Molly's experience drinking the Seer potion wasn't nearly as smooth as the others before her. She seemed to hit every possible negative side effect commonly associated with potion consumption, one after another. Arthur was left both anxious and distressed as he watched.
Thankfully, Audrey remained by her side, constantly "Placating" her throughout the process, allowing her to complete her advancement without incident—she had successfully become a Seer.
Afterwards, Edward patiently taught her how to activate Spirit Vision, how to perform divinations and séances. By the time everything wrapped up, it was already around 10:30. The group left the Room of Requirement one after another to return to their quarters and rest.
Once they had all left, Dumbledore finally spoke, "Edward, now that they've become Beyonders and grasped a fair amount of knowledge, have you felt any benefit from it?"
Edward paused, only then recalling that his entire purpose for teaching potion knowledge and bestowing Beyonder abilities had been to receive feedback from [Converging Paths]. Yet somehow, after being showered with titles like "professor" and "mentor," he'd nearly forgotten his true goal.
He immediately calmed his mind and focused inward. After a moment, he spoke uncertainly, "I think...my spirituality increased just a little?"
After double-checking carefully, Edward nodded with certainty.
"Yes. My spirituality has increased—just a bit."
"A bit?" Dumbledore repeated.
"Yes," Edward said after a moment's thought, trying to give a clearer picture. "If my original spirituality was a thousand points, then I've probably gained about three to five."
Audrey looked a little disappointed. "That little?"
But Edward wasn't discouraged. "This is only the beginning, after all. Counting Professor Dumbledore, I've only personally guided eight people into becoming Beyonders so far. As their Sequence level rises and I continue to teach more individuals, the effects of [Converging Paths] should grow exponentially."
"But if too many people become Beyonders," Audrey asked with a frown, "won't that cause problems?"
Edward nodded, "You're referring to the Law of Conservation of Beyonder Characteristics, aren't you?"
"Exactly," Audrey replied.
"Of course I remember it," Edward said. "Beyonder Characteristics cannot be destroyed or diminished; they only transfer from one vessel to another…"
His words trailed off, and he froze slightly.
"But now, we're bringing potions and Beyonder materials into an entirely different world. Doesn't that mean we're potentially breaking the Law of Indestructibility? If it's just a few, maybe it doesn't matter—but if I really plan to pass on these abilities on a large scale…"
Dumbledore's expression also grew more serious, but he didn't speak right away.
Edward lowered his head, falling into contemplation.
The three great laws of Beyonder Characteristics were indeed vital, but most of the time, they were applied in fairly basic ways.
The Law of Indestructibility meant that when a Beyonder died, their characteristic would inevitably be left behind in the corpse.
The Law of Conservation indicated that when high-Sequence individuals of a particular pathway increased, the number of low-Sequence ones would decrease—and vice versa.
The Law of Aggregation warned that obtaining a high-sequence item of a certain pathway would attract more Beyonders of that same pathway toward you.
These were "lower-level applications," sure, but the three laws also formed the foundational logic of the mysteries world. It was thanks to Aggregation and Division that the entire cosmology of the world could exist at all.
But one thing was certain—the original novel never mentioned what would happen if these laws were broken.
Because they were laws—unchangeable and unbreakable.
Even the Oldest One couldn't escape eventual fragmentation.
…So, does that mean if I've broken the Law of Indestructibility by taking characteristics out of the original world, I'm actually stronger than the Primordial One?
With a self-deprecating chuckle, Edward then said seriously, "Until something truly catastrophic happens, I won't stop passing on these powers. Not just for the sake of [Converging Paths]—this is also crucial to my roleplaying as a Wandering Mentor. I can't let myself be stuck at Sequence 5 forever."
He paused. "You know how dangerous the future will be."
Audrey blinked in realisation.
Right—what could be more terrifying than the apocalypse?
Now that the young couple had sorted things out, Dumbledore finally joined in the conversation.
"Would you mind telling me more about these 'Laws of Beyonder Characteristics' you mentioned?"
"Of course, Professor." Edward nodded. "There are three main laws: the Law of Indestructibility, the Law of Conservation, and the Law of Aggregation…"
He then explained each one to Dumbledore in detail.
"Although for now, you might not be able to sense these laws clearly," he added.
Dumbledore's tone deepened.
"You mentioned that Beyonder Characteristics can be used to make potions…And when a Beyonder dies, their characteristic separates from the body. Doesn't that mean every Beyonder is essentially a walking potion?"
Ugh.
Edward couldn't help but wince—trust the White Lord to immediately zero in on the most brutal truth.
"That's correct. In Audrey's world, many Beyonders hunt others purely to acquire materials for potions."
Dumbledore fell silent.
"Sorry, Professor," Edward said quietly. "I probably should've told you this earlier."
"It's alright."
Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "People have always fought and killed for profit—whether that profit is Beyonder Characteristics, magical ingredients, or Galleons, it makes no difference. It's human nature."
"Just like in the Muggle world—how many years in the past century haven't seen war?"
———
By the time Edward had escorted Audrey back to the Slytherin common room, it was already 11 o'clock. The younger students were long asleep under their warm covers. The room was quiet and empty, the only sound coming from the crackling logs in the fireplace.
"This is as far as I can take you. Go get some sleep. Good night."
"Mm. Good night."
Edward looked toward Susie.
"Good night to you too, Susie."
"Good night, Edward~ Good night, Lilith~"
Unfortunately, Lilith was already curled up fast asleep in Edward's arms.
Then Audrey asked softly, "Edward…what if the Death Eaters and goblins don't show up on the 20th? What if they wait until we're gone before attacking Hogwarts?"
A golden coin popped out of Edward's palm with a soft ding. He caught it effortlessly and began flipping it between his fingers.
"Did you forget about my Madman to the Right? If they don't come…"
His smile turned dark.
"Then I'll make them come."
———
Over the next few days, Edward and Audrey didn't leave Hogwarts again.
Dumbledore was practically flying with how busy he was. Apart from catching a few hours of sleep, he was rarely seen on school grounds, clearly making final preparations for the upcoming election.
—December 17th—
The Ministry finally withdrew all the Aurors and Dementors. The third-years and up, who had been cooped up for a week, rushed to Hogsmeade at the first available moment. Ron was green with envy—but soon got distracted again by the investigation into the Philosopher's Stone.
Unfortunately for them, just as they attempted to sneak into the forbidden room on the fourth floor, they were caught red-handed by the Weasley couple.
Ron barely had time to be shocked before Molly grabbed him by the ear and launched into a full-on scolding. The sheer pressure of her presence was even more terrifying than a Howler.
Thankfully, the Weasleys took Ron's dignity into account in front of his friends, warmly handing out Christmas gifts to Harry and Hermione before they all sat down for a meal together—a moment that moved Harry deeply. It was his first real taste of a family holiday.
Meanwhile, Professors Snape and Sprout spent the entire day brewing potions, while Professor McGonagall roamed the castle inspecting every suit of armour and stone statue.
Edward and Audrey were on standby to help wherever needed, running around until the early hours before they finally collapsed into bed.
Edward also took a brief trip to Ottery St Catchpole, secretly meeting with young Luna to confirm that the Wrackspurt she claimed to have seen was indeed the same "messenger" Audrey had encountered in Longbottom's spiritual world.
—December 18th—
The trio came to find Edward and Audrey, asking for help in confirming whether the Philosopher's Stone was still safe.
Edward thought about it and realised—despite everything—he had never actually seen the magical stone that could grant immortality. Back when he first arrived in the Harry Potter world, it had been one of his major goals.
Seizing the opportunity during one of Dumbledore's rare returns, he and Audrey asked to see it. Since Edward hadn't been involved in the protective arrangements, everything—from the enchantments to the method of retrieving the stone—remained just as described in the original story: all designed to lure out Voldemort and give Harry a trial by fire.
As for the stone itself, Edward had long since lost interest. Its so-called immortality merely prolonged one's life, not enhanced it. Nicolas Flamel might have lived for over six hundred years, but in truth, he was so frail he could shatter at the slightest touch. Besides, the stone's energy had mostly been depleted—it no longer held the power it once did.
Lilith, however, was very intrigued. She tried more than once to sneak a taste of it. Fortunately, the stone was hard enough to withstand her efforts—otherwise she might've actually taken a bite out of it.
What really piqued Edward's curiosity was the golden Mirror of Erised.
But when he stood before it, the mirror reflected…nothing. No image of himself. No deepest desire. Just a blank void.
Even Dumbledore was stumped. He admitted to knowing little about the mirror—only that it had been placed in the Room of Requirement long, long ago by someone unknown.
Audrey, on the other hand, clearly saw her "deepest desire." Her face lit up with a radiant smile. But when Edward asked her what she'd seen, she stubbornly refused to say.
Lilith saw a vision of Edward happily sharing roasted rats with her, while Audrey and Susie sat nearby cooking BBQ rodent ribs.
Susie, meanwhile, simply saw herself quietly standing by Audrey's side.
Before they left, Dumbledore stood before the Mirror of Erised for half a minute…then sighed deeply.
—December 19th—
At breakfast, the four Heads of House made a sudden announcement: for the next three days, all students were to remain inside their dormitories and common rooms. No one was allowed to wander the castle.
The abrupt order filled everyone with a palpable sense of tension. After breakfast, they obediently returned to their respective common rooms.
Throughout the day, Hogwarts lay quiet. Apart from the occasional flutter of owl wings, the entire castle was eerily still, like the calm before a storm.
That afternoon, Edward received a message from Lucius: Barty Crouch Jr. had issued the final command—the attack on Hogwarts was scheduled for tomorrow, December 20th.
After confirming the intel, Edward immediately shared it with the others.
As dusk fell, Lilith, who had spent the day roaming the now-empty Hogwarts, suddenly came to him with a request: she wanted help creating a portable item enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
She had things to take back with her, she said.
So Edward made her a delicate pendant to wear around her neck—its interior space over ten square meters, more than enough for her needs.
Lilith was ecstatic and immediately showed it off to Susie. Not to be outdone, Audrey made one for Susie too.
Edward had assumed Lilith wanted to store some kind of treasure—until he saw her stealthily packing it full of dried mice. He slapped his forehead in disbelief. So she hadn't given up on her rat obsession—she'd just been lying low, waiting for a big haul.
Where on earth had she found so many mice in the middle of winter?
That day, Dumbledore did not return to Hogwarts.
———
December 25th. Christmas Day.
The moment Edward awoke, he could feel the festive atmosphere.
From the common room to the hallways and the Great Hall itself, the castle was decked in brilliant colours and sparkling lights.
The students, newly freed after being locked up for days, raced around excitedly. Even the ghosts and living portraits were caught up in the joy and celebration.
But while everyone else revelled in merriment, Edward felt as if he'd plunged into an icy abyss.
His entire body turned cold.
Why…why was it the 25th already?
———
[Note]: Hah. Another day. Another goal missed. (Good for me tho. Less work hehe~)
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