At breakfast the next day, Adrian spotted his eldest brother, Albert, already seated at the table.
After exchanging morning greetings, Albert—still wearing his Gryffindor Quidditch hoodie—grinned and said, "Adrian, I heard you won a Neptune! That's the newest model from Flyte and Barker, right? Mind if I take it for a quick spin later?"
"Of course not, Albert. You can try it whenever you want," Adrian replied enthusiastically.
"Adrian's performance was outstanding," Owen chimed in, folding the Daily Prophet he'd been reading. "This morning's edition even covered the award ceremony. Very proud moment." He tapped the article, though the space it occupied was modest—fortunately, it came with a moving photograph that gave it more presence.
"Let me see, Dad!" Ryan leaned over and snatched the paper from Owen's hands.
"I want to see too! I want to see!" Emily squealed, darting around the table to tug on her father's sleeve. She had fully become her older brother's number one fan overnight.
"Emily, you can't even read yet," Ryan teased, smirking.
"I know," Emily said matter-of-factly. "But there's a picture of Adrian on it."
Chuckling, Owen handed the paper to Ryan. "Here, read it to her."
The article described Adrian's performance in the junior-level magical aptitude contest, detailing his impressive wand control and theoretical mastery. The enchanted photo showed Adrian beaming while holding the Neptune broom. Next to him was Ron Weasley, his freckles unmistakable even in moving print.
"Alright, let's eat, everyone," said Morgan Le Fay, waving her wand to summon plates of breakfast with her usual precision.
"Roasted tomatoes, baked beans in tomato sauce, ham-and-bacon omelette, porridge… and Mum, you even made Bavarian white sausages with sauerkraut! That's a feast!" Emily sighed happily, lifting her fork.
Adrian bit into a piece of the white sausage, feeling a rare burst of satisfaction. Compared to standard British fare, the sharp tang of sauerkraut was refreshing. Still, he couldn't help but dread the long term—Hogwarts doesn't serve Bavarian sausages.
After breakfast, Adrian excused himself, saying he had homework to finish. He returned to his room, locked the door with a quick Colloportus for good measure, and summoned his system inventory.
His personal storage space shimmered into view—an ethereal grid displaying four items: a scroll of parchment tied with a blue ribbon, a wizarding robe, and two books.
Adrian already knew the scroll contained his "Student Aura" bonus, so he turned his attention to the robe.
It was undoubtedly a high-end garment. Made of rich black velvet, it shimmered faintly with an oily sheen under the light. A deep crimson trim—about three fingers wide—ran along the hem and collar, bordered with runes Adrian didn't yet recognize.
What does this robe actually do? he wondered.
Immediately, text materialized beneath the robe's icon:
Miao Miao Wizard Robe
Adjusts automatically to fit the wearer's size and can transfigure into any style of clothing. Includes:
Auto-cleaning charms
Limited Invisibility enchantment (3 uses/day, lasts 30 minutes per use unless dispelled; refreshes every 8 hours)
Spell resistance (Comparable to hides of Graphorns and Sphinx fur; mitigates low-to-mid tier spells)
Adrian snorted. "Miao Miao? What kind of name is that? Sounds like a bootleg from Knockturn Alley."
Still, the features were remarkable. For safety, he removed his own clothes and slipped on the robe. It felt featherlight, cool against the skin, and strangely freeing—almost too freeing, as he realized it was currently robe-only underneath.
With a thought, he transfigured it into the same outfit he'd just been wearing. Then, to test it, he poured a cup of black tea over his chest.
The fabric soaked up the tea instantly. But his skin felt dry—the robe had created a vapor barrier. Even Daisy's high-end potioneering robes from Madam Malkin's didn't offer this level of protection. She always complained about getting ingredients on herself when brewing. For potion makers and field researchers, this kind of gear was gold.
Clean up, he thought, and the robe dried instantly. The collar stood crisp, the sleeves reshaped, and no hint of the spill remained.
Impressed, Adrian then selected one of the books—an enormous tome bound in red dragon-hide with a compass-style dial embedded in the cover.
A combination lock.
Adrian remembered the magical importance of the number seven in the wizarding world—seven Horcruxes, seven Weasley children, seven players on a Quidditch team, and so on. He set the password to "7777777."
The book clicked open.
The first chapter shimmered into focus. Gilded silver text floated over pale parchment, then settled into clear English as the magical ink adjusted.
Preface: On the Nature of Spells
Spells are magical actions that channel a wizard's innate magic to achieve effects otherwise impossible—levitation, conjuration, transfiguration, and more. Charms often cause visible light or force effects and can be dodged, countered, or absorbed by magical objects or defensive spells.
Spellcasting typically requires three components:
A wand
A verbal incantation
Concentration
Failure in any component may lead to a misfire or backfire.
Advanced spellcasting includes nonverbal magic and wandless magic, typically not taught until the sixth year at institutions such as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Notable practitioners include Albus Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort, and Professor Severus Snape.
Wandless and nonverbal casting requires exceptional focus, magical control, and theoretical grounding.
Most standard spell incantations in Britain are Latin-based, though a few derive from Old English or other languages. The distinction between Transfiguration and Charms lies in principle: the former alters what a thing is (form), the latter what it does (function).
Spells often produce visual cues. Stupefy emits red light; Avada Kedavra, a green jet; Petrificus Totalus, a pale blue glow. Some advanced spells (like Disillusionment) may show no visual effects at all.
Inexperienced wizards often create audible or flashy spell effects—described in dueling circles as "Ping-Pong Pop Syndrome." Adrian remembered that early in the books, even Harry Potter's casting had smoke and noise—far from the silent efficiency of a spell master.
Magic has durations. Some spells, like Expelliarmus, act instantly. Others, such as Petrificus Totalus, can last until countered. Reversal is possible through counterspells, or ends when the caster dies—unless cast using permanent-enchantment rituals, like those used on Hogwarts itself by its founders.
At the end of the chapter, a cautionary note warned about the dangers of inventing spells.
"Spell invention is rare, perilous, and reserved for the highly advanced. Even accomplished wizards, such as Severus Snape, created spells only after years of study. Tragedies, like the accidental death of Pandora Lovegood during magical experimentation, highlight the inherent risks."
Adrian closed the book, his thoughts briefly drifting to Luna Lovegood—quirky, dreamy, but more grounded than most knew—and her mother's fate.
No rush. Learn the rules before rewriting them, he told himself firmly.
Afterward, the Spell Encyclopedia entered the core topic, listing the general classifications of spells. It also noted that the degree of independence between these categories remains unclear. In principle, a spell should belong to a single category, but some spells demonstrate characteristics that allow them to span multiple types. For example, the Petrificus Totalus spell, used by Hermione Granger in Philosopher's Stone on Neville Longbottom, is an advanced immobilization spell that could be considered both a Transfiguration (for altering physical state) and a form of Dark Magic depending on intent. Similarly, Fiendfyre is both a Cursed Fire and a Dark Curse. Many healing spells straddle the line between Charms and Transfigurations depending on how they reconstruct body functions or anatomy.
The encyclopedia divides spell categories into: Transfiguration, Charm, Jinx, Hex, Curse, Counter-Curse, and Healing Magic.
The defining feature of Transfiguration is altering an object's physical form or properties. It is further divided into True Transfiguration and Conjuration. The former alters existing matter, such as turning a match into a needle (as Professor McGonagall demonstrated), and the latter summons objects seemingly from thin air. Example: Animagus transformation—where a witch or wizard transforms into an animal while retaining sentience and magical ability.
Charms focus on modifying behavior or properties without altering form. A well-cast charm has lasting effects. Example: Expelliarmus, the Disarming Charm, strips an opponent of their wand—altering its status from "wielded" to "disarmed."
Jinxes are considered the mildest form of Dark Magic. They cause amusing but inconvenient effects and are often used in pranks. Their effects may require the caster's focus to maintain. Example: the Impediment Jinx slows down objects or individuals, interfering with motion.
Hexes are more malicious than jinxes, designed to harm or hinder, albeit not fatally. Example: Rictusempra, the Tickling Hex, forces the target into uncontrollable laughter—an annoyance that could be dangerous in battle.
Curses are the most severe Dark Magic. Their intent is usually to inflict harm or death. The Unforgivable Curses—Avada Kedavra (Killing Curse), Crucio (Torture Curse), and Imperio (Mind-Control Curse)—are the most notorious, with Avada Kedavra causing instant death, as famously seen when Voldemort killed Lily and James Potter.
Counter-Curses are designed to neutralize other spells. Though elusive in classification, six notable subtypes include Curse-Reversal, Hex-Reversal, Charm-Undoing, Reduction (minimizing effects), Anti-Jinxes, and Miscellaneous Counter-Curses. For instance, Finite Incantatem (General Counter-Spell) is a versatile spell that ends a wide range of active spells.
Healing Magic focuses on restoring health and physical integrity. Example: Episkey—used by Tonks in Half-Blood Prince—heals minor injuries like nosebleeds and cuts.
Adrian was perplexed after reading this classification. From what he'd gathered, Durmstrang Institute openly taught Dark Magic, but Hogwarts seemed to do the same subtly. If Petrificus Totalus is considered a Curse and borderline Dark Magic, why is it part of Hogwarts' first-year curriculum? In Curses and Counter-Curses by Professor Vindictus Viridian—one of the assigned textbooks—this spell appears with instructions. So, does Durmstrang teach harmful spells of greater power, while Hogwarts permits only low-grade curses for academic purposes? (Author's note: After reviewing fan forums and official sources, the author found that J.K. Rowling herself categorized Petrificus Totalus as a curse, which aligns with this ambiguity.)
Adrian casually tapped the spell classification list and randomly selected a charm.
The entry read: Common Unlocking Charm—Alohomora.
Spell details appeared on-screen. The next page displayed a long-haired witch in robes composed of shadowy mist. She repeatedly demonstrated the wand movement with a calm demeanor. Upon touching her form, the spell's pronunciation—Alo-ho-MOR-ah—played in a clear voice. The combination of audio and gesture learning greatly helped comprehension.
Despite the uncanny visual, Adrian found this feature extremely helpful.
Suppressing his excitement, Adrian flipped open Strategic Spell Application, the book he obtained the previous day.
Its dark blue leather cover shifted to display a glowing silver title in modern English. Inside, a dynamic table of contents listed page references for simple spells. Interestingly, these pages weren't static—new entries sometimes appeared. Each spell included metadata on the source book and author. Based on articles he had seen recently in The Daily Prophet and the last few spells in the list, Adrian guessed the book synced with a magical database that added entries from newly published works automatically.
He searched for the same spell in this new book: the Unlocking Charm—Alohomora.
Description: In the magical world, there are multiple ways to bypass locked doors (Reducto, Incendio, Bombarda), but the Alohomora spell offers subtlety. Also known as "The Thief's Friend," it opens doors and windows that are mechanically locked or magically sealed with basic wards. It was first documented in Africa and later introduced to Britain in the 17th century by Elton Elsrick, a notorious magical burglar. His wave of thefts across wizarding and Muggle homes alike prompted the invention of Anti-Alohomora Wards by Bragdon Burley.
Prior unlocking methods included Portus Apertus, which could violently break locks and sometimes leave the door smoldering, and Sesame, a brute-force incantation that ripped doors from their hinges. These lacked finesse. Alohomora is far more elegant.
This spell is taught to Hogwarts first-years in The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk.
The entry continued with details about the required wand movement, correct pronunciation, and applicable counter-charms. At the end, a case study from A History of Magic (possibly Bathilda Bagshot's) illustrated how a wizard used this charm to rescue a kneazle trapped in an attic.
Reading through the case broadened Adrian's understanding of wizarding customs and everyday spell usage.
For the rest of the summer holiday, Adrian studied these two books enthusiastically. The written content etched itself into his memory quickly, but the visual-audio elements—especially in the Spell Encyclopedia—still required repeated exposure. If there was one disappointment, it was that both books focused primarily on application rather than the theoretical R&D of spellcraft.
"Adrian, can you help me review some spelling? Muggle school starts soon, and we won't see much of each other in the daytime," Emily's voice came through the door.
"Come in, Emily," Adrian replied warmly. As someone passionate about teaching, Adrian welcomed any opportunity to guide Emily, who was as close as a sister.
After reviewing the spelling list, Adrian took the chance to teach her some associative memory tricks. He also gently introduced Muggle logic-based thinking to enhance her cognitive flexibility. Among wizarding families, it's common for children to receive informal education at home—unlike Muggle-borns or half-bloods. This often puts pure-blood students at a relative disadvantage when it comes to academic skills like reading or writing at the beginning of first year.
After sending his still-reluctant sister back to her room, Adrian turned his attention to preparing for the Muggle school term himself—starting with homework.
He quickly read through all assigned books, then tackled his homework tasks. Compared to Hogwarts, the academic expectations of primary school in Britain were easy. Completing everything by referencing the assignment guide posed little chAdriange.
"It really shouldn't be hard to become the 'xuébà' of this class," Adrian thought with quiet confidence.