Beautiful Lily

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The following day Henry came by his grandfather's pawn shop after school. He opened the front door and the bell to Gold's shop jingled. When Henry entered the shop he was surprised that his grandfather wasn't there to greet him right away, so he called into the shop, "Mr. Gold? Grandpa?"

"I'm back here Henry," called Mr. Gold from the back of his shop. "Come on in."

Henry walked slowly through the beaded curtain that led to Gold's private work office and saw his grandfather spinning at his spinning wheel. Henry watched the wheel for a few moments and found himself strangely mesmerized by the spokes that spun around the axel. A question bubbled to the surface of Henry's mind so he asked curiously, "Why do you still spin? Nobody really purchases thread anymore."

Mr. Gold smirked as he spun the wheel a little more slowly. "It's a hobby that's now become a habit of mine. It helps me forget, and it helps me think... which reminds me..."

Mr. Gold stood up from the small wooden stool and walked over to his jacket. He picked up the jacket and began putting it on. He eyed Henry suspiciously, but then smiled as he said, "I'm heading over to the library to meet Belle for a few moments. The pocket-watch you're looking for is on the counter at the front of the shop. I also left you a notepad and pen beside it. Feel free to look around and write down all the items you see and categorize them as you see fit. Should you need any help, I'll only be a few moments at the library. When I return, I'll answer any questions you may have."

Gold walked over to Henry and patted him lovingly on the shoulders. Gold then made his way toward the front of his shop. Henry followed after him to the front of the store. When Gold opened the front door Henry shouted after him, "Grandpa?"

Gold paused at the threshold to his shop and turned to face his grandson, "Yes Henry?"

"I... uh, just wanted to say that... what you did last night was a really brave thing. I think Dad would have been proud."

"Thank you Henry," replied Gold with a grateful smile, "It really means a lot hearing it from you."

Henry smiled at his grandfather and Gold nodded as he finally exited and left his shop. Henry immediately set his book bag down and whipped out his library book. He laid the book down on the counter and flipped to the page of the Traveler's Spell. He brought the open book with the incantation over to the pocket-watch. He held his open hands over the watch and looked over at his book to reference as he called out, "Hellebore henbane aconite glowworm fire and firefly light."

The pocket-watch began to glow a warm pink, as if the magic he had performed heated the item itself. Henry smiled to himself seeing that the spell worked. He touched the long minute-hand of the watch and turned it a quarter-turn to the left extinguishing the pink glow. Henry flipped through the pages in his book searching for the Levitation Spell. Now that he was able to enact the Traveling Spell, he felt confident that this next spell would work too.

He looked around the shop for something that could carry him. He began looking up and down and around corners of the room for an item to use as transportation when traveling to these different worlds. It wasn't enough that this item needed to help carry him away in a bind, but he needed the item to come to him when beckoned; which meant that the item he needed would need to take life of its own and to recognize his call. He would need to cast the Substitutiary-Locomotion Spell first.

In his book, Ms. Price used an enchanted a broom to carry her around, so Henry figured... why not for him? Henry looked around his grandfather's shop for a broom. Henry chuckled to himself because of how clichéd it all felt. He opened a couple of cabinets and closets until he found one hiding in the corner in the back of his shop. Henry brought the modern broom out to the front of the shop and leaned it against the glass counter where the book was displayed open behind it. Majestically, Henry called out to the broom, waving his hands, "Treguna Mekoides Tracorum Satis Dee."