Hecate's Kin

Chapter 12 - Cheats and Creatures

Piper's POV

We walked into a large classroom with desks on either side and a tall desk at the front. At first I thought that there was no teacher here yet but, as I sat down in my seat between Jason and Leo, a very short man with brown hair, a moustache and glasses appeared at the top of the desk ad started sifting through piles of paper.

"Hey, Leo!" Jason whispered as he leaned over me. "You're not the shortest guy in the room any more."

I laughed and Leo pretended to scowl: "I'm not short!" He quietly stamped his foot like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"Shorter than average I'm afraid." Jason grinned.

"Am not!"

"Mate, you're shorter than my girlfriend!" Percy laughed as he leaned in from Leo's other side.

"Yeah, but she's weirdly tall. And I may be short, but can Annabeth do this?"

"Leo! No!" I shouted, but it was too late. He had already raised his hand and set it alight.

"Oh my God!" I heard someone shout. "Quick, Professor Flitwick, the new students on fire!!!!" Leo seemed to suddenly realise where he was and was about to extinguish himself when he was hit by a blast of wind and water, one from either side of him.

"Oh goodness! Are you alright young man?" The teacher, Professor Flitwick asked in a squeaky voice. Leo smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Oh, I see," the Professor continued. "Now students, what I think we have just witnessed is a brilliant example of the flame-freezing charm. Is that right young man?" Leo just nodded again. "Now then, would you like to come up to the front and demonstrate so we can all see properly?"

Styx, we're so screwed. Leo won't know the proper incantation or wand movement or whatever you're meant to do. But he could hardly say he didn't know, he'd just proved that he could happily set his arm alight without damaging himself in any way. I racked my brains to see if I could think of a spell that might help. I'd flicked through a few spell books but I didn't see anything about a flame-freezing charm. Leo seemed to be having the same thoughts, he looked down our row, for help. Annabeth rolled her eyes and leaned over Percy toward Leo.

"Wave your wand in an arc above your head and say Ignis Tueri. Then point your wand at yourself and say incendio to create fire"

"No need to be shy." Professor Flitwick's voice came from the front of the class. Leo grinned at all of us and then slipped out of the row and headed towards the front. "In your own time then Mr...?"

"Valdez" Leo grinned. "Leo Valdez. Ok then, here goes. Igneous Tueri." He made an arc with his wand, then he turned his wand on himself and went up in flames as he shouted Incendio. From years of watching Leo set fire to himself, I could tell that the fire hadn't actually come from his wand but no one else seemed to notice. Of course, Leo being Leo, had to show off even further and add in some backflips and juggling fireballs (which I hope no one noticed because I'm not sure if the spell allows you to do it). Eventually, Leo let the flames die down, gave a theatrical bow and sat back down in his seat.

"Brilliant!" Flitwick clapped from the front. "Absolutely fabulous. Now, I wonder if any of the other exchange students can show us a spell or two?" None of us spoke. "Don't be shy, now. Mr Valdez has shown us fire so one of you could try..."

"Aguamenti!" Percy shouted, waving his wand in an S shape. A small trickle of water came out of his wand but before it could be classed as pathetic, he flicked his free hand under the desk, staring at the water and it grew into an enormous ball of spinning water. Moving his wand hand around dramatically, Percy quickly transformed the ball into a water horse and sent it galloping around the classroom before exploding it over our desk, soaking all of us (except of course himself and Annabeth).