Chapter 37: Charms Class
Chapter 37: Charms Class
Around half-past eight, Albert's three roommates finally stumbled sleepily into the Great Hall.
"Good morning!" Lee Jordan sat down next to Albert, stuffing a large sausage into his mouth as he grumbled, "My legs feel like they're about to fall off."
"It's not that bad!" Albert closed his book, 'Charms of the 19th Century', and placed it back into his bag. He patted Lee on the shoulder, "You just overdid it a little. Do you want me to take you to the hospital wing to get some medicine?"
"No thanks!" Lee Jordan's face fell at the mention of the hospital wing, clearly afraid that Albert would actually drag him there.
The Weasley twins sitting next to Lee couldn't help but laugh. Fred, who was eating a golden fried egg, suggested, "Here, let me tell you... if you give your legs a good hard slap, it'll reduce the soreness significantly."
"I can help you with that," George offered, "Free of charge."
"You two are unbelievable!" Lee Jordan glared at the twins and focused on his breakfast.
"Stop fooling around and eat up. Our first class is about to start, and I don't want to be late on our first day," Albert reminded them.
As they were eating, a stocky man with red hair approached and sat down next to the twins. He smiled and asked, "How are you adjusting to school life so far?"
"Charlie, are you off to practice Quidditch already?" George stared at him in disbelief, commenting on his attire.
"Just a simple warm-up, we've all been off our brooms for the entire summer break," Charlie explained, "This year, we must win the Quidditch Cup."
Albert shook his head at Charlie's words, "Young man, you're still too young to know that setting such lofty goals can lead to a quick demise."
"Hey Charlie, is the team still short on players? Me and George here can be Beaters, you know our skill level," Fred asked.
"Don't even think about it," Charlie replied sternly, "You're only first-years. You have to wait until second year to join the team. If you pass the tryouts next semester, I'll let you join, but not this semester."
"There are always exceptions, right?" The twins winked at their older brother, "First-years can join too if they show exceptional talent in Quidditch."
"Who said that?!" Charlie Weasley retorted, slightly annoyed. Even as the Quidditch Captain, he knew he couldn't be too arbitrary.
After all, as captain, he was responsible for all the Gryffindor students. Losing a match was one thing, but if he lost too badly due to personal bias, he would never be able to hold his head high in the school again.
The twins suddenly turned to look at Albert simultaneously.
"What are you looking at me for?" Albert asked, confused.
Charlie followed their gaze and looked at Albert as well, only to become more perplexed. He had no idea what these mischievous twins were up to.
"Tryouts ended yesterday, so you'll have to wait until next year to try out for the team. However, this year, you can be substitute Beaters, but don't expect to get into any matches," Charlie Weasley clarified with a slight cough, indicating that he wouldn't show favoritism.
"Can we still participate in the training?" The twins' eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement.
"Today... you should be free this afternoon, right?" Charlie thought for a moment, "Let's see... meet me at the Quidditch pitch at 4:30 pm. I'll assess your skills, and no mischief!"
"We know," the twins nodded in unison.
Before the class bell rang, the group hurriedly left the Great Hall and made their way to the Charms classroom on the fourth floor. Having already been there the day before, they easily found the classroom.
The Gryffindor Charms class was taken together with the Hufflepuffs. When they entered the room, they saw that quite a few students were already present.
Shan Na, Angelina, and a few others were also early and chatting away at a table in the front row.
All the good seats in the front rows were taken, so the four boys had to pick seats at the back. Albert didn't mind, and he sat down with Lee Jordan, while the Weasley twins sat next to them.
Professor Flitwick entered the classroom just as the second bell rang. The Charms professor was indeed unusually short, seemingly confirming the rumors of his partial goblin ancestry.
Due to his height, Professor Flitwick had to stand on a stack of books to reach the lectern. However, no one minded, and no one mocked his stature.
Of course, the students were curious about the professor's height, but it was a mild curiosity.
Before starting the class, Professor Flitwick took out a roll sheet and began taking attendance, giving Albert a sense of deja vu from his university days.
In the first Charms class, the diminutive professor demonstrated the wonders of charms. He caused several books on the desk to dance a lively tap dance, which gradually turned into a high-stepping routine in front of the students, moving to an unseen rhythm—only missing a beautiful melody to accompany it.
When the books in mid-air had everyone's attention, they returned to their original state and neatly fell back onto Professor Flitwick's desk.
Loud applause erupted, and the students were captivated by the magical display, eager to learn charms themselves.
"To achieve this level of proficiency, you will need to learn a lot," Professor Flitwick said after the applause died down, "Now, open your books to page three. First, you need to understand the theory behind charms, which will help you grasp and use them more effectively in the future."
For most of the class, Professor Flitwick lectured on charm theories, and the students took copious and complex notes. He also emphasized the importance of wand movement and proper pronunciation of incantations multiple times.
As Albert focused on taking notes, he felt Lee Jordan nudge him a few times with his elbow.
"What is it?" Albert turned to him, exasperated, and asked quietly.
Lee Jordan pointed to the twins at the next table, who were gesturing at Albert's quill.
Albert immediately understood their meaning—they hadn't brought their own quills to class.
Unbelievable, he thought.
Albert placed his quill on the table and quietly recited the duplication charm.
"And one for me while you're at it," Lee Jordan scratched the back of his head and asked.
"You didn't bring one either? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Lee Jordan chuckled, "I didn't want to disturb you while you were taking notes. I'll just borrow yours to copy them later."
Albert's mouth twitched, and even Angelina and Alicia in front of them shot them strange looks.
Of course, Professor Flitwick on the lectern had noticed as well, but he didn't say anything. He continued to explain the charm theories that weren't covered in the textbook.
(End of Chapter)
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