When Char arrived at Professor Flitwick's office, he was greeted with a broad smile and a sparkle of excitement in the professor's eyes. Flitwick stood up from his desk, practically bouncing with enthusiasm. "Char! I'm so glad you're here. I only had time to tell you that your exclusive spell was ready, but you must not know just how magical it truly is!"
Char's curiosity was instantly piqued. He had provided Professor Flitwick with a concept inspired by the Muggle spectrum, but he hadn't expected the results to be so impressive.
"I took your idea of the Muggle spectrum and incorporated it into the Lumos charm," Flitwick explained, his voice bubbling with energy. "It's created a truly wonderful reaction. Watch carefully—the casting gesture and incantation are a bit different now."
With a flourish, Professor Flitwick demonstrated. He drew a circle in the air with his wand, just as one would for the standard Lumos charm. But then, as the circle was completed, his wrist flicked upward, and he pronounced a new incantation:
"Lumos-Freques!"
A brilliant, ice-blue light burst from the tip of his wand. Flitwick beamed like a child with a new toy, his joy infectious. "Did you see that? That's just the beginning. All of this is controlled by the subtle flow of magic at the moment you flick your wrist. You'll need to feel that rhythm for yourself."
Char watched, mesmerized, as the light at the tip of Flitwick's wand shifted through a rainbow of colors—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—before finally settling into a state where the light was present, but invisible to the naked eye.
"A Lumos charm without visible light—that's truly fascinating, isn't it?" Flitwick grinned. "This was all thanks to your idea, Char. You're a genius!"
Char's admiration for Professor Flitwick grew even deeper. To take a simple concept and turn it into such a versatile spell in just a week—that was the mark of a true master.
Under Flitwick's patient guidance, Char began practicing the new spell. Since it was based on the Lumos charm, and Char's own skill with Lumos was nearly at gold level, he picked it up quickly. Soon, lights of every color shimmered at the tip of his wand, each one a testament to his growing mastery.
On his system panel, a new line appeared above the Lumos charm:
[Glowing Spell Variant (To be named)]
A faint golden glow shimmered against the silver background. The variant spell shared the same level as Char's original Lumos charm, which delighted him. He had worried he would need to start from scratch, but now he could use the variant spell with the same confidence and power.
Professor Flitwick, meanwhile, was brimming with excitement about naming the new spell. "Char, you have the right to name your exclusive spell. What do you think? The Char Luminescent Charm? The Sprout Luminescent Charm?"
Char considered this carefully. "It should have a proper name, otherwise it would be confusing to refer to," he said. "Since the spell introduces the concept of frequency to the Lumos charm, why not call it the Frequency Light Spell? As for the full name… I think it should be the Filius Light Spell."
Professor Flitwick was taken aback. He waved his hands in protest. "No, no, that's not right! This is your exclusive spell, and the key idea came from you. How can it be named after me?"
Char shook his head. "I only provided a concept inspired by Muggle science. Without your expertise and guidance, it would have remained just an idea. The real work was done by you, Professor. If I don't acknowledge that, it would be like stealing your academic achievement. Either we call it the Filius Light Spell, or I'll just keep calling it a variant of the Lumos charm."
Flitwick looked flustered. "It's just a little spell, not some grand academic achievement. I've got plenty of those already. But if you insist, let's compromise: the Filius Sprout Light Spell. That way, both of us are recognized. If you don't agree, I'll refuse to sign off on it."
Char's eyes sparkled. Including the Sprout name was even better than using his own. He knew Professor Sprout would be thrilled. "That sounds perfect to me," he said.
With the spell named and his gratitude expressed, Char bid Professor Flitwick farewell and hurried to the greenhouse, eager to test the new spell on his plants.
Upon reaching the greenhouse, Char wasted no time. He set up a series of test tubes, each with the same soil and a sample of glow mushroom mycelium at the same stage of growth. All other conditions were kept identical—only the light spell would vary.
The control group was illuminated with the original Lumos charm. The second group was bathed in red light from the Frequency Light Spell, while the third group received purple light. Char watched carefully, hoping to see a noticeable effect.
But soon, his excitement was tempered by disappointment. In every test tube, the glow mushrooms illuminated by the original Lumos charm were the most active, their mycelium spreading healthily. In contrast, the mycelium under the red and purple Frequency Light Spells grew more slowly and, in the most extreme cases, became inactive—even the reward orbs disappeared.
Char sighed and shook his head. "The Frequency Light Spell doesn't promote the growth of glow mushrooms," he mused. "They prefer the original frequency of the Lumos charm. Deviating too far only hinders their growth, or even kills them."
But Char wasn't one to dwell on setbacks. He reminded himself that in research, failure was just as valuable as success. "It was only a hypothesis," he reasoned. "And in academia, most hypotheses fail. There's nothing to be disappointed about."
With renewed determination, Char turned his attention to his goldfish spider plants. He repeated the experiment, this time using the Frequency Light Spell to bathe the plants in blue and violet light. As he watched, something remarkable happened. One pot, illuminated by the blue-purple light, seemed to respond positively. The leaves appeared greener, the stems sturdier, and the overall vitality of the plant was noticeably improved.
Char's eyes lit up. "There's a reaction here," he murmured. "The goldfish spider plant might actually benefit from the Frequency Light Spell."
He quickly set up more test pots, varying the light's color and intensity, eager to explore this new avenue. The process was methodical—Char recorded every change, every subtle shift in the plants' growth. He knew that even small discoveries could lead to big breakthroughs.
As he worked, Char's mind drifted to the possibilities. What if other magical plants responded to different frequencies? What if the Frequency Light Spell could be tailored to each species, maximizing their growth and magical properties? The implications were thrilling.
Hours passed, and Char's excitement never waned. He moved from one experiment to the next, his hands steady and his focus unwavering. The greenhouse, usually quiet at this hour, was alive with the gentle hum of magic and the soft rustle of leaves.
By the time the sun began to set, Char had gathered a wealth of data. He carefully reviewed his notes, his mind buzzing with ideas. The Frequency Light Spell—now the Filius Sprout Light Spell—was already proving its worth. It might not work for every plant, but for some, it was a game-changer.
Char smiled to himself.