Zak Turner - A Twist In Time (8 page)

“It is true, and as long as we’re in this school, he will never go anywhere alone.”

“Who’s the mule?  His servant?” sneered Sargas looking disdainfully at Zak.

Sam reacted in an instant, his wand pointing straight at Sargas face, his face as black as thunder!

“Don’t you
dare
insult another wizard like that in front of me Sargas Malchus!  Behaviour is far more revealing about a wizard than breeding!  And when it comes to bloodlines, there’s a fine line between purebred and inbred, and you’re most certainly the wrong side of it!”

Sargas was looking disdainfully at Sam as though he was some kind of slimy insect, but he hadn’t drawn his own wand and had both his hands in full view.

“Going to hex me, Whittle?  Go on then, let’s see you risk being expelled,” he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Only one person is going to get expelled from this castle Malchus, and that’ll be you when you go too far with your dangerous games.  Now shift out of the way so we can pass before I summon a professor.”

Sargas sneered again and shook his head in derision, but he stepped aside to let the Monceros pass none-the-less.  Like all bullies he had a cowardly streak, and knew that he’d lose if he took on these two seventh years by himself.  Little did he realise that Zak and Tallion far outstripped them all in terms of magical ability!

Sam walked slowly past him, motioning the others to go past too while he kept his wand pointing at Sargas who was now leaning nonchalantly against the wall.  He kept facing him, wand drawn, as he walked backwards along the corridor, with Arcturus leading Zak and Tallion.  As soon as they were out of sight round the next corner, Arcturus grabbed both first years and pulled them quickly through an apparently solid wall into a hidden passage.  Moments later Sam joined them.

“Devious git!” said Sam angrily.  “I
knew
he’d try something like that.  He obviously had his spies out earlier and they saw you two going to the infirmary, and he decided to meet you on the way back!”

“Well, he can’t get us in here boys,” added Arcturus.  “This is a
Moncero
secret passage, no-one from the other houses can get into it.  I’m sure there are plenty of similar secret passages for the other houses too, which is why people who’ve been in the school for a while can sneak about all over the place.  Not
that
many people know about them though.”

Zak had felt strangely calm during the confrontation with Sargas, but now he was trembling a bit as the adrenalin faded away.  Something had stuck in his mind though, and he wanted an answer.

“Why did he call me a mule?”

Arcturus winced as he answered.  “It’s a gross insult Zak, for someone who’s not wizard born, a first generation wizard like yourself.  A mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey, not a pure bred, not even a half-breed, a mule is sterile and can’t reproduce.  In
Malchus
view, it’s a beast of burden, a tool, a slave, to be used and abused while it lives.  Sorry, but I might as well be blunt, it’s one of the worst insults there is in the wizarding world.”

Zak once again felt the same sense of inadequacy that he often experienced when he stood back and considered his new situation in life.  Why had all this happened to him?  This wasn’t his world, and yet it
was
his world now!  He felt Tallion take his hand again and turned to look at his soul mate, with a worried frown on his face.

“You’re no mule, Zak.  You could out-perform Sargas Malchus any day!  The fact that you’re in Moncero proves that, and the fact that we’re both still alive after the attack earlier today proves it too!  There’s no difference between first generation wizards and twentieth generation wizards, it’s fate that grants a wizard his powers, nothing else.”

“It’s true Zak,” added Sam putting his hand on Zak’s shoulder.  “I saw what you did in Kirkstall this afternoon, and I’ll never forget it till my dying day!  No-one has
ever
deflected a Libra Mortis before; no ‘mule’ could do that!  Just ignore him, and all the others who’ll copy him.  In some ways it’s a good thing, because it guarantees that they’ll all under-estimate your ability.”

Zak nodded, he actually felt quite annoyed about it now, but he certainly wasn’t going to let it worry him.  Sam was right.  He
was
more powerful than Sargas Malchus, first generation wizard or not!

“Come on boys, it’s time we were back in our dorms, we’ve all got a full day ahead of us tomorrow.”

* * *

Sargas watched the Monceros go round the corner, annoyed that they’d forced him to back down.  It didn’t matter to him if Tallion Middleham had bodyguards though, in fact it might even be better.  It would give him an opportunity to get rid of them too!  He turned on his heel heading back to Taurus Tower.  He was on the lookout for a curfew-breaker, so he walked quietly and slowly, keeping in the shadows.  He soon spotted a couple of amorous third years hiding in an alcove, clearly enjoying being back together again after the long summer holiday apart. 

He smiled a sneering smile.  Instead of one student hunting Tallion Middleham, there would now be two, and whoever got him first would then kill the other before throwing themself from the roof in anguish at what they’d just done! 

He pulled out the second year’s wand which he’d stolen earlier, surreptitiously cast yielding charms onto the couple in the alcove, and ordered them to follow him. 

Within a minute they were in a hidden room and the two third years, one after the other, were bewitched using one of Lesath’s powerful secret charms.  They would now kill Tallion Middleham on sight with a Sectum Per curse, and then, after killing their partner in the same manner, would jump from the roof.

After he’d finished with them, Malchus wiped their memories of the last few minutes, and ordered them to go back to their alcove and continue their intimate evening together. 

As they obediently walked away, he surreptitiously lifted the yielding charms and disappeared back into the shadows.  He felt no guilt at all, despite having just condemned three innocent people to death. 

His final act was to send the stolen wand back to its owner.  He’d only taken it a couple of hours before, so the chances were that the silly girl hadn’t even missed it, and even if she had, she’d find it in her robe pocket the next time she looked.  The possibility of anyone ever regressing her wand to find the spells that he’d cast was vanishingly small, and even if they did, they’d never know who’d cast them. 

Sargas Malchus was very good with his sister’s sinister dark magic!

5.  Orientation day

When Zak and Tallion got back into their dorm they related the confrontation with Sargas Malchus to Alfie and Harry.  They left out the main reason for their trip to the infirmary, just saying that they’d been hurt in the incident in the portal room earlier.  Their room mates were surprised and a bit worried about the Sargas incident, but after a few minutes they all just decided they would need to watch out for the Malchus family very carefully! 

Harry and Alfie hadn’t been in the school when the portal exploded, so they’d missed the excitement and chaos that had followed, but they’d picked up quite a lot of rumours.  When they found out that Zak and Tallion had been in the portal room when it happened, they started asking questions, but soon realised that they were going to find out nothing more, because Zak and Tallion had been knocked unconscious without any warning.  Fortunately, none of the other Netherdale first years were in Moncero to fill in the rest of the story!

About quarter to eleven, the boys all drew the curtains round their four poster beds to give them some privacy, and turned in for the night. 

Are you okay, Soul Mate?

Yeah, you?

Yeah, very okay.  I wish we could be together though.  If ever there was a night where we need our bond to get to work it’s tonight!

It’ll work even though we’re apart.

I guess you’re right.  Okay, I’m zonked, see you in the morning.

G’night Soul Mate!

G’night.

Zak and Tallion both tipped their heads back to drink down their Dreamless Sleep potion, and immediately collapsed backwards onto their pillows as the potion knocked them out.  The empty glass vials dropped from their hands onto the bed sheets, and then just vanished into thin air, their job done.

* * *

Zak woke up at about six thirty the following morning, and for a few seconds he was confused about where he was.  He didn’t recognise anything around him.  The curtains round his bed were blocking out most of the light that was coming into the room, even though the sun was slanting brightly into one of the two bedroom windows.

I’m in Mhonarr Castle!
he finally remembered, and then all the other memories of the previous day rushed back into his mind, causing him to sit up straight and take a few deep breaths.

Blimey, did all that happen in just one day?
he thought to himself.

I guess so, Soul Mate!

Zak smiled.

Morning Tallion, that was nice to hear your voice in my head at the start of the day!

Me too with yours, but tomorrow morning, try and stop your mind hurtling off at ninety miles an hour, okay?  It sort of catapulted me awake rather abruptly!

Ooops, sorry!  Didn’t realise…

Me neither.  Are you going to try and find a shower?

Yeah.  Pity there’s no en-suite though!

We’ll manage…

Zak and Tallion made their way out of their dorm room and self-consciously down to the large bathroom on the next landing which they shared with the second year boys who came up to use it from their dorms on the floor below.  They weren’t the only ones already up and about, but there were still several shower cubicles free, as well as a huge communal bath at the end of the room.

Ten minutes later they’d finished, and were cleaning their teeth at the basins, with their towels round their waists, when a couple of second years emerged from cubicles also wearing only towels.

“Hey guys, I’m Dean,” said one of them, grinning out from underneath a mop of bedraggled curly hair.  “You’re Tallion and Zak right?”

“Yeah.  Hi Dean,” replied Zak.

“Hi,” spluttered Tallion round his toothbrush.

“Me ‘n Andrew here are twins, in case you hadn’t noticed,” he said, pointing at his identically bedraggled brother.

“Yoh!” said Andrew waving at them as he rummaged in his wash kit for his own toothbrush.

“We like to think of ourselves as the “Fred ‘n George” of Mhonarr Castle, so we’re the guys to come to if ever you need anything, because we can always get it for you.” 

“For the right price of course!” added his brother before plunging a toothbrush into his mouth with grin.

“Okay, that’s good to know,” smiled back Tallion.  “So what sort of stuff can you get?”

“Potions, tricks, banned gadgets, sweets, drinks including Kale Ale and Eldersap wine at the moment, although that’s in limited supply.  Anything you like really.  If we haven’t got it, then we can usually get it!”

“Cool!  I think we’re okay for now, but thanks for the offer!”

“Anytime boys.  Spread the word amongst the other first years!”

Zak and Tallion finished scrubbing up, said goodbye to the cheerful twins, and made their way back up to their dorm, passing Alfie and Harry who were tentatively on their way down.

* * *

Breakfast in the Banqueting Hall was noisy and fun.  Zak had secretly been hoping that a load of owls would appear, carrying post for everyone, but it seemed that wasn’t how breakfast, or post, worked in a real wizard school!  There were mountains of food though, both magical and non-magical.  Some of it was floating about on heated trays for you to help yourself to, and some was stacked on plates on the tables.

Tallion looked in vain for Narva eggs, but there were only normal eggs, and there was no dragon bacon either.  He wrinkled his nose at Zak, and took a plate of scrambled egg off a tray that was floating past and a couple of pieces of toast from the heated toast rack on the table.

“It’s only for one day!” said Zak quietly in mock exasperation at his friend’s fussy eating habits.

“No it’s not, it’s right until Saturday morning!  We’re going to be at your house all week remember!”

Zak grinned, “I think you can manage without your Narva eggs except at weekends!”

“We need to take some to The Copse for your mum to cook during the week…”

Zak rolled his eyes, “No we don’t, you need to get used to life without them!”

Tallion made a grumpy face at his friend who laughed out loud.

They were joined by a steady trickle of their fellow first years from Moncero, both boys and girls, and got drawn into the chatter about timetables and lessons.  It was a strange feeling to be sitting there pretending to be about to take part in school life in the castle knowing that in a few hours they’d be gone!

Whilst all the first years were sitting together, Professor McCathie appeared, and asked them to stay behind when the bell went so that she could explain how orientation day would proceed.  She then went round the other students at the Moncero table handing out timetables, which triggered a series of groans and exclamations as they found themselves sharing lessons with other houses they’d hoped to avoid. 

All the heads-of-house were circulating their own tables doing the same thing, and by the time the bell rang, everyone knew where they were going.  The wooden benches scraped across the floor, and a swarming crowd of students headed noisily for the first lesson of the new school year.  They streamed out of the wide double doors into the entrance hall, and quickly vanished into the vastness of the school, leaving the nervous first years alone at their tables.

Professor McCathie was the only teacher left behind, and she was standing on the platform in front of the teacher’s table accompanied by prefects from each house.

“Attention, please, everyone,” she called out in a very commanding tone. 

“Today is your orientation day, and you will be taken round the school in your house groups by your own prefects.  You will get chance to see all the areas of the castle where you will be studying, and will be shown the infirmary, the library, the Balayage pitch, and all the other communal areas.  You will also visit the greenhouses, the forest, and the boathouse on the lake if time permits.  Some of today’s activities will be with other houses, and you’ll find that from tomorrow, you share lessons with students from other houses at all times.” 

“First, we’ll give out your timetables, which are annotated with the rooms where you’ll be studying.  Make sure that you pay attention on orientation, because tomorrow you’ll be finding your own way round.”

The prefects handed each of the new first years a timetable, explained how it worked, and showed them the map of the school on the back.  The map was a very curious thing because it showed only what each individual student needed to see.  It was also animated.  There was a witch or wizard’s hat at the location where they were standing, and a waving wand where they were supposed to be!  The hats and wands were all in the Banqueting Hall at that moment.

“Right everyone, enjoy your day and make good use of it, we’ll see you back here for lunch and dinner.  Off you go!”

Suddenly the wands on their maps all moved to various points around the school, and their prefects led them out of the hall.  Zak and Tallion found themselves doing a bit of a repeat tour, very similar to the one which they’d enjoyed during the summer.  The infirmary, the library and the duelling rooms they knew about, although this time they went into the Mhonarr duelling room where a practise session was underway between the Leo, Lyra and Taurus third years.

The first years watched in surprise as the contestants battled it out, with the loser of each round inevitably ending up flying across the room, or crashing to the ground after being immobilised in some way, and having their wands jubilantly snatched by their opponent.

Then after a quick look round the trophy room, they were off to the dungeons where they were going to have their magical defence lessons.  As the dungeons were the home of Draco House, there was a special shortcut that took the other house students straight to the classrooms without going anywhere near the dorms or common rooms. 

A group of second years were sitting in a dark, cold, and windowless dungeon, being dictated to by the equally dark and cold Professor Kaedon.  He was reading a section out of a gruesome looking textbook about torture spells and how they worked.  It sounded more like a lesson in
how
to torture people, rather than how to defend yourself against such spells!

The second years were all scribbling furiously, and didn’t even look up as the first years came in.  Tallion noticed several sets of manacles hanging from the walls, and a whip coiled neatly on the professor’s desk.  He brought them to Zak’s attention.

I think he maybe demonstrates some of his lessons on them if they misbehave!

The first years got a coolly raised eyebrow from the professor as he glanced up from his reading, and then a malicious gleam entered his eyes.

“STOP!” he called out to his second years who all instantly put their quills down and sat motionless.

“Bradbury,” he said slowly, pronouncing every syllable of the boy’s name carefully.

A second year boy stood immediately with a very fixed look on his face, staring at the professor.

“Have I told you before about chewing gum in my class?”

“Yes sir.”

“Then why do you persist in breaking the rules?”

“Sorry sir.”

“Come to the front of the class, get a piece of waste paper out of the basket, and dispose of your gum.  Now.”

The boy called Bradbury knew what was coming, having suffered this treatment a few times already, and stoically walked forwards to the corner of the classroom where the rubbish bin was placed behind a waist high bar.  In order to get a piece of paper out of the bin, he had to lean over the bar.  As he did so there was a loud crack as the whip from the professor’s desk made contact with Bradbury’s exposed backside.  The student flinched but grabbed his piece of paper and stood up quickly before he got a second stripe.  He took the gum out of his mouth and wrapped it in the piece of paper.

“Don’t drop it Bradbury, place it carefully in the bin.”

The student steeled himself, leaned over the bar once more and quickly put his gum into the bin, and duly received a second stripe accompanied by another loud crack from the whip!

“I trust no-one else is chewing gum?” asked the professor in an oily voice.  “Very well, we’ll carry on with the lesson.”

Bradbury had made it back to his desk by this time, and although he was trying very hard to hide it, his punishment had hurt much more than just his pride, and his eyes were glistening with suppressed tears.  The professor continued his monologue from the textbook as the first years silently left the room. 

When they were back in the main school, David turned and gathered them round himself.

“Professor Kaedon is very strict.  If you stick with his rules, then you’ll be fine, but he does not tolerate indiscipline in his class.  You’ll all get one warning each before he gives you a punishment, and he never loses count!  Oh, and I’ve never seen anyone put in the manacles on the wall!”

The new students looked fearfully at each other, before quickly following their prefects.  They visited a history lesson and a charms lesson before they went back to the Banqueting Hall for lunch, enjoying the infectiously happy atmosphere of the school.  With the possible exception of Bradbury and his fellow second years in the dungeon, nearly everyone seemed to have been enjoying themselves in every lesson they’d looked in on.