I think Gaston was tele-ported because of the smoke… which usually meant that magic transformed / transported the object somewhere else. On another blog they have a entire list of what the different smokes mean. I thought that magic was not to be used to kill someone..( was that only genie magic?) . although a lot of killing has gone on.
I have a theory that the Gaston is the old janitor in the isolation ward and that his curse was that he lost all his good looks and charm, and just became a creepy, old, janitor guy who stalks outside Belle’s cell.