Not far from this fateful consultation, a beautiful lake glowed brilliantly in the night. The moon's absence left no mark in the little lake as the snow and ice all shone with a magical brilliance. Nearby was a boy, who looked no older than fifteen, with brilliant, white, unruly hair. The boy's soft locks fell gently in front of his icy blue eyes. His skin shone white like the ice on his favorite lake and his whole being was lightly covered with a thin layer of frost. Although it was a cold winter night, the boy wore no coat, only a thin blue hoodie and thin brown pants that didn't quite make it to his ankles. His feet were bare and in his hand was an ancient shepherd's staff that was just bursting with icy power.
The boy, Jack Frost, sat perched precariously on a thin branch peering into the sky. Something was off, he could tell. Usually his forest was teeming with the noises of nocturnal animals, however tonight, his forest was dead silent.
"That's odd." He murmured, searching the sky for the moon, "It's not his day off."
Swiftly, Jack jumped from the tree landing softly in the snow below. His staff hung limply by his side as Jack bound onto the lake trying to get a better view of the sky. Still not seeing anything, Jack leapt into the air and allowed the wind to carry him into the sky and towards a small grouping of lights nearby. Once inside the city limits, Jack dropped softly onto the icy sidewalk, fresh snow and ice covering the ground underneath his feet. The town, Burgess, was Jack's home, so to speak, but everything felt off here too. Usually, golden sand could be seen creeping into children's windows filling their heads with happy dreams. For some reason, the sand was absent and instead, there was a bone-chilling darkness spreading throughout the town.
Jack scoured the city, searching for anything that would explain the odd absence. Out of the corner of his eyes, Jack saw a dark figure running swiftly into a nearby alley. Jack spun around, holding his staff up in defense and cautiously crept into the alleyway. He peered around the corner and saw that the alley was empty. Relaxing a little, Jack walked a bit farther trying to find the figure he saw earlier.
"That's funny," He said to himself, "I could've sworn…" The wind blew violently around him, warning her favorite spirit of the oncoming danger. Jack spun around, once again raising his staff to defend himself. Just behind him was a figure in a long black cloak. A silver mask covered the person's face masking its identity.
"Who are you?" Jack barked at the spirit. The cloaked figure just tilted its head confusedly.
"Ok," Jack said wondering if maybe this person was a mortal. If that were true then it couldn't see him, but Jack was almost positive it could. Jack took a step closer and in an instant, the figure darted around the instant. Jack heard a loud crack and ran after the figure, "Wait!" He shouted, "Can you see...me" The streets of the town were empty once more and there was no sign of the figure anywhere. "Well that was odd." Jack looked up to the sky once more to search for the moon and let out a groan. The Aurora Borealis shone brightly in the sky calling Jack and the other Guardians to the North Pole. "Great!" Jack sighed "I'm going to be late again!" Jack leapt into the sky and the wind caught him expertly and whisked him away towards the Pole. Jack rode the winds skillfully and soon he could feel the refreshing cold of the Arctic. When he finally reached Santoff Claussen, Jack leapt into an open window and skidded on the floor to regain his balance. The other four guardians North, Tooth, Bunny and Sandy, sat at a long table and Jack ran over to them.
"Oi Frostbite! Where ya been mate? We've been waiting for eva'" Bunny glared at him and Jack just smiled mischievously at him.
"Keep your tail on Easter Kangaroo I didn't know you cared so much!"
"Why you little…"
"Bunny!" Tooth whizzed over nervously to Jack, "We were all worried about you! What took you so long Jack?" She then proceeded to look over him searching for anything out of the ordinary.
Jack looked incredulously at the other guardians who shuffled nervously in their seats "Whoa whoa whoa! I've been late before! How come you're all so upset this time?"
Sandy got Jack's attention and tried explaining the situation to Jack, however the little golden sand shapes above his head were moving too fast for him to keep up.
"Um…" Jack said trying to figure out what the sandman was trying to say.
"You see Jack" North interrupted, "There has been small problem. Vhich is vhy I activated de signal."
"Ok…Well I'm here now, would you like to tell me what is going on? I'm starting to feel a little left in the dark."
"I think I can help with that." An unfamiliar voice rang across the room. A man with a long white beard, dark blue robes, and shining blue eyes hidden behind a pair of spectacles stepped into the room following two of North's yetis. Jack was startled by the man's sudden appearance and jumped into the air brandishing his staff threateningly at him.
Bunny eyed Jack amusedly and shook his head "Geez Frostbite! I neva' knew you were so jumpy. This is a friend mate."
"Albus old friend! Good to see you!" North called out happily "Come, come! Sit! Tell us everything!"
"Ok good!" Jack exclaimed throwing his hands into the air. He was starting to get annoyed "Since 'Merlin' is finally here can you tell me what's going on now?" The old man, Albus, chuckled at the boy's nickname for him and stuck his hand out towards Jack,
"My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. I am not Merlin (though he was a good friend of mine) and I have come to ask for the help of you and your fellow Guardians, Jack Frost."
Jack continued to stare at the man, "Wait, how do you know my name?"
Albus chuckled, "The guardians are close friends of mine, they told me of your admittance, though some seem happier about it than others." He winked at Bunny who grumbled back at him.
"So you're a mortal then?" The man nodded, "And you still believe in us?"
"Obviously." Bunny muttered and the man nodded again
"Although even if I did not believe in you I would still be able to see you. I am a wizard"
At this Jack fell to the ground rolling with laughter. The guardian of fun grasped his stomach as he laughed harder and harder. Although it was not quite the reaction Dumbledore or the other guardians had expected, they couldn't help but chuckle along with their youngest member.
"Alright Jack, I think he gets de point." North chuckled after a minute of this,
Jack sat up, still laughing and to a strained breath. "You're telling me all this time, there were wizards and witches?" He wiped a tear from his cheek that had escaped while he was laughing. "This is just too good!"
"It's not a joke ya gumby!" Bunny exclaimed "He's tellin' the truth!"
Sandy nodded his head in confirmation and Jack's laughter stopped suddenly. Noticing the serious look on the guardian's faces, his smile turned into a grimace and he pulled his hood up over his head. The guardians all looked around confused at Jack's sudden change of mood. They knew that it meant bad news when Jack pulled his hood up.
Jack looked back and forth from Albus to the guardians.
"So you mean to tell me," He started off slowly, "That all this time, I-I've been alone for three hundred years, A-and there were people who could see me?" Jack could feel his voice slowly becoming stronger. "I-I mean… I could've… Why didn't anyone acknowledge me? How many of these 'wizards' are there!?" Jack could see the guilt in everyone's faces but no one answered "Well? Is anyone going to answer me?" Jack's voice had reached a shout by this point.
"Frostbite…"Bunny started slowly,
"NO Bunny!" Jack was trying to hold back tears from his eyes, "You don't know what it's like, t-to be alone for three hundred years with no one to talk to, no one, no one to see you. That whole time, I thought I was going to be alone for all of eternity and now you're telling me that I didn't have to be alone?"
"Jack," Tooth began softly, "What Bunny was trying to tell you was that wizards can only see guardians. You weren't a guardian yet so…"
"So I still would've been alone." Jack's shoulders slumped and he looked at the ground.
The room was silent for a moment and Albus studied Jack before clearing his throat and addressing Jack once more.
"I truly am very sorry for what you have been put through my boy, but I'm afraid we must get to the subject of my arrival. It is of the utmost importance"
"Kay," Jack grumbled and took a seat on his favorite window ledge.
The guardians looked worried but they turned back towards Dumbledore to hear his report.
"It has come to my attention that Voldemort has returned,"
"Ve started to see signs, ve suspected as much." North nodded and looked to Jack, "Is vhy ve vorried so much." Jack just ignored him and continued making frost patterns on his window.
"Last year, he returned and I fear he is building his army." Dumbledore let this information sink in before continuing.
"I have come to ask for your help in the coming war. I fear Voldemort may try to recruit others of your kind."
"Ya mean like Pitch?" Bunny snorted.
"Among others, yes. If that happens, we may need your expertise. Also there are children who need protecting. And you do protect the children of the world, correct?" Everyone nodded, even Jack who had perked up at the mention of the Boogeyman.
"Good because I have a special request for you Jack."
"And what would that be?' Jack said feigning indifference
"I would appreciate it if you went undercover as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in order to protect the students and keep an eye on one student in particular: Harry Potter"