Chương 42: Christmas Building and Brewing (2)

I worked feverishly through the night, determined to crack the problem of combining magic and Muggle technology. Jarvey dozed on my pillow as I tinkered, his snores punctuated by the occasional muttered insult.

"Think, Felix, think," I muttered to myself, staring at the disassembled transmitter strewn across my desk.

I began sketching out the design, referencing the doorknocker from the Ravenclaw Tower for the base circuitry, my quill scratching against the parchment. The circuit would need to be cyclical, allowing the magic to flow continuously from top to bottom, then back up the other side. Like a miniature, self-sustaining ecosystem of enchantment, otherwise I'd have to keep pumping it with my own magic once the circuitry ran out.

Next came the runes. I flipped through my mind, all the Ancient Runes and Charms books I had read while at Hogwarts, searching for the symbols I needed. Hagalaz for protection, to shield the device from external magic. Sowilo for power and energy. Ansuz for communication and sound.

But I needed more than that. The transmitter had to not only broadcast sound but also modulate it - amplifying what needed to be heard and filtering out the rest. I scoured the pages of my mind until I found what I was looking for: Kenaz for controlled energy, and Isaz for focus and stillness.

Carefully, painstakingly, I began etching the runes into the tiny copper traces of the circuit board. Each one had to be perfect, placed precisely in the right sequence to create the magical flow I envisioned.

Hour after hour passed as I worked, my eyes straining in the bright nightlight. Jarvey woke occasionally, offering commentary that ranged from mildly insulting to positively scathing.

"Sure you know what you're doing?" he asked at one point, watching me struggle to inscribe a particularly finicky Isaz. "Looks more like chicken scratches than magic to me."

I shot him a glare. "Remind me why I haven't silenced you again?"

He gave me a ferret grin. "Because you'd miss my sparkling conversation."

I snorted and turned back to my work. The runes were only part of the equation. I still needed to weave the actual magic into the circuit, to bring it to life.

Drawing in a deep breath, I focused my intent, feeling my magic gather. I pictured the flow I wanted, the way the energy would cycle through the runes, empowering and protecting the transmitter. Slowly, carefully, I guided my magic into the etched lines, carefully feeling how the magic moved, over and over the same patters, through the same sequence of runes and charms.

It was delicate work, far more intricate than any spell I'd attempted before. The magic had to be balanced just right - too little and the circuit wouldn't function, too much and it the magic would just go on to fuck with the electronics.

By the time pale dawn light began filtering through my window, I had a transmitter no larger than my middle finger, it looked like nothing special just a slightly thicker than usual piece of metal, however I knew different and because of this I could only smile.

But there was one final touch needed. The Protego charm, to shield the device from any spells that might disrupt its function. I couldn't just cast it on the outside - it needed to be part of the circuit itself.

I etched one last rune - Eihwaz, for defense and protection - right in the center of the board. Then, with utmost care, I wove the Protego directly into the lines of power, making it an integral part of the magical flow.

Finishing it up with last patches, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"It's done," I said, a grin spreading across my face. "There's still a heck of a lot of room of improvement but for my first try it isn't bad, not bad at all. What do you think Jarvey?"

Jarvey yawned widely, his red pupils blinking sporadically as he did so, showing off his sharp teeth, his tongue rolling through them. "Really cool. Wake me up when it's time for breakfast."

I chuckled, too elated to be annoyed. This was only the beginning. I had to make many more of these, but before that I needed something else. I had made it able to transmit sound but I needed something else so as to bridge the sound from myself and into the Jarvey radio.

I rummaged through my desk drawers until I found what I was looking for. A small stick of metal which looked a bit like a microphone, what I wanted to get in character for a radio station.

Carefully, I inscribed on the would be microphone the rune Ansuz again joining it to this radio and all future radios, I didn't make a cyclical circuit for it since it would be way too much work when for this I could just push some of my magic into it.

I held the microphone and the transmitter together, focusing my intent once more. I pictured the connection I wanted, the way the sound would flow from one to the other, instantly and clearly. I felt the magic surge through me, binding the two objects together.

I held the microphone up to my mouth and spoke softly. "Testing, testing..."

From the transmitter on the desk, my voice echoed back, slightly tinny but unmistakable. I grinned. It worked.

I glanced at my watch - 12:04pm. Time to get back to the Polyjuice Potion. I really hadn't eaten dinner or breakfast, why hadn't mum or dad called me.

I opened my door to find both mum and dad there, waiting.

Mum had a wild grin on her face. "What working all night were you?"

I scratched the back of my neck, feeling heat rise up to my neck.

"We kept calling you for dinner but you never got down, so I went up here to check on what you were doing you were so into it we didn't want to interrupt you."

"Your mother didn't, I did. Seriously did you even get a single wink of sleep. Do you know how bad that is for you?"

"I know dad, I know, let's just say I had some inspiration."

"Well come down, I'm gonna fatten you up a bit."

"Wait no I need to finish the potion, it's going to be time soon."

My mom joined in. "Don't worry I can finish the polyjuice for you."

I looked wideyed.

"What were you expecting for me not to figure it out? It wasn't that hard."

I shook my head. "Either way no, I want to finish it myself after that I'll eat."

When I said those words a grumbling erupted from my stomach, making the redness spread to my face.

Dad just sighed. "Okay just be quick."

I looked at my watch, 12:08.

"Don't worry I'll be at the table in 15 minutes, tops."

I stumbled down to the basement, Jarvey still snoozing on my shoulder. The cauldron bubbled sluggishly, its surface an unappetizing shade of murky green. I watched the second hand of my watch tick closer to 12:16.

39...41...42...43..

At precisely 12:16 and 46 seconds, I began the next stage. One additional scoop of lacewings went into the cauldron, followed by three counter-clockwise stirs. The potion looked like thick, dark mud that bubbled slowly. It looked exactly like the recipe had said.

"Looks like something I'd cough up after eating a rat," Jarvey commented sleepily from my shoulder.

I snorted. "Shut up, it'll change when I put the Dumbledore ingredient alright, until then be quiet."

Carefully, I decanted the potion into several glass vials, labeling each one meticulously. It would keep for a few months at least - plenty of time to acquire that crucial final ingredient and put my plan into action.

I tucked the vials into my trunk which I had brought down here yesterday when I first started the brewing.

Hogwarts wouldn't know what hit it. A secret radio station, playing Muggle music right under the noses of the pureblood elite? With the ability to broadcast from anywhere, anytime, with just a whisper into a microphone ? John Lennon would be proud.

"You're grinning like a loon," Jarvey informed me. "It's disturbing."

"Just picturing McGonagall's face when she hears 'Hey Jude' echoing through the Great Hall," I replied, still grinning.

Exhaustion finally caught up with me but I had something else to do, grabbing the case I moved up to the stairs once more and walked over to the dining table, I ate in silence but while gorging on everything my hands and utensils caught before grabbing my case again and walking to my room.

I collapsed into bed. As I drifted off to sleep, visions of the Sorting Hat danced in my head, taunting me with its secrets.

"Soon," I mumbled into my pillow. "I'll figure you out soon."

Jarvey curled up on my chest, a warm, furry weight. "You do that," he yawned. "And then we'll see about getting that ice cream."

My last thought before sleep claimed me was where I could put all the Jarvey radios I would make in the future around the castle, maybe I'd leave one in the Headmaster's office when I borrowed the hat.

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