Chapter 34: Halloween Eve

Chapter 34: Halloween Eve

"Hmm?"

Professor Flitwick blinked, then his face broke into an appreciative smile. "A very practical spell, and expertly cast. I must say, you had an excellent tutor."

But while his words were complimentary, his wand movements were lightning fast. With a casual flick, without even uttering an incantation, a brilliant jet of red light shot from his wand tip, colliding with Leon's spell and neutralizing it.

His first attempt blocked, Leon didn't hesitate.

"Protego!" he cast, shielding himself, then immediately followed up. "Stupefy!"

At the same time, he launched himself forward, closing the distance between himself and the diminutive professor, aiming for close combat.

The plan worked perfectly. As he got within range, he cast "Petrificus Totalus!" but didn't actually expect it to land. Dropping his shoulder and twisting his hips, he drove his right fist towards Professor Flitwick's chest. (Against a full-grown wizard, the punch would have barely reached their head, but Leon was still a child.)

Just as Leon felt things were going too smoothly, something went wrong.

Professor Flitwick's smile was full of admiration. He gave his wand another flick, and Leon was sent flying backwards.

"Mr. Shelby," Flitwick chirped, "have you heard the joke about defeating a tiger with a single, well-timed trip? Defeating a wizard sometimes just requires getting in close at the right moment."

"A good attempt, Leon! Just not quite the right moment."

Leon landed lightly on his feet. Professor Flitwick can be surprisingly cutting sometimes, he thought.

"Expelli— Incendio!" Leon countered, refusing to give up, feinting with one spell before casting another.

"The same trick twice won't—" Professor Flitwick began, habitually flicking his wand to counter. "Hm? Not the Disarming Charm?"

A jet of fierce flame erupted from Leon's wand, roaring towards the professor. Flitwick hadn't duelled a wizard who couldn't cast nonverbally in years. For a split second, Leon's feint had actually worked.

He reacted instantly, however, casting a Shield Charm just before the flames reached him. But because he'd been caught off guard, Leon's spell still managed to push him back.

Seeing the professor stumbling backwards, Leon's eyes gleamed. He made a tiny, almost imperceptible movement with his wand.

Behind Flitwick, the quill that had been grading papers silently transformed into a thin silver needle, hovering directly in the professor's path.

"Truly... magnificent!" Flitwick exclaimed, his voice filled with delight. He was clearly beyond impressed with Leon.

However, being defeated by a student was simply unacceptable. Professor Flitwick ended the duel.

"Finite Incantatem!"

All magical effects instantly ceased. The flames vanished, and the needle behind Flitwick reverted to a harmless quill.

Flitwick regained his balance and looked at Leon, echoing a sentiment the boy had heard recently.

"If only you were a Ravenclaw."

"Alright, that's enough for today," Flitwick said, stroking his chin. "Your previous teacher taught you very well indeed. If I'm not mistaken, you've likely mastered most of the common spells. We'll need to move on to something more advanced."

He thought for a moment. "We could try the Patronus Charm... With your talent, I believe you might have a chance..."

Before he could finish, a great black lion materialized in front of him, proudly displaying its magnificent mane.

"You know that one too?!" Professor Flitwick's eyes widened. "But... why isn't it silver? Who was your previous teacher? I am becoming intensely curious."

"Remus Lupin," Leon answered.

Flitwick looked surprised. "Remus! Yes, I remember him. Always with James Potter—Harry's father, you know. An excellent Gryffindor, Remus." Lost in thought for a moment, Flitwick eventually snapped back to the present with an apologetic smile.

"Well! Remus certainly taught you well."

"However," Flitwick continued, his tone becoming serious again, "you still have much room for improvement."

"Your casting speed is too slow. You don't pay enough attention to combining spells effectively. You neglect defence while attacking, and you fail to utilize your surroundings..."

"Let's start with casting speed. I see you favour the Disarming Charm. Your task for today is this: practice casting Expelliarmus. Over and over. Until every last drop of magic is drained from your body."

And so, Professor Flitwick's office echoed with the sound of "Expelliarmus!" again and again, until the sun began to set.

In the weeks that followed, Leon's life fell into a simple, rigorous routine.

Professor Snape seemed to become incredibly busy and never supervised Leon's detention again. Leon was perfectly happy with this arrangement, eagerly attending his 'punishment' sessions with Professors McGonagall and Flitwick instead.

At first, both professors were delighted. Teaching such a gifted student was every teacher's dream.

But as time went on, they began to feel something wasn't quite right. Shelby progressed at an unbelievable speed. They had to find new material to teach him almost every day. It started to feel less like they were supervising his detention, and more like they were serving detention themselves.

By the last week, Leon would always leave their offices looking refreshed and satisfied, while the professors looked utterly drained. (In simple terms, he was running them ragged.)

So, on the last day of detention before Halloween, Professor Flitwick, though expressing some regret, couldn't quite hide the relieved smile on his face.

He stood by the door as Leon prepared to leave.

"Congratulations, Mr. Shelby. Today marks the end of your detention. You've worked hard this past month. Now, go and enjoy some well-deserved free time."

Hearing this, Leon let out a theatrical sigh.

"Professor," he said mournfully, "actually, I've committed a few... minor infractions recently. According to school rules, I might require further detention..."

SLAM. Flitwick slammed the door shut.

"..."

Leon sighed. Fair enough. He had imposed on the professors quite a bit. He shouldn't push his luck.

He ambled down the corridor, thinking about the upcoming Halloween break. Although it was a holiday, students weren't allowed to leave the school grounds. But Leon had business to attend to, an appointment he had to keep.

Naturally, he had no intention of following the rules. He recalled there was a secret passage near the Whomping Willow that led directly to Hogsmeade village.

Lost in thought as he descended the stairs, he suddenly heard a strange, guttural noise.

He looked around and saw a monstrous creature lumbering towards him.

It was at least twelve feet tall, with dull, granite-grey skin. Its lumpy body resembled a boulder with a small, bald head perched on top. It radiated a foul stench and dragged a massive wooden club behind it.

Leon raised an eyebrow. He'd read about these things in the library.

It was a troll.