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When Alex entered the Leaky Cauldron, Tom, the innkeeper, looked up from his newspaper and called out.

"Young man, you can\'t just sleep all day and skip meals! You didn\'t even come down for lunch!"

Alex chuckled.

"You\'re not mad that I didn\'t come down to cook for you at noon, are you?"

Ever since he had cooked a meal for Tom the previous day, Alex had taken over preparing their dinners. He had also handled breakfast that morning, and Tom had been happy to let him do so.

Tom grinned.

"I was just worried you might starve to death up there! No need to blame me."

Alex laughed, feeling in good spirits.

"Alright, alright. I\'ll make it up to you with something special tonight."

With that, he headed into the kitchen and prepared a hearty dinner. The rich aromas of roasted vegetables, tender meat, and spices filled the air. Tom even poured Alex a glass of butterbeer, a drink Alex had grown to enjoy for its unique, buttery flavor.

As they ate, Alex glanced at the newspaper Tom had been reading earlier.

"Anything interesting in the news?"

Tom\'s expression darkened.

"It\'s getting worse. That dark wizard—you know, the one they call You-Know-Who—and his followers, the Death Eaters, have attacked the Ministry of Magic again. An Auror was seriously injured. I don\'t know how long we\'ll be living in this fear."

Death Eaters? Alex thought of a new term to add to his growing understanding of the magical world. He made a mental note to research more about Voldemort\'s followers.

After dinner, as Alex waved his hand, the empty dishes floated off the table and gently flew into the kitchen sink, where they settled down with a soft clink. Tom\'s eyes widened in shock.

"Did you just—? Without a wand?" Tom exclaimed, astonished. "Even the Levitation Charm is difficult without a wand, and here you are, doing it like it\'s nothing!"

Alex smiled casually.

"That\'s what happens when you skip lunch and spend the whole day practicing."

Tom could only shake his head in disbelief as Alex headed back upstairs to continue his studies.

Over the next few days, Alex worked tirelessly to learn new spells. He practiced basic utility spells like Alohomora (the Unlocking Charm), Lumos (to produce light), and Scourgify (for cleaning), as well as defensive spells like Protego (the Shield Charm), Impedimenta (the Impediment Jinx), and Expelliarmus (the Disarming Charm). Some spells were easy to grasp, while others took longer to master.

Tom, who had taken an interest in Alex\'s magical studies, helped him with some spells when the instructions in the books weren\'t clear. His guidance proved invaluable, especially when it came to pronunciation.

Despite his rapid progress, only the Levitation Charm could be reliably cast without a wand. Alex realized this was likely due to his long history with mind power, which made him more comfortable with spells that involved lifting or controlling objects. Still, he felt he was on the right path and began to draw some conclusions.

First, Alex noticed that the same spell could produce different effects depending on who cast it. For instance, Tom\'s Lumos was far brighter than his own because Tom had more experience and a deeper understanding of the spell.

Second, he learned that emotions and willpower could influence the strength of a spell. This insight came from one of Tom\'s lessons: the stronger your will or emotions when casting a spell, the more powerful the result. When Alex focused his emotions while casting Lumos, he noticed a significant improvement in the spell\'s brightness.

He also discovered that certain dark spells had the potential to influence a wizard\'s mood, which gave him a greater respect for the dangers of black magic.

After reflecting on everything he had learned, Alex concluded that three main factors affected spellcasting: willpower, emotion, and proficiency. Additionally, the total strength and amount of magic a person had set a limit on how powerful their spells could become.

With this understanding, Alex made adjustments to his training. His top priority was self-preservation, so he decided to specialize in one defensive spell that could protect him quickly and effectively.

He narrowed his options down to three spells: Impedimenta (the Impediment Jinx), Expelliarmus (the Disarming Charm), and Protego (the Shield Charm). After careful consideration, Alex chose to focus on Impedimenta.

It was a decision based on his old philosophy from playing games in his previous life—he liked to maximize the power of one skill until he became overpowered. And now, in this magical world, he intended to do the same.

Impedimenta was described in Alex\'s textbook as a vital spell for any dueling wizard. It could delay an opponent or prevent a magical creature from advancing, serving as both a defensive barrier and a strategic tool. However, when Alex began casting it, he discovered it was far more versatile than the simple description in his book.

When he cast the spell, an invisible barrier appeared in front of him, solid like a wall. The duration of the barrier varied—sometimes it would last ten seconds, other times over a minute.

What surprised Alex most was how the density of the wall could change. If he adjusted his magical power, the wall wasn\'t always solid. Opponents could pass through it, but their movement would be slowed, almost as if they were walking through thick mud.