The denser the wall, the slower they moved.

But that wasn't all. If the spell created a solid wall, Alex realized it could serve as a defensive shield. And by pushing the wall toward an opponent with a burst of magic, it could even be used offensively.

Without hesitation, Alex cast the Impedimenta spell again, this time in the open space of his room.

"First, I need to understand how this spell actually works," he muttered to himself.

He approached the invisible barrier, reaching out to touch it. His hand met solid resistance like he was pressing against a wall of glass.

"It's less than an inch thick but completely impassable from both sides," he noted, running his fingers along its surface.

"Let's test the physical strength," he thought.

Alex grabbed a dumbbell from his luggage and gave the barrier a solid knock. A strange sound filled the air, a mix between a dull thud and a soft splash as if he were hitting the surface of the water rather than something hard. He hit it a few more times, intrigued by the strange sound.

"It's definitely not metal or stone... it's like a solidified liquid," he observed, marveling at how odd it felt. Then, he put the dumbbell down and tested the wall with his fists. After a few punches, something strange happened—the wall began to soften. It didn't shatter like glass but instead turned pliable, almost like rubber.

"Interesting," Alex murmured, rubbing his sore knuckles. "The wall becomes softer after repeated hits. I wonder if that's because the magic is draining from it."

After a few more strikes, Alex managed to punch through the softened wall. Even though the wall was pierced, the spell still lingered, making it difficult to move through.

He took a step back and then threw himself against the wall, slowly pushing his way through it.

"It's like moving through a thick gel... but without the stickiness. This spell really is something else," he said, grinning at the strange sensation.

Once the spell's duration ended, the wall vanished, and Alex quickly wrote down his observations in his notebook. Then, he recast the spell.

"Next, let's see how it handles magic attacks."

Alex positioned himself a few meters away from the newly formed invisible wall. He raised his wand and cast Expelliarmus, the Disarming Charm, at the barrier. To his surprise, the spell was stopped by the wall. The magic hit the barrier, spread out across its surface, and fizzled away.

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He tried again, firing spells at different angles. Sometimes, the spell was absorbed, and sometimes, it deflected, ricocheting off at a sharp angle.

"That's unexpected," Alex said, watching the spell bounce off. "So if the spell hits straight on, it shatters. But at an angle, it deflects. That could be useful in a duel."

He spent the next hour testing different angles and attack types, making notes after each attempt.

The more he worked with the Impedimenta spell, the more potential he saw in it. It wasn't just a simple obstruction—it could be a defensive shield, an offensive weapon, or even a tool for strategic movement.

"It's almost like a magic barrier that I can shape however I want," Alex mused. "I can make it solid, or fluid, or even turn it into something like a magical quicksand. The name Impedimenta doesn't really do it justice. It's more like a type of magic shaping."

Satisfied with his progress, Alex devised a plan for how he would improve.

"I need to focus on a few key areas," he thought.

"First, I'll work on my spellcasting speed—if I can cast it quickly, it'll be much more useful in combat. Then, I'll practice controlling the density and shape of the barrier. I'll also see if I can improve the way I push the wall, turning it into a proper attack."

With his plan set, Alex began refining his technique over the next ten days. Every morning, he read his textbooks and learned new spells, but his afternoons were dedicated to Impedimenta. He also visited Flourish and Blotts to buy more books on spellcasting but found the books shockingly expensive—some cost more than alchemy items or potions!

In the end, he purchased three books: The 7 Ways of Casting a Spell by Barnabus Finkley, The Origin of the Spell—An Introduction to Ancient Runes, and Elegant Steps in a Duel Contest. Despite wanting more, his limited funds meant he had to prioritize.

Still, Alex soaked up knowledge like a sponge. His magical power grew stronger every day, and he knew that his background and discipline gave him an edge over other students his age.

One evening in early August, Alex stood in the small courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron. He raised his wand, and with a sharp flick, a transparent "cannonball" made of magical energy shot from his wand. It struck a target made of stacked chairs, shattering it into pieces.

He approached the remains, flicked his wand again, and said, "Reparo." The chairs reassembled themselves as if nothing had happened.

"It's coming along nicely," Alex murmured. "I've managed to shrink the Impedimenta into a cannonball about the size of a washbasin. If I keep working at it, I might be able to make it even smaller—maybe fist-sized."

He smiled to himself, imagining what he could do once the spell was refined. His goal was clear: he would turn Impedimenta into a powerful weapon, something like an "air cannon" that could be used to both attack and defend.

During the month, Alex had performed his spell-casting exercises nearly a thousand times. He practiced daily, pushing himself until both his magical energy and physical strength were completely drained.

In terms of defense, Alex had made remarkable progress. He could now accurately position an invisible barrier anywhere he wanted, solidifying it into a protective wall. He had also mastered a low-density deceleration shield, which could be quickly conjured as a transparent shield around him, about a meter in diameter, that moved with him as he walked.

The best part?

He could cast it without waiting for the spell to expire—he had learned how to send and receive it at will.