Thank yous: adopted from Romance - coding by Tashamon - overlay by Paddy (wands found in the wardrobe) - Harry Potter, spells, locations etc belong to JK Rowling. Graphics from Freepik.com: bricks (Rawpixel.com) - room (Vectorpouch). Story by Paddy

Cries of "Reducto" filled the room, closely followed by a deafening boom as the targets were blasted into millions of pieces. Reducto watched with interest, concentrating on their wand movements, trying to absorb every piece of information while Dumbledore's Army were practising. He wasn't sure how long they'd been visiting the Room of Requirement, but since they first came and started learning expelliarmus even he could see that they'd all gained confidence as well as skill.


Focusing his attention on just one member of Dumbledore's Army he tracked their hand as it moved diagonally, making a sideways V shape before blue light burst from their wand turning the target into a pile of dust. His own attempts were never this good, either fizzling out before they reached the target, or just making it wobble slightly. Maybe he needed tuition from Harry Potter himself rather than just watching the lessons, but Reducto knew that would never happen. He had been spotted by Harry Potter once a few weeks ago, but the boy seemed to think he was imagining things, as if a small brown scaley dragon couldn't possibly exist outside of Hagrid's Hut.


The room became quiet as Dumbledore's Army finished their lesson with a moment of silence for Cedric Diggory. Reducto waited in his hiding space, watching them all leave the room in twos and threes so they wouldn't make it too obvious for anyone watching the corridor. Harry was last to leave, casting his eyes over the room to check for any stragglers, his gaze lingering for a second longer on the column Reducto was hiding behind.


Reducto counted to ten before moving out from behind the column. Checking nobody was there, he flew out to the centre of the room. Holding his wand carefully in his left paw, he moved it in that sideways V shape, said "reducto" and watched with amazement as the blue light flew from the end of his wand towards the table before smashing the table to smithereens.