on my own folklore, both in and out of my home. If I were to draw a comparison, Dumbledore would be it. The youkai from my home are more comparable to the myths of faeries from your home. The unpleasant ones.”
“Oh.”
That landed far better for Dumbledore’s understanding of the world.
“And you…will still defend her, yes?”
“Without hesitation," Dumbledore replied.
“Then that eases my concern. I know your character, at the very least. I know you would not be fooled easily, even by a Kitsune.”
“If you would like, we can go meet her and observe her for a bit beforehand." Dumbledore offered.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I know this is an…odd situation to find yourself in. Bringing an outsider to spy on one of your students.”
Dumbledore dismissed it. “As long as we don’t invade her privacy or go overboard, I believe it will be alright.*
@***@
The Headmistress of Mahoutokoro and Dumbledore walked through the hallways.
She did appreciate the whimsy of Hogwarts.
It was different than her own school. At Mahoutokoro, they prioritized a sterner learning environment, a tad too much in her opinion. However, it was traditional, and it was hard to change traditions that had been passed down for hundreds of years.
Though, she couldn’t see herself overseeing a school like Hogwarts.
It went a tad too far in the opposite direction for her tastes.
Dumbledore had cast a simple glamor over them, hiding their presence from all but the teachers.
She stepped out of the way as they passed by a ghost, something they certainly wouldn’t permit at Mahoutokoro.
They made sure to exorcise all ghosts that appeared in Japan when discovered. Though, it seemed that Japan had a higher tendency for specters to emerge for some reason, as opposed to their western cousins.
Which is why they had a more aggressive take on the appearance of apparitions.
Dumbledore gestured for her as he peeked around a corner.
She followed suit and laid eyes on the girl for herself for the first time.
She had seen the memories that Dumbledore sent over, but to see them herself, through her own eyes, to verify them explicitly, made her heart beat faster.
She counted them, Nine Tails.
A little blonde-haired girl with fox ears on her head, 9 tails swaying behind her.
She was standing on a table, swinging her tails back and forth, singing something that the headmistress didn’t care to focus on.
She had cast her own spells to see if there was illusion at work, if there was something hindering her own vision.
But everything came back negative; there were no more magical interferences, nothing clouding her mind or altering the view of the young girl.
A nine-tailed fox.
A Kyuubi-no-Kitsune.
Something straight out of myths and legends.
“Miss Schweinorg! Get off the table this instant!” A shrill voice rang out; the deputy headmistress saw Kunou and earned a stern word of reprimand.
As she turned away, Kunou stuck her tongue out, and the elderly teacher stopped in her tracks. “Miss Schweinorg, did you just stick your tongue out at me? Detention after classes today.”
Kunou let out a yelp as she jumped off the table back into her seat.
Dumbledore just chuckled from behind their concealment spell, but the headmistress was still staring incredulously.
“There has yet to be a week that Miss Schweinorg here hasn’t gotten detention.” Dumbledore informed her.
“Pardon? Schweinorg?”
“Ah, the name of her father," Dumbledore explained.
The headmistress blinked; she had a great many questions, and more were just added on top.
"Who…are those girls?” She asked him.
“The one that was singing along is Miss Luna Lovegood. I dare say that she and Kunou have become best friends rather quickly. They have a tendency to get into trouble together. The other, the one with the bright orange hair, is Miss Ginny Weasley. She was originally friends with Miss Lovegood, but it seems that Kunou had decided they were going to be friends as well. Ginny has been opening up since the start of the year. She was normally a quiet and introverted girl, and Kunou had the habit of attracting attention around her; it forced the young lady to get more comfortable around her peers.”
Dumbledore pleasantly explained their whole friendship dynamic. It wasn’t that he kept track of every student’s relationships in school, but sometimes there were students that made it impossible to not keep an eye on them and what they get up to.
“She’s friends…with humans?”
“That’s right.”
The headmistress went silent again.
She was seeing, but it was hard believing. She knew that Kitsune were pranksters; they liked to have fun, and they liked to get into trouble. But they were also…regal; they had dignity and pride even when playing their games. They wouldn’t lower themselves to acting like…this.
She watched as the legendary Youkai then got into an argument with a boy several years older than her; they traded some childish insults until the boy took out his wand and the Youkai raised her fist threateningly.
The boy went immediately pale, turned, and ran away.
“Ahem. It seems she has made an impression on her housemates as well. The Slytherin house has had…trouble adapting to those of inhuman blood. But it seems Miss Kunou has made inroads with them.”
“I could tell.” The headmistress said dryly.
It was very clear what kind of understandings they had come to.
“I’m curious, Headmistress. Why exactly are you so interested in Miss Kunou? Beyond her species?”
The headmistress snapped back to her senses as she processed that question. “You don’t understand, Dumbledore. We have had legends and stories about Nine Tailed Foxes for a very long time. But they were considered just that, stories. If it turns out they were real, then what else? If we can prove that maybe some of our stories and earliest legends weren’t fables, then it can open the door to many more possibilities.”
Dumbledore remembered the comparisons he made.
How would he react if she said they had an angel going to school in Japan?
It would certainly open up a lot of possibilities and make them question everything they really knew about the world.
“Would you like to go meet her?” Dumbledore offered.
Sumiko swallowed but nodded her head.
Dumbledore removed their concealment as they approached her. “Miss Schweinorg, Miss Lovegood, Miss Weasley."
“I didn’t do anything!” Kunou immediately blurted out defensively.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
"...The owls asked me to do it; they wanted to look pretty.”
He didn’t actually know if she did anything; he just felt like it was appropriate to pretend. But now, he at least knew why the owls flying in and out of Hogwarts were covered in glitter.
He would circle back to that later.
Even if he found it amusing.
Dumbledore cleared his throat as the three girls just stared at him. “Miss Kunou, I would like to introduce you to someone. This is Headmistress Sumiko. She runs the Japanese Magical School Mahoutokoro. She was interested in meeting you if you wouldn’t mind sparing a few minutes.”
“Japan has a magic school?” Ginny asked.
“Of course they do! Where do you think Japanese magical beings learn magic?” Luna responded. “Daddy wrote an article on it a few years ago; they’re one of the best schools in the world.”
Headmistress Sumiko smiled. “That is a lovely thing to say, Miss Lovegood. I thank you for the compliment.
“Konnichiwa!” Luna smiled happily. “Kunou has been teaching me a little bit of Japanese; it’s hard, but I’ve learned a few words.”
The headmistress blinked but then smiled. “Konnichiwa to you as well.”
Finally, the Headmistress and Kunou looked at each other.
Kunou was a bit uninterested but was being polite. As for the headmistress, she was just trying to find the right words.
She was about to speak Japanese but decided to stick to English out of politeness for Dumbledore, who was hosting. “Good evening, Miss Kunou. Since we’re in England, I hope you don’t mind me sticking to English.”
“Hello!” Kunou waved back. “I’m Kunou.”
“I’m Sumiko Hatsune.” She introduced herself back. “Your English is very good; I noticed you weren’t using magic to translate. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind answering a few of my questions.”
“Okay.” She said plainly.
The headmistress was careful, choosing each word specifically. “Can you…tell me about your mother?”
“Momma? What about her?”
“Is she...like you?”
“Of course, she’s my momma.” Kunou puffed up.
“Are there any more, Kyuubi-No-Kitsune?” The headmistress asked a bit more bluntly.
“Huh?” Kunou scratched her head. “No, it’s just me and Momma. Momma said that Grandma died awhile ago, so it’s just us.”
“And where do you live?”
"Kyoto," Kunou answered.
“I heard Kyoto is a beautiful city; it must be nice," Luna chimed in.
“You can come and visit during summer if you want! I don’t think Momma would mind; I could show you around!”
“Oh, I’ll ask Daddy!" Luna’s eye brightened immediately. “It’s short notice, so we can probably just fly over in an airplane. The ministries don’t usually check about that sort of thing.”
Dumbledore did a double take and realized that he was in fact correct.
The Ministry was fairly strict with cross-continental Flooing and Port Keys, but they didn’t do anything to monitor muggle transportation methods.
“Just tell me before! You won’t be able to find the way into our home. It’s a special place in another dimension; Daddy calls it a pocket dimension where we live.”
Dumbledore’s eyebrows shot up; before he could ask, the headmistress beat him to it.
“Miss Kunou, are you saying that you live in a…pocket dimension?” The term was not unfamiliar to her.
“Uh huh.” Kunou nodded.
"And…other Youkai live there?”
"Uh huh."
"...Several?"
"Lots!"
"...Hundreds?"
"Way more!"
"...Thousands?"
"Momma said millions!"
“M-Millions?” The headmistress went pale.
Dumbledore’s eyes widened and didn’t react in time as she fell over and fainted.
@***@
A/N
The headmistress of Mahoutokoro meets Kunou; it goes about as well as expected.
Headmistress: There are thousands of youkai we have to manage around Japan.Kunou: Oh yeah, my home has millions in a pocket dimension over Kyoto!Headmistress: Faints.
Sorry about the delay, it wasn't medical related or because I wasn't feeling good this time. Just had something family related that diverted my attention yesterday and today that made it hard to sit down and write. That being said, I just wasn't in the mood to do a Cyclops chapter like I normally do every wednesday, so I did a church instead. And figured I woudl knock out the spooder and kunou mid month chapters together.