So sorry this took SO FREAKIN LONG to post. I had a week long summer camp, then a week spent in Provo for EFY, and I've been in the middle of a move. I'm NOT stopping it. I WILL finish this, and I will try to establish a more regular scheduele, now that we're all moved in and I'm back on my side of the country.

I felt that it was time to actually get to the point in which my summary described...now I don't really know how to go about that...I knew the beginning of the story, and I know the end...getting there is a different story. Any suggestions on how next chapter should go?

Anyway...on with the chapter.

This is not my best work...I apologize in advance.

"So...you're going to teach me wizardry?" Spud asked again.

"Yes, Spud. I am your teacher."

"But...you're not a wizard..." he said, before thinking the worst. "Wait...you're not a wizard...right?"

"Spudinski, are you honestly so thick as to believe magic is a strictly male subject?"

"You're not answering my question..." he prodded.

"No, I am not a man!"

"But have you ever been a - "

"No!"

"Just making sure...I've had dreams like this before. Everything seems great and then I find out the prett-never mind..."

Ignoring the almost-compliment and the questioning of her testosterone levels, Malora pressed onwards. "Spud, we will start with the basics. Wand movements."

"Really? That's my big exciting first lesson?"

"We must ensure you know what you're doing to avoid any unnecessary injuries. Now take out your wand."

Spud reached for his wand in his back pocket, surprised to know it wasn't there. Neither was it in the front of his pants, or in the side pocket, or stuffed into his shoe. "Uh..."

"Looking for this?" Malora slid his wand out of her sleeve with a mischievous grin he didn't think she was capable of. "Lesson one. Don't let it out of your sight. Your wand is your life Arther. Try not to lose it. Now, show me how you would hold it."

Spud took his wand from her and held it as he usually held his trick one, feeling quite awkward as he did.

"No, no, no. You're holding it far too high. Lower your grip. You will have more control. And loosen your grip as well. Your concentration should be on the spell, not holding the wand. Now, the motion is fairly simple. For shorter incantations, it is simply a fick of the wrist. For longer ones, let the magic build while you make a sideways motion as if conducting."

"Swish and flick?"

"Yes."

"Like Flitwick taught me!"

Malora rolled her eyes for what felt like the thousandth time. "Focus Spud. Repeat the motion fifty times."

"Fifty?"

"Incorrect motion will cause in unpredictable results. I would prefer you leave these lessons with all of your toes."

Spud grumbled to himself as he obeyed. Fifty 'swish and flick's later, he mumbled "Now do we use spells?"

A split second later, Spud felt something slam into his torso, sending him flying into the wall behind him. "Watch you tone, student."

He brushed himself off, rubbing the tender spot on the back of his head, and headed back over.

"What would you like to learn?"

"You're letting me choose? Okay...levitation!"

Malora flicked her wand in his direction and said "oririum". Instantly, he found himself rising from the floor. Flailing his limbs like crazy, he screamed for her to let him down.

"Now try it for yourself."

Trying to keep in mind what she said about holding it, he pulled out his wand and muttered the spell. His teacher rose about two inches from the floor - doing so much more gracefully than Spud - before dropping down again.

"Good, Spud. Now do it again."

Several weeks went by, and Spud was beginning to become quite an accomplished young wizard. He now knew and had mastered several defensive spells, many offensive, and a few that did no good in battle but were entertaining nonetheless.

Haley had been sucessful as well...or at least a twisted version of sucessful. She and the other dragons had gained the trust of the clan, and a few had even begun exclusivly dating - despite Rose's warnings.

They were still "training" when the call came. No Face was headed for the island.

Haley pulled Bridie to the side. "He's coming. We only have a few hours."

"What? Already? But they're not ready! They still think they're training to skin our hides!"

"I know, I know. Are there any of them you think are ready?"

Bridie looked over the group. "Well...Alex seemed a bit hesitant when Rose started talking about how to kill a troll. And I'm sure I could get Damian to side with me. I've had him drooling over me since day 2."

"Really?"

"By the time we finished killing that digital witch he'd asked me out twice."

"What did you say?"

"We're going out this Friday."

"Bridie!"

"What? He's cute..."

"And he wants to kill you!"

"Maybe not...I mean maybe he'll change his mind."

"I guess we'll find out now...gosh, you're worse than my brother!"

Haley grabbed Fred and Hunter and pulled them over as well. "It's time."

"Are we ready?"

"Nope. Now let's go."

They went to the front, the rest of the dragons joining them as they did. "Rose, it's time" Fred said.

Rose put down her staff. "Oh! Well...take it away then."

Bridie stepped up. "Hello! Your attention, please!" Everyone dropped what they were doing and turned to her. "Hi, um...we, uh...have a bit of a confession to make. We didn't come here because we wanted to be in the huntsclan. We came here because...we need your help. You see...there is this bloke who's been causing a bit of trouble for our lot - a wizard who calls himself The Faceless Man. He has killed many people, including seven friends of ours...one of them being my brother. Do you think you can help us?"

"Of course we can help! Right guys?" said Damian.

The other clan members mumbled to each other. "I suppose..." said Alex.

"What do you mean by 'our lot'. What is your lot?" asked Daniel.

"Okay...before we show you, just understand that it's not what it looks like. It doesn't have to change anything between us." Bridie stepped back with the rest, and at once they shifted into dragons.

The four of them jumped back; their expressions somewhere between confusion and anger.

"We know you'll be angry with us, and you may not want anything to do with us...just please consider it. We'll be back in a few hours. Be here if you decide to help."

"And if we don't?" asked Alex.

Rose, who was dramatically leaning up against the wall behind them, grinned. "Then I take you down."

"You're outnumbered."

"Nothing I haven't done before."

Haley flew into Jake's room through the window. Everything was exactly the way he'd left it. The homework assignments that were never turned in. The pizza boxes shoved under the bed. The tangled video game controllers strewn across the room.

There was a light tapping on the window. Meagan. She opened the window and let the kid in. "Hey Haley! Are you ready to go?"

Haley sat on the edge of his bed and sighed. "Of course not."

"Is this your room? Funny. You always struck me as a neat freak."

"No, this isn't my room. It's my brother's."

"Dang, would it kill him to straighten up every once in a while?"

"Hey! It's not Jake's fault. He was just really busy."

"Was?"

"Well...come on, let's go! Let me just grab my jacket." Haley grabbed Jake's jacket off his bed and headed for the window.

"Why do you wear that jacket anyway? You really need a new one."

"It's not mine. I'm just...keeping it for a friend."

"Well I'm sure they wouldn't miss it. It's shredded and stained! And it's not that flattering, Haley. It makes you look like a boy. I thought you had better judgement than that."

Haley sat back down on the bed. "Look, it's Jake's. He...met up with No Face a few months back. We haven't seen him since." She held up the jacket. "This is all we could find."

Meagan joined her on the bed. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine."

"But...why wear something that reminds you of something so sad?"

"Because it reminds me to try harder. Jake was always better than me in a fight, and if he wasn't good enough then there's no way I am."

"Well, maybe you don't have to be. You won't be alone."

Damian layed back on the top bunk. "So, have we reached a decision yet?"

"I don't know, Damian" said Alex as she paced back and forth. "They're not even human!"

"So? I spent so much time with Bridie. She seemed human to me."

"That's just part of the act!" she screamed.

"Bridie's just like any other girl, but with a little more bite..."

"DUDE she could roast you alive!" Daniel yelled.

"I'm with Damian on this one. I spent a lot of time with Fred and it didn't seem like an act to me" said Sandi.

"Oh, you just liked that he called you 'mate'."

"Can't we just give them a chance? If it doesn't work out, we'll turn on them" Sandi suggested.

"Fine. We'll do it."

There was a knock on the door, and seven dragons flew in. "Have you made up your mind?"

Damian hopped off the top bunk and looked right at Bridie. "We'll help you. And I'm fine with the whole lizard thing. I...I like reptiles!"

"Alright lover boy, when we're done killing wizards, you and the Brit can make out" said Alex, pulling him back.

"Come on, let's go! He'll be there in about a half hour."

Each hunter jumped on the back of a dragon and they headed straight for the enchanted elevator.

Andam met them as they stepped off the lift, and Rose greeted him with a cocky grin. "Did I deliver, or what?"

So...did it suck? Or am I just being my usual negative self? I think it sucks...please tell me I'm wrong. =)