But when Avada returned to the familiar Hufflepuff Common Room and saw all those familiar faces, he decided there was no need to think about any of that.
All he wanted now was to get a good night's sleep and wake up whenever he felt like it!
So he immediately put that plan into action. After greeting Cedric, his three roommates, and his other friends, he went straight back to his dormitory, threw himself onto the soft bed, and passed out.
When he finally opened his eyes, thoroughly refreshed, and went to the common room to find something for breakfast, he was met with a roomful of stunned Hufflepuffs.
"It's already nine in the evening! You slept for fourteen hours straight!"
Summers spoke with great exaggeration. "I came to the dormitory several times to see if you wanted to go for lunch or dinner... but you were snoring away and couldn't hear a thing. You slept through all fourteen hours!"
"Huh?"
Avada paused, then suddenly understood. "I was probably under too much pressure for a while and had been on edge the whole time. Then the pressure suddenly lifted, and I finally relaxed completely, so I slept a little longer... Don't worry, I'm fine."
"Of course we know you're fine. You've been so busy lately, after all. And we did save you a portion of dinner, but the problem is..."
"The problem is?"
"If you've only just woken up, there's no way you'll be able to sleep tonight. What about your classes tomorrow?"
"..."
"It's not really a big problem." The older student who had sold Avada the Wit-Sharpening Potion overheard them and chimed in cheerfully. "You just need to brew a sleeping potion... It's easy. Heat Asphodel Root Powder and wormwood together."
"I'm just not going to sleep for one night. You want me to drink Hell Soup?!" Avada exclaimed in alarm.
"What are you thinking? The real Hell Soup is much more complicated than that. You need to be at least a sixth-year to brew it. What I mentioned is only the base for Hell Soup, basically the simplest sleeping potion..."
In the end, following the older student's advice, Avada brewed a simple version of Hell Soup and drank it before bed. He also asked his roommates to make sure they woke him up on time—and to give him an Invigoration Draught if they couldn't.
After Snape scolded him for using too much Invigoration Draught, Avada finally finished his classes for the day. He wolfed down a few mouthfuls in the Great Hall, then headed straight to the third floor. Resisting the urge to cast the Disillusionment Charm, he walked up to the familiar Defense Against the Dark Arts office and found Baron already waiting there.
Neither of them said much. They exchanged a glance, nodded, and knocked on the office door.
"Come in?"
The door clicked open on its own, revealing Professor Baker smiling at them. It seemed he had known who was outside without even opening the door.
"Come in. Your rewards are ready..."
Once Avada and Baron had entered the office, he waved a hand and shut the door again. Then he went to his desk, pulled a large bag from a drawer, and opened it.
"First, five hundred Galleons each. I know neither of you is short on money, but five hundred Galleons is still a considerable sum. It's nearly all the cash I carry with me. I've also included the cost of the materials you bought yourselves. It's all in the bag..."
"Don't refuse, unless you think my life wasn't worth a thousand Galleons."
As he spoke, he took two money pouches from the large bag, then pulled out two identical little booklets and set them down in front of the pair alongside the pouches.
"And then there's this..."
Professor Baker gave them a mysterious smile. "This is the main event."
"What is it?"
They asked curiously. It was such a small book—how much valuable knowledge could it possibly hold?
"Remember when I mentioned Dual Casting?" Professor Baker smiled. "This contains instructions on how to learn it."
"You're handing over your trump card?!"
Avada asked in shock. He certainly remembered the skill. From the very beginning, Professor Baker had repeatedly warned them that at the start of a fight, they had to knock away his first wand. Otherwise, he could fight with two wands at once using Dual Casting, putting them under several times the pressure!
"I trust you not to blab about it, and it isn't as powerful as you imagine."
Professor Baker explained, "The key to Dual Casting is doing two things at once, but it takes far more energy than usual. That means you can't use it as an ordinary move, and it won't simply double your combat strength. It's more useful for catching an opponent off guard when a fight reaches a stalemate."
"Even so, it can be deadly against someone who doesn't know about it. Nearly every powerful opponent who ever gave me a hard time fell to this move, including Aethelred. When I showed you the memory, I deliberately concealed it."
"And two more..." Two more?
Professor Baker took out another pair of books. "These contain the real knowledge behind the Repentance spell. When I had you prepare the magic before, you only followed my instructions; you didn't understand the principles behind it. But since you've successfully set up the spell, I think this knowledge should be of some use to you."
"However, the material is extremely profound, and some parts are incomplete. So don't expect to understand it before you graduate."
"Lastly, I've prepared a gift for each of you."
As the two stared in astonishment, Professor Baker took a familiar-looking Black Crystal Ball from the bag. "This is for Mr. Shafiq."
"Professor," Baron stammered, pointing at the Crystal Ball. "Is this..."
"That's right. It's the vessel that once held my consciousness."
Seeing Baron's alarmed expression, Professor Baker chuckled. "I know what you're thinking, but you've got it wrong. This is just an ordinary Prophecy Orb now. It won't suddenly suck your consciousness inside one day. Not unless you split your consciousness like I did, then figure out how to use this thing by consulting a mountain of secret records..."
"It only has two functions now. First, it's sturdy—very sturdy, enough to withstand ten seconds of Fiendfyre. Second, once a month, it can make a Prophecy to predict how dangerous the thing you're planning to do next will be. When you use this function, one to seven stars will appear inside it. One means safest; seven means most dangerous. I've written the instructions in a booklet. Here."
"When you become more powerful, you can also try to study it. You'll discover many strange and useful techniques that might benefit you greatly... Mr. Shafiq, are you satisfied with this as thanks for saving my life?"
"Why did you add a Prophecy function to your own vessel?" Baron felt somewhat reassured by Professor Baker's explanation, then asked curiously.
"To disguise it. When people find out it already has a purpose of its own, they're less likely to wonder if a wizard's consciousness might be hidden inside." Professor Baker answered casually. Then, to their surprise, an uneasy, hesitant look crossed his face.
"Mr. K's gift... Mr. K, you're a Hufflepuff student, aren't you? Then I think you're entitled to receive it..."
As he spoke, he slowly took the last item from the bag: a massive book, as thick as a dictionary and as large as a magazine, tightly secured by a pure-black cover and straps made of some unknown material.
"Mr. K, could you put a drop of blood on this book? I need to bind it to you so that you're the only one who can see what's inside."
Avada froze, then conjured a needle and pricked his arm, squeezing a drop of blood onto the book's cover. He couldn't prick his fingertip—he thought it hurt too much.
"Done."
Professor Baker pushed the huge book toward Avada and stared solemnly into his eyes. "The knowledge in this book may touch upon the deepest and most fundamental secrets of this world. It's incredibly profound and fascinating, but if you lose your caution and reverence while exploring it, you may also suffer consequences you can't foresee..."
"I can sense that there's a great secret surrounding you. Don't be surprised. I began to suspect something when you realized my vessel was a Dark Magic item, and what happened afterward only confirmed my suspicions... I also believe your character is strong enough to master the knowledge within. So I've decided to give it to you as thanks for saving my life. Take it. Don't refuse. If you think it's too valuable, then use the knowledge inside to do something you believe is worth its price."
"To avoid any potential risks, I've also placed a seal on the book. You won't be able to open it and learn what's inside until after your sixth year."
"Phew..."
Watching Avada and Baron leave the office and close the door behind them, Professor Baker leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
"Super Magic Perception? Or is it... gazing directly upon the 'Source'?"
Before you continue