A fairly random fic set
just after
Conrad's Fate. Not sure if my theories are right, though, but there you go. (at least I posted something...)
(Chrestomanci Series)
Beyond the Ugly DoorstepIt was almost dawn now. I looked outside the car window. Today was going to be a big day. My life would change completely. I had hoped that one day; I could become the most powerful magician in the world and now, I was one step closer.
Anthea had cried. I could smell perfume while she hugged me and wished me farewell. “I’m going to learn magic with Christopher,” I told her, trying not to sound too excited.
“Yes, and moving to another world! We won’t see each other for years!” she said, and took hold of my shoulders. She looked at me face to face. I could see my own reflection in her huge dark eyes. She sighed. “I’ll miss you, Con,” she had tried to smile.
I was going to miss her too, moving to another world. I took hold of my camera. It’s funny to think that Uncle Alfred had tried to use me, but in some ways he had also helped me. If he hadn’t sent me to Stallery, I would have never encountered Christopher, let along studying magic with the strongest magician in the worlds. It was this camera, the one I got from Uncle Alfred that unmasked my talent. I still couldn’t understand how I did it but other people seemed to think it was a remarkable talent.
The car slowed down. “There’s a Gate here,” Mr Prendergast called from the stirring wheel.
Gabriel de Witt thanked him and we climbed out of the car. There was a hut some way off the road. It was very old, almost as old as the wooden tower Christopher and I had climbed in one of the possibilities. If Mr Prendergast had not pointed it out, I would think that was just an abandoned toilet site.
He disabled the security. Something magical I suppose, and I suddenly felt excited. For the next few years onwards, my life was going to be surrounded by magic; not with the magic like Uncle Alfred’s but much more powerful. I would learn how to make holes disappear, I would learn how to become invisible, I would…
Mr Prendergast opened the door and lit the inside of the hut. My heart sank a little bit. The hut was empty except for two pieces of mirrors placed at the back wall. They sort of sloped together to make a triangle. I was expecting to see something far more complicated, if it had been deliberately disguised in the countryside.
Mr Prendergast beckoned me inside. Gabriel de Witt and Mr Roberts followed. There was barely any room left so Christopher and Millie had to stand outside.
“What are we going to do, Conrad,” Gabriel de Witt told me, “is to loosen the bond between you and Series Seven. We concluded that it is the best way to keep you stable in our world. However, it might be quite dangerous if we are not careful and loosen the bond too much.”
I nodded in reply. There was a still, intense feeling going around in the hut as Mr Roberts took my camera and placed it gently in the corner. Gabriel de Witt was putting spells on me. It felt just like the day when Uncle Alfred wrapped me in his spells to make sure I got the job in Stallery.
“We must warn you that you might feel the effect of our spells quite disturbing,” Gabriel de Witt said.
“But it won’t be too long,” Mr Roberts said kindly when he started to put spells on me too. I nodded again.
It wasn’t that bad, to be honest. Christopher was looking at me with interest, then I felt a sudden departure of something inside me. The bond had loosened, Mr Roberts told me.
They stood aside and looked at me with concern. How did I feel, they asked. “A – little bit – empty, I suppose,” I swallowed.
“Anything else?” Gabriel de Witt asked, looking anxious.
I felt carefully around my body. It seemed that something was missing. There felt like a hole of emptiness just above my stomach. The feeling was awkward; but apart from that, there was nothing strange. So I shook my head.
Everyone seemed to sigh with relief. Mr Prendergast patted me on the shoulder and smiled, hitching his face sideways. “It’s been a pleasure to work with you, Conrad. Good-bye, and have fun studying.”
So one by one, we walked into the mirrors, which now had an image of a beautiful garden in it. We shook hands with Mr Prendergast before we left. “I knew you’re a nice chunk of material,” he told me.
I smiled, and felt greatly encouraged. I had managed to defeat my bad karma and evil fate (even though it had never really existed). I had managed to step over the ugly doorstep Uncle Alfred had made me imagine. The door in front of me was wide open again. I could see my bright future waiting for me inside. By having a proper education, I could do so many interesting things. I was a nice chunk of material; and after some years of training, I would become a great piece of magician.
note:
I had no idea why they should depart from a hut, but the idea just popped out from my brain... Seems quite awkward, hum...
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