Chapter 40 - Understanding Ancient Runes

Harry looked at the Handgun with some apprehension.

The charms in it had worn off after he had used it against the Troll.

This was something he had already predicted but that didn't mean it made him feel any better.

He had pumped the handgun full of different kind of charms and the he only able to use it that one time before it lost it's effectiveness.

What would he have done if there was giant in the castle instead of a troll.

Giants in this world were monstrous humanoid looking mindless creatures that could grow up to 25 feet which was about twice as big as a troll with even more tougher and magic resistant skin.

What would he have done if his magic enhanced handgun was not able to bring it down before he ran out of bullets.

He was magically stronger by three times than an average wizard of his age but even he knew that he would never been able to pierce the troll's magical resistant skin with a Reducto curse.

So he needed to make sure that his enchanted weapons would not lose their enchantments mid battle.

Which meant that he needed to learn how to carve runes on the handgun so that the charms would stuck and then add a small wardstone which constantly supply magic to the enchanted weapon.

It would still only work until the wardstone runs out of power but it would take a long time for such a thing to happen and he could always recharge it after a battle so it was would make his enhancements permanent for all respects and purposes.

Which was why he was he was learning all about Ancient runes even now.

So one of the other projects that he wanted to work on right now was to give his robes magical and physical resistant.

When Snape had used the full body bind charm on him, he had not really put a lot of power behind it which was the reason why he was able to break through it. But if he had put some more power behind it, or someone more powerful like Dumbledore or Voldemort had put him in a full body bind then he would not be able to do anything.

So his next project in charms would be to charm his robes to be magically resistant somehow or at least charm it in a manner that it would negate all the common hexes and curses out there.

Then there was the fact they had stunned him before he could even complete the Incantation of the Killing curse.

Which was a good thing in a way because if he did performed then killing curse and it had struck one of the staff members then even Dumbledore would not have been able to prevent him from his one way ticket to Azkaban. Which would seriously fuċk up his plans.

He was sure that he would easily be able to escape Azkaban but do so would esentially cut him off from the magical community which would be rather annoying.

But still, the fact remained that he was stunned in a rather pathetic manner.

Only the fact that he had never bothered to learn about duels and the fact that it was his first fight was the reason his ego and pride were still intact.

But now he knew his weaknesses. Which were quite a few now that he thought about it.

First. He lacked any form of experience when it came to a duel. He might be magically powerful and he might be a genius in transfiguration and charms but the fact remained that he had never fought in his life before and he frankly didn't knew how to do it.

So he needed to learn how to duel. Hmm… it seemed like he would have to go to his head of house for that. What with him being an international duel champion and all.

Second. He needed to be faster.

For gods sake, he knew how to perform basic human transfiguration and could have used it on his legs to make himself faster but such thought never even occurred to him.

If he had did it and if he was more experienced then he was confident that he would have been at least able to defeat a few staff members before being stunned himself.

Though in hindsight, using such an illegal magic in the full view of the staff members would also earn him a one way ticket to Azkaban.

So he needed to practice more human transfiguration so that he would be able to enhance his muscles to be faster. Or he could even change his skin and turn it into a magically resistant one.

Hmm… he would probably need a live human to perform some of these experiments so he would have to hide this from Hermione and Penelope. Fortunately they didn't knew about his two other time turners or where he slept at night so he could go down in the chamber of secrets and set up a laboratory where he would be able to practice human transfiguration.

But where to find a live subject.

Oh… wasn't there a rat in the castle named Scabbers who was an animagus known as Peter Pettigrew, the betrayer of James and Lily Potter.

Wow… Isn't that the most convenient thing ever. He won't even feel any guilt while experimenting on him.

And aside from him there were so many death eaters in this society walking around without any repercussions who had killed and tortured who knows how many innocent muggles. If he needed more experimental subjects then he knew where he would be able to find them.

Third. He might be magically powerful but in the end, he was just a child and his magical core would not mȧturė until a decade or so. But he would have to fight Voldemort sooner or later so he needed to find some way to increase his magical power.

The most common ways to increase your magical power was to perform magical rituals. And that was exactly what Voldemort did which was the reason why he was able to become so strong that he was able to contend against Albus Dumbledore.

But from what he knew, there weren't many books about rituals in the castle.

Seems like rituals were forbidden a long time ago in Hogwarts. Otherwise there would have been more books on that topic in here.

Or maybe rituals were not very famous in Britain. Who knows.

But still. Such a shame.

It was said that Voldemort went around the world for 10 years or so before he came back and when he did, he was already quite powerful.

Hmm… It's not like there's anything stopping him from going around the world just like Voldemort either. But still.

That would still waste too much of his time and he had too much pride for his own good so he couldn't see himself begging others for help either.

He would have to find his own way to get stronger.

He looked at Hermione who was lost in the books related to Potions and realized that whatever plans he made for himself, he would have to include her in them as well.

Which meant that would lose her innocence sooner or later.

Such a pity. As her innocence was one of the best things he liked about her.

But oh well…

He focused back on the runes once again. He had lost his focus again. Seems like he had become a bit more tired then he had anticipated.

A little bit of rest and a bit of entertainment would be prudent.

"Hermione…" Poke poke.

"What?" she asked without even looking up at him. She had tendency to get really lost in her books.

"I'm bored." Tickle tickle.

She giggled a bit but didn't let go of her book.

"What am I supposed to do then?" she said while slapping away his hands gently "Go bother someone else."

"There is no one else here. Beside you and me." He murmerred and laid down on the floor. He was really bored and Ancient Runes was simply not coming to him as easily has charms or Transfiguration did.

Why was that?

Hadn't he been diligently studying in the subject? He had also got a tutor for himself and he studied all the basic things about it which he didn't for either Charms or Transfiguration.

So why was he not getting much success in it.

What was the reason behind it?

"Hemione?" he asked

"Hmm…" she replied once again, without even looking up at him and he felt the urge to take away her book so that she would give more attention to him.

That was a rather childish thought on his part but it was what it was.

"What do you think Ancient runes is?" he asked.

"Ancient runes are a form of writing which Witches and Wizards used hundreds of years ago." She said in a monotone and he already knew that she was reciting the passage from some book. Which was not really helpful in any way or form "It is also a subject at Hogwarts." She continued without even looking up from her book and he wondered if she was actually reading, while reciting from her memory. Now that would be truly terrifying "Classwork and homework in the subject intones…"

"Stop stop stop." He cried out. "I'm not asking you to tell me what you learned about the subject from a book Hermione. I'm asking for your own opinion. What do you think about Ancient Runes."

She looked up from her book (and wasn't that a miracle) and thought for a while "I don't really know as I've never even studied any runes. How would you describe it?"

That was a good question, if a rather simple one. And a question that he should have thought about a long time ago.

How would he describe Ancient Runes.

Come to think of it, why had he never thought about it in the first.

"Hmm… If you ask me to describe it to you then I would say that… A rune is simply magic in writing." He mused but his own words registered in his mind and it was as if he was struck by thunder and he felt an epiphany about the whole subject.

"Runes are nothing more than magic in literary form." He mumbled and thought about those words a few more times in his head. Like how potion and alchemy were magic in material form.

Runes are nothing more than magic in written form.

Runes is magic for all sense and purpose.

Then why was he treating it any different then Transfiguration and charms.

The most important thing when doing transfiguration and charms was intent and will.

So why was he so focused on learning about different rune signs and their meaning when he never bothered with the incantations and wand waving in the other two subjects.

He suddenly felt like he was nothing but a fool but at the same time, he understood what had happened.

He was affected by the sheep mentality.

He saw how others learned Ancient runes and unknowingly followed their lead, without even questioning if there was a better way of doing things.

Now he could understand why most people are never able to go past the hurdle of the sheep mentality.

If someone like him, who understood that the true magic was all about intent and will could get lost like then, then how would other people, who had never been taught about such things know any different.

But now he had figured it out.

Runes were magic in written form.

They were not about signs or such things in the first place.

It was not about learning the correct signs and writing it in perfect calligraphy just like how charms and transfiguration was never truly about incantation and wand waving.

Surely you could get a good enough result by waving your wand and saying the incantation correctly but you would never really understand true magic with it.

It was all so fuċkɨnġ simple.

How had he not noticed it before.

He went back to his desk and threw down all the basic books about runes and signs from it along with the calligraphy book (which Penelope had recommended after a look at his abysmal handwriting) and all other things from the table until only a rune carving blade and a small wooden plank were left in the table.

"What are you doing Harry?" he heard Hermione's worried voice coming from behind him but ignored her. He could not allow himself to be distracted right now.

Then he lifted the blade and started carving in the wooden plank.

But he did not carve any signs that were shown in the books.

Because Runes was never about that in the first place.

Magic was never about that.

It was always first and foremost about will and intent.

Like everything magical should be.

He carved into the plank "Levitate 1 meter above ground." All the while channeling his will and intent in the word along with his magic that passed through the rune carving blade and into his words.

"Harry. I don't think that would work." He heard Hermione say from behind him but ignored her and continued with his work.

When he was done, he activated the runes and watched in utter silence as she wooden Plank started floating up and up and up, until I was about 1 meter above the desk and stayed there.

He could practically feel Hermione's shock from behind him but he didn't care about any of it in that moment.

For just like charms and transfiguration, he was about to become a prodigy in Ancient Runes as well.