Chapter 385 Researching Magic
Speaking of which, he turned to Dylan, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry: "Dylan, I heard Harry tell me that on March 1st, you'll be starting the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, right?"
"That's right, the exact date is indeed March 1st." Dylan nodded, then seemed to recall something, his tone pausing as he tentatively asked, "Sirius, Harry must have also mentioned that the venue for the second task is underwater in the Black Lake, right? Are you suddenly asking this because you plan to promote our 'magic Live Broadcast' to the Ministry of Magic for broadcasting the Triwizard Tournament?"
"Of course!" Sirius's eyes lit up, not hiding his thoughts. "We who have been at Hogwarts all know what the Black Lake is like; it's not like we haven't snuck down there during our school days and know how complex the underwater environment is. You have to deal with Merpeople and dive to the bottom of the Black Lake to complete the task. Although we all trust Headmaster Dumbledore's arrangements, underwater is full of unknowns, and accidents can easily happen."
He paused, a hint of worry in his tone: "What's more, judging from the first task, the Ministry of Magicdared to release Dragons to enhance the spectacle of the competition. Even if they throw other dangerous creatures into the Black Lake this time, I wouldn't be surprised. In such a situation, real-time monitoring is even more necessary to ensure the safety of you champions."
"You're absolutely right!" Neville immediately agreed, still feeling a lingering fear from the first task. "The first task was truly perilous! Not only were there two bad-tempered Dragons, but also a super dangerous creature brought in from outside. When I watched from the stands, I was on the edge of my seat for you all."
"Exactly!" Sirius gave Neville an approving smile and continued, "The main reason the Triwizard Tournament was suspended back then was that the competition risk was too high, easily leading to casualties. Now that the competition has restarted, the Ministry of Magic must also be worried about safety issues, so I think they would greatly need our 'magic Live Broadcast' technology to monitor the competition in real time and ensure the champions' safety."
He changed the subject, bringing up the viewing experience: "Even if safety isn't a concern, just talking about the viewing experience, the Ministry of Magic needs this technology. The second task takes place at the bottom of the Black Lake. What will the audience see from the stands? We can't just let everyone stare blankly at the surface of the Black Lake, or give everyone a fishing rod to pass the time by fishing, can we?"
"This Triwizard Tournament is much larger than before, with students from three schools participating and Wizards from all over coming to watch. We can't just let so many people sit idly in the stands; that would really affect the reputation of the event." Sirius picked up his water glass, took another sip to moisten his somewhat dry throat, and continued, "With our 'magic Live Broadcast,' these problems can be very well resolved."
"The audience can watch the progress of the competition at the bottom of the lake in real time through the live broadcast, so they won't feel bored. Ludo Bagman's commentary talent will also have a use; he can explain the details of the competition to the audience based on the live broadcast footage. The Triwizard Tournament's panel of judges and the Ministry of Magic staff responsible for the event can also keep track of the situation in real time through the live broadcast, feeling more at ease."
Finally, Sirius emphasized the importance of emergency handling: "More crucially, if an emergency occurs at the bottom of the Black Lake, such as a champion being attacked by a dangerous creature or other unexpected situations, both Headmaster Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic staff can learn about it immediately through the live broadcast, react quickly, and dispatch rescuers in a timely manner, further preventing accidents to the champions. From this perspective, the Ministry of Magic has no reason to refuse our technology."
"Well said! These points are very convincing." Lupin, who had been sitting quietly, head down, taking notes, looked up, still holding his quill, the paper already filled with dense writing. "When we go to negotiate with the Ministry of Magic, all this content can serve as core arguments, leaving them no reason to reject our technology."
He paused, then added: "More importantly, through 'magic Live Broadcast,' we can make predictions about potential dangers in advance, without interfering with the fairness of the competition. This way, the Ministry of Magic can not only observe the champions' performance and track the progress of the event in real time, but also take necessary emergency measures immediately when accidents occur, maximizing the champions' safety."
"Speaking of which, we just thought of something!" Fred and George exchanged glances, speaking in unison with a hint of urgency, "The most important thing right now is to apply for a patent for this 'magic Live Broadcast' technology first! Otherwise, once we release the technology, some ill-intentioned people might steal our achievements, and that would be troublesome."
"Cough, cough, cough!" Sirius, hearing this, quickly coughed a few times, interrupting the discussion about patents. "Regarding patent applications and the details of negotiating with the Ministry of Magic, we can discuss these matters slowly after the meeting. For now, let's focus on the technology itself."
He smiled helplessly and continued, "I always feel that Muggles spend more thought on these technical protections and commercial operations than Goblins do on gold, silver, and jewels. If we keep discussing these, it's easy to go on endlessly and deviate from today's meeting topic."
Dylan, sitting nearby, exchanged a smile upon hearing this.
Both could tell that while Lupin and Sirius were pure-blood Wizards, they didn't reject the Muggleworld like other Wizards. Instead, they actively learned about Muggle technology and rules. Compared to most self-isolated Wizards, they had a considerable understanding of today's Muggle world, which was a rare and valuable trait.
As the initiator of the meeting, Sirius quickly steered the conversation back to the core topic: "Although 'magic Live Broadcast' is of great help to the second task and can solve the problems of safety monitoring and viewing experience, we must also pay attention to the technical challenges involved."
His tone became serious: "The situation underwater in the Black Lake is more complex than we imagined. Not only do we have to deal with interference from underwater creatures like Grindylows and Lobbugs, but according to our observations during previous night excursions, magic behaves completely differently underwater than on land."
"One could even say that when some magic is cast underwater, its effects change. For example, an offensive spell might become a defensive effect underwater; a lighting spell's range might be greatly reduced. These are all issues we need to consider carefully during the research and development process; we cannot take them lightly."
"These kinds of problems should be Neville and Hannah's area of expertise, right?" Dylan blinked, his tone somewhat certain, "You mentioned before that you plan to use some special underwater plants to solve the problem of unstable magic underwater, right?"
As he gained a deeper understanding of the magic Live Broadcast idea, Dylan's thoughts became more active, and he unconsciously began to think about how he would design the technical details and mitigate potential risks if he were to participate in this plan.
Fred and George, seeing this, shrugged together and said to everyone present, "See? I told you we shouldn't let him know about this plan too early."
George continued, "We discussed before that we wanted to give Dylan a surprise and tell him when the technical solution was more mature. But now, it's only been partly explained, and he's already guessed our approach."
Fred also added, "If we don't hurry up and finish the rest, he might just complete all the details of the plan for us later, and wouldn't all our previous efforts be in vain?"
"Don't say that, actually, I'm very much looking forward to it." Dylan waved his hand, smiling as he looked at Neville and Hannah, "I really want to know what method Neville and Hannah plan to use to solve the problem of unstable underwater magic.
And the design idea you just mentioned, using a mirage to present the final image, is truly brilliant, both clever and practical."
Hearing Dylan's praise, George suddenly let out a strange cry, his voice full of excitement: "Oh! Now that you mention it, I suddenly feel full of drive. All the difficulties we encountered during development before seem like nothing at all!"
"I finally understand why so many Professors at school like you now." Fred also deliberately shook his head, feigning a look of sudden realization, "After all, who doesn't like someone who speaks well and gives precise compliments? And Dylan is so handsome!"
"You two, stop bickering!" Sirius said with a laugh, then turned to Neville and Hannah, "Don't mind them, let Neville and Hannah quickly tell us what your specific plan is."
"Actually... actually, I don't have much to say, it's all very basic Potions and plant magic." Compared to Fred and George's exuberance, Neville seemed particularly reserved. "It's about extracting the magicproperties from Crab Claw Orchid that can adapt to underwater environments, and then transferring these properties to common aquatic plants... This idea was actually first proposed by Hannah; I just helped refine some details."
"No, it's an idea Neville and I came up with together; it can't just be mine." Hannah quickly explained, her speech even more stuttered than Neville's due to nervousness. She tugged at Neville's sleeve, eagerly saying, "Neville, quickly tell everyone that we experimented many times together before succeeding."
"O-okay." Reminded by Hannah, Neville finally mustered a bit of courage, took a transparent glass bottle from his backpack, and carefully placed it on the table. "This contains the improved aquatic plant we cultivated. If everyone thinks I'm not explaining clearly, how about we do a live demonstration now? This might be more intuitive, and everyone can see the effect more clearly."
Seeing Neville and Hannah's nervous yet serious expressions, Lupin, who was sitting nearby, was the first to nod, saying in a gentle tone, "That's right, a live demonstration is the best way. It allows everyone to clearly understand your achievements and also helps identify potential problems in time for subsequent improvements."
Everyone else present understood this principle. Even Fred and George, who usually joked around, were not making witty remarks at this moment. Instead, they joined in the applause, using this method to encourage Neville and Hannah, helping them relax and better showcase their achievements.
The moment the applause sounded, Neville and Hannah visibly paused, then looked up, a newfound confidence in their eyes, their nervous expressions having eased considerably.
While Sirius and the others were busy organizing the demonstration tools,
Dylan noticed that this aquatic plant itself was the most common species in the Black Lake. Choosing such a plant was clearly well thought out. In the changeable, biologically diverse environment at the bottom of the Black Lake, common aquatic plants are less likely to alert magical creatures, maximizing the avoidance of damage from Grindylows and other creatures, thus ensuring the stability of the live broadcast signal collection.
The Crab Claw Orchid used for improvement is itself a special plant in the magic world; it is a new variety cultivated by Herbologists after long-term refinement of Devil's Snare.
Dylan was very familiar with the characteristics of Devil's Snare. This plant is highly aggressive, capable of extending flexible, snake-like vines that tightly entangle nearby prey until it strangles them.
When Herbologists refined Devil's Snare back then, they focused on weakening its aggressiveness, making it gentler through magic regulation and easier to form connections with humans.
The resulting Crab Claw Orchid not only lost its deadly threat but also gained unique interactive abilities. It can sense the presence of humans and expresses its closeness through gently swaying its leaves, or even dancing, making it a very endearing magical plant.
"We've done many experiments before." As Dylan was thinking, Neville picked up the glass bottle on the table, his tone more confident than before. "If this aquatic plant is placed in water, it will actively move with people passing by, like a living 'shadow.'"
"We've also conducted detailed measurements regarding its sensing range." Neville looked down at the lid of the glass bottle and added, "It's about fifteen feet—within this range, it can accurately sense human presence and react."
"Speaking of measuring range, we have to mention the Prefects' Bathroom." George took over Neville's words, smiling helplessly. "Although the Prefects' Bathroom is much larger than ordinary bathrooms, the space is still limited. We could only measure up to fifteen feet; any further would be beyond the bathroom's scope, making further experimentation impossible."
Chapter 386 That's so cool! This must be a staffless, silent spellcasting, right?
"Yes, this distance is the result of our repeated tests in the Prefects' Bathroom," Fred added, with a hint of teasing in his tone. "But then again, we still have to thank Percy—if he hadn't been a Prefect before, we wouldn't have been able to get the key to the bathroom, and we wouldn't have been able to experiment in there."
"Exactly, exactly!" Fred quickly nodded in agreement. "Now, every time we go to the Prefects' Bathroomto experiment, we can't help but miss him—after all, that was Percy's exclusive 'territory'!"
Neville didn't respond, but instead said seriously, "This isn't the Prefects' Bathroom right now, and there isn't enough water for the waterweed to move. I'll just keep it in the glass bottle for now. Later, I'll take the glass bottle downstairs to the first floor, and place it next to Aberforth... Aberforth, so everyone can see its actual effect."
"Look! The screen is reacting!" Just then, Fred and George suddenly broke into excited smiles. They each took a side and quickly held up the pre-prepared gray screen.
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it. On the screen, a clear color image had already appeared.
A closer look would reveal that the image on the screen was centered around the waterweed in the glass bottle, with the room's tables, chairs, and floor also visible.
Clearly, this was an image captured by the waterweed, which was then transmitted in real-time to the screen after being transformed by magic like the Mirrored Illusion Charm. The entire process was smooth and natural, without any lag.
Neville's fingers were tightly gripping the glass bottle, his voice still carrying a lingering trace of nervousness: "Then... then I'm going downstairs. Everyone, pay attention to the screen."
After speaking, he hugged the glass bottle and left the guest room with somewhat hurried steps.
As Neville moved, the image on the screen, which everyone was focused on, also changed—the image, originally centered on the glass bottle, began to follow Neville's steps in real-time. The wooden handrail of the stairs, the small scratches on the steps, and even the peeling paint on the wall were all clearly displayed on the screen, as if they were witnessing Neville descending the stairs with their own eyes.
Before long, the outline of the bar on the first floor appeared in the image, indicating that Neville had reached his destination.
Just as everyone thought the demonstration would conclude smoothly, Dylan, who had been intently observing the screen, suddenly spoke: "Don't you think the image on the screen now seems a bit blurrier than before? Especially the details around the bar, they're not as clear as they were in the room just now."
"Huh? You can tell that?" Fred immediately looked astonished when he heard this. He leaned closer to the screen for a careful look. "Why don't I feel it? Don't the images from the room just now and the current one look pretty much the same?"
"Yeah, when we experimented with Sirius before, it was over three floors away before the image showed a noticeable blur," George also leaned over, his brows slightly furrowed. "Now it's only one floor away, and there's already a change? Dylan, your eyes are too sharp, aren't they?"
"Perhaps... it's because I'm usually more sensitive to the details of an image when I observe things," Dylan chuckled.
Fred rubbed his forehead, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "It seems... what you said makes a lot of sense. We can't find a reason to refute it. It looks like from now on, when testing image clarity, we'll have to let Dylan be the 'judge'."
George also shrugged, agreeing: "No choice, we're not as sensitive to these details, but it's good this way. It's better to discover problems early than to have something go wrong when it's officially used."
Neville strolled around the first floor, not only completing the demonstration but also bringing back a curious Aberforth Dumbledore.
Aberforth followed behind Neville, still holding a rag for wiping glasses, clearly drawn by the commotion earlier.
"That's roughly the effect," Neville said, returning to the room and exhaling a long breath. His tense shoulders finally relaxed, and his tone was much more natural than before. He looked at everyone and asked, "What do you all think? Are there any areas that need improvement?"
He paused, then added, "Actually, while modifying the waterweed, I secretly incorporated a bit of Devil's Snare's sensory characteristics. I originally wanted to make the image on the screen clearer by enhancing the waterweed's sensory ability, but I didn't expect it to still be blurry."
"Perhaps... it's still affected by distance," Fred said with a shrug, his tone somewhat regretful. "Dylan already noticed that the image transmitted from the first floor was a bit blurrier than when it was in the room."
George also nodded, adding, "Although the change isn't particularly obvious, it definitely exists. It seems our previous design still has shortcomings in terms of distance adaptability."
"What in the world are you two up to?" Aberforth Dumbledore, who had been observing from the side, finally spoke. His gaze fell on the screen in Fred and George's hands, with a hint of curiosity. "This image on the screen, how does it look like a magical artifact with a Mirrored Illusion Charm added?"
"Oh! You can tell that? That's really unexpected!" Fred let out a loud whistle, his eyes full of surprise. "We thought only Wizards who specialized in magical artifacts would understand this magic."
George also blinked, leaning forward to ask, "Aberforth, you actually understand the Mirrored Illusion Charm? Did you study this kind of magic when you were young?"
Upon hearing this, Aberforth Dumbledore clenched his right hand into a fist and lightly tapped Fredand George on the head, his tone laced with a hint of teasing: "Do you want to guess what special services my Hog's Head Pub provides, besides selling drinks? Don't treat me like an old man who only wipes glasses."
"No need to guess! No need to guess!" Fred and George quickly rubbed their tapped heads, waving their hands with a chuckle, "We all know, Aberforth, you're the most formidable pub owner in Hogsmeade, there's nothing you don't know!"
While they were joking with Aberforth, Sirius pulled Dylan to a corner of the room and began discussing the issues discovered during the demonstration.
"Dylan, you saw the demonstration just now. The basic situation is this—as the transmission distance increases, the image displayed on the screen will gradually become blurry, and the greater the distance, the more obvious the blurriness."
Sirius's tone was somewhat heavy: "We discussed several solutions before, such as finding other more powerful magic to replace the Mirrored Illusion Charm, or using special magical artifacts to enhance the signal, but after trying them, the effects were not ideal. Either they caused the image to lag, or they increased the weight of the artifact, making it inconvenient to carry."
"In my opinion, the problem should lie in the match between the Mirrored Illusion Charm and the medium," Dylan mused for a moment, then offered his analysis. "To make it portable, you chose a lightweight screen as the image medium, but this material itself cannot withstand too much energy. Once the energy is enhanced, the screen is prone to damage, but if the energy is insufficient, the image will be blurry."
"Exactly! You hit the nail on the head!" Sirius nodded heavily. "To display a clear and stable image, ordinary paper or screens are indeed very difficult; the material's limitations are too great."
"As for switching to other more robust materials, such as metal plates or crystals, there are also problems," he continued. "The main issue is that our current design philosophy revolves around lightweight media like paper and screens. Once we change the material, the previous magical rune layout and energy transmission paths would all need to be redesigned, which essentially means starting from scratch."
"We also considered having Neville and Hannah cultivate a special magical plant, and then use the plant's fibers to make paper. Perhaps this could balance both lightness and toughness, achieving a technological breakthrough," Sirius said with a hint of helplessness in his voice. "But cultivating new magical plants and then making suitable paper would take too long, probably missing this Triwizard Tournament. Yet, the Triwizard Tournament is a rare publicity window, and it would be a huge pity to miss it."
"That's true," Dylan nodded, instantly understanding the predicament they faced—time was tight, and technological bottlenecks were difficult to overcome quickly. Perfecting the magic live-streaming technology before the competition would be extremely challenging.
However, thanks to Sirius and his detailed introduction to the technical details just now, a thought suddenly flashed through Dylan's mind. His eyes lit up, and he looked at Sirius, saying, "Perhaps... we can change our approach and let the audience help us solve this problem?"
"Let the audience solve this problem?" Sirius subconsciously repeated Dylan's words, his eyes full of confusion. He leaned forward, eagerly asking, "Dylan, how exactly do you plan to do it? Are you going to ask the audience to help maintain the magical signal? That's probably not very realistic, is it?"
"If we're just talking about the specific method, it's actually very simple and doesn't require complex magical operations," Dylan said with a slight smile and a relaxed tone. "What we need to do is redesign the screen's layout and add an extra text explanation to the edge or a prominent position on the screen."
He paused, then further explained: "This text must clearly state what effect the audience will experience when using this screen to watch the live broadcast—for example, how the image is presented, how the signal is received, and also the basic spellcasting method of the Mirrored Illusion Charm, and the control of magic power injection intensity. These details also need to be fully written on it so that the audience can understand them at a glance."
"That sounds... a bit like the product manuals we usually see?" Sirius raised an eyebrow, the confusion in his eyes undiminished. He had originally thought Dylan would propose some complex magical improvement plan, but he didn't expect it to be such a "simple" method.
At this moment, Lupin, who had been listening from the side, also walked over and joined their discussion. He agreed, saying, "Since this is a product they developed, including a clear product manual is inherently very necessary. On one hand, it allows users to quickly understand how to use it, and on the other hand, it also demonstrates our professionalism. There's nothing wrong with that."
"You're right, now that you mention it." Sirius nodded, agreeing with Lupin's statement, but still couldn't help but ask, "But can simply adding an instruction manual solve the blurry picture problem? What additional work do we need to do next? Like training the audience to cast spells?"
"No other extra work is needed." Dylan maintained his smile and said with certainty, "This written instruction is the key. The most important thing is to make sure that all the audience members present can understand and comprehend its content, knowing what they need to do to make the picture clearer."
He recalled the event schedule he had learned about earlier and added, "If I'm not mistaken, there are no strict restrictions on Triwizard Tournament viewing qualifications. Whether it's the school's Professors or students from all grades, they can all go to the spectator stands to watch the competition—which means even newly admitted first-years can be there."
"So the text instructions on the screen must achieve this effect: to make those first-years who haven't even mastered basic magic yet feel a sense of 'if I practice a bit more, I can also successfully cast the illusion' after reading it. Only then will they be willing to actively try and help us enhance the picture signal."
Sirius and Lupin looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise, after hearing Dylan's words.
In their opinion, Dylan's idea in these words was both cleverly infused with Wizard thinking and somewhat different from his usual style of doing things. It could even be described as "very magic" yet "not quite a solution Dylan would propose."
In their impression, when Dylan solved problems, he would always start from a rigorous magical theoretical perspective, combine it with relevant book content he had read, clearly sort out the logical 脈絡 of the problem, and then deduce step by step to finally find a solution.
Even if they had never heard of some obscure magical theories, through Dylan's clear and organized explanations, they would always have an 'aha!' moment, exclaiming, "So that's how it is!"
But this time's solution completely broke away from the traditional theoretical framework, resembling more a clever guidance based on "human psychology."
Noticing Sirius's unusual expression, Dylan quickly guessed the thoughts in their minds. He smiled and asked, "What? Do you think the solution I provided this time is a bit different and special from usual?"
"It is a bit." Sirius nodded honestly, trying to organize his words to accurately describe his feelings. "How should I put it... based on my understanding of you, you usually approach problem-solving from a theoretical perspective, but this time you've done the opposite. I was even ready to jot down book titles just now, planning to borrow the books you might mention from the library after this meeting to thoroughly understand and digest them, and then follow your line of thought to solve this 'magic live broadcast' problem. But this time, your solution completely exceeded my expectations."
"Oh! I never thought that our brave Mr. Sirius would, like a newly admitted first-year, still need Professor Dylan's patient guidance to understand! It seems Professor Hokewood will have to give you extra tutoring too!" Just then, Fred and George's teasing voices came from the side, their faces adorned with playful smiles, their tones full of jest.
Sometime earlier, Fred and George had finished their playful scuffle with Aberforth and had returned to their seats, intently listening to Dylan explain the solution.
However, they were sitting much closer than before because Aberforth had also pulled up a chair to get a clearer understanding of the plan. The two could only squeeze together to make a little space for the pub owner.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Sirius was a bit embarrassed by Fred and George's remarks and quickly coughed a few times to cover it up. He turned and glared fiercely at the two, his eyes seeming to say, "You two talk less," then quickly turned back to Dylan and said, "Don't mind them, you continue. We are all listening carefully."
Dylan frowned slightly, beginning to ponder. The previous explanation didn't seem intuitive enough; while Sirius understood the surface logic, he might not have fully grasped the underlying magicprinciple.
After quickly organizing his thoughts, Dylan said, "How about we take the most basic Charms as an example? Let's talk about the Levitation Charm—it's one of the first Charms we encountered when we first started school, and everyone should be very familiar with it."
He looked at Sirius and asked, "Sirius, have you ever tried to see how large or heavy an object you can levitate with the Levitation Charm at your current magical power level? For example, a table, a chair, or an even heavier cabinet?"
"It seems... I haven't specifically tried that." Sirius frowned slightly, a reminiscent look in his eyes. "Normally, I just use the Levitation Charm casually, like levitating a book that fell on the floor or a water glass. I've never actually tested the weight limit, so I can't be sure what I'm capable of."
"What if I give you a demonstration now, using the Levitation Charm to lift this solid wood table in front of us and keep it suspended in the air for a period? After you've seen my demonstration, if you try to lift this table with the same spell, do you think you can do it?" Dylan said, pointing to the heavy solid wood table between them and gently tapping the tabletop, making a dull "thump-thump" sound to demonstrate the table's weight.
"Of course, no problem! Lifting a table is not difficult..." Sirius's words were cut short as his eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had remembered something. "Wait! Harry told me about this example before! He said that when he saw you use the Levitation Charm to lift a bookshelf heavier than this table in class, he suddenly realized that his own Levitation Charm could also achieve stronger effects; he just hadn't dared to try before."
"Exactly." Dylan smiled and nodded, continuing to explain, "To master the most basic Levitation Charm, we only need to remember the incantation 'Wingardium Leviosa,' master the correct wand movement, and inject a small amount of magic to make light objects float. It is precisely because these requirements are simple that the Levitation Charm became one of the first few magic spells we mastered after starting school."
"But it can also be not so simple. The amount of magic injected, the concentration during casting, and even the caster's psychological state will all affect the effect of the Levitation Charm." He changed the subject, slowly raising his arms, palms upward, pointing at the other furniture in the room, including the chairs nearby, the bookshelf in the corner, and the vase on the table.
This movement seemed like a silent command. The next second, except for the chairs Sirius and Lupinwere sitting on, all the other furniture in the guest room slowly lifted off the ground, floating steadily in the air, without even a single book on the bookshelf wobbling.
"That's so cool! That's definitely wandless and nonverbal casting, isn't it?" Fred and George stared wide-eyed, unable to resist whistling, their voices filled with awe, "We've only read about this kind of casting in books before; this is the first time we've seen someone use it so skillfully!"
"From a magical classification perspective, it can indeed be considered as such." Dylan explained while maintaining the levitation of the furniture, "When you truly understand the essence of the Levitation Charm, combine it with your past memories of using the Levitation Charm, and then infuse it with relaxed, peaceful, and firm emotions—this emotion allows magic to flow more smoothly—and finally add the firm will of 'I can definitely do it,' integrating these elements together, you can achieve wandless and nonverbal casting."
He paused and added, "This is probably the core technique of wandless and nonverbal casting—first, thoroughly implement your understanding of magic, clarify what the essence of magic is, then explore your inner self, define what goals you want to achieve through magic, and gradually find the magical realm you truly aspire to."
As Dylan slowly lowered his arms, the magic in his palms also retracted, and the floating furniture in the room began to descend steadily, gently landing on the ground without making any collision sounds.
Neville, who had been sitting nearby listening intently, grew particularly serious, a flash of thoughtful insight in his eyes, clearly inspired by Dylan's words.
"What you said reminds me of what my mother used to say when she taught us Dark Arts." Siriusrubbed his brow, his tone a bit complex. "She said that to master Dark Arts, one must harbor intense malice towards others, letting this malice drive the magic, otherwise, true Dark Arts cannot be cast—now that I think about it, this is actually emphasizing the influence of psychological state on magical effects, just in a completely opposite direction."
"In that case, the Patronus Charm works on a similar principle." Lupin added from the side, "To cast a full Patronus, one must rely on the happiest memories as support, stirring up strong positive emotions to unleash the Patronus Charm's full power and repel Dementors. If the emotions aren't strong enough, or the memories aren't happy enough, the summoned Patronus will be very weak, or even fail to form."
"Yes, whether it's Dark Arts, the Patronus Charm, or the most basic Levitation Charm, they are essentially all influenced by the caster's psychological state and emotions." Dylan nodded, agreeing with their statements. "Do you still remember Professor McGonagall's first Transfiguration Class?"
"At that time, Professor McGonagall specifically mentioned a key point when correcting our mistakes—when casting a spell, you must concentrate, maintain a cautious attitude, and clearly define your goal. For example, if you want to transform a match into a needle, you must clearly imagine the needle's appearance in your mind, including its length, thickness, and the sharpness of its tip. None of these details can be blurry, otherwise, the magic will fail, or the transformation will be incomplete."
Chapter 387: Peter Pettigrew's Animagus Learning Experience?
"We can break down the spell-casting process into two key steps," Dylan said clearly. "The first step is to clarify your goal and make your will firm—for example, if you are determined to turn a match into a needle, you cannot have any hesitation. The second step is to cast Transfiguration Magic on the match, allowing the magical energy to follow the direction of your will and complete the transformation of its form."
He turned his gaze to the screen on the table and continued to guide everyone's thoughts: "Now let's think back, are there similarities between these two steps of Transfiguration Magic and the solution I just mentioned about 'using the audience to solve blurry images'? The core is the 'clarification of goals and firm will' at play."
Everyone lowered their heads, carefully pondering Dylan's words.
The deeper they thought, the more sense he made—whether it was the Levitation Charm discussed earlier, or the 'match to needle' taught by Professor McGonagall, they were all basic magic, something almost every Wizard could master after entering Hogwarts, and their core logic seemed to be inseparable from 'goal' and 'will'.
"Let's extend this from the perspective of Transfiguration Magic," Dylan's voice rang out again. "For example, Neville and Hannah's practice of 'guinea fowl to guinea pig'—compared to the most basic 'match to needle,' aren't these Transfiguration spells significantly more complex? They not only change the object's form but also imbue it with life characteristics, making the difficulty completely different."
The thoughtful crowd subconsciously nodded.
Aberforth Dumbledore, sitting nearby, watched this scene and stroked his chin beard with a smile. He could clearly feel that the atmosphere of the meeting had quietly changed; rather than discussing the technical difficulties of magic live streaming, it was more like a lively magic theory class.
However, the examples Dylan gave were quite simple, so even someone like him, who hadn't delved into magic theory for a long time, listened with great interest, without feeling bored at all.
"From 'match to needle' to 'guinea fowl to guinea pig,' the complexity of the magic is constantly increasing, but the core logic actually hasn't changed," Dylan said, extending his hand and pointing to the glass on the table in front of him.
The next second, something magical happened: the transparent glass first shrunk and thinned, turning into a slender match, and then, under everyone's gaze, the match slowly transformed into a sewing needle shimmering with metallic luster.
Then, the needle's form changed again, expanding and growing feathers, turning into a small guinea fowl. Finally, the guinea fowl flapped its wings a few times and transformed into a plump guinea pig, squatting on the table and chasing its own tail in circles, looking very cute.
Seeing this series of extremely fluid transformations, Aberforth's motion of stroking his beard slowed down.
As a former outstanding student of Hogwarts, he naturally saw the knack: Dylan's Transfiguration Magic was not only highly precise but also performed without incantation or wand waving throughout, entirely wandless and nonverbal casting. What was even rarer was that each transformation was seamless and the form transitions were natural and smooth, which was enough to show that his magical attainment had reached a considerably high level.
Dylan spread his palm, and with a gentle lift, the guinea pig chasing its tail jumped into his palm, sitting obediently.
"If we follow the 'match to needle' approach to deeply investigate how to transfigure a guinea pig, what do you all think we need to do?"
"We need to clearly visualize the specific appearance of the guinea pig in our minds."
Neville, who had been listening intently, spoke first, with a hint of certainty in his tone, "For example, whether its fur color is brown or black, the shape of its claws, the length of its tail, and the size of its ears—all these characteristics must be thought out clearly. This is the trick Professor McGonagalltaught us in Transfiguration Class: the more specific the details, the easier the Transfiguration will be successful."
"You're absolutely right, that is indeed the basic method Professor McGonagall teaches." Dylan smiled and nodded, then changed the subject, "But I just said 'deeply investigate'—if we were to think about transfiguring a guinea pig entirely in the 'match to needle' mindset, what we'd need to do goes beyond just imagining its appearance."
He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "We would need to perform a more detailed, more in-depth Transfiguration—first, constructing the guinea pig's skeletal structure in our minds, determining how many bones it has, the shape and length of each bone, and how they connect. Next, the internal organ system: the position, size, and form of organs like the heart, liver, intestines, and stomach must be precisely depicted, and even the distribution of blood vessels and nerves must be considered. Only then will the transfigured guinea pig be complete and alive."
As he spoke, the furry guinea pig in his palm began to change. Its fur gradually became transparent and disappeared, revealing a clear skeletal framework, with every bone connection clearly visible. Immediately after, red internal organs like the heart and brown liver slowly emerged around the bones. Blood vessels, like fine red lines, spread throughout its body. Finally, muscles, skin, and fur covered it again, and the guinea pig reverted to its original plump appearance, still squatting obediently in his palm.
This scene made everyone present hold their breath.
Neville and Hannah's faces grew paler, their lips slightly pursed. They couldn't tell if it was because the sight of bones and internal organs felt bloody and eerie, or if the thought of having to transfigure in such a way made them feel overwhelmed and even fearful due to the immense difficulty.
"No way? Dylan, do you really transfigure this way? That's too outrageous! How did you even learn that?" Fred and George couldn't hold back any longer, speaking in unison, their voices filled with shock and disbelief.
"There are quite a few ancient books on biological anatomy in the Restricted Section of the library that detail the body structures of various animals," Dylan explained casually. "And in Potion Class, Professor Snape is very strict about ingredients. Some Potions require fresh animal organs as raw materials, so he would have me dissect them on the spot to ensure the freshness and integrity of the ingredients. Over time, I became very familiar with the internal structures of various animals."
"My goodness, that's terrifying!" Fred and George both shivered, their faces showing exaggerated expressions of horror. "No wonder everyone says your Potions grade is 'O'; it turns out there's so much blood and tears behind it. We could never learn that!"
The two's banter broke the heavy atmosphere, and everyone couldn't help but laugh. Neville and Hannah's pale faces gradually regained color, and their tense nerves finally relaxed.
Dylan seized this opportunity to bring the conversation back to the core: "Everyone should have noticed that, in reality, transfiguring a guinea pig doesn't need to be this difficult at all. When we usually practice, we never need to worry about the number of bones or the position of internal organs; we just need to imagine its external features to successfully complete the Transfiguration."
"Why is this the case? What is the core reason? I believe it's our inner self, our will, that plays a crucial role. Learning any knowledge, any magic, is a process from easy to difficult. In daily learning and practice, our magical abilities are subtly improving, and at the same time, our will is constantly strengthening."
"When we decide to transfigure a guinea pig, our will makes us firmly believe that with our current magical ability, simply imagining the guinea pig's appearance, its fur color, and its demeanor is enough to successfully complete the Transfiguration."
"This firm belief becomes a powerful aid in casting magic."
"And in this process, the will will also actively mobilize various memories in our minds, such as pictures of guinea pigs seen in books, the Transfiguration tricks Professor McGonagall taught us in class, or even the appearance of guinea pigs we've seen in real life. These memories will cooperate and complement each other, 'communicating' with the Transfiguration Magic, ultimately allowing the magical energy to follow our will and complete the transformation from guinea fowl to guinea pig, without us needing to deliberately break down every detail."
"Now that you mention it... I think I suddenly understand!" Sirius slapped his thigh, a look of sudden realization on his face, his eyes clearing of confusion. "The text on that screen is actually providing the audience with memories and guidance on 'how to cast the spell'!"
The more he thought about it, the clearer it became. He continued, "When all these elements—clear text descriptions, explicit spell-casting methods, and expected visual effects—are complete, the audience, upon seeing the instructions, will subconsciously follow the guidance and simulate the spell-casting process in their minds. This is equivalent to them unknowingly casting auxiliary magic on the screen themselves, which enhances the effect of the 'Mirage Charm' on the screen itself, thereby making the transmitted image clearer. This idea is too clever!"
But just a few seconds after his excitement, Sirius frowned again, as if he had suddenly thought of a crucial issue: "However, it seems there's still a loophole. First-years haven't gone through the gradual learning process of simple to complex magic like we have. They haven't even mastered basic Charmsyet, and they know nothing about the 'Mirage Charm'."
He looked at Dylan, his tone tinged with worry: "Even if we write the instructions for the Mirage Charmin great detail, or even provide magical photos so they know what the final image will look like, the Mirage Charm itself is much more complex than the Levitation Charm or Transfiguration. Can first-years really make the spell work just by reading the text instructions? Wouldn't that be too much to ask?"
"Sirius, did you all ask similar questions when you were students? About 'whether one can learn complex magic without sufficient foundation'?" Dylan didn't answer directly, but instead posed a rhetorical question, his eyes holding a guiding hint. "Although there's someone you might not want to mention, I still have to help you recall—what was the outcome when you faced similar difficulties back then?"
"Oh! I remember!" Fred and George exclaimed almost simultaneously. They exchanged glances, seeing excitement in each other's eyes. "Sirius, it's that notebook you left behind!"
"That's right! Sirius, how could you forget such an important thing!" Fred leaned forward, speaking eagerly, "It's the notebook where you recorded your Animagus learning process when you were in school! You even used pseudonyms, afraid of being discovered by the Professor."
"Exactly! It's that Animagus notebook!" George quickly added, afraid of being a step too slow. "It detailed the process of the three of you learning Animagus, and the problems you encountered."
"Are you talking about... Peter Pettigrew's Animagus learning experience?" When Sirius heard the words "Animagus notebook," his eyes widened instantly, and he abruptly turned to look at Lupin beside him. Their eyes met, and both saw surprise and memories in the other's gaze. That dusty past had almost been forgotten in the depths of their memories.
"Yes! It's Peter Pettigrew's Animagus!" Fred and George nodded repeatedly, saying with certainty, "You all thought he might not be able to learn it, but he eventually succeeded."
"I've practically memorized that notebook to research a magic biscuit recipe mentioned in it that aids Transfiguration!" Fred proudly patted his chest. "I remember you explicitly wrote in the notebook: 'Peter's progress is the slowest, and his control over animal forms is the worst; his Animagus training will probably fail'—those were your exact words back then!"
George chimed in, "But in the end, he, like you, successfully mastered Animagus transformation and turned into a rat. This was also recorded in the notebook, and you all found it quite surprising at the time."
"That's right, the day Peter completed his Animagus transformation, I specifically asked him how he did it, after all, he had been stuck at the last step, unable to even manage the most basic form change." Sirius's thoughts had completely returned to his school days, his tone tinged with a nostalgic sigh. "He said he didn't know himself why he suddenly succeeded—at the time, when he was attempting the last transformation, he almost got lost in animal instincts, his mind was a mess, and he almost forgot who he was."
"Just as he was about to give up, he heard James and me urging him on, and calling his name. He suddenly snapped out of it, regained control of his consciousness, and finally successfully completed the transformation."
"Things are clear now, aren't they?" Dylan said slowly, looking at the group lost in memories. "Your will at the time, your trust in Peter, your expectation for him to succeed, and your urging and encouragement—actually indirectly interfered with Peter's Animagus transformation process, essentially injecting an external force of will into him. It was with the help of this will that Peter broke free from animal instincts and ultimately successfully mastered Animagus."
He paused, then brought the topic back to the previous example: "Remember the example of the Levitation Charm I gave earlier? I said I could lift the table with a Levitation Charm, and after you heard it, you immediately felt that you could do the same thing—this is the transmission of will. My successful case made your will firmer, thus believing that you can also accomplish the same thing."
Chapter 388: Then We Love Hearing Unofficial History Even More!
Subsequently, Dylan turned his attention to Neville and asked, "Neville, do you still remember a passage from a general introduction to muggle swordsmanship? The description of 'How to Learn Swordsmanship in the Fastest Way'—could you recite it for everyone again?"
Hearing Dylan's question, Neville immediately straightened his back, recalled the content of the book following the prompt, and accurately recited, "The book says that if you want to learn Muggleswordsmanship in the fastest way, you should temporarily put away your wand, find an experienced lord to swear an oath to, join his ranks, and train alongside the knights under the lord."
He paused, then continued reciting, "If you can do this, you will be influenced by the atmosphere of the knights' serious training, and your own sword swings will become increasingly powerful. The swordsmanship moves that you originally found obscure and difficult to grasp will become much simpler under the influence of this atmosphere. You will even learn them naturally without needing to deliberately memorize them."
"a general introduction to muggle swordsmanship..." After hearing Neville recite the passage, Siriusgently rubbed his chin with his finger, his eyes full of curiosity. "Just listening to that description, it sounds quite interesting. It talks about Muggle swordsmanship but combines it with the Wizarding mindset. I'd like to find a copy and read it sometime; maybe I'll discover something new."
"I'm afraid it will be quite difficult for you to find this book; obtaining it will be challenging," Dylan shook his head, his tone carrying a touch of regret. "This book is kept in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library. It is rarely accessible to the public, and the author's identity is rather unique. Furthermore, it is a single copy that has never been mass-printed, so you cannot buy it anywhere outside. The only original copy is in the Restricted Section."
"I'm not surprised, actually. There are quite a few similar single-copy books in the library at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place." Sirius nodded, his curiosity undiminished. "Most of those books have been passed down through the House of Black for generations. Since they are all unique single copies, they have never circulated outside, and usually, only family members are allowed to read them."
He paused, then said with a smile, "Moreover, the book is called a general introduction to muggle swordsmanship. For it to be collected by Hogwarts, it at least indicates that the author is a Wizard—a Wizard who neglected magic to study Muggle swordsmanship and even wrote a book about it. That's quite interesting to think about, very different from the usual Wizard."
"Wait! That could even be considered unconventional," Sirius suddenly realized something, and his tone became a little more serious. "As you know, most Wizards don't think highly of Muggles. They believe Muggles have no magic and their way of life is backward. Many Wizards aren't even willing to learn basic Muggle common sense, let alone specially research Muggle techniques. The fact that this author did this is truly extraordinary."
Then, he turned his gaze to Neville and asked, "Neville, you can recite the contents of the book accurately, so it seems you've studied it thoroughly. Do you know who the author of this book is? A Wizard who could write a book like this certainly isn't an ordinary person."
Neville answered Sirius's question without hesitation: "The author of this book is Godric Gryffindor."
"Hmm?" When Sirius heard that name, he immediately raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with surprise and suspicion. "Is the Godric Gryffindor you're talking about someone who shares the same name as the founder of Gryffindor House we know, or... is it the very same Godric Gryffindor we all know?"
"It's the very same Godric Gryffindor we all know." Neville nodded with great certainty, stating firmly, "That is, the great Wizard who founded our Gryffindor House. His name is clearly written on the book's title page; there's no mistake."
"Ah? How is that possible!" Fred and George exclaimed simultaneously upon hearing the answer, their voices filled with disbelief. "Godric Gryffindor... he actually researched Muggle swordsmanship? And truly joined a Muggle lord's knight order to learn swordsmanship? That completely overturns everything we know!"
Neville nodded slightly, the movement small, but his attitude clear: "If the contents of that book aren't lying and haven't been tampered with by later generations, then this must have really happened. The book also details his training experience in the knight order, including specifics about sparring with other knights; it doesn't sound fabricated."
"Merlin's beard!" Including Lupin, the expressions on most people in the guest room became quite dramatic—surprise, confusion, and a touch of disbelief. No one had expected that the founder of Gryffindor House had such a past connected to Muggles.
After a while, Lupin was the first to calm down. He looked at everyone and slowly said, "Actually, if you think about it carefully, this might not be terribly surprising. You all know about the Sword of Gryffindor, right? That was the sword Godric Gryffindor used during his lifetime. Its blade is incredibly sharp and can absorb magic."
He continued to explain, "The era Gryffindor lived in was quite unique. The relationship between Wizards and Muggles wasn't as distant as it is now; it was even somewhat strained. Many Wizards at the time would disguise themselves as Muggles to move around easily in the Muggle world. It makes sense that Gryffindor would carry a sword and disguise himself as a knight, allowing him to integrate better into Muggle society and, when necessary, conceal his Wizard identity to avoid unnecessary trouble."
"Neville, perhaps you could talk to everyone about the content at the end of a general introduction to muggle swordsmanship." Just as everyone was processing this news, Dylan suddenly spoke up to remind them. "The book's descriptions of some of Gryffindor's later thoughts and experiences are also very interesting and can give everyone a more comprehensive understanding of the founder of Gryffindor House—he was indeed a very special and intriguing Wizard."
Hearing Dylan say this, Fred immediately pressed eagerly, "Neville, hurry up and tell us! What other surprises are at the end that we don't know about? Like whether he maintained contact with the Muggle knight order later, or if he combined swordsmanship and magic?"
George also exclaimed excitedly, his voice full of enthusiasm, "I never thought the day would come when I'd voluntarily be interested in something related to the History of Magic! When I used to attend History of Magic Class, I found the content incredibly boring, but hearing you talk about Gryffindor now is fascinating."
"This can, at most, be considered unofficial history within the History of Magic, right?" Sirius's face was also full of interest. He turned to Lupin and said with a laugh, "Lupin, your History of Magic grades were much better than mine when we were in school, and you remember more content. Do you recall if the History of Magic textbook ever mentioned Gryffindor researching Muggle swordsmanship? I don't remember anything about it."
"Did the History of Magic textbook actually mention any of this content? Like Godric Gryffindor joining a Muggle lord's knight order, or being skilled in Muggle swordsmanship?" Sirius pressed Lupin, clearly fascinated by this "unofficial history."
"As far as I recall..." Lupin frowned, pondering seriously for a long moment before slowly shaking his head. "The History of Magic seems to have completely omitted this content. The textbook only mentions that Gryffindor was one of the founders of Hogwarts, emphasizing his bravery and pursuit of justice, and the Sword of Gryffindor he left behind. As for his personal experiences, especially the parts related to Muggles, there is almost no record."
"Then we love hearing unofficial history even more! The content that isn't in the textbooks is the interesting stuff!" Fred and George immediately cheered in unison. They leaned closer, their eyes fixed eagerly on Neville. "Neville, don't hesitate! Hurry up and tell us the content at the end of the book, we can barely wait!"
Neville took a deep breath, concentrating on recalling the final words of a general introduction to muggle swordsmanship. His tone carried the solemnity of remembrance: "On the last few pages of the book, Godric Gryffindor again mentioned his experience in the Muggle knight order. He said that in the order, everyone trained and fought together for a common goal. This method of gathering companions and working together toward a single task was far more efficient than fighting alone. It was during that experience that he first conceived the idea of founding a Wizarding school."
He paused, continuing his recollection: "Gryffindor wrote in the book that, at the time, the inheritance of Wizarding magic was mostly passed down within families, or through one-on-one master-apprentice instruction. Very few people could access magic this way, and the transmitted knowledge was quite limited."
"He felt that if the goal was 'to enable as many young Wizards as possible to master more magical knowledge and improve their magical ability,' founding a specialized school where young Wizards from different backgrounds could study together was undoubtedly a better option than the traditional methods of inheritance."
"I think I understand now why a general introduction to muggle swordsmanship was placed in the Restricted Section." Sirius sighed lightly after hearing this, his tone reflective. "One of the founders of Hogwarts, whose initial idea for establishing this great school came from his own Muggle experience—specifically, joining a Muggle knight order—if this news got out, it would likely overturn the perceptions many Wizards have of Hogwarts, especially those pure-blood Wizards who look down on Muggles; they certainly wouldn't be able to accept it."
"No wonder my mother insisted on sending us brothers to Hogwarts, even while simultaneously cursing Hogwarts for 'failing to educate true pure-blood Wizards.' Clearly, given the House of Black's heritage, she could have easily hired private tutors to teach us magic at home." Sirius seemed to have suddenly solved a long-standing puzzle. "If you consider it from the perspective that 'school inheritance is more effective than family inheritance,' her actions make perfect sense—she wouldn't admit it aloud, but deep down, she knew which learning method was more beneficial for us."
"Perhaps the elders of other pure-blood families also sensed the difference between these two learning methods," Lupin added. "They realized that letting their children learn alongside peers at school not only allowed them to acquire more diverse magical knowledge but also taught them how to cooperate and communicate with others—things that private home instruction couldn't provide. That's why they adopted similar measures, setting aside concerns about the 'non-pure-blood environment' and choosing to send family members to study at Hogwarts."
"In that case, do we now have a new perspective to refine our previous Magic Live-Streaming Plan?" Just as everyone was still discussing Gryffindor and the choices of the pure-blood families, Dylan suddenly spoke up, a faint smile on his face. "We can view the spectators attending the Triwizard Tournament as knights training together in the order, or students studying together in a school—they share a common goal, which is to clearly see the competition footage."
He continued, "And the text instructions displayed on the screen are equivalent to a Professor guiding these 'knights' or 'students,' providing them with clear directions. More importantly, don't forget that the screen itself has already had a basic Mirage applied to it, giving it the fundamental ability to display images."
"Therefore, what the spectators need to do is actually very simple: follow the text instructions on the screen and mentally simulate the casting process. This is equivalent to injecting additional magic and will into the existing Mirage, further enhancing the effect of the spell, making the image clearer and more stable."
The first person among those present to react to Dylan's concluding remarks was Aberforth Dumbledore.
His movement of stroking his beard visibly slowed, and his originally smiling expression gradually became solemn. As a veteran Wizard who had experienced the "Wizarding World War," he had a profound understanding of special magic types like "War Magic." From Dylan's words, he faintly recognized the shadow of "Group Magic," a type of magic that often utilized the combined will and magical power of multiple people to achieve effects far surpassing solo spellcasting, and which had been widely used in wars.
"Alright, I have to admit, Dylan, the solution you proposed this time, while surprising at first, is still very 'Dylan' when you think it through—always finding the key from an unexpected angle and using clear logic to sort out complex problems." Sirius couldn't help but laugh, his tone full of approval.
Neville, Hannah, Fred, and George also nodded, their faces expressing satisfaction at what they had learned. Fred and George, especially, took out their notebooks and quills—a rare sight—and diligently recorded the examples and key concepts Dylan had presented, clearly planning to spend time digesting the content thoroughly after the meeting to fully grasp the logic of Dylan's proposal.
Chapter 389: That Kid Dylan Studying War Magic
"You've explained it to us from so many different angles. If I still can't understand it, I might seriously have to consider enrolling in a Quick Reading Course, re-experiencing what it's like to be a student, and properly catching up on my magical theory."
Sirius said half-jokingly.
"We still have plenty of time to prepare, there's no need to rush," Dylan said calmly. "Actually, before officially rolling it out for the Triwizard Tournament, we can run a test first—Mirage isn't a particularly basic spell. A significant portion of the staff in our team probably hasn't encountered this spell before, or even knows of its existence. Using them for the test is perfect for simulating the situation with new students and assessing the feasibility of the plan."
"I understand what you mean!" Lupin reacted immediately, his eyes lighting up. "We'll try the method you suggested first—looking at the written instructions on the screen, attempting to enhance the effect of the Mirage, and then observing whether the image truly becomes clearer. If the test succeeds, it means the plan is viable. Next, we just need to further refine the content of the written instructions, ensuring the language is more accessible and easy to understand, so more people can grasp the function of the Mirage, how to use the screen, and what they need to do."
"Exactly, you used the word 'grasp' very well," Dylan nodded, a hint of ease in his tone. "We don't need everyone to master Mirage, nor do we need them to grasp complex magical theory. We just need them to read the instructions, and understand the effect their actions will bring."
He smiled and added, "As a Wizard, sometimes you can afford to be a bit 'lazy' and not rely solely on your own magical power to brute force everything. Learning to utilize the resources around you, allowing the omnipresent magical energy, as well as the collective will and belief, to help us accomplish seemingly complex tasks—that is also a form of wisdom."
Fred winked at Dylan, a teasing smile on his face, and said in an exaggerated tone, "Dylan, I advise you not to use the word 'lazy' anymore. The 'lazy' you speak of is completely different from the 'lazy' we understand—our kind of lazy means sleeping in the dormitory or sneaking out to eat snacks. Your 'lazy' requires more brainpower; it's practically 'diligence' in disguise!"
"Exactly!" George immediately nodded in agreement, deliberately emphasizing the word "lazy." "The kind of 'lazy' you're talking about isn't easy at all. In fact, it's more mentally taxing than directly pushing through with magic power. How is that 'lazy' at all? We wouldn't dare learn your method of 'laziness.'"
As Fred spoke, he suddenly turned to Neville next to him, nudged him gently with his elbow, and asked playfully, "Neville, what do you think? Tell us, is the 'lazy' that Dylan talks about the same as the 'lazy' we usually talk about?"
"What I think? Uh..." Neville, having been suddenly called upon, immediately panicked. He opened his mouth, subconsciously glancing at Dylan, then sweeping his gaze over Fred and George. For a moment, he didn't know how to answer and could only stand awkwardly in place, his cheeks slightly flushed.
"See! I knew Neville thought so too!" George immediately shrugged, winked at Fred, and then turned to the group, deliberately "explaining" for Neville, "Let me guess what Neville means—he definitely agrees with our point of view and thinks the 'lazy' Dylan talks about isn't truly lazy at all, but is actually more tiring than doing proper work; he's just too embarrassed to say it!"
"Exactly! Look at Neville, unable to speak—that's a silent protest against Dylan's definition of 'lazy'!" Fred also chimed in, deliberately putting on an 'I understand you' expression and winking at Neville.
"No... that's not it!" Neville finally reacted, quickly stammering out his defense, his cheeks growing even redder from urgency. "I just... I just didn't expect to be asked suddenly and hadn't sorted out my thoughts yet. I wasn't protesting Dylan's statement..."
"Alright, alright, stop teasing Neville," Lupin said, smiling as he watched the lively scene unfold, stepping in to smooth things over. "It's the weekend now. Instead of dwelling on the definition of 'lazy,' why don't you tell us what you plan to do this weekend—we'll soon find out if you can truly be 'lazy.'"
"Of course we're going to have fun!" Fred and George immediately said in unison, their tones full of grievance. "You have no idea how many books we copied this week just to organize the magical broadcast materials! The ancient texts we borrowed from the Library had tiny, dense writing, and our wrists are practically broken from copying. We absolutely must relax properly this weekend!"
"Copying books?" Sirius's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this, his tone full of praise. "Who came up with that idea? Copying down key information for easy future reference is absolutely brilliant! You don't have to lug around heavy ancient texts, and you can review the important points anytime. This method should be promoted!"
"My heart hurts so much!" Fred immediately clutched his chest, putting on a pained expression. "Can't you empathize with the pain of copying books? Our fingers are aching from copying so many words, and you actually praise the idea—that's so heartless!"
"My heart hurts too!" George also mimicked Fred, clutching his chest and saying dramatically, "Do you have no sympathy at all? We worked so hard for the team. Not only do you not feel bad for us, but you actually think it's a good idea—you've wounded us deeply!"
Watching the two of them perform dramatically, everyone couldn't help but laugh, and the slightly serious atmosphere instantly lightened.
Afterward, everyone began to share their weekend plans. Fred and George had heard that Zonko's Joke Shop recently released a batch of new prank items, and they planned to go buy them this weekend to thoroughly study the principles behind these items, hoping to gain inspiration to improve the magical toys they had previously designed.
Neville and Hannah, on the other hand, heard that if you walk west from Hogsmeade, past the small wooden bridge, there's a herbology shop called 'The Amazing Radish' that recently imported several rare magical plants from Africa. The two planned to visit the shop this weekend to observe these unfamiliar magical plants up close, hoping to learn new Herbology knowledge.
After hearing their plans, Sirius, who had already stepped out of the Hog's Head Pub door, suddenly stopped, turned around, and deliberately put on an angry, betrayed expression. Pointing at the group, he said, "Oh, wonderful! You were just talking about Dylan being 'fake lazy,' and now look at yourselves—this isn't weekend relaxation at all; it's clearly just moving your studies and research elsewhere, making you busier than you are during the school week!"
He looked pointedly at Fred, George, Neville, and Hannah, his tone carrying a hint of "accusation": "Fredand George are going to Zonko's Joke Shop to study prank items, which means they're figuring out how to improve magical toys. Neville and Hannah are going to 'The Amazing Radish' to study African magical plants, which means they're adding to their Herbology knowledge. This isn't relaxing; you're clearly integrating learning into your weekend activities, making your 'laziness' more disguised than Dylan's!"
"Isn't that a good thing?" Lupin followed behind Sirius, saying with a smile. "They are still students. It's great that they can proactively combine interest and learning, absorbing new knowledge even while having fun. That's much better than wasting the weekend doing nothing."
"Exactly! We aren't deliberately studying; we were infected by your atmosphere!" Fred and Georgeimmediately nodded, not forgetting to shift the 'blame' onto Dylan. "Think about what was said earlier in *a general introduction to muggle swordsmanship*—how important the environment's influence is on people. We were influenced by the team's atmosphere of active learning and proactive exploration, which is why we subconsciously want to research things even on the weekend. If you really want to blame someone, you have to blame Dylan. Who told him to constantly share all sorts of knowledge within the team and stir up everyone's passion for learning?"
"We... we were indeed infected by this atmosphere," Neville whispered from the side, though he added fairly, "But we can't blame Dylan. This atmosphere makes us feel that learning is interesting, which is why we are willing to spend time on weekends learning new things."
Sirius stretched, the "angry" expression instantly vanishing from his face, replaced by a relaxed look. "I don't care whether you were infected by the atmosphere or if you're deliberately studying—I, for one, genuinely plan to be lazy this weekend and properly relax. Since we're already in Hogsmeade, I can take the opportunity to spend time with Harry. It's been a while since I had a good chat with him."
"Actually, you had already arranged to meet Harry in Hogsmeade, which is why you specifically scheduled this meeting here, right?" Lupin looked at Sirius, smiling as he exposed his 'little scheme,' his tone playful. "Don't think we don't know that you deliberately adjusted the meeting time and location just so you could spend more time with Harry. Now you're pretending it was a spontaneous decision—that's so dishonest."
"So that's what happened!" Fred and George immediately understood, their tones full of teasing. "We never expected our brave Sirius to be such a sweet godfather, specially arranging the meeting location just to spend time with Harry. How touching!"
Amidst the exaggerated laughter of Fred and George, Sirius's cheeks flushed slightly. He quickly waved his hands, making a gesture to shoo them away, urging, "Go! Go! Hurry up and get busy with your weekend plans. Stop teasing me! If you don't leave now, I'll use magic to drive you away!" As he spoke, he deliberately raised his hand, pretending to cast a spell, which made everyone laugh even harder.
Dylan also had his own weekend plan—studying!
On the other side, after Dylan and the others left the Hog's Head Pub, Aberforth Dumbledore picked up the rag and dirty cup beside him again. As he slowly wiped the cup, he repeatedly pondered the matters discussed in the meeting.
He was so engrossed in thought that he didn't control the pressure of his hand. The glass cup, originally covered in stains, became cleaner the more he wiped it, eventually restoring its original transparent appearance, without even a single water mark visible.
"That kid Dylan studying War Magic..." Aberforth suddenly put down the wine glass with a thud, the cup making a dull sound as it hit the table. He frowned, his tone tinged with worry. "Albus must have known about this already, right? Otherwise, given that kid's caution, he wouldn't have mentioned the related ideas so directly in the meeting."
He pulled his wand from his pocket, his gaze fixed on the transparent glass cup, his eyes distant. He had originally intended to wipe the cup until it was "just usable," but now that it was so clean, it didn't fit his usual "unkempt" appearance.
He wondered whether he should use magic to turn the cup back into its previous dirty state, but after hesitating for a few seconds, he gave up the idea: Never mind, being clean is fine; it saves me from having to wipe it again next time.
Then, Aberforth waved his wand toward the second floor of the pub. A faint silver light flashed, and a neatly folded Invisibility Cloak floated down from the staircase, unfolding itself as if alive, and gently draped itself over him.
The Invisibility Cloak's material was soft and light, weighing almost nothing when worn, and it quickly enveloped his figure completely.
Aberforth Dumbledore, as an old-timer at Hogwarts, naturally knew the 'secrets' Lupin, Sirius, and James kept when they were young, and he was also aware of the secret passage hidden behind the Shrieking Shack that led to Hogwarts Castle—a path James and the others specifically found for easy access outside.
However, he did not immediately set off for the secret passage because he knew that Albus, in order to protect this passage from being discovered by outsiders, had specifically planted a Whomping Willownear the entrance. If anyone approached, the Whomping Willow would swing its branches to attack, unless they knew the method to control it.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, and to prevent being detected by people inside the Castle, Aberforth had to first control the Whomping Willow before he could safely pass through the secret passage and enter Hogwarts.
Holding his wand, he walked to the back door of the pub, pushed it open a crack, and waved his wandtoward the snow outside—the snow piled up near the entrance of the secret passage suddenly began to surge and gather, gradually forming a Snow Goat identical to a real one, with curved horns, thick limbs, and even the texture of its fleece clearly visible.
As soon as the Snow Goat was formed, the nearby Whomping Willow reacted immediately. Its previously still trunk began to tremble violently, and its branches whipped wildly through the air like flexible ropes, making a 'whooshing' sound, clearly having detected an 'intruder' and preparing to attack.
Just as the Whomping Willow's branches were about to strike the Snow Goat, the Snow Goatsuddenly stood upright, raised its front hooves, and precisely stepped on a raised knot at the base of the Whomping Willow's trunk—that was the key mechanism for controlling the Whomping Willow.
Check WTR-Lab for more updated chapters: Hogwarts: full level unforgivable spell at the beginning.