Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

7 August 1980

“Push, Mrs. Ollivander!”

The sound of pacing was scurried, almost like an erratic melody. The only colour in the otherwise dull-coloured room were the red-faced woman on the bed, along with a panic-stricken man, his ink black hair scrawled out, crouched on the ground clasped onto her hand firmly. Nurses donning blue with faces behind a mask were at either side of the couple, reading vitals and aiding the woman in her birth, occasionally giving encouragement.

“Come on, honey! Just a little more!” Garrie Ollivander cheered his wife on, trying in vain to ease the pain his wife was going through. The constant beeping of the monitor sowed unease among everyone. The wife, Marie Carter Nee Ollivander was screaming in the bed, enduring the pain for the delivery to go smoothly.

Right at that moment, the nurse suddenly screamed, “They're coming! Everyone on standby!” Immediately, the others rushed to get the necessary equipment for the delivery.

Shortly after, a baby’s crying rang out in the room. However, it wasn’t over yet. The couple still had another one ready to come out - and so they persisted. Until, about ten minutes later, a second cry was heard. It was more muffled than the first, but it was there. The doctor rushed in and checked for anything abnormal about the babies before turning to the couple.

“Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Ollivander, you have two beautiful babies of different genders!” the doctor said. He handed them to the couple, who took turns holding them. Calling them excited would be a severe understatement. They would leap from joy, if they hadn’t been so exhausted from the delivery. 

“Honey, what should we name the two?” Garrie asked her and she gazed at the two crying babies at the moment. She let out a grin on her face.

“Gabriel for the boy and Licia for the girl,” she confidently replied.

After a brief moment of cuddling with the children, the doctor and nurses left the room, informing them of a guest visiting. The door stepped in, and in came Garrick Ollivander. 

“I figured this would be an opportunity for a reunion, my dear son.” He lightly chuckled as he slowly came to a rest next to Garrie.

“Hey, dad. Been quite some time since we last saw each other, eh…” Garrie told. “Sad that we didn’t leave on the best terms.”

Mr Ollivander sighed. “Of course, I remembered your…fiery spirit when your mother and I first met your wife. Ran away here, despite her disapproval.” 

“Heh. Been doing pretty well in the Muggle world. Got a cozy house, lived a wild life, and now…” He looked at the twins in his arms. “I have a new light in my life.”

“I do expect them to be wonderful children.” His gaze rested on the two squalling babies. “May I hold them?”

Marie passed the two into Ollivander’s hands. He gently cradled the restless duo. After a bit of rocking, the two ceased crying and fell asleep peacefully.

“They remind me of you at your youngest.” Ollivander told Garrie, who flushed a light shade of red. “What names did you give them?”

“Gabriel and Licia!” He had a warm smile on his face, holding his wife’s hand.

“Nice names, I have to say. I can feel these two will do numbers to the wizarding world.” He gently passed the duo, now in deep slumber, back into the parents’ arms.

“I’m sure they will, regardless of their choices!” 

“Well,” Garrick chuckled as he started turning to the door, “I have to head back to the shop now. Almost time for all the young wizards to stream in.” Before he left, he turned back to the couple one more time. “By the way, son, could you bring them to the shophouse sometime? I would love to spend some time with my grandchildren.”

Garrie reflected on it for a moment, before turning to his wife and continuing to celebrate the two.

The first few months for the Ollivanders had been hectic, to say the least.

Firstly, Gabriel and Licia were a handful for just the two of them. Marie was trying to clean Licia with Gabriel’s cries in the background, with Garrie desperately trying to comfort him. The amount of caffeine consumed was a huge figure between both, but it was a necessity. Sleep was a luxury, for the cries shattered any hope of getting half-decent rest.

Eventually, like every couple does, they fell into a routine. Garrie would handle most of the logistics while Marie tended to the two.

Time flew by without the couple noticing, and without warning, the twins’ first birthday had arrived. It wasn’t anything special, but it was good enough for the both of them. Gabriel was able to take his first steps while Licia was able to speak her first words.

“Look at them, honey! So proud of them!” Garrie acknowledged the twins’ talents, but personality wise, there wasn’t enough to go off yet. Afterwards, he decided to write a letter to his father, whom he hadn't seen since the twins’ birth. He got out his pen and started writing away. It would be great if the twins could go to the shop, too. He added in there, stating that he hoped that one day, they all could visit the wandmaker's shop. He sealed the letter in an envelope and sent it into the post, fingers crossed for a response.

One month later, a letter from a certain Ollivander had arrived back. Garrie grabbed the letter and read it excitedly. He went to get Marie.

“Honey, I think we have a vacation plan this Christmas!”

Gabriel had improved his steps and could walk for a short distance without collapsing, although his speech left something to be desired.. Licia, on the other hand, was able to form complete sentences despite not being as strong as her brother. The two were opposites, yet got along very well.

That Christmas, their parents brought them to the Leaky Cauldron.

“Ah, Garrie, come to visit for Christmas?” the innkeeper asked.

“Yes. It's quite a while since I stepped into the magical world. I’ve also been busy, you know?”

Tom finally noticed the twins being carried by Marie.  “Wow, Garrie! Keep you unchecked for some time and you have children! How nice it must be!” He stepped out of the way to let the family pass through.

After a little bit of navigation, they finally arrived at the three storey Ollivander’s. “Right, everyone. This is… was my house until I completed school.” Garrie gestured.

The twins’ eyes were both gleaming, one from mischief and the other curiosity. “Look at them, raring to go!” Garrie greeted a rather jolly Mr Ollivander, who happened to be reorganizing his interior. 

“It seems the children are faring rather well…” Garrick mused at the energy the two had. Gabriel was observing all the wands that he had set up on display while Licia tried to reach for one of the books. He saw the sparks in their eyes and the interests two possesed. “How long did you wish to stay for?” he asked them.

“Probably until after the new year. Crowd’s gonna be mad.” 

“Alright, son. Feel free to use the upstairs to your heart’s desires.” Ollivander gestured to the stairs leading upwards. It wasn’t the best, but it was cozy enough for them. While the parents were unpacking, Ollivander took the time to approach the eager children.

“Hello, you two. Wonderful seeing you two here,” he said with a smile.

The two of them curiously approached the old man. They didn’t say much, but their behaviour was enough. Ollivader reached from a high shelf to pull down a children’s storybook. “Do you two want a story?” They nodded and gathered around the book. “Alright, so once upon a time…”

It took quite a while before both children fell asleep on Ollivander’s lap. “...and that’s the end of the story.” He closed the book and gently put it to rest on the floor. Garrie, who had finally finished unpacking had came downstairs to check on the duo, pleasantly surprised.

“Colour me surprised, Dad.”

“They’re young, after all.”

“You had me memorise the entire Ollivander family line at four.” Garrie bitterly recalled the amount of tries it took to figure it all out and naturally flow.

“You did very well, son.” Ollivander chuckled.

“...sure,” he said flatly. “Anyways, just under an hour and I think they really like you!”

During the few days they were there, Garrie caught up with recent events with Ollivander, with Marie helping in taking care of the two kids. One time, Ollivander went out to Diagon Alley to shop, and bought Gabriel a jack-in-the-box and a storybook collection for Licia. The light in their eyes when he first showed them brought some sense of pride to the old Ollivander. “It seems that I still have a knack for children.”

“You bought me an encyclopedia of animals as a Chiristmas present.” Garrie recalled the extremely thick book that he had memorised at seven, still resting in Ollivanders up till that day. “Some 300 pages, those were.”

“Yet, you still managed to conquer it. Figured Ravenclaw was the house for you, just like our ancestors…” Ollivander turned to the two, engrossed in their gifts. “...and perhaps, for those two as well.”

“We’ll see when the time comes.” Garrie let out a hearty laugh.

Soon, the family appreciated the New Year’s arrival in the humble shop, and eventually Garrie’s family left Diagon Alley back to their home.

“It gets a little lonely here… visit sometime. Won’t you, son?” Ollivander asked. 

From then on, the family would get together every Christmas. Having a couple laughs, some heart-to-heart, and watching the twins grow up.

However, right before the New Years for 1986, a calamity would strike upon the Ollivander family.

It was just a regular weekend for the family. Garrie and Marie were taking the twins out for another round of shopping. 

“Come on, Gabe!” Licia called out to her brother, who was busy tuning some of his toys back to normal.

“Okay, okay, sis.” He got up and met up with his parents. 

“Everyone ready? Let’s go!” They cheered a little as they got in their car and drove off.

At some point, they arrived at the shopping mall that was filled to the brim with people. It wasn’t the biggest area, so they often had to squeeze through the gaps that presented themselves.

They didn’t spend much. Only purchased a couple of decorations for the house. Although Marie definitely wanted to splurge more, Garrie held her back, telling her their budget wasn’t very high this year. Licia was practically drifting to every dress store within the mall, but Gabriel was more focused on himself and about what he had at home.

However, just as they were about to leave, mysterious green rays shot through the air. “NOBODY MOVE!” Everyone instantly dropped down, and Garrie immediately pulled the kids close to him. “D-Daddy? What’s going on?” Licia whispered fearfully, while Gabriel already grasped what was going on. “A terrorist attack - but not an ordinary one.” Garrie answered. And what a large scale one it was. People armed in black were in every single nook and cranny. “FROM NOW ON, ANYONE WHO DEFIES US WILL BE KILLED,” one of them, presumably the leader, shouted. 

Garrie had a very bad feeling about this, now that magic was involved. In his gut, it was telling him that everyone here would die if nothing was done to stop the attack. No matter what they did, it would only end in a sea of blood. He had to get his family out one way or another. 

He whispered to Marie, who was kneeled down beside him. “Honey, we have to get out. Fast.” She nodded, and they started thinking. He had scouted out an emergency exit that was near to them. Meanwhile, they could hear splatter of blood and see the barrage of rays not far away from them. If they wanted to act, it was now.

“Quick, you two, run to that exit!” he said frantically. Gabriel grabbed the still distraught Licia and made a run for the exit. However, before they could get there, one of the figures mysteriously appeared before them and lifted the two off the ground. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here!” They announced triumphantly, waving them like flags in the wind. 

That was something never to do in front of childrens’ parents. Garrie clenched his fists, and his eyes turned fifty tones darker. “Let go of them!” He screamed, triggering a shockwave of magic towards the figure. It didn’t do much to him, but it was enough to free the twins from his grasp. “Damn it. Get them.” The figure roared, pointing to the parents. 

With that, the twins managed to escape safely. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said about their parents. Two crisp shots pierced the air. Instinctively, Gabriel covered Licia’s eyes to protect her from the gore, but he saw it. Two bodies of what were his parents, covered in blood and a hole in each body.

“Run, son… Love … you two forever…” Garrie muttered before collapsing and succumbing to his wounds. Gabriel was in shambles. His childhood was shattered into a million pieces just like that. 

There was another voice. “Come out, you two…! We can’t have witnesses of magic.” one of them sang, making his blood boil. He wanted to strangle them so bad, to ensure they suffer their entire life in hell. He was struggling not to break down, but he couldn’t. Right now, Licia needed him the most.

He grabbed Licia. “Come on, sis. We have to go back now.” They ran out of the mall undetected by anyone, and didn’t stop until they arrived back home to stop and catch their breath. For whatever reason, the door was not locked but that was the least of their concerns. At least they could enter. He quickly brought Licia in and locked the door tightly.

“Brother…?” she asked rather hesitantly. “What’s going on?” Gabriel didn’t have the heart to tell her their parents were just shot dead.

“...I…I’m not sure…” he lied. Luckily, she didn’t catch on and decided to lie down then. Gabriel went close and gave her a little hug before falling asleep too.

A few days later, Gabriel saw a newspaper in their letterbox. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the picture on the headlines. It was the same mall he was in yesterday. “MASSACRE AT MALL, CULPRITS ARRESTED BUT MANY CASUALTIES.” At least the lunatics were behind bars, which relieved a small part of him but not quite. His sister and himself were now alone - no parents to help them, only themselves. 

“Brother…? Where’s mum and dad?” Gabriel snapped back and saw her rise from bed. She still had yet to know of her parents’ death, and her knowing would break her already weak mental state.

“They’re busy.” Yet another lie had come out of his mouth. He hated it. He wished he could tell her the truth, but she wasn’t ready. Gabriel didn’t want another mental breakdown - everything was in a fragile state. One change could ruin -

Someone knocked on the door. Knock knock. The two turned to the door.

“Anyone at home?” a voice came from the other side. 

“I’ll go get it, brother!” Licia got up from her seat and answered the door. 

Little did they know, the next few weeks would become one of the most hectic weeks they would have.

Gabriel remembered the black-suited man that stood at the front porch, eyes showing a glimmer of pity and sadness. He held his ground, arms outstretched shielding Licia from him. “Who… are you?” He questioned.

The man sighed and took something out of his coat’s pocket. “I’m a careworker of the Ministry of Magic, and I need to take you two to the reading.” 

“What do you mean?” Gabriel didn’t budge.

“More specifically, your parents’ reading.” Both twins found themselves widening their eyes. 

“Wait, that means…!” Licia could feel her eyes welling up with tears, having unfortunately put two together. 

Gabriel went up to her and gently gave her an awkward hug, comforting her with sweet words. “It’s alright, sis, it’ll be fine…”

After more explanation, the man took the two of them to a fireplace. Gabriel wanted to protest about how this was the Ministry, until the man used some powder and whispered something. Grabbing the twins’ hands, they found themselves at a dark place. The atmosphere was rather gloomy with all the dark-coloured walls, and most of the people appeared far from friendly. 

“This is the Ministry of Magic,” The man explained, “I need to bring you guys to one of the Departments.” Holding onto the two with a firm grasp, he navigated through the sea of people and arrived at the elevator. He pressed on one of the buttons and with a small sound, the doors made way, revealing the densely crowded elevator. He scowled for a moment before attempting to squeeze in with Gabriel and Licia. It was a struggle but there was a small corner that they could fit.

“Level 2: Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services." A cool female voice announced, signalling the man to step out of the elevator.

“Well, this will be……your temporary holding place. At least until things calm down a little.” The man led them to one of the rooms hidden from the eyes of other workers. On its door read “Magical Child Welfare Office”, though its appearance was contradicting that of an office. Barren apart from a few simple basic amenities, it could be passed off as a prison cell.

The next two weeks were uneventful, to say the least. Apart from the occasional check-in from the man, there wasn’t really any interaction from the outside. “Brother, when will we leave this place?” Licia asked, looking at the depressing monotone floor. “......I’m not sure, sis.”  Gabriel muttered back.

Right then, they heard the creaking of the door, just like the many times beforehand. However, Gabriel sensed that his intentions were not the same as before. “Today, we are going to sort out your legal custody.” The man motioned for them to get up. The three of them left the holding room and proceeded down the corridor until they arrived at yet another door. This time, it read “Wizengamot Administration Services”. The man muttered under his breath for a brief moment before giving the door three knocks, each one more resounding than the last. “I’ve brought them here!” He announced. After some silence, a gruff voice rasped, “Come in.”

The man pushed the door open and entered, with the twins following behind. “Perfect timing, I just went through the will with him.” The voice continued. Gabriel noted the man sitting on the high chair, being shorter than a stand, yet crankier than most people. The other person immediately struck a sense of familiarity with both twins, being none other than…

“Gramps!” 

“Grandpa!” The two immediately ran to embrace the old Ollivander, who quickly hugged them back. It was pitch silence, just a reunion of a shaken family, with the two men waiting awkwardly at the sidelines.

The short man let out a loud cough. “Now, Mr Ollivander. I would appreciate it if you sign at the bottom of the document to secure their custody.” The trio finally snapped back to reality and released from each other. After which, he finally got a good look at the two broken children in front of him. Their hair was dishevelled, and their playful spirits were gone. He could feel his heart throb for his two. Then, he grabbed the quill, and quickly signed his name on the document. “Now that that’s done, the twins are officially in your custody. He will now escort you out.” He gestured to the same man who brought the two in. Garrick nodded and slowly got out of his seat and followed the man with twins on each side.

***

“Well, my children, I promise to take care of you well with all my heart.” The wandmaker told the two earnestly, standing in front of the looming shophouse. “Before that, I have something to give you two. From my late son and daughter-in-law.” The cautious optimism of Gabriel faded almost instantly, and Licia looked down in grief, her eyes watering. Garrick nervously took out the parchments he previously received. He gave a notebook that seemed to have gone through rough times to Licia, and a thick mysterious letter to Gabriel.

“Gramps, what’s this for?” He asked curiously. 

“I’m not sure, Gabriel. My son asked you to open it on your 11th birthday.” Garrick replied. Gabriel held the letter close to him, making a mental note to do so sometime in the future. He then let the two adjust to their new home, giving them unrestricted exploration of Ollivanders, while the old Ollivander levitated their possessions from the old home.

That Christmas, there was no festive feeling in the air - only the heavy feeling after the loss of people. The trio stayed within Ollivanders, trying to recuperate from the past few days. 

They swore that they would have each other's back no matter what. And with that, a new part of their life would begin……

Chapter Text

A couple of months after 1986

It had been some time since the New Year of 1986, and the three had gotten over the grief of Garrie and Marie. Sure, the feeling of emptiness still showed up unwelcomingly when they were absent, but they were coping.

“Alright, you two.” Mr Ollivander called them over. The two sat in front of him. “I want to teach you two spells in the future. Neither of you can wield a wand yet… the time will come… but I can teach you how to pronounce them.” He had some old textbooks from Garrie… thinking about it just didn’t bring out good memories. “Okay, let’s start with this one…”

They weren’t the best at it initially but soon, they were able to pronounce some of the beginner spells correctly. “Well done, you two. Let’s take a break for today.” Mr Ollivander told them.

Gabriel and Licia lay on the ground exhausted. Trying to pronounce all the intonnations was no light work. “You ok, sis?” Gabriel asked. She nodded in silence despite the sweat on her forehead. 

For a while, this routine within Ollivanders continued as Mr Ollivander didn’t allow them to step outside, not that they wanted to. They would just train some incantations and learn a bit of magical knowledge, but life was relatively mundane

Their sixth birthday, the first without their parents, was nothing noteworthy. It had been rather simple, with default presents of toys, wands and books. Forgettable for both, but it was still a birthday nonetheless. 

Then, came a time where all the students were purchasing books for their school year. It had been very hectic outside Diagon’s Alley, with Ollivanders being no exception. Garrick was busy handling all the influx, though he occasionally asked Gabriel to fetch him some quills and boxes for him, and Licia tried her best to manage the counter. 

Gabriel couldn’t recall much from the sea of students buying wands. However, there was a time where a middle aged woman rushed into the store - an anomaly, considering it was right after the New Year of 1987. He didn’t remember the appearance, but he saw the panic in her face, and wondered what she was doing. He had been observing from the sidelines trying to sift out her thoughts, but got nothing out of it.

Licia, meanwhile, had been putting the notebook turned diary to good use. She had written sentences on it every single day about the progress in learning some of the spells’ names. However, there were only so many quills she could use, and they didn’t take long to run out of ink. Garrick always gave her some of his ink, but he didn’t have that much either.

All these little details would not be left unnoticed by Garrick. Before, he was unsure of what gifts the twins would want, but after that, he had the perfect thing he could buy for their upcoming 7th birthday. “Well, better get to work.” He grabbed his coat and stepped outside for a little trip.

 *** 7th August 1987 ***

A year had passed by so fast for the trio. It felt like the twins’ sixth birthday just passed by a week ago. When Gabriel first woke up, he realised Licia wasn’t there anymore. Odd, considering he was usually the early-bird of the two.

He quickly dressed up and headed downstairs, where Licia was eating breakfast, and Garrick was sorting through some of the shipments of ingredients. “Good morning, brother.” Licia saw him from the corner of her eye and greeted him. 

“Morn, sis.” He mumbled lazily and slumped onto one of the chairs. “Not feeling hungry today.” 

“What’s wrong, brother?” Licia looked at him with concern, but he dismissed it as normal. “It’ll be fine…” Soon, they finished breakfast and just in time, Garrick had things to say to them. 

“Good morning, you two. First of all, happy seventh birthday.” He gently wished them with each hand on one. “I want to take you two out to explore Diagon Alley as a treat.” He could see the visible nervousness in both of them. Neither had left Ollivanders since they were sent here after their parents’ death, so they had no clue how much had changed since 1985. “It’s alright, Licia, I’ll be there with you two.” He assured the girl. “...and so will I.” Gabriel whispered. Despite his uncertainty, he was more excited than Licia.

“Alright then, grab your coats and let us go.” Garrick stood up and went to the entrance. After they got ready, they stepped outside and took in the view of Diagon Alley. Surprisingly, nothing much had changed about the area, apart from a few old shops no longer being where they were supposed to be.

They walked around a bit before heading to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch. Garrick rang up Tom for some food. “Really… delicious.” Gabriel gobbled up the food like he had never eaten for days, his hands gripped iron tight onto the cutlery. Sure, the food Garrick had gotten wasn’t half bad, it was just that he had never seen something like this.

“Quite the youngsters, aren’t they?” Tom observed the twins carefully, a grin on his face. “Certainly are.” Garrick replied as he took out the money from his pockets to pay for the food. After helping the twins wipe their mouths, they set off outside the Leaky Cauldron - to the muggle world.

“Is this…?” Gabriel sensed where it was, but Licia couldn’t, who was just a little awkward hiding behind Garrick. Indeed, it was London, where the streets never died and where - it just made Gabriel uncomfortable thinking about it. “Thought we didn’t have London currency anymore.”

“I didn’t. My son did.” Garrick told him.

The next few hours were spent looking around and exploring. None of them really wanted to buy anything from the muggle world. Gabriel still remembered the letter he had obtained from his father. He had yet to do anything with it, for it brought up really strong memories of him - when times were simpler. So, until he had decided what to do with it, he decided not to purchase anything from the muggle world. It might’ve been a silly decision, but he needed to gain the courage to see what was in it first, that unfortunately he still lacked.

“Well, that was really fun!” Licia plopped onto the armchair at Ollivanders, almost falling into slumber instantly.

“Now, now, you two. I have one more thing to show you guys…” Garrick took out two mysterious looking items from the back of the store and placed it in front of the two. 

Gabriel grabbed the item and slowly unveiled it first. The present was almost a rectangle, but very solid. He felt some excitement while unboxing, until it got extinguished - books. It was a book, of all things. “Gramps! What kind of book is this?” Gabriel wasn’t a fan of books at all. The wordy length exhausted him and he could never bring himself to open one.

“I believe this would be an exception.” Garrick said. “How about you read the title?”

He picked up the books and examined them more closely. 

A Guide to Legilimency

“Gramps, weren’t we already learning spells?” Gabriel complained, seeming like just another spellbook to him. “I don’t even have my wand yet!”

“Not yet, but something tells me you’ll enjoy this in particular.” Garrick gave a small smile and turned to get a certain box. “By the way, you can practise with this.” It was revealed to be a broken wand, one that could no longer perform the most basic of magic spells, and still kept its physical form. “That way, you can practise the motion of spells without consequences.”

He looked at it with uncertainty before grabbing it. Seeing that it had no effect on him, he immediately softened. “You know what, I’ll give it a shot. But the book better be interesting!”

“It will not fail you.” Garrick assured him before turning to Licia. “As for you, young Licia, I have something that you have great interest in.” He took out a mysterious blue quill from his pocket. “Go ahead, Licia, try it out.” 

Licia took the quill eagerly and grabbed some rough paper. She wrote a couple of paragraphs on it. The ink seemed to be pretty strong, and wouldn’t rub away easily. “Looks cool, grandpa! What’s this?” She asked curiously.

“That, Licia, is a special quill that won’t run out of ink! Perfect for someone like you!” Garrick commented. She gave him a gentle hug thanking him for the birthday gift before sitting next to Gabriel.

Gabriel had skimmed through the book, and indeed, Garrick was right. The concept of being able to read others was very interesting to him. “Gramps was right, it could serve me well in the future…” He muttered.

***

From that day on, Gabriel threw himself into the book. He was so engrossed with the book that he’d spend most of the time on it, only resting for breakfast, lunch, dinner and sleep. And even that sleep wasn’t a lot. When Garrick got up at 6 in the morning, he could see Gabriel already deep into looking at it. Sometimes, he would see him flick the dummy wand, muttering some words, which Garrick assumed to be “Legillimens”.

Meanwhile, Licia had begun showing signs of magic. Once, Gabriel had decided to take a break from studying. As he was drinking up, he was suddenly assaulted by something. “Hey, what…?” He turned to complain, but was greeted with a barrage of crumpled-up paper surrounding the blonde girl. Her eyes briefly shone a dark blue glimmer from her eyes, seemingly staring down at him. “Sis, you need to calm down!” He tried, but another one flew straight at him. And another. And yet another. Until suddenly, she collapsed on the ground with all the paper. Gabriel’s face contorted with fear. “GRAMPS!” He shouted for Ollivander who made haste to show up. “Is sis okay?”

Garrick quickly knelt down and checked on her, looking for her pulse and breath. Once she was stable, he gave a smile. “Well, Gabriel, I believe she’s showing her first signs of magic.” He looked at the resting figure of Licia in a peaceful slumber. “Hey, Gramps, when am I getting magic?” Gabriel asked eagerly. “Soon…” He muttered before walking back to his arm rest.

The days continued to trickle by, yet Gabriel still showed no signs of magic. Though, he was getting more consistent at the Legilimency method day by day. Very quickly, his 8th birthday came and went in the blink of an eye. There was one memorable part of it though. When he was outside, he had accidentally moved one of the potted plants with his mind, causing it to shatter on the ground with a resounding thud, which stirred the attention of everyone else. Thankfully, no one was injured but the owner wasn’t very happy with him. She had screamed at him and chased him down all the way back to Ollivanders. Ultimately, Garrick had to compensate a couple of Knuts to her and gave Gabriel a little chiding. 

“Despite, Gabriel, you did show your signs of magic. Not as potent as Licia’s, but still a sign.” He had told the black headed boy. It definitely served as a motivation, and he pushed himself to learn more of the spells with the dummy wand. 

7 August 1989 

By the 9th birthday, Gabriel was very consistent and confident of the trick. Not only could he perfect the moment, he could also perform it rather discreetly without making it obvious. His voice was but a whisper, yet it would still be effective. Despite not having his wand yet, he continued to show a few signs of magic here and there, like lighting Tom’s hair on fire the one of the occasions they were out. And lifting his book to the top of his house. “Brother, what’s all this mess?” Licia questioned him about these. “Sis, how about you remember yourself first?” He rebutted back.

Over the past year, her magic seemed to react violently with things next to herself. Just recently, she accidentally binded a child the same age as her to the ground. “Sorry!” She had apologized profusely to him and his grandmother before running off. Another time, she accidentally broke an owl from its cage, which practically disintegrated into nothingness, allowing it to fly freely never to be seen again. 

“It was an accident!” She flushed profusely and jabbed Gabriel’s left arm in a desperate attempt to hide her embarrassment. “Sure, sis,” He gently removed the arm from her shoulder, entertained by her little antics. “Gonna retire early tonight.”

When he returned back to his room, he gently closed the door. From the bottom of his bed, he wiggled out the thick letter. The same one his dad left him in the will. He had chucked it in the drawer on the first night he slept at Ollivanders. The raw feeling of death still wrapped around him even now. Despite knowing that his dad didn’t want him to open it until his 11th birthday, curiosity had gotten to him. “Sorry dad, but…” he muttered, “time to open this.”

Gradually, he tore the top of it open, and two items fell out of it. A letter and some kind of deck…? The items laid at rest on his bedside. Gabriel first grabbed the letter and examined it.

Hey Gabriel,

Happy birthday! Figured I’d gift something like this for such a special occasion. This is something I’ve kept for a long time. This item is pretty dangerous, but I trust that you can figure it out. Keep Licia and my dad safe, okay?  

Your Dad, Garrie Ollivander

Gabriel could feel the tears flowing down his face as he read the letter. Of all the things that could have happened, this was certainly not what he expected. “Dad…” He whispered through his sobs, “I’ll cherish this greatly.” He tried to wipe his tears on the ground, not wanting Licia to see any of this. Most likely, seeing something like this would invoke an equal or bigger reaction from her.

Then, the deck of cards. The dark red cover was ominous enough, along with four mysterious symbols on the top. He didn’t want to reveal it yet. Not until he knew its capabilities.

Gabriel decided to retreat to his room for the night and lay in bed. Of all he had done through the years, this was definitely one of the more memorable moments. He closed his eyes, as a long day awaited him.

The next day, Gabriel woke up before the sun could even rise. He had a new deck of cards that were waiting to be tried out. He grabbed the cards and headed out of Ollivanders. Soon, he came across an open field and stopped. At least it wouldn’t damage anything if things went South. “Now, now. What could possibly go wrong?” Gabriel muttered while slowly prying open the top. 

A lot could go wrong. And it did go wrong. The moment Gabriel opened the deck, he immediately felt a mysterious surge of energy coarse through his veins. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling to say the least. For a second, it felt like a vessel for dark magic, or even forbidden magic. His feet even left the ground for that period of time. Finally, it seemed that the deck of cards had fused itself to him and he finally came to a rest.

“What in the world…” He panted, hand on the ground and sweat on his brows. He felt a great strength in the cards that he had just become the owner of. He first pulled out the top card from the deck. It was the instruction card, similar to that of a normal card game. From a glance, all Gabriel saw was a lump of words, which back then would be a huge turn-off for him. But, like the books on Legilimency, it was something that he would give an exception to. Picking it up to his eye length, he began to read the tiny characters on it.

Cards of Carnage

The cards, held by the owner have their various powers, though the effect will disappear after a period of time. Its power cannot be used by others. It can also be disguised as a normal deck of cards. These may result in insanity.

“Nope, not reading all that.” Gabriel couldn’t take in everything at once. It was an information overload and it almost caused a headache within him. “Screw that, time for practical action!” He laughed, not wasting any time to take out the cards that sprawled all over the grass patch. He picked up a black diamond card. Whether it truly worked or not, there was only one way to find out. He threw the card at a nearby tree. The black card gracefully flew like an arrow towards it. It chipped dead centre in the tree, sticking for a short period of time before vanishing.

Gabriel’s jaw dropped watching the affected area slowly melt away until it looked unrecognisable. He expected the magical artifact to be pretty powerful, but to think it was this dangerous. Still though, what did they mean by insanity… he thought. Eh, I’ll find out soon enough. He shrugged it off and proceeded to try the other cards.

After some trial and error, he had a rough idea of how the deck worked. The black coloured cards seemed to possess the ability to corrode the surroundings, a terrific power that scared him. They were the more deadly ones, so Gabriel deemed them as self-defence cards, only to be used in dire situations. The red ones were a different can of worms. They were less of a deadly weapon and more of a support, durable and reliable. It could even act as a temporary shield for him. I finally see what Dad meant by dangerous…

“Right, I should probably head back…” It had been almost three hours since Gabriel stepped out. Closing the deck, it really looked like another ordinary deck of cards. He held the deck in his hand and headed off.

Later

“BROTHER!” Licia shrieked the moment Gabriel entered Ollivanders and immediately jumped him. “WHERE DID YOU GO?” She immediately questioned him, not giving him any opportunity to slip away. “I’m fine, sis. You almost moved half the living room, by the way.” He assured her, before pointing out the objects repelled from the two of them. Licia’s magic had really grown, only showing how far she had come. 

“Well, what do we have here?” Garrick seemingly appeared out of nowhere, catching Licia in her aggressive hug. “GRANDPA!” She shrieked, looking for anything to camouflage herself with. He gave a light chuckle before asking Gabriel a rather serious question. “Those cards you hold in your hand… May I see it?” Cautiously, he gave the deck of cards to Garrick. Garrick slowly examined the deck slowly, muttering, “Interesting… never knew he had a Dark Magic item…” He looked up at Licia. “Licia, could you head upstairs first?” She, out of embarrassment from earlier, almost apprating from the spot and went up to her room.

For a moment, there was silence between the younger and the older, with the fireplace crackling in flames. “Gramps, what’s going on?” Gabriel asked a little nervously, his hands tucked in his pockets.

“This, Gabriel, is a Dark item.” Garrick began ominously, placing the cards into Gabriel’s hands. “Long ago, it was bewitched by Dark Magic. For decades, it was said to be sealed away, never to be seen again… Guess my son was quite wild, having been able to obtain such an item. But now, it seems that this deck has found its new owner, Gabriel.” He smiled warmly at the younger boy, gently placing it into his hands. A soft gasp came from him, soft but audible. He lowered his head for a moment and nodded, sluggishly placing the cards in his pocket, and let out a little, slightly broken smile. “Well, guess I gotta take good care of this. I’ll cherish what dad left behind.” And with that, he climbed up the steps to his rooms, leaving Garrick to his own thoughts.

The moment he arrived up the stairs, he saw Licia waiting for him. “Brother,” She whispered, “what did Grandpa talk about?” 

Gabriel gulped nervously for a moment. He strongly felt that he should not tell Licia about the dark item that he possessed. “Well…nothing much, just a well-being check, you know.” He could feel the stare of her blue piercing eyes, before she sighed and relented. “Alright, brother. Don’t do anything too crazy, okay?” 

“Sure thing, sis.” He chuckled before entering his room. Licia eyed the door he just went through. He was hiding something, she could sense. But there was no hope in trying to pry it out. Gabriel was too talented at hiding information behind a smile. “Brother, what are you trying to hide…?” She murmured a little sadly before turning to her room.

Over the course of the next few months, Gabriel continued juggling between Legilimency and the deck of cards, while Licia delved herself into the books Garrie had, seemingly interested in reading. She started buying more from the bookstore at the end of the Alley known as Oldknowe Books - most of her pocket money being invested in it. The two had become more independent and at some point, Garrick left them to their own tools. Everything seemed to have finally settled down for the twins, but unfortunately, misfortune would strike them once again.

3rd May 1990

“Morning, Gramps.” Gabriel groggily grabbed a piece of toast and sat down at the table with Garrick. He took a look around the room and asked, “Where’s sis?” 

“Licia?” Garrick answered, looking up from his copy of The Daily Prophet. “She probably went to the bookstore round the corner. Quite the bookworm, after all.” 

Gabriel nodded while eating his toast. He sorely remembered the one time he stepped in Licia’s room. Contrasting his rather messy one, her room could pass as a library. It had all varieties of books - textbooks, fantasy novels, history recounts - they were all there. He had seen a pink bookmark in one of those romance stories. He couldn’t help but cringe a little, it just wasn’t his jam. All of them sounded the same anyway.

Today, Gabriel had a plan - to jumpscare Licia at Oldknowe Books. She had bet her bottom dollar that Gabriel would never step in there unless absolutely necessary. “That was the only book you touched.” She had matter-of-factly pointed out to the three-year old book Garrick had gotten him then. Well, it was going to change.

“Gramps, gonna head out awhile.” After finishing his toast, Gabriel quickly returned his plate and with his deck of cards in his right pocket, he set out for the book store. “Just be careful out there!” Garrick cautioned him.

It wasn’t hard to find the bookstore. He had practically lived half of his life out in Diagon Alley, after all. When he first reached the place, it towered over him with the multiple stories it had, on par with Ollivanders. 

“Hello!” A cashier behind the counter greeted him when he stepped in the place. Gabriel gave his classic grin, which unfortunately caused the shopkeeper to start shaking in his legs. “Feel free to explore!” He pointed to the rest of the area, hoping that Gabriel would go somewhere else. Unfortunately, that was not his intention. He went straight up front and rested his hand on the counter, resulting in the cashier sweating bullets.

“Hello, there. Did you happen to see a blonde girl with blue eyes earlier?” His appearance was unsettling, to say the least, making the cashier feel like a toddler over again.

“Y…yes! She just came by to browse a while ago! I…if you hurry, you can still see her!” He struggled to get out the words purely from Gabriel’s lunatic look. “Alright, thanks!” He thanked the shopkeeper and rushed out of the store. 

“Goodness…that boy’s psychopathic…” The cashier sat up against the wall, face blue like he was hyperventilating. 

***

Meanwhile,  Gabriel had already headed down one of the corridors, eager to find his sister. He ran quite far, which was rare for his age group - attributed to that deck of cards. “Wait, where am I?” He had run into an unknown alleyway, with the sun being blocked out by most buildings, only the shade covering all ground. He was lost. “Got ahead of myself, didn’t I?” He laughed at himself. Well, the best course of action was to trace his footsteps…

Someone……help me!

His eyes snapped wide open. What was this voice that he heard? Gabriel tried to get a sensing of the direction of where it came from. Why did it sound so familiar?

Anyone…anything…?

The voice… it was getting clearer for him. 

Save me……please…….Brother!

Immediately everything fell into place. Licia! Gabriel took the cards out of his pocket and started running in the direction of that voice. He maneuvered his way through the city of buildings, occasionally knocking over some clutter. It was getting closer and closer until…

“Heh heh! It was so easy!” Gabriel peeked from the wall and found a very unpleasant sight. They were two big and burly men who had tattoos riddled all over their skin. Their faces were covered by their hood and their smiles were on par with Gabriel’s. 

“I know right? And look what we got!” He slammed a tied-up figure on the ground. Gabriel was hit with a wave of shock. It was definitely Licia - same hair colour and same eyes. Her hands and legs were tied up with sturdy rope. Her mouth was sealed with duct tape, making her effectively useless. “Best part? No one dared to interfere! What cowards! Bet we could make a lot of money… you know how the rich are like!” The shorter one chuckled. 

This line snapped something within Gabriel. He couldn’t lose one of the two only relatives he had left. He made the deck of cards transform to its Dark form, and took out a black card and aimed it at the taller one. “...fire.” He muttered and flicked it as hard as he could.

“Hey, what’s that…a card?” The card was launched straight into one of their hands. Before they could think, the effect had begun to take place. “What the… Augh!” He screamed as he saw his hand begin to melt away, slowing becoming more unrecognisable. He clutched his hand, desperately trying to slow it down but to no avail.

“What’s going on?” The shorter one screamed in confusion, barely dodging the next one that had hit his clothes. “Who’s there? Show yourself, you coward!” He continued on, and caught a glimpse of a menacing figure and a psychopathic smile while the clothes started disintegrating.

“Well, well what do we have here?” The figure approached them, stirring uneasiness in the two. Their gut told them to get out as fast as they could, but neither wanted to leave without their prized possession. “Some bastards you are.” 

“Who are you? Why even bother showing up here?” They attempted to pressure Gabriel. Unfortunately, the opposite effect happened: They became more intimidated as he slowly approached them step by step. They could see the shades of purple in his eyes, cold like a hunter pursuing pray.

“It doesn’t matter.” He began, not loosening the deck of cards in his grip, “Today was my first time trying this out on living beings…” For a second, they saw his eyes turn to the quailing girl tied up. 

“Oh dear. Came to save your little girlfriend?” The crooks attempted again. Bad choice. Gabriel’s eyes narrowed even further. “Could it be you want round two?” He continued with one of his smiles, not hiding the weapon he possessed. Never had the two wanted to feel their mothers’ warmth so badly. They were drenched in cold sweat. At that point, they didn’t care about the kidnapee anymore - their lives came first.

“Never do this again, or I……” He didn’t get to finish the sentence before the two bailed out and fled the area. Wordlessly, he went to check on Licia. She was unconscious but didn’t have any injuries, thankfully, and Gabriel let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you’re fine, sis.” He muttered as he lifted her up and carried her on his back.

***

Garrick had grown increasingly concerned about the two, his brows furrowed, pacing about the shop. He knew that the twins were quite independent for their age but that didn’t stop his brain’s nagging that something terrible happened to them.

Right then, Garrick heard the door to Ollivanders open. Maybe it was just another customer - no, it clearly wasn’t the case. Instead, he saw Gabriel carrying Licia on his back, both covered in dirt and the former about to collapse. “Gramps……” He muttered softly before collapsing at the entrance, Licia landing on top of him.

Garrick immediately rushed to the twins and wasted no time levitating them to their bedrooms before examining their conditions. Neither suffered from major injuries, only a collapse from exhaustion. “Quite the experience they have gone through.” There was a tone of sadness in his voice as he silently moved between Gabriel’s and Licia’s rooms.

Over the next few hours, there were still no signs of them waking up. Garrick had taken some breaks, and the frequency he went to check on them decreased. He sat on his armchair, reading one of the novels Licia had recommended him, with a cup of tea in the other. Just then, he heard footsteps from upstairs. One of them had woken up, much to the old man’s happiness. 

Then, he heard it come down the stairs. Garrick turned his head in that direction. It was Gabriel, slowly heading down the stairs. “Gramps, what happened…?” He asked, completely confused.

“You collapsed at the front of here with Licia on your back. Don’t worry, she’s fine, just more exhausted than you” He told Gabriel. He was relieved, as Garrick expected. What he did not expect was his grin to change into a more serious expression. Garrick immediately tensed up - the moments like this were rare, for Gabriel generally plastered a smile on his face.

“Gramps, I need to talk to you about something important.”

Chapter Text

“Gramps, I need to talk to you about something important.”

The atmosphere grew tense, the moon shining high up in the sky. For a couple of moments, they sat in silence, no sound accompanying them. Finally, Garrick let out a small cough. “Alright, Gabriel, tell away.”

Gabriel let out a little sigh. “Earlier……Licia was kidnapped. By two crooks. I heard her voice but I can’t recall how… Regardless, I used my weapon to save her, and brought her back here.” Garrick nodded along, not interrupting him. “But… the worst part? I heard that no one tried to help her even when they clearly saw her.” Gabriel started clenching his fists, desperately trying not to burst out. Silently, Garrick got up and approached the black-headed kid and wrapped him in a gentle hug. It wasn’t like his parents’ ones, and most would never be, but it still felt warm nonetheless.  After a minute, he pulled away from the hug, uttering thanks to the old wandmaker. “

“Gramps, I also need to say something else.” He continued on. “I don’t think I can trust others after……this.” Garrick saw where Gabriel was coming from: wary as it almost cost him one of his only blood relatives. 

“Good thing you bought that book for me, Gramps. When I was trying to find her, I could……hear her voice. And yet, when I found her, she was gagged and almost unconscious.” Gabriel continued.

“Well, I believe that’s also your magic, Gabriel. It seems that your learning of Legilimency paid off.” Garrick gave a small pat. “So, use it well, Gabriel.” 

“Gramps… remember when I said I can’t trust others?” Gabriel twiddled with his fingers. “I’ll …… close myself off to others.” Garrick looked at him in both amusement and shock. “Well, Gabriel, think about friendships, making friends is nice, no?” 

“Tell that to Sis, not me. She’s more trusting of others…”

“Though, you are still growing up.”

“I’m sorry, Gramps, but I made up my mind.”

“Please, Gabriel, you have yet to reach 11.”

“No one tried to help her! They may have been crooks, but I could tell they were right! My sister could’ve been gone, just like that, if I didn’t intervene. Going goodness knows where!” He lashed out at Garrick, a threatening look on his face. Even Garrick was surprised by this - he had never acted this way before.

Gabriel realised what he had done and immediately held himself back. “Sorry Gramps...... I think I’ll head upstairs for the night.” Gabriel got up and slowly made his way to the staircase.

“Gabriel, I hope you made the right choice…” Garrick sighed as he watched the black-headed boy ascend up the stairs. 

When Gabriel reached his room, he tore out a page from a spare notebook and got out a quill lying around and some ink. He couldn’t just sit around and do nothing - No, he had to get stronger. With that goal in mind, he began writing down a few pointers. After 15 minutes, he set his quill down and collapsed on his bed. With that, he drifted off to dreamland.

The next day, Licia had finally woken up, her hair covering her eyes and in a mess. “Huh…?” Her senses were completely confused. She remembered that she had been lifted off the ground by two people with black masks and taken somewhere dark… and gagged - disgusting, the rough taste of rope still lingered in her mouth. Her skin and clothes still had some dirt on it. I must have slept through since that……

After getting dressed, she went downstairs to find Garrick and Gabriel at the table, seemingly in deep conversation. What are they talking about? She tried to carefully sneak closer to the table, but Gabriel saw her first and immediately went up to her. “Sis! You okay?” He approached her cautiously and took her hand, observing her complexion carefully. After a while, he let go, muttering ,“That’s good…” 

“Brother and Grandpa, what were you two talking about?” She asked curiously.

“Eh, nothing much.”

Despite his assurance, Licia could feel the heavy atmosphere still spread through the shop.

“Anyways, I’m going to head out for a while, sis. See you later!” Gabriel left with a skip in his step.

She turned to Garrick, who was busy stirring his tea. “Grandpa, what happened? Can you tell me?” She asked him. The old figure did not seem to hear her, and continued with his own. “Please, let me know. Gabriel’s been acting rather off lately.” She begged Garrick, who let out a defeated sigh.

“This will be between you and me, Licia.” She nodded, wanting to know what was happening. “Well, as you know, you were kidnapped yesterday by some crooks.” Garrick began. “Gabriel……somehow managed to hear your cries of help and rescued you from their clutches.” Her eyes widened. She was definitely gagged that day, how could he possibly do so? “I believe that was his Legilimency. A powerful mind-reading spell, quite advanced if you ask me.” She wanted to slap herself and believe she heard incorrectly, but recalling what had happened prior, there was no denial it was indeed real.

“On top of that, he possesses quite the weapon: It seems he got it from my son. But power comes at a cost. I suspect that a certain part of his abilities has been limited due to this.” Licia’s shock had gone beyond description: she just sat in place, trying to comprehend what Garrick just said. She knew that Gabriel was strong, but a weapon? She’d definitely not heard of that.  

“Effective yesterday, he made a big decision that he will stand by for quite a long time.” Garrick then held onto her hand. “I’m worried, Licia. I’m worried that this may impact his life. That’s why, I hope that you will support him throughout the next few years. You and I are the only people he still trusts” Licia didn’t need to be told twice: Of course she’d support him. But what happened? She wondered. What caused him to become like that? Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t pleasant.

“I’ll support him, Grandpa. I’ll support him the best I can.” She promised. 

Garrick let out a smile. “Well, I’m glad you will.” 

“One more thing, Grandpa. Do you have dad’s old textbooks?” Licia asked.

“Indeed, I do. What’s the reason?” 

“Well……I don’t want to be powerless next time. I want to not only defend myself, but also keep an eye out for Brother.” 

Garrick saw the resolve in her eyes. Not as strong as Gabriel’s when he saw them yesterday,  but it was enough for him. “Well then, I’ll gladly give them to you. He climbed up one of the stepping stools and returned with a tall stack of heavy books that looked torn and used. “Odds are, the syllabus is still the same as it was then.” He then went upstairs accompanied by Licia. “Honestly, I was gonna give you this when you turned 11. But it’s never too early to start learning, is it?” 

“Thanks, Grandpa! Love you!” She said before diving straight into the pile. She wasn’t the strongest, but she wanted to help Gabriel when the time came. And if there was one thing Gabriel was not so good at - it was sitting down and reading textbooks. She picked out the nearest one and started reading it……

***

Their tenth birthday passed by uneventfully, but it marked a start for them. One day, Licia was sunk into one of the Charms books on her bed when Gabriel suddenly barged into her room, a wide grin on his face. “Hey, sis! What do you think of this!” He showed a rather eerie grin, which felt really creepy, yet so in-place for Gabriel. “Brother, why are you asking this?” She asked flatly. “I don’t think others would like this.” 

“That’s the point!” Gabriel hooted, laying on the ground, arms outstretched. 

“You know, I think it’s a good point to make some friends. It’s been some time since…….that.” Licia didn’t bring that up, but it seemed Gabriel inferred. 

“It’s…complicated, sis.” He broke the smile on his face and sighed. 

“Come on, brother, you can tell me!” She beamed at him.

“I…” He didn’t want to. Not yet, at least.

She sighed. “Look, brother. I know it still scars you, but you need to try and rely on others. Try and open up, and you know, make some friends?” Gabriel instinctively turned away from her. “Please, Gabriel, you are only hurting yourself.” She begged.

“Don’t try to dictate my actions, please.” Gabriel spoke in exasperation. He stood up and turned to the door, and closed it behind him. Licia sighed, facepalming herself.

***

October 1990

Gabriel had learnt how to use the red cards in more unique ways. “Mommy, what’s that in the sky?” A boy pointed to Gabriel who was “walking on the sky”. “Where?” The mother looked up to see what her son talked about, only to see but the clear blue sky.

“Maybe that wasn’t the brightest idea…” Gabriel thought to himself as he descended onto ground again. He wanted to keep the dark item as hidden from public eyes as he could. They wouldn’t hesitate to use it maliciously.

***

December 1990

Meanwhile, Licia had started reading a new catalog of media - The Daily Prophet. Most of the news failed to interest her as they were mostly small incidents. However, there was one that captured her interest, despite being almost a decade old. “Grandpa, who is the Boy who Lived?” She asked the old wandmaker one night.

“Well, Licia, this one’s quite the interesting one.” Garrick hesitated, having gotten the gist of the tragedy. He had a thoughtful look on his face. “It was a rather……tragic incident.” His word held a tone of warning, of that to scare young kids off. But Licia wasn’t young, at least in her opinion. “Tell me, Grandpa, I want to know.” Garrick sighed, “No point stopping you right? Very well, get comfortable. This one’s going to take a while…” She sat in front of Garrick on the floor, looking like a storytelling session. The fireplace normally unused was crackling with heat.

“So,” He began, “There’s this boy, called Harry. Harry Potter. Same age as you. Tragically, he lost his parents to You-know-who by a powerful curse at the age of one.” Licia winced, having gone through something similar, and felt some sympathy towards the poor guy. 

“Who is you-know-who?” She asked Garrick.

“Someone that is best for you to not know of. His name is taboo in the world. Since that incident, Harry’s been left with a lightning scar on his forehead. One of a kind too.”

“Oh… I see.” Licia muttered, “Is that why they called him The Boy who Lived?” 

“Indeed, you catch on fast.” Garrick praised. “Maybe, you’ll get to meet him one day.”

“Maybe, Grandpa.” She smiled.

***

January 1991

It was nighttime in Diagon Alley, and a rare occasion there was little hustle. Pitch darkness aside from the warm glow of the streetlight and dead silent apart from the occasional cricket noises. The only one up on the cooling night was the old wandmaker, making himself some late night tea. He got into his armchair and entered deep into his own thoughts. 

So, it’s almost time for them to enter Hogwarts. He thought. The July to August period was always the busiest period for him, having a swarm of students trying out various wands. He knew that the acceptance letter to Hogwarts would be arriving soon. This year might be one of the most interesting years yet, he recalled of the story of the Boy who Lived he told Licia. 

The wands. The usual age to receive a wand is eleven, but perhaps I could…? He pondered on it for a moment before deciding against it. No, it wouldn’t be fair to others. 

The books. Licia had Garrie’s old copies, but Gabriel would probably need to buy his own. Garrick trusted he’d do just fine: After all, there were more pressing matters that he wanted to address.

He went up to the attic of the shophouse which was rarely explored by the twins, being riddled with dust. From the shelves, he picked out one of the books, its colour long faded away. “The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts” it read after Garrick wiped the cover clean. “I remember when I first purchased this, back when the impacts of the tragedy were still fresh.” He muttered, giving it a flip to filter all the dirt out. How long had it been since he last took this out? He couldn’t remember, but it didn’t matter. 

Finally, he came to a stop at one of the pages. “Yes, this is it.” Garrick continued, giving the page a quick read.

Cards of Carnage

A Dark magic artifact that was created in the 15th century. A wizard could attempt to bond with the card to become its owner, but very few have possessed the mental capacity to do so. Many who attempted to have ended up depraved or lunatic. 

The cards may seem ordinary, but they are incredibly versatile. They seem to have some resistance to other forms of magic, and are incredibly durable. They are also known for being corrosive and disintegrating, causing harm to structures and objects.

The last appearance of this deck of cards was in 1968, when a student from Hogwarts attempted to use it on a professor. No injuries were sustained, although the professor had to get a new coat to replace the disintegrated one.

Since then, the deck of cards has disappeared from the face of the world. It is widely believed that the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, dealt with it and keeps it under control, though there are some that speculate otherwise.

“Well, looks like this aged rather poorly.” The old wandmaker sighed before turning back downstairs with the book still held in his hands. It seemed that Gabriel was more intertwined than expected.

How would the school take it when they found out? What would the world do? Only time would tell.

***

March 1991

“Sis, Gramps!” Gabriel called out to the two on a hot morning. Licia was waving a fan as sweat rolled down her neck. “Want to play a game with me?”

“How are you not exhausted on a day like this?” She asked him. 

“Guess I’m more resilient than you!” He taunted, leaving her pouting slightly.

“Anyways,” He continued on, and pulled out a seemingly normal deck of cards. The old wandmaker widened his eyes briefly, recognising that as the same deck of cards he had read up on two months ago. On the other hand, Licia had a clueless expression on her face, having not seen it up till this point.

“What’s that?” She asked him.

“A deck of cards.” He gave her a look at it. Its red cover felt rather ominous, but the art was pretty good, she thought. “I’ve been asking others about the rules of this game, so I want to give this a shot.”

“Wait a second, I thought you didn’t like others? How did you manage to…?” She questioned, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“Um…” Gabriel darted his eyes left and right, trying to pull out something, anything to answer. “Well, I…”

Two days ago

“Mama, who is that boy with the scary smile?”

“I think it’s best to stay away from him.”

On the rainy evening, onlookers watched as a figure dragged his feet across the floor, eyes glaring with condemnation. One unfortunate individual made eye contact with him, and the figure immediately shuffled towards him. The figure maintained composure as he heard the voices of everyone praying for said individual’s safety, sighing at the idiocracy. 

“Hey. How do you play the card game?” He had calmly asked, yet the individual was too overwhelmed with raw fear to answer. “Look, I need an answer so…” 

“Just……take this. It tells you everything.” The guy threw a small card at him before hightailing out. Seemingly, the rest had followed in his footsteps, leaving him to his own thoughts. He paused to read it for a moment.

“Interesting,” He muttered.

Back to present

“I asked for help.” Gabriel spat out.

“Then why are you sweating now?” Licia pressured.

After an uncomfortable period of silence, she let out a sigh. “Brother…”

“It’s alright, sis. I’m getting used to it.” Gabriel cut her off. Indeed, Gabriel had earned himself quite the notorious reputation - not because he did anything wrong but because of his appearance and the way he upheld himself. It wasn’t his first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. “That aside, do you still want to hear anyways?”

“I would love to, Brother!” Licia exclaimed.

At the corner, the old wandmaker watched the scene unfold in front of him, getting a small smile from his face. In a way, obtaining the dark item gave him a passion. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as Garrick thought it was going to be…

(They went on till night fell.)

***

May 1991

At a remote location, a herd of owls were released. These were the ones that carried parchments, but not any ordinary ones. They were the acceptance letters to Hogwarts for all the children that possessed magical traits.

One of the white ones carried two at once, which was rather unusual for the batch that year. And yet, with its wings spread out, it covered an impressive distance efficiently. It flew, and flew until it saw the shophouse. With its exceptional eyesight, it spotted the peculiar wandmaker and swooped towards him, letting out a hoot and catching his attention.

“So it’s here at last.” He muttered, while handing a Sickle to the owl. “Here you go.” The owl dropped the parchments into his hands before flying off into the sky. 

“Licia!” He called out to the blonde who was minding her own business.

“Grandpa? It’s rather rare for you to do such a thing?” Licia inquired, raising her eyebrows slightly. “Is it a special occasion?”

“Indeed. Could you get Gabriel for me?” 

“Sure thing!” He heard her footsteps running up, screaming “Brother!” multiple times and then two footsteps heading back down.

“Gramps? What’s going on?” Gabriel asked. His eyes were half closed and his hair was in a mess, completely disheveled.

“Something important just came in for you two.” The wandmaker replied, holding out the parchments. 

“Well, let’s open it then!” Licia took the parchments out and unraveled it. “It’s…… a piece of paper?” She analysed the contents carefully, reading it out for them all.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms Ollivander,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress.

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)

by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic

by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory

by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration

by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi

by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions

by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection

by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK.

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions.

The letters to Hogwarts had came in, signalling a change in times for the twins.