"We all know that a year is divided into twelve months, but in magic, each month has a different name."
Speaking of which, Nicole Lemay shouted to the pile of alchemy props on the ground, "Magic Moon."
A small blackboard flew out from under the black cloth, flew over the secret room, and suddenly became bigger, so big that the students could clearly see the writing on the blackboard.
Strings of beautiful lace fonts formed an article, and the senior snakes and badgers recognized the words and exclaimed, "Ancient Rune!"
"Who volunteered to stand up and read this sentence for us?" Nicole Lemay put his eyes on Leon and the other senior students.
"I'll come."
Moriarty stood up, and no one was arguing with him.
"January is the first month of the year, known as the Wolf Month, the Cold Month, the Worm Month, the Old Age Month, named after the harsh European winter at the beginning of the year. During this time, most animals, including wild wolves, have difficulty finding food, so it is also called the 'Hunger Month.'
From an occult perspective, January represents beginnings, suitable for planning future-related magic, launching new actions, and starting new alchemy projects. It is also a time for purification—a time to rid oneself of the past and start anew.
However, this month is still very cold and belongs to winter, so it is also a time for introspection and self-restraint."
After Moriarty finished reading the first paragraph, there was a burst of applause in the secret room, and the students all cast admiring looks at him.
Runes are a set of alphabets, each with a distinct meaning in divination, alchemy, and stargazing. Unlike English, where one word corresponds to one meaning, each rune represents a hieroglyph that carries deeper significance. Combining these runes amplifies their meaning. Moriarty handled it well.
Only Gemma knew this was nothing for Moriarty. She opened the "Advanced Rune Translation" borrowed from the library, which still had traces of Moriarty's touch.
"February is the Snow Moon, Storm Moon, and Hunter Moon.
The entire world is still cold, and some places are covered in thick snow, making it a time to protect and bless your family.
However, it marks the slow end of winter and the gradual awakening of spring. This is the time when the world starts to turn over, and all creatures prepare to showcase their talents in spring. It is a suitable time for developing creativity and potential."
Moriarty felt this sentence sounded a bit awkward, but he didn't comment. He suspected that the "Magic Month" article could be traced back to the Middle Ages.
"March is the Month of Seeds, the Month of Chastity, the Month of Warmth, and the Month of Ploughing.
This is the month when the earth fully awakens. Seeds begin to sprout, spring rains fall, hibernating animals stir, and the world comes alive.
Many animals are in heat during this time, so it is also the right time for new relationships."
"Oh~" The students made coaxing noises. To them, Moriarty was synonymous with calm, seriousness, and power, someone capable of bringing change to the magical world.
It was hard for them to imagine what kind of woman Moriarty would develop a relationship with in the future.
Faced with Moriarty, the little witches felt ashamed, thinking, "I'm not worthy of him."
This made hearing the word "amour" from Moriarty's mouth even rarer than seeing St. But a few witches showed disapproving expressions. Love was a battlefield for girls; there was no reason to fight without an enemy!
Nicole Lemay and Perenel exchanged a knowing glance and smiled. Moriarty knew they were about to talk about love again, so he hurriedly read on: "In March, it is suitable to make amulets, practice lucky spells, and strengthen your own power. This is the time for transformation.
March is also when sap flows out of trees for the first time, so it is called the 'Sap Month.' Healing magic is best practiced this month."
"April, Green Grass Month, Windy Month, Pink Moon, Growth Month.
April is the month when wind and water stir awake…"
Moriarty's thoughts shifted. He recalled that several elements on the path of elemental magic were still unknown. Besides the water and fire elements, which had already been determined by the system, Moriarty discovered the wind element.
April linked wind and water together.
After Moriarty finished reading the passage, Nicole Lemay continued, "I would add that April, which means 'beginning' in English, is also the final day for sowing. Much like our wishes or goals, this month demands action—marking the start of the blooming season. Additionally, April is a time for nurturing relationships."
"Okay, please continue," Nicole Lemay smiled at Moriarty.
Moriarty read until July—"July is the Month of the Stag, when moose grow their first antlers, and people can do physical work, such as crafting, adjusting their bodies…"
Dumbledore's eyes flickered. Buckmoon? James Potter's Patronus is a stag, and Harry Potter's birthday is also in July…
Moriarty didn't dwell on the connection to the Savior's family. He continued reading through August, and when he reached September, Nicole Lemay motioned for him to stop. "It's September now, so we'll stop here. Moriarty, please take a seat.
Well, excellent reading, fluent in recognizing ancient runes… fifty points for Slytherin!"
"Wow…" The students were amazed. Points added in alchemy class were always substantial, signaling that the tasks in alchemy were complex and demanding.
"Let's look at September together," Nicole Lemay continued in a deep voice. "September has entered autumn, and the world begins to settle into a state of calm and recuperation. Many plants ripen in this season, so we call September the Fruit Month or Corn Month."
"Corn Moon!" Moriarty's eyes lit up, now realizing the difference between the corn candle and ordinary candles made by Nicole Lemay.
"In life, September is a time to resolve quarrels and disputes. From the cosmic perspective, it is a time for reflection on the future, introspection, harvest, wealth, and good fortune.
So why do you think all schools begin in September?" Nicole Lemay smiled, "I guess the philosophers must have considered September's special nature. The start of school is a custom—just like the Big Four at Hogwarts, who also follow this rule. Our alchemy class is no exception."
Perenel walked to the middle of the secret room, picked up a candle, and held it above her head.
The students saw her pinching the candle, and it began to change color, deforming into yellow corn.
The students blinked. This was alchemy? It didn't seem much different from Transfiguration.
"It's very different," Perenel said lightly, sensing the students' thoughts. "But be careful: don't use your wand to turn candles into corn, and don't cast without a wand or a sound. Even if you succeed, it's pointless."
The students followed Perenel's example, holding their candles above their heads and pinching them left and right, but nothing happened.
Moriarty picked up an ordinary candle, introduced a bit of magic power, but the candle exploded with a bang.
"Recover quickly." Moriarty restored the candle and summarized the cause of the failure: "Ordinary candles cannot withstand magic power. If you want to shape them with magic, you need a force to neutralize it."
"Is this the difference from Transfiguration?" Tonks asked after a moment of thought, "What if we engrave the 'Shape' runes on ordinary candles? Wouldn't it be easier to shape them?"
"No doubt, yes," Perenel replied from afar. "Perhaps you've done some alchemy experiments before, but I don't recommend using magic runes."
"What's the reason?" Moriarty raised his head. He had spent six months last semester learning how to condense and engrave runes on magic circles. These were alchemy experiments, and he had already mastered the process. Why practice the same thing again?
Moriarty was a time-efficient person.
Perenel gently shook her head. "Bad idea, child."
"Listen up, children," Nicole Lemay said, "Since you're all so exceptional, I'll share the study plan I've made, in case you rush through without mastering the basics. You can't run before you can walk."
"Listen closely. I roughly divide the alchemy you need to learn into three major sections.
First, completing simple alchemy with basic materials and methods. This will take at least two to three lessons per alchemy. Yes, it's a long process, but don't underestimate its importance; it lays the foundation for your future alchemy studies.
Second, using alchemy formulas to complete alchemy quickly. This will take only two classes to complete one alchemy.
Third, as Tonks suggested, completing alchemy with magic runes. When you can condense every rune or Latin rune at will, you can try magic rune alchemy – one class is enough.
But magical runes are endless. I know Hogwarts has courses in ancient runes, and in addition to Latin runes, there are Greek runes, ancient Greek secret runes, Chinese runes, ancient Roman runes, Mayan runes, Atlantis sea runes, Eastern Ying runes, Chinese oracle bone runes, Indian pyramid runes…
Besides humans, other races also have runes—centaur stargazing runes, vampire curse runes, elf guardian runes… so many!"
Nicole Lemay spread his hands: "Who dares to say we can learn them all? We only need to learn what's necessary, understand? Learn what you need, and learn it well!
Moriarty, do you understand? You can't always take shortcuts. Talent doesn't come through shortcuts. Use your talent to explore new possibilities, to open up a new destiny. You can do anything!"
"Thank you for your guidance." Moriarty nodded solemnly to Nicole Lemay. He calmed down, held the candle in his palm, closed his eyes, and began meditating, trying to connect the candle with September.
Nicole Lemay smiled. "Well done. You know, meditation is the best assistant for alchemy beginners. It helps you focus, strengthens your mental power, and sharpens your imagination."
So the students began to meditate. A few minutes later, Moriarty opened his eyes and looked at the candle thoughtfully.
Many little wizards also started to figure things out, but more of them, like Jericho, found their minds overwhelmed with chaotic images and fragmented thoughts.
Seeing the confusion, Perenel reminded, "Speaking of candles, what's the first reaction people have when they see one?"
Lilith raised her hand eagerly: "Light the candle!"
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