Ultimately, Maurise agreed to sell over a dozen vials of the Draught of Living Death to Algernon at strict cost price.
It was essentially a favor that also helped him clear out some excess inventory. Ever since he had mastered entering the Gap Dimension without pharmacological assistance, the massive stockpile of sleeping potions had been sitting uselessly in his trunk.
As for what Algernon planned to do with over a dozen doses of highly restricted, comatose-inducing potion, Maurise simply did not care. It was none of his business what other people did in their free time.
For the remainder of the gathering, Maurise engaged in lively discussions with the other members. He had to admit, Robert had excellent taste in recruits. Every single student present was highly intelligent, completely capable of keeping up with Maurise's rapid train of thought, and even offered genuinely insightful contributions of their own.
So this was the true essence of Ravenclaw? Hogwarts certainly had no shortage of exceptional students.
As the meeting drew to a close, Maurise posed a casual question. "If I wanted to learn how to Apparate, how would I go about doing that?"
He had been intensely interested in the instantaneous travel spell for quite some time, but he had never managed to find any practical instructional manuals in the library.
Robert, who was currently engrossed in a heavy textbook, answered without looking up. "Apparition is strictly an elective course for sixth-years. Every year, the Ministry of Magic dispatches official Apparition instructors to the school to conduct a twelve-week training program."
"What if I want to learn it right now?" Maurise did not mince words, his tone perfectly candid. "I firmly believe I can master it quite quickly."
A second-year student boldly declaring they could master a highly complex, potentially lethal spell that many adult wizards struggled with. Truthfully, it sounded incredibly arrogant.
Robert closed his book and simply chuckled. "I can teach you the theory, and I know exactly how to handle Splinching if it occurs. However, we absolutely cannot practice on school grounds. As I am sure you are aware, Apparition is strictly prohibited within Hogwarts."
"I would greatly appreciate your help," Maurise said. "I will gladly compensate you for your time."
In reality, as long as he knew the correct incantation and the fundamental principles of the spell, he was confident he could eventually figure it out through trial and error. However, having an experienced instructor present would undoubtedly save him an immense amount of time and unnecessary pain. Why pass up a perfectly good opportunity?
"No need for payment," Robert waved his hand dismissively. "I am more than happy to help you out. Let us schedule it for next Saturday. It is a Hogsmeade weekend. We can find a quiet, secluded spot outside the village. Ah, wait, I forgot. Second-years are not allowed to visit Hogsmeade yet."
"I will figure something out," Maurise replied smoothly. "I will see you in Hogsmeade on Saturday."
***
Saturday morning, in a deserted, snow-covered clearing just outside Hogsmeade village.
"Vise Evanesca!"
The instant the incantation left his lips, Maurise's body vanished with a sharp, echoing crack. A fraction of a second later, he materialized beneath a towering pine tree several yards away.
He stumbled half a step before quickly regaining his balance.
'Ugh...'
How could he describe the sensation? It felt exactly like being violently forced through an incredibly tight rubber tube. It was the exact same sickening feeling he had experienced when Professor McGonagall had Apparated him two years ago.
Standing a short distance away, Robert began clapping enthusiastically. "Success on your very first try! That is absolutely brilliant, Maurise. How are you feeling?"
For some inexplicable reason, Robert found it perfectly normal that Maurise had mastered the spell so effortlessly.
"Not too bad," Maurise nodded, brushing himself off. "I believe I have grasped the fundamental trick to it. Thank you for your guidance, Robert."
Robert shrugged. "I merely taught you the incantation and the three D's. Do you want to continue practicing?"
"There is no need," Maurise replied, patting the remaining snow off his robes. "Come on. Let us head to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer. My treat."
***
Upon returning to his dormitory from Hogsmeade, Maurise felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Having mastered Apparition, he now possessed an incredibly convenient method of travel.
The only remaining issue was the Ministry's Trace. If he wanted to use Apparition freely in the Muggle world, he had to find a way to circumvent the magical tracking spell. Fortunately, he already had a few solid theories on how to accomplish that.
He pulled open his desk drawer and retrieved a small gemstone roughly the size of his thumbnail. The stone itself was quite unremarkable, sporting a cloudy, dull black surface.
Maurise had painstakingly carved a series of intricate runic arrays onto its surface, specifically designed to conceal and absorb magical signatures. However, whether it could actually fool the Ministry's Trace required practical field testing. He planned to conduct those experiments during the upcoming summer holidays.
After securely stowing the gemstone away, Maurise found himself with some free time. He reached for Tom Riddle's worn black notebook.
Come to think of it, he had completely ignored the Dark Lord for an entire week. It was high time they had a little chat.
Dipping his quill in ink, Maurise quickly scribbled a line on the blank parchment. "Are you there, Tom?"
The ink was rapidly absorbed. Almost simultaneously, Tom replied. "I am here, Mark. Do you have another academic question for me?"
Just as Maurise was about to write out a casual response, the text on the page suddenly shifted and morphed on its own accord. "I am afraid I must enter a state of deep slumber for a while, Mark."
Maurise's eyes narrowed dangerously.
'Ah. So it seems the entity is finally making its move.'
He quickly wrote back. "Why is that?"
Tom: "Maintaining this level of constant communication consumes far more magical energy than I had anticipated. I require a significant period of rest to restore my reserves. Or..."
"Or what?"
Tom: "Or, you could share some of your magic with me."
'There it is.'
After laying down so much groundwork and playing the perfect tutor for weeks, the diary was finally revealing a sliver of its true intentions.
The corners of Maurise's mouth curled into a dark smile. He wrote, "Share my magic with you? Is that safe? For you, or for me? And how exactly would I even do that?"
Tom's response came slightly faster this time, carrying an undertone of eagerness. "It is perfectly safe. For you, it merely requires expelling a small amount of excess magical energy, similar to casting a slightly taxing spell. The method is incredibly simple. All I require is a few drops of your blood."
Maurise stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He was certainly not foolish enough to blindly follow the diary's instructions. Merlin only knew what kind of horrific Dark Magic a teenage Dark Lord could perform with a vial of his blood.
He replied, "Perhaps I can just give you raw magic directly."
Tom: "What exactly do you mean by that?"
Maurise stood up and retrieved a Gap Energy Crystal from his secure trunk. If Tom simply needed magic, he had plenty of raw fuel on hand. The Gap Energy Crystals were essentially highly condensed, physical manifestations of magical power, albeit with a few minor chaotic impurities. Using a crystal meant completely avoiding any direct physical connection to himself.
He was incredibly curious to see what the diary was actually plotting.
Maurise placed the shimmering crystal directly onto the open pages of the notebook. A few seconds later, the crystal dissolved into a dense white mist, which was eagerly and entirely absorbed by the ancient parchment.
"How was that, Tom?"
Tom: "...It was acceptable, Mark. However, I still strongly prefer receiving your blood directly. The innate magic contained within your blood will allow me to recover significantly faster."
'So, the entity is definitely after my blood for a specific, sinister reason.'
'Ha. Absolutely not happening.'
Maurise wrote back bluntly. "Maybe next time, Tom. I am slightly hemophobic."
It was a hilariously pathetic excuse.
The diary fell into a prolonged, dead silence that lasted for nearly half a minute.
Deciding to pour salt on the wound, Maurise added, "Alright, Tom, as my dear friend, I will tell you the absolute truth. I suffer from a rare, terrible affliction. The moment I start bleeding, I immediately fall into a deep, comatose state. Sometimes it lasts for a few hours, sometimes for several days. It is a highly unfortunate genetic condition. So, it isn't that I don't want to help you, it is just that I literally cannot."
Tom finally replied. "I completely understand."
Maurise did not bother writing another word. He simply snapped the notebook shut. He genuinely wondered how long it would take for the Dark Lord to realize he was being fed a load of utter nonsense.