Chapter 185: The Spell Club
Chapter 185: The Spell Club
Meanwhile, Albert and Katrina were on their way to the seventh floor, reminiscent of their previous trip to the Transfiguration Club. However, this time their roles were reversed.
"No need for that. Just tell me directly, where is Classroom 17?" Albert interrupted Katrina as she was about to speak, bluntly refusing and leaving her quite literally tongue-tied.
"Are you sure? Alright then, follow me." Katrina shot a resentful glance at Albert, seemingly a little displeased, but she still led the way down the corridor.
They stopped in front of a statue of a middle-aged witch, which marked the entrance to Classroom 17.
"Alberta Tossel," Katrina introduced. "Champion of the All-England Wizard Dueling Competition in the 15th century."
"The ancient times? How many people were there in all of Britain back then, let alone wizards?" Albert asked.
"What are you trying to say?" Katrina replied.
"We should look at the bigger picture. Don't be like Tom," Albert said.
"Tom?"
"My cat," Albert said with a slight smirk.
"Could you please speak in a way that people can understand?" Katrina felt that Albert was hinting at something, but she couldn't quite grasp what he meant.
In fact, Albert was familiar with this person. Alberta Tossel had won the competition using an Explosion Curse. As for how he knew the name? He had come across the introduction to Alberta Tossel while searching for information related to Explosion Curses, and his excellent memory had done the rest.
"How do we get in?" Albert asked Katrina.
"We need a password."
"A password? You don't mean... the password is Explosion Curse, do you?" Albert eyed Katrina suspiciously.
"How did you know?" Katrina was flabbergasted, never expecting Albert to guess correctly.
"Indeed, it's the Explosion Curse," Albert said. As he spoke the password, the witch statue moved aside, revealing a hidden entrance behind it.
Upon entering, he was surprised to find a spacious classroom. The setting resembled that of the Transfiguration Club, with chairs arranged in a semi-circular fashion.
Yes, Albert also spotted a familiar face.
"Feel free to take a seat anywhere," Katrina said as she walked towards Isabel, leaving Albert stranded at the door.
However, there were only sixteen chairs in total.
A few people eyed Albert curiously, but he paid no heed to their gazes and made his way to a less crowded area, taking a seat to wait for the gathering to commence.
As three o'clock approached, members of the Spell Club gradually arrived, totaling sixteen in all, slightly more than the Transfiguration Club.
Albert recognized a few more familiar faces—Terence Higgs from Slytherin, the reserve Seeker he had faced off against last semester, who played by the rules during Quidditch matches, earning Albert's respect.
Another was Gabriel Truman from Hufflepuff.
"So, you've been invited as well," Truman said with a smile as he entered the classroom and spotted Albert, walking over to greet him.
"I hope Professor Flitwick isn't going to lecture us using Charms Innovation," Albert said, glancing at the academic magazine in Truman's hand.
"How did you know about that?" Truman asked, astonished.
Albert was left speechless. The similarities between the Spell Club and the Transfiguration Club were uncanny.
"Don't worry, if you don't have the magazine, you can borrow it from Professor Flitwick," Truman said, patting Albert's shoulder reassuringly. "And most of the time, we actually practice spells."
Before three o'clock, Professor Flitwick arrived early at Classroom 17. He stood on a chair, elevating himself to address the students face-to-face.
"First of all, we have a new member joining us. His name is Albert Anderson." As Professor Flitwick uttered Albert's name, he suddenly let out a shriek, his body bursting into countless fireworks and streamers, startling everyone in the room.
The next moment, Professor Flitwick reappeared, and the classroom erupted in applause.
"Is this how you always welcome new members?" Albert asked softly.
"No, this time it's a bit special," Truman said with a beaming smile, joining in the applause.
Professor Flitwick clapped his hands twice to regain everyone's attention. "Today's topic is the Silencing Charm."
"I know that the use of the Silencing Charm is still unfamiliar to you," Professor Flitwick continued after the class had settled down. "This spell is usually taught in the Advanced Spellcasting class in your sixth year."
"Of course, the Silencing Charm isn't as difficult as you might imagine."
"What are the benefits of mastering the Silencing Charm?"
"Casting spells without uttering the incantations aloud can achieve an element of surprise," Professor Flitwick answered his own question.
"Some wizards believe that using the Silencing Charm weakens the power of the spell, and thus they are reluctant to employ it," he said with a grin. "As we all know, this is just an excuse they make for themselves."
Many students couldn't help but laugh.
"Many wizards find the Silencing Charm exceedingly difficult because they lack sufficient concentration and willpower when attempting it," he explained.
"Let me also share with you a little secret," Professor Flitwick said mysteriously. "Accomplished wizards are usually adept at the Silencing Charm, as it is one of their essential techniques."
"Now, let's all give it a try. Cast your most proficient spell," Professor Flitwick instructed the class, "but don't speak aloud. Just whisper the incantation in your heart. Cheating won't get you anywhere, so begin."
As the students practiced, Professor Flitwick walked among them, observing their silent attempts and occasionally offering guidance.
Albert noticed that Truman beside him had his mouth tightly shut, seemingly fighting an internal battle to resist the temptation to utter the incantation. The sight struck Albert as rather amusing.
Albert focused his mind, blocking out all external distractions, and whispered the incantation for Lumos in his heart while waving his wand.
Lo and behold, he succeeded.
It didn't seem as challenging as he had imagined, although Albert couldn't be sure how much time had passed. Nonetheless, he had managed to light up his wand without uttering a word.
"You did it?" Truman's face contorted with astonishment as he stared at Albert, unable to fathom how he had so effortlessly mastered the Silencing Charm with a simple spell like Lumos.
While Lumos wasn't an exceedingly difficult spell, there was no doubt that it wasn't something one could easily pull off, especially for students in lower grades.
"Yeah, it's not as hard as I thought. It just takes practice, and I'll need to keep practicing," Albert said, realizing that he still couldn't cast Lumos silently.
(End of Chapter)
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