Methods of Enhancing Magical Power

Throughout the entire school year, Hermione Granger had earned nearly perfect marks in every subject and was deeply favored by the professors—

Except Snape.

Yet no matter how hard she worked, there was always someone standing above her—Susan Bones.

The two of them were often assigned to the same group in class. Whenever a professor asked a question, they would raise their hands almost simultaneously.

But there was one difference—Hermione excelled at quoting textbooks, while Susan's answers were often more profound.

Hermione's answers were flawless, but Susan could always provide examples, analyze the principles, and deduce conclusions. Naturally, the professors appreciated the latter more.

There were even rumors that Snape had praised Susan once in Potions class—that was the only non-Slytherin student he had ever complimented.

At first, Hermione had thought it was only a rumor, but gradually, she began to wonder: Had Susan received professional training long ago?

Especially after she noticed that when Susan answered questions, she often expanded on knowledge beyond the textbooks and even offered insights of her own.

She must have known about the Magic Core long ago, Hermione thought. Maybe... she can control her magic at will.

At that moment, her competitive spirit was completely ignited.

After class that day, Hermione gathered her courage and asked Lin An, "Professor, can I come into contact with my Magic Core myself?"

Lin An set down his pen and smiled. "Of course. As long as you're willing to practice."

"Practice?" Hermione's eyes lit up.

"That's right." Lin An's tone was calm and steady. "Every night before bed, repeatedly cast a simple spell, such as 'Lumos.'"

Before your magic is exhausted, feel the flow within your body—once your magic is depleted, let it recover naturally.

Repeat the process. This will not only train your perception of the core, but also make your magic more flexible and help it grow faster."

"Professor, do you mean that magic can grow through active consumption? It doesn't need to depend on age or talent?"

"Exactly." Lin An nodded.

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

Even Hagrid's eyes widened—he had lived for so many years, yet he had never heard of such a thing.

Hermione's worldview was completely overturned.

She asked in shock, "Then... shouldn't this be a secret? If others found out, wouldn't it cause chaos?"

Lin An smiled faintly. "The fact that you thought of that proves you truly understand the value of knowledge."

He paused briefly, then continued:

"But I don't believe knowledge should be hidden. Magic advances through sharing and inheritance.

As long as it is locked in the hands of a few, it will stagnate. Only through circulation can magic evolve."

Hermione wanted to ask more, but she saw him gently raise his wand.

A silver-white ray as thin as a strand of hair shot out and silently sank into their foreheads.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid all froze at once, then felt a gentle yet sturdy lock appear in their minds.

"I have added a layer of protection to your memories," Lin An said in a low, steady voice.

"You will not forget what happened today, but when you try to mention it to others, this memory will be temporarily sealed away.

It will automatically return after a few hours. No one can read this part of your memories through Legilimency."

Hermione froze for a moment, then realized. "This... is a modified Fidelius Charm?"

Lin An smiled. "Something like that. The prototype came from the Fidelius Charm, but I improved it.

It no longer relies on a Secret-Keeper. Instead, it directly locks onto the structure of the mind and incorporates the triggering mechanism of Obliviate."

This had originally been an experimental spell Lin An developed for "Information Security Art."

As long as he set the conditions, he could even make anyone who broke the agreement immediately "disappear" when they leaked the secret.

But now, he had only used the gentlest version.

The group nodded, but none of them realized how difficult this magic was.

They could never have imagined that what Lin An had just done was equivalent to reconstructing part of four souls in a matter of seconds.

"Then," Lin An said with a faint smile, raising his eyes, "what did you originally come to see me about?"

Only then did everyone come back to their senses—they had originally contacted the professor because of Norberta.

Hagrid carefully explained what had happened and mentioned that Malfoy had also learned of the dragon's existence.

Lin An fell silent for a moment after hearing him out.

Ordinarily, he should have let them deal with it according to the "original story," sent the dragon away, and let Fate take its course.

But his thoughts suddenly came to a halt.

Why should I continue acting according to "predetermined Fate"? he asked himself.

At first, he had thought it was because he wanted to make use of the plot and seize control of the future.

But after thinking more deeply, he realized that the real reason was—Fear.

He feared the unknown.

He feared that the "future" he already knew would be rewritten.

That sense of security that came from "controlling everything" was actually born from the wounds in his heart—

Ever since his parents' deaths, he had firmly believed that no matter how hard one tried, Fate would never change.

But things were different now.

He was no longer the person he had once been.

He possessed the power to change the world.

He could even redefine the meaning of "Fate."

Since that was the case—why should he remain bound by Fate?

Lin An closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The shadow that had weighed on his heart for years seemed to finally disperse.

"Professor?" Hermione called softly.

Lin An opened his eyes, his expression peaceful. "It's nothing."

He looked at Hagrid. "I'll make you a magical suitcase similar to Newt's for raising Norberta.

I'll obtain a breeding permit for you from the Ministry of Magic."

"R-Really?" Hagrid's eyes widened, and his voice caught in his throat.

Lin An smiled and nodded.

Hagrid excitedly wanted to spread his arms for a bear hug, but when he saw Lin An's slightly raised brow, he remembered the warning from last time and forcibly stopped himself. He scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.

"Th-Thank you, Professor! I'll take good care of Norberta!"

"I believe you," Lin An replied calmly.