"I see," Alan nodded. "So that's why you tested my magical control?"
Bones affirmed, "Exactly. Your control is excellent, far surpassing students your age—and even many in the higher grades. What's even more remarkable is your magical sensitivity. Have you heard that term before?"
Alan nodded. "Professor Flitwick explained it to me. I've spent a long time training my sensitivity, which is why he asked me to join the Charms Club."
Bones nodded in sudden understanding. It made sense; high sensitivity directly influenced one's ability to perceive and manipulate magic. No wonder this young wizard possessed such heightened perception. A thought flickered through his mind—could such sensitivity truly be trained?—but he brought the topic back on track.
"Since you're already at this level, you can likely attempt wandless or silent magic. Those are techniques typically mastered only after achieving high sensitivity…"
The moment Professor Bones mentioned wandless magic, Alan pointed at the ink bottle on his desk. The bottle rose slowly into the air, hovering with perfect stability.
Bones almost choked on his words. Seeing a second-year perform wandless, silent magic so skillfully made his heart surge with excitement. A wizard with that kind of experience was an ideal candidate for advanced runology.
"It seems you've mastered more than I imagined. Alright, I think I have a handle on where you are," Bones said, pulling two volumes from his drawer. "These should be of great help to you."
Alan took them and saw the titles: 49 Charm Disassemblies and Combination Formulas—a thick, quarto-sized book—and Aggregated Runology, a volume of equally imposing thickness.
"Thank you, Professor." Alan accepted them happily. Those two books alone made the visit worthwhile.
"At your level, theoretical texts won't do much for you anymore. You need practical guides," Bones said. he paused, then asked, "Before we formally begin, I want to know your focus. Are you leaning toward spell development or alchemy?"
Alan tilted his head, thinking for a moment. "Is there a significant difference?"
Bones smiled slightly. "The paths are similar, but the applications vary. If you focus on spells, you'll be looking at development, optimization, restoration, and disassembly. This requires a deep dive into magical phonetics. Since you can already cast silently, you can skip some of that, but if you want a newly developed spell to be passed down to others, the translation into a verbal incantation is indispensable."
he continued, "My own background is in disassembly, restoration, and optimization. I don't have much experience in creating entirely new spells, but I can identify and restore ancient magic runes within unfamiliar sequences."
Alan nodded, remembering Lily had mentioned that Bones had once restored an ancient rune.
"If you choose alchemy," Bones said, "you'll need less phonetics and more knowledge of enchantment, engraving techniques, and material science. It also demands a high level of manual skill. Stable hands, spatial awareness, and patience are the three qualities most valued by alchemists."
"Spatial awareness?" Alan understood the others, but that one piqued his curiosity.
"Many runes must be engraved inside magical materials, many of which are not flat. Any curve or deformation in the material can cause an error in the rune. If you're lucky, the spell just fails; if you're unlucky, the item explodes. Many alchemists in the past were killed because their engraving was off by a fraction of a millimeter," Bones explained.
"I see. It requires three-dimensional visualization," Alan said. "I'm very interested in alchemy, but I also have ideas for spell development. I've been researching a topic for the Charms Club—a sound-wave spell."
Bones nodded. "The combinations of runes are ever-changing. Whether it's spells or alchemy, development and optimization are the core. Let's start there."
he led Alan to the rune table. "Show me the sound-wave sequence you're researching and tell me your thoughts."
"Yes, Professor." Alan operated the table with a practiced hand. Bones watched, nodding as he saw how comfortably he handled the controls.
"My idea is to develop an echolocation spell. The inspiration comes from bats. They emit a high-pitched scream—an ultrasonic signal. It's too high for humans to hear. When those signals hit an object, they reflect back, allowing the bat to pinpoint its location."
Bones was momentarily stunned. The terminology was entirely foreign to his; he didn't quite grasp the concept of "ultrasonic," but he stayed focused.
Alan, unaware of his confusion, continued, "The base rune I'm using is 'Control.' I've noticed that all sound-based runes seem to use 'Control' as their foundation. Why is that?"
Bones was back on familiar ground. "Actually, it's not just sound. Most standard spells use 'Control' as their base—the Levitation Spell and the Shield Charm, for example. The rune carries the meaning of mastery, guidance, and dominance. Other spells that change the physical form of an object—like the Shrinking Charm or Transfiguration—use 'Change' as their base, which signifies alteration and conversion."
<><><><><><><><><><>
POWERSTONES are greatly appreciated. It helps me push this story
For Advanced chapters.(+40)
[patreon .com /daydreamer7] (no blank space)
If you are not capable no worries-you'll get the chapters soon enough. Appreciate you being here!