Alex watched the Sorting Hat—an old, scruffy thing—as it judged each student one by one. For some reason, he always felt it stared back at him. Shaking his head, he scowled at it. "Just a hat," he reminded himself, though the thought felt oddly uncomfortable.
Once the ceremony ended, Dumbledore rose, his gaze both calm and piercing as he addressed the school. "As we begin another year, I'd like to introduce your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," he announced. "Sadly, Professor Robb, who taught you last year, passed away over the summer due to his age."
Alex frowned, recalling the frail, trembling professor. He'd often worried the old man might collapse mid-lesson, and it seemed his concerns weren't far off.
"Please welcome Professor Edgar Bones," Dumbledore continued, gesturing toward a tall man with a rugged beard near the staff table.
Alex blinked in surprise. He recognized Bones as one of the founding members of the Order of the Phoenix. Lily had spoken highly of him, often mentioning his talent for spellwork and runes. Bones nodded toward Alex with a faint smile, which Alex returned with an excited grin.
That night, Alex's first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Bones was unlike any he'd had before. Professor Bones had a deep, booming voice and a humor that quickly put everyone at ease. His lessons were clear and practical, unlike the old professor's, and by the end of the class, Alex was fascinated.
After class, Professor Bones called him over. Up close, Bones looked intimidating, with his thick beard and strong jaw, but his voice was warm and encouraging.
"Alex, I met Lily before I arrived. She mentioned you're talented with spells and have a strong interest in runes. Is that right?"
Alex nodded modestly, though excitement bubbled up. "Yes, sir. I've been working on some rune ideas lately, but… I'm a bit stuck."
Bones' eyebrows rose. "Creating your own? Impressive! Why don't you come by my office sometime? I'm no expert, but I think I can share a thing or two."
Alex's heart raced with excitement as he accepted the offer, his mind already buzzing with ideas.
That evening, Alex found himself standing outside Professor Bones' office, his hand raised to knock. When the door swung open, Bones stood there, holding a tray with a half-eaten meal. He chuckled at the sight of Alex, clearly amused by his enthusiasm.
"You're a bit early!" Bones greeted him with a warm grin. "I haven't even finished dinner yet, so you might have to wait a few minutes."
Alex's face flushed, and he scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, Professor Bones. I just… couldn't wait to get started."
Bones laughed, waving him in. "No need to apologize, Alex. Come on in and make yourself comfortable."
Alex stepped inside, his eyes immediately scanning the room. Shelves filled with ancient books lined the walls, their spines worn with age. In one corner, a polished rune workbench gleamed under the lamplight, with neat rows of crystals and tools carefully arranged.
With a smile, Bones gestured for Alex to sit nearby. Alex's gaze wandered around the office, stopping on a large, polished rune workbench in the corner. It was far more advanced than the one at Lily's house, complete with rows of crystals for testing magic. The setup was clearly state-of-the-art and likely very expensive.
Noticing Alex's interest, Bones raised an eyebrow. "You recognize that workbench?"
Alex nodded, impressed. "Yes, I saw something similar at Lily's house last Christmas. I started learning runes there, but yours seems more advanced."
"Ah, that explains a lot," Bones replied thoughtfully, seeing that Alex's knowledge was beyond most second-year students. "So, how are you studying runes now?"
Alex reached into his bag and pulled out a rune disk he always kept with him. "I'm using this. James and Lily gave it to me along with a book on basic runes. I've been learning from that, and now I'm trying to understand ancient runes and even experimenting with combining them."
Bones looked genuinely impressed. "You're already working on ancient runes? That's usually beyond third-year level. And you're experimenting too?"
Alex shrugged, modest but eager. Bones noted this with admiration, seeing a rare passion in the young wizard. Quickly finishing his meal, Bones turned his full attention to Alex.
"Alright, let's try something," Bones said, raising his hand to summon a small orb of light. With a gentle push, the glowing orb floated toward Alex.
Alex instinctively reached out, focusing his magic as the light settled in his hand, pulsing faintly. He sensed the orb held strong magic, though its glow was dimmer than a typical Lumos spell. Intrigued, he studied it closely.
Bones tilted his head, noticing Alex's reaction. "What's on your mind? Does something seem different?"
"Yes," Alex replied thoughtfully. "This orb has more magic, but the light is dimmer than usual. It feels… heavier somehow."
"Can you actually sense the magic in it?" Bones asked, more curious now.
To test this, Bones conjured a second orb—this one much brighter, but with less magic. "Try with this one."
Alex took the brighter orb, examining it before looking up in surprise. "This one has less magic, but it's a lot brighter. How does that work?"
'How indeed,' Bones thought, hiding his astonishment.
He'd meant for a simple test but now looked at Alex with a mix of disbelief and admiration. Alex was sensing magic in ways no second-year student should. Bones marveled at the young wizard's rare sensitivity, wondering if Alex might surpass some adult wizards he knew.
Unaware of Bones' amazement, Alex continued studying the orbs, tracing his fingers around them. He experimented by channeling his own magic into the orbs, adjusting their balance. The brighter one flickered and went out in his hand, while the dimmer one lasted longer before fading.
"So," Alex mused, "if there's more magic, it's dimmer but lasts longer, and if there's less, it's brighter but burns out faster."
"Alex, let's sit and talk." Bones gestured to a small table, and they both took a seat.
"Do you know why I had you hold those orbs?" Bones asked, leaning forward.
Alex thought carefully before answering. "You wanted to see my understanding of magic control. I noticed that the one with more magic was steadier but dimmer, while the other had less power and was brighter but less stable."