In the evening, as agreed, the young wizards gathered in Vasilisa Petrovna's office.
The walls of the office were decorated with portraits that periodically talked, and sometimes went to visit each other. Many shelves were filled with old things, the purpose of which the children had a very vague idea.
-So, - the dean began, - as Mitrofan already told you, you will have a very rich training, each of us will try to teach you what he knows himself, and what can be useful in a real battle, we will leave the rest of the subtleties of training for later. Personally, I will take care of your development in terms of combat spells, Eleonora of combat transfiguration, Zinaida Tikhonovna with healing and revolving potions, Lazar Solomonovich will teach you healing wisdom, and Viktor will teach you to fly, that's actually the whole plan... So, let's get started right now.
- And where will we train, - Ira asked.
"Right here," Vasilisa Petrovna replied, smiling. She went to a bookcase that stretched to the ceiling and pulled out several books in different places. The cabinet slid aside with a muffled screech, revealing a tunnel lit by torches and going somewhere deep.
- There are many caves under the castle, - the sorceress explained, - we will go to one of them.
They went through the tunnel and the cabinet creaked into place. After passing through the winding passages for two hundred meters, our heroes found themselves in a huge hall the size of a Quidditch stadium.
The children looked at everything around with amazement, and there was something to see, all the walls were decorated with cunning ornaments and epic frescoes...
She went to the wall, and took out the battle staffs from the niche.
Today we will begin to study disarming, protective spells, as well as get acquainted with unforgivable spells.
- And how can they be used!?- Ira was amazed.
"On a warrior, yes," the sorceress replied, " but in ordinary life I would not recommend doing this!
The students were divided into pairs and for about two hours they persistently studied shield charms and methods of disarming the enemy.
Ira was upset that she was doing mediocre, and Kolya and Arina were doing much better.
- Don't be upset, - Vasilisa admonished, - they get better only because of amulets, but no amulets will replace knowledge and skills, try hard, and we will find your strengths.
- Let me ask you, what are my strengths?- Badger said, licking his paw.
- Your strengths are a good sleep and an excellent appetite, - Kolya smiled.
- And amazing charm and beauty, - said the cat.
- Amazing charm, and a complete lack of self-criticism, - Arina smiled.
- What are you talking about? Ira asked curiously.
- Yes, Barsik talks about his talents...
- About the ability to sleep until lunch and eat for three?! Irina chuckled.
- By the way, sleeping before lunch is very important for your health, it eliminates wrinkles, and you just envy me!- the cat responded philosophically, and showed everyone his tongue.
"You are all very talented," Vasilisa Petrovna said,-
and now let's analyze the theory of unforgivable spells. The most dangerous is Avada-kedavra because it is irreversible. It is almost impossible for an ordinary wizard to reflect it with shield charms, although it can be assumed that amulets give such an opportunity, but we can't know for sure, so we will study as if you are ordinary wizards. You can evade this spell, it depends on the speed of your reaction, which can be trained, and you can also protect yourself by creating images or doubles. By creating five or six copies of yourself, you will reduce the probability of a spell hitting you six times, that's what we will train with you, and for another good hour the children trained to create doubles and dodge simple spells. By the end of the lesson, they had lost seven sweats, and they began to understand that additional training is not entertainment, but hard work.
So, tomorrow you will go to Zinaida Tikhonovna to study potions, " the dean reported, and the children, barely moving their legs, went to the room.
- I do not know about the ancient magicians, - whispered Irka, - but for a year of such training, we will die from overexertion and without their help...
- Come on! I really liked it!- Barsik meowed, -
I'm happy to practice dodging spells again...
- Oh, - said Arina, - we would like your optimism! And she scratched the cat behind the ear.
"Murk," he murmured, closing his eyes.
When they reached the beds, the children fell asleep instantly, only taking a horizontal position.
The next day, after the main classes, they visited the familiar, moss-covered corridor where the potion-making master lived.
She met them with great optimism, and said that there are several potions that will certainly interest them.
- Today we will make two, one of them is simple for healing wounds, fractures and other injuries, and the second is complex, which will have to be done for about a month, but it's worth it! So, about everything in order.
At first, all three of them, under the supervision of a teacher, quite successfully made a medicine for wounds, and oddly enough, Ira managed it best of all, after which Zinaida Tikhonovna said:
- Actually, the second potion is prepared by high school students, and even then only a select few, but due to special circumstances, they will have to do it without delay, this drug allows you to become an animagus, or rather, it is part of the transformation ritual that Elvira Petrovna will conduct.
She laid out a lot of ingredients on the table and explaining to the children what they needed and what they needed, she began to conjure over the pot.
Friends very carefully remembered everything they saw, crowding around her.
- That's all for today, - the teacher explained, - we will continue next time.
The children said goodbye and went to their rooms.
In the room, as usual, Vasilisa and Sasha were doing homework on transfiguration and did not pay attention to anything around...
Ira offered to take a walk in the vicinity of the castle and Kolya gladly agreed.
They went out through the main entrance and walked in the shadows of the alleys exchanging thoughts about the latest events.
- I can't even imagine what kind of animal I can turn into, - Ira said thoughtfully.
- It seems to me that whatever you become, you will be quite a pleasant representative of this species...
When Kolya uttered these words-they noticed a girl who was sitting in a corner of the garden with her back turned to the trees and crying silently-it was Nelya.