It was already late at night.
The corridors on the eighth floor were empty.
Even in the direction of the Headmaster's Office, there was no light or sound. Ian hadn't seen Albus Dumbledore's figure on his Living Map for two days. Perhaps that's the benefit of being a headmaster; you can skip work anytime you want, and no one dares to ask where Dumbledore went.
To deliver Ariana's letter, Ian hadn't hesitated to ask passing professors and ghosts about Dumbledore's whereabouts more than once. Perhaps Grindelwald would know, but Ian was reluctant to be alone with him. Although his magic instruction was indeed good, who knew if Ian would get recruited for some heavy lifting again?
Carrying boxes was a small matter.
What if Grindelwald asked him to shovel manure for the centaurs?
"I need a room to practice Dark Arts, I need a room to practice Dark Arts..." Ian silently made his wish again in the eighth-floor corridor. He felt that Snape's concerns were not unfounded, but he also believed that if he worked hard and made Snape see that his ability was enough to secure the wealth brought by the Infinite Firepower Potion, Snape surely wouldn't continue to block his path to riches.
"Where's my Dark Arts practice room?"
Ian twisted the doorknob of the Room of Requirement again, only to find that it hadn't responded to his wish. The room he saw was still the unaltered Magic Potion Classroom.
Unconvinced, Ian tried again.
The Room of Requirement stood firm, unmoved—it might have violated some usage taboo, so it did not respond to Ian's request.
"Then give me a room where I can deepen my understanding of Defense Against the Dark Arts, critically use Dark Arts from an educational perspective, to better understand the dangers of Dark Arts." Unwilling to give up, Ian tried on a whim, and unexpectedly, the Room of Requirement actually responded.
Its notion of order was more flexible than Ian imagined, directly providing him with an enormous practice area, or rather, a large flat-layered room that resembled an Evil Black Wizard's Nest.
The internal design of this place was filled with dark and eerie elements, not only with a sinister and terrifying atmosphere but also many alchemy dolls for practicing magic.
As Ian stepped in, before he could curiously explore the inscriptions on the surface of these alchemy dolls, several of them opened their eyes and attacked him.
They couldn't use magic.
But they had the speed of a leopard and the strength of a bear... From the patterns and inscriptions on the dolls, Ian could roughly tell that these dolls were embedded with some animal abilities.
"The feel of hitting with magic is almost like hitting a real person!"
Facing the sudden attack, Ian remained composed, and with a flick of his wrist, he cast a Compound Magic [Dismembering Nimbus], which neatly sliced the approaching alchemy doll into eight pieces.
Snape's previous threats seemed to Ian like a special form of motivation to strengthen him, so he believed he must not let Snape's efforts go in vain, he must strive to master spells like Avada Lightning Chain and Sectemsempra Storm that would earn Snape's approval.
Sense of security will be obtained.
[Sectumsempra Proficiency +5]
[Lighting Spell Proficiency +3]
...
Though a glowing Sectumsempra lost its stealth, it brought a dual increase in proficiency. Ian's fondness for researching compound magic wasn't without reason.
[Sectumsempra Proficiency +5]
[Lighting Spell Proficiency +3]
[Sectumsempra Proficiency +5]
[Lighting Spell Proficiency +3]
...
After being sliced into pieces, the attacking alchemy dolls gradually sank into the ground like being engulfed in a swamp. A few seconds later, brand new alchemy dolls emerged from the initial positions.
"Avada Kedavra!"
This time Ian was indeed casting Avada Kedavra, and a green light shot forth, striking an alchemy doll in the chest, causing it to topple over but not sink into the ground immediately.
Its body was covered with green patterns of different depths, showcasing the life-dissolving process of the Killing Curse—Ian thought the Room of Requirement might have responded with a delay, granting the wish he made initially. What an excellent training room, even the various obstacles around would automatically repair after being destroyed.
Recalling Professor Arthur King's previous outrageous demands, Ian felt genuine interest towards the Room of Requirement; such an alchemical creation was definitely a composite of various magic manufacturing techniques.
[Killing Curse Proficiency +13]
[Killing Curse Proficiency +21]
[Killing Curse Proficiency +11]
...
Of course, now wasn't the time to ponder who created the Room of Requirement. Faced with alchemy dolls that seemed to grow in magic resistance with each "revival," Ian also developed a keen interest in them. Perhaps he had truly, by some fortunate coincidence, wished for a treasure of a room.
"Since they aren't afraid of damage, let's try this..." Ian's magic wand lit up brightly. Ever since he almost slipped up in Hogwarts Village, he hadn't continued studying the knowledge he gained from the Fire-Making Spell. His first original spell was almost completed even before he enrolled.
Now.
With a deeper understanding of magic, Ian felt it was time to complete it. Magic power surged within him, and Ian began his attempt, carrying the new understanding of wizards with him.