 be curious, not judgmental
Sophie wasn't at all confident in this spell already simply due to the weird incantation. She was straining to hear for the pronunciations and stresses of syllables of people who were at least having mild success, and settled with one of those. "Stiricidium Nubila," she said slowly, then again, "Stiricidium Nubila." Also very slowly.
She was totally going to mess this one up, and it wasn't any more encouraging to see the failures of the other students. So... maybe she could just accept her forthcoming failure and give it a shot. Whatever.
Facing the cute little cloud that had assigned itself to her, Sophie gave it a little curtsy as if she was about to go on a date with it rather than make it into a menacing cumulonimbi or whatever cloud. She tried to envision what she wanted it to look like and she wanted it to change properly, "Stiricidium Nubila!" She was rotating her wand in a counter-clockwise movement at the cloud with big, eager eyes, anticipating... something... anything... and then a single cotton ball drifted to the floor below the cloud, and she lowered her wand in resignation.
Well. There was a start.
__________________  |