Arthur stared at the flickering candle flame, his heart racing. But as the initial euphoria faded, his analytical mind took over.
Why now? What made him able to cast magic again? What had changed?
He examined the question methodically. The learnings from his trip to MIT, clarity about his future path, the lessened burden and the mental relief that came with it should have helped, but that couldn't be the full answer. That would not make sense.
The problem had never been mental. It was structural.
The exposure to the Space Stone had fundamentally altered and strengthened his magic core, making it too powerful for his normal magical channels. Mental relief alone couldn't fix that kind of physical mismatch.
The only logical explanation was that over the past nine months, multiple factors had worked together to solve the problem.
First, his body had undergone fundamental changes. Normal growth, certainly—he was still developing at nineteen. But more importantly, the daily physical training and sparring at Kamar-Taj had strengthened him in ways he hadn't fully appreciated.
Second, his magical channels had grown more robust. Every day, he'd channeled dimensional energy through those same pathways while practicing the mystic arts. The constant flow had acted like exercise for his magical infrastructure, gradually strengthening and expanding them.
Finally, the daily meditation had refined his control. The disciplined focus required for mystical spells had honed his will to a razor's edge.
All of it had combined to fix the fundamental problem. His channels were finally strong enough to handle his transformed magic or maybe some of it.
Today's burden lifting had simply removed the last psychological barrier. The magic had been ready for weeks—he'd just been too focused on other pursuits to notice or try.
Arthur grinned at the candle flame. Time for proper testing.
Without hesitation, he opened a portal to his London manor. The familiar golden circle appeared with effortless precision, its edges stable and bright.
"Winky!" he called as he stepped through.
The house-elf appeared instantly, her eyes widening at his obvious excitement.
"Master Hayes looks very happy!" she exclaimed, bouncing on her toes.
"I am indeed. Come, let's go to the training room. I need to test something important."
Arthur led her down to the underground training room he'd constructed years ago. The space remained exactly as he'd left it—reinforced walls, practice dummies, protective charms still holding strong. Left unused for more than a year.
He raised his index finger and concentrated.
"Lumos."
Brilliant white light erupted from his fingertip. Arthur felt the familiar tingle of magic flowing through him, warm and responsive.
Next, he focused on a wooden practice dummy across the room.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
The dummy rose smoothly into the air, floating with perfect stability. Arthur guided it through a series of complex maneuvers, his control as precise as ever.
"Incendio." Fire bloomed at his fingertips.
"Accio sword." The blade flew into his waiting hand with satisfying speed.
Winky clapped her hands with delight. "Master's magic is back! Winky is so happy!"
Arthur tested spell after spell, working his way through his repertoire. Everything up to fourth-year level worked perfectly. His execution felt smooth and natural, exactly as it should.
Then he attempted something more advanced.
"Protego Maxima."
The shield charm began to form, golden light gathering around him—then flickered and died. Arthur frowned, trying again with other similar spells, but ended with the same result.
Fifth-year spells remained beyond his reach. His channels had strengthened and his control had grown considerably, but not enough for his full capabilities.
The realization dampened his enthusiasm slightly, but only slightly. Progress was progress. Much better than having no magic at all.
Arthur retrieved his old wand from a locked cabinet. The familiar elder wood with thestral hair core felt strange in his grip after months of mystical gestures. When he'd last tried using it, the wand had felt like nothing more than an ordinary stick.
Now it hummed with responsive magic. Arthur suspected that with the added control of using a wand, he should be able to cast more complex spells.
"Lumos Maxima."
The room blazed with silver-white light, far brighter than his wandless attempt. The wand definitely amplified his abilities, as it should.
Arthur worked through increasingly complex spells. Everything up to NEWT level functioned properly, though not quite at full strength. The wand recognized him as its master, but their connection felt muted somehow.
Not surprising. The Space Stone's transformation had altered his magical signature. His wand was still his, but no longer a perfect match.
He'd need to commission a new one eventually. But for now, this would suffice.
Next came the test he was most excited about.
"Winky," Arthur called, setting the wand aside. "I need you to watch carefully. If anything goes wrong, call for help immediately."
The house-elf nodded seriously, though she looked puzzled.
Arthur closed his eyes, focusing on the familiar sensation of Apparition. He visualized a spot ten feet away, near the far wall.
Crack.
The sound was subtle, almost gentle. Arthur opened his eyes to find himself exactly where he'd intended, with none of the usual disorientation that accompanied Apparition.
No nauseating compression. No feeling of being squeezed through a tube. The transition had been smooth as silk—even smoother than house-elf transportation.
He tested a few long-distance apparitions with the same remarkable experience.
"Fascinating," Arthur murmured.
His Space Stone exposure had clearly affected more than just his mystical arts. All spatial magic came easier now.
Emboldened, Arthur decided to test something more ambitious. He pictured a clearing in the Forbidden Forest, a spot he'd visited several times during his Hogwarts years.
Crack.
He appeared among ancient trees, filtered light dancing through the heavy canopy. The Forbidden Forest stretched around him in all directions, exactly as he remembered.
More importantly, he'd just Apparated through Hogwarts' legendary wards without any difficulty whatsoever.
Arthur spent several minutes testing the limits of his enhanced Apparition, jumping from clearing to clearing with increasing distance and complexity. Each transition remained effortless.
Satisfied, he returned to his manor's training room.
"Master Hayes is amazing!" Winky exclaimed as he reappeared. "Winky has never seen anyone Apparate so smoothly!"
Arthur grinned. "Thank you, Winky. Now I want to try one more thing."
He raised his hands, focusing on both magical and mystical energies simultaneously. Complex spells and constructs needed the use of both hands, so he couldn't use them together effectively.
But then he cast a one-handed shield spell while using his other hand to cast "Incendio" at a dummy. It worked flawlessly.
There was nothing wrong with the combination. He'd worried there might be conflicts, but both energies seemed complementary rather than opposing.
Arthur attempted to levitate himself using magic—Voldemort's signature spell. His feet remained stubbornly planted on the ground. That level of magic was still beyond his current capabilities.
He wanted to be like Doctor Strange, floating with his cloak while casting spells, but that wasn't possible yet. Disappointing, but not crushing since he would eventually reach that level.
However, as Arthur tried more mystical spells and constructs, he discovered something that excited him even more.
Everything felt... easier.
Much easier than his earlier attempts. Energy flowed through his fingers like water finding its level. Constructs that had required intense concentration now appeared with casual thought.
Whether it was the mental clarity from resolving his MIT crisis, his magic returning to complement his mystical training, or something else entirely, his full potential seemed to have unlocked.
No more being averagely talented at everything except spatial spells. Kaecilius would be in for quite a shock.
Arthur returned to Kamar-Taj through another portal, his mood brighter than it had been in months. Being rejected by MIT had been completely forgotten. If anything, it felt like liberation.
He had his magic back, at least partially. His mystical training was advancing rapidly. His goals were clearer now, unburdened by unrealistic timelines.
And if he really wanted to attend university in the future, well... the Confundus Charm would be available to him soon enough.
But that felt like a problem for another day. Tonight, Arthur Hayes had his magic back.
Tomorrow, he would throw himself into advanced mystical study with renewed vigor.
He settled onto his meditation cushion with profound satisfaction. The universe was vast and dangerous, filled with cosmic threats beyond imagination.
But he no longer felt hopeless about the future.
Arthur closed his eyes and began to meditate, golden sparks dancing around his fingers as both magical and mystical energies flowed through him in perfect harmony.
The real training could finally begin.