If there was one thing Ryze regretted about Hogwarts, it was the absence of a dedicated Alchemy class.
Compared to Beauxbatons in France—where, thanks to Nicolas Flamel's sponsorship, Alchemy electives were available to students starting in their third year—Hogwarts seemed oddly lacking in that area. Of course, strictly speaking, Hogwarts did offer Alchemy. The problem was that very few students even knew about it.
In the British wizarding education system, Alchemy was not part of the O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. examinations. As a result, it was treated more like an obscure specialization than a standard subject. Only students with sufficient interest—and who met certain unspecified conditions—were given access to the course, and even then, only after their sixth year.
No one seemed to know what those conditions were.
Ryze had only learned about this hidden course through Professor Babbling. According to her, the last time Alchemy had been offered was three years ago. Even then, only four students had qualified to attend. What made that session particularly remarkable, however, was the instructor: none other than Albus Dumbledore himself.
The idea of being personally taught by Dumbledore was undeniably appealing. However, the combination of the sixth-year requirement and the mysterious selection criteria made the opportunity feel distant and uncertain.
Ryze had no intention of waiting six years.
Once his proficiency in Ancient Runes reached the required level, he planned to begin studying Alchemy independently. After all, as his abilities continued to grow, he would inevitably acquire more magical equipment. At that point, he would need a plausible explanation for where those items came from.
Alchemy provided the perfect cover.
With that in mind, Ryze decided he would seek advice from the Weasley twins and Sirius Black. The twins had successfully opened a joke shop filled with magical items of their own creation, which suggested a solid understanding of magical crafting. Sirius, on the other hand, had co-created the Marauder's Map during his school years. Given the Black family's extensive magical library, he likely had access to a wealth of relevant knowledge.
As these thoughts occupied his mind, Ryze sat quietly at the edge of the long table, largely ignoring the commotion between the two houses around him.
That afternoon, he made a brief appearance in the Ravenclaw stands. When Harry glanced in his direction, Ryze offered a small round of applause. After confirming that Harry had entered a focused, competitive state, Ryze shifted his gaze toward Quirrell and Snape, who stood not far away.
Then, without drawing attention, he slipped away from the crowd.
He soon made his way to Professor Flitwick's office, accompanied by Anthony.
Ryze had two main objectives for the afternoon. First, he wanted to continue refining his Final Spark spell. Second, he had several questions about the Double Protection Charm that he hoped Flitwick could clarify.
Anthony, meanwhile, was heading to Dueling Club practice.
Although Professor Flitwick had discouraged Anthony's ambition to revive the Dueling Club's former prominence—stating that the timing was not yet right for public expansion—he had still allowed both Ryze and Anthony to join the small, private group. The club currently consisted of only about ten members, making it even more exclusive than the Gobstones Club.
Terry and Michael, being too young and lacking confidence in their dueling talent, attended less frequently now. After two months of training, they had come to recognize their limitations. These days, they usually participated once or twice a week, mainly serving as sparring partners rather than active competitors.
When Ryze entered Flitwick's office, the professor immediately noticed him. Standing atop his desk, Flitwick waved enthusiastically.
"Ah, Ryze!" he exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement.
As Ryze approached, Flitwick stepped forward and gave him an energetic pat on the shoulder.
"I've already seen the wound you inflicted on the troll with Final Spark the other day," he said. "I must say, the spell is even more powerful than I anticipated. And the Ancient Magic you used afterward—quite impressive. It's rare for a first-year to defeat a troll so cleanly and decisively."
Ryze nodded modestly. Without dwelling on the praise, he began outlining the issues he had encountered during the fight.
Flitwick listened attentively. It was clear that he had already considered many of these points, as he quickly launched into a detailed explanation.
"You've refined the spell to a very solid level," he said. "In a duel, this will allow you to penetrate standard magical defenses with relative ease—especially if your opponent relies heavily on conventional barriers."
He paused briefly before adding, "However, you must exercise caution. Avoid targeting vital areas, and under no circumstances should your spell endanger spectators. In official dueling tournaments, if a spell breaches the protective field and injures someone in the audience, the caster is immediately disqualified."
Flitwick's tone grew more serious.
"Also, it would be wise to reserve this technique for critical moments. Once your opponents become aware of it, they'll adapt. They may start using specialized shields designed to counter high-velocity or laser-like spells."
Even while discussing spell refinement, Flitwick did not neglect to share practical dueling strategies. His experience as a former dueling champion was evident in every piece of advice he gave.
As the conversation continued, he shifted the focus to the Double Protection Charm.
"This spell," Flitwick explained, "is particularly versatile. Its defining feature is the ability to generate two distinct layers of protection simultaneously."
He gestured with his wand, conjuring a demonstration.
"Typically, one layer is configured to block magical attacks, while the other is designed to resist physical force. However, the user can customize these layers depending on the situation."
Ryze watched closely as Flitwick manipulated the shields.
"A skilled caster will continuously adjust the positioning and type of these protections," Flitwick continued. "For example, under normal circumstances, you might keep the physical barrier in front. But the moment you anticipate a spell, you switch the magical shield forward."
The shimmering barriers shifted fluidly in response to Flitwick's movements, illustrating his point.
"This dynamic adjustment allows you to cover a wider range of threats," he said. "But it requires both technical proficiency and rapid decision-making. You must be able to identify the nature of an attack almost instantly."
The demonstration left a strong impression on Ryze. It was one thing to understand a spell in theory, but seeing it executed with such precision made its potential far more tangible.
Motivated, Ryze spent some time practicing the Final Spark spell under Flitwick's guidance. Once he felt sufficiently warmed up, he turned to Anthony.
"Let's spar," he said.
Anthony's eyes lit up immediately.
The rules of the practice were straightforward. Anthony would cast standard spells—such as Expelliarmus—from a short distance, while Ryze would remain stationary. He was not allowed to dodge and could only rely on the Double Protection Charm for defense.
This restriction was necessary.
Under normal circumstances, Ryze's speed made him extremely difficult to hit. With the enhanced mobility provided by his enchanted shoes, he could activate short bursts of acceleration, easily evading most attacks. If he were allowed to move freely, Anthony would likely exhaust himself without landing a single successful strike.
"You said it yourself," Anthony said eagerly, stepping back and raising his wand. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
Over the past two months, Ryze's rapid growth had created a noticeable gap between him and his peers. His casting speed was exceptionally fast, and the velocity of his spells often left others with little time to react.
In many practice matches, by the time others had finished their incantations, Ryze's spell was already upon them.
On top of that, his magical power rivaled that of a third- or even fourth-year student. The combination of speed and strength made him a formidable opponent—one that Anthony had never managed to overcome.
As Michael had once remarked, spending too much time around Ryze could be discouraging. It was easy to start questioning one's own abilities.
Only after interacting with other students did they realize that their skills were, in fact, above average for their age. The issue wasn't their lack of talent—it was the sheer disparity between them and Ryze.
Now, however, the situation had changed.
With Ryze restricted to defense and unable to dodge, Anthony finally had a genuine opportunity to gain the upper hand.
He tightened his grip on his wand, a determined smile forming on his face.
This was a chance he had no intention of wasting
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