Chapter 34: Who Says There Can't Be Two Firsts?

Looking at the reassuring glow at the tip of Ciel's wand, Professor Flitwick, who had just been worrying that the boy would be discouraged, was genuinely taken aback. Clearly, the level of this Lumos charm far exceeded that of the other young wizards in the classroom. In fact, it was on par with the Lumos charm Hermione Granger had cast on Wednesday. He had thought it would be difficult to see a spell of that level again in this mini-test. He hadn't expected it to be Ciel, whose talent he had privately deemed lacking, who would produce such a display. For a moment, Professor Flitwick felt a surge of deep emotion. It had only been two weeks since they had learned the Lumos charm. To reach this level required either exceptional talent or astonishing effort. It seemed Ciel's diligence was even greater than he had estimated. Then, still lost in his thoughts, he felt a nervous gaze directed at him. He realized he hadn't yet commented on Ciel's spell, and the little badgers were looking at him with anxious eyes. Snapping back to attention, Professor Flitwick immediately showed an expression of admiration and said loudly, "A beautiful Lumos charm! Ciel, you have touched upon the very essence of this spell." He turned to the rest of the class. "Remember, everyone, spells, and indeed all magic, are closely related to your will and mood when casting. You must truly experience the mental state required for a charm to unleash its full power. This is the necessary path for anyone who wants to achieve greatness in Charms." Then, he looked back at Ciel. "Five points to Hufflepuff," he declared. "Because to do this, it must require extraordinary effort." The little badgers looked bewildered listening to the theory of charms, but upon hearing Professor Flitwick award five points to their house, they understood. A cheer immediately erupted. Don't underestimate this five-point bonus; it wasn't easy to get five points at once in a regular class. Then, the little badgers looked at Professor Flitwick again. "Professor, who is the first place in this mini-test then?" According to what Professor Flitwick had said before, getting first place would earn a ten-point bonus. If Ciel could get it, no matter how unscrupulously Slytherin tried to gain points today, they would be completely unable to shake Hufflepuff's lead this week. However, this question made Professor Flitwick hesitate. Who was the first place? Hermione Granger or Ciel Sprout? It was so hard to choose. The level of the Lumos charm shown by the two young wizards was similar. But considering Hermione took the mini-test on Wednesday and Ciel on Friday, this was a little unfair to Hermione. If she had taken the mini-test today, she might have been able to surpass Ciel. But this child, Ciel, was too hardworking. Professor Flitwick also wanted to encourage this rare and valuable quality. Who should he choose? After pondering for a long time, a thought suddenly struck him. Why did he have to choose just one? Was the purpose of his test to select a champion? Since the goal was to motivate the young wizards, why bother agonizing over it? Who said there couldn't be two first places? So Professor Flitwick cleared his throat and announced the results of the mini-test to everyone in the classroom. "The ranking of the Lumos Charm mini-test is as follows—first place, Hermione Granger, from Gryffindor." Hearing this, disappointment was evident in the eyes of the little badgers. But in the next second, Professor Flitwick announced another name. "And Ciel Sprout, from Hufflepuff! They both showed rare proficiency in the Lumos charm at this time and are tied for first place. Their respective houses will each be awarded ten points. As for the following third place, it is Padma Patil, from Ravenclaw! Ravenclaw will therefore be awarded five points." At this point, the little badgers immediately erupted in cheers. They had gained a full fifteen points in this Charms class. Now they could once again widen the gap with the closely pursuing Slytherin. As for the little eagles of Ravenclaw, they were somewhat disappointed. They didn't expect that they not only didn't beat Hermione but also didn't beat Ciel from the badger house. However, after witnessing Ciel's Lumos charm, they had nothing to say. At least there was still a third place, so they didn't get nothing from the mini-test. Moreover, the final Lumos charm test was two weeks away. Professor Flitwick had promised that for those who ranked, he would not only tailor a personalized small charm, but first place would also get a twenty-five-point bonus, second place fifteen points, and third place ten points! This meant that if any house could sweep the top three after the final test, they could get a total of fifty points, enough to directly reverse the deficit from the previous weeks. Thinking of this, the little eagles were also full of motivation. Just then, the class bell rang. The little badgers left the classroom happily. The little eagles were also relatively calm. But some people felt very bad. For example, the Slytherin students who rushed out of the Potions classroom, eager to see the House Cup points situation. They had been catching up rapidly recently and were very close to Hufflepuff's score. In today's Potions class, Professor Snape had racked his brains to give them a full ten points. Surely Slytherin would be leading the House Cup now? But when they came before the hourglasses, they were all stunned. Even though they gained ten points, the gap with Hufflepuff had actually widened. Calculating it, Hufflepuff had gained a full fifteen points in Charms! Then, what happened in the Charms class also spread. Including the fact that students from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tied for first place, a Ravenclaw student got third, and Slytherin got nothing. Before the little snakes could even react, a figure like a bat, exuding a cold, gloomy aura, stopped before them. The little snakes showed fearful expressions. "Professor Severus... Head of House..." Snape's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He had shamelessly added points to help Slytherin catch up, and yet, the gap had still widened. And in the Lumos charm mini-test, Slytherin got nothing? Disgraceful! "You are the worst batch of Slytherins I have ever taught," he gritted out. "Now, get back to the common room!" Soon, it was as if a dark cloud hung over the Slytherin common room. Snape glared at them and said in a harsh, non-negotiable tone, "In the Charms test two weeks from now, you must sweep the top three." The little snakes cowered, their faces showing difficulty. "P-Professor... This is a bit difficult, what should we do?" The little snake who asked this question was immediately scolded by Snape. "Difficult? You say a magic like the Lumos charm is difficult? By Merlin, Slytherin is getting worse and worse. When I was in my first year, I could already skillfully use spells from the seventh year. How did Slytherin become like this now?" After his anger subsided, Snape took a deep breath and said with a cold face, "From now on, you are not allowed to have any other extracurricular activities. Use all your free time to practice the Lumos charm. As for two weeks from now, hmph, I will provide you with a little help. For example, a potion that can temporarily increase the power of the Lumos charm." Hearing Snape's words, the little snakes finally breathed a sigh of relief. A potion personally brewed by the Potions Master? This was a sure thing! Meanwhile, after class, Ciel returned to the greenhouse, his eyes showing anticipation. How would the promotion of the Lumos charm to Bronze level affect the cultivation of Lumos Shrooms? How much faster could it make them mature? After taking a deep breath, he waved his wand. A bright light shone onto the Lumos Shroom patch. Then, the mycelium that was illuminated immediately began to show different movements. (End of Chapter) *** [Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All Of My Fanfics!!] [www. [email protected]/meowthtl] [+300 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]