HP: The Boy who saw Magic

It was a new week again. The morning sun shone through the blue glass windows of the Ravenclaw Tower. Kevin was sitting by the window, his gray-blue eyes fixed on the flickering light at the tip of his wand. Today was the spell class, and they were going to learn the illumination spell—one he had already mastered, but which still held a special allure for him.

"Kevin! If you don't hurry up, you'll be late!" Wesley's voice came from behind. He was using Transfiguration to turn a handkerchief into the shape of a football. His reddish-brown curly hair bounced with his movements, and his enthusiasm was as bright as the morning light.

Fabian had packed his bag and pushed up his glasses. "Professor Flitwick said he would teach some variations of the Illumination spell today."

Ernesto adjusted his tie elegantly, his gray eyes scanning the window: "The weather is good, we should be able to see the Aquila tonight."

The four boys walked through the corridors of the castle, the sunlight filtering through the high windows casting mottled shadows on the ground. When they arrived at the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick was standing on a pile of thick books, directing his quill with his wand to write today's topic on the blackboard: Illumination Charms and Their Applications.

"Ah, fellow Ravenclaws!" Professor Flitwick chirped. "Today we are learning the Illumination Charm."

The Illumination Spell is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most practical magics invented by wizards. Even a powerful wizard like Gandalf would use it frequently, its simple brilliance illuminating the darkest corners.

Kevin found a seat near the front and sat down. In his field of vision, the magic power flowing from the tip of Professor Flitwick's wand was like a silver ribbon, graceful and precise. The more Kevin observed, the more he felt that the magic power of these master wizards flowed much more smoothly than that of ordinary wizards. Whether in terms of quality or quantity, it was undoubtedly a resounding victory.

"First, the standard lighting spell." The professor waved his wand, "Lumos!" A bright light burst out from the tip of the wand, casting a warm glow across the classroom.

"Now, don't use your wands yet, just follow me and chant, Lumos!" Professor Flitwick began to teach the students to chant the spell with him.

Everyone recited along, and even though Kevin had already mastered it, he still repeated the incantation with everyone else, savoring the shared rhythm of magical learning.

"Very good. Next, just lift the wand a little while chanting the spell. Now, please try it yourself." Professor Flitwick demonstrated it again.

The classroom was immediately filled with the sound of "Lumos!" Kevin did not observe his classmates' spells this time, but pretended to practice the illumination spell, blending in with the others.

However, after practicing a few times, Kevin felt a little restless, and suddenly he wanted to try silent casting.

Kevin did as he thought. He raised the wand again, but this time he did not recite any spell—and nothing happened with the wand. In his field of vision, without the guidance of the spell, it seemed that the flow of magic power became abnormally blocked, and the magic energy stopped before it could be completed.

The Charms class ended with bursts of "Lumos!" and some faint flashes of light as students experimented with their spells.

"Kevin, could you please stay for a moment?" Professor Flitwick suddenly asked when Kevin was passing the podium and was about to leave.

"Sure, professor, what can I do for you?" Kevin looked at Professor Flitwick, puzzled.

"Kevin, were you trying to cast a spell silently in class just now?" Although Professor Flitwick's words were a question, his tone was indeed affirmative.

"Your magical talent is impressive. You told me before that you have mastered the magic you need to learn in the first year. The Illumination Charm will definitely not be difficult for you. I just observed that you didn't recite any spells in class, so I made this guess." Professor Flitwick added before Kevin responded.

"I was indeed trying to cast a spell silently just now. The Illumination Charm was the first magic I learned, and I wanted to see if I could do it silently, but obviously I failed." Kevin affirmed Professor Flitwick's words and expressed his confusion about silent casting.

"Silent casting is more than just omitting spells, it is a high-level magical technique." Professor Flitwick drew a complex symbol in the air with his wand.

"It requires the wizard to perfectly construct magical images in his mind and establish a deeper connection with magic." Then he paused, "I used this trick to win the duel championship when I was young. In other words, if you want to become a champion, this is essential."

The professor demonstrated a few more silent spells, and Kevin's "Eye of Truth" could see how the magic flowed according to the professor's will without the need for spells as a medium.

"Remember that the core of silent spellcasting is that when a wizard is proficient enough in controlling magic, he can skip the medium of language and directly mobilize magic power only through strong willpower and high concentration. This requires the wizard to have an extremely high level of understanding and proficiency in the target spell."

"You should practice step by step. I suggest you start with the Illumination Spell." Professor Flitwick handed him two booklets, Introduction to Silent Spells and Detailed Explanation and Application of the Illumination Spell. "If you still don't succeed, you can study the various derivative uses of the Illumination Spell."

"Thank you, Professor." Kevin carefully put away the booklet and suddenly remembered something. "By the way, do you know where I can buy developing potion? I want to develop some magic photos."

"It should be available at the Davis-Bance in Hogsmeade," the professor pondered. "Ah, sometimes when I discuss this with you I would have thought you were a fifth-year student. Although first-year students can't go to Hogsmeade, you can order it by owl."

After saying goodbye to Professor Flitwick, Kevin went straight to the Owlery, where Phobos often stayed, playing with his friends, and made a cheerful cry when he saw Kevin come in.

"I'm going to trouble you again, little guy." Kevin tickled Phobos' ear feathers, put the order letter and two Galleons in a bag and tied it to its legs, "Devis-Bans, two bottles of developing potion."

Phobos puffed out his chest proudly, spread his wings and flew off into the distance.

In the afternoon, Phobos came back with a small package. Kevin opened it eagerly. Inside were two bottles of silver-shining developing solution, with labels saying "Devis-Bans, Quality Assurance" on them. There was also an invoice showing that the solution cost 5 Sickles per bottle, and change.

Back in the dormitory, Kevin carefully dripped the potion on the magic photos he had taken. The images in the photos gradually emerged, each one vivid and alive, as if those moments of time had been preserved forever.

"What is this?" Wesley suddenly leaned forward, his reddish-brown curls almost touching the photo. "Wow! Will this make the photo move?"

"Magic photos," Kevin explained, "are treated with a developing potion that makes them move."

Fabian also looked closer with interest.

Although Ernesto pretended not to care, his grey eyes kept glancing over here: "…Not bad."

Kevin packed the developed photos and the letter to his parents and handed them to Phobos: "Thank you for making another trip." Phobos lowered his head, picked up the package and flew into the night sky.