A/N: Written for the Fanfiction Monopoly Challenge, square: light blue 2, random verb: spark. Also for the Hogwarts Fair 2014, game: Niffler Lucky Dig.
Learning to Create Sparks
Learning how to create sparks was an interesting experience. Harry hadn't the muggle way, but Hermione explained it to him. It sounded complicated. Very complicated. Nothing like waving the wand and muttering a spell and watching little bursts of green or red explode from the tip.
But then again, magic wasn't an easy thing as well. Controlling the colours was tricky, especially when the incantation was no different. Doing it wordlessly was even tricker – but it was meant for a signal. It was more effective in an emergency if they could do it wordlessly. Wordlessly and quickly, and then move on.
So Harry practised. The first few times he got nothing. Hermione managed green sparks on the third try, and battled with turning them red. Ron laughed at that, laughed at how she had the Slytherin colour down pat but struggled with the Gryffindor one. Hermione flushed and pointed out she'd been thinking about Harry's eyes: about that emerald green colour that nobody else's eyes seemed to match. Ron pointed out his hair was a good red if she needed it. She muttered something which turned into a little spat – Harry tuned them out as he focused on producing his own sparks – and by the end of the lesson, Hermoine had her red sparks, Ron had nothing and Harry had a few wounds from when his wand had unexpectedly sparked yellow like a live-wire.
It took the next day for him to get the colours, but once he managed that, the spell came to him naturally. The sparks shot out of his wand and went as far as he willed them to go, right up into the sky with the stars. And he'd use that many times afterwards: during games of war, in the Triwizard Tournament, at Dumbledore's funeral…
Those little things that marked his quest to learning that spell were quickly forgotten in those increasingly darker times.
