Class 2 -NEWT

“Skill is being able to accomplish difficult tasks, like escaping from devil’s snare in
a way that most people would not expect. That is difficult, and therefore, is skillful
and will come in handy later on in life. If someone, or something, expects a certain
response from you, they will get ahead of you and see to it that you do not have a
chance to reach your goal. Now, the reason I was not impressed with the way you
two made your escape, was because I expected most of you to use the methods
explained in your textbooks. As you have told me, you do not wish to try to under-
stand my methods of teaching, and therefore, I will ask that you do not protest aga-
inst said methods. You already know how to escape from Devil’s Snare, and so, it
would not be considered ‘learning’ if you have already learned it. Understand?” Keera
turned and walked away from the student, making her way back over to the wall,
leaning against it. “Now, you”- she pointed at Godric- “it is your turn,” she announced.

“I have explained this to you already!” Keera hissed, her expression changing from
one of calmness to anger, she was clearly losing her patients. She rubbed her face,
she had been momentarily distracted from the stinging sensation she felt whenever
she blinked her eyes due to lack of sleep over the past few weeks, but she could
feel it now, like a warning; don’t slip up or things wont end well, Keera.

Keera pulled out a chair and sat down, drumming her fingers against the table’s sur-
face the second she was able to. Just forget about the insufferable know-it-all and
finish the lesson. Once you have, you can go try to get some sleep, or head down to
the Leaky Cauldron to play some poker. She nodded, agreeing with her thoughts be-
fore fixing her eyes on the boy who had arrived late, and the Devil’s Snare, waiting.

Did you hear that? That was a joke-laugh! Keera narrowed her eyes, ref-
using to agree with her mind, frowning. “No, no, no, no, no. I explained
everything just fine, you just failed to retain anything I said. You are too busy
thinking about your newest vocabulary words to focus on what it is I am trying
to get through that skull of yours,” she hissed, acid dripping from her every
word, she had clearly lost control of her temper; anyone could tell by the fierce
-yet-distant look in her eyes. The time between her mood swings was shorte-
ning- she needed the sleep she could never get, she needed peace and quite;
a break from the constant noise she heard and felt within her mind.

Keera turned around just before her fist shot out, smashing a tall, colorful vase
instead, sending shards of glass to the ground. She bit down on her tongue
when she felt some of the broken pieces slip under the skin of her knuckles, the
pain almost too much for her to bear; she never had a high tolerance for pain.
Small beads of blood slid down her slender fingers and dropped to the floor, hit-
ting the same tile every time. Drop…Drop…Drop. Keera breathed in and tilted
her head backwards slowly. She was scared now; never before had she lost
control that quickly, and she had only been inches away from hurting a student,
a witty young man who would probably end up becoming a much more powerful
person than she could ever be- perhaps it was that thought that made her so very
angry. She had never had the bravery to stand up to anyone when she was his
age, let alone a teacher.

“Class dismissed, The boy who was late will stay after class- oh, and Mariana,
I will talk to you in a few hours; I’ll need time to clean…this up,” Keera announced
abruptly, clutching her fist in her other hand as she glanced quickly at all the fa-
ces around her, her voice was scratchy, but it wasn’t threatening like it had been
before.

Keera flexed her fingers and examined her fist, making sure that it was completely
fixed before dropping her arm at her side. She nodded, “Yes, Yes of course…”
she replied quietly, rubbing her face for a moment, she looked as if she was having
some sort of internal battle. “I’m truly sorry; normally it doesn’t happen that fast…”
she apologized, turning her back to the students, breathing deeply. She wondered
how much damage her little…mistake had done to her plan. Would Mariana trust her
enough to have a chat with her? Would the students tell someone? Keera shook her
head roughly in a futile attempt to clear her mind of the thousands of different thou-
ghts that were gnawing at her brain.