Chapter 3

An awkward silence hung in the air as I stared at the two wizards who stood before me.

"Well? What is it you have to tell me?"

Dedalus wrung his hands together and hopped nervously from foot to foot. Hestia sighed.

"You might want to sit down-"

"I'm fine standing!" I snapped in response.

Dedalus exchanged a look with Hestia.

"W-well," Dedalus stuttered, "You- you remember what you saw in the field- don't you?"

I snorted.

"Of course I remember the enormous monster thing that almost killed us all! That you pretended you hadn't seen to make me look like a fool! What was it?"

"An invisibilis monstrum," said Hestia, "An invisible monster, a creation of dark magic."

"An invisible monster? Is that why Mum and Dad didn't see it?"

Hestia nodded gravely, as if I had just asked her if someone had died. Then it clicked into place in my mind.

"But... if it is invisible... and they couldn't see it... then how come I could?"

When neither wizard answered me, my heart started to pound, threatening to burst straight through my chest. My hands felt clammy and I had to put a hand on the wall to steady myself. If the... creature I had seen was invisible, then why did I see it? Hestia seemed to have seen it, and I knew that Dedalus had. But they were both wizards... which could only mean one thing...

"Am I a wizard too?" I blurted out.

Dedalus raised his head.

"I wouldn't think so... If you were, you would have developed further powers by now. You haven't, have you?"

"I-I don't think so, no."

"Has anything strange ever happened to you, Dudley?" Hestia asked, "Anything you couldn't explain? Ever wished for something to happen and it did? Moved objects without touching them? Gotten angry with someone and accidently hurt them?"

I vaguely thought of all the times when I had hurt Harry, shoved him or punched him for taking my things. I had gotten into fights in school, too, but I had always intentionally inflicted injury on others. As for the other two symptoms, I had never been affected by either of them.

I shook my head. Dedalus scratched his chin.

"As you have probably guessed, you seeing the invisibilis monstrum is very peculiar. They were created recently, no more than a few years ago, by Death Eaters-"

I stared at him blankly.

"They were created by the followers of the Dark Lord."

I continued with my lack of facial expression as Dedalus searched for the right words.

"He won't understand," said Hestia, "Muggles have no idea about what goes on in our world, Dedalus."

I rounded on her.

"What did you just call me?"

"A muggle," she explained, "is a term for a non-magical person, like you. Or what we thought you were, anyway."

"What am I then?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know. We don't know all that much about the invisibilis monstrum because, as Dedalus was trying to say, they have only recently been created. When we wizards see them, we kill them and usually it is easy enough, but they have caused lots of problems and in large numbers, they could be lethal. This is why you cannot stay with your parents."

My heart, having calmed down, sank.

"I'm not, like, putting them in danger or anything am I?"

Another shrug.

"Possibly. But the reason you should leave is to go and see Professor Flip. He once worked in..." she trailed off, realising that once again, I would not understand, "He has been researching and investigating the invisibilis monstrum and would be the most qualified person to help you."

I nodded slowly, not wanting to go but understanding the necessity of it.

"You should say goodbye to your family, but don't tell them what we've told you. I'm going to send Professor Flip a Patronus, to let him know you're coming."

Hestia went outside to make what I assumed was the magical version of a phone call, while Dedalus patted my elbow, the highest point on my body he could reach, and muttered something about getting my luggage. I walked slowly through the living room to find Mum and Dad, who were standing in the dining room, continuing to argue over the painting.

"Dudders!" Mum exclaimed when she saw me, "Come and look at this! Daddy is convinced it moves, but I think it's just a trick of the light. Pictures can't move, it would be impossible!"

"But it is moving!" Dad protested, "We are in a wizard's house, Petunia, everything about the place will be wrong. You know what those people are like. Strange and unnatural."

"Mum, Dad," I said, casting a glance at a picture of a daffodil that had arms and was, most certainly, waving, "I won't be staying here."

Dad gave a low, gruff laugh.

"And where might you be staying instead, my boy?"

I remembered Hestia's warning and hastily made up a lie.

"I'm going back to school. To board there. It'll be safe, and I can continue with my exams."

They looked at me, vacant looks in their eyes. Dad turned back to the picture and Mum casually scratched her neck.

"'Kay," she said, "See you soon, Muffin."

I blinked, having expected a huge fuss, possibly resulting in both my parents being drugged so I could get away. I turned to find Dedalus tucking his wand away.

"I put a spell on them, so they will calmly agree to everything anyone suggests. It'll wear off in half an hour, when I shall return to explain your absence with limited detail."

He smiled nervously and led me out of the house, to the pavement at the front where Hestia was waiting with my belongings. I took her hand, prepared for the worst. Travelling via 'painful disappearing' was slightly better when I was prepared for what would happen. When I opened my eyes, I was on the ground in front of a large, grand house in the countryside. A man with a tattoo of a unicorn on his face stood at the top of the porch steps, grinning down at me.

"Welcome," he said, "to the mad house."