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[Hogwarts] Ch 118: Learning The Two Spells
🕑 Added 2025-08-04 18:00:13 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
"You figured it out?! My Flight magic?"
Tom's eyes lit up with excitement. Just moments ago, he'd been debating whether to give up on the Thunderbird Trial, since he still hadn't managed to crack the flight spell.
But lo and behold, it landed right in his lap.
"Show me," Tom said immediately, gesturing for the two of them to demonstrate.
Andros and Grindelwald exchanged a glance and laughed.
"Actually, we came up with two different flight spells." Seeing Tom's confused face, Andros continued, "Grindelwald and I specialize in completely different areas, so our styles ended up diverging quite a bit. But—strangely enough—we finished almost at the exact same time."
Grindelwald nodded. "A pretty uncanny coincidence. But Tom, I think you're in a rare position—you might be able to combine the two spells. You kinda have both our styles."
"...I see."
"Can you show me the spells now?" Tom asked, stepping back a few paces to give them some space.
"I'll go first, then," Grindelwald said with a flick of his wand.
Behind him, a pair of black wings burst into view—not physical wings, but ones made entirely of magical energy. Each feather shimmered with a dark, metallic glow.
The wings didn't flap. Instead, the feathers subtly shifted angle—and just like that, Grindelwald rose smoothly into the air. His voice echoed from above.
"At first, I called this spell Wing Veil, but I later changed it to Raven Wing. Feels like a good match for Ravenclaw, doesn't it?"
Tom blinked. "Mr. Grindelwald, I'm in Slytherin. Isn't it a little rude to name your spell after Ravenclaw right in front of me?"
Grindelwald shrugged midair and glanced at his wings. "Nothing I can do. The name just fits."
Tom had to admit—it did fit. If it were nighttime, Grindelwald really would look like a raven hanging in the sky.
Grindelwald continued, "The magic here controls airflow. Each feather adjusts the wind currents to keep me aloft. They also offer a bit of defense—if I retract them like this…"
He demonstrated, folding the wings in front of him like a shield. It slowed him down considerably, though.
"How fast can you go with it?" Tom asked.
Grindelwald floated back down and waved off the question. "It's a brand-new spell. Of course, it's not perfect. I'm sure I can boost the speed later by compressing the air with more magic."
Tom nodded.
It was brilliant—manipulating Airflow with magic. A beautiful blend of science and sorcery.
Then he turned to Andros.
With a grin, Andros let out a pulse of white light that wrapped around his body—and then he launched into the air.
"I'm not nearly as precise as Grindelwald with my magic. Different generations, different styles," he said, laughing. "So my method's a bit more… straightforward."
"If gravity keeps us stuck to the ground… then I just have to fight gravity."
A powerful aura exploded from him as he zoomed around the room twice, fast enough that Tom estimated he was hitting at least 100 kph (kilometers per hour).
Once he landed, Andros gave a proper breakdown:
"The idea is simple. Use overwhelming magical force to erase the world's hold on you. How fast you can fly? That depends entirely on your magic—how much you've got and how fast you can push it out."
Classic Andros. Stronger is always better. If it's not working, then you just need more magic, more emotion, more willpower. Just keep cranking up the power.
Tom found that both spells suited him.
Grindelwald's spell emphasized control and skill—something Tom could manage, especially after the recent evolution of his soul.
Andros's spell was all about raw strength and dominance—something Tom also had the potential to wield. His magical talent had already surpassed Andros's. The only limit was his current magical reserves, which would take time to catch up.
No wonder Grindelwald thought he might be able to merge both spells into something even greater. But for now, one step at a time. Both spells were still in the early stages.
"I'll start with Andros's spell," Tom decided, jumping right into action.
The two of them headed into the Meditation Room. It only worked on one person at a time, but that didn't mean only one person could enter. Andros just needed to guide him.
---
An hour later, Tom emerged from the study space.
Today was his last day staying with Hermione, and he couldn't spend all of it training. They'd made plans to visit the aquarium and grab some brunch afterward.
Hermione, of course, wasn't thrilled to see him leave—but she understood. If she didn't let him go now, Daphne might just storm into her house and drag him out herself. Besides, Tom would be leaving for America on the 15th. Time had been split fairly.
...
The next morning, Tom said goodbye to Hermione and left the Granger household.
Now he had to get to the Greengrass estate.
He had two options: take the Knight Bus or Apparate and try to find the place slowly.
As for the Floo Network? Nah~
Not every family was as casual about security as the Weasleys and their 'Burrow.' Imagine anyone being able to speak your address and just bam, pop into your living room. That's a nightmare waiting to happen.
So, Tom chose option three.
He was going to fly.
Last night, he spent the entire evening in the study space, plus two rounds in Turbo mode. Now, he fully grasped both Grindelwald's and Andros's spells. It was the perfect chance to put them to the test.
He started by casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself—then lifted off the ground using Andros's flight spell.
This was his field test. He wanted to see just how far and how fast he could go on his current reserves.
At first, flight felt clumsy. The city was full of skyscrapers, and he had to constantly adjust course. Several times, he nearly slammed into a building.
But after a few minutes, he got a better feel for distance and control.
Once he left the city, he unleashed his full power. His speed kept climbing, and he began passing cars on the highway like they were standing still.
If it were nighttime — and he wasn't invisible — someone might've seen a blazing white streak cutting across the sky like a shooting star.
He was definitely breaking 200 kph.
Maybe not quite 300 yet, but close.
As for how much magic he'd used? Hard to say—because before he even started feeling tired, he'd already arrived.
---
The Greengrass estate sat beside a quiet lake, protected not just by Muggle-repelling charms but also a set of powerful wards specifically designed to keep out unwanted magical guests.
It was an ancient protective enchantment—only someone who lived there could reveal the location, either by speaking or writing it down with genuine intent. It worked a bit like the Fidelius Charm.
Snape once mentioned that even Voldemort had needed an invitation to enter back in the day. That alone spoke volumes about the strength of its defenses.
Ding dong~
Standing outside the wrought-iron gate, Tom rang the bell.
He didn't have to wait long.
Two snow-white horses welcomed him, and behind them was a big carriage. Daphne leaned out of its window, practically glowing with excitement as she waved at him.
The carriage came to a stop, and Daphne jumped down without waiting for help, bounced her way over, and threw herself into Tom's arms, hugging him tightly and taking in a deep breath.
"Tom, you're finally here."
He smiled and patted her on the head. "Didn't we just see each other a few days ago? You make it sound like it's been years."
Daphne scrunched her nose playfully. "That's because I missed you so much."
Tom wasn't prepared for that kind of blunt honesty. The way she looked up at him, eyes full of expectation, made him instinctively glance away—but his voice softened more than he expected.
"…Fine. I missed you too."
Just like that, her smile lit up brighter than the sun.
Only then did Lady Greengrass step down from the carriage, holding the hand of a little girl.
Lady Greengrass gave them both a long-suffering smile—part amused, part maternal—as if she was already imagining wedding bells.
The little girl, on the other hand, just stood there wide-eyed, staring at Daphne like she was seeing a stranger.
"Oh—!"
Still grinning like a fool, Daphne finally noticed her mother and sister. She quickly let go of Tom, ran over, and took the girl's hand.
"This is my absolutely adorable little sister—Astoria Greengrass," she said proudly. "She's been dying to meet you."
"Seriously, she asks about you every single day."
Astoria's already fair cheeks turned bright red, like someone had lit a fire under her skin.
"Sister, I-I... just wanted to thank Mr. Riddle properly, that's all! Don't make it weird!"
Flustered, she turned and gave Tom a polite little bow.
"Mr. Riddle, thank you for the potions you sent. I've been feeling a lot better lately."
"Just call me Tom," he said with a smile. "Daphne and your mum do, so no need to be formal."
Astoria nodded sweetly. "Okay… Tom."
Tom took a moment to look her over.
Daphne had always gone on and on about how beautiful her little sister was—claiming no one in school could compare. And now that he'd met her, he had to admit, she wasn't exaggerating.
Sure, Daphne was a bit of a sis-con, but she wasn't wrong.
In Tom's mind, Daphne was easily the most stunning girl at school, with only Hermione giving her any real competition. But Daphne carried herself with a kind of natural nobility—something Hermione couldn't replicate.
Astoria, though, had even more delicate features than Daphne. Everything about her face was perfectly balanced. Honestly, only Fleur and Gabrielle could possibly rival her looks.
But while Veela beauty was dazzling and intense—what you might call seductive—Astoria's was soft and gentle, probably due to her illness and the curse she carried. She was the picture-perfect image of a sweet, shy girl. The kind that only exists in people's dreams.
After Tom stared for a few seconds too long, Astoria shyly lowered her gaze, clearly flustered.
Fortunately, Tom looked away just in time—because Daphne had started bickering with Usaki again.
Those two had been at it since the first time they met. Daphne loved clinging to Tom's arm, which meant she constantly bumped into the pouch where Usaki liked to nap. The little dude was not a morning dragon and did not appreciate being jostled.
But because Daphne carried Tom's scent, Usaki never really retaliated. Still, it made a point of throwing a mini tantrum every time.
It had only been half a month, but Usaki had already grown from a squirmy little eel into a half-meter-long mini dragon. Tom had to enchant all his clothing pockets with Undetectable Extension Charms just to let the little fella come and go comfortably.
Lately, though, Usaki had gotten picky about food, which was becoming a headache.
It was sick of dragon meat. The new craving?
Meteorites.
Yup.
Rayquaza was a legendary creature that lived for hundreds of millions of years in the Earth's ozone layer. So it could absorb energy from meteorites to strengthen itself—or even use it to trigger mega evolution.
So now Tom had been forced to go full 'mom mode,' breaking into several museums and research labs to borrow some meteorites. But even that wasn't enough. Usaki's appetite was growing by the day, and it's not like Tom could just fly into space and grab snacks.
"Aaaagh! Usaki! I spent all morning doing my hair!"
Daphne's crystal tiara had been knocked away, her perfect princess curls now a mess. Meanwhile, Usaki zipped back into Tom's chest pocket, poked its head out, and stuck its tongue out at her in triumph.
(That's what you get for squishing me.)
"Enough, Daphne," Lady Greengrass called, shaking her head with an exhausted smile.
"Tom finally made it all the way here, and you're keeping him at the gate? Get on the carriage, both of you."
At her mother's word, Daphne immediately shrank back, sulking. Then, obediently, she led Tom toward the carriage.
.
.
.
