Chapter 79: Training Plan
“This… I didn’t pay much attention in class…” Harry’s face flushed with embarrassment as he pushed his textbooks toward Theo.
Well, Theo had already noticed that.
He flipped through Harry’s textbooks, sighed, and said, “Your notes are missing quite a few key points—and they’re not focused on what actually matters. How about this?”
He raised his hand and called out, “Hey, everyone!”
All heads turned toward them.
“Harry needs to borrow your notes,” Theo announced, then added with a smirk, “if you’re not using them right now.”
“Alright—Potions class, I’m still confident,” Michael said, levitating his notes across the room with a Hovering Charm. “Just give them back by next Monday.”
“I’m better at Astronomy,” Liam said, handing over not just his notes, but also a book on stellar movements.
“Um… I’ve got Herbology notes too,” Neville said, pulling out his own stack. “Honestly, I’m about on par with Theo.”
“No, Neville, you’re doing even better,” Theo said earnestly. “Professor Sprout keeps praising you.”
Neville blushed, scratching the back of his head with a shy smile.
“History of Magic and Transfiguration notes—I can lend them to you anytime,” Hermione offered.
“That leaves me with Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts,” Wade said, summoning several notebooks floating toward him. “And I’m guessing you’ll need help with writing essays too?”
Harry nodded frantically, stammering, “Y-yes! I… I don’t really know how to write essays…”
Then Theo leaned in slightly and whispered, “Take good care of Wade’s notes—especially the Defense Against the Dark Arts one. His notes are even more thorough and easier to understand than what Professor Quirrell actually teaches.”
“Thank you, Theo,” Harry said, full of gratitude.
“You’re welcome,” Theo smiled gently. “We’re teammates now, aren’t we?”
…
“Now, about your essay on the Softening Charm,” Wade said, “you can approach it from five angles—introduction, historical background, evolution, practical applications, and limitations. Use this framework for all future essays.”
As he spoke, he drew a mind map on a sheet of parchment, starting from the title and breaking it down into five main sections, each further divided into two or three sub-points.
No one had ever taught Harry how to structure an essay before.
In fact, most students at Hogwarts hadn’t either. The clever ones figured it out through trial and error on assignments; the less fortunate either copied others’ work or just threw something together at the last minute.
Back in his old public elementary school, assignments were practically meaningless. Sometimes they’d write essays—topic-based, narrative, or argumentative—but they were随意 (unstructured), short, and completely different from the foot-long essays expected at Hogwarts.
Now, hearing Wade explain, Harry felt his mind suddenly clear. The fog of confusion vanished. Each point Wade listed sparked a flood of ideas in his head—suddenly, he understood exactly how to tackle the assignment.
By the time Wade finished, Harry was itching to write everything down. He even thought Professor McGonagall’s seven-inch requirement was too short—there was so much more he wanted to say.
Of course, when he actually started writing, he realized turning thoughts into a proper essay wasn’t easy. But still, completing it felt far easier than anything he’d done before.
Next came Charm practice—something Harry found a hundred times simpler than writing essays.
He had natural talent, and with just a little guidance from Wade, he demonstrated astonishing magical sensitivity and quick understanding. He mastered the basics in no time, leaving everyone else—including Wade—stunned.
Under the awed glances of his friends, Harry felt a warmth spread through him, as if his body had grown light. He bit his lip, trying not to look proud, but the nervous tension he’d carried since entering the room, the shame he’d felt seeing others’ well-organized notes—gone.
His green eyes sparkled with a quiet fire, vibrant and alive.
I really am good at this, he told himself.
…
Wade glanced at the clock. Curfew was only half an hour away.
He clapped his hands, and everyone practicing charms stopped.
“Everyone—” Wade looked around. “A few days ago, we had a little run-in with Malfoy and his friends. Sure, they ended up the ones who got hurt, but we took a few hits too.”
His gaze swept over Harry, Neville, and Hermione.
“And I realized something—knowing spells doesn’t mean we can protect ourselves. If we lack combat ability, we won’t react in time when attacked. That’s dangerous.”
“You mean—” Michael’s eyes lit up. “We should train our combat skills?”
“No way,” Padma said, her voice cracking slightly. “That’s too risky!”
Hermione hesitated, torn between worry and curiosity. “What if we get hurt? We’ll lose points from our House!”
“Stop thinking about House points, Hermione,” Michael groaned. “They’re not that important—this is awesome! Can we start now, Wade?”
Wade watched each of their reactions closely, then said, “Of course not—just jump in headfirst. I know everyone here has at least a basic grasp of minor dark curses. But we can’t use those on each other. They’re hard to heal, and we’d have to drag Madam Pomfrey into it. So first, we need to learn two fundamental spells—one defensive, one offensive—before we spar.”
“What spells?” Harry asked eagerly.
Wade looked at him. “The Disarming Charm and the Shield Charm.”
“The Shield Charm?” Hermione gasped. “We don’t learn that until fifth year!”
Harry was just as surprised—though not because of the spell itself. He was stunned that Hermione knew what fifth-year students were supposed to learn. Did she really read ahead through all the upper-year textbooks?
As for Wade… Harry wasn’t even surprised anymore. He’d already decided that if Wade said he could teach them Apparition, he’d believe it without question.
“True,” Wade admitted. “Shield Charm is advanced and typically taught in fifth year. I only learned it myself a few days ago.” He gave a small, casual show-off, twirling his wand in his hand before gripping it again. “But it’s incredibly useful—it creates an invisible barrier around you, deflecting enemy spells. Just remember—it won’t stop powerful ones. That’s important.”
Harry unconsciously touched the scar on his forehead. Neville tightened his lips, his expression dark and serious.
“As for the Disarming Charm—yes, that’s Expelliarmus,” Wade continued. “It disarms your opponent, which is extremely effective. Most wizards haven’t mastered wandless magic, so losing your wand means losing your threat entirely.”
He spun his wand once more, then brought it to his side, facing the group.
“So… shall we start with the Disarming Charm?”
—
Note: In the original timeline, Harry learned the Disarming Charm in second year during the Duelling Club, though Professor Lockhart claimed it wasn’t part of the official curriculum. Shield Charm was introduced only during the Triwizard Tournament, and taught in fifth year within the DA. Thus, Shield Charm is firmly established as a fifth-year spell in canon.
(End of Chapter)
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