Chapter 7 : An electric New Year
The holidays are usually an opportunity to be together. At Christmas, we see the family that we haven't seen for ages and at New Year's Eve, we go out for a drink with friends who have busy lives on their own.
Except that this year for Arcturus, he had neither. His mother didn't want him at home, his two brothers preferred to have their independence with their own groups of friends rather than having to deal with their clingy older brother and Akira was spending the holidays away from school for the second time in a row.
Needless to say that these two weeks were as calm as possible, even boring for the clumsy firecracker that he was. Sure, he could indulge in his Muggle sports that he loved like football or rollerblading – which earned him punishments after punishments since he couldn't help but break something or knock someone over while practicing them inside, since outside was covered with ice and snow – except that on his own, it wasn't the same. Even brewing potions didn't have the same flavour, even if it was better to not taste some of them.
So Arcturus was passing the time as he could, mostly by reading Muggle books borrowed from the library - without anyone judging him for his strange reading taste since the school was almost deserted - or by preparing particularly long potions that he didn't get the chance to test during the weeks full of classes. And it was precisely on one of these ordinary days, just after Christmas, that his holidays finally took a spicy turn.
Arcturus had spent the day tidying up the Potions classroom after making a mess there, like always when he was squatting the place by himself. He was following Slughorn's instructions after the latter had come in only to jokingly exclame that Arcturus "shouldn't step on a beetle eye or he would spend the rest of the holidays tied to a bed in the Hospital Wing".
"What's going on, my boy ?" Slughorn asked him after coming back one hour later only to see his student still collecting the eyes on the ground extremely slowly. "Wouldn't you be better out there enjoying the fresh air rather than the one of this damp dungeon ?" He added while scrutinizing with a pout the unsanitary place that he was himself wishing to leave to get an office upstairs with a nice view.
"With whom ? My brothers don't want me around and my only real friend left Hogwarts for the holidays. I'm all alone." Arcturus sighed sadly while continuing to pick up one by one the eyes that had rolled under the desks.
"You don't have anyone else ?" Slughorn continued while being visibly surprised that his favorite student wasn't more popular. "Of all the students still at Hogwarts, aren't any of them part of your circle of acquaintances ?"
Arcturus wanted to answer but in doing so, he tried to straighten up only to hit his head badly on the table under which he was crouching, earning him some watery eyes as he finally succeeded in getting up.
"Not really." He admitted while closing his eyes repeatedly to make disappear the stars that he was seeing. "I've gotten to know some people during the five years that I've been here, but they all find me weird whether because of my excessive interest in Muggle stuff or because of my family. Nobody wants to hang out with a guy whose cousin is Bellatrix Black."
"I see." Slughorn said while running a hand over his walrus-like moustache. "I can probably help you on this point, my boy. It turns out that I'm giving a party for New Year's Eve with hand-picked guests. There will be Magizoologists, Gringotts employees, high-ranking people from the Ministry, Daily Prophet editors and so on. I don't usually invite students to this New Year party, only to the Christmas one and students from the sixth year minimum. However, I can make an exception for my brightest student."
"Cool, thanks !" Arcturus enthused while being delighted with the turn that his dreary holidays were taking.
"So, I'll be waiting for you on the thirty-first of December, at twenty-two o'clock in the Trophy Room. Just remember to dress appropriately." The Professor pointed out while eyeing the slimy stains that the beetle eye preservation liquid had formed on Arcturus' wizarding robe.
The latter didn't fail to do so, putting on the least worn-out Hogwarts robe that he had in his possession since he didn't have any dress robe which was much too expensive to wear only twice. Dressed fairly properly and with his hair combed, Arcturus showed up in front of the agreed place an hour early, being so excited at the idea of spending the New Year surrounded by personalities that he had only seen in the Daily Prophet.
However, Arcturus didn't knock on the door until twenty-two o'clock, preferring to hide in a corner until the exact time because of his nervousness at the thought that his clumsiness would catch up with him at some point during the evening. It was Professor Slughorn who came to open and he seemed radiant when he spotted his brilliant student.
"Come in, my boy !" The latter called out to him while moving away from the door to let him pass. "There are some people who just arrived that I would like to introduce to you."
"Oh really ? Who ?" Arcturus asked with interest as his great memory would allow him to connect the names to the photos of these personalities that he had surely already seen in the newspaper.
But Slughorn didn't answer, probably because he was too impatient to make the introductions or because the music played by an old gramophone was too loud for him to hear anything.
Without asking any more questions, Arcturus followed his Professor while contemplating the room that had been decorated for the evening. The Trophy Room had lost its ordinary appearance. Draperies of all colors had been hung on the walls between the crystal cases displaying trophies or other medals that were highlighted by candles placed next to them. Lanterns had been hung at the ceiling to diffuse a soft light and tables had been added to put food or drinks on them. These snacks were also served by the school's house-elves which were passing among the guests with trays balanced at the end of their frail arms that they were holding above their heads.
Everything was magnificent and had nothing to envy the Feast that was taking place at this very moment in the Great Hall. And Arcturus had to be careful to not get carried away by the euphoria of the party otherwise it would end in disaster, notably in delicious food being spread on the ground as he had just jostled a poor house-elf which got the misfortune to pass in front of him when he had his nose in the air to contemplate the lanterns.
"Sorry." Arcturus apologized flatly while catching the tray and the house-elf before they both fell.
He then continued on his way under the astonished gaze of the creature which was visibly shocked that a wizard had apologized to it. Finally he reached his destination when Slughorn suddenly came to a stop next to three wizards who were talking together.
"So Horace, what have you brought us here ?" The loudest wizard of them all asked while pointing at Arcturus with his glass of Firewhisky.
He was taller than the other two wizards, sporting a mane of chestnut hair that was waving over his shoulders and his blue eyes were lively. Grinning broadly, gesturing wildly in his purple dress robe, he was the center of attention and seemed to love it as he grabbed Arcturus hand only to crush it in his grip.
"He's the young student that I told you about. A very promising boy, especially in Potions. You should like him, Phineas." Slughorn answered while Arcturus was stifling a cry of pain as the wizard finally released his crushed hand.
"Phineas as in Phineas Bourne ?" Arcturus asked while recognizing the face of this man that he had already seen printed on a Potions book. "You wrote "Moste Potente Potions". I managed to borrow your book once from the Restricted Section but Professor Slughorn refused to let me brew all the potions in it."
"Damn, Horace !" Bourne roared while giving the latter a hard slap on the back which almost made Slughorn fall forward. "Let your students have some fun ! I'm sure a little Polyjuice Potion would be very useful from time to time to fool their Professors or that dear Filch."
"You know that Albus will never allow it. That's why he put your book in the Restricted Section." Slughorn pointed out to him while slowly regaining his balance. "Arcturus, may I also introduce you to..." He continued while starting to extend his hand towards one of the two other guests who were keeping Bourne company.
But he got immediately interrupted by the latter.
"A Chaser from the Tutshill Tornados and a Ministry employee who works in… which department again ?" Bourne asked the latter rather sharply.
"Mysteries." The guest – a wizard with black and grey short hair, dark shifty eyes and a completely black dress robe - soberly answered before taking a small sip of his glass.
"Fascinating." Bourne added with sarcasm. "I don't understand how you can work there. As a Potioneer, I wouldn't like the Ministry to have a look at my inventions. I work independently, but I'm always looking for a talented apprentice. If you're interested, my door is open. But I think we'll still have to wait a bit since Horace told us that you're only in fifth year." He said to Arcturus.
"Indeed." The latter approved while trying to grab something to drink or eat but without success since the trays were too fast for him. "But I don't think that I'll become a Potioneer."
"You haven't chosen a career yet, is that it ?" Bourne deduced. "But, it's not in fifth year that students have to decide, Horace ?"
"Yes, but the career counseling hasn't taken place yet." The latter said while seeming disconcerted by the announcement of his dear student. "Being in Gryffindor, it will be Professor McGonagall who will help you to choose, but I nevertheless want to give my opinion by advising you to follow the path of Potions. A talent like yours is seen too rarely."
"But I've already chosen my path." Arcturus quickly answered while laughing embarrassedly at all the attention that he was receiving. "I want to become an electrician."
"An electriwhat ?" Bourne thundered with confusion.
"It's a Muggle job related to light. A distant cousin of my wife is one..." The Quidditch player – a wizard with very short black hair and eyes the same color as his sky blue dress robe that had a dark blue double-T on the chest like their Quidditch robe - intervened.
""A Muggle job" ? For a Pure-Blood wizard coming from the prestigious Black family ? So I understand it now. It's a joke. I like your student, Horace. He's funny." Bourne replied while patting Slughorn again on the back.
"This isn't a joke. I'm going to finish my studies at Hogwarts with an emphasis on Muggle Studies and then, I'll train as an electrician." Arcturus announced proudly while managing to finally grab a mini sandwich that was passing by.
"But, be reasonable my boy." Slughorn said while seeming horrified by the path that his student was willing to follow. "You need to think carefully about your career. Because I can already predict that you'll be one of the greatest Potioneer of the decade, if it's not for the century ! And Mr. Bourne here will be able to guide you. This isn't to be taken lightly."
"That's nice. Really. And I'll definitely continue to brew potions as a hobby. But..." Arcturus continued with a mouth full of sandwich before falling silent when Bourne let his anger burst out.
""As a hobby". "As a hobby"!" He half-shouted which drew the attention of the other guests on their small group. "Being a Potioneer isn't a weekend hobby. It's a vocation, even a gift that is given to us to push further the limit that magic spells can't reach. And I definitely can't take as an apprentice an idiot who thinks that potions are just a game !"
"But, I…" Arcturus stammered while turning red as a tomato at the insult that he had just received from his idol.
But Bourne didn't want to hear anything from him. Turning on his heels theatrically, he strode away with an angry air only to reach the table of strong alcohols.
"Phineas, wait ! The school year isn't finished yet, and the boy will change his mind ten times during it and the two years to come !" Slughorn called out in a plaintive voice while going after him.
Faithful to his department, the employee from the Department of Mysteries slipped away without saying a word. Only the Quidditch player seemed to feel sorry for the poor Arcturus who was just standing there since disappearing under the ground was impossible.
"That's an... interesting job, electrician. Like Quidditch, there's this dangerous side with the risk of getting an electric shock."
""Dangerous" ?" Arcturus repeated while turning livid at this announcement.
The player didn't add anything. Briefly squeezing his shoulder in compassion, he finally walked away to join his other teammates who were wearing the same sky blue dress robe as him.
And Arcturus found himself completely alone. He had thought that going to this party would help him to meet interesting people that he could keep contact with in the future, but it was an illusion. With his strange taste for electricity and the uncommon job that he was chosing, he was out of place. He was only realizing it now and not wanting to ruin the party any more, he simply left without being missed since nobody was paying him any attention.
Wandering like a lost soul in the hallways, Arcturus decided to reach the Gryffindor Tower to go to bed. However, it was unlikely to happen as some Gryffindors were in the common room, making a lot of noise while waiting for midnight to arrive. The atmosphere was so joyfull there that it erased a little bit the sadness of Arcturus, and he stayed with his comrades to do the New Year's Eve countdown. And when it reached zero, he had to take cover under a table as fireworks were lit only to ricocheted dangerously on the walls of the room.
Happy New Year my dear readers !
I hope that you've celebrated properly this New Year's Eve, and that you're ready for 2025 ! The beginning is exciting like every year, with tons of stuff to do or try only to fall back in a routine after a few days and forgetting all the good resolutions that we took.
Getting a job can be one of these good resolutions. And our dear Arcturus will apparently need to fight to realize his dream of becoming an electrician. While hoping that his family won't hear anything from it, otherwise it will go really badly for him. Can you imagine the disaster ? But for now his secret is safe, at least until the next chapter that I'll publish at the end of the month.