Chapter 8
Three of a kind
"Archimedes Antonopoulos," The boy with the auburn hair and thick black framed glasses said as he extended a hand. He had light red freckles on his cheeks and nose, with straight hair that was parted on the right side. His vocal registry was a little high and his voice tended to crack with curtain words.
"Archimedes Antonopolopolous?" Timothee tried to say with abysmal success.
"Antonopoulos. It's spelled, A-n-t-o-"
"No one cares how it's spelled Archie." The taller boy said as he pulled out a brown paper bag. He unrolled the top, looked inside and shook his head, "I'm Theodore Bruder but you can call me Theo. The elf sitting on the other side of you is Archie."
"Hey, my mom says I haven't had my growth spurt yet," Archie protested.
"You're wizards?" Timothee asked hesitantly.
"I'm a muggle," Archie explained as he pulled out a blue metal lunch tin with the American flag painted on it and a plaid thermos, "Theo's the wizard and Abby is a witch."
"Abby?" Timothee said.
"Yeah but she doesn't like that name. So only call her by her full name, Abigail or you could end up getting socked in the arm." Archie explained as he rubbed his arm and grimaced, remembering old encounters.
Theo pulled out a soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwich before looking over, "Hey Archie, you have anything good?"
"Some Berties?" Archie offered.
"Nah," Theo said, "I always get the bad flavors like dirt or sardines. You know, they say every flavor bean but where are all the good flavors?"
Archie tossed one over, "Well, what about this red one?"
"Ah what the heck, why not," Theo said as he caught it out of the air and popped it into his mouth. His face turned red as he began to cough violently.
"What was it?" Archie asked, trying to stifle his laughter.
"Atomic sauce!" Theo wheezed.
"GOD I HATE LATIN!" A girl with jet black hair, light skin and vibrant green eyes cursed as she slammed a pile of heavy books on the table. On top of her stack of weathered books was a black leather baseball mitt. She had an emerald green streak in her hair that matched her eyes. The lock of hair ran down the left side of her bangs and ended in a curl. She wore a black and green paisley shirt and black pants.
"I'm going to get lunch." She declared.
"That's Abby" Archie said.
The girls head snapped back as her eyes looked on with a fiery gaze.
"I mean Abigail! Abigail!"
"You're still getting one in the arm for that Arch!" Abigail shouted over her shoulder before disappearing in the direction of the lunch line.
"Oh great," Archie grimaced.
"So where are you from?" Theo asked in between bites of his PB&J.
Timothee looked down at his lunch that consisted of parmesan chicken from last night's meal, "France."
"No, not where you are from," Theo said, "Where are you from?"
"Paris?"
"No…" Theo replied annoyed this time, "Where are you from?"
Timothee paused and looked over at Archie who was pouring chicken noodle soup from his thermos, "I don't understand."
"He means what school," Archie impulsively answered, "I think you're a Beauxbaton but Theo thinks your something else. He claims that only girls go to Beauxbaton because all he has met are girls from there but I told him that I read in a book that boys go there too."
"Oh," Timothee said, "Pursang."
"Ha! Take that Arch!" Theo smiled, "And they say you are the brain, well watch out."
Archie capped his thermos and put it back in his bag, "Oh please, you didn't know he went to Pursang. You probably don't even know where Pursang is!"
"So what? I just knew he didn't go to Beauxbaton that's all."
"Well it's in the south of France, high in the Alps," Archie said turning to Timothee, "But you already knew that of course because you went there. Chocolate frog?"
"Really?" Timothee said, unable to contain his excitement, "Merci."
Archie pulled out the purple and gold pentagonal candy box, "Only under one condition."
"What?"
"If it is Dumbledore or Merlin inside, I get the card. They are the last two I need for my collection."
"Of course," Timothee answered, taking the candy from Archie.
Archie ladled his soup with his spoon, "Oh, and don't let the frog get away. Mr. Cyprus, our eighth grade math teacher nearly lost his marbles when Theo let a frog get away last year."
Theo started to laugh, "You should have seen his face!"
Archie shook his head and chuckled, "No you should have seen his face when Theo over there put the frog in his mouth and ate it. Mr. Cyprus turned greener than an actual frog!"
"You guys telling the Cyprus frog story again?" Abigail said as she placed her baby blue tray with two neatly folded tacos onto the table with a small juice carton on the corner.
Theo nodded.
THWAP!
"Ahhhh!" Archie hissed as he rubbed the meat of his upper arm.
"Told you not to call me that name anymore!" Abigail yelled.
"Alright, Alright!" Archie cowed.
"You're the new kid right?" Abigail said, looking over at Timothee.
"Yes," he replied.
"Huh," Abigail said, cracking a half smile, "I heard what happened to you in Applegate's class."
Timothee sighed and shook his head.
Abigail leaned over, "Don't worry. He is like that with everyone."
Theo chuffed, "You should have seen what happened today."
Timothee popped a piece of chicken parmesan in his mouth, "Can I ask you a question?"
Abigail shrugged her shoulders, "shoot."
"Shoot?" Timothee repeated.
"It means go ahead," Archie explained.
"Why do you not like the name Abby?" Timothee asked.
Abigail glared, "You get a free pass this time but next time you get it like Archie over there."
"It's what her parents call her," Theo answered, "They call her A… that name, and so we kind of teased her about it until she started giving us Charlie horses."
"Oh," Timothee said, as he pulled open the packaging to the chocolate frog. The small frog inside let out a small "ribbit!" and took a large hop towards the center of the table. With blinding speed, Timothee's hand shot out and caught the frog mid leap.
"Wow! Fast," Archie said in awe, "Seeker?"
"Beater," Timothee answered as he popped the frog in his mouth.
"Well with reflexes like that, you could have been a seeker." Archie assured, "Who did you get? Remember our deal."
"It is," Timothee said as he peered down. It was a woman with blonde hair, a blue dress and a long wooden staff. Timothee knew who it was just by the picture but he turned the card over just to be sure, "Morgana le Fay."
"I have a few of her, you can keep that one if you'd like." Archie said before going back to his lunch.
"She's my favorite," Abigail said as she chewed her piece of taco.
"Want it?" Timothee offered.
"Sure," She said cheerily before flipping the card over and reading the back.
"So where did you go Theo?" Timothee asked, "I mean, where are you from?"
"Salem," He answered.
"Why did you leave?"
Theo looked away, "Stuff."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Just stuff. It's a long story."
"And you Abigail?" Timothee asked.
"Never went," She answered.
"Why not?" Timothee said.
"My older sister went to Salem and ended up a daffodil. A potion she was brewing one summer went awry. It terrified my parents who are both muggles. They didn't know what to do. The wizards and witches over at the hospital are still trying to make a counter potion for her. It kind of terrified them so when I got my letter I decided not to go."
"Do you regret it?" Timothee asked.
"Kind of, but both my parents were muggles so I live a pretty normal life." Abigail shrugged, "what you gonna do, right?"
"That leaves me," Archie said, "I know you are probably wondering. How in the world does a muggle know about magic. Your first guess is that I am probably a squib but I can tell you that you are wrong."
"Up, here he goes," Abigail said, rolling her eyes.
Archie perked up with a bit of pride, "I discovered the magical world. That's right! All on my own in a book."
"A Book?" Timothee said.
"A Book!" Archie repeated, "When I was thirteen, I went to Jo's Nook. You know, the used bookstore next to Danny's Diner? Anyway, I was just walking the isles trying to see if anything would catch my eye. People are always bringing in new books, trading in old books, you know I actually found a first edition Hemingway once? Jo, she owns the place, she couldn't believe it when I showed her! She's always telling me to read anything I can get my hands on."
"Ugh, get on with it!" Abigail hissed.
"Okay, okay…" Archie said, "I get distracted. I saw a book on the top shelf on the Apollo Missions. I loved space, until I found out about magic and so I knew that is what I wanted to read next. I was too short to reach the top so I tried to climb."
Theodore cracked a half smile, "You're still too short Arch!"
Archie ignored the comment as he began to reach out into the air as if he were in the bookstore again, "I reached and reached until the tips of my fingers pawed at the bindings. Climbing up another shelf, I grabbed it! That's when I heard the shelf under my left foot begin to make this cracking sound, soon it was followed by the shelving under my right foot and before I knew it, the whole thing came crashing down on me like an avalanche! I was nearly buried alive! Jo ran back to see what was going on but I assured her I was alright and told her not to worry, I would put all the books back. She checked me out to make sure I was okay before heading back to the front of the store. I started to stack the books when I picked up a large worn brown book with the most peculiar title, Magical History Brought to Life Part 2. Have you heard of it?"
Timothee shook his head "no."
"Me neither, at first I thought it was fiction. So I decided to open it and that's when it happened!" Archie said with his eyes wide.
"What?" Timothee asked.
"I was sucked right in the book and found myself in a grassy field! It was a cool misty morning, overcast, and a slight drizzle fell from the sky. Out of nowhere a small yellow bird flew passed my head in a hurry and before I knew what was happening, a whole heard of wizards flying on brooms flew right passed me! They flew right through me as though I were a ghost or something. I couldn't believe it! I was so shocked I didn't know what was going on and within a few moments I flew out of the book and was back in the bookstore again. I stood there and had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dead. When I looked back at the book the page read, 'The Merciful Moddest Rabnott.' From then on out I was hooked and turned page after page, getting sucked in and not only learning about magic but actually living it. Magic is like a familiar smell that you can recognize anywhere, a voice that sticks out in a sea of people or a flavor that you absolutely love, it always finds a way to stick out. That's how I knew you must have been a wizard."
"By my smell?" Timothee asked.
"No," Theo said, "It was the way you answered that test. No muggle in their right mind would put a broom as something someone could fly on."
"Oh," Timothee replied.
Theo patted Timothee on the back, "Well that, and the magic you performed in class today."
Abigail looked over in surprise, "Wait, he performed in a class?"
"You should have seen it. Nearly blew the windows out of Applegate's class!" Theo laughed.
"I did?" Timothee said, "That's impossible. I didn't have a wand."
"You don't need a wand to perform magic Timothee," Archie explained.
Timothee looked down at his hands, "I don't?"
Theo leaned in, "Magic isn't in a wand otherwise anyone could pick one up and cast a spell. Magic is something within you. Sometimes we forget that."
Timothee looked confused.
Theo reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow pencil and placed it on the lunch table. Aiming his pointer finger at the pencil he rotated his finger in small concentric circles, "An artist doesn't need a brush to create a masterpiece and a composer doesn't need a single instrument to create a symphony. A writer doesn't need a pen to write an epic," With his other hand Theo pointed to his heart, "It's all in here. Brushes, trumpets, pens… a wand, they are all tools that we use to share what is already inside of us."
Timothee looked down and to his amazement the pencil was spinning in synch with Theo's finger.
Chapter 9
Watch Closely
Timothee and Theo stood in the open green outfield of a baseball diamond just outside school. The storm that had blown through earlier was gone, and except for the damp grass below their feet, the sky gave no indication of the storm that had passed through.
Theo blocked the sun from his eyes with his baseball glove as he watched all the action in the infield. Scratching his calf with the toe of his sneaker he turned to Timothee, "His name is Kevin Peterson and he works at Precious Boutique on Main Street. It's a store his family owns. He's the one who can get us Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Botts or even Fizzing Whizzbees. You name it he can get it, although sometimes it takes a little bit longer for stuff other than candy."
Timothee examined the oversized brown leather baseball glove that he wore on his left hand. It was heavy with intricate weaving between his pointer finger and thumb, "How does Kevin get all those things?"
"He has an uncle who is a wizard. Every Monday, his uncle's owl flies in and drops off what he requests."
"Owls. I miss my owl," Timothee thought. He watched as the kids in his class stood on tan bags that they called "bases."
"There goes another!" One boy shouted as he beat his fist into his glove.
"She's got a mean curveball!" Another boy yelled as he raked one shoe in the dirt like a bull and adjusted his baseball cap.
They were all talking about Abigail, who stood at the pitcher's mound nodding or shaking her head at the catcher. Not one student could hit the ball when she threw it. The ball would dip and dive, curve and swerve in every direction.
"She's good right?" Theo noted.
"Yes," Timothee replied, "I wish I could put that kind of spin on a quaffle."
Theo leaned in and whispered, "It's magic."
"What? How?"
"She doesn't do it all the time," Theo grinned, "But she can put a little extra curve on the ball if she needs to. Just watch and see if you can notice the flight path change."
Timothee watched Abigail as she threw two more students out. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The first student was too eager and swung early every time and the second student just missed the angle of the curveball. It wasn't until the third student that he saw it. It was the tiniest of changes but it was there. An unnatural change in direction as if an outside force was guiding the ball.
Timothee looked at Theo.
"See!" Theo said excitedly, "It's not every time but if one gets away from her, she can rein it back in."
"I didn't know you could do magic like that."
"It's not refined. It's actually pretty hard to control. If she's not careful she can curve that ball in a clear circle around the mound."
Timothee squinted again as she threw another pitch, "But how does she do it and how did you move the pencil at lunch? How is any of this possible?"
"Archie says it's like casting a Patronus Charm, whatever that means. You have to find something inside of you, some memory or some emotion and then you sort of direct it. It doesn't always go as planned, especially when you first start. I nearly set my house on fire and Abigail says she pushed a lamp into her bedroom wall."
Timothee slowly nodded, still unsure of what Theo was trying to explain.
"You doing anything after school?" Theo asked.
Timothee shook his head no.
"Well that's perfect then. We were planning on heading over to Kevin's shop before heading to our spot."
"What spot?" Timothee asked.
Theo placed a hand over his eyes to block out the sun, "Uh oh. Better get ready to catch the ball if it comes to us."
"What is it?" Timothee asked.
"Vance Marlett," Theo said, "They call him Rocket. He's a complete jock. Good at all sports but he is really good at football and baseball. Although… well he isn't too popular these days."
Timothee looked towards home plate where he watched a massive older teen approach the plate. Even from the outfield, Timothee noticed how "the Rocket" towered over the catcher. He was a colossus and his red hair was visible from afar.
"He's in our class?" Timothee asked.
"No," Theo answered, "Knowing him, he probably saw Abigail strike out the other kids and decided to take a swing even after she had three strike outs. I hope she strikes him out too!"
"Come on Abigail!" the boy on third base shouted.
"You can do it!" A girl from first encouraged.
Abigail pulled out a black Victorian vintage key and gave it a small kiss before tucking it back into her shirt. She tucked the emerald streak of hair behind one ear and raised her glove to her face. She shook her head once, then twice before finally getting a call that she liked. It happened in a flash, the ball whizzing towards the catcher's mitt, making a loud "thwap!" as it hit the pocket. Vance's bat went whirling around in a blinding circle as he hit nothing but air.
"Strike one!" The gym teacher said from behind the plate in his khaki shorts and black polo shirt.
Abigail let out a long exhale as she set herself again on the mound.
"Come on Abigail!" Theo yelled, "Only two more!"
This time she agreed with the first pitch suggested by the catcher and wound up again before sending the ball hurtling on its' way. Rocket watched as the ball sailed high and left, followed by the call of "Ball one!"
By now a few older boys showed up who seemed to cheer and chide the Rocket. An upper classman, Phillip Tolbey, joked, "Hey Rocket, are you going to let a girl strike you out? Might kick you off the team for that!" followed by a few laughs from his classmates. The tall red headed teen gave a searing glare to the boys that were laughing and they instantly fell silent. He looked back at Abigail with his nostrils flaring and his grey eyes silently glowing with an intense fury.
Abigail's second pitch dipped low and away as Vance "the Rocket" Marlett swung wildly for it. He missed again, nearly spinning out of his own shoes.
"Strike two!" The gym teacher, Mr. Stein howled.
"She's going to do it!" Timothee thought, "She only needs one more strike!"
Abigail once again took her stance, she adjusted the ball in her hand as she prepared for her final pitch. She let it go with all her might and the ball came flying out a little higher than normal. Timothee noticed the correction as she used her magic to push the ball back towards the catcher. There was a deafening "Crack!" as small bits of wood exploded in every direction. Timothee and Theo's head instantly went towards the sky as they watched the white ball fly towards them, fly over them and sadly fly passed them.
"My gosh!" Mr. Stein said as he watched the white baseball disappear off of school grounds and across the street, "That's over four hundred feet! Kid you should be in the majors."
But Rocket kept silent as he tossed the splintered remnants of his bat with no interest in running the bases. His grey eyes locked with Abigail who stood on the mound with her lips pursed and that's when it happened. The corner of Rocket's mouth went up in the slightest of grins. Abigail returned with a nod before readjusting her hat and turning away.
Mr. Stein looked at his watch before yelling, "Class is over, back to the locker rooms!"
Theo turned to Timothee before jogging toward the school, "We meet up at the statue in front of town hall after school. See you there!"
Chapter 10
The Curse
"It was the night of the big game and he missed it," Theo explained as they approached the bronze statue in front of town hall. The three cherubs glistened a metallic brown as drops of rain ran down their trumpets. In the background, the tall colonial town hall loomed over them all with its white siding and triangular bell tower. The large bells rang four times and the droning of its' bells reverberated for miles in every direction.
Timothee saw Archie and Abigail amongst the sea of students that were heading home for the day. Arhie had his nose in a book while Abigail tossed a baseball into her black leather mitt.
"I was this close!" Abigail said as she held her fingers only millimeters apart, "I thought I had him beat!"
"I thought so too," Theo said.
"She won't stop talking about it," Archie whined, "You almost struck out the Rocket, but he ended up creaming one out of the park, what's new?"
"Because she was closer than anyone before her I bet," Theo argued, "Are you going to tryout for the team this year?"
Abigail nodded enthusiastically, "When I first talked to Mr. Stein, he wanted me to tryout for softball but after today, he says I could be a relief pitcher on boys Junior Varsity baseball!"
"That's awesome!" Theo said.
"Boys Junior Varsity?" Timothee asked.
"It's like making the back up to the house team. You see there are Freshman, Junior Varsity and then Varsity. She might be Varsity as a sophomore if she could learn to control her magic."
Abigail looked over at Theo unimpressed, "I'm better than you!"
"Whoopdy doo! Sports!" Archie sighed, "Can we head over to Kevin's now?"
"What's got you in such a sour mood Arch?" Theo asked.
"It's the second day of class and I already have homework. I shouldn't have taken all those advanced classes that the councilor suggested."
"Why don't you drop a few?" Abigail asked, "I'm thinking of dropping Latin."
"My parents would never let me drop a class," Archie sighed, "Plus you need to keep studying Latin so that you can do spells later. Most spells root from Latin."
"It's true," Timothee added.
They walked down the main street towards the Boutique, passing a few groups of students on their way.
Precious Boutiques was a small store in the town of Witchaven that had a blue sign with white lettering and a tea cup painted on either side. Walking into the store, a small bell chimed over head. The store was filled with rows of finely crafted knickknacks made from porcelain and other fragile materials. A crystal bowl with a light shining over head caught Timothee's eye as he watched the various fractal colors shoot out in every direction.
"Be careful not to knock anything over in this place," Archie warned, "These things cost an arm and a leg."
"Hey guys! And Miss!" A man called from behind a counter. He was a stout man with a short trimmed beard to hide his double chin and he wore square framed glasses. In his hands he had a comic book with two large yellow glowing eyes and "Loup Garou" written on top in jagged crimson lettering.
"Hi Kevin!" They replied in unison.
"Who's the new kid?" Kevin asked, staring at Timothee.
Theo walked over and rested an elbow against the counter, "Kevin, meet Timothee Partée. A full blown pure blood."
Kevin checked Timothee over, "Pure blood huh? What brings you to a small town like this?"
"Kicked out of wizarding school," Theo answered as he checked out the cover of Kevin's magazine.
"Oh great another delinquent like you Theo?" Kevin said with a playful grin, "What they get you for? Turning your teacher into a pocket watch? Blowing up the headmaster's office?"
"I didn't actually get kicked out of wizarding school. I was barred from magic for using an unforgivable curse," Timothee admitted. He felt his face turn warm.
Kevin dropped his magazine, "Wow, That's heavy."
Archie looked up from his book, "You didn't tell us that."
Kevin gave a nervous laugh before lowering his voice, "You didn't like Avada anyone or anything right? You're not a dark…"
"No! It's not what you think," Timothee said, cutting him off, "It's a long story."
"Hey, no judgment here," Kevin said, "Just don't turn me into a toad or have me eat slugs or something."
"Hey, he is all clear," Theo insisted, "Good guy material like the rest of us."
Kevin gave a small salute, "Sure, whatever you say boss. So, who wants their stuff?"
Abigail, Archie and Theo's face lit up.
Kevin ducked under the counter and came up with a large brown sack that he up ended over the counter. All sorts of candies and sweets came tumbling out onto the counter and all three teens eagerly started dividing them up.
"Take what you want before these three take all the good stuff" Kevin said, inviting Timothee to the pile.
"I didn't bring any money," Timothee confessed.
"Money? I get this stuff for free from my uncle over at Sleepy Hollow. I wouldn't charge you guys for this stuff unless you wanted something a little more pricey."
Timothee walked over to the pile and grabbed a chocolate frog, "What else could you get?"
"Well, anything really. I mean I'm not gonna snag you a chimera or anything that is really dangerous. But I can swing most potion ingredients, joke shop stuff, games like Wizard's Chess. Archie over here is looking for some kind of history book," Kevin explained.
"Magical History Brought to Life Part 1 by Bartholomew Henry Periwinkle," Archie rattled off as he grabbed a package of Jelly Slugs. He gave the pack of slugs a close examination before shaking his head and handing them over to Abigail who happily accepted them.
"I thought you already had that book Archie?" Timothee asked as he grabbed a sugar quill and slid it into his pocket.
"I have part two but I would like to get my hands on part one," Archie explained, "Bartholomew Henry Periwinkle is going to be at Sleepy Hollow next month for a book signing. I think we should go."
"How would we do that?" Theo asked.
"Simple," Archie said, "We get someone to smuggle us into the ghost town."
"You really think that is possible?" Abigail asked.
"Sure, why not?" Archie said, "There are tons of smugglers in the magical world, plant smugglers, creature smugglers, potion smugglers. Timothee, you probably can attest."
Timothee nodded.
Kevin smiled, "I'm kind of like a candy smuggler."
Archie pointed at Kevin, "My point exactly, Candy smuggler, standing before our very eyes. You better watch it Kevin, they could send you to Azkaban for it."
"I will ask my uncle if he knows a guy… Oh and before I forget," Kevin said as he ducked back under the counter and came up with a rack of glass vials that were filled with a bluish silver swirling liquid, "One order of Wizergen potion."
Timothee picked up a vial, "Wizergen?" He read the small printed label:
Wizergen
The Potion that keeps you Going All DaY and Night!
Great for Long Nights of Brooding, Studying for O.W.L's, Prepping for N.E.W.T's and countering Sleeping Spells, Curses and limited Poisons.
Warning: Does not work against the Draft of Sleeping Death. Do not exceed one Vial per day or risk intensive insomnia. Does contain: Dragon Blood, Boom Berry, Peppermint, Leaping Toadstool, Honey, Kangaroo Mouse Saliva and Blue no. 3
"It keeps you awake," Abigail explained before she pulled back on a green Jelly slug between her teeth, snapping it in two.
"To study for exams?" Timothee said.
Kevin looked at Archie with a surprised expression, "You didn't tell him?"
"What?" Archie protested.
Kevin's gaze transferred to Abigail and Theo who looked away as if to make them seem more innocent.
Timothee looked from his classmates back to Kevin, "Tell me what?"
Kevin leaned in and waved Timothee closer as he whispered, "This whole town is cursed."
Timothee felt a strange sinking feeling in his stomach, "cursed?" he thought, "surely I would have noticed a curse. Have I been away from magic that long?" He looked back to Kevin, "What kind of curse?"
Kevin stood straight back up, "That's the thing, we do not know exactly. Archie was the first to notice it. He can explain it better than I can."
Archie held up the book he had been reading earlier for Timothee to read.
"Libatius Borage's Advanced Potion Making." Timothee read aloud.
Archie pulled the book back, "I was reading this last spring when I got to the section on sleeping potions, venoms, curses and poisons. In here, Labatius explains the difference between all four and that's when I first noticed it. Not only was I cursed but the entire town!"
"But how?" Timothee asked.
"A yawn," Archie said.
"A yawn?" Timothee repeated.
Archie opened up a section he had bookmarked in Libatius Borage's Advanced Potion Making and held it up for Timothee to read.
"Although the symptoms may be indistinguishably analogous amongst sleeping potions, venoms, curses and poisons, it is a wizard's utmost duty to recognize the distinguishable traits in said group:
Sleeping Drafts: Generated through the combination of assorted ingredients in order to create the effect of slumber. This effect can range from seconds to centuries depending on potency and efficacy. Example: Draught of Living Death
Venoms: It is the source that makes this group distinguishable. Whereas the others are generated through the combination of various elements synthetic or natural, venoms are purely generated by creatures magical or otherwise. Such creatures include but are not limited to: Alps, Bakus and Vampires
Curses: Throughout magical history, there are many sources that can generate the outcome of slumber. The sources from curses tend to stem form magical spells and/or enchantments. Where sleeping drafts, Venoms and poisons are limited by a quantity to victim ratio, curses can effect entire populations. Example
The Enchanted Harp of Langville
Poisons: Generated with the intent to harm. Often with the intention of lethality and sourced from potions which can include venoms.
Classic tell tale signs of these curious entities include but are not limited to fatigue, drowsiness, excessive slumber, reactionary yawning, sleep paralysis, and narcolepsy.
"So how exactly did this help you figure out that we were all cursed?" Timothee asked.
Archie closed the book, "Well I didn't know immediately. It was last year in Mr. Cyprus' class when I yawned. Normally I wouldn't care about such trivial things but then I noticed as one by one every student in my class followed suit. Like a wave that swept across the class. Eventually Mr. Cyprus himself was showing his tonsils to the class. And so I did it again. I let out a yawn and watched as it traveled across the room and that's when I remembered it, Classic tell tale signs of sleeping drafts, venoms, curses and poisons included reactionary yawning!"
"Maybe everyone was just tired?" Timothee said.
"That's what I said!" Theo added.
"Before that may have been the case but I can prove it," Archie explained.
"How?" Timothee asked.
"Yeah, how?" Abigail said as she finished off a jelly slug.
Kevin leaned in, "Archie you've been working on this thing for the whole summer. How did you figure it out?"
"Do you have a glass of water?" Archie asked.
"Sure," Kevin replied. He turned from the countertop and walked through the back entrance of the store.
Archie leaned over to the radio on the table and turned up the volume dial. A popular rock song about a "crying hound dog," began to blare.
"One glass of water," Kevin said as he returned with a clear glass that was three quarters full.
"Perfect," Archie said as he lifted up the glass and examined it over the frame of his glasses, "What is the one property that magic has, that affects the muggle world?"
Archie looked over at the blank stares of the others, "Come on guys, this one is easy. I couldn't believe we didn't see it the entire time."
Archie took the glass and held it over the radio which began to crackle and hiss.
"I don't get it," Abigail said.
"Well how about that!" Kevin laughed.
Archie's grin grew into a full on smile.
"Magic affects electronics!" Archie explained as he pulled the glass away from the radio and the hissing slowly dwindled away. He proceeded to hold the glass over a small lamp on the counter. Instantly the orange blub dimmed.
"Let me see that," Theo said and Archie handed him the glass. He held it over the radio, which again began to hiss with static.
Timothee looked to Archie, "There is something in the water?"
"Bingo!" Archie said, "I don't know what it is, but clearly something is there."
"Guess I'm only drinking the bottled stuff," Kevin noted.
"You got that right," Abigail added.
Theo removed the glass and waved his hand over the radio which remained clear. Theo then focused on the radio and squinted his eyes. The radio began to crackle and hiss louder and louder until the song that had been playing was completely lost in static.
"Hey," Kevin yelled, grabbing the radio and moving it from the counter, "Don't blow it out."
"Sorry," Theo said turning to Archie, "What do we do now?"
"Well for starters, we can figure out who has been spiking our water," Archie explained, "But more importantly, we need to figure out why they are doing it."
"Any ideas?" Kevin asked.
Archie thought hard as he pursed his lips together before his eyes lit up, "I think I know of a way that we can figure out when the potion is being added."
"How?" Timothee asked.
"Well," Archie said, taking the water from the counter and holding it up, "If it is a sleeping draft that is being added to the water, like any solute, it is going to dissipate over time when the volume of the solvent is increased or in our case flushed."
"How about in normal people language," Theo said, "Some of us don't speak nerd."
Archie nodded his head, "Right. Think of the Witchaven water supply as a bathtub that is being filled with water and being drained at the same time. New water is coming in while old water is going out. If you added food coloring to the tub, the water will change color at first but over time it's going to return to clear as the dye goes down the drain. The only way to maintain the level of color is by adding more food coloring."
"And so the food coloring is the potion?" Abigail asked.
"Exactly!" Archie answered, "All we have to do is monitor the dissipating levels of magic in the water. Then when the magic level spikes again, we know that whoever it is, must have tampered with the Witchaven water supply."
"Okay but how do you monitor the level of magic in the water Arch?" Kevin asked.
"Simple," Archie said, "We measure the electromagnetic interference!"
"The electro what?" Theo said.
"The level of interference that the magic has on electrical devices. Each day I will put a glass of water over a radio and record how much static is generated from day to day. Then I can replay the two recordings and determine if the interference has either gone up or gone down."
"You're such a brain," Abigail said.
"Of course he is," Theo said, placing an arm over Archie's shoulder, "His parents are engineers, of course they are going to have a genius kid."
"Actually, there is no correlation between genetic inheritance and intelligence," Archie noted.
"Yeah, what he said," Theo replied, "Well, we have a dark wizard to catch Kevin, see you next week?"
"Of course!" Kevin said, "Stop by anytime."
The teens thanked Kevin for his generosity and headed out into Witchaven with their troves of sweets.
Chapter 11
What do you feel?
Timothee looked up towards the blue sky above as he closed his eyes and listened to the wind rustling through the white birch trees that surrounded him.
"Focus Timothee," Theo's voice instructed, "All you need to do is focus."
Timothee opened his eyes and concentrated on a smooth round gray rock about the size of a Bludger that rested on the smooth cut face of an elm tree stump, "It's hard to do it without a wand."
"I know," Theo said, "But we can't use wands so this is the next best thing."
Holding up his hand towards the rock and closing his eyes, Timothee whispered, "Wingardium leviosa."
Opening his eyes, Timothee let out a defeated sigh as he saw that the rock had not budged, "This is impossible!"
"Not impossible," Archie said as he turned the page of his potions book, "Difficult yes. Impossible no."
"Impossible," Timothee replied insistently.
"Watch me," Abigail said as she stood from the base of a tree and brushed herself off, "I don't know any fancy spells like you but it's exactly how Theo explained it. You have to feel it inside of you."
Pulling out a key from underneath her shirt, she gave it a small kiss before letting out a long exhale that blew the emerald streak of hair away from her face. She took a wide base stance and slightly bent her legs as if she were ready to pounce. Her breathing was slow at first but it grew faster and faster until her chest was visibly heaving up and down. Letting out an audible, "humpf!" Abigail's hand fired forward in a pitching motion, causing the rock to fly clear off of the stump.
"Feel it," She smiled. Walking over to the slate grey rock, she picked it up and placed it back onto the elm stump. She trotted back to the tree she had been sitting at and pulled out her Latin book and began to study again.
Timothee licked his lips before he made a swish of his hand and then a sharp flick, but to his disappointment, again, nothing happened.
"What was that?" Theo chuckled.
"What?" Timothee said defensively.
Theo imitated the movement Timothee made with his hand while letting out a hearty laugh, "You are trying to perform magic. Not conducting an orchestra!"
"You were never taught swish and flick?" Timothee asked. "You know, swish and flick… Wingardium Leviosa?"
Abigail raised her hand, "I wasn't."
"I guess it's just been a while," Theo confessed, "Look. You are still too mechanical with your casting. You don't have a wand anymore Timothee. This magic that we do isn't spell based, it's raw and uncut. Spells don't really work for us and sometimes we don't know what we are actually doing."
Archie looked up from his book, "What do you feel?"
"Feel?" Timothee said.
"Yes," Archie answered as he adjusted his glasses, "What do you feel inside? Are you angry, happy, sad? They say a Patronus charm requires the focus on a single happy moment. It's one of the oldest and purest forms of magic."
"You expect me to cast a Patronus?" Timothee said, "Those are hard enough with a wand, let alone without one."
"No," Archie replied, "You're not listening. I want you to feel something when you cast. It will help you. Happy, angry, sad, joyful, rage… if you are going to conjure magic that is within you, then you need to draw on the very emotions that fuel you as a wizard."
Theo placed a hand on Timothee's shoulder, "Look at this," As he pulled out a black ornate pen from his pocket, "It was my mother's. It's the only things I have of hers. Abigail over there has a key that was given to her by her grandmother. Do you have anything of importance to you? Something that can remind you of magic?"
Timothee reached into his black shirt and pulled out the two golden bands that dangled on a silver chain. Holding the rings in his palm, he remembered the picture of his parents holding him as an infant.
Letting out a long deep breathe he stared unblinking at the rock and cleared his mind of any spells or wand motions.
"A wand doesn't make you a wizard Timothee," Theo whispered, "Wizarding is in your blood."
Timothee tried to focus on his parents, how he felt when he looked at the picture.
"Mom. Dad," He whispered but he realized that he didn't have a single memory of them. Not even the sound of their voices. He didn't remember taking that picture he had looked at so longingly every night on his bed stand.
Tears started to roll down Timothee's cheek as he whispered, "I don't remember my parents."
"What?" Theo said, noticing the tears rolling down Timothee's face.
"I don't even remember my parents," He repeated louder as he wiped the tears from his cheeks.
Theo placed an arm around Timothee's shoulder, "I'm sorry."
Archie closed his book and walked over as Abigail followed suit. She placed a hand on his back, "It'll be okay."
"They died when I was a baby," Timothee sniffed. He hadn't cried over his parents since in years. It was strange that he felt such a strong wave of sadness that he did not expect. He tried to compose himself as he cleared his throat, "I bet you guys think I'm a big baby or something."
"No," Archie insisted.
"My mom left when I was seven," Theo explained, "I think I cried everyday for a year. My dad said that there is nothing wrong with missing someone you love."
"Yeah, and I cried when my grandma died two years ago," Abigail added, "We all do it. In fact it would be weird if you didn't cry at least sometimes."
"Merci," Timothee whispered.
"I think that is enough magic for today," Archie suggested.
The others nodded their head in agreement.
"See you at school tomorrow," Abigail said as she grabbed her things together.
They made their way out of the white birch forest and back onto the main road that bisected Witchaven. Abigail and Archie lived in the same direction while Theo and Timothee lived in the opposite side of town. They said their goodbyes one last time as the group split up towards their perspective homes.
"So how far out of town do you live?" Theo asked.
"It's a twenty minute walk down on Elizabeth Street," Timothee answered.
"I know that road. They paved it last year I think."
"That's the one."
The sun tilted in the sky towards the horizon as its' rays of light began to take on a slight orange hue. It was that time in the day where the sky couldn't make up its' mind if it wanted to be noon or evening.
The sidewalks were no longer packed with the groups of students as the two young wizards strolled through town. Theo pulled out a Tentacular Red Liquorish from his bag and offered one to Timothee who accepted.
"So what's your favorite class?" He asked.
Timothee chewed off a piece of the wiggling sweet as he thought aloud, "Well… I enjoyed physical education today. That was fun but if I were to pick a classroom class I would have to say Science. It reminds me of alchemy."
"Science is fun, especially when we get to perform experiments," Theo said, "Did you ever take transfiguration?"
"Ah Wi," Timothee reminisced, "I turned a frog into a quill once but when the teacher picked it up, it let out a loud croak!"
Theo laughed, "This one time I saw one of the older students try to disapparate to a class so he wouldn't be late but when he apparated, he was missing his hair! He was lucky he didn't get splinched. I heard that the teacher made him go the entire class bald as a baby to teach him a lesson."
Theo sighed, "You miss it?"
"Every day," Timothee answered.
Theo kicked a rock down the sidewalk, "You know what's crazy?"
"What?" Timothee asked as he ran his fingers through his blonde hair.
"How often do you think about magic?"
"Almost every waking second and sometimes in my dreams," Timothee confessed.
"Exactly! I do to. You mess up once, make one mistake, and it's all taken away from you… from us for that matter. We think about all that we had, all that we will never have and the thing that gets me mad the most is the Chief Warlock who did it. Who took it all away from you, form me. The Warlock who sentenced you probably doesn't even remember your name. I know the Warlock who sentenced me doesn't remember mine. Heck he couldn't even get my name right during my trial. He kept calling me Mr. Border instead of Bruder. To them we're just another wizard that they needed to get rid of, just another space on their schedule. How dare someone like that cast judgement on me. You're a victim of the same broken system Timothee.
He didn't know your family or your friends who would miss you or even your teachers who would say you were an alright kid. It… it just doesn't seem fair."
"What happened?" Timothee asked, taken aback by the sudden tirade.
"It was just after first year. The Continental Wizarding Fair was in town…"
January 21st 1973
Organ music chimed through the warm summer air as wizards and witches strolled through the fairgrounds. The wafting smells of delectable treats and the loud calls of vendors ceaselessly beckoned for new patrons. Goblins stood on large tall boxes with long wooden sticks pointing to signs of different attractions. Large brightly colored tent entrances remained closed to hide the mysteries within.
"Come and see the dragon tamer!" One goblin shouted as his dark black eyes peered into the crowd, "Prepare to be amazed!"
Another goblin on the opposite side of the walkway shouted, "Bruno the amazing Wizard! His spells will shock you, will mystify you, they will leave you downright breathless and wanting more! Only one Knut!"
"What about Bruno the Amazing? That could be fun to see Slade?" Theo asked, walking side by side with a boy his age.
Slade's hands were tucked into the pockets of his jeans and he slouched while he walked. His skin was pale with bright red freckles and his hair was brown like a dark chocolate. He had a mundane expression on his face as his brown eyes scanned the attractions before him.
"Bruno the amazing?" Slade said, "More like Bozo the lame. I saw his show last year and it was nothing more than basic fire spells."
"Well the dragon tamer then?" Theo asked.
Slade shook his head, "No… They don't even use a full grown Dragon. It's a Common Welsh Green. They aren't even that vicious. He might as well be taming a Pygmy Puff."
Theo was excited by all the attractions and wanted to see every last one. With his mother gone and his father being a muggle, he had never been to the magical fair before. Slade on the other hand came from a magical family and had been going to the magical fair every year since he could remember.
"Well what do you want to see then?" Theo said.
"I don't know," Slade sighed, "What if we head over to the haunted house. The ghosts in there put on a pretty good show."
"Okay, where is that?"
"Other side of the fairgrounds. Next to the spiraling banshee ride."
"I saw that! It looks scary."
"I saw some wizard puke on it a few years back. Butter beer and hotdog all over the place. The goblin who ran the ride nearly turned the oaf into a ghoul."
"You want to ride it after?"
"I guess," Slade said.
"Hey, Malifore!" A voice called from the crowd.
Slade turned around as a group of three older wizards approached. His face lit up, "It's Victor and the gang!"
"Malifore, what brings you to this lame spot?" Victor asked. He was an upper classman that also went to Salem School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Although Theo didn't know Victor personally, rumors around school were that Victor Volpone was bad news. Constantly serving detention or costing his house points, it didn't take long for first years to learn who he was, especially when he had an incessant compulsion for cursing them. Slade started hanging out with Victor in the final months of school and it wasn't long before Theo saw his friend change.
Slade cracked a half smile, "Theo has never been to the fair, I figured I would show him around. I was hoping there would be some new attractions but it seems like the same old boring stuff from last year."
Victor looked Theo over once, "Theo right?"
"Yes," Theo answered.
"Half blood right?" Victor asked.
"Mom a witch and Dad a muggle."
"Hmm," Victor hummed, as he stared. His eyes had a calm fury to them as if he could lash out at any moment. Finally a snide smirk cracked before he said, "Half is better than none I guess. What are you two up to?"
"We were thinking of seeing the haunted house," Slade said.
"The Haunted house? It's not even scary," Victor sneered, "We just came from the Bruno show. Hawke hit the old quack with a leg locker curse and nearly caught the whole tent on fire. You should have seen it. We ended up getting kicked out of the stupid show."
A tall boy behind Victor laughed as he high-fived a blonde witch wearing a black dress and chocker.
"We were thinking of going to the sphinx next. You interested Malifore?" Victor asked.
"Sure," Slade replied, before turning to Theo, "You want to go?"
Theo felt uneasy at the thought of hanging around Victor Volpone. He knew it was trouble but he had gone to the fair with Slade and knew no one else. He looked to Victor whose fierce gaze sent chills down his spine. Theo nodded his head ever so slightly.
"Good. Let's go see this mongrel beast," Victor said before leading the way through the fairgrounds.
It didn't take long for Victor and his gang to start trouble. They cursed those around them when no one was looking. Evelyn, the witch in Victor's crew, managed to steal a bag of coins from a wizard who was waiting in line for a Butter beer.
"He's going to have a hard time getting something to drink," She crowed as she tossed the bag up and down in her hands. The others cackled except for Theo who looked on nervously to Slade. Slade in return shrugged his shoulders as if to wave off the theft.
The high pitched goblin's voice was faint at first but grew louder and louder as the slogans, "She can read your future!" and "Meet the Psychic Sphinx of Giza!" were called into the summer night air.
"One Knut gets you in!" The goblin standing before the large tan pyramid tent offered. He was wearing a white robe with a gold and blue Egyptian headdress. His ears were pierced with rings of gold and his two rows of pointed gold teeth shimmered with the surrounding light.
"She reads futures goblin?" Victor asked.
"Why yes she does," The Goblin answered. His black beady eyes were enticed by the new group of wizards that had approached, "Although I must warn you that not everyone was meant to hear their future."
"Yeah, yeah," Victor dismissed. He turned to Evelyn who still clutched the bag of coins she had stolen, "Pay him," He demanded.
Evelyn shielded the bag of coins, "But these are mine and I paid for the last show!"
With blinding speed, Victor drew his wand and gave it a quick flick. The bag of coins came rocketing out of Evelyn's hand and flew into Victor's with a loud "cling!"
"Hey!" Evelyn protested but she quickly fell silent when Victor gave her an infuriated look.
"Three Knuts," Victor said as he dropped them into the goblins open palm. He turned back towards Theo and Slade as he tucked the coin bag into his robes, "I assume you two can pay your own way."
Victor, Evelyn and Hawke, disappeared into the pyramid tent while Theo and Slade stood outside. Slade reached into his pocket but Theo grabbed his arm.
"I don't want to go in," Theo pleaded.
"What? Why not?" Slade said.
"Those guys are bad news. Nothing good can come from hanging out with them."
Slade rolled his eyes, "Come on Theo, they're upper classman, that's what they do. Sling magic and get into a little mischief."
"You call stealing a little mischief?" Theo protested. He looked to the goblin that was staring at them, and lowered his voice, "I want to go."
"Look, we will only hangout with them for a little bit and then we can go off on our own. I just want to hang out with them for a little longer."
Theo sighed, unsure of what to do. His gut told him to leave but he didn't want to go off on his own, by himself.
"After this we split ways?" Theo said, extending his hand.
Slade gave the hand a solid shake, "Promise."
They paid the goblin one Knut each and made their way through the stone painted tent flap. Inside they found themselves in a long stone corridor lit by torch light. Egyptian hieroglyphs were inscribed on the massive stone walls on either side of the walkway with depictions of pharaohs, sphinxes, crocodiles and all that ancient Egypt had to offer. Tall statues of half human half animal hybrids looked down on Theo as his eyes drank up the sights.
Theo walked over to a two dimensional painting of a pharaoh holding a crook and flail. He was wearing a white garment around his waist and on his head he wore a cobalt and gold headdress with a cobra prominently displayed on the forefront. Below the pharaoh were servants holding up offerings of rings of gold, reeds of papyrus and an ingot of metal. Underneath the depiction was a hovering display placard that read, "The crook in this painting of Tutankhamun is actually a wizarding staff, as it is a lesser known fact that ancient Egypt was home to the earliest and most powerful witches and wizards that the world has ever seen."
Slade pointed ahead to a light in the distance, "Hey I think they went this way!"
At the end of the corridor, Theo and Slade entered a large open chamber with sloped triangular walls. The inside was truly gigantic, as if they were in a real hollowed out pyramid. The grand atrium was cool inside, much cooler than the summer climate they had strolled through. A single white beam of light shown down from the apex of the pyramid and onto a square steel cage where a Sphinx rested.
Victor and his gang were standing behind a red velvet rope that was labeled with square signs that warned, "Danger, do not cross!"
"Come on! Do something!" Hawke's voice echoed through the pyramid.
"Stupid cat! Wake up!" Evelyn shouted.
"What's going on guys?" Slade asked, as he and Theo approached.
"The dumb thing won't wake up," Victor hissed, "It's like every other scam in this place. I bet it's not even real."
Theo stared admiringly at the sleeping sphinx. Her fur was a golden tan, like the Egyptian pyramids and it sheathed mounds of powerful muscle. It was much larger than he expected, with the body of a Lioness and the head of a woman. From his estimates it looked to be eight feet long from the tip of her tail to the tip of her nose. She had paws that were the size of dinner plates and a mane of thick combed black hair that surrounded her face. A single black braid with aqua and gold beads ran down the right side of her face. She was simply beautiful with a sort of powerful elegance even while she rested.
Victor pulled out his cypress wand and pointed it at the tail of the sleeping sphinx. He fired a small crackling ball of sparks that hit the sphinx in the tail.
"Don't" Theo said, pushing Victor's wand away, "You'll hurt it."
Victor looked at Theo with disgust, "How dare you touch me mudblood!"
Theo pulled his hand away and took a step back as Victor turned to him and pointed his wand.
"How about I hurt you?" Victor sneered.
Hawke cackled, and Evelyn goaded, "Do it!"
"Hey come on," Slade said, "He doesn't know any better."
"I have a mind to give you some pain as well Malifore, help you learn your place!" Victor snapped. His eyes were wide and his hand gripped his wand so hard it trembled.
"Guestsssss" A woman's voice whispered as soft as silk.
All five of the wizards turned to see the Sphinx standing in the cage looking at them. Her eyes were a golden yellow and glowed.
"What brings you too my presence?" The sphinx asked. Her words felt like a mother's lullaby.
"We…" Theo said but his train of thought was lost in the glow of her eyes.
"We want our future!" Victor demanded, "We paid your pointy eared master a stinking Knut to get it from you."
The fire in the sphinx's eyes grew brighter as she looked at Victor, "Master of me there is none. A goblin's trickery has landed me here."
"Future. Now cat!" Victor prodded, "We don't have all day."
Evelyn let out a small laugh that died as the Sphinx locked eyes with her.
"Cat you say, but cat is not my name. I am Osirah and you are?" The sphinx asked.
"Victor, Victor Volpone," He said, sticking out his chest.
"Solve my riddle child and I will fill your ears with the riches that await you."
"Riddle?" Hawkes said.
"This is bogus, let's get out of here!" Victor said, turning away.
"Victor Valpone, son of Vladimir and Alessandra Valpone. Brother to Victoria and friend to Rhys Hawkes, Evelyn Pridemoore and Slade Malifore."
Victor stopped in his tracks.
Hawkes voice called out amazed, "Victor, you hear that?"
"Cheap trick but you got me interested," Victor said turning around, "Let's hear the riddle."
Osirah licked her lips with a broad cat like tongue and smiled briefly, allowing Theo to get a glimpse of two large white fangs in her mouth. The sun fire in her eyes danced like a candle flame as she said,
"I am dark in the day and bright in the night,
I swim amongst the stars.
My Lover in the sky,
Is much brighter than I,
I chase him far and far.
But when we meet,
A shadow at our feet,
Goes across the land.
Don't stare too long,
Or your sight will be gone,
And you'll miss our hand in hand."
Victor mouthed the words to himself as he thought about the riddle. He shook his head, "What? That doesn't even make any sense!"
"It's a riddle Valpone," Evelyn said, "It's like a puzzle or something."
Theo, thought about the riddle silently, "I am dark in the day and bright at night, I swim amongst the stars… Well that could be the moon? Or maybe it is a planet? My lover in the sky is much brighter than I. Hmmm. The sun?"
"A firefly!" Hawkes shouted.
"Firefly?" Victor asked, "How did you get that?"
Hawkes hunched his shoulders, "I don't know, they are bright at night?"
"Okay, A firefly!" Victor answered but the sphinx shook her head no. Victor turned to Hawkes, "That's not it you ghoul brain!"
"A moth?" Evelyn said.
Theo looked to Slade who was also thinking through the riddle.
"What was the second part again?" Theo wondered, "A shadow, and the land… don't stare too long. What is that? Wait. There was something about meeting. When the sun and the moon meet, that's an eclipse!"
"An eclipse?" Theo said barely above a whisper.
"What?" Victor snapped.
"I think it's an eclipse," Theo hesitantly repeated.
"Eclipse," Victor shouted to the sphinx.
The ears of the sphinx perked up as a single brow rose in interest, "What is that?"
The agitation grew as Victor said, "Can't you hear me? Eclipse!"
"One more time?" Osirah grinned, her white ivory fangs just visible below her upper lip. Her eyes grew large and her nose flared. Her powerful muscles tensed.
Victor took a step towards the red rope and cupped his hands to his mouth, "An Eclipse you big dumb cat!"
"Thrice," The sphinx whispered, her ears pinned back and teeth bared.
The grey metal cage let out a chilling sharp click. Theo's blood ran cold as ice while the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. His legs locked and he felt as if he couldn't breathe.
The bars of the metal cage lifted up, leaving nothing but the red velvet rope and an ominous warning between the wizards and the sphinx.
Victor's eyes widened in terror as he swallowed hard and took a step back, "I… umm… I"
"Shhhh child," Osirah assuaged. Even now her voice was as soft as a unicorn mane but her body reminded Theo of the calm before the storm.
Victor took another step back, "We have to go."
Osirah took a step closer with her enormous paw, "But Victor, you've not received your prophecy."
"I don't want it," Victor replied, reaching for his wand.
"I'm afraid it's not good. In fact, it is rather short."
Theo saw a tan blur lunge out of the cage towards them. Screams echoed off the great walls of the pyramid as streaks of crimson gushed into the air. Theo closed his eyes and placed his hands over his ears. He was too petrified to move. He felt something warm and wet run down his legs as they trembled uncontrollably. Even with his hands over his ears, he could hear the muffled screams, screams that called out over and over and over again. Something hot and wet sprayed across his face and he tried to shut his eyes as tight as he could. He tried to be somewhere else in his mind before the end came.
When the screaming had ceased, he felt warm breath against his hand. A breath that smelled of a butcher's shop, of butchered meat. A smell he could never forget.
Theo lowered his quivering hand from his ears, "Please don't hurt me."
It was that same soothing voice as before,
"Two brothers not bound by blood,
One is evil, One is good…"
The Present
"What happened next?" Timothee asked.
Theo took his turn kicking a stone farther down the sidewalk, "When I opened my eyes, she was gone. Of course it wasn't long before I was standing before a Warlock in the High Wizarding Court."
"But there is no way they could have blamed you for all that. How could you have known that eclipse was the key to the cage?"
"It didn't matter Timothee. Here you have one wizard standing while all of those around him are dead. How can I explain that without looking guilty? No one came to my rescue during my trial to plead my case. They all assumed it was my fault and that made me guilty. My mother was gone and I only had my father at my side. He didn't know how the Wizarding courts worked, they just told me I was lucky not to be in Azkaban."
"That's not fair," Timothee protested.
Theo stopped and faced Timothee, "I imagine your trial went the same way. Guys like us we have to stick together."
He extended his hand, "Promise?"
Timothee took the hand and gave it a firm shake, "Promise."
They walked farther down the road until they came to the corner of Main Street and Elizabeth Street. Theo continued down Main Street while Timothee walked south down Elizabeth. On their walk they found that they lived relatively close to each other and planned to hang out over the weekend. It wasn't long before Timothee reached the two story hunter green house with brown roofing. Samuel's Teal Mercury was parked in the driveway and the living room lights were on.
"How did it go today?" Samuel asked, as the door opened to the house and Timothee walked in. The savory aromas of roasted beef and potatoes greeted him at the door.
"It was… good," Timothee realized.
"That's wonderful," Mara said as she exited the kitchen, wiping her hands with a towel. She was wearing a blue apron over her white pastry chef top with the pink words "M's Bakery" embroidered over the heart.
Samuel folded his newspaper and stood from his chair. He was still in his teaching robes from work, "Did you talk to Jena again?"
"I actually didn't get a chance to. I kind of made some friends today," Timothee said.
"Kind of?" Mara asked.
"I did," Timothee clarified.
"Who are these new friends?" Samuel asked.
"Theo, Archie and Abigail. They are in some of my classes."
Mara's face lit up as she walked over and gave Timothee a hug, "That's wonderful Timothee! I always knew you would fit right in, you are such a good kid." Taking a step back she looked to Samuel, "I told you honey."
"You're right," He admitted and proceeded to stare inquisitively.
Mara was smiling from ear to ear, "Okay, how about you drop your bag off in your room, wash up and come on down for dinner?"
Timothee nodded and trotted up the stairs towards his room. Opening the door, he un-slung his bag and placed it on his bed. A small tattered grey bear emerged from the pile of pillows and walked to the edge of the bed.
"Hi Ursa," Timothee greeted.
Ursa waved his plush paw in the air.
"I think I made some friends today."
The black yarn that ran in a line under Ursa's snout began to curl up into a smile.
Timothee walked over and took a seat on his bed, next to the bear, "Can I tell you a secret?"
Ursa nodded.
"You sure?"
Ursa made an "X" over the grey fur on his chest to symbolize his pledge.
"The friends I made today are just like me. They are wizards!"
The smile on Ursa's face lowered slightly as he tilted his head to one side. An inquiring expression seemed to silently ask, "But how?"
"They all seem to have just fallen through the cracks I guess. They're not bad if that's what you are worried about. Life just kind of… I don't know. All I know is that for the first time since I've been here I finally have people I can talk to. Kids who can relate to me and like the things I like."
Ursa nodded his head in understanding.
Timothee placed a hand on Ursa's shoulder and let out a long sigh, "You know I think I can get used to this muggle life after all."
He looked around his room until his eyes fell upon the picture on his nightstand. Two parents gleefully holding their infant. Timothee leaned over and picked up the picture and held it in his hands. For some reason he didn't feel the same longing in his heart as he gazed upon the picture. There was a disconnect he now felt. As if the feelings he once had were counterfeit.
"You know I don't even remember them taking this picture?"
Ursa pointed to the picture before pointing to his head.
"You remember?"
Ursa nodded. He pointed at Timothee before rocking his arms as if to carry an infant.
"I know that is me in the picture but today I realized that I don't remember them. Not the sound of their voice or their scent, not the warmth of their touch. Without any of that how do I know they were real?"
Ursa pointed to his heart.
Timothee shrugged his shoulders, "I guess. I'm just tired of learning about my parents through the memories of others. I wish I had my own memories of them."
Ursa Nodded.
Mara's voice called from down the stairs, "Timothee, dinner is ready!"
Timothee looked at the picture one last time before shaking his head and placing it face down on his nightstand. Standing from the bed, he gave Ursa a pat on the head and left his room.
