Lesson One (Second Years)

Iris reacted automatically and said out loud. "Expelliarmus!"

Cobalt grinned as the shotgun was jerked out of his hands and up into the air. Catching it without any visible effort, Cobalt smirked,

"Very good Frances!" he announced with a smirk, "You hit someone with one of those and they're not going to be hitting you anytime soon! Now..."

He pointed the gun at the late girl,

"Miss Volare is it?" he asked with the smirk slowly dying on his lips, "You were late... to the front of the line. Fire before I shoot you."

Jesi's eyes got huge as she hurried to the front of the class. She took out her wand and quickly said 'expelliarmus' while doing her best to concentrate on her target. She saw the red sparks shoot out but quickly shut her eyes before she had the chance to see if it was a hit or a miss.

Iris was surprised and smiled widely. She never had a compliment like that before. She hoped that she can be this ready for the upcoming war.

Iris knew she was late. This was her first Defence class, and she was already late. So much for the first best impression.

"Professor, I'm so sorry I'm late. Got lost on my way here," Iris excused herself. She waited in a bit of fear to hear if the Professor would let her into the class or not.

Charlotte cursed under her breathe when she entered the DADA class late. She had entered just in time to hear what spell they were using though. She saw the Professor with a gun in his hand and raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued what was going on. When she saw the girl who was hurt, she frowned, hating the fact that she was late for class.

"Sorry, I'm late as well," Char said as she put her bag down on an empty desk.

Cobalt nodded at Jesi as the shotgun bucked in his hands from the spell,

"Good enough Volare. Don't be late to my lesson again." he glanced at the two late entries, "You are both extremely late. So late in fact that this lesson is almost over. What to do with you two..."

He paused before nodding,

"West! Grayson!" he pointed to the front of the line, "Front and centre! You fire the disarming charm at me in five seconds or I will shoot you both... but I'll be aiming for your head! Move! NOW!"

Char quickly went front and center so she wouldn't get in far more trouble she was already in. Wand raised and ready, she confidently yelled "Expelliarmus!"

Jesi let out a sigh of relief when she realized she wasn't going to get shot. She opened her eyes with the slightest smile on her face, "I definitely won't be." She said relieved she wasn't one of the other two late arrivals.

If Iris was feeling scared before, it was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Still, she was determined to make her attempt right the first time.

She watched as the other girl demonstrated and waited her turn. She looked straight ahead at the Professor, raised her wand and yelled, "Expelliarmus!"

Both spells slammed into Cobalt and the shotgun flew up into the air. He snatched it back without even looking,

"Not good enough." he decided before firing a plastic bullet into Iris' gut, pumping the shotgun, and firing another into Charlotte's gut, "Back on the line. I see a single tear and I'm doing it again."

He paused for a moment,

"Any of you want to try your luck?" he asked them as he pumped the shotgun at the same time he cast a wandless sticking charm to the gun, "First one to disarm me fully gets twenty house points."

Alexis straightened up from her position in the corner. It's plastic, you won't die and it can't hurt more than the first time, she told herself.
"Professor, I'd like to try again if you tell me what I did wrong the first time. What made me fail, Professor?"
She wasn't sure how he would react, but she couldn't bear the fact that she would fail in a subject she loved so much.

The shot took Iris by surprise. Damn, that hurt, she thought. But there was way in hell she was going to let the Professor see that. Keeping a straight face, Iris walked back to the line.

Charlotte's hands instinctively went to her gut and she cursed in her head a million times. Straightening herself up, she went to the back of the line. She wanted to try again though and was hoping that after her house mate went, the Professor would let her try it.

Iris followed what the others did and got back in line. She hoped Alexis will get it now. For her pride and the house. She smiled cheerfully at Lex and mouthed. "You can do it. Go!" She then watched the others who were ahead of her. I don't quite know what happened earlier. Maybe just luck. Please. I don't want humiliation on my second try.

Cobalt smiled at Alexis,

"You have to use more intent, Miss Hope." he nodded, "Really have to force it. Really have to want to disarm me."

He waited,

"When you're ready Miss Hope."

Yes, Alexis thought, there is nothing in the world she wanted more than to disarm him, she wanted to see the gun clutter at the floor, she wanted...
With all the magic she could gather, with all her will,she shouted, 'EXPELLIARMUS!!' a bright flash of red light erupted from her wand.

Seeing Alexis have a second try really motivated Anna to try too, so she too asked, "Can I too have a second try? I'll try to look at you this time, I promise!"

Seeing that most of her classmates wanted a second try motivated Iris to give another shot as well. "I would like to try again as well Professor. If I'm not successful, I can at least have my mistake corrected."

Cobalt felt his arms buckle a little under the strength of Alexis' disarming spell and he held off firing even though the gun stayed firmly in his hands. Only he knew of the sticking charm of course,

"Good enough to avoid being shot Miss Hope." he smirked, "Would have worked on anyone else but me."

He nodded,

"Both of you cast on the count of three. 1!" he grinned, "2! 3!"

Alexis watched in disbelief as the gun stayed in his hand. She shook her head furiously, she wanted to see the gun on the floor. Sure Professor Smith approved, but a failure is a failure nonetheless.
She moved to the sidelines, closing her eyes. She felt her rage build, calm down Ana, she told herself. If her eyes started blazing like that, the class is sure to freak out.
Ten..nine...eight... She counted backwards.

Iris felt nothing but sorry for her friend Alexis. She inhaled and asked a question so she can fully understand. "Professor? Why did the others succeed? What makes it so?" She doesn't want to brag about her being included, so she used the term of the majority instead. I should really talk to Lex later. Or better yet, help her out. I don't want to see her like this anymore.

Trying her best to ignore what was going all around her, Anna immediately stared straight at the gun. In instinct, she pointed her wand at it and yelled, "Expelliarmus!" as loud as she could, barely taking her eyes of the gun this time round.

Seeing the others do a second chance, especially Alexis, who was keen on trying again despite getting shot on the first try, wanted her to push herself further. So what if she gets shot? The first try was just luck! She would have gotten shot either way!

She raised her hand and said, "Professor, I'd like to try again as well, after Ms. Tshering and Ms. Grayson?"

Cobalt smiled as the gun was once again left in his hands. He held his hand upside down and the gun stayed stuck to his skin,

"Sticking charm." he told them with a smirk, "You just needed some motivation. Getting angrier at me did that nicely."