Age 4 - The First Real Lesson
The converted guest house had been transformed into something that looked like a cross between a fairy tale cottage and a university library, if universities specialized in subjects that most people insisted didn't exist. Giovanni had overseen every detail personally, ensuring that the space would accommodate not just comfortable family living but serious magical education for children whose abilities were already exceeding his most optimistic expectations.
The main instruction room occupied what had originally been the guest house's sitting room, now equipped with specialized lighting that could be adjusted for different types of magical work, shelves lined with carefully selected texts on magical theory and practice, and furniture designed to withstand the occasional supernatural mishap that was inevitable when teaching magic to enthusiastic four-year-olds.
"Today," Giovanni announced with theatrical flair that had lost none of its effectiveness despite being deployed in a domestic setting rather than on Las Vegas stages, "we begin your real magical education. Not just moving objects or making things disappear, but understanding the principles that make magic possible."
Hadrian sat cross-legged on a specially designed cushion that had been positioned to optimize his focus and minimize distractions, his remarkable green eyes bright with the sort of intense attention that continued to unnerve adults who expected four-year-olds to possess considerably shorter attention spans and less comprehensive understanding of complex subjects.
Beside him, Zatanna practically vibrated with excitement, her dark curls bouncing as she leaned forward with obvious anticipation. At four, she had developed into the sort of child who approached everything with theatrical enthusiasm and seemed to find the world's various impossibilities personally entertaining rather than confusing.
Bruce occupied his own cushion with perfect posture, a notebook and pencil positioned within reach despite his age making writing a challenging endeavor. His sharp blue eyes tracked every movement, catalogued every demonstration, and somehow managed to convey the impression that he was compiling comprehensive documentation for future reference and strategic application.
"Magic," Giovanni continued, producing what appeared to be an ordinary wooden cup from his pocket, "is not about waving hands mysteriously and hoping for favorable results. Magic is about understanding the relationship between intention, energy, and the fundamental structure of reality itself."
He placed the cup on the small table positioned between himself and the children, ensuring everyone had an optimal view of whatever demonstration he was planning.
"Everything that exists possesses what we call 'essential nature'—the combination of physical properties, energetic resonance, and metaphysical characteristics that make it what it is. Magic allows us to interact with and temporarily modify that essential nature through focused will, properly directed energy, and specific techniques that create bridges between our intentions and physical reality."
*Bloody hell,* Harry thought with growing admiration, *he's actually teaching proper magical theory. Not just parlor tricks and flashy demonstrations, but real theoretical framework. This is considerably more sophisticated than I was expecting.*
"Miss Zatanna," Giovanni said with formal courtesy that transformed his daughter into a serious student rather than an excited child, "would you please demonstrate your disappearing technique with the cup?"
Zatanna nodded with obvious seriousness, fixing the wooden cup with the sort of focused concentration she brought to genuinely important tasks. Her small hands moved in the precise patterns Giovanni had taught her, and she spoke with clear articulation despite her young age:
"Raeppasid!"
The cup vanished with the sort of smooth efficiency that suggested months of practice and considerable natural talent.
"Excellent," Giovanni approved. "Now, Master Hadrian, please retrieve the cup—but don't bring it back here. Instead, can you move it to the bookshelf behind you?"
This was clearly a test of some sort, and Harry approached it with careful consideration. Giovanni's instruction suggested he wanted to observe Harry's technique, compare it to Zatanna's approach, and evaluate differences in their natural abilities and magical methods.
Harry focused on the cup's location—he could sense it in whatever dimensional space Zatanna had sent it to, suspended in a state of temporary non-existence that felt familiar from his previous magical experience. Instead of simply summoning it back to his hand, he carefully encouraged it to manifest at the designated location.
The cup appeared on the bookshelf with a soft *pop* of displaced air, settling gently between two leather-bound texts on theoretical thaumaturgy.
Giovanni's eyebrows rose slightly—the first time Harry had seen him display genuine surprise rather than professional assessment.
"Most interesting," Giovanni murmured, his accent adding thoughtful weight to his words. "Master Hadrian, how did you know where to direct the cup? Miss Zatanna's disappearing technique sends objects to a specific dimensional pocket—most people require considerable training to sense the location of vanished objects, let alone direct their reappearance to designated coordinates."
*Ah. Right. That was probably more advanced than a four-year-old should be capable of, even with several months of basic instruction.*
"I could feel where it was," Harry replied honestly, though he was careful to maintain the sort of innocent expression appropriate for someone his apparent age. "It felt like it was... waiting. And when you said to put it on the bookshelf, I just asked it to appear there instead of coming back here."
"Asked it?" Giovanni's professional interest was clearly piqued. "You conceptualize magical manipulation as making requests rather than imposing your will?"
"Well, yes," Harry said, warming to a subject that had always fascinated him even in his previous life. "Everything has feelings, doesn't it? Even objects. They might not think the way people do, but they have... preferences. Ways they like to be treated. If you're polite and ask nicely, they're usually more cooperative than if you try to force them to do things they don't want to do."
This philosophical approach to magical ethics appeared to surprise Giovanni considerably more than Harry's advanced sensing abilities.
"That's... quite sophisticated for someone your age," Giovanni said carefully. "Many adult practitioners never develop that level of sensitivity to the autonomous nature of magical subjects. Most approach magic as a matter of imposing human will upon passive material reality."
Bruce, who had been documenting this entire exchange with the systematic thoroughness he brought to all potentially important intelligence gathering, looked up from his notes.
"Is Hadrian's approach more effective than standard techniques?" he asked with obvious interest. "Because his magical demonstrations consistently achieve more precise results than statistical analysis would suggest should be possible for someone with limited training."
*Of course Bruce has been conducting statistical analysis of magical demonstrations. Why wouldn't he? Next he'll probably want to establish control groups and peer review processes for supernatural education.*
"Master Bruce raises an excellent point," Giovanni said with growing thoughtfulness. "Master Hadrian, would you be willing to participate in a small experiment? I'd like to compare your approach to Miss Zatanna's technique using identical magical tasks."
"What sort of experiment?" Zatanna asked with obvious enthusiasm, clearly hoping for something entertaining rather than merely educational.
Giovanni produced two identical wooden blocks from his collection of instructional materials, placing them on the table between the children.
"Simple levitation exercise. Miss Zatanna, please levitate your block using the standard technique I've taught you. Master Hadrian, please levitate yours using your... conversational... approach. I want to observe differences in execution, energy expenditure, and result stability."
Zatanna approached the task with theatrical confidence, her movements precise and her incantation clear: "Etativel!"
Her block rose smoothly into the air, hovering approximately two feet above the table with the sort of steady control that demonstrated months of practice and considerable natural ability.
Harry looked at his block with the sort of thoughtful consideration he'd learned to apply to magical requests rather than magical commands.
*Right then, block,* he thought with gentle courtesy, *would you mind floating up next to Zatanna's block? Just for a few minutes, for educational purposes. I'll make sure you get back to the table safely afterward.*
The block rose with fluid grace, settling into position beside Zatanna's with movements so smooth they appeared choreographed. But where Zatanna's required obvious concentration to maintain, Harry's seemed to hover effortlessly, as though it had decided that floating was a perfectly reasonable way to spend time and was happy to continue doing so indefinitely.
Giovanni watched both demonstrations with growing professional fascination, his trained eye clearly noting significant differences in technique, energy signature, and stability.
"Master Hadrian," he said carefully, "are you experiencing any strain from maintaining levitation?"
"Not really," Harry replied honestly. "The block seems comfortable staying there. It's not trying to fall or anything."
"Miss Zatanna, what about you?"
"It's a little tiring," Zatanna admitted, though she maintained her levitation with admirable determination. "Like holding something heavy for a long time."
Giovanni nodded thoughtfully, then gestured for both children to lower their blocks.
"Most illuminating. Master Hadrian, your technique appears to involve establishing cooperative magical partnerships with your subjects, while Miss Zatanna's follows more conventional approaches based on imposing external control. Both are legitimate magical methodologies, but they represent fundamentally different philosophical frameworks."
He settled back in his chair with the sort of contemplative expression that suggested he was reassessing various assumptions about magical education and natural ability development.
"I believe we're going to need to modify your instruction considerably, Master Hadrian. Your intuitive approach suggests you've somehow developed insights that typically require years of advanced theoretical study to understand properly."
*Well, technically I did spend years studying advanced magical theory,* Harry thought with amusement. *Just not in this lifetime, and probably not the sort of theoretical framework that Giovanni's familiar with. I wonder how long it's going to take before someone starts asking more pointed questions about where exactly a four-year-old acquires sophisticated magical philosophies.*
## Age 5 - The Rune Incident
The instruction room had been expanded to accommodate increasingly complex magical exercises, with Giovanni adding specialized workspace areas, additional reference materials, and safety equipment designed to handle the occasional supernatural mishap that was inevitable when teaching advanced techniques to gifted children whose abilities sometimes exceeded their judgment.
Today's lesson was supposed to focus on basic protective ward construction—simple magical barriers that could shield the practitioner from minor hexes, unwanted magical influence, or environmental magical contamination. Giovanni had planned a carefully structured introduction to defensive magic theory followed by supervised practical exercises with appropriate safety protocols.
What he hadn't planned for was Hadrian's casual introduction of an entirely different magical discipline that Giovanni had never encountered in his decades of professional magical practice.
"Before we start ward construction," Harry said with the sort of innocent helpfulness that had made his teachers nervous in his previous life, "I thought you might be interested in seeing some alternative protection methods. I've been working on runic applications that might be more efficient for certain defensive purposes."
Giovanni's expression suggested he was processing multiple concerning implications about five-year-olds conducting independent magical research in theoretical areas that weren't covered in any standard curriculum.
"Runic applications?" Giovanni asked carefully. "Master Hadrian, we haven't covered runic magic in our instruction. Where did you encounter runic techniques?"
*Ah. Right. That would be information I shouldn't logically possess.* Harry had been hoping to introduce runic magic gradually, making it appear like natural curiosity and experimentation rather than comprehensive knowledge acquired through previous magical education that officially didn't exist.
"I found some books," Harry replied with the sort of vague honesty that was technically truthful while omitting inconvenient details like interdimensional reincarnation and century-long magical careers in alternative realities. "In the Wayne Manor library. There's a whole section on historical magical practices that Alfred said were collected by previous Wayne family members."
This was, in fact, accurate. Alfred had mentioned that several Wayne ancestors had possessed interests in what were diplomatically termed "alternative historical studies" and had accumulated an impressive collection of books on subjects that most scholars insisted were purely mythological.
"And you've been... experimenting... with runic techniques based on library research?" Giovanni's tone suggested he was reconsidering several fundamental assumptions about appropriate magical education and the wisdom of allowing gifted children unsupervised access to historical magical texts.
"Only simple things," Harry said with carefully maintained innocence. "Basic protection runes, mostly. Nothing dangerous or complicated."
He produced what appeared to be an ordinary piece of parchment from his notebook—except that instead of childish drawings or elementary writing exercises, it was covered with precisely drawn symbols that seemed to shift slightly when viewed directly, as though they existed in dimensions that normal vision couldn't entirely process.
"See? Just a basic protection array. It should provide shielding against minor hexes, ward off unfriendly magical influences, and alert the user to nearby supernatural threats or hostile magical activity."
Giovanni stared at the parchment as though it had personally insulted his professional competence, his extensive magical education, and possibly his understanding of fundamental reality.
"Master Hadrian," he said with careful control, "these aren't simple protection runes. These are... I don't even recognize half of these symbols. And the ones I do recognize are drawn with precision that would challenge professional runic specialists with decades of experience."
Zatanna leaned over to examine Harry's work with obvious fascination, her bright eyes tracking the complex patterns with growing excitement.
"They're beautiful!" she announced with obvious admiration. "They look like they're almost alive! Can Zatanna learn to draw magic pictures too?"
Bruce, meanwhile, had abandoned his usual note-taking in favor of intense scrutiny of the runic array, his analytical mind clearly recognizing the systematic precision and theoretical sophistication represented by Harry's casual magical research.
"The geometric relationships suggest mathematical foundations," Bruce observed with obvious interest. "Each symbol appears to be positioned according to specific proportional relationships that create resonant harmonics throughout the entire pattern. It's like... magical architecture, isn't it? Each component serves both individual and systemic functions."
*Of course Bruce would immediately recognize the mathematical elegance of runic arrays. Trust him to identify the underlying theoretical framework even without magical ability of his own.*
"Master Bruce is quite correct," Giovanni said with growing professional fascination despite his obvious concern about the implications. "Advanced runic magic does require mathematical precision, harmonic theory, and comprehensive understanding of symbolic resonance patterns. These are graduate-level magical concepts, Master Hadrian."
Giovanni carefully lifted the parchment, examining it with the sort of reverent attention usually reserved for priceless historical artifacts or evidence of impossible phenomena.
"More than graduate-level, actually. Some of these symbol combinations... I've never seen anything like them. Where exactly did you find reference materials for this particular runic tradition?"
*Ah. Well. That would be because I'm drawing on runic knowledge from Ancient Runes classes at Hogwarts, combined with practical application techniques I developed during my previous career in impossible situations and supernatural crisis management.*
"Different books," Harry replied with diplomatic vagueness. "The Wayne library has a really extensive collection. Some of the books are quite old and cover magical traditions from various historical periods and geographical regions."
This was technically accurate, though it omitted the inconvenient detail that his actual knowledge came from an entirely different reality's magical education system rather than from Wayne ancestral book collecting.
"Could Hadrian teach runic magic to Zatanna and Bruce?" Zatanna asked with obvious enthusiasm. "If Giovanni teaches standard magic and Hadrian teaches rune magic, then everyone could learn everything!"
"Oh yes," Bruce added with immediate interest. "I'd very much like to study runic magical theory, even if I can't perform the actual supernatural manipulations myself. The mathematical and theoretical frameworks would be fascinating to analyze and document."
Giovanni looked between the three children with the sort of expression that suggested he was rapidly reassessing numerous assumptions about appropriate magical education, childhood development, and the wisdom of allowing gifted students to pursue independent research in advanced theoretical areas.
"Master Hadrian," Giovanni said carefully, "would you be willing to demonstrate how these runes function? Because if they actually perform the protective functions you've described, we're discussing magical theory that exceeds most professional practitioners' capabilities."
Harry nodded agreeably, though he was careful to moderate his demonstration to avoid revealing the full extent of his runic knowledge and practical experience.
He placed his hand gently on the parchment, focusing on the array with the sort of respectful attention he'd learned to bring to collaborative magical work.
*Right then, runes,* he thought with polite courtesy, *would you mind providing a small demonstration of your protective capabilities? Nothing dramatic—just enough to show Giovanni that you're functional and properly constructed.*
The runic array began to glow with soft, steady light that seemed to emanate from within the symbols themselves rather than from any external source. The light was warm, welcoming, and somehow conveyed the impression of gentle but absolute protection—like being wrapped in a blanket made of concentrated safety and goodwill.
"Fascinating," Giovanni breathed, leaning closer to observe the magical activation with professional amazement. "The energy signature is completely different from conventional protective magic. It feels... collaborative rather than imposed. As though the runes are offering protection rather than creating barriers."
"That's exactly right," Harry confirmed with genuine enthusiasm for a subject that had always interested him. "Runic magic works through partnership and invitation rather than domination and control. You ask the symbols to provide their natural functions, and they respond by expressing their essential nature through practical application."
This philosophical explanation appeared to confirm several of Giovanni's growing suspicions about Harry's advanced understanding of magical theory and practice.
"Master Hadrian," Giovanni said with the sort of careful attention that preceded important questions, "this level of theoretical sophistication... it's remarkable for someone your age. Have you been conducting extensive independent study beyond our formal lessons?"
*Well, yes, but not in the way you're probably thinking.*
"I like reading about magic," Harry replied with perfectly honest enthusiasm. "And trying different approaches to see what works and what doesn't. Some things just seem... logical, I suppose. Like they should work that way."
Zatanna, who had been watching the demonstration with growing excitement, suddenly clapped her hands together with obvious delight.
"Zatanna wants to learn rune magic too! Can Hadrian teach Zatanna how to draw the magic pictures? And make them glow? And do protection magic?"
"And I'd like to study the theoretical frameworks," Bruce added with immediate interest. "Even if I can't activate the runes myself, I could help with research, documentation, mathematical analysis of symbol relationships, and systematic evaluation of different runic applications."
Giovanni was quiet for several moments, clearly weighing multiple considerations involving appropriate magical education, child safety, theoretical advancement, and the growing certainty that Hadrian Wayne possessed magical knowledge that couldn't be entirely explained by library research and natural talent.
"Very well," he said finally with obvious decision. "Master Hadrian, if you're willing to share your runic knowledge, we'll incorporate runic magical instruction into our curriculum. But," he added with firm emphasis, "we'll do so with proper supervision, appropriate safety protocols, and careful attention to theoretical foundation before practical application."
He looked seriously at all three children.
"And Master Hadrian, I'll want to review your reference materials personally. If you're working with historical magical texts, I need to ensure they're appropriate for your age and experience level. Some historical magical practices can be... inadvisable... without proper contextual understanding."
*Right. That could be problematic, since my actual reference materials exist in a completely different universe and my knowledge comes from institutional magical education that I received in a previous lifetime.*
"Of course," Harry agreed readily. "Though some of the books are quite old and might be difficult to locate again. The Wayne library is enormous, and I wasn't keeping careful track of exactly which sections I was exploring."
This was a diplomatic way of suggesting that comprehensive documentation might be challenging without actually lying about the accessibility of non-existent source materials.
"We'll sort that out later," Giovanni decided pragmatically. "For now, let's focus on establishing proper instructional framework for collaborative runic education."
As the lesson continued with increasingly complex discussions of magical theory, mathematical harmonics, and educational planning, Harry found himself impressed by Giovanni's flexibility and professional competence. Most magical instructors would have been considerably more concerned about students conducting independent research in advanced theoretical areas—but Giovanni seemed to recognize that exceptional students required exceptional educational approaches.
*This is working out remarkably well,* Harry thought with satisfaction. *Giovanni's treating runic knowledge as advanced but acceptable rather than impossible and suspicious. Zatanna's enthusiastic about collaborative magical learning. Bruce is fascinated by the theoretical frameworks and happy to participate even without personal magical ability. And I'm getting to share magical knowledge without revealing inconvenient details about interdimensional reincarnation.*
Though he suspected that Giovanni's easy acceptance of the situation wouldn't last indefinitely. The man was too intelligent and too experienced to miss the accumulating evidence that Hadrian Wayne possessed magical knowledge that couldn't be entirely explained by childhood curiosity and library research.
Eventually, someone was going to start asking more pointed questions about exactly where a five-year-old acquired comprehensive understanding of advanced magical theory and practical expertise in historical runic traditions.
*But that's a problem for future consideration,* Harry decided with characteristic optimism. *For now, I have magical education, enthusiastic study partners, and access to resources that most people couldn't imagine. And Giovanni Zatara is turning out to be an excellent instructor who's willing to adapt his curriculum to accommodate unusual students and unconventional magical approaches.*
*This lifetime is definitely improving.*
## Age 7 - Advanced Studies and Growing Suspicions
The guest house had undergone another expansion, this time adding a dedicated runic workshop that looked like a combination of medieval scriptorium and modern research laboratory. Giovanni had insisted on proper equipment for advanced magical education: precision drawing tools that could handle magical inks and enchanted parchments, reference library specifically focused on historical magical traditions, and safety equipment designed to contain any experimental results that exceeded expectations.
The children's magical development had progressed far beyond Giovanni's initial projections. Zatanna had mastered standard illusionist techniques while developing her own innovative approaches to dimensional manipulation. Bruce had become surprisingly accomplished at theoretical magical analysis despite his lack of personal supernatural ability, often identifying potential applications and strategic improvements that even experienced practitioners missed.
And Hadrian continued to demonstrate knowledge and capabilities that raised increasingly pointed questions about the source of his expertise.
"Today's exercise," Giovanni announced to his three students, "involves collaborative magical construction. We're going to create a comprehensive protection system for the entire Wayne Manor property using combined runic arrays and traditional ward structures."
This was considerably more ambitious than anything they'd previously attempted—the sort of large-scale magical project that would typically require multiple adult practitioners working in coordinated teams over several weeks.
"Master Hadrian," Giovanni continued with careful attention, "your runic expertise will provide the foundation framework. Miss Zatanna, your dimensional manipulation skills will handle spatial anchoring and energy distribution. Master Bruce, your theoretical analysis will coordinate integration and identify potential systemic vulnerabilities."
Bruce nodded with obvious satisfaction, settling at his workstation with notebooks, reference materials, and what appeared to be architectural blueprints of Wayne Manor that he'd somehow acquired for comprehensive analysis.
"I've calculated optimal positioning for primary anchor points," Bruce announced with professional competence that would have impressed graduate students in theoretical magical engineering. "Based on the property's geographical features, existing structures, and natural energy flow patterns, a twelve-point array should provide comprehensive coverage with appropriate redundancy and fail-safe protocols."
*Of course Bruce has conducted geographical surveys and energy pattern analysis of the entire Wayne Manor estate,* Harry thought with fond amusement. *Because naturally a seven-year-old would approach property protection like a military fortification project requiring detailed architectural assessment and systematic strategic planning.*
"Excellent preliminary analysis, Master Bruce," Giovanni approved. "Master Hadrian, can your runic techniques accommodate twelve-point array construction at that scale?"
Harry was already sketching preliminary designs, his hands moving with the sort of practiced confidence that suggested years of experience with complex magical architecture rather than recent childhood education.
"Twelve primary anchors, subsidiary connection points for energy distribution, backup activation runes in case of primary system failure, and monitoring arrays to provide real-time status information," Harry murmured as he worked, his voice taking on the sort of focused intensity he brought to genuinely challenging magical projects. "The interconnection patterns will need to account for the property's irregular boundaries and ensure adequate coverage for both the main house and auxiliary buildings..."
Giovanni watched Harry's design work with growing professional fascination and increasing concern about the implications of such advanced expertise in someone so young.
The runic arrays taking shape on Harry's parchment were extraordinarily sophisticated—far beyond what seven years of magical education could reasonably produce, even with exceptional natural talent and dedicated instruction. The symbol combinations, geometric relationships, and theoretical frameworks represented knowledge that Giovanni couldn't entirely explain through any conventional educational progression.
"Master Hadrian," Giovanni said carefully, "these designs... they incorporate runic traditions I've never encountered in any historical sources. Some of these symbols... where exactly did you learn these particular techniques?"
*Ah. Right. I'm drawing on magical knowledge from advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, practical ward construction experience from the war against Voldemort, and theoretical magical architecture that I learned during Auror training.* None of which existed in this reality or could be referenced without revealing inconvenient details about interdimensional reincarnation.
"Experimental development," Harry replied with diplomatic honesty. "I've been working on combining different runic traditions, seeing what happens when you integrate symbols from various historical periods and geographical regions. Some of the combinations just seem... logical... even though they're not documented in standard references."
This was technically accurate, though it omitted the detail that his "experimental development" was based on extensive previous experience with magical innovation rather than childhood curiosity and random experimentation.
Zatanna, who had been observing Harry's design work with obvious fascination, suddenly leaned forward with excited recognition.
"Hadrian, some of those symbols... they look like the ones in the really old book that Alfred showed us! The one with the leather cover that smelled like magic and made Zatanna's fingers tingle when she touched it!"
*Oh, bloody hell. Which book?* Harry had been hoping to avoid direct attention to specific source materials, but apparently Alfred had been sharing historical Wayne family materials that might corroborate or contradict his claimed research methods.
Giovanni's expression sharpened considerably, his performer's instincts clearly recognizing this as potentially important evidence about Harry's actual knowledge sources.
"Alfred showed you historical magical texts?" Giovanni asked with immediate professional interest. "Which texts, specifically? Because proper evaluation of your reference materials is essential for ensuring appropriate educational safety and theoretical accuracy."
Bruce, who had been conducting his own systematic analysis of Harry's runic designs, looked up from his notebooks with obvious curiosity.
"The book Miss Zatanna mentioned is probably the one Alfred described as part of the Wayne family's historical collection on 'alternative philosophical studies,'" Bruce said with his usual precision. "He said it contained material on medieval magical practices that previous Wayne family members had collected during European travels in the nineteenth century."
*Right. So there are actually historical magical texts in the Wayne Manor library that could potentially support my claimed research methods. That's... actually quite convenient, assuming they contain information that's compatible with what I've been teaching rather than contradictory to it.*
"I'd like to examine this historical text," Giovanni said with growing determination. "And any other magical references you've been using for your runic studies. Because Master Hadrian, your knowledge level is beginning to exceed what I can reasonably account for through conventional educational progression."
There was something in Giovanni's tone that suggested this conversation was moving beyond casual educational assessment toward more pointed investigation of Harry's background and capabilities.
"Alfred keeps the really old books in the restricted section of the library," Zatanna explained helpfully. "He said they're valuable and delicate and need special handling. But he let us look at them because Zatanna asked very politely and Hadrian knew how to read the old-fashioned writing."
*Old-fashioned writing. Right. Probably medieval Latin or archaic magical scripts that a seven-year-old shouldn't be able to read without specialized linguistic education.*
"You can read medieval manuscript scripts?" Giovanni asked with obvious surprise. "Master Hadrian, that requires training in historical linguistics, paleography, and archaic language structures. Where did you acquire those skills?"
*Well, technically I learned medieval Latin and magical script analysis during my previous magical education, combined with practical experience reading historical magical texts during various research projects involving ancient spells and obsolete magical techniques.*
"I've always been good with languages," Harry replied with careful understatement. "And old writing systems often follow logical patterns once you understand the basic principles. Plus, some of the older texts have illustrations that help explain the written content even when the language is unfamiliar."
This was diplomatically truthful while avoiding specific details about the extent of his linguistic capabilities and their actual source.
Giovanni was quiet for several moments, clearly processing multiple concerning implications about Harry's educational background and natural abilities.
"Master Hadrian," Giovanni said finally with obvious decision, "I believe it's time for a more comprehensive evaluation of your magical knowledge and capabilities. Because what I'm observing exceeds normal parameters for childhood development, even accounting for exceptional natural talent and intensive instruction."
He gestured around the workshop, taking in the advanced runic designs, sophisticated magical theory, and evidence of knowledge that couldn't be entirely explained through any conventional educational progression.
"After we complete today's ward construction project, I'm going to arrange for some... specialized... assessment procedures. With your parents' permission, of course. And I'll want to review your historical source materials personally."
*Right. So Giovanni Zatara is beginning to suspect that something unusual is going on with my magical knowledge and educational background. Which was probably inevitable, really—I've been trying to moderate my demonstrations, but apparently not successfully enough to avoid raising pointed questions about where exactly a seven-year-old acquires comprehensive understanding of advanced magical theory.*
"What sort of assessment procedures?" Bruce asked with obvious interest, clearly recognizing this as potentially important intelligence about his brother's capabilities and background.
"Comprehensive evaluation of magical knowledge, practical skill assessment, theoretical understanding analysis, and... certain specialized tests that can help identify unusual circumstances surrounding supernatural ability development."
Giovanni's tone suggested these assessments might reveal more about Harry's background than would be entirely comfortable for maintaining his carefully constructed cover story.
*Well,* Harry thought with characteristic resignation, *I suppose it was unrealistic to expect that I could conceal the extent of my magical knowledge indefinitely. Eventually, someone was going to notice that my capabilities exceed what seven years of life experience could reasonably produce.*
*The question now becomes: how much of the truth am I prepared to reveal, and how much of it will anyone actually believe?*
---
Hey fellow fanfic enthusiasts!
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Whether you loved it, hated it, or have some constructive criticism, your feedback is super important to me. Feel free to drop a comment or send me a message with your thoughts. Can't wait to hear from you!
If you're passionate about fanfiction and love discussing stories, characters, and plot twists, then you're in the right place! I've created a Discord (HHHwRsB6wd) server dedicated to diving deep into the world of fanfiction, especially my own stories. Whether you're a reader, a writer, or just someone who enjoys a good tale, I welcome you to join us for lively discussions, feedback sessions, and maybe even some sneak peeks into upcoming chapters, along with artwork related to the stories. Let's nerd out together over our favorite fandoms and explore the endless possibilities of storytelling!
Can't wait to see you there!