Sleep hadn't come easy that night. My mind had been a storm of thoughts, and even when I'd finally drifted off, I felt like I hadn't slept at all.
The Great Hall was bustling with energy when we walked in, but I barely noticed. My mind was still clouded with everything that had happened the night before.
Rose, Ron, and Hermione were sitting across from me, but none of us were talking much. Even Ron, who was usually ravenous at breakfast, was just poking at his eggs, his fork absently pushing them around the plate. Hermione was quietly reading a book—Hogwarts: A History, as usual—but her heart didn't seem to be in it. I could tell because she hadn't corrected Ron for slouching or even commented when he took a bite of toast without wiping his hands.
"Ethan?" Rose's voice was soft, but it pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Hmm?" I blinked, realizing she was looking at me with concern.
"You okay?"
I forced a small smile. "Yeah. Just… thinking."
"About last night?"
"Yeah."
Her eyes searched mine, and for a moment, I thought she might press further. But then she just nodded, her expression softening.
"We're okay," she said quietly. "That's what matters."
I nodded, but something deep inside me told me that this wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
Breakfast had barely settled in my stomach by the time we headed to Charms.
The Charms classroom was one of the coziest in the castle. The high, arched windows let in plenty of light, and the shelves lining the walls were crammed with strange, glittering objects—magical trinkets that hummed softly with power. The air smelled faintly of parchment and lavender, and tiny motes of dust danced in the beams of sunlight streaming in from the windows.
This was our first Charms lesson, and I had been looking forward to it. Professor Flitwick was already at the front of the class when we walked in, standing on his usual pile of books so he could see over his desk. The tiny professor, barely reaching up to my waist, was a half-goblin with a squeaky voice and boundless energy. His enthusiasm was infectious, and it was impossible not to like him.
"Ah, welcome, welcome!" he chirped, his voice high and cheerful. His eyes twinkled behind his round spectacles as he beamed at us. "Come in, come in! Today, we'll be practicing one of the most essential spells for young witches and wizards—the Levitation Charm!"
He clapped his hands together excitedly, making a few students jump.
"Now, levitation might seem simple," he continued, his tiny hands gesturing animatedly as he spoke, "but don't be fooled! Proper pronunciation and wand movement are crucial."
He paused for dramatic effect, his eyes twinkling as he looked around at the eager—and some not-so-eager—faces.
"A sloppy swish or a mumbled incantation," he added with a mischievous grin, "can lead to… well, let's just say it won't be pretty."
A few students giggled nervously. I caught Seamus looking far too confident. This was going to be interesting.
"Wingardium Leviosa," Flitwick demonstrated, giving his wand a graceful swish and flick. The feather on his desk floated gracefully into the air, hovering steadily.
"Now remember," Flitwick said brightly, "it's *Levi-*OH-sa, not Levi-o-sa. Clear pronunciation and a smooth wand movement. Off you go!"
I glanced at the feather on my desk, my mind still only half in the room. The pristine white plume lay perfectly still, almost daring me to lift it.
Alright, I thought, adjusting my grip on my wand. This should be easy enough.
"Swish and flick," I murmured under my breath, moving my wand exactly the way Flitwick had shown us.
Taking a deep breath, I focused.
Right. You've got this.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
The feather twitched once.
Then, to my quiet satisfaction, it lifted off the desk, floating steadily about a foot into the air.
"Excellent, Mr. Carter!" Flitwick chirped, his eyes twinkling as he beamed at me.
A small, satisfied smile tugged at the corners of my lips. That was easy enough.
"Not bad," Rose murmured beside me, her green eyes glinting with quiet approval.
"Thanks," I said softly, but I wasn't done yet.
I glanced at my wand for a moment, then set it gently down beside the feather.
"What are you doing?" Rose whispered, her eyebrows knitting together.
"Just… trying something." I met her gaze, giving her a small, reassuring smile.
Okay… concentrate.
I closed my eyes for a moment, reaching out with that strange, burning energy I had felt ever since I'd been reborn in this world. It wasn't quite like using magic with a wand—it was… different.
It was deeper.
More primal.
Focus.
I envisioned the feather lifting off the desk again. I didn't speak the words aloud this time—I just pictured it in my mind.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The feather twitched.
My heart leapt.
Come on…
The feather quivered… then slowly, ever so slowly, it lifted off the desk.
Yes!
I opened my eyes, barely breathing as I watched the feather hovering in the air—without my wand.
It was only a few inches off the desk, but it was enough.
"Ethan…" Rose's voice was barely a whisper, her eyes wide as she stared at the floating feather.
My concentration wavered for a fraction of a second, and the feather drifted back down.
I let out a slow breath, my pulse pounding in my ears.
"Did you just… do that without your wand?" Rose asked softly, her expression a mixture of awe and confusion.
"Uh… yeah," I murmured, my voice barely above a breath.
Her eyes stayed on mine, her mind clearly racing.
"Ethan… that's…" She trailed off, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't know how," I admitted, keeping my voice low so no one else would hear. "It just… happened."
Rose's gaze flickered to the feather and back to me, her expression unreadable.
"Can you… do it again?" she asked softly.
I hesitated.
Should I?
Before I could answer, Flitwick's excited voice echoed across the classroom.
"Excellent work, Miss Granger! Perfect pronunciation and wand movement!"
Hermione's feather was floating gracefully above her desk, and she beamed at the praise.
A few desks away, however… things weren't going so smoothly.
"Wingardium Levi-o-SAAAAH!" Ron was practically yelling, his feather stubbornly refusing to budge.
"Stop waving it like a troll club!" Hermione huffed, her tone dripping with exasperation. Her feather was still hovering steadily in the air, as if mocking Ron's efforts.
"Give it a rest, Hermione," Ron muttered, scowling as he tried again. "Not everyone's perfect like you."
"Honestly, Ron," Hermione snapped, her patience wearing thin. "It's *Levi-*OH-sa, not Levi-o-sa. How hard is it to say it properly?"
"Maybe if you weren't such a know-it-all," Ron grumbled under his breath, just loud enough for me and Rose to hear.
"Ron," I murmured, glancing at him in warning.
Hermione, however, wasn't finished.
"Well, if you actually practiced instead of messing about all the time, maybe you'd—"
"Will you just SHUT IT, Hermione?!" Ron snapped, his face turning red.
The words hung in the air, louder than either of them had expected.
The classroom went quiet.
Hermione's expression froze.
"I'm sick of you acting like you're better than everyone!" Ron blurted out, his frustration boiling over. "No wonder you don't have any friends!"
My stomach dropped.
The color drained from Hermione's face. Her lips trembled as her eyes went wide with hurt.
I felt the weight of those words hit her like a punch to the gut.
Silence.
A painful, heavy silence.
Hermione's eyes darted around, realizing that everyone was staring.
Her chin wobbled.
"I—" Her voice was barely a whisper.
Before anyone could say another word, she turned and bolted from the classroom, her books forgotten on the desk.
"Hermione, wait!" Rose called after her, but Hermione was already gone.
The door swung shut behind her, leaving the classroom deathly quiet.
"Brilliant, Ron," Rose's voice was ice-cold as she turned to him, her green eyes flashing with anger.
Ron looked stunned for a moment, as if he hadn't realized how harsh his words had been. "I didn't mean—"
"Don't," Rose snapped, her tone sharp. "Just… don't."
I'd never seen Rose that angry before.
"She's just—always—" Ron mumbled, but the fight had gone out of his voice.
"Just what?" Rose hissed, her voice low but filled with fury. "Trying to help? Trying to make sure we don't get hexed into oblivion because someone can't be bothered to listen?"
Ron looked down, his ears turning bright red.
"That was cruel, Ron," she added softly, but the hurt was there too. "And you know it."
Ron mumbled something under his breath, but I didn't hear it.
Rose didn't wait for an apology.
She grabbed Hermione's books off the desk and turned to me. "I'm going after her."
"I'll come with you," I offered immediately.
Rose shook her head, her expression softening as her eyes met mine. "I've got this."
I hesitated, but the look in her eyes told me she needed to do this alone.
"Okay," I murmured softly.
She gave me a quick nod before hurrying toward the door, her footsteps echoing as she disappeared after Hermione.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Ron looked miserable, his eyes fixed on his desk as if he wanted to sink into the floor.
I glanced around the classroom. Everyone was still watching, awkwardly trying not to stare but failing miserably.
"Class dismissed," Professor Flitwick's voice was unusually subdued.
I packed up my things in silence, giving Ron one last glance before I left.
He was still sitting there, his head down, looking more lost than I'd ever seen him.
Yeah, he messed up. Big time.
And something told me that fixing it wasn't going to be easy
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Ethan would not have vijaya dhanush in 1st year as archery was what trained by Karna, it was not inborn. It would come later.
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