Chapter 3

"M...magic is real?" Robert said in a whispered voice, questioning if he heard right.

In an almost angry tone, Beth shouted at her mother, "Mother, I won't forgive you. I wanted to tell him about his powers. Now you went and ruined it."

"It was an accident Eliza. I was just talking about your father's hobbies, and it just slipped out."

"I know, I know, I know, but I wanted to do it. I haven't practiced in years, and I wanted to suprise him."

"Mom, you can do magic too?"

Beth's face transformed from her normal face filled with jubilation into one of complete sterness. "Yes Robbie, your mommy is a very talented witch. I can transform you into a frog. I can effortless banish you to an unknown realm, for all of eternity. I can call upon nature, and destroy all that you can see. The world is MY domain."

The solomness of Beth's demeanor permeated the room. The words entranced the young boy. The truth that magic was real. MAGIC WAS REAL!!!

Even though Robert had an old soul, it was magic that was getting talked about. With magic you can do anything, and without knowing the truth of her words, Robert believed everything that Beth said. If his mother can do magic, does that he might learn how to cast spells too?

Silence lingered on for a while, as Beth glared at her son. She stared at him as if his soul was open and willing to be torn apart by a mere flippant thought of hers. To Robert both fascination and apprehension were cleary present on his face.

As quickly as the atmosphere changed into one of somberness, mirth just as quickly took back over. Both Robert's grandmother and her daughter burst into laughter. He had been had.

"I'm sorry Robbie. You should have seen your face. It was hiliarious. Ah, just for that moment, it was almost worth it to live away from Mother and Father." The mirth was clearly expressed in Beth's voice as she started more towards her son, than her mother.

"Eliza, that was utterly evil, and definitely worth it. I'm sorry I ruined part of your fun, but you played your part wonderfully."

With real confussion, Robert only uttered one statement. "So magic is not real?"

"No, my precious son, magic is real. And your mother, and your grandparents are also able to use magic. And you too will be able to use magic. You are too young be using any such power."

"So I'm going to be a magician when I grow up?"

"Magician, no, you'll be a wizard."

"What's the difference? Wizard, magician, aren't the same thing?"

"No, a magician is a muggle who just uses slight of hand and trickery to entertain. A wizard, or a witch, is one who can use magic as freely as you breathe."

"COOL."

"Yes, it is, as you would say, cool," injected Robert's grandmother. "And this is why you didn't learn about magic until now. It's the sense of wonder brought about something novel. Our family enforces all their children to not be exposed to magic until the are at least 5. Otherwise, magic is no longer….magical."

"It's like television. We've had one in the house since before you were born. It's just there. You are used to it, and it doesn't enchant you. Now imagine if we didn't have one in the house, and you hand't ever watched one. You would be drawn to it. It would be a strange and wondorous device for you." Beth wanted to expand on what her mother said to Robert.

"I think I understand…"

And Robert did understand. He had previously grown up in a boom of technology. Computers, celluar phones, smart phones, tablets, were things the he was introduced further in his life, as they were being created, and becoming common place. To him, they were toys to play with, to children that grew up with them, they were mere tools to be used.

If Robert had not been so young, one of the two women would have gone into a dissertation on how his family created this rule. They would have told him that the rule had been in place since before the time of Henry VIII, when magic was a bigger driving force than anything the mundane people had. The spells they had, would have made them seem as gods to normal people. The family wanted their progeny to undestand that magic was powerful, and dangerous.

Without being introduced into magic until they had matured a bit, they could understand what commoners felt when being exposed to otherworldly powers. It would help temper their ego of their place in society. Magic was to be held in esteem, and to be wielded with respect.

Not all family members, the had been raised under these rules, had bent towards the ideals that they were expected to achieve. And this was to be expected. But for the majority of the children that lived in a non-magical society prior to learning about said magic, their powers were abused to a bare minimum.

"Mom, can you show me some magic? Please?" Robert embraced his childish facade, shrinking down and opening his eyes, wide, pleading to be shown the magic that his mother could control.

"I can't right now Robbie. I don't have my wand on me," Beth bashfully retorted to her son's request. "But, I'm sure Mother could do it for you. Something simple at least. Right, Mother?"

Robert's grandmother pulled out her wand underneath her skirt, where it was kept on her calf in a sheath. "Alright, what should I cast. Hmmm… I know know. Derigo Sonorous," Robert's grandmother brought her wand up towards and her mouth. Spell completed, and with a huge and commanding voice, she cried out one last thing, as she was looking towards a specific spot . "Everett Richard Wickham, quit playing around in the basement, and get up her now. Or else…"

In less than a minute, quick and loud steps approached the room that the grandmother, mother, and son were sitting in. Exploding out of one of the doors, leading into the room, a robust but muscular older gentleman. His hair, short, but it could be seen that his once, nearly black hair, was becoming grayer as time aged him. Woolen pants, some type of white shirt, and a leather apron adorned said gentlemen.

"What is so important, woman, that I needed to stop right then and there?" Everett's voiced boomed, while he approached his wife.

"What day is today?"

"Tuesday?"

"And what did I tell you was happening this Tuesday?"

"Umm…." Looking confused, while trying to answer his wife's question, he ignored the guests in his house. And with a confused voice, he continued on answering her, "I don't remember."

"Don't just look at me, look, and then give me your response."

"Alright, alright, my dear Mary." As to follow his spouse's command, he turned his eyes towards Beth and Robert. His eyes brightened and widened as he saw his daughter that he had not seen in years. "Beth, get up and give me a hug. I've missed my dear. And I assume that young shocked being is your son?"

"His name is Robert. He was named after his father."

"Hello." Robert was confused on if he should call Everett by his name or by grandfather. So, instead, he went with a polite and neutral word, "sir?"

"Sir? You just called me sir? What the heck is wrong with you boy? We're family, try something more...familiar."

"Grandfather?"

"Nope, that just sounds too stodgy."

"Grandpa?"

"How about no. I just don't think that fits. Try again."

"Grandpappy?"

"I'm English, not some yankee."

"Okay, how about...Grandad?"

"Closer. One more, with more passion this time."

Even though Everett was joking with his grandson, Robert was frustrated. He had not a single clue what his grandfather wanted Robert to call him.

"This is the last one that I can think of, Gramps Rett. Does that work for you Gramps Rett? That's the best I have, Gramps Rett."

"Hmmm…," Everett pondered this title presented to him. "Gramps Rett...I think it might just work. Robert, I like you."

"Father don't call him Robert. It makes me remember his father. I usually just call him Robbie, which he doesn't like all that much. He says it sounds childish."

"And he is a child. So, Robbie, I can work with that."

Like when it was just Robert, his mother, and his grandmother, general conversation was continued, with the addition of Robert's grandfather. The two ladies led the talks like last time, with a few interjections made by Everett. The lone child was once again relegated to the sidelines, as adults are often doing.

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A simple meal was made by Mary, Robert's grandmother, who found out that her name was actually Maisie. Robert was shown to his room, that he was going to be staying in, at least for the time being. With the early rise, due to flying from America to England, and exhaustion that such a trip extols on people, he fell asleep.

The next day was mainly Beth just getting situated with the limited amount of belongings that she and her son brought. Robert was left to himself to while away the time until there was anything to do. And so he explored his new house.

The general living areas were on the ground level, kitchen, sitting rooms, and the such things. On the second story, a multitude of bedrooms. The eastern most bedroom was the master bedroom, which was his grandparent's. His was more towards the center of the house, near the stairs. His mother's was across the hallway from his. The majority of the rooms were left sparesly adorned, for temporary visitors to sleep, but not to stay in.

To Robert's delight, the third story housed a grand library. Classic works by those not possessing magic were in great abundance. Along with classic literature, there where multiple shelves dedicated non-magical educational subjects, be it sciences, maths, non-magical history, art history, philosophy, and so much more. There were several sections of the shelves in the library hosting fictional works of more modern authors, from J.R.R. Tolkein to Ray Bradbury to Agatha Christie. The majority of the library, though, contained a treasure trove of works dedicated to magic.

As reading was one of the few things that Robert could engage his mind in, he picked up one book from a shelf that seemed to be for general education of magic. The title read, Magic and You: A Begining Introduction into the World of Magic. While it was a wordy title, it was the first one that stood out to Robert. He was introduced to magic, just yesterday, and now he wanted to delve into educating himself about it. Finding a seat, in the library, Robert started to read the book.

The book, at least the part that Robert tried to read, was useless. The book was not designed for one who had zero knowledge about the wizarding world. And it was not an educational book.

The book told of when you should use hexes over using a charm. And when it was not a good idea to transfigure things. Every single topic brought up was then given a story of why such and such was the way it was, end of subject. It might have been helpful if the jargon in the book was familiar to him. Instead the book was basically a waste of paper in Robert's opinion.

Putting it back, he grabbed another book, from the same area that he grabbed the first one. This one, with the very little that heard learned from the earlier book, would hopefully be a little bit more fruitful. Charms. That was the name of the book, just Charms.

He skimmed through the first couple bags, which was basically a history of the development of charms, and who helped to create them. Theory was lacking, but it was a start. At least it seemed have a bit more use than the previous book that Robert tried.

With a book in hand, and a relatively comfortable chair to sit in, Robert lost himself in studying one part of the new magical world that he was apparently going to be a part of.

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