Buckle down and practice. You and Nadia meet Ms. Sterling

"Yes, I'd rather be working on something more interesting," Nadia says. She grits her teeth and twitches up one corner of her mouth. "But Ms. Sterling was right. I need to be stronger. You need a better touch. We're first-years at Boarbristle. What else should we be doing?"

You nod. "Sandevin said something about our unofficial House motto being Try, Try Again," you say.

"He would," Nadia says. "Come on, finish your tea, we need to get going."

"But the practice rooms are right downstairs," you object.

"That's not where we're going," Nadia says. "Were you even listening?" She shakes her head. "Can you fly a broom?"

"No, I never had a chance," you say. "Mum's relatives were the magic side of my family, and they didn't do much magical outside their houses so I never learned. But I can sit a broom. Mum and Auntie Drusilla gave me a few rides, you know. On dark nights."

"Lucky you're even here," Nadia says.

"I feel that way," you say. "Lucky. But after my Wild Talent came out, Mum made it clear I wouldn't be left to myself until I mastered it. So it was here, or..." You shudder at the thought.

Nadia shakes her head. "Don't say it," she cuts in. "Bad luck. Come on. You can sit a broom at least. You're sitting behind me, then."

You drain your tea mug and set it down.

Nadia reaches out and tickles the tea mug under its round base. It uncurls eight little legs and waves them until she sets it down, and scuttles off toward the scullery for a wash.

"How did you do that?" you ask. You didn't notice Nadia actually casting a spell or using magic.

Nadia says, "A lot of the most ordinary everyday things have been here for ages, and what happens if you're an ordinary everyday thing in the midst of a witch and wizard school?"

You look left and right a little uneasily at House Beavertail's refectory, packed full of such everyday objects as chairs, tableware, cups and pitchers. "A lot of things get enchanted but not always dismissed?" you say.

"Aye," Nadia says. "My big sis Sabrina told me about some she knew about. Your tea mug was one. And one of them, ah..." She looks up and to the side, presses her lips tightly together, and puts a hand over her mouth. She coughs. Her cheeks are a little pink now. "Anyway. Come on, let's go."

You follow Nadia and her broom out of Boarbristle's main gate and off to the side a bit. She grasps the neck of the broom in both hands and swings her leg over it. The sweeping end rises gently until the handle goes horizontal. She looks back at you and tilts her head,.

You tuck up your cloak tightly before straddling the broom behind Nadia. "Uhm-huh?" you say.

"Scoot up. Grab on," Nadia says. "My hips. You said you'd done this before."

You move up closer and hold Nadia by her hips through her brown House robes.

"Tighter. Good," she says. The broom lifts from the grounds outside Boarbristle's walls, and you're on your way, the wind blowing Nadia's hair into your chest. You're enough taller that you catch the wind straight in your face.

Rather than the practice rooms under House Beavertail, Ms. Sterling has set up a practice area atop a little hill overlooking the Weirding Wood. Boarbristle Academy is in the middle distance, and you catch a twinkle on dark blue beyond it -- the Chilly Tarn.

In her blue robes, with her golden hair, her sapphire jewelry, and her tinted glasses all gleaming in the sunlight, Ms. Sterling is somehow more imposing than at the head of her class.

"We shall be working with the elements today," Ms. Sterling says. "So I wanted to give us plenty of room."

It's a fine autumn day with bright sun, cool breezes, and broken clouds blowing over above. Ms. Sterling has brought some of the usual tools for elemental work, including a lit brazier as a ready source of fire.

"Now first let us cast a working circle. A great large one," Ms. Sterling says.

You take your part in banishing stray influences and invoking wisdom, harmony, and energy, wrapping all in a subtle silvery circle to contain and protect all within and hold back disruptions from beyond. The circle takes in the entire crown of the little hill. You're not used to casting one so large, and rarely working outside, but with Ms. Sterling directing, the circle takes shape and persists as the boundary of your practice ground.

Ms. Sterling says, "Mr. Mothwing-Marshall, you shall summon. Ms. Corby, you shall dismiss. Now first..."

You have 3 XP.

You have Ambition -1, Bravery 0, Cunning +2, Diligence +2.
You have a FAVOR from Miss Wormwood, and a FRIEND, Aurelia Sterling, your Enchantments teacher.

Roll +DILIGENCE (+2) as a Custom Move to practice banishing, warding, and dismissing.
On a 10+, gain +1 XP and +1 Forward.
On a 7-9, gain +1 XP and and choose a complication as below.
On a Miss, your attention wanders. Take -1 Forward and a scolding from Ms. Sterling.

Possible complications from fumbling practice:

• You fumble a dismissal and dismiss everyone's clothes. GET OUT OF TROUBLE.
• You banish the air from around you and promptly faint. Take a CONSEQUENCE and GO TO THE INFIRMARY.
• A bystander enters and you banish their clothes. Gain an ENEMY.