Lesson 2 - N.E.W.T. Level

The situation was meant to be hypothetical. Elijah hadn’t mentioned a hypothesis and it because of his own stupidity that he now had to face the Boggart reincarnation of his Dark Arts teacher. Elijah mentally berated himself for not specifying what he’d actually wanted from the Professor but there was one saving grace that he’d found. This was only Sandra Archer. She couldn’t hurt him, only physically but not mentally where it really hit home. The Boggart was manipulated to be Sandra which meant it wouldn’t be Alice or Fauve or some crude misinterpretation of the two.

Biting his lip, Elijah turned to face the closet. The darkness within the closet meant that he couldn’t see the Boggart but he had a feeling that it could see him. Elijah took a small step forwards. He then took one to the right, one back and one to the left, returning to his original position. He was right. He had felt the Boggart’s eyes on him. To anyone else it would have been a nervous shuffle but he wanted to know if she was there or not; which she most certainly was.

Was she expecting him to make the first move? No, of course not, but she did intend to wait. Elijah assumed it was so he would fear her and where what was to come. Elijah was worried that he wouldn’t be able to complete his task. He had faith in his abilities even if he hadn’t really put them to practice. Having spell knowledge was one thing but being able to put that knowledge to use was a completely different thing.

With a slam, a pale hand grasped the wood of the closet and Elijah swallowed. He felt a bead of sweat dance across his forehead and he continued to watch the shadows, searching them in vain for the other hand which he knew would hold the wand. With his thumb, Elijah twirled one of the rings on his left hand. It slapped against the other rings sitting above and beside it on his other fingers and he felt the same bead of sweat dribble down the side of his face, down his neck and disappear beneath the collar of his shirt.

A boot protruded from the darkness and slammed down on the hardwood floor of the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom. Then, Sandra Archer strode from the darkness in all her glory. Elijah wasn’t scared per say. Intimidated, yes but scared, no. The woman took her wand from behind her back and a smirk appeared on her mouth. Elijah wanted to recoil but he was transfixed as he watched the woman and his mind went blank until he heard her throw a spell.

Thinking as fast as his befuddled brain would allow, Elijah threw up a shield. The clear shield protected him well enough and absorbed the spell Sandra had sent. The Boggart looked as befuddled as his brain had been and Elijah dropped the shield, yelling “Impedimenta!” at her. The woman slowed significantly and Elijah had a feeling that the Boggart knew its time was up. Elijah cast Expelliarmus, sending the wand flying from her hand back into the closet and with one swift flourish of his wand he cast his final spell, “Sectumsempra!”

The spell hit the Boggart at the base of Sandra’s neck, lopping the head clean off with the force of the spell, and it spread to her shoulders, beginning to break the skin there. Elijah cringed and with a flick of his wand, sent the dying Sandra illusion back into the closet; not wanting to see anymore. Elijah swallowed back the sick feeling in his stomach and he looked at the professor. “Done,” He murmured quietly.

''And you seem to have mastered this spell in every way possible. Fifteen points for Slytherin and an 'O' for you Mr. Krum. I dare say, that was a brilliant example of how to duel and how to use today's spell, although I doubt you will be concentrated on ripping people's heads off with it, but still, you should all now know that the spell, if powerful enough, can do even that. Now, as for the continuance of the class, please, someone step forward so that we can continue'', he said.

James stepped up at Wilson's beckoning. He figured that he might as well be done with the whole ordeal. He was indeed more interested in Professor Wilson's difficult Boggart altering charm, but this was not the appropriate time for wayward thoughts. James gripped his wand as he approached the boggart's wardrobe. "Does the boggart require time to regenerate? Or shall I just begin?" he asked the professor in cold, minted words. His eyes were set on the wardrobe in a predatory gaze. Wilson did not need to respond, for the doors of the wardrobe were flung open, the darkness within threatening to engulf the room. The Boggart, it appeared, had a taste for theatrics.

From this darkness strode out the malicious Sandra Archer. James sincerely hoped that no one would tell that woman about this little classroom activity, for it was a rare pleasure to actually be granted the chance in class to incapacitate a being within the School of Hogwarts. This Sandra Archer was reaching for her wand, but James wasn't giving her the chance.
"SECTUMSEMPRA!" James cast, spinning his wand in a flourish. The hand that had stretched for the wand was lopped off, but before she could even begin to bleed, James cast "Flippendo!", sending the incapacitated boggart back into its wardrobe. He wasn't sure if Professor Wilson had seen the hand, but at least it hadn't caused an unnecessary mess. James, however did note that while the hand was cut clean, the spell had also cut the boggart's side as well. Sectumsempra was a powerful spell, but James would need a bit more practice to master the spell.

'Good Wake, that was a good demonstration. Fifteen points for Ravenclaw. Now, as for our last demonstration, as we do not have much time, I would like Miss Lyons to give a go at the spell and that will conclude our lesson for today. Now, you should practice this at home... my idea is that you should try and cut bread with it... it is a nice way to practice the spell and it is completely harmless. Now, Miss Lyons... do chose whatever situation you want... you can also take a shot at Archer or you could cut the dummy, whatever suits you better'', Wilson said.

Amelia had sat stock still as she watched the performances of her classmates, watching them wreak havoc on the boggart and the dummy at the front of the room. She had, as was her general practice, separated her mental facilities from her emotional ones, and had thus failed to experience the same emotional toil that some of her peers seemed to encounter at the thought of practicing such dark magic.

Amelia had never personally cast Sectumsempra before, but she was familiar with the theory behind it. The damage inflicted before her eyes was not surprising to her, but the reactions of the other students was slightly so. She had not anticipated Elijah having such a visceral response to the idea of casting dark magic, nor had she thought Brienne would be so capable of it. Amelia would have thought those roles would have been reversed, knowing what she did about the two of them – which, admittedly, in Brienne’s case was relatively little – but then again, people could sometimes be surprising.

When it came to be her turn, Amelia stood up from her desk and turned to face the dummy, opting not to face the boggart. It was not that she thought herself incapable of facing the boggart, but rather that she thought it would be more simple and efficient to merely attack the dummy. The stuffed being stood erect at the front of the classroom, and after closing some of the distance between herself and the dummy, Amelia raised her wand and let her voice rise to a level that could be heard above the slight chatter of the room.

“Sectumsempra!” Amelia said firmly, making a slashing motion with her wand toward the torso of the dummy. Her indifference, however, seemed not to have served her particularly well in this case, because although she had cast the spell, it had not had the proper malice behind it to put the dummy in mortal peril, and instead of lobbing of a limb or its head, Amelia’s spell merely made long, deep gashes across the chest and abdomen of the target, which were self-perpetuating themselves across the shoulders and neck of the dummy.

Her spell had not be unsuccessful, but it was also not the best of what had been performed today. It was disappointed to Amelia, who was accustomed to doing well in class, to see such a pitiful show of her own magical abilities. Her inability to connect with the situation, to have the strong emotions that Elijah had felt, meant that her performance paled in comparison to his, and the worst part was that this was not an easily corrected problem for her. Changing the angle of her wand or correcting pronunciation was simple, quickly rectified; changing her entire personality, however, to get in touch with her emotions… that was slightly more on the complicated side.

''And that is it, Miss Lyons. A very good job, I have to say. Not as powerful, but correct and precise. Another 15 points for Ravenclaw. As for my final statement. This spell is extremely powerful, and as demonstrated... it can mutilate you in the blink of an eye and make irreparable damage to your persona. If used maliciously, it can also kill in the same time period. But you, all of you who call themselves my students, shan't use this spell for murder... you shall use it only for self defense and Miss Lyons' demonstration is the most proper of the spell in that purpose, although it should have more force... and that is how I expect you to use it. Now, that is all for today. Class dismissed'', he said.