NOVEL WEB Chapter 13: Something Useful
Aldric gave them a casual shrug but couldn't help noticing Hermione standing quietly off to the side, her eyes still red and puffy. She was clutching a paper bag, clearly upset. The grease stains soaking through the paper told Aldric it was food.
"Hey, Hermione! Did you bring this for me? Thanks a lot, I'm starving," Aldric said, wanting to ease her guilt over his detention.
Hermione handed him the bag, her voice trembling. "I saw you didn't finish your lunch. It's my fault you got detention." Her voice cracked, and tears welled up again.
Aldric quickly stepped closer. "It's okay, Hermione. We're friends, right? Malfoy came after me, but I dragged you into it.
Honestly, detention with Professor Flitwick isn't so bad. He's a Charms expert, I'd gladly be stuck in his office."
"Really? Don't lie to me," she sniffled, slowly calming down.
Aldric knew Hermione didn't have many friends among the Gryffindors, they often saw her as a rule-following bookworm.
"Of course not. You don't have to worry about anything. Remember, we're friends, right?"
Aldric opened the bag as his stomach rumbled. "Oh wow! Sausages and chicken legs, my favorites! Thanks so much, Hermione."
She looked down shyly, but Aldric hardly noticed. Harry and Ron only cared about how cool Aldric had been during the dining hall scuffle.
After saying goodbye to Harry and the others, Aldric headed straight to the Transfiguration classroom. That afternoon, Transfiguration was the only class, and Professor McGonagall didn't tolerate anyone showing up late.
Aldric knew his talent for Transfiguration wasn't nearly as strong as his skill in Charms, or maybe he just wasn't that interested in Transfiguration magic. Compared to offensive spells, Transfiguration felt way too complicated.
From the moment he started learning it, Aldric realized how tough it was to cast successfully. It required a clear understanding of the makeup of matter, basically, a solid grasp of physics and chemistry. That was a tall order for Aldric.
In both his past and current lives, he'd never really studied those subjects. The only chemistry he'd ever dabbled in was what his mentor taught him during his time as a cook, just enough to get by in Potions class, but nothing deeper about how matter really worked.
Still, that didn't mean Aldric's Transfiguration grades were bad. In fact, he did better than most first-years. A lack of formal knowledge in physics and chemistry was common among wizards, they had their own ways of understanding how things were made.
After class, Aldric returned to the Ravenclaw common room to keep studying emotion-based spellcasting techniques. He was especially proud of the Petrification Curse he'd cast earlier in the Great Hall, it was the strongest petrification spell he'd managed since learning the charm.
Using emotion in casting clearly made a difference, especially with spells like the Lumos. If a regular Lumos was like a phone's flashlight, then using emotional casting at full power was more like a flashbang, much brighter and more intense.
Actually, emotional casting wasn't some rare, advanced skill. Most wizards discovered it during their magical training.
The reason Aldric's older classmates hadn't told him about it wasn't that they didn't know it themselves, they just didn't really understand what it was. They thought it was all about hoping really hard for a spell to work, and when it did, they assumed that was all there was to it.
From that angle, Professor Flitwick truly earned his reputation as a Charms expert. He explained the principle behind the technique in the simplest way, making it easy for Aldric to grasp. Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was time for Aldric's detention with Flitwick.
Aldric felt a bit puzzled when Professor Flitwick said he wanted to teach him the Incendio. From what Aldric knew, the Incendio wasn't especially advanced or powerful.
Still, he didn't dwell on it and instead focused on staying in Flitwick's good graces. After all, the Ravenclaw head was a formidable duelist, considered to be on par with Snape.
Even though Flitwick's portrayal in the original story was often lighthearted and he was sometimes the joke among the staff, his title as dueling champion was no joke. Judging by Flitwick's unusual appearance, Aldric suspected he might have faced discrimination similar to what Muggle-born wizards endured, and he thought Flitwick would feel a sympathetic connection with him.
When Aldric entered Flitwick's office, the professor was sitting in a special high chair with ladder-like rungs to help him climb up, reading the latest issue of the Daily Prophet. "Aldric, you're here. Have a seat. I have some excellent tea, would you like to try some?" Flitwick greeted warmly.
When Aldric nodded, Flitwick waved his wand gently, and the teapot and teacup floated over, pouring a steaming cup of tea for him. After some casual conversation over tea, Flitwick got down to business Incendio.
Aldric had already tried the spell before. It wasn't hard to cast, and after a few attempts, he managed to produce the charm successfully. But the power was underwhelming; at best, the flames could light a cigarette.
When he demonstrated the spell to Flitwick, the professor didn't criticize him. Instead, he praised Aldric, saying that for a Muggle-born wizard, mastering even that level was impressive.
"The Incendio is simple yet practical. Don't underestimate it, Aldric," Flitwick said, pausing for a moment. "It's a very flexible charm that can take different forms depending on the caster's will."
As he spoke, Flitwick waved his wand and said, "Incendio!"
A fiery eagle shot out from the tip of his wand, its feathers alive and flickering as if made of living fire. It fluttered nimbly around the small office, skillfully dodging every obstacle before disappearing right in front of Aldric's eyes.
Aldric was stunned. He had never imagined magic could be wielded like this. Up until now, he had thought of magic simply: the wand was like a gun, the spell the bullet; casting a spell was like firing a gun, and the power depended solely on the caster's magical strength.
Flitwick's demonstration opened up a whole new world for Aldric. 'Could magic really be used like this? Curving through midair? '
Flitwick noticed Aldric's wide-eyed amazement and explained, "That kind of control is way beyond where you are right now. Honestly, it's also not very practical. Too flashy." He smiled at Aldric's country bumpkin look and said, "Come on, I'll show you something more useful."
Leading Aldric to a bookshelf in the corner, Flitwick gave his wand a flick, and the shelf slid open, revealing a hidden room inside. It was a spacious training chamber, with walls made from high-grade alchemical materials etched with ancient runes that protected them from spell damage.