Hogwarts' schedule is pretty light—first-years never have more than three classes a day.
On Thursdays, Ravenclaw has three different classes: Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration.
With a spell like Charms that gives instant positive feedback, it only took a few days after term started for the first-years to split into different paces. Most could cast Lumos, but only as a faint glow. Some were still hacking away—big wand swings, loud chanting—yet their wand tips stubbornly refused to light.
Sean, meanwhile, had already reached Adept with Lumos. His light was not only brighter than the others', but steadier too.
Learning magic generally follows a simple logic:
First, understanding. If you don't understand a spell, you can't use it. All else equal, the more spells you know, the stronger you are.
Second, once you know a spell, you have to practice until you're fluent. The more fluent your casting, the stronger you are.
There are plenty of examples—take next year's incoming Professor Gilderoy Lockhart: his specialty, the Memory Charm, can flip even powerful wizards who don't fear vampires, werewolves, or trolls.
So, relentless practice is the road toward magic's core.
After reaching Novice with Lumos, Sean clearly felt his grasp deepen: the stiff wand-work smoothed out; his pronunciation stopped being fuzzy and turned crisp and forceful.
He guessed that once his fluency crossed a threshold, he might not need to speak at all—just mouth the words in his head. The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 calls that the silent spellwork common to advanced wizards.
As for why it works, Magical Theory explains it clearly:
[Since incantations are specific words or phrases used to trigger or invoke magic, subvocalizing them is equally valid, which is why they can be used without audible speech.]
Professor Snape will touch on the same point in sixth-year DADA.
"Excellent! Excellent! Clear progress—many of you have learned Wand-Lighting. For those who've just managed it, uninterrupted practice is vital. But for a few of you…" Professor Flitwick's high, bright voice trailed off as he winked at Sean, Hermione, and a couple of others. "I'll teach you an additional spell ahead of schedule. Gather round, those who learned Lumos last time. As for the rest, don't rush—remember what I said: a firm pause in the wrist, and long for the light…"
He's easy to underestimate, but when Flitwick chants, there's no muddling it. Under his guidance, the handful performing best started on a new spell: the Levitation Charm.
By the end of class, with the professor's coaching, Sean's Levitation proficiency had climbed a full 30 points—to (34/300). Satisfied, he stepped into the long corridor; they had ten minutes to reach DADA. Not much time, so the group hurried—until they met an uninvited guest.
"A-ha! First-year brats!"
Just as they were about to open a door, a ghost shot out from behind it, making everyone jump. It jammed a wastebasket over Seamus's head.
"My head! Oh no—my eyes! Is it night already?!"
The ghost wasn't done. It yanked the rug from under their feet; even Michael went down. As he pushed himself up, something pinched his nose—yep, the ghost again—howling:
"Got your nose!"
Anthony and Terry flinched back, then forced themselves toward Michael. Sean moved fastest, shouting:
"Peeves! The Bloody Baron's coming!"
The ghost shrieked and shot away.
Sean and the other two hauled a shaken Michael up. The onlookers stared at Sean with frank admiration.
"Th-thanks, Sean—huge help. And you two…" Michael blushed, glanced around to make sure Peeves was gone, then scooted closer to Sean. "How'd you know Peeves is afraid of the Bloody Baron?"
"Gryffindor prefect Percy said so," Sean replied—truthfully. Percy had said it; how Sean knew was another matter.
On the moving staircase, the spooked first-years sped up. Only when torches flared along the corridor did everyone exhale.
"Peeves" is a very on-the-nose name: a screeching menace who loves to zoom along Hogwarts corridors pulling pranks. Though incorporeal and wall-slipping like a ghost, and just as translucent, he isn't actually a ghost.
Sean had learned that in The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection during DADA:
[At Hogwarts, Peeves is loud and obnoxious, but he is not a ghost—he is a poltergeist. A poltergeist is a form of psychic energy, not the imprint of the dead. Hogwarts' ghosts all acknowledge Peeves is not one of them. The prevailing theory is that poltergeists arise from subconscious forces—particularly those of the oppressed. Given the heavy pressures students have borne at Hogwarts for centuries, it is no surprise such a spirit should emerge.]
Sean mulled it over and read on:
[I advocate that first-years at minimum learn the following spells to meet the darker parts of magical power: Green Sparks; Red Sparks; Knockback Jinx; Smokescreen Spell; Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos).]
He memorized the first four. If he learned them, he'd likely secure an Outstanding in DADA. As for how—one look at Professor Quirrell, stuttering and mumbling, and Sean sighed and shelved the plan in his notebook for later.
Time to face the thing that thrilled him and worried him in equal measure:
Practicing potion brewing—down in the dungeon "forbidden zone" under Professor Snape's watch.
~~~
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