Chapter 166: Ancient Magic that Connects with Nature

"You're right; after all that, I am feeling a bit drained."

After healing Moddox, George stood up, feigning a wobble before leaning on Amy for support. With a faintly weak demeanor, he addressed the Auror captain nearby:

"Auror sir, would it be alright if I returned to rest for now?"

Keeping up a strong appearance after such a battle would undoubtedly appear too extraordinary. Though his earlier display had already been remarkable, George preferred to avoid unnecessary attention.

More importantly, his thoughts were no longer focused on the scene. He was eager to return home and document the contents of the ancient magic book he had copied, then begin his research in earnest. Pretending to be exhausted provided a perfect excuse to bow out of the situation gracefully.

"Of course, you've done us a tremendous favor. Lena, accompany Amy and help escort this young man home. We'll handle things here."

The Auror captain, who recognized Amy and knew her connection to Lena, nodded gratefully. He deeply appreciated George's help.

If not for George, capturing the cunning and dangerous dark wizard Moddox might not have been possible, potentially leading to civilian casualties and jeopardizing his own career.

Now, however, with Moddox captured in Paris under his command, the captain could anticipate a well-deserved promotion.

"Yes, Captain!"

Lena beamed, stepping forward to help Amy support George as they began the journey home.

"Carrying him might be easier."

After only a few steps, Amy realized supporting George wasn't working well; they were moving too slowly. Without hesitation, she picked him up in her arms.

For Amy, George's eleven- or twelve-year-old frame wasn't much of a burden.

Although being carried like this in front of others felt a bit awkward, George decided not to protest and let Amy take charge as they headed back.

"George, are you alright?"

As they passed by the destroyed tent, Hermione, along with her parents and the two rescued young witches, hurried over.

George motioned for Amy to set him down, then smiled and said: "Just a bit drained from chasing that dark wizard. I'll be fine after a bit of rest.

By the way, Hermione, weren't you in Dijon?"

"Oh, my dad thought we should visit Paris since it's the capital of France, so we came here instead," Hermione explained.

Mr. Granger blinked in surprise. He didn't recall suggesting Paris—wasn't it Hermione who had insisted on changing their travel plans? Before he could speak, Mrs. Granger gave him a subtle look, stopping him.

"I see. Where are you staying? If you have time, I can show you around. I've been here for over a month, so I know the area quite well," George offered.

Hermione nodded, and at that moment, Fleur and Gabrielle also stepped forward to thank George and invite him to dinner at their home, which he politely declined.

To his surprise, the two witches he had saved turned out to be the Delacour sisters, part-Veela and Fleur being Ron's future sister-in-law.

After parting ways with Hermione and Fleur, Amy carried George back to their house and laid him on his bed.

"I'll be fine after resting for a while. You should head to the Ministry now—it's the best time to get the truth out of that guy. Don't let the opportunity slip," George said as he lay back.

Reluctantly, Lena nodded. "Don't worry; if he doesn't talk, I'll make him drink an entire bottle of Veritaserum!"

Amy's eyes shimmered with gratitude as she bent down and kissed George's forehead. "Thank you, George. Really, thank you."

Compared to the Auror captain, Amy felt an even deeper sense of appreciation for George.

She had always thought of him as a precocious child, mature and focused on studying magic, showing little affection or attachment to her as his temporary teacher.

Yet today, he had gone to such lengths for her—chasing Moddox alone despite the dangers.

In her eyes, someone like George wasn't the type to meddle in others' affairs. His actions today were clearly motivated by a desire to help her clear her name.

"After all, you're my teacher. It's only natural for me to help when I can. Don't think too much of it," George replied with a sincere smile, brushing his slightly damp forehead.

Amy chuckled, her eyes reddening slightly. "You little charmer—you'll probably enchant countless witches when you grow up."

She gently pinched his cheek before leaving with Lena.

As Lena stepped out, she also kissed George's forehead and softly said, "Thank you for helping Amy."

The moment he heard their footsteps fade down the stairs, George shot up from bed. He quickly drew a small Morgana's Circle on the floor of his room, retrieved the copied ancient magic book, and began poring over its contents.

He spent nearly the entire night studying the text before finally closing the book with a sigh.

"So that's how it works!"

The book, though limited to a single lightning spell, shed light on the fundamental differences between ancient and modern magic.

Modern magic relied on the wizard's innate magical bloodline and energy to cast spells. While this made casting quick, it inherently limited the power of the magic.

Ancient magic, on the other hand, used the wizard's magic as a medium to connect with the natural laws of the world. Through long incantations, the wizard would gradually harmonize with nature and harness immense natural energy for their spells.

This explained why ancient spells were so much more powerful but also significantly slower to cast.

The lightning spell Moddox had used required a lengthy incantation lasting seven to eight minutes, during which he connected with the natural forces in the clouds to unleash a continuous barrage of lightning over a specific area.

Suddenly, the claims in the historical text Legends of Ancient Magic—about spells capable of moving mountains—seemed plausible.

Human magic was finite, but the forces of nature were boundless. Unless a wizard's power surpassed that of nature itself, modern magic would always pale in comparison to ancient magic's potential.

This ancient magic book had elevated George's understanding of magic to a whole new level.

By the following afternoon, Amy and Lena returned home in high spirits.

The overnight interrogation had borne fruit—Moddox had confessed to all his crimes. With his testimony, Amy could be reinstated as an Auror.

Moddox, convicted of numerous heinous acts, had been sentenced to death and executed that very morning.