Harry, Hermione, and Ron spent the rest of the day learning spells from Gryffindor's book. It was immediately obvious that not all of them would be useful; Godric Gryffindor had created a charm that kept dogs from barking at strangers, but it was highly unlikely they would need to use it. There were hexes that Harry would have loved to use on Malfoy, but he didn't have time to lean them. After we settle the spiders, he promised himself. Then I'll learn the nail-his-foot-to-the-floor spell.
Ron was also picking out spells for Malfoy. "Harry, look at this one, it'll give him a mad compulsion to change his hair to a different wacky style every day. Can you imagine Malfoy showing up at breakfast with a blue Mohawk? And this one- make him think he's a jelly donut!"
"Will you cut that out and do some work for once?" Hermione had been in a bad mood ever since the griffin discovered how to pull her hair. The first time it had snuck up behind her, she screamed and tried to curse it while Harry and Ron laughed. Of course, thinking it was funny the griffin kept repeating the stunt.
Hermione glared at the corner where Galahad sat playing with a chair cushion. She patted her hair almost absentmindedly and returned to her spellwork. "We already know the stunning and impediment charms. Here's a couple that are spider-specific: web-cutting, fang-severing, this one looks interesting, it confuses the images sent to the spider's brain from each eye, separately so that it can't see which direction you're coming from. But it's a bit difficult, so it's probably best used before the spider knows you're there."
Galahad pranced over, abandoning the pile of stuffing and shredded fabric that had once been the cushion. Harry reached up to stroke its wing, and then said, "You must be really glad not to be a statue anymore, Galahad. I wonder what it's like to live for a thousand years."
"Forget the griffin!" Hermione snapped. "Concentrate on the spells!" Galahad reached over and nipped at her hair again.
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Later they each practiced riding on Galahad. It was not very different from riding hippogriffs, so they learned quickly.
Hermione insisted that they get a good night's sleep, so Harry and Ron went up to their dorm early.
Just as he was falling asleep, Harry noticed that Galahad had snuck up the stairs after them and was lying curled up on Neville's bed.
"Know what, Ron?" he said sleepily. "I reckon Gryffindor was a practical joker once, bit like Fred and George. All those spells, and the way his griffin likes to pull hair…"
Ron snored, fast asleep.
Well, I've spun my web and trapped myself. So many new spells without names. So let's have a little audience participation session. If anyone has an idea for the actual incantation to any of the new spells mentioned in this chapter (or another useful spell that you think up yourself), please stick it in your review. Any spells that are not named by the time I write the next (and final) chapter will not be used.