บท 105: 105: The Magic Of Hidden Concepts
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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