"Well, once parked in a secluded area, those of us unable to acquire proper company were asked to vacate the vehicles and wander around the snack shack for an hour or so. The film began and an hour or so later a couple mates and I went back to the cars. For some reason they had the windows up instead of down. I thought I had been mistaken about the cooling charms and made my way to investigate the interior. This, class, leads me to the week's assignment. You are to research and write two feet of parchment on the meaning of the phrase: 'Don't Come A Knockin' If the Car's A Rockin'.'"
Harry knew that he could ace this assignment based solely on good ol' Duddeykins bragging conquests over the summer before his seventh year. Not that Harry believed one bit of it since his cousin was as big as a whale and no self-respecting girl would want to go out with the jerk. But he was sure he and his cronies had watched enough TV to get the vernacular down correct.
"I want to let you all know, this course will place an emphasis on muggles and muggle traditions, but that is not its sole direction. You will also continue learning English, social sciences, and even muggle sciences such as fish-icks, which is a high level muggle concept of science. To be truthful, I don't really understand it so any of you who wish to pursue it will probably be doing it via owl-course with a ministry employee in the Muggle Relations department.
"As today we are discussing the overview of this entire course and in a few minutes we'll get into the specifics for this year, I want to give you all your own year-end assignment which can be handed in at any time of the year. The earlier the better if you want it graded before you leave. As I said a few minutes ago, this course will also emphasize English skills. This includes writing and reading, and variations of it. I am going to want a list of slang expressions if you continue this course. You may want to begin creating your own dictionary as I will be asking for it in your OWL year.
"Your year-end assignment is to write a story. This is to exercise your creative muscles. I want no less than 7 feet. Any subject is fine. I want you to include muggle references, the more the better. I want to see a beginning, middle and end. Mr. Potter, this includes you as well."
"No problem, Professor. I'm looking forward to it."
Cough "Teacher's pet!" cough
"Excellent reference, Mr. Sloughn. Five points to Ravenclaw. And as an added bonus I'm giving you only an extra assignment of one foot to define what that term means and how it started."
Charms Class
Charms began like it had when Harry had been 11 the first time. Introductions, brief overview and then a feather to float. What was different this time around was Professor Flitwick tapping him on the shoulder and asking to join him in his office for a few minutes. Harry did so.
"Mr. Potter, I mean no disrespect to your status of an apprentice, but I am concerned."
"Over what, Professor?"
"Well, forgive me for being blunt, but you've only had your wand for a few months at most and here you are an apprentice to charms? I do not know what addled the sorting hat so but I am concerned that you simply do not have the expertise to handle charms, Mr. Potter."
Harry ruthlessly squashed the irritation he began feeling after being told he wasn't good enough. "Well, I certainly understand your predicament, Professor. Is there anything I can do to allay your concerns?"
"The rest of the class is outside learning to float a feather. Prove to me you can do that on the first go and that will take you far in my eyes," the diminutive professor suggested.
"No problem, Professor." Harry then pulled his wand out and looked at the feather on the full-size desk and commanded, "Upsy-daisy!"
"Mr. Potter, that's… not… how did you do that?"
The feather was not just floating up to the rooftop, it was positioned directly in front of Professor Flitwick's eyes so he wouldn't miss the show.
Harry then motioned his wand to the left and the feather zipped a foot to the left. A sudden jab of the wand to the right had the feather moving to the right. A swirl and the feather spun in a 360 degree where it had again taken position, in front of Professor Flitwick's eyes.
"That wasn't a proper spell, Mr. Potter."
"Oh, I know that it wasn't verbally correct as the rest of the students are learning, but I've already learned to do my spell casting non-verbally. In fact, logically that dictates that even an incantation - even one done mentally - isn't required, and instead all that one needs is will, desire, and imagination. So that's what I've been practicing ever since I got my wand, sir."
Harry knew he was never going to get into heaven with all the lying he was doing.
In the meantime, Professor Flitwick was severely impressed. Non-verbal was partially started sometimes in 6th year, but the theory behind it wasn't even discussed until 7th year.
"Mr. Potter, I refute my previous claim. You are very gifted. If you don't mind, would you please help the other students outside? But please, have them continue with incantations. Not everyone has the intuitive grasp of magic like you do. Well done by the way. Ten points to Gryffindor."
At the end of this class, Longbottom and his cronies confronted Harry after Hermione stepped away to talk with a couple of the other girls.
"So what did you and Professor Flitwick talk about, Potter? How you're going to need remedial training in charms since you couldn't even bother to float a feather today? Hah!"
"Honestly, Longbottom, are you that insecure you have to belittle everyone that doesn't kiss your arse? Doesn't speak too highly of the boy-who-lived now, does it?"
"You can't talk to him like that," said a certain redhead.
"It's okay, Rascal…"
"Ron."
"Whatever. Let him think he's much better than I am. You have a long way to go, Potter. After all, I survived a killing curse. What have you done today?"
"Oh, that's easy," Harry answered without hesitation. "I just had a frank charms theory discussion with our instructor. It was quite interesting. NEWT level you know. Nothing you'd understand. Well… maybe one day you'd get it, possibly, if you had someone to interpret the large words into smaller ones you could understand."
"Theory? Yeah, right," Longbottom sneered. "What kind of theory would you have? We just started magical school. I've at least been tutored for years but the rest of you? I don't think so. If anyone has a theory, it would be me."
"Ooohhh, then let's hear it. What kind of theory do you posit?"
"Huh?"
"Posit. Conjecture. Hypothesize."
"Huh?"
"Come up with? Do you understand those words at least?"
"Of course I do, Potter. My theory is… um… that charms work like jinxes and opposite of curses."
"Good one, Neville," Seamus said, clapping the boy on his back.
"Wow, Longbottom, you think that up all yourself? Or did you get Rascal to help you?"
"It's Ron!"
"Whatever."
"Since you know so much, Potter," Neville returned, "what's your theory then?"
"Well, since you asked, we talked about the nature of charms. We discussed what they are and how they work. We even discussed the reason they are called charms. You know why? No? It's so easy you're going to kick yourself for not thinking of it earlier. They're called charms because you have to charm the magic into letting you use them. I mean why call it Charms when we're dealing with a plethora of spells - curses, jinxes, incantations - over the seven years we'll be in school?"
"You're making that up!" Dean accused.
....
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