Flight and Magic Control

Transfiguration and Charms are the foundation of dueling, and also its root.

And aside from Dark Magic, Transfiguration is almost the most formidable combat skill, as well as the specialty of the strongest White Wizard, Dumbledore.

Even if Damon could only choose one path to study, he would still pick Transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall assigned Damon extra Transfiguration homework, along with an essay—longer than what she gave the other young wizards, a full four inches. She planned to have him practice turning animals into inanimate objects, and for that, she needed Damon to write a theoretical essay in advance to ensure he already understood the concept.

"Isn't this second-year Transfiguration content? Jumping a whole year ahead—I can't tell if Professor McGonagall underestimates me or thinks too highly of me."

Damon chuckled. He hadn't mastered much in Transfiguration yet, but with his expert-level Transfiguration talent, he was confident he could finish all seven years' worth of Transfiguration study in no time.

"I wonder exactly how long it'll take~"

Just thinking about it made Damon happy. He had never enjoyed learning this much—with talent, interest, and a solid foundation, who wouldn't love it?

After saying goodbye to Professor McGonagall, Damon first went to the library and brought back the books he needed for his essay homework to the Common Room.

At that moment, Harry and Ron were restlessly waving their wands at a matchstick.

On one hand, their success in Transfiguration class had them thrilled, itching to maintain that excellence.

On the other hand, their hearts were pulled toward the Flying Class starting that afternoon. Listening to other students constantly discuss flying stories, the two of them were unbearably eager.

Seeing them like this, Damon couldn't help but shake his head:

"Remember the three key points I mentioned? Practicing like this is pointless—the matchstick's Transfiguration completion is even worse than what you managed in class."

The two felt a bit ashamed. Stuck on the morning's little incident, Ron didn't even dare to speak. Harry said awkwardly:

"Sorry, Damon, but we're just really looking forward to Flying Class."

If first-year wizards were allowed to bring Flying Brooms, they'd have been off practicing somewhere long ago.

"It's fine, I just happened to notice and thought I'd remind you."

Damon didn't bother with them. With some time left before the 3:30 PM Flying Class, he wanted to finish the essay homework assigned by Flitwick and Professor McGonagall—especially McGonagall's. That combined six-foot essay would take even him a few hours.

Watching Damon pile four professional books on his left while smoothing out essay paper with his right hand, Harry and Ron's expressions grew increasingly odd.

"Sometimes I really think—" Ron finally couldn't hold it in, "Damon and Hermione are the same type of person."

"No, they're definitely different—I mean, even though Hermione is great too, haven't you noticed? Damon never forces us to do anything, even though he's better than Hermione."

"Cool, mate, you've got guts saying that—but I totally agree with you."

Ron patted Harry on the shoulder. They both instinctively glanced toward Hermione—even she was nervously reviewing Quidditch theory while eavesdropping on the discussions around her.

Harry silently prayed in his heart—hoping Hermione hadn't heard what he just said.

Just before 3:30, Damon finally finished Professor McGonagall's six-foot essay.

Actually writing it, he found it wasn't that hard—thanks to his expert-level Transfiguration talent, he read textbooks extremely fast and memorized them easily. He could silently reproduce most material on the essay paper after one read, greatly speeding up his homework completion.

After all, he was a kid who grew up in China—back in high school, he'd burn through an entire ink pen in a single day. This amount of homework really wasn't much.

The weather today was unprecedented in its beauty. As Damon walked from the tower to the grounds, a gentle breeze brushed his face—comfortable without being hot or irritating. The neatly trimmed lawn rippled in waves under the wind, lifting his spirits.

The Flying Class teacher was Madam Hooch. She had short gray hair and yellow eyes, like an eagle's.

"Alright, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand next to a Flying Broomstick. Quick, quick, hurry up."

"Extend your right hand over the broom handle," Madam Hooch called from the front, "and say: 'Up!'"

Damon looked at the broom at his feet and said calmly, "Up."

"Whoosh!"

The broom leaped into his hand instantly. At the same time, a line of text appeared before Damon's eyes.

[Quidditch—LV1 (Beginner)] 36/100
[A learner just starting out in Quidditch. You can grasp basic flying techniques, maintain balance on a Flying Broomstick, and fly simply on the field. You have some understanding of and adaptability to Quidditch rules.]

Damon raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.

He hadn't expected much from flying, but the moment he touched the broom, a Quidditch skill popped up?

Damon opened the system to check his Magic Points. After five days of breathing exercises, his "account" had gained over ten thousand points.

Going from level 1 to level 4 only cost 11,100 points total. Maxing it out was easy.

[Quidditch—LV2 (Apprentice)] 1/1000
[Basic flying techniques are no longer a challenge for you. Your understanding of Quidditch tactics has improved, allowing you to coordinate with the team and support your teammates.]

[Quidditch—LV3 (Advanced)] 1/10000
[You can master some advanced Quidditch flying techniques (sharp turns, reverse flight, sudden stops), perform complex maneuvers in the air, and greatly enhance your ability to handle the ball.]

[Quidditch—LV4 (Expert)] 1/1000000
[You can perfectly master most flying techniques, navigate intense Quidditch matches with ease, and maintain decision-making ability under high pressure.]

"Hm?" Damon suddenly felt something different.

Quidditch didn't matter much, but—

Damon mounted the Flying Broomstick and found that the overly vast and abundant magic within him seemed to have grown a bit more docile. Just this one change already far exceeded the total results of his hard training in the Room of Requirement earlier.

Adding points to Quidditch actually improved his magic control?

Madam Hooch, who was weaving through the group correcting students' improper stances, noticed Damon already sitting steadily on his broom. Surprise flickered across her face, but she simply ignored it—it wasn't time for the young wizards to take off yet, but since Damon had already done it, she naturally wouldn't say anything.