"Tell me Percy, did you know that this is one of the first spells a witch or wizard is taught?" Percy grumbled, but shook his head, "do you know why this is?" Another shake, "you see Percy, when one connect with their core….there is a stress felt. It's like using a muscle you never used, of course the first time will be painful. Most can't feel this, they are very young when they start casting spells and the pain is hidden away. But you are older, and more aware of your body."
"Fine, okay, I get the stress, but surely I must be able to do more! I mean come on! I can barely lift a book!"
Hecate took the book and held it out, "here."
Percy looked at it curiously before reaching out to grab it. The goddess let go and the book smashed into Percy's hand cracking the wooden table underneath. Percy pulled his hand out and shock it, "fuckign hell! That's heavy!"
"It is," Hecate nodded, "remember when you felt the book start to dip? That's because I made it heavier and heavier. I wanted to see how much you could hold up. If I had left it at it's normal weight I'm sure you could have held it up longer, maybe even for an hour or so, but who has that sort of tim?"
"H-how heavy is it now?" Percy asked.
"It weighs around 50 kgs," Hecate smiled at Percy's looks of horror, "you are powerful Percy. All witches and wizards begin their training by lifting just a simple feather, and even that is too much for most. Even Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, had trouble with this charm at first. But you didn't, you lifted something equal to the weight of a bowling ball on your very first session. Do you understand now Percy? Do you understand the power you possess?"
Percy looked at his wand in wonder. So much power, so much potential. Percy looked at the goddess and smiled, "this, is so cool."
Hecate nodded, "yes, it is. Now, before we continue I must tell you, every other spell you learn from me will be equally challenging. Even the simplest jinxes and curses I will make them a hundred times more difficult to master because you are hundred times more than the normal wizard. Do you understand?"
Percy snapped out the daze of performing his first spell and nodded, "yes."
"Good. Now, I want you to log this spell, make a rune cluster for the words and apply the arithmancy formula for the wand motions. Break down this spell and find out every detail you can. Do you understand?"
Percy nodded, "yes."
"Good. Begin."
That night Percy and Hecate celebrated him getting his wand. Hecate ordered an extra large pizza for them. Percy got a coke in a bottle while Hecate summoned for herself a bottle of wine.
"Thanks again for today Hecate," Percy said as he ate his slice, "I can't even imagine being without my wand now. It's so weird, it's like I have been waiting for this thing my whole life and now I'm finally whole."
"Yeah, most wands are like that," Hecate explained as sipped from her glass of wine, "they give a way for the the wizard's magic to be released. It's like a valve for the water pressure to be released, most wizard don't know this but they can actually perform magic without a wand."
"Really? Then why do they use it in the first place?"
Hecate shrugged as she took a bigger sip, "mostly because it's easy. A wand is effectively a set off training wheels, only wizards never take them off."
"So do you want me to eventually stop using my wand also?"
Hecate nodded, "yes, that would be best. You can still use it for now of course, until your education is complete at Hogwarts. But as you grow older I want you to learn to stop relying on your wand," Hecate then made to drink from her glass only to find it empty. She poured herself another one and drank.
"That's a lot of wine Hecate," Percy said as he saw her finish half the glass in one gulp.
"Yeah, I don't drink often, but I love the stuff!" HEcate chuckled, "one time Dionysis and I had a drinking contest, obviously he won, but the next day he got a hangover! Haha! He was the laughing stock of Olympus for ages! The god of wine that got a hangover! Ha! Don't tell anyone, but I actually cursed him with that."
"You cursed the god of drinking to get a hang over?"
"Yup! Hehe, idiot still doesn't know!"
Percy chuckled, "hey anyone who can make a fool out off Mr D is alright in my book," Percy raised his glass of coke clicked it with Hecate's wine.
"So Percy tell me a little bit about your camp. Nothing specific of course, but maybe….what was it like? I don't really visit as often, I do look out for my kids there but I try to avoid the place, too much drama."
Percy smiled as he began to tell the goddess about his home away from home. He talked into the night about the way people acted and how they all felt so safe and happy there. Hecate did nothing but smile when needed and laugh when needed. And by the end of his tale Percy noticed that Hecate's bottle of wine was over.
"You finished that so quickly?" Percy asked looking astonished.
"Yup!" Hecate giggled like a little school girl with her cheeks flushed red. "It was good wine! I stole it from D's personal cellar!"
"What?! You stole the wine from Mr. D?! Is that even okay?!"
"So what?! He isn't going to miss it!" Hecate grumbled, "stupid wine God, he just had to hit on my friend!" Hecat cried, "it's not fair! Wasn't I good enough! Stupid Dionysis! Stupid!" She then grabbed the bottle and threw it at the wall.
"Woah! Be careful Hecate!"
"No!" Hecate yelled at she snapped her fingers summoning more and more wine bottles, "he deserves this!" She then threw them all one by one at the wall, "fuck you Dio! Fuck you and your stupid face! Why?! Why?!"