Charms practice

Will sat cross-legged on a small hill overlooking the lake, his mind in deep contemplation. He had to keep practicing in Charms in order to be semi-proficient at it in the least.

He brought his trunk's steel lock with him this time, hoping to get his newest charm right unlike the levitation charm. However, he was planning on using the environment for the first charm---something unexpected.

Reaching some sort of relaxed state, he focused his wand on the lock, his thoughts only on the spell, opening it, and his mother.

"Alohomora." The lock shivered for a moment, but did not open. Frowning slightly, he tried again. It was only at the fifth attempt did it finally unlock.

Satisfied, he turned to find some sort of item around to levitate, seeing a broken tree branch a good ten feet away. Determined, he pointed his wand at the branch, his mind in total concentration.

"Wingardium Leviosa," He felt in tune to the charm this time, but didn't realize that he levitated a book out of someone's arms nearby instead.

Samantha was on her way back to the castle carrying a stack of books when one of them floated out of her arms seemingly on it's own accord.

Emitting a startled gasp, she almost dropped the pile she was carrying. Searching for the reason behind the anomaly, she soon located him. Will Black had his wand out and seeing as he didn't seem the type to just swish it about for no reason, she could only assume he'd been practicing.

Will blinked when he performed the charm. He could feel it working, his wand was alive with power. So, why was it not working...?

He heard a gasp to his left and turned to see Samantha Quill staring back at him, one of her books hovering in the air. Sheepish, Will used his wand to lower the book back down.

"My apologies," He grinned with embarrassment. "I still have a bit of a problem with my charm work."

"T-that's quite al-alright," she stuttered, trying to keep a hold of her stack of books. It took both her arms to manage the pile and the copy Will had set down on top was leaning a touch too precariously over the others.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you," she apologized, head lowered as usual. He probably wanted to be left alone.

Will shook his head and smiled. "That's alright. I don't mind the company at all. I'm probably due for a break as well." He eyed the many books in her arms, raising an eyebrow.

"I take it you're quite the bookworm for a Slytherin," He joked. "I expected a Ravenclaw to handle such a load. What are you reading, may I ask?"

Samantha smiled, a little more at ease due to his friendly Slyherin jibe. "That should teach you to stereotype in the future," she replied playfully.

Nodding towards the books in her hand, she continued "these are just the normal run of the mill school books. I just come out into the grounds to read sometimes because it's far quieter," she admitted. "The library never does seem to be as quiet as the staff claims," she added in way of explanation.

Will grinned, remembering the Dixie and Raven's part of the Library exploding due to the exploding snap game. "Ah yes, I'm surprised the Librarian hasn't gotten an ulcer from the students already." He patted the grass next to him with a friendly smile.

"Want to sit? It's a bit boring around here." He half-wished he brought his textbooks for some more light reading in the least as well.

"Uh... sure," the girl replied. Then tried to think of the best way to sit down without toppling all her books. Unfortunately, her usually adapt brain failed to provide her with ideas on how to manage the feat.

"I think the librarian has given up on the students maintaining any sort of order in the library," she added.

"I can imagine," Will twirled his wand expertly with his fingers. A habit he picked up from a friend in Durmstrang. "I was continuously tailed by her for sneezing near the magical beasts aisle. I think she's become mental now."

"So," He glanced at the random assortment of books. "Have a new subject to study on? I seem to have a bit of trouble wrapping my mind around Herbology."

"Herbology's confusing for me too," she confessed, finally bending a little to put the books on the ground before taking a seat on the grass. "I know this probably sounds incredibly dimwitted but I fail to see the point of that class."

Stacking the books beside her on the ground, she tucked her knees neatly beneath her. "What I'm really curious about though, is Astronomy."

Will frowned. Herbology was a bit of a soft option for him as well. He was rather surprised that others shared his thoughts. "Herbology seems more of a recreation to me," He admitted. "Though I suppose it has it's uses for potions and what not. Maybe it's because we haven't done much in Herbology yet?"

However, he grinned at the subject of Astronomy. "Raven doesn't like that class too much. I think it brings him memories of debating. I find the subject rather interesting, though. Much more proficient than Divination if one must understand the stars."

"Oh really?" the girl looked up with interest a the mention of debating. "I didn't register for that class - the only one in out curriculum - because I've never really been interested in it. Though if the class encourages debates..." she trailed of regretfully.

"And speaking of debates, have you been keeping up with Lawrence and Professor Hunt's on Magic vs. Technology? I'm quite surprised at the fact that they've been at it for a while yet both parties have failed to mention the main point."

"I've been listening to it in and out, I suppose," Will shifted uncomfortably. "It's hard to me contribute since I know very little about muggle technology. I plan to work extra hard in Muggle Studies third year in order to rectify it."

"However," Will peered at her in interest. "I'd like to know what main point they are missing in. I haven't got a clue what they're arguing about, unfortunately."

Samantha could see he didn't particularly like being in the dark about the subject and tried to help by admitting her own limited knowledge on the subject.

"Well, I'm not exactly an expert on Muggle things myself but I've read enough to know how far they've come along in such a short time. For instance, it took them thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car, but only decades to progress from there to outer space. "Progress" should have been the first point brought up,"

"Hmmm...progress, huh?" Will sat back to digest the information. "So, you're saying that muggle technology is advancing quicker than magic?" His brow furrowed at the idea. "Almost to the point that the Statute of Secrecy could be breached if they tried? Sounds fascinating to say the least."

He looked at her, curious beyond measure.

"Well, whether the statute is in danger of discovery or not, we can safely assume that Muggle may soon be capable of feats that we could only dream of. You see, scientific growth is exponential whereas we..." she trailed off, trying to think of the best way to get her point across.

"I feel that wizards - being natural wielders of magic - don't posses that certain... drive that Muggles in general do. Because we have most things simply at the wave of a wand, we tend to... not bother with the deeper fundamentals," she finished.

"It makes sense," Will pondered some more. "Magic does take care of most of our problems. However, I always felt that we're more inclined to nature this way in comparison. Magic is something born within us and we use it primarily with nature involved. Perhaps magic is more important for it's history? The arcane knowledge of its mystical past? Muggles seem to enjoy the thought of magic as well."

"That they do,' she conceded thoughtfully. "But I think it's more in terms of wishful thinking. And while magic is more.. natural, as you put it, nature is what man usually targets in an attempt to be the supreme controller, no? We can see examples of the among our own kind as well."

The Slytherin worried her bottom lip as she decided on how best to explain.

"Nuggles enjoy the idea of magic because it grants them control - which is human nature, be it Muggle or Wizard - and their technology gives them that control. But unlike us, they have to work rather hard for it and each of their breakthroughs makes way for new ones. I'm not saying it doesn't work that way for us too, what I simply mean is that we don't have that sense of... urgency."

"And if magic is nature and technology, progress, I'd be rather worried about our future, wouldn't you?" she added lightly.

She had some excellent points.

Will, not quite as knowledgeable in muggles as he liked to believe, wondered what sort of fascinating inventions had they already made that would progress further than magic.

"I suppose if you put it that way," He started slowly. "If magic is nature, we may be due not to lose it though. Perhaps magic is stagnant because it has already achieved more than muggle technology has in comparison? And that technology is keeping up to surpass it? New magic is learned everyday---it just isn't as widespread due to the Statute of Secrecy. One must be careful how to use new magic spells to unwary muggles, I suppose."

"That's a good point, new magic is learned on a daily basis around the world, but as you said yourself, we have to pass it around in secret. That's another thing that gives Muggles an advantage over us. They don't have to hide anything whilst all our actions are carried out with the statute in mind. We're the ones living in the shadows, in fear of discovery."

Another point accursed to her and she briefly wondered if she should state it before deciding to toss it in anyway. If nothing else, she'd get some excellent insight.

"I don't know if you'll think this relevant but the magical gene is extremely rare. The entire wizard population of the world hardly makes up one eighth of it's Muggle counterpart in numbers. And well, I know that some people argue that quality is better than quantity, but these statistics are quiet worrying, no? If we take that ratio, Muggles have roughly eight more bites at the apple than we do."

"It's because of blood purity, I suppose," Will folded his arms. "Though I suppose we've been lenient these past couple decades. If we do provide more chances to have half-blooded offspring with muggles, the gene wouldn't be so rare. It'd be certainly interesting how the world would be affected by it if magic and technology finally meet." It almost worried him if it did happen, but he didn't voice that complaint.

"That would be interesting - to say the least - and I do wish someone in the debate would bring up this angle but right now, they just seem to be going through a mundane back and forth," the girl said. She secretly wondered if the DADA Professor was simply toying with her housemates, surely as a Professor, she should know all this much better than Samantha.

"Maybe she just likes to play with her food before she eats it?" Will grinned at the thought of Professor Hunt eating Lawr. It reminded him vividly of Professor Lewis and her strange tendencies. "They aren't looking to trump one another. More like bounce off ideas from each other if that makes any sense?"

Samantha laughed at the image her brain conjured up of Professor Hunt as a large cat and Lawrence as a mouse who didn't know how close to consumption he was.

"One thing's for sure, I would have really liked to be debate on this topic. As it was, our group hardly had one," she said quietly. She was starting to suspect she was just unlucky that way.