When Alexis exclaimed “No”, vehemently rejecting the idea of Jessica cutting her hair, Black found himself puzzled by the intensity of her tone.

He hadn’t met Alexis before, but he knew of her through Harry’s letters. Clearly, she knew about him too, thanks to Harry. What surprised him most was her apparent awareness of his role as Scarlet’s bodyguard. How did she know? And, more importantly, how much did she know?

Adding to his confusion was how seriously Alexis seemed to care about Jessica’s hairstyle. She was deeply engrossed in a conversation about hair care with the first-year girl – a girl she had only just met - while being clearly close to Scarlet...

“Do girls really care that much about their hairstyles?” Black finally decided to ask Meiko, who stood nearby, ever watchful. She had already prover her vigilance by preventing a near accident earlier when a running child had almost crashed into Scarlet at the airport entrance.

Meiko cast him a brief glance before resuming her task. “Some girls care a great deal about their appearance. Ruin their hair, and they’ll hold a grudge for life – might even curse you as hobby. However, Milady isn’t the type to care much about appearance.”

So that’s why Alexis preferred discussing this topic with Jessica? Just normal girl talk? Nothing more? Nothing Alexis had noticed but I hadn’t? Despite these reassurances, Black still felt uneasy about Jessica being sponsored by Snape...How was it even possible that Snivellus would sponsor a child’s education?

He didn’t dwell on these thoughts for long. His attention was quickly captured by a nearby conversation in the living room after breakfast, where two older students were trying to teach Jessica how to properly use her wand.

“Remember, Jessica, don’t use magic unless there’s an adult wizard nearby,” Scarlet said in a firm tone. “Underage wizards aren’t supposed to use magic in the Muggle world.”

Jessica processed this for a moment before asking, “So, if I’m with an adult wizard, I can use magic?”

“Legally, no,” Scarlet replied, confusing Jessica. “But practically, yes. The Ministry’s system is flawed. They rely on a charm to detect magic, but it can’t distinguish who cast the spell unless they check your wand. It just assumes that if there’s an adult wizard in the area, any magic must be theirs, not the underage wizard’s. In short, you’re safe to use magic if there’s an adult present, as they’ll assume it was them.”

Jessica frowned, clearly struggling to follow the explanation. Alexis jumped in, more than familiar with the mechanics of the flawed system.

“Like, basically, if you an underage witch and you use your wand in a neighbourhood where you’re, like, the only registered magical household, the Ministry’s totally gonna blame you for using magic. They’ll just assume it was you. But here, it’s chill ‘cause Mr. Black’s with us. He’s an adult wizard, so the Ministry will just think any magic happening here is his.”

Jessica’s eyes were widened as she grasped the implications. “So, if I lived somewhere with no other magical people registered and a random wizard passed through and used magic, I’d be blamed for it?”

“Theoretically, yes,” Alexis confirmed. And that’s how Harry was charged for misusing magic in the original storyline.

Jessica scowled. “That’s such a shoddy way to restrict underage wizards from using magic.”

“Specifically, when it comes to using wands,” Alexis added. “The detection charm - The Trace – picks up underage magic performed with a wand, or any magic that’s, like, powerful or large-scale and might get noticed by Muggles in areas where only underage wizards are registered.”

Jessica caught on quickly. “So, if I were to use magic without a wand, or if the magic I used was small...”

“They’d have no way to prove it was you, unless they check your wand,” Scarlet replied with a shrug. “Pretty lousy, isn’t it? I wouldn’t rely on the Ministry of Magic for anything serious - they’re unreliable in every sense.”

“Huh,” Jessica muttered, her enthusiasm dimming slightly. “I thought being magical would mean it’s all fun and excitement.”

“Don’t get me wrong - magic is fun,” Scarlet reassured her, patting her head. “But politics and bureaucracy? Not so much.”

“Sooo...” Alexis leaned forward, her curiosity shining. “Hiiro-sensei, I’ve always wanted to ask – how do you perform your kind of magic. Can you teach me?”

“I’d be happy to teach you,” Scarlet said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “But here’s the thing: I’ve taught Maya, Amelia, and even Fred and George, and they all found it difficult to grasp. I’m not sure if your case will be any different.”

“Well, I can at least give it a try,” Alexis said after a brief pause. “Who knows? Maybe I’ve got a knack for your magic.”

Noticing the eager glint in Jessica’s eyes, Scarlet turned her attention to the first-year. “What we’re talking about here is an advanced form of magic – something rooted in ancient wisdom. It’s too early for you to dive into this. For now, you should focus on connecting with your wand and channelling your magic properly through it. Alexis, could you help her learn Lumos? I think that’s the best starting charm for her.”

“Sure,” Alexis replied cheerfully, settling beside Jessica. She took out her wand and began demonstrating the steps.

Meanwhile, Scarlet closed her notebook and began to reflect.

Am I remembering the theory wrong? Or maybe I’m explaining it poorly? Why did students in my previous life at the Caster Academy pick up their first chants so easily, but none of the Hogwarts students I’ve taught could manage it?

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The magic itself clearly worked in this world, but why could no one else perform it besides her? She couldn’t help but wonder: Am I just a terrible teacher?

Her memories drifted back to her time as a discipline officer at the Caster Academy. She recalled how students would only grasp the danger of reckless enchantment after being taught physically – though in a manner that was firm yet not abusive. Words alone rarely sufficed to get through to them.

“Okay, I’m done!” Alexis returned, smiling. “Jessica is practicing now. How did you know Lumos would be the best charm for her to start with?”

“Um...it’s hard to explain,” Scarlet admitted, blinking thoughtfully. “It involves a lot of theory, but it’s become second nature to me. I can’t quite put it into words, so...let’s just leave it at that for now.”

“Sure,” Alexis said, holding out her empty hands with anticipation. “So, what’s the first thing I need to do?”

“Make believe,” Scarlet said, watching as Alexis’s face twisted in confusion. She clarified, speaking slowly, “Determination, trust, confidence, emotion, feeling, overwhelmed, imagination – all of it. You need to firmly believe that you can do it, and then channel your magic to align with the image you’ve created in your mind.”

“...Huh?” Alexis blinked, clearly lost. Scarlet stared at her as if trying to convey the message telepathically.

After a moment, Alexis’s eyes widened. “Oh! Oh, I get it – it's one of those things you have to figure out yourself, like the zen moments in those Xianxia webnovels?”

Scarlet took a deep breath, unsure if the changes she had made in today’s lesson would work be effective. She thought for a moment before trying again. “Have you ever heard of the urban legends? You know, the ones that are created by people just for fun of as part of a story?”

“You mean...” Alexis tilted her head, thinking. “Slenderman? Siren Head?”

“Exactly, something like that.” Scarlet continued, “Take Slenderman, for example. Before the legend spread, children had never heard of it. But once the legend got out there, some kids started having nightmares about him. It gradually became a part of their collective consciousness, like the monster under the bed. That’s the power of belief.”

Alexis absorbed every word, listening intently. Black, too, was paying close attention, although he clearly had no idea what “Slenderman” was.

“Because so many believed in it, it became real,” Scarlet explained further. “It’s the same with some deities in Japan. They exist because people believe in them. And when the belief fades...”

“The deity dies,” Alexis muttered, catching on.

“Exactly,” Scarlet nodded. “Magic works in a much the same way. At its core, it’s about belief,” Scarlet extended her forefinger, and a small gust of wind slowly swirled at its tip. “You have to believe – truly believe - that you can achieve something. You have to feel the magic flowing through your body and channel it in the direction you want it to go, and let it happen naturally. The world around you will shape itself to bring you imagination to life.”

“If I were to think of snowflakes...” Alexis murmured thoughtfully, her gaze fixed on the small gust of wind gathering at Scarlet’s fingertip, her voice dreamy, “The world will decide that snowflakes must be hexagonal...”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Scarlet nodded again, her voice soft so as not to disturb Alexis’s focus. “Feel the circuit in your body - the flow of your chakra. Focus on the point where you want the magic to exit...”

“The point I want it to exit...” Alexis repeated slowly, her eyes trained on her own fingertip as she lowered her head.

“Words strengthen your imagination,” Scarlet continued, now more animated, though still keeping her voice soft. “Focus on the words you say. Words contain power. Spill then, and they’ll become your chant.”

The room fell silent. Everyone watched Alexis as she held her position, eyes locked on her fingertip.

After a long pause, Alexis muttered, “Water, swirl.”

A shot of water materialized on her fingertip, and quickly swirled into a golf-sized ball.

A small ball of water materialised at the tip of her finger, swirling in perfect circle, growing to the size of a golf ball.

The water orb spun, vibrant and alive, and Jessica quietly covered her mouth in awe. Black stood, speechless.

But suddenly, Alexis shivered, breaking the trance. The water ball burst, splashing onto the sofa and soaking her pant.

“Awww,” Jessica sighed, but then her eyes lit up as she beamed at Alexis, “Can you do it again?”

Alexis blinked, stretching her finger out once more. After a few minutes of trying, she signed and shook her head. “I can’t get back into that state again.”

“Well, at least you’ve proven it’s possible. I’m not the only one who can do this,” Scarlet said quickly jotting down the words she had used to guide Alexis. “I’ll have Maya, Amelia, and the twins try again. This time, I’ll make sure they can do it too. Alexis, can you share what you just learned?”

“Uhm...” Alexis furrowed her brow. “I...don’t know? I mean, I get it, but I’m don’t know how to put it into words? It just...kinda clicked!”

“Exactly,” Scarlet nodded, continuing to scribble down her thoughts. “It’s more about a feeling than words. Words are just there to guide you into that state.”

Alexis’s eyes widened as a realisation hit her. “So, this is how the Masters of Buddhist monks and Taoist priests in Chinese culture teaches their disciples! Because it’s something you can’t convey with words, you have to figure it out on your own!” This part always confused me whenever I read it in those Chinese webnovels...Alexis mused.

“And finding the answer yourself is always better than being told what to do,” Scarlet agreed. “The answer you discover is always the one that fits you best. Everyone has their own path. You, Alexis, once you can summon the water ball – or whatever you’re working on – stably, your next step will be to find your own traits.”

“My traits?”

“Traits, characteristics, specialties, attributes, directions – something like that,” Scarlet explained. “For example, my traits are death, soul, night, darkness, wind, grass, woods, earth, organisation, arrangement...and there are more I don’t quite remember.”

Alexis blinked, contemplating.

“Our magic works best when we use it in harmony with our traits,” Scarlet added, snapping her fingers. A dot of flame appeared in her palm, burning brightly. “For example, I can still use fire, but when compared to wind, I need to spend more magic to manifest the flame.”

“Cool!” Jessica clapped her hands. “Can I do that too in the future?”

“Most likely, sweetie,” Scarlet smiled. “I’ll see if I can create a more suitable teaching material. I’ll definitely try my best to have you get there once you’ve mastered your wand magic.”

“Yeah!” Jessica hopped excitedly, more eager than ever for school to start.

“My traits?” Alexis muttered as she gazed at her palm, deep in thought. “What are my traits?”

Meanwhile, Black, who had been watching the entire scene without drawing attention, was left in shock. He began to question everything he knew about magic. It seemed that, for Scarlet, the wand wasn’t important at all. The wand movement, spells, and pronunciations – none of them mattered. Scarlet words - “words strengthen your imagination” - implied that if your imagination was strong enough, words weren’t even necessary.

Dumbledore must know about this. Black thought to himself, a deep sense of urgency growing within him. I have to inform Dumbledore about this.