Saturday, sunny weather—it was once again a pleasant day off at Hogwarts.
In the Hufflepuff Dormitory, Lynn was already fully dressed and was delivering his "Day Off Manifesto" to his three roommates, who were still firmly sealed in their warm blankets:
"Rest? Only those who make no contribution to the future development of the Wizarding World would rest!"
Lynn stood with his hands on his hips, his tone powerful and resonant.
Edgar poked half his head out from under the covers and asked with sleepy eyes, "What's gotten into him? What is he going to do so early in the morning?"
William pulled his blanket up a bit, his voice muffled. "Who knows... just ignore him..."
Even for a top student, it was hard to escape the ultimate seal of the blankets on a weekend morning.
Lynn didn't care about his roommates' "depravity." He arrived at Professor Quirrell's office in high spirits, preparing for his weekly Dark Arts "tutoring" session.
"Very good, you weren't late this time. You must have practiced the magic I taught you last time well."
"Next, what... what type of Spell do you... want to learn?"
Lynn thought for a moment and stated his requirements: "High power, known by few people, preferably... well, that's all."
The remnant soul of Lord Voldemort, possessing Quirrell, felt a surge of pleasure upon hearing this request.
Seeking power and secrecy—this was precisely the sign of walking toward the darkness.
"Hmm... interesting," Quirrell said. "I happen to have a Spell here that I created myself. Would you like to give it a try?"
What could Lynn say?
"Of course I'm willing! A Spell created by you, Professor, must be extremely powerful!"
Thus, Voldemort began to demonstrate this Spell he had "created."
He waved his wand with movements that were concealed yet sharp, aiming at a training dummy in the corner of the room, and recited the incantation in a clear, non-stuttering tone:
"Sectumsempra!"
An extremely sharp magical force instantly sliced through the air!
With a soft "shink," the hard training dummy was sliced in half as if by the sharpest blade, the cut so smooth it was heart-chilling.
Voldemort thought, 'A Spell created by a servant—how can it not count as being created by me, Lord Voldemort?'
'Using a Spell invented by Snape to cultivate another potential lackey is truly perfect.'
And what was Lynn doing at this moment?
[Engrave Successful! Obtained magic: Sectumsempra!]
---
Coming out of Professor Quirrell's office, it was still early.
Lynn felt he needed some activity to pass the time, such as fishing.
When he returned to the dormitory, only William had conquered the blankets and was sitting by the window reading a book.
The other two were still enjoying their dreams.
"Want to go fishing?" Lynn extended an invitation.
William didn't even look up. "No, I plan to finish reading the third chapter of 'Beginner's Transfiguration Theory' today. Good luck catching a big fish; give us an extra dish for lunch."
"Tsk, study, study. How did you end up in our Hufflepuff?"
Lynn complained and picked up his beloved fishing rod, heading toward the Black Lake alone, arriving at that familiar fishing spot.
Lynn skillfully baited the area, prepared the lure, and cast the line, all in one smooth motion.
Next came the long wait.
Suddenly! The float jerked downward with a force far exceeding anything before.
Lynn reacted extremely fast, tightly grabbing the fishing rod that had almost slipped from his hands.
A massive force instantly surged from underwater, through the line and the rod, acting violently upon Lynn's arms.
He was pulled so hard that he stumbled, nearly falling headfirst into the Black Lake.
"Hey~ Damn it! You want to test your strength against me?!"
He didn't hesitate to cast a Great Strength Charm on himself (let's just assume such a thing exists).
A sense of power instantly filled his limbs. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and began a tug-of-war with the "giant object" underwater.
The fishing rod was pulled into a deep curve, making a tooth-grinding buzzing sound.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"
Snap!
A crisp breaking sound rang out.
Lynn felt the weight in his hands lighten as the massive pull vanished instantly, and then he sat down hard on the ground.
He looked down and saw only half a carbon fiber fishing rod left in his hand, the break jagged and uneven. His favorite rod, which had accompanied him through many battles and many more defeats, had met a heroic end.
"My fishing rod—!"
---
"Hmm? You're back? Where's the fish? And what's with that half a rod in your hand...?"
Seeing Lynn return dejectedly with half a fishing rod, William fired off a series of questions.
Lynn replied weakly, "The fish is on the hook."
"And where's the hook?"
"In the water."
"Why is it in the water?"
Speaking of this, Lynn suddenly got fired up.
He immediately gave a vivid account to William of how he had battled a big fish of "Prehistoric Troll" proportions—how thrilling it was, how intense, and finally how the rod had "exploded" because it couldn't handle the load. His tone was full of regret and indignation.
The more Lynn thought about it, the angrier and more unsatisfied he felt, so he went to the library.
"A Muggle fishing rod can't handle a fish from the magical world? Then I'll make one myself!"
With this thought, he headed straight for the Alchemy books section.
Just as he was holding a copy of 'Basic Principles of Alchemy' that was thicker than a brick, the system prompt sounded in his mind at the perfect time:
[Ding! Task Issued: Personally craft a fishing rod that satisfies yourself. Reward: Primal Resonance]
[Effect: When you craft alchemical items, the fusion of materials, the engraving of runes, and the guidance of magic power will become exceptionally harmonious and smooth, as if following some natural rhythm. This greatly reduces the failure rate and gives your creative ideas a higher probability of being realized—provided you have enough knowledge to support your ideas.]
[Want to make a fishing rod that will never come back empty-handed?]
Ignore the system's teasing? Fine, he couldn't ignore it at all.
'What do you mean, a rod that never comes back empty-handed?' Lynn protested internally. 'That goes against my "Fishing Ethics"!' Even though his "Fishing Ethics" were lacking.
The goal he set for himself was very practical: first, it had to be sturdy. It had to have tenacity. It had to be able to withstand those "dishonorable" big fish in the Black Lake. As for the rest... he'd worry about it later.
Carrying a large stack of books such as 'Alchemy from Beginner to Master', 'The Complete Guide to Ancient Runes', and 'Properties and Fusion of Magical Materials', Lynn walked familiarly to his usual window seat.
Sure enough, there was a familiar figure there.
"Good afternoon," Lynn said as he put the books down and greeted her.
"Good afternoon."
Hermione looked up, her gaze sweeping over the titles of the books next to Lynn, and a look of surprise appeared on her face. "You're going to learn Alchemy?"
"Yes." Lynn patted the thickest book, 'Basic Principles of Alchemy', and sighed. "My fishing rod broke, so I plan to make a sturdier one myself."
Hermione seemed to want to say something, but it eventually turned into, "Oh... then good luck. I don't know the first thing about Alchemy, so I can't help much."
She paused and changed the subject. "By the way, how is your vegetable patch? What did you plant?"
"Strawberries." Lynn's mood improved a bit at the mention of this. "I'll bring you some to try when they're ripe; they'll be absolutely fresh."
"Then thank you in advance."
Hermione smiled and buried her head back into 'A Study of Major Turning Points in the History of Magic.'
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