"Everyone's magic sensitivity is different and difficult to self-assess. To improve, you need to practice spells frequently, preferably by expending all your magic and then savoring the process of it recovering. This is a very painful process," Alan said, casually fiddling with the copper coins between his fingers as if they were an extension of his own body.
The surrounding young wizards listened to Alan's explanation. Most of the younger students wore bewildered expressions, clearly not understanding much, while the older wizards looked thoughtful, slowly digesting the content.
"And the third quality…" Alan raised a hand and pointed to his head, "is in here. It's your will."
"Flexible changes in thought and a rich imagination determine how concrete the objects you transfigure will be. Emotional fluctuations and strong willpower—these intentions directly determine the strength of your spellcasting. The greater the emotional fluctuation, the greater the amplification of magic."
"Positive emotions enhance protective magic, such as the Patronus Charm, which requires focusing your mind, thinking of your happiest memory, and then shouting the spell 'Expecto Patronum'!"
As Alan explained, he closed his eyes. When he shouted the incantation, his wand gave a slight flick, and a silvery-white gas surged from the tip, gathering in mid-air to form a raven that circled and flew freely. Seeing this, the older wizards nearby showed envious expressions. None of them had heard of anyone mastering this spell, let alone the stunned younger wizards.
"Negative emotions, on the other hand, affect the Dark Arts. Of course, some also say that Dark Arts tempt people toward corruption. In my opinion, these two actually influence each other. Intense hatred, anger, resentment, and other emotions can amplify Dark Arts, but Dark Arts will also subtly amplify the negative emotions within us. If you don't have strong willpower to resist, your mind will be filled with endless negative energy, as if you are being controlled by the magic itself. You had best not try it, or you might accidentally fall into it," Alan warned the crowd with a serious expression.
The students looked slightly fearful after hearing his words, but one young wizard couldn't help but ask, "Chief, have you tried Dark Arts?"
"Me?" Alan's lips curved slightly. He glanced at the student noncommittally. "You can guess. But if I find you trying Dark Arts recklessly, don't blame me for being impolite."
The young wizard shrank his shoulders, intimidated by Alan's gaze, and the others forcibly suppressed their curiosity.
In fact, Alan had indeed tried Dark Arts. When he finally caught the werewolf alive in the Forbidden Forest, he had attempted to cast Crucio, hoping to indirectly study the Longbottoms' condition. But as soon as he cast it, he felt a strangeness in his mind—a strong urge to kill and torture arose, bringing a tingling pleasure that made him unwilling to stop. Fortunately, Alan reacted quickly. He realized there was a problem with this bizarre emotional change and immediately stopped. Relying on his powerful willpower, he suppressed the negative emotions emerging from his mind. Since then, he had maintained considerable restraint toward the Dark Arts, especially the more powerful ones. He could not accept his consciousness losing control.
"Let's not talk about those emotional influences anymore," Alan said, shaking his head. "Today, what I want you to learn and try is to drive your magic through willpower. This is more stable and less prone to losing control than mobilizing emotions to amplify spells."
The young wizards listened, their thoughts drifting; they clearly had little concept of what he meant by willpower.
"The firmer the will, the more powerful the spell. The self-defense spells you learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts will basically not meet the standard power without some form of amplification. Next, I will demonstrate it for you." Alan held his wand and stood directly opposite the humanoid target.
"I will not increase my magic output, I will not have any emotional fluctuations, and I will clear my mind before casting a Knockback Jinx. You can observe the effect."
Alan deliberately suppressed his instincts, emptying his mind and scattering his attention as he pointed at the target. "Expulso."
A translucent light projectile wobbled and hit the target with a dull thud. The humanoid target's chest lit up, displaying a value: 26. The young wizards looked at the target, curious about the numbers.
"This target is an alchemical tool. The displayed number represents the power of the spell. A standard Knockback Jinx should have a value of at least 30. The spell I just cast did not meet that standard. Raise your hand if you have similar situations when casting."
A large number of hands went up after a brief moment of thought. However, most eyes were still fixed on the humanoid target. They clearly thought they had discovered an interesting toy. With this tool, could they also measure the power of their own spells?
"Stop staring. You'll all have a chance to practice later. For now, let me finish. That was a poor example. Next, you will see the role of willpower in spellcasting."
With that, Alan raised his wand again. "First, you must concentrate and not be disturbed by external things. Then, gather your will. Imagine yourself as a sharp sword, or the sharpest thing you can imagine. Constantly push yourself, like a bowstring being drawn taut. Compress all your attention and mental energy into this sharp sword. When you recite the spell, release it completely, like letting go of that string. Expulso!"
The incantation echoed in the stone hall. Both the tone and the sound seemed identical to the previous casting. But the moment the wand flicked, a condensed, solid-looking milky-white light projectile shot out like an arrow from a bow, even leaving a small trail in the air.
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