Vid originally thought that with proper guidance, most spells should be easy for them to master, but the truth turned out to be otherwise; the level of magical skill ultimately depends on one's innate talent.
Simple spells, like the Scouring Charm and Repairing Charm, didn't show much difference when they were performed. However, as the difficulty of spells increased, Theo began to struggle, having practiced the Levioso Spell more than a dozen times and still not quite getting it right; Leian and Michael were somewhat better, but their spells worked inconsistently; Hermione still succeeded on the first try, but found it difficult to levitate heavy objects.
Nonetheless, for students just starting at Magic School, successfully mastering even a simple spell was thrilling. During dinner time, as they walked toward the Great Hall, Michael was still boasting to Theo: "Did you see my final Repairing Charm? It was perfect! The chandelier on the ceiling immediately returned to its original state! I dare say it wasn't as bright when it was first hung up there!"
Meanwhile, Leian continued muttering incantations while waving his Magic Wand, silently practicing spells, when suddenly sparks shot out from the tip of his wand, nearly setting Hermione's hair on fire.
"Oh, please! Don't point the wand at people," Hermione said immediately, then asked, with a hint of enthusiasm, "What are you practicing?"
Her face seemed to be saying—come and ask me!
"Levicorpus," Leian said, his temper was good, and he could appreciate the little girl's seemingly overbearing attitude and desire to help, so he remained calm throughout.
Hermione said in surprise, "But you just succeeded!"
Leian shook his head: "I feel like my spell is still missing something."
The Great Hall arrived, the sumptuous dinner filled the air with a tempting aroma, and they all seemed to realize they were quite hungry.
Theo muttered, "Merlin! I think I can eat an entire cow right now!"
.........
The sense of accomplishment from mastering a spell is delightful, but the effort put in is exhausting. After dinner, Michael finally couldn't wait to break away from the study group and arranged to play a rolling stone game with Terry from the same dormitory. Hermione and the others each returned to their common rooms to do homework, while Vid took advantage of the library still being open to borrow two books he had eyed at noon.
In the afternoon, they had already cleaned up the practice room, placed the repaired tables and chairs alongside the walls, and used the empty cabinet beside them as a bookshelf. Vid turned on the lights, set down ink and quills. Outside the window came the sounds of young wizards cheering and laughing, while Vid opened a book, immersing himself in reading.
"Magic Theory"——[Arbitrarily altering the deepest secrets—the source of life, the essence of self—requires preparing to face the most extreme and dangerous consequences.]
"Analysis of the Operating Principles of Basic Spells"——[Magic is the manifestation of a wizard's will.]
Young wizards, whether to show off among their companions or to acquire powerful abilities, are often more easily attracted to cool and marvelous spells, willing to spend significant time practicing sophisticated spells, showing disdain for those hefty, awkward, and tedious theories. Even though "Magic Theory" is a first-year textbook, young wizards would prefer to learn two [Fire-roasted Spicy]evil spells than to read such dull books.
Vid is different, perhaps because in his previous life, his teacher repeatedly emphasized—understanding its nature, comprehending its principles, mastering its laws—in this way, one can jump out of ever-changing problem types, detach from rote memorization study methods, can score high without doing lots of questions, and handle novel question types smoothly; that is what high-efficient learning means.
To know the facts, and know why they are so.
This learning habit made Vid a "Study God" in the eyes of both teachers and classmates in his previous life—going to bed early, getting up early, no staying up late, yet there was still time to play ball games, play video games, and his grades remained among the top among classmates who worked extremely hard.
In this life, Vid kept the same habits, believing that regardless of whether it was science or Magic, whether there was a cheat or not, a solid foundation would significantly and noticeably help his studies.
......
Defense Against the Dark Arts Class was worse than imagined.
Vid had originally heard that Professor Quirrell was an extremely intelligent Ravenclaw, teaching Muggle Studies at Hogwarts just a year ago. Young and handsome, knowledgeable, well-liked by students. Vid thought that even if he now had Voldemort attached to the back of his head, his knowledge would remain intact, and his class should still hold some practical content.
But the reality was that Quirrell lectured verbatim from the textbooks, spoke incoherently, his voice muddled, and if you were a little far away, you couldn't hear clearly, whereas getting too close... his garlic odor was overwhelming, causing the nearby Slytherins to wear expressions of agony.
Putting yourself in his shoes, Vid could understand his state—anyone who has an extremely evil soul parasitizing on their head would have no heart for preparing lessons. But understanding doesn't mean accepting, so during the second Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, Vid sat furthest away to read in private.
......
"Transfiguration Technique is the most complex and dangerous spell you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone who messes around in my class will be expelled and never allowed back!"
In Transfiguration Class, Professor McGonagall sternly said. With a wave of her Magic Wand, she transformed the lecture table into a pig, and then back again, students all lit up with fascination.
"Transfiguration Technique is the most graceful magic, but to learn it, you need to first understand Gamp's Transfiguration Law... write it down, students! Don't just stand there gawking."
"—Before using a Transfiguration Spell, you must first clearly picture in your mind what you want the object to turn into—no distractions, chaotic thinking will definitely lead to failure, historical examples abounding…"
"It's crucial to wave the wand firmly and decisively… at the initial learning stage, the spell must be pronounced clearly, but skilled wizards can perform transfiguration without saying the spell…"
"Incomplete transfigurations aren't complex, but they're dangerous, especially in biological transformations. This involves three theories of transfiguration laws… if transfiguration fails, it could cause severe consequences, like the case of a French wizard several years ago… therefore, when transfiguration fails, it should be immediately ended and restored to its original state, the spell is [Reparo]. Now practice it with me—"
Vid filled at least thirteen inches of notes on parchment and practiced [Reparo] several times before Professor McGonagall allowed them to truly start practicing Transfiguration Technique. She handed each student a matchstick, instructing them to turn it into a needle, as some students loudly incanted spells, poking at their matchsticks, yet to no effect.
Vid didn't rush into action, a sentence from the book yesterday flashed through his mind—magic is the manifestation of a wizard's will.