Chapter3. weeding out talent
Disclaimer: this story is based on characters created and owned by J.K. Rowling no money is being made off of this story. Sara, Sharen, and Suki are mine. Special thanks to Morrigan my co-author and beta reader.
Sharen got their attention and said, " all of your things are in the tents. This is my colleague Sarah. Pairs 1-5 are in the second tent. Hermione, since you're the only girl here you will stay with Sarah and me in the first tent." Sarah took over, "today is just to get you oriented, this is where all of your meals will be taken, and where some groups will work on the harder curses. The easier and intermediate curses will be taught in the field you just came through, if you follow the path to your right you will come to an exercise field that has some sports equipment there, the path to your left leads to the tents. There are a couple of rules that you need to know: 1. When we give you a schedule you are to follow it to the letter. This is going to make life a lot less chaotic for us all if you do follow it. 2. Hermione is the only girl here, so no boys in our tent , and Hermione you stay out of the boy's tent's." the boy's all laughed a little"3. There will be no fighting or use of magic outside of the training grounds or without adult supervision. Stay here until your group is called to go to the training field. Could I have the one's go there now."
They waited about 20 minutes when the two boys came back into the dining clearing looking very pale and shaken. "Two's to the field!" Hermione got up and walked to the path, "Scared?"
"Yeah, you wish."
Wondering what they were about to do they entered the field. It now had a wide circle outlined in rope in the center. Sharen was waiting for them, "stand at opposite sides and bow to each other." Oh great we get to "SPAR" with each other. They barely inclined their heads to each other." When I count to three you will use whatever minor curse you can think of on each other there are a few rules : there will be no use of stunning, leg locker, body bind, or any use of the unforgivable's at all, any thing else but those. Keep going until I tell you to stop, 1…2…3!"
The air was thick with flashes of light from the curses. Hermione threw out every curse she knew, and knew on some level that she was getting as good as she gave, then, "Stop!" both looked much the worse for wear after they were done and it took Sharen a while to clean both of them up. "Damn! You two don't like each other do you?" she asked rhetorically. "this time you get to try leg locker, body bind, and stunning on each other in that order, Hermione you're first victim, just hold still. Draco whenever you're ready." He hit her fast, one right after the other, then it was her turn. She executed the curses just as quickly as he did and they were done. "Definitely the Unforgivables tomorrow, you two have free time until you here the dinner bell.
Hermione read in the tent until 4:00 when she heard the bell. With a small sigh she marked her place and carried her book to the dining clearing. She sat down where she hoped to be relatively ignored and read. She was so absorbed in her book she hardly tasted her stew. Sharen got every-one's attention before the end of supper. "O.K. people listen up! Today was kind of crazy, but this is how the remainder of the class is going to go: at 7:00 am you will be woken up, 7:30 is breakfast, then you will split up at 8:00 into two groups. Pairs 2 and 5 will stay and have class here, will have class in the first clearing, from 12:00-1:00 we will break for lunch. After lunch you will have an half hour rest period, 1:30-5:00 you will work in the same groups as before, 5:00-6:30 you have free time then you have supper from 6:45-7:45. After that you have more free time until 8:30, we want everyone in their tents by 8:30, 9:00 is lights out. For now, though you have free time until 8:00, then its lights out at 8:30."
As soon as she finished, the boys scattered to the four winds. Hermione stayed put, reading. She was startled to feel a hand resting on her shoulder, "you O.K.?" it was Sharen, "a little nervous about the whole thing? I was when I first came here you know, Sara and I were the only girls here and the instructors were all men. Your lucky, your one of the advanced students; once you master the Unforgivables you'll help tutor the other students, and from what I've seen that won't be long."
Hermione managed a small smile, "thanks, I just hope I don't make a fool of myself tomorrow."
Sharen merely smiled and walked off, as she left she muttered to herself "trust me, child, you won't."