September 3, 1888 - Charms Class Room, Hogwarts

As first and second year students trooped into Ellsworth’s classroom he stood in front of his desk with a genial smile on his face, nodding at the ones who actually met his gaze - mainly second years who knew him, but occasionally a brave first year would too. Once they had settled he strode toward the middle of his classroom. The desks on either side seperated for practice in the middle of the room per his usual set up. Over the years he had found it simply made it easier for practical learning - and his habit of striding around as he lectured. But this was the first day of class, and as such he felt no desire to lecture. No, he left that to his fellow instructors. He’d lecture later. But first he wanted them to get some hands on experience.

“Welcome to Charms Class. It’s nice to see so many new faces today. For those of you who do not know me, I am Professor Ruskin.” Ellsworth grinned, “As I am sure you are all eager to begin learning we shall start with a new spell today. First years, you will begin with a lighting spell.” He drew his wand from his pocket and flicked it in front of him, “Lumos.” The wand’s tip lite up, casting a clear clean light from it. “Then you shall extinguish it. Nox.” The light disappeared. “I will be watching as you go. The two to successfully cast both spells shall receive five house points.” He told them merrily, confident that most of them would successfully accomplish this task.

“Now second years, as I am sure you have not forgotten everything we covered last year, I expect you to have mastered this skill by now. We shall move on to a simple shrinking charm.” Ellsworth moved behind his desk where an apple sat and made a ‘V’ shape with his wand as he cast, “Reducio.” The apple shrunk down to the size of a walnut. “Now, once you have successfully completed this task, I shall assume you would actually like the apple to be a normal size.” Making a shape of an almost completed circle, Ellsworth uttered, “Engorgio.” The apple swelled back to its original size. “I shall award five house points of the first two students who complete both charms. Now, first years you may begin, second years, please come collect your apples and begin once you have returned to your desk.” He brought out a basket of apples and placed them on the table before he began to pace around the classroom watching the students.

Open to all 1st and 2nd year students. I think I managed to get everyone listed, but if I missed you, feel free to jump on in. Please post only your attempt at the respective spell. I will post with your results every few days. Welcome to Charms!

Abraxas Crabbe Alcyone Slughorn Arabella Wood Archer Belby Calla Potts Camille Scrimgeour Carius Bulstrode Claire Bénet Fleur Rey Flora Mulciber Holly Scrimgeour Joella Wood @"Luce Faucher-De Loncrey" Madeline Bell Orinda Ruskin Paxton Fudge Sirius Black Sisse Thompsett Sloane Bixby Soo-Jin Proudfoot Sybille Lukeson Tansy Tatting Terry Tatting

  

Flora was excited to actually do magic, something she hadn't had the opportunity to try since receiving her wand back at the end of July. The sight of some of the other students' wands made her a little jealous; one had a cross-hatched design at the handle, one was painted two different shades, and one even seemed to have a marvelously elegant pearl at the tip of the handle! Hers, on the other hand, was plain as could be and a very light shade of brown that matched with nothing. She was beginning to regret that she hadn't asked Mama for a custom handle or something to make it look pretty! The book on wands she'd picked up to scan through the bare minimum of lore had told her that wands were not meant to be used as fashion accessories, but that didn't meant they couldn't be.

Her embarrassment did not prevent her from facing the first day of Charms class with enthusiasm, and she found herself seated beside another girl. As she began to open her mouth to greet her - (there was nothing wrong with being a little friendly, even if a true, deep friendship was unlikely!) - Professor Ruskin began to speak.

Thorough was the best word she could find to describe him and his opening lecture, and she was left feeling confident - perhaps too confident, which directly contributed to her second-guessing herself moments later.

She cast it the first time: "L-Lumos!" Nothing happened, but she expected that. What was the wand movement again? Was there a wand movement? She glanced back towards the girl beside her to see what she was doing, and then, taking a deep breath, she tried again - this time with a little more power. "Lumos!"

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Sisse actually liked charms. She was pretty good at them too. Unlike transfiguration where she was abysmal and potions where she had to study harder than any other subject. Charms though she thought was fun and practical.

When Professor Ruskin had finished speaking she followed the second years to his desk and grabbed an apple, glad to be able to work magic again. “Reducio!” She tried to mimic how he had waved his wand and said the incantation. Hopefully it went alright.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Out of every corridor and corner at Hogwarts, the classroom was arguably the place where she felt most comfortable. It was a place where she shined, where she did not compare herself to others; she did not worry about how pretty or likable or sociable she was, because it only mattered how smart she was.

And smart she was.

Charms was not her favorite class, but Holly recognized that it would be one of the most useful ones long-term. Many spells were categorized as charms, and to suffer in this class would be to suffer throughout her entire adulthood - especially since she'd decided there was more to her future than sitting in a parlor entertaining the wives of her husband's business associates.

Reducio was not a spell that she'd yet practiced, and neither was Engorgio. After payingclose attention to Professor's wand movements and incantation pronunciation, Holly made her effort.

"Reducio," she cast confidently.

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— set by MJ <3 —

It was the first day of class and they already got to use magic? Sybille grinned at the idea, waiting until the professor was done speaking to draw out her wand. She felt so mature holding the beautiful wand and was beyond glad that she could finally use it. This would really show her siblings that she wasn’t the baby anymore. “Lumos.” She said confidently looking at the tip of the mahogany wand to see if it had lit up the way the professor’s had. She felt certain it would.

  

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Ever since he had received his wand, Archer had been a bit wary that he would cause some sort of catastrophe. After all, he had destroyed Mr. Ollivander's window during his wand selection. In preparation for charms class, he had remained awake much longer than he intended, reading up on quite a few chapters of their text so he could at least get a better grasp on the general theory. Studying made him feel at least a little bit more comfortable and prepared. A little.

When Ellsworth introduced himself and explained the task for the day, he dutifully listened and studied the man's wand movements. When they were given permission to begin, he first practiced pronouncing Lumos about a dozen times until he was sure that he said it correctly. Next, he practiced the wand movement the professor had demonstrated until he thought he had at least somewhat mirrored it.

It took Archer quite a few moments to muster up enough courage to try them both together, while he silently went over what exactly he was supposed to do and say. When he did attempt the first spell, he turned so he was facing away from his table mate, and flicked his wand carefully in front of him. "Lumos."

  

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MJ is the best!

Charms! Not only was Fleur excited to attend their first charms class of the year, but she was determined for her and Sybille to convince the professor to like them. After all, who else could teach them how to make their baked goods even better!

Squirming in her seat, she tried very hard to concentrate on their first task, but her attention seemed to wander, dreaming of their future. It took a good minute before she realized that they were meant to start attempting their first spells. With a delighted smile, she took out her wand and gave it a rather confident flick and a loud and proud, "Lumos! She was determined to impress Professor Ruskin!

  

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Thanks, MJ!

It was her first Charms class. Her. Very. First. Charms. Class. Arabella couldn't believe it. She was going to learn something useful. Something worth knowing. Professor Ellsworth explained what they'd be doing and Arabella focused as much as she could. He was talking to both her class and the year above them, so she did her best to listen to not only her class, but the second year charms as well. It wouldn't hurt to be prepared for anything, right?

When he told them to attempt lumos, she grinned slightly and pulled her wand out. She still couldn't believe that she had her own wand. It was so... amazing. Swishing it gently through the air, Arya firmly stated aloud, "Lumos." And then waited. And hoped.

  

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made by the LOVELY MJ!

Charms.
Magic.
Awesome things!

This was perhaps one of the most exciting things that Paxton Fudge had found himself doing. It was one of his first proper classes where he will be doing proper spells! And he was certain he’d get it right first time. The reason he was certain of this was because of one simple fact; earlier in the year, he’d most assuredly (and most definitely) cast the fire-starting spell incendio to great failure success! And what was a simple wand lighting spell when he’d set fire to the sand? Granted, he had actually failed to cast the wand-lighting spell at the Sanditon when he was showing off to Flora who, as he looked around, had taken up a spot next to some girl opposite him.

As he sat down, he stuck out his tongue toward Flora (hah, that'll teach her for being such a meanie the last they had met) and raised his wand with perhaps one of the most over-confident, over-zealous, over-enthusiastic wand-flicks that could possibly had ever been seen, “I’ve done spells before!” he called out as he flicked his wand and practically shouted above everyone else, “LUMOS!!!”

Did he do it?
Did he not?
Who even knew, it was Paxton Fudge.

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The students quickly set to work and Ellsworth based around down the aisle keeping track of each of them, taking the time to try and learn names as well.

Flora Mulciber seemed to struggle for a moment before managing to cast her lumos successfully. "Try nox now, Miss Mulciber." Ellsworth nodded.

Sybille Lukeson was the next to successfully cast her lumos charm. "You as well Miss Lukeson." He

When Archer Belby attempted his a blindly bright light burst forth before it dimmed down to the normal glow. "A bit enthusiastic Mr. Belby. But successful."

The smell of smoke from an extinguished candle caught Ellsworth's nose and he turned to see a faint trickle of candle smoke coming from the tip of Fleur Rey's wand. "No, no." He bustled over to her and took her wand, casting a quick nonverbal nox to return it to normal. "Why don't you try again Miss Rey?" He handed the wand back to her.

Arabella Wood also had successfully completed the lumos, "On to nox Miss Wood." He instructed.

Finally there was the very enthusiastic Paxton Fudge. Ellsworth was almost surprised the boy didn't manage to blow something up or some other thing like that with his wild movements. But instead the boy's wand glowed as it should. "Perhaps a bit less waving with the nox spell, eh, Mr. Fudge?"

The second years didn't seem to be fairing quite as well as the first years. But that was to be expected with spell he had put forth to them.

Sisse Thompsett's apple remained stubbornly apple sized after her first attempt. "Try again Miss Thompsett." Ellsworth encouraged.

Holly Scrimgeour however had had better days in his class. Her apple, rather than shrinking had shriveled up and begun to rot. "Miss Scrimgeour, grab another apple before you try again." He have her an encouraging smile and went back to surveying the room.

  

The apple remained stubbornly the same size. Sisse frowned at it. Maybe she hadn’t done the motions right? She tried again, saying more firmly, “Reducio.” She hadn’t expected to get it the first time, but she’d get it soon enough.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

She’d actually done it. She had cast her very first spell! Sybille beamed at the glowing end of her wand. Surely the counter charm wouldn’t be that difficult either. She confidently cast, “Nox.” Starting intently at the wand, surely she’d done it right.

  

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When it seemed he had been a bit too enthusiastic with his Lumos, Archer started to blush in embarrassment. That hadn't been his intention! He had thought rehearsing the spell would have given him at least enough confidence to perform the spell without incidence. At least, Professor Ruskin had considered his attempt a success. There was no doubt that he would, most likely, practice the spell some more in his dorm, later on.

After a few moments of going over the spell in his head and visualizing what the professor had done with his wand when uttering the counter spell, Archer made his attempt. "Nox." He said, firmly, still sure to be turned away from his table mate.

  

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MJ is the best!

When Fleur caught sight of the smoke, the girl started to flail about with her wand, as if she thought it were now completely on fire. Perhaps, she had been trying too hard to try and impress the professor. When he rushed over to fix her want, she, somewhat timidly, murmured a "Thank you. Sorry, Professor Ruskin."

With a bit more care, she observed the others in the room, and then attempted once more. This time, she was much less enthusiastic and more careful. "Lumos."

  

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Thanks, MJ!

Arabella watched as her classmates started to invoke the Nox charm in attempts to extinguish the Lumos spell they'd used to set the tip of their wands alight. Fleur, her fellow Hufflepuff, hadn't had the best of luck with her attempt at Lumos but the professor was helping her with that. It would soon be her turn to try and she quashed the sense of mystery and dread in her stomach. It wouldn't be right to simply give up, so she took the wand she'd been clutching and relaxed her hand.

Swishing it in the air, she stared at the tip of the wand as she quietly but firmly stated, "Nox." Would it work? Would it not? She was hoping for the former but knew that the latter was equally as likely.

  

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made by the LOVELY MJ!

Orinda had watched as her classmates attempted their various spells. She knew she should have started by now. The casting of Reducio would be easy, right? But she was surprisingly scared that she would get it wrong. What if she didn't live up to Acacia and Chrysanta's expertise? Still. She had to try.

Ruthlessly squashing her feelings of inadequacy, Orinda stared at the apple in front of her. Mimicking the movements that Professor Ellsworth had shown them, she cast "Reducio" and waited. Maybe it would happen quickly, maybe it wouldn't happen at all. Hopefully she wouldn't end up like Holly with a shriveled up rotten apple. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but she wanted to excel, not get stared at the way Orinda was currently staring at Holly.