The Butcher of Hogsmeade

"The Seamless Stretch Charm is the most profound of spatial transformation magic," Sirius explained to Shen Hou. Not only was Shen Hou, a "half-Muggle," in awe, but even Sirius, his old classmate and friend, was full of admiration and praise for the magical effects James had demonstrated.

"No wonder Professor McGonagall has always liked you the most, James! It's been years since you left school, but your Transfiguration skills have still improved dramatically." Sirius said, half envious and half jealous, while waving his wand to move the furniture in the room to the corner, making a large empty space in the middle.

James chuckled and teased, "You want Professor McGonagall's praise? That's easy! Just go to her now and confess to her about 'Bigfoot.' She'll be overjoyed and consider you the best Gryffindor of the year!"

"Oh, I'd rather talk to her about 'pointed forks'."

"But I'm already her favorite student, there's no need for that."

Shen Hou watched them talk and laugh, but it was like listening to gibberish; he looked completely bewildered.

"Demonstrate your hand seals, Shen; to be honest, I've been curious for a long time," James said to Shen Hou. "Is there enough space here?"

"Enough, of course it's enough." Shen Hou looked around. Each of the four walls had moved back five meters, increasing the total area... He spent a few seconds mentally doing a middle school geometry problem and calculated the answer: approximately two hundred square meters.

"Are all the expanded spaces real?" Shen Hou pressed.

"It's real, but it can't last; to make the effect of spatial expansion last and remain stable requires more advanced magical skills, not something that can be done by simply waving a wand."

"But it's still possible, right?" Shen Hou immediately asked.

"Of course, products with the Seamless Stretch Charm are very popular in the magical world."

"Well, I used to laugh at wizards for not having electronic devices and living a boring and backward life, but now I really envy you. At least you never have to worry about housing prices," Shen Hou muttered to himself, filled with emotion.

Sirius and James were completely bewildered: "Huh?"

"It's nothing, just some Muggle troubles, don't worry about it... Let's begin!" Shen Hou estimated the distance, walked to a suitable position, and got into position.

First came the offensive signs: Ald, Igni, and Arden; then Jaime and Sirius helped demonstrate the defensive effects of Quen and Heliotrope; finally, the sign Axii, which Sirius was most interested in and which Mad-Eye Man was most concerned about.

"Teach me this, Yakshi—that's how it's pronounced, right? I want to learn this." After volunteering to be a test subject to personally experience the effects of the sign, Sirius, once he woke up from the hypnotic effects of the Yakshi sign, immediately pulled Shen Hou to ask for his guidance, completely without his previous frustration and irritability.

James covered his head and shook his head, reminding him, "Sirius, have you forgotten what you're doing? We're here to teach Shen how to cast spells with a wand, not the other way around."

"So what? Who says two things can't be done at the same time?" Sirius Black argued confidently. "You teach Shen how to cast wand spells first, and I'll learn the Axii sign first. It won't delay anything; I think casting signs is simple, I can learn it quickly... Should I straighten my pinky and press it down? And then, my ring finger... No, my ring and pinky seem to fight each other, I can't get them to coordinate... Oh, won't twisting like this cause cramps?"

"Never mind him, come and try my wand, Shen!" James completely gave up on getting Sirius's help, pushed him aside to continue struggling with his fingers, and then handed the mahogany wand in his hand to Shen Hou.

"What should I do?" Holding the wand in his hand, Shen Hou felt a strange sense of awkwardness. It was similar to the feeling he had when he watched foreigners in short videos learning to use chopsticks for the first time and not knowing where to put their fingers.

"At Hogwarts, I had practical lessons from the professors. The first practical advice Professor Flitwick—our Charms professor—taught me was that if you're facing an enemy and don't know what to do next, cast the Ironclad Charm on yourself. Following his teachings, I put a lot of effort into the Ironclad Charm and have gained some experience."

"Is it the first spell you cast outside the post office that night that stopped the explosion?"

"Yes, that's the Ironclad Charm. It can not only block most offensive spells, but it's also the foundation for many advanced defensive spells." James nodded. "I've tested your defensive sign. Quen's defense is very effective; most spells that attack physically have difficulty breaking through your shield. However, the other defensive sign has a major flaw, which you should be aware of."

Shen Hou nodded: "Heliotrope requires both hands to be used simultaneously, which is not as convenient as other hand seals and is also not conducive to counterattacks."

"So you need a spell that can replace it. The Armored Charm is the best choice; it's quick to cast and very effective." He skillfully drew Sirius's wand from his waist as a teaching tool. "Watch my gestures. Every spell must begin with the correct gestures and pronunciation. Listen carefully, the Armored Charm's incantation is 'Protego.' Each syllable must be clear, and your conviction must be firm. Imagine a strong shield erected before you."

Shen Hou tried to imitate the pattern, but failed several times, just like Sirius Black's attempts with the Akshobhya sign, and couldn't help but feel discouraged.

"Don't rush, let's switch wands. Try Sirius's wand again."

"Does casting spells require a wand?" Shen Hou asked, puzzled.

"At least, that's what Mr. Ollivander told me. 'The wand chooses the wizard,' that's a phrase everyone who goes to Ollivander's shop to buy a wand will hear; the professors at the school seem to agree with that as well."

"Alright then!" Although Shen Hou didn't understand, he chose to accept the wonder of magic. Strangely enough, after changing his wand and trying again, as soon as he finished chanting the spell, Shen Hou felt a strange fluctuation in the air in front of him, as if an invisible force had pushed away some of the air, creating a barely perceptible breeze in the room.

"This...it's a success?" Shen Hou wasn't sure, but seeing the smile on James's face gave him a guess.

"Yes, it worked; although the shield was rather weak, that's mainly because you're not yet proficient. You have a great talent for magic, Shen; the Armor Charm isn't easy to learn. I heard from Alastor that many trainee Aurors can't even cast a complete Armor Charm. Learning to use the Armor Charm proficiently is the most important training course during their apprenticeship." James' tone was full of praise. "Besides, you really do look better with Sirius' wand."

"This is not a good thing." Sirius had stopped wrestling with his fingers at some point and walked over to James. "Although I don't like to say it, the Black family does have more talent in dark magic, so every family member gets a wand that is more inclined towards dark magic, whether they like it or not, without exception."

"What do you mean?"

"It means you'll become more skilled in dark magic and turn into a dark wizard." Sirius stared intently at Shen Hou, his face tense.