Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 119 Practical Demonstration of Charms Class

Chapter 119 Practical Demonstration of Charms Class

It was another Charms class, but this time the atmosphere was a little different from usual. Professor Flitwick stood atop his stack of books, looking more excited than ever, his small eyes scanning the entire class of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students.

"Good afternoon, students!" His voice was powerful and resonant. "After nearly a semester of learning, I believe everyone has made considerable progress in mastering spells! To test your proficiency, accuracy, and—your ability to adapt to unexpected situations—we're holding a classroom obstacle course levitation competition today!"

With a wave of his wand, the previously empty floor in the center of the classroom instantly transformed. A winding "racetrack," outlined by thin lines shimmering with soft white light, appeared on the floor. The track wasn't a smooth path; instead, it was filled with various obstacles: colorful rings of varying heights requiring objects to pass underneath or over; pendulum obstacles that swayed constantly from side to side, demanding precise timing; a simulated, shimmering "thorny area"; and finally, a slowly rotating spiral ascending tunnel, exiting through a small archway. The entire track was ingeniously designed and full of challenges.

"The rules are simple!" Professor Flitwick raised his voice. "You will each need to choose a uniform practice feather, which is right on your table. Use the Levitation Charm to control it, guiding it along the track and avoiding all obstacles! The feather cannot touch any obstacle or the ground; otherwise, you will have to start over at that obstacle. Ultimately, the student who completes the entire track in the shortest time will earn 15 points for the school! And receive—" He magically produced a delicate bronze bookmark inlaid with small sapphires, "A small personal reward!"

"Wow!" A chorus of exclamations and whispers filled the classroom. The bonus points and the attractive prizes immediately ignited everyone's enthusiasm. The Hufflepuff students encouraged each other, while the Ravenclaw students quickly began discussing strategies in hushed tones.

Karen surveyed the complex track with a calm and composed mind. The Levitation Charm was as natural to him as breathing. Of course, his goal wasn't the prize or extra points, but rather to use this opportunity to test his latest progress under Professor Flitwick's guidance in mobile casting, the stability of sustained magic output, and precise micro-management.

"Alright, who's willing to be the first to take on the challenge?" Professor Flitwick asked with a smile.

Several daring students raised their hands to try. The process wasn't smooth. Some lost control and misjudged the timing, their feathers colliding with the swinging pendulum; others misjudged the height when passing through the low rings, their feathers grazing the edges; still others tried to speed through the thorny area, but their magic output was unstable, and their feathers fell to the ground, eliciting good-natured laughter. Even the fastest Hufflepuff boy took nearly three minutes to barely complete it, making two mistakes in the process.

Now it was Ravenclaw's turn. Marietta Eckmore carefully controlled the feather, successfully passing the first few obstacles, but at the spiral ascent, due to the disorientation caused by the rotation, the feather crashed into the inner wall, failing miserably.

Another Ravenclaw student lost his grip on the pendulum.

"Karen, it's up to you!" Wes, sitting next to Karen, nudged him with his elbow, looking expectant. Fabian and Ernesto also cast their gazes in interest. They knew Karen's strength, but were also curious about how he would perform in this comprehensive challenge.

Karen calmly stood up and walked to the starting point. He picked up the ordinary white feather on the table and tapped it lightly with his wand: "Feathered Gygadimm Leviosa!" His voice was clear and steady, neither deliberately lowered nor overly forceful. Although Karen had actually mastered silent casting, he had no intention of showing off here.

The feather floated up lightly and hovered motionless in front of the starting line. Karen's eyes were fixed on the track.

Start!

The wand steadily guided the direction, and Karen did not rush. The feather glided forward at a uniform speed and with a steady motion. It passed through the first low circle almost perfectly, skimming the bottom edge of the circle without the slightest wobbling. Next came the swinging pendulum. Karen calmly calculated the frequency and amplitude of the pendulum's swing, and just as the pendulum reached its far right and began to swing back, the feather, like a white line, "whooshed" through the center seam. The timing was impeccable, and the feather's trajectory was as stable as if drawn with a ruler.

"Beautiful!" Professor Fowley couldn't help but murmur in praise.

They entered the simulated thorny area. The lighting here seemed somewhat disruptive, and the flickering spots on the ground were easily distracting. Karen remained unfazed, her wand moving with minimal range, yet her magical output was remarkably consistent. The feather darted deftly through the thorns, twisting and turning like a fish, each change of direction perfectly avoiding the flickering spots, without uttering a single "crackling" sound of collision. The smoothness and precision of her movements left the observing students holding their breath, even the Hufflepuff students showing expressions of admiration.

Finally, there was the spiraling ascent. This was the part that truly tested sustained control and a strong sense of direction. The feather entered the rotating tunnel, and Karen's wand traced a subtle arc in its wake. Unlike the others, the feather wasn't tossed about by the rotation; it seemed guided steadily by an invisible force, rising uniformly and steadily along the tunnel's inner wall. At the exit archway, the feather lifted gently, gracefully passing through the doorway and coming to a smooth stop at the finish line.

The classroom fell silent; you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was stunned by the fluid, incredibly precise movements. A few seconds later, thunderous applause and gasps of amazement erupted!

"Merlin's beard! He hasn't made a single mistake!"

"That speed! That control! It's like you're being led around on a leash!"

"When he crossed the thorny area, Yu didn't even flinch!"

"How long did it take him? It felt so fast!"

"My God, I only knew he was a good student, but with this kind of performance, is he really in the same grade as us?"

Professor Flitwick, his face beaming, excitedly waved his little fist, his voice rising several octaves: "Perfect! Karen Hawthorne! A perfect performance! Zero mistakes! 1 minute and 32 seconds! Ravenclaw, add 15 points!" He flicked his wand, and the sapphire bookmark flew into Karen's hand. "Well done, child! Your control over magic and your understanding of spells far surpass the level expected of someone your age! Even if I were to participate in this competition, I wouldn't perform as well as you."

Karen took the bookmark and bowed slightly to the professor. "Thank you for your praise, Professor." The applause continued, and he could feel the admiring and envious glances from his classmates. Wesley patted him on the back excitedly, Fabian adjusted his glasses, his eyes conveying a sense of "As expected of Karen," and even Ernesto clapped to congratulate her.

Professor Flitwick was still pacing back and forth excitedly: "Do you see that, children! This is the manifestation of the power of the spell!"

Mr. Hawthorne showed us that when your understanding of magic deepens to a certain level, spells become tools at your fingertips! Precise, consistent, and efficient! Of course, this requires talent, but even more so, relentless effort and dedication! I hope you can all take him as an example!

While the other students continued to challenge themselves on the track, Karen's almost theatrical demonstration undoubtedly set an unassailable benchmark. The classroom atmosphere was lively and focused.

Although he didn't mean to boast, he had to admit that the envious glances from others did ease the slight tension he felt due to his recent rapid progress and the expectations placed upon him. He strolled towards the astronomical tower, where Ernesto was to observe the full moon that evening, and he had agreed to help record the data.

Hogwarts Castle was quiet and mysterious at night. A cool breeze blew across the Astronomy Tower, and the vast starry sky seemed almost within reach. Ernesto had already set up his telescope and star tracker, meticulously adjusting the angle. Cullen helped him write down basic data such as time and azimuth in his observation log.

"Karen," Ernesto's voice broke the silence atop the tower as he peered through his telescope, manipulating the calibration disc. "Orion direction, a meteor streaked across the sky, very bright, but quickly disappeared. Record the coordinates and time: right ascension 5h35m, declination -5°, time 21:47." He looked up, his face showing the focused expression of an observer capturing a fleeting phenomenon. "This location and brightness are worth recording; perhaps it can be compared with previous meteor shower data."

Karen quickly jotted down the coordinates and time Ernesto had given him. A night breeze blew by, bringing a chill, but also dispelling the last vestiges of excitement from the daytime Charms class. The vast starry sky brought a sense of tranquility. He assisted Ernesto in completing the remaining basic observation records, and the two chatted idly about classroom anecdotes and the upcoming Quidditch match.

"Gryffindor's Seeker Charlie is reportedly in great form in training lately," Ernesto said, adjusting the fine-tuning knob on his binoculars, his tone carrying the air of a professional analyst. "But the key is their Chaser coordination; their tactical changes during the game are incredibly flexible. Our Ravenclaw Chaser combination is very solid defensively, but their offensive pace is a bit slow. It all depends on whether the Seekers can capitalize on their opportunities."

Karen wasn't particularly interested in tactical analysis, but she found it amusing to hear her roommate's unusually enthusiastic discussion. "Sounds like a very close match?"

"Most likely," Ernesto said confidently. "Slytherin is leading in points, but their last match is against Hufflepuff. Cedric and his team may have no chance of winning the championship, but they certainly won't let Slytherin get points easily. So, our match against Gryffindor is also crucial for the final House Cup winner. Every point matters." He closed his observation notebook. "Alright, that's about it for tonight. Shall we head back to the common room?"

"Let's go," Karen nodded.