Chapter 225: Learning from the Seniors of Hufflepuff!

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On this magical Earth, if one were to ask where the most abundant magical resources are found, the answer would likely point to a vast grassland.

Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest is considered one of Europe's top magical concentration zones. Tens of thousands of magical creatures roam within it, many of them extremely powerful. The forest is home to numerous creatures of the highest danger levels, though they all live deep in the forest, far from the Hogwarts Castle. As long as they cannot overpower Hagrid, the gamekeeper, and without his permission, they cannot step past the invisible boundary he maintains.

But what if there existed a place with a magical concentration just slightly lower than the Forbidden Forest, but covering an area over a thousand times larger than it? What would such a place look like?

Africa is home to a paradise for wild animals, with nearly ten million creatures migrating annually in search of water and grazing grounds. Within this fertile plain lies the world's largest land-based magical concentration zone—Chadello, also known by its special name: The Moving Land of Calamity.

Unlike any other magical concentration zone, Chadello does not have a fixed location. At the heart of this massive, expansive magical field stands a towering rock mountain, about 1,700 meters high. It is here that the world's largest, and most unique, high-purity magical gemstone veins can be found.

If the magical gems within this mountain were to be fully mined, every wizard in the world could receive close to one ton of magical gems—not by the piece or by weight, but by the ton. And as time passes, the mountaintop will continue to produce more and more magical gems, as it glows like the sun.

The mountain is alive.

It moves three hundred to fifteen hundred kilometers every day, aimlessly wandering across the vast African plains. While magical concentration zones are typically considered a paradise for magical creatures, this doesn't mean that the vast majority of Earth's land is devoid of magic. It simply has a lower concentration, reducing the natural magical recovery rate for wizards and magical creatures. The stronger the creature, the more it is affected.

Harry is not fond of staying in low-magic areas for too long. As his body continues to strengthen, and his physiology begins to resemble that of magical creatures, his magical recovery rate drops severely in these low-magic regions. It feels similar to a lack of oxygen: although it doesn't affect normal physical activity, it always leaves him feeling uncomfortable and stifled.

For ordinary wizards, the reduction in magical recovery is only about ten to twenty percent, and they typically don't notice it. Most wizards struggle to exhaust their magical reserves in a short time, as their magic is much less pure than that of magical creatures. A single unit of natural magic, once absorbed into a wizard's body, can be diluted into one hundred units of pale blue magic. For powerful magical creatures, or awakened individuals like Harry, the absorption and conversion efficiency may drop as low as 1:1, or even lower.

The wandering mountain does not remain in one place for long. As it moves through different regions, it absorbs the surrounding ambient natural magic. The growing magical gemstone veins are a direct result of this process. It is the mountain's presence that maintains the magic-rich environment necessary for magical creatures to thrive in Chadello.

Due to Chadello's extreme abundance, it has become one of the largest poaching hotspots in the world.

Approaching the central Solar Mountain is particularly difficult. The closer one gets, the more powerful magical creatures appear. On the mountain's slopes, one can find one of the world's most beautiful dragons—the Solar Dragon. These dragons have a gem-like hexagonal scale on their chests, known as the Solar Gem, which can refract light in a rainbow of colors. On the black market, a single gram of Solar Gem can fetch at least 13,000 Galleons. However, to date, only two fist-sized Solar Gems have ever been seen by the public.

As a member of the very powerful and unique dragon species, the Solar Dragon can use light-based magic. The deadly beam of light it shoots from its Solar Gem is so fast that nothing can dodge it, and it's strong enough to pierce all known magical barriers currently available to wizards.

Despite this, there are still those who covet these dragons and the magical gemstone-filled mountain where they live.

Due to Chadello's constant movement, managing this vast treasure trove is exceptionally difficult. Fortunately, with the help of the Wagadou Magic Warrior School, located on the Moon Mountain in Uganda, Africa's magical community has largely united. Although some organizations, such as the "Egyptian Ministry of Magic," refuse to submit, the majority of African wizards are united under the Amonra Wizarding Kingdom.

Even though numerous enforcement officers are dispatched to patrol and defend, managing Chadello's lengthy and ever-changing borders remains a daunting task. Furthermore, entering this treacherous land, which is filled with countless "hunters" laying in ambush, is not something any wizard should do carelessly.

The Moving Land of Calamity is no casual name. A single mistake could cost a wizard their life, especially along the borders where the disturbed magical currents can interfere with many magical tools, including Portkeys.

Every poacher who illegally enters is fully aware they may die in this place. Yet, the greater the danger, the greater the reward. As long as they manage to survive and escape, they can usually find something valuable to sell on the black market for a hefty sum in Galleons.

Arthur Phoenix once visited here. The circus he worked for came to the black market to buy magical creature offspring for their performances, such as lions with flaming manes and gorillas with four arms.

The area attracts wizards from around the world. Every day, dozens of poachers lose their lives in Chadello, but this doesn't affect much. If there weren't places like Chadello—a sort of "magical garbage dump"—the wizard population, which has been growing for over a thousand years, would likely number in the hundreds of millions by now, instead of the less than two million wizards currently in existence.

Although the likelihood of a wizard being born is low, and even with magical and Muggle parentage, only one-third of children inherit magical talent, the most stable cases occur when both parents are wizards. Children born to such families are almost always wizards, with a lower chance of being squibs or having low magical abilities if the parents are highly skilled.

Harry, who failed to convert theory into practice during the preliminary rounds, doesn't expect the European Duel Tournament in two weeks to feature many opponents who can impress him. Perhaps a few will be decent, but the real challenge will be at the World Youth Wizarding Championship finals in early June.

It is there that Harry will truly feel the pressure of competing against the world's elite. Ordinary wizards, even Aurors, would be no match for him. He has already proven this during his time in North America, where, when facing opponents outnumbering him by dozens or even hundreds, he could clear the field in seconds using the Unforgivable Curses—or, if not, it would take only a few minutes.

Mowing the grass is exhilarating—it's a constant thrill. However, such moments of "mowing down" aren't common in dueling arenas. When facing weak opponents in the tournament, Harry felt frustrated, having to be cautious, ensuring he didn't use excessive force and accidentally harm his opponent.

Holding the blackwood wand, Harry could unleash a blast powerful enough to clear all wizards within a ten-meter radius, obliterating them and their ironclad shields, leaving behind only a shapeless pile of flesh.

Not to mention the effect of wielding the Godblade—a sword imbued with explosive power—combined with the raw strength of a few tons of brute force. If Harry were to face a Frost Tyrant's cub again, he wouldn't need any potions. He could strip it, break its bones, and roast it on a spit.

Although Harry's current strength is more than enough for self-preservation in the wizarding world, making him hard to harm, his ability to vanish with Apparition and his high-quality awakened magical energy provide solid defenses. However, the coming war might make battles between wizards feel like child's play.

On the surface, human wizards are the most prominent race in the magical world, a feat achieved through their remarkable reproductive capacity. With billions of non-magical humans, the vast numbers ensure that wizards can outnumber any magical creature species. Their highly social nature, along with their ever-evolving magical traditions and studies, makes them a formidable force.

The real power of human wizards lies in their ability to combine spells in clever ways, amplifying each spell's effect well beyond its original scope. This is the true essence of the human wizard's ability to "overcome the strong with the weak."

But this method doesn't work everywhere, especially when facing individuals with extremely high magical quality. The low purity of human wizards' magic becomes a significant weakness in such battles. If that weren't the case, the war against the Abyssal Demon Lord a thousand years ago would not have been fought entirely by awakened wizards. In a population of several hundred million wizards, there are certainly some individuals beyond ordinary limits.

Even in magical England, where wizards' population remains small—only around three thousand full-time wizards and a total population of around ten thousand—extraordinary talents like Dumbledore and Voldemort emerged in just a century. What does that say about the world at large?

Talent is never in short supply. Even with a one in a thousand chance, there are still at least a few hundred of the world's top geniuses. The most powerful wizards will continue to thrive, and that number could very well double. With so many talented wizards like Dumbledore and Voldemort, there will inevitably be a few who rise to unimaginable heights.

For example, Harry once encountered a top Auror from the Soviet Ministry of Magic, a powerful Animagus known as Big Ivan. He had fought and won against an enraged Frost Tyrant, a nine-hundred-year-old giant bear. While it's uncertain how much power he truly exerted, his victory was undeniable.

Having witnessed Dumbledore's legendary three-phase Animagus transformation, Harry certainly didn't believe that such abilities were unique. The world has many powerful beings, and even with so many potent figures around, they remain cautious about the war they know is coming. This awareness led Grindelwald, their leader, to initiate reforms within the European magical community, shedding unnecessary burdens and striving for better chances at victory in the coming conflict.

Harry, capable of mowing down weaker opponents in the wizarding world, has never been careless. He knows his current abilities might barely suffice for self-defense, let alone protect those he cares about—his family and friends.

The pursuit of power is a never-ending road. His senior, Seti, an awakened wizard, dreams of creating mythical beings akin to gods. As Harry follows in his footsteps, having inherited many of his predecessor's treasures, he knows that closing his eyes to the world's complexities is a fool's path—one that leads only to death.

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"Professor Flitwick."

After arranging a resting room for Arthur, Harry returned to the carriage to meet with Professor Flitwick.

"I've expanded the boundary of the anti-Apparition spell correctly, haven't I?"

"The three hundred-meter radius is already very impressive," Flitwick nodded. "Without the use of alchemical devices to extend the boundary, few wizards can manage such a large radius. Even I can only achieve a slight improvement over you. You've done excellently, Harry."

"Just how slight?" Harry asked.

"About two hundred meters more," Professor Flitwick explained modestly. "In a duel, the anti-Apparition spell is crucial. While I've won many duels in tournament arenas, I also have experience in large-scale battlefields. However, because I'm the champion of those tournaments and my physical features are quite obvious, those scoundrels always seem to target me for a group beatdown as soon as they spot me."

Professor Flitwick bared his teeth, showing a mix of helplessness and frustration. He had always been bitter about being the focus of such attacks. If it hadn't been for that, he might have been able to win both the tournament and the large-scale combat duel championships.

"Ah, so two hundred meters is just a 'slight' difference?" Harry was a bit taken aback by the way "slight" was used. He gestured, his thumb and index finger barely apart, as if the space between them contained a universe.

"A slight difference can make a huge impact," Professor Flitwick continued. "A refined anti-Apparition spell can allow you to remain unaffected while preventing your opponent from moving quickly to dodge. If you gain the upper hand with that, your chances of winning increase significantly. But you must remember, the anti-Apparition spell, when centered around the caster, is pulse-based. It's different from a fixed anti-Apparition field enhanced by alchemical devices, which is much harder to break. A strong counter-spell can tear through the fluctuating field. On the battlefield, this limitation on movement often only gives you one strike's advantage, and everyone reacts quickly. With a sniper-type wand stance, ending the battle with a single fatal blow is often the best choice."

"Like this?"

After Harry expanded his anti-Apparition field, Professor Flitwick drew out his M500 wand and pulled the trigger. The intense magic pulse spread around him, attempting to tear apart the restriction on Apparition.

However, after a few more tries, Professor Flitwick looked at his wand awkwardly.

"This isn't right!"

He realized that the anti-Apparition field had only been weakened slightly, but the counter-spell's magic shockwave hadn't been able to destroy it. Professor Flitwick scratched his head.

"Did you enhance this spell?"

Some wizards in the magical world have a unique affinity or talent for certain types of magic. In Professor Flitwick's eyes, Harry's ability to Apparate silently and perform high-frequency short-distance teleports indicated that he might possess an unusual talent for this spell. If that was the case, improving this magic might indeed be possible.

"I just—"

"I get it," Professor Flitwick interrupted, waving his hand. "This kind of technique is hard for others to learn. Spellcasting is an art that relies heavily on talent. Talent is more important than effort; without it, no amount of teaching will work."

This reminded Professor Flitwick of a Gryffindor student, a boy named Seamus, who had an innate talent for explosion magic. Though his inability to control it caused explosions with every spell he cast, his potential in explosion magic was immense.

"Well then," Professor Flitwick said, "Now that you've finished practicing, let's talk about your month-long leave."

"A whole month off. I wonder what you have planned, Harry?"

Harry had requested a month's leave. If he were staying within the school, it would be easy enough to approve. But since Harry was planning to stay outside the school, Professor Flitwick couldn't simply agree without a good reason. He needed to provide an explanation to Professor Sprout, after all, as she was the head of Hufflepuff.

"The selection trials in half a month might get boring," Harry explained. "I doubt there will be many opponents who can challenge me. I plan to follow the example of some of the senior Hufflepuffs, training my skills in real combat. Without enough practical experience, it's hard to turn the knowledge I've learned into real strength."

"Where are you going?" Professor Flitwick raised an eyebrow, surprised but not entirely shocked.

"Africa. Chad. There's the largest magical plain in the world there. I want to see it. It's a thousand times larger than the Forbidden Forest. I wonder just how thrilling that magical world could be."

"Don't worry, Professor. As long as I don't charge headfirst into a dragon's nest and fight a Fire Dragon, I might not be able to win against those powerful magical creatures, but I can definitely run away."

Harry slapped his sturdy chest, producing a heavy sound. "Although I only have one-tenth of Hagrid's toughness, don't worry, I'm not going to die."

He pulled out a potion belt, which held dozens of small vials of potions the size of his pinky finger, radiating a captivating glow. These were life-saving potions, the ultimate elixirs that could bring the dead back to life, made exclusively by Snape.

"I'm more worried about you being robbed with over a million Galleons' worth of potions," Professor Flitwick said, slapping his forehead, looking utterly speechless.

"Go on then. Go, you mischievous child."

(End of Chapter)