Chapter 46: Hello, Professor Flitwick

Time always passes by unnoticed.

The day after returning from Narnia.

In the early morning, with the lively tune of an accordion, Ino ended a night of deep sleep.

Having a timed alarm was a method he had figured out in the valley. In those final days of boredom, he could only tinker with the accordion, hum little tunes, and record them.

After all, constantly using Malfoy as a human alarm clock wasn't a sustainable solution.

Sitting up in bed, Ino casually took out his schedule from the bedside drawer.

Slytherin had Charms as the first class in the morning. Excellent.

Regarding Charms, even though the White Witch had called them insignificant tricks, it didn't diminish his fondness for them.

In fact, when he received the magic bestowed by her, he realized there was a fundamental difference between the two systems, like talking at cross purposes.

The White Witch's magic was more akin to a Dungeons & Dragons wizard, all high-output and turret-style casting. In contrast, Hogwarts' magic was more like something out of a fairy tale, with whimsical spells and wish-fulfilling transfigurations...

One system was born for combat, while the other was created for living.

When it came down to it, he preferred Hogwarts' magic. After all, no matter what, it was ultimately about enjoying life.

He had read many novels and biographies, often finding it hard to understand why the protagonists always struggled to stand at the peak of the mountain.

One mountain after another, they climbed tirelessly.

Their entire lives spent in toil, and even if they were lucky enough to stand at the summit in the end, so what? All they would have achieved was missing all the scenery along the way.

It's like the story of the fisherman and the wealthy man. The wealthy man, seeing the fisherman leisurely basking in the sun, couldn't help but advise him to work harder and earn more money.

The fisherman then asked what the point of earning more money was.

The wealthy man said that once he earned enough, he could buy many boats, rent them out, and then leisurely bask in the sun at home.

The fisherman replied, "But am I not already leisurely basking in the sun now?"

In the story, there is no right or wrong, or rather, both are correct.

But Ino leaned towards the fisherman's viewpoint, just as he preferred Hogwarts' magic.

He didn't want to interfere with others' lifestyles, but he could decide his own.

...

Sixth floor of the castle, Charms classroom.

Professor Flitwick continued his humorous and engaging teaching style, explaining the origins of the unlocking charm and demonstrating the proper spellcasting technique to the young wizards.

He always aimed to impart as much knowledge as possible through entertaining lessons.

Just like today, they were learning a new spell—the unlocking charm.

During the lesson, Professor Flitwick brought in a giant padlock, taller than himself, and had the students practice in pairs. The loser would be locked in the corner by the giant padlock for the rest of the class.

In this playful learning environment, time flew by, and the ninety-minute Charms class ended amidst laughter.

Everyone gradually left the classroom, and Ino packed up his books. Just as he reached the door, he heard Professor Flitwick's voice from behind.

"Mr. Swinburne! Please wait a moment." Professor Flitwick called out from atop a chair.

"Good day, Professor. Is there something you need?" Ino had given up hope of getting any special tutoring, so he was surprised to be called over after three months.

"I just want to have a chat, if you have time."

"Of course! It's my pleasure, Professor." Ino replied cheerfully.

If Professor Flitwick called him over for a chat, he wouldn't refuse, even if it meant skipping Potions class.

"Good!" Professor Flitwick nodded. "Actually, from your first Charms class, I noticed something peculiar."

"Your magical power far exceeds that of your peers. You may be a first-year, but you give me the impression of a third-year student. And now, just a week since the last Charms class, your magical power seems more like that of a fourth-year student."

Professor Flitwick spoke swiftly, leaving Ino feeling quite uncomfortable.

He had initially left the orphanage to escape his rapidly growing body.

But... fate had other plans; while he escaped the physical growth, he couldn't escape the surge in his magical power.

Seeing Ino's discomfort, Professor Flitwick chuckled softly.

"Everyone has their secrets! As a professor, my duty is to teach and guide, not to pry into students' secrets."

After saying this, Professor Flitwick glanced towards the door and noticed a few heads peeking in and out.

Having taught at Hogwarts for decades, he knew what that meant, so he said nonchalantly:

"Mr. Swinburne! If you're not in a hurry, I'd like to invite you to my office. I have some dancing cupcakes there."

"Professor, you can call me Ino. As for going to your office, it would be my honor." Ino replied with a smile.

At the same time, he admired Professor Flitwick's wisdom.

As for the eavesdroppers at the door, they thought they were well hidden, but their shadows had already betrayed them.

Professor Flitwick's invitation to his office wasn't about avoiding gossip; after all, a simple Silencing Charm could perfectly solve that problem. This move was to give Ino time to adapt or come up with some plausible stories, preventing any awkwardness during their chat.

A sudden awkward silence would be uncomfortable for both parties.

...

Charms Office.

"Try some dancing cupcakes!" Professor Flitwick said, like a child showing off a treasure, as he took out a tray of golden cupcakes from a drawer.

Ino didn't hold back and took one to taste.

To his surprise, the taste wasn't exceptionally good, but it did evoke a long-lost taste of home.

Not the bland food from the orphanage, but real home-cooked meals...

After a while.

Ino slowly swallowed the cupcake, a hint of reluctance and nostalgia in his eyes.

"Professor? This..."

"This is magic!" Professor Flitwick said with a smile. "The cupcakes were magically baked, much better than ordering from Honeydukes."

"What do you think magic is?"

Faced with Professor Flitwick's question, Ino quickly thought of the standard answer from the original book, also mentioned by Mad-Eye Moody.

"Professor, I think magic is the quality of spellcasting. Like when I cast the Fire-Making Spell, I might only be able to light the wood in a fireplace, but when you cast the same spell, you could probably burn down a forest."

"A very interesting metaphor, but your Fire-Making Spell isn't just limited to lighting wood."

Professor Flitwick joked, then turned serious:

"Magic represents our inner self; it has emotions."

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