Lucy Snape and the Final Battle (Book Seven)

Training

Chapter Six: Training

"I don't think I can handle this anymore, we've got to get out — and fast."

Daryl's blond locks were flapping over his face like the wings of a seagull and under other circumstances Lucy would've laughed at him.

If those circumstances were anywhere other than the Medieval Islands.

And if she was Lucy.

But she was still Stuart, and anyone who had met her since being on the Medieval Islands hadn't suspected she was anyone else. Which was a positive sign but Lucy was beginning to miss her long hair and her dainty footsteps rather than her short locks and cumbersome walk. She wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be putting up with her new body but she knew she couldn't stay on the Medieval Islands, she had to go back to the Wizarding World at some point and work on her side of the army.

But right now she was walking around the field situated just behind Zuc's castle, everyone who had been recruited was. They walked in pairs with their heads down while they endured day one of training. They'd been all woken up at six o'clock and given a small bowl of porridge for breakfast by a band of goblins who thrust it in their laps if they didn't take it at first offering. They'd been told they'd be going for a walk at 7:15 and the rest of the schedule in order would be given out by Lady Maiden later on.

"You haven't even been here a day," Lucy retorted in Stuart's gruff voice.

"Yeah but its torture," Daryl hissed at the ground. "You can't tell me you want to be here."

"Not exactly but at least I'm still alive, for Gods sake man you could've had your head chopped off yesterday and you're complaining about walking around a field."

"I think its going to get a lot worse than this."

"Then how do you propose we get out?"

"Sneak out at night?"

"You've got to be joking, they lock the door at night."

"Well what the hell would you do?"

"Nothing." Lucy grunted. "We stay here, we become soldiers and we obey. The longer we stay the more we know about Zuc's regime."

"But...but...I need to see Miguel," Daryl's voice trembled.

Lucy looked up for a brief moment at him to see all his sadness thrown into one just by the look in his eyes. Lucy thrust her head back down to look at the floor and carried on.

"Miguel is alive, Daryl," Lucy tried in a comforting tone. "That's more than you can say for some. If you obey you'll get out and get to see him but if you resist there will be no doubt that you'll be killed."

Daryl gulped. "Fine."

They finished their sixth lap of the field and were then stopped by a guard. "Wait here, lads, Lady Maiden has an announcement for you all."

Lucy subconsciously felt her trouser pocket for her magically altered bag and was relieved to find it still there, she wasn't sure why she thought it would've disappeared but was glad she still had it. The guards stopped the other pairs so that everyone ended up in a line behind Lucy and Daryl. Finally, Lady Maiden strutted onto the field and raised her voice for all to hear.

"Good morning, to all of you," Lady Maiden smirked just like she had done the day before. Her gaze swept across all of the new recruits, some from the village that Lucy had arrived in and others from the rest of the towns that had been waiting for the recruitment to finish so they could all begin their training at once. It was apparent Daryl's town was the last. "I hope you've all enjoyed your refreshing morning walk, please get used to them as they are the easiest part of the training — "