The Standard book of spells - First Year

Lesson 1 - Introduction to Charms

Welcome to Charms! I am Professor Armina Brigham and I am thrilled to be guiding you along your journey to becoming Charms Masters.

If you need to reach me, I can be reached through the electronic owl post here on HiH. A list of my assistants can be found, should you have a question!

First Year Charms Syllabus

LessonTopicsSpellsOneIntroduction, History, and Ancient FociLumos, NoxTwoAccessing Your PowerFlight CharmsThreeWand Properties and MovementsAlohomora, ReparoFourThe Spoken Word - IncantationsIncendio, LocomotorFiveThe Importance of ConcentrationLumos Solem, Lumos NumerosaSixApplying Your WillWingardium Leviosa, AstrictusSevenStatic and Dynamic SpellsDiffindo, SpongifyEightPutting It All TogetherFocillo, InfrigidoNineYearly Review and Final Exam(None)

I do request that myself and my Assistants as well as your fellow students are treated with respect. I absolutely will not tolerate any rude or negative behavior towards anyone. Anyone found treating anyone else with disrespect will be dealt with accordingly. You have been warned.

Charms Journal

You will be responsible for keeping a journal of your progress in Charms class. This journal is meant to be a record of your thoughts and observations during class and while you practice the charms we have presented. Each lesson (Lessons One and Nine are optional) you need to write at LEAST two to five paragraphs of information for your journal, with each paragraph amounting to at LEAST five sentences. This means that each lesson should have at LEAST ten sentences about it. Please follow these directions closely as assignments that do not will not receive credit.

Lesson Three will be your first journal turn-in, where you will hand in your entries for Lesson Two and Lesson Three (and Lesson One if you choose to do one for it). This week, as part of your assignment, you will need to tell us what you'll be doing for your journal. More information is noted in the assignment.

While this journal is optional work (and hence marked "Extra Credit"), we strongly recommend that you complete it to solidify your understanding of Charms work.

Required Reading

There will be no required reading for this course! You are welcome to read any supplementary texts that you like, but none will be required to pass this class. Please keep in mind that these lessons should be referenced for assignments over any supplemental material.

Introduction

Think of Charms as an introduction to spellcasting in general. Even the most accomplished of witches and wizards had to start somewhere. This year we will cover the basics of spellcasting including the importance of pronouncing a spell correctly and practicing wand movements as well as casting basic charms.

We will touch on the basics of wandlore, such as why we need a wand for proper spellcasting, what wands are typically made of, and why it is important to properly care for them. We will also discuss the various components that may be required to successfully cast certain spells.

Today we will be discussing the origin of modern-day spellcasting practices as well as the laws you need to be aware of when using magic. I'll be leaving all the juicy historical bits for your History of Magic classes, but it is important for you to understand how modern magic came about and what laws you need to follow at all times, lest you find yourself being interrogated by the Ministry of Magic.

Brief History and Essential Laws 

 In ancient times, magic was practiced much more openly and freely than it is today. In ancient Greece and Egypt, witches and wizards were held in high regard. They used magic to protect many ancient tombs, and even today curse-breakers working for Gringotts attempt to retrieve the treasures from within, though not necessarily without loss of limb.