Chapter 28: Trickster Spirit

Hogwarts’ classes were very light; first-year students had no more than three lessons per day.

On Thursdays, Ravenclaw students had three different classes: Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration.

For magic that offers immediate positive feedback,

within just a few days of enrollment, the students showed varying levels of progress.

Most first-years could cast Lumos, but only produced faint glimmers.

Some still waved their wands clumsily, pausing between each motion, shouting the incantation loudly,

yet still failed to make their wand tips glow.

And Wizard Sean?

His Lumos practice had already reached the [Skilled] level.

The light he produced was not only brighter than the others’, but also far more stable.

The logic of learning magic always follows this pattern:

First, understanding.

You cannot cast a spell if you do not understand it.

Therefore, all else being equal, the more spells a wizard knows, the stronger they are.

Once you understand a spell, you must practice it repeatedly to grow more proficient,

which is the second principle of a wizard’s strength—

the more proficient you are with a spell, the stronger you become.

There are many examples of this, such as next year’s new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart,

whose specialized Forgetfulness Charm can even bring down powerful wizards unafraid of vampires, werewolves, or trolls.

So constant practice is surely the path to the essence of magic.

After reaching the beginner level with Lumos, Wizard Sean clearly felt his understanding of the spell deepen:

his previously stiff gestures became fluid, his pronunciation no longer fuzzy but clear and forceful.

Wizard Sean speculated that when his proficiency with spells reached a certain point,

he might no longer need to speak the incantation aloud,

but could simply whisper it silently in his mind.

The Standard Book of Spells: Level One mentioned this was the silent spell commonly used by advanced wizards.

As for the principle,

Magical Theory provided a clear explanation:

【Since incantations are specific words or phrases used to trigger or invoke magic,

silently uttering them is equally effective, allowing their use without sound】

This point would also be mentioned in Professor Snape’s sixth-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

“Excellent! Excellent! Remarkable progress—many of you have learned Lumos,

and for first-years just mastering the spell, continuous practice is vital,

but for a few special little ones…”

Professor Flitwick’s voice was high-pitched; as he spoke, he winked at Wizard Sean, Hermione, and a few others,

“I’ll teach them another spell ahead of time—those who’ve already mastered Lumos, come over here,

and those who haven’t, don’t rush—remember my words: one flick, one pause, yearn for light…”

Professor Flitwick was easy to underestimate, but when he cast spells, he was never careless.

A handful of standout students began practicing another spell under his guidance.

That spell was Levitation.

Until class ended, Wizard Sean’s Levitation spell gained exactly thirty proficiency points under the professor’s instruction.

It reached (34/300).

Wizard Sean walked out contentedly from the long corridor of the Charms classroom; the students had ten minutes to reach the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

This time was not long, so everyone hurried forward in a rush.

Until they encountered an unwelcome guest.

“Aha! First-years!”

As the students were about to open a door, a ghost suddenly burst out from behind it, startling them all,

it dropped a trash bin over Seamus’s head, and Seamus screamed:

“My head! Oh no! My eyes! Is it dark already?”

But the ghost’s mischief didn’t stop there—it yanked the carpet out from under the students’ feet,

even Michael fell, and as he tried to rise, his nose was suddenly tugged tight—it was the ghost,

gripping Michael’s nose and shrieking:

“I’ve got your nose!”

Anthony and Terry instinctively stepped back, then forced themselves to move closer toward Michael.

Wizard Sean moved fastest—he shouted loudly:

“Peeves! The Bloody Baron’s coming!”

The ghost let out a piercing scream and vanished in a flash.

Wizard Sean and the other two immediately helped the shaken Michael to his feet.

The surrounding students looked at Wizard Sean with admiration.

“Oh, thank you so much, Wizard Sean—you saved me, and you too…”

Michael’s face flushed as he glanced around, confirming Peeves was gone.

He subtly edged closer to Wizard Sean,

“Wizard Sean, how did you know Peeves fears the Bloody Baron?”

“Percy Weasley, the Gryffindor prefect, said so.”

Wizard Sean didn’t lie—Percy had indeed said that—but how Wizard Sean knew it was another matter entirely.

On the turning staircase, the frightened students quickened their pace to leave.

Only when torchlight appeared down the corridor did they finally breathe easier.

Peeves was named perfectly—he was mischievous, always shrieking as he zoomed through Hogwarts’ corridors, pulling all kinds of pranks.

Though he had no physical form, could pass through walls, and was translucent like a ghost,

he was not actually a ghost.

Wizard Sean learned this while reading The Dark Forces: A Making Guide to Self-Protection in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

【At Hogwarts, Peeves is noisy, but he is not a ghost—he is a poltergeist, also called a trickster spirit.

Trickster spirits are forms of psychic energy, not echoes left by the dead.

All of Hogwarts’ ghosts acknowledge that Peeves is not one of them.

Theorists generally believe trickster spirits arise from subconscious behavior—particularly the subconscious behavior of the oppressed.

For centuries, Hogwarts students have endured immense pressure; it is no surprise a spirit like Peeves emerged from it】

Wizard Sean read this explanation for the first time and pondered as he turned the page:

【I advocate that every first-year should learn at least these spells to defend against the darkest aspects of magic.

Green Sparks,

Red Sparks,

Knockback Jinx,

Smokescreen Spell,

Wand-Lighting Charm】

Wizard Sean read this section carefully and memorized the first four spells.

Mastering these four would ensure an excellent grade in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

As for how to learn them, Wizard Sean glanced at Professor Quirrell, who stammered and mumbled his words,

and sighed deeply, temporarily setting his plan aside in his notebook.

He now had to face the question that stirred his heart yet filled him with dread—

practicing potion-making,

in that forbidden dungeon guarded by Professor Snape.