When Science Labs Explode
By Kaitlyn Gainstein and Lily Macleod
Disclaimer: you know the drill. No, we don't own half the stuff we write about. Or with, come to think of it.
Chapter 14The next day, rubbing their eyes and yawning, the kids showed up to their South Tower classroom. Slowly and lethargically, they walked in – but some of them stopped dead a few steps into the door. The girls. Most of the boys continued through, not really paying much attention to the pile up. The fact was, most of the girls (and Ashley - who had some wicked magical talent for all that he was incredibly feminine – and Alan) were simply in awe of one of the teachers. They searched their minds – Moody and Atizoe, right? And Moody, everyone knew Moody, and this was most assuredly not Mad-Eye Moody. Atizoe then. That, however, was where all cognizant thought gave way to mindless goop. Finally, they realized if they didn't move the puddle of drool would drown the entire classroom, so they tried to get control of themselves and find seats, giggling amongst themselves. Kait and Alan made their way to adjacent desks, both dazed.
They all managed to make it through the period. Professors Moody and Atizoe explained that there were two facets to the new training; one was physical, which would be done outdoors, while the other was intellectual (accompanied by emotional and mental conditioning) and would take place indoors. Moody was to deal mostly with the intellectual parts, and Atizoe would deal with the physical aspects. However, they were going to team-teach and, usually, both would be present during all classes. The morning was for physical activity, the afternoon for intellectual stimulation. They were all to meet on the Quidditch Pitch at six o'clock sharp, showered, breakfasted, and in 'gym strip', which made all of the GATEs felt very much more at home now, carrying a bundle including a pair of HOGWARTS ATHLETICS shorts and a HOGWARTS ATHLETICS T-shirt, both with a stylized phoenix. They were also told not worry about freezing as the Pitch would be charmed to about 12° Celsius and once they got moving that would definitely be warm enough. At nine they would be showered again, dressed in uniforms and off to class, with a bran muffin (and maybe some bacon) to replace some energy. After that, they would have their normal classes, and directly after school they would have the intellectual training until 5:30, when they would go to their common room and finish up any homework – however, they would try to get some of that taken off. Also, if they wished, they could eat lunch in the South Tower, so they could rest and have some fun away from the crowded and extremely loud Great Hall.
And finally, the class was over. Boys walked talking casually out of the class, and girls flooded out, giggling and making comments like "Atizoe can physically condition me any time!"
Kait and Alan were hanging back, Alan having drawn her away from the crowd.
"Look – I've got something I've just realized and I have to say it or I'll feel really bad. I think I might be, well … gay … I just walked into that classroom and Atizoe and … wow."
"It's OK. He's enough to turn the straightest of the straight right around the bend. Do you want to – "
"Break up?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
"Well … OK. See you around, I guess" and with that, she kissed him on the nose and ran off to walk with Lily, Airinne, Kailie, Fiona, and the other girls, looking a mix between pensive, sad, and like she'd heard the funniest joke in her life.
* * *
The following morning everyone in special training showed up at the Quidditch pitch on time, wearing the 'gym strip', and shivering slightly in the brisk/cool winter air. Ron tried repeatedly to get close to Kait, who was chatting with her friends and feeling rather powerful because whenever she went to pat one of them on the arm or head they cowered in fear. This same occurrence rather puzzled most everyone else, who watched in confused awe as Lily cowered away from Kait, her arms thrown protectively over her head – after all, they had seen her beat the living snot out of Crabbe and Goyle, the Hogwarts Heavyweight Champions (if Hogwarts had had wrestling, which it didn't).
"Hi Ron!" She went to lightly pat him on the back and instead hit him so hard she knocked all the air out his lungs.
"Merlin!" Ron gasped for air.
"Ohmigoodness Ron, I'm so sorry are you okay?" the words spilled out so fast they tripped over one another and ended up in a dog-pile shortly after leaving her mouth. Someone snickered.
"Hey, now he really is 'Wheezy'!"
"That was horrible. You should be ashamed of yourself for making such a bad joke!"
"I know, I'm sorry. I just couldn't help it."
Atizoe showed up a moment later, shirtless, and looking 'dang' near edible. Some of the girls giggled and poked each other at the sight of his six-pack.
"Before we start, we're going to do some of what Professor Snape calls 'silly wand-waving'. So get out your wands-"
[Siri/Kait/Lily] raised her hand tentatively.
"Yes?"
"Um… we actually don't have any wands."
"What?"
"Yeah, um, we never got to go get them, or anything, so…"
Atizoe looked aggravated.
"And no one thought to mention this before"
"Well, it hadn't been a problem so far. That and this whole training thing is mostly just conditioning right now. We didn't know we actually had to have wands for it."
"I see. Well, I guess today we can just improve your flying skills and then after you'll just have to go get yourselves some wands."
"Um…"
"What is it now?"
"We actually weren't taught the whole flying-on-broomsticks thing yet, either." The girl looked sheepish.
"Siri figured it out on her own (I think) – she got on the Quidditch team somehow, anyway – but she's the only one of us" she gestured to herself and all the other GATE girls, "who did."
"You're kidding"
"No, sorry."
He sighed.
"All right, we'll just have to start from scratch."
He flicked his wand and a large number of brooms exploded out of the broomshed and rocketed over to where the students stood – narrowly avoiding a few collisions in the process.
"Alright – everybody grab a broom. Those of you who have flown before, come with me, and everybody else stays here with Moody."