Chapter 561: In Class
Chapter 561: In Class
Anything related to rules is extremely complex, even if it just touches on them. For example, the incredibly intricate brewing process of Felix Felicis, the absurdly powerful Death's Triad, and the various intricate runes related to dimensions that Liam and Hermione are currently researching, which they obtained from the Spatial Gateway.
When they started their research, Liam and Hermione realized that these runes were not only complex but also contained knowledge far deeper than they had imagined. For Liam and Hermione, who specialized in Alchemy and death, this knowledge about the rules of dimensions was still quite challenging.
Fortunately, Liam and Hermione had a strong support network. After consulting everyone from Teacher Luo Zhen to the deities in Middle-earth, and finally the scientists in the house who were working on the dimensional teleportation device, they finally managed to crack these runes.
"Finally, it's over", Liam said, looking exhausted after a full month. Hermione, with dark circles under her eyes, nodded in agreement. She hadn't expected something that seemed so simple to be so complex in practice.
Their efforts paid off. By combining the techniques they discovered about the rules of dimensions with Apparition, they achieved significant improvements. One of the most notable was the greatly increased range of Apparition. Now, Liam and Hermione could easily Apparate from northern Scotland to Marseille in southern France in one go, a significant improvement over their previous limit of London.
Another improvement was the increased stability of Apparition, allowing them to change positions during battles, similar to Voldemort, even when their power levels were slightly weaker. This provided them with a powerful advantage in combat mobility.
However, the biggest breakthrough came when they mastered the simplest part of the rules of dimensions from the Multiverse General Store. They finally found a way to bypass the Anti-Apparition Charm, enabling them to Apparate into areas with defensive magic, like Hogwarts Castle or Malfoy Manor, just like House-Elves.
"So, it wasn't a wasted month. Come on, let's go to the palace in Rivendell's Ruins and have some Elven Sweet Wine before a good night's sleep. We came in right after breakfast and have to attend the Dark Magic Defense Class when we leave", Liam said to Hermione, who looked equally exhausted. Even though mastering a part of the rules had enhanced their magical abilities, the mental fatigue from studying such complex knowledge was unavoidable.
They slept for three full days, but the rest was well-deserved. With ample sleep and the finest Elven honey wine, the fatigue from their adventures and research finally dissipated. Liam and Hermione were back to their pre-Multiverse General Store selves.
"Alright, I think we should hurry to the Dark Magic Defense Class. We don't want to be late", Hermione said anxiously, checking her wristwatch after a few quick short-distance Illusion Transports in the Common Room. "The current Dark Magic Defense professor is Professor Snape. If we're late, it will be truly disastrous."
"Alright, I'll pack up and we'll head out", Liam said, packing his things while muttering under his breath. "We've saved so many people, accomplished so many seemingly impossible tasks, and traveled through so many worlds. And now we have to worry about being late for class. It's just—"
But before he could finish, Hermione interrupted, "But that's life, real life. And I think this ordinary life helps balance our various mindsets. Otherwise, always being the Chosen One can easily lead to losing our true selves."
"I know", Liam said, having packed his things and opening the laboratory door. He gestured for Hermione to follow. "I understand all of this, but sometimes the feeling in my heart is just strange—"
So, they chatted as they walked to the classroom. This semester's Dark Magic Defense Class was held in the basement, the former Potions Classroom. It seemed that the classrooms at Hogwarts followed the professors rather than having fixed arrangements. Liam suspected that only the important rooms, like the Headmaster's Office or the Great Hall, remained unchanged throughout the castle.
After arriving at the dungeon, most of the students had already gathered. This was earlier than most classes, clearly showing how much Professor Snape's authority intimidated everyone.
Soon, the class bell rang. Harry rushed in at the last minute, and this scene was caught by Snape as he walked up to the lectern. Naturally, he deducted ten points from Gryffindor and gave Harry a scolding.
"What was Harry doing? I remember he didn't have a class just now", Hermione glanced curiously at the Harry who had just run in and whispered to Liam through the Phoenix Mark. "I really hope he doesn't cause any more trouble this time. To be honest, Harry is too much of a lone ranger. He always acts like he's the only one who can save the world, but in the end, he always needs others to clean up his mess."
"Young people having a bit of spirit is a good thing", Liam commented. "Besides, that time was just a little over an hour. I don't think Harry could have done anything earth-shattering in such a short time."
The first thing they did in class was collect the homework. Snape casually waved his wand, and twenty-five rolls of parchment rose into the air, neatly stacking themselves on his desk. "Before we begin, I want to see your Dementor essays. I hope for your sake that they are better than that ridiculous Imperius Curse essay. Now, open your books to—what is it, Finnigan?"
Seamus began asking Snape about the differences between wights and ghosts. Harry, who was annoyed by Snape's description of Mundungus as a smelly thief, muttered to Ron, "Mundungus got caught, shouldn't he be upset?"
Liam couldn't understand Harry's peculiar thoughts at this moment. This was different from last year when Order of the Phoenix members were caught or this year when the Knight Bus conductor was wrongfully arrested. He felt that Mundungus, who had taken advantage of the situation and was caught red-handed, deserved his fate. Even as an acquaintance, it was normal to detest such behavior. Harry's comment only further highlighted the intense animosity between him and Snape, with both trying their best to make each other's lives difficult.
Perhaps because Harry's whispering was a bit too loud, Snape immediately called on him to stand and answer how to distinguish between wights and ghosts. This naturally drew the attention of the entire class, with many students turning to look at Harry, who was sitting in the back row, with a mix of curiosity and schadenfreude.
"Um—well—ghosts are transparent—" Harry began. Seeing Snape about to interrupt, he hastened to finish his sentence. "Ghosts are a form of soul, so they are naturally transparent. But wights are reanimated corpses, right? So they should be solid—"
"Very good, Potter. It's clear that nearly six years of magical education haven't been wasted on you. Ghosts are transparent, and wights are solid. I suppose even a five-year-old could tell you that", Snape sneered. "Wights are corpses brought back to life through Dark Magic. They have no life and can only carry out the commands of their wizard masters. Ghosts, I trust those who have read their textbooks know, are imprints of souls left in the world after death—"
"But your method is a bit complicated", Ron argued. "If I ever encounter one, I'll just check if it's solid, not try to figure out if it's a Dark Magic creation or an imprint of a departed soul."
"Gryffindor loses another ten points, Ronald Weasley. I can't expect a student who can't even manage simple Apparition to understand complex matters."
Snape's words left Ron deflated, and he remained dispirited for the rest of the class. However, Liam found the lesson quite enlightening. The class covered the Cruciatus Curse, and as a former Death Eater, Professor Snape had a wealth of knowledge on the subject. Liam gleaned valuable firsthand insights from Snape's explanations, which would be useful for his research on the relationship between magic power and the soul.
"There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained in Hogwarts' classrooms, but it requires the students to be truly engaged to discover it", Liam observed, shaking his head at the mostly dozing students. He then lowered his head and continued taking notes.
(End of Chapter)
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