"Professor Snape, I... don't quite understand what you mean."
At Jerry's words, Snape placed both hands on his shoulders and said earnestly, "Jerry, Potions and magic are wonderful, but please don't devote all your time to them. There are more precious things around you, waiting for you to discover and cherish them!"
Jerry was surprised. He could hardly believe those words had come from Snape.
He would have expected Dumbledore to say something like that.
Jerry knew what Snape meant, of course, but Snape had truly misunderstood. He and Hermione were only eleven. They weren't even twelve yet!
Jerry had meant to explain, but after speaking, Snape sank back into his seat with a weary expression and waved him away.
Jerry understood that this was no time to explain. He had better leave for now.
"Jerry, you're back. What did Professor Snape want?"
Hermione noticed that Jerry seemed distracted. He hadn't even noticed when she handed him his cutlery.
Jerry shook his head without a word, took the cutlery from her, and quietly began eating dinner.
Thinking Snape had put him in a bad mood, Hermione passed him the pudding in front of her. "Jerry, try this. I saved it especially for you. Ron and the others tried to grab it, but I wouldn't let them."
Jerry took the pudding, glanced toward Snape, then dug in happily.
Mmm! Delicious!
Time slipped by unnoticed. Before long, it was the end of October.
Night. The Room of Requirement.
[Host: Jerry Green Occupation: Wizard Inventory: Free points +1 Talents (maximum 10): Charms: 8 (exceptionally gifted) Potions: 7 (fairly gifted) Transfiguration: 9 (supremely gifted) Divination: 1 (works sometimes, fails sometimes) ... Dark Magic: 11 (even Dementors would tremble at the sight of you!!!) Spells: Killing Curse (Lv. 3, 0.04%), Patronus Charm (Lv. 1, 98.35%), Lumos (Lv. 2, 41.04%), Unlocking Charm (Lv. 2, 3.17%), Mending Charm (Lv. 2, 5.07%), Nonverbal Spell (Lv. 2, 2.4%), Fire-Making Spell (Lv. 2, 18.64%), Impediment Jinx (Lv. 2, 1.83%), Levitation Charm (Lv. 2, 9.14%), Blasting Curse (Lv. 2, 90.82%), Disarming Charm (Lv. 2, 5.15%), Levicorpus (Lv. 2, 8.25%), Densaugeo (Lv. 2, 6.25%)... Card draws: 50 (Become the mightiest, most terrifying Dark Lord!!)]
After two months of intense practice, almost all his spells had reached level two. The Patronus Charm was still at level one. Raising it had proved much harder than Jerry had imagined, though it should only take a few more days.
As for the Killing Curse, his only level-three spell, Jerry could swear on Merlin's underpants that he had never practiced it once.
Every morning when Jerry woke up, he checked his system panel. The Killing Curse's proficiency kept climbing on its own, as though it were training in the background.
Maybe that was just talent!
He had also saved up fifty card draws. After holding back for two months, Jerry was ready to use them all tonight.
My turn. Draw!
"Better luck next time."
"Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans (spinach flavour)."
"Better luck next time."
"Drooble's Best Blowing Gum."
"Revealing Potion (1 bottle)."
"Rechargeable Stun Gun."
"Better luck next time."
"Complete collection of Chocolate Frog cards."
Jerry looked over the items from his ten draws and sighed. None of them was useful. One was even a piece of technology: the Rechargeable Stun Gun. Anyone it hit would be paralysed all over and fall unconscious.
Jerry tested it. Its effective range was about twenty metres, and it made almost no sound when fired. Not bad. It might have an unexpected effect in an ambush.
Another ten draws!
As the card-draw animation ended, golden light flooded the entire screen. The moment Jerry had been waiting for had finally arrived!
"Magic: Midnight Apparition."
"Better luck next time."
"Chocolate Frog."
"Better luck next time."
"Aragog's venom (two pints)."
"Better luck next time."
"Better luck next time."
"Licorice Wand."
Midnight Apparition: Move at high speed in the form of a Patronus, dealing massive magical damage to nearby enemies.
Holy crap, I won!
Jerry was beside himself. A powerful spell and two pints of Acromantula venom—he had struck it rich!
Jerry glanced at his system panel. Midnight Apparition (Lv. 1, 0.01%) had appeared in his spell list, and he couldn't wait to try it.
Jerry used no wand and spoke no incantation. At a thought, dark purple light flashed. His figure vanished in an instant, replaced by a raven spreading its wings in flight.
Jerry felt strange in this new state.
Yet becoming a raven felt entirely natural. Soaring through the air was as instinctive as walking, the movement fitting him perfectly.
He flew to a mirror on the wall and studied himself. His shape was almost identical to his Patronus. The only difference was the colour: his Patronus was silver-white, while he was now purple-black.
When Jerry spread his wings, Dark Red Lightning flickered between his feathers. It danced through the air like twisting electric snakes, releasing tremendous energy.
Jerry shot toward the four Dummies in the centre of the room like a bolt of lightning. As he closed in, he released his energy with all his might.
A powerful field of lightning engulfed all four Dummies. Under its terrifying force, they instantly turned to ash and vanished without a trace.
After the attack, Jerry left his Patronus state and returned to his usual form.
"Huff... huff..." Jerry sat on the floor, breathing hard. The spell looked incredible, and its power was astonishing, but it had drained almost all his stamina and magic.
After a short rest, Jerry tried Midnight Apparition again. Without using the lightning attack, he could maintain his Patronus state for about five minutes.
That was nothing compared with an Animagus, but an Animagus could not match the spell's offensive power.
Jerry began to think that as Midnight Apparition gained levels and his own magic grew, he would surely be able to maintain it longer.
When that happened, Midnight Apparition might replace an Animagus form as his combat form.