Chapter 9: Muscle Memory
Chapter 9: Muscle Memory
Of course, one can strategically despise the enemy, but it's also crucial to tactically respect them.
There was still over a month before the new school term started, and Sherlock had to quickly familiarize himself with magic during this time. He wasn't confident that he could elevate his skills to the level of the original owner, who was capable enough to be a professor at Hogwarts, in less than two months. However, he at least needed to learn most of the common spells used by wizards to avoid raising suspicion at Hogwarts.
As for teaching—
In the first part of the story he was familiar with, Quirrell's method of teaching solely from the textbook didn't raise any issues. So, Sherlock figured he could get by with a similar approach for now, without causing too many problems.
The study was filled with many magic books, but most of those on the shelves were advanced texts that Sherlock couldn't understand with his current level. However, he soon found the textbooks the original owner used during his time at Hogwarts in a cabinet under the desk. These ranged from first year to seventh year and hadn't been sold or discarded.
This was a great find for Sherlock.
He sat at the desk, and one of the floating candles naturally hovered above him, illuminating his workspace. The teapot and teacup, which seemed to have a life of their own, poured him a cup of hot tea and placed it beside him.
To be honest, the wizarding lifestyle could easily provide a sense of happiness to someone who hadn't experienced it. You didn't have to worry about any trivial matters, as magical gadgets would take care of everything for you.
Sherlock took out the first-year textbooks and selected only "The Standard Book of Spells" and "A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration." He set aside the other books, such as "Potions", "Herbology", and "Astronomy."
Spells and transfiguration, the two most commonly used types of magic in daily life, were the most crucial for him to learn right now. While potions were important, they didn't offer much help in his current situation.
Opening the spellbook, the pages were somewhat aged, with visible creases at the corners from frequent use. The most striking feature, however, was the extensive notes scribbled in the margins. The original owner had a significant character flaw, but it was undeniable that he had a natural talent for magic and was exceptionally diligent. The detailed notes in this spellbook alone showed how much the 11-year-old original owner craved magical knowledge.
This was a huge advantage for Sherlock now.
The first spell taught in the book was the Levitation Charm.
This spell was one of the most basic, easiest to learn, and most frequently used by wizards.
The incantation was: Wingardium Leviosa.
The original owner had noted the key points emphasized by the professor during class next to the spell. The correct pronunciation was: Wing-AR-dium Levi-O-sa. The "AR" sound should be drawn out and clear, and the wand needed to be waved and flicked.
With a clear understanding of the key points, Sherlock cleared his throat, raised his wand, and aimed it at a small piece of paper on the desk, preparing for his first attempt.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
He spoke the incantation, waved and flicked his wand at the paper.
In the next moment, the small piece of paper magically floated off the table!
Just on his first attempt, Sherlock's Spell was a success!
He stared at the floating piece of paper, lost in thought.
Being able to cast the Levitation Charm successfully on the first try was not due to Sherlock's extraordinary talent.
Rather, when he uttered the incantation, his body moved without any stiffness, as if he had practiced the spell countless times before, casting it effortlessly.
Sherlock blinked and then cast the spell again on the paper that had fallen back onto the desk.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
The result was the same; the paper floated up once more.
For him, the entire process felt as natural as drinking water or eating a meal.
Without pausing, Sherlock quickly flipped through the spellbook to find the next charm, Reparo.
Following the correct pronunciation and wand movements noted in the book, he cast the spell on the paper torn in half on the desk.
"Reparo."
In the next second, the torn paper was perfectly repaired, showing no signs of damage.
A smile finally spread across Sherlock's face.
However, he did not stop there. He continued to try Incendio, Colloportus, and Mollificus.
Finally, he encountered a challenge with Sectumsempra, the most difficult spell in the first-year textbook.
But calling it a challenge was a bit of an exaggeration; it was just that his first attempt failed.
After a couple more tries, his body automatically corrected his incorrect pronunciation and wand movements, allowing the spell to succeed.
Achieving this level of proficiency was more than satisfactory for him.
Indeed, although he didn't receive any special abilities after crossing over, the heavens had not left him without a way forward.
The magic recorded in the first-year textbook, which the original owner had mastered, was deeply ingrained in his muscle memory.
Even though Sherlock himself was unfamiliar with these spells, once he started to practice, he could grasp them quickly.
For example, simple spells like the Levitation Charm and Reparo could be cast successfully after just one look at the incantation.
Even more complex spells required only a bit more practice to master.
With this help, although Sherlock couldn't quickly reach the same level of magic as the original owner, he could at least appear to be a wizard who had completed seven years of education at Hogwarts.
Thus, for nearly a month, Sherlock spent his days in the study, familiarizing himself with a large number of basic spells.
In the middle of this period, Professor Mcgonagall wrote to him again, urging him to send her the list of textbooks for the new semester.
Sherlock casually copied the titles of the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks used by the original owner over the seven years of schooling and sent them back with Professor Mcgonagall's owl.
By mid-August, he finally had to leave the study.
With only half a month before the start of the school year, he needed to visit Diagon Alley, a magical street in London, to purchase the items he would need for Hogwarts.
Before this, the exact location of the Leaky Cauldron, the entry point to Diagon Alley in London, had been a headache for Sherlock.
Fortunately, a wizard's travel guide in the study conveniently provided the answer.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
