For the purposes of this fic, Klartch is non-existant. Heh. Thanks to my reviewer! Please let there be more where that came from. ;)
In which we find the origin of Howl Pendragon
It wasn't long at all before the door opened again and a tall man entered, led by Roger and Joe and followed by a woman who was a good head shorter than him, but Sophie assumed they were together, from the way he smiled at her.
"Unlike a certain wizard" a small voice inside her head said. She ignored it and looked at the man. He was, as stated, very tall, and also very handsome.
"At least as handsome as Howl…if not more" the small, annoying voice struck again.
The man's hair was black ("naturally black" nagged the tiny voice) and curly, he was wearing an incredibly bright suit ("And he's got the same dress sense as someone we know") and held himself in a way that said subtly 'Look at me, I'm important and handsome' ("I wonder who that sounds like?"). He was staring at Sophie and Michael as if he wasn't expecting them to be there, despite being told they would be not five minutes before. It was a sort of vague, bewildered look that caused Michael to squirm uncomfortably in the chair. The man's face was incredibly vague, but his eyes were focused, Sophie noticed, taking in every detail of those in front of him
("Unlike some people"). He was about ten years older than Howl, but this wasn't incredibly obvious.
The woman beside him was a little on the large side – never fat, but not thin. Her hair was a chocolate brown colour, lighter than Roger's. Although plain, Sophie and Michael both agreed she was quite pretty.
"Dad, this is Sophie Hatter and Michael Fisher, who fixed the machine. They said they needed your help." Roger said breaking the silence.
The man nodded and made a slight gesture, which Joe and Roger understood as 'Go away', and did so.
"Hello." Michael said nervously.
"Hello." The man replied. "Now, you need my help?"
"We….err…need to know where we are, first of all." Michael said.
"In a castle. Surely that much was obvious." The man replied promptly.
Michael looked at Sophie in alarm.
The woman, however, came to their rescue. "Do stop being so sarcastic, Christopher! The poor dears are terrified. Now, my name is Millie Chant, and this is my husband, Christopher. He's the current Chrestomanci, and right now you're in Chrestomanci Castle. Does that help any?"
Michael and Sophie shook their heads to indicate that no, it most definitely did not.
"What's a Chrestomanci?" Michael asked curiously.
"A very powerful enchanter." The man, Christopher, said.
"He is like Howl!" Sophie found herself thinking "How dreadfully proud! And rather condescending…" She snorted rather.
"A problem, Miss...err…Bonnet?" Christopher asked them.
"Hatter." Sophie corrected promptly. "And no problem, I was just thinking that a better explanation would be nice, if you didn't mind terribly."
Christopher looked at Millie, who was obviously trying her very best not to smile.
Rather annoyed, he explained what Chrestomanci did; that it was a Government post, that it was a job only a nine-lived enchanter could do (Michael gasped a bit at this), and that he ruled over all magic in the Related Worlds. He also mentioned how tiresome this could become, to which Sophie rolled her eyes.
"Your turn now." He said to Sophie and Michael. "How on earth did two children like yourselves –?"
"I'm not a child!" they both said indignantly.
"-end up lost in those woods without the slightest idea of where you were?"
"I know we're in world Twelve A" Sophie said defensively, hoping that the spell had indeed worked. "And not in Wales, either."
Christopher glanced at Millie again, this time a loo of vague interest covering his features. "No, you aren't in Wales, you're in England. And yes, World Twelve A."
"Ingle-land? Is that what Ingary is called here, do you think?" Michael asked Sophie in a whisper.
"Yes." Sophie replied. She, of course, only assumed this, having no proof to the contrary or to agree.
"So what world are you from?" Christopher asked, interested.
"I have no idea." Sophie replied honestly.
"Well then, what do we do with you until we find out?"
"You may feel free to stay here, if you wish." Millie said kindly. "Until we can get you back home. Joe and Marianne – that's his sister – they're leaving the Castle to be with their families for a few months anyway. I believe there's a ceremony of some sort."
"If you don't mind." Sophie said gratefully.
And that's how Michael and Sophie came to stay at Chrestomanci castle.
Howl had wanted to return to World 12A for a long time. Born and brought up on Twelve B, he had always wanted to travel to another world. Long before settling in Ingary, he'd landed first in this parallel version of England, with magic so different to his own. Howl, the precocious brat that he was, had found and mastered that particular spell in his grandmother's attic at the age of eight (with his grandmother's help, God rest her soul) . He had arrived in some sort of castle, owned by some old man. There were other children there, but most of them were in their late teens and had posed no interest to young Howell Jenkins. There was one, however, about eighteen, who had made little Howell curious. He had been very handsome, and very powerful. He was actually the one who had helped Howell get back to Twelve B, where Megan was waiting furiously and Grandma was in a whole heap of trouble.
Howell, however, had since that day, become borderline-obsessed with becoming as powerful as the teenager, and his mind was se on being as handsome. He began demanding the most ludicrous items of clothing from his grandmother and sister every time they went shopping. You could say it was thanks to that young man that Howell Jenkins had become the famous Wizard Howl Pendragon.
This time, however, he had not appeared in a Castle surrounded by laughing teenagers and drab old men. No. This time he had arrived in woodland.
After stopping to get his bearings, convinced he could find Sophie by just thinking of where she was. ("Don't forget Michael!" said his own little inner voice. It reminded him of Sophie rather) he set off in entirely the wrong direction.
Sophie and Michael joined the Family for dinner that night. They had not met the rest of the children, who were in the playroom. Sophie sat next to Millie, who, despite being about twenty years older than her, was already becoming a friend. On Millie's right, Christopher was listening interestedly as Michael yammered on about Howl and Ingary.
"So how long have you and Christopher been married?" Sophie asked. "If you don't mind me asking" She added quickly.
Millie smiled. "Not at all. About 16 years, actually."
"Oh. Did he, perhaps, promise you that you would 'live happily ever after' at any point?"
"Why yes, he did. And it has gone fairly well, I'd say." Millie replied, smiling.
"Well." Sophie said, failing miserably to mask her irritation, something which Michael noticed and couldn't help grinning at. "It appears some people do keep their promises."
And now we know who to blame for Howl's personality. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it.
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