"The small silver barrel found in the Ministry of Magic's secret vault, along with the World Tree's root?"
Charle's eyes widened in surprise. Over the past few days, he had already gained some unexpected benefits from it. The rewards from various plants had been enhanced under its influence. Most importantly, the Hungarian Horntail dragon egg, which should have perished, had astonishingly revived under its effect. Without it, cultivating the blood emerald would have been incredibly difficult.
Yet, Charle still felt regret for the small silver barrel. It was severely damaged, with most of its surface worn away. Only a small section of patterns remained at the inner bottom. The style didn't exactly match a section of the patterns on the book in front of him, but it was clear both were products of the same system. Charle's heart stirred. The origin of the small silver barrel might be extraordinary. If he could uncover its secrets—or even repair it somewhat—he could benefit immediately.
Carefully, Charle took down the book and cautiously flipped it open. The first page was blank, yet lines upon lines of densely packed handwriting covered it—resentment and lament from countless individuals.
"I don't understand! I really don't understand!"
"I got Professor's permission to enter the Restricted Section, I'm a genius, how could I not understand?"
"Am I not a genius?"
"Wuwuwu, actually I'm just a mediocre person, an ordinary person born in an era without geniuses? I can't accept it!"
"Damn it, how did these students pass this exam before?! Are they monsters?!"
"Could it be that the Magical World is weakening generation by generation, and by my era, a brilliant genius like me is already inferior to any ordinary student a hundred years ago?!"
After these faded, clearly ancient writings, a line of slightly newer text appeared in bright red ink:
"To all past excellent students, although I don't know if you can still see this, I have specifically investigated. Hogwarts' Alchemy exam, except for the first year which had a practical component causing a serious teaching incident with all students failing, has never had practical components since. All were theoretical exams. Every year's exam used the same set of papers. Therefore, the reason this subject was canceled is clear: no one could learn it, and during the exam, everyone memorized the answers!"
—Bathilda Bagshot
Seeing the handwriting of the famous author of History of Magic, Charle suddenly realized that this book had once been Hogwarts' Alchemy textbook. Turning to the next page, large neat letters read: "Introduction to Alchemy." Around it, a mischievous student had drawn a lifelike tombstone, with the subtitle: Introduction to Alchemy: From Beginner to Buried. Beneath it were desperate names from countless students who had studied Alchemy to despair. Charle even recognized a familiar abbreviation: "S.S., R.I.P"—Snape.
Charle recalled Snape's expression when he had once mentioned Alchemy. Snape insisted he hadn't failed, choosing Potion over Alchemy because it suited him better. At the time, Charle had found it believable. Yet now it seemed Snape had suffered a crushing defeat before Alchemy, no matter his talent. Thinking of this, Charle stared at the book, dumbfounded. No wonder Alchemists were so rare, and no wonder this book was in the Restricted Section—it was too difficult for ordinary students to even attempt.
After hesitating briefly, Charle considered the possibility of extracting information about the small silver barrel, perhaps even finding a way to repair it. So he decided to start with Introduction to Alchemy.
"The status of Alchemy in the Magical World, if placed in a fantasy novel, would be at least a Heaven-tier or Emperor-tier cultivation method," he thought. "Since I've encountered it, I should try. Maybe with my extraordinary thinking, I can actually get started. Wouldn't that be incredible?"
With faint hope, Charle took the Bubblehead Charm and Introduction to Alchemy and left the Restricted Section.
Three days later, he looked at the Alchemy book with a bitter expression. The only thing he understood in three days were the five words: "Introduction to Alchemy."
"I knew it… all those 'what ifs' were lies. So many geniuses couldn't understand it, let alone me. Advanced math, insanity—none of it would help."
Shaking his head, Charle casually set the book aside. Fortunately, his expectations had been low; learning anything was a gain, not learning wasn't a loss. He shifted his gaze to the Bubblehead Charm—and his expression brightened. Learning this charm had been smoother than expected.
"With my Bronze Level Transfiguration and numerous Platinum Level Charms as a foundation, the Bubblehead Charm isn't difficult at all," he thought. The system panel flashed dazzling silver—he had advanced to Silver Level.
Charle waved his wand. "Bubblehead Charm!" A bubble appeared instantly, like an inverted glass fishbowl, covering his head. The Water Enhancement ability activated, increasing his magic intensity, Magic Perception, and clarity of thought.
The charm could protect against poisonous gases, foul odors, and even some noise. Its only drawback: oxygen lasted only thirty minutes; otherwise, one could choke. For Charle, the Water Enhancement ability made this irrelevant.
He turned to the three plots of blood emeralds in the Little Greenhouse. The third group remained unchanged. The first two, using dragon and Acromantula blood, showed significant transformations. The dragon-blood group glowed vivid red; the Acromantula-blood group glowed eerie green. Charle frowned.
"Different bloods… the emeralds may develop differently. But the transformation isn't complete yet. Rewards are still unclear. Soon, though."
Charle returned the books to the library, having learned the Bubblehead Charm. Alchemy seemed hopeless, but that was acceptable. Meanwhile, in the Forbidden Forest, inside a cobwebbed cocoon, the last trace of life quietly faded.
At the Ministry, a file belonging to a high-ranking official glowed red, triggering urgent alarms. Fudge, resting at home, rushed over.
"Who died?" he demanded.
"Umbridge," whispered the archives employee. "She didn't come to work for three days. Everyone thought she was sulking, but she died tonight."
Fudge's expression shifted. Though Umbridge's career was ruined, her death was significant. He sent an urgent letter to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore, upon receiving it, was surprised. Even Dark Wizards wouldn't attack her; the motive was likely revenge. His mind flashed to Charle—a usually low-key student who could unleash ferocity if someone harmed his loved ones. Dumbledore feared Charle might be exploited by darkness. Knowing Charle had visited the Restricted Section three days ago, he headed to the library.
In the moonlit corridor, Dumbledore in pajamas startled Charle.
"Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"No matter how old one gets, passion for knowledge never fades," Dumbledore said with a smile. "To teach talented students, how could I not study?"
Charle explained he was returning Restricted Section books. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, half-joking: "Returning books? The Restricted Section is often hit hardest with overdue returns."
Curious, Dumbledore asked what books Charle had borrowed. Charle answered: one book about the most murderous spell, and another that caused despair.
Dumbledore's eyes first flashed sharply, then softened. Charle's honesty proved he wasn't beyond redemption. "Did you master it?"
Charle nodded. Dumbledore insisted he demonstrate. Charle drew a circle, reciting: "Bubble—Head Charm!" A bubble formed.
Dumbledore was stunned. "Bubblehead Charm?" He realized Charle had not tricked him. It was indeed a dangerous charm—more deadly than some lethal curses if misused.
The Alchemy book, however, terrified Charle. He explained that he had only taken it for the beautiful patterns inside. Dumbledore laughed, relieved at the child's honesty.
"You may not be the most outstanding student, but you are the most honest. Facing temptation, you stayed true to your goal. Rare quality. Hufflepuff earns ten points, and I will answer one question about Alchemy for you."
Charles quickly drew the patterns from the small silver bucket. Dumbledore examined them, recognizing ancient alchemical patterns from Greek times—symbols of fertility, resembling Demeter's silver cup. The replicas lacked the magic of the original, except for Hufflepuff's Cup.
Excited, Charles realized the small silver bucket might truly stimulate vitality like Demeter's cup.
Returning to the Little Greenhouse, he observed the fully transformed blood emeralds: dragon-blooded mushrooms now vivid red, Acromantula-blooded mushrooms translucent green. Reward spheres above them had changed dramatically. His heart raced with anticipation.
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