HP: The Boy who saw Magic

Kevin turned over in his four-poster bed in Ravenclaw Tower, his gray-blue eyes staring at the dark blue curtains. It was already late at night, but his thoughts were like a storm over the Black Lake—turbulent waves with no calm in sight.

"Nicolas Flamel… Professor Victor… The Eye of Truth…" These words circled in his mind, spinning over and over again.

Kevin sighed softly and rested his arms behind his head. Outside the window, the waves of the Black Lake shimmered silver in the moonlight, and occasionally the tentacles of a giant squid swept across the water, casting strange, shifting shadows.

"I have to organize my thoughts now," Kevin said to himself, and began to systematically sort through the known information.

First, the silver-haired old couple he had met when he was eight years old were almost certainly Nicolas Flamel and his wife Perenelle. The parchment and warning note written in runes had all been left by Nicolas.

Second, Professor Victor seemed to know from the start that Kevin had this ability. From the meaningful look at the opening dinner to the rune stone today, he must have learned about Kevin from Nico. And Nico Flamel must have a connection with this professor—they belonged to the same organization, which was clearly not a simple one.

"'The Eye of Truth… is not unique, but extremely rare.'" Professor Victor's words echoed in Kevin's ears. He frowned slightly. If this gift was not unique, then who else in history had possessed it? What fate had they ultimately faced?

Kevin turned over, the moonlight streaming through the window onto his quilt.

And since they knew about the 'Eye of Truth' since he was eight years old, why had they contacted him only now? To study the secrets of the 'Eye of Truth'? Or to use it to complete some alchemical experiment? Kevin's thoughts drifted to the alchemical secret room in the abandoned classroom. In the experimental log of Nicholas Flamel II, there was indeed a mention of alchemical tools similar to Professor Victor's style, and even an 'Eye of Truth'—similar to his own. What was the connection between the two?

Then Kevin's mind returned to the hidden alchemy laboratory, the ancient books on the bookshelf, the instruments on the workbench, the magic theory on the blackboard… especially the experimental log.

"Coincidence? Or intentional guidance?" Thinking of this, Kevin's breathing quickened slightly.

Outside the window, the cry of an owl broke the silence of the night, and Kevin's thoughts were brought back to reality.

He turned his head to look at his sleeping roommates. Wesley's quilt was kicked aside, his reddish-brown curly hair was messy, and there was a smile on the corner of his mouth, as if he was dreaming about something interesting; Fabian was lying properly, with his glasses neatly placed on the bedside, his breathing steady; and Ernesto's sleeping posture was still somewhat aristocratic and elegant, his gray eyes closed, but his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about some serious problem in his dream.

The corners of Kevin's mouth rose slightly. No matter what conspiracy was behind it, at least he was not alone now.

Kevin let out a breath and made a decision. Before the meeting next Wednesday, he would continue to study the alchemical chamber, especially the experimental log of Nicholas Flamel II, to see if he could find more records about the 'Eye of Reality' or the 'Eye of Truth.'

Second, he would observe Professor Victor. His words, actions, research, and even his living habits might reveal more information.

Then, he would remain vigilant. Although it seemed that Nicolas Flamel and Professor Victor had no ill intentions—just some riddles—Kevin would not easily give up his caution.

"Don't be anxious, the truth will always come out."

Kevin closed his eyes and finally let his tired mind rest. The moonlight still quietly spilled into the Ravenclaw dormitory, and the night at Hogwarts was still full of secrets.

The morning sun shone through the blue glass windows of Ravenclaw Tower, casting mottled shadows on the floor. Kevin frowned and opened his eyes. The clouds passing by the window were reflected in his gray-blue pupils, and he felt a dull ache in his temples.

"Finally woke up?" Ernesto's voice came from the side. "If you don't get up, we'll miss breakfast."

Kevin pulled himself up and found that he and Ernesto were the only ones in the dormitory. Fabian's bed was neatly made, while Wesley's bed was a mess of clothes and books.

"Where are Wesley and Fabian?" Kevin asked, rubbing his temples.

"Fabian went to the library to return a book, and Wesley said he was going to the kitchen to 'scout' today's menu," Ernesto pouted. "Did you have a nightmare last night? You tossed and turned."

Kevin shook his head and didn't mention the thoughts that troubled him. He quickly put on his robe and washed his face with cold water. The cold water made him a little more awake. The person in the mirror had faint blue circles under his eyes, clearly from his restless night.

The hall was bustling with people, and the tables for the four houses were filled with food. Kevin and Ernesto found Fabian and Wesley, who was stuffing his third blueberry muffin into his mouth.

"Kevin! You look like you've been stepped on by a troll!" Wesley slurred, with a little jam on his reddish-brown curls.

Fabian pushed his glasses up, concern on his face. "Are you okay? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

"It was just a weird dream," Kevin answered casually and poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice. "What's the first class today?"

"History of Magic," Fabian flipped through the timetable. "Then there's Charms."

Kevin breathed a sigh of relief. Although Professor Binns's class was boring, at least it allowed him to catch up on some sleep.

When Professor Binns floated into the classroom, several students were already drowsy on their desks. The ghost professor began to recount the details of the goblin rebellion in his monotonous voice, which was like a hypnotic drug and soon made Kevin's eyelids heavy.

"In 1612, the goblins used their metalworking skills to…"

Kevin's head drooped little by little, and finally he fell completely onto the table. He dreamed that he was standing in the center of a huge alchemical symbol, with countless glowing runes floating around him. In the distance, a vague figure reached out to him…

"Kevin! Wake up! Class is over!"

Wesley's voice brought him back to reality. Kevin raised his head in a daze and found that the classroom was almost empty and Professor Binns was floating toward the door.

"You slept like you were under a coma," Ernesto commented, with a hint of amusement in his grey eyes. "We have to get to the Charms classroom."

The cold wind in the corridor made Kevin completely alert. When they arrived at the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick was standing on a pile of books, using his wand to direct the quill pen to write today's topic on the blackboard: Descaling Charm.

"Ah, dear students!" Professor Flitwick said brightly. "Today we are learning a very practical spell—the Decontamination Charm. I think many of you have seen your parents use this spell at home."

Kevin found a seat and sat down, feeling refreshed. Professor Flitwick waved his wand, and a dusty vase appeared on the podium.

"Watch me do this: flick my wrist and say 'Scourgify!'"

A blue light flashed, and the vase became shiny as new. There was a burst of praise in the classroom.

"Now, please practice in pairs. Remember, be gentle, like brushing away dust."

Kevin and Fabian were in a group, and a muddy teacup appeared in front of them. Fabian tried first, but his movements were a bit stiff, and only a few sparks came out of the tip of his wand.

"Relax your wrist a little more," Kevin suggested.

Fabian adjusted his posture and tried again: "Scourgify!" This time, the mud on the teacup disappeared a little.

When it was Kevin's turn, he stared at the teacup and suddenly thought of a question. Under his "True Eye," he could see how the traces of magic in the dust were broken down by the spell. In this process, the dust seemed not to be removed, but transformed into some more basic material form.

"Professor Flitwick," Kevin raised his hand. "How does the Descaling Charm work? Does it make the dirt disappear, or does it move it somewhere else?"

Professor Flitwick's eyes lit up. "Excellent question, Mr. Hawthorne! In fact, the Descaling Charm falls into the category of Vanishing Charms. It breaks down dirt into its basic elements."

Kevin thought thoughtfully: "Then theoretically, if we use it on living organisms…"

The classroom suddenly became quiet, and several students looked at Kevin in horror.

"Merlin's beard!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, almost falling off the pile of books. "No, no, no! This is an extremely dangerous idea! Although from a magical theoretical point of view, it is indeed possible to decompose organisms, but this belongs to the category of dark magic!"

Kevin immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing: "Sorry, Professor, I'm just curious about the classification of spells."

Professor Flitwick wiped his forehead. "It's good to understand the principles, Mr. Hawthorne, but we must keep in mind the ethical boundaries of magic." He looked around the classroom. "Now, continue practicing and only use this spell on objects!"

Before class ended, Professor Flitwick assigned an essay on the history of cleaning spells. As the students were packing their bags, he stopped Kevin.

"Mr. Hawthorne, if you are interested in spell classification, you can come to my office at seven tonight. I have several professional books that may be helpful to you."

Kevin nodded. "Thank you, Professor."

After leaving the classroom, Wesley patted his chest exaggeratedly: "Merlin, Kevin! You just scared Professor Flitwick! 'Make people disappear'? Where did you come up with such a terrible idea?"

"It's just a theoretical discussion," Kevin shrugged. "Shouldn't magic be understood thoroughly?"

Ernesto pondered: "Theoretically, if we could break a person down into his basic elements and then reassemble him…"

"Stop!" Fabian interrupted, pushing up his glasses. "I don't want to be suspected of being a Dark wizard during the first week of school."

The four boys laughed and walked to the Great Hall for lunch. Kevin felt completely refreshed, even more awake than usual. The confusion and doubts of last night seemed to be temporarily forgotten, replaced by new thoughts about the nature of magic.

Perhaps this was also one of the "prices of understanding magic" that Professor Victor had mentioned. When you start to explore deeper, some seemingly simple spells may hide disturbing truths.

But Kevin did not regret asking that question. If magic was just mechanically repeating spells without understanding the essence, what was the difference between that and a trick? He touched the wand in his pocket and decided to ask Professor Flitwick for advice that night.

After all, the pursuit of knowledge is never a smooth road.