The Three Strikes
2: First Daze
First class of the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and students hurried to find a desk; at breakfast older students had implied dire fates for anyone Stryker found not seated. The rush separated Joel from Thirsty and Daniel, he grabbed chair, found seats before him filled by two of Hero Windsor's clique and directly behind Hero herself, as she turned her head and marked Joel with plain disgust.
"One of Thurston's friends," she rolled her eyes, "Well I hope you remembered your flea collar."
Joel contemplated stabbing her through the ear with his wand, but rather than waste a good wand waited till Hero turned around and dipped a lock of her blonde hair into his inkwell.
At that point the door blasted open and the nastiest looking goblin stormed in and barked for attention. Everyone fell silent, too afraid to chuckle even when Professor Stryker pulled himself to his high chair, "All right you maggots let's get something clear- not long from now you are going to curse the ground I walk on, but I'm not here to be liked! I'm here to teach you how to save your own hides- McGuffery! What Is Windsor's hair doing in your inkwell?"
Joel swallowed hard, and feebly replied, It'll be a few years before I can snap her bra strap." Other students laughed then slammed their mouths shut with their hands. Stryker also chuckled, but more out of menace, "Oh you think embarrassing other students is funny? Well let's try another," The goblin's wand stabbed toward Joel as Stryker shouted "Proteus Panim Invertei!"
Joel closed his eyes in reflex, on opening him he saw not the back of Hero's head but another student's giggling face.
"What are you giggling at?" Joel swung his arm but it swung in the empty air behind him, on trying to stand up Joel fell and realized what was wrong- Stryker had moved Joel's face to the back of his head.
"That," Stryker retracted his wand, "Is only one trick I have for curing potential class clowns, the others are much more imaginative."
Joel struggles to right himself resembled a flopping fish out of water, "How am I supposed to study like this?" he bellowed.
"Indeed," Stryker grinned malignantly, "Which is why you should think before you prank. Consider that the most important lesson for today, all of you."
On dismissal Thurston and Daniel braced Joel on their shoulders and started to walk him to the infirmary, "We'll have you back in time for flying lessons!" Daniel said half-heartedly. Joel couldn't turn his head far enough to look Daniel in the eye, instead he glared at Hero and her friends who pointed and laughed at him
"Nothing Personal Thirsty," Joel started, "But I'm really starting to hate your sister."
"Get in line, Joel."
The students lined up in two ranks facing each other, brooms at their sides. The husky form of Coach Small approached them with broom in a hand that could wrap around Joel's head. On his command the students willed their brooms up and caught them in their hands, then mounted the brooms and began to hover.
On looking around him Thirsty coughed; except for him and his twin the other students and coach rode their brooms with the brush ends in front.
Hero on the other hand laughed, "Look how stupid you look- you're all riding your brooms backwards!"
"Bite me oily-locks," Joel snarled, "This is how we've always ridden our brooms in this part of the world."
"Quiet both of you," Coach Small yelled, "Not all schools teach things exactly the same way, and riding bristles first has suited us fine, just as witches and wizards from England have their own methods."
"Well, when in Rome," Thirsty tired to turn his broom around, and on momentarily breaking his concentration started to speed up higher until Coach Small caught up to him, grabbed the broom stick and held it fast.
"Now I suggest you all forget what each other is doing, and concentrate on slowly lowering yourselves to the ground." Small let go of Thirsty's broom stick..
Upon heading back inside Thirsty took a peek behind him, Hero's friends turned their broomsticks around, holding them the way Hero did. He rolled his eyes, "Conformists."
Professor De-Lis, the Herbology teacher Joel had seen drink through her fingers met the first year students in the sweltering, insect-filled greenhouse. On closer scrutiny her hair fell like willow branches, her skin was pale as birch bark and her eyelids looked like flower petals . The students acknowledged her, but most were trying to swat away the mass of flies. De-Lis opened her mouth, causing gasps when students noticed she had sharp thorns for teeth; and extended a pink tongue covered with bristles.
A sweet fragrance filled the air; the bulk of the flies swarmed onto De-Lis' tongue and became stuck. De-Lis closed her mouth and swallowed; and seeing the students stare she simply shrugged and mumbled something about missing breakfast.
Lunch hour came; Joel, Thirsty and Daniel sat down together. Joel wiped the sweat from his forehead, "If this is the first day, I'm not sure I'll have the strength for finals."
Daniel and Thirsty nodded. Thirsty turned to Daniel and asked, "Who's our next victim?"
Daniel looked at his orientation parchment, "Professor Letwin- Magical History."
At this point the portrait of a stodgy old man groaned in annoyance. The boys turned to look at it, Joel walked to the picture, and read on the frame, "Miles Hulik- Professor of Magical History 1899- 1957," then met the portrait subject's gaze "You used to have his job?"
"Yes I did, and I watched over his classes till he had me moved here- he didn't care what experience and wisdom I had to share. No, he feels compelled to burden his teaching with unnecessary `theatrics'."
The boys exchanged glances.
The students took their seats, Professor Letwin nowhere in sight. They turned to each other speculating when fireworks abruptly caught their eyes and Professor Letwin out of nowhere appeared the flashy teacher Joel had studied at the previous night's dinner with flamboyant shoulder pads, makeup and a glittering, kabuki wig.
"Greetings students," Professor Letwin sung his arms in grand gestures, "I am Professor Letwin. Too many teachers, I won't mention names are content to dull the mind with droning lectures and have students scribble down obscure names and dates- I feel a true teacher knows how to make magical history come alive!"
With that Letwin swung his wand toward a canvas covered with a sheet. The sheet flew off as if it were caught in an updraft and on the canvas Wizards duelled with Shamen until one Shaman repelled his opponents and waved his staff toward the students, Most of whom dived for cover; Joel and Thirsty thrust out their wands but stammered while Daniel hurled his inkwell at the canvas. Black ink spilled all over the enchanted painting.
"Ahem," Letwin cleared his throat, "That was a depiction of one of the power struggles between Shamen and immigrant witches and wizards; only a depiction, they were incapable of actually harming you." He smiled at Daniel, "Good reflexes thought, Svaarsgard."
The Professor again aimed his wand at the canvas, "Scourgify." The ink repelled from the canvas, Professor Letwin continued with the lesson.
The classes passed by, soon the students found themselves dining in the Great Hall. The Faculty watched over their charges, Dean Mather leaned toward Stryker, "What do you make of the new arrivals, Professor Stryker?"
The goblin pointed toward McGuffery, "That one, is a troublemaker. And he'll drag his two friends down with him."
Letwin scoffed, "Oh come on now, they have minds of their own, and besides what school would be complete without a jester or two?" Letwin downed a murky drink, "I turned out alright and I was more of a troublemaker than" Letwin pointed "the three musketeers."
Stryker grumbled, "More like the Three Strikes." Letwin and Mather chuckled.
2: First Daze
First class of the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and students hurried to find a desk; at breakfast older students had implied dire fates for anyone Stryker found not seated. The rush separated Joel from Thirsty and Daniel, he grabbed chair, found seats before him filled by two of Hero Windsor's clique and directly behind Hero herself, as she turned her head and marked Joel with plain disgust.
"One of Thurston's friends," she rolled her eyes, "Well I hope you remembered your flea collar."
Joel contemplated stabbing her through the ear with his wand, but rather than waste a good wand waited till Hero turned around and dipped a lock of her blonde hair into his inkwell.
At that point the door blasted open and the nastiest looking goblin stormed in and barked for attention. Everyone fell silent, too afraid to chuckle even when Professor Stryker pulled himself to his high chair, "All right you maggots let's get something clear- not long from now you are going to curse the ground I walk on, but I'm not here to be liked! I'm here to teach you how to save your own hides- McGuffery! What Is Windsor's hair doing in your inkwell?"
Joel swallowed hard, and feebly replied, It'll be a few years before I can snap her bra strap." Other students laughed then slammed their mouths shut with their hands. Stryker also chuckled, but more out of menace, "Oh you think embarrassing other students is funny? Well let's try another," The goblin's wand stabbed toward Joel as Stryker shouted "Proteus Panim Invertei!"
Joel closed his eyes in reflex, on opening him he saw not the back of Hero's head but another student's giggling face.
"What are you giggling at?" Joel swung his arm but it swung in the empty air behind him, on trying to stand up Joel fell and realized what was wrong- Stryker had moved Joel's face to the back of his head.
"That," Stryker retracted his wand, "Is only one trick I have for curing potential class clowns, the others are much more imaginative."
Joel struggles to right himself resembled a flopping fish out of water, "How am I supposed to study like this?" he bellowed.
"Indeed," Stryker grinned malignantly, "Which is why you should think before you prank. Consider that the most important lesson for today, all of you."
On dismissal Thurston and Daniel braced Joel on their shoulders and started to walk him to the infirmary, "We'll have you back in time for flying lessons!" Daniel said half-heartedly. Joel couldn't turn his head far enough to look Daniel in the eye, instead he glared at Hero and her friends who pointed and laughed at him
"Nothing Personal Thirsty," Joel started, "But I'm really starting to hate your sister."
"Get in line, Joel."
The students lined up in two ranks facing each other, brooms at their sides. The husky form of Coach Small approached them with broom in a hand that could wrap around Joel's head. On his command the students willed their brooms up and caught them in their hands, then mounted the brooms and began to hover.
On looking around him Thirsty coughed; except for him and his twin the other students and coach rode their brooms with the brush ends in front.
Hero on the other hand laughed, "Look how stupid you look- you're all riding your brooms backwards!"
"Bite me oily-locks," Joel snarled, "This is how we've always ridden our brooms in this part of the world."
"Quiet both of you," Coach Small yelled, "Not all schools teach things exactly the same way, and riding bristles first has suited us fine, just as witches and wizards from England have their own methods."
"Well, when in Rome," Thirsty tired to turn his broom around, and on momentarily breaking his concentration started to speed up higher until Coach Small caught up to him, grabbed the broom stick and held it fast.
"Now I suggest you all forget what each other is doing, and concentrate on slowly lowering yourselves to the ground." Small let go of Thirsty's broom stick..
Upon heading back inside Thirsty took a peek behind him, Hero's friends turned their broomsticks around, holding them the way Hero did. He rolled his eyes, "Conformists."
Professor De-Lis, the Herbology teacher Joel had seen drink through her fingers met the first year students in the sweltering, insect-filled greenhouse. On closer scrutiny her hair fell like willow branches, her skin was pale as birch bark and her eyelids looked like flower petals . The students acknowledged her, but most were trying to swat away the mass of flies. De-Lis opened her mouth, causing gasps when students noticed she had sharp thorns for teeth; and extended a pink tongue covered with bristles.
A sweet fragrance filled the air; the bulk of the flies swarmed onto De-Lis' tongue and became stuck. De-Lis closed her mouth and swallowed; and seeing the students stare she simply shrugged and mumbled something about missing breakfast.
Lunch hour came; Joel, Thirsty and Daniel sat down together. Joel wiped the sweat from his forehead, "If this is the first day, I'm not sure I'll have the strength for finals."
Daniel and Thirsty nodded. Thirsty turned to Daniel and asked, "Who's our next victim?"
Daniel looked at his orientation parchment, "Professor Letwin- Magical History."
At this point the portrait of a stodgy old man groaned in annoyance. The boys turned to look at it, Joel walked to the picture, and read on the frame, "Miles Hulik- Professor of Magical History 1899- 1957," then met the portrait subject's gaze "You used to have his job?"
"Yes I did, and I watched over his classes till he had me moved here- he didn't care what experience and wisdom I had to share. No, he feels compelled to burden his teaching with unnecessary `theatrics'."
The boys exchanged glances.
The students took their seats, Professor Letwin nowhere in sight. They turned to each other speculating when fireworks abruptly caught their eyes and Professor Letwin out of nowhere appeared the flashy teacher Joel had studied at the previous night's dinner with flamboyant shoulder pads, makeup and a glittering, kabuki wig.
"Greetings students," Professor Letwin sung his arms in grand gestures, "I am Professor Letwin. Too many teachers, I won't mention names are content to dull the mind with droning lectures and have students scribble down obscure names and dates- I feel a true teacher knows how to make magical history come alive!"
With that Letwin swung his wand toward a canvas covered with a sheet. The sheet flew off as if it were caught in an updraft and on the canvas Wizards duelled with Shamen until one Shaman repelled his opponents and waved his staff toward the students, Most of whom dived for cover; Joel and Thirsty thrust out their wands but stammered while Daniel hurled his inkwell at the canvas. Black ink spilled all over the enchanted painting.
"Ahem," Letwin cleared his throat, "That was a depiction of one of the power struggles between Shamen and immigrant witches and wizards; only a depiction, they were incapable of actually harming you." He smiled at Daniel, "Good reflexes thought, Svaarsgard."
The Professor again aimed his wand at the canvas, "Scourgify." The ink repelled from the canvas, Professor Letwin continued with the lesson.
The classes passed by, soon the students found themselves dining in the Great Hall. The Faculty watched over their charges, Dean Mather leaned toward Stryker, "What do you make of the new arrivals, Professor Stryker?"
The goblin pointed toward McGuffery, "That one, is a troublemaker. And he'll drag his two friends down with him."
Letwin scoffed, "Oh come on now, they have minds of their own, and besides what school would be complete without a jester or two?" Letwin downed a murky drink, "I turned out alright and I was more of a troublemaker than" Letwin pointed "the three musketeers."
Stryker grumbled, "More like the Three Strikes." Letwin and Mather chuckled.