Chapter 28: The Poltergeist
The curriculum for first-years at Hogwarts was quite relaxed, with no more than three classes on any given day. On Thursdays, the Ravenclaws had Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration.
For a skill like Charms, which provided such immediate and positive feedback, the students had already shown vastly different rates of progress after only a few days. Most had managed to produce a faint glow with the Wand-Lighting Charm, but some were still waving their wands and shouting the incantation to no effect.
As for Sean, his proficiency with the charm had already reached the 'Adept' level. The light he produced was not only brighter than everyone else's, but also far more stable.
The logic of magical learning could be broken down into two simple principles.
First was knowledge. If you didn't know a spell, you couldn't use it. All other things being equal, the more spells a wizard knew, the more powerful they were.
Second was mastery. Once you knew a spell, you had to practice it relentlessly. The more proficient you were with a spell, the more powerful you became. There were countless examples of this. Gilderoy Lockhart, for instance, had specialized in a single Memory Charm so powerful it could bring down great witches and wizards who had faced vampires, werewolves, and trolls without fear.
Constant, dedicated practice was the only true path to the heart of magic.
Now that his Wand-Lighting Charm had reached the Novice level, Sean could feel a much deeper understanding of the spell. His previously rigid gestures had become fluid, and his pronunciation was no longer hesitant but clear and forceful. He suspected that once his proficiency reached a certain point, he would no longer need to speak the incantation aloud, but could simply cast it with a thought. The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 referred to this as non-verbal magic, a skill commonly used by advanced wizards.
As for the theory behind it, Magical Theory offered a clear explanation:
As an incantation is merely the specific word or phrase used to trigger or invoke a spell, a mental utterance is equally effective, allowing it to be cast without being spoken aloud.
This was the very principle Professor Snape would later teach in his sixth-year Defence Against the Dark Arts class.
"Excellent! Excellent! Remarkable progress. Many of you have successfully cast the Wand-Lighting Charm," Professor Flitwick chirped. "For those of you who have just learned it, continuous practice is key. But for a few of our little prodigies…"
He shot a wink at Sean, Hermione, and a few other students. "I will be teaching you another spell ahead of schedule. Come along, all of you who mastered the charm last time. As for the rest of you, don't worry! Remember my words: swish and flick, and long for the light…"
Professor Flitwick was easy to underestimate, but when it came to casting spells, he was all business. Under his expert tutelage, the small group of advanced students began to practice their next spell: the Levitation Charm.
By the end of the class, with the professor's direct guidance, Sean had increased his proficiency in the spell by a full 30 points, bringing his total to (34/300).
Satisfied, he walked out of the Charms classroom. The students had a ten-minute break to get to their Defence Against the Dark Arts class, and the corridors were filled with the sound of hurrying footsteps.
Their path was blocked by an unexpected guest.
"Ooooh, itty bitty firsties!"
As the students reached for a door, a spectral figure shot out from behind it, making everyone jump. With a cackle, he upended a wastepaper basket on Seamus Finnigan's head.
"My head!" Seamus cried. "No, my eyes! Has the sun gone out?"
The poltergeist's mischief was far from over. He yanked the rug out from under their feet, sending Michael sprawling. Before he could get up, the ghost zipped down, grabbed his nose, and shrieked, "GOT YOUR CONK!"
Anthony and Terry instinctively took a step back, then, gritting their teeth, moved forward to help their friend.
But Sean was faster. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Peeves! The Bloody Baron is coming!"
The poltergeist let out a terrified squeal and shot away, disappearing through a wall.
Sean and the others helped a shaken Michael to his feet. The surrounding students were all looking at Sean with expressions of pure admiration.
"Thanks, Sean," Michael said, his face red as he glanced around to make sure Peeves was truly gone. "That was a huge help. You too, guys." He sidled a little closer to Sean. "How did you know Peeves was afraid of the Bloody Baron?"
"Percy, the Gryffindor prefect, mentioned it," Sean said. It wasn't a lie. Percy had indeed said it. How Sean knew that Percy had said it was another matter entirely.
The shaken first-years hurried away, their footsteps quickening on the moving staircase.
Peeves was aptly named. He was a mischievous, chaotic spirit who delighted in causing trouble. But though he was translucent and could pass through walls like a ghost, he was not, in fact, a ghost.
Sean had learned this while reading The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection during Defence class.
Peeves, while a constant and noisy presence at Hogwarts, is not a ghost but a poltergeist. A poltergeist is not an imprint left by a departed soul, but rather a manifestation of psychic energy. The ghosts of Hogwarts all agree that Peeves is not one of them. Theorists generally agree that poltergeists are incorporeal entities created from subconscious acts, particularly those of the repressed. Given the considerable stress endured by Hogwarts students for a thousand years, it is hardly surprising that such an entity has come into being.
It was a fascinating explanation. Sean turned the page.
I advocate that, at a minimum, young wizards should learn the following spells to counter the darker aspects of the magical world:
• Green Sparks (Verdimillious)
• Red Sparks (Periculum)
• Knockback Jinx (Flipendo)
• Smokescreen Spell (Fumos)
• Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos)
Sean carefully committed the first four spells to memory. If he could learn them, he was certain he could achieve an 'Outstanding' in Defence Against the Dark Arts.
As for how he would learn them, he glanced at the front of the classroom, where Professor Quirrell was stammering his way through a lecture. He sighed and put the plan on hold in his notebook.
It was time to face the problem that both thrilled and terrified him: practicing Potion-brewing in the forbidden zone that was Professor Snape's dungeon.