All of the candles spluttered green and then went out. Smoke drifted into the dim room, lit faintly by moonlight trapped behind clouds. The splatter of rain on the window was a comforting sound. The smell of smoke a comforting smell. The feel of the wand in his hand a strangely comforting feeling.

Cuff stood in the centre of the room, and took a deep breath. Letting it out he looked at the black wand in his hand, wondering what to do. Shrugging he decided to wave it, which did absolutely nothing. "Right," he muttered, frowning hard. Magic couldn't be so simple. He focused on the wand, his whole face scrunching up, and waved the wand again. Absolutely nothing happened.

"Hocus pocus," he yelled, waving it again. To which nothing also happened.

After thinking about it, Cuff felt a little stupid standing in the dark waving a stick around and thus decided to make a quick getaway.

He turned around and walked quickly into the door.

In the long wooden corridor between the main hall and the groundsman's quarters Cuff walked, rubbing his head as he did. Vague mutterings of stupid magic could he heard as he did.

Further down the hall a certain figure cloaked in a black suit spotted Cuff. He paused, and turned to go back the way he came, but paused. He stood, one eyebrow raised as he saw Cuff rubbing his head. As Cuff edged closer he started to frown even more, undecided on whether he should leave or not.

Cuff very nearly didn't see him, with his hand on his face, but only very nearly.

"You!" Cuff almost shouted when he saw him.

"Me!" Nathaniel mimiced back. Chuckling he pointed at Cuff's head, "What's happened here, Cufflink?"

"Nothing," Cuff muttered, staring at Nathaniel. Pointing at Nathaniel, who merely raises his eyebrows he angrily says, "you tricked me."

Nathaniel guffaws, "you've only realised this now?" And bursts out laughing, "Little mister Link, I can't believe you're The Owl. Without a doubt, you're a genius," he laughs more, slapping his leg.

"Honestly, I can't believe I got this lucky," he laughs. "How about this, as an apology I'll answer any three questions you have," Nathaniel smiles.

"And how do I know you'll answer honestly? Considering before, this is pointless," Cuff replied and made to continue walking.

"No, no, wait," Nathaniel put his hand out. "I swear I will answer your three questions honestly," he says as he draws his right hand across the back of his left. A glowing pentagram comes to life where his hand passes, with three fire lines floating in the air above it.

Cuff stares, amazed. But then again, he thinks, I know nothing about magic. This could just be a fancy lightshow. Oh well, better than nothing.

"Fine," Cuff scowls and stares at Nathaniel.

"If this is a school, why is there almost nobody here? Where are the students," Cuff asks, waving his wand, which is still in his right hand.

Nathaniel's jaw drops and then almost immediately after he begins to giggle. The giggle eventually turns into rolling laughter that echoes down the hallway, getting louder and louder as it does. The laughter begins to hurt Cuff's ears it's so loud, and then he gets chilling goosebumps, as a deep, gravelly undertone joins in. It's like a demon has joined in. His ears pulse in pain, when suddenly the demonic laugh cuts off. Cuff looks up suddenly, finding Nathaniel staring at him; one of his eyes pure black, wreathed in horror. A mouth far bigger than any man's mouth opens wide with teeth so long and sharp they belong in a horror movie.

"You idiot!" The mouth screams at him.

"Just kidding," Nathaniel giggles, looking human again. The horrific creature is gone, the trickster back. "There's nobody here because school hasn't started yet. Term begins in ten days, on the first of September. Enjoy the time off while you have it, although I suppose you'll probably be kept busy," he smiles at Cuff and stretches. "Next."

Cuff stills. His entire body is covered in sweat. Surely he doesn't have to be afraid in the school right? But regardless of how he tries to rationalise it, he's afraid. Very afraid. His left hand is clenched so tightly into a fist he can feel his nails digging into his palm, and he's genuinely surprised the wand hasn't snapped in his right yet, considering how tight he's holding it. He looks down at it, but it's the same as always.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"I promised three answers, so ask," Nathaniel cuts through his thoughts, raising his left hand, which shows the pentagram still glowing an eerie red. Two lines sit above it now.

Cuff swallows hard and looks at the wand in his hand again, and then back at Nathaniel.

"How do I use my wand?" He asks, and immediately after wonders if he even wants to learn from this demon of a person, but at least maybe if he knew magic he could defend himself from him? Maybe?

Nathaniel chuckles at him again, but that's all.

"I can't teach you that. In fact nobody really can, but I suppose technically the librarians will show you, and or my brother," Nathaniel answers with a bored expression and lifts his right hand, conjuring up a ball of flame and bouncing it around. On his left hand there's only one mark left.

Well that explains why the headmaster told me to get familiar with the librarians, Cuff thinks back to earlier in the study. Now what to ask as a final question. Cuff scratches at his head. The problem is Cuff knows absolutely nothing. When you know nothing everything is a question, but most are ones that will obviously be revealed in due time. Asking something like, where's the nearest bathroom would be a stupid waste. He might as well ask something related to his post, so what to ask...

"I'm not really sure what to ask, but I suppose this is better than nothing," Cuff begins, holding the wand by each end with each hand and continues, "where is the previous groundsman?" He looks up.

Nathaniel twitches and then snorts. Shaking his head slightly he paces in a circle, the flame squished out in his hand. He turns and looks at Cuff, smiling strangely.

"The previous groundsman is in the school. Well, we never set out the rules did we? Always watch your wording, little Cufflink," he winks with a grimace, and then takes a step backward, through a burning, inky black portal, that disappears as quickly as it appeared.

In another part of the school

A fire burns hot in an ornate fireplace. A low table stands in front of it, two mugs sitting on it. A wide cream sofa faces the fire, with two men seated on it. One is rather pudgy, and one is rather old.

"Well, Nathaniel, what do you think?" The pudgy man asks the headmaster.

"Well, I think, he is without a doubt a genius," Nathaniel nods at the pudgy man. "You could hardly expect 'The' Owl to be anything less, could you?" He raises an eyebrow at the pudgy man.

"Of course not, of course not," the pudgy man chuckles, and then slaps his leg. "He just struck me as so, well, unimpressive," he chuckles again, sipping at his mug. "But of course, if you say so it must be true," he nods.

Nathaniel merely grunts.

"And the cabinet?" he nods towards the same cabinet that was in Cuff's room, from which the pixie dust came from.

"It's definitely Isaac's," the pudgy man says, placing his mug down, "speaking of which, is there any progress on where he is? This reeks of your brother's doing," he says.

"Quite," Nathaniel frowns, "no progress I'm afraid. And if it is Nathaniel's doing then Isaac should be quite safe. He might be a little, well insane, but he's quite alright really," the headmaster nodded. "I'm more worried it might not be Nathaniel's doing, although the two of them were somewhat close so it could be a truly ill-mannered prank, but I'm not sure," he mused, tugging at his beard. "At any rate I'll continue looking for our groundsman, no need to worry. But our new groundsman happens to be Owl, as a result of losing our old one, interesting," Nathaniel said, as he rose from his seat. "It was nice, Frank," he says, nodding toward Frank, "excellent gloop as always," Nathaniel smiles, and then drifts apart.

At the entrance to the groundsman's quarters

Cuff's floors tap on the wood as he approaches the doors to his quarters, waving his wand about as he does. With a sigh he fishes out his key. The lock opens with a satisfying clunk and he swings the door open, and freezes. In front of him three little, green, crinkled, faces stare back up at him and not in sync at all bow and say "mastah." Cuff simply stares at them, his jaw open, unsure of what to do. The three rise back up and stand staring back. Cuff stares longer, and longer, until finally the three start wailing and screeching, running around the room with their arms in the air.

"Mistaaaaake," they scream, running in circles, waving their arms wildly until all three run into each other at the same time, bouncing off each other with a thud and landing on their bums. Cuff slaps his face and sighs, walking in and closing the door. Better to figure this out and get it over with, this is life now after all, right? He thinks.