Suppressing emotions had become second nature to Lys. She quickly adjusted her emotions and began to study.
She was currently seated in a private cubicle in the library, frowning at the book in front of her. What was this?
"Advanced Dark Magic"?
What is this, is there a grading system for dark magic?
To some extent, Lys believed that the power system to which dark magic belonged was a result of skill and magical accumulation. In other words, magic itself had no high or low; it was merely a question of whether a wizard could wield it.
Some magic couldn't even be ranked because it was inherently known or inherited from ancestors. No matter how much it was revered as advanced, others couldn't learn it through bloodline.
However, Lys opened the book anyway, wanting to know more so she could recognize and guard against it in the future.
Horcruxes? Oh, souls?! Not interested... Mother said that souls are something only Merlin could understand. Besides, the Patronus Charm can repel Dementors; what can a Horcrux do?
Quickly flipping to the next page, Lys changed her gloves and continued reading. Perhaps to prevent those without sufficient strength from peeking at knowledge beyond their capacity, this book had a restrictive magic. Flipping the pages caused an unknown pain within her body, but the gloves Lys made herself were recognized by the restriction as proof of her strength.
In fact, Lys was more interested in the restriction than the book itself. After all, the table of contents didn't have anything that attracted her.
But after a few pages, Lys changed her mind.
Crystal skulls? Unsolved mysteries of Merlin? The possibility of an alchemical brain, infinite thinking, could it be called divine? The allure of Parseltongue...
Looking at the title "Secrets of Ancient Egypt," Egyptian secrets of dark magic, mummy derivative play?
Although she couldn't quite understand the archaic English phrasing and writing style, and some words were even replaced with runes, Greek letters, and other chaotic symbols, Lys was very interested.
Crystal bones! Shiny, magical bones!
Maybe she could have one herself.
And yes, Parseltongue was quite tempting...
However, staying up until almost curfew, Lys couldn't find anything useful even after cross-referencing a dictionary. This book seemed purely introductory, offering no crafting methods or perspectives, merely describing and stating an enticing result.
It felt like those deceptive wizards in Knockturn Alley, luring you in and then setting traps where you least expect.
There were also spells acting on the soul, which Lys studied seriously before returning the book to the shelf, deciding she wasn't yet capable of pursuing those alluring effects.
But crystal bones...
Lys returned to the common room just before curfew, sat on a corner sofa, and picked up an abandoned newspaper.
Hmm, Mrs. Zabini widowed, declines fervent suitors? Potter brand hair-slicking potion? Gringotts vault, the safest asset protection at present? What is all this...
Flipping the page, Dumbledore's large portrait was on the newspaper, speaking to someone with a sidelong glance. The headline was "Order of the Phoenix, Last Salvation or Conspiracy?"
Lys slumped further into the sofa, contemplating. How to put it?
The Dark Lord established the Death Eaters, a forceful group emphasizing wizard bloodline superiority, believing half-bloods and Muggle-borns were inferior and should be eradicated, while Muggles were akin to pigs and dogs, to be thoroughly cleansed.
The strongest white wizard formed the Order of the Phoenix, believing peace was fundamental, and every wizard's existence should be respected with the right to live. Muggles too should be protected.
Thus, both sides clashed over their different stances and interests.
Lys, slumped on the sofa, stared blankly at the Slytherin common room ceiling. Ah, no wonder those Gryffindors caused such chaos at school, and Dumbledore pretended not to see.
A half-blood Lupin, ordinary pureblood Peter, noble pureblood Potter, a noble pureblood Slytherin rebel Black, and a Muggle-born Evans, all quite strong, though somewhat immature, were not bad.
Aren't these the representative figures of the groups the Order of the Phoenix hopes to support?
Isn't this a way to recruit subordinates?
Tch, closing the newspaper, Lys pulled out a pocket-sized book to continue reading. The dormitory was too small, and her chair had been turned into a shelf, making it uncomfortable to read on the bed with her head bowed.
It wasn't until midnight, Lys didn't know what time it was, when the common room door opened, and dragging footsteps echoed loudly in the empty room. Lys, who had just finished copying notes and was slumped on the sofa, impatiently looked up.
She thought it would be a lower-year student sneaking out at night, but it turned out to be Snape.
Looking at his disheveled state, soaking wet all over, with a missing sleeve revealing a pale arm with a water-soaked, whitened wound.
"Time reveal," Lys summoned the time from the tip of her wand, internally sighing. Snape really had the spirit, going out for a fight in the middle of the night.
Snape initially thought that at this hour, no one would be in the common room, and his disheveled state wouldn't be seen. But Lys's incantation made him pause.
Lys lay ungracefully on the sofa, legs propped on the armrest, head hanging upside down over the backrest, looking at him.
"Want some Dittany?" Lys was momentarily dazed, as if she was back in first year, with that injured-shoulder boy in the common room. Oh, and the salted egg.
Snape seemed to hesitate for a moment, "Lend me your potion notes, and you help me with something."
Lys readily agreed, for better grades, for potion notes, even offering a drying spell and healing spell.
In the middle of the night, sitting in a small boat with Snape floating on the Black Lake, Lys repeatedly chanted, "Snape's wand, come forth, Snape's wand, come forth," yawning from fatigue.
It was hard to imagine, not only had those four thrown something strange into Snape's cauldron, but after provoking and insulting him, they tossed his wand into the Black Lake, leaving Snape to fish it out by hand until midnight.
All because the gift Snape gave Evans was worn by her every day...
Lys yawned again, finally hearing the sound of breaking water, as Snape's wand with the intricately carved handle landed in Lys's hand.
"Here's a suggestion, get a spare wand, the best life-saving measure for a wizard."
Returning to the Slytherin common room, Lys didn't sleep that night after getting the notes. A bottle of invigorating potion kept her awake for the next day's Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
The dense handwriting in Snape's notes made Lys's head ache, but she memorized them all. When returning the notes to Snape, Lys asked if the two spells tucked inside were his own research.
Snape merely raised an eyebrow without answering. No wonder he couldn't find that piece of paper; it had been tucked inside the notes. He frowned again, wondering how many had seen that paper.
He curled his lips, "I really don't know why you didn't go to Ravenclaw and ended up in Slytherin. Apart from seeking some power, you don't even have a bit of Slytherin demeanor. If your brain isn't filled with muscle slugs, shouldn't you be heading to the next class now?"
After the taunt, Snape quickly slipped into the crowd with his books. Lily didn't like him associating with certain people.
Lys pulled out a bottle of invigorating potion from her pocket, feeling its effects kick in, deciding she should drink less potions in the future, as she was losing her appetite.
But Snape was right, she was going to be late.
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