Obscure Occurrences |C. BAREBONE|

☛ Forty-Three ☚

• August, 1927 •

On a clear, starry night of August, the Circus Arcanus had visited Place Cachée in Paris. There, tents were bright with lamps as bunting was stringed from one lamppost to next. Beneath the moon and the dark pall descending from the sky, music, laughter and conversation erupted from around the circus, drowning its visitors in a façade of splendour and dreams. It was all in full swing as children dragged their parents from one attraction to another.

The street performers were working in the open amongst all the hustle and bustle with wizards studying each one for false components. On one corner, a half-troll exposed its feats of unimaginable strength while deformed and mangled underbeings roamed the crowds, snatching money from the masses as they passed in blind amazement. The atmosphere radiating from the Circus Arcanus couldn't be found anywhere despite being surrounded by a world of magic.

Horns were hidden under hats and tails under long coats; the half-elf and half-goblins juggled and tumbled across the grounds in the meantime. And on the other end of it all, surrounded by awestruck children was a Chinese Zouwu manned by the weak-seeming witch Genevieve. Inside it's small crate, a cat-like creature with a wispy, plumed tail covering its face was illuminated by the fireworks roaring above the chatter originating on the ground.

All around the dark, imprisoned witch the wondrous world she had dreamed of between story pages and in slumber. It was presented with a sprinkle of magic and a dazzle of charm she had yet to experience. Only a year she lived amongst it all yet never saw such things. When she had, it wasn't through rose-tinted glasses like the ticket holders before her. No. Genevieve was abused into seeing the truth behind the tarp. She was the one who had to tend to the Zouwu's scars and wounds, not those smiling in her presence.

In the meanwhile, Credence was trapped in a cage separating him from Nagini as she stroked the fabric of her circus dress. She knew she must perform yet couldn't bring herself to recall the act she must echo from last week.

"Nagini" Credence hissed for her attention, a paper folded between his fumbling fingers.

"Credence..."

"I think I know where she is" Credence announced.

The boy was talking of his mother with such suppressed excitement. He couldn't express it here like he did in privacy with Genevieve. With her, he lifted her against his chest and twirled the small girl around in joy. They were so close to-

"We escape tonight" he informed before Skender entered with a threatening air.

"Hey! I told you to stay away from her, boy, - did I say you could take a break?-" the cruel ringmaster asked with a burning fire, "- clean out the Kappa" He then ordered before storming to Credence and closing a curtain between the friends.

"And you!-" he snapped, "- get ready".

☛✹☚

As Credence formulated the plan further, Genevieve kept her arm as flexible as she could. She didn't want anyone to notice her wand stuffed up her sleeve. After she had used it to heal Credence, Skender saw no reason for the witch to receive her wand everyday. He had snatched it violently from her life and left Genevieve like a Muggle amongst the magic. For the night after the ringmaster's new reform, Genevieve mourned the loss of her power. But, before the show and while Skender went to check on Nagini, Genevieve took the chance to break into the ringmaster's tent and focus a single spell through her palm toward Skender's trunk...

Alohomora.

When the witch heard the successful click of the lock she remembered back to the time when she first achieved casting a spell. That's the exact same feeling that coursed through her as she pulled the wand from the depths of the trunk to hold it firmly between her fingers.

While the witch stood firmly beside the cage, Nagini melted into coils, her body morphing into that of a huge snakes as Skender announced the tragic tale of the maledictus. But during this time of complete loss of awareness, Nagini suddenly struck through the bars with a cry in Parseltongue; snapping her jaws at the ringmaster until he crumpled, bleeding that familiar crimson liquid. At the back of the tent, Credence smashed the cage of Firedrakes. The Obscurial allowed them to soar free and crack like fireworks inside the tent. Ultimately... The big top caught ablaze against the chilling, starry sky.

Screams erupted amongst the panic, the crowd pulled and teared at each other's clothes to reach the exit. In the meanwhile, Genevieve gulped down her paralysing fear of fire, pointed her wand to the crate and whispered:

"Alohomora".

In seconds, the Zouwu burst free amongst the alarm. It exploded from the crate and revealed it's full form, a cat the size of an elephant, five coloured with a tail as long as a python. Any person -if they took a moment to stop- would see the horrifically abused creature: scars haunting its face. But the creature would be too fast even if the mass ceased. It was already drunk on terror.

As everyone ran ramped, the performers began packing amongst the buzz of fear. No one would survive amongst the fire's terrifying rage.

In the chaos, Genevieve pushed against the waves of people -her body smacking into those of large men as they barrelled past blindly- with one thought in her mind: she had to find Credence.

Soon enough, thankfully, she did. Beside the tall boy slithered a snake unable to revert back to its beautiful form and on his face was a agonising worry as he whipped his head from side to side. Like Genevieve, he feared the worst while he searched... Until his black orbs fixed onto her silver eyes.

"Credence!" She exclaimed -not being the only one- as she jumped into his embrace. For moments his warmth enveloped the witch and forced a smile upon his face. Yet, he couldn't bask in the heat for long. Genevieve had already apparated the maledictus and himself to safety.