Sweets and Soured

Gideon slept until ten o'clock the next morning. He would have stayed in bed longer if not for Tolly's interruption, 'Master Gideon's letter has arrived!'

Only half awake, for a fleeting moment Gideon thought it had all been a dream. He was no Squib! His Hogwarts letter had arrived! As he lurched up in bed, rubbing his eyes, the truth hit him like a thunderbolt, and the illusion quickly faded. Tolly stood at his bedside, proudly presenting what was surely his Middling Academy acceptance letter.

Gideon opened the envelope and sure enough, it was a letter signed by Malcolm Middling, offering him a place at his school. Overleaf was a second piece of parchment reading:

MIDDLING ACADEMY: FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS

Uniform

All students are required to wear:

Plain work robes (black) with Middling Academy emblem (enclosed)

Book List

All students will be expected to bring a copy of the following books to school with them as needed, depending on the scheduled classes for each day:

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Passing: The Guide to Muggle Life (Vol. 1) by Brendan Covert

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk

Magical Draughts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Non-Magical Draughts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Mapping the Stars by Aurora Sinistra

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Equipment

Quills and ink

All other necessary teaching and learning equipment will be provided. Students are expressly prohibited from bringing other items onto the premises unless pre-approved by a teacher. This includes but is not limited to: Wands; broomsticks; joke products; games and toys; communication devices.

Catering

All students are required to bring a daily packed lunch. Drinking water is available.

It was all here in writing. It was really happening; Gideon would be attending a special school for Squibs. His dream of attending Hogwarts was officially over. He felt numb. As he tipped the envelope upside down, deep in thought, an embroidered Middling Academy logo fell to the floor.

Tolly picked it up for him and asked, 'What's wrong, Sir?'

'Nothing really, Tolly,' said Gideon, 'I was just remembering how I imagined this summer going. I've thought about it for years. Now that everything has turned out so different, I feel a little lost.'

The elf tilted his head to the side as he considered this and replied, 'But you are not lost, Sir. You are here, and you have your family with you, and you have me and mother with you.'

Gideon smiled warmly at his friend. Simple though they may have been, there was wisdom in Tolly's words. Gideon did have them. They hadn't abandoned him or cast him out, which from what he had read in the stack of materials his mother had given him, was a very real possibility for Squibs in some wizarding families. His family wanted to support him. He would just have to learn to let them.

'I suppose there is good news,' Gideon piped up. 'Middling isn't a boarding school, so we won't be separated for most of the year!'

'That's right, Sir!' Tolly said eagerly. 'And that means I will be able to help with your studies!'

Gideon laughed at this prospect, 'Sure, Tolly. Ministry of Magic, here I come!'

***

With his first day at Middling Academy due to begin on Monday the seventh of September, life as a secondary school student was just over two weeks away for Gideon. His brother didn't seem concerned about hisimminent return to school. In fact, Anthony was spending most of his free days in bed or lazing around the house.

Gideon, however, couldn't relax anymore, he wanted to get a jump on his reading. Anthony had given him some of the books from his set list, which was surprisingly similar to Hogwarts', although, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 was nowhere to be found. After his brother turned his room upside down looking for it, Gideon felt a little guilty but decided it was probably best not to mention he had already borrowed it.

Still, he wanted the rest of his books in order to read the first few chapters of each. After nagging his mother about it repeatedly, she finally consented to take him and Anthony to get their school things earlier than planned. Anthony didn't actually want to go since he only needed one new book for his fifth year, but his mother had grown tired of seeing him sprawled out on the couch. She insisted the trip would do him good, so they set off from the drawing room fireplace as the clock struck eleven AM.

Gideon had only been to the London-based wizarding shopping district a few times, but now that it was for him that they were there, he looked at the various shops and stalls with renewed fascination. Of course, he wouldn't be visiting some of the places he had always hoped to, like the wand shop, Ollivanders, but he was nonetheless excited.

Diagon Alley was packed! It was a nice day out and by the look of it, a lot of other children and parents had picked the same day to stock up for the new school year. Mrs Maxwell didn't enjoy crowds, so she decided to visit Flourish and Blott's bookshop and run some errands alone. She asked Anthony to escort Gideon to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

Anthony groaned but he soon perked up when along with the Middling Academy patch for Gideon's robes, his mother handed him some silver Sickles for the brothers to get a treat from Fiona Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

'On second thought—' Mrs Maxwell started to say, furrowing her brow as Anthony groaned again, '—I need to duplicate the patch! Gideon will need a spare set of robes.'

They moved to a quieter area, where Mrs Maxwell retrieved her wand from her handbag and pointed it at the embroidered Middling Academy logo in Anthony's held-out hand. 'Geminio,' she uttered, but nothing happened.

Gideon, distracted by a nearby window display with a trio of dancing rats, failed to notice that it took his mother several more attempts to perform her Doubling Charm.

'Right, stick together you two!' said Mrs Maxwell, 'I'll meet you at Madam Malkin's in half an hour or so. And Anthony, go easy on the toppings, would you?'

Anthony Maxwell promised his mother no such thing as he lazily waved her goodbye and hastened Gideon through the crowds and towards the ice cream parlour. There were interesting feats of magic happening all around. Gideon's senses were overwhelmed with the sights and sounds of the wizarding world.

Once they arrived at Fortescue's they had to queue for a while but luckily that gave Gideon plenty of time to contemplate which of the many wacky and wonderful ice cream flavours and toppings he would choose. He finally settled on a cone with a scoop of white chocolate ice cream on top of a scoop of peanut butter & jelly ice cream, with salted caramel sauce and raspberry sprinkles on top.

Anthony on the other hand, an expert when it came to such matters, ordered a chocolate-covered banana sundae with two scoops of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Ice Cream, sprinkled with Exploding Bonbons andFizzing Whizbees, covered in chocolate syrup, and with a lit, edible sparkler on top.

'I want one of those, mummy!' demanded a young girl waiting in line behind them, eyeing Anthony's sparkling creation with jealousy as he carefully carried it to an empty table.

'Are you sure you're going to be able to finish that, Ant?' Gideon asked his brother.

'Don't worry, little bro, no dessert has defeated me yet!' he responded, taking a mouthful of his sugary monstrosity, his face contorting with surprise and pleasure. 'Want to try some?'

'I'm fine, thanks,' Gideon answered pointedly as he sampled his—rather tame by comparison—concoction of favourite tastes. The combination of rich flavours was extremely satisfying, so he tried to make it last.

However, after another ten minutes went by, Gideon had finished his cone, but Anthony was struggling with his sundae. Not keen to explain to his mother what might have kept them, Anthony decided to take the rest of his dessert with him and finish it outside Madam Malkin's.

'Just tell them you need two sets of plain robes and have them attach these,' he instructed Gideon over a cacophony of loud crackles and pops coming from his mouth, giving him the Middling patches. Since his brother's hands and face were now covered in chocolate, Gideon thought it best not to argue, despite being nervous to go in alone.

He entered the shop just as another customer was leaving. 'Can I help you?' said a woman wrestling an unruly tape measure.

'Erm,' said Gideon as the distracted woman gave up on her tape measure and threw it into the back of the store, 'I need two sets of plain black work robes, please, and these need to be attached.'

'No problem, dear. On your own?' she asked as she took the patches and found a new, more obedient measuring tape.

'No, my brother's outside and my mum will be along in a bit to pay.'

'Pop up on the pedestal, then, and I'll take your measurements.'

He did so, and the tape measure began to dance around him of its own accord. The shop door opened, and another unaccompanied boy entered.

'Another first-year?' the woman asked him.

'That's right, I need 3 sets of robes,' said the boy confidently as he jumped up onto the pedestal next to Gideon. 'You're starting in September, too, eh?'

'Err yes,' Gideon replied truthfully as the seamstress pulled a length of fabric over each of them and began working on them simultaneously.

'It's always nice to see new students make friends in the shop!' she commented.

'Should be a laugh, eh?' the boy said. 'Finally going to Hogwarts and learning magic, that is. My older brothers taught me some wicked hexes to use on all the losers!'

'Yeah,' said Gideon, unsure what to say but trying to muster some energy behind his agreement. He, of course, was not going to Hogwarts and certainly wouldn't be hexing any "losers", but since he wasn't likely to see this boy again, he didn't feel the need to correct him.

'What house d'you recon you'll be in? I'm guessing it's Gryffindor for me, same as my bros. It doesn't always work like that, but I'm pretty sure.'

'Hmm dunno,' Gideon responded, unsure of what a "Gryffindor" was and trying not to meet the boy's eye in the wall mirror opposite. The seamstress then threw robes over their heads, mussing up Gideon's hair as she did. Annoyed, Gideon patted down his fringe with his free hand wondering how much easier it would be to have shaved hair like his talkative companion. But then, he thought, people would more easily notice—

'Whoa, your eyes! That's freaky, man!' exclaimed the boy. 'Turn this way, leme see properly!'

Gideon remained quite still, feeling his cheeks growing red.

'Oh, have I upset you? No offence, man. I just haven't seen crazy eyes like that before. You got some kind of magical creature in your family history or something?'

Gideon was beginning to dislike this boy. He spoke and smiled in a friendly enough way, but his words always seemed to have a cutting edge to them. 'Is it almost finished?' Gideon asked the seamstress.

'Come on, don't be like that. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I'm Greg by the way,' he said as he extended a handshake. Again, Gideon felt like the boy's bluntness was a way of ridiculing him, but he politely returned the handshake anyway.

'Gideon. Good to meet you,' he replied, returning the handshake, and trying to regain his composure.

'There, I think that should do you, young man,' said the woman as she straightened up and surveyed her work.

Gideon was glad to have an excuse to get away, but before he could step down from the pedestal, the woman remembered, 'Oh, your patches!'

'I can do those at home,' he said with panic in his voice.

'Don't be silly, dear, it's all part of the service, now stand still,' she ordered as she used her wand to attach one of the Middling Academy patches to the robe Gideon was wearing. Gideon's red face changed to a deep crimson as he noticed Greg looking at the patch with a mixture of confusion and amusement. Greg had clearly recognised the logo.

The boys didn't say another word to each other as Gideon removed the robes, but Greg continued to smile widely as the seamstress returned to focus on him. Mrs Maxwell arrived only moments later, but to Gideon, it felt like an eternity. 'All sorted?' she asked before paying a second woman at the counter for the robes.

They left the shop and met an exhausted but triumphant-looking Anthony outside. 'Can we go now?' Gideon asked, his face still flushed.

'Already?' his mother said in surprise, 'I thought you'd want to see more while we're here, maybe pop in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?'

'No,' he replied simply.

'What about you, Anthony?'

'I'm easy,' he said, covertly clutching his abdomen with one hand and wiping sweat from his brow with the other.

'Well, okay—'

'See you at school, Gideon,' called a voice from behind them. A smirking, waving Greg had left Madam Malkin's.

'Who's that, honey?' Mrs Maxwell enquired.

'No one,' Gideon snapped. 'Let's go.'

Gideon's eyes followed the boy as he strolled along the alley up ahead of them without a care in the world. He soon reached a small group of children their age and engaged them animatedly with excited hand gestures. The crowd roared with laughter, which steadily grew as the Maxwells approached.

Let me pass without him seeing me, Gideon pleaded internally as they approached the group, Greg now hunched over, howling. Unfortunately going unnoticed was no longer an option as Anthony began to loudly regurgitate his still-crackling, multi-coloured dessert, right in the middle of Diagon Alley. The crowd parted in disgust and as Greg turned in the direction of the commotion, he and Gideon locked eyes. Greg looked positively giddy.

Mrs Maxwell chastised her eldest son while rubbing his back. As Anthony continued to vomit half-digested explosive sweets, Greg leaned in closer to whisper something to his friends and jerked his head in Gideon's direction. He watched as the rest of them turned towards him with no regard for subtlety and burst into hysterics.

Gideon, awash with shame and anger, stared them down as best he could, when he suddenly met the gaze of someone he recognised. There, at the back of the group, was the shaggy blonde-haired head of Alex Grimsby.

Recognition seemed to dawn on Alex momentarily before he resumed laughing with his pals, although, perhaps not quite as hard. Gideon felt a surge of rage. Alex never had written to him in the end. Things might have changed for Gideon, but he didn't know that. Alex was supposed to be here with him not here ridiculing him!

Gideon then realised that this Greg must be the "Greg" Alex had mentioned when he visited with his father. He had undoubtedly just told his whole gang, Alex included, about the pathetic Squib boy with the dodgy eyes, who tried to pretend he was a Hogwarts student, and they had lapped it right up!

Gideon was infuriated. He was pitiful, nothing more than the punchline of a joke to normal people, one of the "losers" Greg had referred to. That was the moment. The moment that Gideon decided he would do whatever it took to make it in the wizarding world. Heck, maybe he would become Minister for Magic, after all!

He was going to carve his own path, just like Mr Middling had done! He was going to be someone important and respected, and a beacon for others like him. At that moment, Gideon didn't care if he couldn't perform magic! That didn't make him less than anyone else! He wasn't going to let anyone bring him down, least of all someone like Greg, who seemed to have a mean streak, or worse, a fake like Alex Grimsby!

***

After finally escaping Diagon Alley and reaching home, Gideon's mother told him off for his odd and unhelpful attitude, Gideon's father blamed himfor "letting Anthony stuff his face silly", Jennifer joked repeatedly that what happened to Anthony was "just desserts", and Gideon's grandmother exacerbated things by feigning feeling ill herself at any mention of what had transpired.

A confused Tolly followed Gideon upstairs after he had finally had enough and slipped away to the safety of his room. 'You returned much earlier than we were expecting. Mother hasn't finished dinner yet,' said the elf.

'I don't think that's a big concern, Tolly. After what we saw today, me, mum and Anthony probably won't be eating anything ever again!' Gideon told him.

'Oh dear, I will have to tell Mother.'

'No, no, I was being sarcastic, Tolly. I'm sure we'll be eating something!' Gideon assured him. Then, in a quieter voice, he added, 'Whether we'll be able to keep it down is another matter.'

Tolly, still visibly confused by this but perceptive enough to realise Gideon was not in a good mood, decided to give him some space. Before he could reach the door, however, Gideon called, 'Tolly?'

'Yes, Sir?'

'There haven't been any letters for me that I might have missed, have there? Nothing from that Alex Grimsby boy that got mixed in with the other mail?'

'No, Sir.'

'I didn't think so,' said Gideon bitterly. Alex had seemed so genuine when they had spent the afternoon together. Despite what had occurred in London, Gideon wanted to be sure before writing the boy off completely.

'I did wonder if his father might have come to deliver a message when he last visited,' said Tolly casually, 'but he didn't seem to have anything on him.'

'"When he last visited?"' questioned Gideon. 'How do you mean? Has he been here again since he was here with Alex?'

'Yes, Sir.'

'I don't remember that. When was it?'

'Hmm,' Tolly pondered aloud with his arms folded, 'If I remember correctly, Sir, I believe it was the day that you were taken ill.'

Mr Grimsby had visited the house again. Gideon supposed it wasn't so unusual that none of the family had mentioned it, but what he realised was unusual, was the timing. Mr Grimsby's last two visits happened to coincide with Gideon's last two episodes. Gideon vaguely wondered if there might be a connection between the two events, but then, how on earth could there be?