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The space inside the grimoire was expanding day by day because Sean kept grinding away at the grimoire's proficiency.
Now the grimoire had reached [Novice] level. At this rate, Sean would be able to create two master-level advanced alchemical objects by his second year at the latest.
Complete the last category, and he could become an alchemy master in his second year.
That also meant his arsenal would be richer, and he'd be better equipped to handle the magical world's accidents and dangers.
Beyond that, he'd been considering how to ask Grandpa Marcus for a practice session.
So time came to the third morning.
Marcus sat leisurely in his usual armchair reading the newspaper, wisps of steam rising from his tea.
"Grandpa Marcus..." Sean said.
Marcus quickly folded the newspaper and looked at the young wizard with a smile.
After hearing the request, he hesitated slightly—he hadn't forgotten how embarrassed he'd been last time.
"Looks like you've made considerable progress again. Oh, truly gratifying," Marcus said tentatively.
"Just gained a little bit," Sean answered honestly.
"Good! Then use your strongest magic to the fullest—you'll find that your Grandpa Marcus was praised by the Auror Office as the most impregnable wall!" Marcus was instantly filled with confidence.
Of course, his dear little Green was a rare genius in wizarding history, but even geniuses couldn't be that unreasonable, right?
A twelve-year-old wizard defeating a veteran Auror who'd fought for ten years—that didn't happen in the magical world.
Sean also felt a bit excited. As they walked toward the field, he opened his panel:
[Name: Sean Green]
[Transfiguration Talent: Purple (Transfiguration Master title equipped). Note: Average wizards are green]
[Transfiguration Categories:
Magical Transfiguration: Novice Level (70/900)
Material Transfiguration: Skilled Level (50/3000)
Soul Transfiguration: Skilled Level (200/3000)]
[Evaluation: A wizard who reaches Master level in Transfiguration begins to show combat strength among masters, possessing a depth of Transfiguration magic that lower-level wizards can barely imagine]
Master-level Transfiguration, considering his physical constitution wasn't exceptional...
Overall assessment: he should barely be able to fight an elite Auror.
Sean looked down further:
[Dark Magic Talent: Gold (Dark Magic Acolyte title equipped). Note: Average wizards are green]
[Impediment Jinx: Master Level (700/?)]
[Petrification Curse: Master Level (100/?)]
[Sectumsempra: Master Level (300/?)]
[Reductor Curse: Expert Level (2000/9000)]
...
[Advancement: Seven master-level Dark Magic spells can unlock the Dark Magic field master-level title]
[Evaluation: You are a historically rare genius in the Dark Magic field. Dark Magic actively embraces you. You are a natural Dark Magic prodigy]
Dark Magic was always where Sean spent the least time but gained the most.
Even without any emotional enhancement, his understanding of Dark Magic knowledge was practically instant learning, instant mastery.
Not to mention that recently, he'd been serving detention in the dungeons quite often.
His Dark Magic progress changed as fast as Professor Snape's facial expressions.
By now, he had three master-level Dark Magic curses. At this rate, he might very well become a Dark Magic master by third year.
Just barely keeping up with the plan.
He just didn't know whether he could defeat an elite Auror like Marcus.
Thinking this, they'd already arrived at an open area.
"Use your full strength!" Marcus raised his wand, looking very spirited.
"I'm starting," Sean said.
"Come on—let me see what progress you've made—" Marcus shouted.
"Impedimenta. Petrificus Totalus," Sean said, wand level. Grey-white light flashed past.
The Elder Wand seemed like it hadn't released magic this freely in a long time. The entire wand body trembled slightly without affecting the spellcasting.
"Finite! Protego!" Marcus responded calmly.
But he'd clearly forgotten something.
Last time they dueled, the young wizard had been practicing Animagus transformation using nonverbal spells. Now he was speaking the incantations aloud.
As everyone knew, that made them stronger than nonverbal spells.[1]
"Something's wrong..." Marcus instantly Apparated to another location.
Where he'd just been standing, the grass first slowed down, then literally petrified and stopped moving entirely.
"Not bad—but that level isn't enough, child!" Marcus said.
"I understand, Grandpa Marcus," Sean nodded.
Then, as if he'd made some decision, when he opened his eyes with a bit of excitement, his gaze had sharpened considerably.
"Dragon's Wing Flare—" Sean pointed his wand diagonally upward and commanded.
Under Marcus's disbelieving gaze, he witnessed an absolutely terrifying sight:
A red dragon made of flames, five meters tall, with a ring of strange thin spikes around its face, was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air.
But it wasn't over yet. Sean muttered and thrust his wand downward:
"Stone Guardian Rise—"
Marcus couldn't feel his legs. He suspected they were probably trembling.
He couldn't move at all, could only watch as a five-meter-tall stone statue burst from the ground and charged toward him. Every step it took shook the earth.
Across from him, Sean's face turned pale.
These two Transfiguration spells had nearly reached his limit.
But he still had some mental energy left.
As for these two spells—long ago, after he got Professor Dumbledore's notes, after he became a Transfiguration master, he'd once thought he'd reached a profound but slow realm in Transfiguration.
But after understanding ritual magic, he suddenly realized—why couldn't Transfiguration be a type of ritual?
Just because wizards hadn't found the right incantations and wand movements didn't mean they didn't exist.
So "Dragon's Wing Flare" became his first test subject.
Like "Stone Guardian Rise," it greatly reduced the mental energy he expended.
"Grandpa Marcus, I'm going all out now!" Sean suddenly said.
"What—?!" Marcus was about to Apparate when this inexplicable statement interrupted him. He stared wide-eyed at the young wizard.
At the same time, he realized he couldn't sense his legs not because of numbness, but because vines that had appeared from nowhere had wrapped around them. Even worse, some conjured stones were gripping his legs tightly.
Sean steadied his exhausted body, but his gaze grew even sharper.
"Grandpa Marcus, watch out—"
His robes whipped loudly in the cold wind. The tip of his wand erupted with brilliant light.