Chapter 133: Impedimenta - Hogwarts : Grind is My Wizard Path

The Impediment Jinx.

It was a dark curse, but an incredibly practical one.

"Quickly casting the Impediment Jinx can delay an opponent or halt a magical creature's advance for a moment. It's a crucial part of wizard duels," wrote Miranda Goshawk in Standard Spells.

The spell lasted about a dozen seconds, slowing an opponent's speed or even freezing a wasp in midair.

Snape's test subjects were wasps. He sneered darkly:

"If you fail, Sean Green, a bit of pain might sharpen your focus!"

Sean nodded, unaware of the wand Snape gripped tightly beneath his robes.

"Impedimenta!"

A burst of blue-white sparks shot from Sean's wand, and the speeding wasp froze in place.

[You practiced the Impediment Jinx at an expert level. Proficiency +50]

…

[Impediment Jinx: Skilled (110/3000)]

[A new Dark Magic title has been unlocked]

Compared to other branches of magic, Sean always broke through in Dark Magic faster.

An hour to go from apprentice to skilled in Dark Magic…

Sometimes, Sean felt he wasn't casting Dark Magic—it was as if the magic cast itself through his wand.

Despite lacking any strong "malice," his Dark Magic never lacked power.

"Hmph—lucky you, Green," Snape muttered.

Seeing Sean's fatigue, Snape flicked his wand, and the wasp poised to attack vanished.

"Here—"

Snape tossed him a booklet. Sean glanced back and noticed his letter neatly placed in a glass cabinet compartment.

But when he blinked, the letter and the small vial beside it were gone.

Was he seeing things?

Sean wondered.

"What are you waiting for?! For the potion ingredients to prepare themselves and leap into the cauldron?!"

Snape's anger flared again.

The cauldron hissed like a steam engine, puffing white vapor that mingled with faint snowflakes.

Sean's notes on potion-brewing techniques were filled with annotations. Uncharacteristically, Snape didn't mock them, instead offering precise improvements.

He'd even added a new potion: the Elixir of Euphoria.

It appeared in Libatius Borage's Advanced Potion-Making, a fifth-year topic far beyond Sean's current level.

But Sean noticed something: the potion came with Borage's refined ritual and brewing method.

Snape seemed to set an impossible task, but in truth, he'd left a glimmer of hope.

"Are you satisfied brewing potions even a troll could manage?" Snape sneered.

The Elixir of Euphoria was undeniably advanced.

Fortunately, the refined ritual and brewing method carved a clear path forward.

[You successfully brewed a cauldron of the Elixir of Euphoria at an apprentice level. Proficiency +1]

[Elixir of Euphoria: Unlocked (1/30)]

"What did you do?!"

Snape's voice rang out alongside the system's notification.

His piercing gaze swept over Sean, then softened slightly.

"Get—out."

Sean realized something. He'd instinctively added a sprig of peppermint to the potion.

When his focus was absolute, his actions felt almost automatic. Only after adding it did he recall the peppermint's significance.

It was Snape's own invention, from his Half-Blood Prince notes.

As usual, Sean tidied the workbench, wrapped his scarf tightly, and left the dungeon.

Before he'd even stepped out, ten Galleons appeared in his hand.

"Hmph—"

A low, grim chuckle echoed from the dungeon's depths.

…

Snape watched Sean leave, lost in thought.

The boy's potion talent was emerging. Snape was certain he didn't have access to his notes.

Something stirred in him, and his complex gaze carried a hint of memory.

In the corridor, Sean's Quick-Quotes Quill scribbled furiously:

[The core pursuit of alchemy may be more complex—and less materialistic—than it first appears.

It has three stages: the black stage, the white stage, and the red stage.

The first step, dissolution, is the black stage.

The second, transforming lead into gold, is the white stage.

The third and final step is the red stage.

As the flames intensify, a divine red light bathes the white stone in a beautiful, vivid hue… The shift from white to red is often likened to being stained with blood.]

And potions?

As Sean immersed himself in the cauldron's misty depths, he felt old materials dissolve, transform, and reborn.

He had a strong intuition that this applied to alchemy too.

Effortlessly, he found the relevant passage in The Metaphor of Alchemy: The Four Elements:

[Alchemy—the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone, turning base metals into gold and granting eternal youth—was once thought possible and real.

One interpretation of alchemists' "instructions" is that they symbolize a spiritual journey, guiding the alchemist from ignorance (base metals) to enlightenment (gold).]

Wasn't potion-making the same journey, from ignorance (raw ingredients) to enlightenment (magical potions)?

Sean finally grasped the fundamental thread connecting potions and alchemy. With this insight, his progress in alchemy soared.

In just two days, he crafted a levitating quill from his notes.

When he channeled this newfound willpower into alchemical magic, his only concern was finding the Weasley twins.

While advancing in alchemy, his focus returned to potions.

Snape didn't just teach him the Elixir of Euphoria; he also shared other potions from Borage's refined rituals.

The Draught of Peace and common antidotes were Borage's final notes.

Once Sean gleaned enough from the rituals, this unorthodox knowledge became his to wield.

On a snowy, rainy night, Sean sat by the bay window, watching a raven glide past.

[Wizards created potions but could never fully understand them.

When Zygmunt Budge awoke in his portrait on the island of Hermetray, centuries had flown by, yet the truth remained unchanged.

Pilgrims knew the crucible still held the mysteries of all magic.

Will you be the final pilgrim, Sean Green?]

Chapter 132 - Chapter 133: Impedimenta