Toby had thought he had seen his sister mad before. This time she was so furious she looked ready to hex the Master Smith. That on its own was just a bad idea.
"Where is Jareth! Ludo! Sir Didymus!" She bellowed while standing at the entrance of the Smithy. It was summer break and he had went back to work on his armor. His sister had stolen is cloak with out him realizing and followed.
"Come come now Sis, this is the first time you been back to the Labyrinth in years! Take a moment to enjoy yourself." He said trying to calm her down. She froze and turned towards him with a looked that he swore would actually causing him pain if she stared long enough.
"Come come now? How you spent this entire time with Jareth?" Toby wasn't really sure how to answer that. The truth looked like it might get him hexed, and a lie she would probably see through and still hex him.
"Sarah! We must have a feast, its been to long since you visited my home." Jareth said as he came down the stairs. She closed her eyes and step back, she started to whisper something.
"Now what would you need to do that for? We have been friends how long now? Like I would try and trick you after how far we've come." He said looking a little unsettled as he approached.
"Even with wizards magic I don't trust myself to the glamour you can wield." She said finally looking at him.
"How do you know it's not just my charms you fell for? Come now, let me give you a proper tour, you did leave in such haste last time." He offered his hand, palm down.
"What about Toby?" she asked taking his hand; she looked over her shoulder as he started to slowly pull her along. Toby nodded his head and went into the metalwork's.
"He's working on making his own armor out of Goblin Silver. Very difficult, you should let him work." Spoken like it happened everyday. Sir Didymus met them at the top of the stairs.
"My Lady! What a wonder to see you back in our fair city!" he stood there saluting with a well made white vest, and commodore like hat. The feather coming out of it was nearly as tall as him.
"It's so good to see you! You always seem to be so busy!" Sarah cried out kneeling to give him a hug. He returned it easily despite the size difference.
"Our schedules seem to be at odds many of the times, and you do seem busy Professoring these day aren't you?"
"Yeah, its not just your fault. Where Ludo and… well where's Hoggel?" she asked slightly biting her lower lip. When Jareth had said he was royalty, it was because he was now 'Prince of the Bog of Eternal Stench' and now resented her for the promotion. She had refused to speak to Jareth for nearly a full year when she found that out. She understood the amount of jealousy Jareth had now, but she still hadn't really forgiven him for doing it.
"Sir Ludo is building on the city; he has made towers of stone that seem beyond imagining while we awaited your return." Sir Didymus escorted her outside while Jareth followed close behind.
She remembered the towers of glass and steel, sky scrappers over fifty stories tall. What Ludo had down was made something quite similar out of blocks of stone, building over ten stories now occupied the street where she and her band of friends conquered Jareth's goblin army.
Ludo had slowly made his way around the canyon like building and perked up when he saw her. "Ludo's friend!" he said in his slow way before rushing over to hug her. Despite being able to talk to them whenever she called, she had been seeing less and less of them over the last few years, even before taking up her job at Hogwarts.
Jareth was enjoying watching Sarah meet up with her old friend in his realm once again when a group of Firey came down from the castle. They where tossing there heads back and forth and having a good time until they got to Jareth.
"Hey Boss!"
"Yeah Boss!"
"We got a message for you!"
"Yeah they said it was important!" They said back to back, almost jumbled enough that you couldn't tell when one stop and another started talking. Jareth looked to them, and if he didn't know better he would have sworn they were scared.
"Can't you see I'm with the Lady Sarah right now? Buzz off!" he said waving his hand towards them. They all handed each other the right head back and turn to him again. This time out of there normal joyful voice they all whispered. "It's Gringotts sir."
Jareth for once seem to freeze up for a moment. He turned back to them and knelt close. "Gringotts is here to see me? Did he say why?" They shook there head no.
"Sarah! Please enjoy yourself, it seems my duties are never done." He said turning back to her and calling out so she would hear over Ludo telling her about the buildings. Sarah looked to him questioningly, but Jareth only gave her a confident smile. She waves at him before turning somewhat back to Ludo. She watched as Jareth ascended the steps back up to his castle.
"Wizard!? This is unspeakable! How dare he let some sniveling little wand-bearer like you learn our secrets?!" Gringotts yelled. Urdrog and Toby were both standing next to the stairs that lead down to the smithy. After the opening introductions they had remained silent as Gringotts went on and on.
"This is a base treachery! Letting this… boy hold even our hammers." He was pacing back and forth spout off all sorts of profanities. He finally made his way over to the throne and was about to sit when Jareth entered.
"What do you think your doing?"
"Lord,"
"Actually I prefer Jareth, but you may call me that." Jareth walked over to his throne that Gringotts had a hand on. Ignore Gringotts, Jareth took his seat. Gringotts appearance was like that of many of his own goblins, with the pure black eyes and claws, but he had a much more thin, human shape about him, and he stood closers to five feet tall.
"You know well what I meant Jareth. I will be treated with the respect that is to be given a Goblin King."
"You will be given as much when you act that of a Goblin King."
"Your nerve-"
"Mine little Gringotts? You march into my kingdom, uninvited, unheralded, and have the audacity to try and sit in my throne?" Jareth wasn't keep control of his anger well as fire almost seemed to start smoldering off him in heat waves.
"I see you can remember your pleasantries when they apply to your home, but what of others?"
"Stop beating around the bush Lord Gringotts. What is you have come here for?"
"He is here because I asked him to." A woman said as she stepped into the room from the direction of the castle entrance. Her hair flowed like water down to her waist, and was a beautiful bright blue like the waters around an ocean beach. She wore a thin flimsy almost see through dress that was light blue to match her hair. Her face was sculpted model perfect, but her eyes looked like carved amber that lit up like fire.
"I told you when I left 'I never wished to see your face again', and what I would do if I did Rashad."
"Oh, did Gringotts tell you? I am no longer ruler of my lands, I watch over them as Gringotts Regent." She said trying to sound surprised and light until her title came out with her anger. "Any attack or threat against me would reflect upon him."
"You barged into her kingdom uninvited and challenged her. No call for champion, not preparation, all for a simple contract. Then after defeating her you claimed all that was her's was your and spared them all to go about there lives? You make us all look like common wizards with acts like that Jareth." Gringotts said, pulling a black metallic looking orb from nowhere and suspending it in front of himself. Toby notice Jareth look very uneasy for the first time he had ever known him. Many other would not have noticed the signs, but Toby had been trying to emulate him for some time now and was astonished by what he saw.
"Unlike you I'll give you a moment to choose a second and we shall see if when I win I will be as lenient as you were." A second and third sphere appeared revolving around his hands as he watched for Jareth reaction.
"I challenge!" Toby said stepping forward. All eyes turned to look at him. "I challenge your champion as is the normal custom to decide this outcome."
"And why boy should I even listen to such words. You're nothing more then a wand-bearer meddling in goblin business."
"I am a Goblin Prince, and Heir to Jareth's Throne." Toby said step closer. Jareth watched him without saying a word. Gringotts looked between the two before turning back to Toby.
"A Prince you say, well Prince Toby, why shouldn't I just finish with my challenge against Jareth and remove your call for royalty?" Gringotts stepped right up to Toby who stood only a little taller. The orbs he had where all in one hand now and where being spun back and forth in a manner Jareth had been found of doing.
"You're supposed to be the hero King Gringotts." Toby said as if this was a play. Gringotts looked surprised and turn to Rashad. She shook her head confused before everyone gave there attention back to Toby.
"The damsel came to you to help avenge the wrong that were committed. If you come here and kill him straight out, no games, no contests like you claim Jareth ignored then you will look no better then Jareth himself in the other Kings eyes. How long before they band together and come against you believing that you're the evil tyrant now? You say what Jareth did was wrong, but only by follow the true protocol will you be able to be the hero of this story." Toby said finishing at last. Gringotts turned away from Toby and walked over to Rashad. They conversed quietly for a few minutes before he turned back to Jareth.
"I call a formal challenge of champions against the Goblin King Jareth. Loser will put forth all skills and force to be at the use of the winner."
"Three, Three challenges will decide the outcome as is the old way." Jareth finally spoke up. He stood from his throne and moved to back Toby. "The challenger for each round will set the date, and the challenged will choose the task that is possible for both parties."
"Of course, unlike some I do not forget the old customs." Gringotts did a sweeping bow that they had to return. "I shall make you all aware of the date and time for my challenges." As he motioned for Rashad to leave he nodded once again as his orbs vanished up his sleeves and followed her out.
"Sarah is going to kill me."
"After she figure out how to skin me alive for allowing you to engage and such a demanding Goblin politics. Tell me, how did you know he would agree to such a ludicrous deal?"
"I didn't really, it what just the only thing I could think of when he came with such a superior force. In Slytherin half the battle are won and lost based entirely on how you are perceived by the other housemates. I figured if I could get him to think that the other goblins will be think he's the bad guy in this he would change his tactic." Toby said letting out a deep breath and plopping down on the throne himself. His bag on the ground next to his feet. Jareth knelt down next to him so he could look at him on level.
"We will have to increase your training. His champion is bound to be older, and his challenges need only be given with an hour of delay. He could call in the middle of the night so you best be prepared for a tactic like that as well. No one would look down on him for that." Jareth pulled his glass like orbs from no where and started to fiddle with them.
"Well then I better get going then shouldn't I?"
"Of course, but please, not a word of this to your sister?" Toby nodded and vanished with Urdrog down the stairs. Jareth sat on his throne for a few minutes to calm his nerves. He had barely defeated Rashad, with Gringotts backing her he would have been overcome with almost no resistance.
_...-~-…_
Sarah and Mr. Williams stood on platform 9 ¾ seeing Toby off to his second year. The air around the train was a lot less joyful as many were afraid to let there kids go when many knew and believed the Dark Lord was back and in power again. The Ministry of Magic decreed that all of age wizards must attend. Toby seemed ecstatic to get back to school. Sarah was guessing cause it was easier to sneak back to the Labyrinth from school ground then home where he was the only young wizard to look after right now.
"I want you to be careful now. Always your best behavior. I didn't hear a lot of good things about Snape last year, and he's playing at being the Headmaster now." Sarah said as she fixed the collar of the shirt she knew he was going to switch out of soon anyway.
"Don't worry, I'll be in as much trouble as I was last year okay?" he said taking off towards the train as soon as she let go. He had his own Owl this year, Sarah wasn't sure but it did look really close to how Jareth appeared.
"He'll be alright Sarah. He has more then just wizards looking out after him." Sarah was surprised to hear her father say this. She wasn't good at hiding that fact when she looked at him.
"I've heard of worse stories then the ones you told him when he was younger. I'm sure the goblin king didn't forget about him after the big sister saved him." He said smiling and walking back to the muggle platform.
Sarah was speechless for nearly a full minute before she ran to catch up. She still didn't like apprating anywhere if she had a car handy to do the traveling.
On the train Toby had been unable to join the room with Draco Malfoy. It was already filled. This would be a bit of a damper as he would have to later pick up whatever gossip he gave away. The only room he found that wasn't occupied by a Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor was a room with two twin Slytherin girls. He entered as meekly as he could and they waved there hand like they didn't care before he took his seat.
He wasn't completely sure but the girls were Flora and Hestia Carrow. Both fifth years now if he remembered right and they had been members of that stupid Slug Club last year. They where whispering between each other. Toby didn't really care that much as they never left ripples in the pool until he heard one of them mention Ravenclaws Diadem.
He had looked through ledgers from the goblin smiths and knew of that item. It was another item stolen from his race by the wand-bearers. He quickly fixed how he said that in his mind. He kept up his feigned sleep and wished he could get out some of his tools from his bag but it would be too noticeable.
Many of the goblin items acted almost as if spells themselves, there weapons being only some of the simplest creation but had decent versatility. Like now he already wore the first set of contact that helped him peer through disillusion like effects. Many goblins had made glasses that did the same, but with how large there iris was, covering the whole eye it just not very feasible. His human sized iris worked well, but someone was bound to notice the silver streaks it left across his blue eyes.
They seemed to believe that he was asleep, he didn't give them notion otherwise when they mentioned it. They where debating if it was cleared out after the Death Eaters snuck through there. Toby last heard that was a rumor, but probably something that had been believed to be fact by now.
Toby hadn't tried last year to get in. He remembered Draco talking about it in passing but… Toby was sure he could find it. He had already found most of the secret passages on his own. The Ledge listed the Daidem as an object that relatively slowed how time felt around you so you would get more time to think through and react to situations. With the tournament at any time that would be of great importance.
Thinking out plan for what he would do when got his free time he eventually did pass out. It was many hours later that he felt a hand shaking him.
"Little boy, we are almost at 'Ogwarts." A girls voice whispered to him. She sounded like she was trying to speak up but just didn't know how. He looked up and thanked her. It was one of the Carrow sisters, not sure which at the moment. They had already switched into there robes while he slept. First time he realized he had missed a golden opportunity. He tried to shake the thought and sleep out of his eyes as he pulled on the robes and took off the clothes underneath it.
As the train pulled to a stop, all the students made there way off. A few large blokes in hooded black robes where passing a sensory around student before they could go to the carriages. For a moment he was afraid they would confiscate his goblin tools, but as he inspected the crowd they let many of the Slytherin student pass without testing them, or if they did it was so far away as that it wouldn't pick up anything. Toby waited back as long as he could so they would be impatient and just shove him through before he went.
Waiting the longest paid off. Somehow his carriage was empty of other students. His eyes could make out the foggy appearance of the Threstal that pulled it up to the school. They didn't have a disillusion charm, it was a clause on there appearance so his contacts didn't full work, but in most cases partial use could be take as full.
Halfway up to the castle his owl flew down into the carriage and Jareth appeared across from him lounging. His clothes Toby now recognized as some of the finest goblin armor smithing that could ever take place. The material acted like liquid metal, at the behest of the wear's will. Jareth always choose it to look like some fantastic Victorian style outfit and it formed to the shape. Like this it wasn't as strong of a protection, but he could always remold it quickly into something closer to plate, or chainmail. Toby's own similar armor wasn't complete yet. A kings armor needed so many different enchantments and runes forge into it that only two pieces where worthy to be worn yet.
"He's trying to disrupt your life. When you get inside you'll have to take a sick moment and leave to the washrooms. His first challenge is not even a half hour away." Jareth said in that way that he had to show he had the utmost confidence. Toby believed this was a ploy. A useful ploy so those around him would shield themselves with it and press forward.
"I'll see what I can do. I still have my bag with me. Any idea what we are doing?"
"As he challenged, we get to choose the competition. This is what makes challenges so irksome. This means we get to play to our strength."
"Okay the better question is who is his champion?" Toby asked as he started to dig through his bag to make sure everything was there, his book, dagger, wand, pensieve, and gloves. There was also a really basic contact carrying case that the goblins had tried to steal. Something about it being plastic.
"I'm not sure. Heir are not required to be Champions, and if not for you preparing for this, Sarah probably would have been mine. Last I heard he didn't have a heir, and fortunate for us Kings cannot be called a champion, its beneath there title." Jareth explained as if he was commenting on the weather.
"What challenge are we putting forward then?"
"That's simple, I'm actually not supposed to tell you before hand though. Unless you really want us to play the villains?"
"No we are the heroes of this play, we just were able to trick the villain into being foolish and monologue so we could escape." Toby said letting his bag rest beside him.
Jareth soon took wing once again as the carriages came to a stop. The other second years and up tromped up to the castle, Toby mentioned to a Prefect he wouldn't be in the hall right away and would be back and took off.
The stone bathrooms worked brilliantly for drawing doors, it was just a hassle if someone happened to unlock the stall you drew the door on when you came back. Once back into Jareth's Labyrinth he quickly switched out of the wizard robes into some old style he would have guessed jester outfit, his own gloves on thankfully. His items in a pouch and his wand in a little holster on the side he approached the stone stadium that Ludo had erected over the last few days. Jareth, Gringotts, and Rashad were up in the King's Both waiting for the festivities to start. Hundred of other goblins and Lords were situated around the coliseum.
There was a little hourglass next to the metal portcullis showing he had just a few minutes left. He checked over his items once again and waited for the trumpet to sound. As they blasted what felt like hours later, the portcullis lift and he stepped out onto the grounds.
Across from him stood a grown man, a wand already in his hand and looking for the challenge at hand. His robes where shabby, and heavily worn, a look of intelligence and cunning in those eyes, but also a sense of something primal underneath. He also carried a satchel and like Toby after seeing no other immediate threat they looked to the Kings.
Jareth stood and looked down upon the champions.
"Gentlemen! The first battle is of wits and skill. Both of you have wands, and the knowledge bereft of another being. Use these wisely. You shall both choose a creature for the other to face alone. Once you have defeated your own task you must defeat the one you set your rival to prove that it is possible. Who ever complete first, or completes at all is the victor. Our protection will save you if you come too close to the veil of death and you will have lost the round." Jareth said and clapped his hands. A glass sphere appeared in each hand and he tossed them down to the Champions. Each took the sphere and whispered a word into before tossing it to the other.
Toby's plan had been simple. He would choose a dangerous creature that he could easily dispatch himself with his own tools. As he had silver gloves and dagger he would summon a werewolf during the full moon. They seemed to be fairly resistant to magic then, only really being hurt by physical or silver means. This wizard wouldn't know what to do against such a creature.
A cloud of smoke appeared as the crystal Toby's rival sent over cracked. From it Urdrog appeared brandishing his hammer. Toby was confused, he had to dispatch his teacher?
"Toby! You fool! You think that little dainty penknife or gloves are anything compared to what we make? I told Jareth he was a fool to let you play with our toys, and your accomplishment proves me right! You haven't made a decent goblin silver item a day you've been with us." He started to tear into Toby. Pointing out any little flaw in his design, or change from plans that Toby had thought were an improvement. Toby felt tears started to come to his eyes when he reached into his bag and pulled out his Dagger.
"This, this right here proves I could do it! You said you didn't think a wizard could forge real goblin silver but I have one right here. It stood up to all your test and is still as sharp as anything you ever made!" Toby said screaming at him as tears started to fall. The fog enveloped Urdrog and vanished. Toby had thought he won for the moment when he felt a tapping on his shoulder.
"Come now Toby. You didn't really think I would choose you for my champion?" Jareth said with the demeaning smile, and eyes that looked at you and wondered why you were still talking. "I small, sniveling, crying little boy couldn't really be a Goblin King. This was all just a game like the one I played with your sister so long ago. I doesn't mean nothing, just like you don't matter."
"What? But… Jareth." Toby barely made out as he was assaulted with words again.
"I let your sister get through the labyrinth because I didn't want to keep you. I send you to my lesser goblins every chance I get because I don't want to deal with another sniveling, little lost child that there family gave up. You were the last charity case I took, and I already regret it with what's left of my heart." Toby stumbled back, he barely put his dagger back in his bag before tripping over his own feet.
"I'm your prince, you helped me forge these gloves!" he said holding them in front of himself like a shield. Jareth looked at both and started to do his mocking laugh.
"There simple orb I made myself so you'd feel better and get out of my hair." He said as he turned away from Toby. "Go ahead and leave now. Your services are no longer needed from this point on." Toby looked like he had been struck. He slowly got to his feet and started to walk back to the portcullis.
Right before he stepped out he stopped. With out turning he asked.
"This match is still real isn't it." He said quietly. He turned and saw Jareth walking away, ignoring his question.
"This match is still real! I will be damned if I worked this hard to be shut out of this world!" Toby yelled back. He turned and ran over tackling Jareth from behind and they rolled around struggling for a few moments before Jareth was trapped under an emotionally unstable little boy.
"I'll win this tournament still, and I'll get the prize. Even if you don't want me here I'll still become a Goblin King and make you respect what I did to get there!" Toby himself didn't notice when he brought his wand to bare.
"Get off me you foolish little boy and go home."
"Wit without measure is mans greatest treasure. You are not Jareth." Toby said and rolled off of him. Jareth shifted before his eyes into his fellow champion. He dusted himself off and stood up looking down at Toby with pity.
"You don't know who I am or what I am capable of. I just defeated that werewolf of yours, and it took me only one spell to conquer the creature I sent against you. Your too young for this tournament and the next round your precious king will kneel before Gringotts because you aren't good enough." This shabby looking wizards said. His hair was short and kind of wild, and still eluded a strong air of menace. It was like talking to a wolf that found you in the woods.
"How did you beat it so quickly? And what did you send against me?" Toby said standing up and putting his wand away. Another of the shabby wizard appeared behind the one he talked to and leveled a wand.
"Riddikulus!" he cried. The boggart didn't have time to turn to the new threat and change before he turned small into a little snoopy looking dog and vanished as his rival champion started to laugh.
Toby looked around confused as he heard the gong sound. The match was over.
Toby had failed the first competition.