21 Chapter 21 "Invicible Phantom Charm"
During the remaining month of summer vacation, Skyler diligently prepared for the upcoming semester at Hogwarts.
He delved into various spells that could prove useful and began honing his magical abilities to face the challenges that lay ahead.
Since the previous semester, Skyler had already started improving the Lumos charm, Sonorus charm, and Incendio, which he had learned during his first-year course.
Throughout this extended vacation, Skyler seized the opportunity to implement his ideas.
With precise magical control and adjustments in wand technique, he discovered that the Lumos charm's light, the Sonorus charm's sound, and Incendio could all be finely tuned in size and effect.
For instance, with the Lumos charm, Skyler managed to transform his wand into a Muggle-style adjustable flashlight.
The magical light could be adjusted in brightness according to his will.
In the case of the Sonorus charm, Skyler successfully made it akin to a high-end sound system, with adjustable volume and sound quality.
Additionally, he enhanced Incendio, enabling it to conjure a stream of flame and miniature sun-like fireballs and cascades of sparks.
Furthermore, in the past few years, Skyler had been corresponding with pen pals from overseas, with one of the most frequent correspondences being with Akabane Sakurayuki, a female pen pal from Japan who attended Mahoutokoro School of Magic.
Mahoutokoro was an enchanting palace located on the highest point of South Iwo Jima in Japan, made from mutton fat jade.
To Muggles, the island and palace appeared uninhabited.
In Japan, wizarding children began their magical education at the age of seven and started boarding at the age of eleven.
Until then, they would ride giant petrels between home and school every day, attending day classes.
Akabane was the same age as Skyler but had been exposed to magic for six years longer.
Skyler was particularly intrigued by Japanese magic, specifically the "ninja" who had used magic during Japan's feudal periods to serve various feudal lords covertly.
Japanese wizards excelled at stealth, disguise, invisibility, and concealment, with over 30 forms of invisibility magic passed down to the present, making up more than half of the "Book of Unseen Invisibility."
Through their exchanges, Skyler frequently delved into discussions about the invisibility magic that fascinated Akabane the most.
The two magical schools had different interpretations of invisibility magic.
In the UK, the common invisibility magic was the Disillusionment Charm, which functioned similar to a chameleon, allowing the caster's exterior to mimic the surroundings, creating a visual illusion to conceal themselves.
In Japan, the most common form of stealth magic was the "Phantom Charm," a type of body-altering magic that made the body like dust, allowing light to pass through, essentially rendering it transparent.
While both forms of invisibility magic had been refined by generations of wizards and were almost perfect, Skyler wasn't satisfied.
Several methods could defeat conventional invisibility magic.
For instance, Voldemort's magical eye was equipped with a vision-enhancing curse capable of seeing through Disillusionment Charms and invisibility cloaks.
Pets like cats and dogs could use their keen sense of smell to detect invisible individuals.
Snakes could perceive heat, allowing them to detect an invisible person's temperature.
Skyler aimed to create an invisibility magic that overcame these drawbacks and was entirely unique to him.
He referenced the principles of the Disillusionment Charm and the Phantom Charm. He consulted Muggle books on optics to develop a new invisibility magic that he named the "Invisible Phantom Charm."
Skyler subjected his work to tests, including using anti-stealth and visibility devices from the family's collection.
He also borrowed a pair of the same model as Voldemort's see-through glasses from Lucius to study their alchemical principles.
To his amazement, none of these devices could penetrate his invisibility magic, proving that it even surpassed the Deathly Hallows' invisibility cloak in terms of concealment.
Voldemort's magical eye had been ineffective against Skyler's invisibility magic, a feat previously impossible.
The "Invisible Phantom Charm" was created, and Skyler coupled it with his Supreme Wizard Robe, which already had additional functions to conceal his scent, body heat, and breath.
This allowed him to remain undetectable by even the most sensitive animals, like Filch's pet cat, Mrs. Norris, and heat-sensitive snakes.
Even standing right before them, they would completely ignore him.
Moreover, he successfully developed a novel spellcasting technique, incorporating invisibility magic into his casting process.
This resulted in his spells becoming invisible and untraceable to the naked eye, a technique he called the "Traceless Casting."
The "Invisible Phantom Charm" and "Traceless Casting" techniques were acquired!
In comparison, Skyler's summer was incredibly productive, unlike his elder brother Draco, who spent most of his vacation practicing Quidditch with friends like Goyle and Crabbe.
Second-year students were eligible to join the school's Quidditch teams, and Draco made it clear that he aimed to be a part of the Slytherin Quidditch team during the upcoming semester.
Lucius had arranged a meeting with Marcus Flint of the Flint family, during which they discussed providing free broomsticks for the entire Slytherin Quidditch team, ensuring that the Lightwheel 2001 broomstick, with each one costing 130 Galleons, would be used in the team.
The Lightwheel series was the most high-end broomstick on the market, and Lucius spared no expense to ensure that Draco would pass the selection and join the Slytherin Quidditch team.
Skyler had little interest in Quidditch and was more focused on improving his magical abilities and strengthening his skills.
He recognized that he needed to be well-prepared for the challenges that lay ahead, particularly those related to the ongoing crisis caused by Voldemort in the coming years.
He believed that only after those dark times would he find the opportunity to enjoy the more beautiful aspects of life.
During the two months of summer vacation, he made significant progress in both alchemy and spellcasting, even refining his combat skills through daily practice and improvement.
The restrictions outlined in the "Act on Reasonable Restraints on Minor Wizards," which prohibited underage wizards from using magic outside of school, did not apply to Skyler.
As an ancient pure-blood family, Malfoy Manor was cloaked in powerful, protective, and shielding magic.
Any magical actions performed within the manor's boundaries were untraceable by the Ministry of Magic.
This clear advantage highlighted the privileges of pure-blood wizards over their Muggle-born or mixed-blood counterparts.
Draco's involvement in intrigues and recreational pursuits significantly contributed to his defeats in various clashes with Harry in the original series.
Speaking of Harry, he endured a dismal summer vacation.
Throughout July, all his magical possessions were confiscated by his Muggle relatives, leaving him without access to magic for an entire month.
To make matters worse, his attempts to contact his friends for help or complaints went unanswered as Dobby intercepted all his letters.
Skyler, aware of these events, chose not to intervene. Harry's miserable days continued until his birthday on July 31st, when Dobby visited his room, offering an inexplicable warning and delivering a letter from Mafalda Hopkirk, Director of the Office of Magical Law Enforcement, prohibiting the misuse of magic.
After enduring three more days of cruel mistreatment by his Muggle relatives, Harry is rescued by Ron and his twin brothers, finally bringing an end to his dreadful summer.
On August 19th, Lucius proposed that they accompany him to Knockturn Alley in London to take care of some business and purchase the required booklists for the upcoming semester.
Knockturn Alley, adjacent to Diagon Alley, was a black market of sorts where dark magic and dark items were traded.
It was mostly shunned by reputable wizards and known to be populated by dark witches and wizards, including werewolves and vampires.
The Ministry of Magic's Aurors had repeatedly tried to cleanse Knockturn Alley of these malignant elements but to no avail.
Skyler suspected that influential officials within the Ministry might be protecting the alley for political reasons.
The entrance to Knockturn Alley was located beside Diagon Alley.
Lucius, Draco, and Skyler entered the dark alley through the bustling crowd.
It was a narrow, dimly lit place that felt oppressive and gloomy, and many of the shops displayed eerie and sinister items in their windows.
Two shady wizards lurked in a gloomy doorway, whispering among themselves.
Despite their contemptuous glances at Lucius, they seemed to be waiting for the next potential victim.
A wooden street sign indicated they were in Knockturn Alley.
They continued walking until they reached the largest store in the alley, the "Borgin and Burkes" shop, which Lucius had chosen as their destination.
Skyler was not unfamiliar with this slightly infamous establishment in the wizarding world's dark underbelly.
Managed by the Borkin family, one of the 28 Sacred Pure-Blood families, the shop sold dark magical items and also operated as a pawnshop.
The shop's owner, Mr. Borkin, had a preference for dark magic items with unpredictable and unusual properties.
Whether a satisfactory transaction could be reached depended on the individual's negotiation skills.
Lucius didn't waste time and immediately engaged in a conversation with Mr. Borkin, discussing the sale of several dark magic items from the Malfoy family's collection.
While Lucius and Mr. Borkin haggled over the details of the items, Skyler and Draco took the opportunity to explore the intriguing items on display in the Borkin and Burkes shop.
