(Arcane Tinker) Chapter 18: Enchanting Charms

AN: Like the other AT chapters so far, this isn’t part of the weekly schedule. Tomorrow will be an AWM (EM Vol. 2) chapter, like you guys chose in the last poll.

Chapter 18: Enchanting Charms

2nd September 1991, Hogwarts

He nodded as the other boy left and stood stiffly at his desk as the last few students filed out, the door clicking shut behind them. Flitwick turned around from his own desk and looked up at him, expression still kind but more focused, “Now, Mr. Thomas, how long have you known that you were an enchanter?”

Dean found himself completely speechless at the Charms Professor’s question. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say. From what he understood in the Orphanage and from what little time he spent with his peers, an enchanter was a pretty big deal. He didn’t know for sure how big it would be, and so he had resolved himself to study what happened to Enchanters as they graduate from Hogwarts, what would happen to them, and which positions they ended up in. It was the safest thing to wait before revealing it. He would have done it during the weekend, but he didn’t expect to get caught literally on his first day of school.

Still, it could be a bluff, and so Dean gave the professor a confused look, “I’m afraid that I don’t understand, professor.”

A smile grew on the half-goblin’s face. “Did you know, Mr. Thomas, that we have files on every student before you even set foot in the castle? We usually study them carefully before the term starts to make sure to accommodate you as best we can and to avoid certain accidents from occurring. Yours was quite worrying, if I’m honest. A muggleborn capable of destroying an entire street with multiple casualties, even if it was during your magical activation, a suspected personal magic revolving around heat, fire, and explosions, it doesn’t paint a good picture. I believe that a certain political party look favourably on your admissions, expecting that your inevitable expulsion would help them push certain laws that would be constructive for muggleborns.”

Dean suppressed the urge to flinch at the reminder of what happened that fateful day, of his mother’s body lying in the ground and the people who killed her, of his complete failure as a son. He could feel the ring in his hand heat up in his shaking hand, but stopped himself and took a deep breath, “I still don’t understand what you’re getting at, Professor.”

“I believe you do. Pretending to be a Pyromancer could scare off many of the people who seek to hurt you, but it will hurt you in the long run. But who am I to deny your choices? I am only your professor, after all.”

The young man remained silent, not knowing how to answer, but it seemed that Flitwick wasn’t expecting an answer at all and just changed the subject completely, “Did you know that this entire field of magic was made to directly lower the influence of enchanters in magical society?”

“Really?” Dean asked, feeling curious.

The professor nodded, “I believe it started a few centuries after the appearance of the Merlinean magical system. Enchanters had a stranglehold on most magical items ever made and kept raising prices to their own content. Seeing that this was unsustainable, a group of wizards, witches, and even Muggle mathematicians worked together for decades to find a formula using which could layer magic on top of an object. It was groundbreaking, to say the least, and even today, most of the charms you will ever cast are based on this work.”

“Then why are enchanters still important?” Dean couldn’t help but ask.

“Because Charms are quite short-lived, especially when compared to proper enchantments. Oh, there are theoretically no limits to what one can achieve using Merlin’s system, but the arithmetic formulas become difficult enough and time-consuming enough when a complex and long-lived charm is required that it would have been cheaper to simply hire an enchanter to do it instead. Oh, of course, this changed the market of Enchanters to mostly focus on complex and expensive inventions. But as fascinating as this is, a very common skill that most enchanters possess is the ability to analyse, or at least, perceive the magic inside objects, like, for example, to help dispel a charm by targeting the charm itself, instead of overpowering the magic completely, which was the purpose of the exercise in the first place.”

“Oh.”

What else could he say? He’d been caught because of the nag he felt when he looked at those boots, not knowing that it wasn’t something that everyone else experienced as well. Dean looked down at his hand, his fingers tightening slightly around the ring he always wore. He hadn’t meant to give himself away. He didn’t even know he could give himself away like that. It had felt instinctive, like scratching an itch. But apparently, it had been enough.

Professor Flitwick watched him silently for a moment before continuing, his tone softer now, “I understand the worry that comes with being different, and I cannot blame you for hiding behind that ring of yours, but personal magic is not meant to be restrained, and it will be harder to control the less you use it.”

“You know about the ring?” Dean exclaimed with his shock audible in his voice.

“Of course. I told you, didn’t I? An enchanter can perceive the magic imbued in an object.”

Then, finally, all of the pieces clicked into place: “You’re an enchanter too.”

The half-goblin smiled, but Dean could see some bitterness in them, “I am. Usually, an enchanter’s family guides them over the years. Muggleborn enchanters are exceedingly rare, and people will try to take advantage of you. I suppose it is my duty to help you navigate the wizarding world, and the sad truth that students learn quite late in their lives is that this world is not a kind one.”

“Is it really that bad?” Dean asked.

“If society deems that you have value, then this place can almost be a paradise. This can be gold, magical ability, political influence, or anything really, as long as it’s perceived as valuable. As a muggleborn, your only chance at becoming a valuable citizen to this nation is through your magical ability, be it your personal magic or through mastering a discipline.”

“And if someone didn’t do any of that?”

The half-goblin obviously hesitated for a few seconds before saying, “I don’t think I can quite explain it. When you next go to Diagon Alley, try going to a place called Knockturn Alley. You will find the answer to that question there.”

“I thought that Knockturn Alley was too dangerous for people.”

“I suppose it can be dangerous, but the truths lying there are far more damning than some potential mugging attempt.”

Dean wanted to know more, but restrained himself. It was obvious that it was a sensitive topic for the professor, especially since he was recommending going to a seedy magical alley to get his answers.

And so, he simply nodded his acceptance, and the professor seemed to let out a relieved sigh, to which Dean asked, “So, what should I know, given that I’m an enchanter?”

“We have quite a lot to cover. My best advice would be to not sign anything.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

“No, young man. You have to be more vigilant. The moment people know that you’re an enchanter, you will likely be worth your weight in gold. Everyone will try to recruit you for some cause or another, or to give you job offers, even while you’re still a student. Signing the wrong contract could ruin your future easily enough. You could end up stuck enchanting one object after another, in a dungeon, for the rest of your days. It doesn’t even have to be magically binding, just your signature and identification rune, and the ministry would enforce it. After all, you’re an unprotected asset that people will try to get their hands on, with no family or sponsor to protect you.”

Dean paled in fear, “Are you telling me that this could really happen?”

“Perhaps I exaggerated slightly, but it depends entirely on your specialisation. Do you know what it is, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“No, I don’t,” Dean replied honestly.

“You will need to figure it out and quickly at that. You were admittedly clever with the ring, but the more you master your magic, the more secure you will be. You cannot lie to Professor McGonagall during your registration. It is grounds for expulsion if you lie, and all of the protections that Hogwarts offers you will be gone with your status as a student. The information is confidential, but the School Board has access to it. Eventually, someone will know, and you’ll need to be ready.”

Dean found himself overwhelmed by the information and the sheer intensity of Flitwick’s warning. He decided to ask him something for a change, “What is your specialisation, Professor?”

“Oh, I can enchant personal equipment to increase people’s attributes for a short while, something like an increase in speed, reaction, even healing. It was extremely useful during my duelling days.”

Oh right, Flitwick was a duelling champion once, wasn’t he? Dean had almost forgotten. Still, he couldn’t help but ask, “Did you… Did you have to go through with this as well?”

Flitwick paused at that, his eyes growing distant, as if pulled back through memories he had long buried. For a moment, the cheerfulness that usually coloured his voice faded entirely.

“Yes,” he finally said, voice low. “Though things were… different back then, before it all… But that doesn’t change the fact that I was alone too, with barely any support or protection. It was far better when I was still at Hogwarts, but I did receive a lot of letters. I was offered contracts before I even graduated; most of them could barely be called offers. A few were outright threats. Someone had tried to use a potion to even force me to sign a contract during one of my trips to Hogsmeade. After that incident, I learned to enchant a bracelet every few hours to make me resistant to mental effects. You have time to learn your gift during your time at Hogwarts. It’s outside that you need to worry.”

“Will the same happen to me?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “We have taken measures against this, but there’s only so much we can do. We haven’t had a case quite like yours in decades, a truly unprotected enchanter. Once you’re done with your registration with Professor McGonagall, the school will move to take measures to protect you. That’s why the registration matters. It warns us when to expect trouble and from where. And, of course, you have me.”

“I don’t quite understand, professor,” the young man replied.

“Given the similar nature of our magic, it’s only natural that I help you understand it and its limits, as well as the most common traps that you’ll encounter and how to defeat them. And who knows, perhaps a few basic duelling lessons could be added in, for educational purposes, of course,” the half-goblin replied before giving Dean a wink, “We can even call it extra practice. After all, as a muggleborn, you might need it.”

Dean looked up, knowing that this offer seemed almost too good to be true. And yet, here was Professor Flitwick, offering time, protection, and knowledge, without seemingly asking anything in return. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why? Why help me at all?”

Flitwick didn’t seem offended. If anything, he looked proud.

“That’s a very good attitude to have. The truth is that I haven’t taught a completely neutral enchanter before. Everyone has their disposition regarding some issue or another, or perhaps it would be more accurately to call it their families’ or sponsors’ disposition. You are, Mr. Thomas, a white canvas, one filled with potential, which I wish to have the privilege to unearth. What that potential is, we’ll have to see, won’t we?”

Dean quickly caught the meaning inside the words. Flitwick will teach him, but only if he has some potential. It made sense, in a way. The professor had seen that he was an enchanter, a seemingly neutral one without any baggage, which made him valuable. He had offered to guide Dean on how to become an enchanter and teach him, as long as he proved himself to be worth teaching in the long run.

The young man didn’t know what the consequences of this decision would be, but then again, if Flitwick was correct, and he likely was, then Dean didn’t really have a choice, did he? Then again, he also didn’t have much to lose by agreeing, and he didn’t think he’d get this opportunity elsewhere.

He simply nodded his head, “I accept.”

“Very well,” Flitwick said, seeming satisfied. “Now off you go, Mr. Thomas. We’ll speak again soon.”

He had known that being known as an enchanter would have made things difficult, but he didn’t know exactly how much of a hassle things could get. First, he would need to verify Flitwick’s claims and also what remained unsaid during their conversation. This meant that he needed to go to the library as soon as possible.

AN: Like I said above, this isn’t part of the weekly schedule. Tomorrow will be an AWM (EM Vol. 2) chapter, like you guys chose in the last poll.

As for this chapter, I know that this chapter is a bit short, but I’m a bit busy today, so I had to wrap things up a bit quickly, and the talk with Flitwick got away from me. I want you to tell me what you think of my characterisation of Flitwick. This world is a bit more serious than Canon, and I wanted to show it a bit, but I don’t know if it came out quite like I wanted to. As usual, I don’t mind rewriting this depending on your feedback, so please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.