Vanessa hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, follow me." She guided Alex to a seat, and they waited for the meeting to start.
Soon, Professor Flitwick entered the room, his eyes lighting up when he saw Alex. "Ah, Alex! I'm so glad you made it. Our conversation the other day gave me a lot of inspiration."
The other students glanced curiously at Alex. They were clearly surprised to see a first-year in the club, as it was unheard of for someone so young to be invited.
Alex stood up politely. "Thank you, Professor. Your guidance has been incredibly helpful."
Flitwick beamed before moving to the podium.
"Alright, everyone, let's begin our first meeting of the year." He welcomed each new member one by one, starting with a fourth-year Hufflepuff named Shirley Leinster. After polite applause, he introduced Quirinus Quirrell, a nervous fifth-year from Ravenclaw, who also received encouraging claps.
Finally, Flitwick announced, "And our last new member, from Slytherin House—first-year Alex Wilson."
A murmur rippled through the room. A first-year? Some of the older students exchanged incredulous looks. 'He's only been here for a few days!' they thought.
Flitwick had never invited anyone this early. The room went silent, and for a moment, no one clapped until Professor Flitwick himself started applauding. "Now that everyone's here, let's get started. I'm excited about the research projects we'll be tackling this year." He waved his wand, and the names of various research topics appeared on the board.
The topics included:
1. Silent casting: Improving methods for mastering silent spells.
2. Wandless casting: Exploring techniques for casting spells without a wand.
3. Development of temperature control spells.
4. Sonic spell development: Researching spells that manipulate sound.
5. Ancient runes and the evolution of spells across cultures.
6. Research high-quality materials for use in the Undetectable Extension Charm.
7. Quantifying and improving magic sensitivity.
As the list appeared on the board, Flitwick continued, "These are the areas we'll be focusing on this year. Some of you will continue research from previous years, while others will start fresh projects."
Alex scanned the topics listed on the whiteboard, and his interest in each one grew. One topic in particular caught Alex's attention: Magic sensitivity. It was an abstract concept, and seeing it on the list made him realize that this club was not just about practice but also about uncovering deeper truths that could change the wizarding world.
"Magic sensitivity? Can you really study something so vague?" Vanessa muttered skeptically next to him. It was clear she wasn't interested in pursuing such a difficult, abstract topic.
Alex, however, understood why Professor Flitwick had included it and why the Professor seemed so intrigued by his own magical abilities. Still, he kept that understanding to himself, not feeling the need to explain it to others.
Professor Flitwick continued, "These are your research topics for the year. As always, any topic that produces results will be removed from the board, while those without will remain for further study. If any new ideas arise during the year, I'll add them. You should each choose at least one topic, though you're welcome to explore more. You'll be conducting independent research, gathering information on your own, and reporting your progress once a week."
The students around Alex quickly pulled out parchment to jot down the topics they were interested in. Alex did the same, but instead of picking just one or two, he wrote down all of them. He would decide later which ones to focus on.
He couldn't help but notice that Flitwick's approach left each student to work alone. In Alex's mind, this seemed inefficient. He thought about how much faster they could progress if they worked in teams, each group tackling a specific research topic. However, as a first-year student, he decided it wasn't the right time to voice his opinions.
"Some of these studies, like topics 1, 2, 5, and 6, have been ongoing for years," Flitwick explained. "It might be hard to achieve breakthroughs, but they will add to our collective knowledge. Topics 3, 4, and 7 are new this year. I'm particularly excited about topic 7—magic sensitivity—which was inspired by recent events." He gave a quick glance at Alex, who remained silent but noticed the Professor's subtle acknowledgment.
Flitwick then shifted the conversation.
"Before we continue, let's take a moment to congratulate Vanessa Greengrass on her recent success. She's had an article published in Century Charms, a leading academic journal in the wizarding world. It's a remarkable achievement."
The room erupted into applause as Vanessa stood, blushing but clearly proud. Century Charms was a prestigious journal, and being published in it was a huge accomplishment. Alex watched as his senior accepted the praise with modesty. He made a mental note to look into subscribing to the journal himself—it seemed like an excellent resource for anyone serious about spellcraft.
Once the applause died down, Professor Flitwick smiled warmly at Vanessa and said, "Today, we'll study one of Vanessa's most exciting findings. Her research focuses on the multifunctional uses of the Extraction Spell, especially how it can be combined with alchemical tools that use the Undetectable Extension Charm for large-scale operations. She has also developed a technique for using the spell to extract moisture from the air, and in larger applications, it could even influence weather patterns."
Flitwick waved his wand, and a screen rolled down behind him, projecting the contents of Vanessa's paper. He began to explain the details of her research while Vanessa stood beside him, assisting with the demonstration.
Professor Flitwick created a thick fog of smoke in the center of the room, followed by a cloud of ink that mixed with the fog. The two blended into a dark, swirling mist. Vanessa stepped forward, casting the Extraction Spell with precise control. Slowly, the black ink separated from the fog, gathering at the tip of her wand until all that was left was a pure white cloud of smoke.
The ink, now a dark droplet, floated before her.
The room erupted into applause once again.