"This cannot be it."

"The address is right, isn't it?"

"But this is-"

"This is so cool."

It was the first day of school. Gilbert was running on two hours of sleep and more caffeine than the entire Berlin Badgers combined during a morning practice session, but Ludwig had allowed it. This was like Christmas, for Gilbert, and Ludwig knew that. His own vague excitement that he had felt when he was ten years old was creeping back to him - he knew that Gilbert's feelings, however, must be magnified given the fact that his letter was roughly 7 years overdue.

However, this was not how Ludwig had anticipated the morning to start. The two of them had left early enough, after ensuring that Gilbert had all of his supplies. It was a small battle to get him to keep the Dynamo at home, however by mentioning that he wouldn't be able to perform advanced spells and hexes and turn people into frogs holding his broom, the Dynamo remained in the room.

Ludwig followed the directions to the building where Gilbert's classes were supposedly held. The building had no name, or at least none was written on the paper - simply walking directions on how to get to it from the center of magical Berlin.

The directions (which Ludwig knew he followed exactly as written) led out of the magical district and into the muggle world. Gilbert followed him along cheerfully, occasionally pointing out a shop that he had bought something from, or a cafe that he frequented. Following a whimsical path along the river through Berlin and down some main streets - Ludwig looked only more confused the further as they went along.

At last, after forty five minutes of walking, they had arrived at their destination.

Ludwig stared straight ahead, dumbfounded.

The directions had led them straight to Charlottenburg Palace. Home of Prussian Kings and Queens.

"I used to love going to the gardens," Gilbert said excitedly. "I had no idea that there was a magic school here!"

"There isn't," Ludwig snapped, suddenly irritated. How could there be a magic school in Charlottenburg? It was completely empty, only open to the public for tours. Hell, the rooms hardly had any furniture in them!

Ludwig was poring over the directions again while Gilbert simply walked into the main entrance and, through the obnoxious gift shop and to the main hall where he spoke to an attendant. Ludwig realized too late that his ward was gone and quickly ran after him just as Gilbert showed a staff member his letter of admissions.
"...I got accepted into wizarding school and I need-"

Ludwig managed to run up behind Gilbert and clap a hand over his mouth whilst simultaneously pulling Gilbert's letter-wielding hand away from the attendant. "Sorry for having him bother you, he's a bit, uh, imaginative." Lord, he didn't need Gilbert running to any random person telling them he had gotten into wizarding school. He didn't need those kinds of stares and gossip.

The woman looked at the two of them and then offered Ludwig a sympathetic smile. She leaned in to both of them and whispered, "Please, come with me."

Gilbert grinned broadly and followed along happily. Ludwig hung back for a moment, suspicious, hoping that this woman wasn't going to lead them to some holding cell for rowdy tourists, but he realized that he couldn't just let Gilbert go off unaccompanied with a stranger. "Damn it," he whispered angrily and stormed off after them.

The attendant passed them off to another woman not far off, who took them into a cleverly-hidden office. It looked normal enough - desk, papers, portable radios, small television - but when she tilted a framed photo on the wall, it suddenly disappeared which led to a dark, descending staircase.

Ludwig had to reach out and gently lift up Gilbert's hung-open jaw, chuckling. "Are you surprised of such a thing?"

"I mean, I never…"

"Come with me," the attendant said, and led them down the staircase. "You're just on time; it's a bit of a smaller group this year. Are you both taking classes?"

Ludwig was following diligently, paying attention to how old the corridor appeared. "Just him," he said absently. "I had no idea that there was...something beneath this palace. Is it...new?"

"Oh no," the attendant explained. "These chambers were built by King Frederick William as part of his education reforms - he demanded that all of his citizens receive a proper education, and that meant a proper education for his magical citizens, as well."

"I didn't know that he knew about magic," Ludwig mused.

"Oh, all Hohenzollerns are magical," she said with a smile. "Except for-"

"Frederick the Great!" Gilbert piped up with a grin, looking between them. "He wasn't magical, was he? That's what I read in the library."

The attendant smiled and nodded at him. "Yes, indeed, you're right. You'll do wonderfully in school if you already know this much."

Ludwig raised an eyebrow at Gilbert, who just beamed at him, impressed with his own historical knowledge. "That's why Frederick William didn't like him, you know. His crowned prince wouldn't be able to carry on the magical line! It was so tragic. It's also speculated that's why Frederick II never had children, so that the magic could be preserved."

"I thought it was because he was gay," Ludwig said flatly.

"Well we can't ever know for certain," the attendant said. The stairs ended and it led to a long, wide corridor. Red velvet carpeting was at their feet, and at either side were numerous doors and windows with bright light streaming through them. On either wall were enchanted portraits of the kings and queens of Prussia and Germany, smiling and waving, or perhaps looking very grouchy.

Gilbert peered out of the closest window. "I thought we were underground?" he asked. "Why is there sunlight and a sky and...are those the gardens?"

"All magic, dear," the woman said. "We need these halls bright and cheery for our learners." They went down the hall and through a large door, which led into a large, incredibly modern-looking room - a stark contrast from the old stone from outside. The walls were plaster and painted with white, and it was filled with very modern furniture and decorations.

Within the room was a group of about thirty to thirty five people. They were all people like Gilbert - confused, enthusiastic, open minded, and unaware of their magical potential. It made Ludwig smile. But only a little bit.

Several people looked over at the newcomers and took note of Ludwig. The Beater only realized that something wasn't quite normal when he saw eyes directly on him. "I should probably go. Will you be alright?" Ludwig asked.

Gilbert smiled and nodded. "Yes. I'll be fine."

Ludwig left not long afterwards. Sometimes he forgot that he was some kind of pseudo-celebrity and that people recognized him and even wanted to talk with him. Ugh. He gave one last glance over his shoulder as he watched Gilbert walk over and immediately sit next to someone to start speaking with them. 'He'll be alright,' Ludwig told himself. Gilbert seemed much better at this whole socializing thing than he was.

When he turned back into the hallway, he found Frederick William staring back at him judgingly from his portrait. Ludwig stared back. "What the hell are you looking at?"

The monarch simply crossed his arms over his chest and Ludwig mimicked the move.

"Don't look at me like that. You don't know anything. Don't make me...come back here with some ink. I will draw rabbit ears on your head," he said simply before turning down the hall to leave.

He immediately went to the practice pitch, where Max was again taking charge in his absence. It frustrated Ludwig that he had missed the beginnings of more practices these past several months than he had his entire Quidditch career before, but he always reasoned that Gilbert's cause was a good enough excuse. It wasn't like it was every day, after all, and Max made an excellent substitute coach. He'd run a team one day, Ludwig was sure of that.

...But until then, of course, Ludwig's team was his and it was his to run.

Most of the morning practice was working with Mathias and getting him to observe and respond seamlessly with the team. He had been on the team for about two weeks, and the coming Friday would be their first match of the new season - against the Soltau Serpents. A small town, mainly known for its amusement park (which coincidentally happened to be its biggest sponsor), but Ludwig figured that he supposed that's all anybody needed nowadays to get a team together. He wasn't worried; the Serpents hadn't been any threat in a long time - but then again, neither had Berlin until very recently.

Nonetheless, Ludwig was extraordinarily pleased with Mathias's progress. He learned quickly, took direction well, and his enthusiasm almost overshadowed the rest of the team. For the first time in a very, very long time, Ludwig was actually pleased with his team, and he was actually looking forward to the coming season.

Ludwig was outside of Charlottenburg at precisely 5 o'clock when Gilbert was supposed to be released from school. Just like picking up a family member from grammar school every day. Maybe he'd tell Gilbert that from now on, he'd do it himself. Ludwig glanced around while he waited, wondering if he could Apparate near the grounds. That would be a lot easier, wouldn't it?

Finally people who weren't tourists or staff seemed to be trickling out. A couple speaking Russian wandered out, almost looking dazed and lost, while holding a piece of parchment paper that looked exactly like the kind that wizards used. A few more people, and then Gilbert bounded into view, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear, hastily folded and gathered parchments in one hand and clutching his wand like a drumstick in the other. "Ludwig!" he said happily. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Of course," said Ludwig. This place can be, uh, dangerous when the sun starts to go down. Anyways, how was your first day?"

"Great!" Gilbert said. "I learned so much, but we didn't even get to practice any magic. Just things like...class expectations, schedules, policies...it was all boring. The last lecture was on theories of magic and I mean it was interesting but...when can I start turning things into frogs?"

Ludwig chuckled and ruffled his hair, turning to leave and expecting Gilbert to follow suit. "You probably won't for a while. Especially your group, who has very little experience with magic - you're going to learn everything there is to know about performing magic before you do it. Other children have grown up exposed to it their entire lives and only learn the fundamentals after they have seen it in action. Think of it as...learning a language."

"I hate learning languages," Gilbert replied flatly. "They tried to teach us Russian in primary school and I hated it."

"Well fortunately, magic is a hell of a lot more interesting than Russian." Ludwig countered. "But anyways. I am glad that you had a good time. I was thinking, if you would like, as a celebration of...your beginning magic school, we can go see that film that you wanted to see. We're already out, so we can just go to the cinema."
He watched as Gilbert's eyes widened and lit up like a Christmas tree. "What? Really? You'll go see The Lion King with me?"

"Sure." He paused then. "I do not have any muggle money on me, though-"

"I do!" His ward jumped around excitedly, already digging deep into his pockets. "I do, I do! I have enough for two tickets!"

Together they flurried back to the house. Ludwig thought for a moment that his charge had somehow reverted back to that of a ten year old - magic and cinema, all in one day. That's all it took for Gilbert, apparently. After waiting for Gilbert to put his things away and collect the money, they were off. Gilbert had kept his Deutschmarks safe in a steel lock box that looked almost as beat up as his Dynamo broomstick. Dents, dirt, scrapes, and rusted hinges decorated the steel and an old padlock accented the lid. "This is where I kept all of my money," he said proudly. "Never once had anything stolen from me."

Ludwig made a mental reminder to buy him a wallet. Perhaps for his birthday. When was he born? He realized he didn't even know - maybe it had already passed and Gilbert just didn't say anything (though it didn't seem like him to let something like his birthday slip by unannounced). Well he supposed he'd find out this evening, maybe talk to him after the movie or some such nonsense. Maybe go for a walk or go to dinner or -

"This isn't a date, I'll have you know," Ludwig said quickly.

Gilbert was counting up his cash and stopped abruptly, staring at him. "Well...I'll have you know, I am paying for you." He flashed a cheeky grin and then pulled out the proper amount of money to shove in his pocket.

The Quidditch Captain didn't know quite how to respond to that, so he didn't at all. Instead he led Gilbert back out the door, with the teenager yapping on excitedly about various facts and trivia of the film that he had yet to see but had heard of from magazines and television and posters.

"...And James Earl Jones is the English voice of Mufasa, who is Simba's father, the king, so cool, love his voice work, and the name Simba is actually Swahili for 'Lion' - I know, creative right? But I also heard that there was a scene in there, like a quick scene, that took over three years to do with computer animation, that's just - wow. Wow. I can't wait to see it. Anyways, did you know that-"

"Oh look, were at the cinema," Ludwig said abruptly when they arrived finally. It wasn't that Ludwig disliked hearing Gilbert talk, it was just that he had the habit of talking in excess, and after a while it was difficult for him to keep up. "Go ahead and pay for the tickets."

The next show was starting in thirty minutes, so the two killed time by buying ice cream nearby with the remainder of Gilbert's money. It was also the first time in a while that Ludwig had eaten ice cream - he preferred hot treats, like cake and hot cocoa. But as he sat back outside and enjoyed some good ice cream while Gilbert yapped on and on about magic, and his day, and then fell very quiet, just watching the people go by while he ate his ice cream.

Ludwig almost didn't notice the silence at first, but when he did, he looked over at Gilbert. "Did you used to come here often?"

"Yeah," Gilbert smiled. "All the time. It was fun to people-watch. Some days, I had hours and hours of time on my hands. So when the weather was nice, I'd come here."

"Must be a drawback of not having to go to school or work during the day, huh?"

He laughed a bit. "When you're homeless, boredom is the worst. When you're hungry or looking for shelter, it gives you something to do, something to aim for, to hope for. I had days like that. Didn't know where my next meal would come from, didn't know where I'd sleep that night. But when I got things figured out more or less, when I had at least enough food to last me for a day or so, it's hard to find things to do. Some turn to drugs to pass the time, but that's why I got into films so much, especially after the Wall came down and I could watch all the films from the West. It was pretty cheap and it ate up many hours of your time, and took your mind off of things...you know? For a few hours I had a roof over my head, I had heat in the winter, and I was with families and couples, some who were richer than others, but for those few hours in that cinema…" He shrugged. "We were all in the same place, experiencing the same story. I liked that."

Ludwig pondered his words for a few moments, taking the last few bites of his ice cream. Gilbert could be surprisingly...well, surprisingly mature when he wanted to be. "Shall we head on? The film will start soon."

Gilbert finished his and they went off together, with the exuberant light returning to his eyes as he practically skipped back to the cinema. They arrived with five minutes to spare and found seats. The film had been out since June, four months prior, however the cinema was still about halfway full. Once through the previews and picture started, Gilbert immediately gasped, grinning and clutching Ludwig's wrist on the armrest, his eyes as red and bright the animated sunrise they were viewing.

Ludwig glanced down at him and offered a small smile. 'Movie magic', he had heard the phrase before. He wondered if that had anything to do with the look of sheer, unbridled joy on Gilbert's face.

When the film got out it was dark, and somehow, with Gilbert yapping again about how amazing and flawless and what a masterpiece The Lion King was, they wound up sitting together on the rooftop of Ludwig's home. It was a quiet, warm night, and neither wizard was keen on staying in until bedtime. Their legs hung over the edge, with Ludwig sitting straight and tall as ever and Gilbert relaxed back, his weight rested in his palms.

"...But enough about what I think about it," Gilbert laughed, looking over at Ludwig. His smile was bright as ever, and had yet to falter in the slightest since the film began. "What did you think of it?"

"Very good," Ludwig nodded. "I was very impressed. I have not seen any kind of film that weren't Quidditch matches in a very long time."

"Who's your favorite character?"

The Beater took pause at that. "I believe I was Zazu in a past life, honestly. And who was yours?

Gilbert laughed at his response before pausing and looking up at the stars while he thought. "I relate to Simba myself," he said. "But I would have to say Mufasa."
"Why so?"

Again the younger was quiet for a moment, his smile lessening ever so slightly. "Mufasa reminds me of my father a lot. Brave and strong...a great leader...and I think above all...he loved me very much, and he died to keep me save, so I might live a better life." Gilbert turned to look at him. "He was a good man, and he would have been a good wizard."

"Be sure to make him proud, then," Ludwig said, reaching out to pat his back before leaning forward a bit. "Tell me, Gilbert, how did you find the bridge between the muggle world and the magical world? Did anybody approach you, or send you any kind of letter?"

Gilbert smiled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "No," he said. "It was on November 9th, 1989. A thursday."

"You remember the day?"

"I will never forget." Gilbert chuckled a little bit and glanced out onto the city. "I was protesting with the people, I had been for a few days. Remember when I talked about boredom? Well a good thing to do with yourself when there's nothing to do is protest. It was wonderful. Everyone was there, and...the energy that night was something I couldn't put into words. We were angry, and we were excited, and we knew that something was going to happen, and it was going to happen soon, and it was cold, but we were all cold and we were all so tired and poor and when a woman saw that I was alone and didn't have any gloves she went and she got me a cup of hot soup and gave me a pair of her son's gloves who wasn't there, and I still have them to this day, and that was just the nicest thing that anyone had ever done for me, she said that she'd watch over me that night, and it was getting late and we were getting loud and I could feel it, I could just feel it in my bones and-" he stopped and took a deep breath to stop himself, probably taking note that Ludwig was staring rather pointedly at him.

"Anyways. So the checkpoint was breached and everyone flooded to the other side, and it was great! For the first time in my life I was in the West, in the other side, and it was great." He exhaled loudly.

"Did you have your broomstick with you?" Ludwig asked.

"Of course! I had to...for my dad. I had to. For him." He laughed. "So I walked and I ran around and I danced with someone and someone else kissed me and it was such a great night! Someone handed me flowers and I gave them to someone else and after a while I just got so exhausted. So I found a quiet spot on the wall and I fell asleep.

"When I woke up the next day, people had already started tearing the wall down. I saw these two kids, by themselves, nobody really nearby, who were pulling chunks of the wall out by levitation. I couldn't believe my eyes. They had sticks in their hands - wands, duh, but to me they just looked like sticks - and they were pulling them off the wall and letting the pieces float to the ground. I was astonished. I had never seen anything like that before outside of films! So I hid and watched them.

"After a bit they took the pieces they wanted and they ran off, and I followed them! They were obviously from the West and they went all through the city and through a tiny bookshop, where in the back was a passageway to the magical world. It was behind a bookshelf. You moved one of the books and it opened. So I did the same, and it worked. I thought I was in some kind of conspiracy movie. Discovering the Illuminati or something." Gilbert laughed.

Ludwig followed along in his story, moving closer to him a little bit. "You know that would have not worked on a muggle. It would not have budged."

"I know that now. At the time, I had no idea what I was walking into. But I was in an entirely separate world! Everyone there was celebrating too, but it was so different. They wore cloaks and spoke with different dialects and I saw in the shops strange things and...I don't know. I didn't know what was going on or where I was but I felt so...calm. At ease. You know? I had found it. I had found the cure to that funny feeling I had felt my entire life. The feeling that said that I didn't quite belong where I was. Here I was, on what seemed like a different planet, and it just felt good." Gilbert smiled at him, his story complete.

His sole audience member reached out and ruffled his hair, chuckling. "Quite the incredible tale, if I say so myself," he said. "You've lived an interesting life."

"It's about to get even moreso, wouldn't you say?"

They looked at each other for a moment and Ludwig didn't say anything, so Gilbert spoke again, flashing his characteristic smile.

"I've always believed in magic. Even before I really...knew that people could manipulate it."

"Have you now? Grew up on fantasy novels of elves and dragons?"

"Not really." Gilbert pursed his lips, looking over at him with a smirk. "You're still an enigma to me, Ludwig. You never talk about your beginnings." When Ludwig did not reply, Gilbert continued going. "I've always believed that magic...is all around us. In everything. It is what created life on this planet, what keeps our feet on the ground and keeps hope in our hearts." He got to his feet and spun around on the roof. "Magic put Cosmonauts in space and on the moon!"

"That would be technology," Ludwig corrected.

Gilbert laughed. "Who is to say they are not different? Biology, technology, creativity, psychology, philosophy - this is all magic, I think. Finding a good parking space at Christmastime, that's magic. The kindness of strangers, that's magic. The human body adapting to cold by raising its own internal temperature, that's magic. An egg and a sperm fusing to create life, that's magic. Cosmonauts on the moon, that's magic. Being able to understand organized sounds and squiggles and calling it language, that's magic. The collective unconscious of a population causing great, wonderful change and setting history in motion, that's magic!" With a laugh, he sat down again next to Ludwig, looking at him.

The different look in Gilbert's eyes, that was magic, Ludwig thought.

"Magic is that gut feeling inside, knowing that you're in a good place. Looking at someone and feeling at ease, feeling like you're home. That is also magic."

Ludwig watched him for a long time before speaking "And what is that spell called?"

Shrugging, Gilbert cocked a shoulder as he put his weight on one palm on the ground. "Love. Family. Friendship."

A half-smile graced Ludwig's face and he reached out, shaking Gilbert's hair. He thought for a moment of Max's words, weeks and weeks ago when he was shopping for Gilbert's school supplies. That Gilbert might seem reckless, immature, emotionally stunted, clingy and overly talkative, but deep down he wasn't a dumb kid. That he held a surprising amount of intelligence. 'Perhaps even wisdom', Max had said.

Perhaps indeed, Ludwig thought silently. The wisdom of Gilbert, that was certainly magic, if nothing else was.


A/N: So I took some historical liberties with this one, describing Charlottenburg & the Hohenzollerns... Charlottenburg was the Palace in Berlin where Prussian kings and queens resided, as mentioned. If you all are ever in Berlin definitely take a peek, it's gorgeous and the gardens are very peaceful. I don't know if there's a secret magical part underneath but the rest of it is quite enchanting!

I ended this chapter sooner than I'd like, but I do enjoy the ending. I hope you are liking the interaction between Gilbert and Ludwig as well. Happy Holidays!