Chapter Three - "Stopping Carl Powers' Laughing"
A/N - Chapter three finally posted about ten revisions!
1989, Dublin, Ireland
Two years later, Jim was still wearing dragon hide gloves. Because of his secret magical education kept from his parents and even the Ministry of Magic, his powers weren't at all reduced to a tiny bit. It became stronger, and Jim quietly hexed anyone in his way, sometimes to oblivion.
Even though he was the top student of the year, there were still people who laughed at him for being an insufferable know-it-all. From his classmates to those who were in the graduating class, he was known as the nerd, the geek, and other names. He was extremely intelligent—so much that he became rather infamous for it.
Jim's mother had told him that if he ignored them, they would go away, but now, Jim wasn't sure that it was true. Whenever he was teased, he wouldn't react—the least they got from him was the sight of the boy biting his lower lip or digging his gloved hand in his pocket. The school year had nearly finished, and Jim was still teased as badly as before.
One Thursday afternoon, two days before Sir Arthur O'Brien Private Academy's top swimmer Carl Powers was about to compete at the National Swimming Competition, the mentioned swimmer ran into Jim.
"Oi! Einstein!" he shouted.
Jim didn't turn. Don't give in…don't give in…he's a bloody prat…if you leave him alone…you know, screw it—Mum's advice about bullies never works.
The third year then felt something hard thrown on his back. He turned and saw a box of trainers. He looked up and asked the fifth year, "What exactly is this, Powers?"
"Oh, a little something to divert you from homework," Carl snickered. "I've got a swim meet tomorrow—"
"As I know," said Jim, rolling his eyes and sighing. His arms were crossed. "You've mentioned it once or twice a minute—for the whole month."
"Well, if you know about it, I need you to clean them," Carl said. "I need pristine-looking trainers for the swim meet."
"I won't—"
"You will," hissed Carl menacingly. "Because, if you don't, I'll make sure you'll never see your little estate whole again. You see—" the boy then lowered his voice so only Jim could hear "—I've got a thing with explosives."
Jim rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine—I've already completed homework during free time." He then took the trainers calmly as if it were no problem. He knew that Carl was joking—the boy was extremely idiotic, and was only being praised because of his swimming prowess. It was doubtful that he could even handle a hand grenade without chickening out. In fact, Jim didn't even bother about the threat; he had more important things to do.
Later, the third year went back to his home, where he ignored his parents' questions about his day and quickly went into the closet room, slamming the door behind him then locking it.
"Time to improve Powers' trainers," Jim muttered. He got a bit of strange-looking powder from the pouch he put in his pocket and threw it into the fireplace he requested for a year ago. Smiling as the red flames became emerald green, he waited to see nothing but green within the fireplace before stepping in.
"Diagon Alley," he said clearly, but not too loud as to not attract the attention of his parents. His smile grew into a grin as he felt the flames bring him from the room and into the Leaky Cauldron. Thank Merlin I connected the fireplace to the Floo Network as Richard Brook. Silly Ministry—they did not know that Richard Brook is an extremely old wizard a few blocks away who has no real use for Floo travel, being in a wheelchair.
He stepped out the fireplace and greeted Tom. He had a little chat with the man, who thought the third year was studying under a minor magical school in Ireland, before heading his way to Diagon Alley, and into Flourish and Blotts.
The sight of books waiting to be bought and discovered made the boy grin, but he went to the shelf with the book he needed—Advanced Potion-Making.
Jim made sure the door to the closet room was locked and that he had a bottle of air freshener by his side. He rolled up his sleeves, put on his dragon hide gloves, and started to work.
"The Topical Convulsing Potion," Jim read in a whisper from his new book, "is a poison that will make the victim have cramps and convulse for several minutes, depending on the concentration of antimony and deadlyius, which are used here with ingredients which will not counter their poisons."
Jim then grabbed his newly-bought protective robes and slipped them on. He then sliced up the whole jar of deadlyius finely before putting it in the cauldron. He heated it for a minute before adding all three bottles of liquidated antimony, then adding some other ingredients. His grin had already reached his ears an hour later, when he placed the potion in several flasks.
Suddenly, his high from thinking of the lethal revenge zapped to abysmally low levels. How was he going to get his foolish schoolmates touch the foul-smelling substance? His eyes searched the room, and fell on a pair of trainers.
Ah! Brilliant! Jim felt as if it were Christmas. He remembered now; Carl Powers threatened to incinerate Jim's house if he didn't clean the boy's trainers.
So Jim picked up the shoes and cleaned them well, but wasn't able to make them look exactly new. Carl will kill me, he thought grimly, but then smirked. If he doesn't get killed first.
He set the trainers on a desk he planned on destroying later and grabbed a long-handled rubber spatula he also intended on destroying. He placed a large amount of the Convulsing Potion on the object and spread it on the inside of the shoes. Carefully, with tongs doomed to the same fate of the other objects, Jim lifted the pair of footwear and rested it on the floor where they had been, with a sign saying "Strong cleaning chemicals applied. Do not touch."
"Evanesco, evanesco, evanesco," Jim said, pointing his wand at each of the trainer-touched object each time he said the incantation. They disappeared immediately.
He then cleaned his cauldron and made it invisible before putting his books inside and slipping it under a tall table. He then placed the extra potion, invisible as well, in a cupboard.
He wondered how Hogwarts students could survive not being allowed to use magic during vacation, having to hide all evidences that they were magical to Muggles.
He chuckled as he magically lifted the shoes and dropped them in the box they were in. Carl Powers was going to shake with surprise—literally.
How did I do? Reviews are welcome!
~MoJ