The Monster of Hexley Hall

Summary: *Based loosely on The Hunchback of Notre Dame.* Cedric is a reclusive sorcerer who was taken in by Grimtrix the Good many years ago, now living within the confines of Hexley Hall and never daring to venture beyond the school grounds. When a newly recruited student named Sofia begins attending the school, Cedric is immediately drawn to her for some reason. In addition, there is a dark secret lurking below the surface of the pristine magical school's exterior: students are getting severely injured, and some have even perished. When Sofia appears to become a target, Cedric will do anything he can to protect her while also trying to solve the mystery of what is happening to the other students. (An AquaMan Production. Read Me a Story format. Takes place 5 years after my "Season 5" stories.)

Disclaimer: I own neither Sofia the First nor The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Tanya and Nana belong to MarionetteJ2X. Serena and Charlie belong to me, and so do a few OCs mentioned in this story.


Chapter 3: A Grim Switch


Life with Grimtrix was hardly better than life with the Shadow Knights Sect. Sure, the man took him in, fed him, clothed him, and educated him. However, he was also training him in dark magic, which was what Cedric had been surrounded with his entire life. He hated it, but he couldn't say anything. In a strange way, it was almost like he was allergic to the dark magic. His body and his heart rejected it, even though it was constantly thrust upon him.

They lived in private quarters below Hexley Hall, a prestigious magical school known for training young magic wielders. The school was named after the infamous Master Hester Hexley, now affiliated with the deadly sect from which Cedric had escaped. Even though Master Hexley was deceased, there were those who continuously reminded the school-goers of the man's dark path, and they often tried their hand at swaying school officials to change the name of the school because of it.

All efforts were futile, because one must always remember the old adage: money talks. And Hexley's family had put in more than enough money to the school to avoid having his name removed from the school's title.

Grimtrix worked at the school as the headmaster, overseeing both professors and students. However, he would not permit Cedric to attend the classes, instead teaching him privately himself later in the day.

"You must always remain hidden," he would often remind his charge, who could probably quote the headmaster by now. "If anyone were to see your marks, you would be labeled as evil, Cedric."

The last thing Cedric wanted was to be thought of as evil or wicked or any other negative thing. He was so far removed from that reality, but every time he caught sight of his reflection, he could understand why people might be afraid of him. Those scars never left. The dark marks were prominent and deeply settled in his fair skin, and there was no way of masking them. He'd tried… If magic couldn't counter the dark marks, nothing could.

So, while his master was tending to his daily duties, Cedric would slip away from the underground dwelling space, his lithe form wrapped in a heavy Hexley Hall set of robes, his face concealed behind a matching hood. He would watch the students from the shadows sometimes, envying their lives as they freely moved about, attending lessons he would never receive. Sometimes, however, he wasn't careful enough, and people would spot him. It happened so often that he became something of a legend: the Shadow Student. He was never close enough for anyone to see his face, but he was within visual distance to be spotted time and time again.

Unfortunately, legendary status meant that he was known, and this didn't sit well with Grimtrix.

"I told you not to leave this place!" the man had snapped at his charge late one evening when Cedric had first been seen. "People will believe you are evil, Cedric, and I can't have that in my school!" He'd slapped the boy to the floor so hard that his mouth had started bleeding, a horrible juxtaposition to his old life in the sect. Nothing really changed, after all; he was still harmed, but just by a different man, with the most inappropriate title for someone so harsh and cruel.


The years went by, and things remained relatively unchanged for Cedric. Before he knew it, twenty years had passed, and he was in his early thirties, though he felt much younger since Grimtrix the Good (he couldn't even think about that title without flinching at the horrid irony) treated him like a child and always insisted on continuing his education: the dark magic studies. He was now a sorcerer in his own right, having successfully completed all requirements for the title years ago. But what did it matter? While other students were able to come, learn, and graduate, he was forever stuck in this prison masquerading as a school.

"You are different from the others, Cedric," Grimtrix always reminded his charge. "I can't allow you to get the same sort of education and treatment as the students here. You must remember your dark history and how I alone pulled you out of that life with the Shadow Knights Sect. No one else will ever understand or empathize with what you've been through, so you should only trust me, my boy."

He'd been fed that line for years. What was even sadder was that he was starting to believe it. It was a distressing reality for him to face. He didn't exactly have friends. Grimtrix was hardly friendly toward him, and the students didn't even know he existed aside from the 'Shadow Student' persona mentioned every once in a while.

Well, actually… In perhaps a happy little accident, he'd been fooling around with some mischief magic late one evening, and he unintentionally brought three human-shaped gargoyles to life. They were magical themselves, and they could even talk. Their names, he found out, were Baileywick, Nigel, and Violet, and they'd been modeled after students from many years ago. At first, he was grateful to have these three to talk to when Grimtrix wasn't around, because he felt less lonely in the world. Even gargoyles could have intriguing conversations, after all. But soon, it became clear that just wasn't enough for Cedric…

He craved human interaction. He wanted someone to see beyond the surface of his skin and into his heart. He wanted to make a connection with someone—anyone—who could perceive him as more than just a byproduct of dark magic cult members and leaders. Or an unwitting protégé of the fakest leader Hexley Hall had ever seen.


"I'm not sure what I expect," Cedric lamented to his gargoyle friends late one night after Grimtrix had already stopped in for his nightly lesson and supper. He'd been alone with his thoughts (a dangerous thing, sometimes) when the three magical beings had come to life. He sighed as they gathered around his bed, each listening to him. "Can things really change? Can they really be different?"

"We were stone statues that you brought to life," Violet reminded him, her naturally rough hand feeling somehow comforting as she attempted to mimic the human act of brushing her fingers through Cedric's hair to calm him down. She was very much the nurturer of the group, and since he didn't have a motherly figure in his life growing up, Cedric never quite realized how much he'd longed for it until he'd met Violet. "I think it's pretty obvious that things can change, Cedric."

"Of course," Baileywick quipped, ever the overthinker and realist of the group. He adjusted his spectacles on his stony nose before clearing his throat. "Things can always get worse. Grimtrix could find out about us. You could be stoned for breaking a magical law about bringing non-human items to life. Grimtrix could be shamed, which would mean bad trouble for you, Cedric—"

"Wicky, you are literally the biggest worrier and pessimist I've ever known," Nigel groaned, folding his arms. He was more upbeat and positive than the other two, and he was always looking for the silver lining and trying to encourage the outcasted man as best as he could. "Why, Cedric could be anything he wanted! He could flourish as a magical master! We've seen his magical skills, after all, and they're rather on par with any other magic wielder, I must say."

"He's no Greylock the Grand though," Baileywick reminded his companion, shaking his head.

Greylock the Grand, a former student of the school, was the host of a special festival called Tribuisti de Magia to celebrate the recent graduates and to welcome new students each year. He was such a spirited, uplifting guy, and students everywhere admired him and aspired to be like him. However, he and Grimtrix did not see eye to eye, and that was cause for friction between the two magic wielders. Still, he was well within his rights to encourage the students, and the school council annually permitted his festival, whether Grimtrix liked it or not. Though there was definitely something strange about their interactions, although Cedric couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Thanks, Baileywick," Cedric remarked somewhat dryly before shrugging as Violet stood and rejoined the other two. "I have always wished I could attend the Tribuisti de Magia, but there's no way Master Grimtrix would allow me to go." He tugged the sheets up a bit, turning ever so slightly to curl his legs behind him. "He already reminds me daily that others will see me as a monster, or as some evil being from the very depths of an inferno. And imagine he's right? What if I do go, and people see me, and they are afraid of what they see? People often do terrible things when they're afraid."

"But sometimes people can surprise you, Cedric," Violet hinted, smiling as he glanced toward her. "The fear of the unknown is a valid concern, but until you make a move and try to face that fear, you'll always be stuck in the same dull cycle. And you'll always wonder, 'What if?' Meanwhile, the rest of the world will continue around you—without you."

He nodded, a soft smile finally finding its way to his lips. "Thanks, Violet…" A look of determination washed over him. "A new term is beginning this week. Tomorrow, when Master Grimtrix is busy, I'm going to sneak out and join the festival."

Baileywick frowned in concern as Violet and Nigel exchanged excited glances. "Are you sure that's wise, Cedric?"

The sorcerer smirked at his gargoyle companion before shaking his head, a small laugh escaping him. "I'm not sure of much of anything, Baileywick, except this: I've been confined here two-thirds of my life, and I'm always watching the world around me as an outsider in a glass house. Just once, I want to be part of that world." He tugged the covers more snuggly around him, a look of determination on his face as the gargoyles observed him. "And tomorrow, I will be."

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Tribuisti de Magia