Chapter 33. Restricted Section!
Not long after, other students arrived one after another. Professor Flitwick stepped onto the podium on a stack of thick magic books, trembling slightly, his mustache curled high: "Good morning, students! Today we will be practicing the advanced usage of Wingardium Leviosa - not only to make the feather levitate, but to make it move along a designated trajectory, and even change its flight speed! This is a great test of your magical control!"
Exclamations of surprise immediately rang out in the classroom. Advanced levitation charms required extremely high magic output; if one was slightly careless, the feather would fall to the ground, and even many older students might not be able to do it.
Professor Flitwick demonstrated it once. He waved his wand gently, and a feather immediately floated up from the table, drawing a perfect circle in the air, then turned into a thin line, circling and dancing around the podium, and finally landing steadily in his palm.
"Alright, now it's your turn!" Professor Flitwick said with a smile. "Whoever can do it, I will add five points to their house!"
The students immediately became excited, picking up their wands and chanting the spell.
Draco tried several times, but the feather only wobbled in the air, barely levitating - let alone drawing a circle, even maintaining stability was difficult; Goyle and Crabbe were even worse, knocking the feather to the ground, drawing laughter from those around them; Harry and Ron from Gryffindor were also in a flurry, with Ron's feather almost flying onto Professor Flitwick's head.
Only Edward, standing by the window, raised his wand with a calm expression. He didn't chant the spell immediately, but first slowly injected the magic within his body into the wand, feeling that warm power flowing out along the wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
As the low incantation fell, a feather floated up from the table, hovering steadily in the air without the slightest tremor. Immediately after, the feather began to move according to Edward's intent, first drawing a standard circle, then turning into the shape of a pentagram, and finally, like a butterfly, circling and dancing in the air, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, every movement as precise as if measured with a ruler.
The whole process was smooth and natural, without a single stutter, as if the feather had eyes.
The classroom instantly quieted down, and everyone's eyes were focused on Edward. Draco widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief; Harry and Ron also stopped their movements, watching the dancing feather, amazed.
Professor Flitwick was so excited that he jumped down from the books, his mustache shaking non-stop, and walked quickly to Edward's side: "Brilliant! Black! Simply perfect magical control! This is the most precise application of the Levitation Charm I have ever seen! Ten points to Slytherin! No, fifteen points!"
Edward lowered his wand, and the feather landed gently in his palm. He nodded slightly to Professor Flitwick, without a hint of pride on his face, his tone as calm as a deep pool: "Thank you for your praise, Professor. I just think that the essence of a spell is the extension of intent, and the precision of magic is more important than intensity."
This sentence hit the heart of Professor Flitwick. He nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining astonishingly: "Well said! That is so true! Many wizards never understand this principle in their entire lives! Your understanding of magic is far beyond your peers!"
When the bell rang for the end of class, Professor Flitwick specifically kept Edward behind. Other students left one after another. Draco wanted to wait for him, but was stopped by a look from Edward.
"Professor," Edward took the initiative to speak, not directly mentioning the Restricted Section, but taking a notebook from his pocket, which was filled with his questions about spell transformation, "I have been researching the principle of conversion between spells and elements recently, such as the energy source of the Incendio spell, and how the Levitation Charm leverages the power of air elements... but the books in the library's open area mostly only talk about how to use the spells, rarely involving the deeper principles."
He paused, looking into Professor Flitwick's eyes, his tone sincere: "I heard that there are some ancient magical texts hidden in the Restricted Section, perhaps there might be relevant records. Of course, I know that entering the Restricted Section requires strict permission, I just wanted to ask, how can one obtain the qualification to read them?"
Professor Flitwick was stunned for a moment, then understood his meaning. He pondered for a moment, stroking his small mustache, and said seriously: "Black, I admire your talent and thirst for knowledge. Permission for the Restricted Section is not easily obtained; it requires the joint recommendation of at least two Professors, and a clear direction and reason for research."
He patted Edward's shoulder, his eyes full of expectation: "If you can continue to maintain this standard in the upcoming Charms classes, and write a detailed research plan, I am very willing to be one of your recommenders. But this is a gradual process; there is no need to rush."
Edward's eyes brightened.
This was exactly the result he wanted. There was no immediate permission, but there was a clear direction.
He bowed to Professor Flitwick, his tone solemn: "Thank you, Professor. I will work hard."
Professor Flitwick nodded with a smile, watching Edward's back, stroking his mustache with satisfaction. He had a premonition that this heir of the House of Black would surely become an extraordinary wizard in the future.
Edward walked in the corridor, the flame at his fingertips jumping silently in his cuff. His goal was very clear - to write a rigorous research plan, continue to demonstrate his strength in Charms class, and obtain permission to enter the Restricted Section.
As for those boring disputes about Potter and Malfoy, let them continue to make a fuss.
His battlefield had always been among those dusty tomes, in those untouched magical mysteries.
The morning at Hogwarts was always wrapped in the mist of the Black Lake; damp, cold vapor drifted over the stone walls of the Castle, condensing into fine droplets on the window lattices of the corridors. When Edward walked into the Charms class classroom just as the final chime of the bell faded, Professor Flitwick was standing atop a stack of thick magic books, tiptoeing to tidy the feathers on his podium. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a fuzzy, glowing sheen upon his silver-white mustache.
Upon seeing Edward, the diminutive Professor's eyes brightened instantly. He waved his birch wand, and a cluster of feathers fluttered lightly into his palm: "Black, you've arrived just in time! Your advanced Levitation Charm practice yesterday was textbook-perfect - precise intent, effortless control of magic. I have already added your name to the list of outstanding students."
Edward walked to his usual seat by the window and smoothed out his open notebook. On the yellowing pages, dense annotations about his control of magic were written, with diagrams of elemental circulation sketched in the margins. He looked up at Professor Flitwick, his tone remaining as calm as a deep pool: "Thank you for your recognition, Professor. Regarding the matter of entering the Restricted Section, I would like to confirm the specific procedure with you once more."
Professor Flitwick hopped down from the stack of books, the hem of his robe brushing across the desk and stirring up a faint scent of ink. He stroked his mustache, his smile fading slightly, replaced by a businesslike seriousness: "I know you are eager, but the school rules of Hogwarts have always been strict. Access to the Restricted Section requires the joint signatures and guarantees of two Professors, along with a plan detailed down to every research node. I can be your first recommender; after all, I truly admire your aptitude for magic and your dedication to research."