"Clean it up!"
As soon as he left the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, David cast a cleaning spell on himself.
After spending so much time in a room filled with garlic, he felt as if he had been marinated in the smell. The spell not only removed the surface stains but also got rid of the lingering odor.
After casting the same spell on a few roommates and familiar students, David left. Since class had just ended, some students were heading back to the dormitory to change, while others were seeking help from older students to cast cleaning spells.
Next was Charms class, held on the third floor of Hogwarts.
As soon as David entered the classroom, his eyes were drawn to the front window, where a large pile of books had been stacked in a stair-like formation.
Those who understood the reason behind it knew exactly what it was for.
Today's lesson was on the Lumos spell.
After a brief introduction and demonstration from Professor Flitwick, the students were asked to practice on their own.
This was one of the most basic spells, something almost every young wizard attempted after receiving their textbooks. It was often the first spell new students experimented with.
The classroom was soon filled with flickering lights of varying brightness. Some wands emitted steady glows, while others flickered like dying candles.
Of course, some students failed entirely. Not everyone had read their textbooks in advance, nor did every student possess an innate talent for magic.
Under these circumstances, it was difficult for Professor Flitwick to award points. Should he give points to every House? After all, even Hufflepuff had students who managed to cast the spell on their first try—though Ravenclaw had the most successes.
This, at least, spared Professor Flitwick some embarrassment, considering he was the Head of Ravenclaw House.
"Focus on what I just explained. Stay calm and steady…"
Professor Flitwick hurried around the classroom on his short legs, stopping at different students to offer guidance.
Thanks to his patient reminders, more and more students managed to successfully cast the spell.
David had always admired Professor Flitwick. He was serious, responsible, and incredibly patient. Unlike Professor McGonagall, who could be strict and intimidating, or Snape, who acted as though every student owed him money, Flitwick remained warm and encouraging.
"Pronounce the spell clearly. Don't rush. Try again!"
David saw Professor Flitwick pause in front of a Gryffindor student.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Seamus Finnigan.
David immediately felt a sense of foreboding. If Seamus had a magical status panel, it would probably list a talent called "Explosion Mastery." The boy had an uncanny ability to cause explosions when casting spells, and his proficiency with explosive magic only increased with time.
Seamus took a deep breath, raised his wand, and spoke.
"Lumos!"
A faint light appeared at the tip of his wand.
"It worked! It worked!" Neville shouted excitedly from the front row. He and Seamus had been struggling earlier, so seeing Seamus succeed filled him with hope.
"If Seamus can do it, then I must be close!"
"Don't get too excited. Stay focused and control your magic," Professor Flitwick reminded Seamus. "Try again, but be careful!"
Seamus nodded seriously and raised his wand again.
In an instant, the glow at the tip of his wand grew stronger, quickly brightening to an alarming degree.
What had started as a dim, five-watt glow suddenly surged to eighty watts or more.
David's instincts screamed at him. He knew exactly what was about to happen.
"Close your eyes!" he shouted.
His fellow Ravenclaws trusted him enough to obey without hesitation. In a coordinated motion, they shut their eyes, turned away, and ducked.
Just as they reacted, a blinding flash of light exploded in the classroom.
A thunderous boom followed, rattling the windows and shaking the desks.
Though the explosion was brief, its impact was undeniable.
Chaos erupted.
Students screamed and stumbled, blinded by the sudden burst of light. Many had been watching Seamus closely, hoping to learn from his attempt. Unfortunately, they received the full force of the explosion directly in their faces.
Even those who had turned away still felt the disorienting effects of the blast—dazzling light and a deafening sound.
At the epicenter of the explosion, several Gryffindor students were left blackened with soot, their hair frizzled as if they had been struck by lightning.
Professor Flitwick, fortunately, had been too short to take the full brunt of the explosion. His height had saved him from direct exposure, but even he had been temporarily blinded by the flash.
The tiny professor blinked rapidly, tears streaming down his face as he struggled to clear his vision.
"What happened?" Terry Boot asked, his vision still blurry. He had been chatting with his friend Gene when David had shouted for them to close their eyes. He had followed suit, but now he was completely lost.
"Seamus Finnigan's spell exploded," David replied, rubbing his temples. "A low-budget version of a flashbang."
If the light had been any brighter and the noise any sharper, it would have been a perfect imitation of a military flash grenade.
"Everyone, stay calm and return to your seats!"
Professor Flitwick, now floating in the air thanks to a Levitation Charm, used a Sonorus Spell to project his voice across the chaotic classroom.
He knew that if students panicked and started pushing, a minor explosion could turn into a real disaster.
David couldn't help but admire the professor's ability to maintain control. Even in his blinded state, he took immediate action to prevent further chaos.
As a former Dueling Champion, he probably felt embarrassed that he hadn't seen the explosion coming.
Seeing the professor's struggle, David quickly took charge of the situation. Along with a few classmates who had heeded his warning in time, he worked to calm the panicked students.
They guided the disoriented students back to their seats and helped those who had fallen.
Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had suffered the worst.
Cassandra was relatively unharmed, but Hermione had collapsed onto her desk, clearly affected by the blast.
It took nearly ten minutes before the lingering effects of the explosion finally wore off.
One by one, students regained their vision and ears stopped ringing.
With the classroom in disarray, it was impossible for Professor Flitwick to continue teaching.
He had no choice but to end the lesson early and allow the students to recover.
From this day forward, every student in that room would never forget the name Seamus Finnigan.
David, however, knew that this was only the beginning of Seamus's explosive career.
Years later, during the Battle of Hogwarts, when Neville needed to blow up a bridge to stop the Death Eaters, Professor McGonagall had specifically told him to consult Seamus.
That meant only one thing—
In his seven years at Hogwarts, Seamus Finnigan had caused so many explosions that even the professors considered him an expert in magical demolition.
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