Side quest

Chapter Eight

As the week progressed, Andrea's eagerness to return to Bemunth increased. She had dedicated most, if not all, of her free time to catching up on lectures and assignments recommended to her by her professors or the enchanted quill she regretted ever asking assistance from. Even after all her effort, the weekend was shaping up to be just as busy. Potions, History and Herbology went well. However, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts were a whole different beast, and don't even get her started on flying. She nearly met god that day.

Poppy had proven herself to be an incredible friend and roommate, not to mention an informative one as well. The last thing Andrea wanted was to get involved in the "main quest" as she called it, but the thought of being even partially responsible for the events that were destined to unfold riddled her with worry and guilt. So, she decided if she wanted to stay out of the action but still make an impact, she would have to be discrete. Thus, she decided to send owls. That night after the library and with the assistance of Poppy's know-how and her enchanted quill, Andrea wrote a letter and sent it off the next morning. Anonymously, of course.

If Cassian was going to be the devil on Sebastian's shoulder, then she was going to be the angel. Or something like that.

Defense Against the Dark Arts would wrap up her school week. After of which, she planned to make a direct beeline for the exit. The final moments of class were refreshers on various offensive spells and their defensive counterparts as per demonstrated by Professor Hecat and a brave volunteer. At some point, however, students were asked to step onto the elevated walkway to showcase their own skill. Each participant received constructive criticism, which Andrea's golden quill took eager note of as she observed with other students from the sidelines. Unfortunately, at some moment, she was called up.

"Since you are still new," Professor Hecat began as Andrea climbed cautiously onto the dueling table, "You will focus on casting protection against Mr. Prewett's basic attacks. Shall we begin?"

No, Andrea thought, but reluctantly, she readied herself. Following Professor Hecat's orders, Leander brandished his wand and shouted "Stupefy!" before launching a red charge at Andrea. She quickly deflected it with a successful protego. Leander persisted, bombarding her with multiple spells one after another, without a moment's pause. Though she managed to block each one effectively, the force of the impact pushed her back a step each time. After half a dozen more casts, she was at risk of stumbling off the walkway.

In a split second decision, she shifted from defense to offense, and countered his spell with expelliarmus. Despite having extensively studied and observed the charm among various others, Andrea had never actually attempted it herself until now. To her surprise, the yellowish surge that erupted from her wand trailed the path of the incoming spell, successfully disarming Leander and tossing him out onto his back. Momentarily distracted by the congratulatory applause of her classmates, a furious Leander seized the opportunity to retrieve his wand and bellow "Incendio!" from beyond the dueling table.

She found herself back in the forest. The air thickened with the scent of smoke as she was surrounded in a collapse of burning trees and searing ash that choked her lungs. Time drew out, as if the universe had slowed down to elongate her moment of terror while the blood spotted her vision, blurring everything into a red haze. Although she could still hear the distant voices of her classmates calling from beyond the wailing trees, her disorientation ailed Andrea from stirring. She sat there on the floor of the classroom, unharmed. With either their hands or a spell, someone at just the right moment had moved her out of the way, but failed to avert the visions of hell that assaulted her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. And as hard as she tried, she couldn't scream.

After several seconds of snapping fingers and calling voices, Andrea managed to rouse from her dazed state, albeit meagerly. Humiliation accompanied by nausea overwhelmed her the more her consciousness returned. Her attempt to stand was interrupted by multiple pairs of hands. At least most of her classmates expressed some level of concern for her. Most. She tried not to read into the whispers and stares that came from the others.