Chapter 115 - Professor Adric

Having taken a seat on the edge of nearest to the door, Bethanie most kindly saved the seat next to the door for Terry. Bethanie and the girls were chattering quietly, while Severus and Rowan already had their books open. "Think we'll get another Stricken?" Severus quietly remarked.

"No," Rowan hesitated to answer. "Rather I think, we may be worse off. He does seem to be a bit of a-." Rowan doesn't finish her sentence as Terry bursts in panting and collapses with gratitude in the saved seat.

"Thank you, Bethanie, you're a real doll," Terry wheezed as Bethanie merely handed over a clean handkerchief for Terry to wipe off the sweat off his brow.

The class instantly falls silent as the grave, loud footsteps can be heard as lean wizard stomped into the classroom with his robes swooshing behind him. The sharp-eyed wizard in dark gray robes stares down his olive nose at them. Lips already curling with disdain, Professor Adric says, "Close your books, we shan't be starting with that."

The Slytherins as a class blink in surprise as usually the first day of class of the year is to go over what they had learned the year before. But nevertheless, they did as they are told and put their books away. "I am not one for book learning, but I do however believe in physical learning. Get up and line up against the wall," Professor Adric sternly instructed.

They all scrambled to do so as with a wave of his wand, Professor Adric caused the rows of desks to neatly slide against the back wall. "Good now, I'll be pairng you off," Adric rapidly begins to call out the pairs.

"Crowley & Rosier."

"Greengrass & Flint."

"Topsy & Fowl."

"Sicca & Avery."

"Fawley & Prince-." Professor Adric pauses at realizing there are two Princes in the classroom.

"Prince?" Professor Adric coldly repeated again as Rowan and Severus step out of line. "Twins, I see."

Professor Adric solemnly studies them for a moment, before saying, "The boy with Miss Fawley."

Severus nods and steps back in line as Professor Adric continues, "The girl & Mulciber." Rowan's eyes slightly narrowed as she steps back in line, while Professor Adric finishes calling out the rest of the pairs.

"Now pair off across from each other," Professor Adric said as they all scrambled to do as they are told. The five of them flash Tiffany a look of pity as she was stuck with Gertrude Fowl. Tiffany sadly blinks at them, before lining up across from her partner.

"For the rest of the semester, you will each be paired with the person before you. They will be your dueling partner during our practice sessions. Now, I will have Miss Crowley and Rosier show the rest of you on how to properly bow to your dueling partner," Professor Adric instructed as Quyen snickered with a gleam of triumph at having been signaled out.

The pair properly bows to each other and then raise their wands like swords in front of them. "Excellent, Miss Crowley and Rosier, twenty points to Slytherin." Quyen smugly beamed in pride.

Professor Adric continues, "Now, you will each be allowed up two spells to disarm your opponent. Crowley and Rosier, on my signal, Begin!"

Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent. A flash of the same orange sparks can be seen from the end of both of their hands as they cast the same spell the Stinging Jinx. They both hissed in pain, but Rosier recovers first and says, "Melofors!" With a rather indignant squawk, Quyen's head is encased in a pumpkin.

Tiffany, Silvia, Terry, and Severus are not unable to completely hider their smirks at recalling the same spell being cast on Narcissa. Quickly making their face blank, they watch as Professor Adric vanishes the pumpkin head away to reveal a sticky faced Quyen. Casting a quick cleaning charm over her, Professor Adric says, "Rosier is the winner, next!"

The next pair is Greengrass and Flint with Silvia beating Terry with a Tickling Jinx.

When it came time for Tiffany's turn she was almost in tears at the end of her duel as Gertrude Fowl cast a Pimple Jinx causing pimples to pop all over her face. Tiffany, however, won the duel by tripping Gertrude flat onto her sour face.

The next pair Sicca and Avery, Avery easily won by merely disarming Hortense Sicca with a flick of his wand.

The class is quiet as the next pair goes up Bethanie and Severus. Professor Adric gives the signal as Severus shouts, "Langlock!" Instantly Bethanie's tongue becomes stuck to the top of her mouth.

Professor Adric immediately says, "Prince, immediately release Miss Fawley."

Severus quickly chants the release for the jinx as Bethanie sighs in relief. "Prince, I do not recognize the spell, where did you learn it?" Professor Adric asked.

Severus hesitates before honestly answering, "I created it, sir."

Professor Adric furrows his brows and says, "You mean to tell me that a mere second-year boy created a spell?"

"Severus is rather talented, sir," Rowan interrupted in defense of Severus. And though Rowan knew the spells Severus would create as well in the future, she had never used them as the true creator was Severus. She'd rather create some of her own than steal his future successes. Except for a certain dark spell that cuts into wizards, she might just take the credit for that one and not allow Severus to further explore spells in that direction.

Professor Adric eyes linger a little too long on Severus for Rowan's liking. "Very well, then, you're up next Miss Prince."

Rowan nods and turns back to face her opponent, Damien Mulciber. The golden-haired handsome boy smiles at her and says, "May the best man win, Prince." Rowan snorts and waits for Professor Adric to give the signal.

The instant Professor Adric gives the signal, Rowan roars, "Expelliarmus!" A dazzling flash of scarlet light blasts Mulciber off his feet and into the wall.

Professor Adric narrows his eyes for a moment and says, "Miss Prince, that was quite the powerful disarming charm. Most wizards and witches cannot produce sufficient power to use that spell until well into their fourth year." Rowan's face carefully remains blank as the rest of the Slytherins stare at her with new eyes. "But I suppose it is expected given who your grandfather is. Please give him my most warm regards."

Professor Adric flickers his wand as he levitates Mulciber back onto his feet and hands him his wand. Mulciber winces as he rubs the back of his head and coldly eyes Rowan back. However, Mulciber rather than becoming angry he acknowledges his defeat. "Good duel, Prince," Mulciber said, before turning to gaze at the next pair. After all, Slytherins respected one thing above all, power.

The rest of the class is a bit more anti-dramatic as the rest of the pairs quickly finish off. With only a few minutes left in class, Professor Adric says, "I expect a two-page essay on a personal evaluation of your own duels and that of others. And there must be actual evidentiary support to one's argument rather than mere envious criticism."

That immediately takes the wind out of several Slytherins sails as they all answer, "Yes, sir."

Professor Adric dismisses them as they all gather their things from the desks at the back of the wall. Most of the Slytherins leave with cheerful whispers even those that lost as they discuss how interesting the class was and even possibly joining the dueling club.

Except for six of them, who are quiet. Having walked safely out of earshot, Tiffany violently shudders and says, "Is it just me or does Professor Adric give you the creeps?"

"It's definitely not just you," Silvia said as she held up her arm to show the goosebumps across her flesh.

"Personally, I'm more worried about Rowan and Severus," Bethanie said as Terry nodded his in agreement. "The way he was looking at them-. There was too much of a fascination in his eyes to be anything but the avid interest which is inappropriate for a professor to have towards his students."

"I guess that means the dueling club is out of the question," Terry pointedly commented patting Severus on the back in comfort. "Anyway, you, sly dog, how many spells have you made?"

Severus flushes as he says, "Just one or two more."

"Just one or two more," Terry mimicked. "Do you know how hard it is to create a spell?! Can you believe this brat?"

Rowan chuckles as Severus fights off Terry's arms that are attempting to cling onto him. "Yes, well, I have always said Severus is brilliant and powerful in his own right. In case, you haven't recalled, Severus did beat me out for the highest grade in our 1st year," Rowan candidly remarked.

"That's because it was an overall cumulative grade," Severus protested. "You easily beat me in several subjects. If it wasn't for potions, you'd have gotten the highest grade in our 1st year, Rowan."

Rowan shrugs and says, "Don't sell yourself, short, Severus. I only beat you in said subjects by a few measley points. You're more brilliant than me."

"Oh yes," Tiffany chimed in with a knowing grin. "Catching Narcissa Black unaware is a previously unimagined feat!"

The six of them loudly chuckle as they recall the pumpkin head incident. "Definitely," Silvia said in agreement.

"Well, at least we're free for the rest of the day," Terry exclaimed. "And what a first day it's been, I'm utterly beat."

"Now, Terry, you still have to retrieve Regulus and take him to his Goblin class," Bethanie directed.

"And don't forget to show the rest of the 1st years on how to get back to the common room!" Terry sighs and mutinously mutters something about nosy girls, before stomping off to go and retrieve Regulus along with the rest of the Slytherin 1st years.

Bethanie shakes her head and turns to say, "Don't you two still have a class to get too?"

Severus sighs as Rowan says, "Oh stop that! Lily will be there."

Severus instantly perks up and says, "Well, what are we waiting for?" Before eagerly darting off with his tail wagging behind him.

"You think he'd at least try to be less obvious," Silvia remarked at Severus's disappearing figure.

"What can I say, he literally wears his heart on his sleeve," Rowan sighed in exasperation. "You would think that for a Slytherin, he'd be a bit more sly about it."

"No," Tiffany argued. "My male cousins are that way too and they attend Durmstrang. I think it's all that testosterone really."

"Well, I better get going," Rowan murmured. "I'll see you for dinner." The girls call out their goodbyes as Rowan tiredly sighs to herself. It had been a long day and for once, she just wanted to go slump down into the common room's comfy chairs to rest. But she'd been the one who suggested the class and now she would have to deal with the fact that she'd dropped the rock onto her own two feet.