Chapter 8
Duelling in the Great Hall
When the weekend was over and it was once again Monday the students still hadn't figured out how to react to the news they had received yesterday at the breakfast table, but most of them had decided to keep an open mind regarding Venara.
As Harry, Ron and Hermione got down to the Great Hall to have breakfast things seemed to be pretty much back to normal except that Lupin was gone again and something had gone dreadfully wrong with Fransisca's hairdo. Her hair was navy blue, which all three of them doubted was there by accident, but she also had something that seemed like silver scarabs in her hair, eating on her hair.
"Thank God she only has Muggle Studies" muttered Hermione as they sat down at the House table.
Ron glared at her. "She is not as befuddled as you think."
Hermione wanted to say You could have fooled me, but decided against it.
Harry couldn't control his curiosity and looked up at the teachers' table and Venara, who was leaned towards Snape who in turn was whispering something in her ear.
She replied something and got to her feet and made a sign for Fransisca to follow her. The two women left the Great Hall and many eyes followed them as they did, which wasn't a big wonder as Fransisca's hairdo resembled Madame Hooch's (on a bad hair-day that was)
"What's the point?" muttered Hermione.
"Haven't you figured that out yet? It is easy to distinguish a Weasley judging by red hair and freckles. She wants to stand out." Ron helped himself to another piece of toast. "She is the one that manages that best, though."
No one discussed the topic further in fear of insulting Ron further.
***
When they reached the Defence classroom they found Venara already there, sitting behind her desk. They all found their seats and looked up at her.
She waited till everyone had fallen silent before she spoke. "Early this morning I received an owl from the Ministry of Magic."
Sighs spread across the room.
"Silence" she said softly. "Nothing wrong, really. I just realised that there will be a few changes in the curriculum this year, something unforeseen. It seems as though the Minister feels that it is about time you learn to defend yourself properly." She sighed. "As that is not what all your Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers in the past has tried to teach you." She rolled with her eyes and some of the students started to snigger.
"Anyhow, he has decided that Gilderoy Lockhart's idea about having a duelling club four years ago was such a brilliant idea that he want's us to resume this. So." She got to her feet. "If you could all follow me down to the Great Hall."
They all followed their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher down to the Great Hall where the same type of stage in which had been there four years earlier was placed in the centre of the room. "Not to be arrogant or brag" she said as she closed the door behind them. "But luckily Lockhart isn't here to teach you, I am. Now, do I have any volunteers? Longbottom, Patil.?"
For what had to be first time Neville didn't seem all too nervous about being chosen. He followed after Parvati up onto the stage.
"I trust you all know the basics? Only fifth, sixth and seventh graders are allowed to participate, so you know" she added. "Ok" she continued as they both were positioned. "Wands ready! Disarmigspells or blockingspells only." She took a few steps back.
Both of them shouted out their spells almost at the same time, but poor Neville was a bit too slow, he was thrown through the air and landed at the end of the stage.
"Ok" muttered Venara as she helped Neville to his feet. "Let's try again. You need to work on your speed, Neville" she said softly.
He nodded as he stepped up again, a bit more nervous this time.
"I know you can, Neville, all I need is for you to prove it to me."
They both readied themselves again and this time Neville was quick enough, he petrified Parvati before she got a chance to shout out the entire spell.
Venara pursed her lips. "Good". She helped Parvati back to normal before she signed for them both to step down as she stepped up onto the stage. "Now, I have experienced that certain blockingspells have been quite so potent for me. For instance." She looked around at the students below. "Harry, come up here."
He stepped up to her.
"Now, this spell acquires a real strong willpower. You need to control your mind even more than when it comes to the Patronus Charm. Speaking of which. which of you can produce Patronuses?"
Some of them raised their hands.
"Very good. Now, this is charm doesn't offer much protection, considering that it is an awful strain to the mind and that it works for so little time. Now." She met Harry's gaze. "Throw what ever curse you want at me and I will repel it."
The entire class watched as Harry raised his wand and shouted something that the class couldn't quite catch because it was like Harry's voice was drowned in water.
They all looked at Venara and saw that she was standing there with her hand raised in a stopping motion, not a word had escaped her lips.
Harry reached out in front of him and felt a invisible wall made of something he couldn't distinguish had appear out of nowhere.
Venara smiled and the wall disappeared. "I have practised this charm for the longest of time so I do not really need a wand or to say the words acquired. Probably because I'm an elf" she added. "The words acquired is Ewetho." She smiled again. "You are the first students to learn elf magic."
They all exchanged glances with smiles on their faces.
"As I said the words in themselves are not worth anything without a strong will. You really, truly need to think rational, need to want to get away without panicking. For instance the charm is useless between two loved ones. Do I have two volunteers?"
"Professor?"
"Yes, Neville?"
"What does Ewetho mean?"
Venara grimaced. "Thick."
Hermione stepped up onto the stage.
"Anybody else?"
Lavender Brown was pushed forward and stepped up onto the stage as Harry stepped down.
"Ok, take it in turn which of you who are to curse and who are to block." She stepped down and looked up at them.
Lavender and Hermione raised their wands, but was interrupted by a loud bang, emanating from somewhere above them.
Venara turned her to the double doors as if they would tell her that it was taken care of and that there was no need for her to interfere. Then she turned back to the two young women on the stage. "Ignore that. Proceed."
Both raised their wands just as the bell rung.
"Oh, well, we'll continue this next class. Now, be off."
After the students had all cleared out of the Great Hall Venara sunk down to the floor and buried her face in her hands. She had to get a certain pair of twins out and away from the castle before they created total mayhem there. Now she just had to come up with the best plan to do so.
Duelling in the Great Hall
When the weekend was over and it was once again Monday the students still hadn't figured out how to react to the news they had received yesterday at the breakfast table, but most of them had decided to keep an open mind regarding Venara.
As Harry, Ron and Hermione got down to the Great Hall to have breakfast things seemed to be pretty much back to normal except that Lupin was gone again and something had gone dreadfully wrong with Fransisca's hairdo. Her hair was navy blue, which all three of them doubted was there by accident, but she also had something that seemed like silver scarabs in her hair, eating on her hair.
"Thank God she only has Muggle Studies" muttered Hermione as they sat down at the House table.
Ron glared at her. "She is not as befuddled as you think."
Hermione wanted to say You could have fooled me, but decided against it.
Harry couldn't control his curiosity and looked up at the teachers' table and Venara, who was leaned towards Snape who in turn was whispering something in her ear.
She replied something and got to her feet and made a sign for Fransisca to follow her. The two women left the Great Hall and many eyes followed them as they did, which wasn't a big wonder as Fransisca's hairdo resembled Madame Hooch's (on a bad hair-day that was)
"What's the point?" muttered Hermione.
"Haven't you figured that out yet? It is easy to distinguish a Weasley judging by red hair and freckles. She wants to stand out." Ron helped himself to another piece of toast. "She is the one that manages that best, though."
No one discussed the topic further in fear of insulting Ron further.
***
When they reached the Defence classroom they found Venara already there, sitting behind her desk. They all found their seats and looked up at her.
She waited till everyone had fallen silent before she spoke. "Early this morning I received an owl from the Ministry of Magic."
Sighs spread across the room.
"Silence" she said softly. "Nothing wrong, really. I just realised that there will be a few changes in the curriculum this year, something unforeseen. It seems as though the Minister feels that it is about time you learn to defend yourself properly." She sighed. "As that is not what all your Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers in the past has tried to teach you." She rolled with her eyes and some of the students started to snigger.
"Anyhow, he has decided that Gilderoy Lockhart's idea about having a duelling club four years ago was such a brilliant idea that he want's us to resume this. So." She got to her feet. "If you could all follow me down to the Great Hall."
They all followed their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher down to the Great Hall where the same type of stage in which had been there four years earlier was placed in the centre of the room. "Not to be arrogant or brag" she said as she closed the door behind them. "But luckily Lockhart isn't here to teach you, I am. Now, do I have any volunteers? Longbottom, Patil.?"
For what had to be first time Neville didn't seem all too nervous about being chosen. He followed after Parvati up onto the stage.
"I trust you all know the basics? Only fifth, sixth and seventh graders are allowed to participate, so you know" she added. "Ok" she continued as they both were positioned. "Wands ready! Disarmigspells or blockingspells only." She took a few steps back.
Both of them shouted out their spells almost at the same time, but poor Neville was a bit too slow, he was thrown through the air and landed at the end of the stage.
"Ok" muttered Venara as she helped Neville to his feet. "Let's try again. You need to work on your speed, Neville" she said softly.
He nodded as he stepped up again, a bit more nervous this time.
"I know you can, Neville, all I need is for you to prove it to me."
They both readied themselves again and this time Neville was quick enough, he petrified Parvati before she got a chance to shout out the entire spell.
Venara pursed her lips. "Good". She helped Parvati back to normal before she signed for them both to step down as she stepped up onto the stage. "Now, I have experienced that certain blockingspells have been quite so potent for me. For instance." She looked around at the students below. "Harry, come up here."
He stepped up to her.
"Now, this spell acquires a real strong willpower. You need to control your mind even more than when it comes to the Patronus Charm. Speaking of which. which of you can produce Patronuses?"
Some of them raised their hands.
"Very good. Now, this is charm doesn't offer much protection, considering that it is an awful strain to the mind and that it works for so little time. Now." She met Harry's gaze. "Throw what ever curse you want at me and I will repel it."
The entire class watched as Harry raised his wand and shouted something that the class couldn't quite catch because it was like Harry's voice was drowned in water.
They all looked at Venara and saw that she was standing there with her hand raised in a stopping motion, not a word had escaped her lips.
Harry reached out in front of him and felt a invisible wall made of something he couldn't distinguish had appear out of nowhere.
Venara smiled and the wall disappeared. "I have practised this charm for the longest of time so I do not really need a wand or to say the words acquired. Probably because I'm an elf" she added. "The words acquired is Ewetho." She smiled again. "You are the first students to learn elf magic."
They all exchanged glances with smiles on their faces.
"As I said the words in themselves are not worth anything without a strong will. You really, truly need to think rational, need to want to get away without panicking. For instance the charm is useless between two loved ones. Do I have two volunteers?"
"Professor?"
"Yes, Neville?"
"What does Ewetho mean?"
Venara grimaced. "Thick."
Hermione stepped up onto the stage.
"Anybody else?"
Lavender Brown was pushed forward and stepped up onto the stage as Harry stepped down.
"Ok, take it in turn which of you who are to curse and who are to block." She stepped down and looked up at them.
Lavender and Hermione raised their wands, but was interrupted by a loud bang, emanating from somewhere above them.
Venara turned her to the double doors as if they would tell her that it was taken care of and that there was no need for her to interfere. Then she turned back to the two young women on the stage. "Ignore that. Proceed."
Both raised their wands just as the bell rung.
"Oh, well, we'll continue this next class. Now, be off."
After the students had all cleared out of the Great Hall Venara sunk down to the floor and buried her face in her hands. She had to get a certain pair of twins out and away from the castle before they created total mayhem there. Now she just had to come up with the best plan to do so.