Dangerously Yours - Mattheo Riddle

Troll! Troll in the Dungeon!

Perhaps it was because she was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all her homework, but Alora could hardly believe it when she realised that she'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive had ever done. Her lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

 On Hallowe'en morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. 

Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practise. Alora and Astra were paired together, which Alora was grateful for considering she could have been paired with either Neville or Seamus, both of which she liked, though didn't really trust around magic. 

Mattheo and Jasper were paired at the table next to them, and then Blaise and Theodore were behind them. 

'Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practising!' squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. 'Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too – never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest.'

It was very difficult. Alora and Astra swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skywards just lay on the desktop. 

Alora felt a growing sense of frustration as she and Astra attempted the spell repeatedly, yet the feather stubbornly remained on the desktop, unmoving. Professor Flitwick, his tiny form perched precariously on a stack of books, peered at them with a mix of encouragement and impatience.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" he squeaked. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too."

Alora exchanged an exasperated glance with Astra. Despite their best efforts, the feather refused to budge. Astra let out a frustrated huff, and Alora suppressed a sigh.

"Maybe we're not swishing and flicking right," Alora mumbled, glancing over at Mattheo and Jasper, who seemed to be effortlessly making their feather dance in mid-air.

Astra's irritation grew as she observed the seemingly effortless success of the boys at the neighboring table. Mattheo's grin was evident as the feather elegantly soared under his control.

"This shit is stupid, why can those morons do it when we cant," Astra complained. She waved her wand aggressively, lighting her feather on fire, "oh shit shit!" she cursed out quickly and began to whack the feather with her book

"Nice one Astra," Jasper laughed from the table next to them, "that was real impressive."

Alora gave her friend a pat on the back, attempting to regain focus. "Swish and flick," she muttered to herself, mimicking the movements once more.

But the feather remained unmoved.

Professor Flitwick, though patient, seemed to be losing a bit of his cheerfulness. "Remember, precision is key, girls. Give it another go."

Alora shared a determined look with Astra and tried once more, channeling all her concentration into the swish and flick. Yet, the feather stubbornly refused to comply.

At the neighboring table, Mattheo leaned over, a smug grin on his face. "Need some help, girls?" he teased.

Astra shot him a defiant look. "No, we don't need help from Slytherins. We've got this."