Lesson Two - Lumos Solem and Lumos Maxima

Ambrosius watched as his students were entering the classroom and heading to their seats. "Good afternoon everyone, and welcome back to Defence Against the Dark Arts" he calmly greeted them as most of them were looking around the room with surprise. There were indeed some odd additions to the classroom. In one corner, there were four shining crystal balls floating in mid air, forming the shape of a square, and that seemed to be connected between them by a luminescent ray. In that cage made of light, one could see a spectral dog, walking in circles, on alert. On the other side of the professor's desk, a ghost was standing near the wall, furiously glancing at the students. He was rather frightening, wearing a robe covered in silver bloodstains, and carrying chains and a sword around his belt. Finally, on his desk, Ambrosius had placed a plant composed of a mass of soft, springy tendrils and vines.

"Yes, I have prepared something quite special and interesting for this lesson, but you will hear more about that later. By the way, as some of you may already know, this is the Bloody Baron, the house ghost of Slytherin. He has kindly agreed to help me with this lesson" he announced. "But for now, we will proceed with what we had not finished last time, more precisely the uses of the Wand Lighting Charm and its variations in Defence Against the Dark Arts. I trust you have all done your homework?" he asked, observing the students. "Could you please just pass them to me so that I see what you have written?".

As Lucy entered the classroom, the first thing she noticed was the Bloody Barron. He always looked angry. Then, she glanced to the crystals balls, and wondered if they were going to practice Lumos Duo in this lesson. She was the first one in the classroom, but that was far better than being late. She gave herself some credit for doing better on her second day. While waiting for more kids to walk in, she prepared her homework; she was ready to score some points for her house, and to make up for the ones she had lost.

Aurora walked into Defense Against the Dark Arts for her second lesson. Before she had left, she had checked over her homework, and, happy with the results, was ready to turn it in.

When all the students were there, Professor Umbranox announced, "Yes, I have prepared something quite special and interesting for this lesson, but you will hear more about that later. By the way, as some of you may already know, this is the Bloody Baron, the house ghost of Slytherin. He has kindly agreed to help me with this lesson. But for now, we will proceed with what we had not finished last time, more precisely the uses of the Wand Lighting Charm and its variations in Defence Against the Dark Arts. I trust you have all done your homework? Could you please just pass them to me so that I see what you have written?"

Aurora jumped up at once, eager to hand in her homework. Almost running to the desk, she placed her work there and went back to her seat.

"I trust you have all done your homework? Could you please just pass them to me so that I see what you have written?" Professor Umbranox said to the class. The first to stand up, more like jump up actually, was a Ravenclaw girl from her Potions class.
Typical Ravenclaw, Lucy thought with a smile as she remembered her maternal uncle, Leo, who used to be in Ravenclaw.
Lucy was right behind the girl, and handed in her homework, without looking at it twice for she had been very happy with her job the night before. After handing her homework to Professor Umbranox, she walked back to her seat quickly, ready to start her lesson.

When he was turning the corner leading to the Defence Against the Dark Arts corridor, James saw Aurora disappear through the door of classroom 3C. Following her, he took a seat in the last row and started taking out his book and parchment, carefully placing his homework on the corner of his desk. Having seen lots of unusual things for him over the past couple of days, he didn't immediately realize that there were some atypical additions to the classroom. However, when he had sorted his stuff, he glanced around and noticed with surprise that there was a spectral dog, a ghost and a very odd plant in the room. They were obviously not going to have an ordinary class.

After reminding them where they had stopped with the lesson, Professor Umbranox requested them to pass him their homework. James stood up and followed Aurora and Lucy on their way to the professor's desk. He quickly glanced at his parchment, wondering if he had written enough and if he hadn't made any mistakes. After having one final glimpse at it, he deposited his paper in front of the teacher, then quietly returned to his seat and waited for the lesson to continue.

Dennis was trying to find the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom in the gigantic maze that Hogwarts is. He needed to stop several times in order to ask where he was. In one of his inquiries, a fifth-year Slytherin student told him that he was in the opposite end of the castle from the classroom, when he actually was in the floor below, making Dennis to cross the entire castle. When he asked again for directions, he accidentally crossed paths with the Gryffindor prefect who escorted him to the Classroom 3C, after Dennis explain everything. He also told him the name of the Defense Against the Dark Arts - Ambrosius Umbranox.

He waved to the prefect and entered the classroom. The first thing that popped to his eyes was the shiny ghost that was waving his sword in a very threating way to all the presents. In the other corner, Dennis saw a floating square formed by what he thought to be crystal balls linked between them. There were some students in the classroom, a blonde Slytherin girl, and from Ravenclaw, a boy in the last row and a girl with dark wavy hair. Trying to ignore their curious looks he cleared his voice and said:

- Excuse me, er... Professor Umbranox? I'm Dennis Diggle, er... I just arrived to Hogwarts the other night and missed the first lesson. My parents wouldn't let me come until they checked the school security themselves. - he conclude while his cheeks were gaining a pink tone.

He headed to the last row and sat in the desk next to the Ravenclaw boy, took his book and parchments from his leather backpack and then greeted his Ravenclaw mate.

A few moments after they went back to their seats, the door of the classroom opened again and a Gryffindor entered. James didn't remember him from any of his other classes or from the sorting ceremony. Apparently, as he explained to professor Umbranox, his name was Dennis Diggle and he was a new student who had just arrived at Hogwarts since his parents didn't want to let him come earlier. Dennis took a seat next in the last row, next to James. James watched him take out his things, wondering if he should introduce himself to his new classmate. "Hi, I'm James" he whispered with a smile after a few moments.

The Ravenclaw boy introduced himself as James. By the tone of his voice Dennis apprehended that he was friendly and well-mannered. - Hello James, I'm Dennis. Well, you probably know that due to my statement a few seconds ago... Pleasure to meet you! - Dennis replied smiling.

Even being in the classroom for few minutes, Dennis just now noticed the funny plant placed in the professor's Umbranox desk - I wonder what that is. By its looks I can see it isn't an ordinary plant... - he thought while drumming his fingers in his oak made desk.

Apparently, all of his students had accomplished their task. And quite well, it seemed. "I see that you have done this with the required seriousness. I will keep your parchments in order to examine them more thoroughly, and will consequently award you with the house points your work deserves." He paused for a moment and swiftly leafed through the papers he was holding.

As he was about to pursue, he suddenly heard the classroom's door open. Whoever it was, he or she was late. A relatively tall boy with long brown hair went in. Ambrosius didn't remember seeing him before. "Excuse me, er... Professor Umbranox? I'm Dennis Diggle, er... I just arrived to Hogwarts the other night and missed the first lesson. My parents wouldn't let me come until they checked the school security themselves." the boy uttered, visibly embarrassed. Ambrosius stared at him for a few seconds then replied: "I had warned the others that I would not tolerate late arrivals during my lessons, though this time I will make an exception since you have just arrived at the school." As Ambrosius had guessed, some parents were still reluctant to send their children to Hogwarts, certainly imagining that their safety would be better ensured at home. "Well, mister Diggle, please take a seat." Ambrosius added and the Gryffindor immediately headed towards one of the desks in the last row.

Once he was certain to have his students' full attention, Ambrosius continued with the lesson, slowly walking around the room. "You have all understood that the Wand Lighting Spell, as well as its powered up version, is used to ward off spectral foes, and that the Lumos Solem charm was an effective weapon against the Devil's Snare. But, as you know, Defence Against the Dark Arts is about making you able to defend yourselves in the face of danger. Therefore, I believe that what we are learning here would be useless without applying it to more practical situations. And that is exactly what we are going to do today. Now if you would all please stand up and come to the front of the classroom.".

As soon as the students had joined him, with a swish of his wand, he moved the desks and the chairs to the back of the room, leaving a vast empty space in the middle. "Before we start, I want each of you to choose a partner since you are going to practice in groups of two." He then leaned against the wall and left them a couple of minutes to form the packs.

After Professor Umbranox had collected the homework, a new boy stepped in late, explaining that his parents had not thought Hogwarts safe until now. The professor welcomed him in, and then introduced the lesson. He finished by saying, "Before we start, I want each of you to choose a partner since you are going to practice in groups of two."

Aurora immediately thought of James, but decided to see if she could meet more new people. She headed toward a Slytherin girl she had seen in some other lessons. She stuck out her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Aurora Finnigan. I haven't really met you yet. What's your name?" She hoped that this would turn out well, as she had seen a look of disdain on the girl's face when Aurora had jumped up to turn in her homework.

Dennis was silently watching every detail of the classroom, when the Professor Umbranox's voice caught his attention. Today they were suppose to use the Wand Lighting Charm in a practical way. Dennis stomach twisted when he heard that. His father usually casts it, so he knew the charm, but he never had used it by himself and he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of everyone. - They can't be too much ahead of you... - he thought in order to feel more confident.

Then, Professor Umbranox explained that they were ought to go to the front of the classroom so that they could perform the class' tasks. Finally, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher revealed that they were going to work in pairs. Dennis realized that the Ravenclaw girl quickly joined the blonde Slytherin girl, so he turned to James - Er... Would you like to be my workmate? - Dennis asked simling.

After giving a brief description of the uses of the Wand Lighting Spell in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Umbranox asked the students to get to the front of the classroom so that he could free enough space for them to exercise. He then instructed them to form groups of two in order to practice the spells that they had studied.

James instantly glanced at Aurora, but she was walking towards Lucy Malfoy, probably to ask her to be her partner. "Er... Would you like to be my workmate?" James heard coming from his right. "Yes, sure" he replied to Dennis with a smile after turning towards him. Taking out his wand from his pocket, he awaited further instructions.

Listening to Professor Umbranox, Lucy sat quietly in her desk, when, suddenly, the door opened. It was a Gryffindor boy. He didn't look familiar, and she thought about whether or not she had seen him before.

"Excuse me, er... Professor Umbranox? I'm Dennis Diggle, er... I just arrived to Hogwarts the other night and missed the first lesson. My parents wouldn't let me come until they checked the school security themselves." He explained, clearly embarrassed. Lucy smiled at him, in an attempt to make him feel welcome, although she knew James would take care of him, as she saw the boy sit next to him.

"...Before we start, I want each of you to choose a partner since you are going to practice in groups of two." Explained Professor Umbranox. Lucy thought of Isabella, had not arrived yet. The Ravenclaw girl walked shyly towards her.
I hope she's not scared of me, Lucy thought.

"Hi, I'm Aurora Finnigan. I haven't really met you yet. What's your name?" he girl introduced herself while she stuck out her hand.

Lucy smiled, and shook the girl's hand. "I'm Lucy. Lucy Malfoy."

"I'm Lucy. Lucy Malfoy," said the blonde girl.

'Malfoy?' Aurora thought, but shook hands. "Pleased to meet you," she said with a smile. She saw that James was going to partner the new boy, Dennis Diggle, so she asked, "Would you like to be my partner, Lucy?" Aurora had seen Lucy perform Lumos in the last lesson, so they should be okay, she reasoned. She also figured that they were going to be practicing the different forms of Lumos today, because of the dog (probably a Gytrash), the Devil's Snare, the ghost, and the crystal balls.

As Lucy shook hands with Aurora, she smiled at her.
Aurora turned to look at James, and for a moment, Lucy thought Aurora was going to partner up with James, however, James already had a partner.
"Would you like to be my partner, Lucy?" Aurora asked, in a friendly tone.
"Sure." Lucy said with a smile, glad that this girl did not seem to dislike her.

Kennedy walked into the DADA a little nervous. She had missed the first lesson and had gotten lost in the corridors on her way there. Her stomach practically turned upside down as she entered the classroom. Spotting the professor she hastily spit out her explanation, “Uh, hi.” What a brilliant way to start that off… “I’m Kennedy Rivet; I missed your first class. My parents didn’t trust me to take the train alone, they are really over protective. I was going to be on time today too, but then the staircases moved and I got lost.” Wonderful Kennedy, you sound like a fool.

Looking around the class she was in awe. Was that the Bloody Baron? He looked so mad…and those floating crystal balls were extraordinary….gah, focus!

The students had just formed groups of two, when the lesson was interrupted again by a student's irruption in the classroom. Another one whose parents had insisted to escort her to Hogwarts themselves since their belief in the staff's ability to ensure the students' safety was limited. Ambrosius had foreseen this would happen, yet he even he didn't assume that the wizarding community's faith in what was once considered the safest place in Britain had been shaken to that extent. Remaining calm, he addressed the newcomer: "Welcome to Defence Against the Dark Arts, miss Rivet. Please deposit your bag in the back and then join us here."

He then turned towards the others. "Now that you all have a partner, we can proceed. I have asked you to master the Wand Lighting Charm for today, and I hope all of you have done that. What I wish from you now is to practice performing the two other spells, Lumos Solem and Lumos Maxima, that you have not tried yet, as we will be needing them later. You can ignore Lumos Duo for now, as it is not very used in defensive goals. However, if some of you have the curiosity to see what it looks like, you should observe the cage in that corner" he said, showing them the area with the spectral dog. "In every group, one of you will first attempt to perform the spells, the other criticizing him or her, pointing out mistakes, for example in the incantation or the wand movement, as it is often easier for others to see our wrongs than for ourselves. Of course, when you succeed in casting the charms, you will change roles with your partner. Lumos Solem will probably not be a major problem for you since you have mastered the Lumos spell, but Lumos Maxima may be a bit more difficult, since it is a powered up version of the basic charm. It therefore demands greater concentration and precision from the caster. But I do not doubt that you will succeed in performing it after a certain number of attempts."

As the students were preparing to start the exercise, he added: "Mister Riddle, please show mister Diggle what we have done during the first lesson and help him with the basic Wand Lighting Charm before moving on to the two others." He then turned towards the new Hufflepuff girl. "Miss Rivet, since you have no partner, you will be practicing with me."

Just as Professor Umbranox prepared to begin the lesson, another new student entered the classroom. She intorduced herself as Kennedy Rivet. Aurora thought she looked a bit nervous, but then, so did everyone else. The the professor continued talking. Once he had finished, Aurora grabbed Lucy's arm and said, "Come on, Lucy! Let's get started!" She decided to start with the Devil's Snare and Lumos Solem. She dragged Lucy over, sort of. Aurora reached the plant and let go. "Sorry," she said. "I just got so excited... Anyways, do you want to go first?"

'It would probably be best this way,' she reasoned. 'I don't want to make her mad at me.'

Defense Against the Dark Arts was interrupted by the arrival of another student. Hufflepuff, her robe declared. Her face had a nervous expression, and Lucy hoped she was able to hide her own feelings. Suddenly, Aurora grabbed her by the arm and dragged her toward the Devil's snare. Her arm was tight around Lucy's.
"Ouch," Lucy groaned silently.
As they reached the Devil's snare, Aurora apologized. Sorry," she said, "I just got so excited... Anyways, do you want to go first?"
"That was a bit too excited, no offense. But don't worry about it, I'll be alright. You can go first if you want." Lucy answered, smiling and trying not to hurt her.
One more person afraid of me, for sure. She thought sadly.

James listened to the professor's instructions and then turned towards Dennis. Trying to determine how best to explain him what they had done during the first lesson, he asked: "Have you ever tried performing the Wand Lighting Charm?". As he had discovered, some students already had contact with magic before coming to Hogwarts, and if this was the case for his partner, it could make James' task much easier.

"Please do not get too close to the Devil's Snare. Even if this one is still young, it can be quite dangerous." Ambrosius warned after seeing Aurora Finnigan and Lucy Malfoy approach the professor's desk. "Just practice the Lumos Solem spell without a specific target for now. We will use the plant later." he instructed.

"That was a bit too excited, no offense. But don't worry about it, I'll be alright. You can go first if you want," Lucy said, smiling at Aurora.

"Okay, thanks," Aurora replied. But as she was getting ready to perform the charm, Professor Umbranox interrupted her.

"Please do not get too close to the Devil's Snare. Even if this one is still young, it can be quite dangerous. Just practice the Lumos Solem spell without a specific target for now. We will use the plant later," he told them.

"Oh," Aurora responded, a little put out, but aware of the dangers he was warning them about. "We'll just go over there then, okay, Lucy?" she asked, pointing at a space near the corner that was cleared of all the desks and other items usually in classrooms. Aurora made sure she did not grasp Lucy at all this time, but let her walk beside her. "I'll just start then, shall I?" she queried once they reached the open area. Pointing her wand at the ceiling, she imagined the light of the sun's rays pouring into her wand and shooting out of the end. "Lumos Solem!" she cried. Only a normal Lumos charm appeared, but Aurora was not daunted. She knew how tough it could be to make something like this happen for the first time. "Nox," she said, and the light went out. "Do you want a go, or should I try again?" she asked Lucy, not wanting to hog the time that they had been given to practice.

Lucy and Aurora were ready to use the spell against the Devil's Snare, until Professor Umbranox spoke.

"Please do not get too close to the Devil's Snare. Even if this one is still young, it can be quite dangerous. Just practice the Lumos Solem spell without a specific target for now. We will use the plant later," he informed.

"Oh," Aurora said, looking a bit down. Lucy wanted to say something to get her spirits up again, but she didn't know what to say. "We'll just go over there then, okay, Lucy?" Aurora said.

Lucy followed her, and tried to stay at her pace. "I'll just start then, shall I?" she asked, once they were away from Professor Umbranox's desk. Lucy nodded and watched as Aurora performed Lumos Solem. Aurora lifted her hand toward the ceiling, and shouted "Lumos Solem!". Disappointment was clear in her face as only a regular Lumos appeared at the end of her wand, but Lucy patted her shoulder this time and gave her a warm smile, trying to be friendly.

She turned off the light from her wand, and asked, "do you want to go, or should I try again?"
Lucy wanted to go, but she knew she would be able to perform Lumos Solem as she had been practicing in the Common Room during her free time. Decided to not be labeled a show off, she told Aurora, "You should go. I think we should each try at least twice." and watched as Aurora prepared to do try it a second time.

Wade entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and the first thing he saw was an angry ghost, Devil's snare, and a ghastly dog. He saw his cousin practicing Lumos Solem with a Ravenclaw girl, and another two boys practicing together a little away from them. He quickly realized he might have to get paired up with someone, so he looked around and found a Hufflepuff. She didn't look very friendly, so he decided to think about that later and headed to the Professor's desk. On the way, he flashed a smile to Lucy, and she smiled back. Once he reached the Professor's desk, he said, "Professor Umbranox? I'm very sorry to arrive late on my first year. You see, my mom took me on vacation to Hawaii, and well, our stay was delayed for a little bit. I'm Wade Malfoy. I'm her cousin." he pointed towards Lucy, who wasn't facing him anymore but watching as the Ravenclaw girl practiced Lumos Solem. Wade turned back to the professor.

After the arrival of another new student, Kennedy Rivet from Hufflepuff, Professor Umbranox revealed the task they were suppose to do. Then the teacher asked James to explain Dennis the basics about the Wand Lightning Charm. James quickly turned to Dennis and asked:" Have you ever tried performing the Wand Lighting Charm?"
Dennis promptly answered: "Well, I never casted it myself, but my father usually uses it, so I know how it is done. Is there any tip I should know before I try to cast it?"