by Sophia Stone
I wasn’t expecting a gift, but it’s a nice gesture, whoever it is from.
Maybe it is one of the Knight brothers? No. don’t be stupid.
I chuck the box on the bed while I find my library books. I stuff all of them back into my bag ready to go back to Elenore.
Should I open it now?
I check my watch and I’ve been gone well past the five minutes I had agreed to.
An extra minute won’t hurt.
My curiously gets the better of me and I place my bag by the door and climb on to my bed. Looking at the tag once more, I still am none the wiser to who has sent it. I pull the green satin ribbon and the brown paper falls away to reveal another box. This one is metal with a lid and a winding mechanism on the side.
Who would send you a music box?
I wind the dial and an unfamiliar gentle tune chimes out. I close my eyes and the tune becomes clearer and more familiar.
I’ve heard this before. I’m sure.
When the music stops, I open my eyes and try to think where I have heard this tune before, but I can’t place it. I turn the dial again and then open the box expecting to see a figure of some sort as in most boxes, but there is nothing, but a patinated mirror. I rub the mirror with my sleeve and then raise it to my eyeline to check if it’s clearer.
As soon as my eyes lock onto the mirror, a mist descends over it and I can hear voices. I look around the room, but I am alone. There is a couple with a baby. They look happy as they smile at each other and then at the baby in its cot. Two older people come in, a man and woman and they too smile at the baby. Behind them are another young couple with a young child. They don’t smile at the baby but glare. Mist appears again and the couple with a child appear. They are shouting and the child is hiding under the table. Mist again and the two younger couples are across from each other in what looks like a warehouse. The older couple are in the middle trying to make the couples put their wands down. There is a scream as fire erupts around the adults. A baby cries and a child wails. It pierces my eardrums as I try to close the box but it won’t shut. The mist appears again, and Harry’s face is contorted in pain. He screams as flames consume him. The flames form hands that reach out of the box and grab my throat, pushing me onto my back on to the bed. I claw at the arms trying to gain my breath while the screaming carries on.
I feel sleepy. I can’t…. Breathe.
A flash of light appears and the hands recoil. The pressure is gone.
‘Lizzie! Lizzie!’ I try to look up at the face shouting my name, but I can’t focus. The voice is still shouting my name when I finally pass out.
21
I am awake but haven’t opened my eyes yet. I can see the bright lights through my eyelids, and I don’t feel ready to deal with that.
Where am I?
The scream flashed through my ears causing me to wince.
That box… the people.
I can hear bleeps and the smell of anti-septic hangs in the air. As I flicker my eyes open, I feel someone squeeze my hand.
‘It’s okay, Lizzie. You’re safe now,’ the familiar voice soothes me.
‘Where. Are… am... I?’ my voice sounds raspy as I struggle to get the words out.
‘In hospital,’ the voice said. I turn my neck and feel the stiffness and hear the cracks. It’s James who is sitting next to my bed. The bags under his eyes make him appear far older than his years. I look around and although I have never been in this room, the ceiling looks strikingly like the one in the hall.
‘Which…,’ I try to take a deep breath, ‘Hospital?’
‘There’s actually one in the school. Young witches and wizards get up to all sorts and so the staff had a purpose build medical room here in the school. Less chance of outside… issues,’ James said.
‘Makes... sense.’
‘The others would like to see you once you’re feeling better.’
‘Are they… okay?’
‘Yes. They’re fine. Seb has gone on a bit of a.. I’ll call it a rampage. He’s the one who found you.’
‘Why’s he gone… on a rampage?’
‘You know what he’s like. He cares about you, we all do,’ he squeezed my hand before continuing. ‘Anyway, Matt and Elenore are chasing him around the school trying to stop him blowing things up. I have heard no bangs, so I think it’s going okay,’ he chuckled.
‘Do you know what happened? I can’t… remember much.’
‘Well, I was hoping you could tell me. Seb said he found you on the floor screaming and then you passed out. Can you try to remember?’
I close my eyes and think back to the library. Olivia. The box. The people. Harry. The scream.
‘Someone gave me a box. It had a… I don’t know how to describe it. It was like watching a video in a mirror. But that sounds insane.’
I bite my lip and look away, hoping James doesn’t think I’ve banged my head just a tad too hard.
‘Go on,’ he said leaning in.
‘In the video, there was a couple with a baby.’
‘Do you recognise them?’
‘No. None of them... but Harry.’
‘Harry was in this… video?’
‘Yes. A couple with a baby. Then an older couple visiting the baby along with another couple who had a small child. Maybe three or four years old? I couldn’t say the exact age.’
‘And where was Harry?’
‘Well, one couple were fighting. Then I saw them all in a warehouse where an explosion happened. Once the screaming and crying stopped, I saw Harry in flames. He was screaming.’
‘Is that it?’
‘Yes, after that, I just heard screams that wouldn’t stop,’ I felt tears prick my eyes as I remembered the screams and look on Harry’s face. ‘Is Harry okay?’
‘He came to check on you when you were sleeping but he didn’t stay long.’
‘So, he isn’t dead?’
‘No... not unless Seb got to him.’
‘Why would Seb hurt him?’
‘Seb is going after everyone he thinks could have contributed to you almost being killed. Matt and Zach had to pull Seb off him. I’d probably leave pretty quickly too if I were him.’
Sounds like Seb.
‘Why…. why would someone try to kill me?’
‘I really don’t know Lizzie. That’s what we are all trying to find out.’
‘Miss Castle, I am so pleased you are awake,’ Professor Merlyn leans against the doorway. ‘I was getting worried,’ he brushes his shoulder to remove the invisible lint and then takes a seat next to James.
‘Mr Knight, thank you for keeping a close watch over Miss Castle. Would you mind excusing us so I could indulge in a private conversation?’
‘Are you sure? Lizzie, are okay with this?’ before I can answer, Zach comes running in to my room.
‘James! Glad I found you. Its Seb. He’s holding a group of students hostage in the library. He’s got fire and wind and I... he just won’t bloody listen,’ Zach said, barely pausing.
James looks at me and then Zach.
‘I’ll be fine, honest,’ I smile at him.
Zach runs down the hall with James not far behind.
‘I will pretend I didn’t hear that,’ Professor Merlyn chuckled. ‘Where were we? Ahh yes, a private conversation.’
The professor pulls out his wand from his gown.
‘Would it bother you if I recorded our conversation?’ he asks.
‘No, not at all,’ I smile nervously.
‘Thank you, Miss Castle,’ with his wand, the professor produces a notebook and pen. With another flick of his wand, the pen stands up right. ‘It is such a relief on my joints,’ he said as he flicks to a blank page in his notebook. ‘Shall we begin?’
I adjust myself so I’m sitting more comfortably. Even the act of moving up the bed slightly causes me to wince.
‘Can we start at the beginning? What did you have for breakfast?’
I am slightly taken aback that this is where he
would like to start.
‘Toast. With jam. Strawberry if I remember.’
‘Good,’ he glances over at his notebook and pen who is still scribbling. ‘What happened after breakfast?’
‘We. Me and Elenore. We went to the library to return some books.’
‘And what happened in the library?’
‘I asked Elenore for a recommendation for a book. She showed me one. I can’t remember the title, but it wasn’t my thing, so I said I’d have a look later.’
‘Did you return your books?’
‘No. I forgot them. That’s why I went back to my room. I told Elenore I would only be a few minutes.’
‘Yes, she said you…,’ He flicked through his book. '.. "Lizzie would be five minutes”.’
‘Well, I intended to. But I bumped into Olivia, Natasha and Hannah.’
‘Is that Olivia Hawkes, Natasha Moon and Hannah Cabot?’
‘Yes.’
‘Very well. Do you remember much of this interaction?’
‘Olivia threatened me for beating her at the duel. She said she’d get me back, but I don’t think even she would do this.’
‘Leave speculation to me, Miss Castle. I need facts.’
‘Yes. She threatened me. Said she would get me back for the duel. I got my wand out and told her to stop and she backed away. I then went to my room.’
‘Did you go to your room alone?’
‘Yes.’
‘Where did you find the box?’
‘It was outside my room. In front of the door.’
‘What did it look like?’
‘It had brown paper. With a red,’ I pause trying to remember the colour. ‘No. Green ribbon with a tag.’
‘Did the tag say anything on it?’
‘I can’t remember. I think it just said my name.’
‘Did you recognise the handwriting?’
‘No. but it was thin.’
‘The handwriting?’
‘Yes. Spidery I think it’s called.’
‘What happened next?’
‘Well, I was going to open the box after I dropped the books at the library, so I chucked it on my bed.’
‘What made you change your mind?’
‘I… I thought it might have been from someone special.’
I felt my cheeks flush as I knew he’d ask me who I hoped it would be from.
‘And who did you think it was from?’
‘A Knight Brother,’ I mumble.
‘Who?’
‘One of the Knight Brothers,’ I said more clearly.
‘And why would you think they would send you a gift?’
‘I don’t know. I thought they might like me.’
‘Right. Moving on,’ he adjusted himself in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with discussing a young girls crush. ‘So, what happened when you opened the box?’
‘I opened the paper and noticed it had a musical twisty thing. You know? Like a music box. So, I turned it.’
‘Did you know the tune?’
‘No, I didn’t. but it felt vaguely familiar in a distant way. Like something I have heard before but years ago.’
‘Hmm,’ he nodded. ‘What happened next?’
‘I listened to the music for a moment, maybe a minute. Then when the music stopped, I turned the music dial and opened the music box lid. That’s when I saw the people.’
‘People?’
‘Yes. A young couple with a baby. An older couple and another couple with a young child.’
‘What were the people doing?’
‘The older couple were visiting the young couple and baby. They seemed… happy. But the other couple with a child weren’t. The next thing I saw was them arguing, before all of them appeared in a warehouse.’
‘A warehouse? Were the older couple at the warehouse?’ Merlyn leaned in and stared at me intensely.
‘Yes. Along with both couples.’
‘What did the older woman look like?’
‘She had reddish hair….’
‘The eyes? What colour?’
I think back to the scene with the baby. The older woman was smiling and grabbed the older man’s hand. She looked back at the other couple….
‘Brown. She looked vaguely familiar.’
Professor Merlyn leaned closer towards me. He scanned my face as if he was looking for something, then smiled.
‘Is everything okay?’ I ask.
‘Yes,’ he takes a deep breath and exhales. ‘What happened at the warehouse?’
‘There was an argument. Then a…’
‘Explosion,’ Professor Merlyn whispers but I still hear it. When he sees that I am looking at him, he picks up his notebook and flips to a page. ‘Yes, Elenore said something about an explosion. Do go on.’
‘Elenore? We haven’t spoken yet. How has...’ I said, puzzled.
‘What did you see after the explosion?’ Professor Merlyn returns his notebook to his pen, and it carries on writing.
‘I heard screams then saw Harry. Harry Rook on fire, screaming at me.’
‘And was this the end?’
‘No, the flames around Harry reached out, squeezed my throat. I thought I was dying and then a flash of light appeared, and the pressure was gone. I heard someone call my name. I think that’s when I passed out.’
‘I believe it was Sebastian who found you. He said...,’ once again, he picked through his notebook. '… Ahh yes. He said he ran into Elenore in the library and she was concerned that you had been quite a while. Elenore checked the common room while Sebastian went to your room.’
‘I’m glad he did or who knows what might have happened.’
Professor Merlyn grabs the notebook and pushes it into his pocket along with his pen.
‘Who would do this?’ I ask.
‘Most likely a silly game gone wrong. You know how children are.’
He gave me an insincere smile as he stood up to leave. He was hiding something.
‘Professor. Can I please be told the truth? Am I in danger?’
Professor Merlyn gave a heavy sigh before sitting down.
‘I think you deserve that much,’ he said.
22
‘Have you ever wondered why the Knight brothers seem to be so very close to?’ he asks.
‘I wouldn’t say they are close to me,’ I shifted myself in bed to get comfortable. ‘But we live on the same floor and they attend my classes so it’s hard not to talk to them.’
‘Do you ever wonder why they always sit with you for meals or offer extra tutoring?’
‘Elenore does those things too. It’s what friends do.’
I don’t like where this conversation is going.
‘Miss Castle, I know you are not aware of the impact your family has done to the magical world-.’
‘Yes. Because no one tells me anything,’ I snap.
The professor waits for me to sink back into the bed before continuing.
‘You will be told, eventually. But until that time you will only be told what you need to know. You will be safer that way.’
‘Safer from what? Am I in danger?’
‘Miss Castle, from the moment you were born, you had a target on your head. There are some in our community who would like to cause you great harm.’
‘But why? I have done nothing to anyone,’
‘Fear, Miss Castle, can invoke strange ideas in people.’
A horrible thought crosses my mind.
‘Am... Am I a danger to anyone?’
Professor Merlyn doesn’t answer me immediately but pauses. He briefly closes his eyes and winces and sighs.
‘Miss Castle. The honest answer is that I do not know.’
‘So what do the Knight brothers have to do with me?’
‘They are your guardians, Miss Castle.’
‘Guardians? For what?’
‘Your protection and should it be necessary, to protect you from others,’ he said matter-of-factly.
‘How long have they been
my guardians?’ I snap. ‘Are they spying on me?’
‘Not spying but informing. As I have said, it is for your protection and everyone else’s.’
‘And Elenore? Is she spying on me too?’
Please don’t let all my friends be fake.
‘No. Miss Rush not one of ours. She was approached but refused. You have a loyal friend.’
I thought I had five loyal friends.
‘I know this news may come as a shock, but this was all done to protect people. Whoever hurt you knows enough about you to know that you wouldn’t be in your room when they delivered the box. The magic in that box was far too advanced for the average student.’
‘Shock? I’ve just been told my friends are spying on me and that someone hates me or my family enough to kill me. Shocked doesn’t express how I feel.’
‘I can see that you may need some time to think over what I have just told you. I will conduct enquiries to find out who may have left that box for you. All I ask from you is to allow the Knight Brothers to continue protecting you.’
‘You want me to keep letting them spy on me, you mean?’
The professor doesn’t answer me, but he stands up and walks towards the door but stops before reaching the threshold and turning back to me.
‘You know, I once knew your grandmother, Elizabeth. An incredible woman; kind, dedicated and the most powerful witch I believe I have ever known. Your display yesterday reminded me of her first duel,’ I thought he had stopped, but it was merely a pause, ‘Her end was unfortunate,’ he said coolly.
‘What was her specialism?’
‘All of them. Just like you,’ he flashed a thin-lipped smile as he closed the door and left me on my own.
I know they recommend resting when you’ve had an injury but getting yourself to rest is another matter completely.
I couldn’t make sense of what Professor Merlyn had told me. It just didn’t make sense at all.
They wouldn’t spy on me, would they?
You didn’t think anyone would want to kill you either…
I tried to sleep on my back and then my side and even put a pillow over my face, but nothing could get me to sleep. The thoughts of betrayal, no matter how hard I tried to ignore them, kept coming to the forefront of my mind.