DADA-401 Lessons

The students enter the classroom and find lifeless grotesque statues standing around the room

Welcome and please do not be alarmed by the statues. They are completely lifeless and harmless, I promise. The only thing they will do is rebuild themselves when destroyed, which is useful for us because today we get to learn two more spells. The first will be used to break these statues and the other...well, you will see what I have in mind. Please, take your seats and let’s begin today’s lesson.

As I mentioned, today we will be learning two new spells that will test both your concentration and your willpower. The first spell we will cover is the Reductor Curse. This spell will be a test of controlling your concentration and willpower. The second spell we will cover is the Ventus Jinx and will be a test of your concentration.

The Reductor Curse
The Reductor Curse is a relatively simple curse to cast, yet shockingly difficult to control. This curse will shatter any object that it is cast at, breaking the object into many pieces. However, it is easy to lose control and accidentally cast this spell on the wrong object or to cast this spell stronger than intended and reduce the target object into nearly nothing. You must know your own strength and have complete mental focus on the target. You must also know how much damage you wish to do, but more on this in just a moment.

In order to cast the spell, it naturally takes very little concentration and willpower if your only goal is to cast the spell. For all practical purposes, you can just think of the target and say the incantation, Reducto, while completing the wand movement, which looks like a sideways V with its bottom pointing to the right. You simply start with your wand on the left, draw a downward diagonal to the right and then another downward diagonal to the left. Without strong concentration, though, you will find that the Reductor Curse can become very volatile and destroy unintended objects. You must be completely mentally focused on the object that you wish to break.

Your willpower also plays a key role, since the amount of willpower you include dictates the extent of the destruction. You can break the objects into small chunks or, with enough willpower, shatter the object into a fine dust. This is what I meant when I said that you must know your own strength and the amount of damage you want to do. You control the amount of willpower you put into a spell and therefore control how powerful the Reductor Curse is when you cast it.

I don’t think this needs to be stated, but I have learned from experience to always state the obvious. Please do not use this spell on another person. You all chuckle, but I actually saw an auror in Training, one of my own mentees in the Auror Training Program, use this spell on another person because he didn’t know how else to react. He’s now sitting in a cell in Azkaban for murder. I’ve visited him a few times, though he’s been exposed to the Dementors for so long that the only thought he has left is the guilt of his crime. Last time I visited him, he barely knew who I was.

That being said, I don’t want you all to be completely afraid of this spell. This spell is an excellent spell for causing a distraction. When you’re outnumbered with your back against the wall, how better to turn the tables on your opponents by bringing a wall or ceiling down around them? It also can be cast across a room and make it look like you are somewhere else, which continues to give you the element of surprise since your opponent(s) no longer know where you are. When used properly, this spell can accomplish a lot, but for class today we will focus on just getting you capable of breaking things with it, such as these statues.

The Ventus Jinx
Now that we know how to break the statues that we see standing around the edge of the room, we can move on to the next part that will really test your concentration. The Ventus Jinx is an interesting jinx with two known effects. One effect is a static effect while the other is a dynamic effect that extends the first effect and requires extended concentration to make happen.

The first known effect of the Ventus Jinx is the ability to send a blast of wind towards the target. This can be really effective for rolling objects out of the way, such as a fallen branch, or simply for knocking over something. This effect can be produced simply by flicking your wand in a whip-like motion towards the target and saying the incantation, Ventus. While doing this, you must focus on the effect, creating the gust of wind, and exerting the willpower. The more willpower you exert, the stronger the blast of wind will be.

The second effect of the Ventus Jinx can be accomplished through a similar manner to the first effect. You still flick your wand in a whiplike motion and use the same incantation, but now you must add concentration on keeping the wind blowing and keep your wand aimed in the direction you want the wind to blow. The Ventus Jinx has the ability to create a continuous stream of wind blowing that can be used to distract your opponents or stir up dust or other loose particles to create a natural smokescreen.

Spell Blocks

Spell: Reductor Curse
Incantation: Reducto (re-DUCK-toh)
Wand Movement: A sideways V with the bottom pointed towards the right.
Concentration: High, must be completely focused on the target
Willpower: Low to Moderate, depending on how fine you want to object to be broken

Spell: The Ventus Jinx
Incantation: Ventus (VEN-toos)
Wand Movement: A flick of the wand in a whip-like motion
Concentration: Moderate, must focus on the effect and, if desired, maintaining the wind.
Willpower: Low to moderate, depending on how strong you want the wind to be

You now have the knowledge of two spells that can be used to create a diversion. For the remainder of class, I want you all to practice these two spells. There are enough grotesques for each of you to practice on. Pick one and stay with it. The first thing I want you to do is practice the Reductor Curse on the grotesques. Cast it a few times to figure out how much willpower you want to exert to create a fairly fine dust. You don’t want big chunks this time. You will know when you get the dust right because the grotesque will not attempt to reform itself for a few seconds, rather than the immediate reformation.

The second exercise involves the Ventus Charm. I want you to cast the Ventus Charm and use your concentration to keep a continuous stream of wind going. You will use this stream of wind in order to keep the gargoyle from reforming. Keep the wind going and keep the particles separate for at least five minutes, though if you can accomplish it for longer, excellent. If you lose concentration for even a moment, the spell will falter and the grotesque will get closer to reforming. If it completely reforms, you will have to start over. Once you have kept the particles separate for at least five minutes, you may break the Ventus Jinx and let the grotesque reform. Once it reforms and I have checked your work (the grotesque is enchanted to provide me with your results) you will be given permission to leave for the day.

Your homework involves a short quiz and an essay in which you describe your experience with today’s activity.

Class dismissed.

Original lesson written by Professor Jericho Penrose

Grotesque image found through a Google Image search for “Gargoyle Statue”