"Woah!" exclaimed Elias as he spun on himself, chin high towards the sky.
The magical sky of the Great Hall was full of pure white clouds, softly floating around under the influence of an invisible wind. The stars were hidden on this beautiful afternoon, but Elias was as blown away by the beauty of the landscape as he was every single time that he saw it. He knew that it drove his father crazy, but he couldn't help it: even the smallest show of magic was amazing in his mind, after spending his whole childhood in a magicless world.
They were supposed to meet Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts's headmaster, who had hired Elias, in the Great hall. He was an old friend of Argus. Dumbledore was only a vague souvenir in Elias' mind, who had met him personally only a few times. Still, he remembered the man to be kind to him and his father.
Getting to Hogwarts had been something, but Elias was glad he was finally there. They had driven all the way to the castle, as they couldn't take the train, as it only departed two days later. In the last days, Elias hadn't been able to contain his excitement. He'd spent hours making his luggage, making sure that he'd have everything he needed- and a bit more.
He'd hidden it from his father, but he'd also tried on his dark wizard robes and Hogwarts uniform a few times. Elias couldn't wait for the Hogwarts crest to finally be woven on his clothes. In which house was he going to be in? Was he even going to get sorted? The clothing rules for teachers were less strict than for students, but Elias still thought that wearing the uniform was the best option. After all, he was only an assistant. He was kind of like an intern. Or was it only a muggle thing?
Still, Elias was very excited to see the term start. There had been no other incident since meeting Flint and the twins at Diagon Alley, and even if she hadn't sent a letter in the end, Elias was sure that he'd be able to make new friends.
"Ah, Argus!" exclaimed a soft voice behind them. The Filch's turned to see Hogwarts' headmaster walking towards them, in silvery grey robes. He looked full of energy despite his old age. With a long beard, small glass upon his long nose and wrinkles detailing his face, Dumbledore looked good for his respectable age.
"And Elias! Glad to see you made it!" he said nicely. Argus nodded at him respectfully. Elias just smiled.
"Have you made a nice trip?"
"Yes," answered both Argus and Elias at the same time. They looked at each other. Elias smiled.
"Good, good," answered Dumbledore with a peaceful expression. "Let's get started. First, Elias, I am very happy that you have decided to join us."
As if I'd refuse! Thought Elias.
"Argus, as always, it is a pleasure to have you back."
Argus nodded proudly. Elias smiled.
"Take this as a little briefing before you get familiar with Hogwarts," continued the old man. Elias was immediately made at ease by the calm and confident tone of the headmaster.
"As you probably know, this year, Hogwarts will be home to the Triwizard tournament."
"The what?" asked Elias with a frown.
Dumbledore sent a confused look towards Argus. Elias' father looked away.
"...Argus will explain the details later," explained Dumbledore, "for now, you must know that we will welcome three times as much students as usual in the school. Therefore, we have decided to hire more help: you. You will assist Professor Snape in potion making class, as your skills have been deemed sufficient to accomplish such tasks. You will also follow Herbology classes in order to deepen your knowledge of ingredients and plants, as well as helping out Professor Sprout with her many classes. Finally, you will work with Argus as a caretaker during your free time."
Elias nodded as he tried to retain everything Dumbledore said. It was even greater than he'd thought! Herbology classes? How cool was that! He loved Professor Sprout, so he was sure that it would be quite fun. And he didn't mind helping out his father: it would give him time to explore the magical mysteries of the school.
Dumbledore smiled at him, appreciating his enthusiasm. He pulled out a parchment from his pocket.
"You will follow this schedule for your classes. As for caretaking, Argus will decide when he deems you a necessary help in his tasks. You are free to do whatever you wish in your free time, as long as you respect the school rules."
"Okay," whispered Elias. He took the schedule, where rectangles had been drawn where he had classes to attend to- and teach!
"The list of school rules along with your responsibilities is waiting for you in your room, with your luggage and other things you might need for the school year. Shall you have any questions, feel free to ask Argus or any other professor," continued Dumbledore.
Elias was greatly impressed by how much trust the headmaster put in him. He was not even eighteen years old yet, but Dumbledore talked to him like an adult, like he mattered. He acknowledged the skills Elias'd worked so hard to gain, even if he was no wizard. Elias couldn't have felt better about this job. It was everything he could've ever wished for, and more!
"Also," said Dumbledore darkly. "I must warn you. You are here to make sure the school rules are respected. Do not abuse your power, or you will suffer the same consequences as any student. However, I highly doubt that this might apply to you."
Elias simply nodded. He couldn't see why he'd need to break any school rule. He loved Hogwarts way too much to do something that could get him expelled.
"That is all," finished Dumbledore with a smile. "Enjoy your time here, Elias. Professor Snape will be expecting you in his office in an hour, to go over a few things. When you are done, head to greenhouse number one: Professor Sprout will be waiting to explain how the classes are going to work."
"Alright, thank you," replied Elias. Dumbledore simply nodded with a smile.
***
Elias spent an hour or so unpacking. His new room was adjacent to his father's, in a sort of hidden corridor of the lowest floor of the castle. It wasn't very large, but Elias did not mind it. He knew that the dorm rooms of the other students were a bit smaller than his.
Knowing that he needed to go see Professor Snape in his office in a moment, he hesitated. Should he switch to sorcerer robes? Or would his muggles clothes be classy enough for the teacher? Professor Snape had always looked down on him, for no reason. Elias wanted to make the best impression possible, but being too into it could give an opposite effect.
He looked at himself in the mirror. His brown hair was almost long enough to tie it in a low pony-tail, but Elias preferred to let his curls run free. His green eyes seemed excited, following his emotions. Elias smiled to himself and pulled down on the cuffs of his white shirt. His jeans were classy enough, he decided as he turned on himself. He'd opt for sorcerer clothes the next day.
Elias took a deep breath, now more or less ready to face Professor Snape. His father had given him directions, so he managed to find his way through the maze that was Hogwarts. He almost got lost in the moving staircase, but he managed to find his way around, as the paintings helped him out. They were thrilled to see that he was back. Because he was so passionate about every kind of magic, Elias was one of the only students to be respectful towards the moving paintings.
Elias knocked on a wooden door that he desperately hoped lead to Professor Snape's office. How horrible would it be to be faced with someone else? Getting lost on the first day of the job was not a great first impression. Elias' heart started to beat faster.
Seconds evaporated quickly without a response. Elias was stressing out. Was the teacher not there? What was he to do?
After what seemed like forever, the door swung open. Elias let out a silent sigh of relief. The man that had opened the door sent him a hard glare. He had dark wavy hair and sharp, mean eyes. His lips were so thin that Elias wondered if people would even notice if he smiled.
"Filch, I presume?" Professor Snape asked with irritation. Elias blinked, almost surprised by his tone.
"Y-yes," he managed to answer.
"Let's get this over with," the professor said, disappearing in his office. Elias hesitated, but decided to follow him. He closed the door behind him. The young man walked into the most not-welcoming office he had ever been in. Everything was dark, cold and menacing. The worst was Professor Snape himself, standing by his desk, watching Elias' every move.
Elias shivered. He felt naked under the other man's glare. What had he ever done to him? They'd spoken only one or two times during the many times where Elias had visited Hogwarts, but Professor Snape had always seemed to passionately hate him. Whenever there was an argument about him, like during the incident a few months back, the teacher made a point to argue against him in every way possible. Perhaps he was one of those xenophobic Slytherins that wished all squibs would die.
Professor Snape cleared his throat, and, after sending another judgemental look towards his new assistant, said:
"Dumbledore believes that I need help teaching the new students we will be getting this year. I, however, believe that it is not the case." He almost grimaced. Elias wanted to run. Was this the man he was to work with for the whole year? Yes, he'd have done anything to go to Hogwarts, but now, the price seemed a bit too high.
"However," continued Professor Snape with his whispery voice, "the Headmaster has personally praised your skills. Therefore, I have accepted to teach you, and have you as my assistant, shall you have the skills he had mentioned."
It almost sounded like a threat. Elias hoped with all his heart that Dumbledore had not overestimated his talent.
"You will spend tomorrow's morning with me, to see if you do possess the talent necessary to assist me. If you do, then I will welcome to Hogwarts," he finished with a scowl.
Elias simply nodded. But what if he failed the tests?
"But, that training will have to wait for tomorrow. I have things I need to do beforehand. So, here's your homework: make a successful Draught of Peace for tomorrow. Then, we'll get started, shall you manage to brew such a potion efficiently enough," Professor Snape finished as he took a few parchments on his desk. He was no longer paying any attention to Elias.
Hesitantly, Elias left the room, half expecting the older man to stop him, but he didn't. Only when the door of Professor Snape's office was closed behind him did he allow himself to sigh of relief. What the hell had this interview been? Did Professor Snape even wish to have him help? Did he even need him?
Well, if he didn't think Elias would be of help, then Elias only needed to prove him the opposite. He was very competent in potion making, and Professor Snape would soon see it. There was no way that he was failing this trial and going home. He'd rather give up everything he owned than leaving Hogwarts behind a few days after being employed.
The Draught of Peace wasn't even the hardest potion to make. Yes, it required a ton of precision, but it was a short potion. Where some, like the infamous Felis Felicis, took over six months to brew, the Draught of Peace could be achieved in an hour or two, if efficiently mixed. Thankfully, Elias had developed certain techniques and tricks to augment his precision when brewing such complicated draughts. And that potion was one he knew well, for having it taken for months when he was still at muggle school.
Allowing himself to smile, Elias started to make his way towards the greenhouses. He couldn't wait proving his worth to the hateful Professor Snape. However, for now, he had to see another teacher. Hopefully, his meeting with Professor Sprout was probably going to be a thousand times more fun than with the potion master. After all, Professor Sprout had always had a soft spot for him. She'd given Elias his first book of potions, which, in the end, had given him a life at Hogwarts.
The greenhouses were already full of plants. Large flowers of many colors bloomed out of the windows of Greeenhouse #1, where strange creepers crawled out of every crack of the second greenhouse. The third and fourth greenhouses looked the most peaceful, but Elias knew better than to believe in appearances. According to what he'd heard from the Hogwarts students, those last two greenhouses contained the most dangerous plants of the whole campus.
Elias opened the glass door to the first greenhouse. A wave of heat, perfumed of a smell of fresh soil and damp grass, hit him in the face. He blinked quickly, trying to get used to the change in environment. The young man made a mental note to wear other clothes when he worked in the greenhouses, including another pair of shoes, as the ground was full of sticky dirt and mud.
"Professor Sprout?" Elias called out more or less confidently. He definitely could not see her and he did not dare venture between the large plants. He wondered for a second if someone took care of the plants during the summer vacation.
"Yes?" answered a rough but kind voice.
A head appeared behind a large bush with little blue flowers. The woman's hair was more or less tied in a messy bun. Her eyes moved around quickly until she noticed Elias. Her wrinkled lips stretched into a warm smile. Elias couldn't help but smile back. Professor Sprout had not changed in all the years he'd known her. There was always this kind energy around her. It made her students and her plants calm. It was terribly refreshing after meeting Professor Snape.
"Elias, my boy!" she exclaimed excitedly as she made her way towards her new student, "how have you been doing?"
"Good, thank you," answered Elias with a smile as she took his hand in both her hands and shook it happily.
"My, my, how tall you've grown!" the older woman said with affection, "Argus was telling me how much you've changed, but I didn't expect this! You've grown into a fine young man."
Elias laughed nervously, but internally happy to hear that his father had talked about him to his friends. The teacher let go of his hand and put her hands on her waist.
"I am really glad to see you," Professor Sprout continued, "we're going to have a big year, with the Triwizard Tournament and the two other schools. We're going to need all the help we can get."
Elias hoped he did not look too confused. What was this thing people kept mentioning over and over?
"And, frankly, I'm glad they've chosen you for this task." Professor Sprout winked at him. "You deserve it."
Elias felt strangely proud. His efforts hadn't gone completely unnoticed.
"T-Thanks," he answered, nervously pulling on his shirt's sleeve.
"Come here, I'll show a few of the plants you'll need to take care of."
The young man followed Professor Sprout deeper in the greenhouse.
"I've managed to import a few more plants for the sixth and seventh years this year, so you'll have to take care of a few of greenhouse number one. Don't be scared," she laughed, "everything here is completely harmless. The worst you can get is bitten, if you aren't careful. Still, they need care and love."
"Alright," answered Elias as he placed a curious finger on the leaves of a plant with gorgeous red flowers. As soon as he did so, the leaves curled up around his fingers. Uttering a swear, he managed to move his hand away before the plant caught his finger.
Professor Sprout laughed, but it wasn't mean. Elias laughed with her. He finally felt at ease. There was at least one person in Hogwarts that was happy that he was there.
***
"And then," continued Elias excitedly, "she showed me how to take care of the Bubotubers! They're sleepy plants, so you have to-"
"I know what they are," cut Argus.
Elias stopped talking. He looked down at his stew, which he had barely touched. His excitement had died down drastically. Elias moved his spoon around in circles. What was he to say? His father was in a terrible mood tonight. Elias had tried to lift his spirits by telling him what he'd done during the day, but Argus wanted to hear none of it.
He didn't care about the dozens of plants Elias would have to take care of, or the beautiful Draught of Peace that his son had brewed just before supper. Elias had been dying to show his father, but Argus had barely sent a look at the pale purple potion. He wasn't even listening to his son's adventures.
Elias felt incredibly frustrated. It wasn't his fault that his father was mad, so why did he need to ruin his mood as well? He was finally working at Hogwarts with him, so why wasn't showing the smallest hint of joy?
"What's the Triwizard Tournament?" he asked after a moment of silence. His father looked up from his bowl and frowned.
"Where did you here that?" Argus asked curtly.
"The teachers kept mentioning it. Something about other schools and more students, or something," added Elias, his voice dying down at the last words. His father obviously did not want to talk about that. Yet, Elias needed to know: the event seemed to be on every teacher's mind.
"...It's a tournament between three schools of wizardry," admitted Argus. "Beauxbâtons and Durmstrang are coming to Hogwarts this year to participate. A champion will be chosen for each school, and they'll compete against each other in the tournament. That's all."
"A magic tournament?" repeated Elias, trying not to sound too excited. "Are there going to be trials?"
"Tasks," corrected Argus. "And yeah. But it's dangerous. They're probably going to die."
Die? How intense was the tournament? Wondered Elias. This competition was the reason Dumbledore finally decided to employ him, then. If there were two other schools coming... That's triple the number of students in classes.
"Why didn't you tell me about it?" asked Elias. He felt his father tense up and immediately regretted his question.
"Didn't think you'd be involved in it," simply answered Argus. "It was better that way."
"You thought that I'd try to be a champion?" Elias answered quickly. Oh shit. That was not what he had meant to say.
"You wouldn't ever be chosen," replied his father without even looking at him. "Potions wouldn't help you in any way. You're not even a wizard."
"Don't you think I know that?" exclaimed Elias, outraged that he dared to insult him that way. He was tired, he'd spent a long day working, and his father just straight up insults him? No, he wasn't going to let this pass.
"Don't you think that I know that I won't ever be able to hold a wand, fly a broom, or simply do magic?" exclaimed Elias. "Potions are the only thing I can do! It's the only thing keep me at Hogwarts! Can't you just..."
Argus looked up, his old eyes severe as ever.
"Just what?" he asked calmly. Elias thought that he'd have preferred him to be angry. He felt like screaming. He felt like crying. Maybe a bit of both.
"Just be happy for me?" let out Elias.
He passed a hand over his eyes, refusing to look at his father any longer. He could do everything, give his hundred and ten percent in any domain whatsoever, but Argus would never be proud of him. Of course not. After all, Elias wasn't a sorcerer. He was a squib. He wasn't even good enough for his own father.
Argus watched his son leave the room in silence. He knew that he should've said something, but he couldn't find the right words to. He never could. And then Elias was gone.
The old man sighed, burying his face in his wrinkled hands. Why was this always so hard? If only Elias could understand what he was trying to say.
In the end, Argus simply hoped with all his heart that Elias wouldn't get hurt.