Wednesday's Special Charms

He snatched the pillow out of the air, smiling. Yeah, easy, he thought. At least it technically shouldn't be as hard to banish, but who knew? He heard some first years bitching that one of the teachers were using cursed items for them to test on, so maybe . . . naw.

Harold held the pillow by one corner and pointed his wand: "Depulso!"



Pillow go back 1 of 6.
Base 55
Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D100.) :

62

Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D10.) :

2

Watching the pillow fly back Harold decided to try something else. Maybe I can do five for five: every strange damn thing here. Or maybe just banish one of them into the flying pitch, like that damn octopus thing ....

He pointed the wand at the strange cube with the hearts on it, gave a flick and said, "Accio."



Here, Cubbie, Here! 2 of 6
Base 60
Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D100.) :

8

Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D10.) :

8

But the little cube didn't want to move. In fact, this time, it was like the wand had died in Harold's hand. Just like the other night, he thought.

Enough of that. Time to make this fly. Harold flipped his wand at the cube and said, "Accio."



Here, Cubbie, Here! 3 of 6
Base 60
Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D100.) :

23

Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D10.) :

7

Harold couldn't believe it. "Son of a bitch," he said, whispering out the words. He should have had this; he should have had it easy. But, no: he was feeling a little of what he felt the other night.

He looked over at Harmony and she gave him a brave smile. Well, she thinks you can do it, he thought. Or maybe she doesn't and she's being nice ... damn. Enough of that.

Harold brought his arm back and let it fly with a mighty, "Accio," pointing at the cube with his arm and wand fully extended.



Here, Cubbie, Here! 4 of 6
Base 60
Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D100.) :

56

Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D10.) :

1

Now Harold was pissed. He walked around in circles for a few minutes trying to regroup. He knew Wednesday wouldn't bother him, not right now.

This was starting to feel like the time in the dungeon during the attack when he got whacked around by that first year. He caught tons of crap over that, and he'd worked hard since then to live it down and get better so it didn't happen again.

And now he was punking out in front of everyone.

"Okay, lets do it," he said. He flipped the wand out, aiming back at the throw pillow, and almost shouted, "Accio!"



Bring me a Pillow! 5 of 6
Base 60
Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D100.) :

22

Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D10.) :

10

This is such a disaster, Harold thought. Sure, it happens; he'd crashed and burned a couple of times the year before when he'd first been invited in, but once he got relaxed it turned better.

But, sure, Wends is gonna push us. And push us. And... And it didn't matter. Harold knew he'd get this. Not today; maybe not tomorrow.

But he'd get it.

Harold pointed his wand at the throw pillow and said, "Accio," like he was asking for more cocoa.



Bring me a Pillow! 6 of 6
Base 60
Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D100.) :

34

Harold Napper carried out 1 launched of one (D10.) :

9

And that was that ... no flying throw pillow, no return banishment. Harold did it one time right at the start and then fell into a pit of nothingness right after.

He turned to the rest of the class, a little downtrodden, paused as he seemed to contemplate what had happened ... and then began dancing about in one spot, moving slowly side-to-side while gesturing with his hands. "Yo, this be my suckage dance!" he said, and just about everyone started laughing as Harold gyrated.

After about 10 seconds he stopped and went to his chair. When Wednesday asked if he wanted to try banishment, Harold waved her off and said, "Not tonight; I'll get it later." He sat down and let Harmony's smile wash over him ....

Just then the refreshments appeared on the tables; homemade soft drinks and the ubiquitous cocoa that seemed to be a staple at the Institute. Wednesday stepped into the center of the room. "I think now is a good time to take a break," she said, smiling. "20 minutes should do it." Pointing to the refreshment said said, "Help yourselves."

After everyone had gotten a drink and was milling about, Wednesday moved in and began speaking. "I'd like to say something, mostly for the benefit of Annie and Kerry, but all to remind everyone of something--" She sipped from her own soft drink. "There is always more to this class than just magic; we're not here just to work on charms above our year rank and BS over drinks."

She smiled. "I've always got something in mind beyond just teaching you different ways of doing things. You all know our official motto: 'We're not about failure'." Several of the students smiled because they knew what was coming next. "But always remember our unofficial motto--"

Nearly everyone said it aloud: "We ain't magic's bitch!"

Laughing, Wednesday waited for everyone to settle before continuing. "Everyone is going to be off from time to time. No one is going to get things right first time, every time--" She eyed Kerry while thinking evil thoughts, then went on. "Nadine has been playing quidditch for years, and she can tell you: all the practice and all the teamwork isn't going to help on those days when things just don't jell. Right?" Nadine nodded, rolling her eyes.

"And the thing that makes this the most difficult--when you do magic, you are alone. It is you and magic and nothing else. Potions, charms, transfiguration, flying, herbology, divination ... it's you and magic in a struggle to see who comes out on top.

"And magic isn't always in a hurry to give up."

Another sip, a strand of hair brushed from her face, and Wednesday was ready to go on. "Failure isn't not getting a charm off, or screwing up a spell, or ... whatever. Failure is telling magic its won. It's giving in and saying 'It's too hard, I think I'll stick with waiting until 3rd Year to figure out how to wash windows with magic' and doing what's expected of you--" She calmed herself; thinking of her own early days at Sky and Summit usually got her excited.

"Most of all, failure is saying you aren't interested in discovering your full potential." She paused before saying, "I had someone help me find my potential early on, and it was a good thing because... I was on my way to being a failure. I sucked at charms the first three months of my 1st Year. But one of the teachers--she saw something else, and taught me. And helped me, and even got me this job." She sighed, remembering her days standing where her students stood. "She didn't make me who I am, but she helped to show me how I could become this person.

"And that's why you're here. I saw all of you do things well before you were suppose to, and how you kept at things until you got it... but mostly I saw something in all of you that said 'There is potential here'.

"If there is anything you get out of this class, it's this: it is never what you know up here--" Wednesday touched her forehead. "It's how you feel here--" She placed her hand over her heart. "It's how you control magic, not how you let it control you.

"You're all special, never for get that, and not just because you're getting 6th Year while you're still a 3rd Year. That's good, but..." She almost giggled as she added, "I'm here to turn out Wendys, not Hermiones." A few of the students snicked as well, getting the in-joke.

She stepped away from everyone, saying "Carry on," before leaving the room to check on something in her office.

Annie wasn't in the mood to talk about what'd happened to her and absorb the pity of the rest of her classmates, so she slipped back into her seat, sipped her hot cocoa, and wondered about the small lecture their professor had just given. It annoyed her to discover that performing magic in front of people was a problem, because she'd never experienced stage fright before.

Kerry on the other hand appeared to not only shine, nailing both spells without breaking a sweat, but absorbed the energy of the room--using it to his advantage. That is something I'm anxious to see more of, she thought, watching him mill about the room deep in his own thoughts. She smiled, running a finger around the rim of her cocoa mug as her thoughts retreated away from the practical magic of the classroom. She found herself remembering the grove...his lips...his hands...

As the chatter of the students became a soft humming, Annie longed to be alone with him. She ached for him in a way she had not known before their last weekend.

She watched him, sipping her cocoa, while the images flashing through her mind made her heart flutter.

Kerry wandered up the by the table to look over the goods. He was aware that Annie was sitting alone at the moment and he was going to join her soon . . . though he was getting some kind of vibe from her--likely pertaining to her inability to get the magic to flow for her tonight. She got that the other night when they were together, and while Kerry couldn't figure out why he happened, he knew it would be something she was get out of soon. She can't struggle all the time, he thought. Right?

He looked the facehugger up and down, smiling. I need that for my dorm, he thought, and in a flash his thoughts were back on what Wednesday said just moments before. One line in particular: "I'm here to turn out Wendys, not Hermiones."

The Wnedy reference he was pretty sure he got: Wendy the Good Witch, handy with a wand and looking to only do good magic--and who used a wand and wore red hoodies, as Kerry remembered. Wednesday makin' Wendys: Kerry could totally see that.

But it was the Hermione mention that made him scratch his head a bit before it hit him: he'd heard that name before. And the remembrance of where bothered him. It was the rune dream, he thought while poking at the Companion Cube. Princess Coraline mentioned her name and said she was . . . "One of the greatest technical witches of all times, but whose magic lacks soul." Yeah, that one.

Kerry hadn't thought about that dream since having it. After what Wednesday said he couldn't help but think about it. So what are you gonna be? he thought. Wendy or Hermione? He felt he was changing; he didn't see himself as the "old" Kerry these days, but what did he have to go on it? A month of spell casting and almost being killed by a Dementor?

Enough of that crap. He looked around the room at the students spread out in their little groups, chatting. You're here because you can do this. You don't need to prove it: you already have.

He pushed the thought out of his head and Wednesday hurried back into the room. It looked as if the fun were about to begin again.

Once she returned from her own break Wednesday got the class back into order quickly. It wasn't that she was in a hurry to get out, but she gauged the mood of the room and thought knocking it off early and taking over the Dinning Hall--which wasn't all that difficult to do at 9:30 at night--might just be the ticket. "Okay," she said, pointed to a student, "you're up, Harmony."

Harmony was her usual self; relaxed but, at the same time, very self aware about being in front of the class. She started out very strong, doing a summon/banishment/summon right away, and then began to falter. She did as well as Nadine, even managing to get her last banishment off with a bit of a push, and Wednesday thought she had the basics down well. She's going to rock it next time, she thought.

And speaking of rocking it... Elias usually brought a good game to class, but tonight he was on fire. His first summons saw the Companion Cube fly off the table so quickly Wednesday almost missed it. He had some difficulty banishing it, but then--he summoned it right back, had a bobble then banish, summon, banish, summon, banish--snap, snap, snap! just like that. He got into a groove, and even more impressive--he was totally pushing the blandishments. He finally pushed one last summons and finished up with a great flair and swirling of his wand. Though it was his first time non-verbal, Wednesday was sure he knew what he was doing well enough that he'd not need much more practice.

Talia was the big surprise, though. Wednesday knew she was nervous; she's more or less said so the night before, and her body language was 100 percent nerve-driven. But she did as well as Rivânia, and manged two summons and a banishment before calling it. Wednesday thought that, based upon how nicely the Hello Kitty doll moved through the air, Talia might have a better understanding of wandless than Riv, and would carry that knowledge over to her next practice.

With the last student finish, Wednesday debated bringing Annie up again, but decided against it, because she figured it was better to break ice than sling charms. "It's 9:32," she said waving away the practice objects. "Time to take it to the Hall and kick back." As everyone stood, she told them, "Just to let you know, you all made me proud--again." Grinning she added, "Now, lets get out of here!"