The Disillusionment Charm is unquestionably a spell for upper years.
So when Sean still decided to learn it, even Professor Flitwick was surprised.
His first thought was "sneaking out at night," but he immediately tossed that aside—Mr. Green's respect for rules was well known.
That left only one explanation.
"Oh, my boy," Professor Flitwick squinted with a smile, "I had the same idea back then—learning different combinations of spells to make myself a dueling master…"
Sean's intention was laid bare in an instant. He nodded, and Flitwick's grin widened.
"Dueling—how I miss it. But if you're going to learn Disillusionment, why not learn the Quieting Charm at the same time?" he said cheerfully.
The Quieting Charm appears in The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1 and reduces one's voice.
Sean instantly pictured how it would pair with Disillusionment—one to mute sound, one to mute sight.
"But first, let me see what you've learned so far," Flitwick said, clearly intrigued by Sean's spell choices. "Show me, Mr. Green."
Sean nodded and flicked his wand.
At the clear incantation, a robe in front of the wardrobe turned into a wild boar.
"In-depth intermediate Transfiguration—astonishing!" Flitwick's eyes shone. "I'm very glad you're using your talent in the right place," he added, a little meaningfully.
"Oh, and Disillusionment, and Finite…" Flitwick hopped down from the staffroom chair, visibly excited. "Wise choices—but why not do this?"
The professor's words left Sean a little at sea. He watched Flitwick wave his wand; a robe floated up and, above the wardrobe, became a shield that interposed itself before the professor—then, with another motion, became a spear.
"What do you see, Mr. Green?"
"A combination of Levitation and Transfiguration, Professor."
Sean felt as if he'd discovered a new continent. He immediately thought of the duel in the Ministry when Dumbledore conjured a glass shield to block the Killing Curse, then turned it to sand to strike Voldemort—advanced spell-combining.
But then he hesitated.
"Wizards can't cast two spells at once… can they?"
Flitwick's high voice carried keen intelligence. "As far as I know, powerful wizards can cast two spells simultaneously. Casting a spell requires three key elements: correct wand movement, accurate pronunciation, and highly focused intent. To cast two at once, a witch or wizard must split attention in two and channel magic for both spells simultaneously. It's a tremendous strain on the mind."
As he spoke, Flitwick turned the spear into a sword—and then, once it became a sword, set it circling around Sean. At that moment, Sean realized the professor had been sustaining two different pieces of magic all along.
His green eyes sparkled; Flitwick could read the hunger for knowledge in them without effort. He changed the sword back into a robe and let it fall into Sean's hands.
"So you must be wondering how to cast two spells at once—especially for a younger student. The answer, of course, is nonverbal magic—"
He had Sean perform a nonverbal Levitation Charm on the teapot on the table, then continued:
"If a wizard can cast nonverbally, then in theory he can speak one incantation while releasing a second spell nonverbally. Another, more practical pairing is to maintain a sustained magical effect, then cast an instantaneous spell—try Lumos, Mr. Green."
Sean kept the teapot hovering. He did notice that, after he'd raised it, the magic required to keep it up dropped significantly; with enough practice, he didn't need his full attention to maintain it.
"Lumos!"
Before the teapot hit the table, light bloomed at the tip of Sean's wand—then the sharp crack of shattering glass followed.
"Remarkable talent!" Flitwick applauded. "The key is to provide distinct guidance for two different streams of magic, Mr. Green."
Thoughtful, Sean felt the two currents—the Lumos current had tangled for a moment with the sustained one, and that's what made him fail.
"Practice, Mr. Green—sufficient practice." Flitwick winked and repaired the teapot.
Sean immediately realized his Lumos proficiency still wasn't high enough. He nodded quietly.
If he were proficient enough, could he use Levitation to snatch an opponent's wand, then follow instantly with a Knockback Jinx? Or Levitate a stone to distract and then cast the jinx? Or, like the professor, transfigure an object and then use Levitation to attack?
Compared to a student who could only cast one spell at a time, his combat power would jump considerably.
He didn't believe he could cast two spoken spells at once, nor maintain two sustained spells at the same time. Even Professor Flitwick only set the sword spinning after finishing the Transfiguration. In fifth year, Hermione once mentioned she couldn't keep Dobby under a Stunner and cast Disillusionment on Harry at the same time. The harder the magic, the less feasible it is to run two in parallel.
But even Levitation plus any other spell would be a significant boost in a fight.
And of course, against truly advanced magic, two spells together might still fail. But if Sean became proficient with two advanced spells?
As expected—there's no such thing as too much knowledge!
In the time that followed, Professor Flitwick carefully taught Sean the techniques of the Disillusionment Charm—a fifth-year spell that makes a person blend like a chameleon.
"Stand still," the professor said, smiling.
Sean stood quietly as Flitwick approached. The wand tapped his head, and Sean glanced up in curiosity.
A strange, cold sensation spread from the spot where the wand had touched, flowing over his whole body. He felt as if he'd been wrapped in an invisible film, like water sliding over his skin—until he became completely transparent.
He knew this had to be the Disillusionment Charm at its pinnacle—not only his colors merged with the background, even his outline and shadow were gone, as if he'd put on an Invisibility Cloak.