When it came to curses, Louis was now a true professional. He could even directly break the curse Voldemort had left on the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor position.
He could—but there was no need to.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts could be said to be one of the most important engines for pushing the plot forward. If Louis removed the curse, it would be like turning a lively fishpond into stagnant water.
Although doing so would earn him a considerable amount of Fate Points, from a long-term perspective it would be a loss.
And Louis didn't do losing trades.
…
After acquiring the (Ancient) Dark Magic Master skill, Louis very quickly set his sights on learning the Fiendfyre Curse.
Fiendfyre wasn't ancient magic, which was why it didn't appear in Salazar Slytherin's skill pool.
But that wasn't a problem. With Dark Magic Mastery as his foundation, Louis no longer had to worry about being unable to learn Dark Magic.
All he needed now was to find a book that recorded the Fiendfyre Curse.
Louis did have a Dark Magic book—Secrets of the Darkest Art, which he had obtained from Dumbledore.
However, Fiendfyre was honestly not a very "refined" spell. It was dangerous, yes, but more importantly, it was simple.
So simple that even an idiot who had learned it could cast it—though whether they could clean up the mess afterward was another matter entirely.
Louis planned to make a trip to the Restricted Section soon. If such a book existed, it would almost certainly be there.
Once the Easter holidays ended, the atmosphere in the library became unusually intense.
There was no helping it. Slacking off and enjoying oneself during normal days felt great—but once exams loomed, that happiness vanished in an instant.
The tears shed during exams were all the water that had gone into one's brain during everyday fun.
Among all the students studying hard, fifth-years and seventh-years were the most diligent, because the exams they faced were far more important.
Fifth-year students had to take their Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations, which determined their future career paths. Seventh-year students, meanwhile, had to sit for the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, which decided how far their careers could go.
The former determined which classes students could take when advancing from fifth to sixth year—only those with sufficient grades were eligible for advanced-level courses.
The latter was even simpler in meaning: a job entrance examination. With excellent results, students could take their transcripts and directly enter the workplaces they desired.
These two exams were nothing like ordinary end-of-term tests, so the pressure on these students was immense.
Louis scanned the crowd and finally spotted Hermione and Cassandra.
Both girls were eye-catching little beauties. Even in such a heated study environment, people would occasionally look up to glance at them.
Or perhaps they were just resting their eyes after studying too hard.
"Ladies, how's your revision going?" Louis walked over and asked.
"Pretty good. This time, I'll definitely beat you," Hermione said, waving her small fist.
"And I'll break the record you left behind," first-year Cassandra added, sounding a little short of breath. Being a year behind, she simply couldn't compete with Louis academically.
"Break the record?" Louis rubbed his chin. "That won't be easy. After all, I got full marks on the written exam. If you want to surpass me there, you can't afford a single careless mistake. As for the practical exam… while it won't stump you either, that kind of assessment doesn't even have a score. So how exactly are you planning to break the record?"
Cassandra was instantly left speechless.
"And do you really think you're in a state where you can get full marks on the written exam?" Louis said with a smile. "Long-term use of Energy Potions might mean you don't need to rest, but your learning efficiency drops. And once the potion wears off, you probably won't even be able to control yourself and will just fall asleep, right?"
Louis tapped the table lightly. "You need to pay attention to balancing work and rest."
At a glance, Louis could tell something was wrong with Cassandra's physical condition. That kind of seemingly energetic but actually hollow state was a dead giveaway—she had clearly been drinking Energy Potions or similar stimulants.
"If you run into any problems, organize them and ask me," he said to the two girls. "I'm going to take a look around the Restricted Section. See you later."
The Restricted Section was as quiet and deserted as ever. Under Madam Pince's watchful gaze, Louis walked in with practiced ease and began searching the shelves for the books he needed.
Close Your Mind
Potent Potions
Beware the Flame Demons …
Louis's hand suddenly stopped. He pulled this book from the shelf.
The book described the many varieties of flame magic that had sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain since the ninth century.
Most of these spells were simplified from ancient magic, though a small number were entirely new creations.
Gubraithian Fire was one such source-level ancient magic. The book did not record its exact method of creation, only the circumstances of its first appearance.
Fiendfyre, however, was the most peculiar of all magical flames. It had no creator, as if it had appeared out of thin air, and its very first manifestation caused horrifying consequences.
At first, no one paid attention to the appearance of Fiendfyre's flames. By the time Muggles and wizards alike noticed, the Fiendfyre had already transformed into a ferocious eagle, devouring an entire city.
This flame, which could not be extinguished by water, fed on magic and matter alike. As long as either still existed, it would not go out, but would continue to spread endlessly.
Back then, it took hundreds of wizards working together, using the power of Finite Incantatem, just to barely suppress and eliminate it.
After that, there were numerous other incidents involving Fiendfyre, each one resulting in severe consequences.
Thus, Fiendfyre also came to be known as the Devil's Flame.
But no matter how terrifying it was, fire was still just fire.
Louis felt a surge of excitement. His body's reaction told him that this violent flame was exactly what he was missing.
He found the casting method for the Fiendfyre Curse in the book. After memorizing it, he returned the book to the shelf. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a familiar figure.
It was Snape.
Just like Louis himself had been earlier, Snape was searching for a particular book. He looked patient on the surface, but there was a sense of urgency burning in his eyes.
Oh? Had the Potions Master run into some kind of trouble, to the point that he had come to the Restricted Section for reference material?
Curious, Louis walked over and greeted him. "Good afternoon, Professor Snape."
Snape was startled. When he turned and saw Louis, a complex, yearning expression suddenly appeared on his face.
That look startled Louis in turn, and in an instant he understood what Snape was searching for.
"Professor," Louis said with a strange expression, "you're not looking for a potion that can change someone's sex, are you?"
Snape's face instantly turned ashen, his lips trembling slightly.
"You…" Snape was gripped by the fear of having his secret exposed. But after glancing at Louis, he seemed to decide to be more straightforward.
"That's right!" Snape said firmly. "I'm very curious."
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