Prologue
The boy was playing make believe. He was pretending to be the greatest wizard he had ever known. He was pretending to be his father.
"Come, Kildrop we must go to face our enemies." He pushed himself along on a toy horse across his playroom floor.
Twenty stuffed animals, lined against the wall, stared back at the boy. He imagined them to be fierce beasts. He imagined himself to be tall and brave.
"I am the Great Wizard Irvine!" pronounced the child. "And I will vanquish you all! Wingardium Leviosa!"
The boy said his spell with a great flourish of his arms. He had heard his father say this spell. He said the words just the way his father would have.
Much to his surprise, every single stuffed bear and dragon rose into the air well above his head. He squealed in surprise. The toys fell instantly.
"Daddy!"
The boy ran from the room to find his father. The house was very large, and by time he neared his fathers study, the little boy was out of breath. He pushed open the large oak doors.
The father jerked around in surprise to see his son.
"Daddy! Look what I can do! Wingardium Leviosa!" the boy shouted and pointed at a nearby vase.
The vase was heavy. It floated only a short distance from its stand.
With a quick wave of the hand, the boys' father broke the spell and the vase crashed to the floor.
"Von! What have I told you about interrupting? Go back to your room this."
"Irvine."
The boy had not seen the stranger sitting in the corner.
"Is this your son?" continued the strange man as he rose from his chair. He walked to where the boy stood.
The boy thought the man smelled like a dug up garden. Like old dirt and worms. His hair was white like grandmas'. His skin was smooth like Mothers'. The man smiled. "How old are you, child?" he asked, looking down at the boy.
The man caressed the boys' cheek, and his hands were cold. The boy looked to his father, uncertain.
"I'm six." the boy answered.
"Six?" the stranger said. "Only six? And able to perform a spell at will?"
The man continued to stroke the boys' cheek, and turned to look at the boys' father. The man smiled.
"Well, little one," he continued, returning his eyes to the boy. "You will one day be a very, very powerful wizard indeed."
The man dragged a sharp nail across the boys' cheek. There was a thin line of blood.
The boy began to cry.
The father snatched his son by the arm and led him forcefully out the door, and the boy cried harder. His father has never been so rough with him. "Have your mother clean that." the father said, and he slammed the door.
The boy cried all the way back to his room. He rubbed his eyes red.
Tomorrow, he will forget the spell.
The boy was playing make believe. He was pretending to be the greatest wizard he had ever known. He was pretending to be his father.
"Come, Kildrop we must go to face our enemies." He pushed himself along on a toy horse across his playroom floor.
Twenty stuffed animals, lined against the wall, stared back at the boy. He imagined them to be fierce beasts. He imagined himself to be tall and brave.
"I am the Great Wizard Irvine!" pronounced the child. "And I will vanquish you all! Wingardium Leviosa!"
The boy said his spell with a great flourish of his arms. He had heard his father say this spell. He said the words just the way his father would have.
Much to his surprise, every single stuffed bear and dragon rose into the air well above his head. He squealed in surprise. The toys fell instantly.
"Daddy!"
The boy ran from the room to find his father. The house was very large, and by time he neared his fathers study, the little boy was out of breath. He pushed open the large oak doors.
The father jerked around in surprise to see his son.
"Daddy! Look what I can do! Wingardium Leviosa!" the boy shouted and pointed at a nearby vase.
The vase was heavy. It floated only a short distance from its stand.
With a quick wave of the hand, the boys' father broke the spell and the vase crashed to the floor.
"Von! What have I told you about interrupting? Go back to your room this."
"Irvine."
The boy had not seen the stranger sitting in the corner.
"Is this your son?" continued the strange man as he rose from his chair. He walked to where the boy stood.
The boy thought the man smelled like a dug up garden. Like old dirt and worms. His hair was white like grandmas'. His skin was smooth like Mothers'. The man smiled. "How old are you, child?" he asked, looking down at the boy.
The man caressed the boys' cheek, and his hands were cold. The boy looked to his father, uncertain.
"I'm six." the boy answered.
"Six?" the stranger said. "Only six? And able to perform a spell at will?"
The man continued to stroke the boys' cheek, and turned to look at the boys' father. The man smiled.
"Well, little one," he continued, returning his eyes to the boy. "You will one day be a very, very powerful wizard indeed."
The man dragged a sharp nail across the boys' cheek. There was a thin line of blood.
The boy began to cry.
The father snatched his son by the arm and led him forcefully out the door, and the boy cried harder. His father has never been so rough with him. "Have your mother clean that." the father said, and he slammed the door.
The boy cried all the way back to his room. He rubbed his eyes red.
Tomorrow, he will forget the spell.