Hogwarts Raven

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'What does it take to create a miracle?'

Ian answered this question with a pen and dozens of hours. He meticulously copied the potions textbooks for all seven grades, tackling the staggering amount of text with the proficiency he retained from his compulsory education. He even had time to check for typos.

"Still got it!" Ian shook his sore arm, setting down the quill that was nearly splitting at the tip. He looked up to see that the sun outside hadn't even begun to set. There was still plenty of time before the next round of entering the 'Twilight Zone' at night.

[Potions Mastery (Level 2): 23/200]

The intense effort not only allowed Ian to achieve his goal ahead of schedule but also brought him significant progress in skill improvement. 

He now had a solid foundation in potions theory. At least he was stronger than most first or second-year wizards. The only shortcoming might be his lack of practical experience. If he were to start brewing potions, he would definitely be a bit clumsy at first.

"I hope I can practice potion brewing in the 'Twilight Zone' as well." Ian felt a surge of anticipation for this upcoming dream, but he was also worried about his friend who had gone out to explore— after all, a soul that's already dead shouldn't be able to die again, right?

"Crunch, Crunch, Crunch~" The long hours of intense writing had made Ian a bit hungry. He casually grabbed a few leftover pieces of bread from yesterday and started munching on them like crackers. The taste was… indescribable. 

The UK is known for its culinary shortcomings, and the wizarding world is no exception. Fortunately, Ian wasn't too picky about food. Young people have strong teeth. Chewing on hard bread is just like grinding teeth.

"Counting the days, it should be about 4 to 5 days until the start of the Hogwarts term." With a bite of brick-like bread and a sip of (for now) radiation-free mountain spring water, Ian sat outside the cabin, gazing at the distant, faintly visible castle. He felt that life was full of promise.

As the sun gradually set in the west, the golden light became softer and deeper.

"Lumos!" Since the Lumos Charm was also on the verge of leveling up, Ian didn't waste any time before bed. He lit his wand and began grinding his skill proficiency.

[Lumos Charm (Level 2): 3/200]

Compared to the more unique magics and the improvement in [Potions Mastery], the progress of white magics like [Lumos Charm] was slightly slower. 

Of course, this was only in comparison to Ian's own standards. As the skill level increased, he could clearly feel a moment of enlightenment. His understanding of the [Lumos Charm] deepened immediately.

"It can actually be performed like this!" With his newfound understanding, Ian waved his wand, and the light at its tip, which had already grown brighter, began to change colors. 

Red. Blue. Cyan. And an eerie green… If he could further master the skill of silent casting, perhaps this most basic [Lumos Charm] could be used to impersonate the [Killing Curse] and scare others? 

'Hmm. Now that he thinks about it, it was not a bad idea.'

"But I already know the Killing Curse, so this effect is a bit redundant…" Ian controlled the flow of magical energy, trying to create a light source that could briefly detach from the tip of the wand. 

Unsurprisingly, he didn't succeed. The moment the light source left the tip of the wand, even though the magical circuit was still running, it collapsed due to the lack of stability provided by the wand.

"Still not enough proficiency. Maybe I can try imprinting this circuit onto a wand-like object. That should improve the stability issue." At this thought, Ian paused. He felt that this idea was somewhat familiar. After pondering, he suddenly realized— this was basically the principle of alchemy!

"Ugh! I almost founded a new school of thought!!" Ian realized he had missed a chance to be featured on a Chocolate Frog card. Reluctantly, he went back to check some books. 

Sure enough, the miracle didn't happen. The initial creation of alchemy was indeed based on similar ideas, and as early as several centuries ago, the wizarding world had already invented alchemical devices capable of long-term illumination. 

To this day, the family that invented those alchemical devices still monopolizes the wizarding world's lighting market, just like how all the shampoo in the wizarding world comes from the Potter family.

"Damn patent monopolies!" Compared to missing the chance to invent alchemy, what frustrated Ian the most was not being able to profit from the sudden inspiration that came with leveling up his skills. 

"If I can learn some lost potion recipes or magics from Professor Mara, I'll register patents and lie in Gringotts' vault counting money every day!" Back in the cabin, before falling asleep with a pile of notebooks in his arms, Ian realized that he was still just an ordinary person at heart. 

He not only loved money, but he also didn't truly hate patent monopolies— he just hated that it wasn't him monopolizing them.

Piles of golden Galleons were lost to him just because he was born a few hundred years too late! Is there anything more infuriating for a poor person? No!

...

"This feels familiar as always!" Opening his eyes again, the golden, magnificent hall looked just as it had the last time he entered the 'Twilight Zone'. The witch seemed to have been waiting for him. 

She was as cold and aloof as ever, sitting on the same unchanging long chair, gazing at Ian with an indescribable, peculiar look… and at the pile of notebooks he was holding.

"You really didn't disappoint me." The witch's tone carried a hint of amazement.

"Ha, I actually brought them in." This was Ian's first attempt to bring so many items into the 'Twilight Zone'. Fortunately, nothing went wrong, and all the notebooks he held made it in with him.

"Professor Mara, look how amazing I am!" Ian grinned as he placed all the notebooks on the long table. This time, the tables and chairs in the hall didn't run away, though some teacups opened their eyes and curiously stared at Ian.

"Yes, very impressive." The witch didn't hold back her praise. However, she clearly misunderstood what Ian was trying to show off. She thought he was boasting about his ability to bring so many items across the boundary of life and death, not about copying so much text.

So, "But you're clearly capable of even more impressive things. It's just that you might not realize it yet." The witch gave Ian a cryptic hint.

"Huh?" Ian was stunned for a moment before reacting. "What kind of more impressive things are you talking about?" Ian asked curiously.

"That's for you to discover." The witch once again played the role of a riddle-speaker.

"If you could just tell me directly, I could also treat it as my own discovery." Ian blinked.

"…" The witch fell silent for a moment, probably feeling a bit awkward under Ian's gaze. 

She sighed. "I only have some insights into possibilities. I'm not truly omniscient… How to proceed is your path. Only you are the one walking it." The witch's soft words left Ian deep in thought. 

He looked at the books on the long table, and gradually, some… bold ideas began to form in his mind.

(End of Chapter)