[Ding, after a period of practice, your level of alchemy has greatly improved, current Level 6 (15,999/16,000)]
As the spell was cast, the system's warning tone sounded in Ivan's head. He was disappointed when he saw the progress bar that had almost been upgraded.
He thought he could break through the bottleneck of alchemy by fixing the crescent moon pendant, but it seemed that something was missing.
Ivan, however, was able to compose himself quickly enough, and was able to take advantage of the emotional turmoil of the past few days to repair the crescent pendant.
Ivan then opened the system's inventory to check.
[Magical Item: Crescent Necklace
Magic: Strong
Description: This is a magical object made from the blood, sweat, and tears of a large number of precious metals. It can block a fatal attack for the bearer until its power is exhausted.
Note: You have repaired and strengthened this magical object, and the secret is to infuse it with love…"
Ivan's repaired Crescent Pendant had been enhanced in terms of its properties, so there was no limit to how many times it could be resisted, and its magic rating had risen from relatively strong to strong.
After all, his strength and skill in alchemy had now surpassed that of Alicia, and he was using the high-end channeling techniques taught to him by Nicolas Flamel, so he was naturally able to use his emotions better.
While keeping an eye on the system column, Ivan, of course, did not forget about Hermione.
"It will protect you in my absence!"
Yvonne meant every word of it, and gave the necklace to Hermione as a Christmas present, partly to repair it, and partly out of fear that Hermione would be in danger during the second round.
While his other magical protective ring also provided some protection, it required active activation, and once Hermione was unconscious, the ring was no different from an ornament.
The crescent moon pendant, on the other hand, was passive and would automatically activate if the wearer was under heavy attack.
The only thing that gave Ivan pause was the fact that repairing the crescent pendant was his promise to Nick Flamel that he would take Hermione as his apprentice, and that he would not be able to produce a second one.
Ivan, however, believed that the true test of the Master Alchemist would be to see if he could apply the power of his emotions to the creation of magical objects.
With more practice, it should not be a problem to create some similar magical tools to prove one's ability, but it might not be so powerful.
"Are you really going to give me something so precious, Yvonne?" Hermione asked, looking at her anxiously as she stared at the repaired pendant. "If it could resist those dangerous charms, you'd need it more than I do."
"Have you forgotten how I fixed it?" Ivan explained, trying to calm Hermione. "It only protects you! If you gave it to someone else, it would just be a normal fob…"
Hermione fell silent as she listened to Ivan. She didn't know much about alchemy, but she could feel Ivan's love for her as he repaired the locket.
Ivan most likely imbued the pendant with his love for her, creating a special protective charm.
Hermione was moved by this revelation, and her happiness and joy filled her to the brim, her brown eyes growing misty as she gazed at Ivan.
She wanted to thank Ivan, but she didn't think that would be enough, and the passion that rose from her heart threatened to overwhelm Hermione.
She desperately wanted to do something about it, but she caught sight of the scarf she had given Ivan. Flushing slightly, she placed her hand on the end of the scarf and gave it a gentle tug.
Ivan, caught completely off guard, was led to lower his head, and then he saw Hermione's exquisite face coming closer and closer, her eyes nervously closed, her red lips slightly parted as she pressed them against his.
Their lips met for only an instant before they parted.
Before Ivan could react, Hermione jumped away, her face burning red.
Ivan, who had not expected Hermione to be so forward, touched his lips as if reliving the sensation, then turned to the little witch and asked teasingly,
"Is this also your Christmas present to me?"
"No, I'll give you a scarf!" Hermione's face was flushed and she was breathing heavily.
Ivan's weakened enthusiasm for guiding magic was reignited by the sight of the witch's intoxicated expression, and he tried to resume the kiss by offering her another Christmas present.
However, Hermione was not going to let him get away with it. She was too embarrassed to do it again.
… .
On the second day of Christmas, everyone woke up late after a night of noise and excitement, and the Gryffindor common room was quieter than before, as if the previous night had taken all their energy.
If not for the addition of several couples to the school, as well as the occasional discussion about the Yule Ball, Ivan would have suspected that the events of the previous day were an illusion.
This was because Hermione was back to her normal self, wearing her uniform and carrying a bunch of books. When she saw them, she hurried over and put them down.
Crookshanks, a large ginger cat, followed Hermione, jumping into her arms as soon as she sat down and purring comfortably.
"Hermione, why didn't you wear a gown to fix your hair? You looked so good yesterday…" Yvonne asked curiously. She had been hoping to admire her new hair when she didn't have to go to school.
"There's no dance today, and it's too much trouble to do that every day!" Hermione explained, turning to Ivan.
She felt more at ease in this way than in a beautiful dress, and she had spent over an hour tidying her hair for the ball yesterday.
"And…we have to learn!" Hermione added in a small voice, her face turning pink as she recalled the events of the day before.
Ivan shrugged. He really didn't understand. What did dressing up have to do with learning?
However, thinking back to the little witch's intoxicating pose last night, he had an epiphany. Perhaps he would be distracted?