Chapter 9 - 9: Miss Justice's Dilemma

Edward had no choice but to accept reality—the plot of Harry Potter had collapsed before it even began. If this had happened before he transmigrated into the world of Lord of the Mysteries, he would've been depressed for three days straight. But now? At least he could comfort himself with the knowledge that as long as he chose the right potion pathway and successfully advanced to a mid-sequence, Voldemort wouldn't be a threat at all! So, in the days that followed, he doubled his efforts in learning Hermes. By the time Audrey could converse fluently in English, he had memorized most common Hermes vocabulary. By the time she started researching ways to self-study magic, he had already grasped several simple Hermes incantations and their corresponding rituals. ——— [Gryffindor Common Room] Audrey, holding a copy of A History of Modern Magic, poked Edward, who was buried under a pile of books, muttering words to himself. "Muda, Muda, Muda…" "The book says that wizarding spells are mainly divided into regular spells and Dark Arts. Hogwarts primarily teaches regular spells, so where does one learn Dark Arts?" Without even lifting his head, Edward replied, "Only Dark wizards study the Dark Arts." "But Dark Arts are generally stronger than regular spells. If we don't learn them, how are we supposed to fight Dark wizards?" "That's why Hogwarts has a subject called Defense Against the Dark Arts. It's meant to teach students how to defend against them." "Just defend?" Audrey leaned in closer, gazing directly into Edward's eyes. "So…do you know Dark Arts?" Of course, he did. It would be shameful as a transmigrator if he didn't. He had mastered most of the commonly used Dark curses—thanks to a Dark wizard who had once ambushed him in Knockturn Alley. After counter-cursing the man, Edward had extracted every bit of Dark magic knowledge from his mind before wiping his memory clean, reducing him to an empty shell. However, since J.K. Rowling constantly emphasized that the Dark Arts could corrupt a person's character—and since he hadn't encountered any real danger afterwards—Edward had never actually had a chance to use what he had learned. With a light cough, he replied, "When the time is right, I'll teach you." "Thank you~" Audrey gracefully waved her wand, making her book flip through its pages on its own. Her composed, effortless demeanour hardly matched someone who had only been self-studying magic for a single day. The difference between people…really was bigger than the gap between a person and a pig. While Audrey immersed herself in the wonders of magic, Edward focused on a more crucial matter—his first real choice of potion pathway. He wrote down all 22 Beyonder pathways. "First of all, Prisoner, Criminal, Planter, Apothecary, and Marauder are all off the table. Fate-related pathways are best avoided too. As for Witch…yeah, no thanks." "That leaves 15 pathways." "If I were going purely by personal preference, I'd lean toward Secrets Supplicant or Apprentice. Both the Shepherd from the Secrets Supplicant pathway and the Scribe from the Apprentice pathway can obtain abilities from other pathways, which makes them highly adaptable—kind of like how I'm used to the variety of wizarding spells." "But the Secrets Supplicant pathway…has the constant risk of getting turned into a lunatic by the True Creator." "Apprentice, on the other hand, isn't bad. I'll put it on hold for now." "That leaves…" Edward's pen tapped the parchment. "Spectator—but Audrey's already on that pathway, so it's a lower priority. Lawyer and Arbiter are mostly controlled by the royal family and the military, but if I stick with Klein, once he gets the Black Emperor card, obtaining formulas wouldn't be an issue." "Speaking of formulas—if I chose the Reader pathway, I'd be able to clearly recall all the original novel's details. That means I'd know most of the potion formulas, right?" "But what would I even do with those formulas? Sell them? Choosing a pathway just for money is way too short-sighted." "…Wait, I forgot to consider divinity and ascension." Edward quickly crossed out a few more pathways. "That leaves Hunter, Lawyer, Warrior, Seer, and Death…No, wait—Death is off the table too!" Leaning back in his chair, he muttered, "Do I really need to think that far ahead? Becoming a god isn't that easy. And it's not like the sky will fall on me—Klein is the one carrying that burden. I just need to ensure my own safety." "The higher the Sequence, the greater the danger. Honestly, Sequence 4 is already more than enough—a long lifespan, immense power, and no need to worry about godhood." At that thought, he slapped his forehead. "Am I being too much of a slacker? Wouldn't this be embarrassing for other transmigrators?" Tapping his steel pen against his lips, he murmured, "So, the formulas for these pathways…Damn it! I can't remember a single one!" The Hunter pathway's formulas were mainly in the Intis Republic. The Lawyer pathway was controlled by the Loen Royal Family. The Warrior pathway's formulas could be obtained from Little Sun in the City of Silver. The Seer pathway could be found through Old Neil and Klein. Theoretically, of course, he could also try to purchase them at a Beyonder gathering. "As for Apprentice…" He circled it again. "Let's keep it as a backup option." ——— And so, with studying as his daily routine, time quickly passed, bringing them into the second week. It was then that Dumbledore finally sought Edward out—to teach him Apparition. "Apologies," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I've been busy dealing with the search for a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. You know…Professor Quirrell's death was rather unexpected." Edward raised an eyebrow. "Professor, why won't you just give Professor Snape a chance?" Dumbledore chuckled warmly but did not continue the topic. "I'll give it some thought. Now, back to Apparition." "You've probably heard this before—when it comes to Apparition, the most important thing is to remember the Three Ds: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation." "You must fix your mind on your destination, without the slightest hesitation or fear." As he spoke, Dumbledore's figure disappeared with a sharp crack—only to reappear a few meters away. "See? Quite simple, isn't it?" Edward rolled his eyes. "...Yeah, right." Dumbledore burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! Well then, let's start with the basics. Your first Apparition target will be…hmm, let's set it right behind Fawkes." With a wave of his wand, he drew a circle on the floor behind the phoenix. Fawkes, who had been dozing off, was startled awake. He flapped his wings in protest, ruffled his feathers, and then tucked his head back in, looking drowsy again. Audrey, who was hugging Lilith in her arms, couldn't help but chuckle as she began to mentally go over the theory of Apparition. "Now," Dumbledore continued, "focus your determination on occupying the space behind Fawkes! Let your desire to reach that spot flood every inch of your being! Then, spin in place to enter the void state—stay calm and composed! Begin!" CRACK! A loud noise echoed through the room. Edward was momentarily stunned—he hadn't even started yet. "I did it!" Audrey's excited voice came from behind Fawkes. Her face lit up with delight. "It really is simple." "No, Miss Hall," Dumbledore's kind smile faded as he shook his head. "You were too impatient. Perhaps basic spells come easily to you, but never underestimate the complexity of advanced magic." "Ahhhhhhhh!!!—" A second later, Audrey let out a belated scream of horror—she had just realized that her right arm and left leg were still left behind at her original spot! Meanwhile, Lilith was curled up comfortably on her detached leg, enjoying the sensation of fingers absentmindedly stroking her fur. (´・ω・`) The sudden scream startled Lilith awake. The cat froze upon realizing that only a leg and an arm remained in front of her, and then immediately puffed up in terror. ヽ(.>Д<)o゜ The scene was genuinely horrifying. A beautiful girl was indeed beautiful, but a dismembered beautiful girl? That was pure nightmare fuel. "Don't just stand there, Edward. Bring her arm and leg over," Dumbledore instructed calmly. "Professor, could you not say such terrifying things so casually?" Edward sighed. "You could've just used Accio or a Levitation Charm, you know." Despite his complaints, he still picked up Audrey's arm with his left hand and slung her leg over his right shoulder, looking like a serial killer caught in the act. Audrey's fear only deepened. A moment later, Dumbledore cast a healing spell, seamlessly restoring her to normal. She collapsed onto the sofa, still trembling, her face streaked with tears of lingering terror. Edward smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Audrey, you still have a lot to learn." She had no energy left to maintain her usual grace. She glared at him fiercely, her face pale and her heart still pounding. Magic was terrifying! Even scarier than taking potions! ——— After the short-lived horror show, Edward resumed practising Apparition. However, with the fresh trauma of Audrey's failed attempt still in his mind, he found himself struggling with the third 'D'—Deliberation. No matter what he did, he couldn't stay calm. Finally, he turned to Dumbledore for help. "Professor, the way you're teaching Apparition…it doesn't seem much different from how the Ministry instructors do it. But you're the greatest Wizard—surely you have a special trick?" "A trick?" Dumbledore, seated behind his desk, adjusted his half-moon spectacles. "No, not really. When my teacher explained the method to me, I just…learned it." Edward fell silent. …This man was a natural-born genius. A living legend. A league of his own. Utterly untouchable. "Actually, learning Apparition is mostly about overcoming your own psychological barriers," Dumbledore added after some thought. "The only reassurance I can give you is this—as long as I'm here, you don't have to worry about splinching killing you." Edward's mind suddenly cleared. He gripped his wand, fixed his gaze on the space behind Fawkes, and spun. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right behind the phoenix—without any Splinching. "I did it!" Audrey looked over enviously, her fingers twitching with the urge to try again. "Excellent," Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "Next, you'll need to practice imagining your destination instead of relying on direct sight. If you only Apparate to places you can see, your range will be extremely limited. "I've lifted the Apparition restrictions between my office and the Hufflepuff common room—you can practice between these two locations freely." "Understood, Professor. By the way, what happens if I try to Apparate to a place I've never been to before?" Dumbledore's brow furrowed slightly. "I strongly advise against it. Don't forget—the first 'D' stands for Destination. If you're unsure of your target location, the risk of Splinching increases significantly." "Got it, Professor!" CRACK! Edward vanished on the spot. About ten seconds later, he walked back in through the door, smiling cheerfully at Audrey. "See? It really is simple." Miss Justice puffed up her cheeks in frustration.