Alan looked at the topics appearing on the whiteboard, and his interest was immediately piqued.
Initially, he had assumed the club would function like a standard Charms class—simply covering deeper material or having the Professor guide students through existing research. However, the atmosphere was much closer to a research institute. They were engaging in expansive studies on unknown frontiers. He noticed that the seventh research topic specifically mentioned magical sensitivity, a subject the Professor had likely added following their recent conversation. This meant the work done here could actually impact the broader magical world.
"Magical sensitivity? Can such an abstract concept even be researched?" Vanessa, sitting beside him, frowned in confusion as she looked at the new addition. She clearly had no intention of choosing something so vague for her own project. Alan knew exactly why the Professor was interested in it, but he kept that knowledge to himself.
"These are the research topics for this academic year," Professor Flitwick announced, abandoning the patient, slow-paced tone he used with first-years. He was now all efficiency. "As always, topics that yield results will be removed, while those without practical breakthroughs will remain. I will add new directions as they emerge. Everyone, please choose your focus. You must select at least one, though you may choose multiple if you wish. You are responsible for finding your own reference materials and reporting your findings to me weekly."
The older students pulled out parchment and began recording the topics that caught their eye. Alan did the same, though he copied every single one, intending to filter them later. He noted that Flitwick had everyone conducting independent research. To Alan, this seemed inefficient; he felt it would be faster to divide into groups based on the topics to allow for collaboration. However, as a first-year who had only just arrived, he knew better than to make bold suggestions before he had established himself.
"I presume everyone has finished recording," Flitwick said. "Items one, two, five, and six are long-term studies that have been ongoing for years. Breakthroughs are difficult to come by, but any data that enriches our archives is valuable. Items three, four, and seven are new this year—especially item seven, which was inspired by a recent insight. I hope to see some of you make headway there."
The Professor glanced toward Alan briefly before continuing. "That concludes the selection process. Next, let us all congratulate Vanessa Greengrass on successfully publishing an article in the 'Challenges in Charming' journal. From what I understand, her work has been praised by several prominent scholars."
The room erupted into warm applause. "Challenges in Charming" was one of the most prestigious academic magazines in the wizarding world, standing alongside "Transfiguration Today" and "The Practical Potioneer." Having an article published there was a rare achievement for a student. Vanessa's cheeks flushed slightly as she stood to acknowledge the praise. Alan hadn't realized his senior was such an academic powerhouse; he made a mental note to look into a subscription for himself.
"Now, let's examine this article: 'The Multifunctional Applications of the Extraction Charm,'" Flitwick said. He tapped a screen behind him, and magic projected the text of the paper for everyone to see. "In this paper, Vanessa explores combining the Extraction Charm with alchemical tools enchanted with Traceless Stretching. This allows for large-scale engineering. She also details techniques for precise casting on specific targets, such as isolating moisture from the air, which could potentially influence weather patterns if cast on a large enough scale."
Flitwick meticulously analyzed the techniques, calling on Vanessa to assist with the explanation. It felt like a thesis defense. Vanessa explained her original hypothesis and the obstacles she faced before demonstrating the spell herself.
The Professor cast a spell to fill the center of the room with a cloud of white smoke. He then tapped an ink bottle, releasing a thick, dark mist that swirled into the white cloud. He stirred the mass with his wand until the two were indistinguishably gray.
Vanessa stepped forward. With a sharp, elegant movement, she struck the center of the mist with an Extraction Charm. Slowly, the gray faded. The light-colored mist reverted to its original, pure white. Floating at the tip of Vanessa's wand was a concentrated, dark orb of ink, perfectly separated from the air.
The room applauded again.
"That was an excellent performance, absolutely brilliant," Alan said as Vanessa returned to her seat.
"Thank you, Alan," she replied, a touch of pride in her voice. "Keep studying hard, and I'm sure you'll catch up one day."
Alan smiled but remained focused on the mechanics of what he had just seen. The potential for a directional extraction technique was enormous. He immediately imagined it being used like a high-precision pump for engineering or even in medical procedures to remove foreign objects from a body.
He briefly considered its use in combat—extracting blood or bone from an opponent—but quickly dismissed the idea as he read further. The charm was designed for static or inanimate objects. Attempting to cast it on a living being would only work if the target was completely immobilized; even a slight movement would break the delicate magical connection required for the extraction.
As the meeting moved into free study time, Alan stayed glued to the screen, deconstructing the nuances of Vanessa's research.