"People speaking"
'People thinking'
Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England, 1965
Hugo looked at the circle drawn on the floor of his room. He turned left, smiling at the shivering house elf who had helped him draw the ritual circle. He placed a rock in the middle of the circle before saying, "Ok, the target is in place, fire up the circle."
The elf looked around fearfully, before asking with fear, "We should not do this Master Hugo. If the Master were to know we attempted magic inside the house, he would skin me alive."
Hugo looked at the elf with amusement, "It's not some dangerous magic we are trying. It's just a simple ritual based transfiguration. Alchemists can reshape mountains with a single circle, I am just reshaping a small block of wood. Now, don't interrupt me. If any of the runes are wrong, we may be looking at a disaster waiting to happen."
The elf wrung his hands worriedly, his tone filled with concern, "Master Hugo…"
Hugo, seemingly annoyed, held up his hand, interrupting the tiny elf, "Miffy, while I am happy that you have made much progress in the use of language, I don't want you to use that mastery to dissuade me. It is a simple piece of magic. I am not evoking any higher powers, just making a small change in shape. Now, power the circle, put some magic in this rune."
The elf hesitantly touched a rune, causing it to glow. Soon, the glow flowed along the lines of the circle, lighting up every rune, array and line. As the circle came alive, a spark flowed from the five runes, striking a log placed at the centre of the circle. As soon as the log was struck, it twisted and turned. About ten seconds later, the glow faded away. The block of wood at the centre was replaced by a cat statue.
Hugo sighed in relief. This was the first piece of magic he was able to accomplish. He sighed when he thought of his situation. He was seven years old, yet he had no accidental magic incidents. When he was young, he was able to console himself by thinking that his mature mind made his magic unresponsive. But as the time passed by, Hugo kept getting a sinking feeling regarding his magic.
While Hugo did not know much about magic itself, he is quite familiar with the timeline of this world. Soon, his brother would be involved with a madman and the Wizarding World would be plunged into the throes of war. At such a turn of history, not having magic to protect himself is a problem that had Hugo under its hold. He looked at the ritual circle in thought. His mature mind gave him exceptional memory, along with a superb understanding of language. This allowed him to master runes and symbolism, allowing him to devise simple rituals.
Hugo said to Miffy, "Clean up the circle and bring me some tea in the study."
Hugo walked out of the room, slowly trudging towards the study. He arrived to the aroma of tea permeating the room. He sat in one of the chairs, slowly sipping the tea, looking at the fireplace.
Suddenly, the flame turned green. Abraxas Malfoy stepped through the fireplace, his platinum blond hair waving through the air. He quickly stepped aside as another man in grey robes walked into the room, carrying a small trunk. Over the years, Abraxas had lost the tiny bit of warmth in his face. He looked at Hugo with sharp eyes. Despite his mature mind, Hugo shivered slightly.
Abraxas spoke in a measured tone, "Good evening Hugo."
Hugo quickly answered, "Good evening father."
Abraxas spoke, "This is Master Rudolph Karradine, he is a mediwizard with St. Mungo's. I have told him about your unresponsive magic. He is here to check you."
Rudolph stepped forward and looked at Hugo with warm eyes, "Don't worry dear, I'm sure everything is alright."
Hugo stayed silent, as Rudolph waved his wand around Hugo, running diagnostic spells. As the time went on, Rudolph's smile slipped as his eyes narrowed. Slowly, the eyes were filled with concern as the final diagnostic spells finished their work. With sad eyes, he turned to Abraxas and said, "Lord Malfoy, can we talk in another room?"
Abraxas was confused, but he led the mediwizard to another room. Hugo quickly went to the door, hoping to listen to the results. For a while, there was no sound passing through. Suddenly, a loud scream came from the room, "A Squib!"
Inside the room
Rudolph sat in a chair, pulling out a flash and taking a long sip from it. He looked at the expectant eyes, knowing that his words will change the family irrevocably.
Rudolph explained, "Lord Malfoy, I checked the parameters of your son. He has a very large core, far larger than most wizards his age. His magic pathways are strong as well. They are strong, not just because of their thickness, but also their connection to his body."
Abraxas smiled with pride, "Of course he has strong magical foundations. Wizards from the Malfoy family have been exceptional over the generations."
Rudolph interrupted, "That is true, if Hugo had a normal birth, his core and pathways would have made him an exceptional wizard. Unfortunately, some aspects of his magic were damaged, possibly during childbirth. Now, he has an exceptionally good magical support system, but his body will never produce enough magic to utilize this system."
Abraxas started to feel anxious, "What exactly do you mean by that?"
Rudolph sighed, "In simple terms, Lord Malfoy, your son is a Squib."
Abraxas screamed, "A Squib!"
Abraxas looked at Rudolph with a flushed face, his eyes alight with anger, fear and concern. He had banked the entire future of his family on his two sons. Lucius had always followed him, learning about family honour, Malfoy legacy and his place in the Wizarding World. He was about to teach the same to Hugo. Now, his plans seemed like a mirage. He could not even imagine the shame his ancestors would feel, when they learned that the first Squib in the Malfoy line came in the form of his son. His legacy would be tarnished forever by the shame that Hugo would bring.
Abraxas paced around the room. Over the years, Hugo had not shown any magical talent, worrying him greatly. While Hugo was four, he had attributed it to his mature mind, but now, he could not delude himself any longer. This made Abraxas weary. If he was an ordinary man, this would not bother him too much. Unfortunately, he was a Malfoy.
Abraxas began thinking of ways to mitigate this situation. Thankfully, Hugo's disdain for public events allowed him to keep his existence somewhat private. If he were to erase Hugo from his family, many people will question things slightly, but the long term consequences will be reduced.
Abraxas looked at Rudolph with anger, before opening the door swiftly. As soon as the door opened, Abraxas was displeased by Hugo's presence near the door, intently listening for any other words. Thinking of the shame this child would bring him, he snarled, "Hugo, why are you standing near the door."
Hugo jumped up. His violet eyes quickly met with Abraxas's cold ones, causing Hugo to shiver again. Abraxas sneered, "Go to your room and pack a bag with your essential things. We will depart in an hour or so."
Hugo nodded quickly and scurried to his room. He knew that the Malfoys were cruel people, but Abraxas's tone told a story of power worship and a strict adherence to dogmas.Hugo entered his room and took out a small bag, filling it with some clothes, his journals, five of his pens and some of the books about runes that he found extremely intriguing. Jack entered the room and climbed on the bed, looking at Hugo with intensity.
Hugo looked at the cat and a small smile. He said, "Jack, be ready. It seems that this house can no longer accommodate me. Now, I have to leave. But you don't have to worry, for you will leave with me."
Hugo quickly pulled the cat in his arms, where it nuzzled against him with a purr. Hugo quickly called Miffy, who appeared in the room with a pop.
Miffy looked at Hugo and bowed respectfully, "Did you call, Master Hugo?"
Hugo looked at Miffy with reluctance. Over the years, he had grown attached to the elf, seeing him as a good friend. Now, he would have to leave him behind. He spoke, "Help me pack the bags and my books. Thank you for everything you have done for me over the years."
Miffy started bawling with large tears brimming in her tennis ball sized eyes. The tiny creature started to wipe her eyes before looking at Hugo, "As you wish, Master Hugo."
The two quickly packed Hugo's bag solemnly. Once he was done, Hugo, followed by Jack, carried the bag to the study. The only thing left in the room was a small statue of a cat, fixed above the bedpost.
Abraxas was sitting in the study, waiting for his son to come with his luggage. Rudolph was nowhere to be seen. The two people looked at each other, Abraxas with cold disregard and Hugo with uneasy acceptance.
Abraxas began, "I always believed that you would be able to achieve great things. You are my son after all. From your birth, you were the future of the Malfoy Family. Master Rudolph told me that you had potential to be a great wizard, but the complications during your birth permanently damaged your chances of being a wizard."
Hugo looked at Abraxas, not with hate but with weariness. Knowing that you had potential was not helpful when you had the danger of a war and a Dark Lord hanging over your head.
Abraxas continued, "However, your potential does not change the fact that you are a Squib. As a Squib, you cannot carry the legacy of this house forward. You will be seen as a shame on the status and legacy of this family. And while you are my son, I will not have someone tarnishing the name of this family connected to me in any way. So, you will be kicked out of this family, starting today. But I am not cruel, so I will give you an opportunity to ask for anything. This will be the last assistance you will get from the house."
Hugo thought for a minute before asking, "Can you allow Miffy to serve me?"
Abraxas looked at Hugo deeply before answering, "Miffy has her duties at the Malfoy Manor, but she can assist you once a month. It can be for something simple, or complex. But you can ask her for help once every month. This will also help you learn responsibility."
Abraxas looked at Hugo once again. He had been overjoyed when Hugo was born. He had a wife and two sons who would carry his legacy. But fate was too cruel, taking his wife away, and now, even his younger son will be gone. He sighed and whispered, "I really hoped that things would be different. Unfortunately, we are all puppets of fate."
Hugo looked at the man, tears unconsciously filled his eyes. As a soldier, he should have had better control, but somehow, he could not stop these tears. Maybe they were just the youth of this body, amplifying his emotions.
Hugo followed behind Abraxas as he led him towards the entrance of the Manor. The two performed a Side-along apparition, appearing on an unnamed London street. Abraxas led Hugo towards the suburbs, traveling through the city that was both familiar and utterly strange to Hugo. Finally, after an hour of travel, the two appeared before an orphanage.
Looking at the sign that said 'St. Joan's Orphanage', Hugo looked at Abraxas with surprise. The fact that he was about to be uprooted from his life at the luxurious family manor finally sank in, but it brought no anger to Hugo, just a calm sense of acceptance.
Abraxas vanished from the door after knocking. A tired orphanage director found himself facing a sad little boy, clutching his kitten to the chest.
Jonathan Webber was swamped with work, but he had a kind heart. He used to be a soldier in the First World War. After seeing his comrades fighting and dying in the trenches, he did not wish to go to war again. He opened this orphanage in 1935, and many kids from this orphanage went on to serve Britain in their capacity.
Unfortunately, London had always been rife with orphans. St. Joan's was one such place. Many kids lived in this place, hoping to find families of their own. The only issue was age. Usually, only kids younger than two were left at the orphanage. So, it was quite a surprise when Johnathan found a seven year old with good clothes and an expensive trunk at his doorstep.
Johnathan ran his fingers through his thinning hair in frustration. If it was a lost kid, sending him to his parents would be a hassle. He asked, "Are you lost, kid? Where are your parents?"
Hugo answered, "My mother is dead. My father left me here. Told me to live here from now on."
John grit his teeth in anger. Normally, rich kids would be abandoned only in case of inheritance issues. With frustration, he looked at Hugo, "Well, are you going to keep standing here? Come in."
John asked him for his name and helped him settle into a bed. The rest could be dealt with later on.
Hugo did not find himself in a seriously apathetic institution, but the first week was brutal to him. The kids were not monsters by any standard, the workers at the orphanage were attentive enough, and the director was kind enough. But something that truly made Hugo helpless was not any abuse, but the sheer level of general indifference to his situation. He lived at a time when there were many orphans due to recent wars and conflicts.
Yet, the orphanage treated Hugo well enough. But the thing that seemed to hurt Hugo the most was the sense of constant danger that he was facing. As far as he knew, Voldemort's first reign of terror was far more terrible than the second. While he might be seemingly cut off, there is no clean break.
Hugo laid down in thin blankets on a small, rickety bed, contemplating the danger he found himself in. He murmured, "I might not have magic, but there must be some solution for my predicament."
Hugo gently got off the bed, a small and dangerous plan forming in his mind. He tiptoes out of the room, his small frame blending with the darkness around him. He slowly came outside the sleeping quarters, taking a sharp turn towards the bathrooms. For a man in the 21st century, the current situation of irregular water supply was unfamiliar, but as a soldier, he could handle much more punishment. He called, "Miffy."
The tiny elf appeared before Hugo, bawling her eyes out, "Master Hugo, you finally called me."
Hugo smiled at the elf. He straightened and said, "I need you to get something from the Manor. Get me a small bag with Undetectable Extension Charm, and all the books on higher entities in the Manor."
Miffy nodded and vanished in a pop. Hugo whispered, "Let's see if someone has ever encountered gods in this world."
AN: A Happy New Year to all of my patrons. I will try to add a chapter to A Clear Pill as well. May you have a fantastic year ahead.
AN2: The narrative of this story will shift between the first and the second Wizarding War.
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