Chapter Text
“Gramps, I need to talk to you about something important.”
The atmosphere grew tense, the moon shining high up in the sky. For a couple of moments, they sat in silence, no sound accompanying them. Finally, Garrick let out a small cough. “Alright, Gabriel, tell away.”
Gabriel let out a little sigh. “Earlier……Licia was kidnapped. By two crooks. I heard her voice but I can’t recall how… Regardless, I used my weapon to save her, and brought her back here.” Garrick nodded along, not interrupting him. “But… the worst part? I heard that no one tried to help her even when they clearly saw her.” Gabriel started clenching his fists, desperately trying not to burst out. Silently, Garrick got up and approached the black-headed kid and wrapped him in a gentle hug. It wasn’t like his parents’ ones, and most would never be, but it still felt warm nonetheless. After a minute, he pulled away from the hug, uttering thanks to the old wandmaker. “
“Gramps, I also need to say something else.” He continued on. “I don’t think I can trust others after……this.” Garrick saw where Gabriel was coming from: wary as it almost cost him one of his only blood relatives.
“Good thing you bought that book for me, Gramps. When I was trying to find her, I could……hear her voice. And yet, when I found her, she was gagged and almost unconscious.” Gabriel continued.
“Well, I believe that’s also your magic, Gabriel. It seems that your learning of Legilimency paid off.” Garrick gave a small pat. “So, use it well, Gabriel.”
“Gramps… remember when I said I can’t trust others?” Gabriel twiddled with his fingers. “I’ll …… close myself off to others.” Garrick looked at him in both amusement and shock. “Well, Gabriel, think about friendships, making friends is nice, no?”
“Tell that to Sis, not me. She’s more trusting of others…”
“Though, you are still growing up.”
“I’m sorry, Gramps, but I made up my mind.”
“Please, Gabriel, you have yet to reach 11.”
“No one tried to help her! They may have been crooks, but I could tell they were right! My sister could’ve been gone, just like that, if I didn’t intervene. Going goodness knows where!” He lashed out at Garrick, a threatening look on his face. Even Garrick was surprised by this - he had never acted this way before.
Gabriel realised what he had done and immediately held himself back. “Sorry Gramps...... I think I’ll head upstairs for the night.” Gabriel got up and slowly made his way to the staircase.
“Gabriel, I hope you made the right choice…” Garrick sighed as he watched the black-headed boy ascend up the stairs.
When Gabriel reached his room, he tore out a page from a spare notebook and got out a quill lying around and some ink. He couldn’t just sit around and do nothing - No, he had to get stronger. With that goal in mind, he began writing down a few pointers. After 15 minutes, he set his quill down and collapsed on his bed. With that, he drifted off to dreamland.
The next day, Licia had finally woken up, her hair covering her eyes and in a mess. “Huh…?” Her senses were completely confused. She remembered that she had been lifted off the ground by two people with black masks and taken somewhere dark… and gagged - disgusting, the rough taste of rope still lingered in her mouth. Her skin and clothes still had some dirt on it. I must have slept through since that……
After getting dressed, she went downstairs to find Garrick and Gabriel at the table, seemingly in deep conversation. What are they talking about? She tried to carefully sneak closer to the table, but Gabriel saw her first and immediately went up to her. “Sis! You okay?” He approached her cautiously and took her hand, observing her complexion carefully. After a while, he let go, muttering ,“That’s good…”
“Brother and Grandpa, what were you two talking about?” She asked curiously.
“Eh, nothing much.”
Despite his assurance, Licia could feel the heavy atmosphere still spread through the shop.
“Anyways, I’m going to head out for a while, sis. See you later!” Gabriel left with a skip in his step.
She turned to Garrick, who was busy stirring his tea. “Grandpa, what happened? Can you tell me?” She asked him. The old figure did not seem to hear her, and continued with his own. “Please, let me know. Gabriel’s been acting rather off lately.” She begged Garrick, who let out a defeated sigh.
“This will be between you and me, Licia.” She nodded, wanting to know what was happening. “Well, as you know, you were kidnapped yesterday by some crooks.” Garrick began. “Gabriel……somehow managed to hear your cries of help and rescued you from their clutches.” Her eyes widened. She was definitely gagged that day, how could he possibly do so? “I believe that was his Legilimency. A powerful mind-reading spell, quite advanced if you ask me.” She wanted to slap herself and believe she heard incorrectly, but recalling what had happened prior, there was no denial it was indeed real.
“On top of that, he possesses quite the weapon: It seems he got it from my son. But power comes at a cost. I suspect that a certain part of his abilities has been limited due to this.” Licia’s shock had gone beyond description: she just sat in place, trying to comprehend what Garrick just said. She knew that Gabriel was strong, but a weapon? She’d definitely not heard of that.
“Effective yesterday, he made a big decision that he will stand by for quite a long time.” Garrick then held onto her hand. “I’m worried, Licia. I’m worried that this may impact his life. That’s why, I hope that you will support him throughout the next few years. You and I are the only people he still trusts” Licia didn’t need to be told twice: Of course she’d support him. But what happened? She wondered. What caused him to become like that? Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t pleasant.
“I’ll support him, Grandpa. I’ll support him the best I can.” She promised.
Garrick let out a smile. “Well, I’m glad you will.”
“One more thing, Grandpa. Do you have dad’s old textbooks?” Licia asked.
“Indeed, I do. What’s the reason?”
“Well……I don’t want to be powerless next time. I want to not only defend myself, but also keep an eye out for Brother.”
Garrick saw the resolve in her eyes. Not as strong as Gabriel’s when he saw them yesterday, but it was enough for him. “Well then, I’ll gladly give them to you. He climbed up one of the stepping stools and returned with a tall stack of heavy books that looked torn and used. “Odds are, the syllabus is still the same as it was then.” He then went upstairs accompanied by Licia. “Honestly, I was gonna give you this when you turned 11. But it’s never too early to start learning, is it?”
“Thanks, Grandpa! Love you!” She said before diving straight into the pile. She wasn’t the strongest, but she wanted to help Gabriel when the time came. And if there was one thing Gabriel was not so good at - it was sitting down and reading textbooks. She picked out the nearest one and started reading it……
***
Their tenth birthday passed by uneventfully, but it marked a start for them. One day, Licia was sunk into one of the Charms books on her bed when Gabriel suddenly barged into her room, a wide grin on his face. “Hey, sis! What do you think of this!” He showed a rather eerie grin, which felt really creepy, yet so in-place for Gabriel. “Brother, why are you asking this?” She asked flatly. “I don’t think others would like this.”
“That’s the point!” Gabriel hooted, laying on the ground, arms outstretched.
“You know, I think it’s a good point to make some friends. It’s been some time since…….that.” Licia didn’t bring that up, but it seemed Gabriel inferred.
“It’s…complicated, sis.” He broke the smile on his face and sighed.
“Come on, brother, you can tell me!” She beamed at him.
“I…” He didn’t want to. Not yet, at least.
She sighed. “Look, brother. I know it still scars you, but you need to try and rely on others. Try and open up, and you know, make some friends?” Gabriel instinctively turned away from her. “Please, Gabriel, you are only hurting yourself.” She begged.
“Don’t try to dictate my actions, please.” Gabriel spoke in exasperation. He stood up and turned to the door, and closed it behind him. Licia sighed, facepalming herself.
***
October 1990
Gabriel had learnt how to use the red cards in more unique ways. “Mommy, what’s that in the sky?” A boy pointed to Gabriel who was “walking on the sky”. “Where?” The mother looked up to see what her son talked about, only to see but the clear blue sky.
“Maybe that wasn’t the brightest idea…” Gabriel thought to himself as he descended onto ground again. He wanted to keep the dark item as hidden from public eyes as he could. They wouldn’t hesitate to use it maliciously.
***
December 1990
Meanwhile, Licia had started reading a new catalog of media - The Daily Prophet. Most of the news failed to interest her as they were mostly small incidents. However, there was one that captured her interest, despite being almost a decade old. “Grandpa, who is the Boy who Lived?” She asked the old wandmaker one night.
“Well, Licia, this one’s quite the interesting one.” Garrick hesitated, having gotten the gist of the tragedy. He had a thoughtful look on his face. “It was a rather……tragic incident.” His word held a tone of warning, of that to scare young kids off. But Licia wasn’t young, at least in her opinion. “Tell me, Grandpa, I want to know.” Garrick sighed, “No point stopping you right? Very well, get comfortable. This one’s going to take a while…” She sat in front of Garrick on the floor, looking like a storytelling session. The fireplace normally unused was crackling with heat.
“So,” He began, “There’s this boy, called Harry. Harry Potter. Same age as you. Tragically, he lost his parents to You-know-who by a powerful curse at the age of one.” Licia winced, having gone through something similar, and felt some sympathy towards the poor guy.
“Who is you-know-who?” She asked Garrick.
“Someone that is best for you to not know of. His name is taboo in the world. Since that incident, Harry’s been left with a lightning scar on his forehead. One of a kind too.”
“Oh… I see.” Licia muttered, “Is that why they called him The Boy who Lived?”
“Indeed, you catch on fast.” Garrick praised. “Maybe, you’ll get to meet him one day.”
“Maybe, Grandpa.” She smiled.
***
January 1991
It was nighttime in Diagon Alley, and a rare occasion there was little hustle. Pitch darkness aside from the warm glow of the streetlight and dead silent apart from the occasional cricket noises. The only one up on the cooling night was the old wandmaker, making himself some late night tea. He got into his armchair and entered deep into his own thoughts.
So, it’s almost time for them to enter Hogwarts. He thought. The July to August period was always the busiest period for him, having a swarm of students trying out various wands. He knew that the acceptance letter to Hogwarts would be arriving soon. This year might be one of the most interesting years yet, he recalled of the story of the Boy who Lived he told Licia.
The wands. The usual age to receive a wand is eleven, but perhaps I could…? He pondered on it for a moment before deciding against it. No, it wouldn’t be fair to others.
The books. Licia had Garrie’s old copies, but Gabriel would probably need to buy his own. Garrick trusted he’d do just fine: After all, there were more pressing matters that he wanted to address.
He went up to the attic of the shophouse which was rarely explored by the twins, being riddled with dust. From the shelves, he picked out one of the books, its colour long faded away. “The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts” it read after Garrick wiped the cover clean. “I remember when I first purchased this, back when the impacts of the tragedy were still fresh.” He muttered, giving it a flip to filter all the dirt out. How long had it been since he last took this out? He couldn’t remember, but it didn’t matter.
Finally, he came to a stop at one of the pages. “Yes, this is it.” Garrick continued, giving the page a quick read.
Cards of Carnage
A Dark magic artifact that was created in the 15th century. A wizard could attempt to bond with the card to become its owner, but very few have possessed the mental capacity to do so. Many who attempted to have ended up depraved or lunatic.
The cards may seem ordinary, but they are incredibly versatile. They seem to have some resistance to other forms of magic, and are incredibly durable. They are also known for being corrosive and disintegrating, causing harm to structures and objects.
The last appearance of this deck of cards was in 1968, when a student from Hogwarts attempted to use it on a professor. No injuries were sustained, although the professor had to get a new coat to replace the disintegrated one.
Since then, the deck of cards has disappeared from the face of the world. It is widely believed that the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, dealt with it and keeps it under control, though there are some that speculate otherwise.
“Well, looks like this aged rather poorly.” The old wandmaker sighed before turning back downstairs with the book still held in his hands. It seemed that Gabriel was more intertwined than expected.
How would the school take it when they found out? What would the world do? Only time would tell.
***
March 1991
“Sis, Gramps!” Gabriel called out to the two on a hot morning. Licia was waving a fan as sweat rolled down her neck. “Want to play a game with me?”
“How are you not exhausted on a day like this?” She asked him.
“Guess I’m more resilient than you!” He taunted, leaving her pouting slightly.
“Anyways,” He continued on, and pulled out a seemingly normal deck of cards. The old wandmaker widened his eyes briefly, recognising that as the same deck of cards he had read up on two months ago. On the other hand, Licia had a clueless expression on her face, having not seen it up till this point.
“What’s that?” She asked him.
“A deck of cards.” He gave her a look at it. Its red cover felt rather ominous, but the art was pretty good, she thought. “I’ve been asking others about the rules of this game, so I want to give this a shot.”
“Wait a second, I thought you didn’t like others? How did you manage to…?” She questioned, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“Um…” Gabriel darted his eyes left and right, trying to pull out something, anything to answer. “Well, I…”
Two days ago
“Mama, who is that boy with the scary smile?”
“I think it’s best to stay away from him.”
On the rainy evening, onlookers watched as a figure dragged his feet across the floor, eyes glaring with condemnation. One unfortunate individual made eye contact with him, and the figure immediately shuffled towards him. The figure maintained composure as he heard the voices of everyone praying for said individual’s safety, sighing at the idiocracy.
“Hey. How do you play the card game?” He had calmly asked, yet the individual was too overwhelmed with raw fear to answer. “Look, I need an answer so…”
“Just……take this. It tells you everything.” The guy threw a small card at him before hightailing out. Seemingly, the rest had followed in his footsteps, leaving him to his own thoughts. He paused to read it for a moment.
“Interesting,” He muttered.
Back to present
“I asked for help.” Gabriel spat out.
“Then why are you sweating now?” Licia pressured.
After an uncomfortable period of silence, she let out a sigh. “Brother…”
“It’s alright, sis. I’m getting used to it.” Gabriel cut her off. Indeed, Gabriel had earned himself quite the notorious reputation - not because he did anything wrong but because of his appearance and the way he upheld himself. It wasn’t his first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. “That aside, do you still want to hear anyways?”
“I would love to, Brother!” Licia exclaimed.
At the corner, the old wandmaker watched the scene unfold in front of him, getting a small smile from his face. In a way, obtaining the dark item gave him a passion. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as Garrick thought it was going to be…
(They went on till night fell.)
***
May 1991
At a remote location, a herd of owls were released. These were the ones that carried parchments, but not any ordinary ones. They were the acceptance letters to Hogwarts for all the children that possessed magical traits.
One of the white ones carried two at once, which was rather unusual for the batch that year. And yet, with its wings spread out, it covered an impressive distance efficiently. It flew, and flew until it saw the shophouse. With its exceptional eyesight, it spotted the peculiar wandmaker and swooped towards him, letting out a hoot and catching his attention.
“So it’s here at last.” He muttered, while handing a Sickle to the owl. “Here you go.” The owl dropped the parchments into his hands before flying off into the sky.
“Licia!” He called out to the blonde who was minding her own business.
“Grandpa? It’s rather rare for you to do such a thing?” Licia inquired, raising her eyebrows slightly. “Is it a special occasion?”
“Indeed. Could you get Gabriel for me?”
“Sure thing!” He heard her footsteps running up, screaming “Brother!” multiple times and then two footsteps heading back down.
“Gramps? What’s going on?” Gabriel asked. His eyes were half closed and his hair was in a mess, completely disheveled.
“Something important just came in for you two.” The wandmaker replied, holding out the parchments.
“Well, let’s open it then!” Licia took the parchments out and unraveled it. “It’s…… a piece of paper?” She analysed the contents carefully, reading it out for them all.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms Ollivander,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress.
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
- Three sets of plain work robes (black)
- One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
- One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
- One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK.
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions.
The letters to Hogwarts had came in, signalling a change in times for the twins.