The room was dim, as it often was when Tom invited Harry into his private workspace. The stone walls of the laboratory absorbed the flickering torchlight, casting long, wavering shadows across the shelves cluttered with magical artifacts and spell components.
Tonight, though, something new caught Harry’s eye—a sleek, polished device resting on Tom’s workbench. It shimmered faintly with the telltale glow of dark magic.
Tom, ever the showman, seemed more animated than usual as he gestured for Harry to approach.
“I’ve been working on something rather fascinating,” he began, his voice smooth and calculated. “I’ve always admired the ways Muggles navigate their limitations. Despite their lack of magic, they find rather ingenious ways to explore the world.”
Harry raised an eyebrow, intrigued but cautious. Tom was not usually one to appreciate Muggle's ingenuity. “What have you done now?” Harry asked, stepping closer to the bench.
Tom’s lips curled into a smile, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the torchlight. “Do you know how X-rays work, Harry?” he asked, his tone both instructive and slightly mocking, as if he already knew the answer would be no.
Harry shook his head. “Not really. Something to do with radiation?”
“Ah, yes, radiation,” Tom said, turning to the device on the bench. It was a strange blend of Muggle technology and wizardry—smooth metal plates inlaid with ancient runes, connected to what looked like a glass tube filled with a swirling, ethereal substance.
“X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, invisible to the human eye but capable of passing through most objects, including the body. Muggles use it to see what lies beneath the surface: bones, tissues, even hidden injuries. Primitive, but effective.”
Tom’s hand hovered over the machine as he spoke, the dark lines of his long fingers almost caressing the surface. His voice became more animated, a rare excitement shining through his usual calm.
“The X-ray works by firing a beam of these high-energy waves through the subject. When the beam hits something dense, like bone, the waves are absorbed, and what passes through is captured on film or a screen. The result? A map of what lies beneath the skin.”
Harry nodded, trying to follow along, though he couldn’t help but feel like there was more to the explanation than he fully understood. “So Muggles can see inside people’s bodies without cutting them open?”
Tom’s smile widened. “Exactly. Rather impressive, isn’t it? But, as always, there are limitations. The image is flat, two-dimensional, and lacks the nuance that magic could provide.” He paused, glancing at Harry with a look that sent a shiver down Harry’s spine. “Which is why I’ve made... improvements.”
Harry wasn’t sure he liked the way Tom’s eyes gleamed with that particular brand of triumph. He looked down at the device again. “Improvements?” he asked, a bit warily.
“Indeed,” Tom said, turning the device slightly to give Harry a better view. “Muggles are limited to what their machines can detect. Their X-rays can’t capture magic or the flow of energy. But this—this can.”
With a flick of his wand, Tom activated the device. The glass tube began to glow brighter, and the runes etched into the metal plates shimmered with magical energy.
“I’ve combined Muggle science with magic. This device not only captures what lies beneath the surface, but it also detects magical auras, energy flows, and even emotional imprints left on the body.”
Harry stared at the device, now buzzing faintly with power, and then at Tom. “You’re saying this thing can see inside people physically and magically?”
Tom nodded, clearly pleased with himself. “It’s a full-spectrum view, Harry. A map not only of the physical form but of the magic that courses through a wizard’s veins. It can even reveal curses, hexes, or lingering magical injuries that would otherwise be invisible to both Muggle and wizarding methods.”
Curiosity piqued, Harry leaned in closer. “Show me.”
Tom’s smile grew even more satisfied, and without a word, he reached for a small, glowing crystal resting on the bench. “This is a fragment of a cursed object I recovered some time ago,” he explained, holding the crystal up for Harry to see. “It’s imbued with a particularly nasty dark magic that lingers in any object it touches. Watch.”
He placed the crystal under the device, and with another flick of his wand, the machine emitted a low hum. On a nearby screen—a smooth, enchanted surface that shimmered like water—an image appeared.
It wasn’t the flat, skeletal image that Harry had expected from a Muggle X-ray. Instead, the crystal was rendered in intricate, three-dimensional detail. But that wasn’t all. Surrounding the crystal was a swirling, dark aura, pulsating with malevolent energy. Tendrils of magic seemed to coil outward, invisible to the naked eye but fully visible under Tom’s creation.
“See how the curse lingers?” Tom said, his voice filled with dark fascination. “Even after the object has been shattered, the magic remains. It’s like a poison that seeps into everything it touches.”
Harry stared at the screen, transfixed. He could see it—magic made visible, tangible, almost like a living thing. “That’s... incredible,” he murmured, despite himself.
Tom chuckled softly. “Indeed. Now imagine what this could do when applied to living beings.”
The implication hit Harry like a punch to the gut. He turned to Tom, his expression hardening. “You want to use this on people?”
“Why not?” Tom replied smoothly. “Think of the possibilities. We could map the magical pathways within a wizard’s body, diagnose magical ailments with far more precision than ever before. Curses, hexes, even the effects of dark magic could be understood in ways we’ve never imagined. We could refine magic itself, Harry. Perfect it.”
Harry’s mind raced. The idea was brilliant, but he couldn’t ignore the ethical weight it carried. “And what about consent, Tom? What about the people who don’t want their insides—magical or otherwise—examined like this?”
Tom’s smile faltered slightly, but only for a moment. “You always think so small, Harry,” he said, his voice soft but laced with condescension. “This is about progress. The potential far outweighs any concerns about consent. Besides, it’s not as if I intend to use it on unwilling subjects... at first.”
Harry felt a chill run down his spine. He knew Tom too well to believe that last part. “And who decides who’s willing and who’s not?”
Tom’s gaze locked onto Harry’s, the crimson in his eyes darkening. “You and I, of course. Who better?”
Harry held Tom’s gaze, his mind churning. The device was revolutionary, yes. It had the potential to change everything about how wizards understood their own magic.
But in Tom’s hands, it was dangerous. He could already see how easily it could be twisted into a tool of control, another way for Tom to exert his power over others.
As if sensing Harry’s hesitation, Tom stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Think of what we could accomplish, Harry. Together. No more guesswork, no more limitations. We could understand magic in ways no one else ever has. This is the future.”
Harry swallowed hard, torn between the allure of discovery and the weight of his own conscience. He looked back at the image on the screen—the cursed crystal, its dark magic laid bare—and then back at Tom.
The promise of power, of knowledge, was seductive. But Harry had seen enough to know that some lines shouldn’t be crossed, no matter how tempting the rewards might be.
“I need to think about it,” Harry said finally, stepping back from the device.
Tom’s eyes narrowed, just for a fraction of a second, before his expression softened into something almost affectionate. “Of course,” he said smoothly. “Take all the time you need.”
But even as Tom’s voice remained calm, Harry could feel the weight of the decision hanging in the air between them.