From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

12. Apparition Exam: Since I can participate in OWLs, the Apparition Exam is naturally no problem. Hopefully, this spell won't be too difficult. I used my short-range Blink spell quite well. The principles of the two should be similar.

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Ivy stopped writing and silently closed the Grimoire of Destruction. He had only been thinking about it casually, but he had already written down a dozen to-do items—enough to fill the entire school year. If anything unexpected happened, he'd probably be in a complete mess again.

Ever since learning magic, Ivy has felt that time is becoming increasingly scarce; no wonder so many people dream of immortality…

Ivy sighed, reopened the Grimoire of Destruction, and took out a delicate little cage containing the Phantom of the Opera, which she had captured in the basement of the Garnier Opera House. Although the Soul Cage spell could only last for no more than 8 hours, Ivy found that for dealing with some souls that were unwilling to go to the afterlife, there was no need to make the cage so sophisticated; as long as it ensured that the soul wouldn't escape, it would be fine.

In the world of Harry Potter, there is no outer dimension, and the afterlife does not have as great an attraction for souls as one might imagine. To deal with soul fragments like those in Voldemort's Horcruxes, or characters like the Phantom of the Opera who are ghosts by nature, Ivy doesn't need to use a 6th-circle spell slot to cast Soul Cage. She only needs to learn from the part of the spell that prevents souls from escaping.

The Phantom of the Opera is the third soul Ivy has captured. If this continues, Ivy might become a necromancy master first.

Chapter 163 Melodic Casting

For Ivy, concocting memories from the soul was something she was used to doing repeatedly.

It turns out that the so-called Phantom of the Opera was indeed a real human being. However, he was not, as depicted in the novel, a master playwright and architect living in the Garnier Opera House.

He was a wizard, a wizard who fell in love with a Muggle.

For him, he was a warrior who broke through the barriers of the "Secrecy Law" and was willing to sacrifice everything for love.

However, his love interest, soprano Christina, was not interested. She didn't find the magician, who "showed off a few tricks," attractive. At the time, she was dating another composer who was famous in the Muggle music scene.

Thus, the Phantom's unrequited love ignited a burning jealousy that ultimately consumed the Garnier Opera House, causing the deaths of hundreds, including Christina. Through the French Ministry of Magic's cover-up, even Muggles couldn't clearly explain the cause of the fire.

Unable to believe that Christina would reject him, the lovestruck wizard became a ghost after his death, wandering the rebuilt underground facilities of the Garnier Opera House.

Many busybodies would occasionally hear the noise he made, and so a rumor was born that a terrifying phantom was always lurking in the basement of the Garnier Opera House.

After being artistically adapted by novelists, the suspenseful story of "The Phantom of the Opera" eventually spread in France. It wasn't until this suspenseful novel was adapted into a musical by a new generation of playwrights that things started to get strange.

Because it did not exist in a magical place like Hogwarts, the ghost that lingered beneath the Garnier Opera House had long since suffered irreversible wear and tear over the course of more than a hundred years. It had almost lost the ability to manifest its physical form.

But as the musical spread, the wizard ghost, who was originally completely ignorant of music, seemed to be infused with new magic. He not only learned the singing style of the Phantom of the Opera in the musical, but he was even able to magically summon the ghosts who died with him in that fire. Some of them could provide accompaniment, some could play supporting roles, and some could act as audience members. The only thing missing was a female lead.

This is also why The Phantom of the Opera targeted Hibiscus.

Wizards' magic is the power of belief. With the widespread popularity of musicals and suspense novels, the Muggles' "belief" has become the power behind the Phantom of the Opera's existence, granting him not only the ability to summon the dead but also the ability to cast spells using musical melodies and songs. If Ivy hadn't used the "Silence Charm" to turn off his sound system, the commotion that ensued probably wouldn't have been so easily concealed.

But given the efficiency of the French Ministry of Magic, that's not necessarily true. Ivy and the Phantom of the Opera fought for so long in the Garnier Opera's underground, yet they didn't send a single wizard to investigate; later, when Ivy and the Lemaîtres were enjoying the breeze on the Eiffel Tower, they did attract two wizards who had made a bet, and one unlucky fellow even fell off.

This level of work efficiency and responsibility is comparable to that of the British Ministry of Magic. Even if Ivy really blew up the Garnier Opera House, the French Ministry of Magic might not be able to find her.

With its popularity in musicals, operas, and suspense novels, The Phantom of the Opera is no longer simply a ghost left behind by a wizard at the Garnier Opera House; it is a combination of Muggle "beliefs," the wizard's mark, and the phenomenon of ghosts who perished in the fire more than a hundred years ago.

Rather than a harmless ghost, he is more like a bound spirit or a demon, which is why he is able to use some seemingly bizarre magic.

After fully absorbing the essence of the Phantom of the Opera, Ivy gained a large amount of experience points and acquired a new feat—Melody Casting.

Melody casting uses music instead of spells and gestures to create a magical melody that causes a wide and lasting magical effect.

With this expertise, Ivy can use solos instead of spells, ensembles instead of magical rituals, and even weave the melodies of multiple spells into a symphony, triggering multiple different magical effects simultaneously during the duration of the symphony.

For example, a mage has an 8th-level spell called Earthquake, which is a focus spell that the caster must continue channeling after casting.

During the duration of the earthquake spell, a violent tremor will tear at the ground within a 100-foot radius of the target point, shaking all creatures and buildings in contact with the ground in that area.

All targets within the spell's range cannot attack or move unless they have an additional balance bonus or can leave the ground. Earthquake will have a permanent effect on the earth, causing caves to collapse, cliffs to break, the ground to crack, and the resulting fissures to suck water from rivers and lakes, and causing severe damage to buildings, just as if a real earthquake had been triggered.

If Ivy uses Melody Casting to release this spell, he can even make the earth tremble in rhythm with the magic melody; in short, he can make the earth dance to his command.

Doesn't that sound really exciting?

For example, he can combine the Human Giant Transformation spell and the Speed ​​spell into a symphony. When this piece is played, all targets that can hear it can be affected by Ivy's spell, gaining the buffs of both spells and transforming directly into a large, swift giant. Furthermore, the spell's effect will not end or be dispelled during the duration of the symphony, unless someone can turn off Ivy's speakers.

However, this specialty has only one problem: Ivy must have the corresponding musical literacy. Music theory is relatively easy to learn; Ivy can quickly master it with the Scholar's Touch. But muscle memory in the fingers is not something that can be easily faked.

Even if Ivy really used the Scholar's Touch to become a master of music theory, without actually practicing, it's very easy for her to end up in the predicament of having learned it in her mind but not in her hands.

Fortunately, Ivy was a wizard, so she only needed to use transmigration to conjure musical instruments and then direct her telekinetic magic hands to play them. After all, those magical fingers made of telekinesis were completely under Ivy's control, so there was no chance of thinking of one key but pressing another.

Ivy looked at her new specialty and sighed silently. School hadn't even started yet, and another item had already been added to her to-do list.

Chapter 164 Summer Vacation Memories

Harry had a wonderful summer vacation.

As soon as he got home, his uncle Vernon locked his spellbook, wand, robe, cauldron, and the highest-grade flying broom, Nimbus 2000 (even after being defeated by Ivy, he refused to admit that Nimbus 2001 was the highest-grade flying broom) in a small, dark cabinet under the stairs.

But at least he still had letters from his friends.

Hagrid sent him a photo album filled with pictures of animated wizards, and on every page, his parents were waving and smiling at him.

Along with the photo album came a text message full of complaints.

Dear Harry:

I don't know how you've been lately, but I haven't been doing so well.

Those idiots in the Ministry of Magic kept asking the same questions over and over again, trying to find out where I got all those fluffy little darlings.

I know perfectly well that they're trying to trick me into saying the word 'locked room' so they can convict me! But that's all nonsense; Professor Dumbledore knows I'm innocent.

Harry held the letter up to the light and pieced together the crossed-out "Chamber of Secrets," but he didn't have Hermione's excellent memory and couldn't recall a whole string of related rumors and stories from just a single word. Besides, he might not even have heard of it at Hogwarts.

Harry continued reading.

"They not only forbade me from contacting any magical creatures, but they even suspended my job as the game guard at Hogwarts! Merlin's beard! I'm now only able to pass the time by weeding the vegetable garden (a smear of paint)! But this has given me time to write to your parents' old classmates and ask them for these photos. I wonder if you like them?"

Harry could picture his own smile without even looking in a mirror. He noticed that the words Hagrid had crossed out were unhealthy activities like "playing cards" and "drinking," so he thoughtfully forgot about Hagrid's mistake.

Happy birthday in advance! Wishing you all the best.

Your faithful one, Hagrid.

P.S.: If any of your Muggle relatives dare to bully you when you come home, feel free to tell me. Next time I see them, I'll teach them a lesson they won't mess with any wizard!

Someone still remembers my birthday!

Learning about this made Harry happier than receiving Hagrid's birthday present. Considering that the album was full of photos of his parents, perhaps receiving a gift would make Harry even happier.

Harry also received letters from his other friends at school, especially Ron. He invited Harry to visit his home!

Although Uncle Vernon had also locked Harry's owl Hedwig in a cage to prevent it from delivering messages to anyone in the wizarding world, he was, after all, a Muggle and couldn't control an owl that delivered messages for other wizards.

Taking advantage of receiving birthday cards, Harry told many of his friends about his predicament.

So his good friend Ron, who was usually the one in the trio who came up with bad ideas and criticized his two companions for their lack of magical common sense, came up with a brilliant idea.

He's going to use a flying car to rescue Harry from Privet Drive!

so cool!

Harry read the line over and over again with great eagerness, afraid that he was hallucinating because he was so hungry.

He had ridden flying broomsticks and heard of flying magic carpets, but he had never known that wizards also had flying cars!

Could this be some kind of "wizard-like" magical disguise, just to avoid attracting the attention of Muggles?

But the thought that his best friend Ron had never even heard of football made Harry a little insecure. Was this flying car really safe?

No. Regardless of whether flying cars are safe or not, it's much better than starving to death on Privet Road.

Look at Hedwig's diet! It consists of only a few mushy vegetable roots and stems, and you have to understand that she is a snow eagle, a carnivorous bird of prey!

Those few vegetable roots were the most Harry could manage; he himself only had a sip of cold vegetable soup.

However, considering that Ron would be coming to rescue him soon, Harry didn't feel hungry at all.

The hands of the clock ticked away, and time passed second by second.

It's almost here, just one more minute until his birthday. Tomorrow he won't have to endure the Dursleys' ugly faces anymore, or the astonished looks of their Muggle clients, the Masons, and he can finally have fun in the wizarding world.

Lock!

Harry suddenly realized the problem. All his things related to the wizarding world were locked up by the Dursleys, and if he couldn't get them open, he'd have to come back before school started…

Harry felt a spasm in his stomach and a sour feeling rise to his throat.

Perhaps I can buy my necessities again in Diagon Alley?

Although it's a bit expensive, Harry is willing to spend money to avoid seeing the Dursleys as much as possible.

"Harry!" It was Ron's voice.

Harry looked up and saw a person with freckles, red hair, and a long nose looking at him through the iron bars.

Crowded next to Ron were his twin brothers, Fred and George, who had the same red hair and big smiles on their faces. Harry had seen them many times at Hogwarts; they always wore that triumphant smile when their pranks worked.

"Are you ready?" Ron's second question brought Harry back to reality. He not only had to face the iron bars in front of him, but also his personal belongings locked at the bottom of the stairs.

“My luggage is locked up! And this iron fence…” Harry said in anguish, feeling completely overwhelmed by the surprise of Ron’s letter and not thinking to prepare for it at all.

“Don’t worry!” one of the twins spoke up. “You might have forgotten who we are! So we’d better remind you…”

Another immediately chimed in, even tying a rope to the iron bars of the window between sentences: "The King of Gryffindor, now enters the stage!"

With the help of the First and Second Kings, Harry obtained his spellbook, wand, robe, and cauldron, as well as the most powerful flying broomstick, Nimbus 2000, and Snow Hedwig.

The only problem was that before the flying car left, the pranksters decided to play a joke on the Dursleys. So they threw a very bright, flashing firework out the window into Uncle and Aunt Harry's bedroom.

"See you next summer!" Harry shouted goodbye to them amidst his uncle Vernon's angry roar, while the three Weasley brothers burst into laughter.