To everyone's astonishment.
Luna relentlessly pointed out the flaws in Professor Slughorn's potions.
Professor Slughorn did not argue. Instead, he pulled out a gold-trimmed handkerchief and began wiping his face, which was covered in cold sweat.
The moment Luna mentioned the flaw in the first potion, his heart sank.
Because he had indeed made it more attractive, easier to store, and cheaper to display.
He had created a rather crude Stamina Potion.
He had thought it would already be impressive if any young wizard recognized the potion.
But he had not expected Luna to possess such a family heritage, allowing her to see through every detail of his potion-making.
Suddenly, Professor Slughorn remembered something.
"Miss, may I know your name?"
He asked cautiously, a certain expectation visible in his eyes. In another setting, he might have been mistaken for a creep.
"Luna Freya Hill, sir."
Luna shrugged and answered casually.
"My teacher's surname was Hill as well..."
There was even more sweat on Professor Slughorn's face.
"If I remember correctly, there was indeed a list at home of outsiders who had come to study under my teacher. But I never had the chance to look through it..."
Luna looked at Professor Slughorn with a faintly amused gaze.
So you're threatening me...
Professor Slughorn gave a bitter smile.
Fine, fine. He would just consider it looking after his own child.
His teacher's family had declined because of the war, leaving only Luna behind. Yet over the years, he had never once asked after her...
Professor Slughorn felt ashamed of himself.
"I hope Miss Hill can come to my office after class."
He spoke extremely quickly, putting an end to the subject.
"Now then, let us begin the lesson. Open your textbooks..."
Looks like the authorization slips are in the bag.
Cypher thought to himself.
Shortly before class ended, the three of them successfully brewed a perfect Cure for Boils, earning Ravenclaw another twenty house points.
Only a week into the school term, Ravenclaw had already opened up a staggering gap in points from the other houses...
Class was over.
The three of them followed Professor Slughorn directly to his office.
They stared at Professor Slughorn, who was sobbing his eyes out.
Luna forced a smile as she comforted him...
Cypher and Iris exchanged bewildered looks beside her.
How did this end up looking like you're the one who needs sympathy?
Cypher muttered inwardly as he watched Professor Slughorn sniffle and hiccup.
Finally, once Professor Slughorn had calmed down, Luna requested authorization slips to consult books in the Restricted Section.
Professor Slughorn immediately approved three of them.
Outside the Restricted Section.
The three stood obediently at the entrance while Madam Pince, the librarian, carefully checked the three authorization slips they had submitted again and again.
Only after confirming several times that there was no mistake did she reluctantly allow them into the Restricted Section.
They were clearly first-years, yet Horace had approved three slips for them...
Madam Pince shook her head and walked away, muttering in an incredulous tone.
The three no longer hesitated and plunged into the vast sea of books.
"Found it—An Introduction to the Disillusionment Charm and Its Applications!"
"I found one too—How to Summon Your Patronus!"
"This seems to be the only one that barely relates... How to Protect Your Mind."
Although they had received permission to consult the books, Madam Pince absolutely refused to let them look beyond the outermost level of the Restricted Section unless they had authorization from the Deputy Headmaster or Headmaster.
The three had no choice but to hope they could find the spell they currently needed here—the Disillusionment Charm.
With the Disillusionment Charm, they could freely enter and leave the Room of Requirement.
Fortunately, the Disillusionment Charm was not one of the evil spells of the Dark Arts.
It had only been placed in the Restricted Section because it would be difficult to manage if it became too widely known.
The three quickly found the relevant books.
It was not often that they got to come here. Three authorization slips, three borrowed books—that was not too much to ask, right?
Iris suggested looking for the Patronus Charm. Apparently, the shape of one's Patronus was the same as the animal one transformed into as an Animagus.
Learning it would let them mentally prepare in advance and find the most comfortable environment for their transformation animal, preventing their beastly instincts from becoming too overwhelming.
Cypher thought about it. He wanted to learn Occlumency.
He remembered that there were people in the Magical World who could read your thoughts just by making eye contact.
Moreover, Occlumency could also give one the means to resist mental assaults.
However, perhaps Occlumency was simply too important.
Or perhaps everyone had their own personal understanding of Occlumency.
The three drooled as they looked at the books deeper inside, but reaching too far was not a good thing.
They walked back to the entrance of the Restricted Section, turning their heads every few steps.
When Madam Pince saw that they had only selected these three books on magic, the tightly furrowed lines between her brows visibly relaxed.
She did not even check again whether those were truly the three books they intended to borrow.
After recording the borrowing information, she hurried them into signing their names and leaving.
It had gone rather smoothly. As they walked down the corridor, the three still felt as though they were dreaming.
"With a complete Disillusionment Charm guide, we can go to the Room of Requirement whenever we want in the future to study and practice other spells, right?"
Iris said excitedly as she walked ahead. The upright white ahoge on her head and her hanging ponytail swayed along with her.
"Yes! So we need to master the Disillusionment Charm as quickly as possible!"
Cypher's dormitory.
"Disillusionment."
Friday only had Potions class in the morning.
The three spent the entire afternoon in Cypher's dormitory.
The book on the Disillusionment Charm passed back and forth among them.
Whenever they had an idea or insight, they shared it with one another.
Whenever they encountered a problem, they thought it through together.
At last, they had gained an initial grasp of the Disillusionment Charm, progressing from translucency to complete invisibility.
But it was still not enough. It worked fairly well while they remained still.
Once they started moving, however, the image would tear badly.
The sensation was extremely awkward.
Maintaining the Disillusionment Charm while walking was like drawing a circle with one hand and a square with the other.
Without extensive practice, it was difficult to accomplish.
So, even by the time they went to bed that night.
The three could only barely maintain the Disillusionment Charm while walking normally.
But that was enough.
They were not heading onto a battlefield or hiding from an enemy search.
They were only avoiding other students so no one would see them.
What would Ravenclaw students be doing running to the Gryffindor common room every day?
Likewise, if they wanted to sneak around at night while avoiding professors, they would need much more practice. Their current level was nowhere near sufficient.
Cypher said that, to his gifted magical perception,
the three of their Disillusionment Charms were like candles in the night—exceptionally conspicuous.
After a full day of studying.
The three wanted to rest early.
After saying goodnight, Cypher escorted the two girls to the entrance of their dormitory.
A golden-red glow suddenly lit up behind them.
"Fawkes?!"
Iris released the doorknob in delight and rushed toward the space behind Cypher.
She gathered a beautiful golden-red bird into her arms.
Fawkes the phoenix struggled in disgust.
Revealing the small note tied to his leg.
Cypher stepped forward, removed it, and unfolded it.
It was from Professor Dumbledore!
He had invited Cypher to visit his office tomorrow for a talk.
Before you continue