This is What Ravenclaw Looks Like

"Huff... huff..."

By the edge of the Black Lake, Andrew slowed his running pace to a brisk walk, glancing at the dense crowd gathering by the water and shaking his head.

It was already November—shouldn't this be the time of year when everyone's staying in bed?

Why were these people even more energetic than him?

Since the school hadn't issued any official denial, the Legend of Magic magazine continued to be wildly popular at Hogwarts, with each new issue reigniting the hype.

While Andrew had been diligently practicing Transfiguration, other students hadn't been idle either. Empty classrooms were constantly swarmed by waves of students, and even the portraits were utterly exasperated by the endlessly energetic first-years.

Even the castle's ghosts were rarely seen anymore, but after the latest issue of the magazine was released, they were finally spared—for rumors had started circulating from who-knows-where. The stories varied wildly, but they all pointed in one direction: the mysterious Black Lake.

Some said Slytherin's legacy was hidden there. Others claimed battle remnants lay beneath the surface. There were even rumors that Dumbledore's extracted memories were buried at the bottom of the lake. This led to the area being bustling from morning to night in recent days.

Naturally, Andrew had no intention of exploring the lake. Whether there was anything down there or not, it made far more sense to focus on his Transfiguration practice.

But there was something he envied—many of the upper-year students crowding around the lake wore transparent bubbles over their heads. With that, plus various methods of staying warm, they could dive straight into the lake in search of possible treasure.

"I think I've heard of a spell like that…"

Watching those diving into the water, Andrew made up his mind: it was time to seek some upper-year spell "borrowing." A spell this widely circulated couldn't possibly be a well-guarded secret.

++++++

"Ah, you mean the Bubble-Head Charm?"

When Andrew approached a recently dismissed upper-year student, the older student looked at him in surprise.

"What do you want that spell for? You're not one of those people who believe all those stories, are you?"

"Not really. I just think it might have some uses."

"Well… maybe it's good for blocking stuff splashed at you by angry shopkeepers or something."

The student shrugged. "I don't know how to cast it myself, but hold on—I know someone who's researched that spell."

About five or six minutes later, Andrew finally gained a rough understanding of the Bubble-Head Charm.

It wasn't considered a very practical spell. Its effect was to create a transparent dome over the caster's head, allowing a wizard to function in areas with poor air quality.

Because it lacked strong defense, offensive capabilities, or curse effects—and because its applications were limited—it usually faded out of use among students within a few days. The last time it trended was when Peeves was throwing stuff around and people needed to shield their faces.

"Some adventurers study it occasionally—but compared to this spell, Human Transfiguration is actually more useful in harsh environments. And there are potions that do the job better. A few smugglers have improved the spell, but naturally, they're not going to share their secrets."

The student gave Andrew a brief summary and handed him a piece of parchment with the incantation and wand movements.

"It's technically a higher-year spell, but if you want to study it, go ahead. By the time you're able to use it, I'll probably have graduated…"

++++

"This is a totally different style…"

Andrew looked at the spell notes. It was shockingly simple—not the incantation itself, but the explanation.

Unlike the lower-year textbooks that broke every spell down in great detail, this Bubble-Head Charm assumed the caster already had substantial magical knowledge. It expected you to understand wand casting, spell maintenance, and other techniques.

To put it in more "game-like" terms, using this spell required:

Charms Foundation Lv. 9

Wand Gestures Lv. 7

Spell Maintenance Specialization

Spell Materialization Lv. 5...

And all those pre-requisites had to have been gradually internalized through previous study. Only by turning those basics into instinct and habit could a wizard cast this seemingly "simple" spell with just an incantation and wand movement.

"This isn't a spell a lower-year could master… No—if someone were willing to dissect it the same way we do with beginner spells, then maybe it's not that difficult…"

"But who would ever classify this as a foundational spell? Like that upper-year said, it's neither representative nor does it lead to advanced branches…"

Andrew rolled his eyes—Professor Flitwick would definitely say no. With so many students sneaking off to the Black Lake lately, there was no way he'd teach a spell that would only fan the flames of mischief.

And studying it on his own was basically a lost cause. He had worked hard on Charms, sure, but he was only slightly above average among first-years—not top tier. Doing magical research was way out of his league.

"But I still really want to learn it… Just being able to dive underwater would be amazing… and it would greatly boost survival chances in extreme conditions…"

He was very familiar with these kinds of classic life-preserving techniques. If he could master it over time, it would definitely be worth the effort.

"And if I learned it, I'd never have to worry when diving in to save someone…"

Sighing, he pushed aside the memories rising in his mind and started thinking quickly.

"Trying to learn the Bubble-Head Charm outright is too hard, but if I solve it using knowledge I already have…"

His best area right now was Transfiguration."The essence of the Bubble-Head Charm is summoning a bubble that covers your head… and it has to be very durable…"

"So why not conjure a transparent dome, like glass, that fits snugly…?"

"But the tricky part is, the charm doesn't just provide visible air. From what I've heard, it can sustain a person through a full round trip to the bottom of the Black Lake…"

"So does it compress air? That doesn't sound right. Or maybe it filters air?"

"If it's compression, maybe I could attempt air Transfiguration? No… it would need multiple transformations… or maybe I could find a way to prevent the gradual failure of the Bubble-Head Charm by reverting it to air?"

"If it's filtration… that's a lot tougher…"

"But where can I find someone willing to help research the spell's exact effects?"

"I can't ask Professor McGonagall—she definitely wouldn't approve of me spending time on unauthorized Black Lake activities."

"Wait—got it!"

A memory popped into his mind—someone had recently paid others to research in the library.

While it might be hard to find a friend to help, there was a way to persuade others efficiently and willingly.

"Ah… let's make poor Dumbledore suffer a bit… then I'll have a way forward…"

T/N: For twenty chapters ahead on all my fics become a P@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle