Learning magic always relies more on talent than effort.
Wizards often describe the Levitation Charm as speaking the incantation, giving a flick and a shake of the wrist, and beyond that, explanations become as vague as the bubbling sound of a cauldron.
Even Professor Flitwick, when teaching young wizards, always emphasized clear pronunciation, followed by the familiar flick and shake.
After memorizing Standard Spells: Beginner, Sean still found no more detailed explanation.
He had reason to suspect that charms followed ancient rules, a kind of knowledge based on experience.
Since it was experience-based, precision was somewhat elusive:
For example, how far should the flick go? How wide should the shake be?
These questions were difficult to explain and could only be solved by the wizard's "talent."
Of course, Sean also suspected that wizards with enough talent didn't even face these problems;
they probably succeeded on their first try.
And that created a problem:
Talented wizards didn't worry, and untalented wizards couldn't solve it—
They wasted a lot of time practicing spells purely by chance.
In the end, these problems, like those Sean faced with potion brewing, were simply left unresolved.
Sean didn't think magic had much to do with science, but the increase in proficiency told him:
There was at least one way to cast spells more easily.
"Yes, the flick should be larger, and the pronunciation—the stress is on the 'g,' here's a small detail, the following 'di' is still stressed…"
In the classroom, a magical lantern illuminated a modest area.
Sean carefully guided Justin's practice, applying all his understanding of the Levitation Charm.
So when Justin followed his instructions precisely, the feather that had never floated for more than five seconds wobbled gently and stayed aloft for ten.
"Oh my god! Sean, we did it!"
Justin whispered excitedly, staring at the slowly descending feather.
"Sean, it's all because of you. Thank you for your help."
Justin expressed his gratitude sincerely and eagerly.
Sean nodded to acknowledge.
"I think the flick could be even bigger… but… after stressing the 'di,' is the 'Le' still stressed?"
Hermione, holding her book and hiding her face, had actually been observing for a while.
She finally spoke, her tone inevitably a bit arrogant, but the two others completely ignored it.
"Hmm, I think it should be more stressed. As for the flick… you can try, but…"
Sean glanced at the feather. He was about to mention that his magical energy hadn't fully recovered, but before he could finish, Justin's spell had already gone off.
Are Hufflepuffs really this meticulous?
Sean froze for a few seconds.
All three in the hidden room watched the feather float gracefully for fifteen seconds.
As it finally descended, Justin let out a low exclamation:
"Wow! Hermione, your guess was completely right!"
Hermione lifted her slightly reddened face, clearly pleased with the compliment.
For the rest of the time, the three excitedly conducted experiments, until Sean's magic recovered and he cast the Levitation Charm at a skilled level, only to exhaust his magical energy once again.
Time slipped through their fingers like sand.
The magical lantern swayed as the three walked out of the hidden room.
Sean was satisfied, gaining 45 proficiency points, and Hermione was satisfied as well—her whimsical ideas now had a like-minded, even "smarter" partner in Sean, and an experimenter in Justin who, despite pale exhaustion, still wanted to cast spells; Justin was satisfied too, feeling as if he had discovered a new continent.
By evening, Hogwarts Castle had already fallen into a dreamlike silence.
At the end of the third-floor corridor, a wall subtly shifted, revealing a yellowed, cracked oil painting.
It depicted a snow-white owl, wearing a velvet vest and small pince-nez glasses.
At that moment, it looked incredibly human-like—even slightly comically annoyed—as it struggled with one furry claw to adjust its precarious glasses.
"Little wizard! You pesky little wizard!"
After Justin and Hermione left the room, the owl first let out a sharp squawk.
But when Sean passed by, it suddenly stopped, muttering quietly:
"Little wizard, clever little wizard…"
As the staircase settled into place, Hermione's voice came through, mixed with the rumbling of the rotating stairs:
"I think we're going to be using this room a lot… so we should let the professor know. Professor Flitwick will surely agree to let us practice spells here."
Justin exclaimed appreciatively:
"Thoughtful as always, no wonder it's you, Hermione!"
Hermione's face flushed slightly. She glanced at Sean, and after he nodded, she quickly said goodbye and disappeared down the corridor, leaving only Sean and Justin walking along the warm, firelit hallway.
"Hmm, Sean, I wanted to say—you didn't even eat your Yorkshire pudding today… Was potion brewing not going so well?"
Justin spoke suddenly in a low voice, and Sean didn't immediately respond.
Could the two things really be connected so quickly?
He then nodded slightly.
"Was it Professor Snape? I heard he never allows first-year wizards to brew potions on their own, but he can be quite lenient with some upper-year Slytherins… I'm guessing you didn't fail, so do you want some help? Snape may be scary, but I still have the courage to go to his office."
Justin's words made Sean increasingly quiet. He looked up,
and in the little Hufflepuff's eyes shone a gentle but resolute light:
"Remember? We're friends. If you face a difficulty and I don't lend a hand, what kind of friends would we be?"
…
That night, the pale blue curtains swayed slightly, and the wind blowing past the window always made Sean feel calm.
The fireplace crackled and popped.
Sean recalled Justin's parting words:
"Even if I'm scared, I can tough it out… The prefect said Hogwarts doesn't have a rule forbidding first-year wizards from brewing potions."
Ravenclaw had only one Herbology class on Friday, so Sean had the entire day to wait for Professor Snape to leave the dungeons.
He gazed at the picturesque moonlight outside, his thoughts swirling:
Hogwarts, this magical school established over a thousand years ago,
Hufflepuff, this warm and wonderful house, The wizards they nurtured were full of vitality.
They might not stand out or always be remembered,
But, as Helga Hufflepuff said:
Diligence, loyalty, and kindness are equally great virtues.
A complex feeling lingered in Sean's heart. Advanced Potion-Making lay open on the windowsill, pages rustling.
The sound reminded Sean of seeing Justin's notes spread out in the library:
[The prefect said Hufflepuff is loyal and trustworthy. We may never quarrel with others, but we're not to be bullied. Like our house emblem, the badger, we will protect ourselves from anyone who is against us and help our friends and family. Nothing can make us afraid.]
---
If you can, support me on pa treon:
Pa treon. com/ RightTranslations (No spaces)
Up to 50 chapters ahead.
You can also support by leaving a review