Charms Class

"I never imagined you'd be sorted into Slytherin. Honestly, I thought you'd be in the same house as us. Even if not, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff would have suited you well. Of course, I'm not saying Slytherin is bad, you must know, those Slytherins are a bit…"

"A bit arrogant," Linley finished for either George or Fred, guessing who had started the sentence.

"Yes," the other Weasley said. "We may have only just met you, but we don't think you're the type of person who looks down on others, do we?"

Linley tilted his head and thought for a moment. "It's not really arrogance. They're just a bit tsundere; they just have a different way of making friends."

He looked at the Weasley twins with a smile. "What's wrong? Are you going to cut ties with me just because I'm in Slytherin?"

The twins exchanged a glance, then looked at Linley together and said loudly, "Of course not! Don't forget, Mom specifically told us to look out for you at school before we left."

Linley shrugged. "So why care so much about which house I'm in? As long as we get along, we can still be friends."

"You're right. We apologize for what we said earlier." The Weasley twins made faces as they spoke, not showing much sincerity in their apology.

They had classes that morning and didn't chat further. After agreeing to tour Hogwarts Castle together next time, they parted ways.

Linley sat down at the Slytherin table. Several older students were already there, and they greeted him as well, having met him at the Welcome Feast the night before.

Betty, the prefect, frowned. "You're the earliest of all the first-years today. I wonder how many people will be late for Charms class later. Professor Flitwick, although usually good-tempered, really dislikes students who aren't punctual."

The breakfast food was certainly not as lavish as the banquet the night before, but the oatmeal suited Linley's taste.

"They should know their limits. After a week or two, they'll probably get into the habit of waking up early."

Prefects at Hogwarts weren't nannies for young wizards; they weren't responsible for caring about every little thing concerning the first-years. After Betty's complaint, she didn't nag any further. Instead, she glanced at the bowl of oatmeal in Linley's hand and casually remarked, "It seems the house-elves at Hogwarts have a new recipe recently. I've never seen this kind of porridge for breakfast before."

As she spoke, Linley had already finished the porridge in his bowl.

"Oh really? Then their cooking is quite good. This tastes almost as good as what I make myself."

Betty rolled her eyes, encountering Linley's thick skin for the first time.

The prefect's words soon proved true.

In the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick, standing on a stack of books, tapped his desk frequently with his fingertips, his expression displeased.

It had been three minutes since class started, and five young wizards had yet to arrive.

The young wizards from Slytherin and Ravenclaw who were already in the classroom sat with their heads tucked down, like quails at their desks.

Everyone could see that Professor Flitwick was in a very bad mood.

Just as the professor's last shred of patience was about to run out, four Slytherins and one Ravenclaw first-year rushed into the classroom in a panic.

"P-Professor, we actually judged the time correctly. It was the stairs when we were going upstairs; they were toying with us…"

One of the first-years tried to explain, but Professor Flitwick glared at them impatiently.

"Silence! You've already wasted everyone's time for three minutes. Get back to your seats immediately. Whether it's in my class or another professor's, I do not want to see this happen again!"

The five students felt as if they had received a great pardon with just a scolding and no further punishment. They hurried to their seats.

Seeing them all settled, Professor Flitwick cleared his throat and began the first Charms lesson.

"Wizarding magic has developed over thousands of years. Today, the number of known magical spells is already countless. However, no matter how magic develops, it cannot escape the two major categories: Charms and Transfiguration spells.

Before we begin learning Charms, I must first teach you how to distinguish between Charms and Transfiguration spells. While this will not affect your spellcasting, it is fundamental theory that every wizard should know.

Now, can anyone tell me the difference between Charms and Transfiguration spells as you understand it?"

Almost the instant Professor Flitwick finished speaking, Linley raised his hand high.

The professor, rumored to have goblin blood, seemed somewhat surprised. He had expected the question to be met with silence from the first-years.

"Then, Mr. Belloc, you may answer this question."

Linley stood up from his seat. "Charms add specific properties to an object or creature, while Transfiguration spells change it into something completely different."

Professor Flitwick was very surprised by Linley's answer.

"Very well said. That is the most standard answer. Have you already finished reading the excerpts from the book?"

"Yes, Professor," Linley replied, showing no hint of pride on his face. As far as he knew, there was at least one other young wizard sitting there who had read the entire Charms textbook even more diligently than he had – the Ravenclaw first-year he met on the train.

However, that student hadn't raised his hand or shown any intention of answering questions.

Linley calmly continued.

"I recall the excerpts also explained that Hexes, Jinxes, and Curses, while also considered Charms, are collectively known as Dark spells. The Standard Book of Spells series will not cover these types of spells."

"Excellent," Professor Flitwick praised. "You are the first first-year I've seen who has diligently read the entire book, including the excerpts, before class. Slytherin gets five points."

[You have received sincere praise from the Charms professor, Professor Filius Flitwick. General Charm Talent +1, General Charm Effect +1.]

[Your outstanding performance in Charms class has earned your house points from the Charms professor, Professor Filius Flitwick. General Charm Talent +1, General Charm Effect +1.]

The two consecutive system prompts stunned Linley.

So, it wasn't just praise; earning points for his house could also improve his magical talent.

"You may sit down now, Mr. Belloc."

It wasn't until Professor Flitwick's urging voice sounded that Linley snapped back to attention and returned to his seat.

After the immense surprise, he quickly calmed himself.

Improving magical talent couldn't be this easy. After all, the total cap was only 10. If he could gain a point from a single compliment or bonus point, wouldn't he become a magical prodigy in less than a month after school started?

As Linley had suspected, his guess was correct.

After Professor Flitwick officially began teaching them the Levitation Charm, Linley once again caught his attention with his outstanding performance and received great praise.

However, the system didn't chime with the sound of increased magical talent this time.

This proved that the compliments and bonus point rewards from each professor were actually a one-time thing. In other words, he could only gain a maximum of two talent points from the professors of various courses.