Chapter 73: Vast Magic

Everything about magic was fresh and fascinating to Wizard Sean.

Even Magical History, a subject that made young wizards groan in complaint, was no exception.

Wizard Sean was more than willing to delve into the past of vampire hunters,

to investigate the wrongdoings committed by those wizards who specialized in hunting vampires,

and to explore why Article Twelve of the "Guidelines for the Treatment of Semi-Human Non-Wizards" had declared this profession illegal.

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

Wizard Sean lay flat on his four-poster bed,

as the story of Gifford Ollerton flashed through his mind.

He was a famous giant-killer who became a local hero for slaying Hingis of Upper Barnton, a giant,

and he was also one of the figures featured on Chocolate Frog Cards.

In the fifteenth century when he lived, the number of giants was far greater than in the present day,

thus requiring individuals like Ollerton to limit their numbers and protect the wizarding world.

Werewolves, vampires, goblins, redcaps, trolls...

Wizard Sean's mind could not help but wander through the epic tales of wizards,

imagining wizards holding wands and chanting spells, unfolding magnificent adventures across this land belonging to magic.

His breathing gradually steadied; the gentle breeze of Hogwarts, like an invisible hand,

turned the pages of that copy of "A History of Magic" to the page covered in Wizard Sean's notes:

[Miranda was a witch who once studied at Hogwarts.

Not only could she not understand the backward textbooks of Hogwarts at that time,

but as the youngest member of her family, her older sisters also loved to tease her.

Finding that her words were difficult for others to hear, this angry young witch invented the Bat-Bogey Hex.

She once used this spell on her sisters and vowed to write a book that was accurate and easy to understand.]

[Annotation by Bathilda Bagshot:

Magic always embraces the beliefs of wizards; it is so generous to those wizards who meet the conditions that any wizard can create such miracles.]

Wizard Sean's notes were crossed out and rewritten repeatedly, until finally only three powerful words remained:

Magic, Infinite Possibilities.

(Magic, Infinite Possibilities).

Wizard Sean had also once imagined how he should cherish such an opportunity when a miracle like magic descended upon him.

In the end, his answer was—well, I have to study it to death.

Emerging from the library once again, the weekend hours had quietly slipped away.

Wizard Sean hugged a large stack of books; the moonlight was as beautiful as it had been on the night he received his acceptance letter.

He could always understand why Hermione often carried so many books—

because there was still so much to learn.

Yet his available time allowed for nothing more than a single small weekend,

which was barely enough for him to roughly sort through Magical History.

As for the brilliant subject of Astronomy, he had only glimpsed a secret corner of it within the history of magic.

Namely, Divination and Prophecy.

Consequently, he had roughly read through all thirteen books on Astronomy,

finally finding some clues in an old book that Madam Pince had solemnly handed over to him.

"Wizards use astronomy to connect the universe with themselves and find inspiration in magic.

Those magics that wizards most wish to explore always ultimately return to the vastness of the universe.

Prophecy, fate, space-time... all will eventually sink into the brilliant starry river."

Wizard Sean's enthusiasm flowed from within; as he recited the words in the book, his thoughts surged like flames in a fireplace:

In the Forbidden Forest, tribes of centaurs hid, predicting the future by observing the stars;

In distant Azkaban, Sirius lingered in regret, barely surviving,

his name, Sirius, also known as the "Dog Star," corresponding to his Animagus form while also revealing his reliability and loyalty.

Wizard Sean harbored a vague conjecture:

that the power of magic did not exist solely in bursting spells, steaming cauldrons, or magical creatures...

It had existed for so long, even surpassing the history of wizards.

And Astronomy was precisely one of the most profound aspects of magic, profound enough to be linked with words like fate.

In Wizard Sean's bag, that old book was carefully stored.

During all his available time, he was almost strictly moving between two points, shuttling between the practice room and the library,

and the book he had read most frequently was this old volume.

The only regret was

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

and Wizard Sean even wondered if he could make contact with him in advance.

Meanwhile, Professor Snape had stayed in the dungeons all weekend, leaving Wizard Sean no way to brew potions.

But there were gains to balance the losses; his proficiency in charms had reached a brand new stage:

[Wingardium Leviosa: Beginner Level (21/900)]

[Lumos: Beginner Level (19/900)]

[Scourgify: Apprentice Level (297/300)]

[Advancement: Three Beginner-level spells can unlock the Beginner-level title in the Field of Charms]

[Charm Talent: Green]

Wizard Sean took his wand out of his bag; by now his spirit had mostly recovered.

Taking advantage of the little time remaining before curfew,

he arrived at the door of the secret room.

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

"Young wizard! Clever young wizard! Answer my question!"

Wizard Sean waited quietly for its query; although Jia Jia Siting's actions had failed, the owl portrait had already turned a blind eye to their comings and goings,

meaning Wizard Sean could enter even without answering correctly.

"From the tranquil riverside emerged the wise and beautiful Rowena; pray tell, where does this lakeside exist?"

The pure white owl placed the parchment back under its claws, looking at Wizard Sean with considerable confidence.

"The highland valleys of Scotland."

Wizard Sean recalled for a few seconds before calmly stating this answer.

"How did you—"

The small pince-nez glasses worn by Mr. Owl slowly slid down; its flapping motion froze, and the sky-blue door gradually revealed itself.

"Thank you."

Before the owl portrait vanished, Wizard Sean softly uttered a word of thanks.

Lady Rowena may have left behind more than just that diadem.

In fact, the location of Hogwarts, the name of Hogwarts, and even the spiral staircases of Hogwarts were all related to this beautiful and wise lady.

Her wisdom and philosophy were integrated into this castle,

so much so that this wonderful owl portrait she left behind did not feel abrupt to Wizard Sean.

"We heard you, Wizard Sean."

As soon as he entered the practice room, Jia Jia Siting and Hermione surrounded him, holding magical lanterns.

Wizard Sean was slightly surprised that they had studied so late today, but then he saw the expectant looks in their eyes.

"Alright, this is a story about the four founders..."

Wizard Sean's voice rang out steadily.

Jia Jia Siting said "Cool," then lit his wand and sat down around Wizard Sean.

Hermione also lit her wand; the two sat upright in their chairs, their breathing gradually lowering.

"Godric Gryffindor; regarding him, people believe he was born over a thousand years ago in some wasteland in the western region of England,

a wasteland that was later named after him—Godric's Hollow;

as for Lady Hufflepuff, the generally accepted explanation is that she came from Wales, known for its open valleys,

a place famous for spells related to food;

as for Mr. Slytherin and Lady Rowena..."