Inside the Charms classroom.
As class time approached, more and more students filed in.
Ravenclaw, being the most studious house, had most of its little eagles waiting quietly—some pre-reading their textbooks, while others spoke only in low voices.
This time, Hufflepuff was taking the class with them. Seeing how quiet everyone else was, the little badgers refrained from making noise as well, sitting obediently in their seats, faces full of anticipation for Charms class.
At Hogwarts, classes were usually taught to two houses together.
The four houses were randomly paired, and students only learned which house they would be grouped with the day before or on the same day, through their timetables.
According to the school's official explanation, this was meant to promote connections among the four houses and encourage students to communicate more.
However, Lucien did not agree.
Each house had its own traits, and some were simply bound for conflict.
Yes, I'm talking about the Lions and the Snakes.
Their "communication" often took the form of verbal sparring, physical clashes, or—at best—the civilized method of pulling out their wands for a proper duel.
Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were better: one loved knowledge and the other loved peace, so their atmosphere was quite stable, and their relationships with the other houses were also good.
"Hoo-huff—"
With a slightly hurried gasp, Terry plopped down next to Lucien.
Lucien glanced at the clock; there were only ten minutes left until class.
Without needing to be asked, Terry lowered his voice and began speaking:
"Lucien, the stairs in this school are too strange! Some move at timed intervals, some require you to stand on them and jump three times before they move, some…"
"And also, isn't the school's alarm clock way too loud? When it went off, I sat straight up!"
Hearing Terry's complaint, Lucien turned his head away. "Perhaps the school is afraid students will be late for class."
Terry scratched his head.
"Is that so? Then the school really cares about its students?"
Ding-a-ling-a-ling—~
The class bell rang.
Professor Flitwick arrived in the classroom right on time.
The professor was short in stature, standing on a pile of books just to reach the podium.
He took out the roll and began calling names in his high-pitched voice.
After finishing the roll call, Flitwick began his introduction:
"You may already know me; I am Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House, and also your first-year Charms teacher. Charms is the most fundamental part of magic. Our course will primarily focus on common and practical spells.
For example, the Levitation Charm."
As he spoke, Flitwick drew his wand and pointed it. The entire podium rose smoothly into the air, so stable that not even the items on it wobbled.
"Or a simple Color-Changing Charm."
The podium instantly shifted from polished wood to a dazzling golden hue, immediately drawing the young wizards' attention.
"Alright, everyone, please take out your wands. Today we will be learning the Lighting Charm. It's not difficult; the incantation is Lumos."
Lucien softly chanted the incantation: "Lumos."
A soft, steady orb of light appeared at the tip of his wand.
This was one of the simplest charms, and Lucien had already mastered it, finding it effortless.
With a thought, Lucien adjusted the flow of his magic slightly.
The orb of light shifted from white to blue, then detached from the wand tip and circled around his head once.
"Mr. Grafton, well done!"
Noticing Lucien's spellcasting, Professor Flitwick quickly walked over.
"This is a variant application of the Lighting Charm. Three points to Ravenclaw!"
Seeing Lucien succeed, many young wizards worked even harder.
Terry, seated next to him, kept flicking his wand and chanting nonstop.
Lucien saw white light flare from Terry's wand tip—very bright, but gone in an instant.
The Lighting Charm was indeed simple and basic, but with control over magic output, it could serve other purposes.
For example, a sudden burst of brightness could blind an opponent.
Or, if the light orbs were made more persistent, brighter, and multiplied, they could disrupt an opponent's vision and create an opening to cast other spells—a strategy worth testing.
Lucien habitually let his thoughts wander. In his opinion, simple and basic spells actually had the most room for development and extension.
He noticed that the light orb Terry cast was bright enough, but its stability was lacking.
Lucien gently reminded him, "You can try imagining candlelight, keeping the wand movement within half a palm's distance, and the force like gently lifting an egg.
When chanting, don't go too fast; just say it at a normal speaking pace."
Following Lucien's advice, Terry carefully tried again.
"I did it!"
Terry's light orb no longer flickered and was even brighter and more stable than those cast by other first-years.
"Thank you, Lucien, you were spot on!"
Terry was excited, happily waving his wand—until he noticed Professor Flitwick watching, and quickly pulled it back awkwardly.
Seeing Terry succeed, the young wizards around him also followed Lucien's method, and one by one, they released their own orbs of light.
Suddenly, that area became the brightest spot in the classroom.
Professor Flitwick, standing not far away, watched the scene with satisfaction.
His previous conversation with Professor McGonagall had already made Flitwick pay attention to Lucien, this talented young wizard.
When Lucien used the variant Lighting Charm, it was within Flitwick's expectations.
But when he heard Lucien giving clear and detailed guidance to his classmates, genuine surprise appeared in Flitwick's eyes.
A good way to judge whether someone has truly mastered knowledge is to see if they can explain it clearly to others.
And Lucien had done exactly that—and done it very well.
Flitwick had seen many students who could be called geniuses, but most of them shared a common flaw:
They could quickly master a spell themselves, but they couldn't explain how they did it.
For most wizards, simply being able to cast a spell was enough.
But Flitwick was a teacher, a master of Charms, and he firmly believed that whether magic was simple or complex, every spell had reproducible, detailed steps.
The ability to break down a skill into its most basic components and teach them to others—that was the mark of a true teacher.
Lucien not only mastered magic himself, but also meticulously analyzed it and patiently taught his classmates.
In Flitwick's view, this was a truly gifted student.
He couldn't help but sigh, "Perhaps Lucien would also be quite suitable to be a teacher."
Finally, the first Charms class ended successfully.
Of course, Professor Flitwick did not forget to award Ravenclaw two more points, citing Lucien's help to his classmates.
As the other young wizards poured out of the classroom, Lucien walked up to the podium.
"Professor Flitwick, I have some questions about Charms. May I consult you?"
Flitwick smiled.
"Oh, of course, no problem. Do you have class next?"
"No, Professor."
Flitwick hopped down from the pile of books and beckoned to Lucien.
"Then let's go chat in my office."