Not long after the twins left, Hermione emerged from the dormitory and went straight to Loren.
By then Loren had already finished copying the map. He handed one copy to Neville, placed the rest on the common room table, and—imitating Dumbledore's flourish at the opening feast—left floating words in the air: "Hogwarts Map, take one if you need it."
When Hermione came over, Loren rose to meet her. After the two of them shamelessly flaunted their affection, they headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. Neville didn't join them; he understood the purpose behind Loren giving him a map and didn't want to play the third wheel.
Besides, Neville had already drunk a vial of nutrient potion. Though much of it had worn off, he still wasn't truly hungry and preferred to delay breakfast a bit rather than sit through another round of "public displays of affection."
At the breakfast table, Loren noticed that most of the spread consisted of Chinese dishes—staple breakfasts from his recipe collection. He silently gave the house-elves a big thumbs-up in his heart.
Many of these dishes were ones Loren himself had made before; a few he had never gotten around to cooking. Hermione, curious, deliberately chose items she hadn't tried before and began sampling them eagerly. Loren picked a couple of dishes at random, eating while listening to the excited voices nearby.
The exclamations came from the Hufflepuff table. It was only around 7:10, but the little badgers had already been waiting there. As soon as the clock struck seven and breakfast appeared, their table had been buzzing with delight.
Food-loving students, long tormented by bland British fare, were overjoyed by the endless stream of new and exotic dishes. Even the trouble with Draco was forgotten for the time being—eating was eating, and no one wanted unhappy topics to spoil it.
After breakfast, Loren checked the time: still before eight. Their first Herbology class didn't start until nine, so he took Hermione for a walk around the castle to get a feel for it.
Hermione was fascinated; she hadn't had a proper look at Hogwarts yet. Yesterday morning she had been buried in the library, and afternoon and evening were filled with classes. Now, with over an hour of free time, there wasn't enough for serious study, but more than enough for a quick tour.
For nearly an hour Loren guided her through classrooms for their other subjects, ending with a stop at Ravenclaw Tower, where Hermione got to experience the famous riddle-door knocker.
Herbology passed without much drama. As expected, Neville stole the spotlight again, earning Gryffindor another five points. After class the first-years hurried off toward Charms, eager for their very first proper spellcasting lesson.
Charms was taught by Professor Filius Flitwick, a wizard with goblin blood—blessed with their innate talent for magic and their small stature. In fact, to reach the lectern he had to stand on a tall stack of books.
For the first lesson, just as in the original tale, Flitwick began with roll call. When he reached Harry's name, he gave an excited squeal and promptly fell off his pile of books. He clambered back up at once and continued.
Rather than diving into theory, he began with a simple spell to spark interest: the Wand-Lighting Charm. He first mentioned Loren's display during the Sorting and loudly praised him, asking Loren to demonstrate for the class.
Loren, unfazed, stepped into the open space, spoke the incantation, and flicked his wand. A blazing light burst from its tip, dazzling the watching students. With a counter-spell, he extinguished it just as quickly.
"Excellent Lumos and Nox! Five points to Gryffindor. Now, who else can manage it? Any successful demonstration earns house points."
Encouraged, Hermione and three Ravenclaws stepped up and performed the spell correctly. Hermione earned Gryffindor two more points, while Ravenclaw gained six.
Afterwards Flitwick carefully explained the spell's key points—the wand movement, the clarity of the incantation, and the focus required.
Then came practice time. Wands came out, and the students tried their hands at their first real magic. Flitwick descended from his books and strolled among them, correcting their movements and words.
Finally, he announced an incentive: anyone who could fluently cast both Lumos and Nox by the next lesson would be excused from homework. Fail, and they'd have to write an eight-hundred-word essay on the Wand-Lighting Charm.
Loren found the man delightfully reasonable: do well in class, and no homework needed. A fair trade.
The pressure galvanized the others. Those who had succeeded were swarmed with questions. The Gryffindor boys clustered around Loren, while the girls gathered at Hermione's side.
Loren realized he was perhaps too advanced in his thinking. He explained magic's three essentials: power, purpose, and will. The wand channeled power, the spell framed intent, and the caster's will bound them together.
He was met with blank, glassy stares—though Flitwick, impressed, awarded another five points to Gryffindor for the neat summary.
Hermione ran into the same problem with the girls: too much detail, not enough grounding.
In the end, Loren had to simplify: "Just swing your wand as shown, say the words clearly, and picture a ball of light in your mind."
This, the others grasped. Soon most could at least produce flickers, and some achieved fluent results. Loren and Hermione found themselves acting as assistant instructors, offering encouragement.
By the end of class, several students could cast Lumos and Nox smoothly. Most could conjure a flickering light that, with practice, would be fine by next lesson.
Only Ron, Neville, and Seamus lagged behind. Ron and Neville managed no more than faint sparks. Seamus, meanwhile, produced showers of sparks and smoke, sending classmates scrambling away.
At dismissal, Loren seized Hermione's hand and bolted for the door—his motto always being: "Eat eagerly or be a fool." There would be plenty of time to discuss Charms with Flitwick; but miss lunch, and the chance was gone forever.
Even the Ravenclaws, usually composed, hastened to pack after him, while the Gryffindors had already sprinted after their self-proclaimed Lion King.
Lunch was just as lavish as breakfast. Loren and Hermione sat together, Harry pulled Ron beside him, leaving Neville to take the spot next to Ron.
Harry, raised in the Dursleys' house, had learned to read expressions well. From Loren's look in Charms, he had sensed there was something unsaid—particularly regarding Ron.
Ron was Harry's closest friend, so of course he wanted to help. But he waited politely until Loren had slowed his eating before asking:
"Loren, you seemed like you had something to say about Ron earlier."
Loren was a little surprised—"the Boy Who Lived" was observant. Still, he set down his fork and answered honestly:
"I was thinking about the education of wizarding families. Ron and Neville will suffer for it later."
Harry paused, then nudged Ron to pay attention. Ron, however, had both hands full—one with a drumstick, the other with ribs—and his cheeks bulging with food. At Harry's prodding, he finally looked over, his eyes wide and blank.
Beside him, Neville had already turned to Loren the moment his name came up, eager to hear more.
With the right people listening, Loren quietly cast a sound-dampening charm and explained:
"Both Ron and Neville come from wizarding families. Generations of magic behind them. And each family has its own way of training children."
He saw confusion on their faces and elaborated:
"Look at their wands. Both are hand-me-downs. Do you think their families can't afford new ones? Of course they can. But it's a method. Every wizard has a wand meant for them. Using someone else's—especially a parent's or sibling's—makes spellcasting harder. Ron and Neville both have certain flaws in temperament that hinder their magic. By giving them used wands, their families force them to struggle, to practice more, to sharpen control over their power. Later, when they finally get wands that truly suit them, they'll soar."
He gestured toward Harry. "Take Harry for example. Raised by Muggles, no magical environment at all. Yet he cast Lumos with ease. Meanwhile Ron and Neville, steeped in wizarding culture, did everything correctly—words clear, movements right—but their results lag behind. That says it all."
Neville nodded, convinced his grandmother had chosen this path deliberately for his sake, and resolved to work harder. Ron, however, flushed red and lowered his head in silence. He knew the truth: his family really couldn't afford a new wand.
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