[Third Person's PoV]
Dumbledore paced around his desk, the second book in his hands, seemingly fascinated by what he was reading. "Yes, I see now… The entirety of a magic circle is a Rune of its own. A completed magic circle is practically a symbol with meaning, and that meaning manifests as a spell. It's complicated, but it's all connected."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully, his eyes glued to the pages. 'What's truly fascinating is the Tier system that comes with magic circles—the difference in tiers reflects not just magical power, but also complexity and knowledge.
The difference between a Tier 1 and a Tier 2 magic circle is equivalent to casting five Tier 1 circles. The jump from Tier 2 to Tier 3 requires the power of twenty Tier 2 circles—that's a hundred Tier 1 circles to equal a Tier 3. The gap between Tier 3 and Tier 4 is even more staggering: fifty Tier 3 circles, or five thousand Tier 1. Tier 4 to Tier 5 requires a hundred Tier 4 circles—that's five hundred thousand Tier 1 circles! And from Tier 5 to Tier 6? Hundred-fifty Tier 5 circles… which means seventy-five million Tier 1 circles.'
Dumbledore stroked his chin, his brow furrowed. 'Is there really such a difference in power?'
'As for how to classify each magic circle… To advance from Tier 1 to Tier 2, one must draw a supporting magic circle to enhance the main one's power. For Tier 3, a magic circle is drawn to increase the effects and power of specific Runes, combining multiple Runes to create more complex effects. Tier 4 focuses on spell matrices, where multiple circles interact to create advanced spell effects. Tier 5 requires layering magic circles, stacking them to amplify power and effect. Tier 6, however… a magic circle at this level can be sustained indefinitely, and it requires the user to create a three-dimensional magic circle that surrounds them.
Of course, classifying a witch or wizard under these tiers is another matter entirely. Their knowledge, magical power, and expertise with the tier of magic circle they're attempting to master would need to be tested in order to advance and be formally recognized as a Tiered Witch or Wizard.'
Dumbledore flipped through the pages, his curiosity piqued by the idea of testing this magic circle theory himself.
He recalled from the first book that there was a basic magic circle anyone could try. Flipping through the pages of the first book, he found it—a Tier 2 communication circle.
Dumbledore glanced at the chalk resting inside a box on his desk but instead reached for his wand. He was, after all, Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of his era.
He studied the magic circle's design and breakdown in the book, then raised his wand. A soft light glowed at its tip as he moved it through the air, and slowly, a magic circle began to materialize before him, shimmering faintly.
Dumbledore's eyes sparkled as the magic circle, identical to the one in the book, hovered at the tip of his wand. With a final flick, he tapped the air, and the magical circle held steady, floating in place. A second, identical circle appeared next to his sleeping phoenix's ear.
"Testing, testing," Dumbledore said.
The phoenix startled awake, its feathers fluffing as it looked around in confusion, eyes landing on the glowing circle before glaring at the chuckling Dumbledore.
"Forgive me, my old friend," Dumbledore said with a soft laugh. "I was merely testing something. Fufufu, it worked spectacularly!" He grinned, hearing his voice echoing from the circle near his disgruntled pet.
"This is truly a wondrous innovation!" Dumbledore exclaimed, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Old Nick seems to have stumbled upon a treasure of a student. I simply must meet him!"
Grabbing a piece of parchment and his quill from the desk, Dumbledore began to write. "Arthur King, was it? I can't wait to meet him… I haven't been this excited to meet someone in quite a while." He chuckled to himself, the spark of curiosity igniting once more.
…
At the Flamels…
Arthur was taking notes from the book he was reading on human biology and the biology of magical creatures.
He looked every bit the perfect scholar as he studied, his brow furrowed in concentration. 'I think I'll need dragon heartstring and a unicorn horn if I want to create the magic veins. They're perfect conduits for magic, mainly used in wands, so this could definitely work… but I'll need more than that,' Arthur thought, resting his hand over his mouth.
'I'll also need to craft the precise alchemic formula to make it functional. Figuring out the perfect ratio of materials to magic power will take time. Honestly, it might take me the rest of the year, especially since I'm also researching homunculi. There'll be plenty of trial and error. I probably really won't finish until next year. And that's only if I slow down my work on magic circles,' he mused, straining against the urge to sigh.
'I could just have Merlin develop the magic circle, and I'd copy— Arthur paused, then growled softly in dissatisfaction. No. I can't rely on Merlin as my deus ex machina. Copying her work wouldn't be fair to her or to myself.
A noble rule of the Pendragon: There are no shortcuts. Shortcuts only lead to missed opportunities along the road.'
Just then, a sudden burst of fire flared between Arthur and Nicholas, who had been observing and guiding Arthur through his studies.
Arthur's eyes widened in awe as he stared at the majestic creature now perched between them. "Awesome! A phoenix!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
If there was one thing that could break Arthur's disciplined, noble demeanor and reveal the child within, it was magical creatures.
The phoenix held a letter delicately in its beak and extended it towards Nicholas.
Arthur, barely able to contain his excitement, leaned forward. "Can I… can I pet you, please?" he asked, his voice tinged with hope.
The phoenix turned to look at Arthur, its eyes momentarily flickering with surprise—something both Arthur and Nicholas missed. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, the phoenix lowered its head, concealing its intelligent gaze beneath its fiery feathers.
"You may~" the phoenix chirped.
Arthur's face lit up with joy as he gently ran his fingers over the top of the phoenix's head, stroking its warm, soft plumage. "You're so soft… and warm…" he murmured, almost in disbelief.
Nicholas chuckled at how completely engrossed Arthur was. "Aren't you curious what Dumbledore has to say?" he asked, waving the unopened letter.
"There's a literal phoenix in front of me, and it's letting me pet it," Arthur scoffed without looking up. "That letter can wait. This is way more important." He grinned as he pulled the bird closer, hugging it to his chest with a contented smile.
But then, Arthur suddenly froze, his entire body going rigid. He stared down at the phoenix in disbelief. "Did you… did you just talk?"
Nicholas blinked, confused. All he had heard was the soft chirping of the bird.
The phoenix recoiled slightly, its wings fluttering in surprise. "Blessid child… did you perhaps understand me?" it asked, its melodic voice tinged with wonder.
Arthur's face showed how taken aback he was. "MERLIN!" he shouted, leaping to his feet. "I'M HEARING VOICES! You told me to warn you if I started hearing voices—it's happening!!" He cupped his hands over his mouth, wide-eyed, and bolted towards the living room, his cries echoing through the halls.
Nicholas watched him go, then glanced at the stunned firebird still perched on the desk. With a wry smile, he picked up the letter from Dumbledore.
'Arthur was right,' he thought, 'this letter can definitely wait.'
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