September 3, 1888 - Charms Classroom, Hogwarts

Ellsworth’s OWL students trooped into the classroom, the third through fifth years all were very much accustomed to his classroom already. He stood in front of his desk with a genial smile on his face, nodding at his students in greeting. 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 back. It’s good to see so many familiar faces. I trust you enjoyed your summer breaks, despite the fog.” Likely the fog had kept many of them out of trouble, keeping them from being tempted to cast spells outside of school. “I don’t suppose you want to listen to be drone on during your first day of classes, so we shall start by learning a summoning charm and leave the lecturing to our essays and later classes.” He gave them a grin, as if letting them in on a secret. “Now, a summoning charm may be tricky to get the hang of. But useful once you have perfected it. I for instance, love to summon my tea from my desk when I forget it.” Ellsworth had been pacing forward down the aisle, now he turned and drew his wand, aiming it at the ‘forgotten’ cup of tea on his desk. With an upward arc of his wand he cast, “Accio cup.” The cup zoomed from his desk, a few drops of tea slipping as it sloshed over the edges, and landed in his hand. “Of course, it does have some… quirks, but quite a useful spell, wouldn’t you say?” He told them with a jovial wink.

“Now, I suppose you all would like to try. I’ve placed an apple on my desk. I would like each of you to try and summon the apple to you. You will take turns, once one has summoned it, the next student shall summon it from them. Think of it like a game.” Over the years he had watched students try to beat others to it and turn it into a sport of kind. It was rather a lesson he looked forward to. “The first two students shall each be awarded five house points to their house.” He backed toward his desk, aware of the danger of standing in the middle of a room during such an exercise. Once he was behind his desk he opened his arms to the students. “You may begin.”

Open to all 3rd, 4th, & 5th year students. I think I have listed all of you, but if I missed you feel free to join in. Please only post attempts at the task and fill out the following form, Ellsworth will have your results posted every few days.

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[b]Skill Level:[/b]

Aleksei Nichols Archelaus Abney Aria Belby Arthur Price @"Beatrix Borgin" Cameron Gillenwater Cane Backus Cecelia Banges Citrine Weasley Clementine Rookwood Darling Whitledge Edgar Rey II Elijah Urquart Frida Lestrange George Waterford Guenhwyvar Síl Maelefithrig Harrison Vance Hestia Fairchild Holliday Fudge James Grey @"Jemima Farley" Justice Rookwood Monet Brown Sage Macnair Taggart Renshaw Thomas Montgomery

  

The start of a new school year was always rather stressful (though welcome relief from the months on end with only her family for company, certainly). Professor Ellsworth was hardly a new face, though, so there was that. Of course, whilst he could usually be counted upon to be kind enough, Jemima was rather less convinced by the first class activity he described.

Couldn't he have let them ease in with a little individual practice, before the whole class was to watch them? Or better yet, a written essay? Already sensing the heart palpitations she was doomed to suffer for the rest of the hour, Jemima hurriedly realised that perhaps her best shot was to be if she could only be first to successfully cast the charm - no one would expect it of her! - and then it would be left to all the others to summon it successfully from her hand, and she would not need to panic about being the last student left to manage it. "Accio!" She said, staring fervently at the apple.

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Skill Level: Average?

  

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Skill Level: Above average, but not top of the class.

Thomas sat back in his chair, a mixture between relaxed and attentive to all that Professor Ellsworth seemed to be saying. He seemed rather pleased that they wouldn't be lectured at, since he tended to learn best by experimentation than just listening. Though, he did well in that regard, as well.

He watched the tea slosh about with the tiniest of amused smirks, and he nodded his head once in understanding of the spell. It did seem quite useful. He had seen others perform the spell before, and he thought it would come in handy if he could summon Terry the toad to him when he decided he wanted to hop off. It was quite difficult to experiment on ones familiar when they decided they wanted to be elsewhere!

Once they were given permission to begin, Thomas turned and aimed his body in the direction of the apple. He carefully moved his wand into an upward arch while reciting the incantation, "Accio."

  

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By the awesome MJ <3

The apple did not move an inch even as the first two students, @"Jemima Farley" and Thomas Montgomery, made their attempts. “Come now, the summer has hardly made wool of your minds.” He teased, not at all surprised by the result. It was a challenging charm, but a useful one. “Try again.”

  

Sapphire wasn't sure how she'd gone two years, and was starting her third, at Hogwarts. It felt like she'd just been crying in the Hufflepuff commonroom because she'd actually wanted to stay in the house the professors had sorted her in. Then she'd blinked, and now she's in her first year of OWL classes.

When Professor Ruskin announced that both the older students who had tried to summon the apple had failed, she decided to have a try. "Accio!" she said, trying to summon the fruit.

Skill Level: Average

  

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MJ made the pretties

When it seemed both him and Jemima hadn't summoned the apple, Thomas took the failure in stride and took a few moments to observe the others and their attempts. When he was sure he had collected his thoughts on the matter, he tried again, moving his wand into an upward arch, "Accio."

  

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By the awesome MJ <3

Taggart watched apprehensively around him as others used their wands to attempt the Accio spell. He knew as a future hit wizard he'd need the spell in his repertoire so he needed to do this right. One couldn't take down people who were disobeying the law without Accio under their belt. Pulling out his trusty wand, Tag watched as the rest of the class tried and failed. He couldn't afford to do that. He had to be the best. Swishing his wand in mimicry of how the professor had shown them, Tag firmly and loudly stated, "Accio." Would it work? Would it not?
Skill Level: Average? Maybe a little better?

  

Next Sapphire Weasley tried the spell. The apple seemed to shrink away from her summons and indeed appeared to even shrink a small bit itself. “Miss Weasley, I would try to focus on the motion. It’s more of a arc than a swish.” He turned to the rest of the class. “Don’t forget to mention what item it is you would like to summon to you. I’d rather not have my desk flying across the room.” While the words were jovial his forehead creased in a bit of worry. Following Miss Weasley’s attempt Thomas Montgomery attempted the spell again and this time the apple moved an inch forward on desk. “Almost Mr. Montgomery.” Ellsworth encouraged. Taggart Renshaw was next to try. This time the apple veered to the right toward the boy but came to a stop on the edge of the desk. “Ah, a bit more command in your voice Mr. Renshaw.”

  

Skill Level: Average

Citrine listened as the professor spoke before taking up her own wand to do her attempt. "Accio," she cast, waiting to see if her apple would move.

  

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Well, nothing had happened the first time; Jemima was hardly surprised. Professor Ellsworth probably didn't expect anything of her, either, or at least she suspected her try had been so far off that there had been nothing simple to say to it. Still, she listened frantically to all the advice he had given some of her classmates after their attempts, and then hoped - no, prayed - that she would be able to keep up with the rest of them once the apple finally left the desk.

More of an arc, say it aloud, come on Jemima! "Accio apple!" She tried.

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Taggart watched as his apple veered to the right and almost came off the desk. It wasn't much, but it was more than some of the apples had done. He listened as Professor Ellsworth told him to use a bit more command in his voice. What? Like he was trying to tell someone what to do? He'd heard plenty of middle to upper class folks use the tone, but as a working class fellow, you didn't really get to do that unless it was with your own siblings. And being the youngest and only boy, his sisters would have laughed in his face should he have tried to do that to them.

Still.

Raising his wand, Tag pointed it at the apple in question and forcefully stated, "Accio apple." Would it work? He sure hoped so.

  

Skill Level: Good

Cane listened to the professors instructions and figured it sounded simple enough, at least. "Accio apple," he said with a swish of his wand.

  

While Frida had never been especially gifted, she didn't believe herself so incompetent to where summoning an apple seemed impossible. But watching the other students fire their spells over and over and over.... well, it would have been a lie to say she wasn't a bit intimidated. With her wand aimed towards the apple on Professor Ruskin's desk, Frida carefully—and with notable hesitation—declared: "Accio apple."

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Skill Level: Average

  

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— set by mj  —

Ever the confident one, Justice watched with amusement as the students repeatedly attempted to summon the Professor's apple, casting his own unsuccessful attempts every now and then. His eyes flickered between the other Ravenclaws and his friends, biding his time for the right moment to try again. It was only when a sudden break in spells came that Justice lifted his own wand and fired: "Accio apple!"

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Skill Level: Average

  

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— we all know MJ is amazing but DAMN —

Last year, he'd been at the top of his game: second years almost always performed better than their first year counterparts in intro-level classes, so he approached his course-work with (often unwarranted) confidence. This year, though, he was a third year: he had to compete with the fourth and fifth years, all who had at least a year of OWL-level coursework under their belts. Ugh. His grumpiness was apparent as twiddled with his wand as he waited for a chance to cast his spell again, but so was his unyielding determination.

When the next chance struck, Cammie raised his wand and cast: "Accio apple!"

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Skill Level: Average

  

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Skill Level: Average

Darling waited patiently for her next turn to attempt summoning the apple on the professors desk. "Accio apple!" She cast once she was able to. She wasn't too confident in her spell casting, especially when other more skilled students seemed to not have succeeded.

  

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Set by Athena