| Eric Chant | |
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Nicknames |
Cat |
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Titles |
Nine-lived Enchanter |
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Relatives |
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Address |
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Eric Chant is a protagonist in the Chrestomanci series. He is a nine-lifed enchanter and the heir to the title and role of Chrestomanci.
He has fair hair and blue eyes. He is left-handed, which tended to get him into trouble at school.
He is prone to car-sickness.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Born in Twelve-A, Eric is the second child of Caroline and Francis Chant. His sister Gwendolen Chant used his magic when she was a baby and gave him the nickname "Cat". This is because he had nine lives. Caroline and Francis died in the Saucy Nancy disaster when Eric was quite young. During this he lost his first life after drowning. After the disaster they were taken in by Mrs Sharp, a Certified Witch who lived on Coven Street in Wolvercote. Eric had violin lessons rather than magic lessons (like Gwendolen) but he did poorly, resulting with Gwendolen turning his violin into a cat known as Fiddle out of irritation. Gwendolen wrote a letter to the current Chrestomanci, Christopher Chant, who had them taken to Chrestomanci Castle. When they arrived at the station in Bowbridge, they were met by a man called Michael Saunders who took them by car to Chrestomanci Castle while Eric got carsick. They entered through the servant's entrance and met Miss Bessemer. While at first Eric clung to Gwendolen, he began to get used to the castle and began a tentative friendship with Chrestomanci's children, Roger and Julia Chant. This changed when Gwendolen disappeared into a parallel world in Series Twelve, forcing a double from another parallel world into Twelve-A to replace Gwendolen. Eric met the double, Janet Chant, in Gwendolen's bedroom. Eric and Janet proceeded to spend their time making sure no one noticed the Gwendolen-Janet switch, repaying Gwendolen's debts, and figuring out what plan Gwendolen and her allies had set in motion before she left. They eventually find out that Eric is a nine-lifed enchanter. Eric and Janet also discover that Gwendolen and the Nostrum brothers planned to kill Eric in front of an arch in the dangerous and powerful Chrestomanci's Garden so to allow the Nostrums and their allies access to other worlds. Eric foiled this plan with the help of Chrestomanci and Chrestomanci's Family.
Later Life[]
Eric lived at Chrestomanci Castle with Janet Chant, who came from Twelve-B but became Chrestomanci's ward, and Roger Chant and Julia Chant. Where he learnt how to use his magic as an enchanter from Chrestomanci and struggled over Magic Theory, he never could understand why a spell worked, just that it did.
Eric defeated Neville Spiderman, who was trying to use a spell to turn him into a ten-lifed enchanter, with the help of Antonio "Tonino" Montana, using the false names of "Tony" and "Felix" with Eric first being jealous of Tonino because of the attention he received.
Eric went on holiday with Chrestomanci's family to the south of France.
He gained a griffin called Klartch who he hatched from the egg he found in Gammer Edith Pinhoe's attic while helping Jason Yeldham (the former boot boy of Chrestomanci Castle in Christopher's childhood) and Irene house-hunt. The egg is given to him by Marianne Pinhoe. Around the same time he acquires a horse called Syracuse (originally Julia and Janet's horse) who Cat rescues when it looks like he will be turned into dog-food. Syracuse was sold to Chrestomanci by a crooked wizard who covered him in spells making Syracuse hate magic.
Appearances[]
| Members of the Chant family |
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| Christopher Chant, Cosimo Chant, Miranda Chant, Conrad Chant, Charles Chant, Francis Chant, Caroline Chant, Roger Chant, Julia Chant, Gwendolen Chant, Eric Chant, Janet Chant, Alice Chant |