Friendship and Punishment

Next day*

I arrived at the school the next day, feeling like my head was still in the clouds. The hectic atmosphere of the school as students scurried to their classes made me realize just how late I was for Abjuration.

I stepped into the classroom, immediately I was hit with the overwhelming scent of spells. I rushed to my seat, trying to avoid the other students' glares.

My teacher, Mr. Black, eyeing me from across the room with a hint of disapproval. Quickly I opened my textbook and tried to focus on the lesson at hand.

"Now you all remember our last class on abjuration, now we'll dive deeper into the world of Binding and banishment" he muttered before turning to the board.

I tried to pay attention, but the dull aura of Mr. Black's class mixed with my sleep deprivation only made me more dazed. I couldn't help but catch a few eyes lingering on me as I yawned. Suddenly, Mr. Black calls my name.

"Harry, would you like to volunteer to demonstrate the Binding spell Simulacrum?"

I felt like my heart just dropped down to my stomach. I swallowed my fear and stood up, trying to put on my best confident look.

I began to cast Simulacrum, but I was so nervous that I messed up quite a bit. The class laughed at my pathetic attempt, and Mr. Black just shook his head.

As I stumbled through the rest of the demonstration, I could feel my confidence slipping away.

"If I might ask Harry do you even know what Simulacrum does"Mr Black said is voice reverberating through the large hall.

"Y..Yes Mr black, Simulacrum is a spell that creates an illusion or replica of a person or object. It can be used for various purposes, such as creating a decoy to confuse enemies, or to create a realistic decoy to distract or mislead others.

It's a spell that requires a high level of skill and concentration to perform, as it requires the user to create an intricate, believable replica of the original." I said head down avoiding the penetrable gaze of the others.

"Good so this shows you know the spell but you can't perform it you can sit now"Mr black said further leading to more disappointment.

Let me show you all what a Simulacrum looks like" Mr black said as he stretched out his palm mana pouring from his body the air suddenly filled with a bright, shimmering light as Mr. Black uttered the incantation for Simulacrum.

A replica of Mr. Black slowly materialized in front of me and the rest of the class, so realistic that it was almost scary. The image was a reflection of what I had imagined, except infinitely more intricate and convincing.

With a final flick of his wrist, Mr. Black brought the spell to a perfect conclusion, and the replica vanished into thin air as quickly as it had appeared. The silence in the room was broken by the sound of Mr. Black's sharp, disappointed words, which cut through the air like a knife.

"Harry, that's what I wanted to see, not hear. You clearly understand the theory behind the spell, but you can't seem to put it together in practice." Mr. Black's voice echoed throughout the classroom, and my head bowed in shame as the realization I've messed up another class dawned on me.

I felt my face burn as he was forced to sit down. The class continued as If iwas invisible.

I sat there, defeated, as Mr. Black continued to lecture on the differences between binding and banishment spells. I couldn't focus any longer the sound of the teacher's voice became a taunt.

Finally, the class ended, and the other students began to pack up their things, sharing a look of disdain. I sat still, lost in thought, as the other students began to leave, laughing at my lack of skills.

I finally looked up, finally noticing that the classroom was empty, except for Me and the teacher. Mr. Black was standing by his desk, looking at Me with a disappointed expression.

"Harry," he said, "you were called upon to perform a simple binding spell, and you failed miserably. If you want to succeed in this school, you must take this seriously. You cannot let your emotions get the best of you."

I felt my heart sink deeper at the teacher's words.

I didn't utter a word as he stared at me his gaze compelling me to speak

Mr. Black sighed, looking at me with a hint of sympathy "You have the potential to be a great sorcerer. But you must learn to control your emotions, and focus on the task at hand. Otherwise, you will never amount to anything."

I nodded, acknowledging every spoken word. As I walked out of the classroom, I noticed a loud commotion outside as students gathered at the large field.

I pushed my way through the crowd to see what all the fuss was about, and my blood boiled when I saw the spectacle before me.

Zuko was being tormented by a group of elves, and others were cheering them on. The sight was sickening, and my fists clenched at the thought of my friend being treated so cruelly.

Without a second thought, I charged into the crowd and confronted the bullies.

"What the hell do you think you're doing" I said as my blood raged, mana oozing out of every pore of my skin.

"And who might you be if I might ask, another punching bag I suppose" Their leader said as he let go of Zuko walking towards me.

"Do you not understand the word 'stop'?" I hissed, the heat of my anger rising. "I'm not gonna stand by and watch you bully my friend"

"I don't have to listen to you, and you better leave or you'll join him" he sneered, turning his eyes on Zuko.

I grabbed his arm and dragged him back, but before I could say anything else, he punched me in the face, sending me reeling backward.

Infuriated, I summoned my mana, focusing it into a powerful burst of energy. I sent my fists flying forward, impacting their leader with such force that he was sent flying backwards, and he hit the ground with an audible thud.

I wasted no time in moving towards the other elves, knocking them down with swift punches and kicks. The air was thick with the smell of mana, and I refused to let up my assault until all of the elves had retreated.

The aftermath was chaotic as the crowd of students dispersed running in all directions.

As I approached the grounds where Zuko lay, I could see the bruises and cuts on his face, as I quickly moved to his side.

"Are you okay Zuko?" I asked, wanting to provide him with some comfort.

He shook his head, too shaken to speak.

"Here, let me help you,"

I helped Zuko up, as I gently brushed the dirt off his clothes before offering my arm to steady him.

I led Zuko to the school nurse, who provided him with prompt and thorough care. As his injuries healed, Mia barged into the nurses office rushed to his side, breathless from the speed of her run.

"I heard what happened, I came as fast as I could" Mia saw breathless from the speed of her run as she pulled Zuko into a tight hug.

"You're squeezing my injuries, Mia," Zuko winced,but the concern on Mia's face eased as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Who did this I need to have a quick chat with them"

"Calm down, Mia. He's going to be alright," the nurse said, gently prying her arms from around Zuko. "We'll make sure that whoever did this will receive the appropriate punishment."

Mia's anger slowly subsided, and she nodded, "Thank you" as she averted her gaze towards me "Harry how could you let this happen"

"Now it's my fault, I just finished my Abjuration class when I saw those elves bullying Zuko."

Zuko spoke up, "Well, I was coming back from Magic Engineering when they started talking trash about me"

Mia's eyes widened in shock, and her anger started to simmer once more. "What kind of monsters would bully another person for no reason?" she asked, her voice filled with outrage.

"I'll make sure they never hurt another person again," she vowed, her eyes blazing with determination.

"Ms Nurse can we take Zuko away now?"

With a nod, the nurse signaled for us to take Zuko with us, and we left, Mia took Zuko's hand and led him out of the school building, her grip firm and determined as she marched him toward the principal's office.

As we walked towards the principal's office, Mia continued to hold onto Zuko's hand, her eyes locked on the floor. She said nothing, but her body language said it all - she was angry and determined to see Zuko's bullies get what they deserved.

As we approached the office, I could feel Zuko get more nervous. He had never been in trouble with the principal before, and he had no idea what to expect. But Mia's determination gave him some courage, and he followed her into the office without hesitation.

We were greeted by the stern-looking principal, who sat behind his large desk, his arms crossed. "What happened? Why are you all here?" Uncle Elvis asked, his voice stern and authoritative.

Mia took a step forward, her eyes still locked on the floor. "Our friend Zuko was being bullied by a group of students. They were threatening him and saying really awful things about him being a demihuman" Mia said, her voice low yet firm.

Uncle Elvis expression softened slightly, and he nodded. "I see. Well, I'll certainly look into the matter and make sure that the perpetrators are properly disciplined,"

"Is it possible for them to be expelled or something" Mia pushed a gaze still fixed on the floor anger slipping from her voice.

"Although bullying is a serious offense, we can't just expell them better still a one month suspension will suffice"

"But.."

"We will like that very much sir" Zuko sharply interrupted Mia, dragging her out of the office while I waved at my Uncle who smiled in response.

"What was that about we could've made them pay by kicking them out of the school" Mia fumed her anger obvious.

"Mia I'm not a child I know how to think for myself a suspension is good enough" Zuko said his voice full of vigour as he talked firmly

"I literally came running to help and this is what we ended with you know what I don't care" Mia said her anger rising as she walked away.

"Mia wait...." I called out but she refused to turn back.

"She's just angry she'll eventually calm down" I said to Zuko as i ran after Mia leaving Zuko outside the principal office.

We parted ways with Zuko, me and Mia heading off to Combat Class. Leaving what happened for later.

We both arrived at Combat class it was an open field open field with weapons and other training equipment, students scattered either sparring or practicing with a dummy.

As we walked into the training area, the stench of sweat and mana immediately hit us, reminding us that this was a place for serious training.

We grabbed our weapons and headed towards the nearest training dummies, eager to release our frustration from the day's events. The sounds of weapons clashing and training staffs clashing echoed through the field, as we focused on honing our combat skills.

After the light training everybody was summoned by the Combat teacher Mr Atticus, a man in his late thirties he stood tall in his monk like attire his perfect physique towering over us.

"I have an announcement to make," he began, his serious voice carrying through the field. "The annual Inter School Competition is coming up next month, and I want to make it clear that this is no time for slacking off.

This is your chance to show that all the training you've put in over the past few months was worth it."

The students sat in silence, taking in Mr Atticus's words. And with them, they started to talk about their personal experiences.

"I remember last year when I came to the competition," Mia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "We witnessed a boy who was so powerful nobody came close. He won the competition with nobody coming close"

I rolled my eyes, meeting Mia's sarcastic tone with my own.

"Ah, ah, funny," I replied, my voice filled with annoyance

"Now time for official sparring, with Mia facing her opponent, Lucas," Mr Gandalf called out, as the students sat in anticipation, watching the fight unfold.

Mia stood up, determined, and gave a quick wave before facing Lucas, her weapon at the ready.

"Wish me luck," she said, her eyes locked on her opponent.

Lucas was a tall, muscular boy who stood across from Mia with his staff raised.

With both parties prepared, Mr Atticus gave a quick signal to begin the fight, and the two students clashed, their weapons connecting with an intense clang. The two clashed, each with a resolve to win, their eyes locked, their bodies moving with an unnatural grace.

The two fought, with Lucas ultimately sent a powerful strike aiming for Mia's shoulder, prompting Mia into a split. With a quick movement, she moves her leg into a sweeping action sending Liam to his back.

With a powerful thrust, Mia attacks a unbalanced Liam but he managed to roll away as he managed to regain his balance.

Mia charged forward again with a sudden burst of energy,he managed to parry as he grunted and lunged forward, aiming for Mia's left leg.

Mia deftly jumped out of the way, landing with a roll before launching a counterattack. This time, Lucas wasn't so lucky as he was sent flying immediately breaking is fall with a back flip.

Immediately five clones of Lucas appeared as they all dashed forward staff raised as they began their attack while Mia just dodged every attack gracefully.

The flurry of attacks from the Lucas clones proved to be too much for Mia to handle as the battle dragged on. She dodged and weaved through the onslaught of blows, but eventually one of the clones managed to land a hit.

"Ugh!" Mia let out a pained grunt as a staff strike connected with her forearm, causing her to stumble. The Lucas clones continued their attacks, leaving Mia little room to regain her footing.

Under the intense pressure, Mia's breathing became more shallow and her movements more strained. She managed to block and dodge several more strikes, but as the clones continued their relentless assault, she knew it was only a matter of time before they managed to take her down.

"Is that all you got Mia?" Lucas taunted his staff raised

"I got you where I wanted" Mia said as she grinned.

Lucas was visibly enraged by Mia's response, and he lunged forward, aiming for her chest. Mia managed to dodge the attack, but as Lucas twisted his body, a clone appeared behind her and swung its staff with incredible power. The force of the blow stunned Mia and sent her flying backward through the air, crashing into a dummy.

"Arggghh!" Mia cried out in pain as she struggled to get up. Her body ached from the impact, and her vision was blurry. But as if by some miracle, a sudden burst of energy filled her body, and she was back on her feet before Lucas could catch on.

Taking advantage of her opponent's confusion, she rushed forward, swinging her staff with all her might. Lucas tried to block the attack, but the power behind it was too much. The staff cracked Lucas's staff in half, sending pieces flying in every direction.

Mia let out a victorious cry as she watched Lucas fall to his knees, his face filled with defeat.

"Don't mess with me, Lucas" Mia said, a look of satisfaction as she gave her hands to Lucas who took it gracefully both laughing

"Both of you did well today," Mr Atticus said, clapping his hands together. "But there is still much room for improvement. Keep training, and you will be ready for the Inter School Competition."

Mia walked back over to me I couldn't help but notice the way Mia's gaze followed Lucas.

"That's it for today class his dismissed" Mr Atticus said dismissing the class as we all made our way out of the class.

"Harry I'll meet up with you later" Mia said hurriedly before she made her way to Lucas.

I heaved a sigh as I watched them laugh as they walked down the school hall.