"Thank you, Lady Grey." Shawn sincerely thanked her.
The confused young wizards behind saw the ghost float away and the staircase settle into place. Like a rising tide, they surged forward.
"Shawn, how did you do that?" Amid the discussion, Michael's voice sounded in Shawn's ear. Anthony and Terry also pricked up their ears.
"Hogwarts Castle was founded in the tenth century. The rotating staircases in the castle were designed by Lady Rowena Ravenclaw..." When Shawn said this, all three understood. But in that urgent situation, who could have thought of that! More importantly, asking a ghost for help—Michael had thought that was a joke the prefect made.
"But how did you know Lady Grey could definitely affect the rotating staircase?" Michael asked quietly.
"I didn't know, but trying is better than doing nothing." Shawn answered.
They still made it to the Charms classroom. The bell rang just as they entered. The young wizards all sat down with flushed faces.
The Charms classroom seating had distinctive design features. The very center was a corridor, with four rows of connected seats scattered on both sides. Shawn found the nearest seat and sat down. Beside him happened to be Hermione with her head buried in a book. There was no one beside her until Shawn sat down, followed by Michael, Terry, and Anthony.
"You almost were late." Hermione's head was buried in her book, her voice muffled. Shawn nodded and directed his gaze toward the pile of books at the end of the corridor.
The wizard teaching Charms was an extraordinarily short wizard, Professor Flitwick. He had just appeared from behind the first row of chairs and immediately attracted all the young wizards' attention. Everyone curiously looked at this professor, who was barely a meter tall, and his fluffy white hair and beard. They watched him turn around and step by step climb to the top of the book pile. Jaws dropped everywhere.
After he steadied himself, the young wizards couldn't help but laugh.
"Well, well, laughing isn't a bad thing, is it?" Professor Flitwick didn't seem to mind at all. He straightened his collar and continued in a relaxed voice, "Charms are skills every wizard should learn. If a wizard doesn't know charms, what qualification does he have to be called a wizard?"
As he spoke, he waved his wand. Without even hearing him speak an incantation, books flew up. They swayed with the direction of Professor Flitwick's wand, one moment becoming as large as desks, the next as small as fingernails. With a light wave from Professor Flitwick, they actually duplicated into dozens of copies, finally all transforming into various animals running and jumping. Hermione curiously looked at the rabbit that ran to the desk. With a "bang," all the animals turned into fireworks and disappeared.
"Cool!" "Wow!" Excited, surprised shouts came from the students below. Professor Flitwick nodded with a smile.
Charms class began in this excited momentum. Just as Shawn remembered, Professor Flitwick explained charms theory in simple, easy-to-understand terms. Then he began teaching the simplest spell—Lumos.
"The key to the Wand-Lighting Charm is in the wrist movement. The pause must be decisive..." Professor Flitwick's voice echoed through the classroom. Everyone tried their hardest, and most succeeded.
[You practiced the Lumos Charm once at Entry standard, Proficiency +3]
[You practiced the Lumos Charm once at Entry standard, Proficiency +3]
Light constantly flashed from Shawn's wand tip.
"Success!" After practicing three times, light flickered from Michael's wand tip. He excitedly turned his head and happened to see Terry's wand tip also emit light. As for Anthony, he seemed to have learned it beforehand—he succeeded on the first try. "All right." Michael pouted and went to find another young wizard.
"Shawn?"
[You practiced the Lumos Charm once at Entry standard, Proficiency +3]
"Shawn?"
[You practiced the Lumos Charm once at Proficient standard, Proficiency +10]
"Hm? Shawn, didn't you hear me?" Michael leaned over with his head tilted. But in Shawn's mind, only Professor Flitwick's voice remained—
"If you can never release the Wand-Lighting Charm, you should try one method. That is to imagine yourself in darkness, longing for light—ah, you long for light so much..."
"Longing..." Shawn murmured. He remembered the nights at the orphanage, rooms with power cut off early that didn't even have candlelight. At that time, London still harbored fugitives. Wind and snow beat against the drafty windows, making crackling sounds. Shawn lay on his sickbed. He wasn't afraid, but the longing for light was impossible to shake.
I have a wand now, Shawn thought.
"Lumos!"
[You practiced the Lumos Charm once at Master standard, Proficiency +300]
"Merlin's beard! Everyone look at Mr. Shawn Green!" Professor Flitwick excitedly ran down from the book pile. The entire classroom was enveloped in a sphere of soft light. The young wizards all held their breath, looking at that light orb at least ten times larger, and the young wizard holding his wand with hair glowing silver-white.
"Perfect Wand-Lighting Charm. I'm giving Ravenclaw ten points!" The young wizards heard Professor Flitwick say.
"Shawn, Shawn, how did you do it? Teach me; I really want to learn this." Michael chattered endlessly in his ear.
"It's emotion." Shawn said seriously. "Magical power is inherent to wizards themselves. Its strength depends on the wizard's emotions or mental strength."
"Emotion?" Michael repeated. Anthony, Terry, and Hermione eavesdropping behind also looked thoughtful.
In the moment they were dazed, Shawn had already turned into the Great Hall. Justin sat beside him as if equipped with radar. He could always find Shawn.
Shawn was curiously poking at steak and kidney pudding, wondering what kind of mentality British wizards had when inventing this dish. He ate while thinking.
Magical Theory emphasized mental strength and emotion numerous times. Such as: "When you've mastered magic, to truly unleash its maximum power, you still need sufficient mental strength." Such phrases appeared repeatedly in the book.
Shawn thought mental strength was probably a collective concept that included a wizard's mental level and emotions. Mental level was probably something like willpower. Emotions were not hard to understand. Adding the two together was the key to advancing "the power of I reckon."
Emotion's influence on magic was significant. This was probably magic's most idealistic aspect. Mrs. Molly Weasley, who had lost a child and had to protect another, was provoked by Bellatrix using Fred's death in the final battle. Mrs. Weasley furiously screamed: "NOT—MY—DAUGHTER—YOU—BITCH!" Then five silent spells instantly turned defeat to victory, taking down Bellatrix.
Harry at the Forbidden Forest lake, to protect Godfather Sirius's life, roared: "Ex—pec—to—Pa—tro—num!" The next moment displayed an extremely powerful Patronus Charm, driving away over a hundred Dementors.
These examples made Shawn realize that emotion's status in magic was incredibly powerful.
If the emotion for Lumos is longing, then what is it for the Scouring Charm? Thinking this way, Shawn subconsciously said goodbye to Justin and headed for the greenhouse.
Huh? Justin? Shawn looked back at Justin again.