No one knew what Draco, whose face was still covered in feather debris, was thinking at that moment. But Professor Flitwick, standing on the podium, was certainly startled by the commotion.
He hadn't seen what Tom had just done, but he clearly witnessed Draco's entire action.
"Draco, I specifically emphasized that the standard gesture for the Levitation Charm is swish and flick, not smashing it down hard! Were you paying attention in class? Because of your recklessness and poor attitude toward learning, three points from Slytherin!"
"But Professor, that cat just did it that way!"
Draco tried to defend himself, his face full of grievance.
However, in Professor Flitwick's view, the excuses of a failure could never outweigh the results of success. His voice rose involuntarily, carrying clear displeasure:
"Mr. Malfoy, did your family only teach you to push your mistakes onto others? You say Tom did the same thing, yet he succeeded while you failed. If the object we were practicing with today wasn't a feather but something hard, you could have become the second Baruffio Wizard! Because of your dishonesty, two more points from Slytherin!"
"Uh… Professor Flitwick…"
Tom nervously raised his whiteboard to catch the professor's attention. On it, he had written:
"Draco was right. I did make the feather float that way."
As if fearing that Flitwick wouldn't believe him, Tom raised his wand again and smashed it heavily toward the feather. Under the eyes of Professor Flitwick and all the young wizards from both houses, the feather wobbled and floated into the air.
"Oh, Merlin's beard! That's not magic at all!"
Seeing this, Professor Flitwick's vision went black, and he nearly fainted on the spot. After taking several deep breaths, he managed to calm himself and cautiously approached Tom, meticulously checking the wand, the feather, and the desk. He had to admit a shocking fact: though he couldn't understand how Tom had performed the spell, the feather had indeed floated using the Levitation Charm.
If Tom had used wandless magic or silent casting, Flitwick might have grudgingly accepted it. But where was the technique this time? He saw clearly that Tom had merely swung the wand crudely, yet the feather floated. This scene shattered Flitwick's entire understanding of spellcasting.
He stood silently for almost half a minute, then looked at Tom with a mix of disbelief, awe, and confusion.
"Er… hmm… alright, that's… a very unique casting technique. I think there are some things I need to discuss with you privately. Please come to my office after class."
He then turned to Draco, who was still shocked and bewildered, his tone softening slightly:
"As for you, Draco, it seems I misunderstood you. But!"
His tone instantly became serious.
"This does not mean you can casually imitate this… unconventional method. I hope you now understand that learning spells requires following the proper steps. There is no such thing as achieving success overnight. Until you understand the principles, please strictly practice according to the standard procedures. The previous point deductions are canceled, but due to your recklessness, Slytherin will still lose one point as punishment. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Professor," Draco said. He opened his mouth, then simply nodded, though his glance toward Tom was complex—confusion, resentment, and a hint of curiosity. He didn't understand why Tom had defended him, especially since Draco had been planning to expose Tom's true nature. But he probably wouldn't get an answer anytime soon.
After giving his instructions, Professor Flitwick returned to the stage, still distracted. The previous sight had been too shocking, arguably overturning some of his most fundamental knowledge. Fortunately, the young wizards of Hufflepuff and Slytherin remained focused on their practice, though their eyes occasionally drifted toward Tom.
As for Tom, he couldn't maintain his composure any longer. He had only been at Hogwarts for two days, yet he had already been invited to "have tea" in two professors' offices! Wasn't that a bit too frequent?
More importantly, this situation was different from Potion Class. In Potions, though Tom's actions were unusual, no accidents had occurred. But this time, with Draco present—the victimized imitator—and Professor Flitwick questioning his life choices, Tom did not expect a pleasant conversation.
'(‧_‧;) No, I have to figure out a way to smooth things over.'
Tom's mind spun rapidly. Suddenly, he paused, narrowed his eyes, rubbed his hands together quickly, stretched his mouth into a grin reaching his ears, and let out a low, muffled chuckle.
That's right—he seemed to have figured out how to "cast normally"!
Although he still didn't fully understand the essence of spells or why wizards needed incantations, to Tom, this wasn't important. All he needed to know was: specific gesture + correct incantation = magic.
Gestures were easy for Tom, the conductor, and the only thing stopping him was the incantation step.
Although he could still perform magic using his "whatever-I-think-happens" method, in the Wizarding World, wouldn't it be a shame not to experience the feeling of authentic spellcasting?
After some contemplation, Tom finally thought of a method he could execute:
"wing-GAR! dee-um lev-ee-OH! sa"
What is casting based on? Speaking it. And speaking is a form of communication. Tom realized that his previous failure wasn't due to lack of power—it was simply the wrong communication method.
How did he communicate best? By writing. So, while others needed to speak the spell, he could express it accurately in text.
Tom took out his whiteboard, wrote the incantation, and swung his wand according to the standard gesture. The feather floated up again.
Unbeknownst to him, as his wand moved, his tail flicked a few times, and a feather on the desk of a young wizard behind him wobbled and floated as well. Poor student! He hadn't even cast the spell yet—was delayed activation a new magical trend?
Of course, Tom didn't notice. But Professor Flitwick did. From the moment Tom moved, Flitwick's gaze was locked on him, witnessing the incredible scene unfold.
The next moment, Professor Flitwick, whose worldview had completely collapsed, rolled his eyes and passed out.
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