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Chapter 30: Disillusionment Charm
Chapter 30: Disillusionment Charm
The Gryffindor common room was packed with students lounging on sofas and chatting leisurely in the afternoon.
With limited seating and an overflow of people, the room was both crowded and noisy. Albert had no intention of lingering in such an environment, so after pinning the first-year class schedule on the bulletin board, he returned his camera and photos to his dormitory before heading directly to the library on the fifth floor of the castle.
As expected, the library was devoid of other students. Even the studious Ravenclaws rarely ventured into the library before the official start of term.
The only person present was Irma Pince, the librarian, who sat quietly behind the counter, engrossed in a book. As Albert approached the counter, she looked up, slightly surprised to see someone in the library at this hour.
"Pardon me, ma'am," Albert asked softly. "I'm looking for some books on spells. Could you point me to the right bookshelf?"
In truth, Albert could have searched for the books himself, but with the vast collection, it would have been tedious, time-consuming, and frankly, unpleasant. Asking the librarian was the quickest option.
Mrs. Pince glanced at Albert and pointed to a row of wooden bookshelves. "Section C, fifth shelf."
Following her gesture, Albert thanked her and made his way to the indicated section. His gaze lingered briefly on the rope leading to the restricted section before continuing on. The fifth shelf indeed held a plethora of spellbooks.
As Albert ran his hand over the spines of the books, his fingers paused as his interface suddenly popped up with two new tasks.
Bookworm:
As an avid reader, how could you pass up the opportunity to explore the largest magic library in all of Britain?
Read 100 books, each at least 1 inch thick, from the library collection.
Reward: Randomly acquire 3 types of magic and raise them to Level 3.
Current Progress: 0/100 Restricted Section:
The restricted section of Hogwarts hides many secrets. As an aspiring wizard, can you afford to miss out? Borrowing and studying a few books from this section will undoubtedly enhance your magical prowess.
Convince 5 professors to allow you to borrow 5 books from the restricted section.
Reward: Increase skill level by 1.
Current Progress: 0/5 These two tasks were monstrous!
Finishing a hundred books, each an inch thick, was no easy feat. It was like asking him to read a hundred bricks—one could be knocked out by the weight! This task couldn't be completed quickly; finishing it within three years would be a blessing, thanks to Merlin's protection.
The second task was even more daunting. Getting borrowing permits for the restricted section from professors would be challenging.
And to make matters worse, he had to obtain permits from five different professors.
In Albert's opinion, the easiest professor to convince would probably be Gilderoy Lockhart.
However, the high difficulty corresponded to a generous reward. A skill level increase was far more valuable than mere skill points.
For now, Albert pushed these tasks aside and randomly picked a spellbook from the shelf. The book was titled 'A Collection of 18th-Century Spells'.
He flipped through the index and counted thirty-three spells, each with detailed information about the inventor, proper usage, and the significance of its invention.
After perusing the index, Albert lost interest in the book as he couldn't find the Disillusionment Charm he was looking for.
While the other spells were intriguing, they weren't of immediate use to him. Mastering them would require a significant investment of time and energy, or he could tap into his stored experience pool.
Although he had a substantial amount of experience left, Albert was reluctant to use it.
Replacing 'A Collection of 18th-Century Spells', Albert pulled out another book titled 'Spell Achievements'. This book introduced various spells, and indeed, he found the Disillusionment Charm within its pages.
Unfortunately, the book didn't provide instructions on how to cast the charm; it merely mentioned some attempts at the charm.
However, the information provided led Albert to find records of the Disillusionment Charm in 'A Collection of 19th-Century Spells'.
This was undoubtedly good news.
Holding 'A Collection of 19th-Century Spells', Albert sat at a library desk and began to read intently.
The Disillusionment Charm drew its inspiration from chameleons, allowing the caster to blend into their surroundings and become nearly invisible.
Skilled wizards could use this charm without being easily detected, but clumsy attempts would stand out like a sore thumb, creating an odd sense of dissonance with the environment.
As Albert focused on absorbing the knowledge about the Disillusionment Charm, he became aware that someone had pulled out the chair next to him. Looking up, he recognized the Ravenclaw girl he had encountered in the Great Hall that morning.
Seeming to sense his gaze, she looked up as well and gave him a slight nod before returning her attention to her book.
"Truly a Ravenclaw," Albert muttered under his breath before continuing to read through the instructions for the Disillusionment Charm, preparing to find a place to practice.
The next step was to find the counter-charm for Disillusionment.
While the charm's effects wouldn't last too long, not knowing how to dispel it could mean waiting for the charm to wear off naturally, which wasn't ideal.
The instructions didn't include information on the counter-charm, but Albert found what he was looking for in 'Spell Achievements'—the Revelio Charm.
Albert took 'A Collection of 19th-Century Spells' and went to see Mrs. Pince to borrow the book. He also picked up a stone outside the castle to use as a practice target, wisely choosing not to test an unfamiliar spell on himself.
As Albert contemplated where to practice the charm, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan rushed into the entrance hall, breathless.
"Where were you guys at noon?" Albert asked, looking at the trio.
"Fifth floor, mirror," George panted, still out of breath from running.
"Where does that passage lead?" Albert inquired.
"Outside the castle," Fred replied, his face lit up with excitement. "We went to Hogsmeade Village. We found a secret passage on our first day here!"
Albert raised an eyebrow. "So... you spent a few hours in Hogsmeade and then came back?"
"No, the passage is long. It took us almost an hour to get there," Fred explained.
"Wow, you guys are amazing!" Albert managed to say, although the thought of walking for an hour made him cringe.
After all, as a self-proclaimed couch potato, why would he want to crawl through a secret passage for two hours when he could be comfortably reading on a sofa?
"Here's my discovery," Albert said, holding up the book he had borrowed from the library.
"You found the charm," Fred realized.
"Yeah, I found it," Albert admitted, impressed by Fred's perceptiveness. "But it's not easy to master. If you guys want to learn it, be prepared for a challenge."
(End of Chapter)
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