"If what's written inside is true… then this book is practically the foundation of an entirely new discipline!"
After finishing the preface and table of contents of Psychodynamics, Avada couldn't help but feel a surge of amazement.
"Why would something like this be placed in the Restricted Section? Could it be that, beyond pure theoretical discussion, it also records dangerous magic or experimental data?"
"But even if that's the case, they could have extracted the purely theoretical parts and compiled them into a separate volume… Or is it that even researching the theory alone is already dangerous?"
Speculating as he went, Avada opened the main text and began reading carefully.
"Part One: An Overview of Mental Power Structures… This is pretty close to what I've explored myself—actually, it's even a bit rough. Still, some of the finer details are impressive. There are quite a few things here I never considered. I should jot them down."
He casually pulled a notebook from his bag, took out ink and a quill, and rapidly recorded his insights and flashes of inspiration. Before long, he finished the first section, which posed little difficulty for him.
"Part Two: A Logical Symbol System for Describing Changes in Mental Power… Huh?!"
"You can record changes in mental power using writing? Is that even possible?!"
It was no wonder Avada was so shocked. This was something he had always wanted to do—but had never once succeeded at.
His Magical Perception allowed him to see the magical structures of everything in the world, yet those structures were hyper-geometric in nature, utterly impossible to reproduce in reality. After realizing that there was no way to record magical structures other than brute-force memorization, Avada had long been trying to invent a logical symbol system capable of expressing them. Existing symbols were completely insufficient—more than that, they didn't even form a coherent system.
Mental power, being a component of magic and an extremely special kind of magical structure, had naturally been one of his main targets. Especially last year, when he was developing his talent-optimization technique, he had focused heavily on this area—yet achieved no success whatsoever. And due to the magical world's long-standing neglect of mental power research, there were no ready-made logical symbols he could borrow.
And now, right in front of him, lay a complete symbol system for describing changes in mental power.
How could he not be thrilled?
"Don't get excited just yet. What if it's wrong? Test it. Test it…"
Forcibly suppressing his excitement, Avada picked up his quill with trembling hands and began scribbling formulas and diagrams in his notebook.
"Equation describing emotional fluctuations… matches reality."
"General spell descriptions… consistent."
"Transfiguration… consistent."
"Dark magic and mental damage… consistent!"
"Potion reactions, mental spells, ghosts… all consistent!!"
"This system works!!"
The instant he confirmed it, Avada pulled out another notebook and began recording frantically. While the effects of the Wit-Sharpening Potion were still active, and while vast amounts of data were still firmly imprinted in his mind, he had to transcribe all of Voldemort's mental-power data using this new logical symbol system!
With such a system, he was finally freed from the stage of relying purely on raw memorization. His efficiency in analyzing Voldemort's mental power would increase fivefold—no, tenfold! Not because the system itself was unbelievably efficient, but because his previous method had been painfully inefficient.
Once he became fully proficient with it, the multiplier could be even higher.
"Voldemort… you've really given me a massive gift."
"At this pace, in two months—no, one month—I'll completely map out his mental-power structure. Then I can refine that spell based on the results, achieving a perfect match with his mental power, and ensure there isn't the slightest flaw when restraining his wraith…"
"And once the pressure on Voldemort's side eases, I'll finally have time to research other things—breaking seals, Dual Casting, the Diadem…"
"Seriously, Voldemort… thanks for all of this. Truly, thanks."
He forced himself to stay rational as he recorded everything in his mind. After finally finishing, he continued reading the book, eager to see how such a genius symbol system had been created. The further he read, the more shaken he became—and the deeper his admiration grew for the ancient scholar who had devised it.
"So that's how it is… so this is another way of thinking about it…"
"Even without being able to directly see changes in mental power like I can, they still inferred the deeper truths from various surface phenomena—and then recorded them on paper with breathtaking ingenuity and logic…"
"The creator of this system deserves the Order of Merlin, First Class… No, there should be an award established in their name!"
When the excitement finally subsided, Avada let out a long sigh.
He wasn't actually smart.
The reason he had achieved feats far beyond his peers at such a young age—feats that even surpassed the entire world—was not intelligence, but the original canon knowledge stored in his mind, along with an unprecedentedly powerful talent. And yet, even so, there were people who, through sheer brilliance and effort, could accomplish things that even someone who could directly see magic could not.
"Truly admirable."
He murmured softly, feeling the effects of the Wit-Sharpening Potion gradually fade as his once-vivid, powerful thinking returned to calm.
At least this way, I won't even need an excuse when facing Dumbledore.
Once I finish analyzing Voldemort's mental power, I can record the data using this symbol system, attach the principles and setup of the improved spell, and send it straight to Dumbledore's desk as an anonymous letter. Though he receives a lot of mail… maybe a Howler would get his attention? No—too cruel.
As for my cover story… I'll say I'm an adventurer who enjoys traveling. I once encountered Voldemort's wraith in Albania, was briefly tempted and possessed, but regained my clarity and secretly recorded his mental-power data the whole time. Eventually, I escaped his control and developed a spell to restrain a wraith…
But how do I deliver the letter? I don't have my own owl, and the school owlery is out of the question. Using a Hogwarts owl to write to the Headmaster—might as well sign my name while I'm at it.
Which means, to confirm whether he's actually set up the spell, I'll have to personally go check the end point before the term ends. But what if Dumbledore overlooks the letter, or glances at it once and dismisses it outright? Going to him directly would mean endless questioning and suspicion. My Occlumency wouldn't stand a chance against his full-power Legilimency at close range…
Forget it. I'll take it one step at a time. As long as Voldemort can be eliminated early, that's enough. But my Magical Perception and canon memories must stay hidden until I'm capable of protecting myself…
"Hey, Ken!"
The dormitory door suddenly flew open, the voice startling Avada so badly that he snapped the book shut and jumped to his feet. "Xavier? Stebbins? You're back already?"
"Already? It's past ten! Did you completely lose track of time?"
"We heard from the older students that you came back to the dorm around six or seven. Don't tell me you've been in here alone for over three hours?"
"I was researching something… Where's Summers?"
"He went to the kitchens to prepare ingredients. Tomorrow's the freshman orientation and outreach lecture—they need snacks and drinks. He signed up as a volunteer cook."
(End of Chapter)