Chapter 370: Unaware of the Difficulty
"Subtraction?" Wade paused, lost in thought.
After a moment, he pulled a sheet of paper from his desk and began sketching and writing.
Professor Mor watched for a while, a faint smile playing on his lips—pleased, yet tinged with complexity.
Applying magic to an alchemical artifact wasn’t simply stacking spells one on top of another. Spells often clashed, weakened each other, or canceled out entirely. As a result, most alchemists could only successfully imbue one or two enchantments. For example, a standard invisibility cloak only bore a Disguise Charm, which faded over time and could be broken by magic or physical damage.
Wade, however, possessed an exceptionally rare talent for layering multiple spells in intricate harmony. Professor Mor had repeatedly expressed quiet astonishment—though he never voiced it, nor had he ever told Wade just how difficult spell integration was for others.
October’s night was cold and damp. Professor Mor raised his wand toward the fireplace. A burst of flame erupted, roaring to life as the birch logs crackled and hissed. The fire danced wildly, casting flickering shadows across the walls, while a faint, smoky scent filled the air.
He glanced at his wand, smiled faintly, then crossed his hands over his stomach, letting his gaze drift into the flames. His silhouette stretched across the opposite wall, towering like a giant.
Only when Wade set down his pen did Professor Mor reach over, gently lifting the sheets of paper he’d been working on. He studied them carefully, then gave a slow, approving nod.
"Wade, your design for the Communication Bean is quite original. But in alchemy, you must remember one thing—" Wade looked up, listening intently.
"Excellence in one aspect is more meaningful than superficial perfection across the board."
Professor Mor continued: "You're crafting a communication tool—more convenient, simpler than a Book of Friends. But most importantly, it must be reliable, capable of transmitting messages over vast distances. Otherwise, it’s just a toy."
Wade nodded thoughtfully.
"Also—" Professor Mor added, "Waterproofing, moisture resistance, and defense... these three enchantments can be fused into a single, cohesive spell. I once learned a technique during a trip to Egypt..."
In recent weeks, Wade had been attending Professor Mor’s classes after reading alchemy texts beforehand, then discussing any unclear points with him. Ancient alchemists often gave their materials bizarre, archaic names and performed obscure rituals—dancing under moonlight before alchemical work, for instance.
But Professor Mor, with his vast knowledge, could cut through the noise, stripping away the superfluous and the erroneous, making even the most obscure concepts clear and accessible. Even casual conversations left Wade feeling enriched.
And such straightforward teaching—pure, focused instruction—had become rare.
"Lastly, this Vanishing Charm is used very well. But it can be modified—slightly," Professor Mor said, adjusting two of the magical script symbols on Wade’s array.
Wade frowned. "What change does that make?"
"Expands the range of the Vanishing Charm," Professor Mor replied, his tone calm. "But you’re only trying to make the core components vanish—so no one can decipher it. That approach is too gentle."
He smiled faintly. "Just making the bean disappear? That’s not enough. After the first failure, any decipherer will first try to remove the Vanishing Charm. It’s like a fortress that only defends—no offense, no counterstrike. No matter how strong, it’ll eventually fall."
"The modification I’ve made makes the Vanishing Charm explode violently—unstable, unpredictable. So anyone trying to break it… will pay with part of their body."
"Maybe a finger. Maybe their entire hand. I can’t say for sure—how much destruction it’ll cause is uncertain."
Wade stared at Professor Mor, speechless.
Something about the way he said it… it felt like a glimpse into something far darker than he’d ever imagined.
He paused, then silently incorporated the modified script into his design.
…
By late October, Hogwarts was preparing for its first Hogsmeade weekend. Third-years had all submitted their applications.
So on the morning before Halloween, students rose early, ate breakfast, wrapped scarves around their necks, pulled on gloves, and headed off to the wizarding village.
But for the SSC group, Hogsmeade held little appeal—they’d been there many times before, and weren’t nearly as excited as the others.
When Wade and Michael arrived at the Great Hall, most students had already left. The long tables lay scattered with crumbs and emptiness.
Still, the house-elves in the kitchen had been watching. As Wade sat down, the remaining roasted potatoes vanished from his plate—replaced by a fresh sandwich and a hot dog.
"I’m going to Honeydukes to stock up on candy," Michael said. "Heard the Spice Joke Shop just got a few new items. Then I’ll stop by the Three Broomsticks for a couple of drinks. What’s your plan, Wade?"
Wade took a bite of the sandwich. "I’m going to Lupin’s House first. Then I’ve got a meeting with Machionni."
"Oh… the one at Aslan Magical Workshop?" Michael nodded. "Right. So we’ll split up. When you’re done, meet me at the Three Broomsticks?"
"Sure."
After breakfast, they made their way to the school entrance. Filch stood there with a list, checking names—watching for younger students sneaking out.
A group of girls stood in line, passing through the grand entrance. One of them, spotting Michael and Wade approaching, suddenly raised her voice.
"Seriously, Padma’s sister, that feast tonight isn’t even worth looking forward to. Remember the party at Sam’s house? That was amazing!"
"I remember Charlie invited you to dance!" Padma’s sister giggled. "He was so nervous he nearly tripped over his own feet!"
"Yeah, don’t you think he’s kind of adorable?" Padma said, glancing sideways at Michael with a playful, teasing light in her eyes.
Wade glanced over. Michael didn’t look up. His eyes remained fixed on Filch, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
"Pass," Filch muttered, his face grim.
Padma huffed, then tugged her sister’s arm and walked toward the waiting carriage.
The girls piled into the carriage, and someone inside waved at them as it pulled away.
"You and Padma?" Wade finally asked.
Michael exhaled. "You know Erik from seventh year? He published an essay in The Journal of Transformational Studies—he was thrilled. Two days ago, he threw a little party in the common room. A lot of people went."
"Then what?"
"Lydia from fourth year asked me to dance—"
(End of Chapter)
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