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 8: New Hire


"Ah, you must be Hugo," Grimtrix greeted a young guard one morning as he stepped into the headmaster's office, donning his dark outfit with minimal armor on.

Hugo looked to be about 17 or 18 years old, which was younger than the average age of most of the guards stationed around the campus. However, he came with notable resources, mainly those who indicated that he knew how to follow protocol and specialized in undercover missions as well as close proximity observation. Considering what Grimtrix had in mind, he would likely be the perfect new hire.

"And you must be Headmaster Grimtrix," Hugo returned, accepting the man's extended hand and shaking it firmly. "How do you do?"

"I'm quite well. Please, have a seat." He released the young man's hand and moved behind his desk to sit in his large leather chair, his hands now propped on the desk surface. "I must say, you came quite highly recommended by your superiors. To accomplish as much as you have at such a young age is rather impressive."

Hugo laughed lightly, a bit uncomfortable talking about himself. "Well, that's…very kind of you to say, sir. My only aim in life has been to serve others and to see to their safety."

The older man nodded with a smile. "That's good to hear. So, here is the position I have for you. I need not only someone to monitor the surrounding area for me, but I also need you to keep an eye on my charge, Cedric. He lives in the area beneath the school and sometimes tries to come to the surface, which he isn't permitted to do. There are some, hmm…psychological matters with him, as well as a bit of a troubled past. I'm sure you understand."

"Er, yes, sir…" What in the Ever Realm had he gotten himself into? Monitoring a kid?

"Just for reference, if you look at the image I have here, that's Cedric." He handed a photograph to Hugo, who blinked in surprise before looking up at the man.

"Um, so, he's older than I am, then… He's a full-grown man." Yeah, not a kid…

"Outwardly," Grimtrix acknowledged, retrieving the photograph and sighing. "Mentally, he's like a child. I've tried my best to see to his needs and safety, but sometimes he evades me while I'm busy working. So, if you could monitor him, that would be great. You don't even have to go directly to him; just keep an eye out for him, and send him back to his chambers if he appears on the top level."

"Oh, uh… S-Sure, Headmaster Grimtrix. I'll definitely see to that." Hugo smiled sheepishly as the older man laughed in delight. "Um, any other duties I need to adhere to or things I should know about before I begin my post?"

He nodded. "Just one thing. Be wary of the one called Greylock. I'll point him out to you. He's a former student and professor here, and he's constantly trying to interfere with the students' studies and such. He means well, I suppose, but he's really nothing but a nuisance."

"I see." Truth be told, just from first impressions, Greylock sounded more like a personal issue Grimtrix had, but who was Hugo to suggest such a thing? He was new, and he didn't know how things worked here at Hexley Hall. He didn't even possess magic, so he felt a bit like a fish out of water. "Well, then… I suppose I'm ready to start."

Grimtrix grinned. "Wonderful!"


Grimtrix first showed Hugo his living quarters: a very small and simple room. He was able to store his belongings there before getting to work. Afterward, Hugo spent the day shadowing him, receiving training for monitoring the halls, as well as aiding in protection for both Grimtrix and the students, despite the teenager's lack of magic. Toward the end of the day, after his initial training was complete, Grimtrix congratulated Hugo on a job well done and dismissed him, reminding him to be at his post at 7:30 AM each weekday (he had weekends off).

Hugo yawned tiredly as he crossed the main hall, heading back to his living quarters. He wasn't watching where he was going and accidentally ran into someone, who dropped something as a result. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

Sofia, the one he'd bumped into, just laughed. "It's okay. I've apparently got a habit of bumping into people recently. I wasn't even paying attention."

He grinned, leaning down to pick up her book, and then he returned it to her. "I've got a habit of doing that…myself…" He trailed off as he got a better look at the student before him. She was a little shorter than he was, and maybe a year or two younger, but he wasn't really sure. She was pretty, and she clearly had a decent sense of humor. Any other girl would have likely bitten his head off and chastised him about watching where he was going. "Um, I'm Hugo. I'm a new guard here."

She smiled. "I'm Sofia. I go here." She sighed as she heard the clock chiming outside. "Oh, I've got to go. Nice to meet you, Hugo." With that, she hurried off to her dormitory room to settle in for the evening.

"Nice to meet you too," he called, smiling softly. "Sofia…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Galaxy