-CHAPTER NINE-
-CHARMS AND HOMEWORK-
James, Rodney, and Penelope made their way from the Greenhouses toward the Charms Classroom on the second floor, still smelling of what squirted out Rodney's vines. James, despite having a cleaning charm used, still had streaks of custard in his hair and down the front of his robes. Rodney walked beside him, fidgeting nervously and muttering apologies under his breath, while Penelope led the way.
The corridors of Hogwarts hummed with the chatter of students heading to their next lessons. Sunlight streamed in through the tall, arched windows, illuminating the worn stone floors and casting shifting patterns on the wall. They began climbing the staircase.
Reaching the Charms Corridor, didn't, the air changed. Scrolls of parchments floated up and down the corridor, a book whizzing past James and nearly knocking him out. At the end of the corridor, there was a stone statue of Professor Flitwick with his wand outstretched high, lifting a stone book. Professor Flitwick was small in death and stone, barely 2 foot, standing on a stack of books.
They entered the Charms classroom to find Professor Selwyn Corvus waiting for them. They entered the Charms Classroom to find Professor Selwyn Corvus waiting for them. The new Charms Master was so different to Flitwick, tall, broad, didn't need a stack of books to see the students and his handsome face wasn't covered with a mess of a white beard. Warm black eyes watched as the students sat in the long row of wooden benches. There were two wooden desks on each side of the wall, a set of steps with a plush carpet cutting through the middle of it. His dark robes were perfectly tailored, and a silver brooch in the shape of a raven pinned to his collar gleamed in the light of the floating candles above.
The students couldn't contain their excitement, looking at the floating candles, whispering, talking and making flicks of their wands but not doing any magic. Professor Corvus whipped his wand to the right, a soft flick, which silenced everyone and forced them to put their wands on the desk. "Good afternoon, class. I trust you all found your last lesson enlightening?" His gaze shot over to James, whose custard-streaked appearance that drew a quiet ripple of laughter from the class.
James grinned sheepishly and sliding into a seat next to Rodney. "Blame Rodney," he said. "He got grabbed ahold by a Wishing Vine and thought of custard."
"I keep telling you, I don't know why custard came to my mind.
Professor Corvus arched an eyebrow but said nothing, instead of raising his wand, which was a sleek, dark instrument of blackthorn. With a graceful flick, the wooden door slammed shut and muffled the noise of Hogwarts.
Professor Corvus arched an eyebrow but said nothing, instead raising his wand—a sleek, dark instrument of blackthorn. With a graceful flick, the classroom door swung shut, and the chatter ceased.
"Today," Professor Corvus began, pacing slowly before the class, "we will continue our exploration of practical charms. Though I am new to this position, I assure you that I am no stranger to Charms. We need to honour the memory of Professor Flitwick by preforming to our best.
Professor Corvus waved his wand again, and some glowing symbols appeared in the air, shifting and shimmering like water. "The Amplifying Charm," he said, gesturing to the largest symbol. "Sonorus. A charm that requires both some strength and power behind it. Too weak, and the spell will be worthless. Too strong, well, let us say you may deafen half of the Great Hall."
He turned to the class with faint and knowing smile. "Who would like to attempt it first?"
Penelope's hand shot up immediately, her eyes bright with determination. Professor Corvus nodded at her. "Very well, Miss Nightdusk. Approach."
Penelope stood up and moved down the steps that cut through the wooden benches. James leaned over to Rodney and whispered, "Ten Knuts says she makes it perfect on the first try."
Rodney shook his head and didn't even have ten Knuts to make a bet.
Professor Corvus stepped aside, watching as Penelope raised her wand with steady confidence. "Remember," he said, his tone instructive and kind, "focus on your intent, not just your magic. If you focus too much on your magic, the intent of the spell becomes clouded. You could cast the wrong spell."
Penelope's wand glimmered faintly as she spoke the incantation, "Sonorus."
Her voice echoed, clear and amplified, throughout the room. James now knew that this is what Professor Stormquill and Professor McGonagall were using in the Great Hall during the Sorting to make their voices reach to the back of the room. "Excellent work, Miss Nightdusk. Five points to Gryffindor."
"See, James, I would have lost," Rodney said to her.
"You made a bet on me?" Penelope asked.
"Yes, I was going to bet that you would do it first try, a perfect attempt."
"I knew I would lose."
Penelope blushed.
"Mr. Potter, would you care to demonstrate the next attempt?" Professor Corvus asked.
"You stink of custard," Professor Corvus said. He waved his wand with another flick. The custard that clung stubbornly to James's hair and robes vanished in an instant, leaving him freshly cleaned and smelling different. A faint smell of pink soap wafted into the air, clean and floral, as if the charm was made from soap.
James blinked in surprise, running a hand through his now-clean hair. "Well, thank you, I smell much better," he said and flashed a lopsided grin at Professor Corvus.
"We aim to to maintain standards in this classroom, Mr. Potter. Now, shall we see if your spellwork meets them."
The class snickered softly, and James straightened his shoulder and held his wand tightly. "Right," he said, gripping his wand even tighter. "I can do this."
Professor Corvus gestured to the glowing symbol in the air. "Focus on your intent. The Amplifying Charm is as much about balance as it is power. Cast it when you're ready.
The sunlight gleamed into the window. James raised his wand, glancing at briefly at Penelope and Rodney. Penelope was expectant, her quill against the parchment. Rodney, on the other hand, looked worried.
For a moment, James thought he had succeeded, the symbol glowed brightly, and his voice began to echo across the room. But then, his voice began to echo across the room. Then louder and louder. The walls of the classroom vibrated faintly, and several students clapped their hands over their ears as James's voice boomed like a thunder clap.
"Sorry," James muttered, even the mutter was deafening, causing the the glass panes in the windows to rattle.
With another flick of his wand, Professor Corvus silenced the spell. The booming echoes ceased abruptly, leaving the room in a stunned silence broken only by Rodney's nervous laugh.
"You focused too hard on the intent and not the magic," Professor Corvus said softly. "It was a nice attempt, but a little bit softer, and you would have done it. "Two points to Gryinffdor for the attempt. If you do it again, don't focus too much on the intent, try and feel the magic in your hands."
James blushed and returned to his seat.
"You could have done that a little better," Penelope reminded him.
"Hey, at least I didn't set anything on fire."
Penelope rolled her eyes and scribbled something in her notebook. Professor Corvus went back to the lesson, explaining why James had failed his spell and James scribbled some notes as well, still faintly smelling of pink soap.
Professor Corvus turned his gaze toward Rodney, his sharp black eyes narrowing slightly in acknowledgement. "Mr. Havisham," he said smoothly gesturing to a quill that hovered above the desk at the front of the class. "Would you care to demonstrate Wingardium Leviosa? It is a basic and foundational charm, one I trust even a first year could manage. Focus on your wand movement."
Rodney's face flushed a deep shade of red as all eyes turned to him. He nodded quickly and swallowed hard. "Y...yes, Professor. Of course."
James whispered to him, "You've got this, don't break anything."
Rodney gave a tight, nervous smile and stepped forward. His wand shaking slightly in his grip. He pointed it at the quill, clearing his throat. "Wingardium Leviosa."
The quill shot upward at lightening speed, whizzing past Rodney's head like a rouge Bludger. It ricocheted off a beam near the ceiling and zipped across the classroom, smashing straight into one of the tall and arched windows. The sound of shattering glass echoed through the room as shards rained down harmlessly onto the stone floor, the quill now lodged into the glass, ready to break the whole glass.
The entire class froze. A stunned silence followed, breaking only by the faint rustling of the wind through the now-broken window. Rodney stood rooted to the spot, his hand still outstretched and his face a picture of horror.
James bit back a laugh, though his shoulders shook with effort. Penelope shoved him quietly, whispering, "Stop laughing at him. It's not funny. It could have hurt someone."
Professor Corvus, remarkably calm despite the broken window, took a step forward, his dark robes swishing. He quickly flicked his wand, and the shards of glass flew neatly back into place the window mending itself if nothing had happened. The quill floated gently down to the desk and no longer looked bent. He turned his piercing gaze to Rodney, who looked as though he might sink into the floor. "A feeble attempt," Corvus said and his tone dry. "Regrettably, energy without control often results in broken and damaged. Practice restraint, and next time, focus more on the levitating and less on the launching. "Ten points from Gryinffdor, due to property damage and incorrect usage of the spell."
Rodney stammered out apology, his voice barely heard over the giggles spreading through the class. Professor Corvus sighed, brushing a speck of imaginary dust from his pristine robes. "No harm done that can't be fixed with magic, except perhaps to Mr. Havisham's pride. Take your seat."
Quickly, Rodney shuffled back to his seat, his head hanging low. James leaned over and said, "You should have aimed for the chandelier.
Rodney shot him a glare but couldn't the faint, embarrassed smile creeping onto his face. Penelope shook her head, scribbling something in her notebook. "We're going to pass this class if you keep making mistakes."
James said, "My spell worked, it was just a little louder than what it should be. Rodney, broke the window."
"I didn't mean to break the window," Rodney said over the scribble of quills.
From the front of the room, Professor Corvus cleared his throat and the class quickly looked up. "Let us continue," he said. "Miss Nightudusk, you managed the Amplifying Charm, can you see if you can do the Wingardium Leviosa spell."
Penelope straightened in her seat and stepped down into the middle of the room. She ignored James's teasing grin and Rodney's whispered, "Good luck," as she approached the front of the room.
Professor Corvus waved his hand, summoning a thick, leather-bound book onto the desk. "Your task," he said, gesturing toward it, "is to levitate this. A far more demanding object than a quill, much heavier, resistant. But surely within your capabilities."
Penelope nodded, her face set with concentration. She raised her wand, her grip steady, and spoke very clearly to say, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a faint glimmer, the book gave the slightest twitch, wobbling as though deciding if it should listen to her. It lifted a mere inch off the desk before slamming back down with a dull thud.
Penelope frowned, her cheeks flushing slightly. She tried again. "Wingardium Levisoa!"
The book wobbled again, rising just enough to suggest, it was ready to be lifted. She looked at Professor Corvus, who watched her without expression, then back at the book. She adjusted her stance and took a deep breath, but before she could try again, Professor Corvus raised a hand.
"That will be enough, Miss. Nightdusk," he said and his expression wasn't stern but it was almost unreadable He stepped closer inspecting the book wondering why it hadn't moved. "Your intent is clear, but you were nervous when the book gave some sort of resistance and fell apart quicker than the window that Mr. Havisham broke. Magic, particularly Charms, demands equal parts focus and belief. If you doubt the spell or what you're trying to lift, it will doubt you."
Penelope opened her mouth as if to protest but closed it again, nodding stiffly. She returned to her seat, her expression carefully look but her movements quick. Ashe passed James, he offered her a grin.
"Shut up, James," she muttered, though there was no real harshness in her voice. She slumped into her chair, pulling out her notes to hide frustration.
Rodney leaned over, whispering. "At least you didn't throw the book at the window or in the Professor's face.
"Barely," Penelope whispered and her face looked sunken.
Professor Corvus addressed the class once more, his voice calm but firm. Mistakes and missteps are part of the process. Those who avoid failure rarely achieve greatness. Let this serve as a lesson, but mastery comes not from immediate success but from training and persistence.
The second half of the lesson transitioned into theory, and Professor Corvus turned to the blackboard at the back of the room. Without moving his wand, the chalk lifted itself and began writing smoothly across the slate. The words appeared in slow and deliberate strokes, as though aware that some students might struggle to keep up.
"Take notes on the applications and limitations of the basic levitations charms," Professor Corvus said, pacing the front of the room with his hands clasped behind his back. "You will find that understanding the underlying principles of controlled magical force will aid not only in the mastering Wingardium Levisoa but in a variety of other charms."
Rodney let out a quiet sigh of relief as he dipped his quill into his inkwell and began to write. The letters on the blackboard lingered long enough for him to copy them, which was different to Professor Hardbroom's lessons in Defence Against the Dark Arts, where words would dart across the blackboard so quickly they were gone before anyone could finish a single line.
James, noticing Rodney's relaxed stance, leaned over and whispered, "Bet you're enjoying this more than Hardbroom's speed writing."
Rodney gave a small nod, keeping his eyes on the blackboard. "At least this makes sense. This morning, Hardbroom didn't even slow when I dropped my inkpot."
"Yeah, she thinks everyone can write with a quill as quickly as her," James muttered and scribbled lazily on his parchment.
At the front of the class, Professor Corvus glanced toward them, then changing his look when he saw them writing.
The white chalk floated and wrote in lines. Soon the whole blackboard was filled with neatly arranged bullet points and diagrams illustrating how levitation magic worked.
Professor Corvus said and stood up. He said "For example," after tapping the blackboard with his wand, "the strength of a levitation charm is not merely dependent on the caster's magical ability but also their intent, thought and understanding of the object that they wish to lift. One does not simply command a thing to float, you must guide it and control it.
Rodney wrote everything down and found himself actually absorbing the information. The slower pace gave him time to think, and for the first time in a while, he didn't feel like he was racing to keep up.
When the blackboard finally filled with the last line of text, Professor Corvus waved a hand, and the calk set itself neatly back in its tray." That will conclude today's theory," he said and his voice broke the quiet hum of the quills scratching parchment. "Ensure your notes are complete. You will need them for your practical tests next week."
Rodney glanced at his scroll, which, while a little messy, was more detailed than the notes he made in Potions or Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"He's one of the best teachers we've had today."
"What about Slughorn or Verdant?" Penelope asked. "I thought Verdant was better."
"Both are good teachers, but Slughorn can't seem to see what Malfoy is doing right under his nose."
"Or doesn't want to spot it?" Penelope offered her view. "He did say the last Potions Master, allowed Slytherins to get away with murder."
The final word of the chalk on the board vanished, and Professor Corvus dismissed the class with a measured nod. James, Rodney and Penelope gathered their books and parchments.
"Where are we going?" Rodney asked.
"We can go outside, we don't have any lessons anymore and I can show you my
"We can watch me fly around on the BlazeStreak 9000," James suggested but was cut off by Penelope immediately.
"We're going to straight to the library," she said, her voice breaking the talk of flying a broom. "If you two even think about putting off Hardbroom's two foot essay until the last minute, I won't help you when you're panicking at midnight.
"Yes, Hermione," he teased her and she glared at him.
"You just compared me to Hermione Granger?"
"Yeah, I did. The way my dad described Hermione in school, is exactly you."
"Penelope's right," Rodney said. "Hardbroom would kill us if our homework is rushed and not up to her standards. I don't want to get another dentation just because I can't understand her scribbles."
They moved through the crowded corridors, heading up a broad stone staircase to the First Floor and turning into one of the Hogwart's many long hallways. The library's tall doors stood open, but rather empty, as everyone was enjoying the sunshine outside. They stepped inside, some sort of Silence Charm had been brought over the library, because when James spoke, his voice was muffled when he spoke and he no longer could hear the world outside.
On the walls lined by wooden bookshelves, old books kept piling up in rows. A narrow aisle lead to a few wooden tables placed around them, each placed with classic and dark wood chairs as if inviting people to sit, study, read and get lost in the thousands books that could be found around them. And then, of course, they never thought the library would be this big. Not just a thousand books, James thought when he walked further into the library, toward the staircase that led to the second floor, that there must have been ten of thousands of books, thousands of shelves and hundreds of narrow rows.
Soft lighting with antique style lamps with green shades brought warmth to the room, while candles flickered gently and floated slowly above tables and books. When he looked into the aisle on the right, there was a stack of books towering, with nobody holding them and they just floated around, going from the stack and neatly into the shelf.
They heard footsteps against the stone floor, the click of heels and waited, and not a second later, a woman that reminded James of a vulture appeared around the corner, her sunken cheeks, her skin like parchment and her long hooked nose came into view.
"Come to some homework?" the woman asked, watching them intently.
Penelope nodded as James and Rodney couldn't find the words to speak.
"Do not destroy any books. If I find a page torn," she trailed off as Penelope interrupted her.
Rows of towering shelves stretched in every direction, filled with leather-bound tomes, scrolls and the layers of dust on top of it that was covering the titles of the book. The glowing lamps illuminated the study tables where students sat hunched over parchment scrolls, quills scratching, reading books and whispering quietly as the woman walked back and forth, going into the aisles.
Penelope marched straight to a table near the back and chose one to be far from any chatting classmate. "Right, Rodney, you start on reading those three paragraphs from our Defence Against the Dark Arts notes," she instructed, "and James...?"
She trailed off as she noticed James had wandered a few steps away, gazing around with an odd expression. Rodney looked up, about to call him back, when they both realised James was staring at the translucent figure of the Grey Lady gliding silently between the shelves.
The Ravenclaw ghost was tall, graceful and eerily quiet, with long hair and somber eyes that seemed to see far more than what was happening in the moment. She drifted closer, her gaze drawn to James, Penelope and Rodney, suddenly hushed, watching what was happening. A student on a table that was near the Restricted Section, dropped his quill and had his mouth open.
For a moment, the Grey Lady's eyes lingered on James's face and her memory was transported back to standing talking about her mother with an older boy with black hair, glasses and green eyes.
"You remind me of someone?" she said and the ghost's voice was as soft as the whisper of turning pages. "You... remind me of someone," she said. "He was an older boy, green eyes and wore glasses. It was almost 17 years when I last talked to him."
"Harry?"
"Potter? Yes, that's him. Everyone knows him," she said in a faint giggle. "How do you know him?"
"He's my father," he sand gently.
"I remember him well. I told him my deepest and darkest secrets and he was able to defeat the Dark Lord. I was tricked by Tom Riddle when he was a student.
"My father told me the story. You weren't to blame, at all. You were tricked, like most of the people with Voldemort."
"You have his kindness," she said and vanished.
Penelope cleared her throat and nearly made James jump. "We should get started on our notes. Hardbroom doesn't care about deadlines or the fact that you were talking to ghosts."
James nodded and tore his gaze away from where the Grey Lady had vanished. "Right, yeah. Let's get to it."
They gathered at the table.
"I'll look for some books about Shield Charms that can help us a little better than Professor Hardbroom's note.
While she looked, James sat hunched over the library table, quill scratching quite quickly across the parchments that detailed "Shield Charms: Uses, Limitations and Variations. Despite being far from Professor Hardbroom's, it felt as she was still there and drilling her glare into him as if she were standing right behind his shoulder. Ever since Professor Hardbroom's brutal introduction at the first lesson of the day, James had found the Professor's words and tone harsh and quite bitter as if she hating something about them.
Penelope had come back to the table with another book about charms.
"Stop clenching your quill," Penelope whispered and glanced at James's hand. She saw how how tight he was holding it. "You're going to snap the end off, and then you'll have to borrow one from me."
James forced his grip to relax, even as a knot tightened in his stomach. He dipped the quill into the inkwell and continued writing, determined not to let Professor Hardbroom's imaginary glare unnerve him. Rodney, seated across from him with his own stack of textbooks, noticed the look and the stiffness on his shoulder.
"She's can't actually see you, you know," Rodney offered in a low voice and a hint of concern in his eyes. "We're in the library," she's probably stalking the corridors somewhere else."
"I know," he admitted, "but you have to admit, she's scary. The woman can freeze you with a single glare."
Rodney shrugged. "True. But if we get this essay right the first time, maybe she'll lighten up."
Penelope, too engrossed in cross-referencing Shield Charms book with her Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Shield Charms and Their Significance
Shield Charms, commonly referred to by the incantation Protego, are the among the most vital defensive spells in a witch or wizard's spell. By forming a protective barrier that repels most jinxes, curses, and hexes, these charms can be the best thing to use to defend yourself.
DO NOT USE PROTEGO TO BLOCK AVADA KEDAVRA
Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse, will destroy a shield on impact, giving you no chance to move or conjure another one.
A strong can shield can last for hours, depending on the strength and tiredness of the user was.
His eyes flashed back up to Avada Kedavra. He knew what the spell was. His father had told him, that it was called the Killing Curse. A deadly curse that killed a person with one touch. He flashed the green light and the whooshing noise.
That wasn't all, he heard a cold laugh, a male's voice, demanding, while a woman with a soft voice pleaded with the man. She was begging him. He heard it clearly.
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry."
James thought, the voice didn't belong to anyone he knew but who would be calling out for his father.
"Stand aside you silly girl...stand aside now."
The voice could only belong to one person, James thought. He knew it matched the face of what he saw on the train. The woman continued, screaming, crying and pleading.
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead. Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy."
Penelope touched his hand.
"Are you okay?" Penelope asked, breaking him out of his trance.
A small shudder crept down his spine and his handwriting. The memory of the voice alone was enough to set his nerves on the edge again.
"James," Penelope hissed, "focus."
Closing his eyes, the voices had gone and the flashing light had gone.
In advanced defensive magic, layered Shield Charms may be employed to guard against successive onslaughts of hexes, but corrected wand movements and timing are paramount, lest the protective layers interfere with each other.
They wrote more in silence and never looked up from their parchments until it was done.
"Done," he announced, sounding both triumphant and relieved. He glanced at the carefully penned essay, half-expecting to see some comment scrawled there in Professor Hardbroom's neat and stern handwriting yet knowing the real judgement would come later.
Rodney smiled, too, tapping his quill nervously on the table. "I didn't think it was that bad, doing all that."
"My wrists are killing me," James said, rubbing them they left the library.
They made their way through the winding corridors, dust kicking up from underneath their feet as they climbed stair after stair toward Gryinffdor Tower. Eyes of portrait followed them with every move. Penelope, her arms folded tightly across her chest, always walked ahead, leaving the two behind.
"Are you serious about tonight?" Penelope asked, holding the rolled up parchment close to her chest.
"What do you mean?" James asked Penelope.
"The duel," she reminded him.
"Keep your voice down," he whispered to her.
"Why? Scared of being being caught?"
"This has nothing to do with you," James told her softly. "You saw Malfoy, how he made you look like a fool in Potions and the reason why we're all getting detention. He challenged me to a duel in the Trophy Room tonight."
Rodney's eyes darted between them. "He said to bring me as your back up, in case Magnus tries to stop it or I stop it."
"The Trophy Room?" Penelope said. "The place that has the most smashable items in the Castle. It's a trap. You'll get caught. Think about it, sneaking out after curfew, meeting Malfoy in the one place everyone knows is bound to echo ? You'll be caught before you even raise your wand."
"We can put a Silencing Charm on the room before we start. It's about House pride."
"Well, House pride won't mean anything if you're caught and expelled," Penelope said, coming to a halt at a band in the corridor. Nearby, a portrait of an elderly knight sniffed disapprovingly at their raised voices. She lowered hers. "Is Malfoy worth that?"
James hesitated, glancing at Rodney, who shrugged. "I'd rather not risk Flich, Peeves, or worse, Professor Hardbroom catching us roaming the halls."
"You don't have to come with us," Rodney suggested.
"I wasn't coming. I was trying to stop you. Because I, for one not going to ruin my chances of staying in the school over Malfoy's words."
"I need to stand up for myself."
Penelope shook her head and her expression was soft. "Standing up to someone and sneaking out for a midnight duel aren't necessarily?"
"What do you suggest?"
"I mean you could demolish him Qudditch? Outspelling him in class? Showing him that you're a better potion maker. Showing we're better in a way that doesn't get you or Rodney detention until Christmas."
James followed, Rodney close behind. The door swung shut, leaving them in the gentle hum of the Gryinffdor Tower. The Fat Lady opened up at the password