September 4, 2008
Charms Classroom, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland

First Year Class, Orientation to Charms. (All houses)

Roster:

Adley Rothwell	Gryffindor
Anastacia Rowiian	Gryffindor
Eirene Antonopoulos	Ravenclaw
Euphemia Grissom-Dolohov	Slytherin
Mairead ó Fearghail	Gryffindor
Wilma Casanova	Hufflepuff
Keegan Kearney	Gryffindor
Aelys Viridian-Drake	Slytherin
Oliver Ainsworth	Gryffindor
Charles Harcroft	Gryffindor
Pax Wintergreen	Hufflepuff
Fiana Flynn	Ravenclaw

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The last straglers were just dashing in through the doorways to their respective classes.  First Years were still learning their way around the school, and now that most were seated the doorways of the classrooms could be heard magically closing.

'Slam, slam, slam slam' getting ever closer to this room.  The Charms classroom.

The door never closed however and that should have been odd, but yet, in order for the door to slam, the Professor himself would need to have been in the classroom.

There was a few moments of silence before a pattering of leather on stone was heard, then a cursing as  the sound of papers was scattered.  A brief moment of a spell being cast, a faint flash of blue light then more pattering of leather on stone before a sliding sound.

Anyone looking at the door would have then seen a brown and black blur slide past the classroom door as Professor Kendall Fleetfoot failed to negotiate the turn into the classroom and slid about four foot past the entrance.

"Ruddy stairs!" He cursed lightly as he entered the classroom passing poor bewildered students in his wake as he made his way to the front of the room, slightly out of breath.  With a great slam, he 'lightly' placed his papers onto his desk, and the papers immediately rebleling against their treatment, slid to the floor on the opposite side.

"Right! Welcome to Charms.  Sorry about that.  I'm Professor Fleetfoot and I promise I won't be late again." I hope was added under his breath.  "Yes so Charms class.  One of the more interesting branches of Magic I can assure you, and most definitely one of the more fun!"

Kendall took out his wand from the sleeve of his robe, waving it and a trail of blue, white and copper sparks trailed forth. "Odd was a Gryffindor myself.  Anyway.  Charms are some of the most useful spells you may ever learn, and of course I say that because they are my specialty!"  He was going for a bit of a joke, but the poor young things seemed lost as to the meaning.

"Alright.  Firstly, There will be great amounts of wand waving in this class so I expect firstly that every class wands will be out and ready." He looked around.  "I did say 'Out and Ready' didn't I?"  He watched as many students now fumbled for wands.

"Before we can move onto really casting and learning spells, you need to learn some basics first.  Let's start with posture and then wand technique." Kendall moved away from his desk.  "So first there are two main wand positions.  The first is outstretched, thus."  He moved his wand so that the position was in line with the back of his hand, like an extension of his own fingers.  "Well you don't need to just sit there... Come on and do this with me!"

"The second position is more delicate and involves holding the wand across the body thus."  Kendall moved his wand so that he was lightly holding the handle with his thumb on the inside edge, and his other fingers along the outside, the wand now pointing from his right hand to his left at waist height.  "The first position is more for pointing spells, like the levitation charm which we will be working on next class Wingardium Leviosa and a swish and flick motion will make nearly any inanimate object float.  The second is used for more fun charms like Scourgify a cleaning charm that uses a motion like brushing off the dirt or well whatever you want to be rid of really."

Kendall went around behind his desk, pulling out a box.  "Now here is today's lesson.  A simple charm requiring nothing more than pointing your wand and a simple word Alohamora a simple unlocking charm."  Professor Fleetfoot then dumped the box full of muggle combination locks onto his desk.  "So each of you come up and get a lock then work on the spell Alohamora."

Their first class.  Mairead's first time in a school classroom.  She tried to look brave and confident as she stepped in the classroom but, inside, she was nervous.  What if she looked completely stupid?  What if she couldn't do any of it?  Would they kick her out of the class on the first day?  Would she be the first kid in Hogwarts history to be kicked out on the first day of class?  Maybe in all of school history? 

But, at the same time, Mairead was almost giddy with excitement.  She was going to be able to use her wand for the first time!  She was going to be an official witch!  When the teacher told them to take out there wands, Mairead had to cast a quick glance around the classroom just to make sure others were doing the same thing.  Then, almost with a sense of reverence, Mairead tugged the crooked, thin, unrefined light twig from her bag and ran her thumb over the carved pattering. 

When instructed, Mairead held her arm out in front of her, tentatively at first and, then, across her arm.  The gestures were a bit anti-climatic but she remained confident that, with time, the exciting stuff would come. 

Like ... making things fly?  Making things clean?  Just like that!  Mairead shifted eagerly in her seat with visions of speedily finished chores in her head.  And ...

"Unlocking locks?"  Mairead said, a bit too eagerly.  That sounded far too fantastic to believe if it weren't for the quick and seemingly easy demonstration by the professor.  She could just imagine the mischief she could get into back home with that one!  Mairead quickly retrieved a lock out of the box and sat down at her seat.  Now ...

"Alo - Alo - Alomora," Mairead muttered, as she poked the lock with the wand. 

There was no panic on his face, Elias was cool as a cucumber. You see magic was in his blood, being pure and all that. Being stuck among the filthier blood who really had no business being in a school for those of magical birth-right. Gathering up his books and wand, Elias made his way towards his classroom.

Entering in, he walked to see most of seats in front were filled which was just as well he wanted no part of that nonsense. Finding a nice dark corner to stick himself into, he placed the book on the desk he decided he would be occupying. Adjusting his robes he found himself stunned that they were already starting class so quickly. Looking about he wondered if he had been late after all.

Elias stepped down towards the professor's desk with a scowl prominently displayed on his face. Grabbing up the muggle contraption there was a light groan coming from his mouth as he moved towards his practice space. Pulling out his wand he pointed it towards the lock, this would be easier than buttering already sliced and toasted bread.

"Alohaamoraa" he said quietly and yet there was no motion to opening. Stupid muggle device, how dare it disobey him "Ruddy piece of rubbish" he hissed under his breathe. Swishing and flicking his wand once more at the stupid little hunk of metal. "Alohaamora" he said louder, the lock stayed shut mocking him with it's metal clasped mouth.

Eirene was a little perturbed that their professor was late. It was her first class! They should start on time! Taking it personally, she stared at the door with a pout on her lips, eyes widening when she heard something that sounded like a cyclone heading for the Charms classroom. A blur of a man burst into the room at high speed, scattering paper along with him. Eirene raised her eyebrows, even more alarmed, but jumped to her feet and started picking up the scattered parchment. Though the professor was late, it wouldn’t do for her to make a bad (or no) impression. Eirene shuffled the papers together neatly, put them on his desk, and for good measure plopped a peach on the top of the pile.

Seated once again in the very front row, Eirene listened to Professor Fleetfoot’s ramblings, jotting down notes as he talked. She frowned at the word ‘Gryffindor’ on her page- an unsightly blemish. Eirene didn’t much like most of the first-year Gryffindors, especially since Keegan and Mairead were a part of that group.

However, she would try her best not to hold the tardiness, the rambling, and the Gryffindor bit against her Charms professor. He couldn’t help it, could he? Finally, though, he got to the very interesting matter of how to hold a wand. Eirene put down her quill and scrambled to get her wand out, mimicking his movements. Professor Fleetfoot mentioned spells like Wingardium Leviosa, which she’d practiced over the summer, and Scourgify, which she was all too familiar with. Specks of dust, be gone! A bit of dirt on her shoe, or Merlin forbid, food on her shirt? Gone in a flick of the wand!

“I know Scourgify!” She blurted out, clapping a hand over her mouth when she realized she’d spoken out of turn. Trying to be extra quiet now, she picked up a lock from the professor’s desk and went back to her seat to practice the spell.

“Alohamara,” Eirene said loudly, then seemed startled by the sound of her voice. She tried it again, quieter, but looked crestfallen when the lock didn’t budge.

Eirene thought back. How had he said it exactly? Aloha-moor-ah. She tried it again, voice lowered to an excited hush. “Alohamora!”

The lock clicked open. “I did it!” she cried, triumphant. “Professor, did you see?”

Keegan had been worried he was late to class, and would be the recipiant of yet another round of pointloss, but to his immense surprise when he stumbled into the class at least a couple minutes late, he found no teacher to be present. Mentally thanking his luck, Keegan hurried to the seat next to Mai and practically threw himself into it. Just in time apparently, for seconds after his rear hit the hard wood of the bench did the teacher come stumbling in.

Keegan loved the newest teacher immediately. He seemed friendly and good natured, and claimed he was a Gryffindor himself. It was perfect... Keegan could finally be in a class where the teacher didn't have it out for him! Maybe he could even get Little Miss Prim and Proper... and little Miss Purist in trouble. Oh and that one kid he had seen hanging around them. Whatshisface... Girly Mcpansypants... Keegan quickly sought him out in the group of faces. For someone who, like Spitz and Eewwfie, was so convinced of their superiority, he seemed to be having trouble with the spell.

"Ya gotta be smarter then tha lock there  Gates.." Keegan laughed, though his eyes and the way he drawled out the start of Elias' name made his intent clear. Guy deserved it though, purist little... Keegan's thought was cut off when suddenly Spitz started shouting obnoxiously about how she had managed to get it. "Lucky break..." He muttered, unwilling to admit that SHE was smarter then the lock.

Glancing over at Mai, who was also having issues, Keegan looked at his own lock. He supposed he might as well get to work on it. Taking a deep breath, he tried to mimic the teachers movements as he jabbed the lock, chanting "All-oo-ho--more-ah..." Nothing. Dammit, he really needed to learn to get things right before opening his mouth to others. Now he just looked like an idiot. Grumbling, he muttered the spell again, jabbing a little firmer at the lock. There was a faint grinding, as if it was attempting to unlock. A wide proud grin crossed his face. Maybe he hadn't gotten it right like Scanger McManky, but he was darn close.

 Where was the professor? They had come at the right time, hadn't they? Fiana reached into her pocket and checked her watch. Yes, it was definitely the correct time. Perhaps it was not the correct room? That would be very odd, and very unfortunate, because Fiana was already all settled in at her desk! She was just beginning to wonder if she should go ask an adult for clarification when the professor finally entered - after first walking right passed the classroom!

 As he talked, Fiana decided that she liked him. He seemed like he was very much interested in what he was teaching, and did not seem like he would be a very grumpy professor. She obediently whipped out her wand as instructed, and did her best to mimic his manner of holding it. And they would finally be doing actual spells! Oh, goody gumdrops.

 Skipping happily up to the front of the class, Fi retrieved her lock and brought it back to her desk, studying it for a moment. It seemed quite ordinary. Now...here was the real test. Would her spell work? "Alahamori!" That had been what he'd said, right? Apparently not. The lock didn't budy. "Alamoha! Alejandro!" Hmm. Spells appeared to be tricky to pronounce. Frowning, she decided to give it one more try. "Alohamora? It worked!" Fiana beamed, clapping her hands in delight as the lock clicked open. And she had done it. She had done magic!

'Nice one!' Pax, at the next table over, gave Fiana the thumbs up when she mastered the spell. He, on the other hand, hadn't had any luck yet, and so was doing what he always did when he was in any doubt: consulting a book. He didn't feel particularly under pressure in this class, which was a nice feeling. Professor Fleetfoot seemed the friendly and understanding type (and not completely free of his own mistakes; it was always nice to know teachers weren't perfect), and while a few of the students were successful already, there were others like him who were still working on it. All this was still relatively new to a lot of them; all that really mattered, Pax figured, was to keep trying. He'd have to get it sooner or later.

His textbook open at the relevant page, Pax carefully ran his index finger over the lines of text until he found a nice, helpful phonetic pronunciation of the spell. 'Alohomora,' he said, clearly and slowly, pointing his wand at and concentrating on the combination lock. Nope, nothing yet. Perhaps he was holding the wand wrong? Pax tried to replicate the wand form Professor Fleetfoot had demonstrated, trying to determine if he was doing anything differently. Frowning a little in thought, he checked the book again to see if it had any useful information on wand grip.

Just as Oliver plopped down in his seat, Professor Fleetfoot strode into the room in an exasperated manner.  Bracing himself for a fit of shouting and a loose-ended class period, he managed to relax some as the man dove into a crisp, to-the-point introduction of the course.  His mother had told him about this class; according to her, Charms was the type of class where the student did more ‘wands-on’ work than anything.  That excited him; he had yet to attend History of Magic and Transfiguration, though.  But, if all of his classes were going to be this involved, he couldn’t wait to see what they were like, either!

”I did say ‘Out and Ready’, didn’t I?”

He reached into his pocket and produced his wand.  At eleven inches long, it was made of holly wood had a dragon heartstring as its core.  He weighed it in his hand, experimenting with the various hand positions that Professor Fleetfoot was demonstrating for them.  Stealing a glance about the room, he saw Mairead, Eirene, and a handful of other first years whom he recognized - though not all of them were as kindly as Mai and Eirene were - even if Eirene irritated him slightly.

After retrieving a lock for himself, Oliver set about to casting the incantation that Fleetfoot had asked them to use.  Pointing the tip of his wand at the silvery widget, he muttered the appropriate word.

”Alomahora.”

A miniature display of red sparks leapt from it, but nothing else happened.  The lock didn’t move in the slightest.  He frowned and tried it again.

”Alomahora!”

The same stream of sparks pitter-pattered against the desktop.  Befuddled, he listened to the other children, wondering if he was muttering a different pronunciation.  Apparently, he was.  Fiana had just opened her lock by saying a slightly different word; Alohamora.  That was it!  It had to be.

He turned back to his lock and gave it another try.

”Alohamora!”

With an audible click, the white stream of light produced by his wand opened the lock.  Satisfied, he smiled, settling back into his seat with the unlocked lock resting on the middle of his desk.  Were they going to receive a grade for this?  Or was this just to get into the swing of the class?

That ruddy Gryffindoof had better lay off him or he was likely to pick up the lock and toss it at his egg shaped head. "No magic is needed for you to eat the ruddy muggle piece of nonsense," he replied coolly looking back from Keegan to the task at hand.

His metal adversary was staring at him, taunting him with a silver mouth that refused to open. Elias could feel his palm start to sweat under the pressure of the task before him. To think that he wouldn't get this first try was ridiculous in it's own right.

'I am of pureblood' he thought as he struggled to maintain his cool. 'Stupid mudbloods are getting this on their first shot it isn't fair. I should be able to do this!' The voice inside of him was pushing him forward, he could do it if he could just keep the calm in his throat as he spoke.

"Alohamora!" The cry could have reverberated if he had been alone in the room with no one about yelling the same ruddy thing. Sadly he could not take satisfaction in being all by himself he was stuck in a classroom of ingrates with small minds.

The lock clicked open and he had to stop himself from making a victory gesture at Keegan the Gryffinfool. "There." He picked up the lock and re-closed it. "Alohamora!" He tried it again to make sure he got it, the lock replied in the same fashion opening obediently to it's new magical master. "That's what I thought."

Kendall sat and watched as the students mimicked his wand motions and then tried, often multiple times to get the simple unlocking spell to work.  Once in a while an exuberant student would enthusiastically shout the incantation not realizing that volume made little difference in spellwork.

Eventually every student had gotten the spell to work, several multiple times.

"Now here is the catch!" Kendall smiled as he regained the student's attention.   "Alohamora only works on physical locks.  I mean things that are physically locked by hand.  It has little affect on magically closed items."

To demonstrate, Kendall reached into his robes extracting what looked like a matchbox. "Engorgio" Kendall said and made an upward slash with his wand.  The matchbox then began to grow into a standard student trunk.  The crest on the side unfamiliar to all but Professor Fleetfoot and Professor Ramsay.

"You will be learning how to protect your trunks in our next lesson, but for today I want each of you to attempt an alohamora spell on this trunk's lock.  I have locked it by magic myself and there may only be one other person in this school who could open it." He smiled at that.

"Now once you have finished, I want you to write six inches on the use of the Alohamora spell and where it would be particularly useful.  Please for the muggleborns, remember the statute of secrecy in your answer."

(o.o.c.  Sorry everyone for letting this hang so long.  There will be another lesson up soon I promise!)