"I advise you not to do that; it's not my fault if you chip a tooth," Alan reminded Hog, watching the wolf's manic excitement. "This tactical vest doesn't amplify your raw strength; it's auxiliary equipment designed to help you channel and utilize your magic."
"Oh? What's it for then? I don't feel any different wearing this little thing," Hog said, shaking his head after coming to his senses and carefully testing his range of motion.
*But you just swore you felt your strength increase,* Alan thought, looking at the notoriously unreliable wolf with a flat stare.
"That's because the system hasn't been activated yet. Try directing your magic into the goggles," Alan said, leaning down to steady Hog as he explained the interface.
Hog followed the instructions, mobilizing his magic to probe the frame. His eyes suddenly widened. "It's on! The corner of the lens lit up—there's a tiny green light!"
"Good. That's the diagnostic warning system. Green means the equipment is functioning, yellow indicates an energy overload, and red means a malfunction," Alan nodded, patient despite his typical brusqueness.
"What's next, Master?" Hog was invigorated now, as if he'd discovered the ultimate magical toy.
"Look at the left side of the frame," Alan pointed to the edge of Hog's field of vision. "There is a vertical row of rune buttons. Each one triggers a specific function. I haven't loaded many modules yet; try these first."
Hog nodded vigorously, his tail thumping against the forest floor.
"When you want to activate a function, just pulse your magic into the corresponding rune. The first and second runes are the Tracing Charm and the Echo Spell. Your sense of smell is already a unique advantage in tracking; with these two charms, you'll be on an entirely different level."
Alan gestured for Hog to try. The wolf injected a burst of magic into the goggles, and the world before him transformed. His eyes went wide, taking in the layered, glowing highlights of the forest's scents and sounds. His tongue lolled out as he began to spin in frantic circles.
It wasn't his fault; even Alan and Professor Kettleburn had been disoriented the first time they experienced the sensory overlay of the Echo Spell. It took Hog several minutes to settle down at Alan's reminder.
"How was it?"
"It's amazing, Master! I could play with this all day!"
"Later, I'll arrange drills for you—searching, tracking, identifying targets. You need to become fluent with the interface. For now, continue to the next functions," Alan advised, watching the over-caffeinated energy of the wolf. "The next runes are the Disillusionment Charm and a Shield Charm. These provide concealment and defense. They require a higher instantaneous magic output, so they'll be more taxing to maintain. Give them a try."
Having seen the results of the first test, Hog was eager. He focused his magic and looked at Alan with a start. "I can feel the vest pulling from me. I can sense exactly how much it needs."
"That's the benefit of an external attachment; the feedback is more tactile than internal casting. Can you trigger it?" Alan held up a clipboard to record the data.
"Yes... it's heavy, but if I push..."
As soon as Hog finished speaking, the Husky vanished into thin air. Alan activated his own Echo Spell, watching as the invisible Hog lowered his belly to the ground and began to creep toward Kiki. The enchanted pads on his vest neutralized the sound of his paws against the dry leaves. Kiki remained stationary, staring at the empty space where Hog had been, completely unaware of the predator circling her.
"Woof!" Hog reappeared directly behind Kiki and let out a sharp howl, sending the house-elf leaping nearly two feet into the air.
"Alright, Hog. The vest isn't a prank toy," Alan said, rubbing his temple.
"Woof?" Hog tilted his head. To a wolf with the brain of a Husky, scaring people was the highest possible use for invisibility.
"Since the Disillusionment Charm is stable, the Shield Charm should work as well," Alan said, his face professional again. Once Hog confirmed the shield was active, Alan nodded. "Now, a live test. Move randomly within a fifty-meter radius of me. Use the Disillusionment and Shield charms at will. I want to see how difficult you are to hit under normal combat conditions."
Hog wagged his tail. *He says it's not for playing, but then he wants to play.* He dropped low, vanished, and immediately burst into a sprint. He was fast—a blurring black-and-white afterimage even to the naked eye. Alan wanted to gauge his base reactions; Hog had been in recovery for months, and this was his first true physical assessment.
Alan raised his wand, leading the target slightly, and fired a Stupefy into Hog's projected path. If Hog maintained his speed, he would run straight into the bolt. However, the moment the spell left Alan's wand, Hog performed a sudden, violent stop and pivoted, dodging the red light with inches to spare.
*Not bad. His reaction time is superior to most fourth-years.*
Alan's interest was piqued. He increased the difficulty, firing two Knockback Jinxes in rapid succession—one aimed at Hog's lead and the second blocking his likely escape route.
*Whoosh!* Hog lunged, his powerful hind legs launching him over three feet into the air, clearing both spells with room to spare. Alan continued to ramp up the pressure—three spells, then four, increasing the velocity of the projectiles. It wasn't until Alan used a multi-casting technique to fire five simultaneous bolts that he finally clipped the rapidly moving Husky. The Shield Charm flared, absorbing the impact; Hog merely stumbled slightly before regaining his footing.
"Alright, test over," Alan called out, scribbling the results onto his board. He was highly satisfied; with Hog's natural physical aptitude and the auxiliary magic provided by the vest, the wolf had a very lethal future ahead of him.