Chapter 68: The Restricted Section

Having grown up under a strict exam-oriented educational system, Chu Yang was exceptionally skilled at breaking down complex problems into easily digestible concepts and teaching them to his peers.

Compared to the high-stakes college entrance examinations of his past life, the exams at Hogwarts were practically simpler than an elementary school final. When it came to test-taking, even Dumbledore was not as professional as Chu Yang. If conditions permitted, Chu Yang would have loved to compile a set of "Five Years of Mock Exams and Three Years of Real Tests" to let the young wizards experience the torment he once endured.

Precisely because Chu Yang frequently tutored his classmates, the overall academic performance of this year's Hogwarts first-years was significantly higher than that of previous cohorts. Naturally, teachers were thrilled with stellar student performance, and as a result, Chu Yang's image in their eyes grew increasingly favorable.

While most students and teachers adored Chu Yang, this very fact suddenly began to trouble Dumbledore. The more brilliant Chu Yang proved to be, the more Dumbledore saw the shadow of Voldemort reflected in him. Yet, to his relief, Chu Yang displayed absolute disdain for blood purity theories.

Over the past two months, whenever Dumbledore had spare time, he would occasionally converse with Chu Yang. The young man's startling remarks often provided Dumbledore with profound insights, making him forget his advanced age.

More often than not, Dumbledore could discern from Chu Yang's usual commentary a deep-seated revulsion toward the stagnation and stubbornness of the wizarding world, particularly regarding "bloodlines" and "families."

A discussion once took place in the Headmaster's office.

Chu Yang asked, "Was the very first wizard to appear in this world great?"

Dumbledore replied without hesitation, "Of course!"

Chu Yang then asked, "Then do you believe he came from a pure-blood background, or a Muggle one?"

Since he was the world's first wizard, there could not have been any wizards before him. Dumbledore subconsciously wanted to answer, but before the words left his lips, he fell silent.

Chu Yang said leisurely, "All the glory of pure-blood families originated from Muggles. This conclusion can even be extended to the entire wizarding populace. The magical world is inherently an extension of the non-magical world, much like a sturdy branch on a massive tree."

"If you completely sever the two, no matter how thick the branch, it will eventually wither. Thus, it is evident that isolated from the non-magical world, the magical realm is nothing more than a tree without soil."

"In fact, compared to the creativity displayed by the non-magical world, the magical world has already begun to decline. You must have noticed this yourself."

Dumbledore removed his glasses and wearily massaged the bridge of his nose. The origin of wizards as articulated by Chu Yang was an extremely sensitive topic across the entire magical world, precisely because it was an undeniable fact.

As for the flourishing prosperity of the non-magical world, Dumbledore had naturally witnessed it with his own eyes. In particular, those miraculous creations that functioned without a shred of magic often forced the centenarian to marvel at the wisdom belonging to Muggles.

Without pausing his critique, Chu Yang said with a trace of contempt, "The title of pure-blood wizard is as rotting and decadent as medieval nobility, resembling nothing more than the dregs of history."

"In twentieth-century Britain, no one regards nobility as a symbol of power anymore; even the Queen is merely a mascot."

"Today's Muggles might grow into the seeds of tomorrow's pure-blood families due to exceptional talent, while today's pure-blood families may gradually become ordinary Muggles through mediocrity."

"To sum it up with an ancient Eastern proverb: Are nobles and generals born with a special seed?"

Dumbledore tapped his desk and laughed helplessly. "Although I have studied many languages, most of them only go as far as being able to read books. Ancient proverbs like this one..."

"Please forgive my rudeness." Chu Yang bowed slightly with a smile, then translated the meaning of the proverb.

Upon hearing it, Dumbledore's expression turned deeply contemplative.

"In this era, if wizards still refuse to cast aside sectarian prejudices, boldly innovate, and pioneer the future, they will sooner or later be swallowed by the torrent of history."

The conversation was called to a halt there by Dumbledore, after which Chu Yang left the Headmaster's office.

At that moment... all of Dumbledore's anxieties about Chu Yang becoming the next Dark Lord vanished completely.

Yet a new distress soon surfaced in Dumbledore's mind. While Chu Yang certainly would not become a Dark Lord, his words nevertheless revealed profound dissatisfaction with the magical world. What he might ultimately do once he matured remained an open question.

"Innovation, reform, the future..."

Dumbledore murmured these words repeatedly, eventually sinking into a boundless silence.

On Halloween, Chu Yang, having no classes, woke up exceptionally early and was the very first student to step into the library.

Such an unusual sight left even Madam Pince, the librarian, staring at him in utter astonishment.

"Mr. Chu Yang, today is Halloween, surely you don't plan to spend it with your friends?"

In all her years as librarian, Madam Pince had never once seen a student come to the library to study on Halloween.

Chu Yang replied, "I plan to read for a bit in the morning and go out by noon. Thank you for your concern, Madam Pince."

"Everyone says you're a genius, but perhaps I am the only one who sees your diligence," Madam Pince said indignantly. "You are the most hardworking student I have ever seen!"

"Thank you," Chu Yang smiled bashfully, then produced a magical permit bearing Dumbledore's signature. "This is a permit given to me by Headmaster Dumbledore. I was hoping to read some books from the Restricted Section."

"It really is Headmaster Dumbledore's signature!" Madam Pince glanced at Chu Yang in surprise.

Chu Yang was certain that if he checked out too many books related to the Dark Arts or particularly dangerous content, Dumbledore, observing from the shadows, would resolutely put an end to the opportunity he had worked so hard to secure.

To play it safe, Chu Yang intended to read only spells that were currently beyond his reach, yet not overly dangerous.

Spells like [Apparition] or the [Undetectable Extension Charm], which boasted high practicality.

These were also spells urgently needed by the other versions of Chu Yang across different worlds.

In terms of combat, spells had limited utility because the enemies Chu Yang faced in other worlds typically possessed monstrous physical prowess, while the casting wind-up for spells was simply too long, easily creating fatal openings.

As for lethality, among the three Unforgivable Curses, only the Killing Curse could be considered a genuine offensive spell in the truest sense; death upon impact was formidable indeed, and soul-level attacks were exceptionally difficult to resist. But the prerequisite was that you actually had to hit the target...

The Cruciatus Curse was better suited for torturing enemies, a horrific form of punishment, yet characters in the worlds of Naruto and One Piece were rarely short of tough individuals capable of enduring such agony. The situation for the Imperius Curse was much the same.

After much deliberation, the Chu Yang of the magical world firmly grasped his positioning: to become a logistical support personnel capable of aiding "himself" across various worlds.

Learning and attempting to innovate more highly practical spells would be Chu Yang's primary objective for the future.