Excuse him then. 'Aguamenti is not a charm.' Ariella resisted the burning urge to glare at the professor. He didn't have to be so rude about it. They were just students. What did he expect them to be? Charm masters?! And pulling things out of thin air wasn't really transfiguration.

She was annoyed. Diffindo? Well he could have put that on the bulletin board. Why would you need to get wet to cast a diffindo charm? Raising her hand, she answered the question. "The diffindo charm is a severing charm. It can rip or separate an object into pieces."

O_o

"Diffindio?" Louisa repeated disappointedly and her body went limp on the seat after all the excitement, "Isn't it the explosive charm? Rip things apart in an explosion?" She saw someone perform it and it blew something apart.. she didn't really know if he'd done it correctly or not but she thought it was pretty cool... and cruel.

WOOO. One point! Macy raised a hand. "It's a severing charm. So it cuts things," she answered. Like pineapples, should your ambition be to make a lovely fruit salad... Or if you're just in the mood to demolish some pineapples. Pineapples were tasty, they made her feel all Hawaiian-y. Hawaii would be a cool place to go to. Lots of beaches. And coconuts. They were good too. And don't forget pineapples.

Wiliam raised his hand. " Will we use the Difindio spell like some sort of Magic trick?" William asked the professor. ' I just thought you might be tying in this class with the History of Magic Class" William said to the professor.

"It is the severing charm," she has used it before in Herbology class. But what does the severing charm has to do with water?

Huh?

Right after smirking back at those who seemed to have found his reply entertaining, Josh looked back at Professor French-Something when he spoke, adressing him, his words making him raise his eyebrows curiously and also suspiciously.

''And opinion is a very general term'' Then tapping on the desk for once or twice with a single finger, he stood keeping the suspicious express with raised eyebrows ''Excuse me, professor.'' so he began clearing his throat ''Are you saying that what all those people...'' he indicated the students in the class rather dramatically ''...have been saying so far were not their opinions? I thought anything one might voice about a any topic would be an opinion whatever they are guess, comment, request...whatever. If not then...well...i don't think i understand professor. Hope that won't be a problem for me to figure this class out.''

Then nodding a bit kindly he sat back, only continuing tapping on the desk. Hmmm....where was Evelyn sitting?

What? Haaaaaaa? So this was it? Diffindo huh? Severing Charm as some had named it. Hmmmm...it did not sound so bad and would definitely be fun to use if one could evaluate the right opportunities to use it yet of course Josh Carter had something random to say about it only to oppose the professor. So, of course the young man's answer was going to be aimed for that.

''If it is like what people has said it to be then i can confidently say that it is the most useless charm ever. What is the point of casting magic for something i can do with my hands? With your own hands anything you do the result would be more satisfying.''

Janice raised her hand and answered.
"It's to separate things, or break things."

Lucy couldn't believe she just got a point to guess. OMG!! This is so cool! she thought. She loved when she got points like that. She was feeling very proud for the time. Maybe i should answer a few more questions correctly to get more points.

Okay, so they were going to learn about the Diffindo charm. Hmm, why didn't this strike me earlier? Anyways i know about this charm. she thought and then heard professor calling out for another question! "Oh yes i know this" She quickly raised her hand and said "Professor, Diffindo, it is an incantation for the Severing Charm. It can rip, divide and also separate objects from each other. If the spell is not used in the right way it can also cut human flesh" Oh!!!! That is going to be a hard spell to practice. she thought. After she finished saying that she took her hand down.

Hmm...so nothing to do with water, after all. But what Diffindo was, she knew. Raising her hand once more, hoping to be right this time, Ariadne replied: 'Diffindo is the incantation for the severing charm, used to divide or separate objects into multiple pieces.' The Gryffindor was already excited at the prospect of trying out this Charm.

"We're not going to get rid of all the water, Chloe," Jared said, giving the girl a bit of a smile. While it wasn't hard to see why some of the students seemed to have gotten that idea in the beginning, it was surprising to know they hadn't let go of it after hearing what charm they would be learning.

Jared grinned. "No I'm not, kid. The difference you're missing would be that, while everyone's guesses were opinions, all opinions are not guesses." The Gryffindor's opinion on charm hadn't had much, if anything at all, to do with an actual answer.

And?

"If it is, we can work out a time for you to take Remedial Charms."

Moving on.

"We'll use it to split things," Jared said. "Of course, any charm is likely to look like a magic trick to a muggle."

"Unless you possess a superhuman power I'm not aware of, I believe you can't split this desk into two in under a second with your own hands, Joshua," Jared said, face deadpan and voice neutral. "That's one of the things a Severing Charm can do."

Besides, which -

"I didn't ask for an opinion on how useful the charm is. Your essay on why it's not a good idea not to pay attention in class, should be on my desk tomorrow morning. Fourteen inches, at the least."


"You're all correct," Jared said, giving the class a collective nod. "Take two points each. Diffindo is the incantation for the Severing Charm, and Latin for 'split' or 'cleave.' The charm splits or divides its target and, depending upon a caster's abilities, it can be one of the weakest or most powerful charms out there. Someone with enough power and concentration could divide this classroom into two without having to say the incantation out loud."

"This charm is a historically famous one, and there are a number of recorded instances of famous witches and wizards using - or attempting to use - it. Does anyone know about any of these instances?"


OOC: There are plenty of examples of Diffindo being used in both HP canon and SS canon, but please list only one so others can get a chance to mention something new.

Marilyn thought long and hard, trying to remember said points in history. After a few moments, it came to her.

"During the rise of Voldemort...the second time, I believe the infamous Severus Snape used the spell against one of the Weasley twins. George? I do believe it took an ear."

Mia had raised her hand and was just about to answer the Professor when she heard a girl give her answer and she lowered her hand and looked at the Slytherin. "Actually Severus Snape used the Sectumsempra curse on George Weasley." She gave the girl a small smile before raising her hand again and turning back to Professor Descoteux.

"Harry Potter attempted to use 'diffindo' to help his friend Ron Weasley in the Department of Mysteries when some brains attacked him."

Gwen listened to the Professor talk, then tried thinking of an example. Um… does it have to be something that we could do… or something that happened? Or…?, Gwen started thinking. Got it! ‘I think Hermione Granger used the charm in 1997 to remove the bindings on Ron Weasley after a skirmish at the Luchino Caffe; she trembled while doing this, and cut Ron in the process, suggesting that the Severing Charm can have a slicing effect on flesh.’, the youn Ravenclaw said. That must have been tough.

Did someone just said the Severing Charm is a weak charm? Then he or she should be able to break an ice block with a single blow of punch. Well, now, moving ahead with the professor's question.

"I believe Harry Potter used it to break the ice of the frozen lake in the Forest of Dean. Where Severus Snape showed him where he hid the Sword of Gryffindor," answers Aiden with a calm, low voice.

Hmm. Someone who used this spell? Oh. Finlay really did have to think now. He wasn't really that academic, but he had been trying to get better this year. And it was kind of working. Putting his hand up Finn spoke. "I believe that Harry Potter used it to attempt to break the chains of Mrs Catterpole's chains that held her to a chair, whilst they were at the ministry. I don't think that the charm worked against the chains though."

Someone who used the spell??? That, is something Janice didn't know. She resisted the urge to raise her hand, and end up saying nothing, so she just sat there in silence.

Salina drummed her fingers onto her table as she ransacked her mind for some time that Diffindo was used.

"Proffessor, I believe that Harry Potter cast this in an attempt to sever the Tentacles of Thought that a brain had wrapped around Ron Weasley during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996. He failed, though." she ended up saying, unsure of its accuracy.

Salina was always bad at history, but she was good at practical....

Louisa pondered the question for a moment.

And another.

Another one.

She started uncertainly, unable to stay still when she had nothing in mind, "Umm... I think during one of the darkest time in Magic History that boy with a scar used it to try and destroy one of the heckroxes*." She didn't remember how, why, whether it worked or not... it just stuck to her Ravenclawish mind because it was the first time she ever heard of Diffindio.

OOC: *Heckroxes = Horcruxes in Louisa's failing memory

Historically famous. Right.

Helena raised her hand. "I believe that Harry Potter attempted to destroy one of the... Horcruxes with the severing charm. But it would never work, of course." But still, who wouldn't have tried that?

And since she mentioned those... things... ahh. Terrible times.

Kurumi, still caught up on the whole crup incident from last term, listened as other listed off famous instances of the spell in magical history. She too, remembered one such instance involving the Boy Who Lived and a certain potions' book, but her focus just couldn't be wavered from the poor defenseless cruppy. "The former professor of Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Saylen, used the spell to remove the forked tail from a cruppy last term. Owners of crups are required to use the spell, which is painless, so as to hide the presence of the creature from non-magical people." Barbaric really.

"Could it have been used a few years back, professor?" Arya dropped the curl wrapped around her finger to raise her hand. "When mermaids invaded the school? I'm sure they could have found use for it then..." Or maybe she was just thinking of the big battle?

Nessie smiled at Helena and took a seat starting to her stuff out. Ness was just about to say thanks but the lesson had started, so Ness focused on what the Proffessor had to say, she would have to thank Helena later unless she'd want to loose some points.



Ness thought about the Proffesssor's question for a while, hmmm famous wizards, well the most famous wizards Ness could think of was a Harry Potter, but everyone had used up most of the things he would have used Diffindo. Then Ness thought of a not so excellent answer it was better than nothing though. She raised her hand and waited her turn. "Um... Proffessor Hermione Granger used the Diffindo Charm at Gringotts bank when she unchained the Dragon, so that her, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter could all escape from the bank." said Ness hoping what she said counted as an Example.

OMG!! What is this happening, this is the secound time i get points for my answer, am i really getting to intelligent in class? Whatever it is o love it Lucy thought and a broad smile appeared on her cute face. She was getting on interested in the class. She hardly got points for answering in the class. This class is one of her best.

"hmm, the witches and wizards using this this charm, who could they be, hmm, yeaa, i know one" she said and then raised up her hand and said "Professor, Harry had used this charm to separate Cedric Diggory from his group of friends. So that he could talk to him. He used this charm to split the seam on his bag. So then Cedric had to wait and collect his books and that's when Harry got the chance to talk to him." after saying that Lucy brought her hand down. She was a bit nervous this time.

Ariella listened as everyone gave their answers. Harry Potter this, Hermione Granger that. Come to think of it, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were the only people that came into her mind for people who have used the spell. She raised her hand. "I believe Hermione Granger used the charm to get Salazar Slytherin's locket off of Harry Potter's chest. I'm pretty sure that this happened after they escaped Voldemort in Godric's Hollow."

Well now Chloe knew for sure the water was not going away, thankfully she was in propper attire but cold water was still not her thing, great. But now the next question was at hand, she raised her hand and responded, "Harry Potter once used it to cut the cover off a regular Advanced Potions Making and the infamous Half Blood Prince version and switched them to try to hide that he ever had the infamous version when he used Sectumsempra on Draco Malfoy".