James woke to find sunlight streaming through his windows, far brighter than the predawn dimness he was accustomed to. He blinked, disoriented, and checked his watch.
Nearly eleven in the morning.
He'd overslept by six hours. Six hours he could have spent practicing, researching, exploring. But his body had apparently decided that reading fifteen architectural texts in one night required more than his usual five hours of sleep.
James climbed down from his bed, stretching muscles that protested after hours of sitting hunched over books. His eyes felt gritty, and his back was stiff. The price of obsessive research.
He grabbed his toiletries and made his way to the bathroom. A hot shower helped clear the fog from his mind, and by the time he'd changed into his usual weekend clothes, dark jeans, a comfortable shirt, and a warm jumper against the castle's perpetual chill, he felt almost human again.
Back in his room, James settled at his desk and pulled the mist bowl closer. He'd been working on this project for some time, and last night, after finishing the architectural texts, he'd finally managed to perfect it.
The bowl itself was simple ceramic, transfigured with clean lines and a subtle pattern. But the magic layered onto it was anything but simple. Water placed in the bowl levitated in a swirling dance of liquid and mist, forming ethereal clouds that hovered and shifted like captured weather.
It was beautiful. Almost hypnotic to watch.
James had used four different charms, all anchored with the Aetherial Anchor Charm, carefully layered so they wouldn't interfere with each other. A levitation charm for the basic lift. A water manipulation charm to create the mist effect. A containment barrier to prevent the vapor from drifting away. And a circulation charm to make the mist swirl in mesmerizing patterns.
Instead of using brute force to contain the mist, James had learned to work with the natural flow of the magic, guiding it rather than fighting it. The result was far more stable than his earlier attempts.
With this completed, James had officially mastered every spell in the first through sixth-year Charms curriculum. The seventh-year material was close, he'd practiced most of the spells and could perform them with varying degrees of success, but full mastery would take a few more days of dedicated work.
It was later than his goal of completing all seven years by the end of the first week, but he'd gotten sidetracked. First with the Ravenclaw common room rune puzzle, then with the mysterious detection-proof walls, and now with magical architecture research.
James leaned back in his chair, acknowledging a truth about himself that his adult mind should have recognized earlier: despite his decades of mental maturity and his eidetic memory, he couldn't resist a good mystery. Once something more interesting appeared, staying focused on his original goal became almost impossible.
It hadn't been an issue in the Muggle world. His academic pursuits there had followed a logical progression, each step building on the last and nothing particularly had drawn his interest as magic appears to do so. But now, surrounded by magic and mysteries, he found himself constantly drawn from one fascinating topic to another.
The rune puzzle. The lack of wall enchantments. Ancient magic spells. Spatial compression. Time magic was lurking in his awareness too, another branch of magic that threatened to consume his attention if he let it but he will wait until he manages to get a time turner before delving in that particular field.
There were so many branches of magic, and he wanted to explore them all. It was making his life more complicated than necessary.
He'd missed breakfast entirely, but lunch would begin soon. Before that, though, he wanted to speak with Professor Flitwick.
James carefully lifted the mist bowl and placed it in his backpack. He'd added protective spells to the bag over the past week, strengthening it enough that fragile items could be carried and stored safely. The bowl settled into the expanded space, the mist continuing its eternal dance even in the dark confines of the bag.
The common room was busy when James emerged from his dormitory. Sunday morning meant students scattered throughout the circular space in various states of relaxation and study. Some occupied the comfortable chairs near the fireplace, reading or chatting quietly. Others had claimed study tables, homework spread out before them. A group of older students played wizard's chess in one corner, their animated pieces shouting advice and insults in equal measure.
The atmosphere was relaxed but not too loud, the perfect balance that Ravenclaws seemed to maintain instinctively. Enough activity to feel alive, and quiet enough that focused work remained possible.
James walked past them all, through the antechamber with its marble eagle, down the staircases, and out into the castle proper.
The corridors were relatively quiet for a Sunday. Most students were either sleeping in, studying in their common rooms, or enjoying the grounds on this pleasant autumn day. James navigated toward the Charms classroom, hoping Professor Flitwick would be in his office and willing to spare some time for him.
He reached the familiar door with its bronze plaque: Professor F. Flitwick, Charms Master and Head of Ravenclaw House.
James knocked.
"Come in!" came the cheerful voice.
He pushed open the door and entered the cluttered office. Flitwick sat behind his elevated desk, surrounded by papers and books, a quill writing in a ledger seemingly of its own accord.
"Good morning, Professor. I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
"Mr. Acton!" Flitwick beamed at him. "Not at all, not at all. I'm always available for students who need assistance, whether day, night, weekday, or weekend. It's part of being Head of House. What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to return these first, sir." James pulled out the Charms books Flitwick had lent him the previous week. "I've finished them."
Flitwick's eyebrows rose slightly as he accepted the books. "Already? It's only been a week, Mr. Acton. These are quite advanced texts."
"Actually, sir, I've completed and successfully practiced all spells up to the sixth year."
The quill stopped writing. Flitwick's mouth fell open slightly, his expression somewhere between shock and delight.
"Again. It's been only a week, Mr. Acton."
James hurried to explain. "Actually, Professor, I was born in November. So with my memory, I've had almost a full year to read all the course books. I bought them together for all years before coming to Hogwarts. I just needed time to practice the spells once I had my wand."
Flitwick set the books down carefully. "Mr. Acton, you're giving yourself too little credit. Remembering spells is only a small part of casting them successfully. You clearly have genuine talent for magic. If memorization alone was sufficient, we'd have many more great wizards. The ability to translate knowledge into practical application is rare and valuable."
"Thank you, sir."
"Would you be willing to demonstrate some of the spells you've learned? I'd like to assess your practical skill level."
James nodded and reached into his backpack. "I actually brought something to show you, Professor. A personal project."
He pulled out the mist bowl and placed it carefully on Flitwick's desk.
The tiny professor's eyes widened. "Mr. Acton, did you make this yourself?"
"Yes, sir. I wanted to practice permanent enchantments, so I created this." James explained the layered charms, the Aetherial Anchor applications, the careful balancing required to make the effects work in harmony.
Flitwick listened with growing enthusiasm, occasionally interrupting with questions about James's methodology. Then he began offering suggestions, small improvements that could make the enchantments more efficient or more stable.
"If you adjust the containment barrier here, you see, it creates a smoother flow. And the circulation charm, try using Vento Circulus instead of Aer Rotare. More precise control, less power drain."
James pulled out his wand and began making the adjustments, removing the less efficient spells and replacing them with Flitwick's recommendations. The tiny professor guided him through each step, his expertise evident in every suggestion.
Twenty minutes later, the bowl's enchantments had been refined and improved. The mist swirled more smoothly, the patterns more defined, the whole effect more polished.
"Wonderful, wonderful!" Flitwick clapped his hands together. "Ten points to Ravenclaw for performing magic well beyond your years! I've never seen something quite like this from a first-year student."
"Its a wonderful first time attempt, Mr. Acton. But I would look into runes as well, If I want to get into enchantment".