22 Magic Hour

After witnessing Rowan's miraculous reappearance, Enid, Ezra, and Wednesday sat in the courtyard. Ezra turned to Wednesday and asked, "What made you follow Rowan into the woods?"

Wednesday replied flatly, "I had a vision of his death. That's why I was sure he was dead."

Ezra's curiosity was piqued. "So you saw Rowan's death when you touched him. What did you see when you touched me?" he asked. 

Enid perked up at this, also curious to know Wednesday's vision about Ezra.

"It's not important," Wednesday said dismissively.

"Come on, Addams. That only makes me more curious," Ezra pressed with a playful grin.

Wednesday stood abruptly. "I have to go to my therapy session," she stated, clearly wanting to avoid continuing the topic. She turned and strode away across the courtyard.

Enid then said, "I have to get to my club meetings. But we're still on for tonight, behind the greenhouse, right?" 

"Absolutely," Ezra confirmed with a smile. "I'm looking forward to it."

Enid gave a little wave and hurried off.

…

Ezra made his way to the edge of the woods. He had slipped away after dinner, not wanting anyone to know where he was going or what he was up to.

He needed to become stronger if he was going to face that creature again. Who knew when it might attack next? Ezra refused to be caught unprepared.

Stepping past the first line of trees, Ezra headed deeper into the woods. The faint hoot of an owl and the rustle of leaves were the only sounds. Once he felt he was a sufficient distance from the school, Ezra stopped in a small clearing. Looking around warily, he pulled out his wand and quickly got to work.

He started with some simple spells - levitation, summoning, banishing. The charms came easily as if no time had passed since his days at Hogwarts. Muscle memory-guided his movements, the spells flowing from his wand with practiced finesse.

After warming up, Ezra moved on to more common magic. He cast powerful stunning and shield spells, imagining defending against the monster's blows. With another flick of his wand, Ezra made vines burst from the ground, thick as snakes, which he directed to entangle an imaginary foe.

Next, Ezra took a deep breath and steadied himself. He had never attempted such dangerous spells outside of the controlled environment of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. But these were desperate times that called for desperate measures.

With a swift, precise movement, Ezra slashed his wand through the air while bellowing, "Fulgur!"

A crackling bolt of lightning erupted from the tip of his wand, scorching a nearby tree and leaving a smoking, charred gash in the bark. Ezra's heart pounded with exhilaration and pride at this display of power.

Yet he knew he needed even more firepower if he hoped to defeat the monster. Gritting his teeth in concentration, Ezra aimed his wand at a large boulder and shouted, "Bombarda!"

The boulder exploded into a shower of stone fragments with a deafening blast. Ezra dove behind a tree to avoid the shrapnel. His ears were ringing, but a thrill coursed through him.

Ezra got to his feet, emboldened. He leveled his wand at another boulder, picturing the creature's grotesque face. "Confringo!" he bellowed.

The boulder erupted in a blazing fireball, disintegrating into ashes and cinders. The wave of heat from the blast ruffled Ezra's hair. He smiled in satisfaction, sensing his magic growing stronger.

For his next spell, Ezra aimed at a fallen log, visualizing one of the monster's limbs. "Diffindo!"

The log was sliced cleanly in two as if cut by a giant, invisible blade. Ezra nodded, pleased with his precision and control. He would continue his practice until he was ready to test his skills against the real thing.

After unleashing that barrage of spells, Ezra caught his breath, his heart pounding with exhilaration. He always felt the most alive when using his magic, something he rarely got a chance to do since coming to this strange new world. Magic was innately part of him it felt right to embrace it fully once more.

…

Back in his dorm room, Ezra lounged on his bed, idly playing with Ash while trying to focus on homework. But his mind kept wandering back to the monster attack during the festival. He couldn't stop thinking about the immense clawed beast that had nearly killed him. It was an overall humbling experience for him who had a good record in Dueling Club.

The creature was like nothing he had ever encountered, even in the magical world he came from. Ezra came to the conclusion it must have had some form of magic resistance similar to trolls, or dragons. Perhaps she had prevented a tragedy by following Rowan into the woods, if that was actually Rowan they saw. There were still so many mysteries surrounding this place that he didn't understand.

Ezra sighed and gave up on making any more progress with his schoolwork. He decided to get ready for his evening plans instead. Changing into a casual button-down shirt and jeans, he gave himself a spritz of cologne and made sure his hair looked presentable.

He was excited for his secret rendezvous with Enid behind the greenhouse. Ever since sharing that romantic kiss on the Ferris wheel, there was an undeniable connection growing between them. He had to admit they had chemistry, although the circumstances were complicated. Still, he looked forward to spending more time with Enid and getting to know her better. She tended to bring out a joyful, and carefree side of him.

With a final check of his appearance, Ezra headed out the door, giving Ash an affectionate scratch before leaving. The phoenix chirped happily in response.

Ezra took a roundabout path across the quad, not wanting to draw attention to where he was headed. Dusk was falling over the campus, the sunset casting an orange glow on the gothic stone buildings. He nodded cordially to a few other students but didn't stop to chat, intent on not being late for his rendezvous.

Ezra sat down on the grass behind the greenhouse and stared up at the night sky. The stars here seemed so similar yet subtly different from the constellations he knew from back home. He wondered if he'd ever gaze upon those familiar stars again or if he was destined to remain in this peculiar new world.

Lost in thought, he didn't notice Enid's arrival until she spoke. "Hey, Ezra. Sorry, I'm a little late."

He turned and smiled at her. "No problem at all. You look nice tonight."

Enid smiled back, her eyes glancing over his outfit. "Thanks, so do you! I guess I did a good job picking out those clothes for you."

Ezra laughed. "I suppose you're really just complimenting your own fashion sense then."

"Maybe so," Enid replied with amusement. "But I believe the man makes the clothes, not the other way around."

"Can't argue with that logic," Ezra said, grinning.

Enid plopped herself down on the grass next to Ezra. "Alright, let's get started. I've got a lot of questions for you!"