The next day Leon even early than normal. He was very eager to make some progress in the exercises given by the book and try out the new spell.
After all, the author dangled other spells like Vis Quod cupio will only be given to him after he completes the first phase of the exercises.
The first phase was over when the reader could feel the connection with his mind. For that, the exercise was just to sit and empty his mind and feel his body.
Leon didn't know how one would feel connection to their mind, seeing a body is just a organic mecha controlled by the brain, but started doing the exercises.
And as the M.T.S author said, it was boring.
But he was able see his progress. He vaguely felt his mind, it was like he was peering at the world through two eyes and suddenly he was able to look at his other eye.
It was quite magical if not little disorienting.
Leon felt like the connection he was supposed to feel can't be different to the connection he feels to the objects under his magic.
With those objects, they and his mind have the connection, and now he and his mind will have to get the same connection.
After trying and feeling to connect to his mind for an hour, he started practising the three-word spell of the M.T.S book.
Sitting on his butt for long time was never his style.
The spell practice was a little difficult, and boring too. The spell was the type where you can only see the result if aimed at a target. So, there were no magical effects or visible improvement that hit him with dopamine.
'Practice makes perfect, I don't believe this charm will be any different from the others.'
After he was sure he got a grip on the spell, he entered the common room and started searching for a target for his spell.
"Meow!" A cat sat on a high shelf, looking down at him.
It was a half Kneazle, a semi magical cat. With it's sharp ears and fluffy well-groomed orange coat, the cat looked cute as hell, making him hesitate.
'The spell is supposed to be harmless, it won't do anything if it fails, I double-checked it.'
As he was going to play with someone's mind, he was extra cautious. Thus, he even practiced the spell before trying it on something.
'Welp! Here goes nothing, Susan did say the book wouldn't have problematic spells if it has Dumbledore's tacit approval.'
Leon waved his wand and incanted.
"Vis Quod Cupi"
Reality battering his magic, his spell, testing his magic's strength before it bent accommodating itself around his magic.
The cat left out a high-pitched yelp and booked it.
'Awesome! It worked.'
With a big grin, Leon started to scare the shit out of his housemates' pets, all in the name of testing the spell's parameters.
...
"If everything is ready, let's go to the Hospital wing right after our class ends. And if the spell is harmless, we will go to the field." Susan nudged him.
Instead of just watching her friend who was getting more depressed and filled with anxiety as the day for the tryouts approached, she decided to follow his plan which hinged on his new spell.
The classes ended with no surprises.
After sending Hannah away to fetch brooms, Susan and Leon stood beside the Hospital wing's entrance.
"We don't have to do this. There must be other ways to help Hannah, maybe a potion." Leon fiddled with his wand, eyeing the distance to the Hospital wing's door.
"Doping isn't allowed especially for tryouts, and it isn't a long-term solution. Don't worry! It's quite safe, I have my heir ring- which will block magic with harmful intention- and the book was examined by the headmaster, and the spell is supposed to be harmless AND you tried it on a cat. I think my mind is a little more resistant and stronger than a cat's," Susan laughed a little, looking at her nervous friend.
"You were the one who suggested it, get on with it already." Susan hurried to him as he stood thinking through the plan of action, for the seventh time that day, if something went wrong.
He nodded and got ready.
With a wave of his wand, reality rippled.
"Hmm! It's working. It's a good spell. It mimics what most new legimens can do." Susan said, eyeing something invisible in the air.
'I wonder if this is why the author's master said the spell was a waste of magic.'
"But it's definitely better, it's a very good spell." Susan continued, her eyes tracking something invisible.
"Why do you think so?"
"A common legilimens will have to maintain eye contact to imitate this spell and unlike occlumency, legilimence is tougher and fewer people are talented in it. The affinity barrier in legilimency is no joke, so it's a good spell. Come now, let's hurry!"
"No, wait. Tell me about their realness of the illusion." He stopped his friend.
Susan flinched looking at him.
"It looks very real, Leon. But couldn't you think of anything better filling the corridor with people with no eyes and big, creepy, smile? Hurry up, now." Without waiting for an answer, she dragged him towards the quidditch field.
They quickly reached the Quidditch field to see Hannah twiddling her thumbs in a corner as their classmates flew around.
She perked up when she saw Susan.
"Where did you guys go?"
"Doesn't matter right now! Let's go!"
Susan took her broom and took off.
As Hannah followed her, she didn't notice a semi-transparent ball of light hitting her back.
"Are you guys ready to lose?" Leon yelled as he faced his classmates.
He didn't know what Susan told Zachary Smith- the arrogant boy- to make him participate in a quidditch match. But the other two guys looked like they didn't take much convincing as they vibrated on their brooms.
The six of them divided into two groups with Susan, Leon, and Hannah as one team and the remaining making up the other.
There weren't any fixed positions like keeper or beaters, and they played the game without any bludgers and the golden snitch.
The game revolved around the Quaffle and the team with the most goals would be the winner.
A few minutes into the Quidditch lite game, Justin's inexperience showed through while Ernie played like he knew what he was doing.
Leon's performance wasn't also eye-catching as he had to maintain the spell while controlling the broom. So, he just hung back and watched Susan and Hannah play. With Justin not able to do much, there wasn't a need for him to interfere.
The twin-tailed girl slowly shed her shell, getting more proactive in the air.
With a slam that surprised everyone she sent Smith spiralling and scored after doing a perfect corkscrew dive.
Everyone except Smith clapped for the girl, impressed by her maneuver.
Smith too started to play aggressively. Slamming, crashing into Leon's friends with abandon.
Smith aggressively checked Leon's shoulder as he tried to slow him down and trailed Hannah as she barreled towards the goalpost.
Smith pulled up before Hannah, trying to catch the Quaffle.
They both rammed into each other so hard, that Leon thought he heard bones breaking.
She then dived and kicked the ball towards Susan who passed it back to her as Ernie dogged her.
Smith and Hannah played a game of cat and mouse with Hannah always being one step ahead of him.
The Hufflepuff harpy passed the Quaffle to Leon before ramming into Smith which sent both of them spiralling.
With everyone occupied and Justin slowly trudging towards Leon, he quickly scored.
The game continued with both team's scores always very near to each other.
While Leon didn't like Smith, he had to admit he was a talented player.
"Don't use the spell now. We need a better score to let Hannah adjust after the spell makes her lose her cool, losing the game wouldn't help with her confidence." Susan hovered beside Leon as both watched Hannah and Smith trying to kill each other.
"You should have chosen someone from other houses or a second year who isn't good at Quidditch," he let out a sigh.
"I didn't know he could play so well, I thought he was just boasting he like normally does."' Susan bit her lip, distraught.
"Haa! I will try to pick up some slack." He promised.
Leon could feel the spell connecting his mind to Hannah's, he was just waiting for a perfect time.
The Hufflepuff could be called talented in flying not because he had amazing reflexes like Harry or conditioned reflexes and maneuvers like Hannah.
He was talented because the broom responded to his mind. The connection he felt with the objects under his magic was the core of his 'talent'. And with the said mind occupied by the spell, he had to stress his mind, exhausting it, to play well.
Ignoring the burden the spell made him feel, Leon actively clashed with Smith who didn't hold back, showing him who was better in the air.
Leon didn't have the experience or practice on how to reduce impact and how to perfectly obstruct or ram into the opponent. So, he wasn't as smooth as Smith.
"You aren't much of a man in the air, are you Astraeus?" Smith taunted, after ramming into him as he passed the Quaffle to Hannah.
Leon just snickered.
Something about a 14-year-old talking about being a man tickled him wrong.
Smith looked like he wanted to ram his broom into Leon's stomach as he laughed but hurriedly flew away with a scoff as Ernie failed to stop Hannah.
But Leon wasn't letting him go that easily.
Just like that, slowly, Leon's team gained lead at the cost of bruises on Leon's body and his hands.
When Hannah saw Smith trying to ram his broom onto Leon's fingers taking advantage of the latter's inexperience, she flew off handle and nearly sent the guy flying from his broom.
Smith didn't kiss the ground only because of his quick reflexes, he hooked his leg around his broom at the last second taking it with him before he quickly stabilizing himself as he fell.
But Smith achieved what he wanted, Leon was further slowed down due to his injuries, making him less active in the game.
The spotlight went to Hannah and Smith again.
Taking the Quaffle from Ernie, Hannah started soaring towards the opponent's goalpost.
A small bump to Justin's broom changed its angle, sending him crashing towards Smith while Susan dogged Ernie.
With Smith and Ernie hot on her tail, Hannah scored a perfect goal with her Quaffle curving into the middle goalpost.
As a smile graced her face at her perfect run, she suddenly heard cheers echo from the stands.
"Hannah! Hannah!" People in yellow, scarlet and silver robes cheered her, wiping the smile off her face.
'What! What?' Sadly, Smith didn't care for her surprise.
He quickly left towards the goalpost with the quaffle.
Hannah let him, still reeling from the sudden appearance of the audience.
The Hufflepuff started staring at her broom after a quick look at the audience stand which was suddenly filled with people.
"Hannah! Get back in the game!" Susan cried out as her friend stopped flying and hovered in the same spot.
While her friend's voice snapped her out, the shy girl reverted back to her on-ground personality and became very passive in the game.
With Hannah off her game, Leon had to pick up the slack to not let Smith close the gap in the score.
The pressure on the Hufflepuff increased as he had to maintain the illusion, but he continued clashing against Smith. While he was partially successful, he started accumulating even more injuries.
Susan tried to help but with Ernie blocking her, she couldn't do much.
.....
Smith barreled past Leon with ease. With their scores nearly catching up, the arrogant puff concentrated on scoring instead of trying to clash with Leon.
Leon was so exhausted that even thinking became a chore, but he continued playing the game, mechanically.
"A little help would be nice, Hannah," Leon called out with an exhausted smile as she trailed Smith with none of her former vigor.
Hannah's eyes were teary, likely due to her anxiety about playing in front of the audience.
Smith once again barreled past Leon, but this time Susan tricked Ernie and tried to stop him, only to get hurt as Smith tackled her and continued moving.
Generally, the Quidditch attire prevents bruises but as it was not an official game, they weren't wearing any.
Susan getting hurt shook Hannah. The Hufflepuff slowly started to gain back her vigor, ignoring the audience who were shouting, cheering and sometimes booing.
Time slowly passed, and the scores were evenly matched when Hannah regained her boisterous laugh.
She once again became a harpy that was in the sky, making Smith sweat to score and take bruises in exchange for the Quaffle.
While the game turned from friendly to hardcore because of Smith, it was good practice for Hannah.
With Leon's team win guaranteed after one more goal, Smith turned even more aggressive.
Justin and Leon just watched their teammates become blurs in the air, twisting, turning and ramming into each other.
As the inexperienced one and the exhausted one watched the match, Smith and Hannah were flying neck to neck with the Quaffle safely tucked in Hannah's left hand.
Hannah just kept changing the Quaffle from one hand to another as Smith circled her trying to take the Quaffle. That meant taking her hands off the broom while flying at breakneck speed.
'When did she become ambidextrous? Is this the power of friendship?'
Smith finally relented and decided to slow her down and obstruct her.
But Hannah didn't slow down, they kept dodging and ramming into each other and finally, Hannah crashed her broom into Smith and jumped from broom, scoring a goal.
She hung from the metal goalpost, laughing, kicking her legs in the air.
"We won!" "Argh!" Susan's yell of joy and Smith's yell of frustration echoed at the same time.
The crowd roared in approval, chanting Hannah's name.
Susan flew to fetch her friend as Leon slowly landed and sprawled on the ground.
"You! If you didn't know how to play you should have watched from the sidelines. Not imitate duck in the air." Smith yelled at Justin who stood beside Leon, looking at him in concern.
"Oh! Buzz off, Smith, it was just a game." Leon propped himself and looked at the joy sucker.
"Yeah! It's a game. Apologise to Justin, Smith," Ernie joined the boys, glaring at Smith.
Smith just huffed and walked away with his broom.
"What happened to you, Leon? Why are you so exhausted?"
"Nothing! Just didn't get much sleep yesterday."
Susan and Hannah quickly huddled around him, looking at him in concern.
Leon stood up and waved at the two boys.
"Nice game! See you guys later!"
Under Susan's guilty and Hannah's doubtful gaze, he walked away.
"Did you cast the illusion? Why didn't you dispel it yet?" Hannah asked.
"Why are you still maintaining it?" Susan clasped his shoulders and pulled him up like he would faint any minute.
..............
A/N: I got help from author support and was able to upload chapter 23. He/she is very cool.