Over the weekend, Harry had learned about many things from Hagrid—things that had happened years ago, things that had shaped the Wizarding World in ways he had never imagined.
The revelations left him emotionally shaken for most of the break.
However, by the time classes resumed, Harry had managed to calm himself down. The shock had not disappeared completely, but his emotions had stabilized enough for him to think clearly again.
In fact, the experience seemed to have sparked something inside him.
Among the boys in their dormitory, Harry had suddenly become the most hardworking person.
During the first week after arriving at Hogwarts, Harry had mostly been following the classes step by step like everyone else. Because of his fame in the Wizarding World, life at Hogwarts had initially felt rather pleasant.
Aside from the unpleasant encounter with Draco Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express, everything else had seemed almost perfect.
The castle was magical.
The classes were fascinating.
And the people around him treated him with curiosity or admiration.
For a moment, Harry had thought that the Wizarding World was exactly the wonderful place he had imagined while living under the stairs at the Dursleys' house.
But reality had a way of breaking illusions.
Friday's Potions class had been the first cold splash of water.
Professor Snape's harsh attitude toward him had been unmistakable. The professor clearly disliked him, and Harry had no idea why.
Then, on Saturday, Ryze had told him the truth—or at least part of it.
The story about Snape, about his parents, and about the betrayal by one of their closest friends had shaken Harry deeply.
Only then did he begin to realize that the Wizarding World was far more complicated than the fairy-tale version he had imagined.
And that realization ignited something else inside him.
Determination.
Harry suddenly wanted to become stronger—much stronger.
He wanted to find Sirius Black, the man who had betrayed his parents. He wanted to look him in the eye and ask a single question.
Why?
Why had he betrayed them?
At the same time, Harry also wanted to prove something.
He wanted to prove to Professor Snape—and to Malfoy—that he wasn't just a useless boy who happened to have a famous name.
And now, in Harry's mind, Ryze had unknowingly become the goal he was chasing.
Of course, Harry didn't hold any resentment toward Ryze just because Ryze was also a member of the Black family.
On the contrary, the rumors circulating within Gryffindor had made Harry feel an unexpected sense of connection with him.
According to what the other students had heard, Ryze was an orphan of the Black family.
He had grown up in an orphanage and had been sickly throughout his childhood.
Only after his magical talent awakened had his life begun to change.
It was said that he had inherited something called "Ailey," which had been left behind by his parents. Afterward, a cousin from the Black family had finally found him and taken him away from the orphanage near the end of July.
Since then, his life had gradually improved.
When Harry heard this story, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity.
After all, Harry himself had spent most of his childhood living in a cupboard under the stairs.
He had been bullied constantly by Dudley and treated like a servant by the Dursleys, forced to do chores and endure endless insults.
Compared to that, Ryze's childhood seemed equally lonely.
The two of them, in Harry's eyes, were almost kindred spirits.
Yet there was also a huge difference.
Ryze had only been in contact with magic for one month longer than Harry.
But in every possible way, Ryze seemed far more mature.
Whether it was knowledge, spellcasting, or even the way he spoke and behaved, Ryze seemed to stand far ahead of the other first-years.
Only a week after the start of term, the first-year students had already begun to unconsciously regard Ryze as the most outstanding young wizard in their year.
By comparison, Harry couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed.
After all, he had even needed Ryze to explain what had happened to his own parents.
Because of this, when Harry approached Ryze with questions, his attitude became unusually humble.
Whenever Ryze answered him, Harry would quietly thank him—not only for the explanations but also for the things Ryze had told him on Saturday.
Ryze could clearly see the determination burning in Harry's eyes.
He offered a few words of encouragement.
However, he didn't spend too much time focusing on Harry.
After all, the relationship between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort was something entirely different.
According to the prophecy, the two of them were destined to confront each other in a final battle.
Originally, Ryze had maintained a relatively optimistic attitude toward the prophecy.
As a transmigrator, he believed that his presence might already have changed the course of destiny.
But after discovering the strange note in the Room of Requirement during the weekend—a note that seemed to be a warning left by Rowena Ravenclaw herself—Ryze's thoughts had changed slightly.
Perhaps destiny wasn't something that could be altered so easily.
At the very least, it was not something he could treat lightly.
For now, Ryze planned to observe the situation first.
If Sirius and Harry recognized each other earlier than in the original timeline, that alone might already create huge changes in the future.
Once he saw how events began to shift, he could decide how to deal with the rest.
During the following classes, Ryze continued to earn points for Ravenclaw by helping his classmates with various spells.
When the lesson ended, he remained behind in the classroom.
His current project required guidance from someone more experienced.
Modifying Lumos Maxima into a new spell—something he called Final Spark—was far too complicated for an ordinary first-year wizard.
Even though Ryze had extraordinary control over magic, the task still required deeper theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
Fortunately, Hogwarts had the perfect person to help.
Professor Flitwick.
The Charms professor was not only a master of magical theory but also a former dueling champion who excelled in practical spellcasting.
Naturally, Hermione also stayed behind.
Whenever Ryze asked questions, Hermione often took the opportunity to learn alongside him.
However, this time, the situation was slightly different.
She understood every word Ryze was saying.
And yet, at the same time, she felt completely confused.
What exactly did he mean by compressing the light from Lumos Maxima into a single line?
And how could that possibly turn a simple illumination spell into something offensive?
Seeing Hermione's puzzled expression, Ryze decided to demonstrate.
He raised his wand.
A moment later, a thin beam of light appeared at the tip of the wand.
Unlike the normal glow of the Lumos Charm, this light was tightly compressed into a straight line.
From a distance, it looked almost like a laser.
Ryze aimed the beam at a sheet of paper placed three meters away.
Within an instant, the paper was burned straight through.
A tiny hole appeared in the center, the edges blackened by heat.
"This is the current result," Ryze explained calmly.
"It's created by compressing the light from a normal Lumos Charm."
He continued,
"If I maintain the beam for about half a minute, it can burn through ordinary wood that's roughly the width of a finger."
Ryze paused briefly before revealing the idea that had been forming in his mind.
"My goal is to apply the same principle to Lumos Maxima."
"If the light could be compressed even further and the magical output increased, the temperature might become high enough to melt steel."
Hermione's eyes widened.
Professor Flitwick looked equally surprised.
Ryze added honestly,
"I haven't fully managed to concentrate all the light yet. Once the distance exceeds five meters, the temperature drops quickly."
"So I'm still very far from my real goal."
"Eventually, I'd like the spell to attack targets dozens—or even hundreds—of meters away."
Professor Flitwick had not expected such an idea from a first-year student.
What surprised him even more was that Ryze had already succeeded in creating a working prototype using the basic Lumos Charm.
The professor rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
After a moment, he began writing several lines of magical theory on a sheet of parchment.
Then, following Ryze's explanation, he attempted the same technique himself.
The process took time.
Flitwick tried again and again.
More than ten attempts passed before he finally succeeded in compressing the light enough to burn through the paper.
Only then did he nod slowly.
"Theoretically speaking," he said cautiously, "this should be possible."
"If the spell can be perfected—and if it can be cast as quickly as Lumos Maxima—it could become a very powerful spell indeed."
However, his expression turned serious.
"But the level of concentration and magical control required is extremely high."
"And the training process could be dangerous."
He looked directly at Ryze.
"Even with Ailey's protection, it would be best not to practice this spell alone."
"To avoid accidents."
After some thought, Professor Flitwick made a suggestion.
Ryze should spend time refining the theory first.
Then, once a week, he could come to the professor's office to practice under supervision.
With careful research and experimentation, it might be possible to complete the spell before the end of the school year.
At that moment, Hermione suddenly spoke up.
"Professor… could I come and learn as well?"
Flitwick did not reject her outright.
Instead, he gave a gentle but practical answer.
"I suggest that you first master the method of compressing the ordinary Lumos Charm into a line."
"Once you've achieved that—and if you still have enough energy to study Lumos Maxima—then we can discuss the rest."
He handed the parchment containing the theoretical notes to Hermione.
The material written on it was already beyond what a first-year student should normally study.
Hermione glanced at the parchment, hesitated for a moment, and then clenched her teeth.
She nodded firmly and accepted it.
"I'll study it," she said quietly.
She planned to analyze the theory slowly on her own.
As Hermione left the classroom, Professor Flitwick watched her with mixed emotions.
Such a hardworking child.
But he couldn't help worrying that she might push herself too far.
Usually, encountering a talented and diligent young wizard even once a year was rare.
Yet now he had encountered two at the same time.
And one of them possessed talent far beyond that of his peers.
Hermione was undoubtedly gifted.
Among all the young witches he had taught, she was one of the most hardworking.
She also had a strong competitive spirit.
But the talent Ryze had displayed with the Lumos Charm…
It was extraordinary.
Mastering non-verbal casting within a single week.
And even beginning research on a derivative combat spell based on Lumos.
Even Albus Dumbledore, at the same age, might not have achieved better results.
Furthermore, according to what Flitwick knew, Ryze had also been performing exceptionally well in other subjects.
Recently, he had even begun studying Ancient Runes under Professor Babbling.
If Hermione truly became determined to catch up with Ryze…
Her future life would likely become extremely exhausting.
She might spend all her time chasing someone who stood impossibly far ahead.
Professor Flitwick sighed softly.
He sincerely hoped that Hermione would eventually understand something important.
One did not need to surpass everyone else in order to prove one's own brilliance.
Sometimes, being yourself was already more than enough.
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