Chapter 55 [The Heart of Murder]
Riddle's voice suddenly became distant, filled with a sense of reminiscence.
"In those days, wizards had no right to slow down, to carefully experience each spell, and to perfectly master it. One of Slytherin's purposes in establishing Hogwarts was to allow young wizards to learn at their own pace within this safe fortress." "
But the other three leaders had different magical views. They adhered to the idea that spells were entirely for the service of wizards. They didn't consider which meaning of each spell was more fitting, emphasizing filling it with their own interpretation."
"Thus, the Sorting Houses came about. The atmosphere of the houses pushed the personalities of young wizards to extremes, making it easier for them to express themselves."
"This thwarted Slytherin's goal; the competition within the houses prevented young wizards from slowing down."
"The acceptance of Muggle-born young wizards further compromised the castle's security."
"This became the fuse, and Slytherin ultimately left Hogwarts."
Hearing this, Basil even forgot to chew the steak in his mouth.
While dealing with Hermione feeding him, he thought to himself in surprise, "Slow? Didn't you tell me not to suppress the growth of spells? Also, so Slytherin didn't leave Hogwarts because of some so-called bloodline dispute? But because of different magical philosophies. What about Voldemort? Who was he? I think he should have been more aligned with the philosophies of the other three leaders."
"It's different. Here, 'slow' refers to the beginning. You're absolutely right about the rest. If I hadn't witnessed the power of your clear killing intent, I would have been more aligned with the other three leaders. As a descendant of Slytherin, I believe that for functional spells, such as Apparition, Healing Spells, and defensive spells, one should choose spells that align with one's intentions. But for attacks, I believe in letting my negative emotions, dark psychology, and killing intent drive them. That is, my dark self."
"I think this is good. We can directly drive black and white magic based on negative and positive emotions respectively. If we go too far into detail, there simply isn't enough time. Besides, spells have a 'living' quality; they grow on their own. It's better to get started early." Basil sighed, thinking about how long it had taken him to learn the Killing Curse.
"It's different. A spell that perfectly aligns with the initial intent has a stronger spiritual power. Take the Fire Charm, for example. A perfectly aligned intent tells it its essence: you are fire. An imperfect one, on the other hand, tells it: you are the embodiment of my wrath. While that is still fire, it's not the real thing. Only when it truly recognizes itself will it become part of the wizard's instinct. When facing danger, it will appear with undiminished power even without the aid of a wand, much like the talent of a magical creature. Just like you today."
Hearing this, Basil quickly opened his personal panel. In
the Family Traits section, a new talent had appeared.
It looked very ethereal, almost indistinct.
Basil had a feeling that if Riddle hadn't pointed it out, he wouldn't have even been able to see this talent.
[Killing Intent]
[Note: Spell damage +33, can absorb [Killing Intent] growth]
"Directly increases damage? Now I can really take your life."
"Could it be that my [Plant Affinity], my ancestors created it this way? Which spell is that?"
"Was it deliberately eliminated after acquiring a heritable talent in order to monopolize it?"
Then, he stopped exclaiming and continued to ask Riddle, "Does my talent conflict with the Killing Curse? 6 points of [Killing Intent] is 36 points of damage on the Killing Curse. And it won't be consumed. But if it's absorbed, it just has greater versatility. But the overall damage is a loss."
"There's no conflict. It's more accurate to say 'accommodate' rather than 'absorb.' [Killing Intent] is actually a combination of will and magic. Magic is an energy that cannot be consumed and is eternal. [Killing Intent] is naturally the same. Your talent [Killing Spirit] is equivalent to having 33 points of [Killing Intent] by default."
Basil's face darkened: "So, Voldemort, who killed so many wizards, would have—"
But he was interrupted by Riddle halfway through his thought, "[Killing Intent] is a level of will, not an almost infinite heart. Every wizard has their own upper limit. [Killing Intent] is just a shortcut to reaching that limit faster. Otherwise, this world would be ruled by dark wizards."
"So, [Killing Intent] cannot accumulate without limit."
"But your [Killing Spirit] can. So I suggest you slow down. Although a strong self-combination spell can also give birth to a talent, it will only give birth to one. But slowly learning one spell at a time will give birth to multiple talents. Once everything is complete, you will be an omnipotent god!"
"Then what's the difference between the self-gaze ability of the philosophical school and this?"
"One is passive, like rolling dice; the other is active."
As November arrived, the weather turned bitterly cold. The mountains surrounding the school were a hazy gray, covered in snow and ice, and the lake was as cold and hard as tempered steel.
Every morning, the ground was frosty. From the upstairs window, Hagrid could be seen, wrapped in a long mole-skin coat, wearing rabbit-fur gloves and enormous beaver-fur boots, defrosting his flying broomsticks on the Quidditch pitch.
The Quidditch season had begun.
These days, besides killing ants one by one with the Killing Curse, slowly accumulating false life, and [Murderous Intent],
Basil had been trying to slow down.
To recreate the miracle of [Murderous Intent].
But slowing down was incredibly difficult.
If one's magic power was low and talent was lacking, it wouldn't be so bad
. But with a magic power of 13 points, and the 8% reduction in learning difficulty from the "Dr. Conjurer" effect, he simply couldn't slow down.
Sometimes, he could master a spell with just a few incantations and a casual wave of his wand.
A spell without a perfect beginning was like Yang Kang mistaking a thief for his father—
falsely believing himself to be from the Jin Dynasty.
Even after learning he was from the Song Dynasty, he couldn't break free from the ingrained belief.
And a spell without a perfect beginning was even harder to correct, because the spell was intertwined with the wizard's ego.
This meant that while trying to correct it, he also had to go against his own instincts.
Therefore, a perfect beginning was crucial.
However, the spells he was currently learning were far too easy for Basil.
It seemed that unless it was a high-difficulty spell with high magic power requirements, he wouldn't be able to slow down.
Sigh, he had originally planned to read some philosophical books!
He didn't even have time to use Professor McGonagall's note.
Thus, in the eyes of the other students, Basil became repulsive.
He learned spells fluently and quickly in class, but still sighed and seemed dissatisfied.
If it weren't for his Arthurian charm and good looks, he probably would have ended up like Hermione when he first entered the school.
Basil had considered relinquishing his title of "Professor of Pyromancers."
But the dangerous power of "murderous intent" would undoubtedly corrupt a wizard's soul.
Not to mention he also possessed the upgraded "murderous intent."
He feared that if he relinquished "Professor of Pyromancers," he would become the goofy Voldemort II. "
Should I really practice with the Cruciatus Curse and the Imperius Curse? What if I accidentally learn them?"
Basil sighed in the Quidditch stands.
Today was Saturday, the day of Harry's first Quidditch match.
Unlike in the movies, Dumbledore wasn't playing.
Harry was in the dressing room; the players hadn't entered yet.
Basil, Ron, and Hermione were in the top row with Neville, Seamus, and Dean.
To surprise Harry, they used a bedsheet stained by the mouse Spotted to create a huge banner that read "Potter Will Win!" Dean, a skilled artist, also drew a large Gryffindor lion below.
Hermione then cast a clever spell, making the paint on the banner shimmer with different colors.
The match was about to begin.
Basil shook his head, forcing himself to stay focused.
This was a duel between Harry Potter and the brand-new Draco Malfoy.
A match that even normal time travelers wouldn't see.
What kind of fierce battle would Draco, after his rigorous training, engage in with Harry?
Would Quirrell still resort to underhanded tactics?
Unconsciously, the gloom between Basil's brows dissipated.
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(End of Chapter)