"Is that so? I thought Ravenclaw would at least respect the classroom."
Hearing Charlie's words, the two seventh-year students let out a bizarre laugh.
His shoulders were shaking, and it took him a long moment to finally calm down.
"Mate, you might not know this, but Ravenclaw actually has the highest truancy rate in all of Hogwarts.
"I assume you've figured out how the House point system works by now.
"Logically speaking, even without that biased git Snape, Ravenclaw should permanently sit in second place.
"But the truth is, our point deduction rate is practically neck-and-neck with Gryffindor, and they actively go looking for trouble."
"Because you skip class?" Charlie asked, confused.
"Exactly. Take History of Magic, for example. I think it's utterly useless, so I don't study it at all. Instead, I pour all my energy into Charms and Transfiguration."
The other student chimed in seamlessly, "And since I have absolutely zero talent for Herbology and Potions, I focus my efforts entirely on my other subjects."
Charlie was genuinely shocked.
He sat down at their table and explained, "I expected Ravenclaw to be a House full of obsessive students who hyper-fixated on specific subjects, but I never imagined it would be this extreme."
"It's completely normal. Last year, while practicing Charms, I slipped into this incredible state of flow and kept going right until morning.
"I had Defense Against the Dark Arts that morning—a class I hate. Was I supposed to abandon that precious, hyper-focused state just to attend a class I loathe?
"Absolutely not."
"Besides, it's a sight better than what some people do," the other upperclassman added.
"Some folks try to master absolutely everything, even going as far as using a Time-Turner.
"And the result? Human energy is finite. Spreading yourself that thin across so many subjects just leaves you an absolute mess."
"That's not entirely fair. Some people have pulled it off and aced their O.W.L.s," his friend countered.
"Fat lot of good it did them. That bloke's spellwork was entirely impractical; he could only pull it off in a controlled classroom setting," the other scoffed.
Then he shook his head. "Never mind. Better not talk behind people's backs."
"But what about your grades? Do you really only care about the one or two subjects you excel at?" Charlie asked.
"Why would you care about your grade in a subject you despise?
"Human energy is finite. If we don't properly channel our focus into the things we actually like and are good at, we're just wasting our lives.
"That's not just my personal philosophy; it's practically the consensus of half of Ravenclaw House."
"Looks like I need to update my assumptions about Ravenclaw again," Charlie chuckled.
"Have you found any subjects you're particularly drawn to yet?"
"Herbology, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration... maybe Alchemy, but I'm not sure yet," Charlie listed them off.
Hearing that list, both older boys burst out laughing.
"Spoken like a true first-year. You've just arrived, so everything looks fascinating. But eventually, you'll realize you have to let some things go.
"Especially after your O.W.L.s. You'll find that if you really want to reach the absolute pinnacle of a specific field, you have to minimize the energy wasted on everything else.
"The beginner stuff you're learning right now is nothing more than a tiny bump on the road compared to those true peaks."
Charlie took a deep breath. "I think you've got a point.
"In that case, I really shouldn't waste any more time."
He stood up, said his goodbyes to the two older boys, washed up quickly in the bathroom, and headed back into the common room.
Time to get back to practicing Transfiguration.
As the incantation Vera Verto repeatedly echoed through the room, a few older students hunched over their desks looked up. Their dull eyes, framed by heavy dark circles, locked onto Charlie with a flicker of surprise.
A first-year, up at the crack of dawn to practice spells?
That was a rare sight indeed.
By half-past seven, Charlie finally lowered his wand and rubbed his dry, aching eyes.
Should I do some eye exercises? he wondered.
After resting for a bit, he looked around the common room again.
Some students had fallen asleep face-down on their desks. Others were still staring intensely at their work, muttering quietly to themselves.
A few were locked in animated debates, looking remarkably energized.
Others had just woken up and were pacing by the windows, silently reading from the books in their hands.
And it wasn't just one or two of them. They paced relentlessly, seemingly accustomed to using this method to shake off the morning grogginess.
As for the two upperclassmen Charlie had spoken to earlier, they had already left the common room—but not for the Great Hall or their scheduled classes.
They were headed straight to an empty classroom on the seventh floor, where their personal potions were currently simmering.
As for their actual morning classes? Like they said, who cared? Their potions were clearly far more important.
A little while later, Anthony and Hector finally woke up. Once they were dressed and ready, the trio headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Today's Charms lesson focused on the Unlocking Charm—a harmless, highly practical everyday spell.
The incantation was Alohomora. Professor Flitwick handed each student a palm-sized iron padlock and instructed them to try opening it.
Just five minutes into the practical exercise, Charlie became the first to successfully unlock his padlock, earning Ravenclaw a well-deserved House point.
During the Q&A segment in the latter half of the class, Charlie voiced his personal theories regarding Charms and desire-driven magic. Professor Flitwick gave him a highly approving response.
"Precisely, Mr. Wonka. Charms are born from human necessity, so it stands to reason that they are most directly fueled by human desire.
"Take another two points for Ravenclaw for your profound critical thinking and keen insight."
Charlie hadn't expected to earn extra points for that.
Entering the new week, the actual coursework felt significantly more relaxed.
Charlie's Leaping Toadstools were growing beautifully; they had already started physically hopping around inside their pot.
Professor Sprout strictly required all students to wear masks, warning them that inhaling the spores would trigger severe hallucinations.
Beyond teaching them how to plant and care for magical flora, Herbology—true to its name—also focused on preparation.
Professor Sprout was currently teaching the young wizards how to process their magical plants into usable ingredients.
First came the harvest. Then, using a trowel, they had to slice the Leaping Toadstool caps perfectly in half. Finally, they had to add specific additives and leave them out to dry into preserved fungi.
This specific process was going to span the entire week.
By the time the week was over, the first-years would have experienced a complete, start-to-finish botanical life cycle.
As for Potions? Snape still absolutely despised Charlie. Granted, Snape despised everyone, but he definitely kept a much closer, intensely critical eye on him.
Not that it mattered. Charlie was unapologetically thick-skinned, and exactly as he had said before, he simply didn't understand the concept of fearing authority.
He wasn't some timid child who trembled at the mere sight of a strict teacher.
The wonderful days at Hogwarts flew by. Over time, Charlie continuously experimented with his moon-dew, sun-dew, and pure lightning essence, testing countless different ratios and mixtures.
Finally, on Wednesday of the third week, he successfully crafted a flawless batch of chocolate.
It was a super-chocolate capable of simultaneously triggering Brain Overload and Physical Overload, while concurrently providing enough physical and mental nourishment to completely negate the severe side effects.
This was far beyond the realm of Charlie's commercial products; this was his ultimate trump card.
Of course, he couldn't exactly share it. If anyone else tried to eat it, they wouldn't be able to handle it. If Charlie didn't rely on the Softening Charm to absorb the initial blast, swallowing it would simply result in a one-way trip to the hospital wing.