Halley Wolffer

Chapter 6

Halley hopped with surprise as Isabella's amethyst released a stream of purple sparks, Professor Snap was watching with a vague interest, the white light from the crystal was gone and then, all of a sudden, the nearest boulder was transformed into something that nobody had been expecting that day:

"What the hell?!"

Isabella screamed in terror when at least a dozen large and ugly birds swarmed around her like wasps, all wild, bloodthirsty and trying to cut her with their peaks and their claws...

"Get off me!" the girl shrieked as she tried to hit the purple birds with her staff, then running out of the scene with the wild birds flying and cawing after her.

"Yeah, that happens sometimes..." Snap commented with a flick of her hand, Isabella crashing into the freezing water of a small lake nearby- "Caitlyn Creevel, you go next!"

Halley could recognize the blond, quiet girl as one of Isabella's friends from the party last night, one of the last children to catch a sorting fireball the day before. So far Caitlyn seemed to be very shy, and that was confirmed when she hesitantly stepped forward and pointed her emerald-staff straight at the second boulder of the row.

"What do I do now?" she asked the professor, everyone looking with interest at her.

"Try anything you like!"

"Okay..."

There was a flash of purple light coming from the emerald, everyone waited and nothing seemed to happen at first... however, soon the boulder grew out furry arms and legs, deciding to chase Caitlyn far into the snowy grounds of the castle just like it had happened to Isabella with the birds.

"Somebody help!"

They all watched as Caitlyn kept running and screaming with the boulder after her, and after awhile, her screams disappeared somewhere beyond the wrought iron gates...

"You see? That's what happens when you mess up a transformation charm" Snap laughed out, the boulder rolling out of control down the hill- "Miss Wolffer, would you do us the honor now, please?"

Halley advanced a few steps towards a particularly large boulder, feeling how everyone behind were staring with great interest at her. The wolf girl knew that the midgets admired her and looked up at her with appreciation, and so, she was determined to do something really good and prove that she had the potential to be a great Witch.

She had no idea what could be a good magic to try this time, but then she recalled what she had done before and the inspiration came to her all of a sudden:

"Take this!" Halley cried out, her emerald staff shooting a dazzling violet lightning at her target.

The boulder took the hit and was instantly blown up to sparks, ashes and molten lava spreading on the ground, a fiery blast that shook a great deal of the castle grounds and shattered windows far above them in the towers...

"That's... Interesting." Snap said, the children shaking with fear.

Halley bowed at Professor Snap, it was starting to snow once again as the wind grew stronger and the class continued pretty normally after that.

22-

Potions Class with McGregor

Halley was the first to enter a wide, cavernous classroom the following day, a creepy place that seemed to be part of the dungeons of the castle. The room had a small wooden door and no windows at all, illuminated instead by a collection of green fire candles that were shining all over the place.