"Next, let's learn the first spell of the year, the Illumination Spell."
Professor Flitwick's voice rang out, high and cheerful. He had a playful tone that made everyone feel at ease. "When you say the spell, remember to pronounce the words clearly. Follow my lead and say 'Lumoshine!'"
As the students from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw began to practice, Professor Flitwick noticed that many of them were quickly grasping the spell. He decided to let them practice on their own for a bit.
"Lumoshine..."
The sound of the spell filled the classroom, rising and falling as students attempted it one by one.
The Illumination Spell was relatively simple, and the concept behind it was not difficult for the young wizards to understand. The main challenge was applying just the right amount of magic power. Since this was their first time using wands, many of the students struggled to make their wands light up, even though they had a clear intention to do so.
"Your pronunciation is wrong!" Hermione called out as she corrected Harry and Neville. Meanwhile, Ivan sat quietly at his desk, deep in thought about the difficulties he faced while trying to master the Illumination Spell.
The magical knowledge that Dumbledore had imparted to Ivan was mostly theoretical. It provided a solid foundation for his future studies in magic. This made sense, given Dumbledore's position as headmaster; he couldn't personally teach every subject when there were qualified professors for that purpose. Dumbledore didn't have enough time to handle all the responsibilities himself.
Ivan's approach to learning was to start with independent study in the library and then seek advice from professors when he ran into problems. If even the professors couldn't provide answers, he would turn to Dumbledore for further guidance.
"Oh, look! Miss Granger did it!"
At that moment, Professor Flitwick's eyes lit up as he noticed a bright light shining from the tip of Hermione's wand. He jumped with excitement, eager to praise her for her talent. "Thanks to Miss Granger, Gryffindor earns 5 points!"
In their first class, being the first student to successfully cast a spell deserved special recognition. After Hermione, several other students from Ravenclaw also managed to perform the Illumination Spell, demonstrating its ease.
The Illumination Spell was considered basic, and Ivan thought of it as a foundational skill that nearly every young wizard could learn quickly.
As the minutes ticked by, Ivan estimated that only about ten minutes remained in the class. So far, only five students had successfully cast the spell. Most of these were from Ravenclaw, while Gryffindor had only Hermione and Harry, who had benefited from her guidance.
"That seems about right," Ivan mused. With just over twenty students in the classroom, a one-quarter success rate wasn't too surprising.
"Lumos!"
"Lumos!"
"Lumos..."
Just as Ivan prepared to raise his hand and ask Professor Flitwick about the Illumination Spell, an unexpected explosion suddenly rocked the classroom. Ivan's demeanor shifted, and he became serious.
"Ah!"
"What happened?"
The young wizards jumped at the loud noise that erupted in the spells class. Even Professor Flitwick had not anticipated this event.
The cheerful dean of Ravenclaw, with his short legs, hurried toward the source of the explosion, clearly startled but ready to investigate.
"Huh?"
Flitwick froze for a moment as he observed a glowing circle of light surrounding Harry, Ron, and their friends. Inside that circle stood a boy whose face was covered in soot and his hair was a mess.
Seeing that the student appeared dirty but was otherwise uninjured, Flitwick sighed in relief.
"Are you okay, Seamus?"
Ivan quickly dispelled the magical barrier surrounding the area, waved his wand, and quietly cast two spells: "Clean up! Restore to original!"
In an instant, the previously damaged table was as good as new, and even Seamus's hair and clothes were cleaned up perfectly.
"Oh!"
"What beautiful cleaning and repairing spells!"
Professor Flitwick's eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at Ivan. "I have never seen a first-year wizard use those spells so effortlessly! Gryffindor earns 10 points!"
"Thank you, Professor," Ivan replied, feeling proud of his quick thinking. He then turned to Seamus and asked a few questions, making sure he was alright. Seamus assured him he was fine and expressed his gratitude for Ivan's help.
"No problem at all," Ivan replied, relieved to have handled the situation successfully. Afterward, he turned back to Professor Flitwick and said, "Professor, I have a few questions."
"Oh!"
"Of course!" Flitwick replied, clearly flattered by Ivan's eagerness. "What do you want to know, little Ivan?" He appreciated students who showed a strong desire to learn, especially someone as talented and polite as Ivan.
"That's right."
Ivan smiled softly, his voice steady with confidence and curiosity. "In practicing the Illumination Spell, I found that simply saying the spell isn't the only important factor. It acts more like a mental suggestion that helps us focus our intentions."
"Well, yes, that's true. Silent casting by wizards is based on this idea," Flitwick acknowledged.
After he spoke, Ivan placed his wand down on the table and extended his index finger. A small ball of white light appeared at his fingertip. It was bright but not blinding, instantly capturing the attention of all the students in the room.
"Merlin's beard!" Flitwick exclaimed, completely astonished.
The young wizard before him not only bypassed the traditional method of casting the Illumination Spell, but he also managed to do it without his wand. This was a remarkable feat—casting spells silently and without a wand was considered an advanced skill in the wizarding world!
"How did you do that?"
Flitwick had seen some wizards from Africa casting spells with gestures, but those techniques usually involved drawing symbols in the air. For example, the "Avada Kedavra" spell looked like a lightning symbol when cast with a wand. Many spells traced their paths in the air as they were cast.
But Ivan...
Flitwick examined Ivan closely. He realized that Ivan wasn't using his fingers to draw runes; he was truly mobilizing magic with just his mind.
"Just some minor tricks," Ivan said modestly as he picked up his wand again. "Actually, what I want to discuss isn't the casting technique itself, but rather how the same spell can produce different effects depending on how we channel our magic power."
"What?"
This time, not only were the young wizards confused, but even Flitwick found it hard to process what Ivan had said.
"Let me explain."
Feeling that words alone wouldn't be enough, Ivan decided to demonstrate the results of his research over the past month.
"Professor, watch closely. This is the Illumination Spell using standard magic power."
Ivan pronounced the spell accurately, and the tip of his wand lit up with a bright glow.
Next, he adjusted the flow of magic power and pointed the wand above his head. "But if I increase the magic power by ten times, it will look like this!"
"Buzz!"
In an instant, a dazzling light flared above their heads, illuminating the entire classroom. Everyone turned their attention to Ivan, captivated by the display. If they hadn't been focused on him, the brightness might have caused them to squint or tear up, much like Ivan had experienced previously.
As the bright light filled the room, the students were in awe. They couldn't believe their eyes, witnessing the demonstration of such advanced magical abilities from someone in their first year.
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