Mahoutokoro

Introduction

Author's Intro

This story is a sequel to my previous story "The Rod of Asclepius", which was a crossover between Osmau Tezuka's 'Black Jack' and the Harry Potter series. This story is also a similar crossover, but I've also pulled in characters from Tezuka's 'Astro Boy' series as well.

This story's primary setting is at the Mahoutokoro wizarding school which is barely mentioned in the Harry Potter series at all, and only a brief background of the place appears on the 'Wizarding World" website. I've had to invent quite a bit of the cannon to fill in the many blanks in order to flesh out the needed details.

Part of the inspiration for this story came from one of the "Tomb Raiders" movies, and involves the Japanese witch Queen Himiko and the lost kingdom of Yamatai. Some of this stuff is legend, and some may be actual history. I quickly formed a head cannon that involved Himiko as a principle founder of the Mahoutokoro wizarding school.

By the way, there is a small controversy about whether 'Mahou no tokoro', 'Mahounotokoro', or 'Mahoutokoro' is the correct romangi transliteration of the Japanese phrase "Place of Magic", which is what the name of the school means in English. I'll leave Rowling's translation in place for now, but if anyone fluent in Japanese grammar knows better, please let me know!

The dig

Nara city, Nara province

Professor Ochanomizo peered into the large pit from his safe vantage point about a hundred meters away. "I can't see it from here," he complained.

Atom shielded his eyes from the sun's glare with his right hand and zoomed his vision into telescopic mode. "I can see it, Hakase," he said. "It looks like the backhoe has uncovered the entrance to an underground chamber.

"How long is going to take," Ieyasu Tokugawa scowed, "I'm losing a million Yen a day while the construction is halted.

The professor tried to calm the industrialist with a bit of flattery. "It's quite likely that you've made a very important historical discovery, Tokugawa – San," he said. "This region of the country dates back to the Yayoi period when Japan was known as Wa. It's believed that this province was known as Yamato, or Yamatai-koku back then. This city may have been the capital of an ancient kingdom, who knows, your workmen may have uncovered the tomb of a long dead king or queen."

"A lot of good that does me," Tokugawa huffed, "developing this site is worth trillions, and time is money!"

"Well the good news is that I'll have a team of archaeologists here the first thing in the morning," the Professor said, "with any luck, we'll have you back at work in a week or less."

"Maybe sooner," Ieyasu returned. "I've already got my own team in there now."

"You what?", Ochanomizu cried out, "The government specifically ordered your crews to stand down,"

"Until the site had been looked at by a team of experts," Tokugawa broke in. "The order didn't specify that it had to be YOUR experts!"

"Perhaps," the professor growled, "but I demand to talk to them, now!"

"No problem," Tokugawa smirked, pulling a transceiver from his pocket. He fumbled with the two way radio for several minutes, and them turned to the professor. "I can't seem to raise them at the moment, they must deep in beyond radio range."

"I'll go look," Atom replied, "I'll keep in touch with you by radio." He flew off and landed in the pit.

The boy robot turned on his eye searchlights and proceeded to enter the opening in the excavation leading downwards. "There's a long passageway leading downwards," Atom radioed back to Ochanomizu. "The walls are covered with ancient kanji and drawings. It almost looks like something from ancient Egypt."

"Do you think this might be a tomb?", the professor asked.

"I think so," Atom answered. "I can translate most of the writing. Yes, this seems to be a tomb for an ancient Queen of Wa."

"A tomb of an ancient Queen?", Ieyasu cried out, having been eavesdropping on the radio conversation. "There could be treasure down there. I should get a considerable finders reward!"

"That will be up to the Emperor," the professor barked back. "Since this clearly is an ancient historical site and is covered under the antiquities laws." Ochanomizu returned his attention to the radio, "Can you make out anything more, Atom?"

"Yes, Hakase," Atom replied. "I'm almost at the end of the passageway now. There are lots of inscriptions on the walls honoring a Queen named Himiko, but I don't have anything in my electronic brains archives on her."

"The name doesn't sound familiar to me either," Ochanomizu agreed, "We'll have to research that later back at the Ministry."

"Hakase ….", Atom's voice trilled in a fearful note.

"What's the matter?" Ochanomizu came back, "You sound like you've seen a ghost."

"I've just reached what looks like the burial chamber. Tokugawa's men are in here. They're both lying dead on the ground."

"What!," the Professor asked, "Are you sure?"

"I think so," Atom cried, "None of them are breathing, and I can't detect any heartbeats. They also seem to show signs of rigor mortis already!"

"How?"

"They seem to have found the sarcophagus and it's been opened. Maybe they released some sort of plague!"

"Atom, quickly see if you can re-seal the sarcophagus. Stay there until I can get a hazmat team in there. We're going to have to decontaminate the tomb and seal it off."

"I shouldn't be affected by it Hakase," Atom replied.

"No, but you may be contaminated. You'll have to be washed down and then exposed to high intensity UV and X-Ray radiation to make sure you can't infect anyone."

"Right Hakase, I'll wait here." Atom sobbed. He lifted the heavy lid of the sarcophagus which had been partially removed from the stone coffin and reseated it without looking inside.

Suddenly the air inside the burial chamber started to whirl around. A greenish glow filled the chamber, growing brighter as a harsh noise of a minor seventh chord tore at his ears. There was a flash of light, and the air suddenly was again still and quiet.

Three robed figures now stood around the sarcophagus. They each had full beards, conical hats, and were holding wands. The spoke to each other in a tongue that Atom couldn't translate. The tallest of the wizards, for that is what they were, spotted Atom standing, and quickly waved his wand at the boy robot. A flash of lightning seemed to leap from the tip of his wand, and struck Atom in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Through groggy eyes, Atom watched as the trio sung an incantation in some long dead language, while waving their wands about the sarcophagus. There was another flash of light, and the stone coffin along with the wizards had disapparitioned.

After what seemed like several minutes the boy robot opened his eyes and tried to get up. He saw three men in hazmat suits standing over him, one of whom was the professor. "Atom are you OK," Ochanomizu asked with concern in his voice.

"I think so," Atom voiced.

"What happened?", the professor questioned.

"Three old men wearing robes suddenly appeared. They were carrying what looked like magic wands, and they cast a spell that knocked me out. Then they just disappeared along with the sarcophagus that was over there," Atom explained, pointing.

The professor looked in the direction where the boy robot pointed, and could see the outline of where the burial casket had been in the dust. He then opened a sealed bag he had been carrying and removed a small hazmat suit which he handed to Atom. "Put this on, and we'll go get you cleaned up." The professor helped Atom to his feet and the two of them walked towards the exit of the chamber. The two other men were slowly putting the bodies of Tokugawa's two experts into body bags.

"What happened?", Ieyasu demanded, as Atom and the professor emerged from the pit.

"I'm not sure yet," Ochanomizu barked at him, "But something knocked Atom out and killed your two scientists. My associates are bagging them and bringing them out as I speak."

"Does this mean …", Tokugawa started to ask.

"That your construction crew will have to stand down until the ministry gives you the all clear," the professor interrupted. "Most defiantly!"

The industrialist growled his anger under his breath, but kept it to himself. "Just be quick with your investigations," he stated. "Time is money!"

"I'll notify you when my investigation is finished," the professor returned, "but depending on what we discover you may have your permits torn up and this site taken from you under eminent domain."

Minami-Iōtō Island

Kitaoka Keiko Mahōtsukai waited impatiently for the return of her wizard ninjas. They had apparated nearly an hour ago, and had not yet returned from their mission. Just as she was about to try and bring them back herself with a spell, the three Uizādo apparated in front of her throne. Lying on the floor in front of the three robbed figures was a marble sarcophagus, covered with a thin layer of dust.

"I was starting to get worried," Kitaoka spoke, "and I thought I'd have to summon you back here."

"I'm sorry Kitaoka-Sama," the tallest of the figures bowed, "but we had a bit of a problem on our mission."

"What happened?", Kitaoka demanded.

"We found the tomb of Himiko, but it had already been unearthed by muggles. When we entered it, two of the swine had already broken into the tomb and had defiled the sarcophagus. We had no choice but to use the death spell to undo their damage. Before we could return with Himiko, another muggle entered the chamber and spotted the corpses of the two heathens we had dispatched. This one was different, he seemed to show respect for the sanctity of the tomb, and he resealed the sarcophagus without looking inside. Still we couldn't allow him to report back to his fellow muggles so we had to use a spell on him as well."

"Very unfortunate," Kitaoka sighed, "but you did well. Now we have to locate the Asclepius wand so we can revive our sleeping ruler."

"We have meditated long on that," the tallest of the three Uizādos replied. "It no longer seems to be in Europe. Perhaps it has found another healer worthy of its power."

"That would simplify things," Kitaoka replied, "assuming that we can locate this wizard."

"We will put all of our members to the task," the head Uizādo bowed, "we will meditate deeply and locate this healer."