Chapter 3: Understanding your Limits
At almost eight years old, Harry Potter was no longer just a boy in a cupboard.
He was a wizard in training.
Two years had passed since the day Mordenkainen's voice had first echoed in his mind. Two years of knowledge, discipline, and learning.
Magic was no longer just a mystery.
It was a language, a craft, a puzzle waiting to be unraveled.
And Harry?
He was determined to solve it.
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But magic was one thing.
Living with the Dursleys was another.
At first, his life hadn't changed. Uncle Vernon still shouted, Dudley still bullied, and Aunt Petunia still stood aside. But then—under the suggestion of Mordenkainen—Harry started helping out.
"Cooking, woodworking, tinkering, and lockpicking are all useful skills to know. Use this opportunity to learn and win their indifference."
Harry wasn't allowed much, but when Uncle Vernon and Dudley weren't around, he was expected to work.
So, he used it as an opportunity.
He learned to cook from Aunt Petunia—cutting vegetables, watching how she timed things perfectly, how she managed a kitchen.
He fixed small things around the house—chairs, curtains, even Vernon's old briefcase.
He wasn't stupid. He knew they didn't care about him.
But when he made himself useful, they were less cruel.
And in return, Harry learned something far more valuable than magic.
He learned people.
How they acted when they were comfortable.
How their behavior shifted when they wanted something.
How people lied without speaking.
He learned that sometimes, being invisible was power.
Because when people ignored him, he could observe them freely.
And observation was the key to understanding everything.
With this realization came the steady acknowledgment of his Master.
"You learn quickly. Perhaps it is time."
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Late Night, Saturday — 10:00 PM
The Dursleys had gone out. They no longer locked Harry in his small room, which was a blessing, for tonight his Master had a new lesson in mind.
After years of learning cantrips, spellcasting principles, and magical theory, Mordenkainen finally deemed him ready.
"You have proven yourself capable, apprentice. It is time you learn your first true spell."
Harry's eyes lit up.
Mordenkainen did not say things lightly.
"This will not be as simple as your previous lessons. It is a spell of the First Circle—a true mark of a wizard."
Detect Magic.
Not just seeing magic—but understanding its presence, its essence, its patterns.
Harry spent 14 hours struggling with it.
Not because he didn't know the incantation. Mordenkainen made sure he understood it completely.
But because he hadn't yet grasped the full depth of magical perception.
"Look deeper, apprentice. Magic is not just something you see—it is something you feel."
The moment he understood, everything clicked.
And when he cast it successfully for the first time?
The world changed.
He saw threads of energy woven through the air.
He saw the lingering traces of spells cast long ago.
His own glasses, worn and mended a dozen times, glowed with residual magic.
For the first time, Harry could truly see magic for what it was.
"This is the Weave, my apprentice. All magic originates from it, throughout planes and existences. Although magic may manifest in different forms, it has the same origin. We, as Wizards, are seekers of knowledge and truth, we understand the Weave to use it. The more we comprehend of it, the more we can harness its power."
Harry nodded, already jotting down everything his master told him in his spellbook.
---
One Minute Later
The spell wore off, and Harry felt a sense of tiredness take over him. But Mordenkainen was not done with his lesson.
"Now that you have learned your first proper spell, it is time to test your limits. Cast it again."
"But I feel tired—" Even as he said that, he was already readying himself to cast it again, eager to see what happened.
This time, the spell was easier to recast, taking just about 10 hours of attempts. But as the spell ended, an unnatural exhaustion overtook him, and he collapsed.
The last thing he heard before darkness took over was Mordenkainen remarking,
"Two spell slots. Already a First Circle Wizard at seven years of age? This will be interesting after all."
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Sunday Morning, 9:00 AM
Harry awoke to Dudley banging on his door, telling him the Dursleys were going out again.
It took him about ten minutes to fully regain his senses and realize he was alone in the house.
He made himself breakfast and sat at the table, speaking to Mordenkainen as he ate.
His Master explained the toll that spellcasting took. Unlike cantrips, true spells draw upon the caster's willpower to enforce magic upon the world. The number of spells one could cast was mostly static in nature, and wizards called them Spell Slots.
The number of spell slots a wizard had defined their Circle.
Mordenkainen instructed Harry to save two pages in his book for tracking his spell slots, until it became second nature. Harry wrote First Circle Spell Slots and drew two hollow circles with his crayons.
"You will need to rest after using up all your slots to cast magic. It becomes easier as you learn more magic, allowing you to cast more and powerful spells. But as of now, you are a certified First Circle Wizard, rare for your age I must say."
He was a First Circle Wizard.
That was rare for someone his age.
Pride swelled in his chest, only to be quickly deflated by Mordenkainen's dry voice.
"Pride and overconfidence are the number one killers of wizards."
Harry scowled, but it stuck with him.
Then, curiosity took over.
"How powerful are you, Master?"
Mordenkainen chuckled.
"I have long since grown away from the Circle system of wizard ranking. But if I had to give a number? I would say I am a Wizard of the 50th Circle."
Harry froze.
He could do so much at just the First Circle. What did that even mean for someone on the 50th Circle?
Mordenkainen simply continued,
"Keep up your diligence, apprentice, and you might one day stand beside me as an equal."
That acknowledgment from his Master gave him a boost in confidence and anticipation for what the future held.
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Spell Slots:
First Circle Spell Slots:
◯ ◯
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Spell: Detect Magic
Type: First Circle True Spell
How to Cast it: Needs one First Circle Spell Slot, and has Verbal and Somatic Components
What It Does: Allows me to see and understand magic, including:
Detecting magical auras and identifying magic items.
Seeing traces of past spells and lingering enchantments. (My glasses were glowing with the Mending magic I had cast on them.)
Recognizing magical barriers, traps, or hidden runes. (I saw something on the house across the street. Weird, but Master said not to poke around lairs of other wizards until I am powerful enough.)
Important Notes:
Costs a spell slot—can't use it too much.
Lasts only a short time.
Drains energy if used too often. (Master said that I slept for half a day after using both of my slots, he also said that this would improve with time.)
Seeing magic doesn't mean I understand it (yet).