Nightmare Magic

Apparition actually consisted of three parts: "vanishing," "appearing," and "Side-Along Apparition."

However, people were accustomed to referring to all three collectively as Apparition.

Among them, "vanishing" and "appearing" were used together.

"Vanishing" meant disappearing from one place, while "appearing" meant showing up somewhere else.

Combined, these two parts formed a complete Apparition.

Side-Along Apparition referred to a wizard who had mastered Apparition bringing others along with him.

When Toby brought Li Weide from Hogsmeade Village to the Wizard Tower by Apparition, that was actually Side-Along Apparition.

Generally speaking, once a wizard had learned Apparition, learning how to perform Side-Along Apparition with someone else was hardly difficult.

"...The most important thing is to remember the three Ds: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation..."

"First, Young Master Weide must focus and picture the destination in his mind. The clearer, the better."

"Second, let the desire to reach that destination flood every smallest part of your body!"

"Third, spin on the spot and let yourself enter a state of nothingness. Your movements must be deliberate... The more confident and composed you are, the easier it will be to succeed. The more hesitant you are, the more likely you are to fail..."

Toby truly had not been lying. He really knew a great deal about wizarding Apparition.

In just a few sentences, he had laid out the key points of Apparition.

Five meters in front of Li Weide, where a humanoid target had originally stood, there was now a circle one meter in diameter.

That circle was Li Weide's current destination. He had to try to Apparate into it.

Li Weide held an old wand in his hand and looked at the circle ahead.

Then he closed his eyes.

Thanks to his powerful memory, the image of that circle appeared clearly in his mind.

Then, following the insights he had gained while practicing Occlumency, Li Weide formed an intense desire in his heart to reach that place...

Finally, he entrusted everything to his magic itself, then decisively spun on the spot!

"Here goes!"

Pop!

When Li Weide opened his eyes, he was already standing inside the circle.

"Ah! Young Master Weide truly is a genius! He succeeded on his very first try!" Toby shouted excitedly.

Li Weide was also somewhat incredulous. He had already prepared himself for the possibility of splinching.

But this first attempt had actually succeeded?

Was Apparition really this easy?

"Toby, help me check. See if I left any parts behind where I was standing."

Toby said happily, "Young Master Weide, Toby saw everything clearly. You did not splinch! You did not leave behind even a single hair! You succeeded! And it did not look at all like your first time practicing Apparition!"

"Merlin above! When Toby helped Master Sophic learn Apparition before, Master Sophic practiced for more than a week and splinched himself five whole times without learning it..."

Toby's voice suddenly caught, and then he raised his fists and began pounding his large head. "Oh! Toby deserves to die! Toby is a bad elf! Toby actually spoke ill of his master!"

Li Weide grabbed his arm and said seriously, "Toby, I am your master now. If you punish yourself, it can only be for my sake! You must remember that!"

"Y-yes..." Toby was nearly frightened out of his wits when he realized his mistake.

After a House-elf recognized a new master, it had to make a clean break from its former master. This was also why House-elves rarely changed masters, because most elves could not bear to sever their feelings for their previous masters.

Toby changing masters had been an "accident" caused by the system, but since he had changed masters, he had to follow this rule!

Theoretically, he was the current master's property!

That meant he had no right to punish himself for anyone else, even if that person was his former master!

The only person with the right to order him to punish himself was his current master!

"...Don't let it happen again! All right, let's try Apparition again."

To prevent Toby from punishing himself over his mistakes again, Li Weide gave another command.

"Yes!" Toby replied, his ears drooping.

"This time, let's try going somewhere farther away..."

Perhaps because Li Weide had thoroughly understood the principles of magic while researching Occlumency, coupled with the magic power of an adult wizard—

His learning of Apparition went astonishingly smoothly.

Before long, he could move freely between the various floors of the Wizard Tower at will.

Then Li Weide grew bolder and bolder. He tore off a piece of cloth to cover his face, then completed several solo Apparitions to Hogsmeade Village and Diagon Alley.

Not once did he fail, leaving Toby, who had followed him the entire time, in constant amazement.

Finally, when he returned from London to the Wizard Tower with Toby through Side-Along Apparition, he had already become extremely proficient at Apparition.

He had never expected that merely studying Occlumency would be so helpful in practicing other magic. The discovery delighted Li Weide beyond measure.

This was what they meant by understanding one principle and applying it to a hundred others...

That day and night of hard work had not been wasted after all!

"Young Master Weide, congratulations on learning Apparition!" Toby squeaked. "But wizards need to pass the Department of Magical Transportation's examination before they can use Apparition..."

"Mm, I know," Li Weide replied casually.

Just as one needed a driver's license to drive, Apparition required an examination as well. Only after passing it and registering with the Ministry of Magic could one use Apparition freely.

However, Li Weide had no intention of taking the examination just yet.

He planned to keep Apparition as a hidden trump card.

After all, there were practically no wizards who learned Apparition at such a young age.

If eleven-year-old Li Weide went to take the examination now, it would inevitably cause a sensation.

Then everyone would know that he could Apparate.

And his trump card would be completely exposed.

An exposed trump card could not deliver a surprise victory at a critical moment!

Since practicing Apparition had not taken much time or energy, after resting for a while, Li Weide prepared to continue with his original plan.

When he had arrived at the Wizard Tower, he had already selected several Dark Arts spells to practice.

Of those Dark Arts spells, the one that interested him most was a spell called Nightmare Magic.

It was recorded in a manuscript collected on the fourth floor by a member of the Somnolence Family, and its inventor was unknown.

After striking an enemy, this spell could instantly pull them into sleep, then manipulate their dreams at will.

In Li Weide's view, it might be even more effective for interrogations than Veritaserum or forced Legilimency...

And if it were used for torture, it was even more terrifying than the Cruciatus Curse!

After all, if one could manipulate dreams, then one could make someone dream of anything...

When the thing one feared most deep within one's heart appeared endlessly in one's dreams... few people could withstand such torment!

With sufficient mastery, one could even secretly enter another person's dreams while they slept normally, manipulate their dreams, and quietly pry into their secrets...

Of course, while this Dark Arts spell was immensely powerful, it was also extremely difficult to master.

The manuscript had been kept on the fourth floor for so long, and quite a few members of the Somnolence Family had read it, yet only a handful had truly learned this Dark Arts spell.

Because learning it required an exceptionally powerful soul!

Li Weide had realized long ago that his soul seemed far stronger than that of ordinary people, which was why he intended to try practicing this spell.

Moreover, it could be cast with great subtlety, even using a Stun Spell as superficial cover.

At this stage, Li Weide truly needed a trump card that was both discreet and powerful!