The Keeper

Chapter 24

The songs I listened to are Tangled Up In Blue by Bob Dylan, Are You In? by Incubus and Novocaine by Fall Out Boy.

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*

I raised an eyebrow at Gillian's remark but brushed it off as being a result of her being overtired. Everyone's mood had taken a turn for the worse as the threat of OWLs started to grow. But then again, it was fairly obvious how Gillian felt about Oliver. I instinctively clenched my fists. I knew that nothing would happen, though. She wouldn't dare make a move on him because if she did, she'd have to face the combined wrath of Sasha, Aleeza and Louise. And that is a terrifying prospect.

*

I took my seat in Charms, excited for the lesson. Professor Flitwick had told us we would be learning a new spell today which was something I always loved to do. My interest was peaked by the two crates stood next to the podium at the front of the classroom. They seemed to be rocking gently from side to side.

A hush fell over us as he walked into the room. He quickly took attendance before diving into teaching.

"Today," he announced, "we will be learning a charm that has proved to be very difficult to many witches and wizards." I sat up a little straighter, causing Sasha to snicker next to me. "We will be learning the silencing charm."

Waves of murmurs spread across the students only to be stopped by Professor Flitwick coughing.

"The silencing spell would be very useful right now," he remarked flatly.

The professor went on to tell us about silencio, including a brief history of the spell and the proper wand movement to cast it. He asked for someone to come forward for a demonstration. Gillian eagerly stuck her hand in the air, rising above her seat a little. Professor Flitwick beckoned for her to join him so she excitedly made her way there.

"Gillian, please start talking about what you had for breakfast this morning," he instructed.

She paused before mentioning a variety of different food she ate earlier. After a few seconds, Professor Flitwick raised his wand and pointed it directly at Gillian. She kept talking.

"Silencio," the professor said, flicking his wand. The result was amusing to watch. Gillian's mouth continued to move but no sound came out. It was a nice change, something that Sasha took great delight in.

"We need to use this on her starting as soon as possible," she murmured, suppressing a laugh. "If only we were taught it earlier. Think of all the time we could've spent not having to listen to her."

Professor Flitwick said another spell, causing Gillian's voice to return.

"Shame," Sasha muttered.

"I must warn you all about the dangers of the spell backfiring when tried on humans," the professor said, gesturing for Gillian to sit down. "When performed incorrectly, the target can swell up to huge sizes and instead of being silent, will produce deafening sounds. This is why you will be practising on," he quickly walked over to the crates, "ravens and frogs. You'll be practising on frogs first so please come collect one when I call your name."

I was relatively successful with the spell, managing to silence my frog completely. My raven was still making faint noises, however. Most people were in the same situation. But Gillian seemed to be performing better than anyone, much to her delight. I never enjoyed being bettered by people, especially people I disliked.

Thankfully, Potions was next. It was subject that I was better at than Gillian. Although she was good at some components, she was utterly dreadful at following a recipe precisely.