I'm not sure how easy it is to follow this chapter so if you notice bits that seem wonky please let me know
…...
As Kaneki started to wake up the first thing he noticed was how warm and comfortable he felt, it was a far cry from the coldness of abandoned building he'd grown so used to. As his eyes flickered open he realized that the room he was in was white, too white to have been one of Tsukiyama's properties. Then it hit him, the smell of antiseptic, and everything just clicked.
He was in a hospital. But why?
He tried to remember but immediately regretted it, not because he couldn't remember it but because it all came back far too quickly.
The raid, the fight with Amon, and- Oh god no!- Hide!
For a moment he tried to deny it, tried to convince himself it wasn't real, it almost worked, at least until it didn't.
With sickening clarity, he remembered the distinct sweetness of Hide's flesh, and then he realized that the flavor was still in his mouth.
Pain and sorrow pooled in his chest. Despite how hard he fought to keep his walls up he couldn't stop the agonizing sobs that escaped his lips.
He'd done wrong not only by Hide but by Anteiku, by his family! He'd fucked up and chosen to run away to try and protect them but underestimated how persistently they would look for him. He'd run, and because of that, he'd lost everything. He'd eaten his sun, his better half, his tie to humanity and now he was alone.
God it's dark, too dark, I'm drowning in it he realized as he clutched his face in his hands. Then the fight with Arima came back.
Was he dead? Was this his personal hell (because he'd fallen from heaven's favor the moment he'd first tasted flesh)? It would make sense, Kaneki had developed an aversion to hospitals after Kanou.
Kaneki let out a bitter laugh, funny that the place he'd woken up when he was dead was the same place he'd woken up after his "rebirth" so to speak. It was almost poetic, a sign that that day at the hospital had been the beginning of the end. He laughed again but this time it was a bit more genuine. You could take him away from literature but you couldn't take literature away from him. He still thought about life like he was analyzing a book.
It was a bit strange though, why wasn't he in the original hospital room where it all happened if this was meant to torture him? Was he still alive? No, In that case, he'd probably be with the CCG and this was far too cushy to be part of the CCG (or at least any part of the CCG a ghoul was allowed in). Besides, why would they treat him? They'd probably just shove some meat in his mouth and leave him in a cell somewhere, not bandage him up and leave him somewhere so unrestrained.
Despite not recognizing the room it felt familiar. It felt like somewhere he'd been before; somewhere warm, familiar, and safe.
Was it an underground ghoul hospital? No, once again, far too nice for that. Did Tsukiyama have an infirmary in one of his estates? He couldn't remember.
Infirmary seemed like the best way to describe it. It wasn't fancy enough to be a hospital and with the way the beds were sectioned off with cloth curtains it really did feel like something from a school, or at least it would've if the architecture didn't seem so medieval and European.
The more he looked around the stranger things seemed to get. Off to his left, there was a shelf full of potion bottles. It was odd how much they tried to push the fantasy aesthetic. It almost felt like a movie set with how magical everything loo- oh. It looked magical because it was magical! He was in Hogwarts! But why? Hogwarts had always been his second home, it rivaled even Anteiku in the sheer amount of good memories he had there! If magic was involved then could he still be alive? Could he have apparated here with accidental magic? He couldn't be sure.
Looking around a bit more, he saw a glass of water on the table beside him. It was odd he didn't realize it until he thought about it but he was really thirsty. He picked up the glass and found himself greedily downing the entire bottle.
Did people get thirsty in the afterlife? Ok so the signs were leaning closer to him being alive, that wasn't good! That would mean that he was going to have to contaminate his fantasy world with his monstrous body. No, he didn't want to do that! He carefully got up and walked over to the window. He could get down from the tower relatively easily with a little help from his Kagune.
As he went to open the window though, the door to the hospital wing opened. "Oh you're awake! Those potions worked faster than I- Oh good heavens you shouldn't be standing yet! Sit back down ." Madam Pomfrey said finally processing that the boy was standing.
"A-am I alive?!" He asked. Madam Pomfrey's heart broke a little at the genuine surprise that colored his voice. He'd really accepted and even expected, death.
"Yes, you're alive, and inside Hogwarts." She confirmed as she guided him back to his bed.
"But how did I get here?" He asked, still trying piece everything together.
"I'm honestly not quite sure, I wasn't in the room when it happened. Dumbledore should be able to explain it to you later though, he'll be here around 7 in the morning." She told him.
"What time is it now then?" He questioned with a slight pout.
"Around 5, Harry," She said while getting out a spoon of pepper-up potion.
"Harry? How did you recognize me? I imagine I look quite different." He asked.
"Scar dear," she supplied with a small smile.
Harry made an "O" with his mouth in understanding."It's strange having people call me that. I haven't gone by Harry Potter in years." He muttered.
Madam Pomfrey couldn't help it. Normally she'd be adamant about not questioning a patient who'd just woken up so quickly but her curiosity got the better of her. "Really? What did they call you then?" She probed as he handed him the spoon
"Ken Kaneki, though back in Japan it would be Kaneki Ken." He said before drinking the potion.
Really if his mind hadn't been clouded by sleep and potions he would've been more careful about what he revealed but as his (terrible) luck would have it there wasn't much of a filter on his mouth at the moment. Thankfully the pepper up potion got rid of most of his grogginess, but by the time the potion kicked in though he'd already given up enough information that anyone could probably do a background check on him.
…...
Madam Pomfrey was intrigued. Mahoutokoro was the smallest of the eleven great wizarding schools and tended to be a lot more secretive. It was supremely difficult to track down japan's magical community if you didn't know what you were looking for. Japan had some dark, well she wouldn't really call them secrets, people higher up in the British Ministry of Magic obviously knew about whatever was happening in Japan (some of the ones she was closer too had told her as much), they just didn't like to talk about it.
Despite her growing interest though, she decided it would be best to leave him to rest. "I'll leave you alone till Dumbledore shows up then," She said as she turned to walk out of the room.
"Wait," Kaneki called suddenly remembering something.
"Hmm? What is it dear?" she asked turning to look at the boy.
"Could I get a few books?" He asked sheepishly.
"Of course. I wasn't aware that your opinion on books had changed. Just tell me what you want and I'll go fetch them," She said a bit surprised. Back in first year he'd been known not to enjoy reading so she hadn't asked. Then again it seemed a lot had changed about the boy from the first time he walked in these halls. This was likely only the first of his differences, after all, a lot could change in three years she rationalized.
"Does the library carry muggle books?" He inquired.
"Yes it does," She answered with a smile.
"Perfect, could you get Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Dear Kafka by Sen Takatsuki, and-"
He paused debating the addition of the last book. The book had been one of his favorites only a few years ago but now it hit too close to home.
In the end, he decided to add it to his request despite not being sure if he'd actually be able to read it.
"-and Black Goat's Egg also by Sen Takatsuki," He asked
"Sure" Madam Pomfrey respond with a nod "I'll be back with them soon" she assured as she closed the door behind her.
As Kaneki settled back into his bed he sighed. This entire ordeal was looking like it was going to be complicated. He was going to have to put what he learned at Anteiku to good use he thought while trying to ignore the queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach at the memory of Anteiku up in flames.
Kaneki waited anxiously for his books to arrive. His mind was a place he didn't like to venture, so until then he was content to try and memorize the beautiful Scottish highlands outside.