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The Maskelyne School for Magic sprawled across the estate, a mixture of new and old, sleek and rickety. Faint noises reached the gate: bangs and yells and laughter. A ring of trees encircled the buildings, a path of African daisies, asters, chamomile and heather winding its way through their roots. Signs had been tied to trees and to the lampposts planted at regular intervals along the brick pathways in order to direct new students and visitors to their destinations. Half of the lampposts seemed to be powered by gas whilst the others were up to date, electric ones with the bulbs to reduce light pollution.
Magic thrummed through the air and Arthur Kirkland, third year and newcomer to the school, felt elated to be there.
He was also a little nervous. Because of his abundance of magical prowess, he had been allowed to skip all the generalised years and go straight to the advanced, specialised classes. Since he hadn’t wanted to miss out on all of school life, he had compromised with starting in third year so that he had four years of school instead of just two.
But that meant that he would be a twelve year old amongst fourteen year olds.
Would they hate him? Everyone at his primary school and those with him during his short time in his local high school had thought him odd. They’d made fun of his love of plants and stories about magic. When he’d scored highly in tests, they’d also made fun of him and Arthur had come to realise that a lot of the older students had resented that he was already on their level. Would it be the same here?
Shaking his head at his thoughts, he tightened his grip on his rolling suitcase. He’d enchanted it to transport things stored in his wardrobe to the school so he wouldn’t need boxes; his parents had no excuse to walk him to his dormitory and embarrass him. Speaking of his dormitory, it was, according to the map by the gate, just beyond the bridge which connected a flashy, glass building with a wobbling wooden one. Having already said goodbye to his family at the car, he made his way through the crowds of returning students alone, trying to look as though he belonged. The returning students always arrived a week earlier than the first years in order to be settled in before the unstable and temperamental magical children turned up to wreak havoc on things – which meant Arthur was currently the only new face amongst them.
As Arthur passed by, he looked around at them all, noting the groups of friends chattering to each other. They all seemed much older and taller than him. Their magical auras pulsed with their elation or their irritation. It was almost enough to overwhelm Arthur. But he continued on his way and forced his own aura to shrink in an effort to lessen their affect on him.
Finally, he passed under the bridge and, when he blinked, realised the buildings had changed places. Instead of a tall, stone cathedral, a wide brick building sat before him. There were rows of windows neatly spaced and Arthur realised he must be in front of his dormitory. The third year dormitory. He fervently hoped that the fourteen year old he would be sharing with wouldn’t mind being forced to live with someone younger than him.
Checking the information, Arthur made sure he found the right room. Although, considering the magic pulsing through the building, Arthur had a sneaking suspicion that it was easy due to the building rather than his own sense of direction. He hesitated in front of the door, staring at the number 4-7 neatly placed in the middle, just above his head. Then, before he could convince himself that there was a chance they’d let him have his own room, he knocked twice and tried the door. It opened easily.
Inside, the room was a little bigger than he had expected, the window in the centre of the rearmost wall. On either side of the window was a bed with bedside tables directly underneath it, the left table holding a small lamp. Desks were shoved together against the opposite wall to the right of where he stood and a door to the en suite bathroom was to his left. On his right were two wardrobes and a chest of drawers, the bottom two drawers open due to the clothes within. The left bed had already been made, an American flag on the sheets. Above the bed were several posters of superheroes and film posters.
And, sitting up from where he had been lying, was a boy a little older than Arthur.
Or, rather, as Arthur looked at him, he realised he seemed a lot older. And a lot taller.
The boy had blond hair which was a mess, a particular cowlick at the front of his head looking as though it was an antenna. A pair of glasses sat upon his head, sitting at an angle and all smudged. His blue eyes blinked at Arthur as he stepped into the room, seemingly confused. Then he glanced at the empty bed beside him, grinned and stood.
He was a veritable giant.
“Hiya!” the boy exclaimed, thrusting his hand out. “I’m Alfred F. Jones. You must be… Uh…?”
“Arthur Kirkland,” he responded, trying not to feel intimidated by the fact that he only came up to the middle of Alfred’s chest. He released his tight grip on his suitcase and clasped the boy’s hand to shake.
When Alfred squeezed his hand, he was sure he broke bones.
With a cry, Arthur yanked his hand away, staring up at Alfred with wide eyes. The other boy grimaced. “Gosh, I’m so sorry,” he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I… I keep forgetting my strength…”
“What?” Arthur asked, flexing his hand to be completely sure he still had full use of it.
“Oh, um, I only came into my magic recently. It’s Personalis magic and I still don’t have full control of it at times.”
“Recently?” Arthur asked, blinking at him.
“Yeah, like, when I turned thirteen.”
“So, last year?” Arthur said, not understanding why Alfred didn’t just say that.
“Nah, two years ago,” Alfred explained, off-handedly. “I got held back a year.”
“Oh.”
For a moment, they stared at each other. Then Alfred gave a nervous laugh and turned back to his bed, flopping onto it and letting it bounce him around till he was lying on his back. Arthur awkwardly smiled at him and proceeded to his bed, dragging his suitcase with him. When he reached the bed, he picked it up and placed it upon it. Then he began to unpack, looking for the sheets he knew were in his wardrobe.
“This might be kinda a dumb question,” Alfred suddenly piped up, “but how’d ya fit all that in there?”
Blinking, Arthur looked over his many books and clothes and pens and notebooks that were spread across his bed. “Uh, magic,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I enchanted the suitcase to transport what was in my wardrobe here.”
“Woah! Really?!” Alfred exclaimed. “That’s… That’s amazing! I bet no-one else in third year could do that!”
“Oh. Um, I see,” said Arthur, grimacing. If he was that far ahead of them, he really hoped they wouldn’t hate him for it.
“It’s really cool! What’s the basis of your magic, then?”
Bewildered at the interest, Arthur shrugged. “Transportation magic comes under Locus magic but my first magic was Naturalis magic. I prefer Naturalis magic, actually.” Arthur stopped himself there before he revealed his biggest secret.
Alfred looked so astonished that Arthur almost laughed. His eyes were wide and his lips were parted. “Wait, you can do two types already?! And you only just came into your magic?!”
“No, I’ve had magic all my life. My parents are magicians, too.”
“Huh?” Alfred frowned at him, scratching at his head and knocking his glasses until they were further skewed. “But… These are the third year dorms. You’re fourteen, right?”
Ducking his head, Arthur shrugged a shoulder. “I… skipped some years. I’m twelve.”
“You’re twelve?!!” Alfred shrieked.
Pouting at his obvious disbelief, Arthur lifted his head to look at Alfred. “Sorry for not meeting your expectations.”
“No, no, that’s- It’s just… You’re really cool!” Alfred looked so earnest: his eyes were wide as he leaned towards Arthur, his fists clenched as he tried to convey how sincere he was.
At Alfred’s reaction, Arthur blushed and looked away. “O-Oh…”
There was a short pause. “Aha, you’re really cute, too!”
“Sh-Shut up!” Arthur exclaimed, spinning on his heel to continue unpacking. Silence descended between them and Arthur began to wish he had Personalis magic as well so he could will away his blush. Once he had gotten out everything he needed, he made his way to his designated wardrobe and began to hang up his clothes, specifically his school uniform. It was as he was doing this that Alfred decided to break the silence.
“This is probably another dumb question but, uh, do you sleep in the dark?”
Confused, Arthur looked over his shoulder at him. “Um. Yes?”
“Oh. It’s just…” Alfred glanced at the lamp on his bedside table.
“Ah. I don’t mind if you keep it on. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“Yay! Thanks!” said Alfred, waving his hands in the air in celebration. Arthur bit his lip to keep from laughing and went back to his work.
It only took a few days of inductions and introductions to classes for Arthur to realise that the reason for Alfred keeping his lamp on wasn’t because of a fear of the dark. There was something he was deeply afraid of and it wouldn’t let him sleep. Every night for a week, Arthur was woken by shouts of ‘No!’ and ‘Stop! Please!’. Alfred was never willing to talk about it.
Ignoring that issue, Alfred was a rather nice guy. He had already been at the school for long enough that he was able to guide Arthur around. And he was kind enough not to make fun of Arthur for bringing teddies to comfort him. Not only that, but Alfred was always excited to talk about magic, eager to learn more despite having a horrible affinity for anything that wasn’t Personalis. As well as that, he liked a lot of the shows and films Arthur was fond of and was willing to sneakily show Arthur films deemed too old for him – though Arthur had refused to watch anything scary, considering how often Alfred had nightmares.
Arthur considered Alfred a good friend already – and he was concerned.
It wasn’t healthy for Alfred to be woken in the dead of night and spend the rest of it whimpering. His natural Personalis magic would help him stay awake but he needed some way of staying asleep or, at the very least, helping him get back to sleep. So, just before classes started properly, Arthur called his parents and, a few days later, he came back to their room to find a large teddy bear sitting on his bed. Alfred was on his own bed, glancing between Arthur and the teddy.
“It… just appeared. Outta nowhere,” he said, sounding awed.
“It’s from my mum,” Arthur said, grinning at him. “She’s really good at Locus magic.”
“Oh. Uh…” Alfred’s expression became strained. “What’s it for?”
“You,” answered Arthur, dropping his bag and hurrying over. “But it’s not ready yet. I just need to put a spell on it.”
“Wha-? Me? Why?”
“To help you with your nightmares. Now, shush.” Arthur clambered onto the bed and crawled over to it. He placed his hands on either side of the bear’s head and began to mutter the spell. Despite keeping his eyes on the massive toy, he could feel Alfred’s intense gaze as he watched him work; it made him a little nervous. Finally, he finished the spell and willed some of his Mentis magic into the teddy.
Alfred must have felt the magic working because he waited until Arthur was finished before he spoke again. “So, uh, this might be a dumb question, but how is that going to help me sleep?”
Rolling his eyes, Arthur hugged the teddy – and immediately felt all his worries slip away. Earlier that day, he had been uncertain whether to hide the extent of his abilities and decided against it. He had noted that a lot of people were muttering about him and he had grown worried that they resented him. Now, it didn’t seem like such a pressing matter and he knew the bear would work perfectly for Alfred.
“If you hug this, you’ll be able to sleep,” Arthur told him, shuffling backwards so he could get off the bed.
“That is such a-” Alfred began with a huff of laughter. He trailed off, though, when Arthur finally wriggled off his own bed, crossed the room and thrust the large bear at him. After a moment of stillness, Alfred sighed and took the teddy from him. “Like this?” he asked, his voice flat. Arthur waited until Alfred had squeezed the teddy close and looked at him in amazement to smirk down at him, hands on his hips.
“The bear will calm your worries and comfort you. It should work well enough to stop your nightmares or help you sleep afterwards.” Arthur paused, tapping a finger against his chin as he stared up at the ceiling. “I think it should last around a month before the spell wears off and I’ll have to cast it again. Maybe, by that point, I’ll be better at my Mentis magic and I can make it last longer.”
“You’re amazing,” Alfred breathed, his eyes wide.
Arthur grinned at him. “Of course.”
Over the next few weeks, Arthur learnt more about Alfred. His parents weren’t magicians and had moved their family from America to England when he was just thirteen. The Master Magicians believed that he had come into his magic then because of the upheaval. Alfred claimed it was because he wished really hard on his birthday cake to gain superpowers.
Though he had been delighted to discover his new powers, it was not without drawbacks, such as ruining their lovely new house. Not only that but Personalis magic came with its own risks and usually wasn’t taught until fourth year. Alfred was getting his own special classes: they seemed to haunt him afterwards and he used the bear before they even went to sleep on those days.
Despite these worrying signs, Alfred loved magic, though he seemed to think of it as superpowers and often tried to apply science to them. He could often be found in the Newer Library where he would be reading the new science books. As such, he seemed to have a lot of difficulty mastering the simpler spells.
He loved puppies and kittens and had to have one of each taken from him one night when he went exploring and found some on the edges of the estate. When he discovered the birds of prey which were kept in the hidden aviary, he had tried to befriend the largest bird there and ended up with bandages over his hands. His favourite ice cream was definitely Cookie Dough and he preferred Cadbury’s chocolate over any other. Though his laugh was loud, it was pleasant and Arthur always found himself smiling when he heard it.
But, even with all these things Arthur now knew, he still didn’t know why he had nightmares or what they were about. The teddy bear worked, thankfully, and Alfred was able to get more sleep thanks to it. Arthur was proud of himself – but he was also worried about his friend.
Something Arthur also noticed were Alfred’s questions. They could range from difficult to explain (“How does Mentis magic even work? I mean, how do you tweak someone’s brain to make them feel good or whatever?”) to downright stupid (“Did you just make that float?!”). After a couple of weeks, Arthur was more than used to it. So, that night, he was ready for anything.
“Can I ask a dumb question?” Alfred asked, leaning against the large teddy.
“Better than anyone I know,” Arthur answered as he scribbled in the last answer on the worksheet he was working on. He ignored Alfred’s protest before setting his pen down and turning so he could peer at Alfred over the back of his chair. “What’s wrong now?”
Alfred grumbled to himself for a moment, just to let Arthur know that he was protesting against his treatment. “Well, is it just me or is this teddy not working much any more?”
Arthur blinked at him for a moment. Then he hopped off his chair and made his way over. “Give it here,” he said, holding out his arms for it. Alfred did as he was told and Arthur hugged it, trying not to topple over from the weight of it. He squeezed it tight and waited for a feeling of being enveloped in a comforting hug. None came, just a slight feeling of happiness at having something to hug. He scrunched his nose up and sighed. “The spell’s worn off.”
“Can ya put it on it again?”
“Of course,” Arthur answered, setting it down on his bed.
“You’re the best, Artie! Man, I’m not sure what I’d do without you. You gotta let me do something nice for ya sometime so I don’t feel so bad! Anything you need!” Alfred crossed his heart as if that would seal the deal.
Snorting, Arthur rolled his eyes and clambered onto his bed to do the spell. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
The power went out in the middle of the night. Arthur was unaware of that until he woke to Alfred’s usual cries. Gasping, his eyes flew open and he looked around, trying to force his sluggish brain to work out where he was. All he could see, however, was darkness. Alfred’s cries suddenly broke off and changed to whimpers. Arthur listened, waiting to hear if he would relax. There was some shuffling noises, slapping noises and then a sharp intake of breath.
“Alfred?” Arthur mumbled. “Are you okay?”
“A-Artie?” There was a brief silence. “Can… Can I ask a dumb question?”
“Better than anyone I know,” Arthur answered, rubbing at his eyes.
That got a huff of laughter from Alfred. “Yeah. Well. Can you see right now?”
“No. Hang on.” Arthur reluctantly pulled his hand from under the covers and felt around for his phone. He pressed the button. Nothing happened and he grimaced; he’d forgotten to charge it over the last few days and had finally plugged it in before they turned the lights off. Clearly, there was no power whatsoever. “Power cut,” he informed Alfred. “Either someone’s been messing with powerful magic or it’s just a regular power cut.”
“Ah.” Another silence fell but, this time, it was interrupted by shuffling and slapping and even a thud followed by Alfred’s muttered curses. “I.. I…” he murmured, sounding a little frantic. His breathing was getting heavier, too, and Arthur realised he was panicking.
“What’s wrong? I thought I put that spell-”
“I’ve dropped it. I can’t find it,” Alfred said, his movements becoming even more panicked if the bangs and squeaking were any indication. “A-Art-”
“Take a breath, Al,” Arthur told him, throwing his covers back and forcing himself to stand up. “I’ll find it for you.” He crossed the room quickly, slowing when he thought he was close to Alfred’s bed. Then he reached out and felt around, trying to figure out exactly where he was.
“It’s too dark…” Alfred mumbled, his voice shaking a little. “This is…”
“Al,” said Arthur, trying to stop his train of thought. “It’s fine. Nothing’s happening. Everything’s fine. You’re safe.”
“That’s not-”
At the same instant as Arthur, still waving his hands around, made contact with something, Alfred cut himself off and made a noise somewhere between a shriek and a whimper. Sighing, Arthur rolled his eyes. “Stop panicking. It’s only me.”
“You…?”
“Yes. Let me just find-” Before Arthur could finish, something gripped his wrist and he was suddenly pulled forward. He gave a cry as he flew forward until he was sprawled across Alfred. “What are you doing?!” he exclaimed, his heart beating wildly in his chest.
“Don’t leave me…”
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Arthur rolled off Alfred so that he was squished between the older boy and the wall. The shock of being pulled off his feet had cleared his head enough for him to remember his magic; he raised his hand so his palm faced the ceiling and murmured a spell. A bright light appeared above them and Arthur hissed as he squeezed his eyes shut. Beside him, Alfred yelped and moved his arms, probably blocking the light out with his hands. Hastily, Arthur flicked his wrist and the light seemed to shrink until it was at the level of Alfred’s lamp.
For a few moments, both of them lay there, breathing heavily and letting their eyes adjust. Finally, Arthur sat up and looked around, spotting the bear at the end of the bed. “Aha,” he said. “I’ve found your teddy bear-”
Suddenly, arms wrapped around him and pulled him down. Alfred’s grip on him was tight enough to make Arthur think he wouldn’t let him go. “Thank you,” Alfred murmured into Arthur’s hair.
“You’re welcome. Now, let me go.”
“Mm. Can I ask a dumb question?”
“Again?”
“Will you stay with me?”
“What, tonight?” Arthur asked, trying to pull away so he could frown at Alfred. It only made Alfred pull him closer. For a second, Arthur tensed. Then he relaxed, tucking his head down to rest it on Alfred’s shoulder. “Are you ever going to tell me what gets you so scared at night?”
“Nope,” Alfred answered.
They fell silent for a moment. A little while later, Arthur’s tired brain realised that Alfred wasn’t entirely still. He was trembling slightly. Evidently, he was still scared but trying not to disturb Arthur. Wordlessly, Arthur forcibly wriggled his way out of his grip so that he could kneel beside him. Alfred blinked up at him, jaw clenched and eyes shimmering in the dim light.
“Ar-” Alfred began.
“Hush,” Arthur interrupted him. Then, gently, he cupped Alfred’s face and began to murmur a similar spell to the one he had cast on the bear. Alfred’s eyes widened slightly as he watched him work: Arthur could feel his own cheeks heat up as he stared down at Alfred. Finally, he finished and shuffled around to go back to his original position. As soon as Alfred’s arms slid around him and squeezed him against Alfred’s side, he felt Alfred’s body relax considerably. Alfred even sighed in relief, burying his face into Arthur’s hair.
“Man, you really are amazing, Artie.”
“Shut up,” Arthur grunted. He yawned, not bothering to try to stifle it. “Go to sleep.”
“Thanks,” Alfred said, obviously not paying attention. “Hey, maybe we should do this every time, instead of the bear. It’s kinda big, y'know? Takes up half the bed and I always kick it off and lose it.”
Arthur sighed. “When I said 'whatever helps you sleep at night’, I didn’t mean this. I mean, I really didn’t mean this. We’re not sharing a bed, Al. Go to sleep.”
“Right. Yeah. Sorry…” There was a pause wherein Arthur figured Alfred must have dropped off. He was bitterly disappointed when Alfred began to speak again. “I’ll… I’ll tell you about them. Maybe. But not right now. You don’t need to know.”
Arthur frowned. He tried to summon the energy to argue but, instead, all he could do was huff and mumble, “Wait till morning to talk.”
“Okay. Night, Artie.”
“Mm.” Arthur shifted a little, getting comfortable. Soon, both he and Alfred were asleep, Arthur curled around Alfred and enveloped in his arms.