by Sophia Stone
‘Pillow Invisalabous,’ I said.
The pillow fades into nothing.
‘That’s so cool! How did you make it fade without using a spell?’ Elenore asks.
‘I thought I said the spell.’
‘Nope,’ Elenore said. ‘Maybe you’re just better at magic than you think.’
I look at James who is silent. He has that look on his face when he’s thinking. A Passive, knowing look.
‘Can you turn them back?’ Seb asks.
‘Pillow Apperalabus,’ Elenore said, pointing her wand at the pillow.
I follow shortly afterwards.
‘Impressive. Now can you make yourselves invisible?’ Zach asks.
‘Let’s see,’ Elenore said. She points her wand at herself and says the invisible spell. She fades slightly and then reappears. After several attempts, James intervenes.
‘Imagine you are not in the room. Think hard about it. Visualise you are invisible,’ James said. ‘Be firm in your command.’
Taking his advice, Elenore firmly said the invisible spell. She closes her eyes and disappears.
‘Apperalabus,’ she said and appears back in the room.
‘You even remembered not to add the object when you are making yourself disappear. Well done,’ James said.
It is now my turn.
I am invisible. I am invisible. I close my eyes and I chant in my head. Imagine you are not here.
‘Liz-oh. Invisalabous,’ I said firmly.
I open my eyes and can still see my hand.
‘Try again, Lizzie. Really think. Remember, you don’t say your name,’ Matt said.
‘Invisalabous,’ I said once more as I don’t even fade, I evaporate into thin air.
‘Wow! Apperalabus,’ I am back to myself.
Matt and Zach cheer loudly and whistle as I enter the room again.
‘See, told you it could be done,’ James said.
‘You two will be fine tomorrow,’ Sebastian said, giving us a reassuring smile.
The next morning, after breakfast, Elenore and I make our way to the library for our invisibility test.
‘Quick. Quick. Find a seat. We haven’t got all day,’ Le Faye said to us. ‘The test will be in two parts. The first will be a practical and the second will be a written test conducted in the classroom. Once you have done your practical, please make your way to the classroom promptly,’ Le Faye pulls out her wand and uses it to produce a class list. ‘Elenore Rush, can you please follow me into the study room?’
Elenore gets up from her seat and follows Le Faye into one of the small study rooms off from the library. I look around the library and see the other students reading through their notes hoping to absorb some last-minute information. Elenore is only with Le Faye for a few minutes before they call the next student.
‘Harry Rook,’ Le Faye calls out. He gets up and walks past me without saying a word.
‘Did it go okay?’ I ask Elenore as she takes her seat next to me.
‘Yeah. Not too bad.’
‘NO talking,’ The librarian appears in front of us. ‘You know the rules. If you have finished your test, please go to the classroom.’
‘See you later,’ Elenore gets up and walks to the classroom leaving me to sit nervously waiting for my turn. I read through my notes from front to back while waiting for my turn.
‘Lizzie Castle,’ I get up and walk towards the study room. Harry walks out and glares at me. It’s been weeks since we last spoke.
‘Ahh. Miss Castle take a seat,’ I sit on the chair in the middle of the room. ‘Can you confirm your name please and the exam you are taking today?’
‘Lizzie Castle and I am taking the invisibility practical.’
‘Thank you. Now Lizzie, I would like you-.’
‘I hope I didn’t interrupt anything?’ Professor Merlyn walks into the room and stands next to Le Faye.
‘Not at all, professor. We are just going through the formalities. As I was saying, would you mind starting by making the table in front of you invisible.’
Visualise it has gone. Think.
‘No problem,’ I pull my wand from my cloak, stand up and point it at the table. ‘Table Invisalabous.’
The table fades and for a brief moment, I worry it might reappear. It thankfully doesn’t, much to my surprise.
‘Very good, Lizzie. Now can you make the table re-appear.’
Focus.
‘Table Apperalabus,’ I said confidently. The table is once again in front of us.
You are doing well. Try not to blow it.
‘Excellent. Now we will move on to making yourself invisible,’ Le Faye said.
I’ve practiced and know I can do this, but the doubt in my head nibbles away at me.
Come on. You know this. Imagine you are invisible.
I look at Professor Merlyn for reassurance. He gives a slow and deliberate nod in my direction.
‘When you are ready, Lizzie,’ Professor Le Faye said.
Now or never.
I raise my wand and point the tip on my forehead. I can feel a surge of power coming from the tip. I close my eyes and visualise myself invisible.
‘Invisalabous,’ I open one eye and raise my hand to my face. It isn’t there. Opening my other eye to double check, I find I am gone. ‘Yes!’ I shout a little too loudly.
‘When you are ready, you may reappear,’ Le Faye said.
‘Apperalabus,’ I said, and I am once again visible.
‘You have been practicing. Well done Lizzie, you have passed the practical. You may-.’
‘May I ask for one more demonstration, Professor Le Faye. If it isn’t too much trouble,’ Professor Merlyn asks, placing a hand on the Le Faye’s shoulder.
‘Not at all. Please,’ she gestures towards me.
‘Miss Castle, I would like to ask you conduct one more test. I would like you to make me invisible.’
‘Professor Merlyn. I have not taught nor allowed the students to practise this skill yet. I-.’
‘Let her have a go. We don’t learn things unless we try. Miss Castle?’
‘Ummm. If you are sure?’
I fiddle with my wand for a few moments while deciding the best course of action. I know I just say the Invisalabous spell if it’s with myself. I don’t need to say anything else.
Is that for other people too?
I try it. I point my wand at Professor Merlyn who steps closer towards me. I close my eyes and imagine him invisible.
‘Invisalabous,’ The power from my wand darts out and hits the professor who instantly disappears. ‘Pr-professor?’
‘I’m all right,’ his wand floats in midair when a small flash of light appears from the end of it and the professor is once again in front of me.
I let myself breathe more calmly once I know I haven’t made him disappear forever. I feel like I have been sapped of energy. The headmaster's lips curl upwards in a momentary smile.
‘You may go to your next lesson, Lizzie,’ Professor Merlyn said.
I make my way to the classroom where Elenore is waiting for me outside.
‘How’d it go?’ She asks.
‘Okay. I had to make the headmaster disappear.’
‘I didn’t do that. I just had to make a table disappear and then myself,’ She pulls out her notes. ‘Want to have a quick look?’
‘Thanks,’ I glance quickly over the notes we wrote out last night. I am feeling confident.
‘Students. Please make your way into the classroom and take a seat. Quietly,’ James said. As I walk past him, he whispers ‘Good luck,’ and gives me a wink.
I pull out my pens and place my wand in front of me ready to get started.
‘Remember. You have one hour to complete the test. When you are finished, you may wait until the end of the exam at your desk. I suggest you check your answers if you are quick enough to finish before everyone else,’ James said.
The tests appear at our desks and the bell to signal the start of the exam goes off.
‘You may begin,’ James said. He takes a seat behind the desk and reads a textbook, occasionally peering over the top of it to check on the class.
I open the exam and find the essay question:
“What are the moral implications of invisibility? Discuss your answer below.”
I had given little thought to the moral implications, but I jot down some rough notes. After some tinkering, these become an essay skeleton plan. I check the clock and still have fifty minutes left so start on the essay first and then go back and do the other questions afterwards.
The boys were right. It’s not as bad as it seems.
I finish the essay with twenty minutes to spare for the other questions. They are basic:
Who first used the invisibility spell?
How do you make an object reappear?
The rest of the questions don’t feel much harder than the mock exam. I do one final check over my booklet and then the bell rings and I immediately put down my pen.
‘Please stop your writing and make your way out of the classroom,’ James uses his wand to pull the towards him into a neat pile on the desk.
‘Wasn’t that intense? Ready for lunch?’ Elenore asks.
‘Yes,’ I answer both questions in one.
16
‘So, what’s your next exam? ‘Zach asked. I riffle through my bag to find my examination timetable and I end up pulling most of my bag onto the dining table.
‘Did you leave it in your room?’ Elenore asked.
‘No, I’m sure it’s here,’ I keep searching until I finally pull out the timetable.
‘Elements and teleporting tomorrow,’ I said. ‘Wait, why do we have a teleporting exam in the evening?’
‘After so many incidents of students getting caught, professors thought it a good idea to conduct the exams during the night. Less chance of awkward questions being asked,’ James said.
‘Want to revise elements first? We don’t mind helping you revise tomorrow lunch time for teleporting if you’d like?’ Matt said.
‘Let’s take the quick route, shall we?’ Zach grinned and in an instant, we were all in my room.
‘We could have just used the stairs, you know. ‘James dusted himself off.
‘Where’s the fun in that?’ Zach grinned.
‘Take a seat, girls,’ Seb motioned towards the two desks, left in the middle of the room from yesterday. ‘The elements exams are easy. Gideon hates marking, so he opts for multiple choice. Even if you guess the answer, you still have a chance that it may be right.’
‘Professor Gideon likes his students to show they are theoretically equipped in elements and being able to practically show this,’ James added.
Using his wand, Seb produced two large mock tests along with a pencil each.
‘Same as last time, you have an hour,’ Seb said.
The four boys leave the room and once again me and Elenore are sitting a mock test. While the test booklet is thick, as they are multiple choice, I am able to speed though and answer the questions. Unlike yesterday, I finish with time to spare and I can even change a few answers I was unsure of.
When the bell finally goes, signalling the hour is up, Elenore slumps forward onto her desk.
‘You okay, Elenore?’ Matt said as he walks in.
‘No. More. Tests,’ she grumbles.
‘It’s one week of tests then it’s nearly Christmas. Think of the parties!’ Matt said.
Elenore lifts her head up from her desk and lets out a groan.
‘I know I got the last one wrong,’ she huffs.
‘We’ll see,’ Seb takes the tests and reads through them. his wand marks the test as he reads though. ‘No, you got it right. You got them all right,’ Seb hands Elenore her test back.
‘You got a few wrong, Lizzie,’ Seb hands my paper back, and I feel deflated.
‘But they are simple mistakes. You need to think about what the spell sounds like. So Infernious for example has the word ‘Infero’ in it. Do you know what the means?’
‘Isn’t it something to do with fire?’ I query.
‘Yes. Infero is a fire spell. What about Aquateaus with the word Aqua?’
‘Water? I don’t know, maybe?’
‘Yes, it’s a water spell. See, you know it. Let’s have a go at some spells. Stand up.’
James used his wand to push the two desks out of the way, so we had room to practise.
‘Can you please produce an air spell, Elenore?’ Sebastian asks.
‘Airvus,’ Elenore said and wind blew around the room.
‘Now Lizzie, can you turn the wind into thunder?’
I think about the wind blowing around the room. I then imagined the bang of thunderous bolts hitting the patterned carpet.
‘Airvus.’ Bolts of lightning shoot from the ceiling onto the floor. Each strike barely hitting the floor before the next one arrives.
‘See. Not as hard as you think,’ Seb uses his wand to stop the thunder mid-strike. ‘Gideon doesn’t tend to ask for much more than a few examples when it comes to a practical. If you produced what you did now, you’d pass.’
‘Can we get some food now?’ Matt moaned.
‘You just had dinner,’ Zach said.
‘I know... but I’m still hungry.’
James sighed and using his wand produced a chocolate milkshake for Matt. Not waiting to be offered the drink, Matt snatches the milkshake from James and gulps the drink down in two large glugs.
‘Chocolate always soothes him. He finds all this academic stuff a little challenging,’ Zach said.
‘Hey! I heard that,’ Matt shouts as he uses his sleeve with wipe the excess milkshake from his face.
‘And on that note, we will see you after lunch to practise. Good luck on your tests,’ James said.
‘Night,’ Elenore and I said in unison.
In the morning we once again wait outside a classroom for our next test.
‘So, what’s your favourite element?’ I ask Elenore.
‘Um. I’d have to say water. I’m a bit of a water baby. You?’
‘Fire. I find it the easiest to control.’
‘You just need more practice,’ She gives me a disproving look.
‘Students. Can I have your attention?’ Professor Gideon stands in the doorway of the classroom. ‘Today, you have your elements tests. First, we will start with a theory and then move on to the practical a little later. Please walk to your seat promptly and please refrain from speaking.’
The class follow the professor into the room. As I walk through the door Olivia shoves into me, pushing me into the wall.
‘Oops. Sorry,’ she smirks and then walks to her seat.
‘Bitch,’ I mutter under my breath before making my way to my usual seat. Elenore smirks in my direction.
Sitting in a chair next to Professor Gideon’s desk is Professor Merlyn who is reading a newspaper. He hasn’t seemed to have noticed the classroom is now filled with students.
‘When you are ready, we will start. You have one hour…. Now.’
In one motion, all the students put their heads down and scribble away at their papers. The class is silent apart from the scratching of pencils on paper. I make it to the end of the paper and still have fifteen minutes left. Just one more question and I am finished.
What is the spell for fire?
a) Infernious
b) Aquateaus
c) Ertha
d) Airvus
We did this yesterday. What sounds like fire?
My mind goes blank. I look up at Professor Merlyn who is still engrossed in his paper. I try to recall what Seb said.
Sounds like…. Infero. Infernious!
I circle A and feel surprisingly confident in this test.
I hope I am right with Infernious.
The bell rings.
‘Would you please place your pens down and then make your way outside and line up ready for your practical,’ Professor Gideon said.
‘So, what did
you put for the last question,’ Elenore asks me as we walk out.
‘Infernious. Not sure if it’s right though.’
‘No, I think that’s right. Well, I put that too,’ Just as I reach the door, Professor Merlyn speaks to me.
‘Lizzie Castle. You are first so please remain in your seat,’ he said.
‘See you in a bit,’ I said to Elenore and make my way back to my seat.
‘Lizzie, if you would sit closer to the front, that would be wonderful,’ Professor Gideon said.
I pick up my belongings and walk the short distance to the front of the class. Professor Merlyn has put down his paper and sits with his hands clasped together in his lap.
‘I will ask you to use two elements today; Water and fire. Which would you like to use first?’
‘Water please,’ I choose my weaker element first hoping they will forget the mistakes by the time I complete my stronger element, fire.
‘Very good. Lizzie, could please produce the water spell and then turn it into sleet.’
‘No problem,’ I pull my wand out and point it in the air. ‘Aquateaus.’
Water forms like a long snake, twisting and turning in front of me. I am getting quicker at visualising what I want, and the water snake turns into snow and falls to the floor. I look at the professor.
‘Sleet, not snow Lizzie.’
I think again.
Sleet? That snowy rain stuff?
That’s the only way I can think to describe it to myself. I point my wand at the snow on the floor. Balls of soft snow rise to the ceiling and then fall down like icing sugar on a cake. Professor Gideon claps his hands gleefully while Professor Merlyn pulls a notebook and pen from the desk and takes notes.
‘Excellent, Lizzie. Now, fire. I would like a bolt of fire and then I would like to see you turn the fire into a circle above you.’
I think I can manage that.
I raise my wand to the ceiling. The familiar tingle pools through my fingertips.
‘Infernious,’ I said confidently.
I don’t even have to imagine the bolt. My mind and wand know what to do. Several bolts of fire pour out of my wand and rise to the ceiling above me like thunderous strings of lightning. I think of a circle and spin my wand around several times. Looking at Professor Gideon, I expect him to tell me to stop but he doesn’t. His eyes are wide open at the sight of the fire. Professor Merlyn sits calmly watching me rather than the fire as I carry on spinning my wand until there is so much fire, I can feel the heat on my face. I close my eyes to stop the fire stinging them, but this seems to aggravate the fire more as it comes closer to my skin. I start to feel tired but don’t know how to stop the surge of power coming from me.