"Once an enemy is detected approaching or attacked by a spell, the target group will switch to a fully defensive stance, communicate their position to the other units, and coordinate a pincer attack. An enemy whose initial sneak attack fails will likely use a high-frequency interference charm to quickly end the fight. At that time, I only had two such charms on me. So, assuming I used those items to defeat two of the teams, I would have had no solution against the three remaining teams once their vision recovered."
"Next, they would simply focus their fire, using movement and interference spells to constantly pressure my space. At this point, if I were to rashly use a powerful Shield Charm or a high-output spell, I might take down one more team, but I would expose a massive flaw. In the end, I would either be overwhelmed or run out of magic power. Of course, this is assuming I didn't simply use my speed advantage to escape."
"If Yaxley and the others had shown ample preparation, actual cooperation, and reasonable tactics, my chances of winning that battle would not have been high."
After a series of battle reviews, Alan couldn't help but sigh. "I am still too weak and too reckless. I chose to fight even when I didn't have a hundred percent chance of winning. I must learn from this. The All-Terrain Armed Tactical Model still has areas that need improvement."
"First, the Phase Boots need to be equipped with anti-slip and anti-stick effects. Although the defensive charm wasn't pushed to its limit this time, one would definitely not be enough if I were truly focused. The interference charms also need to be replenished, and other series of disruption magic must enter the development stage. That will be the focus moving forward. The research into temperature-based and energy-storage charms is also approaching the experimental phase. Fortunately, I made a fortune from those pure-bloods; otherwise, I simply couldn't afford the cost of materials and experimental losses."
"However, the gains from this battle were considerable. The Avis spell is remarkably effective in live combat, and the practice of Control Spells cannot be neglected."
When Alan practiced and researched magic, he did not classify spells as ordinary charms, jinxes, hexes, or curses, as is the mainstream fashion. Instead, based on his deep understanding of magic, he classified them according to the differences in their base runes into seven major categories: Control, Elemental, Transformation, Thought, Soul, Bloodline, and Divination. Originally, he intended to add a Space-Time category, but he found that the base rune for Space-Time magic was actually 'Control,' so he merged them.
This classification wasn't perfect, as many types of magic are composed of several rune systems. However, to a scholar, this method was more conducive to research.
The 'Avis' spell Alan used was a specialized technique he developed while researching Control Spells, and it differed greatly from the standard version. Because Alan had practiced Control-based magic like the Levitation Charm and Shield Charm for years, his affinity for these runes was exceptionally high.
With his 'Avis,' the summoned ravens not only possessed higher individual strength but also shared a strong connection with his intent. Coupled with his superb control, he could make these birds perform complex tasks: attacking, defending, retrieving items, or transmitting information. He had even tried to develop a long-distance surveillance function, but 'vision sharing' was profound magic, and the current operating radius of the ravens was less than a kilometer. Still, in this battle, the performance exceeded expectations; a single 'Avis' could withstand dozens of jinxes.
At the same time, the visual interference of the Elemental Mist and the combination of Aguamenti with the Freezing Charm had shown excellent results. Elemental spells were now firmly in the second tier of his training regimen.
Alan felt he simply didn't have enough time. Researching charms, upgrading equipment, and developing his existing techniques occupied every spare second. The Christmas holiday flew by; he stayed cooped up in his cabin, with his only recreation being cooking and chatting with Hagrid.
On the first day of the second semester, Alan returned to the Slytherin common room, and Rozier soon came knocking.
"So, are your friends ready to accept reality?" Alan asked with a smile, watching Rozier enter with several heavy bags.
"They're not fools. Problems that can be solved with gold won't lead to a total breakdown. I've done everything you told me. Here's the list; I've marked the ones who still seem incorrigible." Rozier handed him a parchment. It was clear Rozier had been in a good mood lately.
"Hmm." Alan scanned the list. "Travers is still unrepentant. Oh, by the way, have all those potions mixed with the madness-inducing substance been destroyed?"
"I only spiked Yaxley's portion. He threw the bottle away after drinking it, and I retrieved it that day, so rest assured." Rozier wouldn't dare to openly tamper with all the supplies; that would be too easy to expose.
Alan nodded. Rozier handled things with discretion; perhaps he could be further cultivated. After dealing with the loose ends, Alan checked his gains. The students had been honest. He received 200 Galleons in protection fees for the month, along with six magic books. These books were rare materials he had never seen before, which pleased him greatly.
"Hmm? One missing." Alan counted; there were only sixteen portions. Eighteen people had participated in the attack, and excluding Rozier, there should have been seventeen.
"This..." Rozier hesitated. "Yaxley. He ran away."
"Ran away?" Alan raised an eyebrow, not appearing particularly surprised.
"I don't know. He disappeared after he left that day. He hasn't contacted anyone. I guess he fled out of guilt, since using an Unforgivable Curse is no small crime. The Aurors are already chasing Death Eaters all over the world," Rozier said.
"Heh, it's good that he ran. Why else would I have put in so much effort? But he didn't even come back for his wand? That's decisive. Keep an eye on whether Travers maintains contact with him; that boy won't give up easily." Although Yaxley's flight was expected, Alan still cautioned him.