When Professor Jason allowed the students to begin practicing, Ryan immediately drew his wand and began trying the spell as instructed.
"Expecto Patronum."
After chanting the incantation, Ryan saw no reaction. That was expected—after all, the Patronus Charm was considered an advanced-level spell. Being able to cast it successfully could even earn students extra credit during their fifth-year Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations (O.W.L.s).
Naturally, the chance of succeeding on the first try was quite slim. The two students standing next to Ryan weren't having much better luck. Professor Jason watched patiently and offered encouragement.
"You need happy memories in your heart," he explained, "and the determination to protect what is beautiful. In short, a deep well of positive emotion is required to release the spell."
Ryan began to recall the moment he obtained the golden finger and realized he had a way to return home. He also remembered the joy of having saved people in the past. With these memories in mind, he raised his wand again.
"Expecto Patronum."
This time, a puff of silvery smoke emitted from the tip of his wand.
By the end of class, Ryan had reached the point where he could steadily produce a thick cloud of silver mist. The other two students had progressed to a similar level.
"Very good," Professor Jason said with a satisfied smile. "Next Friday afternoon, I will bring in a Dementor. As long as you're able to block its attack using the Patronus Charm, that will suffice. Producing a corporeal Patronus takes much longer to learn, so I won't require that of you yet."
A real Dementor?
Ryan was stunned. That seemed rather extreme. When Lupin had taught Harry the spell, he had used a Boggart disguised as a Dementor—not the real thing. But here, they were going straight to the source.
Oddly enough, the other two students didn't seem surprised at all. After class, Ryan finally understood why, thanks to David's kind explanation.
Castrobrusho specialized in magical plants and creatures and made frequent use of a wide variety of magical beasts in their curriculum. Compared to the UK—where most magical creatures used in education were relatively safe—the creatures here in the Amazon were far more dangerous. For the students here, using a real Dementor as a teaching tool was entirely normal. Besides, with a professor standing by, safety was assured.
Reflecting on this, Ryan realized that wizarding education in Britain might be lacking in some respects. Perhaps that was the very reason they were here on an exchange program—to recognize their own shortcomings through comparison with other schools.
Everyone was exhausted after class, so they parted ways and went off to eat.
The next day was Saturday, and Ryan had planned to sleep in. As he lay deep in slumber, he was suddenly awakened by Hermione's voice. She stood fully dressed in his room, hands on hips.
"Come on! Just because we're not at Hogwarts doesn't mean we get to slack off on training every Saturday," she declared loudly, pulling open the curtains to let the sunlight flood in.
Ryan silently thanked the British habit of sleeping in pajamas. Otherwise, this would've been a lot more awkward. Rubbing his eyes and shielding himself from the bright sunlight, he asked groggily, "Hermione—this is my dormitory. How did you get in?"
"Don't you know? These carriages are like our school dormitories—girls are allowed into the boys' section. Legend has it that the school's founder believed girls were more trustworthy than boys," Hermione replied, raising an eyebrow.
"That's not fair," Ryan grumbled, then added, "Alright, alright. I'll get up and wash up. Just give me a moment."
After a quick wash, Ryan stepped into the wide corridor outside. Thanks to spatial folding magic, the hallway was more spacious than expected. Hermione was already waiting there, and the two decided to practice together in the corridor that morning.
Since this was their first practice session of the new school year, they began with a sparring match—both as a review of last year's skills and to assess their current levels. Naturally, Ryan made sure to limit his power, only using spells and abilities on par with Hermione's. Any other approach would've made the duel pointless.
Over time, Ryan had discovered that although Hermione wasn't a natural genius when it came to combat magic—Harry, for example, had cast the Cruciatus Curse at Bellatrix with such force she actually collapsed, even though he'd barely learned it—Hermione's intelligence and diligence had made her excel in many magical disciplines, including magical combat.
For example, although she relied solely on spells learned from textbooks, she still outperformed Daphne in combat class—despite Daphne having grown up with traditional magical training.
In today's sparring, Ryan noticed that Hermione had started to adapt to his unpredictable and unorthodox fighting style. Her recent practices had clearly paid off.
She was now able to read Ryan's movements and cast precise, targeted counterspells. In the past, Ryan could easily dodge her attacks. Now, he had to use defensive spells like Protego more frequently. At one point, as he shifted his footing, she conjured small glass beads beneath him, nearly causing him to lose balance.
Fortunately, Ryan's recent real-world combat experience in the wasteland gave him the edge. Had he still only been fighting zombies, as before, he might not have won this duel so easily.
After their intense match, the two sat down on the carpeted corridor, panting heavily. Hermione wiped sweat from her brow and sighed.
"I used to think magic battles were like those in books—two wizards waving their wands gracefully while magical flames exploded around them. I never expected it to be so exhausting. You have to move constantly, dodge, and stay alert the entire time."
"Maybe for someone like Dumbledore, it really is like that," Ryan replied. "But for people like us, who aren't yet capable of reading every magical detail or calculating the precise mana cost of incoming spells, it's a very different story. In actual combat, we need to rely on movement—dodging to avoid attacks and creating angles for counterattacks. No matter how powerful the Killing Curse is, if it doesn't hit, it's useless."
Ryan stood and retrieved a small pot of sugar-and-salt water he had prepared earlier. Pouring a cup, he handed it to Hermione.
"I feel like I've trained so hard already… yet I still can't beat you," she said, a little discouraged, after taking a sip.
"Well, I've just practiced longer," Ryan admitted. "It's not just about knowledge—it's about repetition and muscle memory. Without enough practice, even the most talented witch or wizard will struggle. But seriously, the fact that you're able to use such a wide variety of spells in combat is impressive. From what I've seen, most Hogwarts students don't do that. They stick to conventional dueling spells, which makes them less adaptable."
Hermione's face flushed a little at the compliment, her ears turning pink. Just as she was about to respond, there was a sudden knock at the glass window.
End of Chapter 154
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