The Training Room

In the wizarding world, werewolf wizards were feared by most people and treated with disgust and discrimination.

A large part of that fear came from the full moon. If a wizard was scratched or bitten by a transformed werewolf and did not receive treatment quickly, they could be infected and become a werewolf themselves.

To avoid that risk, most wizards chose distance, exclusion, and outright expulsion.

Remus Lupin was the clearest example Edmund remembered. Because of his werewolf status, he could hardly find work and lived in poverty before Dumbledore gave him a position at Hogwarts.

Now that Edmund had Wolfsbane Potion, he could use it as an opening to gather werewolf wizards whose temperaments were still decent but whose lives had been ruined by an accident or a curse.

He would give them a chance to live in the sunlight again. In return, they would give him loyalty.

At the same time, Wolfsbane could bring him enormous prestige and establish a place for him in the magical world.

It was a win-win situation. Edmund won twice.

He had never been indifferent to fame or profit. He would not call himself wildly ambitious, but he did want to stand at the top of this world and have people answer when he called.

Having lived a second life, Edmund wanted more than enough strength. He wanted reputation and influence to match it.

Earn an Order of Merlin. Integrate Knockturn Alley. Become a figure the wizarding world could not ignore.

That was his plan.

After sorting through his thoughts, Edmund placed the Wolfsbane Potion in storage. Tomorrow, he would speak with Snape and see what channels the Potions master could offer.

Then he left the trunk. It was already evening, and he no longer planned to go to dinner. He read for a while, then went to sleep.

The next morning, Edmund rose early and brought Cho with him to Gryffindor Tower to find Hermione and Harry.

To his surprise, Harry and Hermione were not the only ones who came out through the Fat Lady's portrait. Fred and George were with them.

"And why are you two joining the crowd?"

The twins grinned at him.

"That thing you did on the Quidditch pitch, reflecting all those spells?" Fred said. "Brilliant. Then Harry told us you were tutoring them, so we came along."

He slung an arm around Harry's shoulders. Harry shrugged helplessly, his eyes full of apology. Edmund waved it off. He did not mind. Teaching two more students would not change the work by much.

The twins were basically his employees already. Training their combat ability would also reduce the chance of them being killed by Death Eaters later.

The group went to the seventh floor. Edmund walked three times before the blank stretch of wall and focused on what he needed.

The others were still wondering why he had brought them here when a smooth door appeared in the wall.

Edmund entered first.

Inside was a vast chamber filled with targets and practice dummies. The walls gleamed like forged steel.

Cho had never known Hogwarts held such a magical place.

"How did you find this room?" she asked, looking around. "It is practically perfect for practicing spells."

Edmund waved his wand and divided the space into several areas.

"This is called the Room of Requirement. Walk past the entrance three times while thinking about what you need, and it will try to satisfy that need."

The group understood at once. It was not merely a training room. It was a wish room. Edmund snapped his fingers to draw everyone's attention.

"Each of you is at a different level, so I will not give everyone the same training."

He looked at Harry first.

"Harry, out of everyone here, you know the fewest spells. What you need today is to reread A Beginner's Guide to Defence Against the Dark Arts and properly master a series of basic spells, including the Stunning Spell. No slacking. I will check your progress."

He pointed to a small desk and chair in the corner.

Harry had not expected to come here only to read, but under Edmund's gaze, he sat down obediently.

"Cho, Hermione, you both know several spells, but your use of them is too stiff. You cannot reliably hit a moving opponent yet. Your training today is precision. I will charm these balls to move erratically, and your task is to hit them with spells as often as possible."

He marked off a small area for them. Three enchanted practice balls floated inside it, moving in unpredictable patterns.

Cho and Hermione nodded and entered their section.

"As for you two..."

Edmund looked at the twins and rubbed his chin. He actually had not decided what to assign them.

"What do you want to learn?"

After thinking for a while and finding no better answer, he simply asked them.

"Can we learn that spell-reflection trick from the pitch?" George asked immediately.

Edmund shook his head.

"That was not a specific spell. I reflected those spells because I understood what they had cast and could redirect them cleanly. It is very difficult, and flashy tricks are not always useful."

Fred and George looked disappointed, then asked tentatively, "Do you have anything suitable for pranks?"

Edmund thought for a moment. He really did have something that suited them. He pointed his wand at a nearby dummy and said softly, "Levicorpus." The dummy rose into the air upside down, ankles above its head.

The twins' eyes lit up. Perfect. Edmund wrote the incantation and casting method on a piece of parchment and handed it to them. Fred and George ran off happily to study the spell.

Seeing that everyone had a task for the moment, Edmund conjured a table and a reclining chair. With another tap of his wand, a pot of black tea and several beef sandwiches appeared.

Then he settled comfortably into the chair and began enjoying a very pleasant afternoon.

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