"Think of magic like water in a bowl. Younger Wizards start out with a small bowl or even just a cup of water. The way to trigger accidental magic is to feel strong emotions, like anger, which would be like shaking the bowl, some magic is bound to splash out. Also magic isn't 'in' a wizard you are just a bowl in a vast ocean of magic. Magic flows in from the world naturally and wizards are just harnessing the power as it flows through. As such that it way learning spells for control is needed for as a wizard grows, so does their magic container, which can break turning them into an obscurial. Which is a very dangerous magical creature." 

Some of the classes that weren't self-study were still good, like history of magic. We got a lot of theoretical work on what magic is, how it was used throughout the ages, Who were famous wizards for discovering new spells and new effects of magical ingredients. Dumbledore popped up a lot, but his introductions were very brief with Professor West saying we'll be learning more about him since there's like a whole section on his accomplishments. 

People in class were like revering Dumbledore, which made me believe he like died a martyr or something but when I asked about it everyone gave me a weird look, a pitiful look, then just said "He's still alive today." Which shocked me a little. I don't really care too much about it so I just stopped asking questions after that. 

As for my free time, I still like quodpot a lot, Some of the team has said they'd scout me early for the beater position so I jumped at the chance to get some pointers. I'm not allowed to mess with any of the balls without an older student but I asked if I could borrow an extra beater bat to just practice on my own with friends and they agreed. The whole baseball I enchanted has really helped me a lot with sensing incoming projectiles given that the team is interested in me. 

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While I was the one who suggested it to get my friends to stop pestering me about my self-study I kind of regret it now, Since now I constantly have my guard up outside of classrooms and the library. I gave Colbolt and Raphael my baseball and now they launch it at me at random times.  At first they refused since they thought it would be bullying me but after repeated attempts to try and give me pointers on newer spells and I ignored them they started using it to try and get my attention. 

In the library we we're looking through illnesses trying to find one that matched the effects of what's been happening since it's been getting worse, like way worse. We saw one kid hobbling out of class and then just fell forward fainted. He was taken to the hospital immediately but a lot of people were worried now especially the professors since it seems whatever cure they were using wasn't working. 

"So it could be Ague, it has all the symptoms but there's never been an exposed case like this before." Raphael stated his head still buried in a book. 

"Yeah but this illness started early on, the cure in there is supposed to be simple to find. So it can't be it." I say in reply. 

Colbolt chimed in, "Well what if the ashwinder eggs aren't working and the professors are trying to make the potion? It's supposed to be a finicky potion to make so their just trying to make it safe for consumption? There's no recorded epidemic of Ague in the last 4 centuries." 

"Why don't we go to the professors and ask? I know you'll tell me it's a wasted effort, but now that we've got an idea maybe they'll tell us more." Raphael stated this time looking at me. 

"I mean... I guess that's a good idea, but are we completely sure is Ague?" 

"There's no other diseases that has these symptoms, recorded at least. It's our best shot." Raphael replied. 

"Then let's go." 

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The trio headed to the hospital wing, and they had a valid reason too since that Tom had been affected. They tried to visit him every week but he was severely ill and the nurse repeatedly would send people away for fear they would also become infected. 

"Hello. What are you guys doing here, Visiting Thomas Graves?" Madam Smallflower asked.  

"So uh, we wanted to know ask some things." 

"Dears, You know we can't tell you anything, for you should be focusing on your classwork on not on some silly old cough." 

"We know, but we just wanted to confirm something. Is it Ague? We did research on our own and that's the only thing we could come up with." Colbolt and Raphael nodded with Nathan. The nurse sighed. 

"I know you guys won't stop pestering me until I tell you something, but you've seemed to have figured it out yourselves. We are working on the potion right now so we don't need any meddling students in this matter. Now off you get." She herded the group the the curtained area where Tom was in bed. 

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"Hey, Tom. So we've clued out the cure and it's coming along well. Soon you'll be up and running again just fine." I speak to Tom, who's seemingly asleep. 

"Yeah, and the Quidditch game between Horned Serpent and Wampus went down. Horned Serpent lost, but Nate says that's because quidditch is stupid and if it was a quodpot game we would have won." Colbolt says trying to get a sort of reaction from him. 

The fainting intervals were getting more frequent and the people affected would stay asleep for longer and longer, greatly worrying everyone. Granted we did hear that the potion is on the way so that's a little bit of worry eased. Though I have a itching feeling in my gut something isn't quite right. Like they still aren't telling us something, which is true we didn't get anything except confirmation to our own theories but she could have just been humoring us. 

"You're going to have to train like hell though, Nate is getting super good at Quidditch now, so much so the seniors taught him the sticking charm. If you want to maintain your rivalry that is." A twitch of the fingers was all we got in reply, but we did feel a little better since maybe he heard us? Tom isn't asleep all the time though, but even when awake he has to remain in the Hospital wing so we bring his books and assignments here as often as we can, even though a lot of the classes aren't requiring classwork till the sickness dies down. 

____________________

After the check-up the three of us are sitting at are usual window table silently. Raphael is the first to speak. 

"So it's a relief that the cure is on the way. Tom will be back to his old self in no time." We remain silent. I look up at the two of them, with Raph looking hopeful and Col looking frustrated. Col replied with a slightly angry tone. 

"Yeah, but what can we do about it? Nothing, but watch and wait. I just wish we could do more for him, for everyone. We have magic, how come we're this helpless?" 

"Well it's not like we could brew the potion, I've read that if improperly brewed it would be deadly, and none of us are potion masters. We haven't even had a potion class yet!" I try to convince Col even though I don't believe it either. There's got to be something we can do. 

Raph starts saying something but I don't pay attention since I watch the school inspector walk past our table holding a book with a frustrated look. I get up and slowly peek my head around the bookshelves where the inspector was headed. 

"Nate, what are you doing?" I shush Raph and continue peeking. On a table covering in piles of books, Inspector Ipsid looks distraught, his head between his hands. He's muttering something but I can't hear as the whole area is covered with a fuzzy buzzing noise. He slams his hands onto the table, and a few books fall down, but silently since the buzzing noise seemed to cut off all sound. He looks up and I dash my head back and sit down, as Inspector Ipsid rushes past our table again, empty handed. 

I walk over to the area, nonchalantly, and the buzzing is gone. I grab one of the books that fell down, and read the binding out loud. 

"Myths & Legends of the Ilvermorny Castle"