Hogwarts in Ruins

"You!" Branko called at eilir, jerking his head at her "Come here, meet your new toy. Let's see if you can work with it before Kristof grows teeth"

"And everyone else can go back to their duties. Show is over!" he growled at the few people still around "Unless any of you wanna be the target uh? we might need one!" and with that he made sure of get ride of everyone that weren't directly involved in this and wanted to live a longer life.

He could say by just catching Debbie with the corner of his eye that she did not look that sure about his doings. Maybe fearing for the girl's life? That was probable... but for the moment he chose to ignore the look of her face. It wasn't that he was to train her anyway, he had not the patient to handle begginers. He was merely to show the weapon's attributes, although for the look of things everyone else believed otherwise.

As Eilir considered her mental inventory of the items in her coat pockets, she was amused and astonished at the vast number of items she'd last taken count of. She had known she horded things that many people would keep scattered aroung the house. Things such as string, items that she'd taken a liking to on a walk (feathers, stones, shells), usually a book or two, a handful of coins, toys to amuse Kristof had recently been added, smallish items of food (fruit, cookies, sweets), a pen and pencil, a pad of paper, a quill and pot of ink, to list bit a few. The girl was considering which items she should remove to her little cluttered room whilst watching Bruno, when Branko's voice made her snap her head round to look at him.

"You!" Branko called at Eilir, jerking his head at her "Come here, meet your new toy." Eilir's eyes widened in shock at being addressed by the scary man, he usually ignored her if she didn't do anything to draw attention to herself. She leapt to her feet obediently, trotting over to stand by the two commanders, trying not to look like a scared rabbit. "Let's see if you can work with it before Kristof grows teeth"

Eilir resisted to look at Debbie questioningly, not wanting to arouse Branko's anger by seeming to seek permission after he'd given her an order. She wanted to seek comfort from her friend, worried about the prospect of having lessons in combat with Branko. While this uncertainty was running through her mind, another part of Eilir was admiring the staff, it looked as if it would be perfect for her size and build. Light enough for her to handle, heavy enough to not snap. The length seemed perfect, she thought she would be able to balance it just right. However, Eilir was still nervous. She knew a staff made a formidable weapon, it could break bones - but she'd been under the impression that Debbie teaching her to use a wand was going to be her form of defense.

She smiled slightly at Branko scaring off the onlookers, they may indeed be in danger. Though Eilir could be a quick learner, she often performed badly when nervous or distracted. An audience would make her feel very self concious, let alone Branko's prescence. She pushed down her nerves for now and looked at the headmaster uncertainly,reaching out hesitantly to take the staff, not quite sure if she should, but finding herself drawn to it, actually feeling the stirrings of excitment at learning a new skill.

Debbie just snorted and crossed her arms, "I could do some damage with a kitchen knife." she teased and watched the recruits scurrying away. It was sort of humorous how Josef attracted them like knats yet repelled them just as quickly. She just shook her head and moved a few steps back to keep out of harms way but within decent distance of Eilir in case she needed help.

There were many things Debbie was good at in this world; cooking, spells, runes and the like. But hand to hand combat was on the very lower end bottom of the list.

"I'm afraid a kitchen knife might be the only thing I'm good at." she confessed and stuck her hands in her pockets then for a more favorably warm spot. "And the food should be the only thing harmed, unelss I hurt myself. I'm as physically intimidating as a dillapidated flower." Debbie raised one eyebrow from her wry humor and took another good look at the staff.

Would Eilir be of any use with it? Debbie had never seen the girl fight and of all people to give a weapon to, Debbie wasn't so sure Eilir would have any clue of what to do with it. "And who, prey tell, is going to teach her how to use that thing? Providing she can actually use it mind you." she asked with a rather dead panned look toward her husband. She wasn't going to teach Eilir how to use it, she might accidently hurt herself rather than the target. And Debbie still wasn't sure about any of this. Wouldn't it be better to teach her how to properly defend with magic? Eilir had shown to have endless amounts of potential regarding magic and took to it like a fish in water. What in Merlin's name was she going to do with a staff?

Branko's eyes did not look at Debbie at all although he was listening. Handing the weapon toward Eilir he also took out of his wrist a gauntlet like artifiact, similar to KFCs but with some notorious modifications. In first place it wasn't easy to detect at simple view, as it seemed to mimick and vanish on his arm but as soon as he took it off it turned more visible; on the other hand it was lighter and softer. And withouth any explanation he took the girl's wand hand and attached it to her wrist.

"There are instructors in the castle for a reason." he said still focusing on the device to be properly attached "the best prepared she is, the better for our son... his other 'baby sitter' is not exactly a doll." he pointed at as after all Rees was not just a random person he chose for his pretty face or his nice manners. And so Eilir wasn't expected just to change diappers.

"Both ends work the same as wands" he started filling Eilir about the weapon "You can cast spells with it as well as use it as hand-to-hand weapon. You can mix both ways of combat with time, if you have enough practice. Now hold it firmly!" he said to Eirlir as he pressed her hand holding the staff as if he did not even considered her capable of hold it on her own, but it was not that specifically for what he did so. As far as he knew this girl was just learning the ways of magic and it was important to see the magic properly working on the staff before she start practicing with it.

"Brevis" he murmured and the staff shorteneed in its lenght almost, even shorter than a wand would making it easier to conceal. "Intro" he said later and it was as if the little wood bar now was sucked and stucked by the device on her wrist.

"If you need it out, say 'exitus'" and the shrunk staff went out again as if attracted by her hand "Maior" he said then and it recovered its normal lenght.

"Any question?"

Eilir was listening to Debbie talking about kitchen knives and finding her very amusing. The girl was certain that Debbie could be very intimidating if the need arose. Her eyes were studying the staff, and partially registering what Branko was doing. She admired the weapon, it felt sturdy in her hands and comfortable. She watched in interest as Branko took her hand and fastened a peculiar item around her wrist. Her eyes took in it's design, although she couldn't quite deduce it's function at that moment. She listened to the headmaster explain the staff's unusual abilities and was fascinated by how much power the relatively small item would be able to pack once she came to grips with how to use it with any level of skill.

Eilir's lips curved in a little smile at Branko's instruction and almost imediate physical pressure into making her comply. She curled her hand around the staff as he's shown and held it firm enough to have a good grip, but not so tightly that she wouldn't be able to react quickly or maneuver it easily. She listened intently as the man clearly began using a spell. She watched stunned as the staff shurnk. Brevis she filed the word away carefully and gasped slightly as the strange device seemed to breath the miniature staff in. She looked at her wrist in bewilderment. She listened carefully to the following command words and equally as carefuuly memorised the sound and pronunciation of the words. She caught the staff firmly and nodded at the headmaster.

"Does this..." she tapped a finger to the thing on her wrist. "Serve any other purpose other than to hold the staff?" she asked, glancing at it. It was a useful device - she recognised that it would make it simple to carry the weapon discretely and also allow quick extraction if needed in a hurry.

She wanted to ask who would be training her, but did not dare. She stood before the man who scared her witless most of the time and felt calmer than usual, even though she knew he would likely pay closer attention to her lessons in the staff and close combat, than he had so far with her magic lessons with Debbie.

Branko gave a look at the girl wondering if really she did not know what was that? He had thought her curiousity would have gone far enough to find out about the standard cadet's equipments. However, it was also true this was not a standard equipment anymore, its look had changed almost completely and the only similarity with the original item was that they both were attached on the wrist.

"It still has the standard KFC function.This one is connected specifically with commanders." he said as turned her hand to show her the green sphere. "and it has a shield charm also, if you ever need to run with the baby, you can cover him with your arm for extra protection." he added and it was obvious, for the way he so 'kindly' answered her questions (as he normally would have ignored them) that it was important for him that this girl learn enough to protect Kristof.

Eilir studied the item with interest and absorbed what the headmaster was saying. Now it had been pointed out, she did notice similarities to the odd items that had confounded her for a while when she'd gone noseing into the cadet's barracks. She recalled asking someone what it was for and therefore knew the basic theory of how to use the odd thing to talk to people. She reminded herself to check with Debbie when she had the oportunity, to make sure she didn't have it wrong.

She felt a surge of emotion that she couldn't place when he talked about sheilding Kristof. She noted the added ability of the wrist brace and nodded at the headmaster, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Sir." she said simply, looking at the staff and feeling eager to start learning. She glanced at Debbie and then chewed her bottom lip. "Will I be able to find books on close combat in the library?" she asked quietly, not sure if she was going to have to teach herself how to handle the new weapon.

When had she broken a nail?

At some point when the conversation turned from her area of interest into something otherworldly, Debbie took the moment to zone completely out and began studying her nails. One of the edges on her left hand was chipped off, just at the end making her pale pink polish curl in a way that sent the woman itching for a nail file.

She picked at the annoyance for several seconds, barely flickering her eyes up every now and again until she realized everyone had gone quiet. "...What?" Debbie looked confused, had they spoken to her? The short blonde abruptly turned and lifted her head to her much taller husband, looking expectantly like he should have all the answers where she didn't. "I..you can.." Debbie just shook her head and glanced back at Eilir with a confused look.

Why would she read combat? Could one even do that, would the pages pop out? After she finally registered what was said, she still wasn't picking up on anything but the annoying scratch of nail she flidgeted against her hand.

"Erm, no no, we'll get someone to train you." she finally mouthed slowly and blinked her large, hazel eyes slowly. "Yeah...Josef may kill you.." she muttered trailing off and looked confused again down toward the ground as if it would spring up a more practical answer any second.

'She would probably kill me.'

That didn't seem like a favorable solution either. "You could-oh! Wait, what about Bruno?" The thought hit her like a strike of lightening and connected the two together. Bruno was closer to Eilir's build and age, he would be easier on her in the beginning but he had also trained under Branko who had the best knowledge on how to use one of those..stick things. "I think that would be a perfect idea, he would be a great teacher plus you taught him!" she beamed. Sometimes Debbie was just astounded by her fantastic ideas. Now if she could...just...'ah-ha!'

Her open mouthed, amazed look fell completely to realize she had split the whole nail and ruined it, frowning intently at the offensive finger.

Branko could not help a scandalized look at Eilir's suggestion to learn combat from a book! What the hell had that stupid girl on her head!? Not even had he imaginned stupid Franco saying something like that!

His free hand twisted on a fist as if imagining it were strangling her little throat... it would be so easy snap her neck in pieces. And once again for the thousand time the doubts popped up into his head. What the hell was he thinking at let this girl babysit Kristof or even try to apply to be his guardian?! This was a waste of time! He should stop this nonsense right now no matter what Debbie think about it! But before he could recover from the shock of such abysmally foul suggestion, Debbie stepped forward.

"Yeah...Josef may kill you.."

Ohh yeah! There was her mind-reader wife again guessing correctly. She could bet he would!

"Wait, what about Bruno?..." The Auror Commander continued her talking and he was somehow relieved she was acting the right way. With Debbie you might not know when her bubble-head side would possess her body. If that would have happened that moment he would have been widower.

"Right!" he mumbled with clenched teeth although able to keep control of himself because of Debbie's support. She was doing it just fine... till her mind forgot the situation for a second to concern about HER NAIL!!???

He gave Debbie a hard look, and gazing down at her hand in turns. And for an split second his imaginative hand seemed to fancy snap two necks in that precise second. She had been doing it so well... but ALWAYS IN THE LAST SECOND! ALWAYS!

And just to prevent any tragedy, he stepped back giving a last threatening look at his wife and walked away looking as if he had been really insulted. He had enough of pinky heads for the day "Luckily Bruno can't see!" he said sarcastically while walked away and back to the castle, growling underbreath curses and threatenings as his head was boiling of anger.

"He's going to give himself a heart attack one day." she mused and flopped down right in the grass. Debbie leant back and tossed one arm under her head and the other up where she could see the devilish nail causing all sorts of problems. She was going to have to get this fixed.

She was beginning to feel particularly yucky and sluggish and quite frankly Debbie didn't feel up to having a shouting match or bothering to even be upset. "Just ignore him. He's only cranky because he can't kill either you or me since he would never get decent se....nevermind." Debbie shut her mouth and looked blandly out toward the recruits training. Many of them were looking curiously in their direction.

It wasn't every day that Debbie just flopped down willy nilly in the grass and dozed off for no apparent reason.

"I'm sure Bruno wouldn't mind teaching you, he's very easy to get along with." She muttered and pulled out her wand, giving it a quick swish. "Expecto Patronum." A soft white light fell like strips of butter from her wand until it gathered in a soft cloud like shape, forming into her patronus seconds later. "Take over my class please." was all she said before it sped off, bowling right past Eilir and heading toward the entrance way.

Eilir watched Debbie with an almost strangled look on her face. The commander had obviously been in a world of her own and Eilir was struggling to not laugh. She held her breath repeatedly as Debbie did something new to amuse her. She listened quietly and was confused by the way both commanders reacted to the idea of reading about combat. Branko's expression was scary eenough to make the girl want to shrink away and hide. She stood very still and pondered the reason behind books being bad. Eilir had turned to books for tuition for almost her whole life.

Debbie was picking at her nail. Eilir gulped down a giggle at Branko's expression and began patting her pockets to find a nail file. Her eyebrows rose in surprise at the suggestion that Bruno teach her. She watched Branko stomp away and slithered to the ground with a whoosh of exhaled breath. She covered her face with one hand and balanced the staff on her knee. "That man never fails to frighten me." she muttered. Debbie's response overcame Eilir's control and she began to laugh, trying desperately to moderate the volume in regards to all the curious onlookers. She clasped her hand across her mouth and ended up snorting. So she buried her head in her hands and focussed on breathing.

Slowly, Eilir's giggles became hiccoughs. She grinned sheepishly at Debbie and offered her the nail file she'd found in her pocket. "Why...." she started to ask, feeling slightly foolish, so she shook her head. "Never mind. I hope Bruno's ok." she looked at the staff thoughtfully. "Brevis, Intro." she said softly, watching the wood shrink and stick to the thing on her wrist. Eilir sighed and rubbed her face before watching the patronus run off. She blinked and looked at Debbie. "Um......." she said, trying to remember exactly why she'd come here in the first place.