Leaving Professor Flitwick's office, Alex Gunter made his way toward the library, his mind still buzzing with thoughts from their conversation. Flitwick hadn't just answered his questions — he had opened a door, one that led deeper into the very soul of magic itself.
Magic, Alex now realized, wasn't just about reciting incantations and flicking wands. It was mystery and will and structure, bound together in ancient language and invisible power. Most wizards were content to use spells without understanding them — mechanics without meaning. And that was fine, because Hogwarts wasn't built to produce magical scholars. It was built to educate Britain's entire magical population.
But if you wanted more — if you craved real understanding — you had to seek it out yourself.
And Alex was ready to do just that.
...
At the library entrance, he passed by Madam Pince, the stern guardian of Hogwarts' literary treasures. Her hawk-like gaze scanned the room with terrifying precision. The mere sound of a page turning too quickly could draw her icy glare, and Merlin help the student who dared to dog-ear a page.
Alex offered a polite nod and headed for the general stacks. He soon found what he was looking for: An Introduction to Ancient Runes by Sylvis Victor — the textbook used by third-years all the way through their O.W.L.s.
For now, it would be more than enough.
He settled into a quiet corner and began to read, completely absorbed until dinnertime arrived. Only then did he reluctantly slide the book back onto the shelf.
"I need to buy a copy," he muttered to himself. "Can't keep wasting time coming here every day."
But he knew better than to send his phoenix, Fury, for such a simple errand. A blazing bird would cause quite the scene. No, he'd borrow a school owl from the Owl Post later.
For now? Tonight called for a proper... midnight excursion.
The school rules?
Please. As the heir of the Brotherhood, Alex lived by a simple creed:
If no one sees you break the rules, then you didn't break them.
...
At the Great Hall, he found Cho already seated, and she had saved him a spot.
He slid into the seat. In moments, the empty plate before him overflowed with food — nearly four times what was on anyone else's plate. A mountain of meat, potatoes, and warm rolls threatened to topple onto the tablecloth.
Cho laughed softly. "Did someone skip lunch?"
"I'll have you know, reading burns a lot of energy," Alex replied, his voice muffled by roast beef. "Straight from the library."
"Truly Ravenclaw's little prodigy," she teased, handing him a glass of juice so he didn't choke to death mid-boast. "First house points of the year, all thanks to you."
Alex rolled his eyes, ignoring her playful tone and focused on dinner. Every bite fueled the fire that was quietly building inside him — a drive not just to be good, but to be exceptional.
...
After dinner, Cho returned to the common room to play wizard's chess with her dormmates. Alex, meanwhile, dragged himself up the long stairs to the Astronomy Tower. Time for his least favorite subject.
Despite Hogwarts being a school of magic, Astronomy class was painfully mundane — peering through telescopes, charting stars, memorizing constellations. No flying planets. No spellcasting comets. Just... astronomy.
By 9 p.m., Alex was thoroughly cross-eyed from squinting at the sky. He stumbled back to his dorm room and flopped onto the bed, exhausted.
"I can't slack off," he grumbled, sitting up. "I still have to hit the library tonight."
Wandless casting wouldn't learn itself, and Alex was under no illusion: without a wand, most wizards were nothing but prey. Powerless. Vulnerable.
He didn't plan to be anyone's prey.
...
Half-past midnight.
The common room was quiet. Alex cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, careful to blend into the shadows, and slipped out into the hallway like a wraith.
No one in sight. Good.
The last thing he needed was to run into Filch or, even worse, that damned cat Mrs. Norris. The two of them patrolled the castle at night like ghosts with grudges, always sniffing out mischief and rule-breakers.
Alex crept through the corridors, ears sharp, every step calculated. When he reached the library, he exhaled with relief.
The book from earlier was still there, untouched. He grabbed it, paused, then turned toward the back — the Restricted Section.
Yes, he knew it was off-limits. But the Restricted Section was deeper, quieter, easier to hide in. And if anyone came snooping, he could vanish before they ever knew he was there.
He settled in.
Lighting his wand just enough to see, he propped it nearby and began to read.
The material was exactly what he needed. Ancient runes weren't just an alphabet. Each symbol hummed with power, its structure and intention shaping how magic could be formed, focused, and unleashed. Some runes were so complex they could fill an entire book just to define them.
This was what he had been looking for — real knowledge. Not schoolhouse memorization. Power through understanding.
...
But just as he was about to flip another page, a faint sound snapped him out of his trance.
Voices.
He tilted his head, listening.
"Move it, George! If Filch catches us, I'm blaming you for the rest of the year!"
"Oh, please, Fred! I was setting up the dungbomb trap! You're just mad I finished mine first!"
Laughter echoed faintly down the corridor.
Alex blinked, then groaned silently.
Oh no.
The Weasley twins — two chaos incarnate in red hair and school robes — were charging straight toward the library. And from the distant shouting behind them, they'd brought an uninvited guest.
"I KNOW IT'S YOU TWO! DON'T THINK YOU CAN HIDE! ONE WHOLE TERM OF DETENTION IF I CATCH YOU!"
Filch.
Bloody hell.
Alex resisted the urge to slam his head into the bookshelf. He had planned this night down to the detail. Quiet. Secluded. Productive.
And now two madmen had led the devil himself straight into his study hall.
Still, he had to admit — the twins didn't need help. Third-years now, they'd been playing this game with Filch for long enough to turn it into a sport.
So instead of fleeing, Alex did the only reasonable thing left to do:
He put his wand away, tucked himself deeper into the shadows of the Restricted Section, and got comfortable.
He might not finish reading tonight.
But at least... he could enjoy the show.
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