I figure 7 chapters and 30k od words in is a good time to talk quickly about the ethos of this work. I am getting some reviews where people seem to be unhappy with where the story is going, not because it's wrong but just because it doesn't suit their preferences or what they want to read.
So I wanted to outline a few points driving this story and you all can decide if you are into it or not.
So here goes:
1. I wanted to write a story where besides a few things canon remains largely relevant. I didn't want to give Harry heaps of ancient Potter family artefacts and money. The land has a purpose and it made sense to me that there was some sitting somewhere because his grandparents apparently died only just before he was born and then his parents went into hiding in a house that almost definitely did not house James' parents despite the Potter family generally having always lived in Godric's Hollow. I have actually long planned out why there wasn't anything left at Laurels Peak.
2. The Horcrux in Harry's scar is destroyed and that has made him generally happier, more creative andt more interested in the world he has joined.
3. There is more depth to the pureblood fanaticism that I would like to explore further as the story progresses. This will play a part in Daphne's character, she may seem like the stereotypical Ice Queen at the moment but I do have some ideas and causes, particularly why that is only really focused on Harry as you will discover and I slightly hinted at by describing her becoming more unpleasant to him rather than starting that way.
4. Harry would be generally a balanced character in terms of ability with the exception of an inherent ability for Runes. Similar to how parselmouths can just speak to snakes, Harry has an inherent comprehension of runes, though he will need to study and try things and they won't always work.
5. I don't have any interest in bashing characters. I like to pretend I can write in depth characters, we will see. I get the fun of bashing, giving easy gottem moments. But I also find that it has to make characters react completely irrationally and illogically and that's not what I am going for. Dumbledore bashing in particular often just makes him into a bumbling character shocked by everything happening around him. So I am trying to write balanced characters with depth and flaws.
Chapter 7
The first day of term was starting off much the same as last year, with his two friends bickering.
"Harry was right, Ron, I can't do everything so I had to pick the classes that I was most interested in!" Hermione huffed. They had been given their schedules and it had just dawned on Ron that they wouldn't be in all the same classes this year. "And frankly muggle studies fell last on that list!" Harry could already hear his female friend's tone peaking in frustration.
"This is your fault then!" His best friend exclaimed, turning on him. Harry shrugged back in response and continued eating his sausage.
"There's no fault Ronald. Harry found classes that interested him and so did I and so did you." The bushy haired witch came quickly to his defence, or maybe she was more interested in defending academics as a vocation. Either was entirely possible.
"Harry!" The redhead whined. "I chose fun classes, they're electives, I thought we were in this together."
"Runes will be fun I think, I dunno, I've already made a few things work and that was pretty fun. I've also already read three books on it over the summer, so I can't say I am not interested."
"Three books!" The red head whined even louder. Harry shrugged again in response. "What's become of my best mate. Fine, at least we still have Care of Magical Creatures together."
He had chosen to take the class in addition to Ancient Runes. It wasn't just to support Hagrid, his first friend, but because he was new to the wizarding world. Understanding the animals that they might, and already had, encountered seemed almost essential. Particularly if his new neighbour was a magic forest.
"Fine!" Ron said again. "Muggle studies should be a laugh even without you sods anyway, but you're still going to help me with my homework!" Hermione huffed in indignation.
His first class of Ancient Runes didn't arrive until Tuesday, but by the time it did Harry couldn't be more excited. Runes and the magic they purveyed had captured his imagination over the break. He wasn't sure why that was the case though.
They did just seem to make sense to him, particularly in the ways they interacted to create an effect once he had actually learnt what the runes did. But deeper down he thought it was the freedom they offered. Where the traditional wand classes were all about learning a spell, it's motions and incantation. Runes felt like they could do anything he wanted, he felt like he wasn't just learning what was done, but opening up to a more creative form of magic, and more permanent.
He had even found and taken out a book on the interplay of runes and wand spellcraft. Describing how runes could store spells for continuous application depending on their activation. The book also discussed how runes were used in spell work and how many wand motions are based on runes. Which was why the translation of runes was integral to the study of ancient magics.
His other classes had been okay, with the exception of potions, for which he had a double period on Tuesday mornings. In Herbology he had managed to convince Professor Sprout to give him some clay pots for a project he had been contemplating ever since he got the unicorn hairs. In Charms they were learning the freezing charm, which was amusing as most charms classes proved to be. Runes was last on the day.
Standing outside the Runes classroom was odd. Where normally classes are shared by two Hogwarts houses, it seemed like electives would be shared by all houses. It was most peculiar seeing some of these people together and how friendly they could be with each other. Though Slytherins still seemed somewhat outcasts, which struck Harry as somewhat sad.
"Come in, come in." Professor Babbling ushered them in. "Take your seats."
Bathsheda Babbling was a no nonsense witch of approximately middle age and seemingly of middle eastern descent. She was wearing plain black professorial robes similar to what McGonagall would wear, only without a big pointy hat. Harry took a seat behind Hermione, she always wanted to be up the front but he wasn't ever comfortable there, preferring to blend in with the middle. Susan Bones and Terry Boot took the seats on either side of him. It was only then that he realised that he and Hermione were the only Gryffindors in the class.
"Welcome to your first class of Ancient Runes, third years." She greeted them. Harry could already tell she would be a strict disciplinarian. "In this class, over the next five years, we will learn the various forms of runes, how to read them or decipher their meanings, and finally how to apply them practically." Hermione's arm shot up already. Babbling gestured for her to ask her question.
"When will we start using runes Professor?" She requested, Harry felt a headache coming on.
"One of your last assignments for the year will be a basic application of runic sequences to create a desired effect. Runes allow for potent magics more permanent than charms and other wand based magic. However they can also be volatile if they are not crafted correctly in assemblage, function and crafting."
Hermione's hand was already up before the answer concluded and she did not wait for permission for her follow up. "What happens if runes are crafted incorrectly?"
"A good question Miss.."
"Hermione Granger." Hermione supplied. Babbling nodded to her in recognition. There was less grumbling from the crowd than Harry usually observed when Hermione asked questions in class.
"The art of crafting runes is a delicate and complex one. Runes direct magic and if done incorrectly this can cause anything, it might do nothing at all, the runes failing to activate with the desired effect, to a catastrophe, depending on the error. This is why we will take our time learning the basics and the functions of our first runic alphabet Elder Furthark."
Harry sighed, this would not be the end of this he knew.
The lesson continued and Harry found his attention wandering. Professor Babbling was covering the basics of runes that Harry had read in a few of his books and it was less than captivating.
Instead he found the classroom surrounds of much greater interest. There were numerous posters of runic alphabets and specific rune effects. There were also shelves full of objects covered in runes, the purpose of some Harry could actually decipher.
So he spent some time sketching down those matrices along with some notes on his theories of their functions. He was so caught up that he didn't notice everyone looking at him until someone coughed.
Harry looked up and gulped at the frown across Professor Babbling's brow.
"See me after class if you will, Mister Potter." Harry gulped in trepidation and nodded. The Professor then returned to her lecture and left Harry to stew on what she wanted to talk about. He really didn't want detention on his second day back.
Once the other students had cleared out Harry approached the Professor's desk. In front of her was a piece of parchment with a complicated runic arrangement going in multiple different directions.
"Tell me Mister Potter, how long have you been studying Ancient Runes?" The Professor looked at him inquiringly.
"Ah, just this summer Professor. I bought a few extra books along with the textbook early." He rubbed his neck nervously. "I also made a few arrangements over the summer."
"I see." Was all she said in response. She pushed the parchment in front of her towards him. "Tell me Mister Potter, what exactly is the purpose of this arrangement?" She asked him, to Harry's surprise.
"I'm not in trouble?"
"Not at all, now please." She tapped the parchment with her wand.
Harry inspected it. It wasn't as complicated as it had first appeared, just five lines all anchored to a central trigger condition.
"Well." He started, scratching his unruly scalp. "It's five functions all attached to a singular trigger. This one here-'' He pointed at the uppermost line which he recognised easily from his own floating lights. "-makes the object fly. This one makes it…seek the nearest person I think. This is the blautr rune so it would make it softer, though it's been limited by the weakening arrangement around it. This provides the condition for the trigger including a command word. And this last one, I think makes it bouncy, but only when it encounters something else specific." He stared a moment longer at the arrangement. "Is this a bludger?"
The Professor smiled widely, which was odd given how serious she had seemed all lesson. "Congratulations Mister Potter, you just completed third year Ancient Runes."
"Pardon?" Harry asked, shocked by the sudden turn of events. This was his first lesson. Professor Babbling took something from her desk and handed it to him.
"If you will bear with me Potter, I know this is your last class and you have some time before dinner. This is last year's final exam for third years. You just completed the major exercise but if you could complete the rest I will take it to the Headmaster and have you join my fourth year class."
"Professor Babbling, I'm sorry I don't understand." This really was moving far too fast for Harry.
"Ancient Runes, unlike most other classes at Hogwarts besides Arithmancy, is almost purely theoretical. It certainly has a practical element but that is only truly limited by comprehension. As such, students with the appropriate aptitude may advance faster. You, Mister Potter, clearly have such aptitude. It is quite impressive really to have learnt so much in such a short time."
Harry nodded and took the exam paper. Half an hour later he handed it back to her. She looked at it quickly and smiled at him.
"I will have a new timetable for you tomorrow. Well done Mister Potter."
Harry left the classroom still shaken from the turn of events. He really had not expected this turn of events. He was also surprised to find Hermione there waiting for him. She was reading a book and with some hair in her mouth, a sign he knew meant she was nervous. She looked up when the door closed with a look of worry.
"I didn't mean to get you in trouble Harry, really!"
"Huh?" Harry asked eloquently, he really needed a moment to catch up with everything.
"My questions, I just want you to be safe, I have read how dangerous runes can be and I just thought the Professor confirming that would...I'm really sorry!"
"I'm not in trouble, Hermione." She seemed to visibly relax but then looked inquiringly at him with an obvious unasked question. "She's moving me up a year."
Harry had never seen Hermione's expression go through so many changes with such rapidity. Eventually though, it ended in questioning again. "You can move up years?"
The rest of the week was a bit of a whirlwind and it had done a good job of helping Harry forget anything about Dementors and Sirius Black. He hadn't yet joined the fourth year Ancient Runes class, though Professor Babbling had told him during his Thursday class that Dumbledore had been busy but had now approved his advancement.
Harry was getting a bit worried about his bushy haired friend though. He had talked to her further about his advancement, about how it would happen for her organically if it was correct and not to work herself to the bone. They had also discovered that it was only actually possible in Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Magical History and Potions. The last two of which were never going to happen under Snape and Binns, for very different reasons.
She was clearly motivated to match Harry's accomplishment however and was working herself spare to do so. Maybe he would need to speak to a Professor if she wasn't going to listen to her.
Professor Lupin had also told him and Neville that their lessons about repelling Dementors would have to wait but he had not forgotten.
He was glad that it was finally Friday night and he could focus on something other than just his schoolwork. Which he was thankfully up to date on. Now he had a chance to work on what he had been researching since getting the unicorn hairs.
Harry frowned again as he read the spell description, which was accompanied by a rather amusing drawing of a wizard hanging from some pine tree branches by his cloak. The little wizard would periodically try to swing himself and grab ahold of the tree but always failed as long as Harry had been studying the book, which had been more than an hour.
The Herbivicus and Herbivicus Duo Charms are performed by holding your wand point down above the plant in question, and forming a circle counter-clockwise and then clockwise and intoning the incantation "Herbivicus" or "Herbivicus Duo". The Herbivicus Duo is a more powerful version of the spell requiring an additional counter-clockwise circle at the end of the movement. It should only be attempted once the basic spell has been well practised.
The charms cause an exponential growth in a plant. If performed with sufficient acumen and power upon a larger plant, the witch or wizard performing the charm would be wise to step away quickly on it's completion. Never hold your head above the plant, in 1823 Pinkius Cobble met his end doing just this.
The Herbivicus Charms will only function on magically inert plants. Magical plants will experience no effect from the charm. There are many theories for this but the leading one is the internal magic of the plant rejecting the magic of the spell.
It was exactly what he needed yet also, because of the final limitation, something he could not use. He looked over again at the passage he had been looking at in the first chapter of his first year Herbology book One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore.
Magical plants grow best when surrounded by other magic, such as when tended by witches and wizards, in magical locations such as Hogwarts and Stonehenge or close to groups of magical creatures. Dragon reserves are often the best places to find wild samples of Ember Berries.
As such it is very rare to find magical plants near or around muggle settlements, which is highly advantageous to the Statute of Secrecy…
He looked at his first pot prototype again and sighed. He had been working on this for more than a week. He had managed to form an assemblage of runes that would inject magic into the soil, directly to the plants which would occupy the pot.
It would be useful if he was trying to grow magical plants in Privet Drive. But he was at Hogwarts and so it was next to pointless. The rune work which would store and emit magic would be nothing next to the ambient magic of Hogwarts and it would do nothing to speed up the growth of the plants.
He had tried the Herbivicus Charm on some berry bushes along the edge of the Forbidden Forrest and had some delightful snacks but it too was next to useless. But he had found nothing else that was even remotely related. It was like wizards had just given up on trying to make magical plants grow faster.
He looked again at the unicorn hairs he had stored in an old jar for potion ingredients. The whole point was to end up with a magical plant and not in 20 years when it was done growing! Bloody Herbivicus Charm.
"Hey Harry!" Ron called, coming up the stairs from the Common Room. Growing up under a roof with eight other people had really not made the redhead a quiet person. "Fancy a game of wizard's chess?"
"Not now sorry Ron, I want to work this out." Harry apologised. The taller boy frowned from the doorway.
"You're getting worse than Hermione I swear. What are you doing anyway?"
"Working on something, a personal project. But I can't work out how to make magical plants grow faster!"
Clearly ignoring the actual point of Harry's frustration the redhead grimaced. "Mate, we get enough homework as is, I can't conjure why you would want to create your own, not even Hermione does that and she is barmy! Maybe she's contagious!" Seamus had just followed Ron up the stairs and looked startled when he turned on the shorter Irish wizard. "You don't think I'm going to end up a bookworm too, do you Seamus?"
"Ah-ah no?" The boy responded, clearly unsure what was going on.
"I don't think there is a disease in the world that would make you open a book you didn't have to Ron." Harry teased, and the boy sighed in dramaticised relief.
"Seamus!" Ron called again, causing him to jump. "Chess, now, I'm out of practice." The redhead ordered.
"Alrigh' but we're playin' explodin' snap after." Ron shrugged in response and the boys left, clearly not actually that interested in what Harry was up to after all.
"You're interested in magical plants Harry?" Neville asked. The larger of the Gryffindor boys had been twirling his wand on his bed, clearly practising the Glacial charm that they had learned in Charms. Say what you want about Neville, but he was a diligent student. He continued with his twirling even as he engaged in conversation. Harry got up and grabbed the pitcher of water in the middle of the room, handing it to his friend.
"It's easier if you practise it all as one and have something to cast it on." Neville smiled in thanks. Harry walked over to his bed and showed him the unicorn tail hairs. "I bought a pretty old book early in the summer on wand making, odd really that it was the only one I could find given how important they are. Then I got these unicorn hairs and read about how they are used in wands."
"So you want to learn to make wands?" Neville asked curiously.
"In a way. I want to make living wands." Neville stared at him, confusion playing across his face, he had also stopped practising his spell.
"Living…wands?"
"That's right! A wand is what Neville?"
"Um, a piece of a magical creature put into some wood which we use to channel magic and perform spells?" The boy asked, his lack of confidence often seen in class rearing its head.
"There is a bit more to it, a binding so to speak, but yes that is it more or less." Harry confirmed with a nod and a smile. "So a wand draws on our magic and realises it in the form of spells. Items enchanted through the use of runes can do the same, but can also draw on ambient or environmental magic, else things like the Great Hall ceiling wouldn't work. Magical plants draw on ambient magic also to grow. But what if we could make a plant which creates magic, or channels it or something, to be honest I am not sure, just like, a wand for the earth?" He said uncertainly. "Like a battery."
"So…what is it you are wanting to do?" Neville looked a bit lost.
"Well basically as you said, sticking some magical creature parts in a tree and having it grow." Harry said with a grin. "The problem is I don't want to wait years to know if it works and I would also like to find some way to improve their growth generally. I found this Herbivicus Charm but it doesn't work on magical plants, which is what I am trying to make."
Neville nodded and thought about it for a moment, actually more than a moment. Harry almost thought that the conversation was over, until the blonde boy looked up at Harry with a frown.
"I don't know much about the Herbivicus Charm to be honest, I don't think we learn it until next year. However magical plants use magic to grow, typically the magic around them or the people tending to them. Is the Herbivicus Charm just a single use spell?"
"Sure." Harry answered. "Cast it and the plant grows quickly, people use it on fruit and vegetables mostly I think."
"Well magical plants need a constant environmental source of magic to feed off, can you make the charm do that?"
Harry looked over at his prototype pot, then looked over his first year book again, and then hit himself in the face with it.
Thank you for reading. Next chapter we will have some Daphne and experiments