The Start of Term Approaches

"Remarkable magic, how did you extend the spell's duration?"

Professor McGonagall asked Quirrell as she cast the Hardening Charm to build the training grounds' walls.

The other professors looked at Quirrell curiously, hoping he would provide an answer.

"Talent."

Quirrell could only say that. "In the Forbidden Forest, I needed to use the Illumination Charm for extended periods, and slowly, my spells developed this wondrous effect, though it was inconsistent."

When [Lin Zuo Moment] isn't in use, it doesn't work... Voldemort thought.

He had already found a way to deactivate [Lin Zuo Moment]; it still required breaking through with desire, but the desire to check spellbooks could break through the skill's restraint.

"This spell is perfect for duels," Professor Flitwick exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Casting three Armor Charms in succession in front of you, and you'd barely need to worry about defense."

Voldemort nodded; he had already experimented, and the results were good.

"If you discover the reason behind it and can write a paper to make it public, I believe you'll receive the Order of Merlin, First Class," said the plump Professor Sprout.

"I tried to break it down, but I couldn't at all."

Voldemort looked at Professor Flitwick. "Headmaster, I hope you can research the formation of this magical effect with me."

Professor Filius Flitwick, with a hint of goblin ancestry, was the Charms professor, the Head of Quirrell's Ravenclaw House, and a former dueling champion.

He was Hogwarts' undisputed master of Charms.

"Of course, I'm willing, but I can't fathom the reason for its formation. Perhaps, as you suspect, it's a form of talent," Flitwick agreed, though he was pessimistic about the outcome.

Voldemort nodded without voicing his opinion, and the others moved on from the minor interlude.

This was the tenth day after the Gringotts heist, and on this day, the outer walls of the Maple training grounds were finally completed.

Following this was the construction of the training grounds' interior.

In this regard, Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures professor, and Professor Sprout, the Herbology professor, contributed the most.

Voldemort often merely offered his ideas and combat scenarios, such as setting up dueling progression fields within the training grounds.

The so-called dueling progression fields referred to the intersections of pathways that appeared as multiple teams entered the training grounds simultaneously. Due to the training grounds' capacity limitations, these intersections occurred as they proceeded deeper into the facility.

Here, two teams of four had to duel. The victors could continue deeper into the training grounds, while the losers forfeited their training qualification and had to exit the way they came.

There were also rescue stations, which contained not only emergency medications—with the help of Madam Pomfrey—but also flying broomsticks.

The medications were naturally for alleviating injuries, while the flying broomsticks were for escaping the training grounds. Students could obtain them by entering the stations or using the Accio charm.

The construction of the training grounds' exit mechanisms gave Voldemort more free time. Unfortunately, Madam Pince, the librarian, had not yet returned, dashing his hopes of entering the Restricted Section.

Fortunately, he could research the combination of magical temporal characteristics and Alchemy, as it was the only method he currently knew to resolve curses.

He had a direction, but Voldemort's fragmented soul had too little memory regarding Alchemy, forcing him to seek help.

Hogwarts' Alchemy master was Dumbledore, but he was very busy and not at the school recently. Even if he were, Voldemort wouldn't dare approach him.

Besides the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall was also said to be skilled in Alchemy. However, Voldemort decided to inquire further if anyone else excelled in it, as he didn't wish to seek guidance from the rigid Professor McGonagall.

Finally, he learned from Professor Sprout that Professor Flitwick was also proficient in this field—it was rumored that goblins had a talent for it. Thus, he began to seek Flitwick's tutelage.

"Alchemy?" Professor Flitwick asked in surprise. "You've never shown the slightest interest in it before."

"I want to store magic within objects. My magical characteristics gave me this idea."

Voldemort presented his prepared reason, which made Professor Flitwick's eyes light up.

"You're right," Professor Flitwick nodded vigorously. "Your magical characteristics are indeed similar to Alchemy. We can start from there."

And so, from that day on, Voldemort began studying Alchemy under Professor Flitwick. Concurrently, they would research the temporal characteristics of magic together.

This was bound to be a long process. Even with Voldemort's tireless dedication, it would be difficult to learn everything overnight.

However, he had a clear goal, so it was estimated that he should be able to craft the magical items he needed before the start of the school year.

"While I'm proficient in theory, my practical skills aren't great. If you want to use wood as a material, why not consult Ollivander in Diagon Alley?" Professor Flitwick suggested regarding practical application.

For this reason, Voldemort traveled to Diagon Alley again to consult Ollivander. Thanks to his fondness for the Alder wand, Ollivander was very fond of him and shared much knowledge.

In the intervals between his travels between Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, Voldemort made a special trip to Old Trafford Stadium in mid-August to watch a match.

After the game, he used magic to enter the field, embrace the gum-chewing Old Gentleman, and patted his back, shouting, "Well done, Sir! That game in the European Cup Winners' Cup was truly excellent."

The old Sir was a bit bewildered. He hadn't been knighted yet, but he took it as an overly enthusiastic fan. He shouted in his ear, "That was last season, young man. We need to look forward and strive for more victories now and in the future."

"Yes, you can do it because you are the Old Sir!" Voldemort roared excitedly, as if transformed into a fervent Manchester United fan.

Afterward, he specifically sought out the 17-year-old winger, Ryan Giggs, who had been promoted from the youth team by the Old Sir just last season. He was also one of his favorite players.

Under the enhancement of the [Lin Zuo Moment] skill, Lin Zuo's main consciousness took the lead, which infinitely amplified his love for football.

As a result, his image appeared on live television for the first time.

"Oh, a crazy fan! He's rushed down from the stands and hugged Coach Ferguson. What are they saying? It's clear this fan is very excited," the commentator remarked.

This was considered one of Voldemort's few moments of leisure and entertainment during this period. To resolve the curse issue as quickly as possible, he even declined Danylis's invitation.

She had mentioned Modric in her letter and expressed her intention to take in Modric's family.

In response, Voldemort wrote back, requesting her not to do so—to provide them with appropriate financial assistance, but not to alter their life trajectories.

Voldemort did not wish for his arrival to change the fate of the Magic Flute.

This was a player he liked, and he would not allow such a thing to happen, especially when Lin Zuo's consciousness was in control.

Besides these interludes, he had also gone to the pub with the professors, and under the Lin Zuo Moment, he had seen Rosmerta, but he wasn't very interested in them.

This confirmed his guess—his liking for older women stemmed from the influence of Voldemort's residual soul.

Of course, these were all just daily diversions; his main energy was still focused on crafting magical items.

And on the day before Hogwarts' opening day, Voldemort finally crafted his first complex magical item:

Magic Bead Bracelet, this was the name he gave to this magical item.