Chapter 3
CHARMS AND CRYSTALS
"Good morning class! I am glad to see you all out here and ready to begin." stated Professor Silverbough.
"I would like to get better acquainted with each of you today, as well as you all learn new things about each other. Before we head to the garden I would like to know if anyone here can tell me the meaning of my name." she smiled.
Hermione squinted with knowing something just on the tip of her tongue but for once it was not her hand that answered the question.
"Yes Mr. Longbottom?" Silverbough said
"Silverbough is the apple tree used to make wands for charming" he stuttered.
"Fantastic answer Mr. Longbottom! 10 points to Gryffindor." she announced.
The Professor turned towards the garden and waved her arm for the class to follow her.
"Um, Professor?" Neville said in a squeaky tone
"Yes Mr. Longbottom?" she paused
"The rest of your name, Madam, it is related to the catnip plant" he strained. There were giggles of disbelief among the students until the Professor spoke again.
"Why Mr. Longbottom! Another 10 points to Gryffindor for your superb knowledge in herbatology." she said clearly.
Neville was slapped on the back by several of the Gryffindor boys as they passed him to walk down the field. He was blushing to his roots knowing he had never won so many points before.
~*~
"Balls!" That is what the new charms teacher had for the class the first day, and Hermione was not amused.
"Honestly, you would think was some sort of physical education class and not a seventh year charms class," Hermione waved her right hand dismissive at the table on which a large assortment of colored balls, about the size of baseballs, was located.
"Well, just keep an open mind," Harry encouraged her, with Ron soon jumping in delightedly to add a little salt to her minor wound,
"Yeah, like you are always telling us!" he grinned.
Hermione sighed as Professor Silverbough walked to the front of the group of seventh years and addressed them,
"I thought we might get started with a little game of catch, just to loosen everyone up a bit. Divide into groups of two, with each group selecting a ball. If my count is correct, we will have one extra student, so someone will have to play catch me."
Instantly a dozen male hands went up, with several faces, including Ron's, pleading,
"Me, me, me."
"Oh, let me see, I understand that Miss Granger is the best student among the seventh years, so I will give her the honor of starting the class with the teacher."
Hermione, still downcast at the idea of an advanced magic class starting with a game of catch, muttered, "Fantastic."
Ron shaking his head, disappointed that the one who would appreciate the chance the least had been chosen, went to the table and got a purple ball with yellow spots for catch with Harry.
"We will throw the balls in synchrony with one another," Professor Silverbough announced, "At my word, the one holding the ball with throw it to the designated partner. Okay, everyone ready? Go!" Ron threw the ball, which felt to him about as heavy as a shotput, underhanded to Harry; and he was amazed when it seemed to just glide easily out of his hands and float at a moderate pace to Harry. He noticed, looking across the field next to the garden ruins where the class was meeting, that each ball seemed to be having a different reaction.
A Slytherin boy throwing to a Hufflepuff boy saw his ball thud into the ground and roll heavily about seven feet, tearing a two inch deep rut through the grass and dirt as it did.
A Ravenclaw boy tossing to a Gryffindor girl saw his ball float lightly up in front of him at 90 degrees for about ten feet and then bounce rather giddily the distance to the girl before gliding down in circles to land quietly at her feet.
The biggest surprise of all, however, came from Hermione's toss. She had halfheartedly tossed the ball with an underhand throw, hoping to give it just enough energy to roll to the professor after it landed a few feet before her. To everyone's amazement, the ball took with the sound of a jet engine, roared to about a hundred feet and then circled Professor Silverbough noisily before going into a roaring dive bomb, only to stop about five inches before her forehead, falling harmlessly and quietly to the ground.
Professor Silverbough smiled at the class of awestruck and curious faces but said nothing as she picked up the ball. Tossing it once into the air playfully, she looked at the class and said,
"Interesting first half of the first round! Now, I want the other partner to toss the ball back. When we are done, we will all switch partners until everyone has been a partner with every other student."
Ron and Harry looked delighted, as did several of the other boys who loved physical activity. Hermione, however, still seemed rather downcast. After catching the ball from the professor, however, Hermione seemed to realize something so that a slight smile emerged on her lips.
Professor Silverbough noticed this and smiled back at Hermione, whose smile increased. She noted that Professor Silverbough then quickly and unobtrusively put a finger straight up before her lips and then removed it. Hermione, stepping in front of her next partner, rather gaily called out, "Play ball, Malfoy?"
Professor Silverbough could not wait to see what was coming next.
~*~
Professor Dumbledore quietly stood at the window of his office watching the class throwing the special balls. As he stroked the head of the lustrous feathered bird perched on his shoulder he remarked,
"Fawkes, I think it is shaping up to be a very interesting and probably eventful year" he said as his eyes twinkled.
Just then Draco Malfoy went skidding three meters across the grass and landed hard on his rear. The ball flew up and came back down quickly as it bounce off the top of his head. Dumbledore stifled a smile as he summoned Poppy to hurry to the western fields as her assistance may be required from a student. He would have to speak with Cataria about her pairing of the students when using charmed objects he mused to himself.
~*~
"Mr. Malfoy," Professor Silverbough began with great concern as she ran over to his side,
"Are you alright?"
Ron, however, was possessed of the biggest facial grin to ever dominate someone's countenance in the history of the British Isles! He was thinking of asking Hermione to become a beater on the Quidditch team as well.
As Ron was pondering sweet dreams of such upcoming Quidditch matches involving Malfoy getting knocked clean off his broom, he felt something bump into his right foot. Looking down, he noticed that one of the balls had rolled to a stop at his feet, starting to roll again once he looked at it. The ball rolled over his foot and continued rolling for about fifty yards as he followed it, snaking its way through the increasingly tall grass as he entered the ruined garden. Finally, he and it came to a stop about a foot away from the base of a large triangular monument whose topped had cracked off over the years.
To Ron's astonishment the ball suddenly began rolling up the steep stone side until it reached the lower end of the cracked top, when it went over and dropped in, only to bounce up and down a few times before rolling down the slope again to land at his feet.
Ron quickly and skillfully scaled the monument and peered inside, finding a rather large and odd shaped crystal that was a little more than half the size of his head.
"Good thing it is not nearly half the size of Percy's head," Ron grinned as he remembered how his twin brothers once teased Percy for being a "big-Head boy" on campus.
Oddly, once the stone was in has hands, it shrunk to about the size of a tennis ball, a very light and unusually shaped tennis ball. Ron saw the professor calling the students to gather around for a first lecture as Madam Pomfrey was levitating Malfoy to the infirmary. He thrust the crystal into his pocket and raced off to join the group, the ball following a little more slowly behind him.
CHARMS AND CRYSTALS
"Good morning class! I am glad to see you all out here and ready to begin." stated Professor Silverbough.
"I would like to get better acquainted with each of you today, as well as you all learn new things about each other. Before we head to the garden I would like to know if anyone here can tell me the meaning of my name." she smiled.
Hermione squinted with knowing something just on the tip of her tongue but for once it was not her hand that answered the question.
"Yes Mr. Longbottom?" Silverbough said
"Silverbough is the apple tree used to make wands for charming" he stuttered.
"Fantastic answer Mr. Longbottom! 10 points to Gryffindor." she announced.
The Professor turned towards the garden and waved her arm for the class to follow her.
"Um, Professor?" Neville said in a squeaky tone
"Yes Mr. Longbottom?" she paused
"The rest of your name, Madam, it is related to the catnip plant" he strained. There were giggles of disbelief among the students until the Professor spoke again.
"Why Mr. Longbottom! Another 10 points to Gryffindor for your superb knowledge in herbatology." she said clearly.
Neville was slapped on the back by several of the Gryffindor boys as they passed him to walk down the field. He was blushing to his roots knowing he had never won so many points before.
~*~
"Balls!" That is what the new charms teacher had for the class the first day, and Hermione was not amused.
"Honestly, you would think was some sort of physical education class and not a seventh year charms class," Hermione waved her right hand dismissive at the table on which a large assortment of colored balls, about the size of baseballs, was located.
"Well, just keep an open mind," Harry encouraged her, with Ron soon jumping in delightedly to add a little salt to her minor wound,
"Yeah, like you are always telling us!" he grinned.
Hermione sighed as Professor Silverbough walked to the front of the group of seventh years and addressed them,
"I thought we might get started with a little game of catch, just to loosen everyone up a bit. Divide into groups of two, with each group selecting a ball. If my count is correct, we will have one extra student, so someone will have to play catch me."
Instantly a dozen male hands went up, with several faces, including Ron's, pleading,
"Me, me, me."
"Oh, let me see, I understand that Miss Granger is the best student among the seventh years, so I will give her the honor of starting the class with the teacher."
Hermione, still downcast at the idea of an advanced magic class starting with a game of catch, muttered, "Fantastic."
Ron shaking his head, disappointed that the one who would appreciate the chance the least had been chosen, went to the table and got a purple ball with yellow spots for catch with Harry.
"We will throw the balls in synchrony with one another," Professor Silverbough announced, "At my word, the one holding the ball with throw it to the designated partner. Okay, everyone ready? Go!" Ron threw the ball, which felt to him about as heavy as a shotput, underhanded to Harry; and he was amazed when it seemed to just glide easily out of his hands and float at a moderate pace to Harry. He noticed, looking across the field next to the garden ruins where the class was meeting, that each ball seemed to be having a different reaction.
A Slytherin boy throwing to a Hufflepuff boy saw his ball thud into the ground and roll heavily about seven feet, tearing a two inch deep rut through the grass and dirt as it did.
A Ravenclaw boy tossing to a Gryffindor girl saw his ball float lightly up in front of him at 90 degrees for about ten feet and then bounce rather giddily the distance to the girl before gliding down in circles to land quietly at her feet.
The biggest surprise of all, however, came from Hermione's toss. She had halfheartedly tossed the ball with an underhand throw, hoping to give it just enough energy to roll to the professor after it landed a few feet before her. To everyone's amazement, the ball took with the sound of a jet engine, roared to about a hundred feet and then circled Professor Silverbough noisily before going into a roaring dive bomb, only to stop about five inches before her forehead, falling harmlessly and quietly to the ground.
Professor Silverbough smiled at the class of awestruck and curious faces but said nothing as she picked up the ball. Tossing it once into the air playfully, she looked at the class and said,
"Interesting first half of the first round! Now, I want the other partner to toss the ball back. When we are done, we will all switch partners until everyone has been a partner with every other student."
Ron and Harry looked delighted, as did several of the other boys who loved physical activity. Hermione, however, still seemed rather downcast. After catching the ball from the professor, however, Hermione seemed to realize something so that a slight smile emerged on her lips.
Professor Silverbough noticed this and smiled back at Hermione, whose smile increased. She noted that Professor Silverbough then quickly and unobtrusively put a finger straight up before her lips and then removed it. Hermione, stepping in front of her next partner, rather gaily called out, "Play ball, Malfoy?"
Professor Silverbough could not wait to see what was coming next.
~*~
Professor Dumbledore quietly stood at the window of his office watching the class throwing the special balls. As he stroked the head of the lustrous feathered bird perched on his shoulder he remarked,
"Fawkes, I think it is shaping up to be a very interesting and probably eventful year" he said as his eyes twinkled.
Just then Draco Malfoy went skidding three meters across the grass and landed hard on his rear. The ball flew up and came back down quickly as it bounce off the top of his head. Dumbledore stifled a smile as he summoned Poppy to hurry to the western fields as her assistance may be required from a student. He would have to speak with Cataria about her pairing of the students when using charmed objects he mused to himself.
~*~
"Mr. Malfoy," Professor Silverbough began with great concern as she ran over to his side,
"Are you alright?"
Ron, however, was possessed of the biggest facial grin to ever dominate someone's countenance in the history of the British Isles! He was thinking of asking Hermione to become a beater on the Quidditch team as well.
As Ron was pondering sweet dreams of such upcoming Quidditch matches involving Malfoy getting knocked clean off his broom, he felt something bump into his right foot. Looking down, he noticed that one of the balls had rolled to a stop at his feet, starting to roll again once he looked at it. The ball rolled over his foot and continued rolling for about fifty yards as he followed it, snaking its way through the increasingly tall grass as he entered the ruined garden. Finally, he and it came to a stop about a foot away from the base of a large triangular monument whose topped had cracked off over the years.
To Ron's astonishment the ball suddenly began rolling up the steep stone side until it reached the lower end of the cracked top, when it went over and dropped in, only to bounce up and down a few times before rolling down the slope again to land at his feet.
Ron quickly and skillfully scaled the monument and peered inside, finding a rather large and odd shaped crystal that was a little more than half the size of his head.
"Good thing it is not nearly half the size of Percy's head," Ron grinned as he remembered how his twin brothers once teased Percy for being a "big-Head boy" on campus.
Oddly, once the stone was in has hands, it shrunk to about the size of a tennis ball, a very light and unusually shaped tennis ball. Ron saw the professor calling the students to gather around for a first lecture as Madam Pomfrey was levitating Malfoy to the infirmary. He thrust the crystal into his pocket and raced off to join the group, the ball following a little more slowly behind him.