Thanks for keeping up with this story! I appreciate it! :D Here's Chapter three! (Any terms with an asterisk *, they'll be explained at the bottom!) Also, a little forewarning... the OC won't be referred to as ''Raven'' much at all from now on...only in some instances in later chapters..you'll see why when they're posted. Please note the OC's real name is Garrett, so Graham will refer to him by his birth name.
Chapter Three- And So It Begins...
It was 10:00 am, Sunday morning and two Montagues were getting ready to head out of their room. Graham decided to bunk with Raven since he could actually use his wand to transfigure another bed. Graham woke to see this wasn't a dream, that his brother was right across from him. It felt nice not to be alone for once. He would never admit it aloud, but he envied the Weasley twins. They had such a connection. There were also the Patils, Parvati and Padma, but they were too different. One day, he hoped to exact some twin revenge against the pranksters and irritate the fuck out of them like they did to everyone else on a daily basis...mostly him.
"You ready yet, Garrett?"
"Quit yo' buggin'. I'm ready...and it's Raven."
"No, Garrett is your name so get used to me addressing you as such."
"Pfft...fine. Call me Garrett." the longer-haired twin grunted as he turned the extra bed back into the table, tucking his wand in his holster. Graham already had his wand on hand out of habit.
"Wait. Before we go, I need to disguise ya. Nobody knows 'bout you and we don' need many knowin' yet.. except fo' a few people. We can trust 'em. I met 'em on excursions years ago, they're Wizardin' folk."
"True. We can't manage every last detail on our own, so disguise me."
With a wave of the wand and a few appearance-manipulation charms, Graham had his black hair, but with blue eyes and different facial features...enough to be considered a cousin, not a twin.
"Now, we're ready. Out da door we go."
Upon reaching the gates outside of the plantation; the boys walked down the road, stopping at an oak near the crossroads. "There's a portal to get into town behind dis tree. We'll appear in a graveyard, just thought I'd warn ya."
With a nod, Graham followed Garrett and they both disappeared. Opening his eyes, Graham scanned the scene around him. There was black wrought-iron fencing around numerous above-ground graves and mausoleums. Most were also shaded by hanging willow trees.
He allowed Garrett to pull him through the graveyard, pointing at various inscriptions and markers,giving him a little history of the cemetery he would frequent on his adventures. One of Garrett's favorites was the Cross of Baron Samedi*; the rowdy, sailor-mouthed, rum-drinking loa* of Haitian vodou*. From Garrett's description, this spirit was quite a character.
Now out of the cemetery; the boys meandered down the road, eventually reaching a place near Bourbon Street called the Full Moon Shop. It was a store full of materials, herbs and other trinkets dedicated to the practice of Haitian vodou. To Graham, it appeared a mixture of Snape's storage room, a church he visited once in France and that shady store in Knockturn Alley- Borgin and Burke's.
"Da owner o' dis place, he's da buddy I told you 'bout. His name is Carson Williams-Desrosiers. He's da bokor* or priest dat lives o'er in dis part o' town. O' course, there's rumor dat he's actually Baron Samedi since he an' dis store appeared out o' nowhere years ago...an' a lot o' unexplained stuff happens when he's around." The sounds of beads rattling against one another signaled the boys to face the eastern corner.
A tall black man wearing blue jeans, a grey short-sleeved shirt and some unidentifiable talisman took his place behind the counter.
Giving the boys a grin, he greeted them. "Mornin' boys. Have fun over at the cemetery?"
Graham looked at Garrett in surprise "How did he-"
"...know 'bout our stop? Da man knows things."
Carson smiled. "You might as well take off your disguise, I can see through it anyway."
Garrett shrugged and ended the charms, returning his brother's twin appearance.
" 'Da raven will cross paths with his brother.' So I take he's what you meant when I first met ya, huh?" he asked, nodding to Graham.
"Indeed he is."
'Why does this remind me of that Ravenclaw girl...Lovegood?' He mused as he listened to their friendly banter.
"Anyway, Carson, we're here 'cause we need yo' help. We're gon' switch places fo' da year..or at least, fo' several months...an'-"
"You'd like for me to sever the trace on his wand."
"Yeah, please?"
He chuckled. "No problem. Hand it over." Graham pulled his wand from his holster and handed it to the bokor. Turning the polished wood over in one hand, making a slicing motion with the other, he muttered under his breath. ''Secare observatio''*.
A small blue light enveloped the wand, vanishing as quickly as it arrived. "The trace is gone." Carson handed it back to Graham. "Oh, before you two go, take these with you." he handed the twins a box full of vials, ointments, herb pouches and other miscellaneous packaged items.
Graham looked at him curiously "What are these for?"
"Considerin' what he has in store for you before you separate, you're gonna need them. Have fun, boys." he laughed, heading up the stairs.
"What the hell are you going to have me do?"
Smirking, Garrett responded. "You'll see." Recasting the necessary charms, the Montagues left the Full Moon Shop.
The next several hours consisted of Garrett dragging Graham from one end of the French Quarter to the other, each spot containing a wizarding connection who decided to help the boys with their scheme. The two characters were quite colorful-they were two alligator hunters who were also herbologists.
There were plenty of helpful botanicals in the bayous, so it was a perfect place to grow and harvest plants as long as one kept the numerous gators at bay. Over the next two weeks, Graham was going to get a crash course in becoming a bayou boy, Garrett...a high-brow aristocrat. Hopefully, those two won't end up killing each other first.
As the first week progressed, Graham was introduced to some Cajun and Creole homecooking, some of which was too spicy for his taste, causing him to sputter and Garrett plus his hunter buddies to laugh.
"Come on, now! It's just a lil' cayenne! Don't puss ou' on me."
Wiping his mouth, he rasped. "Just wait until I teach you formal etiquette, we'll see who's the little puss." It so happens that a variety of silver utensils and other materials were inside the supply box Carson prepared. That man really did have foresight.
Back at the plantation, Garrett was having a fit. "What da hell is with all these goddamn different forks an' spoons an' shit?! Why can't ya'll use one knife, spoon, fork, glass an' plate like normal people?!"
"Because that is how it's done in higher society. Monarchies and various aristocratic families have been instructed in the art for centuries. Now, which is the fish fork?"
"Uh.." Garrett, facing the plate in front of him, picked up a fork to the right of a larger one in the middle.
"Wrong. That is the salad fork."
The disgruntled twin dramatically tossed the fork over his head, slumped over and groaned. Graham shook his head, snickering. 'I really do hope he gets this before he heads to my home. He's not stupid, very far from it.'
The next day, one of the hunters; who's name Graham learned was Darren Babineaux, took the twins over to one of his homes near Teche Bayou*. Since the first week wasn't over yet; Graham was going to first, meet a special pet then hunt and cook alligator during those next several days. Thankfully, there was magical bug and parasite repellent and sunscreen. Now settled after apparating to Darren's house, Garrett handed Graham a bucketful of raw, hacked poultry before they headed out the door, down a grassy path.
"That's for our pet, Bubba."
"What the hell kind of pet do you have?!"
"One o' a kind."
Pushing several shrubs out of the way, Graham almost dropped the bucket and fell over in fright. Staring at the twins with slitted, mossy green eyes... laid this half-ton, fifteen-foot long swamp predator. Noticing Garrett, the alligator opened its powerful, toothy jaws, as if almost giving a smile and started shuffling towards them.
"No! no! Oh shit!" Graham dropped the bucket and climbed up the tree behind them, peering down at his crazy twin. "Are you insane?! Get up here!"
Garrett laughed, clutching his sides. The huge reptile stopped and stared at Graham, then to Garrett and then back to Graham again, hissing at the tree-dweller. "Graham, dis is Bubba, Darren's pet gator. I call 'im mine, too. I don' live too far from here mahself. He's a young'n but full grown. We don't hunt 'im 'cause..-"
" -'Cause I'm special."
Graham's jaw dropped. 'The gator just fucking talked.'
"...What he said!"
"As yo' double pointed ou' da obvious, I'm a talkin' gator...magical, actually. Now, if you so kindly would quit almost pissin' yo' self and get ou' o' dat tree... please, gimme ma damn grub.''
Reluctantly, Graham got down and picked up the bucket; amazingly it didn't tip over when he dropped it.
''Don' worry, I ain't gon' bite yo' damn hand off. Although, I can't speak fo' da rest of 'em in da bayou." Bubba opened his jaws, exposing those rows of large teeth. It was wide enough to swallow a small goat whole.
Graham slowly reached into the bucket, grabbed a halved chicken torso and quickly, but gently, tossed the flesh into the predator's mouth who chomped the meat graciously.
"Now, give 'im da rest. You'll be doin' dis o'er da few days yo' here. You can pet 'im too. He won't attack unless you threaten 'im or his mate an' young."
"There's more of them?"
"Yeah, but mostly o'er in dis part o' the world. There's also a crocodile version o' dem in Africa."
"Ah.." he replied as he fed Bubba the remainder of his meal, who then slithered off into the murky bayou water for a morning dip.
"All right, now it's off to da motorboat, we're goin' huntin'."
"Oh, Merlin.." Graham groaned, mostly in uncertainty of what will happen on this outing. Meeting Darren and Sander, they hopped into the boat which was loaded with various ropes and other supplies, bait and a couple of long muggle weapons-rifles.
"Now, bro...we'll be teachin' ya how to shoot one tomorrow, but right now, just watch an' don' get in mah way. Oh, an' if you see a dead human body float up here, don' touch it." Garrett finished nonchalantly.
Grimacing and slightly wary of his twin's blasé remark, Graham replied "I won't."
With the start of the motor, the four men headed down the muddy waterway.
*''Secare observatio": "secare"- sever, "observatio"- observation/watch/surveillance ("Sever surveillance")
Baron Samedi: Or 'Baron Saturday', he is the head of the Guede family of Loa. Normally, he is pictured with a tophat, black tuxedo, sunglasses and white plugs in his nostrils...to resemble the dead prepared for burial in the Haitian style. He also has a white, skull-like face...or has a skull for his face...it varies. He is said to represent disruption, debauchery, and obscene behavior...note his interesting attitude when you do further research. Also, the Baron has a taste for rum and tobacco, and is called the Loa of resurrection. Baron Samedi has been called upon for healing by those near or approaching death since he's the one who can take the soul to the realm of the dead. It is said that when a person dies, he digs their grave. After burial, he greets their soul and escorts them to the Underworld...kinda like the ferryman and the River Styx thing. There's more to him...you'll just have to see for yourself.
Loa: Intermediary spirits between Bondye (Bon Dieu, or good god)—the Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity. Unlike saints or angels however, they are not simply prayed to, they are served. They are each distinct beings with their own personal likes and dislikes, distinct sacred rhythms, songs, dances, ritual symbols, etc.. The loa are not sole deities but are in-between-go-to people for a Bondye.
Haitian vodou: Is a religion practiced chiefly in Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora. Vodou also incorporates elements and symbolism from other African peoples and European spirituality like Roman Catholicism for example.
Bokor: Is a houngan or mambo (priest/priestess) that serve the loa with both hands...as in they work with both sides of magic (Dark/Light) They can do blessings or a curse.
Teche Bayou: Is a real bayou...one of many in Louisiana. The town I came up with near that bayou, Bellerose, is fictional.
Oh, and when it comes to Bubba...imagine him with the voice of Jim Cummings when he provided one for the ferryman Jacques in Scooby Doo on Zombie Island..that may help give you a better image. :)
Next chapter will arrive soon! :D (And for the gator-hunting thing...it's done like that with deer and land game...to keep the population in check...it lasts for a certain time each year.)