I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 265 Watch Out for Your Alchemy Professor

"The more powerful the magic, the better. That's how you survive in a harsh environment."

Owen gazed at her and said gently, "But as those creatures that threatened humanity gradually became extinct, the crisis for human survival shifted from the outside to the inside, and the development of magic changed."

After all, dealing with a human wizard is much easier than dealing with a chimera.

As time passed, ancient magic was naturally gradually forgotten.

"I see." Hermione nodded; she had learned a new perspective on historical evolution.

However, even though Owen had explained it very clearly, she still had one concern: "Is this black magic?"

Black magic!

The subtext is, do these spells require emotions to activate them?

Why is black magic evil? Because the emotions required to activate this kind of magic are evil. Why is it that anyone who uses a killing curse on a wizard, whether or not they kill someone, will be imprisoned in Azkaban?

Because when the wand glowed green, at that moment, his desire to cruelly kill others was clear.

That alone is enough to warrant a guilty verdict!

That's why Hermione was concerned about whether these spells were dark magic.

Because she didn't want to gradually become a dark wizard.

"Hmm—you can change the spell's color to pink."

"." Hermione blushed and glared at him—she was incredibly charming.

"Okay! It has some impact, but not the kind you're thinking of," Owen said, turning his head away and trying to appear calm.

"Really?" The little girl was still somewhat skeptical.

After all, powerful spells all have various limitations.

She didn't believe that casting such a spell would be any more difficult than a levitation spell.

"Ahem." Owen coughed twice, straightened his back, and tried to make himself look taller and more confident.

His arms hung down at his sides, his fingers twitching involuntarily.

He forced a calm smile in response.

Then her expression immediately changed. "Didn't you say you wanted to learn powerful spells? These three are the three most powerful spells in source magic, legendary spells. Are you going to learn them or not?!"

"I'll learn!" she nodded firmly.

"Then study hard!" Owen tapped her on the head. "Look at your wand! Why are you looking at me? I have something on my face!"

"Oh!" The witch covered her head, her eyes fixed on the boy's wand with a sly look.

Learning magic with Owen was an unforgettable experience.

Any young wizard who receives his guidance will feel a sense of admiration.

He seems to know everything.

It's not just about magic, but also about ancient history, secrets lost to time, and so on.

He speaks fluently and naturally.

You have to admit, Irving is really good, and he's good in every way. You can't find any weakness in any subject he has.

In the snow-covered winter, snowflakes, like countless dancing butterflies, flutter and fall on the eaves of the castle.

From then on, the two no longer practiced magic in the House of Requirement.

Unlike Owen, Hermione is not able to easily control the power of spells. As a beginner, if she were to cast spells recklessly in the Room of Requirement, this room, which has been passed down for over a thousand years, might be destroyed by her.

Finally, they chose the outer forbidden forest near Hagrid's cabin.

From then on, Hagrid became their logistics support staff, and he often saw Owen and Hermione wearing thick wool coats as they headed to the Forbidden Forest.

At first, he would try to stop him.

But after Owen explained that he was teaching Hermione powerful spells, Hagrid's resistance dropped dramatically.

He knew that Hermione had become a Hogwarts Champion, and as a member of Hogwarts, he naturally hoped that Hogwarts could win the final championship.

Although Hagrid disliked Owen, it is undeniable that he was capable of teaching Hermione at Hogwarts.

After that.

Hagrid turned a blind eye to Owen and Hermione's frequent trespassing into the Forbidden Forest.

A few days later, he would even cook a pot of meat soup when the two of them returned.

Inside Hagrid's cabin, Hermione and Owen sat together on the sofa.

Miss Granger leaned close to the warm fireplace, her cheeks flushed in the leaping firelight.

Outside, the blizzard raged like a swarm of white ghosts, howling and pounding wildly against the windows, making a rustling sound.

But the warmth inside acted like a protective shield, keeping the cold out and leaving only quiet and comfort.

She held a bowl of steaming hot meat soup in her hands, gently blowing on it. The tiny water droplets floated in the steam, as if they had come to life.

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation and satisfaction, and with each sip of broth, the corners of her mouth would turn up slightly, revealing a faint joy. Her fingers trembled slightly on the rim of the bowl, not from the cold, but from the excitement and anticipation in her heart.

Of course, it's more likely that someone is right next to her.

"I'm warning you, don't teach Hermione any dark magic. If I find out, I'll inform Dumbledore immediately." Hagrid was still worried about Miss Granger possibly falling into the trap of dark magic.

As he spoke seriously, he handed Irving a bowl of meat soup as well.

"That's not black magic!" someone emphasized again.

However, it's impossible to say that it has no impact on emotions. Stargazers are attracted by the stars and gradually become obsessed with them, thus becoming withdrawn.

However—Owen glanced at the cheerful man, who was still drinking his soup without putting down his wand.

The grapevine wand in her hand glowed with a light blue light, and two small, luminous comets, about the size of a thumb, were circling around it.

Um—it seems Miss Granger is unaffected.

"Oh! By the way, how did Dumbledore and the other headmasters' discussions go for the first challenge?" He took a sip of the broth; it was very salty and had a strong meaty aroma.

"There are big disagreements." Hagrid sat in his armchair, while Tooth was munching on a piece of fresh meat at his feet.

"And Dumbledore wasn't the one who mainly designed the exam questions."

"Who is that?" Owen asked curiously.

"Who else could it be?" He glared at Owen. The other man immediately understood.

"He always says it's too easy, too easy. Then he keeps increasing the difficulty. Oh! That test he proposed at the previous seminar, I doubt even an Auror could pass it."

"The young wizards' skill level increases year by year. If the difficulty remains the same as before, it will be too easy for them. There's nothing wrong with appropriately increasing the difficulty."

"I know," Hagrid said gruffly, panting, "but we also have to respect reality!"

"You are still students, not Aurors."

Hagrid appeared to be quite dissatisfied with the content of the match.

As he spoke, he suddenly leaned down and whispered to Owen, "You should go find that new alchemy professor; he's a full-fledged member of the Dark Lord's faction."

He's making a crucial prop for the match. If you want Hogwarts to win.

Hagrid winked at him, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"No problem, I'll go find him."

Irving also gave a knowing smile.

At this time, the blizzard outside intensified, but the indoor temperature remained comfortable.

Hermione's breath created a thin mist in the air, like some kind of mystical spell. Her heart pounded faster, stimulated by the hot soup and the magic, a rhythm of anticipation and challenge.

She looked out the window and saw a blurry figure streaking across the sky amidst the wind and snow. Its snow-white body blended into the snowflakes, and if one did not observe carefully, one would not be able to spot it at all.

"How's Hermione's spell learning going?"

Hagrid rubbed Tooth's head, then took the piece of meat from its mouth and threw it further away. Sure enough, the gluttonous dog slowly chased after the piece of meat.

Upon hearing this, Miss Granger lowered her head in embarrassment, unsure whether it was because the spell was too difficult or because the learning process was too ambiguous.

"Oh! You know that." Owen lay on the sofa, shrinking into the beaver pelt behind him, waiting for the snow to stop. "Miss Granger hasn't invented any magic she can't cast yet!"

"That's true!" Hagrid nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

He smiled and looked at Hermione with concern as she heard the news and her neck began to burn.

------

The days that followed passed quickly.

The Hogwarts curriculum is packed, and it seems the professors intend to make up for the lessons missed due to the tournament by adding an extra third of classes.

The alchemy course finally reopened in November.

Victor, who replaced Dumbledore as the new Professor of Alchemy, initially did not earn the respect of the young wizards.

He looks too young.

Some seventh graders are generally older.

Alchemy is a profound subject, and it is simply unrealistic for someone so young to achieve such remarkable success.

Therefore, most of the young wizards who took this course simply assumed that he was someone Dumbledore had used as a scapegoat.

They didn't expect Viktor to have much talent.

Until the first class.

-

In a real dark wizard's classroom.

Upon entering, three striking glass tanks stand in the corner, their green liquids containing organs that are a mixture of flesh and metal, covering several walls.

A wheelchair, its leather surface stained with blood, and a mechanical drill, lay quietly in the middle of the room.

Dozens of dismembered limbs of some kind of creature were hung on every wall. For Viktor, his classroom was perhaps the sanctuary of his most creative and significant experimental results, but he could also imagine that it might frighten children.

"Ahhhhh!" Most of the young wizards who enter the alchemy classroom will let out such a scream.

Then I wanted to escape from here.

But as they rushed into the classroom and didn't react, Irving closed the door.

Then he would look at the group of young wizards with a half-smile.

Many young wizards have chosen alchemy this year, from all four houses, including Hermione, George, and Fred.

What excited Owen even more was that most of the wizards from the other three schools had also taken the course. After all, most of them were sixth or seventh-year wizards. Taking this course was perfectly normal for them.

This includes three warriors: Fleur, Krum, and Koyatl.

The former, hailing from Beauxbatons, a city renowned for its alchemy, would naturally be curious about Hogwarts' alchemy classes. The latter, it's likely, was enrolled by Grindelwald, leaving poor Krum with little choice.

As for Koyatel?

She probably came to this class with the intention of watching a joke, because she looked down on Hogwarts from the bottom of her heart.

now--

In the classroom, the lectern had been removed.

It was replaced with a flat table.

There were all sorts of alchemical equipment on the table, but of course—none of that mattered. What mattered was that there was also a corpse on the table.

Yes—a corpse of Ta-Miao.

Victor picked up something that looked like a Muggle flashlight, pressed the switch on top, and the flashlight immediately emitted an extremely fine red light that steadily and accurately sliced ​​through the shell of the eight-eyed giant spider.

Suddenly, a lingering smell of burnt meat filled the classroom.

The young wizards covered their noses and backed away, but he remained calm and began to dismantle the giant spider's limbs.

In a short while, the table was covered with giant spiders.

Then, Victor retrieved the alchemical machinery he had placed on the table and embedded it into the giant spider's body.

The young wizard might not be used to such a scene, but Victor—seeing the blood vessels and tendons intertwined and fused with the mechanical enhancements—felt no fear or hesitation. Instead, he felt a sense of accomplishment, for he witnessed the seamless integration of synthetic and biological materials.

Viktor kept his left hand still while adjusting the silver dial of the iris lens with his right. This device, through a set of reflecting lenses, adjusted the light path, allowing him to see the scene in the classroom clearly.

"This giant eight-eyed spider has a very serious heart disease. It has been parasitized by a magical plant."

The classroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The young wizards held their breath, staring blankly at Victor in front of the table.

"Now, I will use alchemical machinery to replace its heart." As Viktor spoke, he reached out his arm and inserted a 'mechanical heart' the size of a pumpkin into the body of the eight-eyed giant spider the size of a small car in front of him.

"Professor, will it come back to life?" Owen rushed to the front line with great interest, his eyes fixed on the bloody mess on the lectern. The overwhelming stench did not dampen his enthusiasm; on the contrary, he assisted from the side.

Irving picked up a bone-carving knife and handed it over.

"It's dead, Sanchez!" Victor took the knife and slowly ran it across the wound on the heart of the giant spider he had just created. A miraculous scene unfolded: the knife not only left no wound, but also healed rapidly under the stimulation of the faint electric current at the blade.

"How amazing!" Owen examined the wound closely; clearly, the knife in his hand was also a magical artifact.

"But you can turn it into an alchemical golem," he said.

"It will be more reliable than any spell."

"Cool!" Owen exclaimed, then asked with a delighted look, "Professor, what if it were a human? Or rather, could such a puppet retain the original abilities of a magical creature? Or would it simply become a mindless beast that relies on biting and tearing?"

He spoke kindly, but his words were like a thunderclap in the young wizard's ears.

Everyone's attention turned to him.

The gazes directed at him carried a hint of fear.

"Some traits can be retained, such as physical abilities like the Zouwu's teleportation, the Thestral's ability to see only the dead, and the fire dragon's ability to breathe fire. But some traits related to the soul, like the Qilin's ability to distinguish between good and evil, will be lost."

"However," he paused, "ancient magic might have a different effect. That kind of magic has a very magical transformative effect on organisms, and it might even be able to achieve the highest level of alchemy, creating a soul."

"Is that so?" Owen nodded, reaching out to stroke the puppet eight-eyed giant spider, a variety of thoughts immediately arising in his mind.

Create souls!

This is the pinnacle of alchemy that even the Three Sacred Artifacts couldn't achieve.

The Resurrection Stone is a powerful tool for creating undead, but it only summons the souls of the dead, not creates a soul completely under the control of the caster.

Voldemort once possessed the Resurrection Stone, but because no one ever loved him, neither his father nor his mother.

Therefore, he did not see the souls of the deceased and knew nothing about the secrets of the Resurrection Stone.

Thus, they missed out on an army of undead.

"Ugh~~~"

Suddenly, a series of retching sounds came from the classroom.

The young wizards were pale, and few of them could remain calm.

Even the young wizards at Hogwarts, who had seen and experienced much over the years, had never witnessed such a spectacle.

This is not bloody, it is not disgusting.

Rather, it was about why someone would calmly disassemble that poor eight-eyed giant spider piece by piece, as if taking apart a machine, arranging the parts one by one on the table.

This is no longer just bloody, it's horrifying.

Miss Granger's face was equally unsightly. Her lips were pale, though she looked somewhat better than the other young wizards.

The young wizards from other colleges reacted the most strongly.

Especially the wizards of Beauxbatons.

This bloody scene was unlike anything they had ever witnessed before. They were all trembling uncontrollably.

Compared to Beauxbatons, the other two colleges are much better.

Especially Iphamoni.

The girl named Koyater only frowned slightly. Although she showed signs of discomfort, she did not panic at all.

This piqued Irving's curiosity.

What had she gone through to remain completely still in the face of such a bloody scene?

"Ancient magic not only possesses enormous energy, but also the ability to manipulate matter. Many techniques that cannot be achieved by conventional spells can be easily broken through through ancient magic."

Victor continued speaking.

Irving has not yet reacted to these words.

The girl from Iphamoni spoke first, "How do you manipulate matter? Does it require special spells?"

Her voice was gentle, her posture upright and elegant, and the school uniform of Ifamoni looked as luxurious as a formal dress on her.

"No special spells are needed. You just need to manage your magic." Victor glanced at her, then turned around and began writing and drawing on the blackboard.

Under the influence of the magic spell, dense alchemy rules and calculation formulas automatically began to appear on the blackboard.

It feels as if you are in an advanced mathematics classroom.

(End of this chapter)