260
School hero
🎓

It takes you just an instant to decide.

Whipping out your wand you cry "Fiel fresa fusila fuego!" and flames shoot out, bathing the dungeon in flickering light. Not while you still have a clear head and a straight wand will you let these insects take over! You are going to fight them every step of the way, starting with Azog!

Azog is too nimble to be caught so easily though and leaps out of the way.

"You will regret your choice Arthur," screams the spider king in outrage. "Insects, attack!"

From out of cracks in the walls, ceiling and floor crawl millions upon millions of arthropods: beetles, woodlice, ants, millipedes, earwigs, spiders in a great stream heading straight for you.

This time you don't hesitate. If you stay you will be surrounded and overwhelmed.

"Daniel, run!" you say as you turn and flee.

Your heart pounding, you and Daniel run back out of the dungeon up towards the school. You have a plan.

When you reach the enchanted door that leads down into the dungeon you dash through, Daniel just behind you, and slam it shut. You can hear the enchanted locking mechanism clicking shut.

There's only one way for the insects to get past the door now - through the keyhole. You turn and wait, your wand at the ready. Daniel stands next to you, prepared.

As soon as you see the first hairy little leg poking out of the keyhole you use your wand as a flamethrower shouting "fiel fresa fusila fuego" again and again until your voice is hoarse. Daniel joins you adding his flames to yours.

The air is full of the harsh high pitched cries of dying arthropods and the sizzle of roasting chitin. But still the insects come, propelled onwards by the Great Azog's iron will.

You and Daniel are getting tired now, your arm is sore from being held up so long and you can feel your reserves of magical energy running out. You cannot hold out much longer.

For a moment the magical fire from your wand flickers and dies.

Then three things happen simultaneously:

One: Azog, sensing his chance, launches himself through the keyhole aiming straight for your face.

Two: Slumblebore runs round the corner to see you battling the numberless insect foe on your own.

Three: your faltering spell was a ruse. You have enough magical power for one last enchantment, but this time it won't be a fireball...

"Somnolencia salchicha sabrosa!" you cry pointing at your wand at Azog as he flies through the air towards you.

Then...

Azog, leaping through the air fangs at the ready, is unable to change direction. Just as your wand arm comes up he reaches the tip of the wand, and has no time to avoid the sleep spell which blasts him right in the middle of his eight little compound eyes.

Even the great Azog cannot withstand such a concentrated blast of magic at point blank range. He is blasted backwards, fast asleep and snoring before he even hits the stone wall behind him.

With Azog out of action the rest of the arthropod horde lose all cohesion. When Slumblebore cautiously opens the door to the dungeon they are fleeing in all directions, and will trouble the school no more. Slumblebore lets off a few more blasts of fire to encourage them on their way.

"You did it Arthur!" cries Daniel. "You saved the school - the evil has gone - and you have captured Azog alive!"

You stand still and listen carefully. Daniel is right. You cannot sense the insects any longer. The dungeons have been cleansed.

"Well done indeed Arthur," and Slumblebore, turning back to you. "I had a feeling that you were the special one. Without you I fear we would have been overrun by insects by now."

"It was Eric Knid," you say to Slumblebore. "It was Professor Knid who summoned the insect army, with Azog the spider king. He is down in the dungeon now unconscious. Azog bit him."

"Eric did you say? Well I'm not surprised. He always struck me as a bit of an odd fish. Nevermind we will pick him up in the morning and I shall give him an official reprimand. And if he does it again I will have no choice but to put him on a performance improvement plan."

"But you Arthur, what else can I give you but my most heartfelt thanks." You can't suppress a broad grin. You did it! You defeated Azog and his insect army single handed, using your magical strength and cleverness!

Slumbelbore continues: "You truly are a hero Arthur, a hero of Hogsnorts School."