[Note: Read up to Chapter - 106 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
.
.
.
.
"Detect, carry, analyse, display..."
"The function of this magic circle ought to be something along those lines."
"Different colours must indicate different properties..."
"These rune placements are ancient—far older than anything you'd find in the current magical literature. This definitely deserves a proper study..."
"It really is the work of the great wizard Merlin!"
Inside the Room of Requirement, Aris's muttering echoed through the air.
He was half-crouched inside an octagonal cage, carefully studying the runes etched into the stone floor. The intricate lines connecting them formed a spell circle so enigmatic and powerful, it made every textbook at Hogwarts seem basic in comparison.
Not even Henry's private collection had contained anything like it.
The few symbols that did ring a bell only ever came up in half-forgotten legends.
Clearly, magical knowledge from Merlin's era was something entirely different—almost like the contrast between ancient martial arts from the East and modern-day combat training.
Generations of magical inheritance lost to time.
"It's no wonder," Aris murmured, "If we're going to rebuild magical civilisation, understanding these arrays has to be at the heart of the whole movement."
"Right—let's run a quick test."
A spark of excitement flashed in his eyes.
He'd begun studying this particular spell array over a month ago.
At first glance, it was just a few combinations of runes—but in truth, it was maddeningly complex.
The manual contained only a rough diagram of the formation, without much elaboration. Aris had been left to decipher its purpose by breaking down the ancient magical lexicon written around the diagram—a slow and taxing process.
Fortunately, the manual also included a good number of magical characters from Merlin's time, in systems like "two, five, seven" notation. Without them, reconstructing the array would've been impossible.
"Input magic into the centre of the formation!"
Aris lifted the formation diagram from the platform and extended a finger towards its core.
A quiet surge of invisible magical energy flowed from his fingertip, sinking gently into the heart of the diagram.
The very next moment, the array gave a faint flicker—like a dodgy wire sparking in and out.
Then, the whole magic circle slowly shifted to a soft, sky-blue glow.
"Is this… a reflection of my magical affinity?" Aris murmured, genuine surprise crossing his face. "It actually works!"
He stared in disbelief.
"Merlin's Handbook does mention the elements... but that brand of ancient magic has been lost for centuries."
"But this shade of blue—it's unmistakable. It's the wind element, isn't it?"
"This formation can actually transmute a modern wizard's magic into elemental energy!"
"No... wait!" Aris's eyes lit up, his tone rising with excitement as if he'd stumbled upon a world-shaking revelation.
"The elements haven't vanished—they've just taken on different forms in our world!"
"Every wizard's magic has certain traits... that's what Ollivander said, and it's also why the wand chooses the wizard."
"That must mean a wizard's magical attribute is simply a modern echo of the ancient elements!"
"In today's magical world, we've lost the structured teachings of elemental magic—so no one's even realised what our magical attributes truly represent!"
As he connected the dots, Aris felt clarity dawn on him.
It was like watching scattered puzzle pieces finally click into place, forming a daring theory.
"It's all gone sideways! The magic of the entire wizarding world has veered off down some strange, obscure path..."
"It's like the whole technology tree's been cocked up…"
"And most true elemental magic's been lost to time!"
"Maybe a few basic spells made it through—like the Fire-Making Charm, the Freezing Charm, or the Water Prison Spell…"
"Only a handful of top-class wizards—like Dumbledore, perhaps—might've grasped the faint echoes of the old elemental forces and done a bit of digging…"
"That's probably why their magic seems so absurdly powerful. Raw magical strength might just be one piece of the puzzle!"
Aris's thoughts kept snowballing. Thanks to his enhanced cognitive ability, ideas began tumbling forth in rapid succession.
Eventually, it all began forming into a self-contained theory—bold, yes, but oddly coherent.
Unaware of how much time had passed, Aris continued channelling magical energy into the formation, and noticed something odd: the soft sky-blue hue started to shift.
"Hmm?" His brows furrowed as he leaned in.
Soon, the sky-blue glow completely faded—replaced by a chaotic swirl of black and white.
"Time and space…?" Aris muttered, stunned.
He remembered reading in Merlin's Handbook that the elements of time and space were incredibly elusive, and their manifestations were often tied to chaotic patterns.
And the black-and-white swirls before him—weren't they just like the ancient concept of chaos?
He recalled an old saying from the Eastern lands: "From chaos came yin and yang, from yin and yang came the four phases, and from the four phases came the eight trigrams…"
That philosophy lined up surprisingly well with the Western elemental theory—earth, fire, wind, water—and the derived aspects like terrain, skies, hills, and oceans.
As he watched the flickering black-and-white light dance across the rune array, Aris remembered something else.
Back in Ollivander's wand shop, when he'd unconsciously waved the wand during testing... the magical reaction that had occurred—it looked exactly like this.
The same chaotic blend.
The same elemental echo.
It matched perfectly.
At that moment, Aris's theory about elemental magic seemed to be on the verge of confirmation.
And with it, he was one step closer to unlocking the true secrets of the elements.
"Next step's to throw everything I've got into cracking this magic circle and refining the elemental system…"
"This might just be the lynchpin for reforming the wizarding world—and reviving a proper elemental magic civilisation!"
He muttered to himself, eyes gleaming with excitement. The light dancing in his gaze was growing ever brighter.
Just as he was about to cut off the magic output, the pulsing black and white glow in the circle began to shift again.
First, it deepened into a dense, earthy yellow... then flowed into a vibrant green… and finally, faint red sparks began to flicker at the edges—subtle, but definitely there.
Four… no, five colours?
There was no mistaking it now—each hue clearly represented a distinct elemental affinity.
Aris stood there, completely gobsmacked.
He remained in the Room of Requirement long into the evening.
Only when hunger hit him like a rogue Bludger did he realise how much time had passed.
Throughout that time, he'd tested the magic circle again and again.
And at last, he had confirmation—his magic carried multiple elemental attributes.
The discovery left him stunned… and oddly conflicted.
So many affinities—how on earth was he supposed to pick just one to focus on?
That was going to be a right conundrum.
Still, he told himself it was far too early to stress about that. His current understanding of elemental magic was still in its infancy.
For now, it was wiser to keep studying the magic already in use across the wizarding world.
Only by understanding both systems inside and out could he hope to merge and evolve them in future.
As Aris pushed open the door of the Room of Requirement and stepped into the castle corridor, a quiet smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Still, having multiple elemental affinities? Definitely something worth celebrating.
With a casual flick of his wand, Aris cast an Invisibility Charm over himself and headed off towards the castle kitchens.
No point being clever on an empty stomach. If he didn't eat soon, he wouldn't be able to sleep a wink.
He could even sense the little red dragon stirring irritably in his pet space—clearly protesting the same thing.
The little lass had gone just as long without a meal.
Thankfully, having Iris as his assistant was a proper stroke of luck.
Her draconic magic—spoken in ancient Dragon Tongue—was proving invaluable to his study of elemental systems.
It seemed to be a wholly different school of magic passed down through generations of dragons.
But Dragon Language magic was steeped in mystery. Perhaps it could only be fully understood by one who had mastered the tongue itself.
For now, Iris could at least cast spells that allowed the runic arrays to analyse elemental traits and structures. That alone was a huge help.
Just then, as Aris turned a corner in the corridor, voices drifted towards him from ahead.
"Professor McGonagall, this is serious—I reckon we've got to tell Headmaster Dumbledore!" came Hagrid's unmistakable, earnest voice.
"Hagrid, are you sure there's something unusual going on in the Forbidden Forest?" McGonagall's tone was sceptical, but not dismissive.
"Couldn't it have been caused by the forest's usual residents?"
"I'm certain, Professor," Hagrid said grimly. "Those tracks—no way they were made by the native beasties.
If we don't look into it proper, and things spiral out of control, the students could be in real danger."
"Some of the young'uns were terrified. Swore blind they saw a monstrous creature sneakin' about!"
"In that case," McGonagall replied without hesitation, "we'd best head to the headmaster's office at once."
Moments later, the sound of their footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Just as Aris was about to learn more, the footsteps faded into the distance.
"The Forbidden Forest... terrifying creatures invading?"
A knot twisted in his gut.
The so-called 'horrible creature'—could they have been talking about Iris?
But why on earth would anyone think that little scamp was terrifying? She was still tiny—and adorable, at that!
"Iris!"
With a sudden sense of urgency, Aris began communicating with the little red dragon inside his pet space.
"Rawr?"
A babyish chirp echoed near his ear.
Thanks to the system, Aris could speak directly to her even from the outside.
"You didn't go and cause trouble in the Forbidden Forest, did you?"
"Rawr?"
"Then what exactly were you doing in there?"
"Rawr!"
"A fight? You were scrapping with the forest creatures?"
"Rawr!" came the proud, almost smug reply.
"You beat them up and sent them running?"
"Rawr!" she confirmed again, quite pleased with herself.
"...Brilliant. And you're proud of that, are you? Look, your disguise might be decent, but if Dumbledore really starts looking into it, do you honestly think you'll fool him?"
"If we get rumbled, we might not even be allowed to stay at Hogwarts!"
"Rawr!"
"Run away from home?! What the hell are you on about? Have you no shame? You've only been here a few days and you already think Hogwarts is your home?!"
"Rawr!"
"The Forbidden Forest is your home? Great—if you don't behave yourself, you'll be turfed out properly!"
Aris sighed and shook his head, cutting off the connection with Iris.
He stood still for a few moments, considering his options.
In the end, he decided not to head to the headmaster's office.
Best to let things cool off a bit—for now, at least.
Delay the heat. That was the plan.
He was willing to bet that if Iris's existence really had been discovered... well, that would be a whole different mess entirely.
Even Dumbledore might not be able to protect her.
The Hogwarts Board of Governors would never allow a dragon to be kept on school grounds.
Even if that dragon had a proper owner, they'd still kick up a fuss.
Worse, they might have other ideas about the little red dragon. After all, Iris wasn't like the other dragons of this world.
They might try to seize her—by any means necessary.
Aris, for all his skill, wasn't daft enough to believe he could go up against the entire Board and come out unscathed.
The original book didn't say much about them, but Aris could guess well enough.
They weren't a bunch to be trifled with.
Even Dumbledore treated them carefully, avoiding unnecessary conflict where possible.
The power of gold, even in the wizarding world, was not to be underestimated.
…
Headmaster's Office.
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, brow furrowed ever so slightly.
Clearly, something had him thinking hard.
"Professor, do you have any suggestions?"
It was Hagrid who spoke, sounding unsure.
"Maybe I should head deeper into the Forbidden Forest. Take a proper look around."
"You? Alone?"
Professor McGonagall gave him a sceptical look.
"With Fang at my side, I'll be alright," Hagrid replied with confidence.
But everyone in the room knew that Fang was more bark than bite. He'd bolt at the first sign of danger.
After a moment of silence, Dumbledore finally spoke:
"Let's not act just yet. We'll wait and watch for a bit longer."
He rose from his seat and walked to the window, gazing out towards the forest.
There was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
"In theory, there shouldn't be any rogue creatures out there. After all..."
He trailed off and didn't finish the sentence.
Instead, he gave a slow shake of the head, as if reaching a conclusion of sorts.
"Hagrid, keep a close eye on the forest. If anything strange happens again, report to me straight away."
"If needed, I'll go and take a look myself."
"As for the safety of the students in the castle—rest assured..."
"The legacy of Hogwarts goes far deeper than you can imagine."
With those words, the silver-haired headmaster glanced meaningfully at Professor McGonagall.
She nodded in quiet understanding, then gave a gentle tug at Hagrid's robes—well, more like the hem, given his towering frame.
"Since Albus has made a decision, we'll do as he says and wait it out," she said.
The two were just about to leave when another voice cut through the air, coming from the direction of the door.
"Professor Dumbledore, I daresay the safety of the students doesn't just hinge on the Forbidden Forest, but also on a certain audacious young wizard!"
Everyone turned to see Professor Snape entering the room, his expression sour as ever.
"Mr Shafiq skipped my class on the very first day. I've good reason to believe he's up to something he shouldn't be."
"I've just been to the Ravenclaw common room to find him—no sign of the boy anywhere!"
"So, might someone here care to explain this?"
There was a pause as the room exchanged glances.
Professor McGonagall blinked in surprise and asked, "Mr. Shafiq? He really dared to skip your class?"
"Merlin's beard… young wizards these days are getting bolder by the hour!"
Hagrid opened his mouth, likely to defend Aris's nature, but caught sight of Snape's thunderous look and thought better of it.
Dumbledore, deep in thought, said calmly, "Severus, have you spoken to Professor Flitwick about this? He is Ravenclaw's Head of House. He may be aware of something we're not."
.
.
.
.
Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 106 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]