Intermission- How does magic work, actually?

Hello, dear readers. It is I, the author of this fanfic. There will be no story in this chapter, only Deepest Lore, so you don't have to read it if you don't care about such things. 

I wanted to take a moment to refresh your knowledge on my take on the magic of Harry Potter's fanfic world, and the magic of the Stars.

Here is my interpretation of how the world of Harry Potter's magic works. Wizards channel the power around them and give it meaning, granting them the ability to cast magic. Somewhere in humankind's evolution, humans were born with the ability to channel that energy, and thus Wizards were born. Thus, there is no concept of "Mana," or "Running out of Mana." Magic is infinite, it's all around you.

Then, why are children not able to perform complex or large-scale magic, but adults can, you might ask? The reason lies in the size of the vessel, which isn't a particular organ or anything, it's simply a metaphor. As they mature, Wizards can channel more and more energy. Likewise, as their brains mature (at least, some of them do), their mental capacity increased, allowing them to perform more difficult magics. 

The brain gives orders, the body channels the magic floating around them, and the soul gives the magic shape. To quote from Soul Eater: "A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body." 

Side note; Squibs can still see Dementors and Ghosts because magic flows through them, but they cannot give it shape or keep it too long within themselves, through a combination of problems from all three factors. Magic can also flow through Muggles since it's omnipresent, but it just passes through them without doing anything.

Incantations and wand movements are mental cues; they associate a result with an action. Magic doesn't understand words; people do. Throughout the ages, there have been different incantations, but modern Wizards have settled on Latin. Nobody speaks it, so there's no risk of accidentally transforming your fridge into a cat, and it also gives incantations a mystical feeling, which helps with the aforementioned mental cue.

Wands and Wizards are in a symbiotic relationship. Wands choose the Wizards. They learn from Wizards, and from other Wands around them, downloading and comparing spell databanks, memorizing Wand movements and incantations. They can even have likes and dislikes, since they are semi-sentient. They help Wizards focus their power, and they help with the casting process, which is why modern Wizards are so reliant on them; it's like trying to do complex equations without a calculator if a calculator could shoot laser beams.

Side note; Wizards who don't use Wands aren't necessarily inferior, since Wandless magic requires peak mastery of a certain spell. However, since a person only has a limited time to learn, there is a limit to the number of different magics they can learn.

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If one compared Charms, Transfiguration and Curses to mathematics, then Potioneering would be organic chemistry, Alchemy would be nuclear physics, and Runes would be geometry and classical physics.

Runes work by forcing magic along certain paths, producing certain effects, much like electricity can generate magnetic fields along a wire coiled around a cylinder.

To be clear, the Runes of the Futhark Alphabets aren't the only shapes that can create magical effects, but these other scripts won't appear in this story. There are also the Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Irish Ogham, Indus Script, Eteocypriot, etc.

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The ancient runes in this fanfic are numbered twenty-four, in order:

The first, the letter "F": Fehu is the rune of growth, wealth and abundance. Its associated deity is Freyr. Oleandra uses this rune in conjunction with Berkana to rapidly grow trees from their seeds.

The second, the letter "U": Uruz, the aurochs, is the rune of gateways between worlds. Part of the Runeword ALU. Its associated deity is the giant Ymir, whose corpse created the foundations upon which all of reality exists. Oleandra used this rune to Realm Travel.

The third, the letter "Þ": Thursaz, also known as the thorn and the mountain, is the rune of conflict and giant strength. Its associated deity is the Mighty Thor. This is Oleandra's most used rune, using it to strike blows against her enemies.

The fourth, the letter "A": Ansuz is the rune of wisdom, runes themselves and magic. Part of the Runeword ALU. It is associated with all of the Æsir, gods of the Norsemen, combined. Oleandra used this rune to Realm Travel.

The fifth, the letter "R": Raidhu is the rune of riding, the chariot, journeys and the way of transformation. So, far, Oleandra has only used it to improve her control over rideable objects.

The sixth, the letter "K": Kenaz is the rune of the Torch, whose light guides and comforts those lost to darkness and doubt. It also stimulates creativity, as the torch is the precursor to the lightbulb. Oleandra used this rune in conjunction with Sowelo to produce a blinding flash and also to help her find her way.

The seventh, the letter "G": Gebu is the rune of Gifts. Better not to ask than to sacrifice too much, for a gift is always rewarded… Oleandra used this rune to share her knowledge of Runes with her friends.

The eighth, the letter "W": Wunjo, also known as the standard, is the rune of joy, harmony and common cause, rallying people who would fight under a shared cause. Oleandra uses this rune to bind other runes into Galdr, the sentences of incantations, and to ensure that she does not end up separated from her allies.

The ninth, the letter "H": Hagal is the rune of snowstorms, hailstorms and lightning storms. Its associated deity is Hel, for Hell for the people of the north is not an inferno of flames, but the winter to end all winters. Oleandra uses this dangerous rune to directly attack with frost and lightning… and to cool down in the summer. Thankfully, nobody has been hurt… yet.

The tenth, the letter "N": Naudhiz is the rune of distress and necessity. This rune has acted by itself a number of times to warn and shield Oleandra in times of dire need and mortal peril.

The eleventh, the letter "I": Isaz, also known as the brilliant, is the rune of ice and stillness. This is the rune Oleandra has used the second most, to freeze her enemies in place and to create icy surfaces.

The twelfth, the letter "Y": Yera is the rune of the cycle of seasons, the harvest yielded after a year of toil. Oleandra used this rune in conjunction with Dagaz to grow her trees even faster and age a door that was blocking her way, and also to cheat in Potions.

The thirteenth, the letter "Æ": Eihwaz is the rune of the World Tree, which connects every world and every possible future. Oleandra uses this rune to tree-port and Realm Travel.

The fourteenth, the letter "P": Perthro, also known as the Dice Cup and the Cauldron. What is inside the cauldron? The runestones have been shaken in the Dice Cup, all that is left is to lift the cup and reveal what your fate has in store… Perthro is perhaps the most mysterious rune, governing secrets, misdirection, concealment and the unknowable future. So far, Oleandra has used this rune to hide her true appearance from her enemies.

The fifteenth, the letter "Z": Elhaz is the rune of protection. Oleandra uses this rune to protect herself from physical and magical threats.

The sixteenth, the letter "S": Sowelo is the rune of Sol, the sun. The sun is the lifegiver, but it is also dangerous, as it burns those who fly too high in an attempt to reach it… Oleandra uses this rune to create brilliant lights.

The seventeenth, the letter "T": Teiwaz, also known as the Scales and the Invincible. Its associated deity is the god of war Tyr, who was neither a warmonger nor a tyrant. It represents a spear, which pierces its target without fail. It also represents absolute justice and order. Tyr was strong, yet fair. Oleandra has not tried using the rune yet.

The eighteenth, the letter "B": Berkana is the rune of trees. Oleandra uses this rune to help her grow trees. That's pretty much it.

The nineteenth, the letter "E": Ehwo (alternative name Ehwaz), also known as the Horse and the Twins, is the rune of loyalty, trust and partnership. In her fifth year at Hogwarts, Hermione mistook Ehwo for Eihwaz. She also got Eihwaz's definition wrong; it does not mean defense, it means yew-tree, or world tree. Somehow, she managed to get an Outstanding in this class, which says a lot about either the difficulty of the Ancient Runes class, or Hogwarts's falling standards for what constitutes education. Oleandra has not used this rune yet.

The twentieth, the letter "M": Mannaz, also known as the Cosmic Egg, Mani (the moon) and Man. It represents the self, individuality, and the choices one makes, for mankind's potential is boundless. Oleandra sometimes uses this rune to apply the effects of other runes to herself, but that doesn't seem to be its primary function…

The twenty-first, the letter "L": Laukaz, also known as the lifeblood, the ocean, the sea of magic. All life is born from the oceans, and magic would be impossible without its source. Part of the Runeword ALU. Oleandra used this rune to Realm Travel.

The twenty-second, the letter "Ŋ": Ingwaz, is the divine spark, which separates sentient beings from beasts. Oleandra and Daphne use this rune to focus their mental energies on a task, but overclocking their brains makes them sleepy afterwards. Using this rune in conjunction with Kenaz might yield interesting effects…

The twenty-third, the letter "D": Dagaz, the sideways hourglass, is perhaps the second most mysterious rune, for it rules over time itself. Oleandra mostly uses this rune to put small objects in stasis, because messing with time is both costly and dangerous…

The last and twenty-fourth, the letter "O": Odala is the final rune, the rune of possession, inheritance and thieves. Its associated deity is the All-father, Odin. After drinking from Mimir's Well under Yggdrasil, he gained Omniscience for all things, but one subject: runes. He is said to have hung himself to the World Tree nine days and nine nights, pierced by his own spear Gungnir. As he starved and thirsted, he grasped at thin air; taking hold of the runes for himself. Finally, he knew everything. Oleandra used this rune to steal items from Hermione and download her magic from the stars.

By the way, here are some constellations that correspond to runes:

Kenaz - Cancer

Gebu – Lyra

Wunjo- Antlia

Hagal - Crater

Sowelo - Cassiopeia 

Berkana – Puppis

Odala - Boötes

And that is everything you need to know in order to catch up.