The classroom reeked of sawdust and pine shavings. It was bright and vibrant, decorated from end to end in small wooden trinkets. The ceiling was a texture you'd presume to see in a cave.
The desks were large mushrooms fitted with stump seats. The floor of the room was dirt, covered in an assortment of bugs, debris, and grass patches. In the center of the oddly misshapen room sat a small pond topped with lily pads and a couple of toads.
All of the boys piled on and took their seats. Aldric and Harden were swallowed by the sea of rowdy boys as they selected stumps in the back of the semi-circle alignment.
"Glad to see you boys have decided to sit in on some useful courses this term," Grum joked, jamming an elbow into Aldric, who he'd been smooshed up against.
"We're excited to be here," Harden groaned, pushing one of the boys' pudge off of him. The class was left unattended for another fifteen minutes. It was only when the shouts of excitement and jittering bodies came to a steady calm that the pond began to ripple.
The road leapt from its path as it waded to the bank of the pond. Silence filled the room swiftly as all of the boys leaned closely to catch a glimpse. With a loud splash, a large, brown blur hoisted into the air and landed with a puff of dust.
It was a large ball of brown fur. The water slid along the hairs like they were allergic to each other. The droplets trickled to the dirt, creating small patches of mud. The boys' eyes fixed on the, now trembling, fur ball. Then, the ball unraveled and extended upward. A small, rounded head raised first, fitted with two small, round ears. Then, the arms extended long to each side.
Small popping noises crackled as its fingers stretched and constricted. Finally, the tail. A long, wide, and flat board of a limb. The pattern resembled the waffles they'd often gotten for breakfast, but if they'd been burned.
"Ahem," a brittle, coarse voice mustered. The creature turned to face the boys and met them with a squint of his tiny eyes. His face was spattered with white and gray fur, and fitted with a long white goatee nearly to his toes.His large teeth were vibrant yellow, and one of them was missing a chunk.
His chest was decorated with a long leather apron with matching yellow leather gloves. The small beaver reached its paw into the chest pocket of his apron and pulled out a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. He unfolded the hinged arm and put the round frames over his eyes. They doubled in size, and he blinked quickly.
"Ah, I believe I must have slept in; my apologies, it won't happen again," he said. His voice was rattled but fast, and he finished his sentence with a concealed cough.
"Now, where to begin where to begin," he said, shuffling toward a hollowed out tree. He reached into the hole and pulled an assortment of things out. Trinkets, toys, coins, and a jumbled stack of papers. The boys couldn't help but giggle as the small creatures rump dangled from the trees trunk.
"Settle yourselves, children, the lesson will begin in a moment," the beaver instructed, still digging in the tree. The laughter hushed, but didn't cease as he finally dropped from his tree and landed with a loud slam. At his feet, a thick, leather book covered in dust.
"There we are, now, we can begin. Firstly, I am Lignum Plagiarium, you may address me as Professor Plagiarium," the professor instructed. He smiled widely as the boys attempted to pronounce the name.
"Pla-ger-"
"Professor P is fine," he settled, dropping his ears.
"Warding and Abjuration. The act of creating physical barriers to protect and deflect. Does anybody care to guess where this skill may come in handy?" Professor P asked, his rapid voice barely slow enough to follow. Grum raised his hand.
"Yes you, near the back," the beaver pointed.
"Charms of warding and abjuration could be used to add defensive layers to buildings or creations. It can also be used as a self-defense course if creating a shield was necessary," the boy stated as if he had memorized it.
"Wonderful definition, young man, absolutely outstanding. Yes, warding charms can be used as protective layers for structures, as well as defensive charms to protect one's self," Professor P almost jumped with joy at the boy's answer.
"That being said, for this course we will focus on the structural stability of our creations. So, let's brainstorm some protective charm together. "I want each of you, once the lesson begins, to partner up," he began, combing his gloves-paw through his silver moustache.
"One of you will create a weaker structure, while the other creates a ward or an abjuration charm to successfully secure the structure."
"To cast a warding charm is not a simple task. Your focus must never drift, and your intent must be clear until the end. Some of you may find yourselves unable to cast the charm at all; those of you with that problem may borrow a wand from the hollowed stump here," he patted the empty oak log twice.
"Please be gentle with my wands. Yes, they enhance magical aptitude, but they also require a great deal of energy. If you find yourself lightheaded, tired, or faint, please stop casting immediately and see me," he continued, pulling one of the wands from the tree.
It was long and curved like a bow. The handle was thicker than the rest of it and a different color of wood. The body was bright red with stress marks along the shaft. The handle was solid black and came to a dull point.
"This last part is the most important so please pay close attention. I do not enjoy repeating myself so ensure if you have any questions they're asked now," the beaver coughed and cleared his throat. The loose skin of the creatures neck rippled as air passed through it.
The beaver extended the wands tip in front of him and drew a rune in the sky. A long central line with a rounded tip. On either side, two long sharp lines crossed in the center. Over the top, a single horizontal line right below the bulb of the main line.
The tip of the wand glowed, and the rune puffed and popped. It rippled and warped until the rune was stretched like a thin, see-through cloak. It contorted to fit around the beaver's body and swallowed him whole. The charm was invisible unless the boys looked closer.
They were amazed at the little creature's ability as they gawked at him quietly.
"As you may have noticed, the warding charm has been cast on me, seeing as there aren't many structures in here in need of protection. However, this is what the charm would have done for the structure as well. It acts as an outer shell, invisible to all, and effective all the same, the professor explained.
"Take this time now to practice this tune and its casting. Get familiar with the feeling of casting it, and be prepared to fail. Today is a trial day, designed to help you grow with very little pressure. Now practice hard; you will all demonstrate before the end of the session," and just like that, they were sent into their work.
It was time to see what they were really made of.