“Professor,” Cedric stood up, “When you said ‘stripping away the outward form,’ did you mean that what Scott painted was actually your magic?”
Professor Flitwick smiled and pointed at Scott.
“Why don’t we let Mr Trollope answer that question himself?”
Seeing Professor Flitwick’s signal, Scott also stood and said, “That is correct.
Just as Professor Flitwick said, every person’s magic is different.”
He turned to look at Cedric.
“To be precise, after sensing Professor Flitwick’s magic, I painted my own impression of his magic.”
“Was that what you saw?” Cedric asked.
Scott shook his head.
“I did not truly see anything.
It was a kind of perception, and I merely recorded what I felt through painting.”
“Yes, magical perception!”
Professor Flitwick said sharply.
“Mr Trollope has achieved something that most adult wizards are unable to do!
“Not only did he clearly perceive my magic, but with unprecedented creativity, he also used a painting to accurately express his impression to others!
“Although this is a Muggle oil painting, I believe the meaning behind it is far more valuable than a moving magical portrait!”
“Professor,” Cedric asked again, “do you mean that not everyone can achieve this through deeper study of magic?”
“Exactly, it requires talent in perception.”
Professor Flitwick did not deny it.
He explained further, “Almost everyone can sense magic, but some people can only perceive it vaguely, while others can clearly detect the information contained within a wizard’s magic.”
“Is that why you can always tell in advance who is approaching you?” Roger said quietly to Scott.
Scott nodded and said to Roger and Milton, “I think Milton also has this talent.”
Roger agreed.
“Right, Milton, your perception has always been extremely sharp.”
Milton was in a good mood at this moment and seemed to have forgotten last night’s “failure.”
At this moment, it was time for class to officially begin.
Professor Flitwick immediately ended the topic of magical perception and told everyone to open their textbooks.
“Please turn to the first chapter.
Today, we will be learning the Summoning Charm.”
…
Scott did not know whether anyone else had realised that through sensing magic, he could roughly judge a person’s character and inner qualities.
It was also why he had previously believed that Jacob Kent was not lying.
At the same time, he thought that in the “original story,” Tom Riddle, before becoming Voldemort, had gained the favour of every teacher in the school, while Dumbledore had never trusted him, likely because the nature of his magic had failed to convince Dumbledore.
…
When the midday sunlight passed through the classroom’s glass windows and fell across everyone, the double Charms lesson that morning came to an end.
“Thank you for the gift, Scott.
Now, I am going to show the other professors what one of our students has achieved!”
Professor Flitwick said this to Scott alone, then waved his wand and made the painting float behind him before leaving the classroom with his head held high and his chest out.
“Oh!
Now you are going to become completely famous, Scott.” Roger patted Scott on the shoulder and gestured for him to notice the way the surrounding students were looking at him.
“That is a good thing.
Since Scott has such talent, he should show it,” Milton said, pleased for Scott.
The Ravenclaw students also came over to congratulate Scott.
“Congratulations, Scott.”
“Well done, Scott.”
Usually, Ravenclaw students admired those who went further than others, no matter the field.
They understood clearly that what Scott had achieved could not be summed up by simply saying that he was talented.
Talent still required enough accumulated knowledge and experience before it could become real ability.
“Thank you.” Scott thanked them calmly.
“Scott, you have done something unexpected again.”
Cedric of Hufflepuff also walked over with a smile.
Scott and Cedric were both members of Professor McGonagall’s Transfiguration Club, and the two of them had a fairly good relationship.
They belonged to different Houses and were both highly talented in Transfiguration, so they were both friends and rivals.
Cedric also patted Scott on the shoulder.
“Do not leave the rest of us your age too far behind.”
“I will not stop moving forward, Cedric,” Scott said with a smile.
Cedric sighed.
“It seems I need to work even harder.”
…
Four days passed in the blink of an eye.
On Sunday, Roger woke everyone in the dormitory early in the morning.
“What is it, Roger?”
Scott leaned against his pillow without wanting to move and only opened his eyes to look at Roger.
“Come on, go to the pitch with me and see whether Ravenclaw has any decent new players this year,” Roger spoke enthusiastically to his three roommates.
“Please…” Milton said indistinctly with his eyes closed.
“I remember the Quidditch team tryouts are on the weekend of the second week.”
Roger said, “Captain Bruce decided to observe the newcomers interested in trying out one week early and give them some guidance.
He hopes they will perform better in next week’s tryouts.”
Eddie, who had already sat up, fell back onto his bed with a thud.
“For that?
What does it have to do with us?”
“Come on, friends!
You are all Ravenclaws!” Roger raised his voice.
“I think you need to know more about our House team.”
Scott felt that Roger’s words made no sense at all, so he casually picked up a pillow and threw it at him.
“We are not going!”
…
But in the end, Scott and the others still came to the Quidditch pitch and sat in the stands.
“Merlin!
Roger is far too annoying!
He murdered our sleep!”
Eddie chewed on a sandwich while continuing to complain.
Milton leaned against his seat with lifeless eyes and looked up at the sky, where the morning mist still lingered.
Scott also took a piece of bread and ate it slowly.
Neither of them intended to respond to Eddie.
But Eddie did not care and seemed quite happy talking by himself.
“Yesterday morning, the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams had a conflict here over the pitch.”
He showed off the information he had gathered to Scott and Milton.
“Malfoy became Slytherin’s new Seeker because his father sponsored their entire team with the newly released broomsticks, Nimbus 2001s!”
Seeing that Scott and Milton still gave no response, he began talking about the Ravenclaw Quidditch team in front of them.
“I would say Ravenclaw’s most closely watched new Quidditch star this year is that third-year, Cho Chang.
Unfortunately, she wants to become a Seeker, while our current Seeker will not graduate until next year.
Perhaps she will temporarily become the reserve Seeker?”
(End of Chapter)
Power Stones?