Unleashing the Beast

As Neville continued to lose against Ron's wizard chess moves, Atlas dove deeper into his potion homework. He had always known that magic violated many basic laws of chemistry, but as he worked through the potion components, he began to see more similarities between the two disciplines.

It dawned on Atlas that understanding the components and how they worked together was crucial to comprehending why a potion worked in the first place. Potions were apparently much more than just following instructions. However, the difficulty in calculating reaction formulas arose from the fact that magic was heavily influenced by intent and instinct. For instance, the chemical composition of most bones is similar, but their magical properties depend on the nature of the animal from which they were harvested.

Atlas realized that the magical imprint on the bones could give them a myriad of properties. While the physical properties may remain the same, the influence of magic, when released in a potion, could be vastly different. Take, for instance, the fangs of venomous snakes; one cannot use them interchangeably with other venomous snake fangs of a different species because their instinctual behaviors could alter the magical properties slightly. In most cases, differences within a species can be disregarded, unless the species has a significantly long lifespan or possesses a high level of intellect that enables them to form a long-lasting intend that influences their very nature.

Although Atlas found the intricacies of potion-making fascinating, it also dawned on him that he would never be a skilled potioneer. To truly excel in this craft, one needed an abundance of time to conduct countless trial-and-error experiments, which could potentially yield no results for months on end. Such slow growth isn't a viable option for him, even though the craft has great potential.

Atlas noticed that Harry, Dean, and Seamus had already finished their homework for Quirrell's class and even Professor Ward's class. Ron, on the other hand, groaned when Atlas offered to help him with his homework. Ron wanted to copy Atlas' homework, but Atlas declined as he knew Snape was targeting him and Harry. He didn't believe for a second that Snape wouldn't punish them severely if he found out they were copying each other's work. So Atlas explained everything to Ron and Harry, insisting that they write it down in their own words. However, it was a frustrating experience for Atlas, as Ron seemed unwilling or unable to comprehend even the simplest problems. Eventually, Atlas gave up and simply dictated what Ron should write. Harry, on the other hand, was better than Ron. At least he showed a desire to understand, if not just because he didn't want to give Snape any more reasons to bully him.

After finishing the potion homework, the group wanted to go for a meal. Atlas excused himself from the group by saying that he still needed to do his homework for the other lessons. When they left, he wandered through the shelves of books looking for the memory charms he wanted to look up until he finally stumbled upon Madam Pince, the librarian.

"Excuse me, Madam Pince," Atlas said politely. "I was wondering if you could help me find some books on memory charms."

Madam Pince raised an eyebrow at him. "Memory charms? Those are quite advanced, young man. Are you sure you're ready for that?"

Atlas nodded, determined. "I need to learn how to perform one, and I'm willing to put in the work."

Madam Pince sighed. "I'm afraid those books are in the forbidden section. You'll need approval from a professor to access them. You can generally get that approval in your later years, but because the consequences of a failed memory charm can be disastrous, students only get the approval after they have displayed the necessary magical finesse to cast those spells."

Atlas frowned but understood after thinking of how Gilderoy Lockhard ended. "And what about books on Occulumency or Legilimency?"

Madam Pince looked horrified. "Young man, students should not be practicing anything like that. Dumbledore himself locked all the books on Legilimency away in the forbidden section."

Atlas was surprised by this information and couldn't help but think about the hypocrisy of Dumbledore. However, he noticed that Madam Pince only mentioned books on Legilimency being locked away, not those on Occulumency. He decided to pursue this avenue further.

"What about books on Occulumency?" Atlas asked, intrigued.

Madam Pince hesitated before responding. "There are a few books on Occulumency in the regular section, but they are quite advanced and not really recommended for young students."

Despite her warning, Atlas decided to ask where exactly he could find those books. He was determined to improve his skills in the craft, especially after experiencing how easily the Sorting Hat delved into his thoughts. Although Madam Pince disapproved, she could find no reason to deny him access to the books.

After acquiring the books, Atlas dove into the world of Occlumency and he quickly realized that his introductory book from Diagon Alley barely scratched the surface. After immersing himself in one of the more advanced books on the topic, he discovered that there were multiple levels to this intricate art and that he hadn't even reached the first one yet.

He learned that the first level of Occlumency involved emptying the mind of emotions, not only to make it more challenging for invaders to access but also to lay a sturdy foundation for building impenetrable barriers. Building barriers was a critical aspect of Occlumency, as distractions could be incredibly detrimental to the art's success. It was essential not to let emotions cloud the mind and to remain focused to build robust, long-lasting barriers.

While it was possible to train in Occlumency alone, the book emphasized that it could create the weakness of not being able to find the correct state of mind when needed. The first level was temporary and should not be maintained continuously, as it could lead to depression. Instead, it was used to create barriers that could be held indefinitely with a little focus.

As Atlas dove deeper into the art of occlumency, he realized just how useless his introductory book really was as it urged him to directly start with the third level.

The third level involved creating surface thoughts or falsified memories that an invader could access, but they were merely illusions. Atlas quickly realized that this could be used as the memory storage and organizer he needed. But when Atlas saw the description of the fourth level, he directly set his sights on mastering the fourth and final level of occlumency: a multilayer system of memories, puzzles, and distractions that culminated in a sturdy, almost impenetrable wall that would require a clash of wills to break through.

This system would allow him to store memories like a library, with each layer becoming increasingly challenging to penetrate. With practice, he would be able to store more and more information and hide it behind increasingly tougher defenses that would become virtually impenetrable.

Overall, Atlas was enthralled by the complexity of occlumency and realized that it would take much effort to get to the level he needed. But compared to potioneering, this was an art that would yield increasingly greater profits and would surely be useful, so he decided to put some time aside to try to learn it.

Atlas found himself lost in thought and completely unaware of his surroundings. That is, until a tap on the back jolted him back to reality, revealing Hermione standing behind him. She had noticed him in the library and reminded him that dinner wouldn't be available for much longer. In fact, Ethan and the Ravenclaw girls were already waiting for them, with the girls looking annoyed and even Ethan appearing distracted.

Realizing that he had almost missed dinner, Atlas thanked Hermione for the reminder. Hermione asked if he had been working on his potion homework in the library, to which Atlas nodded. She then suggested that they compare notes later, as Ethan had some brilliant insights she wanted to share. While Atlas was tired and didn't want to discuss homework so soon after his frustrating encounter with Ron, he was still interested in hearing what Hermione and Ethan thought about some of the problems.

They were meeting up with Ethan and the Ravenclaw girls, Leona, a beautiful blond girl, and Amy, a short and cute brunette, to eat together. As they walked to the Great Hall, Leona and Amy were trying to persuade Ethan to join the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. They were praising the fact that he would probably be even better than the new rising star, Roger Davies, that got into the team the year before. They argued that Cho Chang also applied for a position and that the chances to win the quidditch cup are really good. Ethan was hesitant, saying he needed more time to think about it. Ethan asked Hermione and Atlas if they played Quidditch or were interested in it. Hermione declined, but Atlas had some strong opinions on the subject.

Atlas wasn't the sporty type and didn't see the appeal of Quidditch. He found the rules of the game to be illogical, specifically the existence of the snitch. He explained that the snitch made the rest of the game unentertaining and senseless because the team that caught it would normally automatically win the game, almost regardless of the score. Ethan seemed intrigued by Atlas's perspective and asked him to elaborate.

Atlas shrugged and continued, suggesting that Quidditch should consider adding a timer for the game to finish. He didn't think it was fair to expect players and spectators to commit to watching a match for half a day or longer. Hermione chimed in, mentioning that she had read about Quidditch in the Hogwarts books and found it fascinating, but she agreed that Atlas's points made sense.

The group eventually arrived at the Great Hall, where they separated.

Hermione and Atlas ate their dinner and walked back to the Gryffindor common room in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Hermione broke the silence, asking Atlas why he looked so tired. Atlas replied, half-jokingly, that Ron's snoring was his new arch-nemesis and that he was surprised the Slytherins in the dungeons couldn't hear it. Hermione chuckled at the image, and they continued on their way.

As they entered the common room, they saw a few older Gryffindors sitting in front of the fireplace. The rest of Atlas's roommates were gathered around a table, trading chocolate frog cards. Atlas gave them a wave and quickly made his way to his bed, announcing that he was going to sleep early tonight. Within moments, he was fast asleep, exhausted from a long day of studying and being unable to sleep before.

Atlas woke up early, feeling refreshed after finally getting some rest. He quietly slipped out of his dormitory, not wanting to wake up his roommates, but secretly thinking that they must be deaf anyway if they could sleep with Ron in the same room. After freshening up without the use of magic, he decided to take advantage of his early start to do something he had been planning for a while.

He walked down the empty corridors of Hogwarts, taking in the peaceful silence that surrounded him after he left the fat dame behind, who was complaining about getting woken up. As he made his way through the castle, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement building within him. He knew what he wanted to do, and he was determined to make it happen.

Atlas turned down a narrow hallway, his footsteps echoing through the empty corridor. He stopped in front of a tapestry depicting the attempt of Barnabas the Barmy to teach trolls ballet, pretending to examine it for a moment. But in reality, he was checking to see if anyone was watching him. Once he was sure he was alone, he began to walk up and down, thinking of his greatest need like a mantra.

As he walked by the tapestry for the third time, a door appeared before him. It was the Room of Requirement. He smiled to himself; he was finally there.

As Atlas stepped through the door, he found himself standing in the middle of a large, open space. The room was exactly as he had imagined it, with training equipment and practice dummies scattered throughout the room. There were stationary dummies of all shapes and sizes, some made of wood and some made of metal, designed to help him practice his combat magic.

In one corner of the room, he spotted a series of obstacles set up for him to practice his agility and dexterity. There were balance beams, rope bridges, and even a few swinging platforms that he could jump from one to the other. And the crown jewel of the room was a wooden training dummy in the middle of the room, holding a wand. The figure was built with the same wood as in the movies, but the big difference was the many joints and flexible limbs it had. It was clear from the first moment that this figure had a great deal of mobility. The room was everything Atlas had hoped for and more.

As he moved further into the room, he found a training area that was perfect for his needs. There were padded walls and floors, designed to cushion any falls or impacts that might occur during training. There were also a number of targets, both stationary and moving, that he could use to practice his aim and accuracy.

Atlas couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation as he looked around the room. This was exactly what he needed to take his combat magic to the next level. Something like what happened in Quirrell's lesson wouldn't happen again.

As Atlas approached the wooden figure holding a wand, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and confidence. He pointed his wand at the dummy, but to his surprise, the figure immediately sprang to life and darted to the side, firing a spell at Atlas. He quickly raised his wand and cast a Protego charm, successfully blocking the attack. But before he could even take a breath, the figure fired another spell, which he narrowly dodged.

Determined to fight back, Atlas fired a shock spell at the figure, but it effortlessly evaded the attack. Suddenly, he felt a sharp blow to his back as one of the wooden training stools hit him. The last spell apparently was a summoning charm, and it pulled the wooden tools from the wands towards him. Atlas quickly regained his footing and cast another shield charm to block the next incoming attack.

But the figure was relentless, and with a flick of its wand, it threw one of the giant training ropes at Atlas. The thick rope snaked around his arms and legs, binding him tightly. He struggled to break free, but it was no use. He had been caught.

For a moment, Atlas felt demotivated. He had been so confident, but he had been defeated so easily. But then he realized that this was exactly what he needed. The high level of skill exhibited by the figure would help him grow faster, and he was determined to learn from it. "I surrender," he said, and the figure returned to its initial position, releasing him from the ropes.

Breathing heavily, Atlas looked around the room. He had a long way to go, but now he could train unrestricted. He spent two more hours practicing his combat ability and adapting to the unpredictable attacks of the wooden figure, determined to at least get a hit in, but it seems that this time determination couldn't make the impossible possible.