For two days, a strange, flickering rhythm had settled over Hogwarts Castle. The lights in the classrooms and corridors would dim and pulse,
For two days, a strange, flickering rhythm had settled over Hogwarts Castle. The lights in the classrooms and corridors would dim and pulse, a phenomenon that occurred almost every hour. At first, teachers and students were surprised and concerned, but after so many repetitions, they had simply grown used to it. Perhaps some lighting-related magic in the ancient castle had finally fallen into disrepair.
Compared to the flickering lights, the young wizards were still more concerned with the dramatic changes in the ongoing wizarding world crisis. The disappearances had been the headline on the front page of the Daily Prophet every single day. But unlike the previous atmosphere of worrying dread, the current news finally allowed people to breathe a sigh of relief. After Professor Quirrell joined the official response to the monster, several fruitful suggestions were put forward. The creature's patterns of movement were gradually being discovered. It moved less and less, seeming to become more cautious. There had been no news of new victims for two full days. Everyone believed that under Professor Quirrell's leadership, it was only a matter of time before the monster was caught.
Lively discussions echoed through the castle every day. Many young wizards now regarded Professor Quirrell as a hero, regretting their initial, superficial judgment of him at the beginning of the semester. "A person who is truly capable will definitely not show it casually," they would say. "We were so foolish back then, looking down on Professor Quirrell. It would have been great if I could have learned a few more moves from him."
As everyone was discussing these things, no one noticed that today, the flickering lights returned to normal earlier than usual. In the corridor on the seventh floor, Char walked quickly out of the Room of Requirement. His eyes fell on the system panel. Compared to two days ago, several of his abilities had been greatly improved.
The first was his lightning resistance. After enduring the electric shocks countless times every day, the originally illusory and blurry handwriting on his panel had become completely solid, now covered with a dull, black iron luster. [Lightning Resistance (Iron Level)] had been achieved. Although it was only Black Iron level, combined with his legendary life, the effect it produced was outstanding. Even if the intensity of the electric light was a level stronger than before, he suffered less physical damage, less pain, and less mental burden in the process of experiencing the will of nature. Based on this, Char wondered if, by the time he could raise his lightning resistance to the Platinum level, he might actually be able to survive a strike from natural lightning. Of course, if he wanted to be absolutely sure, it would be better to upgrade to Diamond level or above.
In addition to the increase in lightning resistance, his more significant improvement was in his Occlumency. The ability, which had just been upgraded to the Silver level two days ago, was at this moment completely covered with a brilliant gold. Gold-level Occlumency. Char had never thought that his progress in this area would increase so quickly. He was afraid even Snape would be dumbfounded to see this speed of improvement. The improvement not only made his mental defenses stronger but also greatly improved his use of his own spiritual power. The most direct benefit was that he became more deeply immersed in the flow state. In this state, feeling the so-called natural will, he could get twice the result with half the effort.
Reflected on the system panel, the black iron sheen of his ancient weather magic seemed to be solidifying into substance. Although due to the limitations of his magical perception, he was never able to construct seven magic nodes and form the basic structure of the rune, there were still some areas on the words that were not covered by the black iron luster. There was always a level between him and the Black Iron level. But this did not mean that the electric shocks he received were in vain. Every experience made the remaining natural will in his body more intense. Char estimated that the will in his body should be enough to drive bronze-level ancient weather magic. It was as if his foundation in this magic was constantly growing. He just needed to complete the puzzle and break through, and he could fly into the sky. It was even possible to jump directly from Black Iron to the Bronze level. And even at this level now, he had tried. When he released the ancient weather magic, the five magic nodes resonated and produced lightning, and its power was completely different from last time. It could be considered a very powerful trump card.
Over the past two days, his strength had improved significantly. But today, he had also encountered a problem. This was why he hadn't continued. The problem was that there was a limit to the amount of electric light that the Room of Requirement could produce. In other words, the "natural will" contained therein had reached its limit. Now, the benefit of the electric shock in the Room of Requirement was gradually decreasing. And as his attainments in ancient weather magic became deeper and deeper, the Room would become less and less helpful. This made him frown.
Of course, electric shocks that contained a stronger sense of nature could be found. He just had to pick a thunderstorm day, fly into the clouds, and get hit by lightning. He was guaranteed to feel the wildest will of nature. But this required him to survive it. His current physical strength, even taking into account the lightning resistance he had just acquired, was still a long way from being able to withstand natural lightning. He couldn't really risk his life, right? Was there any other method?
At this time, his knowledge of magic was far beyond what it was when he first entered school, especially in Herbology. After all, Professor Sprout's collection, except for those extremely dangerous herbs, was fully open to him. Regarding the problem he was facing, he quickly found a solution from Herbology. "There is a herb called Aetherwood. Grind its bark into juice, and then mix it with a herb called foxglove and some other potion materials. You can then create a very valuable potion. Some people, after taking this potion, become high and claim their consciousness has entered heaven. Some people are terrified and feel like they have arrived in hell. Therefore, scholars initially believed that the drug's effects were strongly hallucinogenic. But later I realized that wasn't the case. Its true effect should be to amplify sensory awareness. You feel a little bit of happiness, joy, and it amplifies it into something like heaven. And if you feel uneasy, it will also amplify it to hell. You feel something, and it amplifies it."
A hint of strangeness appeared in his eyes. "And when I'm in the flow state, feeling the will of nature, the only thing I can feel is the wildness and power of nature's will. I feel like a flash of lightning, a dragonfly in a dark cloud. If combined with this potion, perhaps it will be effective?" He wasn't sure if this plan would really work, but at least there was some certainty. If it worked, before Quirrell returned, his knowledge of ancient weather magic should be able to increase dramatically. As for the risks, that was the amplified senses, which might bring a strong mental impact. Some people had gone crazy before the potion's effect wore off. But with his Gold-level Occlumency, it would never come to this.
After evaluating the benefits and risks, he thought this plan was worth a try. "Aetherwood and Foxglove, this is easy to handle. Both herbs are in my aunt's collection. The trouble is, the other potion ingredients are quite precious. And the process of brewing potions requires extreme meticulousness. My magical perception and potion knowledge are not up to standard—" After pondering for a moment, he walked towards Snape's office. "It depends on whether Snape can help again."
When Char came to the office with the Aetherwood and Foxglove, Snape merely sniffed and could smell the peculiar scent of the two herbs. His brows suddenly furrowed. "Aetherwood. Foxglove. Char Sprout, what are you doing in my office with these two herbs? The only purpose of these two together is to brew that insane thing called the Potion of Amplification." Snape looked at him with sharp eyes.
Char nodded honestly. "Yes, Professor. I came here to ask you to help me make this magical potion. I have an idea that I need to try out."
Before he finished speaking, Snape was showing his usual sarcastic expression. "Have an idea you need to try out with this?" Snape said sarcastically. "Oh. It seems that after Mr. Sprout learned the art of Occlumency, he felt that his mental defenses were impenetrable. He can now try the dramatic magic potion that drove so many people crazy." He drew his wand, the tip of it glowing with a silvery light. "Perhaps, I held back too much before. Did it give you more confidence than you should have? Come on, Mr. Sprout. You think you're strong in Occlumency? I'll bring you back to reality."
Char was silent for a moment. Then he said seriously, "If this is the only way to get your consent, Professor, all right. But professor, please be careful."
Snape heard his reminder, a hint of strangeness in his eyes. Perhaps he had been too gentle with Char. If this little guy were to experience the fear of having his mind read violently, all his secrets exposed, he should have known that such spiritual matters must be handled with extreme caution, instead of being so blindly arrogant. It was time to teach this little brat a lesson.
Snape's gaze sharpened as he waved his wand. The silver light from this Legilimency spell was obviously much brighter than the previous attack. If Char's Occlumency was still at the same level as before, or even a little more progressed, his mental defense would be broken in an instant. But the next second, when the silver light of the Legilimency spell entered his body, Snape suddenly felt his magic hit a solid wall. He had thought this kind of force could easily break down Char's defenses, but he never expected that it couldn't be shaken at all. His eyes showed a look of astonishment. How could his Occlumency skills have improved so much in such a short period of time?
And the next moment, before Snape could react, when his magic entered Char's mind, he felt a sound of thunder. A flash of lightning struck towards him. Immediately, Snape groaned. He knelt down and took two steps back, two lines of blood oozing from his nostrils. Seeing this, Char hurriedly tried to support him. "Professor—"
Snape grabbed his hand, staring at him intently, his eyes full of shock and anger. "What did you do? Was that the will of nature just now? Char Sprout, don't tell me you were struck by lightning?" A moment later, Snape looked at him as if he were a madman. "Are you crazy?! Do you know how many people have pursued ancient magic in an attempt to gain the true power of the runes, and in the end, not even ashes were left? And you're pursuing a power related to lightning? What the hell is wrong with you? I'm such a fool to waste so much time on a lunatic like you."
Looking at Snape, who was showing an anger he had never shown before, Char understood. He must have been really angry, even a little scared. Char also spoke slowly. "Professor. If I could, I would just plant trees, no matter what else I do. I don't want to take such risks and endure such pain to pursue the power of ancient magic. It's just that I have a reason to do this."
Snape looked amused. "A reason? Come on, tell me about it."
Char whispered, "I had a dream. In my dream, in a few years, the wizarding world will become very bad. There are some terrible people who have returned from the underworld and from prison. They did some terrible things. Some people I cared about are gone forever." Snape's expression froze, becoming filled with uncertainty. The scene in Char's mind was frozen on the image from the original book where Snape lay in a pool of blood. He looked at Snape. "Professor. I don't like trouble. But at least, there are some things I don't want to happen. So I have to be prepared."
Snape fell silent, as if he didn't know what to say. After a while, he gritted his teeth viciously. "Damn it. If Pomona knew I prepared this magic potion for you, she might cast a killing curse on me!" A smile appeared on Char's face, knowing that Snape had agreed. He left the Aetherwood and foxglove in his office and made an appointment to meet in the corridor on the seventh floor in the evening. And just before he left, Snape called out to him, throwing him a bottle of potion. Seeing the strange look on his face, Snape said calmly, "It's a soothing draught. Can't you feel that your spirit has been tense for a long time?"
When Char opened his mouth to thank him, Snape interrupted him coldly. "Get out. Don't bother me while I'm brewing the potion." He slammed the office door shut. Char showed helplessness on his face, took the potion, and left.
Behind the office door, there were unstoppable waves in Snape's eyes. If a war really broke out in the future, as a double agent, he could already guess his own ending. He had to disguise himself between two of the top wizards. This little kid dared to say such things to him. You don't like trouble, but there are some things you don't want to happen? This little… oh. You really dare to say that. Does he know what he needs to face in order to change things? But a moment later, the corner of Snape's mouth couldn't help but smile. Although it was very stupid, at least it wasn't in vain that he had taught this little upstart. Then, Snape picked up the Aetherwood and foxglove, opened his locker again, and carefully took out a few more materials. With flames rising, strange smoke gradually began to swirl in the crucible.
While Snape was brewing the potion, Char had returned to the small greenhouse. His eyes first fell on the mutant human-faced glow mushroom. He cut his palm and fed it some blood. Looking at the reward light ball above it that was becoming fuller and fuller, he nodded slightly. It would only take a day or two for this variant to be mature. By then, he might be able to find the Quintaped's weakness and be more prepared. There was also a new batch of goldfish spider plants planted on Sprout Island, and most of the trolls from the Forbidden Forest had already migrated. This batch was almost mature. Such a number was enough to push his magical perception to the Platinum level and usher in a real qualitative change.
These thoughts flashed through his mind. A moment later, he breathed a sigh of relief. As Snape had said, he had been very tense these days. If he was going to take the Potion of Amplification, it was better to keep his mind in a peaceful state. He took out the soothing draught Snape had given him and drank it in one gulp. A warm current spread throughout his body. He felt as if his spirit was soaked in warm water. The fatigue and tension accumulated these days disappeared into thin air. By the time he came back to his senses from this comfortable feeling, he realized that the sun had already set. It turned out that he had fallen asleep without realizing it. Immediately, when he came to his senses, his eyes suddenly lit up. "This feeling—it's so easy, so easy like never before." It was like a huge burden had been lifted off his spirit. The condition was completely new. This made him feel more confident. He took a deep breath and walked towards the seventh floor of the castle.
Not long after, he saw Snape waiting in the corridor. In Snape's hand, he held a bottle of potion that was as ethereal as smoke. "This is the potion you requested. But wait, this has to happen right under my nose."
Char nodded. Now that Snape had realized that he was pursuing the power of ancient magic, there was nothing wrong with taking him into the Room of Requirement. On the contrary, it could give him more security. So a moment later, a door opened in the wall. He walked in with Snape.
Long after the door disappeared, at the corner of the corridor, in the deserted place, angry voices were heard. "I can't believe it. Char is actually in cahoots with Snape?!" This was Harry's voice. He was wearing an invisibility cloak. Also under the cloak were Ron and Hermione. They also seemed to be shocked by what they had just seen. Originally, the trio was meant to monitor Snape, wanting to see if there was any connection between him and the monster wreaking havoc on the wizarding world. But they didn't expect to see such a shocking scene.
Harry was shocked and confused. "Char was clearly abused by Snape. Why is he still looking for him?"
Ron exclaimed, "Is that even necessary?! I didn't hear what Snape said. He brewed a potion for Char. Humph, for some benefit, Char forgot everything that happened before and started working for Snape again. Those kids in Hufflepuff idolize him so much, but he's become Snape's accomplice. Maybe that monster even has his help. If this matter were known, I really don't know what Hufflepuff would think."
Hermione said nothing. There was shock, disbelief, and a hint of disappointment in her eyes. Harry and Ron looked at each other. Then they all showed determination. "Stay here. See what secrets they have."
At the same time, inside the Room of Requirement, Snape looked at the dazzling lightning that filled the room. His greasy hair felt numb and stood up from the electric arc. Shock was written all over his face. Now, he finally understood why the lights in the classroom had been flickering during the past two days. It turned out that it was Char who had done it. Feeling the lightning, Snape's face also looked grim. Just by looking at it from a distance, he felt a tingling sensation all over his body. The skin also felt tingling, as if a lot of static electricity had accumulated. Was this where Char had endured electric shocks again and again these past few days? Even through this, he had gained the will of nature and gradually came into contact with ancient magic? Snape tightened his grip suddenly. "This little… he's just a lunatic." He stared at Char intently, not daring to relax the grip of the wand in his hand, ready to rescue him at any time. "Char Sprout. If you want to change something, you have to survive first. Don't die here."
Char smiled. Then, he raised his head and drank the bottle of magical potion given to him by Snape. At the same time, his Occlumency was activated. Suddenly, all distracting thoughts in his mind disappeared. With his mind extremely focused, he entered an extremely immersed flow state. The potion he had just drunk seemed to have no effect at all. But he knew that this was simply because his Occlumency had cut off all distracting thoughts. But soon, the situation should be different. Immediately, he took a step forward, into the edge of the lightning.
The crackling electric light wrapped around him. His skin and flesh began to be damaged. In his mind, he once again felt the wildness, primitiveness, and power of the will of nature. He felt as if he had become a flash of lightning. At this moment, the effect of the potion was exerted. In an instant, in his pupils, they all seemed to be emerging with dense, intertwined, and chaotic lightning. At this moment, he was not in the lightning. He seemed to have turned into a thunderstorm.
On the system panel, his ancient weather magic had clearly not yet been romoted to the Black Iron level. There was still a part of the words that had not been covered by the black iron luster. But at this moment, the rest of the parts had an almost tangible black iron luster. Unbelievably, it began to shine with a bronze luster. In the blink of an eye, the bronze luster also became more solid. There was even a hint of silver light emerging from it.