Chapter 123: Ancient Runes
An hour later, Jon left the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with a solemn expression, following a group of Hufflepuff students.
Several classmates beside him were still buzzing about what Moody had just covered:
“Professor Moody really knows his stuff!”
“Who would've thought we'd get such a close look at dark magic?”
“If the Ministry found out what we're learning, would they go after Professor Moody and Professor Dumbledore?”
...
Ignoring their whispers, Jon sank into quiet thought.
From that lesson alone, he had already begun to piece some things together.
If that was the case, he urgently needed to learn more about dark magic.
Undoubtedly, as a Death Eater deeply trusted by Voldemort, Moody (Barty Crouch Jr.) really was accomplished in dark magic.
If he truly wanted to understand it, Moody would be a decent teacher.
Unfortunately, for safety’s sake, it was best to keep some distance from him. If anything went wrong—say, getting hit with an Imperius Curse—that would be anything but fun... And judging by Dumbledore’s behavior, he already suspected Moody. Everything should be under the Headmaster’s control.
Furthermore, years ago Dumbledore had hidden away the library’s books on dark magic.
For a young wizard from a non-pureblood family, getting real access to knowledge about dark magic was still very difficult.
Best to wait and see.
After grabbing a bite in the dining hall, he returned to the Hufflepuff common room—
Jon was surprised to find Zacharias Smith actually reading there.
“What, has the sun risen in the west?” Jon asked curiously as he walked over.
Zacharias smugly flipped his book to show the cover: Advanced Transfiguration Guide.
“How did you get your hands on this?” Jon asked, astonished.
“Borrowed it from the library!” Zacharias said excitedly. “I tricked that big oaf Hagrid, told him I needed a book on Magical Creatures. He didn’t even look at the request before signing, and then I borrowed this from Madam Pince!”
“You’re actually planning to become an Animagus?” Jon had already guessed his intention.
“Of course!”
...Unfortunately, Zacharias’s enthusiasm lasted only fifteen minutes.
When several Hufflepuff Quidditch players came looking for him, he tossed the restricted book to Jon.
“Too complicated!” he complained. “I’ve never seen such difficult Transfiguration—the process alone takes over a year. And you have to brew at least five advanced potions; I swear I can’t make a single one!”
“So your plan to sneak into the girls’ bathroom lasted all of five minutes?” Jon joked.
“Yep, abandoned!” Zacharias shook his head and stood. “I’m off to play Quidditch... Jon, if you’re heading to the library, return this to Madam Pince for me.”
“Sure, leave it to me!” Jon picked up the Advanced Transfiguration Guide Zacharias had tossed aside and slid it into his backpack.
“Thanks!”
...
Zacharias Smith had no classes that afternoon and could cut loose on the Quidditch Pitch.
Jon, however, still had Study of Ancient Runes. After resting a bit in the common room, he hurried to the third floor of the castle.
The course sounded tedious just from the name, so far fewer students had chosen it than other electives.
Only about a dozen Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students sat quietly in the room.
Jon found a seat.
“Hello!” From the front row, a Ravenclaw girl with waist-length, light-gold hair turned and gave him a gentle wink. “Jon Hart?”
“Yes, Miss Lovegood!” Jon smiled and nodded.
“I noticed you in Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning,” Luna said softly. “You seemed worried about something?”
“Maybe,” Jon hedged. “Probably just a heavy course load lately... Hey, you took this class too?”
“Of course!” Luna’s eyes sparkled. “My mother once told me... if you reverse these ancient runes, you can see they’re actually an ancient incantation! I’ve been looking forward to this class.”
“Oh?” Jon replied, a bit awkward.
Talking with Luna Lovegood was tiring—you could hardly keep up with her train of thought.
In a way, her mind was far too free-spirited.
Just then, Professor Bathsheda Babbling, the Runes teacher, walked in.
“I feel like your scent is familiar somehow...” Luna sniffed hard, then slowly turned back and opened her textbook.
...
Professor Bathsheda Babbling was a very young witch, looking only in her twenties, though her clothes were plain—one might even say a bit scruffy.
Her black robes seemed slightly faded, and she wore thick black-rimmed glasses.
Professor Babbling sat at the lectern and took attendance. With so few students, it ended quickly.
“Welcome to your first lesson in Study of Ancient Runes Professor Babbling’s voice was crisp. “Many students think this class is just about learning a useless ancient runes, hardly magic at all... I hope you won’t think so. Now, please open your books!”
Jon opened the table of contents in his copy of Spellman’s Syllabary—and froze.
In an inconspicuous corner of the index was a depiction of a man with his hands bound behind him, hanging upside down, a faint light shining from his head.
“What is this...” Jon had flipped through Spellman’s Syllabary many times, but had never noticed that detail.
“Turn to page three,” Professor Babbling said firmly. “The origin of magic is a much-debated topic... However, in A History of Magic circles, the most convincing view is that modern magic originated in ancient Norse magic!”
“Ancient Norse magic has largely been lost, but their writing remains—the runes. We have reason to believe we can infer traces of ancient magic from the script itself.” Professor Babbling paused, then continued, “As described in the ancient Norse poem on page three of your textbook—”
“Hanging nine nights from a wind-tossed tree,
Pierced by a spear;
I was offered as a sacrifice to Odin,
Sacrificing myself to myself,
On a tree unknown to all!
No bread to still my hunger, no water to quench my thirst.
Only mystic runes fell from the tree;
I looked down and gathered the runes,
Crying out as I grasped them, filling my heart...”
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.