Chapter 13 – Magical Mischief
The flames licked the trees all around him. Godric turned about searching in vain for his friends, hoping that he wasn't too late.
All of a sudden there was a bright green flash that hit him and Godric woke with a start, drenched in sweat.
His breath was coming in short ragged gasps. For some reason, he just felt as if he had died. He lay back down in his bed clutching his face with his hands, wiping the gathered sweat away, and trying to push the image of the green flash from his mind. His heart began to slow but something about his dream bothered him greatly.
He hadn't had this dream for months now but it had been exactly the same as the last few times, he was trapped alone in a burning forest looking for his friends when a dark figure appears and there is a green flash and that is when he wakes.
Godric shivered as he looked around his room. The dull light that preceded dawn was growing on the horizon but inside his room was still very dark, but there was a flickering light coming from underneath his door.
Ever curious Godric climbed out of bed to investigate, grabbing his wand as he walked to the door and opened it a crack. There was nobody outside and the light disappeared as he swung the door open further. But it suddenly reappeared moments later coming from Salazar's room.
Godric crept toward the door and peered through the keyhole. Salazar was sitting on his bed staring at a candle sitting on the desk. His eyes were closed and his brow was furrowed in concentration. As suddenly as before the candle went out again. Godric's eyes took a moment to readjust but the scene had not changed, Salazar remained in the same place still concentrating. Suddenly the candle sprung to life once more and Godric gasped.
Salazar's eyes sprang open and he slowly ran them around the room stopping at the door.
"Who's there?" he asked as his eyes bored into the wood. He got up and walked to the door swinging it wide but there was no one there. He peered hard in both directions before closing the door and returning to bed.
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Godric stopped outside Max's room, panting from the long distance he had just run. Once his heart had slowed somewhat he knocked on the door and opened it a little. As ever Max was sitting behind his desk staring at a large pile of papers and glanced up as the door creaked.
"Godric? Why are you up so early?" he asked as he saw the figure enter the room.
"I ah," Godric paused trying to remember why he was even awake. "Oh, bad dream sir. But that's not why I'm here; I have to tell you something. About Salazar."
"What is it?" Max asked standing up and walking over to Godric.
"He is magical sir. I saw him lighting and putting out a candle without going anywhere near it."
Moments passed as time seemed to stop for Max.
"Are you alright sir?" Godric inquired looking slightly worried.
Max didn't even realise he was sitting once more staring out the window blindly. "Yes, Godric I'm fine. Thank you, my boy. Why don't you duck back off to bed and I'll work this out."
"Yes, sir. Goodnight sir." Godric turned a little disappointedly back out the door. Something was definitely wrong, he had never seen Max look so troubled about anything before. But he did as he was told and soon fell asleep once more.
Max, however, sat in the exact same place still stewing over everything he had learned these past few weeks. Three magical children all in the one place was something extraordinary, but now there were four of them. Could this be coincidence, or is someone manipulating them all from behind closed doors?
He quickly scribbled a note onto a scrap of parchment and called Pyre to him.
Please deliver this to Mr Binns for me. It is of vital importance that it reaches him intact, that's why I'm sending you and not an owl."
Max scratched Pyre's head before passing him the parchment and watching him disappear in a bright flash. When he turned back to the door he could swear he saw an eye peeking through the keyhole, which quickly vanished once it was discovered. Max sighed. Too much was happening too fast. This was going to be trouble; he could feel it in his bones. And then Max returned to the papers on his desk feeling significantly older than when Godric had first come in.
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"Master Salazar, wake up please." The maid prodded him gently as he roused looking somewhat fierce.
"What is it?" He demanded, glaring at the poor girl.
"Professor Binns would like to see you. He is waiting in Lord Hufflepuff's office." And with that, she departed from his gaze as quickly as she could.
"Now what could he want." He mumbled to himself as he climbed up and got dressed before walking nice and slowly to Max's office.
As he opened the door there was a bright flash startling him.
"What was that?" He demanded.
"That is not why you are here today Salazar," Binns replied not the slightest bit fazed by the way Salazar was showing him no respect. "Lord Hufflepuff has asked that I teach you a few things however I must first ask to see what you already know."
"What are you talking about? Are you all crazy?" Salazar was curious as to what this old man thought he could teach him.
"Magic you foolish boy. Do pay attention because you will not find me repeating myself for you." Binns replied matching Salazar's demeanour. "Now come in and sit down. Close the door."
Salazar walked into the room swinging the door closed behind him before dropping into the seat opposite the window. Professor Binns waved his wand at the door locking it securely before settling opposite Salazar.
"Now by last night's performance I understand you can create fire and have at least developed a basic control over your powers, so what else can you do?" Binns asked now once more soft and curious.
"Well, not all that much really. I have had to teach myself mostly." Which was true as not once since he had arrived at Thomas had he been taught anything magical.
"Well, then I guess we will have to start with the basics with you then." Salazar moaned as he looked away. "Or if you'd prefer we could try an extremely difficult spell now and maybe if we're lucky you can kill yourself and save me the trouble." Threatened Binns as he stood up and glared down at Salazar brandishing his wand.
"No, basics are fine," replied Salazar though the attempt wasn't working well as Thomas threatened him hourly.
"Very well then. Now, do you have a wand?" Cuthbert asked.
"Yes, sir." He said straining the last word.
"Then take it out and let us begin."
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The sun was high in the sky as the trio plonked themselves down under the shade of the massive trees at the edge of the forest. The girls were chatting happily together but Godric was more interested in the strange flashes coming from the window of Max's office. He was very concerned about this boy who had just shown up and that concern was eating at him from inside. It had become so bad he had forgotten one very important thing. That he was outside, alone, with Helga and Rowena. When he turned to face them finally they were both rolling on the ground laughing at him hysterically.
"Oh, what have you two done now?" He moaned as he began to pat himself down searching for the source of their great delight.
"Nothing at all Godric." Helga squeezed out still giggling madly.
Godric just glared at her as he kept searching, looking all the way from his hair to his feet. Suddenly he noticed. His feet weren't on the ground.
"Put me down you two." He demanded, setting his hands on his hips and looking at them both very seriously. "I'm not kidding let me down." He reiterated as they began laughing at his new stance.
Rowena stopped laughing long enough to get out "it's not us I swear, "Before falling back into a giggling mound of clothing on the ground.
Godric looked at them both not understanding what was going on. Someone was levitating his body and he couldn't do anything to stop it. But the moment he thought about stopping it he fell in a heap on the ground, causing the girls to completely lose control.
Helga recovered first looking at the other two falling over themselves as something gently landed in their midst from out of the forest. "What is that?" She wondered reaching out to it as the others noticed it too.
Anyone observing the group from afar would have certainly been curious as to why all three were nothing but a pile of dirty looking robes shifting around on the ground. But someone closer would have been much more concerned; for as the little rabbits ran out from under the robes it was clear that they were all that now lay in the shadow of the trees, and the trio was nowhere to be seen.
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It was dark outside when there came a resounding knock on the door to the office startling Salazar causing him to drop the glass ball he had been levitating. The knock repeated even more desperately as Binns walked across the room and opened the door. Max burst into the room the moment the door was open and Salazar was thrown into his chair as Max began rifling through his desk.
"My word Max, what the devil is the matter?" Asked Binns shocked at the way he had restrained Salazar.
"The children are all gone. They vanished from beside the forest, and he knows why." Max said plainly as he finally sat at his desk resting his gaze on Salazar.
Salazar raised his gaze to meet Max's, a wild grin on his face as he began to laugh.