Chapter 25: Just the right amount of Swish
Aerie returned to the dorm with the team later that evening and headed on up to the room she shared. She said hi to Hermione on the way, but all she got was a cold shoulder as Hermione turned away, nose in a book.
Aurora hit Aerie with a big hug.
“I was so worried,” Aurora whispered.
“So that was him then,” Aerie whispered back. “He’s out there looking for a victim to restore himself. It seems Fennik’s teleport did a number on him.”
“I tried blocking Quirrell Riddle, yes, it shows both names. Dumbledore just goes and unblocks him, and I can't just go and block him.”
“I doubt Quirrell will step foot back here if he can’t at least make himself look human.”
“And if he does come back? What if he’s able to make himself human enough to pass?”
“It’ll mean he’s found himself a victim, and we’ll just have to bide our time. Confronting him isn't going to help and could be devastating on multiple fronts.”
“Do you have any idea what to do? Elements of Harmony maybe?”
“I’ve only the one I’m afraid. I could possibly take him on, but I can’t win. Neither can he. We are at a stalemate right now. I can only hope he’ll bide his time.”
“So, we good?” Lavender asked.
“Ya,” Aerie offered. “Let’s get our assignments for the night done, and call it a night.”
The next morning Quirrel was back. He looked well enough but seemed more fidgety than ever.
“Hermione,” Aerie called to the girl. Hermione made no indication she heard. “I was thinking we could have a group study every other night. Interested?”
“I’m sure you’ll manage fine without me,” Hermione stated.
“What were you thinking about doing?” Parvati asked.
“Well, we are already doing self-study with guests for history, I was thinking about doing something for Defense Against the Dark Arts.”
“Hang on Guests?” Idda asked. “Professor Binns doesn’t normally do that?”
“Professor Binns passed on,” Hermione stated sharply.
“Yes, he’s dead, but I don’t see what the problem is?” Idda asked.
“Hasn’t shown up for any of his classes,” George offered. “I think everyone who still has to take his class has been using it as a self-study hour.”
“George?! Why did you tell her?” Fred asked.
“Maybe I want to pass the end-of-year exams?” George offered by way of explanation.
“As for the guests, I’ve been asking the other school ghosts to come and talk to the class. It’s proven quite enlightening. Might not be the approved curriculum, but at least we are getting an education.”
“We are going to have to say something sooner or later,” Foley offered. “Yes, I knew about it. To be honest I didn’t see it as a huge problem. They are probably better off without Binns. He was constantly confusing things, and all he ever talked about was the Goblin wars.”
From then on Aerie was kept very busy. She had her classes, and that meant DADA where she and Professor Quirrel had a tense but professional relationship, quidditch practice three times a week, and their group study sessions during which times they even managed to get Hermione to come out of her shell a bit. On the day of all Hallows Eve, Professor Flitwick announced in charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly. Something everyone had been looking forward to for some time. He put the class into pairs, Aerie found herself partnered with Lavender, Aurora with Neville, and Hermione with Ron. Aerie was just a little suspicious Professor Flitwick had put the two together intentionally.
“Now don’t forget that nice wrist movement, Swish, and flick.”
“Wingardium Leviosa,” Aerie said in a perfectly normal voice, her assigned feather standing up.
“I know full well you can do better than that,” Lavender whispered as Aurora coached Neville. Meanwhile, Ron was shouting the word while waving his arm around like a windmill.
“You are doing it all wrong,” Hermione snapped at Ron. “It’s Wing-guard-di-um Levi-Ou-sa, make the gar nice and long.”
“You do it then,” Ron snarled.
Hermione dramatically rolled up her sleeves, flicked her wand, and said “Wind gaurrr-dium Levi-oh sa,” gave her wand a flick followed by the feather rising up to the level of their heads.
“Well done!” Professor Flitwick cried out while clapping.
“Surprised it didn’t turn black with a skull and cross bones,” Aerie said under her breath. “Say, Ron, let’s try something.” Aerie went over to him, took his wand, put it on the table, and put her wand in his hand.
“Now, let's see if my wand will work a little better,” Aerie offered. “Say it again, nice and even, just the way you were saying it only with less arm swinging.”
“But I can’t use your wand?”
“Just this once, as an experiment.”
Ron gave her a hesitant look and tried it with her wand. His arm still cranked like he was winding up for a fast pitch, followed by the feather stabbing the ceiling.
“You are absolutely right, my wand is definitely not for you,” Aerie offered and took her wand back. “And Ron, a little less arm swinging.”
“OK, I get it,” Ron said while looking up at the ceiling. “My wand is a piece of junk.”
“Well, I guess we can give points to Hermione and Mr Weasley,” Flitwick offered. “Miss Potter, perhaps you’d like to give it another go?”
“Yes sir,” Aerie offered, said the word with a bit more emotion, gave her wand a flick, and up her feather lifted. It then preceded to dance around every time Aerie jinked her wand a little.
“Oh, excellent, excellent, and you’ve already figured out wand control quite nicely. Five points for Gryffindor.” He then turned to Ron. “Mr Weasley, come see me at the end of the day and let's see if we can’t do something about that wand of yours.”
Aurora was the next person to get it right, and Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class due to Hermione’s needling.
*“It’s no wonder no one can stand her,” Ron said to Neville as he pushed his way through the hallway after class. “She’s a nightmare, and I don’t mean like the pony either. There’s nothing wrong with how I say Wingardium Leviosa! Honestly!”
“Professor,” Aerie called to Flitwick. She and Aurora had hung back for a bit. “Will you be able to refurbish Ron’s wand?”
“I don’t rightly know, I’ll need to examine it first. Do you know what the wood and core are?”
“I believe it’s a type of Ash, and it’s got a unicorn hair in it. It belonged to one of his older brothers.”
“Ah, yes, Unicorn hair. That explains so much. Especially given the wand has been handed down. Now if I had a unicorn hair…”
“Would a hair from say, someone, with Akkadian ancestry be a viable substitute?”
“It might, it might. Not sure if anyone has ever tried.”
“Who’s hair are you planning on using,” Aurora asked.
“Yours. Redhead for a redhead,” Aerie replied while reaching over and plucking a strand.
“Ow, wasn’t there something about the hair being freely given?”
“Just one thing, don’t tell anyone where the hair came from,” Aerie said as she passed the hair over to Flitwick.
He took it, cast a spell of some sort to examine it, and then brightened. “I do believe this will do the trick. And don’t worry. I know.” He nodded his head, his smile momentarily switching to a grim expression. “It’s been discussed among select members of the staff.”
“And Dumbledore doesn’t wish to do anything at this time, I gather.”
“I’m afraid so. Might be for the best anyway. No one wants to have a confrontation that could endanger anyone.”
“Stalemate while we wait,” Aurora said softly. “Neither side is willing to make a move.”
Hermione was a no-show in the next class.
“Anyone seen Hermione?” Aerie asked later that afternoon of the other first-year girls.
“Ground floor Girls’ toilets,” Parvati offered. “She’s in there crying. I tried to talk to her.”
“She just tells us to go away,” Alice offered. “She brings it on herself though.”
“Yes, I know, she doesn’t understand the concept of downtime or that it’s rude to lecture outside of a lecture hall,” Aerie offered and then let out a sigh.
“We’ve all tried to get her to mellow out a little, but she’s gotten worse,” Lavender lamented.
“It’s an inferiority complex, I’m afraid. She’s brilliant, make no mistake. She’s just so desperate to prove her worth. Right then, if she’s still holed up in the toilets.”
“Shouldn't we all go?” Alice asked.
“It’s all Hallows Eve, I’m expecting Ron’s Mountain Troll to show up.”
“What?” Ron blurted out.
“Why Ron, did you forget? You’re slated to wrestle a troll tonight,” Aerie called to him.
“That’s right Ron,” Fred said as he walked past.
“You have to wrestle a troll tonight,” George added as he too walked past.
“Ron, have you seen Professor Flitwick yet?” Aurora asked.
“Oh, right, he was going to see if he could do anything with my wand,” Ron replied and hurried off.
As dinner drew near Aerie broke from the first-year herd of girls and headed for the bathroom where she expected to find Hermione.
“Hermione?” Aerie called shortly after she had entered. No answer. “Honestly, you are going to end up like Myrtle Warren at this rate.”
“Go away.”
“You aren’t even interested in who Myrtle Warren is?”
“I don’t care.”
“I beg to differ. You do care, and that also means you care a great deal about how others see you. Admit it, or you wouldn't be here.”
“Ron said no one can stand me, and that I had no friends.
“OK, the part about not having friends isn’t true. I mean I think of you as a friend.”
Hermione burst out of the stall she was in. “That implies that you can’t stand me though.”
“You are a difficult person to like, but we are trying. Hermione, I hear you lecturing your roommates every night. People need their downtime. I mean, it’s fine to give a lecture for a class. Your history lectures are always the best. Help people find the answers when they ask for them. But you’ve got to give it a rest.” Aerie turned to face Hermione, and as planned, Aerie was now facing the door.
“And you know everything, don’t you?”
“I don’t think... I’d go quite that far.”
“Professor Flitwick said never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said ‘s’ instead of ‘f’ and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest, but you, you know better. Don’t you? Why we could say Wingardium Leviosa anyway we want? Isn’t that right?”
“There are limits. Most spells are based on Latin. Mangled Latin to be exact. And the way we pronounce it today is nothing like how it might have been pronounced a couple hundred or even a thousand years ago. Old English versus modern English. What is important is intent and emotion. The word is just a trigger. A conscious decision to cast a spell, and entirely unnecessary for anyone capable of wordless magic. Yes, wordless. As for a buffalo, botch a simple spell and it’s far more likely to do nothing. Or in Finnigan’s case blow up. I swear that boy is too hot-blooded.”
“Who died and made you god!”
“My mom and dad.” Silence. “OK, that was uncalled for. Sorry. I seem to have been born that way anyway. Oh, come on. In your zeal to show everyone just how smart you are, you mangled the pronunciation of the spell right after instructing Ron how to pronounce it. You mangled the pronunciation when you cast that spell. There was nothing wrong with the way he was saying it. It was his wand.”
“My spell worked.”
“Yes, it did. Hermione, you are brilliant. And you are probably the third most powerful witch in First Year.”
“The third? The third? Let me guess, you’re number one. Ya, well you’re not.”
“Aurora is,” Aerie offered as she started rummaging in her purse. She looked up momentarily at the sound of the door opening. “She’s the daughter of a sun goddess.”
“Oh, la tea da. Sun Goddess, ha! You place your girlfriend at number one. That still leaves you at number two.”
“Um, Aerie?” Selena asked as she materialized. She was in pony form and had taken up a defensive stance. Hermione looked at the Night Mare, and only now did she register that someone else had entered the girl’s toilets.
“It’s OK, I’ve got it,” Aerie offered as she pulled out her broom.
“What are you going to do with that? Hang on, how’d you even get it in there?” Hermione asked as Aerie began to level it like it was a bazooka.
“Afraid we took a little too long.”
“Arr…” grunted out the beast blocking the way out.
Hermione turned, saw her doom, heard the door lock click, took in a good healthy breath, and screamed.
“Oh, don’t do that, you’ll just aggravate it,” Aerie scolded as her broom began to hum.
“Aggravate it?! You’re worried about aggravating it!!?? We are going to die!!!!!”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaa!!!” Shouted the Mountain Troll.
“Maud’Dib!” Aerie shouted followed by a blinding white light erupting from the sweep of the broom, the sound of the Death Star's main laser weapon firing, a giant explosion, and ending with rubble bouncing about and coming to rest along with a gaping hole where the door had been. Across the hall, there was another hole.
A few bits of masonry dropped, once everything was over.
“You have seriously got to stop doing that,” Selena scolded. There was smoke drifting up from the end of the broom. Aerie checked the broom.
“I haven't used too much of my Manna, have I? The feedback wasn’t as bad, but I’m still a little lightheaded.”
“Aerie, I’m still here, you’re fine.”
“How’s Hermione?”
“Her brain seems to have overloaded. She should reboot momentarily.”
“Core! What was that?!” Ron asked as he poked his head around the corner.
Incidentally, Ron had inadvertently made a complete fool of Quirrel moments after Quirrel’s fake faint following his announcement that there was a troll in the dungeon. In the moment of silence, Ron had bolted up and declared that he was not wrestling a troll and that his brothers Fred and George had obviously set the whole thing up as a prank. And yes, several people joked that there couldn't possibly be a troll in the dungeon because the Slytherins were all present. Quirrel had been forced to get up and tell everyone that there was indeed a troll loose. A Mountain Troll. He’d even been put in a position where he had to admit that the troll was one he’d been working with that got away from him. OK, he let it get away as a diversion but details, details. Dumbledore, true to form, decided to send everyone back to their dorms without any regard for the fact that the Slytherins lived in the dungeons where the troll was allegedly located. Granted he’d but to check the Wards to know where it was. Ron and Neville cut away from the Gryffindors to find and warn Hermione, went back to the first-floor corridor where the toilets were, saw the troll go in, locked the troll in, and were just walking away when they heard the scream. They turned just in time to see the troll flying by pushed by a wall of magical energy.
“Ron, the Mountain Troll is in the classroom!” Neville called while hurried footsteps could be heard approaching. “I think it’s dead.”
Snape cautiously entered the toilet while McGonagall attempted to shoo Ron and Neville away. Quirrel could be seen out in the hall inspecting the carnage.
“Aerie, was all this necessary?” Snape asked. He sounded just a little annoyed, and perhaps there was some pride there too.
“Oh, don’t be blaming her,” McGonagall scolded as she walked into the toilet room. “I’m more inclined to think that hole is the Night Mare’s doing.”
Selena switched to her human form. “Oh, but she did do that. I have much better control.”
Quirrel squeaked.
“What kind of a fucking Marry Sue are you!!!” Hermione shouted.
“The kind that just saved your life,” Selena chastised. “Though I’m not sure why? I can only think she thinks you are somehow worth the effort.”
“We’ve already got one girl haunting a bathroom,” Aerie pointed out, put her broom back in her purse, and headed for the door. Quirrel decided it would be best to give her plenty of room.
“Hermione, are you alright?” Ron called from the door even as Selena was doing the ‘eyes on you’ hand gestures as she walked past Quirrel. In a rather odd sort of way, it gave him a feeling of security. Yes, Snape suspected, even the specter known as Selena suspected him, but surely if they knew they would have confronted him by now?
“Aerie, go to the dorm, and we’ll talk about this later,” McGonagall called and then turned to Ron and Neville.
“I thought I told you two to get back to the dorm?”
“Please, Professor McGonagall, it’s my fault. Aerie came looking for me, and then they did.”
“If I had just kept my mouth shut,” Ron offered. “What I said was out of line.”
“But I was being impossible.”
“We can discuss this later,” McGonagall stated. “Now get up to the dorm before all the food is gone.”
Aerie found herself swooped up and deposited on Selena’s back. Selena had transformed back into a pony and just decided that Nova needed a lift. Aerie had objected but then found that she was actually far more worn out than she’d realized.
“Aerie?” Moonie asked softly. Aerie had lain down and was starting to doze off. “Nova?”
“Yes, mom?”
“It’s alright.”
“I’m awake. Just resting.”
“Try to remember that you are in a child’s body. I’m thinking that you probably can’t match the same levels you could before.”
“Um, hum,” Nova said softly.
“OK, kiddo.”
Aerie drifted off and even slept through the party going through the common room.
“Selena, is she alright?” Aurora asked as she followed her up the stairs. The party had quieted considerably.
“She’ll be fine. She wore herself out.”
“Doing what?”
“She blew up the troll.”
“Blew up…” Aurora repeated and stopped climbing the stairs.
“Did she just say that Aerie blew up the troll?” Lavender asked from a few paces down.
“That’s what she said.” The two went back down and told them what Selena had said.
That bit of info echoed from person to person and it wasn’t until Hermione, Ron, and Neville had returned that they could get the full story.
“Well…” Hermione started. She’d walked in through the entrance hole only to find herself at the center of attention once again. “We were kind of having an argument and I honestly didn’t know anything about a troll. She pulls her broom out of her purse, don’t ask me how it fits in the purse I haven't actually read that book yet.” She had to pause as people laughed. “I turn around and there it is a mountain troll. It had come into the bathroom and I’d been too caught up in my own emotions to even realize it. I screamed, and she was like don’t do that you’ll just irritate it. I swear, she was so calm. She aimed her broom at the thing and... she did the same thing with that broom she did with the wands only a lot bigger. When the smoke cleared the troll was in the classroom on the other side of the hallway with two great big holes in the walls.”
“She’s not exaggerating,” Ron offered.
“There was a huge hole where the lavatory door was, and an even bigger hole in the wall,” Neville informed them. And the classroom is trashed, and I’m lucky to be alive. We were only a few paces away from the blast.”
“How is that even possible?” someone asked.
“Hang on, I need everyone's attention!” Wood called out. “Your attention!” He waited till everyone was looking his way. “What I am going to tell you is top secret no one outside this dorm can know. That broom is a wizard staff.” Silence. “That’s why it’s so particular about who it lets ride it. Hearing Aerie used it to do what sounds like another manna dump is within the realm of believe-ability.”
“She said something too,” Hermione offered. “She said Maud’Dib, and then boom.”
“She said what?!” Seamus Finnigan shouted.
“Maud’Dib?” Hermione said sounding like she wasn’t too sure. “Like she was using that short phrase to trigger a spell.”
“That’s from the Dune movie!” Finnigan all but shouted.
“It is?” Hermione asked.
“It’s the name of the main character. In the movie, it was used in conjunction with a sonic weapon to trigger a powerful discharge of energy. Are you telling me she created an attack spell on the fly?!”
“Kind of, I suppose, but I’d have to say not if the concept already existed,” Hermione offered. “It does seem to have a big drawback in that it wipes her out.”
“Alright, I think we’ve heard enough,” Bill Bones said as he stepped forward. He turned and looked about trying to catch everyone's eye. “This topic is not to be discussed.”
“Um, bill?” Folly asked.
“The Maud’Dib thing.” Bill clarified. “That and the true nature of that broom.”
“Shouldn't the Ministry know?” Percy Weasley asked. There’s an edge to his tone.
“And what happens if the more unsavory sort that seems to come out of Slytherin were to find out about it?” Bill asked. “What happens if someone like Flint were to somehow manage to master that technique? What if the Death Eaters were to learn it? What if they were to discover that yes, wizard staffs can be made and are exceedingly more powerful than a wand?”
“I think someone would have to be exceedingly powerful to make it work,” Aurora offered.
“That’s a good possibility,” Wood offered. “One more reason to keep quiet. Aerie, on that broom, that broom,” he emphasized his words, “..is a sure-fire guarantee that we will win every quidditch game.” He let that sink in. “She and that broom are a perfect match.” He waited a moment. “Do you want to win the Quidditch Cup?!” he shouted. He was met with silence, so decided to shout even louder.
“Do you want to win the Quidditch cup!!”
“Yes!” several people shouted.
“I can’t hear you!!”
“Yes!!”
“Louder!!”
“Yes!!” Everyone had answered.
“Then we say nothing about that broom, or what transpired tonight outside of the dorm.” Wood and Bill both gave Percy a dirty look.
“Percy,” Fred said as he stepped up to his brother. “If you screw this up for us…”
“You’ll be wishing you were home with mother,” George said finishing the sentence.
The next morning everyone was discussing the huge holes, with much speculation going on at the other tables. Not so much Gryffindor. They all saw the holes in the walls, the destruction of the classroom, and couldn't help but comment on it. A few would cast furtive glances at Aerie who was presently gobbling down everything within reach.
“Aerie, slow down, you're going to choke,” Aurora scolded. Granted that she’d a healthy apatite too, but right now it was Aerie’s Alicorn appetite that had taken hold of her.
“I’m hungry,” Aerie protested between bites.
As for the hole, it had resisted all attempts to repair it by magical means. A stone mason was going to be needed.
“Ah, Mr Weasley,” Flitwick said as he trundled up to Ron.
“My wand, you have my wand?”
“I do at that,” Flitwick replied as he climbed up and stood on the bench. He then fished out a wand box and offered it to Ron.
Chimes started playing in the background.
“Thank you,” Ron said as he opened the box. It was his wand but it’d been polished. He took the wand out and immediately commented on how it felt warm. He raised the wand above his head and gave it an experimental swish bringing it down, then left and right like a conductor. As he did this a soft stream of red and gold sparks shot out from the tip of the wand.
“Bravo,” Flitwick cheered as Aerie put away her chimes box.
“Wingardium Leviosa!” Ron said excitedly, pointed it at a bowl, and then did his over-the-top flip.
Over the top is precisely where the bowl went. Up. Up, over, and crashed on the Slytherin table spraying its contents onto none other than Marcus Flint.
“Who did that?!” Flint bellowed as he sprung to his feet. “Who did that!!”
“Professor Flitwick, did you see who threw that bowl?” Snape called.
“Sorry, I was just presenting Ron Weasley with his refurbished wand. Can’t say I saw a thing.” He looked around at the Gryffindor students. “Anyone see anything?”
In truth it had happened so fast few saw anything and those who did were not about to say a thing.
“Sorry, no one saw a thing. Might have been Peeves,” Flitwick called. This of course resulted in Flint having to either assume it had been Peeves or look elsewhere. And yes, he had plenty of suspects. Quite a few in his own house.
“Ten points for Gryffindor,” Flitwick whispered as he got down, and trundled off.
It was all Ron and the people around him could do not to bust up laughing and give the plot away.
“Spot on Ron,” Aerie whispered. “You had just the right amount of swish.”
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awesome chapter. totally amazing.
and i so love the original movie Dune.
granted the first part of the new one is looking good.
High should be hi
Honestly, Hermione's outburst here ruins this a bit for me, I feel it would read better without it or revised to not use trope terms as such in cannon. Perhaps saying something else instead? Also swearing doesn't feel right coming from her.
Personally I'd have Hermione stew on what was said before this and just keep the part of Quirrel watching Aerie pack away her broom cannon.
apatite should be appetite.
11405117
The whole bit is over the top and it's meant to be over the top.
11405120
I suppose, still, seems a little much regardless.
11405155
It's one of the few times I have Hermione swear. Might be the only time. I don't remember right now. I chose to have her swear to emphasize how raw her emotions are at that moment. At the same time, I'm poking fun at my own character.
*The spice must flow intensifies*
Good show of using the Broom/Staff
Great story! Really enjoying it.
11407876
thank you.
11406131
Indeed, the Spice Must flow ..
Interesting use of this line, too
.. and this line just spices up he story, as incerted into the Plot at this particular point in time ..