Chapter 40: The Vastness of Magic

Everything about magic was fresh and fascinating to Wizard Sean.

Even Magical History, which made young witches and wizards complain, was no exception.

Wizard Sean gladly explored the past of vampire hunters.

He investigated the mistakes made by these wizards who specialized in hunting vampires.

He pondered why Article Twelve of the Statute of Secrecy for Half-Humans classified this profession as illegal.

The fascination of history immersed Wizard Sean, and this focus lasted until nightfall.

Wizard Sean lay flat on his four-poster bed.

The story of Gifford Aurleton flashed through his mind.

He was the famed giant-slayer who became a local hero for killing Hengist of Upbarn,

and one of the characters on Chocolate Frog cards.

In the fifteenth century, compared to now, giants were far more numerous,

so men like Aurleton were needed to control their numbers and protect the wizarding world.

Werewolves, vampires, goblins, hags, trolls…

Wizard Sean’s mind wandered through the epic tales of wizards,

imagining them wielding wands, chanting spells, embarking on grand adventures across this land of magic.

His breathing grew steady; the breeze of Hogwarts drifted like an invisible hand,

flipping the book Magical History to the page covered in Wizard Sean’s notes:

【Miranda was a witch who studied at Hogwarts,

she could not understand the outdated textbooks of her time,

and as the youngest in her family, her sisters loved to tease her;

after realizing no one listened to her, this angry little witch invented the Bat-Bogey Hex.

She used it on her sisters and vowed to write an accurate, understandable book.】

【Bathilda Bagshot’s annotation:

Magic always embraces a wizard’s belief; it is generous to those who meet its conditions—any wizard can create such miracles.】

Wizard Sean’s notes had been crossed out and rewritten until only three strong words remained:

Magic, Infinite Possibilities.

(Magic, Infinite Possibilities).

…

Wizard Sean had also imagined how he would cherish such miracles when magic appeared,

and finally, his answer was—well, I’ve got to learn it inside out.

He emerged from the library again; the weekend had slipped away unnoticed.

Wizard Sean carried a large stack of books; the moonlight was as beautiful as the night he received his acceptance letter.

He finally understood why Hermione always carried so many books—

because there was still so much to learn.

Yet his full time was only enough for one small weekend,

barely enough to skim through Magical History.

And for the brilliant subject of Astronomy, he had only glimpsed a hidden corner within magical history.

That is, Divination and Prophecy.

As a result, he had roughly read all thirteen books on Astronomy,

and finally found faint clues in a book so old that Mrs. Pince had handed it to him with solemn care.

“Wizards use astronomy to connect the cosmos with themselves, drawing inspiration from it in magic;

the magic wizards most wished to explore always returned in the end to the grandeur of the universe—

prophecy, fate, time and space… all would sink into the glittering starry river.”

Wizard Sean’s passion flowed from within; as he read the book’s words, his thoughts surged like flames in a hearth:

In the Forbidden Forest, the centaurs dwelled, predicting the future by observing the stars;

far away in Azkaban, Sirius clung to life, burdened by regret;

his name, Sirius, also called the “Black Dog Star,” corresponded to his Animagus form and revealed his reliability and loyalty.

Wizard Sean harbored a quiet suspicion:

that magic’s power did not reside only in bursting spells, steaming cauldrons, or magical creatures…

it had existed far longer—even beyond wizarding history.

And Astronomy was one of magic’s deepest aspects, profound enough to be linked with the word fate.

In his bag, Wizard Sean carefully kept that old book.

In all his available time, he moved almost exclusively between the practice room and the library,

and the book he read most often was this one.

The only regret was,

he could not fully understand the book; sometimes waiting for the centaur teacher to arrive was agonizing,

Wizard Sean even wondered if he could meet him earlier.

Professor Snape spent the entire weekend in the dungeons; Wizard Sean had no chance to brew potions.

But loss came with gain—his spell proficiency reached a new stage:

【Levitation Charm: Beginner (21/900)】

【Lumos Charm: Beginner (19/900)】

【Scourgify Charm: Apprentice (297/300)】

【Advancement: Three beginner spells unlock the Beginner title in the Spell Domain.】

【Spell Talent: Green】

Wizard Sean took out his wand from his bag; his spirit had mostly recovered.

With a little time left before curfew,

he arrived at the door of the secret room.

The moment the owl portrait appeared, a loud voice rang out:

“Young wizard! Clever young wizard! Answer my question!”

Wizard Sean waited quietly as it posed its riddle; though Jia Jia Siting’s attempt had failed, the owl portrait now turned a blind eye to their comings and goings—

even if Wizard Sean failed to answer, he could still enter.

“From the quiet riverside walked the wise and beautiful Ravenclaw. Where does this lakeside lie?”

The pure white owl placed the parchment back under its claw and regarded Wizard Sean with quiet confidence.

“The highland valleys of Scotland.”

Wizard Sean recalled for a few seconds, then spoke the answer calmly.

“How did you—”

The owl’s tiny spectacles slowly slid down; its wings froze mid-flap, and the sky-blue door gradually emerged.

“Thank you.”

Before the owl portrait vanished, Wizard Sean whispered a quiet thanks.

The legacy left by Ravenclaw might be more than just the diadem.

In truth, Hogwarts’ location, its name, even its turning staircases, were all tied to this wise and beautiful woman.

Her wisdom and ideals were woven into the castle’s very fabric,

so even this strange owl portrait did not strike Wizard Sean as out of place.

“We heard you, Wizard Sean.”

As soon as he entered the practice room, Jia Jia Siting and Hermione approached with magical lanterns.

Wizard Sean was surprised they had studied so late, then saw the expectant looks on their faces.

“Alright, this is a story about the four founders…”

Wizard Sean’s voice rang out, steady and calm.

Jia Jia Siting muttered “Cool,” then lit his wand and sat around Wizard Sean.

Hermione lit her wand too, sat upright in her chair, and lowered her breathing.

“Godric Gryffindor, it is believed, was born over a thousand years ago on a wild moor in western England,

this moor later bore his name—Godric’s Hollow;

as for Helga Hufflepuff, the widely accepted explanation is that she came from the open valleys of Wales,

a land famed for its magic related to food;

as for Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw…”