In the blink of an eye, July 4, 1991, arrived. A whole year had passed since Eisen first began learning magic. This year had been incredibly fulfilling for him. After living in the wizarding world for a year, no one could doubt his legitimacy as a wizard.
Eisen's progress in learning spells had been smooth, but he quickly realized how many spells there were in this world—not just common ones, but also those for various attacks and defenses. Originally, he had planned to specialize in a few specific spells: the Petrification spell for attack, the Iron Armor spell for defense, and the Apparition spell for escape and movement.
As the saying goes, mastering one skill can take you far.
Eisen believed that by focusing on these three spells, he could form a complete combat system. However, as his magical power grew over time, he noticed that his overall physical abilities—strength, endurance, and even reflexes—were improving too. This was significant, as a wizard's combat ability isn't just about magic; reacting quickly is crucial in duels. Eisen realized that when faced with another wizard, his heightened reflexes gave him a major advantage.
With this in mind, Eisen replaced his attack spell from the Petrification spell to the Disarming spell. The Disarming spell, being more precise, could immediately disarm an opponent by knocking their wand away, leaving them defenseless. The Petrification spell, while effective, could be countered by protective items, so targeting the wand was a more reliable tactic.
For defense, Eisen continued to focus on the Iron Armor spell, practicing it extensively. This spell, if mastered, could become incredibly powerful. There was some confusion from the original books, where it was stated that the Iron Armor spell couldn't block the Killing Curse, though the movies showed otherwise. Eisen speculated that as his magic grew, so would the strength of the spell, potentially enabling it to even resist the Killing Curse one day.
To play it safe, Eisen also studied Transfiguration. Both the books and movies showed that a physical barrier could block the Killing Curse, as seen when Voldemort's Killing Curse was deflected by a statue protecting Harry Potter. The statue was destroyed, but Harry remained unharmed. This use of Transfiguration, especially at an advanced level, was a powerful defensive strategy, and it became clear that mastering this skill could greatly improve Eisen's chances in combat.
In addition to his work on the Iron Armor spell, Eisen focused heavily on mastering Transfiguration. The ability to turn ordinary objects into living creatures for attack or defense was invaluable. He even speculated that advanced Transfiguration could allow him to control elements like fire and lightning, making it a potential core ability for a wizard.
As for Apparition, Eisen was eager to learn it, as it's an essential escape tool. Unfortunately, he hadn't found a place to learn it yet, since it was taught at Hogwarts. Therefore, for this past year, his main focus was on mastering the Disarming spell, Iron Armor spell, and Transfiguration. However, he didn't neglect other spells. He still practiced useful everyday spells like the Summoning Charm, Mending Charm, Lumos, Alohomora, Petrification, Disillusionment, and Cleaning Charms.
After his usual morning spell practice, Eisen left his room and went downstairs to the bar. Unlike the comfortable guest rooms, the bar remained dark and simple.
"Eisen, are you still studying Muggle society?" Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, greeted him as he came down.
"Yes, I find it really interesting. I'll have a steak and tea, thanks!" Eisen replied casually, not surprised by the question. Over the past year, he'd spent most of his time at the Leaky Cauldron and had become friendly with Tom. Regular patrons also knew that Eisen was fascinated by Muggle society.
In truth, Eisen had chosen to cultivate this persona deliberately. He had long decided that posing as a Muggle Studies expert would be his way of applying for a teaching position at Hogwarts. It seemed like a good fit for staying under the radar. However, Eisen also hedged his bets by studying astronomy, thinking he could apply for a professorship in that field if Muggle Studies didn't work out. After all, both subjects were not particularly prominent at Hogwarts, but they offered the perfect low-profile cover for him.
As he thought about his plans, Eisen pulled up his "Gold Finger" status screen. A year later, the panel remained simple.
**Character**: Eisen Turner
**Extraordinary Talent**: Magic (Activated)
**Magic Value**: 3650 (increasing by 10 points daily)
**Extraordinary Trait**: Advanced Spellcasting (Fit: 115%) (Fused)
**Miracle Feature**: 1 copy (gained annually)
Over the past year, Eisen had truly become a wizard. Thanks to the fusion of his spellcasting traits, he had nearly mastered silent and wandless casting for common spells. He could already cast the Iron Armor spell silently and wandlessly, shaping it into a protective "golden bell" around his body.
Thanks to his increased magical power, Eisen's physical fitness had also improved to twice that of an ordinary person. His reflexes, too, had significantly sharpened, allowing him to cast the Disarming spell with incredible speed. As for Transfiguration, he could now freely transform large and small objects, even turning them into living creatures.
Eisen planned to take Transfiguration further, aiming to integrate it into combat strategies. With his proficiency in these three spells, he believed he could rival the skills of Aurors from the Ministry of Magic. For other spells, Eisen had achieved proficiency, and while he could cast them without a wand, he hadn't yet mastered silent casting for those.
Reflecting on his progress over the past year, Eisen was satisfied. However, he was curious about the slow increase in his physical abilities alongside his magical growth. If this continued, he wondered if he might eventually develop abilities similar to "bullet time." The prospect was exciting, though it remained to be seen.
On the surface, Eisen appeared to be quite powerful. With core abilities mastered, he had perfected silent, wandless casting and could use other spells proficiently. But his strength was still theoretical, as he had no real combat experience yet. To become truly formidable, he would need to test himself against other wizards.
From this perspective, Eisen realized that involving himself in the events at Hogwarts might give him the combat experience he needed. Of course, his main motivation for entering Hogwarts was to learn advanced spells, like Apparition and the Untraceable Extension Charm.
With that in mind, Eisen planned to pause his intensive study and write to Hogwarts, applying for the position of Muggle Studies professor. As a backup, he also applied for the Astronomy professorship. After all, he was more than capable of handling either course.
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