I decided to develop my own system of magical ranks, since the one that already exists doesn't quite suit me, though I'm not sure if I'll keep using it going forward.
For clarity, I immediately categorized known characters into their respective tiers:
* The Otherworldly — ??? (no spoilers, but maybe someone will guess)
* Absolute — Albus Dumbledore, Perenelle Flamel.
* Archmage (divided into three sub-tiers):
1. Peak — Lord Voldemort, Gellert Grindelwald.
2. Advanced — Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Alastor Moody.
3. Novice — Severus Snape, Sirius Black, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange.
* Caster — Arthur Weasley, Poppy Pomfrey, Cornelius Fudge (wizards completely unsuited for combat, but who know many spells and are masters of their specific crafts).
* Apprentice — Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass in 1st year, upperclassmen, or "talentless fodder" (like those Victor killed in Diagon Alley; they possess only basic spells).
* Initiate — Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in 1st and 2nd year (first-years just beginning their journey).
#######################################################################
He smiled and glanced toward a dark corner of the room:
— You know he noticed you, right?
Antoine's silhouette began to slowly materialize from the shadow:
— I know, — the mercenary replied with unhidden admiration, looking at Victor. — You've got balls of steel, kid, talking to an Absolute like that.
— To a who?
— An Absolute. Or as you in England call it—a "legend." Back in France, we have our own rank classification: Absolute, Peak Archmage, Advanced Archmage, Novice Archmage, Caster, Apprentice, and ordinary Initiates, — Antoine explained.
— Wow, that sounds complicated... And where do you place yourself?
Antoine puffed out his chest proudly:
— I am an Advanced Archmage.
Victor gave a thoughtful nod:
— So Grindelwald, just like Perenelle, was an Absolute too?
But Antoine shook his head in denial:
— Absolutes are those capable of wiping a small town off the face of the earth all by themselves. We're all lucky that the few who stand on that tier are bound by a non-use treaty regarding destructive force—they are only allowed to unleash it for defense. Had Grindelwald been an Absolute, he would have never lost to Dumbledore, who at the time was merely at the absolute peak of Archmage.
Victor nodded understandingly, digesting the information:
— What about Voldemort?
Antoine paused to think for a second:
— He's a genius. Or rather, a monster. Just like you... It's just that due to his own stupidity and pride, he fell. Once upon a time, he was an Archmage at the absolute peak, but by creating Horcruxes, he weakened his own soul and plummeted down to my level—he became an Advanced Archmage.
Victor pondered it for a moment, and then his eyes widened in shock:
— Hold on... How on earth do you even know about Horcruxes?!
Antoine snorted ironically:
— Even though Madame Flamel stepped away from active affairs for a while, that doesn't mean she's blind. Naturally, we kept a close eye on the new Dark Lord. After all, he was a mad enemy right at our borders, capable of becoming a massive threat to France.
— Typical of my grandmother, — Victor scoffed. — And what level am I at?
Antoine hesitated for a moment, picking his words carefully:
— I... honestly struggle to answer that. You are a real monster. No, even worse! Judging by your mana pool and spell power, you could easily be classed as a Novice Archmage. But... — he paused and frowned. — The way you fight... Your techniques! Though I still doubt whether those can even be called spells. It's the first time in my life I've seen a mage combine charms and hand-to-hand combat so seamlessly. Are you even sure you're a wizard? Where is your wand? You do know that a wand focuses magic and makes it times more powerful, right? Ah, right... why would you need one when you can just rip someone's heart out with your bare hands. Damn it, objectively I am higher than you in rank, but I don't have a shred of confidence that I'd win in a fight against you. You fight completely unlike a proper mage!
Victor froze in surprise. He had never really given it much thought himself. Indeed, he hardly ever used a wand. Why? It was probably habit: even before he found out about the magical world, he had grown used to relying on himself and his own body. And besides... the influence of his past life's pop culture played a role: he simply adored dynamic battles in the style of his favorite anime like Bleach or Naruto.
— Alright, stop flattering me, we still have plenty of work to do, — Victor stood up abruptly from the sofa. — Come on, help me out. For some reason, I've been having terrible trouble with charms lately—it's like I forgot how to cast properly.
In Victor's house, gifted to him by the Ministry, two Aurors were bored out of their minds. They had been stuck there since early morning. Suddenly, one of them, dozing on the living room couch, snapped his eyes open at a strange noise. Looking around, he noticed a small wind-up music box on the coffee table where his feet had been resting. He had been sitting on that couch for a couple of hours and was absolutely certain there had been no box there a minute ago.
— Silas...
His partner stepped out of the kitchen, chewing on something as he walked.
— What do you want?
— Why did you put this here?
Silas looked at the box his partner was pointing at and hurriedly swallowed his food:
— Are you stupid? Why would I put that thing there? It was probably there all along.
The Auror frowned, puzzled:
— Stop messing around, there was nothing here... — he trailed off, starting to doubt himself and wondering if fatigue had made him miss it.
— Let's open it and see what's inside, — Silas stepped closer and sat on the couch. Taking the box in his hands, he tried to lift the lid, but it wouldn't budge.
— Try turning the handle.
Silas set the box back on the table and turned the crank. That very second, a familiar melody began to play throughout the room—Hedwig's Theme. Yeah, Victor had a strange sense of humor.
— Turns out it's just a simple music box, — losing all interest, Silas let go of the handle.
However, even though he took his hand away, the crank kept spinning on its own, and the music grew louder. The Aurors exchanged glances before staring intently at the box. The melody played for a few more seconds until it gradually faded away.
The moment the last note died out, Silas opened his mouth to say something, but with a sharp click, the lid popped open, and a clown's head jack-in-the-box bounced out on a spring. Caught completely off guard, both Aurors jumped in place and whipped out their wands.
— Damn it... Ha-ha-ha, I almost wet myself, — one Auror laughed, but then froze, watching the clown swaying on its spring. For some reason, it felt as though the clown's glass eyes were staring right at him. The second Auror had the exact same uncanny feeling.
They hypnotized the creepy toy with their eyes until a sharp owl screech echoed from the street. An envelope flew in through the open window. One of the Aurors flicked his hand, summoning the letter to himself. Scanning through the lines quickly, he straightened up and pulled himself together:
— Let's move. They found him. The boy is planning to leave the country on a Muggle plane tomorrow morning.
— Finally! I'm sick of rotting here, — the second Auror stood up, casting one last glance at the toy. He smirked, flicked the clown on its nose to set it swaying again, and both mages vanished with a loud crack of Apparition.
And no sooner had they disappeared than the box vanished as well.
— Ha-ha-ha! Foolish little humans, now you shall know my wrath for daring to make yourselves at home in my house! — Victor declared, impersonating a sinister villain.
Antoine emerged silently from the shadows and turned toward the laughter in utter bewilderment:
— Mind lifting the concealment spell now?
— What?.. Oh, shoot, — Victor immediately dropped the act and slowly began to materialize.
— Sigh, I need to get home as fast as possible so Nick can help me. This whole thing isn't so funny anymore, — Victor drawled, staring at his palms with a gloomy expression. Quite a bit of time had passed, but the strange problems with his spellcasting hadn't gone away—magic was still coming with great difficulty.
Antoine looked suspiciously at the small table where the box had been just moments ago:
— What was that strange box, and why did you have me muffle all sounds for us beforehand?
— Well, it's... a special gift, — Victor scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. — Hm, I just hope it works properly. I think I left it unfinished and it had some sort of defect... Though wait, I can't remember what defect it was at all. I think the thought even crossed my mind that it should never be used. — He shrugged casually: — Oh well, whatever! Alright, I'm a bit tired, send me to my sister and go get ready for tomorrow morning's flight.
Antoine let out a heavy sigh, placed a hand on Victor's shoulder—and both dissolved into thin air without a trace.