Magic Sensitivity

"By the same token, spells and Casting Gestures work the same way. Precise gestures and incantations can help wizards with reduced sensitivity learn spells faster and more easily. You have to understand that before wizards had wands, Silent Wandless Spellcasting was the norm."

Flitwick cleared his throat. After explaining so much, his mouth had inevitably grown a little dry.

"I see." Anduin thought back to his years of self-training and hard work. Not only had it made his Total Magic Power greater than other people's, but it seemed his Magic Sensitivity had also become far higher than normal through practice.

"Exactly. As you can see, nearly all the young wizards struggled a great deal with casting spells today. That's because their perception of magic has diminished. Compared with how they could occasionally cast little tricks before, this creates a 'Perception Gap.' That's why learning spells at the beginning is so important. If they aren't careful, young wizards may feel that casting spells is getting harder and harder, and even become discouraged. Emotions are also a crucial part of casting spells."

"Some talented wizards can indeed learn one or two spells quickly after first getting a wand, but that still takes a gradual process. As they grow older, the amount of magic they have within them, their ability to control it, and their sensitivity to it will all gradually increase, right up until they're in their thirties. So for wizards, learning and casting spells become easier and easier."

"So, there's nothing unusual about being able to use a few spells proficiently. But when you say you've mastered every spell from the first year and can reliably cast them silently, that proves you're quite extraordinary."

"So, would you mind telling an old man like me about it? It's very important to academic research into the development of spells, and I hope you'll indulge my curiosity." Professor Flitwick asked Anduin earnestly.

He knew it was terribly rude to pry into someone else's secrets like this, but his love of spells made him swallow his pride and ask Anduin. Though he was quite old, he still had a powerful thirst for knowledge about the unknown.

Anduin thought it over. Professor Flitwick seemed sincere, and he had explained so much about spells. That had cleared up many of Anduin's long-standing questions, and it wasn't as though this was some great secret to him.

"Thank you, Professor Flitwick. The reason I was able to cast silently so early on probably isn't as complicated as you might think. It actually has to do with my childhood." Anduin trusted Professor Flitwick, so he carefully told him what he could.

Professor Flitwick listened attentively.

"You may not know this, but I'm an orphan. Growing up in an Orphanage taught me to be independent from a very young age. When I was about seven, I started noticing strange things happening around me. That must have been the Magic Outburst you mentioned. Objects around me would suddenly float into the air." As he spoke, Anduin looked to Professor Flitwick for confirmation.

Professor Flitwick nodded.

"I was terrified at the time, but I was in the Muggle World, and no one could tell me what it meant. So I kept it a secret and began studying this strange ability in detail. I realized that I really was different."

"Back then, I thought I had, um, what Muggles would call a superpower. I was both nervous and excited, so I began exploring this unusual power inside me. I started learning how to control it. It was very difficult at first, but curiosity made me patient."

"When I think back to that time, it can feel almost unbelievable. I would sometimes stare at a cup all day, trying to summon the power inside me—I mean, my magic. Back then, I didn't even have a concept of magic." Anduin's eyes seemed to drift back to his younger self as he spoke softly.

Professor Flitwick nodded, his eyebrows raised. He hadn't expected the boy before him to have such an extraordinary past.

"Persistence tends to pay off. I've forgotten how many times I practiced, but one day I finally sensed the magic, just faintly, and actually made the cup move before my eyes. I tried hard to remember how it felt. After that, I kept practicing and experimenting. Let me think—this went on right up until I received my Hogwarts letter."

Then, while Flitwick stared in astonishment, Anduin casually waved a hand, and several books in front of him floated quietly in the air.

"Good heavens, that's... that's Silent Wandless Spellcasting!" Flitwick stared at Anduin, his eyes shining.

But Anduin wasn't finished.

"After years of practice, releasing magic became more and more natural for me. I also tried using weight training and Delayed Training to deepen my control over magic. I suppose it was all that constant training that made me more sensitive to magic, as you put it."

"Later, I received my letter from Hogwarts, and Professor McGonagall took me to buy my first wand. I was incredibly curious about the magical world, so I couldn't wait to start teaching myself magic. At first, I really was as you described: my Magic Sensitivity had decreased.

"Casting with a wand, especially the Levitation Charm, became very smooth and reliable. But when I put down my wand or didn't say the incantation, I did feel a little unaccustomed to it. Perhaps my years of training had made me more sensitive to magic and given me better control. After practicing many times, I was able to make objects float without a wand." Anduin told Professor Flitwick what he could, leaving out things like Martial Arts Training and meditation. It would be hard to explain how he'd learned those.

"After that, I found it very easy to learn other spells, too. But the Levitation Charm is the only one I can cast silently and without a wand." There was also the Obstacle Charm, but he had no intention of mentioning that.

After hearing Anduin's story, Professor Flitwick found it both astonishing and entirely plausible. There had been no shortcuts, only hard work, and he couldn't help feeling a little admiration for the young wizard before him.

"Oh, Anduin, you were clearly born to be a Ravenclaw student. How could the Sorting Hat have put you in Slytherin?" Professor Flitwick sighed regretfully.

Because that stupid hat is petty, Anduin grumbled to himself.