Chapter 140: Faster Shots, Stronger Shots, and the Lightning Wizard Wand

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The crystal chip, symbolizing the magazine, was inserted into the opened chamber. As the chamber locked, a sharp cracking sound echoed, signaling the crystal's fracture. Much like the transformation of the flintlock into a pistol, the wand began a rapid metamorphosis, emanating a faint glow. Moments later, a new button materialized on the gun's body.

"Professor Flitwick, why does Harry's gun look different?"

A sharp-eyed young wizard exclaimed in surprise upon noticing the changes to the white ivory exterior of Harry's wand after following Professor Flitwick's instructions to insert the chip and lock the chamber.

"Why hasn't mine changed?"

The boy speaking raised his wand. His, too, was from the Glock family of firearms but was a Glock 17 instead of the fully automatic Glock 18C. The Glock 17 used a standard 17-round magazine.

"No need to feel envious, Mr. Luther," Professor Flitwick replied calmly. "Just as wands vary in appearance, so too do magazine attachments. Even with the same handgun model, the magazine capacity can differ. For the one you're holding, the standard capacity is 17 rounds, but options for 19, 31, or even 33 rounds are also available."

"As for the changes, it relates to how wizards adapt their wands to their usage habits."

"But the difference is too big!" Despite understanding the reasoning behind the explanation, the boy couldn't help but feel a twinge of dissatisfaction.

For wizards, a higher magazine capacity meant a greater number of pre-loaded spell groups, which could translate into a significant advantage during a duel. However, this perspective was simplistic. Even revolvers, which generally had lower capacities, held their ground in dueling circles. Their effectiveness depended on advanced techniques such as trick shooting and rapid reloading.

For instance, Professor Flitwick, a top-tier duelist, used an M500 revolver in duels. He could maintain uninterrupted firepower throughout a fight, making it nearly impossible to notice when he reloaded.

"High-capacity drum magazines, like your 100-round C-MAG, indeed offer advantages, Mr. Potter," Flitwick advised. "However, their bulkiness can hinder your performance. You'll need to adjust to the changes in your wand. Adaptation is vital for a wizard."

"I'll work on it, Professor, but I think I'll need a custom holster," Harry replied.

Harry had discovered an issue: his old holster couldn't accommodate the bulk of the ivory wand equipped with the drum magazine. He had to carry it awkwardly by hand.

Returning to his seat, Harry waited for the magazine distribution to finish. As he idly examined his wand, he sensed someone watching him. Glancing back, he caught a red-haired boy quickly looking away. It was Ron, Fred and George's younger brother, and Harry's classmate.

Ron hadn't queued up for a magazine. His wand was still in its original flintlock form. This was likely because Ron had replaced his wand in his first year's second term and hadn't fully adapted to it even after nine months. Perhaps he didn't use it for casting spells often? Even Neville had managed to transform his wand into a pistol—a Ruger P08—within half a year.

About fifteen minutes later, all students had finished installing their magazine attachments. Professor Flitwick returned to the podium, cleared his throat, and glanced at the clock.

"Now that everyone has their magazines, let's proceed to loading spell groups," he announced.

"Last year, we studied basic magic. Today, we'll combine some of those spells. Draw your wands, and let's review these two spells."

"Lumos Spark."

Flitwick pulled the trigger, summoning a small glowing orb.

"Lumos Spark," the students echoed, producing their own orbs of varying brightness and sizes from their wand barrels.

"Now, let's add some color," Flitwick continued.

"Rainbow Flash."

A tiny, multicolored firework shot from Flitwick's wand, passing through the Lumos orbs before bursting into vibrant hues at the classroom ceiling.

The students imitated him, soon turning the ceiling into a kaleidoscope of colors.

"Well done. You've likely noticed that without using spell groups, these spells don't interact. However, when combined into a spell group, they become interconnected by a magical thread," Flitwick explained.

"Press the new button on your wand to eject the magazine."

A series of crisp clicks echoed as the students removed their magazines, revealing a variety of designs.

"Excellent. Now, observe the bullets inside the magazines. To store spell groups, we must encode and compartmentalize them appropriately," Flitwick instructed.

Examining his drum magazine, Harry was surprised. He finally understood why wizarding coins like Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts resembled 9mm Parabellum rounds. The drum didn't hold shiny metal bullets but rather translucent, crystal-like 9mm rounds.

"At the top of the magazine or in the center of the chamber, there's a small, pressable button. Before recording your first spell group, press it. Once the spell group is stored, press it again and assign a code name. This allows you to switch between stored spell groups easily," Flitwick concluded.

"For example, let's configure the two spells we just learned into a Rainbow Orb spell group."

Professor Flitwick pointed at the topmost crystal bullet in the chamber. Softly, he incanted Lumos Spark, followed by Rainbow Flash. The transparent crystal bullet immediately absorbed a faint blue glow. After inscribing the spells, he added the name, "Rainbow Orb."

With a snap, the chamber of his M500 revolver closed. Aiming at the ceiling, Professor Flitwick clearly spoke the spell group's code: "Rainbow Orb."

Pulling the trigger, both spells were released in rapid succession. The white orb of Lumos Spark transformed mid-air, infused with a multicolored halo, creating a dazzling rainbow orb that replaced the plain white light. The two spells, now linked through the spell group, merged their strengths into a unified and enhanced effect.

"This demonstrates why spell groups are significantly stronger than using individual spells. Once grouped, spells are no longer independent but become an interconnected whole."

"In future lessons, I'll teach you how to combine spell groups effectively and how to identify compatibility between spells. Not all spells can be combined successfully. If the relationship between them is misunderstood, the resulting group might weaken the spell effects or, worse, cause a conflict with disastrous consequences."

"For instance, there was once a wizard who tried combining two fundamentally opposing spells into a single group. The result? He blew off his entire arm. Just like miscasting a spell, creating spell groups comes with its own set of dangers."

Hearing this warning, the eager students subdued their enthusiasm somewhat. As reckless as children might be, they had no desire to risk their lives.

What Professor Flitwick didn't reveal, however, was that modern advancements in spellcasting mechanics had introduced safety measures. When loading a magazine, a small safeguard was automatically installed. If a spell group conflict arose, the magazine would eject itself and, as a last resort, permanently consume all bullets in the magazine to unleash a raw magical blast. While this might leave the caster dazed and covered in soot, it ensured there would be no severe injuries like lost limbs.

As the students began experimenting with loading spell groups, Harry, holding his ivory wand with its drum magazine, found himself puzzled.

"Where's that little button?"

Harry ran his fingers over every part of the drum magazine but couldn't locate the pressable mechanism described earlier. The ebony wand's magazine had it, but the ivory wand seemed to lack this feature entirely.

Deciding to improvise, Harry bypassed the button. Pressing a bullet directly, he incanted the spell. To his surprise, the transparent crystal bullet absorbed a pitch-black glow—his unique magical signature. This confirmed the spell had been successfully recorded.

"Could it be..."

A thought struck Harry. The ivory wand didn't follow conventional rules. Wizards typically faced an internal cooldown period when casting the same spell repeatedly, though it was brief and could be shortened. However, this cooldown was never zero. Yet the ivory wand allowed rapid-fire spellcasting, creating a barrage of spells. Although the individual spell strength was barely adequate, its sheer speed and volume compensated for its lack of power.

"Is this going to introduce another odd quirk? Could its rapid-fire capability affect spell groups as well?"

After configuring the Rainbow Orb spell group, Harry inserted the magazine back into the wand. The other students had also completed this step and eagerly awaited Professor Flitwick's instructions.

"Now, point your wands at the ceiling," Professor Flitwick said with a cheerful smile. "Let's see the effects of your spell groups."

A chorus of "Rainbow Orb" echoed through the room as vibrant, multicolored orbs ascended one after another, filling the classroom with dazzling hues. The magical classroom suddenly resembled a nightclub—minus the booming DJ beats and raucous cheers of partygoers.

But amidst the vibrant chaos, an unusual interruption occurred.

The ivory wand's fire selector was set to full-auto mode. When Harry pulled the trigger, the familiar sensation returned—his magic drained rapidly, like a floodgate opening. In return, Rainbow Orbs spewed from the wand in a relentless torrent, akin to a spawning frenzy.

What began as an enchanting display turned overwhelming as students, initially gazing in awe, collectively shielded their eyes. The intense, flashing rainbow strobe light reached near-blinding levels of sensory overload.

"I knew this would happen," Harry muttered, half-amused and half-exasperated.

In exchange for being unable to load multiple spell groups, the ivory wand granted unparalleled rapid-fire capability for its configured spell group. It was unexpected, yet oddly fitting.

Faster shots, stronger spells—the lightning wizard wand: the Glock 18C, White Ivory.

(End of Chapter)