Chapter 143: Comprehensive Protection
Chapter 143: Comprehensive Protection
As Easter drew near, the professors at Hogwarts seemed to have a tacit agreement to assign students a mountain of holiday homework.
Perhaps, the professors, aware of the students' penchant for laziness, employed this strategy to ensure they properly revised their lessons and avoided failing the upcoming final exams.
At Hogwarts, abysmal performance could indeed result in repeating a year, though such occurrences were rare.
"Aren't you revising?" Lee Jordan asked, looking up from reciting the twelve uses of dragon blood, curious about Albert who seemed occupied with his own matters.
Without lifting his head, Albert recited the twelve uses that Lee Jordan had just memorized.
"You shouldn't have asked Albert," Fred sighed in response, "That guy could get better grades than you even without revising. By the way, why are we revising a month in advance?"
"I heard from Percy that Professor Broad will be resigning in mid-May," George said, covering a yawn as he turned to Albert, "Is that true?"
"Yeah, that's right," Albert nodded, confirming the matter.
"I also heard that Professor Broad has already set the exam questions," George's eyes lit up with excitement, and he quickly asked, "You often visit Professor Broad's office, have you seen..."
"You're thinking too much," Albert replied helplessly, looking at George, "For me, whether or not I've seen the exam questions doesn't matter. Why would I bring trouble on myself by trying to sneak a peek?"
"That's true," Fred agreed, listlessly practicing his wand movements. His Transfiguration skills were still not proficient, especially when it came to cross-species transformations, which he found particularly challenging. However, he had heard that this would be one of the mandatory exam topics.
"It's a bummer," Lee Jordan grumbled, tossing his book aside and moving closer to Albert, "We rarely get a break, and now we can't even relax?"
"Yeah, I'm trying to improve the protective bracelet," Albert replied, not intending to hide what he was doing, "I've learned quite a few new things recently, so I thought I'd give it a shot."
"New things?" Fred caught on to the word, "What new dark magic defense spells did you learn from Professor Broad?"
"It's the application of ancient magical runes," Albert said, unconcerned about his roommates gathering around, casually sweeping the wood shavings into the fireplace, "Aren't you guys doing your homework? Everyone in the common room has gone back to rest, so no one will disturb you."
"Nah, it's not urgent," George mumbled.
"Don't you have homework to do?" Lee Jordan asked Albert, "I rarely see you in the library doing homework these days. Angelina even asked about it this afternoon."
"He doesn't need to do it, at least not the Transfiguration holiday homework," George protested, "Professor McGonagall has exempted Albert from most of his homework, and he probably doesn't need to do the Dark Magic Defense homework either."
"What? Really? Darn, why do I have to do so much homework then?" Fred complained unhappily.
The thought of having to spend the Easter holiday frantically completing piles of homework left the three of them disgruntled.
"If you guys published a paper on Transfiguration today, you probably wouldn't have to do the Transfiguration homework," said Shan Na, who had just finished her Transfiguration assignment and was now stretching tiredly.
Complaining aside, the twins still had to do their homework, unless they wanted to be confined by the professors.
If their exam results were poor, their summer vacation wouldn't be pleasant either.
Albert, however, was far from idle, as he had his own matters to attend to.
The rough version 1.1 of the protective bracelet was soon declared complete, but its effects were still mediocre, and the ancient magical runes carved on it didn't seem to have any effect.
This meant it was a failure.
Albert made a record in his 'Protective Bracelet Manufacturing Handbook': Version 1.1 of the protective bracelet is a complete failure. The intended effects were not achieved, and it is no different from version 1.0.
In fact, Albert had hoped that a skill related to the protective bracelet would appear on his skill panel, but his hopes were dashed.
Perhaps, the so-called protective bracelet didn't really qualify as an alchemical item.
That was Albert's guess.
In the following days, Albert noticed a noticeable increase in McDougal's writing speed. However, the content of the third part of the manuscript seemed to exceed Albert's capabilities, though it surprised him.
Unlike the previous parts, the third part focused on the application of ancient magical runes, specifically in the context of spellcasting.
The Patronus Charm wasn't the only ancient spell.
It seemed as if McDougal was providing an explanation for Albert, as this part of the manuscript described a powerful protective spell.
This ancient spell was similar to the Ironskin Spell, creating an invisible protective barrier between oneself and one's opponent. However, unlike the Ironskin Spell, this barrier wasn't unidirectional but instead enveloped the caster from multiple angles, offering all-around protection.
From McGonagall's description, Albert envisioned himself enveloped in an impenetrable shield.
If the Ironskin Spell was considered a moderately challenging ward, then the "Full Body-Bind" was undoubtedly a complex and exceedingly difficult spell to cast.
Albert had attempted the latter under Professor Blod's supervision, but to no avail. In fact, all his attempts at casting ancient runic spells had failed, prompting him to seek the professor's insight.
Professor Blod's response was straightforward: "Your magical prowess is not yet sufficient to support these ancient and powerful spells. Your understanding and application of them are still rudimentary."
The professor's gaze was sharp, instantly pinpointing Albert's lack of experience. No matter how talented Albert was, it was unrealistic to expect him to master these ancient spells instantly. This ancient magic was far more intricate than modern spellcasting.
Perhaps with a dedicated tutor and a few months of practice, Albert could grasp this spell.
As the professor specializing in Dark Arts defense, Professor Blod was undoubtedly an expert in this field. However, he showed no inclination to take on the role of Albert's tutor.
Both Professor Blod and McGonagall seemed to agree that Albert should take a step back and focus on absorbing the knowledge of Runes before attempting to wield these ancient spells. Rushing things might not be the best approach for a young wizard.
Sometimes, patience was a virtue.
In Professor Blod's opinion, the Ironskin Spell, being more manageable and practical, was a better fit for Albert's current abilities. "I suggest you explore the potential of this spell further instead of fixating on ancient magic," the professor advised. "Wizards have developed numerous variations of the original spells."
"Like an enhanced version of the Ironskin Spell?" Albert asked tentatively.
"It seems you've done your research on the Ironskin Spell," Professor Blod acknowledged with a nod. "Indeed, it is an advanced application."
Albert's knowledge came not from research but from watching movies. In the Battle of Hogwarts, Professor Flitwick, along with several other professors, had erected an almost impenetrable magical barrier—a memorable highlight of the film.
"Do you know why ancient spells like the one you mentioned are not commonly used nowadays?" Professor Blod asked abruptly.
Albert raised an eyebrow. "Because they're slow and take too long to cast?"
"Precisely," the professor affirmed with a nod. "Especially in wizard duels, agility and versatility in spellcasting are crucial. That's why spells like the Ironskin Charm and simple counter-curses are favored."
On impulse, Albert asked, "Could you demonstrate that ancient protective spell for me?"
Professor Blod's eyebrows rose slightly, but he didn't refuse. He raised his wand and waved it around himself.
In that moment, Albert noticed a disturbance in the air, as if an invisible barrier had enveloped the professor.
"May I touch it?" Albert asked.
"Go ahead."
Albert reached out and pushed, his hand meeting an invisible barrier. "Amazing," he murmured. "But I thought the 'Protego Totalum' was meant to..."
"...protect a specific area," Professor Blod finished his sentence. "The applications of this spell far exceed your expectations. Remember, you're still young and have much to learn."
Albert fell silent, realizing that this wasn't the ancient protective spell he had in mind, but it was undoubtedly more suitable for his current abilities.
Professor Blod had easily guessed his thoughts, and it wasn't difficult to do so. "By the way," the professor said suddenly, pulling out an invitation letter from his pocket and handing it to Albert. "This is for you."
Albert was taken aback. "An invitation letter? From you, Professor Blod?"
"Obviously, it's an invitation," the professor said. "It's a private gathering, and McGonagall intends to invite a few friends who are experts in ancient runes."
"Why invite me?" Albert asked, puzzled.
"Because you're now a half-expert yourself—the youngest one at that. Trust me, many will be delighted to meet you. This circle hasn't had fresh blood in a long time."
"Me, an expert?" Albert was still bewildered. In his past life, the term "expert" didn't carry a positive connotation, especially when associated with those who frequently appeared on television.
To quote a popular saying from back then, "Experts don't have the American time to waste, blabbering on TV."
For some reason, Albert found this situation a bit unusual. As far as he knew, wizards under the age of majority typically held a lower status in the wizarding world, often referred to as "nestlings" and considered in need of protection.
A twelve-year-old expert? Albert found the idea amusing, not because he disagreed with Professor Blod but because his perception of the wizarding world was shaped by such stereotypes.
(End of Chapter)
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