Paltry Flames and Prying Eyes pv

This was great!

Without a worry on his mind, Percival was stretching his legs after a long session of studying in the library. The fresh air felt good, and so did the idea of exploring the area around the castle. His parents had told him much about it, especially his father. He had gone on countless adventures back when he was still a student, and now Percival hoped to experience some of that as well.

So, when he heard a spell being cast, it drew his attention immediately.

As always, he was immensely curious, so he began to make his way closer to the source, hoping not to disrupt whoever was practicing their spellcasting. When he finally got close enough, he hid behind a tree and carefully looked around its trunk. He spotted the girl, her wand raised and her targets visibly marked by her spellcasting. It was impressive to him, so he lingered, expecting not to get caught if he kept quiet enough.

This idea, however, did not work out so well.

He took one wrong step and his foot landed on a brittle little branch. The snap that followed was so loud that he knew he was busted even before she turned his way. Still, Percival froze in place, and his stomach sank.

When Adeline stared him down, he felt heat creeping up to his neck and ears, and all he wanted to do is hide behind that tree again. But that wasn't an option, sadly. "I'm sorry if I messed up your training. I was just... exploring and heard you practicing." Curious as always, that obviously meant he had to come watch.

He paused, hoping she wouldn't stay mad at him, before he continued, “I'm Percival."

@Adeline Spinks

Percival’s stomach dropped the moment she spoke to him. She didn’t sound happy, and for just a second, he imagined himself being turned into one of those stacks of stones she had been blasting earlier. He swallowed hard, his mind scrambling for what to say, but no words came out at first. His eyes shifted from her wand to her face, and he quickly shook his head to try to apologize somehow. “I-I wasn’t trying to spy, I swear,” he managed, even if he tumbled over his words a little.

But then her tone softened, and he stopped panicking. He drew in a deeper breath and let his body relax, especially when she dropped her wand. Never before had a wand looked this scary, so he was very glad to not have it pointed anywhere near him anymore. Then, he finally took a step out from behind the tree, still a tad cautious, but he was already starting to warm up to her, “Hello Addie,” he repeated, testing the name to make sure he wasn't getting tricked or something.

"I'm Percival."

Now that she didn’t seem angry anymore, he actually got the chance to look around. The little piles of rocks were all arranged again with some quick wandword. He had seen a few students practicing spells like that before, but she made it look so easy! And... it reminded him of how much he needed to learn the levitation spell himself. Ever since he had lost his satchel, Percival had been forced to carry his books around. Through an enormous castle, with high towers and winding staircases.

A simple levitation charm would solve so many of his problems.

When she gestured toward the stones and asked if he wanted to give it a try, Percival blinked in surprise before a small smile formed on his face. “Really? You’d let me?” All of a sudden, he sounded very excited.

"I've uh, not learned many spells yet, but I did learn the Green Sparks Charm!" he chirped, knowing it was among the more basic dueling spells. Perfect for this little exercise, right?

Reducio

Awe, that's very kind of you! I do have some spells to use now I'd also hate to ask for anything haha. I can do the HW's for them I really appreciate it though!

@Adeline Spinks

Percival straightened up the moment she called him Mister Percival. Something about the way she said it made him feel like this was a proper lesson, and suddenly, he wanted to do well more than anything. His eyes widened slightly as he listened, nodding along as if every word she said was some great secret of dueling.

She totally had him convinced that she was a great duellist already.

Adeline then pointed toward the smallest stack of stones, so he turned to face it like it was a real opponent. There was still a faint trace of ash around it from her own spell, but it did not distract him. He simply adjusted his grip on his wand and drew in a last breath to try and recall his lesson.

Now to cast it like an extension of himself...

He glanced back at her with a quick final nod, then focused. The hillside was completely still, and he could almost feel her waiting behind him. “Alright…” he said softly. "Here it goes." One last breath and he went for it.

“Verdimillious!”

A burst of green light shot from the tip of his wand, scattering in a sharp flare as it struck the small pile of stones before fading into smoke. For a split second after impact, he just stood there, almost surprised it had gone so well. Then his whole face broke into a grin, eyes shining with pride.

He turned toward Adeline, still clutching his wand like it might vanish if he let go. “Did you see that?” he said with quite the proud little grin on his face.

@Adeline Spinks