"Subtraction?"
Vid fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.
Then he pulled a sheet of paper from the desk and began drawing and writing.
Professor Morry watched for a while, revealing a satisfied yet complex smile.
Imposing magic on alchemy works is not just about layering spells; magic spells can conflict with, weaken, or cancel each other out.
Therefore, most alchemists can only apply one or two magic spells. For example, a typical Invisibility Cloak only has the Disillusionment Charm, which gradually loses its effectiveness over time and can be disrupted by spells or sharp objects.
Vid had an exceptionally rare talent for layering multiple spells. Professor Morry was repeatedly amazed, unable to comprehend how he so intricately combined many spells.
He never voiced his astonishment, just as he never told Vid how difficult embedding and layering spells was for others.
The October night was cold and damp. Professor Morry took out his Magic Wand and pointed it at the fireplace, and with a "whoosh," the birch wood inside blazed into flames.
The fire danced wildly, the wood crackled, and a faint fragrance filled the air.
Professor Morry glanced at the Magic Wand in his hand, smiled, clasped his hands over his stomach, and stared dazedly at the dancing flames. His shadow cast on the opposite wall resembled a Giant.
It was only when Vid put down his pen that Professor Morry reached out and picked up the few sheets of paper he had just written on, examining them carefully before nodding slightly.
"Vid, your design for the communication Fava Beans is very innovative, but in alchemy, you must remember one thing—"
Vid looked up, listening attentively.
"Achieving excellence in one aspect is more meaningful than striving for overall perfection."
Professor Morry said, "You are creating a communication tool that should be more convenient and simpler than the Friendship Book, but most importantly, it must be stable and reliable enough to communicate over long distances; otherwise, it's just a toy."
Vid nodded thoughtfully.
"And—" Professor Morry continued, "Waterproofing, damp-proofing, and defense can actually be integrated into one spell. I once learned a spell while traveling in Egypt…"
Recently, Vid had been reading an alchemy-related book ahead of his classes with Professor Morry, then consulting him on the unclear parts.
Ancient alchemists always gave alchemy materials all sorts of bizarre names, and the process often involved inexplicable rituals, like dancing or bathing under the moonlight before alchemy.
Professor Morry's scholarly knowledge enabled him to strip away the redundant, erroneous parts, making the obscure knowledge clear and understandable. Even casual chats with him left Vid feeling that he had benefited greatly.
Such pure teaching had indeed become a rarity.
"The final Disappearing Spell was quite clever, but the spell can be modified like this—"
Professor Morry altered the positions of two pieces of Magic Text on Vid's Magic Circle.
Vid asked, puzzled, "What effect does this have?"
"It can expand the range of the Disappearing Spell… Vid, you only wanted critical parts inside the Fava Bean to disappear to prevent cracking; this approach is too gentle."
Professor Morry smiled and said, "Merely making the Fava Beans disappear isn't enough. After the first failure, the cracker will definitely try to lift the Disappearing Spell first—a castle that only defends but doesn't attack will sooner or later be breached by the enemy, no matter how strong it is."
"This modification causes the Disappearing Spell to explode more violently and unstably. So, whoever attempts to crack it must sacrifice a part of their body as a price."
"It could be a finger, or the whole person—I also cannot predict how much damage it will cause."
Vid stared speechlessly at the calm-talking Professor Morry.
He felt as if the professor had revealed an alarming side of himself.
He paused for a moment and silently incorporated the altered Magic Text into his design.
...
By the end of October, it was Hogwarts' first Hogsmeade weekend, and all the third-year students had handed in their permission forms.
Early on the morning of the Halloween eve, students got up early for breakfast, donned their scarves and gloves, and headed to Hogsmeade for some fun.
However, for the SSC group, Hogsmeade didn't hold much allure—they had already visited the Wizard Village several times before, so they weren't as excited as others.
When Vid and Michael arrived at the Great Hall, most students had already finished and left, leaving the long table in a mess.
Fortunately, the House-Elves in the kitchen constantly attended to the students eating breakfast. When Vid sat down, he saw that the remaining baked potatoes on his plate disappeared, replaced by a platter of sandwiches with sausages on the side.
"I want to buy more candy at Honeydukes. I heard Zonko's Joke Shop has a few new products as well, and finally, I'll head to the Three Broomsticks for a couple of drinks—Vid, what's your plan?" Michael asked.
Vid picked up a sandwich and said, "I'm going to Remus's house first, and then I've arranged to meet Machioni."
"Oh… from Aslan Magic Workshop…" Michael realized, then said, "Then let's split up for now. Once you're done, meet at the Three Broomsticks?"
"Okay." Vid nodded.
After finishing breakfast, they arrived at the school gate, where Filch was checking names against a list, wary of younger students sneaking out.
Several girls were queued at the gate. One girl spotted Michael and Vid approaching and raised her voice:
"Honestly, Pavarti, there's not much to expect for tonight's feast. Do you remember the party at the Sam Family's last time? I thought it was amazing!"
"I remember that boy Charlie invited you to dance!" Pavarti giggled. "He was so nervous that he almost tripped over himself!"
"Yes, don't you think he's quite adorable?" Padma said, glancing sideways at Michael.
Vid glanced sideways and saw Michael staring straight at Filch, pretending not to hear a thing.
"Pass."
Filch said, grim-faced, and Padma huffed, pulling her sister Pavarti to a nearby carriage.
The girls left in the same carriage, waving back at them.
"What's with you and Padma?" Vid finally asked.
Michael sighed, "You know Alek in the seventh year? He published a paper in 'Today's Transfiguration' and held a small party in the common room a few days ago, and many attended."
"And then?"
"Lydia from fourth-year invited me to dance—"