After finishing the experiment, Robert immediately cleaned up the laboratory.
The explosive power of these drugged bullets and dung bombs was immense. If they all detonated accidentally, he might end up trapped in the wizard tower for a century.
After carefully packing up the drugged dung bombs, Robert turned his gaze to the cat-kneazle, intending to return it to the Forbidden Forest.
"Well... thank you for your contribution to my experiment. As a reward, I'll give you a sweet dream," Robert murmured.
With a gentle tap of his wand on the catkin's head, the cat's tense expression instantly softened. Even the corners of its mouth curled into a faint, human-like smile.
This was one of Robert's habits.
Whether he made money from magical creatures or used them for experiments, he always left them with a pleasant dream afterward.
It was not just a way to train his nightmare magic but also a means of soothing his own lingering conscience. It helped mitigate some of the negative effects of black magic, making it seem like a fair trade in his mind.
Leaving the catkin to sleep peacefully, Robert turned his attention back to studying the "residues."
"This magic… it's truly a double-edged sword," Robert sighed.
After his battle with Annie, he had gathered significant data regarding the magical enhancement provided by these residues.
By comparing Annie's current magic power with her previous state, he estimated that her strength had increased by about one percent.
Do not underestimate that one percent.
This was an enhancement of the fundamental magical foundation of a wizard.
Subsequent improvements in emotions, concentration, and spellcasting proficiency all built upon this foundation.
After fighting Tom and several pure-blood wizards, Robert had accumulated ample data.
Even though Tom was undeniably more talented than most wizards his age, his base magical strength was only one to two percent stronger than that of ordinary pure-blood wizards.
However, this slight difference, when combined with heightened emotions, focus, and proficiency, could multiply its impact several times over.
For example, when Tom was cornered in battle, he suddenly managed to cast a fully-formed Shield Charm with ease. This proved that emotions and concentration significantly amplified a wizard's magic.
This also explained why Annie, after experiencing a one-percent increase in her magic, displayed such a dramatic improvement in her spellcasting ability.
Her newfound confidence further fueled her magic, allowing her to unleash high-level spells like Thunder Explosion with full force.
Robert then recalled something crucial.
Tom underwent a complete transformation when he became Voldemort.
Many failed black magic experiments had permanently altered his body and mind.
Though these transformations were deemed failures, they still significantly boosted his base magical strength.
Without them, Tom wouldn't have been able to match Dumbledore's power in just a few decades.
Under normal circumstances, it would take him several more decades to reach that level.
Yet, in his fifties or sixties, Tom was already capable of battling Dumbledore on equal footing.
In their duel at the Ministry of Magic, had Voldemort not been overly cautious, the outcome of the battle might have been entirely different.
"It's a pity that these 'residues' are derived from negative emotions. They're harmful to the human body," Robert muttered regretfully.
Then, a thought struck him.
Professor Morgana originally discovered this residue while attempting to help her father overcome grief.
However, she soon became addicted to the power these residues granted and recklessly harvested negative emotions from students at Hogwarts.
But what if she had extracted positive emotions instead?
Robert's excitement grew as he quickly took out a vial of residue to study it.
His excitement was short-lived.
When Morgana lost control, she didn't only extract negative emotions—she took all emotions, including happiness, anger, and sorrow.
Those affected temporarily became emotionless shells, resembling puppets.
That was why the professors at Hogwarts quickly noticed her actions and intervened.
"What a shame," Robert sighed.
Just then, the cat-kneazle rolled over in its sleep, still smiling.
The beautiful dream Robert had given it filled its heart with joy.
"Wait a second..." Robert's eyes widened as he realized something.
A typical student, burdened with academic stress, would mostly harbor negative emotions.
Therefore, the residues extracted by Professor Morgana would have been overwhelmingly negative.
This matched Robert's current findings.
But what if he extracted only positive emotions to create a different kind of residue?
Would it still have the same side effects of warping one's personality?
Would it still provide such a powerful enhancement to magic?
This new hypothesis reignited Robert's enthusiasm.
He picked up his wand, preparing to extract happy emotions from himself.
However, if he drained himself of happiness, it might affect his research.
His eyes drifted toward the blissfully sleeping cat-kneazle.
"I'm sorry, little guy... I'll give you two sweet dreams as compensation, alright?"
A shadow loomed over the sleeping catkin...
…
Robert extracted the residue, but his excitement quickly faded.
This time, the residue was pure white—completely different from the previous ones, which were dark red or silver.
In previous experiments, absorbing the residue triggered an exhilarating surge of power.
However, beneath that thrill lurked a deep-seated guilt.
It felt akin to secretly indulging in something forbidden, fearing discovery.
But this new white residue carried no guilt.
It evoked a clean, wholesome sense of pleasure—like the satisfaction of playing a good game of Quidditch.
Unfortunately, tests revealed that this residue only provided a limited boost to magic.
Unlike the previous residues, which carried multiple emotions, this one seemed to only enhance spells tied to happiness—like the Patronus Charm.
"Comprehensive emotions..." Robert muttered, undeterred.
Determined, he began analyzing the composition of the mixed-residue using ancient magic.
Patiently, he separated the emotions into three categories: joy, anger, and sorrow, storing them in separate glass bottles.
This process took a considerable amount of time.
He then carefully measured equal amounts of each emotion and used ancient magic to rebind them, creating a new, balanced residue.
As soon as Robert extracted it, he sensed its immense power.
In theory, with these emotions perfectly balanced, they would neutralize one another, eliminating side effects.
However, upon absorbing the residue, Robert realized it provided no enhancement at all.
He reluctantly pulled the residue back out.
The perfect balance had canceled out both the positive and negative effects, making the residue entirely useless.
"That's frustrating," Robert sighed.
He decided to tweak the formula.
Recalling the proportions in Morgana's original residue, he deliberately increased the joy component while reducing the anger.
This time, the residue shimmered with a mix of silver, red, and black mist.
Upon absorbing it, Robert was elated.
"It works!"
The side effects were significantly reduced, yet the strength boost remained nearly the same.
The only downside was that it made him a little too excited—like drinking too much euphoria potion.
Even so, this was a major breakthrough.
If he couldn't find a better method, he would need to modify the residues in his senior sister's body, balancing them completely before absorption.
Of course, this would eliminate both the negative and positive effects.
But at least the dangerous residues wouldn't go to waste.
Robert cleaned up the lab and returned the happy emotions to the cat-kneazle.
As soon as he did, the creature woke up.
Robert blinked in surprise.
The cat stared at him, then rubbed its head affectionately against his hand.
"Huh? What's going on?"
Robert recalled that kneazles bonded deeply with wizards they trusted.
"Are you saying you want to follow me?" he asked.
"Meow~"
Robert hesitated. "But I need a license to own a kneazle…"
"Meow~"
"Fine, fine! But no attacking people without my permission!"
He grinned mischievously and transformed the kneazle's appearance into a blue-and-white British Shorthair.
"From today on, your name is Tom!"
Meanwhile, far away in Hogwarts Castle, Tom Riddle sneezed loudly.
"Huh? Why do I feel like someone just called my name?"
(End of the Chapter)
FOR MORE CHAPTERS
patreon.com/STEPHENHART427