#he is happy to fucking yeet the original pendant magic

[thehappiestgolucky]

I feel 73 fits Quirrel in the Merm AU. (At least about the original spells on his pendant.)

73. "Bye, bye, you won't be missed."

When he set the pendant on the counter - blending in perfectly with the rest of the trinkets that adorned the small surface - a wave of both intense relief and apprehension settled in his skin. It was a process.

Whilst the relief was the most welcoming and warm emotion, he couldn't help the prickling at the back of his mind. The sudden toss of losing this connection to his... parents? No. Guardians?

No.

No absolutely not.

No guardian nor parent would restrain their child in such a way. They wouldn't erase all their memories nor hide their true kind.

Quirrel knew this well, as his legs clicked against the wooden floorboards. They stuttered with uncertainty. Ready to flee. Ready to stay.

"Hohohoho." Salubra, the owner of the quaint little charm shop chuckled in her natural amusement. There was no malicious intent behind the gentle sound. "Having conflicting thoughts?"

Quirrel's eyes cast themselves up, politely meeting her face but averting his eyes. He only made a small hum in his throat, which made his gaze drop back down to the pendant. There shouldn't have been conflicting thoughts. He was free from it's original purpose.

The charm warlock gently placed her hands on the mahogany counter, her jewellery clinking against the surface. Her smile was wide and warm - only enhanced by the gentle orange glow of the shops lighting. "Of course, this type of magic sadly worms it's way into the deepest corners of your mind, and takes root there. The more you're away from it, the more free you shall be." she gently scooped up the pendant away from the counter, out of Quirrel's reach.

"I shall turn this charm into one that only shifts the form, I promise that. Hopping between the two different worlds sounds oh so delightful, doesn't it?"

"Certainly... new." The merman tried to match her jovial energy, yet found himself to be frowning ever so slightly.

Salubra noticed, leaning down to meet his eyes, "Perhaps it would do you good to cut yourself from it's original purpose." Quirrel blinked, eyes slightly widened, "I mean to say goodbye, confident and assertive. You won't be using that memory altering addition afterall."

"That... sounds a little silly to say out loud though, doesn't it?"

She chuckled again, her smile wrinkling her face in a bright manner. "Oh perhaps, but it will feel good afterwards! I won't be judging you at all."

The thought rolled in his mind, concluding rather quickly that - whilst rather silly in concept - the tone would ease his worries all the same. So he squared his shoulders a bit, his eyebrows furrowing as his eyes fixated onto the pendant.

"Bye, bye," He started, his tone that tried to start out calm and dull quickly spiking with a rough bitterness, "You won't be missed."

Salubra's hand clasped quickly around the charm.

"Ohohohoho! Absolutely it won't!" She repeated, placing it into a drawer on her side of the counter, "It'll be new and improved. None of that nasty old business."

And it'll be to my liking. Quirrel couldn't help but think to himself, as a sense of freedom ran throughout his body. He was less tense. His legs stopped clicking against the wood with nerves.

With a thank you, he slunk out of the cozy shop and quickly hid amongst his friends waiting outside. The charm shop owner was right.

It did feel better.