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On the edge of the castle grounds lies a narrow stone aqueduct, winding towards the cliffs and hills beyond Penwick. Once used to carry water from a distant spring into the heart of the school, it has long dried up. Now, only rainwater goes through the shallow channel. About a kilometer long and five meters wide, the walk is named for the unique magical phenomenon that happens there. Or, rather, the lack thereof. Spells cast within the space will simply fail, magically innate abilities such as The Sight no longer function, and lycanthropes don't transform into a werewolf during a full moon.
"Is it strange to hang around a place where magic doesn't exist? Where you could just… be normal for once?”
Silence was the only appropriate response. It wasn’t that Tristan didn’t have anything to say. It was that he needed a moment to think about what had been said. Given the sudden tension rising from his question, the absence of words was a mercy he could offer.
In the following moments, the chirps of crickets took over the conversation. The sound of skittering in the darkness replaced utterance as a wood mouse collected hidden seeds to satisfy its appetite. The moon, although silent, shone down hauntingly on their small haven. A cold chill in the air contributed heavily to the eerie ambience.
Normal… what exactly did normal look like? He wished he knew. Everybody had a different opinion on the matter. For some, normal was the thing they missed the most in a world that was always shifting. For others, it was the thing that made them comfortable when they looked at you. That’s what he was trying his best to be for others, but unlike Raizel, the closest way he had found was through magic, not through its absence.
Tristan’s world was very different from hers, and there wasn’t much he could offer. So instead of trying, he imitated her and laid back down with his arms resting behind his head. His eyes stared into the night sky, counting the craters on the moon and waiting for the lunar eclipse to begin. Time passed slowly, offering a momentary respite from an eventful evening.
After a few minutes, he mustered up a bit of courage and cautiously broke the silence
“I don’t know what normal means to you, but I don’t think anything here falls into that category. We live in a castle with ghosts and talking paintings. We have a stone dog that decides if we are allowed to go to our rooms or not. Some students look at us weird because we are in the House of Misfortune or whatever. I doubt most kids in the UK would find that normal.”
He thought about his current look. He rarely chose this face. The only exception was usually around Halloween when disguises and costumes were part of the fun of it all. Here, he didn’t have a choice. This place made him feel vulnerable and exposed. His eyelids closed for an instant and beneath them were found the intangible forms of thoughts, reflections and discomfort. Normal had become unnatural. He opened them once more and decided to search for shooting stars instead.
“But, I understand wanting to pretend. I do that too”
“Even the wizarding world has its own kind of normal.” Raizel uttered, shifting towards her side. “If it doesn't, discrimination wouldn't have existed. For me, being normal is just being treated like any other person in this world full of magic.” That's right, that's all she had wanted, to have a normal school life, to live peacefully with a family that won't shun her due to her curse, for people to stop calling them the house of misfortune. She wishes to become an ordinary witch and while this place couldn't exactly give her what she wanted, grant the wish that she had been asking countless of times ever since the tragedy happened, not being under the curse of Lycanthropy was enough to at least make her feel like she was one, even if its temporary.
“But unfortunately for us in Modron, being treated normally as any other seemed impossible.” Like he said, they were from the House of Misfortune. Other people look at them weirdly with those judging eyes of theirs. Even in this place that would never change. It only takes the magic off of you. “Kind of tiring if you ask me.” What makes them different from any other student though? Sure, the history of their founder was not one to be called pleasant but was that enough to associate everyone within its walls? House of Misfortune… bah! Infuriating, everything was infuriating. Raizel sat up, lying down wasn't calming enough, looking at the skies and the moon would only make it worse. The curse wasn't helping either as it was the root of all the agitation she had been feeling throughout the whole week. She was a mess even though she might not look like it.
“Pretending… it's all one could do.” It's all she could do if she wanted to live here without anyone looking at her with disgust, hiding the scars that were proof of the incurable ailment that she had. She looked at Tristan, a question creeping up in her mind. “Is that the reason why you look different?” It was her turn to ask a question. “Pretending that is.” He said it himself. He does it too.
He didn’t think many students would ever understand why he did what he did… but he wondered if Raizel might.
“Like you said, it’s all one can do. Most people like to pretend, but for some of us, it’s a bit easier.”
Hesitantly, words continued to fill the overwhelming silence of the moment that surrounded them. He lifted his hand towards the moon, weaving his fingers through invisible strands of light.
“When you can change the way you look, it’s easier to pretend you’re someone else. And most days… I prefer being someone else.”
Lies of omission were still lies. Preference was but a singular factor inside a web of half-truths. Raizel didn’t need to know everything. Knowledge of his shifting was already something most people around him didn’t know, and that was enough for now.
The small family portrait in his father’s office brushed his memory as he took a second to let out a sigh. The Veronas are close together on a couch smiling at one another. Stephanie is looking at her son through big round glasses with tender eyes and a gentle face. Julian has a book in hand as he narrates legends to his captive audience. In between both of them, a young boy entranced by the tales that have seized his imagination. His green eyes are glowing with wonder and imagination.
Underneath the dark, curved shadow creeping across the lunar surface, the young Modron student looked up at the sky with similar eyes.
A lot of things had changed since that picture. He wondered if he would ever be able to live up to that little boy’s dreams. If he kept messing up like tonight, things were definitely going to become difficult. He needed to be more careful.
From the corner of his eye, Tristan spotted the silhouette of a cat on the top ledge of the stone aqueduct, stretching its long legs as it prepared to rest for the night. Echos of his mother’s bedtime fables provided a much needed sense of comfort in an otherwise tumultuous night.
“I heard that some shifters can change into animals. Maybe I should try that instead, that sounds a lot more fun. If I had been a cat, I would have softly landed on my feet instead of ruining your evening.”
“Well, lucky for them then.” Being able to change what you look… whoever has that kind of ability is a lucky one. The only kind of change she could do was that one that turns her into a beast, a horrible one at that and it wasn’t even voluntarily. “Those who could change into someone else, that is. They could hide all they want behind a face that’s not truly theirs and do whatever they want.” She sighed. In a way, it made her a bit jealous of anyone who could. If she could then maybe she could’ve become someone else, not this person that Tristan is facing right now.
“Animagus is probably what you are talking about, the ones that could shift into animals.” Truth be told, Raizel wanted to become one. She was planning on learning the steps of becoming an Animagus. She heard it was a hectic process and could take perhaps months but the most scary part was if you mess it up, you’ll end up becoming an abomination. She tried, but mastered something else. Still, it doesn’t make her less of a monster. In fact, it might’ve just made it worse. “Yeah and you could also climb up to the highest point without any worry if you want to stargaze in a better place.” She said back. “Not like it’s too late to try anyway. Just make sure you do it right or you’ll end up turning into a monster.” She doesn’t know if there were cases but she had read that messing up the process could turn one into half-man, half-beast permanently.
Do whatever they want. The young shapeshifter wondered if that was true. Maybe others had that luxury, but he didn’t. His unique abilities were a gift, not a game. Tristan knew others might not understand, but that’s why they didn’t need to know. It was easier when they didn’t.
Now, barely a week into school, someone had seen him without his gift. Not a friend, not even a teacher, but a stranger in the only area of the magic school grounds that repelled magic. Easier was now a lot less so.
And yet, the boy didn’t feel danger or dread in this moment. He felt relief, but even that didn’t feel right. His brain was telling him that someone seeing him like this would mess up everything. This wasn’t Tristan, but somehow, underneath the stars, he felt safe. Safe and confused.
Slowly, the Modron first year got back up and looked up at where he had fallen from. Maybe he could make the climb, but there would be no feline agility and no quick ascent. He was still a bit sore, and falling had been less complicated than climbing.
“I don’t think there’s going to be a better place than here tonight. Better safe than sorry, as you said, I don’t want to become a monster. Well, unless it’s a cool one like a dragon or like Cath Palug.”
Tristan wasn’t scared of the dark. The boy had gone stargazing before. Sure, he hadn’t gone very far from the house when he had, but that didn’t matter. Since he had fallen pretty badly, the smart thing to do was to stay close to where there were other people. That being said, Raizel had clearly not been thrilled at having company.
“I can be silent. I’ll find a small moss patch on the other side of the tree to watch the eclipse. That way it’ll be like I’m not even there.”
Tristan had been so focused on his thoughts and his plans that the diminishing moonlight crept up on him without notice. The darkness that followed his words was bone-chilling.
Around the students, the world of the night fell silent. Crickets' chirps died off, and the temperature suddenly dropped.
He turned his eyes back towards the sky as the reason for his whole excursion came to the forefront. The totality had begun. Fleeting moments of shadows faded away as the crimson moon made it’s appearance.
A dragon Animagus. That made her think about it. Not impossible perhaps but when was the last time they had recorded such an Animagus? In fact, when was the last time anyone had seen an Animagus take the form of a mythical creature. “You could get lucky.” For a Modron student though, what was luck? By being in that house, you relinquish any luck you have upon arrival if you still had any anyway. Being put in it meant your luck had already run out from the very start.
“Then I expect a quiet night.” That's why she was here in the first place, all alone, in a secluded area far from where students usually venture. Where others wouldn't even think about going just so she doesn't get bothered by their loud idle chatters. Unfortunately, she wasn't blessed with such a night, having someone literally crashing in, ruining her peace. Although, perhaps the company wasn't that bad. It made the night more tolerable… no, what was she thinking? Company is the last thing she needs.
Because eventually, they will disappear…
Raizel found herself looking up upon hearing Tristan's voice, staring at the eclipse that was starting. No matter what she does, no matter how much others expressed their awe for it, she could never gaze at it without feeling guilt and sorrow. To love it once more, to look back at the beautiful memories associated with it, to see the face of a person who was not perfect yet gave her all the love she needs. The more she thinks about it, the more her heart aches. Her hand reached for her right shoulder, giving it a gentle rub then twisting it just a bit to loosen up the joints. The scars on it felt like they were aching with each memory being remembered.
And the more she does, the more her own blood boils.
With that calm and emotionless look in those brown eyes of hers, one wouldn't notice the seething anger within. But looking at them closely would give them a glimpse of it.
Everything else around Tristan faded away as he was hypnotized by the celestial event. The moon commanded attention, its red glow like a stoplight in the midst of the stars.
She called out to anyone watching. “Stop everything and gaze upon me. Witness me.”
It was a siren song, and the young boy had fallen prey to its call.
He stayed there, entranced, for a moment and one moment more.
Back on the island, the first time he had snuck out of the house, it was on this kind of night.
Stephanie had panicked and searched the whole house, only to head outside and find the boy on the porch staring up at the sky. Relieved, she sat down next to him and started sharing legends about the starry night. From that day on, they had made it their mission to stargaze at least once per month. He missed those nights.
Momentarily escaping the spell that he was under, he turned towards Raizel.
“It’s beaut…”, he started.
And then immediately stopped.
The fifth year was also looking at the moon, but her expression was blank. He wondered what she was thinking, but then he remembered his promise. Silence, I’m able to do that.
Tristan slowly inched away and found a small patch of moss where he could sit without being a disturbance. He had been a nuisance enough for one night.
I have no interest in it.
Her words resonated in his head as he spent the next few minutes observing the crimson-tinted craters.
Nope, no questions. Raizel wants a quiet night. It’s the least I can do.
