Chapter 14: A Chink in the Armour

The school was abuzz with talk of the battle magics course, and specifically its teacher. The students had picked up on his lack of either wand or staff to channel his powers through. It was a strange necessity in this northern land but perhaps the ability to channel magic just through yourself was more uncommon than he had thought. He did, after all, have a biased view considering most of the sorcerers he encountered were powerful and seeking revenge on Camelot. And they had all been studying magic far longer than these students. Maybe one day some of the students would no longer need their instruments, but until then, they thought Professor Dragoon's power was incredible.

He had contemplated using a staff again when he taught to avoid this, but Rowena reminded him that the students had already heard plenty of exaggerated stories about Dragoon and his powers so he hadn't bothered. He was pleased to hear how students liked his lessons though. Even those who could only come occasionally or those who preferred to avoid any fighting said that it was still an interesting class. He kept forgetting to try and act disappointed when Flora was telling him about it.

"It was amazing!" she exclaimed. "He taught us how to throw spears with our magic today. It was easy to levitate it, but the aiming and throwing was a bit harder. Then he was explaining different ways to enchant a weapon to harm various magical creatures. I wish you could come sometime; you're sure Professor Slytherin wouldn't give you one night off?"

"He might, but I am really enjoying what I am doing. Besides, I usually try to avoid any fighting. I've always been one for running and hiding." He used the same excuse he had given Arthur a number of times. "Not very brave of me but I'll leave the bravery to the Gryffindors. I'd rather make sure I stay alive."

"But this extra class is giving us lessons that would help us stay alive in battle!"

"Ah." He raised a finger and lifted his eyebrows. "But would it not be wiser to simply avoid the battle altogether?" She sighed in frustration and threw her hands up.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm going to bed." She stomped up the stairs to the sound of Merlin's soft laughter as he stretched out his legs in front of the roaring fire and closed his eyes in contentment.

A few weeks after the battle magics class started, a group of Gryffindors organized a sword fighting club. Shortly afterwards, a few other clubs for various weapons began popping up. It seemed as if battle fever had caught on. Merlin couldn't fault them really. After all, it never hurt to be prepared. And while he was personally no good with a sword, Gili had shown him that the two skills were not necessarily incompatible. Use what resources you had; that's what he was trying to teach in his class.

Stephen had dragged him to one meeting of the sword fighting club, insisting that "you can't be that bad, Drugen. You just haven't seen anyone who really knows how to handle a sword before. Just watch me and you'll pick it up in no time."

But he had watched Arthur enough to give pointers while he watched. Stephen had just raised his eyebrows but he tried Merlin's suggestions and he started to improve.

"I thought you said you were bad at swordplay?" he questioned as he sat down on the bench and Merlin instinctively handed him some water. "But that sounded like you knew what you were doing."

"There were a few older boys in my village who were training to be knights," he lied. "When I was younger I would watch them all the time. You start to pick up some things. Just things like stance and grip and sometimes I could figure out a pattern in their fighting style. Nothing that would help me actually learn. One of them tried to teach me once but it was terrible. I couldn't walk the next day." Stephen laughed and agreed not to try teach him, but asked if he would continue to accompany him and give him pointers. They shook on it and Merlin grinned his big cheeky grin. If only Arthur could see him now; he truly might faint in shock.

True to his promise, Merlin followed Stephen to the training field that had been set up whenever he had time. The others caught on and soon he was giving pointers to everyone. He mainly sat on the sidelines and cleaned the swords out of habit and desire to keep his hands busy. If anyone began to get too cocky in the practice fights, and there were a few older students who exhibited this, Merlin would silently use the same tricks he had against Arthur. A sudden mud puddle here, a sword that was stuck in the ground there, and on the bench a quiet smirk. It's not like anyone would suspect a first-year, even if he was one of the older students at Hogwarts, of being able to pull off those tricks.

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"I'm starting to think there is something Drugen isn't telling us," Flora whispered to Libæna as they sat in the library. They were supposed to be working on Runes together while Drugen was off with Stephen and the guys, but Flora couldn't concentrate.

"What do you mean?" Libæna whispered back while still looking at her homework.

"I'm not sure, but there's something about him. I can't put my finger on it. It's in the details."

"Okay, so what are the details?" Libæna put her quill down and looked at her friend. "I'm sure there's a simple explanation, but let's hear them."

"Well for starters, he is way too good at Runes. And most of his other classes. He says he's not but he finishes his homework incredibly fast and I don't think he has gotten a poor grade on any test."

"Maybe he is just a fast learner. Remember he is older than us too, he has probably had some sort of lessons before so he might just be better at getting his work done than us." Libæna looked at her friend with a smile. "Besides, you have never been good at getting things done. You were always putting off your chores till the last minute."

"But that's because chores aren't fun," she whined. "Exploring the forest with you was always so much more fun."

"And that's my point. Homework isn't always fun either, but some people understand that you should just focus on it and get it done." She gave Flora her best stern look and picked up her quill again.

"But what about all the pranks? Not the ones that we did as a club, but the others ones. He didn't seem surprised by any of them."

"Maybe he knew whoever did them," Libæna said tiredly as she translated.

"Maybe, but he seemed too happy that people were enjoying the pranks." Libæna raised her eyebrows. "Okay that one might be a stretch."

"What do you think he is keeping from us? These are unconnected things."

"I think he is more powerful than he is telling us. I don't know how powerful, or why he isn't telling us, but at the beginning of the year, he kept leaving his staff in his dorm. It was like he wasn't used to carrying it."

"Maybe he had just gotten it before he enrolled."

"No it's not that. He doesn't use it the same as others though. The others with staves point with them like we point with our wands. They use it to direct the spells. Drugen doesn't though. He just holds it in his hands most of the time, no pointing. It's almost like he doesn't need it." Libæna looked up sharply.

"But that's almost impossible."

"Not as much as we thought. I did a little asking around and it turns out that many sorcerers don't need an instrument when they are older. Or at least not a wand or a staff. When they are older and they have been practicing magic longer, most are able to channel their magic just through themselves. For really powerful stuff they might use a crystal to power an enchantment but they don't need a wand. And the druids almost never use wands."

"Maybe he is just a druid then. The druids I am friends with can do lots of spells without their wands but when they use the wand it is easier for them. It is possible that at the beginning of the year he wasn't used to using a staff but now he is more used to it." Flora chewed on her lip and shook her head.

"I still don't think that is quite right." She was silent for a while as Libæna finished her translation. "I'm going to follow him to the forest tonight. There's something he is doing in there that is not what he says."

"I thought he said he is working with Professor Slytherin?" she asked as she packed up her books.

"There's something else. I know there is."

"Well good luck with that." Libæna stood. "I am heading back to my room. I'll see you at breakfast."

Woah, I realized it had been longer than I thought since I had updated. I should have another chapter for you within a week since I am going to force my way through my current writer's block. My story suddenly is taking another little side trip to Camelot and I've yet to figure out what will happen when he comes back. Why is the story in Camelot again even when I didn't plan on it? Spoilers!