Freaks: Year Two

Magic Lessons

"So, what have you been learning at Hogwarts?" Edgar asked.

"Many things..." Jasper said, slowly wondering what would be the best thing to start with now that they had actually started the lesson part of magic lessons.

"What is many things?"

Jasper laughed. "Sorry. In Defense we have been learning a lot of spells that will protect us from danger. There are these squealing looking baby root plant things that scream a lot. It is...not that fun. That's Herbology."

"Why are the plants screaming?"

"A lot of things that shouldn't scream, scream in the magical world," Jasper told him. "Same with the moving bit. Moving portraits, moving staircases..."

"Have you ever fallen on the staircases?" Edgar asked.

"I have not actually, but there is this trick-step that if you step on it, it turns the staircase into a slide. Harry has fallen a few times because of it."

"I would love a slide!"

Jasper chuckled. "Yes but maybe not by surprise."

"Any slide is a good slide," said Edgar.

"Well, I already know what you'll be doing when you get to Hogwarts," Jasper said with a chuckle. "Sliding down the stairs like a maniac."

"It would be fun!"

Jasper laughed. "Well, you will have a lot of opportunities in the future to slide down as many stairs as you like, but now, we have to focus on getting your magic under control. I was thinking maybe letting you use my wand will help you get a feel of what it will be like when you can direct all your magic into the wand, you understand?"

Edgar slowly nodded. "I think so..."

Jasper handed Edgar his wand. "Now, I remember when I was getting my wand at Ollivanders, he had me test out a bunch of wands to see which one fit me best so when you try to do magic with my wand it probably will be a lot harder. What I want you to do though is try to focus all that magic," Jasper waved his hands in the direction of Edgar's belly, "and focus it in the wand."

Edgar chewed on his lower lip before saying, "That sounds hard."

Jasper had to agree. He tried to think how he had learned to control his own magic, but that was just it, he had professors and classes and school to learn how to control his own and having a wand that fit him perfectly did wonders, but Edgar lacked both of those things.

"Just give it a try and if you break something, don't worry about it," Jasper reassured him. "I can easily fix it."

Edgar stared at the wand, rolling it in his hands before picking it up by the handle and he closed his eyes, seeming to follow what he had told him, and he flicked it in the direction of the counter and a crack went down it, making Edgar immediately drop it.

"Hey, it's okay," Jasper quickly said, picking it up and going over to repair the crack in the counter.

"Was I supposed to use it or just focus?" Edgar asked, his voice laced with confusion. "I don't get it."

Jasper felt like he himself needed more advice on how to teach someone. After all, he was just a second year student. He looked over back to Edgar who looked a mixture of confused and nervous.

"Don't worry, Ed," Jasper told him. "I am going to ask someone who knows about these things more than I do. Right now, I am going to teach you the boring part while we wait." Jasper picked up one of the textbooks that he had brought with him that had just been laying on the table. He held it up and it was the Defense Against The Dark Arts Textbook. "The theory of magic."