A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 238: Instinctive Spellcasting

The young wizards chattered away, discussing fervently. Harry found that many had experienced similar occurrences.

"My mum told me that when I was little, I got so angry once that I made the dishes explode!"

"When I was seven, my aunt tried to make me eat fishy greens, and I made them vanish instead."

"I accidentally fell into the water, swallowed some, and then I found myself floating!"

Felix Harp listened quietly. As the discussion gradually subsided, he posed another question, "Can all of you still do similar things now?"

The group fell into silence.

Draco Malfoy smirked, his tone haughty, "Professor Harp, for some of us from longstanding wizarding families, it's not a difficult feat."

Ron couldn't hold back, "Are you saying you can do it right now?"

"Of course," Draco taunted, glancing around, "For families like the Malfoys with ancient legacies..." he emphasized, then cast a challenging look at Harry and Ron, proudly proclaiming, "I used to undergo such training when I was a child. During summer vacations, I often played chess like this with my father."

He turned to Felix, "Allow me to demonstrate, Professor."

Felix Harp nodded in agreement.

Draco fixed his gaze on the teapot and teacups on the small table. After a moment, a teacup with blue patterns leapt into the air, floating a foot above.

The teapot wobbled and then floated up, pouring amber tea as it tilted.

Draco's forehead glistened with a thin sheen of sweat as the teapot trembled violently. He controlled it to settle back onto the table with a resounding "thud," followed by the teacup gracefully gliding toward him.

He caught the teacup in one hand, took a sip of tea, and a pale smile crossed his face. He inclined his head slightly, "Fine tea leaves, Professor Harp."

Harry watched in astonishment; Malfoy never exhibited this kind of ability before.

Ron, unconvinced, said, "Malfoy, I never saw you casting any spells when we started first year!"

Draco grinned, mocking, "It's not a good thing to be exposed to wands and spells too early, didn't anyone tell you that? Ha! Weasley?" He sneered heavily on the name "Weasley."

Given the breadth of his taunting, the twins nearly leaped to retaliate; even Percy gave him a stern look.

Draco quickly shrunk back.

"Alright," Felix signaled for them to halt, "Mr. Malfoy has shown us a remarkable example, and he deserves a round of applause."

The sound of clapping echoed, with Slytherin's applause sounding particularly enthusiastic. Pansy Parkinson gazed at him with adoration, whispering to him in hushed tones.

"Returning to the initial question, in most cases, young witches and wizards unintentionally perform magic due to heightened emotions. This is considered a sign of possessing magical potential."

However, displaying magic in a calm state, to unveil its wonders, proves to be not quite as easy.

This relates to the growth stages of young wizards - generally between six and ten years old, your magical abilities will experience a significant surge. The activity of magic will be much higher than it is now, which makes it difficult to control your power, resulting in slight bouts of uncontrolled magic when emotions run high..."

Felix Harp paused for a moment, allowing them to grasp the meaning of his words, then continued, "After starting school, you'll be exposed to numerous spells and magical practices, which to some extent, channels this process. And because your initial development has passed, your minds are more mature, and your magical abilities tend to stabilize, making it unlikely for instances of magical outbursts. Except for some exceptions—" he glanced at Harry.

Harry immediately understood what the professor meant; he had experienced a burst of magic just a few months ago, which Professor Harp had described as his magic being "like a bunch of continuously leaping and burning flames."

Hermione raised her hand, "Professor? Is it because young wizards encounter regulated magical education after enrollment, which makes magic more controllable?"

"That's one factor, indeed. In fact, during your second development stage—between the third year and adulthood, you almost don't sense the restlessness of magic. This is the reason."

Felix snapped his fingers, conjuring a flame from the fireplace, curling around his hand.

"Unconscious spellcasting during childhood fundamentally means you unconsciously align with a certain spell. Your magic senses your strong emotions and operates spontaneously."

"Stable spellcasting after enrollment, and the silent, wandless spellcasting in adulthood... in a way, we are simply reclaiming the instinct of spellcasting."

"Reclaiming instinct..." the young wizards chewed on these words, an exploration into the essence of magic they had never experienced before.

Felix smiled, "You can try this process." He waved his hand, extinguishing the flame, and the tea cup on the table duplicated itself into a pair, then a heap, landing in front of them.

Harry stared at the tea cup in front of him. I want to make it float. He thought.

However, the process wasn't easy; the cup remained motionless.

Professor Harp's voice seemed to come from beyond, carrying a certain allure and suggestion. It might have been a trick of the light, but Harry felt like he caught a fleeting glint of silver in the professor's eyes.

"Maintain focus—stay sensitive—keep confidence—"

Harry redirected his attention to the tea cup before him. This time, it took little effort for the cup to levitate. A rush of immense joy surged within him, akin to when he first learned from Hagrid that he was a wizard or the exhilaration of successfully casting a spell for the first time.

I did it...

"I did it!" He looked up at Professor Harp, realizing the professor was smiling at him.

Harry surveyed the room; he seemed to be the only one who succeeded so quickly. But Draco also managed it quite soon after, looking at Harry with surprise, hesitating, "Potter..." He did have a foundation in this area.

Harry didn't pay him any mind; he turned to the others and noticed that everyone seemed to enter a state of intense concentration. They only emerged from it upon succeeding.

Cho Chang was still trying; Hermione's face had turned red; Cedric Diggory's cup was dangerously wobbling but he managed it, barely.

One minute, two minutes, success came one after another.

Hermione was the seventh. She glanced at the others, "Oh." Her expression carried a hint of disappointment.

Felix Harp smiled, "This doesn't indicate the level of potential. You might be overly rational and rarely have experience in this aspect." He told the successful ones, "You can keep practicing or observe others, feeling this transformation."

More and more people succeeded. Throughout the process, Felix continued to suggest, "Focus... Sensitivity... Confidence... You can do it!"

When the last person made the cup float from a distance, half an hour had already passed, yet Harry hardly felt the passage of time.

This chapter was quite challenging to write...

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