Chapter 137: Shield Charm, Disillusionment Charm, and Apparition

As dusk settled, the remnants of the sunset's glow faded away, along with the joyous laughter of the gathering.

With Draco, Neville, and the others having left, the room reverted to its usual tranquility and coolness.

In the second-floor bedroom, a bronze candlestick on a large wooden desk burned softly, casting a gentle orange glow.

Ino was engrossed in a thick, three-inch book in front of him.

"Standard Book of Spells" by Miranda Goshawk, without any prefixes or the usual divisions of beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.

This was the complete, unabridged version of the "Standard Book of Spells." Apart from the three Unforgivable Curses, it contained nearly every spell known to wizards.

This book was Draco's Christmas gift. Ino suspected Lucius had arranged it.

To be honest, he was pleasantly surprised when he unwrapped the gift. For some peculiar reason, this unabridged version of the "Standard Book of Spells" rarely circulated since its publication, making it a treasure trove of knowledge.

Even in the Hogwarts Library, this book was locked away in the Restricted Section.

So, after everyone left, he couldn't wait to dive into it.

Although magic, in theory, should be practiced thoroughly rather than broadly, there were certain essential spells one needed to learn.

Ino was hunched over the desk, meticulously copying spells onto a piece of parchment.

Among the hundreds and thousands of spells in the book, he carefully selected some of the most practical ones: the Shield Charm, Disillusionment Charm, Obscuro, Apparition, Healing Charm, and the Undetectable Extension Charm.

None were offensive spells, but these were the true essentials.

Particularly the iconic Apparition and the Undetectable Extension Charm, which offered the highest value for their utility.

Late into the night, the candlestick on the desk continued to burn quietly.

After copying the final spell, Ino slowly closed the book and then, along with the book, vanished from the spot.

Even placing such a precious book in his suitcase made him uneasy; only in the sanctuary did he feel it was truly safe.

---

On the fifth morning of the holiday.

Hogsmeade, No. 282. A dilapidated, rickety house.

Standing in front of the house, Ino nervously opened the copy of the Daily Prophet he had with him.

In a small corner on the last page of the newspaper, there was a small advertisement:

"Boch Training, Rapid Spellcasting Course, Apparition Crash Course, Stable, Reliable, Efficient. Address..."

He couldn't shake the feeling that this reminded him of Filch.

But since he was already here, he decided to go in and take a look. Apparition, in particular, needed supervision; practicing it alone could lead to being splinched, a potentially fatal outcome.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Ino carefully knocked on the door, afraid that too much force might cause the shaky door to collapse.

"The door's unlocked! Come in." A rough voice called from inside.

He pushed the door open and entered.

The room wasn't very large, roughly ten square meters. In the center sat a shabby, alcohol-stained middle-aged man.

From his appearance, it seemed likely he wasn't a native of England; his rough skin and deep-set eyes made him look more like an Eastern European.

"Welcome to Boch Training! Rapid Spellcasting Course, 3 Galleons per week. Apparition Course, 5 Galleons per week. Ministry of Magic certified, honest and reliable!"

Though his speech was coherent, Ino could clearly see the man was intoxicated, his slightly reddened eyes and the wet stains on his shirt were clear evidence.

"I'm not drunk, don't worry about that! Two bottles of vodka are just an appetizer for breakfast." The man explained, seemingly accustomed to being misunderstood.

Hearing about vodka, Ino felt relieved; after all, people from that region were known for their low tolerance. Perhaps due to the environment or other reasons, many people there indeed treated strong spirits like water.

"I want to enroll in the Apparition course, but you mentioned certification from the Ministry of Magic?"

The middle-aged man, sensing business, stood up and walked over to a cabinet. Standing nearly two meters tall, his imposing figure was somewhat intimidating.

Moments later.

Ino looked at a certificate stamped with the Ministry of Magic's seal, feeling the same aura as his house deed, he dispelled his last doubts.

Despite the shabby surroundings, it was officially certified.

He was reassured, but the middle-aged man brought up another issue.

"How old are you? You need to be 17 to enroll in the Apparition course!"

"I'm 18!"

Faced with this question requiring tact, Ino responded with the best possible answer without hesitation.

Sure enough, the middle-aged man turned a blind eye.

"18, huh? That's good! Now pay and sign the contract, we can start immediately!"

---

Behind the dilapidated house was an open space.

After handing over the 5 Galleons tuition, Ino naturally began his training there.

He also learned that the middle-aged man's name was Boch, a Russian wizard. He seemed to be a man with a story, as he revealed nothing beyond his name.

Meanwhile, Boch came over, carrying two large bottles of Dittany and several obstacles resembling roadblocks.

"Whether you know it or not, I must reiterate the three key elements of Apparition: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation."

Boch explained while setting up conspicuous obstacles around the open space.

"But this is a special training course, so we have a unique method. You just need to focus on the space one meter away, then firmly recite the incantation, and don't worry about anything else."

Seeing someone was there to supervise, with Dittany ready, Ino felt at ease. After all, it was a Ministry-certified institution.

He adjusted his breathing, drew his wand, and focused on the space one meter away.

---

"Apparate!"

In an instant, everything around Ino darkened, followed by an immense pressure from all sides. He felt suffocated, as if his entire body was being squeezed into a tiny rubber tube.

He didn't know how long it lasted, but finally, the rubber tube burst.

He was expelled out, the pressure releasing suddenly, and tears and snot flowed uncontrollably.

It took a while for him to regain his senses.

"I believe you're 18 now! Alright, lesson's over! Though it's not a full week, there's no refund."

Boch's rough voice sounded again.

"I've learned it? Just like that..." Ino muttered, looking around. With the roadblocks as a reference, he easily noticed he had moved to the space one meter away.

The process was so simple it felt surreal.

"How else would you expect it? But you've learned it. Should I go buy you some fireworks from Zonko's? Don't worry, I'll cover the cost!"

Boch seemed exasperated. If possible, he didn't want it to be this way either.

After running the training for years, this was the first time something like this happened. He had just collected the fee, and it seemed like he might have to refund it before it even warmed up.

"No need for fireworks!" Seeing Boch's troubled expression, Ino shook his head with a smile.

"I plan to come here daily for an hour of practice for the next week, is that alright?"

"Of course! I'm here all day, feel free to come anytime!" Boch agreed firmly, as long as there was no talk of refunding the tuition, everything else was fine.

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