Coach, I Want to Learn!

Why do I feel like something's off about what I'm doing? And why did I use "again"?

Bell felt more and more that magic was truly amazing.

"Hermione!"

Bell shook his head, dispelling the unease in his mind, and then turned to look sternly at Hermione.

"As I've mentioned before, magic isn't just words written in books; you have to be able to cast spells skillfully with Wand to truly master it. What you're learning now is no longer the math or English subjects you studied before. You can't apply your past experiences to your current studies."

"Unlike science, magic is a very idealistic power. Even if you don't understand the so-called principles, or even to put it extremely, you don't need to understand any principles at all, as long as you firmly believe that you can do it, then magic will respond to you and do what you want to do."

"I think the reason why many Muggle-born wizard are less skilled at spellcasting than those from wizarding families lies precisely in this. Because of the different worldviews they develop in childhood, Muggle-born wizard often lack firm conviction. They always think that magic is something very high and mighty, and because they haven't learned enough magic, they need to master enough magical knowledge before they can cast spells, just like you are now!"

"This view is wrong! Utterly wrong! Magic isn't some lofty, unattainable thing! Magical power is an innate ability we possess; magical techniques are our innate instincts. And the most important thing to enhance your instincts isn't learning, but training. Learning is merely a means to improve the efficiency of training! Remember, don't put the cart before the horse!"

"Therefore, the most important thing about magic is to use it; learning the theory is only to help you use it better."

Hermione felt wronged by Bell's scolding; neither her parents had ever been so harsh with her.

Bell ignored Hermione's grievances, took out his Wand and waved it, and two chairs placed in the corner flew in front of them. One of the chairs quickly Transfiguration into a wooden stick, floating beside Bell.

"Now, I will use this stick to attack you. You will need to use the Curses you have learned to defend yourself. I will give you three minutes to prepare."

After saying that, Bell took out his Personal Terminal and started timing.

"Wait, wait! Bell, what should I do?"

Bell remained unmoved as he watched the helpless Little Witch, simply observing the countdown ticking away second by second.

Soon, the time came, and without any hesitation, Bell controlled the wooden stick to fly towards Hermione.

Hermione tried hard to find a usable Curses from the ones she knew. She raised her Wand high.

"Diffindo!"

Bell did nothing. The light of the Curses grazed the stick, struck the classroom wall, and stirred up a little dust.

Seeing her Curses miss and the stick fly straight up to her head without stopping, Hermione felt her mind go blank, and all the spells she had ever learned disappeared from her memory.

Hermione screamed and crouched down, covering her head with her hands, using a defensive technique called "Head-Holding Squat Defense".

"Sigh~!"

Bell sighed, but ultimately relented.

He realized he might have been too strict; Hermione was, after all, only an 11-year-old girl, unlike his younger sister who had been learning magic from him since childhood. Perhaps Hermione's current reaction was normal? Bell sighed and went over to help Hermione up.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I went too far. Let's start with the basics."

Bell then commanded several tables and chairs to fly over, cleaned off the dust, and helped Hermione sit down. He took two bottles of cola from his pocket and handed one to Hermione.

"Have a drink to calm down."

"Ton~ton~ton~ha—!"

"Awesome! What? Carbonated drinks are bad for kids? Please, we're wizards! Even if we drank two pounds of Potions, it wouldn't be a problem. It's not some deadly poison; magic can just circulate freely in our bodies, ensuring no toxic substances remain."

"Bell, am I too stupid...?"

This was the umpteenth time Hermione had felt ashamed in front of Bell.

The reason she studied so hard, even more than before, was to narrow the gap between herself and Bell. She was afraid that one day Bell would think she was too stupid, and then she might lose her first and only friend.

"How could that be? You're a wonderful Little Witch, Hermione. You just need some time and some changes. Now, let's put down our books and pens, take out our Wand, and truly touch the magic."

After that, Bell asked Hermione to use every Curses and Transfiguration she had learned so far.

Hermione is indeed an excellent Little Witch. She successfully cast everything her teacher taught her in class.

Don't think this is easy, otherwise no one would fail the final exam.

Hermione regained some confidence. She looked at Bell, hoping for some praise. But to her surprise, Bell showed no intention of praising her; instead, he frowned.

"No! Absolutely not!"

Bell shook his head.

"But didn't I successfully cast the spell?" Hermione said, sounding a little aggrieved.

Normally, when she casts spells like this in class, the professors praise her, and she even gets extra points for Gryffindor because of it.

"Hermione, what is your goal? Is it to become an ordinary wizard? If so, then congratulations, you've qualified. You no longer need to go to the Library to study every day. You can go back to the Gryffindor Common Room, where there are many ordinary wizards. You can play, eat, and drink with them and enjoy a pleasant school life."

"But if you're not content with just being an ordinary wizard, if you aspire to be an excellent, outstanding, or even great wizard, then this level is far from sufficient!"

Bell put away his Wand and swung his empty hand at a chair in the distance. With a loud 'boom,' the chair was blown to pieces.

"It has to be at least this level... So, what's your answer?"

Hermione saw that as Bell withdrew his hand, it was as if time had reversed, and the chair that had been blown to pieces was restored to its original state.

Hermione was stunned!

Although she couldn't yet fully comprehend what Bell's simple wave of the hand represented, or how shocked other adult wizards would be if they saw it, there was one thing she was absolutely certain of: 'This is exactly what she has always longed for.'

This is the wizard Hermione imagined: powerful, handsome, and able to do all sorts of things with a wave of his hand.

"Coach, I want to learn!"

(☆▽☆)