How the Snake Tutors the Badger PV Ruby Cazares finished closed

Dora's pleasure at Ruby's affirmation is short-lived as she listens to what her tutor has in store for her next. “Let’s try something heavier. I’d like you to levitate your textbook. Upon your success, I would then like you to try something different. Pretend I’m an opponent that you’re dueling. How could you use this spell against me? If you come up with an idea, feel free to try it. And don’t be shy, if something goes wrong I can take a hit or heal myself.”

The prospect of dueling puts a lump in her throat. It's not a real duel, but even just thinking about it... Dora tries not to, focusing on levitating her History of Magic book first. She nods at Ruby timidly and gives herself some room between her and her book, waving her wand with a swish and a flick. "Wingardium Leviosa."

It's heavier than a light quill, that's for sure. Maybe that's why the levitation turns out slightly wobbly. Or, it could be that Dora can't get her next instructions completely out of her mind. The book goes up and comes back down, landing a bit heavy on the desk when she's done. Dora winces a little at the sound.

Ruby is watching her expectantly, and Dora knows it's time. The thing is, Dora's never liked the idea of dueling. Using a spell to make something float isn't bad, but using it to hurt someone? Dora doesn't want to do that. And she knows that if anyone dueled her, they would win anyway, so what's the point?

'I'm going to disappoint her.' Dora thinks fearfully as she stands away from Ruby, taking too long to try anything. She feels frozen, feeling there's no way out. She has to think.

'What can I do?' Dora runs the options through her mind anxiously, 'Levitation in dueling.. Jarleth Hobart levitated his clothing when he created the charm. He ran away from a duel. Can I do that? No, this isn't a real duel, and Ruby would never teach you again. I could levitate her clothes? But, what if I accidentally drop her? What if that makes her mad? What else could I do?' Dora's eyes dart around until she sees Ruby's wand in her hand. 'Maybe... Maybe I can levitate that out of her grip?'

Dora points her wand at Ruby's and shakily says. "Win-Wingardium Leviosa."

The result is a spell so weak it barely tugs the wand, certainly not enough to loose it from Ruby's grip. Dora's head bows down, ready to receive admonishment. "I'm sorry."

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

On second thoughts, it was foolish to have distracted Isadora’s mind by giving instructions for both tasks at once. A focused mind was the key to magical success, and she had challenged the eleven year old in a way that she knew would potentially bother her, since she had rejected the idea of joining the duelling club when they met for the first time. Maybe it was time to slow down and backtrack a bit. The levitation of the book was alright, a little careless at the end, but it accomplished the task and she could tell Isadora knew the spell well anyway.

So it was just the nerves that were in the way. She stuttered through her attempt at using the spell against Ruby and the Slytherin knew she had to find a way to make herself seem at least a little bit less intimidating. Isadora apologized, head bowed, and a twinge of sympathy tugged at Ruby’s heart. While pureblood parents and grandparents could often be strict—sometimes even cruelly so—she hoped that Isadora’s spirit hadn’t been broken by them and that nothing too bad had happened as a consequence of failure. “That’s alright. You have to fail in order to grow, and this is something new.” She sat down at the desk nearest to Isadora, facing her.

Her voice was much gentler as she began, “Everyone fails, that’s just a fact. But I don’t think this is about the spell. Is it the idea of using it against someone? The Levitation Charm can’t directly cause harm—the most it can do in terms of damage is levitating someone’s clothes so they’re about a meter off the ground and then dropping them. But that wouldn’t hurt terribly, would it? There’s very little you can do to hurt me with this, so it’s not bad to practice with. But duelling isn’t just pointless violence, or the aim to hurt people. I compared it to duelling because this is how, if danger comes, you’d need to defend yourself. You’d need to use spells creatively and use whatever you have in your arsenal to serve as your defense. What you were attempting with that spell was unconventional, but great thinking. Typically, this spell is used in duelling to levitate opponents slightly, which impairs their movement and ability to cast back. Nevertheless, your idea was perfectly suitable too.” She paused.

“I want to help you so that you’ll be prepared and be able to avoid being harmed gravely if that’s what a situation comes down to. I don’t want to see you hurt. That’s my goal here—to try to strengthen your magical skills and the way you respond when you have to think quickly so that you feel capable and prepared in a dangerous situation. But I’m aware something about this is bothering you, so would you like to discuss it? You can put your wand down and we can resume when you’re ready.” Her tone was not at all dismissive, the coldness that normally characterized her voice now barely detectable, reduced to just a trace that lingered out of habit. No, she was being kind, and her voice and mannerisms would make that known. She would gain nothing by breaking Isadora down, especially not so early on in their sessions. She did, however, want to have this discussion about what was holding Isadora back—a conversation she should’ve really had at the very beginning.

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

Ruby doesn't admonish her. Instead, she says, “That’s alright. You have to fail in order to grow, and this is something new.”

Dora looks up hesitantly, watching as Ruby sits down next to her. She sits down, too, matching her, and stays quiet as Ruby continues with a softer voice. “Everyone fails, that’s just a fact. But I don’t think this is about the spell. Is it the idea of using it against someone? The Levitation Charm can’t directly cause harm—the most it can do in terms of damage is levitating someone’s clothes so they’re about a meter off the ground and then dropping them. But that wouldn’t hurt terribly, would it? There’s very little you can do to hurt me with this, so it’s not bad to practice with."

Dora bites her chapped bottom lip and slowly shakes her head, wondering how Ruby can practically see inside her mind. It is a little embarrassing, hearing it all laid out like that. Of course the Levitation Charm isn't that harmful, why is she so scared?

"But dueling isn’t just pointless violence, or the aim to hurt people. I compared it to dueling because this is how, if danger comes, you’d need to defend yourself. You’d need to use spells creatively and use whatever you have in your arsenal to serve as your defense. What you were attempting with that spell was unconventional, but great thinking. Typically, this spell is used in dueling to levitate opponents slightly, which impairs their movement and ability to cast back. Nevertheless, your idea was perfectly suitable too.”

Hearing that is surprising. Dora isn't used to getting praised when she gets something wrong. It doesn't really feel like she did anything to deserve it. Ruby is so much kinder than she'd thought.

“I want to help you so that you’ll be prepared and be able to avoid being harmed gravely if that’s what a situation comes down to. I don’t want to see you hurt. That’s my goal here—to try to strengthen your magical skills and the way you respond when you have to think quickly so that you feel capable and prepared in a dangerous situation."

Something about the way she says that, Dora wonders if Ruby's been in dangerous situations. She talks like someone with experience, even though she's still in school. Part of her wants to ask...

"But I’m aware something about this is bothering you, so would you like to discuss it? You can put your wand down and we can resume when you’re ready.”

Oh. Dora stays still, unsure what to reply with. Ruby doesn't sound irritated or impatient, she sounds honest. Concerned. Dora doesn't want her to worry, though. It's also scary, feeling like someone can see through you. Dora has so much she tries to hide.

She sets down her wand on the desk, folding her hands in her lap so she still has something to hold onto. "Thank you for your concern." She replies, keeping a steady and polite tone like she's supposed to. "Sometimes I overthink things and get in my own way. I know it's a nuisance, and I will do better. We can resume, I'm alright." Hopefully that's convincing. Dora doesn't feel alright, but she can hold it in for a few hours for her family's sake.

But, instead of ending it there, safely, Dora takes a small leap. "I was wondering, though..." She hopes she isn't overstepping, "Have... you ever been in a dangerous situation?"

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

Isadora thanked Ruby for her concern, tone neutral and polite, and the Slytherin felt a flash of disappointment, compounded by the explanation that the other girl just had a tendency to overthink. What had she expected—that she really understood this girl? Why would it have been a deeper problem? Of course it was just overthinking and the pressure to perform well in front of Ruby. She mentally chided herself. All that effort just for a few sentences of Isadora explaining that she was fine. She should’ve just asked before assuming—although she doubted that she would’ve received the truth either way.

She had to remind herself that these meetings were first formed from an attempt at forging relationships between pureblood families, and that other people cared about that more than she did. Why would Isadora willingly make herself emotionally vulnerable when she was already being potentially physically vulnerable by engaging in magical tutoring? Part of her wished she could tear the masks down and shake Isadora and tell her she could be who she wanted to be. While Ruby could appreciate the importance of appearances, she certainly wasn’t a fan of following other people’s predetermined ideas of who she should be. It was her life and she got to choose what she did. Her rebellion against her parents had started long, long ago, and it made her sad to see how wound up in pureblood affairs and family desires Isadora was. But she was still young, and just getting introduced to the possibilities of what life could hold by broadening her horizons at Hogwarts. There was still plenty of time for change.

Then Isadora asked about dangerous situations Ruby had been in. The ones she had experienced hardly stretched to encompass all the ones she knew about within the halls of Hogwarts. She wouldn’t speak of those, they weren’t her stories to tell and she didn’t need to scare Isadora endlessly. But maybe it would help Isadora grasp how important learning to defend oneself was if she knew a little of what Ruby had experienced. Plus, it would help humanize the Slytherin, although she wasn’t sure how much she wanted that. “I’ve been in plenty.” She swallowed, a near imperceptible movement. “When I was a prefect, shadowy spiders attacked the common room at night. The oldest student in the room was no more than fourteen, and I was twelve. We didn’t understand those spiders, and they carried venom that many of us were cursed with for almost two years before a cure was discovered. That was the main danger I’ve personally experienced here, although that doesn’t encompass all I know or all that my friends and I have seen here. And even classmates can be surprisingly dangerous when motivated by ill-will.”

While she did disclose the basics of what had happened in February three years ago, she wouldn’t talk about the vulnerability and helplessness she had felt then and in the following year, or how the physical pain was the most severe she could imagine, or how she had been crying and screaming when Professor Jensen came to save them, or how she had to take potions to hold off the venom in her veins every day until a cure was found and every day it was a reminder of her failure to save herself, her friends, and the students she was meant to protect. No, while she wanted to help Isadora, that didn’t justify her knowing the depths of an event that still occasionally haunted her today. Three meetings was not enough for that kind of vulnerability.

“Let’s try that spell again.”

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

The tale of the shadowy spiders is terrifying. Dora never knew about anything like that. She's heard her grandmother complain about Hogwarts before, about the students the headmaster lets in and how dangerous werewolves and dhampirs and half-giants are. And Dora knows a few stories about the Forbidden Forest. But something like those spiders, in the castle? Hogwarts is suddenly sounding more dangerous than Dora thought before.

Ruby was near her age when that happened, and it only cements how brave and tough she is further in Dora's mind. She had no idea Ruby had survived something like that! It makes her feel a twinge of guilt for not being totally honest before, about her feelings. But it's too late for that now. She said she's okay, and now she must act like it. Dora takes Ruby's warnings to heart, including that even classmates can be dangerous. She'll have to be less careless and more careful here at Hogwarts.

“Let’s try that spell again.” Ruby says, and Dora tries to shake off her uneasiness as she picks up her wand. She reminds herself that she can't hurt Ruby with this charm, and that Ruby's depending on her. So, she does things by the book and aims to levitate Ruby's clothes. "Wingardium Leviosa." She says, waving her wand and nervously willing the spell to work.

Reducio

I leave it up to you to determine how effective the spell is!

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

She examined Isadora’s expression as she spoke, hoping she did not frighten the younger girl too much. She did not seek to cause fear, but a healthy sense of caution couldn’t hurt to counter the blissful naivety that many first years possessed. It was better to not believe Hogwarts was fully safe and to never have any real danger happen than to have the illusion of complete safety get shattered while facing danger for the first time—two things that were difficult enough on their own, let alone at once.

But she didn’t want Isadora to live in fear—rather, she preferred the younger girl be made aware of the past danger at the school and learn how to prepare herself for it. Of course, there was the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, an actual subject taught on this, but working one on one in this manner of tutoring would focus on Isadora’s individual strengths and weaknesses and the focus would be on her instead of managing a whole class of students at once. This way, she could improve more rapidly and work through her specific issues.

Ruby had the urge to reach out and tell Isadora it would be okay, but that wasn’t something she could promise nor was it necessary. Caring about people was dangerous, it allowed them to hurt you in a way that lasted longer than physical hurt did. She would do well to remember the mantra of her third year, even if she was more mature now and more willing to let people in. Isadora was just a student she was tutoring. She didn’t need to care that much about the girl besides her abilities and success. A clear, cold mind lent itself to Ruby’s own success. The complication of feelings could only ever muddle things, interfering with the effectiveness of spellcasting and the pursuit of goals.

Isadora cast the spell again at Ruby’s request, much more confidently and successfully than last time, even though there were still nerves present. Ruby felt herself be pulled into the air by her clothes, lifted slightly off the ground, although not as much as the full meter that was generally reached with this spell. It was likely the effect of a slight lack of conviction when speaking the incantation and envisioning its effects. Nevertheless, the spell was still a success, and once Isadora canceled the spell, Ruby would drop down to the ground without injury due to the short height.

She smiled at Isadora. “Good work. That wasn’t so bad, was it? A little more confidence and you could have lifted me even higher. Let’s try that one more time to make sure you have it down and then we can stop for today.” She would turn back to the chalkboard, casting a quick nonverbal Scourgify and then levitating the quills back to their original container, making sure the room was as clean as it had been when they arrived. Once Isadora had cast again (assuming she casts, if she refuses for whatever reason this can be rewritten), whatever the result, after giving some praise or brief comfort, Ruby would lead with some concluding questions. “Is there anything you’d like to discuss from today? Alternatively, is there any material you’d like to review?”

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

Dora's concentrating so hard on the spell, she almost misses what Ruby says when she's done casting.

“Good work. That wasn’t so bad, was it? A little more confidence and you could have lifted me even higher. Let’s try that one more time to make sure you have it down and then we can stop for today.”

"Okay." Dora agrees, breathing a small sigh of relief that all went well. She'd let her nerves get the better of her today, in front of someone she really respects. Even though Ruby treated her with grace and kindness, Dora knows it's not the sort of thing she should let happen again. One time is a fluke, a single emotional moment. If she were to nearly break down every time, it would be disgraceful.

Ruby has taught her a lot, and scared her a little. Maybe it's right to be scared. Bad things could happen, and Dora should be prepared. If she can't handle something as simple as a Levitation spell, she certainly can't handle something like shadow spiders. Yes, she'll just have to work even harder and get marks that Ruby would be proud of. More confidence, too, like Ruby said. Though, Dora isn't quite sure how to be confident.

She ponders this as she practices the spell a few more times, improving a little bit each time. And when it's over, and the time says their session is nearly up, Ruby asks, “Is there anything you’d like to discuss from today? Alternatively, is there any material you’d like to review?”

Ruby is confidant. Maybe, in order to become more confidant herself, Dora should do more as Ruby does. "I'd hate to keep you. You've already helped me so much today." She collects her books and notes, mirroring Ruby's posture. "Thank you. Shall we continue on Friday?"

Dora has much more to learn from her.