Levitation Charm

Regardless of the reason, spending more time together always caused subtle changes in people's relationships. Some grew increasingly close—like Wade and his companions in SSC; others became increasingly hostile—like Potter and Malfoy. Their pathetic squabbling had already become a sight at Hogwarts.

That evening, Wade and Michael once again returned to the Ravenclaw Common Room just before curfew. The moment they entered, Michael was called away by two girls. Tomorrow was Halloween, and the students were excited; a small party was being held in the Common Room, and Michael was one of the few first-years invited. During Hogsmeade Weekend, the older students had bought plenty of Butterbeer, rum, and whiskey, and the room was now filled with a pleasantly intoxicating smell.

Michael tried to drag Wade along, but Wade waved him off. He had never cared for such gatherings. Last time, he had even seen two people who had not known each other well getting drunk and making out passionately on the sofa, while a crowd around them clapped and cheered, splashing beer everywhere. The whole scene carried an atmosphere of drunken indulgence and reckless pleasure.

Although Wade had lived in the west for eleven years, his thinking remained reserved and restrained. He was far more cautious than his classmates when it came to emotions and physical contact.

He climbed the spiral staircase back to the dormitory. As usual, it was clean and tidy. The clothes he had changed out of yesterday had been washed, ironed, and neatly folded in the wardrobe.

There was also a pot of boiled water on the desk, thin wisps of steam rising from it. Wade poured himself a cup. The temperature was just right.

The long tables at Hogwarts generally only served various fruit juices, vegetable juices, or hot chocolate, while students usually drank cold water directly. Wade was unaccustomed to this. Some time ago, he had tentatively left a note with his dirty clothes, asking if he could have hot water when he returned to the dormitory.

The next morning, when he got up, he found a steaming pot of black tea on his desk. The House-elves probably did not quite understand what "hot water" meant. Perhaps no one had ever made such a request of them before.

So Wade added another note: Thank you for the black tea. But what I want is hot water obtained by boiling plain water directly, without tea leaves.

From that day onward, no matter when he returned to the dormitory, a pot of hot water at just the right temperature was always waiting for him. The same was true when he woke up in the morning.

It had to be said that at least half of the comfort of life at Hogwarts came from the House-elves.

Before going to bed, Wade placed three Mini Pumpkin Carriages on the desk. He had made them using Transfiguration, and in front of each carriage hung a bean-sized little lantern that gave off a faint green glow.

To: Zoe, Phil, Hobby

Thank you for your thoughtful service all this time. These are Halloween gifts for you.

Wishing you a happy Halloween!

When he woke early the next morning, it was already Halloween. The entire castle was filled with the scent of roasting pumpkin.

The Pumpkin Carriages on his desk had disappeared, replaced by a fresh pot of hot water, a plate of Pumpkin Biscuits, a bouquet of flowers, and a pile of beautiful little stones.

The heart-shaped biscuits smelled delicious, the flowers still bore dewdrops, and the thumb-sized stones looked like gemstones. They were all carefully prepared return gifts from the House-elves.

Wade could not help smiling.

He did not look down on the Elves' gifts for being too cheap. The House-elves all belonged to Hogwarts; apart from the tea towels they wore, they possessed nothing at all. Even those tea towels actually belonged to Hogwarts.

Halloween was not a holiday. First thing in the morning was Charms Class, and Professor Flitwick divided the students into pairs to practice the Levitation Charm. Wade was paired with Anthony Goldstein.

"Do not forget that subtle wrist movement we have been practicing!" Professor Flitwick squeaked. "A swish and a flick! Remember, the wrist must swish and flick! Pronouncing the spell correctly is also extremely important—never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself lying on the floor with a buffalo standing on his chest! All right, begin practicing!"

The students began chanting all at once, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The feather in front of Wade immediately floated up. He had already used this spell many times in the Umbrella Room, mainly to move tables and chairs. Hermione and Michael also succeeded one after another. Professor Flitwick clapped happily and said, "Very good! I shall give you two points—each!"

Then something even more surprising happened. The feather in front of Neville trembled as it floated up, hovering two feet above him like a little boat tossing in the waves.

The Gryffindors' eyes nearly popped out in astonishment, because Neville had always performed clumsily in every class. Other than Professor Sprout, no one ever praised him. Moreover, the Levitation Charm was quite difficult for Young Wizards, and the feathers in front of most students had not moved at all. Seeing Neville cast the Levitation Charm, even if not very successfully, was as shocking as seeing a troll dance ballet.

"Wonderful! Wonderful, Mr. Longbottom!" Professor Flitwick let out a squeal and bounced in surprise. "Five points to Gryffindor!"

"No way? Even that Longbottom succeeded?"

Wade heard Anthony say in surprise beside him. Then Anthony cast the spell again and again, but his feather remained motionless.

Anthony was a tall, sturdy boy. There was nothing wrong with his pronunciation, but the delicate, subtle movement of "swish and flick" was too difficult for him. He practiced repeatedly, and his motions grew more and more distorted.

"Wait!" Seeing that Anthony was about to jab his Wand into the back of the student in front of him, Wade grabbed his wrist and said, "Try this—"

He drew a steep curve like a sine wave on a piece of parchment, marked the direction with arrows, and noted where he needed to move faster. He enlarged it until it floated before them and told Anthony, "Move your Wand along this line. Do not go beyond its range."

Anthony did not question him. As fellow Ravenclaws, they both knew that Wade's Charms ability was practically the best in their year. The blond-haired boy silently practiced the motion once himself, then waved his Wand—

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

The feather immediately floated up. Under Anthony's direction, it rose higher and higher until it even touched the chandelier overhead. Anthony stared at it in delight, almost reluctant to lower his Wand.

Terry Boot and Lavender Brown, seated on either side of them, exchanged a glance and reached out almost at the same time. In the end, Lavender, with her superior agility, snatched the parchment and pulled it in front of her group.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

On the right side of the classroom, more and more feathers began to float up, naturally drawing Professor Flitwick's attention. Lisa Turpin had just grabbed the parchment when she saw a tiny hand pull it away from below. Professor Flitwick glanced at it and smiled. "Oh, a very clever method of guidance—"