In Your Shadow ✓

Chapter 10

"Come on, Kaden!" Mia sighed, placing her hands on her hips tiredly.

The first year Gryffindor and his sister were out on the Viaduct Courtyard, accompanied by the boy's friend.

"I'm trying, it just doesn't work!" He frowned, staring at his wand angrily.

"Don't try to blame it on your wand, now," she shook her head. "Pay attention, I'll show you again."

Mia raised her wand, focusing her attention on her backpack full of books that was placed on the ground.

"Flipendo!"

After she cast the jinx, her backpack was pushed a few metres away from them.

"See?" The Ravenclaw turned back to the brunette boy. "It's not that hard."

"Yeah, for you," he shot back.

"Do you want me to demonstrate it on you?" She glared at him.

"No!" Kaden raised his hands in surrender, taking a step away from his sister. "I don't think I can do it, though. I've been trying for so long, I'm tired."

The girl stared at him for a few seconds analysing him, then sighed. "Alright, I believe you. We can practise again some other time."

"Yes!" He punched the air, then walked over to his friend and sat down next to him on the ground.

"What about you, Albus?" Mia looked at the Slytherin.

"Me?" The boy's eyes widened in surprise. "What about me?"

"Do you have any trouble casting the Knockback Jinx?"

"Well... yes..." He mumbled, darting his eyes down to the ground.

"Would you like to give it a go?" She offered.

The young Potter boy seemed to be very different from his brother, so Mia decided that she would give him a chance, since apparently he was a good friend of Kaden's.

"Uh," Albus started scratching the back of his neck. "You really don't have to bother with me."

"Oh, it's not a bother," she waved her hand. "I'm here anyway, so I might as well try to help you. I did all of my homework too, so I don't have anything else to do."

"O-okay," he said, then he stood up from the ground and walked over to the girl.

"Great, stand there," she pointed to where she wanted him to go, while placing the backpack back to its original place. "You know what to do, right?"

"In theory, yes," he nodded.

"Just make sure you pronounce it correctly and remember that in order to cast a jinx successfully, you must keep eye contact on the target. Ready?"

"Sure."

"Go on, then."

The boy bit down on his lower lip nervously as he raised his wand, trying his best to focus on the backpack.

"Flipendo!"

Mia was staring at her bag in anticipation, but all it did was roll to its other side.

"Well..." She turned her head back towards the Slytherin. "At least it moved, that's better than what Kaden did."

"Hey!" Her brother shouted at her from his seat on the grass.

"I..." Albus looked over at Mia slowly. "I think I'm struggling because I can't really imagine using this spell on an object. That's what we had to do in class too, but it just doesn't make sense to me."