Natural Magic

Breeze stumbled out of the messy, abandoned classroom. The Mirror of Erised could not hold on much longer, and he prayed it would not shatter in front of him.

"Mirror of Desire, I hope neither you nor An Qing are lying to me."

Breeze prepared to return to The Owlery, exhausted. As he passed the eighth floor, he saw Professor McGonagall talking with Professor Snape. Breeze caught a word or two, his gaze froze, and he stopped in his tracks.

He pondered, lowered his gaze, and listened quietly.

"And Dumbledore?" Snape said with a stern face. "I assume it was he who urged me to return. You know, the heart of a wild Peruvian Vipertooth is not easily found; I waited a full year for that apothecary to get back to me."

"Oh, Snape, Dumbledore is very busy." McGonagall said helplessly. "This matter also concerns a dragon. A few days ago, the Ministry of Magic discovered a wild, adult Norwegian Ridgeback within the borders of Britain. This dragon is extremely vicious and nearly exposed the existence of magic to the Muggle world. We all know the contents of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy!"

McGonagall looked somewhat agitated, for this was a major event. No wizard dared to break this law; even the most wicked dark wizards dared not be reckless. Any accidental exposure of magic was usually covered up by wizards using the Obliviate charm.

Dragons were also protected under this statute.

The Ministry of Magic had even established a department specifically for such magical creatures.

"The impact caused by a dragon is too great. The Ministry of Magic has asked Dumbledore to handle it; he has more authority on the international stage." McGonagall shook her head and sighed. This was no longer just an internal matter for Britain.

"My apologies, Snape, for ruining your Christmas break."

Snape snorted.

"As long as it isn't because Dumbledore's teeth have been rotted by candy, forcing me to rush back to brew Skele-Gro, I suppose I can accept it."

With that, Snape turned and left. McGonagall had no choice; she had a mountain of tasks herself and could only let Snape return to keep watch over the Forbidden Corridor on the fourth floor.

After hearing the professors' conversation, Breeze left silently. He returned to The Owlery and collapsed onto his bed without even washing up.

"Extinguish the light, Faner."

Breeze closed his eyes, his expression restless. Faner could tell Breeze was weak and did not ask any questions. Little Peeves also hid carefully behind Faner, not daring to make a sound.

Faner extinguished the candle, and the room plunged into darkness. Yet, a short while later, Breeze opened his eyes. As his vision cleared, the faint moonlight outside the window brought him a sense of peace.

"Farewell, An Qing."

Soon, Breeze fell into a deep sleep with a smile on his face. Everything would be better when he woke up tomorrow. He only needed to study magic diligently, spend seven years in peace, and grow through the glory he would earn time and time again to become the person he saw in the Mirror of Erised. That was the life Breeze craved now; perhaps staying in the wizarding world forever wouldn't be so bad...

As Breeze slept, the original natural magic within his body drained away completely. Yet, the total amount of magic in his body did not decrease in the slightest, because this magic came from the surrounding environment. It was freer; though it felt close to Breeze, it would not stay in his body forever.

As soon as a sliver of magic left his body, another sliver from the outside world entered. With this constant flux, the growth rate of Breeze's magical capacity began to accelerate.

Furthermore, he could control his magic with greater ease.

The next day, Breeze woke up very early, his exhaustion completely swept away. Upon rising, he discovered the anomaly in his body, but he understood this was a change for the better. The previous natural magic had been lifeless and stagnant, but now it was vibrant, making Breeze feel as if he were one with his surroundings.

Even...

Breeze reached out, a wisp of magic coiling around his fingertips.

"I never thought to use the magic within me to communicate with the magic of the outside world before... So this is how natural magic is meant to be used."

Breeze used the magic within him to resonate with the magic of the natural world, and a powerful magical fluctuation erupted from his hand.

"Lumos."

Breeze visualized the magical trajectory of the lighting charm in his mind, then used his intent to channel his internal natural magic to communicate with the external natural magic, constructing this simple spell.

Although it was only a lighting charm, but...

A ball of light appeared on Breeze's finger, flickering with a blinding glare. Breeze squinted as a pure barrier of magic appeared before his eyes, blocking most of the radiance.

Breeze flicked it away, and it exploded in mid-air, releasing a wave of light that illuminated the dim morning room, the brightness lingering for a long time.

"This is true natural magic; this is the magic of nature."

"Thought is the source of constructing magic, magic power is the force that builds it, and a wand is the item that guides its manifestation. But nature itself is the best guide—even better than a wand."

The wand on Breeze's wrist trembled uneasily, as if afraid that Breeze might discard it.

"You are exquisite, little one, and I still need you." Breeze could not do this at school; it would push him into the spotlight. Without the strength to protect himself, he would not be too flashy unless necessary. While natural magic was powerful, it depended on who he was facing.

Moreover, this was just a lighting charm; other spells were far more difficult. Breeze needed quite some time to construct his own new system of magic.

To cast natural magic, one needed to gain the recognition of nature, and clearly, Breeze was a child who had been recognized.

"The matter of the alchemy notebook needs to be put on the agenda. I need a notebook that is completely secure and has infinite pages. But for the Trance Grass... I should find an opportunity to ask Professor Sprout. I hope she can tell me."

Over the next few days of the holiday, Breeze explored the mysteries of natural magic. Before, when the magic in his body was inactive, he had only discovered that natural magic could enhance the power of spells, but it could not change their essence. Now, he had discovered a new world, which he called natural magic.

Natural magic bypassed the constraints of the spells themselves, becoming powerful and unrestrained. Although, in some areas, it lacked the delicate control of standard spells, such as Scourgify.

A spell could make the floor clean, but under natural magic, the floor would simply be enveloped by magic, stripping away a layer of debris.

"The effect is very similar to the Deprimo charm. These functional spells don't seem to adapt well to natural magic; it's hard to make fundamental changes to them."

Breeze thought to himself. He found that elemental spells were the most suitable for conversion into natural magic, such as the lighting charm, Incendio, or Ventus. However, the latter two were somewhat difficult; for now, Breeze could only conjure a small fireball and a tiny whirlwind, and he needed to study them further.

"I wonder what kind of changes Transfiguration will undergo."

Breeze acted as soon as he thought of it. Using his internal magic to communicate with the natural magic of the outside world, the quill beside him quickly transformed into an owl.

The owl looked very real, its eyes lively. Perhaps, other than lacking a soul, it was no different from a normal owl. Moreover, the surrounding natural magic would constantly replenish what it needed. Although it was still a bit of a deficit, it could extend the duration of its existence.

"This is something I was completely unable to do before."

Clearly, natural magic had once again enhanced the effects of Transfiguration, yet there was still no fundamental change.

What essence could Transfiguration possibly alter?

"Creating true living beings?" Breeze was startled by his own thought; this was the very power of nature itself, and Breeze did not believe he was capable of such a feat.

Setting aside the study of the essence of Transfiguration—thinking about that was far too distant for now—it was more pressing to focus on combining simple spells with natural magic to create natural magic.

With An Qing gone, the study of soul magic could also be temporarily shelved. Breeze knew the dangers of the soul; there was no need to touch upon it while he was still weak. As for Quirrell's contract, that was something Quirrell should be worrying about now. Hopefully, the petty-minded Quirrell wouldn't withhold points from Breeze during class; otherwise, Breeze might be even more cruel when the time came to finish him off.

"There is no logic in playing the thief-catcher for a thousand days. Since Dumbledore won't intervene, can I not save myself?"

Back at the orphanage in the Muggle world, Breeze had understood that when facing danger, one should seek out the police. But here in Britain... sigh, never mind. Since seeking help was ineffective, could he not save himself?

Thinking this, Breeze decided to keep a close eye on Quirrell. As soon as Quirrell entered the Forbidden Corridor on the fourth floor, that place would become his burial ground. It was Dumbledore's trap for Quirrell anyway; Breeze merely intended to give it a push, which would absolve him of any responsibility.

Who told Dumbledore to be so childish in his methods? Those things were so embarrassing that even Breeze felt awkward. It seemed Dumbledore really had eaten too many sweets—a sugary, cloying old honeybee.

With this in mind, Breeze left The Owlery with Little Peeves, as this little fellow could be of help to him.

"Little Peeves?"

"Yes, Master!" Little Peeves was somewhat excited. This was his first time out with Master Breeze, and he was about to receive a mission from him. This made his eyes light up, and his translucent body fluttered in mid-air.

Looking at Little Peeves, who was only the size of a thumb, Breeze smiled kindly and chuckled, "I need your help now... perhaps you could pretend to be that fellow's child. It would be a grievance to you, but it would help me."

Watching Little Peeves' suspicious, soft, doughy face, Breeze said with complete sincerity, "Are you willing to help me, Little Peeves?"

"Of course!" Little Peeves seemed encouraged and nodded incessantly.

A look of satisfaction flashed in Breeze's eyes.

"His name is Peeves. Heh, that name doesn't sound as good as Little Peeves; you are one of a kind. He looks quite similar to you, though he isn't as handsome as you... I need you to gain his trust, and then use it to keep an eye on a certain person. If this person enters the Forbidden Corridor on the fourth floor, you must come to me immediately and report it."

After Breeze finished speaking, Little Peeves looked determined, resolved to be a good secret agent for his master.

After Breeze led Little Peeves past the Forbidden Corridor on the fourth floor and then to the second floor to let Little Peeves secretly catch a glimpse of Quirrell, he let him wander the castle on his own. After all, as long as Peeves saw him, he would surely take an interest in him.