Anduin first regulated his breathing, sinking deeply into the focused rhythm he had cultivated through years of practicing the Hunyuan Pose, a foundational discipline in Tai Chi. This stance was far more than physical; it was a method for achieving perfect mental and energetic alignment.
He slowly shifted, instinctively adjusting the subtle coordination of his neck, spine, and lower body until he found the position of perfect, quieted equilibrium. In this coordinated state, his mind naturally stilled, becoming an empty, receptive vessel.
With his consciousness perfectly blank, he activated his magical core, drawing the energy and channeling it upward, slowly guiding the flow into the delicate structure of his brain. The greatest challenge, according to the texts, lay in this final step: allowing the magic to fully permeate and envelop his consciousness without shattering his mental calm.
Anduin dismissed the standard imagery of walls or shields. Instead, he focused on his unique visualization: the Black Hole. He imagined his mind as a region of space governed by absolute, cold law—a void that did not actively reject but passively absorbed all external input.
Nothing could escape it, and nothing foreign could penetrate its event horizon. He silently repeated his command: Control. Absorb. Silence.
The magic responded instantly to the intense discipline of the thought. He didn't need to struggle or force the energy; he simply willed it to seep in, and it did, coating his mind smoothly. The process of completely enveloping his consciousness with the combined power of his will and magic was achieved almost effortlessly.
After holding the state of silent, crystalline stillness for approximately half an hour, Anduin slowly withdrew the magical shell, regulated his breathing to a normal rhythm, and opened his eyes.
A profound, internal shock ran through him. "Hmm?" he murmured, looking around the quiet room.
He hadn't been surprised at the thought of failure; this was famously one of the most difficult non-verbal spells in magic. What astonished him was the undeniable evidence that he had achieved basic Occlumency shielding on his very first focused attempt.
Comparing the feel and texture of the internal magical envelope to the detailed descriptions in his spellbooks, Anduin confirmed the successful initial casting. The visualization had functioned perfectly, the magic settling around his thoughts with a solid, cool density.
This startling rate of progress was identical to his immediate, intuitive grasp of the Levitation Charm when he first learned it. While other spells required the standard repetition and constant practice to embed, the spells that relied on pure, internal mental projection and control seemed to bypass all barriers for him.
Am I a natural Occlumens? he analyzed, cataloging the data points. Or is this simply the unexpected, cumulative benefit of my years of non-magical mental conditioning? He theorized that the extreme concentration required to maintain the subtle, coordinated balance of the Hunyuan Pose, which demanded a perfect synthesis of mental discipline and physical energy flow, was the functional equivalent of the magical prerequisite for Occlumency. His dedicated, non-magical training had perfectly prepared his mind for this magical discipline.
Shaking his head to clear the exhilarating rush of revelation, Anduin knew he couldn't dwell on the cause; the successful result was paramount. He immediately tried to instantly deploy the shield, moving from a normal, active mental state to the shielded state.
This time, the transition was blurry and slow; the shield wavered, taking several seconds to reform. He realized the need for instantaneous deployment, which was vital for defending against a sudden mental attack, still required immense practice.
This initial success was a powerful catalyst. He decided he would dedicate his evenings to rigorous Occlumency practice. Once he had mastered the spell to the point of instinctive, instantaneous deployment, he would then cautiously begin studying Legilimency, the art of mind-reading.
Given the ease with which he had mastered Occlumency, he suspected the corresponding invasive skill might also come surprisingly easily.
In the days that followed, Anduin settled into a rigorous, dual-focus routine that maximized his time with the Potters. By day, the Potter Study became his academic haven. He spent hours seated at the magnificent Rune Workbench, utilizing the Rune Disk and the Magic Rune Collection Toolbook that Lily had temporarily provided access to.
He treated the process not as study, but as magical engineering, mastering the precise, multi-angle layering required for even simple three-dimensional arrays. He focused on the interaction between concept runes, learning how symbols of Protection combined with symbols of Containment and Duration to create stable, semi-permanent Wards.
By night, nestled in his quiet room, he returned to his internal practice. He pushed for faster, smoother transitions into the Occlumency state, striving to reduce the time required to raise the mental barrier from thirty minutes to a fraction of a second. This practice instilled in him a subtle, pervasive sense of mental regulation, a continuous quietness that shielded him from emotional distraction and chaos.
A week passed in a blur of intense, focused effort, dramatically accelerating his magical and intellectual growth. The knowledge he had absorbed over the holidays, particularly in Runology, was now extensive enough to sustain his research for months at Hogwarts.
With his luggage efficiently packed into his expanded bag, Anduin headed downstairs for his final breakfast.
"Anduin, you're up! Good timing," Lily greeted him warmly as he entered the dining room. "Come sit down and eat something. We have a little surprise for you before you go."
Anduin, surprised by the anticipation in her voice, took his seat and began eating, pausing only to tease little Harry, who sat happily in his high chair.
Anduin used a piece of apple, dangling it just beyond the baby's grasp, encouraging the little wizard to stretch and grasp. Harry strained, his small face scrunched up in concentration and effort, until Anduin yielded, finally dropping the apple into the baby's triumphant, clutching hands.
Watching the warm interaction, James beamed. "Anduin, since you're heading back to Hogwarts today, Lily and I prepared a gift for you. We think you'll find it particularly suited to your current interests."
"A gift?" Anduin repeated, genuinely touched. "But I've already received so many kind Christmas gifts, and your hospitality alone has been more than enough. Please, you don't need to give me anything else."
Lily walked in, holding a wrapped package, and smiled gently. "Don't be so quick to refuse. This is a gift of thanks. You've been such a quiet, brilliant help and a fantastic older brother figure to Harry this last week. We saw how much you enjoyed the rune research, and we wanted to ensure you could continue it easily at school."
Without waiting for his protest, Lily unwrapped the package. Inside lay two distinct items: a circular, shallow plate and a thin book.
The plate was approximately the size of a dinner plate, crafted from a smooth, dark, semi-metallic stone and intricately etched with silver grooves—a clear miniature version of the Rune Workbench.
"I heard from Lily how interested you were in the Rune Workbench," James explained, his voice full of pride. "So, I prepared this. This is a Rune Disk. While it's certainly not as powerful or complex as the main workbench in the study, it serves as a fully portable, simplified version. You can use it to learn the fundamentals and practice combining rune symbols during your free time at Hogwarts."
Lily, standing nearby, elaborated on the technical capabilities. "That's right. This Rune Disk is like a mobile laboratory. It retains the crucial functions of Manifestation and Combination, allowing you to project and physically align two-dimensional and basic three-dimensional rune symbols above its surface. However, to keep it portable, it doesn't have the immense magical storage needed for Registration or the complex sensory apparatus for advanced Integrity Testing."
She then picked up the accompanying book, which was bound in thin, smooth leather. "And this is a Magic Rune Collection Toolbook." It was a specialized, blank volume made of magically sensitive parchment, designed to be an alchemist's reference guide. "It's been enchanted to hold up to 100 individual characters and 10 complete, layered Rune Arrays—the ones that are far too intricate to simply draw."
"To give you a massive head start," Lily concluded, her eyes shining with professional pride, "I've already used the main workbench to meticulously store over forty common three-dimensional magical runes within it. These are the complex, foundational symbols used in Warding and advanced Charms. You won't need to waste time drawing them; you can retrieve them instantly to practice combinations on the disk. You can then record any new complex runes you encounter in the future."
Anduin carefully took the Rune Disk and the Toolbook. This was the most valuable, specialized academic gift he had ever received—a comprehensive toolkit that perfectly complemented his intellectual drive. It was an investment in his potential as a magical scholar.