0472 Spiritual World

"Professor Watson's Spiritual World," Harry mumbled under his breath, his emerald eyes wide with a mixture of awe and confusion. He turned to look at Hermione who was usually a fountain of knowledge on all things magical. To his surprise and slight dismay, he found that even Hermione wore the same bewildered expression as himself. Her brow was furrowed, and her lips were pressed into a thin line.

For a moment, Harry wondered if 'Spiritual World' might be an advanced magical concept taught only to upper-year students. His gaze instinctively sought out Cedric, but upon seeing the confusion etched across Cedric's face, Harry realized that even the older students were just as lost as the rest of them.

Bryan standing before them in this endless expanse of white, observed the anxious and perplexed expressions of the young wizards.

"Perhaps you're still confused," Bryan said, his deep voice resonating in the vast, featureless space. "Alright, I can take some time to explain further."

With a fluid motion, Bryan clasped his hands behind his back. His gaze swept across the pristine white world that surrounded them, his eyes reflecting an appreciation for the magical construct he had created.

"This world," Bryan began, gesturing to the infinite whiteness around them, "isn't real in the conventional sense. It's a false world I've created - a world that can only be entered through thoughts." He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "I've extracted your thoughts, given them form, and placed them into this construct. Your physical bodies are still in the classroom, sitting exactly where you left them."

The young wizards' mouths remained slightly hung open, their minds struggling to wrap around the concept Bryan was presenting. While they couldn't fully comprehend the intricacies of what he was telling them, they grasped enough to understand the basics - the place they were in was a magical creation, conjured into being by their enigmatic professor.

"Creating a world with magic," Hermione murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. At that moment, her carefully constructed understanding of magical knowledge teetered on the brink of collapse. The sheer scope of what Professor Watson had accomplished defied everything she had learned from her beloved books. She couldn't fathom what kind of magic could accomplish all this.

Harry, standing beside Hermione, lowered his head to stare at his own hands. He repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists, watching the play of muscles and tendons beneath his skin. His face was a picture of disbelief, green eyes wide with wonder and a hint of fear. The incredibly clear sensation of his movements, the feeling of his nails digging into his palms, made it excruciatingly difficult for him to accept the reality - or rather, the unreality - of his current state.

"False... thoughts," he muttered, struggling to reconcile the vivid sensations with the knowledge that he was now, in essence, an illusion given form by magic.

Astoria Greengrass, a second-year Slytherin girl from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families, spoke up. "But why did you bring us into... this world you created? Aren't we supposed to be learning magic, Professor Watson?"

Astoria was the only first-year student Bryan had invited to join the Physical Education class during its planning stage. Her large, dark eyes were filled with curiosity as she continued, "Does learning magic in this world give us some advantage?"

"A good guess, Miss Greengrass," Bryan said, his pale purple eyes twinkling with appreciation for her perceptiveness. He then addressed the entire group, his voice taking on a more intellectual tone. "You've all been studying spells for some time now. I'm sure you understand the difficulties of learning a new spell. Time - precious, irreplaceable time - is what you need most. You require a substantial amount of time to practice repeatedly before mastering a new spell."

He began to pace slowly, his robes rustling softly with each step. "Outside, in the physical world, with just two classes a week, you'd struggle to meet my expected progress. But here, in this Spiritual World, time can theoretically be accelerated." His eyes gleamed with excitement as he continued, "This means that one hour spent here might only equate to about half an hour in the outside world."

Theodore Nott clenched his fist inside his sleeve. His eyes, usually cold and calculating, were now filled with a newfound respect as he looked at Bryan.

The Nott family possessed ancient magical techniques, passed down through generations. They were one of the few families in the wizarding world who truly understood the intricacies of time magic being the original creators of Time-Turners. However, to avoid complications and potential danger, they had handed over all their Time-Turners to the Ministry of Magic, claiming the craft had been lost to time.

It was precisely because of this inherited knowledge that Theodore understood how terrifyingly difficult and dangerous time magic truly was. The idea that Professor Watson had developed a form of magic that could manipulate the flow of time itself - it was simply beyond his comprehension.

"Of course, I must warn you," Bryan said seriously, his tone shifting to one of caution as he noticed Hermione's eyes gleaming with unbridled enthusiasm. He knew all too well the allure of having more time, especially for someone as academically driven as Hermione. "The essence of accelerated time is the increased speed of thought processes, which has severe side effects. It places a great burden on your bodies. So, don't be tempted by the allure of having more time at your disposal. We must use this ability sensibly."

Hermione's expression fell slightly, a soft, disappointed mumble escaping her lips. However, she quickly nodded in understanding. She had firsthand experience with the complexities and dangers of time manipulation, having used a Time-Turner in her third year to attend multiple classes simultaneously. The memory of the stress and exhaustion she had endured, not to mention the potential catastrophic consequences of misuse, was still fresh in her mind. As Professor Watson said, manipulating time, even in this controlled environment, could put an enormous strain on both mind and body.

"There's another advantage to learning magic in the Spiritual World," Bryan continued, his voice cutting through the contemplative silence that had fallen over the group. He seemed eager to move past the potentially dangerous topic of time manipulation and onto the primary purpose of this lesson.

"I believe most of you have experienced this in Professor Flitwick's Charms class: despite knowing a spell's incantation and wand movement perfectly, you still can't master the magic." His gaze swept over the students, lingering on Neville, who nodded vigorously, relating all too well to this frustration.

"That's because successfully casting a spell doesn't just depend on the incantation and gestures. There are other subtle elements at play, For instance, the stability of the magic drawn from your body by the spell, or the fluctuations in magical power - what some might call mana - behind your concentration. These are aspects that are incredibly difficult to teach in a conventional classroom setting and can typically only be adjusted through repeated practice and experience.

But here, in the Spiritual World, these usually invisible elements become more apparent. We can make the intangible tangible."

As he spoke, Bryan turned and drew his wand with a flourish. With a series of intricate waves and flicks, peculiar three-dimensional structures began to emerge from the tip of his wand. These constructs shimmered with strange, ethereal colors that seemed to shift and change as they moved, defying description in any conventional spectrum.

The structures ranged from relatively simple ones composed of just a few glowing lines interconnected in geometric patterns, to incredibly complex arrangements with dozens of intertwining magical threads. These mysterious constructs floated coolly in midair, rotating slowly on their own axes and emitting inexplicable vibrations that the students could feel in the very core of their being.

Harry stared wide-eyed at these diverse structures, his mouth slightly agape in wonder. While he couldn't begin to understand their meaning or purpose, he could still sense a kind of profound beauty in these magical constructs. It was a beauty that transcended the physical, touching something deep within his magical core. If Harry had to put it into words, he felt he was witnessing the very essence of magic itself - raw, pure, and breathtakingly beautiful.

"Magical Configurations!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, her voice filled with awe and excitement. She clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with the thrill of recognition. It was clear that her vast reading had once again provided her with knowledge beyond that of her peers.

Bryan chuckled warmly at Hermione's outburst. "Indeed, Miss Granger. I'm impressed you're familiar with the concept," he said, his tone carrying a note of genuine admiration. "That's correct. In Professor Flitwick's first Charms lesson, he would have mentioned the core of spells - Magical Configurations also known as Magical Constructs. But beyond that initial introduction, he wouldn't have told you much more, because it's quite esoteric knowledge."

His expression grew more serious as he continued, "For most people, this kind of knowledge is obscure and, frankly, useless in their day-to-day magical practice. However, if you aim to truly master magic - to improve existing spells or even invent new ones - you must understand these fundamental building blocks of magical energy."

Astoria Greengrass spoke up again with a serious expression. "I don't understand, Professor Watson," she said, her voice carrying a hint of confusion and perhaps a touch of impatience. "Isn't our goal to learn offensive magic, not to invent or improve spells?"

Bryan's expression softened as he looked at her. He could see the hunger for practical knowledge in her eyes, a trait common among many of his students. "No need to rush, Miss Greengrass," he said gently. "All will become clear in due time."

He paused for a moment, rubbing his brow tiredly. The strain of maintaining this complex magical world was beginning to show, even on a wizard of his caliber. Summoning dozens of young wizards into the constructed Spiritual World and carefully ensuring their bodies wouldn't collapse due to accelerated thought processes was a monumental task, pushing even his considerable abilities to their limits.

After composing himself, he continued his explanation. "When practicing spells here in the Spiritual World, the spells won't take effect in the conventional sense. You won't be shooting sparks or levitating objects. Instead, they will materialize the magical construct of that spell." His eyes gleamed with something as he elaborated, "This allows you to visually see where your problems lie. Different errors in your casting will cause different issues in the magic configurations you build, which means that with simple guidance, you'll know exactly how to adjust your spellcasting for optimal results."

Seeing the group of still somewhat bewildered young wizards, Bryan's expression softened further. "Don't worry," he said calmly, his voice carrying a reassuring warmth. "You'll understand much better after trying it out for yourselves. Theory can only take us so far - magic is best learned through practice and experience."

With a wave of his hand, many of the previously floating constructs emitting mysterious vibrations dissipated into shimmering motes of magical energy. Four constructs, each composed of about a dozen intertwining magical corridors, remained floating in front of the young wizards. These particular configurations seemed to pulse with a different energy, as if they were more... accessible, somehow.

"Disarming Charm, Stunning Spell, Petrification Spell, Impediment Jinx," Bryan listed, pointing to each construct in turn. "These are simple spells, but they form the foundation of defensive and offensive magic. I believe you must master these completely before moving on to more advanced techniques."

He paused, allowing the importance of his words to sink in before dropping what he knew would be a bombshell for many of his students. "My requirement for you," he said, his voice taking on a more formal tone, "is to be able to cast these basic spells non-verbally."

A hushed murmur rippled through the group of students. Harry, feeling somewhat out of his depth, leaned towards Hermione. "Non-verbally?" he whispered, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and uneasiness. "What does that mean exactly?"

"It means being able to cast spells successfully without saying the incantation out loud," Hermione explained in a hushed tone, her words coming out in a rush. "It's very difficult, Harry. Even among adult wizards, few can achieve this level of magical control consistently."

She glanced at Professor Watson, who appeared as calm and collected as if he were merely reminding them not to chew with their mouths open during meals. Hermione unconsciously wiped her temple, then realized with a flinch that they were now just illusory forms existing in the Spiritual World constructed by Professor Watson - they couldn't actually sweat.

Non-verbal spellcasting was a skill typically only encountered in NEWT-level exams, reserved for the most advanced students in their final years at Hogwarts. Among the young wizards present in this ethereal classroom, only one or two had even begun to study this technique, and none had yet mastered it. Professor Watson's requirement made the young wizards feel an immense pressure settling on their shoulders. The task ahead seemed Herculean, a mountain they were being asked to climb when they had barely learned to walk.

However, despite the daunting nature of the challenge, no one raised any objections. By this point in the course, its value was beyond question. The opportunity to learn such advanced magic, especially under the tutelage of a wizard as clearly gifted as Professor Watson, was not something to be taken lightly. Each student, from the confident Cedric to the usually timid Neville set their jaws with determination. They were ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

"Well then," Bryan said, clapping his hands together with an air of finality. His smile was warm and encouraging as he surveyed his students. "Let's begin practicing. I believe you've all encountered one or more of these spells before. First, familiarize yourselves with this new learning method, and then we'll discuss what comes next."

Author's Note: About the Spiritual World Magic.

INTRO: This magic was created based on pensives and time-turners and some alchemy was used too.

Incantation: *"Tempus Lucidis Mensora!"

(temp-us loo-si-dis men-sor-uh)

Effect: 

This spell transports the caster and their chosen companions into an illusory world that blends memories or created realities with time manipulation. Within this world, time passes differently than in reality—one hour inside equals only 30 minutes outside. The experience is similar to diving into a Pensieve memory, but the illusionary bodies can interact limitedly with this world for exploration, investigation, or recreation.

Conditions:

- The spell works only for up to one hour inside the Spiritual world. After this time, all participants are pulled back to reality.

- The created world can be based on existing memories, dreams, or even imagined scenarios.

- Physical actions performed inside this illusory space do not carry over into the real world; however, mental experiences and knowledge gained during the time inside can remain.

This would be very important magic in future and it will be improved little by little. It's very similar to diving in a pensive watching memories.

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