Mental Breakthrough

Mental Breakthrough

At night, in the Gryffindor boys' dormitory.

As soon as they entered the dormitory, the students, exhausted after a full day of studying, quickly fell asleep. Of course, that might also have had something to do with their excitement all day over having their first flying lesson tomorrow!

Harry was quite pleased with this. Ever since the announcement had appeared in the Gryffindor common room last week, the first-years had never stopped talking. Even at night, they would chatter away endlessly...

That had left Harry with no chance to meditate for five days, since he could hardly sit cross-legged and meditate right in front of his dormmates. Not that they would mistake it for practicing Falun Gong, but he generally only meditated after his roommates had fallen asleep.

But today, he finally had the time!

Harry looked to either side of his bed and made sure they were all asleep. Then he lifted the thin blanket and quietly sat up, crossing his legs in the manner of a Daoist health regimen.

Harry had no one he could ask for advice; this had all been his own choice. Still, he did not feel any discomfort from doing it. On the contrary, after every meditation session, aside from sensing that the Light Element he could control had increased, he also felt exceptionally alert, his mind especially clear for the entire day. That was why he could remember eighty or ninety percent of any book after reading it once.

Hermione had no idea how jealous she was of his photographic memory. For a true top student like Hermione, reading and studying had long become a habit, so one could imagine how tempting such an ability was to her!

After meditating these past few days and finding no problems, Harry had decided to tell Hermione how to meditate. However, whether Hermione could sense the existence of the elements was something Harry had no clue about. His ability to control the Light Element might have been due to talent, or perhaps because his soul had been naturally powerful. Even in novels, not everyone could become a wizard, right?

While meditating today, Harry had an odd feeling, as though he had reached a bottleneck in cultivation and was about to break through. He was delighted. He believed that daily meditation was a form of mental training. His soul had already been much stronger than an ordinary person's, and with his self-created meditation method, perhaps he truly could make his soul even stronger.

Realizing this, he calmed his excited heart and continued closing his eyes, using his mind to "look" at the tiny points of light around him. His mind was like a palm, slowly stroking the Light Element. During meditation, Harry could sense things dozens of meters away. If he probed any farther, he felt unable to keep track of everything.

But today, when his mental power reached its peak, he did not stop. Instead, he continued probing outward. Suddenly, it felt as if he had broken through a transparent membrane, and an incomparably pleasant sensation surged through him. At that moment, he felt weightless, as if his body had vanished and his soul had been immersed in a hot spring. That warm, soothing feeling—Harry swore it was the most comfortable sensation in the world.

If his roommates had seen Harry's expression at that moment, they would definitely have been confused as to why his smile looked so lecherous...

In that instant, Harry "saw" an even more minute world. It was brilliant and multicolored, with lights of every hue drifting about like fireflies. The white points of light seemed to have found family and gathered toward him, while a bright but non-dazzling radiance appeared before his eyes.

However, that strange sensation only lasted for a short while before vanishing. Harry's mental power could now extend much farther—twice as far, reaching nearly fifty meters!

When Harry opened his eyes, two faint rays of light shot from them. His eyes glowed like luminous pearls, but they returned to normal in an instant. Even Harry did not know this had happened. The moment he opened his eyes, he had merely felt that everything before him brightened for an instant. He assumed it was because he had just left that luminous world and his eyes had blurred upon suddenly entering darkness.

What he did not know was that this condition was called Will-infused Gaze. Only those with truly powerful mental strength could display such a state when their essence, energy, and spirit were all mobilized.

If someone had been standing before Harry just then and looked into his eyes, they would very likely have been mentally struck by Harry and turned into an idiot!

Though the outward release of his mental power had lasted only an instant, others would still notice the change in him. Most obviously, his eyes had become clearer and brighter. The eyes truly were the windows to the soul!

At this moment, Harry was not sleepy in the slightest. His breakthrough had only made him more energetic; how could he possibly feel drowsy?

Harry picked up the alarm clock beside his bed and saw that it was only one in the morning. He walked to the glass window, let the cool breeze blow over him for a while, and looked up at the deep night sky. It was so clear, so bright. The Milky Way hung across the heavens, as though it were flowing.

"The Milky Way..." Harry's gaze turned distant. Such a bright night sky would be nearly impossible to see decades later, so after coming to this world, one of his favorite things had become looking up at the starry sky on nights like this. Beneath the curtain of night, people seemed so insignificant. The contrast between such vastness and such smallness filled Harry with awe for the entire universe.

Harry wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, "Youth... Huh, did I forget to take my medicine today?"

After closing the window a little, Harry thought for a moment. Rather than returning to bed, he took out a third-year spellbook, pushed open the dormitory door, and went outside.

As he walked down the stairs, the torchlight illuminated the way, but it was still somewhat dim. Harry softly and devoutly recited, "Omnipotent God of Light—Harry Potter, please grant me the power of light!" (Luo Bei: Have you no shame?)

Then, a glowing white sphere half a meter in diameter appeared beside Harry, lighting the entire spiral staircase as brightly as day.

Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room. To be honest, it really had an eerie atmosphere. Harry somewhat regretted coming out. If he could not sleep, couldn't he just count sheep? Why did he have to be alone in a situation like this?

It was far too quiet! Whenever the torch flames flickered, he would feel as though someone were standing behind him. The longer Harry stayed there, the more afraid he became. No wonder they said people could scare each other to death.

Harry noticed some blank paper and a quill on a table in the common room, and an idea came to him... Though this would be unfair to Hermione, she probably would not mind...

Harry pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote with the quill, "Hermione, I'm waiting for you in the Gryffindor common room. Harry." Beneath it, he drew the Olympic rings, a secret only Harry and Hermione knew.

Once, when Harry had been bored, he had doodled circles all over Hermione's book. In the end, ignoring Hermione's protests, he had turned them into the Olympic symbol!

So long as Hermione saw that symbol, she would know Harry had written it. Harry folded the paper into a paper crane and tapped it with his wand. The paper crane immediately came to life. It flew up, passed through the girls' dormitory door, and flew inside...

Hermione was dreaming at the moment. In her dream, they were having Astronomy class. Following the professor's instructions, the students observed Orion. Hermione secretly glanced at Harry beside her, but Harry noticed. He smiled as he stared at Hermione.

Hermione's face flushed crimson, but Harry walked over to her without saying a word.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, feeling a little guilty.

Harry suddenly raised his hand and knocked her on the head twice, hard. Hermione was utterly confused and was about to speak when Harry knocked her heavily twice more. Hermione instantly woke up...

"I actually dreamed about Harry. Honestly, I could dream about anyone but him!" Hermione muttered softly.

"But that dream felt so real. My head still hurts a little."

Suddenly, Hermione's forehead was struck twice more. Looking up, she discovered a paper crane hovering above her head.

Paper-crane messaging was magic only third-years could learn! Hermione wondered who had written to her, though she had already vaguely guessed...

After opening the paper crane and seeing the message inside, Hermione wore a helpless expression. Honestly, what time was it? Still, she decided to go see Harry.

After getting out of bed, Hermione had initially planned to change clothes, but then decided there was no need. So she went downstairs still wearing her red pajamas...

Luo Bei: Spells

Muffliato—causes a buzzing sound inside the target's ears.

Petrificus Totalus—releases countless vicious, sharp-beaked little birds to attack the opponent.

Leg Locker Curse—a leg Petrifying Charm.

Tarantallegra—makes the target dance without stopping; even exhaustion cannot make them stop.

Incendio—being hit by the spell causes boils to grow.

Densaugeo—a curse that makes the front teeth grow wildly...