Hagrid's Hut

Soon it was time for Charms class. Professor Flitwick was the most likable of all the professors, not just because of his adorable height—barely reaching anyone's waist—but also because he was always cheerful and friendly to every young wizard. If you went to ask him a question, he would always provide a detailed explanation, though fools who asked the same question repeatedly would find themselves having their ears pinched while he stood on tiptoe atop a stack of books, followed by a punishment of copying texts.

Of course, even fools rarely went to ask him questions.

"Ah! What a beautiful Lumos charm."

Watching Ezio play with the small ball of light at the tip of his wand with a flashy, skillful technique, Professor Flitwick said happily, "Professor McGonagall mentioned you to me. You have a great talent for Transfiguration, don't you? But your talent for Charms is also excellent. It is rare for me to see a young wizard who can master advanced variations of spells through self-study."

"Does this refer to changing the color of the light emitted by the Lumos charm, as well as its specific shape?" Ezio extinguished the Sunshine Rainbow Little Pony at the tip of his wand and asked Professor Flitwick with a slight bow.

"That is only a part of it." Professor Flitwick drew his wand, and without even chanting a spell, a Sunshine Rainbow Little Pony identical to the one Ezio had just conjured appeared. However, unlike the one Ezio had made, which could only hold a pose, this pony made of colored light seemed alive; it could run freely in mid-air and even emit the sound of a horse neighing.

"You can think of it as us being able to imbue spells with a certain vitality. This is slightly different from the living creature transformation in Transfiguration; we need to actively control it to make it move. However, this is the most difficult part of advanced techniques, as it involves multiple casting skills."

"Controlling a spell to track a target?" Ezio was somewhat surprised. "I have never seen this technique in any books."

"That is because too few people can use it. For most, simply being able to cast a spell is considered a success." Professor Flitwick smiled. "Once magic leaves a wizard's body, or rather, once a spell is fired from the wand, it has already severed its connection with the wizard. It is very difficult to control a spell after it has been released. However, for spells like Lumos that require continuous magical output, the difficulty of control is relatively low. While you maintain the flow of magic, you have established an unbroken connection with the spell itself."

"But making the Lumos charm subject to your precise, continuous control is also a skill that requires a long time to practice and master."

"Well, five points to Slytherin. I like the rainbow pony you conjured. Would you like to join my Duelling Club?"

Professor Flitwick didn't spend all his time chatting with Ezio; he extended the invitation.

"Of course, it would be my honor, Professor Flitwick."

"Then every weekend at eight in the morning, in the classroom next to my office."

This was the second club invitation Ezio had received. Transfiguration and Charms were the two skills he prioritized learning and mastering at Hogwarts; Potions and Herbology could wait a little longer.

Ezio no longer needed to learn first-year magic from scratch in class. Professor Flitwick allowed him to conduct exploratory training on basic spells during lessons and would offer a pointer or two when passing by. Like Professor McGonagall, he placed great importance on the basic theory of magic. A tall building rises from the ground; the stability of the foundation determines the height of future achievements. The more basic the knowledge, the more it needs to be kept in mind and subjected to practice and analysis.

In the blink of an eye, the first week of school passed. After experiencing all the first-year courses at Hogwarts, Ezio successfully secured 'exemption rights' for some classes. He applied for early exams in Astronomy and History of Magic. Out of respect for Dumbledore, the Astronomy teacher nodded and agreed to Ezio's request to take the final exam early, while Professor Binns, who taught History of Magic, was unexpectedly easy to talk to.

As the only ghost professor at Hogwarts, other than going to class to lecture in a sleep-inducing voice, he didn't care about anything else. Ezio just mentioned it to him after class, and he nodded vaguely, telling him to find last year's exam paper and just complete it.

The exemption from two courses allowed him to save four class periods every week. Coupled with the two periods of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ezio had a full 12 hours of free time more than other first-year wizards each week. Ezio even gave up flying lessons; he had long since learned how to use a broomstick, and since Quidditch hadn't triggered any quests, Ezio was not interested in such games.

Time slipped to Friday afternoon. After finishing the last Herbology class of the week, Ezio and Harry walked toward Hagrid's hut.

A giant stone crossbow and a pair of rubber boots large enough to stuff Harry inside were placed at the entrance of Hagrid's hut.

Just as they approached the door and before they could reach out to knock, the barking of a dog rang out.

"Fang, back!" Hagrid's voice came from inside the house.

"It's me, Harry!" Harry knocked on the door and shouted inside, "I also brought Ezio to see you."

"Oh, it's you two!" Hagrid opened the door a crack, revealing his bearded face. A dog's head tried to poke out from behind Hagrid, but was pressed back down by his hand.

The dog Hagrid kept was a Neapolitan Mastiff—dark-bodied, strong, and fierce, appearing to have endless power. Its drooping eyes looked cold and gloomy, making one feel a chill, and the one Hagrid kept was even larger, almost the size of a calf.

Normally, this was a fierce and dangerous breed; once it attacked, it was a fight to the death. Among fighting dogs, they were the most formidable.

But... perhaps because its master was a super-tough guy who could grab a giant beast from the Forbidden Forest by the neck and slap it, or perhaps because this type of ordinary non-magical dog was only at the bottom of the food chain in the Forbidden Forest, when Ezio met those dark eyes, he saw Fang's bluster.

"Come in." Hagrid held Fang's collar with one hand and opened the door with the other, making room for them.

After the two entered, Hagrid let go. Fang lunged forward in a flash, resting his head on Harry's leg. The fawning look in his eyes seemed to say, 'Quick, quick, pet my head!'

Harry was caught between laughter and tears as he reached out. He had truly been frightened by Fang just a moment ago, but it lasted only an instant; Fang's fawning came too quickly.

Hagrid was pouring tea for them. His thick beard obscured the expression on his face, making him look somewhat serious. After brewing the tea, Hagrid sat down, his eyes looking down at Ezio.

"You're the one who brought Harry to Slytherin?"

Hagrid frowned, his millstone-sized face full of pressure.