Chapter 8: Magic Isn't Easy
"Is this enough?"
George pulled out a hefty pouch containing over four hundred Galleons. He had his reasons for selecting such a large owl. First, this owl had a decent level of attack ability—if he encountered danger, it could offer him significant help. Secondly, its flying capabilities were impressive.
Normal magical owls could carry around ten pounds while flying, so a larger owl like this should easily manage a hundred pounds. If trouble arose and he couldn't fight his way out, the owl could carry him away. Not just a pet, but a potential flying mount—what better choice could there be?
"If you're sure, there's absolutely no problem."
The shopkeeper, seeing George was serious and had the money, eagerly helped him move the large eagle owl onto a cart, worried George might change his mind. This owl ate a lot, and if no wizards bought it soon, it would become a loss for the shop.
With his new pet secured, George proceeded to the last and most crucial stop: Flourish and Blotts. Today, he wasn't just buying his first-year textbooks but also a range of other magical books, particularly ones related to wandless spellcasting.
If he couldn't master spellcasting with hand gestures, his body in the Marvel world wouldn't be able to use magic properly without creating a wand.
Today was August 3rd, and there were still eighteen days until Gilderoy Lockhart's book signing at Flourish and Blotts, so the shop wasn't too crowded. Finding the books he needed was relatively easy—he could just ask the staff directly.
"Wandless spellcasting? We stopped selling books on that ages ago. Everyone uses wands now; who still bothers with such outdated methods?"
The shop assistant shook his head.
But George wasn't ready to give up. He pressed on, saying, "I'm quite interested in those outdated methods. Is there any way you could help me find a book on the subject? I'm willing to pay extra!"
To show he was serious, George pulled out twenty Galleons.
The shop assistant hesitated for a moment before finally holding up four fingers.
"It's a special order—costs a lot. Forty Galleons."
"Deal."
George immediately handed over forty Galleons, placing them on the counter. He knew he was being overcharged, but as long as he could get his hands on a book about wandless spellcasting, he didn't care if it cost forty Galleons—or even four hundred.
"Three days. I'll have it for you in three days."
The assistant, now smiling broadly, eagerly pocketed the gold.
"I'll be back in three days."
After wandering around the shop and paying the listed prices for several other magical books, George pushed a fully loaded cart back towards the apothecary in Knockturn Alley, humming a cheerful tune and preparing to self-study magic.
On his way back, the giant eagle owl drew quite a few curious glances.
"Behave, and don't make too much noise."
Once back at the shop, George placed the eagle owl on a table in his bedroom and fed it a rabbit he'd bought from the owl shop. The owl, surprisingly obedient, nodded after hearing George's instructions.
For most young wizards, an owl of this size would be impractical—too heavy to manage and potentially dangerous. But George wasn't an ordinary young wizard.
His body was far stronger than that of a typical adult, and the large owl posed no problem for him. As for danger, his telepathic abilities inherited from Professor X were still at a basic level and didn't have much influence over complex human minds. However, they worked quite effectively on simple-minded creatures like animals.
Not only could George easily communicate with animals, but he could also influence their behavior to a certain extent. Sometimes he wondered if he spent enough time studying magical creatures, he might even rival Newt Scamander or Hagrid someday and become a master of magical creatures himself.
"Let's start with The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 and Magical Theory," George muttered to himself as he pulled out the two most important books from the pile. He then dove deeply into his studies.
At the moment, mastering practical spells was his top priority. Subjects like the History of Magic, Herbology, or Potions could wait until the crisis in the Marvel universe was over. He spent the entire day buried in the books, until evening approached.
"Turns out, it's not as easy as it looks," George sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. He grabbed a loaf of bread he'd bought earlier and started to nibble on it.
Watching movies made casting spells seem simple—a flick of the wand and magic happens. But in reality, learning how to cast even a single spell was far more complicated. It was like cooking. Watching a chef, it seemed easy enough, just a few steps. But when it came time to cook yourself, you'd likely mess up. Even if you followed the same steps, the results could be completely different.
According to the textbooks, successfully casting a spell required several conditions. First and foremost, you needed to have wizard blood and possess magical power. Without that, all the proper steps would still be useless.
Then there were the incantations. The pronunciation had to be precise. Every spell had a specific cadence and tone, and failing to meet those requirements could result in the magic being significantly weakened, or worse, not working at all. There was even a small chance that improper pronunciation could lead to unpredictable effects.
Finally, the wand movement was crucial. The gestures weren't just random swishes—each spell had its own unique motion.
Of course, these steps applied mostly to beginners. Once a wizard truly mastered a spell, understood its principles, and studied its deeper magical laws, they could eventually perform the magic silently and without a wand. The best wizards could perform most spells instantly and silently.
"Softening Charm, Cutting Charm, Unlocking Charm, Levitation Charm, Locking Charm, and Mending Charm. I'll focus on the Unlocking Charm first."
After finishing his bread, George turned to the page in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 that explained the Unlocking Charm. The spells in the first-year textbook were basic and the simplest to learn, but they were also fairly weak in power.
For example, even if George mastered the Cutting Charm, at his current level, he'd probably only be able to slice through a napkin, not anything substantial like skin. So instead of wasting time on that, he figured the Unlocking Charm would be far more useful.
With the Unlocking Charm, his body in the Marvel universe could potentially unlock the inhibitor collar around his neck that suppressed his mutant powers. It could also open the high-tech doors in the research lab, allowing him to escape.
If he had time after mastering the Unlocking Charm, then learning a few additional spells wouldn't hurt.
He briefly considered the idea that a Transfiguration spell could be even more useful—especially when dealing with high-tech weapons. Disabling just one critical component could render a weapon inoperable.
But after thinking it through, George decided against it. Transfiguration was its own major branch of magic and much more difficult to learn compared to other spells. Even Hermione, a brilliant student, struggled with it before attending Hogwarts. He doubted he could learn it in a short time without a teacher.
Even if he managed to grasp it, the effects might not be strong enough to justify the risk. It wasn't worth taking chances.
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