Wand Handling and Care with Professor Heartwell.

Everyone begins to file into the classroom, you tap Coral on the shoulder as you enter the doorway. "Nice going." You give her your best smile.

"Thanks Turner. Glad all that reading paid off." She gives a dorky snort and adjusts her skirt. You should flirt with her, say something charming, anything good God anything! "Haha yeah." Nice job idiot.

Coral smiles though and beams on, she even beckons you over to sit next to her. You make out a few jealous glances at that.

"The first thing about Wand Handling and Care is to know how to use the damn thing!" A loud snap rings out through the class as Heartwell slams her hand on her wooden desk.

"Everyone pull out your wands, and be careful when you do it." Heartwell gives a tired sigh. "Listen well. The essence of wandwork is about subtlety and control." Heartwell flicks her wand in a clockwise circle then ends it with a flurry of swishes, your eyes can't make out the movements. Three stone statues form inside of the dueling lane, they look like orcs. "We will begin with drawing your wand. A vital movement for budding witches and wizards, it seems simple but learning how to draw your wand properly can save your life." Another swish and flick, the stone orcs are now armed with makeshift wands of their own, holstered in stone sheathes at their side. "Mr. Turner can you tell me why drawing one's wand is such an important concept?"

You read this in your prep books. It was one of the first things that sparked your interest, "Wands are extremely sensitive to magical energies. As magicians we are the source and the wand is the catalyst, the second our hands touch that wood, the wand connects with us. If your movements are sloppy or jerky when drawing your wand you're liable to set off a spell into your sheathe."

"Precisely. Now watch what happens when one draws his or her wand with brutish **** rather than graceful control." Heartwell makes a small circle, counter clock wise with her wand. The far right stone orc shoves his hand into the wand sheathe and drags it out, before the wand can even clear the stone leather sheathe, a bright red spark bursts forth from the wand and explodes into the orc's leg, it falls and crumbles. "I urge you my dear students, draw your wands with the utmost care and precision. Lest we send you to the infirmary with one less leg." You gulp and pay close attention to Heartwell's words, you never thought about it, but the simple wooden stick hanging at your side has more than its fair share of firepower.

"When drawing your wand you must be sure to keep your mind clear and your emotions calm, draw it from your sheathe in a smooth straight line, the tip should never make any jerky or circular movements." Heartwell demonstrates again, it's a simple movement, and easy to replicate. Knowing is half the battle in this case, and nearly all of the class are drawing their wands smoothly. You step up to one of the orcs and imagine yourself dueling with an opponent. You imagine where you would aim your spell, what spell you would use, then you imagine how your opponent would attack you. With a quick step to the side you shift your axis and draw your wand. You practice, once, twice, thrice, it feels good and natural. "Excellent work class. No misfires at all!" Heartwell looks quite pleased with herself.

You feel a dark chill creep over the back of your neck. It feels like a decaying slug is worming into your vertebrae, whispering about the rotten things you've done. One of the stone orc's eyes turn pure black, it stands there, conscious and knowing. Of the thirty or so magicians in the classroom only seven notice the incoming threat. Professor Heartwell acts first, thinking only of her students safety. The orc knows the jig is up and springs into action, its frighteningly fast, too fast for you to react.

"Mr. Hallow!"

"Turner!"

Heartwell's and Coral's voices mix together in a strange resonance before you feel the heavy hand of a stone orc slam against the side of your ribs. A bright blue chord of energy shoots past the surrounding students and attaches itself to you, clinging to your hand in the same instant the orc thrashes you. The chord flares red and bursts with energy, taking the absorbed impact and sending it straight to Heartwell. Heartwell's right hand is battered with brutal **** as the energy rebounds, the old witch drops her wand into her left hand as she cries out in horrible pain.

All of this happens in a second, but the danger is easy enough to grasp. There's no pain thanks to Heartwell's spell, but you're still right next to the damn orc, preventing Heartwell from firing any more spells. You hop step to the right and ready a spell in the same moment. A heavy hand trails through the air clubbing you on the top of the head, "Stupefy!" you spit out the words and the orc staggers backwards giving you space. The professor has a nasty smile on her face, her purple and broken arm hangs uselessly at her side. "You think you can come in here unannounced, hurt my students and interrupt MY LESSON!?" Heartwell roars as she waves her wand in an intricate series of patterns, "REDUCTO!" Heartwell's spell bullets through the air, a silver streak that slams into the stone orc with tremendous ****. The **** of the impact sends you and the other students sprawling backwards. You feel your consciousness ebb away, Coral is looking down at you with concern writ all over her beautiful eyes. You try to reach out to her, but it fades to black.

"Please, take Mr. Hallow to the infirmary, I fear he may have sustained severe injuries." Heartwell's voice is quiet. The hallway is empty but for her and man in dark blue robes. "Professor Heartwell you must seek attention for your arm as well. Please, let us treat you."

"I won't have it Levan. I must investigate what happened in my classroom, it is imperative that I look for the traces of magic this instant. What happened today was an unprecedented intrusion of magic on Hogwarts grounds. I will find the culprit responsible and have them punished."

"Take this then, it will help the bone begin to mend." The man pulls a flask of bright green liquid from his robes.

"Thank you Levan, please take care of Mr. Hallow for me."

"Yes, Professor."