"Stupefy! Stupefy!"
A stag beetle as big as a puppy lazily shook its antennae, watching the thin red beam hit its body and then bounce off.
It clicked its jaws and slowly munched on a giant leaf.
Theo glared at it angrily.
Among the people at Umbrella House now, except for the older Fred and George, only Harry had mastered the Stunning Spell skillfully. He was even practicing the Patronus Charm, while the others weren't very good at the Stunning Spell yet.
The more magic they learned, the more apparent the differences among them became.
Though they didn't use this for comparison, the feeling of falling behind was unpleasant, so even though they had more homework after third grade, Theo and others still found time to practice spells.
Vid was sorting through the latest issues of the Alchemy magazine when he suddenly heard a "thud" and turned to see Hermione had put down her backpack.
Michael couldn't help but exclaim, "Hermione, just how much stuff do you have in your backpack?"
"Not much, just the things I need for class and reference materials for my homework."
Hermione casually tied up her messy hair, took out a dozen books from her backpack piling them on the table, and finally picked the top one to start her homework.
Michael was intimidated and whispered to Vid, "It's terrifying... is she going to read all these books tonight?"
"She's too diligent," Vid said helplessly. "Even in Muggle Studies, she would seriously take notes, even though she already knows everything Professor Burbage teaches."
Michael glanced fearfully at the tall stack of books.
Having vaguely guessed why Vid could take so many courses, he regretted not choosing all the courses, but now he could only feel relieved.
After Hermione had been writing for a while, Vid couldn't help but stretch his hand to rub his shoulder and suddenly asked, "Hermione, is your backpack heavy?"
"Yeah? Of course it is. She's practically carrying the entire library on her shoulders," Michael retorted.
Hermione hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you suggesting not to bring all the books? These are actually just the ones needed for today..."
"No, I mean... uh... let me have a look at your backpack," Vid said, reaching out.
Hermione found it odd but handed over the backpack.
Vid took it and weighed it in his hand—wow, at least seven or eight pounds, even after Hermione had taken out a bunch of books.
He shook his head, muttering to himself that he had forgotten—Hermione was only thirteen and hadn't mastered The Undetectable Extention Charm yet.
When Vid first learned this spell, he worried about potentially breaking the law—
The Ministry of Magic stipulated that The Undetectable Extention Charm couldn't be used for personal purposes. It was only allowed for the production of specific items approved by relevant departments, like travel tents.
But over time, Vid discovered that few of the adult wizards he knew paid much attention to the Ministry's regulations.
The space of Mr. Scamander's comparable to a small world was one such example. Arthur Weasley, an official at the Ministry of Magic, secretly expanded his car's space.
When Lupin was extremely poor, he had a suitcase with The Undetectable Extention Charm applied to it; Vid's neighbor Moody had one too; and recently Sirius even expanded his motorcycle's fuel tank and toolbox.
When Vid saw Lupin pull a drink out of his pocket earlier, he realized their clothing pockets were much larger than usual, and he laughed at his own caution.
In reality, unless there was clear evidence, the Ministry of Magic couldn't randomly search wizards' personal items, at least not during normal times.
"Take out everything inside, and I'll help lighten the load," Vid said.
"Oh, okay."
Hermione guessed what he was about to do and got excited, quickly emptied her backpack. Seeing this, others gathered around too.
"Vid, are you going to use The Undetectable Extention Charm?" Theo asked excitedly.
"Yes," Vid said. "But don't forget this is against the Ministry's regulations, so don't tell anyone."
"Got it! No need for you to say," everyone agreed with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Hermione was a bit conflicted, but as Vid raised his Magic Wand, she promptly forgot her previous thoughts, concentrating like everyone else.
The spell's light fell on the backpack, flashed a few times, and then slowly disappeared.
Vid pocketed his Magic Wand.
Michael, who was expecting a more spectacular scene, froze for a moment and asked, "That's it?"
"Of course," Vid said, "It's just a backpack, how complicated can it be?"
"I thought..."
Michael muttered to himself, lifted the backpack and weighed it again, then handed it back to Hermione.
"Hermione, quickly try it."
"Okay."
Hermione swept everything from the table into the backpack; unlike its previously bulging appearance, the backpack now remained flat, as if it contained just a few books.
The girl opened the bag, confirmed that all her belongings were still inside, and lifted it with surprise, saying, "So light."
"Let me try!"
Everyone eagerly stretched their hands to her, taking turns to hold and feel it.
"Feels like when we first started school, not so many books," Neville genuinely shared his impression.
"The Undetectable Extention Charm can only expand the space?"
Theo asked curiously, "My uncle has a bag, once full, it's so heavy it's like there's a Goyle inside. Nobody can lift it but him."
"An imperfect Undetectable Extention Charm is like that," Vid explained, "But a truly successful spell works as if you've put everything into another space; you hardly feel any weight."
The backpack returned to Hermione, who joyfully said,
"Now I can fit all my books! You know how annoying it is when the book you need isn't in your backpack!"
Everyone: "..."
They couldn't quite relate to that.
Michael suddenly hugged Vid and groaned, "Vid, do me a favor... I want a no-fuss backpack too..."
Though everyone envied Hermione's backpack, only Michael was bold enough to shout it out.
Vid laughed, "Empty your backpacks, we'll do it one by one!"
Everyone cheered and emptied their backpacks, while Hermione eagerly packed all her notes from the bookshelf into hers.
Vid helplessly covered his forehead, saying, "Hermione, don't treat the space inside as infinite; it's just equivalent to the size of a suitcase..."
At this moment, the door of Umbrella House suddenly opened, and everyone looked towards the entrance.
Soaked through, Harry walked in holding a broom, leaving a trail of muddy footprints behind.