Closed The Wizard from Wiltshire PV Jake Morris

@Caradoc Browne

It was a busy day in the Morris household, and a big one. It was August 24th, 2019. More importantly, today was Jake's eleventh birthday.

The fresh new eleven-year-old had woken up with a burst of excitement, practically bouncing into his parent's bedroom to leap onto the bed and wake them up. He was normally a quiet boy, but birthdays were another matter entirely. It had been a pleasant morning - fresh pancakes, a shining sun, and the chance to stay in his pajamas far past when he was supposed to have gotten dressed. But the real excitement would be later. His mum was cooking a big dinner of his favorite foods, his whole family would be there, and of course there would be cake (chocolate, his favorite) and presents.

For now, the boy sat on his mother's lap at the kitchen table, working on his place settings for the family birthday party this afternoon. He had meant to finish them earlier in the week but had taken so much time on the details that he'd ended up running out of time. That still didn't mean he was gonna rush though. It was important that he got everything just right. The place cards were so that everybody knew where to sit, but that wasn't really the important part. The important part was that Jake could draw each of them their favorite animals.

"Is that for Uncle Nick?" his mother asked him, looking down at the vivid elephants that were being drawn onto the corner of the paper.

Jake didn't even look up from his work as he answered her - there was simply no time! "Noooo Mummy, Uncle Nick gets pandas, Grandma gets elephants," he explained. "She likes the way they talk with their trunks." His mother knew better than to argue - Jake always kept track of that and wouldn't have gotten it wrong.

She ruffled his hair with affection and watched him draw, his little face pursed in concentration..

Parenting Jake had never been easy. He was a sensitive delicate child with a fragile heart. There was much about the world that he couldn't handle. But in other ways, parenting Jake was as easy as could be. He was well-behaved, considerate, and caring, and his parents couldn't ask for a better child.

It had seen to come so fast - his eleventh birthday. Looking at him now, it was hard to believe it really had come. His doctor had said that his height would catch up eventually, though, and Jake's parents were confident the rest would follow. He could grow at his own speed.

"That was Uncle Nick," his father said, entering the room. "He'll be here shortly."

"Already?" Jake asked in dismay. "But I haven't finished the place cards!"

"You say hello and then you can finish them, we won't look until they're ready," his mother assured him.

"Promise?" he asked back.

"Of course," his mum smiled. That was enough for him. He smiled back and got back to work.

It wasn't that much longer before the bell rang. Jake's head rose, and he almost drew an errant line on the card, stopping himself just in time. It was only his careful hand that was able to stop him from having to start all over from the beginning.

"That must be him," his Mum said. "Go give Uncle Nick a big hug hello," she said, nudging Jake gently. He hopped off her lap, grabbed Freddie off the table, and made his way over to the door. He grinned with excitement. He rarely got to see his aunt and uncle, since they lived so far away. Whenever they came over they had the whole place laughing. They always brought him little presents too, even when it wasn't his birthday. Books about animals, animal stickers, or really anything about animals really. Even little things like seashells. He always loved them. He knew that his Mum didn't like that Uncle Nick sometimes tried to get him to do things he really wasn't supposed to - things his Mum said were dangerous. Jake didn't tell him but he was happy his Mum won those arguments. He was pretty sure he wasn't ready for them anyway.

He reached out to open the door - and then saw...not his uncle at all. Jake looked up, stunned at the stranger standing on their doorstep. He wasn't supposed to talk to strangers.

Jake - a tiny boy with blonde hair, barely over four-foot, clad in teddy-bear pajamas and holding a stuffed dog in his arms - stared up shyly at this new visitor - a much taller man. He heard footsteps in the hall - his Mum having overheard the lack of greeting and coming quickly to investigate.

"Hello there," Jake heard his mother say. He retreated behind her. Surprise hit her face as well.

"Suzanne Morris, how can we help you?"

Picking up on footsteps approaching the door and hearing the clicking sound of a handle being pulled. Doc swiftly produced some flowers from behind his back. After all, no guest was meant to show up empty-handed. He was instantly met with the purpose of his visit. Or so he assumed at least. Before him stood a little boy that likely was the right age to fit Jake's description. While his attire was... comfy... it surely was not something Caradoc would have worn for their first meeting. The boy would remember this moment till the day he died likely. How nice it must have been to share memories in your pyjamas. Soon the boy was joined by his mother, or so Doc assumed once more. Though this time his assumptions were quickly confirmed as she referred to herself as Morris.

"Oh, excuse me." The professor chuckled as his eyes fell upon the woman and what he expected to be her son. "I'm Caradoc." He stated as if it were the most normal thing in the world. It however, was not. Caradoc hardly fitted the part of a goodly neighbour living in a town like this and with Suzanne and her boy never having met him, they must have been quite baffled by the smiling man that waited by their front door. "Well, it is actually Professor Caradoc Browne, if you would. But really, Caradoc will do fine." He waved his hand around to evidence his willingness to skip formalities. His other hand reached out and offered the bush of flowers to the mother.

"I work for the British Government. Educational programs, you see. So I have come to offer you and your family some information regarding a possible schooling program for your son, Jake. Who I assume I have the honour of seeing before me, correct?" Caradoc would grin widely towards the little boy. Rubbing his hands together as he thought what best to say, he smiled back towards Suzanne. "Mrs Morris, I hope you like the flowers. But would you mind if we discussed this inside. Your neighbours are... err... lack a certain subtleness when it comes to eavesdropping." He turned his head to raise his eyebrows as he nudged towards the trio of elders that had slowly shuffled closer to listen on what was going on with the Morris residence.

His hand shot up in the air and waved a bit. "Better finish that hedge soon, Hank! Looks like it will rain later on!" The weather was in fact bright and sunny, so no one would have likely believed Caradoc anyway. But that did not hold the man from enjoying his interactions with confused people.

@Caradoc Browne

I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG

In the few moments that the man stood in the doorway, Suzanne Morris took in the look of the man's face, and the strange gesture of handing out flowers. She wasn't sure what to make of the odd fellow. He had a friendly face, but there was something off about him. And Suzanne was a cautious woman.

With the stranger coming inside, Jake had retreated to safety behind his mother. He didn't like strangers... Still there was something about this man that was curious...his head poked out from behind her to study him too. The tiny boy held Freddie a little closer as he watched the grown-ups talk, and as the strange man gave him a smile.

"Hon?" Jake's Mum called out to his father. Jake listened as his dad entered the room too, and he seemed to be giving the stranger a funny look like his Mum was. "This man says he's from the government," she explained. "Talking about a schooling program for Jake."

There was something disarming about the man's smile, and his request to come inside took a moment for Jake's mum to respond to. His odd concern for eavesdropping was even stranger. But eventually, she motioned him inside.

"Well I'd hate for you to come all this way for nothing, but we're schooling Jake at home," she explained with a smile. "You'll excuse us for questioning, but it does seem a bit of an odd visit. If you had called we could have told you and saved you the trouble."

It was then that she looked to Jake, who was still dressed in his pyjamas. While fine amongst family, it was probably about time the boy got some clothes on now that somebody else was in the house. It also got him upstairs while she and her husband could assess the man who had come to visit.

"Jake sweetie, why don't you run upstairs and get dressed, hm?" she suggested with a gentle nudge. Jake nodded his head quietly and scurried off, headed up the stairs. He paused, looking back halfway up the stairs, safer to study the man when the attention was off of him. He had heard the man say that he was from the government, and something about school. But he wouldn't go to school, right? His home was his school, and he liked it that way. With those bizarre thoughts in his mind, Jake went up to his room and began to change into the nicer clothes his mum had laid out for his party today.

Then he creeped back down the stairs to eavesdrop.

"It has come to our attention that Jake..." His eyes followed the boy as he ran upstairs to get dressed. "... has a special gift for certain things. We wanted to come and give you some advice on this and offer you our services." He raised both hands before she could say anything to reply. "I know how it sounds, all I ask is for you to hear me out. Though I'd much would prefer to have this conversation behind a closed door." His hand reached for the pocket in his shirt and flipped out a piece of paper. "This here is the official letter (It's an entirely made up letter but looks official enough to do the trick) and of course..." He pulled out his wallet and showed her an ID card with his face and the name of the Government branch he worked for. "My badge of honour should you wish to see some credentials." The wallet he slipped back in his back pocket before clapping both hands together. "So, how about some tea? Hm?" He grinned with a cheeky wink quickly following after.

"I'm sure I'm not the first time we've reached out? Your son has been having pretty interesting grades so far." Caradoc lied, not knowing a single thing about Jake's grades or how well he was actually doing on the grand scale of schooling. Looking at the, so far, child-enclosure-centre-style of their greeting, he wasn't sure how well that would fare.

@Caradoc Browne

Susanne Morris regarded the odd man with some concern. His smile was disarming, but his words quite strange. He didn't outwardly seem like any kind of threat to their son. He seemed quite friendly, in fact. But while she believed her little boy to be very special in many ways, Jake had not been for any kind of testing that would call for a visit such as this one. Perhaps it was some type of salesman, working with educators, and hoping to sell some new study tools? Perhaps he came door to door to say that every boy and girl had a very special gift, and needed his 'schooling' program.

But Frank Morris, Jake's father, was a more easygoing man, and after his initial hesitation, he extended his hand with a smile. "Frank Morris. Nice to make your acquaintence, you'll excuse the decorations! Jake just turned eleven today, and we're having guests, but there's surely enough tea to spare." Suzanne, for a rare moment, was flabbergasted and somehow found herself leading the odd man to the kitchen.

"Jake's grades are quite appropriate for his age level," Suzanne responded, a bit tersely. They were, like most kids, in some subjects above average, in others a bit below. Jake was quite a smart boy, when he put his mind to it. His mind could be fanciful though, and tended to wander. When he was focused, and his curiosity was piqued, his performance was quite impressive. But it was surely not genius level, and while he was quite good at math and reading, it was hardly something that would require government attention. "No, I'm quite sure this is the first time we've ever had a visit from the government." Suzanne said.

Frank, though he had the same reservations, had apparently deemed the man to be eccentric, and perhaps misguided, but not a threat. Of course, Frank thought, there must have been some mistake. But no use being rude about it. The man seemed friendly enough. Some tea and a laugh over the misunderstanding and then he'd surely be on his way. But Suzanne felt an odd suspicion that she couldn't quite get over.

"What exactly are you the Professor of, Caradoc?" The words were casual enough, but still with a hint of uncertainty, as there was nothing that got Suzanne Morris's guard up like things pertaining the wellbeing of her son.

---

On the stairs, the boy in question crouched and squinted, straining to hear what the strange man was saying. Newly dressed in clean and proper clothing (the type of nice clothes he hated to wear due to how stuffy they were, but was willing to cooperate as he was nothing if not good), he had arrived into his safe perch just in time to see his mum looking at some kinda card that she was holding in her hand and reading very closely, looking up to the man's face, and back down to the card. It looked like one of those cards that grown-ups used to show who they were... the kinds kids didn't need to have cause most grown-ups didn't really care who they were.

But it had been only moments before they exited towards the kitchen.

Now, Jake put his ear to the stairs and strained to listen as best he could, holding Freddie on his lap. The voices had grown distant now though...and he could only make out little words and snippets. It wasn't enough to get a whole picture. It wasn't even enough to get a HALF one...it only made him more confused.

That man had said something about school. But Mum and Dad wouldn't let them take him anywhere, right? No...of course they wouldn't. If they were GONNA, then he probably would have already been going to muggle school, like other kids his age. Still....Jake dared come down a few more steps, curiosity overpowering his fear of strangers, trying to get close enough to hear more than snippets, while still staying out of sight.

Caradoc smiled at Mr. Morris and acknowledged the decorations. "Oh, we know. It's why I'm here today!" He said with a cheerful smile as he entered and followed them into the kitchen. It was an odd response to someone announcing their child's birthday, but Caradoc was tasked with making a goldfish believe there's life outside the bowl too. Which could be a world defining contradiction to muggles. He was meant to slowly turn the wheel up and see how much more information they could take at a time. Hopefully this kid's folks were the smart kind. He didn't feel like repeating himself five times and over as they'd stare at him in disbelieve. Or worse, where they chased him down with a rolling pin and a fly-swatter.

He mentally waved away any questions regarding the government, they simply didn't matter. Stage one was over now, he was inside the house. It was time to get this party started. "Me? Oh, I'm a professor of, say… prestidigitation?" His smiled remained stuck on his face, both parents would find him to be rather pleased with himself. With the flick of his wrist, he produced a wand and did not seem particularly bothered by the absurdness of the scene. "I would like you to be open-minded with me for one minute here."

"Your son has a gift. A particularly special one." He circled his wand in the air and an image of Jake's face appeared before them, it zoomed out and became the figure of a boy. "What you see right now is me performing magic. No, no the trickery you find on the internet or the shows these days. I am talking: Actual magic." He left a second in there to get the parents to take a deep breath.

"Jake. Is a wizard." Doc explained, as the image of the boy held up a wand and made flowers grow around him. "I know this'll be shock, and you're basically ready to call either the hospital or the local authorities." Doc held up his hands that signalled them to wait. "But as you can see…" He tried looking around the kitchen and eventually snapped his fingers again. This time, a few pieces of cutlery started flying towards him and begun an elaborate dance on their own around the sink. "This. Is real."

"I will need to talk with Jake. He will likely be able to tell us of one instance in his life where he felt something was odd or something happened when he felt happy or distressed. And somehow a magical thing happened around him in that moment." Caradoc's head would turn towards the hallway. "Are you there, Jake?" He called out for the boy. "Please come and sit with us."