Chapter 6: Flying with Trolls

Klaus was exhausted. His days had become packed with school classes and the additional study of enchantments. He hadn't felt this tired since he was five, when memories of his previous life started resurfacing and his assistant joined him. His life before reincarnation, until the age of fifteen, was filled with an obsession for magic in games and books. So, despite the fatigue, he didn't mind the opportunity to learn real magic.

He had begun exploring two new ways of using enchantments. Until now, he had primarily applied enchantments to objects to make them perform certain tasks or change their properties (such as moving or becoming as light as a feather).

Now, he was learning to apply enchantments to his fire magic. He practiced spells like "fire bolt," which shot a small ball of fire that wrapped around its target upon impact, and "fireball," a spell that created a vortex of fire upon hitting a location, pulling everything towards it before exploding.

In addition to fire enchantments, he also delved into body enchantments. These spells were essentially buffs, enhancing a person's speed, strength, or even enabling them to jump higher or run on water or walls.

With all this magic to practice, homework to complete, and his secret meetings with Daphne Greengrass, Klaus's schedule was overwhelming.

...

It all began after Klaus's first potion class when he discovered a note in his pocket from Daphne, asking him to meet her in an abandoned classroom that evening. He felt a hint of suspicion, knowing that interactions between Slytherin and Gryffindor students were often strained. However, Daphne had been nice, so he decided to go and meet her.

...

Klaus stood up from the chair on which he had been waiting when the door of the classroom opened and Daphne's blonde head appeared.

"Klaus, are you there?" she called out before noticing him. "Oh, there you are."

Finally, she walked in and closed the door behind her. To Klaus, she seemed a bit scared. "Sorry," she said.

Klaus gave her a questioning look. "For what?"

"I ignored you, but you see, they told us that we aren't allowed to be friends with students from other houses and that Professor Snape wouldn't care if something happened to the traitors... But you are my first and probably only friend. People in my house can be mean."

"It's okay. I'm not angry at you, and we are still friends. I'm sorry if you thought I was angry." This was a reference to Klaus deciding not to try to approach her again after she had ignored him once.

"I had guessed that something like this might have happened after overhearing a few conversations in Gryffindor. So, I didn't want to get you in trouble."

"It's okay," she said happily.

After that, they began talking about their time at Hogwarts, and finally, the conversation turned to the topic of meditation, which Daphne had been learning from the book Klaus gave her.

"I've been meditating every night, but I don't seem to be making any progress," Daphne explained.

"Wait, if... Could that work?" After thinking for some time, Klaus continued.

"I have an idea. Sit down and start trying to feel your mana."

Daphne followed his instructions, sitting down and focusing on sensing her mana. Klaus stood behind her and placed his hand on her back, continuously casting the only body enchantment spell he could perform: the speed spell.

"What are you doing?" Daphne asked, curious.

"I am casting a spell on you. We learned in Charms that spells cast on someone else last for a shorter duration than if cast on an object or yourself. That's because a mage's mana fights against invading magic. Now, try to feel your mana as it resists mine."

It took them some time, but after a few sessions, Daphne finally felt her mana. However, she still struggled to control it. Klaus had a huge advantage with a ritual he had performed that allowed him to connect to his mana, enabling him to control it freely.

But they did stumble upon something that would help Daphne in learning to manipulate her mana. The wand guided mana in the direction needed to produce a spell. Klaus discovered that he could produce a spell without wand movements if he imitated the way the wand moved mana and recited the incantation.

Daphne used this technique to improve her mana control. She would start casting a spell using the wand movements and try to make the journey of the mana smoother. This approach did help her, but it would still take three months until she could cast the mana bolt spell without her wand, and another month before she started meditating to condense her mana.

...

Amidst everything, life in Hogwarts carried on. In the Gryffindor boys' dormitory, there seemed to be three distinct groups: Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, and Neville Longbottom and Klaus.

Neville was an easy companion for Klaus to get along with. He didn't disturb Klaus when he was immersed in his magical studies, and only occasionally sought help when he struggled to grasp a concept. Moreover, Neville's knowledge of plants was astounding for someone his age. Thus, Klaus would spend his time balancing magical studies, attending classes, and engaging in conversations with Neville about the differences between the magical and mundane worlds, as well as discussing magical plants and animals hidden from the mundane realm.

The only interruption to their routine occurred when it was announced that there would be a flying lesson. Klaus was excited about it as he would finally have the chance to fly on a broom, and he pondered other methods that mages might employ for flight.

However, flying turned out to be a complex subject. While there were known methods for mages to fly without any objects, they were highly inefficient. It required a mage to maintain multiple enchantments simultaneously while propelling themselves through the air. Moreover, if they were to engage in combat, they would be at a disadvantage. Mages had to shield themselves from the wind, ensure a constant supply of breathable air at higher speeds, and protect against unexpected elements such as lightning or rain. Therefore, it was much simpler to place these enchantments on an item, such as a broom, allowing the mage to sit or stand and focus solely on controlling their movement.

While Klaus contemplated the intricacies of flight, Neville worried about his own performance when the time came to fly. Klaus tried to encourage him, but Neville seemed to have lost all his confidence.

When the day of the flying class arrived, Neville lost control of his broom. From what Klaus had read, it was likely due to his lack of confidence, as he struggled to exert his will over the broom's enchantments.

Klaus attempted to soften Neville's fall, but his skills with cushioning enchantments were lacking. Consequently, Neville still sustained a few scrapes and bruises. Madam Hooch decided it was best to take him to the matron for further care.

In the midst of this, another interesting development occurred. The rivalry between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter became evident, and as a consequence, both received detention. However, Harry Potter also had the opportunity to join the Quidditch team. (Author's note: I contemplated changing this, but I decided to leave it as is, as Quidditch won't be the primary focus and it leads to significant events.)

...

The relationship between Ron Weasley and the more studious students in Gryffindor wasn't the best. They would label him as lazy and uninterested in the most important aspect of Hogwarts: magic. In return, Ron would call them annoying know-it-alls who couldn't stop talking about things that should be left in the classroom.

There was some truth in both sides' opinions. Hermione Granger and Nicolaus Ectorius did tend to talk excessively about their interests. Nicolaus seemed to discuss different forms of magic constantly, while Hermione appeared to be somewhat obsessed with the importance of studying and tried to convince others to see the light.

On the other hand, Ronald Weasley seemed to have come to Hogwarts to play chess and talk about Quidditch with people.

Poor Harry Potter found himself caught between these seemingly unstoppable forces. Ron was his first friend, but he was also friendly with Klaus, who enjoyed helping others learn anything related to magic, even if it was just why a certain ingredient needed to be sliced a certain way in potions.

After a lesson on the levitation charm, Ron began badmouthing Hermione, which prompted Klaus and Neville to point out that even though Hermione may have sounded condescending, her explanations were correct and Ron's spell worked after he followed her instructions. Sensing an argument was about to erupt, Harry decided he needed some time alone.

It was Halloween, the day his parents died, and after his conversation with McGonagall, he felt sad about losing the opportunity to be raised by them.

McGonagall had shared some insights into his parents' time at school. They weren't perfect; his dad was a prankster or, as McGonagall called him, a troublemaker, but he was a good and loyal friend. His mother was incredibly intelligent, with a strong interest in magic like Klaus, but she had a bit of a temper and was a rule breaker. However, she displayed remarkable bravery and had saved many people during the war.

On Halloween night, while everyone was gathered in the Great Hall for the feast, Harry found himself wandering the corridors. He deliberately avoided the door where Ron, Hermione, and he had encountered the three-headed dog.

As he walked past one of the girls' bathrooms, he heard footsteps that sounded much larger than Hagrid's. Turning a corner, he caught sight of a giant, filthy, and green creature that strangely reminded him of Uncle Vernon. The creature noticed Harry and started moving toward him. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be very fast. Unfortunately, Harry realized he had entered one of those peculiar corridors that led nowhere.

Just as Harry was about to panic, he heard Hermione's voice calling his name, "Harry! Are you there?"

"I'm here, Hermione! It's a dead end!"

"Guys, try to distract the troll! I think I have something that might stop it!" Klaus's voice echoed. Harry confirmed his suspicion that it was indeed a troll.

After Klaus's remark, he noticed Hermione, Ron, and Neville casting tickling jinxes at the troll from different directions. Seeing the troll struggle to decide which way to turn, Harry decided to join in and began casting the same spell at the troll.

They were fortunate that trolls, while strong and resistant to magic, were slow and incredibly dim-witted. They managed to distract it long enough for Klaus to send a fireball straight at the troll's head. The fire hit, forming a vortex around its head, and then there was an explosion.

Everyone stood there in shock until the flames vanished, and the troll collapsed.

Surprisingly, Neville was the first to approach the troll. "It's alive," he said, "although it seems to have lost all its hair on its head."

"Why isn't it moving?" Hermione asked.

"The explosion must have rattled its brain," Ron commented.

Just as Harry was about to inquire further, they heard voices approaching. "Those must be the professors. Let's get out of here," Klaus suggested. Uncertain if the professors might punish them, they decided to make a quick escape.