Joann and Karla skipped leisurely into the Charms classroom.
They had just finished a rather hard Potions midterm and after Charms would be
free of midterms for the rest of the day.

“How do you think you did? That question about the Mayan
Tribe’s people really threw me for a loop!” Said Karla to Joann.

“I’m not sure. I feel like I did alright.” She said throwing
her book bag to the ground and putting her wand at her table.

“Want a licorice wand?” Karla asked Joann, holding out the
red candy in Joann’s direction.

“Of course!” Joann said grabbing it and biting off a large piece.

The students began filing in. Some were happy smiling as
they made their ways to their seats, but one girl in the back was sniveling
slightly and wiping her nose on her sleeve. Joann gave Karla a questioning
look.

The professor made his way to the front of the class and
rapped his wand on the side of the table causing the excesses talking to stop
abruptly.

“Today you have a good deal of work to complete, so it is
best that we get started!” he said pointing to the words appearing on the chalk
board.

A while later.

“Wait! Is it a A shape V and up, ending with a jab in the
direction to cut, or V-Shaped down and up, ending with a swish in the direction
to cut?” Karla said whipping her wand about in the air.

“V-Shaped down and up, ending with a swish in the direction you
want to cut. The board says so.” Joann pointed up at the board and then looked
back into her book.

“Then what am I doing wrong?” Karla said attempting the
spell again.

“Deffinto!” she said. Her wand emitted an odd croaking noise
but failed to cut the bit of rope the teacher had provided. “See.” Karla said.

“Okay! I have it. It’s the incantation. You’re saying it
wrong.” Joann said pointing into her book. “See here. It’s Diffindo, not
Deffinto.”

Joann held up her wand, and drew her V in the air as
instructed simultaneously saying “Diffindo.” The rope split in two.

“Oh okay I got it!” Karla said bouncing in her chair.

After Karla had felt confident with her spell they moved
onto the Softening Charm. The teacher had delivered rocks about the room and
instructed the students on the Softening Charm. This one was much easier to accomplish
for the two girls in the front row, but not for a young man in the back.

“What is going on in the back?” Karla whispered to Joann.
The noise level in the classroom had increased significantly.

“CLASS DISMISSED!” screamed the professor over the roar of
the classroom. The professor rushed from the room with a student over his
shoulder no doubt passed out.

“What happened?” Joann asked a kid staying behind.

“He missed the rope and hit his hand instead. It was only a
small cut, but I think he passed out!” The girls giggled as they made their way
into the hallway.