The lethality of the Final Spark did not primarily stem from raw magical force, but rather from the terrifyingly high temperatures concentrated at the core of its beam—temperatures that exceeded several thousand degrees Celsius. This intense heat made it exceptionally effective at penetrating conventional defensive spells.
It was precisely this property that allowed the spell to pierce through the Troll's tough, magic-infused hide.
Even so, the Troll proved worthy of its reputation as a dangerous magical creature. Although the Final Spark had instantly bored through its chest with a compressed, high-temperature beam of light, the beam itself was too narrow. Since it had failed to strike a vital point such as the heart, the injury, while severe, was far from fatal.
The pain caused the Troll to release another deafening roar, its voice reverberating through the underground corridor.
"As expected, an unfinished spell still falls short," Ryze thought with a trace of regret. "Otherwise, it wouldn't have merely pierced its chest—it would have melted half of its body."
Based on earlier discussions between Professor Flitwick and himself, the current iteration of Final Spark had only achieved the compression and convergence of light. This ensured that the beam could maintain effectiveness over a distance of at least ten meters after being cast.
Future improvements would focus on enhancing the beam's power, increasing its diameter, and potentially layering multiple beams together for greater destructive capability.
The tracking tool he had devised was proving remarkably reliable.
Even if he could not eventually produce a massive beam as wide as a human body like Lux, achieving a stable light cannon with a diameter exceeding twenty centimeters would already count as a success.
While these thoughts occupied his mind, Ryze noticed the Troll clutching its chest as it struggled to rise.
With a calm expression, he raised his wand and lightly tapped the creature. Instantly, the Magic Mark left behind by the Final Spark detonated. A contained magical explosion erupted at the wound site, blasting the massive Troll straight out of the Potions Classroom.
Although the magical damage inflicted by the Magic Mark was somewhat ineffective against a Troll's innate resistance, the physical force of the explosion was substantial. The creature was hurled violently into the wall outside the classroom.
When Ryze stepped forward to observe, he saw the Troll lying motionless against the wall. It appeared to have been completely knocked unconscious by the impact.
"Its magical resistance is indeed impressive—if quantified, it would probably exceed 200," Ryze muttered. "But its physical durability is surprisingly mediocre. Just as recorded in the books, it's no wonder it could be knocked out by its own club in the original story. For such a large creature, it's rather underwhelming."
Originally, Ryze had been prepared to follow up with an Arcane Comet aimed at its head. However, seeing that the opponent had already lost consciousness, he decided against it.
Instead, he instructed Ailey to keep watch over the Troll. If it showed any sign of waking, she was to strike its head decisively with its own club.
With that matter settled, Ryze turned his attention to the time-keeping spell hovering nearby.
Even accounting for the casting time of Final Spark, only about thirty seconds had passed. There was still ample time remaining.
He steadied his magical flow and resumed brewing the Shrinking Potion, following Professor Snape's instructions with precision. When he finally completed the process, a clear and brilliantly green potion shimmered in his cauldron.
As he examined the finished product, he briefly considered testing its effects on the unconscious Troll.
Before he could act on the thought, however, a commotion echoed through the dungeon corridor.
"Merlin's beard, did Ryze really do all this by himself?"
"That's unbelievable!"
Ryze immediately recognized Ron's voice.
His expression turned slightly peculiar. Could it be that Hermione's original storyline had somehow shifted toward him? Had these Gryffindor students noticed his absence from the Great Hall and come searching for him?
Before he could dwell further on the matter, Professor McGonagall's voice followed, confirming his suspicions.
"The Troll is already unconscious, and Ailey is guarding it. It appears Mr. White is safe."
Moments later, several figures appeared at the entrance of the Potions Classroom.
At the forefront stood Professor McGonagall, her expression stern but composed. Behind her were Harry, Ron, and Hermione—the so-called golden trio—each looking somewhat uneasy.
Before Professor McGonagall could speak, Ryze took the initiative.
"Professor McGonagall," he said calmly, "this Troll seems to have wandered up from the dungeons. It attempted to break into the Potions Classroom and interfere with my brewing. I wasn't certain whether this was some kind of Halloween prank arranged by the professors, so I only subdued it rather than finishing it off. I hope this hasn't disrupted the festive atmosphere at Hogwarts?"
At his words, Professor McGonagall studied him carefully.
The boy's composed demeanor, combined with the perfectly brewed potion in his hand, made it clear that he had just completed his task without interruption.
Suppressing the urge to reprimand him, she replied, "Mr. White, this Troll is not part of any Halloween prank. It entered Hogwarts by accident. At present, we do not know whether it was released by a Dark Wizard, so the entire school has been placed on alert."
She paused briefly before continuing, "That said, why were you not attending the Halloween feast? It was only when Miss Granger informed me that you might still be in the dungeons that we came searching for you. Fortunately, you are unharmed."
Ryze's gaze shifted briefly to Hermione, who stood behind Professor McGonagall with her head slightly lowered.
He had remembered to have Ailey notify his roommates, but he had overlooked Hermione—someone who had a natural tendency to concern herself with others.
Of course, he did not view this trait negatively. If he had been an ordinary young wizard, he would have undoubtedly appreciated having a classmate who thought of him during a crisis.
What puzzled him more was why Harry and Ron had accompanied her.
He decided to set that question aside for later.
"For the Potions Tournament," Ryze explained.
"The Potions Tournament?" Hermione immediately lifted her head, her surprise evident. Clearly, she had never heard of such an event.
"Yes," Ryze nodded. "It's held once every seven years. It was originally scheduled for this year, but even if it's postponed until 1994, we would only be in our third year by then. Under normal circumstances, our potion-making abilities wouldn't compare to those of the upperclassmen, so the information isn't widely shared with first-years."
He held up the Shrinking Potion in his hand.
"I happened to learn about it and wanted to test myself against the older students. So I approached Professor Snape to apply. He gave me a day to prove my capabilities."
"Time was limited, and I had some inspiration, so I chose to remain here and complete this potion first. I planned to attend the feast afterward."
Professor McGonagall looked at him intently.
This young wizard seemed entirely unaware of how dangerous a Troll was—especially for a first-year student. To him, defeating such a creature appeared to be a trivial matter, hardly worth mentioning.
Instead, it was Professor Snape's challenge that had truly ignited his determination.
Over the past two months, she had observed Ryze's exceptional dedication to magic. However, the intensity of his passion for potions now seemed to exceed even that.
It was not merely diligence—it bordered on obsession.
And that, she thought, could become a problem.
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