Levitation Charm

Whatever the reason, spending more time together always caused subtle changes in people's relationships. Some grew increasingly close—like Wade and his SSC companions; others grew increasingly hostile—like Potter and Malfoy. Their pathetic little squabbles 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 gathering 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 now the room was filled with an intoxicating scent.

Michael tried to pull Wade along too, but Wade waved him off. He had never cared for such gatherings. Last time, he had seen two people who were not even particularly familiar with each other drunkenly making out on the sofa, while a crowd around them clapped and cheered, splashing beer everywhere. The whole scene reeked of drunken revelry and indulgence.

Although Wade had lived in the West for eleven years, his mindset remained reserved and restrained. When it came to feelings and physical contact, he was far more cautious than his classmates.

He went up the Spiral Staircase to the Dormitory. As always, 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 plain boiled water on the desk, wisps of steam rising from it. Wade poured himself a cup. The temperature was just right when it touched his lips.

The long tables at Hogwarts generally served only various fruit juices, vegetable juices, or Hot chocolate, while students usually drank cold water directly. Wade was unaccustomed to that. Some time ago, he had cautiously left a note with his dirty clothes, saying that he hoped to have hot water to drink when he returned to the Dormitory.

The next morning, when he woke 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 made by boiling plain water directly, without adding tea leaves.

From that day onward, no matter when he returned to the Dormitory, there was always a pot of hot water at just the right temperature waiting for him. It was the same when he woke 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 sleep, Wade placed three Mini Pumpkin Carriages on the table. He had made them with Transfiguration, and a tiny lantern the size of a bean hung from the front of each carriage, giving 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 aroma of roasting Pumpkin.

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

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

Wade could not help smiling.

He did not think the House-elves' gifts were too cheap. The House-elves all belonged to Hogwarts. Apart from the tea towels they wore, they possessed nothing at all—and 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've 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 ended up lying on the floor with a buffalo standing on his chest! All right, begin practicing!"

The students began chanting over one another, "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 succeeded one after the other as well. Professor Flitwick clapped his hands happily and said, "Very well done! I'm giving you two points—each!"

Then something even more surprising happened. The feather in front of Neville trembled as it rose, swaying like a small boat tossed by waves, hovering two feet above him.

The Gryffindors' eyes nearly popped out of their heads in shock. Neville had always been clumsy in every class, and no one besides Professor Sprout ever praised him. Moreover, the Levitation Charm was quite difficult for Young Wizards, and most of the feathers before them remained utterly still. 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 delight. "Five points to Gryffindor!"

"No way? Even that Longbottom succeeded?"

Wade heard Anthony say in astonishment beside him. Then Anthony cast the Spell over and over, but his feather remained motionless.

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

"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, then told Anthony, "Move your Wand along this line. Do not go beyond it."

Anthony did not question him. As fellow Ravenclaws, they all knew that Wade's skill with spells was arguably the best in their year. The blonde-haired boy silently mimicked the motion once, then waved his Wand—

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

The feather immediately rose, floating higher and higher under Anthony's control until it even touched the chandelier overhead. Anthony stared at it with 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's greater agility won out, and she 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. This naturally caught Professor Flitwick's attention. Just as Lisa Turpin grabbed the parchment, a tiny hand pulled it away from below. Professor Flitwick glanced at it and smiled. "Oh, what a clever method of guidance—"