Chapter 155: Magic Crash Course

Apparition is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and dangerous spells in the magical world.

First, as a Hogwarts student, one must be at least seventeen years old and in their sixth year to even qualify for taking the course.

Second, during the lessons and practice, a teacher must supervise the entire process. A single mistake can lead to Splinching, a phenomenon where body parts are accidentally left behind, resulting in injuries like missing arms or legs.

In such cases, teachers must promptly use healing spells to reattach the splinched parts. Many young wizards develop psychological trauma from Splinching incidents, leaving them too scared to attempt Apparition ever again.

Lastly, even after learning the spell, students must pass an examination. Only those who can perfectly perform Apparition are granted an Apparition License, which is essentially the wizarding world's equivalent of a driver's license.

Wizards caught using Apparition without a license are subject to hefty fines—if they aren't caught, they get away with it; but if they are, they'll face serious financial penalties.

This system ensures not only the safety of young wizards but also reduces the workload of the Ministry of Magic's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, which used to handle dozens of cases daily involving unauthorized Apparition, Splinching, or Muggles witnessing magical accidents.

Under normal circumstances, George learning Apparition as a first-year student would be nearly impossible. Even though he had already found the spell and study materials for Apparition in the Restricted Section, it wasn't like other spells where failure was just a learning curve—failing at this could be fatal. With his physical constitution, if his head and body were Splinched, there would be no surviving it.

He couldn't seek help from Snape either. Snape wouldn't dare break school rules to teach him prematurely, unlike the custom spellwork Snape had been willing to share.

As for the Voldemort in the diary, there were two problems. First, this version of Voldemort was only fifth-year Tom Riddle and hadn't yet learned Apparition himself. Second, even if Riddle had known the spell, he couldn't provide the necessary physical intervention to reattach body parts if George Splinched himself.

George considered abducting a Dark wizard and using the Imperius Curse to force them to teach him, but quickly dismissed the idea as too risky. Someone under the Imperius Curse wouldn't be a reliable teacher, and if caught, he'd end up in Azkaban.

After much deliberation, he found only one viable and safe option: enrolling in a magic crash course.

Magic crash courses in the wizarding world are the equivalent of extracurricular tutoring in the Muggle world, founded by wizards of considerable reputation. Their primary goal is to help struggling students improve their grades or assist adult wizards in honing their skills to qualify for better jobs.

Additionally, these crash courses often preyed on Squibs from wizarding families, convincing them they might still learn magic. Even Argus Filch, Hogwarts' caretaker, had tried to learn magic through one of these programs.

George believed that, as long as he paid enough, these crash courses wouldn't hesitate to bend the rules and teach him Apparition prematurely. After all, it wasn't a grave offense; the worst-case scenario would be paying a fine if caught—nothing compared to the unforgivable curses.

The Ministry, currently in disarray, wouldn't pay much attention to such minor infractions.

Satisfied with his reasoning, George returned to his usual magic studies. Lately, he'd been researching the Disillusionment Charm, a high-level spell that could render one invisible. After seeing how Aria used invisibility to ambush Makarov, George realized how useful invisibility could be in combat.

The next morning, George visited wandmaker Ollivander, carrying a gift.

Though he no longer needed to learn wand-making, George knew maintaining a good relationship with the renowned craftsman would be invaluable. Ollivander was delighted to see his talented young apprentice, especially when George brought along some rare materials for wand crafting.

After leaving Ollivander's shop, George found a flyer for a magic crash course posted on a wall. Following the address, he arrived at a tiny, run-down shop sandwiched between a secondhand cauldron store and an ice cream parlor in Diagon Alley.

The faded sign above the door read "Magic Crash Course."

Entering the cramped space, he found it even smaller than expected. There was barely enough room for a single table and two chairs. Behind the table, a pale-skinned witch with short hair, wearing a faded jacket, was fast asleep and didn't notice George's arrival.

"I'm starting to doubt my decision," George muttered, his lips twitching as he knocked on the table.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Is this the Magic Crash Course?" he asked.

The witch groggily opened her eyes. When she saw George, she jumped to her feet.

"Of course it is! Are you here to enroll? Our course is affordable, effective, and guarantees academic improvement. You'll never be looked down upon by your classmates again!"

"Stop. That's enough," George interrupted, raising a hand. "I only have one question: can you teach Apparition?"

The witch hesitated, eyeing him up and down. "Apparition? Of course! But… you're a bit young, aren't you?"

"If I were of age, I'd learn it at school," George replied calmly. "Why would I come here otherwise?"

"Well, uh…" The witch's expression turned awkward. "Our Apparition training is strictly for adults who failed their first exams and need to retake the test. Teaching underage wizards is illegal, you know. If the Ministry catches us, we'd face steep fines!"

"Then perhaps I'll consider another spell," George replied coolly.

"Sure! We offer training for any spell from first-year to seventh-year level," the witch quickly added, trying to recover. "We can even help with your summer homework!"