Four
School Begins
Dr. Black Jack's Clinic
The doctors's car pulled into the driveway under the watchful eyes of Pinoko standing on the front porch. “Where did you go without me?” she demanded.
“I accompanied our patient to his first day of wizarding school,” Kuro said matter of factly. “He seems to be in good hands.”
“Is there something else you're not telling me?”, his assistant questioned.
“Yes,” the doctor admitted. “I've been asked to fill in temporarily as an instructor.”
“And of course you've accepted,” Pinoko replied.
“I'm seriously considering doing so,” the doctor answered. “I got this gut feeling that something is going on at Mahoutokoro that the headmaster isn't aware of, or won't admit. At least I'll be able to keep an eye on Akio for his first few weeks, I owe his mother my promise that I'll do that.”
“OK,” Pinoko said, “I give you permission, provided I can come with you! I want to ride on those giant birds!”
“Sorry do disappoint you, but we will be traveling there and back by fireplace,” Black Jack replied, producing a large bag of flu powder from his pocket.
“Rat's!”, Pinoko wined, I hate the fireplace subway!”
“Well, we can go by bird once. We won't be staying at the school over night, we'll be commuting like the younger students. I will still need to take care of patients here you know.”
“Gotcha!,” his assistant replied.
Instructor Kuro Sensei
The doctor, Akio, and Pinoko strapped themselves into the harness on the giant bird's back. “Having second thoughts about flying bird back?” Kuro laughed at Pinoko. His assistant was noticeably a bit nervous.
“Certainly NOT!”, Pinoko shot back as the petrel left the ground, and turned southward towards Minami-Iōtō. Pinoko looked down and could see the waves crashing against the shore. She quickly turned her head to look straight ahead, and grabbed the doctor's wast.
“Don't worry,” Black Jack told her, “the bird is an excellent flier. The trip will be less bumpy than most of the airline flights we've taken.”
“Calm down, Pinoko-Chan,” Akio assured her. “This will be a very smooth ride!”
In about forty minutes, the color of the ocean below seemed to change to a lighter blue as they approached the shallows surrounding the volcanic islands. They flew over Iwo Jima to the north of the wizarding school's island. “Below us is where one of the major battles between Japan and the Allies took place during the second world war,” the doctor told his assistant. Pinoko only nodded her head, but didn't turn to look below them.
Just a few minutes later, the petrel stopped flapping its wings, and started to glide down to a lower altitude. Just ahead of them was their destination. Pinoko spotted the Jade lined walls of the palace. “Is that the school?”, she questioned.
“Yes, that is Mahoutokoro,” the doctor told her.
They landed and the students slide down off the back of the giant bird. Akio adjusted his robe and looked up at the doctor. “I've been told that I will get my wand today,” he smiled. “Will you be teaching here, Sensei?”
“I haven't made up my mind about that yet,” the doctor told him. “I have a meeting with the headmaster in a few minutes. If my requirements are met, I'll consider it. In any case, you'll be on your own from now on. I will stop by the school periodically to check up on you in any case, I've promised your mother that I would keep an eye on you.”
“That shouldn't be necessary,” the boy almost protested. “I'll be home every evening for dinner, my mom will know that I'm OK.”
“She will want to know the truth,” the doctor said. “And she will question me. I will probably have to explain about your real affliction.”
“I know,” Akio said. “Perhaps we should do that together.”
“I was hoping you'd suggest that idea,” Kuro said, giving his patient a pat on the top of his head.
Black Jack led the way to the headmaster's study. Pinoko looked up at the massive oak door that stood at least thrice as high as she was tall. Even the massive iron knocker ring was up high beyond her reach. The doctor lifted the ring and banged it against the door, making a resounding hollow sound inside the room behind it.
Headmaster Hokusai, pulled the door open, making a rusty creaking sound as the doors hinges moaned.
“Your door needs oiling!” Pinoko complained.
The headmaster looked down. “You must be Sensei's muggle assistant Pinoko,” he smiled. “You know young lady, you should consider yourself honored and special. Few non-magical persons get to see this ancient place of enchantment, only squibs and a few relatives of warlocks are ever admitted behind the jade walls of the palace.”
“Well I've been to Hogwarts too!”, Pinoko replied.
“Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore warned me about you!”, Matsuura laughed. “Don't worry,” he added, “Albus was quite fond of you.”
Hokusai faced the doctor, “Well Sensei, will you honor us by accepting a position here?”
“I've given the matter some thought,” the doctor replied. “but my associate here won't allow me to do so unless she accompanies me.”
“I can allow your 'wife' to assist you,” he said, winking at Pinoko, “but I suspect that she will soon tire of the task and desire to remain at home. Any other demands?”
“Yes,” Kuro replied. “I must have every other day off for my muggle practice back home. I may need to take short leaves of absence as well if I have an emergency at home, but I will try to make myself available for emergencies at the school. I'll commute back and forth by the flu network, or apparition.”
“Can I arrange your class schedule for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays then?” the headmaster asked.
“Yes, but do try to schedule for the mornings. That way I can leave early for emergencies back home.”
“Acceptable,” the head master replied, “but we will want you available during Quiddich practices.”
“Yes, I expected that,” the doctor laughed. “I'll make myself available for that.”
“Well then, your first potions class will begin in two hours,” Hokusai laughed, handing the doctor a scroll. “Here is the class seating chart with the names of the students, and some class notes that Kaku – Hakasei left before his departure.”
“How did you know I'd accept the position?”, Kuro asked.
“I was never in doubt about it,” the headmaster apologized.
The doctor unrolled the scroll on the top of the desk in front of the empty classroom. He looked at the various implements scatted on the desk top, several small cast iron cauldrons, a couple of ring stands to hold said cauldron over a flame, and two alcohol burners. There were also several racks holding empty glass tubes, and glass stirring rods. A balance beam scale with a set of weights sat in one corner of the desktop. There were rows upon rows of shelves attached to the wall behind the desk, filled with stoppered and labeled jars. These were all filled with various ingredients required for the preparation of any kind of potion that the professor would demonstrate to a first year class. Additional shelves with similar bottles hung on the side walls of the classroom, these were for the students use during a class laboratory session where the pupils were to try out their skills for the instructor to grade.
Pinoko pulled up a tall stool and sat behind the doctor. “Not much for me to do, I suppose?”, she sighed.
“I warned you that you'd be better off at home,” Kuro lectured her. “However, you can fetch me what I need during the class, that is if you can understand the labels on those jars.”
Pinoko bent down and examined the shelves of labeled jars behind the desk. “Who ever wrote these labels had very poor penmanship,” she complained. “Also the ink has faded on a lot of the labels. Won't be easy. Maybe later I should refile those jars in some kind of order that makes sense.”
“That's a good idea, but it will have to wait, my first class should be here any minute now.”
As soon as the doctor had uttered this, the first students started to shuffle into the class room, to take their seats. They were a nosy bunch, and were obviously aware that they were going to have a new teacher, and would probably try to take advantage of the situation.
“Hello students,” the doctor spoke as the class entered. “I am replacing Kaku San as your potions instructor while he is on leave. Please take your seats, and we'll begin.”
Most of the class orderly sat down quietly, except for one student who laughing spoke out, “Are you the muggle teacher we heard had been hired by the headmaster?”
“What did you say,” the doctor replied in a strong tone of voice.
“I asked if you were a muggle …”
Before the boy could finish his sentence, Kuro had his wand out and aimed at the boy. He waved it quickly and the child lost his footing and fell to the floor. “If you want to make an ass of yourself, perhaps I can help!” Black Jack told him.
As the student got to his feet, the rest of the class tried to control their laughter. The lad had just sprouted donkey ears from the sides of his head!
“What have you done to me!,” the boy asked in a scared voice.
“Improved your looks, a bit, perhaps,” the doctor replied. “Don't worry, the spell will only last a few hours, and then you will return to you former ugly self!”
With all of the class now seated at attention, Kuro continued.
“It's true I have a muggle medical practice, I wasn't aware of my magical heritage until last year. I attended Hogwarts where I aced Professor Snape's potions course, and I have his highest recommendation which was sufficient for the headmaster to ask me to fill in for awhile. I also ended up surviving a bit of dueling with Voldermort, an evil wizard you might have heard of. So, don't get any ideas of getting on my bad side, you won't survive the encounter!” The doctor then pointed towards Pinoko, “this young lady is my assistant. She isn't a witch, but she will be helping me. You will treat here with respect!”
Two hours later the class was over, and the students shuffled out. The doctor finished writing down some notes on a piece of foolscrap which he then rolled up and stuffed into his bag. At that moment the headmaster entered the room. “So how did you survive your first potions class, sensei?”
“I had to put one student back in his place,” the doctor laughed.
“Yes, I noticed the boy with the donkey ears!,” Keiko smirked. “The lad has a bad habit of putting his mouth in motion before his brain. How long will that last?”
“My spell will probably wear off before dinner time,” the doctor voiced.
“Just about right,” the headmaster agreed. “Well now lunch will be served in our mess hall in about fifteen minutes, will you and Pinoko join me at the staff table?”
“Lunch!”, Pinoko spoke up, “Please sensei, I'm hungry!”
“I guess so,” the doctor nodded. “Please lead the way.”