The Teacher Who Wouldn't Leave

Sunlight spilled across his face, warm and pleasant.

A gentle breeze stirred the gauzy Veil, lifting it and letting it fall again.

It was a beautiful morning.

Since arriving in this world, Anton had never slept so soundly.

Back when he'd been an apprentice to a Dark Wizard, the old man had never needed much sleep. Sometimes, he'd burst in, furious, just as the sky began to lighten.

Then he'd roar, "What are you sleeping for? You'll have plenty of time to sleep after you're dead!"

If Anton still refused to get up, the old man would hit him with a Jinx. It wasn't as outrageous as the Cruciatus Curse, but it guaranteed a pain no ordinary person could endure.

But now...

Anton rolled over, letting the sun shine on his backside, and decided to enjoy a little more sleep.

Bliss.

"What are you sleeping for? You'll have plenty of time to sleep after you're dead!"

A furious roar exploded beside his ear!

Startled, Anton scrambled out of bed. "Teacher, I'm sorry! I'll never..."

Suddenly, his expression froze. He stared blankly at the Old Wizard.

The Old Wizard floated before him, his body pale and translucent, as though it had faded away.

"You—" Anton was stunned. "You son of a—"

The Old Wizard looked as if he couldn't believe his ears. "How dare you insult me!"

He lunged at Anton, claws out, and passed straight through his body.

A wave of icy cold swept over Anton. It felt as if he'd eaten an entire freezer's worth of ice cream, and he shuddered.

The Old Wizard kept cursing. "You stupid, idiotic fool!..."

Anton swallowed. He wished the Old Wizard weren't dead, so he could go to the kitchen, grab a cleaver, and kill the bastard all over again.

At last, he had a whole new understanding of Ghosts.

They couldn't hurt you or be touched, they ignored walls, and you couldn't attack them. The things were practically invincible!

Damn it!

The wooden door creaked softly. Old Tom had come to bring breakfast.

The kindly old man was always afraid of waking Anton. He lifted the door as he opened it, so it wouldn't squeak. Then he set steaming milk and bread on the little round table. He always managed to guess when Anton would wake up, so the milk was just the right temperature when he did.

Then Old Tom spotted the Old Wizard, and his eyes widened in shock.

"First a Werewolf, now a Ghost!" Old Tom gaped, revealing his toothless gums. "No wonder you're not afraid to go out at night. You've got them all around you."

"..."

What could Anton say? All he could offer was a not-too-awkward smile.

Old Tom left, but the Old Wizard stayed.

He stood beside Anton, chattering curses while Anton brushed his teeth, then glared at him while he used the bathroom. He was still standing by Anton's side as he drank his milk and ate his bread.

Anton was sure he'd go mad.

He sighed and looked quietly at the Old Wizard. "Maybe you could start a whole new life."

The Old Wizard was taken aback. "A new life?"

This was promising!

The man could be reasoned with!

"Exactly!" Anton perked up. "Think about it. You used to skulk around like a sewer rat, always keeping to the shadows when you walked. You were afraid to talk to people in case they hurt you."

He gestured wildly as he spoke. "You built a tall wall inside yourself, shutting yourself off from the world. When you were alive, nobody remembered you. Nobody knew you. You were barely even living."

"People feared you, and you feared them."

"But now..." Anton's voice grew more passionate, and his blood began to race. "You may be dead, but you've gained the right to truly live!"

"You can walk freely down the street." Anton pointed toward the bustling scene outside the window.

"Right down the middle. Through the crowd, head held high, chest out, without a hint of fear. Just keep walking."

"There's nothing left in this world for you to fear. You can go see places you never could before."

Anton's eyes grew distant. He spread his arms wide, as if embracing the whole world.

"You can greet the sunrise atop a lofty mountain. You can stand beside a clear river and watch the glittering ripples. You can sit wherever you like at a bustling Quidditch Match, right in the best seat."

"You..."

"I..." The Old Wizard seemed touched by Anton's beautiful vision, a wistful smile appearing on his face.

He floated straight out, passing through the walls of the inn and bar, and disappeared.

"Heh, nailed it." Anton happily went on chewing his bread. "Let the Ghosts have him."

After breakfast, Anton curled up in bed again and pulled out the three books he'd bought.

He started with Standard Book of Spells, Grade One, which explained all sorts of basic Charms in detail.

The Softening Charm, Cutting Charm, Unlocking Charm, Levitation Charm, Locking Charm, Mending Charm, Repelling Charm, Wand-Lighting Charm, Fire-Making Charm...

Each one was especially useful. The Unlocking Charm, for example, could easily deal with a lock that wasn't protected by advanced magic.

Once he learned it, Anton could even swagger into a Muggle bank and rob it clean, living the high life.

Assuming the Aurors didn't catch him, of course.

Then there was the Levitation Charm. It was practically unbeatable. With a wave of his Wand, even the heaviest object could float weightlessly in midair.

And this...

Was only first-year Young Wizard material!

The only problem was that the textbook included the incantations and explanations, but not the wand movements or any guidance on how to pronounce the spells. It didn't explain what emotions were needed to cast them, either.

Almost none of the three essentials for casting a spell that the Old Wizard had told him about were in there!

By the time Anton finished the whole book that morning, he felt utterly disappointed. He seemed to understand a lot, yet also felt like he'd learned nothing at all.

A complete waste of time.

It was like an article in a science magazine explaining a problem but leaving out all the most important data.

Aside from giving him a vague idea of things, the book was completely useless!

Anton's longing to study at Hogwarts grew stronger than ever.

The other two books he'd bought were no better. Magical Theory contained nothing but theory, page after page of grand ideas, without a single word about Charms.

Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection was even more ridiculous. Anton figured that writing down what he'd experienced over the past two months would be more useful than anything in the book.

Damn it!

Four Gold Galleons down the drain.

Annoyed, he considered throwing the three books in the trash, but after a moment's hesitation, he put them back in his backpack. He'd paid good money for them, and besides, if he managed to study at Hogwarts someday, they were required textbooks.

In the end, he could only take the book The Apprenticeship of the Great Alex Fiennes out of his shoulder bag.

The book was full of dangerous Dark Magic, but at least the Old Wizard had been conscientious enough to explain every key detail.

Anton opened the first page and began reading with relish.

Besides records of all kinds of Charms, the book also included the Old Wizard's life story.

That, too, was an extremely valuable source of knowledge.

"Ha!" Anton laughed as he read the Old Wizard's surreptitious insults about his teacher in the lines of the book. "You had to put up with this crap too, huh?"

The Old Wizard's teacher had been a Dark Wizard every bit as nasty as he was.

Anton could definitely relate.

"You fool! You're reading my diary!" Anton was deep in the book when a roar suddenly rang in his ear.

He turned in surprise and saw the Old Wizard's furious, twisted face right beside him.

"How dare you!" the Old Wizard roared, lunging at him.

Another wave of icy cold passed right through him.

Anton shuddered and stared blankly at the Old Wizard. "Didn't you leave? Good heavens!"