Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 96, Section 95: The Magic World of Geniuses

Sheehan became more and more familiar with Hogwarts Castle each day.

Even with his eyes closed, he could walk safely into the cellar.

The glass cabinet filled with materials was like Sheen's warehouse; he could even remember the location of most of the potion ingredients.

The notebook used to record potion practice was already full, which forced Sheen to place Master Libasho Pollach's note between the pages of another notebook.

Sometimes Sheen felt that the transmission of knowledge in the magical world was not continuous.

After obtaining the Half-Blood Prince's notes, Harry's potion-making skills improved by leaps and bounds, even surpassing Hermione's diligent studies in some aspects.
The same applies to Sheen. With Master Libasho Polachi's improved ritual combined with the will-guided technique, Sheen was even able to make a swelling-reducing potion at the "Expert" level right from the start.

Normally, an ordinary wizard would need to study diligently for at least one or two years to reach this level.

This exposes a significant problem: in some, if not many, aspects, magic is not necessarily evolving.

Overall, the magical world is certainly making progress. The uses of dragon blood were discovered by Headmaster Dumbledore in this century, and the wolfsbane potion is clearly a magical breakthrough.

In terms of alchemy, the twins Fred and George later invented and realized many of their ingenious ideas.

And the flying broomsticks are also clearly becoming more and more advanced and faster.

In addition, the magical world continues to absorb Muggle technology. Examples include knight buses, steam trains, cameras, newspapers, and wizard broadcasts. These clearly surpass those of the Middle Ages.

But to say that there has been a great deal of progress is not quite accurate.

Principal Dumbledore's discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood is one of the greatest research achievements of this century.

Professor Snape was already considered an innovator, but all he discovered was that pressing juice out with a silver dagger made it faster and stirring it counterclockwise made it instantly better.

Furthermore, Sheehan discovered that the magical world had long lacked the creation and updating of spells. The only instance he had witnessed in recent times of self-created spells was Professor Snape's Shadowless Spell from his memory.

Another fact is that Sheehan was surprised to find that Hogwarts textbooks had not been updated for forty years.

Sheehan used the exact same textbooks that Professor Snape used forty years ago, which means that wizards' knowledge has basically not been updated in the past forty years or even longer, which is unimaginable in the Muggle world.

All of the above made Sheen realize only one thing.

That is, breakthroughs in magical branches always occur in the hands of exceptionally talented wizards, such as Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall.

This seems to be a general rule in the history of the magical world. For example, Master Libashe Polach's discovery was enough to advance the entire potions system by a hundred years.

Therefore, finding these exceptionally talented wizards and understanding their groundbreaking achievements has become an essential step in learning magic.

Fortunately, Hogwarts has ready-made professors.

Professor Snape was a master potion maker of his time, and his potion-making skills even allowed him to modify the contents of "Advanced Potions Making";
Professor Flitwick was a former dueling champion, and his spell theory and practical skills were absolutely among the most advanced in the magical world.
Professor McGonagall is one of only seven recorded Animagus, and her extensive knowledge of Transfiguration is enough to keep Sheen studying for seven years.

Where else could Sheehan find so many powerful wizards who were willing to teach him, outside of Hogwarts?

Not to mention, if he could stay on campus during the summer, he could get one-on-one tutoring from almost all the professors.

After all, the professors were so busy working at Hogwarts that they rarely had any free time.

For example, Professor Snape; Sheehan often saw him grading papers with a cold smile while secretly watching him brew potions in the shadows. ...

The rising steam from the crucible pulled Shin back to reality.

He was still preparing anti-swelling potions; last time, with the help of the improved ritual, he had already reached the [Expert] level.

A few days ago, he read a passage in "Potions and Elixirs of Magic":

[Careful use of swelling potion is obviously necessary. A witch named Loria accidentally spilled swelling potion on herself while watering plants. For six whole days, her neck became huge and thick, as if she had a Quake ball hanging from it.]

Fortunately, her mother—a witch who was new to potions—brewed her a potion to reduce swelling, which calmed her down and relieved her pain.

Useful information is often hidden in the secret corners of books.
Sheehan guessed that soothing and calming down were likely the key emotions.

The leaping flames cast flickering light on Sheen's face.

He held his breath and carefully sprinkled the last spoonful of galangal powder into the pot—the deep purple liquid instantly surged with orange bubbles, emitting a spicy yet warm aroma.

He recalled the steps in his notes, and gradually refined the ritual while brewing the potion.

Material preparation, heat control, stirring process, cooking time...

His methods are always precise and scientific; he learns from the previous experience with each cooking and never makes the same mistake again.

Professor Snape watched the young wizard from the corner where the spider was spinning its web, observing his focused face and the notes he was constantly taking, occasionally offering guidance with a cold smile.

Soon.

Sheen once again felt the familiar focus and emotions brought about by the improved ritual. He silently adjusted himself, imagining himself as the wizard who urgently needed the anti-swelling medicine to soothe and calm the pain of others.

Under the influence of this emotion, the fusion of the magic potion, guided by willpower, underwent a tremendous change.

Professor Snape appeared before Sheehan in an instant, his eyes fixed on the potion potion:

"If your monstrous brain still has any intelligence, you'll know what the consequences of arbitrarily modifying rituals will be!"

He was furious, already gripping his wand, and kept a close eye on the young wizard.

Foolish! Arrogant! Hopeless!

His heart was roaring, but he dared not interrupt easily. Instead, he frowned, suppressed his anger, and stood guard to the side.

Sheen heard nothing. With the help of the modified ritual and the will-guiding method, he seemed to have truly transformed himself into that wizard through some kind of ritual.

His magic, along with his emotions, surged into the steaming cauldron. In the boiling potion, he actually felt the wonder of the potion—it was helping the wizard overcome difficulties and solve problems.

He gradually came to understand what Professor Snape had said in the first lesson:

"I don't expect you to truly appreciate the beauty of the cauldron simmering slowly over a low flame, emitting white smoke and a delicate fragrance. You won't truly understand the wondrous magic of the fluid that flows into people's veins, captivating their hearts and minds... I can teach you how to enhance your reputation, cultivate glory, and even prevent death."

Professor Snape was telling the truth.

(End of this chapter)