"Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises."
—Bathilda Bagshot, A History of Magic
Charms class was well underway, but the students weren't happy about having to practice charms they already knew. Seamus got so fed up he burst out, "Professor, why do we have to do this? We already know these charms! I could perform some of them in my sleep. Can't we learn something new?"
The other students were eager to learn something new as well and quickly took his side.
"Oh-ho! You think you don't have to practice these charms because you already know them? Well, Mr. Finnigan, I'm going to tell you a story about a witch who cast the same spell again and again."
During the Middle Ages there was a witch called Wendelin. She lived during the times of the witch burnings that swept through Europe. She enjoyed being caught and burned at the stake so much that it is said she let herself be caught more than fifty times. Now, Witch Burning was pointless as a real witch or wizard simply had to cast a Flame-Freezing Charm and the flames, instead of burning your flesh just created a gentle tickling sensation. Now, Wendelin enjoyed this feeling and was caught in many different disguises just so she could be burned at the stake. She had performed this charm so often that she wasn't the least bit unconfident that she could produce it perfectly every time. The last time Wendelin was caught she performed the charm as eagerly as the previous times, but something went wrong, instead of the flames creating the tickling sensation, they started to make her itch terribly. Wendelin, being tied up, couldn't get free and the itching continued until she could hardly stand it. She was finally rescued after several hours of this by some wizards who hadn't realized she was indeed in terrible trouble and just thought she was having a bit of fun. When they finally pulled Wendelin down the skin on her legs was so red and blistered she might as well have been burning. One of the wizards quickly performed the right spells to try and heal her, but it was too late. Her legs would itch until the day she died. She was eventually committed to the insane ward of the local magical hospital.
"And that, Mr. Finnigan, is why you should never take for granted being able to perform a charm." Flitwick told them. "Now, on with your work."