"This is the rune sequence for the Levitation Spell. Now, we test it." Lily touched the arrangement with her wand, and the multiple runic characters glowed in unison.
A stream of magic flowed from her wand, passing through the runes and striking a nearby quill. The quill rose steadily into the air. Alan watched with fascination; he could clearly perceive that Lily hadn't cast the charm itself. It was merely raw magic filtered through the runic sequence that produced the levitation effect.
This was far more intuitive than trying to memorize abstract diagrams from a book.
Lily wasn't finished. "Many spells and runic effects are too dangerous to test directly on the workbench. Highly skilled wizards can materialize runes through non-verbal casting to test them in the field, but few truly master silent magic. So, what do you do if you cannot cast non-verbally?"
She picked up a small, crystal-like orb from a tray beside the bench and brought it close to the glowing sequence. The runes were instantly drawn into the sphere. Alan had noticed the rows of crystal balls earlier but had assumed they were merely decorative; he never imagined they served as storage for magical logic.
"By saving the runes this way, we can take them elsewhere for safe testing," Lily explained, clearly enjoying Alan's wide-eyed interest.
"While you're staying here, the workbench is yours to use," she added. "It has a vast library of recorded characters you can study with your dictionary. I'll also walk you through some common combinations, including the protective and stress-bearing runes I used in your amulet."
Alan was ecstatic. "Really? Thank you so much!"
Lily smiled and spent the next hour showing him the operational details. Alan took to it immediately, captivated by the marriage of logic and magic.
In the meantime, the Christmas gifts from his friends finally arrived. Since Alan had moved from Sirius's villa to the Potter home, the delivery had been slightly delayed.
Despite her earlier complaints about his bluntness, Vivian had thoughtfully sent him a set of "Magical Iconography."
Charles, ever the Quidditch fanatic, sent a poster of Ludo Bagman. His greeting card mentioned how his entire family had become obsessed with the Mahjong tiles Alan had sent. As for the poster—Ludo Bagman was the star Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps and Charles's idol—Alan could only appreciate the sentiment, as sports memorabilia wasn't exactly his style.
Professor McGonagall sent a scarf, specifically a team scarf for the Appleby Arrows. It was light blue with silver arrows embroidered at the ends. Alan had officially lowered his expectations for gifts from Quidditch enthusiasts. He looked up the team out of curiosity and found their most famous feat was a match against the Vratsa Vultures in 1932 that lasted sixteen days. He had to read the passage twice to confirm it wasn't a typo. A sixteen-day match felt more like a siege than a game.
Professor Flitwick's gift was more academic. He sent a copy of "The Fifth Element: Exploration." His note explained that while it was a sixth-year textbook, he believed Alan's progress warranted an early start. Along with Vivian's gift, this was easily Alan's favorite.
When he opened Professor Slughorn's package, Alan couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exhaustion. It was a bottle of Euphoria Potion. He suspected his Head of House had simply brewed a massive cauldron of the stuff for bulk holiday gifting.
Hagrid's gift was characteristically simple and rugged: a thick cushion made from an unidentified fur. It was incredibly warm and comfortable, and Alan put it to immediate use.
After sorting through his haul, Alan settled onto Hagrid's fur cushion to study Occlumency. He had gathered that Occlumency and Legilimency were two sides of the same coin; mastering the defense would likely make the offense easier to understand.
According to his books, the art required immense willpower. The practitioner had to empty their mind, reach a state of total calm, and then manipulate their magic to envelop their consciousness, shielding it from external probes.
Most wizards found this nearly impossible because it required perfect self-control. The standard way to learn was to have a Legilimency master repeatedly invade one's mind while the student attempted to push them out. Alan ruled this out immediately. He didn't know any masters, and he had no desire to let anyone browse through his private thoughts.
His research suggested other paths: using potions, passive defense, or visualization. He had tranquilizers on hand, which made the potion method viable, but he was most interested in the "visualization method." This involved creating a mental avatar or a structural defense within the mind to house the consciousness.
Alan decided to attempt visualization first. His control over magic was refined, and his long-standing habit of meditation gave him a distinct advantage in regulating his own thoughts.