Lumos
I'm meant to be sleeping now. It's pretty late. I need to be up early to escort Lily to the platform. Ah well; I suppose I could write something.
Did you know my dad was pretty great when it came to Charms? I know he excelled at Defence Against the Dark Arts, but there have been many charms which have helped him throughout his life. I thought I'd briefly discuss them. Now, I'm not here to talk about the mechanics of the spells, just how useful they were to my father.
When I was younger, I didn't have the greatest relationship with my dad. It was difficult for me, and I felt like an outcast. This was particularly true after I was sorted into Slytherin. There was all sorts of gossip spread around school about me; I was the son of Harry Potter, who was placed in the House of his greatest enemy of all time. It was a pretty miserable time for me.
It took years for my dad and I to see eye to eye, but I finally realised that he didn't care what House I was in, as long as I was happy. My father pointed out to me that there could always be gossip and rumours, but it would be about how I coped with it. And again, he reminded me that I was named after two headmasters of Hogwarts, and one of them was a Slytherin.
It took a few years, but I'm finally comfortable with being a Slytherin Alumnus.
Oops, it looks like I went off on a bit of a tangent. Reminds me of Professor Binns in History of Magic. Where was I? Ah, yes. Discussing the charms that helped my father. These are in no particular order.
The Stunning Spell, Stupefy, is one of the most important spells in a wizard's arsenal, and it's served my father well over the years.
In my father's fourth year, he learned the Summoning Charm while trying to work out how he would get past a Hungarian Horntail. I think it was my Aunt Hermione who first introduced him to the spell. Using it, he summoned his Firebolt and successfully retrieved the golden egg.
Oculus Reparo is a variant of the Mending Charm and is one Aunt Hermione used whenever my father broke his glasses. I'm surprised he didn't learn this one himself, especially as he often broke his glasses when he was a student. Or so my mother says anyway. I can never tell if she's teasing him or being serious.
Out of all the spells my father learnt at school, I am most impressed by the Patronus Charm. This is a charm that even some adults still struggle with. So it's pretty phenomenal that he was able to cast it when he was just 13.
Some call Expelliarmus my father's signature spell, but it seems to have served him well. Considered one of the simpler spells of the wizarding world, the Disarming Charm saved his life a few times during the course of his battles against Voldemort. His most memorable use of the charm was at the end of his fourth year when he cast it, and Prior Incantato meant that he saw echoes of my grandparents.
My father's had a pretty hectic life, and I know he's glad everything's calmed down. Although he was the most famous individual of modern times, all he ever wanted was to lead a normal life.
Anyway, I'd better go. Nothing worse than being labelled a bad influence.
Take care and speak to you soon,
Al.
Nox