The Owlery was located in the West Tower, a tall circular room filled with perches and nesting boxes. The smell was quite strong, typical of any space housing dozens of birds. Owls of every size and color occupied the space, from tiny scops owls to massive eagle owls.
James approached the perches and spoke clearly. "I need someone to deliver a letter to London and wait for a reply. It should come fairly quickly. Can anyone make the journey?"
Several owls turned to look at him, considering. A couple who were willing to take the assignment hopped forward, offering their services.
James chose a medium-sized owl with greying white feathers and striking yellow eyes. The owl looked reliable, experienced, not too young or too old.
"Thank you," James said, carefully tying his letter to the owl's leg. "Wait for the reply and bring it back to me as quickly as you can."
The owl hooted once in acknowledgment, then took off through one of the large openings in the tower walls. James watched it disappear into the morning sky, heading towards London.
Satisfied, James made his way down to the Great Hall.
Breakfast was a sparse affair this early on a Saturday morning. Only a handful of students occupied the house tables, most of them older years who either had studying to do or had simply developed the habit of waking early. None of the first years were present. Smart of them to take advantage of the weekend to sleep in.
James noticed the Weasley twins sitting at the Gryffindor table, looking distinctly worse for wear. They had the rumpled, bleary-eyed appearance of people who hadn't slept at all. When they spotted James, they waved tiredly, their trademark grins still present despite obvious exhaustion.
James waved back, noting they'd probably had their own nighttime adventures and had decided to grab food before collapsing into bed. The twins were clearly operating on the same principle he'd followed for years: sleep was less important than interesting activities.
He sat down at the Ravenclaw table and fixed himself a plate. Eggs, bacon, toast, and some fruit. He ate quickly, trying to get through the bland meal as efficiently as possible. The faster he finished, the sooner he could get back to more interesting pursuits like research and spell practice.
By eight o'clock, he was done, having mechanically consumed enough food to fuel his body for the day. He cleaned his plate with a few quick bites, drank water to wash it down, and headed straight for the library.
Madam Pince was just opening the doors when James arrived, her sharp eyes noting his early appearance with what might have been approval or suspicion. Hard to tell with her.
"Good morning, Madam Pince," James said politely.
"Mr. Acton," she acknowledged. "You're here early."
"Research project," James explained vaguely. "Lots to read."
She made a noncommittal sound and waved him in.
The library was nearly empty, only a few students scattered throughout the vast space. James spotted some fifth years studying together in the main area, probably preparing for their OWLs. A couple of seventh years occupied private study carrels, surrounded by towering stacks of books. The academic pressure of NEWT year was evident in their hunched shoulders and focused expressions.
James ignored them and headed straight for what had become his favorite section: the older language collection in the back of the library.
He pulled books systematically, looking for anything that might contain advanced detection spells or alternative methods of perceiving magic. Latin texts on magical theory. Sanskrit works on consciousness and perception. Arabic treatises on alchemical detection methods. Chinese manuscripts on perception and energy sensing.
Then he ventured into the general English-language collection, looking for more specialized works. He found several books that appeared to be geared toward Curse Breakers and students interested in those career paths. That made sense. Tomb raiding and curse breaking would require extensive use of detection spells to ensure opening some ancient chamber didn't melt your face off or trigger a deadly ward.
James pulled every promising title he could find: The Geometry of Spell Awareness by Caecelius Alfoso. Intent, Echo, and Trace: A Study of Magical Residue by Hesper Clark. Advanced Detection Methods for Professional Curse Breakers by Patricia Rakepick.
Then he found something that made his heart race with excitement: Detection Through Absence: Finding Magic By What's Missing by Felicia Greenhart herself.
This was it. This had to be relevant. A book about detecting magic through absence, through what wasn't there rather than what was. It was exactly the kind of lateral thinking he needed.
James gathered his selections, more than a dozen books in total, and carried them to his usual corner in the ancient books section. The area was quiet and isolated, perfect for long study sessions without interruption.
He arranged the books in order of priority, with Detection Through Absence: Finding Magic By What's Missing at the top of the stack. Then he settled into his chair, pulled the first book closer, and opened it with a sense of delightful anticipation.
He had hours of uninterrupted reading ahead of him. With his eidetic memory, he only needed to read each text once to remember everything. The limitation wasn't retention but comprehension and synthesis. He needed to understand the principles, see how different magical traditions approached the same problems, and identify techniques that might work on Founders' level magic.
James opened Detection Through Absence and began to read.
"The most sophisticated magical concealment is not that which hides itself from detection, but that which becomes so fundamental to its environment that detection spells no longer recognize it as separate. Like a fish searching for water, the observer cannot see what surrounds and encompasses everything."
James smiled. Yes. This was exactly what he needed.
He lost himself in the text, his mind absorbing theories and techniques, making connections, forming hypotheses. Around him, the library slowly filled with more students as the morning progressed. But James barely noticed, too engrossed in the challenge of seeing what wasn't meant to be seen.