i got the magic in me

“Yeah?” He considered the idea, trying to think how it would work out for him. It wasn’t anything he had tried before, that was for sure, but he couldn’t picture using that trick to perform silent charms. “What if I can’t think of anything I find great?”

“Well I’m weird, so it probably doesn’t work that much. Maybe you should clear your mind and picture something nice. Like something you love to do in your spare time?” Elliot was rambling, and probably not making sense. “That’s the best advice I have. I’m not very good at explaining things. I told you I’m not helpful.”

“Just charms.” He hadn’t known there were different techniques between charms and other spells, but that may explain why he had difficulty with one and not the other. Elliot’s grin draws a half smile out of Clement in return when he glances over at him. “What’s your technique?”

Elliot nodded for a moment and then thought of how to explain how to do them without sounding like a total fool. “Well, people say that you need to have your mind completely empty to do nonverbal spells, but I find that difficult, especially since I literally can’t get my mind to shut up half the time. So I employ this way to think about only things that actually help me cast the spell. For charms that happens to be my favorite comic book, but it can be anything, really, but it needs to be something you find great. I concentrate on that. It’s stupid and silly, but it works for me.” 

Clement moves forward so he’s sitting beside Elliot now, close enough that when he opens his textbook he can balance it on both their legs. “We can use mine.” After checking the table of contents, he starts flipping through the book to find the section on nonverbal charms. “Shield charms would be helpful.”

“I’m good at those!” he exclaimed, suddenly more excited about helping. There weren’t many charms that were difficult for him and the ones that were didn’t take too much time for him to learn. Elliot grinned at Clement and looked down at the textbook. “So do you have trouble with all nonverbal spells? Or just charms? Because I use a different technique with charms...”

“Silent spells. Ones without verbal counterparts.“ He moves forward so he can open his bag and pull out one of the textbooks inside. “It never turns out perfectly when I try one that only works silently.”

“Ohhhhh! I’m pretty good at those!” Elliot laughed. He scooted forward a bit, so it would be easier to teach. “Silent spells are kind of difficult, I had difficulty with those too,” he pulled his own textbook out of his bag. “So, which one should we try?”

Clement shrugged and leaned back on his hands, digging his fingers into the grass. He gave Elliot an appraising look. “Don’t see why not.” He kicked his bag with the side of his foot. “All my books are in here. You got the time right now?”

Elliot nodded and looked at the bag between them. “Sure! But if you don’t learn anything, blame my inability to teach.” He laughed. “What exactly do you need help with specifically?”

“Not for this.” Clement sits down on the grass in front of Elliot and drops his back in between them. “Charms class. I hear you’re good at it.” He had asked around, and while Elliot may not have been his first choice, he was the only one that Clement was sure would be willing to help.

Elliot was still skeptical that he could be helpful, but he listened as Clement sat down in the grass in front of him. “Oh, well, yeah, I suppose. It’s one of my better subjects. So yeah, I probably can be at least a little helpful. Do you want to start now?” Elliot smiled. His mind sometimes was all over the place and he couldn’t easily help someone, but Clement was smart enough to keep up.

After asking around to discover where Elliot was normally found, it only took Clement a few minutes of wandering around outside to locate him sitting on the grass by the lake. “I need your help,” he says in lieu of a greeting.

Elliot hated the castle. More than anything else at Hogwarts, the castle was his least favorite place to be. He hated walls, so whatever free time he had, he spent outside. The lake, the greenhouses, even the forest; Elliot wasn’t picky. He was by the lake when Clement came up beside him. “I’m probably like the least helpful person in the castle, but I can try,” he laughed.

“Oh, yeah! But I normally just get super distracted with things that I don’t have time to make something like that work. But maybe one day I’ll have a chance to do it.”

“I s’pose so.”

“I guess people say there’s no time like the present, but I live for the future, so I don’t really like that saying at all. I don’t like to think about the now, I want to think about the future.” Elliot laughed. “I’m probably bothering you and the peace and quiet you were having earlier.”

Isaac chuckled. “Yeah, I prefer the muggle ones too. Y’know you can charm them to work in Hogwarts.”

“Oh, yeah! But I normally just get super distracted with things that I don’t have time to make something like that work. But maybe one day I’ll have a chance to do it.”

Isaac nodded. The sting of the recent deaths still in his mind. “Um, yeah me too. Especially in the morning,” he replied, He let his camera fall, letting it hit his chest as it hung from his neck. “Do you like photography too?” Isaac asked, gesturing to the camera Elliot had.

Elliot nodded and smiled. He was not that great with a camera, but he did like to capture moments, especially ones outside. His mother always said that he just needed to live outside because he was always off taking photos of nature. “Exactly. The morning is the best time. And the evening. I like the lake in the evening.” Elliot grinned at Isaac. “Yup! Except I’m not good with this camera. I prefer the muggle ones. My mum used to say it was the only time I was actually quiet, but I think she just said that to make me feel bad for talking.”

Isaac is out by the lake taking photos, trying to stay as calm as he could. Knowing full well, Hogwarts isn’t safe anymore, but his camera made it feel safe. When he heard someone, he jumped and turned slightly. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.”

Elliot disliked being confined to the castle. Lately he felt like he couldn’t breath in the castle. So being outside, especially with the comfort of his camera, even though he rarely took photos of the castle grounds. “Oh, no you’re fine. I was just looking around. Feel free to join me if you want to. Sorry I don’t mean to talk so much but I’m just enjoying being outside.” 

“You’re gonna have to try harder than that to convince me.”

“If I were drunk could I recite all of the potions I’ve learned this year backwards in alphabetical order?” 

Avalon blushed, her hair turning pink at the compliment. She shrugged and nodded at his question, giggling.

“It’s totally true though! I’m Elliot, if you didn’t know!” 

“No alcohol allowed on school grounds.”

“I’m not drunk!”

She smiles at Elliot and shrugs, as her response to Elliot. She takes a sip of her water bottle, raising her eyebrows, gesturing toward him hoping that he would get the gesture as the reason she wants to know how he is doing. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you have pretty hair. I want hair like yours. Do you think I’d look good with your hair?”

Avalon raises her eyebrows at her classmate. She laughs a little, shaking her head at him before grabbing a water bottle from the refreshment area. 

"Heyyyyy! How are you doing?" He laughed, smiling at Avalon.