HP: The Boy who saw Magic

In the Eagle's Nest common room of Ravenclaw Tower, Kevin sat by the window, his gray-blue eyes focused on the book Elementary Alchemy Principles spread out before him. The October sun streamed through the arched windows, illuminating the parchment and highlighting the complex runes and diagrams.

"What profound things are you studying again?" Wesley, his reddish-brown hair catching the light, sat down across from him, a dirty football in his hands. "I haven't finished the Charms homework assigned by Professor Flitwick yet."

Kevin raised his head, a slight smile curling his lips. "The alchemy test given by Professor Victor was very interesting."

"Merlin's beard!" Wesley's eyes widened in exaggerated surprise. "You're only in your first year and you're already learning alchemy? Isn't that an elective for fifth-years?"

Fabian pushed his glasses up by the window, a gentle smile on his bronze face. "For Kevin, course grade divisions are probably just suggestions."

Ernesto leaned back in the armchair by the fireplace, his gray eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Alchemy isn't a subject you can master quickly just by talent."

Kevin didn't respond to his roommates' teasing. His gaze returned to the book. As a time traveler, he understood the limitations of Hogwarts' curriculum better than anyone else—especially with the chaos he knew would come in the future, he felt compelled to study harder.

"You guys keep chatting. I'm going to the Eagle's Nest." Kevin closed the book and carefully slipped a few pieces of parchment between the pages.

"Again?" Wesley whistled. "Don't get caught by Filch for being out at night."

"It's only four o'clock in the afternoon." Kevin shook his head helplessly and tucked the book into his dragon leather bag. "And I have a legitimate reason. Alchemy experiments require a quiet environment. There's no way I'll get caught."

Leaving the common room, Kevin descended the spiral staircase. His fingers brushed the eagle relief carved into the stone wall, savoring the unique tranquility of Ravenclaw Tower. The castle corridor was filled with the scent of pumpkin pie and grilled sausages, but Kevin's mind was entirely focused on the upcoming experiment.

Once inside the Eagle's Nest, Kevin took out the prepared materials from his schoolbag: a flat stone slab, a bag of iron ore, ground moonstone powder, and the hexagram refining array template given to him by Professor Victor. He took a deep breath and spread the template flat on the workbench.

"First, draw the alchemy formation…"

Kevin picked up a special silver carving knife and carefully etched the hexagram pattern onto the stone slab according to the template. Each line had to be accurate to the millimeter—any deviation could disrupt the flow of magic. After carving the main structure, he added a circle of ancient runes around the periphery, a basic stabilizing technique he'd learned from Basic Alchemy Formation.

With the carving complete, Kevin stepped back and used his "Eye of Truth" to inspect the integrity of the formation. In his special vision, the lines he'd just carved glowed a faint blue, indicating good magical conductivity. There were no breaks or blockages—it was perfect on the first try.

"Next, material preparation."

Kevin donned dragon leather gloves and removed several fist-sized pieces of iron ore from the bag. The surface of the ore was rough, streaked with dark red impurities. According to the experimental requirements, he needed to use moonstone powder as a catalyst to separate the impurities.

"Purity must be above ninety percent…" Kevin muttered, placing the iron ore in the center of the hexagram array. He took a small silver spoon, scooped up moonstone powder, and sprinkled it evenly along the lines of the array. The light blue powder traced shining lines on the stone slab, like a galaxy in the night sky.

Everything was ready. Kevin took a deep breath and raised his wand.

"Begin."

The tip of the wand touched the core of the formation, and Kevin began to steadily channel his magic. In the vision of his "Eye of Truth," silver-blue magic flowed into the formation like water, spreading rapidly along the carved lines. The alchemy formation began to glow, and the moonstone powder gradually melted, transforming into a translucent liquid that crept toward the iron ore at the center.

"Magic output is stable… very good…"

Kevin concentrated on maintaining the flow. The most challenging part of the experiment was keeping the magic output steady—too much would overload the formation, too little would fail to complete the conversion. But for Kevin, who could see the flow of magic, it was as intuitive as reading a thermometer.

The liquid moonstone enveloped the iron ore and began to seep into its cracks. Kevin squinted, watching as the black impurities were pushed out by the blue liquid, like ink dissolving in water. The process was slow and precise, requiring patience.

A quarter of an hour later, the transformation was complete. The rough iron ore had become a smooth metal ingot with a cold gray sheen. The surrounding moonstone liquid had solidified back into powder, now dark gray from absorbing impurities.

Kevin stopped channeling magic, and the alchemy array's glow faded. He carefully put on heat-insulating gloves, took out the still-warm iron block, and placed it on the analytical balance on the workbench.

"Purity test…"

To get a more accurate result, Kevin used the metal analysis spell Professor Victor had taught him.

A golden light swept across the iron block, and a line of flashing numbers appeared in the air: 92.3%.

"Success!" Kevin couldn't help but smile. He'd exceeded the ninety percent standard on his first try. He quickly recorded the details in his lab notebook: formation structure, material usage, magic output duration, final purity…

Just as he was organizing his notes, there was a gentle knock at the classroom door.

"Kevin? Are you in there? It's time for dinner." Fabian's gentle voice carried through the wood.

Kevin checked his pocket watch and was surprised to find three hours had passed. He packed up his equipment, stowed the iron block and notebook in his bag, and opened the door.

"How'd the experiment go?" Fabian peered inside curiously.

"Successful. Ninety-two point three percent purity." Kevin couldn't hide the excitement in his voice. "Higher than Professor Victor's requirements."

Fabian whistled. "Great! Ernesto said if you failed, he has some alchemy notes from his family collection he could lend you."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "He really said that?"

"Of course, he used his 'I'm not going out of my way to help you' excuse." Fabian imitated Ernesto's pretentious tone, and the two shared a smile.

On the way to the Great Hall, Kevin's mind was already planning the next experiment. Although successful, he'd noticed some magic leakage at the edge of the formation. Next time, he might try using a copper plate instead of stone. There was room for improvement in conversion efficiency, too…

"Hey, genius, don't think while walking—you'll bump into the armor." Wesley caught up with them, a chicken drumstick in hand. "So? Did you make the iron?"

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, it went pretty well for a first try."

"I knew you could do it!" Wesley slapped Kevin on the back so hard he almost choked.

The ceiling of the Great Hall reflected the darkening sky outside, and floating candles cast a warm glow. Ernesto had already saved them seats at the Ravenclaw table. When Kevin arrived, the gray-eyed boy pretended to focus on his mashed potatoes, but Kevin caught his furtive glance.

"Ninety-two point three," Kevin said directly, sitting across from Ernesto.

Ernesto seemed surprised by the number, but kept his voice low. "…Not bad. For a first try."

"Thanks for your advice on the ancient runic stabilizing spell," Kevin said sincerely. He'd actually known the trick for a while, but it was good to acknowledge a friend's help.

Ernesto lowered his head and took a big gulp of pumpkin juice.

After dinner, Kevin went alone to the observatory atop Ravenclaw Tower. The night breeze was cool, carrying the scent of the Black Lake. He took out the iron block he'd made and examined its texture under the moonlight. Though it was just a basic alchemy experiment, the sense of accomplishment from completing the transformation himself filled him with excitement.

"Silent spells, alchemy…" Kevin whispered to himself. "There's still so much to learn."

He looked toward the Forbidden Forest, thinking of Harry Potter, who would be arriving at Hogwarts in a year, and the dark forces that would soon return. As a time traveler who knew the future, he had to keep improving—not just to protect himself, but also the friends he'd made in this world.