Chapter Six: Training
"Bloody hell!" yelled Ron, as he got up from Harry's blow. "Sorry, Ron! Don't know my own strength." It was their fifth session of hand-to-hand combat, and Erwin still wasn't calling for a halt.
The room was filled with yells, combined with a few grunts and screams, due to the fact that they were sparring and that they had already begun to master advanced forms of sword fighting. After a while, Erwin called for a halt ("Finally!" gasped Ron).
"Alright, we're going to have to make some changes in sparring partners," Erwin muttered, moving among the pairs that were sparring, "Neville, you partner with Dean Thomas. Ginny, partner with Seamus. Ron, you partner Hermione, and Cho, you partner with Harry."
Immediately, Harry asked, "Why?" Before anyone could answer, Mia stepped in.
"You two have excellent Quidditch-honed reflexes, so it's best that you two are partners, and," she said, with a devilish tone, "who knows? You might be fighting some good-looking Death Eaters." She giggled, and so did everyone in the room, leaving Harry and Cho blushing at each other, obviously too stunned for words.
Three weeks had already passed since the discovery of inner magic, and they were already learning how to harness it to the fullest, and Dumbledore made sure that everyone was both physically and mentally fit to face Death Eaters.
By afternoon, everyone sat down to learn new spells from Mia and Erwin. They were now learning how to "apparate" like Mia did the first time she met them. She took out her wand, muttered some words, causing her wand to emanate a golden light, and bellowed to everyone, "Right, so after you have said Palitus, keep in mind the destination you want to go to. After you have done this, make a slashing motion like so." She brought her wand down, and the area the wand passed through glowed, very much like a curtain ripped down the middle. After that, the glow widened and, after a few moments, formed a portal.
"Right now, I have connected this portal to the kitchen so that I can help Mrs. Weasley make snacks, so Erwin." she said, with a strange look on her face, "please help them master the spell." She grinned wryly at him, and several students, including Harry and Cho, teased them. Erwin blushed, while Mia just grinned and stepped into the portal, which vanished a few seconds later. Harry could tell that Mia arrived at her destination due to the shriek of Mrs. Weasley coming from the kitchen.
After a few hours of training on the proper incantation and wand movement, Erwin suggested that they try to apparate around the room, reassuring them that wards have been put around the room to prevent "nasty accidents, or anything of that sort", as he put it. It was quite easy, Harry thought, as he stepped once again into the portal, which led to the other side of the room. He noticed also that Neville, who often had a difficult time mastering the spells, was actually better in spirit magic than most people he had seen. Ron, on the other hand, was having a difficult time getting the portal wide enough for him to fit through.
"Damn!" he swore for the fifth time, as the portal he created was only wide enough for someone of Dobby, the house-elf's height.
"Manners, Ron," said Hermione, who had just stepped out of her portal next to them, "I could help you, if you want that is." Ron immediately replied "Sure!" and Hermione was teaching him the proper incantation, wand movements, etc. and in a few minutes, there was a triumphant "HA!" from Ron, making the others stare at him.
"Ron," interrupted Lupin, "once you are done savoring the pleasure of doing the Palitus Portal, can I make an announcement?" Even though Lupin was speaking in a normal tone of voice, it seemed to have carried over to the other students, because everyone stopped their practicing. Lupin put on a grim face, upon which Harry and the others were stunned.did someone die? But just as sudden as his grim face, Lupin brightened up. "It's time for snacks! And a special surprise!" Everyone cheered, and they set off for the dinner hall.
"Bloody hell!" yelled Ron, as he got up from Harry's blow. "Sorry, Ron! Don't know my own strength." It was their fifth session of hand-to-hand combat, and Erwin still wasn't calling for a halt.
The room was filled with yells, combined with a few grunts and screams, due to the fact that they were sparring and that they had already begun to master advanced forms of sword fighting. After a while, Erwin called for a halt ("Finally!" gasped Ron).
"Alright, we're going to have to make some changes in sparring partners," Erwin muttered, moving among the pairs that were sparring, "Neville, you partner with Dean Thomas. Ginny, partner with Seamus. Ron, you partner Hermione, and Cho, you partner with Harry."
Immediately, Harry asked, "Why?" Before anyone could answer, Mia stepped in.
"You two have excellent Quidditch-honed reflexes, so it's best that you two are partners, and," she said, with a devilish tone, "who knows? You might be fighting some good-looking Death Eaters." She giggled, and so did everyone in the room, leaving Harry and Cho blushing at each other, obviously too stunned for words.
Three weeks had already passed since the discovery of inner magic, and they were already learning how to harness it to the fullest, and Dumbledore made sure that everyone was both physically and mentally fit to face Death Eaters.
By afternoon, everyone sat down to learn new spells from Mia and Erwin. They were now learning how to "apparate" like Mia did the first time she met them. She took out her wand, muttered some words, causing her wand to emanate a golden light, and bellowed to everyone, "Right, so after you have said Palitus, keep in mind the destination you want to go to. After you have done this, make a slashing motion like so." She brought her wand down, and the area the wand passed through glowed, very much like a curtain ripped down the middle. After that, the glow widened and, after a few moments, formed a portal.
"Right now, I have connected this portal to the kitchen so that I can help Mrs. Weasley make snacks, so Erwin." she said, with a strange look on her face, "please help them master the spell." She grinned wryly at him, and several students, including Harry and Cho, teased them. Erwin blushed, while Mia just grinned and stepped into the portal, which vanished a few seconds later. Harry could tell that Mia arrived at her destination due to the shriek of Mrs. Weasley coming from the kitchen.
After a few hours of training on the proper incantation and wand movement, Erwin suggested that they try to apparate around the room, reassuring them that wards have been put around the room to prevent "nasty accidents, or anything of that sort", as he put it. It was quite easy, Harry thought, as he stepped once again into the portal, which led to the other side of the room. He noticed also that Neville, who often had a difficult time mastering the spells, was actually better in spirit magic than most people he had seen. Ron, on the other hand, was having a difficult time getting the portal wide enough for him to fit through.
"Damn!" he swore for the fifth time, as the portal he created was only wide enough for someone of Dobby, the house-elf's height.
"Manners, Ron," said Hermione, who had just stepped out of her portal next to them, "I could help you, if you want that is." Ron immediately replied "Sure!" and Hermione was teaching him the proper incantation, wand movements, etc. and in a few minutes, there was a triumphant "HA!" from Ron, making the others stare at him.
"Ron," interrupted Lupin, "once you are done savoring the pleasure of doing the Palitus Portal, can I make an announcement?" Even though Lupin was speaking in a normal tone of voice, it seemed to have carried over to the other students, because everyone stopped their practicing. Lupin put on a grim face, upon which Harry and the others were stunned.did someone die? But just as sudden as his grim face, Lupin brightened up. "It's time for snacks! And a special surprise!" Everyone cheered, and they set off for the dinner hall.
