Chapter 283: Ravenclaw's Orthodox Learning Method
In the face of Ron's astonishment, Harry only smiled faintly.
He felt that naming a magical phenomenon wasn't particularly difficult. The real challenge lay in the earlier step — breaking free from the existing magic system and casting spells purely through feeling and intuition.
Even the most basic "learning" of the Deluminator's magic was incredibly difficult.
Yes — incredibly.
Harry had discovered that the ancient Atlantean ritual used to detect the properties of magical potions could also be applied to the Deluminator. Without that insight, even with Sirius and Lupin's help, it would have been impossible for him to grasp the device's magic so quickly — let alone to name a new spell derived from it.
Through this process, Harry also sensed something deeper and more mysterious within the Deluminator itself.
Once, while focusing on it, he even faintly heard Neville's voice:
> "Grandma, this is what Harry taught me.
And besides, Harry, Ron, and I aren't in the kind of relationship Rita Skeeter said we were!"
The sound lasted only a few seconds before fading into static.
Harry decided not to tell Ron or the others about this. The phenomenon was clearly connected to the secrets of the underwater wizarding world, and he didn't want to involve them unnecessarily.
Instead, he chose to change the subject.
> "There's a book — a rather obscure one that Alexander once introduced to me — The Evolution of Spells.
It explains the origins and meanings behind incantations."
"Yeah, I know that one," Ron muttered.
Harry sighed in mild disappointment. "You should, but I bet you didn't bother to read it."
"That's no use anyway," Ron said, ears turning red. "All that theory doesn't make spells stronger. Power comes from how much magic you've got, not from fancy words."
"Why do you think it's useless?" Harry countered. "Once you understand the history and structure behind a spell, learning it becomes much easier. That's the Ravenclaw way of learning — understanding first, practicing second."
In Harry's opinion, relying on knowledge to simplify spell learning was the true essence of Ravenclaw orthodoxy.
The opposite approach — memorizing pronunciations and wand movements from a textbook — was simply brute force learning. That method suited Hufflepuffs, who valued effort and repetition over theory.
> "Finally, I understand!" Sirius exclaimed suddenly.
"That's why, when I was in school, some students with heavy accents could still learn spells faster than I did!"
He stared at Harry in amazement. To think that the "bookish kid" had grasped a method even he hadn't realized after decades of magical experience.
Harry chuckled softly. "Of course, this method isn't for everyone. Some people learn better through practice or instinct. Most first-years can't focus long enough to analyze a spell's etymology — that's why professors rarely teach this formally."
"Even Professor Flitwick only gave me extra credit for explaining how a spell worked," Harry continued, "but he never elaborated further. It's a method so purely Ravenclaw that even in Ravenclaw Tower, hardly anyone bothers using it."
He gave a small shrug. "Alexander was right — it's a niche book, but it changed the way I see magic."
"Stop it, Harry," said Ron, rubbing his head. "Even if it's rare, it's obviously useful. You created a spell faster than anyone else because of it."
Harry's eyes brightened. "So, you're willing to learn this way too?"
Ron hesitated. "Er… I'd better forget it."
Everyone burst into laughter — everyone except Harry, who sighed in mock despair.
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Meanwhile, in Diagon Alley, Alexander Smith had just arrived with Penelope Clearwater and Kate Bell for a day of shopping. As they passed the newly refurbished Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Alexander suddenly stopped.
He had sensed something — the faint echo of Harry mentioning his name.
"What's wrong?" Kate asked curiously, noticing Alexander's pause.
Alexander's eyes flickered with amusement. "Nothing much. Harry Potter just mentioned me… and apparently, he created a spell."
"Harry Potter?" Penelope blinked, still catching up on gossip. "Isn't he that boy with a rumored ambiguous relationship with another boy?"
"You could say that," Alexander replied with a small, knowing smile. He didn't bother to explain. There was no need to — not when everything traced back to that twisted wizard, Jason Custer, the one indirectly responsible for Dudley becoming a wizard.
"What's the incantation?" Penelope asked eagerly. "And what does it do?"
"Sklupgorgio," Alexander answered, teasingly withholding more.
"And its effect?"
"Guess," he said with a mischievous grin.
Penelope immediately pulled out a small notebook, her eyes sparkling with intellectual fire — a side Alexander had nearly forgotten. He'd been spending too much time with Kate lately and teasing Penelope as if she were her.
He realized, perhaps a little too late, that Penelope's enthusiasm for puzzles hadn't diminished one bit.
"Hmm… 'Lupus,' that's Latin for wolf," Penelope murmured, writing furiously. "Could it be a spell like Serpensortia, the Snake Summoning Charm? No — the root doesn't match. Serpensortia means 'snake creation,' from serpens (snake) and ortus (to rise or appear). If it were to summon a wolf, it should be Lupusortia. So that's not it."
She paused, frowning thoughtfully. "Then it must refer to Norse mythology… Sköll, the wolf that chases and devours the sun. So the spell borrows that symbolism — swallowing light!"
Her eyes lit up. "It's a darkness spell, isn't it? It 'devours' sunlight to create temporary night!"
"That's right," Alexander said, half-impressed and half-exasperated.
Kate clapped her hands suddenly. "Oh! That makes sense. Regulus hates sunlight now that he's… well, you know."
Alexander nodded wryly. "Exactly. The spell was probably meant for him."
Before he could say more, Kate's curiosity turned elsewhere. "By the way, why are you still keeping that snake at home?"
"That's not a snake," Alexander replied with a faint, mysterious smile. "It's a blood-cursed orc. You can call her Nagini — my latest research subject."
Penelope's pen froze midair. Kate looked horrified. Alexander, meanwhile, just smiled faintly — as if he knew the implications went far deeper than either of them could imagine.
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(End of Chapter 283)
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