"The preparation is complete, Anduin. The magnified surface is stable for forty-five minutes. Let the definitive work commence," Professor Burns announced, his voice low and firm, acknowledging the gravity of the moment. He stood back, leaving Anduin alone with the massive, waiting quartz lens.
Anduin gave a sharp, silent nod. This was not practice; this was the crucible. He lifted the enchanted engraving knife, the blunt tip already humming with the steady, non-spiking magical energy he had perfected.
He placed the tip on the Parasher Brass frame—still soft and yielding due to the magnification charm—and began the laborious process of etching the incredibly complex Sixth Harmony Pattern.
In that moment, the noisy world of the office—the ticking of the clock, the rustle of the velvet cloth, the Professor's heavy breathing—vanished. Anduin's consciousness narrowed to a singular focus: the rhythmic flow of magic through his fingers and the agonizing precision of the engraving tip.
He worked solely by magical feel, using the energy flow itself to gauge the depth and uniformity of the runic lines, ensuring the curvature of the giant lens did not compromise the internal geometry of the spell.
Despite his repeated practice, the pressure of the time limit was a constant, icy thought at the edge of his awareness. Thirty minutes remaining… twenty-five… The thought flickered, threatening to introduce a tremor, but his training held true.
The years of rigorous magical self-discipline, the silent casting, the physical endurance training with Charles—it had all culminated in this moment of absolute magical control. Every etched line was a testament to his focused ambition.
A long, steady exhalation escaped Anduin's lips as the final, internal stabilizing rune of the pattern clicked into place.
The entire framework of the monocle—both the brass ring and the crystal lens—flashed with a brief, incandescent blue light, a sign that the runic matrix had successfully anchored itself into the material. He lowered the knife, the task complete. Sweat beaded on his brow, the effort far exceeding any academic exam.
"Flawless, Anduin! Utterly flawless execution!" Professor Burns exclaimed, stepping forward with astonishment. "The alignment of the stabilizer anchors is mathematically perfect. Now, let's see the true result."
Anduin used a simple, non-verbal Finite Incantatem to restore the monocle to its original size. The massive brass frame and dinner-plate crystal snapped back instantly, transforming into an elegant, small, dark bronze monocle. He gently picked up the cool, finished tool and, with a slight adjustment of the chain, fitted it comfortably over his right eye.
He then raised his wand and, for the first time, silently cast the complete, perfected Echo Place Charm.
The effect was instantaneous and profound. The ordinary vision in his left eye remained, offering the standard perception of light and color. But his right eye was plunged into a mesmerizing, new reality. He didn't see the light waves hitting objects; he saw sound waves radiating outward, shimmering and pulsing like a focused, dark-blue sonar.
The world was stripped of its surfaces and colors, replaced by a stable, clear topological map. The contours of the desk, the dense structure of the stone wall, the empty space within a sealed drawer, the frantic beat of a beetle walking beneath a stack of parchment—all were rendered in vivid, three-dimensional gray and blue lines.
When he closed his left eye, the Echo-Vision became singularly dominant, revealing the entire office as an incredible, fluid x-ray rendered in acoustic energy.
"How is it? Speak, man!" Professor Burns urged, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"It is beyond expectation," Anduin replied, his voice slightly awestruck. "The clarity is total. I can track the vibration of the pipes within the wall. I can see the acoustic shadow cast by the solid oak door. Professor, you absolutely must try this."
He carefully removed the monocle and handed it to Burns. The Professor, with an academic reverence usually reserved for ancient scrolls, fitted the monocle to his own eye and cast the charm. A moment passed, then another, before the Professor pulled the monocle away, his eyes wide and bright.
"Merlin's beard! This is truly extraordinary! An unparalleled sensory tapestry!" Burns burst out, his typical reserve completely shattered.
"You are right, Anduin. The world is transformed. Are these flowing fields truly the acoustic energy? They seem to constantly describe the environment at a subatomic level. What a unique and wondrous perspective! I can literally 'see' the echoes bouncing off the curvature of the ceiling arch!"
"It exceeds even my initial, ambitious projections," Anduin admitted, allowing himself a moment of unrestrained joy. "Now, Professor, let's complete the second one. The sooner we have a backup, the sooner we can truly begin to understand the applications of this new magic."
The second monocle's engraving was completed with swift, effortless success. Having already conquered the stress of the first attempt, Anduin's hand moved with confident efficiency. The second flash of blue light signaled the completion of the pair.
Once both alchemical tools were finished, they were no longer just theoretical objects of study; they were toys of revelation. The two wizards, suppressing their loud exclamations, left the office and ventured into the silent, midnight corridors of the castle.
Anduin would cast the continuous, silent Echo Charm, flooding the surrounding area with ultrasonic waves, and Professor Burns would analyze the resulting visuals through his own monocle. They quickly confirmed the range: the vision extended over 100 meters in every direction, limited only by materials that actively damp acoustic energy (like heavily enchanted lead).
They moved silently, their right eyes perceiving a world hidden from everyone else. They watched the echoes flow seamlessly through the heavy stone walls, revealing the entire layout of the floor plan. They tracked the slow, methodical patrol route of Filch two floors below them, his distant, shuffling footsteps rendered as clear, moving acoustic silhouettes.
They spotted a pair of students huddled in a hushed, late-night conversation in a seldom-used corner, their low whispers visible as faint, radiating ripples on the walls. The Echo Place Monocles transformed the castle from a solid, opaque fortress into a transparent map.
"The more you experience this, the more profound the implication becomes," Professor Burns said, his voice hushed with genuine reverence. "This isn't just a new form of sight, Anduin; it is a profound tool for intelligence gathering, defense, and spatial analysis. Anduin, thank you for allowing me, at my age, to be part of something so fundamentally revolutionary."
"The thanks is entirely mutual, Professor," Anduin insisted, sincerely. "This project existed only as fragmented theory in my mind. Without your encyclopedic knowledge of ancient runes and runic geometry, the required ring-structure combination would have remained undiscovered by me."
Professor Burns suddenly became more businesslike. "Modesty is fine, but now comes the academic work. This discovery demands immediate academic recognition. You have developed a cornerstone of sensory magic. You must write an article detailing the runic structure and the process. I will personally assist you in submitting it to the most prestigious academic journals globally."
"Then I must insist your name be included on the paper, Professor," Anduin stated, smiling. "We are joint developers of the finalized charm and the alchemical vessel. This is a collaborative discovery."
Burns agreed, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "A fair compromise. I will happily accept the role of second author, provided you are recognized as the primary innovator and driving force. Now, let's discuss the wider world."
Professor Burns then launched into a detailed explanation of the International Alchemical Congress, headquartered in Cairo, Egypt. He explained that, while Britain possessed strong practitioners in Charms and Transfiguration, it was essentially an alchemical wasteland in terms of current academic research and development.
The only British wizard to achieve global recognition in the field was Albus Dumbledore, who had won the prestigious Gold Medal of the International Alchemical Congress for his pioneering work decades ago, though he had since focused his immense talent elsewhere.
"The international community is starving for innovation, Anduin. They value the practical application of new runic structures. I see in you the potential to become a Master Alchemist—a true creator. You could easily find yourself recognized in Cairo, shining a light on a field the British Ministry has sadly neglected," Professor Burns encouraged, pouring a small glass of pumpkin juice for them both to celebrate.
Listening to the Professor, Anduin felt a broadening of his own magical horizons. The political machinations of the pure-bloods, the small skirmishes for Quidditch dominance, felt trivial compared to the vast, unexplored potential of global wizarding scholarship. The thought of a world beyond the insular British community was a tempting new ambition.
From that night forward, a curious, subtle change was observable at Hogwarts. There were now two men—a sixth-year Slytherin student and the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor—who consistently wore elegant, dark bronze monocles suspended on thin chains. The sight confused the student body, who tried to interpret it as a new fashion trend or an eccentricity.
The one person whose curiosity became an irritating fixation was Vivian. Having quickly moved past her Quidditch disappointment, she was always seeking a new distraction, and the monocles were the perfect mystery.
"Come on, Anduin, let me have a proper look!" Vivian insisted one afternoon, tapping her finger on his shoulder in the library.
"You and Professor Burns are constantly consulting them, fiddling with the chains, and giving each other meaningful nods. What are they? Are they like advanced Spectrespecs? Is this a new, secretive Hogwarts society emblem?"
Anduin sighed, lowering his own gaze from the visual field only he could see. He had grown accustomed to the Echo-Vision, treating it as a background process, but its presence constantly drew attention.
"They are merely a personal design choice, Vivian. A small gift for the Professor. I assure you, they are nothing more than an accessory unless a spell is actively being cast upon them." He attempted to maintain a dismissive tone.
"An accessory? You wear them every day! You are drawing attention to yourself—which you usually hate! You're forcing me to borrow them just to satisfy my suspicion."
Exasperated, Anduin unhooked the monocle and handed it to her. "Be my guest. Cast any charm you like, but it won't help. They are just a frame and a crystal lens."
Vivian skeptically fitted the monocle over her right eye. She immediately cast a basic Oculus Repair Charm, assuming it was for vision correction. Nothing happened. She then looked around, adjusted the angle, and finally took it off, utterly perplexed.
"There's no magnification, no chromatic adjustment—it's just a flat lens!" Vivian declared, looking into a nearby reflection.
"You and Professor Burns are simply using these to cultivate a mysterious aesthetic? Why go to the trouble of wearing a monocle every single day if it doesn't even correct your near-sightedness?" Her interest, having been thoroughly defeated by the mundane reality of the un-charmed object, evaporated as quickly as it had appeared.
"It's not even a flattering look, Anduin. Honestly, you should have chosen a more modern style."
Anduin, retrieving the monocle and fitting it back into his brass chain with an inward smile, knew the truth. Its magic was not in its appearance, but in the invisible, silent world it revealed. It was the ultimate magical deception—a weapon of perception disguised as a pretentious fashion statement.
Let Vivian and the rest of the student body believe it was a failed style trend; the fewer people who understood its true nature, the greater its power would be.
He was now operating with an unprecedented, constant surveillance system surrounding him, rendering the arrogance of Raleigh Yaxley and his pure-blood faction far less intimidating in the grand scheme of things. He now had the ability to see the architecture of their plans before they ever spoke a word.