The large brightly lit room remained silent. Two people were presently using the room. One habitant in the land of the living. The other? He was in a separate world. He’d left the living world at, according to Hannah’s spell work and estimations, exactly 12:34AM on the 21st January. She hadn’t concluded anything more as of yet. The corpse was dead. That much had been established before the magical examiner had even been prepared to go near the body. She was a woman of precision, not idiotic bravery. The bravery could be saved for those in the red robes with weak stomachs and an appetite for danger.

Bodies sometimes had a habit of being cursed. Occasionally, despite what had been decided at the scene of a crime by either Dr Bombay or an auror that that corpse was in fact deceased; it could be known to cause a great deal of trouble upon its arrival at the ministry. An hour ago Grimm had been to confirm the status of the deceased and that it wasn’t about to jump up and attack the magical examiner. For half an hour afterward, Hannah had confirmed the lack of curses within the corpse’s body before stripping the corpse to its necessities and examining for any interesting marks, scars or wounds. On a lucky day, one mark could tell the whole story without need for further magical study.

As it was today, Dr Bombay was not quite so lucky. Instead, excusing the usual tiny scars any regular 41 year old would have amassed during his life, she found something of great interest. Tattoos usually held a significant meaning for the majority of people. It was either something to do with their family, friends, a lover, a group they belonged to. The Magical Examiner had seen them all. Including an amount of dark marks.

This victim’s was striking. A series of symbols and ancient words spread across his shaved chest. It had been inked recently with impressive precision. There was no missing the red swollen skin beneath, having no time to recover from the needle’s prick. It had been done a couple of hours before death.

This was why Hannah had sent a flying memo to the department of magical co-operation. Either they could send an expert down to explain some sort of meaning to her or she’d have to arrange for someone to come in and do the job from outside the ministry. Thus amassing publicity. Until then, she wasn’t going to continue any such examination. Unknown markings had a habit of leading to further deaths or injuries of those going near them. The corpse didn’t show signs of being cursed but this little message might. It had been put there for a reason.

Therefore the white sheet had been replaced over the body and Hannah Bombay was sat a desk, glasses perched on her nose as she scoured through a selection of ancient books. She didn’t have a habit of asking for help and if she could find it in a book first, she’d be only too happy to send the ‘expert’ on his way.

It wasn't a great surprise that nobody wanted the job. Dead bodies weren't really the usual thing the linguists were asked to help with. Johann, more curious than thoughtful about the reasons why had offered without hesitation, a happy smile on his face while his new colleagues exchanged a now habitual eye roll or exchange of looks implying he was deranged.

Hopping off his perch on the edge of a desk, he gleefully informed them all:
"Well that's more cauldron contract translation for you lot, and a stiff corpse for me. Enjoy!"

Yes, working for the Ministry was working out quite well, despite the need to liven things up a little. Still, if one kept their ears open, all manner of subjects came to light. Slipping into the lift, he was transported to level two with a smile still plastered on his face, while conversation continued jilted around him by the other occupants. Stepping out, he was pleased the lift hadn't decided to stick that day, reminiscent of the first day he'd visited the Ministry.

Applying his most appealing smile to the nearest female face, he inquired about directions to Doctor Bombay, and eventually found the correct location, and knocked on the door briskly, awaiting notice that he should step inside.

For some weird and wonderful reason he had assumed the Doctor would be male, so it was some surprise to him that there was a female doctor inside the office, scouring books at a desk.
"Dr Bombay, I presume?" Johann asked, the smile having fallen from his face on entry, and the professional side of him reasserting itself.
"Johann Storm, Department of International Magical Co-operation, you sent for one of us?" He asked politely, aware of a body under the sheet nearby, but so far ignoring it, because in all honesty, the books looked rather interesting too.
"How can I help?" 

The knock distracted Hannah from her books. Very few things did that. Books and corpses. This was what she spent her day around. Living people, not so much. They tended to be quite difficult to comprehend. Nosy, inarticulate and too happy to readily show emotions. Corpses? They were silent. There waiting for her to unlock all sorts of stories and never answering back. Books were the same. But at least a couple time a day, Hannah was forced to interact with the living world. A world that included more than inanimate objects. That knock on the door always sounded the arrival of this strange, avoided world.

A few seconds after her vocal invitation of entry, the door was pushed open and Hannah pulled her glasses off to see which squeamish little wizard they’d sent her this time. She turned in her seat before standing up, bright eyes scanning the visitor up and down analytically. Tall, slender, pale. The usual. But there was one important think she had to gage before they so much as discussed the tattoo or lifted the sheet. Was he going to make a mess on her floor?

“You presume correctly.” The Magical examiner replied to her visitor’s first question, her eyes continuing to analyse him. It was always important to know who one was dealing with. Johnan Storm. Not a name she recognised. He was a newbie. No one else in that department would have been quite so quick and willing to visit this room.

It didn’t take this man long to get down to business. Hannah nodded and began to walk briskly to the table currently supporting the most recent victim. “One victim, aged 41, died  on the 21st but was given a little message to deliver a couple of hours before his death.” Wand pulled out, she was about to send the sheet to fold itself when she frowned and turned back to her visitor. “Have you seen a dead body before, Mr Storm?”

“One victim, aged 41, died  on the 21st but was given a little message to deliver a couple of hours before his death. Have you seen a dead body before, Mr Storm?”

She paused, so professional, wand in hand, and looked at him critically. Clasping his hands before him, he cracked a smile.
"Yes, but  I do try not to make a habit of it." He replied, distracting his body from the thought - his mind could be distracted otherwise, but he didn't want his stomach failing him now. He was generally good at ignoring it, but who knew.

He stepped round the other side of the body to her slowly, his hands now clasped behind his back instead, peering over expectantly.
"I bet there are some that still turn your stomach, Doctor. I trust this isn't one of them if you want us foreign types to take a peek?" Unless you really do have sadistic humour, Johann reasoned silently, turning his head to look back at her intently.

A simple ‘yes’ would have sufficed. Had the translator actually tried to make a habit of seeing dead bodies, Hannah would have requested him to leave and had a word with his boss about the man’s suitability for his occupation within the ministry. Those that showed more than a professional interest in seeing the dead were one of two things; disturbed or murderous. One might have thought Hannah the former of the two. She was not. Hannah wanted to help these people to receive justice and enter whatever afterlife there was without curses and untold stories holding them back. Merlin knew she didn’t want to be held back in ghost form after her demise because no-one wanted to help her.

Besides, the dead were easier to communicate with.

The witch didn’t cease in her analysis of the wizard before her as her brown eyes scanned his face, her expression professionally plain.

“I’d appreciate you ‘taking a peak’ regardless of the condition of the body, Mr Storm. The smell is usually the element that affects people. This body has to yet to commence decomposition.” Hannah replied, twitching her wand ever so slightly. Gracefully, the sheet covering the victim sprang to life, the top two corners lifting and folding themselves back to expose the torso and a large artistic design covering the hair and muscular form.

The magical examiner allowed her visitor a moment to glance over the torso before speaking once more. “I had hoped to keep this within our walls and for someone from your department to tell me what this ‘message’ means before I call for an outside expert.” She raised an eyebrows, watching him. “Hopefully I won’t need to.”

My, was that a little hint of being unimpressed with him, he detected on her expression?

“I’d appreciate you ‘taking a peek’ regardless of the condition of the body, Mr Storm. The smell is usually the element that affects people. This body has to yet to commence decomposition.” The good doctor replied, and twitched her wand. Johann stood up straight again and took a step back as the top two corners of the sheet lifted and folded back to expose the torso and a large artistic design covering the hair and muscular form. Johann took a sniff, his nostrils flaring slightly, his stomach was holding, good, all good. Now, clearly this was what he'd been called in for.

“I had hoped to keep this within our walls and for someone from your department to tell me what this ‘message’ means before I call for an outside expert. Hopefully I won’t need to.”

"No pressure then." Johann raised an eyebrow and gave a smirk, before returning his eyes to the corpse, and examined the tattoos in silence for a little.

The artwork across the skin was a mixture of skilled and very beautiful artwork, laid out in fluid pattern, tumbling over each other. The ink varied every now and then, but the fresh art was all of the same colour, and the skin still very much irritated even clear after death. The style was familiar of travels, though he'd always been weary of anyone he encountered with them. Some places tattoos meant very much and were a status symbol, but in other places, such as Japan, they were feared for what they spoke about the bearer.

"Tattooed shortly before death?" He asked Bombay, pausing to watch her expression for confirmation.
"Right, so, this is a retaliation." Johann waited for it to settle before backing up his claim.

"I believe, based on the style of the artwork, that this is criminal fraternity symbolism. The number of items, the type of items are the biography of the … deceased." He counted out stars with a pointed index finger, not touching the skin, but just above it, conscious of the cold and lack of heat rising to his fingertip.

"Two, three… four… years locked away, reversed spades here, see, thief." He put his hand to his chin in thought and narrowed his eyes. "Those are slightly older, a little faded, but the new, fresh ones, its a mix. Something here was added at the choice of the deceased - or without his permission to force him into difficulty." He studied the corpse carefully, and drew himself back up straight.

"The deceased was a member of a belief system, culture, and has been imprisoned, thieving, amongst other things the cause for that. These are his brands, his identification within the culture, and they dictate what he has.. had. Only he decided to skip ahead, claim something he wasn't, and someone knew so quickly, they came looking for him. Though, there are such a variety of symbols, its hard to gather which is the eldest, well, you're the medical expert, I'm sure you could hazard a guess. Then, my gut feeling is that more were added as a message to those who found him. Meaning, he was left somewhere to be found… Am I correct?" He asked curiously, looking to Hannah hopefully.

The sheet was removed briskly from the torso of the corpse and folded back neatly to preserve the dead wizard’s dignity. Although Hannah had orchestrated the folding of the sheet, she hadn’t watched it. Instead her light brown eyes focused on the man stood beside the opposite side of the table. He sniffed, obviously assessing if his stomach would be able to hold up and not eject its contents. The Magical Examiner decided best not to mention he’d have expelled said contents due to his proximity to the corpse before she had removed the white sheet. Incredibly, spells could bypass thin cloth!

Storm seemed to be faring excellently with the exposed victim and therefore Hannah let her eyes fall to the torso and the exceptionally elaborate artwork covering it.

The translator seemed to be relatively intelligent. Or at least good at listening and taking on information. Hannah nodded, affirming the fact this tattoo had been inked shortly before the male had met his unfortunate death.

"I believe, based on the style of the artwork, that this is criminal fraternity symbolism. The number of items, the type of items are the biography of the … deceased."

That made sense. Hannah nodded as her eyes followed Storm’s finger. He continued and the witch, quick as a spell flash, flicked her pear wood wand, summoning a pad of parchment and a selfinking quill. She caught these and pocketed the wand before commencing her notes.

“You are.” The witch looked somewhat surprised. She hadn’t necessarily been expecting an ignorant moron to grace her work area’s doorstep but this offering seemed to have a few more brain cells than most she’d encountered from his department. He was certainly an interesting meet. There was ever such a tiny twitch at the corner of Hannah’s lips before she looked up at Johann, her expression once more stern and businesslike. “and if I can show you the chronological order of the symbols’ inking you can give me the victim’s story through them?”

“You are, and if I can show you the chronological order of the symbols’ inking you can give me the victim’s story through them?” Bombay asked.

Johann drew himself upright and took a step back.
"Certainly." He nodded. Actually, it was more 'I'll give it my best guess' but his usual arrogance was shining through and preventing him saying such honest responses.

"But as for who he is, or who inflicted the remaining tattoos... well..." Johann looked down at the body and thought about things. "I suppose that's why we have a Magical Law Enforcement department here, to find out such things based on the learned studies of the victim from both of us." Much as he enjoyed a good mystery, he had a feeling this one would require much legwork to solve. Pushing his hands into the pockets of his suit trousers, he beamed at Hannah,

"A most interesting result." He smiled, "Here, let me note down what I can, and when you have the ordering as far as you can ascertain, I can try and elaborate further on the connections." He gestured to her parchment and self-inking quill to hand it over, without realising that the healer might not appreciate the intrusion into her quiet notations.

A smirk momentarily played upon the young woman’s lips once again. “I look forward to the day someone is unintelligent to the degree of tattooing their name onto their victim’s chest.” She said with a hint of amusement. That day he might have been of greater help than simply telling a story through quirky and elaborate symbols. As impressive as that may have been, if it didn’t get them any closer to solving this case, Storm’s translation skills were about as useful to Hannah as a muggle’s moving tellyphone.

Hannah pursed her lips at the mention of the department. The aurors thought of themselves as wizarding lords. They went into battle with their powerful wands and oversized egos and ran around catching the ‘bad guys’ as most referred to criminals. They seemed to forget that without the expertise of the tiny intellectual witch in her eerie office full of the dead bodies, they wouldn’t be able to find out who these bad guys were. It didn’t bother Hannah. She was happy in the eerie office. It was safer than being surrounded by the living.

"Here, let me note down what I can, and when you have the ordering as far as you can ascertain, I can try and elaborate further on the connections."

The socially awkward healer blinked, looking across at the translator. She didn’t want his writing mixed in with her notes. Hannah organised her work into a specific manner. So much so that she didn’t even trust quick quotes quills. Her perfectly formed handwriting covered the parchment in every report she produced and she didn’t need anyone’s imprecise mess ruining that beautiful trend.

But how did one say that? The blank expression that had graced Hannah’s features might have said enough. This was why she decided to disregard his gesture and instead let go of her parchment and quill, leaving them to float in the air beside her.
“There’s parchment on the desk in the corner if you insist on having something to scrawl on.” Yes, the woman didn’t possess tact. She said what she truly thought or nothing at all. And his curly hair told her he wouldn’t have the neatest writing.

With her wand out, the witch summoned a tiny potions vial into her free hand from the large cabinet. She pulled the out cork and began to pour it over the torso.
“Watch closely.” The chest was now appeared wet and shiny, the tattoos seeming to stand out even more to the eye. A couple of seconds after the potion had settled a cloudy vapour seemed to be emitted from the torso, leaving the skin hidden. Hannah lifted her wand above the vapour and as she both twisted and moved the implement in a circular motion, began to whisper in carefully pronounced Latin.

Slowly a faded image of one of the tattoos began to rise into their view.

One by one the tattoos raised in order of their imprint upon the skin. Together they studied and discussed them, Johann scribbling on one piece of parchment, frequently crossing out and revising his work, while Hannah maintained as ordered notes as was possible, considering Johann's occasionally circular thoughts as he revised his opinion on some of the earlier tattoo meanings.

Finally, as the last tattoo faded away from Hannah's intricate spell, one which Johann wouldn't mind having a try at learning if she'd give him instruction, they both fell into silence as they mulled their findings over, and Johann scribbled, ruffling his dark curly hair every now and then in thought.

"A thief by trade, but the later addition of this diamond card symbol, is strongly suggesting the victim became an informer. Who he was informing to is still not clear though." Johann frowned and tapped his own chin while staring back at the naked flesh of the body between them both.
"If he was an informer to the British Ministry, someone would recognise him, but the artwork suggests we should be seeking out the Russians instead. But why would he end up here...?" Lost in thought, he suddenly caught sight of the time, and lurched a little. They'd been studying the body for quite a while.

Looking back to Dr Bombay, he apologised.
"I hope what little we have discovered is of some aid, and I haven't wasted your time." He added, more humbly than his usual self, who would have happily proclaimed a suitable solution for the body, convinced it was exact and true, even if it was wrong. However, he had enjoyed his time with the doctor, she didn't consider him odd, or crazy - at least not that she let on.
"Here, though you made your own, I should surrender all my paperwork to the case." Johann handed over the set of parchment and stood, before asking if Hannah would like to continue theorising over lunch... the beginning of a very odd but interesting friendship...