Inside a small villa on the east side of town,
the first-floor living room was a complete mess—shattered glass, torn paper, splintered wood, and what looked like bits of metal were scattered everywhere.
It looked like a battle had just taken place.
Yet at the center of the room, everything was spotless.
Lockhart stood there, wand in hand, drawing a strange path through the air. A deep blue glow emerged, trailing behind the wand's motion.
Soon, a rune outlined in blue light appeared midair—
A rune!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
As it formed, faint sparks of lightning sizzled through the air with sharp, crackling sounds.
Moments later, the rune quietly disintegrated, and the thunder vanished.
Seeing this, Lockhart immediately recorded in his journal:
> Rune Experiment No. 23
Drawing Complexity: Medium
Effect: Summons thunder and lightning; minor lethality
Suspected Meaning: Thunder; Lightning Conduit
Remarks: Can be inscribed on a physical medium or traced midair. Potential use in spell research.
After jotting down the data for Rune No. 23, curiosity sparked in Lockhart's eyes.
Since moving into his new house the day before, aside from his usual reading and spell practice,
he'd been completely focused on researching the runes he had documented earlier.
In just two days, he had burned through a large amount of magical materials and explored 23 runes—about one-fifth of the total.
Most required a physical medium. For example, Rune No. 9 was simple: reinforcement.
Drawing it in the air did nothing,
but when carved into a piece of paulownia wood, the wood instantly became as hard as steel.
Some runes, however, could be drawn midair and still produce effects.
Although weak, the results proved that this category of rune had potential in spell development.
Among the 23 he had tested, five remained mysterious—
neither tracing them in the air nor inscribing them on an object did anything.
He suspected that understanding them would require input from a professional Asgardian mage
or a master of Ancient Runes once he returned to the Wizarding World.
Based on what he'd discovered so far, Lockhart had formed a theory:
Runes are a shortcut to understanding the essence of magic!
Even without being a professional alchemist,
mastering runes could greatly enhance one's magical research and power.
After naming Rune No. 23 "Thunder," Lockhart looked around at the messy living room.
He waved his wand and traced a light-blue rune into the air.
Rune No. 19: Cleaning!
The rune gave off a soft glow and released a gentle pulse that spread across the room.
Grime vanished immediately, leaving the space spotless.
However,
the broken glass, paper scraps, and other debris still lay scattered on the floor—just… cleaner now.
Lockhart sighed and quickly incanted,
"Revert to Original!"
The wand pulsed with energy, sending out a wave that swept across the room.
At once, the broken pieces of glass, wood, and metal floated into the air.
As if time reversed, each piece returned to its original form—
glass panes fit perfectly into place, wooden boards rejoined, and metal fragments reassembled neatly.
Only the magical materials remained in their messy pile, unchanged.
In seconds, the room looked exactly like it had the day Lockhart moved in—
clean, polished, and perfectly organized.
Though his understanding of Asgardian magic was still shallow,
his rune experiments and his knowledge of Norse mythology led him to a theory:
Asgardian magic seemed to lean heavily toward combat,
while Wizarding World magic was broader and more adaptable.
That was likely because in the Harry Potter world, magic was deeply tied to emotion and willpower,
with an emphasis on precision and control.
More importantly, that world had a pure magical society
that had focused exclusively on magic for thousands of years—
advancing it in daily life, battle, healing, alchemy, and more.
In contrast, Asgard's magic system was mixed and diluted—
a blend of warriors, magic, technology, and divine bloodlines.
Its complexity limited its specialization.
Still, it was only a theory—he had yet to meet a true Asgardian mage.
---
Later That Night
Lockhart sat at his desk, reviewing the spells and knowledge he had recently acquired.
His calm eyes were fixed on a blank page as he sank into thought.
Suddenly, he flicked his fingers.
His quill sprang to life and began writing rapidly.
In no time, it filled a page, then another—and another.
After seven pages, it finally came to a stop.
Lockhart leaned over and added a personal note at the end:
> "We must learn to use runes—
they are the eyes that glimpse truth,
the light that leads us through the darkness of ignorance."
Satisfied, he reread it, made a few edits, then turned to a new page.
He wrote at the top:
"On the Differences and Similarities Between Ancient Norse Runes and Standard Runes"
This time, he paused longer, unsure how to begin.
Suddenly—
Footsteps.
Rapid, urgent footsteps echoed from outside.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Someone knocked—fast and loud.
Lockhart frowned. He disliked being interrupted while deep in thought.
He tapped the table with his middle finger, and a transparent ripple spread outward.
A moment later, an image of the front door appeared in his mind.
It was a detection spell he had crafted using rune-based magic—
simple, but highly effective unless disrupted by supernatural forces.
What he saw surprised him.
Erik, Jane, and Darcy—at this hour?
And judging by their expressions, something was seriously wrong.
Only one thing could make them show up like this at night—
He flicked his wand to open the door and tucked away his notebook.
Looking at the trio stepping inside, he asked calmly:
"Erik, what's the emergency?"
Before Erik could speak, Jane blurted out, panic in her voice:
"Professor Lockhart, it's bad!
Thor tried to reclaim Mjölnir—but got captured!"
"You're a wizard—there must be a way you can save him, right?"
Hearing her frantic tone, Lockhart replied gently:
"Alright, Jane. I get the picture.
Let's head out now—tell me everything on the way."
With a flick of his wand, his coat flew off the hanger and wrapped around him neatly.
As they walked outside, Jane forced herself to calm down,
explaining the entire situation in detail while Lockhart listened, wand in hand, ready for whatever came next.