- Basically, magic can do anything. Right, ma'am?
"Exactly, boy! Exactly! Take it from a woman who's seen a lot. You probably want to learn powerful spells right away?"
"I rely on your experience, mentor," Richard answered politely.
"I know you boys," the old woman said grumpily, "you always want something special... Something that will explode, something that will flare up. And you little rascals, you love to fly on a broomstick instead of going to school!"
- I can't agree more, ma'am. I love learning.
Richard found it difficult to even imagine flying on a broomstick. With his rich imagination, he could almost physically feel the broom handle digging into the bells. The vivid image made the bells clench. If they could speak, they would have screamed in a thin voice, "Master, to hell with such entertainment! We'll be useful to you yet."
"Just like Albus," Madam Marchbanks said fondly. "I remember it like yesterday, being on the Ministry committee, examining that little brat. Oh, the charms he could do on his OWLs! Simply stunning. He, too, spent more and more time studying than playing. As a result, he's now the headmaster of Hogwarts-a respected wizard. And if he'd been flying on a broomstick instead of studying, he'd have lost all his mind!"
"Or maybe it's not just his brains," Richie thought. "Albus is a smart man; his bells must have thanked him."
Madam Marchbanks pulled her pointer from her belt, waved it, and a large box appeared on a nearby table. With another wave of the pointer, the lid of the box swung open.
"And yet, Richard, we will learn charms today, but we'll start with the simplest ones. For that, you'll need to choose a wand."
Richie realized the wand was a wooden pointer. Approaching the table, he discovered several wands in a box.
"Touch them and choose the one you like best," the teacher urged the boy to action.
Richard touched all the sticks, and one of them gave off a faint warmth. He took it in his right hand.
"Wonderful!" the old woman exclaimed loudly. "My father's wand. He was a great spellcaster. Now wave it, wish for light, and cast Lumos."
Richard followed the instructions. Nothing worked the first time, but he continued waving his wand. Only on the tenth try did a yellow glowing ball appear at its tip. It wasn't particularly bright, about the size of a camping lantern with a circular light from three powerful LEDs. It was fine if you don't have a flashlight handy, but overall, Richard didn't find the spell particularly useful.
"Not bad," the mentor stated. "But it could have been better. Your problem, Richard, is lack of faith. You haven't yet believed in the omnipotence of magic. But you need to believe and desire. After all, the more clearly a wizard desires a result, the faster he will achieve it."
Richie stared at the ball of light. He shook his wand, trying to shake it off. But the ball seemed stuck to the tip of his wand and refused to go out.
- Uh-uh, ma'am... How do I turn it off?
- Just say Knox and wish the lights out.
- Knox!
The light actually went out. Richard was delighted to learn a new way to use his superpower.
"Now," the old woman began, "repeat this spell a hundred times. Then rest a little and repeat it again."
"And then I'll have to rest again and repeat?" Richard asked apprehensively.
"Amazing insight, young man! You will repeat the spell until you can perform it nonverbally. I think we'll be done within a month. Otherwise, it would be a shame if someone suddenly found out that my student is such a talentless fool that he can't perform even the simplest nonverbal spells."
- And we, I suppose, will be learning just a few spells?
"My boy," Madam Marchbanks said with a cold sternness in her voice, causing Richard to shudder, "a wizard doesn't need to know many spells. But it's highly desirable to master a small, everyday set perfectly."
"Everyday set, ma'am?" Richard raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Spells that will make a wizard's life easier," Madam Marchbanks explained. "Light up the dark, summon and repair things, lift heavy objects, cut things or, conversely, glue things, unlock locked things or lock yourself out, and so on. I'll teach you the basic charms that any pureblood wizard in my youth knew by heart before Hogwarts. Wizards these days are so weak-willed. Even purebloods don't teach their children spells. They say they'll learn everything at school, why ruin their childhood?! Ugh! Slow-witted! My friend has been introducing her grandson to Herbology since he was a baby. I think she's doing the right thing!"
The teacher cast a frowning glance at the boy and added:
- What are we waiting for? Or have you already completed the first hundred lumos?
"No, no, ma'am," Richard shook his head. "It's just that you were telling such an interesting story. Lumos! Nox! Lumos..."