Preparations

Chapter 22 Preparations

When Ian and Hermione arrived at the Great Hall, it was already lunchtime in the kitchen. Ian then pulled Hermione to sit at the long table belonging to Ravenclaw.

I tapped the empty plate with a spoon, and bacon, waffles, bread, lettuce, tomatoes, French fries, and a steaming bowl of pumpkin porridge instantly appeared in front of me.

"Hermione, what classes do you have this afternoon?"

Ian was also eating while chatting idly.

"One History of Magic class, one Potions class, but I'm really looking forward to Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class, though that won't start until Wednesday. By the way, Ian, are third-year Potions really that hard?"

Any topic related to class always piques Hermione's interest.

"Ha, it seems I forgot to tell you, I'm now taking classes with first-graders to make up for my previous basic knowledge."

The professor told me that if I didn't do this and instead went straight to third-year courses, it would be like listening to gibberish to me...

After a slight pause, he continued, "By the way, if you don't mind, we can exchange notes so we can study together. What do you think?"

Ian found an opportunity to speak his mind, as he desperately needed to increase his strength, so Hermione's help was indispensable.

"Oh my god! I didn't know that. The notes are fine, of course. We can even arrange to go to the library together to do our homework."

Hermione spoke with some excitement, while also dreaming about something.

She was somewhat arrogant, but that didn't mean she was stupid. She could clearly feel the distance that the other Gryffindor freshmen were distancing themselves from her, which made her even more proud.

She was actually looking forward to having a friend who could accept her, but she had always struggled to deepen her connection with Ian. Now that she knew Ian was in the same first year as her, she was extremely happy.

Since the break time was limited, after having lunch with Hermione, they each returned to the common room. After a short rest, they prepared for the afternoon's classes.

……

The days passed by at a leisurely pace, and half a month or 15 days flew by.

During this time, aside from attending classes as scheduled, Ian spent his free time either in the library or in abandoned classrooms practicing magic and concocting simple potions.

Ian doesn't plan to get involved in the Room of Requirement for the time being, not because there are Horcruxes there, but simply because the entrance is on the eighth floor.

Climbing the stairs back and forth takes about ten minutes, which is both physically demanding and a waste of time, so it's not worth it.

Moreover, he doesn't have any so-called "achievement check-in system," so finding an abandoned classroom nearby in the castle during breaks is the most cost-effective option.

Of course, Ian didn't try anything new in his interpersonal relationships either; he just stuck to Ravenclaw's "nerd" persona and was rather quiet.

……

On the third floor of the castle, in an abandoned classroom, is where Ian often practices magic alone.

"All petrified"

A beam of white light shot out from the tip of the wand and flew straight toward the desk in front of it. With a "bang," the abandoned desk began to petrify rapidly before the naked eye could see.

Finally, he succeeded. Ian, who had been sweating profusely, closed his eyes and carefully felt the flow of magic within his body after successfully casting the spell.

"From now on, if anyone says magic is all idealism, I promise I won't kill them..."

His diligent practice over this period of time finally made him realize one thing: the so-called "idealism" is only limited to transfiguration and increasing the power of emotion spells, but it does not help with casting magic for the first time.

Regarding the casting of magic, Ian himself concluded that there is only the first time and countless times.

Once the first release is successful, it's essentially etched into the soul. Subsequent releases become much easier, making the first release often crucial for a wizard.

After countless practices and attempts, Ian was finally able to successfully cast the petrification spell today, which made him visibly relieved.

Silently watching the countdown in the hourglass in my mind: 73 hours, 44 minutes, and 15 seconds.

"We've secured our own safety. Now it's time to stockpile supplies and ask Dumbledore for his help."

……

"Completely cleaned up!"

After two weeks of diligent practice, Ian had mastered some simple magic.

He can easily perform relatively simple spells that are clearly geared towards everyday life, such as: flashing fireflies, clear water like a spring, unlocking spells, and levitation spells.

After using a spell to cleanse himself of the dust he had accumulated while practicing magic, Ian planned to head to the headmaster's office on the eighth floor to have another talk with Dumbledore.

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(End of this chapter)