Once a new spell is developed, the true work begins. It often takes years, sometimes decades, to refine the incantation, optimize the wand movement, and document the limitations until a practical, universally adoptable Charm is ready for widespread use.
In the Spells Club, Anduin saw both the difficulty and the potential for this process. Vanessa's Distraction Charm was gaining traction, but the underlying technique Anduin had developed—which he privately dubbed "Precise Control"—was proving exceptionally difficult.
It required an incredibly strong, almost physical, perception of magical flow and pin-point accuracy of mental intent. Currently, only a handful of the most naturally gifted seniors could execute the spell successfully.
Anduin, however, knew its value: his own ability to elevate the Levitation Charm to the Transcendent realm was entirely thanks to his innate mastery of this Precise Control. It was the future of high-level spellcasting.
Meanwhile, Anduin had already locked onto his own research topic for the break: "Development Ideas and Application Instructions for Sound Wave Spells." This was a perfect blend of practicality and complexity.
He already mastered the fundamentals—the Sonorus (Loud Voice), the Quietus (Whisper), and the Muffliato (Deafness) charms—and the associated runes were readily available from his expanding collection. Furthermore, Elder Quirrell's successful, albeit verbose, hearing enhancement spell provided a useful, real-world example of sound wave manipulation.
He pursued two distinct, high-impact avenues:
High-Frequency Ultrasound: His goal here was to mimic the biological mechanism of a bat. He planned to develop a spell that emitted a precise burst of high-frequency ultrasound and then, critically, utilized the echo's magical return signal—echolocation.
This would create a directional magical radar, allowing the caster to map their surroundings, detect hidden objects, and even locate enemies attempting to use a Disillusionment Charm or other forms of visual concealment.
Low-Frequency Infrasound: This was the truly dangerous path. Strong infrasound possesses both powerful destructive force and exceptional penetration, easily passing through solid objects. When absorbed by the human body, it causes immediate psychological and physiological symptoms: intense dizziness, profound nausea, and disorientation.
If the intensity could be maximized and controlled, an Infrasound Spell would be the equivalent of developing a powerful Area-of-Effect (AOE) weapon with the ability to incapacitate or, at its peak, cause fatal internal disruption.
For someone like Quirrell, spell development was a slow, linear process: drawing runes on parchment, combining the formulas, and then painstakingly translating them into incantations. Anduin, benefiting from the Buffet Mind-Awakening Potion and the Rune Disk, possessed a radical advantage.
The disk allowed him to test rune combinations digitally and visualize the magical output instantly. His strong magical perception and mastery of silent spellcasting meant he could conduct hundreds of mental trials without ever having to draw a physical line or utter an incantation.
For this reason, Anduin became a recluse in his Sentinel's Lodge throughout the entire Easter break. He spent his days in a cycle of study: designing complex sound runes on the disk, drawing detailed formulas on parchment, and meticulously consuming his regulated daily dose of the Baffy's Mind-Boosting Potion.
The effects of the potion were dramatic and cumulative. He could distinctly feel his cognitive faculties accelerating. His capacity for complex problem-solving increased, his memory retention sharpened, and his reaction time became noticeably faster.
This cognitive enhancement exponentially increased his efficiency, allowing him to cycle through research, Occlumency practice, and physical training without the usual mental fatigue.
He understood the mechanism: the potion's full benefit wasn't passive. As he had learned from his potion texts, the Mind-Boosting Potion was best taken while engaged in intense mental labor. It was like converting magical potential into permanent mental muscle mass.
If you studied and thought intensely while taking it, the gained abilities were retained even after the potion was gone; if you merely sat idle, the effects would eventually dissipate, leaving you only with the temporary boost.
As the term drew to a close, a sense of quiet anxiety settled over Anduin. The Daily Prophet hinted at the cessation of major clashes, but the war had merely devolved into a pervasive, grinding conflict marked by smaller, more vicious skirmishes—an indication of heightened tension, not peace.
His summer plans were non-existent. Sirius Black was a high-value target and his home was too exposed. The Potters were safely tucked behind Dumbledore's powerful magic, making them unreachable.
"Am I to return to the Leaky Cauldron for the entire summer?" he wondered, mentally scanning the risks. Diagon Alley is barely safer than London itself now, and I need absolute privacy for my runic experiments. He decided he would ask Professor McGonagall if there was any precedent for a student remaining at Hogwarts over the summer.
Before he could approach her, a heavy, formal letter arrived, sealed with the impressive crest of a pureblood family. It was from Augusta Longbottom.
Anduin remembered her well: stern, formidable, and possessed of a kind, iron-willed loyalty. Her letter was direct and warm, inviting him to stay at her home for the entire summer holiday. The invitation was a clear signal of gratitude and trust, offering him a haven.
The idea was perfect. The Longbottom manor would be secure, and the company—even with the quiet presence of the young Neville—would be a welcome change from his current self-imposed solitude. He immediately penned a polite, grateful reply, accepting the offer.
Augusta's immediate, cheerful response included the exact address and the logistical note that, since Neville's parents were occupied with their duties at the Ministry of Magic, Anduin would need to travel to the manor independently.
Knowing he couldn't arrive empty-handed, Anduin began his preparations. He immediately commissioned Hagrid, who had superior contacts for non-magical goods, to purchase a high-quality Tepo ham and two bottles of Ogden's Old Firewhisky—respectable, expensive gifts for a pureblood matriarch.
For Hagrid himself, Anduin retrieved a special gift from his private stores: four phials of the Euphoria Potion he had successfully brewed last year. He wrapped the glittering vials in a velvet box, preparing it as a farewell gift to the gentle giant who had provided him with an invaluable sanctuary.
The tedious final weeks passed, culminating in the end-of-term examinations. Anduin's results reflected his disciplined focus: five Outstanding grades, with the only two Exceeds Expectation grades coming in the subjects he had neglected—History of Magic and Astronomy.
He had dedicated less time to rote memorization and more to practical application, and his grades reflected that strategic choice.
Vivian—the persistent student who had benefited from Anduin's focused, albeit minimal, extra tutoring—passed all her classes and even managed to secure an Outstanding in History of Magic, proving that everyone had a subject in which they could naturally excel.
As Professor McGonagall had predicted, the Transfiguration exam required the students to transform a mouse into a snuffbox; Anduin found it ridiculously simple, still wondering how anyone could fail a test when the question had been given out weeks in advance.
The night before the term ended, Hogwarts held the celebratory end-of-term dinner.
The Great Hall was draped in blue banners—the color of the Ravenclaw House, which had secured the House Cup. Dumbledore made the final announcement, his voice booming happily through the magnificent hall.
Slytherin and Gryffindor, locked in their petty, self-destructive rivalry for the entire school year, had plummeted in points. Anduin, looking up at the majestic, celebratory banners, cynically predicted that given the current internal chaos and lack of collective focus in Slytherin, he was unlikely to ever see his own House win the Cup during his entire seven years at Hogwarts.
It was in this magnificent hall, under the triumphant blue and bronze, that Anduin concluded his first year—a year marked not by childish academic achievements, but by brutal encounters, the forging of powerful magical tools, and the beginning of his true, isolated pursuit of power. He was ready for the next stage.