Chapter 12: 12
Chapter 12: Cleaning Up
"You asked the professor?" Michael exclaimed. "After Snape's class, you still dare to approach a professor?"
Theo grinned. "Professor Sprout is different, she's quite friendly. And I figured it's better to seek permission than sneak around. Practicing spells isn't a bad thing."
"And did Professor Sprout provide us with a space?" Wade inquired.
"Yeah," Theo nodded. "An abandoned classroom. Professor Sprout said it should suit our needs."
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go see!" Michael chimed in, eager to leave the stifling library.
As Wade turned to leave, he glanced back.
In the vast library, Hermione sat alone, looking somewhat lonely.
Wade recalled that Hermione seemed to lack friends at this time.
"Wait a moment," he told the others. "I'll invite someone else."
He tapped twice on the table. Hermione looked up, and Wade smiled. "Hermione, we're about to practice spells. Would you like to join us?"
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"Hogwarts, the oldest wizarding school, once enrolled nearly all underage wizards in Europe. However, other schools emerged over time, and many wizards moved to the United States, sending their children to Ilvermorny."
As they climbed stairs, Theo panted. "So... Hogwarts can accommodate one or two thousand students and hundreds of professors, but currently only has a few hundred students. Many classrooms remain unused for safety reasons."
"Professor Sprout said this classroom hasn't been used for a while, but it should be spacious," Ryan added. "It's behind the portrait of Miss Claudia with the umbrella on the third floor."
They searched until finding the portrait near the west tower corridor.
——A gentle breeze swept over a flowery meadow. A blonde girl beneath a white and pink-flowered umbrella gazed into the distance with melancholy, then turned to face the group.
Ryan tapped the portrait's left side thrice with his wand, uttering the password: "Sunshine, golden daisy."
The girl moved aside, revealing an entrance. They entered one by one, the portrait closing behind them. The girl changed her umbrella's position, and rain began pouring in the painting.
The classroom had been abandoned for some time. Dust lay thick on the floor, tables and chairs scattered haphazardly, and old books and crumpled parchments littered the ground. Along one wall stood a row of empty, partly broken wooden shelves. In one corner, piles of spell practice targets lay, many also broken.
"Well, looks like we need to tidy up before we start," Hermione said, rolling up her sleeves. "Who's fetching water?"
"I'll do it!" Theo volunteered. "I'll find some cleaning tools first."
"Why not ask the house elves to help clean up?" Michael suggested lazily. "Hogwarts has them, you know."
Ryan was already picking up a fallen chair.
"Wait, everyone," Wade halted Theo, about to leave, and turned to the others. "Since we're here to practice spells, why not start by tidying up this classroom?"
"What? Seriously?" Michael stared at him incredulously.
"Clean and restore everything as it was—start with these two spells," Wade instructed Ryan. "Use Levitation for moving tables, chairs, and benches."
"Alright! It's a big job, but sounds like fun," Theo grinned.
Ryan pondered briefly, then returned the chair he'd lifted and waved his wand. "Tergeo!"
The table became somewhat cleaner, though dirt remained in the crevices.
"Wade, did you see that?" Wade blinked.
Ryan cast the spell again, but with limited effect.
This time, Wade was certain. He'd seen it clearly—a faint second arc overlaying Scourgify's, similar yet different, explaining why the spell hadn't worked as expected.
Like using gaming hacks to calculate optimal routes and attack angles.
"Ryan, when you cast, try this. Raise your wand a bit higher and finish with a cleaner flick," Wade demonstrated. "And lighten your pronunciation on Scourgify. Give it another go."
Ryan hesitated—perhaps because Hufflepuffs naturally trusted Ravenclaws' insight—but followed Wade's modified instructions. "Scourgify!"
The table gleamed, so clean even flies wouldn't alight, the floor below shining.
Wide-eyed, Ryan gazed at his wand, then at Wade. "How did you do that?"
The others gathered, Theo even touching the table repeatedly in amazement. "Ryan! I had no idea! You're a spell genius!"
"No—it's not me—" Ryan murmured, still stunned. He waved his wand again, less effectively this time.
Wade said nothing. He cast his own spell but saw no additional arc—like seeing others' names above their heads but not his own.
Yet guiding Ryan had clarified what was right, enabling Wade to perfect his spell, extending its cleaning range effortlessly.
If his "golden finger" had a name, Wade sensed it might be a "gifted tutor system"—perceiving whom to call by their names, gauging serious spellcasting versus perfunctory attempts, fine-tuning individual guidance to master spells swiftly.
Regrettably, the "golden finger" remained silent, its full potential unknown. Wade would explore its depths gradually.
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