47. Legilimency

As an animal trainer, it is crucial to have a good relationship with your partner.

Thanks to his constant support, Aurelius's partner is ZouWu.

Skender is not allowing Aurelius to train Zouwu because she is still injured and recovering.

This has given Aurelius ample time to build a relationship with Zouwu in his way.

In his previous life, Aurelius loved cats and had always wanted to raise a Cat. Unfortunately, due to illness, he couldn't fulfill this dream when he had the chance.

Now, who could resist a cat as big as an elephant?

With Zouwu by his side, who cares about that normal cat?

"Legilimency—" Aurelius put down his wand and frowned at a plump mouse in the cage. "Can't you?"

Legilimency is much more difficult than one might imagine. No wonder it can be a profession in itself.

Aurelius wasn't sure if Legilimency could only target people or if he just hadn't succeeded yet, as he couldn't detect any thoughts from the mouse.

But he leaned towards the idea that he simply hadn't learned it yet.

"It's really strange. I completed the seven-year course in less than half a year. It's just a magic spell. I haven't had a clue for several days. Does that make sense?" Aurelius was puzzled.

He believed that he must possess an innate talent for Legilimency.

During Obscurus's final rampage, Aurelius accidentally read Mary's memories. Even if it wasn't Legilimency, it seemed like a similar form of memory-reading magic.

Aurelius highly valued Legilimency. After finishing his regular student studies, he carefully selected a series of spells that he considered to be "must-learn."

This included dangerous but useful black magic like the (Avada Kedavra, Imperio, and Fiendfyre).

Legilimency was one of them.

With this powerful ability, Aurelius had the confidence to challenge the rules, but he knew that he couldn't break them recklessly if he wanted to control them.

Breaking rules is easy; rebuilding them is difficult.

In circumstances like this, Legilimency, with its ability to see into people's minds, became exceedingly important.

Aurelius shook his head, unable to think of anything else to try. So he decided to seek expert advice and took out a full-length mirror, as tall as a person, from the suitcase Skender had given him. It was an exquisite mirror, with intricate patterns and carvings adorning its frame.

"Queenie, are you there?" Aurelius softly called out to the mirror.

Soon, the mirror surface rippled like a stone dropped into a calm lake, and Queenie's image emerged from the mirror, dressed in her pajamas. The double-sided mirror is a magical prop invented by an alchemist hundreds of years ago. It consists of two mirrors that, when used, allow the holder to form an image and achieve the effect of a video call with someone from the past.

This magical prop is extremely rare, with only a few existing ones, and the production method has been lost. However, by chance, Queenie discovered the whereabouts of a pair of these double-sided mirrors, which were found by Aurelius. He used them to contact Queenie and control New York remotely.

"Is something wrong, Aurelius?" Queenie asked.

Aurelius asked his question directly, "Can Legilimency only be used on people?"

"Of course, I think the textbook description is very clear - 'using magic to study other people's multilayered thoughts and make correct interpretations'," Queenie nodded.

Aurelius frowned as he didn't agree. Cats and leopards also have Legilimens abilities. How many people can they communicate with? If Legilimency can only affect people, then the ability of cats and leopards is merely a technique without any practical use. This doesn't make sense.

The Legilimency ability of a cat or leopard must be used for hunting and avoiding natural enemies. If cats and leopards can use it, then why can't the Legilimency spell work?

"Queenie, teach me," Aurelius requested.

As a natural Legilimency master, Queenie learned Legilimency without a teacher. Although she may have wasted her talent somewhat, she possessed enough knowledge to teach Aurelius.

After some verification, Aurelius confirmed that he had learned Legilimency, but he still couldn't read the memory of a mouse. He couldn't believe that it was true.

"It's impossible that you can't read it. As a mammal, mice must have memory," she argued.

"If it has memory, then why can't I read it?" Aurelius questioned.

"If you can't read it, that means your understanding of Legilimency is not yet complete," Queenie explained firmly.

Aurelius, determined not to give up, became obsessed with mastering Legilimency. His purpose for studying it wasn't just to read people's minds, but also to communicate with magical animals using this magical property.

He genuinely believed that this was possible and not simply a joke. Legilimency can read and construct memories, so why shouldn't it be considered a form of communication?

"Isn't it still the highest level of 'divine friendship'?" Aurelius pondered. Many misunderstandings arise from a lack of communication. If he could communicate with magical animals, he could potentially exert some control over them in a simple manner.

There is no doubt that "they" refers to the Zouwu and the yet-to-arrive Phoenix. However, this is a matter that cannot be rushed and is proving to be a waste of time.

Fortunately, while drifting at sea, Aurelius had plenty of time on his hands. He established a good routine of work and rest. Aside from sleeping and eating, he spent his entire day in the animal enclosure with the Zouwu, practicing magic spells along the way.

The Zouwu's leg injury had healed considerably, and its energy levels had also been restored. As a result, it began misbehaving. The small iron cage turned into its amusement park, with the Zouwu leaping up and down. Sometimes, when Aurelius was deeply focused on his practice, the Zouwu would suddenly jump out from behind, open its mouth, stand on its hind legs, flap its paws, and then jump around before scurrying away.

It was cute, albeit mischievous.

Unfortunately, the mouse in the small cage had to endure being the target of Aurelius' attention every day and face the giant cat in fear. Aurelius was not frightened by the Zouwu's pranks, but the mouse was constantly terrified and would collapse on the ground.