Ugh.. Persist, continue to endure...
Penelope would never give up halfway.
Even though there was no such thing as quitting midway in a potion-induced transformation, Penelope—who had already endured for so long—had begun to grasp the power she sought.
But!
It wasn't enough—nowhere near enough.
She was Penelope Clearwater, the pride of Ravenclaw, and someone personally recognized by Ivan.
If she gave up so easily, how could she ever stand beside him?
With this thought, Penelope's mind snapped into focus.
Her unyielding will ignited, pushing her past the pain, and for the first time, even Ivan—watching from the side—was moved by her sheer determination.
'If you're going to do something, then do it to the very best of your ability!'
Ivan was right—magic follows the will of the mind.
As long as a wizard truly desired something from the depths of their soul, magic would manifest that wish—turning it into a miracle within reality.
"Huff~~"
"Huff~~~"
At last—after more than twenty minutes of unwavering endurance—Penelope, soaked in sweat, was completely drained.
"What incredible perseverance."
As she collapsed, Ivan quickly caught her in his arms.
Looking at Penelope's trembling brows, even Ivan felt a deep sense of admiration.
At first, Ivan had approached Penelope because of her beauty and talent, believing that she was worthy of standing beside him—much like Rosier had stood by the Dark Lord Grindelwald in the past.
But now, Ivan truly recognized her strength—not just in talent, but in spirit—and even admired her for it.
One could argue that the wizards in the original story each had their own flaws, but none of them were useless.
Even Ron, despite his lack of ability, still had something that earned admiration.
Yes—admiration.
Though Ivan had always looked down on Ron, believing him to be mediocre, he had to acknowledge that Ron possessed something Ivan did not.
For example—reckless bravery.
Imagine someone who knows nothing, yet insists on throwing themselves into the fray.
Like an ordinary person standing before a demon.
Knowing full well that they stand no chance, that the demon could kill them with a mere wave of a hand—and yet, they still step forward.
Ivan had everything he had today because he was genuinely powerful.
In a favorable situation, even doing nothing can earn you allies.
But turning the tide when the odds are against you—that is a real challenge.
Of course, Ivan still looked down on Ronald.
There was no helping it—Ron was simply not good enough.
Born into a wizarding family, yet he never put in the effort, wasting the best years of his life.
This wasn't just Ivan speaking from a position of privilege—it was an objective truth.
Just look at the Weasley children—a side-by-side comparison made Ron's shortcomings all the more obvious.
Among all of them, Ron had the least talent—yet, somehow, he achieved the most within the family.
The partner of the Chosen One.
The hero who helped defeat the Dark Lord.
The closest ally of the future Minister for Magic.
Reputation, career, family, and happiness.
And all of this came down to one thing—opportunity.
Penelope was not lacking in ability.
Her will was strong enough.
The only thing she had ever truly lacked was an opportunity.
"You did great Penelope—truly incredible."
Ivan carried her back to the room, gently laying her on the bed, then worked to relieve the pain caused by the magical transformation.
Before long, Penelope stirred awake.
At first, her gaze was unfocused, but soon, her awareness returned—and with it, the memories of what she had just endured.
"..It ...hurts."
Her tone was calm, and she uttered only the two words that had left the strongest impression on her.
But soon, Penelope smiled. "Thank you, Ivan."
"Congratulations."
Ivan gently brushed Penelope's brow with his fingertips and said, "I really didn't expect you to last this long."
"I didn't want to give up so early."
Penelope was very similar to Hermione—or rather, they were the same type of people as Professor McGonagall—driven by their own perseverance and unyielding nature.
And with Ivan beside her, Penelope felt no fear.
It was this trust that allowed her to push through the pain, endure until the very end, and maximize the benefits of the potion.
"So, what's the result?" Ivan asked, "Did you get what you wanted?"
"Heh."
Penelope couldn't hide her excitement—she could feel the changes in her body.
Her magic was stronger—more responsive, more powerful.
The enhancement of basic attributes was something every wizard experienced during a magical transformation. The only difference lay in how much was gained and how it was distributed.
Ivan observed Penelope carefully and found that her Will and Physique attributes had each increased by 1 point, while her Magical Power had increased by 2 points.
Of course, these gains were not as significant as Ivan's own.
After all, Penelope's foundation had never been as strong as Ivan's to begin with.
The same applied to magic power.
Penelope's magical power had increased from 2 to 4, which was undoubtedly a significant improvement.
However, compared to Ivan's 6 points in magic power, the gap remained enormous.
A wizard with 5 points in magical power was considered a legendary great wizard—an Archmage.
If Penelope wished to reach that level, she would need to undergo at least three or four more magical transformations.
And with each transformation, the risk and pain would increase exponentially.
Voldemort's bloodline inheritance was clearly far superior to Penelope's.
Yet, even a madman like Voldemort had been physically disfigured after his second dark magic transformation, losing his once handsome face in the process.
Ivan had no way of knowing whether Voldemort had attempted a third transformation.
But considering his Horcruxes as a means of survival, Ivan was almost certain that Voldemort had performed a third transformation—even if it cost him his sanity.
"…So, you won't be able to undergo another magical transformation anytime soon, senior."
Ivan cautioned, "Your body isn't ready for it yet."
"I understand."
Penelope smiled and said, "Honestly, I'm already more than satisfied with such a huge improvement."
In truth, the increase in attributes was actually the least significant of the benefits gained from this magical transformation.
What truly delighted Penelope was that she had successfully obtained the bloodline magic she desired most—Astrology Law.
"Pray to the starry sky and listen to the teachings from eternity. It is deep, lonely, yet so mysterious that one cannot help but be drawn into it."
Only now did Penelope truly understand the meaning behind Ivan's earlier words.
Everything about this power was beyond the grasp of outsiders.
Only by experiencing it firsthand could one truly comprehend the depth and terror of the starry sky.
"No wonder you said it is a force filled with both temptation and fear."
Penelope dared not delve too deeply into its mysteries.
Even in that briefest glimpse, she had felt an unsettling chill creep into her mind.
Something in her consciousness was pulling her toward the abyss, while her reason desperately held her back, preventing her from falling into the unknown.