Getting on Track and an Exchange of Interests with Dumbledore

Professor Flitwick solved several of the major difficulties Ezio was facing with magic in one fell swoop. After resolving the issue of masslessness in spell solidification, he also introduced Ezio to the process of developing his own spells.

The difficulty of this task was not particularly high, but it required a solid foundation, with Runes being the most important link.

The current system of incantation-based spellcasting is derived from the Runic spellcasting system. It can be said that Runes are the cornerstone of magic. In alchemy, Runes are still widely used today; these magical characters, which allow magic power to circulate on the surface and inside of materials, are the fundamental reason for imbuing alchemical creations with extraordinary power.

The reason why goblin-made magical artifacts are so sought after by wizards is that goblins possess their own independent script. This represents a spellcasting system that goblins pioneered, which is completely different from that of wizards, allowing the magical items they create to possess certain unique powers that wizards cannot replicate. However, this does not mean that goblin magic is superior to wizard magic; three consecutive Goblin Rebellions caused the goblins to suffer heavy losses. Once upon a time, the goblin magical civilization was comparable to that of the wizards.

"Do you know why there is such a huge gap between slang magic and standard spells?"

Professor Flitwick posed a key question regarding spell development, then explained to Ezio: "Standard spells and slang have one very similar point: they are both telling magic what kind of power I want you to exert and what I want you to achieve."

"But the effects produced by the two are vastly different. The fundamental reason for this is that standard spells are finalized only after the Runic combinations have been completed and the magical effects have been determined, followed by the process of turning them into incantations. Doing this allows a spell to exert a stable and consistent effect across different wizards without much variation. This is also one of the definitions of a standard spell."

"If you want to start researching your own magic, the first thing you need to do is learn Runes, then learn Runic combinations, memorize Runic vocabulary, and understand the power represented by these phrases. For example, if you want to design a new explosion spell, you can combine Runic phrases related to fire, impact, energy, and eruption to obtain a brand-new explosion spell where you have customized the fire effect, the intensity of the power burst, the direction of the explosion, and even the target."

"But finding these phrases alone is not enough. You also need to experiment with the intermediate words that can connect these phrases, allowing the magic power of different Runic phrases to be channeled and united. Only then can you design a qualified and effective new spell. This is not an easy task; we need the accumulation of knowledge, the spark of inspiration, and a little bit of crucial luck."

"This is also the reason why the birth of new spells is slow, because there are too many combinations between phrases. Sometimes you can't even find a phrase that can appropriately express the power, and you have to research and explore new phrases yourself."

"The more power a spell intends to express, the higher the difficulty of the spell. Therefore, standard spells are basically single-function magic. This makes it easy for people to learn quickly, and also convenient for wizards to fine-tune the spells when they have specific needs. The simplest examples are the Lumos and Lumos Maxima."

"Although your current accumulation is not enough for you to develop your own magic spells, since you want to do so, you can start coming into contact with Runes from now on, learning and recognizing them. I can recommend a few introductory books for you."

Ezio left with the book list, feeling extremely satisfied. The knowledge he could learn at Hogwarts was far more than he had anticipated. To be honest, if he were outside of Hogwarts, wanting a master-level scholar like Professor Flitwick to give him a lecture would be something money couldn't buy.

But at Hogwarts, everything was free. All you needed to do was show these teachers respect, listen to their teachings, and complete their assignments.

After leaving Professor Flitwick's club, Ezio took a trip to the library. The books on Professor Flitwick's list could basically be found in the library. He would certainly order a copy for himself, but borrowing a portion from the library first was also necessary; Ezio did not like to wait.

"So, what are they complaining about?"

He looked at the little wizards who were looking miserable while rushing to finish their homework in the library, only sighing that they were blessed without knowing it. But he didn't force anything; after all, the life or death of these people had nothing to do with him. If there were no interests involved, he couldn't be bothered to care about how others were doing.

After receiving the magical enlightenment from the professors, Ezio's life at Hogwarts gradually got on the right track. The three-point-one-line life of classroom, library, and training ground did not feel boring, and time passed by in a flash.

The changes in Slytherin were also visible to the naked eye. In the second week of school, Labas had already sorted out the internal class hierarchy of Slytherin. He redefined the elite clubs that originally existed within Slytherin and optimized the original internal selection and elimination regulations, popularizing them throughout the entire Slytherin house.

The days for those idiots became difficult. Under Snape's indulgence, these guys who had neither brains nor any specialized skills were reduced to the untouchables of Slytherin house in a short period of time. Those who tried to do something to resist would often appear in the toilet stalls the next day.

Even they themselves didn't know when they were thrown there, and then their heads were roughly shoved into the toilet bowl. Someone would press the flush button, and they would be tortured until their bodies went limp on the verge of drowning, never daring to act rashly again.

It wasn't that they hadn't thought about sending letters home, but this waiting only brought back silence. Neil had gained a circle of fat recently.

In this silent terror, this small portion of Slytherin finally understood their current situation. Resistance could only bring terrible punishment and the cold pressure from others in the same house.

Slytherin fell into a kind of abnormal fanaticism because most of them had gained benefits during the class division and enjoyed the pleasure of being the superiors trampling on the bottom layer.

Ezio knew well what kind of social structure was the most stable. It was not a pyramid, but a spindle shape. The very few people at the very top held the most power; they controlled the leaders of small groups and accepted support from below, while these small leaders commanded the largest number of middle-level personnel. This middle layer accounted for seventy percent of Slytherin.

Below the middle layer were the exploited, who accounted for about twenty percent of the total population. They needed to provide services for those in the middle layer in exchange for the right to survive in Slytherin. Although they bore some dirty, hard, and tiring work, they could still get by.

Because below them, there were those who had become untouchables. These people were deprived of human rights in Slytherin house. Knowing only how to be stupid and unable to provide any value to the house, they were kicked out of the dormitories. Snape walked coldly through the corridor, and a cold "trash" shattered all their remaining illusions.

This change would naturally be noticed by people at Hogwarts, but people from the other three houses didn't seem surprised. Slytherin had always followed the principle that the strong are respected; it was just that this approach was a bit more radical than before.

After discovering that the disgusting Slytherin idiots from before had gradually disappeared, some people even applauded it. Annoying guys were never liked by others.

The professors who originally wanted to persuade Snape not to let Slytherin fall into its current state also gradually gave up the idea after discovering the vitality displayed by Slytherin now. In the past, in class, the most diligent students should have been those from Ravenclaw, but at this moment of intense internal competition.

In order not to fall out of their class, and in order to escape their current class, those who were originally considered fools also learned to use their brains and learned what they should do during class.

The house point hourglass, which exceeded the second place by a full two hundred points, was the best self-introduction for Slytherin at this moment.

Ezio completed his structural reorganization of Slytherin. He knew that this model might not be sustainable for long because Hogwarts had no real Brahmins. After the end of this school year, a rebound would inevitably occur.

Some people would leave Hogwarts, some would make their families put pressure on Hogwarts, and Dumbledore might intervene, leading to the dismantling of the current structure. But what he needed to do was to ensure the existence of the class. As long as the definition of class was maintained within Slytherin, then even if the current framework was dismantled, he could still use the house's resources for his own purposes.

'Letting Harry work with Snape to get the precise quantification of potions is enough to stabilize him. Harry is also a predatory upper-class member in Slytherin, which is something Snape is happy to see.'

After things stabilized, Ezio summarized everything that had happened recently. "But Dumbledore seems to have objections to this. He doesn't like the internal class division I introduced because it is too unfriendly to a small group of people. Voldemort only limited himself to forming cliques, but I have already blatantly started exploiting my classmates."

'Then let's start the first exchange of interests.'

Ezio closed the Runic literature in his hand. How long the current Slytherin model could be maintained actually depended on Dumbledore's choice in the end. If he thought it was inappropriate, then everything would have to come to an end.

'A Horcrux from Voldemort should be enough to pay for this reward.'

He returned the book, then walked up the school stairs and arrived at the eighth floor of the castle.

'I need a room to hide things, I need a room to hide things, I need a room to hide things.'

Ezio paced back and forth in front of the blank wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being beaten by a troll, thinking this sentence over and over in his heart. When he cast his gaze toward this wall, a wooden door appeared in front of him.

A few lamps were lit in the dim room, and the dusty storage room contained secret treasures left here by Hogwarts students over hundreds and thousands of years.