[Note: Read up to Chapter - 167 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Wake up! Gather at the training ground in twenty minutes!"
Aris' voice rang out across the castle just as the sun peeked over the horizon. With the amplification spell, it echoed through almost every corner of the sprawling estate.
In her room, Hermione shot upright in bed, blinking in confusion as she tried to gather her senses.
"Morning, Hermione!" Cho's muffled voice came from beside her.
"Morning!" came Aris's voice from the other side of the bed.
Hermione covered her forehead and smiled sheepishly. She'd been the first to crash out the previous night and had no clue what had gone on afterwards—making this moment particularly mortifying.
The three of them exchanged a quick glance and wordlessly clambered out of bed. Hermione and Cho hustled out of the room without another word.
"Brother got up so early!" Luna yawned, cheerfully changing her clothes. A sudden spark of joy bubbled in her chest at the sight of him already active and alert.
Well, she was the only one who could change clothes in her brother's room, and that gave her a rather smug sort of feeling!
Harry and Ronald were bunked in the same room as well.
At the sound of Aris' voice, the two of them practically leapt out of bed, looking half-dead.
"Was that Aris just now?" Ronald mumbled, eyes still shut, voice thick with sleep.
"Well, today's the start of the official special training—so get a move on!"
Harry reacted quicker. He rolled out of bed, scrambled into his clothes, and practically flew across the room.
"Ronald!!!" Harry barked when he saw his friend trying to flop back down: "If you don't get up, there's no breakfast. Aris made that rule yesterday. Forgotten already? Or do you fancy heading back to Hogwarts to face Dumbledore and McGonagall?"
"Oh, blimey… I'd rather go back to Hogwarts…" Ronald groaned, wincing as if recalling some dreadful memory.
"I had nightmares last night… all about this blasted special training…"
"I dreamed that Aris gave me a right proper punishment because those elemental magics were too tricky!" Ronald wailed.
"I had the same! And you and I got scolded together while Hermione laughed at us… Oh, blimey!"
"We must be bonkers to be stuck here!"
Ronald's complaints kept rolling out, but his body was obedient enough—he quickly got dressed. Harry had reminded him that if they were late, breakfast would be off-limits. And Ronald wasn't about to miss the grub at Shafiq Castle.
The food here was top-notch, especially the oriental dishes and snacks—it was a far cry from most of what they got at Hogwarts.
"You've got to believe in yourself, Ronald," Harry said, trying to reassure him. "Maybe elemental magic isn't as tough as it seems. Besides, Aris said we've got talent, didn't he?"
"Easy for you to say!" Ronald muttered, still looking glum.
"Come on, whatever happens, we can't let those girls outshine us, right?" Harry gritted his teeth, determination in his eyes. "Luna's even a year younger than us, and she only started messing with the elements later than we did…"
"Shut it!" Ronald's face fell even further. "I swear, I had this dream last night. They all got it after just one try, but we? We kept mucking it up! I don't know why I had that bloody dream!"
"Maybe you're overthinking it," Harry said, already dressed and freshened up after a quick wash. "Let's move!"
A few minutes later, the pair hurried out and made their way to the dining room beside the main hall.
"Good job we picked the bedroom closest to the dining room!" Ronald muttered, grateful.
"Hermione and the others won't be as quick as us, right? It takes them at least ten minutes just to walk from the East Tower," Harry said, glancing subconsciously at the tallest tower in the castle.
"You still got time to look after them…"
Ronald didn't answer—he was already shoving food into his gob.
Twenty minutes later, Aris checked the time.
Hermione and the other three girls arrived almost bang on time.
Even Aris was a tad surprised and had to secretly admit their efficiency was impressive.
Apart from the travel time, they only took ten minutes to sort everything out? That's pace rivaling the boys, Harry included.
"I thought you lot were going to be late!" Aris said, glancing at them.
"Thanks to Dobby for Apparating us straight to the dining room…" Hermione and Cho exchanged quiet murmurs.
At the corner, Reese's mouth twitched slightly. Well, that explains it. No wonder the little witches were so quick. Dobby really is a good friend to humans… Perhaps we should think about docking his pay, else Teacher Aris' authority will be undermined!
Meanwhile, Harry and Ronald couldn't help but look at the three girls with a mix of admiration and disbelief. They hadn't expected the lot of them to pull off something so bold.
"Aris, what are we learning today?"
Cho's voice piped up, tinged with anticipation. She'd been keen on elemental magic for ages—after all, she and Hermione had been fiddling with elemental energy back at school. The process wasn't just boring… it was mind‑numbingly dull!
Aris hardly had to think before replying, "Today, I'll teach you some of the simplest elemental magic. Since most of you have an affinity for wind and fire, we'll start with those two."
"First up: the Wind Whirl!"
Aris stretched out his hand, and a pale blue light flickered before him.
Immediately, the wind elements surged together, forming a rapidly spinning vortex in mid‑air. The young wizards gawked in amazement.
"This spell can be learned by everyone… except Ronald," Aris added with a hint of mischief. "I'll go over the details in a moment."
"And now… the Fireball!"
Aris dispelled the whirlwind, and in its place, a flash of fiery red light sprang to life.
A burning orb hovered above his palm. With a gentle wave, the fireball obeyed his motion, drifting past the young wizards. The heat made them instinctively take a step back.
"I never thought magic could be used like this…"
Harry stared wide-eyed at the fireball, mesmerised by how effortlessly Aris controlled it, and swallowed hard.
"That's so cool!" Ronald's face lit up with excitement.
This was exactly the sort of skill he'd always dreamed of! Just picture it—strolling down the school corridor or even through the living room at home with a fireball in hand. Proper impressive, right? Or, better yet, when his mum needs a bit of fire, he could just snap his fingers and go, "Is this what you wanted?"
After showing the little wizards, Aris gave a casual wave, and the fireball shot straight towards the practice target a short distance away.
A fierce blaze erupted on impact, and in the next second, the target was reduced to a charred black ruin. The young wizards could even catch the sharp scent of burnt material in the air—it was unmistakable.
"Fireball—everyone can learn it, except for Cho!" Aris announced.
"So, these two spells will be the first elemental magics you'll master."
"Aris, teach us, please!" Ronald's eyes gleamed. "I can't wait!"
This was far more impressive than any levitation spell they'd learned so far. At that moment, Ronald felt completely at ease again. Last night's nightmare had vanished from his mind, replaced by a single burning thought:
I've got to learn that cool and powerful Fireball technique!
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Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 167 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]