"Today we'll be studying the Knockback Jinx, Flipendo. Watch the wand movement carefully."
Richard immediately lost interest. He barely listened to the lecture, having already heard the very same explanation from Madam Marchbanks. He was thoroughly familiar with the spell. The only thing that puzzled him was that this jinx belonged in the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum. It became obvious that the school administration was well aware of Lockhart's lack of teaching ability. Apparently, the responsibility for teaching practical DADA spells had been quietly shifted onto Flitwick's shoulders.
Richard noticed that the books the tiny professor was standing on were none other than Gilderoy's fantasy-filled autobiographies. It became instantly clear that Flitwick was less than pleased with the additional workload and had chosen this as his own subtle way of expressing his "love and respect" for the DADA professor.
After demonstrating the spell, the professor instructed the class to begin practicing. Richi lazily traced the wand movement and pointed his wand at one of the targets fastened to the wall.
"Flipendo."
A thin blue beam, no thicker than a matchstick, struck the target.
Professor Flitwick clapped his hands and exclaimed in an exaggeratedly cheerful voice,
"Splendid, Mr. Grosvenor! Five points to Hufflepuff. Have you studied this spell before? Young man, you do remember that teaching yourself Charms is a very dangerous undertaking, don't you?"
"Professor Flitwick," Richi replied calmly, "I learned this spell under my tutor's supervision."
"And who might your tutor be?" the little professor asked with unmistakable curiosity.
"Madam Marchbanks, sir."
Flitwick's eyes widened in astonishment. He gave his student an entirely new, appraising look. The professor appeared utterly dumbfounded, as though something utterly impossible had just occurred.
"Marchbanks herself—the Magister of Charms and Master of Transfiguration?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, sir. Madam Marchbanks."
"Hmm..." Flitwick was momentarily speechless and nearly toppled off his stack of books. "I can see you're bored, Mr. Grosvenor. Practice the spell nonverbally."
"As you wish, Professor."
Richard remained perfectly composed. He raised his wand toward the target once more and silently released an even finer blue beam of the Knockback Jinx.
"Five more points to Hufflepuff!" Flitwick cried enthusiastically. He then turned a stern look upon the rest of the class, who had been watching Richard with a mixture of astonishment and envy. "Well? What are you all waiting for? The assignment hasn't disappeared!"
The students immediately sprang into action and resumed practicing.
Padma was the first to cast the spell successfully. By the end of the lesson, everyone in the class had managed it.
As the students began filing out of the classroom afterward, Padma said excitedly,
"Richi, that looked amazing! Is there any way I could sign up for extra lessons with your tutor? I'll ask my father for the money—he'll pay whatever it costs."
"I'm sorry, Padma, but ever since I started at Hogwarts, I haven't exactly been spoiled with extra lessons myself. You'd be better off hiring someone less distinguished. Madam Marchbanks is a very elderly and very busy witch—she's an Elder of the Wizengamot."
"Well, if it's not possible, it's not possible," the Indian girl replied without sounding the least disappointed. A sudden draft swept through the corridor, making her shiver. "It's only the beginning of September, and there are already such awful drafts in these corridors..."
Richard offered his own explanation.
"That's because Dumbledore is a poor administrator."
"You think so?" Padma looked at him questioningly.
"Without a doubt. Padma, wizards know how to enchant a fire to burn indefinitely, yet the fireplaces in this school are heated with firewood. Can you imagine such wastefulness?"
"But the Headmaster can't exactly run all over the castle enchanting every fireplace," Padma objected.
"He wouldn't have to," Richard replied with a smirk. "All he'd have to do is instruct the professors to teach the necessary spells to the older students. Then assign them practical projects: repair every window frame and wall to eliminate the drafts, enchant the heating system so the castle is comfortable year-round. In fact, with competent leadership, an enormous number of problems could be solved with very little effort. Dumbledore has a tremendous resource at his disposal—nearly three hundred young witches and wizards. If I were in his place, over the course of a few decades I'd turn Hogwarts into a slice of a high-tech future—a magical paradise that was as safe as it could possibly be. For instance, I'd have the castle and its surrounding grounds capable of flying through space to other star systems."
"Richi, you have quite the imagination," Padma said, a broad smile lighting up her pretty face. "No, I heard your interview about building the first privately owned spacecraft, but sending an entire ancient castle into space... I just can't believe something like that would be possible."
"Padma, my dear, I've realized one very important thing: with magic, the impossible becomes reality. You should come to understand and accept that as well."
Padma let out a wistful sigh, cast Richard a sly glance, and said mournfully,
"Ah... Father's started looking for husbands for my sister and me. I always thought getting married young was something that only happened to country girls..."
Richard caught the unmistakable hint in her words—she was sounding him out. She was only twelve years old, yet she was already concerned with something as serious as marriage. Grosvenor shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Padma, but finding a bride won't be any easier for me. My future wife will have to be approved by Her Majesty. If I try to rebel against that, I'll end up with so many problems that it simply won't be worth it. So we're all bound by duty in one way or another. Great wealth and high social standing come with certain obligations and restrictions."
"Ah..." Another melancholy sigh escaped the Indian girl. "Richi, I understand... But it's so unfair. Father said that if my sister and I manage to find good wizard husbands ourselves, he won't choose our future husbands for us."
(End of Chapter)
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