Moon 2
"Alright, children, don't dally. We have a lot of ground to cover," the man said, his voice tinged with irritation. He was a tall figure cloaked in black robes, his short gray hair barely visible under his hood. Most strikingly, he wore a blindfold, with scars peeking out from under his collar if you were observant enough. Accompanying him was a knight in gleaming silver armor adorned with long blue cloth, like knights from a fairy tale, their disciplined stride a testament to years of training.
Theseus couldn’t help but wonder who they were. Aurors, perhaps? He had never seen Aurors dressed like that before.
Another knight patrolled the rear of the group, which consisted of about forty students, all between the ages of ten and eleven. Wide-eyed with wonder, most of the children marveled at the sights around them, though some had fear etched on their faces. Who could blame them? This place was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, a beauty unlike anything they had seen before.
The carriages came to a halt on a long stone bridge overlooking a vast lake. The bridge was partially broken, one half stone and the other wood, with scaffolding hinting at ongoing construction. The sounds of hammering and sawing were everywhere. The bravest children ran to the edge, gripping the railings as they peered down into the lake. A few, overwhelmed, ran back to the group in tears.
“What did I say about dallying!? Keep moving, you can explore later!” The blindfolded man barked, waving the stragglers back to the group. Once everyone was in order, they continued their march.
Theseus walked behind a girl with curly hair, all of them bundled in their outside clothes. It was chilly, and tufts of grass peeked out from the stone, with remnants of roots scattered across the bridge. This bridge must be ancient, its age evident despite the ongoing clean-up efforts.
As they approached a wide platform, a towering structure came into view. Suddenly, screams erupted. Most of the children hid behind the knights, while one grabbed the blindfolded man’s robes. Standing before them were two giants clad in blue plating, with gears and pistons visible between the seams. Their heads were made of stone, resembling bearded statues, with blue crystals glowing in their eyes. Towering as tall as houses, their bodies emitted a constant grinding noise.
The child at the front wailed into the blindfolded man’s robes. The others cowered behind the knights. Theseus was too scared to move, recalling pictures of giants from his father’s study. But these were more terrifying; he couldn’t tell if they were looking at him or not.
“Alright! Alright! Enough!” The children didn’t respond. The blindfolded man sighed, he lifted his staff, sending a pulse of blue energy that silenced everyone and knocked them back a step. He pulled his robe free from the child's grip.
“If this scares you, you won’t last a day,” he said. He walked up to one of the giants and knocked on it, each hit producing a deep, echoing thump. "This is a mechanical puppet, designed to defend the academy. But to you, it’s as harmless as a statue. Ignore it." Despite his reassurance, worried murmurs persisted. The old man sighed again.
"Excuse me, sir..." The curly-haired girl stepped forward.
"What is it, girl?" His tone was weary.
"I-ah... Is there going to be more..." She gestured towards the robots.
"Yes. Much more. More than you can imagine. There is an entire conspectus dedicated to them. Some are good, some terrifying. But they are all puppets and will not harm you unless commanded. It would be a black mark if any did. Trust us. We know what we're doing. Now, come along." He waved his staff towards the entrance. The knights organized the children, and they slowly entered. Some were too scared to move without holding a knight's hand. It took about twenty minutes to get everyone moving. The old man rubbed his face in exasperation.
“Alright… Everyone to the center. Yes, just like that.” He stepped on a button, and the platform shook as it began to rise. Most of the children clung to each other for stability.
Theseus nearly tripped but was saved by a dark-haired boy.
“Are you alright?” the boy asked politely.
“Yes,” Theseus mumbled, surprised.
The boy smiled warmly, a kindness Theseus hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Um... Sir? Is this a pulley system? No railings… Isn't that dangerous?” the curly-haired girl asked again.
“Moon. You're one of those types.” The old man sighed. “If you want change, petition the princes.”
“Who?”
The platform shuddered to a stop.
“Get moving.” The old man walked forward, not bothering to check if the children followed. Hesitantly, they crept onward. “What are you waiting for? Do you want to learn magic or not?” he called from the bridge.
This spurred them on. They stepped into a world of mist and swirling blue sparkles. Ahead loomed a great castle with glowing windows, towering stone structures, bridges, and statues. The misty air and blue wind seemed to electrify their skin. The anticipation was palpable, a mix of fear and wonder overwhelming their senses. They had to remind themselves this was real, not a dream.
“Quit gawking. It gets boring after the third,” the old man said.
Theseus doubted that. Perhaps this is what it would feel like if he were admitted to Hogwarts.
They all walked past the bridge, prompting a few rebukes from the man to stop sightseeing. They crossed a small courtyard, went through another gate, and entered a church. Theseus had only been inside a church once in his entire life, and that was made of wood. This church, however, was a work of art, with a huge centerpiece, intricately carved gargoyles, and numerous chandeliers that cast a warm, golden glow. It was mostly empty except for someone sleeping on the front bench.
The old man let out a long sigh and stomped towards the sleeping person, smacking his head with his staff.
"Oww! What the–" The person was a drowsy teenager.
"Welcoming committee, my foot! Where were you!?" the old man screamed at him.
"What... I was just... Yawn." He was smacked again, which really woke him up. "Moon, that hurts!" the boy said, covering his head.
"Stop slacking off and do your job!" the old man yelled before walking off to the side, leaving everyone else alone.
"By the Moon, that cranky old bass–" The boy stopped when he looked at us.
Realizing he had an audience, the boy quickly straightened up, trying to appear more presentable. He was tall and lanky, with tousled blonde hair and sleepy green eyes that now widened in surprise and slight embarrassment. He was wearing a suit and tie along with a long blue robe, with two red tassels draping on each side. He cleared his throat and managed a somewhat sheepish smile.
"Uh, welcome to the academy," he said, his voice still carrying a hint of drowsiness. "I'm your guide, apparently. Name's Jack. Sorry about the... um, rough introduction." He rubbed the back of his head where the old man had smacked him.
The children, still a bit bewildered, looked at Jack with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Theseus, standing towards the back, tried to process everything. This place was unlike anything he had ever imagined.
"Alright, let's start the tour. There's a lot to see and trust me, it's not all scary giants and cranky old men," he said with a reassuring grin. “But before we can begin, I was told there would be a couple of Squibs here.” He said that so casually, but it caused Theseus' heart to race.
Theseus' eyes panicked, darting around, but most of the kids looked confused. That was until the bushy-haired girl raised her hand.
“Um, sir? What's a squib?”
“A squib is a very special person. The magic we use here is different from what they use back home. Squibs can’t use that magic. But here.” He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, causing the crystal on his ring to shine a faint light, with blue fire hovering over his hand. Everyone awed, as they had only seen a glimpse of magic before, but this felt more real, like something they could do. He lowered his hand and all the children gathered around it, staring at the flame. It was strange, floating just above his hand, burning despite not feeding anything. It was a white ball that slowly turned azure at its tips. Jack let them observe for a few seconds before smothering the flame in his hands.
Then came a flurry of questions. Jack only smiled. "OK, OK. This is barely anything, a parlor trick compared to the real stuff."
Theseus slowly raised his hand. "You mean squibs can do that as well?"
"Of course. After all, I am one," he smiled.
That broke Theseus' mind. All his life since he was four, he had been told he could never do magic. From his parents, his family, a shame on the Carrow name. He wasn’t even allowed to use that anymore. He was just Theseus now, and it was only by the mercy of his mother that he lived. One day, he overheard his father talking about killing him. That night, his mother helped him escape. Since then, he had lived in an orphanage. He stopped crying long ago, resign to never see her again. Then on his eleventh birthday, he received a letter.
He didn't think it was real, until now.
"Now let's get moving!" he pointed to the side.
"Ah, Sir?" the bushy-haired girl said again. "What is this place?"
"What about it? It's a stupid church. The Cuckoo something, it doesn't matter, they're all dead," he said that really quickly. "This way!" He marched to the left while the girl followed him, asking question after question.
We followed behind, out of the church, and entered a garden of sorts. Everything was misty, with flowers and trees. We could see buildings in the distance.
"Can you believe this place used to be a graveyard?" Jack said nonchalantly, causing all of us to shiver. "You'll get used to it. A lot of people died here." With that grim sentence, we continued.
We saw giant crystals, a massive water wheel, and towering gravestones. Then we entered the classrooms and hallways. It was even more than Theseus could have ever imagined; everything was so grand with bridges, rooms, and towers. When he closed his eyes, he could picture himself at Hogwarts, like in his mother's photos.
"Word of warning. We are still not done cleaning up the place. So, if you find an illusionary wall, always tell a teacher, for your own safety and others."
We passed by some students as well. Most were Jack’s age, but some adults wore those strange stone masks the giants wore. Some were followed by tiny moving jars. One of them managed to accidentally bump into Theseus' leg.
“Excuse me,” it said politely.
Most of the children gasped.
There were puppets too, as the old man had said. Some were humanoid machines, some made of string and wood, others terrifying, like huge spiders and dogs. But the strangest thing was the silver-skinned people. They had no clothes or faces and are always carrying things like books and pots. They were everywhere, even more so than the puppets. He could see one sweeping the floor.
Are they house-elves? His family had one, Poppy; she was so nice to him, even after he was declared a squib.
“Sir, what are those?” Theseus gathered the courage to speak and pointed to the closest one.
“Those are the Albinaurics, I think the seventh generation. Maybe a subtype?”
“Are they magic?” said another voice from the crowd.
Jack smiled while shaking his head. “Technically. Think of them as servants. Ones you don’t have to pay, don’t have to feed, and will listen to whatever they're told.”
“Are they slaves?” asked a bushy-haired girl.
“No. They are a created race. They were made to do this. There is an entire conspectus where you can make your own custom Albinauric. Most of the equipment you’ll use are Albinaurics.”
That caused a lot of murmurs in the crowd.
“Yes, aren't they convenient? Each generation is bred and carefully curated to perform specific tasks. Whether as beasts of burden, phones, or vehicles, you can use one as a pen. The Solomous Conspectus is where you’ll learn the art.”
What he said didn’t sound right to Theseus. He looked back at one sweeping the floor; there was nothing in its face but the eyes, and they looked sad.
“Come on, you’ll learn more once we get to the study hall.”
They continued to walk, and Theseus tried to ignore what he saw; he could just be overthinking it. After all, the house-elves back home didn’t seem bothered.
“Hey, are you alright?” It was the boy from before, the one who saved him from falling.
“Yeah…” Theseus mumbled, his face turning red.
The boy smiled. He had dark hair and bright green eyes. Theseus could swear they sparkled. He was too dumbfounded to speak.
“Name’s Harry. Harry Potter.” He shook Theseus' hand.
“Theseus. Just Theseus,” he sputtered.
Glintstone Ring
A small ring that holds pieces of Glintstone, is used to perform minor sorceries, spells barely worth mentioning. Mostly used as an accessory, it serves as a passing flare for appearances but is too weak for actual combat.
This ring is the product of an experiment to determine how small a Glintstone can be before it stops casting spells. It turns out it isn't the size but the quantity that matters.