"Simplify?"
Wade was silent for a moment and fell deep in thought.
Then, he pulled out a sheet of paper from his desk and began writing and sketching.
Professor Murray watched for a while, and a look of both satisfaction and complexity appeared on his face.
Applying magic to alchemical creations isn't just a matter of stacking spells on top of one another. Spells can conflict, weaken, or even cancel each other out.
That's why most alchemists can only apply one or two enchantments. For example, a regular invisibility cloak only has a Disillusionment Charm, which gradually loses effectiveness over time and can still be disrupted by spells or sharp objects.
Wade, however, had an exceptionally rare talent for layering multiple spells. Time and again, Professor Murray was astonished by how Wade could seamlessly weave various enchantments together with such precision.
But he never voiced his amazement—just as he had never told Wade how incredibly difficult spell layering was for others.
The October night was cold and damp. Professor Murray took out his wand and pointed it at the fireplace. With a whoosh, a burst of flames ignited the birch logs stacked within.
The fire flickered wildly, the wood crackled, and a faint, pleasant aroma spread through the room.
Professor Murray glanced at the wand in his hand and smiled slightly. Crossing his hands over his abdomen, he gazed absentmindedly at the dancing flames. His shadow cast upon the opposite wall looked like that of a giant.
It wasn't until Wade put down his pen that Professor Murray reached out to pick up the sheets he had just written on. He studied them carefully, then nodded slightly.
"Wade, your design for the communication broad bean is quite innovative, but when it comes to alchemy, you must remember one thing—"
Wade looked up and listened intently.
"Excelling in one aspect is far more valuable than striving for overall perfection."
Professor Murray continued:
"What you are creating is a communication tool—more convenient and simpler than the Book of Friends. But above all, it must be stable and reliable, capable of transmitting information across great distances. Otherwise, it's just a toy."
Wade nodded thoughtfully.
"And one more thing—" Professor Murray added, "The spells for waterproofing, moisture resistance, and defense can actually be merged into one. When I traveled to Egypt, I learned a particular spell…"
Lately, during his lessons with Professor Murray, Wade had been reading alchemy books in advance and consulting the professor on anything he didn't understand.
Ancient alchemists often gave bizarre names to alchemical materials, and their processes were riddled with cryptic rituals—such as dancing under the moonlight before starting a refinement.
Professor Murray, however, is incredibly knowledgeable.
He had a way of filtering out the redundant and erroneous parts, simplifying even the most obscure concepts. Even a casual conversation with him left Wade feeling greatly enlightened.
Such pure teaching had been absent for a long time.
"The final Vanishing Charm is quite clever, but you can modify it like this—"
Professor Murray adjusted the position of two runes in Wade's magic rune circle.
Wade asked in confusion, "What effect does this have?"
"It expands the range of the Vanishing Charm… Wade, you only want the key internal components of the broad bean to disappear to prevent others from deciphering it. That approach is too gentle."
Professor Murray smiled.
"Simply making the broad bean vanish isn't enough. After their first failure, the person trying to crack it will definitely find a way to counteract the Vanishing Charm. It's like a fortress that only defends but never attacks—no matter how strong, it will eventually be breached."
"This modification will make the Vanishing Charm more intense and unstable. So, whoever tries to break it will have to sacrifice a part of their body as a price."
"It could be just a finger… or the entire person—I can't say for sure how much destruction it will cause."
Wade stared speechlessly at Professor Murray, whose tone remained calm and composed.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the professor had just revealed a rather terrifying side of himself.
After a moment of hesitation, Wade silently added the modified runes to his design.
…
At the end of October, Hogwarts had its first Hogsmeade weekend. All the third-year students had submitted their permission slips.
So, on the morning of Halloween Eve, students woke up early, had breakfast, wrapped themselves in scarves and gloves, and headed off to enjoy their time in Hogsmeade.
However, for the SSC group, Hogsmeade wasn't all that exciting—they had already visited the wizarding village many times before, so they weren't as thrilled as the others.
By the time Wade and Michael arrived at the Great Hall, most students had already finished their meals and left, leaving the long tables in a mess.
Fortunately, the house-elves in the kitchen are always attentive to students still eating breakfast. As soon as Wade sat down, the few remaining roasted potatoes on his plate vanished, replaced by a plate of sandwiches with sausages on the side.
"I'm going to Honeydukes to stock up on candy, check out a few new products at Zonkos, and finally grab a couple of drinks at the Three Broomsticks—Wade, what's your plan?" Michael asked.
Wade picked up his sandwich and said, "I'm going to Remus' place first, and then I have a meeting with Marchionne."
"Oh… the one from Aslan Magic Workshop…" Michael suddenly understood, then said, "Alright, we'll split up then. Once you're done, meet me at the Three Broomsticks?"
"Sure." Wade nodded.
After finishing breakfast, the two headed to the school gates, where Filch was holding a list and carefully checking the names of students entering and leaving to prevent younger students from sneaking out.
A group of girls was lined up at the gate. One of them, noticing Michael and Wade approaching, suddenly raised her voice:
"Honestly, Parvati, there's nothing much to look forward to at tonight's feast. Do you remember that ball at Sam's place last time? I thought it was amazing!"
"I remember that boy, Charlie, even asked you to dance!" Parvati giggled. "He was so nervous he almost tripped over himself!"
"Yeah, don't you think he's kind of cute?" Padma said while subtly glancing at Michael from the corner of her eye.
Wade looked over at Michael, who was staring straight ahead at Filch, expressionless, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"Go on."
Filch said grimly. Padma huffed, then pulled her sister Parvati toward a nearby carriage.
The girls left together in the same carriage, with one of them even turning back to wave at them.
"What's going on between you and Padma?" Wade finally asked.
Michael sighed. "You know Eric from seventh year? He published a paper in "Transfiguration Today" and was so excited that he threw a small ball in the common room a few days ago. A lot of people attended."
"And?"
"Lydia from fourth year asked me to dance—"
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