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More than one of the persons narrowed or frowned at this intervention. Douglas Wilkes, Lewis's father, had been a Death Eater of the inner circle, and had been rather enthusiastic in screaming expressions like this before he manipulated wards and lethal traps to fight against the Order of the Phoenix and forces of the Ministry of Magic. That Douglas Wilkes overwhelming majority of murders and destruction had been directed against Purebloods or Half-Bloods was a stark reminder events had not gone exactly according to the official policies of the Dark.
"That's all well and good." Intervened Annabeth Blackford, Heiress of the Ancient House of Blackford, a family which had practically lost everything in its fervent support of the last Dark Lord. "You speak of things we want to hear. Acts our House politics and financial status desperately want to adhere. But who are you? How do we know if we can trust you?"
The person hidden behind the robes emitted a dark smirk, before pushing back her hood and revealing her changing visage to the entire audience.
Blonde-reddish hairs and brown-purple eyes greeted the astounded Slytherins.
"I am Scylla Persephone Yaxley." Said the young girl.
"I am the Herald of the Heir." Powerful dark green tendrils of energy emerged in a snake-like manner from the sleeves of her robes before striking instantly the arms of each student, effectively binding them to the equivalent of a powerful Oath of Silence.
"And if you betray me, I promise my Master will take a long time to make you suffer."
"Fulgur Magna! Fulgur Magna! Fulgur Magna!"
The repetition of incantation of the Lightning-based spell should have at least produced a few sparks but no magic graced its presence after the end of this loud repetition.
"I am doing something wrong, no?" Asked Nigel unnecessarily, frowning heavily and passing a head in his auburn hairs. The Gryffindor second-year had a clearly discouraged expression on his face.
"I don't know..." Replied Alexandra. "Fulgur Magna!"
A small blue lightning bolt emerged from her wand after one very long twirl and went to strike the target, a huge mannequin the group had found in an abandoned classroom.
"Hermione?"
"You and Nigel did the exact same wand moves prescribed in the book." Commented the Gryffindor bushy-haired witch, a book open on her knees. "No reason why it shouldn't have worked."
"Weird. This is the, what? Twentieth time it has happened since we began?"
This was a rough guess but Hermione was infallible as long as information collect was at stake.
"Twenty-fifth for Nigel. Thirteen times for Morag. Five for me. None for you."
"Like I said, weird." Of course magic was by its very nature strange...but even by these standards this period of training was providing more questions than answers.
"It's the spells which are weird." Affirmed vehemently Nigel. "Who found this book on Lightning-based spells anyway?"
"Me." Grimaced the MacDougal Heiress. "I asked my parents for ideas about non-conventional spells, and they told me this book was worth it."
"Are there any potential reasons listed for these spells to be...off?"
"Well, I suppose the wards of Hogwarts could counteract whatever effect these incantations have..."
Alexandra was not satisfied, though. The wards of this mysterious castle were not to be blamed at the fist occasion.
"No. If these spells were worthy of alerting the wards, we would busy explaining our sessions to the Professors because of the number of alerts. No, it's something else."
"Could it be in the intricacy and the magical characterisation of the incantation? I have heard something about the Arithmantic factor of exponential Merlinic degradation somewhere..."
Two pair of Ravenclaw eyes and one pair of Gryffindor interrupted momentarily their reflexions to fix Hermione Granger.
"What?"
"The combination and general application of Arithmancy to general hexes and jinxes is to the program of fifth-year, Hermione. Where by Merlin pants have you read that sort of thing?"
Hermione instantly harboured the guilty expression of someone having been caught in the process of committing a felony.
"Oh, never mind." Sighed Morag. "But please warn our Head of House when you will have finished reading the entire library..."
Nigel was doing his best not to laugh at Hermione's not-so-virtuous face.
"But back to the subject. It could be simpler. There are elemental affinities, these spells could resonate with them."
"Elemental affinities?" Nigel frowned in confusion. "I thought having an Elemental talent was extremely rare?"
"Oh, it is." Confirmed the red-haired Ravenclaw. "One chance in a hundred thousand approximately that a witch or wizard is an Elemental. Maybe less. Unless I misremembered something, there were no Elementals in the British Isles since the last century. There are two or three worldwide."
"I'm sorry but what is exactly an Elemental?" Asked testily the Gryffindor girl of their group, closing forcefully her book.
"A witch or a wizard able to manipulate, create, master and control one of the five elements wandlessly." Alexandra slowly explained. "Fire, wind, water, earth and lightning are the possible elements. Due to the large danger the Elementals represent for themselves, those nearby and in general for the Statute of Secrecy, their potential appearance is extremely scrutinised by all the existing Ministries of Magic."
"That's precise." Noted Nigel.
"From my researches on my family, one of my ancestors was an Elemental." Said in a light tone the green-eyed Ravenclaw.
"Never heard of him." Frowned Morag.
"I agree. Professor Binns never talked about this."
"Professor Binns is a horrifyingly boring old ghost who only cares about Goblin Rebellions." Alexandra laughed before letting her smile disappear. "But in this case, it's perfectly justified. From what I read, Elemental lives never seem to be happy ones. Lawrence Potter lost control of his fire powers in the middle of a village in the 1600s. There were close to one hundred deaths in this incident."
"Ouch. That's...not good. What happened to him after?"
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