HP: The Arcane Thief

Chapter 60: "Stay back after the Class"

With everyone's elemental affinities determined, Sayako Sensei moved onto teaching exactly how to cast the Jutsus.

"Casting a Jutsu is not easy as casting magic. First, you need to memorize the Hand Seal Pattern of that Jutsu. Then, you've to perfectly form those hand seals, which is not as easy as it seems if you are transitioning in quick succession. A slight deviation can cause the Jutsu to fail and result in serious damage to your body."

'Damn...' thought Axel. It seems that he was right in not trying out more of that magic on his own.

"Your intent and visualization needs to be accurately projected as well. Lastly, do remember that you're not using a wand. So, even if you do everything perfectly, you will still need a lot of practice before you're able to summon the magic."

With everything explained, the sensei started teaching the basic handseals to the students one by one, even explaining the meaning of each.

"The HandSeal patterns of each Jutsu are quite long. If you want to shorten it to a few Hand Seals, you need to understand the functioning of each seal." This was the reason why they couldn't simply cram the Hand Seal Pattern of any Jutsu.

After she'd explained everything, she had the students make each of the hand seals.

"First try forming Ox. Like this."

"Now try Ram. Like this."

There was a big Chart pasted on the wall with the illustration and description of each of the seal and Sayako Sensei would just walked by each of the student who were standing in an orderly fashion with some distance between of them.

At first, the students thought that it was an easy task but after trying it out, they realized that it wasn't as easy as it looked.

"Your fingers are misplaced."

"It's too slack."

"Your hands are not stable."

Sayako Sensei began to point out flaws in each of the students. Every student she passed by, she'd have to correct them.

"Horse."

"You're taking too much time."

"Ram."

"Tighten the grip."

"Bird."

"Wrong, it's like this."

Meanwhile, standing at the back, Axel yawned. While the sensei had first shown the hand signs, he had already memorize and thoroughly practiced each of them. He was just waiting for all these other grunts to catch up so that the sensei can move on to the next stage.

Though at this moment, since the Sensei had reached his position during her rounds, he began to make the Seals like the other students as well. But, when she was passing by Axel, the Sensei suddenly stopped walking.

"Hare."

.

.

"Snake."

'His hands...' she noticed as she called out another Seal. They were perfect for killing, and for seals. Though, what was more surprising, was that the boy was perfectly forming the seals she was calling out. She couldn't find any fault at all!

Sayako Sensei recalled that this was the kid with Lightning Affinity.

.

.

"Bird."

.

"Dog."

"Snake."

"Tiger, Dragon, Rat-BirdDragonOxRamTigerBirdDogBoarSnake!" Previously, she was deliberately taking a pause between each seal so that the series of seals doesn't accidentally result in magic casting. But, after observing Axel for a few seconds, she suddenly increased the pace, watching him intently.

"???!!!" A pleasantly surprised expression appeared on her face when Axel perfectly executed the sequence without batting an eye. As a result,

*Crackle* *Crackle*

Small arcs of lightning began crackling around Axel's fingers, startling him.

"What the—"

His hands jerked at the unfamiliar sensation. Unlike when he was casting through the wand, the electricity was going through his own body instead.

*Ding*

[You have unlocked: Lightning Affinity]

[Current Affinity: 57%]

'Damn...' thought Axel as he looked up, only to find Sayako Sensei looking at him in pure astonishment.

"You..." Sayako Sensei was at a loss of words. Just now, she was so surprised at seeing him perform the spells that she inadvertently called out the hand seals of a lightning Jutsu. It's just one of the things which you just try out while thinking, 'No way, right?' But not only did the boy perfectly perform the hand seals, but he was also able to get results. This shouldn't be possible unless he's already had a lot of practice.

"What's your name, boya?"

"Axel Hunt."

Sayako Sensei smiled as she took Axel's hands in hers and dispelled the remainder of the lightning as she examined his hands.

Calluses, cuts, scars, and hardened Skin. As a veteran, she could tell that these hands have been through a lot. "You have beautiful hands, Axel," she said, letting go. She had her doubts about why a Hogwarts students would have these and how he was able to execute the Jutsu but she decided not to disturb the class over it.

"Take 10 points to your House. You performed the hand seals perfectly," she said with a smile before moving on. "Stay behind after the class, I need to ask you some things."

The boys of the class felt envious of Axel. They were also trying very hard to impress the beautiful sensei, but all they got was critisism.

Meanwhile, some of the students suddenly remembered something as well.

'Wait—weren't his hands...'

Rose looked at Axel's hands. It was only at this moment she realized that with his injured hands, he shouldn't be able to cast do these Seals at all. So how come he's able to be the best at this as well? She had become so used to him being better than her that she'd completely forgotten about this. This guy, she clearly remembered Aunty Andromeda telling her to take care of him since he might never be able to recover.

'Has he... recovered?' She wondered, causing her to shudder. Just the thought of it gave her the chills for some reason.

The rest of the class was spent with the Sensei correcting others on the hand seals, though she still didn't teach them any Jutsu, making Axel bored.

Even though it was boring for Axel, Daphne seemed to be enjoying herself. Unlike the morning class's physical training, this was much easier for her.

After the class was over, they were tasked to practice Hand Seals to perfection so that they could move on to the next stage.

"I'm waiting outside. Tell me what it is about, k?"

After the class was over, Daphne reluctantly left him since Sayako Sensei had asked him to wait after the class.

As the last of the students trickled out, Sayako Sensei turned around to smile at him, "Boya, answer truthfully. Have you received training in this magic before?"

Axel looked at her in bewilderment. "No, how would I?"

Sayako Sensei seriously looked at him for a while and seemed to believe him. "This complicates things."

Axel frowned, "What does that mean?"

"Copy my movements." She said as her hands formed a series of hand seals. Frowning, Axel followed her movements and as a ball of flames was formed in Sayako Sensei's hands, a flame the size of candle light was generated in his hand as well.

Sayako Sensei looked at Axel deeply, "So, it really wasn't a coincidence."

"What does that mean?"

Sayako Sensei sighed as she explained. "Hand Seal Jutsu is actually very difficult to learn. After all, there is a reason why wand-magic is taught to our students despite having this. As I said earlier, even if a wizard is able to form hand seals perfectly, the magic will not necessarily be summoned if he's new to Hand Seal magic."

Axel frowned. That wasn't the case for him, right?

"Yes, a normal wizard needs time and practice before their circuits are able to summon magic through Hand Signs. For the next few classes, your fellow classmates are going to be practicing basic hand seals and a basic Jutsu. I'm just informing you to let you know that you won't be learning anything in the next few classes since you've already done it. I won't blame you if you choose not to attend."

Hearing this, Axel frowned. It's not really a surprise that he's different. After all, his diet, training, and skills have made him quite unordinary. Plus, he's not even crippled anymore, so he's going to be the best at nearly everything. But, there was an issue. He looked at Sayako Sensei.

"Sensei, am I the only person who's different from others in this aspect?" This was the main issue. If this was the case, then he's going to try his best to deny his earlier claim of not having received prior training. After all, it would be troublesome if others are curious.How? Well there are a excuses he give, like he found a scroll, or he was taught by an old man, etc.

Thankfully, Sayako Sensei shook her head with a smile, "It's not unprecedented. In fact, there are a few other students who were able to do this as well. Some are even monsters with multiple affinities. In Mahoutokoro, these students can receive special training, if they desire since attending normal classes is a waste of their talent."

Special Training? this appealed to Axel. Hand Seal magic suits him quite well due to his talents. It would be good if he can learn as much as he can as fast as possible.

"Can I receive this special training?" He asked.

Sayako Sensei shook her head helplessly, "It's difficult. We have limited teachers here at Hogwarts and you're not a student of Mahoutokoro. And even if we ignore this fact, Lightning Affinity is quite rare..." She said, making Axel shrug in disappointment.

"But… there's one person who can teach you. But, she'll only do it if she finds it interesting."

There is someone? "Who is it? Does this person also have the lightning Affinity?"

Sensei gave him a mysterious smile, "She's a student. But, her qualifications are enough to be a professor. As for her affinity, let's not talk about it. I'll ask her if she's interested, though don't have much hope. You can go now, your friend is waiting for you," she said, glancing mischievously towards the faraway entrance of the Arena where Daphne was still peeking, unable to hear the conversation.

Axel hesitated, "Sensei, If possible, I don't want anyone to know about this." he said before leaving. This was all he could ask. And It won't be a big deal even if others knew though.

After all, he was still holding back a lot while he performed this. Just like how he has to hold back to lower the output of his magic in other classes. He hadn't even used [Magic Hands].

As he came out, he found Daphne casually leaning against the wall outside, as if she wasn't peeking just a few moments ago. "What was it about?"

Axel shrugged, "Apparently, I'm too advanced, so I can skip a few classes." He said casually as they both headed for the Great Hall for lunch.

"Oh... that was it?"

"Yeah. What do we have after this? Any more Mahoutokoro Classes?" Asked Axel. He was finding these classes a bit interesting.

Daphne shook her head. "We only have normal classes left for today. The Mahoutokoro classes will be tomorrow: Stealth & Espionage and Weapon-Welding & Hand-to-hand Combat."

'These ones?' Axel frowned just hearing the subjects. He was still wondering what to do with these classes. For the stealth class, he could actually teach the Sensei instead. But, he can't really show any of his skills or talents there, can he? Rumors of a thief are already circulating in Hogwarts after he stole everything Damien Malcolm owned. And if he shows off even a quarter of his Stealth abilities, he might become a suspect.

As for Weapon welding & Hand-to-hand Combat, he doesn't want to show much of his combat ability since he wants the Organization to underestimate him. When they come after him, if they underestimate him, they'll be much more rash in their attempts. After all, who would be cautious against a 12 year old?

"Though, there is actually something to look forward to tonight as well," said Daphne.

"What is it?"

Daphne looked at him weirdly. "You don't know?"

"Nope."

"... Sigh. Why am I not surprised? Anyways, a friendly exchange is going to happen here in this dueling arena tonight, just for the students to assess each other's dueling ability."

Axel's eyes widened at that. For real? It seems like he should pay more attention to the happenings of the castle. If Daphne hadn't told him, he'd have missed it while doing his usual training.

Daphne sighed, "So, are you going to participate?" Daphne had never seen the true extent of Axel's abilities. But ever since he's healed, she always gets this feeling that he'll be able to do anything.

Axel seemed to think about it. "No. It's troublesome"

Daphne was relieved, but also puzzled, "Though, isn't Quidditch also troublesome? Why did you participate in that?"

"That is a different matter," Axel replied. Quidditch is much better alternative to attract attention. After all, the organization wouldn't be threatened if he can fly well on a broom and catch snitches. But it would be a different matter altogether if he's a duelist who can beat the best of both schools.

Though, Daphne the pitiful girl was drawing different conclusions. 'Of course it's different. One has a beautiful and influential team Captain who'd give in to your every demand while the other doesn't...'

"What is it?" Seeing Daphne deep in thought Axel waved his hand in front of her.

"Hm?" Daphne shook her head as she managed a smile, "Nothing, I'll save you a seat tonight."

...

That evening, Axel was so busy with his training that he forgot about the dueling exchange. After changing into a clean set of clothes, he decided that might as well go and take a look to see if it's still going on. After all, he was quite curious about the magic of these ninjas.

Even as he ascended the stairs, he could tell that it wasn't over yet due to the noise of the crowd. When he finally reached the Dueling Arena, he found that the arena had been expanded due to the large audience and it was still completely full, with many students having to stand due to the lack of seats. A match was currently going on in the main circuit.

Two boys were standing in the circuit, one of them was Cedric Diggory, the tall dark haired boy with chiseled features, and the other one was Endo Yuji, the spiky hair guy with sharp eyes. Both the boys were quite handsome, hence the crowd's enthusiasm, especially the female audience.

With his enhanced eyesight, Axel quickly spotted Daphne and made his way over.

Pushing through a bunch of fangirls cheering for Cedric, he finally reach Daphne who was distractedly looking at her Magi-mirror. She had a few books piled on the seat beside her.

When she looked up, she scowled, "Why the fuck do you never pick up a call?"

?? Axel took out his Magi-mirror to see a number of calls from her. "I've told you. It usually stays in my pouch."

Daphne sighed. She had been worried for nothing. She removed the books from the seat beside her. "It was a pain in the ass, but I saved you a seat."

Axel looked around. Sure enough, in this whole arena, there was maybe only one seat empty right now. There were many students currently standing around them as well. "Thanks," he said, taking his seat. It really must have been quite a hassle to save.

Daphne smiled, "Anything," her murmur was drowned in the cheers of audience. She had to come half an hour earlier than the start to get these seats. Right now, she felt that it was worth it.

Pushing some bitches out of his way, Axel looked down at the circuit where the match was about to start. Professor Flitwick was the referee.

"Start!" He squeaked, his wand ready to prevent any accidents.

At once, Cedric fired a stunner at Endo. Endo jumped over spell while his hands quickly formed Seals.

"Wind Blades!"

Green blades of wind were fired at Cedric, who hand to use a Shield Charm to protect himself.

BANG! BANG!

The crowd cheered as they felt the shockwaves of that clash.

While Cedric was shielding, Endo had already sent a storm of wind at him, almost causing him to be blown away. But Cedric stuck one of his feet to the floor with the sticking charm as he sent blasting spells at the ground in front of Endo. Even while dodging, Endo was thrown off a bit, but his Hands didn't stop making seals.

"This is enough. Be glad you've forced me to use this." He stated with disdain as he suddenly turned into a green blurr.

Alarmed, Cedric tried firing spells at him but it was all in vain as he got a hard punch to his face in the next moment, the sound of which was barely audible even through the shouts of the crowd.

!!!!

Amidst the cheers of the Mahoutokoro students, Endo looked provocatively at the Hogwarts students, as if asking if this this was all they had.

"Well, this is bad," said Daphne, a bit worried.

Axel frowned. "What's wrong?"

"These duels are being recorded and live casted by several news agencies." She said, pointing at the reporters at the side. "Since the world is curious, they're going to get views worldwide. Hogwarts is going to look bad if we lose since this is not even their best duelist."

Axel furrowed his eyebrows. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to give a fuck.

There was a pause in which several students hesitated to go and some even stood up. It's not like Hogwarts didn't have better wizards, it's just that they were a bit intimidated by that punch earlier and didn't want to be at the recieving end of it, if possible. Though, at this moment, someone from the crowd shouted: "MARTINA!"

Martina who was simply sitting in a far corner, peacefully spending her time analysing the Hand Seal Magic: ??? What did I do?

Before she had a chance to do anything, more voices began shouting her name, and soon, the whole of Hogwarts was cheering for her.

"""MARTINA! MARTINA! MARTINA!..."""

...

A.N.: Damn it word count is already exceeding 3k. More fights in next chapter.

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