We start this edition of Wizards of Waverly Place: The Backstory off with something very very new to us – a question from the readers! I had frankly more or less given up with this project, since no one seemed to care.

Why do the Russos have three children if Jerry is so worried about two of his kids becoming dependent on magic and then having to lose it? If it is rare that a wizard gives up his/her powers, then did he just not know that his kids would have magic?

And this reader basically answers the question in the question. That is exactly the explanation I have always believed. Jerry didn't know that his kids would inherit magic powers, because he believed that since he had given up his powers, his kids would be normal mortals, never knowing of the wizard world (he may have even asked Kelbo to not reveal his powers to the kids, in this case.) But alas, for good or ill, they have magic powers.

As an alternative reason they have three kids, Theresa is pretty hot.

What do the magical fuses do?

As revealed earlier, magic is generated like electricity in this universe. Because of this, these magical fuses conduct all the mana into the special magical reservoirs from which Justin, Alex, and Max can tap to use their magical energies. Presumably they can do this from any plane of existence, or at the very least anywhere on this plane.

What was the technicality that caused Jerry, Kelbo and Megan to retake the test?

We don't know, but probably it was proctored incorrectly.

Couldn't the council have forced Megan to retake the test?

Apparently not.

Isn't Alex's solution somewhat temporary? Won't the council find out eventually?

Nah. Likely they'd be just as moved by her speech, or they wouldn't really care so much by then. Eventually two of them will lose their powers anyway, unless of course Mr. McFly (I bet he's from the future) reports that he DID take away their powers, so then there is no reason to run the test. Eh, eh?

Speaking of Time Travel – Future Harper says that she got help from a powerful wizard to time travel, yet Kelbo mentions it in "Alex in the Middle", and does it in "Retest".

What'd you get on that deductive reasoning test? Solution – at the very least, Kelbo is a powerful wizard. At most, he is the powerful wizard who helped Harper. Alternatively, it's easier to time travel for brief periods, as in Braid. I mean, the episode "First Kiss."

What exactly did Alex do that was so bad in "Retest?"

Well, Justin believes that Megan might have retaken the test if Alex had approached her better. Personally I think that Alex's try did neither harm nor good, but it was a good plot point to bring out the juxtaposition between Megan and Alex. Also to make Alex hug Justin. That's always hot.

In "Wizards vs. Vampires on Waverly Place" Alex says she did something that they don't want to hear about? What was it?

I've thought about it a lot, and it was probably either trespassing or destruction of property. Alex isn't exactly evil after all... she just doesn't like rules.

How can a wand help magical powers? And what's the difference with wand magic and hand magic, and why is wand magic more powerful?

It increases the amount of mana you can deal with at once, probably. That's why it's more powerful. It probably provides less "resistance" but allows you to offload more magical "thermal energy". Something like that.

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OK, for my next chapter, I'd like to address issues raised in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, but I don't know where to begin. Any questions?