In This Hogwarts Without a Savior

  Chapter 25 25. Change

  Jon's first thought was that this ring could replace the wand, allowing him to cast spells without a wand under any circumstances.

   While thinking about it in his heart, he also asked this question.

   "Can it help me drop my wand?"

   "No, no, Jon, in fact, when you have such an idea, you are already wrong."

   Slughorn shook his head.

"The wand has never been a constraint for wizards, but a means of strengthening wizards. Besides, there are still many regions of the world where wizards do not use magic wands as a means of casting spells. For example, some tribal wizards in Africa have always adhered to the traditional It is gesture casting. Although such a skill is complicated, it is not difficult to learn, but why don’t European wizards learn from them? In fact, this question is like why we must use a knife and fork when we can eat directly with our hands .”

"It's not that wizards can't do it, but using a wand to cast spells is the most effective, labor-saving, and also the most reasonable way of casting spells in our opinion. It's not like no one has ever wanted to use some other magic weapons to replace the wand, such as Rings, crystal balls, books, etc., but the reason these things are not widely used is because what we are using is the best."

  Jon looked at the ring on his hand with a thoughtful look on his face.

   "Professor, you said that it allows me to learn a spellcasting method that no one else can learn?"

   "According to your understanding, what is the magic used by wizards?" Slughorn looked at Jon with a smile.

   Regarding this question, Jon certainly thought about it in private. He didn't hide it, and he straightforwardly expressed his understanding of magic.

   "Wizards with magical powers can use their own will to change the world."

   "Very simple but also very straightforward to understand."

  Slughorn sat up straight, his attitude visibly serious.

"Thinking like this means that you have figured out the two core things of magic, Jon. Magic power and will, this is the basis for a wizard to be a wizard. If you only have will without magic power, then you are a Muggle, with only magic power but no will. That thing is called obscurity, it has both magic power and will, but there is no way to connect the two together, it is called a squib in the magic world."

"For all spellcasting, whether it is transformation, spell, potion, or prophecy, the necessary factors to complete these are magic power and will. Others, whether it is a wand, a spell, or a wand gesture, are all auxiliary spellcasting. It can help wizards to complete magic better and more conveniently, but without them, it does not mean that wizards lose their ability to cast spells."

   What Slughorn is saying now is exactly what Jon himself thought of before, but these are obviously just foreshadowing, and the focus is on what he said later.

"The will only depends on the wizard himself. A wizard with a strong will is generally considered to be a genius with excellent talent in learning magic. The strength of magic power can grow with age, and there are magic wands and spells to assist. Magic power has always been They are the objects studied by most wizards from ancient times to the present. But as you said just now, magic is actually that wizards with magical power can use their own will to change the world. The focus is not only magic power and will, but also What?"

  Jon was taken aback for a moment, but soon a flash of light flashed in his head!

   "You mean, there are changes?"

   Hearing Jon's answer, Slughorn was very excited.

"I'm glad to hear the right answer from you, Jon. Yes, even if Felius hasn't taught you a spell yet, you should have seen Miranda Gosack in "Standard Spells" , the sentence written in "Elementary"-'The spell adds specific properties to an object or creature, and the transfiguration spell changes it into something completely different.' Her original intention of leaving this sentence in the book is In order for magic beginners to clearly distinguish the difference between spells and transformations, it also explains the effectiveness of magic itself."

"Change, this is the ultimate purpose of all magic. Levitation spells can make objects lighter, transfiguration can turn matches into needles, and potions can make ordinary porcupine quills and dried nettles cure boils." Potions. These are changes, and this is how magic affects the world."

"But there is a unified law in such changes, Jon, maybe you have been exposed to magic for too short a time, and you haven't discovered this law yet—the wizard himself uses magic, but magic can only change the world, but only the world." Nothing can change the wizard himself."

   Slughorn was very serious when he said this. He stared at Jon's eyes without blinking, as if he had said the only truth in this world.

  Jon was stunned. He carefully recalled all the magic he knew, and indeed none of them had any effect on the wizard himself.

etc!

  He took a deep breath and spoke carefully with his words.

"I didn't mean to refute you, Professor, but after I came to Hogwarts, I would spend any free time in the library, and in one of the books about transfiguration, I learned something A high-level human body transformation magic called 'Animagus', isn't this the transformation that wizards use magic to change themselves?"

  Hearing that Jon made a counterexample, Slughorn not only didn't show the slightest displeasure on his face, but looked even happier.

"I'm really happy for Jon. I was actually hesitant to tell you this before I really made a decision, but now it seems that you are very good! The magic of Animagus is even better than that of Ron and Neville. Two children who grew up in wizarding families may not have heard of it, but you have only really learned about magic in less than two weeks, and you have already learned about it!"

   "Your example is not wrong. The high-end transformation technique of Animagus is indeed an attempt by ancient wizards to change themselves with magic, but in fact this is the product of a failed attempt."

   "Failure?" Jon's eyes widened.

"Yes, it was a failure." Slughorn emphasized again, "Since you have read the Animagus from that book of transfiguration, you must also know that the biggest limitation of this transfiguration magic is —”

  Jon was thinking, he heard what Slughorn wanted to say.

   "Cannot transform into any magical animal with magical powers."

"Yes! The changes brought about by Animagus to wizards are only species conversions, but in essence, what is the root of magic's changes to the outside world? Changes in magic power! But it can't do it, so it It's just a failed transfiguration! At this point, maybe the existence of werewolves is much more successful than it, but you should also be able to imagine, after the werewolves transformed, what did they lose?"

   "If they lose their will, they won't be able to mobilize their magic power to use magic after they transform!"

   The way Slughorn looked at Jon now can be called extremely satisfied.

"That's very good! Even with the existence of Wolf's Poison, which can make werewolves suppress their animal nature during the full moon, they still can't use any magic, and the will and magic power are separated. Although this is better than Animag It's a little bit more successful, but it's still not perfect, and because of that imperfection it's not even as effective as the Animagus."

   At this point, Jon basically understood what Slughorn wanted to say.

  He looked down at the ring in his hand, his eyes dazed.

   "So, this ring"

  The excitement on Slughorn's face subsided, and he became extremely serious.

   "It can help you make your magic change yourself. It's not a superficial change, just a change in form, but the most essential change in magic power!"

  (end of this chapter)