Skye frowns as she observes another lesson, this time between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Over the last month and a bit she's started to get a picture of the children in each house, and it's not painting the best of pictures. Discipline in the school seems to be nearly non-existent, and bullying rife. Ecne's old memories war with her own memories and lessons at the university. The Weasley girl is a prime example of the effects of this. During the first few lessons she was bubbly and outgoing, and now she's withdrawn and looks drawn, like she's not been sleeping properly. The Lovegood girls is another example, though she seems to be more resilient.
"Good morning class, today we'll be covering Ghouls. A common pest in magical communities they can be found close to…"
Ah, yes, the resident idiot. If it wasn't the only class where Slytherin and Ravenclaw shared the class, Skye would just miss it. Alas, circumstances were not to be.
"…After coating myself in ghoul saliva, I was able to live in the only known community of ghouls in the world. Professor Harris, would you be able to help me with a demonstration?"
With a sigh, Skye stands up from the corner that she'd managed to sit in unnoticed by the students, and makes her way down to the teachers stage of the auditorium, "What sort of demonstration?"
"I would like you to pretend to be a ghoul, and I will show the students how to escape from one."
"Why don't you talk them through it first?"
"Very well. When the ghoul lunges for me, I will place my hand underneath it's chin and push up…" That's as far as he gets before he slumps on the floor unconscious.
Skye shakes her head as she levitates him up and into his chair behind the desk, "Sorry about that, he was about to give you knowledge that, if you tried to use it, would get you killed. If you're a warrior then such a technique would be perfectly acceptable to learn. However, none of you here are warriors, you are children who will grow up to be witches and wizards. Instead, the most important lesson you need to know about Ghouls is that they cannot bear bright light. This is why they can usually be found in grain sheds and caves, where they will normally live on bugs and insects. If you don't have your wand on you, then your best defence is to try and get somewhere bright. Yes Miss Weasley?"
Ginny puts her hand down and fights back a yawn, "Is that why the ghoul at home lives in the attic?"
"Almost certainly. If your family keeps the house well lit, then it would be reluctant to venture out of its dark abode. Especially if there was plenty to eat there.
"The other thing about ghouls is that they are not quiet. They will grumble and moan, and in the wild this serves to let other ghouls know that they're there. A ghoul going silent will attract every other ghoul in the area as they investigate to see if it's died or has managed to kill something big. Either way, they get a good meal out of it. A ghoul that lives around people will still make noise, but is also intelligent enough to know that people don't always make noise. As a result it may make additional noise. Those ghouls also tend to be better fed than wild ghouls, and so will tend to attempt to drive a person away from what they perceive as their territory.
"Now, do any of you know of any magic you already know that may help you with ghouls? Miss Lovegood?"
Luna cocks her head to one side, "Why did you say magic instead of spells?"
Skye nods, "Interesting question, before I answer, do any of you have any ideas? Miss Weasley, please let other students have a chance first. Miss Halpine?"
"Because spells aren't the only magic we've learnt so far?"
"Well done, 1 point to Ravenclaw for an incomplete answer. Next question, what is a spell? Miss Corbeld?"
"A spell is a combination of wand motions and speech in order to create a magical effect."
"Indeed, 1 point to Slytherin for another incomplete answer." On the blackboard Skye draws a triangle with intent, wand motions, and words on the corners, "In your first charm lesson you were shown this triangle." Skye lifts her hand and causes a ball of light to balance above it, "Is this a spell?"
There's a chorus of "No!" with only Luna looking at it intently, "It might be professor, it depends on how you learnt it."
Skye smiles, "Indeed, 2 points to Ravenclaw for an astute observation. In this case, it's not a spell it's purely intent with visualisation. Now, the first spell you ever learnt in Charms was the light spell. Everyone, get out your wands and cast it."
Skye watches as they all pull their wands and try to cast the spell, most of them succeeding on the first attempt.
"Well done everyone. Everyone that cast the spell on their first try, I now want you to just hold your wand out and imagine the light appearing at the end of the wand. You know you can do it, as you've just done it. Everyone else, keep extinguishing and casting the spell until you've done it five times in a row. Remember, you don't need to shout or use jerky motions to get the magic to work. If any of you manage to light your wands with just intent and visualisation, I will help you to do the same without your wands like I did. Just remember that the light needs to be bright if you want to drive off a ghoul."
None of the first years manage to get the spell working without the incantation or words, though both Luna and Ginny come close.
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Pomona walks into the 2nd year Hufflepuff dorm before breakfast so that she can catch the children early, as catching them between classes is proving to be impossible these days. Knocking on Daphne's door, she calls, "Miss Greengrass, would you see me in my office before you go to breakfast?"
It takes a few moments before Daphne's door opens to reveal a highly dishevelled Daphne in her nightgown, "Sorry Professor, what was that?"
"Please can you see me in my office before you go to breakfast?"
"Um, yes, sure. Sorry, late night."
"That is one of the things I wish to talk to you about."
Daphne blinks a couple of times, "Um, could I ask that Morgana, that is Professor Danann is there too. As I feel that she would be able to explain what's going on."
Pomona narrows her eyes, "Is this related to your mundane studies?"
Daphne shakes her head, "No Professor, it's an unfortunate side effect of Celtic Magic, because I was a little careless once."
Pomona relaxes a little, "I see. If you are able to contact her this early, then she may attend with you."
It's an hour later when Daphne walks into Pomona's office with Morgana by her side, and Pomona looks up, "Miss Greengrass, Professor Danann, thank you for coming to see me."
Daphne nods, "Not at all professor, I can guess what this is about."
Pomona nods, "Yes, it's your unscheduled absences from the school. So far it hasn't affected your work, no doubt because your friends help you keep up to date with bits of the class you miss. That's why we're having this conversation now, before it does become a problem. I have here a letter from your parents stating that we should make allowances for you because of this. I believe that Miss Patil in Ravenclaw has a similar letter for Tuesday mornings, which is why their timetable doesn't have any morning classes."
Daphne's mouth turns down, "I wish I could give you a schedule, but natural disasters don't work like that. Neither do prayers."
"Prayers you say? Are you sure?"
Daphne nods and looks at Morgana, who speaks up, "Indeed, I believe that we have mentioned before about the magical importance of our private names."
Pomona nods, "Something about being able to do things to you?"
"Indeed, while they can't bind us to a task. They can be used to communicate with us from any distance, and we also can't ignore someone that uses that name. If the right words or rituals are used, then it can even compel us to go to a given location. Though it doesn't determine what we do when we get there. That's why there's so many stories of gods throwing tantrums in Greek and Roman literature."
Pomona clasps her hands on the desk, "I find that hard to believe, after all, our own histories say that the gods were just powerful witches and wizards masquerading as the part."
Morgana nods, "I see. I will start teaching you Celtic magic every evening at 7pm, be ready."
"You can't just decide that! I have duties that I need to attend to."
"It's the only way to prove to you the truth of my statement."
Before Pomona can object once more, Morgana disappears into mist, "What? How could she do that?"
Daphne smiles, "She's the Morrigan. As she's in a bit of a snit, I'll tell you know. The secret to the first lesson is desire, you have to really want to go somewhere. If you don't, then you could be lost forever and die in the mist. Or worse, stumble across some of those that live in the mist. It may help if you start to think of somewhere that has a strong emotional tie to you before she drags you into the mist."
"Why's she in a snit?"
Daphne laughs, "Same reason I boxed someone in when they prayed to me, being called too much. There's a war in what used to be Yugoslavia, and people keep praying to her to protect them."
"I don't know where Yugoslavia is, but for the moment I will just warn you that you need to keep at least Exceeds on your school work otherwise we will be forced to start giving you detentions."
Daphne nods, "Thank you for giving me a heads up. Sorry, thank you for the warning. Do you know where I could get a fruit basket by the way?"
Pomona smiles, "You could try the kitchens, it's behind the painting of the fruit bowl. Just tickle the pear to get in."
Daphne nods before she gets up for breakfast.
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A few days before Halloween, Harry looks up from where he's studying in the Library for Transfiguration with the other Hufflepuffs, "Did any of you hear that?"
Justin looks up, "No? What did you hear?"
"A deep sibilant voice, I'm not sure exactly what it was saying I think I heard the word 'Come' and 'Kill'."
Everyone else shakes their heads, "No, didn't hear anything."
"Damn, hopefully I won't hear it again."