From the misty vision, Ivan appeared to be around 15 years old.
Though this was only an estimate based on appearance, the Disguise Charm made it difficult to judge the exact timing of the scene.
Beside Ivan in the vision stood Penelope, poised and natural, reminiscent of how Vinda Rosier once stood beside Grindelwald.
It was evident that Penelope would join Ivan's team in the future, supporting him unwaveringly.
"Ahh! Where is this place?" Penelope asked, noticing the crowd of adult wizards in the image.
They were all focused intently on Ivan, the boy at the center, listening to him speak.
"Père Lachaise Cemetery," Ivan replied.
"Where is that?"
"It's not in England—it's in Paris, France."
This was Ivan's second time viewing this particular prophecy. "I'm not sure why we'd go there, but based on what we're seeing, it seems we're the ones initiating the gathering."
The scene bore an uncanny resemblance to Grindelwald's rally, as Ivan remembered it.
The same location, the same intense attention.
If there were ever another prophecy of the future, Ivan realized it might look strikingly similar to Grindelwald's actions in Paris.
"Looks like we'll be causing quite a stir in the future," Penelope said, feeling a bit of nervousness as she took a few steadying breaths to calm herself.
Fortunately, Penelope wasn't too frightened.
From the moment she saw Ivan take down the troll effortlessly, she knew that this younger student was bound to reach the pinnacle of the wizarding world.
"So, we're really going to stir things up in Paris."
Ivan looked at the villa door just ahead and slowly pushed it open. "But whatever our plans are by then, we have to make sure we're safe first."
Ivan was serious about this.
Reaching the goal was ideal, but if they failed, there would always be another chance.
The last thing he wanted was for any of his companions to be harmed.
Well, maybe except Ronald.
That guy liked being in the spotlight anyway.
The first bird to stick its head out often got shot. If danger arose, Ivan felt Ronald's enthusiasm might just handle it without any issue.
"Then why would I go to the Ministry of Magic?"
"I have a theory," Ivan replied thoughtfully. "You'll be graduating from Hogwarts in two years, and by then, Harry and his friends will only be in their third year."
The team was still young, and Ivan doubted they'd be ready for anything too ambitious just yet.
Rather than going it alone, Ivan preferred to build a strong team and lead them to achieve greatness together.
"Excuse me for being blunt," Penelope said, "but the gap between us and you, Ivan, is huge."
For Ivan, she, Harry, and Hermione often felt like they were just along for the ride. A group of young wizards, lucky if they didn't slow Ivan down.
"That's not necessarily true," Ivan replied with a smile. "The gap is there, sure, but saying you're dispensable is a bit much."
They walked into the living room, and Ivan cast a household charm, setting kitchen utensils and cleaning tools in motion to prepare lunch.
"Is it safe to cast like this?" Penelope asked, watching the enchanted tools go about their tasks.
"Don't worry," Ivan assured her, opening his palm. "Pure wandless magic—the Trace can't pick it up."
"Anything you want to eat?"
"I'm easy to please," Penelope replied with a smile. "Not picky at all."
"Hehe~ Alright," Ivan said, tapping his fingers as he quickly settled on a recipe.
In the kitchen, pots and pans sprang to life. The refrigerator opened, ingredients jumped out, and everything from cleaning to chopping began, as if the kitchen itself were working in perfect harmony.
"I always think this is the magic every housewife dreams of learning," Ivan mused.
One of his favorite things in the wizarding world was these small spells that made everyday life so convenient.
They were easy to learn, and nearly anyone could master them. The only catch was the skill level of the caster—just like cooking itself. A wizard first had to know how to cook, and then magic could fill in the gaps. But the final taste still depended on the chef's real talent.
Tasks like washing clothes and cleaning involved attaching the wizard's intent to the objects, letting them work automatically.
"It's a shame Muggles can't learn these," Penelope said, thinking of her mother's many complaints when her father was still alive.
She found it hard to believe Muggles had to do so many things by hand that could be solved with just a flick of a wand.
"All done," Ivan said as he turned on the TV and settled on the sofa beside her. "Now, let's get back to our earlier topic.
"I think the reason you'll end up working at the Ministry of Magic is probably because I'll ask you to."
"Ah..."
Penelope quickly caught on and asked, "You mean... you want me to go undercover at the Ministry of Magic?"
"Most likely!" Ivan replied. "Have you heard of the Department of Mysteries, senior?"
"The... Department of Mysteries?" Penelope was unfamiliar with the term, given that it was a highly secretive division with virtually no external contact.
"Yes, the Department of Mysteries," Ivan explained. "It's a special department within the Ministry of Magic. The people who work there are called Unspeakables, and they're bound by contract magic that prevents them from revealing any research or findings to outsiders."
"A place like that really exists?" Penelope's interest was piqued, but Ivan had no intention of sending her in just yet—it was far too dangerous.
"The binding power of contract magic is nothing to underestimate," he said plainly. "It's too risky to go in as an infiltrator. If we ever do, I'd lead the team myself."
His tone was firm, and Penelope nodded, showing she understood. "So my role in the Ministry would be to gather information on the Department of Mysteries?"
"Exactly," Ivan replied. The senior realized her task would be to find her way into the Ministry and learn what she could about the elusive Department of Mysteries.
At the same time, she also needed to gather as much information as possible about that department. "I understand," Penelope agreed, accepting the mission.
The senior had her own commitment to her work. Since she decided to support Ivan, she was resolved to follow through. Although going undercover at the Ministry of Magic seemed a little extreme, it wasn't unheard of in the wizarding world. Every pure-blood family had their own spies within the Ministry, so why couldn't Ivan?
Penelope thought proudly, I'll be the spy my junior will place in the Ministry of Magic!
"Let's eat first," Ivan said, noticing that lunch was ready. He levitated the plates, allowing them to float smoothly over to the dining table.
"Alright," Penelope replied, standing up gracefully. They shared a delightful and satisfying lunch, leaving her quite content.
Afterward, Ivan explained his next steps. "I plan to cast the Fidelius Charm, making this manor a secret bound within my soul."
"Wait, you already mastered it?" Penelope asked, surprised. "I remember you only got the spell from Professor Dumbledore just before Christmas break."
In just three days, Ivan had learned the Fidelius Charm, an ancient spell that almost 99% of wizards couldn't master.
At this point, Penelope felt she'd become immune to shock—Ivan was simply on another level.
"I think I'm almost ready," Ivan said, acknowledging that the Fidelius Charm was indeed complex.
However, no matter how challenging a spell might be, it was inevitable that he'd test it eventually. Now, the time had come.
"Don't worry, even if it fails, it won't be a big issue," he reassured Penelope.
Ivan's soul was exceptionally strong; other wizards might suffer backlash if they failed to cast such a spell, but he wouldn't. With a soul attribute of 5 points, his resilience was extraordinary.
In the case of the Fidelius Charm, the magic hides a secret within the soul of a chosen Secret-Keeper. Theoretically, a Secret-Keeper can only hold one secret in their soul, regardless of their magical prowess.
Curious about this limit, Ivan had asked Dumbledore how many secrets one person could hold.
The old headmaster didn't keep it a mystery; he revealed that he had been the Secret-Keeper for many friends. Even now, there were still five secrets kept safely within Dumbledore's soul.
'Yes, the old man is very capable!' Ivan thought, almost in awe of the implications.
The soul of an average wizard might only be capable of holding a single secret, but Dumbledore could hold five! Ivan estimated Dumbledore's soul attribute was exceedingly high, maybe not quite at 5 points but likely very close to 4.
This realization led Ivan to ponder his own potential, especially regarding how many secrets he could guard through the Fidelius Charm.
'I think I could probably hold over 10 secrets!'
The staggering number wasn't surprising when he considered Dumbledore's five.
There seemed to be a substantial leap between 4 and 5 soul points, signifying a profound difference. At 4 points, one could likely keep around five secrets, but at 5, over ten. It made Ivan wonder if Dumbledore's five secrets were truly his limit or if he could hold even more.
"So, do you need me to step out?" Penelope asked, sensing Ivan was preparing for the charm.
"No need." Ivan shook his head, explaining, "The Fidelius Charm isn't that rigid."
After all, if someone were to cast the charm on a house, it wouldn't require them to expel every last snake, bug, or rodent within. The Fidelius Charm was versatile, not an inconvenience like that.
"Everything within the manor will become part of the secret held by the Fidelius Charm," Ivan explained.
"But there's one condition: this secret only applies within the area defined by the Fidelius Charm itself," he continued. "Since you're in the manor now, I'll be embedding the location within my soul as the Secret Keeper."
Once the charm was completed, Penelope wouldn't lose any memory of the manor as long as she remained inside. However, once she stepped outside, any recollection of the place would vanish, unless she learned of its existence directly from Ivan after leaving.
"What an incredible magic," Penelope murmured, her fascination evident. "This is truly the realm of the soul. Sometimes, I wonder when I'll be able to grasp magic on this level."
"You will, someday," Ivan replied, giving her a reassuring look before calling out, "Yumi, bring my wand!"
The Fidelius Charm required immense magical strength, and without his sycamore wand, even Ivan doubted his ability to cast it successfully.
"Meow~~" Yumi appeared from the other side, carrying the sycamore wand in her mouth, padding over to Ivan with an air of purpose.
The little cat was very resentful at this time.
Just now, she first took Penelope's wand into the secret realm of the closet and then retrieved Ivan's sycamore wand from the room over there.
The back and forth made the cat tired.
"Okay, okay, I know you're working hard."
Ivan took out a handful of dried fish and handed it to Yuumi. "Come on, eat up."
"Meow~~"
The little cat then lowered her head in satisfaction, happily eating the tribute from her master.
"So cute."
Penelope stepped forward, picked up Yuumi, and put her in her arms, using her other hand to feed her more dried fish.
The girl sat on the steps in front of the villa, watching her junior holding the wand and beginning to chant.
"Hmm?"
As she watched, Penelope frowned slightly as she noticed something unusual.
It looked like Ivan was holding the wand and casting a spell now.
"Huh?!"
Realizing what she was seeing, Penelope reacted with surprise. "This… this is also possible?"
She noticed it!
The operating principle of the trace thread is that when an underaged wizard casts a spell near the magic wand, it will be detected by the Ministry of Magic.
The magic wand here not only refers to the little wizard's magic wand, but also other people's magic wands.
So In order to break the bondage of the trace, the young wizard needs to use wandless spells while ensuring that there is no wand in a certain area around.
Now, Ivan casts a spell, still holding his own wand to cast the Fidelius spell.
The spell of the Fidelius spell is very complicated and cannot be completed in one or two minutes.
However, as Ivan continued to recite, invisible power began to cover the entire manor.
At the same time, the trace that was supposed to be activated also began to lose its effectiveness after sending out the signal.
"The location cannot be determined..."
A logical judgment appeared in Penelope's mind: "The trace will detect Ivan casting a spell and fed back the information to the Ministry of Magic. "
However, there will be no problem!
That is, the Ministry of Magic cannot obtain any information about the manor!
Because of the Fidelius Charm, everything related to the manor will become a secret, hidden in Ivan's soul.
In a disguised way, this is to directly erase a certain concept from the real world.
Even though Ivan was still casting the spell, once he completed it, the Ministry would lose its target and be unable to track him and forget things related to this place.
Of course, even if Ivan fails to cast the spell, it will not be that terrible.
At worst, he can tell the Ministry of Magic that he is experimenting with magic.
With Dumbledore behind him and being a first-time offender, Ivan, who is familiar with the Ministry of Magic's law enforcement rules, will receive the most serious punishment, which is just a warning letter.
'One magic, testing the reactions of both sides at the same time.'
Feeling the magic that was almost successful, Ivan said to himself: 'Now I just need to test the working method of the trace thread, and also use the trace thread to see if the Fidelius Charm is really that invincible. '
'Hmm.. From what I can see now!'
'It's just as I thought,'
Ivan: 'The secrecy mechanism of the Fidelius Spell still needs to be under the supervision of the hospital!'
__________
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An invisible breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the leaves. Despite the lack of any visible barrier, it felt as if the manor existed in a separate world from everything beyond its grounds.
"Success," Ivan murmured, lowering his wand and exhaling in relief.
To his eyes, nothing within the manor appeared different, but he knew the spell had worked.
The Fidelius Charm had sealed every detail of the manor within his soul, turning it into a secret known only to him.
"What an incredible feeling," Ivan said, glancing at his wrist, where the trace that once wrapped around it had vanished entirely.
Just as he'd hoped, the Fidelius Charm's effect had overridden the trace's monitoring.
"Yuumi," he called.
Yuumi's face dropped into an adorable look of exasperation, realizing she'd have to dash back and forth once again.
Life is tough, the little cat seemed to sigh.
"You did it?" Penelope asked, stepping up to Ivan. She glanced around, feeling no apparent difference, just as Ivan had.
"Want to try something?" Ivan suggested and guided her to step just outside the manor's boundary.
The moment Penelope crossed the threshold, she felt a sudden, inexplicable emptiness—as though she'd forgotten something important.
"Did I... forget something?"
The thought flitted through her mind briefly, but soon even that thought slipped away.
"Why am I standing here?" she asked, looking at Ivan with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
"Senior, do you remember what we were just doing?" Ivan asked with a slight smile.
"Of course!" Penelope started to reply confidently, but the words faltered as she stopped, stumped. "Actually... what were we doing just now?"
The Fidelius Charm had swept away any memory tied to the manor.
She remembered meeting Ivan at the Leaky Cauldron, Apparating here, and even having a delightful lunch. But anything beyond that—about the manor or why she had come—was gone entirely.
However, Ivan had anticipated the limitations of the Fidelius Charm when he first studied it.
The more intangible or complex the hidden secret, the more power it required. At Ivan's current magical capacity, he could perhaps hide a small town, but doing so would drain his magic and soul energy completely.
He and Penelope ran a series of tests to check the charm's effectiveness.
The results confirmed that the manor was flawlessly concealed. Ivan tried multiple spells and even enhanced detection techniques but couldn't trace the manor's existence from the outside world.
Finally, Ivan took Penelope's hand and led her back into the manor himself.
"Where is this?!" Penelope exclaimed as they crossed the threshold. The moment she stepped inside, her forgotten memories flooded back with startling clarity.
"Ah!"
"I remember now!" Penelope's eyes sparkled with awe. "Ivan, you really cast the Fidelius Charm on the manor and hid it!"
"Exactly," Ivan replied with a grin. "From now on, this will be our exclusive base for the mysterious side outside Hogwarts."
"The manor will also function as a safe house to protect our members," he added.
As they spoke, Yuumi trotted over from the villa, looking rather disgruntled. The little cat hesitantly returned Penelope's wand, clearly miffed at having been made the messenger.
"Thank you, Yuumi."
Penelope held Yuumi, comforting her with gentle pats and soothing words.
"Ahem."
Ivan smiled, a bit awkwardly, realizing he'd been treating Yuumi like a little messenger without much regard. If she weren't so loyal thanks to her blood, Yuumi might have run off by now. Any regular cat might've taken to ignoring him entirely by now.
"Don't be mad," Ivan said, stroking Yuumi's head. "Seems we should take care of her first before diving into decorating."
"I was going to ask for your advice anyway, senior," Ivan admitted with a shrug. "You know, decorating isn't exactly a strength for most guys."
"Can I?" Penelope asked, her excitement shining through.
"Of course!" Ivan replied, smiling. "I wanted everyone to help out, but since they're busy, I'm glad to have your help."
"It's my honor," Penelope said happily, eager to begin.
"Meow~~" Yuumi let out a few insistent meows, and Penelope chuckled. "All right, Yuumi, let's make sure you get the attention you deserve first." She said and petted Yuumi a lot.
Penelope quickly sensed something unusual in the gift Ivan had prepared for Yuumi.
"All right," Ivan said. "Senior, have you heard of blood magic?"
"Blood... magic?" Penelope, despite being an exceptionally talented witch at Hogwarts, was unfamiliar with such advanced knowledge without the pure-blood heritage to expose her to it.
"I haven't," Penelope admitted, her curiosity piqued. "It sounds related to magical creatures?"
"Close," Ivan replied, waving his wand as images of various magical creatures appeared in the air. "Magical creatures are born with inherent magic, so they can use it naturally without needing wands or spells."
Blood magic and magical transformation are advanced fields, the kind that most wizards never encounter. Ivan, however, had the unique opportunity to study them, thanks to his talent, Dumbledore's mentorship, and access to Hogwarts' centuries-old library. Through this, he'd come to understand some of the ancient wizards' dark and complex research into blood-based abilities.
"The world of ancient wizards was full of darkness and sacrifice," Ivan explained, noting the grim undertones of these powerful magics.
"Many of the strange magical creatures today are byproducts of ancient wizards' experiments," Ivan explained. "Werewolves and vampires in Europe, mummies in Egypt, zombies in the East… the list goes on."
Penelope listened, wide-eyed. It was hard to fathom how many lives must have been impacted by these dark experiments throughout history.
"Ivan, are you saying you want to help Yuumi regain her ancestral bloodline? Right now?" she asked, clearly stunned. Once again, she felt she had underestimated Ivan's level of knowledge and expertise.
Ivan chuckled at her reaction. "Exactly," he replied. "While most wizards our age are focusing on basic spells, I've been learning some advanced techniques under Dumbledore's guidance."
Penelope shook her head in amazement, realizing how far ahead Ivan was. "Wait, though—how can a cat go back to its ancestors?" she asked, puzzled. "Isn't Yuumi just… well, a cat?"
Ivan smiled. "Not exactly. Yuumi isn't an ordinary pet cat," he explained. "She actually has the bloodline of a magical creature called a Kneazle. What I intend to do is activate that dormant power within her."
"Animals and magical creatures are just like Muggles and wizards," Ivan explained. "Yuumi is essentially a 'wizard' among cats; she has the bloodline of a cat-kneazle."
"Mau Meow!"
He continued, "The term 'cat-kneazle' doesn't refer to any ordinary cat breed. In the wizarding world, cat-kneazles are magical creatures that resemble cats but possess unique traits. They appear gentle but can be quite independent and unpredictable."
"A pure-blooded cat-kneazle has exceptional intelligence and can easily discern good from evil," Ivan added. "They make wonderful companions for wizards with strong moral character, yet they will instinctively react against wizards with bad intentions."
Penelope listened closely, absorbing every detail. She realized how much research Ivan must have invested into uncovering the origins of Yuumi's bloodline.
"I found that the earliest records of the cat-kneazle trace back to ancient Egypt," Ivan continued.
"Egypt?" Penelope repeated, intrigued.
"Yes, Muggles believe Egypt was the first civilization to domesticate cats," Ivan said. "The ancient Egyptians revered cats as guardians, believing them to be keepers of the underworld. They thought cats would protect the spirits of the good while warning off evildoers—a role remarkably similar to that of a kneazle."
"Intelligent, perceptive, and protective, with a strong sense of justice," Ivan summarized. "It's not hard to see why they would naturally be drawn to guard against dark intentions."
"That makes sense," Penelope murmured, looking down at Yuumi, who seemed to understand the conversation.
"Prr~ Meow~ Meow~" Yuumi purred, clearly pleased with Ivan's praise.
"Alright, you're the best," Ivan said, rubbing Yuumi's head gently, making her purr even louder.
"My eyes can perceive the magical composition within magical creatures," Ivan explained, his gaze becoming slightly more intense, his silver-hued eyes catching Penelope's attention.
"It's through this ability that I've managed to analyze the interactions between magic and blood across various creatures," Ivan added.
Although Ivan made it sound simple, Penelope knew that such a feat was unimaginable for most wizards. Even the legendary Salazar Slytherin, renowned for his magical experiments, had required countless trials and often performed grim experiments on animals and magical creatures to advance his studies.
But Ivan didn't need to go through such gruesome methods. His innate ability allowed him to observe the fluctuations in magical power directly, enabling him to identify patterns without a single experiment.
"Using careful calculations and deductions, I developed a potion formula that can help Yuumi revert to her ancestral bloodline," Ivan explained.
Yes, a potion. For bloodline reversion and magical transformation, potions are essential.
Although there are no such potions in the East, there are equivalent alchemical techniques that serve a similar purpose. Both systems extract the essence from materials and rely on precise magical ratios. Neither is superior; they're just different methods.
"Um..." Penelope raised her hand slightly. "What exactly is magical transformation?"
Ivan blinked, momentarily caught off guard by her question. But, on reflection, he realized it wasn't a common topic.
Magical transformation rituals are even rarer than bloodline reversion, mainly because they're extremely dangerous. Out of a hundred wizards attempting magical transformation, perhaps only ten would be able to complete the potion successfully. And even among those ten, the survival rate after drinking the potion at the correct time and place is incredibly low.
Many who attempt it end up twisted or worse, similar to Voldemort, if not more tragic.
This type of knowledge, practically taboo, is hidden deep within even the restricted sections of magical libraries.
"Magical transformation is somewhat like the Animagus transformation," Ivan began. "The specific process involves using extremely complex potion formulas to draw out the magic hidden in nature."
This initial step is crucial, but it's also the most challenging and dangerous part.
"Magic in nature?" Penelope echoed, surprised. "I didn't know there was magic in nature itself."
"Magic is everywhere," Ivan explained. "It attaches itself to all things, whether living beings, plants, microorganisms, or even inanimate objects like stones and water."
He went on to explain that even natural phenomena—like a bolt of lightning flashing across the sky—might contain magic if the circumstances are right. However, not everything holds magic; only certain events occurring at a specific time, in the right place and environment, can harness that vital magic from the void.
"If bloodline reversion is about reviving power that already exists within you," Ivan continued, "then magical transformation is about theft."
In his view, magical transformation was akin to stealing secrets of the universe itself. "Night, death, time, space…" Ivan listed. "Transformation is about drawing these intangible forces into yourself."
There are twelve known directions for magical transformation, he added, each corresponding to twelve paths currently under study.
Every successful magical transformation brings a wizard to a whole new level.
Penelope's heart trembled as she took in Ivan's words.
"Can anyone actually achieve that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The idea of merging a concept as vast as death into oneself was almost beyond comprehension, even terrifying.
"It's precisely because of the difficulty that only a handful of wizards in the magical world have ever completed a magical transformation," Ivan explained.
He had yet to encounter a wizard who could fully integrate such mysterious powers. If anyone managed that, Ivan estimated it would reach the highest level of magic, a six-point attribute in the system's assessment.
"Magical transformation is too advanced for you at this point, Senior Penelope," Ivan said gently.
"Advanced?" Penelope shook her head quickly. "I… I wasn't even considering something like that."
From everything Ivan described, a wizard who could complete a transformation like that would be on the path to greatness. Penelope, just an ordinary witch by comparison, couldn't imagine aspiring to that.
"Nothing is out of reach," Ivan reassured her, sensing her hesitation. "But before anything else, there's a journey to get there. I think you should start by preparing for Animagus Transfiguration."
Penelope's eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying…?"
Ivan met her gaze steadily. "Exactly. I'll guide you through the steps toward a magical transformation."
Knowing the risks of magical transformation, Ivan's words struck Penelope like a death sentence.
"Don't worry too much, Penelope," Ivan reassured her, his form once again surrounded by soft white mist. "If I've decided to guide you in this, it's because I truly believe you can succeed."
"Here, take a look," he said, gesturing for her to observe.
"That's why I think senior can succeed."
After the words fell, pictures appeared again in the surrounding white mist.
There, Penelope, who had opened her eyes and was no longer a young girl, was waving her wand and releasing powerful magic beams.
One person beat more than a dozen Aurors and was still at ease!
_____________
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