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Chapter 949: Bottleneck
Chapter 949: Bottleneck
For once, the Ministry of Magic displayed efficiency in their work, issuing licenses at a faster pace than expected.
As May drew to a close, the Ministry sent owls to deliver letters to all students who had passed the Apparition exam.
Ironically, what appeared to be a formal letter turned out to contain just a small card, reminiscent of a business card from Albert's previous life.
Albert inspected the card carefully but found no traces of magic on it. It seemed like an ordinary card with no anti-counterfeiting measures in place.
After all, it was the Ministry of Magic, and a mere formality like this was not surprising.
Albert paid it no further mind and put the card away. However, out of caution, he cast a strong shielding charm on the card to prevent any potential tampering by the Ministry, and then locked it away in a special box. This way, even if the Ministry intended to use the card to track his location, it would be impossible.
Having performed similar actions himself, Albert knew better than to let his guard down. Experience, indeed, had its benefits.
Setting the matter aside, he turned his focus back to enhancing his capabilities, which was the top priority.
Over the past month, Albert had devoted more energy to learning from Professor McGonagall, seeking to improve his Transfiguration skills and, by extension, his overall power.
Professor McGonagall's mastery of Transfiguration offered Albert a refreshing perspective and provided him with valuable insights.
However, he lamented the fact that he had not triggered any new tasks, which made it challenging to gain the maximum benefit from the professor's teachings. He could only enrich his combat repertoire.
Albert yearned for the days when he had learned from Professor Flitwick, as the rapid progress he had experienced then was truly captivating. He had hoped that Professor McGonagall's guidance would bring about similar advancements, but some things were not meant to be replicated, and the disparity was stark.
Despite his regrets, Albert understood that some matters could not be forced. He redirected his efforts towards studying wizard duels and delving into Professor Flitwick's dueling techniques, striving to master both skills entirely and apply them in his upcoming battles to further solidify his prowess.
However, the deeper he delved and the stronger he became, the more he felt a subtle, invisible ceiling hindering his progress. He was still growing, but a significant leap in power seemed out of reach.
Albert didn't know what this hindrance was.
Perhaps he had encountered the legendary bottleneck often spoken of in cultivation novels.
Yet, Albert had a premonition that if he could just take one more step forward, he would reach Dumbledore's level. He believed that if he could achieve that, Fake Moody would pose no threat to him.
Was it due to insufficient accumulation, lack of experience, or some other reason? Albert wasn't sure, but he finally understood why breaking through bottlenecks was so challenging.
Unfortunately, the panel offered no clear guidance on how to shatter this invisible barrier, leaving him with a path ahead shrouded in uncertainty, which was frustrating.
He suspected that it had something to do with experience, accumulation, and exposure.
If only he could receive guidance from Dumbledore or even engage in a duel with him; perhaps then, he would find the way forward.
To be honest, Albert knew he was being a bit arrogant, contemplating a duel with Dumbledore.
It was downright crazy.
But it was the best option he had at the moment.
Being defeated by the Headmaster wouldn't be an issue; after all, it would be a valuable learning experience.
Moreover, no one remained undefeated forever, and losing to Dumbledore would undoubtedly be safer and would give Albert a clear picture of the gap between them.
If he were to be beaten by a Death Eater or Voldemort himself one day, that would truly be the end.
As for the blow to his ego from losing, Albert didn't care about that at all.
If one couldn't face failure, then they should forget about striving for greater heights and ascending to the next level.
If wizards were to be categorized broadly, Albert would fall into the fourth tier, considered the elite of the elite. However, reaching the pinnacle was no easy feat.
The first tier consisted of fledgling young wizards starting their education at Hogwarts.
They were the greenest of the green, either novices or mediocre students who hadn't yet grasped much magic and were utterly inept in combat.
Most low-grade students, including the untrained Golden Trio, belonged to this tier.
Wizards who had learned a handful of spells and possessed passable abilities were placed in the second tier.
They had a partial grasp of magic but lacked any special techniques. This tier encompassed students in their fifth year and above at Hogwarts, as well as the majority of wizards in the magical world, including a large portion of the Ministry's employees.
They appeared unremarkable and lacked substantial power.
The Golden Trio, after their training with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, had reached this level, as had the good trio of roommates.
The third tier comprised wizards who had mastered a vast array of spells and could cast non-verbal spells with proficiency, making them more formidable than the average wizard.
They were considered the cream of the crop in society, potentially holding positions as school professors or renowned experts in the wizarding world. However, they had yet to forge their unique path.
Despite their impressive appearance, their actual capabilities were not as extraordinary.
Outstanding graduates of Hogwarts barely reached this level, and most of the Aurors in the Ministry fell within this tier.
Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and the majority of Death Eaters also belonged here.
Albert himself had been in this tier, but he had recently ascended to the fourth.
Wizards who have forged their own path and advanced far along it belong to the fourth tier.
They are adept at using non-verbal spells and can even employ wandless magic to a certain extent, swiftly casting spells to subdue most enemies. In general, they would prevail in a one-on-one duel against anyone in the previous tiers (excluding instances where they are defeated by the Killing Curse).
Wizards who attain the fourth tier are the creme de la creme of the magical world, and among them are Severus Snape, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and the real Mad-Eye Moody (though Moody's physical limitations hold him back, otherwise, he would undoubtedly be at this level).
If Barty Crouch Jr. and Bellatrix Lestrange hadn't been imprisoned in Azkaban for so many years, they likely would have reached this level as well.
With the help of Professor Flitwick's training and the bonus from his system's skills, Albert has broken through to this tier, or one could say he was already at the pinnacle of the third tier with his profound accumulation, and Flitwick's mentorship propelled him forward with ease.
Defeating Barty Crouch Jr. shouldn't be a challenge for Albert, especially if he intends to cheat with Felix Felicis, but he is still wary of being taken out by the Killing Curse, no matter how prepared he is.
Dumbledore belongs to the fifth tier.
They are an elite few, standing at the very apex of the magical world, including the likes of Nicolas Flamel, Grindelwald, and Voldemort. They are exceptionally powerful in all aspects and fields.
Albert is unfamiliar with the fifth tier.
Perhaps, once he accumulates more experience, taking that step forward will be effortless; perhaps it will take a few more decades; or perhaps he will never cross that threshold.
To enhance his strength, Albert needs to assimilate the experiences of others, making use of what they have learned to shorten his own path to power.
He had sought guidance from Bagman, hoping to gain more combat experience from the older wizard, but it turned out that Bagman's abilities fell short of Professor Flitwick's.
Of course, it could also be that Bagman has aged, and after a friendly spar, Bagman felt that Albert didn't really need guidance in combat techniques, as there were already very few wizards who could defeat him. Even with his current abilities, if he were to participate in the International Duelling Club, as long as he didn't disqualify himself with a foul, it would be hard to find an opponent capable of challenging him.
The so-called dueling champions are probably at the pinnacle of the third tier, and true fourth-tier wizards are rare, as most of them would have already claimed that honor in their youth.
"I don't know why you're anxious, but perhaps you should have more confidence in yourself. I dare say there aren't many in the magical world who can match you." Bagman tried to reassure Albert and shared with him his own combat experience, style, and techniques.
Despite feeling that Albert didn't really need these things, Bagman was still perplexed by Albert's so-called lack of experience.
In truth, most wizards do not have extensive combat experience, and many are less experienced than Albert.
Perhaps a handful of battle-hardened Aurors could be considered experienced, as they frequently deal with law-breaking Dark wizards. That's why Bagman suggested Mad-Eye Moody to Albert.
He couldn't understand why Albert hadn't sought out Moody, believing that Moody's lifetime of experience would surely satisfy Albert's thirst for knowledge in that area. Surely Albert was aware of this, yet he hadn't approached Moody for tutelage. Had he been rejected?
Bagman, of course, didn't know that Albert had been the one to turn Moody down.
The imposter teaching at the school couldn't offer Albert any help.
Albert also dared not interact with Barty Crouch Jr., fearing that if Barty learned of his true capabilities, he might deem Albert too dangerous and flee.
While this possibility was low, there was also the chance that Barty would devise even more sinister plans, which could spell disaster for Albert.
After all, Dark wizards had the Killing Curse and the Unforgivable Curses at their disposal, and these were their greatest assets.
What if Barty Crouch Jr. sent someone to deal with him? In the novel, Barty used the Imperius Curse to control Krum and had him attack Harry's competitors.
Albert suspected that Krum would hurl the Killing Curse at him.
The Unforgivable Curses were always intimidating, especially the Killing Curse, and Krum's magical power was certainly enough to take down a wizard.
Albert had actually practiced the Unforgivable Curses on rats, just like how nuclear weapons were handled in his previous life—you might not use them, but you definitely needed to have them.
If push came to shove, he wouldn't hesitate to employ them.
Speaking of which, the fact that the imposter was able to disguise himself as Moody meant that Albert's concerns about his Polyjuice Potion not being effective were unfounded. It seemed that Barty Crouch Jr. had indeed made contact with Voldemort and received assistance with the ingredients.
Albert didn't really care about the details anymore.
Even with his presence as a butterfly effect, some things were still bound to happen.
Voldemort's return was inevitable.
As long as they didn't cross paths for now, that was fine with him.
He knew his mindset wasn't ideal, and he was afraid of death, but that was only natural. Who wasn't afraid of dying?
Well, perhaps the headmaster wasn't. He was a true braveheart, willing to face his own mortality.
Still editing, if the second part doesn't come out tonight, it will be ready by tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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