Chapter 19 - Right The Wrongs
They all stood looking at the witch's circle. The circle had five stone pillars and the ground connecting each point was singed connecting all the stones in a circle, unsure of what to do they looked around but couldn't see anything other than the forest itself.
"I will take a stab in the dark and say we might need to stand in the witch's circle". Mildred said to the other three.
"Seems logical". Zack replied.
They all walked into the stone circle and stood there for a short while. It wasn't long before some tables appeared within the clearing. There was a table in front of each of the pillars though a good few meters from each one.
"Five table's, four of us. So, one each and then the last one between us?" Verity asked.
As they were all about to voice their agreement a voice could be heard, and Amethyst's member of staff walked towards the circle.
"Your trial is to right the wrongs, you have one hour to complete it. Each table has one or more things wrong on it and you must make it correct. Some are based on potion's; some are based on spell science, and one is a curve ball. You may walk between the tables as you see fit. Your hour starts now". The Amethyst's teacher then vanished. She vanished into a near by tree so she could see from a distance. Her trial was not dangerous. Though if they couldn't right the wrongs within an hour they were eliminated.
They all took a table each and Mildred's was a potion's one. She looked at the list of ingredients and the order that they were put in, the name of the potion was at the back of the table.
Mildred was stumped. "Verity, have you heard of a potion called "Cat Magic" at all?".
"No, that's not a potion, it's a spell. It's what makes familiars".
"Ermm, I have a load of ingredients here".
Verity came over to help Mildred and upon seeing the table, she too was stumped. "It can't be Cat Magic, like I said it's a spell". Verity was very confused.
Whilst the girls were baffled over the potion table. The boy's had looked at theirs. Zack was thrilled and he had cracked his in minutes. It was another potion's table though the ingredients were for a fifth-year potion which were in the wrong order and so were the amounts. A line ran from his pillar to another.
"Everyone, it makes a pentagram". Zack called out as he spun round to a soothing music and noticed the line.
The others turned around and saw it, the realisation sunk in, and at least they wouldn't forget which ones they had done.
"Well done, Zack". Cobain called out.
Cobain looked at his table and he had a Spell science one. He like the girls was stumped. This was not an easy one.
"Forty minutes to go". The teacher called.
Cobain moved a word and some of the ground fell around him. This caused everyone to spin round.
"Don't make mistakes". Cobain called.
Zack's next table was also a spell science he managed to right the six wrongs in five minutes. Another line ran with music from that pillar to another.
"Two down three to go". Zack called. The others were thrilled and full of praise.
Zack headed to the unoccupied table, and it was a Herbology one. He then went up to the girls. "Millie, take the Herbology one, you're the plant wizz these days".
Millie headed to the other table, and she was pleased to find apart of this trial that she could do. It was on Dabbat El-arts. She fixed it within ten minutes. They all watched as another line ran from Mildred's pillar to meet with Zack's first one.
"Three down, two to go". Millie called.
The last two wouldn't be easy and they were running out of time.
"Twenty-five minutes to go". The teacher called.
The group started to panic, twenty five minutes wasn't long and they had the hardest two left.
"Cobain, Cat Magic potion, Go". Verity called as she, Zack and Mildred couldn't make sense of it.
"That is a spell not a potion". Cobain stated as he turned around with confusion written all over his face. He sprinted to their table. All four of them stood at the table and Verity moved an ingredient and a part of the floor fell away. This made them all jump.
"That's it". Zack said as he clicked his fingers. "The potion is correct though the name isn't Cat Magic, its Forget-me-Not". They all turned around and the music was back as a line merged to another of the pillars.
"Last one everyone, we can do this". Verity stated determinedly.
They all ran over to the last table, and they were all stumped again.
"I have never heard of anything similar to this". Cobain told them.
"Ten minutes left".
"That's it we're doomed". Mildred said.
Zack moved a word, and it lit up. "They all need to light up". He moved another word and more of the ground fell away. "Not that one".
Mildred moved one and more of the ground gave way, Cobain nearly fell into the pit, luckily Verity grabbed him to keep him up and he gripped onto the table, which they had all just realised was magically bolted down.
It took five and a half minutes to get the first line and by this point most of the ground around them had given way. Verity and Cobain were stood on one foot, Mildred ended up sat on the table and Zack was the only one on two legs.
They had all read the correct line for a few minutes and then Cobain figured it out. The last two minutes he was frantically putting the words in the right order. It got to the last line and the ground under Zack gave way and he hung onto the table whilst crossed arms.
"Come on Cobain, I can't stay like this much longer".
Verity lost her balance and fell in and in the nick of time Cobain grabbed her and he put both of his feet down and finished the last line just as a horn blew and the music came on to link the last two Pillars together.
The floor rose back up and slowed down as it came close to Zack and Verity who within seconds was glad to be stood up again.
Unfortunately, the trial wasn't over. The teacher came back into view.
"The last part of this trial is the Pentagram, you may leave now, or you can take on the Pentagram, which has a generously warm chicken and rice meal upon completion, it's your choice. There will be more than enough for the four of you". She told the students.
"May as well". Millie said.
"I'm gonna be disappointed if we don't leave with it". Cobain said.
They all agreed and walked into the Pentagram.
"This part is based on memory. Remember the sequence".
The stone pillars started glowing one was purple and the next was green. Millie touched the purple pillar and Verity touched the green. They felt the need to stay put. Millie and Verity's lit up again, another pillar lit up orange and Zack stood next to that pillar, and waited for Millie to press hers and verity to then do the same before he touched his. Cobain then understood.
Cobain took the next one which happened to be red.
"There's only four of us". Verity shouted.
The last Pillar was between Zack and Cobain. This pillar lit up yellow.
"I'll run between the two". Zack shouted back.
This game went on for a good half an hour they were all loving it, and Verity as it turned out had a very good photographic memory and she was calling out the colours. Poor Zack was sprinting between the two pillars. He was getting very tired and just as he felt he couldn't run anymore the pillars magically disappeared and there was a steaming hot cauldron in the middle of the pentagram.
"Chicken and vegetable rice, yummy". Millie stated as she took a Tupperware box like the others and using a ladle, she scooped it out the cauldron and filled her box till the food was just under the rim. The others had done the same and cold bottles of water was on the floor in a cool box which read, please take one. Next to that was another cool box which was currently filled with cans of pop. Zack picked up a Fanta, Verity picked up a Coke a Cola, Cobain picked up a Sprite and Millie picked out a Pepsi Max.
"Well done, I am pleased you had fun with that one". The teacher told them as she reappeared.
They all looked up as something caught their eye, and their faces came up with a trophy next to it and a number three in front of it.
"Three is a really good start" The teacher told them.
A loud bang sounded and all five of them jumped slightly. Ethel's face came up.
"That's got to dint that ego". Verity said with a smug expression on her face.
The other three students laughed, and the teacher showed them the way out. "The next nearest trial is five kilometres from here, there's a spot to the west that is a great resting place".
They all headed to the resting place to breathe, relax and eat for a while.
The resting spot was a lovely, secluded area which was labelled, safe zone. It had tree roots that they could sit on and tree stumps to put their drinks on as they ate. It was shaded and felt soothing. They were enjoying their dinner, and they ate the entire contents of their boxes.
"I rather liked the second part to the last one". Millie said.
"I've never seen something like that". Zack stated.
"There are games in the non-witching shops that are designed like that, but its usually a small device with coloured buttons". Mildred explained.
"I suddenly need one". Verity laughed. "I'll see if my mum can get me one".
"Zack was a legend; you must be worn out mate". Cobain said as he put his empty box down.
"Way to go Zack, you're a force to be reckoned with regarding to potion's". Verity marvelled.
A map appeared in front of them, and Millie picked it up.
"Could have done with that at the start". Cobain said with shock.
The map was large and would need folding to put in someone's pocket, it showed were each trial was and the three that they had conquered where crossed off, it also showed if they were going in the right direction. There was a note attached to the right-hand corner.
Congratulations on winning your third trial, we hope this helps.
"There's one problem". Zack stated. They all looked confused as they stared at him. "There is one map and four of us. Say I get eliminated and I have the map. You don't have it as it was also eliminated".
"Then we make copies". Verity stated.
"How?" Millie asked as she looked around and couldn't see anything to use to copy a map onto.
"With these". Verity stated with confidence. "These leaves can be folded and screwed up and will bounce back to their original shape". She explained. She then proceeded to show them. Once they were all on board with the idea three copies were made. She then explained that they would need to be under water for a few seconds where possible to keep them alive. They stayed in the Safe Zone for at least another hour to regain their strength and reduce the tiredness.