CHRM-101 Lessons

As you enter the Charms classroom with the flood of other First Years, your eyes are drawn to a large, human-sized box at the front, which the professor is hastily covering with a curtain. The auburn-haired woman smiles mysteriously as she takes her position at the front of the room.

Welcome to Charms! I am Professor Lavinia Laurel. I am very excited to be guiding you along your Charms journey.
Ah, you might be wondering about this mysterious box…

The students exchange questioning glances with each other, their curiosity piqued.

No, it’s not a coffin. I’ll let you wonder for now; all will be revealed in due time, but first, today’s lesson:

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Introduction
Think of Charms class as an introduction to spellcasting in general. Even the most accomplished of witches and wizards had to start somewhere. This year we will cover the basics of spellcasting, including the importance of pronouncing a spell correctly, practising precise wand movements, applying just the right amount of willpower, and maintaining your concentration.

We will touch on the basics of wandlore, such as why we need a wand for proper spellcasting, what wands are typically made of, and the special connection between a wizard and their wand. We will also discuss each of the spellcasting components that may be required to successfully cast certain spells, as well as what may happen if we are unsuccessful in casting them.

Today, after some information about what you can expect from the class and your assignments, we will be discussing the origin of modern-day spellcasting practices as well as the laws you need to be aware of when using magic. I'll be leaving all the juicy historical bits for your History of Magic classes, but it is important for you to understand how modern magic came about and what laws you need to follow at all times.

On the board, you will see a basic outline of the topics and spells we will be covering this year:

First Year Charms - At a Glance

Assignments and Grading Criteria
First Year Charms assignments will include mandatory weekly quizzes, a Midterm Exam after Lesson 5, and a Final Exam after Lesson 9. There will also be many opportunities for extra credit assignments - these assignments are optional and do not affect your grade, but they will help you better understand the content and will earn you extra house points. All extra credit assignments are clearly marked in your Gradebook.

Any scores under 70% qualify for a retake. Some assignments are also marked as resubmittable - if this is the case, it will be written in the assignment description. On these assignments, you can rewrite and resubmit your work as many times as you want until you are satisfied with your score.

All assignments must follow the specific word count requirements stated in the assignment description. Assignments that are too short or too long will be penalised accordingly. Assignments under a specific length will be given a grade of zero with a request to resubmit.

Errors in spelling and grammar will be deducted up to 10% of the total score, unless the student has listed non-native English speaker (NES) or learning disability (LD) at the top of their assignment. In that case, no points will be removed for spelling and grammar errors. However, the student must still make an effort to communicate their ideas clearly and coherently.

Identifying marks, such as name, age, house, location, or anything that could reveal who the student is, will result in a 5% deduction of the total score. The assignments are graded anonymously and fairly by the Charms PAs and Professors.

Effort and believability are also important criteria for grading. If the student is not putting forth more than minimum effort, points will be removed at the discretion of the grader. Unbelievable student feats, such as performing wandless or non-verbal magic before it is taught, will receive a 10% deduction of the total score. 

Extra credit may be awarded for exceptional work that demonstrates a high level of mastery, creativity, and insight. Extra credit is given at the discretion of the grader and Professors, and it does not affect the student's grade, but it does earn them extra house points.

Plagiarism, including AI-generated responses, is strictly prohibited and will result in an automatic zero with no chance for a retake. The assignments are meant to be original and creative works by the student, not copied or generated by someone or something else. The Charms PAs and Professors have ways to detect plagiarism and AI-generated responses, so do not attempt to cheat or deceive them.
Note that AI-assisted technology that rewrites your sentences (such as seen on Grammarly) is still considered plagiarism. While using these programs to identify spelling/grammar errors and fix 1-2 words is fine, allowing AI to rewrite your work or copying a full sentence from AI is plagiarism and is not acceptable.

Students that are disrespectful or rude in their assignments, including insulting Charms PAs or Professors or those in other classes, will receive a zero with no chance for a retake. The Charms PAs and Professors have zero tolerance for any form of harassment, bullying, or discrimination.

Inappropriate content, including curse words (outside the creativity of the assignment), drugs, harassment, sexual matters, etc., is also strictly prohibited and will result in a zero with no chance for a retake. The assignments are meant to be suitable and relevant for a school setting, not inappropriate or irrelevant. The Charms PAs and Professors have the right to report any inappropriate content to the Headmistress if necessary.

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What are Charms?
The term "spell" is a general one that can refer to any form of magical action or incantation. Spells can be classified into different categories, such as charms, transfiguration, curses, hexes, jinxes, and enchantments. Let’s briefly define each of these.

Charms are a category of spells used to add specific properties or attributes to an object or creature. They alter the inherent qualities of an object, such as its behaviour or capabilities. They are typically non-harmful and are often used for practical purposes. 

Transfiguration is another category of spells that alter the form or appearance of an object by changing its molecular structure. There are many sub-categories of transfiguration, which you will learn more about in your Transfiguration class.

Jinxes, hexes and curses are all types of dark magic that affect the target in a negative way. They are usually used for offensive or defensive purposes. The difference between them is mainly the degree of harm and permanence they cause. Jinxes are the least harmful and most temporary, often causing minor inconvenience or annoyance to the target. Hexes are more harmful and longer lasting than jinxes, often causing major discomfort or injury to the target. Curses are the most harmful and permanent of all, often causing irreversible damage or death to the target. You will learn more about these types of spells in your Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Enchantments are a broad term that can refer to any magical effect that is placed on an object or a person. They can be either positive or negative, depending on the intention and nature of the spell. 

Backfires and How to Avoid Them
A backfire is when a spell goes wrong, has unexpected effects, or has the opposite of the desired or intended outcome. Even the most experienced spellcasters will occasionally have a spell backfire. A backfire can be something as simple as nothing happening, as dangerous as an explosion, or as unexpected as your shoes sticking to the ground! Spell backfires are caused by improper performance of one of the spellcasting components: incantation (including pronunciation), wand movement, willpower, and concentration. 

To avoid spell backfires:

⤷ Prepare yourself mentally and physically before casting a spell. Clear your mind of any doubts, fears, or distractions. Make sure you are well-rested, hydrated, and comfortable. Avoid distractions and emotional instability that can lead to loss of control.

⤷ Choose the right time and place for your spell. Find a quiet, clean, and safe space where you can cast your spell without interruption or interference. If necessary, consider the phase of the moon, the day of the week, the season, and the astrological influences that may affect your spell. 

⤷ Follow the instructions of your spell carefully and accurately. Do not skip any steps, improvise, or modify the spell unless you know what you are doing. Pay attention to the details of the spellcasting components.

⤷ Regularly practice spells to improve your skills and ensure that you can execute the components flawlessly.

⤷ Consult experienced spellcasters or mentors for guidance and advice, especially when attempting complex or dangerous spells.

⤷ Learn from your mistakes! If a backfire does occur, analyse what went wrong, learn from the experience, and make adjustments to your technique for future spellcasting.

The Discovery of Wands
As you can imagine, magic was not always formally taught or controlled. Thousands of years ago, accidental magic - uncontrolled bursts of magic - was not something only young children experienced. In fact, it was the norm in magical societies before wizards and witches were able to focus and control their powers. Those with only a weak affinity for magic were able to lead relatively normal lives, but those with greater power caused immense destruction. Some of their actions were even noticeable enough to become Muggle mythology.

An ancient wand made out of lead and wood

Primitive tools like crystals, metal rods, or even hippogriff wing feathers wrapped around a stick all allowed some level of control over one’s magic. Instead of randomly causing something to vanish when they were angry, witches and wizards could instead make it happen purposefully by using their focusing item. Eventually, the most effective of foci (singular: “focus”), the modern wand, was created.

Before there was a standard practice and process for wand crafting, there was always the fear that a crude wand might fail at a critical moment, or worse, explode. The first instances of refined wand making lies with the Ollivander family, who have been making wands since 382 B.C.E. While wands of various designs had been crafted before this, the Ollivander family is one of the first, and certainly the longest, to have researched and practised the craft. 

A wooden shaft made from magical wood and containing a powerful magical core, the wand allows us to focus and channel our power to achieve the desired result. Modern wands are a much more advanced focus than their predecessors. Now, witches and wizards can spend less time worrying that their wand might explode and more time experimenting with different spells and gestures. We will discuss wands in more detail in Lesson Three.

The International Statute of Secrecy: A Brief History
Before we begin our spellcasting practice, I believe it is prudent that we discuss one of the most important laws that govern the wizarding world: the International Statute of Secrecy. Don’t worry, I’ll save all the most interesting bits for your History of Magic professor. In order to fully understand the importance of the Statute of Secrecy, we need to take a look at the events that led to its creation.

Thousands of years ago, magic was practised more openly than it is today. Village elders would create potions, Shamans would cast spells, and even Kings would employ professional seers to predict their future. However, things were bound to change. About 1000 years ago, monotheistic religions began to demonise anything that was different or strange, including magic. People without magic - Muggles - began to see it as a sign of evil, something to be feared and avoided.

To protect itself, the wizarding world began to separate from Muggles, and around 990 C.E., the Wizards’ Council was created. This group of old wizards was in charge of making rules and punishing those who broke them. Although this worked for a time, as the population of witches and wizards grew, problems with Muggles also increased. Witches and wizards were often blamed for any kind of negative circumstances, such as crops failing or a storm occurring. Muggles became angry and began to persecute witches and wizards. This went on for almost 300 years (15th century - 18th century); the most famous of these persecutions was called the Salem Witch Trials (1692). Thankfully, many were saved from the witch burnings by the Flame-Freezing Charm. What is the Flame-Freezing Charm you may ask? Well this handy little charm, which you will learn more about in Year 4, could be cast on the fire meant to burn a witch and completely remove all heat from the flames. The witch would then writhe in agony, pretending to burn, and once the sated crowd dispersed, she would quietly make her escape. 

The Wizards’ Council soon realised that it was too dangerous and difficult to live within the Muggle world. Thus, the International Statute of Secrecy was signed in 1689, and the Wizards’ Council founded the British Ministry of Magic in 1707 to help manage it all. The Statute was an agreement among all the wizarding governments of the world. They would create a secret society that would be invisible and unreachable to the Muggle world. The Statute said that all witches and wizards had to hide their magic and their existence from Muggles. In fact, they were discouraged from having any contact with the Muggles at all.

The law was created with many goals in mind, such as preserving wizarding culture, protecting magical creatures, securing magical resources, and avoiding conflict between magical and non-magical communities. Each government became responsible for hiding all evidence of magical activity within their borders, including the magical flora and fauna (plants and animals) of the wizarding world. It's important to note that, while the law was signed in 1689, it took a further three years before it was officially established by all governments internationally. However, many governments did recognize it in the interim.

Over the centuries, magic has become the stuff of legends for Muggles. Documented now only in fairy tales and fictions, much of the Muggles’ contemporary literature is full of encounters with witches and wizards, dragons, pixies, and many other kinds of magic that they dismiss as wild dreams or hallucinations. You must remember though that the majority of Muggle stories are rooted in fact. Most are eyewitness accounts of Muggles seeing magic done that have been changed over time. Of course, whenever an incident is too big to ignore or there is too much evidence it is true magic and not trickery, the Ministry will send in the Obliviators to sort things out, usually through memory modification.

Before we move on, there is another important law that all of you should remember. To better uphold the Statute of Secrecy, the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery was established in 1875. Basically, no student is allowed to practise magic outside of specific exception zones, such as Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. The Trace is a charm used to detect the use of magic by any witch or wizard under the age of 17, and it is enforced by the Improper Use of Magic Office in the Ministry of Magic. Depending on the offence, violations may be met with anything from an official warning letter to expulsion from Wizarding School. As the Decree’s name suggests, there are reasonable exceptions, such as self-defence in a life-threatening situation or young children who are below school age and are not yet in possession of a wand - magic detected in these cases are often dealt with by the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad. 

Now, the Trace is a very impressive bit of magic due to its extensive reach; however, it is not without its flaws. Unfortunately, the Trace can only detect the use of magic in a particular area; it cannot detect who has cast that magic. Because of this, I am afraid Muggle-borns are at the greatest disadvantage. You see, the Trace will ignore any magic detected if there is a known of-age (over 17) witch or wizard residing in the home. This means that a child in a magical household could cast underage magic at home and the Trace would not know if it was one of the magical adults in the house, so it ignores it. The Ministry of Magic expects wizarding parents to supervise their own children in this regard. However, when the Trace detects magic being used in a known Muggle-only household, the magical child is the only logical person to blame. Although it may seem unfair that those from Muggle households are treated with such a level of strictness, the Trace is a very important tool in upholding the International Statute of Secrecy.

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The Wand-Lighting and Wand-Extinguishing Charms
And now the moment I know many of you have been anxious for: spellcasting! We will begin the year with a simple but very useful charm called the Wand-Lighting Charm. As the name implies, this spell will allow you to illuminate the tip of your wand. It is one of the easiest spells to master, useful whenever you need light, and makes for good spellcasting practice.

Now, the first known use of the Wand-Lighting Charm wasn’t until the 18th century, despite how easy it is to use. Magical historians credit Levina Monkstanley, a Ministry of Magic employee, for its invention. It was first demonstrated in 1772 when Ms. Monkstanley had dropped her quill on the ground and used the spell to find it.

Its uses far exceed simply lighting the tip of your wand. It can provide an easy and endless source of amusement for young witches and wizards who usually enjoy watching the colour change. In the Ministry of Magic, it makes for a safe and easy method for casting a vote. It can even be used to repel incorporeal threats such as the Gytrash (a vicious spectral hound) and other malevolent spirits. 

Now! Onto the casting!

The Wand-Lighting Charm
Incantation: Lumos (pronounced ‘LOO-mos’)
Wand Movement: Single counter-clockwise loop
Willpower: Low; determines the colour of the light
Concentration: Low; lighting up the top of your wand

You should keep the visualisation of lighting up the tip of your wand in mind and don't put too much willpower (mental push) into the spell, as this would turn the tip of your wand a scarlet colour. Too little and it will be a pearly white. You should aim for a nice light yellow, which indicates sufficient effort. Of course, circumstances may call for a weaker or stronger light.

Since the magic for the Wand-Lighting Charm never leaves the tip of your wand, the flow of magical energy does not need to be consciously maintained (called ‘concentration’). However, please keep in mind that if you let go of your wand while this charm is in effect, the light will go out. Very advanced magical practitioners may still be able to maintain the light of their wand after letting go, but this is not an easy task.

No lesson on the Wand-Lighting Charm would be complete without its equally-simple counter, the Wand-Extinguishing Charm. This spell has a singular purpose, and that is to counter the Wand-Lighting Charm. If the spell is cast without Lumos being active, then the spell will have no effect. It is a personal charm, which means it will only work for the wand you are holding - you cannot put out someone else’s lit wand with this charm.

The Wand-Extinguishing Charm
Incantation: Nox (pronounced ‘NOCK-ss’)
Wand Movement: Flick of the wand
Willpower: None
Concentration: None

The Wand-Extinguishing Charm can be quickly cast, and its effect is immediate. There is no risk of backfire, making it as safe as the charm it counters.

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Wrapping Up
Now I know you remember my promise from the beginning of the lesson. Professor Laurel gestures to the mysterious box at the front of the room. Your task, if you choose to participate, will be to cast the Wand-Lighting Charm that we have learned in today’s lesson. Once illuminated, the box will reveal something extraordinary to you. You will not be told what is inside, but I assure you that it is nothing dangerous or unpleasant. In fact, I think you will be quite amazed and delighted by what you see. But I'll keep that a surprise for each of you to discover for yourself.

So, without further ado, who's brave enough to be the first to step inside the box and cast Lumos?

Students take turns entering the box, casting the Wand-Lighting Charm, each emerging with wide eyes and a large smile, but no one spoils the surprise. Professor Laurel turns to you and gestures as she holds open the curtain to the box. It’s your turn to decide if you’ll step inside… 

Image Sources: Getty Images, HP Wiki, Live Science 

Original Lesson by Professor Alex Quilmane
Edits and Additions by Professor Lavinia Laurel