Chapter 26 — Charms
Lunch ends with the usual rush of first-years scraping benches and hurrying out of the Great Hall. I walk with Jack, Corin and Callum through the corridor that dips slightly before rising again toward the Charms corridor. Everything smells faintly of chalk and old stone. My robe swishes around my ankles as we turn the corner and step into the small, bright Charms classroom.
The room looks cheerful. Sunlight falls in strips across the floor and the desks are close together, more cosy than formal. A stack of spellbooks sits on the far side. I see a small raised platform at the front where the professor will stand. Perfect for someone short.
Students settle in slowly. Jack and I take the first bench, the same way as before, and Corin and Callum slip onto the bench behind us. Gabriel Iglesias and Louis tumble in two breaths later, bumping into each other and whispering so loudly it barely counts as whispering at all.
"Do you think Charms is easier than Transfiguration?" Louis asks him.
Gabriel shrugs. "Should be. Smaller things, yeah? Less chance of it squealing."
Louis nods. "Yeah but what if we light something on fire?"
"Then we run very fast," Gabriel says with a wise nod.
I sigh under my breath. They're hopeless, but they're entertaining.
A squeak of excitement pops from the door. Professor Filius Flitwick enters with a bounce in his step, small as a child but bright as a spark. His eyes shine and his robes flutter behind him as if they're trying to keep up with his enthusiasm.
"Good afternoon, good afternoon!" he says in a high, cheerful voice. "Welcome to your very first Charms class! One of the most important subjects you will learn at Hogwarts. Oh, I do hope you're ready, because today-"
He hops onto his stack of books, wobbling once before balancing with expert grace.
"-today we begin with one of the simplest yet most essential charms in everyday magic. The Wand-Lighting Charm. Lumos. A marvel of illumination!"
A quiet wave of awe fills the room. Flitwick beams at us.
"Now then," he continues happily, "Charms is all about control. You must combine clear intention, 'what you want', with correct pronunciation, 'how you say it', and the right wand movement. Mix those things together properly and magic responds like a friend. Mix them poorly and, well" he chuckles, "you may get smoke, sparks, or a sneeze."
Louis snorts laughter. Gabriel elbows him to keep quiet.
Flitwick raises his wand. It looks almost too big for his hand, but he handles it like a conductor.
"The wand movement," he says, "is a gentle upward flick. Not a jab - oh heavens, no, no poking! And not a lazy waggle either. Firm. Light. Like lifting a teacup without spilling it."
He demonstrates. "Lumos."
The tip of his wand glows like a tiny sun. Golden and warm.
Several students gasp.
"Yes, yes, marvellous, isn't it?" he says as the light fades. "Now, meaning. Lumos comes from Latin for 'light.' A very fitting name. Say it clearly. Not Loo-moose! Not Lummus! And certainly not Lumoooooooos, unless you wish to sound like a singing toad."
A ripple of laughter spreads through the room.
"Right then!" he claps once. "Everyone take your wands. When you're ready, point the wand in front of you, not at each other please, and try your best. Remember: intention, pronunciation, movement. Begin!"
The classroom bursts into soft muttering and flicks of wands.
Jack tries instantly. "Loomus," he says.
"Nothing," he sighs.
Corin tries behind us. "Lumos!"
A spark shoots out and hits Callum's sleeve.
"Oi!" Callum yelps, patting it down.
"Sorry!" Corin whispers.
Gabriel pokes his wand right at his own face. "Lumo—"
"No!" Louis whispers urgently. "Don't point it at your eyes! What if it blinds you?"
"I'll point at your eyes instead," Gabriel mutters.
"Boys," Flitwick warns, "I see wand tips wiggling dangerously. Please aim forward unless you wish to illuminate each other's noses."
The class snickers again.
Flitwick is moving along the rows now, watching people try. Tiny sparks from some desks, a few soft glows that die out. I wait. My wand sits in my hand comfortably, already familiar. I've cast Lumos hundreds of times in practice. It's the one spell I could do as casually as breathing.
But I don't want to be first again. That would be careless. Too showy.
I fake a few attempts.
"Lumos," I whisper softly, with the wrong movement.
Nothing.
Jack squints at me. "Mate, are you sure you're doing it right?"
"Maybe," I say with a shrug.
Behind us, Corin mutters, "This is harder than it looks."
Callum says, "At least nothing's exploded."
A sudden clear "Lumos!" rings from the Ravenclaw side.
I glance to the side and notice one of the Ravenclaws. A boy with neatly combed black hair and a very serious expression. He's been quiet since we sat down. I recognise him as he sat across the room in Transfiguration. Always looked like he was doing silent maths in his head.
Sheldon Cooper.
His wand tip blazes bright white, steady and sure. He lifts his chin, expression faintly proud but not smug. Like he expected nothing less.
Flitwick gasps. "Oh! Splendid! Splendid work, Mr. Cooper! Ten points to Ravenclaw!"
Sheldon nods once, almost like a bow. His face remains serious, though I can see the faintest twitch of satisfaction.
Good. He deserves it. And now I don't have to be the first again.
I give the class a few more minutes. People muttering, trying again, sparks popping here and there.
Then I let myself focus properly.
I lift the wand with a firm, gentle motion. I picture the light. I imagine it blooming like a tiny star on the end of the wand. I breathe out.
"Lumos."
The wand tip flares with clean white light. Strong, steady.
Jack's jaw drops. Corin and Callum lean forward to see.
"Oh now that's very clean magic indeed!" Flitwick squeaks as he rushes over. "Excellent control, Mr. Dursley! Very, very good for a first lesson. Five points to Hufflepuff!"
I nod. "Thank you, Professor."
Gabriel gasps. "Ooooh, shiny."
Louis elbows him. "Stop staring, you look like a magpie."
Gabriel shrugs. "Well, it is shiny."
Flitwick moves around to help others, correcting wand angles and pronunciation. Someone accidentally lights their wand and shrieks. Someone else lights their wand and then drops it, making a bright spinning circle on the floor. Flitwick puts it out in seconds.
Gabriel tries again with exaggerated focus. "Loooo-mos."
"No," Louis groans. "It's Lumos. Say it normal!"
"I am saying it normal!"
"No you aren't, you sound like my grandmother's old kettle."
"Do kettles talk?" Gabriel asks.
"Only when you're around," Louis mutters.
Flitwick chuckles lightly. "Mr. Louis And Mr. Iglesias, try less chatter, more intention. Charms respond better when your mind is not worrying about kettles."
The whole class laughs again.
We continue practicing. Sparks, lights, giggles, and a few frustrated groans fill the room. Bit by bit, more wands start glowing. Some faint, some flickering like nervous fireflies.
Jack manages a soft glow and cheers. Corin gets a blink of light. Callum gets a steady but dim shine and beams like he's won a prize.
When the bell finally rings, everyone lets out a breath.
"Excellent start, everyone!" Flitwick says, clapping his small hands together. "For homework, practice your wand movement holding a pencil or quill. Do not practice the spell in the corridors, unless you wish to blind a prefect. Class dismissed!"
We pack our things. The room fills with happy noise again.
Jack grins as we walk out. "That was brilliant. Much easier than Transfiguration."
"Speak for yourself," Corin groans. "I nearly set my sleeve on fire."
Callum pats his shoulder. "Progress is progress."
Sheldon Cooper passes us with his usual straight back and unreadable expression. He gives me a small nod. It was neither friendly nor unfriendly, just acknowledging competition.
I return the nod.
Gabriel and Louis join us in the corridor, still arguing softly.
"I swear mine lit up," Gabriel says.
"It lit up for half a second and only because you hit it," Louis replies.
"I tapped it gently."
"You smacked it."
"Gently."
I laugh as we walk toward the staircase. "You two are going to make Flitwick retire early."
"He likes us," Gabriel says confidently.
Louis adds, "He tolerates us."
"He likes us," Gabriel repeats.
We continue along the corridor with the easy chatter of a good day behind us. Another class done.
End of Chapter 26 — Charms