Hogwarts' First Class

Hogwarts' morning was roused by a strange energy, a mixture of excitement and chaos.

As the first ray of morning light filtered through the windows of the circular dormitory, revealing the golden dust drifting in the air, Gryffindor Tower became like a giant beehive someone had gently prodded. In an instant, it buzzed with lively commotion.

"Merlin's holey socks! Who hid my textbooks?" Seamus Finnigan cried, frantically searching beneath his bed.

"Harry! Wake up! If you don't get up, we'll miss breakfast. I heard they're serving singing sausages!" Ron Weasley was already dressed and was shaking Harry's bedpost vigorously, his face alight with anticipation of the food.

Harry emerged groggily from behind his bed curtains. His unruly black hair was even messier than yesterday. He put on his glasses and stared blankly at the bustling scene before him, still not quite awake from the dreamlike feeling that he was really at Hogwarts.

Amid all the chaos, Lin Yuan's bed was perfectly peaceful.

He had been awake for a while—or rather, he had barely "slept" at all.

After a night of intense Soul Power "patrolling" and the sobering realization that the "Great Dao" of this world would not tolerate him, his mind wasn't tired in the slightest. Instead, now that he had a clear direction to follow, he felt exceptionally clearheaded and alert.

He leisurely put on his brand-new uniform, which smelled of ink and parchment, then slipped his holly wand into an inner pocket of his sleeve—a hidden pocket he had reinforced with Mana himself the previous night so he could reach for it at any time.

"You don't look nervous at all, Lane," Harry said, struggling with his tie as he watched him curiously.

"Why should I be nervous?" Lin Yuan asked in return, his tone as calm as if they were discussing the weather.

"Easy for you to say," Ron muttered nearby. "I bet we'll get lost on the stairs on our very first day. Percy made it sound so terrifying yesterday, as if the castle were alive and would eat us."

As it turned out, Ron's prediction was remarkably accurate.

After they had finished a sumptuous breakfast—during which hundreds of owls flew into the Great Hall like a squadron of bombers, delivering letters and packages to students with pinpoint accuracy, causing quite a commotion—they received their timetables.

"Oh, brilliant," Hermione said, holding her timetable like a treasure map, her eyes shining with the eagerness of a top student. "Our first class this morning is Charms, with Ravenclaw. Then Transfiguration, with Slytherin. Herbology in the afternoon... Oh, our Charms classroom is Room Seven on the east side of the second floor. I know the way. Follow me!"

She led the way confidently, like an experienced tour guide.

However, the Hogwarts staircases clearly weren't impressed by top students.

They had minds of their own.

Just as they reached a fork in the corridor and Hermione confidently pointed to the left, saying, "This way," the stairs beneath them gave a sudden jolt. With a clatter of scraping stone, they shifted a full ninety degrees, joining a corridor that led in a completely unfamiliar direction.

"Um..." Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly. "All right, A History of Hogwarts did mention that the staircases were unpredictable, but it didn't say they were so... full of character."

"We're doomed," Ron said, looking despairing. "We'll be late for our first class, and Professor Flitwick will turn us into slugs!"

"Don't worry, Ron. The professors must be used to it," Harry reassured him, though he was anxiously looking around himself.

As the others stood there, lost and confused, Lin Yuan came to a stop.

He closed his eyes, and the tendrils of his Soul Power spread outward like invisible ripples.

The map he had imprinted in his mind the previous night now came in handy.

He could clearly "see" the Magic Field coursing through the castle, like an immensely complex diagram of a celestial formation.

Their current location was merely a small node in the formation's flow.

"Follow me." Lin Yuan opened his eyes and pointed behind them, toward a passageway with a tapestry depicting a Troll performing ballet. "Go through here, then descend two flights of spiral stone stairs, and we'll reach the right place."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Intuition," Lin Yuan replied succinctly.

Ron and Harry exchanged a glance, then followed him, figuring they had nothing to lose. Hermione hesitated before hurrying after them as well.

Amazingly, Lin Yuan's intuition was accurate beyond belief. When they lifted the unusually tasteful tapestry, they found a spiral staircase descending behind it.

At the foot of the stairs, they successfully bypassed the temperamental main staircase and returned to a familiar corridor.

"Merlin's beard, Lane, you're like a human navigation system!" Ron exclaimed.

"Maybe... you have a natural ability to sense ancient magical architecture?" Hermione began trying to explain what had just happened in theoretical terms, looking at Lin Yuan as though he were a rare Fantastic Beast.

"Perhaps," Lin Yuan said with a faint smile, neither confirming nor denying it.

He couldn't exactly tell them that, while they saw a castle, he saw a protective mountain formation that he had already completely worked out in his mind.

They reached the Charms classroom, panting, with only a minute to spare before the bell rang.

The classroom looked nothing like what they had imagined. Instead of rows of orderly desks, it was filled with cushions and meditation mats of various heights, and the students could sit wherever they liked.

Sunlight streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, making the whole room bright and warm.

Their professor was standing on a huge pile of books at the front of the room, high enough for all the students to see him.

Professor Filius Flitwick was an extremely short wizard with a head of snow-white hair.

Even seated, Ron would have been taller than him.

But no one dared underestimate him. The eyes that shone with wisdom and the concentrated yet lively Magic Field surrounding him both proved that he was a powerful wizard.

"Goblin blood," Lin Yuan judged at first glance.

The texture of his Mana was different from Professor McGonagall's, which was "sharp as a sword," and Dumbledore's, which was "vast as the sea."

It was more like a spiritual current flowing through a finely crafted Magic Artifact, yet brimming with creativity. Within it was an ancient quality, not found in human wizards, that had a natural affinity with earth and metal.

"Goblin magic... renowned for its exquisite skill in artifact-making and imbuing objects with spirits. It seems Charms is more than simply waving a wand and reciting an incantation."

Lin Yuan looked forward to the class.

"Good morning, everyone!" Professor Flitwick called out in a somewhat high-pitched but energetic voice. He cleared his throat and began taking roll.

When he called "Harry Potter," he let out an excited squeal, slipped off the pile of books, and disappeared behind the lectern.

The students burst into laughter.

Professor Flitwick scrambled back up the pile of books, his face tinged with embarrassment.

After taking roll, he officially began the first lesson.

"Welcome to Charms!" he said cheerfully, waving his wand. A feather flew out of his sleeve and circled above his head. "Charms are one of the most fundamental and fascinating branches of magic! Unlike Transfiguration, they don't change the very nature of an object, and unlike Dark Magic, they aren't meant to cause harm."

"The art of Charms lies in 'bestowing'! We give objects new properties, making them fly, glow, dance, or even sing! We use magic to add a touch of beauty and convenience to this otherwise ordinary world. It is a gift inherent to wizards, and a testament to our ingenuity!"

His opening speech was vivid and infectious. Even Ron, who was least interested in studying, listened with keen attention.

"Today, then, we're going to learn one of the most basic and useful spells—the Levitation Charm!"

Professor Flitwick paused, his gaze sweeping over the excited faces of the first-years.

"Now, take out your wands, everyone. Don't wave them just yet! Remember, your wand is an extension of your will, not a stick to be flailed about carelessly."

He cleared his throat and spoke in a very proper, academic tone. "There are three key elements to casting the Levitation Charm. First, the correct pronunciation. Repeat after me: Wingardium Leviosa."

The students began imitating him in a jumble of voices.

"Wingardium what... Levio-what?"

"Wenga... Dean... Sava... what?"

The classroom was soon filled with all sorts of strange accents.

"No, no," Professor Flitwick patiently corrected them. "Pay attention: draw out the 'gar' a little, and pronounce the 'o' clearly and smoothly. Once more: Win—gar—di—um—Le—vi—o—sa!"

"Second, the wand movement." He picked up his own wand and demonstrated gracefully. "Remember: swish and flick! Like this—swish gently, then give your wrist a nimble flick. Feel the magic flow from your body, through your arm, gather at the tip of your wand, and then flick out."

"Last, and most important," Professor Flitwick said, his expression growing serious, "is your intention! You must clearly and intensely think about making the feather in front of you rise into the air. If you can't focus your thoughts, the spell won't work. All right, pair up. There are feathers on the tables. Let's begin!"

The classroom erupted into chaos.

Everyone picked up a wand and began their first attempt at casting a spell on the light feather before them.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Seamus Finnigan shouted, jabbing the feather forcefully.

"Bang!"

The feather didn't rise. Instead, it puffed out Black Smoke like a lit firecracker and exploded into ashes.

"Oh, Mr. Finnigan," Professor Flitwick sighed. "It seems your 'intention' contained rather too much 'explosion.' One point from Gryffindor."

Nearby, Harry and Ron were struggling too.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry waved his wand, but the feather only rolled twice across the table.

"You're doing it wrong," Ron said, giving advice like an expert. "You have to make the 'swish' bigger! Watch me! Wingardium Leviosa!"

He chopped at the air as if he were splitting firewood.

"Ron, stop!" Hermione's sharp voice came from beside them. "You'll poke someone in the eye! And your pronunciation is wrong too! It's Levio-sa, not Levio-sar! The emphasis is on 'o.' Say it clearly!"

"Oh, is that so? Then you do it, Miss Know-It-All!" Ron snapped, his face flushed.

Hermione ignored him. She straightened up and raised her wand with the precise posture of someone following a textbook.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

Her voice was clear and confident, and her wrist moved gracefully and precisely.

The feather in front of her trembled lightly, then rose smoothly and elegantly from the tabletop, floating into the air.

"Oh! Excellent!" Professor Flitwick clapped excitedly. "Everyone, look! Miss Granger has done it! A perfect cast! Five points to Gryffindor!"

Hermione smiled proudly and contentedly, then glanced smugly at Ron, who was still wrestling with his feather.

Her look got under Ron's skin. His face reddened as he picked up his wand and shouted at the feather with all his might, "Wingardium—Levio-sar!!!"

He poured all his resentment and defiance into that angry shout.

But no miracle happened.

The poor feather didn't rise. Instead, a small orange-red flame burst from its base with a soft pop, then quickly burned it up, leaving a small pile of black ashes on the table.

"Mr. Weasley," Professor Flitwick said, rubbing his forehead, his voice full of helplessness, "your temper... seems a little too fiery. The Levitation Charm isn't a Burning Charm."

Ron's face had turned the same color as his hair.

He dejectedly tossed his wand onto the table, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him.

Amid the chaos, only Lin Yuan remained detached and calm from beginning to end.

He didn't hurry to wave his wand like the others, nor did he recite the awkward incantation.

He simply gazed at the white feather before him, as though entering a state of focused contemplation, examining the nature of things.

His Soul Power was like an invisible eye, able to discern every detail, breaking down and comprehending the entire process of "casting a spell."

"So that's how it works..." His mind was perfectly clear.

To him, a "spell" was like one of the many arts of cultivation: the art of drawing talismanic decrees.

The incantation "Wingardium Leviosa" was the "key" that communicated with the laws of this world, the "talisman's opening stroke" that declared one's intention to the world.

The "swish and flick" of the wand was the "talisman's closing stroke," guiding one's own Mana and locking onto the target.

A wizard's Mana was the "ink" needed to draw the talismanic decree.

The most important element, the "intention," was the "soul" and "core" of the decree.

Hermione had succeeded because her incantation, wand movement, and intention had become one, forming a perfect "Levitation talisman" that won the recognition of the world's laws.

Seamus and Ron, on the other hand, had failed because their intentions were impure and their incantations mistaken. Their Mana had backfired and stirred up the surrounding energies, causing "magical backlash."

"So the incantation and the wand are actually a kind of 'Magic Artifact,'" Lin Yuan concluded. "They're 'tools' designed to help ordinary wizards, whose Soul Power isn't strong enough to resonate directly with the laws of the world, borrow a sliver of the world's power more easily."

"Then... what if I skip all these formalities and speak directly to the laws of this world with my primordial spirit?"

A bold idea arose in his mind.

Though the Great Dao of this world wouldn't let his primordial spirit devour Mana and strengthen itself, its essence was powerful, and its Soul Power purer than that of any ordinary person.

Perhaps... it could serve as a higher-level credential, allowing him to communicate directly with the laws of this world.

He decided to try it.

He didn't pick up his wand, or even move his lips.

He simply sat still and highly concentrated a strand of Soul Power, like an invisible thread, gently winding it around the feather in front of him.

Then, instead of using his own power to "lift" it, he visualized his primordial spirit deep in his mind and sent a perfectly clear "edict" to the laws of this world.

In the real world, the whole process took less than a second.

While Harry and Ron were still fretting over the pile of ashes and Hermione was still savoring her success...

The feather in front of Lin Yuan moved.

It didn't tremble at all or make a sound.

Ignoring every physical law of this world, it rose silently and vertically from the tabletop, perfectly smooth and still.

An inch, a foot, three feet, four feet... It rose at an unhurried, steady pace, in harmony with the rhythm of the world, and finally stopped in midair.

It hung there, perfectly motionless. Even the movement of the air couldn't make it sway in the slightest.

It was a sight that... went beyond magic itself, almost like the "manifestation of a rule."

This silent miracle was more astonishing than any explosion or triumphant cheer.

Professor Flitwick was the first to notice something was wrong.

He had been about to go over and see what trouble the student from the East, who had impressed him during the Sorting Ceremony, was having. Instead, he saw a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

His mouth slowly formed an "O."

As Hogwarts' Charms professor and a former dueling champion, he had seen countless Levitation Charms.

Some feathers wobbled; some rose and fell; some floated gracefully, others clumsily... But he had never seen anything like this.

Wandless Magic!

Nonverbal Spellcasting!

From a first-year student in his very first lesson!

"Genius" didn't begin to describe this.

This was... this was a monster!

Even Dumbledore, when he was young, couldn't have been any more extraordinary!

What was most unbelievable to him was the absolute perfection of the control!

The feather didn't look as if magic were holding it aloft. It was more like the rule of gravity had temporarily ceased to apply to it!

"Mer... Merlin's beard..." Professor Flitwick felt as if his brain were being starved of oxygen.

His reaction quickly caught the attention of the students nearby.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the Ravenclaw students close by all followed his gaze toward Lin Yuan... and the feather floating before him like a work of art.

"..."

The entire classroom fell into an eerie silence.

"Lane... how... how did you do that?" Harry stammered, feeling as though his whole view of the world had been shaken.

"He... he didn't say an incantation or use a wand!" a Ravenclaw girl whispered to her friend.

Hermione's eyes widened until they seemed bigger than Gold Galleons. The success she had earned through diligent study suddenly seemed so insignificant next to what she was seeing.

Her mind raced, trying to find a reasonable explanation among all the books she had read.

"Wandless Magic... Nonverbal Spellcasting... Th-this should be at N.E.W.T. level! Maybe even... more advanced! How is that possible...?"

Goodness, what incredible talent—and what composure and humility!

A surge of elation rose in Professor Flitwick's heart. He felt as though he had discovered a peerless treasure.

It was as if he were watching a second Dumbledore—or perhaps someone with an even purer magical talent—begin to rise right there in his classroom!

"Success! Of course you succeeded!" Professor Flitwick's voice grew even shriller with excitement. He jumped down from the pile of books and hurried over to Lin Yuan, looking up at him, his eyes shining with a light they had never held before. "My boy! You're the most talented student I've ever seen! No, the most talented by far! Your sense of magic and your control over it are simply... simply a gift from above!"

He waved his arms excitedly. "Gryffindor! Twenty points! For this perfect, textbook example of the Levitation Charm!"

Twenty points!

The entire classroom erupted in an uproar.

To earn twenty points for a single spell in the very first class of the school year was exceedingly rare in Hogwarts history.

The little Gryffindor lions burst into jubilant cheers. Ron's dejection vanished, and he slapped Lin Yuan on the back, proud to share in his achievement.

Harry was also genuinely happy for his friend.

Only Hermione was still frowning, her gaze shifting back and forth between Lin Yuan and the feather, studying them.

She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than that.

The feather's initial stillness... had been far too unmagical.

Amid the cheers, Lin Yuan calmly lowered his wand and let the feather drift down.

His heart was ablaze.

The experiment had succeeded.

His theory had been proven correct.

The path to immortality might not be traversable directly.

But a completely new path, full of limitless possibilities—"investigating the nature of things to acquire knowledge, and proving the Dao through magic"—had opened clearly before him.

The first step is complete, he thought. Next, I'll read every volume of the Standard Book of Spells, from One to Seven, along with everything I can find in the library.