"AH-vi-fors...AH-vi-fors....AH-vi-fors." She let her lips get a good feel for the word, hoping she would manage the spell in one try.

Delicately, she picked up her wand and took a deep breath. Gently, she touched the tip of her wand to the pen. "“AH-vi-fors,” she said confidently. The pen immediately began to grow and transform. After a moment a Monks parakeet stood where her pen was before.

She giggled happily and put her wand out and the bird hopped right on. She brought it up to her face and looked it in the eye. It looked identical to the Monks parakeet she had had as a child. Feelings of nostalgia built up in her as she looked at the bird happily.

Since it had taken him so long to even move, most of the good items were gone and he was left with a . He looked at the torn picture and wrinkled his nose. The boy frowned not really feeling confident and thought of his bird as he said, “Avy-ha-fors.” Nothing happened at all. He tried another several times, each time getting more and more annoyed. Charms was one of his best subjects but the lack of results wasn’t helping him and he started flailing his wand. Still nothing happened and he picked the photograph up and crushed it in his hands. He threw it swearing under his breath. Feeling maybe Professor Norman was watching him, he went and retrieved the now .

What was he doing wrong? Grumbling he put his hand back in the air, hoping for some help.

Elizabeth was observing the other students a little before finally stepping in front of the items Professor Norman had placed on a table. It took her a while before she found something catching her eye, which was a . While walking back to her seat, she looked at the necklace, wondering what bird she could choose. In her mind, she was deliberating over the various birds in her home as she knew those best from being out in nature.

Placing the necklace carefully on her table, a ray of sunlight hit it. The stone didn't look like a real sapphire, but nevertheless, it sparkled like the finest gem. An idea crossed her mind like the ray of sunlight had crossed the window. A magpie. It was so simple, but really fitting.

"Avi-fors!", Elizabeth said while pointing her wand at the necklace. She had spelled the incantation too fast, but didn't notice it. Confused, she looked at the necklace. Some white feathers with a black tip on their ends were laying around it. She concentrated on the image of a magpie again. "A-vi-fors!", she said, enhancing the syllables with a clear voice, but the start was too fast as she wanted to accomplish the task. Elizabeth hated failing and even though everyone else was busy with their own stuff, be it object or bird, she thought everyone was looking at her. Now even more feathers had appeared on her table. With a slight blush, she took a deep breath and then made them vanish. Focusing on the correct incantation and the bird, she pointed her wand at the necklace once again. "AH-vi-fors!" The words were spoken clearly and within moments, the necklace had transformed into a curious magpie. It was looking at Elizabeth for a moment, then it started picking on the ray of sunlight, which was reflecting and therefore shimmering a bit on the polished wooden table. Then it looked up to shift its gaze at the sunlight.

'Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) Samsonvale Cemetery, SE Queensland, Australia' ; photo taken by Aviceda; wikimedia commons