Mandala Fruit

Alex realized it was similar to the one used in the "amulet" she had given him.

Comparing it to the rune formula for the Shield Charm, Alex saw that Lily had likely adapted the basic structure of the spell to make it more personal and effective. The only thing missing was the incantation.

'Maybe it was never meant to have one,' Alex thought. 'Perhaps she designed it specifically for enchanted objects.'

There were even references to ancient runes, which Alex didn't fully understand yet. It seemed clear that mastering ancient runes would be essential for developing new spells.

'Ancient Runes is an elective for third-years. I'll need to find a way to learn it ahead of time,' Alex thought, making a mental note to start studying it on his own.

The Magic Club meeting soon began, and Alex turned his attention back to the discussion.

Professor Flitwick, who was the club's instructor, answered questions but didn't push for any major breakthroughs. The senior students were working hard on their individual projects, with one in particular—Senior Quirrell—making impressive progress on his research into sonic spells. He demonstrated his latest development: a hearing spell so powerful it allowed everyone in the room to hear conversations from the oil paintings outside the classroom. Though the spell still needed fine-tuning, the improvement in sound penetration was remarkable.

Alex remained mostly quiet during the meeting, observing and taking in as much information as he could. The older students didn't expect much from him—they assumed Professor Flitwick was just being kind by allowing the first-year to join the club. However, Alex was quietly absorbing every piece of knowledge he could, eager to apply it in his studies.

Senior Quirrell's work on amplifying spells opened up new ideas for Alex. He began to understand the complexity of developing new magic. It wasn't just about casting spells—it was about carefully constructing rune structures, much like preparing a canvas before painting. To create a new spell, you first needed a stable base of low-level runes. Then, by layering applied runes on top and ensuring their compatibility, you could craft the desired magical effect.

However, combining runes required caution. Some, like "water" and "fire," naturally repelled each other. If these unstable combinations were used in a spell, the result could be disastrous.

By the end of the meeting, Alex had a notebook full of new ideas and a deeper understanding of how spells worked. He knew it would take a lot of time and effort to create his own magic, but the path forward was starting to become clearer.

With a sense of excitement, Alex left the meeting, already planning his next steps. There was still much to learn, but with Lily's notes in hand and his growing knowledge of magic, he felt more prepared than ever.

Over the next few days, Alex settled into a quiet routine. Aside from attending classes and meals, he spent all his time studying and practicing magic. He was rarely seen outside of the Slytherin common room, completely focused on his studies.

Meanwhile, the conflict between Gryffindor and Slytherin escalated further. The rivalry spread to older students, with more and more pranks turning into serious fights. Professors McGonagall and Slughorn were constantly putting out fires, trying to keep peace between the two houses. Fortunately, the younger students like Alex were mostly unaffected by the chaos, allowing him to focus on what mattered.

'These skirmishes are nothing more than child's play. The real danger is out there—Death Eaters, dark wizards, and the battles happening outside Hogwarts. To stand my ground in that world, I need to become strong.'

That weekend, Alex visited Hagrid again. This time, he decided to make barbecue, bringing along his pot of green onions to plant in Hagrid's vegetable garden. They spent a pleasant afternoon together, with Alex cooking roasted potatoes and pork chops. He enjoyed the cool breeze as they sat next to Hagrid's hut, chatting and eating.

Hagrid, always full of news, showed off his latest addition: a little swallowtail dog he'd named Rhein. Hagrid explained that he hoped the puppy would grow up as mighty as a lion, but Alex wasn't convinced. The tiny pup looked more like a bird than a fierce animal. Alex had even heard that in the Muggle world, if someone wanted to keep a swallowtail dog, they'd be required to surgically remove its extra tail. Hagrid was horrified by the thought and promised never to cut Rhein's tail.

As they ate, Hagrid handed Alex the price list for herbs and potions that he'd collected during his trip to Hogsmeade. With the list in hand, Alex finally had the information he needed to start his potion-making plan.

The most expensive potion on the list was Felix Felicis, but Alex knew better than to try making money off something so complicated. Felix Felicis required rare ingredients and took an incredibly long time to brew.

Other potions were more suitable for business—wound-healing potions, antidotes, blood-replenishing potions. But Alex realized that these potions were already widely available at St. Mungo's Hospital, meaning the market was already flooded with them.

For now, Alex decided to focus on potions that could benefit students and people with honest intentions. Alex also decided to remove the Baruffio's Brain Elixir or Veritaserum. The Baruffio's Brain Elixir had strict requirements for high-quality ingredients, and if even one was subpar, it could cause serious brain damage. As for Veritaserum, he couldn't imagine any normal wizard needing something like that regularly. It seemed more suited for darker uses, and Alex had no interest in getting involved with questionable buyers.

He didn't want to inadvertently sell potions to the wrong crowd—dark wizards or Death Eaters. It was a risk he wasn't willing to take.

That left him with two options: the Euphoria Potion and the Eternal Potion. The Eternal Potion, despite its name, wasn't truly "eternal." It worked more like an additive in Alex's eyes. When poured into most potions, it would replenish the potion, almost like magic refilling the bottle as long as a quarter of the original potion remained.

This applied to potions like Veritaserum, but not to rarer ones like Felix Felicis. The catch was that some ingredients for the Eternal Potion were expensive and hard to find, making the cost of production high.

The Euphoria Potion, on the other hand, had a high demand. It brought feelings of happiness and relaxation to the drinker, a popular choice for wizards dealing with stress, especially during wartime. However, the main ingredient, the mandala fruit, was also expensive.

'Wait a second,' Alex thought, suddenly remembering something. He turned to Hagrid.

"Hagrid, didn't you mention seeing mandala fruits in the Forbidden Forest the last time we spoke? Are they about to ripen?"