Chapter 28: First Spell
Just as several students began to exchange skeptical glances, Professor Chamberlain stopped pacing and clapped his hands.
"Enough about heartbreak and goblins! You're here for magic, aren't you?" he said with a theatrical sweep of his cane. "Well, allow me to introduce you to one of my personal favorites. The spell of Light and some modifications that isn't in your textbook—because it's too stylish for ink and paper."
He raised his wand with flair, the tip flickering like a firefly.
"Today, we master a spell every witch and wizard must know—the humble yet mighty Lumos."
He waved his wand again. A soft white light bloomed from its tip, like a glowing pearl. The shadows in the corners of the classroom seemed to shrink.
"This is no ordinary flashlight charm, my dear students. Lumos is the spell that lit the path of every great explorer, illuminated cursed tombs, and saved lives in the darkest forests. It is not to be taken lightly."
He leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "And I expect flawless pronunciation. If you mutter 'Lummus' or 'Lamoose'—you'll get nothing but sparks and shame."
A few students chuckled nervously.
"The incantation is Lumos. The wand movement is a firm upward flick—like drawing a tiny tick mark in the air."
He demonstrated again. "Lumos!"
The light flared bright enough to make a few students squint.
"Now, your turn. Partner up. I want each of you to try to light your wand and hold it steady for five seconds. If your wand flickers like a dying candle, try again. Magic obeys willpower—and you must mean it."
Eira paired up with Marin, who immediately struck a dramatic pose.
"Lumos!" he cried. His wand sparked weakly, then went out with a pathetic pop.
"You're terrible," Eira said, giggling.
"I just need to warm up."
Eira pointed her wand, focused on the what the professor thought her .
"Lumos."
A steady white light blossomed from her wand tip, illuminating her desk in a gentle glow.
"Excellent!" Professor Chamberlain called from across the room. "That, Miss White, is how it is done. The light of confidence!"
Marin pouted beside her, flicking his wand again. "Lumos!"
This time it worked—barely. His light fizzled in and out like a faulty lantern.
Eira gave him a sympathetic glance. "Well… at least it's not on fire."
Professor Chamberlain moved through the rows, adjusting postures and correcting incantations with flair. One unfortunate boy managed to singe the sleeve of his robe.
"Remember," the professor boomed, "the wand is not a torch! The spell must come from you, not your wrist alone. Light comes from within!"
After some time , nearly every student had mastered Lumos to some degree. The room glowed with a constellation of tiny wand-lights, and Professor Chamberlain beamed proudly.
"You've taken your first steps out of the darkness," he said, bowing dramatically. "Next time—we banish that darkness. Nox, my dear children, is a lesson for next class now I will teach you something else ."
Marin whispered, "So when are you going to introduce me that Veela girl ?"
Eira smacked him lightly with her notebook. "I just taught you how to light a room and I will certainly not introduce you to her . Don't push your luck."
Professor Chamberlain stood near the chalkboard, a pleased smile stretching under his silvered mustache.
"Well done!" he called, clapping twice. "Your wand tips now glow like miniature stars—but let's not get too comfortable. Magic, my young hopefuls, should never stagnate. Once you've mastered a spell… you bend it, you shape it, you elevate it."
The lights flickered slightly as students turned their eyes toward him, intrigued.
"Now then," Chamberlain continued, tapping his cane dramatically on the wooden floor, "I'm going to teach you something not in the textbooks. A trick I developed in the jungles of Belize, while tracking a cursed jaguar statue under a blood moon—long story."
Marin whispered to Eira, "Did he say jungle?"
Eira elbowed him into silence.
The professor raised his wand again, and with a subtle flourish and a softer voice, he said, "Lumos Chromatica."
A brilliant blue light sprang from his wand tip—not cold like frost, but rich and electric, like moonlight reflected off sapphire. The class gasped.
"Color," Chamberlain declared, "can be woven into light with the right intent. Simply append 'Chromatica' to your incantation, and while you cast, focus on the hue you wish to produce. Picture it in your mind—amber, emerald, rose-gold, even amethyst. Think it, and the magic will listen."
He paused to let the awe settle in. Then, with a snap of his fingers, he raised his wand again.
"Now for the fun part."
He muttered, "Lumos Orbis."
This time, a small orb of golden light detached from the tip of his wand and floated several feet away, hovering mid-air like a glowing wisp. He twirled his wand, and the orb followed, drifting across the room, circling students' heads like a firefly under command.
"Control." His voice dropped to a whisper. "With this variant, the light is not bound to your wand tip—it is casted into the air, and your wand guides it like a conductor's baton. Imagine being in a cave, unsure what lies ahead—you send your light forward, into the darkness. Or behind you, if you suspect you're being followed."
The orb swirled dramatically behind his back and returned to float above his palm.
"Advanced? Yes. Impossible for first-years? Absolutely not," he said with a wink. "Magic is more about focus than age."
He turned to the blackboard and scribbled in large, looping cursive:
Lumos Chromatica — Changes the color of the light based on the caster's focused visualization.
Lumos Orbis — Detaches light from wand tip and allows remote control with wand gestures.
"Now then! I challenge you all—try to make your light blue, green, or violet. And if you feel daring—try sending it away from your wand. But remember: control is everything. If you send it flying into someone's face, you'll be helping Madam Auriel treat temporary blindness."
Marin grinned at Eira. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"You're going to hit someone with your glowing 'love orb,' aren't you?" she muttered, raising her wand.
She focused first on the color. Green. Calm, steady, forest-deep.
"Lumos Chromatica."
A glowing emerald light bloomed at the tip of her wand. Not quite as radiant as Chamberlain's sapphire, but it held—a soft, verdant glow.
"Excellent!" the professor called. "Miss White, brilliant visualization!, I see that you are extremely talented, one star to the Ombrelune "
Marin tried his own. "Lumos Chromatica… Orbis!"
A pale orange orb sputtered from his wand, floated for exactly one second—then zigzagged directly into the face of the girl from Papillonlisse beside him.
"Ow!" she squeaked, clutching her eyes.
"Oops," Marin muttered. "Sorry—uh—visualization error."
Professor Chamberlain chuckled heartily. "You've blinded your first victim, Mr. Marin. A rite of passage in magical lighting."
The rest of the class fell into excited attempts—flickering purples, sunny yellows, and a few rogue orbs that floated around like enchanted bees. The classroom now looked like a miniature planetarium made of soft, floating stars.
Eira guided her own orb gently above the desks, watching as it obeyed the subtle tilt of her wand. She felt… power, yes—but not overwhelming. It was gentle, responsive, like the spell was listening to her.