Affection Power

Harry and Krum are not talkative people.

After they had said what they needed to say, neither of them spoke for the next twenty minutes.

I listened intently, trying to hear if there were any other sounds besides the sound of branches breaking and leaves rustling.

As they ventured deeper, the trees grew denser, and the stars overhead disappeared from view.

Only a beam of silvery light suddenly shone from the withered branches and decaying leaves, guiding them on their way.

They had nothing else to do.

The silence was so profound that it matched the stillness of the surroundings, until a faint glimmer of firelight pierced through the nearby bushes.

"Looks like we're almost there." Krum pointed his wand at his robe and cast another Mending Charm.

Because during this at least half-hour journey, their clothes were often caught on low branches and thorny vines.

Harry nodded.

Pushing aside the bushes, a ball of flame leaping in the crater appeared before them.

That's Hephaestus.

Dumbledore, Hagrid, Ilvas, Madame Vokanova, Caster Polachi, Phoebe stood in a circle around it.

Harry and Krum walked over.

All six people and the fire were focused on them.

"Professor, why did you call us here?" Harry asked Dumbledore after walking up to Hagrid.

"You should ask Madame Vokanova that question. Although I know the answer too." Dumbledore shrugged.

"This is related to magic," Madame Vokanova cleared her throat. "This magic is a closely guarded secret of our school, but due to certain unspeakable factors, and the fact that your respective schools have already paid a price for it—"

"Wait, did I hear that right? Our respective schools?" Krum looked incredulous.

Although Durmstrang's students are no longer targeting him excessively.

But the principal's attitude toward him hasn't changed at all!

"Ahem, Madame Vokanova is right. Although... I also played a part in this." Dumbledore suppressed his embarrassment, his left hand unconsciously touching his waist.

A feeling of resentment towards Snape welled up in his heart.

This guy's transgender pregnancy drug is incredibly effective.

She had just given birth and recovered to her original state, and her energy was so abundant that even he couldn't keep up.

You should know that he only looks like a centenarian, but in reality, his physique is about the same as that of a strong young man.

"Then I'll continue," Madame Vokanova glared at Krum. "You may not know, but a wizard's attention also has magic."

Negative, clear, and intense attention is known as a curse.

That positive, worshipful, and fervent attention also possesses a power that we do not understand.

However, the positive attention is too complex. Some wish you a long and healthy life, some wish you great wealth, and some even harbor negative desires. This makes it impossible for wizards to utilize these positive Affection Power.

But it is undoubtedly powerful.

This can be illustrated by negative attention.

Throughout history, Dark Wizard have undoubtedly all utilized negative Affection Power to varying degrees.

Voldemort, whom we all know, is one of the best examples of this.

Negative attention is simpler and easier to distinguish than positive attention.

Aside from the possibility of becoming evil from absorbing it, and the potential backlash if one's power is insufficient, it has almost no drawbacks.

The curse Voldemort placed on his name was primarily designed to absorb negative Affection Power more efficiently and reduce their depletion.

Mentioning his name would alert him and his men; it was merely an added bonus.

"The emotion Voldemort absorbed was probably fear, if I'm not mistaken," Harry suddenly said.

"How could you—" Madame Vokanova was dumbfounded.

"Dumbledore once said not to call him You-Know-Who, but to call him Voldemort."

Always use the correct name for things.

Fear of a name can intensify fear of that thing itself.

I didn't understand before why Dumbledore would teach me this way.

There's clearly a monitoring spell on it.

But now I understand, it was to reduce the fear of the name Voldemort. And if everyone did that.

"Voldemort simply can't keep up," Harry said with a smile.

"Alright." Madame Vokanova gave Harry a suspicious look.

After a brief moment of wondering if he was getting too close to Dumbledore, he continued, "Just as Mr. Potter just said."

Absorbing the Affection Power also requires careful selection. You need to choose the largest portion of the Affection Power you receive in order to absorb it to the greatest extent.

Just as Voldemort chose fear.

We also need this to absorb the positive Affection Power that other wizards bestow upon us.

"That's why you all acted like you won even though Ilvas lost?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "No wonder I felt he had become much stronger."

He has already mastered the method you mentioned for absorbing the Affection Power, hasn't he?

Ilvas nodded.

"Does absorbing this power have any effect on a person?" Krum frowned.

All the changes that had occurred in Ilvas since the start of the school year flashed through his mind.

He, who was close to Ilvas, noticed that Ilvas had gradually become more human over the course of the year.

He once thought that Ilvas was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

But now—could it be the influence of the so-called Affection Power?

"Of course there will be an impact."

But they're all good.

The positive Affection Power blessings is full of good things.

It also brings you corresponding virtues.

I don't see the ability to become better as a flaw.

"I don't want to be brainwashed by power," Krum frowned.

Harry, who was standing nearby, also sensed something was wrong. "If I'm not mistaken, this power also has a name—faith."

The purpose of the gods in developing their religion is to reap the rewards.

Just as negative Affection Power can turn a wizard evil, positive Affection Power can also make the wizard who absorbs them unlike themselves.

"Religion?" Madame Vokanova said impatiently. "I've already said that only the attention of a wizard has power."

Even if a hundred million Muggle, in your words, believe in you, and you possess the method to absorb the Affection Power, you still won't gain any power.

"What about wizards born into Muggle families? They are more or less influenced by their original families and believe in a certain religion."

"Then you're right, okay?"

This magic is a secret of our school.

"It's fine if you don't want to learn. I wasn't really keen on teaching you anyway," Madame Vokanova said angrily.

"Ahem, let me explain." Dumbledore waved his hand. "While you are worried, you need to understand one thing."

You are in a dominant position, absorbing the Affection Power.

If you're worried about it polluting your mind, you can absorb it slowly.

Adjust your mindset.

Moreover, the so-called 'pollution'

That is, courage, kindness, and gentleness—these are all wonderful qualities.

You can choose for yourselves.