"Alright, then we'll have to change locations. It seems the space I set up in the basement won't do for this," Lily said with a shrug.
The two quickly moved to the study. Lily wasn't sure how deep Alan's understanding of Runology went, so she began with the basics. "Runes, or Magic Runes, are primarily composed of Ancient Runes. How much do you know about this area?"
Alan had spent a significant amount of time with his nose in books, so he answered honestly. "I've read 'Easy Introduction to Ancient Runes,' and I have a dictionary and a pronunciation table. I can recognize most of the characters now. If I have the dictionary handy, I can manage some simple translations, but I'm still completely confused about how to combine them into functional sequences."
"Alan, your diligence and the sheer amount of information you've absorbed always surprise me. You've mastered more than most third-year students." Lily looked at him with genuine impressment. Ancient Runes was an elective that didn't even start until the third year, yet here was a first-year who had already taught himself the fundamentals. "Since that's the case, tell me: how do you personally understand the difference between Ancient Runes and Magic Runes?"
Alan recalled what he had read, filtering it through his own logic. "As I understand it, Ancient Runes are a type of magical writing. The legends say they were discovered on the bones of ancient magical creatures, or perhaps they were a script gifted by the gods. Over centuries, wizards studied them to master their meanings and functions.
"History has lost or forgotten many of them, but the sequences we use today are formed by combining those individual characters. These sequences possess specific, potent magical properties. To me, if Ancient Runes are like individual letters, then a functional sequence is like a word. Or if the runes are words, the sequence is a complete phrase."
Lily's eyes lit up. She nodded emphatically. "That is a very profound way to look at it. Most spells are essentially translations of single or combined runes into spoken incantations."
Alan nodded. He had heard as much in Professor Flitwick's Charms Club. He even remembered Quirrell, a senior in the club, attempting to invent an 'Amplifying Charm' by modifying rune combinations and then translating the result into a vocal spell.
Lily continued, "To conduct serious research, you must master the ancient script first. But the field is always evolving; new characters are being discovered, and archaeologists are constantly restoring lost ones."
This was news to Alan. He leaned in, listening intently.
Seeing his focus, Lily smiled. Teachers always had a soft spot for studious children. "Many spells and runes have been passed down, but the individual characters that compose them were lost over time. Scholars are working to restore them. Mr. Edgar Bones, whom you met, is an authority in this field. He once restored a character from the Freezing Charm that means 'loss,' which allowed him to develop several entirely new combinations."
Alan was surprised. He hadn't expected the dignified, bearded man he'd seen at the meeting to have such a specialized academic talent.
"The research into combining runes is even more complex," Lily explained, drawing a character on a piece of parchment. "Many characters hold multiple meanings. This one, for example, represents 'fly,' but it also carries the connotations of 'leave' and 'go.' It is one of the core components of the Levitation Spell."
Alan committed the shape to memory.
"Depending on how you pair it, it can form the basis for the Summoning Charm or the Expelling Charm. You'll even find it in the sequences for Muggle-Repelling Charms. It's incredibly versatile," Lily explained.
"When we design a sequence for a spell or an alchemical tool, we start with a core character—the underlying anchor—and then layer others around it. It isn't like writing a sentence from left to right. Combinations can be circular, rectangular, or even overlapping. Many characters are three-dimensional, requiring us to build them in layers. To do that, we need a specific tool: a Rune Workbench."
"A Rune Workbench?" Alan hadn't realized that the study of runes required specialized equipment.
"Exactly. Let me show you." Lily tapped her wand against a large cabinet in the study. The doors folded back to reveal a desk adorned with intricate, interlaced patterns. It looked like a piece of fine art, but the complexity of its design suggested a much deeper purpose.
She gestured for Alan to sit. Up close, he saw the surface wasn't flat but slightly concave, with hollowed-out sections that emitted a faint, rhythmic magical glow. It was clear this wasn't a desk meant for ink and parchment.
"This workbench is fully equipped for recording, materializing, and testing. We can save runes here, and the table will project them into the air for us. Like this." Lily spoke a low command, and a glowing rune—the 'fly' character she had just drawn—materialized above the desk.
Alan marveled at the display. The sheer depth of the knowledge was breathtaking.
"Now, watch how we test a combination," Lily said. She summoned several more characters and began to skillfully move them into a flat, interconnected pattern.