When the new day dawned, Andrew still had no idea who his roommate was.
Whether they had been too tired yesterday or for some other reason, all the first-years woke late. After getting the day's schedule from a prefect with dark circles under his eyes, they hurriedly washed, dressed, and rushed to the Dining Hall with their books. They grabbed a few bites before heading to class for their first day of lessons.
And this was no ordinary class. The professor teaching it was none other than Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House.
That alone made for a daunting first impression. Professor Flitwick was short and hardly imposing, but his title was enough to command the room—not to mention his spellcasting, which was like an art form.
As the first lesson began, he gave his wand an easy wave. Books rose one after another to form steps beneath his feet, then came together in a tall stack. Standing atop all that knowledge, he looked down at his students.
Definitely not a simple Levitation Charm, and not a crude Summoning Charm either... It's a spell that combines several ways of moving objects.
Andrew thought it over. This was no simple incantation; anyone with a little sense could see that. It was as though the professor had given himself countless deftly controlled arms through magic.
"Charms... the expression of magic brought under control."
Professor Flitwick's voice rang out. "I believe most of you have cast a spell by accident. In most cases, though, you cannot repeat the miracle you just performed."
As he spoke, chalk raced across the blackboard.
"Charms are the most reliable part of spellcasting. As your book says, precise incantations and set wand movements give you a predictable result each time, instead of all sorts of unexpected mishaps."
He looked at the students. A smile touched his lips before he forced it back.
"Take the Levitation Charm, for example. For certain reasons, this most basic spell has recently become rather popular among first-years. Just a few days ago, I even heard a doctor at St Mungo's complaining about the dangers of casting it incorrectly."
The mention of that spell caught everyone's attention. They all sat up straighter at once.
"The Levitation Charm—Wingardium Leviosa."
His wand traced a perfect arc, and the chalk on the lectern rose into the air. Not one piece, but every piece. They spread apart and flew upward at different speeds, spelling out the incantation in midair. Then, at a tap of the professor's wand, they gathered together and drifted soundlessly into the chalk box, light as a feather.
"The Levitation Charm is about more than making something fly."
The students watched in amazement as he continued, "Early on, you should indeed focus on levitating heavier and heavier objects. But the spell's stability and finesse matter just as much."
"Is that what they test you on after the ninth stage?"
One student could not hold back the question. In the quiet classroom, almost everyone heard it clearly.
Professor Flitwick did not get angry. He answered with a smile, "Barring any surprises, I believe so."
"Wow!"
Everyone exclaimed together. Even Andrew joined in to fit in, though embarrassment made him want to dig a tunnel and disappear.
"Now, remember these principles and the basic incantation."
While Professor Flitwick spoke, the chalk had filled half the blackboard. It was not particularly complicated, though: he had enlarged the wand movements and explained the pronunciation syllable by syllable.
After going over the material again and leading them through the incantation several times without their wands, the attentive professor finally handed out feathers and let them try casting the spell.
It was almost effortless.
Andrew even found someone more practiced than he was. He had thought he was getting fairly good at the spell, but this student could guide a feather through all sorts of fancy movements in midair, as if pulling it on a string!
The display was so impressive that Professor Flitwick immediately awarded Slytherin three points.
"A perfect demonstration of the spell—"
There was delight in Professor Flitwick's voice. "Now, shall we try two feathers?"
Two feathers were indeed harder, but the Slytherin student still made them rise together, then brought them down at the same time...
"Very good... You could develop your Levitation Charm much further. Five points to Slytherin."
The lesson ended beautifully. Since everyone had managed to cast the spell, he did not even assign a thesis. He simply told them to keep practicing and preview the next lesson.
Back in the Staff Room, Professor Flitwick finally let out the smile he had been holding in all lesson. Several professors who had no classes crowded around to ask what had happened.
"A perfect lesson. Perhaps the most perfect lesson I've taught in years."
He told his colleagues, "Every student had read ahead, and they had all practiced the incantation."
"Every single one cast the Levitation Charm!"
"Professor Flitwick," said Professor Taylor, looking up from his newspaper with a mischievous smile, "I suspect your next lesson won't go quite like that."
"Of course not," Professor Flitwick said, making no attempt to deny it. "I'd wager they've been practicing the Levitation Charm like mad since the day they read that story. But that's all right. The techniques of charms carry over. Whether they realize it or not, practicing one spell gives them an advantage when learning another."
"That's true," another professor agreed. "It's a pity Dumbledore learned so little. If he'd studied the whole curriculum properly, I daresay our jobs would be much easier..."
The mood in the Staff Room turned wonderfully cheerful.
"If I rely on classes alone, I'm already a little ahead..."
"I'll see what the group does at its regular meetings first. After that, I can think about a plan for studying on my own in the Library..."
After class, Andrew practiced the Levitation Charm for a little while, then made his plans. "I also need to ask an upper-year student whether there's an empty classroom where I can practice. Someone in the group probably knows of a place..."
Now that he had joined the group, he might as well learn from people who had been here longer. He had thought of that before joining.
I wonder how they'll change the new story... No, forget that. I'm going to study magic seriously!
So thought Andrew Ostrich.
Before you continue