Alphonse and Emilie Lavallée are fraternal twins. Born in France, they enrolled at BeauxBatons, the French school for witches and wizards, when they were 11.
However, school life hasn't been all great for Emilie. Shy and awkward, she was quickly ta...
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Chapter 9:
The Wand / La Baguette
"Mmmh" Professor Hecat observes me with a scrutinizing gaze, her eyes darting back and forth as I try to catch my breath. I've just finished casting a dozen different spells for her, it's the day of my infamous test on spellcasting, the one that will determine if I'll be at the bottom of her class for the rest of my life. It's been a grueling three hours of spellcasting, reciting spell properties and their history, performing the wrist movements over and over again, and reciting the incantations with the correct stressed syllables and intents. I can feel the sweat trickling down my back as I wait for her to speak, my heart pounding in my chest.
Despite my trembling limbs and fuzzy brain, I'm quite satisfied with my performance. I didn't get everything right of course, but I managed to cast each spell correctly at least once. A significant achievement for me. Mentally and physically drained, I can't wait to be done with this examination.
As I catch my breath, Professor Hecat finally remarks, "You have made progress, I must say." I let out a heavy sigh of relief, grateful for the positive feedback.
"Your wrist movements have improved. However, they still lack precision and your emotions are interfering with your intent," Professor Hecat observes, as she walks around me and scrutinizes my wand in hand. Despite the negative comments, I'm relieved to hear that it's not as bad as I had feared.
"Let's continue," she says, waving her wand to summon the mannequin back in front of me. "I want you to perform a series of spells this time: start with Levioso, then follow with Arresto Momentum, Glacius, Incendio, end with Expelliarmus, and finally Discendo."
I take a deep breath and try to focus on the spells and the order in which I need to cast them. It's a lot to remember, and the pressure of casting them while the mannequin is still in the air adds to my stress. I know that being quick and instinctive is not my strong suit, but I have to try my best.
"Levioso, arresto momentum, glacius, incendio, expelliarmus, and discendo," I repeat, double-checking the order of the spells with my instructor. Once I'm sure, she takes a step back, giving me enough room to work.
I take a deep breath and repeat the incantations in my head, ensuring that I have them memorized.
With my wand held firmly, I shout "Levioso" and the mannequin levitates into the air. I wait for the right moment before I move on to the next spell, "Arresto momentum" and the mannequin comes to an abrupt halt, frozen in space and time.
But as I move on to the next spell, Glacius, I feel my mind starting to panic. My movements become clumsy, and I can feel my hand shaking. I take a deep breath and try to steady myself before reciting the incantation. A jet of icy cold water shoots out of my wand, causing the mannequin to freeze over, its metallic body covered by a thin sheet of ice.
