Charlie woke up with every muscle in his body aching. It wasn't just physical exhaustion—his magic felt drained, like a well nearly emptied overnight. The previous evening's training session had been productive, but his body clearly wasn't used to repeated spellcasting at that level.
He sat up in bed with a groan, glancing at the floating System Notification.
[System Alert: Fatigue Accumulating]
"Training progress is steady, but overexertion may lead to magical instability."
[New Quest Available: Managing Magical Stamina]
"Improve your magical endurance through controlled spellcasting."
Task Instructions: Perform at least 50 spell repetitions while maintaining precise magical control. Rest periods must be observed. Excess strain will lower effectiveness.
Reward: +2 Magical Control, +1 Stamina.
Bonus Reward (For exceeding 100 repetitions): +1 Additional Magical Control, New Passive Skill: Efficient Mana Flow.
Charlie frowned. That was new. He hadn't considered that magic had a limit before needing recovery, much like muscle fatigue in athletes.
So I can't just brute-force my way to strength. I need to train smarter.
Deciding to give his body and magic some time to recover, Charlie spent the morning in the Hogwarts Library. The quiet hum of students flipping pages and the faint scent of ink and parchment were oddly calming. He browsed the Transfiguration section, searching for techniques to supplement his own learning.
One particular book caught his eye: "The Art of Silent Casting & Advanced Visualization." The pages detailed how experienced wizards didn't always rely on incantations but rather used strong mental imagery to direct magic more effectively.
[System Quest Completed: Basic Magical Study]
"You have gained insights into advanced spellcasting."
Task Instructions: Read and analyze at least two books on magical theory. Take notes to reinforce memory retention.
Reward: +2 Magical Control, New Spell Unlocked: Silencio (Basic Silent Casting).
Bonus Reward (For reading an additional book and testing new spells): +1 Spellcasting, Increased Comprehension Rate for Silent Spells.
Visualization… Maybe that's what McGonagall meant about feeling the magic, not forcing it.
Later that night, Charlie returned to the empty classroom he had been using for personal training. His plan was simple—keep practicing his spells and control his fatigue.
But he wasn't alone.
Selena was already there, levitating a series of training dummies while sending controlled bursts of Stupefy at them.Her precision was remarkable, and every spell landed exactly where she intended.
She didn't seem surprised to see him. "Took you long enough."
Charlie crossed his arms. "Didn't know we were scheduling sessions."
Selena shrugged. "You're struggling with Transfiguration, and I need someone to practice against. Think of it as a trade—I'll help you with dueling, you help me refine my transformations."
Charlie hesitated. "Why me?"
She smirked. "Because you're desperate enough to get better. And I like watching people struggle."
[New Quest Available: Rivalry Training]
"Train with Selena to improve dueling and Transfiguration skills."
Task Instructions: Successfully land five effective stunning spells during sparring. Assist in two successful Transfiguration spellcasts.
Reward: +3 Magical Control, +2 Spellcasting, New Spell Unlocked: Expelliarmus (Disarming Charm).
Bonus Reward (For landing ten hits and perfecting one Transfiguration attempt): +1 Bonus Magical Control, +2 Dueling Skill.
Selena wasted no time. She walked to the far side of the room and raised her wand, assuming a dueling stance.
"We're going to start with basic spell exchanges," she said. "I'll fire at you first. You dodge and counter."
Charlie barely had time to nod before a Stupefy shot toward him. He rolled to the side, raising his wand for a weak counterattack. His own Stupefy barely flickered before vanishing mid-air.
Selena sighed. "Pathetic. Again."
They continued, her spells increasing in intensity. Charlie forced himself to react faster, anticipate her moves, and cast back without hesitation. His first few stunning spells were weak, but as the minutes turned into an hour, he finally managed to land a clean hit.
[Task Progress: 1/5 Stunning Spells Landed]
By the end of the session, he had landed five successful spells—barely. His control had improved, but Selena was still leagues ahead.
[Task Completed: 5 Stunning Spells Landed]
After a brief rest, Selena tossed a beetle onto the desk. "Your turn."
Charlie groaned. He had spent all day failing at Transfiguration, but he knew she wasn't about to let him off the hook.
"Transform it into a button," she instructed. "No shortcuts. Visualize. Feel the shift in structure."
He lifted his wand, breathing in slowly. Focus. Shape. Change.
The beetle twitched, then flickered between insect and metal before returning to its original state.
Selena clicked her tongue. "Not enough conviction. Try again."
Charlie adjusted his grip and repeated the process. This time, the beetle fully transformed—though the button was lumpy and slightly misshapen.
[Task Progress: 1/2 Successful Transfiguration Spells]
"Not bad," Selena admitted. "Again. And this time, make it perfect."
He spent another twenty minutes refining his control. The final attempt was clean—polished, smooth, exactly as it should be.
[Bonus Task Completed: Perfected One Transfiguration Attempt]
Selena smirked. "There might be hope for you after all."
[Quest Completed: Rivalry Training]
Reward: +3 Magical Control, +2 Spellcasting, New Spell Unlocked: Expelliarmus.
Bonus Achieved: +1 Bonus Magical Control, +2 Dueling Skill.
Charlie exhaled. He had earned every point. He wasn't just training anymore—he was improving.
Their first joint training session was brutal. Selena didn't hold back in her dueling techniques, forcing Charlie to dodge, react, and cast faster than he was comfortable with. His Stupefy was still weak, but at least he was finally landing a few hits.
More importantly, his Transfiguration improved under her guidance. She pointed out flaws in his technique, forcing him to refine his wand work and mental clarity.
As the session ended, Charlie was exhausted but satisfied. He wasn't great yet—not even close—but he had tangible proof of progress.
Lying in bed, Charlie reflected on everything that had happened.
He had a new training partner, a better grasp on magic, and now a new goal—protecting his mind from potential threats.
He wasn't anywhere near ready for the Triwizard Tournament.
But step by step, he was getting there.
Finally, he opened his System Panel, eager to track his growth.
[System Panel: Status Overview]
Name: Charlie Alden
House: Hufflepuff
Year: Fourth-Year
Magical Control: 8 (+5)
Spellcasting: 6 (+4)
Potions: 1
Transfiguration: 4 (+3)
Dueling: 3 (+3)
Stamina: 5 (+1)
System Skills: Minor Spell Repetition (Passive), Efficient Mana Flow (Passive)
Spells Unlocked: Expelliarmus, Silencio
Quests Completed: Basic Magical Study, Rivalry Training
Charlie exhaled. The numbers proved it. He was growing stronger, even if it was little by little.
Soon, I won't just be playing catch-up. I'll be leading the race.