Alex believed that a wizard’s magic reserve was closely tied to their physical growth—meaning it could increase with age. He also thought that physical exercise and iain magical ingredients could help boost this reserve. For example, he oe some dragon liver from Hagrid, and afterward, he felt like the magi his body had beore abundant. Remembering this, Alex realized he could still be from Hagrid’s supplies and made a mental o check back with him.
Alex uood that the strength of magic wasn’t just about reserves; it was greatly influenced by willpower aions. He had read in his spellbooks that people who ofteroions, like anger, unleash more powerful spells. Wizards with darker mis, in particur, seemed to have an easier time mastering dark magic.
While the term "willpower" was vaguely described, Alex noticed that wizards with a strong will usually cast spells more steadily and with greater force. He knew his will was strong, and he aimed to make the most of it.
Another important cept Alex had learned from Professor Flitwick was magisitivity. After spending years training in martial arts, meditation, and pushing himself through intense spell practice, he found that his ability to trol magic had bee sharper. He realized that by strengthening his body and clearing his mind, he had unknowingly increased his sensitivity to magic. Physical exercise ected his magic more deeply to his body, while meditation improved his focus. Repeated traini his magic active, making it easier for him to access and trol.
With this knowledge, Alex po tinue his training. The Slytherin dormitory had enough space for him to practice spells, and he had plenty of quiet ers to work on mastering the ones he still struggled with. As he thought about his training routine, Alex felt determined and buried himself in a stack of books to refine his skills.
A week passed peacefully at Hogwarts, but slowly, the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindan to heat up.
During Charms css a few weeks ter, Alex approached Professor Flitwick to ask about a journal called tury Charms.
Flitwick expihat the journal was monthly and included in the Hogwarts library, but the copies were limited, and it often took about six months for new issues to bee avaible. Alex, eager to read the most ret articles, felt a bit frustrated with the wait.
"Thank you, professor, but is there a way to subscribe directly to tury Charms?" Alex asked, determined not to wait half a year.
"You subscribe, but it’s not cheap," Flitwick replied. "A one-year subscription costs 24 gold Galleons. If you’re serious about it, I help you send in the subscription request."
Alex was surprised by the price. pared to the Daily Prophet, whily cost 5 knuts a day, tury Charms seemed expeill, after a moment’s hesitation, Alex made up his mind.
"Professor, I’ll subscribe for one year. I also buy the st six months of back issues?"
Alex handed over 36 Galleons and tried not to think about how empty his pouch felt. Realizing he couldn’t keep spending so freely, Alex knew he had to e up with a way to make money, especially if he wao pursue his potion-making pns. After saying goodbye to Professor Flitwick, he decided to visit the Potions to brush up on some potion recipes. With enough practice, he hoped he could master a few useful formus and maybe even sell some potions.
Normally, Alex had no problem searg for old textbooks from different s. Professor Flitwick had even helped him find some in the Charms room, but Alex hadn’t asked the Transfiguration or Defense Against the Dark Arts professors for permission, so he felt a little guilty.
Sneaking into Professor Slughorn’s , though, was a different story. As the head of Slytherin, Slughorn was more likely to catch him, and Alex wasn’t sure how his head of house would react.
However, now that he had set his mind on it, he decided to take the risk. Slipping into the sixth-year Potions , Alex began sing the shelves. He had already searched through the sed- to fifth-year s and found some useful things, like the formu for Veritaserum hidden in an old fourth-year textbook. This time, he hoped for something eveer.
After unlog one of the cupboards, Alex found several worn copies of Advanced Potion-Making. The textbooks hadn’t ged much over the years, but one, in particur, caught his eye. It was filled with handwritten notes. Excited, Alex flipped through it, feeling like he had just hit the jackpot.
Some textbooks were worth far more than others, and this one seemed like it had been used by someone who really kheir potions.
Curious about the previous owner, Alex checked the inside cover. Written iters was the name "Half-Blood Prince."
Alex raised an eyebrow, smirking at the grand title.
"Half-Blood Prince? Seriously?" he muttered. The name reminded him of cheesy online usernames from his previous life, like "Prince of Darkness" or "Shadow King." Still, the notes looked valuable, and Alex quickly stashed the book in his bag before leaving the .
He felt fident that within a week, he could master most of the first- through seventh-year spells, especially in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Alongside that, he po dive into potion-making, which would help him start his potion business earlier than expected.
As he made his way back to the Great Hall for dinner, Alex passed by a ohird floor and suddenly heard a faint rustling noise. His sharp senses immediately told him that there were people ihis piqued his curiosity.
'Is someone sging for supplies like I do?' he wondered. But then he remembered—it was the first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts . Somethi off.
Uo resist, Alex cast a Muffliato charm to muffle his own sounds, then quietly approached the door. It was locked, and he didn’t want te in and draw attention. His goal was simply to figure out who was inside, not cause any trouble.
Raising his wand to his ear, he cast a listening spell—a charm he had learned from a senior at the Charms Club. This spell amplified his hearing several times over. However, it had a drawback: if someone nearby made a loud could knock him out from the shock. Carefully adjusting to the spell’s effects, Alex pressed his ear to the door.
