In the Ravenclaw dormitory, Lucien was flipping through The Development of Silent Spells, his wand in his right hand, occasionally practicing a flick or two.
Silent spells allowed a wizard to cast magic by visualizing the spell's effect in their mind, without uttering the incantation, just by waving their wand.
Normally, spoken incantations served as an anchor to focus a wizard's concentration and guide the flow of magical energy.
Lucien mulled over the essentials of silent casting.
First, you needed to be intimately familiar with the spell's effect—know it inside and out.
Second, it demanded sharper focus and more precise control over your magic.
It all came down to thinking.
The thought had to be crystal-clear, intense, and free of any distractions.
Best to start with the simplest spells, then.
Lucien pointed his wand at a book on his desk.
In his mind, a single thought rang out: "Float."
He felt the magic surge through his wand, gently lifting the book off the desk.
It wobbled slightly before hovering in midair.
Huh, not that hard, is it?
Silent casting was a skill typically taught in sixth year.
The book mentioned a hard requirement: a wizard needed a certain amount of magical power.
Young witches and wizards saw their magic grow stronger with age, especially during puberty, when their magical reserves spiked.
But Lucien? His magical talent was SS-tier. His total magical power and growth rate were leagues beyond ordinary.
Guess I can handle silent spells pretty easily now, he thought.
In terms of raw magic, I'm probably on par with near-adult wizards already.
He kept flipping through the book, experimenting with silent casts of different spells.
He summoned a pillow from his bed, then shrank a vase…
Whoosh!
A burst of crimson flames shot from his wand tip, which Lucien deftly shaped into a fiery ring.
He could feel the heat radiating from it.
As expected, silent casting didn't affect the power or stability of basic spells much.
But with more complex spells, the silent versions were noticeably weaker and harder to control with the same precision.
According to the book, some spells required incantations to work at all.
No matter, though—silent spells were all about stealth. Perfect for catching opponents off guard and throwing them off their game.
---
With silent spell practice wrapped up for now, and seeing there was still time, Lucien pulled out Powerful Potions.
He flipped to the section on calming and sedative potions, reminded of an earlier plan.
The baby unicorn would stay asleep for six more days, so this was the perfect chance to whip up some potions.
"System, got any potion-related loans?" he asked.
[Improved Potion Formula (Weekly Loan): Learn to brew an improved version of a potion, with better effects and fewer ingredients.]
[Task: Successfully brew 5 different potions.]
[Beginner Potion Product (Daily Loan): Receive one beginner-level potion (within Hogwarts' Years 1-3 curriculum).]
[Task: Successfully brew the same potion.]
Daily loans let me pick the potion type, Lucien thought. First- to third-year potions should do the trick.
As for the improved formula…
Wait a minute. Could I borrow the improved formula loan, learn it, and then take the potion product loan to customize that same potion?
"System, does the potion product loan include improved potions if I've already learned the improved formula?"
[…]
[You must first successfully brew the improved potion once.]
[Congratulations, host, for discovering a hidden loan trick! =ᗜωᗜ=]
Lucien grinned at the system's response. A bug, huh? Call it a "hidden trick" all you want, but I'm not fooled.
"Alright, System, show me the improved formulas available."
He quickly scanned the system's data.
One potion caught his eye:
[Sleeping Incense (Improved): A calming, sleep-inducing potion for wizards and magical creatures. Wizards fall asleep in 5 seconds; magical creatures take 10 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on size.]
Blimey, that's impressive!
The improved version cut the sleep time by more than half compared to the original, plus it used fewer ingredients.
Potion ingredients weren't cheap, and Lucien only had so much from Diagon Alley.
First-years didn't exactly have easy access to extra supplies.
Pair this with a spell, sneak up on a magical creature, and bam—Sleeping Incense knocks them out.
Gentle or ferocious, a sleeping creature's a good creature!
Lucien took out the formula loan.
There was still time tonight—might as well give it a go.
He pulled out his suitcase, unpacking a cauldron, scales, and the ingredients for Sleeping Incense.
Before starting, Lucien grabbed some wakefulness-inducing herbs, grinding them into powder or juicing them, then stuffed the mix into a gauze mask.
Slipping it on, he took a breath and felt a cool clarity flood his senses.
The Sleeping Incense formula included this simple counter-potion to keep the brewer awake. Without it, you'd be snoring before the cauldron even warmed up.
Following the formula in his mind, Lucien sliced, ground, and extracted the ingredients step by step.
He steeped and soaked them as directed, then lit the cauldron to start brewing.
While stirring, he used his wand to control the flame's intensity and added the processed ingredients at the right moments.
His technique was a bit clumsy at first—this was his first time brewing this potion.
But Lucien had practiced simple potions at home before Hogwarts, so he wasn't starting from scratch.
Plus, his potion-making talent was A-tier. Not as flashy as his S-to-SSS-tier talents, but A-tier was still top-notch.
With steady effort and practice, he could master existing potion knowledge and techniques.
He just lacked that spark of genius—the kind that let prodigies innovate and push boundaries.
No rush, though. Potions and alchemy could wait. For now, his focus was on mastering magic and building his strength.
A-tier was plenty for that, with potions as a handy sidekick.
As he brewed, Lucien got better at controlling the flame and timing the ingredient additions.
The bubbles in the cauldron dwindled, and the liquid thickened.
Comparing it to the formula's description, he nodded. Almost there. Once it cools, it'll turn into a paste.
Time ticked by. The potion solidified, taking on a pale blue hue.
A faint orchid-like scent filled the room.
Even through the mask, Lucien caught a whiff, but the cooling herbs in the gauze kept drowsiness at bay.
Finally, he poured the potion into a small tin, inserting a candle wick to ignite it later.
Done.
Click.
The dormitory door swung open, and Terry walked in, sniffing the air.
"Lucien, you brewing something? Getting ready for tomorrow's Potions class—"
Before he could finish, Terry's eyes rolled back, and he toppled backward.
Lucien flicked his wand, silently casting a Levitation Charm to catch him before his head hit the floor.
He waved his wand again, opening the window to clear out the lingering scent.
Looking at his blissfully unconscious roommate and the tin in his hand, Lucien smirked.
"Well, I'd say it works like a charm."