A Discovery of Witches

Matthieu!

Over there.

I used to know a Matthew.

It's Matthieu.

You have blood on your face.

Matthew!

Subtitles by explosiveskull

Once the world was full of wonders,

but it belongs to humans now.

We creatures have all but disappeared -

demons, vampires and witches...

hiding in plain sight, ill at ease, even with each other.

But, as my father used to say, in every ending...

there is a new beginning.

-New trousers, Hamish? -Morning.

You really didn't need to be here, you know.

"Hello, Hamish. Nice to see you." Good to see you, too, Matthew.

-I can quite well go hunting on my own. -It's good to have a break from London.

I've been meaning to get out on the moors, anyway.

John's preparing the car.

I see you've redecorated.

I thought the place needed brightening up.

Looks like a wedding cake.

You didn't come all the way up here to diss my interiors, Matt.

-What's going on? -It's complex.

Isn't it always with you?

-This is even more... -What? Fucked up?

Look at the two of us. A vampire friends with a demon.

I came up here to get away from a witch.

When you say "get away"...

-do you mean? -I'm craving her.

Who are you? You can't come in here without...

My boss will call you in three seconds to give it.

I'm looking for the body of the tourist found last night.

Yes?

Yes.

Of course, sir.

The body?

He has no blood in him.

And there was no blood at the scene. It's... strange.

Is there any background on him?

He was French.

Name?

Matthieu Beny.

Matthew.

Stop.

-Where? -About 35 meters below the ridgeline.

Good hunting.

-Hey. Busy today. -Don't know why.

Students aren't back yet.

Dr Bishop.

May I help you?

My name's Peter Knox.

I presume there aren't usually this many other creatures in the library.

Well... no.

So I suppose word has spread about the Ashmole manuscript you took out.

Sorry, I'm waiting on a book.

You're quite right to keep it quiet,

but I assure you I am a friend.

Shall we discuss this over coffee?

I don't think so.

Or are you a tea drinker like your mother was?

Did you know my father, too?

Only slightly.

Your mother and I met when we were teenagers.

I was very fond of her.

What was she like?

Passionate, clever,

stubborn as a mule when she wanted to be.

Really?!

It's truly terrible what happened.

I've thought about you a good deal over the years and...

I've wanted to introduce myself, but your aunt's very protective.

Yeah.

-Could we get tea for two, please? -Yes, sir.

Feeling better?

Yes.

Thank you.

I think you're wise to keep your distance from the witch.

Yes. But the problem is, she's in possession of something that I need.

Or rather...

she's capable of retrieving it.

-So, er, did you just call it up? -Yeah.

How?

Er, the... the normal way.

That's odd because I requested Ashmole 782 this morning

and it isn't there.

-Not there? -Missing.

According to the Bodleian catalog it's been missing for years.

But how could it be?

That doesn't make any sense. I took it out.

You did return it, I take it?

Of course!

I would never steal a book from the Bod.

No. It could be the date.

Yeah. Maybe the book only shows itself around the time of the equinox.

Or... or it could be that there's a spell on it

and that somehow, for some reason, you broke it.

I'm not my mother, Mr Knox, I didn't inherit her powers.

-What happened when you opened it? -I only looked at one page.

What was on it?

-A picture. -Of what?

The alchemical child.

There must have been more. You must have seen more.

Why is it so important to you?

Because if this book is what I think it is,

it contains the witches' first spells.

It could tell us how we created vampires.

-That's just a myth. -Vampires have used

their brute power and longevity

to gain far too much control, but if we created them...

then we could uncreate them.

I won't have any part of that.

You have to try and take it out again.

You're the only person who's seen it in years.

Let go of my arm!

I'm quite sure I'll see you again, Diana.

Not as amenable as I'd hoped.

We might need to use firmer tactics.

Juliette, good evening.

If you're here to see my father, he's not to be disturbed.

I think he's going to want to hear what I have to say.

This better be important.

It is.

It's a police matter.

Leave us.

To be honest, I still don't get what you're so anxious about.

How could taking out a book for a senior witch do any harm?

Come on, you were in the library. You felt it.

This... this book is powerful and I...I don't...

I don't trust what Peter Knox might do with it. He hates other species.

He'll use it against them.

It's no concern of ours.

I don't even know how he knew I took it out in the first place.

-These things get out. -I just...

I don't want to have anything to do with it.

I want to lead a normal life. I want to be normal.

I've known you for ten years. You couldn't be normal if you tried.

It's so typical something like this would happen to you.

What shall do, Gillian?

Just get it out for him and forget all about it.

Carry on with your paper.

Yeah, but that's nearly impossible with all these...

creatures and the library.

Not the vampire that was following you before?

No. He seems to have given up on me.

Oh, that's are relief at least.

I don't know.

There is something about him.

CHe... He seemed to know more about the book than anyone else.

I should asked him about it. Instead, I...

-I told him to leave me alone. -You're quite right, too.

Have you ever talked to them?

No.

So you don't know what they're like?

And you do, after one conversation?

He didn't seem to be as prejudiced against us as we are against them.

I gotta go.

Been invited to one of the dean's awful parties.

Thank you.

Sorry to burden you with this.

So even though Ashmole 782 might be the answer to our problems, Hamish,

my interest in it puts her in danger.

It seems we're all in danger, Matt, if we don't get that book.

You know that daemon suicides are on the rise?

As are mental health problems, homelessness.

Yes, I know.

I've been looking into the statistics.

We are struggling.

If this book could explain our origins...

Yes. Wouldn't that be something, my friend?

-Where's Matthew? -He's not here.

Oh, just, he said he'd ring me with the results.

Have they come through yet?

James' have.

His blood tests are normal.

So the problem's with me then?

It seems so.

That was quick.

What did you do to your hand?

I think the book did that to you when you opened it.

Who are you? You were in the library.

You were the magnet for it.

Magic attracts magic.

But yours is hidden.

Someone did something to you.

Oh.

You did it to yourself.

Do you fear persecution?

Is that it?

I haven't until now.

You were with Peter Knox. You tell him I won't get out his book.

This isn't just about the book.

It's about you.

Hey, Em.

-Have you heard of Peter Knox? -Peter Knox is in Oxford?

He said he knew Mum.

-Yeah, he was crazy about her. -I thought so, from what he said.

Tried to persuade her not to marry your father.

Did she like him?