Changes

Draco Malfoy, who had once constantly gotten in Harry's face,

no longer appeared before them as often.

It seemed to be because of the Malfoy family's decline.

The change in how those around him treated him, especially his two lackeys—they no longer followed him around all day—

made him start keeping a low profile.

Only during Potions, when he saw Snape mocking Harry, would a faint smile appear on his face.

A trace of sunlight had returned to his expression.

But what puzzled Basil most was Snape.

Because of the conversation at Hagrid's hut, Harry no longer cared when faced with Snape's sarcasm.

Instead, he often showed understanding, even sympathy.

He was also far more diligent in Potions.

Yet Snape still relentlessly lashed out at Harry with his sharp tongue.

For this, he had even given up his cold violence toward Neville.

Quirrell's influence also began spreading throughout the school.

The Ravenclaw students had begun bringing up Quirrell's House as well.

In the past, they had avoided the subject.

In this century, Ravenclaw had produced very few famous outstanding graduates.

Only Lockhart and Rita Skeeter were worth mentioning.

Because of Dumbledore's excellence, the bias of Hogwarts: A History,

and the Sorting Hat's greater consideration of students' own wishes,

a large number of students who would originally have suited Ravenclaw had flowed into Gryffindor.

Only a small number of those who purely revered wisdom and loved reading, along with most of those who considered themselves clever and barely met the criteria, entered Ravenclaw.

Among the minority, some were so pure and fervent that they immersed themselves solely in the fields they loved.

They were more like oddballs.

Studying the magical effects of the Levitation Charm on troll boogers.

Spending days and nights in a corner of the common room cracking eggs and recording predictions of how the yolks would fall.

The majority among them were not unintelligent.

They simply only met the standard.

With all the outstanding students going to Gryffindor, Ravenclaw did not have an advantage in academic performance.

This surprised Basil greatly when he learned of it.

Though it was much like Hufflepuff taking in every student who did not meet the standards, causing the other simple little badgers to pick up bad habits, become less honest, and love gossip.

Of course, Basil did not care much about any of that.

He cared more about his own progress and gaining more world divergence.

So, he boldly asked questions in every class.

As a result, he gained a great deal.

In Transfiguration Class, because of his question, Professor McGonagall finally transformed into a cat in full view of everyone.

She also answered the question he cared about most. "Granger, inside the castle, no one can transform or revert. I can because I have Dumbledore's permission. If a wizard who has learned Animagus transformation—that is, an Animagus—sneaks into the castle, then as long as he remains inside, he will stay in the state he was in when he entered. Only after leaving the castle grounds can he turn back into a human or animal."

This disappointed Basil somewhat.

He had deliberately asked that question because he wanted Scabbers in Ron's pocket to take the risk.

Then he could directly switch spaces and throw Scabbers, transformed back into a human, before Dumbledore.

Inside the castle, he was invincible.

In Charms, Basil perfectly demonstrated the Softening Charm they had learned that lesson.

He turned the contact surface between a hard wooden chair and one's backside into something with the texture of a sofa.

After receiving Professor Flitwick's praise and earning points,

he directly took the opportunity to ask two questions that other students might consider too radical.

"Professor, I've heard it said that magic is like a muscle. Ordinary spells can only train part of it. Only advanced spells can encompass the whole."

"I've also heard that our own Magic Field resists spells much like dragonhide does. So why can some simple jinxes, or even ordinary spells, overcome it?"

Upon hearing the questions, Professor Flitwick became so excited that he fell off his stack of books.

Perhaps they had scratched an itch, because he became especially talkative.

"A vivid, apt metaphor!"

"But the advanced spells you mean do not train it; they change the nature of the 'muscle.'"

"In fact, I personally believe it is more appropriate to compare magic, which exists only as a concept, to our equally intangible personalities, thoughts, and hearts. No—or rather, they are actually the same thing."

"If you often cast spells with positive emotions, you yourself will become sunny and cheerful. If you often cast spells with negative emotions, you yourself will become gloomy and withdrawn. These two are often called White Magic and Dark Magic. As your personalities change, your magic also develops tendencies in the eyes of more perceptive wizards. Spells that match those emotions become more powerful, while the opposite yields twice the effort for half the result."

"For example, Dark Wizards cannot use the Patronus Charm. It causes backlash, and the summoned insects devour their bodies."

"And when it comes to spells without any inherent tendency, your spells will still change. A harmless Stunning Spell, in the hands of a wizard filled with negative emotions, can take a life. To ordinary wizards, that simply looks like becoming stronger."

"But in truth, as long as you use spells, whether ordinary or advanced, the improvement they bring is equal on the level of magic. Advanced spells merely make you accustomed to, and better at, using spiritual power. They also give it a tendency."

"Low-level spells, meaning the standard spells learned from first to third year, become equivalent to advanced spells once you truly understand them, use them with suitable emotions, or directly drive them with a powerful sense of self."

"And spiritual power is the answer to your second question."

"The Magic Field is also a product of magic, but it leans more toward the material. Unless you have mastered the technique of infusing spiritual power into it, it will partially or completely negate spells that are purely magical and have no spiritual power applied to them, depending on its own strength. (Basil: Got it. Only a Magic Field inhabited by spiritual power is true magic resistance.)"

"And the jinxes you mentioned require the caster to put a heart of mischief and teasing into the spell as a prerequisite for casting them."

Then the bell rang.

Hogwarts teachers did not have a habit of dragging out class. After assigning three inches of homework, Professor Flitwick left the classroom.

He left behind an excited Basil, a thoughtful Hermione, and the bewildered other students.

However, to Basil's disappointment, Professor Flitwick rarely explained knowledge beyond the curriculum in later Charms lessons.

Especially when Basil asked about the title Archmage, Professor Flitwick directly stated that it was not something he should know yet.

It would not benefit his future magical research and could easily trap him in cognitive limitations.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, before Quirrell, who was practically Voldemort's incarnation,

Basil adopted a different attitude.

Direct and bold.

"Professor, what are the key points of the Killing Curse?"

"What does it take to curse someone, and what method works best?"

"Would being bald and having no nose make it more powerful?"

"Could you teach us some useful jinxes? If you don't mind, poisonous curses would be fine too."

Even Hermione, who indulged Basil as usual, could not help advising him that he had gone a little too far.

But Quirrell showed no emotional fluctuation.

Nor did he deduct any points.

He either avoided those questions

or pretended not to understand them.

As for recommending a final jinx, he actually did have one.

It was a jinx popular at Hogwarts during the seventies.

Like Aguamenti, it was named after its incantation: the Tongue-tying Curse.

The incantation was [Lock Tongue Seal Throat].

It stuck a person's tongue to the roof of their mouth, leaving them unable to speak.

It was very effective against wizards who could not cast silently.

It worked better than the Bebbing Charm.

The Bebbing Charm merely curled the tongue and made one stutter.

To preempt arguments, just as Apparition could not be used inside the castle, an Animagus could not switch forms either.

"He didn't transform!" Snape roared, his voice now very close. "Inside the castle,

no one can transform or revert! This matter... has... something... to do with... Potter!"

The "he" here referred to Sirius.