HP: The Boy who saw Magic

The sunset on Wednesday evening dyed the corridor of Hogwarts golden. Kevin Hawthorne stood in front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, his fingers unconsciously stroking the parchment hidden inside his robe. His gray-blue eyes stared at the complex patterns carved on the door. In his "Eye of Truth", those patterns were emitting faint magical fluctuations.

Just as he was about to knock, the door opened automatically.

"Please come in, Mr. Hawthorne." Professor Victor's voice came from inside, low and magnetic.

Kevin took a deep breath and walked into the office. The scene in front of him made him hold his breath involuntarily—the whole room was like an alchemist's dream. The walls were covered with glimmering rune charts, and there were bottles of potions of different colors on the shelves, some of which were still boiling on their own. In the center of the room was a huge bronze device engraved with ancient runes, which was slowly rotating and making a humming sound.

Professor Victor stood behind a workbench piled with ancient books, his long blond hair tied into a low ponytail, and a black eye mask adding a bit of mystery to him. He was wearing his iconic asymmetrical stand-up collar robe, and his crimson high-necked shirt was particularly eye-catching in the candlelight.

"Have you come here with curiosity and courage?" Victor's lips curled up into a meaningful smile.

Kevin nodded cautiously, "As you wish, Professor."

"Let me guess," Victor walked around the workbench, his black boots making a slight sound on the floor, "Have you been losing your appetite these days, and have you been wondering what the intentions of this weird professor like me are?" There was obvious mischief in his tone.

Kevin did not answer immediately, but observed the alchemical devices in the office. In his "Eye of Truth", the flow of magic inside those devices showed astonishing complexity, far exceeding most of the things he had observed before.

Victor suddenly laughed. "Relax, kid. If I wanted to do something bad to you, I could do it on the first day of school."

He walked over to a cauldron that was emitting purple smoke and sprinkled a handful of silver powder into it. "Nico and I have no ill will towards you. On the contrary, we want to help you realize your true potential."

"Why me?" Kevin finally spoke, his voice calmer than expected, "Because of my talent?"

Victor paused for a moment and said, "Yes, it is because of this talent." He put down the stirring stick and looked directly into Kevin's eyes. "You bought so many alchemy books during the summer vacation, so you should also know Nicolas Flamel's status in the magic world, right?"

"Nicolas Flamel, one of the greatest alchemists in history, has countless alchemical inventions, but his most acclaimed masterpiece is the Philosopher's Stone that can make people immortal. But what does this have to do with my talent?" Kevin replied.

"Don't be impatient. Do you know Nico's teacher?" Victor looked at Kevin and asked.

"Nicolas Flamel's teacher? Isn't it rumored that his alchemy came from the Book of Abraham?" Kevin asked in confusion.

"Of course, the Book of Abraham does exist, but this book is actually a test given to Nico by his teacher."

"A test?"

"Yes, Nico's teacher saw his talent and gave him the Book of Abraham, and his teacher had the same talent as you, the 'Eye of Truth'."

Kevin's heart beat faster. Nicolas Flamel, one of the greatest alchemists in history, his teacher actually had the same talent as himself?

"The organization we belong to is called the Ring of Hermes," Victor continued, drawing a symbol in the air with his finger. The symbol flashed silver and floated in the air. "It was founded by Nico, and it brings together a group of like-minded researchers. We don't care about politics, and we don't participate in disputes. We only pursue the true meaning of magic and the study of knowledge."

"All members of the group are nominated by Nico, and then another official member of the organization will evaluate whether they are qualified to join the organization."

As Kevin listened, he stared at the symbol. In his vision, it was woven from countless tiny threads of magic, each of which flowed according to a specific pattern: "So… Nico has taken a fancy to me, and you are here to assess whether I am qualified to join?"

"Sharp reflexes!" Victor snapped his fingers, and the symbol turned into a group of silver butterflies that flew away. "But you are wrong about one thing. This evaluation is just a formality. Ever since I saw you use the 'Eye of Truth' to observe the Sorting Hat at the opening banquet, and observe various people and objects in the school, and finally after you activated the rune stone, I was sure that you were qualified."

Kevin's body froze. He had never told anyone about his actions, and he never expected to be discovered.

"Don't be so surprised," Victor chuckled and walked to a glass cabinet, taking out a thick ancient book. "Although your talent is rare, it is as obvious as a beacon in the dark night to those of us who know about it." He handed the book to Kevin. "The Door of Truth, part of my alchemy notes, is a gift for meeting you."

Kevin took the book and felt a strange warmth as soon as his fingertips touched the cover. In his field of vision, the densely packed runes on the pages were emitting a soft blue light.

"What can the Ring of Hermes give you?" Victor suddenly became serious, "Knowledge, guidance, and like-minded companions. In exchange, we need your talent to help us solve some ancient magical puzzles."

Kevin flipped open the book and took a quick look. It was filled with complicated graphs and equations, some of which had dangerous warning symbols next to them.

Hearing Victor's words, he looked up at Victor: "For example, the curse on you?"

The office fell silent instantly. Victor's expression froze for two seconds, and his right hand unconsciously touched his left arm, which was covered by a robe and gloves. "…It seems that your talent is beyond doubt."

"It's just a guess." Kevin answered cautiously, "I have observed some cursed books before, and the situations they showed were very similar to yours, but your situation is much more serious."

Victor was silent for a moment, then suddenly untied the glove on his left hand, revealing the black lines on his arm. The lines were wriggling like living things, forming ancient runes. In Kevin's "Eye of Truth", they emitted disturbing black threads, and they were very rich.

"How is it? Can you see it more clearly now?" Victor said jokingly to Kevin who was observing carefully.

"What kind of curse caused this? Why is it so serious? Is it the curse about Voldemort?" Kevin asked impatiently.

"It seems that you do know a lot, even Voldemort's curse. That curse does exist, but unfortunately, the curse on me is not caused by it. On the contrary, I came to Hogwarts, not only for you, but also to study the curse in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class." Victor's voice was unusually calm.

Then he looked Kevin straight in the eye and said, "Okay, now that we know so much, tell me, are you willing to join us?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Kevin's mind. Joining a secret organization? This all came too suddenly. But on the other hand, his desire for magic and pursuit of the truth made him unable to simply refuse.

"I need some time to think about it," he said finally. "This is a big decision."

Victor smiled unexpectedly. "Very good, careful answer! Magic is not a joke and should be treated with caution." He walked to the door and made a gesture to see him off. "You have one week to make up your mind. Come and tell me your decision at any time. Before that…"

He pointed at the book and said, "Study The Door of Truth carefully. It will help you open the door to alchemy and understand more possibilities of the Eye of Truth."

Kevin put the book away carefully and walked towards the door.

Before leaving, Kevin looked back again. Victor had put on his gloves again and was standing in front of the alchemical device, working as if the conversation had never happened. Only the heavy "Door of Truth" on his arm reminded him that all this was real.

The torches in the corridor stretched his shadow very long, and Kevin knew that after tonight, his magic path would usher in an important turning point. No matter which path he chose, it would change his fate forever.

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