Chapter 54: The Water-Conjuring Charm
The three-headed dog incident passed like a small interlude, leaving barely a ripple in Shawn's Hogwarts life.
It was Professor Flitwick's notes that proved most helpful. Though the content remained vague, clarity nested within that vagueness like hidden knowledge waiting to be discovered.
[Regarding the casting gesture for the Water-Conjuring Charm, it is typically described as an "upward-slanting arc." Miranda Goshawk in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, compared it to "the arc of water from a fountain statue," which is vivid and intuitive, making it quite suitable for beginners to visualize. However, in her later work, The Compendious Book of Charms, this description was corrected to "the natural arc created when water strikes stone." Regrettably, I have never heard Miss Goshawk publicly explain her specific reasons for the revision. Yet in actual casting results, the latter gesture does produce smoother magical flow and more stable effects. This has been verified multiple times in my teaching practice. Therefore, we might reasonably theorize that this change was not arbitrary, but rather based on a deeper understanding of charms.]
"I think I understand now," Shawn said.
Hogwarts' Saturday drowsiness had not yet touched this classroom guarded by Mr. Owl. Early in the morning, two small heads huddled together, diving deep into research among tables full of books.
In the corner of the books, three cups of honey lemon tea steamed gently, their wisps wrapping around two focused faces and blurring their features.
"Want to try?" Shawn stared at that description for a long time before turning to the young witch beside him.
"Of course. Aguamenti!"
Hermione swung her wand with confidence, the tip tracing a natural arc.
A thin stream of water erupted from Hermione's wand tip, finally striking the ground with a soft splash.
"Higher energy, more vitality... oh, what am I even saying?" Hermione tried to describe her feelings but found her words as unclear as the book's.
She sighed softly, her eyes turning toward Shawn, hoping he could understand.
"A larger arc, swinging the wand faster, yes?" Shawn first swept away the water with a Cleaning Charm, then described it precisely. Hermione's eyes grew brighter with each word.
"Aguamenti!"
[You practiced the Water-Conjuring Charm once at Apprentice standard, Proficiency +1]
[The Water-Conjuring Charm: Unlocked (27/30)]
[Summoning Charm: Unlocked (1/30)]
[Levitation Charm: Entry-level (200/900)]
In half a day, Shawn had pushed the Water-Conjuring Charm nearly to unlock. This owed much to Hermione's help. Miss Granger truly possessed natural talent in Charms; otherwise, she would never have been able to levitate a troll's club during the crisis on Halloween eve.
Shawn swept away the water puddles with a Cleaning Charm and, while not yet completely exhausted, pushed himself to practice several more times.
[You practiced the Water-Conjuring Charm once at Apprentice standard, Proficiency +1]
[You practiced the Water-Conjuring Charm once at Entry-level standard, Proficiency +3]
[The Water-Conjuring Charm: Unlocked]
Not particularly difficult.
But the taste of depleted stamina was unpleasant. Shawn felt as though he couldn't even lift his wand anymore.
He and the exhausted Hermione met eyes. Both sparkled with excitement as they learned a new spell.
"There's also the Summoning Charm. Professor Flitwick's notes mention: when wizards summon unknown objects, they don't need to know the specific name, but must know some property of the object. While not completely impossible to summon living things, most living creatures cannot be summoned, and those that can be hardly deserve summoning..."
Hermione rattled off a string of tangled words. Anyone else would have been completely lost.
But Shawn, who had pored over an entire notebook with Hermione by candlelight, understood the meaning perfectly.
Since the three-headed dog incident, Hermione had become obsessed with Charms study. Perhaps driven by the pressure of that crisis, she frequently discussed magic with Shawn.
As for Justin, something seemed to have happened between him and Harry. When Justin learned that Hermione had forced her way along, his anger visibly diminished.
Hermione now ignored Harry and Ron, but Justin had oddly changed his opinion of Harry: "Shawn, I think my initial impression of Harry was so different from the reality. When I spoke with him, he even apologized to me about Hermione. That expression couldn't be fake... We talked for a while, and I must say, if I'd encountered trouble like that Slytherin did, I'd struggle to stop myself from breaking school rules too."
Justin seemed reflective. "If this taught me anything, it's that I shouldn't judge before knowing the full picture. Mother was right about that."
Shawn nodded slowly, then left the classroom.
He was genuinely curious about Mrs. Finch-Fletchley. She must radiate light.
Left alone with Hermione, Justin performed a miracle: he left her a note.
[Sorry, Granger]
This was unexpected yet somehow inevitable.
In his first year, Harry had already displayed maturity and resilience. Raised in neglect and abuse by the Dursleys, he hadn't become twisted or cowardly. Instead, he had cultivated a quiet kindness and fierce hunger for justice.
Shawn was perhaps the first year who best understood this feeling. After all, they were both orphans.
If Shawn's character foundation was built on firm self-awareness that kept him from straying wrong, then Harry possessed pure resilience.
Harry was never a bad child, nor a complete ruffian. If forced to describe him, Shawn believed Harry was a war orphan who deserved some favor.
Those childhoods glossed over in brief passages in the original story were filled with sufficient darkness and dampness to stretch on for years.
So, Shawn didn't view Headmaster Dumbledore's summoning of Professor Quirrell to Hogwarts or the various dangerous traps on the fourth floor as something to complain about.
If Harry couldn't grow and Headmaster Dumbledore couldn't use this to eliminate a double agent, then who would deal with Voldemort?
The only precaution necessary was to stay as far away from Professor Quirrell as possible.
Thinking this, Shawn exhaled softly.
Warm wind ruffled his hair, making his emerald eyes shine brighter. After the rain, the grass steamed with misty vapor. A crisp scent of earth swept past, with the faint mustiness of oak stadium seats soaked by night dew lingering beneath.
Shawn found Madam Hooch tidying broomsticks here. He walked quickly over.
"Madam Hooch, may I practice flying broomsticks here? It won't be long."
Shawn asked with some formality.
"Oh, who did you think I was waiting for? Mr. Green, use this broom!"
Madam Hooch's eagle-like eyes swept over Shawn as she tossed him a reasonably intact Cleansweep Seven.
"Thank you."
Shawn mounted the broomstick nimbly. Whether it was imagination or not, he distinctly felt the exhaustion from practicing Charms dissipate somewhat.