Chapter 13:Jake turned to the three younger students.

Jake then addressed the room once more, defending Harry's potential innocence. "And you know what?" He declared. "Even if Harry did put his name in and managed to outsmart the Goblet, good for him.

That means he outsmarted a centuries-old magical object and even Dumbledore himself. And in my book, that's pretty damn impressive."

Fred and George, sitting at the back of the room, applauded Harry's supposed achievement. "Here, here!" they exclaimed. "Well done, Harry! You truly have the Marauder spirit in you.

Very impressive." Their lighthearted support began to sway the mood of the room. Some of the angry individuals seemed to soften at their words. Outsmarting Dumbledore was seen as quite an achievement, even if it wasn't entirely accurate...

As the tension lingered, Jake decided it was time to retire for the day. He called out to Harry, who was still standing on the fourth-year boys' floor. "Alright, Harry, let's meet bright and early at 8:00 tomorrow.

I'll show you some awesome spells that will definitely help you in the tournament. So be ready," Jake said as he headed up to the fifth-year's floor where his assigned room was located.

Harry nodded at Jake's words, feeling a mix of gratitude and relief. He appreciated his friend's support amidst the doubts and hostility from some fellow Gryffindors.

—

The next morning, Jake woke up refreshed, feeling the comfort of the magically enchanted beds at Hogwarts. Making his way downstairs to the common room, he noticed Ron and Harry playing chess together, a sign that they had made amends.

Hermione was nearby, engrossed in a thick book on magical math... Jake found the concept horrifying. Magic was supposed to defy math, wasn't it?

"Alright, Harry, and the rest of you if you want to join, let's head outside by the lake. We don't want to accidentally blow up the school or something. I haven't tested two of these spells yet, so I'm not sure how strong they are," Jake explained.

Hermione couldn't help but interject with a question. "How can you say you've learned the spells if you haven't actually used them?"

Jake pondered for a moment before responding. "Well, I'm not entirely sure, but these spells have simple concepts. It's easy for me to imagine their effects, and that makes them easier for me to cast."

Unbeknownst to Jake, it was his devil's power of imagination at work. Basic spells like creating fire or water were effortless for any devil. The complexity increased with more intricate spells, making them harder to cast.

"That's not how magic is supposed to work," Hermione muttered to herself.

The group of four students exited the Gryffindor common room and made their way outside toward the lake. Once they reached the grassy shore, Jake turned to the three younger students.

"Alright, guys, what's the first thing any aspiring mage should know if they're thinking about combat with other magical people?" Jake asked, ready to begin their practice session.

"The Expelliarmus charm?" Harry suggested.

"The stunning spell," Ron chimed in.

"How to cast a shield," Hermione answered correctly.

Jake pointed at Hermione with a nod. "You hit the nail on the head, young lady," he said, giving her a playful wink.

Hermione grumbled, "You're only two years older than me..."

"Alright, guys, I'm going to cast the Shield Charm, and I want you to fire your spells at me," Jake instructed. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged surprised glances.

Did Jake really believe his shield could withstand all three of their spells simultaneously?

"Is that safe?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Maybe." Jake chuckled. 'What's life without a little danger?' "Alright, here I go. Protego!" As he uttered the incantation, a massive shield appeared in front of him.

It was significantly larger and thicker than any Protego they had seen before, measuring around 5 feet wide and nearly a foot thick. The shield seemed impenetrable, and what amazed them even more was that Jake cast it wandlessly.

They had never witnessed wandless magic before!

"Wow, that's amazing!" Ron exclaimed, while Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement. "It's the coolest shield I've ever seen. It's like a giant wall of pure magic.

I don't think we'll be able to make a scratch, but I'll give it a shot." Ron pointed his wand at Jake and carelessly cast the Bombarda spell. *Doink* The spell had absolutely no effect upon contact with the shield.

"Ron, you can't just Bombarda someone!" Hermione scolded.

"But he seems fine," Ron shrugged.

"You'll have to do better than that," Jake taunted, causing Ron to pout in annoyance.

"Come on, mate," Ron said. "We're only fourth-years, and that's the strongest spell we know." Harry nodded in agreement.

Hermione glared at the two boys, irritated by their lack of effort. "Maybe if you two picked up a book once in a while, you'd know some stronger spells. Let me show you."

Ignoring her own words about not using dangerous magic, she pointed her wand at Jake's shield and cast the Reducto spell. The spell hit the shield with a more solid doink, but it still had no effect.

Hermione looked down in disappointment. Jake chuckled, amused by her failed attempt to outshine Harry and Ron.

"Alright, now that you've seen my shield in action, would you like me to teach you how to cast it?" Jake asked.

Ron spoke up on behalf of the group. "Mate, hate to break it to you, but we all learned how to cast Protego in our second year. It's the most basic shield charm.

I have no idea why yours is so much stronger, though. You must just have a ton of magical power." Ron's voice held a tinge of envy.

"Even if you have a lot of magic, it's kind of a waste to overpower a simple Protego. You should learn a more advanced shield," Hermione advised. "Otherwise, you might exhaust yourself in the future, even with your reserves."

"Do you know any better shields?" Jake asked her, realizing he hadn't come across any during his time in the library.