By second year, Vikram had a reputation — not popular, not feared, but discussed. Professors described him as "methodical." Students described him as "strange." He kept notebooks divided by magical principles instead of subjects: Intent Mechanics, Energy Flow, Spell Structure Failures.
Most students memorized spells.
Vikram reverse-engineered them.
In Charms, while others practiced Levitation, he altered pronunciation stress and discovered micro-variations changed lift stability. Professor Flitwick first praised the observation — then gently told him to "stick to standard casting for exams."
Standardization, Vikram noted, was worshipped more than understanding.
He observed the Marauders often — not from admiration, but study. James and Sirius treated magic like sport. Their instinctive casting speed was exceptional. Remus cast carefully, conserving motion. Peter copied others' wand angles unconsciously.
Different magical personalities produced different spell signatures. That fascinated him.
Lily Evans impressed him most. Her spell efficiency was nearly perfect — minimal waste, precise output. She didn't overpower magic — she aligned with it.
Snape, meanwhile, modified everything. Wand angles, incantation rhythm, intent timing. He wasn't reckless — he was inventive.
One evening in the library, Vikram told him, "You don't cast spells. You rewrite them mid-flight."
Snape stared, surprised.
"Most people don't see that."
"Most people don't look," Vikram replied.
Outside Hogwarts, war rumors grew louder.Inside, students still complained about homework.
The contrast felt unreal.