Snape's warnings were not without merit, but Ian was convinced that if he trained hard enough and proved himself capable of safeguarding the wealth and influence that the Infinite Firepower Potion would bring, Snape would no longer stand in his way.
"Where is my Dark magic practice room?"
Ian twisted the doorknob of the Room of Requirement, only to find that it had failed to heed his request. The space before him remained unchanged, a simple potions classroom.
Refusing to accept this, Ian tried again.
The Room of Requirement remained as unmoving as the foundations of Hogwarts itself, unyielding to his plea. Perhaps he had unknowingly violated some unspoken rule of its magic, causing it to ignore his request entirely.
"Fine then. Give me a room where I can study Defense Against the Dark Arts in depth, where I can critically examine Dark magic from a professor's perspective, to better understand its dangers and instruct others accordingly."
Ian, unwilling to admit defeat, tried this revised approach on a whim, and to his astonishment, the Room of Requirement responded.
Its ability to interpret intent exceeded Ian's expectations, for it granted him not just a space for study but an immense training hall, one that bore a striking resemblance to the lair of a formidable Dark wizard.
The interior was shrouded in an ominous, unsettling atmosphere. Beyond the gloom, Ian took note of the many alchemically enhanced training dummies scattered throughout the space, perfect for spellcasting practice.
As Ian stepped forward, curiosity urging him to examine the runes inscribed upon the dummies' surfaces, several of them sprang to life.
They did not wield wands.
But they possessed the speed of a Cheetah and the strength of a Troll… From the intricate carvings and sigils embedded in their forms, Ian quickly deduced that these constructs had been imbued with the abilities of various magical creatures.
"The enchanted dueling puppet feels almost like a real wizard!"
Faced with the sudden attack, Ian didn't flinch. He raised his wand and cast a composite spell, [Eight-Part Nimbus], which sliced the oncoming alchemical construct into eight precise sections.
Snape's earlier menacing words seemed to Ian like a unique teaching method, a way to push him towards growth. If that were the case, he couldn't let Snape's 'encouragement' go to waste.
He had to rise to the challenge, honing his skills in magic Snape would approve of, spells as reliable as the Avada Kedavra Lightning Chain and the Sectumsempra Storm.
Mastery would bring security.
[Sectumsempra Proficiency +5]
[Lumos Proficiency +3]
…
Though the glowing Sectumsempra lost its element of stealth, it granted an accelerated increase in proficiency. Ian relished experimenting with composite magic, and for good reason.
[Sectumsempra Proficiency +5]
[Lumos Proficiency +3]
[Sectumsempra Proficiency +5]
[Lumos Proficiency +3]
After being shattered, the alchemical puppets slowly sank into the ground as if caught in quicksand. Moments later, new constructs emerged from their original positions, fully intact.
"Avada Kedavra!"
This time, Ian truly indulged in the thrill. The flash of green light shot forth, striking one of the puppets squarely in the chest. It collapsed, but rather than immediately sinking into the floor, its surface became veined with eerie green sigils.
The shifting patterns revealed the Killing Curse's effect, dismantling the artificial life essence imbued in the construct. Ian suspected the Room of Requirement was momentarily lagging in its response, as if adjusting to his intent. What an incredible training chamber, one that even repaired itself after destruction.
[Killing Curse Proficiency +13]
[Killing Curse Proficiency +21]
[Killing Curse Proficiency +11]
Now wasn't the time to dwell on the Room of Requirement's origins. What mattered was the puppets. With each 'resurrection,' they seemed to gain greater resistance to magic. A discovery like this was no small matter, perhaps he had truly stumbled upon a hidden treasure trove.
"Since they don't fear destruction, let's try this…"
A gleam of excitement flickered in Ian's eyes as his wand flared with power. Ever since his near-failure in Hogsmeade, he had hesitated to further explore the deeper potential of [Incendio]. His first attempt at original magic had been nearly complete before he even started at Hogwarts.
Now, with greater understanding, it was time to perfect it. Magic surged through him as he channeled all his knowledge and intuition into the spell.
"Come on!"
With Ian's incantation, golden flames erupted.
The fire blazed with the intensity of the sun, swallowing over a dozen alchemical puppets in a single instant, along with every surrounding barrier and Dark magic restraint.
Magic Level Eight created an intensity nearing the absolute limit of human ability.
Amidst the flames, a new magical inscription flickered into existence within Ian's mental registry.
"I can't believe I perfected it in one try… Now, what should I name it?"
With a casual wave of his wand, he dismissed the inferno. The room, once a structured battlefield, was now a scorched wasteland. Charred puppets littered the space, and the walls bore deep blackened scars.
"Flame Journey."
As if in response to his command, the Room of Requirement began to rebuild itself, restoring the practice field. At the same time, Ian imprinted the name of his new magic onto his personal registry. But when the name solidified, something unexpected appeared.
[Flame Journey (Level 7) 1/6400]
Unlike spells learned from others, this self-created magic had started at full Level Seven proficiency.
It had already surpassed his other mastered spells, standing closest to the realm of [Legendary Traits]. More than that, from its very inception, it possessed an [Extraordinary Trait].
[Soul Furnace]
It was a simple name with a deceptively simple description: Ignite the soul, absorb magical energy.
"Blimey…"
Ian stared at the inscription of [Flame Journey], inhaling sharply. The description was brief, but the power he sensed within it was anything but.
"Turning living beings into Magical Energy in an instant?!"
Ian had always known that the [Extraordinary Traits] awakened by magic were remarkable, but he had still underestimated the true weight of that term.
Even at level five, the effect was already astonishing.
If it ever reached level ten and gained [Legendary Traits]… Ian didn't even dare to imagine how far it could go. It felt as though these awakenings defied the very laws of the wizarding world.
"Unfortunately, this magic consumes an enormous amount of magical energy. If my power weakens beyond a certain point, it could spiral out of control." Ian sighed, reluctantly stepping out of the Room of Requirement.
Without hesitation, he twisted the doorknob and reentered the familiar, dimly lit old classroom.
"Gū lū gū lū~"
The fire burned and the potion bubbled.
The cauldron stood steady once more. This was Ian's way of making up for his disappointment.
Since Snape had destroyed a large portion of his potion stock, Ian had to act quickly. The following day, during Snape's lesson, he cleverly skipped Flying class and slipped into the Potions Master's office to replenish his supply.
This time, he was smarter, he didn't leave behind any payment and also took a variety of other ingredients to obscure what was actually missing.
At first glance, Snape would assume he'd been outright robbed.
Ian had spent the entire day searching for Dumbledore to no avail. Finally, he gathered enough courage to ask Aurora for help in inquiring about Dumbledore from Grindelwald.
"My grandfather said Dumbledore is off visiting some of his outstanding former students and should return before Halloween. So, it should only be a few days now. Is it something urgent?" Aurora, ever dependable, provided him with a clear answer.
"Nothing major," Ian replied.
A headmaster gallivanting off with his graduates in the middle of term? Even parcels left at the Owl Post were subject to storage fees.\
(To Be Continued…)
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