The seer

The Royal Library was bustling with people. They were strolling between the tall shelves, observing the Diagon Alley through large glass windows and whispering amongst each other. There were people from various professions, healers, potioneers, students and even a couple of dark witches who tried to blend into shadows near an advanced jinxes section.

The library was massive. It was one of those buildings charmed to seem smaller on the outside as it was on the inside. It was hardly noticeable from Diagon Alley, a building amongst the others. But as soon as I had entered through the heavy double doors, a flow of ancient magic had washed over me. From the entrance hall, I couldn’t see the end of the building.

I walked deeper into the library until I reached a large clearing. I looked up to see that the roof had turned into a glass dome. It held a detailed artwork in it, nature in all of its seasons illustrated with stained glass. The colorful light shining through the dome illuminated stony stairs leading up and down from the main area.

I could see specs of blue here and there in the form of blue fountains. They seemed somehow magical, as the water moved upwards against all odds. The fountains littered the corridors in every floor, casting a hue of light around them.

It would be interesting to know how many square meters this building actually held in it. Most likely not even the regular librarians knew that, for if this was the largest library in England, that would mean it would also have restricted sections containing tomes and scrolls too dangerous for the public.

It was said that some books containing ancient dark magic could drive the reader insane. They could muddle your mind and make you harm others and yourself. I shivered from the mere thought of what lay hidden in the darkest depths of this library.

A book flew past me and I ducked just in time to avoid getting smacked in the face. I followed as it whizzed past me and joined the ever-flowing stream of books levitating through the air. Returns and reserved books. Books that needed cleaning or were damaged. All of them seemed to have a mind on their own as they levitated in the air, moving towards their destination. It was like they were alive.

A voice roused me from book gazing and I turned to see who had spoken.

“May I help you?”

I looked up to see a young woman coming down a staircase. She wore a long white librarian’s uniform with a leather belt tied around the waist, containing book ointments and a keychain. Two long braids hung down until her waist.

“I was just looking for information about magical compatibility. I guess I should’ve gotten to know your shelving system before heading here to look for the books.”

The brown-haired librarian descended the last few steps and graced me with a small smile. She was clutching a few sad-looking tomes against her chest.

“About magical compatibility? I can show you the right shelf. Just give me a moment and I’ll send these off”, she answered.

With a flick of her wand, the tomes she’d been holding levitated and integrated to the stream of books travelling through the air.

“These ones were too damaged and tired to move on their own to be repaired”, she mentioned. “I’d say some books are just too used to being coddled, they want us to do all the work for them. I even caught a few quidditch novels hiding in the romance section yesterday. Took me an hour to catch them and put them back to their intended place.”

I almost choked as I heard her trailing on with the sentence. These books seemed wild.

“I never realized that books could behave that way.”

She sighed and began leading me away from the clearing. “Not everyone does. Only if all wizarding folk saw books as they are. Valuable and deserving of care.”

I jogged after her. She was taller than me, longer legs and a swift walking pace.

“I own many books but they don’t do anything. Just sit on the shelf”, I remarked.

She glanced at me when I caught up with her. “That’s how books are supposed to be. Resting peacefully in their place, ready to be opened and read. But a place like this -where ancient magic flows through the halls- does something to them. And books react to other books. If one starts misbehaving, soon they’ll all follow.”

I pondered the information. But before I got to answer, she continued.

“You’ll notice when they start aging and requiring maintenance. The books will start acting up and demanding attention from you.”

I chuckled. The thought of my diary acting up seemed both unsettling and funny.

The voices had grown more silent in this part of the library. We entered a staircase leading down and I tried to keep up with the young librarian.

“I guess you have your hands full here. Some of those texts are antique”, my voice was slightly out of breath.

She hummed. “Just imagine.”

After exiting the curvy staircase, we walked through a couple more halls. The lightning had grown dimmer now that we were underground. I looked around as we walked, noticing how the curvy corridors meandered deeper and deeper underground.

I almost collided with the librarian when she suddenly stopped by a wooden door.

“Here is where we keep all the texts regarding magical compatibility”, she said as she pushed the door open.

The opening door revealed a room, full of wooden shelves, a couple of desks and a blue magical fountain. The space was fairly smaller than the halls I’d seen as we’d walked here. I could say it was roughly the size of my apartment but with a higher ceiling.

I walked through the archway and thanked the nice librarian as she held the door open for me.

I grazed the surface of a dark thick bookshelf and eyed the books. I had my work cut out for me. I was eager to read every book in here.

“May I ask, why are you interested in these books?”

I glanced towards the brown-haired woman who was still standing by the doorway. She seemed to scrutinize me with her gaze even though we seemed to be the same age.

She spoke again. “You don’t seem the usual type to seek out these books. You don’t remind me of a love-sick schoolgirl looking for something special.”

I crossed my arms. “Maybe you mistake me. Maybe I am a lovesick schoolgirl.” I held back a playful smile.

She looked at me for a moment, her face on neutral. My lips started twitching and so did hers. She rolled her eyes at me with an amused look on her face.

“And this is the reward for leading you all the way down here.”

“I thought you librarians were supposed to be polite to customers”, I teased.

“Customers? Our customers don’t pay unless it’s to cover up late fees or damaged items. So, unless you pay me, I’ll keep my attitude”, she remarked back with a glint in her green eyes.

“Touche,” I acknowledged.

“Well?”

“I’ll say that I have some experience regarding the matter. More, however I won’t share. I hope this satisfies your need for information”

She nodded at me. “I’ll take that.”

“Good”, I said and glanced at the shelves next to me.

“I’ll leave you to it”, the librarian said and started leaving. But before the door closed, she laid a hand in between and peeked into the room. “By the way, next time you can use our locating system. Just go to a blue fountain and follow the instructions it gives you. The same fountains are used for loaning, reserving and returning books.”

I smiled at her. “Thanks for the tip.”

And with that she was out and the door closed after her.

After what seemed like hours being crouched over various books, browsing and reading, I leaned back in the chair and rubbed my eyes. I was getting hungry and a small headache was building from all the studying.

I had learned a great deal from the books. Or some of them. A few had been utter rubbish, full of bad handwriting and broken sentences. Some books were written in other languages, which the translating charm wasn’t able to properly read. I had found a book in my native language, which had proven to be very useful. How a Finnish text had located itself in London was a mystery to me.

I learned that the bond between a couple affected by this magical compatibility would strengthen over time. New aspects would be included in it depending on the both participants. The magic would form a bond and mold according to our powers.

Because we all have our own unique magic, the bond would be different to everyone. However, I found similarities in some of the categorized effects. I recognized the sensitivity to magic, wards not affecting the other and easy mind-reading. I had been surprised to learn that if the bond grew enough, it would be possible to: modify each other’s protection wards, use each other’s wands and in some rare cases, feel and share the other’s pain.

It didn’t mention anything about seers, of how Severus had been able to see my prophecies. Or how I could see his aura easily even when his defenses were up. But I wasn’t surprised. If there was ‘some’ knowledge about seers, there was little knowledge about seers and rare magic like this.

I closed the book in front of me and got up. My stiff legs protested against the movement but I pushed through. I wanted to go home and eat. Maybe I could call my family with the Nokia -phone. It had been a while since we talked.

I picked up some books and made my way to the shelves. As I pushed the last one back to its place, another tome dropped to the floor.

I knelt next to it and picked the heavy tome up. I could swear I hadn’t even touched this book; how could it fall like that?

The dust on the cover made me sneeze and I sniffled after the stinging sensation and wiped the book with my sleeve. But what I saw stitched on the leather cover made me almost drop the medieval volume.

A gruesome skull was etched on the dark fabric of the book. For a moment it had looked so real, the white of the skull shining against the shadows of the room. Now as I inspected it closer, I saw that the intricate stitching with white yarn, magic woven into the pattern had made it look alive

I turned the tome around in my hands and felt heavy energy pulsing from it. My skin tingled as the book seemed to let out a warm breath, suffocating, dark. I turned it the right way again and inspected the golden writing on it.

‘Magical affinity and necromancy’

This book was one of the dark books. The energy seemed inviting, luring me into opening it and exploring the words hidden inside.

Now I was sure it had dropped from the shelf on purpose. No-one had read it in years. Most likely it had been forgotten here, or maybe it had relocated here on its own. No dark book like this would be allowed to the public sections of the library.

I needed to handle it with caution as I had been taught at school.

“Very nice of you to offer yourself to me”, I spoke to the book. If it was alive, I’d better be careful. “I’m intrigued by you, but now I’m too occupied to give you the attention you deserve.”

The book’s energy flowed between my palms. I felt all hot and cold at the same time.

I got up from the floor and stood up slowly. “I will let you rest until you deem me ready for your secrets again.”

The book seemed to purr in my hands, ominous, inviting.

I reached up and placed the tome back to its place, high up in the shelf. It slided in with no effort, smoothly in between other volumes.  

I let go and took a couple of steps back. My hands buzzed with the extra energy and I shook them to ground myself again. Despite the book still calling to me, I went to pick up the rest of my thigs from the desk. I wanted to look at the book, just a peek. But I knew better. Dark magic would always tempt you. It was taught in Durmstrang in the ‘dark arts’ -class.

In that class we had learned the various forms of dark magic. Touched some of the subjects and learned some jinxes, hexes and potions. To understand the dark mages and to fight against them, we needed to learn about dark magic.

Professor Tähtisäde had called the area we studied 'grey magic'. Where do you draw the line between light and dark? Where is the grey area? Is the magic dark if you want to use it for good? Questions about morality and philosophy had been a big part of the class. How could you resist the pull of the darkness, if you never encountered it before? If you didn’t know what tactics it would use to lure you in?

I walked to the door with swift steps. My outer robe was draped over my arm, the same arm holding a book about magical bond. I didn’t look back as I slammed the door shut behind me and hurried through the dim corridors.

It took me a while until I emerged from the lower parts of the library. Now I stood at the entrance hall near a blue fountain. Checking out the book was easy, I needed to register with a tap of my wand and put the book over the flowing water. Protective enchantments fused into it and it was checked out.

I left the building and tied the straps of my cloak as I went out.

Winter carols were playing in the dark evening and only a few people walked about the Diagon alley. Evening had fallen and people were preparing for the night in their homes, relaxing by the fireplaces and wrapping Yule presents.

My stomach growled, reminding me that I needed to eat. I had been longer in the library that I had originally planned. I had thought about visiting my colleague Bode in the hospital, a visit I was dreading slightly. But now the day was nearing its end and that plan had to wait.

I trekked through the snow to the nearest apparition point and apparated home.