Screechsnap is a vine-like plant with a knack for sensing its surroundings, letting out little squeaky noises.
Right now, it was clinging to Neville's seedling box, making faint squeaking sounds.
Maybe Neville had overdone it with the fertilizer, because the plants suddenly started wriggling uncomfortably in the box, sending Neville into a panic as he frantically flipped through Sean's notes. Even though they all pitched in at the greenhouse, Sean was the only one who wrote down every little detail.
Green's Notes were like gold to the young wizards, no matter the subject.
"Listen, everything you can think of is in there, and even stuff you haven't thought of is in there too. If you still don't get it, you're just not reading closely enough."
That saying had been making the rounds at the Gryffindor table lately, and oddly enough, not even the Slytherins had argued against it.
"Quietus!" Sean said sharply, waving his wand as Neville floundered.
The Screechsnap's noise died down to a faint squeak, just enough to remind Neville he'd gone overboard with the fertilizer.
[You practiced the Quietus Charm at a proficient level, +10 proficiency.]
[Quietus Charm: Beginner Level (700/900)]
Thinking back to the racket the Screechsnap made in the greenhouse, Sean figured the beginner-level Quietus Charm could cut about eighty percent of the sound.
It was a big step up from the apprentice level, and for quieter noises, it could pretty much silence them completely.
Of course, the effect of a charm at the same proficiency level wasn't always consistent. Magic was tied to the caster's state of mind, and a charm's strength depended on the wizard's mood and focus.
Harry's increasingly powerful Expelliarmus probably had a lot to say about that, and Tom Riddle would likely agree.
The classroom settled back into its usual rhythm. Hermione was coaching Neville on charms, and soon enough, Neville would help her tidy up the plants scattered across the desk.
With so many plants around, Neville had hung little tags on each one, labeled with Sean, Hermione, or Justin's names, along with the plants' growth timelines—though Neville was the one mostly looking after them.
Sean, meanwhile, would practice charms for hours on end, only stopping when Hogwarts' bells chimed.
[You practiced the Quietus Charm at a proficient level, +10 proficiency.]
[You practiced the Quietus Charm at a proficient level, +10 proficiency.]
…
[Quietus Charm: Proficient Level (10/3000)]
Satisfied, Sean tucked away his wand and flipped through Professor Flitwick's notes for a bit.
---
In the Great Hall, the ceiling was gray and misty, like rain was about to fall, but the room stayed dry and warm.
The four of them, fresh from the classroom, had gotten used to sitting at the back of the Ravenclaw table.
There was a massive fireplace here, built from huge, rough, honey-colored stones. Centuries of smoke and fire had coated them in a deep, glossy ebony sheen.
The Fat Friar sometimes floated through, heading toward the Gryffindor table.
It wasn't as rowdy as Gryffindor's table, nor as full of boasting as Slytherin's, and it didn't have the constant threat of a "food riot" like Hufflepuff's.
Ravenclaw's table had a certain aloofness to it.
But that wasn't why the four chose to sit here. It was purely because this spot had the best pudding selection—which always drew a certain Green.
Today, though, even the Ravenclaw table was buzzing with noise.
A crowd had gathered around the notice board, where a new announcement read:
[End of October, Halloween Eve: Students in third year and above may visit Hogsmeade Village for the weekend. Remember to bring a signed permission slip from your guardian.]
"First Hogsmeade weekend!" Fred spun around, high-fiving George. He pointed at the tattered notice board. "End of October. Halloween Eve."
"Brilliant!" George chimed in. "I've got to hit Zonko's Joke Shop—my Stink Pellets are running low."
"Third year…" a younger student muttered glumly, slumping into a nearby chair, all their excitement gone.
Their friend tried to cheer them up. "We'll go when we're in third year. But, wait, what's Hogsmeade?"
"You don't know? It's the only all-wizard village in Britain! They say the pub there was the headquarters for the 1612 Goblin Rebellion. And the Shrieking Shack—it's the most haunted house in the country!"
Of course, there were some who played it cool. "Everyone hypes up Hogsmeade, but I'm telling you, it's not that great," a Gryffindor said seriously. "My brother says the sweet shop's decent, but Zonko's can be risky. The Shrieking Shack's worth a look, though. Honestly, we're not missing much."
The Great Hall was alive with chatter about Hogsmeade. Even Justin and Hermione couldn't help joining in.
Sean, though, wasn't bothered. His mind was still on the Disillusionment Charm. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit, and his quill scratched furiously across his notebook.
He didn't notice the three wizards in yellow-and-black scarves watching him.
"So, Bruce, what's the plan?" Leon asked, already guessing but humoring Bruce's eager, hesitant expression.
"Oh, Leon, it's…" Bruce slung his arms around Leon and Pister's necks, whispering like he was plotting something huge.
---
Back in the classroom, "Disillusionment!" Sean's wand traced a wide arc before tapping his body.
[You practiced the Disillusionment Charm at an apprentice level, +1 proficiency.]
A strange, cool sensation spread from where the wand touched, flowing through his whole body.
Sean felt like he had in the staff room—like he was wrapped in an invisible film, turning transparent.
But it wasn't perfect. At the apprentice level, the Disillusionment Charm didn't make him fully invisible; there were still faint, barely noticeable ripples of light.
It was a far cry from the time Professor Flitwick cast it—when he'd blended perfectly into the background, his outline and shadow completely gone, like he was wearing an Invisibility Cloak.
Still, the Disillusionment Charm was a functional spell, and Sean figured the proficient level would be good enough for most uses.
What he hadn't expected was how much it felt like Harry using the Invisibility Cloak. When you felt like you were sneaking around at night, the charm just worked.
Of course, it still needed the right incantation and wand movement—emotions only sharpened the intent.
In the classroom, the Screechsnap had stopped writhing and was now swaying quietly with the cold breeze slipping through the window.
Sean's schedule shifted again. He needed to rethink which three charms he'd grind to expert level.