Don't Stop Me Now
1 week has passed since then, and Noah was still unable to walk, which was quite worrying to say the least. By now, his biggest fear was becoming a reality - his condition was permanent and it would remain like that until he found a way to fix his current predicament, which was way out of his league. After all, albeit for his large mana pool, he was still oblivious as to how to cast complex spells.
And for that, he needed teachers and guidance, something which was literally out of his grasp. He'd tried to persuade the teachers to arrange a caretaker to carry him around in a wheelchair, but they didn't allow him to get out of his stretcher. Hence, as things went, he would probably be deemed incapable of practicing magic and, therefore, 'expulsed' from the college.
Even though he survived his core's disintegration, no one knows what will happen if he casts magic. Hogwarts' staff didn't find it a good idea to cause a student's death by mismanagement, since that would be a huge blow for their reputation - Noah reasoned. And while he knew it was harmless, those were mere words of an oblivious kid who almost got himself killed. No one would believe him, not even his sister.
'If they won't believe me, then I will force them to. Problem is, I can't even walk.' He thought with a poker face.
'I have an idea.'
***
1 hour later...
"Fuck." Noah muttered from the floor, "This won't do."
His idea was simple, just a mild alteration to Wingadium Leviosa - instead of total gravity negation, he would lessen gravity's effect. That's what he thought, but Lady luck wasn't on his side this time.
"Why isn't it working?" He pulled his hair in exasperation, "Where am I going wrong about this?"
Until then all he had to do to change a spell's effect was to use the power of imagination, but it didn't work here.
'Is my mind not envisioning it right?
... No, that's not it. I had watched videos of astronauts walking on the moon before, and I can still remember those. What is different between Lumos and Wingardium then, that's the key to my problem.' He wrecked his head to find an answer to his dilemma.
'While Lumos is the control of light, Wingardium is the control of gravity. Handling light only requires the knowledge of refraction and frequency spectrum, nothing more. On the other hand, gravity has a direct relation with the center of mass at hand. But then again... how does one use Wingardium Leviosa? If I am nullifying Earth's gravity, then how on the world is that possible? Not only would one need a ginormous mana pool but also an opposite target to apply the spell and, thus, erase Earth's effect. I am sure that isn't how this works... was I learning all of it the wrong way?'
He slapped his forehead just as hard as enlightenment hit him. All the spells there were to learn had an explanation behind them, way more complex than what was taught in the textbook. In a spike of sudden excitement, he felt like a mad scientist, with ruffled hair and a delirious grin he set out to more experimentation.
***
2 hours later...
"Don't stop me now." A song of the Queen surged back from his memory. His past boss sure had a good taste, even if it hurt Noah to admit it. Shortly after, a soft piano solo tinged in his memories, doing wonders for his resolve.
'Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time
I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah'
He crawled towards his stretcher, grunting along the way. The pain was insurmountable, but it didn't stop him. He raised himself steadily, his arms trembling from the exertion. "Fuck", he cursed under his breath.
'And floating around in ecstasy
So don't stop me now, don't stop me
'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time'
Instantly, a terrible headache came to him, but he didn't sway. If his theory was correct, then... he will walk again.
'I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity
I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva'
He stepped forward, his movements now felt light and effortless. His smile grew to tear apart his face, arms raised high in the air as a sign of victory. The sunlight glowed on his back.
'I'm gonna go, go, go
There's no stopping me
I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah'
He stepped forward once more, faster and stronger than before - there was nothing more on his way other than his goal.
'Two hundred degrees
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm traveling at the speed of light'
He walked faster, looking straight at the nursery's exit, his eyes unwavering. A few patients turned their heads to glance at him.
'I wanna make a supersonic man out of you
Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time
I'm having a ball'
"THAT's RIGHT! I am having a fucking ball." He sang along, causing a few to stare at his crazy disposition.
'Don't stop me now
If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call
Don't stop me now - 'cause I'm having a good time
Don't stop me now - yes, I'm havin' a good time
I don't want to stop at all'
A nurse opened her mouth in clear shock, staring at him in disbelief.
"How is he walking?!" She asked her patient, who cocked his head in confusion.
'Why are you asking me?'
'Yeah, I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars
On a collision course
I am a satellite, I'm out of control
I am a sex machine, ready to reload
Like an atom bomb about to Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh explode'
His pace increased with the music, his mana rushing through his blood vessels almost as if on sync with his hysteria. Eyes fixed on the doors, steps firm and strong, sooner or later he would get out of there.
'I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah
Two hundred degrees
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm traveling at the speed of light
I wanna make a supersonic woman of you'
Perhaps it was the prospect of walking after a week of staring at nothing, his success, or the music, or all of the three together, but he briefly lost his concentration and fell down to the ground.
'Don't stop me, don't stop me
Don't stop me, hey, hey, hey
Don't stop me, don't stop me
Ooh ooh ooh, I like it
Don't stop me, don't stop me
Have a good time, good time'
His face didn't grimace though, instead, it remained with the same stupid grin. Getting up with the support of his calves, he wiped his shirt of dirt and continued walking. His shadow grew the more close he was to the door, the sun shining on his back. He opened it and walked away, picking up velocity as he ran through the hallways - his mana wasn't infinite after all. He was about to have a talk with the headmistress as to if he could or not get back to classes.
'Nobody will forbid my entrance, that's a fact.
I am having classes, no matter what.'