Getting the little lions of Gryffindor to fall in love with studying...
Owen had given up on that idea years ago. Getting them to love studying for its own sake was impossible. But if he could dangle something interesting enough in front of them, hooking them was easy.
And the bait was powerful, flashy magic.
So, what should he teach them?
The Killing Curse would be the most effective. It had a powerful ability (instant death on impact) and cool visual effects (a blinding flash of green light).
If every little lion in Gryffindor mastered it, even if Voldemort returned, seeing a sea of wand tips glowing green might just make him wet his robes.
But no, that wouldn't work. The backlash from Unforgivable Curses was severe, and they were strictly regulated. If the Ministry of Magic found out, Hogwarts would turn into Azkaban overnight.
So...
"Everyone, for today's lesson, please put your books away..." Owen looked at the young wizards below, his expression blank. "Because the spell I'm teaching you today isn't in the textbook."
Sure enough, as soon as the words left his mouth, the students' eyes lit up!
"Protego!"
Seeing the translucent blue magical armor shimmering around Owen, the students gasped in awe. "Whoa!"
"Normally, this spell is invisible and colorless. But to let you see it more clearly, I added a bit of color..." Owen struck while the iron was hot. He didn't even need to tell them to take notes; the students automatically started scribbling down the pronunciation and wand movements.
"Of course, the most important point is this... you must genuinely believe in yourself."
Owen pocketed his short wand and smiled confidently. "Every professor, when teaching us a spell, ends by emphasizing determination and confidence. So where do determination and confidence come from? They come from our sense of self-worth! Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger—please come to the front."
The four young wizards walked up, looking confused. Owen wrapped an arm around Neville's neck. "Everyone knows Mr. Neville Longbottom. But what I suspect you don't know is that Neville is the descendant of heroes. His parents endured the torture of the Cruciatus Curse without ever betraying their comrades. Who among you could do the same?"
Gryffindor shared Charms class with Slytherin. The young snakes vividly remembered Owen's demonstration of the Cruciatus Curse's power. Suddenly... the way everyone looked at Neville changed.
"Mr. Potter..." Owen paused, his tone dropping. "We all know him as the Savior, the Boy Who Lived. But has anyone stopped to think that the day he became the Savior was the day he lost his parents' lives?"
The mood in the room instantly grew heavy.
"Miss Granger. Like me, she is Muggle-born. Yet she is incredibly studious. Before school even started, she memorized all the first-year textbooks. Everyone, who among you could do that? Many of your parents are wizards, yet how many of you even opened a book before term started?"
This time, it was mostly the Slytherins who lowered their heads in shame.
"And Mr. Weasley. A remarkably courageous individual. He is the only person to challenge me twice in a row, and the only person to be punished by me consecutively."
The red-headed boy didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Why did his introduction sound so different from the others?
"Neville, raise the wand your father left you. Shout 'I can do this!' at it as loud as you can, and then cast the spell!"
"I CAN DO THIS! Protego!"
Hummm!
A mist of white magical energy wrapped around Neville.
Owen clapped. "Fantastic! Five points to Gryffindor for Mr. Longbottom! By the way, this isn't a failure—it's the beginning of success. Once this mist solidifies, the spell will be complete!"
Owen turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter, raise your wand. Shout out your longing for your parents, and then cast the spell!"
"MOM, DAD, I MISS YOU! Protego!"
Similar to Neville, but the mist Harry summoned was slightly denser. This time, Owen didn't award points.
"Miss Granger, please raise your wand. Shout out that you are the most outstanding witch, and then cast the spell!"
"I AM THE BEST! Protego!"
Hermione's spell was nearly complete. Parts of the white mist around her were already turning transparent.
"Mr. Weasley, please raise your wand. Shout out that you are the bravest, most fearless wizard, and then cast the spell!"
"I AM THE BRAVEST! Protego!"
Unsurprisingly, Ron failed completely. Nothing happened.
Owen didn't say anything immediately. He asked them to return to their seats, then addressed the class. "Did you see that? Why did Neville, Harry, and Hermione succeed, but Mr. Weasley failed?"
Ron lowered his head, his face burning red. He was convinced Owen was publicly taking revenge on him. But then, Owen spoke again.
"It is because, of the four, only Mr. Weasley lacked confidence in himself!"
Huh?
Just because of that?
Ron looked up. His face was still red, but he agreed with Owen's words. Because deep down, he truly didn't believe he was brave.
"The foundation of magic comes from here..." Owen tapped his wand against his heart. "Everyone, please remember: when you wave your wand and speak the incantation, as long as you hold the conviction 'I! Can! Absolutely! Do! This!', you will generally succeed. Alright, class dismissed. No homework today, but I invite you to practice any spell after class to verify the truth of my words."
Class ended. At the door, the students split into two streams. There were no arguments; everyone was eager to go test the key lesson they had just learned.
Owen tidied up quickly, intending to head down to the dungeons for Potions. But as he flew down to the first floor, Fawkes suddenly appeared and slammed right into him, forcing him to stop.
"What's wrong?"
Owen reacted fast, catching the bird in his arms.
Chirp chirp!
Owen sighed. "Does the Headmaster not know I have class?"
Chirp chirp chirp chirp!
"Alright, fine. I get it. We... wait a second. I'll carry you while I fly. Don't move!"
Fawkes nestled obediently in the young wizard's arms, letting Owen fly him all the way to the Headmaster's office.