Chapter 8: Secrets of the Runes

The coin sat in Ron's palm, its runes glowing faintly under the light streaming through his window. The small silver object seemed ordinary at first glance, but the discovery of the hidden symbols had transformed it into something far more intriguing. The faint hum of magic pulsed from the coin, tugging at the edge of his awareness. It was an artifact of some kind, and there was more to it than met the eye.

But the question that gnawed at him was: what exactly was it?

Ron leaned back in his chair, frowning down at the coin. The runes engraved on its surface were unfamiliar—nothing he could easily identify from his own limited magical knowledge. He had no idea what language they were from, let alone what they meant. His Magical Detection ability had done its job, revealing the enchantment on the coin, but now he needed to go a step further.

How do I figure out what this means?

The Burrow wasn't exactly a treasure trove of advanced magical texts. He wasn't yet at Hogwarts, so he didn't have access to the school's extensive library. And the Weasleys—though a loving and magical family—weren't known for their deep studies of magical theory or ancient runes. Percy might have a few books on magical law, but nothing that would help decipher these symbols.

But there was someone who might know.

The idea came to him suddenly, and he couldn't help but grin. Bill Weasley—Ron's eldest brother—worked as a curse-breaker for Gringotts. Bill spent his days delving into ancient tombs and deciphering magical traps in Egypt. If anyone could help him figure out the meaning of these runes, it was Bill. And as luck would have it, Bill was due for a visit in just a few days.

Perfect, Ron thought. He'd have to play it cool, of course. Bill couldn't know about the system or his new abilities, but if he could steer the conversation toward runes and ancient magical objects, maybe he could get some useful information without raising suspicion.

The coin pulsed faintly in his hand, almost as if it knew it was being thought about. Ron tucked it back into the drawer, hiding it safely beneath some papers, then sat back and let out a breath. He had a plan. Now, he just needed to wait for the right opportunity.

The next few days passed in a blur of activity. Life at the Burrow was always lively, but with Bill coming home for a visit, the energy around the house was especially high. Molly was in full-on "mum mode," cleaning every corner of the house and cooking enough food to feed a small army. Ron did his best to help out without drawing too much attention to himself, but his mind was always on the coin and what it might mean.

On the morning of Bill's arrival, Ron could feel the excitement bubbling up in his chest. He needed to approach this carefully. Bill was sharp, and if Ron wasn't careful, his older brother might start asking questions that he couldn't answer. But if he played it right, he could get the information he needed without revealing too much.

The sound of the Floo Network activating echoed through the house, followed by Bill's familiar voice calling out a greeting. Ron hurried down the stairs to find his eldest brother standing in the kitchen, dusting off his robes as he greeted Molly with a warm hug.

"Blimey, Mum, it smells fantastic in here," Bill said with a grin. "You've outdone yourself."

Molly beamed, patting Bill on the back as she ushered him toward the table. "Well, you don't come home nearly enough, so I thought I'd make something special."

The rest of the family began gathering around, greeting Bill with enthusiasm. Ginny was practically bouncing with excitement, and even Percy put down his book long enough to offer Bill a handshake. Fred and George, of course, wasted no time in trying to recruit Bill into one of their pranks, but Bill waved them off with a laugh.

Ron hung back for a moment, watching the scene with a smile. Bill was easygoing and charming, the kind of older brother who always had a story to tell or advice to offer. And today, Ron was counting on that.

As lunch was served and the family sat around the table, Ron made sure to position himself next to Bill. He waited for the right moment, biding his time until the conversation turned in his favor. It wasn't long before Fred brought up Gringotts and the work Bill was doing in Egypt.

"Found any treasure lately?" Fred asked, leaning forward eagerly. "You must have uncovered all sorts of cool stuff by now."

Bill chuckled, shaking his head. "It's not quite as glamorous as you think. Most of the time, it's just digging through rubble, looking for clues. But every now and then, we do find something interesting."

Ron's ears perked up at the mention of "clues." This was his chance.

"Do you ever come across magical artifacts?" Ron asked, trying to sound casual. "Like, enchanted objects or things with runes on them?"

Bill raised an eyebrow, glancing at Ron with interest. "All the time," he said, nodding. "Ancient tombs are full of magical objects—some cursed, some enchanted, some just old trinkets with a bit of lingering magic."

Ron leaned in slightly. "What about runes? How do you know what they mean? I mean, if you find something with symbols on it, how do you figure out what it does?"

Bill smiled, clearly enjoying the conversation. "That's one of the trickiest parts of curse-breaking. Runes are like a magical language, and each set of runes can mean something different depending on the context. There are some common ones we see a lot—protection runes, binding runes, things like that. But the really old stuff? That can be hard to decipher. You have to know what you're looking for."

Ron nodded thoughtfully, trying to absorb the information. "So if you found a coin with runes on it, how would you figure out what it was for?"

Bill shrugged. "Depends on the runes. If it's a basic enchantment, you can usually feel the magic coming off it—like if it's a protection charm or something simple. But if it's more complex, you'd need to study the symbols closely, maybe cross-reference them with known rune sets. That's why we keep a lot of rune texts on hand at Gringotts."

Ron's mind was racing. Cross-referencing with rune sets? That sounded complicated, but it was exactly the kind of information he needed. If the runes on the coin were part of an old or unknown set, he'd have to do some serious research to figure out what they meant. And without access to the Gringotts library, that would be a challenge.

"Do you have any books on runes?" Ron asked, keeping his tone light. "I've always thought they were kind of interesting."

Bill grinned, clearly pleased by Ron's interest. "I've got a few books I could lend you," he said. "They're mostly beginner-level stuff, but it'll give you a good foundation. If you're serious about learning runes, it's a good place to start."

Ron's heart leapt. "That'd be great! Thanks, Bill."

"Anytime, little brother," Bill said, ruffling Ron's hair affectionately.

Later that evening, after the excitement of Bill's visit had calmed down and the rest of the family had gone to bed, Ron sat at his desk in his room, the rune books Bill had lent him spread out in front of him. The coin sat in the center of the desk, its runes still glowing faintly in the dim light.

He flipped through the first book, scanning the pages for anything that looked remotely similar to the symbols on the coin. It was slow going—rune reading wasn't exactly the most exciting subject, and the book was dense with magical theory—but Ron was determined.

After what felt like hours of searching, he finally came across a set of symbols that looked vaguely familiar. His heart skipped a beat as he compared them to the runes on the coin. They weren't an exact match, but they were close enough to suggest a connection.

The book described them as binding runes, used in ancient magical objects to seal or protect something valuable. The runes could only be unlocked with a specific counter-charm or by someone who possessed the right magical key.

Ron frowned, staring down at the coin in his hand. A binding rune. What was this coin protecting? And how could he unlock its secrets?

The system chimed softly in his mind, and a new message appeared in front of him.

New Quest Available: Unravel the Secrets of the Coin

Objective: Discover the purpose of the enchanted coin and unlock its hidden power.

Reward: 300 XP, 1 Ability Draw.

Time Limit: None

Ron's heart raced. A new quest—this was bigger than he'd expected. The coin wasn't just a random enchanted object; it was important. It held some kind of power, something that had been locked away with ancient magic.

And now, it was up to him to figure out what that power was.

He closed the book, the weight of the coin heavy in his palm. There was still so much he didn't know—about the coin, about the runes, about the magic he was unlocking. But one thing was clear: this coin was the key to something important. And he wasn't going to stop until he uncovered its secrets.