HP: The Boy who saw Magic

At the long Ravenclaw table, Kevin poked at a baked potato with a silver fork, his gray-blue eyes fixed on a group of senior students whispering not far away. They sat in a tight circle, their voices low, but the occasional word—"Professor Victor," "Dark Magic Creatures," "Practical Test"—floated over to Kevin's ears.

"Did you hear that?" Kevin put down his fork and turned to his roommates. Wesley was devouring a beef pie, Fabian pushed up his glasses and looked curiously at the group, and Ernesto just snorted and said, "What? You mean they're talking about the Defense Against the Dark Arts class?"

"Yes," Kevin whispered. "And it means Professor Victor is back."

"I need to go find him." Kevin stood up quickly and finished the last sip of pumpkin juice. "I have to report the results of the last experiment. You guys take your time eating. I'll be back soon."

Leaving the Great Hall, Kevin didn't head straight for the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. Instead, he took a detour to the Eagle's Nest on the fifth floor, where his alchemy experiment results and other belongings were kept.

Pushing open the door, Kevin walked directly to the workbench in the center of the room. He took a silver key from his pocket and gently inserted it into the lock of the drawer beneath the workbench. With a soft "click," the drawer slid open, revealing a dark blue velvet bag. He carefully removed the bag, which held the results of his previous material transformation experiment.

"I hope this will satisfy him…" Kevin muttered to himself, tucking the bag into the inner pocket of his robe before leaving the room.

The fourth-floor corridor was eerily quiet. The door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office was closed, but a faint golden light shone through the crack. Kevin took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock.

"Come in," came Professor Victor's low, calm voice from inside.

Kevin pushed open the door and saw Victor standing with his back to him, in front of a long table covered with strange instruments. His long blond hair was tied in a low ponytail, and a faint light glowed beneath his black eye mask. His right hand gently fiddled with a suspended crystal ball.

"Kevin Hawthorne," Victor said without turning around, a hint of a smile in his voice. "I knew you'd come to see me soon."

"Professor." Kevin bowed slightly and took the velvet bag from his pocket. "I've completed the experiment you assigned."

Victor finally turned, his right eye locking onto Kevin. "Show me."

Kevin untied the bag and produced a piece of iron with a metallic sheen.

"How many attempts did this take?" Victor took the iron block and ran his fingertips lightly across its surface. "Purity… 92.3%. Better than I expected."

Kevin nodded calmly. "One attempt."

"You achieved this in one try?" Victor's gaze shifted from the iron block to Kevin. "Do it again for me!"

The alchemy table in the corner of the office lit up automatically. Kevin walked over and took out the materials he'd brought: a small bag of iron ore, ground moonstone powder, and a stone tablet with an alchemy array carved into it.

"Let's begin," Victor said, leaning on the table and watching Kevin's every move.

Kevin took a deep breath and tapped the table with the tip of his wand. He checked the condition of the magic circle, then carefully placed the iron ore in the center, followed by the moonstone powder. As he began to channel magic into the hexagram alchemy array, Kevin unconsciously activated the Eye of Truth, and the magic flowed steadily into the array. As before, the circle began to glow, and the moonstone powder started to liquefy—

"Stop."

Victor's voice was like thunder. Kevin's wrist was gripped by an invisible force, and the glow of the alchemy array vanished instantly.

"You're using the Eye of Truth," Victor said, his voice icy.

"No need to explain," Victor continued, releasing Kevin's wrist. "You didn't remember what I told you before."

Kevin's throat tightened. He hadn't expected Victor to focus on this.

"The Eye of Truth is a rare gift," Victor said, walking toward the bookshelf with his back to Kevin, "but by relying on it, you ignore something more important."

"I just wanted to make sure the experiment succeeded," Kevin began haltingly.

"Success?" Victor turned abruptly. "What's the value of that kind of success? I don't want results—I want the process. Magic control is a feeling, an experience, not a visual trick!"

He pulled a heavy ancient book from the shelf and slammed it onto the table. "Basic Alchemical Principles, page 147. Read it."

Kevin turned to the page and found the passage: "'A true alchemist relies on the perception of magic. When he can sense the pulse of magic, the path of alchemy will be opened to him.'"

"Now," Victor's tone softened, "try it again, without the Eye of Truth."

Kevin closed his eyes and tried to recall the sensation of pure magic flowing. He suddenly remembered his practice with silent spells—how they didn't require words or sight, just the resonance of thought and magic. He tapped the table with his wand again, and the hexagram array slowly lit up.

This time, the process was much harder. Without the Eye of Truth, the flow of magic became indistinct. Fine beads of sweat formed on Kevin's forehead.

Then, Kevin realized something. He adjusted his breathing, just as he did when casting silent spells. The restless magic gradually calmed and began to flow according to his will.

When the glow faded, a new piece of iron lay on the table. The purity was only 90.3%, lower than before, but Kevin knew this achievement meant far more.

"Very good," Victor said, picking up the iron block and examining it. "As expected, even without the Eye of Truth, your talent is unquestionable."

Kevin looked at his work. "The feeling just now… was similar to casting a silent spell. There seems to be a connection."

"Because the foundation is the same," Victor said, walking to the window. Sunlight streamed through the colored glass, casting mottled shadows across him. "The essence of magic is the unity of will and magic. Whether it's alchemy, spells, or transfiguration, it all comes back to this."

He turned and took down a manuscript from the shelf. On the cover, in ancient gold-embossed runes, were the words: "The Door of Truth."

"This is the sequel to my previous book," Victor said, his voice suddenly serious. "Kevin Hawthorne, are you willing to become my student? To inherit my knowledge?"

Kevin's breath caught.

"Why me?" he couldn't help but ask.

Victor's right eye locked onto him, as if it could see into his soul. "Because you're different from the others. You have talent, and more importantly… you're not afraid of the truth."

The office fell silent. The magical clock on the wall ticked, and an alchemical instrument occasionally hummed softly.

"I need to know more," Kevin said finally. "About you… about all of this."

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