Ian also loves to read a bit of unofficial history in the Hogwarts library.
In fact.
Most little wizards are quite interested in this kind of unofficial history. After all, it is something that can be talked about with great relish. Even a little wizard like Ian is tireless in reading unofficial history.
Among the numerous unofficial histories.
Apart from the romantic tales of the great wizards, the question of the origins of wizards is an issue that has been debated by adult wizards for countless centuries.
There are several theories.
The stardust theory, the most popular theory after the rise of Muggle science, claims that in ancient times, a meteor called "Star of Secret Techniques" fell into the British Forest.
This theory holds that, in ancient times, there was no magic on Earth.
Until a meteor burning with silver light fell on this planet, magic was born. It wasn't an ordinary celestial body but a "Star Core" carrying cosmic magic power. When it struck the earth, it released an energy wave known as the "Breath of Ether," penetrating the land, water sources, and the air.
The cosmic energy contained in its fragments seeped into the soil.
The humans residing nearby were influenced by this power, and their bodies began to change: their blood glowed faintly, their pupils could see the darkness like white light at night, and they could even perceive the flow of natural elements. These people gradually mastered the ability to manipulate nature, summon storms, and control flames.
They were the earliest wizards.
This legend is most commonly cited by pure-blood clans, especially the Black Clan and the Malfoy Clan, who firmly believe their lineage originates from the innermost core of that "Star Core."
They are the noble inheritors of magic. Supporters of this theory believe that the modern wizards' obsession with the starry sky, such as the use of star charts in Divination Class, the alchemists' worship of the moon cycles, and the star map symbols in ancient runes, might all stem from residual memory of this cosmic origin.
How to put it.
This alternative view on Divination actually has a similarity with the cosmic migration theory, where a destroyed page from the Chronicles of Pure Blood reveals wizards as exiled beings from "beyond the stars" — of course, this so-called chronicle was created only after the rise of science in the Muggle World.
How much of its content was copied from the Muggle world's theories is unknown, but in the Wizarding World, there hasn't been a dedicated originality-checking institution among the various factions' theories. The Muggle Prehistory even raises a more disruptive theory, arguing that wizards were the original inhabitants while Muggles are aliens.
In any case.
Mentally unstable wizards have come up with quite a few theories of their own origins. Among them, the stardust theory is considered fairly accepted by the majority.
In recent years.
Newt and a few friends excavated an ancient document suggesting that wizards might actually evolve from "ancient reptiles," indicating that the earliest wizards might not be purely human.
But rather descendants of some "humanoid reptiles."
Snake-man is not a linguistic talent, but a "genetic residue" — their throat structure is similar to snakes, able to emit sound waves of certain frequencies and directly stimulate snake nerves.
This approach that leans towards science is increasingly popular among the wizard community after the rise of modern science, though it includes obvious absurdities too. For instance, Salazar Slytherin didn't build the Secret Chamber due to "pure-blood fanaticism," but because his "snake race ancestors" tried to "wake sleeping companions" through the Secret Chamber.
As well as during the 17th century "Witch Hunting Movement," Muggles didn't simply fear magic, but found that when wizards overused snake-man language, they gradually "devolved" into unintelligent serpentine beings.
These theories.
Are evidently full of loopholes to those who truly understand. Consequently, the evolution theory of wizards is not particularly appealing to mainstream wizards, who mostly believe in the stardust theory and four other theories — the goblin contract theory, the dream awakening faction, and the elemental symbiosis theory.
There was a group of greedy humans who made a forbidden contract with goblins, trading soul fragments for magic knowledge. Goblins inscribed the methods to cast spells and magic potion recipes onto a sheepskin scroll but secretly laid a curse — with each use of magic, the soul would be devoured bit by bit. To prevent the contract backlash, humans established pure-blood clans.
Trying to dilute the goblins' curse through close kinship marriage.
This is one of the theories that pure-blood clans strongly support.
In contrast, half-blood wizards and Muggle wizards believe more in the dream awakening faction, which talks about how in ancient tribes there were "dream prophets," who could traverse the magic plane in their sleep. When they brought spells from their dreams, magic creatures into reality, the dormant magic genes were activated.
According to this theory, the Secret Chamber beneath Gringotts is said to preserve the oldest prophet's diary, which records "every wizard is a double-sided person, living half in the current world and half eternally in the magical dreamscape." Those unable to control dream traversal eventually become ghosts that wander only in reality.
How to say it.
This also explains the birth of ghosts, making it a complete theory. Compared to the Elemental Elves injecting their power into humans, birthing wizards — the elemental symbiosis theory makes it slightly more convincing.
The elemental symbiosis theory mostly appears in various stories and fairy tales for children, not belonging to traditional stories but is a kind that just emerged in recent years with these new-style tales.