Chapter 7: Components of Magic

{Did you remember anything happened to you that are strange and simply unexplainable? Tell me.}

For the next half an hour Harry told Voldemort about strange things that happened in his life. He told Voldemort what the Dursleys called 'freakish' things that earned him a scolding, a beating, or a few nights without any food, locked in the cupboard. There was the time when he turned his teacher's wig blue when he didn't turn in his homework and the teacher didn't believe his excuse (Dudley had hidden it). That time when he found himself on the rooftop as he was trying to hide from Dudley's gang. When Dudleys' ghastly old shirt shrink until it will never fit him when Aunt Petunia forced him to wear it. When his hair re-grow overnight to exactly like his original messy state when Aunt Petunia gave him a horrendous, almost bald-like haircut.

{Re-grow?} Voldemort seemed more surprised at the last event than the rest.

Harry was quite perplexed. He had thought that finding himself suddenly at the rooftop was the strangest (and most exciting) thing that had happened to him. Consequently, that was the event that led him to be beaten to within an inch of his life, which had lead him to discover magic and Voldemort's existence.

{Well, the rest of these 'freakish' things can be explained with what we wizards called 'accidental magic'. This happened to magical children who had not mastered their magic. It usually occurs when you are stressed, or forced, or in danger. You are not in control of it, it happened subconsciously when your magic reacted to your intent and emotion.}

{Now, when you were trying to escape your cousin, you apparated, or teleported to the nearest place that your cousin and his gang cannot reach. Apparition is the common method for wizards to move from one place to another. Now, this is good. This means that you had a natural aptitude for apparition, and I can teach you once you have better control of your magic.}

It was a nice change, thought Harry, to find out that he was good at something, after always being told that he was useless, stupid and freakish.

{Now, that blue wig and shrinking of the shirt were the result of what we wizards called charms – accomplished by using different spells, by saying different incantations or wand movements.}

{However, what you said 're-growing your hair' was something more unique. This ability is called transfiguration: changing the nature of something to another, as you had to re-grow your hair back from nothing. And human transfiguration is an advanced magic... But, as unlikely as it is, we need to explore the other possibility... Could you test something for me, Harry? Go and cut your hair.}

"What!? No way!" He still remembered the agony of thinking he had to go to school with that horrible haircut.

Voldemort could have rolled his eyes. {It will grow back. You had done this before. You can do it again.}

Harry's stubbornly refused and Voldemort sighed. He decided that perhaps he should have started with the basics. At least the boy will become more aware of his magical capabilities. And no need to resort to the more advanced method of bending people to his will. Yet.

So he explained.

{Harry, listen to me. Magic requires a few components. Most obviously you need your magical reservoir, if your magic is depleted, you can't perform spells anymore. Don't worry; this had little chance of happening if you are careful.}

{Now, remember this well: V-I-B-E, VIBE. Visualization, intent, belief, and emotion: the four important components of magic.

First component: Visualization. You need to visualize, imagine in your mind what you want. You want to turn your teacher's wig blue? You had to see it clearly in your mind that the wig had turned blue.}

Harry frowned, thinking, "So, that day I had imagined that the shirt won't fit me."

{Exactly. You visualized the shirt smaller and smaller. You need to visualize the result clearly for the spell to work more efficiently. Usually, a better concentration helps visualization.}

{Second: Intent. Intent is actually the core of magic. What do you intend the magic to do for you? Your magic recognizes that you want something to happen and it made it real. This is most important: you need to understand magic itself is neutral; there is no Dark or Light Magic, only intent. What you intend do with your magic is what makes it good or bad. The same spell that is used to reduce pain can be used to cause torture. Magic, in essence, is like a tool, how you use it is up to you.}

He hated with passion the classification of magic into Dark Arts or restricted magic just because it was used by Dark Wizards to cause harm. For him, all knowledge and magic should be accessible to be learned.

{Third: Belief. This sounds easy, but strangely the hardest for wizards to master. You need to believe you are able to achieve the result that you want. Magic recognizes if you are unsure of yourself: the spell might not work, the spell will be weaker, and the result might be not be want you wanted.

Before, I had asked you to cut your hair, and you refused. You did not believe that you can grow it back. And because you didn't believe it, the hair won't grow back, or it will grow back, but slowly. And because you fail the first time, you began to doubt yourself. The spell will no longer work correctly, and that made you think you can never do it. And so that's how it becomes true, you will not be able to do the spell anymore. You see how dangerous doubting yourself is? You need to believe, really believe that you can do it.}

Harry nodded. He will not make that mistake again.

{And lastly: Emotion. Magic reacted to our emotion. For example things will explode around a wizard that loses himself to anger or despair, and sometime magic will leak out from him, harming those around him. Also, for spells that are powered by emotion, the stronger the emotion, the stronger the spell.}

{So, young Harry, were all these information too much to absorb?}

A/N:

Next chapter: some hands-on magic. Finally, thought Harry. Yes, yes, I'm trying not to bore you to death.

Also, a lot of credit to the story '30 Minutes That Changed Everything' by Radaslab. This story had inspired me in writing this, and I simply love the blood wards explanation.

Another credit is the absolutely amazing story 'Brutal Harry' by LordsFire, from which the golf club scene is inspired. Seriously, read Brutal Harry.