"Fifth-years will spend a lot of time reviewing what they learned before?"
While the other young witches and wizards listened to Flitwick explain what they would be studying in Charms Class,
Devero was leisurely reading a small booklet nearby.
It contained brief descriptions of the courses Professor Flitwick had prepared for all seven years at the school.
"That sounds pretty suitable for me."
Devero settled on the year he wanted to join.
He turned to look around.
Everyone was listening attentively.
Devero wanted to quiet his mind and listen too.
But although Professor Flitwick was quite entertaining,
Devero had already mastered most of the material.
After all, he had the combination of Magic Prodigy and Exam Prodigy.
And on top of that, Devero had the mind of an adult.
The lesson really was far too simple for him.
So Devero decided to use the time to practice the Zen Meditation Method.
And increase his magical power.
Thus,
during the two-hour Charms Class,
Devero entered a deep meditative state.
By circulating the magic within his body,
he completed ten full cycles.
As his meditation deepened,
Devero noticed the gray mist surrounding him gradually spreading outward.
It had now reached five meters away.
At this rate,
it wouldn't be long
before he could extend the mist throughout the entire classroom.
Devero noticed
that whenever an object entered the area covered by his mist,
his ability to perceive it increased significantly.
Even the faintest sound or the slightest fluctuation in magic,
he could detect it!
That meant that if this range grew large enough,
he might even be able to extend his perception across all of Hogwarts!
Then he'd be like a walking Marauder's Map!
This enhanced perception would also help him learn and imitate other people's magic.
Normally,
with the Magic Prodigy trait,
Devero only needed to watch someone cast a spell once
to reproduce it.
But if he wanted to recreate the exact same effect,
he still couldn't do that yet.
However, if Devero meditated
while within his range of perception,
then his Magic Prodigy trait would be enhanced!
Just like how the Zen Meditation Method had boosted his Transfiguration before!
Wisdom of the Sages truly lived up to its name.
When combined with a trait,
its effects went far beyond one plus one being greater than two!
Charms Class soon came to an end.
Professor Flitwick didn't ask them to practice the Levitation Charm.
In the original story, this kind of practical spell training didn't begin until late October.
There was still some time before then.
Devero told Professor Flitwick that he had decided to follow the fifth-year curriculum.
The professor was delighted with Devero's choice.
He said that he also thought the fifth-year curriculum was the best fit for Devero.
After all, it was the year with the most material!
Devero thought,
There really is a lot to cover. It's about like studying math, physics, and chemistry for the high school entrance exams in my previous life.
But with the help of his Magic Prodigy and Exam Prodigy traits,
Devero wasn't worried at all.
After saying goodbye to the professor,
he went to have lunch.
At Hogwarts, the curriculum for Potions was arranged in clearly defined stages.
During their first three years,
students focused mainly on studying Herbology.
They learned about different magical plants and their properties,
as well as how to handle them properly.
From fourth year onward,
the focus shifted to the more complex subject of Potions.
Students learned how to brew various potions
and studied their ingredients, effects, and potential risks.
So,
first-years like Devero
had two Herbology lessons each week,
while Potions was taught just once a week, on Fridays.
Herbology was taught by Professor Sprout.
[Name: Pomona Sprout] [Age: 58] [Spell Library:...] [Traits: Herbology Talent (Purple), Magical Talent (Purple), Cultivator (Purple)] ... [Herbology Talent (Gold): Highly accomplished in Herbology, with an innate ability to identify and perceive all kinds of magical plants. She may achieve impressive results in Herbology.] [Magical Talent (Purple): Possesses magical talent beyond that of an average wizard, learns spells faster than most, and has some creativity.] [Cultivator (Purple): A witch or wizard skilled at cultivating magical plants. Magical plants under your care will grow more vigorously!] ...
The professor didn't have any Gold traits like Snape, Flitwick, or McGonagall.
But it was clear
that she was also a teacher beloved by her students.
Devero figured that her achievements in her field might not measure up to those of the other Heads of House,
but she was definitely a good teacher.
She was an exceptionally kind and optimistic person.
She treated every student with patience and care,
making her classes relaxed and enjoyable.
Devero didn't hide his talent in this subject, either.
During the question-and-answer portion of the lesson,
Devero earned twenty points for his House.
Of course, Devero was also thinking about his grades.
In the lower years,
Herbology was not to be underestimated.
If he wanted to become the top student in his year,
getting excellent grades in Herbology was essential.
Although the original story never explicitly mentioned the concept of coursework grades,
Devero thought,
if he had a chance to improve his overall evaluation through class participation,
why not take it?
So he might as well do his best in that regard.
After class,
Devero declined Harry and the others' invitation to go eat in the Great Hall.
Instead, he headed alone to the office location Professor McGonagall had given him that morning.
He wanted to ask Professor McGonagall a few questions about what he had discovered in the Microscopic World.
But the journey didn't go quite as planned.
He stepped onto a staircase that looked perfectly ordinary,
only for it to suddenly start moving
and carry him into a narrow passageway.
The walls of the passage were rough and uneven,
and the air was thick with dust and mildew.
Seeing this passageway he'd never visited before,
Devero immediately grew interested.
Exploring Hogwarts was one of his goals, after all.
He might as well explore it while he was here.
Maybe he'd find a passageway that hadn't even appeared in the original story.
Devero felt his way forward,
lit his wand,
and hurried onward.
The passage seemed to twist and turn endlessly.
Devero followed it,
curious to see where it led.
Gradually, a sliver of white light appeared ahead.
It had to be the exit!
Devero immediately ran over.
He opened a small door and stepped outside.
Familiar stone walls.
A familiar, dim setting.
This was the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room!
Wait.
What was going on?
Devero looked puzzled.
Had some older students made a passageway leading to the entrance so they wouldn't be late for class?
Devero turned around in confusion.
But to his surprise, the small door that had just been behind him was gone!
Devero furrowed his brow.
Something seemed off.
It was as if something had deliberately stopped him from going to see Professor McGonagall.
Was it trying to keep him from asking about the Microscopic World?
Could the castle actually have a mind of its own?
Uh.
It seemed there really was.
Some Pink Toad had tried to get into the Headmaster's Office and failed.
But he was only going to ask a question!
What was the point of stopping him?
But Devero wasn't about to give up over that.
After all, this was one of the key ways he could grow stronger!
If he could solve the problems related to the Microscopic World,
then without a doubt,
Devero's strength would take another huge leap forward!
So there was no way he was giving up!
After a lot of effort,
he avoided all kinds of staircases,
secret passages,
and even suits of armor blocking his way,
and finally, thanks to his Zen Meditation Method's environmental awareness,
he found his way out of the secret passages.
He arrived at the door of Professor McGonagall's office, the place he'd been longing to reach.
It was a small study beside a second-floor corridor.
Before you continue