The World Unknown
Vladimir's Curiosity
Chapter Twenty

- Vladimir's Perspective -

________ swallowed hard as she tried to force a smile on her face, "She was in an accident and she died at the hospital." She then reached her arm up as if she were touching something, "She always wore this, her husband gave it to her on their honeymoon and – she gave it to me to remind me of her."

It must have been a necklace she was talking about, though as we finally reached the doors of the library, I felt it only right to say something comforting after everything she opened to me about. "I hope she's real, _______, she sounds nice, and the necklace is also –" I turned to give it a look, but as I did so, I couldn't see a thing.

"She loved the colour green, that's why it's green." She said as she rubbed some invisible object around her neck.

I was speechless, she noticed, "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah, sorry, no, it's nice." I said, still staring at where her fingers were. There was something there, but I couldn't see it. Had she always been wearing it? "Um, can you go on ahead really quick? I'll catch up with you."

"B-But we're only here because YOU lead the way here, Vlad, I don't know what you –" She tried, but I was already sprinting away. I had a prefect to talk to.

It didn't take long before I ended up running into Allistor and Dylan, who was storming beside him with a scowl printed on his face. I grinned as casually as I could as I approached the two, "Allistor, just the red-head in my head, what are you up to?"

"Not now – wait, actually, yeah. I had a question for you. Did you... shoot the flame spell at my brother?" He asked whilst repressing a grin.

"No! Absolutely not! I don't even have a wand!" I protested.

"It's in your hand right now, Vladimir!" Dylan hissed.

We all glanced over at the whitewood wand in my right hand and I felt a cold sweat overtake me, "How did THIS get here?!"

"Innit Bliss's wand?" Allistor asked, raising his brows.

"How'd you guess?" I asked, already giving up on spewing out another lie.

"It's the exact same wand Gage has, but white," he replied, "I took a good look at Gage's wand when I locked it earlier. Ain't no one using that one without me unlocking it first."

"You or a powerful wizard, you mean?"

"Either way, ain't no powerful wizards here yet." He gave a laugh then returned to business, "So anyways, I'm still dealing with research and the others are occupied guarding the halls so if you excuse us."

Dylan looked as if he wasn't going to leave Allistor's side, so impulse took over me. Although I couldn't cast the fire spell on Dylan to get rid of him right now, I still could make him go deaf while I talked to Allistor.

"Silencio," I muttered under my breath after the two walked passed me, Dylan hadn't noticed he was deaf just yet and since we haven't learnt nonverbal magic yet, he wouldn't be able to undo the spell on himself.

"Allistor?" I called.

He looked over his shoulder and Dylan glanced over too, though I was no longer worried about being too discreet.

"Do you know anything about invisible jewelry?"

"I-Invisible jewelry? Why? You looking to fill a quota?" He laughed, meanwhile Dylan seemed to notice something was wrong.

"No, I mean that –" I wondered for a second whether to be completely honest with him and risk someone overhearing or to be discreet with him in hopes of confusing or misleading any nosey listeners. "I'm being serious. Is it possible to make jewelry invisible to everyone except the wearer?"

Allistor furrowed his brows as he studied me, he seemed to catch on what I was saying, he took a minute to respond however, "It's definitely in the realm of possibility, but I'd have to know more. Cos I know there's invisible toys and cloaks and what not –"

"But invisible toys and cloaks are invisible to everyone, even the holder. I'm talking about jewelry that is specifically invisible to everyone EXCEPT the person wearing it."

He let out an uncomfortable laugh before thinking again, "Er – am I really the first person you came to ask this question to? Or are you too afraid to ask anyone else?"

"I know you're on okay terms with everyone, I was hoping by chance you knew something or someone who knows something... So, do you?"

"Can't really say for sure, mate," he said after a minute, "some might guess it's a –" he cut off before he could finish. He opened his mouth to try again, but nothing came out. "Nevermind, it's probably nothing."

"If it's nothing, what were you going to say?"

He shifted uncomfortably, "I'd have to see the thing to know for sure, if you can bring me the jewelry, I might be able to tell you."

"I don't have the jewelry, it was just something I read about in a book and I was curious."

"And exactly what book was this?"

"I didn't get a good look at it, but come on Allistor, what's holding you back this time? You told Alfred all about the explosion jinx just because he was curious so how's this any different?"

"Ah, so that's why you came to ask me first." He sighed out but as he looked back at me, I could tell I hit a nerve, "Well I'm really not sure what you saw in that book or if it'd be specific to jewelry, but I do know one charm."

"A charm?"

"Yeah, now let me talk, it's called the –" He cut himself off, "It's called the –" He tried another two times but couldn't manage to say it, "Ugh, whatever, but it was originally used by wizards who travelled to the nongifted world for long periods of time and feared accidentally using magic in front of a nonwizard. These days, it's mainly used as a trick or prank. That old Etals prefect knew it well, I think she might've taught Gage how to cast it since he'd always cast the spell on buttons and place them in people's robe pockets and what not. Kinda funny I guess—"

He quickly got off topic so I found myself cutting in, "But what's it called?"

"I can't say."

"Why not?"

"Look, I would if I could, but I can't say it, honestly. I think the headmaster might've cast a ban on the charm name." Allistor reasoned.

"Then why'd he go and do that?" I asked, frustrated for answers.

"Shesh, you give me too much credit, I don't know EVERYTHING, but I am pretty good," he boosted his ego cheerfully whilst still not noticing Dylan who was frantically waving his wand and screaming, of course no noise was coming out. "Anyways, the spell is cast on an object that is kept on the person, for the example, let's say it's jewelry...

Say a wizard wants to go to the nongifted world for a year, they'll cast the spell on their favourite ring and put it on once they're there. Once it's on, they won't be able to use any sort of magic; of course, it's still a magical ring, so in case the wizards wearing it ends up hurting themselves, the ring will heal them quickly to make up for the fact that they're wandless. Does that make sense? You're looking at me kinda stupid."

"Thanks, Allistor, uplifting as ever." I retorted while he laughed "Anyways, this ring, it then becomes invisible to everyone except the person wearing it, am I right?"

He gave a nod then continued, "Invisible to everyone except the wearer and the original caster, but once it's taken off, everyone will be able to see it even though it still contains its original power... Now, I won't be telling you the charm though because last time I taught someone a spell, they ended up in hospital –"

"But that spell saved our lives. From the bloodlavers, remember that?" I interrupted as I remembered the events of that night. "Anyways, can that charm erase someone's memories?"

"Of course not, otherwise it'd be a hell of an inconvenience for any wizard to put it on," he answered. "But this isn't out of nowhere, is it, Vladimir? Why were you reading a book like that?" Without responding, I instead turned around and made my way back up to the library where I had left _______, dashing the whole way there.

However, upon entering, I only saw Amber, Lukas, and Alfred, "Where's ________?" I asked impatiently.

"Hey to you too, Vladie." Alfred frowned.

"Hello, Alfred, Amber, Lukas. Where's ________? I've gotta talk to her really quick."

"You just missed her," Lukas spoke up, "I don't know where she went off to, but you two better be staying out of trouble... The prefects are really busy especially now that Gage's down and Bliss is being, well, a mess, honestly..."

"I forgot that you don't have a soul, Lukas, but thanks for the info anywho, I'll see ya!" I grinned, waving them off as I exited the library.

Honestly though, does this girl need a bell around her neck to avoid getting lost or something? I pulled my wand out and waved it in a circle before an orange mist began to engulf me, "Lead me to __________," I said. The orange smoke quickly began to circle around me before it began to make a trail that lead me foreword, I followed.

It wasn't until I reached the Talian garden that I realized that I was at another dead end. Why in the world would ______ be in there? Was she mind controlled and lead there? A sick feeling entered my body as I looked at the potions on display that would grow the door to the Talian commons room. Although I had watched ________ properly configure the proper potion, I couldn't remember it at all. Potions was always my weakness after all.

Though I had never tried a growing spell, "Crescere." And though the blue smoke flew towards the seed, it was as if an invisible shield appeared around it and the potion ingredients, causing the smoke to bounce off and hit a tree, which in turn, grew twice it's previous size. Letting out a groan, I pondered my options.

Either leave and risk losing sight of _______ is she leaves while I'm away, getting someone who knows how to open the doors, or wait here and risk something happening to _______ while she's down there. Even if I was over reacting a bit, I couldn't help but feel tense as I felt the need to get in there but had no way of doing so.

When, "Excuse me? Can you move a little?" Someone spoke softly behind me.

I turned quickly since I was sure I had been alone and whoever was there must have snuck up on me somehow.

"Ugh? Alfred?" I muttered, frowning as I met his dark purple eyes.

He let out a quiet huff before he shook his head, "I'm Matthew."

"O-Oh, sorry." I moved to the side to let him pass me, he mixed a few of the potions together then like _______ had done, poured it on the seed and the door suddenly opened.

"Do you mind if I go in there with you?"

Matthew feigned a smile but nodded and I proceeded in after him.

Once inside, I felt relieved to find ________ was there, seated across from Hayden. I walked over and took a seat beside _______ and while I was interested in what she could possibly be talking about with Hayden, I also wanted to investigate the invisible jewelry while it was still fresh in my mind.

"Vladimir, welcome! We were just talking about you, actually." Hayden smiled as he waved his wand in the air and brought some chocolate chip cookies out from one of the cabinets on the walls, "Feeling snackish?"

"Snackish?"

"Snackish! Like hungry, but only for snacks, snackish!"

"Sounds like a terminal disease."

"You're only saying that because you're snackish, have a bite. They're chocolate chip, which is obviously the best type."

______ let out a laugh as she lightly elbowed me, "He means the second best because oreos are one step ahead of them. Shame he's in denial."

Hayden shook his head sadly, "It must be because you're from the nonmagical world that their beliefs of cookies have crumbled your sense of good judgement."

______ gave a dramatic gasp but then laughed as she reached for another cookie. Hayden then began, "So what brings you here, Vladimir? Is it for the same reason as _______?"

"O-Oh, no, I don't think I am," I began, "See, I just needed to find _______, Amber and Alfred are hungry, so I thought she might wanna come and eat with everyone."

"Dinner is pretty important," Hayden smiled as he waved the cookies away, "_______, we'll have to continue this conversation at another time... Perhaps a time in which you finally come to your senses, in which case I'll forgive your nativity for believing oreos are in any league above chocolate chip."

She scoffed, "It's like you don't want me to come back at all!" The two broke into a laugh before ______ finally turned back towards me and I began to lead the way to the door. Before leaving however, under my breath in the faintest whisper, I tried to say the first curse word to come to my head, "Fu—" but my lips sealed shut.

My suspicions were slowly being answered.

Once we made it back into the main hall, I pushed it to the side as there was another thing bothering me, I couldn't help but wonder, "Why were you in there?"

"Well, I thought maybe he'd be able to help me better understand some things, like why he switched houses for one, then I asked him about an argument he and Gage were having before I met you in the garden –"

"Wait, they had an argument today? And you didn't tell me that, why?" I huffed, dumbfounded.

"I didn't think it was that important... Anyways, I just wanted to clear up some confusion I had with Hayden and since I didn't know what we were going to do in the library and you just ran off, I thought why not?" She replied.

I shook my head, "We'll get to that in a minute, as for right now, I need to see your necklace really quick so hand it over –"

"No." She said sharply, reaching up to shield it with her hands.

"_______, I'm not going to do anything with it, I just need to –"

"No." Her voice echoed harshly down the hall.

I stared at her, wide-eyed for a bit but then came to my senses as I concluded that whoever gave it to her, probably put an enchantment on it to make her act like that.

"Please, let me see it just a second, ______, I'll give it right back." I said, trying to reach over to her.

She slapped my arm away hard which took me way off guard.

"Get your filthy hands away from it."

------------------------

this part gave me hard writers block, hope you enjoy tho!!