Chapter 15: The One-Eyed Witch Passage
"Okay, let's stop here. To be honest, I'm already surprised that you figured out the flow of magic today. You can practice slowly on your own when you go back. Remember, nothing can be achieved overnight!"
Professor Green patted Lynn's shoulder, signaling him to stop. His eyes brimmed with appreciation for Lynn.
Professor Green continued, "When you return, remember the ancient runes recorded in the first three books on the list as soon as possible. Then, I will take you to the threshold of alchemy in advance!"
Lynn saluted Professor Green, saying, "Okay, thank you, professor!"
After leaving the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office, Lynn took the list of books and headed toward the library.
On the way, Lynn encountered Fred and George. He returned the books he had borrowed before to the twins so that they didn't have to find new ones.
"Brother, what are you up to?" Fred asked, looking a bit puzzled.
Lynn showed them the list of books he got from Professor Green and said, "The professor asked me to read the books on this list. I'll make a copy of it for you, along with my alchemy notes from the afternoon."
Fred and George exchanged looks, excitement gleaming in their eyes.
George stepped forward, hugging Lynn's neck, while Fred joined in, wrapping his arm around Lynn's shoulders.
"You're a true brother!"
"He's absolutely amazing, I'm overwhelmed!"
"Then our alchemy knowledge--"
"--we entrust it to our dear Lynn!"
The twins sang in unison, their words filled with joy.
Lynn agreed and arranged to go to Hogsmeade with the twins through the secret passage the next day.
After parting ways with the Weasley twins, Lynn went to the Hogwarts library and borrowed five books at once.
According to Professor Green's request, he only needed to remember the knowledge from the first three books to truly grasp the basics of alchemy. The last two books would help him familiarize himself with and practice basic alchemy.
Books in the wizarding world often contain a lot of unnecessary information, with only a small portion being useful. Even though the books Lynn borrowed had been carefully selected by Professor Green, the useful knowledge in each book accounted for no more than one-third of its content.
This is why most Defense Against the Dark Arts professors at Hogwarts prefer practical lessons. Even Gilderoy Lockhart, as clueless as he was at first, started with a practical lesson.
Of course, there are exceptions, like a certain pink-haired Ministry employee.
These nonsensical textbooks are also why the grades of young witches and wizards are generally poor.
However, Lynn, who had studied Chinese in high school, had a knack for extracting information. Plus, more than a decade of exam-oriented education made him much more efficient at learning than ordinary people.
In just one day, Lynn finished reading one-third of the first book.
At that moment, it was time for Lynn and the Weasley twins to head to Hogsmeade as agreed.
Lynn set aside the book he was reading, slung a canvas bag with an Extension Charm around his waist, and quickly left the Slytherin common room, making his way to the fourth floor.
Soon, Lynn arrived at the statue of the One-Eyed Witch on the fourth floor and saw Fred and George waiting behind it.
"Come on!" George called Lynn over, then tapped the One-Eyed Witch with his wand, saying, "Dissendium!"
The hump-backed statue of the One-Eyed Witch opened, revealing a large hole big enough for a thin person to enter.
"I saw Filch still in the broom cupboard on the first floor. Let's go!" George quickly glanced at the Marauder's Map in his hand, led the way into the passage, and proceeded forward.
Lynn and Fred followed closely behind. After entering the passage, Fred cast a spell to seal the entrance, restoring it to its original state.
The trio advanced through the secret passage and soon encountered a stone slide. They slid down it for a long distance before landing in the cold, damp mud at the bottom.
It was pitch black, and they couldn't see anything around them.
"Lumos!"
"Lumos!"
Fred and George cast the Wand-Lighting Charm simultaneously, illuminating their wands.
Lynn waved his wand, conjuring a ball of fire to float beside him. The red flame shone brightly, outshining the light from the Weasley twins' wands.
"You're making us look useless," Fred complained softly, extinguishing the light on his wand along with George.
Lynn smiled and explained, "The light from the Wand-Lighting Charm appears at the tip of the wand, blocking the magic flow and preventing us from casting other spells simultaneously. If we encounter danger, we have to extinguish the charm first. The flame conjured by the Fire-Making Spell is an independent light source, allowing us to cast other magic while maintaining it, which is much safer."
Although Lynn knew the secret passage led to the Honeydukes cellar, his cautious nature prompted him to leave room for retreat at all times.
"Cool!"
"You're quite knowledgeable!"
The twins praised Lynn, raising their thumbs.
Observing their surroundings, Lynn noted that they were in a narrow, short dirt passage that resembled a giant rabbit hole more than a tunnel.
The three proceeded cautiously and eventually reached a trapdoor.
On the other side was a cellar filled with crates and wooden boxes.
They quickly slipped out of the cellar and descended the stairs to Honeydukes' shop.
Every weekend, Honeydukes would be filled with countless young witches and wizards from Hogwarts, and today was no exception.
Honeydukes' shop wasn't very large, so Lynn, Fred, and George easily blended into the crowd as they made their way to the shop's entrance.
"Finally, fresh air!"
"Yeah, I was suffocating, especially with that old lady's perfume!"
Fred and George gasped for air.
Lynn smiled and asked, "Hungry? I'll treat you!"
Fred and George looked at each other and replied in unison, "Whatever you want. We don't really want to go in!"
Hearing this, Lynn shrugged and returned to Honeydukes alone. As he saw the shelves stocked with treats, he thought about what to get.
(End of this chapter)