Methods for Breaking Through the Bottleneck

"Is this the place you said would be a good place to talk?" Miranda asked softly, leaning against the railing and looking at the noisy crowd below the tower with a worried expression.

Xiwen turned his back and leaned against the railing, his hands clasped behind his head, quietly gazing up at the white clouds in the sky, momentarily ignoring the hustle and bustle below the tower.

"How can this not be considered a good place?" He said, his gaze drifting towards the azure sky. "It's rare to see the Eiffel Tower so empty. The Muggle in Paris actually blew up the elevator themselves to prevent that 'Führer' from climbing their tower, so now even their own people can't get up."

"It's quite ridiculous, really. Instead of fighting hard in the war to keep the enemy out of their territory, these people are thinking of crooked ideas like blowing up elevators, all to prevent the enemy from becoming a symbol of their nation's spirit."

Listening to the noisy, hurried sounds of pedestrians and traffic below, Xiwen said with a hint of sarcasm.

"But these civilians are ultimately pitiful, especially the defenseless women, children, and elderly," Miranda sighed softly. "Whether the country remains intact, whether life is respected—these are not things they can control. Seeing this scene always makes me uncomfortable."

"If you're not comfortable with this, we can go somewhere else," Xiwen said, standing up and turning his back to the iron bars behind Miranda. "Or I can open the Mirror Dimension and keep those people out."

"Forget it, there's no need to deceive ourselves like this." Miranda shook her head. "Whether we can see them or not, they are always there; just like we can't see Death, but the pressure he brings always lingers in our hearts."

"So, is Death the reason you're so eager to become stronger?" Xiwen asked.

"I suppose it's one of them," Miranda said. "But more than that, it's a feeling of resentment in my heart. I've worked so hard, and my talent for learning magic is just as good, yet my magical bloodline is like an insurmountable barrier blocking my path. That's why I'm resentful."

"Anyone would be unwilling to accept this situation," Xiwen sighed.

"So how did you do that?" Miranda finally stopped avoiding the question she had been pondering for so long, staring directly into Xiwen's eyes with her blue pupils, and asked. "I could sense that in your first year, your magical growth aptitude was far inferior to that of Dumbledore or even Tom Riddle, and your growth rate was at most comparable to mine."

"But by last year, after Christmas in your second year, you had grown to the point where you could duel with me, a seventh-grader, in less than a year. And now, I'm even more confused about just how far you've progressed."

"Xiwen, something must have happened to you!"

Seemingly feeling her tone was too blunt, Miranda then added, "If you don't want to tell anyone your secret, then I certainly won't force you. You don't need to feel bad for me."

Looking into Miranda's determined and hopeful eyes, Xiwen remained silent for a moment, and finally sighed deeply.

"Miranda, I wonder if you remember something I once told you," he said carefully. "If you ever want to learn from the Animagus, remember to tell me first."

"Yes, I've always remembered." Miranda nodded, somewhat puzzled. "Although I don't know why you specifically reminded me to pay attention to things about Animagus, I am indeed broadening my knowledge through various forms of magic, and Animagus is naturally included."

Xiwen paused slightly, then nodded.

"Actually, a large part of the changes in my magical aptitude come from the Animagus Transformation," he told Miranda.

"I only know that Animagus Transformation can affect a wizard's understanding of Transformation, but I've never heard of it being able to change magical aptitude," Miranda said, frowning.

"Of course, it's not just Animagus that's affecting me." Xiwen chuckled softly, rolled up one sleeve, and then activated the power of the Blood Curse.

A bluish-purple scale appeared on his arm.

"What changed me the most and had the deepest impact actually came from the power of the Blood Curse."

Miranda frowned as she looked at Xiwen's scaly arm, resting her chin on her left hand while tapping her forehead with her wand in her right, lost in thought.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she asked, "I remember that Dumbledore and you co-authored several papers on breaking the Blood Curse. Was it around that time that the change occurred?"

"Yes, the changes that occurred in my body are actually because I neutralized, or rather, tamed, the Blood Curse," Xiwen nodded. "The Blood Curse is a curse based on the bloodline of a wizard; it's a kind of magic that can affect a wizard's most essential talents."

"If one can successfully tame the Blood Curse, then one can enhance one's innate aptitude by leveraging the Blood Curse's modification and influence on the wizard's bloodline!"

Miranda's expression brightened, and a feeling of elation welled up inside her.

But Xiwen immediately poured cold water on this joy. "However, taming the Blood Curse is not something that can be accomplished easily; in fact, every step is extremely dangerous."

"Miranda, the reason I didn't tell you about this before wasn't to hide a secret, but because the circumstances were too coincidental and too dangerous. I wasn't sure anyone else could repeat my miracle."

"But I still want to try," Miranda said silently.

Xiwen stared intently into her eyes and asked, word by word, "Is breaking through that bottleneck more important than life itself?"

Miranda's eyes darted away for a moment, then she gritted her teeth and turned her gaze back to Xiwen's face.

"For me, if I never get to see that highest view in my lifetime, it will be a lifelong regret," she said resolutely. "So I want to try, even if it's just to catch a glimpse."

"Moreover, given the current perilous world situation, with internal turmoil from the Pure-blood Party and war within the Muggle World, and the looming threat of Death from the outside, wouldn't it increase my chances of victory if I could further enhance my strength?"

She smiled at Xiwen and spoke slowly.

Looking into Miranda's determined eyes, Xiwen finally nodded heavily.

"Alright, once we've taken care of things in France tonight, you can start learning Animagus Transformation."

ŴŴŴ.