The idea of robes had seemed like so much fun at first. After all, they were formal and traditional and had looked, well, just really cool when Ailsa had tried hers on in her bedroom back home.
In practice, however, the firstie was coming to realise that there was a reason why people didn't wear Inverness capes indoors and that this reason applied equally well to wizarding robes. What a ridiculous requirement... she thought as she carefully unhooked her draping robe sleeve from where it had caught against a random door handle while she walked to her Charms class.
She suppressed those thoughts as she entered the classroom though. Whether she thought it ridiculous or not, abiding by the rules tended to make things run more smoothly.
Ailsa quietly selected a cabinet within view of Haddie and Rachel, but also with a clear shot at the exit just in case Haddie went over all, well, Haddie, again. The professor's voice playing as the door closed wasn't too much of a shock. Muggle shops had automated recordings that gave the same effect, if through a different method. The writing appearing on the chalkboard was still quite cool though.
The scourgify charm had been useful on the farm, which had come in very handy after the feast, but there wasn't a terrible amount of use for locking and unlocking charms as far out in the country as her family lived. No, this time the girl would have to learn on the fly. And so she did what she always did in these situations. She opened a book.
A few minutes later, having carefully read the charm's entry, she fished her wand out of the pocket she'd sewn into the inside of her robe and had a go.
"aLOhoMORah!" The cabinet rattled slightly, like trying the wrong key in a muggle lock, but the door remained firmly fastened. OK then.
She was close, but not quite there. Practicing her wand motion again without verbalizing the charm, she compared it to the book's example and made a few tweaks to the tightly controlled movements.
"aLOhoMORah!"
With a faint click, the cabinet opened. Score!
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