18 Level 14 [ part 4 ]. End is near. Let's prepare.

At some point me and Harry received a note with information on where and when our detention will happen. I saved before going anywhere.

〖Save ⟳〗

We met Filch and he led us to Hagrid. Together, me, Harry, Neville, Malfoy, Hagrid and Fang went to forest and nothing unexpected(for me) happened.

Harry saw Voldemort, became scared, was saved and told us all about it. Unfortunately, Unicorn died. I hoped to maybe save it somehow, but oh well. Not that important.

Honestly though, one part of me wanted for something to happen to showcase my "power" and be cool for a moment, but whatever. It's not a novel after all, right.

Oh, we also met centaurs, while in forest. Apparently, they can read future via stars, a.k.a. astrologers. This race is just straight up confusing. Speaking all about Mars being bright red and never saying anything directly.

And they had some kind of a prophecy about Voldemort return or something similar that will lead to the bad ending. However, they did not want to meddle in this and wanted to follow "Heaven's will".

Although one of them was actually the one who saved Harry and he was the one who told Potter about true identity of the cloaked person. He also hinted on the true purpose behind stealing the stone.

In any case, I can finally calm down, because passing the exams is all that is left. These few weeks before the 'detention' were really straining on my mental health. I was scared and annoyed at the same time. I have an adult mentality, yes. But thanks to child's hormones and brain structure, getting emotional fast is a normal thing, but normal in this case is not something positive.

Final fight, if it can be called so, will happen right before leaving Hogwarts, so everything is set for Harry to save the year and become the hero. All I needed to do before is to make sure he safely gets to this point.

Thankfully, there was no butterfly effect or some other insane guys with system or knowledge of future. I had a good night sleep. Moreover, I was the calmest in our group of 4. I was fully ready for exams. I am set for all subjects.

I even had spare time to learn new spells and research enchanting. It was very interesting topic and of course I got a new skill thanks to that.

Although, enchanting like all magic skills started as 0, which heavily annoys me, because it is basically useless skill until it reaches 15. Even experience it gives is miniscule, especially now that I am level 13.

As for the spells, I decided to concentrate on finding an invisibility or cloaking spell. I really liked the effects of the cloak, but I don't have one and having a spell for that should be handy.

After deliberate search for any mention of invisibility spell I was able to find a few mentions of it, however mostly it was about invisibility cloaks. Before, I assumed for some reason that what Harry owns is one and only thing, but now I found out that they are a rare but not a unique commodity.

However, there is a difference between death's cloak and usual invisibility cloaks. Normal cloaks are apparently not as good at hiding you. It does make you invisible, however it still makes slight air ripples in the process of movement. While Harry's cloak makes me feel like Harry disappears entirely, not just becomes invisible.

I would assume death's cloak has other strong abilities, but my knowledge is too low for that. In any case, if you can enchant something to be invisible, then there should be a spell that does something similar, so I continued my search.

After studying tons of books for weeks I found some sort of a masking spell, that weakens your presence to some degree and now I finally understand why invisibility spells are not a popular thing. You apply them onto yourself, which means it's a charm, but charming whole body is a very dangerous and difficult magic, so enchanting a cloak to cover yourself is far easier and safer.

In any case, training such a spell is highly dangerous with my level of skill and talent, so I need to learn enchanting and enchant an item that will apply such ability to my persona.

Thankfully masking presence works differently from an invisibility spell, so I can enchant trinket to do so it will work nicely. Also if I will take crafting ability and then enchant item, that I crafted it will make effect even stronger.

That became my focus for remaining couple of weeks. Thanks to my research and insane studying capabilities I was able to raise enchanting to 15 in a span of a week. Also, I raised a level during that week and raised my magicka once more. I was thinking on improving magicka until it reaches 50 or till I feel no difficulties in learning magical stuff, so no changes there until that point.

After level up, I took an ability from crafting tree that I opened previously. So, now enchanting self-crafted items is significantly easier. And I also took a newly opened ability from enchanting constellation, which has opened after I reached 15 and was perfect in my situation.

〖Scaling enchanting〗

〖Strength of enchantment if worn by user will improve in quality. Level of improvement depends on level of enchanting skill.〗

Moreover, in the process of enchanting I came up with an idea, though I don't think I was the first, of multilayered enchanting. I will enchant multiple items and then combine them into one.

I picked a bracelet as a base for future masking artifact. I would have opted for amulet, but I have no idea how to make a string, plus it doesn't have many parts, and ring would be too visible, thus too conspicuous.

I picked a few big tree stumps with flexible wood, carved from them a few circles and started working with them.

Cut out middle, removed a little bit so that circle will be not closed, similar to arc. That is to make sure they can be pulled wider while pushing it on hand. Made holes on both of ends that I just cut for future closing circles, that I will make later. Using transfiguration, I smoothed the wood and gave it some nice patterns.

Then I enchanted 3 main circles and 3 closing circles, with help from crafting ability. Enchantments were not very strong but not weak, either. Using a bit of transfiguration I connected 3 main circles together and did the same for 3 closing circles.

Then I put the main bracelet on my hand and then put closing part(made from 3 closing circles) into the holes I made for them in the main bracelet. Honestly design was simple as hell, but it took me a lot of work. Plus, I made errors with holes for closing, but thankfully, there are not many mistakes transfiguration can't mend.

I made holes a bit wider and moved them to fit perfectly.

Right, when I fitted them in, I felt magic in these 6 combine and enchanting went stronger, though not significantly. Plus, interaction with my magic also helped making artifact stronger, which I assume was thanks to my enchanting ability.

Thanks to my inventory I can put off and on items automatically, if they were on me when I put them into inventory. That's why I didn't bother making artifact loose enough to pull it off. When I don't need it, I will just put it into inventory and wear it only in case of a real necessity. After all, teachers here are not idiots and would feel something fishy if my presence will suddenly decrease.

Thanks to all that mambo jumbo with learning enchanting and making artifacts, last 2 weeks before the exams I had not much time to grind other topics or grind magic skills. So, day before exams I was only studying the subject and then going fully prepared to pass it. Studying abilities are indeed very powerful. I am even better than Hermione in some subjects, though I am trying not to show it.

Exams went nicely.

Harry had nightmares and his cursed mark gave him a lot of pain. Hermione and I were in library all the free time we had to study. Ron was just being Ron. Though, he studied hard as well.

After we passed all the exams, I decided to push things forward, because Harry was not doing anything… well, heroical. So, I said about my conjectures concerning dragon egg and how Hagrid received it. It got Harry thinking and we went to Hagrid. We found out that he spilled out how to calm the three-headed dog, a.k.a. Fluffy, which is by music or singing.

Four of us tried to talk with Dumbledore but he left, so Harry decided to get stone before Voldemort. However, Hermione and Ron like true heroes decided to follow him. As for me…

"I am going with you. Don't want to hear any excuses. See you all in the evening at the third floor."

"Aren't we going together?" Asked Ron.

"Can four of us fit under the cloak? I assume not, so I will just meet you there."

"But it's very dangerous! What if you get caught?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"I am Magnus and my second name is untraceable!"

'I have saves so I am truly untraceable!'

"Don't worry. I will be fine. See you all later."

I went to my room without giving them any chance to say anything. I decided to sleep, because day will be long.

*Few hours later*

'Save progress'

〖Save ⟳〗

Before going, I decided to save in case something goes wrong or I am spotted. I went out earlier then the trio. I put my bracelet on via inventory and started moving towards the third floor corridor.

I was spotted twice and caught once, so I had to 'return' 3 times before I successfully reached that room. Also, only in situations where I was completely in the open and person was close to me, they could spot me. Bracelet was pretty effective. Not invisibility but paired with sneaking can become useful tool. At least I will need to return less times.

Without the artifact, I bet will need to return not 3 but at least 15 times. So, it saved me a ton of time and effort. Then I started waiting, until trio suddenly appeared before me. By the time, trio reached me I raised my sneak once.

They did not spot me, until they reached the door and put cloak away. Even then it was me who put bracelet back to inventory, thus dispelling my cloaking and they noticed me.

"How did you…?" they tried to ask.

"Just came. You were honestly too focused on being unnoticed, that stopped noticing others. Ready?" I asked them, while smiling.

"Yes" x 3

I smiled even broader.

"Let's go."

And so, we went in. Damn, this dog is huge. It is a true freaking monster. It was my first time seeing it personally, so I got a bit flustered for a second or two.

Using Harry's flute we put Fluffy to sleep. It really became very docile after hearing a bit of music. Then we fell into Devil's snare and I helped there using my knowledge of herbology and quickly burned it without a hitch, using blue fire. It wasn't my best spell, but it was good enough.

Then were some flying keys. We solved them easily. After them was chess. There were exactly four empty places on black side.

'Wasn't it three? Oh, wait a second. Now it makes sense! Number of missing figures is equal to people entering the trial.'

Ron led us very thoughtfully and we were winning, however sacrifices were needed, so both me and then him were sacrificed in the process. I was happy to bravely 'sacrifice' myself and said so to Ron.

'Hermione and Harry will be very grateful to me and Ron, so I win in any case.' Was my last thought before losing consciousness.

*After trials' end*

Hermione told me and Ron what happened after we were knocked out. She helped solve logical riddle and went out to send letter to Dumbledore, but met him on the way. Harry fought with Quirrell, which surprised Ron but not me.

In any case, Dumbledore rushed in the last minute to save Harry and we got a happy end. Apparently we got good old first year ending that I wanted. Finally!

In a few days Harry woke up, so we visited him and had a got talk. I wanted to bring him something like others, but I had no money. And I mean not even one penny!

And that raised some new issues. What do I do next on summer? And where to live?

*Sigh*

Whatever, I will rest for now. School year ends soon, but I still have a few days. Now I need to focus on that. And just in case.

'Save progress'

〖Save ⟳〗

*Full Progress by the end of the volume 1*

*Free saves slots: 1*

*Stats*

『 Level 14 ➣ Not enough experience 』

『 Health ➣ Improvement : 0 』

『 Magicka ➣ Improvement : 13 』

『 Stamina ➣ Improvement : 0 』

『 Number of skill points: 1 』

*Skills*

『 Alchemy 27 | Sneak 22 ➔ 23 | Speech 23 』

『 Studying 28 ➔ 29 | Wand Making 26 | Herbology 24 』

『 Magic Channeling 27 | Magic Chanting 22 』

『 Magic Gesturing 22 | Magic Theory 31 ➔ 32 』

『 Astronomy 22 | Riding Expertise 21 』

『 Crafting 20 ➔ 21 | Playing Games 17 | ❃Enchanting 0 ➔ 16 』

*Abilities*

〖

➤ Strong argument 1/4 (25)

➤ Remarkable Comprehension 1/3 (30)

➤ Fast Reading 1/2 (65)

➤ Better memory 1/3 (45)

➤ Better concentration 1/2 (45)

➤ Less Gestures 1/2 (50)

➤ Empowering

➤ Concentration

➤ Less Chants 1/2 (50)

➤ Dual Channeling

➤ Crafts Connection

➤ Scaling Enchanting

〗