The creature drinking the unicorn’s blood scarred the Monegasque a little. “So there was the unicorn and something hidden in a black cloak drinking its blood?” Yuki asked when they came back to their room. Charles nodded, seeing the scene in front of him still so vividly. “We saw a light and went to check it out. Then we saw that—” he said with disgust. “We tried backing up, but then a twig snapped and … well, the centaur saved us.” “Jesus Christ.” Pierre mumbled. “It was very disgusting. The blood was just leaking from its neck and from the face of the creature.” Charles shivered at that memory. “Oh God.” Yuki mumbled. “I am never going near that forest again,” he added.
The next morning went as all their school mornings did. Yuki complained about being woken up, Pierre made fun of him, they ate, and went to class. Nothing special; no one even seemed aware of their punishment. The days after that were normal, and Charles was happy. He was going to see his family during Christmas break, and he was looking forward to it. “What are your plans for winter break?” Yuki asked one Wednesday morning, right before they went to breakfast. He looked a bit sad. “I’m going to spend it with my family in Monaco,” Charles smiled happily. Pierre patted his shoulder. “I am staying here for Christmas and four days after that, but then I’m going to see my family.” “Oh. That’s nice,” Yuki replied, a little sad. “What’s wrong, Yukino?” Pierre asked, raising an eyebrow. Yuki looked at the ground near Pierre’s leg before answering, “My parents are scheduled overseas for almost the entirety of the break.” “Oh, Yuki… I promise you that Christmas here is nice. And I will text you every day!” Pierre patted the shorter’s shoulder. “Me too, Yuki!” Charles smiled. “Thank you,” Yuki smiled.
“Are you planning to prepare for the finals while you are here?” Pierre asked during their breakfast. “Only a little bit. I will probably check if I have everything we went through so far, maybe go through the more complicated spells and whatnot. I, however, plan to learn some things about unicorns. They piqued my interest recently,” Yuki replied and chewed on his rice. Pierre’s eyes widened. “Unicorns? Why them?” he played dumb. “It is just fascinating how we use their hair in our wands.” The younger grinned mischievously. “Oh, okay.” Pierre shrugged, then turned to Charles. “When are you packing?” “In like two days,” he hummed. “The train leaves on the 18th at 15:00, so I want to be ready at least a day before.” “Pierre, how will you go to your family?” Yuki asked. “Well, there are multiple trains leaving during this break,” Pierre explained. “Mine leaves on the 27th at 10:45.” “Ohhh. That is good.”
It was the next day, the 16th, when Charles came to his room and sat on his bed. He was reading through his list of things he wanted to pack, crossing out some he decided to leave at the school and adding some he wanted to take home. His phone, which had to be in his dorm always, suddenly vibrated, interrupting Charles’ action. He reached for the phone, quickly unlocking it and smiling at the family picture from Silverstone that year he had as his wallpaper.
Maman<3
Charles, s'il te plaît, envoie-moi un message quand tu pourras appeler. (Charles, please message me when you can call.)
Charles
Je peux maintenant. (I can right now)
Est-ce que tout va bien? (Is everything alright?)
Charles couldn’t help but worry. He was supposed to pack his things tomorrow, and in just three days, he was meant to be home. He waited for the reply, hoping that it was nothing big, just something along the lines of: “Just wanted to remind you to pack xyz.”
The phone rang, and Charles saw that his mother was calling. “Maman?” he asked when he picked up. “Bonjour Charlie. Comment allez-vous?” (Hello Charlie. How are you doing?) Camille’s warm voice asked him through the phone. Charles couldn’t help but smile as he answered, “Je le fais bien. J'ai juste hâte de vous revoir tous. Comment vas-tu?” (I’m doing great. I just look forward to seeing all of you again. How are you?) He heard his mother sigh through the phone. “Nous sommes bons. Tu nous manques aussi, Charlito. C'est juste que Lorenzo a attrapé quelque chose récemment.” (We are good. We miss you too, Charlito. It’s just that Lorenzo caught something recently.) She replied and coughed. “Oh? Vous êtes malades, les gars?” (Oh? Are you guys sick?) Charles frowned. “Malheureusement. Mais le médecin a dit que tout ira bien...” (Sadly. But the doctor said that we will be okay...) she replied. “C'est bien. Y a-t-il autre chose qui ne va pas?” (That’s good. Is there something else that’s wrong?) Charles asked, frowning even more since he heard his mother’s tone. His mother chuckled. “Toujours celui qui observe.” (Always the observing one.) she said before continuing. “Charlie, tu ne devrais pas rentrer si tôt. Le médecin nous a conseillé de rester en quarantaine.” (Charlie, you shouldn’t go home so soon. The doctor advised that we should stay in quarantine.) she said softly. Charles’ eyes widened. “Oh.” He gasped. “Pendant combien de temps?” (For how long?) “Au moins jusqu'au 24. Alors nous devrions pouvoir te voir, mon ange.” (At least until the 24th. Then we should be able to see you, angel.) she answered. “D'accord. J'attendrai. Bon rétablissement.” (Okay. I will be waiting. Get well soon.) Charles said. “Au revoir, chérie.” Camille said before she hung up. Charles sighed and threw the phone onto his bed.
Pierre and Yuki walked into the room, hands full of snacks that they had taken from the kitchen. They were laughing at something, and Charles couldn’t help but smile. “Calamar!” Pierre exclaimed. Charles smiled at him. “Are you packing?” he asked when his gaze fell on the clothes he had prepared before the call. “I was, but then I got a call from my mother,” Charles replied sadly. He was so excited to see his family, only to have the wait prolonged. “Is everything alright?” Yuki asked, suddenly standing near the edge of Charles’ bed, and Charles realized that he had already put down the snacks he was holding. “They are just a little sick. They have to quarantine, though,” he replied, his shoulders dropping. “Oh. I hope that they get well soon.” Yuki patted his shoulder. “They will. It just pains me that I cannot go and see them. I have to wait, and I will miss Christmas with them,” he said. “Oh, that much? Do you know how long you will be staying here then?” Pierre asked and joined him on the bed. “I don’t know yet. Probably as long as you, maybe even more,” Charles shrugged. “Since we all are staying here for Christmas,” Yuki started. “We should make this the best Christmas ever!” “I’m listening,” Charles perked up. “Since we all have different cultures and traditions, we should just talk about it and combine them. So we can celebrate properly,” Pierre said. “That’s a good point, Perriot,” Charles chuckled.
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Here’s the text with corrected grammar:
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Charles spent the last day before the winter break waiting for the school to end. Professor Räikkönen gave them the green light to do what they wanted, and Charles was determined to better himself. He would not lose to Max Verstappen again. He was diving, maneuvering, speeding, and braking in the air. He stopped to catch his breath when the blonde Slytherin joined him. “Training not to lose?” he asked, with a cocky smile on his lips. Charles rolled his eyes. “Of course, I am. I’m still here, so I can train.” “Good.” Max smiled. “What? Are you happy that you are leaving this place to go see your precious, prestigious family?” Charles asked. Max froze before frowning. “I’m staying here for the break, Leclerc.” And with that, he flew off. Charles stared at the boy, dumbfounded. “I guess they don’t even want him home,” he muttered to himself and continued.
The other classes were mostly free, with the professor letting them have fun or asking about their traditions. Charles quickly learned that a lot of people had similar experiences. Yuki was probably one of the more unique students since he was from Japan, and Hogwarts was a more European-centered school. Some people, who were also from muggle families but weren’t Catholics, had different traditions. It was like a wake-up call for Charles. Until now, he had never thought of it. His friends from his old (muggle) school had the same beliefs. There, everyone knew Formula 1. Still, he was excited to see Christmas at Hogwarts.
---
When Charles woke up on the 20th, the walls, halls, windows, and doors were decorated. “When did they do that?” he asked Pierre. “No idea, mate,” the boy replied. “During the night. They do that,” Pierre’s brother, Kevin, answered. “Jesus fucking Christ.” Yuki squealed, startling the older boy. “When did you get here?” Yuki asked. “I am hungry,” the older boy huffed. “I am just on my way to breakfast,” Yuki smiled at the Dane. “Sure, Kmag.” Kevin groaned when the person spoke. “Not you again.” “Good morning to you too, beautiful,” Nico winked and grinned. “Why the fuck are you still here?” Kevin asked, rolling his eyes at the German. “Enjoying one of my last Christmases here, Kev,” the blond answered and looked fondly at the decorations before he turned his gaze to Kevin. The softness remained for a second before it turned into a shit-eating grin. “And to bless you with my company, of course.” Kevin groaned. “Fuck you.” To that, Nico’s grin only grew. “Maybe later, Liebling.” He winked. “We have breakfast right now.” Kevin blushed and rolled his eyes. “Jesus Christ, somebody please shut him up.”
Yuki grinned and kicked Nico in the shin. “Ow!” the blond stopped. “Seriously?” he asked with a sad face, looking between Yuki and Kevin. Pierre grabbed Yuki’s hands and pulled. “Yukino, let’s go. I do not want to hear this flirting anymore.” He gave his brother a look full of mirth. “It’s very disgusting.” Kevin’s face went red as his tie, and Nico laughed so hard that there were tears in his eyes. “Pierre, what the actual fuck?! I have taste!” the Dane managed to reply, but Pierre was already long gone.
Charles counted his lucky stars that they managed to get away from them. “Are they…?” Pierre shook his head, letting go of Yuki’s hand. “Not that I’m aware of,” he shrugged. “Nico seems pretty into him, though.” Yuki said. “Yep, he does. I just hope that I don’t see this shit on family holidays, or I’m sure I will lose my marbles,” Pierre muttered. Charles chuckled.
It wasn’t anything special, the days until Christmas. Nothing special if you are Kevin Magnussen and had already seen this (and had to endure an annoying German). But for Yuki, it was so, so special. The decorations, the freedom to just roam the school, with all the free time (until the curfew, he rolled his eyes). For Charles, it was magical, yet bittersweet. “I miss my family,” he whispered to Pierre one of those afternoons they spent outside. “Of course you do, Calamar,” the older boy replied. For Pierre, it was new. He had some expectations, having his older brother here and all that, but it was still new and surprising.
---
The night before the 24th was especially cold, windy, and snowy. The gang was already in their pajamas, ready for bed, talking and listening to the wind outside. “Can we turn the lights off?” Yuki mumbled, already comfortable in his bed. Pierre smiled. “Tired, Yukino?” “Mhmm.” Yuki hummed in agreement. Pierre chuckled and turned off the lights. “Goodnight,” he said. “Goodnight,” replied Charles. “おやすみ (Oyasumi – goodnight)” Yuki mumbled and dozed off. Pierre chuckled a little, the sleep claiming him too.
When Charles woke up, he wasn’t expecting the smell of pain au chocolat and other sweet pastries that reminded him of his home. He slowly opened his eyes, holding onto his sleep, trying to snuggle deeper into the covers. And then his stomach growled, waking him up effortlessly. “Putain,” he thought and rolled his eyes. The light was still dim, thanks to their blinds still closed. He saw that their table was full of sweet snacks and even some drinks. “Good morning,” he said, trying to wake up his friends, who both completely ignored it and slept anyway. Charles smiled, and then he saw the tree they had in the corner of their room. There were presents underneath it.
One glance at the clock convinced Charles rather quickly to go for one more hour of sleep. So, when he woke up again, Yuki was shaking him. “Wake up!” the shorter one said, full of excitement. “I’m up!” he announced. “Good. Let’s eat!” Yuki said and stood up from Charles’ bed. Charles sat up on his bed and saw Pierre munching on a croissant. Charles reluctantly left the comfort of his bed and grabbed some goodies for his plate. He quickly got back in his bed and bit into the cinnamon roll he had grabbed. “Oh God,” he whispered. “This is soooo good.” He closed his eyes. “Damn right!” Pierre agreed. Yuki was happily chewing on the food, but he still nodded.
Charles brushed off the final crumbs and stood up. “Shall we go open our presents?” he asked. “Sure,” Yuki said. The bed creaked when Pierre stood up. “I hope you like the ones from me,” he smiled. “Of course we will,” Yuki rolled his eyes. He eyed the tree and the presents under it before deciding to grab a smaller one, covered in grey wrapping paper with little cat faces. He inspected it, turning it in his hands. It had a hard cover. He brought it closer to his nose and smelled it. “Did—did you just smell it?” Pierre asked, baffled by that action. “Is it a cookbook?” Yuki asked, ignoring Pierre’s question. “Open it,” Charles smiled. Yuki eagerly ripped the paper off the present, leaving it in a messy pile on the ground. “I was correct!” Yuki shouted, looking at Pierre with a smug expression. “What the actual fuck.” Pierre looked at him with his mouth wide open. Yuki smirked at him. “You little fucker,” Pierre mumbled, still in disbelief.
Charles grabbed a present that was also small and similar to Yuki’s, only the wrapping was different. It was dark blue with little red lines on it. “To Calamar, from Periot,” the label read. He chuckled at it and turned to Pierre. “So you call yourself Periot now?” he grinned. Pierre rolled his eyes at him. “Open the present, Charles,” he shushed him. Charles complied and unwrapped the present. “Quidditch Through the Ages,” he read the title of the book. “Thank you, Pierre,” he smiled at the boy. “You’re welcome, Charles.” Pierre grinned at Charles and then grabbed a present labeled: *For the annoying prick that wakes me up every morning.*
“I can easily guess who this is from. And for whom,” he grinned and looked at Yuki. “Do you?” Yuki asked sweetly. Pierre returned his attention to the present and took one last glance at it before he tore it open. The thing in his hands was a nice chess piece he had once seen in Hogsmeade. “Wow,” he said softly. “Thank you, Yuki.” “I’m glad that you like it,” the younger smiled, a little blush on his cheeks.
Ten minutes later, there was a pile of wrapping paper on the ground, and the three boys were happily chatting about their presents. Yuki had the most, since he was not going to see his parents this break. He was talking to Pierre about the magic pot that he got from him. Charles was lying in his bed, listening to the chatter and reading the book. He got it and a mini-Schumacher-Ferrari model from Yuki, along with a signed cap from his family. He squealed when he saw that they got it for him.
“I will clean up the mess,” Pierre said and stood up from his bed. Charles hummed and let him do it. “Uhm, I think there was one more present for you here, Charles,” Pierre said and handed Charles a soft present, probably a piece of clothing wrapped in the paper. The paper was different from the ones he got from his friends and family. It was red with golden and black stripes. He looked for a label, a note, but there wasn’t any. He carefully tore the paper, and it revealed a simple black cloak. “I—what is this?” he asked. “Ooh, a cloak!” Pierre answered. “Try it on.”
Charles stood up from his bed and wrapped the clothing around himself. He twirled around, but when he looked at Pierre, he saw the boy’s eyes go wide. “Pierre?” Charles asked as he followed the boy’s gaze down his body. “What the fuck?!” he screamed when he did not see his legs and torso. He unwrapped himself from the cloak and saw them. “What the actual fuck.” He gasped a little. “Is that—is that an invisibility cloak?” Pierre asked. “I have no fucking idea,” Charles replied. “Look, there’s a note!” Yuki pointed out a letter that had fallen into the mess of wrapping paper. Charles grabbed it and opened it.
Dear Charles Marc Hervé Percival Leclerc,
This is my Christmas gift to you. Actually, it is a gift from your parents, as this cloak once belonged to your father, Hervé Leclerc. He entrusted it to me for safekeeping, but regrettably, he never reclaimed it. This cloak is an invisibility cloak. Your father would have reminded you not to use it to harm others.
Merry Christmas, Charles.
Charles’s shoulders dropped. “What does it say?” Yuki asked. “It’s an invisibility cloak,” Charles replied, his voice a bit quieter. “I thought that was obvious. Does it say just that?” Yuki continued. “No.” Charles sighed. “It belonged to my father, at some point. He apparently gave it to someone and never took it back. The person just gave it to me.” Yuki and Pierre stared at him with wide eyes. “Oh.” “It’s still a nice present,” Charles hummed. “It is my father’s.” Charles smiled. There was a knot in Charles’s stomach, despite what he had said to his friends. The present had left a bittersweet taste in Charles’s heart.
The rest of the day was spent outside, playing in the snow. They had lunch, the Hogwarts kitchen providing them with a variety of meals, even though it was the winter break. The evening, or well, afternoon, they spent inside, talking. Dinner went in a similar fashion as lunch. The day was truly spectacular, and it left a warm feeling in Charles’s heart.
They went to sleep close to midnight. Both Pierre and Yuki dozed off instantly, tired from their shenanigans. Charles, who was still thinking about his father and who may have given him the cloak, was unable to sleep so quickly. So, when he finally did, he had a short sleep full of nightmares. He woke up, sweat making his t-shirt cling to his back. He sat on his bed and glanced at the time: 2:22. Great, he thought. He contemplated going back to sleep, but just the mere thought of his nightmare, the white, almost see-through blood dripping down its fangs, the scream—had him deciding against it. He looked around their room, wondering what to do. The cloak was still out, just lying on a chair nearby. *I shouldn’t…* he thought. *It wouldn’t hurt anyone. It would be just a short walk…*
He stood up from his bed as quietly as he could, the bed creaking softly, and grabbed the cloak. He buried himself in it, making sure that his body was completely invisible, and crept out of their room into the common room. The fire was long out, and there was nobody there. He opened the door and found himself in the empty, dark, and quiet hall.
“What do I do now?” he asked himself. He decided to walk to the library; maybe he would see something that would be useful for them.
The halls were all dark and empty, and Charles was finally feeling at peace. Well, his heart was still beating faster than usual, but he was violating some rules, so he didn’t care. The library was easy to sneak into, and he grabbed a little lamp, looking around in the potions section before he walked into the magical animals section. “—broom for safety. Put an anti-curse spell on them.” Brown’s voice greeted Charles. He quickly turned down the lamp and left it on a nearby table. “Definitely,” Professor Horner agreed. “Do you reckon that someone’s here?” he asked, quieter. “Let’s go take a look.”
Charles could hear his heartbeat in his ears. He rushed to the other exit of the library as quietly and quickly as he could. “The lamp is still a little warm,” Horner, who was standing where Charles had been just moments ago, pointed out. “Either that was a student, or it was like that one time a fucking fly turned the lamp on by sitting on it,” Brown sighed. “Leave it be.” Charles almost let out a relieved breath, but then he realized that the steps were coming in his direction. He went outside the library, but the hall was too narrow for him not to bump into them. He glanced around the hall and saw a door that was just opened enough for him to slip in. So he did. He managed to close it without making any sound. He leaned against the wall and listened. The steps got closer and closer before they faded out into the darkness. Charles finally let out a relieved breath and stopped leaning against the wall. He glanced around the room he found himself in.
The room itself was not anything special. It was rather small, with stone walls and a stone floor, like any room in the castle. It had no windows, and yet, there was a soft light emitting from the big, fancy-looking mirror in the middle. Charles took a step closer until he was standing close enough to see all the scratches on its golden rim. Above the mirror, written into the gold, was a sentence: *Speculum desiderii, hoc est, maximum desiderium cordis ostendit.* Charles wondered what it might mean, so he glanced at his own reflection.
He saw himself, pale and with his eyes wide. There were many people around him. He could recognize his family, Pierre, and Yuki. There were also two adults around Jules’s age—a man and a woman. His parents. He quickly glanced behind him, but the cold stone wall assured him that this was just a mere reflection. He realized that there was a boy standing close to his parents. He couldn’t make out his features, but he assumed that it was his brother. He turned to himself and realized that he looked older. “Oh,” there was another man next to him. He was just a little taller, a little broader. He could make out the man’s blond hair and blue eyes, but other than that, the man was still a mystery.
Charles did not know how long he had stayed there, but at some point, he realized that he should be going to his room. He waved them goodbye, and he could see them smile at him. His heart felt warm. His own being was as if there was a warm blanket hugging him tight (like the cloak he was wearing).
He pulled the cloak off the moment he entered his room. The clock displayed that it was 4:55, and with that, he slid into the covers, and sleep took him immediately.
___________________________________________________________________________
“Pierre, can I show you something before you go?” Charles asked Pierre. They were standing in their room, and Pierre was packing. Yuki had gone to the library about 10 minutes ago, so it left Pierre and Charles alone. “When Yuki falls asleep, we must go somewhere,” Charles said. “When he falls asleep?” Pierre eyed him sceptically. “With my cloak, of course,” Charles answered. “Okay,” Pierre smiled.
Yuki finally dozed off soon, tired from the day. Pierre gave Charles a look. “Give him 5 minutes, then we go,” Charles whispered. And soon, when the time had passed, they both stood up, and Charles grabbed his cloak. “Ready?” he turned to Pierre. “Ready,” the other answered.
The walk was as short as the night before. They went through the same halls as before. Just in the library, they hadn’t bothered to stop. Tonight, there were no voices making their heart rates pick up. And then, the door wasn’t open, so Charles carefully reached for its handle and opened the door as quietly as he could. They slipped inside, and Pierre closed the door. Charles pulled off the cloak that was covering them and threw it aside.
“This is what you wanted to show me?” Pierre asked, his tone again skeptical. “Go take a look. At your reflection,” Charles urged him. Pierre rolled his eyes but complied. He stood there, and Charles could see his eyes go wide. He smiled smugly, mostly to himself. “What do you see?” he asked. “I’m wearing a Quidditch dress. For the Alpine Phoenixes. I think that I am the captain. I’m holding the trophy!” Pierre answered him.
“Really?” Charles asked, a bit taken aback. “You don’t see a family?” Pierre shook his head. “No. Is that what you see?” he asked. “Yeah. My parents, brothers. You and Yuki too,” Charles said. “Hmm. That’s interesting. Do you know what this mirror is supposed to show?” Pierre asked, glancing at the words written above him. “No idea,” Charles replied.
After their adventure with the mirror, Pierre and Charles quietly returned to their room just as dawn broke. Pierre hurriedly packed the remaining of his belongings before he went to sleep. “You should sleep too, Charles,” Pierre said. Charles, still haunted by the mysterious mirror, couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. He nodded and buried his face in his pillow.
As the day went on, Pierre said his goodbyes, got on the train, and left for the rest of the holiday alongside Kevin. Nico was, of course, there, and Kevin looked ready to jinx him. Charles watched the train leave, a knot of uncertainty tightening in his stomach, still pondering the mirror's cryptic reflection and what it truly meant.
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That night, Charles went to see the mirror for the third time in a row. He found himself in front of the door again, and he grabbed the handle without any worries. He opened the door and slid in as he had the last two times. He closed the door and got rid of his cloak.
“Charles Leclerc. I knew that you would come.” The voice startled Charles, who turned to the source immediately. “Professor Binotto,” the boy said quietly. “Don’t worry, I won’t punish you for breaking curfew,” the man said. “Thank you,” the boy replied.
“Charles, I see you have discovered the Mirror of Desiderium,” Binotto continued. “What does that mean?” Charles asked. “It’s a mirror that shows you what your heart yearns for the most,” Binotto replied simply. “It doesn’t mean that you will ever get it, though,” he explained, looking into the mirror. “Many great witches and wizards have lost their minds to this mirror. So, Charles, tell me, what do you see?” he asked. “I—I see my parents,” Charles gulped. “Honourable want,” Binotto nodded. “So you understand why it may never happen?” Charles nodded. “Professor, what do you see?” Charles asked and stared at the older man.
He took a long look at himself in the mirror. “I see myself,” the man started. “I’m congratulating this year’s graduates.” Charles nodded and stared at the mirror. “Charles,” the man said suddenly, snapping Charles’s attention to him. “This mirror won’t be here tomorrow. I would be happy if you wouldn’t go looking for it,” the man said. “Okay,” Charles nodded. “Now go to your room,” Binotto said, smiling. “You need to sleep. Goodnight, Charles.” “Goodnight, Professor,” Charles said, and before he could wrap the cloak around himself, the man was gone.
The next night, Charles went to check, just because he was curious, to see if the mirror was still there. But when he reached the door and opened it, the room was empty. Charles smiled and carefully closed the door, heading back to his room.
YOU ARE READING
The Seeker In Red
FantasyCharles stared at the blond, blue eyed boy. ,,Im Max, Max Verstappen." The boy smirked. ,,And this is Lando and Daniel." He looked at the boys with fondness in his eyes, you could see that he valued them. ,,You will find that some families are bette...
