Golden

Lara steadied her legs and rolled her neck. She glanced behind her shoulder as sparks flew from beside her, illuminating the side of her face.

Concentrate, she reminded herself.

‘Flavus!’ she shouted firmly. Her voice echoed, joining the ever-growing crescendo of chants.

Nothing emitted from the wand held aloft in her hand. She sighed.

Her eyes turned towards her peers, all doing the same thing. She corrected her back in the same way their backs were arched. Legs three paces in front of one another, arm slightly sticking out.

She repeated the chant over and over. No matter what she did, the sparks wouldn’t come.

Her professor later found her slumped in a corner, head resting on her knees, arms wrapped around herself.

‘Lara?’

The gentle question made Lara glance up at the woman, wiping at her eyes quickly.

‘Ma’am, I’ve tried everything,’ Lara spoke in a rush, blurting out the words before the professor could speak further. ‘I think witchcraft isn’t for me.’

The professor smiled softly at her, letting out a slight chuckle. Lara felt a hand on her shoulder and allowed the professor to help her up and walk her towards the center of the room again.

‘Alright,’ she said. ‘Let’s try again. Show me your stance.’

Lara inhaled slowly, shifting into the position she’d seen many others stand in.

‘Are you comfortable like this?’ the professor asked.

‘I’m fine.’ Lara replied quickly.

‘Lara–’

‘It is slightly too wide for me,’ Lara admitted in a rush.

‘Stand in a way that is comfortable to you,’ the professor said, her eyes trying to hint towards something. It seemed to Lara as if she knew why she was standing in this way.

Lara took a deep breath and brought her legs closer together, shortening her stance. She stopped sticking her forearm that high up and looked back at the professor.

‘Better now?’ the professor inquired.

‘It still won’t work,’ Lara mumbled, closing her eyes. She repeated the chant, but just as she had expected, no sparks radiated from her wand.

She turned towards her professor, who was shaking her head.

‘You were already expecting this to fail. Say the chant like you mean it. Act like this is the hundredth time you are using this spell, and it has worked every time in the past.’

Lara glanced sideways and saw the flick of one student’s wand. Gold sparks shot into the room. She inhaled deeply and nodded.

‘Flavus,’ she said, giving a shake to her wand, and just like that, her wand vibrated and sent

out sparks.

Gold.

The most beautiful, resplendent gold Lara had ever seen. Better than any other.

The sparks dissipated, and Lara turned to the professor with the biggest grin.

‘That smile could rival the radiance of the spell,’ her professor said through a laugh as she moved on to another student, leaving Lara to ponder her wand.

Lara repeated the spell, aiming to fill the whole room with her golden success.