Chapter 45: Fiendfyre! The School Year Begins!

Time passed in silent, unceasing motion.

Like grains of sand slipping through his fingers.

Before he knew it, the eve of the new school year had arrived.

Ian had made considerable progress in his studies.

The spells recorded in Advanced Secrets of Dark Magic weren't particularly difficult to learn—aside from the knowledge concerning Horcruxes. He had already grasped the foundational workings of the three Unforgivable Curses.

[Killing Curse (Level 1) 11/100]

[Imperius Curse (Level 1) 1/100]

[Cruciatus Curse (Level 1) 3/100]

Of course, since he was still living in the Muggle world, Ian didn't dare to practice these highly illegal spells with his wand. Most of his mastery came from theoretical study and deep contemplation.

His exceptional talent for Dark Arts played a crucial role, as did the annotations provided by Gellert Grindelwald in the book.

Naturally, he didn't limit himself to just the Unforgivable Curses. He had dabbled in spells such as Reductor and Oppugno, though he hadn't delved too deeply into them.

After all…

It was better to master a few spells than to spread himself too thin.

Advancing his magic required time and practice. For now, he simply needed enough spells to handle most situations.

"I'll learn them all eventually. There's no rush."

Ian wasn't impatient.

Outside of the Dark Arts, he also studied The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, as a way to balance his magical education.

Compared to first-year students at Hogwarts, he needed only a little practice to cast most of these simpler spells properly. His magical power had grown considerably—no longer as weak as when he first started.

In just a few days, he had reached a competent level with many basic spells, most registering at Level 1.

However, there was one subject that continued to frustrate him: Transfiguration.

Even a simple task—transforming a matchstick into a needle—had proven to be an immense challenge. Despite days of effort, he had barely made any progress.

[Transfiguration (Level 0) 17/50]

It was painfully slow.

He wasn't even sure if he was lagging behind other young witches and wizards.

Yet, Ian had an idea of what the problem was.

Dumbledore had once warned him: he was too focused on understanding the logic and mechanics behind magic.

And with his Insight of Wisdom, that tendency had only worsened.

Magic in this world wasn't just about formulas and theories.

Faith and imagination held great power here.

Even Professor Mara from the Ethereal Realm had mentioned something similar. All of her lifelong research had been outmatched by Pandero's sheer, unwavering belief in himself.

Compared to wizards who embraced the miraculous nature of magic, Ian's analytical mindset was holding him back.

But that was just the way he was.

Recognizing the issue didn't mean he could fix it overnight.

"Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the founders of Hogwarts, was also a witch who valued logic and reason. And yet, her Transfiguration skills were exceptional. There must be a way to find a balance."

"I mean, I did take art classes as a kid… Sure, the tutor said I had no future in it, but I must have at least some creativity, right?"

Ian didn't doubt that he could eventually master Transfiguration. He simply didn't know when he'd figure out that delicate balance between reason and imagination.

And that would take time.

"Transfiguration is crushing my confidence. The only thing that can restore it is more knowledge."

Whenever frustration set in, he turned back to Advanced Secrets of Dark Magic.

The book contained an extensive collection of spells, categorized into three types: Jinxes, Hexes, and Curses—each increasing in danger and cruelty.

But beyond these classifications, there was another branch of magic: Cursed Magic.

"So that's where Voldemort learned how to curse the Defense Against the Dark Arts position…"

Ian wasn't particularly interested in researching curses.

He had no enemies to torment.

If he needed to deal with someone, wasn't Avada Kedavra enough? Or better yet, Fiendfyre?

Yes, after his visit to the nameless bookstore, Ian had dedicated time to studying the infamous Fiendfyre Curse.

And now…

It was his most proficient Dark spell.

[Fiendfyre (Level 1) 76/100]

Of course, he hadn't dared to actually cast it—not with his own wand. A spell capable of summoning living infernos that consumed everything in their path wasn't exactly safe to practice.

Perhaps it was time to acquire a secondary wand.

Would Knockturn Alley have custom orders?

Either way, without actual practice, leveling up his spells was slow. The only reason his Fiendfyre Curse had progressed so much was due to Grindelwald's annotations.

Ian had to admit—Grindelwald's granddaughter hadn't been exaggerating. The old wizard's understanding of Fiendfyre was simply peerless.

And despite reaching this level, Ian hadn't even finished reading all of Grindelwald's notes on the spell.

"Tomorrow, I'll be heading to Hogwarts. It'll be much harder to study this book once I'm there."

Ian was looking forward to school, though he regretted that he wouldn't have as much freedom to explore Dark magic.

Still…

Learning other types of magic wasn't a bad thing.

He was eager to begin Alchemy, as Professor Mara had instructed. And with Professor McGonagall's guidance, he hoped to finally find the balance between logic and imagination.

"It's going to be an exciting year."

Ian was full of anticipation.

Sitting at his desk, he turned to the final pages on Fiendfyre.

"Grindelwald was able to control Fiendfyre without harming himself? He could even imprint his will onto the flames?"

"That's… an extraordinary breakthrough."

Excited, Ian illuminated his wand, ready to absorb every last detail.

Of course, he had to hide the book before leaving for school.

After some consideration, he decided to bury it beneath the rotting coffin in the basement. Even if Snape ever returned to live here, it was unlikely he'd be deranged enough to start digging up corpses.

"So, mental focus is critical… The higher-level the magic, the more it emphasizes intent. Dark and Light magic seem to share common ground at the highest levels."

His skill with Fiendfyre continued to improve as he read.

Outside, the wind whispered against the windows.

At the very end of Grindelwald's notes on Fiendfyre, Ian found a line that left him momentarily stunned.

"I hope you find this knowledge useful, my friend."