"They might be abandoned. I'll send them back when we're done," Cedric promised, settling in to listen to Alanna's words.

"Will's involved with us, but we do need spells. They can be cast with incantations or nonverbally, but they're stronger with the incantations."

He withdrew his wand, twirling it in his hand. The stick had lost some of its shine, but the power was still thrumming through it. "This is a wand. It's made from special wood and contains a magical core---unicorn hair in my case. That channels our magic."

To demonstrate, he flicks it at the fire and creates a simple flat roof without words, shielding the fire from further snowfall.