For The Love Of A Snake

Chapter 4: Defense Agianst the Dark Arts Class

   As Sebastian led us up to the defense against the dark arts tower I found myself observing my surroundings, taking everything in, as well as mesmerizing my way there. The classroom door seemed to be guarded by some weird eyeball devices that moved as you walked past them. As we entered the Professor wasn't anywhere in sight yet, we were slightly early. A red haired boy in red robes approached us immediately as we entered. "Sebastian, you and me before Professor Hecat leaves her study" he taunted. Sebastian smirked as the red hair boy walked down to the opposite side of the classroom.

    "Wait for me here, Ruby. I need to do something really fast" his face was now determined and both the boys had readied their wands. The room was made of tall stone walls and ceiling, which were supported by wooden archways. From the ceiling hung a ginormous dragon skeleton. Student desks rested to right and left of the main walkway space down the middle of the room. My attention was brought back to the boys as the red hair boy struck a blast towards Sebastian who immediately used Protego to block it, countering with Stupefy. The boys blasted back and forth towards one another, both countering successfully. Sebastian then became cocky as he seemed at ease with this duel, "Is that all you got?" He taunted the other boy.

    Frustrated the red haired boy shot three times quickly at Sebastian who then blocked them, causing one of the shots to bounce off and hit the dragon's skull. The skull rocked back and forth before suddenly falling. It seemed as if the red haired boy would get crushed before the skull was stopped by a purple force. "Levioso!" An older women's voice echoed through the classroom walls. "Perhaps you two would be good enough to blast each other to pieces in your own time. I get new students every year, but I only have one heridium black skull. It was a token of the great poacher raid of 1878, no doubt you've herd of it. Now you may be asking yourself how an old women like me, single-handedly took out the largest poacher ring in Eastern Wales and lived to boast about it. Knowledge" she finished as she levitated the dragons skull back into its proper place.

     "To the wise, age matters very little. Today we will review a spell that has saved me from death at the hands of dark wizards more times than I care to remember. Levioso" She finished her introduction as she walked down the middle of the class. Everyone watched her carefully as she moved down the walkway. For as aged as she looked, she didn't play around. She wore a light blue cloak that shimmered in the light along with her gray hair. The red haired boy complained about the charm she was to have us practice today.

   "Levioso? The levitation charm? How is that suppose to help us Professor Hecat?" He exclaimed and was quickly met by the professors wrath for talking out of line. Professor Hecat quickly cast the charm on the boy levitating him in the air.

    "A surprised opponent, is a weak opponent. Care to defend yourself master Prewett?No?" She sassed back at him while she dropped him back to the ground. "One thing I've learned as an unspeakable, is the value of simplicity. Especially in the heat of battle. Now let's practice what we've just learned, starting with something small" she then encouraged the class to practice the wand movements with her. Everyone pulled out their wands and began to practice the movements. As everyone practiced the Professor walked by each individual student and placed a greenish feather in front of them.

      I hadn't touched my wand since the last time I learned spell work with my parents. I pulled it out of my pocket and sighed. It was still the same Hazel wand that I had gotten with my mother and father at Olivanders during my first school year. It really was a gorgeous wand, the greenish gray color followed the wood as it twisted around itself into a point. My mother had explained to me that the core of a witch or wizards wand said a lot about them. My mother had dragon heartstring, my father a unicorn hair. I on the other hand was chosen by an 10 inch wand filled with a phoenix feather at its core. I followed the movement with the Professor and soon the feather on my desk began to rise. I looked around expecting everyone else to have already achieved it, but I was the first one. I then put down my wand and waited for the class to also get it. The second to get it was none of course other than Sebastian.

    Professor Hecat seemed satisfied with this as she walked around and decided it was time to move on. "Now let's try something a little larger" she motioned for the class to come towards the center of the room as she pulled out a large wooden dummy. She then pushed back the student desks against the wall with her wand and motioned at me to come up to the dummy. All eyes were on me as I stepped up to the dummy and prepared to cast Levioso. "Now when you use levioso it will break the shield I have placed on this dummy. After you break the shield and have it floating, cast a basic hit at it" she instructed. I nodded my head and took a deep breath. No pressure or anything, not like I just started at this school. I thought to myself as I readied my wand.

    I motioned my wand and spoke the charms incantation, "Levioso!" The dummy quickly floated up into the air. I followed up with a basic cast knocking it back onto the floor, face first.

    "Very good, but the best way to practice is by dueling. We will start with you two" she motioned at myself and Sebastian, "Duelist take your mark". She guided us to stand at opposite sides in the middle of the classroom. Even across the room I could see Sebastian's grin. He wasn't going to hold back against me. Good thing though, because I wasn't planning on holding back either. Something within me wanted to prove myself, not only to the school but to Sebastian as well.

    As Sebastian took his place he taunted me playfully, "Time for a proper Hogwarts welcome" he winked at me. My heart fluttered but I refused to let him take my focus. Professor Hecat raised the floor the create a proper dueling space as we both readied ourselves.

    "Now I want a fair duel, only using levioso, basic casting and protego" she announced to the class. "You may begin" she finished and walked back to properly observe our duel. Sebastian began to raise his wand but I was too quick for him and quickly used Levioso on him, raising him up from the dueling table. I hit him a couple more times with a basic cast until he fell back down on the table.

     "This can't be your first duel Ryzmec! Not with strikes like that!" He yelled out as he stood back up throwing a couple strikes my way. The first one took me off guard and hit me in the right shoulder, knocking me back quite a bit. I then was able to counter his strikes with Protego until I saw an opening again. This time I put full force into my spells, casting levioso one more time. As Sebastian rose into the air I hit him with a bigger basic cast knocking him off his side of the dueling table. The class cheered as he fell off, I had won the duel. As the class refocused on Professor Hecat for the next duel, Sebastian approached me straightening up his robes.

      "Not bad for a beginner, you give as good as you get" he stated and then walked past me towards the rest of the class. I hoped that this hadn't damaged what he thought of me. I tried to refocus on the class but it was hard after something like that. Professor Hecat finished the lesson, having a few other students duel and then came to speak with me when class was finished.

    "I put you on the spot and you rose to the challenge. Ten points to Slytherin. I expect that you will do great things here at Hogwarts. Keep practicing whenever you are able"  Professor Hecat then dismissed me and returned to her study. As I went to leave the class I saw Sebastian waiting for me by the door.

    "You waited for me?" I questioned expecting him to have left me after our duel.

    "That duel was quite something. Everyone will be talking about it for a while" he stated.

    "Yes it certainly was good practice wasn't it?" I responded, hoping this meant it wouldn't impact our growing friendship.

      "Practice? Ryzmec you are something. That felt more like I was dueling an expert. I didn't expect a new student to be so deft with a wand. Then again perhaps this wasn't your first duel?" He questioned me with an eyebrow raised.

   "Hah! I've dueled enough Sebastian, consider yourself lucky I held back a bit for you" I teased him with a smile. He chuckled at my response and put his left arm over my shoulders as we headed out of the classroom. My heart raced with his touch once again. I couldn't help it, something about him got my heart racing. He wasn't just attractive, he was smart, funny, and somewhat mischievous. Merlin what was I thinking? I had only known him for a day, yet somehow it felt as if we had known each other for a lifetime already.

    "Come on Ruby, it's time for lunch. Ominous will be on my ass if he's waiting too long for us" He said as he pretended to lean on me for support as if I had given him a limp. I playfully shoved him and he laughed before walking normal again. I expected him to remove his arm from my shoulders but he didn't. I wasn't going to complain, I loved the feeling of his touch. In fact, I could get use to having his arm around my shoulders.