Auror training
Gerard Touchard had always known he wasn't like the rest.
And truly, he could have gone without his grandparent's reminders.
When Gerard was one year old, his parents, two Queen's Guards, were murdered. One of the other guards of the Queen, otherwise known as Aurors, had gone rogue and decided to kill the other seven members of the Guards. Gerard's parents had, apparently, simply been in the way.
The former Queen was killed as well, and so no one knew the real identity of the witch, who'd always kept to herself before becoming an Auror, and apparently was chosen for her powers, even though she didn't go to Auror training. A new one was elected, Sylviane Larousse, for her ability in fighting in the war that the witch and her followers had brought upon the capital.
This witch was only known with one name, one that Gerard found a little ridiculous, really. Madame Nuit.
However, it had never been Madame Nuit's intention to be thought of as ridiculous, and so no one ever laughed when they said the name, for people with her powers are often convincing and cunning. Not only had she killed other witches and wizards, but legend said she'd tried to kill Gerard as well, other than his parents. This was why he had that white streak amongst his dark hair. The spell backfired, and no one knew why.
Gerard Touchard always told himself there had to be a reason the spell backfired, and a reason why Madame Nuit had killed all the other members of the Guards. She didn't even try to take the throne, what any other power-driven woman would have done, considering the Queen was always a woman. Which makes sense, really, given when you get an heir, you can only be sure of who the mother is.
After his parent's death, Gerard had been taken in by his grandparents, who were still in their late forties, but had lost all appetite for life after their son was killed. They often treated Gerard with discontent and even cruelty. They couldn't help, it seemed, but pointed out every way in which Gerard was not like his father.
When the boy had brought home his first votes from wizarding evening school, the school young wizards and witches frequented before they chose a training in the career they preferred, his grandmother had only sighed and said,
"You're not like Jacques."
Jacques was, quite obviously, Gerard's father, and he used to be a bright man, good at everything. Gerard couldn't hold it against him, but sometimes he wished he had parents who had tried to fade more into the background. Living up to their legacy seemed quite impossible most of the time.
But becoming like Jacques and Elisabeth had always been Gerard's most well-kept secret and wish, and that's why he decided to enroll in Auror training when he was fourteen. Students of wizarding evening school of fifteen and up could, in fact, start the training when they desired.
Obviously, his grandparents had something to say when they received the letter. His grandfather shook his head, and said, "Unbelievable. If I'd known you would have tried something like that, I would have stopped you. Do you know how hard this school is, boy?"
"We've been through it when Jacques wanted to go," his grandmother commented. "He was the best at every single thing he tried. Of course, the idea that he'd had to master the art of the sword other than the one of the wand, didn't seem like a big deal back then. But you, ignorant boy, could never live up to the expectations."
She was about to tear the letter in two, when her husband stopped her. "I believe I know what the problem is," he said. "Other than that ridiculous white streak in his hair that will single him out wherever he goes. And other than his parents weren't there to raise him, and so it happened that two elderly people who'd just gone through a huge loss had to be stuck with him. No, the problem was his mother. Elisabeth was of a poor family, and she was clumsy and loud-mouthed, and those genes keep showing up in our grandson."
Gerard felt very angry. "My mother couldn't have been clumsy!" he reasoned. "She went to Auror school. If she could do it, why can't I? Besides, I believe she was very good with both the wand and the sword. My father writes so, in all of his letters."
Jacques Touchard had written countless letters during his youth, both to his friends when they were away, and to his wife when one of them was sent on a quest. They were Gerard's only worthy possession, and he kept reading them over and over. In those letters, his parents seemed very affectionate and Jacques always called Elisabeth 'Lis', like the flower.
"And so what if she was loud-mouthed..." Gerard added after a while. "Sometimes it's better to comment on things than to keep it all inside. Especially if you witness some kind of injustice."
Every time he spoke out of turn, his grandfather hit him with his cane. He always said he couldn't help it, that he had to try to tame this strange boy that he'd had to welcome in his home without having had any choice. The least Gerard could do was at least try to behave accordingly.
But Gerard didn't know how. He liked to be in brawls, if, obviously, his side was also the just one. For example, when the bullies down the street threw stones at dogs, Gerard would use his wand to teach a lesson to the bullies. He'd always dreamed of making himself useful in real life as well, maybe so that no one would say he was a disappointment anymore.
Truth be told, the only way he could see himself being useful was studying to be an Auror.
That was why, when his grandfather told his grandmother, "Let him go to Auror training, dear. We can't be expected to deal with his outbursts more than we have already done, and maybe someone there will be able to teach him a lesson better than I did. Well, I was never a great teacher, though you can't say I didn't try... but if we can't make him a decent boy, then maybe they will make him a decent soldier."
Gerard's grandmother laughed in a fake way he'd come to truly dislike. Like every time she was nervous, and at a loss of words, but decided that laughter would make it look as if she had everything under control.
She hadn't.
Even though Gerard had to pay trying to get into the training, and not with money, but with caning from his grandfather, in the end it was decided he would go.
The first day, when he walked into the academy, he noticed a handful of students and a few Professors.
"Muggles, who have their own King," the headmaster, a man older than Gerard's grandfather, explained. "Have King's Guards, or Musketeers. We have Queen's Guards, who are also called Aurors. Those people will have to learn the art of the sword and of the wand, so only the students from the evening schools with the best votes are admitted into training."
A girl with dark and curly hair near Gerard smiled to herself, proud of what she'd accomplished. Gerard, whose votes hadn't been the best, felt an ominous sensation.
"However," the headmaster added. "When I looked through the queries, I couldn't help but notice Gerard Touchard himself had asked to become an Auror. I admitted him into the academy even though his votes weren't adequate, because well... I wanted to check out for myself the man he would make of himself."
Gerard's stomach felt like it had been curled up in a very tight knot. He couldn't stand being treated differently. Especially, when looking at the other classmates, he saw different reactions, ranging from surprise to something that looked like a murderous expression.
The latter was in the eyes of a boy near his age, but who was sitting at the same table of the Professors. His uniform had a name tag that read 'Morin'. His eyes were light and piercing, and his face handsome.
Gerard tried to tell himself he hadn't made a new enemy on the first day.
When they were trying on their new uniforms, the girl with curly hair approached Gerard. "It must be horrible," she said. "To be only remembered for something you didn't do."
"Well," another guy commented. "At least that got him into the school. Do you even know how much I had to beg my sisters to give me additional lessons, to get the right votes?"
"Well, if I were you, I wouldn't treat Gerard differently just because I was disappointed with my achievements," the girl said. "I'm never disappointed with my achievements. My name is Inès Silvestre."
"And mine," the dark-skinned boy who commented before offered. "Is Filibert Devereux. I'm sorry we started off on the wrong foot. It's just... well, your admission was out of the ordinary, did you know that?"
"No," Gerard commented sarcastically. "I didn't know that."
Filibert laughed. "Sorry for the stupid question. It's not every day one gets chosen to become an Auror. Mate, one question -- if you're sick and tired of people acting like you're royalty, why don't you dye your hair? I mean, the white streak."
Gerard felt bothered all of a sudden. It had never occurred to him that he could. His grandparents wouldn't have let him. However, the best reply he could give Filibert was, "It doesn't work like that."
"Of course it doesn't," Inès came to rescue. "It's something magical that backfired from Madame Nuit's spell. You can't just cover it. Nor would I want to. See it as if it was your first scar, Gerard. We're all going to get more than one, in the future."
Filibert shrugged. "Jeanne and Charline don't have scars."
"Are they your sisters?" Gerard asked.
"Yes," Filibert pointed to two dark-skinned girls with a mischievous expression in their eyes, talking and chatting to each other at the end of the hall. "I have other sisters and brothers, but only the three of us are Aurors. So far."
"Your family seems nice," Gerard couldn't help but comment.
"It is," Filibert seemed to realize for the first time. "What's the deal? Who do you live with?"
While Inès was covering her face with her hands, Gerard replied, "My grandparents. They're not... like one would imagine them to be."
That much was true.
"What's the deal with Morin, anyway?" he asked then. "Why is he sitting with the Professors?"
"Morin is a prefect," Filibert explained. "My sisters told me about it. He's only one year older than us, last year he was a junior, but he showed courage like any other at the end of last year. Jeanne and Charline haven't told me much about it, they said he helped battle someone but that the whole matter looked rather private, between the headmaster and him."
Gerard felt bothered all of a sudden. He couldn't help but think he brought trouble wherever he went, and that also had to mean that his new enemy, at school, had to be the most important pupil.
"Being a prefect can't be too hard, then," he decided to say. "Next year, all three of us will become prefects."
Filibert looked a bit puzzled. "Everything alright?"
Instead, Inès had a determined look on her face. "I don't know, Morin is awfully clever from what I've heard. But I've been preparing half my life for this. My parents are Muggles, and the only magic my father's ever heard of is Kabbalah, seeing as he's a Sephardi Jew. I have to prove to them that this Auror training is worth it."
"Well, at least your votes were good," Gerard muttered. "Showing Grandma and Grandpa I'm not a disappointment will be harder."
"What?" Filibert asked.
But Gerard didn't reply. If there was something he knew, it was that perhaps his weaknesses were better concealed.
This was his chance to become something new.