Chapter 639 Practice And Mastery
"Very well, define position," said Sirius slowly. "Next step: Focus your determination on occupying the visualized space! Let your longing to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!"
Harry and Hermione also did as Sirius asked and gazed at the hoop so intensely that their faces turned pink.
Evan's eyes also focused on the wooden hoop, trying to imagine where it would lead.
"Step three," called Sirius, "and only when I give the order... Rotate in place, feeling your way to nothingness, moving with determination. At my command, now... three, two, one..."
As soon as Sirius' voice faded, Evan immediately began channeling his magic, and a strong feeling of dizziness took hold of his body.
His body spun in place, about to enter the void. At that moment, he suddenly lost balance and was on the verge of falling.
"I failed. I didn't grasp the degree of rotation just now. I used a bit too much magic," Evan said.
"Don't worry, you did a good job. Many wizards don't succeed on their first try. Let's practice again!" consoled Sirius. "Pay attention to the rotation. Your body can be relaxed, not so tense."
"I'll remember that!" nodded Evan, recalling the sensation of spinning in place.
Before entering the void, body rotation was the first step, and the key lay in channeling magic.
Evan had calculated it on paper many times before and only needed to use it to follow the best path.
"Don't worry, Evan, even if there is separation, I can treat it quickly."
"Understood!" Upon hearing that, Evan felt reassured.
Under the influence of magic, a wizard who failed at Apparition and suffered bodily separation would not immediately die. There was a protective period, enough for those around to provide treatment.
Of course, if there was no other wizard nearby, or the wizard couldn't use the counter spell, then a painful death awaited, seemingly lasting forever.
Sirius was naturally prepared, and in Evan's bag were many healing potions. He had no need to worry at all.
Hermione became immediately nervous and looked at Evan with concern.
She simply couldn't imagine the horrifying image of Evan's body being divided.
"Sirius, did you just mention body part separation?"
"Separation, or what we call dismemberment, is a common accident in Apparition," said Sirius calmly, gesturing to reassure Hermione. "It occurs when mental determination is insufficient. You must continuously focus on your destination and move, not hastily, but with determination... Remember: Destination, Determination, Deliberation. These are the key points of Apparition!"
"Destination, Determination, Deliberation," Evan repeated the three Ds after him.
Evan's second attempt was significantly better than the first. After a spin, he successfully entered the void.
Upon entering the void, everything around him turned black, and time and space lost meaning.
A strong feeling of suffocation weighed on him. Evan felt as if he was being pressed from all directions. His eyeballs were pushed back in his head, and his eardrums were pressed deeper into his skull, as if he had been forced through a very tight rubber tube.
He had experienced this sensation many times before, but this time, he entered with his own force.
His body had entered the void, feeling like the powerful magic of 'Silence' in the Temple of the Lake.
Perhaps the evil god lived in this dreadful space.
Before Evan could carefully look around, his body emerged from the void, and his feet touched the ground again.
Fresh air filled his lungs again, and he appeared right inside the wooden hoop.
Harry and Hermione did not experience the oppressive feeling that Evan did. They only saw him spread his arms.
Gracefully spinning in place, he vanished in a swirl of robes. The next moment, he reappeared a few paces away, looking truly amazing!
"I did it!" said Evan, trying to calm himself; the dizziness in his head gradually faded.
"Congratulations, Evan!" sighed Hermione, relieved and comforted.
"The feat you've achieved is truly marvelous," said Harry.
"Destiny, Determination, Deliberation. You have a great talent for this. Not many wizards can Apparate successfully on their second try. Let's see what you can do for longer distances!"
With a snap, he vanished and reappeared under a large tree in the distance. It was so far away that only vague figures could be seen.
Sirius placed the wooden hoop in position and gestured for Evan to approach.
It was just like before, but this time Evan's movements were much more skillful.
His eyes fixed on the distant wooden hoop, thoughts freshly emerged in his mind, his body on the verge of transitioning into nothingness.
After a sharp sound, he appeared next to Sirius.
"How am I doing, Sirius?" asked Evan joyfully, the feeling of suffocation much more subtle than before.
"Excellent, you've mastered the Apparition technique. What you need to do next is practice a lot. When this spell becomes a part of you, you'll be able to use it to move in the blink of an eye in battle, it will be a total success! Don't let your guard down. Achieving this is difficult, much harder than learning this magic. In battle, the enemy won't give you time to react!"
Evan nodded in agreement.
Unlike other spells, Apparition did not require much magic. The key was magic control, which required extremely delicate skills. It was somewhat like the precise and extreme control required when brewing potions, something many powerful wizards couldn't handle.
"Come on, Evan, practice a few more times and then we'll start learning long-distance Apparition."
After practicing a few more times, Sirius allowed Evan to Apparate into the Whomping Willow.
The main points and spells were the same as before, but the destination of this Apparition was not within Evan's sight.
He needed to do two more things: determine the destination and distance, and imagine the environment of the place he wanted to go.
Compared to Side-Along Apparition, regular Apparition took more time and magic, but its difficulty was reduced. He only had to know the destination and grasp the position and distance...
