"This is actually a classic game theory problem. If you're interested, you might want to look into some related Muggle academic texts."
However, no response came from Terry's side of the room, only the soft, rhythmic sounds of peaceful breathing. Terry had already succumbed to sleep, his excitement from the day's adventures finally giving way to exhaustion. Children his age typically collapsed the moment their heads touched their pillows after such overwhelming experiences.
Leo closed his potions text and turned toward the tall window, discovering their room offered a perfect view of the Forbidden Forest's shadowy perimeter. The ancient woodland stretched endlessly beyond Hogwarts' grounds, its dark canopy concealing countless mysteries beneath twisted branches and moonlit clearings.
The Forbidden Forest housed an incredible variety of magical creatures. Skeletal Thestrals that only revealed themselves to those who had witnessed death firsthand. Massive Acromantulas with eyes like dinner plates and venomous fangs. Unicorns whose silver blood served darker purposes than most students could imagine. Centaur herds gifted with prophetic sight and astronomical wisdom.
For my future research into magical creature transfiguration, I'll inevitably need to observe these beings in their natural habitat. The Forbidden Forest represents the perfect living laboratory.
However, personal safety had to come first. Mastering defensive spells was only one consideration... he would also need protective potions, emergency supplies, and reliable transportation between the castle and forest depths.
Leo glanced toward Terry's bunk, confirming his roommate had fallen into deep, undisturbed slumber. Satisfied they wouldn't be interrupted, he turned back toward the forest view.
"Aurelius."
A pale golden figure materialised directly before him, shimmering like captured starlight. The little Qilin practically vibrated with joy, spinning delighted circles in the air. It had been confined to the system's pet space throughout the entire day, and despite the system's assurances about mountains and flowing streams within that pocket dimension, solitary existence inevitably bred restlessness in such an intelligent creature.
Leo gently stroked Aurelius's scaled head, his mind already calculating possibilities.
Qilins possessed natural Apparition abilities... essentially the perfect transportation and escape method for dangerous forest expeditions. However, he couldn't quite recall whether Hogwarts Castle specifically prohibited such magical travel within its boundaries.
Testing this theory seemed prudent. Leo transmitted a direct mental command:
"Try using your Apparition. See if the castle's wards interfere."
Through their telepathic bond, Aurelius immediately understood its master's request. In one fluid motion, the little Qilin's form simply... vanished. No swirling tornado effect like wizard Apparition, no dramatic displacement of air. One moment present, the next gone entirely.
Before Leo could even blink properly, Aurelius reappeared in exactly the same position, its golden-red eyes bright with accomplishment.
"Master, success!" The childlike mental voice bubbled with pride.
Leo's expression brightened considerably, genuine pleasure flickering across his features. "Excellent work!"
Curiosity sparked another question. "Where did you travel to just now?"
Another cheerful mental response: "Home!"
Leo nodded approvingly, offering more gentle head scratches as a reward. Interesting. The castle apparently maintained restrictions that affected wizard magic but not Aurelius's innate abilities. This made perfect sense from a security perspective... the four legendary founders couldn't possibly have overlooked such obvious vulnerabilities. A school nurturing Britain's future magical leaders needed ironclad protection against hostile infiltration via Apparition.
The key difference lay in magical origins. Aurelius's transportation stemmed from divine beast heritage rather than learnt wizardry. The wizarding world contained countless magical species, each possessing unique racial talents that human magic couldn't fully replicate or analyse.
Moreover, Aurelius wasn't some common local variant but a true mythical creature of divine status. Being unrestricted by Hogwarts' ancient wards while possessing otherworldly properties made perfect sense.
Leo recalled observing Aurelius's Apparition technique just moments before. Unlike the uncomfortable toilet-swirl method wizards employed, the little Qilin seemed to merge seamlessly with space itself. The entire process appeared effortless and instantaneous.
Divine beast magic versus learnt wizardry... fundamentally different approaches to the same result.
Looking down at Aurelius, Leo met those large golden-red eyes that gazed back with absolute trust and affection. The tiny horn nubs on its forehead had barely begun developing, just small raised bumps beneath golden scales.
Aurelius remained painfully young. Even divine beasts required time to mature, and juvenile specimens possessed limited self-preservation instincts. Simply releasing it into the Forbidden Forest seemed recklessly premature.
This concern prompted another mental query directed at the system:
"Is there a method for accelerating Aurelius's development?"
[There are multiple options, host! I have nine different approaches available! OvO]
Leo suppressed a sigh. The system's personality had definitely grown more... exuberant since entering the magical world.
"Just recommend the most practical solution."
[Most practical option: Pet Growth Loan packages!]
[Two varieties available: Rapid advancement to growth period (monthly loan); Full maturation acceleration (annual loan)]
[Note: Growth period pets gain access to all racial talents; Full maturity means complete mastery plus awakening of individual-specific abilities.]
Leo considered this information while continuing to pet Aurelius's content form.
"What power level would Aurelius achieve during growth period? Are there negative side effects from accelerated development? What tasks would each loan require?"
The system responded promptly to his multi-part inquiry:
[Growth period Qilin equals an excellent Auror in raw capability, but vastly exceeds wizards in innate magical specialisations.]
[Zero negative effects! Pet simply requires one week of recovery sleep in system space.]
[After all, this is premium system craftsmanship~~]
[Monthly loan task: Observe and document abilities, characteristics, and behavioural patterns of 5 different magical creature species within 30 days]
[Annual loan task: Complete documentation of ALL magical creatures (including unknown species) within 365 days]
Ignoring the system's inserted cuteness, Leo frowned slightly. "A divine beast in growth period only equals an excellent Auror?"
Despite the mentioned advantages in specialised magic, the comparison felt disappointingly modest.
[Growth period represents the most dramatic developmental phase for divine beasts, with extreme variation between early and late stages.]
[Divine beasts approaching full maturity rival legendary human wizards in raw power.]
This explanation proved much more satisfactory. A growth-period Aurelius would possess genuine self-preservation capabilities. As long as it avoided suicidal confrontations with the forest's apex predators, survival shouldn't pose serious problems.
Recording five magical creatures within thirty days seemed entirely manageable. With no specifications regarding which species to document, he could prioritise safer, more approachable specimens during initial forest expeditions.
The annual loan offering for full maturation received only cursory consideration. Documenting ALL magical creatures across known and unknown species would require global travel and decades of research. Completely beyond his current capabilities, unlike the Transfiguration mastery and Philosopher's Stone objectives he could potentially achieve while attending Hogwarts.
The Forbidden Forest contained impressive biodiversity but hardly represented the world's complete magical ecosystem. Fulfilling such requirements would essentially transform his education into "Dropping Out of Hogwarts to Become a Magical Creature Expert".
Aurelius would also need that week-long recovery period. Perfect timing to practise advanced defensive spells and brew protective potions for future expeditions.
"System, I accept the monthly pet growth loan."
[Excellent choice! Enjoy the repayment process! (- ᴗ- )ﾉ♡]
[Loan: Pet Rapid Growth (Monthly Loan)]
[Repayment Period: 30 days]
[Loan Content: Accelerate pet to initial growth period]
[Loan Task: Observe and record abilities, characteristics, and habits of 5 magical creature species]
[Evaluation: This marks your first step toward surpassing Newt Scamander's legacy!]
The evaluation prompted an amused smile. Surpassing that introverted magizoologist? An interesting benchmark.
Glancing at the starlight streaming through their window, Leo decided rest was finally in order. He offered Aurelius one final affectionate pat.
"Good night, little one."
Deep within the night-shrouded castle, Dumbledore's office remained illuminated by the soft glow of magical flames. The elderly headmaster approached the shelf where the Sorting Hat rested between ceremonial duties, his blue eyes twinkling with characteristic curiosity.
"Old friend," he said gently, "would you be willing to share your thoughts about that remarkable young man, Leonardo?"