Chapter 13: Opening the Book
"By the way, Russell," Gomez said, releasing Morticia from his embrace and lighting a cigar. A faint cloud of smoke curled lazily upward as he turned toward the boy. "Would you like me to teach you myself?"
Russell hesitated, a little intrigued but also wary. "That depends, Uncle Gomez… how exactly were you planning to teach me?"
Gomez grinned, eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. "Oh, quite simple! We'll start with the summoning of the dead. And don't worry about materials — the courtyard outside is full of corpses. Pick whichever one inspires you."
Russell felt his blood run cold. "I… I think that might be a little advanced for me." He forced a nervous laugh, wiping sweat from his brow. "Maybe I'll start with the first-year spellbook instead. You know — get the fundamentals right."
He wasn't about to begin his magical career by dabbling in necromancy. At this rate, the Sorting Hat wouldn't place him in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw — it would send him straight to Azkaban.
In fact, Russell privately suspected that if he asked Gomez to teach him a curse, the man would probably shrug off simple jinxes as "child's play" and skip straight to the Unforgivable Curses. And knowing the Addams family, that wasn't entirely out of the question.
---
The family's butler, Lurch, led the way to the training hall. He was enormous — easily over two meters tall — with deathly pale skin and the solemn expression of someone recently risen from a crypt. Russell had never heard him speak a single word.
He looked like he'd stepped straight out of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and considering the Addams family's fondness for necromantic arts, Russell decided he'd rather not know exactly where Lurch had come from.
---
Downstairs in the parlor, Wednesday and Pugsley were still playing with the ball python Russell had given her. They both looked up as he passed.
"Going to practice magic?" Pugsley asked curiously.
Russell nodded.
"Boring," Wednesday replied coolly, returning her attention to the snake. "We already know all the theory. We just don't have wands yet."
He smiled faintly. Of course they do.
---
Following Lurch up the winding staircase, Russell reached the very top floor of the Addams mansion.
From here, the view stretched across the countryside — and in the distance, he could even see the rooftops of his own home.
Lurch pushed open a massive, dust-covered door with a deep creak. Inside was a wide, echoing hall. Judging by the chandeliers and old parquet floor, it had once been a ballroom.
Then the butler clapped his hands twice.
At once, the room came alive.
Furniture trembled, rose into the air, and began drifting gracefully toward a huge wall mirror at the far end of the room. One by one, the floating chairs, tables, and instruments sank into the mirror's shimmering surface — vanishing completely.
In moments, the ballroom stood empty.
Lurch clapped again.
This time, several suits of armor marched out of the mirror, lining up neatly along the walls. Clearly, they were intended as targets for Russell's practice.
"Thank you, Lurch," Russell said, smiling up at the towering figure. "Though, uh… could I get one table and chair back? Oh, and a quill — just one feather will do."
Lurch nodded silently and fetched what was requested before departing, the door closing behind him with a soft boom.
---
Now alone in the quiet, high-ceilinged hall, Russell set the feather quill on the desk, opened his schoolbag, and pulled out a crisp new copy of Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk.
Of all the subjects at Hogwarts, Charms was the best place to start.
Compared to Transfiguration, it was simpler, more intuitive — and, most importantly, less likely to explode.
Russell flipped open the first page, the scent of new parchment and ink filling the air.
He smiled to himself.
"Alright," he murmured, wand in hand. "Let's begin."
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Russell's voice rang clearly through the dusty hall. He followed every instruction from the spellbook — the wand motion was precise, the pronunciation crisp and deliberate — a perfect imitation of Miranda Goshawk's guidance.
And yet… the feather on the desk didn't move an inch.
It lay there limply, as though mocking him.
Did I pronounce it wrong?
Was my wrist movement off?
Russell frowned, repeating the spell again and again, his brow furrowing deeper each time. No matter how carefully he spoke or how fluidly he moved his wand, the result was the same — nothing.
Something's missing, he thought. But what?
Then, like a spark of lightning striking through his mind, realization hit him. He took a slow breath, centering himself.
This time, he didn't just recite the words — he imagined it.
He pictured the feather rising.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The tip of his wand flickered with faint light. The feather trembled, then lifted shakily into the air — floating, weightless and uncertain — before gently drifting back down.
Russell exhaled, a grin spreading across his face.
He had done it.
His first real spell.
The reason he'd failed before was suddenly obvious — magic wasn't just about words and gestures. It required intent.
Just as casting the Killing Curse demanded true murderous will, even a simple Levitation Charm required focus — a mental command for the object to rise.
It was strange, almost philosophical. But Russell laughed to himself.
If I'm learning magic, a little idealism won't hurt.
---
Just then, a soft ding echoed in his mind. A familiar panel shimmered into view before his eyes.
[Name]: Russell Fythorne
[Status]: Triple Experience (Active) – Time Remaining: 25:23
[Class]: Muggle-born Wizard
[Magic]: Level 2
[Constitution]: Level 2
[Skills]
Running (Lv.6) — 543/3200 — Epic Trait: Sprint
Cooking (Lv.5) — 628/1600 — Epic Trait: Golden Legend
Swimming (Lv.2) — 26/200
Levitation Charm (Lv.1) — 1/100
...
---
The Levitation Charm, though basic, was far from useless.
In fact, it could save lives. Quidditch players, for example, often risked falling from their brooms during matches — a well-timed Levitation Charm could mean the difference between a few bruises and a broken neck.
Of course, Russell wasn't about to have someone jump off a rooftop for practice.
Instead, he had Lurch stand on the balcony and toss objects down while Russell caught them midair with the spell — then sent them floating back up again.
It worked surprisingly well.
When Pugsley discovered what they were doing, he eagerly joined in — and, predictably, started upping the challenge. The "projectiles" went from soft rubber balls to actual footballs, and eventually cannonball-sized iron weights from the mansion's gym.
Russell's experience bar skyrocketed.
---
In his spare time, he also experimented with spells from The Book of Spells, including one delightfully absurd jinx — the Bat-Bogey Hex.
The spell caused the target's nasal mucus to transform into a swarm of black bats that would flap violently out of their nostrils.
According to the book, Miranda Goshawk had invented it in her youth, when her sisters refused to listen to her. The curse, she claimed, was "a wonderful way to earn silence and attention in equal measure."
Russell couldn't help but laugh.
No wonder the Ministry never banned this one — it's more embarrassing than dangerous.
He practiced it a few times, mostly on inanimate targets, then learned the Scourgify charm to clean up afterward.
Soon, cleaning dishes and the kitchen after meals took mere seconds.
"Praise Saint Miranda, patron of convenience," he muttered with mock reverence one evening.
---
Despite his progress, time was running short.
Even after days of practice, his Levitation Charm was only Level 3, and his other spells lagged behind. Worse yet, his triple-experience buff was nearly expired.
Once that's gone, he thought grimly, grinding spell proficiency will take forever.
---
A few days later, Russell stood outside the Addams mansion, suitcase packed and wand holstered.
"Uncle Gomez, thank you for offering to drive me, but… I think I'll take the Knight Bus," he said with a sheepish smile.
Before him stood the entire Addams family, ready to see him off — even Lurch and Thing, both looming behind Gomez.
Russell's heart warmed at the sight.
But then he looked at their car — a black, hearse-like antique that probably hadn't been legally roadworthy since the Victorian era — and decided that the violently unpredictable Knight Bus might actually be the safer choice.
Besides, Hogwarts awaited.
And this time, he wouldn't be arriving as an ordinary Muggle-born — but as a wizard who had already taken his first real step into magic.