In the days immediately following the deciphering of the Wind Sweep Charm's complex matrix, Anduin dedicated every free moment—the scant hours between classes and the long evenings—to the painstaking process of runic fusion and optimization. The Balance Rune, the heart of the wave-calming magic, had to be seamlessly woven into a brand-new defensive structure.
Having mastered the foundational principles during the creation of the Echo Charm and the failed Infrasound attempts, Anduin found the process less difficult than expected. He quickly managed to isolate the key components and successfully integrate the Balance Rune with the necessary repulsion and kinetic elimination runes.
The result was a sophisticated, four-rune sequence: a marvel of miniaturized magical engineering that promised to neutralize any external vibration upon contact with the caster's skin.
He named the result the Acoustic Equilibrium Charm (though in his notes, he kept the simpler, more intuitive name: the Sound Wave Banishing Charm).
The intensive testing began immediately as October drew to a close. The experiment was strictly compartmentalized into two cautious phases, a direct response to the near-fatal recklessness of his previous attempt.
Phase One: Precaution and Calibration
The first phase was purely preparatory, designed to ensure the new defense was safe and stable. It began, sadly, with the mouse. The little creature was subjected to repeated castings of the new Acoustic Equilibrium Charm.
Anduin then observed it closely, confirming there were no neurological symptoms, no internal distress, and no signs of magical residue. The charm was safe for biological life.
With the safety established, Anduin moved to practical testing on himself. The goal was to find which of his four optimized rune arrangements was the most effective shield.
Natural Sound Suppression: He cast the first charm variant on himself and immediately tested its efficacy against natural, everyday sounds. He had Charles shout next to him, and he banged objects. If he couldn't hear Charles's bellow, the charm was working.
High-Frequency Challenge (Ultrasonic Block): Once he was satisfied with the natural sound block, he escalated the test. He put on his Echo Place Monocle, cast his Echo Charm (which generates continuous, high-frequency ultrasonic waves), and observed the resulting sonic field.
If the Acoustic Equilibrium Charm was successfully cast, the sonic waves from his own Echo Charm should hit an invisible, localized dampening field around his head and instantly cease, appearing as a perfect, silent void in his Echo-Vision.
"Rune Combination Three," Anduin noted in his grimoire, his voice muffled by the charm. "It is the only one that achieves a perfect 100% block on the ultrasonic waves. The other three only managed to suppress the ambient noise but allowed the high-frequency waves to penetrate the field."
Rune Combination Three became the final, singular focus. The theory was sound: if the charm could neutralize the highest-frequency, most penetrative sound he could generate (ultrasound), it would certainly stabilize the lowest (infrasound). He spent several more days meticulously adjusting the duration and stability of this superior rune combination, pushing it into the most stable and enduring form possible. He was taking no chances this time.
Phase Two: The Final Test – Halloween Night
The night was crisp and cold. Inside the castle walls, the air thrummed with the muffled sounds of festivity. It was October 31st, Halloween, and the Great Hall was overflowing with a magnificent feast, surrounded by grinning pumpkin lanterns and animated spectral guests performing macabre dances for the student body.
But Anduin was utterly uninterested. He was in the Forbidden Forest hut, the atmosphere thick with anticipation.
"Time: October 31st, 7:38 PM. Final validation of the Acoustic Equilibrium Charm. Initiating the second test of the Infrasound Resonator," he logged in his notebook.
Anduin had made every possible preparation. He had two vials of the strongest Wiggenweld Potion placed on a table near his elbow. More importantly, he had requested Hagrid's presence, not for magical assistance, but as a reliable, massive human anchor.
"Hagrid, I appreciate this. Stand by the fence, well back, just beyond the perimeter I've marked. If you see me collapse or stop moving for more than twenty seconds, you must rush over immediately and administer the potion," Anduin instructed, ensuring the half-giant understood the seriousness of the situation.
Hagrid nodded, looking extremely worried but deeply loyal. "Don' worry, Anduin. Me eyes will be glued to ya. Just holler if ya need anythin'."
Anduin took a slow, deep breath, regulating his heart rate down to a resting rhythm, emptying his mind of everything but the necessary runic sequence. The slightest panic, the slightest tremor of doubt, could still introduce fatal instability into the charm.
He raised his staff, pointed it at his own chest, and with a focused, silent burst of magical intention, cast his Acoustic Equilibrium Charm. He felt a subtle, almost imperceptible click deep inside his core, followed by a profound, immediate silence. He shouted out loud—the force of his voice vibrated his vocal cords, but he heard absolutely nothing. The silence was perfect, dense, and absolute.
The defense is up.
Now, for the attack. With cold, clinical determination, Anduin aimed his staff at the perimeter fence, far away from Hagrid. He condensed the volatile, four-rune Infrasound Resonator at the tip of the wood and channeled a full, unattenuated surge of magical power into the spell.
Nothing.
There was no sound, no visible flash, and most critically, no crippling nausea, no searing ringing in his head, and no violation of his internal organs.
The silence held. The world was utterly stable.
Anduin lowered his staff, his heart hammering with a mixture of disbelief and surging triumph. He shattered the Equilibrium Charm with a sharp mental command.
"It worked! The Balance Rune worked!" he shouted, hearing his own voice boom into the sudden resumption of ambient noise.
He rushed over to the test subject. The mouse, sitting exactly five meters away in its cage, was once again still. Blood was seeping from its eyes and ears. Killed instantly. The destructive power was confirmed, and the defense was successful.
His excitement was immense. He had solved the most difficult runic engineering problem he had ever faced, creating a devastating weapon that was now perfectly safe for the caster.
Just then, Hagrid came sprinting toward him, his massive figure moving with surprising speed. "Anduin! Are yeh alright? I gotta go! Dumbledore's lookin' for me—urgent-like! Said I was needed right away!"
Hagrid was breathing heavily, his voice strained with urgency. He didn't wait for a full response, snatching up his pink umbrella and lumbering away toward the distant lights of the castle.
"What? What happened, Hagrid?" Anduin called after him, completely bewildered by the sudden, panicked flight. He shook his head. Probably a fire-breathing sausage or a dangerous poltergeist at the feast. I'll ask Professor Burns tomorrow.
Unaware that he had just missed the most important, world-changing moment in modern magical history, Anduin returned to his work, now emboldened to test the range and potency of his new weapon.
He spent the next hour working with methodical glee. He placed cages with mice at 5, 10, 20, and 30 meters, testing the fall-off rate of the infrasound wave.
"At five meters, immediate, total lethality. At ten meters, the mouse is still killed, but death is slightly delayed, indicating severe interference. Beyond fifteen meters, the lethal effect wanes rapidly, but the mouse is in obvious, agitated distress, suggesting strong disabling interference. At thirty meters, the creature is only squealing and pacing nervously."
Anduin smiled, closing his notebook. The lethal range was short, but the area of effect for crippling interference was perfectly acceptable. This was an ultimate close-range panic and incapacitation weapon.
Exhausted but deeply satisfied, Anduin finally headed back to the castle, slipping through the darkened corridors while the rest of the student body was long asleep, digesting the massive Halloween feast. He felt an intense, quiet joy—the kind of elation that came from conquering a complex, seemingly impossible problem. He fell into bed and slept the deep, heavy sleep of a triumphant scientist.
The next morning, Saturday, was meant to be the start of a relaxed weekend. Anduin and Charles finished their grueling morning run and returned to the Great Hall for breakfast.
The atmosphere was wrong.
The massive hall was usually a cacophony of cheerful noise, clinking cutlery, and casual chatter. Today, it was dominated by a strangely focused, horrified hum. Students weren't eating; they were huddled in tight knots, whispering. The normal flood of mundane mail owls had been replaced by a frenzy of official Daily Prophet owls, dropping bundles of freshly printed papers onto every table.
Anduin and Charles, both radiating the healthy glow of extreme physical conditioning, paused at the entrance.
"The air… it feels thick. Has someone been petrified?" Charles whispered, instinctively looking around for any sign of dark magic.
A sharp, familiar voice cut through the hum. "Anduin! Charles! Over here, quickly!"
It was Vivian, her face pale, her usual exuberant energy replaced by a frantic, wide-eyed shock. She grabbed Anduin's arm, her grip surprisingly tight.
"What is going on, Vivian? Why is everyone looking like they've seen a Basilisk?" Anduin asked, genuinely confused, having missed the entire crisis of the night before.
Vivian stared at him, unable to comprehend his ignorance. "You… you haven't heard? How could you not have heard? The Mystery Man… he's dead! Allegedly killed by a baby who somehow survived a major curse! It happened last night, right when the feast was starting! I got a confirmation letter from my father this morning; the Ministry is in absolute chaos!"
Anduin froze. His brain, still operating on the logical rhythm of runic engineering, struggled to process the gravity of the statement. The Mystery Man. The most feared, most powerful dark wizard in centuries. Voldemort. Dead? Killed by a child?