Hogwarts Raven

The moon hung high in the sky, casting its glow over the ancient castle of Hogwarts and the peaceful village of Hogsmeade.

"Lumos!"

Bright light dispelled the darkness inside the wooden cabin, illuminating its minimalist furniture. Even the small spider on its web in the corner was now clearly visible.

It was another attempt at magic practice.

But this time, when the light appeared, it did not fade away like before. Through repeated practice and the gradual honing of his skills, Ian had finally begun to grasp the essence of this basic wizarding spell. The light shining from the tip of his wand wasn't the brilliance of the Sun but rather a manifestation of the light within his own soul.

Yes.

This was the essence of the Lumos Charm.

At least, it was the rudimentary understanding Ian had reached.

"A world driven by will..."

Even though Ian had mentally prepared himself for the unscientific nature of magic, mastering his first spell still prompted an involuntary sigh of awe.

All magic.

It stemmed from the wizard themselves.

From the power of belief.

This echoed the explanations Ian had once heard about magic. Now, his own realization aligned closely with such a perspective.

Perhaps.

If Ian could learn enough spells and raise his magical abilities to sufficient heights, he might uncover the true origins of magic and solve the enduring mystery surrounding its inception.

"Still, achieving that is a long journey ahead," Ian murmured, feeling a wave of drowsiness. This fatigue could likely be attributed to his magic power expenditure.

Yet.

It wasn't the clear sense of depletion or reduction that one might expect. Ian's magical energy hadn't visibly diminished. Instead, the sensation was akin to the weariness after staying up all night— subtle but undeniable.

Clearly.

A wizard's magic power didn't work like the distinct "mana points" in video games, where there was a clear increase or decrease. The so-called magic consumption was more accurately described as a temporary "fatigue" of magical vitality.

It felt like a waning of some internal energy that required time and rest to restore its vibrancy. It was similar to physical exhaustion from exercise, which could be recuperated with proper rest.

"Fortunately, I've already mastered the Lumos Charm. It's late, so I should clean up and get some sleep." The drowsiness brought by this magical fatigue was, in a way, a blessing.

Otherwise.

Given the day's events and the thrill of discovering magic, Ian doubted he could get a good night's sleep. It was akin to how kids often struggled to sleep after their first experience with video games.

The "fatigue" of magic power was a natural sedative.

The bedroom was tidy, carrying the faint lavender fragrance of freshly replaced linens. This saved Ian the trouble of making the bed. After a quick shower, he slipped under the covers.

Outside, the sound of flowing streams and croaking frogs created a serene lullaby. Despite the magical exhaustion, Ian couldn't resist opening his panel for one last look.

That feeling.

It was as if he feared the magic he had learned would somehow disappear while he slept— a childish worry.

Name: Ian Prince

Occupation: Bloodline Sorcerer

Magic Power: Level 4

Skills:

[Lumos Charm (Level 1)]: 1/100

Language Proficiency (Level 4): 743/800

Biological Dissection (Level 5): 69/1600

Free Fighting (Level 3): 86/400

Psychology (Level 6): 84/3200

[Psychology Extraordinary Traits: Thought Perception]

[Biological Dissection Extraordinary Traits: Butcher's Instinct]

With the successful upgrade of [Lumos Charm] to Level 1, Ian moved one step closer to awakening Extraordinary Traits.

Although having only Level 4 Magic Power might not seem particularly gifted, Ian felt neither dejected nor disappointed. As young wizards grew older, their Magic Power typically increased significantly.

Magic Power wasn't the issue.

It was the study and application of magic that truly determined a wizard's excellence.

"In that case, the wand seller wasn't wrong. I'm destined to become an extraordinary wizard," Ian thought, his confidence swelling slightly.

The truth was undeniable.

With such an incredibly powerful auxiliary tool, learning magic would always be much easier for Ian. Every increase in skill proficiency brought a deeper understanding.

When skills like [Lumos Charm] advanced from Level 0 to 1, Ian experienced profound insights— moments of clarity where concepts that once seemed distant and hazy suddenly felt within reach.

This was undeniably an extraordinary ability, a gift many wizards couldn't even dream of.

For most wizards, mastering a charm involved following the descriptions in textbooks, and replicating the steps painstakingly derived by previous generations through trial and error.

However.

Ian's approach to understanding and learning magic was fundamentally different.

With each attempt, he gained a clearer grasp of the magic underlying the charm. Strictly speaking, Ian wasn't merely learning the charm; he was understanding the essence of the magic itself.

This was what set Ian apart.

He was studying the method.

In contrast, most wizards— even adult ones— only learned the spells.

Take [Lumos Charm], for instance.

Many wizards, even by graduation, still relied entirely on the established methods from their first year without ever advancing their understanding of this basic spell.

The rarity of wandless spellcasting for most wizards lay precisely in this dependency.

Spells were shortcuts.

By simply reciting the corresponding incantations, wizards triggered these shortcuts to connect with the magic, gradually becoming reliant on this method.

To achieve wandless spellcasting, however, one must understand the deeper essence of the magic within the charm.

Perhaps, in earlier times, many wizards sought to uncover the truth behind magic. But in the current era, a restless heart wasn't unique to Muggles.

Just as Muggles abandoned letters for telephones, wizards abandoned the tedious pursuit of magic's mysteries for easier methods of casting.

Truth was always the pursuit of the few.

Magic was no exception.

"I wonder how much deeper my understanding needs to be before I can perform magic without a wand…" Holding onto dreams of the future, Ian slowly drifted to sleep.

Tonight.

He chose not to control his dreams.

As a result.

His dreams were far more vivid and fantastical than usual.

(End of Chapter)

You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my P*treon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395