Dylan spent most of his weekends in the library, leaving only for meals and sleep. He was so immersed in his studies that he often forgot to eat and rest. Only after intense effort did he manage to finish reading the precise formulas for advanced magic potions.
Fortunately, he didn't need to brew potions under Professor Snape's watch just yet. There was still a week left before the next practical session—enough time to carefully go through the Guide to the Safe Use of Potions.
For now, Dylan focused on reinforcing his knowledge of advanced potions. He wanted to ensure that when the time came to demonstrate in front of Snape, he wouldn't make any basic mistakes.
Time passed quickly.
Before he knew it, half a week had gone by, and Thursday arrived.
Dylan, as usual, woke up early. However, to his surprise, Harry and Ron were also getting up at the same time.
The other two dormmates were still sound asleep.
"Hey, good morning!" Ron stretched and yawned.
Dylan threw back his quilt and got out of bed. While packing his schoolbag, he glanced at them in surprise. "Why are you two up so early today?"
Ron grinned excitedly. "Flying lessons start today! I barely slept all night!"
Flying class?
Dylan suddenly remembered that today was indeed their first flying lesson. It was a new subject, scheduled for the second week of school.
But was it really that exciting?
"It must be amazing to fly freely in the sky," Ron said with a laugh. "My brothers always talk about how incredible it is!"
Harry, also getting out of bed, added, "Once we learn how to fly, we can try out for the Quidditch team."
Quidditch?
Dylan wasn't interested. The thought of crashing into others mid-air like some clumsy, oversized bird didn't appeal to him at all. He would much rather spend his time reading.
He had never enjoyed bumper cars, and Quidditch looked like bumper brooms to him.
Harry turned to him, curious. "Dylan, have you ever practiced the Flying Charm? You must have learned how to fly already, right?"
Dylan shook his head and corrected him. "There's no such thing as a 'Flying Charm.' If you want to fly, you need to use magical objects in combination with levitation spells."
Harry and Ron looked at him, intrigued.
"When you use a Levitation Charm on a broomstick, you can control its movement," Dylan continued. "The speed and agility depend on the quality of the broom itself."
In fact, this was a great example of how spells could be combined with magical tools. Just like how wizards channeled magic through wands, a well-crafted flying broom enhanced and amplified the effects of spells.
A lot of magical materials were used in crafting high-quality broomsticks, and they were enchanted through a complex process. This is why top-tier brooms flew faster and handled better than lower-grade ones.
"When it comes to flying, it's best to have an adult supervising. If you try it alone, there's a high risk of accidents," Dylan added.
He hadn't practiced flying at home.
Ron looked shocked. "Wait, are you telling me there's actually something you can't do?"
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "…If I practiced flying at home and got caught, wouldn't the Ministry of Magic come and arrest me?"
Ron blinked, suddenly realizing his mistake.
Unlike Ron, who came from a wizarding family, Dylan was raised by Muggles. Magic was strictly regulated in the non-magical world, and underage magic use was forbidden outside of Hogwarts.
Harry picked up his backpack and said, "I heard some students say they practiced flying at home before coming to Hogwarts."
At that moment, Seamus also woke up. Hearing Harry's words, he sat up and joined the conversation.
"I even heard someone bragging that they flew over the Giant Mountains with their parents!" Seamus said.
Ron rolled his eyes. "That has to be Malfoy showing off again."
Dylan chuckled. "The Giant Mountains? That area is known for extreme weather. No sane person would fly there for fun."
"Besides, even in pure-blood wizarding families, most parents don't let their kids fly alone before they start school."
He turned to Ron. "Your parents didn't let you practice flying before Hogwarts, did they?"
Ron nodded. "Yeah, George once tried to teach me, but Mum caught him and gave him a proper scolding!"
Seamus looked surprised. "So… does that mean some of them are lying?"
Dylan shrugged. "Probably."
Young wizards loved to boast, especially in front of their classmates. A little exaggeration here and there wasn't uncommon.
After packing his bag, Dylan took out the notes Professor McGonagall had organized for him and held them in his hands, planning to read them on the way.
As for his Levitation Charm skills, he hadn't reached maximum proficiency yet since he hadn't experienced real flight. But he had already mastered it up to level seven.
Still, compared to his other spells—many of which were already at maximum level—his flying skills were definitely lacking. Even though some of the spells he mastered were considered dark magic, there were common principles shared among all forms of magic.
By connecting different concepts and techniques, Dylan found learning magic quite easy.
Not to mention, his achievement system had granted him several magical talents, making things even simpler.
Since nearly everyone in the dormitory was awake, Ron went over to Neville and shook him.
"Come on, Neville! Wake up, time for breakfast!"
Neville groaned. "Huh? What…?"
"Get up already!"
Ron's persistence paid off, and Neville reluctantly got out of bed. Being a naturally good-natured person, he didn't even complain.
The group quickly finished getting ready and left the dormitory together, heading to the Great Hall.
"This is the first time we've ever all sat together for breakfast," Ron said, looking pleased.
"Dylan gets up too early every morning," Harry added. "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to wake up that early."
Dylan simply smiled and sat down without commenting.
A short while later, Hermione entered the Great Hall. She spotted them sitting together and approached their table.
Recently, Dylan had been excelling in every subject, earning Gryffindor House Points almost effortlessly. Hermione, who had always been at the top of the class, had been quietly competing with him in her own way.
However, over time, she realized something frustrating—Dylan never seemed to need a break.
He was always studying, always learning. He never wasted a single moment on anything else.
Even worse, his knowledge went far beyond what was taught in class!
The professors even asked him different, more advanced questions than the rest of the students.
Out of curiosity, Hermione had tried answering some of those higher-level questions herself.
The results? Complete failure.
After several humiliating attempts, her mindset began to shift.
She stopped trying to challenge Dylan in class and instead started observing him in secret.
She wanted to understand his methods.
How was he able to learn so quickly? What was his secret?
(End of Chapter)
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