Gerald...Again
“Wait so, there’s 4 houses. Slytherin, Gryffindor, Snufflepuff-”
“Hufflepuff.” Caspian corrected the Gorgon, who was counting on his fingers.
Ajax frowned. “Yeah, that's what I said, and uhhhh Ravenclaw! Right?”
“Mhm.”
“And you’re a part of Slytherin, the best house?”
“Precisely.”
Bianca narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit bias?”
Caspian looked at her innocently, glancing over both his shoulders. “Well, I don’t see anyone else objecting.”
“Yeah, that’s because no one can, dumbass.” Xavier slapped the back of his head, electing a couple of eye rolls and amused snorts from the group.
Caspian was in the middle of reading the muggle paper when Xavier, Bianca, and Ajax came filtering in, effectively hijacking his afternoon. They somehow managed to persuade Nurse Abner to allow a 30-minute visit to account for all 3 of them. Caspian was pretty sure that was not how recovery times worked, but who was he to judge?
He was a little apprehensive at first, recalling Enid’s trepidation when broaching the subject of his origins. But he was relieved to find that the others were simply curious about it. Bianca’s dubious brow raises, Ajax’s genuine awe and Xavier’s frank sarcasm were all breaths of fresh air.
They spoke about everything and anything about his home and magic. It was a little jarring at times, their questions spanning from his epoch-defining travels through the multiverse, to if Unicorns really did poop rainbows. Unicorn’s blood had great restorative properties and their hair was used for wand cores, but that was as far as his knowledge took him. Did unicorns actually excrete rainbows?
Caspian was suddenly dying to know.
The expansive spectrum of questions was partially due to his friends' varying interests. Ajax was more enamoured with wizarding culture and Hogwarts. He marvelled at how wild the parties must’ve gotten with the various magical liquids and plants they had at their disposal. Caspian had to admit, it got pretty crazy, especially during the cross-house parties and quidditch celebrations. Caspian was all but happy to regal them with the Hogwarts social scene and his escapades. Beyond that, Ajax wanted to know about the daily life of students, and how the Wizarding World worked in general. He asked surprisingly thought-provoking questions that had Caspian rethinking everything he thought he knew. Like, Why in the bloody hell did they need a judicial system if the truth potion exists?
If Caspian had to place Ajax in a house, it’d be Hufflepuff. For his laid-back and friendly nature of course, but the boy was surprisingly curious given how clueless he can appear.
Bianca on the other hand, was more curious as to his arrival and the ramifications of a confirmed magica even existing. Both of which Caspian could only shrug his shoulders at. He tried explaining to them how Portkeys worked, teleportation is what Ajax called it. But that didn’t explain how he travelled the universe because as far as he knew, Portkeys weren’t supposed to do that. Bianca took the initiative in trying to make sense of it all. She proposed that the base function and nature of a Portkey were to transfer a user through space and time via bending the two. In theory, that means a Portkey should be able to transport you anywhere, at any time, in the known universe and beyond. That is if it was calibrated and set to do so. In all honesty, Caspian had no clue if Portkeys even had limitations, so that was the soundest reasoning he’s heard thus far.
He always thought Bianca Barclay a Slytherin, but he sees now she was definitely a Ravenclaw. She seemed answers that rattled him to the bone and gave him enough existential dread to last a lifetime. Though it was a close toss-up with Gryffindor. Given her unmatched charisma, social prowess, and leadership qualities, only the sorting hat would know for sure which house she belonged to.
Additionally, Xavier was more occupied with how his magic actually worked. He was fascinated with what wizards were capable of. Caspian spent at most. 5 minutes explaining through words before eagerly going forward with the demonstrations. From bewitching self-serving water pitchers to transfiguring pencil cases into rodents, to fixing tattered homework (or making them look like a dog chewed it up in Ajax’s case). Caspian will never forget their jaws dropping when he said that he was a mere novice compared to some of the greats.
But beyond simple spells, Caspian informed Xavier of more advanced forms of magic he has yet to learn. Apparition, memory charms, occlumency, healing spells, and advanced wards, are among the few he wishes he had in his arsenal. As well as magical devices such as; pensive, brooms, the floo-network, and moving staircases. Some of the things he expected to incite a reaction, like pensives, but he was utterly baffled when they were particularly impressed with the idea of talking portraits. Apparently, painting don't talk here. Caspian wishes it was like that back at Hogwarts. Those portraits were nothing but obnoxious snitches. Made sneaking out incredibly more inconvenient.
After some thought, Caspian would place Xavier in Gryffindor. He may give off the melancholy Ravenclaw-student-working-on-2-hours-of-sleep look, but at heart, he was a brave and deeply emotionally driven person.
“So any more questions?” Caspian rubbed the place where his roommate smacked him.
Xavier huffed. “You’re kidding right?”
“On a scale of one to ten, how much would you say we covered?” Bianca folded her arms incredulously.
“A solid 4. I haven’t told you about prophecies, time turners, dragons, living dead, quidditch, candies that make you sound like any animal, invisibility cloaks-”
“Woah wait,” Ajax brought a hand up. “Did you just say candy that makes you sound like any animal? So I can sound like a frog if I wanted?”
“…Yes,” Caspian eyed the boy strangely. “But did you not hear me when I said dragons and living dead? You do know what those are?”
“Dragons are cool I guess but we have zombies in our world already. Pretty sure Wednesday has one for a driver. But we don’t have candies that do that .”
“Yeah like how does it work, does it change your vocal cords on a molecular level?” Bianca leaned in curiously. Caspian gapped at her, at a complete loss for words. As he said, some of the things that intrigued his friends were mind-boggling.
“Errr I don’t-”
“Uggh!” Bianca suddenly sighed, checking her phone. “We have to go.” The girl slung a bag over her shoulder, closing her eyes as if mentally preparing for something.
“So soon?” Caspian checked the clock on the wall, they still had 5 minutes left in their visit. He has to admit it got pretty boring here. All he did was eat, sleep, read, and get frustrated at his phone (he never learned how to use it properly, a severe over sigh on his part).
“Me and Ajax have a presentation on Vampire lineage in the 13th century that someone... didn’t prepare for.”
Ajax threw his hands up in defence. “Ok Bianca I’m sorry but like, the stuff you wrote is the opposite of ‘rolling off the tongue’ if you catch my drift.”
Bianca turned to the boy, hands on her hips. “Y’know Ajax? Maybe if you actually did your part like you were supposed to, it wouldn’t be my writing.”
Ajax merely shrugged much to Xavier’s amusement. Caspian never cared for grades, he got what he like to call ‘the most average marks’ in the history of Hogwarts. It kept him conformably in the middle of the pack where he wouldn’t have too high of expectations placed on him. but his parents wouldn’t be getting an owl home about him failing.
As a guilty procrastinator, he’s dabbled in his fair share of late-night cramming sessions and word-vomit essays that said everything and nothing at the same time. But with that being said, if it was a group assignment, he was the perfect student. No point in dragging his peer's academics down with him, some of them quite literally lived for these marks. So he wasn’t sure how Ajax failed to get his 30-second speech done, considering he was complaining about the thing for as long as he could remember.
Bianca tossed him his bag. “Do you have no shame?”
“Usually I do, but I think surviving a monster attack can excuse this just this once.”
“Ajax I was also ther-, Y’know what?” Bianca threw her arms up in defeat. “Nevermind, just know I’d never have partnered with you if we weren’t forced to. You’re lucky this presentation holds high collaboration marks, I wouldn’t hesitate to drop you otherwise.”
Ajax's smile only grew much to Bianca’s dismay. “I’m not above getting carried. Later dude.”
“Bye Caspian, Hope to see you walking soon.”
Bianca and Ajax made for the door, but before it could close shut, the Gorgon stuck his head back in. “Hold on, if wand cores are so expensive, why are wands so cheap?”
Caspian forehead creased in surprise. That is a very good point.
“Ajax!” Bianca’s exasperated voice came, and the boy's head suddenly ripped from the room.
Before he could mull over another one of Ajax’s world-altering revelations, Xavier started packing up. “I should probably get going too. Ms. Skrillp gets in a mood when students drift in late. I feel like I’m already on her last nerve and it's the second week. If I plan to pass I need to be as perfect as Bianca. You have Vamp. Ant. with her right?”
Caspian grimaced, recalling the shrill teacher. She’d make a fine banshee one day once she bit the dust. “Have her 1st periods on Thursdays with Enid and Bianca. Can’t believe she’s married to Professor Fitts.”
“I guess opposites really do attract,” Xavier mumbled off-handedly, carefully placing his drawing utensils in their right carriers.
“What about you Thorpe, any more questions you have mulling about in that tortured brain of yours?”
Xavier thought about it for a moment. “Mind pulling rabbit out of a hat?”
“That can be arranged,” Caspian said seriously but was confused when he only laughed. That had to be some sort of muggle joke he didn’t understand.
Xavier went from a passable roommate to one of Caspian’s close friends overnight. Wasn't too often you’d find a bloke who was willing to risk their lives to save yours. You outta keep them close when you do. Out of all his friends, he was the one to take his secret in stride like it was just a normal Tuesday afternoon. Xavier was like that, he never really got shell-shocked, he just… kept going. He was more like him than Caspian gave him credit for. In that regard at least.
Do what needs to be done, and think about the consequences later.
But Xavier took it one step forward. Whereas Caspian would simply take the lessons from his experiences and toss the rest to the wayside, Xavier savored and valued every last detail. Ingraining it in his mind and canvas. When the boy did get the time to really chew on what he went through, he would portray his true inner feelings in his art.
Speaking of, Caspian had no time to ask him about his new abilities. It seemed he had a bit of magic in him as well, a potent bewitching ability that only works on drawings. He’ll bookmark it for a later date.
“Um let me see… Your home just sounds so cool and amazing but I can’t shake the feeling that….” Xavier stared up in thought, pursing his lips. “I guess I just wanna know…Like it can’t all be annoying paintings and sugar quills right? ”
Caspian blinked unsure where his roommate was going with this. His silence urged Xavier to continue.
“Like what I mean is, if everyone's capable of all these great things, it only makes sense if you’re all cable of…not so good things. Like what happens if one kid decides they hate the world and wants to do something about it ?”
Caspian pressed his lips in a thin line. Leave it to Xavier to sniff out the dark in all things. Being brought up in a Hufflepuff household, Caspian was taught that using dark magic was a cardinal sin. That even dabbling in it, using one spell, would damn your soul to eternity. He’s heard countless stories of the effects dark magic has on the wielder. How using it is like an addiction. It was quite possibly the one family belief he shared and actually agreed with them on. Partially because he was scared straight, but also because he didn’t like what it stood for. An easy way out at too great a cost.
Caspian was sure he’d never use dark magic.
Using it was like a cheat code in his eyes. He believes that if one has to resort to the use of dark magic in a fight, they simply were the weaker wizard. Caspian would rather lose honorably than take a tainted victory.
Caspian sighed, choosing his words carefully. “There are dark wizards if you're wondering. Voldemort and Grindelwald are the first that comes to mind. Voldemort was one of the most vile wizards to ever walk the earth, and that’s putting it lightly. He tried and almost succeeded in world domination and eradicating the muggle race in the late 90s. Grindelwald was the blueprint though, his time was in the 1930s and 40s. He wanted to enslave the muggle race, believing it was the wizard kind’s destiny to have dominion over the ‘lesser kind’. Xavier…”
Caspian stared at him seriously. “It takes a particularly…sinister soul to excel in the dark arts, so not everyone can do it. Much like how not every muggle can kill though every muggle has the physical ability to.”
Xavier nodded his head thoughtfully, staring at him. “So like, how does a school full of magical people prevent the next Voldemort and Grindelwald from… I dunno practicing in the halls?”
“Well, how does Nevermore handle it? Any other school for that matter? Much the same I’d imagine but with a little extra Hogwarts flair. There are many safeguards in place. Hogwarts is a very old school with ancient magic and wards stacked onto each other throughout thousands of years of professors. So there are no blind spots. It’d be hard to get away with anything too…despicable if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“So are all magical kids powerful enough to…” Xavier gestured with his hands.
Caspian cleared his throat, crossing his arms, not particularly enjoying where the conversation was headed. “Well…it depends on how far along you are in honing your skills I suppose. Like anything else it takes practice and consistency to become a powerful witch or wizard. Some have higher floors to start off than others, but almost everyone's ceiling is unlimited. Some just climb the ladder faster.”
“And where would you place yourself?
Caspian couldn’t help but crack a cheeky grin. “I think I excel beyond my year, but I’m no Dumbledore or Felix Scamander.”
“Those are powerful wizards I'm assumed?”
“Some of the greatest of all time if you’d ask me. A story for another day I guess.” Caspian has read up on every great witch and wizard he could think of. If he wanted to live a similar exciting life, he’d need to learn from the best.
Xavier sat back, seemingly satisfied. “Wow… that's heavy, cool but heavy.”
“Of course, the emo artist would think dark magic’s cool.” Caspian curled his lips in, a small part of him was glad Xavier wasn’t a wizard. Though he was fairly confident he wasn’t a bad kid per se, he was for sure the type to try it out, and as he said, dark magic was an addiction.
Xavier flipped his hair out of his face. “The greatest art comes from the most painful and darkest of places. A lot of the music I actually showed you came from artists with broken childhoods. ”
“Speaking of,” Caspian grabbed the phone off the nightstand. “You said you have some songs to show me…What’s uh…What’s-” He squinted at his screen.
“Spotify, it's the green one. But I have a few more questions if that’s ok.”
Caspian gestured with his phone, steeling his nerves for whatever else his morbidly fascinated roommate had in store. “Fire away Thorpe.”
“So like…do those candies actually change your vocal cords? I wouldn’t be surprised if it conjures a little monkey in your chest or something.”
Caspian stared at him incredulously before opening his mouth. “I don’t think it-”
His words died on his tongue when he felt a strange buzzing sensation in his hand. Caspian and Xavier both look down at the phone clutched in his palm.
“Um, I think someone’s trying to call you.” Xavier snorted dryly.
“Oh.” Caspian went to open his phone, but he and Xavier both raised their brows confounded, the default Lock Screen staring back at them.
Caspian’s breath hitched in his throat, his eyes going wide in realization.
He slowly turned his hand over, gawking at his silver snake ring vibrating against the glass back of his phone.
“GERALD!”
Xavier jumped. “Huh?”
Caspian threw the sheets off of his bed. He has him! Gerald has yet again completely slipped his mind after everything that transpired but he has him now. But for how long? Caspian knows he just said that he excelled in magic, but he was suddenly very worried that his wards weren’t strong enough to hold the Nifler. He’s never conjured them before, it was very likely they were weaker than he expected. Gerald was crafty enough to not go anywhere near that spot again if he managed to escape. At the thought of having to find him again, Caspian wrestles to get the sheets off him.
“Gerald, I need to get-, the wards. The charms I don't know if it was good enough I have 30 minutes maybe 45-”
“Woah woah, the nurse said to take it easy.” Xavier quickly got up, staring at him dubiously.
Caspian swatted Xavier's hands away. “I can’t take it easy! You think Gerald will take it easy! Do you?” Caspian’s mind was a mess, this was his only chance to get the bugger back before he could fuck off and steal the town's entire gold reserves. “Oh merlins beard when I get my hands on his pudgy little- UGH! I swear I’ll shake that bloody bastard for all he’s worth!” Caspian growled, too flustered to even finish his sentence as he tried once more to heave himself out of bed.
Xavier paused in his fretting, shooting him a weird look. “Are we still talking about you’re family jeweller?”
“ What?” Caspian looked at him incredulously. ” Why would you-Nono Gerald he’s my Nifler. I dropped him in town!”
“How did you lose him WOAH, ok no you’re sitting down.” Xavier caught Caspian before he could collapse on the floor, heaving him up and back onto the bed much to Caspian’s feeble protests. His mind went from spinning with thoughts of Gerald to actually spinning.
Caspian winced, moaning in pain. He grabbed the scruff of Xavier's collar, pulling him closer, his roommate's round olive eyes staring back at him. “Xavier, you have to promise me you’ll get Gerald.”
Xavier pulled away from him, straitening out his collar. “Yeah ok I’ll ask-”
“NO. You don't understand what Gerald is capable of he will destroy this town.”
Xavier paused reluctantly. “This sounds dangerous.”
“No what? He’s only dangerous financially. ”
“… Caspian you’re not making sense-”
“He steals shit that's his whole thing just FIND HIM.”
“OK, geez!” The artist took a couple steps back, running a hand through his hazel hair. “I’ll find a way just, stay here.”
“You have 1-hour Thopre max or by Merlin’s beard I’m getting him myself!” Caspian shouted after his roommate, slumping down in his bed. He stared indignantly at his casted legs.
That git Gerald.