King of Lightning [HP FANFIC]

"This is the rune combination for the Levitation Charm, and then we'll test it." Lily tapped the rune with her wand, and the inscription —formed by multiple runic characters— glowed softly.

A moment later, a stream of magic channeled through her wand, passed through the rune, and shot toward a quill resting on the table. The quill began to rise slowly, floating in the air with a slight tremble. Anduin could clearly see that Lily hadn't used the Levitation Charm in the conventional way; it was simply the magic flowing through the rune, acting on the quill and creating the levitating effect.

Anduin gasped in awe, fascinated by the simplicity and intuition of this method compared to the tedious process of learning runes from books.

But Lily wasn't finished. She continued in a calm voice, "Many spells and rune effects are too dangerous or simply can't be tested directly on the workbench. Some highly skilled wizards can materialize runes through nonverbal magic and test them that way. However, few ever master nonverbal spells with real proficiency. So what do you do if you can't cast nonverbally?"

Lily picked up a small crystal sphere from the side of the workbench and held it close to the rune. Instantly, the inscription was sucked into the sphere, vanishing within.

Anduin, wide-eyed, noticed there were two full rows of these crystal spheres lined up beside the workbench. At first, he had thought they were mere decorations, but now he realized they were actually used for storing runes.

"This way, by storing runes, we can test them elsewhere." Lily smiled lightly as she explained the function of the rune workbench.

Anduin's eyes lit up with genuine fascination, and he couldn't suppress the growing interest in rune research that had begun to bloom within him.

"During your time here, you're welcome to use this workbench. It contains many recorded characters, so you can study them with a runic dictionary. I'll also show you some common rune combinations, including the protective and resilience runes in my amulet." Seeing Anduin's eyes sparkle with excitement, Lily knew how much he liked the workbench and offered it generously.

Overjoyed, Anduin exclaimed, "Really? Thank you so much!"

Lily nodded warmly. She then began teaching him how to use the rune workbench for his studies, while Anduin found immense delight in experimenting with the new device.

Meanwhile, Christmas gifts from his friends had also arrived. Since Anduin had recently changed his residence, the gifts were delivered with a slight delay.

Though Vivian had scolded Anduin for asking so directly for presents, she had still thoughtfully sent him a set of Magical Iconography.

Charles, on the other hand, sent him a poster of Ludo Bagman, and in his greeting card, he expressed how delighted he was to have received the mahjong tiles. His whole family had learned to play over the past few days thanks to him. He even sent his treasured poster, Ludo Bagman, the star Beater of the Wimbourne Wasps (a Quidditch team from England), was Charles's idol. However, for this gift, Anduin could only smile and appreciate the gesture.

Professor McGonagall had sent him a scarf, apparently from her favorite team, the Appleby Arrows (a team from Northern England). The scarf was light blue, with a silver arrow embroidered at each end. By now, Anduin no longer expected great surprises from gifts related to Quidditch.

Curious, he even looked up Professor McGonagall's favorite team and discovered that their greatest achievement was defeating the then-European champions, the Vratsa Vultures, in a match back in 1932 that had lasted a full sixteen days. Anduin checked twice to be sure. A sixteen-day match, was that even real?

Professor Flitwick, on the other hand, was remarkably thoughtful. He gave Anduin a copy of The Fifth Element: Exploration, noting in his card that although it was a sixth-year textbook, he believed Anduin's current progress made him ready to start studying it. For Anduin, this gift became one of his favorites, alongside Vivian's.

When Anduin opened Professor Slughorn's gift, a mixture of amusement and resignation crossed his face. It was a bottle of Joy Potion. He suspected his Head of House must have brewed a large batch to hand out in bulk as gifts.

Hagrid's present was simple yet practical: a fur cushion made from some unknown, warm, and soft hide. Anduin immediately put it to use, grateful for its comfort.

After inspecting each of the gifts, Anduin settled himself on the plush cushion from Hagrid and continued studying Occlumency. This magic, alongside Legilimency, seemed highly complementary, mastering the former would make learning the latter much easier.

The technique was detailed in books such as Theories of Magical Defense and Mysteries of Magical Defense. It demanded significant willpower and mental fortitude. During practice, one needed to empty their mind, maintain a calm and peaceful mental state, then circulate and control magic, merging one's thoughts with it. This combined power would then envelop the brain, forming a barrier against mind-reading and other mental intrusions.

This type of magic, which required no incantations or gestures, was notoriously difficult for most wizards because it required exceptional self-control. The simplest way to learn was to enlist the help of a Legilimency master who would repeatedly invade the learner's mind, allowing them to practice defending themselves passively. With consistent training, the learner could eventually master the process of closing their mind.

However, Anduin had no intention of using that approach. For one thing, he didn't know any Legilimency masters. For another, he wasn't keen on letting someone wander freely through his thoughts.

Several alternative methods were mentioned in the magical texts he had studied, including the potion method, the passive method, and the self-imagination method, among others. The passive method, as he had already ruled out, required a Legilimency master to break into the learner's mind so they could build defenses. The potion method involved drinking a tranquilizer beforehand to aid the process. This seemed worth considering, as Anduin did have tranquilizers on hand.

Finally, there was the most difficult approach: the self-imagination method, or, as Anduin preferred to call it, the visualization method. This required emptying the mind and imagining an inner self, which could take on various forms. For instance, Theories of Magical Defense described a wizard who envisioned himself as a dragon, then attempted to infuse his conscious mind with magic.

Anduin paused for a moment in thought and decided to attempt the visualization method first. After all, his control over magic was exceptional, his willpower unyielding, and his steady practice of cultivation and meditation had already given him valuable experience in regulating his thoughts.

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