Chapter 370: Unaware of the Difficulty
"Subtraction?"
Wade fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.
Then he pulled a sheet of paper from his desk and began to draw and scribble.
Professor Murray watched him for a while, a look of both satisfaction and complexity on his face.
Applying Magic to Alchemy creations isn't simply stacking one Spell on top of another; Spells can conflict, weaken, and cancel each other out.
That's why most Alchemists can only apply one or two Spells. For example, a common Invisibility Cloak only has a Disillusionment Charm, which gradually loses its effect over time and can be broken by Spells or sharp objects.
Wade possessed a rare talent for layering multiple Spells. Professor Murray had often been amazed by this, unable to understand how he so intricately combined so many Spells.
He never voiced his astonishment, just as he never told Wade how difficult Spell intertwining and layering was for others.
The October night was cold and damp. Professor Murray pointed his Wand at the fireplace, and with a whoosh, a ball of fire ignited the birch logs resting in the hearth.
Flames danced wildly, the wood crackled, and a faint, pleasant scent filled the air.
Professor Murray looked at the Wand in his hand and smiled, then clasped his hands over his abdomen, staring blankly at the dancing flames. His shadow stretched onto the opposite wall, resembling a giant.
Only when Wade put down his pen did Professor Murray reach for the papers he'd just written on. He examined them carefully for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Wade, your Communication Fava Bean design is very innovative, but in Alchemy, you should remember one thing—"
Wade looked up, listening attentively.
"Excelling in one area is more meaningful than general perfection."
Professor Murray said, "You're creating a communication tool. It's more convenient and simpler than the Book of Friends, but most importantly, it needs to be stable and reliable, capable of transmitting information over long distances. Otherwise, it's just a toy."
Wade nodded thoughtfully.
"And—" Professor Murray added, "Waterproofing, damp-proofing, and defense—these three Spells can actually be integrated. When I was traveling in Egypt, I learned a Spell..."
Lately, whenever Wade had lessons with Professor Murray, he would first read a book on Alchemy and then ask Professor Murray about the parts he didn't understand.
Ancient Alchemists often gave their materials strange and unusual names, and the Alchemy process also involved some inexplicable rituals, such as dancing and bathing under moonlight before Alchemizing.
Professor Murray was incredibly knowledgeable. He always managed to discard the redundant and incorrect parts, making obscure knowledge easy to understand. Even just sitting and chatting with him for a while, Wade felt he benefited immensely.
And this kind of straightforward teaching had truly been a long time coming.
"This last Disappearance Charm is very clever, but the Spell could be modified like this—"
Professor Murray changed the position of two runes on Wade's magic array diagram.
Wade asked, puzzled, "What effect will that have?"
"It can expand the range of the Disappearance Charm... Wade, you only want the critical internal parts of the fava bean to disappear to prevent others from deciphering it. That approach is too gentle."
Professor Murray smiled and said, "Just making the fava bean disappear isn't enough, is it? After their first failure, anyone trying to crack it will definitely try to lift the Disappearance Charm first—it's like a castle that only defends but doesn't attack. No matter how strong it is, it will eventually be breached by the enemy."
"This modification will make the Disappearance Charm explode more violently and render it unstable. So, anyone attempting to crack it will have to pay with a part of their body."
"It could be a finger, or it could be their entire self—I can't even be sure how much damage it could cause."
Wade looked at Professor Murray, who spoke calmly, and was speechless.
He felt as though the professor had revealed an extraordinary side of himself.
He paused, then silently added the modified runes to his design.
...
The end of October marked Hogwarts' first Hogsmeade Weekend, and all third-year students had submitted their application forms.
So, on the morning before Halloween, students woke up early, ate breakfast, put on their scarves and gloves, and headed to Hogsmeade for fun.
However, for the SSC group, Hogsmeade wasn't as exciting—they had visited the Wizard village many times before, so they weren't as thrilled as others.
When Wade and Michael arrived at the Great Hall, most students had already eaten and left, leaving the long tables in disarray.
Fortunately, the House-elves in the kitchen were constantly monitoring the students eating breakfast. When Wade sat down, he saw the few remaining baked potatoes on his plate disappear, replaced by a plate of sandwiches and some grilled sausages.
"I'm going to Honeydukes to buy more sweets. I heard Zoolander's Joke Shop also has some new products, and then I'll grab a couple of drinks at the Three Broomsticks—Wade, what are your plans?" Michael asked.
Wade picked up a sandwich and said, "I need to go to Remus's place first, and then I have a meeting with Marchioni."
"Oh... the one from Aslan's Magic Workshop..." Michael suddenly understood, then said, "Then we'll split up. Meet at the Three Broomsticks when you're done?"
"Okay," Wade nodded.
After breakfast, the two went to the school gates. Filch was checking names against a list to monitor who entered and exited the school, keeping an eye out for younger students trying to sneak out.
Several girls were queuing to pass through the main entrance. One of them, seeing Michael and Wade approach, suddenly raised her voice:
"Honestly, Parvati, there's nothing to look forward to at the feast tonight. Do you remember the dance at Sam's place last time? I thought that was brilliant!"
"I remember that boy, Charlie, even asked you to dance!" Parvati giggled foolishly. "He was so nervous he almost tripped over himself!"
"Yeah, don't you think he's quite cute?" Padma said, glancing at Michael behind her out of the corner of her eye.
Wade looked over. Michael was staring straight at Filch, as if he hadn't heard anything.
"Cleared."
Filch grumbled, his expression grim. Padma snorted and pulled her sister Parvati towards a nearby carriage.
Several girls left in the same carriage, some waving back at them.
"What's going on with you and Padma?" Wade asked then.
Michael sighed. "You know Eric, the seventh-year? He published a paper in Transfiguration Today, and he was so happy, he held a small dance party in the Common Room a couple of days ago. Lots of people went."
"And then?"
"Lydia, a fourth-year, asked me to dance—"
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