Capítulo 19: Chapter 19: Professor Flitwick's Most Perfect Lesson
When a new day arrived, Andrew still hadn't figured out who his roommate was.
Perhaps it was because they were too exhausted the previous day or for some other reason, but all the first-year students woke up late. After obtaining the answers for the day from the prefects, who were sporting dark circles under their eyes, the freshmen hurriedly washed up, changed clothes, grabbed their books, and rushed towards the dining hall. They hastily ate a few bites before heading to the classroom to begin their first day of lessons.
The first class was a big one—Charms.
Beyond its obvious importance, the professor teaching it was exceptionally authoritative: Filius Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw House.
This opening salvo was an impressive one. Despite the professor's small stature and lack of imposing demeanor, simply the title of Head of House was enough to command respect. Not to mention, his spellcasting was like art itself.
At the start of the first class, Professor Flitwick gave a casual wave of his wand. Books floated up, arranging themselves under his feet step by step as he moved, finally stacking up into a high tower of books that allowed the professor to stand elevated above his students, almost as if he was literally standing on top of knowledge.
"This wasn't just a simple Levitation Charm, nor a crude Summoning Charm… It was a composite spell combining the properties of various movement spells."
Andrew silently muttered to himself. It wasn't a simple spell—anyone with a bit of common sense could see it. It was like giving oneself countless agile arms to control at once.
"Charms… represent the controllability of all magic."
Professor Flitwick's voice echoed through the classroom. "I believe most of you have accidentally performed magic at some point, but in most of those instances, you could not repeat the miraculous effect that you had just produced."
As he spoke, chalk flew across the blackboard, writing rapidly.
"Charms are the most stable component of spellcasting. As the book says, clear incantations and precise wand movements allow for consistent results every time you cast a spell, preventing random and chaotic outcomes."
He looked at the students, a slight smile touching his lips, though he quickly suppressed it.
"Take, for instance, the Levitation Charm. Recently, due to certain reasons, this most basic of spells has been spreading widely among first-year students. I even heard the healers at St. Mungo's complaining the other day about the dangers of incorrect spellcasting."
This particular spell obviously grabbed everyone's attention—instantly straightening their attitudes.
"The Levitation Charm—Wingardium Leviosa."
With a perfect flick of his wand, the chalk on the podium floated into the air—not just one piece, but all of them. They scattered, each moving at different speeds as they ascended, spelling out the incantation in midair. Then, with a tap from the professor's wand, they clustered together and fell silently back into the chalk box, like feathers drifting down.
"Levitation isn't just about making something float."
Amid the astonished gazes of the students, Professor Flitwick continued, "In the early stages of practice, it's important to focus on levitating heavier and heavier objects, but maintaining stability and flexibility in the spell is just as important."
"Is that what they test at Ninth Level?"
One student couldn't help but blurt out, and in the otherwise quiet classroom, everyone heard it clearly.
However, Professor Flitwick did not get angry. Instead, he replied with a smile, "If all goes well, I think it might be."
"Wow!"
This time, everyone exclaimed in unison, and even Andrew joined in—if only to blend in. Though he felt like he could dig himself a tunnel just to escape from the embarrassment.
"Alright then, remember these principles and the basics of the spell."
As Professor Flitwick spoke, the chalk had already filled half the blackboard with information. Though it seemed overwhelming, it wasn't too complicated—mainly a detailed breakdown of wand movements and step-by-step pronunciation of each syllable.
After reiterating the content and guiding them through the incantation without using their wands several times, the meticulous professor finally decided to hand out the feathers, allowing them to start practicing.
It was hardly challenging.
Andrew even noticed someone who seemed more adept than himself—and he considered himself quite proficient at the spell already. But that person was moving the feather through the air as if manipulating it with an invisible string, making it dance with intricate flourishes!
This display was impressive enough that Professor Flitwick immediately awarded three points to Slytherin.
"A perfect demonstration of the spell—"
Professor Flitwick's voice carried a hint of delight. "Now, shall we try with two feathers?"
Handling two feathers was indeed more difficult, but the Slytherin student still managed to levitate them simultaneously and land them gently...
"Very good… You should continue to work on the Levitation Charm, five more points to Slytherin."
The class concluded perfectly. Since everyone successfully performed the spell, there was no essay assignment. They were merely instructed to continue practicing and preview the content for the next lesson.
—
Back in the faculty lounge, Professor Flitwick finally let out the smile he had been holding back throughout the lesson. A few professors who had no classes gathered around him, immediately inquiring what had happened.
"The most perfect class—probably the best one I've taught in years."
He told his colleagues, "All the students had pre-read the textbook, and they had practiced the spells excellently."
"Every single one of them mastered the Levitation Charm!"
"Professor Flitwick," said Professor Taylor, who was leafing through a newspaper, with a hint of mischief in his tone, "I imagine the next lesson won't be quite the same."
"Naturally," Professor Flitwick did not deny it in the slightest. "I dare say they've been practicing the Levitation Charm like mad ever since they read the story—but that doesn't matter. The techniques of Charms are transferable. Whether intentional or not, practicing one spell will help them in learning others."
"True enough," another professor chimed in. "If only Dumbledore had taken all the courses seriously, we'd be much less burdened now…"
The office atmosphere instantly turned joyful.
—
"In terms of classroom progress, I'm a bit ahead…"
"Let's see what the group meeting has in store, then I can consider a study plan in the library…"
After the lesson, Andrew practiced the Levitation Charm for a while and planned his schedule accordingly. "Also, I need to ask upperclassmen if there's a suitable empty classroom for practice—I reckon the group might have resources like that."
Joining a study group naturally meant learning how to ask the right questions from those who had been through it before—this was something he'd already considered before joining.
'I wonder what the new story will be turned into… Enough of that, I need to focus on studying magic!'
Capítulo 19: Chapter 19: Professor Flitwick's Most Perfect Lesson
When a new day arrived, Andrew still hadn't figured out who his roommate was.
Perhaps it was because they were too exhausted the previous day or for some other reason, but all the first-year students woke up late. After obtaining the answers for the day from the prefects, who were sporting dark circles under their eyes, the freshmen hurriedly washed up, changed clothes, grabbed their books, and rushed towards the dining hall. They hastily ate a few bites before heading to the classroom to begin their first day of lessons.
The first class was a big one—Charms.
Beyond its obvious importance, the professor teaching it was exceptionally authoritative: Filius Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw House.
This opening salvo was an impressive one. Despite the professor's small stature and lack of imposing demeanor, simply the title of Head of House was enough to command respect. Not to mention, his spellcasting was like art itself.
At the start of the first class, Professor Flitwick gave a casual wave of his wand. Books floated up, arranging themselves under his feet step by step as he moved, finally stacking up into a high tower of books that allowed the professor to stand elevated above his students, almost as if he was literally standing on top of knowledge.
"This wasn't just a simple Levitation Charm, nor a crude Summoning Charm… It was a composite spell combining the properties of various movement spells."
Andrew silently muttered to himself. It wasn't a simple spell—anyone with a bit of common sense could see it. It was like giving oneself countless agile arms to control at once.
"Charms… represent the controllability of all magic."
Professor Flitwick's voice echoed through the classroom. "I believe most of you have accidentally performed magic at some point, but in most of those instances, you could not repeat the miraculous effect that you had just produced."
As he spoke, chalk flew across the blackboard, writing rapidly.
"Charms are the most stable component of spellcasting. As the book says, clear incantations and precise wand movements allow for consistent results every time you cast a spell, preventing random and chaotic outcomes."
He looked at the students, a slight smile touching his lips, though he quickly suppressed it.
"Take, for instance, the Levitation Charm. Recently, due to certain reasons, this most basic of spells has been spreading widely among first-year students. I even heard the healers at St. Mungo's complaining the other day about the dangers of incorrect spellcasting."
This particular spell obviously grabbed everyone's attention—instantly straightening their attitudes.
"The Levitation Charm—Wingardium Leviosa."
With a perfect flick of his wand, the chalk on the podium floated into the air—not just one piece, but all of them. They scattered, each moving at different speeds as they ascended, spelling out the incantation in midair. Then, with a tap from the professor's wand, they clustered together and fell silently back into the chalk box, like feathers drifting down.
"Levitation isn't just about making something float."
Amid the astonished gazes of the students, Professor Flitwick continued, "In the early stages of practice, it's important to focus on levitating heavier and heavier objects, but maintaining stability and flexibility in the spell is just as important."
"Is that what they test at Ninth Level?"
One student couldn't help but blurt out, and in the otherwise quiet classroom, everyone heard it clearly.
However, Professor Flitwick did not get angry. Instead, he replied with a smile, "If all goes well, I think it might be."
"Wow!"
This time, everyone exclaimed in unison, and even Andrew joined in—if only to blend in. Though he felt like he could dig himself a tunnel just to escape from the embarrassment.
"Alright then, remember these principles and the basics of the spell."
As Professor Flitwick spoke, the chalk had already filled half the blackboard with information. Though it seemed overwhelming, it wasn't too complicated—mainly a detailed breakdown of wand movements and step-by-step pronunciation of each syllable.
After reiterating the content and guiding them through the incantation without using their wands several times, the meticulous professor finally decided to hand out the feathers, allowing them to start practicing.
It was hardly challenging.
Andrew even noticed someone who seemed more adept than himself—and he considered himself quite proficient at the spell already. But that person was moving the feather through the air as if manipulating it with an invisible string, making it dance with intricate flourishes!
This display was impressive enough that Professor Flitwick immediately awarded three points to Slytherin.
"A perfect demonstration of the spell—"
Professor Flitwick's voice carried a hint of delight. "Now, shall we try with two feathers?"
Handling two feathers was indeed more difficult, but the Slytherin student still managed to levitate them simultaneously and land them gently...
"Very good… You should continue to work on the Levitation Charm, five more points to Slytherin."
The class concluded perfectly. Since everyone successfully performed the spell, there was no essay assignment. They were merely instructed to continue practicing and preview the content for the next lesson.
—
Back in the faculty lounge, Professor Flitwick finally let out the smile he had been holding back throughout the lesson. A few professors who had no classes gathered around him, immediately inquiring what had happened.
"The most perfect class—probably the best one I've taught in years."
He told his colleagues, "All the students had pre-read the textbook, and they had practiced the spells excellently."
"Every single one of them mastered the Levitation Charm!"
"Professor Flitwick," said Professor Taylor, who was leafing through a newspaper, with a hint of mischief in his tone, "I imagine the next lesson won't be quite the same."
"Naturally," Professor Flitwick did not deny it in the slightest. "I dare say they've been practicing the Levitation Charm like mad ever since they read the story—but that doesn't matter. The techniques of Charms are transferable. Whether intentional or not, practicing one spell will help them in learning others."
"True enough," another professor chimed in. "If only Dumbledore had taken all the courses seriously, we'd be much less burdened now…"
The office atmosphere instantly turned joyful.
—
"In terms of classroom progress, I'm a bit ahead…"
"Let's see what the group meeting has in store, then I can consider a study plan in the library…"
After the lesson, Andrew practiced the Levitation Charm for a while and planned his schedule accordingly. "Also, I need to ask upperclassmen if there's a suitable empty classroom for practice—I reckon the group might have resources like that."
Joining a study group naturally meant learning how to ask the right questions from those who had been through it before—this was something he'd already considered before joining.
'I wonder what the new story will be turned into… Enough of that, I need to focus on studying magic!'
Andrew thought to himself.