Chapter 51: Golden Legend
"Excellent, Mr. Green! Circle a few more times, climb higher! Make your broomstick rise!"
Madam Hooch's eagle-like eyes instantly locked onto Shawn.
While she helped a young wizard who'd fallen from his broomstick stand safely on the ground, she continued with passionate instruction. Her enthusiasm was something the students had rarely seen before.
"Keep your body tilted forward, lift your legs slightly back, then raise your head!"
Shawn streaked across the sky like a meteor. His speed wasn't exceptionally fast, but his movements were fluid and practiced, like a Quidditch player who'd honed his techniques for years on the professional circuit.
The young Hufflepuffs, still practicing instinctively, looked up at that graceful eagle soaring overhead.
Then they looked back at their own disobedient broomsticks with obvious frustration.
Flying class ended quickly. Shawn descended to the grass with a pale face. Actually, his stamina had reached its limit quite rapidly, but each time his body grew tired, a faint warmth spread through him, sustaining him and letting him enjoy this hard-won freedom.
When he checked the panel, he paused for a moment:
[Name: Shawn Green]
[Title: Flying Apprentice]
[Slightly increases perception of broomstick magic, slightly improves Flying talent]
[Wizard Shawn, Flying Talent: Gold. Note: Average wizards are Green]
[Advancement: Entry-level Flying techniques unlock Entry-level title in the Flying domain]
[Evaluation: You are one in a million, a genius in the Flying domain. The broomstick in your hands is as obedient as a puppy. With your formidable willpower, you are destined to become the greatest Quidditch player of this century]
Gold... a golden legend?
Shawn held his breath.
Wait. Formidable willpower? What does that mean?
"All right, everyone can leave the pitch now," Madam Hooch said, sweeping her gaze across all the students. "Those reckless young wizards, I hope you remember the lesson from today!"
The young wizards nodded obediently. Some looked at Madam Hooch's askew robes and disheveled hair, while others blushed at their own embarrassing performances.
"Mr. Green, stay behind."
Shawn was suddenly called out while still lost in thought. He instinctively nodded.
"Oh, child." Madam Hooch walked over quickly once the others had left. "You have many questions, don't you?"
"Yes, Madam Hooch. I want to know. Does wizard willpower determine Flying talent?"
Shawn asked carefully, choosing his words.
"Smart little eagle, yes," Madam Hooch said. "Most wizards are simply riding their broomsticks, but for a small few..."
She suddenly raised her hand, and the broomstick instantly fell into her grip.
"They are commanding their broomsticks."
Leaving the pitch afterward, Shawn's mind replayed Madam Hooch's crisp words:
"If you carefully observe those Quidditch athletes, you'll notice most are tall and broad-shouldered. Some believe only large wizards can take the professional stage, but that's not entirely accurate. When wizards are stimulated, the magic within their bodies becomes more vital. This vitality is usually positive. It improves the wizard's physical constitution."
Madam Hooch had said this with clear intent, then patted Shawn's shoulder and left the pitch.
What could be more thrilling than riding a broomstick and flying through the sky?
Shawn thought about it. It was similar to how playing basketball can make you grow taller.
So Shawn had added one more thing to his list of tasks: practice flying. And maybe even improve his physical constitution.
Flying lessons and Quidditch were perennial topics among young wizards, and today a new genius joined their conversations.
"Shawn, they're saying you're a Quidditch Apprentice," Justin said, laughing at the absurdity. "But you'd never touched the magical world before this. Oh, I bet Ernie got knocked silly falling from his broomstick and forgot that detail."
In the Charms classroom, Michael somehow ended up sitting to Shawn's right.
"Shawn, if I became your student, could you teach me flying techniques? Master, I..."
"Broomsticks are driven by charms," Shawn interrupted Michael's excessive flattery. He spoke seriously, explaining his understanding. "When you perceive the various charms within a broomstick, you can use a tiny amount of magic to direct them."
Michael and the circle of young wizards around him, who'd been straining to listen, looked utterly lost after the second sentence. Their eyes gradually glazed over as if they'd heard an incomprehensible ancient text.
Michael and the others had at least prepared themselves with quills and parchment to take notes.
The other young wizards, after hearing "use magic even weaker than weak to guide the Turning Charm, use magic slightly stronger than weak to guide the Braking Charm," completely gave up trying to eavesdrop.
Only Michael continued taking notes while muttering: "Perceiving charms, guiding delicate magic... it sounds like mysterious alchemy."
This made Shawn's voice stop abruptly. Not only because Professor Flitwick had just entered the classroom, but also because Shawn's mind was racing with new thoughts.
If awakening magical power could improve a wizard's physical constitution, could physical frailty in turn hinder the awakening or nurturing of magical power?
Was the reason he found it so difficult to cast spells and brew potions because his magical power level was too low? Like Barty Crouch Jr. once said: "The Killing Curse requires a strong magical foundation. You weaklings wouldn't even give me a nosebleed."
Maybe Shawn was similar. He might lack the normal conditions for releasing magical power, which was why he needed better posture and a stronger mental state instead.
His talent was below average, not because of inherent weakness, but because his magical power level was so low that even strong willpower couldn't easily release it.
But what about Transfiguration?
Shawn theorized that wizard willpower was an equally important component of magic. Transfiguration, as the branch of magic that most embodied wizard willpower, placed willpower in a dominant position that transcended magical power level.
And Flying? It required almost no high magical power level at all. Only guidance.
Now that he understood his strengths, the most significant change was that Shawn became more determined about his plans, and it provided him with new directions.
"All right, all right, I know flying is an exciting thing," Professor Flitwick said. His voice had a magical quality that made young wizards listen respectfully and intently when he spoke, even Slytherins.
"If you haven't forgotten the techniques of the Levitation Charm, why don't you make the feather in front of you float as if you were riding a flying broomstick and turn twice?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Justin swung his wand and cast the spell.
The feather in front of him, as if to make up for his earlier flying disappointment, not only floated up quickly but also turned several beautiful circles.
"Mr. Finch-Fletchley, remarkable progress!" Everyone heard Professor Flitwick's high-pitched exclamation.