HP: The Root of Everything - The Magician

In the hallway after Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Hermione excitedly ran towards her teacher Teach's office, clutching a parchment with her analysis of a transmutation circle drawn on it.

She never stopped observing things under the microscope until she collected and analyzed samples of the forest monster's flesh and blood as instructed by Teach. This gave Hermione the crucial step to be able to draw it.

Today's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was the last one, and after class, the young wizards, all hungry, ran to the hall for dinner, leaving the corridor leading to Teach Carl's office deserted.

This gave Lockhart, who had been following Hermione after class, a golden opportunity.

Just as Hermione reached a corner, Lockhart quickly approached and called out to her. The instant Hermione turned around upon hearing his voice, Lockhart cast his Oblivion Charm.

Lockhart frantically searched through the books Hermione had dropped on the floor, then grabbed the Horcrux notebook and ran away. Lockhart was very worried because a professor was openly casting a spell on students outside a Hogwarts classroom.

But he was extremely happy now because after waiting for several years, Voldemort's notebook was finally in his hands.

Two minutes later, Hermione snapped out of her daze and looked around with a strange expression.

It's like I've forgotten something, yet it's also like I haven't forgotten anything at all.

Hermione shook her head at the strange feeling in her heart, thinking that she was just mentally exhausted from drawing the analysis alchemy circle, which caused her consciousness to wander.

He picked up the books from the ground and then rolled up the very important parchment next to him.

Hermione continued walking toward her teacher Teach's office.

......

Lockhart hid the Horcrux notebook in his bosom and covered it with his clothes, as if he were a thief and afraid of being seen.

Then he ran in the direction of his office.

During his escape, Tom Riddle was consumed by a volcanic rage within the notebook, hysterically yelling and cursing at Lockhart, the idiot: "What did this moron just do, just to get my notebook?"

"Fuck, fuck~, fuck squid~~"

"This chance for rebirth that I've waited over fifty years for, this life-forming array I used to cultivate my living body, has been ruined by this idiot!"

"You lowly mudblood who took my notebook, why didn't you take that parchment too?"

"Damn it~~".

Lockhart couldn't hear Tom Riddle's angry shouts; he was now frantically running back to his office and reinforcing the door to prevent anyone from breaking in.

After a brief moment of calming his tense, rapid breathing, Lockhart eagerly opened the Horcrux notebook and began writing with a quill: 'Hello, the great Dark Lord Voldemort, I am Gilderoy Lockhart...'

The handwriting was sucked into the notebook, and Tom Riddle, who was furious, calmed down instantly. Then the handwriting appeared: 'Hello, Lockhart'.

Tom didn't say much; in negotiations, taking the initiative often means being passive.

Tom knew that this fool was also someone who knew of his existence when Lockhart greeted him by the name 'Voldemort': [In that case, I'll make use of this damned Mudblood.]

Seeing that the Horcrux notebook had indeed responded to his writing, Lockhart immediately wrote again: 'Mr. Voldemort, I am your most fervent admirer, and I await your return, but my strength is too weak to help you.'

"So... please grant me the power to help you be resurrected and reborn!"

What resurrection? It's all just a lie told by Lockhart, that fraudster, to gain Voldemort's guidance.

Lockhart only knew from the Death Eater dark wizard's memory that Voldemort had sealed a part of his soul into the notebook, but he didn't know that the soul inside was Voldemort's memories and soul from his student days.

Tom Riddle wasn't going to be so foolish as to explain or clarify this misunderstanding to Lockhart.

While he was controlling Ginny Weasley, Tom gradually learned from Ginny's writings that he would become the Dark Lord Voldemort in the future, so he now calls himself Voldemort.

After reading Lockhart's latest writing, Tom let out a series of cold laughs from his notebook: "Resurrect that foolish loser Voldemort? Ridiculous... I am me, he is him. Voldemort and I may share the same soul, but our thoughts are different."

He was too eager for quick success and instant benefits, and he actually believed in a crazy prophecy that was so far-fetched. I don't know why my future self (Voldemort) would become such a foolish person, but if I were in his shoes now, I would not rule by violence and threats.

After considering all this, Tom Riddle responded to Lockhart, generously acknowledging Lockhart's ambition to gain power.

However, Tom Riddle has only just come into contact with Lockhart and cannot yet take control, so he will have to wait for Hermione to complete the Life Analysis array.

......

In the magic office, Teach Carr was carefully examining the parchment.

Sometimes he nodded, sometimes he frowned, sometimes he pondered, and sometimes he felt gratified.

The analysis of the alchemy array is extremely important. It is the foundation for how far a magician can go on the path of pursuing truth. Without this alchemy array, no matter how much magic knowledge one learns, it is just a castle in the air that will collapse at any time.

Without this explanation of the training array, drawing any number of training arrays is just blindly copying them without understanding the principle behind drawing them. Ultimately, a superficial understanding of magic will stop him from progressing.

Each magician's analysis and training array will be different. Although Hermione's analysis and training array is still a bit rudimentary and needs to be continuously improved, it is a genuine magic analysis array on the 'life' side.

After half an hourglass, Teach returned the parchment to Hermione, and amidst Hermione's eager anticipation, Teach gave her incredibly high praise, saying, "Hermione, I don't think anyone can do better than you at this stage of magic."

As she was being praised, Hermione blushed at Teach Carl.

Looking at his disciple Hermione, Teach was filled with surprise and admiration. Who would have thought that in just half a semester, Hermione Granger would complete the knowledge of magical origins and become a 'magician'?

After his initial reflection, Teach began his earnest instruction to Hermione: "Hermione, you are now a magician, so it's time for me to formally teach you magic."

"But before you teach magic, you need to understand the different levels of magicians."

As Hermione listened attentively with her notebook in hand, Teach slowly began, "Magicians are divided into seven major orders, from highest to lowest:..."

[First Rank, Second Rank, Ceremony Rank, Sacrificial Rank, Opening Rank, Eldest Son, Youngest Son]

"Most skilled in magic, this level corresponds to an apprentice who has formally entered the field."

"Opening a position signifies a deep understanding of magic and the development of a skill that allows for the implantation of magic circuits."

"A rank attained only through continuous research into magical spirit origins, finding one's own magical path, and achieving the awakening of one's own 'Origin Magic'."

"The final Grand Masters unify the vast knowledge within their minds, as boundless as the cosmos, and in that unification, they forge entirely new paths in magic. They are the pioneers, the great figures, and the Grand Masters closest to the 'root of everything' on that path."

"...The ranks I haven't mentioned are the bottlenecks between the numbers 1 and 3, which represent the effort to break through those rank barriers."

"But... don't think that these ranks, set up to help you overcome bottlenecks, are dispensable. The magical distance between ranks 1 and 3 is a chasm!"

After listening, Hermione took careful notes in her notebook before asking, "Teacher, I'm now a magician at the Apprentice level, right? And you, Teacher? — Master?"

Teach Carr took a sip of black tea, shook his head, and said, "No, I haven't found my path in magic yet, let alone awakened my Origin Magic."

"Right now, I'm just a magician who's 'opening up' and moving towards 'sacrifice'."