NOVEL NEXT Chapter 52: CH50: Nose on Fire
Many people won't give up until they've tried everything, and Albert's roommate was no exception. After glaring at Practical Defense Magic and Its Restraint to Dark Magic for ages, Fred couldn't resist trying the spell.
"Protego" he exclaimed, swiping his wand downward. Nothing happened.
"It says the shield charm doesn't glow," George pointed out, comparing wand gestures.
"Try again," Lee Jordan urged, tossing a copy of Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Defense at Fred.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Fred snapped, dodging the book.
"Danger brings out your best!" Lee argued.
"Use this instead," Albert said, throwing Fred's pillow at Lee, knowing this was going nowhere. Fred eventually gave up after being hit by the pillow repeatedly, and unsurprisingly, George and Lee didn't fare any better.
"Stick to simpler spells," Albert advised, rolling his eyes.
What was this—ambition? Overconfidence? Perhaps Professor McGonagall might have thought the same of him once. However, Albert had an advantage no one else did: a magical system that provided him with a panel and an experience pool, allowing him to bypass much of the trial-and-error process and accelerate his mastery of spells.
"Any quick tricks to learn the Shield charm?" Fred asked hopefully.
"Practice. That's your best bet," Albert replied.
"But how did you master so many spells so quickly?" George grumbled.
"I've got a theory," Albert said with a smirk.
"What is it?" Fred pressed.
"Ever played a leveling-up game?" Albert teased, seeing their confusion. "Fine, think of it like chess—practice and talent make you better."
"How's that relevant?" the twins groaned.
"Casting requires talent and practice," Albert explained. "It strengthens your control and power."
"You're saying you're just better than us?" George said skeptically.
"For now, yes," Albert admitted. "The more spells I learn, the easier it gets. Hogwarts trains us to control magic, after all."
"You're bluffing," Fred accused.
"Not at all," Albert protested. "Failures teach me as much as successes. Experience adds up."
Eventually, the twins gave up on the shield charm and moved on to the Unlocking Charm. After hours of effort, Fred triumphed, unlocking a drawer.
"See? Fred wins," Albert teased, handing Lee a Pepper Imps candy. "A bet's a bet."
"What bet?" Fred asked.
"Who'd succeed first," Albert grinned.
"I hate you," Lee muttered, eating the candy. Flames erupted from his nostrils, leaving George in shock.
"You did this on purpose!" George accused Albert, now engulfed in a spicy pepper scent.
Lee returned minutes later, nostrils still red. "Never betting with you again!"
"I'll use Bertie Bott's Beans next time," Albert promised, laughing.
"Back to practice!" Albert urged. "Succeeding once isn't mastery." He tossed a chocolate bean into his mouth and returned to reading Selected Curses of the Nineteenth Century.
"How's the Disillusionment Charm?" Fred asked.
"Not mastered yet," Albert admitted. "It's harder than the Unlocking Charm."
"Is it really that bad?" George asked doubtfully.
"Definitely.After all It's a Auror-level spell!"
The twins groaned. "We're doomed. There's no way we'll learn that this year!"
The End
This mortal is motivated by stones! So please throw them at this one ;)