Chapter 12

After saying goodbye to Harry and the others, Mike headed to the Transfiguration classroom for the only afternoon class. Professor McGonagall was not fond of late students.

Mike's talent in Transfiguration wasn't as prominent as in Charms, or rather, he wasn't as interested in Transfiguration.

Compared to other offensive spells, Transfiguration was overly complicated to him.

Once Mike began exploring Transfiguration Magic, he discovered that casting spells successfully was challenging. It necessitated a detailed understanding of the material's makeup. Essentially, mastering Transfiguration Magic demanded extensive knowledge of physics and chemistry.

This was somewhat difficult for Mike, who had little study in these subjects in his past or current life. The only somewhat related study was chemistry, learned while being a "cook" under his mentor, enough to get by in Potions class but not for understanding the composition of matter.

However, this didn't mean Mike performed poorly in Transfiguration. On the contrary, his grades were better than those of most freshmen.

Lack of physics and chemistry knowledge? No problem. Many wizards haven't studied these subjects but have their ways of understanding how matter works.

After Transfiguration class, Mike returned to the Ravenclaw common room to continue exploring emotional casting techniques. He was very satisfied with the Full-Body Bind Curse he cast in the dining hall, the strongest since he had learned the spell.

The impact of using emotional spell casting to amplify spells is clearly evident, especially visible in the enhanced brightness of the Lumos spell.

If the luminescence from Mike's initial casting of the Lumos spell was akin to the light from a smartphone's flashlight, then the Lumos spell enhanced by emotional casting and his total effort was comparable to a powerful flashlight, emitting a light that was both intensely bright and deeply penetrating.

Emotional casting isn't an exceptionally advanced technique; it's something most wizards stumble upon during their magical education.

Mike's seniors hadn't failed to mention it due to a lack of skill but because they had not fully understood its core. Their knowledge of spell casting's foundational principles was shallow, motivated primarily by the simple hope of casting spells successfully.

Professor Flitwick, a Charms expert, explained the principle behind this technique in the simplest terms, making it easy for Mike to understand.

Time flew by quickly, and soon, it was time for Mike's detention with Professor Flitwick.

Mike was puzzled why Professor Flitwick intended to teach him the Fire-Making Spell, a not particularly advanced or powerful magic according to his knowledge.

Mike didn't dwell on it too much, recognizing the importance of maintaining a good rapport with Professor Flitwick.

The Head of Ravenclaw, equal in prowess to Snape, may not have been depicted as a standout character in the original narrative, often serving as comic relief among the professors. Yet, the distinction of being a dueling champion is no small feat.

And given Flitwick's unique appearance, he likely faced discrimination not unlike that experienced by Muggle-born wizards, fostering a sense of empathy towards Mike.

When Mike entered the office, Flitwick was perched on a specially made high chair reading the Daily Prophet, with a ladder-like structure between the chair legs for easy access.

"Mike, welcome. Please, have a seat. I've brewed some excellent tea; would you care for a cup?" Flitwick offered with a warm smile.

Upon Mike's agreement, Flitwick gestured with his hand, summoning a teapot and cup to serve Mike a hot cup of tea.

Following a brief exchange over their tea, Flitwick transitioned to the focal point of the evening: the Fire-Making Spell.

Mike had familiarized himself with the fire spell beforehand, finding its casting not too challenging. After several tries, he managed to execute it successfully, although its potency left much to be desired—the fire spell Mike conjured was barely strong enough to light a cigarette at its most potent.

When Mike demonstrated his fire spell to Flitwick, the professor expressed no disappointment. Instead, he offered Mike words of praise, acknowledging that for a Muggle-born wizard to grasp such magic was commendable, and the spell's modest output wasn't his fault.

"The Fire-Making Spell is simple yet practical. Never underestimate it, Mike," Flitwick paused, "It's a versatile spell that can be shaped according to the caster's will."

From his wand flew a raven made of flames, each feather vividly alive, resembling a fire sprite. It danced around the relatively small office, skillfully avoiding every obstacle before vanishing in front of Mike.

Mike was stunned, having never imagined magic could be used in such a way.

Before this, his understanding of magic was straightforward: the wand was like a gun, and the spells were its bullets, with the spell's power depending entirely on the caster's magical strength.

But Flitwick's demonstration showed Mike that magic could be far more than straightforward casting. It opened a new world of possibilities, where spells could be cast in such unique ways.

"Such control requires advanced magical mastery, far beyond your current level, and frankly, it's not practical—it's too showy," Flitwick said with a smile, seeing Mike's awestruck expression, "Come, let me show you something truly useful."

Leading Mike to a bookshelf in the corner, Flitwick waved his wand, and the shelf opened to reveal a room behind it.

This was a spacious spell training room, its walls made of high-grade alchemical materials and carved with ancient runes for protection, ensuring that spells could not damage them.

At the room's end stood several dummies, crafted by alchemists and imbued with unique alchemical spells, allowing them to respond to spells like the Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra), which usually only affects living beings.

Once inside, Flitwick wasted no time. Pointing his wand forward, a deep purple flame burst forth, engulfing a distant dummy.

The intensity of the flames distorted the air around them. Despite the dummies' high-temperature resistance, the purple flames melted them almost instantly, completely consuming them in seconds.

Seeing Mike's dumbfounded look, Flitwick couldn't help but smile proudly.

With another flick of his wand, purple flames emerged again, this time as orbs of fire that shot out in succession from its tip.

These purple fireballs zipped through the air at remarkable speed, some zigzagging unpredictably, before striking the dummy with pinpoint accuracy, culminating in a fierce explosion.

When the dust settled, the dummy was nowhere to be found, its former place marked only by a scorched black patch.

Mike's eyes sparkled with astonishment; he hadn't anticipated the Fire-Making Spell to wield such strength, nor could it be adapted into a fireball technique.

From Flitwick's demonstration, it was like witnessing a barrage from a fireball machine gun!

"Magic is flexible, Mike," Flitwick said, breaking Mike's reverie, "The spells you learn now are simplified versions, making learning easier but also rendering your spells rigid and weak."

"Reflect and feel the flow of magic when you cast. Once you clearly sense the flow of magic, try to control it, let it accept you, become an extension of yourself…"