The following month was an extremely fulfilling one for Ryze.
His originally frail body gradually regained a healthier appearance thanks to the many magical nutritional potions that Andromeda had procured for him.
Ryze himself spent two days returning to the orphanage to settle his affairs and formally say goodbye to everyone there.
Of course, he promised that he would return every Christmas and summer holiday to visit the people who had cared for him while he was growing up.
Meanwhile, with Professor McGonagall's introduction, Ryze quickly made contact with the Ancient Runes professor, Bathsheba Babbling—someone he normally would not have met until his third year at Hogwarts.
Professor Babbling was utterly captivated by Ailey the moment she saw the small creature.
There were many alchemical items inscribed with Ancient Runes, but it was extraordinarily rare to encounter an unknown magical creature that possessed self-awareness, remarkable vitality, and mysterious runes that even she could not recognize.
Her first research session with Ailey lasted an entire day.
After that, she began visiting frequently, carefully studying the rune engraved on Ailey's head.
Although their progress was limited, they were able to confirm one important fact: the rune on Ailey's head was extremely stable and held immense developmental potential.
Professor Babbling even stated that if the power of this unknown ancient rune could truly be mastered, it might eventually allow the mass production of intelligent familiars like Ailey.
If that happened, ordinary wizards might one day enjoy a level of convenience close to what house-elves currently provided.
With Professor Babbling's enthusiastic endorsement, Ryze easily obtained Professor McGonagall's permission to bring Ailey with him to Hogwarts.
Professor Babbling also gifted Ryze several introductory books on Ancient Runes and encouraged him to write to her anytime he encountered problems during his studies.
Ryze was genuinely interested in Ancient Runes.
After all, the ancient magic mastered by the protagonist in the game Hogwarts Legacy during his previous life had deeply fascinated him.
However, he still did not know whether he possessed any natural talent for that field.
He also wondered whether the protagonist of that game had ever existed in this world.
So far, however, Ryze had not found any clues within wizarding historical records.
Aside from meeting Professor Babbling, Ryze and Nymphadora spent about a week tidying up the small cottage in Hogsmeade that Alphard Black had left behind.
After their efforts, the cottage finally became barely habitable.
They purchased some new furniture and decorations, giving the house a modest but comfortable atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the cottage did not contain any hidden secrets.
It was simply a place where Alphard had occasionally stayed when visiting Hogsmeade for relaxation.
Ryze and Nymphadora searched the entire house carefully but discovered very few magical items.
The most abundant objects were old newspapers and various novels meant for passing the time.
As for the shopfront located in Knockturn Alley and the villa in Glastonbury, Ryze had not yet visited either property.
The shopfront had most likely been used by Alphard to handle magical items obtained from magical ruins.
The villa in Glastonbury, on the other hand, was probably an independent magical workshop that he had deliberately built in the countryside.
However, even though ten years had passed since Alphard's death, it was still uncertain whether the magical traps protecting those properties were still active.
Before entering them—even with legal ownership documents—Ryze would need to hire professionals capable of dismantling any magical traps inside.
And if he wished to live there afterward, the buildings would require extensive renovation.
Fortunately, these matters were not particularly troublesome for Andromeda.
Although Ryze had not confirmed it directly, Andromeda had most likely been a member of the Order of the Phoenix ten years earlier.
Even though the Order had disbanded following Voldemort's disappearance, the personal connections among its former members still remained.
"Alastor Moody was once an extremely formidable Auror," Andromeda explained to Ryze. "Although he retired from the Ministry several years ago, I dare say he is still the Ministry's finest Auror. In fact, it was his influence that inspired Nymphadora to pursue a career as an Auror."
"Having him inspect those two properties will be absolutely foolproof."
It must be said that Moody's appearance looked far more weathered than what Ryze remembered from the films.
In addition to his magical prosthetic eye, his body and face were covered in countless scars. A portion of his nose was even missing, leaving his face rather disfigured.
He was the sort of man who could easily frighten children simply by standing nearby.
However, it seemed that Moody had once saved Nymphadora when she was younger, which explained why she admired him so much and hoped to become an Auror herself.
Unfortunately, Moody disliked social pleasantries.
He did not even stay for dinner at the Tonks household.
As a result, Ryze only met him briefly and barely had the chance to greet him before Moody immediately departed for Knockturn Alley to begin his work.
Meanwhile, Ryze's brother-in-law, Ted Tonks, mentioned that he knew a reliable Muggle renovation crew.
Once Moody had finished clearing the magical traps in the Glastonbury villa, the renovation work could begin immediately.
On the very day Ryze moved into the Tonks household, he discovered that Ted Tonks was an extremely talkative and entertaining man.
Ted had a gentle face, a slightly plump figure, and a deep, distinctive voice.
He currently served as the Deputy Head of the Humanoid Beings Sub-Division within the Being Division of the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
Ryze found this department fascinating because it had never appeared in his previous knowledge of the wizarding world.
The Humanoid Beings Sub-Division was responsible for managing several intelligent magical species.
In simple terms, they supervised vampires, goblins, merpeople, and ghosts throughout Britain.
However, Ted himself did not possess much authority.
His primary responsibilities involved the goblin and ghost sectors.
After several failed rebellions in the past, goblins were now bound by numerous magical contracts with wizards and rarely caused trouble.
As a result, aside from occasionally investigating ghost sightings, Ted's job was relatively relaxed and safe.
Interestingly, he also held a part-time position as a radio news announcer in the Muggle world.
His explanation was simple.
Working in the Muggle media allowed him to hear rumors about ghost sightings much more quickly.
The reasoning sounded somewhat convincing.
Besides, the Humanoid Beings Sub-Division was not considered a particularly important department, so the Ministry had never paid much attention to Ted's unusual side job.
Overall, this month had become one of the most fantastical periods Ryze had experienced in either of his two lifetimes.
After reconnecting the Floo Powder network for the Hogsmeade cottage, it became very convenient for Ryze to travel there during the day to study and practice magic.
Professor Babbling's visits to research Ailey also no longer disturbed the Tonks family.
Originally, Ryze had suggested moving into the cottage after it was cleaned up so he would not continue inconveniencing the Tonks family.
However, Andromeda firmly refused.
According to her, she was now Ryze's legal guardian, and he was not allowed to live independently until he either came of age or reached the magical competency of an adult wizard.
To demonstrate what she meant by that standard, Andromeda asked Nymphadora to perform several spells as an example.
Even though Ryze had seen countless magical effects in movies during his previous life, he was still astonished while watching Nymphadora perform spells and transfiguration magic with ease.
Her demonstration also gave him a rough benchmark for the capabilities of a Hogwarts graduate who intended to become an Auror.
Although Ryze had not yet officially unlocked his mysterious system, he silently set a time limit for himself.
Three years.
According to the timeline of events he remembered, Voldemort would be resurrected in about four years.
If Ryze could not reach the level of an adult wizard by his third year, he would simply follow the original story and rely on Harry Potter to defeat Voldemort.
Motivated by that sense of urgency, Ryze began studying with intense dedication.
During the day, he traveled to Hogsmeade to read books and practice magic while studying introductory Ancient Runes under Professor Babbling.
At night, back at the Tonks household, he reviewed spells and magical theory from his textbooks with Nymphadora.
Having just completed her N.E.W.T. examinations not long ago, Nymphadora's understanding of the material was still fresh.
In a few years, she might not remember the details so clearly.
"You're working too hard," Nymphadora sighed one evening as Ryze approached with another page full of questions.
"I've never seen a young wizard who hasn't even started school yet study half as seriously as you do."
Although magical theory formed the foundation of all spellcasting, Ryze's dedication to mastering it was still astonishing.
In fact, if he took the first-year final exams right now, he could probably earn at least an E—Exceeds Expectations—in both Charms and Transfiguration.
Nymphadora could not help but sigh in admiration.
If she had worked this hard back then, her N.E.W.T. results might have been even better.
After spending an entire month living together, she had come to understand the personality of this little uncle who had grown up in an orphanage.
Ryze was intelligent, quick-witted, endlessly curious, imaginative, and exceptionally talented.
More importantly, he possessed an almost unimaginable passion for magic.
Even before entering Hogwarts, the strength of some spells he cast was already approaching the level she had achieved in her third year.
Combined with his Black family lineage, handsome appearance, and the social skills he had developed while growing up in an orphanage, Ryze seemed destined for greatness.
Nymphadora sincerely hoped that he would eventually be sorted into Ravenclaw.
Gryffindor or Hufflepuff would also be perfectly acceptable.
Just preferably not Slytherin.
Although her mother had once been a Slytherin student—and Hufflepuff generally maintained good relations with the other houses—Slytherin's reputation had always been somewhat controversial.
Nymphadora could not help worrying that if Ryze were sorted into Slytherin and influenced by its extreme meritocratic philosophy, he might eventually become someone willing to pursue magical power by any means necessary.
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