The Great Hall had been transformed yet again. The four long house tables had vanished, replaced by open space that stretched from the entrance to the staff table. Neat rows of wooden hoops lay scattered upright across the tiles, their positions marked with chalk lines that had been drawn and redrawn over the past four sessions. The enchanted ceiling mirrored the grey March sky overhead, heavy clouds promising rain that never quite arrived.
Gilderoy stood near the centre of the Ravenclaw cluster, his wand tucked into his holster, his eyes fixed on the hoop in front of him. Four weeks of practice, four weeks of failure, four weeks of feeling the squeeze, the pull, the darkness, only to fail every single time.
Amelia stood a few feet away, her attention on her own hoop, her expression focused.
Around them, the rest of the seventh-year class had assembled in their usual clusters.
Fabian was already complaining to his twin, his voice carrying across the hall with its characteristic volume. Emma stood with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Regulus Black lingered at the edge of the group, silent and watchful. Pandora and Xenophilius had claimed a spot near the windows, their heads bent together in quiet conversation.
"Right then," Archie's reedy voice cut through the murmuring, and the students turned to face him. The Ministry instructor stood at the front of the hall, his floral dress as absurd as ever, his spectacles perched on the end of his nose. Four weeks and multiple sessions had passed since then, and no one reacted to his attire anymore. It was just Archie being Archie.
"Today's session will be the final session before the official exam," Archie announced, his tone carrying the same cheerful detachment it always did. "I've taught you the three D's. I've watched you fail, succeed, and splinch yourselves. Today, I want to see what you've actually learned."
Fabian muttered something under his breath that sounded like I hate this.
"Speak up, Prewett," Archie said without looking at him.
"I said I've learned to appreciate Floo powder more," Fabian replied.
Archie chuckled, the sound thin and reedy. "Floo powder has its uses. But Apparition is faster. More reliable. And if you can master it, you'll never be late again." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the students. "Assuming you don't leave anything behind."
A few students laughed nervously. Gilderoy didn't. He had seen in previous sessions what happened when someone left something behind.
"Right," Archie said, clapping his hands together. "You'll start behind your hoop and Apparate to the other side. Remember, determination, destination, deliberation. Focus on the three D's, and the rest will follow."
Gilderoy recalled his previous sessions. He had felt it for the first time in Session Two: the squeeze, that horrible, crushing sensation of being forced through a space that was too small, a tube that pressed against his ribs and flattened his lungs. And then nothing. He had opened his eyes to find himself exactly where he'd started.
Session Three had been better. He had felt the squeeze, and this time he had felt the pull around his navel, his eyes seeing the world dissolve into a kaleidoscope of colours. He had appeared right in front of the hoop, stumbling, his robes askew, his head throbbing, but still on the same side of the hoop. Close. So close. But not close enough. Thankfully, he hadn't been splinched.
No wonder Apparition was considered difficult. But today, I have to master it.
Alex Summers was the first to move. The Hufflepuff Keeper stepped away from his hoop, his face pale but determined. He spun, vanished, and then reappeared on the other side of the hoop with a clean landing. No stumble, no hesitation.
"Excellent!" Archie called out, his voice carrying genuine approval. "Textbook Apparition, Summers."
Alex grinned, relief flooding his features. "I did it."
Fabian clapped him on the shoulder as he passed. "See? It's not so bad."
"It's still horrible," Alex said, but he was smiling.
Emma was next. Her Apparition was clean if unremarkable. She appeared on the other side of the hoop with a slight stumble, catching herself before she could fall. Adrian followed, his landing smooth and controlled.
Fabian stepped up next, his expression a mixture of bravado and dread. "Right. I can do this. It's just a hoop. Just a stupid hoop."
"Fabian," Gideon said encouragingly, "we can do it. Come on."
Fabian spun. He vanished. A moment later, he appeared on the other side of the hoop, arms windmilling, nearly toppling over.
"Ha!" he shouted, throwing his arms up. "I did it! I'm magnificent!"
Gideon stepped up next. His Apparition was clean, controlled, flawless. He appeared on the other side of the hoop without a single stumble.
"Show-off," Fabian muttered, but there was no real heat in it.
Gilderoy watched the others Apparate around him, some succeeding, others stumbling. He was so absorbed in watching them that he didn't even realise almost everyone had already taken their turn. Then he noticed everyone was watching him, waiting.
He stepped up to his hoop, his heart pounding in his chest. The other side. Just the other side of the hoop. You've felt the squeeze. You've felt the pull. You know what it feels like. Focus on the three D's.
He spun.
The world vanished into a kaleidoscope of colours. The squeeze came, crushing and suffocating, pressing against every inch of him. The pressure behind his navel pulled him forward through the narrow tube, dragging him through the darkness.
But he didn't fight it. This time, he held his focus. The other side of the hoop. The destination. Exactly where I want to be.
Then, with a sensation like being decompressed, as if he was being spat out, he was there on the other side of the hoop. He stumbled, flailing his arms to steady himself.
YESSS!! I actually DID IT!!
Fabian's voice cut through the silence. "Lockhart! Finally!"
Gilderoy turned to find Fabian grinning at him, his earlier nervousness forgotten. "About time. I was starting to think you'd never get it."
Amelia grinned playfully at Gilderoy. "Well done, handsome. But you missed your landing. Now watch me."
She stepped up to her hoop, spun, and vanished. A heartbeat later, she was on the other side, her landing so perfect it looked effortless. She straightened her robes, her expression calm.
"And that's how it's done," she said, her voice carrying just enough volume for him to hear.
Fabian laughed. "She's got you there, Lockhart."
"Yeah, yeah." Gilderoy shook his head, but he was smiling.
A break was called after the first round. Students drifted toward the edges of the hall, some drinking water, others comparing notes on what had worked and what hadn't. Gilderoy stood near the windows, his back to the grey sky, still riding the high of his successful Apparition.
He turned, glancing around to see why Pandora hadn't approached him today. His eyes scanned the hall and found her standing on Amelia's other side. At the same moment, Pandora met his eye, then innocently looked away, ignoring him as she chatted with Xenophilius, pretending as if nothing had happened between them and that she hadn't been jumping on him during the previous sessions.
Oh, so that's how you want to play it. Game on, Pandora. Game on.
Regulus appeared at his side, quiet and composed.
"Lockhart." He nodded once.
"Regulus."
"Well done on Apparating successfully." Regulus spoke
Oh, is Regulus complimenting me?
"I expected you to splinch yourself."
And there it is.
"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Black. I did see you flail your arms like a pigeon trying to regain balance."
"I could say the same to you, Lockhart."
Regulus didn't smile, but his eyes carried a hint of mirth as he walked away, as if he had enjoyed the banter of trading insults.
As soon as Regulus left, Fabian and Gideon appeared in his place.
"I hate it," Fabian announced without preamble. "I hate every part of it."
"Hate what?" Gilderoy asked, though he already knew.
"Apparition." Fabian gestured at the hoops with disgust. "The squeeze, being shoved through a pipe that's too small."
"You did it successfully," Gideon pointed out.
"Getting better doesn't mean I enjoy it. Apparition is the worst travel method. Period."
Gilderoy looked at Amelia, who had drifted over to join them. "It's not the most comfortable," he admitted.
Fabian began counting on his fingers. "Brooms first, no question. Flying. You have the wind in your face. Freedom. You can see where you're going."
"Second is Floo," Gideon added. "Dusty, sometimes you come out looking like you've been swept up a chimney, but at least you're not being compressed."
"Third is Portkeys," Fabian continued. "Nauseating, but better than Apparating. At least you get there in one piece."
"Fourth is Apparition," Gideon said.
"Absolute bottom." Fabian crossed his arms. "Whoever invented Apparition, I want words with them. There's nothing natural about being squeezed through a pipe."
"So will you actually take the exam?" Amelia asked.
"Well, Gideon has convinced me to learn Apparition properly with focus and give the exam with him. Even though I don't like it, it could be fun. So that we can Apparate and Disapparate together," Fabian said.
"Right you are, dear brother," Gideon added.
Archie sounded the whistle, and the session continued. More students attempted Apparition. Some succeeded.
Gilderoy turned his eye towards the Hufflepuff Keeper. Alex had stepped away from his hoop, looking confident after his earlier success. He spun. He vanished. He reappeared on the other side of the hoop.
But his hand didn't.
Gilderoy stared at the detached hand lying on the ground, still twitching. Alex stared at it too, and then he screamed.
Even though this had happened in previous sessions, students recoiled, still not used to seeing how horrifying Splinching was. Some turned away, while a few looked like they were about to be sick.
Archie ambled over, his expression casual and unbothered. "Right. Don't panic." He flicked his wand, and the hand reattached itself with a wet sound and a loud pop. "Focus, Mr. Summers."
Alex was still pale and shaking, but he managed a nod.
"Focus," Archie repeated, his voice sharper now as he turned to address the entire hall. "Your mind needs to keep track of every part of your body."
Gilderoy focused and Apparated on his own, appearing on the other side of the hoop and landing with elegance this time. He tried again for the third time, and he was successful.
Then the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth—each time, he Apparated without issue.
Archie aproached Gilderoy, his expression bright with approval. "What a talented student you are, Mr. Lockhart. You keep Apparating as if you're quite used to it now. Well done, well done. I dare say you will pass your Apparition licence with flying colours."
"Thank you, sir." Gilderoy grinned at the praise from Archie.
The session continued for a while longer before Archie finally called it to an end.
"Right then," Archie called out, his reedy voice cutting through the murmuring. "Before you all run off, I've got news."
The students turned to face him.
"The Apparition exam will be next month. You'll be tested by a Ministry examiner, not me." His gaze swept across the assembled students. "They'll be stricter. Less forgiving. And if you splinch yourself during the exam, you'll fail automatically."
A ripple of murmuring passed through the students. Some looked nervous, others determined. Fabian now seemed more confident than before, as if he too had been successful in Apparating multiple times today.
"You've got four weeks to practise. Use them wisely. I've taught you everything you need to know. The rest is up to you." Archie's voice grew even stricter. "BUT under the supervision of Professor McGonagall. DO NOT attempt on your own."
___
🙏 Thank you to everyone who dropped Power Stones last time! ❤️
Please don't forget to drop your stones again for this fic.
100 Power Stones is the goal
📖 Advanced Chapters on Patreon- Patreon readers are getting the equivalent of 19+ advanced WebNovel-length chapters!
📸 I've started adding images to the story to make reading the fic more fun and immersive!
I'll be adding more images as the story progresses, but these images will be Patreon exclusive.
https://patreon.com/A_Peverel