Prof. Sky Alton

Remember that you have until 11:59 PM HOL-time tomorrow (the 29th) to cast your spells!

8325

8319

We've arrived at our last spell so let's make it a fun one. The Cheering Charm does exactly what the name suggests: it lifts the target's mood. Depending on the strength and precision when you cast it, this can range from uncontrollable joy to a nice warm glow of contentment. For this task we'd like you to mimic the effect of the charm by sharing something that you think will cheer everyone up. This could be a joke, an uplifting quote, a beautiful or funny graphic, a recipe, a heart warming story/anecdote or... well, you get the idea. Providing it's cheerful and appropriate for all-ages, let your imagination run wild. Post your response by 11:59 PM HOL-time on 29 June to earn 5 rubies.

8317

8315

This spell (incantation: Avis) does exactly what you'd expect: conjures a flock of magical birds which you can then guide with other spells. When we saw Hermione use it, she created a flock of canaries which she then used to attack someone. I can imagine much more peaceful reasons to conjure them, myself! Several times in the series we've seen the unique flare each witch or wizard has when conjuring. For instance, when Professor Dumbledore conjures chairs he chooses comfortable floral armchairs; when Professor McGonagall does the same, she chooses plain, hard-backed chairs. It's very possible that someone else using Avis wouldn't call on canaries like Hermione does. So, for this task, I'd like you to pick an object or animal that you might have reason to conjure and put your unique stamp on it. Perhaps you could tell us which birds you'd use Avis to create or what type of chair you'd conjure up if you needed to. You can do this in written (a few lines at least, please) or graphic form. Post your responses below by 11:59 PM HOL-time on 29 June to earn 5 rubies.

8309

Onto The Disarming Charm! This spell (Incantation: expelliarmus) is a staple of a lot of duels as it can force your opponent to lose their grip on whatever they're holding. The most frequent target is their wand but the spell can be used on other objects too. It's popular as it's a quick and non-lethal way to end a fight quickly. Harry Potter liked it for that reason and he became well known for using it. For this task, you can do one of two things: 1. Tell us whether you think the Disarming Charm is the best approach to take in a duel. Why or why not? 2. Tell us which spell you'd choose as your signature move and why. Whichever option you pick, please make sure you justify yourself in a few lines for full credit. Post your responses below by 11:59 PM HOL-time on 29 June to earn 5 rubies.

8303

Now this is an incredibly advanced bit of magic. The Patronus Charm (Incantation: Expecto Patronum) allows you to summon a magical guardian of sorts who will protect you from Dementors and some other dark forces. A lot of people are only able to summon an incorporeal Patronus (which usually appears as formless silver vapour); this can still be effective but isn't as powerful as the corporeal Patronus, which takes the form of an animal. Please introduce us to your Patronus. You can do this as a graphic or by writing about it in a few lines. It would be great to hear how you think your Patronus would actually act if you summoned it and whether you think that has something to do with your own personality or more to do with the animal it represents. If you don't know what form your corporeal Patronus would take, feel free to take an online quiz, take a quick look at the HOL class on Patronuses (Patronus 101) or even do the task for a Harry Potter character whose Patronus we know about already. Post your replies below by 11:59 PM HOL-time on 29 June to earn 5 rubies.

8301

8299

8297

Next up is the silencing charm (Incantation: Silencio). This charm silences the target so that it can no longer make noise. This can be very useful if something particularly noisy or annoying is disrupting what you're doing. This task is really simple, we just want to know what sounds particularly irritate you and that you'd like to blast with a well timed Silencing Charm. Feel free to link us to a recording of the sound but make sure the material on the page is appropriate for people of all ages. Explain your choice in a few lines. Post your responses below by 11:59 PM HOL-time on 29 June to earn 5 rubies.

8295 (Reckon we can make it to 9000 by the end of the summer?)

8293

8291

Next up is our first jinx: The Impediment Jinx (incantation: Impedimenta). Jinxes are spells that are designed to cause mild irritation or harm but they can also be super useful both in duels and in everyday situations. This one slows down a moving target so that it's almost standing still. For this task, we'd like you to pick one thing you do everyday and deliberately do it very, very slowly. Think about each stage and each movement as you do it. Did you notice anything different doing it this way? Describe the process in a few lines. Post your responses below by 11:59 PM HOL-time on 29 June to earn 5 rubies.

Now, this charm is not one I want to see anyone using in the corridors. The Confundus Charm (incantation: confundo) is used to temporarily confuse a target so they lose track of what's going on and can be more easily influenced. It is most commonly used on people but can also be used on objects, like the Goblet of Fire. It's often used when people need to distract someone or plant an idea in their head without resorting to legilimency or an unforgivable curse. People have also found it useful when sabotaging someone. You have 2 options to complete this task. 1. Would you personally ever use the Confundus Charm on someone to achieve your ends? Would you feel differently if you were using it on an object? 2. Write a very brief story about someone using the Confundus charm. This could be in a classroom setting where they're allowed to or in the real world. Whichever option you pick, please make sure your response is at least 2 to 3 lines long for full credit. Post your responses below by 11:59 PM HOL-time on 29 June to earn 5 rubies.

8288

And now onto an old transfiguration classic. This spell allows you to swap two things (or components of 2 things) so that they switch places. Though it's a relatively straightforward bit of transfiguration, it can sometimes go wrong in your early stages of learning it. Remember when Neville accidentally transplanted his ears onto a cactus? Have you ever had any trouble with a particularly tricksy switch? We'd love to hear some more examples of this spell going slightly wrong in amusing ways. You can either tell us about an incident in a few lines or do a photo mashup to show us the botched switch. Post your responses below by 11:59 PM HOL-time on 29 June to earn 5 rubies.

8284

8282

We don't have a formal name for this one so we're using the incantation instead (though 'the animation charm' might be closest to the mark if we named it). This spell can be used to animate objects so that they move according to the caster's wishes. It can be very useful in a fight but you could also use it for far more peaceful reasons too. For this task, we'd like you to do a quick sketch or doodle of an inanimate object that's had Piertotum Locomotor used on it. Alternatively, you could write a very short story about the same thing (a few sentences would do it). Feel free to be as funny or as serious as you like. Post your responses below by 11:59 PM HOL-time on 29 June to earn 5 rubies.