Julian drew his wand and settled into a stance that felt natural to him, feet planted and shoulders loose. He fixed his focus downrange on one of the puppets that was weaving unpredictably through the open space.
"AGLAD!"
A thin, blinding white bolt of electricity snapped across the room.
Unfortunately, the puppet shifted at the exact moment he released the spell. The strike missed cleanly, slamming into the far wall instead and leaving behind a blackened scorch mark.
Julian clicked his tongue and tried again.
And again.
He pushed through the entire day like that, refusing to stop, even skipping dinner as stubborn determination drove him forward. With every attempt, the spell became more familiar in his hand. His control tightened, his timing improved, and the strength behind each bolt climbed rapidly.
...
He left the Room of Requirement late at night and made his way back through the castle using a web of back corridors and hidden turns. He avoided Filch and Mrs. Norris entirely, slipping into the common room without being caught.
Harry noticed his entrance, but the boy did not question him.
...
The next morning, Julian woke and yawned, exhaustion tugging at him as he dressed for class. He ate a large breakfast to make up for the dinner he had missed, then headed off for Defense Against the Dark Arts.
The lesson dragged. He already knew everything Quirelmort was covering, and his boredom showed.
History of Magic immediately afterward was not much better. Julian struggled to keep himself from nodding off, his eyelids heavy as Binns droned on.
By lunch, he had recovered enough to eat properly again, and he filled his plate without restraint.
...
The final two periods belonged to Transfiguration, and they were easily the most mentally demanding part of his day.
McGonagall's request to have Julian removed from general lessons and taught privately had been denied, so she had adapted in her own way. While the rest of the class practiced the assigned exercise, Julian was forced into rapid transfiguration drills across multiple objects.
And McGonagall sabotaged him constantly.
It was not technically beyond what the other students were learning, yet it demanded speed and precision that made it far more intense. The training pushed Julian to complete transfigurations instantly and cleanly, even under pressure.
It helped that both of them clearly enjoyed it. The back and forth felt like a challenge between equals, and neither of them held back.
...
Once class ended, Tracy and the rest of his friends finally cornered him about where he had disappeared to the day before.
"I got a bit carried away while practicing a spell, that's all," Julian said with a shrug.
"What in Morgana's name could possibly keep you, of all people, that focused?" Ron asked, sounding genuinely baffled.
The others nodded along. They all knew Julian was leagues ahead of everyone else in their year when it came to casting.
"It's a spell around the level of the Blasting Curse in terms of power," Julian said dryly, "so forgive me if it takes a bit longer than usual to fully master."
"I don't know what the Blasting Curse is," Harry admitted, frowning, "but that sounds pretty dangerous."
Julian shook his head. "As long as I don't try it on myself, I'll be fine," he said, aiming for reassurance.
Tracy leaned in, eyes wide and pleading, and flashed him her best attempt at puppy dog charm. "You wouldn't happen to be willing to share that spell, would you?"
"Nope!" Julian answered instantly, grinning.
Tracy looked genuinely horrified that it had not worked.
"One of these days, I'm going to get you to spill those juicy secrets of yours," she vowed, offended by her defeat.
"The only thing you'll get from me is what I don't need anymore," Julian shot back, smirking.
"I really hate you sometimes," Tracy complained.
Julian threw his head back and cackled. "Good. Let the hate flow through you!" he declared, doing his best imitation of a certain character.
No one understood the reference, but they laughed anyway.
...
They split up soon after, since Harry had Quidditch practice.
Julian did not return to the Room of Requirement to train his lightning spell. He still needed other ritual ingredients before he could attempt the hunt, and those took priority.
Hogwarts had a large population of predatory owls, which saved him the trouble of tracking down a bat and a bird on his own. All he needed to do was go to the owlery and ask.
The owls went straight to work.
He barely waited five minutes before a dead quail and a bat were dropped in front of him.
Julian thanked them sincerely, then carefully removed what he needed and stored both sets of eyes in a preservative potion designed to keep them usable.
...
The beetle eyes were even easier.
He flipped over a few large stones until he found a healthy sized beetle hiding beneath one of them. That solved the last requirement.
Now he had everything necessary to perform the ritual of night eye and gain night vision.
In a place as dark and dangerous as the Forbidden Forest, that advantage would be anything but small.