At breakfast the next morning, Alexander looked exhausted.
But for some reason, he felt fine.
His body should have been exhausted, but it seemed to recover well.
When he sat down, he finally realized.
"Wow, the potion Kyle gave me really works. I should ask my parents to prepare me more."
Next to him, Cho noticed immediately.
She leaned forward and said.
"Are you okay?"
Alexander blinked and looked up from his plate.
Cho frowned slightly.
"Did you spend all night playing with the twins again?"
Alexander chuckled softly.
"No. I was practicing some spells and figuring some things out."
He pulled out a mirror and looked at himself. Still handsome, but looked exhausted.
"I'll probably look like this for a while."
Cho's expression turned more concerned.
"Why are you pushing yourself so much?"
Alexander paused for a moment before answering.
"I'm on a time crunch."
He looked down at his food for a second.
"There are many things I need to do this year."
Then he looked back at her and smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry. I promise it's only for this year, okay?"
Cho watched him quietly for a moment before nodding.
"Alright… but make sure you get some sleep at least."
Alexander grinned.
"Of course."
He held up four fingers.
"Four hours of sleep."
Cho stared at him.
He avoided her death stare and added,
"And I'll get extra sleep during Professor Binns's class."
Cho stopped staring and lightly laughed.
"History of Magic naps don't count!"
Alexander laughed along with her as they quickly finished breakfast.
Soon they arrived at Charm's class.
Professor Flitwick stood on a stack of books behind his desk.
"Good morning, class!"
Students greeted him as they took their seats.
Flitwick clapped his hands together happily.
"This year we will focus on three important areas: precision, control, and utility magic."
He raised his wand, and several feathers floated into the air.
"For review, we will practice advanced levitation techniques."
The feathers began moving smoothly around the room.
"Today you will practice lifting multiple objects, changing their direction mid-air, and controlling them with greater finesse."
He pointed toward several floating books.
"Levitation can also be used creatively in combat or everyday situations."
Soon, the class began practicing.
Books, quills, and parchment sheets floated around the room.
Alexander practiced silently for a moment before raising his hand.
Flitwick noticed immediately and hurried over.
"Ah! Yes, Mr. Chen."
He smiled warmly.
"I must say your Protego Maxima and Fianto Duri have improved significantly. Excellent work!"
Alexander nodded respectfully.
"Thank you, Professor."
Flitwick adjusted his glasses.
"So, what is your question?"
Alexander spoke calmly.
"Could you give me some dueling tips or advice?"
Flitwick suddenly froze.
Then his eyes lit up with excitement.
"Oh! Oh my!"
He immediately turned around.
"Class! Stop practicing for a moment!"
Everyone paused and looked toward him.
Flitwick cleared his throat.
"I recently heard from some friends that Mr. Chen had a rather remarkable duel when he visited America this summer."
The students immediately turned toward Alexander.
Flitwick continued enthusiastically.
"Does anyone here know the Strongman Family?"
One Ravenclaw student raised his hand.
"They are the family that usually wins the American Duelist Championship."
Flitwick clapped happily.
"Excellent!"
"Ten points to Ravenclaw!"
He continued proudly.
"Yes! They are phenomenal duelists. Their family comes from a long line of masters."
"Centuries ago, they lived in Britain before moving to America, but their dueling traditions have continued to grow stronger every year."
The classroom grew quiet.
"This summer," Flitwick said dramatically, "Mr. Chen was challenged by the next heir of the Strongman family."
Students leaned forward.
Flitwick smiled widely.
"And Mr. Chen won."
The room exploded with whispers.
Students who knew the reputation of the Strongman family looked shocked.
Winning against one of them was a serious achievement.
Those who didn't know quickly asked their classmates.
Alexander scratched his head slightly.
"I don't have the enchanted photos with me, Professor."
He smiled.
"But I'll send you some for Christmas."
Flitwick's eyes sparkled.
"Oh! Please do!"
"I would love to see that duel!"
He clapped his hands.
"Now then, everyone! Back to your levitation practice!"
The class resumed.
Flitwick turned back toward Alexander with a slightly embarrassed smile.
"My apologies for bringing it up, Mr. Chen. I got a bit excited."
Alexander shook his head.
"It's fine, Professor."
Flitwick nodded.
"Now… what was your question again?"
Alexander repeated calmly.
"Any advice for dueling? Advanced spell layering or techniques that could help me improve."
Flitwick's expression became thoughtful.
The two began discussing various dueling strategies.
Shield layering.
Spell timing.
Movement patterns.
Flitwick took a break from talking to Alexander to tell the rest of the class to practice alternating between Protego and levitation spells.
Across the room, Cho was helping several students who were struggling.
Flitwick watched her for a moment and smiled.
"Twenty points to Ravenclaw for Miss Chang for assisting her classmates."
Cho smiled happily and continued helping others.
For the rest of the class, Alexander and Flitwick quietly discussed advanced dueling techniques.
By the time the bell rang, Alexander had filled half a notebook with notes.
Flitwick looked extremely pleased.
"At dinner tonight, I'll bring you some books and notes."
He leaned closer and said quietly,
"After your detention, we can discuss dueling further."
He smiled proudly.
"You might become my proudest student if you manage to become a dueling champion."
Alexander nodded respectfully.
"Thank you, Professor."
He packed his books and hurried out.
Down the hallway, Cho was waiting for him.
"Finished talking?"
Alexander smiled.
"Yeah."
Together, they walked to lunch.