"Now that my condition has stabilized, it's time for the library."
I slipped out of my room, slid down the stair railing, and landed on my feet in the cellar.
"The fusion with Aurelius might have made me more childish… somehow, it's refreshing."
With quick steps, I approached the colossal, closed door.
As I drew near, it swung open on its own.
My footsteps echoed through the vast library.
The problem with the books here was simple: they just weren't on my level.
Almost all of them dealt with advanced magic of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Maturation stages.
In one book—The Mental Arts—even the Patronus Charm was mentioned, classified as a 4th-Maturation spell.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
I made a mental note to ask my mother about it this evening.
The last time I tried opening one of these tomes, I hadn't understood a single word.
It was like a fifth-grader flipping open a twelfth-grade math textbook and trying to make sense of the formulas.
Frustration gnawed at me. I couldn't find a single book that suited me.
Still, during my previous search for Occlumency texts, I had stumbled across three intriguing works:
The Heart of a Wizard: The Magical Core
An ancient papyrus scroll titled Magical and Non-Magical Beings: Structural Differences
Wands and Their Drawbacks: A Comprehensive Analysis
The first one, The Heart of a Wizard: The Magical Core, might give me insight into expanding my core.
As a natural Occlumens, I can only rely on imagination, intent, and raw magical power to cast spells. To compensate for this handicap, I would need to enlarge my magical core.
If that's even possible.
But if it is, I could spend my childhood focusing entirely on strengthening it.
"Well then, let's see what I can do."
I cracked the book open, and a musty smell filled my nose.
The Magical Core – The Heart of the Wizard
The Magical Core, also called the Magicis Core, is the most vital organ of a wizard. Within it, magical power is produced. This organ represents the key distinction between magical beings and No-Majs. Yet the Magicis Core not only enables spellcasting but also affects the entire body of a magical being.
As mentioned before, it is the core that grants its bearer the ability to perform magic—but that is not the only difference. Magical beings possess a significantly extended lifespan compared to No-Majs. While No-Majs rarely surpass eighty years of age, such a number seems laughably small to a wizard.
The Maturations of the Magical Core
The Magical Core can pass through several stages of maturation throughout life. Each stage requires a minimum level of magical connection.
1st Maturation – Birth
The core forms if the being possesses at least a 10% magical connection.
If no core has formed by the age of three, two possibilities arise:
Squibs: 5–9% connection
No-Majs: 1–4% connection
Estimated lifespan: ~100 years.
At this stage, bursts of accidental magic can occur during emotional extremes, though this becomes more prominent during the 2nd Maturation.
2nd Maturation – From age 7
The core enlarges, increasing the quantity of magical power.
In rare cases, the Inner Gift may awaken prematurely.
Such early awakening often carries severe side effects:
→ intense physical pain
→ possible mutations
→ in the worst case, rejection by the body, forcing the wizard to wait for the next Maturation
Estimated lifespan: ~150 years.
Requires a magical connection of at least 30%. Anything lower typically results from inbreeding or dark curses. In rare cases, alchemical elixirs can be used to boost connection.
3rd Maturation – From age 11
The core stabilizes. From this point onward, the wizard can reliably wield a wand.
The Inner Gift typically awakens here if it hasn't already.
Estimated lifespan: ~200 years.
Requires 40% magical connection. If not yet reached, it can be increased through active spellcasting (up to 25 percentage points).
4th Maturation – From age 14
The core undergoes both qualitative and quantitative growth.
By this stage, every magical being's Inner Gift awakens if it hasn't already.
Estimated lifespan: ~300 years.
Requires 70% magical connection. (For comparison: the average innate connection is ~50%.)
5th Maturation – From age 17
Only wizards who awakened their Gift during the 2nd Maturation and achieved at least 90% connection can reach this stage.
Here, the core undergoes a massive increase in both quality and quantity.
Estimated lifespan: ~500 years.
6th Maturation – From age 21
Achieved by only a handful of wizards in history. The conditions remain largely unknown, but it is believed that a 95% connection is required.
Estimated lifespan: ~750 years.
I closed the book and exhaled slowly.
"Apparently, I've ended up in a parallel universe to Harry Potter."
"Annoying."
The most crucial trait for advancing through maturations is the so-called connection to magic, expressed as a percentage.
At some point during life, the Inner Gift also awakens.
"What the hell is that supposed to be?"
And if you lack the necessary magical connection, you're doomed: the wizard can´t advance any further and is stuck at his level.
…Unless you use dark rituals to expand your power.
The magical system here was on an entirely different scale than I expected.
I mean, wizards who reach the 6th Maturation can live up to 750 years!?
Whatever this Inner Gift is, it must be equally staggering.
The lack of information gnawed at me, filling me with frustration.
I ran a hand through my hair and drummed my fingers on the table.
"I'll just ask my mother at dinner."
That wouldn't raise suspicion anyway—Aurelius had always been an avid reader. She'd likely assume I'd simply grown tired of fairy tales and dragon stories.
I was just about to start the second book, Magical and Non-Magical Beings: Structural Differences, when a soft plop interrupted me.
"Young Master, your mother has returned from work. She awaits you for dinner," came a squeaky voice to my right. A moment later, I recognized Billy.
"Of course, I'll be right there," I replied.
I quickly put the books away and left the library, heading upstairs to the salon.