Chapter 378: Umbrella Room Activity
“Stupefy! Stupefy!”
A Longhorn Beetle, the size of a small dog, lazily waved its antennae, its tiny body bobbing as a thin red beam of light struck it—then bounced off harmlessly. It clicked its mandibles once, then resumed chewing on a giant leaf with unhurried indifference.
Theo glared at it, fuming.
Among the group in the Umbrella Room, aside from the older Fred and George, only Harry had mastered the Stunning Spell well enough to even attempt practicing the Patronus Charm. The others still struggled with the basics. As their magical knowledge grew, the gap between them widened.
They didn’t measure themselves against one another—yet the feeling of falling behind was undeniably frustrating. So even with increasing assignments in third year, Theo and the others still made time to practice spells.
Wade was flipping through the latest issues of Alchemy Magazine when suddenly he heard a heavy thud. He turned to see Hermione placing her backpack down with a thump.
Michael whistled in disbelief. “Hermione, how much stuff do you even carry in that thing?”
“Not much,” she replied casually. “Just the books we need for class, and reference material for my assignments.”
She quickly tied her messy hair into a loose ponytail, then pulled out a dozen thick books from her backpack and stacked them onto the table. Only then did she grab the top one and begin writing.
Michael stared, wide-eyed. “Good Merlin… she’s going to read all of those tonight?”
“She’s just so serious,” Wade sighed. “Even in Muggle Studies, she takes notes like she’s preparing for a final. Honestly, she already knows everything Professor Bubagi teaches.”
Michael glanced nervously at the towering stack of books.
Now, finally understanding why Wade could take so many classes, he regretted not having chosen the same path himself. But right now, he was just grateful he hadn’t.
Then, after a few minutes of writing, Wade rubbed his shoulder and suddenly asked, “Hermione… your backpack’s really heavy, isn’t it?”
“Huh? Of course it is,” Michael said. “She’s practically carrying the whole library on her back.”
Hermione paused, hesitating slightly before asking, “Wait… are you saying I don’t have to bring all these books with me? These are just the ones I need today…”
“No, I mean… uh… let me see your backpack.”
Wade held out his hand.
Hermione looked puzzled but handed it over.
Wade lifted it—whoa. Even after she’d already pulled out so many books, it still weighed at least seven or eight pounds. He shook his head, silently chiding himself.
He’d completely forgotten—Hermione was only thirteen. She hadn’t yet mastered the Invisible Expansion Charm.
When Wade first learned the spell, he’d worried it might break Ministry of Magic regulations. The charm was officially restricted to approved, official uses—like expanding travel tents or other sanctioned items. Private use was strictly forbidden.
But over time, he’d realized that most adult wizards ignored the rules. Mr. Scamander’s tiny, pocket-sized world was one thing. Arthur Weasley had secretly expanded his car. Remus Lupin, when broke, had once used an enchanted suitcase. Moody’s neighbors had one too. And Sirius Black? He’d even enlarged both the fuel tank and tool compartment of his motorcycle.
Earlier, when Remus had pulled a beverage from his coat pocket, Wade had noticed that the pockets on wizard clothing were far larger than normal. He’d laughed at his own caution.
In truth, the Ministry couldn’t just search a wizard’s personal belongings without solid evidence—especially when things were running smoothly.
“You should empty everything out,” Wade said. “Let me lighten the load for you.”
“Oh, sure!” Hermione perked up, already pulling everything out with excited speed.
The others gathered around, curious.
“Wade, are you going to use the Invisible Expansion Charm?” Theo asked, eyes sparkling.
“Yeah,” Wade said. “But remember—this violates Ministry rules. Don’t go telling anyone.”
“Got it!” they all grinned. “No worries.”
Hermione hesitated for a moment, but as Wade raised his wand, she forgot her doubts and watched intently, just like the rest.
A shimmering light swept over the backpack. It flickered briefly, then faded.
Michael blinked. “That’s it?”
“Of course,” Wade said. “It’s just a backpack. What’s so complicated about it?”
“I thought… maybe something more dramatic would happen,” Michael muttered, picking it up to test the weight. He handed it back to Hermione.
“Hermione, try it!”
“Okay!” She swept all the scattered papers and books back into the bag. This time, the backpack looked almost flat—like it held only a few books.
She pulled open the zipper, peered inside, and gasped. “It’s… so light!”
“Let me try!” Everyone reached out, taking turns holding it.
“It feels just like when we first started school,” Neville said honestly. “No heavy load at all.”
“But the Invisible Expansion Charm is supposed to only expand space, right?” Theo frowned. “My uncle has a bag that’s so heavy, it feels like it’s full of Crabbe when he carries it. Nobody else can lift it.”
“An imperfect version of the charm works like that,” Wade explained. “But a properly cast one? It’s like your things are stored in another dimension. You don’t feel the weight at all.”
Backpack returned to Hermione’s arms, she hugged it tightly. “Now I can carry everything! You know how awful it feels when you can’t find a book in your bag? I hate that.”
The others exchanged glances. They weren’t quite sure what she meant.
Then Michael suddenly lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Wade. “Wade, please… help me… I want one too! I don’t want to carry this crap anymore!”
Everyone was secretly envious of Hermione’s backpack—except Michael, who said it out loud.
Wade chuckled. “Empty your backpack, then we’ll do it one by one!”
The group cheered, rushing to dump their own things out. Hermione, meanwhile, began stuffing her entire bookshelf’s notes into the bag.
Wade sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Hermione, don’t treat the space like it’s infinite. It’s only about the size of a regular suitcase.”
Just then—creak—the door to the Umbrella Room swung open.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Harry stumbled in, drenched from head to toe, clutching his broom. His face was pale, his body drained. Behind him, a trail of muddy footprints marked the floor.
(End of Chapter)
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