Charms Final – Practical

Harmony's eye twitched as she almost bashed her face down on the table. Okay, so a pineapple doing ballet wasn't the best thing. So what the heck could she have it do? Spin around in circles and look pretty? She shook her head, leaning her cheek on her fist as she propped her elbow on the table. She prodded the pineapple, wondering if she could just make it spin and walk across the table. Maybe she'd have it do the jitterbug. Yeah, that sounded good.

"Tarantallegre," she said, pointing at the pineapple.

Nothing. Great.

Raven closed his eyes again to center himself and took a few breaths. Okay, so just saying the blasted word, wouldn't help. What was it the profs kept stuffing down their throats and in their brains? Intent. Intent was the key behind every spell. You had to have the right frame of mind as well as the right intent. Rubbing his hands on his cloak, Raven took another breath. Okay, he could do this. All he had to do was want the stupid fruit to move as he wanted it too. He also had to visualize it in his mind, doing what he wanted.
Now, what to make it dance? He thought and the only thing that came to mind was when he was young. When he used to watch his parents dance and when his father let him step on his feet as the man moved them across the floor. Biting his lip, he made the wand movements again even as he heard the slow music in his head. "Tarantallegre," he stated a bit bitterly. He moved his wand a little as the pineapple began to slowly rock then twirl and move about. He didn't notice himself swaying a bit to the music in his head as he made his fruit move about his desk.
The pineapple tilted almost all the way to touch the desk but hovered a few inches then went into a twirl as it rightened itself.

Hilary took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She hated the thoughts of doing a practical exam. But she didn't have a choice, so she would figure it out.

She approached the spell the same as she always did with something new: she quickly went over the wand movements and the pronunciation for the spell, making sure she had them down perfectly before attempting to cast it.

When she felt she had it down, she pointed her wand at the pineapple. "Tarantallegre!"

The pineapple twitched, but didn't start dancing. She did feel overly discouraged though. She had made it twitch, which she hoped would be good for a first try.

She tried again. "Tarantallegre!" Just another twitch.

She glanced at her watch. She had lots of time, she was sure she could get it by the end of the hour.

The pineapple seemed to be smiling at Will. Which was a good thing...he thought. Ergo, it would be an easier process to imagine it dancing. The way the markings on it distort and bend gave an impression of a toothy grin, however creepy it really looked.

He hated Charms. It was his weakness right down to the 'T'. And while he was recovering from his illness, he just wasn't up to par with his magical ability. He sat for a few minutes running the charm over his tongue, trying to get the hang of it.

Having a pineapple dance? The strangest exam he ever heard of. What was he supposed to do? Make it perform the cha-cha or the limbo?

Taking a short breath, he pointed his wand at the pineapple. "Tarantallegre!"

Nothing. Except that it swayed a bit before it fell on it's side and started to roll off the desk. Will banged his head on the table trying to save it from going over and smashing onto the floor, seeing stars as the pineapple was safely on the edge of his fingertips.

"I hate you," He stared at the innocent, goofy smiling monstrosity of a fruit. "I hate you so much, I want to eat you just to wipe that stupid grin off your face!"

The pineapple, ever the optimist, kept smiling at him.

Reina crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. She shut her eyes, taking deep breaths. Imagine. The pineapple danced across her line of vision, it moved like a witch would during the dance, it swayed and bent with the steps. She watched those steps in her mind, replaying them.

She opened her eyes and pointed her wand at the pineapple. "Tarantallegre." She said carefully. The pineapple did it's jump, turn, and thud routine again, but this time it seemed a little more graceful at it. Rei sighed, shutting her eyes again.

She opened them after a few moments and glanced at the clock.She shook her head and stared down at the pineapple. She stared at it and thought about it moving. "Tarantallegre." She pointed her wand at it, still imagining the steps. It floated up a few inches off the ground. It twilled, gracefully this time, stopped, floated forward an inch, paused, and floated forward again before floating back. The stew swayed side to side, moving around in a half circle. Something seemed to pinch the pineapple in the middle, and it repeated the floating routine before moving upward. It then floated toward Reina, it's stem swayed around again, floated to the side, and then floated back. It's stem seemed to bow to her before it gentley floated back down to the desk.

Reina eyed the pineapple, and then looked up toward Professor Malfoy.

Alycia stared at the pineapple. She really like pineapples...when they were sliced up and she could eat them, but making them to dance that was just odd. Alycia got down on eye level to the pineapple and looked at it really good. She stood back up. okay she thought to herself and tried to say the spell again and again in her head before she tried it on the pineapple. Nothing happened, she sighed and glaced around the classroom seeing how everyone else was fairing. So far everyone was like her.

'Obviously, Professor Malfoy wants the pineapple to dance but he didn't specify on what kind of dance.' Indiana thought before picturing a certain type of freestyle dance in his mind. Since the pineapple before him had such long leaf stalks protruding from the top of the fruit body, he could see an assortment of maneuvers in his mind: a person's feet shuffling at rapid speed while the body turned and angled. He then saw the the figure drop to the crowd before performing a windmill by spinning in a horizontal and rotating on the body's vertical orientation axis with the legs outstretched before the person used the momentum to tilt upward to spin on the head until flipping back to a standing upright position.

With a tune in his head along with the movements, Indiana looked at the pineapple before turning it upside down and chanting. "Tarantallegre!"

The pineapple began to make small angled jumps and turns while slightly leaning forward and backwards as it moved about. The stemming leaves seemed to perform the shuffle footwork that had a few slight kick-like motions as though readying the pineapple to began something big. The movements definitely reminded Indiana on the break-dancing starts in some hip-hop battle before the fancy moves that tended to follow. The pineapple then fell to its side before spinning in horizontal circles. But as it spun, the youth noticed that the fruit was rotating in relation to its vertical orientation axis, as though it was trying to execute the windmill. The stemming leaves were apparently pointing more outwards amid the pineapple's windmill performance before the fruit used the momentum to tile upwards to began spinning on its base. Since the fruit started upside down, it was now right side up and spinning with its stemming leaves still pointing outwards before flipping back to the original starting position. The pineapple was standing on its stemming leaves once more.

'What the heck did I just do?' Indiana thought to himself after seeing the pineapple attempt some break-dancing.

Alex had to use up considerable self restrain to stop the glare she was almost about to give to the professor. And he is watching us like a stupid dumb hawk! I mean, he almost looks happy that we are failing! Wait! Correct that, *I* am failing!

Most of the others had started up with the dancing and she could see that most of them were trying to do a waltz.

Alex gave another frustrated sigh, this time running her hands through her hair. She was running out of time, soon she would have to give it up, but, she never did like to be proven uncapable and that stupid pineappple was just doing that.

Idly, she crossed out all of the things that she could NOT do, that is when an idea buzzed around in her head. This could be possible if I thought of it as a puppet. I mean, puppet masters can get their puppet to dance up using strings right? But, I do not have strings, I have magic! Well then, I also have a pineapple, not a puppet. Never hurt to give it try though, she thought as she looked at her puppet intently, already beginning to imagine like that weird puppet she had once seen.

Jasmeet gulped, hoping that she was ready for what she was to do. Looking around, she saw that some students had already been successful in making their pineapple dance, and she sighed slightly. She returned her gaze back to her pineapple, and began to imagine it dancing. The first dance that came to her mind was ballet, and not thinking upon the matter any longer, she raised her wand, pointing straight at it –

“Tarantallegre!"

The pineapple before her twitched faintly, before its grey-green leaves parted as if they were making a ‘O’. She watched as it tilted to the side, and her face grew excited watching it. However, it was as her thoughts were short-lived that just as it had done that, it fell back into his original position. She gave it an angry glare as it sat there, watching her.

Seeing that some of the students had managed to make their fruit move and a select few had even succeeded in making it dance, Tristyn jotted down a few notes on his evaluation parchment.

Raising his voice, he addressed the class. "You have 35 more minutes to make the pineapple dance or fail miserably," he informed them, hoping not too many would pass. Marking all those papers tended to be tedious.

Theresa pointed her wand back at the pineapple. ok, 35 more minutes, I can do this she thought, taking a deep breath as she tried to not panic.
"Tarantallegre!" she said again, more clearly as he thought of a tango.
Open Promenade, Oversway, Back corte she thought as she pictured the pineapple doing those steps. She smiled when the pineapple seemed to leap across the desk and do a slight turn at the end. At least it had improved.

The pineapple sat there, and so did Jasmeet. She looked at it, with a defeated look. She wasn’t sure what else she was supposed to do, put picked up her wand anyway.

“Tarantallegre!"

The spell hit the pineapple, but that was as much it did. She wasn’t surprised, however she was still disappointed. She could feel Professor Malfoy looking at her with a smirk on his face, but chose to ignore it.

She was stronger than this and she knew it.

Closing her eyes, she imagined the same pineapple doing ballet dancing. She smiled at the image, and without opening her eyes, she muttered,

“Tarantallegre!"

Opening one eye, she watched the pineapple before her, hoping that the third time was the charm. She watched as its grey-green leaves parted as if they were making a ‘O’ once more. It tilted and stayed that way for a few seconds, before it floated up a few inches. It twirled around gracefully. Once, twice, three times. A smile was starting to creep on her facial expressions as she looked upon. Deciding that it had enough, the pineapple slowly returned to its original position, except this time, instead of a glaring Jasmeet, sat a happy one.

“Tarantallegre!"

The witch watched the quill rise once again and this time, it did a little twirl on the desk. the girl smiled at the object. it was a start.

Now, the obvious problem is the shape of the pineapple, it cannot dance...

The girl looked at the fruit for several moments, analyzing it from all angles.

Unless...

Samantha picked the pineapple up and stood it upside down on the table, the leaves on the desk while the base facing upwards. This way, perhaps she could manipulate the leaves as legs and hope her charm would give them enough strength to keep the fruit balanced.

Hilary pointed her wand at the pineapple again. She had made two more attempts and had only succeeded in making her pineapple twitch. She started to wonder if she had just gotten a cranky pineapple who didn't like dancing.

"Tarantallegre!"

She was happy to see that her pineapple didn't just twitch this time. It still wasn't dancing, but jumping up and down was better than just twitching slightly.

Closing her eyes and concentrating on the pineapple moving just as the quill had, the girl cast the spell yet again.

"Tarantallegre!"

She quickly opened her eyes, only to see the pineapple attempt a weak step on it's makeshift feet and flop to the desk. The witch put out a hand to stop it rolling off the wooden surface.

"Tarantallegre," she tried again, this time, succeeding in making it take three tentative steps before collapsing down again.

This pineapple needs some sort of support, but what?..

Will set the pineapple back down again, this time at a safe distance from the edge of the table. That smile...it won't. stop. smiling.

"Tarantallegre!" He exclaimed, pointing his wand at it again. He tried to will it to do something, anything.

He looked on with a stunned expression as the pineapple started to roll vertically and then plop back down as if it never happened. That was the best that he could do? A stupid flip?

Will rolled his sleeves. If he had to spend the rest of the period to teach it the samba, he'll damn well do it!

Theresa placed the pineapple back into the centre of the desk. She looked at it for a moment before concentrating on the dance steps again.

She pointed her wand at it and narrowed her eyes slightly as she thought. "Tarantallegre!" she said and watched in delight as the pineapple hopped a few steps to it's left and seemed to jump in the air, twirling as it landed. She watched as it stopped and sighed, this could take a while. Only problem was she didnt have a lot of time left.

Harmony just decided she would have the pineapple do a little swirl and sway side to side. After all, wasn't that how most dances went anyway?

"Tarantallegre!"

While the pineapple moved a little, Harmony obviously wasn't pleased by the results it produced.

"Tarantellegre!"

She finally got it to move. It moved it's way across the desk, spinning and twirling before moving back to it's original position it had started it. Well, that was interesting.

Hilary was determined to get her stupid pineapple to dance. She had given it about six tries already, and was determined to get it soon, as she was beginning to run out of time.

She closed her eyes, imagining the pineapple dancing around her desk. She had no idea if this would work for her, but it was worth a shot.

She opened her eyes and tried the spell again. "Tarantallegre!"

To her great relief, the pineapple started to move gracefully across her desk. It looked like some form of ballet, though it was hard to tell as her pineapple didn't have any legs. She watched as it leap and twirled around her desk, a smile growing on her face.

Dixie stared evenly at the pineapple on her test, and bit her lip, drawing out her wand. Glancing at the clock, she noted she still had a fifty nine minutes and thirty seconds to go without setting anything on fire or bombing her stool or something.
"Tarantallegre.... Tarantallegre..." she muttered, not wanting to shoot the spell at the pineapple and make it implode or something.
After a minute of muttering the spell, Dixie rolled up her sleeves, carefully pointed her wand at the pineapple, and said clearly "Tarantallegre!"
She squeezed her eyes shut, and opened an eye.
The very tip of the pineapple now had a teeny little flame, though that could change...
Quickly wetting her index finger and thumb, she put out the flame. Inspecting it, the pineapple seemed alright....
"Tarantallegre.......Tarantallegre..."

"Tarantallegre!" The pineapple did a flip.

"Tarantallegre!" It did a second flip.

"Tarantallegre!" This time, it swiveled for a moment, until Will discovered that someone slammed the table, causing it to wobble. Merlin's beard.

Will rubbed his eyes for a moment. Okay, he needed to think a little less logically. This was a spell having to have fruit dance for crying out loud! Logic isn't really needed for this sort of thing.

He twirled the wand lazily at it. "Tarantallegre."

To his horror, the pineapple twirled twice, mimicking the movements of his wand. He gaped at it for a moment, looking between the pineapple and his wand. He put two and two together.

It couldn't be...it couldn't be that easy, could it? Are you serious?!

35 minutes???? I have as good as failed! Alex thought as her eyes widened in panic, Oh crap! I don't wanna fail! Stupid, dumb pineapple! she thought glaring at the innocent fruit. Wait relax, there is still time! Deep breath, remember? You can do it! Just wait! And Relax!

Alex took a deep breath and opened her eyes determinedly, its a fruit! I won't lose to a fruit! "Tarantallegre!" the pinepaplle did not move an inch.

"Tarantallegre!Tarantallegre!Tarantallegre!" she chanted hopefully, trying again. It still did nothing. In panic, Alex glanced at her watch and saw that she had exactly 29 minutes left. Oh crap! I will never get it! she thought as she murmured, the incantation, "Tarantallegre" dejectedly, Wait! did it just twitch! Oh my God! It did! And okay it isn't dancing but it is still a start!

Filled with new determination Alex stated confidently, "Tarantallegre!!!!!!" The pineapple in responce, tried a half hearted attempt at a...well...some step, in which it used its leaves as hands and jumped up and down on them. It looked sorta like it was doing push ups but much more...dancier than that? Well whatever it as, it succeeding in making Alex smile. Better and Better!

"Tarantallegre!" she said happiliy, and this time there were definite improvements in the grace and the energy of the step. come on, just do it now!

Getting bored and tired by all these attempts, she glanced ant her watch and almost died with shock. 12 minutes! What the-?

Thinking this, she grabbed the pineapple and did the last thing that came in her mind, she spoke to it. "Now listen! Pleaaaaaase don't make me fail! I promise, I will.......never eat a pineapple again?" she said as she sighed, putting it down on the table once more. Cannot believe I just did that!

"Tarantallegre!" she said, summoning up all her powers of imagination and trying to visualize a dancing pineapple. Turns out they were not that bad. her powers of imagery.

The moment the spell hit the pineapple, it turned upside down and started rotating on the green stalk as a base. It soon, changed and started doing the steps of the hula, while using its leaves as hands. Then it changed and did did a really weird push up step and ended up like a rock star. Jumping in the air and using the leaves as hands. Then, it stood still.

Even Alex could not help the laughs that escaped her as she saw the dance steps.

Will twitched his wand to and fro, watching lazily as the pineapple did did something akin to a chest shake. This was funny. Too funny!

"Tarantallegre!" He chanted like a mantra as he made it 'walk' by having his wand mimic said command. It walked strangely on it's bottom, from one side to another.

"I take my...foot," He sang under his breath, forcing the pineapple to stutter on it's right side upwards, backwards and side to side. "My little foot..." He forced it to repeat it, somewhat a bit faster, imitating a tap dance.

"And with my foot..." He continued to sing. "Oh how I'd start. to. shake." The pineapple made a great leap backwards and then forwards with each word punctuated, resembling a tap kick.

Three to the right, two to the left, then backward and forward with the kick, Will commanded the pineapple to do so. He made it strut to the left with his wand. "To dance again...I've been waiting all these years to dance again..." He then commanded it to strut to the right.

He wondered if he can do the can-can...? Will pondered it for a moment as he continued it's rather ridiculous bout of mediocre tap dancing, humming under his breath.

Mary opened her eyes when she heard professor Malfoy say they only have 35 minutes left. She panicked immediatly, her mind jumping to conclusion she will fail this exam.
Pull yourself together, girl! 35 minutes is more than enough to make a pineapple dance! she scolded herself as she realized she's overreacting. She took a deep breath and continued.
Memorizing the steps of the waltz, she picked up her wand again.
"Tarantallegre!" she said and aimed at the pineapple. It twitched and the girl continued, afraid she'll lose the contact. She swirled her wand and the fruit swirled too. One step to the right, then to the front and to the left and back and again!
Mary made the pineapple do the waltz and she was immensly proud of herself. Even if professor Malfoy would for any reason fail her, she'd be proud she made a fruit dance.
The girl was now having fun and kept on making the pineapple dance.

Crud, crud, CRUD. 35 minutes and all she had succeeded in doing is almost blowing up her pineapple. She REALLY didn't feel like failing, and starting all over. She would rather transfer to Beauxbatons and figure out how the heck one speaks French.
Sighing, she turned to her fruit again, and tried pointing her her wand an inch away from it. "Tarantellegre!!"
The pineapple swerved to the side, and flopped onto the table, with a defeated thump.
Cursing carrots, she glanced around the room. She was practically the only one who hadn't managed to make her pineapple dance.
Glaring at the fruit, she set it upright, and sat back, staring at it. Dixie glanced at her watch. She had spent five minutes staring at fruit!!!
Ready to scream, Dixie took a deep breath and prepared to cast the charm just one more time.

Setting the fruit a foot away from her, she relaxed a bit. Beauxbatons wouldn't be too bad, she supposed.
"Tarantellegre."
Nothing-wait.
The pine apple had sprouted two little stumps and had began to walk... Only it wasn't walking forward-it was...
DOING THE MOONWALK!!!
Dixie couldn't believe it. Of all things....... Oh well, it was dancing, so she leaned back and watched the show.