Fullmoon Circus Chapter 10: The Masked Magician, a harry potter fanfic

Part 10

Seven years later

Alastor Moody hated muggle circuses. He never understood them but here he was, forced to attend one because reports had come to the Ministry about a circus magician that used real magic. Moody had just huffed. He was not head of the department anymore but he was sometimes asked to help out with cases. So that's why he was now approaching a big circus tent. Outside of the tent he saw a young man dressed in dark colours. He had dark hair and wore a mask so his eyes were not visible. He raised a muggle thing towards his mouth. Moody remembered Arthur Weasley calling it a mugafoul or something like that. The muggle raised the mugafoul and started talking:

"Ladies and gentlemen boys and girls step right up, step right up. Come closer, you won't believe your eyes. Behind this curtain witness something you've never seen before, heard before, dreamt before. The most amazing show on earth. It's the most amazing show on earth. Do you want to be widely entertained, people to know your name? Do you crave fame? Well, they say things aren't always what they seem to be, even your greatest fantasies. You won't believe your eyes, won't even recognize the wonderment that lies nehind the shimmer and the lights. Is it true what they say? Is it all just fun and games? Or is there more behind the makeup and the faces full of paint? I ask you, do you want to come and play? Get the world to come and play! So sit back, relax, fasten your seat belts it's going to be a bumpy ride to the other side."

While he talked the people started entering the tent and Moody followed. He sat down at his assigned seat and waited. When everyone had been seated the man from the entrance ran to the centre of the circus ring and threw away his dull grey and dark clothes. Now he was wearing black pants, blue knee-high boots, black shirt and blue jacket. His eyes shimmered in every possible colours.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls and spirits of all ages and types welcome to the Fullmoon Circus!" the ringmaster yelled and the audience cheered. "Here we aim to thrill you!" as he spoke three trapeze artists appeared above him, doing amazing stunts without safety nets. "We aim to please you!" a woman with five wolf-like dogs appeared and ran around the ring with the dogs and they all did little tricks as they went. "We aim to inspire you!" acrobats appeared everywhere. "We aim to amuse you!" clowns. "And we aim… to amaze you…" the last he said with a somewhat spooky voice and from behind him appeared a masked person dressed in all black. He waved his wand and the ringmaster started to float in the air.

"So sit back and enjoy the show!" the ringmaster was now hanging upside down, smiling brightly. "And let the show begin!" when he said begin the masked man waved his wand and with an explosion everyone disappeared from the circus ring. The audience cheered but Moony just scoffed. If this is what that source talked about it was ridiculous. Moody watched in annoyance as the muggles performed stunts after stunts with trapezes, acrobatic stunts, fire eating/fire breathing, animal trainers, tightrope walkers, clairvoyants and even dancers and singing. Moody had to admit that he liked these… clows was that what they were called? He wasn't sure. He watched the animal trainers when something caught his gaze. There was something about these strange wolf-like dogs. They were bigger than normal wolves and their eyes looked a bit strange, almost human like. Their furs were in strange colours as well. Almost as if they had the same colour as some of the circus artists' hair. Something was wrong here but Moody could not say exactly what. The dog trainers did their final trick and then the ringmaster was back.

"And now for the final act before the grand finale… well actually it is two acts in one but you know", he said and the audience laughed. "His name is not known by anyone and his powers are out of this world. I told you in the beginning that things are not always as they seem." As he started to talk the lights went down in the tent. "In a world filled with mystery and tricks." Suddenly he had a butterfly in his hand made of light, no one saw where it came from. "You cannot always trust your own eyes." The butterfly turned out to be a simple light on a small stick. "But sometimes even what we think we see are not what we see at all. There are mysteries far beyond what our eyes can see and out guide to these mysteries is the…" he said a name in a language that Moody could not understand, no one seemed to do. "But in our language he is known as… the Masked Magician!" the ground underneath the ringmaster's feet exploded and he laughed almost manically. The people screamed but when the smoke cleared Moody and the others could see a man in the centre of the circus ring. He was dressed in a long black coat that looked as if it was from the Victorian era. It was tight and formfitting which gave the magician a slim look. He wore black shoes but no gloves. Over the long coat he wore something that to a muggle would look like a cloak but too Moody it looked like wizard robes. He narrowed his eye at the magician and tried to see through his mask. The mask only covered his eyes, eyebrows and his nose. The people watched him in anticipation. With a snap of his fingers a candle that stood on a table started burning and the magician gripped the flame and pulled out a wand. The audience cheered but Moody thought it was just tricks. Until the magician spun around that is and started performing his tricks. Moody suddenly started grinning.

"Oh I see", he said and grinned widely.

Sirius Black was not an entirely happy man. Sure he loved his godson and his friends and his job but for the last seven years the love of his life had been gone. They had had a huge fight and Moony had left them. He and James knew that Moony still wrote letters to Lily, telling her this and that and asking about Harry of course but he refused to talk to them. He even wrote Harry often... but not them. Sirius knew why. It was because they didn't support him and because they helped killing that poor werewolf boy. They may not have thrown the jinxes or hexes that killed him but they had stunned him so he couldn't defend himself. Then they had yelled at Moony for it.

Sirius understood, he got it. Before returning Remus had had a life, he'd had a job… his own business and he was a wanted and well-liked person. Returning with them had not only rendered him without a job but also without the love and respect he deserved. He went from a life where he was someone to a life filled with discrimination, fear and disgust. Remus went from a great life to a life full of fear, heart-ache and sorrows. Sure he had been there with them but they had not been there for him. Because James and Sirius didn't get it back then… they hadn't understood. All Remus had asked of them was for them to show people like him the same respect that they showed him. It wouldn't even have taken much only publicly going against Umbridge and here werewolf regulations.

They had done it… they had returned to the Ministry a few days later and in the Wizengamot stood up and protested the suggestion as well as suppling strong counter arguments. The branding had not gone through as had the suggestion of banning werewolves from schooling of any kind. However the Ministry advised against putting other students at such risks so no child that had been bitten had gone to Hogwarts since Remus was there.

Remus… Sirius sighed. He should be there with them but no one knew where he was… well Lily did but she refused to tell them more than him being safe and sound. Full moons were the worst because Sirius knew Remus was alone during them and would hurt himself and Sirius could not stand Remus being hurt. He sighed again when he remembered that he and James had hurt him, badly.

Sirius heard Harry and his three best friends talking out in the garden. Sirius smiled looking at his godson. He looked exactly like James but his eyes were Lily's and he took after his mother a lot. Well he did pull quite a few pranks with Neville, Ron and Hermione. Well mostly with Neville, Ron and the Weasley twins but Hermione helped them at times. She kind of had Remus' old spot on the pranking group.

Speaking of Remus, well thinking of him, Sirius had slowly started to agree with Remus' sentiment of not trusting Dumbledore. Sirius had felt very uncomfortable when they met Dumbledore after going to Azkaban. There was something… not right. He had begged their forgiveness and they giving it, well not Remus but that was understandable. Dumbledore had even said so. At the time Sirius had not had any valid reasons to doubt the old man but now… after Harry's first two years at Hogwarts how could he not doubt the old man's sanity?

First year Harry had face off with a teacher with freaking Voldemort growing out of his head! While trying to keep the Philosopher's Stone away from said teacher. He'd never seen Lily that mad before… well until second year when the Chamber of Secrets opened and Harry and Neville went with that smarmy faker Lockhart to fight the monster and save Ginny Weasley! Lily had been furious with not only Harry and Dumbledore but at James and Sirius too for not knowing that the Chamber was there in the first place since they kept going on and on about knowing the school in and out. She had yelled at Dumbledore for hours and "poor" Lucius Malfoy as well when he showed up with his poor house elf… whom Harry managed to free which calmed Lily down a little. Dobby now worked for the Potters and got some money as a salary. Lily had not wanted him there at first because she thought it felt weird to have a "servant" but Harry had begged her and she liked the help she got when not working at her store.

James and Sirius still worked for the Auror Department and they both knew James was next in line for the job as head auror. Thinking of next in line… Sirius wondered who would be next in line for a job as the DADA teacher at Hogwarts. Hopefully it would be someone sane this time. But before he could think more about it the fireplace behind him roared to life and Moody's head appeared in the flames.

"Black!" he yelled.

"Moody nice to see you", Sirius said happily and walked over and sat down in a chair. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I need you and Potter to come with me to the ceercrus this afternoon."

"The what now?"

"Some muggle show in a tent. I need you and Potter with me."

"Why?" Sirius asked. "Wait is this the Fullmoon Thinga Majing that Scrimgeour was talking about with a magician doing real magic?"

"Yes."

"And he sent you?"

"Said none of his auror had the time."

"And did you discover anything?"

"Yes."

"Then why do you need us there?"

"Just come to my house and I'll show you. I need a second opinion and active aurors to bring the guy in if need to. Now get your partner and tell him to get your asses over here! Remember constant vigilance!" And with that Moody's head disappeared.

Later that day Sirius, James and Moody went to the Fullmoon Circus again. Moody had a smug look on his face but he didn't tell the two aurors anything. When they got to the circus Moody recognized the ringmaster standing at the opening to the tent again. James and Sirius looked at the young man dressed in dark colours. He had dark hair and wore a mask, so his eyes were not visible.

"Ladies and gentlemen boys and girls step right up, step right up", the young man called. "Come closer, you won't believe your eyes. Behind this curtain witness something you've never seen before, heard before, dreamt before. The most amazing show on earth. It's the most amazing show on earth. Do you want to be widely entertained, people to know your name? Do you crave fame? Well, they say things aren't always what they seem to be, even your greatest fantasies. You won't believe your eyes, won't even recognize the wonderment that lies behind the shimmer and the lights. Is it true what they say? Is it all just fun and games? Or is there more behind the makeup and the faces full of paint? I ask you, do you want to come and play? Get the world to come and play! So sit back, relax, fasten your seat belts it's going to be a bumpy ride to the other side."

While he talked the people started entering the tent and Moody followed, dragging the two confused aurors with him. They sat down in their assigned seats and waited. When everyone had been seated the ringmaster ran to the centre of the circus ring and threw away his dull grey and dark clothes just like the night before.

"Whoa his eyes are strange", Sirius whispered to the others. James nodded. The man's eyes seemed to change colour all the time.

"James!" Sirius said and grabbed James' arm tightly. "Those are-"

"I know but how is it possible", James asked and looked at the dogs. It was the night of the full moon but the sun had yet to go down and here in the tent were a bunch of transformed werewolves doing tricks.

"We aim to inspire you!" acrobats appeared everywhere at the ringmaster's words. "We aim to amuse you!" clowns. "And we aim… to amaze you…" the last he said with a somewhat spooky voice and from behind him appeared a masked person dressed in all black. He waved his hand the ringmaster started to float in the air.

"That was Wingardium Leviosa", Sirius hissed at James and Moody who both nodded. "Is it him we need to keep our eyes on?"

"Yes now shut up", Moody said. "The show is about to start."

"So sit back and enjoy the show!" the ringmaster was now hanging upside down, smiling brightly. "And let the show begin!" when he said begin the masked man waved his hand and with an explosion everyone disappeared from the circus ring. The three watched in anticipation as the muggles performed stunts after stunts with trapezes, acrobatic stunts, fire eating/fire breathing, animal trainers, tightrope walkers, clairvoyants and even dancers and singing. Sirius and James looked a little afraid when Moody laughed and clapped at the cluns or whatever those red nosed things were called. Moody laughing like that was actually quite scary. Then the dog trainers did their final trick and then the ringmaster was back.

"And now for the final act before the grand finale… well actually it is two acts in one but you know", he said and the audience laughed. "His name is not known by anyone and his powers are out of this world. I told you in the beginning that things are not always as they seem." As he started to talk the lights went down in the tent. "In a world filled with mystery and tricks." Suddenly he had a butterfly in his hand made of light, no one saw where it came from. "You cannot always trust your own eyes." The butterfly turned out to be a simple light on a small stick. "But sometimes even what we think we see are not what we see at all. There are mysteries far beyond what our eyes can see and out guide to these mysteries is the…" he said a name in a language that the three aurors, one ex, could not understand, no one seemed to do. "But in our language he is known as… the Masked Magician!" the ground underneath the ringmaster's feet exploded and he laughed almost manically. The people screamed but when the smoke cleared they could see a man in the centre of the circus ring. He was dressed in a long black coat that looked as if it was from the Victorian era. It was tight and formfitting which gave the magician a slim look. He wore black shoes but no gloves. Over the long coat he wore something that to a muggle would look like a cloak but to the three wizards it looked like wizard robes. The people watched him in anticipation. With a snap of his fingers a candle that stood on a table started burning and the magician gripped the flame and pulled out a wand. The audience cheered but James and Sirius eyed the man suspiciously. With a sharp turn the man waved his magic wand in a very familiar pattern and flames burst from the tip and lit candles all around the ring. The muggles cheered but the three wizards narrowed their eyes.

"Incendio", James said and Moody nodded. "Wordless magic?"

"Looks like it… oh here comes the best part", Moody said and the Masked Magician raised his wand and pointed at a little black box. He made a gesture and the box started floating in the air. The Magician walked around it to show no strings. He took out a tissue from his pocket and draped it over the box. Then with a wand movement and without a word the box and tissue transformed into a magnificent big black horse and on the back was a young man with honey coloured hair. His amber eyes twinkled in the light from the candles and lamps above. His hair stood up on end and he was dressed in black pants and a red vest. On his head was a bowler hat. He wore some mascara and had two black earrings in his ears. He was barefoot and rode the horse without bridle or saddle. He got up on the horse's back and started doing tricks. The Magician threw tissue after tissue into the air and transformed them all into horses. The audience cheered as the rider started doing stunts like walking across to different horses or hung upside down from their backs and so on. The Magician realized that he was not visible anymore and levitated himself above the horses. The rider smiled at him and got a small pouch from his belt. He opened it and showed the audience, which meant he was standing on a horse that was galloping around the circus ring and showed them the content. It was lots of small marbles. The Magician smiled fondly at the rider and nodded, readying himself with his wand. The rider grinned and started throwing marbles into the air. The Magician waved his wand and every time the marbles in the air turned into birds.

"Avifors as well", Sirius gaped. "That guy is good."

"Yeah", James agreed. "Wordless transfiguration is really hard to do. He even uses some form of Revelio or Reparifarge… he is good." They watched the magician use other spells to amuse the audience and his riding assistant showed off his talents with horses and for acrobatics. Then with a wave of his wand the Magician sent all the horses away. The rider made a vault in the air and landed on the ground next to him. The audience cheered and the two performers took a bow. They looked at each other and nodded. The Magician took off his wizard robe and shook it and it turned into a big cloth. The rider took hold of it and they waved it up and down three times and at the last the Magician pulled it from his assistant and the ringmaster stood between them now. The audience cheered. The ringmaster stretched his arms out and music started playing and he started singing:

Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for
Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor
And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore
Taking your breath, stealing your mind
And all that was real is left behind

As he sang the Magician kept waving his wand around in the dark and whenever he pointed somewhere a performer would appear and lights would shine on them. The audience cheered and the ringmaster kept singing.

Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after
Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer
Just surrender 'cause you feel the feeling taking over
It's fire, it's freedom, it's flooding open
It's a preacher in the pulpit and you'll find devotion
There's something breaking at the brick of every wall it's holding
All that you know, so tell me do you wanna go?

The Magician snapped his fingers and all the lights came on. Horses ran around and acrobats started doing tricks. The trapeze artists did thrilling stunts in the air. It was the grand finale where all performers did everything they could to awe the audience. The Magician was levitating in the middle of it all summoning birds, performers or causing little lights to fly around. The whole crew sang with the ringmaster now.

Where it's covered in all the coloured lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show

The ringmaster grinned and used his cane to point out various acts as they performed. He even took part in some of the jugglers' antics while he sang:

(Woah) colossal we come these renegades in the ring
(Woah) where the lost get found in the crown of the circus king
Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after
It's blinding, outshining anything that you know
Just surrender 'cause you're calling and you wanna go

With one wave of his wand the Magician turned the horses into birds that flew out of the tent. The rider doing stunts jumped in the air and landed beside the Magician, hovering in the air just like him. Everyone except the Magician were singing.

Where it's covered in all the coloured lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, intoxicating you
Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show

The ringmaster looked out at the moon rising and nodded before tapping his cane on the floor of the circus ring. When he did it turned into a long stick and the Magician nodded and landed on the ground with his assistant while the ringmaster sang with the rider.

It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be (this is where you wanna be)
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be
This is where you wanna be

While he sang along with the Magician's rider who also seemed to be his assistant the ringmaster put his stick down in the floor and the Magician made it grow into a pole before conjuring one out of thin air. The audience cheered. The Magician put it up as well and the ringmaster grinned and all performers started running around the ring as they sang:

The Magican spun around and threw off his wizard robe. It landed between the poles and turned into a curtain. Then the Magician pointed at the curtain and sang loudly while the ringmaster ran through it:

This is the greatest show
Where it's covered in all the coloured lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the walls can't stop us now
I'm watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show

The audience cheered as the ringmaster disappeared and the other circus artists ran through the curtain. But instead of disappearing they turned into wolves on the other side. Their singing could still be heard even though they all turned into wolves as they one by one ran through the curtain. The Magician walked towards the "gate" he had created and sang with his assistant:

'Cause everything you want is right in front of you
And you see the impossible is coming true
And the walls can't stop us (now) now, yeah

The rider patted the Magician's cheek and dove through the curtain as well, turning into a wolf. The Magican grabbed the curtain and sang:

This is the greatest show (oh!)
This is the greatest show

He held the note at the last line and with a yank he pulled away the curtain and the poles disappeared. He spun the curtain around himself and also turned into a wolf with soft-looking brown-blonde fur and beautiful amber eyes. James and Sirius flew to their feet as the lights died along with the music. The audience cheered loudly and got on their feet at once. The lights came on and the wolves were all gone. It looked as empty as when they had arrived. But Sirius and James kept staring at the place where the Magician had been standing. They could not believe their eyes. How was that possible? What was he doing here!?

The next morning Moody, James and Sirius returned to the circus. They had searched the whole place that night but had not found anything, not a single person or wolf. But now when they came they saw people hustling about taking down the tent and packing up the circus. When the circus artists noticed them they stopped what they were doing and turned around. The young brown-haired man that had been the ringmaster jogged up to them.

"Can I help you gentlemen", he asked.

"Yes", Moody said. "We are looking for you so called 'Masked Magician'."

"Oh and why is that", the man asked and crossed his arms.

"We need to talk to him."

"Whatever for? Oooh has he done something nasty or illegal? I say you cannot trust wizards these days always running around causing havoc oh! Hello!" he turned to James and Sirius. "My what an interesting air we got here. A stag and a dog together? Very interesting."

"Excuse me", James said and looked into those eyes that seemed to shift in all colours.

"You are excused", the man replied. "Now what do you need to see my puppy for?"

"We need to talk to him about using magic in front of muggles", Moody said.

"Muggles? What are those? Oh are you foreigners? Awww don't tell me you are fanatics that forbid magic because it is the Devil's work?"

"Shut your trap boy you know exactly what I am talking about! You and your pack here knows exactly what muggles are and you know exactly what we are! Now shut your trap and take me to that wizard of yours so we can talk to him about not exposing our world to the muggles!"

The smile vanished from the ringmaster's face.

"Now you listen here aurors", he growled. "You have no power here. This circus is a sanctuary and does not belong to any ministry so in fact you have no say of what is going on or not around here."

"You are exposing people to danger", Sirius said. "We all saw you transform last night! Not all of you are animagi… you're werewolves!"

"So what of it?" the ringmaster asked and crossed his arms again.

"Don't you see how dangerous what you are doing is!? What if the Wolfsbane you take isn't perfect and-"

"Wolfsbane?" the ringmaster laughed. "You have got to be-"

"Jay", a sharp voice said and an elderly woman came trotting up to them leaning on her cane. She was short, almost as short as Professor Flitwick. Her hair was grey and sat in a tight bun on her head. She looked frail but her voice was that of a no-nonsense kind.

"Stop bickering with these people and just take them to where they want to go before I get your ass a whooping so you can't sit for a week!"

"Yes Jem", Jay said and pouted a little. "This way gentlemen."

"And stop sulking Jay it does not become you!" the woman shouted after them. James had to fight a snigger. As they walked through the camp the werewolves eyed them with interest. There were a few children there as well and teens, grownups and elderly people. James saw a man in a wheelchair and a woman with a crutch otherwise they just seemed like normal people. However all of them had scars on their faces, arms, legs or shoulders… well what they could see. Jay led them to a small tent that only looked as if it fit one person.

"Dorian visitors!" Jay called and ducked inside. James, Sirius and Moody followed and snorted. Of course the tent was enchanted. Inside it was big as a small cottage. There was even a kitchen and a door leading to a bathroom. Out from the bathroom came a young man dressed only in a pair of red and black chequered pants. His hair they could see was actually honey coloured and his eyes twinkled happily. He held a black vest in his hands.

"Hello Jay", he said when he saw them. "Who are these people?"

"They are here to talk to our wizard about using magic out in the open", Jay replied.

"Ooooh again?" Dorian asked with a grin. "Wait while I get him!" Dorian ran behind a bookshelf and Jay left the three wizards there. Dorian soon returned and headed for the kitchen while the Magician appeared around the corner.

"Now how can I", he began but his voice died away. "J-James? S-Sirius?"

"Moony", Sirius whispered.

"Hiya Remus", James said happily. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"I'll take my leave", Moody said. "You boys handle this and report to the office I have better things to do than run my head against a stubborn werewolf's." With that he left and the three Marauders were left staring at each other and Dorian watched them with a grin.

"Exciting!" he said.

TBC Thanks for all the reviews and favourites so far! :D Song not mine and the words the ringmaster says when calling people to the tent are not mine either. I think it's from Christina Aguilera.