Runic Shark Tank

(Seras POV)

I have spent close to every waking hour in the library since the day I created my own magical circuit. It has been two months since my birthday, and the time to begin learning potions with my godfather is drawing ever near. My understanding of magical runes has increased in both breadth and depth, but most importantly, I have begun creating my own circuit pieces based on runic combinations.

I have developed what I call Runic Arrays. Just as electronic transistors use semiconductor materials to control electrical currents, runic arrays are inscribed to manage the flow of magical energy. Different runes represent various functions, such as initiation, regulation, and termination of magical effects. I can now start circuits, limit the amount of magic going into them, and terminate them much easier than the previous touch-based control switch. Stopping magic is much harder than starting it, but I have managed to create a few types of start switches: one that relies on a switch or button, one that relies on proximity to a magical source, and one that relies on an initial input of magic by the user.

My magical vision has been incredibly important in creating these complex runes. It allows me to see the way magic travels in a way that others can't, like seeing the movement of electricity in a circuit. When a rune is drawn correctly, a small amount of magic is seemingly produced, which comes off as a faint glow through my eyes. This allows me to instantly tell if I made a mistake in drawing one of the complex runes. With years of drawing medical structures, the occasional art credits I took in college, and a body with heightened senses due to magic, I have become a printer for magical runes, able to work much faster than rune books suggest.

I have also finally created a logic gate rune set. Using runes that sense magical activity, I can perform specific functions based on the presence or absence of magical inputs. I have an AND gate that requires simultaneous use of magic to flow, an OR gate that allows magic to flow if either rune is activated, and a NOT gate that flows when specific runes aren't activated. With this, I can create magical circuits that might not have been possible in the past, or at least not in this simplified version.

Next, I created Flow Control Runes, which manage the intensity and direction of magical energy, ensuring that spells and enchantments are properly powered without being overwhelming. Around the same time, I figured out how to control the amount of amplification given by Amplification Runes, which could amplify magical energy and act as a transistor. I had even thought about trying to add amplification runes to myself, but that would require extensive research. I burned out a circuit with just a small amount of magic; imagine what would happen if I applied that carelessly to my body. I would continue to overuse my magic each day to make it grow and boost my physical abilities through the most painful process known to man.

I have also learned to use regulatory runes that others worked so hard to create; the amount of paper catching fire is down by 500%. With all this in mind, I created the runic circuitry needed for a magical lantern that would activate when it detected darkness and a nearby magical presence. The runes would then control the magic gathered from the ambient environment or a magical line from an exterior source and turn on a light. It would then amplify and regulate that light as needed until the person left the area—a magical streetlight system ready to go. I would have to transfer the circuits onto the proper pieces and build the thing, which, for all I know, would take just as much work to create. I got together all the documents I had, ready to give a presentation to my father, maybe I could even earn some funding.

(Lucius POV) 

I paced the length of my study, the familiar surroundings offering little comfort. The portraits of my ancestors seemed to judge me silently, their painted eyes following my every move. They had lived through their own turbulent times, but none had faced the particular humiliation that now stained the Malfoy name.

It had been over a year since he had fallen, and I thought the matter was settled in a way. The Ministry had not been kind. Oh, they claimed to be fair, but fairness was a mask for vengeance. They had seized assets, scrutinized every transaction, and questioned every associate. It was only through a combination of cunning, influence, and no small amount of Galleons that I had still held the sway that the noble house Malfoy deserved.

I had been blessed with geniuses; there was no doubt about it. Draco was a prodigy, far ahead of the stories I had heard from others in the ministry. Snape had been in charge of the births for many of the children and was a trusted opinion from those who were not friends of St. Mungo's. He stated that Draco, at his first birthday, had far outclassed his peers in the amount of magic he possesses. I am more than willing to brag about how he was able to walk and say his first word at such a young age or that he has already experienced his first magical riot. My daughter was much harder to talk about. There is a difference between prodigy and whatever word you use to describe my daughter. Her feats were quite monstrous; Snape believes her first magical riot had come while she was in the womb, which is why the birth was so taxing for Narcissa. Her physical body is apparently as strong as a child of six or seven years despite being only one and a quarter years old, and her magical amount more comparable to a seven or eight-year-old. She consumes a large number of calories, which all seem to be burned creating a more powerful Malfoy. Seras is also wildly intelligent for her age. She is already able to speak and read; she even seems to have a love for studying difficult subjects like ancient runes. How much she actually learns from the books is unknown to me, but she seems to take notes as she goes. She very rarely just sits and plays like her brother. All of this doesn't even mention her eyes. If she can truly see magic, and it seems like she can, she will be the most eligible bachelorette of all time. A family could be able to lord the ability to see magic over all the others for all time. Part of me hopes she is barren or interested in women when the time comes. She may be a Malfoy, but her kids three generations down won't be.

I was interrupted from my thoughts when I heard a knock at the study door. "Come in, Narcissa," I calmly said.

"I'm not Narcissa," I heard as a reply from a very young voice. Without missing a beat, I opened the door for my eldest. Seras entered my study with a few pieces of paper in her hands, as well as a few various jewels stacked on top.

"Can I have a moment of your time?" she asked. There was something somewhat uncomfortable about hearing such a young child speak in such a manner. Just blaming magic felt unnatural, but it was the only reason she could do what she did. I decided to oblige my daughter and listen to what she had to say. After a curt nod from me, she began to try and place the papers on my desk, only to realize that she couldn't reach very well for the demonstration she had prepared. It was quite comical and a little refreshing to see my daughter struggle. I walked to the other side of my desk and picked her up, placing her on my lap so that she could show me what she wanted to.

She presented drawings upon drawings of what looked like ancient runes. I was a well-learned man, so I recognized quite a few, but there were others I had never seen before. This was not my area of expertise.

My daughter first showed me what she called her first "Runic Circuit." She demonstrated that by placing a jewel onto a certain part, she could make it light up. I was quite impressed with her little demonstration. She then showed me an amplified rune circuit, increasing in complexity with each example until she reached her final and most complex one. At this point, I was honestly shocked. I know that I can just use the Lumos charm, it's the first thing that every student learns at Hogwarts, to create an even brighter light, yet I would have thought this an interesting demonstration of artifacts given by a master in the field, not a child who just finished potty training; even that was years early. The most impressive part of her demonstration was when she mentioned using them to light up the streets so that Lumos wouldn't have to be used, this showed that she understood value in a way that not every inventor does. She then asked me for a list of materials so that she could make a working prototype and show that it could work on a larger scale.

I knew my daughter was special, but I may have created the next Dark Lord. What if Voldemort's death was simply the will of magic to make sure that she comes to ascendance? I told my daughter I would give her the materials she desired. If she is able to make an idea like this at the age of one, what would she be able to create by the time she left for Hogwarts? The Boy Who Lived would be up against a monster far beyond his level. I smirked at this thought and got back to work; I still have a thousand other headaches to take care of.