Chapter 20: Exploring the Mystery of Magic Runes
After letting out a soft sigh, Alexander picked up another book.
The book, What is Magic Text, introduced the concept as "the ladder for the mediocre to learn magic."
Alexander found the phrasing curious. Why call it "for the mediocre"? From his perspective, it was absurd to expect ordinary wizards to master and create spells simply through blind repetition and trial and error—without any system or structure.
Let alone creating entirely new magic.
Of course, there have always been rare geniuses who could instinctively sense their strengths, create magical phenomena, and name them. And history had seen some late-blooming ordinary wizards invent spells as well.
Still, according to What is Magic Text, most of those considered "mediocre" relied heavily on magic texts—especially runes.
Runes.
The book explained that runes were born when Odin, the Father of the Gods, hung himself from the World Tree for nine days and nights, seeking to grasp the mysteries of the universe. Each rune represents a name tied to a natural phenomenon.
Intrigued, Alexander found a book suited to his level: "Odin? The Secret of the Runes."
The cover depicted a one-eyed old man in ornate armor. Upon opening it, the preface began with a poem—one Alexander recognized from his studies of the Book of Changes. It was from the Poetic Edda, specifically the Hávamál ("Sayings of the High One"):
> Hanging from a wind-swayed tree for nine long nights,
Pierced by a spear, offered to Odin—
Myself to myself—on that tree no one knows.
No bread to still my hunger, no mead to quench my thirst,
I peered downward, grasped the runes,
And, screaming, fell from the tree.
Reading it, Alexander couldn't help but show a surprised expression.
Apparently, the ancient "masters" weren't exaggerating after all. Odin himself described the creation of the runes in his own words.
The book claimed that runes embodied the secrets of the universe, suggesting that every wizard could find their own personal runes, connect with them, and thus develop unprecedented magic.
However, to Alexander, this process resembled the Wall of Font Smith back in the Alchemy Cabin—a device that tested a wizard's magical attributes. Only, in this case, the "device" was created by an unbelievably powerful being, imbued with his magic.
Ordinary wizards could tap into this key to sense, learn, and create magic. It was like being handed a catalog of designs by a skilled artist—you chose the template you resonated with and worked from there.
But the real genius—the true original creator—was Odin, or those rare rune-users who later reached incredible heights.
Over generations, as countless wizards engaged with them, the power of the runes became immense. Not necessarily in raw strength, but in potential: any wizard who seriously studied them could learn to create spells.
As for why other magical texts never gained such widespread acceptance, Alexander had a theory: perhaps the ancient wizards who created them were still alive.
In contrast, Odin—rooted in Norse mythology, where even gods meet their end at Ragnarok—was likely long dead.
A dead creator meant no living threat. Hence, runes could spread freely.
Alexander thought back to the Peverell brothers. Ignotus Peverell, mentioned in the original Harry Potter stories, might have even developed his own unique set of magical "runes."
Despite being an elective at Hogwarts, Ancient Runes was surprisingly approachable. Alexander suspected the reason it wasn't mandatory had less to do with difficulty and more with political stability. After all, unsupervised creation of unknown magic could easily spawn dangerous spells—including dark magic.
And in a peaceful society, sparks like that were best kept under control.
Furthermore, Hogwarts itself had adopted a rather carefree, "happy education" model. Few students had the patience or drive to study magic so deeply.
Reviewing books like A Simple Introduction to Ancient Runes, Rune Dictionary, Magical Symbols Collection, Magical Phonetic Chart, and Advanced Rune Translation, Alexander noticed they never even mentioned inventing new magic. They focused purely on memorizing the origins and meanings of runes—a pastime suitable for book-lovers, but hardly a path to mastery.
In reality, profound magical knowledge remained hidden in pure-blood families' private collections. Hogwarts' library, without a professor's personal recommendation, was unlikely to offer anything more than surface-level textbooks.
Fortunately, Alexander had an advantage: between his knowledge panel, natural talent, and ability to analyze magic, he could break through barriers others found insurmountable.
For ordinary students, rune study was like carving through a stone wall with a spoon. For Alexander, it was smashing through with a hammer.
He even mused that if someone like Hermione, with her unmatched study habits, or Harry, with his strong magical perception, pursued rune studies seriously, they could achieve much more than they had in the original timeline.
But then again, access to real resources was a major barrier. Even pure-blood families often neglected their ancestral libraries, focusing instead on wealth and status. Only a few Ravenclaw-born purebloods, like the Smiths, still valued deep knowledge.
Adding to the challenge, Dumbledore himself—despite his pro-Muggle stance—had relocated many dangerous or profound books to the Restricted Section, making it almost impossible for Muggle-born students to truly excel.
It made sense, though. As a Gryffindor, Dumbledore prioritized spirit, bravery, and ideals over the pursuit of deep magical understanding. If a Ravenclaw had been headmaster, Hogwarts might have been a different place entirely.
Alexander couldn't help but criticize Dumbledore inwardly.
Dumbledore trained students based on maintaining a kind of "pure spirit"—not by teaching advanced magic. Harry was a prime example. Despite Harry's raw talent, Dumbledore never taught him serious magic, relying instead on love, courage, and persistence to guide him.
In Alexander's view, Harry was better suited to a Ravenclaw path. Even as a child abused by the Dursleys, Harry had enough confidence to say he was good at schoolwork—a spark of natural self-belief that should have been nurtured intellectually.
Dumbledore, however, was more a politician than an educator.
If not for his personal guilt over his sister's death—and the resulting aversion to wielding political power—Dumbledore might have become Minister of Magic long before Fudge. And Voldemort's resurgence would have been much harder.
Because of this, Alexander knew he could never fully trust Dumbledore with his own plans. The man was too reluctant to act decisively, too prone to offering second chances—even to the irredeemable.
With a heavy sigh, Alexander closed the book and leaned back, lost in critical thought.
Having a higher perspective on the world really did make it easy to fall into deep, complicated reflections.
(End of Chapter)
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