"This is insane."
"Alabaster–"
"This is crazy."
"Al–"
"We are going to die."
"Alabaster!"
Alabaster looked over to Adelaide who was holding Atticus the duck, fear in his eyes. They were at Diagon Alley now, as they had just flooed from their living room fireplace. Atticus was asleep, and finally stopped quacking. It was so odd seeing a duck that was actually your baby brother asleep in your sister's arms.
"You need to calm down." Adelaide told him.
"How am I supposed to calm down?!" Alabaster asked, as they slowly walked down the dark streets. It was so empty, and eerie, just so creepy. Hoo was on Alabaster's shoulder, as he had insisted on coming with them which made Alabaster feel a tad calmer. "How are you so calm?"
"Well, I have gone out with mother, and father before." She said, as she cradled Atticus. "You just couldn't go because of your...problems."
Alabaster sighed. "I'll be out every day soon anyway, with Hogwarts starting soon..." Oh, that was a terrifying prospect.
"Exactly." Adelaide said. "So, you need to get used to going outside anyway."
"It is different when it is nighttime, and I have no magical training yet!" Alabaster told her as they walked through Diagon Alley, trying to find the Transfiguration shop. "What time is it?"
Adelaide looked at her watch. "11:30PM."
Alabaster closed his eyes, like he was going to his doom, which he very well could have been. "They could be home already!" He exclaimed, and he ran ahead.
Adelaide watched him run. "Well...if that works." She ran to catch up with him. "So I think it is over there..." She pointed toward a shop, and Alabaster was not sure how she knew that as it was so dark, but maybe she could read the sign.
Alabaster looked from side to side, and to his relief, the shop seemed pretty much empty, like Diagon Alley was besides some shopkeepers still in their shops. Alabaster would have thought they all would have been closed by now, but he was happy the shop they needed was still open.
He opened the door, and Adelaide followed him in, and Alabaster went further into the shop, but it didn't look what he would call a Transfiguration shop. It had cauldrons for potions, and vials, and bottles of different types of liquids with labels he could not identify.
"Adelaide, I think you led us into a Potions shop." Alabaster told her, and he turned to see that she was looking through different books, Atticus in one arm, and a book in the other.
He sighed, and approached her, looking around, nervously as there were the only ones in the shop. There was not even a shopkeeper. "I'm pretty sure this is a Potions shop. It has more potions than books it looks like." A pause. "Is that the Potions textbook?"
She nodded. "Yeah, but you're right, this isn't the right place. It has to be around here somewhere–"
The door opened, which startled them both, and Alabaster grabbed Adelaide's hand, and hid behind one of the isles holding big jars with eyeballs in them, and he briefly thought he saw a type of animal heart, and he felt nauseous.
"I don't think we need to hide from the shopkeeper." Adelaide whispered.
"Well, I don't know." Alabaster whispered, frantically. "What if the shopkeeper thought we were stealing or - or...I don't know...it scared me."
"You can't be scared when you get to Hogwarts." Adelaide said. "You need to be like everyone else, and mother, and father said people aren't jumpy. You're jumpy."
"Sorry!"
"Atticus no, stop!" Adelaide exclaimed as Atticus had been awoken by the commotion, and started to wriggle out of Adelaide's arms. "Stop!" Atticus ruffled his brown with white speckled feathers, which made her shriek, and drop the duck.
"Who's jumpy now?" Alabaster asked.
"That doesn't count!" Adelaide argued as Atticus started to waddle away. "No, Atticus, get back here right now!"
Alabaster quickly went over to where Atticus the duck was heading toward the front of the shop, and he bent down to grab him, but before he could, Atticus started to waddle even faster, and he slipped into a corner of a shelf that Alabaster could not reach.
"Atticus, no..." Alabaster whispered, as Adelaide kneeled down with him, and tried to reach for their brother, but she too was unsuccessful. "Come out...come out now. Please."
Atticus quacked.
Alabaster let out a sigh of frustration as Hoo went on the shelf, and tried to encourage Atticus out of the small alcove he was in. "Hoo."
"Quack."
"I'm going insane." Adelaide whispered to herself.
For a few minutes, it seemed that Hoo was getting nowhere, and it was just a conversation filled with hoots, and quacks, Alabaster hoping they were getting somewhere, and Adelaide questioning her sanity.
"I don't know if this will work–" Adelaide started to say, but soon Atticus hopped back onto the Potions shop floor, and started to waddle in the opposite direction of where his siblings were. Hoo soon followed.
Alabaster quickly crawled across the floor, and nabbed his brother before he could go off to another place where it would be impossible to get him out of, and he was met with the Potions shopkeeper's black shoes right where Alabaster was lying on his stomach, his hands wrapped around Atticus the duck.
"What are you kids doing?" He asked, aghast as one, it was reaching midnight, and two, they were trying to catch a duck of all things in the shop.
Adelaide looked nervously at the shopkeeper, as Alabaster said, "Catching our brother!"
"What?!"
Alabaster stared at him, duck in hand, awkwardness growing with every second that passed, and Alabaster laughed, nervously. "Um...bye! Have a nice night!" He ran out of the shop, and Adelaide followed, Hoo in her arms.
Once they were out of the shop, and back on the streets of Diagon Alley, Adelaide sighed, heavily. "That did not go according to plan."
"No, it did not, but we went into the wrong shop, do you think you know where the Transfiguration shop is?" Alabaster asked.
The two of them walked for a while, and soon Atticus the duck was back asleep to his older siblings' relief.
Adelaide signalled to another shop with a sign Alabaster could not make out. "I think this is it, come on."
Alabaster nervously approached the shop. This was the place. He was informed it was a shop with books on Transfiguration, Defence Against The Dark Arts, and Charms by his sister as she had read the little sign outside the building. He slowly opened the door, and with that, there was a little chime which caught Alabaster's attention.
"Where's the ringing coming from?" He asked.
Adelaide pointed as she saw a little bell attached to the top of the door so whenever it was opened it would chime. "A bell."
Alabaster squinted, he could barely see it.
The shopkeeper was lazily floating a quill around the shop. Alabaster entered the shop feeling bad because he probably was not expecting many visitors this late at night, never mind two young kids, an owl, and a duck (who was actually a toddler). He looked towards the door, and the quill dropped to the floor at the sight of them. "What can I do for you kids?" He asked, a bit confused.
The two of them approached him. Alabaster stared at him, quite nervous. He had never interacted with another person that was not in his family before, not really. He still needed practice, so this was a good opportunity as quite soon he would be going to Hogwarts, and he would be around so many new people who he would have to talk to.
"Hello, sir!" He exclaimed, in what he hoped was a friendly, and normal manner. The shopkeeper looked a bit surprised by his cheery tone, so Alabaster was not sure if he was doing well. He thought being cheerful was the way to go, but it just earned him an odd look.
"Erm...ello?" The shopkeeper said, slowly. "What are you kids doing out here alone at night?"
"Well..." Alabaster said slowly. "We were wondering if you could give us the counter curse for human Transfiguration."
Adelaide looked between the two of them nervously, hoping that the shopkeeper would help them, and not ask too many questions because what would be their answer? They really had no idea what had happened!
"And why would you need the counter curse for that?" The shopkeeper asked, suspiciously.
Alabaster bit his lip. He wasn't really good at this. Maybe if I explain the situation the shopkeeper would understand. "Well, you see..." Alabaster said slowly. "Let's start from the beginning!" He clapped his hands, making the shopkeeper stare at him oddly. "My name is Alabaster Jackson." He held out his hand, but the shopkeeper did not take it. "And I think my sister turned–"
The shopkeeper's expression changed from confusion to fear. "Okay, I will do whatever you want, just don't tell your parents you interacted with me, I don't need that right now. I have a family, a-and just, what do you want?"
Alabaster stared at the shopkeeper, and smiled. "Thank you so much, sir!" He exclaimed, making the shopkeeper even more nervous. Alabaster noticed this. "Don't be nervous sir, you're fine, I get it..." He lowered his voice. "It's scary out here."
"J-j-just – what do you want?" The shopkeeper asked.
Alabaster really appreciated the shopkeeper's eagerness to help even though it was quite late. He could have been on his way home to his family, but instead, he was staying here to help them, Alabaster was very thankful for that. Hoo stared at the shopkeeper, a bit affronted, although Alabaster was not quite sure as to why.
Adelaide bit her lip nervously. "We need the counter curse for human Transfiguration." Adelaide informed him.
The shopkeeper looked uncomfortable. "What did you do?"
"My sister accidentally turned our brother into a duck." Alabaster informed him. He indicated to the sleeping duck in Adelaide's arms. "We are pretty sure that is what happened. It was all a big accident."
The shopkeeper nodded slowly. "O-okay." He went to the back, and called, "I'll be right back!"
Alabaster nodded, and turned to Adelaide. "This is going great!" He said, happily. "The shopkeeper is so nice."
Adelaide nodded her head, slowly. She noticed the shopkeeper was really nervous, but Alabaster seemed not to pick up on that. He always liked seeing the best of things, and nothing else, and it sometimes could affect how he read people. It was a problem.
The shopkeeper came out from the back with a book in hand. He put it down on the counter, and slid it in front of Alabaster's face. He pointed to it. "There - there it is."
Alabaster stared at the text. He squinted, and stared at it very intently. He needed to figure it out by himself, this was important as he was going to Hogwarts, and would have to be able to read quickly in front of students, and professors all the time.
The shopkeeper stared at him. "Er...do you need help–"
"I don't!" Alabaster said, a bit louder than he had intended. The shopkeeper looked tense. He didn't mean to scare him, and he felt quite horrible that he had. "I am so sorry." Alabaster said. "I didn't mean to scare you."
The shopkeeper just looked a mixture of confused, and tired.
Alabaster sighed, and turned to Atticus, and realised he didn't have a wand so how could he even do the spell? He thought that was the perfect excuse to get out of reading it. He turned back to the shopkeeper. "I don't have a wand yet, can you do it please?"
The shopkeeper nodded quickly. He pulled out his wand from his trouser pocket. "Whatever you need." He pointed the wand at the duck, and said the counter curse.
Nothing happened.
Alabaster turned back to the shopkeeper. "Why didn't it work?"
The shopkeeper looked puzzled. "I - I don't know." He took the book, read it over, soon closed the book, and placed it back on the counter. "Are you sure it was Transfiguration?"
"Well...we think so." Adelaide said. "But no spell was cast. It just happened when he was quacking. He likes quacking, it's quite odd, and then he actually became a duck. It was...well, magical."
The shopkeeper looked deep in thought. "Can I see the duck – your brother?"
"You won't hurt him?" Adelaide asked, holding Atticus the duck close.
"I won't." The shopkeeper said, and Adelaide hesitantly handed him Atticus, and then the shopkeeper took Atticus to the back room.
Adelaide looked at Alabaster nervously. "What do you think is wrong?"
"I don't know." Alabaster said, now more worried than he already had been. What was wrong with Atticus? Alabaster looked at Hoo who was now standing on the counter, and Hoo had a concerned expression on his face.
After many, many minutes of waiting in worry, thinking of ideas of what it could be, two minutes after midnight, the shopkeeper appeared again, with Atticus – the human Atticus.
Alabaster jumped over the counter, took Atticus from the shopkeeper's arms, and hugged him, close. "Oh thank goodness!" He looked up at the shopkeeper who looked grave. "Thank you sir, what was wrong with him, how did you fix it?"
The shopkeeper sighed. "I - I had an inkling when the spell didn't work, it isn't common for people to transform into an animal unless they are an animagus...even human Transfiguration by wandwork is near to impossible...the only other option was..." His voice trailed off.
Alabaster was scared at this. "What sir?"
"Well if it were true...well it has to be the potion worked...but it doesn't make sense..." He murmured to himself.
"What sir?" Adelaide asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
"I am sure you both have heard of a blood curse due to your...family."
Alabaster shook his head. "We haven't."
The shopkeeper looked slightly surprised at this. "Well...some people with this affliction are usually called a Maledictus. They carry a curse through their blood, but there has never been a male Maledictus, it's not possible, I don't think, so I am not even sure if your brother is one, but he has the same symptoms. He could turn into an animal, in this case, a duck...never seen a duck before. Usually, it is some sort of beast. A Maledictus turns into an animal more frequently as they get older."
Alabaster stared at him, processing this. His brother had a curse? A curse that could turn him into a duck? "Well - well how do we fix it?"
The shopkeeper held up a potion. "This turned him back, he should not turn for a couple of months to a year again, maybe more, he is still young."
Adelaide looked at the shopkeeper. "But how do we stop it for good? What is the cure?"
The shopkeeper stared at them, eyes full of pity. "There isn't one."
Alabaster bit his lip. "So he will just keep turning into a duck?"
"Yes." The shopkeeper replied. "But - but one day he won't turn back."
Alabaster shook his head. "No. He can't become a duck forever. He has a life."
"There - there is another outcome of this curse..." The shopkeeper said. "I really am not sure what type of blood curse it is, but usually they have two options. Two outcomes."
"What?" Adelaide asked.
The shopkeeper looked away from them, and was silent for a long time. Finally, after what seemed like forever he said, "Death."
Alabaster's eyes' widened, and he hugged Atticus tighter. Adelaide clutched his hand. "No, it can't be." He shook his head, he felt tears coming to his eyes. He could not cry, crying meant you were weak, but this news was something he never wanted to hear. It was something out of his worst nightmare. "He can't die, this - this may not be the same curse right?"
The shopkeeper was quiet.
"Answer me!" Alabaster yelled.
The shopkeeper looked at him. "It might as well be. It matches the symptoms of a Maledictus, but...they aren't males, that's the only thing that confuses me. I'll have to do some research, it could be a different type of curse entirely, but if it follows the curse's symptoms, he – your brother won't have very long to live if the curse goes in that direction."
Alabaster stared at the shopkeeper. He shook his head, not wanting to believe it. His brother – his little brother couldn't die, he had a life ahead of him. It would not be fair if it was cut short because of some unknown curse. There had to be a way to stop it, he would find a way, he would have to. "How - how long?"
"...Maybe...his twenties? Could be shorter, could be longer..."
"No." Alabaster said. "No, no, no, no, no." He just kept saying that word. Over, and over. It couldn't be true, this was all a bad dream, and he would wake up soon. He must have fallen asleep at home, and then Atticus turning into a duck must have been his imagination. He would wake up, and his brother would be fine, he was going to live a long life, this was just a bad dream. A nightmare.
The shopkeeper saw the two of them breaking down, and he quickly said, "Well he could become a duck permanently. He may not die."
"That is still bad!!!" Adelaide yelled. "He's my little brother, not a duck! He can't become a duck permanently, and most certainly can not die!!!"
"He might not–"
"You just said he would!"
"It - it is a possibility..."
Alabaster shook his head. "No, it won't be."
The shopkeeper looked at him, feeling horrible that he had to tell this news, but he thought it would be worse to sugarcoat it. "It may be–"
"It won't be." Alabaster said. "Because I will make sure of it."
The shopkeeper shook his head. "Mr. Jackson it is not possible, you can not cure this curse, it has never been done."
"Well, I will do it." Alabaster said, now determined. "We don't know if this curse is a Maledictus blood curse because, as you said Maledictus' aren't males, so it could be something entirely new. We don't know, but I am going to figure it out. I am going to Hogwarts soon, and I will do everything in my power to find a cure. I will. I am not losing my brother to some curse, whether it be by a duck or - or d-death."
The shopkeeper stared at him. He was probably thinking how insane he was, how hopeful he was, but Alabaster didn't care. Hope was important, he needed hope, both himself, and his sister, and his brother during this time. He would find a way to cure this curse, no matter what. He didn't care if it had never been done before, he didn't care that they didn't even know what curse it exactly was, he would figure it out, and he knew Adelaide would help. They would find a way, they would.
His brother, and sister were the most important things in his life, and he was not going to lose his little brother to some unknown curse. No way.