Stupefy!

"Hee hee! Little Lazy Lilly came in last again!" Prunella pointed at her panting classmate and let out a cackle.

Lilly sighed, joining the back of her class's line. Why do I even bother trying?

"Glad I'm not Lilly," the whispers from the other classes began to make their way around the field.

Tears began to form in Lilly's eyes. I wish they'd stop whispering like that. I can still hear them. And I wish, I WISH Prunella would just stop being so mean!

The teacher excused the class for the day, and Lilly brushed aside the tears as she climbed into her mother's car.

Lilly's mother spotted her daughter's red, blotchy eyes. "Has Prunella been giving you trouble in PE again, Lilly?" She gave her daughter a concerned look.

Lilly nodded and pouted. "I HATE first grade! Everyone's so mean to me. I have no friends, and everyone laughs at me in PE because I'm small and slow."

Lilly's mother sighed. "Do we need to talk with the principal about this? Prunella sounds like a bully."

Lilly shook her head. "It'll only make things worse."

Her mother narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?"

Lilly nodded.

"Okay, just make sure you don't take it into your own hands, okay? Bullies can be mean, but it doesn't help if you try to be mean back. You could just get in trouble yourself."

Lilly pursed her lips. "I know," she sighed. But it would make things so much easier!

"And under NO conditions are you to use your magic, do you hear me, Cecilia Davis?"

That's an idea.... Lilly's eyes widened as she nodded. I suppose I could practice on my plushies....

"Good girl."

The two sorceresses arrived home, and Lilly dashed out of the car. "I have homework, Mommy, so I'm going to do it in my room," she called over her shoulder, running up the stairs to her room.

"Keep your door open, Lilly," She called up after a thudding door.

Lilly dragged out her spell book. "Aha!" She whispered, finding the perfect one. She grabbed her wand, and began practicing on the plushies, until she could do it with just her hands.



The next day, Lilly's mom dropped her off with a kiss and warning. "Remember what I said last night, okay? If you have PE and Prunella is mean again, do NOT take it into your own hands. Nobody knows we're sorceresses, and I'd like it to stay that way, okay?"

Lilly nodded. "Yes, Mommy." She headed into the classroom, where she saw "P.E." was slotted in right after science and before lunch. She sighed, bracing herself for the worst, as she struggled to concentrate the rest of the day, until the teacher announced P.E.

"Okay, everyone, out of your seats and into the hall. Line up, please."

Prunella leaned forward. "Lazy Lilly," she whispered, then spoke louder, " You should get some training."

Lilly clenched her teeth and tried to ignore the girl.

The teacher turned around. "Prunella Eastwood, please be quiet."

The class reached the field. "Okay, everyone. Two laps around the grass. And... Go!"

"I'm so glad I'm not slow," Prunella snickered, "accidentally" bumping into Lilly and knocking her into the ground.

"At least I'm not mean, like you!" she shot back. "Stupefy!" Thrusting her arms towards the other girl, she felt the energy course through her fingers, and watched as Prunella's body shuddered and shook.

The bully's eyes widened. "Y-y-y..." Prunella stood frozen, her mouth agape and shoulders slumped.

Lilly's attention turned to Prunella's friends. "Essere ender!" Picking herself up, she sprinted, full force, away from the bullies.

Her classmates stared, and groups began clumping together, whispering and pointing at both Prunella and Lilly.

The teacher rushed over to the scene. "What happened here?"

Prunella's friends began trying to explain, but their words came out a slow, garbled mess, and all that came out of Prunella's mouth was, "Sh....."

"Lilly! What happened here?"

"I don't know! Prunella bumped into me and then...."

"And then?"

"I don't know!" Lilly threw her hands in the air. "They just... it just.... happened?"

"What happened, Lilly?"

"This!"

"What is this?"

The class stopped to observe the commotion. "Prunella is STUPID now! And Britney and Clair and Melanie are just WEIRD...." The murmurs turned into chatter.

Lilly shook her head. "I don't know," she wailed. "It just happened!"

"Lilly, if you don't tell me what happened, I'll have to call your mom."

"Please, don't," she exclaimed, "She told me not to do this..." She hung her head, and whispered, "stupefae, assare renday! Desaprendar illuminae!"

"Do what?" The teacher persisted, trying to learn the truth, when the four girls snapped out of their trance.

"Whoa... Lilly is weird" Melanie blinked.

"And slow," Clair chimed.

Prunella shook her head. "What-ever. Just, let's go, you guys." She turned and stalked away.

I hope they've learned their lesson. Lilly sighed, as the teacher shook her head, trying to figure out what had just happened.