Professor Tobias Blade stood at the front of the classroom, the familiar box of enchanted marbles sitting on his desk. As the last of the third years trickled in, he gave a nod of greeting, the tired edges of his features softened by a slight smile.
“Good morning, everyone.” His voice was calm, steady, with just a touch of warmth. “We’ll be going over two spells today—nothing too strenuous, but I do expect your focus.”
He stepped to the board, flicking his wand so that two words appeared in clean handwriting: Engorgio and Reducio.
“First, the Engorgement Charm. Engorgio allows you to enlarge an object. But don’t overdo it—too much, and the object could explode. Think of it like a balloon with too much air.” He paused, letting the implication settle. “It won’t be a harmless pop, either. So please, for the love of Merlin, no testing this on owls—or anything living.”
A glint of dry amusement passed through his expression as he produced a marble from the box. Holding it aloft so all could see, he cast clearly, “Engorgio.” The marble swelled to the size of a baseball. “Reducio.” It returned neatly to its original size.
“Finite will also work to stop the spell, but Reducio is your proper counter. Use it.” With a tap of his wand, dozens of marbles floated from the box and settled in front of each student. “You’ll all be practicing both spells. Be careful. If your marble explodes, it’s not the end of the world—but I’d prefer not to be scrubbing marble dust off the walls.”
He folded his arms, surveying the room. “If you need help, flag me down. I’ll be watching.”