Eliot discovered the Hogwarts library on his second day, and it was love at first sight.
Towering shelves stretched impossibly high, filled with thousands of books on every magical subject imaginable. Floating candles provided warm, steady light. The air smelled of old parchment and knowledge.
Madam Pince, the librarian, was a thin, sharp-faced woman who treated the books like precious children and the students like potential vandals.
"First-years are restricted to the general collection," she informed Eliot curtly when he approached her desk. "No books from the Restricted Section without written permission from a professor."
Eliot nodded politely. "Of course. Could you direct me to the section on Ancient Runes?"
Her eyebrows rose slightly. "Runes? That's not a first-year subject."
"I'm aware," Eliot said. "I have some background knowledge and would like to expand on it."
She studied him for a moment, then pointed to a section near the back. "Row M, shelves 15 through 18. Handle them carefully."
---
The Runes section was a treasure trove.
*Ancient Runes Made Easy* by Laurenzoo. *Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms* by Bathilda Bagshot. *Spellcrafting Through Runic Matrices* by Adalbert Waffling.
Eliot pulled several books and found a quiet table in an alcove. He opened *Ancient Runes Made Easy* and began reading.
The book explained that runes were essentially magical programming languages—symbols that could store, channel, and modify magical energy. Different runic alphabets had different properties: Elder Futhark for raw power, Younger Futhark for precision, Celtic Ogham for nature magic.
*This is exactly what I thought,* Eliot mused, making notes. *It's like comparing Python to C++ to JavaScript. Different tools for different applications.*
He sketched out a basic runic circuit for light generation—much more efficient than the *Lumos* charm, and potentially permanent if powered by an external source.
"Interesting reading?"
Eliot looked up to see Susan Bones standing beside his table, arms full of books.
"Very," he replied. "You're Susan, right? From Charms class?"
"That's right." She set her books down. "And you're Eliot Clarke. You did brilliantly in all our classes yesterday."
"Thank you. You weren't too shabby yourself."
Susan beamed. "I've been reading about magic since I got my letter. It's all so fascinating! What are you studying?"
"Ancient Runes," Eliot said, showing her his notes. "I'm interested in how magical symbols can be used to create permanent enchantments."
Susan's eyes widened as she looked at his sketches. "These look like circuit diagrams."
"In a way, they are. Magical circuits." Eliot pointed to his light-generation design. "This sequence of runes should create a stable light source that draws power from ambient magical energy."
"That's... that's brilliant," Susan said, sitting down across from him. "I've never thought of magic in terms of engineering before."
"Everything has structure," Eliot said. "Even magic. We just need to understand the patterns."
They spent the next hour comparing notes. The girl—who introduced herself as Susan Bones from Hufflepuff—had an encyclopedic knowledge of magical theory, while Eliot brought a systematic, analytical approach. Together, they began sketching out more complex runic designs.
"You know," Susan said eventually, "I've heard that Ancient Runes becomes available as an elective in third year. Maybe you could ask Professor Flitwick about getting some preparatory materials?"
Eliot's eyes lit up. "That's a brilliant idea. If I could get a head start on the theory..."
"Only one way to find out."
---
Professor Flitwick's office was cluttered with magical instruments, floating books, and what appeared to be a miniature orchestra of enchanted instruments playing soft background music.
"Mr. Clarke!" Flitwick squeaked when Eliot knocked. "Come in, come in! What can I do for you?"
"Professor, I was wondering if it might be possible for me to get some preparatory materials for Ancient Runes. I know it's not available until third year, but I'm very interested in the subject."
Flitwick's eyebrows rose. "Ancient Runes? That's quite advanced thinking for a first-year. What's sparked this interest?"
Eliot pulled out his notebook and showed Flitwick his runic circuit designs. The tiny professor's eyes grew wide as he studied them.
"My word," Flitwick breathed. "These are quite sophisticated. Where did you learn this?"
"Self-study, mostly. My grandfather provided some guidance." Eliot decided not to mention his past life's programming experience. "I find the logical structure of runic magic very appealing."
Flitwick continued examining the designs. "This light-generation matrix... it's actually quite elegant. And this power-regulation sequence..." He looked up at Eliot with new respect. "I think we can arrange something."
He pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing. "I can't give you access to the actual classes—those are restricted to third-years and above. But I can provide you with some introductory texts and perhaps arrange some independent study sessions."
"Thank you, Professor. I really appreciate this."
"Just remember," Flitwick warned with a smile, "don't let it interfere with your regular coursework. First-year foundations are crucial."
"Of course not, sir."
---
That afternoon, Eliot returned to the library with the preparatory materials Professor Flitwick had provided. The books were more advanced than what he'd been reading, but still accessible to someone with his analytical background.
*Introduction to Runic Theory* by Professor Babbling proved particularly enlightening. It explained the fundamental principles behind runic magic—how symbols could store, channel, and manipulate magical energy.
As he read, Eliot began to see patterns. Runes weren't just magical symbols; they were a programming language for reality itself. Each symbol had specific functions, and combining them created more complex operations.
He spent hours copying runic sequences into his notebook, analyzing their structure and function. Some runes were clearly input/output operations, others were logical operators, and still others seemed to be memory storage functions.
*This is exactly like coding,* he realized. *Just with magical energy instead of electrical signals.*
The more he studied, the more excited he became. If he could master runic theory, he could create magical devices that operated on pure logic—reliable, predictable, and efficient.
By evening, he had filled twenty pages with notes and diagrams. His head was spinning with possibilities, but he felt like he was finally beginning to understand the underlying structure of magic itself.
---
After class, Eliot walked back to Ravenclaw Tower with his head spinning with new ideas. He now had access to advanced runic theory, a brilliant study partner in Susan, and professors who were willing to support his unconventional interests.
In the common room, he found Terry Boot struggling with his Transfiguration homework.
"I just don't understand how McGonagall expects us to turn a beetle into a button," Terry complained. "They're completely different materials!"
Eliot sat down beside him. "Think of it as restructuring rather than changing. You're not destroying the beetle—you're reorganizing its molecular structure into a new configuration."
"That... actually makes sense," Terry said slowly. "Like rearranging building blocks?"
"Exactly. The magic provides the energy to break and reform the bonds."
As Terry successfully transformed his beetle on the next attempt, Eliot realized something important: his analytical approach to magic wasn't just helping him learn faster—it was helping him teach others.
Maybe that would be useful someday.
He pulled out his notebook and added a new project to his list:
*Study Group Formation - Help others while reinforcing own learning.*
The foundations were being laid for something bigger than just his own education.
He could feel it.