Things at Hogwarts seemed to have quieted down a little in the last week. Apparently the 'Holiday Season' madness was over. Even so, habit had brought Sanzo to a vacant classroom in an isolated part of the castle so he could get some reading done
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At first he passed by the classroom entirely by accident, but after a pause, he walked back and peeked in. He smiled apologetically and cleared his throat softly to get Sanzo's attention. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude like this," he said, rubbing the back of his head a little sheepishly. "I thought I should return these books to you before I forgot about them, but you weren't in your room. Ah, I hope I'm not bothering you?"
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Frustrated enough to actually ask for help, he waved Hakkai into the room. "I can't decide if this book is written in code, or just some obscure dialect. Are you any good at languages?"
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A little surprised by Sanzo's request for assistance, Hakkai made his way over, leaving his books on the table. "I have a bit of working knowledge, I suppose, though I'm not sure if I can be of much assistance." He held out a hand for the book, and when he received it, he began peering at the text. After a few quiet moments, he looked up and offerred an embarrassed grin. "Ah, is it safe to assume that you're looking for a spell to find missing things? I only gave this a quick glance, but I believe that's what this passage is about -- well, it's either that, or it's a description of the best way of drawing a pig. . ."
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"Yes, it's supposed to be a spell to find things," he confirmed, frowning and pulling a second book over. "Someone gave me this book about hidden treasures as a Sorting bribe a while back, and it mentioned that one as a source of some of the finds. I suppose it would have been too easy if that one had turned out to be useful."
He pushed back from the desk a little and picked up his cigarettes, lighting one with the lighter that had been his birthday present from Hakkai. "Maybe I should take another look at some of the spells from the other books."
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For his part, Hakkai had already spilled his guts once before -- he didn't recall it being very fun, either. He smiled a little at Sanzo's noncommital comment -- not siding on either an affirmative or a negative. It was something that even an accomplished fence-sitter such as Hakkai had to appreciate. "That's very true," he replied, "but I suppose the opposite isn't true for Goku." His tone wasn't ( ... )
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Hakkai's observation about Goku wasn't something Sanzo had considered before. He put the thought aside for the moment. "We won't need a designated owner, because if we do end up trying that spell, we're going to make sure we can all do the cancellation spell first." Hopefully they wouldn't be unlucky enough to all end up transformed into something else. Then again, none of them had a good track record with luck.
"There's got to be a simpler way of doing this." Sanzo opened the book he'd been looking at when Hakkai came in. "I wonder if there's a spell that will translate a text automatically?"
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"Ah, you're right, of course," Hakkai said with a sort of resigned nod, "but I do think there is something to be said about the correlation between one's favorite sweet and his or her relative success in life." He met Sanzo's doubtful look with a slight smile, shaking his head. "No, I don't really. It's far too demanding to live life as it is without also having to worry about what color you should wear on what day just for the possibility of earning an extra bit of luck, don't you think?"
Laughing a little and giving Sanzo what might have been a vaguely knowing look, Hakkai replied, "Well, I suppose you could say that he always tries to face his problems, at least, even if he does plow his way through them, head first. It would be something to look up to, really, though knowing Goku, I imagine it inevitably ends in the need for a first-aid kit. But do you suppose that means Goku is thick-headed?"
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He gave a short laugh at Hakkai's question. "Goku is very thick-headed," he agreed. "I'm not sure anything could put a dent in that skull. I've certainly tried. But that's not what you meant, was it." He frowned down at the table, not really seeing it. "I'd say he's focused. Goku knows what he wants, and he goes after it without any regard for the consequences. And he's incredibly stubborn." Sanzo sat back with a sigh. "Of course being stubborn is nothing unique in this group."
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"Goku is a very bold person, isn't he? I almost envy him sometimes. I only wish he'd use that focus a bit more on his homework, honestly." Hakkai was silent for a few seconds before smiling in agreement. "We're all dreadfully obstinate, especially since we always insist on doing things our own way, and we're all just as thick-headed. I imagine it's our strongest selling point, really, if we were to have one at all."
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"Huh. Obstinate is probably an understatement. For all of us." Sanzo looked thoughtful for a moment. "So, as long as we're analyzing personalities, how would you describe Gojyo?" The thoughtful look was replaced by his customary smirk. "I think 'thick-headed' is a given."
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"Bringing Goku to Hogwarts might be a really bad idea." He could just imagine how much trouble that would cause. "Maybe I shouldn't go back until I'm ready to leave here for good."
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Hakkai held back a grin and assumed an air of solemnity. "That would be best, I think. We should keep it between us in order to preemptively protect Gojyo from harming himself unknowingly. In any case, it would be quite irresponsible of us and of him if we allowed him to learn magic for the express purpose of pulling pranks or simply winning an argument
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Sanzo laughed quietly, but then he thought of something else. His look changed to one of exasperation. "On second thought, maybe we really shouldn't give him any ideas. Since Goku isn't here, Gojyo would only have two possible targets, and I don't think he'd go after you."
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