Professor Flitwick's office was right next door to the Charms classroom.
At Hogwarts, many classrooms and offices were set up this way, making it easy for professors to get to their classes without navigating the castle's ever-shifting staircases.
Lucien and Professor Flitwick stepped into the office after a short walk and settled on opposite sides of the desk.
A teapot floated up on its own, pouring steaming tea into their cups.
Lucien lifted his cup, blew away the steam, and took a sip.
Blimey, proper Fortnum & Mason tea—tastes absolutely spot-on.
With a wave of Flitwick's hand, the desk drawer popped open.
Tiny, delicate pocket cakes leapt out of a tin, hopping onto a pastry stand with little bounces.
Watching this display, Lucien recalled Cho's comment: Professor Flitwick's a real gem.
According to the older student, if a young witch or wizard came to him feeling down, he'd even make those little cakes do a cowboy dance to cheer them up.
No wonder Flitwick was so well-liked among students.
A brilliant scholar, a top-notch teacher, and someone who genuinely cared about his students—who wouldn't adore him?
"Mr. Grafton, what's the question you'd like to ask?" Flitwick said warmly.
Lucien's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he leaned forward earnestly.
"Professor, please, just call me Lucien," he said.
"It's about the Extension Charm. I've got some questions and could use your help sorting them out."
Lucien's question made Flitwick's eyebrows shoot up. He hadn't expected a first-year to dive straight into such an advanced spell.
Still, Flitwick responded gently, "Are you interested in learning the Extension Charm?"
To his surprise, Lucien shook his head.
"No, Professor, I've already got the basics of the Extension Charm down."
"What I want to know is how to layer other spells onto an object that's been charmed with it—like a Warming Charm, an Impervious Charm, or a Scouring Charm, those sorts of everyday spells."
"And also, how do you make an extended container hold living things?"
To save time and convince Flitwick he wasn't bluffing, Lucien grabbed an empty teacup while explaining.
He pulled out his wand and gave it a deft flick.
"Spatium Extendere!"
The inner walls of the teacup shimmered with intricate patterns, weaving and twisting before fading away.
Lucien set the cup down and used a Levitation Charm to guide the teapot, pouring water into it.
Flitwick's eyes were glued to the cup. The tea kept pouring, yet not a single drop spilled over the brim.
Only when the last drop fell from the teapot, rippling in the cup, did Flitwick snap out of it. He looked at Lucien, utterly gobsmacked.
The Extension Charm was something seventh-years tackled for their N.E.W.T.s, and even then, most struggled to master it.
Yet here was a first-year—after one day, no, one lesson—successfully casting it?
Who taught him this?
Sure, in Flitwick's expert opinion, Lucien's charm wasn't perfect; it could use some refining.
But he'd done it. Right there, in front of a Charms professor, he'd cast it properly!
When Flitwick stayed silent for a moment, Lucien ventured cautiously, "Professor, is it impossible to do what I'm thinking? Or is it against the rules?"
"If it's tricky, we can skip the question."
Lucien's words snapped Flitwick back to reality. He grabbed his tea, trying to calm his racing thoughts.
His hand trembled slightly as he lifted the cup.
"Oh, no, your idea is entirely feasible," Flitwick said quickly.
"Against the rules? Not at all. Studying magic at Hogwarts is never against the rules."
He downed his tea in one go, soothing his dry throat.
When he reached for the teapot again, he realized it was empty.
With an awkward wave, Flitwick summoned fresh tea leaves and hot water into the pot.
"Ahem, Lucien, your idea is brilliant," he said.
"And your talent… well, it's good."
Flitwick wanted to praise him more, but words felt inadequate, so he settled on a simple "good."
"Let's start with adding other charms to an extended object," he continued.
Wand in hand, Flitwick cast the Extension Charm on another empty teacup.
"Unlike stacking other spells, the Extension Charm involves spatial expansion…"
As Flitwick explained, Lucien practiced alongside him.
The more Flitwick taught, the more astonished he became.
Lucien's progress was staggering. He seemed to have already mastered several basic charms.
For spells he hadn't learned, Lucien only needed to see them once—sometimes without detailed explanations—and he'd nail them after a try or two.
With each cast, his proficiency skyrocketed.
From Lucien's perspective, his system panel was buzzing with updates:
[Loan: Impervious Charm Proficiency (Daily)]
[Task: Cast Impervious Charm 5 Times]
[Loan Completed]
[Loan: Scouring Charm Proficiency (Daily)]
[Task: Cast Scouring Charm 5 Times]
[Loan Completed]
[…]
[Loan Completed]
Daily loans had the lowest interest in the magical loan system, offering modest rewards to help Lucien quickly pick up new spells. The tasks were simple—just practice repeatedly.
Best of all, Lucien could choose which spells to focus on for daily loans, unlike weekly, monthly, or yearly loans, which were tailored to his needs but not always perfectly aligned.
With the basics out of the way, Flitwick moved on to the specifics of layering charms.
Here, Lucien's pace finally slowed.
He'd checked with the system about weekly or monthly loans for related knowledge, but they were too vague or barely touched on the topic.
Fair enough—the system wasn't all-powerful. Studying and practicing on his own was still essential.
Lucien made a mental note to hit the library later for advanced books.
Through their back-and-forth, Lucien eventually managed to layer basic charms.
On the demonstration teacup, already extended, he successfully added a Warming Charm, a Heating Charm, and an Impervious Charm.
What was once an ordinary teacup could now regulate the tea's temperature, keeping it pleasantly warm but not too hot, while insulating the cup so it wouldn't burn the hand.
In Lucien's old world, tech could easily replicate this.
But this teacup's effects were his own creation, built from scratch with magic.
It was like someone in that world hand-crafting a cutting-edge gadget from nothing.
This was the thrill only magic could offer—a tangible proof that knowledge was power.
A small teacup was just the start. In this magical world, Lucien would learn more, master more, and create more…