Chapter 17: Luck deliverer

Harry Potter was playing a game of exploding snap with the Weasley kids, relaxed among his friends. Merlin wasn't getting anywhere in his attempt to join the group and had to resort to spying on the boy from a distance. He hoped that whatever Dumbledore planned would work because this wasn't a valid long-term solution.

When he accepted Dumbledore's invitation, Merlin expected to find companionship in Harry Potter. The way Dumbledore described him reminded Merlin of Arthur. The Boy Who Lived was like the Prince of Hogwarts in a way, known by all, respected by some, feared by others. He already had powerful enemies and a prophesied future.

Amused by this comparison, Merlin tried to remember the day when he had met Arthur. He didn't know who the arrogant knight was, but he was determined to stop him from mistreating a servant. Everyone was in shock. No one dared to mouth off to the Prince of Camelot, but even once Merlin learned who he had just called a prat, he did not back down. He was lucky that Arthur found his daring foolishness funny and did not have him executed. Or maybe he found Merlin's honesty refreshing.

Merlin wondered if a similar tactic would work this time. Harry wasn't a bully or an arrogant royal, so what would be the alternative daring and foolish action to get on his radar?

Content that Harry was safe at the moment, Merlin came back to his dorm and plopped on his bed. His roommates were sitting on their beds, doing their homework. Would it be the end of the world if he didn't hand his in?

"Harry still won't sign the picture," Colin said, putting his parchment away. "I don't know how else I can ask."

"Forget him," Jack said. "He's not worth spoiling your mood."

"But it's a collectible," Colin grumbled, then his eyes went wide as he got an idea. He shot up from his bed and bounded over between Jack's and Merlin's beds. "Will you two sign it?"

"Potter's picture?"

Colin laughed and shoved a picture in his hand. It was a shot of the three of them, Colin, Merlin, and Jack, as taken by Percy Weasley on their first day of school.

"I forgot about this one," Jack said and signed the picture on the back. "Look at us. We're moving! That's so cool."

"Merlin helped me find the potion recipe that animated the photos," Colin said, giving the photo to Merlin to sign. "He's being all humble about it, but he knew exactly how to brew it. He's like a potions pro."

Colin gave him a little nudge while Merlin only hoped he would drop the subject. Helping the boy might have been a lapse in judgement.

"I'll make you two copies as well," Colin said, "if you want?"

"I'd love it," Merlin said, handing him the signed photo.

"Can I see the other ones?" Jack asked.

"I thought you'd never ask." Colin ran to his nightstand and came back with a stack of prints. Jack checked each picture and lingered on a shot of him and Elsa.

"It's annoying that Elsa is taller now. We used to be the same. Do you think I can make up for it or will she always be taller?"

Colin glanced at the picture. "It's not even an inch. You're still much taller than me. Well, everyone is."

Jack gave the stack back. "They're really nice, Colin."

"You know what, keep that photo." Colin put the photo in his hands.

"Thank you," Jack said, tenderly touching the picture with his thumb as if it was his most beloved possession. "I've never had a…"

He didn't finish but stared at it while a range of emotions passed through his features.

"No problem," Colin said happily and ran back to his bed.

Jack put the photo in his drawer and looked down at his shoes like he was disappointed that they were still next to his bed.

"Stupid shoes," he grumbled and winced, shoving his feet in them.

Colin lifted up the legs of his trousers to show off his socks—one black and one blue. "You know, shoes would be more comfortable if you wore these babies."

Jack huffed. "As if I need more things on my feet. I can slip off shoes during lessons without anyone noticing. Can't do that with socks, can I?"

"Why do you hate shoes so much?"

"Same reason why Merlin always wears a scarf."

Colin's eyes shifted to Merlin. "Why do you always wear a scarf? Don't you get too warm?"

For a seemingly innocent topic, this question felt very personal. Merlin wore the scarf because neckerchiefs were unfortunately out of fashion, and the school-approved scarf was the best alternative. As to why he loved neckerchiefs, that was his business.

"Because I like to," he answered, fidgeting with the ends of the Gryffindor scarf. He hoped it wasn't too big of a deal. He'd hate to go out in public with a naked neck.

"You're both weird," Colin summarized and smiled broadly, "but I like you that way."

Jack kicked the shoes off, mumbling, "Who cares."

"Where are you going anyway?" Merlin asked, ready to change the topic away from his fashion choices. "It's too early for supper."

Jack looked between them, chewing on his lip. "I'm bored. I was going to, uh, take a walk. Yeah. Outside."

Merlin sighed loud and long. "Jack, someone really should tell you, you're a terrible liar."

Colin laughed from the other side of the room.

Jack looked at his bare feet, feigning innocence, "Technically, it's not a lie. I will be walking… outside."

"Where are you walking to?" Merlin was enjoying this banter.

Jack looked out the window, then at the two of them. "Promise you won't tell anyone."

Colin nodded repeatedly, bouncing on his bed.

"We promise," Merlin said.

"I was thinking to…" Jack's voice dropped to a whisper, "to borrow a school broom and go back up there."

Now, Merlin was even more glad that he asked. Jack thought that he had landed on his own, unaware of Merlin's intervention. This boy had to learn some restraint before he killed himself.

"Jack, you were reckless last time. Please, promise me you'll be more careful in the future."

"Sure, Elsa. Whatever you say."

Colin snorted while Merlin ground his teeth. Did this boy not have a serious bone in him? How could he talk some caution into him? Maybe he should've made his landing a little harder to teach him a lesson.

'He's eleven,' he had to remind himself. 'And so are you. Don't talk like a parent.'

"I get it," Merlin said. "It was fun, dangerous, but fun. So, what was it like above the clouds?"

Colin exclaimed with a loud gasp. "You flew above the clouds?"

"Yeah, thanks to your handy distraction," Jack answered. "Does it still hurt?"

Colin ran over to sit on Merlin's bed. "I'm fine. All healed. Tell us."

"It was amazing." There was a sparkle to Jack's eyes as he explained with a lot of hand gestures. "It's like a whole new world where it's always sunny. It's as if the clouds were the ground and the Sun was just coming up over the horizon. So you could create a sunrise over and over just by going up and down! It's so quiet and perfect. I can't wait to get back up there. Did you know that there are clouds above clouds? The second layer was as far away from the first as the ground. I wonder how many more layers there are and what they feel like."

"You really shouldn't fly higher, not that the broom will let you," Merlin said, though he worried that his warnings were falling on deaf ears. "There's not enough oxygen up there. If you faint, I can guarantee that your landing will be quite worse than last time."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I won't stay there if I can't breathe."

It was nice to see this carefree side of Jack. Maybe that was the secret to acting like a child? Merlin said, "Can I go with you?"

Jack smirked at him. "If you can keep up."

Colin got up. "I… I'm afraid to fly that high but could you bring my camera and snap a few pics for me?"

Jack frowned, thinking about it. "My first landing was rather, uh, violent. I wouldn't want to break your camera."

Merlin pointed out, "You do realize that you're more worried about the camera than yourself?"

"I'm durable," Jack answered.

Merlin shook his head and put his shoes on. He had a feeling that Jack was going to need that elusive 'luck' again. What was he if not a secret luck deliverer?

They left Colin in the dorm, and Jack led the way as they ran out of the castle and to the broom shed. He pulled on the handle but it wouldn't budge.

"It's locked!" Jack complained.

There was no need to hide a spell this simple, so Merlin pulled out his wand. "Alohomora," he said, and the lock clicked obediently.

"Good one!" Jack exclaimed and wrenched the door open.

They quickly snuck out two school brooms, watching the grounds for signs of anyone who would want to stop them. They shot into the sky without missing a beat.

Merlin had flown on brooms a lot. It wasn't his favorite mode of transport, but there were times when it was most practical. No other wizard had as many years of experience on a broom as he had. Yet today, he found himself left in the dust, or, more accurately, he was left in the gust as Jack soared way ahead of him.

Jack paused in the air, waiting. "I thought you said you could keep up."

"How is your broom so much faster than mine?"

"Lucky again? Let's fly!"

They continued and Merlin was quickly reminded of the inferior equipment he was using. As the broom's magic reached its limits, it started to vibrate in his hands.

"Jack!" he yelled after the boy, slowing down. "This broom can't go any higher."

Jack turned around and flew back. "Broom problems?"

Merlin wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on. He wished he had planned out this trip better. He could have enchanted the broom to get it in better shape but didn't want to do it with Jack witnessing his magic. Could he distract him now? It was difficult to think when the vibrations were turning his brain into jelly.

Jack approached, lining up next to him. "Why is it shaking so much?"

He reached Merlin's broom with his left hand, and the shaking stopped immediately.

Merlin took a few blissfully steady breaths while observing the perfectly balanced broom. "What did you do?"

Jack shrugged. "Nothing. We can do this, just hold on tight. We'll go fast this time. I was holding back before."

"Holding back?"

Merlin barely got the words out when they flew upwards. He held onto the broom for dear life, wondering how speed like that was possible on an old school broomstick. His ears popped as they ascended, and he was starting to feel nauseous. He was regretting this idea. This was a very bad idea.

The temperature dropped after they shot through the clouds to pause above them, where the wind whipped their robes and the frigid air assaulted their lungs. Merlin shivered, holding onto the broom so hard that his knuckles were white. What in the world was he thinking to tag along on this trip?

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, holding both brooms effortlessly. "You look a bit pale. Maybe I should've gone slower."

Merlin swallowed a few times, trying to clear his ears. How ironic that he came here to watch over Jack, but his life was now literally in the boy's hands. He wasn't sure if he could make the broom work if he fell to Earth. Even though death was never permanent for him, he'd rather avoid the experience whenever possible.

"Please, don't let go."

"I got you. So, what do you think?" Jack motioned with his head at the scene in front of them.

Merlin tried to take in the view but the beauty was overshadowed by his worry. Despite how steady Jack's flight was, he was only learning. How long before he made a mistake?

It wasn't the first time Merlin had been above the clouds. He'd never made this trip on a broomstick, but he had flown on several dragons over the years, and they liked making a quick trip through the clouds for fun, to his chagrin. He had also flown on a Muggle airplane just to see what the fuss was all about. One of those experiences was enough to last him a lifetime. He'd choose dragons over planes every time.

Jack led them leisurely above the condensation with a permanent grin on his face. The wind playfully ruffled his white hair and whipped his robes about. While each gust brought a chill to Merlin's bones, the boy welcomed it, unaffected by the cold. Now that his pulse was somewhat under control, and his mind was not in a panic mode, Merlin paid more attention to how Jack steered them. Brooms were enchanted to obey commands given by leaning or pulling on the handle, commands Jack was not using.

"Jack, how do you tell the broom which way to go?"

"I think it," Jack said simply, still looking out over the horizon. Then, he must have realized what Merlin's question meant because he asked, "How do you?"

Merlin's scoff turned into a chuckle. He shouldn't have been surprised. He knew there was something different about this boy and his sister. "Jack, do you know Old Religion?"

"What's that?"

Merlin sighed. No, the idea that someone out there taught their kids this ancient magic was too good to be true. "Nevermind. It's freezing out here, let's get back."

Jack released his broom when they were closer to the ground. Merlin was ready to intervene again if needed, but thankfully, Jack was more cautious this time. Still, his flying method was not as effective for slowing down, and in the end, Jack landed by rolling on the grass again. Merlin felt a tiny smidge of satisfaction as he gently touched down on the ground. At least he was better at landing.

They returned to the Gryffindor common room in high spirits after their little trip.

"We should do this again," Jack said. "We'll bring Colin's camera next time, but maybe you should carry it."

"Good idea."

"What were you two doing?" Percy Weasley demanded as soon as they walked in. "Nix, don't show up to dinner in those grass stains. Ealdor, Hermione Granger was looking for you."

Jack fled to their dorm while Merlin approached the couches in front of the fireplace. Hermione was waiting for him with books strewn on the coffee table, and upon seeing him, she patted the seat next to her. Merlin wasn't sure what this was about but sat down obediently.

"I was told you needed a tutor for Transfiguration," she said. "You're in luck because I know all about it. Let's get to work. We'll start with the theory."

Merlin couldn't keep a smile off his face. He was going to be tutored by a twelve-year-old.

'Thanks, Albus,' he thought.

》《

Elsa joined her roommates in the Great Hall though she wasn't very hungry. She had entire two days to devote to research. She was ready for a breakthrough. Sue Li was doing homework while eating, crossing over everything she had written, and starting over. Next to her, Luna ate her oatmeal while looking up at the enchanted ceiling with awe as if it depicted something other than a cloudy day.

An owl swooped down to their table, carrying a package in its talons. Sue Li screeched.

"Apple, how lovely to see you," Luna said to the small hawk-like bird.

She reached out to pet it on the head, and the owl closed its eyes in pleasure. Sue Li scooted away on the bench.

"Apple?" Elsa asked, wondering if she misheard.

"She loves our apple tree. It was as if she wanted to be named after it, so we took the hint." Luna gave the owl a small sausage link as a treat. Apple snatched it and flew away.

"It must be daddy's response."

Elsa licked her lips, remembering what Luna was going to ask her dad about. The package on the table could contain a clue, but to her frustration, Luna went back to eating her oatmeal, leaving the parcel unopened. Did she not realize how important it was?

"Are you going to open it?"

"Go ahead."

Elsa promptly ripped the brown paper wrapping. Inside was a letter which she handed to her friend, and two copies of a magazine called The Quibbler with eye-catching but strange article headlines.

Luna read the letter and relayed its contents while munching, "Daddy says that he doesn't know where the mirror is. He sent the magazine with the article about it along with tomorrow's edition for some fun reading."

"Tomorrow's? How did he get tomorrow's edition already?"

"He's the editor."

"That's great. It must be fun."

"Oh, it is. Dad is always on the lookout for the most interesting ideas and publishes what other magazines don't dare to discuss or are too closed-minded to understand. The Quibbler is where the best stories are."

"Do you mind if I borrow the old one?"

"Feel free to keep it." Luna read the cover of the new edition and said on exhale. "Look at that. There was another sighting of Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I wonder where."

Elsa excused herself and left the Great Hall. She was stopped on the way by McGonagall.

"Elsa, dear. It feels like I haven't spoken to you in ages. How are you and your brother holding up?"

"We're great," Elsa said, though she had to admit she had not spoken to him outside of class. He was always busy with his new friends. She didn't mind though. She had friends of her own now.

The witch did not look assured. "Last we spoke, you were concerned about staying here. "Please, do remember that running away is not the answer. If you only…"

"We're not running away," Elsa interrupted. She was confident in her plan, but she had to hurry to finish before winter came.

"My door is always open if you ever need anything."

"Thank you. Have a good weekend, Professor," Elsa said, starting to walk away.

McGonagall sighed heavily and walked away to do whatever it was teachers did in their spare time. Elsa found a quiet spot in the courtyard, eager to find the article.

Got a friend in Azkaban? Get them a pacifier. Studies show that sucking on a pacifier lessens the long-term effects the Dementors have on a prisoner's mind.

Elsa frowned. This did not look like the article about the mirror.

WWN conspiracy. Stephen Cromp, known by many as Code Breaker Extraordinaire, has discovered that Wizarding Wireless Network transmits secret messages in its broadcast. Mr. Cromp claims that if you listen to the news report backwards on a blood-moon night, a secret recipe will be revealed for a vampire-repelling potion. Just one sip and you…

That didn't sound like it either.

She checked the headlines of a few more pages. Some of the articles were making her scratch her head while others made her laugh out loud. Were they supposed to be funny? But she wouldn't give up this fast. She was going to read them all if she had to.

Finally, she found something that mentioned a mirror. She read the article and tried to decipher the actual story behind the mystery and superfluous conspiracy theories.

Tales from the Attic: If looks could kill.

In today's edition of Tales From the Attic, we bring you a tale of an unsolved murder.

In the late nineteenth century, all the best-trained owls came from the House of Gulbadox. They claimed their methods were so superior, they could train mere street pigeons. Their business was booming like a coughing dragon until a scandal came to light. Their best trainer, the talented witch Doxy Gulbadox, went missing. She was known for her excessive sweating and ambition for becoming a Veela.

A lot of rumors surrounded her disappearance: a family squabble, assassination ordered by their competition, or another case of a rabid-centaur kidnapping. Their competition insisted that her disappearance was a cheap publicity stunt while the family claimed that Doxy was deranged like a sneezing Kneazle, that she made up stories of having a twin sister who was a Veela and most likely ran away to find her. Despite her owl-training talents, no one missed Doxy Gulbadox.

Years passed, the family stopped searching, and eventually, everyone forgot about Doxy and her excessive sweating. The new head of the family, a promising young wizard by the name of Wampus Boot Gulbadox, wanted to branch out into the experimental art of training noctule bats and set out to renovate the attic for that purpose. While cleaning it, he made a discovery as frightening as being caught in the web of a cantankerous Acromantula.

In a drafty corner of the attic, which happened to be above the bedroom of none other but Wampus, covered by spiderwebs and years of dust, sat the shriveled corpse of Doxy Gulbadox. She was in their attic for all of those years and they had no idea!

There was no apparent cause of death which prompted a murder mystery. An enigmatic Inspector, Zachary Bogtrotter, who others thought to be as pleasant as eating your own toes, took on the cold case.

The family insisted that Doxy was killed by nothing else but a cursed mirror, which they conveniently gave away to not fall for its trap. They claimed that it was the one and only Mirror of Erised said to reflect a heart's desire and ensnare anyone who dared to look at it. Its victims supposedly went into a trance, mesmerized by a vision of what they wanted most in the world.

Inspector Bogtrotter did not buy their story but had no evidence to the contrary. And even if it was true and Doxy did in fact waste away in front of a mirror, there was still the question of who planted the cursed mirror in the attic for her to find. Our enigmatic Inspector began interviewing all involved parties and suspected everyone in town.

Was it a family squabble? Were Doxy's siblings tired of her excessive sweating enough to lure her to a cursed object? Or was it their competition who, in a fit of jealous rage, decided to eliminate the threat without getting their wands dirty? The herd of rabid centaurs was unavailable for an interview and many still suspect their involvement.

But the final question was why the family disposed of the mirror this quickly. Was the infamous Mirror of Erised ever in the drafty corner of the Gulbadox attic? What else were they hiding?

For lack of evidence, no arrests were made and the case of the death of Doxy Gulbadox remains forever unsolved.

What say you, dear readers? Do you believe that Doxy was killed by an enchanted mirror or was this a cover-up?

Elsa read the article several times and tried to put the clues together. She believed that Doxy had, in fact, died in front of a mirror. This supported what she had read about it in the library, "I nearly wasted away in front of a mirror, unable to make its reflection possible." Elsa deduced that Doxy wanted to see a Veela sister and that was what the mirror showed her: her heart's desire.

What mattered most was that the mirror was real. The article did not mention what happened to it. If Doxy's family gave it away for their own safety, where would it have been placed? Elsa hoped that the article would give her more information than this, but at least she now knew the name of the mirror and had some more information about its properties.

Who knew that desires could be dangerous? Thankfully, she was smarter than Doxy Gulbadox.

A/N: Did you like the article?

NaNoWriMo 2020 update: I'm officially working on Cursed (book 2) right now. It's a tricky story to write, there are a million subplots going on (just like in this book), but that's what makes it fun. My challenge right now is to somehow make sense of the chaos. I've created a a monster (again).

Check this out. These are the subplots introduced in the first 12 chapters: We've got dragons, converting memories into illusions, playing Quidditch, causing magical mayhem in attempt to crack Hogwarts' secrets. We've got family drama, preteen crushes, werewolf that's trying to be good but keeps making bad choices, good guys turning bad but for good reasons, enemies starting to respect each other, mind manipulation, growing new powers (for all 3 main characters). I've probably left out a few.

But it's exciting and fun, and I can't wait to share the new chapters with you.

Also notable, I've had several readers request that Elsa is given more attention. I can't guarantee that she'll get more scenes, but I am trying to expand them, let her have some fun, so she doesn't become a neglected character. Yes, we need some ice action.