Charms

"Thank you, The Grey Lady."

Sean thanked her sincerely.

The Young Wizards behind him, who had no idea what was going on, saw the ghost float away and the staircase settle into place.

Like a rising tide, they surged forward.

"Sean, how did you do that?"

Amid the chatter, Michael's voice sounded beside Sean's ear.

Anthony and Terry pricked up their ears as well.

"Hogwarts Castle was built in the tenth century, and the castle's Moving Staircase was designed by Lady Rowena Ravenclaw..."

By the time Sean got that far,

the three of them understood.

But in such a desperate situation, who would have thought of that?

More importantly, asking a ghost for help—

Michael had thought it was a joke from a Prefect.

"But how did you know The Grey Lady could definitely influence the Moving Staircase?"

Michael asked quietly.

"I didn't, but trying was better than doing nothing."

Sean answered.

They still made it to the Charms classroom, and the bell rang just after they entered.

The Young Wizards took their seats, each of them red-faced.

The seating arrangement in the Charms classroom was quite distinctive.

A central aisle ran through the room, with four rows of connected seats scattered on either side.

Sean found the nearest seat and sat down. Beside him was Hermione, her head buried in a book.

There had been no one beside her until Sean sat down.

Then came Michael, Terry, and Anthony.

"You almost got detention."

Hermione's muffled voice came from inside her book.

Sean nodded and turned his gaze toward the pile of books at the end of the aisle.

The professor teaching Charms was an astonishingly small male witch—Professor Flitwick.

The moment he emerged from behind the first row of seats, he drew every Young Wizard's attention.

Everyone stared curiously at the professor, barely a meter tall, and his fluffy white hair and beard.

He turned around and climbed, step by step, to the top of the pile of books.

Everyone's eyes nearly fell out of their heads.

Once he had steadied himself, the Young Wizards could not help laughing.

"All right, all right, a little laughter isn't a bad thing, is it?"

Professor Flitwick did not seem to mind in the slightest. He adjusted his collar and continued in an easy tone.

"Charms are a skill every Wizard ought to master.

If a Wizard cannot cast Charms, what right does he have to call himself a Wizard?"

As he spoke, he waved his wand.

Without any incantation, the books floated into the air.

They swayed under Professor Flitwick's wand movements.

One moment, they grew as large as desks; the next, they shrank to the size of fingernails.

With a gentle flick from Professor Flitwick, they copied themselves into dozens of duplicates.

Finally, they all transformed into different animals, running and hopping about.

Hermione curiously watched a rabbit that had run up to the desk.

With a bang, all the animals turned into fireworks and vanished.

"So cool!"

"Wow!"

Excited, astonished cries rang out from the Young Wizards below.

Professor Flitwick smiled and nodded.

Charms began amid that excitement.

Just as Sean remembered, Professor Flitwick explained the theory behind Charms in simple, accessible terms.

Then, he began teaching the simplest Charm—Lumos Charm.

"The key to Lumos is the movement of the wrist. That pause must be firm and decisive..."

Professor Flitwick's voice echoed through the classroom.

Everyone gave it their all, and most of them succeeded.

You practiced Lumos Charm once at the Beginner standard. Proficiency +3

You practiced Lumos Charm once at the Beginner standard. Proficiency +3

The light at the tip of Sean's wand flashed continuously.

"I did it!"

After practicing three times, light finally flickered from Michael's wand tip.

He turned excitedly and happened to see that Terry's wand was glowing too.

As for Anthony, he seemed to have learned it beforehand. He succeeded on his first try.

"All right."

Michael pursed his lips and turned to find another Young Wizard.

"Sean?"

You practiced Lumos Charm once at the Beginner standard. Proficiency +3

"Sean?"

You practiced Lumos Charm once at the Proficient standard. Proficiency +10

"Huh? Sean, didn't you hear me?"

Michael tilted his head and leaned closer.

But Professor Flitwick's voice was all that remained in Sean's mind—

"If you still cannot cast Lumos, you should try a method.

Imagine yourself in darkness, longing for light. Ah, you long for light so desperately..."

"Longing..."

Sean murmured. He remembered the nights at the orphanage, when the power was cut early and there was not even candlelight in the room.

At the time, London was still hiding fugitives. Wind and snow battered the drafty windows, making crackling sounds.

Sean lay in his hospital bed. He was not afraid, but his longing for light would not fade.

"I have a wand now."

Sean said.

"Lumos!"

You practiced Lumos Charm once at the Master standard. Proficiency +300

"Merlin! Everyone, look at Mr. Sean Green!"

Professor Flitwick excitedly ran down from the pile of books.

The entire classroom was enveloped in a soft glow.

The Young Wizards all held their breath as they stared at the ball of light, at least ten times larger than before, and at the Young Wizard holding his wand, his hair gleaming silver-white.

"A perfect Lumos! I'm giving Ravenclaw ten points!"

The Young Wizards heard Professor Flitwick say.

"Sean, Sean, how did you do it? Teach me, I really want to learn this."

Michael chattered nonstop beside him.

"It's emotion."

Sean said seriously.

"Magic is something a Wizard is born with. Its strength depends on the Wizard's emotions or mental strength."

"Emotion?"

Michael repeated. Behind him, Anthony, Terry, and Hermione, who had been eavesdropping, also fell into thought.

In the instant they were distracted, Sean had already turned into the Great Hall.

Justin sat down beside him as if he had a radar installed.

He could always find Sean.

Sean was poking curiously at the Steak and Kidney Pudding, wondering what kind of mindset British Wizards had possessed when they invented the dish.

He ate while he thought.

Magical Theory repeatedly emphasized mental strength and emotion.

For example:

"When you have mastered a form of magic, if you want to truly unleash its greatest power,

you must also possess sufficient mental strength."

Words like those appeared over and over in the book.

Sean thought that mental strength was probably a collective concept, containing both a Wizard's mental state and emotions.

Mental state was probably something like willpower.

Emotions, on the other hand, were easy enough to understand.

Put the two together, and they were the key to advancing the Power of Thinking.

Emotion had a significant effect on magic. That was probably what made magic so dependent on the mind.

Mrs. Weasley, Molly, who had lost one child and still had to protect another,

was provoked by Bellatrix using Fred's death during the final battle.

In a furious rage, Mrs. Weasley screamed:

"Never—ever—touch—my—children!"

Then, five Silence Spells instantly turned the tables and killed Bellatrix.

By the lake in the Forbidden Forest, Harry shouted in order to protect his godfather Black's life:

"Ex-pec-to-Pa-tro-num!"

The next moment, he unleashed an immensely powerful Patronus Charm that drove away more than a hundred Dementors.

These examples made Sean realize

just how powerful a role emotion played in magic.

"If longing is the emotion behind Lumos Charm, then what about Scourgify?"

Thinking this, Sean unconsciously bid Justin farewell and headed for the Greenhouse.

Huh?

Justin?

Sean turned back and looked at Justin again.