The prior night, Fred and George had attempted a frantic, last-ditch effort to absorb the Disinfectant Charm from Albert's notes, a hopeless endeavor made even more futile by their exhaustion. Their failure was absolute.
They resigned themselves to the fate of the Trophy Room, convinced entirely by Albert's final, logical point: that even if they could perform the spell, Filch would certainly forbid the use of magic while they were under his supervision.
Their only true comfort was the folded, blank parchment concealed in George's boot—the Marauder's Map was a far superior defense against the castle's caretaker than any cleaning charm could ever be.
The following morning, in the noisy, bustling atmosphere of the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick stood atop his stack of books, his tiny frame radiating an infectious enthusiasm. The lesson began with a quick review of the Lumos Charm.
As the first-years attempted the spell, the difference in skill was stark. Gryffindor's side was patchy; only a few wands sputtered with the required pale light. Albert's wand glowed steadily, and even Lee Jordan, after his late-night practice session, managed a weak, flickering success.
However, several Hufflepuff students, known for their diligent practice, also produced respectable glows, including the earnest Cedric Diggory.
Flitwick gave the students five minutes to stabilize their lights before pivoting to the counter-spell.
"Now, we move to the essential companion to our Luminescence Charm," the professor squeaked, his voice filled with a scholarly delight. "It is the Extinguishing Charm. This spell, while simple, is profoundly useful."
He pointed his wand at a sturdy white candle resting on his desk. "The charm is not merely for magical light; it can quench any ordinary flame." With a precise flick, he incanted, "Knox!"
The candle flame vanished instantly, as if a great invisible hand had clamped down on the wick. The smoke trail was the only evidence of its recent existence.
"As you have just witnessed, the incantation for the Extinguishing Charm is Knox. This is a versatile spell, applicable to everything from a small candle to a moderate blaze—though extinguishing a full-blown inferno, I assure you, requires a rather more substantial incantation."
He then performed the pairing demonstration. "Lumos." A gentle, bright orb of light appeared at his wand tip. "Knox." The light instantly blinked out, plunging the wand tip back into shadow.
"Practice, everyone! Learn the cadence and the counter-effect," he instructed, leaving the remaining class time open for experimentation.
Albert, having successfully executed Lumos the previous day, only needed a few focused attempts to master the counter-charm. "Lumos... Knox." The light popped on and off with reliable efficiency. To fully test the spell, he performed a quick, silent conjuration to produce a temporary candle, lit it with a small spark, and practiced dousing the real flame.
"I've got it!" Lee Jordan crowed happily, successfully extinguishing the light at his wand's tip after a dozen frustrating tries. He then followed Albert's example, focusing on a real flame, recognizing the difference in difficulty.
"Blast it all!" Fred, still struggling to get a decent, consistent light, threw his head back in exasperation. "I can't even light the thing, let alone put it out! This is maddening!"
George and the other students were equally vexed. By the end of the session, only Albert, Lee, and Cedric Diggory had successfully mastered the rapid, reliable sequence of Lumos and Knox.
Before dismissing the class, Professor Flitwick delivered his homework decree, one that instantly drained the remaining energy from the exhausted class.
"Your assignment, due next Monday, is a research report on the fundamental principles of the Luminescence Charm and the Extinguishing Charm. I require it to be no less than two feet in length. Begin researching immediately!"
A collective groan rippled through the classroom. Two feet of parchment. For most of these young witches and wizards, who were used to scribbling notes and lists, writing an analytical paper of that magnitude was a monumental challenge.
"Two feet? Is Professor Flitwick completely bonkers?" George muttered darkly, stuffing his quill and parchment haphazardly into his bag. "I don't even know two sentences worth of analysis, let alone enough words to fill two feet of parchment!"
"Relax, George, it's not as complex as you imagine," Albert said, gathering his own organized notes with irritating ease. "This kind of assignment isn't about deep, philosophical analysis. It's about learning research structure and meeting a length requirement."
George, Fred, and Lee leaned in conspiratorially. "Explain, Professor Anderson," Fred said with a cynical smirk.
"It's actually quite straightforward," Albert continued, looking completely unconcerned. "First, research the supposed historical origins of both the Lumos and Knox charms—that's easy padding. Then, detail the practical issues you and your classmates encountered while learning Lumos; discussing concentration difficulties and wand flick inconsistencies.
After that, spend time in the library. Find any supplementary material you can—ancient Charms texts, counter-indications, or even just long, flowery descriptions of magical light—and transcribe it. Finally, cap it off with a summary report on the utility of the charms. If you employ a sufficiently large script and avoid wide margins, you'll find those two feet vanish far faster than you think."
"You make that sound incredibly easy, Albert," Lee Jordan said, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and awe. "Is it truly that straightforward to fill the space without writing utter rubbish?"
"It's not meant to be a masterpiece, Lee. It's an exercise in academic structure and length. Professor Flitwick knows we're first-years; he just wants us to engage with the material and utilize the library," Albert explained, recognizing the assignment for the academic box-ticking exercise it truly was.
"Well, thank you, Albert," Alicia said, already looking more hopeful. "At least now I know what topics to start with to avoid handing in a six-inch paper."
Their post-class discussion was abruptly interrupted.
"Are you absolutely certain his method is sound?" a nervous Hufflepuff boy, standing nearby, interjected with a strange, high-pitched tone of skepticism.
Before Albert could answer, the twins saw their opportunity for a bit of physical mischief. Fred and George exchanged a look that promised innocent trouble. They immediately strode over to the Hufflepuff student, flanking him with unnerving swiftness.
"Absolutely certain!" Fred declared, slinging his arm warmly, but firmly, around the poor boy's shoulders. "Albert has an uncanny knack for these things. He might even have received a little pre-lesson hint from Professor Flitwick."
"Don't worry," George added, his arm clamping down on the boy's other side. "We're simply having a friendly discussion about the appropriate parchment length. No need to be so tense, mate."
The Hufflepuff student struggled vigorously, his eyes darting frantically between the two grinning redheads. He was held fast in their unexpected, overwhelming embrace.
"Let... let me go!" he pleaded, terrified by the sheer physicality of the Weasleys.
"Oh, steady on, we're letting go!" Fred said, removing his arm and giving the boy two rough, cheerful pats on the shoulder.
The Hufflepuff immediately broke free and practically sprinted back towards the safety of his own group.
"We didn't actually do anything, Diggory," George called out, watching the retreating figure with amusement. He and Fred then linked arms and strolled back toward Albert. "We were just having a simple chat."
Cedric Diggory, looking mortified but unwilling to start a fight, gave the twins a frustrated look. "Just stop it, you two. You know your 'friendly' gestures terrify people."
"He just scared himself!" Lee Jordan whispered to Albert, barely able to contain his laughter.
"They really didn't commit a crime," Albert observed, slightly amused. "Just a severe breach of personal space and social etiquette. It's their normal phenomenon."
"Speaking of normal things," Angelina interjected, suddenly steering the conversation to her favorite topic, "when is our first flying lesson scheduled? I've heard talk it's coming soon."
"I think the notice goes up on the Common Room bulletin board late Thursday afternoon," Fred replied, having heard the dates from Charlie. "But if you're keen on Quidditch, don't wait for the lesson. Charlie is recruiting reserve players right now. If you want a chance to fly, being a reserve is your ticket—it grants you access to a school broom. Becoming an official player next year is up to you, but reserve training gives you a massive advantage."
Angelina's eyes immediately lit up. The academic pressure from the two-foot report vanished, replaced by sheer competitive excitement. "When can I go talk to Charlie?"
"The Quidditch pitch this afternoon," George said without hesitation. "He's there most afternoons, even if the team isn't practicing. Find him, tell him you want to fly."
"You're actually going to try out?" Alicia asked her roommate, sounding surprised.
"Well, I want to try it," Angelina declared, her resolve firm.
"There's still the Transfiguration class later today," Shanna muttered softly, bringing the mood crashing back down to reality. "I sincerely hope Professor McGonagall hasn't assigned any more homework."
That hope was short-lived. Even if Professor McGonagall assigned no new parchment to fill, the dread of their impending practical assessment was heavy. The professor had sternly announced that she would be checking the progress of their match-to-needle transfiguration next week.
If the students still couldn't demonstrate any progress on making the matches change form, someone—or perhaps, everyone—was going to be in serious trouble. The Transfiguration Club couldn't come fast enough.
It seems Angelina is serious about Quidditch! Do you think she should prioritize Transfiguration practice to avoid losing House Points, or dedicate this afternoon to finding Charlie and getting her hands on a flying broom?
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Guys, Thanks for 1K collection. This all happened due to all of ur love and support. I will be consistent with the quality on upcoming chapters and other fanfics also. Enjoy it!!