“Sorry to interrupt, Professor William.” The door to the Defence Against the Dark Arts and Applied Magic classroom swung open, revealing Deputy Headmaster Gilbert in the doorway.
“Could I borrow Rowle for a moment?” Every young wizard in the room immediately turned to look.
At the front of the class, Professor William paused in the middle of demonstrating the Cruciatus Curse.
With a flick of his wand, he ended the spell and granted the unfortunate mouse in the cage a temporary reprieve.
“Of course.
Oh—of course!” He looked towards the front row, where David Rowle was sitting.
David stared back with an equally puzzled expression.
As he rose from his seat and headed for the door, Professor William called after him.
“Don’t be long, Rowle.
I’m only explaining the Cruciatus Curse once.” David’s pace immediately quickened.
Missing a lesson like this would be criminal.
“Professor Gilbert, is something—” “Come with me first, Mr Rowle.” Gilbert pressed his lips together and gave him a long, searching look before turning down the corridor.
David frowned but followed.
They had barely rounded the stairwell when he spotted a familiar figure pacing anxiously nearby.
“Yule?!” “Try not to sound so horrified, David.” His uncle stopped pacing and forced what was probably meant to be a charming smile.
“For all you know, I might have come with good news.” David slowly shook his head.
“I somehow doubt that.” He glanced at the deputy headmaster.
“This is my uncle, Yule.” “Thank you.
We’ve already met.” Professor Gilbert gave a curt nod before turning to Yule Rowle.
“Mr Rowle, regarding what happens next, I think—” “All right, all right.
Ahem.” Yule awkwardly straightened his cuffs, then looked at his increasingly suspicious nephew.
“I’m afraid we have to leave.” David blinked.
“Leave?
Where?” He looked from his uncle to Professor Gilbert.
“I’m still in class.” “Well, you see…” Yule hesitated.
Professor Gilbert cut in before he could come up with an excuse.
“Mr Rowle, forgive me.
I mean no offence.
You do have a letter from the boy’s father, so technically everything is in order, but I feel obliged to remind you of something.” He paused, clearly choosing his words with care.
“Constantly transferring schools is not good for the boy’s future.” “Absolutely!
I couldn’t agree more, Professor Gilbert.” Yule nodded with flawless politeness.
“Durmstrang has always been one of the magical schools most respected by the Rowle family.” Professor Gilbert stared at him.
“…Right.” Judging by his expression, he was making sure Yule understood what he had actually meant.
Only then did he hand over the paperwork.
“Thank you.
Thank you very much, Professor.” Yule accepted the documents with a courteous smile, then winked at David.
Professor Gilbert turned to him.
“You should probably return to your dormitory and pack your belongings, Rowle.
I’m sorry that—” “Actually, Professor, I’m afraid we’ll need your help with that.” Yule suddenly glanced towards the entrance.
The easy smile vanished.
“Could you have my nephew’s luggage sent to this address instead?
Thank you.” He hurriedly pressed a slip of paper into Gilbert’s hand, grabbed David by the wrist, and started walking.
Fast.
David twisted around to stare at the bewildered deputy headmaster.
“What exactly is going on?
Why am I transferring again, Yule?” He was practically being dragged down the corridor now.
“My end-of-year exams are in a few days!” “No time to explain, David!” Yule’s head snapped from side to side as he scanned their surroundings.
They had almost reached the castle entrance when several figures appeared near the main doors.
Black fitted suits.
Serious expressions.
They were speaking with the guards.
Yule froze.
Then his grip tightened.
“Move.
Quickly.
Back entrance.” David was yanked straight back into the castle.
They passed Professor Gilbert again on the way, and the deputy headmaster’s stiff expression made it clear that even he found the entire situation absurd.
Yule no longer had time for aristocratic manners.
He managed a quick nod in passing before dragging David towards the rear of the castle.
“But—” David looked helplessly towards the direction of his classroom.
“I haven’t even said goodbye to Shirley.” Yule’s ears apparently worked perfectly well even while fleeing.
“Who’s Shirley?
Your little girlfriend?” David stubbornly refused to answer.
Instead, he glanced behind them.
“What did you lot do this time?” “Hahahaha!” For some reason, the question seemed to delight Yule.
By then, they had burst out of the castle and were racing towards the great lake.
“Faster, David!
Swedish Aurors are just as arrogant and idiotic as the French ones, but I’d rather not turn a school into the site of a bloody battle.” “Thank you for remembering this is a school!” David struggled to keep pace.
“I hope you also remember that I’m one of the students!” Yule laughed again.
“What an exciting experience!” He even had enough breath to glance behind them.
From the sound of the approaching footsteps, their pursuers had already entered the castle.
“This is the sort of thrilling adventure most young wizards could only dream of.” “Oh, absolutely,” David shot back.
“What child wouldn’t love being chased across Europe by Aurors?” He didn’t bother looking behind him.
He already knew who was chasing them.
More importantly, he knew why.
Well… Strictly speaking, they weren’t chasing him.
David was innocent.
Completely innocent.
He was only a thirteen-year-old second-year student.
The Aurors were after his uncle.
And possibly his father.
And probably— Forget it.
David didn’t even have the energy to finish that thought.
Shouts echoed from behind them now, ordering them to stop immediately.
“So…” David gasped between breaths, “…how exactly are we getting out of here?” Combat magic might be compulsory at Durmstrang, but sprinting for his life under this much pressure was another matter entirely.
He was thirteen.
He was still a child, for Merlin’s sake.
“Can’t Apparate here.
The grounds are warded.” Yule pulled him around the side of the lake and straight towards the forest.
They were moving too quickly to appreciate the view—the mountains, the vast dark water, or the eerie black ship resting upon the lake.
During the brief Durmstrang summer, David sometimes came here with his classmates to swim and catch fish.
He genuinely liked the place.
More than Beauxbatons, actually.
At least the girls here weren’t nearly as fussy.
“Almost there!” Yule kept scanning the forest as they ran.
“If I remember correctly, the boundary of the anti-Apparition wards should be just ahead—” He stopped.
David nearly crashed into him.
There were Aurors in front of them.
Several.
And from behind came another rush of movement through the trees.
The pursuing team had finally caught up.
Within seconds, the uncle and nephew were surrounded.
The Aurors at the front held several enormous hounds on tight leads.
The animals stared hungrily at David and Yule, lips pulled back from their teeth, saliva dripping from their jaws as they strained forward.
Ready to pounce.
David slowly looked around at the closing circle of Aurors.
Well.
This was bad.
This isn’t a story about an ordinary Hogwarts student.
David Rowle comes from a family of wanted wizards, magical-creature poachers, alchemists, troublemakers, and people who somehow consider being chased by Aurors a normal family inconvenience.
The story will gradually expand beyond school life into alchemy, duelling, magical creatures, family politics, business, ancient magic, friendships, romance, and David’s rise in the wizarding world—while keeping the humour and chaotic Rowle-family energy at its core.
The beginning takes a little time to establish David, his family, and his circumstances, so give it a few chapters before deciding whether the story is for you.
It genuinely helps the story reach more readers.
And most importantly— Welcome to the Rowle family.
Try not to get arrested.