'"Gideon Drake"?' queried Emma, reading the envelope Gideon had cast aside from across the table.
'Another secret, Squib boy?' said Vinny nastily. 'Is everything that comes out of your mouth a lie?'
'Drake is my...' Gideon began, before deciding he didn't owe anybody an explanation, least of all Vinny. 'It's none of your business.'
'What have you got there, Gideon?' asked Brendan upon folding and pocketing his own piece of mail. 'Ooh, a new wand, eh?'
'As if that will help!' Vinny commented.
Gideon ignored him, grasped the handsome, polished wand by the handle and lifted it from its cushioned container. It felt good in his hand, nothing like the tatty one he had been using. A strange feeling emanated from within Gideon's chest and surged throughout his body.
It was the oddest sensation, like a chill, but with a warmth to it. Gideon felt the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stand on end. His spine tingled and he gave an involuntary shiver, and then, things went dark.
Gideon and the other students all looked up from their letters, breakfasts and conversations. Above them, the Great Halls many candles and wall-mounted torches had all gone out instantaneously. Being a cloudy morning outside, the abrupt lack of light plunged the room into near darkness.
The remaining owls took flight at once, screeching as they did. The students fussed noisily, and a couple of silly screams even echoed through the room. Gideon, still holding the wand, felt uneasy. He hurriedly placed it in the box, grabbed the lid, his letter and its envelope, and surreptitiously left the table during all the hubbub.
He reached the door before light returned to the Great Hall. He looked back to see the Headmistress standing behind the staff table with her wand pointing upward. He met her eyes briefly before continuing through the doorway and walking swiftly back to his dormitory.
Gideon sat on the edge of his bed and waited for his heartbeat to return to normal. However, the adrenaline inside him was preventing that. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt the need to leave the Great Hall. It was instinct which drove him.
As the last traces of the tingling sensation Gideon had experienced still resonated through him, he had to wonder, did he do it? Did he put out the lights? Somehow, he knew the answer. Somehow, he knew that he had just experienced magic for the very first time. He had no frame of reference, of course, but there was no other explanation.
It didn't seem possible, but there was a growing feeling of excitement that Gideon couldn't shake. Still, if he were to accept what he felt sure to be true, the implications would be huge, and not only because he had just performed quite a feat. He had to be sure. He had to test his theory.
Gideon removed the wand from the box once more. The odd sensation didn't occur again, but the wand still felt right in his grip. He rose his arm and pointed the wand at the dormitory wall clock. Gideon was conflicted. He began to shake a little as fear and hope did battle inside him. There was a very real possibility that life as he knew it was about to change. Again.
Gideon closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. He recalled the wand movement, the incantation and the pronunciation needed. Then, he opened his eyes and performed the spell, 'Wingardium Leviosa!'
Apprehension, perplexion, dread, elation? Gideon didn't know what to feel. He imagined that had he been holding his mood quill, it would surely have exploded in his hand. He clapped his free hand to his mouth in shock, dumbfounded as the clock left its wall hook and floated before him.
The sound of voices outside the door disturbed Gideon from his reverie, and the clock fell to the floor with an almighty crash. Gideon pocketed the wand as his dormmates entered.
'Now what's he done?' whined Vinny. 'Smashing teachers' brooms not enough for you, freak?'
'Easy, Vin!' urged Jaden.
'Why? Look what he's done to our clock!' Vinny replied.
'What happened, Gideon?' Brendan asked with trepidation.
Still in a state of shock, Gideon wasn't ready to share the truth. 'It was running a little fast, so I was adjusting the time,' he lied, 'and I dropped it. I'm sorry, I'll let a prefect know.'
Gideon shoved the letter and wand box into his trunk and left the dorm with the wand and the envelope. In the Common Room, he informed Rebecca Page about the mishap. She told him not to worry about it, and that she would arrange for it to be fixed. He then headed out of the castle in search of a quiet spot.
Down by the Great Lake, Gideon took a seat on the root of a large tree. Now that he had some privacy, he wanted to check if his first spell had been a fluke, or perhaps even a hallucination. He fished the items from his pocket and tossed the envelope through the air.
He admired the wand. The shiny wood had a rich, dark colour to it and the natural grain pattern seemed to travel down its length like a corkscrew. It wasn't bumpy like the other hand, and there certainly weren't any cracks or things sticking out of the end.
Gideon gripped the wand by the raised ridges at the end, which acted much like the hilt of a sword. He pointed it at the envelope lying a few feet away and tried the Levitation Charm again, 'Wingardium Leviosa.'
Gideon's jaw dropped as the envelope began to rise from the ground as if caught in an updraft. He watched in wonder for a few minutes as it danced on the breeze, responding to his hand movements. The boy wiped away a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye before thinking back to his first day at Hogwarts and the test with Professors Voronov and Long.
'Locomotor Parchment,' said Gideon, pointing at the envelope and then moving his hand. The object followed and landed in the spot he was pointing to. Gideon got to his feet and uttered, 'Ventus!'
The wand released a burst of air, and the folded paper flew a short way away.
'Flipendo!' Gideon cried, and the object was hit with a white light, and crumpled a little before shooting off the ground. 'Fumus!' he followed up with, hitting it with a jet of steam. Then, getting carried away, Gideon tried, 'Fumos!' and the wand released copious amounts of smoke, causing Gideon to cough after inhaling a little.
Thankfully, the smoke was promptly blown away, and he continued experimenting with his knowledge of first- and second-year spells. He used his new wand to enlarge the envelope, change the colour of the ink on the front of it, and then, cut it into pieces. The spells had all worked. Moreover, they had worked well, and on the first try!
Gideon smiled widely, reflecting on what he had achieved, and finished his little trial by burning the paper, as Professor Long had asked. 'Incendio!' he commanded, and a small ball of fire shot from the tip of his wand and ignited the little pile of paper strips.
The slight feeling of warmth the flames gave off, made Gideon realise how cold it was. He looked down at the fingers gripping his wand and noticed they were turning purple. Even so, he didn't want to go back to the castle just yet. He had some thinking to do.
He magically collected the errand twigs lying on the grass around him with amusement and added them to the little fire. It was soon large enough to warm his hands by as he contemplated the events of the morning. They left him with only one conclusion. Gideon was a wizard.
It seemed clear now, he had been born with magic, but for some reason, there was a period in which he hadn'tbeen a wizard. The Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admittance were evidence of that. As Professor Dandridge had explained, sometime this year, things had changed. His name had been re-added to the book after being crossed out. What Gideon didn't understand, was the reason his name had been crossed out, to begin with.
Before Gideon could think too much on that, though, he had to face up to the immediate questions on his mind. How did his magic return, and when? Unfortunately, he was afraid he already knew the answers. He had been told exactly what had happened, hadn't he? Mr Grimsby explained in the hospital.
His magic had surfaced over the summer. "It was you Gideon", Grimsby had said, "when the Dementors attacked you, your latent magical abilities were triggered, and you defended yourself—".
Gideon hadn't believed a word of it, of course. Coming to terms with being a Squib had been the hardest thing he had ever had to do. So, when Mr Grimsby had told him a story about a witness claiming he had used magic, and that he had been responsible for injuring his mother, he dismissed it instantly. He told Grimsby, and himself, that the story was crazy.
At the time, he had truly believed that. He still did, up until that morning, when he felt his magic connect with his wand. There had been clues, though. The visit to the tower with the headmistress for one. The mystery of his acceptance to Hogwarts had been cleared up. Then, there was the Thunderclap accident. He knew why the brooms responded to him now, though, not why they responded the way they did.
Why, then, had Mr Grimsby's Occurio not detected his magic? Gideon absent-mindedly raised his hand to his patch-covered eye. If the incident with the Dementors had awakened his powers, and he had somehow managed to fend them off while unconscious, perhaps he had expended all his magic in the process?
Between then and now, during his recovery, his magic must have slowly regenerated. What about his strange seizures, though? He had noted once that they seemed to occur during heightened moments of emotion or stress, like before passing out during the Dementor attack. What if... What if the seizures were a result of his magic trying to break free?
Everything was coming together for Gideon. Sadly, there were enough pieces of the puzzle to spell out one undeniable fact. He had been the one who put his mother in the hospital. His father had been right. He was to blame for her condition. She had almost died, and it was still unclear as to whether she would ever wake up.
He had burned his mother. He had damaged her soul. Gideon suddenly found himself cursing the magic he had only just come to appreciate. Why couldn't he have used it earlier? Even if it had ultimately saved their lives, why did it have to awaken in a way that injured the one person who had always been there for him?
Anthony's words passed through his head, "Dad says you're dangerous and I think he's right! He's told me everything Gideon! I know who you are, and I know you're not my brother!".
Part of his statement still seemed cryptic, but his brother knew. Their father must have told all the family. It was no wonder that he hadn't heard from them. They had been right to kick him out. How could they have him around the house, knowing what he had done? And how could he now face them?
What was Gideon to do now? He finally understood. He finally had magic. He finally felt like he was meant to be at Hogwarts. But did he deserve to be? Magic was the cause of his problems. Was it right that he now nurtured his burgeoning gifts while his mother suffered the consequences? Perhaps withdrawing from the school as planned would be a worthy form of atonement.
Whatever his next step, Gideon's life was indeed about to change again. He had another big decision to make. This time, one he didn't feel equipped to make on his own.
***
Upon returning to the castle, Gideon visited Professor Voronov's office. The man welcomed him in, and Gideon explained what was on his mind.
'Something has happened, Sir,' he started, 'and I need to talk to someone. A letter or Magiphone call won't do. I was wondering if there was any way I could leave the school to see them?'
In his usual unsettling manner, Professor Voronov scrutinised Gideon for a few moments before replying, 'Is this related to your decision to withdraw?'
'Yes,' Gideon answered.
'You want to discuss it with your aunt?' he probed.
'Actually, no. My err, legal representative,' Gideon stated, feeling a little foolish.
'I see,' said the professor after studying Gideon's face again. 'Well, there is no provision for students to leave the school while they are in our care. However, I will speak with the headmistress. Considering the situation, she may allow your legal representative to come here and meet with you.'
***
Gideon was hopeful that the headmistress would agree. She happened to know the man Gideon wanted to see and the capacity in which Gideon needed to see him. Upon realising that, Gideon wondered again about Professor Dandridge's placement at the school, and then about his father's. Were they both here by chance, or could they possibly both be at Hogwarts because of him?
His thoughts were interrupted by a sixth-year prefect delivering a note. She also informed him that his dormitory clock had been repaired. The note was from Professor Voronov and explained Gideon had been granted permission for a visitor, assuming of course, that the man would agree to come.
Gideon hurried to the Owlery to send a letter, then, spent the remainder of the day doing homework, and funnily enough, finishing the last of the spy novels he had been lent.
***
The reply came the following morning. The sender agreed to meet that very afternoon and promised to arrange the visit directly with the school. A second owl brought his aunt's long-awaited reply:
Dear Gideon,
I'm so sorry to get back to you late!
Thank you for the congratulations on my story. As it happens, that's the thing that has been holding me up. I've had pressure groups and concerned citizens on both sides sending me letters containing warnings, threats and even hexes!
Because of that, the paper has been screening my mail. Everyone wants the Prophet to support their point of view. So much for the impartiality of the press! It seems like it's only going to get worse while the rift between the Minister and the Wizengamot continues.
Anyway, I heard about your dad, but only on Sunday evening. I'm surprised you didn't see it, but it was reported in the Prophet along with the announcement about the new head. Looks like it was all very last minute! I've enclosed the clippings.
I'm so sorry. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to have him teach you, especially if he's being his stubborn self! Do try not to let it bother you. At least Anthony is there with you!
I hope you're having a good time otherwise, and if you do need to leave, know that there's a room waiting for you!
Love
Caroline
Gideon guffawed at Caroline's optimistic presumption that Anthony would be a source of comfort or support. He turned to the newspaper clippings. They included what looked like a profile on Professor Dandridge, and the story she had referred to, which Gideon must have missed with the excitement of his first day.
HOGWARTS ENTERS NEW ERA
The replacement for long-standing headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Minerva McGonagall, has been found at last!
We can exclusively reveal the new Head of Hogwarts to be the widely acclaimed Chief Healer of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Lilah Dandridge (Read more on page 5).
In a unanimous decision, the new headmistress was appointed by Hogwarts's Board of Governors on Friday 2 September, just days before the start of term. During the historic search, many high-profile figures turned down the role, and of those who applied, most were deemed unsuitable.
The Governors are said to be thrilled to find a candidate of such esteem. Professor Dandridge's appointment is also said to come as a relief to the Board, who may otherwise have had the head teacher's selection process turned over to the Ministry of Magic (Read more on page 9).
The last five years have seen many changes in the school's staffing. Along with the hiring of Professor Dandridge, this year the school welcomes (another) new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, one of some renown, Marcus Maxwell, noted Head of the Ministry's Auror Office.
Another last-minute hire, Mr Maxwell was unavailable for comment. However, a source in the Auror Office has denied rumours that he was assigned by Minister Granger-Weasley after Hogwarts was unable to fill the post.
With so much change at Hogwarts, will the school struggle to retain its title as the world's foremost school for witchcraft and wizardry? Continued on page 3.
Gideon wasn't sure if the article entirely answered his questions. He just wished he had seen it sooner and spared himself the shock of his father's unexpected appearance. He tucked the cuttings and letter into his robes and returned to the Common Room.
The other Slytherins were still avoiding him, so Gideon kept himself busy that morning reading up on what they were working on in their classes. If he were to stay on at Hogwarts, now that he could do magic, he wasn't going to slouch off.
Professor Voronov sent word via the same prefect as before, for Gideon to come to his office to meet his visitor at one o'clock. She didn't seem happy to be delivering another message for him, but he thanked her kindly. After a light—and quiet—lunch, Gideon headed to the Transfiguration Office with a carrier bag of books. Waiting inside for him with Professor Voronov, was Jonathan Grimsby.