Magic Studies

Three weeks later, the Room of Requirement.

It was a comfortable room styled like a study.

The two rows of bookshelves on either side were piled full of books and notes—none of them particularly valuable. They seemed to be extracurricular reading materials left behind by previous students.

Opposite the door stood a floor-to-ceiling window. Outside the Window, Magic simulated a raging storm. Against that backdrop, the room—with its expensive wool carpet and the fire blazing in the Fireplace—felt especially warm and cozy.

On the soft sofa, Vaughn closed the book in his hands and rubbed his eyes.

"System!"

[Host: Vaughn Weasley]

[Magic Power Level: 438 (an ordinary adult Wizard is 500)]

[Talents: Charms 7, Dark Arts 6, Transfiguration 8, Potions 10, Herbology 6, Divination 2 (maximum value: 10)]

[Spells: Occlumency LV5 (MAX)... Obliviate LV0 (0/2), Crushing Curse LV0 (0/2), Phantasmal Charm LV0 (0/2), Vanishing Spell LV0 (0/3), Sectumsempra LV0 (0/3), ... Scarpin Transfiguration Curse LV0 (0/4), Patronus Charm LV0 (0/4), Fiendfyre Curse LV0 (0/5)...]

[Potions: Draught of Joy and others. New additions: Enhancing Potion, Truth Serum, Draught of Intellect, Love Potion, Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, Polyjuice Potion...]

[Reputation Points: 22]

Looking at the changes in his Magic Power Level and Reputation Points, Vaughn suddenly came to a realization.

A month had already passed!

Ever since Snape had approved his request to borrow advanced books from the Restricted Section, Vaughn had spent all his time in the Room of Requirement apart from attending classes.

After painstaking study, he had finally reached a stopping point.

Vaughn tossed aside his book and let out a long breath. Shaking his head, which felt muddled from prolonged concentration, he looked at the System Panel.

The newly added spells and potions in the prompts immediately lifted his spirits.

They were things he had been unable to access no matter how hard he had tried over the past few years. Even relatively standard spells like the Crushing Curse and Obliviate lacked learning Channels on the market.

That was because they were spells whose circulation was restricted by the Ministry of Magic. Unless one attended an official school like Hogwarts, where students were registered and recorded with the Ministry of Magic, Wild Wizards could forget about learning them—

There were Not Many Wild Wizards in the Wizarding world. They might be Werewolves or Vampires who had been bitten and transformed at a young age, or undocumented Dark Wizards who had drifted in from abroad.

Not every Dark Wizard was as "high-end" as a Death Eater. Plenty were petty thieves who lurked around gray areas.

What Vaughn had not expected was that Snape had even approved his borrowing a book on the Dark Arts.

Most of Introduction to Dark Magic contained simple Hexes and Curses, but someone had added a handwritten page at the end of the book.

It recorded Sectumsempra and its counter-curse, Vulnera Sanentur, as well as the Fiendfyre Curse!

Vaughn did not need to think to know who had added them.

As expected of a former Death Eater—he had no qualms about the Dark Arts at all.

Of course, Snape did not dare go so far as to let Vaughn learn the Unforgivable Curses already.

But Vaughn was satisfied enough. If Snape had not pulled strings for him, he probably would not have been able to learn these spells for another four or five years.

As for the Dark Arts, he might only have been able to follow the example of those Wild Wizards and head to Knockturn Alley or the Black Market to find people from the underground world.

There were far too many risks in that. The underground world was full of swindlers and scoundrels. Losing money to a scam would be one thing; the real danger was running into a Dark Wizard who wanted to rob him blind.

After staring at the System Panel for a while, Vaughn's brief excitement faded. He pressed a hand to his forehead.

"There are too many new spells. If I practice them all myself, it'll take a long time. The ideal method is to use Reputation Points to raise them by a level or two first, reaching the beginner or proficient stage, then practice them myself."

"Twenty-two Reputation Points isn't nearly enough... I need to find a new source!"

With that thought, Vaughn stopped hesitating and poured all his points into the Scarpin Transfiguration Curse, raising it in one go to LV2 (10/16).

This spell would be a huge help in his upcoming potion development. Potions, in turn, could help him find a new source and increase the Reputation Points he received in monthly settlements.

At his current stage as a student, investing all his Reputation Points in it was undoubtedly the most efficient choice.

After allocating the points, Vaughn took out a bottle of Itching Potion and poured it into a cup. With a light flick of his Wand, he spoke the spell as fluently as though he had practiced it hundreds of times.

"Revelaspell!"

His vision immediately changed. The cup of potion in his eyes began to glow!

Colors floated across the surface of the light, mixed together yet incomparably distinct, clearly separated from one another.

Vaughn suddenly felt that this already completed potion could be taken apart!

So he waved his Wand again—

The deep blue potion in the cup immediately split into several clumps under a mysterious force. Their colors rapidly changed, shedding their pure blue hue and gradually returning to the colors of ingredients such as Viper Fang and Dried Nettle.

The process that had formed the potion was disrupted by the spell, then under the spell's effect, it did its utmost to revert to its former state.

Vaughn observed it for a moment, then poured out the cup of Itching Potion.

It was useless now. The Scarpin Transfiguration Curse could only restore it; it could not cause the potion to form again.

"What a marvelous spell. I wonder how that Wizard named Scarpin developed it back then?"

"Too bad he's been dead for so long. They probably couldn't even find his ashes anymore..."

After using Scourgify to dispose of the mess, Vaughn stretched lazily and prepared to return to his dormitory to sleep.

Starting tomorrow, he would begin producing and developing potions.

He already had a few ideas in that area. He was ready to make a name for himself!

Then, as he walked out of the Room of Requirement, he ran into Dumbledore...

The greatest White Wizard of the century stood in the Seventh Floor corridor, dressed in pinkish-purple pajamas and a childlike nightcap, pretending to have run into him by chance.

"Ah—Mr. Vaughn Weasley, good evening. Are you here to use the toilet as well?"

"...?"

Vaughn froze for a moment.

Dumbledore continued with a beaming smile. "So you've discovered this place too. How marvelous. I've been at Hogwarts for over a hundred years and walked this corridor who knows how many times, until one day when I urgently needed the toilet, a room suddenly appeared in this wall. It was Piled Full of all kinds of toilets I liked. Thank Merlin, it has been my favorite place ever since!"

This old man was playing dumb again...

Vaughn quickly caught on. With an equally beaming expression, he bowed and said, "It truly is a magical room. Unfortunately, I'm not here to use the toilet. I'm still young and don't need it at night, Headmaster Dumbledore."

As though he had not seen the books tucked under Vaughn's arm, Dumbledore smiled and made small talk. "Yes, I'm rather old after all, no match for young people. Still, I think you should give it a try when you have time."

Vaughn shrugged. "I probably won't be coming here anytime soon."

"Oh? Why not?"

"I've read most of the books. I'm going to start researching potions and refining my theories. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Headmaster."

"Severus has been praising you before me all this time—the Potions Prodigy of Slytherin."

Vaughn smiled. "It's all thanks to Professor Snape and your kindness. It's getting late, Headmaster. I should return and rest. Good night."

"Good night, Mr. Weasley."

The two foxes, one old and one young, exchanged greetings and parted ways, as though it had all been nothing more than a chance encounter and ordinary small talk.