Matou Shinji and the Philosopher's Stone

A Harry Potter / Fate Stay Night Story

Disclaimer: Though I wish it were otherwise, I do not own or in any way, shape or form hold a legal or moral claim to elements of either the Nasuverse, the Potterverse, or other works I may reference in the course of this story.

Summary: Ladies of Eternity, magi of the past hiding in the present, with ancient, nigh crafts at their command. That is the destiny of a Witch in the Moonlit world, with the female child of a witch bearing the destiny of inheriting the blood and history of their line without any exceptions, upon which the mother will expire, her task done. But this is a story of a Witch's son – a boy tossed aside by destiny – a boy determined to become someone special, with blood, sweat, and wand. This is the story of Shinji Matou, and his newfound path in the Wizarding World.

Chapter 3. Mahoutokoro

Matou Shinji stifled a yawn as he watched the shadowed lands of the Kansai region flicker past the windows of the express train he was on, blinking back fatigue as he tried to drink in the unfamiliar sights of the cultural and historical heart of Japan. He was lucky, he knew. His soon-to-be-former classmates would not get a chance to see the former capital for 3 years yet, and he was to get a personal tour from someone his grandfather had grudgingly acknowledged as an expert.

The fact that this particular trip was not a pleasure jaunt but an excursion to purchase supplies he needed for his upcoming journey to the west, and that he'd probably grow distant from his classmates in time was irrelevant.

Looking around and seeing no one else in the car, he sighed as he thought back to the terrifying encounter with the…creature…that was apparently his grandfather, a memory that had made sleep fleeting that night, with what few snatches he managed to cling to filled with that harsh, grating laughter.

…and yet his grandfather had approved of him, acknowledged him as not being a disgrace for the first time – the only person of his blood to have ever done so. Monster or not, didn't that mean something?

Since he couldn't sleep well, he'd written out the reply to the Hogwarts letter in rather rusty English, accepting the offer of admission to the School – but declining the offer of a chaperone. The master of worms has implied that involving an outsider would mean giving up Zouken's offer of a wand and family support, and that was not acceptable to Shinji – after getting some semblance of approval, he wasn't about to toss it away.

Besides, if his grandfather was offering to have a wand crafted especially for him, it could be assumed that the resultant mystic code was going to be more potent than something made with more…conventional materials.

…or so he hoped as he eyed the parcel on his lap: a glass box wrapped in a layer of thick black wax paper, with his letter sitting on top of it.

He wasn't sure how comfortable he was with the core of his wand being made of what his grandfather had referred to as a specially modified Crest Worm, much like the ones in his adopted sister.

…in an odd, twisted way, didn't that mark him as her equal?

Matou Shinji smiled at that thought. Him. The equal of the Matou heiress – didn't that basically make him the heir to the Matou line? Maybe? If you didn't look too closely at it?

His eyes flicked to his reply to the letter, sitting on top of the case. Matou Zouken had mentioned that his chaperone would arrange for the reply to be sent through one of the services in the community surrounding Mahoutokoro, the Japanese institute for this style of Witchcraft. Or at least Black Magic of some kind.

This made him wonder who his chaperone would be. He didn't know any proper Witches – their kind was rare as far as he knew, though they did have a chance of arising in a heretofore thoroughly unmagical bloodline…just as magical bloodlines could die off. He wondered for a moment if this was some cruel trick the world liked to play sometimes, reshuffling who was privileged enough to access magecraft – or rather, if this was the Counter Force's approach to keep magi from reaching the Origin.

After all, if their research was cut short, they would never have the chance, and yet the amount of practitioners would remain the same.

…not that the thought bore much thinking about, even if it would make sense for the World not to want another monster like grandfather afoot, since the Einzbern, monsters in their own right, remained.

And so he turned to watch the scenery as it passed by, lulling him into a pleasant daze.

Soon enough, the train arrived at Kyoto station, with Shinji picking up his parcel, disembarking from the train – and stumbling to a halt as soon as he reached the bustling main terminal.

'So many people…'

More than he'd ever had to deal with back in Fuyuki, sleepy little town that it was. This, on the other hand…this was the second-largest train station in all of Japan, with a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities all under one fifteen-story roof. He hadn't been here since he was a child, and then, he didn't remember what he thought about it, except how big it was, how small he was in comparison – but now, taking it all in…

"Matou, what does such a view remind you of?"

A sudden question from behind him pulled Matou Shinji back to reality, and he turned to see a woman standing there, her figure like a mirage in the morning light. She seemed to be in her late twenties, with red hair pulled into a short ponytail, tight black pants, a white shirt that almost glowed in the light, and an orange jacket draped over her arm.

'Is this…the chaperone?'

She looked almost like what he thought an office lady might – except for her eyes – a dull red like drying blood. That...wasn't normal…

"Something…big?" Shinji hazarded, only to swallow as he received a glare in return.

"Not a very shrewd remark, Matou."

A cold response. Well, perhaps honesty might help…

"It's a little overwhelming, all the people here. More than I thought could fit in one place," Shinji replied after a few moments. "If I wasn't standing here, I'm not sure I would think it is real."

The woman nodded in agreement, though her eyes did not leave the young boy.

"Indeed, there is a danger from being too separated from the world," she continued, appraising the boy and what he carried with those dull, dull eyes. "People can only understand and feel safe around things close to them. Otherwise, even if one knew how many people pass through this station, how many trains come into this place, how many shops and destinations there were, it is only information, right? That is the danger of being far…"

Shinji could only nod at this, as it was true enough, and he felt as if it would be dangerous to interrupt. This woman didn't feel monstrous in the same way as his grandfather, but there was something about her that was causing alarms to sound in his head.

"For us, the world is only something we can feel ourselves. The boundaries between cities, countries, and the world can only be unconsciously recognized by our brains, and we ourselves cannot feel them unless we actually go to those," she monologued, and Shinji…understood. It was what he'd been thinking about, even if said much more eloquently. "No matter how hard you try, you cannot feel that anything is more real than what is around you. Humans are made to live in a box, so when one's mental vision surpasses that certain boundary, one becomes not so much human as a monster. Hypnos, that is, "illusion", turns into Thanatos - death."

Shinji swallowed, very uncomfortable with the direction the woman's words were heading in.

"Is that not so, Matou Shinji?"

And then she addressed him by name, confirming his suspicions. This must be the chaperone if she knew his name, but…her words were putting him on edge. He felt odd, like some impulse was rising, some impulse to flee and return to the world he knew, before everything he knew was proved worthless.

"Yes," was all he could say by way of answer, even as he strove not to tremble – not to flee. He had held his ground before Zouken. He could do no less here.

The woman laughed at his simple reply, her gaze leaving him at last as she filched a cigarette from some pocket of hers and lit it, taking a satisfied draw.

"Aozaki," she said brusquely, by way of introduction.

Aozaki.

…shit.

He knew that name.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Any magus worth anything knew that name.

The name of a True Magician, a true Wizard, who went and did as she pleased because none could stop her. One of the most powerful individuals in the entire world was standing before him. One of the greatest monsters, more powerful than any archmagus or worm master. A being whono mere mage or monster could ever hope to match.

Suddenly, Matou Zouken did not seem so scary by comparison.

Not in light of a certainty that had seared itself onto his mind.

…I'm going to die.

She exhaled, the smoke she blew out mixing with the white sunlight.

"Blue…" Shinji whispered – only to freeze as the woman frowned, her glare returning in full force at the vaguest mention of that title.

"Wrong Aozaki," she noted, as Shinji found himself rooted to the spot by killing intent so strong he was sure he would croak on the spot.

He could do nothing, nothing but stare at the face of what would undoubtedly be his killer. In that moment, the world had shrunk down from the station to just…her.

There was little human emotion in those red eyes. Even the face had smoothed to complete non-expression, a blank mask more frightening than anything he'd ever known in his short life.

"I... don't want to... die..." he forced out, his words directed not at Aozaki Touko, the puppetmaster, but rather at the rapidly impending specter of death.

Was this it? Was this how his story ended? Was this—

And then the moment passed, with the weight of the killing intent lifting from him. It was all he could do not to fall to his knees, but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't let his grandfather's package be destroyed, after all, not after he'd come so far.

He was a Makiri. He would be strong.

Even in the face of death.

The woman took a long drag on her cigarette and looked at him consideringly, before shaking her head dismissively.

"Don't mention that name again, and I won't have to kill you," the woman replied with utter seriousness, slipping on a pair of slim spectacles as her demeanor changed to something less…cruel. "Well then, I believe you needed supplies for school, yes? Let's be off."

Dumbly, Shinji followed in his chaperone's wake, unable to say much after the initial half-exchange they'd had. He got the impression that she didn't really like the job of showing him around, and had no desire to talk to him more than was necessary.

Which was fine, as he didn't think he could handle another exchange like earlier – and he found that he could learn a great deal from watching her move and listening to her grumbling.

For instance, his chaperone apparently was very familiar with Mahoutokoro and the community surrounding it –the access point of which was the immense weeping cherry tree in the middle of Maruyama Park.

The sheer audacity of that stunned him – Maruyama Park was the oldest and most trafficked park in all of Kyoto (most famous for its grove of 680 cherry trees), and the massive weeping tree, the Hitoe Shiro Higan Shidare Sakura was recognized as a natural monument of Japan, which tourists flocked to see.

…and the Japanese Witchcraft community had turned this into their main access point? Just how did they get away with that?

From what he knew of magi, they took pains to conceal themselves, operating mostly in the mundane world, but this…

…and then his thoughts died away completely as Touko tapped a wand onto one of the tree's knots, the wood coming to life, shifting somehow, to become a portal. A one way mirror, through which the red-haired woman stepped, its surface rippling as she passed through it.

Shinji just followed, stepping through the mirror – and standing stock still at what he saw, his jaw falling open in amazement.

He stood on a ledge overlooking a subterranean cavern, with a whole new world spread out before him. This was…this was a hidden underground city, a bustling place of magic and mystery. He could feel it in the air, the buzz of prana washing against his skin like the light somehow filtering through from above.

Down below, he could see witches zooming by on brooms, merchants on flying carpets, onmyodou familiars and wondrous beasts coming through what seemed like portals from various parts of the world.

He'd thought Kyoto station was something, but this…how was something like this possible? This…a city hidden from sight? Where magecraft, witchcraft, who knows what was practiced openly? How had no one detected it?

"Because this geofront is shielded by incredibly complex bounded fields established in the Age of Gods," came the reply to his unasked question. "Mahoutokoro – which as you know, means simply the place of magic."

Mesmerized, he stepped closer to the edge, wondering what would happen if he fell to that place kilometers below.

"In the ancient times, the sky was considered to be another world, and man's dream was to fly," she continued, even as he took another to step. "Without the comfort of technology, an overlooking view might drive one mad. It won't be a problem if you have a firm place to stand on. You'll be back to normal when you get back on the ground."

Down there. Down onto that city of life. Down.

"Don't actually jump, Matou."

Shinji was broken from his trance by those words. Had he been thinking of jumping? Of just stepping from the ledge and trusting magic? To go there – oh. Distance. The danger of far. She'd warned him, if in the most roundabout way possible.

"Do you come here often?" he managed, his eyes catching at the sight of an immense tree in the very heart of the city. Almost…a world tree?

"Heh. While I usually order what I want from the magical world's equivalent of Amazon, sometimes, the best deals can be found right from the supplier," the Aozaki replied, amused by the boy's reaction. It wasn't new to her – she'd seen others with exactly the same entrancement – but she supposed this place could be somewhat overwhelming as well.

"Huh."

That was new to him. He didn't know one could order magical materials on the internet – the thought had never even occurred to him.

"Huh, indeed," Aozaki Touko said, not unkindly, though she still eyed his package oddly. "Come, let's get you your supplies – and get your letter sent off, eh?"

"Ah right," Shinji answered softly after a moment, tearing his eyes away from the vista below him. "Lead on."