Chapter:33 Start Of The Term(6) - Charms & History of Magic

"Oh, good. You made it. Had you been a minute later, you would be standing outside for today's class,"

Professor Flitwick chirped in a cheerful tone.

Victoire couldn't help but wonder how the professor could sound so cheerful while delivering such stern words.

Given his relatively short stature, Professor Flitwick had to stack several thick books on his chair to elevate himself and have a proper view of the class. He greeted the students with his customary cheerful demeanor.

"Greetings, young witches and wizards, as some of you may already know,"

he said with a pointed grin toward the Ravenclaw students,

"I am Professor Flitwick, Professor Filius Flitwick, your Charms teacher and the head of the house of Ravenclaw."

Professor Flitwick introduced himself before commencing the roll call. He was the first professor to do so, whereas the others had glanced at them before launching into the lesson. His appearance might have been deceiving, with his diminutive stature and easygoing demeanor, but it was becoming evident that Professor Flitwick was a formidable teacher who held his students to high standards.

Professor Flitwick checked the roll and expressed his approval, praising the students for their punctuality.

"Looks to be in order. None of you are late for your first class. Very good,"

he commended them before commencing the lesson.

"Since this is your first Charms lesson, let's learn a useful spell before delving into the theory, shall we?"

Professor Flitwick proposed.

He proceeded to demonstrate the wand movement and incantation for the most basic of spells, the Lumos spell, which was used to light up the wand tip. The students watched attentively as Professor Flitwick expertly performed the charm, causing the tip of his wand to light up like a flashlight.

"Now, I want each of you to give it a try,"

he encouraged, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm.

"Remember the incantation, the wand movement, and most importantly, your concentration. This is a fundamental charm, and it's a fantastic starting point for your magical education."

As the students eagerly practiced the spell, it didn't take long for the first mishaps to occur. Alicia and Angelina were the first to make errors.

Alicia's exuberant wand movement caused her to lose her grip on the wand, sending it flying and striking the teacher's table. The impact produced sparks of angry red light, igniting one of Professor Flitwick's large dictionaries.

Angelina's mishap was less dramatic, as her overly forceful jab at the wand resulted in a burst of hot flames, setting her desk on fire. Professor Flitwick swiftly vanished the flames and brought the situation under control.

"Now, now, remember that we are wizards and not baboons with sticks,"

he admonished the duo before demonstrating the Lumos spell once more, providing a clear example of how to properly cast it. The class continued their attempts, paying closer attention to their wandwork and the subtle art of charm-casting.

Professor Flitwick went around the room, offering guidance and encouragement, ensuring that each student had a fair chance to master the spell. Despite his tiny stature, his presence and knowledge commanded respect, and the class progressed with an air of focused determination.

Victoire found herself in a familiar predicament, torn between performing the spell flawlessly and possibly being asked to assist others or intentionally underperforming to avoid such responsibility. She weighed her options, considering the potential consequences of each choice.

However, her internal debate was interrupted by Professor Flitwick's announcement.

"Oh, very well,"

he sighed, watching as a first-year Ravenclaw excitedly summoned a cod, only to see it vanish by the professor's spell.

"How about this,"

he proposed,

"if any one of you manages to make their wand glow or even shimmer, I will award them five points. If they perform the spell perfectly, another fifteen points will be granted." 

The new incentive was tempting, and while it had succeeded in motivating several students to improve their spellcasting, Victoire remained steadfast in her pretense. She continued to wave her wand half-heartedly, feigning struggle as if attempting but failing to cast the spell.

After an hour of struggle, Professor Flitwick called out,

"Very good, very good indeed both of you."

He recognized the Weasley twins' success. Their wand tips were aglow with a bluish-white light, and the Gryffindors cheered while Fred and George beamed at their fellow first years.

"Five points each to the Weasley twins for succeeding in casting the spell, albeit half-heartedly,"

the professor declared humorously, acknowledging their efforts.

He then turned to the rest of the class and posed a new challenge, increasing the stakes.

"How about we increase the odds?"

Professor Flitwick suggested, glancing at his pocket watch.

"If any of you manage to cast the spell perfectly within the next ten minutes, I will award them twenty points."

This announcement sparked a renewed wave of enthusiasm among the students, intensifying their efforts to master the spell. They practiced with increased determination, driven by the prospect of earning house points.

As the students' attempts grew increasingly desperate, the number of blunders and accidents multiplied. Lee Jordan, in his enthusiasm, managed to set his neighbor's head on fire, while Jeremiah Paul, a handsome Ravenclaw, accidentally split his bench and part of the floor. Professor Flitwick swiftly corrected both accidents and disqualified the two students from the competition.

With the clock ticking down and less than two minutes left in the class, professors encouraged the remaining students who managed to make their wands glimmer. The Weasley twins and three other students, all Ravenclaws, were the most likely contenders for winning these extra points.

With one minute left, excitement filled the room. 

Forty-five seconds remained on the clock.

And suddenly Professor Flitwick bellowed,

"And we have a winner!"

He pointed at Victoire, who was now snoozing next to Angelina, her wand still aglow after she had accidentally cast the spell in her sleep.

The class erupted into a mixture of bewildered applauses and groans as Alicia slapped the back of Victoire's head to wake her up.

"Vat? Who? Vhere? Vhere's ze zhe-ant chicken wing?"

As the class erupted into laughter and bemusement, Professor Flitwick awarded Victoire twenty points for Gryffindor, which she accepted with a puzzled look on her face.

It took a while for Alicia to explain to her what had transpired, and Victoire couldn't help but hide her face behind her palms at the sheer exasperation of doing exactly what she had been trying to avoid.

"Where to next?"

Asked the twins while approaching the three girls,

"History with Professor Binns, First floor, room 4F. Is it true he is a ghost?"

Said Lee Jordan before anyone else could answer. He introduced himself to the group before sticking along with the twins saying, 'Hey, three girls and three boys, I am only evening out the odds you know.'

Something that made Angelina quite mad at him.

They rushed through the castle, passing corridors and bathrooms on their way to the southern block. When Victoire suggested a quick snack as they passed by a corridor leading to the Great Hall, only to be forcefully dragged away by Alicia and Angelina, both of them had a look of exasperation on their faces. 

The corridor was empty, and many of its doors were sealed with hefty metal locks hanging from them. It might seem odd that wizards, who often looked down on Muggles would adopt their inventions, but it seems like no matter how abled or disabled, humans still valued efficient and practical solutions.

The deserted corridor was soon occupied by the band of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors standing in front of their History classroom. Initially, most of them were hesitant and thought of waiting for their teacher's permission to enter, but Victoire was feeling quite fed up and took the lead in opening the door. She pushed open the door, revealing a clean and tidy classroom, and before the others could react, she quickly claimed a seat by the window, allowing the warm sunlight to bathe her face.

Once everyone was seated, Professor Binns, their ghostly teacher, floated out from the chalkboard and stared at the first-year students without uttering a word or offering any greeting.

He kept on staring for a good half a minute before going into the attendance and then began discussing the chapter titled 'An Introduction to Goblins,' explaining where they lived their pre-wizarding history, and other details.

The students listened to him attentively, for the first five minutes, before his drawling voice somehow managed to put several first-year Hufflepuffs to sleep. Following their example, the rest of the students attempted to do the same. Settling in their uncomfortably cold chairs and glaring at Victoire who was enjoying the sunbath.

The comfort of the sunbeam was much, as it turned out that Professor Binns' voice had different stages of boredom, and by the time they reached halfway through his class, most of them were asleep, save for the twins who had unfortunately occupied the very front seats and to face the uncomfortable cold that a ghost's presence permeated.

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