Do you remember me?- Simon Snow

The Mage's office

Simon had spent the whole of breakfast impatiently awaiting to be summoned by the Mage. Although terrified, he was slightly glad when he spotted the divination teacher making a bee-line towards him. He couldn't carry on trying to eat breakfast when his hands were shaking too much to hold his cutlery.

"Snow, time to go," he said, glancing at the empty table Simon was seated at, the rest of the students as far away as possible from the violent student being called to the Mage's office.

He begrudgingly clambered to his feet and followed Professor Owlswick out the hall, leaving his plate untouched. He still hadn't thought of an explanation to Baz condition and it was times like this that he really needed Agatha and Penelope. Penelope would tell him to tell the truth and Agatha would be the real help, giving a perfect excuse after some thought.

His legs were still shaking when he reached the Mages office. He realized then that if he lied Baz would only dob him in when he woke up so maybe he should follow the advice Penelope's usual gave him when he got himself into sticky situations. However the Mage had always been on Simon's side and he didn't know if he could lose that trust, maybe lying wasn't that bad an idea.

His escorted knocked on the big oak door and a deep voice bellowed, "come in."

Simon waited for his professor to push open the bolted door but when he turned around there was just an empty corridor as though his guide had just disappeared into thin air.

Confused, Simon had little time to ponder over this strange disappearance because the bolted door began to make clunking noises. Simon watched in awe as the complex locks slowly I undid themselves without any aid from anyone. Simon had been to the Mage's office before but the Mage had always escorted him, had simply knocked and the doors would swing open, temporarily braking the locks until the doors swing back to their original position and the assorted lot of knots and bolts welded themselves together again. He'd heard rumours from deep within the widening corridors of Watford that these doors muttered and snitched between each other but not everything was possible in the wizarding world.

Simon stood gazing at the assortment of books on exotic birds or the enchanted woodland areas in England. He was so enthralled in their gold stitched covers and beautiful bindings that he didn't notice the Mage peering over his desk at him, a small stream of purple smoke rising from the ink pot beside him.

"Simon," he said calmly waving in the blonde boy's direction. Caught by surprise, Simon's chin snapped up and he hastily dropped the book he'd been studying.

The young boy opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the Mage who stood and walked towards him till he towered over his short student, the only sound he made coming from the swish of his dark red cloak.

The Mage didn't speak but instead gave Simon a knowing look as if his eyes were reaching into Simons brain, thumbing through discarded memories and half-learnt hexes till he found the answer he was looking for. Slightly shaken Simon shouted, "Sir! I- It was an accident!"

"An accident?" His voice seems to spread through the room, leaving no space silent, making even the pages in the shelves of volumes quiver. "It's funny how boys your age seems to make so many 'accidents' which break school rules." Gripping his robes to hide his fear, Simon spluttered for an answer but no sound left his throat. He could see it now: gathering his belonging and being escorted out of the grand school he called home worse still students would pile out and line the grounds to watch the chosen one be dismayed. So lost in his daydream Simon made gave no reply.  "Now I'm going to wait to hear Baz's side of the story till I give appropriate punishments" The Mage began, "I called for you to hear your side but you appear speechless and are therefore are of little use."

A surge of courage filled Simon's veins till he burst out "But you can trust him! Sir Baz... Baz is a vampire!"

The look of horror Simon had expected never came instead the Mage turned an amused eye to him and breezed nonchalantly "Is he now? Now that's a story you can sink your teeth into." As he spoke Simon felt a chill run up his spine and no thought passed through his mind except that he despised this feeling and if not mentioning vampires would prevent it from happening again he was willing to force his mouth shut with Mrs Stiller's Charmed Tape.

"Is that all?" The Mage asked and Simon got the impression it was an order not a question but he nodded sheepishly anyway. "Good. Close the door on your way out, Professor Owlswick will escort you to your next lesson so it doesn't seem like you were skipping."

That sparked a memory in Simons brain, "I think mr Owlswick disappeared."

"Pardon?"

"He walked me to your office. One minute he was there the next he was gone, I couldn't see him anywhere."

"He must be somewhere. You don't think people just vanish into thin air do you Simon?" The Mage smirked, making Simon feel more foolish than when he arrived.

Overcome with humiliation he turned to the door which began the slow unbolting by itself then he stepped out into the warmth of the corridor which flushed up his cheeks and a freeing feeling overcame him making him glad he's escaped the Mage's cold stare.

From behind him Simon swore he heard a low mutter of "I wouldn't want to be you when term starts." He turned, his heel squeaking in the polished stone, but all that was behind him was the looming oak of The Mage's door.