As Christian lay on his bed, he could not stop thinking about school and the possible adventures and friends he would make. A few weeks ago, he secretly went to Diagon Alley on July 31st and saw Harry Potter and Hagrid. He was surprised to find he looked like Daniel Radcliffe but with bright green eyes. Moreover, Hagrid was 11 feet tall, as in the book, instead of the 8 feet in the movie, which was odd.
Christian did not try to steal the Philosopher's Stone, as in many of Jim's fanfictions. It was pointless since he could not do anything with it because he lacked knowledge of Alchemy. Additionally, being on the wrong side of the greatest wizard in modern times was stupid.
He had no desire for immortality nor an extreme fear of death, and his wealth was considerable enough. Plus, his mentality is that since Nicolas Flamel can create one, so can he. Arrogant, but that's how he felt.
'No matter what, school should be interesting,' thought Christian before meditating and sleeping. Early in the morning, his mother took him to get new robes and potion materials. However, in the afternoon, she disappeared. With Aunt Eleanor's busy schedule, he was left alone. The odd part is that this continued for the next five days, and when he asked his mother, she explained that she was helping a friend.
On the sixth day, Christian heard a knocking sound downstairs while reading and swiftly took out his wand to investigate. He immediately noticed a disturbance in Aunt Eleanor's study.
"Homenum Revelio!" Christian's chant was small, almost a murmur, but it worked.
'No one?' He slowly walked to the large study area and saw many books on the floor and a broken desk. He frowned before using the Repairing Charm to fix everything. Everything returned to normal in seconds, except for an earring on the floor.
"Is this Aunt Eleanor's?" he uttered as he picked it up — a terrible mistake. The world immediately swirled around him, and he disappeared from the room. As soon as Christian arrived at his destination, he cast a Shield Charm nonverbally, preparing for the worst. Luckily for him, nothing happened. He could process these events now that he was not in immediate danger.
'Why was there a break-in in our house? And why did the perpetrator leave a Portkey in the shape of Aunt Eleanor's earring?' Christian immediately had an answer — this was a test designated by his mother.
'It would explain her disappearance. However, I could also be wrong, so I should take this seriously.'
He finally observed his surroundings and almost screamed. This place was his nightmare: an endless forest with trees that all looked alike. For someone with a terrible sense of direction, this was his living nightmare.
'Calm down. I need to think rationally and create a plan,' thought Christian. After a few seconds, he walked to the nearest tree and pointed his wand, "Incendio." He controlled the flame enough only to leave a mark. He then did the exact thing two more times.
Christian found a thick tree with branches and pointed his wand upward. "Ascendio." He jumped high into the sky and landed on a thick branch. He repeated the spell until he reached the top, allowing him to look at the horizon. Unfortunately, despite his near-perfect vision, he could not see far. So, he conjured a telescope to look in the distance, but all he could see were trees and more trees.
Christian groaned, "What did she say to me? If I'm lost, go north; the highest chance of encountering people or civilization is by going north."
Christian looked at the sky, and the sun was about to set. He knew it was pointless to determine the cardinal direction based on the stairs, so he cheated by using magic. With conjuration, he had a compass in his hand as he levitated to the ground.
Christian walked around, following the compass. He would mark the area while stopping at intervals of two minutes to cast a random spell. However, he had to give up after over an hour while smiling wryly.
His lack of direction sense was a curse. Despite his best efforts to use Occlumency, his mind worked against him. As such, he could not follow the compass and continue north no matter what he tried.
"Change of my plan — stay alive as long as possible." If this is a test, there should be a time limit. If he's lost, his mother and aunt will try to find him. If someone else is responsible, they must eventually show up.
"Appare Vestigium." This spell showed recent magical activities, and Christian used it to retrace his steps to his landing spot.
"I'm going to need a place to sleep and food," he muttered. He did not know how to build a shelter, but could use Conjuration. So, he conjured a tent and a sleeping bag. Christian tried to summon food from his house but was unsuccessful, which became another reason he believed this was another test.
He walked to the nearest tree, used the Severing Charm to cut the tree, and acquired wood for a fire. The Fire Making Charm eliminated the need to find a way to make flames. He turned a branch into a pot and used Aguamanti to drink and boil water.
"Next for the ingredients." Christian thought briefly before waving his wand, "Accio Mushroom." He was surprised by this tactic's effectiveness, as many mushrooms of different colors and shapes flew into his arm. He had read a book on identifying them, so he took the moment to find the edible ones and put them in the pot. He tried on a few more vegetables; some worked, and others failed.
"Now, for some meat." He used the summoning charm again, but his target was a rabbit's hair. It failed on the first attempt, but after walking around, Christian finally succeeded. Holding the creature's hair, he used another spell: Avenseguim.
The hair flew in the air, and Christian immediately used the Disillusionment Charm to turn invisible. Then, he followed the flying air to its destination — its owner. He saw a tiny little brown bunny and slowly approached. The creatures seemed to have heard something and looked around.
'I should learn a Silencing Spell to go with this one,' thought Christian, who decided to be quiet. Once he was within reach, he used the Incarcerous Spell, materializing ropes from the tip of his wand that bound the creature.
"Dinner is complete." Christian used the traces of magic he had used to find his way to his camp, and by the time he arrived, the water in the pot was already boiling. He prepared to clean the bunny to add as meat, but suddenly stopped and looked the creature in the eyes.
Its eyes were clear and bright, and the fear was evident.
"You're a creature with a soul, just like me," said Christian, caressing its long ears. "I think I can live a day on vegetables alone." He removed his spell and freed the creature. She looked at him, body still trembling but with eyes full of hope.
"You're free. Don't worry, I won't hurt you."
The bunny hesitated before walking to him, smelling his hand and licking it before hopping away. Christian smiled before focusing on his meal. He used a trick his mother taught him that helped conjure seasonings and add them to the vegetable stew.
"What a satisfactory meal," muttered Christian. This meal was probably the worst food he had ever had in his life, but it was oddly satisfying because he made it himself.
"Now, for a peaceful night's sleep."
Christian laid protective enchantments around the camp. He followed Hermione's example in the last book by placing the Trip Jinx, which would trip anyone who tries to approach his area. He cast the Caterwauling Charm, an alarm charm that would release a scream when someone came near. His mother ensured he knew these spells in case of an emergency, as she stated. Lastly, he cast the Disillusionment Charm to make his sleeping quarters invisible.
Without these worries, Christian could meditate and review Jim's memories before sleeping. Jim had 42 years of memories, and the Mind Palace allowed him to relive any of them as vividly as possible. So, he was nowhere near the level where he had seen everything. Christian spent five days in this godforsaken forest, with only the little bunny who would return to accompany him. Her presence made this ordeal more tolerable.
However, after the third day, she never returned.
Then, on the fifth day, something finally happened. He heard a roar that was too close to his camp for comfort.
Christian was ready with his wand, and when he saw what was approaching, he thought, 'Really, mother? Two trolls?'
"Stupefy."
Christian immediately tries to stun these two creatures rushing toward him so aggressively. However, he discovered his attempt had failed. 'What? Trolls do not have magical resistance?' The trolls swung their large clubs with tremendous force. Luckily, Christian reacted swiftly and cast Protego, blocking them.
"Wingardium Leviosa." He used the Levitation Charm, targeting their weapons. He controlled them and dropped them on the troll's head, knocking them down. However, before he could sigh in relief, he heard a thumping sound, and three creatures appeared — no four—three trolls and what seemed to be a globin. Christian could not tell because they were all wearing armor from top to toe, and the goblin riding one of the trolls had a hood and a wand.
Despite the situation, Christian was calm, maybe too composed. He observed the approaching enemy and immediately noticed something: the armor on the third troll differed from the others; it was like it was missing something.
"Accio Armor." His deduction was correct as the third troll flew toward him. Then, Christian calmly tapped on the armor and transfigured it into binding metal ropes, capturing the creature.
"You're next," he said to the remaining two. His words agitated the goblin, and he used his wand. A blue orb rushed from it toward Christian, who blocked it with a shield. However, the force from the attack dragged his body a few meters behind. Luckily, his shield held up.
'So powerful?' He immediately changed tactics. When a new orb arrived, Christian rebounded it, and as expected, the troll's armor provided them with high magic resistance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The goblin was relentless as it released spell after spell. Although he only used the blue orb, they were fast, nonverbally cast, and potent. Christian could only defend himself, deflecting the orbs to the side to reduce the burden on his shield.
But then, the first troll arrived before him. The creature swung down its club, intending to turn him into meat paste. Christian timed it perfectly as he rolled to the right and immediately stood up.
"Depulso."
A powerful force from his wand sent the weapon flying away. Simultaneously, his left hand used a wandless or handweaving spell to cast a shield, not for him, but around the troll. Then, Christian rolled on the ground again to evade another blue orb from the goblin.
Standing up, he glanced at the creature with the side of his eye and knew his plan had worked. A powerful shield surrounded the troll, but it was nothing but his prison. He punched and kicked it, but the shield remained standing.
'Finally, it's their turn,' thought Christian, waving his wand to deflect another blast. He rushed to the right side of the camp, where these creatures had not destroyed all the trees. As soon as he was out of sight, he turned invisible with the Disillusionment Charm.
The goblin kept firing in Christian's direction, destroying the forest and everything else. But he never found his target.
"Aqua Eructo." A powerful water jet rushed at the goblin and troll, but he quickly blocked it with a shield. He then looked in the direction it originated from and started firing, but nothing was there. A few seconds later, another voice echoed in another direction:
"Glacius."
Ice formed on the armored troll from his feet before rushing to his head until it was an ice sculpture. The goblin reacted by jumping down, but what greeted him was a Petrification Spell from Christian.
Christian slowly walked from the shadow, becoming visible in the process. He looked at everyone before focusing on the troll inside his protection charm. That was technically the only remaining threat. He made a small step forward before stopping as he heard clapping behind him.
"So, it really was a test."
"Yes, and you pass beautifully," said Tiara. "Almost the perfect score."
"What did I miss?" asked Christian, but she did not immediately respond as she looked at the frozen troll. "The Freezing Charm cannot freeze people, so you drenched him in water and froze it, thus achieving the same effect. Wonderful."
"I love elemental magic but could not find any genuine Ice Spell, so I had to improvise," explained Christian. "So, are you going to explain?"
"Firstly, you did not find the magical ingredients I scattered around. I left you with the opportunity to create a Wingelweld Potion in case you were injured," explained Tiara, looking at him.
"You remember our first potion lesson?"
"You told me to always have some at my disposal."
"Correct. So, until you've learned some Healing Spells, they are your best friend," said Tiara. "Not just that, remember the book [Herbal Remedy Replacement] I asked you to read?"
"I do."
"Do you remember why?"
"If no magical plants exist, I can use traditional remedies for emergencies."
"For this test, I've placed yarrow, plantain leaves, and cayenne pepper in the surroundings, all herbs with anticoagulant properties that can be used to stop bleeding in an emergency; you didn't notice any of them."
"I will pay attention from now on," nodded Christian, taking her words seriously.
"Lastly–"
"Argh."
They turned their heads, and the imprisoned troll finally broke the Shield Charm.
"Another brilliant application of magic," commented Tiara with a smile before whistling with her mouth. As soon as the troll heard the sound, it fell asleep.
"Where are we? Yes, the most important part." She looked him in the eyes, "Why did you not kill the bunny?"
"What?" He did not expect such a question.
"Better yet? Why did you use such a tame method on these trolls? I know you know more explosive spells like Bombarda, but you didn't use any of them."
Tiara sighed, "As smart as you are, you should understand why I'm doing all this. So, I don't want something to happen to you because you're not decisive enough and cannot kill when needed."
"I have no qualms about killing," said Christian. "On the contrary, I found it scary how much it would not affect it if I did." Magic was beautiful, but Christian also saw its horror. Every wizard, even a child, is a potential weapon. He knew this and accepted this fact.
"So, why didn't you do it?"
"When I looked into that creature's eyes, I realized how easy it would be to kill it; how easy for even children with magical abilities to kill. One wrong spell, one wrong mispronunciation, one small error, and it's over for someone else. So, knowing how easy it would be, I chose not to do it. My nature as a wizard might have innately granted me the ability to take a life, but I can choose whether I do so and when I do."
Tiara smiled. She knew the mental discipline and willpower needed to make such a choice. But the question was whether he could maintain this mindset.
"As for why I did not kill these trolls? It can be said to be a new philosophy I created in the past three days."
"And what is that?"
"My first instinct should be to contain and restrain, not kill. So, although I won't be opposed to killing, it won't be my first choice."
"That's a great philosophy to live by," nodded Tiara, walking toward the sleeping troll and conjuring a chair to sit next to it.
"Think so? Honestly, I felt very peaceful and focused after coming with it. Even meditation felt better afterward. I don't know how to describe it; it was weird." Christian slowly approached her.
"Did the world feel brighter? Magic seems easier to wield?" asked Tiara.
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"You were enlightened," she explained.
"What do you mean?"
"Some of the most powerful witches and wizards I've met are the Buddhist monks of India and Tibet, the Taoist Priests in China, the Shamans in Africa, and the Tribe Chiefs in the US. These wizards are rare and few because magic schools make it difficult to recruit people, and many of their practices have been lost, but they are extremely powerful.
"They combined magic with religion and spiritual practice. Many have been meditating for decades, and their focus is so intense that magic is like an instinct to them."
"That sounds fascinating. Is this why you started meditating?"
"That's right."
"So, being enlightened is some sort of spiritual practice achievement that sublimates the mind?" Christian decided that, from then on, he would read more about Taoism, Buddhism, and other spiritual practices to see if he could gain something from them.
"You can explain it as such," replied Tiara.
"Doesn't that mean I could become the most powerful wizard after a few enlightenment experiences?"
"Do you think that's possible?"
"Probably not."
"Many things have greater benefits for wizards than Muggles because of our magical abilities," Tiara explained.
"Like the Mind Palace?"
"Exactly," she nodded. "Meditation is one of those things. Experiencing enlightenment can drastically increase our focus, raising our ability to wield magic. However, we must still experience the slow and grueling daily meditation process. Then, at the right time and with some luck, we can experience enlightenment and its benefits."
"Have you previously experienced it?" Christian asked.
"Only three times, and the recent one was after a session with Doctor Bart, and he made me come to terms with the fact that I was not responsible for what happened to your father."
"How could you be responsible?"
"I was not, but you said it yourself: the mind is complex."
"True, and I can testi — Watch out!"
Christian saw the troll suddenly stand up with red eyes, clench its fist, and attack. The worst thing is that his mother has not responded. The world seemed to move in slow motion. It was like the troll was stuck in a quagmire and could only move slowly.
Christian entered an unprecedented level of focus, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind. The creature still had its magic resistance armor, and he had no time to use a clever means of dealing with it. And considering its aggressive nature, there is only one thing to do.
Then, in a highly swift motion, he pointed his wand and said:
"Bombarda Maxima."
The troll flew more than five meters away, lying on the floor without a sound. Tiara, who remained calm throughout, said coolly, "It seems you were not lying about being decisive when the time was needed."
"Really? You couldn't think of a better way than to put your life in danger?"
"I need to know how you react in stressful situations."
Christian sighed before checking the troll: it was dead. The Explosive Charm was potent enough to overwhelm the armor's enchantments, and after that, the troll had no chance.
"I suddenly had enough of this place."
"Let me clean up, and we can return home," said Tiara.
"By the way, how did you get these trolls?"
"I trained them myself and provided the armor."
"How did you make that troll have such a high magic resistance?"
"Tribal Magic."
"Can it do that?"
"With enough time, preparation, and knowledge, it can do anything," replied Tiara, who was dealing with the goblin.
"Are you erasing its memory?"
"It's illegal to give a wand to a goblin. So, I must take care of it."
"Although I disagree with such ideas, I understand some wizard's fear. With only one spell, this goblin easily dominated me."
"Don't be too harsh on yourself; he's a powerful old goblin. So, it's understandable."
They clean up things before leaving.
—-
[AN: The MC is not a wuss who does not kill. I want to set the novel's tone and differentiate him from Edward.]
END OF VOLUME 1 — YEAR 0: INTRODUCTION TO THE MAGICAL WORLD