Ravenclaw dormitory.
Lucien was flipping through The Development of Silent Spells, holding his wand in his right hand and occasionally making a gesture.
Silent Spells allowed a wizard to cast magic by constructing the desired spell effect in their mind, without chanting, simply by moving their wand.
Originally, incantations served as an anchor to help wizards focus their attention and as a guide for the flow of magic.
Lucien pondered the key points of Silent Spells.
First, it required constructing the spell effect, meaning one had to be sufficiently familiar with the spell being cast.
Second, it demanded greater concentration and more precise control of magic.
Now, it relied entirely on thought.
The thought had to be extremely clear, strong, and free of distractions.
Let's start practicing with the simplest spell.
Lucien pointed his wand at a book.
In his mind, there was only one thought:
Levitate.
At the same time, he felt the magic, letting it flow out through his wand, gently lifting the book.
The book wobbled, lifting off the desk and floating into the air.
Hmm, it's not that difficult after all.
Silent Spellcasting was normally a technique only taught in sixth year.
Lucien had also read in the book that Silent Spells came with a strict requirement: the wizard needed to possess a certain level of magic.
A young wizard's magic usually increased with age, especially after entering puberty, when it experienced a period of rapid growth.
However, Lucien's magic talent was SS-grade, so both his total magic and its growth rate far surpassed the ordinary.
Indeed, he could already use Silent Spells with relative ease.
It seemed that, at least in terms of magic, he was already on par with wizards approaching adulthood.
He continued flipping through the book while silently casting different spells.
Sometimes he summoned the pillow from his bed, sometimes he shrank a vase…
Whoosh—
Crimson flames burst from the tip of his wand, which Lucien shaped into a ring of fire.
He felt the heat of Incendio.
Sure enough, when casting basic spells silently, the difference in power was minimal, and the stability remained strong.
However, with slightly more complex spells, their silent versions weakened, and controlling them was no longer as effortless as before.
According to the book, some spells even required chanting to be successfully cast.
But that didn't matter; the true advantage of Silent Spells lay in their stealth—primarily for surprise attacks!
As long as it caught the opponent off guard and disrupted their rhythm, it was enough.
…
Lucien eventually ended his Silent Spell practice.
Since it was still early, he opened a copy of Potent Potions.
Flipping to the section on calming and sedating potions, he remembered his earlier plan.
Lumen still needed six more days of sleep before waking up, so he could use this time to prepare some potions.
"System, do you have any potion-related loans?"
[Improved Potion Formula (Weekly Loan): Learn a method for brewing an improved potion formula, with effects surpassing the original potion and reduced material consumption.]
[Task: Successfully brew five different potions.]
[Beginner Finished Potion (Daily Loan): Obtain one beginner potion (within the Hogwarts first to third-year curriculum).]
[Task: Successfully brew one identical potion.]
For Daily Loans, I can specify the loan content, which means customizing the type of potion.
First to third-year potions should be sufficient.
As for improved formulas…
Uh, can I first borrow a formula loan to learn the formula? Then borrow a finished potion loan to directly customize that potion?
"System, do finished potion loans include improved potions? If I learn that improved formula first..."
[…]
[You need to successfully brew an improved potion once first.]
[Congratulations to the host for discovering a hidden use of loans =ᗜωᗜ=]
Seeing the system's reaction, Lucien understood that he had probably found a bug.
A loophole is a loophole. Why call it a hidden use? Was it just trying to play it off as cute?
"System, show me the formulas available for improvement."
He quickly scanned the information provided by the system.
Lucien immediately locked onto the potion that met his requirements:
[Improved Sleeping Draught: A calming and sleep-inducing potion, suitable for Wizards and magical creatures. Wizards fall asleep in five seconds; magical creatures fall asleep in ten seconds to two minutes, depending on their size.]
Wow, the effect is excellent!
The time needed to fall asleep was cut by more than half compared to the original, not to mention the reduced material usage.
Every bit of potion material saved was something gained, even if the ingredients for this beginner potion weren't expensive.
But he had only brought a limited supply of materials from Diagon Alley to school.
It was still inconvenient for first-year students to buy extra supplies.
Later, he could combine it with a spell—get close to the magical creature, then knock it out directly with the Sleeping Draught.
Whether it was a docile or ferocious magical creature, a sleeping animal was a good animal!
Lucien first borrowed the formula loan.
There was still time; he would try brewing it tonight.
He took out his suitcase and pulled out tools such as a cauldron and scales, along with the raw materials needed for the Sleeping Draught.
However, before officially brewing the Sleeping Draught, Lucien first selected several herbs with invigorating effects, ground them into powder or extracted their juice, and finally stuffed them into a gauze mask.
Wearing the mask, Lucien inhaled and felt a cool sensation spread through his lungs.
This was a simple potion included with the Sleeping Draught formula, specifically used to stay awake.
Without it, the potion would still be brewing while he himself would have fallen asleep.
Following the formula in his mind, Lucien meticulously completed the slicing, grinding, and extracting of the raw materials step by step…
According to the instructions, he brewed and steeped them separately, then heated the cauldron and began to boil.
During the process, he controlled the flame size with his wand while adding the appropriate amounts of processed materials.
Lucien's technique was not yet fully proficient, as this was his first time brewing this potion.
However, he had practiced some simple potions at home before coming to Hogwarts, so he had a decent foundation.
And Lucien's potion talent came into play as well.
His talent for potions was rated A, which might not seem impressive compared to his pile of S–SSS grade talents.
But A-grade was already the pinnacle of natural talent.
By diligently studying and practicing over time, one can master existing potion knowledge and techniques.
What's missing is that spark of inspiration unique to a genius.
It is this spark that allows geniuses to innovate and venture into realms untouched by others.
Lucien was not in a hurry regarding potions and alchemy; he could research them slowly later.
His main goal now was still to master magic and improve his strength.
An A-grade talent was sufficient—for now, potions would remain auxiliary.
During the brewing, Lucien's control over the heat and the timing of adding ingredients became increasingly precise.
As the bubbles in the cauldron subsided, the liquid gradually thickened.
Lucien compared it to the description in the formula.
It was nearly done; once cooled, it would turn into an ointment.
Time passed, minute by minute. The liquid slowly solidified, its color shifting toward light blue.
At the same time, a faint orchid fragrance spread, gradually filling the entire room.
Through the mask, Lucien could also smell the fragrance.
But the coolness in the mask's lining helped dispel the drowsiness.
At last, Lucien carefully poured the liquid into a small iron tin and inserted a candlewick for ignition.
Phew, done.
Click.
The dormitory door opened, and Terry walked in, sniffing unconsciously.
"Lucien, are you brewing a potion? Are you preparing for tomorrow's Potion Class—Fuu!"
Before he could finish, Terry's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed backward.
Lucien quickly raised his wand.
A silent Levitation Charm struck Terry in time, keeping him from cracking the back of his head on the floor.
Lucien waved his wand to open the window, letting the lingering scent disperse.
He glanced at his accidentally affected but peacefully sleeping roommate, then at the small iron tin in his hand.
To be fair, the effect was indeed excellent.