＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚
Regulus Black was perpetually unhappy.
And for a boy still shy of eleven, perpetual unhappiness did not bode well. He curled his fingers into tight fists as he glanced at the empty seat to his left- the seat his brother was supposed to be sitting in.
Though he was still a few weeks away from starting his first year at Hogwarts, he had already developed a hatred for the place. It had stolen his brother from him.
Not even the music and laughter from the crowds drawn in to watch the travelling circus could improve his mood. His eyes travelled along the banner hanging above the stage.
FREAKS AND FANCIES!
He heaved a sigh as a group of erlking performers bowed signalling the end of their performance and the noise escalated as the crowds exploded with applause.
His shoulders sagged as he slumped back in his seat but a sharp pain on his side had him straightening his back immediately and sitting properly.
He glanced sideways to his mother waiting for her reprimand, but her eyes remained focused forward, her face as unreadable as ever.
The applause quieted as a striking, middle-aged man stepped onto the stage, arms spread open as though he were master of the world. His self-praise flew over Regulus' head, but a survey of the faces in the crowd around him showed that this Ringmaster had them enthralled.
"And for our final act this evening," boomed the Ringmaster, as he glided across the stage and down the draped staircase, and a cage of thick steel was lowered undoubtedly to secure whatever beasts were about to be presented. "I bring to you- from the shores of North America-A MALEDICTUS!"
Gasps erupted from the crowd and some intelligible parents ushered younglings to the exit of the arena.
Regulus shifted his gaze to the layers of the exquisite curtain, peeling away slowly to reveal the Maledictus. The spectators' gasps grew even more exasperated when they saw the being that emerged.
Rather than a horrific beast, on the center of the stage stood a girl, no older than Regulus himself.
The words of the Ringmaster were drowned out as exclamations of praise for the ethereal beauty of the Maledictus rang out. She had golden hair looped around her head in the form of a halo, decorated with the same glimmering glass beads that ran along the length of her black shimmering dress that pooled around her.
The identity of the Maledictus was shielded by a fine mask, only a few shades darker than her hair.
The Ringmaster chuckled delightedly and knocked his cane against the bars of the cage. "Yes, yes, indeed. She is lovely. Take a good look because soon..." His voice dropped lower as he said, "Soon she will turn into a horrific beast. And one day, she will forever be trapped in that body."
Hums and laughter trickled through the crowds and the lights flickered once more, turning dim. The Ringmaster grinned, displaying his pristine teeth and his voice reverberated through the tent as he hollered, "I present to you, the highlight of my show, RUNE!"
Cheers and applause rang through the crowds as the girl rolled her neck and began to melt into fine, interweaving coils, swallowing up her magnificent gown as she did.
The lights flickered off, bringing the arena to darkness, and compelling the crowd into silence.
An alluring hiss rippled through earning screams from a few. Regulus' eyes widened in awe as glimmering kaleidoscopes formed behind the steel cage and projected into the crowds.
The lights returned and the spectators were left speechless at the sight of a majestic horned serpent slithering across the stage in graceful, elegant movements.
Were it not for the glimmering beads that formed the design on its skin, it would be impossible to find a relation between the serpent and the girl.
Striking blue eyes of the serpent surveyed the room and then the performance began.
Regulus would no sooner be able to explain what it was that had his attention so drawn to the beast than he would be able to move his eyes away from it. It seemed all the performances prior to this were merely a build-up for this one that was leaving him breathless.
Had his parents not nudged him, urging him to leave, he would have gladly spent the rest of his night watching the glory of the serpent slithering in the music. Longer even.
But his parents seemed to grow bored of the foolish theatrics. And he had already learnt that he had no business getting caught up in anything his parents had thought foolish.
So, he stood up, straightened his robes, and strutted out behind his parents, allowing them to lead him to whatever wonder or horror the next tent held.
***
Rune lowered herself further into the ice bath, hoping the ice would numb her aching body quicker. She had been forced to remain in the other form for longer that night, gliding about for photographers to capture and the rich families to ogle at.
She closed her eyes, trying to block out the pained squeals and clanging locks as her fellow performers were caged and stowed away, only to be let out for their performance at their next stop.
The Ringmaster, Honorius Dumas, had let her pick the next location as compensation for the metal shards which had been sewn into the dress and stabbed her skin during the last performance.
She held up her arm and twisted it, catching the reflecting glimmers of the beads with her eyes. The beads did well covering up all the cuts from the metal. Only two more weeks and she'd be able to shed and escape the agony.
The door to her chambers flew open and Rune didn't have to look to know that Honorius had entered.
"Leave us," he ordered and immediately the three handmaidens tending to Rune scurried out of the chambers and closed the doors behind them.
"My Rune," drawled Honorius, letting his stage accent slip and allowing Rune the honor of hearing the evidence of his French heritage. "You were breathtaking today, my love. We've got four sponsors for the next performance already. I think we're going to give the Russians a performance of a lifetime."
"Russians?" questioned Rune, sitting up straight, and then slumping once again when her muscles strained. "I picked Germany."
"The Semenov family will be going to Moscow for a month, and they wish to see you perform again. They offered to triple whatever the sponsors offer and to make you a dress like never before."
"All my dresses are like never before," murmured Rune, her face falling.
Honorius perched himself on the edge of the bath and smoothed a hand down her hair. In a delicate voice, so unlike the one he used on stage, he hummed, "My sweet Rune. You know I'll take you to Germany. I swear we'll go there right after Russia. And to show you how sorry I am, I'll buy you every Matryoshka doll your eyes land on."
When her dejected expression remained, he gave her a dazzling smile. "And a new dress."
"Three," she relented. "You've got to get me three new dresses."
"Done. Anything else?"
"I want a first edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein."
"Done. Anything you want, I'll get it."
Before she could begin to rant off her list of requests, a knock on the door sounded.
"That must be the food," said Honorius, standing up and winking at her. "I've ordered your favourite. Kingfisher."
"Yum," exclaimed Rune, willing the pain to subside as she lifted herself up and grabbed the gown and wrapped it around her body.
As soon as the door opened, Honorius asked in his prim voice once again, "Where's the Kingfisher?"
A gentle voice replied, "I'm afraid I do not know. I'm—"
"Donations can be given at the exit," interjected Honorius, impatiently.
The gentle voice, undoubtedly belonging to an old man replied, "I'm afraid I'm not here to give a donation."
"You wish to be a sponsor then?" asked Honorius, his tone slightly more polite.
"Not quite. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Well, how can I help you, Albus Dumbledore?" asked Honorius.
Albus Dumbledore gazed into the room and his eyes settled on Rune's. He offered her a smile as he said, "I believe it's time for your star performer to take a break from the stage and attend school."
A beat of silence fell around them until Honorius broke into laughter, "You must be mistaken. Rune is not a witch. She's an Underbeing."
"I believe her mother was an Underbeing. That's where she inherited her malediction. Rune's father, whoever he might be, is a Wizard. A powerful one at that for his genes to present itself even with the blood curse."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," snapped Honorius, "Rune is not a half-breed witch. Go entertain someone else with your lies!"
With that, he slammed the door in the old man's face and turned to Rune, his face still impassive with anger. When he looked at Rune's bewildered expression, he hissed, "What have you got that look on your face for?"
She pointed beside him and when Honorius turned to his right, he let out a shout of terror at the sight of the old man standing there.
"You—You—How dare you trespass in here?! Do you know who I am?"
"Indeed, I do. Honorius Dumas. Famous Ringmaster, Star Performer of the '50s, owner, and illegal trader of invaluable beasts."
"Never in my life have I traded illegally," began Honorius in a rage.
Albus Dumbledore winked at Rune and suddenly Honorius fell silent and stopped moving all at once. He stood so still that, were it not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he could have passed for a statue.
In fear of meeting the same fate, Rune remained fixed in her spot and met the eyes of Albus Dumbledore. In a meek voice, she said, "I think you might be mistaken. I am no witch."
The Headmaster studied her for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a finely crafted piece of wood.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked her.
She nodded. "It's a wand."
"Have you ever held one of these?"
She shook her head.
He gave her a close-lipped smile and held the wand out to her. "Why don't you give this one a little swish."
She glanced from the outstretched wand to his eyes and when he nodded encouragingly, she reached forward and closed her hand around the wand. She ran her thumb along the grooves carefully as if afraid it might turn on her.
"Go on then," prompted the Headmaster, demonstrating a wrist movement. "Swish."
Rune raised her eyebrows suspiciously but obliged and flicked her wrist. Immediately, all the cupboards flew open, some falling right off their hinges and crashing onto the floor.
She threw the wand back into the Headmaster's hands and murmured, "I don't think a wand is for me."
She waited for him to agree but instead, he kept his smile and explained, "If you weren't a witch, nothing would have happened when you swished the wand. You're better than me. When I first used a wand, I shattered all the windows in the wand shop."
When she said nothing in response, Albus Dumbledore pocketed his wand and asked, "Do you like it here, Rune?"
"Not quite. We've just come from our North African tour. From what we've visited, Europe is far less exciting. Although England is far better than some of the other countries further east."
"I don't mean England. I mean this circus ordeal. Performing in those cages. Not having any friends." He ran his eyes over her hands where the beads were still embedded into her skin and added on, "The pain from those ridiculous dresses."
She gasped, "My dresses are beautiful. And besides, I've got many friends. The firedrakes love me."
"I'm sure the firedrakes are wonderful friends. But I mean friends like you, Rune. Girls and boys. Hogwarts is the highlight of most witches' and wizards' lifetimes. That is where they learn, have feasts, form lifelong friendships, experience unity, and enjoy inter-house competitions. Everything you could ever imagine your life being- you can start moving towards it from Hogwarts. Besides, your name has been in its books since the day you were born."
"Who put it there?" questioned Rune.
"Right now, I do not know. But if we look deep enough, I'm sure we can find out. Would you like that, Rune?"
She stared at the man incredulously, unsure of how to respond to him.
"I'm sure," said Albus Dumbledore thoughtfully, "Your father must have attended Hogwarts when he was your age."
Rune tried and failed to hide the hopefulness in her voice. "Would you be able to find him?"
The Headmaster hesitated for a moment, before nodding. "I assure you I would do my best to search for him." He bent down until he met the girl eye-to-eye, "So, what do you say? Would you like to come to Hogwarts?"
Rune looked around her, at the ice bath which awaited after every performance to numb her pain, at the wardrobes filled with precious clothing that hadn't been subjected to her shedding yet, at the chests filled with trinkets and books, and then at Honorius.
At the only person who had ever loved her.
As if reading her mind, Albus Dumbledore promised, "This would still be here for you. Every holiday, every Christmas. I'll personally assure you that wherever in the world the circus is, I'll get you to them."
Rune looked away from Honorius and looked down, contemplating what the Headmaster had offered her.
It had taken her the full duration of a minute before she could bring herself to say, "I think I'd like to go to Hogwarts."
There was no mistaking the relief in the smile the Headmaster gave her. "Brilliant."
He turned back to her still frozen Ringmaster and said, "Now, let us break the news to him."
When Honorius moved again, the cupboards were secured back onto their hinges and shut. And on the floor near the door lay five giant trunks with an H crest on them, already packed to hold Rune's possessions.
Rune hoped the Headmaster could teach her that spell for it would make moving between cities all the easier.
By the time Albus Dumbledore had explained to Honorius her decision, it seemed the Ringmaster had nothing to say.
He looked at Rune and despite the anger, she knew dwelled in those eyes, he moved towards her and embraced her.
She just wrapped her arms around him when he said in a voice soft enough for only her to hear, "I own you, Rune. Don't forget that."
He pulled away from the hug and didn't bother greeting the Headmaster as he stalked out of the room and closed the doors behind him.
The Headmaster held his arm out to Rune. "We've got a few stops to make. It's best we get going now."
As soon as Rune placed her hand on his arm, her stomach did a summersault, and the floor was swept from beneath her feet throwing her into oblivion.