Looking at the guardian trees standing before him, so transformed they seemed almost reborn, Char's face was filled with an expression of uncontrollable excitement and pure joy. Dumbledore's Patronus Charm had truly given him a tremendous surprise. His original, optimistic estimate for harvesting the guardian tree was that he might gain a comprehension of Defense Against the Dark Arts somewhere between the gold and platinum levels. As for his resistance to dark magic, he would have been pleased if it had reached the silver level.
But now, things were different. Once these guardian trees reached full maturity, under the influence of dozens of reward light balls shimmering with an intertwined platinum and diamond glow, there was a very high probability that Char's understanding of Defense Against the Dark Arts could be directly upgraded to the diamond level. This would become his second diamond-level magic-related ability, following the temporary upgrade of his Bat-Bogey Hex.
Although "Defense Against the Dark Arts" is a general term rather than a specific spell, a diamond-level insight into its principles was still invaluable. It would undoubtedly lead to a great improvement in Char's overall magical attainments, especially when dealing with methods related to dark magic, where it would likely be most effective. No matter how he calculated it, this was a massive profit.
Additionally, Char's resistance to dark magic should now reach the platinum level after the harvest. This meant he would possess a powerful resistance to most forms of dark magic. In the original story, the three-headed dog, with its thick hide and natural resistance, was able to trap the weakened Two-Face for nearly an entire semester, leaving him completely stumped. This demonstrated just how difficult the creature was to handle.
If Char had platinum-level resistance to dark magic, combined with his already sublimated legendary life and legendary power, he would be, in every aspect except for the damaging bite of a three-headed dog, far stronger. Ninety-nine percent of dark wizards would likely feel utter despair when facing him. The combination of his new comprehension and resistance would be more than enough to make it easier for him to face the dangers lurking within Hogwarts in the coming school years.
And that was without even mentioning the Occlumency blessing. Char had already reaped rich rewards from his practice of Occlumency, but continuing to improve the platinum-level mind-art had become increasingly slow work. The blessing gained from this harvest would be enough to save him a considerable amount of time.
"A huge profit," he muttered to himself, a wide grin on his face. "It's really a huge profit!"
Finally, Char's gaze fell upon the silver-level Patronus Charm blessing, a hint of a strange color in his eyes. In the original story, the Patronus Charm appeared quite a few times, often playing a key role in helping Harry and his friends fight against Dementors. Char had once believed the charm was created specifically for that purpose.
However, after learning more about the history of magic and magical creatures, Char discovered something that confused him. Dementors were first discovered on an archipelago, and while the discovery wasn't recent, it was certainly not ancient. Yet, the Patronus Charm was one of the oldest spells accessible to modern wizards. This didn't seem to make sense. If the charm was only used to fight Dementors, why would wizards have created it before the creatures were even known to exist? And as for using it to send messages, why would anyone put so much effort into mastering such a difficult piece of magic just to do something an owl could easily accomplish? It was all highly illogical.
This doubt had been growing in Char's mind, and coincidentally, the wizard with the most profound knowledge of the Patronus Charm in the entire magical world was standing right next to him. Char decided to simply ask.
"Headmaster," he began, "was that spell the Patronus Charm? The books say it's used to fight Dementors, but as far as I know, the spell was created long before Dementors were ever discovered."
Hearing Char's question, Dumbledore was surprised at first, but his surprise quickly turned into an expression of genuine appreciation. "Very keen attention, Char. In that regard, you are the most perceptive student I have ever seen. Even many so-called geniuses cannot compare to you."
Immediately, Dumbledore's expression grew serious. "I imagine you've been into the restricted section many times. Perhaps you've also discovered that the Patronus Charm is a magic placed within that section. In theory, students at Hogwarts are not exposed to this magic until after they graduate. Have you ever wondered why?"
Char was indeed curious about this. When he read the original novel, he had wanted to complain about how strict Dumbledore was in preventing young wizards from accessing advanced magic, especially a spell like the Patronus Charm, which represented justice and light. But looking at Dumbledore's expression now, it seemed there was something more hidden beneath the surface. Char's attention was piqued, and he listened carefully.
A moment later, Dumbledore began to speak of a secret that very few people knew.
"In fact, the Patronus Charm is one of the few known spells created near the time of Olympus. In that era, the glorious age of Olympus was shattered. The temples that once performed miracles ceased to produce oracles. Even Mount Olympus itself, and the wizards who were worshipped as gods upon it, vanished into thin air. Many of the surviving wizards were devastated, nearly collapsing from the loss. It was an era when faith began to decline, and most wizards lost their will, immersing themselves in the pain of their lost glory."
"And you must know," Dumbledore continued, "that a strong will to accomplish something is a necessary condition for advanced magic to be effective. But we have to admit, the vast majority of people live in mediocrity, muddling through without any lofty ambitions. Their will, of course, is also lackluster. It's almost impossible for such a wizard to achieve any great success. What's more, in that era of decadence, alcoholism, and debauchery, wizards' magic was declining at an alarming rate. One visionary and gifted wizard believed that the glory of the Olympus era could be restored, but the prerequisite was that the wizards of his time must collectively unleash the power of their will to achieve that glory."
Dumbledore paused and took a deep breath. "So, after a great many cruel and bloody experiments on Muggles, and even on other wizards, this genius wizard finally grasped the mysteries of magic, spirit, and will. He created an amazing spell: the earliest version of the Patronus Charm."
"At that time," Dumbledore explained, his voice low, "the effect of this spell was to forcibly materialize a wizard's will. The manifested will would then drive their magic power, unleashing incredible abilities. Sometimes, it could even surpass the wizard himself!"
Char's eyes widened. He never expected to hear such a secret. So this was the origin of the Patronus Charm. It wasn't designed to fight Dementors, but to awaken and consolidate a wizard's will, even forcing it to materialize and wield magic. This meant that even the weakest wizard could use this magic to condense a firm, focused will into a concrete form, and the magic exerted by this embodiment of will could far exceed the wizard's own capabilities. This kind of magic was simply incredible.
Seeing Char's stunned expression, Dumbledore sighed softly, his voice filled with a mixture of amazement, admiration, deep regret, and fear. "It was indeed a very powerful, magical, and practical spell. If it were to spread, it would be enough to change the entire wizarding world and its history thereafter. But Char, have you ever thought about this? An upright and kind wizard, if he is weak and unable to use powerful magic, at least he will not harm others. And if his will were materialized, it would surely be a good thing, giving him the ability to help. But what if a wizard has an evil heart but lacks the power to carry out his evil thoughts? And then his will was materialized into an image that was purely evil, full of malevolent thoughts, and possessed of ample power. What would happen then?"
Char heard this, and his pupils suddenly shrank. "Disaster."
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "That's right. Disaster. It's hard to even describe it as a disaster. When the spell was first invented, everything seemed to be thriving. But soon, those embodied evil wills began to undergo changes that no one could have imagined. How could those weak wizards possibly have the ability to control such embodied evil? The first thing those creations did was take everything from their owner. The body, the spirit, the memory, the life—everything good was taken away. What remained was only an incomparably evil will and an insatiable greed, a constant desire to rob others of their happiness, even to the point of feeding on their very souls—"
Suddenly, a flash of lightning went through Char's mind. "This... it couldn't be?"
Dumbledore's voice was soft. "That's where the Dementors come from. If they were not born of wizards, how is it that these monsters wear wizard-like clothing, know our language, and are so hungry for our happiness and souls?"
"After the birth of Dementors, wizards realized something was terribly wrong. Fortunately, while there were many Dementors, there were also many wizards with good will. After a fierce struggle, the wizards defeated them. But these monsters had long had their lives stripped away by their own wills, leaving behind shells devoid of life. And since there's no life, there's no way to destroy them. The only thing they could do was banish the Dementors to a remote island and cast a powerful spell to seal them away."
Char looked shocked. The origin of the Patronus Charm and the origin of Dementors were so deeply, horribly connected. No wonder Dementors showed such terrible malice and could not be eliminated. In this context, it all began to make a terrible kind of sense.
Dumbledore looked at Char with a sad expression. "Do you think that was the end of the trouble left by the Patronus Charm?"
Char was stunned for a moment. "The Dementors were banished. Hasn't the disaster been brought under control?"
A bitter, mocking smile played upon Dumbledore's lips. "The wizards at that time felt the same way. The modification they made to the magic was that it could no longer materialize evil intentions, only good ones. Thus, it even divided people into good and evil. If good people hold power and evil people are restrained, wouldn't the world become an infinitely better place? But you know what happens next. Whether it's the history of magic or the history of Muggles, I think you've already read it. There are long passages describing the remaining disasters."
Char's expression shifted from confusion to horror. Could it be? The rise of dogmatic religions, the bloody and cruel trials... were they all due to the influence of this curse? He quickly figured out the reason. Everyone has their own idea of kindness, but one person's kindness can become cruelty to another. When "good" will gets out of control, how is it any different from evil?
Until now, Char had not understood. Now, he finally did. He understood why the modern Patronus Charm, compared to the original version Dumbledore described, had been so neutered. It could no longer force a weak wizard's will to materialize. One must first possess a firm will and positive emotions to summon a Patronus that obeys one's commands and can, besides fighting Dementors, only deliver messages. Even so, it was still kept in the restricted section. The curse had indeed taught a very painful lesson. In a sense, the persecution of witches in the Middle Ages was a legacy of this curse.
But one question still lingered in Char's mind. "Headmaster, if the evil wills that got out of control left behind the Dementors, then what about the 'good' intentions that got out of control? Did they also leave something behind in this world?"
A sharp light flashed in Dumbledore's eyes. He looked at Char deeply, the blue in his eyes exceptionally profound. "That's a very good question. I'd rather we never know the answer to that."
Then, just as Char was about to ask more, Dumbledore waved his hand, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation. He simply took out a piece of parchment and wrote down the spell and instructions for the Patronus Charm.
"Char, you are already qualified to use this. Although the curse has caused countless disasters, the good news is that the current version no longer has any hidden dangers. You can practice without worry. Also, its once incredibly powerful and miraculous effects have been completely altered. The condensed guardian spirit is still a manifestation of will. It can unify your spiritual will, and even the will in your subconscious can be focused under its influence. This will have significant benefits for your magical improvement. For a wizard who aspires to reach the top, the Patronus Charm is a must-learn spell."
With that finished, Dumbledore left the small greenhouse wearily. "The Defense Against the Dark Arts exam... I'll trouble you with Harry and the others' safety in the Forbidden Forest."
Char watched Dumbledore leave and took a deep breath. The secret he had just learned had a great impact on him. The embodied evil will, banished after a short time, left behind immortal Dementors. What, then, did the manifestations of "good" will, which lasted for so long, leave behind? Dumbledore seemed unwilling to mention it. The waters of the magical world ran so very deep.
But a moment later, Char's thoughts returned to calm. Even if the sky were to fall, it would be the tall who held it up. With Dumbledore around, why should he worry so much? Besides, it was just his own guess; there was no clue about it in the original story. There was no need to worry. The most important thing was to handle the matter at hand.
His gaze fell on the guardian tree. After Dumbledore's Patronus, the tree had not only been upgraded, but its maturation time had also been greatly advanced. It looked like he could harvest it before the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Even if it meant taking Harry and the other three with him, Char was now quite confident.
Then, he looked at the parchment Dumbledore had left for him, a strange glint in his eyes. "The Patronus Charm? I wonder what my Patronus will be?"
Immediately, Char held his wand and waved it slowly.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A puff of silver smoke poured from the tip of his wand.