Chapter 4: Caretaker

"What is it?" Obscurial asked the other Severus, whose nametag read 'Caretaker'. "Can't you see we're starting?"

"Well, excuse me for wanting to keep this place clean!" Caretaker shot back, his Black Country accent much stronger than Gestalt would have expected. He turned to Gestalt and said, "And who's... oh, you're him, then."

"Am I famous?" Gestalt asked.

"As far as we're aware of," Obscurial said as he poured Caretaker an ale.

"Do you have other staff?"

"Just me and Caretaker and our wives. This place is fairly new, so we might get more hands later on."

Gestalt nodded and gave Caretaker a once-over. He was wearing a tattered, patched-up tweed coat, along with equally shabby trousers and thick leather boots. "So... you're Caretaker."

"What of it?" Caretaker asked, setting the ale down hard.

"I assume you're the caretaker of something."

"Former Caretaker of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry," Caretaker replied. "Started my apprenticeship under Argus when Lily and I set off."

Gestalt furrowed his brow. "I'm missing something."

"Caretaker's a Squib," Obscurial explained.

"I can speak for myself, if you don't mind!" Caretaker snarled.

"Don't get a cob on," Obscurial said dismissively.

"A Squib?" Gestalt wasn't sure how to take the news that one of his counterparts was born without magic.

Caretaker inclined his head dryly. "Didn't make Hogwarts easy for me, that's for sure. But Lily was there for me when I was in one of my moods... well, partly."

"Strained relationship?" Gestalt asked.

"She started fancying Potter," Caretaker said. "Didn't last long, though. We started dating in sixth-year, and well... here I am."

"Did Potter go after you?" Gestalt hated James Potter on a fundamental level, but he almost had trouble believing that the boy would go after a Squib child.

"Ever since the first train ride," Caretaker explained. "Lily was upset with Petunia about something, and I tried cheering her on. I thought she'd make a good Slytherin, although this was before I knew much about them. Anyway, Potter and Black had fun with that, and then they found out I was a Squib. They seemed to think they'd won the lotto."

"Almost the same as the two of us," Obscurial said, gesturing to Gestalt and himself. "Just... without being Squibs."

"How did you even get permission to attend?" Gestalt asked.

"I didn't," Caretaker said. "But there's apprenticeship laws that allow minors to work, with express permission from their parents and a Ministry representative. Also... I might have begged Dumbledore to let me go with Lily."

"Hmph," Obscurial said with a scoff.

"Yes, yes, 'Dumblefucker' and whatnot," Caretaker replied. "Anyway, I'd better put my things away before more of us show up." He stood and took the mop back in hand as he walked out. "Tarrarabit."

"How many are you expecting?" Gestalt asked Obscurial.

"Not sure. All I know is that some of them will be... we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"What do you mean by that?"

"For simplicity's sake, just assume anything can happen. At least, that's what my Lily told me."

"She knows?"

"She planned the whole thing. Even sent out invitations."

"Albus told me in person."

"What a fucking saint he must be."

Before Gestalt could respond, he felt someone approaching from outside. "Oh, someone's coming."

"Who?"

"I've no idea."

The door leading to the entrance opened, and in stepped a Severus Snape.