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Charms Lesson Zero - Roufas Bourne - 09-01-2025
3 September 1920 2:55 PM
First day of classes. An excited air filled the room as the hustle and bustle of life in the Castle began to ramp up to its usual frazzling pace. The Charms classroom was well lit and quiet as students began to filter into the room for the first Charms lesson of the term. Professor Roufas Bourne halfway sat and leaned against the edge of his desk, a small, amused grin on his face as he watched each student wander in, choosing a desk.
An enchanted quill on Roufas’ desk scribbled notes furiously, pausing whenever some new face appeared within the doorway, looking to see where they might sit. It appeared as if some unseen assistant took notes on each student who joined the class.
Roufas waited, watching the clock, giving even a couple of extra minutes to allow for first day confusion before waving his wand causing the door to the classroom to shut tightly, locks clicking into place. He stood up fully, straightening his dark burgundy button-down shirt, which was tucked crisply into starched and creased dark wash blue jeans. Though he did not wear it, a worn black Stetson hat sat on the desk and a black canvas duster was draped over the back of his chair. Roufas wore well worn, but shiny and well maintained brown western boots with shiny silver accents. The heels made a peculiar clicking sound against the stone floor of the classroom as he paced back and forth, appraising the class before him.
“My name is Professor Roufas Bourne,” he said authoritatively. “Most of y’all are probably wonderin’ what some country-fried yank is doin’ here at Hogwarts at all, much less teachin’ ya,” he continued as his boots clicked hollowly against the stone floor. “Do not, I repeat, DO NOT allow my rich southern drawl and roguish good looks to deceive you,” he said with a playful grin on his face as light chuckles broke the near dead silence between his statements.
“I served as an Auror for over twenty years under the Magical Congress of the United States of America, or MACUSA as some of you may know it. During my time, I tangled with and brought to justice some of the mangiest, most vile dark witches and wizards the U.S. ever saw. Before that, I worked on my family’s Dragon Refuge and Ranch in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming.”
As he stepped back and forth, Roufas leaned on an oak cane with silver inlaid along its length which complimented his boots. Holding the cane up, Roufas gestured to the class. “As you can see, I saw my fair share of action,” he commented dryly. “But before all that, I was firstly a student here at Hogwarts where I learned everything I needed to tackle such an…interesting life,” he said.
“This year, as your charms professor, I will cover a variety of basic topics but will also instruct you with particular emphasis on offensive and defensive charms. I think you will enjoy what I have in store for y’all. Any questions?”
OOC: Hello and welcome to Charms! This is the first IC Charms class, however it is not the first lesson I will be teaching. Posting in here is not mandatory, but I'd like to get a feel for the class. This does count towards extra credit. I will update this thread on Wednesday, 3 September.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Ruth Elliot - 09-02-2025
Yeah, she had questions, several actually.
Rae dragged her feet into the charms classroom, looking nothing like the bright eyed and bushy-tailed students who'd been bouncing from class to class all day. She was sour. The feast had been a massive let down the night before and if one more person offered her a bland bologna sandwich with thin cheese and a sparse smattering of mayonaise...she was going to blow a hole through the glass in the Slytherin common room.
The girl was miserable. Not only had she been denied a hearty dinner but breakfast had been been distinctly lacking in succulent strips of bacon, sausages of any kind AND NO PUMPKIN JUICE. They may as well have been a prison.
Lock her up in the dark tower and be done with it. Let her wither away in the darkness until the baked chicken breasts slathered in a honey glaze were back on the menu.
In such an irritable mood, Rae certainly had questions.
Why did the professor talk like that? Why would he ever quit being an auror to come to a broken down castle full of children who didn't want to be there? And why in Merlin's soggy beard did he think he had roguish good looks? Where was James Laurence when you needed to prove a point?
The fourth year sank into a seat near the back of the room, allowing those eager for an education to grab the 'prime real estate' near the front. Never let it be said she wasn't considerate of others. Far be it from her to deprive the Ravenclaws of the chance to hear everything they'd already read the night before because they'd been too eager for classes to sleep. No, let them shine. She would remain there watching the man waving a cane around while her stomach rumbled its quiet protest.
Did he mean questions about the lesson?
The girl had none of those. It was only the second day.
Ruth Anaya Elliot did not want to be in classes today.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Elias Everett - 09-02-2025
Elias rubbed his eyes as he shuffled into the Charms classroom, choosing one of the old-fashioned wooden desks about halfway back. The hard bench beneath him was already making his tired body ache, but at least the large windows let in enough natural light to keep him from nodding off completely. His eyelids felt heavy and scratchy.
The storm had battered Ravenclaw tower all night. Rain lashing against the windows, thunder rolling across the castle, wind howling around the stone walls. Every time he started drifting off, another crash had jolted him awake.
The day had been a blur of getting lost between classes. Herbology had left his hands stained green and marked with small bite marks - he still wasn't sure what had bitten him, but something definitely had. Defense Against the Dark Arts had been just before this. Nothing but reading from dusty textbooks, and he had almost dozed off twice. Now Charms, and he could barely remember which corridor led where.
He bit his lip, feeling hungry again. The sandwiches at lunch had been just as bland as breakfast - thin slices of ham between stale bread. Where were the magical feasts everyone talked about? He'd imagined floating platters and self-serving dishes. Instead, he found himself daydreaming about Dad's weekend fry-ups, thick bacon crackling in the pan, or the warm stews Mum made on rainy afternoons.
He should probably owl Dad. Mum would want to know about—no, focus.
The professor looked nothing like he'd expected. The shiny boots clicked across the stone floor as he moved around the classroom. Leather with strange silver bits that definitely weren't from any shop in Diagon Alley. And that accent! It sounded so foreign. Not at all like anyone from home.
As Professor Bourne came closer to where Elias sat, he could see the fancy cane up close. All silver inlays and polished wood. The man leaned on it like he'd been doing it for years, not like someone putting on a show.
The shop always gets busy when it— pay attention.
"Offensive and defensive charms," the professor was saying.
Elias sat up straighter. Charms for fighting? That sounded... well, brilliant, but also confusing. Why would he need to fight people? Weren't charms supposed to be for helpful things, like the enchantments his parents made for their shop?
The professor asked for questions, and Elias' hand twitched toward raising, but his mind felt too fuzzy to think of anything good to ask.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Tulip Asquith - 09-02-2025
Tulip took up a seat near the furthest window, her favourite place to study charms from, by study she meant gaze boredly out of the window. It had been a long day, everyone had been rather short tempered since the news the kitchens had broken down. Tulip wasn't impressed and at some point she would become bored with sandwiches, but it wasn't the end of the world. Well not if you thought out of the box. She had borrowed a school owl first thing this morning and sent it down to the Three Broomsticks with the order for a small pot of stew. It was last year when she had missed a Hogsmead weekend due to detentions that you could send an Owl to get you things from shops. So in her dorm was something she could place on the fire in the room, something that didn't come between two pieces of bread. Of course she was willing to share with her dorm mates.
But first she had to survive Charms and messing around with Magical animals, before she could grab some actual food. And for the last few years Charms had been a drag, read from a book, copy from a book, copy some more, wave a wand and if you were lucky you might get to actually cast a spell. Charms was a yawn fest.
It seemed their nrw Head of House was also their charms professor, the strange American fellow who by his self descriptin of roguish good looks caused Tulip to roll her eyes, he certainly thought highly of himself. But from what she'd heard this was a common trait with those from across the pond.
This year, as your charms professor, I will cover a variety of basic topics but will also instruct you with particular emphasis on offensive and defensive charms. I think you will enjoy what I have in store for y’all. Any questions?”
"So we're actually getting to use our wands this term not just copy from dusty tomes?" Tulip drawled from her desk. As always professors promising a fun and exciting term when in reality there would be rote learning and book copying.
She paused thinking back on what the professor had said and what she'd heard from Briar about her head of house in Ravenclaw, "Yes I do have a question Professor, why do we have so many ex-Auror's as new professors? I mean one moment putting ner-do-wels in Azkaban next teaching children? Should we be worried?" she asked, Tulip like to push boundaries, and challenge authority whenever she could.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Roufas Bourne - 09-03-2025
3 September 1920 3:20 PM
Roufas leaned against his desk as his students sat before him, largely silent. Some students crept to quiet, out of the way desks in the back, hoping it would save them from participation while others sat in varying states of misery and even somnolence as they tried to feign half interest. Roufas couldn't blame them for having difficulty focusing, being tired. There hadn't been a good meal to be had in the castle since they'd all arrived and it was wearing on them, both physically and emotionally. None the less, Roufas had a class to teach and demanded his students attention. As he made his introduction, wandering around the classroom, Roufas noticed a first year, the boy dangerously close to nodding off at least twice as Roufas spoke. This one would make for a fine example to the others, he thought as he continued his introduction, stepping between the rows of desks. Just then, one of his own house, Tulip Asquith spoke up.
"Yes I do have a question Professor, why do we have so many ex-Auror's as new professors? I mean one moment putting ner-do-wels in Azkaban next teaching children? Should we be worried?" The girl asked in what Roufas thought might be a not altogether genuine tone. Roufas chuckled gently.
"No, Miss Asquith, there ought not to be anything of concern. Hogwarts has been for quite some time a place known to be a refuge and safe space. Its always been said that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it," Roufas said gently. " As for the abundance of former Aurors turned professors, I can only imagine that we are all simply very qualified professors, and favor was given to our various degrees of experience in light of the unfortunate events brought about by the previous administration," he said with a tone of finality, giving the impression that was all he had to say on the subject, and that was final.
As he was making this statement, Roufas stood behind Elias Everett and drew his wand from its home sheathed inside the cane, and silently levitated a rather large tome off of a shelf near by, maneuvering it through the air and dropping the dusty book with a loud BANG on the surface of Elias' desk.
"Chin up, Mister Everett. Its only day one, I haven't yet had enough time to bore you to sleep yet," Roufas said in a semi joking manner, with just a hint of menace indicating that he was being good natured for the moment, but would tolerate no disrespect in his classroom.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Ruth Elliot - 09-05-2025
Tulip had asked a good question. After spending the better part of the last year and a half actively having the former headmaster try turning them into Muggles, Rae quite liked the thought that she'd be able to put her wand to good use in classes again. It had been the slowest form of torture for the girl who could seldom sit still when expected to read for her education. No doubt, she'd come a far way from the illiteracy of her first years, but it meant the girl had never developed any lasting fondness for words on a page.
The practical subjects had been the worst.
While Rae could wrap her mind around not doing much casting in classes like arithmancy and history of magic, how had the girl been meant to reconcile sitting through entire charms and transfiguration lessons without so much as a swish of her wand?
It had been madness, and the Slytherin was happy to see it, hopefully, behind them now.
"Should we be worried?"
"Merlin, I hope so." Not that she suspected half the students would be prepared, losing out on as much of their magical education as they had. Word around the corridors was that there were now some third years who couldn't adequately cast 'accio' to save their lives. Embarrassing. If a threat really did materialise, she supposed they'd have to send them all home and allow them to continue enjoying their freedom for a while longer. It wasn't a bad idea, actually.
"No, Miss Asquith, there ought not to be anything of concern."
Or not.
Rae sighed heavily, leaning forward onto her desk. Even a little excitement was too much to ask for. It made sense. If the school couldn't feed them, it certainly wasn't in a position to entertain.
"Chin up, Mister Everett. Its only day one, I haven't yet had enough time to bore you to sleep yet."
"That sounds an awful lot like a threat, professor," Rae drawled, pitying the first year who'd just had the book thrown at him--figuratively, of course. The sudden slamming had startled her, but not enough for her to jump. Only enough for the girl's brows to raise as she took in the man with a more scrutinising gaze.
"I'd appreciate a heads up on whether I'll need to be sick for the next three months." She could make it happen. The girl could be determined when she set her mind to something. Not dying a slow and agonising death at the hands of boredom was worth a broken bone or two and there were enough ingestible potions over in the hospital wing to make magical things happen.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Elias Everett - 09-06-2025
Elias jumped so hard his knee hit the underside of his desk with a painful thunk. The sudden BANG made his heart hammer against his ribs, and for a moment he couldn’t figure out what had happened. A massive book now sat in front of him, dusty and thick as his arm.
"Sorry, Professor," he mumbled, his face hot with embarrassment.
The book was enormous. Leather-bound with gold lettering he couldn’t quite read from this angle, pages yellowed with age. It looked as if it weighed more than his entire collection of textbooks back home. Professor Bourne had just been talking about offensive and defensive charms, but this looked like it contained the entire history of magic.
Elias stared at it, then up at Professor Bourne, then back at the book.
"Do I... do I need to read this?" he asked, his voice smaller than he’d intended. "The whole thing?"
Everything was so formal here. This wasn’t like learning at home, where Mum would patiently help him with his letters and sums while he watched her serve customers in the shop. Here, you got singled out in front of everyone if you weren’t paying perfect attention.
His knee throbbed where it had crashed into the underside of the desk. He rubbed it gingerly, blinking back the tears that were threatening to spill over. It really hurt, and being startled awake in front of everyone made it worse.
His neck felt hot as he kept his head down, not wanting anyone to see his face.
When Ruth started talking back to the professor about threats and being sick for three months, Elias hunched his shoulders and tried to make himself smaller in his seat. He didn’t want to get caught up in whatever was happening between them. The last thing he needed was more attention from Professor Bourne.
He wished he could just go home. Back to the warm shop where nobody dropped books on him or made him sit through endless classes writing with scratchy quills. Back to proper meals that actually tasted like something instead of those horrible sandwiches. Back to Mum and Dad and even Edith and her dolls and make-believe.
Hogwarts was supposed to be amazing, but so far it just felt cold and mean.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Roufas Bourne - 09-08-2025
3 September 1920 3:45PM
Roufas briefly glowered at the back of the classroom. He was doing his best, trying to use humor to relate to the children he had found himself responsible for, yet here he was combating exhaustion, impertinence, and general malaise. To make matters worse, it was only day one of classes."That sounds an awful lot like a threat, professor," a somewhat surly Slytherin girl intoned in a manner that positively dripped with contempt, as she seemed to be sizing him up. Roufas was not to be defeated though. He contemplated his options, weighing how to respond to the situation. Certainly, disarming with humor had not proven an effective tactic, the wizard thought to himself. Hopefully this initial rough patch would not be indicative of how the year was to unfold. The very thought of it made Roufas sigh wearily.
"I'd appreciate a heads up on whether I'll need to be sick for the next three months," She continued in a defiant tone. Roufas narrowed his eyes. This simply wouldn't do.
"Sorry, Professor, Do I... do I need to read this?" Elias asked, in what Roufas thought was the most pitifully meek tone he had ever heard, and in his time he had toppled and cowed some of the worst offenders modern history had ever seen. It made him feel bad for the boy. Judging by his tone and demeanor, clearly he'd been humiliated. It was punishment enough, and Roufas had not intended to embarrass the boy so badly, he had merely wanted to get the kid's attention...and be sure he held it. He would need to give some thought to how he reacted to these students. After all, the first years were coming into a woefully uncertain environment after the events brought to pass by the previous administration and the other students who had been here to experience that chaos certainly had not been given many reasons to respect the authority of their professors simply as a matter of fact.
Roufas holstered his wand, resting again on his cane as he walked back to the front of the class. As he went, he gently clapped Elias on the shoulder in a reassuring manner. "Nah, kid, you don't gotta read it. I don't sentence students to that kind of hard labor on the first offense," he said, being sure his tone carried a heavy dose of jocularity. "In fact, I think we have all struggled after a bad night's sleep. Just try to stay awake, okay?" Roufas continued on towards the front, facing his class. "Now that our introductions are finished, I want you all to read the following chapters before next class. It will be a practical exercise, and you will all need to have a firm foundation in some basic defensive and offensive charms. Wear comfortable clothing and athletic shoes. We won't be doing much sitting," Roufas said. As he spoke, a wordless casting saw a piece of chalk hover off its tray on the chalk board and begin scrawling the reading assignment on the black board.
Roufas turned back to his class, a smile of finality on his face as he addressed them once more. "Your next practical lesson will take place in one of the gymnasiums, down the corridor from here." Roufas had high hopes for the lessons he had planned for his students. He still needed to deal with one matter, however.
"Miss Elliot, twenty points will be deducted from Slytherin house for you lack of...decorum," he said, following up with "Any questions?" Directed at everyone, but clearly intended especially to the Slytherin girl in the back.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Ruth Elliot - 09-09-2025
In the midst of her heart-wrenching despair, Rae noticed a curious thing. What the girl had first thought to be in her head proved very quickly to be the very real image of the professor narrowing his eyes at her. Confused, the 14-year-old cast a look over her shoulder, wondering if perhaps the professor had been glowering at someone else and she was simply in the way. That happened. She wasn't exactly the tallest student in the class and could easily mistake what fell within the man's actual line of sight.
The problem? She was sitting in the back. There was no one behind her that Bourne's look could've been directed at if not her. Huh. Not thinking much of it, the girl brushed it off, waiting for the professor to begin the lesson. Her wand was itching for some action now that she'd returned to school.
Of course, being a volunteer at the Elridge Conservatorium over the summer had allowed her the privilege of keeping and using her wand, but it wasn't the same. That had been carefree, whatever the hell she wanted, magic. It was magic she already knew. She was looking to add to her repertoire in a way that had little to do with forcing her to pick up her textbook and sift through blocks of dizzying text to accomplish. Why hunt the knowledge when there was a charms professor standing before them, ready to indulge their curiosities and complete the curriculum?
Just...uh...once he was done consoling the Ravenclaw boy, she supposed.
The first lesson would be in patience, it would seem. Once the man was done assuring Elias there wouldn't be further consequences, Rae eased back into her seat, ready for them to move on. What came next was homework before she'd even gotten through a review, and the girl began to mentally check off the reading she had no intention of doing. Her foundation was already firm. Whatever wasn't, she'd ask Cassian to fill in. When caught in the right mood, the Ravenclaw had a habit of rattling off facts, and that suited her well when she hadn't done the readings for hersel--
"Miss Elliot, twenty points will be deducted from Slytherin house for you lack of...decorum."
Rae's brows rose high up her forehead at once, her brain struggling to process the professor's words. Mind you, the girl was no stranger to punishment and had lost as many points for her house as she earned them. The Slytherin didn't shy away from her deeds or the consequences that followed, believing firmly that if she wanted something enough to do it, no amount of consequences would make it no longer worth it. Rae wasn't the sort to deflect or cast blame onto others. Likewise, she wasn't the sort to take blame where it wasn't warranted.
She hadn't done a thing. Her decorum? The languid tone of her uttered words had hardly been an attack on the man. His tepid attempt at humour had been met with drawling sarcasm, not disdain.
However.
Rae was always happy to oblige. The girl never begged. When accused of crimes she didn't commit, she was always sure to absolve whomever of their lies by making them true. It was a habit her mother had been slowly working out of her, but it wasn't gone. Not yet. If her decorum, flaccid as she'd been at her desk in the back, offended Professor Bourne, she would give him a reason to be offended. The girl straightened her back, meeting the professor's gaze that lingered on her while he asked whether they had more questions.
"Why stop there? Don't you know 40's a lucky number?"
There wasn't an ounce of loyalty inside veins that flowed green. Since her first year, there had always been a particular sentiment held by the girl when it came to her house.
Fuck Slytherin and nearly everyone in it.
That house had never treated her like family and had never felt like home. She wouldn't mourn losing points. She wouldn't even blink. Rae leaned forward onto her desk, clasping her hands before her in a matter-of-fact manner.
"Take a hundred, I hear they're free."
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Elias Everett - 09-10-2025
Elias kept his head down, face burning. The massive book sat in front of him, but his eyes were having trouble focusing on it. Everything felt fuzzy around the edges.
His knee throbbed where he'd smacked it under the desk. He rubbed his eyes, trying to make them stay open. The professor's voice seemed to come from very far away as he talked about reading assignments and practical exercises. Elias fumbled for his quill. It slipped between his fingers twice before he managed to grip it properly.
Practical exercise. Comfortable clothing. Eclectic shoes.
He copied the words down, but they swam on the parchment. What were eclectic shoes? He blinked hard, trying to focus. His regular school shoes would have to do. He didn't even know where to buy different shoes.
"Sir, what's a gymnasium," Elias asked, the words tumbling out before he could catch himself, "I dunno what an eclectic shoe is either."
Behind him, someone was arguing with Professor Bourne. The girl's voice was sharp and angry. Elias hunched his shoulders, wishing he could disappear. All this shouting was making his head hurt.
His mind drifted to proper food. Bangers and mash with thick gravy. Shepherd's pie with the crispy potato top. Even just nice warm pumpkin soup or some pudding.
His stomach clenched. Dinner tonight would probably be more sandwiches.
At least he still had some Chocolate Frogs in his trunk from the train ride. Maybe he'd have one after dinner. If you could call those sandwiches dinner.
The huge book in front of him had gold letters on the cover, but they kept blurring together. He tried to open it, but the pages were covered in tiny writing. The words kept swimming around when he tried to read them.
Maybe if he just rested his eyes for a moment. Just closed them for a few seconds...
A sharp voice cut through the air behind him. Elias jerked upright, heart hammering. He blinked rapidly, trying to look awake and alert in case Professor Bourne looked his way again.
Wait, wasn't that girl a prefect? He remembered seeing the shiny badge earlier. Why was she arguing with a professor?
His eyelids felt so heavy. He gripped his quill tighter and forced himself to sit up straighter, staring hard at the assignment on the blackboard.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Tulip Asquith - 09-10-2025
Tulip was somewhat reassured that there was not some grad conspiracy of Aurors at school, not because she was worried about her safety more likely she was worried that they would interfear with her plans. The swill about the Aurors being very qualified almost made her laugh, the closest it got to her face was a raised eyebrow. Qualified, washed up more likely, if you were as qualified and experienced as many Aurors were, teaching a bunch of disinterested teenagers would probabily be fairly low down on the list. But Tulip made a mental note to keep a eye on what she said or did near her head of house. The fun part of breaking rules was the planning and exicuting the scam, heist, dare. How could she do that if there was an ex-auror breathing down her neck.
Now that our introductions are finished, I want you all to read the following chapters before next class. It will be a practical exercise, and you will all need to have a firm foundation in some basic defensive and offensive charms. Wear comfortable clothing and athletic shoes. We won't be doing much sitting
Read the following chapters, well that wouldn't be happening, if Tulip chose to read, it would be whatever sparked her interest, she wasn't a fan of being told what to do especially when it came to home work. "Fat chance" she muttered. Although the thought of a practical lesson was interesting and maybe she wouldn't mitch the lesson. Although what did he mean by offensive and defensive charms, everythign could be an offensive charm if you put your mind to it.
She then noticed that Ruth one of the cooler Slytherin's seemed to be having a spat with the professor who had clearly decided to make an example of her by taking points off her.
Take a hundred, I hear they're free."
Tulip burst out laughing, that was a beautiful come back, "Stand up for your right's Ruth." she called from the back of the room, "20 points is excessive Proff, she didn't even do anything!" that many points for an off the cuff remark was ridiculous, but she had to give the other girl props for standing up for herself.
"I dunno what an eclectic shoe is either."
She heard the rather confused voice of a first year, typical Ravenclaw, "He means a Tennis Shoe or Plimsoll." she said giving the common name for that type of shoe. "I guess he just uses weird American words" she reassured.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Catherine Holloway - 09-16-2025
Cate leaned across her desk, a low, persistent growl in the pit of her stomach overwhelming the initial excitement she'd felt for Charms class. She couldn't focus on her own discomfort, however, as she observed the other students. Some were doubled over, trying to will themselves to become invisible, while others were simply exhausted, their faces pale and their eyes half-lidded. She couldn't blame them; the issue of food had been an emotional and physical drain for everyone. Nevertheless, she eagerly anticipated the lesson's start.
When a sulky Slytherin girl shut down the professor, Cate leaned forward, intrigued. It took courage to ask a teacher a question, and she wanted to see what came next. Although the professor's initial laugh and promises about Hogwarts as a safe haven sounded good, Cate was wiser than to trust first impressions.
Her eyes widened as Roufas's hand went into his cane, and she held a breathless breath, following the invisible route of his silent magic. A giant leather-bound book on a high shelf trembled and then floated in mid-air with a slow, almost-balletic poise. It glided along, a bitter, wordless counterpoint to the professor's speech, and a tight knot formed in Cate's stomach as she followed its path.
The next crash was an unkind punctuation mark that caused her to jump and wince. She glanced from the book now on Elias's desk to the professor, who smiled rigidly. The veiled threat in his tone caused her to shiver. She sat up, her previous academic enthusiasm tempered by a new, colder sense of circumspection. The entire act was an out-in-the-open, hidden intimidation, and Cate had seen through it. She wasn't in a classroom; she was on a stage, and she wasn't about to be the next to fall asleep.
RE: Charms Lesson Zero - Sienna Miller - 10-12-2025
The professor's opening statement definitely got Sienna to react with a shift of her seat. She had always been attracted to magic that was somewhat more risky - defensive spells, dueling secrets, and even charms that looked like growing in power with potential. Her palms were on the desk, and the tips of her fingers were slightly knocking as she kept up his speech. She raised her hand a little unsure when he asked if there were any questions, and her dark hair shook a bit.
I wonder if, Professor Bourne, you said defensive spells? Is it by any chance that we will learn dueling spells in your class?” Sienna tried to speak with an assured and loud voice.
Pleased, Roufas’ smile grew bigger, and Sienna saw his ecstatic eyes sparkle. “That’s a very good question, ma’am,” he said, acting as though he were tipping a hat. “The short answer is yes. We will not just be doing little things like wrapping a stick in fire or blowing out a candle. We will be going through scenarios you can expect in a duel and preparing you to fight back using magical arts. But don’t be going all crazy thinking about the end of the story—we gotta start with our basics, then level up. Patience is as important as skill, and I can swear by it.”
Sienna was leaning away a little more interested than before. It was great that he seemed to be really serious about teaching and yet held on to his charm—a way of even a very basic lecture on incantations becoming a pure storytelling adventure. She looked over the class and saw some of the students catching the lectures by writing notes and some others talking softly, all of them were under the spell of his energy.
"You all must be thinking of practical sessions," Roufas said while gently hitting his cane on the floor. "Actually, you will get the hands-on experience and not just the magic in listening - you have to move, act, react. We will start with the smallest and go to the most advanced applications.And I assure you this: you will quit this classroom when the term ends with the knowledge of how to make a hex to hesitate before it interferes with you."
The desire to partake is what made Sienna’s hand move with eagerness. She had been waiting for a professor who didn’t just teach magic but made it feel like something alive, something she could wield like a sword or a shield. For the first time that day, she felt that spark—that fire of curiosity and challenge that made Hogwarts feel like it had more adventures in store than she could possibly imagine.
She mentally added a not visible to herself: Teaching Charms would not just be a class this year but it would be the very first step of something much bigger.