Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

Chapter 376 The meaning of exploring the soul is actually exploring the essence of magic.
Dylan's thoughts expanded, and he thought of the Ancient Runes course: "Actually, we can extend this further to the Ancient Runes course. Based on the magical concepts you've explained to me before, studying Ancient Runes can yield things that are different from other magical subjects."

"However, there are differences between the two. Magic circuits can be directly observed in concrete images, so it is easy to form a clear concept and get started quickly in practical applications. Ancient runes, on the other hand, are recorded using symbols. Although the expression is more concise, it is much more difficult for the writer to truly understand the magical logic behind the symbols, form a concrete concept, and then apply it to practice."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Those observable magical trajectories can actually be called the 'purpose' or 'final result' of magic—after all, those trajectories are the state that will inevitably appear when magic takes effect. Since ancient runes are similar to magic circuits, they can naturally play a similar role, essentially recording what kind of effect and state will be produced after magic is cast."

"This also illustrates the diversity of magic—sometimes, casting completely different spells can produce similar effects or phenomena."

"Just like the Disarming Charm and the Stunning Charm, these two spells have completely different uses. One is to disarm the opponent, and the other is to make the opponent lose consciousness. However, when they are cast, the tip of the wand will emit a similar red light. From the external phenomenon, it is difficult to distinguish them at first glance."

Dylan easily connected these scattered thoughts: "It is precisely because we know that different spells can produce similar effects that we can selectively change the spells we use according to specific needs in actual application. Take the most intuitive and simplest spell casting as an example. The benefits of this 'change' are obvious—either it can simplify the casting process, such as replacing a complex ritual with a simple spell, or it can choose the most suitable way to achieve the expected effect according to the needs of the scene, such as using gentle spells to achieve the same purpose in situations where powerful spells cannot be used."

Dylan became more and more excited as he spoke: "Professor, I've found that as I learn more and more magic and acquire more and more diverse knowledge, it's time to stop and organize it, to integrate knowledge from different fields, and then to apply it flexibly."

"In this way, whether it is casting complex combination spells or brewing potions with complicated steps, one can be more at ease and gradually achieve the effect of free spell casting."

"Now I understand that true freedom is not just about mastering a single spell and being able to cast it with a flick of the wrist, but more importantly, about being familiar with and understanding the entire magic system, knowing the connections and differences between them, and being able to flexibly switch methods and combine techniques when needed to achieve the goal efficiently."

After listening to Dylan's words, Professor Sprout tilted his head slightly and pondered for a few seconds, then nodded gently, his tone clearly affirming, "A very good example, it just explains the principle of 'different methods achieving the same goal'. It seems you have indeed thoroughly understood this concept."

Dylan chuckled.

Ravenclaw had actually taught him this principle.

However, he couldn't say such things to the other party.

Otherwise, it would scare people half to death.

“Professor Sprout, actually, this is how I understand the relationship between ancient runes and magic circuits.” Dylan organized his thoughts, “The way ancient runes recorded magic, to be honest, is very similar to the ripples that appear when water is stirred. When we see ripples on the surface of water, we don’t need to know what stirred the water—whether it’s the wind blowing or a pebble falling in—as long as we see the shape of the ripples and the trajectory of their spread, we can roughly determine the logic of how magical energy works.”

“Using the ripples created by flowing water as an analogy for ancient runes…” Professor Sprout listened and a satisfied smile appeared on her face. She nodded gently, her eyes full of approval. “This analogy is very vivid and apt. It seems that you have completely grasped the core connection between them. You’ve done it faster than I expected. You’re a truly excellent child.”

"Thank you for the compliment~" Dylan said without any modesty.

“Haha, what an interesting child! I’m so glad Hogwarts has a student like you.” Professor Sprout laughed, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out.

Professor Sprout continued, "In my research on herbs, I discovered a principle, or rather a concept, that applies not only to herbalism: harmony. Of course, it's not just that different spells can be harmonized to achieve the same goal; harmony is also needed between magic and wizards."

She paused, then explained further: "Every wizard has their own area of ​​expertise in magic. Some are good at transfiguration, some at potion-making, and some at herbalism. Wizards tend to master skills faster and the learning process is relatively simple in their area of ​​expertise."

"In this way, we can try to use our own 'simple magic' to understand and explain those complex and unfamiliar magical fields. This is the harmony between magic and wizards."

"Furthermore, I have always believed that the essence of magic is magic itself, which is an objectively existing energy. What we do is simply to describe the laws and effects of magic in our own understanding and language, just like describing the 'soul'."

"But everyone's perception and experience are different, so even the same kind of magic will show subtle differences in the understanding and application of different wizards. In fact, everyone's 'magic' is unique."

"Therefore, the meaning of exploring the soul is actually exploring the essence of magic."

Dylan immediately understood Professor Sprout's meaning and nodded knowingly. "Because wizards are the ones who use magic. Only by understanding their own soul and knowing their own strengths and limitations can they better control magic and make it work for them."

“That makes sense,” Sprout nodded in agreement.

She subconsciously turned her head to look at the sky outside the greenhouse, and only then did she realize that, without her noticing, the night had completely faded away and the sun had slowly risen.

Golden sunlight shone through gaps in the clouds, illuminating the snow-covered ground outside the castle. The pure white snowflakes, like a soft carpet, gleamed gently in the sunlight, bringing a touch of warmth to the cold winter day.

“I never expected we’d chat for so long!” Professor Sprout said with some emotion, glancing at the magic watch on his wrist. “It’s almost breakfast time already. We’ve been busy all morning, we must be tired and hungry. You should go to the Great Hall for breakfast.”

After the exhilarating revelry at last night's Christmas dance, the students were able to fully release their pent-up energy.

In addition, since it is now the Christmas holiday, many students are still staying in their dormitories to catch up on sleep, so there are not many people having breakfast in the auditorium at this time, making it seem particularly spacious.

The auditorium has been restored to its usual state. The ribbons and lanterns that were originally used to decorate the ball are all gone. The walls and ceiling have revealed their ancient stone textures again. The round dining tables and matching chairs that were previously placed there have also disappeared. The four iconic college tables have returned to their original positions and are neatly arranged in the center of the auditorium.

However, the relaxed atmosphere of the holiday breaks down the usual boundaries.

Students from different schools, and from Hogwarts to other magic schools, no longer sat in strict separate areas as usual. Many of them sat together at a long table, chatting in twos and threes.

The conversation almost entirely revolved around last night's Christmas dance party. Some people excitedly shared their funny experiences while dancing, while others regretted not being able to invite their favorite dance partners. Occasionally, bursts of laughter could be heard.

After finishing his meal, he went straight to the library.

After a while, more people gathered around the Gryffindor long table.

Fred was enthusiastically shoving a brightly packaged, colorful magic firework into Simon Finnigan's hand, his tone full of encouragement: "The Christmas holidays are for having fun! Your idea to surprise your friends is absolutely brilliant, this firework will definitely help you achieve that!"

George took the Galleons that Seamus handed him, carefully stuffed them into his pocket, and added as he tidied them up, "Let's add a surprise while everyone's in a good mood during the holidays. I guarantee it'll be something she'll remember for a lifetime, an unforgettable experience! These kinds of opportunities don't come around often."

"Hey! Don't be so loud!" Seamus quickly lowered his voice, glancing warily at the Hufflepuff table not far away, afraid that the target would hear him. "If we say it out loud like this, how can it be considered a surprise? If we get discovered beforehand, all our efforts will be wasted!"

"Ah! Sorry, sorry~ It was our oversight!" George immediately covered his mouth and lowered his voice, but a sly smile remained on his face. "It was indeed our fault, we almost ruined your plans."

Seamus, still a little uneasy, asked again, "Is the way to use this firework the same as the pull-out fireworks we used before? I don't want to mess it up because of improper operation." "Of course!" Fred patted his chest, beaming with pride. "But our 'Water-Blooming' is even better than pull-out fireworks—you don't even need a special fire source; just a little liquid is enough to ignite it. It's incredibly convenient. Whether you're using it to create a romantic surprise..."

"Or it's perfect for playing little pranks and creating a scare..." George immediately chimed in, his tone full of teasing, "It's the best choice! You can rest assured, there won't be any problems!"

"What's the problem? What fun stuff are you guys thinking about again?" Ron's voice suddenly came from the side, and his unexpected question made Seamus's hand tremble.

He quickly steadied his hand, gripping the fireworks tightly, his heart still pounding.

Seeing this, George chuckled and said, "It's nothing serious, just a special little gadget prepared for Seamus. Don't be nervous."

“Yes!” Fred nodded in agreement, a hint of mystery in his smile. “Even if an explosion were to occur accidentally, it definitely wouldn’t hurt anyone, at most…”

"Whoosh!" George suddenly chimed in, pointing to the firework in Seamus's hand and gesturing towards the teachers' table in the distance, deliberately exaggerating as he said, "It'll probably fly over to the teachers' table before exploding; it won't affect us."

"Uh." Seamus finally breathed a sigh of relief, quickly stuffing the magic fireworks into his coat pocket. Then, pointing at Fred and George, he emphasized with a serious expression, "From now on, you're not allowed to talk about me anymore, lest someone overhear!"

"Of course! Of course! Don't you trust us to handle things?" George covered his mouth again, pretending to be serious, and said, "We are known for keeping our mouths shut, we will never leak a single word!"

“Yes! Yes! Harry knows our character better than anyone!” Fred said, winking at Harry who was drinking porridge not far away, his tone clearly teasing. “Like those little incidents about Harry inviting a dance partner, we’ve never told anyone about them, right?”

Harry nearly spat out the liquid in his mouth when he heard this.

He swallowed hard, but choked and coughed repeatedly, his face turning red: "You clearly said before... that you would never mention it again! Why did you bring it up again!"

"Invited a dance partner? What's going on?" Ron immediately became interested, moved closer to Harry, and asked curiously, "How come I didn't know about something this big? Who did you invite? Wasn't it Luna?"

"Look!" Fred and George pointed at Ron simultaneously and said in unison, "Even your best friend Ron didn't know about this. Doesn't that prove how trustworthy we are? The secrecy was absolutely top-notch!"

Harry looked at the two men's smug expressions, feeling both angry and amused. He could only shake his head helplessly and continue drinking his porridge, secretly rejoicing in his heart.

Thankfully, they didn't reveal all the details!
Fred and George exchanged a sly glance, chuckled, patted Seamus on the shoulder, and left with their plates, leaving Ron chasing after Harry relentlessly.

"Tell me quickly, how many dance partners have you invited? I've been curious ever since Fred and the others mentioned it. It's really not fair of you to keep it from me!" Ron leaned closer, his eyes full of gossip, completely oblivious to Harry's increasingly red face.

Hermione sat opposite Harry, holding a fork with vegetables stuck in it.

Seeing Ron's persistent attitude, she moved her lips as if she wanted to say something.

Perhaps he wanted to remind Ron not to dwell on the topic, or perhaps he felt that Harry was really embarrassed.

But in the end, she didn't say anything. She just silently picked up a blade of grass and started eating it.

Harry felt his ears ringing.

He subconsciously glanced at the entrance of the auditorium out of the corner of his eye.

Just then, Snape and Karkaroff walked in one after the other.

Snape was still wearing his signature black robe, his face as gloomy as if it were about to rain.

Karkaroff followed beside him, his eyes darting around, occasionally glancing at Snape, looking somewhat uneasy.

"Wait! Don't speak yet!" Harry quickly seized the opportunity to interrupt him, while gesturing with his eyes, "Look over there!"

Ron followed Harry's gaze and saw Snape walking toward the long table.

He immediately suppressed his smile and became very cautious, lowering his head and pretending to focus on drinking his porridge while secretly observing Snape's movements, afraid of attracting the other's attention.

Simo also got himself a plate of food, but instead of using a fork immediately, he looked again toward the Hufflepuff table not far away.

Thinking of the surprise he had prepared, a look of anticipation appeared on his face. He secretly touched the magic firework in his pocket to make sure it was still there.

Just then, a cold wind suddenly swept through the Great Hall. Despite the warm interior, Harry and Ron shivered involuntarily, goosebumps rising on their backs.

They looked up and saw Snape and Karkaroff already seated at the teachers' table, talking in hushed tones, creating a somber atmosphere.

“What’s going on with them? I bet there’s something wrong!” Harry frowned, leaned forward slightly, and whispered to Hermione, “Ron and I saw them outside the castle last night. Snape was randomly deducting points from students, and it felt weird.”

“That’s right! I also find it strange. They don’t seem like ordinary colleagues chatting.” Ron quickly nodded in agreement, but his eyes were still secretly watching the activity at the teachers’ table. “And look at their expressions right now, they don’t look too good, like they’re arguing about something unpleasant.”

Hermione put down her fork and finally asked, "So what exactly did you see last night? Why did Snape deduct points?"

“Well, actually, I don’t really know the specific reason.” Harry’s tone was a bit helpless. “Anyway, last night we were going to look for the fountain, but we saw them patrolling in the distance. Snape deducted points from anyone who got close. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff didn’t escape it, and even the Slytherin students were scared away.”

“I knew it!” Seamus suddenly exclaimed, putting down his bowl of porridge. “I was wondering why Gryffindor’s score seemed so much lower than yesterday when I passed by the house hourglass this morning. I thought I was mistaken, but it turns out Snape deducted it.”

(End of this chapter)