Chapter:16 Time Well Spent
Days turned into weeks that were but a fleeting moment in Victoire's life as she indulged herself in the study of magic. She knew that cramming all the knowledge in the course book would both be an unpleasant and unproductive venture, so, she turned to Lyriel for help.
It was a well-known rule that magical creatures, be they sentient or wild, are not to take possession of a wand, staff, scepter, or any other form of catalyst. Doing so may very well lead to the persecution of their family, tribe, or even race. This rule, having been repeatedly challenged by the Goblin revolution, Centaur revolts, and Mer-folk protest, is still heavily enforced in every magical community.
So, the question this fact raises is, 'How the fuck did Lyriel get her hands on a wand?'
Yes, Lyriel Veela Champion or, as Victoire preferred to call her, Blueberry, had in her possession a Cedarwood wand with a Unicorn's tail hair as its core.
It was Isabelle, Victoire's mom, who clarified her doubts.
Veela did indeed fall under the category that was prohibited from possessing a wand, however, since they were an all-female race and copulated with wizards and witches to reproduce, they were allowed to take possession of wands.
Back at the Lefevre Manor, Victoire underwent a rigorous training schedule that began as early as 5 in the morning when Lyriel would enter her room and burn down her bed, followed shortly by laps around the manor and swimming lessons.
Breakfast was pruned clean of edible food and she had to force down a balanced diet specifically designed by Magus Leroy (Magus is the title for a healer), to supplement her natural growth.
The breakfast would soon be followed by Theory lessons in Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Potion, and DADA.
Charm theories started from the very basics of a spell.
By who, when, and why was the spell created?
What are the proper procedures to perform the spell?
What precautions must a wizard take before performing the spell?
She was not allowed to perform the spell until she could recite its history, procedures, and precautions. Even when studying the most basic 'Nox' charm was only performed when she recited that the 'Nox' charm was created by a witch named Luminal, almost 17 centuries ago, and because she was attempting to find a way to hunt for an extremely rare and precious species of firefly.
There were no particular procedures on how to perform the spell and there was only one precaution while using the spell.
'Don't aim at someone's eyes'
The spell, harmless as it may be, could still rob a person of sight. For forever.
Transfiguration was both a pain and an exhilaration for Victoire. The ancestor's portrait had been right, she did possess a surprisingly high affinity with this branch of magical arts.
All this subject required was focus, discipline, and clear intentions. These aspects made up almost fifty percent of the procedures, the rest were calculations, theories, and pure logical thinking. Logical for a wizard, not a muggle.
She noticed that she could easily understand theories that would have been a bunch of gibberish to muggle teachers and professors.
Despite natural affinity, practical lessons were still prohibited by her mom. She believed that it was best that Victoire reserved them for when she would be attending school, under the eyes of a skilled wizard who specialized in this field.
And then there was lunch, something she looked forward to. Or at least did on the first day. Her hopes were dashed when Tiffy served her a platter full of boiled vegetables and green salads along with eggs which appeared to be suspiciously close to hatching.
Anyway, two lessons of constant theory did leave her famished and she was once again forced to wash the food down her throat with tears of sorrow.
Afternoons were matched with Herbology which was taught by Lyriel, it didn't come off as much of a surprise since Blueberry was a well-known connoisseur of fine liquor and knew of every herb ever found by wizard kind, especially the ones that could be used for brewing alcohol. Also, she just happened to be the one who brewed all the liquor that the reservoir consumed.
Her alcoholism just happened to be the reason why Victoire was not at all surprised when she noticed that all her lessons were based on plants, herbs, or fruits that could be used to brew alcohol.
By the end of August, Victoire had a small botanical garden designed specifically to grow these sorts of plants. Lyriel was so proud that she unconsciously wiped a stray tear that flowed down her cheek. It was unknown whether it was a tear of happiness or fear since Isabelle was glaring daggers at her from one of the study's windows.
Late afternoons and early evenings were scheduled for potion, a subject she was looking forward to. It came off as quite a surprise when she found that it was taught by a member of their household she never knew existed, the maid who appeared when she first woke up.
The maid's name was Andrea and she was, not much of a surprise there, a Veela who fled her tribe in Bulgaria due to the constant conflict with fellow tribes and wizards that erupted in the magical society there.
She was found half dead near the reservoir, Victoire's grandmother took her in but Andrea never quite settled in amongst them. A couple of years later she moved into the manor to act as the handmaid of Isabelle when she was pregnant. After Victoire's birth, she permanently moved in with them.
She was also a Grandmaster potioneer, quite a big shot in the market too, which meant she was quite skilled in her trade, inferior only to the likes of Snape, Slughorn, or Lily, who were born with talent unmatched by any in their generation.
Lessons with her were monotonous and often wordless too, Andrea had made it her objective to cram the properties of every potion ingredient she knew of into Victoire's head and she did damn well considering how little time she had.
Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons were also a surprise, quite a pleasant one though, especially after she found out that it was her father, Hector, who was going to teach her that subject.
Hector is head of the Aurors Department in the French Ministry of Magic, a long title befitting his role in the magical community. His method of teaching was straightforward, rude, and brutal.
The first evening they met for their lessons, he asked her to attack him with everything she had and proceeded to lazily deflect harmless spells for the next half an hour.
Against 'Incendio', he was the husband of a Veela, fire had long since ceased to be a problem for him.
Against green and red shots of sparks, he lazily swatted them aside, without his wand.
Luminescence Charm? Household charm with no combat value.
Aquaflare Charm? What's that gonna do? Water show?
Serenade Charm? That's a fukin' music box!
Harmony Charm? Anchoring Charm? Harmless!
A long arsenal of useless spells, what's the harm in trying them right?
No!
By the end of the half an hour-long duel, Victoire's nose, and ears were shining with florescent white light, and her silvery white hairs were doing a strange jumbled dance. Both her legs were stuck in place and a piercing cry of a sound was buzzing in her ears.
Hector had deflected every single one of her spells, even amplified and perfected some of them so they worked with an entirely different, but much more useful, function.
The defeat may have been shameful, but what was the most humiliating was that smirk on Lyriel's face. Victoire, being stuck in place, couldn't do anything as Lyriel happily devoured half of her sweet hoard.
After finishing his late evening tea, Hector returned and released her from the restraints. He spoke harshly, devoid of his usual affectionate tone, and listed the numerous mistakes she had made during their 'duel' as he called it, but Victoire was sure that this was a disappointing display of her lacking skills. And this was only the first day.
He didn't teach her a new spell, or hex, or jinx, or even a charm, but simply deflected her spells back at her. The more power she put behind them, the more she suffered.
The first three days were similar disappointing displays of her half-baked capabilities, and then she realized something.
There was not a single chance that she could win against him, or come out of their sessions unscathed. Forget about going on the defensive, till now he never once attacked her, but if he did, she wouldn't survive the brief moments she usually did.
And so, she did what she believed to be right... she admitted defeat. The correct answer too considering that after a week-long beating, Hector finally began to teach her seriously.
What was the first thing he taught her?
How to run away properly.
The auror's standard retreat procedure was a well-placed 'Bombarda' at the opponent to distract them, followed shortly by either a 'Flare' jinx or a 'Nebulifum' to create an opportunity and apparate the hell out of there. OR if there is an anti-apparition jinx in place, then use a 'disillusionment' to hide one's whereabouts.
Victoire was not ready for either of the methods, so... Hector said 'Fuck it all' and thought her the 'Bombarda', 'Protego', 'Cofringo', and the 'Diffindo' charm in less than two months. He was quite disappointed, saying that students already knew all these spells when they graduated from the school to which Victoire's deadpan, emotionless, and featureless glare reminded him that she was STILL preparing for school.
The days between July 2nd and 30th August 1989, were spent grinding away at whatever skills she could get her hands on.
However, the biggest discovery was when on the 1st of August, upon being unable to perform a proper Diffindo, she attempted to scan her wand with the system.
[The Ebon Wand of Haunting Echoes:
1)Body Material: The spine bone of a banshee, giving the wand a natural connection to the ethereal world.
-(Magical):+10% Magical Power(Locked Lv.15)
-(Protection):+5% Defense Spells Efficiency(Locked Lv.30)
-(Rigid):+10% Durability(Locked Lv.45)
-(Reliable):+15% Spell Precision(Locked Lv.60)
-(Elegant):+10% Spell Casting Speed(Locked Lv.90)
2)Core Material: The core is a Veela's heartstring,
-(Reliable):+5% Spell Precision(Locked Lv.15)
-(Powerful):+10% Spell Damage(Locked Lv.30)
-(Elegant):+5% Spell Casting Speed(Locked Lv.45)
-(Veela's Enchantment):+20% Spell Damage(Locked Lv.60)
-(Allure of the Heart):5% chance of causing targets to become momentarily entranced or enamored. (Locked Lv.90)
3)Hilt: The gilded hilt adorned with the last tear of a dying siren
-(Enchanting Melody):+10% Charisma when interacting with magical creatures.(Locked Lv.25)
-(Siren's Embrace): 5% chance of charming or disarming opponents when in combat. (Locked Lv.50)
4)Length: Wand length impacts the wand's reach
- Standard(13.1/4.inches): Balanced
5)Flexibility: Wand flexibility influences casting style. The wand is balanced.
- Flexible:+5% Spell Casting Speed
- Rigid:+5% Spell Damage
6)Special Properties:
-(Cry of the Siren): When a spell is cast, there's a 5% chance that the player's character will let out a haunting wail that temporarily stuns nearby foes. (Locked Lv.25)
-(Ethereal Resonance): The wand can harmonize with specific magical creatures, granting the player unique abilities or passive effects when in their presence. (Locked Lv.50)]
'Oh,'
Yep, almost the entire bonus attributes feature was locked due to level restriction. The magic that she had learned so far can completely be attributed to her talent. A cheering thought.
Most of the wand's bonus attributes amplified the general abilities of the user, while the rest were racial traits of the wand material.
She could, of course, learn more about less rare wands if she had one to compare her wand with. Her problems were solved when she remembered that she had nicked one more wand from the portrait's stash.
Taking out the iron stic...
iron wan...
THE wand from under her bed, she observed it with the observation feature,
[Wand of the Dragon's Roar:
1)Body Material: The wand's body is made from the bone of a Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon.
-(Dragon's Might):+15% Spell Damage (Locked Lv.15)
-(Unyielding Strength):+15% Resistance to opposing spells and magical effects (Locked Lv.35)
-(Dragon's Roar): There's a 5% chance of unleashing a wave of fire that damages opponents. (Locked Lv.50)
2)Core Material: The wand's core consists of the same dragon's heartstring.
-(Eternal Flame): Increases the duration and strength of fire-based spells by 10%. (Locked Lv.15)
-(Dragon's Fury): 5% chance of empowering spells with enhanced flames or explosive force when in combat. (Locked Lv.50)
3)Hilt: The hilt of the wand is made from the same dragon's fang.
-(Dragon Hide):+10% Durability (Locked Lv.25)
-(Dragon's Pride):+10% Command when interacting with magical creatures. (Locked Lv.40)
4)Length: The wand's impressive length provides an extended reach and precision:
-(Extended Reach):+7% Range for spells and attacks
-(Precision Strike):+7% Spell Precision
5)Rigidity: The wand's extreme rigidity ensures stable and focused spellcasting:
-(Steadfast Focus):+5% Spell Casting Speed
-(Unwavering Precision):+10% Accuracy for spell targeting
6)Special Properties:
-(Dragon's Breath): The wand can occasionally unleash a fiery breath attack or a draconic force wave that damages or stuns the enemy momentarily.
-(Dragon's Resilience): The wand grants enhanced resistance to fire-based attacks and magical fire.]
One word,
'Brutal'
This one seems to have been made for battle.
Every bonus attribute that it possessed enhanced the combat capability of its wielder. Not to mention that it looked like a showpiece baton carved with the dragon head hilt and a pointed end that, and she speaks from experience, would most likely be good for skewering someone once drained of magic.
But this too couldn't fulfil her original purpose. Despite having somewhat lesser attributes, both in numbers and efficiency, it was still a rare masterpiece.
Now her only hope was the worn-out practice wand that she had abandoned for nearly half a month.
[Beechwood Apprentice Wand:
1)Beech Wood Body: Beechwood is a durable and flexible material
-(Durability): Highly durable and resistant to breakage, perfect for withstanding training sessions.
-(Flexibility): Provides a good balance between rigidity and flexibility, helping beginners to develop wand control.
2)Training Core: The wand may feature a simple or non-magical core that mimics a real wand's behavior during practice.
-(Mimicry Core): Emulates the effects of real wand cores for practice purposes, ensuring a realistic feel.
3)Length: Standard length for a wand, allowing beginners to get used to the weight and balance of a wand:
-(Balanced Length): The length is comfortable and suitable for a wide range of spellcasting techniques.
4)Special Properties:
-(Safe Learning): Reduces the risk of unintended magical effects, making it a safe and effective training tool for novice witches and wizards.
-(Versatile Training): Suitable for practicing a wide range of spells and magical abilities, from simple charms to more complex enchantments.]
And yet again, she failed to get a proper feel of the difference between the ones made by an Ancient madman who was most likely a wizard who surpassed the Pinnacle or Legendary wizard stage and the ones made by wizards of today who were most likely NOT stronger than a normal wizard/witches.
But she got the general gist of it or at least the reason why the wand hall is hidden so deeply with the manor.
Wands were precious resources.
Especially wands that enhanced their user's capabilities.
That was her last experiment before being dragged back into a rigorous training schedule.
Halfway through August, Hector decided to test whether Victoire was ready to learn the mind arts or not. The test was nothing fancy, just him giving instructions to Victoire before testing her.
The first test was to find if she was ready to learn Occlumency.
The test began with him giving several introductions as to what she must do,
"Occlumency is an essential skill for a competent wizard. However, it's both crucial and my obligation to warn you of the dangers you will be in if you choose to proceed with this study."
He said while walking in circles around Victoire who was sitting cross-legged on the the ground, meditating to clear her mind but the images of the sun-tan day at the Veela reservoir kept on popping up in her head.
"The mind arts can be powerful, but they can also be dangerous if not used responsibly."
He stopped behind her and smacked her head with a paper roll made of that day's newspaper.
"Focus!"
He hissed before continuing with his warning,
"Legilimency can be used to invade the thoughts and emotions of others without their consent. It's an intrusion that violates a person's privacy and can be deeply unethical. However, if used with incomplete training or with a weak will, one may find themselves forever lost in the mind of those they tried to invade. If so, they might as well pray for a quick death because if the connection between the spirit and body is severed, they have exited the cycle of death and would soon cease to exist."
He said in a grim tone, resuming his circling Victoire,
"On the other hand, if one isn't proficient in Occlumency, they risk exposing their innermost thoughts and emotions to others, including those who might misuse that information. A much kinder fate than the previous one and also the reason why those interested in this art began with Occlumency."
He was done with the warning because he sat down on the chair right in front of Victoire and began guiding her through Occlumency practice,
"The first step is visualization. Imagine your mind as either an empty, blank void or, as an over-entangled ball of yarn. The previous is for those with natural talent in the art but yours isn't as strong so let's begin with the yarn visualization, OK?"
She nodded her head, words were prohibited in Hector's lessons, or at least the words of anyone other than him.
"Imagine your mind as a ball of yarn, all tangled up and messy, freshly discarded yarn gathering in a sphere. Can you do that?"
It wasn't hard to visualize, or at least wasn't hard after having learned all the tricks and methods mentioned in one of the tomes that the Veelas gave her on her birthday. Now she could say without any hesitation that she was positively in love with them all.
"Each of these threads represents a thought, a memory, or an emotion. Your first task is to clear up this mess."
And that was the end of the first class and the next six classes after that. After several hours of daily intense concentration, she finally managed to clean up the yarn ball. Each of these threads dispersed after being removed from the sphere.
"Good, seven days, twenty-one hours, less than a whole day. You still have hope to master this art."
He complimented her and continued with his lessons.
"Once you've reviewed and set aside every thought and emotion, you'll be left with that blank slate, representing the state of complete mental clarity. It's as if the ball of yarn never existed in the first place, leaving our mind ready to receive new knowledge."
He went on and on about the benefits of such a state until she finally asked,
"What happens next?"
He stopped speaking and stared at her with narrowed eyes. She waited for the snide comment or angry shout to come but all he did was smile gently,
"This is where the real challenge begins. You must sustain this mental clarity for an extended period, despite the ever-shifting mist surrounding you in the Mind Chamber. The mist symbolizes external distractions and the potential intrusion of Legilimens."
He stood up and started to walk out of the room,
"You'll need to show immense mental discipline to hold this state, even when the mist tries to disrupt your focus. If you can maintain your mental clarity throughout the trial, you will have unlocked the gate to Occlumency. However, I doubt that anyone your age could ever do that. The stage you have achieved now is something to be proud of. So, Victoire, know that I am proud that you have come so far."
And with one last look at her face, he walked out of the room, his face glowing with the radiance of joy.
Victoire sat there, her gaze directed out of the window to the beautiful sunset in the distance. At that moment, a single tear trickled down her cheek and onto her wand which, for a brief moment, glowed unnoticeably.