HP: The Wizard Who Paints with Magic

The first Charms class of the term was a joint session for Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Ethan, having arrived nearly an hour early, was the only person in the room. He surveyed the tiered classroom, noting the long tables surrounding the podium and the tall bookshelves on either side filled with textbooks and three-dimensional magic models. He chose a seat in the front row, opened his book, and began to read with great interest.

The clock ticked away. About half an hour later, the second student finally arrived.

"Ethan?"

Hearing the surprised call, Ethan turned around. As expected, it was Hermione, the study maniac. She was the academic overachiever who single-handedly raised the intelligence of the Golden Trio.

"Good morning, Hermione," Ethan said with a smile. "You're very early."

Hermione didn't know how to respond. She had thought arriving half an hour early was more than diligent, but Ethan had beaten her to it. Talented and hardworking, she thought. He is a formidable opponent. She gave Ethan a deep look, a mix of wariness and admiration, before sitting down on the Gryffindor side, putting her book down with a thud, and beginning to study.

Hiss—why does she look at me like she wants to eat me? Ethan scratched his head, puzzled. Oh well, I'll never understand the world of study maniacs.

The third person to arrive was Professor Flitwick. Seeing that two students had arrived even earlier than him, the diminutive professor was stunned for a moment, then smiled happily.

"For your diligence, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw each get two points."

Hermione's eyes immediately lit up. Just as she was about to say, "Thank you, Professor," she heard Ethan speak.

"No matter how diligent we young wizards are, we still need you, Professor, to guide us so we don't get lost in the ocean of knowledge." As he spoke, Ethan wore a look of upright solemnity.

Hermione whipped her head around, looking at him in disbelief. Is this the same Ethan who speaks so ominously?

Professor Flitwick was also stunned. Having rarely heard such praise, his face immediately turned red. Oh, look at this child, always blurting out the plain truth~

"Ahem, Ethan, as long as you maintain this thirst for knowledge and don't stray, you will surely reach your goal," Professor Flitwick encouraged him haltingly before quickly changing the subject. "So—do you have any questions? There's still some time before class starts. I can answer them for you."

Upon hearing this, Hermione's eyes lit up again. She had more than just one question; she had a whole notebook full of them. But this time, she looked at Ethan first. Sure enough, he seemed to have a question to ask. Hermione's attention was highly focused, and even Professor Flitwick couldn't help but feel a little nervous, wondering what profound question Ethan was about to pose.

"Professor," Ethan began, "I want to make money."

Hermione's brain short-circuited. "...?" What did he just say? For a moment, she thought Ethan was speaking some profound wizarding code that she, a Muggle-born, didn't understand. However, when she saw Professor Flitwick looking just as bewildered, she realized it wasn't her problem.

"M-make money?" Professor Flitwick, having seemingly never encountered such a down-to-earth question, took a few seconds to react. "Oh, you mean you want to work at the school?" His gaze subconsciously swept over Ethan's worn school uniform.

Ethan nodded.

"That's easy to arrange," the professor explained. "Hogwarts posts specific tasks for students, like running errands for professors, doing odd jobs, collecting materials, and so on. These tasks are all posted on the Great Hall bulletin board on Monday mornings. Since today is the first day of school, they might not be up yet, but if you check again at noon, they should be there."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Professor," Ethan said with a nod. He knew it. How could Hogwarts not have a work-study program? Earning pocket money while helping professors and gaining knowledge—it was the perfect system.

The three of them discussed spell-casting principles for a while longer. Ethan was particularly interested in the complex three-dimensional models of magic, which his previous education helped him to understand more readily.

Soon after, the rest of the Gryffindor students rushed into the classroom just as the bell was about to ring.

"Alright, children," Professor Flitwick said. "Before we officially begin, let's take roll call."

When Harry's name was called, Professor Flitwick shrieked like a starstruck fan and tumbled right off the stack of books he used as a booster seat.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

With a flick of his wand, Ethan caught Professor Flitwick by his robes and gently pulled him back from mid-air.

"A perfect Levitation Charm! Two points to Ravenclaw!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed excitedly, his eyes full of admiration as he looked at Ethan. This is a student from my own house! A new star of Ravenclaw! He felt incredibly proud.

On the other side of the room, Hermione clenched her wand in frustration. For the rest of the class, she answered questions with a desperate fervor, almost overwhelming the professor.

"Look at her!" Ron whispered to Harry, complaining. "And look at Ethan, he's so modest and humble. I bet he knows everything the professor is teaching already!"

Harry looked at Ron, whose eyes were sparkling, and chuckled softly. "When did you become Ethan's little fanboy?"

"I'm not—!" Ron instinctively retorted, then mumbled, "Well, it's just human nature…"

Compared to the joking around on the Gryffindor side, the Ravenclaw students were much more serious. Every child sorted into Ravenclaw believed themselves to be smarter than the rest. However, looking at Ethan sitting in the front row, his back straight as a ramrod, a solitary figure detached from the world, they all felt a deep sense of urgency. Look! Someone is better than you and works harder than you. How dare you slack off!

And so, a silent competition of study maniacs began to spread among the young eagles.

On the podium, Professor Flitwick looked at the extremely focused faces and couldn't help but feel deeply moved. He had a premonition: this year would be the year Ravenclaw would rise.

With the deep chime of the Hogwarts bell, the two back-to-back Charms classes came to an end. For Ethan, the time had flown by. He looked at the doodle-like notes in his textbook and couldn't help but praise Hogwarts' teaching standards. Britain's best magic school indeed.

Although the first class only broadly introduced the history of spell evolution and the logic behind spellcasting, Ethan had benefited immensely. He played with his wand, feeling the mysterious flow of magic within him, the tip occasionally flashing with specks of brilliant light. Perhaps, in terms of grades, he wasn't first. But in terms of practical application, Ethan believed he was unmatched among his peers.

(End of Chapter)

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