"Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too... never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said "s" instead of "f" and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest." It was very difficult for those who hadn't had The Dark Lord teach them. Draco swished and flicked, but the feather he was supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop while Harry watched with an odd expression of amused boredom. On the other side of the room Seamus Finnigan got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it, Henry Potter his partner, had to put it out with his hat. Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.