Disclaimer : This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
On My Own
Chapter Seven
"Stop moving," Hayden hissed. She swept her foot sideways and it collided with his leg. "Bloody...you..." he sputtered.
Ginny shrugged a shoulder and grinned wickedly. She had been on the island for over a month and was starting her training today.
She shifted her weight from one foot to another, her movements stirring up small clouds of dust. All training was held in the Coliseum, a domed building on the eastern coast of the island.
"Do you know who the instructor is?" Ginny asked.
Hayden didn't answer her and she glared darkly at him. Ginny adjusted her "leash", the nickname for the black collar that went around her neck. She felt nervous as she fingered the pendant in the center of her collar, a brass piece sculpted to look like a goddess. The goddess held a bow that entailed a lightning bolt in lieu of an arrow. The metal lashes, thin stripes of metal pinned on besides the pendant, would be placed there to signify rank.
New recruits, entering from outside the island, usually were older than 17 and had some form of experience. Most were semi-experienced Aurors, coming here for more training, to eventually become War Mages and Strikers.
To enter the training program, a person had to have at least seven Armars. Armars were credits which were given at small defense schools and Auror camps. They were also the basic grading system for beginning Aurors.
Once on the island, one's ranking was an amateur Auror. Completing the course and gaining three Armars was the ticket to being promoted to intermediate Auror. Finish off another course and gain three more Armars credits and you'd be promoted to the advanced level.
Finally, you had to take a test, hand in five recommendations and five Armars credits, to be eligible to apply for the position of War Mage Sixth Class.
The War Mage level had six classes, Sixth being the lowest and First Class being the highest. To be promoted from one class to another, you needed to complete ten standard operations: five class B missions and five class A missions. As your rank increased, so did the amount of missions you had to complete, each time by two.
Lashes were given for extraordinary efforts and accomplishments, so someone's rank was not necessarily relative to the amount of lashes one had.
Strikers were the best and most powerful combat fighters. Requirements were considered mild. You had to be a War Mage Sixth Class with all six lashes. It was required that all academic classes merit a numerical grade of ninety or above.
Before you actually began training as a Striker, you were given an assessment test. So far, it had a failing rate of 53%.
Only Strikers were allowed in the Order.
Ginny sighed restlessly. Finally, the double doors on the other end swung open. The instructor walked briskly to the center and halted to face the class.
Ginny's eyes widened, and her heart sank to the floor.
"I am your instructor, Marvin Lionhart."
Ginny turned her head towards Hayden. He looked as surprised as she felt.
Ginny merely glowered. She turned back, seeing red blotches in her vision. This was not happening. What luck she had had - first Hayden Lionhart became her Handler, and now this. She just knew that Marvin would pick on her, since he was always sore at her for getting past all the normal regulations.
"First of all, I would like to congratulate each and every one of you," his eyes focused on Hayden and her. She did not like the gleam in his eyes.
"In this class, I'll be teaching you the finer points of weaponry. I'm an experienced forger and I help to create most of the weapons that Strikers use," he introduced.
Ginny raised her eyebrows. Strikers rarely, if ever, used weapons. Most of them were skilled in wandless magic. However, in extreme cases, the finest and most well crafted weapons were put to use.
"Tell me," his eyes scanned the class. A total of 24 students, some with Handlers, stood in a wide circle.
"Ah, Miss Virginia Weasley. Tell me," Marvin repeated. "What is the best metal to use for a sword?"
Ginny opened her mouth and closed it. She had no clue. "I don't know."
Marvin waited expectantly for the last part of the sentence, but it never came. The edge of his mouth twitched, and he turned to another student.
"Mr. Monte, can you answer the question?"
"Yes, sir. The best metal to use is volcanic platinum."
Marvin smiled and turned back to Ginny. The smile faded. "Do you know why, Miss Weasley?"
Ginny shook her head, and Hayden snorted besides her.
"Miss Barron?" Marvin asked an African witch.
"Volcanic platinum is extremely strong. Nothing can scratch or dent it, with the exception of magic and the same material. Also, once sharpened, volcanic platinum can slice clean through titanium. It is also light, and easy to manage with magic," she responded.
"Right. Do you get that?" Marvin turned back to Ginny.
The other students peered curiously at them. She realized sulkily that a few of the others had at least one lash.
"Yes," she mumbled.
"If you were to make a shot at a target fifty meters away, how many turns would you make on a Celtic crossbow?" he asked.
Ginny felt relieved. She knew this answer, since Milan had a crossbow at home. Each turn shot the arrow out to a range of thirty meters.
"Two, although that's over shooting it. It'll land-"
"Wrong. Do not attempt to sound smart when you do not know," Marvin snapped. Ginny closed her mouth and she ignored the growing heat on her face.
"Ah, Mr. Lionhart. Do you know?" he asked Hayden.
Hayden nodded his head and cleared his throat. "It depends on the weather conditions, the arrow and the shooter."
"Correct. Miss Weasley, what is the basic weapon?"
Ginny couldn't resist, " We don't need any weapons. We could just stick you in the middle of the battlefield, and everyone would take off screaming. It'd do the job, don't you think?" she growled.
Marvin's nostrils flared. "I'd suggest you show me more respect, unless you want to risk demotion. Oh, I forgot, you don't have a rank. Only a few Armars credits- I'll let you keep them."
Ginny flushed and looked at the ground, gripping her fists tightly. "Did you accidentally shoot an arrow up your arse and forget about it?"
"Miss Weasley! I have had enough! For your back talk and disrespect, you will demonstrate to the class our first combat scenario. We will use the basic weapon, the Grip Stick."
Ginny blanched. What? She glanced at her watch. He hadn't even been teaching for twenty minutes!
"Miss Weasley?" he demanded. There was no room for contradiction, so Ginny stepped forward, ready to kick his stuck-up arse.
"A Grip Stick is a heavy metal stick with rubber pads on the end and middle. This is the worst weapon to have in an ordinary combat situation, but the impact can sufficiently daze your opponent," Marvin said while grinning wickedly.
"Murder is still illegal on the island," Ginny hissed as she stood a meter away from him.
Marvin simply smirked.
He tapped his foot on the ground, causing a trap door to open and a large wooden rack to appear. Several types of weapons adorned the rack.
Marvin removed two large sticks and threw a silver metallic one at her. Ginny had to jump a little to grasp both ends in her hands.
She grinned broadly. Marvin simply tapped his weapon against the ground, and the rack disappeared.
"Stand in the center," he ordered.
Ginny followed, her hands shaking slightly. I'm was going to make a fool of my self.
"And remember, when you swing, keep the weapon in your hands."
The class laughed quietly at his joke. She scowled and stamped the stick vertically upright by her side.
"Ready?" Marvin asked, crouching slightly as he held the stick out in front of him at an angle.
Ginny nodded, breathing slowly. Suddenly, Marvin shot out, and she barely managed to block the blow. She wrenched the stick up and swung it down horizontally, cracking it against Marvin's weapon.
Marvin responded by knocking her weapon away and thrusting his own forward. Ginny quickly slid down on her feet, and Marvin missed.
Ginny placed her hands in the center, lifting her weapon parallel with her shoulders. She shoved it up and knocked Marvin backwards.
While still on the ground, Ginny swept the weapon towards him, making contact with his shins.
She stood up quickly as she began to gain momentum. Ginny had already seen his shocked expression. She swung the stick and it was blocked several times.
She glanced at Marvin, seeing his face set in deep concentration. He was trained, she knew, but Ginny was determined to make him pay for underestimating her. For making her feel weak and vulnerable, like prey. He doubted her like most of the Order. She sometimes wondered if they would ever look past the fact that she had slipped past all regulations.
Marvin was nervous now, since she was edging with an advantage. She landed another hit, and Marvin backed away slightly to regain his breath. Ginny jumped forward, spinning the stick in front of her. She swept it off to the side, regarding Marvin with a cautious eye. She straightened up and swept the stick at him again. In a flurry of blows, she tuned out any other other thoughts.
Suddenly, Ginny felt a bar connect with her calf as it swept forward. She lost her footing, and landed on her back with a painful thud. She barely managed to block Marvin's Grip Stick as it came down.
She ignored her aching back and sat up, ready to stick the weapon straight up his arse when she felt cool metal collide with her jaw. Ginny's head snapped to the right, and she fell to the ground.
"Now you'll be dead," Marvin whispered venomously. He pressed the tip of the weapon to her neck.
Ginny sputtered at bit and knocked the Grip Stick out of her way. She sat up rubbing her face, spitting a little blood out from where she had bitten her tongue.
"That was uncalled for! I was already down!" Ginny snapped. She glared up at Marvin, her eyes cold.
"In combat, expect anything," he hissed. "You should have been prepared. You wouldn't stand five minutes in real combat."
"I was not prepared because my Handler is incompetent and a complete mental case. I suppose he takes after his father," she said harshly. She got up steadily on her feet and dragged her heavy weapon up.
Marvin regarded her. "Is that so? Hayden, come and show Miss Weasley just how incompetent you are."
Hayden stepped forward, glaring hatefully at Ginny as he took the Grip Stick from his father.
Ginny clutched her weapon and backed away. She held her weapon out cautiously in front of her.
"Begin!" Marvin said, clapping his hands. He quickly walked to the sidelines, his eyes trained on Hayden and Ginny.
Ginny glanced at Hayden and noticed that his knuckles were pure white from clutching the stick. She stared him in the eye and he seemed transfixed for a moment. Seizing his moment of carelessness, she slammed her weapon down and it dug deep into the ground.
Hayden quickly moved to parry, but saw that she didn't make any move to attack. Ginny smiled at him and he blinked, confused. She planted her left foot deep into the dirt and swung with all her might towards him. Her right leg gave him a good kick as she whirled around the Grip Stick, her hands clutching the top and using it as leverage.
Hayden stumbled, and Ginny wrenched the stick out of the ground before swinging it at him. He quickly dodged it and shoved the end of his weapon at Ginny. She did not see it in time, and it caught her fully in the stomach. The force of it made her drop her weapon. Hayden wrenched it up, hitting her under the chin. Her head snapped back and she fell to the ground.
"Very good!" Marvin said loudly over the commotion.
Ginny rubbed her neck and she forced herself not to cry.
"As you all can see, Miss Weasley here uses fancy tricks to create a illusion of potential and experience. Do not be fooled, for she has never had any defense training. Well, besides from how to ward off vampires and hags, of course."
Ginny looked down at the floor. She got up and threw the Grip Stick at Marvin. "Give me enough time and I'll show you."
"Is that so? Tell me Miss Weasley, how did you enter the island? The top of your class? Connections? What?" Marvin asked.
Ginny stared at him, hoping beyond hope that her gaze would incinerate him right at this moment.
"You slipped past all regulations and came to this island with a gold plaque that Aglaia handed you. You lack everything it takes to actually pull through training. And Aglaia says you have a gift - Ha!" he laughed cruelly.
Ginny clutched her fists and counted to ten. Then twenty- she was running out of numbers.
"You are just a little girl that hasn't conquered all of her demons yet. You're naive, and you don't belong here. You are an embarrassment to my class and instructions!"
Ginny never been put down by a teacher before, and she didn't like it. He expected her to actually start sprouting wings and fly? She wasn't some super human.
She glared at him and she breathed heavily through her nose, "There will be a time when you'll regret that. But by then, it'll be too late to take it back. One of these days, you'll be standing in my place, and you'll know how it feels. So save yourself before it's too late. Stick your head up your arse and start looking for your brain.'
She had said it so seriously, and with such a deadly voice, that the other students slinked back slightly.
She gave one last, dark look at Hayden before turning on her heels and walking out of the room. As she walked, Marvin noticed that each of her footsteps shook the overhead lights. He glanced back at her to see her slam the double doors angrily. A light fixture from above broke and fell. He stopped it, glancing worriedly at the doors.
~*~
"Ginny, that's enough," Milan ordered. She wrenched the glass out of the redhead's hand.
"No, it's not!" Ginny retorted. She snatched the glass and downed the rest of the drink.
"Your first class should naturally be bad. It'll get better," Leila reassured her.
Ginny shrugged and waved her hand.
"Well, isn't this a pitiful sight?" Hayden said, sliding onto a stool. The others looked at him warningly.
"Go away, Hayden," Ginny moaned, placing her head in her hands.
"What was it that you said? That my father would regret it? Well, right now, I think he's in the better position. He's certainly not wallowing in self pity like some people," he pressed.
Ginny ignored him.
"Hayden, stop. Do you always enjoy torturing her?" Milan said, exasperated.
"Yes. Ginny, do you know how much longer the other students stood against my father and their Handlers? They made you seem like a litt-"
"Are you always this obnoxious? Don't you ever get tired of being a pain in the arse?" Ginny said, looking up.
"Or is it that you can't control it? That it's in your genes? 'Cause you are just as cruel, obnoxious, arrogant, selfish and moronic as your father. What can I say? Like father , like son. You lowly coward, I bet you worship your father and want to grow up to be just like him. Congratulations, success isn't so far away."
Hayden stood up and glared furiously down at her. "Don't you ever compare me to my father. He's the only one like that."
"You liar! I bet your whole family's like that and only your dead older sister was different. That's the treason she committed. That's why your father killed her - because she was actually nice," Ginny spat, also standing up.
Hayden grasped her shoulders painfully, "What do you know? What do you know about my family? Huh?" he screamed.
"Hayden, stop!" Milan gasped.
"I bet that's why you're here!" he continued to scream. "Your father absolutely hated you and lobbed you here. Your family is probably dancing with glee to know you are gone! You're just a spoiled brat!"
Ginny stared wide eyed at him, her lip quivering. "What?"
"Your father lobbed you!" he screamed, pushing her backwards. She stumbled and crashed into a table, scattering the glasses onto the floor.
Ginny didn't notice and sunk to her knees, her face in her hands. Her shoulders heaved up and down as sobs racked her body.
Hayden breathed heavily as he stared down at the crying girl. He moved his eyes down towards his hands in horror. "Ginny, I didn't mean to hit you. I really didn't - why can't you just -"
"Hayden, just go away," Ginny cried, getting up. Tears streamed down her face as she leaned against the tilted table. "You're right. What do I know? But what do you know? Besides from the lies your father tells you. The lies that you take right in."
Hayden looked at her, watching her eyes glisten with tears. "I'm sorry, but if you-"
"So it's my fault? My fault?" she screamed. She whipped her face around to face him, her eyes burning with animosity. "You come here with your assumptions and shield them around you like I'm below you! I'm trying my best here, and it doesn't help that my Handler and instructor both hate me!"
Ginny breathed loudly, looking at him. Then she paused, and everything stilled. There were cracking sounds, and all the tables overturned.
With that, Ginny pitched forward and Hayden hastily caught her.
To Be Continued
Chapter Eight - Never Ending Cycle
Notes: Another chapter down! Yeah! I'm sorry it took so long, I hit a writer's block period.
Alej - Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you are my beta. You helped me make it much better!
Theauthorthatwrites - Here's the next chapter for you! Thanks for reviewing.
Erika Skyfire - Hehe. I wanted to put that in.