27

Chapter 27: Alchemy and Weasley

"Ah, a very clever way of guiding—though it's a shortcut, it can indeed accelerate your mastery of the spell. Wade, this was your idea, wasn't it?" Professor Flitwick remarked, his serious demeanor softening as he smiled.

Wade nodded, a bright smile on his face.

Professor Flitwick waved his wand, copying the parchment ten times so each group could have one. He cautioned, "This serves as a reference, but mastering the technique is crucial. I'll collect the parchments in ten minutes. I expect everyone to have mastered the Levitation Charm by then! For those who can levitate the feather—why not try making it rotate in the air?"

Students resumed their practice, while Professor Flitwick circled the room, offering guidance.

Wade directed his feather to draw circles and squares in the air before beginning to recite incantations. Anthony watched with envy, continuing to practice the Levitation Charm diligently.

After class, Gryffindors hurried off to History of Magic. With no morning classes, Ravenclaws like Wade headed to the library. Michael planned to join him but was intercepted before he could leave.

"Hey, Michael." His roommate Terry draped an arm around his shoulders. "You've been disappearing after classes lately, studying with Wade, right? I heard Granger and Longbottom from Gryffindor have been joining you?"

A circle of Ravenclaws stared at him expectantly.

Michael raised his hands in surrender. "You caught me! Why all the interest?"

"So Longbottom's success with the Levitation Charm is due to your study sessions?" Lisa asked eagerly. "We thought you were just doing homework together."

"Michael, could you spare some time to teach me too?" Padma inquired. "I'm struggling with the Fire-Making Spell."

Padma, a striking Indian girl, had always fascinated Michael, but he refused to take credit where it wasn't due.

"While I'd love to help with spells I've mastered, Padma, it's Wade who excels at teaching—not me. We're all learning from Wade," Michael admitted honestly.

"Wait—"

Everyone fell silent.

In their eyes, Wade Gray appeared aloof yet handsome, serious yet talented, always distancing himself from others. Though their ages were the same, Wade avoided jokes, games, parties, and even Quidditch. He vanished after classes and seldom returned to the common room until curfew. Most students socialized and did homework in the lounge, but Wade rarely made an appearance. The Ravenclaws felt he kept them at arm's length.

In short, he was a distant figure to them.

That explained why few approached Wade—most young wizards found him intimidating.

...

The library was quiet; Madam Pince, instead of scrutinizing students, was engrossed in her book. Upon Wade's arrival, she glanced up briefly before returning to her reading.

After two months, Madam Pince had grown familiar with the first-year students who frequented the library. She knew which ones could be trusted to study quietly and which ones required constant vigilance to prevent noise, book damage, or fights.

Wade fell into the former category, a student she trusted completely.

Navigating to the alchemy section, Wade had recently started devoting time to studying the subject.

Alchemy explored the composition, structure, and magical properties of the four basic elements, as well as material transformations. It intersected with potions, spells, ancient runes, and defense against the dark arts. At Hogwarts, only students who achieved "Exceeds Expectations" or higher on their Ordinary Wizarding Levels in these subjects could pursue alchemy. It was a formidable discipline—without a solid foundation in magical theory, lower-grade students struggled to grasp it through self-study.

Indeed, Hogwarts life was steeped in alchemical influences—the perpetually lit hall candles, the castle's 142 moving staircases, the seemingly sentient portraits, the animated door knockers, as well as broomsticks, Golden Snitches, the Sorting Hat, wizarding chess, the Pensieve, and more.

Basic alchemy wasn't overly complex to begin with, but alchemists loved employing rare words, obscure expressions, and fantastical embellishments that inadvertently elevated the difficulty.

With over twenty years of cultivated reading comprehension from his previous life, Wade possessed a wealth of knowledge and vocabulary. Thus, despite the challenges, he persevered through alchemical texts one by one.

Recently, he delved into works by Nicholas Flamel—"Alchemy Commences" and "Alchemy Analysis". Presently, Wade was absorbed in "The Book of Natural Mysteries: The Fifth Element".

Authored by 12th-century alchemist Raymond Lull, it delved into the Philosopher's Stone, often referred to as the fifth element.

"This book is somewhat outdated; Nicholas Flamel proved many of its theories incorrect when he created the Philosopher's Stone."

A voice interrupted Wade's thoughts. He looked up to find the Weasley twins standing beside him, George having spoken.

"You're a first-year?" Fred pulled up a chair and sat down, saying, "It's a bit early to delve into this."

"But I must say, you have good taste! Alchemy is the most captivating subject in magic—listen closely." George waved his wand to keep Madam Pince from intervening.

"It's a real pity Hogwarts doesn't offer it until sixth year—"

"It's a rather foolish decision. Why not offer alchemy from first year?"

"Most students would never go home for summer," Fred joked with mock seriousness. "They'd be destined for 'T' (Terrible) marks in their final exams."

"Except us—"

"We're naturally brilliant—"

"I've been self-studying for a year already!" George declared. "As seasoned veterans, here's a tip for you, young Ravenclaw—start with 'Alchemy Basics'! Nicholas Flamel, the greatest living alchemist, is a must-study."

Wade shrugged. "I've already finished that book."

"Wow!" Fred raised an eyebrow. "What about 'Analyzing Alchemy'?"

"Read it too."

"And 'On the Diversity of Species'?" George queried.

"Twelfth-century writings by Thomas Aquinas?" Wade hesitated. "I skimmed through it, but it seemed devoid of magical applications."

George explained, "Due to the constraints of the era, Aquinas had to publish his works under Muggle auspices. His magical references are obscure. We recommend Esner Vargas' 18th-century tome. He expanded it with over two hundred magical creatures and thousands of magical materials, making it more comprehensive and accurate."

The Weasleys had thoroughly studied twenty to thirty alchemical texts and discussed them as though they were old friends.

Wade felt as though he'd stumbled upon a treasure trove, hastily jotting down notes on parchment. If not for afternoon classes, he'd have kept them engaged longer. They chatted so animatedly they forgot to exchange names before parting ways.

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