Chapter Four – Upgrades and first steps

Jonathan Grace had spent nearly fourteen months alive in this new world. While other babies were teething, clapping, and learning how to say "mama," Jonathan was running background processes for mind encryption and experimenting with unauthorized spellcasting protocols.

He wasn't just growing—he was upgrading.

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\[Training Log – Month 12 to 14]

Subject: Jonathan Grace

Field Notes: Wandless Magic + Mental Defense Development

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Training Routine: Magical Projection (Wandless)

Environment: Nursery. Door closed. Supervision = minimal.

Tools: Toy blocks, a plastic duck, a rattle with offensive jingling, sheer bloody willpower.

Every morning, as his parents made tea and the BBC played on low volume in the background, Jonathan focused on the small shelf near his crib where his blue toy car sat.

Step one: Internal Alignment

He would gather that strange, humming inner energy—what he still called IE—pulling it inward like a breath held tight in the chest.

Step two: Command Invocation

With silent precision, he'd think the word: Wingardium Leviosa.

Not just the word—but the motion. He'd remember the wand movements, the "swish and flick," and simulate the intent behind it.

Step three: Projection

With a tiny thrust of mental effort, he would push.

Results varied:

Day 1: Toy wobbled.

Day 4: Toy tipped over.

Day 9: Toy levitated 3.2 cm before falling like a brick.

Day 17: The plastic duck launched into his face.

'Progress. Slightly violent progress. But I'll take it.'

He experimented with Lumos too—willing light to form at his fingertip. Nothing visible happened, but he swore he felt a warmth bloom from his palm.

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Training Routine: Occlumency / Mind Palace Expansion

After physical training (which mostly involved flailing arms and trying not to drool while channeling magic), came the mental work.

Jonathan would slip into his internal world during naps or quiet time, lying in his crib while pretending to sleep.

Stage One: Visualization

He rebuilt his mind palace—this time as a cybernetic command center. A sprawling network of corridors lined with glowing data nodes. Each file represented a memory, encrypted in code.

His favorite entries included:

`./Memory/PreDeath/Youtube/Dumbledore_Plan.mp4`

`./MagicTheory/Internal_Energy_Notes.json`

`./Security/LegilimencyShield/Build_Log_Alpha.txt`

Stage Two: Defense Systems

He installed an Antivirus System —an automated defensive subroutine coded in imaginary scripting. It scanned incoming mental probes and responded with randomized baby thoughts:

Floating giraffes

A spinning rattle

The jingle from Teletubbies

Meanwhile, real thoughts were kept in lockdown.

The outer wall of the palace bore a single digital banner:

"Firewall Active – Mental Intrusion Detected = Countermeasures Deployed."

'Dumbledore, Snape, Voldemort—I dare you.'

Stage Three: Simulation Drills

Jonathan simulated attacks.

A red dot labeled "Intruder.exe" would breach the perimeter.

His job: trigger failsafes. Cut the node. Route the thoughtstream. Engage dummy memories. Purge suspicious data logs.

It was exhausting. It was exhilarating.

And it was working.

He could feel the difference—his thoughts were sharper, faster, less clouded by infant fuzz.

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Family Moment – First Steps, First Fall

One afternoon, post-training, Jonathan saw his moment.

His parents were in the living room. Michael was tapping on the telly, annoyed at the fuzzy picture, and Annabeth sat on the sofa folding socks, humming along to a cassette tape.

Jonathan gripped the side of the couch.

'Okay. I can levitate a duck. I can encrypt my brain. How hard can walking be?'

He stood—wobbled—balanced.

Took one step. Another.

Michael turned, eyes widening. "Oi! Look at 'im go, Annabeth! Our Jonny's walkin'!"

"I knew he'd do it soon!" Annabeth beamed, setting the socks aside.

Jonathan raised his arms for balance. Victory was close.

Then his toe caught the carpet.

He tumbled forward, hit the rug face-first, rolled twice… and crashed directly into Michael's slipper with a heroic grunt.

Silence.

Then Michael said, "Graceful as a giraffe on ice skates, that one."

Annabeth picked him up, hugging him tightly. "That was brilliant, sweetheart! You'll be running in no time."

Jonathan buried his face in her shoulder.

'I will. Just as soon as I reprogram my legs to stop betraying me.'