Matt, accompanied by Cornelia, was walking towards to the apartment of the Hales, Mr. Huggles, his dormouse, was sitting lazily on his shoulder and he had a little sac in his hand, containing the food Mr. H liked most and it happens to be nuts. He wasn't too thrilled of this idea, but after reading his letter, which was brought by a freaking owl to the Silver Dragon, the restaurant of the Lins', where Yan Lin explained him and the girls everything about this whole Hogwarts thing, he and the others thought it would be best to take him along.
At first he had mildly protested, he didn't like him much, for his taste he was a bit too arrogant, a bit too sure of himself. Also, the most annoying fact would be the difficulty to hide him, once they were at school.
True, a cat didn't draw too much attraction, cats were even mentioned in the latter as one of the few pets possible to keep, still, the fact that he talked was bound to cause stress at some point and Matt would bet his guitar that it would be at some time when it would cause the most possible havoc.
Still, the pro arguments were overweighting and Matt had agreed to take him along. It would be a help to have a second pair of eyes to watch Phobos and the fact that the cat possessed an incredible knowledge over earth magic as well was a nice plus.
So, after shortly going to his home to take Mr. Huggles and the things one needed to look after him, Cornelia and him were now walking towards her home, where her little sister Lillian was currently keeping the said cat.
Now, while Cornelia rang the bell, Matt was furiously thinking on a way to convince the little girl to give him Napoleon, the cat, for the time being and to keep an eye on Mr. Huggles instead.
They entered the lift, and Matt didn't even realize that they passed six floors, and followed the blond girl silently.
"You do know how to convince her right? My sister can be a little brat, it runs in the family." she added grinning.
Matt, surprised to see Cornelia cracking a joke, about herself nonetheless, for the first time, was startled. He had known her since the first grade and had always seen her as a kind of arrogant person with little tendency to narcissism, but after spending a few weeks fighting with her and the Guardians he had learned a lot more about her, as he did about the other girls and they about him.
Still, Cornelia Hale joking about herself was just not normal.
"I am counting on your help. I hope she doesn't cling too much on him."
She shook her head, opening the door to the Hale apartment. "She just needs something to fuss about. Huggles will do just fin-" a red ball hitting Cornelia right in the face stopped her from finishing her sentence and even though she said something furiously after that, which Matt couldn't understand, he still got a pretty good idea what she was mumbling.
He even caught a few words as Cornelia dashed away, wondering how a girl of a wealthy family knew that particular word, as even he heard it only once and that was from his great uncle Robert, a sailor who was out on the seas since he was twenty.
He watched silently as the blond Guardian chased her laughing, little sister and noticed Napoleon sleeping on the coach.
Walking to him, he poked the black furred cat and had a small satisfaction to see it growl. "Mia- oh it's you."
"psst" Matt was barely whispering but pointing at Lillian, who had no idea that her cat was in fact a familiar, a magical spirit who watches over a magical person, such as Lillian who was the Heart of Earth, the worlds greatest source of magical power, the core of it's vital energy.
Three months ago they discovered this, as Lillian made unintentionally out of Napoleon, back then a normal car, a familiar with the knowledge and wisdom about most of the magical information of earth. But back then it was too dangerous to tell her that. Nerissa, a fearsome sorceress was on the prowl, trying to collect as many mystical Hearts as possible and Lillian with her eight years was defiantly too young to be told any of this, so they had, to their shame, tricked Lillian into splitting her power into three parts, with Matt, Napoleon and Mr. Huggles being the containers.
So the three became the Regents of Earth, wielding and holding the power of Lillian, protecting her and the power from harm until Lillian gets old enough to use this power with wisdom. They certainly didn't need an eight year old girl, jinxing and cursing her way through a city, since even small wishes of her could turn real, as they had found out the hard way. Matt could remember the dragon clearly and would take a very long time to forget the jester costume he was forced to wear.
Somehow until now they had managed to keep Lillian in the dark and they intended to keep it that way.
Napoleon stretched and jumped down the sofa, striding to Cornelia's room, followed from Matt, where he closed the door, leaving him alone with the familiar.
"So what's the matter boy? I don't suppose you fancied just a talk."
"Well, I do want to talk, you are right. I totally need your help, the Oracle assigned me to join Hogbarts alongside with Phobos, so that he can learn a proper use with his powers and I have to keep an eye on him."
"First, I think you mean Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and second, I don't see why this is my problem. It is a good school, famous for his high education in terms of magic, yet the magic of them fades into nothingness compared to Lillian and Elyon."
"The problem is that I am stuck there for a few years! I know nothing about it; I have to learn magic and have to watch Phobos. You do remember Phobos do you? That was the dude who tried to take over the Universe for his reign of terror."
"I know that." snarled the cat angrily. "So you offer me a place in the Phobos babysitting group. Thank you very much but I will have to decline."
"Don't tell me you have gotten used to the tea parties?"
"Well, I would rather have tea parties with dolls then spending my next years with Phobos."
Matt was thinking the same thing, but agreeing would only cause him to go alone.
"Come on, they do allow cats there and you would be a great asset. You could teach me things and help me. Mrs. Lin told me that I had to stay undercover, so I will totally blow my cover if I go there alone."
"I think I didn't catch the moment it became my problem, I would rather stay with the dolls, the real ones and the fakes."
"Look-" started Matt but was interrupted when the door swung open and Lillian, a sad expression on her young face, and Cornelia after her, entered the door.
"Are you really going away?" asked the little girl.
"I am sorry princess, but I've won this scholarship and I have to go."
"When will you return?"
Before Matt could answer Lillian interrupted him. "I..I heard that you weren't allowed to take Mr Huggles with you."
"Yes, so I wanted to ask you if you would like to take care of him."
"Of course," she became silent looking shyly at Cornelia who nodded encouragingly. "Well, Cornelia said you were allowed to bring a cat, so if you want you can take Napoleon along."
Said cat jumped up, looking at Lillian with an expression of pure horror. He then started to glare at Cornelia, shaking his head furiously, trying to bring the signal that he didn't want to go. Unfortunately, for him, Cornelia simply winked and ignored him.
"I…I don't know what to say princess, I didn't expected that." Truth to be told, that was exactly what he wanted, yet it was really nice of her to mention this of her own, whatever Cornelia had said to her, it was certainly effective.
"So you wouldn't be alone," continued the small girl, smiling slightly.
"Thank you princess, your two regents shall return safely." He then bowed in old fashioned way, causing Lillian to giggle and Napoleon to snarl.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The next day, after a long, long talk with if his parents, if he really wanted to go to such a school and packing his belongings in a case, he decided for a last tour through the city, wanting to say goodbye to his friends.
First he decided to go to Nigel, one of the members of their band. It would be really hard for them to continue since he had written most of the songs, but he was sure they could pull it off. Nigel was really good himself and Bob would be, if he finally overcame his lack of faith into his writings.
So after strolling a bit through the city, he passed the basketball court, where he saw a few boys playing. Fortunately Nigel was one of them, like Matt, Nigel liked to play this sport, but unlike him, Nigel was actually rather good.
While this was the only sport he didn't sucked at, he wasn't good, perhaps average at the most. Still he liked to play it.
He entered the playfield, greeting them, he knew some of them, saw them in school but that was it.
"Hey guys."
"Sweet, Matt, long time no see buddy. Not even at the rehearsing."
"Yeah." Laughed Matt, "you know, things to do, places to be."
Nigel nodded while throwing the ball to the others then he walked to him, realizing that he wanted to talk to him alone.
"You look like you wanted to say something important."
Nigel sat to him at the bank, scratching his head under the red hair.
"I still don't get it how you manage to see through me every single time. You are doing this since grade school."
Nigel laughed, "What can I say, it is a gift. And you are pretty easy to read."
"Figured that, and here I thought I was a big secret keeper."
"You know, you were once. A few months ago you were like a complete different person, someone who was impossible to read…" said Nigel thoughtfully.
Matt knew he meant the time when Shagon had possessed him. All the time he had though nobody but the girls and perhaps his parents had realized this, now he saw that Nigel had, partly, seen through it, but simply didn't said anything.
"Sorry about that time." apologized Matt silently, "I was having a few pretty tough weeks back then."
"I realized that, anyway I guess you didn't want to talk about that."
"You are right, I have kind of bad news, I will be changing schools."
Nigel's eyes widened as he looked at Matt in disbelief. "Where are you going?"
"I- I have won a scholarship to a boarding school in Britain."
"Dude, how did that happen? No offence, but you are no straight A guy."
"I know, that is the reason why I am surprised as well. There came this letter from that school out of nowhere, but it is a real chance for me, I got to take it."
An uncomfortable silence followed this, neither of the two boys wanted to say something. The sky was clouded but warm, but right now, Matt would have appreciated a simpler thing, like somehow letting Nigel be a wizard.
"This is hard, man." complained Nigel, "but it is good that you took it. We can still see us during the holidays and after that."
Right now, Matt hated himself and the whole Council of Kandrakar to force him to lie to his friends and parents. He had to tell them lies over lies, he actually felt like a bad paid politician.
"Yeah, still it sucks. It will be two bloody months before I can see you guys again
"Nah, don't worry too much and even with the risk of offending you, once they see your school performance they are bound to send you back." Nigel was grinning shamelessly as he said this and Matt burst out laughing.
"Well I hope you are right, or I am a genius and my true potential will appear once I'm there."
Nigel snorted amused, "Dude, you are as much of genius as Martin is a Casanova."
"You never know, maybe he will me pretty popular when I return."
"A likely story." said Nigel, ginning widely.
"Well I do hope for your sake that you will write from time to time, or I will be forced to come and kick your ass."
Matt laughed, hoping that he wouldn't be sending post with an owl too. Even though boarding schools in England were not well known here, he wouldn't be able to explain owl post, no matter how eccentric a school might be.
"You will defiantly hear from me." promised Matt, shifting around nervously. "And with the band…" but Nigel interrupted him.
"No sweat man, we will have everything covered. You practise there, we practice here and as soon as you come back we will be able to pull of some amazing things."
Matt looked gratefully at Nigel, very glad to have a good friend like him.
"Well, it pains me to leave, but I really have to go now, I am to leave tomorrow for London and have still things to do."
Nigel nodded and shook Matt's hand, "Good luck mate, I dare to say that you need it"
"You would be right." sighted Matt, before standing up. "Boy, are you right."
He winked before walking away, leaving one of his oldest friends behind, who was staring at the back of Matt, and thinking that Matt, perhaps, hadn't been completely honest with him…
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Phobos' senses slowly returned as the darkness started to fade, until he completely opened his eyes, starting to look at his surroundings. He was in a white room, lying in a bed, with earth clothing, like the one he once had while in his disguise, black pullover and blue jeans. He stood up; walking to the mirror he saw hanging and was not surprised to see a younger version of him.
He was looking like fifteen, his beard had vanished, his long, silver white hair was now shoulder length, altogether he looked exactly like the time in disguise when he was helping the Guardians, only perhaps a bit younger.
He snorted, so this was how he would spend his next years, as a teen. How the mighty had fallen, once had been the sole ruler of a world with powers to put the gods into shame and now he was degraded to the powers of an amateur wizard, he would probably even need a wand. He looked disgusted at the thought, a wand? Him? Phobos does not need a wand, wands were something for kids, he had used a wand when he was in his childhood and mostly only because his parents wouldn't allow it otherwise.
He didn't like wands; if you needed wands you were dependant on them and you came in more then enough situations where you lost them. But right now, he could feel it, his powers were so deep within himself and reduced to such a grade that he had to use a wand to reach them.
As he looked around the room, he found a bag, something of earthen style, he remembered the boy having one. He opened it and was surprised to see his old wand, a black wand, for regular wands pretty long with eighteen inches and had the hair of a pretty powerful shape shifter, if he remembered correctly it was a shape shifter who could transform himself into a man boar.
He swung in around trying to get a reaction and was pleased to see his bag levitating, so he put the wand into his pocket, looking into his belongings again.
Apparently someone had raided his old room in the castle and collected a few items he hadn't used for centuries.
Phobos found a Pensieve; he had stopped using this after he got the book of secrets and some of his old, non dark magical books, the ones he only shortly looked in, as they didn't contain any doom spells.
He looked disgusted at them, most likely they were filled with low-level spells like disarming and other likewise low-level crap.
The door opened and interrupted Phobos in his thoughts and the Oracle, alone, entered this chamber.
A smile crept on Phobos face as he faced the omnipotent man.
"It was not very wise of you to come to me without any means of protection."
"My dear Phobos, with only a wand, which you can't draw fast enough, you stand no chance and I would like to continue this conversation without anything primitive like fighting."
Phobos, remembering his reduced powers again, snarled and glared at the bald Oracle.
"What do you want? Want to gloat a bit?"
"Certainly not, I came to inform you of your soon departure."
"You came personally? I am honoured."
Ignoring the obvious sarcasm the Oracle continued.
"You slept through two days, so the Guardians will bring you to London, where you will meet Matthew Olsen."
"Why isn't he coming with us, not that I complain." asked Phobos suspiciously.
"To perfectly convince his parents-"
"Fool you mean."
"-he hast to come by plane. In London you will buy the things you need such as robes. I will give you a list and enough money of their current to get them."
Phobos looked at the list, being a letter from Hogwarts, that he was accepted.
"Tell me more about this…this school." demanded Phobos, scanning through the lines.
"Who is this Dumbledore?"
A smile appeared on the Oracles face. "He is the wizard who could face you in a duel and defeat you."
Phobos snorted again and glared at the Oracle.
"A wizard who uses a wand? Did you lose your mind? He is no opponent for me, nobody on this ruddy planet is."
"You will see." The Oracle said, "but still it is of utmost importance that you maintain a special cover, namely not letting anyone of them realize that you, indeed, are a former tyrant prince who is immortal and once possessed great magical power. You are simply Phobos Brown-"
"The earth name of my sister? Could this be any more humiliating?"
The Oracle continued as if Phobos hadn't interrupted him.
"Phobos Brown, a former student of the Salem Wizard's Academy, which resides near the Salem Witches' Academy. You have been forced to change school since you had problems to behave correctly. So you decided to go to Hogwarts and the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, kindly agreed."
"What a nice story," commented Phobos, sarcasm dripping from every letter, "I like especially the expulsion of the school."
"So the teachers will be a bit wary at the beginning, but I am sure you can convince them, through proper behaviour that you are indeed a respectful student."
"We both knew that this is a farce, I probably know more about magic than the whole staff, what could they teach me?"
"Ahh, yes, that brings us to the second reason I came."
He lifted his right hand and a beam of orange hit Phobos' head.
Before the prince could protest the Oracle continued.
"I sealed your knowledge over magic to the extinct of a good educated fifth year Hogwarts pupil, so you can learn from the start."
"My magic," stuttered Phobos, apparently shocked. "You took away my arcane, my knowledge, my kingdom." Fury was shown in his face as he, acting on instinct, grabbed his wand and let a white beam flow at the Oracle, only to disappear in an invisible shield.
"Calm down, Prince Phobos." spoke the Oracle sternly, shutting Phobos successfully up. "Your knowledge is not lost, simply moved in the farthest corners of your mind. If you calm yourself you might be able to reach it from time to time, but certainly not when you harbour ill thoughts."
"How dare you…how dare you to look down at me? I am Phobos, armies of one thousand man waited for reinforcements before they attacked my castle, who are you to belittle me?"
"As disturbing your former threat may be I am sorry to say that you should calm down again. It is a chance for you, Prince Phobos. You have the possibility to learn how to use your powers for the benefit of the universe and not for your own petty reasons. Greed and treachery shall disappear from you soul."
Phobos didn't answer but continued to glare at the Oracle, there was a time where this very man had summoned the greatest and strongest barrier in existence, the veil, just to prevent him from leaving his planet and now he was there, standing in front of him with no means of protection, mocking him, rubbing the fact that he was now nearly harmless into his face.
"Prepare yourself Prince Phobos, your journey is about to begin and I have the feeling that it shall be most illuminating…"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Now this place is sure full." said Irma Lair when they stepped out of the fold, right into a silent corner in Diagon Alley.
"Well, we couldn't exactly fold right into the main street, but the Oracle told us that there will be no lack of people." responded Taranee Cook, glancing warily around the corner.
"So we can go shopping right? I always wanted to have a magical pencil."
"Come on, we will see, but as much as I can see from these people, their sense of fashion is a few centuries of track." complained Cornelia, looking with disgust at the plain, black robes most of the passing passengers were wearing.
"Awww, but I really want one." insisted Hay Lin. "Maybe the drawings I create will turn alive?"
"Maybe you insolent whelps can be silent for a few minutes." snarled Phobos, hating his fate more and more.
"What will you do, wave your big bad wand at us?" taunted Irma, not impressed by Phobos insults.
"Use your mighty magic? Ups, I forgot, you don't have any, my bad."
"When I am back at full power again…" hissed the former tyrant but was interrupted by Will.
"You will try to take over the universe again but will end back in your cell, like always. Listen Phobos, we know you are not going to change, you know that you are not going to change and Matt and Napoleon are knowing that you won't change, so don't expect any sympathy from us. I don't know why the Oracle is thinking that you will be "good" after a few years in a magical school and frankly, I don't care.
But if I hear that you are trying to harm Matt, Napoleon or any other person on this planet, we will be there, beating the daylights out of you, understood?"
"Wow Will, that was the most impressive speech you ever had."
Will glared at Irma, not in the mood for sarcasm. Phobos was outraged and proud at the same time. How dare she threaten him? On the other side the Guardians had changed, from pathetic and naïve girls into strong and partly ruthless woman, at least against him.
And he liked it.
The Keeper of the Heart had proven before that she had a little tendency for what most people called evil. Phobos called it following his goal, no matter what and really there was no shame to that. Somehow most people called this a bad thing if you used some questionable methods to reach your goal.
Yet the Keeper who was the one preaching to always do the "right thing" was a big hypocrite and as much as he could see had done it herself a few times.
Denial was a pretty pathetic thing….