After a month of diligent study, Amphisbaena had grown accustomed to Hogwarts. The spiral stairs no longer posed an obstacle, and his reputation among Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students had begun to spread, albeit modestly.
Now well-acquainted with the school, Amphisbaena was ready to embark on his next study endeavor: exploring the restricted section, the quickest path to enhancing his abilities.
The forbidden section of Hogwarts held immense allure. It housed the accumulated knowledge of four legendary wizards and a millennium-old academy. It was a treasury of dark magic unrivaled anywhere in the British magical world.
Even Voldemort himself might have sought forbidden knowledge from these books, such as the creation of Horcruxes.
Amphisbaena was naturally interested in the process of creating Horcruxes. Despite its significant flaws, the ability to evade death outweighed all its shortcomings.
The opportunity to create a Horcrux would increase one's chances of defying fate by at least 50%.
After all, relying on suspended animation alone was an unsatisfactory tactic.
Moreover, if Voldemort could successfully create a Horcrux during his school days, Amphisbaena believed that he, too, could match Voldemort's prowess, provided he found a way to create a Horcrux.
Merely relying on the Disillusionment Charm wouldn't be enough to navigate the forbidden section successfully. Amphisbaena did not wish to encounter Dumbledore by chance and become a second incarnation of Voldemort.
Being so reminiscent of Voldemort himself, even with the moral compass of a white wizard, Amphisbaena couldn't tolerate the emergence of a second Voldemort.
To successfully avoid Dumbledore, all he needed was one magical item: the renowned Marauder's Map.
To some extent, the Marauder's Map proved more useful than the Invisibility Cloak at Hogwarts.
And this magical item was in the possession of the bumbling caretaker, Filch. Obtaining it would be too easy.
Filch took pleasure in catching students who violated school rules, which meant he was often away from his office.
According to the original work, the Weasley twins found the Marauder's Map in Filch's office. It appeared as a blank parchment scroll.
Having figured out Filch's routine, Amphisbaena seized the opportunity when the caretaker was absent from his office. With the help of the Disillusionment Charm and the Alohomora spell, he swiftly infiltrated the office and located this legendary item.
Back in his dormitory, Amphisbaena refrained from immediately opening the map. Instead, he studied the item first.
As an artifact of alchemy, the craftsmanship of the Marauder's Map impressed Amphisbaena, rivaling even that of a Horcrux.
Firstly, it was an activated alchemical item, which Snape had ridiculed in the original book.
Activated items were not uncommon in the world of Harry Potter, but the Marauder's Map possessed another incredible feature.
This map was connected to the entire Hogwarts, explaining why it accurately displayed the location of everyone within the school.
This feature was rather daunting. Unless the Marauders had uncovered a loophole or flaw in the work of the four legendary wizards, it meant that they possessed some extraordinary inheritance.
For a wizarding castle like Hogwarts, the existence of the Marauder's Map couldn't be considered a flaw at all.
If Hogwarts' enemies obtained this map, they could exploit its weaknesses and progressively erode the entire defense system of Hogwarts.
Amphisbaena was inclined to believe the latter possibility and considered connecting it with the Invisibility Cloak, one of the three Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter's father must have possessed some powerful inheritance.
Even sacrificing his life, an ancient spell managed to vanquish the Dark Lord at the height of his power. It was a truly terrifying feat.
Obtaining such an inheritance would be marvelous, and Amphisbaena couldn't help but entertain the idea.
Snapping back to reality, Amphisbaena lightly tapped his cheek. He couldn't afford to get carried away.
Finding the Potters' inheritance might be impossible; otherwise, they wouldn't have left a clue for Harry.
"I solemnly swear that I have mischievous intentions," Amphisbaena declared to the Marauder's Map.
The blank parchment suddenly filled with ink, outlining a simplified map that displayed the movements of individuals, their names constantly updating.
After studying it for a while, Amphisbaena had to admit that the technology within the Marauder's Map surpassed his current understanding of alchemy.
He then began planning his visit to the restricted section that night.
Amphisbaena had a clear goal when it came to the books within the forbidden area—to record as much forbidden knowledge as possible in his AI and acquire ancient alchemical techniques.
During the Middle Ages, there existed numerous cruel and extreme alchemical practices, such as creating Horcruxes through the sacrifice of talented individuals. These methods were considered highly immoral in modern times and were thus sealed within the restricted section of Hogwarts.
As for the so-called powerful dark spells, Amphisbaena could only express his confusion with a simple "huh."
The fundamental power in the world of Harry Potter was that of Chaotic Magic, with spells capable of adding attributes to achieve various effects.
However, this was merely "enchantment" rather than true "alchemy."
Yes, no wizard in the Harry Potter universe could alter the essence of Chaotic Magic.
They merely harnessed the power of Chaotic Magic; when this power collided with an object, they completed an enchantment, resulting in different effects.
In the Goblet of Fire, when Harry Potter first faced Voldemort, many failed to notice that something was amiss with the spells he used.
Harry employed "Expelliarmus," while Voldemort cast "Avada Kedavra."
The three Unforgivable Curses used by the Dark Lord were resisted by the simplest primary attack spell, "Expelliarmus."
But when one returned to the essence of Chaotic Magic, no problem arose.
When two opposing spells clashed, it wasn't the spell itself that determined its strength, but rather the power of the caster.
As one of the Horcruxes, Harry Potter possessed magic power on par with the remnants of Voldemort's soul. However, Harry had never realized this.
Therefore, Amphisbaena had no intention of dedicating extensive time to practicing these so-called powerful dark spells.
It was akin to fighting waves without skill, merely ensuring that he stood on the right side of the auditorium.
Under the cover of night, aided by the Disillusionment Charm and the Marauder's Map, Amphisbaena effortlessly made his way to the forbidden section.
Without the guidance of Mrs. Pins, finding the desired books in the restricted area wouldn't be easy.
Amphisbaena's plan was to explore the entire forbidden section first, then gradually "Store the information into his AI".
"The Cruel Ritual looks promising, as does The Mad Alchemist...," he murmured while gathering the books as class came to an end.
Forren, Amphisbaena's only friend in Ravenclaw who managed to speak a few words, looked at him with concern.
"Amphisbaena, are you feeling unwell?"
"Why do you ask?" Amphisbaena replied, stifling a yawn.
"You didn't ask Professor Snape any additional questions in class today," Forren remarked matter-of-factly.
Amphisbaena pondered for a moment. Indeed, this was a noticeable flaw. Even though wizards possessed substantial magical power, they were still mortals, and young wizards like him tended to feel sleepy easily.
"Don't worry, I've been a bit stressed with my studies lately. I'll find a solution," Amphisbaena reassured.
Being the leading student in his grade, Amphisbaena faced considerable academic pressure, and Forren had unintentionally picked up on his concerns.
Now that the problem had been brought to Amphisbaena's attention, he wanted to address it promptly. Fortunately, the solution was simple—a vial of energy potion would suffice.
This basic potion posed no difficulty for an accomplished Potions student like Amphisbaena, who had reached Level 2 proficiency.