The Charms classroom was located on the fourth floor of Hogwarts Castle.
Compared with the classrooms for other subjects, it was unusually long and narrow, with two rows of seats on each side, all facing the center of the room.
Professor Flitwick, who taught Charms, was astonishingly small.
He had to stand on a stack of books just to reach the lectern.
Still, there was no questioning his knowledge of Charms or his rigor as a teacher.
“To successfully cast a spell, you need not only concentration, but also the correct wand movement and precise pronunciation of the incantation.
If you fail to do these properly, the spell may fail to fire, and there is also the risk of a magical backfire.”
Professor Flitwick first gave everyone a stern warning before officially beginning the lesson.
As usual, Ethan sat in one of the back rows, bored out of his mind as he flipped through The Standard Book of Spells: Basic Level, not listening to the lecture at all.
There was no helping it.
Professor Fig had already taught him all the spells in the book, and casting them now was effortless.
He might as well use the extra lesson to get Professor Flitwick to teach him something more useful.
Since Professor Fig insisted he be fully prepared, Ethan would first train himself up to master-level skill in the beginner’s village before tackling anything serious.
“That will be all for today.
Everyone, remember to think carefully and practice more when you return.
Mr.
Ethan, please stay behind.”
Professor Flitwick tapped the lectern with his wand and ended the class.
“I heard about your situation from Professor Fig.
You want to learn a few more defensive spells, yes?”
After all the students had left the classroom, Professor Flitwick glided down from the stack of books and walked toward Ethan at an unhurried pace, a kindly smile on his face.
“Yes, Professor.
Please be generous with your instruction.
Any useful spells you have, feel free to teach me.”
Ethan rubbed his hands together, looking every bit like an eager student who loved learning and could never get enough of it.
“All right, since you put it that way, I’ll give you a make-up lesson gift package.” Professor Flitwick waved his wand.
“Let’s start with the Summoning Charm, Accio.”
…
In the Charms classroom after class, the low voices of two people could be heard from time to time.
“Is it like this, Professor Flitwick?”
“That’s right, Mr.
Ethan.
You understand as soon as it’s explained.”
…
“Mr.
Ethan, that’s enough already.
Let’s stop here.”
“No problem, Professor.
I can still keep going.”
…
“We really must stop.
If you cast too many at once…”
“Don’t worry, Professor.
I still have plenty left.
In fact, that was only a warm-up for me.”
…
“Merlin’s beard!
This really can’t go on.
Your body won’t be able to take it…”
“Don’t underestimate me, Professor.”
…
Half an hour later.
Ethan walked out of the Charms classroom refreshed and satisfied, hitching up his trousers.
Inside the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick was waving his wand and calmly using magic to tidy up the mess, the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably.
“It’s been a long time since I got serious while teaching a student.
That really was satisfying.” He looked in the direction Ethan had left and murmured to himself, “I never expected him to be so gifted with Magic.
Professor Fig really found a treasure this time.”
“Achoo!”
Ethan sneezed for no reason in the corridor.
“Is some little fangirl thinking about me again?
Ah, this charm of mine that has nowhere to go.”
He rubbed his nose and ran down the Marble Staircase toward the Great Hall.
Food, food!
…
In the Great Hall, Ethan was focused on stuffing chopped steak into a Yorkshire pudding.
Directly across from him, Hermione was staring at him without blinking, her face practically spelling out envy.
“No matter how much you stare at me, Hermione, it won’t work.
I promised Professor Flitwick I absolutely wouldn’t use those Charms recklessly.”
Ethan said this without lifting his head, then stuffed the meat-filled Yorkshire pudding into his mouth whole and chewed heartily.
“It would just be a demonstration,” Hermione muttered under her breath, sounding deeply aggrieved.
Ethan swallowed the food in his mouth, crossed his arms, and made a firm “nope” gesture.
“Not even a demonstration.
Once there’s a first time, there’ll be a second and third.
It has to be strangled in the cradle before things develop beyond control.”
“Fine, fine.
If you don’t want to, then don’t.
Why make it sound so frightening?” Hermione viciously cut the bacon on her plate into small pieces to vent her frustration.
As usual, the owls poured into the hall, searching for their owners.
A tawny long-eared owl circled down beside Ethan, placed a letter next to his plate, then flapped its wings and flew away.
“That’s strange.
Who would be writing to me?” Ethan stroked Black Cat, which was baring its teeth and hissing threateningly at the long-eared owl, and looked rather puzzled.
“Could it be one of your fangirls?
After all, you are the brave and invincible Ethan who outwitted a Dark Wizard,” Fred teased from the side.
“I’ll know once I open it.” Ethan ignored the second half of Fred’s comment and opened the letter to read it.
Ethan:
I’m sorry this is so sudden, but I have to make a trip to the Ministry of Magic regarding George.
I’m afraid our trip to the Restricted Section will have to be postponed.
I’ll send you another owl once I return.
Professor Fig
Ethan’s face visibly darkened.
Wonderful.
He had just finished a side quest and was about to enter the main storyline, only for the quest NPC to run off.
“What’s wrong, Ethan?
Don’t tell me a fangirl really confessed to you?” Fred asked with perfunctory concern when he saw Ethan’s expression turn sour.
“Think bigger, Fred.
It might have been a fanboy,” George added with perfect timing.
“It’s nothing,” Ethan said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
“By the way, Fred, George.
I remember you saying before that you’d secretly slipped into the Restricted Section, right…”
Fred and George sprang up at once.
One clapped a hand over Ethan’s mouth, while the other hooked an arm around his neck.
They looked around warily and only breathed a sigh of relief after making sure there were no professors nearby.
“Why are you blurting out the truth like that?
You can’t say that here.” Fred panted, still shaken.
“Mmph, mmph…” Ethan forcefully pried George’s hand off his mouth and gasped for breath.
“Pah, pah, pah.
That reeks of fish.”
“Exactly.
If the professors hear us, we’ll be in serious trouble.
And it’ll be Gryffindor losing points!” George said.
“Oh-ho, so you have?” Ethan wiped his mouth and showed an expression that said everything was going according to plan.
“Relax.
I only want to ask you a few questions.”
“Lad, are you planning to make trouble?” Fred released Ethan’s neck and grinned wickedly.
“Then you’ve asked the right people.” George reached out a hand to Ethan.
“How can you call it making trouble?
This is called academic exchange.” Ethan shook George’s hand, smiled with shared understanding, and walked out of the Great Hall with his arms around the Weasley twins’ shoulders.
Well, since Professor Fig told me to wait until he returns, I can only wait.
But if I’m going to wait, it would be best to study seriously in the library for a while.
During that time, if I accidentally wander into the Restricted Section, then there’s nothing I can do about that… right?
All right, it’s time to start the main quest!