Flitwick beckoned, and a picture frame flew over from his desk. He brushed his fingers over the photograph, then set it on the tea table between them.
It was an old photograph that looked as though it had been taken quite some time ago.
The Flitwick in the photograph had no beard. The little man wore a radiant smile, holding a trophy aloft and waving it about.
Flowers and streamers surrounded him, and a line of small, gold-stamped lettering read, "The new wizarding dueling champion-Filius Flitwick!"
Zhang Xiao instinctively felt that Professor Flitwick's decision to tell his story had something to do with what Zhang Xiao had said earlier.
He sat up straight, ready to listen attentively.
"I'm sure it must be a wonderful story."
Professor Flitwick smacked his forehead and snapped his fingers. A bottle of red wine and a Goblet flew out of the cupboard. Swirling the Goblet, Professor Flitwick spoke leisurely, his voice steeped in reminiscence.
"Because of my height, my early life wasn't particularly happy. The strange looks people gave me were painful. To ease that misery, I decided to use my intelligence to make people see me in a new light.
"That was when I became fascinated with charms."
Zhang Xiao nodded. Students whose appearances stood out always drew more attention. He could understand that perfectly.
Flitwick took a small sip of red wine.
"Magic was so magnificent. Through charms, I discovered a joy I had never known before. Concentration and a tiny measure of talent carried me further and further down that path.
"Because of my obsession with charms and my desire for everyone's recognition, I accepted Dumbledore's suggestion and entered the wizarding dueling tournament.
"Zhang, do you know how many spells I had mastered by the time I entered?"
Flitwick looked at Zhang