"Brian, how did you do it?" Hermione dashed over the moment class ended, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"I just kept trying the method Professor McGonagall taught until it worked," Brian replied.
"Really? But I tried that method over and over and still failed. I had to tweak a few steps, like—" The moment she launched into study mode, Hermione's mouth became a floodgate. A torrent of questions poured out, overwhelming Brian. Harry and Ron, who had just arrived, didn't even get a chance to say hello.
Brian's head instantly felt like it had doubled in size. He finally understood why Neville had lit that match in class—maybe not out of recklessness, but desperation.
"Look, Hermione, I was just lucky, okay? Honestly, I'm not that talented," he blurted, raising his voice to break through the barrage.
Thankfully, Professor Flitwick's Charms class was about to begin. Hermione muttered a few words under her breath but didn't push further. She urged the group to hurry, determined not to let Harry and Ron make Gryffindor lose more points for being late.
Brian had a sinking feeling that if things kept going like this, he'd end up glued to the infamous Gryffindor trio. So, he quickly excused himself to "use the restroom," took a detour around the teaching building—twice—and only then headed toward the classroom.
Why? To avoid sitting with Hermione and Harry. Because let's be honest: he couldn't refuse Harry, and Hermione asked way too many questions.
But fate had other plans.
By the time Brian arrived, the classroom was already packed. Hermione spotted him immediately, waved, pointed to the empty seat beside her, and smiled with those cute front teeth of hers.
Brian looked around helplessly, sighed, and trudged over. Harry and Ron, seated in the back, gave him a look that clearly said, "Good luck, mate."
"Brian, I saved you this seat—no need to thank me! While we're waiting, tell me how it felt doing Transfiguration!" Hermione said cheerfully, brushing back her unruly brown hair and moving her textbook to make space.
Brian gave a strained smile. "Thanks," he said awkwardly, then scrambled to recall the morning's conversation with Sonia. He tried to sound like a clueless but lucky student. "Well, uh, first, you have to believe in yourself—no, wait—first, you need to picture the object in your mind… and then, um… what was next?"
He dragged the explanation out, watching Hermione's expression grow less patient by the second. Finally, he coughed and rattled off some vague insights.
Hermione snorted, lowered her head thoughtfully, then suddenly asked, "Shouldn't we analyze the internal material structure of the match?"
Brian shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean, you don't have a silver needle beside you to analyze stuff when you're casting. Even if you understood the match's full material structure, it wouldn't help change it. The key is your willpower…"
"Well said!"
Startled, Brian turned to see Professor Flitwick walking in with a tall stack of books. He climbed onto the top of them and declared, "Brian's explanation is truly excellent. One point to Gryffindor!"
Brian froze, despair etched across his face. I'm never saying another word again, he vowed.
Flitwick smiled at the class. "As Brian mentioned, the essence of spellcasting lies in the strength of your will—your belief in your own success. That's why we teach Charms: to build not just your spell repertoire, but your confidence."
With that, the lesson began. The first Charms class focused on using magic smoothly to affect objects—laying the groundwork for the Levitation Charm.
Professor Flitwick, clearly energized by Brian's accidental contribution, spent half the class reminiscing about his dueling days. The students were entertained, even applauding at times.
Ding!Congratulations to the host for completing the temporary mission: Successfully using a Transfiguration spell in the first class at Hogwarts and receiving positive feedback from the professor. Mission rewards are now being issued.
Brian looked attentive on the surface, but his mind had long since drifted. Suddenly, the system's calm, mechanical voice rang out in his head.
Mission rewards have been issued: +1 Upgrade Point, Transfiguration Master Experience Card (1 hour). Due to the host exceeding mission expectations, a random bonus reward is being granted.
Brian blinked, intrigued. So the chicken soup system does love me, he thought.
In his mind, spell names flickered rapidly—changing like a slot machine. Then it slowed, and one name stopped clearly in front of him.
Bonus reward: Intermediate Levitation Charm (Level 5). Congratulations. Keep working hard, learn more spells, and become the strongest wizard!
Brian glanced at Professor Flitwick, still passionately lecturing. A grin tugged at his lips.
This means I can breeze through half a semester of Charms and spend the time studying something else… like Alchemy!
Brian's eyes gleamed. To obtain the Philosopher's Stone, Alchemy was vital. Nicolas Flamel, the only person capable of refining it, was one of the world's rare Alchemy masters. Mastering that art would be a necessary step.
While Brian was lost in thoughts of legendary stones and magical formulas, Professor Flitwick wrapped up his story and began letting students practice. Hermione, unsurprisingly, succeeded after just a few tries.
She lifted her chin with pride, only to see Brian still fumbling—and nearly blowing up a feather.
Watching him daydream, fail, and nearly cause a magical mess, Hermione finally concluded that Brian's success in Transfiguration had to be dumb luck.
She straightened up, her voice bossy: "Brian, you're doing it all wrong! You should—"
Brian groaned internally. He had tried so hard to keep up the act… but here came Miss Granger's tutoring session again.
Is this ever going to end?!