Chapter 88: Charms
It's often said that the environment can shape a person, and the tale of Meng's mother moving three times is proof of that. At Hogwarts, surrounded by studious Ravenclaws immersed in their books in the common room, even Harry and Ron—who usually liked to copy homework—reluctantly sat down to study and work on their assignments.
Of course, their sudden diligence may also have been influenced by what happened earlier that morning in the Great Hall during breakfast.
"Over there, look!"
"Which way?"
"Next to the tall redhead."
"That's Weasley—the one with the Skywalker Gold Card!"
"The one wearing glasses?"
"Are you selling Weasley's gold card? I'll pay twenty Galleons!"
"Did you see his face? The scar?"
"Forget Potter for now. There's only one semester left. You block Weasley, I'll go get the money!"
The very next day, Harry, Ron, and Alexander left their dormitory for breakfast only to be followed by a chorus of whispers. Students had flocked to Filch's office on the first floor to apply for enchanted gadgets—bamboo dragonflies, horse bamboos, underwater snorkel kits.
Ron initially basked in the attention, but under constant pressure from students offering gold for his limited-edition card, he couldn't help but give away his Skywalker Gold Card multiple times. Students lined up outside classrooms, peering over one another's shoulders to catch a glimpse of Harry or block Ron's path, all hoping to negotiate a trade.
After breakfast, Harry and Ron fled straight back to the Ravenclaw common room, but even there, the Eagle Door presented a challenge. Thankfully, Alexander was with them. In fact, he had intentionally come along to act as a decoy and draw attention away from Harry. Without him, they might have had to wait outside until someone else came along to answer the riddle.
The Eagle Door's questions weren't overly difficult—usually philosophical in nature. As long as your logic was sound and your explanation reasonable, you'd be granted entrance.
That Monday morning, Penelope Clearwater kindly handed out class schedules to all the first-years. Unlike Gryffindor, whose first class was Transfiguration, Ravenclaw's first class was Charms.
Each lesson lasted two full hours, which made Alexander groan internally. Charms wasn't too bad—there was at least a 10- to 20-minute break halfway through. But Transfiguration and Potions? No breaks at all.
At 8:40 a.m., Alexander and the others followed a map provided by upper-year Ravenclaws and made their way to the Charms classroom on the fourth floor.
Even with the map and Hermione leading them, they barely made it by 9 a.m.
There were, after all, 142 staircases in Hogwarts.
Some were wide and grand.
Others were narrow, rickety, or moved unexpectedly.
Some led to different places on Fridays.
A step might vanish midway up the stairs unless you remembered to jump.
Then there were doors that only opened if you asked nicely—or prodded the right spot. Some weren't doors at all but disguised walls. And to make things even worse, the portraits on the walls liked to visit each other, while even the suits of armor could move, making navigation incredibly confusing.
To top it all off, you never knew when a ghost might burst out of a wall just as you were opening a door.
Thankfully, this being the first day of class, everyone had departed together from the common room. If they hadn't, many would've arrived late.
Charms class was attended exclusively by Ravenclaws. They didn't share it with Hufflepuff. Their professor, Filius Flitwick—also Head of Ravenclaw House—began with roll call. Unlike in the original timeline, he didn't shriek with excitement or topple over when he reached Harry's name. Perhaps he'd already been informed that this Harry Potter wasn't the same one from the well-known prophecy.
Professor Flitwick was surprisingly short, with a hint of goblin heritage. He lectured while standing atop a pile of books. Most of the class was dedicated to explaining the concept and uses of spells. Every so often, he would wave his wand and perform small tricks to capture the students' attention.
At around 10:20, he instructed everyone to take out their wands and learn their first spell: Lumos.
"Repeat after me—Lumos! Michael, please don't raise your wand just yet."
"The Wand-Lighting Charm is simple," Flitwick explained, "but it demands concentration. Be careful not to set your wand on fire—such damage is often irreversible."
"Now, remember its counter-spell: repeat after me—Nox!"
After some simple practice, most students successfully cast the spell. Flitwick strolled around the classroom, offering pointers. He paused near Neville, who was still struggling.
"Professor," Alexander offered, "I think it's more about Neville's wand. It seems to be inherited and hasn't recognized him yet. I can use a spell to temporarily bridge the connection."
He raised his wand and pointed gently at Neville's.
"Lumos!" Neville shouted again, and this time, the tip of his wand burst into light.
"Amazing! Mr. Smith, what did you do?" Flitwick asked, clearly impressed.
"My spell only works temporarily—it convinces the wand it's in its rightful owner's hand. Unicorn hair cores are notoriously loyal. Unless the wand's original owner formally gifts it to someone, it will resist being used by anyone else."
"Neville," Alexander turned kindly to him, "you'll need to buy a new wand—one that suits you."
"My grandmother—" Neville began hesitantly.
"I'll write to Mrs. Longbottom myself to explain," said Flitwick. He understood Neville's background well—and the Longbottoms weren't lacking in funds.
"Ravenclaw earns 10 points! Thank you, Mr. Smith, for helping everyone understand how important wand compatibility is."
"Now," Flitwick continued, "can anyone tell me the variations of the Lumos spell and their respective effects? Ms. Granger?"
Hermione's hand shot up.
"Lumos Maxima produces a much brighter light—like a flashlight. There's also Lumos Solem, which creates sunlight strong enough to harm creatures sensitive to it, like Devil's Snare!"
"Excellent. That's quite enough detail. Ravenclaw earns 3 points," Flitwick said, cutting her off before she could go on further.
"For homework, please write an essay on the theory and usage of Lumos, no less than seven inches in length. Class dismissed!"
By the time class ended, it was already 11 a.m., and students were starving. They hurried down to the Great Hall for lunch. There would be Herbology and Transfiguration later in the day.
"Alexander, look at my wand," Ron said, looking worried.
"There's nothing wrong with it," Alexander assured him. "It recognizes you, which is good. Still, I'd recommend eventually getting one that's truly yours."
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