'We'll be testing the Shield Charm and the Disarming Charm,' Neville's eyes glinted, he didn't like being spoken across, not after having to suffer it for the last four years. 'Split into pairs, one can shield and the other can try and disarm. Smith can go first with me, to demonstrate.'
The other members backed away from the Hufflepuff student as Neville pulled his new wand out of his robes.
'Ready, Smith?' Neville asked.
'I can't cast the Shield Charm,' Zacharias Smith shrugged, leaving his wand in his pocket.
Neville's jelly-legs jinx hit him squarely in the face and he collapsed on the floor, swearing profusely amid everyone's laughter.
'What the hell was that for, Longbottom?' He spat.
'If you're going to come here and ask for my help, Smith,' Neville began coolly, 'then you should be polite and not interrupt. I'll undo the jinx once you've apologised.'
'Fine,' the Hufflepuff said angrily. 'I apologise for interrupting. Happy?'
'If I'm not,' Neville performed the counter to the jinx, 'you'll find out soon enough.' Smith pushed himself off the floor and slunk back into the group.
'Right,' Neville continued, still holding his wand, 'the Shield Charm is about intent to protect, if your focus is strong enough it can be an effective barrier against most spells.'
'What ones isn't in effective against?' Terry Boot asked curiously.
'Ones powerful enough to break through your shield of magic, or ones with potent enough intent to simply pass through it,' Neville answered. 'The Unforgivables require such strong intent to successfully cast that no Shield Charm can deflect them.'
'So dodge those ones,' Ron added, grinning.
'Or you'll end up with a really big scar on your face,' Katie finished in a whisper next to him. Harry ignored her.
'Split up into pairs,' Neville instructed, 'fortunately there's an even number of us, so nobody will be left out.'
The group separated into pairs that drifted away across the room that subtly expanded out give them the necessary space. Harry sat down on the floor and gave Katie, who seemed to have volunteered herself as his partner a bright smile. The other students had been kind enough to leave the two of them twice as much space as necessary, just in case he started cursing anyone nearby. 'Get up, Harry,' Katie ordered. 'I want to practise too.'
'Madam Pomfrey forbade me from doing anything strenuous,' Harry informed her gravely. 'I'm afraid I have to sit here and watch.'
'I'll hex you on the floor just as happily as if you were standing,' Katie warned cheerfully.
'You wouldn't assault someone who's ill, would you?'
Katie inspected him critically, taking in his slight pallor and the shadows under his eyes.
'I suppose you do look moderately awful,' she decided, sitting next to him on the floor. 'What's wrong with you? Is it contagious?'
'It's definitely not catchable,' Harry smiled. 'I could just do with a few quiet days to recover.'
'I can probably skip one session of practise,' Katie smiled, watching the other groups. 'I suspect they'll need more than one meeting to get the hang of this spell.'
She wasn't wrong. The majority of the younger students were managing to produce slight shimmers or patchy shields. The only one who seemed to get the hang of it in less than a handful of tries was the blonde Ravenclaw paired with Ginny. Her shield was an odd, grey -tinted shade of silver that seemed almost nebulous, but it definitely worked, since the youngest Weasley was not having the slightest success in penetrating it.
'Not going to practise, Harry?' Neville asked, 'even Cedric's practising with the older students.'
'They're trying to shorten the time it takes for them to cast the shield,' Harry told him, 'and Diggory's attempting to do it wordlessly.'
'Can you do that?' Katie asked.
'Yes,' Harry nodded. 'Although I'm not yet able to cast it as strongly wordlessly as I am with incantation.'
'Want to practise with me then,' Neville offered, sticking a hand out towards Katie, 'since your partner seems unwilling.'
'That's alright, Nev,' Katie beamed. 'It's quite comfy here, and I'm fairly good at casting them already.'
'You need to keep an eye on them,' Harry grinned, inclining his head in the direction of the Twins, who had stopped attempting to shield and disarm and were busy casting tripping jinxes at Ron. 'Fred, George,' Neville called, trying not to laugh as Ron stumbled and bounced off Hermione's shield to land face first on the floor. 'Leave him be while he's practising.' Ron rose from the stone, nursing a red mark on his forehead and glaring at his elder siblings.
'Sorry, Ronniekins,' they sniggered, returning to trying to wordlessly cast the charm like Cedric was.
After a while the pairs switched, and there was a clatter of wands on stone as the first few attempts to cast the Shield Charm failed.
'So why are you here of you aren't going to take part or teach?' Katie asked.
'I wanted to see how good everyone is,' Harry answered honestly, 'and I will teach them the Patronus Charm eventually.'
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