Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 319 Dark Algae and Sound Waves

The work of organizing the Slytherin Laboratory materials entered a more meticulous stage. Fabian was particularly burdened with the translation and annotation work. Although he had the help of Cullen and Ernesto, the messy notes and scattered labels required great patience and a deep understanding of ancient runes to decipher. As he organized the materials and consulted Cullen, Fabian's own level of ancient runes also continued to improve.

"Karen, look at this," Fabian said one afternoon, pointing to several different potion recipe sketches. "Besides that underwater enhancement potion with side effects, several other experimental Slytherin potion recipes mention this Black Lake Dark Algae as a stabilizer or magic transfer medium."

Karen walked over and carefully examined the formulas. Sure enough, the term "Black Lake Dark Algae" appeared frequently in the ingredient list, usually labeled as "added in small amounts to balance magical conflicts" or "to promote tissue activity retention."

"And here," Fabian pulled out several more notes about cultivating a certain cold-resistant magical plant, "He even tried using an extract of this dark algae for irrigation, and the records show it significantly enhanced the plant's magical affinity—of course, the side effect is that the plant occasionally exhibits slight 'aggression,' attempting to entangle any nearby Bowtruckles."

"This algae seems to be a local material that Slytherin greatly favored," Ernesto said, stroking his chin. "Its properties are quite unique."

"Karen said it grows in rock crevices at specific depths on the edge of mermaid settlements," Wesley recalled what he had seen last time. "Collecting it probably won't be easy, will it? Mermaids are not to be trifled with."

Karen pondered for a moment: "We're going on our second exploration in May, aiming to try and unlock those core logs and scrolls. But before that, if possible, obtaining some samples of these crucial materials would greatly help us understand many of Slytherin's experiments. At the very least, we could analyze its magical properties more directly. This material, used so frequently by Slytherin, must have something particularly special about it."

He decided to conduct a preliminary reconnaissance, to personally observe the growth environment of this algae, and if conditions permitted, to collect a small amount for analysis.

On a clear, windless afternoon, Karen once again came to a secluded spot on the shore of Black Lake. He skillfully cast the Bubble Head Charm, took a deep breath, and slid into the icy lake water.

The light in the underwater world became hazy and soft. He descended to a certain depth and swam towards the general direction he remembered from his previous exploration, towards the outer area of ​​the mermaid settlement. His True Eye could clearly see the trajectory of the magical flow. He carefully searched the crevices in the rocks, recalling the characteristics of the dark algae described in his notes and the appearance of what he had previously seen that resembled dark algae: a deep, almost black color, with thin, spiraling leaves, emitting a faint blue magical fluctuation.

He quickly spotted his target in the shadow of a rock. Clumps of dark algae, seemingly blending into the backdrop of the Black Lake, swayed gently with the current. Their leaves indeed displayed fine spiral patterns and faintly emitted an extremely faint, cool, and resilient blue magical aura.

Karen approached cautiously, not in a hurry to collect anything. He first observed his surroundings. Soon, he noticed something unusual: on the rocks surrounding the seaweed, or tied with delicate seaweed, hung strings of chains woven from small seashells, colorful pebbles, and shimmering pearls. These chains emitted a faint, persistent magical fluctuation, forming an invisible warning line.

"The mark of a mermaid—" Karen understood. This clearly indicated that this area and these seaweeds were considered part of the mermaids' property or territory. He looked up and gazed further into the distance, and sure enough, he saw several blurry figures patrolling the deeper, darker waters. They had grey-green skin, long, tousled dark green hair, and carried seemingly rough but absolutely sturdy coral spears, their wary eyes constantly scanning the surrounding waters. One of the mermaids seemed to sense something and glanced in Karen's direction. Karen immediately froze, using the rocks to conceal himself.

After a while, the merman turned his gaze away. Karen understood that it would be almost impossible to harvest a large amount of dark algae here without alerting the merman, which could very likely lead to conflict. Although Karen knew that the merman was no match for him, there was no need to start a conflict now.

Carefully and extremely slowly, he plucked a small amount of algae from the edge of a clump of dark algae with his fingers as a sample and placed it into a specially made sample bottle he carried with him. After doing this, he silently retreated, leaving the marked area, and quickly surfaced.

Back on shore, having lifted the bubble head curse, Karen frowned slightly as she looked at the few dark, curled algae leaves in the sample bottle.

"The situation isn't looking good?" Wesley, who had been waiting on the shore as a lookout, asked.

"Hmm," Karen said, drying her hair. "Mermaids have clearly marked territories and patrol. It's difficult to collect them in large quantities without direct confrontation."

That evening, at Eagle's Nest, Karen briefed her team on the reconnaissance situation.

"It seems that Slytherin either had a good relationship with the mermaids back then, or he was so powerful that the mermaids didn't dare to interfere with his harvesting. I tend to think it's the latter," Fabian analyzed.

"Whether it's the former or the latter, we don't have his influence or strength," Ernesto poured cold water on the idea. "Forcing our way in isn't a good idea. Mermaids are very strong underwater. Although Cullen is very strong, there are quite a few mermaids, and they are residents of Hogwarts. We won't be in the right if we get into a conflict."

"Perhaps—" Karen mused, her gaze falling on the pile of notes about Slytherin bio-influence techniques, "we could try out the methods recorded in his notes? Try controlling some of the mermaids, or if that doesn't work, try controlling those with lower intelligence, like Grindylow or Kaba? If we can use them to temporarily distract the mermaids, perhaps we can create a safer collection window and reduce the probability of being discovered by patrolling mermaids? Besides, I've been wanting to try out the techniques in the notes for a long time, so this is a good opportunity for me to see what it has to do with Parsley."

This proposal was a revelation. It was not only a solution to the immediate problem, but also a practical demonstration of the feasibility of Slytherin technology.

Without hesitation, the team began reviewing and focusing on scattered records of the effects of sound waves/magic frequencies on lower aquatic organisms. These records were very primitive, mostly consisting of frequency parameters, waveform sketches, and vague descriptions of their effects on the behavior of different organisms; they were more like an unfinished research manuscript than a mature incantation.

"This looks like a complete mess," Wesley said, his head spinning as he stared at the distorted waveforms and various symbols.

It doesn't seem like a usable spell at all.

"Slytherin might not need to chant spells at all," Karen said, seemingly enlightened. He compared the magical frequency charts he had recorded while studying Parseltongue. "You see, the adjustment patterns of these parameters are similar to certain subtle changes in magical fluctuations when he uses Parseltongue. I suspect this is a technique he developed based on the 'essence' of Parseltongue, a non-verbal command or influence technique targeting other beings."

This discovery was crucial. Karen possessed the "Eye of Truth," which allowed him to visually "see" the patterns of magical fluctuations. Coupled with his previous experience of successfully mimicking the frequency of Parseltongue's magical energy, he was able to comprehend these chaotic parameters far faster than ordinary people.

They needed a safe experimental environment. Karen approached Hagrid, hoping he could help her obtain a few less aggressive Greendylos or Kaba, citing her desire to "learn about the practical aspects of the Conservation of Magical Creatures course and observe the habits of some common aquatic creatures up close."

Hagrid was delighted that the students were so interested in "these cute little creatures," and soon caught several struggling, clicking Grindelows in the shallows of Black Lake with a net. He also managed to acquire a Kaba that looked listless, with a bowl of water almost dried up on its head. Hagrid also generously lent them a large, unused water tank and a fenced-off shallow area along the lake for them to "observe."

Karen set up several alchemical devices she had brought from the laboratory near the shallow water area: including a magic crystal resonator that could precisely adjust the output frequency and intensity, and several sensors modified from spyglasses to monitor biological magical fluctuations.

The experiment began. Karen carefully adjusted the parameters of the resonator according to the notes, producing a low-frequency vibration that was almost inaudible to the human ear but exceptionally clear to the magical senses.

Inside the tank, Grindelwald became even more agitated, scratching violently at the tank walls with its claws. Wesley and Fabian nervously took notes.

Karen held her breath, carefully observing the reaction of Grindelho's core magic to external frequencies through the "Eye of Truth," while her fingertips finely adjusted the knob. "The frequency is a little too high—the energy decay setting needs adjustment—add a tiny pulse now—"

He was completely focused, constantly making fine adjustments, trying to find the critical point that would cause the creature's magic to enter a "stagnant" state. Ernesto was responsible for observing the other Kaba's reaction and keeping an eye out for any mermaids or other creatures that might be attracted by the unusual activity.

After countless failed attempts, just as the sun began to set and the light became dim, Karen finally found a relatively stable combination of parameters.

Om-!

As the resonator emitted a specific, low hum, the previously restless Grindylos in the tank suddenly slowed down noticeably. They stopped scratching aggressively and instead seemed to be in a daze, swaying slightly in place, their fierce glint diminished considerably. Kaba, standing nearby, also retracted its head into its shell, remaining motionless.

"It worked!" Wesley almost jumped up, then quickly lowered his voice.

"The effect lasted for about fifteen seconds," Fabian stared at the timer, "and then they started to recover gradually. And it seems it can't be used continuously; the notes also mention that creatures develop temporary resistance."

"That's enough!" Karen's eyes gleamed with excitement. "This proves the Slytherin record is valid! This isn't a complete spell, it's more like a—technical prototype. We can name it 'Sedation Frequency Alpha.'"

He meticulously documented the successful parameter combinations. The team was greatly encouraged, as this not only meant they had another tool that could be used for underwater collection, but also that they were gradually verifying and mastering a portion of the knowledge from the dangerous legacy left by Slytherin.

“However, for it to be practical underwater, we need a more powerful, stable device capable of directional transmission of this frequency.” Karen looked at the rather bulky resonator used in the lab. “This isn’t something that can be easily taken underwater. We need to miniaturize it, make it waterproof, perhaps—make it into some kind of wand attachment or a handheld transmitter?”

Another technical challenge was presented to them, but this time, the Eagle Nest team members showed no worry, only excitement and eagerness.