Before the Golden Trio could save the world, they first had to improve their friends' quality of life.
The team was assembled, and the project was a go.
Leon, the deep-pocketed investor, tossed Hermione a sack full of Galleons.
Then he stepped back, ready to play the hands-off boss and wait for the profits to roll in.
Those Galleons came straight from Gringotts anyway—if they lost them, no big deal.
If they ran out, Leon would just pull off another heist.
At a little past 10 a.m., Leon strolled into the fourth-floor Charms classroom, yawning.
Yesterday's Charms lesson had been the Gryffindor first-years' first proper introduction to spellcasting.
The entire class was spent on magical theory.
Today, they'd finally get to try casting spells.
Leon plopped down between Ginny and Colin.
The two were still buzzing about the design for the Harry Potter Global Fan Club flyers.
Excellent, Leon thought. Love that work ethic.
He adored employees who threw themselves into their tasks.
The classroom was nearly full of students now.
Professor Filius Flitwick, who taught Charms and served as Ravenclaw's Head of House, stood at the front.
He was tiny, with a distinctive appearance that strongly hinted at goblin ancestry.
Flitwick was a powerhouse, a former champion of the Wizarding Duelling Competition.
His teaching was lively, engaging, and he had a great temperament, rarely docking points.
No wonder he was Hogwarts' most beloved professor among the young witches and wizards.
Flitwick stood atop a stack of books behind the lectern.
On the desk before him lay two books, flat open: Magical Theory and Standard Spells, Grade 1.
Class time arrived.
Perched on his book stack, Flitwick rose slightly on his toes and began in a cheerful tone: "Today, we're getting hands-on with spellcasting. Turn to page five in Standard Spells, Grade 1, and take out your wands."
The students sprang into action, exchanging excited glances.
The Gryffindor first-years, aside from Potions (which started tomorrow), had already attended their other classes.
But unlike their expectations, opportunities to use wands were rare.
Transfiguration, the one class where wands were frequently used, was so challenging it often left them frustrated.
Charms, though, should be much simpler.
Even Muggle-born students had secretly tested basic spells before arriving at Hogwarts.
The textbook's charms looked especially fun.
The students gripped their wands, whispering excitedly to one another.
That's when Leon realized he'd misplaced the dummy wand he used for show.
Touching his locket-box now would be risky.
So, he slyly pulled a finger biscuit from his ring and quietly transfigured it into a stick resembling a wand.
Flitwick's slightly squeaky voice rang out: "I'm sure most of you, after getting your wands, tried casting simple spells. If you haven't, no worries! We're starting with the basics today—practicing pronunciation and wand movements step by step. Remember, the foundation is everything! Even the most complex, high-level charms are built from these simple components. Master the basics, and the rest will come easier."
Flitwick scanned the eager faces and nodded, satisfied, before raising his wand. "First, let's try a very common, very basic charm: *Lumos!*"
A small white light glowed at the tip of his wand.
"This spell's pronunciation is straightforward—just say it clearly, no need for specific tone or stress. The wand movement is a gentle upward flick. Nowadays, though, the spell's so simple most don't bother with the motion. The Lighting Charm is the most basic of all. Give it a try and show me what you've got!"
The classroom erupted with a chorus of "*Lumos!*"
Almost everyone succeeded on their first try.
As Flitwick had said, the spell was so basic, so simple.
Even kids fresh off their magical awakening could cast it.
Starting with something this easy was Flitwick's way of building the young witches' and wizards' confidence and sparking their love for learning magic.
If every class were as tough as McGonagall's Transfiguration, the first-years would dread magic altogether—not great for teaching.
But "almost everyone" didn't mean everyone.
Leon couldn't do it.
Casting a Lighting Charm? Easy—he could summon a dozen glowing orbs in a blink.
But making the tip of a transfigured finger biscuit glow to mimic a proper Lumos? That was… new.
Leon focused hard, restraining his magic to produce a tiny, unremarkable spark at his fingertip.
Then he guided the spark to creep along the stick.
Colin noticed immediately. "Leon, why's your wand leaking light?"
"Heh, old family wand. Bit worn out, leaks light sometimes. Totally normal," Leon said with an awkward chuckle.
That excuse might fool a Muggle-born like Colin, but if Ginny, sitting on his other side, noticed, he'd have a harder time explaining.
Leon switched tactics.
He summoned a floating orb of light, aiming to position it perfectly at the stick's tip to pass it off as a standard Lumos.
The challenge? He'd never conjured a light this small or dim before.
Worse, after devouring the Basilisk's soul, his magic was still surging, and he'd need to wait for it to stabilize before retraining his control.
These past few days, no matter how careful he was, he kept overdoing it.
Transfiguration was easier—he'd studied under a master like Grindelwald for two years, so Hogwarts' beginner spells were child's play.
Flitwick was now stepping down from his book stack, checking each student's wand light.
He was almost at Leon.
Don't rush. Stay steady.
Leon focused intently on the stick's tip, painstakingly squeezing out the tiniest bit of magic.
Almost there. Just about—
Smack!
"Leon, what are you doing?" Ginny's slap shattered his concentration.
His carefully restrained magic burst out.
A sun began to rise in the classroom.
Leon dove toward Ginny, tackling her to the floor to avoid the blinding light.
Poor Colin, closest to the epicenter, got the full solar experience first. "Agh! My eyes! My eyes!"
The rest of the class soon felt the sun-in-your-face sensation.
"Ah! My eyes!"
"What's that blinding thing?"
"What happened? Did the classroom explode?"
"Stop it! I'm going blind!"
Leon played dead on the floor.
What happened? He had no idea!
He was just a weak, clueless first-year, after all.
It was definitely the wand's fault!
Oh, right—the wand was fake.
Leon quickly snapped the stick in half.
Maybe he could claim the spell overloaded the wand's limits and broke it.
Hopefully, that excuse would fly…
While Leon fumbled with his cover-up, Flitwick, risking temporary blindness, reached the scene.
"*Nox!*" he shouted, slashing his wand downward.
The sun dimmed slightly.
Flitwick, flustered for a moment, poured more power into a second Nox.
Finally, the sun set.