Dark History

After class, Albert deliberately stayed behind and waited for Professor Smith in the classroom, demanding that he fulfill his promise and help him learn the Undetectable Extension Charm.

That's the downside of the task rewards panel; sometimes the rewards are delivered to him through other means. This time was particularly frustrating; instead of directly learning the Undetectable Extension Charm, he had to learn it from Professor Smith.

Tomorrow I'm going to Hogsmeade. Once I've dealt with Mundungus and gotten the Swamp Snatcher's pelt from him, the Undetectable Extension Charm will come in handy.

"Do you think what I said in class was... a bit too extreme?" Professor Smith stopped in front of his office, turned his head to look at the absent-minded Albert, and asked.

"It's definitely too early for most second-year students." Albert. Professor Smith's teaching level was indeed very high, but Albert still had some doubts about whether these second-year students could handle this part of the knowledge.

"I'll probably leave Hogwarts early, like Professor Broad," Professor Smith said, turning the doorknob to Albert. "Around May."

"May?"

Albert wasn't too surprised. The curse of Defence Against the Dark Arts was far too dangerous, and leaving early was the best option for his own safety.

"Before I leave the school, I will teach as much useful knowledge as possible. Come in..." Professor Smith invited Albert into his office.

Albert sat on the sofa as usual.

"Still milk tea?"

"Hmm," Albert replied.

Professor Smith waved his wand and casually conjured a cup of milk tea for Albert.

"To be honest, Hogwarts students are terrible at Defence Against the Dark Arts," Professor Smith said to himself, as if talking about something amusing. "You simply can't believe it, a great many people, even most of those working at the Ministry of Magic, can't even recite a decent Shield Charm. They are absolutely awful in the Defence Against the Dark Arts field."

"This is a peaceful era," Albert said without hesitation. "And the Ministry of Magic doesn't want them to have control... You know, schools don't really teach students much; most of what they learn depends on others teaching them or them learning it themselves..."

"I've heard some news that the Lord Voldemort is still alive," Professor Smith interrupted.

"Yes, I heard about it from other wizards at the alchemy gathering." Albert nodded to indicate that he knew. However, Albert felt that Professor Smith hadn't mentioned it in class for that reason, but for some other reason.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore." Professor Smith didn't seem too keen on the topic either. "I can probably guess why you want to learn the Undetectable Extension Charm, but I need to remind you that the Undetectable Extension Charm is an advanced spell, and it's very difficult to learn. You should be prepared."

"I'm mentally prepared," Albert said calmly. He was already planning to invest a lot of experience in the Undetectable Extension Charm once he mastered it, aiming to quickly level up the skill to level three.

"Begin, and watch carefully." Professor Smith raised his wand and cast a spell on the empty teacup.

"Enlargement Charm!"

He tapped his wand on the teacup, then smiled and said to Albert, "Try pouring water into the teacup, and you'll find that the teacup's capacity increases."

Albert drew his wand and used the Water-Making Spell to slowly fill the teacup with water, making it indeed much larger.

"Pick it up," Professor Smith gestured for him to do so.

Albert discovered that the teacup wasn't as heavy as he had imagined.

"The Undetectable Extension Charm can not only expand the internal dimensions of an object while keeping its exterior unchanged, but it can also make the items inside lighter," Professor Smith explained.

"This magic is very useful," Albert said honestly. He already had several ideas on how to use it.

"It is indeed very practical," Professor Smith continued, "However, because the Undetectable Extension Charm is at risk of being misused, it is strictly monitored by the Ministry of Magic."

"If you make full use of the Stretching Charm, you can turn a suitcase into the size of a room. This teacup is the best proof of that. But this kind of magic also has a big problem: it's easy to revert." Professor Smith waved his wand, emptying the teacup of water.

"Imagine a wizard walking down the street carrying a suitcase enchanted with Undetectable Extension Charm, only for the spell to suddenly break down. What would happen? The consequences are predictable. This would be a serious violation of International Statute of Secrecy."

"Will everything spray out?" Albert asked tentatively.

"Hmm," Professor Smith shook his head. "Anyway, the Ministry of Magic has issued a bunch of strict regulations. Wizards can no longer expand their domains at will, nor can they use them for private purposes, otherwise they will be fined."

At this point, Professor Smith became even more disdainful, "You know those ridiculous rules are riddled with loopholes, or rather, they were deliberately left out when the laws were written!"

Albert strongly agreed with this point about the law, saying that the laws of the Wizarding World are basically riddled with holes and essentially serve only a small group of people.

"You probably don't know that the rule that the Undetectable Extension Charm cannot be used for personal purposes, otherwise you will be fined, is more about personal profit." Professor Smith was even more disdainful when he talked about this. "Except for products that are approved for manufacture by the relevant departments of the ministry, such as suitcases or family travel tents. Of course, these things are actually stipulated by a certain family for profit."

Albert was stunned by what he heard; he never expected there to be such a truth.

"Of course, those suitcases and family travel tents have all undergone rigorous inspections." Smith didn't mince words when talking about some people's Dark History.

"Using power to seek personal gain is normal practice, isn't it?" Albert said self-deprecatingly. "If I had the chance, I would definitely have done the same."

Smith was stunned, probably not expecting Albert to say that.

However, if it were him, he would probably do the same.

Who would want to mess with Galleon?

Moreover, this is legitimate money-making.

"Ahem, anyway, just be careful," Professor Smith reminded him. "I don't want you to be charged and Azkaban Prison because of this."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore, let's give it a try!"

"Enlargement Charm!" Albert waved his wand and cast a spell on his empty teacup.

"The gesture is wrong. It should be like this." Professor Smith raised his wand and demonstrated for Albert.

"Enlargement Charm!" Albert tried several more times, but failed each time.

However, Albert was not discouraged and continued to try while keeping an eye on the changes on the panel.

"Alright, that's about it. Don't rush it. With your talent, you'll master it in no time." Professor Smith wasn't too surprised that Albert's teacup hadn't changed. After thinking for a moment, he said to Albert, "There are also books about the Undetectable Extension Charm in the Restricted Section of Hogwarts. I'll write you a note; go and borrow it."