Developing Ancient Magic?

That’s not a bad idea, to be honest. Snape’s suggestion was actually quite constructive.

The problem, however, was developing it with Miss Grindelwald?

Harry didn’t think Veratia could work with him on applying this ancient spell, just as Sirius had suspected. Veratia likely wanted him to keep this vulnerability so she could read his true thoughts more easily.

What a cunning old fox.

"What’s that?" Snape’s oily, sardonic tone slithered into the air again. "Instead of seeking out your all-powerful Miss Grindelwald, you come bothering your old professor, wasting his time brewing Tooth-Strengthening Potion for the Headmaster... Perhaps I don’t mind, but a certain unnamed Headmaster might not be so forgiving."

Unnamed Headmaster, my foot.

Who didn’t know he was talking about Dumbledore?

Still...

Harry had to admit Snape had a point. After mulling it over for a moment, he bid Snape farewell and made his way toward the Room of Hidden Things.

Ever since Veratia’s return, Harry occasionally accompanied her to the Room of Hidden Things to visit the portraits of the professors.

Regarding the portrait issue, Veratia’s explanation was that she had absorbed their memories. Her reasoning? Since she was still alive, having her portrait hanging in the Room of Hidden Things felt a bit inauspicious.

Harry didn’t press her further. Whatever she said, went.

The last time he’d been to the Room of Hidden Things was the previous week, when Veratia had returned to Hogwarts. He’d followed her there to visit the professors.

As the heavy door creaked open, Harry stepped into the Room of Hidden Things.

"Ha, Potter."

Professor Rookwood spotted Harry and let out a grunt, his tone ambiguous. Was it a welcome or a dismissal?

The portrait where Veratia once stood had been completely reframed. Last year, Veratia had refurbished it and brought back Professor San Bakar.

For years, Professor San Bakar had been tucked away in some forgotten corner, which was, frankly, a bit tragic.

"Ha, Potter!"

Professor Rackham greeted him with a warm wave, his face relaxed and friendly.

"Ha, Potter!"

Professor San Bakar, on the other hand, didn’t seem thrilled. Perhaps it was a case of guilt by association, but he seemed to harbor some resentment toward Harry. After all, if it weren’t for Harry’s disappearance, San Bakar wouldn’t have spent a century languishing in solitude.

A century!

Do you know how I spent that century?

Without a single soul to talk to!

"Oh, Harry."

The only one visibly delighted to see Harry was Headmistress Fitzgerald.

"Good day, Professors," Harry said politely, nodding to each of them.

"I recall you already visited last month with that Grindelwald girl, didn’t you, Potter?" Professor San Bakar asked, squinting suspiciously.

Harry didn’t deny it. He nodded and said, "Yes, Professor. I did come with Veratia... but this time, I’m here for something else."

"What’s that?" Professor Rookwood asked.

"Well..."

Harry paused, gathering his thoughts.

"I’ve been studying Occlumency and can now clear my mind completely. But I want to learn advanced applications of it. Professor Snape suggested I might be able to apply ancient magic to Occlumency."

"That’s a fine suggestion," Headmistress Fitzgerald said, nodding approvingly. "It’s a good idea. Why not ask Veratia for help?"

"Er..."

Harry’s expression turned awkward.

"What’s wrong?" Headmistress Fitzgerald asked, her tone laced with suspicion.

Harry sighed, opting for honesty. "Veratia doesn’t want to teach me advanced Occlumency. She thinks I should focus on mastering spells instead of chasing these ’ethereal’ pursuits."

At that, Professor San Bakar clapped his hands as if he’d discovered a new continent.

"Ha! I knew it! She doesn’t want to teach you!" he exclaimed. "I told the others a century ago... you remember, don’t you? You wanted to learn Occlumency, but that girl always distracted you with other topics. After she left, I told Headmistress Fitzgerald that she must want you to have no secrets from her..."

"Er..."

Harry didn’t know what to say. An all-purpose "er" would have to do.

"Well, then," Professor San Bakar said with a grin. "Since Miss Grindelwald won’t teach you, I’ll reluctantly take on the responsibility of being your professor. I’ve never tried applying ancient magic to Occlumency myself, but I can share some ideas I had when I was still alive..."

It was clear San Bakar still held a grudge, likely remembering the century Veratia had left him locked away in some dark corner.

"I have no objections," Professor Rookwood added. "In fact, during my idle years, I’ve had some thoughts on the matter. So, Potter, you can give it a try."

"I’m in too," Professor Rackham said with a sly smile, clearly eager to see where this would lead. The prospect of some entertainment was his main motivation for helping Harry.

Hearing the professors’ support, Harry felt a surge of excitement.

"Cool," he said eagerly. "When do we start?"

"Now," Professor San Bakar declared, raising a hand. "Go, sit in that chair over there... We’ll discuss and figure out how to approach this... Let me think..."

And so, the three professors debated for nearly half an hour, each refusing to yield. As masters of ancient magic, none could convince the others, and none would concede. Each believed their method was the best, their approach the most refined.

In the end, it was Headmistress Fitzgerald who proposed a solution.

"Why not try all of your ideas and see which one works?"

After speaking, she turned to reassure Harry. "Don’t worry, Harry. These professors were exceptional wizards in their time, but their limitations in death mean they can only theorize. The practical work falls to you. No pressure..."

No pressure?

Harry groaned inwardly. I’m under a mountain of pressure!

This was mind magic, after all. What if he messed it up?

He could tell these professors were like theoretical physicists, while he was the one stuck doing the experiments. What if they got something wrong? Wouldn’t he be the one to suffer?

Harry felt like a lab rat awaiting the scientists’ tests.

But to grow stronger, he decided to go all in.

Lab rat or not, if combining ancient magic with Occlumency was possible, a little sacrifice was worth it.

"Let’s do this," Harry said, his expression as resolute as if he were standing at the helm of a dragon. "I’m ready to try. You’re sure nothing will go wrong, right?"

"No, it won’t," Headmistress Fitzgerald said firmly, her tone unwavering.

Half an hour later...

Harry was gasping for breath, shooting Headmistress Fitzgerald a look that screamed, I trusted you!

"This is your idea of ’nothing going wrong’?" Harry complained, rubbing his head. "My brain feels like it’s about to explode, Headmistress!"

"It’s just a small hiccup, Harry," Fitzgerald said lightly. "You need to understand something, Harry—there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Using ancient magic to enhance Occlumency is uncharted territory. If you want to be a pioneer, you can’t expect it to come without a cost. Don’t you agree?"

Her words sank in, and Harry nodded reluctantly. "Fine... I’ll try Professor San Bakar’s suggestion again."

At that, San Bakar’s eyes gleamed with approval.

This kid... he’s got potential.

"Hey!" Professor Rookwood interjected, clearly displeased. "Why not try my suggestion first?"

"Sorry, Professor," Harry said apologetically. "I just thought I’d save the best for last..."

"Pah!" Rookwood snapped, exasperated. "You just don’t trust me! Merlin’s beard, in my day, a student like you would’ve been nailed to a cross for this!"

Merlin’s beard or not, Harry thought fiercely, I need to conserve some energy.

Another half hour passed, and Harry was sprawled on the floor, drenched in sweat, lying in a lifeless "X" shape. He was utterly exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept in months. His mind was foggy, heavy with fatigue.

"Let’s continue tomorrow," Headmistress Fitzgerald said with concern. "You need rest, not to push yourself here. Go back to your dormitory, have a hot cup of pumpkin juice, and get some sleep."

Harry let out a weak grunt, still sprawled on the floor, too drained to move.

All he wanted was to sleep.

But in this environment?

If he slept on the cold, hard floor of the Room of Hidden Things, he’d wake up aching all over. The stone was icy, practically radiating a chill.

After catching his breath, he forced himself to stand.

"I hope your method isn’t too intense, Professor," he said to Rookwood.

"Don’t worry, Harry," Rookwood replied, his face alight with anticipation. "You need to rest properly. I think my suggestion is very promising—if you’ve got enough energy, that is. Go rest, understand?"

"Tell me your idea first," Harry said, still panting.

"Why should I tell you now?" Rookwood asked, puzzled.

"Don’t you get it?" San Bakar said, crossing his arms. "The boy’s worried his little girlfriend might show up and tell us not to teach him advanced Occlumency. Isn’t that obvious?"

"We’re not teaching him advanced Occlumency," Rookwood said, spreading his hands with a sly grin, playing a word game. "We’re teaching him how to combine ancient magic with Occlumency."

San Bakar and Rackham both gave him a thumbs-up for that one.

"But you’ve got a point, Harry," Rookwood conceded after a moment. He began explaining the details to Harry.

Harry listened carefully, memorizing Rookwood’s words. After bidding farewell to the four professors, he left the Room of Hidden Things, yawning.

As he stepped out, he nearly collided with Veratia, who was just arriving at the door.

Seeing her, Harry’s instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, he cleared his mind completely.

He didn’t know why he did it—it just felt right.

"What were you doing in there?" Veratia asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Nothing," Harry said, shaking his head and yawning. "I had some questions about ancient magic, so I went to consult the professors."

"Why didn’t you come to me?" Veratia asked, tilting her head.

"Huh?" Harry feigned surprise. "Didn’t Cassandra say you were back in the Muggle world for your thesis defense?"

It was a deliberate misdirection. He knew Veratia wouldn’t bother checking with Cassandra—and not only that, it would shift her focus to Cassandra.

Sure enough, Veratia’s expression darkened. "Her?" she muttered. But she didn’t press further, instead asking with concern, "What’s wrong? You look exhausted."

"Just a bit drained of magic," Harry said casually. His steps were unsteady as he stumbled toward Veratia, wrapping an arm around her slender waist. His hand, less than innocent, slipped under the hem of her shirt, brushing against the smooth, warm skin of her waist.

"Mmm..."

Veratia’s attention shifted again. Her cheeks flushed as she swatted his hand away.

"It’s still daytime," she whispered, "and we’re out in the open, Harry..."

"Hm?" Harry pretended to look around, feigning confusion. "But there’s no one around. It’s fine—"

"No, it’s not!" Veratia said firmly. "If you want to... touch, we can leave school tonight and go to my rented place in the Muggle world. But not now."

"Fine," Harry said, putting on a disappointed expression and gazing at her with puppy-dog eyes.

Veratia, as expected, softened at his pitiful look.

"Just this once," she murmured.

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