Marcus patiently waited for Upstead to fire his spell and he shook his head when the spell hit but his wand was still comfortably in his hand. "Control your anger Jacob. You're letting your emotions get the better of you. Take a few deep breaths and control your anger and try it again."

He stared at the young boy for a moment and lowered his arms to his sides. "Who exactly is it that you are angry at? Kazimeriz for saying that you are going to find yourself in an early grave? The kids who pick on you? Me for dragging you down here and trying to help you? Or is there something else going on with you?"

Marcus nodded at Jake, he knew where the boy was coming from. "Okay you're angry at a lot of different things, I can understand that. But to be able to perform a spell and have it work effectively you need to concentrate on the incantation and the movement of your wand." He raised his wand toward one of the dummies and it burst into flame, he flicked his wrist and the flames were extinguished.

"If you let yourself be overridden by your emotions than you are not thinking clearly with your head and so you will always be easy prey to your opponent. I will give you a few minutes to calm yourself Mr Upstead, and get your head together and then we shall try again." Marcus moved over to the wall and leaned against it casually and conjured himself the Daily Prophet and began to read while Jake got himself together.

Closing the paper slowly, he looked up at the Hufflepuff a small smile on his face. "Very good Mr Upstead. I would of hated to see you break your wand, you realise that it is an extension of yourself? The wand chooses the wizard remember...it is apart of you."

Marcus evansecoed the paper and walked back into the middle of the dias. "Your wand is ready and willing to perform any sort of magic from you Jake, you simply need to harness your energy and direct it into the right place" he tapped his wand to demonstrate that was what he was talking about.

"Now I want you to focus all your thoughts on disarming me. Visualize as you say the incantation my wand leaving my hand and going into yours. Now, Mr Upstead...disarm me!" He opened up his arms once again and looked back at Jake and nodded encouragingly.

His wand jerked slightly in his hand after Jake, hit him a second time with the spell but that was it. Lawson's wand was still in his hand and he sighed softly. "Almost" he said lightly. "Try it again Jacob and make sure you focus really hard this time." Third time was the charm right?

Yep third time was definitely the charm! The moment had said the incantation Marcus' wand flew straight out of his hand and over to Jacob. "Well done Mr Upstead, well done indeed." He gave him the thumbs up and grinned at him. "How do you feel?" He casually folded his arms across his chest and eyed the young Hufflepuff.

we haz da wand!
 

Marcus had to chuckle at the boy's audacity to think he was going to run off with the wand. "Mr Upstead, did you really think that I would let you take my wand." He flicked his wrist and his wand slid into his hand from its holster. "Now I would think twice about what you're going to do. Having two wands does not make you anymore powerful, especially since you struggle in using your own." He raised an eyebrow at the boy and held out his hand and gestured for him to return the other wand.

Marcus sighed deeply and shook his head. He had tried to be nice. He had tried to help the child in gaining some confidence and teach him a few things so that he would stop being the victim and how does he return the favour?

Lawson flicked his wand with incredible speed and silently accio'd the two wands from Jacob's hands and just for good measure, "Incacerous" he muttered, sending ropes in Jake's direction. Stupid kid!!!

Last post for the night
 

"That" Marcus said strolling to the edge of the dias and sitting down, letting his feet dangle over the edge. "Was for being an idiot." He smirked at the kid as he lay on the floor bound by the ropes.

"What year are you in Jake? Second maybe third?" Lawson twirled all three wands through his fingers as he gazed down at Jacob. "And you thought you would be able to trick a grown man who has twenty odd years of experience on you. Who also used to be an auror. Not particularly smart I must say."

Marcus swung his feet back and forth while he contemplated exactly what he was going to do with this child. "I am sorely tempted to leave you here and let you figure out how to get out of the ropes without a wand. I am also tempted to hang you from the ceiling by your toenails." He chuckled softly at that, oh he has so done that before. "Instead I am going to let you go...diffindo" he said pointing his wand at Jacob and releasing him from his bindings. Marcus hopped off the dias and headed for the exit. "You will come back here tomorrow for another lesson Mr Upstead and you can get your wand back during DADA class. So I suggest you get there early" he called over his shoulder as he headed out the door.

Sarah walked into the dueling arena slowly. She had never been into anything as dueling. But she was just a fresh face to the school, a mere first year. And here she was, into the dueling arena, with a maximum knowledge of five to six spells she'd tried out. Still you can never compare her confidence. Thats what she was for, in Gryffindor.

Sarah glanced at Professor Lawson and then moved towards one among the dummies. She whipped her wand out and put up an expression. She wasn't great shakes at dueling, not that experienced either, but it wouldn't hurt to try would it? She thought of a spell and nodded fixing her eyes on the dummy.

"Reducto!"

She cried. The dummy shook slightly and was back to its position. Nothing whatever so happened. This wasn't what the effect should be. She didn't read it like that at all. But none can complain, it was her first attempt and she wasn't loosing confidence. She thought hard on her mistake she'd have committed, hoping it would do well if she had someone to help her out. She decided on trying again and pointed her wand towards the dummy with all concentration.

Sarah noticed a Hufflepuff boy sitting down. He had just muttered a spell and there was something solid in his surroundings. She knew what it was. A Shield Charm. So that boy can perform a Shield Charm? That was amazing! Sarah moved slightly towards him.

"Hello" she called to him uncertainly. He looked at little angry and furious. She surely didn't want to make anyone upset. "Am Sarah Emily James ..." she said extending her hand. Would the Shield Charm block it? "... can you perform Shield Charms?" she asked in awe.

As she'd been asked, Celandine headed to the dueling arena and took a seat along the side of the platform. She smiled brightly at Jake and waaaaaaaited.

Huh? Whut?

Snapping his head around, Jake glanced up at the girl who was talking to him. She was sure to give away his location. "Erm, hi," Jake murmured softly, looking at the hand she held out. Taking his concentration away from the sheild charm, Jake let it lift, before holding out his own hand. "I'm Jake," he said.

Sheild charms? Either she was a first year, a transfer or she'd skipped Defence Against the Dark Arts last year. "It's not a really good one," Jake explained, referring to the charm. "We learnt it last year... had to sheild ourselves from the spiky acorns he made rain down on us," he went on, forgetting to elaborate on who the he was.

Hearing someone else, Jake looked around as Cela entered the Duelling Arena. And waited. She smiled... and waited.

Cue paranoia.

"Protego," Jake said again, casting a sheild charm that was a little stronger than last time. Lawson was up to something... oh yes, he was.