Taste of Youth

Cormack's training was brutal. He met me at the front gates at six o’clock sharp looking for all the world like the sun wasn’t still hiding. We spent the next two hours on endurance training, pushing my poor body as far as it could go and then some. He said it was something of an assessment to see how much he had to teach me. It reminded me a lot of the time that Leon tried to teach me how to play basketball the way he had learned. Hours spent running lines and trying to get past him and his mile long arms. It was fun in a crazy way and it’s one of the best memories I have of him.

Cormack reminded me of my brother a lot. He had the same way of approaching people, the kind of manner about him that made you just want to hug him or punch him. He didn’t do pats on the back but instead he focused on what you could do more. Constantly encouraging in a manner that could have been considered putting you down but it wasn’t. Professor Cormack made it feel like he put all of his hopes into you and you didn’t want to disappoint.

“Not bad, Luciana. You lagged a bit when we started spell firing while running but I think within a few days you should get it.” The professor wiped at his sweat covered brow and put his hands on his knees regaining his breath.

“What’s tonights lesson about, Professor?” I asked him from my position on the ground where I had flopped when he’d said to stop.

“We’ll meet at eight, at the front gates again. Mostly about working in a duel with low visibility and then we’ll come back in and do the practical portion.”

I nodded and pushed off of the ground brushing the grass from my pants and shirt. There was a call from the front doors and I caught sight of a flame of red hair and a waving arm. I waved back and turned to the professor waiting.

“You’re dismissed, Ms.Rein.”

“Thank you, sir.” I turned and waved toward Lily beckoning her down.

“Ms.Rein,” The professor called out after me and waited until I turned back to continue, “You will be learning a lot more per day than your fellow students, training a lot more. Be sure to keep your body healthy, it would not do for you to collapse during one of our lessons.”

“Of course, sir, thank you.”

Cormack nodded and straightened as well pushing his wind-swept blond hair away from his face and started up the hill. Lily gave him a greeting as she past and hopped down the rest of the hill till she got to me. She pulled a face at the sight of my sweat-soaked shirt and damp hair.

“Gross, what were you doing?”

“Running and stuff.” I replied sticking my tongue out at her, “Now I have barely enough time for a shower before I risk the chance of losing another capable limb in Transfiguration.”

Lily laughed, “Maybe if you wouldn’t experiment you’d have no problem.”

I grinned, “So they tell me but my head compels me to test my theories.”

Lily snorted and motioned toward the door, “Come on, Alice is waiting with her husband to be.”

“Joy, do we get to walk in on them doing something less than school friendly?”

“Let’s hope not.”

My lessons came and went with no limbs lost in between. I could not say the same from my wanna-be Auror fellow students. I was in the Gryffindor common room when the lion-hearted part of the class came slothing in. Sirius promptly collapsed into the nearest chair followed by James, Remus, Lily and Alice. Dorcas said something incoherent and disappeared along with Sam and Gigi up the stairs of the girls dormitory. I flipped the page of my book casually watching the group with amusement.

“That was brutal.” Sirius groaned slumping even farther in the chair.

“What did he make you guys do?” I asked flipping another page.

“Running, jumping, spell dodging, the works.”

“Mmm, you’re all out of shape.” I told them and was bombarded with weak protests.

“That’s what Cormack said too.” Alice whined flopping a bit from her position on the floor.

I shook my head and closed my book, “It’s eight. I have to go meet Cormack now.”

The crew gave me their condolences and I left. I found the castle incredibly creepy at dark, almost like it belonged in a haunted house. Paintings offered greetings as I passed and the suits of armor saluted me. The front gates felt a long ways away.

Professor Cormack was leaning against the closed doors when I arrived and greeted me before ushering me quickly outside. Storm clouds rumbled in the distance setting an on-edge feeling to the air. Everything felt dense and muggy heavy like the darkness that had settled over the school, the lights flickered out of view a few paces out. Then without warning Cormack took off toward the gatehouse like he had this morning. Our lesson had started.

Trying to keep up with a man who was well trained and had at least a foot on me in height was no easy task. If I let the professor get more than a few paces ahead of me he, clad in a dark clothing, would blend in vanishing from my sight. I could barely hear him breathing, barely hear his footfalls when he did vanish into the darkness for the third time and I had a feeling nudging about my gut. My wand was only half way out of my pocket when the first spell lit up the area.

It was a harmless Tripping jinx but running as fast as I was with the ground nowhere in easy sight, it could have been deadly. I jerked back the spell zinging just in front of me, the heat of it leaving an acidic smell to the air. Another spell shot off and I blocked it mostly the force making me stumble back.

“Keep running, Rein!” Cormack’s voice bounded out of the darkness as another spell flew at me.

I rushed to the side out of the circle of light the spell had provided and ducked back toward the left running again. I fired off a quick Disarming jinx in the direction of Cormack’s voice and the light brought his foot into light before it was gone again. The battle went on, the two of us firing and dodging and running until we hit the gate and rounded back away from the small lantern that provided light there.

The way back was the same spells flying, the flashes of light only giving hints toward where the target would next appear. My heart pounded in my ears and I forced it away struggling to hear Cormack. A crunch sounded just slightly to my left and I lashed out with my wand firing a jinx to reveal Cormack three strides in front of me. The lights of the castle became a vague haze when Cormack lit his wand shouting out to halt.

He looked breathless when he grinned leaning forward with his hands on his knees, “Few days be damned. Excellent job, Ms. Rein.”

“The practical portion now I take it.” I gasped out.

“This way. “

The practical portion of training was mostly rules one had to follow after becoming an Auror and about the different off shoots of the department. A run down on the other departments one might have to deal with, different techniques on how to take down a resisting wizard and Cormack released me for the night. It went on like this for the next few days. Training, class, Poppy’s healing lessons, and more training. I fell asleep more than once on the common room couches when I came back at nearly midnight each day. But one day it was different.

Cormack had dismissed me for the night and before I reached the door he hurried over a letter in his hand.

“Sorry, I was asked to give this to you and had almost forgotten.”

“Thanks, Professor. Have a nice night.”

“You too.”

I turned away as he closed the door, tearing the envelope open and pulling out a letter. A series of clinks and metal clatters sounded as a ring of keys fell from the letter. I picked the brass skeleton keys from the floor and flipped open the letter.

Dear Ms.Rein,
These are the keys to your brothers courters. I believe there are somethings in there that will prove enlightening.

I turned the keys in my palm curiously trying to understand how I was going to find my brother’s rooms. I ran through a list of revealing enchantments in my head but none of them would help me find anything. If the keys belonged to my brother and were linked I could use that spell. I grinned and pulled out my wand from my pocket.