Saturday afternoon arrived—the time William had agreed upon for the special tutoring session with the student representatives.
The antique clock on the wall had just reached three o'clock. The little bird hadn't even popped out to chime yet when a rapid knock sounded on the door.
Percy Weasley pushed in eagerly, clutching a neatly organized stack of parchment.
He strode to William's desk and placed the thick pile down with the pride of someone who had just completed an important mission.
"Professor, I've finished grading the essays you assigned last lesson—The Characteristics and Defense Against Dementors." Percy reported, chest puffed out. "I focused especially on their understanding of Patronus Charm theory, as you instructed."
William pulled out a few at random and skimmed Percy's comments, nodding in approval. "Very thorough work. Well done, Mr. Weasley."
Beaming, Percy slid the top parchment—his own essay forward expectantly.
William read it briefly and wrote a large E (Exceeds Expectations) at the top.
"Well written. Clear logic and proper references. This earns an Exceeds Expectations."
Percy's smile froze. Slightly indignant, he said, "Professor, I thought I would receive an Outstanding. I consulted every relevant resource in the library outside the Restricted Section."
"Diligence is commendable, but accuracy is more important."
William tapped the second paragraph. "Here—you wrote that Dementors reproduce in large numbers in damp, dark environments, producing mist. But the word reproduce cannot be applied to Dementors."
Seeing Percy's confusion, William explained patiently.
"Dementors are not normal magical creatures. They have no gender and no biological reproduction. They are more like fungi—growing spontaneously wherever there is despair, decay, and filth."
"This is a critical conceptual error. In an O.W.L. exam, you would lose marks for this—marks that might decide whether you earn an O or an E."
Percy flushed red and hurriedly corrected his essay while muttering reminders to himself.
But Percy, being a textbook overachiever, wasn't about to waste this opportunity. He pulled out The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, stuffed with colorful tabs, along with densely written notes.
"Professor, about the counter-curse on page 124, I have a few questions…"
While Percy fired off question after question, Charlie, Truman, Cedric, and Cho Chang arrived one by one and quietly took seats.
After answering several deeper questions, William finally stopped Percy.
"That's enough for today, Mr. Weasley. Let's move on to Mr. Diggory."
As Percy reluctantly packed up, William added, "Stay and listen. You may learn from others' questions as well."
Percy initially thought it unnecessary. Basic knowledge from younger students hardly interested him, but seeing Charlie and the older students remain, he sat back down.
After helping Cedric revise his slightly immature essay, Cedric hesitated before speaking.
"Professor… about the Smokescreen Charm. My smoke always seems too thin to truly obscure vision. How can I improve it?"
"A good question." William stood and gestured to the open space. "Show me."
Cedric inhaled and cast, "Smoke Screen!"
A gray haze spread between them, but to William it was little more than fog on a cloudy day. Cedric's movements remained faintly visible.
"Not bad. But if an opponent can still see your wand movement and hear your incantation, its effectiveness drops drastically."
William flicked his wand, dispersing the smoke instantly.
Then he made a small flick of his wrist.
"Smoke Screen."
Dense, almost tangible gray smoke erupted, filling half the office in seconds.
From outside, Percy and the others could no longer see anything inside—it was like a solid gray wall.
"Mr. Diggory!" William's voice came muffled and distant from within the smoke, as though through thick blankets. "Do you remember the charm's effect?"
Cedric shouted back nervously, "It creates defensive smoke to block vision and… and perception!"
"Good. Now cast a Disarming Charm toward my voice!"
"But Professor, I can't see—"
"Do it!"
Cedric gritted his teeth. "Expelliarmus!"
A red beam shot forward into the smoke.
The observers saw it clearly: as the beam passed through William's smoke, it slowed, dimmed, twisted—and vanished completely before reaching him.
"This…"
Charlie and Truman stared wide-eyed. Percy and Cho were equally astonished.
They had always used the spell merely to obscure vision while escaping. None had imagined it could physically hinder spells like a Shield Charm.
William waved his wand and the smoke receded like a tide, revealing him unharmed and Cedric stunned.
"What did you observe?" William asked.
"Incredible!" Charlie exclaimed. "I didn't know the Smokescreen Charm could be used like that!"
"The spell just disappeared…" Cho murmured.
William returned to his desk and addressed the group.
"The same spell can produce vastly different results depending on the caster. People often attribute this to magical power."
He paused.
"But what other subtle factors create this difference? Why can my smoke block spells while yours only blocks sight?"
No one answered. Percy flipped through books. Charlie mimicked wand motions. Cho bit her lip in thought.
William's gaze swept the room.
He was about to call on someone.
==================
30 Advance Chapters Available on Patreon!
patreon(.)com/Spiral_Zero
~Just delete the parenthesis to go through.
Your Support is Appreciated:)