"Put more effort into it, and try to think less about distractions," Wayne pointed out. "When casting a spell, whether it's aimed at a person or an object, you should treat every instance like it's a real battle."
"This is something you should learn from Harry; he has a talent for combat and fully commits himself."
The Sorting Hat's recommendation of Harry for Slytherin was not only due to Voldemort's influence. Just look at him. Besides his recklessness, Harry really did fit Slytherin; he had quite the fiery temper.
He had quarreled with Ron countless times, blew up his Aunt Marge in their third year, shouted at old Dumbledore in fifth year, wrecked things in the Headmaster's office, and in sixth year, he even used the Stunning Spell on Malfoy. Covering up his name, how can you say he isn't a little snake? Wayne would never believe it.
Hearing Wayne say he was not as good as Harry, Hermione felt a bit indignant and complained, "You're being too abstract. Can you be more specific?"
"Fine, let me demonstrate," Wayne replied, shaking his head as he summoned a puppet and positioned it in the most standard posture, clearly articulating the spell.
"Expelliarmus!"
In an instant, Hermione felt the shift in Wayne's aura; the red beam struck the puppet, causing it to explode into bits scattered around.
"You…" The little witch stammered, "This… this is the Disarming Charm?"
"Right!"
While speaking the Disarming Charm, it was matched with a spell of explosion. "Don't pay too much attention to those details," Wayne waved his hand dismissively. "Did you see the state I was in just now?"
"I roughly understand." Having witnessed such changes firsthand, Hermione, with her intelligence, naturally grasped the situation. "Then give it a try."
Wayne summoned another puppet. This time, Hermione showed no mercy, imagining her opponent as a bad egg who had stolen her book, with the teapot in her hand representing that book.
Her emotions stirred, a red light shot forth, and the puppet was pushed back nearly ten meters. The teapot also flew back towards Hermione at great speed.
"Beautiful," Wayne applauded. "That's the feeling! Whether it's the spell, the gestures, or the mental state, it's all about enhancing focus and channeling emotions."
"The three are combined, and then continually simplified—this is the standard process for mastering most spells."
In this idealistic world, a wizard's strength is not constant. When emotions are ignited, even an ordinary wizard can unleash surprising power.
Just like Molly Weasley—was her objective strength really greater than Bellatrix's? Clearly not.
As one of Voldemort's most capable lieutenants, Bellatrix was indeed powerful. Yet, to protect her family, Molly had easily dispatched Bellatrix with a single shattering curse, leaving nothing behind.
Hermione nodded with delight, realizing she had found the key.
As they resumed training, her progress was evident. After another half hour, Wayne decided to call it a night, pulling a reluctant Hermione back to bed.
After escorting Hermione to the Fat Lady, Wayne returned to the Room of Requirement.