30 The Magi-Meter

Alongside the rough outline of the stratification he devised, Adrien composed a compilation of documents outlining The Metric Series's correct usage and limitations as preliminary preparations for its eventual dissemination and implementation.

Addressing the limitations of his system was essential to mitigate any unforeseen consequences caused by the inevitable erroneous interpretation of the system's measurements.

The current wizarding society was rigidly purist, and Adrien had no doubt that his system would be abused to push a fallacious narrative that would attempt to justify pure-blood superiority over half-bloods and half-breeds.

The measurement for a wizard's strength gauged by The Metric Series was not law; several factors affected a wizard's true power, and The Metric Series was just an estimation of a wizard's strength based on the maximum magical energy they could output.

The Metric Series didn't factor things like wands, magical knowledge, experience, and a wizard's emotional state into its equation. These things significantly affected a wizard's strength and could make a seemingly average wizard defeat an extremely powerful one.

Or, in the case of Harry Potter, allowed the 18-year-old Hogwarts dropout to defeat the pseudo-immortal generational prodigy, Lord Voldemort.

Additionally, due to the large nature of Magical Power values, Adrien created the kiloflamel (1000 Flamels) for convenience.

In his past life as Laurent Blanc, Adrien had a quirk for working with real numbers -- i.e., numbers that can be written as decimals -- when solving equations, and this choice reflected that.

With that, Adrien had nearly completed the first section of [The Magic Series Codex], and now, only a few steps were required before it was ready for release, which brings us back to the present...

***

"So, what do you think?"

Adrien inquisitively asked, closing [The Magic Series Codex] and tilting his head toward Aella, who was perched on his shoulder.

*Truly a wondrous invention...* Aella earnestly praised in response, lightly flapping her wings.

Though she didn't completely understand the workings of The Metric Series, she still found it astounding that it could transform magical energy into numbers and vice versa.

She had never seen or heard of anything remotely similar to that, not even from the plethora of history books from the Dumbledore Library she had been reading over the years.

Moreover, the fact that her father could develop it at such a young age filled her with endless awe. She understood that such a thing was almost inconceivable in the eyes of other wizardkind.

The realization had caused the young Thunderbird's pride in herself and her father to soar to new heights, almost to the point where her ego became nearly as inflated as the young Frenchman's.

Adrien had even started to worry that he had rubbed off too much on the magical beast since, as time went on, it was becoming increasingly apparent that she was emulating his mannerisms and temperament.

Aella's response elicited a faint grin on the young boy's face. Acknowledgment of one's hard work was always a treat to the ears, especially for someone like Adrien, whose narcissism knew no bounds.

"I know, I know... I'm amazing," he heartily mumbled and picked up the glass of butterbeer from the tabletop.

Aella shook her head in amusement, *You have no shame, do you?*

"Not one bit." Adrien casually replied, downing the remnant contents of the glass cup and placing it back on the tabletop.

*Can it work on me?* Aella suddenly asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Hmm?"

*I said, can it work on me? Can it be used on magical beasts and not just humans?* Aella reiterated.

"Oh," Adrien lightly yawned and slouched back on the sofa, "No, it can't. The Metior spell was designed based on wizardkind physiology, so it won't work on magical beasts since their physiologies are fundamentally different. Though, this didn't stop me from trying it. Like you, I was curious about what would happen."

*I see,* Aella hummed, *So, what creature did you try it on?*

"A Jarvey," Adrien answered, "Came across one on the outskirts of the forest right outside Godric's Hollow. Scruffy-looking beasts, the lot."

*Ah, I see. There are quite a few in that forest. I've even hunted a few myself; their flesh is bland tasting.* Aella remarked with interest. * What happened when you tried it?*

The corners of Adrien's lips curled to form an ominous grin, causing Aella to immediately feel apprehensive.

"The pitiful creature exploded into a bloody pulp and died on the spot."

Adrien sinisterly derided, and Aella's feathers visibly stood on end in response. Such an outcome was nothing short of egregious.

*R-really?* she managed to stutter, half-disbelieving.

"No," Adrien laughed aloud, "You believed me, didn't you?" he smirked in amusement.

*Tsk...* Aella's wings immediately shot out and turned an electrifying blue, with streams of lightning crackling through her plumes.

The young Frenchman was unfazed by the sight and chortled even louder, causing Aella to grunt in dissatisfaction before shielding her wings.

*All jokes aside, though* Aella regained her composure, *What happened to the Jarvey?*

"Nothing," Adrien's laughter dulled, "When I tried it, the creature merely shrieked in pain before running off. Magical beasts are a plethora of different species with different physiologies, so I anticipated about as much.

If I wanted to measure their Magical Power values, I would have to create spells tailored for each species, which is undoubtedly superfluous. Hell, I could spend my entire life creating spells for every magical species and still wouldn't be able to do so for all of them."

Adrien thoughtfully explained.

*Right, it's ludicrous to even think about,* Aella mumbled in realization. Then, she fluffed her wings and looked at Adrien expectantly,

*Knowing you, though, you should have already anticipated this and come up with a solution...* The curiosity in her eyes re-kindled, and Adrien chuckled in return. The bird's expectations of him were high, borderline unreasonable in the eyes of others.

Nonetheless, Adrien did not disappoint, as his answer verified her suspicions.

"Yes, I did. And the solution I came up with solves another problem that would arise when The Metric Series is released."

*What problem? Surely it's not anything major, right?* Aella interestedly probed.

"Unfortunately, it is." Adrien's response was unexpected, "The spells in The Metric Series are too difficult for the average wizard to learn. This is a problem because it will hinder its widespread implementation.

The ability to measure one's Magical Power has to be easily accessible; otherwise, people will lose interest in it since the effort required outweighs the perceived benefit. Additionally, it being easily accessible provides a better incentive for stakeholders to support and implement The Metric Series, and this is crucial for my plans."

Adrien calmly explained. Implementing a new system required extensive collaboration with industry groups, government agencies, and other institutions to ensure its smooth transition.

Learning the spells in The Metric Series was nothing short of tasking. They combined hand movements of both the Expelliarmus and Patronus spells -- two not-so-easy spells to learn --and incorporated mathematical concepts into their framework.

As such, learning them required a good amount of magical talent and a sufficient understanding of fundamental mathematics and its relation to magic. After all, how could one cast a spell they didn't understand?

Casting complex spells required great intent, and one's comprehension of the spell's essence contributed to and reinforced said intent.

This was one of the reasons Adrien didn't bother using dour methods -- such as Unbreakable Vows or the Obliviate charm-- to ensure the confidentiality of his intellectual work while he was measuring wizards to draft the MP stratification.

Though he wandlessly cast the spells just to be safe. That way, it was simply impossible for it to be replicated.

*I understand,* Aella lightly bobbed her head *So, what's this solution you're talking about?* she fascinatedly asked.

Adrien didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stood up, stretched slightly, and walked toward his personal library, which was to the right of the fireplace.

The library itself was run-of-the-mill in terms of looks, but the books were anything but that. They were all from Nicolas's library and were filled with knowledge dating back to the 15th century. Some of them even held information that couldn't be found anywhere else.

Adrien sauntered all the way to the very end of the library, passing several bookshelves in the process.

Aella, on the other hand, was absorbed in her thoughts all the while, 'Why is he taking me here?' she wondered perpexedly.

In her eyes, there was nothing worth noting in the library. She had explored its four corners thoroughly, and besides rows upon rows of books and the library's musty, earthy scent, there really wasn't anything of interest.

Just as she was about to voice her reservations, Adrien spoke up, "Prepare to have your mind blown." the boy said, the corners of his mouth quirking up.

He reached for an ordinary book on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf nearest them and gently pulled it before pulling two more books not far from it.

The usual silence of the library prevailed for a moment before a loud, creaking noise pervaded the air.

Looking down, Aella saw the wooden floor in the space in front of them sink slightly before parting to the sides to reveal a flight of stairs.

*Whe-*

"It leads to my study." Adrien voiced as if knowing her question,

"Father installed it a few years ago at my request. I wanted a study close to the library since I use it extensively when I research. The options for where to place it were limited as there is not much space within the briefcase; however, I settled on this because, well.... secret rooms are cool."

*Right,* Aella's eyes gleamed in realization, *How come I haven't seen or heard of it until now* her feathery eyebrows creased.

"You never asked," Adrien shrugged, and Aella's beak instinctively flew open in protest, but no words came out because his words were irrefutable.

"Haah," Adrien snickered lightly at the sight, "...And her rebuttal goes down the drain." he joked.

*Whatever,* Aella scoffed annoyedly, *Are we going in or what?* she tried to change the topic.

"We are." Adrien laughed and descended the flight of stairs.

As they plunged further into the depths of the secret passage, flames from the candlelights on the side of the walls flickered into existence and illuminated their path.

Within minutes, they reached the end of the passageway, where an ornate wooden door halted their progression. Adrien pushed the door open unceremoniously, revealing the archaic study behind it.

The study was quaint. The walls were lined with bookshelves, groaning under the weight of countless volumes, each filled with wisdom and inspiration. A large mahogany desk sat in the center of the room, its surface cluttered with papers, pens, and a vintage amber desk lamp that cast a warm glow over the space.

A cozy armchair and a side table with a reading lamp stood in a corner of the room, inviting you to curl up with a good book. A small record player sat on a nearby shelf, surrounded by a collection of vintage vinyls that promised hours of musical enjoyment.

The room had a distinct smell of old books and wood, it was a place where time seemed to stand still, and the outside world didn't matter. It was a place where one could escape the world's distractions and focus on the journey of learning and self-discovery. It was the perfect space for studying, reading, thinking, and creating.

*Simple, yet beautiful...* Aella mirthfully commented, seeing the space.

"Indeed," Adrien, similar to Aella, was all smiles. He had long lost count of the hours he had spent in the room. Nearly everything he had created or discovered was done in it, and simply being in the room made his intellectuality tingle.

"Right, let me show you what I've devised," he said as he made his way over to the desk at the room's center.

Beside it, a cylindrical tube containing parchment and blueprints stood. Adrien reached for it and rummaged through its contents for a minute before bringing out two furled-up parchments.

He unfolded the first one and spread it over the desk for Aella to see, and the young Thunderbird nudged her head forward in response to his actions.

[The Magi-Meter]

The title of the parchment read, and with her quick wit, Aella could already guess what it was. Nevertheless, she swiftly ignored her speculations and read further, her eyes burning with curiosity.

[The limitations of The Metric System become more apparent the more I develop it, and this device is the solution I devised to one of the major problems regarding its implementation.

The Magi-Meter is a spherical device that can measure the Magical Power of any magical being, be it wizardkind or magical creatures. Additionally, it can measure the ambient magical energy and the amount of magical energy a spell has.

It is a magical artifact that combines the three spells in The Metric Series.

It is a bi-convex spherical lens made of alchemically reinforced annealed glass. I chose annealed glass because it is relatively cheap and easy to outsource for the device's prospective mass production.

However, my economical choice presented me with a new problem: annealed glass is too brittle. Fortunately, I was able to solve this problem.

Father's alchemy lessons came into play for the first time as I made it. Alchemy is truly a miraculous, mystical art. Its potential is almost limitless, becoming more apparent every time I use it.

Specifically, I used Father's alchemical runic alphabet to construct an alchemical circle before placing the orb in it, activating the circle and strengthening the orb's chemical bonds.

The strength and durability of the glass increased several times after I finished, almost to the point where it could withstand a full-scale Bombarda blast, albeit severely damaged.

To enchant the orb, I followed Father's guidelines. I used his regular runic alphabet to inscribe a runic code that produces a similar magical energy pathway to the Metior spells on the orb. It was arduous and incredibly draining, but it's nothing I can't handle.

I'm the prince of Enchanters, after all; Merlin is my bitch.

Jokes aside, after I inscribed the runic code, the only thing left was activating it, which also required alchemy and a concoction with sufficient magical essence.

Fortunately, finding such a concoction was effortless, as father had a recipe for one that suited my requirements. The product was nothing short of a hodgepodge of different magical ingredients. Demiguise blood and tincture, Antimony, Nux Myristica, and Valerian root were some of the ingredients I used.

Thankfully, besides Demiguise blood and tincture, the rest are affordable and readily available.

I soaked the orb in a container containing the concoction and used another alchemical circle. Performing this step was arguably the hardest, and it required a great deal of intent, even more than what I used to develop the Metior spells.

This time, however, I modified my intent to account for every magical being. If everything goes as intended, the orb will analyze the body of any magical being that touches it before measuring its MP value.

After failing several times, I finally managed to pull it off. The taste of success was intoxicating.]