Disclaimer: The following is an old Labyrinth fan fiction I wrote for a Labyrinth fan fiction group years ago. Labyrinth belongs to Henson. Most, if not all, of the Labyrinth fan fiction I am going to post here is at least ten years old, if not older. You will see the original dates they were written placed into these documents. These fan fictions predate the canon of Return to Labyrinth.
To:
Subject: [labfic] School Daze (Part 1)
From:
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 19:53:37 EST
School Daze
By Raven ()
Short Synapses: To avoid Azkaban (Wizard Prison) Jareth must attend
...school. Labyrinth / Harry Potter fan fiction. Might be considered a sequel to
Why The Barn Owl? However this is far more light hearted in nature. The
following is meant to be comedic, let's hope it is...
Disclaimer: Azkaban, Hogwarts, and certain characters are the property of J.
K. Rowling. Labyrinth is the property of the Henson corporation. David
Bowie is the property of David Robert Jones.
This is a work in progress. I'm making it up as I go
along, you're getting it as I type it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
School Daze:
For centuries Jareth, The Goblin King had carefully avoided The
Wizarding World. The Ministry of Magick knew who and what he was as well as
his nature and he knew they had every intention of seeing that he get locked
away in Azkaban, the wizard prison, to never be released. He had escaped from
there once before, having taken the form of a barn owl. But now they knew his
tricks and escape would not be as easy if he was caught again...
And he was caught again...
He was handsome- something people rarely expected of a Goblin
King. Shoulder length, feathered and spiked blonde hair in a style one might
see in an eighties Glam Rocker. Jareth was dressed flamboyantly with form
fitting leggings, leather boots, poet's blouse, cloak, cicle pendant and leather
gloves
With his hands manacled in front of him a wizard stood on
either side of Jareth. He actually seemed bored as he waited for them to decide
his fate. He already knew what they meant to do with him. There was defiance
in his mismatched blue eyes (the left pupil larger than the right and the
colour of the eye seeming to be darker than the right as well.)
'Jareth,' Said the wizard in front of him, 'you have
eluded us for years. Do you have anything to say for yourself before we send you
back to Azkaban?'
Jareth could not form his crystal orbs, or even disappear,
not while bound in iron chains. He hid all and any possible fear he might
have had toward the Dementors- and there was considerable fear. Dementors are
demonic specters shrouded in darkness. They make the air around themselves cold
and can suck away all happiness and hope from those around them. And if a
Dementor so chose it could suck out your very soul through what is called a
Dementor's kiss. These were the guards of Azkaban.
He averted his eyes as if looking at something on the wall.
'No, not really...'
'Then I hereby- '
'Wait!' Came a voice similar to Jareth's own voice. Jareth
turned his head in time to see a man with short blonde hair with long bangs
march into the room. The man's eyes were slightly mismatched, the left pupil
larger than the right and the eye seeming to be darker. He was dressed in an
expensive though oddly pastel coloured suit with a pair of cranberry coloured
sunglasses with round lenses and thin frames.
'Oh, no.' Jareth groaned. 'Not-'
But David Bowie interrupted. 'Your honours I wish to speak for
him.'
'Since when do you count as a wizard?' Jareth whispered under his
breath.
'Since 1972. What do you think I was doing for most of the
seventies?'
'Do you REALLY want me to answer that?'
Bowie cleared his throat and addressed the wizards around them yet
again. 'The Underground needs a ruler. Let's face it, the place would be
chaos without Jareth.' Of course it was chaos all the time, wasn't it? But he
pressed on. 'I have a much better plan...'
That couldn't be good. Jareth, himself, only said that when he
was up to something.'
'I propose a deal. I agree that Jareth should be punished for many
of the things he'd done.'
'You want to talk about punishment, I think we should talk about
a certain sock and-'
Bowie elbowed The Goblin King in his stomach. 'I suggest a
"reeducation." Here's my offer. Turn him into a child. I'm sure it can be with
the right magick since he's not exactly human. Trap him in that form.'
'Have I told you lately that I hate you?' Jareth said as he
regained his composure from having his wind knocked out of him.
'Anyway, my suggestion is this, force him to attend Hogwarts
school of witchcraft and wizardry. If he fails or gets expelled you can drag
him back to Azkaban AND he'll be forced to remain a child forever.'
'Wait! No! Someone get this mad man out of here!'
'If he passes the year, he'll be restored to his proper... so
called "Mature" form and you let him go.'
Perhaps it was the sadistic nature of The Ministry of
Magick, or the smirk playing on the rock star's buetox-effected face but the idea of
the little challenge not only appealed to The Ministry of Magick but they
agreed to it almost immediately.
The spell was complicated and required someone firmly
holding Jareth within a circle as several wizards gathered around him muttering a
curse that caused a white light to glow around him.
Jareth, still in chains attempted to shield himself. The
light faded and the chains were gone but Jareth was different. No standing and
little under five feet tall was a thirteen-year-old boy. Painfully thin
with wild blonde hair the young man stared up at the wizards with a seeming
innocence that he had lacked in his adult form. His clothes were baggy upon him
which is why someone threw him a Hogwarts uniform which he caught in his hands.
'No!' Jareth could not recognize the voice as being his own. It
sounded strange in his ears. He hadn't reached puberty yet! 'No! You can't
do this to me!' He threw down the uniform and raising his arms in the air he
took the form of a barn owl.
But Jareth had never transformed into a very young barn owl
before. The tiny barn owl was round in shape and covered in a down of white and
caramel feathers that made him resemble a sweet of some kind. He flapped his
tiny wings and fluttered around with a lack of aviary control, having never
flown as the smelled barn owl before. It seemed he had to struggle to keep
himself in the air as he flapped his wings frenetically.
'Someone stop him!' Someone shouted.
He might have successfully escaped the humiliation of being
made to attend school as if he was a child but he failed miserably. Nearly
out the door the barn owl smelt something in the air. The distinct scent of
burnt toast. One of the wizards had brought his breakfast to the meeting. A
baby barn owl's primary desire is to eat. A baby barn owl is constantly hungry,
all it cares about is eating. The human within him told him to flee but the
hunger was so great... It was like a rat gnawing away at his stomach. He
swerved and landed near the toast and he proceeded to eat it right off the lap of
the seated wizard who was eating it.
But it didn't stop there. The small barn owl saw a small spider
crawling down the side of the old oak chair. Oh, not that! For the love
of mercy not...
But many wizards looked away and winced as the spider was
devoured by the small, hungry bird that was far too young for Jareth to know how to
control it's instincts. The barn owl, in a bit of daze, only the size of a
cotton ball, was scooped up into the hands of the wizard whose toast Jareth
had eaten and he was carried back to the centre of the room where the small owl
was placed down on the pile boy's clothes laying in the floor.
'I suggest you take your other form.' One of the wizards said
to Jareth. 'Unless you enjoyed that...'
Jareth took the form of the boy. He seemed quite pale now,
dazed. He groaned as he staggered slightly and then he was sick... Sick all
over the floor of the room....
Someone firmly clamped a hand on Jareth's shoulder. 'Unless
you not only want to be a boy forever but to go to Azkaban I suggest you come
with me.' It was his escort to Hogwarts, some gruff old Ministry of Magick
official. Jareth was half-lead / half-pulled from the room he looked back on
David Bowie and said. 'I'll get you for this, Bowie! I'll get you if it's the
last thing I do!'
To:
Subject: [labfic] School Daze (Part 2)
From:
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 01:03:14 EST
Jareth knew he had little choice but to attend the school. If he
passed the year they would let him go... If he just passed the year without
getting expelled... Well, how hard could that be?
First thing was first. He had to be sorted into his house. The
school was broken off into four houses, Griffyndor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff,
and Revenclaw.
It was the first day of the school year and Jareth, after being
forcibly shoved into the school itself, he dusted himself off and straightened
the black robes he was being forced to wear. Under the robe he wore his cicle
pendant, the cicle cicle shaped pendant, rather like a triangle with it's
sides in-caved with the gold coin in it's centre. Over his hands he wore his
leather gloves, which by an act of will he caused to shrink as his hands had
shrunk.
As Jareth tried to keep his dignity in that tiny body with the
chaotic hair, he marched through the dining hall toward the front of the room
to be sorted into his house.
The students were eerily quiet when they saw him and then the
muttering began. 'That's him.' One said. 'Who?' replied another. 'Didn't you
hear? The Goblin King's been turned into a child. He has to survive one year
at Hogwarts or it's Azkaban for him.' 'Ha!' Said a Slytherin boy with slick
blonde hair. 'I bet he won't last the month.'
'Who would be mad enough to trust a creature like that in these
halls?' Someone asked.
'Dumbledore, that's who.' Another whispered.
Slytherin! Well, duh. Jareth thought.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first class on Jareth's schedule was Transfigurations with
Professor McGonagall.
'Transfiguration.' Jareth grumbled as he walked toward the
class room, shooting glares at students who dared get in his way, most of them
leaping back with intimidation. 'As if I don't already know how to turn into a
barn owl and how to make goblins. It's an insult!'
'Good morning, class.' Professor McGonagall said. Her eyes
behind her spectacles slipped over toward Jareth as he entered. 'You're late.'
She said coolly, making it very clear he would get no special favours. 'Take
a seat over by Kenith.'
Jareth sullenly sat down beside a boy who had long black
hair and was seated alone at a two person desk. The boy's hands were neatly
folded on the desk.
'Everyone, Kenith here is a registered animagus. As you know
an animagus is a wizard or witch who can take the form of an animal. Many of
you have seen me as a cat multiple times. As many of you know an animagi's
age is reflected in his or her animal form. Kenith, if you would be so kind...'
The young man stood up. He looked nervous as his eyes moved
over the room. 'I... I don't want to.'
'Oh, don't be such a baby!' Jareth said.
'Jareth, no speaking out in class.' Professor McGonagall said.
'Next time it'll be five points for your house.'
As if he really cared about the school's moronic point system.
It made little sense to him. Who really cared which out of four houses won
the house cup at the end of year? In the grand scheme of things who kept
score? He supposed he probably had to be a a real child to appreciate it.
Professor McGonagall turned her attention to Jareth. 'All
right, Jareth. Since you insist in being the cemter of attention why don't you
show us what happens when you become your animagus?'
Jareth frowned. He recalled all too vividly what happened when
he turned into the barn owl fledgling.
'I...'
Professor McGonagall had her wand in her hand and she looked
over at the other students. 'Today we're going to learn a new charm called the
anti-animagus charm. If you suspect someone might be an animagus and they
are keeping it from you, the following spell will cause them to revert to their
animal form.
Professor McGonagall raised her wand and lightly touched the
top of Jareth's head as she said 'Animagi-Reverto.'
Jareth let out a gasp as the room and those around him seemed
to grow. But he knew that he was actually shrinking. The small, owl
fledgling stared up at those around him. Again came that desire, that compulsion,
telling him to eat, just eat. He fluttered his wings and fluttered up from the
chair, toward the scent of food.
Neville Longbottom, a clutzy little student hadn't finished
his breakfast and in fact carried some of it in a brown paper bag which sat
neatly in front of him on the surface of his desk. The barn owl was soon
half-inside the bag, eating it's contents, much the chagrin of the boy the bag
belonged to.
A Slytherin boy with slick, blonde hair named Draco Malfoy
raised his wand behind Kenith, who was distracted with laughter, and he
repeated Professor McGonagall's spell.
Instantly Kenith was transformed into a small timber wolf pup.
The wolf's tail was wagging as he leapt up onto the desk and then crouching
down low, pounced for the little barn owl.
Some students were laughing.
A female student named Hermione grabbed for the wolf. 'No!
No, Kenith, bad! Don't eat him!'
The owl fledgling looked frightened as he fluttered from
the remainder of the food and up, trying to get away from the wolf pup who was
barking madly at him. The owl flew to the room's rafters, quite frightened.
The wolf sat on the desk where Neville's paper bag remained.
He stared up at the owl intently.
The owl perched himself up there on the rafter, refusing to come
down.
'Jareth, you come down here right now!' Professor McGonagall
said crossly. But the barn owl was too scared to move and soon he was
distracted. a small rodent. A field mouse, which had gotten into the school was also
up in the rafters.
He tried to resist. This was disgusting! But the instincts
of a small barn owl are over whelmingly strong. He was used to the more
mature, adult barn owl, whom he could control easily with his human mind. He
wasn't used to a perpetual hunger demanding constant attention.
'Oh, don't!' Hermione cried.
But it was too late. The word 'Ewwwe!' could be heard in unison
from almost all the students.
'That was gross!' Said Ron Weasley, a boy in shabby used
robes with shaggy red hair.
The barn owl fluttered down from the rafters and took the form
of the rather dizzy, nauseous looking little boy. Jareth staggered toward
the door to the room without so much as a word. He looked like he was on the
brink of becoming seriously ill.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next class was Potions with Professor Snape.
Yet again Jareth was forced to sit beside Kenith, whom he had come
to greatly dislike since Kenith had TRIED TO EAT HIM!
Jareth noticed right away how the vampirically pale teacher
with the greasy black hair seemed to resemble a bat in his black robes. He shot
Jareth a suspicious glare as he passed by him to stand in front of the room.
Snape glared down at Jareth who looked up at him with his own
cold, mismatched blue eyes.
'It appears they're letting in sociopaths these days.' Snape
said with a cold sneer.
'Megalomaniac.' Jareth said. 'If you're going to try to
insult me you might as well call me something that I actually am.' The two stared
each other down Snape moved. 'I'd watch myself if I were you, Goblin King.
Just give me a reason to fail you, I'm waiting for the excuse. Today we're
going to have a quiz just to see how much your weak little minds have retained
from these last few years. And for those of you "gifted" with the power to
read minds...' He glared at Jareth. 'This room has been sealed against such
powers.'
Ah, Jareth thought, that explained why he felt such a strange
and unnatural sense of isolation, a discomforting feeling for anyone used to
sensing the minds of others for the sake of entering dreams, offering dreams, or
simply spying on the thoughts, emotions, and intentions of others.
Jareth, who was an expert when it came to potion brewing,
was done quite fast and began to 'accidentally' kick Kenith in his shins, over
and over again. The boy withdrew his wand from his robe, discretely,
pretended to stretch and yawn and s he did he lightly tapped the back of Jareth's neck
with it muttering the spell from transfiguration.
Jareth gave a little cry as he tumbled backward, his
chair falling with him. The barn owl flew up from the chair with the frantic
fluttering required for the found, young owl's body, which was, to him, far
different from the adult barn owl he was used to. He raised his talons. He
wanted to claw Kenith's eyes out
He saw, with his round, dark, owl eyes, the teacher angrily
rising from his seat. The owl's mind raced with the human desires and the
instincts of a small owl, the young owl's instincts being far more powerful, the mind
less practical than an adult's. The instincts telling to eat, and to do
something else... It was day time. And a barn owl's natural time is the night,
otherwise he is sluggish and fatigued. The instincts demanded that he find
some place dark and warm to sleep...
Well, the class room struggled to keep from laugh. The small
barn owl buried his face in his wings as he curled up on the head of the
stunned and angry teacher and fell asleep.
Snape was at a loss as he stood there blankly for a long
moment. He considered chucking the barn owl off his head- he had good reason to
despise a creature like Jareth yet at the same time Jareth was a student. And
an owl's bones are hallow. The creature could too easily be shattered if dealt
a heavy enough blow. Snape satisfied himself with the visual. There were
small, repressed snickers in the class room. 'If I here anyone laugh it'll be
an instant fifteen points for their house and an immediate detention.
At that moment who should walk into the class room but Albus
Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. The aged wizard had a long white
beard and warm, kindly eyes. 'I'm sorry to interrupt your class, Severus but I
was just wondering...' Dumbledore's eyes moved up to the top of Snape's head.
'Severus, is that an owl on your head?'
The red headed boy, Ron was practically holding his breath to
keep from laughing. It was hurting to hold it back!
'Yes. It's Jareth. Apparently he was... tired.'
'Oh, well, best not disturb him then.' Dumbledore quietly
backed out of the room. The strange and not too familiar sound of Dumbledore's
laughter could be heard in the hallway.
The children just couldn't hold it back anymore. Soon they
were all laughing.
The barn owl stirred from the sound of the laughs.
Embarrassed he fluttered down in front of Snape and took the child form he was
currently trapped with. 'I can explain!'
'I don't want to hear it!' Snape growled angrily.
At this point, the girl, Hermiione Granger was raising her
hand but Snape was ignoring her. She spoke out quickly. 'Sir, I don't think he
has any control over his faculties in his owl form. I imagine he used to but
he's not used to the powerful instincts of the very young. I don't think he
has much choice over what he does. In Transfiguration he ate Neville's
breakfast scraps and...' She looked like she might be ill at the thought of it. 'A
live mouse...'
'Mrs. Granger, you were warned about speaking out. Anyway,
I have my doubts that a goblin king would be as revolted at the idea of
eating a live rodent as one might think.'
Hermione was not used to arguing with authority figures
and she was not sure why she was doing it for someone like Jareth. 'He
vomited...' She said softly.
Snape cleared his throat, perhaps it was to hide something
that could have been most disturbing to the ears of those around- his chuckle.
'That'll be all, Mrs. Granger, five points from Gryffindor for speaking out.
And as for you, "young man..."' Snape stared down at Jareth coldly. 'I
expect to see you here at five O'clock for your detention.'
Jareth whirled around and hissed at Kenith. 'You'll pay for
that!'
Kenith only smiled at him almost sweetly.
'Jareth!' Snape said. 'I didn't just hear you threaten one of
your fellow students, did I?'
'No, sir...' Jareth grumbled. How he hated being at the mercy
of others!
To:
Subject: [labfic] School Daze (Part 3)
From:
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 04:25:52 EST
History of Magick was a breeze. The teacher, being a ghost,
Jareth had to admit he found it amusing when he saw Kenith chucking little paper
balls through the teacher. He, however, did not find it so amusing when
Kenith blamed him for it. Though behaviour was an issue, Jareth knew his
history. He had been alive for a great deal of it. Hell, the goblin revolution they
were talking about had been a small uprising caused by the goblins discovery
of caffeine.
Herbology with Professor sprout was also an easy one for
Jareth, even though no one was willing to try any of the peaches he managed to
grow from what had been a barren potted tree, he did manage to successfully
chuck one of the peaches at Kenith's back, staining his robes.
'You know,' Ron whispered to his friend, Harry Potter, as he
observed Jareth and the other boy's antics, 'I think he's made a friend...'
As Jareth walked into the class room for Charms class the
small goblin-like teacher, Professor Flitwick marched up to him. It was a
relief for Jareth, who was adjusting to being a very small child as he hadn't been
for over a thousand years, to see that there was someone shorter than himself
in that place!
'I'm afraid you're going to need a wand for this class.'
The stout teacher said and then quickly stepped back. He was aware of who
Jareth was, and in the form of a child or night, he was frightened.
Jareth was pleased at least someone hadn't forgotten who and what
he truly was. 'Fine.' He said. Jareth held out his right hand. A strange
gel-like ooze seeped between his fingers and then rose by a small wind current
into a bubble that solidified into a crystal orb. The crystal instantly
changed shape becoming a crystalline magick wand. It was transparent and
resembled a fallen winter icicle.
'Hmmm...' Jareth said. Now to test it. He held it out
toward the other students. Many looked almost petrified, like seeing a raving
lunatic holding an automatic weapon. He smiled almost mischievously as he held
the wand out and aimed for Kenith. He concentrated, causing the would-be
crystal orbs he'd usually create to become tiny bubbles, absorbed into the wand.
You could see the, rise and stir inside the wand like the bubbles inside a
bottle of clear soda-pop.
Instantly Kenith's trousers fell down.
'Yes, that works.' Jareth marched into the room, the
teacher stepping to the side quickly as he did.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next class was Madam Trelawney with Divination (Fortune telling
and future gazing). The woman resembled an insect with her large eyes behind
her magnifying lense-like spectacles.
The fact that the day's lesson was crystal scrying pleased
Jareth and seemed to bother the teacher because actual images that everyone could
see, were appearing in his crystals, however they did not reveal the future
but rather things going on at that particular moment.
As if afraid of being out done,Trelawney moved on to the subject
of staring into candle flames. Jareth got bored with this rather fast and
transformed his flame into the silhouette of an erotic, dancing woman.
'Madam Trelawney! Madam Trelawney!' Kenith cried out in
spite. 'Come see what Jareth's doing. It's distracting me!'
'Jareth!' She scolded. 'That is not appropriate.
Next Kenith began to sniffle. 'Professor, I'm trying to
pay attention to your wonderful lessons but he keeps kicking me.. I- I just
want to learn!' He sobbed.
Losing her patience Trelawney demanded that Jareth go to
Professor Dumbledore, immediately.
Jareth got up from his desk. He raised his hand as if
he meant to do something, such as cause every crystal ball in the room to
shatter- and he could too- but he managed to get a hold of himself, remembering
what was at stake should he get himself expelled.
After Jareth left the room Kenith smiled warmly at the teacher.
'You have such fantastic powers.' He didn't really believe in her power.
'Tell me, what lays in my future.'
Trelawney was delighted by Kenith's seeming interest and
happily told him about the terrible 'doom' that was in store for him (and anyone
else she saw the future for that matter).
Kenith didn't seem too bothered by it but he did make it a
point to tell her that hers was his favourite of the classes.
Jareth grumbled as he ascended the staircase into Dumbledore's
office. 'I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him slowly and painfully.
If that boy gets wished away I'll- I'll...' He smiled pleasantly for
Dumbledore.
Even Jareth knew to show respect for Dumbledore. .He could
sense his power, like an electrical hum in the air. Dumbledore was very powerful
and that power demanded respect, even from him. Perhaps he was even a little
bit afraid of Dumbledore.
'Oh, come on!' Jareth said before he could think of anything
polite and pleasant to say to Dumbledore. 'You must know he was lying!
Granted, I kicked him in Potions, but not in Divination!'
Dumbledore just shook his head with a the faintest trace of
a smile. 'Jareth, you're not doing too good on your first day.'
'What are you talking about? I'm doing all the class work.
I know more about magick than half your staff!'
'This may be true but you clearly don't work well with others.
You're antisocial, Jareth. You haven't actually learned anything here, have
you? Test scores and knowing the answers to nearly all the questions-'
'Wait... Nearly all the answers? I knew them all!' Jareth's
ego wouldn't stand for being told his knowledge of magick was less than
spectacular. 'I knew what sort of spells you can cast with Goblin dung! I
invented those spells. I just didn't feel like answering, it's vulgar. What sane
person would ever want to use goblin droppings in a spell?'
'Please, let me finish.' Dumbledore said calmly as he raised
a hand in the air. 'Test scores and knowing the answers isn't everything, you
can still fail. I'm warning you because I don't really believe anyone
deserves what lays in Azkaban, even you, Jareth. Now run along back to class...'
Jareth wanted to say something to that but he did not.
Something inside of himself felt ashamed at the 'even you' comment. Was he really so
terrible? He was The Goblin King. He did what was expected of him, that was
all. Surely there were others worse than himself out there...
Taking those who are wished away and allowing others to go mad
or perish within his Labyrinth wasn't the worst thing that could happen by
means of magick.
Dumbledore's words haunted him as he walked back down the long,
stone hallway, his boot heals clicking in the echoing darkness as he walked.
The next class was Care of magical Creatures. The teacher was a half-giant
named Hagrid.
When dinner rolled around Jareth flung bits of corn kernels at
Kenith's head.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That night Jareth sat, pretending to read by the Slytherin
fire place. There were few whispers but no one had the nerve to mock him to his
face and those that tried had painful accidents that no one could prove the
cause of. He waited patiently until he saw Kenith getting up to use the lavatory
to wash up before going to bed. Jareth quietly put down his book in the
green arm chair and followed him down to the boy's wash room.
He walked into the room behind Kenith was washing himself at the
sink. He quietly locked the door behind himself as he stepped over to the boy.
He grabbed him roughly by the front of his cloak, and though Kenith was
taller than him, he managed to throw him up against the tiled wall. 'What is your
bloody problem?' He growled.
'My problem? You've been throwing food at me, kicking me- you
tried to feed me to Hagrid's giant snapping turtle!'
'YOU tried to eat me!' Jareth shook him roughly.
'Is that what this is all about?' Kenith asked. He managed to
smile.
Jareth looked at him blankly.
'You can't hold me accountable for that. It would be like saying
you wanted to eat that mouse in transfigurations.'
Jareth looked flushed at the thought. He let go of Kenith,
letting him drop to the floor. He ran his hand through his wild blonde hair.
'I was thirty-nine when I learned how to turn into a barn owl.' Jareth said.
'I don't know how to control the instincts of a fledgling owl. They're too
strong, it's not as reasonable as an adult owl. I've never had to deal with
one very young. You- you're an animagus, you've never leapt from an adult animal
to a new born one, you don't know how drastic the differences are...'
That's when Jareth felt a heavy blow to the back of the head.
He fell forward, he had throbbing. There were six
adult wizards behind him. The door to the lavatory was wide open, as was a window
in the hallway. He had thought Hogwarts to be a secure place. The wizards
were five male wizards and one witch, but they were all wearing hooded cloaks
so you could not see their faces.
'That's him.' One hissed. 'No spilling his blood.
Remember, it has to look as if he fled.'
'Let a bastard like that, a monster like that get a slap on
the wrist like this instead of Azkaban! The Ministry of Magick must be crazy!'
Jareth slowly got up, forming a crystal orb in his hand as he
did so but one of the wizards had stepped behind him and grabbed him by his
hair. 'Don't move.' The man said as he pressed the blade of an iron dagger to
Jareth's throat. 'I doubt even you can live without your head.'
Jareth felt completely trapped when all of a sudden the
wizard holding him was shoved and fell to his side, dropping the dagger. It
was Kenith. Jareth heard his voice behind him say 'RUN, JARETH!'
Jareth was about to bolt from the room, was only inches from
the door when he turned in time to see one of the wizards moving toward Kenith
with a wand out. 'You've ruined everything!' The wizard said as he moved
toward Kenith.
One of the others grabbed Jareth by his arm and twisted it behind
his back. Another had retrieved the dagger. 'We were hoping for Azkaban but
if we have to...' The dagger was raised, poised for Jareth's heart...
The boy, Kenith's eyes went wide and he quickly pulled out his
own wand and aimed it at the wizard who was advancing for Jareth.
'Expelliarmus!' The wand flew from the wizard's hand. Kenith said this fast
enough, three times, sending the wizards all tumbling backward into each other.
The sound of crashing and banging was quite load and the
vigilantes fled. Jareth dusted himself off. And now looked at Kenith a trifle
strangely... 'You? You saved me?' He asked blankly as if he hadn't
thought anyone would do anything so kind for him. 'After everything I've done to
you?'
Kenith gave Jareth a wry smile.
For most of that evening the two sat in the boy's lavatory,
ignoring the stench of urine as they sat side by side under the window. They
simply sat there for a very long time.
Finally Jareth turned to face him and said 'You know I still hate
you.'
'I hate you too.' Kenith said with the strangest smile and for the
first time Jareth noticed that Kenith had a slight Scottish accent.
The truth was they were now the best of friends and it became
obvious as the days progressed.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone noticed how close the two had become. They walked side
by side to class. And passed notes to each other mocking the professors.
However they did occasionally pull pranks on one and other, which now was less
vicious and more on the playful side, such as Jareth's replacing Kenith's
chocolate frogs with real ones in the chocolate frog packaging, and Kenith turned
Jareth's peach tree in Herbology into stink weed.
Then one day Kenith didn't show up for Transfiguration. He
wasn't at Potions either. Jareth was starting to actually feel a bit worried.
When Dumbledore came to the door and asked to speak to him Jareth gathered up
his books and walked out into the hall. Something felt very wrong. 'What is
it?' he asked.
'You're going to be put under guard.' Dumbledore said.
'It's not because of anything you've done. But we have reason to believe your
friend has been kidnapped.'
Jareth was about to lie, to protest that he and Kenith were
not friends but the look in Dumbledore's eyes told him not to bother.
'We found his school books splattered with blood in the
boy's lavatory. Several professors and I are going to look for him. No one had
any reason to harm him. However you, Jareth, you have a lot of enemies.
Most of them can't really be blamed for how they feel considering the things
you've done, but no one has the right to kidnap a Hogwarts student out or revenge.
Two seventh year students are going to escort you back to the Slytherin
common room. You're being exempt from the rest of the day's classes because of
this.'
Jareth stared him down stubbornly. 'I'm going after him!' He
said.
'Jareth, you don't know where to begin to search.'
'An owl is born with all his questions answered, Dumbledore, I
can find him. If no one else can, I can.. You seem to forget who I am.'
'I have not forgotten who you are. And I also know you're
the type to ...as muggles say... shoot first and ask questions later. '
'All right.' Jareth said in exasperation. 'You win.'
Jareth let himself be lead back to the Slytherin common room. Once there he
feigned grief and frustration (some of it was real) and he pretended to go to bed.
Once in the dormitory Jareth crept to the nearest window,
opened it. Within seconds the little barn owl was fluttering desperately to
get away from the school. It was by will power alone that he avoided stopping
and attacking every small animal he saw.
The small creature was nearly exhausted, almost fell to
the ground out of sheer exhaustion but he kept moving. It was nearly midnight
when he reached Knocturn Alley.
Knockturn Alley was a dark and foreboding place filled with
shady characters and dark magick being exchanged and sold, it was the preverbal
black market of magick. So tired that he could barely move the little barn owl
perched himself on an old street sign and gazed down across the street at the
old warehouse where he knew Kenith was being held.
The barn owl flew to the nearest window. As he flew inside Jareth
took his appropriate form a crystal orb in his hand.
Kenith was chained down a chair. 'Jareth, look out!'
There was a handful of wizards around but Jareth was not
intimidated by them. The taller one, the leader stepped toward Jareth with a
rasping voice. 'Well,' it said in a rasping voice as it chuckled 'dear me, the
fabled goblin king, running to the rescue of another! Has seven months at
Hogwarts so thoroughly brain washed you already that you're "turning over a new
leaf" as it were?'
'Not bloody likely.' Jareth said as he folded his arms over his
chest.
'Then join me.' Voldemort said. 'I can see to it you be
restored to your proper state.
Jareth was tempted. To say he was not would be a lie. But as he
turned his head and looked over at the pleading gaze of the boy chained to the
chair he understood what Sarah must have felt when she refused his offer.
'Never.' Jareth said coolly.
'That's a shame.' Voldemort said in a rasping voice.
'Kill them both.' He said to his minion, The Death Eaters.
A crystal orb went flying, shattering against the chest of
one of the wizards, sending him tumbling backward. Another, and other.
Jareth leapt for Kenith. For once a Hogwarts spell would come in handy. He
aimed his wand, said the word needed to cause the lock to give way and it did.
'Jareth, watch out!' Kenith said but it was too late. As Jareth
turned around a knife went into his stomach. The knife made of iron penetrated
into Jareth. His magick could not heal him from a wound created by an iron
weapon. He slumped down, half held by Kenith. Someone else was advancing but
Kenith covered Jareth's wounded body with his own.
Jareth could barely move. His hot blood sticky against his
stomach. The knife had fallen to the floor but he still felt as if it was in his
stomach. That's when he heard a door opening. Everything was going dark but
Voldemort and his followers had scattered like roaches in the light... Jareth
lost consciousness...
------------------------------------
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When Jareth woke up next he knew something was different. He sat
up quickly, which was a mistake because he was in considerable pain. He was
laying in a bed. Was this the Hogwarts Hospital wing? He looked around and
then down at himself. He was no longer a boy. He had reverted to his true,
adult form.
Dumbledore was standing next to the bed and smiled at the wounded
Goblin King. 'We got there just in time. You nearly died. You should have
stayed in Hogwart's Jareth. Leaving school grounds when you are explicitly
told not to is grounds for expulsion... However, I over looked it just this
once.' His eyes twinkled.
Jareth looked around the hospital wing. Last he saw, Kenith
was shielding him from the blast of one of the wizard's wands. Kenith was no
where in sight. 'Kenith, where's Kenith?' Jareth asked, fearing the worst.
No one had ever risked their life for him before.
Dumbledore laid a hand on Jareth's shoulder as if he was still a
boy. This gesture made Jareth's heart sink. Had Kenith died for him? Why?
Why give his life for someone like him? He shrugged Dumbledore off.
'Damn it, Dumbledore, where is Kenith?' Something almost
hysterical had touched his voice.
'That's what I'm trying to tell you.' Dumbledore said as he
put his hand back on Jareth's shoulder and turned him, leading him toward a
bed at the end of the room. You passed, Jareth. You risked your life to save
someone else, that was proof enough to the Ministry that you deserved a
pardon... this time. And so did he...'
Jareth looked down at the bed where a handsome man with long
black hair lay sleeping. The man was similar to himself in many ways. 'I know
him.' Jareth said quietly.
'Of course you do.' Dumbledore said. 'You knew him as Kenith.'
Jareth looked at him blankly. 'No... No. I knew him before
that. That's not his real name. His name is Collin. He ruled the kingdom
nearest mine. We had a long standing Cold War going. When we met for the
first time centuries ago he tried to over throw me. There was a revolution, his
people over threw him.'
'He fled to the wizarding world and turned himself in.
Jareth, he was just like you...'
Jareth sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb
his sleeping friend. 'Why didn't he ever tell me? He knew who I was?'
'And you were in constant shame and humiliation at having
been turned into a boy. If you could have hid who you were wouldn't you have
as well? He begged me to let him use the name Kenith.' Dumbledore said.
'The Ministry of magick had taken everything from him and to be honest I didn't
really think he, and later you, would make it through the year. It was out of
pity that I let him use his alias and spared his precious pride. I thought he
was doomed. I was almost certain you were doomed. But it seems to me that
you saved each other in more ways than one this year.
'So you were rivals before, that's very interesting.'
Dumbledore said. 'Now that he's without a kingdom I guess you'll return to The
Underground without your... enemy?'
'Enemy?' Jareth asked softly, almost blankly as he looked
at Dumbledore. 'No... We were enemies once. But we were foolish men. We
didn't really know each other until we were children together.' Jareth
clutched Kenith or Collin's hand into his own, he hated how limp it was.
'Jareth...' Dumbledore said. 'I'm not sure if he'll
recover. If you have anything you mean to tell him, you must say it now.'
Jareth's eyes seemed to retain the innocence, that had
been mere deception when he had first been turned into a boy against his will.
'He's my best friend...' His voice cracked as he said this. 'And as such, I
love him...'
That's when Jareth felt the squeeze of the hand grip his
own in return. Collin was starting to wake up...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Five months later...
Jareth stood on the busy New York City street corner wearing a plain
old trench coat and dark sunglasses. The man beside him was dressed in the
same, his black hair tied back in a pony tail- Jareth's royal advisor. 'This
is the place?' Collin asked. Jareth nodded.
David Bowie stepped out onto the street, holding in his hand a
rolled up piece of paper that might have been the half-finished composition of
a song. Jareth didn't really care.
'Sic 'em!' He said.
Bowie screamed as the gray timber wolf- that had NO place in
modern New York City, upstate yes, but not in the city- moved toward him with a
ferocious growl.
'I told you I'd make you pay.' Jareth smiled, his hands
resting in the jacket pockets as he watched.
The End