Harry Potter: I Cast

I glanced at my watch as I left Professor Flitwick's office - 10:16. If I hurried, I could still catch Drake and Bell in the mess hall before our next class.

I raced through Hogwarts' winding corridors, my mind still buzzing with excitement from becoming Flitwick's assistant and the promise of advanced magical learning, I mean Ancient Runes and Arithmancy those were subjects that I wouldn't be taught until two years from now, but now I could even have a more of a head start, plus while I wasn't super interested dueling also sounded very cool the more I thought of it.

The moving staircases seemed to sense my urgency, aligning themselves perfectly as I descended. A few portraits called out greetings as I passed, but I barely had time to wave back. 

At 10:19, I burst into the Great Hall, immediately spotting Drake and Bell at their separate house tables. The enchanted ceiling above reflected a perfect autumn morning, wisps of clouds drifting lazily across the magical sky. My persistent star was still visible, twinkling faintly despite the daylight, I also wanted to study the ceiling maybe I'd do so later on.

The Slytherin table came first, where Drake sat surrounded by his housemates like a prince holding reluctant court. I noticed with satisfaction that Marcus still sported the silver zipper at the corner of his mouth. Anna Abbott's piercing green eyes fixed on me as I approached, her long brown ponytail swishing as she turned.

"What do you want?" she demanded, her tone carrying that particular brand of Slytherin disdain, I was getting used to the more I thought about it, seriously Drake didn't fit in here, I didn't know what the hat had thought placing him here.

"Nothing much," I replied cheerfully. "Just need to borrow Drake for a bit."

Drake rose from his seat, and predictably, his two shadows - Marcus and Dominic - stood as well, like puppets on the same string.

"Just Drake," I clarified, watching their faces darken with annoyance.

Marcus attempted to protest, but I lifted my hand slightly, causing the zipper to slide shut with a satisfying zip. "I told you it would take a while," I reminded him, enjoying how his eyes crossed trying to look at his own mouth.

Drake followed me away from the table, ignoring the disapproving glares from his housemates. We made our way to the Gryffindor table, where Bell sat chatting with her new friends. Her face lit up when she spotted us, a smile spreading across her features.

I had barely settled onto the bench beside Bell, with Drake on my other side, when a burly Gryffindor fifth-year spoke up, his voice dripping with disdain. "We don't let snakes sit-"

Without missing a beat, I raised my hand. "I Cast Constant Vertigo."

The effect was immediate - the boy's head dropped forward, his hands clutching the edge of the table as he fought to maintain his balance. His face paled considerably as the world spun around him.

"Anyone else have a problem with us sitting here?" I asked pleasantly, looking around at the suddenly quiet Gryffindors.

A chorus of hasty "nos" followed, and I nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Now then, Drake, how was History of Magic?"

Drake was still staring at the dizzy Gryffindor with a mixture of fascination and concern. "Uh, how exactly do you do that?"

"Do what?" I asked innocently.

He pointed at the boy, who was now looking slightly green. "That magic. It's not like anything I've ever seen."

"Just a little trick I picked up," I deflected. "Now, about History of Magic?"

Drake sighed heavily as Bell leaned in to read his lips. "Boring as Merlin. The ghost just droned on and on about goblin rebellions."

I turned to Bell, who was practically bouncing in her seat. "How about you? Want to share what happened in Charms?"

Her hands flew through the signs, which I translated for Drake's benefit. "I managed to cast chantless magic!"

"Wait, what?" Drake's eyes widened. "You too?"

"Felix helped me," Bell signed proudly. "He can do it as well."

"You can cast chantless already?" Drake looked impressed despite himself.

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I'm just that in tune with my magic," I said, flicking my head upward with exaggerated smugness.

The conversation flowed easily after that, punctuated by occasional snacking on the various treats laid out on the table. It felt good, sitting there with my friends, ignoring the artificial barriers of house divisions. But all too soon, the school bell rang out its warning.

DING-DONG-DING

"Time to go," I announced, checking my watch again. "Bell, what's your next class?"

"Potions," she signed back quickly.

"Good luck with that," I wished her, before turning to Drake. "Come on, we've got Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Drake and I hurried through the corridors, joining the stream of Slytherins and Ravenclaws heading to the DADA classroom. We slipped inside at 10:29, just barely making it.

The classroom itself was fascinating - dark wooden panels lined the walls, covered in diagrams of various magical creatures and defensive spells.

Our professor was already there, though not exactly in a traditional teaching pose. He sat with his boots propped up on his desk, a cowboy hat covering his face, and a piece of hay straw bobbing between his lips as he apparently dozed.

At precisely 10:30, he stirred, pushing the hat up with one finger. "Ugh, huh, where am I? Oh yeah, I was teaching, that's right."

He straightened up, though the hat remained at a rakish angle and the hay straw continued its lazy dance as he spoke. "Well, where to begin. The name's Augustus Blackwood, and I'll be your teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts this year and this year alone. Now, onto what I'll be teaching you - it is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind. You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room."

He paused for dramatic effect, though the hay straw somewhat ruined it. "Basically, it's teaching you how not to get yourself killed by some dumb shit. While I think the best way to teach you would just be throwing you into the Forbidden Forest, Dumbledore said no, so I'll do my best at teaching you in class with the least amount of effort on my part."

Picking up our textbook, he continued, "I'm sure most of you have already read this book, especially you nerdy Ravenclaws, but this is about as helpful as a star in the sky. So I'm going to teach you how to deal with actual threats."

"Verdimillious," he cast suddenly, turning around and sending green sparks from his wand. The spell revealed a massive metal box that somehow, I hadn't sensed any magic from, which made me wonder how exactly my sensing magic worked - a puzzle I'd have to investigate later.

"Now onto what you will be facing," he drawled. "It's simple - inside this box is one of the most bothersome pests we have nowadays."

BANG!

Something inside the box slammed against its walls, making several students jump.

"For your first class, you will all be facing a troll. Good luck."

A Ravenclaw's hand shot up immediately. "Wait, wait - you haven't taught us anything! How are we supposed to fight it?"

"You read the book, right?"

The student nodded nervously.

"Well, then follow the book. Although I would advise not staying in your seats - can't exactly run there. Now, let's begin."

"Alohomora."

A clicking sound echoed through the room, and chaos erupted. Students scrambled away from their desks, some making a break for the door only to find it locked.

"Oh yeah," Blackwood added casually, "I closed the door so you can't leave. Your only choice is to fight."

As if on cue, another tremendous crash rang out, and the metal box exploded outward. A massive chunk of metal flew toward a student's head, only to be caught at the last second by Blackwood's casual flick of his wand.

"You're facing a troll, not the door," he reminded us cheerfully. "Now come on, get to it."

I studied the creature before us, Drake trembling slightly at my side. The troll stood even taller than Hagrid, its granite-grey skin rippling with muscles. A stench like rotting flesh filled the air, and its massive feet ended in two toes, each sporting yellowed nails the size of dinner plates.

"Hey Felix," Drake whispered urgently, but I barely heard him. My wand was already in my hand, and I could feel my magic responding to my excitement. This wasn't just any lesson - this was an opportunity to study a magnificent magical creature up close, how fun.

"I can't wait to dissect it," I whispered, letting my thoughts spill into my lips.

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