Rock and the others sprinted all the way to the fourth-floor hallway on the left. After straightening their robes and catching their breath, they finally pushed open the classroom door for Charms.
The moment the door opened, a room full of young wizards turned to look at them.
"Welcome, children! Take a seat, please!"
Professor Flitwick was standing on top of a tall stack of books, just high enough that his upper body cleared the podium. With a cheerful smile, he waved to Rock and his friends.
"Yes, Professor."
Rock quickly nodded and slipped into an empty seat. Adam and Theo sat down beside him and pulled out the textbooks they needed.
Professor Flitwick beamed. "Welcome, everyone—welcome to the hall of Charms."
Rock exchanged a glance with Adam and Theo. Yeah… they were definitely late. At least it wasn't Snape's class—or Professor McGonagall's—otherwise their first lesson would've been miserable.
"Children, casting a spell isn't just waving a wand and muttering a few words."
Professor Flitwick lifted his small, slender wand and traced a graceful arc through the air. A glowing ribbon shimmered out from the tip—just like the magic Dumbledore used when leading the school song.
A perfect demonstration for students who'd never cast magic before.
"Every successful spell depends on three key elements: wrist movement, pronunciation, and—most importantly—your focus and intention. Neglect any of these, and the spell won't work as it should."
Rock opened his notebook and began taking careful notes. Even though he already knew all the first-year spells, that didn't mean he could afford to ignore the lesson. As a former dueling champion, Flitwick definitely had unique insights worth learning.
And besides… ever since the lesson began, Rock's daily "inscription panel" had been flashing nonstop.
[Listened to Charms for 5 minutes — Spell Affinity +1]
[Perfect comprehension of basic Charms theory — Spell Affinity +2]
Rock blinked in surprise.
So simply attending classes at Hogwarts increased affinity?
Alchemy required dissecting the Philosopher's Stone for growth—yet Charms only needed attentive listening? That was practically cheating.
"Yes!"
Rock clenched his fist under the desk. This was amazing.
"All right," Flitwick continued, "that covers the basics of Charms."
He looked at the eager expressions in front of him and chuckled. "Today, our goal is to make a feather float—using the Levitation Charm: Wingardium Leviosa."
He demonstrated with a flourish.
The feather before him rose gracefully, floating around the classroom and even bobbing above a few students' heads before spiraling playfully around them.
Rock watched it drift past and couldn't help admiring how natural Flitwick's technique was. He himself was nowhere near that smooth.
When the feather drifted back to the desk, Flitwick smiled warmly. "The Levitation Charm is extremely useful and a wonderful spell to master."
"The incantation is Wingardium Leviosa, and your wand movement needs to flow—like waves in water." He slowly repeated the motion. "Remember: swish and flick. Fluid and light."
Students immediately began mimicking his movements.
Rock mentally repeated the gesture as well and realized his technique was mostly correct—except the upward stroke still felt stiff.
Perfecting a spell to 100% really wasn't easy.
Even if the level didn't affect its rank, it did define its upper limit.
"Children, does everyone understand?" Flitwick asked.
"Yes, Professor!"
The excited chorus echoed across the room.
Even Adam's cheeks were flushed with enthusiasm.
"In that case," Flitwick said, "take out your wands. You're free to practice as you like—I'll be here to make sure no one gets hurt. Remember: every spell can have unintended effects."
Feathers were passed from desk to desk, and chaos immediately erupted.
Wands waved wildly—enthusiasm high, accuracy nonexistent.
Rock closed his eyes and let Flitwick's instructions merge with his past practice… even recalling the conversation he'd had with Hermione on the train. All these pieces came together, and his panel kept flashing again.
But Rock ignored it this time. He felt it—today, he might actually hit 100% mastery.
He raised his wand in one smooth, instinctive motion and spoke clearly:
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
A warm current surged from his fingertip into the wand. The tip glowed softly.
The feather on the desk lifted instantly, fluttering like a tiny sprite as it danced through the classroom—looping around students with perfect control.
[Perfect understanding and execution — Levitation Charm 100% complete! +50 XP]
[Levitation Charm upgraded to Lv.2 (370/599) — Perfect Control Achieved]
["As the hand wills, the spell follows."]
Clap clap clap!
Professor Flitwick applauded enthusiastically.
"Excellent! Truly excellent! Even I couldn't do it better myself!"
"Ravenclaw earns five points—for this flawless Levitation Charm!"
A cheer erupted through the classroom.
Dozens of eyes turned toward Rock—some admiring, some jealous.
Rock simply stood, nodded politely to Flitwick, and sat back down.
The golden glow of the perfected Levitation Charm shimmered in his mind, and he couldn't help smiling.