New Chapter! Please review! :)
Previously...
The students began to speak the spell aloud as professor Kilmont went around listening to them and correcting them. When she reached the front of the classroom once more, she called the class to attention, "well done! You have done a fantastic job. Now for homework," she smiled at her pupils, "I know you will dislike me for this but I want an essay on the different shield charms and their uses. Two rolls of parchment should suffice. Next week, we will have a practical lesson so just bring your wands. See you next week."
That evening after dinner, Lily decided to go to the library. She wanted to start her essay. She asked the rest of the Gryffindor girls if they wanted to join her. Alice and Marlene merely laughed and Mary excused herself. Kate on the other hand, smiled saying "oh yes please. I want to get it done as soon as possible. Maybe we could research together. Professor Kilmont has told us what we need to know about protego but there are four more charms. We could take two each and then exchange notes?"
"That sounds like a great idea. How about we make notes in the library tonight and then write the essay in the common room tomorrow night. I can't imagine we will get any homework tomorrow. We only have charms. We could even work on the essay in the afternoon."
The two girls quickly made their way to the library and began researching the different spells. Lily focused on Protego Duo and Protego Horribilis whilst Kate researched Protego Totalum and Protego Maxima. They quickly lost track of the time, and before they realised it, it was nearly curfew. They quickly packed up their things and made their way back to the common room.
When Lily and Kate arrived back at the common room, they found the other first years all huddled round the fire. Potter and Black were playing wizarding chess. Alice was reading one of her textbooks. Marlene was watching Potter and Black's game avidly. Lupin was lying on the floor working on his essay. Pettigrew was snoring loudly in an armchair and Mary was talking to a second year girl that Lily didn't recognise.
"Hey guys," Lily said as she walked over to her new friends. They nodded quickly before returning to what they were already doing. Lily leaned down and asked Lupin, "how is your essay coming?"
"Not bad. It's very interesting. Protego totalum for instance can protect not only the caster but a small area around them. It creates a sort of bubble. It really is a fantastic bit of spell work."
Lily smiled at Lupin before standing up and saying to the group as a whole, "right, I'm off to bed. See you tomorrow."
The next morning, James repeated his routine from the day before, going for a morning fly on one of the school broomsticks before breakfast. At breakfast he asked the other boys, "we have the afternoon off today. Do you fancy hanging out by the lake? It's really sunny out."
Frank frowned, "sorry. I promised Alice I would work with her in the library."
"Alice! Wow. Well I hope you get lots of work done." James winked.
"It's not like that and you know it. We're just doing our essays together." Frank said as he turned a bright pink colour.
"What about you Sirius?" James chuckled.
"Yeah, I'm in." Sirius smiled at his new best friend.
"Lupin? Pettigrew?"
Pettigrew replied first, barely able to get the words out he was so excited, "ye-eah. That would be so-o cool."
Lupin on the other hand bit his lip gently, "We really should work on our homework."
"We could take it with us?" Pettigrew asked.
James frowned, he didn't want to work on his essay, but Pettigrew's words had been enough to talk Lupin into joining them. "If I can do my essay by the lake then sure."
After breakfast, Lily made her way towards her charms lesson with her friends. They had this class with the Hufflepuff first years. Professor Flitwick was a tiny man. He smiled at the new students in front of him. From the back of the classroom, Sirius and James could barely see him. "Welcome to my classroom. I am Professor Flitwick, the head of Ravenclaw house and the charms teacher. You will have charms class twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. You will have the chance to learn some very useful charms, such as; wingardium leviosa, Accio and Aguamenti. All three of which are common household charms. Who can tell me what they do?"
Alice's had shot up, "Wingardium leviosa causes objects to levitate."
Professor Flitwick clapped his hands, "very good, you are very close indeed, miss…"
"Prewitt."
"Very good, indeed. Ten points to Gryffindor. Anyone else?" Lily raised her hand shyly, she had read something in her new charms textbook about 'Arguamenti' "Yes, Miss?"
"Arguamenti produces water from the casters wand."
"Fantastic! And your name, miss?"
"Lily Evans."
"Ten points, Miss Evans." Flitwick smiled to himself. A Hufflepuff boy told Professor Flitwick that Accio was the summoning charm, earning himself ten points for Hufflepuff. "This year you will learn several different charms, starting with Wingardium Leviosa, the Hover charm. Now you may struggle with the hover charm but I am sure you will all have managed it by the time you leave my classroom today. Now quickly take out your quills and parchment and make notes. The hover charm is very similar to the levitation spell as it does indeed lift objects high into the air. However, it is slightly different as it allows one to magically move the object as well. The stronger the charm the heavier the object you will be able to make hover. By the time you leave this school, I do not doubt you would be able to place a successful hover charm on me." Professor Flitwick chuckled.
"Now the incantation is 'Win-GAR-dee-um Lev-ee-OH-sa'. Lets see if we can practice that without wands." The room began to fill with the sound of eleven year olds incanting "Win-GAR-dee-um Lev-ee-OH-sa."
After several moments, Flitwick stood on top of a pile of books to get the class's attention once more, "well done. Now, as for the hand movement, swish and flick." Flitwick demonstrated, lifting a book from his desk. "Now in front of each of you, you will find a feather. For the rest of the class I want you to practice the hover charm on your feather."
James and Sirius sat talking at the back of the classroom. "This is so boring." Sirius said.
"You haven't even tried," laughed James.
"Neither have you!" Sirius replied.
"Fine, wingardium leviosa," he said as he performed the hand action, "there you go. I can't do it."
Sirius chuckled to himself. James watched as Lily's feather lifted from her desk and floated high into the air. "Well done, Miss Evans. Twenty points to Gryffindor."
By the end of the lesson, most of the class had successfully performed the hover charm. Pettigrew had still not managed it and looked incredibly disappointed. "I have several tasks for you to do for homework. Firstly, you will practice your hover charms. If you can, perhaps try lifting heavier objects. Secondly, you will look up the levitation spell 'Levioso'. I want half a roll of parchment on its history – it is one of the earliest spells recorded. In your essay could you also tell me why the hover charm is, shall we say more useful, than the levitation spell. Thirdly, and finally, half a roll of parchment on the locomotor charm, explaining how you would perform the charm and its various uses. We will be performing both the levitation charm and locomotor charm next lesson, so be prepared. Good day."
The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students all made their way towards the Great Hall for lunch. "I can't believe how much homework he gave us!" complained Sirius.
"Yeah. It's ridiculous." James replied.
"We might be better focusing on the charms homework today. We have charms again on Thursday." Lupin added. James and Sirius sighed.
After lunch the Gryffindor boys made their way out towards the lake. They sat beneath a large tree. Lupin quickly got out his charms book and parchment and quill, getting on with his essay. James and Sirius sat talking about the Gryffindor girls. "That Evans is awfully feisty!" James commented.
"She already dislikes you!" Sirius laughed.
"I have no idea what I've done." James smiled.
"That McKinnion girl is pretty. You know the one with the black hair."
"Yeah… Lily has nice eyes." James replied.
"Nice eyes?" Sirius laughed.
That night Sirius and James worked on their charms essays'. "I hate Flitwick!" Sirius complained, "This is going to take all night."
James had almost finished his first essay and he knew that despite his complaining Sirius was almost finished too. James looked across the room, to where Lupin was helping Pettigrew with his essay. He could hear Remus saying, "The levitation spell (levioso) is a charm that levitates objects. It is one of the earliest recorded spells in the wizarding world and has its origins in ancient England. It is less useful than the hover charm as it does not allow one to move the levitated object and requires contact with the target object. To perform the spell, you merely tap the object whilst saying the incantation, levioso."
James quickly finished his first essay and began his second;
Locomotor is a charm which enchants an object or creature causing them to move when the spellcaster wishes. To use the Locomotor charm, the caster must first say the incantation, followed by the name of the object or creature, the caster is trying to move, for example, "Locomotor Trunk". The incantation is pronounced "LOH-koh-moh-tor"
James stretched and yarned as he finished his second essay. Sirius finished his own paper a minute or so later. James looked at his watch, 10:26pm. It was past curfew, but not so late that he wanted to go to bed. In fact it was the perfect time to explore the castle.
So what did you think? Please review and let me know your thoughts...
Next chapter...
Sirius and James explore the castle... and get into trouble...
Wednesdays lessons...
Potter and Snape confrontation...