Chapter 34: Hufflepuff
Learning magic often seemed to rely more on innate talent than sheer effort. Wizards typically explained the Levitation Charm with a simple instruction: say the words, then "swish and flick." Any further explanation tended to become as murky as the bubbling contents of a cauldron. Even Professor Flitwick, an accomplished Charms Master, focused primarily on clear pronunciation and the ubiquitous "swish and flick."
After memorizing The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 cover to cover, Sean hadn't found a more detailed explanation. He had reason to suspect that Charms, like much of ancient magic, operated on principles closer to empirical craft than precise science.
And if it was based on experience and feel, then precision became elusive. For the "swish and flick," how long should the swish be? How sharp should the flick be? These were questions without easy answers, left for young witches and wizards to solve with their "talent."
Of course, Sean also suspected that truly gifted wizards likely never encountered these problems in the first place; they probably just succeeded.
This led to a frustrating paradox: the talented had no need for detailed explanations, and the untalented couldn't figure it out on their own, wasting precious time on fruitless trial and error. The problem remained unsolved, much like the subtle difficulties Sean faced in Potions.
Sean didn't believe magic could be entirely reduced to scientific principles, but the very existence of the Proficiency Panel proved one thing: there was a correct, optimal way to cast each spell, a method that made the magic flow more easily.
"Yes, your arm movement needs a wider arc during the swish," Sean explained patiently, sharing every insight he had gleaned about the Levitation Charm. "And the pronunciation—the main stress is on the 'GAR,' but there's a secondary stress on the 'di' right after…"
Inside the hidden room, lit only by the soft glow of their wands and Justin's lantern, Sean guided his friend's practice. When Justin meticulously followed his instructions, the feather, which had never stayed airborne for more than five seconds, wobbled unsteadily but remained aloft for a full ten.
"Merlin's beard! Sean, we did it!" Justin whispered excitedly, watching intently as the feather finally drifted back down. "Sean, that was all you. Thank you so much for helping me." His gratitude was earnest and heartfelt.
Sean simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"I think a slightly wider arc might be even better," Hermione interjected suddenly. She had been pretending to read but had clearly been observing them closely. "However… after the stress on 'di,' is there another stress on the 'Le' in 'Leviosa'?" Her tone still held its usual hint of bossiness, but neither boy paid it any mind.
"Mm, I think it should be stressed even more," Sean considered. "As for the arc… we could try, but…" He glanced at the feather, about to mention his depleted magical energy.
Before he could finish, Justin had already cast the spell again, incorporating both suggestions.
Are all Hufflepuffs this considerate? Sean wondered, momentarily surprised.
The three of them watched the feather intently. It wobbled, dipped, but stayed aloft for a full fifteen seconds.
The moment it touched the desk, Justin let out another excited whisper. "Wow! Hermione, your theory was spot on!"
Hermione lifted her chin, a faint blush colouring her cheeks, clearly pleased by the praise.
For the next hour, the three of them experimented enthusiastically, testing variations in wand movements and intonation. Sean's magic eventually recovered, allowing him to practice until he reached the 'Adept' level for the Levitation Charm, before his energy reserves were completely drained once more.
Time slipped away like fine sand. The magical lantern swayed gently as the three friends finally left the hidden room.
Sean felt satisfied; he had gained 45 proficiency points.
Hermione was also content; she had found in Sean a partner who could not only keep up with her theories but often surpass them, and in Justin, an eager (if occasionally magically exhausted) test subject.
Justin felt like he had discovered a whole new continent.
Evening had settled over Hogwarts, and the castle seemed to drift into slumber. At the end of the third-floor corridor, a section of the stone wall shimmered, revealing the yellowed, cracked painting of the snowy owl in its velvet waistcoat and pince-nez.
The owl was currently engaged in a very human-like, comically annoyed attempt to readjust its slipping spectacles with one fluffy talon.
"Wizards! Pesky little wizards!" it shrieked as Justin and Hermione emerged. But when Sean followed them out, the owl abruptly fell silent, muttering under its breath, "Wizard… clever little wizard…"
As they waited for the staircase to align, Hermione's voice mingled with the grinding sound of the moving steps. "I think we'll probably be using this room quite often. We should really tell a professor. I'm sure Professor Flitwick would approve of us practicing our Charms here."
"That's very thoughtful of you, Hermione! Trust you to think of that!" Justin exclaimed admiringly.
Hermione blushed slightly and glanced at Sean. After he gave a subtle nod of agreement, she quickly bid them goodnight and hurried off down the corridor, leaving Sean and Justin to walk together through the torchlit passages.
"Um, Sean," Justin began hesitantly, "I couldn't help but notice… you didn't even touch the Yorkshire pudding at dinner. Is… is everything alright with the Potion brewing?"
Sean stopped, surprised. How did he connect those two things so quickly? After a moment, he gave a slight nod.
"Was it Professor Snape?" Justin asked quietly. "I heard he never lets first-years brew potions on their own, though he's apparently quite lenient with some of the older Slytherins… I'm sure you didn't fail the brewing itself, so… do you need help? Professor Snape is terrifying, yes, but I've got enough courage to at least go and have a look in his office if you need me to."
Sean grew increasingly silent as Justin spoke. He looked up, meeting his friend's gaze. The little badger's eyes shone with a steady, gentle determination.
"Remember? We're friends," Justin said earnestly. "If you're in trouble and I don't try to help, then what kind of friends are we?"
Later that night, the pale blue curtains in the Ravenclaw dormitory swayed gently. The sound of the wind whistling past the windows was, as the prefect had promised, incredibly soothing. The fire crackled merrily in the hearth.
Sean remembered Justin's parting words: "Even if I'm scared, I can still face it… The prefect said there's no actual school rule against students brewing potions."
Ravenclaws only had one class on Fridays: Herbology. Sean had the entire day to wait for Professor Snape to vacate the dungeon.
He gazed out at the picturesque moonlit landscape, his thoughts swirling. Hogwarts, this ancient school of magic… Hufflepuff, that warm and welcoming house… They nurtured wizards with a quiet strength, students who might not always be the most brilliant or memorable, but who possessed qualities Helga Hufflepuff herself had deemed just as great: diligence, loyalty, patience, and fairness.
A complex mix of emotions stirred within him. His copy of Advanced Potion-Making lay open on the windowsill, its pages rustling softly in the breeze. The sound reminded him of the notes Justin had been studying in the library: [The prefect says Hufflepuffs are loyal and trustworthy. We don't pick fights, but we're not easily bullied. Like our badger emblem, we will defend ourselves, our friends, and our families from all threats. We fear nothing.]