The last week has been spend by looking for things to pass time, I simply don't have a large enough collection of books to keep me occupied for the whole summer. I would have eventually run out of things to read, as I have now. I have spent the previous week roaming around the village looking at anything to hold my curiosity, that is to say there wasn't much of that. But I still managed to survive with a bit less boredom the only respite my daily spell shooting sessions, no matter how much of a massive reserve of magical energy I have, I would still need more than that to stand a chance of survival if I am ever ambushed by too many people, which I see as something possible in future.
The previous week of spell training had been spent mastering a important set of spells, both offensive and defensive. Some of the most important one of them would be confringo the blasting curse used to objects or if strong enough creatures explode, bombarda and it's variations used to cause explosions directly without the need of any object or creature, diffendo the cutting curse, stupefy for stunning the opponent, portego the shield charm for general shield and it's variations for more heavy spells, a finite incantatem for all purpose cancelling spell and some normal hexes and jinxes.
Today was finally the Saturday on which my training with professor Dumbledore will start. I had already done most of the chores and have taken my breakfast earlier. For now I was waiting for Dumbledore to come, I was no doubt curious about where we will do our practice, it can't be near or in the village but maybe he had already sorted out the place of practice. Waiting for him like a eager child would for his Christmas present, full of joy and enthusiasm, I sat by the front door.
I glanced at the mechanical clock which was placed by the fireplace in the living room and saw that the current time was 9:26AM almost 9:30AM. He could be here anytime now. I remember getting a note from him yesterday, delivered by a pretty cheery owl, it said that he would be coming at 9:30 in the morning today for our first practice session. Just as I was pondering all this with my gaze still locked at the clock, the clock stuck 9:30AM and as soon as it did there was a nock on the door and I moved to open it already knowing that it was probably professor Dumbledore.
"Good morning Marcus, I see you are ready and eager to start our practices, but first tell me if you have taken your breakfast?" he said as soon as he saw the gate open and I came out of it all with a bright smile.
"Good morning professor Dumbledore and yes I am already done with my breakfast, the excitement didn't allow me to sit tight and wait for you. So I got up early and made myself a breakfast but don't worry professor I have not been waiting for long, thank you even then for being worried about me. What about you professor are you done with you breakfast?" I said in a single breath.
He laughed at that and said, "I see you are in high spirits about it, well let's not wait for anymore and yes I too have already done my breakfast."
"Ah about that professor Dumbledore, I was wondering where would we do this surely you don't think we should do it anywhere near the village, right?" I asked airing my queries and closing the door to my house while mentally nudging the wards to lock the house. Dumbledore nodded at my question and starting walking towards the exit of village as I followed behind him listening to his answer.
"Ah yes I haven't told you yet, you see I was also a bit confused about it but after much deliberation I came to a decision that we will do our practice near a ruin which is a bit far from here sitting at the edge of forbidden forest, it is not known to students because of its being outside the Hogwarts grounds and much of the villagers don't know about it too because it being not that close to here, it is in walking distance but not many go that side because of it being near the forbidden forest." I nodded along with what he was saying, it seemed like a kind of place where we won't be disturbed by anyone.
By the time he had finished talking we were already out of the village and moving towards where ever heard was leading me. I having no more questions kept quiet for the most part of the little walk and Dumbledore himself didn't seem to mind the silence between us and was just walking forwards with big steps causing me to be quick on my feet to keep up with him which while quite hard with this body was at least manageable.
After a few minutes of walking the ruins he mentioned were already in sight and after few more we had reached to the open area near it where we would practice magical combat.
"Now Marcus before we start I would like to know if you have learnt any spells useful for combat because you see while transfiguration is useful and lethal if used correctly in it other spells are also needed to properly fight someone." He asked and explained his question.
What he said was indeed right so I said about the spells I have practice with, "Professor I have practiced many spells that would be useful in a fight but I would state the ones in which I am most confident. First for defence I am good enough in portego, finite incantatem and expelliarmus. Moving on to the offensive ones petrificus totalus, diffendo, stupefy, confringo, bombarda with its variations and of course the expelliarmus which also counts as a offensive spell. All this I can do and to compliment them I obviously can use various kinds of transfiguration." As I telling him this I noticed a genuine surprise at his face at the mention of some of the spells like blasting curse and portego.
"Well I was assured that you would have many spells that you could do but I didn't expect you to know such advanced ones like the shield charm or the blasting curse. I can safely say with just a couple of years of practice you could easily subdue any normal dark wizard. Now I would like you to demonstrate these spells one by one at this target." He said praising me while waving his wand, which he had taken out from the sleeve of his shirt, the right side. With the wave of his wand a training dummy was transfigured in front of me with the few twigs and rocks.
"Thank you for the praise professor, I'll do as you say." I said taking out my wand as well from the right sleeve of my shirt. Setting my feet almost 1 meter apart from each other well in line with my shoulders I got ready to fire my spell. With but a gesture of my wand I sent a silent blasting curse shooting towards the target which was almost ten feet away from me. The spell sailed across the air striking true at the target and with a small boom it was blasted apart into many pieces each scattering in different direction.
There was first silence for a while after which professor started clapping,
CLAP
CLAP
CLAP
"Excellent! Truly masterful Marcus and that too silently, I see you were not lying about your capabilities. I would even say that you were even downplaying it but please continue and don't mind me, I will transfigure more targets after each time you destroy one." And with a wave his own wand a new target appeared before me.
I was feeling a bit embarrassed as I had forgotten to mention about me being able to cast most of the spells silently but I didn't say anything and just nodded shifting my focus on the target again. I waved my wand sending a confringo this time which again caused the target to explode in many pieces and as soon as it exploded another took its place. With another wave I shot the petrification spell which caused the hands on it which were spread until now to move abruptly to its side like someone this it forcefully and the target fell down to be replaced by another instantly. I waved my wand again and shot a cutting curse which as the name implied cut the target into two diagonally. Just like that I went through every offensive spell I knew.
"That was all the offensive ones I knew professors, for the portego you would have to help me demonstrate it." I said after firing every single spell I knew.
He looked at me with a bit of astonishment and said, "Well done Marcus with that I think we are for now covered up in the spell department as for testing your portego I will fire a few stupefys at your shield you just have to weather them all, now get ready."
At his warning I quickly took the common stance for duelling with one foot in front and one back both 1 meter apart from each other and wand levelled at my shoulder level, and just in time as he fired off a stupefy at me causing me to cast the portego. It stood well against his spell. He nodded at that and started firing stupefys successively toward me each time increasing the intensity by a bit. After about 13-14 spells the shield broke but the charm still dispersed not connecting to the intended target.
"I must say I am not even surprised at this point. The level on which you are with just one year of training every day with me you will surpass most of the newly trained aurors and the power behind each of your spell would be enough to give trouble to most aurors still in training. Well lets not praise you more or you would get arrogant. Now the only issue I see for now is your stance which while good enough for someone your age does not share up to your competency in the spell area. For today and tomorrow we would make improvements in that before going on to actually duelling which we will do next week. Now get in stance, yes like that but move this foot a bit like this yeah, now do this...…" and like this he went on to correct my stance here and there for a few hours telling me to cast a spell after every change he made in it.
Soon it was time for lunch as the sun had gone past it's peak height. He said to me, "This will do for now, I will see you tomorrow Marcus at the same time. Today I won't give you anything to do in your free time. You should rest for today. Now seeing as I have to go somewhere else for now I will apprate you to your house and go on my own from there."
"Ok professor let's go." I said holding onto his outstretched hand, and with a crack like sound we apprated to the front of my house. Once there Dumbledore patted on my back and went off to whatever business he had to attend leaving me there outside my house a bit disoriented from apprating. I shrugged it off and went inside to prepare myself some much needed pan cakes, that much spell casting would make anyone hungry.
The rest of my day was spent relaxing finally elated to have started my Magical combat training and that too under Albus Dumbledore himself the wizard not only equal to one but two dark lords. That night after dinner I slept soundly and fir the first time in a while for 8 hours.