HP: The Root of Everything - The Magician

December 25th, Christmas Day

This holiday is to the British what Chinese New Year was to Teach Carr in his previous life.

With the holidays over, half of Hogwarts' winter school season is over.

After inquiring, Teach learned that the young wizards' term was divided into two seasons, winter and spring. At the end of each season, there was a one-month break, during which students could choose to go home or stay at school.

But the festive atmosphere at Hogwarts is now gone. Because of the basilisk, the entire castle is shrouded in a terrifying shadow. Students are petrified, and one of them dies as if he were cursed by the Avada Kedavra.

With the Basilisk nowhere to be found and no one able to open the Chamber of Secrets, Headmaster Dumbledore cancelled the Christmas celebrations and ordered the young wizards to return to their dormitories immediately after class, where professors would guard their doors for their safety.

Dumbledore was very nervous because if another person died, Hogwarts would be forced to close by the Board of Trustees, and he would be removed from his position as headmaster.

It wasn't because Dumbledore coveted the headmaster's position, but because he didn't want Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to be tainted by the power of the Board of Trustees and the Ministry of Magic, and he didn't want the place of teaching and nurturing to become a supply factory for their wizarding families.

In contrast to the dangerous and tense atmosphere at the school outside, Teach Carr's office was decorated with festive red lanterns.

This arrangement is perhaps to commemorate his past life, and to wish for a traditional Chinese New Year.

In the office kitchen, spring rolls were being heated in the microwave, while the water next to them was boiling. Titch got up, picked up the wrapped dumplings and put them into the pot, and then began preparing the dipping sauce for the dumplings.

During the Chinese New Year, Teach Carr inevitably felt a bit lonely without his mother, Maggie, so he had already invited Hermione Granger to come over as a guest.

After placing the dumplings and spring rolls on the table, Teach went to a teleportation array drawn on the ground and activated it by injecting life magic from his magic circuit.

Then, amidst the glowing light of the array, Hermione Granger vanished from the bedclothes and reappeared in Teach's presence.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Hermione."

“Thank you for your invitation, Professor. You said today is like New Year’s Day for you, so this is a New Year’s gift I’ve prepared for you,” Hermione said, taking out a gift box and smiling expectantly for Teach to open it.

As Hermione wished, Teach opened the box and found a gleaming piece of gold inside.

This gift surprised Teach, who then asked, "Hermione, have you completed the material transformation of ordinary stone into gold?"

"Hehe, Professor, I didn't disappoint you, did I?"

“...Yes, Hermione, you have not disappointed me, you have made me proud,” Teach Carl said sincerely, then led Hermione to the dining table and gentlemanly pulled out a chair for her.

Seeing the dining chair being pulled out, Hermione smiled sweetly: "Thank you, Professor."

However, after Teach sat down, he looked at twelve-year-old Hermione and shook his head, saying, "No, I think... I prefer you to call me teacher."

"Teacher...?" Teach Carr's sudden question hit Hermione like a huge surprise, leaving her stunned and dizzy.

In fact, after receiving numerous lessons from Teach, Hermione had long harbored the idea of ​​becoming his apprentice. However, considering the principle of equivalent exchange in magic, she could never bring herself to say it unless Teach Carl actively offered to take her on as a student.

Seeing Hermione sitting on the bench without answering for a long time, Teach pretended to be regretful and said, "Since you don't want to, then forget it. I take back what I just said..."

"...Professor, no~Teacher, I do~I really do," Hermione, still stunned by the surprise, was startled by Teach's attempt to take back his words and immediately stood up, bowing her head and saying that she agreed, completely agreeing.

Then, with a terrified sob in her voice, she said, "Teacher, please don't take back what you just said to me. I am very honored to be your disciple."

Teach looked at the terrified Hermione and laughed mischievously, then commanded with a smile, "Hermione, take off your coat and expose your left chest and your entire left arm."

Hermione obeyed the order without suspicion, and when she took off her coat to expose her chest, she didn't even think of it as a pervert.

Teach then raised Hermione's left hand, revealing the back of her hand, and then cut his own palm, using his blood to draw a permanent transmutation circle on the back of her hand—a teleportation magic circle.

After finishing drawing the alchemy circle, Teach continued writing magical symbols on Hermione's arm with his bloodied hands.

Teach continued writing without stopping, his hand moving upwards until he reached Hermione's slightly protruding chest, at which point he took a deep breath and stopped.

Hermione blushed deeply when her breasts were touched.

But she didn't struggle to break free from the resistance; she understood that Ms. Teach wasn't someone who would have any ulterior motives towards a little brat like her.

As it turned out, she was right.

As soon as Teach removed his bloodied finger from Hermione's chest, the magical runes seemed to come alive. They moved along Hermione's arm, then refined, combined, and stretched, transforming into a line formed by the runes.

And this thread connects flesh and nerves, and connects to Hermione's heart.

This wasn't a magic circuit, so Hermione didn't experience the excruciating pain and torment that came with having the circuit implanted in her body.

After Teach inscribed the 'pseudo-magic circuit' on Hermione, he took out the Healing Stone to restore her wounds, and then explained to Hermione's puzzled expression, "This is a circuit and a Blink spell that your teacher me painstakingly developed. This spell has saved me from life-or-death situations several times."

“But you are a witch, unlike me. Although the magic power of magic can activate magic arrays, there are still inherent flaws in its smooth operation. Therefore, I have written magical texts for you, using these texts to connect the ‘teleportation magic array’ on the back of your hand, the blood and veins in your arm, and your heart, the power source.”

"This 'pseudo-magic circuit' can transform the blood energy produced by your heartbeat into life magic, which can be used to perform magic."

After finishing his commentary, Teach stood at his table and jokingly reminded him, "My foolish disciple, aren't you going to put your clothes on?"

"Do you think you can seduce the teacher with your underdeveloped body?"

After being reminded, Hermione's already red face turned even redder, and she looked so embarrassed that steam seemed to rise from her head.

After putting on all her clothes, Hermione dared to look at the transmutation circle engraved on the back of her hand, her eyes filled with deep fascination: "[It's so beautiful~, such a magical transmutation circle, it's like a skill that only a god could accomplish]."

Thinking of this, Hermione unconsciously murmured, "Teacher, are you a god?"

Teach Carl paused for a moment at Hermione's question, then smiled and replied, "God? No, not now, but that doesn't mean he won't be in the future."

“Your teacher has something that must be done, and only God can do it.”

Hermione lowered her hand, opened her mouth, and asked with concern, "Teacher, may I know what it is?"

"The soul... to rebuild a completely broken soul. She was the mother who found me and raised me, and now she is your grandmother (housewife)."

"Alright, it's Christmas and Chinese New Year, let's not talk about these heavy things. Come on... eat the dumplings and spring rolls I made."

"These two things don't exist in England."

At Teach's invitation to the delicious food, Hermione's face lit up with a smile again. She took a bite of the dumplings dipped in sauce and exclaimed how delicious they were.

"Don't worry, I've cooked plenty, enough for us to eat our fill," Teach kept putting food on Hermione's plate, reminding her not to choke.